WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.160 So we got a lot of ground to cover. 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:04.559 Um and uh and and here's what we're gonna do. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:05.759 I'm gonna look at five words. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:09.599 We're gonna use five words that are gonna sort of guide us through our conversation today. 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:17.760 Okay, it's the word church, the word purpose, we're gonna talk about the word connection, the word unity. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:19.839 I think I got those two in the wrong order, but it doesn't matter. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:22.960 Uh those five words, and then finally, we're gonna talk about health. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:29.120 Okay, so we're gonna talk church, purpose, unity, connection, and health. 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:30.640 Those are the words that are gonna guide us through it. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:32.159 Let's start with the first one, church. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:33.520 We are a church. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:34.719 That is what we are. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:36.159 We are his hands church. 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:42.000 Now, we are not uh necessarily a typical church, we are not what we sometimes call churchy. 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:49.039 His hands has never been a like a churchy church in the in the sense that I'm gonna be honest, we don't take ourselves super seriously. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:54.719 Uh we don't believe that we have the market cornered on every single aspect of what is true. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:59.200 Uh we believe passionately that Jesus is the single answer for the world. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.960 That is, our world is looking to all the craziness that's going on around us. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:05.599 Jesus is it, he's the answer. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:18.159 But we don't get caught up in that kind of like churchy religion where we start to be these extremely uh serious people who look down on others and think that we're right, everyone else is wrong, and that's not how we are. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:20.400 We've always been kind of a of a unique place. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:22.000 But we are a church. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:30.879 And so I've been thinking this question a lot over the last few years because of all the changes in church and how we've operated and what we've done, especially during 2020. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:32.319 What is church? 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.640 Like, what is a church and what is it supposed to be? 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:39.200 Because for the first time ever, at least with our church, church could be something that we watch. 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:43.439 We never did online streaming, we never did cameras prior to COVID. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:44.959 COVID sort of forced our hand in that. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:53.840 And the reason we hadn't done it wasn't that we weren't able to do it, it's just that we had this sort of philosophical struggle with like, is that what we're supposed to do? 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.359 Do we want there to be this option where it's like, I'll just watch. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:58.239 And you know what? 00:01:58.319 --> 00:01:58.799 Here's the deal. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.159 I'm glad we do that. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:08.800 In fact, in the early days of us doing the streaming, I heard from people that said, you know, uh, I had a family member who was in the hospital and they were able to watch every Sunday. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:17.280 And it reminded me of people I've known that in the past had been in the hospital or had had really tough situations, they couldn't be here and they had no ability to watch with us. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:19.840 And so those of you who watch it from home, I'm glad that you're watching. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:21.599 We're glad that this is your church. 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:22.479 We really are. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:29.120 Um, but church has to be something more than something that we watch. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:31.919 That's not at the end of the day what church is. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.280 It also has to be something more than an event that we go to. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:37.520 You know, we have language like I went to church. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:45.199 And what we mean is, you know, I was there, I experienced it, but but church has to be more than an event that we attend. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:51.919 Because if that's what church is, if it's just something that we attend, eventually, you know, we've kind of been there, done that. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:03:02.319 Even the most exciting event you can imagine, like if you went to it five, six, seven times, there comes a point where you're kind of like, yeah, I've been here before, I've done this before. 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:05.680 And you just it loses that sort of that passion. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:12.080 Because church is not meant to be something that we we simply watch or something that we simply attend. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.400 Church is something that we are. 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:16.800 We are the church. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:21.599 In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 27. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:31.280 The apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, if you're not familiar, he said, All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:34.960 This is an analogy that Paul really likes to use. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.280 He's trying to figure out like, how can I explain who we are? 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:40.639 Like, what is this new thing that we're part of that Jesus has created? 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:42.879 And his favorite analogy is the body. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:49.360 And Jesus is the head, and all of us, we're all parts of the body. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:56.879 Each of us together, we come together and we are the church, the body of Christ, as it's called sometimes. 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:04.080 And we work together and we move together to accomplish what Jesus, the head of our body, once done. 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:10.719 We work together to make sure that people in our culture, people in our community and beyond know that they are loved deeply by God. 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:17.120 Know that Jesus is the answer for their lives, know that they haven't messed it all up beyond God's repair, not even close. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.639 We exist to love people to Jesus because we're the body. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:26.959 And so I say that because there's always the temptation for church to just become something we go to, something we watch. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:34.639 Even sometimes something we do, you know, we go through the actions, the motions, we can volunteer, we can serve, but we have to be reminded that church is something we are. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:35.759 You are the church. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:37.519 You are his hands church. 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:40.800 We are this body working together. 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:46.879 And today we're gonna talk about some ways that we can we can jump in and be active, because if we're gonna be a body, let's be an active one. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:48.000 Like let's have abs. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:49.600 You know, let's go, let's do it. 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:51.759 Let's be that kind of church. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:59.680 And the reality is, if you're gonna be part of the church, you want to take part in it. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:02.319 Like to be part of it, you gotta take part in it. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:08.319 And as we talked this morning about opportunities coming up for that that'll help you grow, it's like I'm excited because I'll give you this. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:10.800 I don't know if you guys know this, I have a son who plays basketball. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:13.279 Um I never talk about this. 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:19.759 And yesterday, guys, yesterday, uh, we're in this game, we're up in coming, Georgia last night, and it's it's third quarter. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.480 We're down by a few points, and three straight possessions. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:23.680 Liam hits threes. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:24.879 Boom, boom, boom. 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.360 Three straight possessions, nine unanswered points. 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:33.120 We never look back, we win, and I'm in the stance, and I'm just like, everyone can tell he's my son, right? 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:34.639 Like everyone can tell. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:36.959 And uh, and I'm I'm like losing it, but you know what? 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:44.720 As much fun as it was for me to watch him do that does not compare to the joy that he experienced being on the court doing it. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:51.439 There is a joy that you experience when you're doing, when you're active, that you never get to experience when you observe. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:56.240 And so there's there's always opportunities to be part of the church and to take part in it. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:59.439 And I just want to encourage us on the front end to realize that's what the church is. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.240 It's not an organization, it's an organism. 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.160 That's something that's been said for years, and it's true. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:05.600 We're the church. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:07.759 Let's talk about purpose. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.920 If you walk around our hallways, you see lots of pictures of trees. 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:19.360 Marlon Yoder has been painting these tree paintings, and you know, we all celebrate Marlon, and yeah, we should. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:20.800 So I don't know where Marlon's at. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:22.160 Great job, Marlon. 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:24.720 But uh is Marlon here. 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:25.519 There's Marlon. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:26.480 I love you, Marlon. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:30.959 But like, you know that the tr the the tree thing that happened because of this place, right? 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:40.800 Like, yeah, so Steve, who is uh the second best pastor his hands has ever had, um he uh he's in the top two, for sure. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:47.279 Um so Steve had a teaching in the early days, and and it was on the tree of life. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:50.639 And that that message spoke to many of us, it spoke to to Marlon. 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:55.040 That's when Marlon began to paint these trees, and the idea was was this we are a tree of life church. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:57.439 Now you might be new and go, what in the world is that? 00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:59.040 There's a lot of symbolism in the Bible. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:06.879 Matt read from Revelation, and there's a lot of symbolism in that, and that's because a lot of scripture is poetry, it's poetic, it's beautiful. 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:12.879 And and this idea of the tree of life, it stems from this story at the very beginning of the Bible. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:19.519 It's the story of God making people, and he puts them in a garden, and this garden is filled with trees, and they're able to eat freely. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:24.800 There's two trees of significance: there's the tree of life, and then there's the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:29.600 And actually, in Hebrew, which was the language that was originally written in, it actually translates even more simply. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:33.120 It's just the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:40.560 And God says, Hey, you can eat from all these trees, even the tree of life, just don't eat from that tree of good and bad. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:44.319 If you eat from that tree, it'll ruin everything, you'll experience death. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:50.000 But one of the things that we as people are amazing at is doing what we've been told not to do. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.399 Like, how many of us have mastered that art? 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.199 I am really good at doing what I've been told not to do. 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:58.800 In fact, if you tell me not to do something, it makes me want to do it more. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:01.199 And so, guess what? 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.839 The people, they end up eating from that tree, and it changes everything. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:12.800 Scripture says that their eyes were open and they become aware of what's right and wrong, and that might seem like a good thing. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.720 It might seem like, yeah, that that should happen, but but think about it this way. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:20.800 I know I've explained it this way before, it's what always jumps into my mind as a father. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:26.399 I'm at a really new place as a dad where I have these four amazing kids. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:28.240 They're all incredible. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:32.639 But even my youngest Eli, who I love so much, he's he's so fun. 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:38.000 But he is my youngest, he is at the age where he definitely knows right from wrong. 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:44.159 I now have all of my children that are old enough to really know right from wrong. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:48.159 It's the first time in my life where all of my kids have been at that stage, and it's hard. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:53.519 Because they know right from wrong, I have a responsibility to hold them accountable to that. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:58.480 So I end up playing the part of the disciplinarian far more often than I'd like to. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:05.840 Because my choices as a father are just, you know, ignore it, let them do what they know is wrong, and just fine, whatever. 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:12.240 Or I can hold them accountable and say, because you know right from wrong, I now have to hold you accountable to doing what is right. 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:17.440 When God created us, it's almost like he never wanted to have that dynamic with us. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:21.679 He wanted us to be so innocent that our relationship with him was just love. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:29.360 But instead, we ate from the wrong tree, and ever since then, humanity has been obsessed with good and bad. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:31.279 Right and wrong. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:34.639 And it changes, it changes by the decade. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.120 What used to be viewed as right will sometimes now be viewed as wrong. 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:39.039 What used to be viewed as wrong is now viewed as right. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:42.879 But every culture, every generation has their definition of what is right and what is wrong. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:46.159 And if you're if you're in the right, you're good, and if you're in the wrong, you're bad. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:47.919 And we define ourselves that way. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.240 We define ourselves good, bad. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:52.639 We define how we we operate in our jobs. 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:53.600 Am I good at my job? 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:54.399 Am I bad at it? 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:58.720 How are we as a spouse, as a parent, as a child, as a student, good or bad? 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:02.720 But you know what's interesting is as a father, I don't view my children that way. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:07.600 I don't say, well, that's one of the good ones, and that's one of the bad ones. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:10.399 And it's good that I don't do that because it changes by the day. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:14.639 If that's the language I wanted to use, it's like depends on what day it is, good and bad. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:20.159 But I don't line my kids up in the morning and go, the two of you, you're on the good side, the two of you, you're on the bad side. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:21.679 They're just mine. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:23.440 They're my children. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:24.639 They're mine. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:28.799 And I love them, the good and the bad. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:32.159 I am not a better father than our God. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:32.960 Right? 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:38.080 I'm not like none of us, you love your kids the same way, those of you who have kids, at least most days, you try to. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:41.679 They make it hard sometimes, but but we're not better parents than God. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:47.679 He does not define us by good and bad. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:58.080 We are loved by our Creator, and when we put our faith in Jesus, Scripture says that he adopts us into his family, and Jesus gives us this amazing opportunity. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:02.080 And it's the opportunity to go back to the tree of life. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:07.279 In John chapter 15, verse 5, Jesus says, I am the vine, you're the branches. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:12.159 Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:18.639 Jesus gives us this chance to live connected to him, and he is like a tree of life. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:25.200 And now, instead of living our lives defined by, are we doing good, are we doing bad? 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:28.720 Have we had a good day, a bad day, a good year, a bad year? 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:36.559 We can breathe, we can rest, we can take all that burden off and realize that at the end of the day, what you are is you are his. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:38.320 You belong to him. 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:42.320 And he loves you the good and the bad. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.639 And it's our purpose as a church to help people get back to that. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:54.720 It's our purpose as a church to help people understand that they're not failures, that they're not screw-ups. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.320 That yes, we all have our stuff, right? 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:02.080 We all have our issues, we all have our mistakes, some of us are better at hiding them than others. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:05.519 Some of us have actually had major mistakes in life and we never got caught. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:08.879 We have clean background checks because we never got caught. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:11.440 Some of us weren't so lucky. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:15.519 But we've all messed up. 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:17.919 We all have our baggage, like we talked about last week. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:24.960 But what we have is a God who, because of Jesus and what he did on the cross, frankly doesn't really care that much about our baggage. 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.200 Because he's already paid the price for it. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.440 It's paid for, it's done, it's over. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:32.960 And he paid a premium to have a restored relationship with us. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:35.120 So we are a tree of life church. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:39.279 We want people to come back to that dynamic with God because we're able to. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:47.840 We can choose to go ahead and live our lives, good and bad, good and bad, right and wrong, obsessed with rules, that becomes religion, and it like kills you on the inside. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:13:04.399 But Jesus is about life, and it's been so amazing over the last 15 years to watch people not just connect with Jesus, but also to let go of that burden of having to perform and earn it on a day-to-day basis. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:05.519 You don't have to earn it with God. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:06.240 That's our purpose. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.240 We're a tree of life church, and we're a church, by the way, for everybody. 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:12.399 We love everybody. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:15.679 And in this community, there's no group of people that isn't welcome here. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.919 There's no group of people that we wouldn't want to be here to hear about who Jesus is. 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:21.200 We teach the truth. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.279 Sometimes the truth is inconvenient and hard, but we don't worry about that stuff. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:26.799 We let God sort that out. 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.559 We love people because we're a tree of life church. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:31.919 So let's keep going. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.360 Let's talk about the word connection. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:34.879 We we know we are the church. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.120 Here's kind of the purpose of our church. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:38.480 What was next? 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:39.279 Is it unity? 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:40.080 It was unity. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:41.039 It doesn't really matter. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:41.840 Let's go to unity. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:42.480 How about that? 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:43.919 Let's mix it up. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:45.039 Unity. 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:46.000 There it is. 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:47.279 It's just five words. 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:48.080 That's all I had to do. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:49.759 Let's remember five words. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:56.399 In John chapter 13, Jesus said, Now I'm giving you a new commandment. 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:57.840 Love each other. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:01.600 Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.360 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:07.360 That's pretty intense. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:12.960 Jesus says that it's our love for each other that's going to prove to the world that we belong to Him. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:14.159 Think about that. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:18.000 Not even our love for the world. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:22.559 Not the good things that we do. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:25.279 Not all the community service. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:29.279 I mean, that video we showed, two years worth of community service highlights, I mean incredible stuff. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:30.320 It's not that. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:39.200 I mean, our church, we even got featured on the news in a big way because of all the stuff we were doing for the victims of tornadoes that happened up in Kentucky just a few months ago. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:42.559 They were blown away by all the outreach that poured into this place. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:48.240 But even that stuff, that's great, but that's not what Jesus says would prove to the world that we belong to him. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:51.279 He said it's our love for one another. 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:55.759 We're supposed to be incredibly unified. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:10.639 And it's interesting because when we decided to kind of come back from the whole COVID break, you know, we were one of the first churches that had to pause because the very first case of COVID that happened in Cherokee County was someone really close to connect with our church. 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:11.120 That was fun. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:14.720 I was like, thanks, Lord, for us to get to be the guinea pigs and all that. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:24.480 And so we we paused because we were like everybody, we had no idea what was going on, and then we were actually one of the first churches to come back when we realized, hey, this is kind of what this is and this is how we're gonna go about it. 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:38.639 But I remember coming out of that and praying and having this sense that we needed to come back as a one-service church, which was very odd because it's the complete opposite of how growing churches operate. 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:44.000 Growing churches add services, and then they add campuses, and they're a multi-campus, multi-site, multi-service church. 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:50.480 And we were growing, we had two services, and we weren't struggling to put people in the rooms, and so it was like one service. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.960 And the word I kept getting was just unity. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:58.720 And I'll kind of pull the curtain back and explain, you know, some of the things that we were frankly kind of tired of. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.080 And this applies to those of us in this role, at least I can speak for myself. 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:08.799 You know, I was tired of at the end of the first gathering having to like get the group of people out to get the next group of people in. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:14.720 Because I love to just hang out and be available and talk to whoever's here. 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:22.480 And and I hated the fact that if the Holy Spirit moved in a really cool way during the first service and in worship, it was like amazing. 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:27.360 And then like the next service, it was like we gotta try to like make that happen again. 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:29.039 Because you can't make that happen. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:31.679 You can't manufacture the Holy Spirit moving. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:47.440 And I'd be like, oh man, I hated that dynamic, and maybe most importantly, I hated the idea that like this could be your church, and someone that you live two doors away from you could also be theirs, and you never know it because you just never see each other. 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:56.320 You know, I was like, I if we there's nothing wrong with multi-service, like but I feel like we we need to be one group of people. 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:59.200 And when someone gets baptized, we all need to see it. 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:02.240 And when something happens, we all need to be there for that. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:05.359 We all we all need to be together, and it's given us this amazing freedom. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:10.400 Like today, afterwards, there's some food trucks, and and by the way, I'm supposed to mention this, Sandra would get mad at me if I didn't. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:22.960 Not only do we have food trucks for kids, we actually have free food for kids, like lunchables and things like that, because let's be honest, food trucks can be kind of pricey and not exactly like kid food a lot of times, you know what I mean? 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:26.799 And so um, we that's something that you'll have as an option today if you want to stick around for that. 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:29.680 But like the ability to do that, to say, hey, just stick around. 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:31.519 I get to say stick around so much. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:42.160 We can just stick around and hang out and be together and eat together and do fun stuff together, or if you need someone to talk to and pray with, you don't have to worry about having to hurry out of here. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:43.519 This is your home. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:46.559 This is your house, this is your home, this is where you get to be. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:48.799 And so we're unified and we're together. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:56.400 And what that means, and this is kind of funny because it's a made-up category, um, we're just gonna be the largest one-service church in America. 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:57.680 That's who we're gonna be. 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:02.880 It's like a category that we've made up, and it's gonna, I'm gonna be honest, it's gonna get hard at times. 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:05.839 Like going at it this way has its own challenges. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:11.279 I know I joke about this, but like we're getting to the point where some of you are just gonna have to park at Lowe's. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:13.599 Um, you're just gonna have to. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:17.039 And is it can I ask the question, like, show of hands, would anyone be willing to do that? 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:18.720 Like you would say, I'm fine parking at Lowe's. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.279 And we would have, look, we would have like police helping. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:24.240 You wouldn't have to just gun it and hope you make it across, right? 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:25.839 That's not the way it's gonna work. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:26.640 Like, huh? 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:30.880 If you have faith, you just walk and God's with you, you know, we'll find out. 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:32.480 Find out who prayed this morning. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:32.880 No. 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:36.559 Uh no, like we'll we'll do it well. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:38.079 But like, that's gonna happen. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:46.960 Our kids' areas, you know, kind of like we're getting really creative, and we knew this going in that we would have to rearrange where our kids are, and we're gonna need volunteers to help with that. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:48.240 We need more kids volunteers. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:50.880 I'm just being honest, we have a lot of kids, I'm gonna talk about this later. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:54.000 We need more kids volunteers, and we probably always will. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:19:00.880 It's just the way it's gonna be, because we have a ton of kids, and that's what a growing, thriving church is, especially when we're all together. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:09.599 But I am more than willing to figure out those logistical issues if it means that we can be one united group of people. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.200 Is anyone else on board with that? 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.200 Because I I really like it. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:14.079 That's good. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:14.640 Okay. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:18.319 We're unified, we're moving right along. 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:20.240 Let's talk about connection. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:28.240 So, uh about a month and a half ago, the microwave in our house wasn't working, and we have like an oven and microwave that's one unit. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:29.279 So it's kind of complicated. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.519 It's not like, oh, just go get a new microwave and put it on. 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:32.720 It's like all one thing. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.119 And so I had to call a repair company. 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:37.119 I I shut the power off, turn it back on. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.759 That was the end of my fixing it ability. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:46.000 And there was an error code, and I called, so this guy comes and he he takes this whole thing out of the wall and he puts it back and it works. 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:46.880 And I'm like, what did you do? 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:48.640 He's like, Oh, there's just a loose connection. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:50.319 And he charged me$300. 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:52.480 You know? 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:54.640 Alright. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:56.160 Uh that's all he said. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.519 Oh, yeah, it's just this, these two wires were kind of loose, so I just pushed them together. 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:01.839 That's that's awesome. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:05.119 Uh how much would it have been if you really had to fix it? 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:06.079 Never mind, don't tell me. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:10.400 And so it's amazing how costly a loose connection can be. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:14.000 You know, like how how costly a loose connection can be. 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.000 And actually, in some situations, a loose connection can be like dangerous. 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:24.000 We cannot afford to be loosely connected to God. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:28.160 And we really can't afford to be loosely connected to each other. 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:44.880 And so, one of the things we've been working on the hardest for the last year, literally like starting from scratch, saying we are going to start from the ground up and build and rebuild the strongest connection type ministry that we've ever had as a church. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:47.440 And so um, let me explain some things that are gonna go along with that. 00:20:47.519 --> 00:21:01.920 I have a packet right here that will soon be available at the Connect Desk in the main lobby, and it is just absolutely filled with groups and classes and all kinds of opportunities for everyone you can imagine to sink their teeth into something and plug in here. 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:07.440 Um it's I have one hand available because I use a hand help, so it's just multiple pages, as you can see. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:08.960 I'm trying to display this somehow. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:09.680 This is failing. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:11.920 In my mind, this went differently, but okay. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:15.119 Um lots of pages, front and back, too. 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.680 And that's all gonna get started really, really soon. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:24.400 Um, like I said, there's classes, there's groups, there's gonna be like big gatherings, opportunities like women. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:27.519 We're starting something that we used to do a few years ago that we paused called Sacred. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:28.960 That's starting back really soon. 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:29.920 It's awesome, yeah. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:31.039 You're gonna enjoy that. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:37.119 Um, men, you can come and move chairs for Sacred, you know, get a workout in, help with that if you want. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:49.359 Um, you know, we have a guys' group that's actually started about a year ago, every single Tuesday morning at 7 a.m., right over here in the coffee shop area, and it's got like 40 guys that come now. 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:51.599 And there's no reason that couldn't continue growing. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:53.279 And so, guys, you're all invited to that. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:56.720 But that those are just a few of all the types of connections that we have. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:57.680 Something else that we're starting. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:58.799 We've never done this before. 00:21:59.039 --> 00:21:59.759 But we've got people. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:09.039 Who we've been working with and talking to, in fact, after we're done in here, I've got to go into a meeting to meet with this amazing group of people who have signed up to be what we're calling mentors. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:14.559 Sometimes we desire to grow and we realize that we need help getting there. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:23.759 You know, there's certain types of growth that just happen automatically, and there's certain types of growth that will not happen unless someone who's been where you haven't been is there to sort of walk you through it. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:28.240 And so am I the only one hearing the beep? 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:29.359 I just want to make sure. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:30.160 I don't know. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:31.599 Okay, just me. 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:32.000 Good. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:32.799 All right. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:42.720 So anyway, like we're gonna have people, we're gonna have mentors, and if you say, hey, you know what, I'm really serious about growing in my faith, I really want to grow, but I need some help. 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:44.559 I need someone to walk me through it. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:47.200 I need someone to sort of show me the ropes. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:50.160 We'll have people that we can connect you to that can do that. 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:53.200 Something else that we're doing in terms of connection, really excited about this. 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:58.079 Starting Wednesday, March 23rd, every Wednesday night, our coffee shop is gonna be open. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:01.680 And you can come and you can hang out here and you can grab a coffee if you want to. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:02.799 You can open up scripture. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.039 There will be different groups that'll be meeting together. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:07.279 There'll be a men's Bible study, a women's Bible study. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:17.200 Uh, Megan and I, along with another couple, are starting a class that is uh we're gonna start a class, and it's a marriage class. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:19.039 You clapped before you even knew what it was about. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:23.680 Uh so we're starting a marriage class called The Mission of Marriage along with Jason and Sheila Keith. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:25.920 There'll be a four-week class happening on those Wednesday nights. 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.359 There will be all kinds of stuff going on. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:29.920 The art group meets on Wednesday nights, just all kinds of stuff. 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:36.400 And so Wednesday evenings, you can be here, and you can take part in those things, or you can just hang out. 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:39.039 And you can you can grab a coffee, you can open up your Bible. 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:47.359 It's also gonna happen on Tuesdays during the workday, every single Tuesday from you know about nine in the morning until four or four thirty, five o'clock, the coffee shop's gonna be open. 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:48.319 We'll get all that nailed down. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:50.480 But it's just a place, like, guys, this is your home. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:51.359 This is your church. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:55.680 So you can be here, you can come here, and if it grows, we'll open it up more often. 00:23:55.759 --> 00:24:06.880 But we're gonna start with Wednesday nights, we're gonna start with Tuesday during the day, and there's gonna be all kinds of resources where if you just say, I want to go grow closer to God, you should be able to say, I know where I can go. 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:08.799 My church, right? 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:13.039 I'll go there, and there's people there that can help you grow. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.279 Really exciting stuff. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:22.880 And and like even little things, like there's this uh these little cards that we're creating that if you you come and maybe you're like, I haven't really read the Bible that much. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:24.720 I want to do it more, but I don't know where to start. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:28.480 You can pick up cards and it'll say something like, Have you ever read this book? 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:38.720 And it'll frame it for you and explain some themes in it, and even have like links that you can with a QR code with your phone that'll take you to videos that help frame it so that when you open it up, you can engage with it like never before. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:50.000 My point is we're gonna do everything we can to have stronger connections together because we're unified, we're gonna be connected together, and we're gonna do everything we can to help strengthen your connection with God. 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:52.480 And so I'm so excited about all of that stuff coming up. 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:54.000 That's all gonna start in March. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:59.119 So March 23rd, Wednesday night, that's kind of the kickoff, and I can't wait to see what happens. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:01.119 So just be on the lookout for that. 00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.720 Last word, right? 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:03.680 That was four? 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:04.160 Good. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:05.039 I'm looking at the clock. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:06.160 We're doing so good. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.200 All right, here we go. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:08.640 This is a fun one. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:10.480 Let's talk about health. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:15.279 Like, if we're gonna be a body, I joked earlier, let's be a healthy body. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:18.319 And I think I said let's have abs because I've never seen mine. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:19.920 And I haven't ever before. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:20.880 I don't know what they look like. 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:23.039 I think they're there, but don't know. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:23.839 It's a mystery. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:29.279 Like, if we're gonna be a church, and the church is the body of Jesus, let's be a healthy body. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:30.559 Let's be active. 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:32.640 And so are we healthy? 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:35.920 And obviously, like, not perfectly, no one is. 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:37.599 There's all kinds of areas that we can grow in. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:40.240 And by the way, if you ever notice one of those, share it. 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:45.039