Growing In Faith and Love | Week 2

It's good to see everyone this morning.

I want to Echo everything. Kyle is said and just welcome

you to New Life Community Church.

We're glad that you're here. It's good to be able to gather

together and yes, in spite of all the sickness, it's good to

be together today. It's good to do this.

Our Sunday Gathering is absolutely essential each week.

In my opinion, I think it is a beautiful thing and we're going

to talk about that today. That is part of what we'll be

discussing. So before we get started I'll

just introduce myself or anybody that's visiting.

My name is Jasper. I'm the executive Pastor here.

Kyle is our lead pastor and over the last two weeks I've been

doing a little mini series on growing in faith and love.

And so this is a little mini series that was born out of a

need to think about the upcoming year.

Look back at the past year and just re-evaluate our mission or

purpose as a church and as a people.

And so to give you a brief recap of what we discussed last week,

we talked about the man's Chief, end in life, the purpose of man

is to glorify God in all that we do and every corner of our

Lives. The way, we conduct our marriage

and treat our spouse, the way, we raise our children, the way

we work at our jobs, the way we eat and drink.

Everything we do is to glorify God.

And so we said that at New Life Community Church, we do this, we

try to live this out through our mission statement.

Our mission statement is painted on the wall in the lobby.

You see it? When you walk in the doors, our

mission statement says this. If you're taking notes in your

bulletin, it's all there. So you can fill this out.

I left this in there again this week because I want you guys to

learn this and know it by heart. We exist to glorify God by

making Disciples who grow in their faith in Jesus and their

love toward one another. So, we exist as a church to

glorify God, we do that by making disciples again not

Disciples of Jasper or Kyle or anybody else but disciples, who

are growing in their faith in Jesus and growing in their love

toward one another. So we then determined based on

that that to be able to do these things to be able to grow in our

faith and to be able to grow in our love.

That there are certain ways we can do this, and we need to be

focused on this, especially again, as we look back on the

past year, we think about ways to improve and we come up with

all these resolutions about losing weight and all these

things. But it's more important to be

focused on the spiritual right. Not to be focused on Earthly

things. And so we determine that to be

growing in our faith. We have to start incorporating

what are called spiritual disciplines.

Now, this is nothing new. This is been talked about many

times before many Have been written on these things, but the

spiritual disciplines or the means of Grace are different

ways that God pours out his grace in our lives, they're

called disciplines because they take that, they take discipline,

it takes commitment. It takes determination to do

these things. They don't just come naturally.

So, we have to work at this, but we talked about to grow in our

faith. The spiritual disciplines of

Bible study and prayer. These are two primary ways we

can be Growing in our faith, we can be in the word of God and we

can be talking to God through prayer.

Now of course there are various ways these things live out in

our lives. So you know, the word is one of

the ways we grow in our faith. But that doesn't just have to be

at home, by herself, studying the Bible, we get into the word

and here we're doing it right now.

We can get into the word through podcasts and all kinds of

different ways. So there's all sorts of little

ways to do this, but the word and prayer are two of the

primary ways we grow in our faith.

So, today, we are going to talk about how can we grow in our

love? How can we grow and love toward

one another? So again, if you're taking

notes, we're going to have all this in there.

You can write down stuff. Fill in the blanks as we go.

But today, I want to present to you this idea that the primary

way that we grow in our love toward one another There is

through Fellowship, okay? It's through Fellowship.

That is the primary way that we grow in our love toward one

another. If you have your Bibles open to

the book of Acts chapter 2, we're going to be starting at

Acts 2 · chapter mention

verse 42 and going through about verse 47.

So Acts 2:42. Let's start there and read that

Acts 2:42

together. Now they devoted themselves to

the apostles teaching, And the fellowship to the breaking of

bread and the prayers. I just want to stop right there

for just a second, notice, what the first New Testament Church

devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, which would

have been the word and to the fellowship and to Breaking of

bread. And to the prayers, the word

prayer, fellowship and breaking bread together.

This is what they devoted themselves to this.

What they committed themselves to, let's keep going and all

came upon every soul and Many Wonders and signs were being

done through the apostles and all who believed were together

and had all things in common and they were selling their

possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all

as any had need and day by day attending the temple together

and breaking bread in their homes.

They receive their food with glad and generous hearts.

Praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord

added to their number day by day.

Those who were being saved. Amen.

Let's pray really quick Father, we thank you for the ability to

gather together today. We thank you for the privilege

and the freedom to be here in your house.

We thank you for your word. We thank you for prayer and we

thank you that we can Fellowship.

God, we pray that as we talk through these things today, that

you just speak to us that you open our minds and our hearts to

these ideas. We pray that your glorified and

magnified in this place today. In Jesus name, amen.

Enso reading through Acts 2:42 through 47, this is such a

Acts 2:42–47

beautiful picture of what the church is and what the church

was meant to be. It is an absolutely beautiful

thing to read through. These verses Fellowship has

always been a vital element in the life of the church.

It is always been at the very core of who people are.

It's been a common thing of the church.

Since the beginning, it certainly was for these first

churches in the New Testament. It is what made them who they

were, but it wasn't just any kind of Fellowship.

It wasn't just any kind of community.

They weren't just a group of people who shared common

interests and hobbies that got together once a week.

They were a people bound together by Jesus Christ.

That was the tie that binds. That was the common denominator.

Manator was Jesus and the gospel.

That is what brings a church together.

That's what makes a church a church.

Many of your Bibles above. This passage might have the

title. The Fellowship of Believers.

That's what they were was Believers.

It's not just the fellowship. It's the fellowship of Believers

and so that is what United them, it was Jesus Christ.

It was his gospel. It was his kingdom.

It was his mission. That's what made them a people

United. And together, you take that

away, you take the Jesus out of the church and it is no longer a

church. It's just a social group.

And so for these people the mission of Christ proclaiming

Christ. It was at the very core of who

they were and what they were trying to do, it's what brought

them together. There's a Greek word for this

Kyle's used it in a lot of his sermons.

I know I've used it before it's called Koinonia.

This is a Greek word that means a group or a community of people

that share something much deeper than just superficial Earthly

interests, David Mathes in his book habits of Grace.

I quoted from this book last week, I'll be quoting from it

again today, it's a great book. Encourage you to pick it up and

add it to your reading list for this year.

But he says this about this type of Fellowship.

It is an all in life or death Collective Venture in the face

of great evil and overwhelming opposition.

True Fellowship is less like friends gather together to watch

the Super Bowl with drinks and pizza and more like the soldiers

storming, the beaches of Normandy side-by-side, ready to

lay down life and limb for a common Mission.

And for one another if necessary, So this was a much

deeper Fellowship than just common interests.

This was a Devotion to a life mission that they were willing

to die for if it came to that and that is what brought them

together and United them. They especially these New

Testament. Church has almost certainly

we're going to face persecution, they could lose their life to

become a Christian joining, joining a church back then

wasn't as easy as it is. Now, especially in our area, we

just take your pick. You couldn't just throw a rock

and hit a church, that was a big deal back.

Then a lot of them were doing home churches.

They were in hiding and so this meant a lot.

If you were going to join the fellowship of Believers, you

better be committed. You better be serious about it.

So they were known for this kind of deep fellowship and this is

this Fellowship, this love for one, another was and still is

one of the chief means of grace and the life of a Believer.

This is one of the primary ways that God pours out his grace in

your life and in my life and in the life of these Believers.

So what does that look like for us today?

If that's we're talking about this New Testament Church?

Church. What does that look like for us?

I have 33 points. I want to make today biblical

Fellowship not just any friendship Fellowship biblical

Fellowship is three different things and number one, it is

rooted in Christ. If you're taking notes, this is

interval at the biblical. Fellowship is rooted in Christ

again, that is the Tie that binds, it has to be founded on

Christ and his kingdom and his gospel.

Just like the first churches of the New Testament.

Our common identity is in Christ.

Also, that is what unites us as a church.

It's the love of God, that enables us to love one another

because he forgave us. We can now forgive one another,

our fellowship. Our love for one another is just

that it is an outpouring. It is a fruit of our love for

the Lord and his love for us. Us.

You see the the Trinity that's always existed.

This love between the father and the son overflowed into a love

for mankind. And now when we experience

fellowship with God that love overflows and to a love for

other people, it has to if it doesn't, it's not a true love.

And so it's because we've been made new in Christ that we love

one. Another that we can love one

another, it's impossible to do apart from that.

He gives us a new heart and new affections that go beyond our

own interests. So as Kyle mentioned in his

sermon, a couple of weeks ago, Grace is the foundation and the

fuel and our relationship with God.

It is also the foundation and the fuel and our relationship

For one another. It's the grace of God.

That is the foundation for this. If it weren't for the grace of

God, this wouldn't be happening. And it is only the grace of God

that allows this to continue to work somehow.

I mean, put all these people in a room together in any other

context and it's just going to be a mess, right?

And so it's the grace of God that makes this function somehow

some way. So we are now one family with

God as the father, or the head of that family.

According to Ephesians 3:15, we are now many parts of the same

Ephesians 3:15

body bound together by the Holy Spirit according to Ephesians

Ephesians 4:4

4:4 36. So we have to establish right

out of the gate that it is, our identity in Christ that unifies

us and unites us. So biblical Fellowship is rooted

in Christ. That was Point.

Number one point, A to biblical Fellowship is Covenant alone.

It's Covenant Ali. Again, Mathis says this the

deepest most durable form of Fellowship.

Not just any kind of friendship in any kind of Fellowship

relationship that deepest most durable form of it is Covenant,

'l. It's between two parties that

have made formal commitments to each other.

Anybody think of an example of this, where two parties make a

formal commitment to each other and put it on paper, it's a

marriage, right? Those are the deepest forms of

Fellowship that is the deepest form of commitment to one

another. He goes on to say this, when our

fellowship is not simply a network of loose Christian

relationships, but it is anchored and a particular

Covenant Community has committed members together and a local

Outpost of Christ's Kingdom. We come the closest to

experiencing what those first Christians did, when people

didn't just drift in and out of the community, but they were

either in or out. And those who were in pledged to

be the church for each other, through thick and thin, this is

how we are called to love one another.

This is the type of Fellowship. We are called to it's just like

a marriage. We should be willing to lay down

our own wants and our own interests for the greater good

of our brother or sister in Christ.

We should lay down our Comforts and our conveniences for one

another. When it comes to that Jesus

modeled this for us perfectly in John 13 when he washed the

disciples feet after he finishes doing that.

He says this to them a new commandment.

I give to you that you love one. Another just as I have loved you

you are to love one another and by this all people will know

that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another

So this Fellowship this love for one another that transcends our

own interests that is that deep Koinonia Fellowship.

This is how the world will know. We are Disciples of Christ and

we cannot be disciples apart from that kind of love and

fellowship to one another. It's what sets us apart from the

rest of the world So that being the case you cannot say that you

love God but hate your brother. First John 4:20 says so the

1 John 4:20

church is the bride of Christ. The church is what he gave his

life for And so you cannot say, you love Jesus, but you hate his

bride. I've made this point and other

sermons and I've used this same example, but I'm going to use it

against its really good. Maybe it's been a year or two

since I used it, but we went to a conference something.

And in Nashville with Alan several years ago, and got to

hear a guy named Jim Putman speak and he used this example.

So this is this is his example. He said, what would you think if

I got invited to go out to dinner?

With a couple and let's say they call me up and they say, you

know, hey I want to take you out to dinner.

We want to treat you guys to really fancy supper.

We're going to go to a really nice restaurant.

It's all on us. We'll come pick you up and

everything and we're excited about this, but we'd be okay.

Of just you came and you didn't bring Sherry like, we really

like you but she's a little weird and so we don't want her

to come, but that be okay with you.

Like that's not going to go. So that's not gonna go over

really well with me, right? We all understand that.

That as a married couple, if you want me you get her to.

We Are One flesh and so it does not work that way.

You don't get to have me apart from her likewise, we don't get

to divorce. Jesus from his bride, we don't

get to say, I love God, I love God.

I don't have no problem with the Lord.

But I can't stand people especially church people, you

don't get to do that. He gave his life for those

people. So here's the thing.

We all know that is the number one reason that people don't

come to church, right? That's the number one, excuse.

The people, right? Full of Hypocrites.

Well we're all Hypocrites. The thing is this isn't easy.

This type of love is not easy. It's not self-serving.

It is hard. It is very difficult.

Yes. If you hang around, any person

long enough, you're going to get upset and they're going to hurt

your feeling. Something's going to go wrong.

I don't care how good to people get along.

I don't care who they are. You put you put to Patricia's in

a room together. They're eventually going to have

an argument over something. Patricia is the nicest person

I've ever met in my life but we're humans.

We're sinners. We're going to let each other

down at some point, but that's the difference that's what makes

us. That Koinonia Fellowship is

that, we learn to work past that because it's not about me, it's

about Jesus. Amen.

And so we learn to Rise Above All That above my own interests,

we hold one another accountable. We call one another out, when

we're being a jerk and then we very humbly repent and apologize

when necessary. So we live in a world where

you're saying, I'm sorry, Will you forgive me is such a foreign

idea. It is painful to even say the

words I've experienced this and Kyle and I have gone through

this, there have been times where he has apologized for

something and my uncomfortable responses, it's all good.

He's like, no, I need to hear you say you forgive me and that

is such a weird thing to do to have.

That is so awkward at times, but it is so necessary to do that.

To not just try to brush it off. Oh, you're all good.

No, it's not. You're going to hang on to that

for months if you don't handle this now.

So we have to be a people known for that kind of love.

I'm sorry to chase the rabbit, but if we will lean into this,

if we will be this kind of community and do the hard

things, it can be a beautiful thing.

Just like what we read in the book of Acts, where they are

putting others needs and desires above their own and they love

one, another truly and deeply The fellowship, maybe the often

forgotten middle child of the spiritual disciplines, but she

may save your life in the dark night of your soul.

According to Malthus, in his book and I couldn't agree more.

It is in those times that the Fellowship of the church Rises

up to meet your needs. How?

I mean, I could tell you countless stories of people in

this church, myself included, that I don't know where we'd be

without one another that people. The rising up to meet the needs

of others to step up when you need someone that is what makes

us the church that common love for Christ and that love for one

another. That is so deep.

So Galatians 6:10 says this. So then as we have opportunity,

Galatians 6:10

let us do good to everyone especially those in the

household of faith. And so we are to be doing this

weird to be doing good for all people but especially our

Brothers and Sisters in Christ. So again, Point number one was

that biblical Fellowship is rooted in Christ Point.

Number two, is that biblical Fellowship is Covenant.

It is, it is deeper than just friendships.

We take an oath when we join this church to stand beside one,

another through thick and thin and that's what this is point.

Number three, Biblical Fellowship is missional.

It's a missional. So if we do this, if we lean

into this and we try to be this kind of church in this kind of

people in this kind of Fellowship, it is going to be

contagious. It cannot help but be That

Koinonia love that we've been talking about will be noticeable

to the world and to those around us Acts 2 and verse 47.

The last part of verse 47 said, the Lord added to their number

day by day. Those who were being saved, you

see this this type of commitment to one.

Another is what all people hunger for we all.

Want it so deeply. It's the way Human Relationships

were supposed to be. But the world and sin has broken

that and it becomes this Twisted nasty version of what it was

meant to be but we all want it so bad that when we see it

happening. We notice it.

And we know something's different about that.

And so this kind of love if we can do this.

As a church will have a huge impact on the community around

us and the people in our lives. They can't help but be drawn to

that. Again, it is, it's a love that,

that overflows. It just spills out onto the

world around you, that's the natural fruit.

And byproduct of this kind of love a great example of this.

This type of love and desire to want to reach others.

Paul in the Book of Romans and chapter 9 says this, he wrote

that, he would gladly become a cursed for the sake of his

Kinsmen, for his, for the Jews, to Believe In Christ.

He would gladly Become a cursed, he would rather give up his

salvation and spend eternity in hell if it meant they would

believe. That's the kind of that deep.

Koinonia love you have for a people that you want them to

know. Jesus, so bad and that's the

kind of love. We are supposed to have here

that pours out that's missional. That's not just in word Focus,

but it's always looking out to others.

We must never forget that. We have a mission, right?

Remember, our purpose and our mission is to glorify God.

And how do we do that? We do that by making disciples,

that's why we're here. That's the Great Commission that

we were given by Jesus himself is To Go Make Disciples, teach

them, train them passed down the things you've been taught.

That's why we're here. We're here to spread the gospel.

We're here to love God and love one another, as best we can.

And then we're here to spread the gospel and to tell people

about Christ. So this means that that as we

fellowship with one another, that we need to be constantly

looking and inviting and sharing the gospel, we need to make room

for the outsider. We need to make room on Sunday

mornings in this place, I don't think you guys are Are bad about

this but you've all heard the story of you, go into a church

and sit down and the person walks up and you're in my seat,

you're in my spot. Like we don't want to be that

kind of church. Make room for the outsider in

here. We got is, we shouldn't even

really need a greeter team here at this church.

It should be the kind of place that if somebody walks in.

That's a new everybody just descends on him like, Hey man,

introduce yourself. Who are you?

Let me get to know you. Thanks for coming.

I know that can be intimidating, but We need to Value when people

decide to come visit here. We need to reach out to them.

We need to be welcoming. We need to let them know that

we're glad they're here. We need to also make room in our

home groups for this. Our home groups, don't need to

become just closed off clicks where we don't want anyone else

to come into that. And I don't want my home group,

getting messed up and shaken up. No, I like it just the way it

is. No.

The whole purpose is that it will grow, that more people

would want to come and learn about Jesus and grow in their

faith and and maybe just, maybe God will bless it in a way that

we're overflowing. This house is too small.

We need a bigger spot and when that happens, guess what we do?

We branch and we go start another one over here and then

we go start another one over here.

We do that, to make room for more people to be a part of this

Fellowship in this community. It's not meant to be closed off

and just for us, We want to make room for the for the outsider.

And then again, you also want to make room in your own life, and

in your home, Make room make time for that co-worker or that

family member may be. That you need to have a hard

conversation with invite people over for dinner.

Be hospitable invite people into your home, make room in your

life, for the outsider, spend time with them, talk to them

about the gospel. So again, biblical Fellowship

true. Biblical Fellowship will be

Mission. It will have the outsider in

mind. It will have making disciples a

core part of it. And so again, just to recap some

of these things we need to know. We need to understand that our

coming together as a church that our fellowship is rooted in

Christ. That is the common denominator.

That's what brings us together without Christ.

We are nothing. We are not a church.

We also need to understand that this is a covenant allow thing

that we've entered into an agreement with one another that

we're devoted to one another as a church.

And we need to understand that it doesn't just End there, that

we need to be looking outward. We need to be seeking to make

disciples and see new people come to Salvation and Christ

always, that is the kind of church and fellowship.

We need to be at New Life Community Church.

That is my hope and prayer for all of us.

Now, for those of us here that our church members, that are

Christians that are believers, that are hearing these things

and agreeing, like, how do we apply?

What some practical application as far as these things go?

I have three ways that I really quickly want to point out that

we experienced this kind of Fellowship.

Three different ways we experience it.

Number one is through the Sunday, service is through the

corporate Gathering once a week of the church where we all come

together under one. One Roof.

Hebrews 10:24 through 25 says let us consider how to stir one

Hebrews 10:24–25

another up to love and good works.

Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but

encourage one, another and all the more as you see the day

Drawing Near So, we are not to neglect meeting this this, this

corporate Gathering where we all get together Under One Roof.

All of us, all home groups, all the different classes.

All together in one place at one time is the single greatest

means of Grace in your life. Now, don't miss this.

I know I'm I'm rambling a little bit.

You guys really listen. Pay attention to this?

What we do here on Sunday mornings is the single greatest

means of Grace in your life. It is the best way God can pour

out his love and grace on you because of all the things that

I've talked about last week in this week, bible, study prayer

and fellowship. This on Sunday mornings is where

all of those things come together in one place at one

time. We get into the word, we study

it. We pray.

We Fellowship together. We sing praises to God, we

worship together. We haven't even talked about

Worship in any of this yet. Yes, worship can be done alone

in your car. That's usually where the best

worship happens, right? Everybody screaming at the roof

of their car, but, but there is something about corporate

worship. And I think I don't even have to

expound on that. I think you guys would agree.

There's something about singing together.

As a church. Gathering together is absolutely

essential. This is not, this is not

optional. We have-we need this every

single week. I need this.

I know. So the Sunday service, the

Sunday service is a huge part of this.

And there are certain elements to this that only can be

experienced here on a Sunday morning.

As I've already mentioned the corporate worship things like

baptism where we get to see new brothers and sisters initiated

into the Emily. And in watching this, we get to

remember our own salvation and our own baptism and we were, you

know, lowered and likeness to his death and raised a new life.

We get to recall all of that. And then communion communion is

a beautiful ongoing means of God's grace in our life, where

we reflect on the death of Christ and what that means in

our lives. It's who we are as Christians

communion is a massive part of this.

And onion is something reserved for the corporate Gathering when

we're all together. I know there are different

opinions on this, but for now, we were going to say that this

is something that happens on Sundays and we're all together

as a family. When together, we can reflect on

the death burial and resurrection of Christ and how

we are unified under that banner.

And to be honest with you, it's for that very reason that we're

not doing communion today we were going to but we have so

many brothers and sisters out. We'd rather wait.

So we can all be together. Together doing this.

This is not something just that we do on our own.

So again communion a huge part of the Sunday Gathering.

So Sunday, big church is one of the greatest ways that we can

experience this Fellowship. No other way we can do it is

through small groups, acts 2:46 that we read said, day by day,

Acts 2:46

attending the temple together and breaking bread in their

homes. They received their food with

Gladden Generous Heart. So, they were going to the

temple together, but there are also breaking bread in their

homes. And so we do that to Ooh,

homegroups we get together in smaller Pockets throughout the

city. We share meals together and yes

we open God's word. We discuss it.

We ask questions of it now we get to laugh together, we get to

cry together, we get to pray together.

Home groups are a massive part of our fellowship and how we

grow in our faith and then the other smaller group Ministries.

We have for your biblical. Manhood.

And Womanhood are a huge part of this.

Sunday school even as a smaller Gathering, we're going a little

bit deeper into God's word, repealing back, a few more

layers than we normally do. Maybe it and home group or here

on a Sunday morning. So smaller Gatherings are also

absolutely crucial for our growth and our faith and for our

fellowship together, to be able to do that.

I know most of you have experienced this in a whole

group at some point, as far as prayer goes, there are prayer

requests times. Are we sharing?

Are our hearts with one another and those home groups, that

would not happen in here on a Sunday morning.

And so that is absolutely vital for our spiritual health, we all

need that. And then the last thing is

fellowship, through our personal relationships and through our

friendships. Not only do we need this once a

week where we all come together Under One Roof and sing and

worship and do all of this together.

And not only do you need smaller, Gatherings, where

you've got a core group of people that, you know, you Can

call at a moment's notice and will be there for you but you

need that one or two people in your life that brother-sister

that is your person that you can absolutely bare your soul to

that person. That is going to hold you

accountable and that cares about your spiritual growth that

actually cares about whether or not you're following the Lord.

Jesus had this Jesus had his 12 and then he had his three and

then he had his one and so we as well need that we need men and

women in our lives that we know will be honest with us and tell

us when we're being a jerk and also encourage us and build us

up and help us grow in our faith.

That is such a vital part of every Christians life.

We all need this. And so I'm going to invite the

worship team. I don't know who's coming up but

you Patricia who are working to wait and come up, I'm going to

close this like this. As we've talked through these

things, the last couple of weeks, you talk through how we

can be growing in our faith, how we can be growing in our love

for one another? So we've talked about just basic

tenets of the faith, we've talked about, just Elementary

things in Christian Life, studying the word, being people

of the word immersed in it, talk about prayer and we've talked

about Fellowship, these are three vital They just core

elements of who we are as Christians.

And so I want to encourage you to be constantly seeking ways to

grow in your faith, be in the word, be people who love God's

word, be people who cannot get enough of this.

Be people who pray be a Praying Church, go to the Lord.

And then let's not ever neglect to Fellowship.

So Believers in this place, I want to encourage you in that

lean into those relationships. Let's be a people like this ax

church that were known for this kind of fellowship and make sure

you have those people in your life that you can depend on and

have that kind of fellowship with as well.

So anyone in here today that maybe is not even a believer.

If everything I've said, has been complete foreign to you if

it sounds like a none of it makes It's, I want to encourage

you in this. Being a part of this kind of

Fellowship is absolutely life-changing.

I know it has been for me for so many other people in this

church. If you have never even placed

your faith in Christ, if none of this makes sense start there.

As I said, at the beginning of this sermon, our fellowship is

rooted in Christ. That's what makes us who we are.

Placing your faith in Christ, giving your life to him, is

where it all begins. Once that happens, then you get

invited into this family that I'm talking about this type of

Fellowship where you can have these People that love you and

lift you up, and hold you accountable and care about your

growth. So, if you've never done that, I

invite you today to start there to place your faith in Christ.

Be forgiven, start a new life with a new family.

In this place today. Let's stand our feet, we are

going to sing, we're going to worship together, as is one of

the greatest Graces we have together.

Let me pray. And then we will sing and

worship. Father, we love you.

God, we thank you for today. We thank you for the ability to

gather together and be in this place.

God, we're thankful that we can worship together.

Thank you for this church. We pray now that you're honored

and glorified their everything we do and through this worship,

lift our voices to you. Now in Jesus name, amen,