Anything Is Possible Pt. 2 | Chris Gross | Radiant Life Church

Awesome. Well, this morning we are in

the middle of our Nehemiah sermon

series. If you have your Bibles today,

you can turn to Nehemiah chapter 2.

Nehemiah 2 · chapter mention

We'll be in chapter 2 and chapter 4 this

morning. But, you know, when I was

thinking about this this morning and

thinking about the sermon and what God

has and these the scripture that I just

felt that I was supposed to talk about

this morning, I would begin to think

about moments maybe in my life or in the

life of this church. If you don't know,

I've grown up in this church literally

since I was born. Uh, Pastor Dave and

Kay, they started the church in 1980. I

was born in 1984, so therefore, I've

been here my whole life, minus going to

Springfield, Missouri for college uh,

for a few years. But thinking of the big

moments in my life, how it takes an army

of people to accomplish something, uh,

big really cool things. Now, when I grew

up, like many of your students, we got

the the opportunity uh to go to youth

camp. And youth camp was always

something was like, "Woo, this is so

much fun. I love youth camp. It is

amazing." Uh I actually saw one of our

couples. I don't Are the doves in here?

I know they're in the building. They

might be uh on the safety team today,

but they were walking around earlier

that they met at youth camp, I think in

middle school, and they This doesn't

happen often. And I'm not encouraging

this students, but they literally dated

on and off all the way through and they

got married and they're a family that's

been a part of the church literally my

whole life as well. They grew up uh

Heather along with me. Just really cool.

But when I was a student, I always

thought camp's just amazing. Pastor Nate

ran camp for a decade here in Ohio. And

what? You just show up. It's easy. It's

not that big a deal, right, Christa?

Royal Family Kids Camp. You just show up

like the kids come. It's not that big a

deal. And then you jump in and you start

to, let's say, lead camp. And you

realize that camp doesn't just happen.

Camp isn't just something that takes

place, but it's something that literally

possibly hundreds of people work on to

see it happen from registration and

planning and preparation. And did you

know that the games and the services and

the worship teams and the sound systems,

the food, all the stuff, it doesn't just

show up there, but someone made that

happen. someone worked hard to see it

take place. You think of the effort that

is put in and when you go to something

you're like, "Oh, this is easy. Come on.

This is good. I just walk in and people

are here and everyone's doing it." No,

that's hundreds and hundreds and

hundreds of hours of work to see it

happen. Now, maybe you've been to a

place where the work was not put in and

you're like, "What in?" Right? maybe

other places. But there could also be

things if we want to think our country,

how we were formed, what happened. A

group of people got together believing

in the same way to say this is where

we're going to go. And they were

literally willing to lay down their

lives for the cause, right? When we are

united, when we're together, when we're

moving in the same direction as a

people, just about anything is possible.

Almost anything. I mean, all the way

back to the Old Testament where the

people began to build a tower to reach

heaven and God's like, "Oh, no. This

isn't good. They're too united." And

spread the people out and gave us

different languages. Why? Because when

we're united, there is such a

possibility of what can take place.

And right on the other side of that

possibility is then I mentioned camp. a

group of however many 50 100 when we got

there 75 to 100 people that are on the

campground to help the four five almost

600 students who are being ministered to

and I'm going to be real there were have

been years at camp where everything is

smooth and all the leaders get along and

it is just fun. I'm like I am an awesome

leader like awesome.

And then the next year comes around and

you're like why is everyone mad at each

other? Like what is going on? I'm like,

I'm a terrible leader. When when you're

united, things are fun and things are

happening. When you're not as a

leadership, maybe it's just to help you

pray, but Pastor Nate, you pray more

like, Lord, what [laughter] is going on?

Help us. I actually remember a uh year,

it's been a long time ago now, but where

we were at camp and God was moving and

showing up, of course, but it just

wasn't it was like everything had a

resistance. And we literally had extra

prayer times where the leadership got

together and prayed and said, "Lord, we

don't know what's happening, but we just

know there's more. We know there's

more." And I really believe it's because

unity was a problem. And until the group

could be together, we couldn't truly

experience what God would have for us.

When I think of Radiant Life Church,

when I think of who we are, I think

there's a few areas in our in our

ministry, in our life, in our personal

life, where we can either be fully in

line with Jesus, or where we can miss

what he's doing. And sometimes it's not

only like, "Oh, I don't like this

person, Don. I don't like you. You're

sitting on that front row. You're

looking serious." Like, sometimes we

could have that problem. But, you know,

even more than just being mad at

somebody or being upset with someone,

sometimes we're just not together. And

we're all around. We're all here. We're

not like mad at each other. We're here,

but we also aren't moving in the same

direction. We're not aligned to go the

same place. We're not working with the

same pace. We're not moving in the way

that maybe God would have us all move

together. We're just kind of all

present.

Maybe in fact you've been in places

where you've like I felt that I would

say problem before where yeah everyone's

happy, everyone's present but are we all

doing our part? Are we all moving in the

same way?

I can think of family gatherings and uh

growing up and my dad, my mom, they'd be

working super hard and we'd be getting

right towards putting the food on the

the table and uh what what seems to

always be the thing? We got to get ice

in the glasses. And there came a moment

when my parents, one of them would be

like, "COULD SOMEONE JUST COME AND PUT

ICE in the glasses so we could be

ready?" It was like the moment of we are

so close. We've got everything ready.

Everything's going to be great, but if

we could just have one more set of hands

put in effort here, we're going to get

done at the same time. We're going to be

ready. We're going to be prepared. I'm

sure in your family gatherings, there's

never been a moment of anybody, anybody

going to help.

But I think sometimes we can be present

and we can be happy and we can be

uplifting, but we might not all be

rowing in the same direction, going for

the same goals, believing for the same

things, and therefore we're all just

doing what we do. When you know when I

think about church life and when I think

about our relationship with Jesus, I

think sometimes personally we can be

there. I love Jesus, but I'm not

necessarily following like a plan of

Lord, I want to grow in you. Lord, I

want to experience you. I'm not

necessarily in the word in a daily base.

I'm not necessarily letting him him

transform me. But I love him with all of

my heart. And as a church family, I

think we can be in the same place

sometimes. I love Radiant Life. I love

coming. I love our kids. I love our

youth ministries, but also I love just

being able to come and go and not have

to be too involved because that takes

effort. So, you know, anything you

really care about begins to be something

you think about it, something you put

time into. It's something you put your

your heart into.

And in Nehemiah and we we started in the

process and looking last week in

Nehemiah chapter 1 and the people who

Nehemiah 1 · chapter mention

were were in this place and Nehemiah's

prayer of Lord I got to do something.

The walls of Jerusalem they've been torn

down. We are a laughingstock. We've

literally been exiled. We've been taken

away. Say this cannot be the plan of God

saying we must do something.

And I think there's those moments when

maybe even not to this extreme but

something like it where we we get off

track from what God has and it takes a

person or a group or a a whole body that

would say we are going to be sure that

we do not let ourselves drift. We we

want to be right in line in the way that

God has for us as individuals. Lord, I

don't want to be drifting in my walk

with you. But Lord, I want to be right

in line with you and with what you would

have for me as a church family. I don't

want to be a part of anything unless we

are united and we're alignment. We're

going in the same direction.

We're not a bunch of ministries or a

bunch of groups or a bunch of things,

but we are one body that the Lord has

called the Radfan.

for what we said that where we believe

the presence of Jesus is going to be

felt and people are going to be loved

because of the power of the gospel. And

if we're going to see some things we're

going to talk about next week and vision

and and some tweaks and changes even

just how we do a few little things,

we're going to see these things take

place and see us move forward in God. We

have to be united. We have to be bound

together.

I think of our church staff in 2025 and

we've been walking this journey of of

really working how do we make goals and

plans for each one of us for our

ministries for our church as a whole

that we're moving in alignment and then

we're walking through my favorite

dashboard. Uh it's called our rocks

dashboard. It's got all of the projects

that our pastoral team is working on

that I can look at at any time and see

what our team is doing. See what the

processes are looking like. See if they

feel red, yellow or green. like, ah,

everything's falling apart. Yellow, I'm

kind of in the middle. Green, woo,

everything's going great. I can see the

progression of us being aligned and

moving forward together. Something's

fun. Something's exciting when we get

there. But if we're in a place like we

see here in Nehemiah, it's hard. It's no

fun. And I want to be sure as we start

2026

as a church family, we are going in the

same way. We're attached and a part of

what God is doing here. And maybe for

some it'll be like it hasn't been in a

long time. Or maybe for some you're

like, I've never jumped in in that way.

Maybe for some you are brand new and

you're like, wow, that this sounds good.

Let's go. Let's storm the castle. Or

maybe you just need more information,

but I pray. And as we look today, I

believe God has some truths for us as

individuals, but also as a church body

of what he wants to do of how and what

we need to experience in him so we can

all grow into all that God has for us to

be our vision, what we are believing for

is one more for Jesus. You know that one

more for Jesus doesn't just happen

because we want it to or because we have

some words out on a a wall or because we

speak about it. It happens because a

body of believers say, "This is mine.

This is my church. This is my call. This

is what I'm going to do." And when we

come together, then individually, we're

strengthened. As a body, we're

strengthened to say, "Lord, all the

other things are secondary. My thing, my

love, my no, it's all secondary to

Jesus, you and what you've called us to

to go and make disciples that one more

would come to know Jesus."

God's vision is never a solo project.

It's a family mission. It's something we

all get to do. We all get to be a part

when we unite. Truly, anything is

possible. And today, we're going to look

at three truths that I believe can

really help us as we navigate this

journey. First is we have to own it

before we build it. In Nehemiah 2:1 17,

Nehemiah 2:1

uh we see that they're in this place.

They they Nehemiah has just been praying

and asking the Lord to do something

special. And in Nehemiah 21:17 it said,

' Then I said to them, you see the

trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in

ruins with its gates burned. Come, let

us build the wall of Jerusalem that we

may no longer suffer suffer derision. He

was in this place. He was there and told

the people, we see the suffering. We see

the problems. We see what has happened.

We see that the gates are burned down

and now we must come together to build

the wall. And I'm thankful when I think

of this. I actually prayed, Lord, I I

feel as a church, we're moving in a

great direction. It's not like

everything's in tatters and the walls

are torn down and the gates are broken.

And I felt the Lord speak clearly. Yes,

I I agree. I think that's true. But

we're also not in the place that he

would have us to be for all that he

wants to do. I believe we could say that

in a in a clear way. We're like, 'Lord,

we need you, Lord. Maybe there are areas

and things where there's a problem,

where there's disunityity or where the

gates just aren't built up. We have to

build those things up. We've got to come

together as a church family.

And when we do, when we build, something

special is going to happen. But it takes

owning what's coming before us. not a

person, not a pastor or pastor

leadership team or our pastor's board of

ministry. Next week we'll ratify them at

our vision meeting, right? It's not

about a few groups of people. It's not

about a ministry, but it's about us as

the body of Christ coming together and

saying we own the project, the plan, the

call that God has given us. I own it in

my own personal life and I own it as a

church family.

Nehemiah also, he didn't say, "You guys

should do this. You guys should fix

this." But he said, "Come, let's build

the wall."

I feel like in our culture and in our

day and age, sometimes it's easy to see,

oh man, there's something that needs

done. Oh, something could be fixed.

Something could look different. Even in

our own lives, we don't like to look

there. But instead, it's way easier to

look at the other person. It's way

easier to say, "Well, if they were doing

it right, if they got it together, I I

don't want to speak, but if you're

married, there are times when you're

like, "Well, if they would just fix

this, it would be so much easier."

I talk to people that are walking

through problems. Normally, our starting

point is not, "If only I could fix this

area in my heart, everything could be so

much better." But it's almost 100% of

the time. If Don would just fix it, then

we could have a better relationship. if

Don could figure it out.

And I want to say something today. It's

not a you, but it's us. We have to come

together. We have to go forward. We have

to move into what God has so that

everything can be built and put together

in the way that he would have us to move

forward. God's vision always requires

ownership.

Paul says the body grows when each part

is working properly. In Ephesians 4:16,

Ephesians 4:16

vision dies when people spectate. Vision

dies when we look at what could be.

Vision dies when we say, "If only this

would happen, then something good would

take place." Rather than picking up the

tools that we need to build and to

become a part of what God is doing.

Culture so says this that is someone

else's job. Someone else will do it. But

God says this is our calling. We can be

united.

And really as we start, you know, the

thought 2026 is we cannot build what we

do not own. We can't build if we are not

united. We can't build if we're not

moving together. We can't build if as a

family we say, "Hey, our goals and our

dreams and our beliefs are for this."

And therefore, we as a church family are

going to rise up. We're all going to be

a part. We're all going to move forward.

Vision moves from dream to reality when

we all take responsibility.

Don't just attend. I want to encourage

you. Don't just attend, but own the

vision. Own the call. This is your

church. This is your body. We get to do

this together. We are the body of

Christ. Own it before you build it.

Second, the wall won't rise without

unity. In verse 18 of Nehemiah chapter

Nehemiah 2 · chapter mention

2, it continues and says, 'I told them

of the hand of my God that had been upon

me for good and also of the words that

the king had spoken to me and they said,

let us rise up and build. So they

strengthen their hands for the good

work. There was something about the

people not only saying, Nehemiah, he's

great. He's leading us. Nehemiah is

walking this journey. But the people

said we will rise. We will build. We

will prepare.

As we continue on, we see they actually

do the work of building. They actually

do the work of rising, of of picking up

the tools and putting in the hard work.

Now, I just want to say, I was thinking

about this, to build the walls of

Jerusalem in their day and age. I mean,

today would be tough, but they don't

have the equipment that we have. They

don't have the things we have. It was a

decision that we're going to lay

everything else down and we are going to

build what God is calling us to build.

We're going to rebuild the walls of

Jerusalem. We're going to put them

together. It was in fact, I think, a a

declaration of identity and strength. We

together are going to do what God has

called us to do. We together are going

to move forward. Every stone put in the

place that it needs to be.

I think they really were speaking these

walls. We belong to God and we will not

be defeated. We belong to God and his

blessing and his peace in our life. We

belong belong to God and what he wants.

He desires one more for Jesus. I just

want you to know more than we desire one

more for Jesus. And we cannot be

defeated when we align with him and his

call.

The early church in Acts chapter 2 and

Acts 2 · chapter mention

beyond, they didn't just gathered, but

they shared life. They shared

opportunities. They shared ministry.

They shared their literal food. They did

whatever it took to see the gospel push

forward. And what happened? The gospel

spread like wildfire.

And from one community, from one place,

the gospel now is almost all around the

world. There's a few places we got to

finish off, right? We're believing for

those. But the gospel is all around the

world because of people who said, "We're

together and we're willing to give

everything for the sake of the gospel.

Unity reflects the nature of God

himself, God the Father, God the Son,

and God the Holy Spirit, three in one.

It's something about being united in him

that unlocks so much more, so much more

than we could do or experience on our

own.

Jesus prayed in John 17 that he would be

one as he and the father are one, that

we would be. And there's something about

that. He prayed, "Let us be united. Let

us be together. And I would ask the

Radiant Life Church that we wouldn't

only stop in the growth we've seen in

2025, but that we would be a people who

say, "Lord, we're just starting. Lord,

our unity, our togetherness, our

serving, our heart for the lost here and

around the world. It's just the

beginning because we believe there's

more. There's more that you are doing."

Culture would tell you, "Do your own

thing. Go your own way. In fact, live

however you want to live. just be happy

in it. That's not what the word of God

would say. He would say, "Do this

together. Do it under his banner. Follow

him. Walk in him." And for some of us in

the room,

isolation might feel easier. It might

feel like if I can just be alone, it's

going to be all right. And I might have

problems, but I'll be fine. I'll get it

done. I'll figure it out.

But when we're together or when we're

alone, it kills impact. What we can

accomplish, what you can do, and who we

can be. Unity might sometimes feel

harder, but multiplication

momentum happens when we as the church

family move forward together.

When we work together, walls rise

like in Nehemiah. Vision move forward.

One more for Jesus happens over and over

and over again. I believe when we move

forward, we get to see things like

Pastor Matt Sullivan and Katherine

passing that on to Pastor Matt Clark to

say, "Lord, we're just going to keep

rolling with what God is doing because

the vision is real and it's all of us

and we get to move into who he has us to

be." And I want to encourage us as a

church family in a time where I don't

know of any big riffs or I don't know of

any big problems. Thank the Lord. But

could we be a people that we speak life,

not criticism,

that we lift one another up, we

encourage those, even those who are

struggling, we help them along the

process. We don't kick them while

they're down, but we help people walk

and navigate the disciplehip process in

their life. Could we be a united group

that speaks life and not criticism?

Because when the rad fam moves together,

anything is possible. Just like in

Nehemiah, anything is possible

this morning. We have to own it before

we build it. The wall won't rise without

unity. And third, this morning, serving

or work, it builds what talking never

will.

When we jump to Nehemiah 4:4, it says,

Nehemiah 4:4

"Here, oh God, for we are despised. turn

back their taunt on their own heads and

give them up to be plundered and a land

where they are captives. Do not cover

their guilt and let not their sin be

blotted out from your sight, for they

have provoked you to anger in the

presence of the builders. Verse six then

says, "So we built the wall and the wall

was joined together to have a tight for

the people had a mind to work." And when

I think between what we read in chapter

2 and what we just read in chapter 4, it

goes through a list of groups of people

who were united as one but took

responsibility in their own way. The

high priest rose up with his brothers

and they built the sheep gate. The some

other sons built the fish gate. Some

other people repaired the gate of

Yashana. Uh some other people built the

valley gate. It just continues on that

as they joined together as one, each

group began to pick up the pieces, began

to put back in place, began to do the

hard work of repairing the walls

until in verse six.

They had done the work. They had got it

to that half level. They had had moved.

The walls were now all the way around.

They were on their way.

You know, sometimes I think when we

think of life, we just got off of the I

I just I hope you were a part and if

not, this week would be a great week,

but a week of prayer and fasting. And

hopefully it just sets up the pattern of

your life for the the year to spend time

with Jesus and get in the word. Can I

just say I I don't want to be uh called

a heretic this morning, but if we come

and we wake up and morning and we pray

and we never take any action on what God

calls us to do, we get in the word and

we never have life change. We get in his

spirit and he speaks and we never take

forward progression. We never take

ground on what he's doing in our heart

and we just sit there.

I'm just saying I think we're missing

what God wants. No, we come meet with

him. We experience him. We let the word

become real in us. Why? So that we can

get the tools and we can start to build

the wall and we put the gate back

together. Why? So we can see one more

come to know Jesus. And we get to do

that on Sundays. But church, it goes

well beyond Sundays into every part of

our life. And we spend time with him and

we talk and we pray just like Nehemiah.

Why? So that we can pick up the tools

and the weapons that we need to do and

accomplish what God has called us to do.

Church, we pray. We believe. We cry out.

We ask so that we are prepared and ready

to go into battle so we're ready to

fight for the things that matter to

Jesus.

Serving work things that are valuable.

In fact, I mentioned Pastor Dave and Kay

started this church in 1980. Yeah, I I

don't think there's a harder working

person than my dad who works. He would I

think his love languages work like he

just works morning to night. I I grew up

obviously in his home and everyone would

go to bed and he might go back to church

to work like I don't even think he

needed to but he just needed to do more

stuff to work. He just enjoyed it. It

was like you watch a football game I'll

go work like ah nice

wait work. But you know what I will

never doubt because I saw him is he was

someone that would wake up and I don't

know how many hundreds or probably

thousands of times I saw him with his

Bible on the kitchen table and he would

re was reading and spending time with

the Lord. He had put in the the work of

talking and of hearing the Lord and of

being in prayer. He would go to prayer

gatherings for pastors all over the city

of Columbus. He would spend time in

prayer, spend time believing, spend time

asking, spend time Lord Jesus. And then

he would get his shovel. A lot of times

literally his shovel. He would get his

hammer. He would work. He would write a

sermon or do the things that he was

called to do in that moment. It wasn't

one or the other. And we must be people

that pray and cry out and ask and

sometimes look and evaluate, Lord, what

do you want to do? How do you want to

move in me? What do you want to look

different?

And then as the Lord in strengthens and

powers, then we must be people that

work.

You say, "I'm going to go. I'm going to

go where you called me to go." I

mentioned that that we celebrated the

life of Chris Little and it was amazing

the pastors and the leaders from all

over the world literally that were here

that were just saying someone 19 years

that gave her life to see Zambia and the

people of Zambia come to know Jesus. and

she was a hard worker and she'd go where

people other people didn't want to go.

She would do things other people didn't

want to do.

Why? Because she understood the heart of

what God was doing. And what did she do?

She got a group of people of churches

and pastors from America that would

support and pray and they could be

united a part of the AG Assembly of God

World Fellowship where we're united to

reach the world for Jesus.

And she gave her whole life to her dying

moment. And even then, she's like,

"Lord, if you heal me, I'll go back

because there's another tribe. There's

another group. There's another village.

Lord, are people are we praying? And

then are we working? We're giving it all

to Jesus." And I just want to say that

as the body of Christ, as individuals,

we must be people that spend time with

Jesus. and let that time with Jesus

transform into us moving into what he's

called us to do and who he's called us

to be. Janelle, if you want to come on

back up here on the piano, that would be

great.

And this morning, as we think, what's

this look like? What does this mean for

us? Maybe individually for you. What

does it mean for me? And what does it

mean for you? When we think of the walk

with the Lord, when we think of our

church, I think culture would say

consume. Culture could say, "What can I

get?" Culture would would say, "Hey,

what else can happen here? What can be a

blessing in my life?" And as a church

family, I pray that that's what we do is

I hope that people come and they get to

experience him and kids are discipled

and trained and we're going to tweak and

figure out what can we do to reach one

more person for Jesus.

But I would pray that as the part of the

rad fam that if this is your church home

that we're also that you're not here

just to sit. You're not here just to

receive.

There may be seasons or times where

that's good or appropriate. But then

there's the moment where we've spent

with Jesus and we've we've talked with

him and we let him change us and renew

us. Maybe we've just jumped into

relationship with him.

But then we say now it's time that as

I'm being discipled, I'm going to

disciple others. As I'm walking in the

Lord, I'm going to help people follow

along in the journey. I'm going to

contribute to the call that God has

given me, but also us because we're a

part of [music] the Radfam

together.

I mentioned our our family gatherings

and when we grew up until just a few

years ago, most of the food, most of the

effort, most of the work, my mom,

[music]

she did it all pretty much. We might

bring a pie that we bought from Costco

or, you know, we might do something, but

she supplied it all.

You know, as it it's gotten to a

different stage of life, all of a sudden

we're hosting Thanksgiving and

Christmas, which seems really weird,

like really weird. And then Jaime's

bringing food and we're bringing the

main dish and dad brings mashed potatoes

and we've got all the pieces and people

who come are throwing in and pitching

in. And I'll tell you what, it was

really great. It was great having mom

just make it all the food and do all the

work and not get any sleep.

Anybody? Yeah. a bunch of you understand

what I'm saying.

But there's something better and sweeter

about when we all are apart and we're

all bringing and we're all doing and we

get there and the stress level just

seems like it has even gone down. It's

like ah cuz there's not one person

carrying this load and trying to do it

all so that we the kids just get to have

a great time.

And I think when we understand the truth

of God, he has so much for you as an

individual. He wants you to experience

and to consume and to experience. But

then church, he's called each one of us.

What is it that I can bring? What it is

that I can do? What part [music] can I

play and seeing this church because

we're a part of this church be able to

grow? What part can I play to see kids

ministry be able to expand where right

now they have 80-ish 90 that are in that

wing on a normal Sunday morning? Well, I

just want you to know on Sundays when we

have 100 or 110 in there this year, I

think we got up to like 119 one Sunday,

it is a lot.

What helps a lot feel like not a lot?

Jamie, you were leading through those

more people. If we want to grow and we

want to be prepared for one more for

Jesus over and over and over, just so

you know, we have to have more people

[music] that say, "I'm willing to pick

up the instrument. I'm willing to, in

this case, I'm willing to love some

kids,

to take care of some kids. I'm willing

to be in an environment where sometimes

some kids are okay. Sometimes all kids,

they can get a little excited in times

when they're not supposed to. But are we

willing to say no, we want to see the

kingdom of God, our little portion that

we get to steward and work together as a

family grow.

We need to see a whole lot more kids

ministry volunteers. Maybe you have

skill you never told, but you first of

all are a team player and you're like,

"Hey, and I can play instruments or I

can sing." [music] You know what? We

need more. If we're going to grow and

expand, we need more in the body. Maybe

you say, "I've never worked a camera in

my life, but it looks fun and I would be

willing if you trained me." Or maybe you

say, "I love this stuff."

Does that mean I have to show up at a

certain time? Yeah, it takes discipline.

Every piece of work takes discipline,

right? Maybe first impressions. If

you're grumpy looking, you can't do it.

But if you can smile and keep it on the

whole time when you're out there

greeting, then Liz would love to have

you come and join. And as we as the body

of Christ get to do [music] these

things, and this morning we're talking

about Sunday morning things that are the

life, the engine of the church, there's

all the other things, all the other

ministries, all the other places. But

church, when we rise up and [music]

stand up, then all of a sudden we don't

say, "I don't have enough. We can't

figure it out. we can't have any more

[music] kids or we can't split that, but

instead it's like, hey, this is great.

Can I just speak just for a moment? What

would happen if in kids ministry we just

had so many adults that on some days

it's like, "Hey, thank you. Could you

just be praying in service just in case,

but we don't need [music] you to be here

this morning." Like anybody that would

be amazing, Pastor Jamie, you did it for

a long time. There's some other kids,

pastors and the pastor in the room.

Like, woo, that would be wild.

What would happen if that's [music] the

side where we were instead of maybe like

the dinners for my whole life up until a

few years ago where one [music] person

does all the work and makes it happen

and sometimes you just have to put on

your back. No, we don't want to be that

kind of place. [music]

And my ask today is truly not for people

to just sign up for stuff. Although that

[music] hopefully would be the overflow.

But my ask is this the place that God

has you to be a part of the family. And

if so, would you seriously pray?

Seriously ask him, Lord, what does that

look like for me to get connected? Not

to just consume, not just to come, which

is great and great starting spot and

great seasonal thing, but Lord, what is

it that I can do so that we could be

ready?

As a church family, I'm just going to

let you know I'm believing. We're

believing as a church staff, we're

believing that we're going to see double

kingdom impact, which would include

we're going to give twice as much to

missions. I'm believing over the next

three years, we're going to be able to

see eight or more $100,000 a year we're

sending out. I'm believing we're going

to see double impact in our numbers,

[music] which would mean that we go from

400ish to 800ish. That's a whole entire

different place. And some people might

say, "That's too big. I don't think

anything's too big if it's for the

kingdom of God." And we're not looking

to be a mega church. I don't care about

that. But I care about one person coming

to know Jesus. And if they keep doing

it, we've got to grow. That's how it

works. But church, we [music] cannot see

the practical things, the growth things,

the spiritual things happen unless

there's more people that are leading,

more people that are saying hello and

running the things that make it

comfortable. more people that are

leading and singing, more people who are

caring [music] for our kids,

maybe more people who would even say,

"You know what? I don't know if the kids

ministry is my number one thing, but the

Lord has given me a call to it." And

this is weird cuz I would have never

thought and it'll give you grace for the

things that he would call you to. And I

don't know what he's got. But what I do

know is [music] as a church family, if

we can be like the people here with

Nehemiah in Nehemiah and we could say,

"Lord, we're going to do it together."

And Lord, we've got a dream. Lord, we've

got a vision. And now we're going to go

hard after that vision and we're going

to do it not with 20 or 30 [music] or

40% of us picking up the tools and the

weapons and making it happen. But what

happens if 80% of us, which means maybe

there's 20% that are new and figuring it

out or in a season of rest because of

life or that's good. That's that's

healthy.

But what happens if we all say we're

going to rise?

And my invite to you today is that

Sunday morning is kind of the the engine

of the the life of the church. And we

would invite every person [music] that

you make this your home at least once a

month to say, "I'm going to serve on

Sunday morning. I'm going to be a part.

The four main areas in production, and

worship, and first impressions, in kids

ministry." If you say, "I I should

start. I should have started." This

would be a great time. I can promise you

this. My team hears it. Liz is going to

make sure it happens. if you sign up,

we're going to be calling you. We're

going to be texting you. We're going to

figure out what that looks like. And not

because it's something that just helps

us, but I believe with all my heart that

when we come together [music] and when

we are united and like the people here,

great things are possible as a whole.

But I also believe that when we

participate, [music] he does something

in me, in you.

He builds us and draws us. And community

is so important. And when we are serving

together and building up together,

[music] we're a part of a community that

gets together at 9:00 on Sunday morning

and we pray together.

What do you need in your life? We talk

to each other as we stand. [music] We

talk as we serve and kids or maybe first

impressions wherever we get to sit and

the Lord speaks. There's something about

it. And today my ask is that you would

pray, Lord, this is this is my place.

You're here. Most of you, this is your

place.

We invite those maybe that are new. make

this your place and [music] then ask

him, "Lord, what do you have for me?"

If you're not sure, you can sign up. You

can go out to one of those boos and

we'll follow up with you. You can talk

[music] to to Liz. Come let her know to

Pastor Nate. They would love to just

connect with you. We'll go sit down at

at dinner or coffee with you and we'd

love to just pour into you. What What is

it? What does God want to do? How's he

want to move in you? Because that's what

it's all about.

So I want to [music] encourage today

that we as a church we build with

purpose.

Today that is a call to join teams to

use your gifts. But it's because I

believe so strongly through the word

that when the rad fam serves together

when [music] we're united when we're

moving in the same direction truly

anything is possible.

And God has so much that he's doing

already and so much that he plans to do

through this church which is you.

we get to be a part of it. And so as we

close today, there's a few things that

you can ask the Lord. Number one, I

mentioned membership. It's 15 minutes

[music] right after church in the

connect room. If you say, "I need to

become a member." We invite you. Would

you come stop in the room? You're not

signing up anything until you sign up in

there. But I would love to talk with you

for just 15 minutes or so, connect you

with how and what that looks like

[music] to become a member. And uh that

would be option one or a thing maybe out

of there. And then for the rest, maybe

you're not a part and you say, "You know

what? I need to jump in." Pick an area,

[music]

one of the four areas that are out

there. First impressions, kids ministry,

production, worship. Say, "Hey, I I just

want some more information. We'd love to

walk that [music] journey with you.

Let's get connected. Let's be together."

And before we leave, my prayer. And what

we're going to close with is that

[music] we would be as the Rad Fam

united. We would be moving in the same

direction. that we wouldn't be separate

ministries or ideas, but we would be

moving in what God has called us to

because anything is possible when his

church is united. So this morning, if

you would, could we just stand to our

feet today? If you're able this morning,

maybe if you're okay as well, can we

just lift our hands to the Lord just as

a sign of s surrender to him? And Lord,

we are thankful today, Lord. We're

thankful for [music] who you are, Lord.

When we read your word, unity is so

important. Psalm 133, where brothers

dwell in unity, there the Lord commands

the blessing. And Lord, we pray that you

would bind our hearts together. That you

would let us be united like at no other

time. Lord Jesus, united with the call

to see one more [music] come to know

you, Jesus. That who we are. That's it.

Lord, changing lives, developing [music]

leaders, sharing the love of Jesus, and

not only here, but everywhere. Lord,

that's our call. So Lord, would you bind

us together to accomplish what you

[music] have called us to accomplish.

And Lord, I pray for this church. In

fact, I pray for people [music] that

they feel disconnected, Lord, in their

life. They feel like they're alone. They

feel like they don't have that [music]

support around them. And specifically

when it comes to the truth of your word

and spiritual support. And I would pray

today that you would bless and you

[music] would encourage. and Lord that

this even today would be a day when many

would say this is my church. This is my

home and I'm going to become a part of

what you're doing.

Lord, would you bless Lord? I would pray

that nobody could come here and [music]

feel like there's outsiders or on the

outside, but Lord, that they would each

one of us feel like we're connected.

Lord, help us individually [music] to

take the steps to be sure that that's a

reality.

Lord, we love you. We thank you. We

praise you. And we ask you for a mighty

move of your spirit. Even as we go in

the foyer, even as we talk, even as we

[music] encourage one another, Lord, let

us be built up in you and what you have.

We thank you. We praise you. We worship

you today, Jesus. You're so good. You

are so good, Jesus. We thank you. Bless

your people. Let us walk in you. And

even while we think about and as we

commit to unity, Lord, I pray this week

that you would do special things in

these people in their lives, in their

homes, in their jobs, in their families,

whatever situations, in their bodies or

their health. Lord, build up, encourage,

and bring life. We love you. We thank

you. Give we just give you glory today.

You're so good. You're the only one

that's worthy. You're the only one. And

we give you all the praise. It's in your

name we pray, Jesus. Amen.

Amen. Well, I just want to say thank you

for coming today. One more time, if you

want to jump into membership or learn

more in the connect room, talk out

there, find a place you can get

connected. Wednesday night, join us for

midweek, we get to sit at tables and

talk and discuss and get in each other's

lives. And then one more time, next

Sunday morning, vision service. [music]

One big service 10:00 followed by a

vision meeting and potluck. Bring a side

or a dessert. And we're so thankful for

you this week. Be careful what you

watch. Be careful what you listen

[music] to. Be careful what you talk

about. Savor the presence of Jesus. Have

a great week.