When You Feel Like Giving Up

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I wasn't worried about Christy.

And I reached over to Rick a while ago when she was getting me with it.

I said, forget the testimony she's preaching.

And she can do it, trust me.

One of the best anointed lady speakers I know, and I've heard them all.

And I'm so thankful to have been married.

Uh-oh.

43?

43 wonderful years?

Woo! I got it! When I married her or asked her to marry me, I said, I may not be the best-looking gentleman.

I may not be the smartest, but I have been to school.

And I said, I don't have any money.

But I promise you, you will not ever be bored with me.

Have I lived up to that, honey?

Over and over.

All over the world we've been.

And uh she I just come in with all kinds of vision and gonna go this, we're going here, we're going.

She said, Oh, just just tell me where we're going.

But anyway, it is so good to be back at our church.

By the way, we're still pastor meritus, and I still tithe to CCW because I'm moving all over the country still now, preaching and playing pickleball and leading people to Christ and discipling people.

And uh so uh I leave here, I'll be in Florida, then I'll come back, be in Georgia, come back, be back in Indiana at the Bikers Church.

So the Lord's really been good to us, and the ministry that we have there in Chattanooga has been awesome.

We really are just trying to disciple about uh four or five couples, and I've got about six or seven pickleball players, and so it's been good, and I've really been able to minister several pastors.

Got some coming this fall, so it's just been a glorious time.

It's been an adjustment for me because I study every week just like I did to preach to you every week.

So I've got about two and a half hours of stuff this morning, and uh no, just kidding, maybe, but anyway, turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

2 Corinthians chapter 4.

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

And the title of the message this morning is, and let's see if you agree, when you feel like giving up.

Have you ever felt like giving up?

Raise your hand.

I want every hand up.

You better not lie.

Lying's abomination unto God, you will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 22.

That's what it says.

So, you know what I've learned over all these years?

A ministry, and it's 42 plus?

That life is hard.

It really is.

Life is hard.

Things fall apart.

Can I get an amen?

Things go wrong.

People disappoint you.

Can I get an O me?

Things that you plan to do don't go right.

Things that you plan to do don't go your way.

Things get hard.

And you pray, and then God doesn't answer your prayer the way you want him to.

But let me promise you, God does answer prayer.

I guarantee it.

Now, sometimes it's wait, but God answers prayer.

So as you going through this life, you have a hard time.

Some of you, some of you lose your job.

Some of you, your your where you're working closes down or they lay off.

Some of you have been through divorce.

Some of you have problems with your children, some have problems with their teenagers, all of us.

And the teenagers have problems with their parents.

All the time.

I mean, I mean, it's hey, and then on top of that, you get sick.

You hear the terrible words, you got cancer, or you've got this.

We're going through major times right now with Susan's parents.

Both of them are really in, they need your prayers.

They're in bad shape.

I hate to say that, but and she'll probably correct me for that, but they need your prayers.

Desperately.

I meant life is hard.

Can you say that with me and mean it?

Life.

So when you and I start having a pity party, and I'm one of the best at it.

Come on, I'm honest.

You can't fire me.

I'm honest.

I can have the biggest pity part.

Nobody cares.

I work 24 hours, I love them, I give to them, and then they fuss at me.

I mean, it's hard.

But when you and I get to that part in life where we think we are really having it to the point we can't really bear it or go through it, let me remind you of a man named Job.

Job had a PhD in pain and problems.

And let me remind you of another person, Job in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament.

Paul had some major problems.

He was left for dead three different times, put in jail.

When he went to town, when he was doing his evangelistic crusades, he'd go to a town, he would not ask for the hotel.

He'd say, Where's the nearest jail?

Because he knew he was going to be in it.

So turning your Bibles.

I want you to be in Job 1, and then I want you to first, though, start at 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 8 through 10.

2 Corinthians 4:8–10

Paul's talking to the church at Corinth.

They were having problems.

The church of Corinth had a lot of problems.

A lot of people problems.

You know why you're always gonna have problems in your life, even in a church's life?

Because there's people.

Hello.

People bring problems.

Guess what?

I can be a problem.

Don't you amen, honey?

I was thinking about it.

Yeah, I knew you were.

I saw that smile.

We know each other so well, it's scary.

Guess what?

You can be a problem.

And sometimes you're a problem and you don't even know it.

Hello?

You okay out there?

So Paul was dealing when he writes, by the way, when he writes 1 and 2 Corinthians, it's not the most encouraging book for a church.

Hello?

He was dealing with problems throughout the church.

And so here's what he said to the church.

He says, listen, we're all going to have problems.

Satan doesn't like what's going on right here, right now.

So he's going to try to create problems.

Satan loves division.

Christ loves unity.

And so there's going to be people that's going to try to divide and criticize and all that.

It's always going to be here.

Do you and your wife agree on everything?

Amen.

Somebody said y'all do?

Well, bless God.

Come preach.

We need you.

Can my wife and I schedule a counseling session?

I used to think I could get away.

Well, I'm the head of the house, I'm the boss.

You know what you'd do?

She'd say, Yeah, you may be the boss, you may be the head, but I'm the neck, and I'm gonna turn you any way I want to.

She never said that.

I just thought that.

Amen.

So Paul's writing, and he's dealing with problems, and here's what he says.

Hey, verse 8.

We are hard-pressed on every side.

Yet not Christ.

In other words, we're we're hard-pressed, and I did a little word study.

That word press literally means to continually force something.

It means to squeeze something.

So you and I are gonna constantly be pressed, pushed, pushed sometimes in the directions we don't want to go.

Hello?

Or we're gonna be squeezed where we are so tight we feel like, I'm gonna just run away.

I'm gonna quit.

I didn't ask for this.

I didn't sign up for this.

But he says, but not crushed.

You know what that means?

Don't give up.

We are perplexed.

Oh.

First of all, we're pressed.

Now we're perplexed.

The word perplexed means to be at odds.

It means to be at loss.

Don't know what to do.

Have you ever been in a situation you really didn't know what to do?

All the time.

Are you hearing me, church?

This is this is gonna be one of the most important messages you ever hear.

Not because I'm preaching it, but because of truth.

This is a life message for you and me.

Alright, now watch.

So he says, here we are.

We don't know what to do, but not in despair.

Don't quit.

You're squeezed, don't quit.

You don't know what to do, don't quit.

And then there's a third thing.

Look at verse 9.

Persecuted, but not forsaken.

Hey, persecuted, you know what the word persecuted means?

Watch this.

To, and I love this, to pursue.

Problems keep coming.

Isn't it so defeating when you're trying to do the best you can do and you really are trying to live right?

You're trying to do right.

You're doing everything that you know the word's trying to tell you, and you're doing it, but yet, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.

Problem after problem after problem.

Am I talking to someone out here?

Do you feel me?

Persecuted but not forsaken.

Struck down, but not destroyed.

Knocked down, but get back up.

Knocked down.

Church, get back up.

Don't quit.

Don't give in.

Don't let Satan win.

Now, the best example of this I can give you as we go to Job chapter 1.

Job 1 · chapter mention

Oh boy, this is so good.

I've been studying this over a month.

And it's been a blessing to me.

All right.

Work with me here.

All right, phone, don't you mess up on me.

Here we go.

Number one.

What did Job do?

What did Job do when he was, hey, I caught it.

He was what?

Pressed.

He was persecuted.

Hey, he was perplexed.

He was square.

He didn't know what to do.

He had a PhD in pain.

You know why?

In 124 hours in Job chapter 1, in 124 hours, he lost all his wealth.

Job 1 · chapter mention

He was one of the most wealthiest men in the region.

Lost it all.

Cattle, everything taken from him, died.

Lost his children, five of them.

Died.

And to put problems on problems on problems.

Then he got a terrible disease in 24 hours.

So what did he do?

Here's what six things this morning.

And I want you to take good notes because you're going to use this all the time.

I've used this so much since I've been studying it's unreal.

Right now, with us going through the situation with her parents, and it's it's we love them so much, they're so godly people.

And man, they just are having problem after problem after problem after problem.

And I'm sitting there and you knowing what I'm thinking, and and but anyway, you're gonna hear the rest of this kind of testimony.

But I'm this was sent for me.

And then I thought about the anniversary.

This church and and the relationship with David and Christy and Benji and the boys, they are like my second children.

I thought what Susan would just say about Benji was, Benji?

Hey, Susan changed Benji's diapers.

Maybe not?

You spanked him.

Yeah, no, I know who did that.

No, that was me.

In fact, Benji used to ask everyone in one to ask Christy, am I gonna go see Pastor Danny?

Is he gonna spank me again?

That was a bad reputation, wasn't it?

That was when he was going to our school.

Christy was teaching our school.

But listen, pressure after pressure coming.

What do you do?

Look what Job did, man.

This is so good.

In Job chapter 1, verse 20.

Job 1:20

He stood up, he tore his robe in grief and shaved his head.

Then he fell to the ground and worshiped.

In other words, what he did, he fell to the ground and started pouring his heart out to God.

That's why you come to the altar.

People that do away with altar calls ought to be shot.

In love.

The reason you come to the altar is not just to get saved, it's to come to worship.

And part of worship is talking to God.

You said, Well, I can talk to God right there.

Yeah, you can, but it, hey, what you're doing, the reason you don't want to come here, you don't want to humble yourself and just go up there and bow before him, which he did.

He not only bowed, he ripped his clothes, he shaved his head in ashes, and then he went and he bowed and he started pouring his heart out to God.

And at the beginning, he is letting God have it.

So, number one, you gotta pour out your heart to him.

You gotta tell him how you're feeling.

You say, but I don't, I don't feel like tell, I don't feel like he's so loving.

I don't feel like he's so good.

I feel like, hey, well, by the way, you're not by yourself.

Let me give you a few people.

Jeremiah said, he cried out to God and said, You're just deceitful.

Naomi cried out and said, You're making me bitter.

You're bitter.

David said, I'm surrounded.

I'm surrounded with death.

And now I, God, I just feel like I ought to just die.

In Psalms 88.

I've been there when my wife died in my arms.

I'd been at open door two weeks.

And she died in my arms on New Year's Day.

I didn't think God was loving.

I was angry with God.

In fact, I went back to the apartment after that doctor came out and said to me in the emergency room, he said to me, he said, uh, Mr.

Loving, I hate to tell you this, but your wife is dead.

At 28 years old.

No, no, who?

This can't be happening to me.

Been there.

I go back to my apartment, my Bible's on the bed.

I'm so mad at God.

I grabbed that Bible and I threw it against the wall and said, God, how can you be God when I'm here serving you, came to rebuild this church of 40 people, and now my wife's dead.

You allowed my wife to die.

Why would you do that?

Listen to what Job said in Job 7, 11.

Look at it.

I can't be quiet.

I'm angry.

I'm bitter.

I have to speak.

When David got sick, and we came across the street that day and had to pick him up and put him in an airplane to get him to M.D.

Anderson.

All that was going through my head was, Lord, Lord, what are you doing?

We've got this great church.

It's been God, Lord, no, he's my not just my best friend, he's my partner.

We're doing this together.

Lord, what are you doing?

What are you doing?

I don't understand this.

When my little boy was born dead with Susan, almost got her cost her life.

Her heartbeat got so erratic.

I'd already lost my wife, and I knew that word why it's a bad word.

But I still couldn't but but cry out, I don't understand.

Lord, Lord!

I got a little grandson named, I won't call his name.

But he's a twin.

And when he doesn't get his way with Poppy, you know what he does?

He goes, Does he not?

And he'll go, Puppy.

That's the way I did to God.

God

Listen to what Lamentations 2.19 says.

Cry out in the night.

Pour out your heart like water in prayer to the Lord.

Number one, when you have a crisis, a problem.

I don't care if you've been lost your job, you've been diagnosed with cancer, or your husband's walked out on you, or your wife's walked out on you, or your kids are having major problems.

I don't care.

Listen to me.

God cares.

Cry out.

Tell him everything you're thinking and feeling.

Now you're looking at me like, I'd be scared to do that.

Well, you might as well.

He knows it anyway.

Hello.

He said he knows the thoughts before you think them.

I don't like that verse.

You with me?

Second thing you must do.

You must accept help from other people.

In Job 814, boy, he goes on, and his friends come to help him.

And he really is, in fact, it very simply says, and it's so true.

When people are in desperate times, in desperate trouble, and in desperate crisis, show them pity, show them love, show them comfort.

Can I get an amen?

What does Galatians 6.2 say?

Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Okay?

That's a very important verse for the church.

That's why you have small groups.

That's why you have Sunday school classes.

That's why you have church.

Because the key there to understanding, Galatians 6.2, bear ye one another's burdens.

And then the next last phrase, which fulfills the law of Christ.

What's the law of Christ?

Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy might, and with all thy understanding.

And the second is like unto the first, love thy neighbor as thyself.

The law of Christ is when you love your neighbor to the point you step in, you bear their burdens, you bear their pain, you bear their comfort, you help them in their most crucial time.

When God, hey, hey, when people walk out on people that are in trouble, that's when the church ought to walk in.

Are you listening?

You walk in.

When Becky died, I'll never forget it in the little ceremony we had at the church before I took her to my hometown, Sylvester, Georgia, where she was buried.

And by the way, I preached a funeral at the graveside of over a thousand people, and we saw over 400 decisions made.

To God be the glory.

Can we give God a clap offering?

He took a tragedy.

He took a tragedy and a terrible situation and turned it into a triumph for him.

And by the way, that's what he does.

He's good at that.

You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

Genesis 50, 20.

Amen?

But a man came up, he owned an air conditioner company, and he was one of the there was only like 40 people in the church there when we got there.

And I didn't know it, but he put some money in my pocket.

And when I got home, and uh he gave me$4,000 and it was wrapped in a note saying, This is for your funeral expenses.

Church?

I didn't have a dime.

And then a week later, someone that knew Becky that she worked with at the uh at Liberty, she worked in the financing company, had I didn't know we they had an insurance policy, but there was an insurance policy for$10,000 on her.

And so next thing you know, I get a check in the mail for$10,000 because he went out of the way to make sure that the paperwork was done and also that I could get that check.

That's the body of Christ working.

That's what we do.

When David got sick, every week we would, Christy and Heather, I know she's back there, but she needs to hear this.

Heather's mother had a house down there, and she was gone, she was a rotating nurse, somewhere nursing, and she told us, because we didn't know what we were gonna stay, how we were gonna stay, what we're gonna do.

All the rooms were filled at that time there at M.D.

Anderson.

She says, We got a house.

Y'all welcome to move in.

So for what, a month?

At least or longer, we stayed in the house.

And then when David was able to come home for a few weeks or at least a week, we lived there with him and ministered to him because we had a house.

She opened her house.

She didn't, she knew Heather and that Rick was there, but that's helping people.

That's bearing, that's hey, that's bearing the burdens of others.

And hey, I've had people say, I just, preacher, I don't believe in God anymore.

Listen, when they tell you that, that's when you need to step in and put your arms around them and say, that's okay, I'll believe God for you.

Can I get an amen?

I'll believe God for you.

Oh, how precious.

And sometimes you don't have to say anything, just be there.

Just be there.

In fact, sometimes you don't need to say anything because Job's wife, she said something.

You know what she said?

Hey, honey, what about your God now?

He's you still believe in him?

I think you ought to curse God and die.

Thank you, honey.

That's what she said.

Where's your God now?

I've had people right in my face say that.

Where's preacher?

Where's your God now?

Where's your God now?

Which leads me to the next thing you do.

Number three, stop asking why.

Ooh, that's hard not, preacher, that's hard to do.

Listen to what Job said.

Job 3, 11 and 12.

He said, Oh, I love this.

Because I've been here so many times.

Why didn't I die as I came from my mother's womb?

In other words, he said, Lord, why'd you even allow me to be born if this is gonna happen?

Been there.

Why'd you send me to Tuscaloosa, Lord, if you knew my wife's gonna die after I've been here two weeks?

How am I gonna build a church?

I got an eight-year-old boy.

What am I, Lord?

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?

David's dying, Lord, he's supposed to, we're gonna build this great church together.

Why, why, why, why, why?

Goes on.

Why?

Listen to what he says.

Why was I laid on my mother's breast and lap?

Why did she feed me?

Why did I rest on her lap?

Why did she nurse me?

Why?

All this, Lord, so this could happen?

Folks, you listen to me.

You look at me.

I have been right where Job is, and I thought those very words.

Why did you call me to the ministry if my wife's gonna die right after I finish school?

Lord, do you care?

I don't feel you're caring.

Job three twenty.

Why let people go on living in misery?

Why give light to those in grief?

Do you see what he's saying to the Lord?

I mean, he is letting the Lord have it.

He is very emotional.

He's saying, why, why, why?

Look at it again.

You got to see that.

Why let people go on living in misery?

And then he says, Who is the Almighty in Job 21, 15?

And why should you obey him?

What good will it do us to pray?

Wow! Look at that.

You know why these verses are just crushing me right now?

Because that's the way I felt, and that's and but back then I didn't let it out like I should have let it out.

You say, yeah, but you can't talk to God like that.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Why can't you?

All right, let me ask something.

You say, well, I'm just emotional.

You know, I I don't have that problem.

I'm not an emotional person.

Can I tell you something?

God doesn't get upset with your emotions.

God can handle your emotions.

Say this with me.

God can handle my emotions.

Now you say why?

Because guess what?

He created you.

Can I get an amen?

He created you.

Do you know God's an emotional God?

At the tomb, Jesus wept with Mary and Martha.

Hey, he was an emotional God on the cross when he turned to John and said, Take care of my mother.

He cared.

He was a joyful God.

He laughed.

He was an anger God when he ran him out of the temple.

It was righteous anger.

In the Bible, you say, Oh, yeah, I don't know if I agree with that one.

Where he says, be angry and sin not.

Just stay scripturally, okay?

Are you with me?

So why?

He's an emotional God.

Can I tell you something?

What happens when you get in a situation with trouble like this?

Four emotional reactions.

I just learned this.

I just learned this.

42 plus years of ministry.

And I've seen everything.

I've been through almost everything.

My mother's death, my dad's death.

I mean, I have been through about everything except now with her parents and my own death, my best friend's death.

Been there, been there.

And you know why this is so powerful?

Because now God has taught me over this past month what I was feeling, and through Job's example, I was saying and doing the exact things Job did.

Are you, come on, church, hear me here.

It's okay to tell him how you're feeling.

It's okay for you to walk in and help.

And it's okay to say why.

But now watch what happens here.

There's four emotions.

And I wrote them down.

Emotion number one.

Watch how it goes through.

Emotion number one.

Here it is.

Anger.

There's anger.

And you know why anger is?

I wrote this down actually this morning.

Hey, emotion, anger.

You know what that means?

Why?

Why did this happen?

You're angry about it.

Then the second phase, grief.

And you know what that means?

You start thinking about what you've lost.

What I lost.

Christy, that faithful, godly leader.

Me and Susan, our little boy.

Me, my wife.

My mom, my dad.

All right.

Then the third phase, a phase, is fear.

What's gonna happen next?

What's gonna happen next?

And then the last phase that Job went through, and I went through, and you'll go through, is shock.

I mean, it's shock.

It's shock, and then what do you do?

What does that mean?

What do I do now?

Somebody say that's good.

So telling of what you're feeling.

Walk in when everybody else walks out.

Stop asking why, and number four, when you don't understand, trust God.

Job 42, verse 1 and chapter 1, verse 3 and 6.

Job 42:1

Look what happened.

Then Job replied to the Lord, I know that you can do anything and no one can stop you.

You ask, Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?

It is I, and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.

I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust, I mean in dust and ashes to show my repentance.

Thirty-seven chapters, Job's ask why.

And then after the why, God stops him, and in the next few chapters, Job's God asks him questions.

And here's what Job, I meant God asked him.

He said, Job, who are you?

Who are you?

Really?

I believe this is all my heart.

Who are you to question me?

Hey, Job, I didn't need your permission.

I didn't ask for your wisdom.

Stepping on your toes now, right?

I mean, why do I have to stop if I want to do something for your benefit, and it's always for our benefit?

I know you don't understand that.

I don't either.

But so he says, first of all, who are you to tell me who I am and what I should do?

And then he said, oh, by the way, Job, where were you when I created the earth?

Hey, Job, where were you when I created gravity?

That's funny to me.

Can you imagine if he hadn't created gravity, Job just be floating around?

But then what Job did, God got his heart, convicted him.

He realized that he was talking to God.

And God was, he knew that God, you know what he did?

I'm about to have a spell.

God started telling him then after he settled the questions.

He said, Job, woo! Pardon me while I have a spell.

Glory! Job started, I mean, God started reminding Job of who he was.

Ready?

Get ready.

First of all, he said, hey, Job, I'm a good and loving God.

Job 10, 12.

Hey, Job, I'm an all-powerful God.

Job 36, 22, Job 37, 5.

Job, hey, have you noticed every detail of your life?

I have created.

Job 23, 10.

Job 31, 4.

Hey, Job, I'm in control.

Job 34, 13.

Hey, Job, I have a plan for your life even through this tragedy.

Hey, Job, I will protect you.

Job 5, 11.

Woo! You know what Job did?

He had a spell.

When I get to heaven, I know he had a spell.

When he realized who God was to him.

You with me, church?

That's what he is to you.

He's a good God.

God is good.

All the time?

He's a loving God.

He gave his very best for you, his son.

He's a detailed God.

He's got a plan for every one of you in here.

Young people, he's got a plan for your life.

He loves you.

He's got a purpose for your life.

Which brings me to number five.

Well, first of all, let me, Job 13, 15, after God showed him all that he was.

You know what Job said?

Look at what he said in Job 13, 15.

Though you slay me, yet will I trust him.

Ha ha ha! Woo! He had a spell.

Okay, God.

I'm sorry.

I repent.

You can kill me too.

I don't care.

You're the Jehovah God.

Woo! Thank you, Lord.

For being a good God, a loving God.

God, thank you for being a detailed God.

Lord, thank you for being such a loving God.

A detailed God that you have a purpose for my life.

Thank you for your power that will help me complete that purpose if I'm willing and obedient.

And thank you for being a protective God that you will protect me as I go through your plan for my life.

Oh my goodness.

And then number five, you gotta refuse to be bitter.

I've had a lot of reasons to be bitter.

And I was bitter for a while.

But let me help you here now.

You can stay bitter and die.

Or you can get better and live.

You said, but what's the answer?

I'm gonna tell you in a minute.

As we close here in a few minutes.

I'll try not to be like Apostle Paul.

He he said, I'm closing this letter and then wrote three more chapters.

He did.

Now listen, you can't be bitter.

You can't be bitter.

Better will literally kill you.

If you do a research medically speaking on bitterness and resentment, it causes heart attacks, it causes stress, it causes strokes.

You will die.

Or you can get better.

And how do you do that, preacher?

How do you really do that?

Well, number six.

Face the future.

Oh, well, I didn't give you the verse.

I needed to read that to you because it's so important.

I gave it to you, but in Job 1.20, Job 121-22, listen to what he says.

I came naked from my mother's womb, Job said, and I shall have nothing when I die.

The Lord gives me everything that I've had, and they were his to take away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord in all of this.

Job did not sin or revile God.

After he had had his ordeal with God and repented, he said, Okay, God, I'm gonna trust you.

I'm gonna trust you.

Trust in the Lord with all my heart, lead not on the own understanding, and all the ways acknowledge him, and he'll direct your past.

You with me?

Okay.

Can't be bitter.

And then lastly, oh I love this.

Lastly, face the future with courage.

You can start playing a little bit for me, Ben.

I like it.

Face the future with courage.

You know what he did?

He got up and he said, Though you slay me, yeah, will I live?

When you get to the end of the book of Job, God doubled Job's blessings.

More than he ever had.

Doubled it.

Instead of five children, it ended up with ten, seven boys and uh seven girls and three boys, or one of them.

Amen.

You with me?

Church, are you with me?

I know, I know, I know a lot of you right now.

You know what you're saying?

I'm gonna tell you exactly what you're saying.

I don't know where this crazy guy came from.

Because most, a lot of you, I don't know.

I've never I met you, I thought, and y'all knew I was crazy.

Y'all walking in, and I was sitting there saying, hey, welcome to CCW.

Because that's who I am.

And I love you so much.

There's people in here, Christy, Benji, that we've walked through the storms together.

Christy was there waiting outside, she and David, when we lost our little boy.

We were all around David's bed when he went on to be with the Lord.

I just grabbed him and just went.

And I still weep when I think about him.

He was more than a friend to me.

I've never had a friendship like that.

Never.

Never.

Never.

His brother even said, I can't explain the relationship y'all had.

It was just unreal.

Christy and Susan both would tell you, I don't understand that.

It was such, we just, it was almost like we were twins.

We thought alike.

Or if we didn't, we told, we tell each other.

We helped each other.

When I was off course, he'd bring me back.

I'd never forget it.

When I did, because I was a dreamer, still am.

He said, Preacher, I don't know about that.

He said that about the slaying.

And then when I walked back in the door and I said, God's gonna give us the slaying.

He said, We don't have the money.

I said, I don't, I don't, I don't know how he's gonna do it.

He's gonna do it.

Okay.

He didn't do this.

If he'd have done that, I he said, Okay, why don't we pray?

I said, let's pray.

You gotta pray with me.

Because see, I'd just gotten a phone call from the guy that owned the land, and he was coming over.

And I told him that.

I said, we gotta pray.

He said, He's really coming over?

I said, Yeah, it's gonna work.

I know it's gonna work.

God told me it's gonna work.

See, I saw this building.

I saw you before you even came here.

I saw this.

I saw this land, I saw the soccer field, I saw the pavilion, I saw it all.

Sure enough, we got the land.

Church, listen to me.

I know you're going through something right now.

And you're saying, man, you read my mail.

You must have been listening to me.

I had a I had a person tell me.

I told her what I'm preaching.

She said, I'm there right now.

And she's not the only one that's there right now.

We're excited you joined us for today's message.

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Thank you again for joining us on the CCW podcast.

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