Discover a RADLIFE Pt. 5 | Chris Gross | Radiant Life Church

Now, recently we've been talking about

our discover a rad life journey. And

it's been great because uh Pastor Adam

jumped in right when he could start kind

of having a part in that and and be in

some of our meetings and some of our

conversations because we believe so

strongly as was just mentioned that all

of us are called to grow in who God has

called us to be to be everything that

the Lord would have us to be. And that

is an incremental stepby-step process as

we say, "Lord, I want to be more like

you. I want to be a disciple and I want

to raise up people behind me to be a

disciple. And so when we think about

life and we think about ministry, when

we think about the rad fam and we think

about the processes out on the walls on

the website, you can find it trying to

make it everywhere so you can't miss it.

Right? We are in a place where we want

to answer how can we connect? We come to

church, right? This is a a big part of

it. We get to worship together, but also

we come to new to radiant. we come to

new to Jesus when we're starting that

journey and maybe you need to take one

of those steps then we are all in a

place where hopefully we're going to

take a step of growth and say Lord where

do I go from here right when we think of

growth we serve on a team this morning

we gathered together as our serve teams

this morning and talked about a little

bit where we're going to talk about

exciting things of what God is doing

we're going to grow in serving we're

going to grow in life groups coming up

here this Saturday as was mentioned

don't miss it come out if you don't have

a group you You don't have to. That's

all right. You can get plugged in and

just spend a great day watching a

football game here on on Saturday. Uh,

right. You can be in a group as well as

midweek disciplehip. This last week, we

got to be all over the building. Pastor

Rachel and I see a bunch of classes, the

students. But in this room, uh, are the

adults and even as we go forward, the

different opportunities we want to be

discipled to be more like Jesus. So,

we're going to grow in serving in life

groups. We're going to grow in midweek.

The next step of that is how do we lead?

Here at Radiant Life Church, we go

through Bible foundations, right? We we

need to know who we are, what we believe

at the base level and then we jump into

leadership training and as time goes on

into ministry electives, right? We want

to see how are we incrementally growing

and walking and becoming more like Jesus

that we all are in a place of Lord, let

us grow. We step into that place of let

us lead. But that leads us to our last

part of our discover rad life journey,

which is how to live. Now, this one, I

think, is maybe the most difficult. I'm

going to say for me, it's the most

difficult, right? Like, oh, I got it.

Here's some things I have to do. But

anybody ever struggle with the how to

live part of your life. Like, every once

in a while, there's a few. Thank you.

Some front row people, they're being

honest. Everyone else, you've got it

pretty figured out, I think. But, right,

how to live is hard, right? We try. You

want to do what God has for you. It's

like, Lord, help me. But then life gets

in the way. Things happen. Situations

come. Family members don't respond like

you thought they would. Family uh our

people in our neighborhoods or our job

or we lose our job. And it's like Lord,

what do we do? And so when we think of

how we live, we've got five values that

we believe are right there that we need

to walk and we need to live out. And the

first is the Bible. Everything goes back

to the word of God. Right? This is what

our life is built on. Not my feelings or

emotions or or what the culture would

say but what does the word say? We then

second say Holy Spirit we have to rely

on you everyone. We need to be empowered

by the spirit of God. What's that mean

church? I can't do it on my own. I can't

even try it on my own. So Lord I need

you. Let me walk in your spirit. And I

pray that's what every one of us in our

walk with Jesus is Lord let me be

empowered by you and by your spirit. The

third value is family. Last week we

talked about family and not only maybe

our personal family, but I'm talking

about us as the church family that we

are the rad fam and everyone has a place

in the rad fam. Last week we talked

about some of our personal family

situations were difficult and we think

of family and that's like ah that I

don't even I don't even know about that.

Well, guess what? Sometimes in the

church people mess up too. People don't

always get it right. I talk about it

quite often. Just stay around long

enough. Someone around you will make you

mad or I'll make you mad. Like we'll

figure it out. Be sure that everyone

equal opportunity. But we're the family.

And when we grow together and we say

this is what God has called us to and

we're going to seek Jesus together, all

of a sudden we realize we are better

when we're a part of the family of God

and the church family, our local body

that God has put us in. And we get to

grow together to be like Jesus. And that

fourth one today is we're going to look

at students. We invest in the next

generation. And just so you know, next

week we're going to talk about missions

and people come to know Jesus. And our

radfam funday is going to be a blast.

You do not want to m miss it. Bring

somebody along with you. When we think

about the value of students, when we

think about the value of Lord, we're not

only just going to be a bunch of mature

mature Christians who maybe are a little

later in life, but we want energy and

excitement and crazy that come with

kids. We also want new believers, new

followers of Jesus. Adam, you said it so

well. If you're new, new to Jesus, woo,

this is perfect. Like, we've got you,

right? We need people that are amongst

us that not only have known the Lord for

many many many decades like seven like

my dad or so give or take a year or two

right or maybe those who you've just

said I'm not even sure yet. You're you

wouldn't even call yourself a follower

of Jesus. We must be open to people who

are like I'm not sure but I'm trying to

figure it out. Now today we're going to

relate a lot of that to maybe kids but

also to in the Bible we're going to look

at John Mark and we're going to look in

Acts chapter 12 and throughout the New

Acts 12 · chapter mention

Testament and see some amazing moments

where if you can believe it young people

or kids or those that are younger in

leadership don't always get it right.

Now thankfully dad had me as a son so he

never had to reprimand me in the process

if you're new at the church. He started

the church. I was on the team here for

uh 12 13 years and then became the lead

pastor here. Uh and he's still sitting

here on the front row and mom. Uh

obviously a joke cuz there a few times.

The most the biggest one I remember was

right behind this building and he

basically he didn't use the word shut up

cuz he wouldn't do that. He doesn't use

that word but that's what he told me and

said you got to fix it and your

attitude's poor. And I was like I was

actually mad at the moment. And then

don't you hate it when the Lord speaks

to you and is like obviously he was

right and is right and you're like but I

don't want him to be right. I want to be

right. Right. We mess up. We don't get

it right all the time. And if you have

ever raised a child in your home or been

around a young person, you know, young

kids don't get it right. And even when

they try, even with trying to go the

right way, sometimes it's just

difficult. And I I I don't know if I can

say this, but I love it when there is an

internal struggle, an internal battle

going on, and they're like, "I want to

do what's right, but you can see it. You

can see the the problem, and I want to

do what's right, but I don't know how to

do what's right, and I'm not sure what

to do."

It can be difficult. Now, if you say,

"Hey, I want to follow along today." You

can uh scan the QR code on the screen.

You can always go to church center and

in the more section at the bottom right

corner of your profile, you can follow

along, take notes. And the cool thing,

the notes will always be in your profile

right along with you. But when we think

about kids, it's hard. But when we think

about walking with Jesus, sometimes it's

in the same place. So today, we're going

to look at Acts chap 12. That's where

we're going to begin. And we're going to

just look at what the Lord might be able

to speak to us through his word. And uh

we're going to kind of jump around

because we see John Mark. We see this

young man that when we're here in Acts

Acts 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12, he's probably in his maybe

uh mid late teens, somewhere in that

range. Uh it's hard, it doesn't say

exactly, but he's a young uh young

believer, young minister heading towards

great things in the kingdom of God and

and what God would have as we see. And

the book of Mark most likely was written

by him and just all of these amazing

processes in his life.

But we have to see what God put in the

young person before they ever have any

clue about what God is going to do.

Right? They don't know. They're not sure

where it is. But we have to see it in

them. And in Acts chap 12 here, verse

12, it says when he realized this, he

went to the house of Mary, the mother of

John, whose other name was Mark, where

many were gathered together and were

praying. Now Peter is rescued. An

amazing miracle of God. Rescued from

prison. And then all of a sudden now

he's able to leave. Like God does a

miracle. He can leave. He realizes it

and he heads over to the house of Mary,

the mother of John, who is called Mark.

John Mark is why we would think of that

and see throughout the New Testament.

When we look at this moment, there's

something about proximity to the things

of God that is so incredibly important

and amazing when we think of ministry

and life. And for our kids, can I just

tell you parents in the room, one of the

most important things you can do besides

being consistent and loving and caring,

of course, all of those things at home

is you need your kids, your kids need to

be in the presence of Jesus

consistently. They need to be poured

into. They need to be in places where

all of a sudden an act of God takes

place. a move happens and they see a

miracle where what was is no longer

because the power of God takes place.

And this is one of those things with if

he was not in the house, if he wasn't in

the space where Peter was going to come

and share about the goodness and the

amazing things of what God was doing,

then there would have been something

that was missed and something that could

have never happened or never been

experienced. And I want to encourage you

when we think of midweeks and we think

of Royal Rangers and Girls Ministries,

sometimes it's hard. Sometimes we're

tired. I don't know. I'm I don't know if

I can say this, Pastor Nate.

I'm going to do it anyways.

Some Wednesday nights, can I just be

real with you? We've worked all day just

like you've worked all day. I go home

and a lot of times we go home, we have a

quick dinner, and this is where the

mistake comes. sit down on the couch and

the our couch just like envelops you and

you're like a you're like I cannot I I

do not want to get up. I'm like I have

to get up. It's my job. Like I I can't

not show up to teach my class, right?

That would not go well. And you know

what you do is you walk with discipline

and you get yourself out of the couch

and you say, "We're going to go because

this is what we do. It's important and

my kids are going to be in church no

matter what and I can't send them if I'm

not there because that's not a good

example. So, I'm going to get up and I'm

going to go and I'm going to take them

and I'm going to learn and I'm going to

experience what God has. And you know

what I find any time in my life when I

do what I know I should do that when I

leave that thing I'm like thank you Lord

that I wasn't lazy or whatever that I

wasn't too tired and maybe my job but

there's been other ministers retreat or

ministers opportunities things where I'm

like Rachel and I we're like we do not

want to go

but this is what we've committed to and

we get up off the couch and we say we're

going to go and on the way home, we're

like, "Oh, man. I'm so glad." We got to

have that conversation. We got to have

that moment. We got to have that

experience with the Lord. And church,

your kids need those consistent

experiences with God. They need the

power of God poured in in them. And why

do we do Royal Rangers and Girls

Ministries and Summit? And why do we

have Bible quiz and all of the things?

Kyle's in the back running sound this

morning. He's not our Royal Ranger

director. He's not the our Royal Ranger

commander over the whole thing because

it's easy and he just is looking for

something to do,

but because he believes that the

ministry is going to see young boys

experience God and be mentored to be

more like God. And so, guess what he

does? Just like me, I'm sure on some

Wednesday nights, I would really prefer

stay home. But you know what? I'm going

to get up and I'm going to go and we're

going to teach and train and love. Why?

because we see what God put in them

before they do. They don't even know

yet. But we are going to be consistent

and faithful. And church, as leaders, I

say thank you to you. But also as those

who you are bringing your kids for the

journey, get them in places where they

can experience the power and the

presence and the goodness of God.

Someone decided to give him access and

it changed his life.

those around us, they need people with

spiritual eyes who can recognize what

God has placed inside of them. And I

want to encourage us to be a people when

we see kids running around. We're not

annoyed. We're not ah I wish they would

walk or Yeah, they should. That's yeah,

I agree. But they're not going to. And I

want them to be here. And we want to see

what's inside of them. And we want to

see the power of God move. And when we

do, church, anything is possible.

Great leaders see potential before

performance and church. That's where

we're going to be when we come. And

Pastor Adam mentioning just being kind

and nice. We're going to be kind and

nice and we're going to say, "Lord, I

know that there's potential and I need

your help to see it, but Lord, the

performance isn't quite there yet, but

Lord, we're going to keep believing.

>> We're going to keep going because the

next generation needs to know Jesus and

know his power." So, see what God put in

them. Second this morning is stay with

them through the struggle. Now this

makes me feel good. I hope somebody else

in the room room room you can feel good

as well cuz in Acts chapter 15 we just

Acts 15 · chapter mention

go forward just a couple of chapters and

all of a sudden we see the result of a a

moment that has taken place. And in

verse 37 through39

it says now Barnabas wanted to take with

them John called Mark. That sounds nice.

But Paul thought best not to take with

them one who had withdrawn from them in

Panilia and had not gone with them to

the work. And there arose a sharp

disagreement so that they separated from

each other. Barnabas took Mark with him

and sailed away. Okay church, anybody

else every once in a while like it

doesn't always go great for Paul. Like

the guy who wrote half the New Testament

like this is amazing. Paul was saying

no. John Mark messed up and I don't want

him with me. I see him as a problem. I

see him as an issue. And guess what? Not

everyone has to see it. But Barnabas

says, "No, I see potential in him. I see

what the future can hold. I see

something that is bigger than his

failures and his mistakes."

And we don't necessarily know what the

failures and mistakes are besides the

fact he quit in some form or fashion.

But church, when we are raising up next

generation kids and next generation

leaders and next generation Christians,

guess what? Sometimes right in the

middle of what they should be doing,

they're going to say, "Peace out." And

you're going to be stuck with it.

Because it's hard to raise up leaders.

And if we can put our mind in a place

where we could say, "I remember back to

when I was that. I was the one being

trained up. I was the new believer. I

was the kid." Then we could remember,

guess what? you did the exact same thing

that we get so mad at younger people

doing today.

And we have to come and say, Lord, I see

I see the struggle. I see the problem,

but I'm going to stay with them through

that struggle.

That formation is going to matter more.

And when I think of Peter and we've been

kind of following Peter throughout this

sermon series is you see Peter and Jesus

did not throw Peter away. He corrected

him. He restored him. He continued

investing in him. And Peter became

living proof that failure can be part of

formation when grace keeps calling

someone forward. And can I just say,

church, that if we want young people

that we invest in, if we want them to

get to a place where they're firm

footing on the things of God, we have to

know that sometimes they're not going to

do it right. And sometimes they're going

to quit. And sometimes we might be like

Paul and be like, I don't even want them

in my ministry. But thank you, Lord,

that there's Barnabases that are going

to say, "Nope. Let's keep this going.

And I want to be in this case, I want to

be like Barnabas, who they messed up.

That was not their best moment. But I

see the future. I see what God has. God

has something special for them.

And we keep going.

We must be true, healthy leaders. We're

going to tell the truth. We're going to

correct. We're going to make

opportunities for accountability. We're

going to keep the mission clear. And

we're going to help those that are

struggling take the next step. And

sometimes it's on their time and in

their way.

Can I say it this way? We do not give up

on people while they're still growing.

And church, the next generation is a

group of people. The young ones, they're

still growing. And so, we can't stop. We

can't give up. We can't quit.

Can I say that when I was walking around

the other night, there was a a one young

man who he was maybe having a little bit

of a a problem. He wasn't enjoying his

moment. He was It was amazing. I got to

see one of the volunteers, one of the

ladies that just was so loving and so

caring and just following them around,

being sure that everything was good. Try

to get them back, go back in the room,

church, we're going to have experiences

where we just keep growing and helping

them grow and we keep giving them

opportunity because we know maybe not

today, maybe not even next month, but

you know what? In the future, that young

man is going to be something that we

say, "Wow, look at what God did." But if

we stop at the beginning, we're never

going to get there and they're never

going to get there. And so today,

church, we must be a church that we stay

with the people that we're walking with

through the struggle. We stay with our

kids, our students, and those that are

young in the faith believing. Say,

"Lord, we're not going to give up while

they're still growing.

See what God put in them. Stay with them

through the struggle." And third, invest

today for what God will do tomorrow.

We jump forward in the New Testament.

And uh if you did a study on John, Mark,

you can get a whole lot more, right?

There's always so much that we could

talk about, but I'm just going to po

point out one verse at the close of

First Peter.

Verse 13

says, "She who is at Babylon, who is

likewise chosen, sends you greetings,

and so does Mark, my son.

And when we look at this story and we

look at John Mark and we look at his

failure with Paul, his failure that all

of a sudden was even Paul's like I don't

even no I don't want him with me that

Barnabas and Paul split up their

ministries because of John Mark and then

we look at Peter here in in first Peter

and we see and he calls this Mark that

John Mark his son his spiritual son

something has happened in him to such a

level that the one that Paul was like,

"I don't even want him in my ministry."

That Peter would come and call him his

son.

Church, if we think that the people that

we're training up, if we think the next

generation is just going to get it

figured out, it's going to be easy, no

big deal, no failures, no mistakes, then

truly, we entirely miss reading the

Bible in any story. All of the great

leaders of the Bible did horrible

things. All of them failed. All of them

quit. All of them. I mean, amazing.

Pretty much everyone. You can just look

at it and see there's no faith. They

committed adultery. They killed people.

I mean, just go through the list of our

great leaders

and church. If we are going to be who

God has called us to be and if we're

going to truly value students when we

say invest in the next generation, we're

not only talking about having a kids

pastor or a youth pastor. We're talking

about having dozens and dozens and

dozens of people that are serving in

ministries, but even beyond that, we're

talking about being a church. When the

kid goes running by us in the foyer,

we're like, "Hey buddy, good job. You're

very fast."

And inside you might be like, "This is

not a place to run." And you're right.

It's not that you're wrong, but church,

do we care more about a kid running or a

kid growing in Jesus? And if it's

between those two things, and sometimes

it's literally is, let them run. Let

them run. Lord, help us. And I pray for

some of our maybe older people among us,

more seasoned, like Lord, don't let them

run into you. Like, I'm with you. Like,

I I like intercede for that.

But Lord, I want kids. I want young

people in their faith. I want people

that aren't doing it right yet, that

seem like they're just running through

life, running through the foyer, running

in places they shouldn't be. Church,

that makes me super happy and super

excited. Don't tell them I said that. I

mean, you know, we're not encouraging

that. But why? Because those are the

ones that someday they're going to be

leading this church. They're going to be

the ones that they they may come to the

Lord later on in life, but all of a

sudden, they're going to be ones that

are going to the mission field. They're

going to be the ones that are winning

their world for Jesus. In fact, those of

us in the room, we've known Jesus for a

long time. We often times are lame when

it comes to sharing Jesus. But a new

believer oftentimes is like, I'll tell

everybody because look what Jesus did

because they remember because it was

three months ago, not 30 years ago. And

we need to learn from them. Lord,

passion. give us passion for the things

of God.

And if we're going to value students,

literally our youngest among us, as well

as those that are new to Jesus, if we're

going to value those and invest in them,

we must be willing to ask him, Lord, who

who should I be raising up, Lord, who is

it that I need to pour into? And maybe

for us, some of us, it literally is the

start of Lord, when that kid runs by me

one more time in the foyer, I'm going to

let my heart go from that place of h to

a place of, you know what, I love that

that kid is here, and I'm going to pray

for that kid. In fact, I'm just going to

give you a challenge, maybe a low-level

challenge. If there's a kid that annoys

you in this church, start praying for

them every day. And I promise you, your

whole view of them will change.

>> And we'll take them. Every one of them.

If you ever hear a kid screaming in this

room, do you want a kid in the room or

do you not want a kid in the room? We'll

take a kid screaming in the room. We

value them. We invest in the next

generation. There's nothing quite like

having a church where we have maybe on a

Sunday a hundred kids and leaders on

that side of the room while we get to

worship and then on Wednesdays where the

disciplehip all over the building like

this last week I think 80 kids that were

in the building being trained up and

built up church. That is what it's

about. And when we have kids, there's

going to be mess and there's going to be

problems and there's going to be

difficulty and there's going to be

pastors asking, "Hey, we need kids

volunteers." And maybe you'd say, "I

would never do that."

What happens if you ask the Lord and he

said, "You know what? You should go be a

kids volunteer." I'm just going to say

Chris Mentor. He's sitting right there

in the middle of that section. And he is

a faithful as faithful of a kids uh

volunteer as we have in this in this

church. He's absolutely amazing and he

says all the time in our board meetings,

he's a part of our board and he's like,

"I have no clue what I'm doing there. I

don't know." But you know what? Kids

love him. Kids love him and he's

consistent and he's faithful and there's

going to be kids in heaven because you

say, "I don't know why. I don't know why

this what God has. You asked, I said

yes." And I But you know what? Every

time you talk about it, there's joy that

lights up your face. And something

happens when we say, "Lord, I'm gonna do

what maybe even isn't my like first

choice that all of a sudden.

I love the things God has me do more

than the things I want to do every

moment." And maybe there's somebody in

the room that you say, "You know what? I

want to invest today for what God will

do tomorrow." And maybe you struggle to

see the future. Maybe you struggle to

see that tomorrow. You can trust the

Lord that when we teach his word and we

mentor PE kids to be like Jesus, we

mentor new believers to be like him,

it's going to happen. They're going to

get there.

And that's what we are all about. Here

is one more for Jesus. And one of our

values of students, we're going to raise

up the next generation. There's nothing

quite like it. We invest in the next

generation.

Your greatest legacy will be in who you

develop and who they become.

And I want to challenge someone today.

You know, when I think about our life

and I think about our kids and we want

to have money that we leave for them, of

course, we try to help them with school.

We try to do all these things. But it's

not going to be about any level of money

or not money that my legacy is going to

be built on when I leave this earth. But

it's going to start with my five kids.

And it's going to continue on to people

that Rachel and I have been able to pour

into. And we believe there's going to be

literally hundreds of pastors and

missionaries and leaders that are in

those realms that are winning hundreds

and thousands of people for Jesus. And

we believe there's going to be a whole

bunch of people that you leave Radiant

Life Church and you go to your work and

your office and you work with people. I

can't even get in there, but you get to

share the gospel. And that is what's

exciting, the goodness of God. And we

believe that all of these kids that are

running around this church that

sometimes are difficult, that sometimes

have way more energy than the adults

among us, it's so worth it and so

exciting because those kids, church,

they're already starting to change the

world. But we have no clue what's going

to happen as we say, Lord, you move one

more kid, one more kid, and watch them

change the world for the power of God.

Let us never discount them. Let us never

I'm not sure. No, let's believe in them

and ask God to do something absolutely

amazing.

So my prayer as we think about our

values and we've talked about the Bible

and Holy Spirit being the rad fam being

a family talk about students church.

What happens if we live our life built

so heavily on the word of God with his

spirit empowering us to live that out?

And as a church family, we are united

and we're together and we're pouring

into the next generation. Church, that

is what I would call something that's

unstoppable in the kingdom of God

because we're doing what he told us to

do. We're living out his plan for us.

And maybe today the challenge for you

is, hey, I need to pray. I need to pray

for young people at Radiant Life. Maybe

your kids are grown. Maybe maybe you

don't have grandkids. Maybe whatever the

situation, you need to get some get some

kids. I'm just going to throw it out

there. You could ask uh Emma, our our

kids director. You could ask her and I

guarantee you she could give you some

names. Maybe it's a first name. Could

you pray for this kid? And you know

what? Just a a prayer. It could mean so

much. What would h I'm just going to

throw. What would happen if the next

five years you prayed for a kid every

single day? You think something's going

to be different in that kid's life?

Because I do. Maybe that's your

challenge. Maybe for some you need to

ask, "Lord, help me. Forgive me because

they annoy me. Kids annoy me. I don't

like it." Maybe you need to ask, "Lord,

would you give me a grace and a love for

your children?" And maybe specifically

difficult children. Lord, would you do

that in my life? Maybe for some today,

you need to get involved. And when I I

mention serving in kids, you're like,

"Ah, and that's not what the day is

about, but how can we talk about

investing in kids?" Maybe you just need

to go home and ask the Lord. Maybe this

morning before you leave, you need to

ask the Lord, "Hey, is that something I

should do?" And I'm going to throw out

there, if you're not serving, you're not

a part, there's no better place to get

involved than to say, "Hey, I would come

and I would be a part. I want to help on

Sunday morning or on Wednesday night for

junior Bible quiz. I want to help invest

in the next generation."

Once a month, you say, "I'm going to

come. I'm going to give my Sunday what I

would do, and I'm going to invest in the

next generation." Maybe that's your

call. And so as we think about that

discover a rad life, there's some things

maybe you need to get in Bible

foundations the next time it's offered

or you you've been and you need to jump

into to a leadership training starting

here on the 16th. We take these steps

because we don't throw anybody in with

our kids because we want to be sure we

know who you are and they're safe. Maybe

you say, you know what, I need to get

prepared so that I can jump in and help.

And I don't know what the Lord has, but

if you are not actively praying for,

believing for, fighting for a child, a

student, someone that's coming up, I

would encourage you. Would you ask the

Lord to give you the way? If it's

serving, if it's praying, if it's just

Lord, help my heart to change. Let's be

a church that we invest in the next

generation. And not only in giving on

Sunday and a pastor, a kids pastor,

youth pastor, the leaders, but we're

going to serve. We're going to pray.

We're going to believe and we're going

to intercede that our kids would know

Jesus.

There's nothing like it. John, Mark,

Peter, who would say, "My son,

we don't know when the person that maybe

ticked off Paul that he wouldn't even

hang out with. He wouldn't even go be in

ministry with him." When that person all

of a sudden becomes someone you say,

"This is my son."

God's got something special, church. He

has something special for you. And

Peter's journey, I think, tells the

story of disciplehip. Just one more

time, Jesus called him, taught him,

corrected him, empowered him, restored

him. He denied him, and he had to bring

him back into the family and then used

him to strengthen someone else. And

today, as we close this time, I want us

all just to get that person, that kid,

that young person in our mind. Maybe

it's a new believer that we're we're

struggling to to stay in the fight,

whatever it might be today that we say,

"Lord, would you help me?" Maybe that is

your thing. You need to say, "Lord, do I

need to go to kids ministry? Is that

what you've called me to?" I promise

you, if God's calling you to it, and you

don't do it, that your life's not going

to be what it should. But if you do what

he said, all of a sudden, you'll find

joy in something maybe you never even

thought possible.

That we're going to see one more know

Jesus starting with our youngest. We

value students.

So maybe all over this room, if we

could, if you're able, can we stand or

just prepare our hearts for what the

Lord would have?

And I ask today, we're not going to sing

a song to close or we're just going to

keep it low because I want God to be

able to speak. And I would encourage you

right now, maybe he would put a a child

on your mind, somebody you can pray for.

Maybe you know, I need to ask for

forgiveness and a heart for students. Or

maybe you know, I know I'm need to be

serving, but I I'm not. it and you say,

"I need to do it." Go to radio.family

and sign up. Go talk to Emma. Talk to

one of us. We want to help you get

connected because the next generation

absolutely

matters.

And church, we're going to value

students. We're going to invest in

students. And not a few and not a

pastor, not a few leaders, but as a

church family.

So Lord, right now we come before you

and we just ask you Jesus. Would you

give us a heart for students?

Lord, would you give us a heart for the

next generation? Lord, before we would

pray as our church, I pray individually

in this room. Lord, would you give me a

greater heart for students, for kids,

for the young in in the spiritual

matters around us, God? Lord, would you

help me? Would you help us individually

to care for and and the appropriate ways

we can to pour your goodness into

students, Lord Jesus, so they can be

those that grow up like John, Mark, and

maybe even we find out, wow, they've

become a spiritual son, spiritual

daughter, and we've been able to pour

into them. God, we ask you for it. We

need your goodness. Lord, today we pray

for our kids. We pray for the kids that

are a part of Radiant Life Church.

Lord, for the 80s something that are

signed up for for midweek disciplehip.

God, we we pray for each one of those

and for th more that are going to be

jumping on board. God, we ask you that

our kids would fall in love with you,

that our kids would know you, that our

kids would experience your power and

your goodness, and help us as adults.

Lord, you help us when sometimes we're

just tired. Maybe sometimes we just

don't want to go or or maybe our kids

are even saying, "I don't want to go."

Lord, that we would just get them in the

car and we get them in the places and

the environments they need to be. Not

because it's easy for us, but Lord,

because it's what you're calling us to.

So Lord, would you show every parent in

this room what you have, what it looks

like, Lord, what disciplehip journey

their kids need to be on, and then let

us be committed to it, God. Lord, that

our kids would be raised up to know you

and love you, and that our kids would

simply love you. and not as I pray

often, Lord, that they would have a bend

towards you, not towards the things of

the world. But when it's hard, God, that

they would just choose right because

they know you and they love you, they

have that bend towards you and towards

your kingdom. And Lord, as a church

family, Lord, I pray there would never

be a kids opportunity that's not filled.

There would never be a teaching role

that's not filled. There would never be

a a kids greeting role that's not

filled. whatever they would be, Lord,

that Junior Bible Quiz and Royal Rangers

and Girls Ministries that have all of

the leaders that they need because we

invest in the next generation. And if we

truly value it, we're going to serve in

those areas and capacities because we

want to see our kids know you. And so,

Lord, I'm thankful today for the dozens

and dozens and dozens that they on a

weekly basis, at least once a month on

Sundays, they serve in one of our kids

areas. Thank you for them. Strengthen

them. Give them even new passion for the

young people around them. Let them pray

and respond, Lord, to what you're doing

as they get to pour into them from

nursery all the way up, God. And then,

Lord, we pray maybe for some others of

us in the room that maybe we need to

jump in. We need to start serving, Lord.

Would you, not what I say, but would

your word, would your spirit convict our

hearts? And God, if we need to start

serving on Sunday mornings, if we need

to get involved and maybe go above and

beyond and serve on Sundays and then

join in on a a Bible quiz or we're

arrangers or girls ministries, Lord, let

us have the the grace and then the

faithfulness to say yes to you, Lord,

because we invest in the next

generation. We invest in our students.

Lord, I pray that right now, even before

we leave, if you're speaking that to us,

any of these areas, Lord, whatever the

challenge is, Lord, I pray as

individuals, we we'd have the courage

and the strength to say, "Lord, I'm

going to do what you've called us to do.

I'm going to do what you've called me to

do. I'm going to be obedient,

Lord, because we believe in students and

we're going to invest in them. It's

going to lead towards one more person

coming to know Jesus, Lord, that we see

now and that's going to happen over time

in the future." So Lord, we're just

thankful today. We love you.

We love you, Lord. We're thankful that

healthy disciples don't just follow you,

but healthy disciples help someone else

follow you. And so God, when it comes to

the youngest amongst us, help us be

those people. Help us help us be healthy

in our walk with you so we can share you

the goodness of what you've done and who

you are in our lives.

Lord, I just want to say I'm so thankful

and I believe you're proud of this

church as well. We're proud, Lord, of

the leaders

that are among us, those that pour into

our kids every week, those that let them

uh just grow towards you and service and

disciplehip opportunities. And Lord, I'm

thankful for this church. And Lord, help

us as a body reaffirm, Lord, students

matter and we will continue to invest in

them,

Lord Jesus.

We love you.

We love you. We love you.

Lord, as we close this prayer, Lord, I

pray that every kid that walks in this

building or in our care, wherever that

might be, Lord, that they would feel

your kindness and your love and your

grace. And maybe even some kids that

come and that's not what they get at

home. Lord, when they walk in this

building, I pray that they would feel

your presence through your people in

such a powerful way. The kids would just

want to come to church. They would just

want to come on Wednesday nights. They

would just want to come for Bible quiz.

They would just want to come because

they're in our presence. And we have a

love that only can come from you, God.

And they would feel your goodness every

time they experience a moment, a

disciplehip moment, a sp a moment in

your presence or even in the foyer.

Lord, let our kids love church as they

love you, God. And let us be a part of

that because we welcome them. We cheer

them on. We lift them up even when

they're in a struggling moment. Lord, we

thank you today. We love you. We love

you. We love you. You are so good.

You're so good, Jesus. It's all for your

glory. In your name we pray. Amen. And

amen. Come on. Our God is good in this

place. He's so good. And I just want to

say thank you one more time. Thank you

all that you're a part of kids ministry.

If you say, "Hey, I need to get

involved." Stop by the new here table.

Come talk to one us of us. Or you can go

to radiant.family. You can always do

that church center app. Get signed up.

We want to pour into the next

generation.

God is good. He's good. Remember this

Saturday, Saturday morning prayer at

9:00, our tailgate party at noon in the

gym. It's going to be a blast. Bring

your kids, bring your friends, bring

whoever. It's going to be amazing. And

then our rad fam funday uh this Sunday.

Grab a card on the way out so you can

invite somebody. And uh looking forward

to it. It is going to be amazing. Last

thing, if you're part of life groups in

any way, we have our meeting in 13

minutes in the connect room. Or maybe

you say, "I just want an in interest in

it." Come on. Come on. Join us. We're

going to have a good time. Leading a

life group. Sorry. If you're leading a

life group, uh, join us at 11:30. Uh, or

interested in it. But this week, Radiant

Life, be careful what you watch, be

careful what you listen to, be careful

what you talk about. Savor the presence

of Jesus. Have a great day.