Do You Really Need to See to Believe?

I was young and in Ministry and I had just been a part of the

launch of the crossing Macomb up in Macomb, Illinois.

And I was in that season where all the people from the church

would invite the new Young Pastor over to the house and

then they would invite all their friends who didn't know Jesus

over for, like the sneak attack. And I think their Hope was that

they would you know, send me in is like SEAL Team Six and then I

would engage in a conversation and they'd go.

Oh, It's time for me to get baptized, you know that it was

just be this. And one particular night I was

on the back porch of a family's house who was new to the church

and actually kind of new to Faith and they had invited one

of their friends over and he was a Western Illinois, University

professor and he was in his late 40s and I was in my early

twenties and he found out that I was a pastor and he looked at me

like fresh meat. And there's that internal Battle

of like, do we fight? Like, is that what we're going

to do because we could ruin the meal for everybody.

And this is the tone. That the conversation started.

He goes to Europe, pastor. Yeah.

So, you believe in Jesus? Yeah.

So you believe in the Bible? Yeah.

So, you believe in Genesis? Yeah. so, you're telling me that

you believe in a talking snake, your crazy.

You mean to tell me that you actually think that a snake

Talked to a person. Like well I mean it wasn't just

snakes. I mean a donkey did it too.

I mean. So I want to welcome all of you

to all of our different locations.

Those of you watching online, and those of you who are a part

of the crossing inside, and I want to wish a very special,

shout out to all the mothers. All the foster moms, all the

grandma, if you're not clapping, you ain't saved.

We love you moms and we are so thankful for all that you do

that is both seen and unseen on our behalf, may you be honored

and celebrated this weekend by those who love you and are here

because of you. And I also know that there are

some of you who are on the other side of that coin.

You have lost your kids. You can't have kids and I want

you to know that as a church. We are in your corner.

We love you. We see you.

And more importantly than that God sees you and God loves you.

And I know that this weekend could be filled with all kinds

of mixed emotions. And so, can I just give you a

verse for you to cling to as you're going through the

weekend? Psalm 34 Verse 18.

Psalms 34:18

The Lord is close to the broken hearted.

And he saves those who are crushed in spirit Crossing

family. Can we give a big round of

applause to that group of women just to let him know?

We love you? We see you.

And you are not alone. We are in a sermon series called

unexpected and we're looking at the unexpected things that

happened when people encounter Jesus. and I got to be honest

with you, sometimes having faith in Jesus makes you a little

crazy. So people who don't have a

relationship with Jesus, And we've been looking at these

unexpected things, that happens when Jesus steps into the

equation. And we've learned this

unexpected truth, that the currency Of Heaven.

Is faith. Jesus died on a Friday.

On Sunday, he rose from the grave and that day, he appeared

to a bunch of different people. But not to everybody who was

close to him. There was one guy who got left

out. And his name was Thomas.

We find his story at the very end of John chapter 20, this

John 20 · chapter mention

what it says. Now Tomas also known as didymus

One of the 12 was not with the disciples when Jesus came.

So the other disciples told him we have seen the Lord. but he

said to them, unless I see the nail marks in his hands, And put

my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side.

I will not. Believe.

Now Thomas. Gets a bad rap.

And shame on all of us. For calling him doubting Thomas.

Sure, he doubted. Thomas was not some person who

had this unique experience. Everybody was doubting that

Jesus was actually alive, and Thomas is not some weak

marginalized timid, follower of Jesus.

In fact, when he shows up in scripture, he does some pretty

cool things in critical spaces. Let me tell you a little bit

more about Thomas, as it's revealed in the Gospel of John.

Many of you you've heard the story of Lazarus when Jesus

shows up, he shows up late Lazarus is dead.

He's like our I don't worry he's going to come back alive.

His sister's like listen, don't bring him back now because he's

stinks. Bad classic sister?

And Jesus is like nope, he's coming out and Jesus didn't go

there right away and there was a reason why this happened because

the disciples were worried about Jesus, going to the place where

Lazarus was look what it says in John chapter 11 verse 7 through.

John 11:7

He said to his disciples, this is Jesus talking, let us go back

to Judea. This is near the region where

Lazarus was but Rabbi they're talking to Jesus.

Now they said this is the disciples a short while ago the

Jews there tried to Stone you and yet you are going to go

back. So Jesus like, Hey, we're gonna

go back, I'm gonna bring Lazarus, you know, back from the

dead and they're like, listen. If you go back there, they'll

kill you, which is kind of interesting.

Jesus is going to go. Bring a guy who's dead back to

life and they're worried about them Killing Jesus, which

obviously, he has the power to anyhow.

But you're with me. Now, in the midst of all of this

uncertainty, that the disciples have about him going back and

dying. Look what Thomas says.

Thomas or John chapter 11 verse 16 then Thomas known as did he

John 11:16

missed said to the rest of the disciples, let us go also.

That we may die with him. Did he get labeled courageous

Thomas? Know.

This is what he says, Jesus if you're going, and they're going

to throw rocks, those rocks are going to hit me, too.

Come on, fellas. We're dying with Jesus.

But you know what, you want to see Jesus alive and you want to

put your hands where the nails were and all of a sudden, you

get labeled doubting Thomas later on, Jesus is getting ready

to prepare for his departure and he's trying to comfort.

His disciples about his leaving their presence and Thomas shows

up again in this story, John Chapter 14 verse 1 through 7.

John 14:1–7

Here's Jesus talking. Do not let your hearts be

troubled. You believe in God believe.

Also in me my father's house has many rooms if it were not.

So I would have told you or what I have told you that I'm going

there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and

take you to be with me that you also may be where I am, you

know, the way to the place where I am going.

Thomas like no, we don't. We don't know where you're

going. Look, what Thomas says.

Oh Lord, we don't know where you're going.

So how can we know the way it's a good thing?

He asked this question. Because then we get an

incredible description of life with Jesus Christ because then

Jesus answered, I am the way the truth and the life and no one

comes to the father except through me we get the exclusive

claim of Jesus saying the only way to the Father in Heaven is

through me. Good thing Thomas asked the

question so we can get some clarity about by which we find

ourselves on the right side of our sin problem and in the

presence of God. But do we get Theologian, Thomas

know. We get doubting Thomas.

Thomas is just a really good guy with some questions.

He demanded just a little bit more.

Proof. A little bit more data before he

believed. But so did every buddy else,

Perhaps they didn't have as much proof as Thomas did, and they

believed earlier, but his error as the same, their areas, the

same as everybody else is there. They needed to see it to believe

it. Nobody believed that Jesus was

alive until they saw it. You want to know why?

Because, as much as Jesus talked about it, nobody understood it.

Nobody thought that Jesus was going to come back from the

dead. You want to know why?

Because people don't do that as one Pastor said on Easter week

on Easter Sunday, nobody Expected.

Nobody There was nobody in Jerusalem going, he's walking

around here somewhere. Nobody expected, no.

Body. Thomas goes, until I put my

hands in his hands. Tell him I put my hand and his

side and tell I see the wombs. I will not believe.

So guess what Jesus Does? He shows up John chapter 26.

A week later. So this is on Sunday the day.

Jesus rose from the dead, he appears to everybody else but

not to Thomas. Next Sunday night when they're

at the family meal, I guess his disciples were in the house

again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked.

Jesus came. And stood among them.

So you're in the room locked because you're scared.

All in Jesus, somehow passes through the wall.

Which would freak everybody out and his opening line piece.

Be with you. This is the new normal.

Okay, let's keep going. Then he said to Thomas.

Oh, can you imagine being Thomas?

Come here, Thomas. Put your finger here.

See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it

in my side. Stop.

Doubting. And believe.

Thomas said to him, my Lord. And my God.

If you're like me. You might be thinking right now,

must be nice. Thomas wanted to see, and touch

Jesus. So his faith could be

strengthened. I sure could use a little bit of

that. How could how come Thomas gets

it? How come he gets to touch?

Jesus. See Jesus with his own eyes.

And here I am having to do what I got to do.

Just believe. It's a whole lot easier.

To stop doubting and believe when you get to touch the real

Jesus. But Jesus is not done talking to

Thomas. And he's not done talking to

you. Look at the very next.

Verse John chapter 20 verse 29. Then Jesus told him. because you

John 20:29

have seen me, you have believed Blessed.

Are those who have not seen and yet have believed how many of

you at all of our locations have not seen Jesus's resurrected

body with your own eyes? And yet, you still believe that

Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, Jesus calls you

Blessed. Why?

Why am I blessed? Even though I don't see Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11. Verse 1 gives us some insight.

Interesting, use of the word about this.

Now Faith. Is confidence in what we hope

for and Assurance about what we do not see.

Paul is describing what faith looks like, what belief looks

like and it lines up with what Jesus says.

Blessed are those who believe, even though they don't See, and

when you have the kind of faith that is allowed to believe, even

though you don't see, we are blessed because guess what?

God loves, God loves faith. How many of you have ever wanted

to? Please God.

You want to make God smile? You're going to like this sermon

Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6. And with out faith, it is

Hebrews 11:6

impossible. To, please God. because anyone

who comes to him, must believe that he exists, and that he

rewards those who earnestly seek him, Faith is believing even

though I don't see and when I believe even though I don't see

it pleases. God Thomas did not have the same

opportunity to please God, that you and I do, because we believe

even though we have not seen, we are blessed Thomas believed

because he had seen which requires way less faith. than

for those of us to believe even though we don't see and this is

led many people to believe that faith in Jesus is a blind faith.

But I want to talk to you about today is that we don't have a

blind face. We have a reasoned face. this

guy is looking at me and he's saying, you believe, In a

talking snake, you must be crazy my answer.

Yep. But not.

As crazy as you. And I'm going to give you four

reasons why I might be the least crazy person on planet Earth,

and you might be as well, because I believe That Jesus is

the son of God, the savior of the world, and the king of the

universe, and I'm going to give it to you in four ways.

Let's start from scratch. Everybody agrees that the

Universe had a beginning. And if you ask the atheist,

we're not even talking about Jesus yet.

We're just talking about the beginning of the world.

If you talk to the atheist, somebody who doesn't even

believe in God, we're not talking about all the other

gods, somebody who doesn't even believe in God, they will agree

that the Universe had a beginning.

The issue for everybody is what caused the beginning for the

believer in God, they say God caused everything to happen.

The Atheist believes that nothing created everything.

So when I'm sitting across from them and they're calling me

crazy, I just want to make sure we're super stinking clear, you

think nothing made everything and that's your same position.

Then you better call me crazy because I believe that someone

created everything. If we were walking down the

road, and you saw three rocks stacked on top of himself.

You wouldn't go. Wow.

How did they appear? Everybody would look at three

rocks. Stacked on top of each other go.

Somebody was here. But you want to look at the

chromosomes and think that nothing made everything.

Yeah. If that's crazy, I'll take it.

Then here's the next thing for us.

We believe that since the universe had a beginning, God

had to create it. Well how do we make sense of

that Frank Turk? I believe explains it best.

It means that in order for the beginning to have a beginning,

something outside of time, outside of space and outside of

matter, had to be the cause for many people.

The only logical. Reasonable conclusion.

Is that there is only one thing that is outside of time outside

of space and outside of matter. And his name is God.

In order for there to be a beginning, you had to have time

space and matter all come into existence at the exact same

time. Why stay with me here?

Because if you have time and matter but no space, where would

you put the beginning? If you have matter in space but

no time, when would you put the beginning?

And if you have time and space but no matter explain to me,

what? Is beginning, the Bible solves

this quandary in the first 10 words of the book which book

Genesis chapter 1, verse 1. In the beginning God created the

Genesis 1:1

heavens and the Earth. The beginning that's time

Heaven's that space Earth that's matter.

It is a trinity of Trinity's created by the Can I submit to

you? The Trinity because time is

passed present and future space is linked with.

And depth matter, is solid, liquid and gas created by the

Father, the Son, and the spirit, a trinity of Trinity's created

by the Trinity versus your nothing.

Number two. If I was talking to a person who

thought I was crazy, I would say you might like my brand of crazy

because I believe that there has to be a moral law Giver.

Sometimes people will come up and ask me the question you

believe in God. Yep.

If do you believe he's all powerful?

Yep. Do you believe that he's all

love him? Yep.

Then how do you explain all the evil in the world?

Sin But if he's so loving and so powerful, why does he allow all

of this evil in the world? Great question.

Fair question, reasonable question.

The way I would answer that is I would say well if you believe in

evil, do you also believe that there is good?

To which they have to concede. Yeah.

Because how would you know that there is Darkness, if there were

no light, So, there has to be. If you order for you to describe

evil, you have to describe it against something in the absence

of something, which is good if there's good.

There has to be a good. That supersedes us all which

would require a moral law Giver, which is God, whom you seem to

be denying. And if that's the case, if

you're denying the existence of God, then there is no moral law

Giver, which means there is no moral law, which means there is

no good, which means there is no evil.

So what your question, because if the moral law only existed

inside of some of us, then your moral good and my moral good

would be at odds with each other.

If it was done by popular opinion, you'd get communism and

you could ask people in Russia after the first world war or you

can ask the Nazis during the second world war, how their

description of good worked out for the people who didn't

actually agree with him. There has to be something Beyond

us. Something outside of us that

registers in us, that this is good, and this is bad.

We serve a God who gave us his word, which tells us what is

good and tells us what is bad, these two things alone, just

these two things alone, the existence of the universe.

And a moral God, made or a moral law, made me realize that there

is a God. So now we have a god, I've gone

from being an atheist to being. I don't know what theist.

Well, then I had to look at all the different gods.

And Jesus kind of comes to the top.

Because Jesus number three was a real person.

Who did Supernatural things? This is not a faith claim.

This is a historical claim. Jesus was a real historical

person who walked on planet Earth.

There are records about what it is that he did and he is unlike

anybody, the world has ever seen.

Let me just mention three things about him that are different

than everybody else. One Jesus, demonstrated, power

over nature. He turned water into wine and

John Tomb of the miraculous catch of fish.

In Luke 5, the calming of the storm in Matthew chapter 8, the

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew chapter 14, he walked on water,

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

which I hear sick. In Mark, chapter 6, he fed 4,000

Mark 6 · chapter mention

people in Matthew chapter 15, just to name a few, there's been

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

nobody else who's done, anything like that.

He doesn't just have power over the natural world.

He has power to heal disease because he healed the nobleman's

son in John chapter 4, Peter's, mother-in-law's was healed of

John 4 · chapter mention

her fever and Luke chapter 4. He cleansed the leper of his

Luke 4 · chapter mention

leprosy in Matthew healing of the paralyzed.

Made a mark 2 healing of the lame.

At the pool. Bethesda and John 5 healing of

the man. With the withered hand, in Luke

6, healing in the centurions paralyzed servant in Matthew

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8. The woman with the issue of

blood, which, I preached last week, hope you were here.

Mark chapter 5, restoring the site of the two Blind Men in

Mark 5 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 9, healed the death, in the mute man.

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

In Matthew chapter 15 healed. The blind man outside of

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

Bethesda. In Mark chapter 8, the healing

Mark 8 · chapter mention

of the ten lepers in. Luke chapter 17.

Luke 17 · chapter mention

The man born blind in John chapter 9, the woman with the

John 9 · chapter mention

messed up back, which sounds cool in Luke Chapter 13 and the

Luke 13 · chapter mention

severed ear of malchus and Luke chapter 22 just to name a few.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

He is unlike anybody else you've ever seen, but, you know, he

doesn't just have power over nature and power to heal

disease. He has power over the Demonic.

You know, the evil. He the man with the unclean

spirit in the synagogue of Capernaum.

In Mark, chapter 1, the daughter of the sorrow Phoenician woman

Mark 1 · chapter mention

in Matthew chapter 15 and the child after the Transfiguration

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

in Luke chapter 9, just to name a few.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

Let me be clear there has never been nor Will there ever be?

Anyone like him? The Skeptics might say, but

there are lots of founders of religions, but Jesus is

different because he had power. Over nature.

Power over sickness and power over the Demonic and all the

other Founders are d. E, a d did.

Watch if you want to be a Buddhist.

That's cool, but that founder, he died in 843.

What are Sedar Guatemala and he was ashes.

Were he was cremated in his ashes were sent to the different

Kings in India and Sri Lanka. If you want to be a Muslim,

that's cool, their founder dead. And you can go and visit his

grave and madinah Saudi Arabia. If you want to be a Jew, great

Abraham founder of that religion, dead.

You can go to his grave and Ibraham Hebron in the West Bank,

if you want to be a Mormon, cool.

But just so you know that Founders dead and you don't have

to drive that far to get to it because the cemetery The Smith

Family Cemetery is a Nauvoo Illinois, not too far from any

one of our locations. However, if you want to find the

founder of My Religion, you will find No Grave.

In fact, Christians are the only people on planet Earth.

Who fly all the way to Israel to visit two possible, places to

see something. That is not there because he's

not inside either one. Why?

Because unlike the other Founders, he is not d.

E a d. He Is a l.

I v e need to spell and I'm not so amped.

Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?

Now, you might be saying, you might be saying, okay, okay,

okay, okay, but did he really rise from the dead?

Well, let me give you some empirical evidence that might

help you realize that he's unlike anybody that you have

ever seen one. The tomb was, in fact, empty,

Jesus was alive and I'll walk you through it.

Pilate the governor stationed, guards at the request of the

people who had Jesus killed to make sure that nobody stole the

body. The women found the tomb.

Empty went back and reported it as did Peter and John, that is

three eyewitnesses. There were 10 Resurrection,

sightings of Jesus being alive after he was dead.

There was the women returning from the Tomb in, Matthew 28,

Mary Magdalene at the Tomb. In John chapter 20 Clio, puts in

John 20 · chapter mention

another disciple on the road to Emmaus in, Luke chapter 24 10

Luke 24 · chapter mention

April, in the upper room. That didn't include Thomas,

which we've already talked about in John Chapter 20, The 11

John 20 · chapter mention

positive Thomas president in John chapter 20, a little bit

John 20 · chapter mention

later, there were the disciples by the Dead Sea in John.

John 21 · chapter mention

Chapter 21, 500 people are mentioned in First Corinthians

15. James was mentioned in First

Corinthians 15 and the apostles on the Mount of Olives.

Before his Ascension in Acts chapter 1, Hear me, that's a lot

Acts 1 · chapter mention

of people saying, a man who was supposed to be dead walking

around. Not only that the testimony, the

eyewitness testimony of all of these people fundamentally.

Changed an entire religion. Calendar.

And the world. Let me unpack this.

Up to this moment, the people who were following, Jesus were

Jews, not just by nationality, but by religion, and at that

point time, there wasn't a separation.

These Jews who had been following God, worshiped every

single Saturday, the Sabbath. Why?

Because God said in his Ten Commandments, remember the

Sabbath day and keep it, holy God, after he, what did he do?

Created the world. He created for six days and he

rested on the seventh which was the Saturday the Sabbath.

But on the heels of something. That happened on a Sunday.

All of these people stopped showing up for church on

Saturday and started worshiping on Sunday.

Think to yourself, 200 years, into the future in America, what

kind of seismic event would have to happen in America for us to

be celebrating our independence on July 14th?

You spent your entire life? Celebrating our independence on

July 4th. What would have to happen in our

nation in your life for us to shift our entire calendar?

To a completely different day. When these new people who are

following Jesus, who later be called were called Christians.

When they became Christians, they would gather on a Sunday.

And there were two things that they would practice.

One. The Taking of communion.

We're ending. So, They were reminded of a new

covenant. That was purchased.

Through the blood of Jesus Christ on a cross.

And the Fulfillment that their debt had been paid through his

resurrection. The second thing that the church

did when they gathered is they baptized Because as Paul

explains, when you baptize somebody, you are laying them

into a watery grave and you are bringing them back to newness in

Christ, mimicking modeling symbolizing Jesus.

Being laid in the grave and three days later being brought

back which gives us new life. This is not some ancillary claim

to our faith First Corinthians chapter 15 says this.

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.

You are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen

asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life, we have

hope in Christ. We are of all people.

Most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been

raised from the dead. Their Central claim is, if Jesus

is still dead, we are fools. Here to know the impact.

Of Jesus's life and Ministry. Jesus was put to death.

By Jewish oppressors through the hand of Roman soldiers.

That were apart of the Roman. Empire.

And now, if you were to go to Rome, it is the center.

Of the Catholic Church. Jesus Is Life Ministry.

And then the followers who believed in him, transformed the

very nation that killed him. If Jesus is Alive, there are

implications. And means that God is real.

It means the Bible is true. It means I have a creator.

Hell, is hot. Death is not the end you and I

have a sin problem. But Jesus is the solution.

My question to you is, will you be blessed and believe we're

moving to a time of decision? Uh, to those of you that are

here today that have yet to start your relationship with

Jesus Christ. You might be going Clayton,

that's great. I don't know everything that

there is to know and I would just tell you that never, that

never happens. But I'm willing to wager that,

you know enough. And if you would apply the same

logic to Jesus that you apply to other areas of your life, you'd

realize that there's almost something satanic taking place.

I was thinking this week. I have no clue how toilet paper

is made. But I use it.

And I refused to shake hands with people who don't.

I don't have to know how they quilted it.

I don't know the difference between how they make a three

ply four ply, whatever they may. I just know there's a

difference. And I know the life is better

with it than without it. I don't know, hardly anything

about a car. My wife has you know, she's

never looked at me and she said, honey, can you fix this?

I'm not that guy. I'm more like I can't be okay.

Then handy. You get it and I know zero

things zero about a car. I like to talk to the fellas

about, you know, the things inside of cars.

But that's it. I don't know.

Hardly anything about how my vehicle works.

I just know. It beats walking.

I don't have to know everything to recognize the value of

something. And I'm going to wager that you

know, plenty. You know that there is something

inside of you that was designed created for something more.

You hate the idea that you were an accident and your life has

zero, meaning and zero purpose. The Bible says that he turned it

was written in your heart. You know, more than you think

you do. You know, that you have not been

the person that you were created to be.

That you've let people down that you have not measured up.

You know, you've sinned. You know, deep down inside that

you need hope and peace and you can't find it.

You've been chasing things to satisfy the hole in your heart

and yet nothing you do get you there.

You thought you would finally be fulfilled when you found

somebody to marry you but that marriage ended up not being as

fulfilling as you had hoped. You thought that once you held

your kids in your arms, that life would be complete?

And then your kids went through puberty and you're like, I don't

know if I want them. You know, like, I don't know

what I do with that. You thought when you got the

promotion that your life would finally be on easy street, but

that never happened. You thought when you went on the

vacation that your life would be completely fulfilled.

You thought, when you had the house, had the boat had the car.

You just can't fill it. It's almost as if you need

something eternal. You know.

More than you think, you know? And what I can't understand.

Is why you wouldn't ask the question?

That have been holding you back to starting your faith in Jesus.

And the only reasonable answer I can come up with is your either

lazy or its satanic. That Satan doesn't want you to

ask the question. Because he doesn't want you to

have the answer. Because Satan came to steal and

kill and destroy. And so maybe today.

Your step of faith. Is finally asking the questions

that have been rattling around inside of your head for way too

long. Others of you, you've been on

the sidelines for a long time knowing that you needed to place

your life In the Arms of Jesus. But you've been unwilling to do

so and maybe today, while the people around you standing in

some of them come to the steps and pray you'd walk right over

there and say it's time it's time for me to ask my questions.

It's time for me to get baptized.

It's time to confess that Jesus is indeed my lord and savior

because I'm a sinner who needs saved.

To the rest of you. In the room.

Who already have a relationship with Jesus Christ?

I'm going to poke you for a little bit.

If you really believe. That Jesus is the Christ.

The son of the Living God. That God is real.

Jesus is Alive and the Bible is true.

Does your life? Reflect it.

Because Jesus didn't come just to be your savior.

He came to be your king. To rule in your life.

Faith. Is not merely an intellectual

Pursuit. It is not just vocal Allegiance.

It is a life. Marked with surrender and

obedience. Which means?

There are plans and purposes that God has for you.

That you are rebelling from. And that's not how you treat a

savior king, would you stand with me?

Heavenly Father. the only hope that we have, the only hope that

this church has the only hope that this region has is for your

Holy Spirit. To take ground that can only be

taken. By your power.

And your mind. And our lives to be completely

surrendered to your rule and your wisdom.

And God in faith. I'm asking that you would make

it clear. To every person who can hear my

voice. What it is that you want them to

do today? And that you give them the

courage to do it. You remember praying, amen.