House of Prayer - Week 2: Town Hall

Appreciate Pastor Clay and Pastor Gary for coming up and

participating in this today. It's a blessing to work with

this team. Before we get started, I want you to

know what a blessing it is to lead and pastor

this team and this group of people. It's an absolute pleasure,

pleasure to do that. So thank you for making it

that way. Who has their first question? Go ahead and

stand up? Okay, right here?

All right? He was onready.

Yes, this is for each of you or any Which

versions of the Bible do you recommend?

Why is there one that you do not?

Pastor Gary, you want to start with that?

Yeah, I ken, I'm fine with that.

Listen, there there's so many different versions out there, and

I'm not critical of versions like some churches and denominations are.

I'm I'm a firm, firm believer. If God wants to

speak to you, if you got a version that don't

have the THEE or the thou or the whatever or

it does have that, he.

Can speak to you.

Amen.

Uh. That's just overall. My personal Danny is is I

use the New King James version. And the reason I

use that is when I come through Bible School, I

had the King James version. That was about all there

was then and now except when the Green Monster came out.

I remember that was the Living Bible. And one day

one of the guys at school said, if it's a sickle,

it only it's only sharp on one side. He was

just teasing, But but I used I used it. I

memorize so much of the scripture in the King James

version that when I speak to you, and when I prophesy,

or when I speak and it comes and comes from

the word, it's usually the King James version. But the

New King James Version to me, is so closely aligned

to the King James version. Actually that's what it is.

It's just a revision of the King James version. So

that's my answer. I like the es V, I like

the New inn IV, I like the Living Bible. The

New New Living Translation is really a good modern translation

for me.

I like it.

Hey man, yeah, I use I preach out of the

New King James almost exclusively. It's what I preach out

all but I do my personal Bible study out of

the New Living Translation just because it's just it's it's

very modern, easy to deal with English and listen when

I'm doing my personal devotional time.

I'm not trying to do a.

Deep theological dive, right, I just want God to speak

to me, and it's just easy to deal with that

language for me. Uh but uh, but yeah, they're the

only versions there there are. There are versions designed for

now that have come out that really support things that

in our view, are anti scripture.

So there are bibles there are.

There are gender neutral bibles that strip away the masculinity

of God. There are those kind of things that you

need to stay away from because you know, there's a

reason that that those things are written the way they are.

God is a masculine figure in scripture. He's not father mother,

He's just Father God. So you know, in those things,

those things can can influence the way we we we

read and understand scripture. But that's not something you're accidentally

going to purchase at the bookstore. And I would say that,

just like him, I memorize scripture out of the New

King James, and I try to use the same If

if my Bible gets worn and I'm ready to get

a new Bible, I try to get the exact same Bible.

That's more difficult.

Yeah, yes, it's very difficult. Now.

And the reason is because a lot of times when

I memorize scripture or I'm studying, I will remember that

it's in this book and it's over on the right

hand page rather than the left hand page exactly, and

I can go and I can find it easier just

if but if it's a different Bible right then it's

not necessarily on that side of the page. So that's

why I try to do that, Pastor Clay.

The best version is the one you will read. Hmm, Now, gosh,

that was a good answer. All those other all those yes,

avoid the ones that are weird obviously, that have new

New Age stuff woven into them. But like you said,

you're not going to stumble upon that probably. But the

best version is the one you'll read, the one you

will spend time in and allow God to speak to you. Now,

I guess the caveat there is always approach scripture, praying

for the Holy Spirit to illuminate that scripture to you.

There are if we could look back centuries and centuries

and watch how people read the same Bible that you

and I read and twisted it and did a lot

of evil things with it. You need the Holy Spirit

to help you read God's word. Otherwise those bad parts

of us can get We can twist things up and

then the enemy. Listen, the enemy knows scripture too, he

can twist those things up. So you want the Holy

Spirit to illuminate that scripture. So the best version, personally,

I'm an ESV guy. That's because I went to Bible

College about ten years ago and that was like the thing.

I just can't believe it's ten years ago. It makes

me feel weird, but anyway, I do. Every single time

this happens, I always get into a dig a hole

there with age. But but no, it was really popular

then to study. And the reason is because the ESV,

like the New Americans to keep some of the same

grammar and syntax from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek.

So I like that. That helps me study.

It is a little bit harder to read because sometimes

that grammar doesn't translate perfectly into English, so you might

have to read a verse a few times to be like,

what is that trying to say? So the best version

is the one that is the one that's easiest for

you to get into God's word and to get close

to him.

So as long as you're reading with the Holy Spirit.

You're good.

Amen. Amen, I like that, Pastor, let me ask you

a question.

Off, go ahead and stand up. If you've got a question,

go ahead and stand up out there, and they're gonna

come to you, and we're gonna ask a question. Why

now I'll stay standing up?

Is it okay? This is for you?

Is it okay to say similar things each time you pray?

Is there a point where I'm being too repetitive?

Well, you know, Jesus didn't teach about len He talked

about men who stood praying, and we focus on that.

I think I think that, Uh, if that's how you pray,

and you and in your own language, of your own

private time, you keep saying the thing, same thing over

and over.

Uh, that's between you and the Lord.

If you're playing praying publicly here and you're saying the

same thing over and over, it just it's on your

nerves somebody else's nurse. There's a story about a man

that came down and prayed every every time they prayed,

and he kept praying, Lord feel me, Lord, feel me.

I mean every time they had prayer around all.

That Lord feel me.

And one woman so tired of hearing that all the time,

She finally lifted both hands.

Says, don't do it.

Lord, he leaps.

Well, vain repetition is spoken up against. But the Seven

Laws of Learning is repetition, and we certainly need to

not be against that. That kind of thing. But that

kind of that kind of praying is and and I

do I pray. I repeat some things praying, but the

Lord knows what I'm saying, and I do too.

And the's some things.

Of a resonation with your spirit as you're praying, you're

connecting with the Lord.

It's good.

Can I can I take Can I just take a

moment to tell a quick story. Sure, I had open

heart surgery in July. I spent twenty one days in

the hospital, and I want to thank you for praying

for me and my family. Well, there was a time

in the hospital that my sister in law, God bless

her soul. She's just so precious, like an angel coming

here helping me and my wife. Her and my wife

was there. My wife never left my side. There the

whole time. They kept saying, you got to take the

pain medicine and stay ahead of the pain.

You've heard that.

Well, I wasn't that way, but so I decided I would.

The next thing, you know, I was falling into this

deep hole and I was overcome. I believe I was.

I believe I was actually going to die. I was

laying in the bed, I looking up and it looked

like I was looking up a well, and there were

two faces looking down that well, and I could see

the sky beyond them, and I was falling further and

further down that well, and and I just began to

cry out. And my wife, she began to She called

into one of the nurses there and says, he needs help,

he needs help. She recognized there was something was happening

to me, and all of a sudden, that other face

then I came out of it. I looked up and

Len Oliver walked in the room. She said the Lord

woke her up, told her to go to the hospital

and see Pastor. And she was praying for me the

whole way. She was been praying for me. And when

I looked at me, I saw her and then Calvin.

I know it was Corey behind her that came into

the hospital room. And I looked at her and I thought, oh,

thank God, thank God.

He sent somebody. My wife was there yet.

She but.

You played a part and I'll never forget that. But

what I want to say, I want to say that

that happens in your praying.

When you pray.

When you're praying, if you see somebody's face, God he's

speaking to you to pray for that person.

Yes, one last thing.

I was down here today right just a few minutes ago,

and I turned her around and looked, and Tyler came

walking down and I turned around, I see her, and

she me to agree with her concerning the need. And

the first thing I said, I said, let me tell

you something I said this week in my praying. I said,

God showed me your face. It was not a coincidence

that she come down there for me to pray with

her day. Now I believe all because we're in this

twenty one days of prayer. And let me tell you

something mis reignited me. I don't know about you. I

feel a different level in this place today. Yes, and

Todd Johnson, he's calling you to a different level. But

I'm telling you that I feel a different level and

it comes when we pray and we agree. And so

the very fact that that happened to me is Hey,

God is working, and so when you pray, just know

that God will use you.

Ay Matthew, Amen. So I know this is so.

The Bible in the Bible says, do not fear three

hundred and sixty five times for each stay do not fear.

What is the best passage or most recommended passage for

fearing your purpose with God? Almost pretty much fearing the

blessings that God has given you and seeing your word through.

It Jeremiah twenty nine to eleven.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares

the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope in a future.

That's it. That's it. That's the one.

Because he's already He's got a plan for you. He's

got a purpose for you, and whether we're afraid of

it or not, it's there now.

It's up to us to step into it.

And the reason there's fear there is because the enemy's

trying to convince you you're not good enough, you're not

smart enough, you're not equipped enough.

Yeah.

I can't overcome the things in my past, but I

want to tell you that God has set you apart

and He's got a plan for you, and you need

to step into it and put fear behind you. Just

punch fear in the face and just go do what

God has called.

You to do. Amen. Amen.

So I've been thinking about this a week.

My dad passed away four years ago, and he was

the leader of our household. He was the example for us,

and it's really been laying on my heart. Now, how

do I pick up that torch for my family and

for my grandkids to carry on what he started it us?

M I'm gonna I'm gonna jump in here on this

one too, you know.

And I actually think, I actually think this is the

passage of scripture that I used uh at Cliffs funeral

was when the apostle Paul is writing to Timothy and

he says, a stir up the gift of faith that

was in you, that first resided in your mother and

your grandmother, and I am convinced is in you also.

The Holy Spirit is our guide. He is our empowerment.

But the the the impact, those deposits of leadership and

wisdom that people put in our lives, they're there and

you have a clear guide to follow. So lean into

that guy. You don't have to create the whill all

over again.

Uh. Just see the.

Things that he led and the things that he did,

and then you do those same things in your way

and pioneer that. But the number one thing is to

make sure you're covering them in prayer. That's how it

all starts. And when you pray for your family, then

He's going to reveal those areas of leadership that you

need to lead. Then you need to stand up in

those things will be revealed in prayer even before they

become visible needs. So just start by covering them in prayer.

But then just do what Cliff did. Just just walk

in that in that confidence that that was one thing. Listen,

he never worried about anything. God was just gonna do

it and walk in that same confidence didn't stop happening

when when he passed away.

It's still there for your family. Amen. Amen.

All right, this is the kind of a question and

I don't really know how to start out with other

than just saying it. Do you think sometimes God allows

things to happen in your life or take place in

your life in order to move you the word that

He wants you at, even though at the time you

don't even understand it.

Yes, I do, And I think that I think that

we see that happen when we look at Scripture. I

think we can look at so many times that are

our main characters in Scripture. God was doing things to

them and for them, and preparing things way before they

ever knew what that plan was. I think probably the

first one that comes to mind is Abraham when he says, hey,

go go to this place you've never been before.

And he didn't even.

Reveal all the details of that plan. He just promised

that he would be with him. God promise, Hey, I'm

gonna be with you, go there, and Abraham couldn't have

even And we see this later in Hebrews. The writer

or Hebrews talks about Abraham passed before he saw the

promise come to pass.

So many heroes of the faith.

Died before they ever saw what God was doing through

them and in them. So I do think so, yes,

I think we have to What we have to be

careful of is trying to attribute everything to God. Is that,

if that makes sense. Not everything is the Devil, not

everything is God. Some things are just us. Some things

are just sinning the world right. Some things are just

they just are. But I think when we walk in

step with the spirit. I think that's that's why Scripture

calls us to that, and he walk instep with the spirit.

When you're in the Word, when you have a life,

a vibrant prayer life, we're able to discern this is

God this or this could be God moving me towards

something in my life. This is the enemy trying to

keep me from God's best and this is probably my fault,

or this is probably just because the world is busted

and broken. Now the honest is on me to respond.

How do I respond to that? First thing is to

get on my knees and pray and continue gathering with believers,

continue participating in worship, and continue those things that we

know to do as disciples.

But yes, I do think so, yep.

Yeah, And let me just take just a little thing

on there. When things are going on in your life,

whether it's God or whether it's not, but when your

decision is to withdraw, to withdraw from believers, to withdraw

from support, I just want you to know that that

is a sense that that's the number one sign that

you've given up. If your response is to withdraw, your

giving up and God doesn't want you to give up.

He wants you to press ahead.

Yes, I'm reading by proxy. Question.

Okay, we try to prepare our kids for service to

the Lord, but what age do they need to start

really serving?

Uh?

What?

We try to prepare our kids for a service to

the Lord, but at what age do they actually need

to start serving?

Yeah?

I mean, my my response to that is birth. I

mean they can't really I mean, they can't really get

you know, I mean, as soon as there's cognition to

understand serving, serving needs to start. Yes, Samuel, Yeah, I

mean Samuel was just a child and he didn't know

that the Lord was calling him.

And to be honest with you, I mean his father figure.

Didn't actually understand it at the moment either, but he

was being called to service at a very early age.

So yeah, there is no like you know, when they

turn for one kid, they could have the capacity to

begin to serve at three because they have that understanding,

and for some it could be ten. But the moment

they recognize what service is, they're ready to start serving

in some capacity.

And don't keep them from it.

Now, there are some things here that children can't serve

and do, but there are others that they can, so

that entry level to service could also be you know,

age appropriate. But yeah, they need to start serving as

soon as they possibly can.

Yeah. I was gonna say as soon as you can

get them too.

I mean, sometimes you can't get them to eat what's

on their plate, right, But what I have found in

my short time of parenthood is that a lot of

times it's easier to get my kids to serve God

and serve others than it is to eat dinner.

I don't know. I just think the Holy Spirit's in that.

I just think when when when they desire that and

you let them, God picks up and does these things

in the invisible and in the impossible that we don't

even we will never be able to understand. But kids

have a real sense for the spirit and the real

sense for God.

And I'll step into that.

Let me ask, what, Lexi do you do you ever

remember not serving? Yeah?

It was just like when she got old enough to

do something, we just hain, go do it, you know.

I think that's how it starts. I think that, and

oh well, what if they burn out? We're so afraid

of burnout that we never get set on fire, burn

and lean into Jesus.

So I think that if you wait till kids get older,

then you got to deal with them catching in their

feelings and being embarrassed.

And stuff like that.

If you go ahead and you push your child when

they're younger, kids don't worry about that as much, you know,

So you overcome that, and you also teach them how

to handle that and when you start them at a

very young age.

Yeah, Jeremy's jockeying for a chair next time, Manie.

I think I think he's been standing up longer than you.

So we're gonna go back here. Uh yeah, yeah.

I'm asking a question of reference to my eight year

old daughter. Her and her mom got baptized here a

couple of weeks ago, and and she's just kind of

a little concerned as far as, Okay, she's been baptized.

She understands that's the pathway to heaven, and initially, but

she's afraid of maybe a truce of thoughts, or maybe

she she might not do something correctly that is in

bound by the Lord. And how can she feel better

about herself by knowing that she's going into heaven Because

the the the catalyst was being baptized. If that makes sense.

Sure, sure you want to you want to talk about that.

I think that one thing that is essential is when

you pray together, and and that should be it should

be frequently, if not every day, you know, and every night,

and and I think it's key to point out the descripture,

open the script and say, here's what the Bible says.

And if we confess our sins, he is faithful and

just to forgive us our sins and the cleanses from

all unrighteousness. That's for John one, what is five of belief?

But any hell, that's where she would come to have

cleansing in her heart. And God gives you peace, and

emphasize that. How do we know God's leading us? Number

one Pastor Steve agrees with this. I don't know if

he learned it from may or from the Holy spirit

of it. But the way we know God's leading us

is we have peace in our heart and repentance leads

us to that area of peace.

Amen.

Yeah, you just if she does something and she feels

like there's something wrong, she just needs to say I'm sorry, Jesus,

I give that to you. And this is what he says.

He says he washes it away and he doesn't remember

it anymore. So you're worried about things Jesus don't even remember, sweetheart,

Because I listen, You've got a good heart and the

Lord has a good plan for you, a big plan

for your life.

Amen. Amen, it was all you know.

I've had recent metal quay issues and pretty much been

in daily pain for almost two years.

What is a good scripture or.

Something to hold on to?

Because I feel like I'm losing my trust and I

know in the Bible a lot of people waited thirty

forty years it's not even been too.

So how do I hold on?

And I often wonder if there's a lesson that he

needs me to learn before the healing comes, how do

I open myself up to hear from him and know

what that is that he wants me to do.

Well.

First of all, let me address the second part. Then

I'll let you address the a good scripture. I really

do have a hard She's been in pain for a

couple of years. She wants to she feels like she's

ready to give up, and what was a good scripture

for her to hold on to? Okay, I will let

me address the second part of that. The Lord is

not trying to teach you anything with your pains. That's

not what happens. As a matter of fact, he wants.

To intervene in that. Uh.

So he's not a he's not a hateful God that

inflicts us with things to punish us or to teach

us a lesson. He will get in the middle of

that and use that circumstance, uh, you know, to point

to himself.

But he's not.

Uh, he's not trying to punish you or teach you

a lesson. Yeah, I mean you know, oh yeah, well,

well those thoughts always come up, right, Yeah. I mean,

as as as much as I believe that in my heart,

there's still moments where I think, God, you know, what

are you trying to teach me?

God? What what? What are you trying to teach me?

And uh and a lot.

Of times he's trying to teach me. Just get out

of the way, Steve, you know, I mean just this,

you're the one that's dwelling on this, not me.

Uh.

But uh, Pastor, if you've got a good scripture for

encouragement for well, you.

Know, it's ironic that I just listed a whole page

and a half of scriptures that I have ready to

send out an email to my prayer team that prays

up front here, and it's prayers for healing of my

body basically, you know Exodus fifteen twenty six. I am

the Lord that heals you, Psalm six to two. Have

mercy on me, Old Lord, for I am weak, Oh Lord,

heal me from my bones are troubled. So I'm twenty

seven thirteen and fourteen. I would have lost heart unless

I'd believed that I would see the goodness of the

Lord in the land of the living.

Wait on the.

Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart.

I say, wait on the Lord. So I'm thirty verse two.

Oh Lord God, I cried out to you.

And you healed me.

I'll send you this list a bunch, but my thing

would be just stay before the Lord in prayer and

just and when you have those doubts and you have

those pains, I just just quote those scriptures, read them

and reread them, reread them, reread them, and just keep

writing on. There is a there, listen. And then for

my prayer team up here, I have another prayer teaching

that I'm going to send them on prevailing in prayer.

There's very little.

Taught on how to prevail in prayer. We say prayers

instead of pray. Do you understand what I'm talking about there? Yes,

well I said a prayer. Well so did my kids

from a little age. Now I lay me down to sleep.

Or those are wonderful prayers, but their prayers. But there's

a difference in praying and prayers and praying. Jesus said,

could you not tarry with me one hour? How many

of you can say I prayed one hour this week.

I'm gonna tell you something. This twenty one day prayer.

Now I can preach today, guys, I'm telling you it.

Just the thing about prevailing in prayer. Joe prevailed in prayer,

Moses prevailed in prayer, Elijah prevailed. Everything that's done that

moves the heart of God. It's people who learn how

to prevail in prayer. To prevail means to have strength

with and we have to prevail in prayer for ourselves

against Satan, for God to work, for faith to be alive.

I mean, just so many things, this prevailing in prayer.

But those scriptures just keep right on praying those that

would be my answer and God may heal you in

a way that you just don't understand, and you didn't

think it was going to happen that way. Now, I mean,

I have so many things that I keep on praying about.

And my wife we both in these years of our lives.

She's seventy three and I'm forty one, and so plus

y'all didn't let me finish plus and but we're we're

learning to navigate through life with a lot of things

that we used to didn't have to deal with.

And we still pray.

But does that is that yeah, damp in our spirit

about what God can do and who he is? Absolutely not.

We've seen God do so much in our lives.

We've seen him do so many things in people's lives

that there's no way in.

The world we could turn our back on God.

So we know that someday there will be a release

in this life from what I have to deal with,

you know. And one day and I have to remind

myself this is not my home, that He's prepared a

home for me. But while I'm here, no matter if

I'm in pain or not, I'm going to honor of

the Lord and serve him.

And one day I'll be released from that pain.

Hallelu But he knows that He knows when my mother's

always praying that she she's ninety four years. She said,

I want the Lord to take me in audien. We said, Mama,

he will when it's time. So so my encouragement to

you is pray to scriptures, stay with the scriptures, and

and keep confession and prevailed in prayer.

Amen. Amen?

Can I add quickly to that?

Sure?

Recently I have been through so much pain till I

have got embarrassed to come to this altar and ask

another time for God to heal me, because I've asked

him ten million times, and it seems like nothing that

ever happens. And one day I was sitting at the

table and this was recently, and I was having my devotion,

which I do every morning as soon as I eat

my breakfast so I don't throw up. And it's like

the Lord spoke to me and said, I have heard you.

I have all of them.

You just keep waiting.

So Grandma Mary comes in a couple of days later,

I'm doing my pill box and she says, oh my God,

you take all that.

Let's pray.

I said, no, No, I've already given my prayers to

the Lord, and I said, I don't think that I

will ask him again. I may, but right now I'm waiting.

I am just waiting, and when he gets ready, it'll happen.

And that's where I am.

And I talked to Steve about this. I think I'm

safe in saying this, that this is not wrong. But

when you've prayed a million times to be healed and

you don't get healed, you got to come to something

somewhere to be able to keep on and not give up.

And I just want you to know that's where I am.

Amen. You know waiting.

When you hear that word wait, it means something's coming.

You know when when he's sent When he sent the

apostles to the Upper Room, he didn't tell them to preach, you,

didn't tell them to sing. It, didn'tell him to pray,

didn't tell them to do anything to them to wait,

just wait, And the Holy Spirit showed up when he

says wait, get ready. When he says wait, buckle up

your seatbelt because a mighty rushing wind is about to

come and tongues of fire and all the things that

come with it, and they will be a manifestation.

Of God's prayer when he says, wait.

You know, I've always admired and loved y'all's opinion each

time I talked to you, and since Pastor Staves, since

you married me and my wife, I have always made

the passage that is the model for our marriage was

Joshua twenty four fifteen, where it says, as for me

in my house, we will serve the Lord. And now

we share so much together in what we do on

Sunday mornings in our ministry here, as well as the

food bank that we do twice a month. And my

wife literally saved my life. Now my question is I

understand what God has given us as husbands in our

role in the marriage. And I don't want to get

another You men in trouble when I asked this, but

when I'm wondering is it wrong for a woman to

also lead her husband spiritually in our relationship with Jesus Christ?

Because my wife is the strongest woman I've ever met,

and I have learned so much from her spiritually, and

I was raised in church. But that's pretty much in short,

and yes I'm keeping it short.

That's my question.

Yeah, before I answer, I want to clarify something to

I didn't marry them. I did there, I performed the

ceremony in their wedding. I'm not married to Joe. So

I just want to make sure that's this is on

the internet. I just want to make sure that people understand.

I mean, you know, that's just clarification. But you know,

our wives are our helpmates. They come alongside to complete,

to complete the purpose in us. And there will be

times that we go through where we're discouraged and she'll encourage.

There'll be times where we look that way and the

dangers coming from that way. And from that standpoint, absolutely

that feels like leadership. You're you're the head of your home.

But you know, if there's moments where she brings spiritual

impetus and spiritual guidance, then that's absolutely the Lord because

you together are that that union of matrimony where you

are equals in marriage, each playing your specifically designed role

from the Lord.

So yeah, absolutely, absolutely, is that right?

Okay, there's so many times that I was thankful but

my wife stepped out and took the lead in the role.

And and and I'll just have to say my wife

has been a very submissive woman. Our whole marriage. She said,

It's not been a big struggle with her to submit

to me. But I've tried to love her in honor

and respect her, you know, like Jesus loved the church,

and uh, I just I don't want to get real

crast here. But even in the intimate relationships of a

husband and a wife, so they need to know how

to one to lead and to one to follow, and

it's not those roles can switch sometimes and and it

brings fulfillment to the marriage. That's not just in the

intimate relationship. It's also in financial relationships and social relationship

in every area. You just you work together where you

you learn. Hey, I follow her lead and or follow

his lead. But ultimately the husband is responsible for the

decisions that are made. He is the head of the house.

I believe in that strongly.

Yes, yeah, really quick.

Since it is Super Bowl Sunday, I like to use

football analogies for everything spiritual because I believe it's all

there on the field.

I look at it this way.

If I'm the quarterback and Amber is the running back,

sometimes she has more yards, sometimes she wins the game for.

Us, but we're on the same team.

It's still my responsibility to take that snap and hand

the ball. If it's a direct snap to the running back,

which sometimes it is, that's that's leading, right. Sometimes the

snap goes to her. It's my job to whatever I

need to be doing to support that. If that's run

out and be a fake receiver, if that's standing on

the sideline and cheer whatever that looks like.

But I'm still the quarterback, right.

Still on me to lead my home, Still on me

to be the priest of my home. But sometimes the snap,

sometimes the yards, sometimes the plays are for the other

person on the team, And I think that's totally okay.

I think that's that's how it works.

Hey man, it's twelve fifteen. Time for one more question.

I got three people standing up, so you can either

raise for it, rock paper scissors, however you want to,

however you want to do that, or two people can

just sit down. Okay, Lina, you're up all right.

Oftentimes people feel so captured by sin that they don't

think that God can reach them, and they feel like

they're so belittled that God thinks that they don't need help.

How what do you think is a good way for

someone to get out of that hole, like for them

to feel like God can help them if they're that lost.

Yeah, well, I think that it starts with first of all,

confessing that sin, confessing it to God, and also bringing

people into that battle as well. So you know, we

think that our job is to come and and lay

down all of.

Those things at the alter, and it is.

But if we have moved into the place where that

sin has become bondage in our lives, then the Bible

says the strong man has to be bound, and it's

often impossible for us to do that alone. So we

have to onboard other people into that journey to deliverance.

So we first we begin to confess and repent to

the Lord, and repent means change. You know, here's the thing.

A lot of people say, oh, sins too big, sins

too big. It's got me, it's got me, it's got me.

But you don't change anything. I mean, if you're struggling

with if you're struggling with with pornography.

I didn't mean to point.

If you're struggling with pornography and you keep your computer

in a back room of your house somewhere, and you

lock the door every time you go back there, to

check your bank balance. You're going to continue to struggle

with that, So move it out to the living room

where everybody's sitting there watching TV. And change the environment

so that you have a harder time doing those things.

If every time you go to the club you get drunk,

forget who you are. Stop going to the club.

That's not the place for your evangelism center to be right.

I mean, that's not that that's that's just that's that's crazy.

So change the circumstances starts with repentance though, And that's

what repentance is is it's not just saying I'm sorry.

It's building things in my life so I do them differently.

It's turning and going in the opposite direction. So change

the environment and bring people. Get in a group and

bring people on board that will help you move.

In the right direction.

Ask you hard questions and hold you accountable. I have

people in my life that we ask three questions. Number one,

have you done anything this week you shouldn't have done?

Number two, have you been anywhere where it looks like

you might have done something you shouldn't have done? And

the third one, did you lie to me? When you

answered either of those other two questions. And there's some accountability.

There's accountability there, and we need to we need to

understand that accountability is a good thing. Accountability is the

best thing we can have. It is it's helping us

keep the Lord first when the world tells us he's last.

And here is the biggest lie I think this perpetrated

is that, Well, He's all about grace. So it doesn't matter.

Do whatever you want to do. It's okay because God

is going to forgive you anyway. Will he forgive you?

Yes?

But is that how you make decisions? No, He's calling

us to holdiness. The standard is holiness. The standard is

right living and we must be about that, and we

must pursue that. And in the pursuit of that, it

takes other people helping us get there sometimes. So I

don't know if I answered your question or not.

But anyway, and.

I tell you what, let's since we're at the time

we're let me go ahead and just clif you want

to grab your guitar, let me just transition here for

just a second. And maybe you're here today, and you

know this is not a normal church experience. This isn't

what you know you're used to seeing you know, music

and then a sermon and all of those things, But

that doesn't mean the Holy Spirit hasn't spoken to your heart.

And if you're here and you're struggling, you're captivated by sin,

you're having a hard time, the strong Man is whipping

you every single day, and you're living in guilt and

shame because of those things. Or maybe you're here and

you've never had a grace collision with Jesus. You've never

had that encounter with him that that changes you.

You've never had that.

Moment where you've asked him to forgive you of your

sins and trusted him as your savior. You know right now,

in this moment is a perfect time to come to repentance.

Or for salvation. If everybody would staying with me all

over the.

Room, with every head bowed, every eye closed. If you're

here this morning, if you'd say, pastor Steve, I I

got stuff in my life I don't want today, I'm

ready to lay it down today, I'm ready to I'm

ready to break free from those things. Or if you're

here today and you say I've never trusted Jesus as

my savior, but today is that day.

Today is the day.

I want to trust him.

If that's you, I want to. I want to ask

Jesus to be my savior. Or I want to I

want to get rid of the sin in my life.

If that's you, just slip up your hands and ask

me pastor pray for me, pray for me.

I want to. I want to be free from the

things that have me bound.

I want to break addiction out of my life. I

wanna be free from the guilt and the shame that

I carry every single day. You know, there's a couple

of more people gonna wait just a moment, every eye open,

every head looking around. If you raised your hand, I'm

gonna count to three. And when I get to three,

if that's you, if you're ready for your for you

just to to leave here a brand new creation clean.

I'm gonna ask you to step out from where you are,

make your way to the front and find one of

these mighty prayer warriors to pray with, and don't let

shame and you'll hold you anymore, pray free by coming up,

laying it all down in the altar. I'm a count

of three, one two, breathe, step out and move right now,

come on, Pastor clay Let's worship together