MINDfield Part 3 | Landmines of Decision 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. Welcome to HTV. It's your first time

here. Thanks for joining us and checking us out.

If you're joining us from home, thank you for

welcoming us into your space. So a few years

ago, psychologists started using a phrase that

perfectly describes our current culture. Decision

paralysis. Decision paralysis. Today, we live

in the age of unlimited options. You open a streaming

app to watch something, 20 minutes later, you're

still watching the previews, have watched nothing.

Because there's hundreds of shows, thousands

of movies, endless options. You go to the store

to simply buy toothpaste, and suddenly you're

bombarded with 37 different kinds. Whitening,

extra whitening, charcoal, sensitive, enamel,

organic, not organic. You name it, they have

it. You can't even go order a cup of coffee without

feeling like it's a test. Short, tall, grande,

vente, iced, hot, oat milk, almond milk, half

sweet, double shot. And the list goes on and

on. And we smile and we laugh about it. But unfortunately,

there's something deeper happening in our culture.

See, the more choices we have, the harder it

becomes to make a decision. Studies have shown

that younger generations, especially millennials

and Gen Zers, are experiencing high levels of

decision fatigue and anxiety than any generation

before them. Why? Because the pressure today

isn't just to make a decision. It's to make the

perfect decision. People are now searching for

the perfect career, the perfect spouse, the perfect

path, the perfect life. And with endless options,

people live with the constant question, well,

Chris, what if I choose wrong? So instead of

moving forward, so many people feel stuck. Not

moving forward, not going anywhere, just simply

floating through life. For those of you who may

not know this, 2026 is HCV's 20 -year anniversary.

20 years is sort of a milestone, if you will.

And of course, with any anniversary celebration,

memories always flood into your mind. Just this

week, I was reflecting on the day Jess and I

got engaged. We were both attending Shepherd

University. It was right around this time of

the year. I had freshly made the last payment

in cash on an engagement ring that was designed

and made just for her. which allowed me to make

a plan on where and when the question would happen.

It was a beautiful spring day, just like the

one we had this past Monday. Spring fever was

in the air. We finished our morning classes,

packed a lunch, and headed for the mountains

for a hike. My plan was to return to a beautiful

rock overlook that I had hiked to the previous

fall at Cunningham Falls. You know that spot

where you're standing on a rock, it's a valley,

there's no one else around. It was the perfect

spot for the perfect question that would mark

the memory of a lifetime. Unfortunately. Everyone

say unfortunately. Thank you. Once our hike began,

at some point on the journey I missed a turn.

And suddenly I found myself going in circles

on the same trail. Of course, with circles comes

questions. Where are we going? When are we going

to eat? I am hungry. Isn't this a good enough

spot? Why do we keep on walking? Eventually,

I realized I wasn't going to find the perfect

spot, so I found the next best choice and overlooked.

It looked over Frederick County, and we stopped

and had lunch. After lunch, I got down on one

knee, shared my heart, asked the question, will

you marry me? When showing her the ring, her

response was a gasp and an oh my. To which I

thought to myself, what does that mean? So I

got down on one knee again and asked her the

same question. Because I did not hear a yes,

and if you're asking a question of this magnitude,

church, we want to hear a yes. Thank you. So

you might have guessed it, she said yes to me

in the dress, meaning we have been married for

28 years. Now that day, that day was full of

plans that were already made. Full of decisions

that were already made. And here's where I'm

going with this. Because you might know this

verse in the book of Jeremiah. In fact, you might

have a t -shirt with these words written on it.

Or a coffee mug that you sip every single morning.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the

Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster

to give you a future and a hope. It's a beautiful

promise God gave to the Israelites in a time

when they really needed encouragement. They needed

a reminder that he is a good God with good plans.

And so much about that verse is true for you

and me. See, today we have a good God with good

plans that he's already marked out, laid out

for us to walk in. However, too many voices can

create confusion for us. Our modern culture is

louder than ever. Social media, podcasts, influencers,

experts, family, friends, everyone has an opinion

about how we should live our lives. Platforms

like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube constantly

present lifestyles, opinions, and paths that

we can follow. The result? People are overwhelmed

by voices. When every voice claims to have the

answer, it becomes very difficult to know which

voice to trust. So this morning, our March series,

Mind Field, continues with an encouraging talk

on church. Let's make some more decisions, which

leads us to our first thought. See, daily decisions

determine direction. Daily decisions determine

direction. Proverbs 4, verse 26 says, Give careful

Proverbs 4:26

thought to the past for your feet, and be steadfast

in all your ways. Give careful thought to the

paths for your feet. See, direction requires

intentional decisions. And one of the biggest

problems in modern culture is that people, especially

young people, are drifting instead of directing

their lives. Our culture says, go with the flow.

Follow your feelings. Do whatever makes you happy.

Do what feels best. But the Bible, the Bible

says something very different. The Bible says

give careful thought to the path of your feet.

What does that phrase mean? It means to examine,

weigh, and consider the direction of your life.

In other words, God is saying your life doesn't

drift towards purpose. It moves towards purpose

through intentional choices that we daily have

to make. Decisions that are presented to us,

I believe, by God. that we need to respond to.

Indecision leads to drifting through life. Remember,

Jeremiah 29, 11, you know I mentioned a little

earlier. For I know the plans I have for you,

says the Lord. They are plans for good, not for

disaster, to give you a future and a hope. And

see, so many people in the church, they want

God to have the perfect plan laid out for them

to simply follow. They just want to follow the

plan. Almost like they would receive direct message,

a DM from God with every plan that he had laid

out for them in the future. For example, in 2026

you will graduate high school and you're going

to go to this specific college. I highly recommend

you do this major so it actually lines up with

your career that you're going to do, which is,

by the way, for you so you experience fulfillment.

Here is the person you're going to marry. All

you have to do is exactly five weeks from this

date on the weekend service at the 1145 gathering

at HCV, you are going to be worshiping in the

middle section. When a quiet time slows down,

you open your eyes and make eye contact with

a young gentleman just for a moment, but it sows

a seed. Because 25 minutes later, you're going

to be in the cafe, and just some wisdom for the

future, you don't stand in a circle with five

other girlfriends, or else you're going to intimidate

the young man. Simply get in line for coffee

because he's going to get in line for coffee

too. And when you go to reach for that lid, he's

going to reach for the same lid and accidentally

graze your hand. You'll make eye contact and

suddenly you realize, oh my gosh, he's the one

that I made eye contact with. We are worshiping

and the rest is history. How amazing would it

be if that would actually happen? And it would

go even further. Here's the job you're going

to take. Here's the house you're going to buy.

Here's the school district you're going to live

in. Here's the one year that you need to homeschool

your kids. Here's the sports they need to play.

Here's the stocks you need to buy and sell. And

then when you retire, here's the person who will

take over your company. Oh, by the way, you know

all those weddings you're invited to? Here's

the ones you should attend and not attend. And

just blame not attending on me. See, God has

plans for us. And it would be so helpful sometimes.

If God worked that way, but actually, truth is,

he doesn't. We're trying to follow a God we can't

see with a voice we sometimes can't hear into

a future that we simply don't know. He will guide

us, but he will not decide for us. He gives us

the freedom to choose. Craig Groeschel says it

this way, we want God to show us what to do,

but God gives us the wisdom to decide. James

1 .5. If you need wisdom, church, ask your generous

God that he will give it to you. And notice what

that says. He will give it to you. He will not

rebuke you for asking, but when you ask him,

be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not

waver for a person with divided loyalty is as

unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown

and tossed by the wind. See, we read that verse

thinking it's a great verse, but deep within

our subconscious, We are thinking, God, just

show me what to do. It would be so much easier.

Don't just give me the choice to decide. This

is true because recent studies indicate that

we are getting worse and worse at making decisions.

Indecision, in fact, is now considered an epidemic

for a few different reasons, of course. The first,

experts are calling the paradox of choice. Just

like I opened, there are now more options than

ever before. Options go up. Decisions go. Here

is the definition for option. Opportunities for

more stress, more fear, more doubt, more frustration.

Studies have now shown that kids that have more

toys play less with them overall. The more options

present, the more sense of feeling overwhelmed.

And let's not forget. The new dating scene, which

is dating apps. In one dating app alone called

Hinge, there are 23 million options. That's one

dating app. And it's not just the paradox of

choice, it's the illusion of perfection. Straight

from the CEO of Hinge, Justin McLeod was quoted

as saying. It's almost as if we have created

this never -ending search for the perfect unicorn

soulmate that nobody can actually find because

it doesn't actually exist. But yet, he is making

billions of dollars off of our indecision. The

fear of not picking the perfect leads to indecision.

And indecision, if we're honest, might be quietly

destroying us from the inside out. Why? Because

indecision causes exhaustion during the day and

restlessness at night. Maybe that's why you're

not sleeping so well. Commitment has become lost

in the pressure to make perfect decisions, which

ironically, what's it lead to? Delayed decisions.

And here's the reality. More info often produces

less confidence. And with less confidence comes

questions. I often hear it as pastor. God, what

does God want me to do, Chris? Here's your answer.

You ready? He wants you to decide. There's no

perfect plan coming. God's not going to send

you a message into your DM. He's sovereign. You

have free will. And that's a paradox because

they're both true at the same time. He holds

all things together in his sovereignty. And in

his good plans, all of our decisions are held

together to produce abundant life. Tim Keller

says it this way. God's plan works through our

choices, not around or in spite of them. It's

time to make more decisions. And if you're trying

to make the right decisions with God, that sets

you apart from statistics and culture alone.

Remember, God loves it when we confidently walk

through life seeking wisdom from him and making

decisions with him. So for the rest of our time

here this morning, I want to discuss some simple

tools, some steps, if you will, that will help

us make healthy decisions in the first season.

We need to walk with the wise. We need to walk

with the wise. And that sounds beautiful and

it's beautiful and sounds good because it comes

from the Bible. Proverbs 13, 20. Walk with the

wise and become wise. Associate with fools and

get in trouble. Truth. The company you keep will

determine the decisions you make. Did everyone

hear that? The company you keep will determine

the decisions you make. And people often allow

big decisions to be made with the input from

their friends. Therefore, if you want to make

better decisions, it's time to start hanging

out with wiser people. You need to get involved.

You need to plug in. You need to surround yourself

with people that think like -minded and are pursuing

Jesus, not walking away from him. Even on the

softball field. We have softball teams here at

HTV. We are actually adding a fourth softball

team this year to the Tavern League. So Lance

wants you to know that he needs a few more players.

So if you're interested in letting your light

shine for all to see, see Lance directly after

this. He'll be wearing a bright yellow parking

vest, and you can't miss him. We can't walk in

God's good plans with bad friends. We can't live

an abundant life with the wrong people. Here's

the reality. It's basically impossible to find

freedom from addiction if you're surrounded by

people who are active in addiction and don't

desire to be free. Who are you surrounding yourself

with? Who are your friends? Who are you keeping

company with? It's basically impossible in high

school or college to stay pure and fight for

that truth if you're not doing life with at least

a few people who are fighting for that same principle.

You're going to be tempted. You're going to be

lured away from the light. And if you say, well,

I don't have any friends that love Jesus, lead

them to Jesus and get them plugged in. Be the

light. And for those of you that are struggling

with an addiction, specifically a porn addiction,

which is rampant within our culture, we are launching

two recovery groups this spring. Not going to

ask you to raise your hand. Not going to ask

you to stop by the welcome hub because you won't.

But at your convenience, you can simply scan

the bus on the back of the chair and look for

groups and support groups specifically is where

you will find help. How do we walk with the wise?

Find a mentor. Surround yourself with people

who are where you want to be. And listen, don't

look at their dreams and say you want to achieve

those. Look at their decisions and how they got

there. Because their decisions are part of their

journey, and their journey is what leads us to

follow them. Think about the journey into the

woods for my engagement. There were several paths

to choose. I chose wrong. If you walk with someone

who knows the trail, you'll likely reach the

right designation, which I didn't. But if you

follow someone who is lost, like Jess was, eventually

you both end up off course. Now hear me out.

It worked out for Jess and I, but it doesn't

always work out in life. If you want your life

to move towards God's plans, walk with people

who love God. Have conversations and listen to

people who pursue wisdom and surround yourself

with voices that lead you closer to Jesus. Show

me your friends and I'll show you the direction

of your life. Direction, not intention. Let me

say that again. Direction, not intention, determines

your destination. Our decisions will make us

or break us, determining where we will end up.

And listen. From the smallest to the biggest,

and we make many small ones every single day,

it determines where we end up in life. From choosing

to go to bed early instead of staying up late

and binge watching more episodes of fill in the

blank. Choosing to wake up early and start your

day with God instead of news, work, or sports.

Life is made up of seemingly insignificant yet

infinitely important decisions. We will not rise

to our dreams. We will fall to our decisions.

Ask God for more wisdom. The prime example for

us to follow in the Bible is Solomon. He was

the wisest man to ever walk the earth other than

Jesus. We learn and God told Solomon to ask him

for anything. He would give it to him. In fact,

he said Solomon as the king at that time said,

I want more wisdom to make better decisions.

Listen to God's response in 1 Kings 3. The Lord

was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom,

so God replied, Because you have asked for wisdom

in governing my people with justice and have

not asked for a long life or wealth or the death

of your enemies, I will give you what you ask

for. I will give you a wise and understanding

heart such as no one else has ever had or ever

will. Learn from Solomon. Listen to James. If

you need wisdom, ask. our generous God, and he

will give it to you. See, this is a prayer request

God wants to answer. Isn't that crazy? We want

God to answer every prayer request with a yes,

but in this prayer request, he says, yes, I'll

give it. But how often do we actually ask for

wisdom? So first, we walk with the wise, which

leads us to our second step. We scout the decision.

Let's say you have a big decision to make about

the next chapter of your life, and the first

thing you need to do, I believe, is gather all

the info or scout the decision. See, many people

today are afraid to move forward because they're

afraid of choosing wrong. Whether it be their

career, relationships, calling, major life decisions,

the fear of making the wrong choice often leads

them to nothing at all. They just drift through

life. And throughout the Bible, time and time

again, God rarely gives people the entire roadmap.

I mean, think about Abraham. He says, go to that

land. Okay? Moses, pick 12 spies to scout the

promised land and gather all the necessary info

in order to move forward with the best plan possible.

We read in Numbers 13, the Lord now said to Moses,

send out 12 men to explore the land of Canaan.

The land I am giving to the Israelites. Notice,

giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from

each of the 12 tribes. So Moses did as the Lord

commanded. Remember what God told him. Take the

land. It's yours. Ten spies said, oh, we can't.

It's too difficult. Two spies said, let's go.

We know what eventually happened. What eventually

happened? Drifting. Wandering. Lost. Right? In

the desert. In the wilderness. Let's say, for

example, you're contemplating a career change.

Or maybe you're considering moving to a new city.

Maybe you're considering getting engaged or married.

Or maybe you're simply trying to figure out what

God is calling you to do. Investigate it. Scout

the decision. You're making a career change?

Talk to someone that's doing that career. Take

them out to lunch. Pick their brain. See if it

fits your desires. Moving to a new city? relocating

to another town, first ask yourself, why? Are

you running from something? Chances are you shouldn't

do it because it's going to follow you wherever

you go. And if it's not that, have you ever visited

or talked with the people that actually live

there? Do they enjoy it? Yeah, a beach town sounds

great until you realize the cost is too much

and the people are snobs. Is it time to get married?

Well, what do other people say about the person

you're about to marry? Have you looked at your

own life to determine if you're even marriage

material? Like sometimes we're afraid to look

in the mirror. And young people, by the way,

you have to talk to someone and put yourself

out there to get a date. Just saying. Searching

for God -given purpose? Get involved. You're

never going to discover your purpose simply walking

in these doors, sitting down, and walking out.

You've got to get involved. You've got to serve.

You've got to volunteer. Give flowers away. Teach

kids. Teach youth. Serve on the worship team.

Whatever it is. And hear me out. I want to remind

you. Your job is not necessarily your calling.

Your job is your mission field. Yes, that you're

called to be the light to the world. But it's

not necessarily. your calling. So how do we involve

God in these decisions? Philippians 4. Don't

worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need. Thank him for what he's

done, and you will experience God's peace, which

exceeds anything we can understand. See, after

you pray and you listen and you have that peace,

right, then you just take a step of faith. Apply

for the internship. Apply for the job. Ask the

question, right? God speaks to us through open

and closed doors. Create motion in your life.

Keep moving towards God, right? As you move towards

God, then he can steer your car, right? God can't

steer a parked car. You've got to be moving towards

him. Well, Chris, how do I know if I'm moving

towards him? John 10, 27, my sheep, listen to

my voice. I know them, and they follow me. See,

as our relationship with Jesus grows, his plans

become more clear to us. Ask yourself this morning,

are you currently stuck in your life because

your passion for Jesus has been waning and decisions

have become more difficult? If that is so, pursue

Jesus, which leads us to our next step, and it's

really simple, halt. If you're hungry, If you're

angry, if you're lonely, if you're tired, halt

before you make any decisions. Do not make permanent

decisions based on temporary emotions. Esau traded

away his birthright and his whole future because

he was hungry. Genesis 25. One day when Jacob

was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from

the wilderness exhausted and hungry. There it

is. Esau said to Jacob, I'm starved. Give me

some of that red stew. All right, Jacob replied,

and you can see his brain turning. Betray me

your rights as a firstborn son. Look, I'm dying

of starvation, said Esau. What good is my birthright

to me now? But Jacob said, first you must swear

that your birthright is mine. So Esau swore an

oath, thereby selling his rights as his firstborn

to his brother Jacob. Think about it. Esau was

hungry, tired, lonely, frustrated. And it led

to one of the worst decisions ever recorded in

the entire Bible. Friends, halt if you're frustrated.

Halt if you're angry. Proverbs 14, 29. Whoever

is patient has great understanding, but one who

is quick -tempered displays folly. Let's not

live lives of folly and doubt. Let's walk in

abundance, making confident, God -influenced,

Decisions, which is our fourth step. Make the

decision. At some point, you have to. The scouting

process is important, but it can easily be extended

through indecision and fear. If you need wisdom,

ask our generous God. He will give it to you.

Ask God. The Bible tells us there is wisdom in

a multitude of counselors. However, let me say

however, too many. Can be overwhelming and confusing.

Sometimes another book. Creates confusion. Another

sermon. Can create doubt. Another podcast. And

you're overwhelmed. It just delays the decision.

Often times you don't need more. It's kind of

like the eternal college student. Who is now

32. Seeking another degree. Waiting. Wondering.

When will they get a real job. They won't. Because

they're afraid of the real world. They're terrified

to make a decision. And if you're in a relationship

with Jesus, listen, please don't over -spiritualize

decision -making. There's fear that you're going

to mess things up because, well, what if I decide

wrong, Chris? Listen, God is not like Hansel

and Gretel, right? He's not leaving breadcrumbs

for us to follow through the forest. It doesn't

work that way. He guides our steps. We choose

the path. And listen, if you choose wrong, God

can still use us and our life for his kingdom.

In fact, sometimes choosing wrong leads us to

making the right decision. You can't allow fear

to dictate decisions we make. How do I know that?

Fear is not from God. Fear is from the enemy.

And remember from last week, it's okay to not

be okay. So make a confident decision, Deuteronomy

31. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid

or discouraged, for the Lord will personally

go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will

neither fail you nor abandon you. He's going

to go with you. God is not a God of confusion.

We have to trust him in the process. Again, with

this being our 20 -year anniversary, many of

you new to our community of faith may have not

ever heard this. and I wanted to share it with

you. 22 years ago when Jess and I began the church

planting process, I wasn't going to plant in

my hometown. Why would I want to come back to

Hagerstown? I was planting in Charleston, South

Carolina. I wanted the beach. I wanted to live

at the beach. And I had a large team of young

people and families who were about to plant with

me. We're talking 40 or 50 people. And you're

like, Chris, how many? I mean, why so many people?

I was in Syracuse, New York. Snow, beach. It's

not that hard of a decision. So Jess and I, one

summer before going on vacation, dropped the

kids off here with the grandparents. And her

and I went and visited Charleston. I was excited

to get there and meet the people that wanted

us to come and launch this church. We had a big

team going with us. The church was going to explode.

I knew that's where we were supposed to be, however,

day one. As we're driving into Charleston, a

hurricane came off the coast. I could barely

drive through the wind and the rain. No big deal.

I looked at Jess. It's just a part of living

in the South. Day three, hurricane moved north,

beautiful, sunny, warm, met a bunch of people,

visited Folly Beach, knew that's the place I

was supposed to be. Day four, packed the car

up, headed to Myrtle Beach, driving north along

the shore. I didn't make it very far because

another hurricane blew in. What are the chances?

Two hurricanes in a week. We had to drive inland

in the middle of the night. We had to evacuate

the coast. And as I was driving inland, I was

like, Jess, what is happening? Now, let it be

known, I was arguing that that was simply God's

Spirit stirring the winds of change in Charleston.

Everyone just nod. Yeah, I can see that. Jess

looked back at me and said, you're nuts. We're

not supposed to move to Charleston. And please

understand, it took me the rest of the vacation

and three days while we were walking on the canal

here at home to realize that God was in fact

calling us home. But the point is, oftentimes

we want things that simply aren't God's best.

And we have to make decisions and walk through

storms so that he ultimately leads us along the

right path, Proverbs 3. Trust in the Lord with

all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show

you which path to take. Here is the reality.

Our minds become a minefield of indecision, doubt,

fear, and anxiety when unmade decisions pile

up in our brains. Maybe for some of you this

week, I'm giving you the freedom to do it. Take

a day off, not for a mental health day, but for

a decision -making day. Make some decisions,

right? You need to go to the doctor. Pick one

and go. You need to get your teeth cleaned. Find

a dentist and go. You need your eyes checked.

Make a decision. Right? We put things off. We

put things off. And it's simply not God's best.

Trusting God is like walking across a frozen

lake. The first step, you're on your tiptoes.

You're gently going out, unsure if the ice will

hold. But as you take a few more and wander deeper

and deeper, you realize it's solid. And then

you start walking with confidence. That's how

faith works. When you trust God's character,

you can move forward even when you don't fully

understand the path. You don't fully understand

the path. Don't be careless in big decisions.

But don't be too careful either. Because it can

lock you down. You can't be afraid to choose.

So we have walk with the wise. Scout the decision.

Halt when angry, lonely, hungry, or frustrated.

Make a decision. Buy the ring, take the job,

sell the house, make the move. Fifth step, own

the decision. Own it. Contrary to what our culture

believes, there is freedom in committing. So

many people believe either they are free or they

are committed. But truth is, in a relationship

with God, freedom comes with commitment. Commitment

breaks the ugly cycle of the paradox of choice.

And what does the paradox of choice do? It wastes

our energy trying to choose. There is freedom

found when we go all in for our jobs. Go all

in. Work your hardest. Right? Be a missionary.

Go all in with that person. Hey guys, you don't

have to date someone for six years. Put a ring

on it. Either you know or you don't. Seriously,

it's not that hard. Go all in for this church.

Go all in for our city. Right? Let's build something

worth having. Make the decision. Own the decision.

James 1. But when you ask him, be sure that your

faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person

with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave

of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

Such people should not expect to receive anything

from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided. between

God and the world. And they are unstable. I believe

drifting in everything they do. What is divided

loyalty? It's second guessing decision. And what's

it do? It leaves you just drifting through life,

full of indecision and doubt. Galatians 6, don't

be misled. You cannot mock the justice of God.

You always harvest what you plant. Let me read

that again. You always harvest what you plant.

And those who live only to satisfy their own

sinful nature will harvest decay and death from

that sinful nature. But those who live to please

the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from

the Spirit. The harvest, right, always reflects

the seed. It never changes. You plant an apple

seed, you're getting apples. The same is true

in life. You sow kindness, you reap strong relationships.

You sow discipline, you reap growth and maturity.

You sow selfishness, you reap brokenness. You

sow sin, it comes with consequences. Every decision

is a seed. Every habit is a seed. Every word

spoken is a seed. Every action made is a seed.

Over time, what happens? It grows into a harvest.

How do I know that? Well, think all the way back

to the Garden of Eden. All the way back to the

book of Genesis. The power of sin was not in

the apple. The power of sin was in the decision

to choose our way over God's way. And many people,

right, they struggle and are struggling. They

want this different harvest, but you keep planting

the same seeds. You can't sow anger and expect

peace. You can't sow laziness and expect success.

You cannot sow distance from God, drifting from

God, and expect spiritual maturity. If you want

to be different and you want a different future,

plant different seeds. Which leads us to our

final step, ironically enough. You grow your

relationship with Jesus. See, I already mentioned

Jeremiah 29, 11 earlier. And so many people,

they read that verse and they want these plans

and they're good plans and then they stop. But

if you talk about verse 11, you also have to

talk about 12 and 13. And listen to Jeremiah

29, 12 and 13. In those days, when you pray,

I will listen. Man, what a promise. In those

days, when you pray, I will listen. And if you

look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

See, verse 11 is about God's plans for us. Verses

12 and 13 are about our relationship with him.

Right? What did God say? Seek me, not the plans,

then you will walk in the plans. See, the world

is offering us a lot right now. When you think

about plans, they have plans and purposes for

everything we do. This is how you're successful.

This is great sex. This is how your marriage

is excellent. Or this is how you walk in purpose.

But let me just be honest with you. What the

world is offering is under -delivering. So many

people are seeking freedom and purpose. It all

comes from God. But as a church, as the church,

we need to commit to making a decision. Stop

putting it off. Stop drifting through life. And

allow God to use you to change the lives of others.

Will you stand with me? You know, I've got to

be honest with you as I close before we pray.

I had this outline done two weeks ago. Felt like

it was right. I was excited about it. Oh, yes,

God, this is perfect for this series. And as

the week went on this week, I began second -guessing

myself. What's this have to do with mental health?

What's this have to do with minefields? And as

I second -guessed myself and questioned whether

I was supposed to speak it or not, as I spoke

it during the first gathering, it was so evident

so many people needed to hear it. We are constantly

bombarded, bombarded with choice. Silence the

voices. Make some healthy decisions to pursue

Jesus and change the tri -state area. Get out

of the chairs. I was about to say pews, but get

out of the chairs. And get out into the world

and desire to make a difference. And again, it

comes down to a choice. Will you make that choice?

So you know week after week we're going to pray

a simple prayer here. Because just being honest

with you, this is the greatest choice any one

person can make. Because it's the choice of experiencing

freedom and eternal life. So we're going to pray

a simple prayer now. We're going to invite everybody

to pray it. And if you're distant, far from God,

walked away from him, don't even know who he

is. I believe he wants to introduce himself to

you personally right now. Let's pray. Jesus,

I'm broken. I'm full of doubt, fear, shame, regret,

sin. Change me. Forgive me. I believe you're

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

you're alive today. Make me new. Set me free.

Fill me with your spirit, God. Help me to serve

others. In Jesus' name, amen. So listen, if you

prayed that prayer for the first time, see me,

hug me, see Rudy, go to the welcome up. Tell

somebody, because we have this baptism, Good

Friday worship night coming up soon, and we want

to get you baptized. There were several words

of knowledge. Don't run out of here. You know

we're not done. And I'll call you out. Pain starting

in the heel and extending into the calf. You

have a tendon on the outer side of your right

knee causing pain. You have pain in the outer

part of your left foot. It stretches from your

heel all the way to your toes. And listen, if

you're here today and you're stuck or gripped

with fear over a decision that needs to be made,

I want to challenge you. Get out of your seat.

Take a step of faith. Get up here on my left

or my right and get some prayer. Our prayer team

will pray with you and believe that God's going

to speak directly to your heart. Okay? Don't

miss the opportunity. Our mental health series,

Mind Filters, continues next week. And we have

two more weeks of it before we celebrate Easter.

God bless you guys. Can't wait to connect with

you next week. Cut off my lifetime. I was stuck

up in that grind. Not knowing you gave your life

for mine. You're the one turn water into wine.

Please fix my heart and things inside.