Full House - Week 1

I'm excited to be with you today in this capacity.

If you don't know, our pastor, Pastor Steve, is on

vacation with his family. They're taking an extended trip and

getting to do some really cool stuff, some stuff they've

never done before.

So we're just praying for them that.

They're able to rest and relax and come back to

us recharged and ready to take on what God has

next for us.

But in the meantime, I'm here with.

You, and I believe God has given me a word

for us today, and I say us, it's not just

for you, it's for me too, and I promise you

it has been working on me all week long. We're

starting a brand new series today and it's called Full House.

If you've noticed in this year, in twenty twenty five

are our whole theme for the whole year has been

a Great House out of two Timothy telling out of

vessels of honor and dishonor Well, we've I don't know

if you've noticed this, but each each series is now

as a volume in the book series of a Great House.

And so this this month is Full House, and we're

coming right out of that Easter season. We'll come out

right out that when that post resurrection meantime I like

to call it. And as we do that, as we

head toward Pentecost next month, I just a fellow. It

was really important for us to talk about what happened

after the resurrection there and what happened in those moments

following what Jesus accomplished. And as I think about that season,

I think about how the church grew.

I think about how, you know.

Especially after the Ascension, and they go and they're waiting

for the Holy Spirit, and we're gonna we're gonna get

all that in Pentecost next month. But as I think

about that season, I think about the Family of God growing.

And as I'm thinking about that, I'm thinking about our

church growing. I think about the faith community growing. I'm

thinking about what happens when you start to get more

and more people involved in what God is doing. And

we got something really special next week from Mother's Day.

But this whole series, this is going to be talking

about family, and I want to open it this morning

considering the wider scope of God's family belonging to God's

household and what that really means as our church moves forward,

as people continue to experience God. And men, I'm telling you,

I don't know how you can be in those last

thirty minutes and not feel the presence of the Holy

Spirit and experience God. You just got to be totally

not wanting to do that, to come in here and

not experience Him. And as we do that, as we

continue to draw people in.

That changes things.

We start adding people to the equation, things can change.

And so I think it's really important for us to

know that as we grow, we need to know who

we are, and that growing does not have to change

the core of who we are. It might change the methods,

it might change the way things look, but at the core,

we have some things about being part of God's family

that are that are extremely important for us to understand it.

Growth brings energy, It excites us expansion and reaching new heights.

That inspires the heart.

But bringing in new people also has the potential to

shake things up. And I'm thinking about the New the

Early Church, and thinking about you know, the New Testament

Church when they're growing and all these things are happening,

and I can just imagine them being overwhelmed, the leaders

being overwhelmed.

How how do we how do we keep this right.

I think it's vital that we remember how we got here,

that we know who and what we have access to

as members of God's family, and how to remain on

the right path as we continue forward, because the Kingdom

of God is designed to grow. Let's start by looking

at one of my favorite passages in Ephesians chapter two.

If you have your Bible, please turn to it. If

you want to use your phone, that's great. If you

want to follow on that, that's great. If he's just

chapter two, starting in verse eighteen, Paul writes, for through him,

we both have access in one spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but

you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of

the household of God. Built on the foundation of the

apostles and prophets, Christ, Jesus himself being the cornerstone in

whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a

holy temple in the Lord. In Him, you also are

being built together into a dwelling place for God by

the Spirit. Now, I just I can't get over this

whole chapter. Really, I just it's amazing every time I

go and read these words, says essentially that through Christ

and only through Christ, all people, and Paul says we

both have access and he was referring to jew and gentile.

Have access to the Father. When we accept Jesus, we are.

Adopted into God's family and become part of the household

that includes the saints of old. This is one of

the reasons that studying scripture is so vital and so important,

because I believe it's really important for us to know

our history, know our family history. Because God's people now

are a continuation of God's people, then you are a

continuing story. God's story includes us once we are part

of his household. So when you accept Christ, now your

history isn't here, doesn't matter where you came from, doesn't

matter what's in your blood, doesn't matter your family tree.

Now God's People's history is your history. And I think

it's really important for us to grab hold of that

and understand that because knowing where you came from helps

you identify where you are.

And Chief has said this many times.

If you know where you are, then you can figure

out how to get where you're going. But if you

don't know where you are, how can you plot that course?

And I don't know that we can truly know where

we are if we don't understand where we've come from.

The Bible is not just a collection of random stories

about Hebrew people. It's not just a mixed bag of

things for us to go, Oh, well, I hope I

can get something useful out of this Old Testament. No,

it's your family history. It reveals God's nature, his character,

his plan. In all of these moments lead up to

the moment that we're in right now. God is continuing

to tell his story through you as you live out

your faith through us as the body of Christ.

He's continuing. Now.

We're not adding new pages to the Bible, but we

are adding chapters in God's story as he continues to

work through us, as we continue to live with purpose.

And this household of God is built upon what came before.

It's built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets,

all that came before, and then Christ, as we just

talked about just two Sundays ago on Eastern Christ being

that key piece, that cornerstone that holds the whole house together.

And he doesn't just hold it together. He's not like

I think about that. Remember, I remember which Marvel movie

it was. Remember Captain America grabs that helicopter, and he's

like holding it. Christ is not in the middle of it,

struggling to hold this thing together. He's firmly seated on

the throne, holding the household of God together, giving us

power and life to continue to grow into that holy

temple that Ephesians talks about.

Verse twenty two.

There reveals that our collective purpose, the body of Christ,

the Holy Temple. Our collective purpose is to be a

dwelling place for God.

That's what you were created to do. Being built together again.

The authors referring to jew and Gentile, but also very

simply one believer to another to be a faith community.

That's why we say all the time, the church is

not this building. The church is not the denomination. The

church is not a physical structure.

The Church is you.

It's us, because we are that holy temple. And the

reality is this. You were not meant to house God's

spirit alone. Now is the Holy Spirit in each of

us individually when you accept Jesus, Yes, in dwelling in

you individually. But we were designed to house the spirit

of God together. And if you're like me, you might

wonder how that can even be possible. You might think,

as I have, I'm unworthy of that. I'm too dirty,

I'm too unclean. For how can how can the Holy

God live and dwell or man? Maybe maybe you're thinking,

maybe you're looking down your road right now, and you're like,

this group of people surely not. But maybe you've thought

that in other contexts. Maybe you think God lives in

us is all of us are just the ones? I like,

how can a holy God bear to dwell within and

among sinners?

Again? Because it Jesus? Who else is worthy? Again?

Christ is the cornerstone. Check out this in Romans chapter three.

Romans chapter three another really really powerful passage.

Hang with me. We're starting in verse twenty one.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart

from the law, although the law and the prophets bear

witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in

Jesus Christ for all who believe.

For there is no distinction.

I know you know this part for all have sinned

and falls short of the glory of God.

We love to quote that part.

I gotta want to know that makes us feel better, like, well,

I messed up and everybody does, and that is true.

That's not a bad way to use that scripture. But

I think we really need to keep going. We really

do ourselves and others of disservice when we stop at

verse twenty three. We gotta go to twenty four for

all of a sudden and fall short of the glory

of God verse twenty four and are justified by His

grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ, Jesus,

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood

to be received by faith.

This was to show God's.

Righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over

former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the

present time so that He might be just and justifier

of the one who has faith in Jesus. Maybe we

stop because propitiation is a weird word that we don't

know what that means. It just means, it just means

a substitute just means as it fulfills that.

Or maybe we stop.

Because we think, well, what do the law and the

prophets have to do with that? How can I Even

your Old Testament is important, you should read it. I

know there's some weird stuff. Can we just be honest,

there's some weird stuff. It's still the word of God.

The reason we don't understand it, the reason we might

run from it, is because we have not let ourselves

be open to what God is saying through our family history.

We know that.

If you know your history, you know that covering sin

in the Old Testament was difficult.

It was a process.

God's Covenant law dictated a certain process. It was difficult

for the citizens of Israel to get their sin covered.

He had to do some things, to do some more

things to get to somebody who could even get.

Close to being close to God.

That process was difficult and messy, arduous, choose a word.

Not fun.

It was difficult for citizens of Israel and nearly impossible

for those who weren't.

Those who weren't already part of.

The people had a really hard time ever Getting another

a few examples, again, you should read it. It's actually

really interesting. But most people that were outside of Israel

did not have access. But see, here's the thing. Jesus

not only made away that we might that more people

might have access, but it also made it where sin

is no longer just covered, but it's actually washed away

his sacrifice on the cross of Cavalry. His blood washes

sin away. It's not just covered up to be forgotten.

It is literally gone. So it's not your righteousness that

fixes the connection with you and God. You have none.

We have no righteousness. There's nothing we could do. That's

what the Old Testament proves. There is nothing we could

do to make it right. There's not enough sacrifice we

could we could make we could there's not enough. There's

not enough rules we could follow. There is no way

for us to overcome it.

So Christ Jesus took the wrath of God.

On himself, paid for our sin with his blood, and

made himself available to be received by faith, not by

a process by belief, because.

He is just. Because God is just, he could not

allow sin to go unpunished.

So sending Jesus proves God's righteousness too, that he's just

and the justifier. The Holy God cannot let sin go rampant.

It has to be handled. So in his love and

in his mercy, he decided to handle it once and

for all by sending his own son. This means the

righteousness of God has been applied to you. Clay's righteousness

did not spring up when I said a prayer. God's

righteousness was applied to Clay's soul when he believed in

Jesus jarning God's family being part of his household. It's

not something you can earn. It's not something you can buy,

it's not something you can deserve. Instead, it's a gift

that we call salvation received when you believe. So then

what of the law then?

Was that?

I mean, pastor, you just told me to read the

Old Testament about I don't need it right because Jesus,

what about Israel? Well, we spend I mean over half

over half this book is about them? What about that?

What about God's people? What about the people before the cross?

Those are all great questions. I'm hearing all those questions

right now. Thank you for asking them. Let's look a

bit further in Romans chapter eleven. Romans chapter eleven were

to start in verse eleven, Paul writes this, So I ask,

did they stumble in order that they might fall? Referring

to Israel by no means, Rather through their trespass, salvation

has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. Now,

if their trespass means riches for the world. And if

their failure means riches for the gentiles, how much more

will the air full inclusion be mean?

Verse thirteen.

Now I'm speaking to you Gentiles inasmuch then as I

am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry

in order to somehow make my fellow Jews jealous and

thus save some of them.

Verse fifteen.

If their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what

will their acceptance mean but life from the dead. If

the dough offered us first fruits is holy, so is

the whole lump. And if the root is holy, so

are the branches. So let's pause right here. We're gonna

keep going in this chapter, but let's pause Versus se.

I always love to remind people. I say it all

the time. God doesn't waste anything. God doesn't waste anything.

He doesn't cause everything, but he doesn't waste anything. If

it happens, God can use it. And I'm not sure

that there's a better example than this right here in

Romans eleven. Out of the original people's failure, God made

a better way for all. So I want us to understand.

If Israel does not fail in the Old Testament, there

is no cornerstone, there are no gentiles being saved. Those

things don't happen because of that God made a better way.

It's also clear from this passage that God is not

finished with Israel. The door remains open for them to

accept Christ. Paul, being a Jew himself, looks at this.

He's anticipating this, He's excited about this. He's anticipating that

more life will even come forth when they do accept him.

And I know, what does that have to do with me?

This is your family history. You may protest, and I've

protested that before. What does that have to do with me?

Let's continue in verse seventeen. I'll show exactly what it

has to do with us. But if some of the

branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot,

were grafted in among the others, and now share in

the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be

arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is

not you who support the root, but the root that

supports you. Then you will say branches were broken off

so that I might be grafted in. That is true,

they were broken off because of their unbelief, but you

stand fast through faith.

So do not become proud, but fear.

For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither

will he spare you.

Me too. Brother.

Note then the kindness and the severity of God severity

towards those who have fallen. But God's kindness to you

provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you two

will be cut off. And even they, if they do

not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For

God has the power to graft them in again verse

twenty four. For if you were cut from what is

by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature,

into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these

the natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.

Now we're getting down to what we actually do with

this information. We have a responsibility to check ourselves and

make sure that we don't become prideful with this gift

that God has given us. It's another reason to know

our family history, so we can see what happens when

we become prideful and arrogant and we forget God's commandments.

So we have this responsibility not just to use the

gifts that God has given us. I'll become prideful that

not Lord it over, but recognize the grace that we've

been given. And we really have no excuse because in

this day and age, in the year of our Lord

twenty twenty five, you have more access to information than

anybody that's ever come before you.

And now this what's crazy. Between the last time I.

Preached, which is like February, and now now you don't

even have to Google anymore. You can just ask the

AI and it does all the searching for you. Now, guys,

that was like three months ago, and now you don't

even have to do it in it there's no more

work to be done. You can just hey, and it

does all the work for you. We have no excuse.

We have access to everything in the palm of our hands.

Even the apostles did not have the scriptures that we

have now. To claim ignorance, hear me, to claim ignorance

is outright foolish. We have no excuse, And to be

arrogant is to totally misunderstand God's grace. See, there's a

healthy fear of God that we should operate from. We

love to talk about the love and the kindness of God,

and we should He's been so good to us already,

but we cannot afford to forget the severity of God.

To forget would put us in the same situation as

the errant Israel, continuing our unbelief. We cannot become arrogant. Yes,

God is patient and he is kind, but he's also

serious about sin, and he's serious about his commandments.

He's so serious he sent his son to fix it.

That's literally dead serious, and not just dead serious, but

resurrected serious. That's like double triple. That's insane. He's very serious.

So there's further hope in this passage too. Paul mentions

how the natural branches can be grafted back into their

own tree if they fix their unbelief. See I take

that to mean that God loves to remind me that

He's not finished. What does that have to do? What

is what is them being grafted back in have to

do with me? It reminds you that when you mess up,

God's not finished. It ought to it ought to bring hope,

It aught to it ought to spring forth life. Knowing

that he even when I'm messed up, God still has

the power to bring me back and make it right.

Though we should be aware.

And aware of it and honor the past, we can't

stay stuck in it. Hope is future tense, and maybe

the most significant point from this passage in Romans eleven

is this God has made a way for all to

join his household through Christ, no matter your previous standing

Jude gentile liar cheater addict, It doesn't matter whatever your

previous standing is. You have a way. He made a

way for all. God has the power and he is

willing to graft you in if you will believe.

And once we are in, then.

It's our responsibility to continue in God's kindness, continue the

work that Christ started when he established his church.

This means that we acknowledge God as our father.

Christ is our savior, the Holy Spirit is our helper,

and treating all those who've accepted Jesus as members of

our family, while also reaching out to bring others into

the fold. I'm gonna share a story that it's not

in my notes because it happened yesterday. In the core

value of transparency, I'm gonna share something. I'm gonna share

a failure of mine with you, and don't you don't

have to get your emails ready, as I know she's

on vacation. But come on, yesterday I was I was

out and I went into town to get food for

my wife and I and you ever go through a

situation and you don't even realize what's happening until you're

already beyond it, and then you look back and you go, man,

God was setting it on the tee for me. God

was setting that ball on the tea for me. And

instead of swinging at it, I went and dropped the bat.

I'm out getting food. It's a pick up order, so

I have to go to the bar and pick it up.

So I'm there waiting to pay, and there's a gentleman

next to me. He's an older guy, and he had

just finished. I could tell he was holding his receipt

as I'm waiting there. Which it's a terrible system at

that restaurant. I don't know why you have to try

to get the bartender's attention to pay for your food

that's sitting right there. I'm frustrated by that. And I'm

standing there in this moment and I'm like, and this

guy leans over to me and he says, I can't

say what he said from the stage. But he said

life is not very nice sometimes. You can imagine the phrase,

and I said, yeah. Sometimes. He starts talking about he

was a war veteran and he flew planes and he

couldn't fly because he couldn't he couldn't go out and

fly yesterday because of the storm. And he still flies

as a hobbying so he was bummed about that. And

then he starts talking about his time in the service.

And I didn't say anything church, nothing important. I said

stupid small talk things like wow, man, I can't imagine.

Said yeah, man, you know, I'm life is tough sometimes,

but I'm thankful to be here. That's what I said.

I'm thankful to be here. You know, I have two

degrees in this. I owe to the federal government a

lot of money to have two degrees in this. And

I said, yeah, I'm thankful to be here. And I

left and I paid for my food and I went home,

and on the way home, God tore me apart, as

he should have, because that's what good dads do when

you mess up. He said, you got to go tomorrow

and preach that sermon on the household of God. I

just gave you the easiest opportunity to share my truth,

and you walked away because you wanted your burrito, because

you were not mindful, because you did not remember your

family history, because you didn't remember your last name. And

I had no answers. And I went home and Amber

and I ate, and I said, I gotta go back.

Maybe he'll be there. And I went back and he

wasn't there. You may only get one opportunity. You never

know when it's coming. I don't know what will happen

to him. I pray, and I prayed yesterday last night,

I prayed God puts somebody in his path that's better

than me. Maybe they won't make the same mistake I made.

You never know when your opportunity is coming. That's why

we have to be mindful of who we are and

where we came from, and that we have to bring

other people along.

It will not always be set on.

A tee for you. Sometimes it's way more difficult. But

if we can't hit the easy ones, how will we

ever hit the hard ones. And maybe you're sitting there

and you're like, well, I don't know. That sounds like

a lot of pressure. Fair enough, fair enough, because we're

dealing with people's eternity.

It is pressure.

But as the band gets ready, I want to share

with you one last passage that I believe gives us

more clarity and more encouragement for our purpose. Turn with

me to John chapter fifteen. John chapter fifteen, we're going

to start. In Verse one, Jesus himself says, I am

the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he

takes away. In every branch that does bear fruit, he

prunes that it may bear more fruit. Already you are

clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Verse four. Abide in me and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it

abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide

in me.

I am the vine. You are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he is

it that bears much fruit. For apart from me, you

can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me,

he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and

the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you abide in me and my words, abide in you.

Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

We love that one.

We love verse seven. You gotta quote the rest of

it by this verse eight. By this, my Father is

glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to

be my disciples. Jesus himself used this vine and this

branch imagery, just like Paul picks up on later enrollments.

How necessary it is for us to remain connected to him.

You see, it's not enough for us to just have

head knowledge about God's family and God's household.

It's not enough for us to just know.

That or declare I'm a child of the king.

I don't know that there's much I don't know that.

There's much more embarrassing for a king than for his

sons and daughters to be.

Idle.

We cannot just declare to be part of the family

without doing anything with it. Bean like me, you know,

claiming my last name but never speaking to my dad

or any of my family members. What good does that

do me to declare that name? If I don't care

about the history and I don't care about the legacy,

we can't just declare with no action. It'd be like

becoming a member of a church and not being involved

in what God's doing there? What good is it to

say I'm a member but not a participant. And it's

the same in God's household. I cannot be a member

without participating because bearing fruit is expected. Not bearing fruit

has severe consequences. Thrown away like a branch in withers,

the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.

Branches that do not bear fruit are in the way

of the more purposeful ones. It's not that just if

we don't understand this, if we don't act out of this,

who we are as God's household.

If we don't do this.

Not only are we failing on our own part, but

we're in the way of others who are ready to

do theirs.

And God takes that seriously.

And he will cut the non purposeful branches out. Non

bearing branches are a hindrance to the vine dresser's mission.

Well, pastor, what is the fruit?

Then?

What do I need to be looking for? How do

I know if I'm doing right?

The fruit is a direct extension, a direct expression of

all those things that are required of us to remain

connected to the vine. Are our words, our actions, our feelings,

being conformed to fall in line with the truth of Christ.

Are we thinking like him? Are we acting like him?

Are we speaking like him? Are we improving?

I'm not saying you need to wake up tomorrow and

be perfect. That's impossible. But is the trend going in

the right direction? Am i? Am I closer to the

mind of Christ today than I was yesterday, today than

last Easter?

Are we caring for those in the family?

Are we reaching out in love to those who are

not part of the family yet? Are we seeking God

and his purpose for our lives? And if you are,

bearing branches, can expect to be worked on. So maybe

you're sitting here today and you're going well. You know,

I'm already in the family, and I'm I'm doing my part.

I'm trying to I'm doing my best. You know, I'm living.

I'm trying to live out my purpose. And things are

not going very well, and it's really hard, and all

these things are piling on me, and I don't feel

very connected.

I don't feel very full of life. I don't.

Bearing branches can expect to be worked on. The vine

dresser prunes those branches that they might bear more fruit.

God's not out to get you maybe he's pruning you

through your circumstance.

Maybe he's working on you.

Maybe he's trying to use that situation to make you

more purposeful. Bruning may not always feel good, it may

not always look good, but it's necessary. It's necessary to

maintain health and increase your productivity. And Jesus promises to

abide in those who abide in him.

And abide is not a weird word either.

It just means to remain. It just means connected. And

Christ doesn't gain anything from abiding in us, but we

gain everything from abiding in Him because more branches might

sprout from the root. But if you're disconnected, there are

no other vines to connect to. There are no other vines,

there are no other roots that give life.

It's just Jesus.

And when we abide in him, not only do we

avoid the consequences, but we gain the benefits. Whatever we

ask shall be done for us. But passer, I've asked

and I didn't.

Get what I wanted.

There's a great sermon series from back in February about prayer.

But I'll just say this, if you're abiding and you're

asking and you're not getting it, I don't always have

an answer for that. But what I do know is

that when you truly abide in Christ, what you.

Ask for changes. Not only what you asked.

For, but the way you ask for it changes, because

then it's always followed up with but Father, your will

be done.

Great sermon series. You should go check it out House

of Prayer.

But when we do this, when we abide, when we

know who we are, we know our history, and we

act as people part of the household of God.

When we do this, and it is a lifelong commitment.

We are accomplishing what we were created for, which is

to glorify God. If you stand with me and our

alter team can get ready. I don't know about you,

but I am that.

Story I share with you.

What happened yesterday really shook me, and I think it

should have. And I'm really thankful to God for speaking

to me in that moment. And I hear him saying,

it's not making that mistake is not the end.

Of the world.

But we, as the Church, as His body, as His household,

cannot afford to make those mistake as.

A whole.

Time is short, and if for no other reason, if

you don't want to get into the hole when He's

coming back for another reason, we only have so many

years on the earth. We will only get so many

opportunities to share the truth of the gospel.

So I want us to pray this morning.

Maybe you had a situation like that, or maybe you're like,

I don't know, I don't feel connected at all. I

would like to get reconnected. God has the power. He

would graft you right back in if you'll come and

fix that pattern of unbelief. Or maybe you're like, well,

I just need encouragement. I feel like I feel like

I'm connected, but I'm just going through it right now,

and i need God to speak to me. Come, let's pray.

But what I want you to remember it is just

this that because of Christ, we all have the opportunity

to be part of God's family. And when you belong

to a family, their history is your history. Belonging to

God's household it has great benefits and great responsibilities. We

cannot reap the rewards of belonging while forsaking the family values.

And it's not always turning heel and running the other direction.

Sometimes it's just like me yesterday, and you're not aware,

you're not mindful, and the sin is not that you

did some evil act, but you just did not say

the words you needed to say.

That happens to all of us. I don't want it to.

I want us to be mindful of.

Who we are, where we came from, who we have

access to, and what we're supposed to be doing. Then

we can reap those rewards of belonging. Then we can

carry out the purpose that God has given us, and

we will prove to be His disciples and give him glory,

which is what I was created for. It's what you

were created for. So if you want to come pray,

come find a prayer partner.

That's great.

Clint's gonna lead us in a song here. And if

you're not coming to pray, I want you to just worship.

I just want you to glorify God with your voice

and with your heart. But like this song says, I

want us to trust, even if we've made that mistake,

even if we're at the end of our rope. I

want us to trust because when you seek him, you

will find him because.

He's already right there.

He's just waiting for you to recognize him. Father, be

with us, Speak to us today, work on us in

these next few moments that we have.

We thank you for your word helping to take root

in our hearts.

Help us to glorify you in this song, in our

conversations everywhere that we go.

Lord, help us to.

Be mindful that we might accomplish the mission that you've

given us.

We love you, Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus.

We pray Amen.