"Best Year Yet!"

Thank you for listening to the river.

Bend Church podcast Reverb in church exists to lead all people

to know love and live New Life in Jesus Christ.

We hope that you enjoy this message to get off a teaching

series that I believe can set the stage for the best year yet.

So what I want to do today is invite you to go on a journey

with me, we start out the beginning of the year, right?

I think if you set their trajectory, And we can head in a

direction took to literally live a best version of ourselves to

be that person and become that person, God wants us to be and

experience, ultimately, the power of God in a way that we

have not yet into our lives and so kicking off a new teaching

Series today and it's going to walk us through 21 days of

intentional fasting and prayer. And so we have a mission.

As a church, we want to leave all people all people in our

path. We want to lead people to know

Jesus to love him than to live new.

Life. And so before we jump into this

new year because that's ultimately what we're going to

continue to do. I want to look back on what God

did. Because I'm I got such a big gas

pedal, sometimes that I'm like, alright, that years over.

Boom. Let's go.

And you have you like that? Like, what's next?

Let's go to the next thing. There's a few of you like that

but for me when I slow down a little bit, I started thinking,

man, let's look back on what God already did because the Lord did

some crazy and amazing things part of our mission.

We want people to know they matter.

We literally, we want to reach and empower the Next Generation

to lead. Now, we want to let our

community know that they matter by building a better community

in Jesus name and we saw success and people coming to Christ this

year. And so I want to give you just a

few of the highlights before we dive into the message today.

Things that we saw this past year over both campuses, we saw

36 people go public with their faith.

In baptism this year. Can we give the Lord praise for

that? 36 people said yes to Jesus and

went public with their faith through baptism.

We look back, we kind of track a lot of data, not because we like

to boast about numbers but every every every person that lets us

know they're here, if you're new here and you let it you filled

out that card this morning to let us know.

We ultimately don't just throw that discard that we pray over

that. We reach out will send you a

gift in the mail if you give us information.

But this year when we counted it all up, we had 500 families

between here and Oakwood. 500 families came on This campus for

the first time, and then absolutely crazy.

Many of you been here, some of you came in in the last year,

but those that were here before that we've had a prayer as a

part of our vision to God multiplies.

We begin to pray that multiply. So what we said is instead of us

trying to build out and up here y'all go ahead and fix that so I

won't have to have that thing. Chris you may have to come down

here and fix it but come on down and so we prayed that God would

multiply us as a church and we had no idea that God was going

to do it so quickly but we launched.

Oakwood campus. So can you guys give it up so

loud that Oakwood can hear us this morning.

There and Pastor Michael and the staff that is there absolutely

love what God is doing. And so I just found out a couple

of weeks ago, they just broke 100 people on that campus for

the first time down there to so praise, the Lord for that.

I look back at what God did through your generosity.

Because we are this, this is one of the most generous church.

I say it's the most generous church I've ever been a part of,

and I love that you guys not only a generous with your with

your money. But with your time, you believe

in the mission and you've given, but I look back at like what did

we actually do with some numbers?

And when I, when I tallied up, we looked at what we did through

three days of Hope what we did through project hope this year

and you guys gave above and beyond you gave a hundred

thousand dollars to invest in the community this year, is that

crazy or what? And so the tell you a little bit

about what I mean by commute up what project hope if you don't

not familiar with it we support missionaries we do we are a part

of sociation sure that we give money to but we support 12

missionaries and Community Partners on a monthly basis.

We also give to Gainesville City, Hall County schools and

you guys invested not only money.

Many of you went and served sports teams meals.

Are you? You did you know you took care

of needs that were in those sports teams around the

Community this year so I just want to look back.

That's it. That's a huge Mark of indicating

that you believe in the mission of going out and reaching people

and not only putting your money into it but your feet into it as

well. And so we put a high value on

Next Generation. So I wanted to look back and see

where we were and this one, I literally have like a little

shouting fit in my office. When I ran these numbers, when I

came to RiverBend, almost five years ago on a Sunday morning,

we had for River kids as fifth grade and down we had for this

year in 2022. We saw 146 River kids and 80

students, check in at our Gainesville Campus.

Is that crazy? Julie, Julie, who are river kids

director, Julie, she actually told me that that number is low.

And I said, well, that's okay. I want to be as accurate as I

can't said, numbers low because there's some we didn't include

at Oakwood. Oakwood had really want since we

launched, they've had kids, but they've had 26 kids, checking

our fifth grade and down check in at Oakwood since we launched

in October just a few weeks ago there too as well.

So, Can we just celebrate all the things that God has done?

Love it. And so I'm so blessed to be your

pastor. I'm honored to be a part of the

mission with you in the church and in our community.

But here's what I want to say to you, I love celebrating and I

didn't want to take time to not at least point out a few things

not to boast of it. Just to say like we did see some

success, but here's where I'm going to go.

The best days are ahead. The best days are ahead for you?

Personally, I believe that and I'm going to describe best, you

gotta get to go with you. What is best, what does it mean

that my best days are ahead? We're going to talk about that

in a moment. But here's the thing, the These

are ahead for the church to it was a it was a message that God

put on my heart, on your one, reminding the church, the people

of the church in year 15 years ago, the best days are ahead.

The best days are her head with some of you were there, and you

were crazy enough to believe it and you said, let's do it.

What does it look like? And now we've seen God do

incredible things. And so as we look to the Future

though, I want to press the gas pedal down and say let's go.

God bless, go Reveal Your Kingdom.

And so that's why we're going to seek God with 21 days of fasting

and prayer. And so, when you see this your

will not mine. That's actually our guide

thread. Through fasting and prayer.

And so today, I want to give us a brief overview.

And so what is this season? What is 21 days of prayer?

Why are we doing this? And why?

I'm asking, I'm asking you to consider, like, giving up

something fasting to pray and seek the Lord with us together.

And then, how are we going to do that?

What does it look like tangibly? How do we do that?

But here's the question, I hope that I can kind of grab your

heart with for a minute here. Do you want 20:23 to be your

best year yet? Rhetorically speaking.

Yes, we You Joe? But the bigger question behind

the question is, are you willing to do whatever it takes to see

2023? Be your best year, yet the best

year yet, 2022 was great for a lot of us, but God has more in

2023. You know what, how many of you

would just say? 2022 was a struggle.

Anybody? You just be willing to admit

Oakwood 2022, was it a struggle? When it's God, had more and

better for you in 2023. Do you want more for yourself

and more for your family? Here's what I really believe I

have. I started praying about this

series back in June of this year started praying about God kind

of gave this to me as I was reading through the story that

I'll share a little bit of today and God gave me this and so I

thought I'm supposed to tell you God has more for you.

I think the best days are ahead and it seems counter into the

answer, seems counterintuitive as a.

How do we step into the best days?

Do you know what is not the answer if you want your best

days ahead? Do you know what is not the

answer to go to the gym and eat salad?

You're like praise the Lord. The Pastor said I don't have to

go too. Of I don't have to eat salad.

I didn't say that that may be part of your best days, but that

is not the primary goal. The primary goal is not to get

more sleep. We're not going to do that.

Anyway, right, the primary goal is not to read more books, even

though we should the primary goal is not to be more generous

this year, spend more time with our family and you're like, man,

you just knocked out all my New Year's goals right there.

It's all good. And these can all be a part of

the greater commitment, but can I tell you the greatest

commitment that you and I can make if we want 2023 to be the

best year yet? It's counterintuitive.

Got to go with me. Here it is.

Your will not mine God. Now, this is this, I know this

is crazy because I'm saying that I'm going to have the best year

yet. When I let go, and say, God

whatever you want. But I want to prove to you

scripturally this morning. That, that's how how it works.

It is a powerful truth that can transform your life, your family

this year. And I just believe there's some

dad's in the room and you need it this morning.

There's some teenagers in the house this morning.

Listen, there's some River kids, you know, what can we give it up

for all our River kids who are in there this morning?

So I see a lot of you sitting around this morning.

Awesome. I know it all.

Wait to love, love love. I River kids and we love Miss,

Julie and Miss Abby, and all those that serve in our River

kids areas, but we're glad to have you guys here in the house

this morning with us too and so it can be a life transforming

year, but I want to talk about this, your will not mind.

Do you know where that came from?

It wasn't my idea. So actually statement Jesus made

the night before Jesus went to the Cross.

He actually went out into the garden to pray with his

disciples and he left the disciples and he went a little

further by himself and here's what it says in Matthew. 26.

He went a little further and bowed down with his face to the

ground. Praying, my father.

If it is possible, let this cup of suffering.

Be taken away from me yet and here it is.

I want your will to be done. Not mine.

Never thought about this. Jesus prayed that he would not

have to go to the cross and suffer.

Reconcile? This in your mind from it, you

ever prayed? God, get me.

Well God don't let my family suffer God, heal my kid and it

didn't seem to work out just like you thought.

Here's a great lesson from scripture, Jesus, pray?

That let me sum up his fear, father.

If I don't have to go to the cross and suffer, take it away.

Lord remove the suffering from my life, I don't want to do it.

That was our savior that prayed that prayer but then he followed

it up with a statement but I want your will to be done, not

mine. And in that Jesus shows us here

that it is good. Ask for what we want.

But is also even better to say, Lord, Whatever you want, your

will be done, not mine. You know what?

What is easy and what is best or not often the same things for

us, everybody in the house wants what's easy?

I do that's why we fall away from Christ.

That's when we fall back into our old ways.

You know why easy? I'm here to look at you and say

2023 will be the best year yet. If you're willing to go on a

very hard journey, God has put the fire in somebody's heart.

I know it in some families and, you know, you need to make start

making hard decisions in 2023. I don't want to just Coast

through this year, I don't want to just, you know, gland where I

land this year. I want to go somewhere on

purpose this year and it won't start a week from now it

literally starts today and it's not even having a goal.

First, and foremost is having a mindset of saying.

I know that it's going to be hard.

I'm going to be disciplined, I'm going to choose it and father

I'm going to start with this idea.

Your will not mine. Look what Jesus said, he taught

this. Listen, this is an idea

throughout the teaching of Jesus, but here's what he said,

he was teaching us to pray. He talking to his disciples, and

he says, Father in Heaven. May your name be kept holy, and

here's this idea. Again, may, your kingdom come

soon. And here it is.

They who your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.

There it is again. Father, even in the model,

prayer, Jesus taught us how to pray.

Lord, I'm going to ask you what I want to ask you, and tell you

what I want, but I'm going to first, say, your will be done,

your kingdom come in my life and so not what I want what you

want. And so Riverbend.

Here's the invitation today. I want to invite you on a

journey. This is an introduction to go on

a journey with us. I can tell you that 2023 will be

the best year yet surrendered under the lordship of Jesus.

Literally, your will not mine, we will see the power of God.

We will see Souls saved. We're we have a huge goal for

baptisms this year and we're going to go after it with

everything God. Don't God Alone can say people,

we can't do that, but the gospel still works.

People still need Jesus all around us and so we're going to

go after it. We're going to see lives.

Change and see people know love and live New Life in him.

I think we're going to see some healing and restoration.

There's some marriages and some homes that need restoration.

I'm just asking God to do it. I want to get to be a part of

the story and here when the Lord does it, we will build a better

community in Jesus name our but right here in Oakwood outside

the walls of where you guys live.

Listen, that place is going to be better because the Church of

Jesus is there and, of course, we link arms with every other

Jesus believing Church where all the church but respond, you have

a responsibility to Oakwood to be right who God wants you to be

right there. Listen Gainesville we live all

over the place in this County and outside of this County

outside the walls of our houses, it's going to be better because

we're there are communities will be because literally, Jesus is

represented, is that there? And so we also can become who

were created to be. If we will say your will not my.

Now here it is. The power of your will not mine.

I put this in your notes. If you're actually, how do you

don't have notes this morning? That's weird for me, by the way.

I did, we didn't print notes. I gave her staff off this week

and so you can write this down if you want to 20 III will be my

best year yet. If what I live under the

lordship of Jesus, we could have an imitation and go home right

there. I'm thinking about it because

here's the thing. If we get this one statement

right here, I don't have to preach anymore.

Richard, you don't need a patent that I ended up telling you.

I'm not going to preach what. I'm just said.

If the whole church, if everybody said yes and amen.

Lord, the lordship of Jesus, we all want Jesus, the Savior, but

you gotta say, Lord, listen 2023 for me is about putting Lord.

King. Jesus Christ.

Lord. Jesus Christ.

I love the three. We all talk about.

Oh, I love Jesus. And Jesus loves me.

Yes. But I think we have to learn to

say it is my Lord. Jesus Christ.

Not just Jesus Christ, because that's how he's referred to in

scripture. And if he is your boss and you

refer to him like that. What does that mean though to

live under the lordship of Jesus were here?

It is a really simple way for all the river kids in the house.

You know what it means to call Jesus the Lord?

What does it mean to say? Lord, I give you a really easy

answer. That helps me.

Remember this this it's to say boss like Jesus.

You are the boss. I'm going to come underneath,

you don't work for me, like, I don't come to you in my prayers.

As if you work for me, I come to you as your servant, humbled, to

be able to come into the presence of Almighty to pour out

my heart in my prayers. But also coming, knowing that

you are God, and I'm not that you are the boss and I'm not.

So you'll need to dig down. Listen, you want to dig down on

what its gonna take to have the best year yet?

It's about saying Jesus, you're the boss.

So what does that mean? I keep asking questions to

myself, what does it Make him the boss.

I want to give you at least two things.

I don't think it's limited to this, but to live, underneath

Jesus lordship. It means two things first to

obey his word. We have gotten to a place.

I'm not talking about outside the church.

I mean, in the church, where we don't know what the Bible

actually says anymore. And then, even when we do, we

reckon ourselves out of actually being obedient because we've

been taught that what you feel is, how you should live and

surely God wouldn't let you feel a way about yourself or about

your sin. In about, even if it contradicts

his word, surely God would want you to be happy.

Well, here's the thing to come to him.

As Lord. As to say God, I have sin in my

life. I don't always get it right.

So what I'm going to do, I'm going to take your word and

whatever it says I'm going to say yes to that.

Now is where the rubber meeting the road.

Do you want 2023 to be the best year, yet?

It would have to be the most obedient year you've ever had.

That's the simple answer. Here's the second thing, though,

it's not only obedience to his word and by the way, you have to

know his word. You got to be in the word but

also to submit to the spirit of God, it's not just the word,

it's the spirit word and spirit always go together.

What does it look like to submit to the spirit of God?

Did you know that whenever you surrender your life, to Christ

God, moves into your soul, he literally moves in and makes his

home with you. He puts the spirit seal, over

your life into that point forward.

You have a helper, he's going to help her.

He's called an advocate. You know what Jesus said to his

disciples, he said the spirits actually going to bring the word

back to your mind. So when you fill your heart with

the word and you're like, man, I don't even get it because some

days, I read the Bible and I don't even feel like I get

anything. Here's the deal.

Submission to the spirit means that spirit will bring that word

that's been implanted back at just the right time, but not

just Miracle. Submission to the spirit doesn't

just mean like Lord do Miracles through me or in me, submission

means there is a guide that's inside you.

It's bigger than just a conscience because you train

yourself to listen and submit to the spirit, you will find the

power of God flowing through your life.

Now, let me give you another question because I was full of

questions as I set the series up.

Why should you submit to Jesus as boss of your life?

Why should you why would we say? God not what I want but what you

want I want to give you 4 real 44 wise of your will not mind.

And here's the first one. God always loves me

unconditionally nobody else in this life does.

As much as we want to love our kids, unconditionally we do as

much as humans can love our kids unconditionally, but don't we

all have fall times where we have to apologize, even to our

kids. Even our spouse.

I mean I know you love her and you love him unconditionally but

don't aren't there times that we have to apologize.

Some of you like woo. Yeah, every day.

Well maybe you need to right now at the altar call this morning,

maybe that's why God called you to get it right January 1, baby.

Here we go. God always loves me

unconditionally, we know verses like this, John 3:16 God.

John 3:16

So loved the world, he gave his only son, he didn't just give

his son to come live. A fluffy life, he gave his son

to go to a cross for you and that's Ice.

That's love. But this word love Agape.

Love in the Greek word. It's an unconditional love of

choice. Even when I don't feel it, I

choose it. But God actually chose to feel

love for you and he loves you. It's crazy.

Here's what Paul said about this love, maybe sums it up as good

as anyone else in Romans. He said, I'm convinced that

nothing can separate us say this nothing.

Say it With Me, Ghetto. Quit nothing.

Nothing can separate you from God's love even when you come to

Christ, and then Fall back into your addiction.

God does not stop loving you. Even when you completely blown

it in your life the enemy will come and say God doesn't love

you anymore. That doesn't mean there's not

consequences there is nothing either scriptures Ally or it's

not and if it's true he says there is nothing that's going to

separate you from the love of God.

Now here's, here's the truth. Your sin can separate you from

the daily fellowship with God, but nothing can separate you

from the love of God, he will take you back a hundred million

times in this life. He will say, yes, I will take

you back, I forgive you. You because of the Cross.

But he says nothing separates us.

Neither life nor death nor life, neither, Angels or demons.

Neither our fears about today, nor our worries about tomorrow,

not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below.

Indeed. Nothing in all creation, will

ever be able to separate us from the love of God.

That is revealed in Christ Jesus.

What? Our Lord.

See, I love it. You start reading the Bible many

times when Paul was writing the older he got the more he started

including Lord, Jesus Christ in his statements, he started to

understand, I think more and more.

It's a lord, Jesus Christ. Lord, Jesus Christ, God doesn't

change his mind church. Now, once you believe that, God

loves you, because a lot of us, maybe you need to wrestle that

to the ground. But once you believe that there

is another why that we should say, you will not mind.

And here it is. The second reason is this, God

always knows. What's best for me?

The past few years for me, since 2020 has proven one thing, we do

not know what's going to happen tomorrow.

I can't tell you in my family, in our, in our community, in our

world, in our country, what's going to happen tomorrow?

I don't know anymore. And I mean, we shouldn't plan

and set goals and, you know, pray and dream.

We should, we must do all those things, we must have Vision, but

here's the thing, we always have to tag this tag line on it.

God, if it's your will, we're going to do something or

another. That's what James said because

why God knows what's best. He always has planned from the

beginning. A, he's always had a plan for us

the best. Or our lives and Ephesians

proves it. Here's what it says.

We are God's Masterpiece. He created us Anew in Christ.

Jesus why? So we can do the good things he

planned for us long ago. How could God plan good things

for you long ago because he knew what was going to be best.

For you long ago, he knew what was going to be good for you and

bless you. So he planned it before you were

you and I were even a thought on the earth, God already knew our

purpose. Now ultimately we can Buck

against his purpose for our life and caused a lot more pain in

our lives or we can Damn it, to his purpose coming.

Your will not mine Lord, I believe that you know what's

best, this will change. How we're going to pray through

21 days of prayer to come to God and say, God I want to pray.

What's on my heart? He welcomes that, but also

Father, I want to pray that your will be done.

You know why he knows what's best?

And I don't even know. What's best for me now?

This third one is probably the hardest one, because if you can

understand, okay, God loves me unconditionally.

Whoo God is God. And therefore, he knows what's

best for me and even when I don't know what to do, the third

one is the hardest one for me as your pastor though.

This is the one I'm going to have to wrestle down.

I get it theologically I can unpack it scripturally for you

as the wind true, but it's just heart and mind aligning with

this. But the third reason that we

should align ourselves. God always does.

What's best for me. That was stings a little bit

more done. You know why?

Because I still get sick. Sometimes I still watch people

that I love in the church, suffer with cancer.

Even when we pray, they wouldn't, I watch marriages

split up. Even after we did everything we

could and, you know, and it didn't work out, that believe

me. We've seen many miracles, we've

seen God do all the good things. There's still so much suffering

and pain in this world. And the question is well, why

like if God always does? What's best why?

I don't know the full answer that.

I don't think anybody can give you an answer.

Sometimes I just had to say, I don't know, but I love you.

And I'm here with you through it and that's what people done for

me. Here's what I do know.

God never waste any pain though. When doing what is best for you

hurt, you or seems to hurt you, you have a God that loves you.

Remember, unconditional love? So he would never do anything to

harm. You, he knows what's best.

He's always doing. What's best for his people.

And he never wastes pain even if that does bring pain in life,

now I'm going to give you a thought that maybe you've never

had before think back to the cross.

The night before Jesus went across what did he pray father

take the pain away and then what did God do send him to the

cross? That kind of messes with our

theology a little bit, doesn't it?

Especially that easy believe ISM that you'll just follow Jesus,

all your prayers will be answered.

You wanted to suffer anymore. You know what you need to do?

Find you a senior st. Somebody one of our Legacy

members been following Jesus a long time, ask them how

suffering in the love of God has played out in their life because

what they'll tell you is there's been a lot of suffering, but my

God has been there with me through all of the praise, the

Lord and one day the suffering is going to end.

Praise the Lord because I'm going to be with him and all

sickness will be annihilated and can't.

Will be gone, in tears, will be wiped from my eyes that day is

coming. But Jesus pray father stop the

pain if there's another way for salvation to come stop the pain.

I don't want to have to go to the Cross but nevertheless I

want your will to be done? Not mine.

See pain was actually best for Jesus.

You know why? Cuz that's why he came that was

his purpose. But not only was it best for

him. That pain wasn't wasted.

That pain was the plan to bring us into salvation.

Sometimes your pain is not just for you, it's to help heal

someone else. This is where trust is required.

Paul said this and I love this verse and I struggle with this

versus the both and look at it, Romans 8:28, we know that God

Romans 8:28

causes everything to work together.

Everything say that everything everything to work together for

the good of those who love God and are called according to his

purpose. That's a struggle versed in it.

He's working everything. Even the painful things.

He's working them together for our good.

Think about it. There were many prayers that

Jesus did pray and they got answered.

He brought At people back to life, he provided needs.

He provided a meal for thousands of people at one time.

But then, there was a prayer that he prayed, and God did not

answer it, like he originally prayed it Lord, take the pain

away, if there's any way, but God didn't.

See, here's the thing with the Miracles.

We have to accept the pain because that's God's plan to So

then does this make us robots if God loves us and he knows what's

best and he does. What's best are we just robots

then? No I want to give you a reality.

That we can't lose sight of this morning because if so we lose

sight of this than 21 days of prayer would just be why do it.

Here's the fourth one in the last one.

God always wants me to tell him what I want.

Prayer matters. God always wants you and I to

tell him what we want, the Apostle Paul said this in

Philippians, you should tell God what you need and thank him for

all. He's done.

Hebrews says this come boldly before, the throne of grace, to

find Grace, in your time of need to find help in your time of

need. So here's the thing.

Just because God knows best and he's going to do.

What's best that doesn't mean that.

He doesn't want to give us good things.

Where his children, how many times have we prayed?

And God did answer our prayers? How many times did he protect?

How many times did he bring healing?

We forget about that though because we get hung up sometimes

on the pain. But so often we pray exactly

what God knows is best for us. Here's why it's so important to

pray. Prayer is about heart alignment.

Tell God what you need, tell God what you need, tell him, what's

on your heart, let him have it over time though.

If you keep praying, what the Lord will do, is, he'll begin to

align your heart with his heart and then your prayers will

become powerful as you begin to pray.

The will of God, listen. There is no prayer in the will

of God. You will pray that he won't

answer. Think about that.

For a moment. If we as a church in 2023 will

learn how to pray. The will of God.

God, your will be done. Lord, show me how to pray your

will. We will literally walk in

Miracles and walk in anointing and walk and Power.

That's what I'm praying for the church.

This year. Listen, just I just for me, I

need it. Like I said, I'm still wrestling

to the ground. Some of this truth that I've

unpacked from scripture this morning, but I'm gonna tell you

this, I'm with you on this journey, I'm gonna believe it

for you. I won't pray it over you, these

21 days when we start next weekend fasting.

And praying, I'm really praying for the church.

Like, I haven't in a long time. It's many of you by name as I

can. I keep a journal and I'm just

going to pray, and I'm gonna look for God to answer those

prayers Lord. Teach me to pray.

Your will over your people so that I can go.

Yes, look look. What my God is doing in the life

of his church. I want it.

Not only do we learn a little bit from scripts for ball about

tell God what you need. Thanks for what he's done.

James says this, sometimes you don't have things just because

you haven't prayed about it. I wonder how many people prayer

fell away this year and this year will not mind is going to

be God, calling you back to prayer, calling you back to

communion with God Mervyn. I'm inviting you into a journey,

Oakwood here in Gainesville those online that are watching,

maybe you're not here this morning, but you're planning on

jumping back in next week. Listen, I'm inviting you on a

journey and 2023 but it starts today a journey to say this God,

your will not mine. So how are we going to begin

this year? How are we going to learn to

say, your will not mind well, 21 days of intentional prayer.

Do you know what's going to happen as we pray and we fast?

If you'll take this journey, first, God is going to break

down our pride and you're like, ooh, I didn't see that coming.

The Lord's going to have to deal with are proud.

If we really want to align our hearts with his heart, but also

he's going to break some addictions.

There's some folks in the house this morning both here and it

awkward, there's some people in the house in, you're good

people, you trying to follow Jesus but addiction has slipped

back into your life behind the scenes or maybe it slipped back

over that spouse or that kid. That's not here with you anymore

because right now they kind of falling away.

Listen, during this time, what if we saw the Lord break

addiction, bring people back to Christ breaking strongholds.

What if we saw mental health? There's so many mental health

battles and I believe we can get help but there's a certain

amount of mental health that has to come from the spirit of God

in the word of God working in. In US.

Breakthroughs of reset. And re-centering our lives

breakthroughs of knowing god, more breakthroughs of healing

and restoration, breakthroughs of anointing of the Holy Spirit

people knowing that I'm living in the power of the spirit.

Listen, we have a vision to see. 200 people baptized this year,

we're going after it. Listen, I put a number out there

because the Lord just really spoke to me back last summer

when I was praying through it going in the name was an

18-month deal. We're probably 20 people into

that right now, both here, between here and Oakwood and so

we're praying this year, God, we were See that many people say

yes to you. We got some things we're gonna

do to go after. But I'm inviting you into this

21 days of fasting and prayer, and I'm going to come back on

the back side and just a moment, take a little bit more about it,

but let me give you this before we move into this time of

decision, here's what fasting is fasting.

Is when you give up something physically in order to see God

now, biblically, most of the time it was food, people would

either change their diet, or they would give up food

altogether for, for determine season just to pray.

Ray so that every time I hunger pain, hits your body or every

time, you know, there's such thing as the Daniel Fast.

We talked about a minute where you do a specific food diet and

it's not just a diet to lose weight.

It's a diet to say God I'm going to give up some things that I

enjoy. I'm going to give up so that I

can seek you more. It's crazy when you make that

room in that space of your life by fasting, God fills it with

the spirit in his presence. Here's the purpose of fasting.

The simple person purpose of fasting and not to get what we

want. Even though there's often

powerful Sensor during fasting, the purpose of fasting is this,

I'm going to know God more than I ever have before we'll come

out of the backside of 21 days and yes, we're going to see

Miracles. I believe it.

Yes. We're going to see salvations.

We're going to say healings, but here's what I think, we're going

to see even more every person who says, yes to this journey,

you're going to know God more than you did before.

Here's the deal 20:23. Do you want it to be your best

year yet? Do you want it?

You gotta want it. There's any inspiration in your

heart to go? Yes.

Joe, I'm with you. Then you're going to have to

Think about what your commitment will be.

Because here's the truth 20:23 will be the best year yet.

If I live it under the lordship of Jesus Christ, will you bow

with me all over the room this morning?

Listen, Pastor, Michael is going to lead you in a song at Oakwood

and just a moment. Andrew is going to lead us here

but here's what I want you to consider church this morning.

Are you willing to say, I want 2023 to be my best year yet and

if you're willing to say that and here's what I want you to

do, you don't have to come forward if you want to come,

pray this morning. We welcome you here and Adele

quick come on down. But I really want you to reflect

this morning. Am I ready to make Jesus the

Lord over 2023? And maybe you're sitting here

going Joe, I've never made Jesus the Lord to begin with, what a

great day to do it. The first day of the new year,

if you're ready to make Jesus Lord here in at Oakwood.

All you got to do is say Jesus, I believe you.

I'm ready to surrender my life to you as my boss.

Save Me Lord and as you cry out from your heart to him.

Listen, he receives you. And this year you're going to go

on a journey as a child of God for the first time.

But still there's a decision to be made right now.

For all of us across the house. All of us at Oakwood.

Will I really say your will not mine?

Can we take a moment and worship and reflect on this thought,

Lord Jesus. I pray that your spirit even now

Lord would flood our souls and our hearts God that you would

give us the strength this morning to believe that this is

our best yet. But also to take action and say

father your will not mine, help us in Jesus.

Name. Thank you for listening to the

river. Bend Church podcast.

Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect you

can head over to our website Riverbend Church dot lie.