Genesis Week 38 • Living In God's Faithfulness

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This week has been hard and good.

I think I've cried more this week than I have in a long time.

But God has been good, and God has been faithful.

I want to thank you, church, through your generosity, through your willingness, through the opportunities that God has opened us.

We've been able to minister to families, not just in Lexington, but in Gilbert, in Minetta, in Augusta, in Greenville, in Batesburg,

and in other towns and other cities that I'm not even aware of as you've gone.

This last week, last Sunday, Aaron and I went to Augusta, my hometown, to see my family.

Some of them lost their whole home.

And on the way back, I said, we've got to do something.

So this week was your pastor's very unorganized attempt to do something.

And we want to move together as we go forward.

So in the busyness of this week, we have together a somewhat organized plan so that we can continue to reach and to serve and to share the gospel with others.

So I want to share that with you.

Each Thursday, moving forward, as long as God continues to provide us opportunities, we're going to take Thursdays as an opportunity to mobilize our church.

Each Sunday, I will announce what we will be doing that week.

This week, we have an elderly couple who lives in Lawrence County.

And so we'll be making the roughly one hour, hour and 15 minute drive up to the Lawrence area to serve and to minister to that family with some chainsaw work.

If you would like to be a part of that, you are welcome to join us.

If you have a chainsaw, great.

If you don't have a chainsaw, that's okay.

We still need you when we need you to work with us.

We'll be back in the back after the service.

Please come back and let me know.

I'm going to go old school and write your name down on a piece of paper and give you a call in the morning.

We also have another opportunity this week here locally if we have enough people to divide and do two teams this Thursday.

We will also each Monday email out, so if you're not able to be here, we will email out with more details the specific situation.

And if you've already let me know through writing your name down, coming to the back, or sending me a text message, that's fine.

But if you haven't, you can respond to me and to the email to go and do that.

And the email will have, this is when we meet, and even more specifically, these are the tools that we're going to need as we go through this.

If you are aware of, I want to be careful that we don't overpromise on things, but I want to make sure that we're serving you guys the best that we can,

and we're serving the people that you're loving the best that we can.

If you know of, or as you are made aware of needs, please let us know.

Please let us know.

I know that that takes, for some of us, it's a struggle to do that, but what we've seen and what we've watched as God's worked and moved this week has been phenomenal.

Had the opportunity to pray with a Muslim man this past week.

So God's up to something.

I know for some of you, Thursdays are difficult, and I understand.

But strategically for us right now, that's what we've chosen.

There will be some opportunities for Saturdays.

Jamie Rogers, who many of you, if you've been around Willow Ridge Church for a while, you recognize Jamie's name.

Jamie is originally from South Carolina, but Jamie went and planted a church in New York, and that church is still going, is still thriving.

But Jamie is back here in South Carolina, and Jamie is serving as the associational director of the Columbia Metro Baptist Association.

That is not the association that we are a part of.

We are part of the Lexington Baptist Association, but they're a part of our Southern Baptist Convention of Associations.

This past week, I threw out just on Facebook because Jamie was mobilizing some teams out of Columbia Metro.

This Saturday, they will not have the opportunity to mobilize, but Jamie is hoping to put together at least several times a month on Saturdays to mobilize brothers and sisters in Christ from various churches around the Columbia area to go and to work in some of the hardest, most impacted areas,

not just in our cities, not just in our city, but other places in our state, and maybe even outside of our state.

What I promise to do for you is Jamie's going to let us know that, and as we find those opportunities, we will make you aware of that.

We had one of our church members this past Sunday that was able to hear about that, jump in that, had a wonderful time going to be able to serve and meet some fellow brothers and sisters in Christ from other churches.

We're going to make that aware for the Columbia Metro Baptist Association, so we'll do our best through social media and through email to make sure that we get those out to you as soon as we can.

If you're more involved, Tim Rice is here.

Tim, I'm going to put you on the spot, man, and maybe kind of ask you if you could be around at the back at the very end.

If you want to be more involved, our South Carolina Baptist Convention Disaster Relief is doing projects, and Tim works alongside in the Baptist Convention, and so we can answer some questions and see what we can do for that as well.

But I think here's where my heart lands the most on this, okay?

And this is my challenge to you.

This is my challenge to me.

This is my challenge to my wife.

This is my challenge to my son and my daughter, and I want to share it with you.

There are so many people right now that have needs.

If you see a need and you can meet that need, meet that need.

Meet that need.

It may be you running a chainsaw on someone's property.

It may be you making a meal.

It may be you praying for someone.

It may be you going and picking up some gas and delivering it to somebody for their generator.

If you see a need, meet a need.

If you don't know where to go, trust God.

Get in your car.

Drive to Batesburg.

Drive to Mineta.

Drive to Augusta.

Drive to Greenville.

Drive to Asheville.

Heard instances all week of individuals in our congregation that did just that.

And they never ran out of places that they could go help.

Last Monday, I went and knocked on the door of a lady that I did not know, who did not know me.

And she came to the door, and she looked at me like I was crazy.

And I said, I don't know you.

You've never met me.

But I hear you've got some work that you need to be done.

And she said, absolutely.

And we're able to serve her and pray with her and care for her.

This isn't a normal Sunday, so we'll do things that we don't typically do a lot.

One of the families that we were able to help this past week is the Dennis family.

To know the Dennis family is to love the Dennis family.

It's also, I just want to say this, it's to laugh a lot with the Dennis family.

They were one of the families that God had provided us the opportunity to go help.

In the booming metropolis known as Mineta, South Carolina.

I told them I've driven by their house probably 300 times in my life,

never knowing that that was their house from long before when we lived in Aiken.

They handed me this letter, and I want to read this to you.

I'm giving honor to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Pastor Bo and Pastor Dave, and the Willow Ridge Church family.

We want to express sincere gratitude and thanks

for how you and Willow Ridge responded,

assisting us during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Without delay, you came and cut down trees that had fallen,

removed tree limbs and debris from the property.

Willow Ridge members of all ages stepped up

and did what we have not been able to do.

A generator with fuel, cooking equipment,

was loaned to us,

and we were given contributions as well.

For all of your hard work, we are truly grateful.

Each day, Pastor Bo ended with a prayer

where he used the word family.

We are thankful because we did not know that we meant that much to Willow Ridge Church.

We love Willow Ridge and could not be part of a better church.

Again, much love, appreciation, and gratitude to Willow Ridge

and to the angels that rescued us when we needed it most.

Our power has been restored.

Love the Dennis family of Mineta.

I love that.

That's it.

Genesis chapter 33, verse 8 says,

Genesis 33:8

Would you pray with me?

God, I thank you so much

for how you work and how you move.

God, today, as we teach your word,

may it be empowered with your spirit.

May men and women and children be drawn to repentance.

And may you be glorified.

It's in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

As we continue on in our study in Genesis,

we want to look at and establish some things.

Number one, that God is a God of relationships.

We've looked a lot at the dynamic of relationships,

both functional and dysfunctional relationships,

both toxic and healthy relationships.

But this comes out of the basis of the understanding

that God is a God of relationships.

We see this God is with you.

God is with his church.

We see relationships of God calling us to one another,

and we see and we understand

that God has called us into relationship with everyone else.

So as he calls us into relationship with him,

he forms us into relationship with one another,

and he sends us into relationship with them.

So there's not a person or being

that God is not engaging us with.

There are those that we are saved

and brought into right relationship with him

so that we can have proper fellowship

amongst brothers and sisters of Christ in faith

so that we can go and share the gospel

with those who do not know him.

God is a God of relationships.

And if Satan is the exact opposite of God,

Satan hates relationships.

Satan doesn't want a relationship with you.

Satan's goal, Satan's desire,

what he wants, what he craves

is in the destruction of your life

to destroy the relationships you have.

So Satan hates your relationships.

He hates your relationship with God.

He hates your relationship with your spouse,

with your kids, with your church,

with your friends.

He hates them.

He wants to destroy them.

Look at what he does in the garden with Adam and Eve.

He attacks their relationship with God

and in doing so seeks to attack

their relationship with one another.

But God's so desiring that relationship

that he works to establish relationship

and God works to reconcile relationship.

God takes what is broken and fixes it.

God takes what is dead and brings it to life.

I told this story years ago.

It's my favorite example of this.

God does what we cannot do.

We were living in Aiken.

I had a weed eater.

It broke.

I decided that I was capable

to take it apart and to fix it.

I got my tool set.

I laid out the weed eater.

I had a guy tell me this past week

that it's the most simple tool

to take apart and put back together again.

I said, ha, ha, ha, I beg to differ.

I was out there for hours.

Took it all apart.

Parts scattered all over the garage.

Come walking inside.

Grease and dirt.

Smelling like gas.

Aaron said, well?

I said, well, we're headed to Lowe's.

Right?

I couldn't fix it.

God, God doesn't throw away.

God takes what is broken and reconciles.

God takes what is broken and fixes.

God takes what is dead and makes it alive.

When we see in the dynamic of these relationships

and how they weave and interact through Scripture,

we see that Satan would have loved the dysfunction that exists.

We read about a family where we're lying.

We read about a family with deceit.

We read about a family where we're stealing.

We read about a family where manipulation is the norm

and it creates a playground for Satan.

But what we're going to find as we journey into chapter 33,

what I've had to take some hard looks at myself and my life is this truth.

Sometimes the greatest miracle that God does in your life and mine

is he brings us to a place where we say to him and we say to others,

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

And as we get into Genesis chapter 33,

Genesis 33 · chapter mention

this is where we find Jacob.

A man once in rebellion,

now seeking to follow the Lord

and has brought him to a point and place in his life

in the relationship with his brother Esau

where he's been prepared,

the heart work has been done

for him to come and say,

I'm sorry.

So let's look at the first three verses,

Genesis 33 verses 1 through 3.

Genesis 33:1–3

And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked

and behold,

Esau was coming

and 400 men with him.

So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel

and the two female servants.

And he put the servants with their children in front

and then Leah with her children

and Rachel and Joseph last of all.

He himself went on before them,

bowing himself to the ground seven times

until he came near to his brother.

In the restoring and in the moving of this relationship,

what I want us to see and to grasp in our obedience to the Lord is this,

is moving from fear to trust.

Is moving from fear to trust.

Now Jacob was afraid and he should have been.

He was afraid and he should have been.

His brother Esau, tough guy.

He's the hunter.

He's the bigger.

He's the muscular.

He's all of the things.

And he sees the tough guy.

Esau coming.

And it's not just him by himself.

It's him with 400 men.

I don't know if you've ever been in a situation where you realized,

I'm outmatched.

But if the odds are ever 401 to 1, guess what?

Right?

But Jacob in this moment chose not who he was before God,

but he chose who he is in God.

Before, he would have lied, he would have manipulated, he would have run.

Why do we know that's what he would have done?

Because that's what he did.

He would have lied.

He was the deceiver.

He would have manipulated the emotions.

He would run.

He would flee.

This is who he was before.

As he responded to the selfishness and the fear of his heart.

But now, what does he do?

Now God says, I'm with you.

Now God says, go.

And so Jacob in this, sees the reality of what is before him.

401 men waiting on him.

And his choice is to obey, which means his choice is to trust.

You see, those two are always connected.

When we obey God, we trust God.

When we trust God, we obey God.

Tim Scholl, thank you for your testimony this morning.

In that, what God, what Tim was sharing with us this morning,

in what we see is this fine line of walking,

of the steps back and forth,

of the journey that we're on as we're growing,

as we're obeying in our relationship with God.

It's trust and obedience, trust and obedience,

trust and obedience, trust and obedience,

in sync with one another.

And that's what we see here with Jacob.

While fear manipulates us, trust in God motivates us.

Fear will cripple us, but trust with God will move us.

Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 1.

2 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

It's one of my favorite books of the Bible.

Paul writes to his son in the faith, Timothy.

Hear what he writes.

For this reason, starting in verse 6,

for a reason I remind you to fan and to flame the gift of God,

which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Verse 7.

I want to say that this verse has been a verse

that has been very popular in culture.

And it's also a verse that oftentimes can be taken out of context.

Paul is writing to Timothy, his son in the faith,

some of Paul's last words.

And he's reminding Timothy, all throughout it,

this is who you are because this is who God is.

Paul, who awaits his execution,

Paul, who knows that this is what is happening within the church,

says to Timothy,

but here's what fear is going to create.

Fear creates chaos.

Fear creates lies.

Fear creates destruction.

But we are not of that,

that God did not give us this spirit,

but God gave us a different spirit.

God gives us the power of God,

the love of God,

and the self-control that comes from God.

And this is what we are seeing in the life of Jacob.

It's not that Jacob wakes up one morning

and says,

it's time to be a man.

It's time to figure this out.

It's time to talk myself up.

It's time to get the pep talk of what I need to do.

But what he does is he responds,

not in his own courage,

but in the courage of God.

You see,

Jacob's ability is not in what Jacob can create in himself.

Jacob's ability is not what Jacob can manipulate in himself.

This is the old Jacob.

The new Jacob's like,

no, no, no.

God's called.

I'm going to go.

God's called,

and I'm going to walk.

God's called,

and I'm going to obey.

And whatever the cost is,

this is what I'm going to do.

I want to ask you this right now.

Right now,

what are you facing in life that brings you fear?

What are you facing in your life that within you,

what it causes and what it creates is the fear that is there?

And in your life,

I want to ask you,

are you pursuing a fix?

Are you pursuing an answer?

Or are you pursuing God?

Are you pursuing God?

I guarantee you,

if Jacob would have pulled his buddies aside,

it would have been like,

hey man,

I get it.

I get it.

It's really cool that you're spiritual now.

I get it that it's really cool that you've got this faith.

But bro,

401 to one?

I don't think so.

But ahead of all of that,

ahead of all of that is his obedience.

So with what your fear is,

with where you are,

with where you struggle,

and here's what I want to tell you,

that you have a God

who's calling you to obedience.

To obey him

and to trust him.

So verses 4 through 11.

But Esau

ran to meet him

and embraced him

and fell on his neck

and kissed him

and they wept.

And when Esau

lifted up his eyes

and saw the women

and children,

he said,

who are these with you?

Just remind,

he's been gone 20 years.

Who are these with you?

Jacob said,

the children

whom God

has graciously given

your servant.

Then the servants

drew near,

they and their children

and bowed down.

Leah likewise

and her children

drew near

and bowed down.

And last,

Joseph and Rachel

drew near

and they bowed down.

Verse 8.

Esau said,

what do you mean

by all this company

that I met?

And Jacob answered,

to find favor

in the sight of my Lord.

But Esau said,

I have enough,

my brother.

Keep what you had offered.

Let's pause there.

Remember,

Jacob has sent

an offering

ahead of him.

He has sent

a sacrifice

ahead of him.

Esau's like,

nah, brother.

Keep that.

Keep that.

Jacob said,

no, please.

If I have found favor

in your sight,

then accept

my present

from my hand.

For I have seen

your face,

which is like

seeing the face of God,

and you have accepted me.

Please accept

my blessing

that it is brought

to you

because God

has dealt

graciously

with me

and because

I have enough.

Thus he urged him

and he took it.

Wherever we are

in life,

wherever we are

in our journey,

wherever we are,

wherever we find

ourselves this morning,

what we need

is grace.

What we need

is grace.

I don't think

this is what

Jacob expected.

I definitely know

this is not

what Jacob deserved,

but this

is what

Jacob got.

Look back

at verse 8.

He said,

what do you mean

by all this company

that I met?

Like,

brother,

what are you doing?

And Jacob answered,

to find favor

in the sight

of my Lord.

The word favor

in the Old Testament

is grace.

It's grace.

is grace.

Jacob says,

listen,

listen,

what I need

is not what I deserve.

And Esau,

you are the only one

who can give it to me.

The one that I've offended,

the one that I've stolen from,

the one that I've abused

our relationship,

the one that I've brought

death and destruction to,

the one that I've violated

in this moment,

you are the only person

who can give me

what I need,

and that's grace.

And here's the beautiful picture

of what God's painting us.

This is our position

when we come to God.

This is our position

when we come before Him.

We are the ones

who broke it.

We are the ones

who violated it.

We are the ones

who destroy.

We are the ones

who kill.

We are the ones

who live in a life

of sin,

and we come to God

not with what we can bring

to the table

to make the relationship right,

but we come to the God

in the desperate need

of grace.

Ephesians 4, 7 says,

but grace was given

to each one of us

according to how good

we've been that week.

All right,

that's not on the screen,

all right?

Nothing's on the screen.

But grace was given

to each one of us

according to the measure

of Christ's gift.

Grace given.

Not because of how good.

Not because of how many works

you did this week.

Not because of how many rules

you've obeyed.

Not because of what you've done,

what you've contributed,

what you've brought to the table,

how talented you are,

how pretty you are,

how wealthy you are,

how well-spoken you are.

But because of the measure

of Christ's gift.

And so what God gives us,

what grace is,

is God's favor

or God's benevolence

to the undeserving.

You're like,

Bo, that seems harsh

to really separate out

and say people,

or some people are deserving,

and some people are undeserving.

Well, if you think

there's two groups of people,

those are the deserving

and those are undeserving,

then you don't understand people.

So let me share something with you.

We're all undeserving.

You,

me,

everyone,

we're undeserving,

but God gives us his grace.

God gives us his favor.

God gives us his blessing

found in Christ

and Christ alone.

So the beauty of grace,

the reason why we sing

so much about grace,

the reason we talk about

the goodness

and the grace of God

is because grace

is this wonderful gift

that you and I

do not deserve.

But God gives it to us.

You see,

grace isn't a loan

that you and I

can pay back.

Grace isn't a gift.

So guess what?

You and I

can't go and buy it.

Grace,

when we receive it,

it is ours to keep.

Grace comes from the heart

of the generosity

of God.

that God gives something up

so that we can have grace.

Because grace,

while free,

meaning you didn't pay for it

and neither did I,

is costly.

Because it demanded

the life of Jesus.

It demanded his death

on the cross.

And grace is undeserved.

Not a one of us

deserved him

to get on the cross.

And the beauty of this

is this is what Jacob asked for.

And this is what Esau gives.

And this is what you need.

And this is what God gives.

It's what Owen needed.

And God gave it.

It's what Caden needed.

And God gave it.

It's what Ellie needed.

And God gave it.

It's what Joe needed.

And God gave it.

Verses 12 through 20.

Then Esau said,

let us journey on our way

and I will go ahead of you.

But Jacob said to him,

my Lord knows

that the children are frail

and that the nursing flocks

and herds

are a care to me.

If they are driven hard

for one day,

all the flocks will die.

Let my Lord pass on

ahead of his servant

and I will lead on slowly

at the pace of the livestock

that are ahead of me

and at the pace of the children

until I come to my Lord and sire.

So Esau said,

let me leave with you

some of the people

who are with me.

But he said,

well, what need is there?

Let me find favor

in the sight of my Lord.

So Esau returned that day

on his way to Sire.

But Jacob sojourned to Succoth

and built himself a house

and made booths

for his livestock.

Therefore, the name of the place

is called Succoth.

And Jacob came safely

to the city of Shechem,

which is in the land of Canaan,

on his way from Padnam Aram,

and he camped before the city.

And from the sons of Hamor,

Shechem's father,

he bought for a hundred pieces

of money

the piece of land

on which he had pitched his tent.

And there he erected an altar

and called it

El Elohe Israel.

So we go through

the journey of life.

As we go through

the ups and downs,

as we go through

all that is happening,

our challenge,

our call,

is to remember

God's faithfulness.

Here we see

relationship is restored.

Esau says,

Jacob,

come with me.

And Jacob says,

it's great,

brother,

that we're here,

but I need to hang back.

And so Jacob stays back

and he prepares

to enter into the land

that God promised.

And on his way,

he stops

and he builds an altar.

Here at this altar,

this is common,

we've seen this

throughout the Old Testament,

throughout Genesis so far,

he worships,

he dedicates himself,

he dedicates his family,

he dedicates his people

to God,

and he gives the altar

a name.

And the name that he gives

is God,

is the God of Israel.

He is reminding

who this is

and what God

has done.

And Jacob says,

our relationship

with God

is what

will define us.

If you can,

turn with me

in your Bibles

to Joshua chapter 24.

Joshua 24 · chapter mention

Joshua 24.

What we find

is a very similar

situation.

Different,

there's some similarities.

As Joshua,

who has been leading

God's people,

has come to the end

of his life,

and he challenges

the people of God

to be God's people

and to follow God.

And start reading

in verse 14.

Some of you may recognize

some of these verses.

Now therefore,

fear the Lord

and serve him

in sincerity

and in faithfulness.

Put away the gods

that your fathers

served beyond the river

and in Egypt

and serve the Lord.

So if you're not

familiar with the story

of the Israelites,

the story of the Israelites

is so much

the story of humanity

as they serve idols

in spite of

who God is.

And so Joshua says,

put away the gods

that your fathers served

beyond the river

and in Egypt

and serve the Lord.

And if it is evil

in your eyes

to serve the Lord,

choose this day

whom you will serve.

Whether the gods

your father served

in the region

beyond the river

or the gods

of the Amorites

in whose land

you dwell.

And then here's the verse.

Here's the one

that we know.

But as for me

and my house,

we will serve

the Lord.

It's this stamp.

It's this commitment.

It's this decision

that when things

become difficult,

that on the mountaintop

and in the valley

and on the road

in between,

that we'll look back

and we're going to make

a choice.

and the choice

is an easy choice

because of who he is

but it may be difficult

in our circumstances

that we're not going

to revert back

to who we were before

but as for me

and my house,

we will serve

the Lord.

And then verse 16,

then the people

answered,

far be it

from us

that we should

forsake the Lord

to serve other gods

for it is the Lord

our God

who brought us

and our fathers

up from the land

of Egypt

out of the house

of slavery

and who did

those great signs

in our sight

and preserved us

in all the way

that we went

and among all

the peoples

through whom

we passed

and the Lord

drove out

before us

all the peoples

of the Amorites

who lived

in the land.

Therefore,

therefore,

we also

will serve

the Lord

for He

is

our

God.

Joshua

calls the people

to make a choice.

Joshua

calls

the people

to plant

their foundation,

to establish

their life

and above

all

things

to serve

the Lord.

And the people

respond

positively

because they

say this,

we remember,

we remember,

we remember.

Some of those

beautiful passages

of Scripture

that we find

in the first

several books

of the Bible

is God's people

as they're

brought out

of slavery

as they

wander in the

wilderness,

as they

journey into

the land

that God

has for them.

They look

back.

So many times

you and I

get caught

in this pattern

of looking forward,

looking forward,

looking forward,

God's what's next,

God what's next,

God what's next,

God what's next,

but we don't

stop

and look

back

and remember.

Remember where

we came from.

Remember the cost

that was

paid.

We don't

look back

and remember

our Egypt,

our slavery,

our death,

so that we

can appreciate

and understand

the life

that we now

have

in Christ.

In a moment,

the band's

going to come

up on stage

and we're

going to

take the

Lord's

Supper

together.

This act

that we

will do,

this moment

that we

will have

is not

one that

grants

salvation,

but it

is one

that is

done

by those

who have

been saved

by Christ.

This act

that we

will do

is not

done

because we

have been

faithful

in all

that we've

done,

but it's

an act

that we

will do

because

he is

faithful

and he's

always been

faithful.

You see,

the story

of Jacob

is not

to come

to the

end of

it

and look

back

and say,

Jacob,

good for

you,

buddy.

Look at

what you've

done.

Look at

what you

figured out.

But it's

a story

of God's

faithfulness.

So in a

moment,

we'll have

some time

of response

where we'll

examine

through the

power of

Holy Spirit

our lives

and our

readiness

to partake

in the

Lord's

Supper.

You'll

remove in

a moment

a piece

of bread

from the

top of

the cup

that's

there.

And we'll

remember.

We'll

remember

the body

of Christ

who was

pierced

for our

transgressions.

We'll

remember

the body

of Christ

who endured

a punishment

that we

deserved.

We'll

remember

the body

of Christ

who took

on a

death

that should

have been

ours.

If we

take the

bread,

we'll take

the cup.

The cup

that represents

the blood

of Christ

of what

God's

word

tells us

the new

covenant

is in.

And the

gory,

horrific

picture

that was

the crucifixion

of Christ.

The blood

that was

shed

is the

blood

where we

found life.

The blood

that took

all that

you and

I were

before.

And it

washed us.

And it

made us

clean.

And it

made us

white as

snow.

So now

that the

Bible tells

us that

when God

looks on

us,

washed

and made

new,

that what

he sees

is the

perfection

of the

Son.

And that

our hope

and our

purpose

and our

life

and our

meaning

is found

in him.

And because

of what he did

on the cross

and because

three days

later he

overcame

the grave

and walked

in life,

when your

hope and

your trust

has been

put in

him,

what we

have is

hope for

today and

hope for

tomorrow because

it's found

in him.

And folks,

that's

grace.

That we

have found

favor in

God's

sight.

Not because

of who we

are,

but because

he is.

If you're

here today

and you're

not a

follower of

Jesus,

I want to

say thank

you for

being here.

Man,

I'm so

excited that

you,

you could

have done

a lot of

things today

and you

chose to

be here.

And we're

so grateful

for that.

And you

might be

thinking,

but Bo,

like,

I don't

know enough.

You might

be thinking,

but Bo,

I've still

got this

stuff that's

going on in

my life.

But Bo,

you might

say, but

you don't

know the

things that I

struggle with.

I say, you

know what,

you're right.

I don't.

But God

does.

And in

knowing all

of those

things about

you,

he sent

Jesus to the

cross to die

for you.

Because that's

how much

he desires

relationship

with you.

And you

see, today

is not

about getting

it all

figured out.

But today

is about

coming to

Jesus

and saying,

you have it

all figured

out.

Would you

pray with

me?

God, we

come to

you this

morning.

We're

thanking you

and praising

you for who

you are.

God, I

pray that if

there's anyone

here,

Lord, and

they don't

know you,

they don't

know Jesus

Christ as

their Lord

and Savior,

God, that

today would

be the day

of their

salvation.

God, we

are so

unworthy.

God, you

give us

anyways.

God, you

forgive,

you love,

you bring

dead to

life.

And God, I

pray that we

would walk

in the

goodness of

who you

are.

God, if

there's

anyone here

who does

not know

you,

Lord, I

pray that

today would

be the

day of

their

salvation.

God, I

pray that

there's

anyone here

who does

know you,

God, and

what is in

their heart

and their

desires of

the bitterness

between

others,

God, I

pray that

they would

find it in

their hearts

to forgive

as they

have been

forgiven.

through the

power of

your spirit

would you

draw us

to you

both in

repentance

and confession

and it's in

Jesus' name

we pray.

Amen.

Thanks again for

listening and be

sure to check back

next week for

another episode.

In the meantime,

you can visit us

at willowridgechurch.org

or by searching

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Church on

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