MINDfield Part 5 | Landmines of Chains with Chris Schlotterbeck

Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd

like to connect with HCV, go to hcv .church forward

slash connect. If you feel called to give, go

to hcv .church forward slash give. And if at

any time you feel called to make a change in

your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the

message. Good. So good to see everyone. Standing

room only. It's beautiful. If you're joining

us from home, welcome. Thank you for sitting

on your couch and hanging out with us. So we're

in the final week of our March message series

called Minefield. It's been a great month, great

series so far. Would you agree? Okay. Not too

excited about it, but that's okay. I know for

me, I'm thinking and seeing a little bit clearer

in the last few weeks discussing these issues.

And today, I simply want to talk about a category

of mental health that a lot of people don't always

address. Here's the reality. We have a spiritual

enemy. Many of us know that. And see, our spiritual

enemy attacks those of us that are pursuing the

heart of God. As we've been working through this

series, maybe we've made some changes. Maybe

our mental outlook is a little bit clearer. And

typically, we always think that our enemy comes

at us when we're struggling. But see, he often

attacks us harder when we're healing and desiring

to be more like Jesus. And in the changes that

we've been making over the last few weeks, these

changes have begun to solidify. which has allowed

us to grow closer to God. We've been experiencing

a little bit more peace, a little bit more joy,

a little bit more hope in our life. Maybe you're

sleeping a little better. Maybe the anxiety is

not as constant. Maybe you finally made some

decisions that you've been putting off. Maybe

that self -doubt has been silenced and you've

received that you are, in fact, a masterpiece.

Well, see, it's when those truths solidify in

our heart, that when fear begins to whisper?

What if these changes, what if this progress

doesn't last? What if that problem, that addiction

that I once had returns? Am I really better?

Was I really healed? See, those thoughts are

real. Those whispers are true. And the Bible

addresses them in many different places. So today

we're going to close out our Mind Field series

by simply discussing the importance of protecting

our minds, taking care of our minds so that we

can think clear, so that we can see clear, and

that we can truly walk in abundance. So let's

open in prayer. Holy Spirit come. God, we just

acknowledge that you're already here. We're grateful

for your presence and your peace. God, I just

silence any distractions in Jesus' name. And

God, I just pray that you would open our minds,

our hearts, our ears to receive your truth today,

God. May we all be changed as we gather together.

In Jesus' name, amen. So that leads us to our

first truth today. See, Jesus wants his followers

free. Jesus wants his followers free. Paul writes

in Galatians chapter 5 verse 1, so Christ has

Galatians 5:1

truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay

free and don't get tied up again in the slavery

to the law. Now the context of this verse, Paul

is speaking about the freedom from the law. But

this principle, this principle about being free

applies to any area of our life that Jesus sets

us free from. We are in fact free indeed. And

I want to show you a very direct and very literal

translation of this verse. It's from the English

Standard Version, the ESV. And this translation

reads, For freedom Christ has set us free. Now

notice, Paul uses the same root word two times

in the same sentence. Freedom and free. That's

called a cognate construction. And Paul is using

the same root word, not by accident. It was actually

by choice. Paul is trying to show us that freedom

was the intention. That's why Jesus came. Jesus

came, yes, to forgive us our sins, but he didn't

just come to forgive us our sins. He came to

set us free from the burden of the law and the

things that hold us hostage in this life. Anything

that's less than God's will for your life, Jesus

desires to set us free from it. How do I know

that? Well, Jesus shared these words in John

John 8:31–32

chapter 8, verses 31 to 32 and 36. Jesus said

to the people who believed in him, you are truly

my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.

And you will know the truth, and the truth will

set you free. And then in verse 36 he says, so

if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

So obviously Jesus wants to set us free from

this worldly grasp. That literally grabs a hold

of our spirit, grabs a hold of our minds, and

pulls us away from God. For example, many of

us can reference this chain. It's a real chain.

It's not plastic. I'm not going to break it in

my own strength. Thank you, Steve. All right,

it's a steel chain. Weighs about 20 pounds. And

imagine this chain represents all the different

issues that we've been addressing with our mental

health in this series. All the things that hold

us back. Scarcity, fear, anxiety, guilt, shame,

negativity, lust, sin. And quite often when those

things are in our life, we want to break free

from them and we try to do it in our own strength.

But it's just not possible. This chain can't

be broken. And when we try to fix it in our own

strength and in our own will, then suddenly we're

going to God constantly asking for forgiveness.

God, forgive me. I'll try harder tomorrow. God,

forgive me this time. I won't mess up again.

I won't use again. I won't look again. I won't

say those words again. And we're constantly going

back to God day after day after day, seeking

the forgiveness, which is good. But Jesus doesn't

want us to come to him every single day struggling

with the same sins, struggling with the same

issues. He wants to do what? He wants to free

us. But see, when we try to do things on our

own strength, we're not able to do that. We just

get more and more consumed with guilt and shame.

We get overwhelmed. We feel like we're not good

enough. And that's when the enemy then takes

a lock and he puts it into the chain and he seals

it shut. And then we feel like we can't move

anywhere and we're stuck. But see, Jesus always

gives us the key. And do you know what the key

is? It's him. He is the key. We have the key

available to us. Whenever we choose, we just

have to choose to what? We have to choose to

use it. And when we use it, then the chains can

come off, not in our own strength, but in his

strength. The point is, Jesus came to set us

free. Freedom isn't something we earn. It's something

Jesus gives. Paul says it this way. Christ has

truly set us free. But then he takes it a step

further and he says, hey, church, make sure you

stay free. Don't get tied up again. In other

words, fight to stay free. How do we do this?

How do we do this? often attacks us harder when

we make changes. When we desire to become more

like Jesus, we join a growth group. We're in

now what? We join a team, right? We're serving

in the church. We're going to give away flowers.

Maybe some of you signed up to get baptized.

Now you're second guessing it, right? He'll fight

you when you're down. But once you start to make

changes, looks out because he wants to bring

you back down to where you once were. He wants

you to go back into bondage. And how do I know

that? Well, 1 Peter 5, 8 reminds us, hey, church,

stay alert. You're a great enemy of the devil.

He prowls around like a roaring lion looking

for someone to devour. So Paul is, again, reminding

us, stay alert. Resist him. Stay firm in the

truth of Jesus. See, we can't just walk blindly

through life once Jesus sets us free. Because

if we just walk blindly through life, the enemy's

going to tempt us and he's going to lure us back

to what? Back to the chains. Because he knows

when we're in bondage, we're no good for God's

kingdom. See, Jesus doesn't just want to free

us one time. He wants us to live free all the

time. And we have to be careful in this. Paul

again writes in 1 Corinthians 10, 12, if you

think you are standing strong, be careful. not

to fall. Now it's interesting where he writes,

be careful. Because notice Paul doesn't say,

if you're feeling weak, be careful. If you're

feeling empty, be careful. If you're feeling

vulnerable, be careful. No, he says, if you think

you're standing strong, if you think you got

it all together, be on guard. Be careful. Because

some would argue that the most dangerous moment

spiritually is not when you know you're vulnerable,

but when you think you're not. When you think

you got it all together. Be careful. Be careful.

Be careful. Which moves us to address three ways

that we stay mentally strong. Three ways staying

mentally strong. Which leads us to our first

one. We have to be careful about our inputs.

Be careful about our inputs. And you say, well,

what does that mean? We have to be careful about

what we allow into our minds. Okay, just think

about your iPhone or whatever kind of phone you

have or your iPad or your computer, whatever

comes across your feed. How's that? The music

you listen to, the shows you watch, the people

you talk to. I want you to think about your inputs.

Why? Because whatever gets your attention gets

into your thoughts. And your thoughts, they may

start real small, but they don't stay small.

See, once those thoughts begin to take root,

they start to grow and then they start to spread.

And the more you think a thought, the easier

it is to think that thought because God created

our mind to have these things called neural pathways.

And we make these neural pathways in our brains,

good and bad. And if you're thinking on the wrong

thoughts, they're going to take you in the wrong

direction. And that's why Paul wrote in Philippians

4 .8, Dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable,

right, pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think

about things that are excellent and worthy of

praise. See, Paul says to think about what you're

thinking about. Think about what you're thinking

about because your thoughts shape your mind,

your mind shapes your heart, and your heart shapes

your life and where you're headed. That's why

Solomon wrote these words in Proverbs chapter

four, guard your heart above all else for it

determines the course of your life. In other

words, be careful about your inputs because what

fills your mind fills your heart. What forms

your heart determines the course of your life.

And please don't overlook this truth. Every single

one of us need to be open to what the Spirit

of God will show us today. Reflect on what you

look at. Maybe how you relax in the evening.

What do you stream? What movies do you watch?

What shows are you into? Now reflect on what

you listen to. What type of music? What genre?

Now ask yourself, are these two helping me become

more like Jesus, or are they pulling me away?

Are these two strengthening my mental outlook,

or is it weakening me? Is it building my faith

in God's truth or is it creating anxiety and

fear? Do I feel left out? Do I feel depressed?

Is it helping me get stronger in the kingdom

of God and more secure in my relationship with

Jesus? Or is it distracting me from the truth

that sets me free and keeps me free? Because

when you scroll through our culture today, which

many of you are doing, some of you are doing

it right now. You're literally asking God for

a peace of mind. God, I need peace. And you're

feeding your mind with things that cause you

anxiety. See, what you consume every day, if

it makes you feel angry, fearful, insecure, empty,

anxious, left out, if it makes you feel anything

less than a masterpiece of God, change the input.

Change it. You have the power to do it. Think

about this. Social media went mainstream in 2004,

followed by Instagram launching in 2010. It's

only 16 years ago. Now look at the numbers. Anxiety

and depression has doubled in teens and young

adults. 16 years. And the crazy thing is social

media is now normal. For most of you, it's just

a normal thing. But just because it's normal

doesn't mean it's healthy. Now, some of you,

social media is a gift. It's mostly good. You

stay in touch with people. You learn interesting

info. You post random cat photos. You know who

got married. You know who's having a kid. For

some of you, it's good. For the others of you,

it's literally wrecking your life. And if you

take an honest look at it objectively, you would

say the experiment has gone totally wrong. So

if the results aren't healthy, what should we

do? Change it. Are there benefits? If the answer

is yes, then they're mostly benefits, then enjoy

it. If the benefits is costing you your mental

health, then change the input. Now, some of you

think, well, Chris, I don't do social media.

Good, God bless you. Maybe you're scrolling the

news in the evening. And then suddenly you can't

sleep at night. You're having nightmares. Don't

look at the news. Choose not to be informed.

If you're streaming shows that literally lower

your standards and desensitize you to sin, makes

swearing normal in your life. It's just a normal

pattern. Makes looking at other people having

sex on TV acceptable. Maybe you should change

what you're watching. Just saying. If you're

listening to music with a great beat that makes

you move your body, but the lyrics are encouraging

you to compromise your faith, you might want

to change what you want to listen to. Be careful

with your inputs. Well, Chris, I don't want to

be religious. Good, I'm not religious. But I

also know that there's things that I can put

into my mind that are going to pull me away from

God rather than pushing me closer to him. You

don't have to be religious to make a change.

Just choose to live a godly life. Number one,

it's all about your inputs. Be careful about

them. Which moves us to our second focus. Be

careful about our habits. And this is so important

because as you're growing in your mental health,

your habits sustain your mental health. How do

you heal? You heal by God's grace, forgiveness,

freedom. and hard work. You stayed healed by

God's grace and healthy habits. The habits you

keep will keep you healthy. Paul said this in

Galatians 6 -7, you will always harvest what

you plant. There you go. In other words, what

you sow over and over again brings to harvest.

If you have healthy habits and are practicing

them, you're going to have a healthy harvest.

If you have unhealthy habits, you're gonna have

an unhealthy harvest. So what do we do? Well,

if there was something that was hurting you mentally

in your past, create healthy habits that keep

you free in the future. And it could be anything.

Again, back to anxiety. Maybe anxiety is ruling

your mind. Then create a habit of the first thing

you do when you wake up is to spend time with

God in prayer and reading the Bible. Can I get

an amen in that? All right, but here's the habit

you have to create. That's a good thought, but

you've got to set your alarm 30 minutes earlier.

Some of you are like, okay, I'm out. Do you see?

See, the habit is not the devotional time. The

habit is setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier

so you can have the devotional time. And when

we allow the truth in the Bible to rule our minds,

Comfort comes to our spirits and it guides our

very steps. See, we're creating habits for us

to stay healthy. For some of you, you're burnt

out. You're working too hard. And you're working

so hard going in so many different directions,

it's literally destroying your life. Okay, take

a truth from the Bible called the Sabbath, where

there's a day that you don't work, you don't

go to work, and you turn off your phone so you

can recover. You might then find that when you

live God's way, you're more productive the other

six days of the week. God's promises are true

and set us free. If you find yourself always

feeling left out, you're doomsday scrolling.

My life is empty. Everyone else's life is amazing.

She's having a massage. She's spending time in

the sauna. Now she has new shoes and a boyfriend

that put the ring on it. I'm bored, stuck, and

empty. Look, if that makes you feel bad, limit

yourself to 20 minutes a day on social media.

Stop doomsday scrolling. If you don't like the

outcome, change the input. For me, personally,

I've been struggling with adoption lately. It's

been a long 20 years of church planning and pastoring

you. I love you. So the week after Easter, we

have decided to give our entire staff the week

off. Why? Why? Because we need it. And I didn't

even recognize it. I was going to keep on working.

Thank you, Tracy. And whoever else came up with

that idea. Why? Because that's just in my nature.

I work and work and work and work. But we have

to intentionally create a habit for all of us

to stay what? Healthy. You have to do the same

thing. If you find yourself consistently struggling,

look at your habits. Certain habits make you

struggle more. Certain habits make you become

healthier. Remember, how do we heal? We heal

by God's grace and hard work. We remain healed

through God's grace and healthy habits. That's

why Paul said in Romans 12, brothers and sisters,

I plead with you to give your bodies to God because

of all he has done for you. Let them be a living

and holy sacrifice, the kind you'll find acceptable.

That's truly the way to worship him. And he continues.

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world.

Let God transform you into a new person by changing

the way you think. If it's normal in this world,

it doesn't have to be normal in a Jesus follower's

life. Because we are not of this world. We are

now a part of the kingdom of God. Be careful.

with your inputs. Be careful with your habits,

which leads us to our final focus. Be careful

about our relationships. Proverbs 13, 20. Walk

with the wise and become wise. Associate with

fools and get in trouble. And we thought mom

quoted that. See, if you find yourself struggling

mentally today, look at your friends. Look at

who you're hanging out with. After all, 1 Corinthians

15 says, don't be fooled by those who say such

things, for bad company corrupts good behavior.

And again, back to Proverbs chapter 12, the godly

Proverbs 12 · chapter mention

give good advice to their friends, the wicked

lead them astray. Let's pause and look at our

relationships. If you're trying to stay mentally

healthy, you cannot spend a lot of time around

people who make you sick. If a friend of yours

starts to pull you back away from God, love them,

encourage them, but redefine the relationship.

You don't want to be shaped by them, but you

can still love them. I mean, this is an obvious

truth to all of our friends in recovery. We have

a lot of friends that gather with us on Sundays

that are in recovery. And all of them know that

if you're addicted and you're wanting to get

free of drugs, You don't want to spend the night

at your drug dealer's house. Because chances

are you're going to use. That's obvious. But

so often when it comes to our mental health,

it's not as obvious to us. But if you begin to

notice that every time you hang out with a certain

friend, you walk away feeling a little dirty,

a little less like Jesus, and you're becoming

more critical, more angry, more bitter, or more

negative. Maybe it's time to stop spending so

much time with that friend and redefine the relationship.

You love them, you encourage them, but you don't

spend a lot of time with them. And if you want

to get mentally healthy, you want to stay mentally

strong, you have to recognize that everyone from

your past doesn't have to come into your future.

Sometimes you have to let the past be the past.

So we have to be careful about our inputs. We

have to be careful about our habits. And we have

to be careful about our relationships. And let's

just pause there a second. Just focus on and

think about who and what is shaping your life.

And remember Paul's words. Be careful. Be careful.

Be careful. Stand strong. Practical wisdom from

the Bible. But quite often when it comes to that

practical wisdom, it's good and we stop right

there. But we have to remember there's a spiritual

component. We have to feed our spirits as well.

Because if we only focus on the physical and

the practical side of life, then our relationship

with Jesus suffers. And then the filling of the

Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit

isn't there. And then we rely on our own strength,

which leads us back to the chains, which leads

us back to the temptation. So we have to remember.

It's a both -and approach. Practical, wisdom,

yes, and spiritual. Which leads us to our spiritual

focus. Prayer is powerful. We have to be prayerful.

Why? Because prayer touches the heart of God.

Prayer moves the heart of God, and God responds

to our faith in prayer. That's why Paul wrote

in 1 Thessalonians 5, 17, stop praying. And we

have to understand that truth. We have got to

apply that truth. For example, if you struggle

with anxiety, it's both physical and it's spiritual.

It's both and. It's not one or the other. It's

physical because of what we're putting into our

minds, whether it be the news or relationships.

But it's also spiritual because we're not getting

advice from God and allowing him to direct our

steps. Do you feel depressed? There could be

a very real physical component to you feeling

depressed. For example, maybe your hormones are

out of whack. Or your vitamin deficiency. Or

you could just be going through a very difficult

season of life. But there's also a spiritual

nature. It's both and. Do you feel angry? You

may be a victim of abuse or someone that harmed

you in your past, and you don't want to live

that way because the Bible says in your anger

do not sin, but you also have to embrace the

spiritual side. If you're struggling mentally,

emotionally, physically, remember we're a body,

we're a spirit, and we're a soul, meaning our

mind. The spirit lives in the body. The body

takes care of the mind, and God cares for everything.

See, our battle is not just against flesh and

blood. It's not just against people. It's not

just against the world, but it's spiritual. We

have an enemy. We have to be prayerful. And for

so many of you, you're like, well, I don't even

know how to pray, Chris. I don't even know what

that means. I hear it all the time. I don't know

the right words. I don't know what to say. I

don't know what God wants me to hear. And then

here's Paul telling me to never stop praying.

How do I do that? Three simple steps. Are you

ready? First one's this. Just keep it simple.

I was going to say stupid, but I didn't. But

I did. Keep it simple. Prayer is not about the

words. It's not a script that we follow. Prayer

is about connection with God. That's all it was.

Jesus never required complicated prayers. Never.

He never said that only the pastors should pray.

He never said that. Matthew chapter six, verse

seven through eight. When you pray, don't babble

on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers

are answered merely by repeating their words

again and again. Don't be like them. For your

father knows exactly what you need even before

you ask him. Think about that. God isn't impressed

by length. He's not impressed by words. He's

not impressed by posture. You know what God responds

to? Sincerity. God responds to honesty. God would

rather hear a help me than a perfectly orated

speech. He would rather hear you say help me.

And for those of you that don't know how to pray,

if you can talk, you can pray. And if you can't

talk, then chances are you know sign language.

And I believe God knows sign language too. Because

he knows our what? Hearts. He already knows what

we're going to say before we even say it. So

for you to say you don't have the words to say

is a complete lie. For example. God, I'm tired.

And tell him why you're tired. God, I need you.

Tell him why you need him. How about starting

our day with, God, thank you for allowing me

to wake up today and breathe a big, fresh breath

of air. And tell him why you're thankful. That's

how we pray. There shouldn't be one person that

says, I don't know how to pray. or what to pray.

If you know how to talk, you can pray. Which

leads us to our next step in becoming prayerful.

Keep it honest. Keep it simple. Keep it honest.

We already learned when Jesus shared that God

already knows our hearts. He knows what is happening

in our lives. You know what he's waiting for?

He's waiting for us to be real. He's waiting

for us to be honest. He's waiting for us to stop

pretending that he doesn't know because he does.

And in the Psalms, David didn't hide his emotions.

Notice Psalm 22. My God, my God, why have you

abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I'm

going for help? Every day I call to you, my God,

but you do not answer. Every night I lift my

voice, but I find no relief. When's the last

time you prayed that prayer? Because if you're

struggling, that's what should be coming out

of your mouth. David prayed in fear. David prayed

through anger. David prayed through confusion.

David prayed through doubt. Read the Psalms.

It's all in there. And here's the reality. God

can handle our truth. Even the messy parts that

we want to hide from him. And see, the struggle

for many of us is when we hide it. We hide it

because we know if we bring it to the light,

that change will happen. And we're afraid to

bring it to the light. So I want to challenge

you this week. Bring it to the light. Because

that's when freedom begins. You don't have to

clean yourself up before you talk to God. Be

honest with him. God, I'm mad. I'm angry. I'm

upset. I'm frustrated. This happened in my life.

I lost my job. I can't pay my bills. I'm drowning

in debt. I don't understand, God, what is happening

in my life. Why are my children struggling? Like,

talk to him. Well, what if I don't hear back

from him? Keep talking. And then give him time

to speak. Because quite often we don't hear back

from him because we don't shut up enough to listen.

We just want to tell him all of our pain and

all of our doubt and all of our frustration and

how we're just mad at him, but we won't listen

long enough for him to speak. Honest prayers

build a real relationship with Jesus. Honest

prayers allow for us to trust him with our lives,

which leads us to our final step in becoming

prayerful. Keep it real. Keep it honest. Keep

it going. It's not a one -time thing. It's not

a prayer that you pray before a meal. It's literally

a lifestyle. 1 Thessalonians 5, 17. Never stop

praying. Now, some of you are like, Chris, how

do you do that? How is it that you never stop

praying? It's not that you never stop praying.

It doesn't mean you just pray nonstop all day.

It's about being connected to Jesus. That's what

it means. It's about relying on the Holy Spirit.

That's what Paul is telling us when he says,

never stop praying. By the way, for those of

you that have never memorized a verse, oh, I

can't do it. They're too long. Guess what? I

found a verse for you to memorize that's not

that long. Look. Look. I think we can all memorize

it together. What do you think? Let's all try.

1 Thessalonians 5, 17. Are you ready? Never stop

praying. Yeah, you did it. Give your neighbor

a high five. Give them a high five. Give your

neighbor a high five. Why are you staring at

me? Give your neighbor a high five. Jeez. You

did it. It's a reminder. Don't just pray when

life is falling apart. Never stop praying so

it doesn't. Like remain in prayer. Practical

ways to keep it going throughout today. You ready?

Just talk to him before your feet hit the ground

when you wake up. Holy Spirit, come fill me with

your presence. Give me direction today. Pray

and worship in your car on the way to work because

you're going to need it. And then more importantly,

pray and worship in your car on the way home

from work because you don't want to bring that

garbage to your family. Pray over every meal,

especially the ones you're at work. Pray before

you fall asleep. Pray when you're in crisis.

Pray when you have to make a decision. See, keep

coming back to God even when you don't feel like

it. And then you're going to realize the connection

is real. See, consistency in prayer builds strength

over time. Keep it simple. Keep it honest. Keep

it going. And what was that verse we just memorized?

Man, awesome. This sermon is a win. Check it.

Because you learned something. Let's all stand.

All right. We're not done by a long shot. So

just because I'm making you stand, I'm creating

healthy habits for you because you are tired

of sitting. So just everyone relax. So I was

praying about how to close out this series and

I felt like I needed to read the Bible over you.

I felt like I needed to read scripture over you

because the scripture is truth. And there's a

section in the Bible that refers to us standing

strong and remaining faithful in him. It's in

Ephesians chapter six, verses 10 through 18.

And Paul says it this way. A final word. Be strong

in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on all

of God's armor so that you'll be able to stand

firm against all the strategy of the devil. For

we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies,

but against evil rulers and authorities in the

unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark

world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly

places. Therefore, church, put on every piece

of God's armor so you will be able to resist

the enemy in the time of evil. Then, after the

battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand

your ground. Stand it. Put on the belt of truth

and the body armor of God's righteousness. For

shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good

news so that you will be fully prepared. In addition

to all these, hold up the shield of faith to

stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation

as your helmet and take the sword of the spirit,

which is the word of God. Pray in the spirit

at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert

and be persistent in your prayers. For all believers.

Everywhere. So Holy Spirit come. Seal that truth

in our hearts today God. Release your presence.

Your peace. Your joy God. And empower. This community

of faith. To stand firm. To stand strong. In

your truth. By your power. In Jesus name. Amen.

And listen, I want to encourage some of you lovingly.

As I was praying about, praying a simple prayer,

and many of you know I pray a simple prayer every

single week, that I needed to challenge a certain

category of people. Next week is Easter. And

we're going to see a huge influx of people that

you invite to be here. And the crazy thing is,

many of those people are going to attend a church,

and they're going to think, I'm checking the

box. My relationship with God is okay. And simply

stated, for many of them, it's not. Because church

isn't about checking a box. Church isn't about

going to church. And I felt like God said to

me that there were going to be people here this

week that you've been in church your whole life.

It's just become a part of what you do. But unfortunately,

it's not about the relationship with him. It's

about checking that box. So I want you to search

your heart if you fall into that category and

ask yourself, am I in a relationship with Jesus?

Am I forgiven? Is he my Lord? Do I make him my

priority? Do I know the difference between living

in the world and being of the world? Do I know

that difference? Do I want to be in the world

living for him, bringing his kingdom to it so

other people experience new life? Or do I just

use it as a crutch, an excuse to move forward

and say, I'm a Christian and I'm okay? So allow

the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart this morning

and answer that question for yourself. Because

we're going to pray a simple prayer. And if you

know that you're distant, far from God, or haven't

started that relationship, start it right now

as we all pray it together. Amen? Let's pray.

Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of doubt. shame,

regret, sin. Change me. Forgive me. I believe

you're God's son. I believe you died for me.

Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit.

Help me, God, to serve others. In Jesus' name,

amen. There are several words of knowledge I

want to share with you, but one word was around

John chapter 5. And in John chapter 5, Jesus

John 5 · chapter mention John 5 · chapter mention

came up to a pool at Bethesda, and he found a

lame man, a man that was lame for 38 years. Jesus

looked at him and said, when Jesus saw him and

knew he had been ill for a long time, he said,

would you like to get well? And I believe Jesus

is asking that same question to us. And my challenge

to you is don't be like the lame man. Yes, he

walked away healed, but notice his answer. I

can't, sir, the sick man said, for I have no

one to put me in the pool when the water bubbles

up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.

That's an excuse. The lame man had an excuse

for not getting well. I believe all of us now

know that Jesus is initiating grace for all of

us. He initiates grace. It's our faith that makes

us heal and whole. And for some of you, you need

to step out in faith, believing that God's gonna

heal you for anything that you're struggling

with in this life because in your life, it's

pulling you down mentally and you need a breakthrough.

And the words of knowledge were, you have constant

and consistent headaches that you're struggling

with every day. Pain on the top of your left

ankle or foot. pain at the base of your neck

that goes down into your right shoulder. You're

struggling with overwhelming fear that doesn't

allow you to experience peace. If any of those

are you, I want to encourage you to step out

in faith, get some prayer, get some healing.

And if you did commit your life to Jesus, our

baptism is this Friday on Good Friday. We have

a worship night and a baptism. Be a part and

experience God's grace. Love you guys. Can't

wait to celebrate Easter with you next weekend.

I'm coming, Frank. God bless you.