The Plans of the Heart

The reading this morning comes from the book of James, chapter 4 and 5.

James 4 · chapter mention

Please follow along in your bulletins or on the screen behind me.

Starting in chapter 4, verse 13, we read,

Come now, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town

and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.

As it is, you boast in your arrogance.

For such boasting is evil.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Come now, you rich.

Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.

Your gold and silver have corroded and their corrosion will be evidence against you

and will eat your flesh like fire.

You have laid up treasure in the last days.

Behold, the wages of the laborers who mow your fields, which you have kept back by fraud,

are crying out against you.

And the cries of the harvesters have reached the years of the Lord of hosts.

You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence.

You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

You have condemned and murdered the righteous person.

He does not resist you.

This is the word of God.

Thanks, Angie.

Thanks, Angie.

Good morning.

My name is Oscar.

If you don't know me, I'm one of the leaders here at Watermark.

And this morning, it's my privilege to be delivering the sermon to us today.

Can I ask us to pray as we consider God's word?

Father God, as we consider your word today, Lord, we desperately ask that your Holy Spirit

would speak into our hearts.

Holy Spirit, please soften our hearts to receive your word today, not mine.

God, I'm just a vessel, and I don't have all the perfect ideas, clearly, but your word

is perfect.

And Christ, we ask, Lord, that you would convict us, Lord, today.

You would challenge us, Lord, and we would receive that.

But at the same time, Father, we ask that we would see the beauty of Jesus Christ today,

Lord.

He would strengthen our hearts.

And so we commend this time to you.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Can we turn to the first photo, please?

Thank you.

Has anyone ever seen this before?

Anyone familiar with this exercise?

Jamie's nodding his head.

It's supposed to be a team-building activity commonly done, I think, at company offsites.

I think it's called a trust fall.

It's supposed to build trust within teammates as one person, one employee, falls blindly

backwards into the arms of his or her other teammates.

I haven't done it before, personally, but when I think about it, actually, it looks kind

of scary.

For one, you don't know, you're blind, so you don't really know if someone is actually there

behind you.

What if one of your teammates secretly dislikes you and pulls their hands away at the last

second and you fall smack on the floor?

No one likes not being in control when you fall, especially backwards off of a high ledge.

And sometimes, our relationship with God feels like a trust fall.

We know from coming to church, we know from reading the Bible that God is good, that we

should trust him.

But when it comes time to fall backwards, we tense up and we hesitate, or we're tempted

to look behind us to ensure that he's really there.

Because it's hard to relinquish control, even to God, whom we know in our hearts is sovereign

and kind.

It's hard to really surrender to him.

And this morning, we are continuing our study on the book of James, as we have seen so far

in James' letter.

How we live, what we say, what we love speaks volumes to the condition of our hearts.

In chapter 2, we were asked the question, if we love Jesus, why do we show partiality?

If we say we have faith in Jesus, where are the works behind that?

Chapter 3, we learned, how can we praise Jesus?

But at the same time, we curse people.

And then in 4, chapter 4, finally, a few weeks ago, if we love Jesus, why are we still in

conflict with others, even in church?

And today's message, on the surface, may seem like the proverbial sermon on money.

After all, well, Kevin Neals and even Alan are often a boondoggle in India, and they left

me with this message, as they always do.

Of course, I'm joking.

Our brothers are serving the church in India.

I think Kevin's actually preaching, so that was a joke, for the record.

But this message, I think, there are some strong words on the abuse of money that we'll get

into in a moment.

But the core of today's message is that how we plan our jobs and careers reflects the

deepest ambitions of our hearts.

Actually, how we plan anything and everything in life reflects, at the deepest level of

our hearts, what we really believe about God.

Let's dive into God's Word.

Our declaration.

Let's go to chapter 4, verse 13.

Come now, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend

a year there and trade and make a profit.

So in this passage, at the end of chapter 4, James is addressing traveling merchants who

were part of the early church.

And these Christian traders, in James' time, they would go into a city, they would build

connections, trade, make money, and then they would leave that place and do the exact same

thing in a different place.

And clearly, in order to be successful at trading with all the organizational skills needed to

source product, find buyers, negotiate price and payment, there's a lot of planning involved.

And of course, in our day here in Hong Kong, there is planning involved in any kind of

business endeavor or career prospect.

If today you're in university, you will probably need to plan your course load to get the requisite

credits to graduate with your major, which may have an impact on the job that you could get.

If you're already working, at some point you may need to align yourself with a certain

business group or sector to further your career.

And if you're thinking of starting your own company, you may need to write a business

plan, which would include a plan for funding, sales and marketing, monetization of revenue,

etc.

But even if you've never officially been paid to work, everyone plans.

That's why there's a term called being a planner.

Those who are single.

Have you ever dreamed about who you're going to marry and plan what your married life would

look like?

Those who want to have children.

There's so much in this, I can't even scratch the surface.

Should we wait?

Should we try now?

What if we do get pregnant?

Which hospital?

Which doctor?

How about schooling for our kids?

I grew up in Vancouver, Canada, where everyone just went down the street to the local school.

Not in Hong Kong.

Most parents, many parents in Hong Kong are planning their children's education from kindergarten

to university before they're born.

And how about retirement?

Such a common theme among parents at my kids' birthday parties these days.

But many people, young and old, are planning or trying to plan or thinking about planning

their retirement.

When?

How?

What does it look like?

But if you notice, in James 4.13, this is not a prayer.

It's a declaration.

And in this declaration, there is not even a hint of a desire to know the will of God.

There is no submission to God's authority.

There is no acknowledgement that the plan of God is better than our own plan.

There is no prayer for God's guidance and wisdom.

It's a declaration that completely and utterly ignores God.

And so in response to this, in verse 14, James writes,

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for little time and then vanishes.

Here, James, in his characteristically sharp and frank tone, reminds us of two things.

The first is that we are not in control of our lives.

Years ago, I really wanted my daughter, Kiva, to get into a certain school.

I applied and I really believed she would get in.

But at the interview that morning, when Celeste and Kiva came out of the interview,

and Celeste said, hmm, not good.

I was really upset that she bombed the interview.

And when I say bombed, I mean she didn't point to a book on cue or speak when asked.

So that's a three-year-old bombing an interview these days.

But when I realized that she didn't do well in the interview, I was really angry at my three-year-old.

Anger was rising up in my heart.

And when we were driving home that morning, I had to repent.

I had to repent of my sin of just wanting to control my daughter's education for idolizing the school.

So often, how we react to disappointment reflects our desire for control.

We work hard in school to get good grades.

And we work hard at our jobs to get our CV just perfectly right to get that perfect job.

But when we're rejected, we're devastated.

We work hard to get that promotion we think we so deserve.

But when management passes us over for someone else, we become bitter and resentful.

How we react to disappointment often reflects something deep in our hearts that's desperate for control.

When our plans go our way, we don't think too much about it.

But when our plans are crushed and we're faced with disappointment and uncertainty,

it's then we realize how much weight or how much hope we've put on our own plans.

And the second reminder from James, I think, in this verse is that we are not as important as we think we are.

Ouch. Sorry.

One of the reasons why we plan and want to be in control is because we think very highly of ourselves.

We plan because we want everything to be perfect because it's all about me.

It's a very common view in this social media-driven age.

But James reminds us, what is your life?

For you're a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Is James telling us that our lives are worthless?

Certainly not.

In Luke 12, 17, actually in many parts of the Gospels,

Jesus said that even the hairs on your head are all numbered.

You are a precious child of the sovereign God.

The Lord knows you even better than you know yourself because he created you and he loves you deeply.

But James is reminding us that we tend to think that we are more important than we really are

as he likens our entire life to a mist that is here for some time and then is gone.

And so these bold proclamations we make about our future that concern our careers

and all the ambitious goals we have to maximize everything for our children

and all the plans we have for a cushy retirement,

without humbly submitting or surrendering these plans to God,

James says in verse 16 and 17,

you boast in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it,

for him it is sin.

We don't talk much in church about the fact that planning without surrendering our plans to God is sin.

Adultery is sin.

Murder, of course, is sin.

But arrogant planning or arrogant boasting?

It can't be.

Proverbs has this to say about planning in chapter 16.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord weighs the Spirit.

From our perspective, we think our self-made plans are good.

But James is reminding us here that when we make plans without surrendering them first to God,

in our hearts it's because we desire control and we think we are very important.

Let me ask us now,

what are we planning for at the moment?

What is keeping you up at night such that if we can just get this done,

then we can relax and be happy?

We can just get that job.

We can just get that relationship.

If our kids can just get into that perfect school,

then it's all good.

How are we praying to God about our plans?

Is our prayer something like,

Lord, I really want this to happen.

Can you please bless my plans?

Or are we truly submitting and surrendering our plans to God in prayer?

And so when it comes to planning jobs, our career, and making money,

if we don't submit to God's authority,

we don't surrender the outcome to God,

James reminds us that this arrogant planning is sin.

But now as we continue on into chapter 5 of the book of James,

James will take us one step further.

How does this hard idol of control and this arrogant boast actually play out?

What happens when we ignore God in our career or job planning,

but somehow we end up with some money,

and then we're in a position to either spend, save, or give it away?

Well, James will tell us it's a very dangerous place to be.

The dangers of wealth.

How are you doing?

All good?

Oh, good.

Annabelle's great, okay.

Let's look at chapter 5, verse 1.

Come now, you rich.

Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

This section of James in chapter 5, verses 1 to 6,

is perhaps one of the most aggressive indictments

of the abuse of wealth in the Bible.

But to be clear, James is in no way condemning anyone just for being wealthy.

It's what we do with our wealth and money

that James is speaking so strongly against.

Now, some Bible scholars believe that this specific section of James' letter,

which addresses the rich,

refers to non-Christians or those outside of the church.

And the reason for that is because in this specific section,

James addresses the reader as,

come now you rich,

as opposed to previous sections of James

where he addresses the reader as,

my brothers and sisters.

Also, there's no explicit call to repentance

in this section of the letter.

I think it's very possible, as I've studied this,

I think it's very possible that this part of the letter

is meant to refer to non-believers,

but only insofar as to comfort the early church

who were poor and were being persecuted by the wealthy.

In some ways, James is saying,

take heart, the wealthy who are persecuting you.

The way they're handling money is ungodly,

and God will judge them severely.

So don't desire to be like them.

But this passage at the start of chapter 5 of James

is also incredibly instructive to us as a church,

and not just for the ultra-wealthy billionaires

that we read about in the news.

The first reason for that is because

you and I may not think of ourselves as wealthy

compared to some billionaire tech CEO,

but I imagine that most people here in this room

are not worried about our next meal.

I imagine most people here aren't worried

about where we're going to sleep tonight.

And relative to the rest of the world,

that makes us quite wealthy.

And the second and more important reason

is that wealth is a relative concept,

and money can grip your heart and control you

unlike anything else.

Money can also cause relationships to break down

unlike anything else.

It isn't just the big corporations

who sue each other for money.

It's not just the wealthy families

who squabble over the inheritance.

Disputes over money can fracture relationships

across the socioeconomic divide.

Marriages lead to divorce over money.

Friendships break down over borrowed money.

Parents fall out with their kids over money.

And James is making it very clear

that there is an inherent danger in dealing with money.

And that danger and potential sin

can affect anyone,

whether you're inside the church or outside the church,

whether you're ultra-wealthy

or you are living paycheck to paycheck.

So what are these dangers?

Well, first,

it's wastefulness, hoarding, and self-indulgence.

Let's look at chapter 5, verse 2.

We're going to go through these

hopefully rather quickly here,

so let's do this.

Verse 2,

Your riches have rotted

and your garments are moth-eaten.

It's a picture of buying stuff

that we don't really need

that kind of goes to waste.

Imagine buying every article of clothing

at some boutique designer store in IFC,

but after we put into our closet for a few years,

there isn't enough time to wear it

or we just don't care about it

and the moths and the humidity of Hong Kong

destroy the clothes

and we just chuck it out after a few years.

It's a picture of reckless spending

and wastefulness.

Let me ask us,

how many pairs of shoes do we really need?

That's not a dig at the ladies, okay?

We guys here also like our vintage sneakers, all right?

Let me ask us again,

how many pairs of shoes do we really need?

How many gadgets do we need?

Verse 3,

Your gold and silver have corroded

and their corrosion will be evidence against you

and eat your flesh like fire.

You've laid up treasure in the last days.

Gold and silver aren't supposed to rust or corrode.

So this is a picture of hoarding money

for such a long time that it's just wasted.

It's money saved up and stored for a rainy day,

but ultimately put to no good use

when it could have been used to give to someone in need.

And this hoarding, says James,

will be evidence against you.

Or in other words,

our hoarding of money exposes

or reflects the selfishness in our hearts.

And one day we will be accountable for that.

And what drives us to hoard?

Our desire for control.

The more money we have,

the more in control we think we are.

Verse 5,

You have lived on earth in luxury

and in self-indulgence.

You have fattened your hearts

in a day of slaughter.

Is our goal in life just comfort and pleasure?

Do we work just so that we can enjoy fancy meals

and nice holidays?

Do we elevate luxury?

Because if we're honest,

that is what truly satisfies us

and gives us the most joy in life.

Okay.

Let me just pause here for a second.

Thank you, James, for that aggressive indictment.

Appreciate that.

He doesn't mince words.

James?

Clearly, this is challenging.

I confess, it's very challenging for me.

Perhaps it's challenging for some

or most of us here,

particularly in a culture

where financial success,

asset gathering,

and consumption is highly celebrated.

You know, for me,

just to share,

you know, I have three kids.

And, you know,

I do struggle with how much to save

versus give away.

Also, I love going on holiday with my family.

And, in fact, tomorrow we're going to Thailand.

But, you know,

flights and villas or hotel rooms

and food on holiday,

you know, it's expensive.

It's an incredible luxury.

And so for me,

as I've been preparing this message,

I've had to ask the Lord to search my heart.

Do I need to repent?

Or where do I need to repent?

Or wastefulness,

hoarding,

or extravagance?

But notice,

in these verses,

James is not super specific

of what exactly is considered

too much luxury.

He isn't precise

about the exact quantum

that he would consider to be hoarding.

And, in the Bible as a whole,

other than perhaps tithing,

which we're not going to talk about today,

there isn't that much specificity

when it comes to how much to spend,

save, or give away.

So it's hard to really know.

But I think for us,

I think there are three helpful questions

that we could be asking ourselves

and each other

when it comes to how we treat money.

The first is,

are we talking with anyone

about how we spend, save,

or give money away?

You don't have to disclose your budget

to a hundred people,

but if you can find just one trusted friend

within the family of God

to share or wrestle through

your budget

and how you are spending and saving

and giving money away,

I think it's very helpful.

Second is,

are we praying about how we can bless others

with our resources?

There's a ton of need out there.

In our prayer life,

do we have the heart

to be praying and asking the Lord,

how can we bless someone

through the resources

and money he has given us?

The third question is,

are we actually blessing people

with our money?

Faith versus works.

The Bible talks a lot about

giving money to local church,

to those in need,

to inviting people into your home,

to have a meal,

and just generally having a heart

to be generous to others

as the Lord has been generous to us.

So,

wastefulness, hoarding,

and self-indulgence,

the first danger.

Second,

injustice.

Verse 4,

Behold the wages

of the laborers

who mowed your fields,

which you have kept back by fraud,

are crying out

against you.

Here,

James is referring to landowners

who would employ people

to work the fields,

but these landowners

would use their position of power

to hold back pay

from workers.

We see this throughout history

and in our day.

The imbalance of power

often leads to injustice

against the weaker side.

Those with money

and affluence

can and do abuse

their position.

So,

a question for us is,

how are we treating people

that have less resources

than us?

How do we treat the waiter

who serves us lunch?

How are we treating the amazing

domestic helpers

who have left their families

to come and care for us

in Hong Kong?

Are we being overly harsh

and demanding?

Or are we being respectful,

kind,

and generous?

And if you're here today

and you're not a follower

of Jesus Christ,

please know that

among all the things

that we've just gone through,

among all the Christians here today,

none of us get it right.

We all fall incredibly short

of God's standards.

But it's because of Jesus

and his blood on the cross

that in spite of our sin,

we are accepted

as God's people.

So,

so far,

we've examined

that how we plan our jobs

and careers

and making money

reflects something

inside of our hearts.

We've seen that

if we take planning

into our own hands

and if we idolize control,

it's a dangerous place to be

because that heart condition

then pollutes

how we treat money.

Now let's see

what it looks like

to surrender our plans

to God.

Our surrender.

Let's go back to

verse four,

I'm sorry,

chapter four,

verse 15.

Chapter four,

verse 15.

Instead,

you ought to say,

if the Lord wills,

we will live

and do this or that.

I think it's

an incredible prayer.

It's really the opposite

of the declaration

in verse 13.

The verse 13 declaration

says,

I am the captain

of my own ship.

I will do this

for this amount of time

and I will make money.

Verse 13

makes a declaration

and boasts

that I am in control.

In contrast,

the verse 14

prayer starts off with,

if the Lord wills.

Right out of the gate,

the prayer acknowledges

the lordship

and kingship

of Jesus

and our submission

to him.

If the Lord wills,

we will live,

acknowledges that

we're not in control

of our lives.

Instead of a boastful

declaration,

it's a humble prayer

that simply says,

if it is your will,

Jesus,

I will be alive.

I am thankful

for the air

in my lungs

that I'm breathing today.

Verse 14 prayer

doesn't say,

in these five years

I'm going to go

to this city

and build my career

and then in the next

five years

I'm going to go

to that city

and build my career

and then have

two and a half kids

and then in 20 years

I'm going to go

to the third city

and I'm going to retire

and sit on the beach.

No, the prayer is,

Lord, if it is your will,

I will live

and do this or that.

This or that.

This or that.

Imagine if you're

a young man

and you've met

the woman of your dreams

and you want to ask

her to marry you

and you go to her father

to ask to bless

the marriage

and he says to you,

okay, son,

you want to take care

of my daughter?

Sure.

What are your career plans?

And you're like,

oh, I'm going to do

this or that, sir.

Of course,

we need to work hard, right?

We need to work

very hard at planning.

We need to work

very hard at our jobs.

No question about it.

The Bible isn't asking us,

isn't telling us

to sit on the couch

and hope for a job.

But it's how we plan,

how we plan

that is so crucial.

Because the gospel truth

about our careers

and making money

is this.

It's not about

what kind of job we have.

It's not about

how much money we make.

It's not about

how successful

our careers are.

It's not about you.

It's not about me.

It's about living life

in accordance

or in line

with God's will.

It's about surrendering

and submitting

our lives

to Him.

It's about giving Him

honor

in our work

because He is worthy

to be honored

and worshipped.

And I've been learning

this about myself

because I'm currently

in between jobs.

And as many people know,

when you're looking

for a job,

you can be pulled

in all different directions.

So many questions

you're asking yourself.

I've been working

in finance for 20 years.

Should I stay in finance

or try something else?

Should I look

to a different city

to move my family there

because maybe

there are better jobs there?

But as I've wrestled

with all these questions

and as I've

had the privilege

of studying

James' letter

over the past

little while,

these are just two things

that I've tried to do.

This is not comprehensive.

This is just two things

that I want to share

with you all.

The first is,

I have tried to submit

all the opportunities

for jobs

that have come across

my desk

to the Lord in prayer.

My prayers recently

have been,

Lord,

if it is your will

for this job,

please open the door.

If not,

Lord,

help me to trust you.

Help me to trust you,

Lord.

And close that door

if it's not your will.

And second,

I've tried to share

as much as I can

about potential jobs

with my wife Celeste

and with my trusted brothers

in Christ.

Actually,

many of whom

are sitting here today.

I'm very thankful

for you guys.

But the reason why

I do that

is because

I have a tendency

to,

by myself,

pursue the jobs

that are perhaps

the most lucrative

or the most exciting

versus what the Lord,

I think,

may have for me.

And so I've opened up

the floor

to ask other men

to speak

into my life.

Perhaps some of us

here today

are also thinking

about how to plan

your careers.

And perhaps some of us

here today

are wrestling

with plans

when it comes to

family

and also relationships.

But let me ask us,

can we be a people

of God

that submit

and surrender

our plans

to Him?

Can we be

a church

who prays,

Lord,

it is Your will,

please grant me this.

But if not,

I trust

that Your will

and Your plan

are perfect.

Surrendering is hard,

but it's a theme

that we've seen

and we see

throughout the entire

Bible narrative.

Look at Abraham.

Abraham was a rich man

when God called him

to leave

the place where he lived

to go to an unknown place.

He went from living

a life of luxury

to living in tents.

That's a pretty big downsizing.

Look at Moses.

Moses was adopted

into the family

of Pharaoh.

He could have lived

a life of luxury

and indulgence

inside Pharaoh's court,

but instead

he obeyed God's prompting,

rescued his people

out of Egypt,

and lived in the desert

until his death.

Look at the apostle Paul.

Paul was a wealthy Pharisee

that was probably

living a life of luxury.

But when he encountered Jesus,

his life changed

and he gave up

all that wealth

to live in chains,

to be imprisoned,

to be persecuted.

And he did that

as he preached

and taught the gospel

until his death.

But how were these

Bible heroes able to

walk away

from worldly pleasure?

How were they able

to not just plan

their lives

according to their own desires,

and how were they able

to gain the conviction

to fall backwards

and bank their lives

on the sovereign God

even unto the point

of suffering and death?

No, it's because

they had an encounter

with the sovereign God

and their hearts change

and their lives change.

It's because they realized

how sinful they were

and then they received

the grace of God.

And when they received

the grace of God,

the grace of God

changed their hearts

and changed their lives.

And today for us

here at Watermark,

let's look to Jesus

who set the perfect example

of what it means,

what it means to surrender.

Many of us know

the prayer Jesus prayed

in the Garden of Gethsemane

before his death.

Father, if you're willing,

remove this cup from me,

Jesus prayed the night

before his death.

Nevertheless,

not my will,

but yours be done.

not what I will,

but what you will.

This is who we're asking ourselves

to surrender to.

To Jesus Christ,

the Son of Heaven.

Jesus didn't just tell us

how to surrender.

He didn't write us

a surrender handbook

and then hand it to us

to go take care of it ourselves.

In the Garden,

Jesus was physically alone.

His disciples had all

fallen asleep.

It was between Jesus

and his Father in Heaven.

And that night,

Jesus surrendered

to his Father's will.

But because he was fully human,

Jesus experienced

the unspeakable burden

of stress and anxiety

as the cross lay before him.

And because of this,

because of his humanity,

Jesus fully understands

and empathizes with us.

He understands

what it feels like for us

when we fear

that uncertainty

of falling backwards,

of surrendering to him.

But there was also

incredible hope

in the Garden that night.

Jesus had hope

in the glory

of his resurrection

that would come

after his surrender

and death.

And for us,

in the same way,

somehow,

we can also

surrender to God

and fall backwards.

We can experience

that same hope

that God will

strengthen our resolve.

He would increase

our faith

and pour the love

of Jesus

into our hearts

through his Spirit.

James 4.15,

if the Lord wills,

if the Lord wills,

we will live

and do this or that.

The heart of surrender.

This is the Christian life.

It's believing in Jesus

as our Lord and Savior

and it's daily

surrendering

our lives

to him.

Surrendering our jobs,

our careers,

everything,

our families to him.

And as we surrender,

as we lay down

these idols

in front of

the feet of Jesus,

the idols of control,

of wanting security,

of wanting comfort,

of overindulging,

indulging,

as we lay down

the idols of job,

careers,

money,

family,

relationships,

retirement,

our kids' education,

all these things,

as we lay him

at his feet

and we surrender

those things to him,

he replaces

that desire

for these idols

with a desire

for himself.

And what do we feel?

What do we experience?

We experience him.

We experience

incredible lightness,

incredible freedom,

incredible peace

and joy

that the world

cannot give us.

Let's surrender

to Jesus Christ today.

Let's pray.

Father God,

it's hard to surrender.

As I've studied this,

Lord,

and even as I've been

speaking,

Lord,

I confess,

Lord,

I desire

to hold on

to all these things,

Lord,

to know what's going

to happen in the future,

Lord.

I desire for control,

God,

but I know,

we know,

Lord,

through your scripture today

that you're calling us

to be a people,

to fall backwards

into you

and to surrender

to you,

Lord.

Won't you help us,

Holy Spirit,

to do that,

God?

Give us the strength,

give us the resolve,

give us the will,

not by our own strength,

God.

Can we do this,

Lord?

But we can do it

by the power

of your Spirit.

And thank you,

Father,

for Jesus,

your Son,

who paved the way

for us,

didn't just show us

how to surrender,

he himself surrendered

and he faced

the terrible outcome,

Lord,

but there was glory

after in the resurrection,

Father,

so I pray that

our eyes would be

fixed on Christ,

we would see him,

to see the beauty

of him,

and we would run

to him

and turn to him

every day,

every day.

We pray this

in his name.

Amen.