We Are Family Part 1 | I've Got The Power with Chris Schlotterbeck

Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected

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point during this message you feel called to

make a change in your life, text change me to

97000. Now enjoy the message. So good to see

you gathered here. If you join us from home.

Welcome. Thank you for welcoming us into your

space. Jersey Sunday, one of my favorite Sundays

of the entire year, because I believe it's a

beautiful picture of the church coming together

to worship, even though we have some differences,

right? Different colors, different sports, different

teams gathering to celebrate the one who was

victorious. And listen, that's an important statement

that I want to highlight. Because I'm going to

be sharing some simple practical truths this

morning that can radically change your life.

You know, God is here. He's moving in our community

of faith. But quite often we go through the motions

of church. I just want to challenge you. Be different

today. Engage. Invite the Holy Spirit to come.

To overwhelm your heart, your mind, so that you

can think and live differently. So let's pray.

God, come. Holy Spirit, come. Move in this place.

We give this time to you, God. Wake us up. Clear

our minds. Silence distractions, God. We just

want you to have your way. In Jesus' name, amen.

So this is the perfect Sunday to kick off our

new series, We Are Family. For the month of September,

we're going to be discussing community, what

it means to be together as a family and change.

See, the church is called to live together. We're

called to encourage one another. We're called

to pray for one another. We're called to welcome

and embrace others with God's love that are in

need of hope. Now, over the last two years, I've

visited several new doctors and therapists trying

to figure out a solution to my back problems

that's causing my right foot to go slightly numb.

And it's interesting, when visiting a new doctor,

there's at least 10 different pieces of paper

that you have to fill out, read, and sign. Even

though you already filled out said papers on

your phone before you got to the office. But

you have to do it anyway. And one of those papers

is your family medical history. And those questions

begin with, has anyone in your family ever suffered

from? and there's like a hundred different things

listed on this piece of paper, I get through

the first five and just think, I have no clue.

It just feels like you're absolutely failing

a test. So I just leave them blank and move forward.

But then I got to think, it's interesting that

doctors, when they think about your life and

how they're going to treat you, they connect

our biological history to our present and future.

biological health. See, doctors form a baseline

by first looking at our family history, where

we come from. If this is the case biologically,

could this be the same theologically? See, maybe

for you and I, the most important time in human

history is not right now. It's not the time while

we are living. Though it feels like it, because

we have this little glimpse of life and we want

to make the most of it. But see, as we read through

the Bible, we need to step out of our time, our

daily struggles, our doubts, our fears, and we

need to begin to see life through a kingdom lens,

where God is totally in control. See, Jesus spoke

these words to Simon in Matthew 16, 18. Now I

say to you that you are Peter, which means rock,

and upon this rock I will build my church, and

all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And

when Jesus says, I will build my church, he literally

means the church is his. It's his church. The

word my is a personal possessive pronoun. And

this is important because in 2025, we quite often

say things like my church. Well, this is my church.

And if we're not careful, we can find ourselves

judging and ridiculing other churches because

of our differences. Yet Jesus made it very clear

that this would not be Peter's church. It would

be his church. Which means we should not argue

or discuss different disagreements that cause

division with other churches. Because we're all

still a part of his church. That's why we choose

to use the term that church on our t -shirts.

Because that church just simply means, yeah,

it's... That church, which just means you're

a little different. Now, the first church was

not about preference or comfort. It was about

possession. Possessing Jesus' claim that the

people were now his own. And not only were they

his own, but that the powers of hell would not

conquer this new gathering. So today, I want

to discuss, don't forget where you came from.

don't forget where you came from. A statement

that reminds us of the importance of knowing

our history. A history of people gathering as

the church to change the world. That even the

powers of hell cannot stop. Because see, when

we see ourselves as a part of that history, it

releases a confidence within us to face whatever

is thrown our way today, tomorrow, and into the

next generation. Listen, no politician can stop

us. No government can stop us. No war can stop

us. No crisis can stop us. Because Jesus said,

even the powers of hell will not conquer the

church. And because Jesus made that promise,

we can stand on that promise and understand it

as truth. Jesus then challenges his followers

to go into all the world and to preach and share

this good news with everyone. And we must remember

that Jesus is speaking to a ragtag group of imperfect

people. And listen, that's one of the reasons

I love pastoring our community of faith, that

Jesus is birthed here in the tri -state area.

Look around for a second. We're just a ragtag

group of imperfect, broken people gathering together

as the church, believing he's going to use us

to change the world. Thank you for being a part

of our community of faith. I am humbled and honored

to lead you. After Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,

the recorded history of Jesus' life, ministry,

and miracles, his death, burial, and resurrection,

we come to the book of Acts. Or in your Bibles,

it may read Acts of the Apostles. Now some theologians

say the book of Acts, which is written and contained

in its biblical form, is actually still being

recorded today because the church that we are

a part of, is still on the same mission. And

it's so important that we know and embrace that

we are connected with that truth. See, as we

read the Bible and apply it to our lives, we

learn who I am, what I'm called to do, and what

I am a part of. And when we understand that we're

a part of a family called by God to transform

the world, it changes us. It gives us hope. It

gives us meaning and it gives us purpose. Which

leads us to discuss how we are united in community.

How God brings us together. Four truths that

unite us to boldly move forward. And the first

is this. Love wins. Love wins. Acts chapter 1

Acts 1:3

verse 3. For the next month I'm going to be diving

into the book of Acts. And we're going to read

about this first church, this early church. And

apply it and bring it to 2025 and make it a reality.

Verse 3. During the 40 days after he suffered

and died, he appeared to the apostles from time

to time. And he proved to them in many ways that

he was actually alive. And he talked to them

about the kingdom of God. Now notice, Jesus proved

to his followers that love wins and death is

defeated. It's the uncommon proof that death

doesn't win. Right? Jesus shows up. He's already

been brutally murdered, buried in a tomb. And

now he proves to them in many ways that he had

risen from the dead, that he was alive. I mean,

the scars in his hands and his feet where he

hung on a cross. Jesus actually walked seven

miles with two guys that didn't even recognize

him. He began to teach them about Old Testament

prophecies being fulfilled in his death, burial,

and resurrection. Then their eyes were opened

and they recognized, oh, it's Jesus. The resurrected

Jesus walked through walls and even had Thomas

touch the hole in his side where the spear punctured

his skin. Why is all this important? Why would

you tell me that, Chris? Because during Jesus'

time and the preceding times before Jesus, the

people believed and worshipped many gods. They

had gods of fertility. They had gods of sun,

gods of rain, god of the harvest. They had gods

of water that would protect them while they were

on their ships. And all these different gods

that would protect and serve the desires or needs

that they had as people. Then God shows up in

human flesh in the person of Jesus and conquered

the one thing no other God could. See, Jesus

conquering death and declaring that love wins

is the only time in human history this has ever

happened. Now, some of you Bible scholars are

sitting there thinking, wait a minute, Chris,

what about Lazarus? Lazarus was dead and was

raised back to life by the power of Jesus. That

is very true. Then he died, right? He was not

forever alive. Jesus is the only one that never

died. He lived the perfect life. He died the

death that all of us deserve because of our brokenness

and pain. He's resurrected to new life. And then

he ascends into heaven. as his followers stand

in amazement staring at the sky. I mean, they're

literally staring at the sky, not believing what

they had seen. An angel had to shock them back

into reality so that they would return to the

mission that Jesus had already given them. In

other words, love wins. Convincing proof that

God is in control and is concerned about every

area of our lives. So much so that the good news

declares that we will spend eternity with Jesus,

1 Corinthians chapter 15. Verse 51. But let me

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not

all die, but we will all be transformed. Then,

when our dying bodies have been transformed into

bodies that will never die, this scripture will

be fulfilled. Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where

is your sting? But thank God. He gives us victory

over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

See, this life that we're living right now is

not all that there is. You know, this 50, 60,

70, 80, for some of you maybe 90 years that we're

alive here, it's not all that there is. Because

the Bible tells us eternity has been placed in

every human heart. Not just ours, every human

heart. And when we put our faith in Jesus, that

truth is activated. Through the power of the

Holy Spirit. By Jesus declaring that love wins

and death is defeated, it means that we can trust

God in every area of our life. Maybe you're being

tempted this week. Trust God. He will lead you

away from it. Maybe you're sick and struggling

physically. Trust him. Believe in your healing.

Maybe you're in pain or you're doubting. Trust

God. He will walk you through it. The point...

Because Jesus defeated death, we have the ability

to stand on the truth that he overcomes all.

Which leads us to our next truth, number two,

we're united in Holy Spirit power. Holy Spirit

power. Three words that can cause a lot of confusion

and concern for people because of either their

church background or experiences. Now, in the

Bible, The Holy Spirit is referred to as the

comforter, the helper, a revealer. Jesus actually

promised us a gift in the Holy Spirit. But it's

important to recognize the Holy Spirit is not

weird. Okay? And what do I mean by that? What

are you trying to say, Chris? Well, listen. Let

me get it real practical for you. Being a vegan

is not weird. But I've met some people who practice

veganism, and just being honest, they're a little

weird. True or false? CrossFit is not weird.

But I've met some people who CrossFit, mainly

myself, and they're a little weird. Because I

do things to my body that I probably shouldn't

be doing at 52, but I do it anyway. Because in

my mind I say, I'm going to win. All so that

I can be healthy. So I'm simply trying to say.

Please leave any bad experiences from church

or misunderstandings in the past and embrace

what the Bible says to us today about the Holy

Spirit. Acts chapter 1 verses 4 through 5. Once,

Acts 1:4–5

when he was eating with them, he commanded them,

do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends

you the gift he promised. There it is, the gift.

As I told you before, John baptized with water,

but in just a few days you will be baptized with

the Holy Spirit. Now for some of us gathered

here today, you've been in a relationship with

Jesus for some time now. And you don't even know

that you have a gift inside of you that's alive

and active. And I want to encourage you, the

Holy Spirit is not for some mature follower of

Jesus, the one with an advanced degree in Bible

study. The ability to live a life in pursuit

of Jesus is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If we try it in our own strength, we're going

to fail. Simply put, the Holy Spirit, gives us

the boldness, the joy, and the peace to navigate

all of life. So continuing on a little bit further,

Acts 1, 8, but you will receive power. Now everyone

say, I've got the power. I've got the power.

Words that have been going through my head all

morning long because isn't there a song that

says those words? It's Jersey Sunday. Let's have

a little fun. Thank you John. If you're in a

relationship with Jesus, you've got the power.

But what do you have the power to do? The Bible

tells us you have the power to be my witnesses.

See if the Holy Spirit is making you weird, that

may just be you. Just saying. The Holy Spirit

came to make us a witness to all people, everywhere,

all of the time. Alfred Nobel, many people know

that name because of the Nobel Peace Prize. But

what you may not know about Alfred Nobel is he

was also part of creating and inventing dynamite.

Now he later developed a Nobel Peace Prize because

he felt horrible because of the destruction that

dynamite had caused. When he was looking for

the word to name dynamite, he searched different

words that meant power, and he found the Greek

word dunamis. Now that word dunamis, when translated,

means power or dino, which Nobel then used to

name dynamite. It's interesting that that is

the same word that when Jesus said you will receive

power, power in that statement is the word dunamis.

So when Alfred Nobel searched all of human history

to name dynamite, he used the word that Jesus

used to describe the type of power his followers

have living inside of them. So I want to challenge

you. Don't be afraid of the Holy Spirit. Don't

be intimidated by the Holy Spirit. Welcome the

Holy Spirit to change your life and empower you

to change the world. Because it's the kind of

power that enables us to shine in the darkness.

It's the type of power that enables us to be

full of hope in a world that is hopeless. It's

the kind of power that releases the miraculous

to come through our prayers as we lay hand on

others. and see God move through their life.

Now, what should our lives look like when we're

full of the Holy Spirit? Well, it's interesting.

Paul answers that in Galatians chapter 5, verses

Galatians 5:22–23

22 to 23. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind

of fruit. Now, let's just pause there a second.

Notice, it does not say fruits. Because if you

grew up in church, chances are you learn fruits

of the Spirit. But notice, what does it say,

church? It says fruit. Singular, not plural.

And this is important because it shows us that

all of these qualities come from one source.

And that source is the Holy Spirit. And it lives

where? In us. He lives in us. Let's continue.

Releases this kind of fruit in our lives. Love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness. and self -control. There is no law

against these things. So evaluate your life today.

This is how a follower of Jesus is called to

live. God sent a gift that empowers us to be

different, to be separate, to stand apart. We

are now the evidence of the life and the miracles

of Jesus. Think about that just for a second.

We, you and I, are now the evidence. the example,

the pace setters, the standards of the life and

miracles of Jesus. And understanding that gives

us the confidence to step out in faith, to pray

boldly for others, to pray boldly for the tri

-state area, to believe that God is going to

change people's lives through the power of the

Spirit living inside of us, which leads us to

our third truth, we are united in common purpose.

Acts chapter 1 verse 8, but you will receive

Acts 1:8

power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. You

will be my witnesses, telling people about me

everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and

Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Now you

must remember that Jesus first told his followers

to go to Jerusalem and what? And wait. To wait

for the gift that he was promising. But then

we learn, once you receive the gift, you are

now to leave Jerusalem and tell people about

me. Everywhere to the ends of the earth. See,

when we receive this gift, when it's a part of

our lives, church, we're called to do something

with it. We're called to give it away. And sometimes

our Jerusalem is the building that we now call

the church. And see, this building is not the

church. It's a building. The church is the people.

Without people gathering, there is no word in

the New Testament that describes church as a

building. It's always been the gathering of the

people. We are the church. These are four walls

that we participate in and welcome God into.

Let's continue in Acts 2, verses 1 -6. On the

Acts 2:1–6

day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting

together in one place. Suddenly there was a sound

from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm.

It filled the house where they were sitting.

Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire

appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone

present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began

speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit

gave them this ability. At that time there were

devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.

When they heard the loud noise everyone came

running. And they were bewildered to hear their

own languages being spoken by the believers.

Now notice, when they were filled with the Holy

Spirit, when the followers were filled with the

Holy Spirit inside the room, they were gathered

in the upper room. It not only made sense to

them gathered in the room, but it also made sense

to them gathered outside the room. All the people

came running to hear their language being spoken.

See, we don't gather in this place just for us.

We gather here to grow, to encourage one another,

to be challenged, and then we are to go into

the world and share the good news. We do something

with what God has given us to the ends of the

earth. See, we are called to be witnesses to

people that are different than us. Right? They

may not support the same football team, obviously.

They might not vote the same way. They may not

have the same skin color. They may not think

the same way. They may have different preferences.

But that's not what it's all about. It's about

us coming together as a family, as the church,

to reach everyone in the tri -state area, to

break down barriers, to love people in a way

that extends his grace to the people in need.

I mean, we all know the first church was full

of broken people with different backgrounds and

preferences, but they united under one common

purpose. to take the good news to the ends of

the earth. And when we put our faith in Jesus,

we join a family, the church, that is a part

of a heritage that many scholars believe in the

next five to nine years will celebrate its 2

,000th birthday as the church, which is really

cool when you think about where we came from,

which leads us to our final truth. We are united

in prayer. Acts chapter 1 verse 14, they all

Acts 1:14

met together and were constantly united in prayer.

And I got to thinking about this group of people

that were gathered. You had Thomas, the skeptic,

the doubter, if you will. You have Peter, who

denied Jesus three times, had to meet Jesus on

the beach to be restored. Yet Mary, Jesus' mother,

think about her heart. She was crushed. She was

grieving the loss of her son that she brutally

watched happen. Why did they all meet together?

Because they needed each other. They desired

to support one another. And friends, this happens

through prayer. It happens through the encouragement

of those sitting around us. That's why I challenged

you last week. Don't forget about the crosses.

They're real. Take a post -it. Put a post -it.

Make prayer a part of your life. That's why every

Sunday during every one of our gatherings, I

challenge you, if you have one of these needs

or you have a need, get up here and get prayer

because we believe that prayer changes lives.

Now, a few weeks ago, I watched the new Avengers

superhero movie, Brave New World. And I was discussing

this movie with my kids, and they were telling

me how many people thought it was one of the

worst superhero movies of all time. I was like,

wow, I was entertained by it. I thought it was

excellent, which I quickly learned. I'm not a

critic. I don't watch movies to be critically

of them. I watch them to be entertained, which

I was entertained. And I'm learning about all

these superheroes because as a kid growing up,

I don't know about you, but I was a Ninja Turtles

fan. I wasn't a superhero fan. I was all about

the ninja fighting and sword fair, right? But

superheroes are now a part of my life because

all my kids watch superhero movies. Phoenix is

now into superhero movies. And I got to thinking

about all these superheroes. For example, there's

this superhero named Spider -Man. What makes

Spider -Man Spider -Man? Well, he was bit by

a radioactive spider that released the powers

of a spider into his human body. And somehow

his pain was turned into purpose. His pain was

turned into purpose. And if we went through the

whole list of superheroes, you will quickly learn,

for example, Bruce Banner was working on radioactive

materials trying to save his friend's life, only

to be exposed to gamma radiation, which made

him the incredible... Interesting. His pain became

his... Can we all say that together? His... Pain

became his purpose. And you could go through

every superhero. Now, I can't say Batman because

Batman's not Marvel, and those of you that are

superhero geeks would judge me. But Batman, what

happened to Batman? He lost his parents who were

brutally murdered. His pain became his purpose.

All of the superheroes experienced some type

of pain that gave them purpose. And the same

goes with those who are in a relationship with

Jesus. Think about Peter. Right? He was a hothead.

He yelled, screamed. He denied Jesus three times.

But yet he used Peter to preach the first sermon

ever given where 3 ,000 people were adopted into

the church family. Jesus took his pain and used

it for purpose. Now what's interesting about

all these superhero movies is the largest grossing

movie of all time. is not the individual superhero

movies. It's when they came together in a movie

called The Avengers. The largest grossing movie

of all time in the history of cinematic movies

is The Avengers. All these different people from

all these different backgrounds coming together

to defeat the enemy or the powers of hell, if

you will. But Chris, that's a movie. Yeah, it

sure is, but it certainly does relate to the

church. Acts 2 .42. All the believers devoted

themselves to prayer. See, we gather together

for a purpose. We gather together to pray. And

when all the disciples asked Jesus to teach them

one thing, think about this. When all the disciples

asked Jesus to teach them one thing, it wasn't

to perform a miracle. It wasn't to teach them

how to preach and use parables. It wasn't to

raise the dead. They asked him one thing. They

said, Jesus, teach us to pray. And he taught

them the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in

heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive

us our sins as we forgive those who sin against

us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver

us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, power,

and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Right?

How did he teach them to pray? That all of our

needs are met from a God who provides. The first

church. Change the world through prayer, boldness,

generosity, and action. And it's my prayer that

HCV adopts these practices over this next month

so that we can go forth in the tri -state area

and the entire world and change it in Jesus'

name. But here's the challenge for all of you.

How do we remain united? One action step for

today. Two words. Show up. Can we all say that

together? Show up. Let's say it again. Show up.

Acts 1 .14, they all met together. Acts 2 .1,

on the day of Pentecost, all the believers were

meeting together in one place. Acts 2 .42, all

the believers devoted themselves to fellowship.

And here's the bad news. The average church attender

And the United States of America currently attends

a Sunday gathering once every three weeks. Once

every three weeks. And listen, I get it. We all

live busy lives. We have children that play sports.

We travel to and fro. We have agendas that need

done. We have houses that are falling down around

us that need painted and fixed up and flowers

planted. I get it. I understand it. I have children

that play travel sports. I understand the craziness,

but we can't stop meeting together. We have to

stop with the excuses and make gathering together

a priority. Hebrews 10, 25, and let us not neglect

our meeting together as many people do in 2025,

but encourage one another, especially now that

the day of his return is drawing near. Listen,

we need each other. We need encouragement. We

need prayer. And if you're anything like me,

we need challenged, right? Because we are lazy

people that tend to become selfish and self -consumed,

and we forget about the mission we're on. We

need challenged. And that happens, right, when

we gather together, we support one another, and

we celebrate what Jesus is doing. So I'm going

to challenge you for the rest of this month.

Show up. And I get it. If you're traveling, hop

on the live stream. I'm glad we're sending that

out there into the cyber world and hundreds of

people are watching it every week. But listen,

it does not replace gathering together. When

we gather together, we experience the presence

of God like it was meant to be around other believers

so that we can be challenged to get outside of

ourselves. We live in a society that's about

I, iPhones, what I want. It's all about I, I,

I, when in reality, the first church, the early

church, was all about us. Let's come together

to make a difference. With that said, be a part

of what God is doing in our community of faith.

Prioritize gathering together. Okay, I promise

there's new parking coming real soon. Okay? Real

soon. I promise. Give me a couple months. It's

almost here. It's going to be here real soon.

And then suddenly you're going to pull in and

there won't be a 10 -minute wait on Halfway Boulevard.

And there's going to be all this parking. You're

going to be like, oh, thank God. But it's coming.

I can't announce it yet, but it's coming. Real

soon. Real, real, real soon. So will you stand

with me? Listen, I felt there was no better way

to close than with communion, okay? So I'm gonna

throw this out there now as I share. No, no one

get distracted. If you need an element, put your

hand up. If you need gluten -free, put two hands

up. Keep them up high or you're not gonna get

it. Listen, I'm gonna talk with the rest of you

that don't need it. At HCV, okay, this isn't

just something we do once a month, every first

Sunday of the month. Jesus told us to do this

together corporately often and to do it in remembrance

of him. This is one of the only ordinances that

he left with the church to do together. This

and baptism. And quite often we take this. terrible

tasting piece of bread, and even worse tasting

juice, and it's just, you just do it. Oh yeah,

that's what I do. This is what I've done as a

kid. This is what I grew up doing. When in reality,

Jesus established this as an ordinance because

this is where your life can be changed. He said,

do it in remembrance of me. In other words, do

it in remembrance of everything that I've done.

I died on a cross for you. My body was broken

so you could be healed. My blood was shed so

that you can be forgiven. In other words, a power

encounter with the Holy Spirit can happen through

the actions of communion and it can radically

change your life. Don't make this just another

thing you do. Get real with God before you take

it, before you eat it, and before you drink it.

And I believe the Holy Spirit will be released

in your life because that's what I'm going to

pray for. Amen? Now you know every Sunday I pray

a simple prayer because I believe God brings

people into our midst that are distant and far

from God. And if you're ready to pray this prayer

with us, please do. But if you're not ready and

you're just kind of checking Jesus out and you're

wondering about faith and you're not sure, please

don't take communion after we pray this prayer.

Just put it down and set it aside because that's

offendable to God. And I don't want that on my

conscience. But we're going to pray a simple

prayer. And if you get right with God, then please

partake in the communion because you're going

to celebrate what God just did in your heart.

So let's pray together. Jesus, I'm broken. I'm

full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. 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. empower me, Holy Spirit, to serve

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

that prayer for the first time, see me on your

way out, hug me, high -five me, do something

so I can tell you to get baptized and take next

steps. But if you're a believer and you're ready

to partake in communion, get your heart right,

Holy Spirit, come, search our hearts. If there's

sin, if there's addiction, if there's doubt,

if there's frustration, get rid of it. Ask for

forgiveness, seek forgiveness, then partake in

the bread and the juice. Amen? Come Holy Spirit.

Search our hearts. Reveal to us any areas that

don't line up with you. On the night he was betrayed,

Jesus took bread. He broke it. He gave it to

his disciples and said, take, eat. This is my

body, which is broken for you, and do it in remembrance

of me. Let's eat. Likewise, after supper, he

took the cup of wine. He said, this is my blood,

which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness

of sins. Drink it often, and when you do, do

it in remembrance of me. Let's drink. Change

us, God. Make us more like you. May we remember

where we came from, the rich history of family

and life change you've adopted us into. Now,

two things before we go. I'm almost done. Every

single one of you in your bulletin got a small

invite to our tie -dye run next month. Our goal

this year, we had 170 runners last year. Our

goal this year is over 200 runners doing a 5K

or 10K. All proceeds not to HCV, going to Compassion

to change children's lives that are in poverty.

Amen? Take that invite and give it to somebody

and tell them you'll run it with them. Deal?

Can you do that? Because that's how word gets

out. And if you belong to a gym, we have posters.

Take a poster and put it up in your gym, wherever

that gym is. I know there's one in Four Star,

but I want one in One Life and Planet Fitness,

and I don't know what other gyms there are. Anytime,

free time, backflip time, whatever time you got.

Take a poster, put it in the gym. Number two,

that's number one. Number two, we have a tailgate

right outside these doors in our parking lot.

It's for groups. And some of you are thinking,

I don't want to be in a group, Chris. Okay, fine.

Don't be in a group. But walk through the tailgate,

meet someone new, high -five them, and get a

free bite to eat. Deal? I don't care if you join

a group. I want you to join a group. I know it's

best for you, but many of you won't because only

about 30 % of our people are in a group. But

you can at least walk through the groups, meet

someone you don't know, and then maybe you'll

end up in a group. Well, you're manipulating

me, Chris. I sure am. Just being honest. So this

is what our series is going to look like for

the next month. Several words of knowledge before

you go. If you're currently experiencing disappointment

in this life, we want to pray for you. Left arm

pain, elbow pain in the right joint of your elbow,

right hand pain, muscle or tendon injury that

could have in your hand, you have abnormalities

on your tongue, or you have pain in your right

foot when you walk. If any of those are you,

if you have any prayer requests, our prayer team

would be here on the right. To believe that God's

going to heal you. Amen? Love you guys. Have

a great week. Look forward to next week.