WEBVTT 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:01.919 Amen. 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:04.080 Man, I'm telling you what. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:11.519 When I hear you guys singing together as a body, it fires me up. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:14.240 It fires me up. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:17.519 When I hear you say amen, it fires me up. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:18.480 Thank you. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.199 Thank you. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:21.679 Hey, listen, we're I'm so excited. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:24.960 It's been seems like forever since we've been together. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:30.079 And so we're going to be broadcasting today down to Social Circle. 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:39.119 So I need you to help me in a big, big walnut grove way to welcome our social circle family with us. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:41.119 Give it up for social circle. 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:42.640 Yes, yes. 00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:48.640 And so we also have our online family with us. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:01:03.200 I love Shirley and Kevin and Gail and Ken and all the others that, for whatever reason, may need to be home or choose to be home to help us minister to people as they watch online. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:05.519 Excited to be with my family. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:06.560 We're in this series. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.359 It's a vision series, and it's it's huge. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.239 Something we've been praying for for a long time. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:24.480 And specifically, we've been planning and praying since July, working on really what we believe God is going to do in leading us throughout the next three to five years. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:29.599 And there's these four words that we're going to continue to come back to. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.400 And it's believe, belong, become, and build. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.319 And I want you to say each one of those words with me. 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:37.920 Repeat it after me. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:38.640 Believe. 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:40.400 And say we're going to do it again. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:41.920 I couldn't hear social circle. 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:42.560 Believe. 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:43.840 All right. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:44.799 Belong. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:48.159 Become and build. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:50.959 And so two weeks ago we started the series. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:54.319 We talked about believe and the necessity. 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:56.799 There are those of us who believe. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.760 We have put um Christ first. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:00.799 We have followed him. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:01.840 We've trusted him. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.599 We're saying we're going to be his disciple. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:10.240 We believe in what he did in his life and his death and his resurrection. 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:11.840 And we're trusting him with that. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:20.159 But we don't stop there as we believe we join with Jesus to reach other people and lead them to believe. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:34.479 And so let me give you a few tools, and we've talked about this before, for us to help engage with people that are unbelievers, to pray for them and to get into conversations, to initiate, to engage in conversations. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:36.560 And listen, you're no different than me. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:37.680 I get nervous. 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:39.680 I worry about what I'm going to say. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:42.960 I get butterflies in my stomach. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:44.879 I'm no different than you. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:46.719 We're all in this together. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.280 Sometimes it's hard to talk to people. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:50.479 We don't know what to say. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:52.400 We don't know how to start the conversation. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:57.199 But one thing you can do is pray, is pray for people. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.080 That's why I love the tool, Bless Every Home. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:04.639 Say this after me: BlessEveryHome.com. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:07.120 BlessEveryHome.com. 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:08.719 It is an online tool. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:15.199 And so you go in and you put your address in and it pulls up all the neighbors that live closest to you. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:16.800 You might think, well, that's creepy. 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:18.960 All my information is out there for them. 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:20.800 It's just part of the census. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:23.199 It's nothing, it's nothing creepy. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.560 It's just the fact that we have that information available. 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:38.400 And so I get an email every morning with five names and husband, wife, or family, individuals or married couple, and it allows me to pray for them. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.319 In the warm months, I like to walk. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:46.479 I walk early in the morning and I can pray as I walk by their home and I pray for them. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:48.800 Some of them are believers, some are not believers. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:50.080 A lot of them I don't know. 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.159 And I'm praying for them by name. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:04:06.639 I am begging you to go on and sign up because we can see how many people we would love to have every person in our church signed in to be a light in their neighborhood praying for people. 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:10.719 Here's another little tool that I came across. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:13.520 It's the idea of the four knots. 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:14.719 The four knots. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:18.560 And you imagine a string or a rope that's got four knots in it. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:28.480 And it helps you be reminded of how you can engage with people when you hear things like I'm not from here. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:29.519 Automatic. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:30.800 I'm gonna invite that person. 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:33.199 I'm gonna, hey, do you have a church family? 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.519 I don't, I don't, I don't, I've never gone to church. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:36.879 Well, let me tell you about my church. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:41.920 Let me invite you because that's how you get to know people, how you get engaged with people. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:49.279 We have some new neighbors uh next to us, and and and when they were moving in and I was stalking, I mean, I mean, just going over and talking to them. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:54.720 Um I mean, I mean it was easy for me to just bring up the idea. 00:04:54.800 --> 00:05:03.519 And here, what's funny is I walked up, and the the young lady that moved into, she said, You're my neighbor, which immediately scared me. 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:06.240 Because she's like, You're my neighbor? 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:08.079 Okay, she she knew me in high school. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:09.120 I'm really in trouble. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:13.040 Uh no, she she said she works, she's a teacher at Walnut Grove High School. 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:15.120 She said, You bring me food. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.040 I'm like, Yes, I do. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:19.439 What a what an easy segue. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:20.800 And so they're they're coming. 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:24.079 They've had some sick kids, but I'm telling you, they've already said they're coming. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:25.600 I'm not from here. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:29.360 I'm not currently going to church, I'm not in church. 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:30.399 That's a knot. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:33.040 Just invite them, engage engage with them. 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.560 They say to you, things are not going well. 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:39.040 Third knot. 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:48.800 If somebody says something's not going well, I was in a doctor visit a couple of years ago, and I had known this doctor for years and his wife. 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:54.000 They were in practice together, and I said, Doc, I've I've noticed I hadn't seen your wife the last couple of times. 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:59.920 And he says, She's no longer my wife, and she's no longer practicing medicine. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:07.199 I said, So here's I just said, I was thinking, Lord, give me words, give me words. 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:09.759 And I said, Doc, how do you cope? 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:12.000 How do you cope? 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:16.560 I said, I don't even know the circumstances, but I can tell just by the tone of your voice, it's been tough. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:18.720 How do you cope? 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:21.279 He said, Well, I exercise, I do this, I do this. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:28.560 I said, I said, would you let me tell you how I cope when I go through difficult things in my life? 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:30.959 And I said, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:31.759 He said, No. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:32.720 He said, tell me. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:38.480 And I began to tell him how I pray, how I lean in to the Lord. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:42.720 And I'd love to tell you that he came to Christ and his life's been transformed. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:44.079 That's that's not the case. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:47.519 But but our relationship changed a little bit. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:07:00.319 I think he he he he doesn't he kind of enjoys when I show up, you know, and come in, probably because I'm paying him, but but I think because he he knows I genuinely care about him. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:05.920 So not from here, not in church, not going well, not prepared for recent change. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.319 Not prepared for recent change. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:18.079 How many of you ever had a new child or a new baby and and and man, that's and you and you you're about a month in and you're like, man, I'm not prepared for this. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:23.199 All the parents of new babies. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:24.480 You know what I'm talking about. 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:26.959 I'm not prepared for recent change. 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:28.879 And so those are opportunities. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.040 And then the other tool we have is invite cards. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.439 We have new invite cards that have our service times, that have church at the grove. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:40.000 And so those are tools for you to help lead people to believe. 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.560 And then today we're talking about belonging. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:45.439 We want to lead people to believe, but not just to believe. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:46.879 We want to lead them to belong. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:55.759 When I came to Christ as an 18-year-old, um, having not been raised in church, um, I immediately went to a church with my older brother named Eddie. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.079 Most of y'all know my oldest brother, Butch. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.079 We had a brother between us named Eddie. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.439 Eddie, both of them have it had huge influence on my life. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:08.319 But Eddie was in a church over in Decatur, invited me to his church, and I began attending. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:16.959 I came to Christ there, and and immediately, immediately, the people in the small groups, they called them community groups there. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.240 They began to fight over me to come to that group. 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:27.199 Well, I'm an 18-year-old single guy, and and young ladies were fighting over me to come to their group. 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:29.839 It was, it made me feel important. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:39.039 It made me feel a lot of things, but it was it I but the point is, people were fighting for me to come into their group. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:43.840 It made me feel loved, it made me feel belonging. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:49.519 And listen, we come and we sit in rows, and a lot of times we walk out. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:54.799 As a matter of fact, a lot of things have changed in my perspective in the past years. 00:08:54.879 --> 00:09:06.159 I would tell you the most important 10 minutes on a Sunday morning is when a person gets out of their car, and and the the minutes from their car to the seat are the most important five to ten minutes. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.320 But I I think I've changed. 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:16.480 I think the most important minutes are the five to ten minutes from the time the service is over to when they get in their car. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:23.519 And studies and research have even said that's when people make up their mind whether they're gonna come back or not. 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:27.440 How many conversations they have on the way out. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:28.320 You know why? 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:31.360 Because people are trained to be nice on the way in. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:32.720 They're expecting that. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:35.679 First impressions ministry is huge. 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:41.039 There's books written about first impressions ministry, but how about lasting impression? 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:54.399 Lasting impression is when somebody really asks you how you're doing, what's happening with you, where are you from, and have conversations instead of just leaving to beat everybody else to the restaurant. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:59.759 And so that's a cue for you if you're part of Church at the Grove. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.360 Is look to have some conversations on the way out. 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:09.840 That's when people will decide whether or not this feels like a place I could belong. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:13.679 And so belonging is important. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.039 We want people to believe. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:16.799 We want them to trust in Jesus. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:30.720 We want there to be uh people that have a relationship with Jesus, but we need to understand that we're not inviting them just into a relationship, we're inviting them into relationships. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:32.799 Relationships. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:38.320 Not, yes, Jesus is important, but we want them to connect to the body. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:41.440 Believing always leads to belonging. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:43.840 Believing always leads to belonging. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:49.360 There's no such thing as a lone ranger in uh in the kingdom of God. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:52.799 The kingdom of God is all about relationships. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:11:05.360 And so you don't come to Christ and say, well, I'm just gonna spend my Sundays hunting or fishing or doing whatever I want to do or going and doing vacations and all that. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:12.559 All those things are important, but you you you need to connect with a church family, connect in a body. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:17.120 The apostle Paul says we become part of a body. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:29.279 The church at Corinth, the city of Corinth, was probably a lot like Atlanta, or it was a lot like Las Vegas, or it was a lot like New York. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:45.360 It was a big metropolitan city, and it was made up mostly of Greek or Hellenist, and and it was it was people who worshiped and served false gods, many gods, other gods, and there was a mixture of Jewish people in there. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:51.200 But if you go and read Acts 18, Paul goes into Corinth and he begins to have conversations with people. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:53.519 He leads a few people to Jesus. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:55.519 He starts a small group. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:12:14.720 Out of that small group is birthed a church, and he grows that church up into uh at least somewhat of a measure of health where he felt comfortable leaving Corinth to move on and go lead people to Christ and plant new churches elsewhere. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:22.559 But he hears through the grapevine and through messaging that the church in Corinth is having a lot of problems. 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:25.679 They have sin in the church. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:29.840 They are going back to their old habits and their old ways. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:36.879 They are engaging in false worship while they're saying they're worshiping Jesus at the same time. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.519 And they become splintered. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:41.679 You read the first part of the letter. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:58.960 Some of them say, Well, I follow Apollos, and others will say, I follow Paul, and they have they had uh fractured leadership, they were divided over many things, and so Paul writes this first letter to the church at Corinth. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:07.120 And he says, This the human body has many parts. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:10.799 Verse 12, 1 Corinthians 12, 12. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:17.919 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.799 So it is with the body of Christ. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:25.759 And so he's using the analogy or the metaphor of the human body. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.639 We all have many parts to our body. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:47.600 There's hands, there's feet, there's eyes, there's a head, there's the torso, there's all parts to the body, but they all they're all different, they're all significant, they're all important, but but together they make up the human body. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:56.480 And here's what he's saying: he's saying all of us together become the body of Jesus. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:07.200 We're the hands of Jesus, we're the feet of Jesus, we're the heart of Jesus, we're the head of Jesus. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:08.480 All parts. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:15.279 I mean, if you look at the animal kingdom, there's different phrases to describe groups of animals, right? 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:20.320 So if you have a group of, if you have one elephant, it's called an elephant. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.240 But if you have a large group of elephants, what is it called? 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:26.320 It's a herd, right? 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:30.639 And so if you have one lion, it's called a lion. 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:34.399 But if you have a group of lions, it's called a, right? 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:37.919 If you have one cheetah, it's a cheetah. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:41.120 If you have a large group of cheetah, what do you have? 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:42.879 Cheetos. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:52.559 I'm hungry. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:54.000 I'm really hungry. 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:58.639 It's actually called a coalition. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:04.559 A crow is a crow, but you know what a whole group of crows is called? 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.559 A murder of crows. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.960 Black, black, wicked birds. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:13.440 You know what you call a vulture? 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:14.799 A vulture is a vulture. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:16.799 You know what you call a group of vultures? 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:19.120 A committee. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:24.000 See? 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.720 That's why I've always struggled being a Baptist. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.080 Had to move out of that. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:30.639 No committees at Church of the Grove. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:39.840 So each animal has a name, but a group takes on a new identity. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:46.639 A follower of Jesus has been known as a Christian. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:50.879 I don't really like that term because I think it's lost its significance. 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:55.519 We're disciples. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:58.960 We're followers of Jesus. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:01.120 The way of Jesus. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:05.519 But together, we're the body of Christ. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:07.919 We're the bride. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.840 We're an army. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.480 And so it's important to be connected. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:25.440 It's important to understand how to be the eyes of Jesus that look with compassion at a hurting, lost world. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:34.639 It's important to be the hands of Jesus, willing to serve when we see needs. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:39.360 It's important to be the feet of Jesus, to go and carry the gospel. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:45.600 How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news, Paul says in Romans chapter 10. 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:49.600 And so we we want every part of the body matters. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:53.440 Let's go on through that back to the verse here. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:57.679 Some of us are Jews, some of us are Gentiles, some are slaves, some are free. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:05.359 But we've all been baptized into one body by one spirit, and we all share the same spirit. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.279 Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part. 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:18.559 If the foot says, I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand, that does not make it any less part of the body. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:25.359 And if the ear says, I am not part of the body because I am not an eye, would that make it any less part of the body? 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:28.640 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:30.000 That would be strange. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.920 Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:36.160 But our bodies have many parts. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:42.319 And God, listen to this, God has put each part just where he wants it. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:48.160 How strange a body would be if it only had one part. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:53.279 How strange a body would be if it only had one part. 00:17:55.519 --> 00:18:00.319 I just got something that kind of helps, I think, maybe illustrate this a little bit. 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:09.359 Just look, I I hope, I hope social circle can see this. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:16.000 It's my science project from the 12th grade. 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:19.359 Yes, I've kept it that long. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.319 That's not strange, is it? 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:27.759 No, listen, to be honest, what what are you when you first saw this, what came to mind? 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:28.720 What's the word? 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:30.720 Creepy? 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:33.200 Disturbing? 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:38.160 The eyeballs are my favorite. 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:42.640 Who are they looking at? 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.400 Social circle online. 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:49.599 Oh. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:53.759 Yep. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:54.720 All right. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:04.480 See, me and Jesus. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.200 This is disturbing. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:11.519 It's not right. 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:16.880 It's creepy. 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:20.079 It's not the way it's supposed to be. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:21.599 Amen? 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:29.440 I mean, if you're just walking down the road and there's a foot, you call 911, hopefully. 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:34.720 Eyeballs without the head? 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:35.920 Strange. 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:40.559 Hands, they're supposed to be attached to something. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.640 Here's what he says. 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:48.240 Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:52.319 How strange a body would be if it only had one part. 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.039 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:58.799 The eye can never say the hand, I don't need you. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:05.519 The head can't say to the feet, I don't need you. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:19.839 You are each, if you're a believer, if you're not a believer, I hope you would understand the gospel that says that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:22.480 You, me, everyone. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:30.160 I shared at 18, I came to the realization that I was a sinner in need of grace. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:35.119 And God invited me into a relationship with him. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:37.039 And he saved me. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.160 I trusted him. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:43.359 I repented and I believed in the good news that Jesus came. 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:49.680 He lived sinless, he surrendered his life, he was brutally beaten and crucified. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:53.119 In that he took my place and my punishment. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:54.400 They buried him. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:56.559 He was bodily resurrected. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:02.640 Hallelujah! The proof that he had power over sin and death in the grave. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:12.480 And then he preached the gospel for 40 days and he ascended and gave the church the mission to carry on his work. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:18.960 And every person who has believed is meant to be part of that. 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:26.240 And if you haven't believed, I would encourage you to put your faith in Jesus before you leave here today. 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:40.640 If you are a believer, God has put something in you that is valuable and absolutely necessary for his work in the body of Christ. 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.079 You matter. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:47.920 And you're not just invited to a relationship, you're invited into relationships. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:57.119 And our relationship with God grows in direct proportion to the depth of our community with other believers. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:25.279 But if you come in and you sit and you stare at the back of somebody's head, or you're sitting up close enough and you're just watching the band play because you like how they sound and you just like the vibe of this church, but you never intend to take a step forward and to use your gifts and to connect and to serve and be a part. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:34.400 You are missing out on what God wants for you and every blessing he wants to pour out in your life. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:38.720 And maybe this isn't the place for you. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.359 Especially as we move forward. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:50.480 Relationship with others in the body. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.400 It takes really three things. 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:58.160 It takes time and it takes trust and it takes transparency. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:01.359 And so part of it is taking time. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:14.720 It's placing a value on getting together with other people, sharing meals, having groups, and being involved in serving, where you build relationships. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:24.559 Over that time, you feel comfortable being a little more transparent, opening up a little bit with other people about your life and your past. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:27.920 We all have habits and hurts and hang-ups. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:32.720 And we need a place where we can be transparent, but trust. 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:35.519 So time and transparency and trust. 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:38.640 We should be the most trustworthy people. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:43.200 I've got your back, and that means I've really got your back. 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:47.119 And you've got somebody that you're connected to. 00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:56.880 Here's what we're going to do is I'm going to turn it back over to Pastor Nathan in Social Circle. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:59.759 And we love you, and we're so thankful for you. 00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:07.920 And so Pastor Nathan is going to close this time of teaching with our campus in social circle. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:18.160 So let me just kind of close this time with us here in Wanna Grow. 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:20.400 And challenge you a little bit. 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:25.359 God has called us into relationships. 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:30.240 Do we have any Brays fans? 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:45.039 Jorge Solaire. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:51.680 I don't really keep up with it, but this Tuesday will be 12 weeks exactly. 00:24:52.720 --> 00:25:02.640 That he that he stepped up to the plate and hit a towering home run over left field. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:06.000 Over the left field, I mean like out of the ballpark. 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:07.759 Against the Houston Atros. 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:09.839 It couldn't happen to a better team. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:12.720 Cheaters. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:13.680 I mean. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:19.759 And so he, you know, he hits the home run. 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:22.720 He just trots down to third base. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:24.880 Touches third base. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:26.480 Comes back. 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:28.480 Touches home plate. 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:31.200 Who needs first and second base? 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:33.839 What would the umpire say? 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:36.960 You're out of here. 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:43.839 No, you got in baseball, you gotta go touch first base. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:45.759 I mean, we love it. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:54.240 When our kids are four and five years old and they hit the T-ball, man, it's cute as pie when they run to second base and skip first base. 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:57.039 I mean, we get it on video, we don't want a picture. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:05.920 But by the time they're in the ninth grade and they're not touching first base, something's wrong. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:22.319 A lot of us have believed, we've trusted in what Jesus has done for us, and we don't ever go and touch first base, which is to connect with the body of Christ. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:35.200 In relationships with people that will help us grow, that will help us share the good news, that will help us take the gospel to a world. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:46.559 And so what we say here at Church at the Grove is your first base is just saying, I want to be available for relationships. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:53.759 And here's the practical way for us is through two things is community groups, and it's serve teams. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:27:03.279 And you don't even have to be a member of our church to connect with those and build friendships, build relationships that matter, get connected. 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:04.640 I'm gonna tell you something. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:13.359 This this is absolutely true, and I think there's research out there, but I can just tell you from my experience of 27 years in ministry. 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:21.039 If you come to church and you sit, you can come every Sunday. 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:39.279 But if you don't take the step to touch first base and get into community, I'm telling you, within about six months, you're gonna just slip out the door and maybe or maybe not be noticed. 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:50.880 Now, it's it's on the churches, it's it's part of our responsibility to connect with you and to love you and to support you and encourage you and to pastor and shepherd you. 00:27:52.079 --> 00:28:06.400 But it's also part of your responsibility to touch first base and to make yourself known and to connect, not with just the relationship with Jesus, but with the relationships in the body. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:11.759 And so don't make it where you're gonna slip away and nobody notices. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:13.599 Get connected. 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:15.759 We do have membership. 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:24.160 We have what we call covenant family membership, and and it's uh it's basically a dinner that we host, and we our next one's on February 5th. 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:27.200 It's on Saturday, February 5th, here at Walnut Grove. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:33.519 And you know, it doesn't automatically make you a member, but it shares with you the heartbeat and the mission and vision of our church. 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:37.519 And then you can decide, but it gives you an opportunity. 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:39.440 That's even a connection point. 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:56.240 Last week or two weeks ago, I shared about the story of Joshua as he led God's children to the Jordan River. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:58.400 Moses has died. 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:06.400 Joshua has been commissioned to lead God's people across the Jordan River. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:11.440 And in verse 6, Joshua gives them this command. 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:13.200 He said, We will use these stones. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:35.039 And what God had said, he said, I want you to take stones out of the river, 12 stones representing the 12 tribes, and I want you to place them over here at Gilgal and put them up into a pile where they are an altar to remember what God has done and how faithful He is. 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:43.680 Peter refers to you and me as living stones. 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:47.759 In the body of Christ, we are living stones. 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:59.599 And so in the ancient world, those stones were a representation, a visual object, reminding people of what God has done, his faithfulness. 00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:01.519 He is good to his word. 00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:05.839 He will provide, he will fulfill his promises. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:10.000 And so sometimes we still have altars and memorials. 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:13.200 You have them in your house, their pictures or their mementos. 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:15.279 But here's what Jesus is doing. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:20.640 He's building a body, and each person is a living stone. 00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:30.960 We want all of you to be a part, a testimony, a visual representation of what God has done in his goodness and his faithfulness. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:36.000 And so here's the challenge. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:39.039 I don't know if you got one of these yet. 00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:44.079 But if you didn't, I want to make sure you all have one of these. 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:48.160 And on the back side of it, it has God wants to use you. 00:30:48.240 --> 00:31:01.519 And it's got different areas for you to check, then give us your name and information where you can connect in a serve team and make sure you're building relationships. 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:03.759 Yes, serving is part of it. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:06.160 We need people that will welcome. 00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:10.880 We need people that will that will work, do sound and do technology. 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:14.160 We need people that can sing and play instruments. 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:19.519 We need people that will love on the next generation and love on our children. 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:20.720 We don't do child care. 00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:24.079 We invest the gospel in the children. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:29.599 Wednesday nights, we invest the gospel in the middle school and high school students. 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:37.440 Everything we every every serve area, it is an area that matters. 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:42.240 And so don't leave here without connecting. 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:46.559 In a community group, they're going to be cranking up here in the next few weeks. 00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:49.119 We're going to have opportunities for you to connect. 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:55.519 Here's what God wants for you: He wants you to grow in the faith. 00:31:56.319 --> 00:32:04.160 The prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 61, and Jesus quotes this verse, that's his kind of his purpose statement in Luke chapter 4. 00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:10.640 He says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. 00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:17.440 He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim the cap that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:27.839 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord's favor has come, and with it the day of God's anger against their enemies, to all who mourn in Israel. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:38.000 He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair in their righteousness. 00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:44.319 They will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:50.319 God says, I see a bunch of oaks, potential oaks. 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:53.200 He wants you to grow up into a great oak. 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:58.559 If you walk out these doors, there is a huge tree across the way. 00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:07.920 And that tree always makes me think of what God wants for this church to be full of great oaks. 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:26.960