WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:01.919 Good morning, Church of the Grove. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:06.559 My name is Dylan Wagers, and I'm so thankful that you're tuning in with us this morning online. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:15.279 God has done so much in the life of our church over the last couple weeks, and I believe that He's going to do something incredible this morning as we gather together online today. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:21.199 We're continuing our series called Renew, where we've been talking about how we can allow God to renew our minds. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:28.000 And as I've hoped you've already seen, this last week we launched a series of devotionals where we're carrying on that discussion each weekday. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:38.479 Today's message, we're going to continue talking about this topic and how we can need to slow down and begin to give our time and our lives to God by spending time in His Word and in prayer. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:41.840 As we talk about this today, I want to encourage you to be present. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:48.560 I want to encourage you to drown out or turn off any distractions that may hinder you from being fully engaged in this service. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:59.200 And while you're doing that, and while you're engaged in the service, I want you to know as well that if you're on the church online platform, that we have hosts that are ready to pray with you and talk with you at any point during the service. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:03.119 And if you're not on the church online platform, if you're on Facebook or YouTube, that's great. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:09.680 But we would love to encourage you to jump over to that church online platform if you can for the best experience of this service. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:15.120 And if you're a guest with us, I want you to know that we have a new here form for you to fill out. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:23.680 And for every person that fills out this form this week, we're going to donate$5 to a local charity in support of what's going on around our world with the coronavirus. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:29.680 And there's also for guests, there's going to be an online meet and greet with our pastors immediately following the service. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:37.200 And so you can find all that information, the online card and the meet and greet information at churchthegrow.com forward slash you. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:40.879 In just a few moments, we're going to begin to worship together as a family. 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:42.560 But first, would you pray with me? 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:44.799 Lord Jesus, thank you for this day. 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:53.359 Thank you for this incredible opportunity that we've had over the last weeks and months to worship together online and thank you for all the work that you've done in our hearts and lives. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:59.200 I pray for those of us who are in tune to the service this morning, God, that you would continue to do that work. 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:03.439 We know and believe that your presence transcends all of this technology. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:05.599 It transcends everything that's happening in our world. 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:10.159 And we believe that you are still moving and working and doing powerful things in your church today. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:16.080 God, I pray that we would each individually experience you this morning and that we would just encounter you in a new way. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.360 So in your name we pray. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:18.080 Amen. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:44.000 Without you that God, Lord, I need you I need. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:54.080 So the big idea is this changed lives come from changed minds. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:55.360 And we're in a battle. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:57.360 And the battle is over our souls. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:59.679 We must be willing to fight. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:03.039 And so Paul says we must take captive our thoughts. 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:08.159 And our focus passage this past Sunday was out of Romans chapter 12. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:15.600 And Paul says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:30.799 And so we want to look at some specific ways that you can renew your mind and to focus on scripture and to focus on what Christ has done for us and to give you some tools to fight. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:40.080 And so that's what we're going to be doing as we dive in to this second week of this series and learning how to be still before God. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:44.720 Not just learning, but choosing how to be still before God. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:52.159 And so let's take a journey and let's look at some specific tools and how you can take on that challenge. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:01.759 So what we're talking about this morning is about taking steps and implementing an action plan. 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:06.080 Learning how to take captive our thoughts. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:09.840 Learning how to stay in the fight. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:23.279 And it's as hard as it ever has been to slow down and to really engage with relationships, engage in our relationship with God. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:29.600 I mean, it may be the hardest thing you've ever done in your life because we're constantly running. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:40.480 As I'm driving down this road, it makes me think about just this endless dizziness that we're constantly moving forward. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:44.240 And so we've got to learn to take captive our thoughts. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:48.480 We've got to learn to put this action plan in place. 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:52.639 And the action plan that we're going to talk about today is this. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:02.000 And listen, it is absolutely going to be difficult. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:06.159 See, we spend most of our time running, running, running. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.480 We spend a lot of time in our vehicles. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:15.440 We spend a lot of time at work, going to and back from work. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:19.840 We spend a lot of time taking our kids to school. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:21.840 We take kids to our activities. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:30.559 We take kids to their sports, activities, practices, and games, and we're just busy, busy, busy. 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:33.120 It is non-stop all the time. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:41.039 Not to mention the fact that we are now connected constantly through electronic devices. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:42.960 Think about your phone. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:45.519 You're constantly getting notifications. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:48.240 You're constantly getting text messages. 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.279 You're constantly receiving phone calls. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.679 You have emails to respond to. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:16:00.720 I mean, there's this endless barrage of noise that's always filling our minds. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:05.519 And so it's so hard to take captive our thoughts. 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:09.840 It's like we're running on a treadmill constantly. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:17.279 And don't get me wrong, I think making progress in life is absolutely a necessary and a good thing. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:29.759 And so nobody's gonna say that getting a raise at work is a bad thing, or making progress, or getting a promotion, or or or paying bills, or getting out of debt. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.200 All those things are worthy causes. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:52.159 What I'm talking about is this constant barrage of busyness and noise that keeps you from being able to put this action plan in place that we're talking about today, which says this I choose to be still with God. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:57.279 And see, see, that's the way the world has taken us. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.960 It's the middle of of this busyness. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:13.839 But just about six weeks ago, it seems like everything simply all of a sudden came to a complete stop. 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:22.400 So in a moment, we're going through life, we're running on the treadmill, things are busy, crazy, chaotic, and then everything just stops. 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:29.200 This unexpected, unexplainable virus pops up, and all of a sudden the life that we knew is no more. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:40.480 Where we were used to going to sporting events and shopping and how to eat, all of that suddenly is gone, and we're pretty much stuck in the confines of our house, and so life suddenly changed. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:45.039 And everything that was busy has now been immediately slowed down. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:52.720 This past week my wife was putting our son to be uh Sam to bed, and he asked her the question, Mommy, why do you think God sent the virus? 00:17:52.880 --> 00:18:06.400 Now, I think there's maybe some theological issues with his question, but he began to answer the question himself, and he said, I think the reason that God sent the virus was so that everyone would not be so busy and would slow down. 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:20.480 Now, as a dad, that bothers me because uh he obviously, as a five-year-old, is looking into my life and he's seeing that we're busy, that we're crazy, that we're running around all the time, and that life is hectic, and he's seeing that in other people's lives as well. 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:25.920 And as a five-year-old, he's recognizing that maybe the theme, maybe the thing is a gift. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:31.920 It's a gift that can be used to slow down and really pursue the Lord. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.519 Now, here's the issue though. 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:43.759 A lot of times we don't like to slow down because we know that when we slow down, then that's going to stop and make us reflect on our current life and where we are at. 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:45.359 And so here's what I mean by that. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:58.960 Like, we know that if we really slow down, if we stop just long enough, and we get into the quietness, then we're going to begin to see some issues and some longings and some things in our soul that maybe we don't like. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.480 And so we just avoid it and we keep running and we keep moving forward. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:09.119 For some of us, the reason that we don't want to slow down and spend time with God is because we're afraid of what we might encounter. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:14.720 If we start spending time with God, then maybe God's gonna ask us to go and do something. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:20.480 Maybe it's to move to Africa, like that's everybody's kind of biggest fear is to move to Africa and become a missionary. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:29.200 But maybe it's just as simple as loving our neighbor as we love ourselves, and that's not something that's necessarily easy, and so we're afraid that he's gonna ask us to do something. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:32.799 Maybe it's a fear of having to change something about us. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:45.279 That there's this fear that we're gonna be asked to change something in our soul, something that's difficult, something that maybe we've struggled with for some time, and we know that that's not gonna be an easy request, and so we just keep pushing forward. 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:56.960 For some of us, maybe we've had an experience with God before, but we're afraid to spend time with Him now because we're afraid that if we try to interact in that relationship, that maybe, just maybe, that we're gonna be alone. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:06.079 That God's not gonna be there, that God's not going to show up, and we're just gonna be utterly alone, and so we keep running and we keep moving forward. 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:07.839 But here's the question for us. 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:34.799 Even though we're maybe scared, even though we have this fear of what might happen if we slow down long enough to pursue God and enter into a relationship with God, what if God is using this season now in order to get us to force us to slow down so that we can remove the busyness and remove the distractions from our lives so that we can pursue Jesus right in this moment. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:37.039 I love what Dallas Willard said. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.279 Dallas Willard said that the biggest enemy of the spiritual life is hurry. 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:53.839 And he said if somebody's gonna be spiritually victorious, if somebody's gonna be able to fight the battle that we've been talking about spiritually, then they've got to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from their lives. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.359 Now I know that that's easier said than done, because here's the truth. 00:20:57.519 --> 00:21:01.359 We have an enemy, and the enemy is actively out to get us. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:10.880 He wants to see us kill, still, he wants to still kill and destroy our lives, and he wants us to have no pleasure and no satisfaction, and he wants to see our room. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:21.839 And so what he does is he pushes into our ideas and into our mind that the distractions and the dizziness and the chaos of life is ultimately what's good for our soul. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:35.599 But ultimately we gotta think of is that in order for us to have satisfaction, in order for us to have peace, that we must load out, and we must take time to choose to be healed with God. 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:42.480 So about a month and a half ago, before all this virus stuff started breaking out, we were planning on having our four campaign. 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:49.920 Which our four campaign was all about us serving our local communities and saying not so much what we were against, but rather what we were for as a church. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:52.079 And so there's a lot of work that goes into that. 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:59.759 We were having to talk to schools and principals and community leaders and mayors and city managers and all the other people in between to try to. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.559 Up with all the projects that our church would be a part of. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:05.759 And so I'm trying to run around, trying to organize all of that stuff. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:10.960 And I was told about a park here in Social Circle that needed some kind of just some TLC. 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:17.599 And so I'd never been there before, drove over, got out of my car, and began walking these trails in this wood. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:26.160 And all of a sudden, like I just kind of felt in the moment by myself, in the quietness, no car noises, no people around, just all by myself. 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:30.559 I just felt this in my spirit, just God saying to me, Nathan, slow down. 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:32.960 You're moving way too fast. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:34.480 I want you to be still. 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:43.119 Rather than pouring all of your time and attention and working for me, I want you to make the priority of your life to be in relationship with me. 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:48.480 It was like Psalm 46, 10 says, Be still and know that I'm God. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:56.079 So I sat down on one of the benches and I just began to pray to God and just thank him for all that he had done in my life and the lives of so many others. 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:02.799 And I was blown away just in a moment of pause of how present God became in my life. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:08.400 Now, for some of us, it seems weird to think that God would want us to be still and to be with him. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:10.559 But that's the kind of God that we have. 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:13.039 I was reminded of James chapter 4. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.160 I love this passage of scripture and this whole book really all together. 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:23.200 But in James chapter 4, verse 4, it says, You adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with the world is enity with God? 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:28.880 Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:41.200 That when we're busy and our priority in our lives is all about being friends of the world, doing the things that the world does, being busy and constantly on the move, that ultimately that's fighting against us being in relationship with God. 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:53.680 But he continues and he says this or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the scripture says he yearns jealously over the spirit that he made to dwell within us. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:24:01.279 But he gives more grace, therefore, says God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:07.279 So that we have a God, is what the Bible is saying is that we have a God that is jealous over our souls. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:14.720 That we have a God that is jealous for you and for me, that wants so desperately to be in a relationship with both of us. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:19.359 Now, that jealousy, that word typically has a negative connotation. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:24.240 It's not something that you want to necessarily have that character attribute in your life. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:29.920 But for God, he knows that the best thing for us is to be into a relationship with him. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:40.880 And so as a result, if we're in a relationship with him and he knows what that's best, that that's the best thing for us, then him jealously yearning for us is really an act of great love. 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:45.359 And so he jealously is yearning over our relationship with him. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:48.799 And it says, but he gives more grace. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:55.599 Therefore, it says, he says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 00:24:55.839 --> 00:25:05.680 That when we come into a relationship with him, when we come into his presence, when we submit ourselves to him and come with an air of humility, then God gives us grace. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:08.799 Now that might go in the face of everything that you've ever learned. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:17.759 Because for some of you, you you've been so focused on a God that is all about condemnation, a God that was out to get you, a God that wanted to strike you down once you messed up. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:24.400 But the God that the Bible is talking about jealously longs for your soul and to be in a relationship with you. 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:32.799 And for those that come in humility to him, he gives grace, he gives peace, he gives kindness to their soul. 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:37.519 The things that we long for can be satisfied in the presence of God. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:39.759 But the scripture goes even farther and it gets better. 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:44.480 It says in verse 7 So therefore, submit yourselves, therefore, to God. 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:47.359 Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:52.400 And then verse 8, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.960 So here's the incredible truth about our relationship with God. 00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:13.359 That we have a God that the promises of scripture tells us that when we draw near to him, when we slow down, we still our souls and we become quiet before him and remove the distractions of our lives, when we draw near to him, he draws near to us. 00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:17.359 That when we open ourselves up to him, he comes near to us. 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:21.759 That's the God that we serve, that's the God that we worship. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:28.880 And so for us, we have so many distractions and so many things that are constantly bombarding our minds and our hearts. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:34.400 But in order for us to truly connect with God, we must draw near to him. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:39.920 And the promise of Scripture tells us that he will therefore draw near to us. 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:41.599 But we've got to be still. 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.039 We have to choose to be still with God. 00:26:48.400 --> 00:27:07.839 Recently, I was able to watch the movie about Fred Rogers titled A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Tom Hanks was brilliant in how he portrayed Fred Rogers' life, and he showed and demonstrated how counter-culture uh Mr. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:09.359 Rogers really was. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:26.880 The interesting thing about his show is that it touched so many lives, the lives of adults and children, but it but it wasn't like a lot of television shows we have today, it wasn't fast-paced, it didn't have a lot of scene changes, it was actually kind of slow paced. 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:39.440 He didn't talk with a lot of inflection in his voice, but somehow he came across the camera as being a person uh that was genuine and authentic. 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:53.440 And so a lot of the things that I've learned about uh Fred Rogers' life was the fact that his his faith dictated a lot of what happened in the show and how he lived his life. 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:55.440 We know the catchy tune, right? 00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:57.920 It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:23.039 I mean, most of us know that song by memory, but a lot of us don't know that Fred Rogers had several anchors in his life, several um things that kept him grounded and helped him put together an action plan where he could be still and know that the Lord was with him. 00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:26.000 One of the things he did was he exercised every day. 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:33.759 He was known to be an avid swimmer, but he also prayed every day and he prayed for people by name. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:39.200 And he read scripture every day and he spent time with the Lord. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:52.079 And if we're going to put this action step into place, which is this I choose to be still and to spend time with God, we need to follow his lead a little bit. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:29:02.000 I believe that one of the reasons Fred Rogers impacted so many lives was because he put a priority on his time with God. 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:10.400 And as a result, he had this unbelievable, unconditional love that he showed people as he conducted his life. 00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:17.519 And so I want to encourage you, number one, make it a priority to stop, slow down, and be with God. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:26.000 And then I believe that you'll see a new unconditional love that will flow out of your life toward other people. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.920 So, for sure, this season is difficult. 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:38.559 I mean, there are people that have lost their jobs, we know people that have gotten sick, and maybe even in some cases we know people that have died because of this virus that has gone around. 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:44.160 And so, in no way am I diminishing the uh the tragic situation that we find ourselves in. 00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:47.119 But however, I do want us just to think for a moment. 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:50.000 What if this season is a gift? 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:56.319 What if this season is an opportunity for us to purposely slow down and spend time with God? 00:29:56.559 --> 00:30:03.119 Now, for some of you, you can't spend time with God and you've never had that opportunity because you don't have a relationship with him. 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:05.119 And what if God's used this virus? 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:07.440 What if God's used just this message right now? 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:13.119 He knew that you were going to be tuning in today, this morning, today, listening in to what we've been talking about. 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:18.400 And what if God was gonna use that so that you could begin today to have a relationship with Jesus? 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:33.759 And if that's the step that you need to take, it's as simple as ABC is what we say here at Church of the Grove, which is just admitting that we're sinful, admitting that we messed up, that we blown it, that we believe that Jesus is who he says he is, that he died on a cross for our sins some 2,000 years ago. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:37.680 And then ultimately we confess him as our Lord and Savior. 00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:46.160 And the Bible says that anyone that puts their faith and trust in Jesus will have new life and have life eternal, life abundant. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:48.640 And so maybe that's the step that you need to take. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:53.920 Before we can talk about choosing to be still with God, we've got to first have a relationship with him. 00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:55.839 And so maybe that's the step that you need to take. 00:30:55.920 --> 00:31:02.400 And if it is, we would love for you to text the word start to follow, all one word, to 9700. 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:09.359 And there we're gonna be able to follow up with you and give you some resources on how you can pursue the relationship with Jesus. 00:31:09.519 --> 00:31:29.680 Now, for others of us that maybe are followers of Christ, we put our faith and our trust in him, but yet somewhere along the line, we have allowed hurry and busyness to enter into our lives, and we have gotten our priorities shifted, and we have not made a disciplined effort to put God first in our relationship with him. 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:36.960 And as a result, we have not had the joy and the satisfaction of knowing him intimately. 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:41.119 And so for us, maybe this season, like I said, is a gift. 00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:52.000 And maybe it's an opportunity for us to remove the distractions from our lives and to come up with dedicated time to spend with our Heavenly Father. 00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:54.319 We've got some great tools for you online. 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:58.799 We got morning devotionals that are coming out that will help you in this process. 00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:01.200 We also have a really cool app that I've discovered. 00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:09.680 It's called the One Minute Pause, and it's something that I've been doing recently, where it's just every day I just take a moment, just out of my busy schedule, and I just do a one-minute pause. 00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:14.720 Where I just take a minute and I just say, God, everything I have is yours. 00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:19.039 And I just want to be with you, that I give everything to you. 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:28.000 And just taking a pause out of our day to spend in you with God is incredible in just building that intimacy and that relationship with Jesus. 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:30.160 And so we want you to take this time. 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:31.519 Don't waste this time. 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:47.279 Don't waste it on binge watching Tiger King, but instead make an effort to put God first in this season, and in so doing, develop that relationship and allow you to renew your mind and to fight the spiritual battle that's ahead of you. 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:49.920 We love you guys, and let me pray for us as we close. 00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:53.359 Lord Jesus, we thank you so much for who you are and for what you have done. 00:32:53.519 --> 00:32:58.799 And we thank you so much that you are a God that will draw near to us as we draw near to you. 00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:05.759 And so, Lord, I pray for every single person watching this video and joining us online for church this morning, Lord, that you would be with them. 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:14.720 Lord, that you would not let them neglect this season, but instead, Lord, that this season would be an opportunity for them to slow down long enough to hear your voice. 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:22.240 And so, Lord, we pray for every single person, Lord, that you would just allow them to use this time for your glory and for your honor. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:26.079 We love you, Lord, and we thank you again for just this morning, for your word and for your truth. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.680 And it's in your name we pray. 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:28.559 Amen. 00:33:48.319 --> 00:34:05.359 Your new voice I want with the show me who you are as I join you. 00:38:57.280 --> 00:39:07.440 I just want to encourage you that if at any point during this service that you made the decision to give your life to Christ, or if you would just like more information on what that looks like, to pull out your phones and to text real quick. 00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:12.239 Text, start to follow, all one word, start to follow to 9700. 00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:19.920 Again, that's start to follow to 9700, and we'll follow up with you personally with more information on how to follow Jesus this week. 00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:31.519 Um, and for the rest of you, for for all of you engaged online, we want to encourage you to not just be engaged in the life of Church of the Growth here on Sundays, but we have so many ways that you can engage with us throughout the entire week. 00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:41.199 As I mentioned earlier, we're continuing our daily devotionals Monday through Friday as we're continuing the discussion on how we can allow God to renew our minds on a daily basis. 00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:48.960 We're also going to be having online prayer gatherings on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and an online worship Wednesday this Wednesday. 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:57.840 And if you have kids in your family and in your home, we want to encourage you and let you know that there are resources available for you online to help lead and guide you as you in this time. 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:05.039 And also, if you're a student, sixth through twelfth grade, we want to encourage you to jump online to our student gathering on Wednesday nights as well. 00:40:05.280 --> 00:40:07.679 We want to encourage you not to waste this time. 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:12.159 God still wants to speak to you, He wants to do so much in your life in this time. 00:40:12.239 --> 00:40:17.280 Um, and so you can find all these resources available online at churchwithegrove.com. 00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:21.119 We're gonna transition into a time of giving as a church family right now. 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:23.599 And before we do, I want to read a passage of scripture. 00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:38.239 Romans 12, 4 through 5 says, For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 00:40:38.480 --> 00:40:40.000 What does this mean for us? 00:40:40.159 --> 00:40:44.960 It means that as followers of Jesus and as members of Church of the Grove, we are a family. 00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:48.960 And when one member of our family hurts, we all hurt. 00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:58.719 Just recently, um, through a survey that we sent out, we we found out that there's there's a few families in our church and in our community that are struggling financially in this time. 00:40:58.960 --> 00:41:03.039 And what that means is that as the church, we have the responsibility to help them. 00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:06.000 And so when you give the church the growth, that's what you're giving it to. 00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:12.800 You're making uh it possible for us to rally around our church family and to support those who are in need in this time. 00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:21.039 So you can give online at any time at churchthegrowth.com, or you can text a give, or you can also mail in your giving as well. 00:41:21.119 --> 00:41:30.400 Um, and if and lastly, if you if you are in our church family or if you're in our community and you're hurting in this time and you're you're in your there's financial stress on your family, we want you to let us know. 00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:39.599 You can email us at any time at info at churchtegrove.com where we can begin to discuss what your needs are and how we can best serve and help you in this time. 00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:50.880 Um, before we close, I want to remind all of our guests with us this morning that our online pastor meet and greet is happening right now so that you can engage and meet in our pastors and some of our church family this morning. 00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:56.239 So hop on over to church at the grove.com forward slash new to join there. 00:41:56.400 --> 00:41:58.960 Thank you so much for all of you being here this morning. 00:41:59.119 --> 00:42:01.360 Thank you for being a part of this service. 00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:07.360 I hope that God spoke to you and I believe that He wants to continue to speak to you this week and in the weeks to come. 00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:10.400 Um so we want you to also know that we are here for you as well. 00:42:10.559 --> 00:42:17.840 That if at any point during this week, if you need anything, um if you have a need that arises, if we can help you in any way, to please feel free to reach out to us. 00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:22.719 Um we love you so much, and we can't wait to see you again next Sunday.