Dust Can Do

Thanks for choosing this podcast from New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo.

We thank you for joining us. We ask you to join in worship and then work with us as we go to the Word.

We believe that all people are on a journey and each of us is working toward the next step.

Our next steps are not necessarily the same as everyone's life is unique and everyone's journey is unique.

But we can work together to propel ourselves to the next spot in our journey.

We are going to reach New Heights in Jesus with us today.

Remember your people, remember your children, remember your lives.

Your grace is enough, your grace is enough, your grace is enough for me.

He is your love and justice guide.

He gives the way to lead the soul.

You need to sing the song of your salvation.

And all your people sing along.

Remember your people, remember your children, remember your lives.

Your grace is enough, your grace is enough, your grace is enough for me.

Your grace is enough, your grace reaches out to us.

Your grace is enough for me.

Your grace is enough, your grace reaches out to us.

Your grace is enough for me.

Your grace is enough, your grace is enough for me.

Good morning, good morning, good morning. Praise the Lord.

We are just right where we need to be.

I know that sometimes we have technical difficulties.

I suggest you get to listen.

I know that sometimes things don't always go the way we expect.

I suggest you listen.

This is God today. He is in charge.

He does not have to do things the way we expect.

We don't have to do that.

In fact, given the fact that we were sinners, if we are not a follower of Jesus Christ,

you are a sinner lost without the Lord, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ,

you are a sinner who is saved by the Lord with a destination, but not yet there.

Given the fact that we saw the loss of flesh, the loss of the eyes, the pride of life,

temptations, distractions, struggles, you still have to deal with money,

which can be a god in your life if you are not careful.

You still have to deal with personal opinions and seeking encouragement from other people.

You still have to deal with broken relationships.

You still have to deal with health concerns.

The list goes on and on.

The odds are God is the only one who actually knows the way it is supposed to go

because there are so many things that confuse us and get us caught up.

I just want to celebrate.

It is August, believe it or not.

Time has flown by.

I don't know where the month of July went.

It was here.

There were a few days in there, I remember, and then it was gone.

Either I am developing a bit of senility, which I hope is not the case,

or time is moving very rapidly.

We also did, during the month of July, have a great opportunity for outreach.

We did three block parties.

We saw several people come to Christ and people recommit their lives.

Then we did preacher pops at the park a number of times.

We did football drinks a number of times.

We had a number of people go out in the community prayer walking

and just walking and talking to anybody that they would run into.

We did knocking on doors.

We did hiring.

We did a ton of outreach activities, just kind of letting people know.

We need to be, if you are going to be the kingdom of God,

and God is going to be on your side, you need to be one of the biggest

splashes of the pond.

That is going to be tough because the media, social media, phone calls,

telemarketers, you name it, everything like that,

they are always appealing to people.

I am not saying we are going to replace that.

We are definitely not going to be doing it by their methods.

But if we love people with the gospel, not to get ahead of the game,

we love people with the gospel, we are going to be taking it out there

and talking to people, reaching out to people,

and hearing about what is going on and trying to lead them through the Lord.

That is what Christianity is.

So if you are not involved at all in reaching out to your neighbors,

reaching out to your friends, reaching out to your families

on behalf of Jesus, if you are not involved at all with the

ministry of reconciliation, which Paul says ministry of reconciliation

basically is us bringing people back together with God, that is it.

If you are not involved with that at all, then you should be questioning

whether you are actually in the kingdom, whether you are part of the kingdom of man.

That is what God gives us to do.

That is what we have now been asked to do for the remainder of our days.

Not the only thing, obviously there is a lot to go on,

but everything is tied to that.

That is a core pillar, you have got to be involved.

So that being said, I would hope that though July has come and passed,

and we put a lot of effort in, that this month and every month

you would look for an opportunity to love on your neighbors with the gospel,

talk to anybody in the possible can, as you gain in the year,

say hey, where are you at spiritually?

Where are you at with the Lord?

And if they say, oh I have been a Christian for a long time,

make sure you clarify that they know what that means,

that they truly are saved, by at least their own estimation.

You cannot judge people's salvation,

best to assume probably that they are not saved,

and share the gospel, and if the priest out there is saved,

then you gain your brother and sister.

And if you don't assume that, or just assume that they are saved,

and you don't do that, then you gain somebody to talk lightly to,

somebody to have a relationship with that is not all that important,

and maybe you can help them, they can help you, business partners, associates,

whatever, but not working together in the King of Acts.

And I have always believed that God has prepared people attached to our church

to get involved, not just they are looking for a new church,

we have folks who help our church who are not in our church.

And that is okay, the Advancing King, because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So I would encourage you to continue the Ministry of Reconciliation

in the month of August, and then September, and then October,

and then November, and then December, and then January,

and on and on and on.

Every month, look at opportunities to practice the Ministry of Reconciliation

outreach for people in shared Jesus Christ.

So we are celebrating, we are especially grateful for all of you who work together,

almost everybody in this room was actively participating in multiple events.

I don't think there was anybody in this room that didn't do at least five events

in the month of July.

So you have more than you can count on one hand,

I know that there were people who did a ton, there were people who were involved in everything,

I know Alicia was very hard purchasing, organizing,

outreach within the body to help people and like that,

and that was extremely stressful, and at the same time she went through some health concerns,

because whenever he set out to serve the Lord,

at the end of it he has to have his way, he is going to get in there and try to mess with it,

he has some health concerns, some stressful time in the middle of that,

but God has brought her through, brought us through, and praise God.

That's all I can say.

It all comes down to we have new and more and greater reasons for praising today

than we did at the beginning of July.

That will always be true if you serve God,

at least for the new and greater reasons,

but that should motivate us to praise, which is what this is all about.

Okay?

So there are no meetings today per se, spend time with your family,

pray for me and for the young people.

We have a couple of young people in here who are going to camp tomorrow morning,

and then we have six additional who are not from New Heights,

they're from the city of Toledo, and they do not currently have a third home.

And so these are young men between the ages of 10 and 13 who are going and going to hear a lot about God,

they're going to church every day essentially to do that,

they're going to be playing sports, they're going to be swimming, going to the pond, canoeing, kayaking,

there's a whole thing, and then they have some professional Christian athletes

who are coming to speak with them, professional NFL football players will be there to speak with them.

And basically it's all about what it means to be a man following God,

that's what that week is about.

And so it's a big deal, it's going to be a lot of fun for them,

but at the same time they're going to get a lot of opportunity to hear about God,

and I think hear God through other people.

And so I'm excited, but I'm also a little bit nervous,

because I'm going, as of right now, I'm going by myself, Arden may accompany me,

he's trying to work out one last day, if he can he's going to go,

otherwise I'm going by myself with eight young boys, six of whom I have barely met,

I've met them like three minutes, so, probably so far.

So it's going to be an interesting hangout, and there's actually going to be 38 boys there,

not just the ones that were going, so it's going to be really cool.

And then of course I have to put down a lot of things that I normally do during the week,

and focus on what I'm doing there, and so I ask for prayers for me as I do that,

and I felt like this was a way that God would like me forward through their lives and the Christian Church.

Alright, did anybody else have a request you'd like to throw up there today?

We have a number, I know there's a lot of people praying for it,

people in our bodies are having health concerns,

Chad in this family, which is from where Pony Works,

you have any someone showing up at the church?

Oh that's right, there is a meeting today, I apologize, I rescind that, I sucked it back in.

There is a meeting, it's a God's Kids meeting,

so if you are a participant in any way or want to know what's going on,

or give input on how God's Kids goes,

he is especially starting a new incentive program,

so he is planning on having a meeting after church today to talk about that,

to kind of like get the kids motivated and memorize the Bible verses and various other things.

You may have some suggestions, we have some experts in the room who have done a lot of that in the past,

you may have some suggestions you want to throw up or at least for that part of that.

And he is running late, so we are assuming that that is still going on,

so pray for him, and he will be here for you.

So let's pray together, and as I said we have many many reasons, more reasons today,

I want to say it this way, more reasons today than ever,

and tomorrow will be that way too, but more reasons today than ever to praise our God.

Father in heaven, I do thank you so much for just bringing us together,

for getting us over the humps and the hurdles,

for pushing aside the temptations and the strikers,

do you understand the strength to abide in you, the power to walk forward

and to do the steps that we can take in you,

that they are made possible by your existence, by your presence in us,

by your presence in us when we come together as a collective body.

Lord, we ask special blessings upon those who are still on the way here,

who are struggling this morning, I know you saw me through

when I couldn't find my car keys this morning, and I left them in the ignition,

so anybody could stop by my house and stole my van, and thankfully no one did,

and I am grateful Lord that we were able to overcome that hurdle,

I know that there are hurdles, there are struggles,

and this human life seems to be filled with human things,

and we know it is not really about human things, it is about spiritual things,

so now Lord we ask you to help us turn this time over to you,

you conduct us, you lead us, you guide us,

you work through these services prepared to play and sing,

you work through us as we try to bring you glory and honor and praise,

and we can't do it the way you deserve it, but we know you deserve it,

so we ask you Lord to take over and lead us in that direction,

and we pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Because you never, you never, you never walk alone,

because you never, you never walk alone, you never walk alone,

this is our place, our place, our place.

This is love for everyone, for everyone who comes to us,

I think we'll still see your love for you and me

We'll be the ones who found the dream

I'll never forget the love you gave me

I'll never want you back

I'll never forget the love you gave me

I'll never want you back

I'll never want you back

Oh, oh

I'll never want you back

Oh, oh

I'll never forget the love you gave me

I'll never forget the love you gave me

I'll never forget the love you gave me

Hallelujah, everyone

Oh, oh

I'll never forget the love you gave me

I'll never want you back

Oh, oh

Oh, oh

Oh, oh

Oh, oh

Oh, oh

Okay, would you stand and sing?

Let's film this one. Some of us can't stand, some of us don't get to sit.

In Christ alone, I know this song

In my heart, my strength, my song

This one song, this how we bow

Bones of a business, drown in stone, one heart filled with love, one touch of peace

When fears are still open, shiny tears

My suffering, my falling off

There is a love of life I can't

In Christ alone, no one's heard on death

All this abiding hell, this space

This death alone, can't write in sand

Storn by the ones He came to save

With one that comes as Jesus Christ

The world's all young, all satisfied

For every feeling, on Him one saves

Here in the death of Christ, I live

Woo!

Every mother of His body lay

On the side of the cross, by God, can say

In Christ, in Christ, in His glorious name

Up from a crack He rose again

And as He stands in His glory

His flesh and blood, His will for me

For I am His, and He is mine

For the compassion of mine

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

The last was right, and final was

Jesus, the last, my last, in me

The power of the Son, the power

Of the Father, the power of Jesus

Until He returns, the cross be on

Here in the power of Christ, I stand

Until He returns, the cross be on

Here in the power of Christ, I stand

Woo!

As I mentioned, I think last week, in my week and two,

we kind of blur together, but as I mentioned last week, we're going to start to look at some of the

Bible promises that follow meditation. We have meditation as our

spiritual discipline through the month of November, and we've been talking a lot about it.

Last week we actually did a meditation together, so I hope by now you kind of are getting the gist of what

meditation is. There's about a hundred different ways you can do it, but largely it means taking

your focus off everything else and putting it on the Word, putting it on, and the easiest way

I think to do it is to put it on a specific verse or a passage of Scripture and really think about

what it is that God will do in you, what He's changing in you or in your life, how you see it play out,

that kind of thing. But of course that's not the only way, right? You can also focus on

a leap. Now, you don't want to do meditation like the world does meditation, so you would want to

focus on that leap and how it fits in with what God is telling us and that kind of thing.

But here in the verses that we're talking about today, the psalmist is specifically talking about

meditating on God's Word. And here's what it says. This is from Psalm 1.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

A lot of people memorize that verse, and I do recommend doing that if you can,

because it's cool to be able to meditate on that verse. There's so much in there.

Then verse 2 says, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. Now, it's talking about the man, right,

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, who does not stand in the path of sinners, but rather

nor sit in the seat of scoffers. It's talking about that guy, his delight, what makes him happy,

what brings him joy, what fulfills him, what lifts him up, what makes him strong. His delight

is in the law of the Lord. And in his law, that's

God's law, he meditates day and night.

So the one who, get this, does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, does not stand in the path of sinners,

does not sit in the seat of scoffers, but delights in the law of the Lord.

He meditates on that law day and night.

Presumably not just one day and one night a week, right, but day and night.

So all day long. Now, I'm going to say to you, you can't walk around living your life like this, right,

you can't have a Bible out in front of you, so you're probably going to need some memorization to do that,

or at the very least, some basic ideas. You don't have to memorize

verse, so without telling me what the verse says, don't quote the verse

from memory, but tell me what John 3.16 says, don't do it from memory,

but basically what does it say? Somebody.

John 3.16, come on. God loved us enough to send His Son to save us.

If you had that, you could meditate on that, right?

Now that would not literally be the word meditating on in Scripture,

but it would be sufficient. So if you read enough, get enough Bible intake,

even though you may not memorize it,

you kind of know, some of you say this all the time, I've got all these verses that I know, but I don't know the address.

You don't have to know the address, right? You don't have to know the reference

exactly where to find it necessarily, but if you have some thoughts that are in your head,

ingrained in you, that is what God would say on the topic, then that's something you can meditate on.

But ideally here, it points out, this guy, the guy who

does not walk in the council of the wicked, means he doesn't take advice or direction from people who are against God,

does not stand in the path of sinners, means he doesn't walk the way

that would lead him to do the things that he shouldn't do. He doesn't sit in the seat of scoffers,

in other words, he doesn't sit back and go, well, I don't have to worry about that, or that's not me, or ignore God,

or say bad things about God, or what God is trying to teach us to do, or anything like that. He doesn't mock God.

He takes God very seriously. This guy delights in the law of the Lord,

and so he meditates day and night. And then the rest of this is essentially

the benefits. Now I understand those first few things are pretty important parts.

He's blessed

because he doesn't walk that way, he doesn't stand there, he doesn't sit there,

and he delights in the law of the Lord. But then he meditates, and the benefits that come out like this.

He says, you're going to be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.

Those things are going to be sustained. You're going to be taken care of like a tree. That's by water.

The tree, which yields its fruit in its season.

In other words, it's going to be producing the right thing at the right time.

And then he contrasts it, he says, oh no, he finishes the plot,

he's going to be strong and able,

and then whatever he does, he prospers.

Whatever he puts his hand to, it works. Now notice, that would be even if it wasn't specifically

of God. It says whatever he puts his hand to, it will work. Even though it might be a God thing.

Got it? And then he goes on to say, the wicked are not so.

They are like chaff which the wind drives away. That's the car of the meat that you don't eat. They toss it up in the air.

It blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners,

as he has said, but the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

I submit to you, the psalm is the same, but the way of the righteous includes

meditating on God's word. Loving and delighting in the law of the Lord,

and not falling into those other traps. So that's just one example.

There are many in scripture. I don't know how many you will look at. I just told Led to look at that one today.

So if you didn't meditate on the word of God this week, you can know with an absolute certainty that you've missed a blessing.

So do it. Take the time. As the Lord leads you, not because I told you to,

but because scripture says it's right. Not because you feel compelled to, not

because you're angry. You feel like, oh man, I've got to set aside time to meditate on scripture. You can do it while you're driving.

A lot of times I'm driving down the road and the radio's on. We were driving up here and I was driving down the road the other day

and the radio was on and she went through like seven radio carols and every single one was somebody talking.

There's no music. We're looking for music. She's like, where's the music? No, but if I'm driving by myself

and I get to the second station, I just turn the radio off and I will pray.

I'm praying, but truthfully I'm praying and meditating on the word.

It's a natural transition. Wherever you're at, the truth is, if you've got a little Bible in you,

if you get bored, meditate.

And this has been a big thing for me. As you know, I'm characteristically impatient before I got saved.

My human side, I was extremely impatient. So I have some patience now because God has been building that in me.

So now this is what I've done. Just this time, not even the first time we did this, about four years ago

with the meditation, I didn't start doing it. But now, just this last few weeks,

every time I start feeling myself getting impatient because of lines, impatient because of traffic, whatever,

it used to be I would pray. There's nothing wrong with praying. But now I'm praying

and I begin to meditate. And as I'm meditating and picking up cloths in my head, guess what happens?

Well, soon the time has passed. I'm still meditating and the line is gone, the cars are gone, whatever,

I'm still meditating. And I don't feel impatient at all. And it's a way,

it's a tool, right? It's a spiritual discipline. You can use that to overcome

whenever you think the time is not going the way you want it to go. Like right now, let's say, you're sitting there,

you go, man, Pastor Neyar's talking too much. I'm bored. You should be meditating on Scripture. Right?

There you go. Get in the sermon. You go, I got this sermon now. Pastor Neyar's talking about something I already know.

You should be meditating on Scripture. There was a period of time I was in a church and I was getting a sermon

every week and the pastor was speaking from God. I had no doubt about it. But God was calling us and we were out of that

church. And I didn't know that yet. And taking us to a new place. And I was having trouble.

And for month after month after month, every Sunday morning, I would feel like, oh yeah, I kind of get what he's getting at,

it's a good message or a good message. I say I'm going to do this and this and this. And God would take me to another

spot. And every Sunday I was empowered by that pastor who was lifting me up and encouraging

me because he was faithful. But he was just guiding me to what God really wanted.

The text I have chosen for today may not be the text. It may not be the one that's going to speak to your life. But I would

guarantee you if you're faithful, prayerful, and meditating during that time,

that he will change your life.

Because he's faithful every time to do that.

If you're willing to meditate on scripture.

Okay, Marshall for Meditation, over.

Hopefully you did this week meditate or pray

or watch as you walked or saw something

or heard, read your Bible, whatever.

And you got something you'd like to share.

So it's got to be at least a few of us.

Brother Jason, you ready?

Alright, let's hear it.

So, I just, while you were talking about meditation

I had a little thought about meditation

and meditation about meditation.

Meditation about meditation, okay.

I'm going to meditate on what you're about to say.

I truly believe that the Holy Spirit works

with the word that we get inside of us.

And when we meditate on it, I just had this thought of like

you know how when you're playing like Yasi

or something like that you throw the dice?

Well the Holy Spirit can work like that with our meditation.

Where every time you meditate on it

it's like you're picking the dice up

and you're throwing something different.

And it can show you different aspects and stuff like that.

And it becomes what the Proverbs says

wisdom is like a game to the wise.

It almost like becomes like a game and a fascination.

Let's take a mind frame that we should walk into.

And then I seen another one.

When we came in here I seen this field of wheat.

And I remember Jesus saying that

He said, look at the fields how they're white

for the harvest already.

He said, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies

it remains alone.

And I just had this thought of like everybody in here

is that grain of wheat including myself.

We're all alive and we all have the mind of the thoughts

and the desires of God in our mind.

And this is wheat.

I don't know how to repeat that just other than

you know we already know.

Like we just, there's so much potential that we have in here.

And then I was thinking, I was meditating on Revelation 2

this week too where Jesus said that we should look at

like if we ever make it somewhere with God and we fall a little bit

instead of repent and go back to that.

Where you're at is Revelation 2.5.

Therefore keep in mind how far you have fallen.

Repent and perform the deeds you did at first.

But if you do not repent I will come to you

and remove your land stain from its place.

And I had this whole vision of the thought from the Holy Spirit.

He showed me, I was seeing this sanctuary here.

And he showed me like what picture you imagine this sanctuary is like our soul.

And before the Lord comes in this thing is pitch dark.

We don't know where the instruments are.

We don't know where the chairs are.

But when the Lord, we receive the Lord this awesome lamp stand

and light comes in right in the center of it.

And for the first time in our lives we're able to see everything

and where it is, where it was, where it should have been.

We moved stuff around perfectly.

That's like being born again.

That's why everything is brand new because it is what we're being able to see for the first time.

What's inside of us.

But he said we're removing our land stain.

So I just want to speak on that a little bit.

Like when we entertain something in our mind

and allow something to move in that doesn't agree with that light.

It's almost like if we don't deal with it right away

that Lord will take that light again and stuff it in the corner over here.

And then there's only light in that little spot

where it starts to become darker and darker and darker.

When that light is in the center where it should be

that's a picture of us being in perfect peace and perfect joy

and perfect fellowship with God almost.

We're not perfect but he makes it perfect if we allow him to.

And if we're lacking kind of peace or we're lacking joy at all

then we need to ourselves, you know, Jesus said

unless somebody stronger than what's taking up residence comes and drives that out

then how's it going to go out?

So we've got to become stronger ourselves through repentance

and through Jesus said what he said in verse 10

and go back to doing what you were doing at first.

And then that will help get back to that depth of peace and joy that we're looking for.

So that's what I want to share.

Oh man, that's all good stuff.

Any words you can think about? Praise the Lord.

Okay, anybody else?

Go ahead.

I'm going to tell you about meditating.

We're going to have to sit here and watch the street too.

And I don't believe it but I said God is everywhere

but the Spirit of Christ is welcoming.

But the Spirit of Christ is welcoming and it's not like

no Wayne or anything can show up and eat his spirit.

He's already here.

And so we're waiting as we love him, we're being entrusted, we're encouraged.

We're finding truth in the hope in his power.

Right now we can't even see what he's doing

but how he rejuvenates as I speak to him.

They could be through one another, they could be through the worship,

they could be through the work.

But already he's preparing us and it's just so awesome.

And I was just going to talk about meditating because we are blessed

because his righteous relationship with him through each one of us

when we get into work, we will speak to him.

Because we're not like the world that's looking for answers.

We found the answer.

But we continually need to remind ourselves, encourage each other,

reach out to him to know more, get to know him.

And honestly they get to know us more.

Because God knows us, we don't really know ourselves.

We don't really know everything that's going on.

So there is that meditation to dig deeper.

I was also going to say sometimes you dig deep because the world looks good.

Things look better.

Even in our darkest moments, even brightly,

because there's a lot of darkness in our life.

But it's like the margin for the work is coming to light, it's exposing.

And Lord was just telling me once again,

I've had enough struggle, I'm going through so much.

And it almost sounds like sarcasm, but it's not from the Lord.

He says, it's okay, I'm not.

I'm faithful, it's okay.

I understand you're going through.

Stay with me, I'll get you through this.

And so it's just awesome just to be reminded our God is bold and he is true.

And just why I was just right here was just thinking about Adam and Eve.

If they would have never ate from that fruit, they would have been perfect.

They were already perfect in Christ.

They weren't perfect like God.

They weren't perfect in the likeness of who God was.

And Jesus struggles for the first time when he comes to birth.

Because he comes in humanity.

He comes into the curse.

Because they didn't have a curse.

There was a curse, and they had to live through the curse.

And they failed, and failed every king and every prophet.

He came and figured it out.

Everybody failed.

But then Jesus, through all the struggles, all the failures,

every person, even today from future, present and past,

Jesus doesn't fail.

Even obedience to death on the cross.

So when he rises again, that there is no longer failure or any,

he struggled with it, but no longer is there a struggle there.

He's seated at the right hand of the Father, he's siding with his Father.

You know, people say Jesus is a high son.

No, I'm siding with Jesus, he's not a my son.

I'm siding with God, I'm siding with him.

What a great advocate that stands with us, that Jesus intercedes with us.

I just find it so encouraging in those moments.

And so when I come here, there's three places God really speaks to me.

And I think I can speak to everyone.

Of course there were, but like my kids again, I'm talking to my kids.

I hear from them more than anything.

Here just in the sanctuary, I was just hearing from them just now.

So I'm thankful for what the foundation of the United States does,

and what the United States brings to the state,

where it's always included in me.

And then while I was gone, I was just saying, yeah, I was already here.

I get to hear what I have to say, it's so awesome.

I hope you get happiness in your heart for that.

Smiling there, it's awesome.

Anyways, I was talking to my kids last night,

and we went to see a point once in the water park,

and I was talking to my kids.

I said something, and when I said it, it was like talking to them.

I was talking directly to them.

And he's my son, he's my MI, he'll do whatever he wants.

The first moment he thinks of it, he says it doesn't.

We'll find out more why he does it.

Everyone wants to know about the MI,

and he's like, something's going on, come talk to me.

I hope you pray with me or something.

But anyways, I told Naomi the same thing.

I said, don't listen to yourself.

Listen to who is right.

That is so weird for a kid that age to understand me.

And I was like, can I just keep saying it over and over?

God will speak to them in something that makes sense to them,

but it's not going to change it.

We're going to say the same thing every time.

But I'm like, God's got to speak to me the same way.

Because the word listen is actually taking in.

We can hear things, we can hear things.

We hear everything they say.

Even the enemy might speak to us.

But you don't have to listen to it.

You just have to follow through, take it in.

But listen to who is right.

And I said, who's right right now?

You, Dad, Mom?

In my case, a lot of people thought of it for a second.

I said, right now what's right is the right thing to do.

And so it was helping them not just to hear something,

but to go do it.

Because it's kind of like the childlike attitude today

of doing the wrong thing.

You hear something, you just go do it.

But childlike faith is patiently hearing you.

And then, OK, I'm going to do this because I believe in what you say.

I believe in what you want.

All right.

I've just been reminded multiple times this week

how blessed we really are and how many things we miss.

And busyness and the craziness of life.

Arden and I decided to take a day yesterday

to the Boys with Senneke County Fair.

They saw lots of things they had never seen before.

They felt the track record, they were completely confused.

They loved it once they understood what was going on.

And then, so we got up early.

We got there by 10 a.m.

Saw the track record, saw some animals, rode some rides.

And then we weren't going to stay the whole day,

but they really wanted to see the Demolition Derby.

So we stayed and got home at 1 o'clock in the morning.

We were literally there all day.

But it was a lot of fun to spend time with the family,

to get a day away.

And we talked about some things with the kids,

and they got to see lots of animals.

Jayden was loving the animals,

things that they normally don't get to see,

that are right around the corner.

We live in Perrysburg.

There are people that own horses right down the street,

and our kids don't do that.

There's things out there in God's place,

in the world that we miss,

because we're driving right by it,

focusing on what we're supposed to be doing,

what we think we're supposed to be doing,

and not paying attention to the small things

that may bring inspiration,

that may bring light or joy to us,

before it's all gone.

Amen.

Amen.

As we were speaking, the Spirit said this to me,

and that is that as we follow the Lord,

we will miss more than most people have.

And we will have more than we ever could.

Let's see multiple files.

I'm told they're like this.

Alright, so we're going to pray at this time.

Jason, how would you like to pray for us?

Would you do that?

Okay, and remember the Tithes and Offerings, alright?

Let's do that.

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Father, I know it will mean getting outside our box, it will mean scratching ourselves,

it will mean trying harder, maybe even dying more.

God, thank you for making that possible.

And as we live in this life and learn to tame our temptations and maybe even dismiss them,

because we are about loving your people.

Lord, I know that it's part of your plan that people outside the church would be jealous

in a sense, that might not be quite the word, envious maybe, at least amazed at the love

of your people.

Jesus said that they would know us by the love we have for one another.

God help us, help us have the love and be known.

Let us come and join in with us, let us love them too.

For those who have been with us and have left us Lord, let us ask the question and know

where they stand.

As much as I despise losing any relationship with anyone Lord, if they are not with us then

they are not with us.

And if they are not with us because we are trying to be better, because we are trying

to be rich, none of us are getting rich God, we see that, but we are rich in kingdom.

We are rich in your Holy Spirit, rich in your gifts.

Lord, your glory is all that matters and we believe you can get that through your church

and your people, that will stop being individuals and start being the church on fire, fervent

and stretched out, loving one another and leading people into that fellowship so they

can do the same and so we can do the same for them.

Help us God, help us turn to you again, help us be the church that you will lead us out

to be, help us be out of the darkness and living in the light, hearing enough about

one another, show up and be the church.

This we pray in Jesus name, amen.

I ask the praise team to come forward and read us our chosen song.

I ask you to address within yourself Lord, have you been loving this people?

And if you thought you could find an example of yourself in the last month for example,

where you specifically were unloving or unkind and cared about your preferences more than

some other, then I would ask you to repent for that and you are the church.

Will you stand with us right where you are and sing this song and take it to the Lord,

let Him build you up and make you able.

Oh, Jesus, I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.

I surrender my heart to Him I freely give.