The Calling

Well, welcome to the church at Chelsea West Hover.

If you're in the room, why don't we stand together?

If you're watching online at thechurch of CW.com, thank you so much for joining us.

Come on, we just came to worship the Lord today.

Come on.

Don't forget the oneness of how you promise.

The deliverance, the exodus of my heart.

You found me, you freed me.

Help back the oneness from my place.

Oh, you're away.

You're the God who fights for me, Lord of every victory, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

You enter the fartheed, you and led me through the deep hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

It's a sign that you are with me.

High by night, it's a God who lights you my feet.

You found me, you freed me, held back the waters for my release.

Oh you're waiting.

You're the God who fights for me for the very victory, high.

You have to off the sea, you have an high, high.

You're the God fight for me.

What a very high.

You have a lady to make me Hallelujah.

Come on, put your hands together like this.

Come on I don't know about you, but what the Lord did for my life, He took me out of that region, He took me by the hand, and He sent me into the promised land.

You slept into my Egypt.

You took me by the hand, you marched me out of freedom into the promised land.

Now I will not forget you God.

I'll sing a whole you done that be swallowed up forever.

By the fury of you love, you stepped into my eager, you took me by the head, you marked me out of the real it's to the promised leg.

Now no one died to get it out.

After you all you've done, then you swallowed up forever.

If you have your door to God's five, when you move When you feel the room, you're hearing, I know you are moving.

I'm hearing, I know you will feel me.

Spirit when you move when you feel the room, you're hearing, I know you are moving.

I'm hearing, I know you will feel me.

Oh come feel the sun as a spirit who's moving over the water, spirit come move over us, come rest on us, come rest on us, as a spirit was moving over the water, spirit come move over us, yeah.

Come rest over us and we come into it again open up the gates, let heaven on it.

Come rest on us, come rest on until the fire, fire and wind, come into it again.

Open up the gates, let heaven on it.

Come rest on us, come rest on us, come Spirit when you move it in my heart down, when you feel the wood, you'll hear it, I know you are moving.

I fear it, I know you will feel me, come down, Spirit when you move it in my heart, come when you feel the woe, you'll hear it, I know you are moving, I know you will feel me.

You're all women, Holy Spirit, holy spirit, race, you're all winning, you're the wheel, you're up to me, you're up to me, spirit when you put it in the heart, when you put the wood, you'll be gonna you want to be hot, spirit when you put it in the heart, when you put it, you'll be gonna you want to be hot, you put it in the heart, when you put the wood, I'll be gonna put it, I do it, I don't think you've got to be a bit of a few.

So I would know we want, he won, he won, I've still got joy in chaos, I've got peace that makes no sense, I won't be going under I'm not held by my own series, cause I built my life on Jesus, He's never let me tell, He's faithful in every season, so why would he fail down?

He won't be won, you won't, he won, he won't be a Christmas, Christmas, I'm gonna be for me, it's been for me, he won't fail, he won't fail, he won't, he won't fail, he won, he won't fail, he won't fail.

Aren't you glad no matter what we go through, the Lord says, I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.

So whatever you're going through today, just know that whatever happens, the wind's gonna blow, things are gonna come our way, it doesn't matter.

I save me you have gonna make say I'm gonna make it a honor Hiself, I've stayed strong, I'm gonna make it a honor.

The rock go we just be around we stay Have never been for death, and I've been Jesus is never, he's never ever detailed, he's paying for general relationships, so I so I would be failed now, he knows, he will fail, he won, he will fail, he will fail, he will fail.

Say he won't, he won't, no he won't, no he won't, he won't we thank you, Lord He will fail He won't fail You see, I've got a testimony of all He's brought me through We thank you, Jesus We thank you, Father We thank you, Lord.

I'm gonna make it I'm standing strong, I'm standing strong, I'm gonna make it my house was played, the foundation house was spiritual, and you're gonna make it as I'm standing strong, because I'm standing strong, I'm gonna make it so I'm gonna follow you.

God and mercy, please come rest.

Jesus whispering the noise.

Father, tell me everything your power, your presence, break strong, keep a heaven with me.

Mountain so I think there will be breakfast.

I know it, I know it.

You alone can feel my scars.

Peace by peace, restore my heart.

Oh your power, your presence break strongholds, keep away street, mountains too.

I believe they will be brave.

Shake the mountains, break the walls apart, open the heavens, Almighty God, you overcome, defender of my heart, and by your power, the oceans open, the heavens fall, heaven and earth alive, King Jesus forever by my side.

Come on, let's sing it out.

Shake the mountains, break the walls apart, open the heavens, Almighty God.

Come on if you believe it for a breakthrough today.

It's awesome to be in the house of the Lord where we can lift each other up, encourage each other.

Because again, we go through time, we go through hard times, right?

And our church today, it's not a hard time.

It's a good time, but it's a sad time, obviously.

Pastor Joe and Michaela's their last Sunday with us today.

And so these songs that we're leading you guys into worship today are some of Pastor Joe's favorite songs.

And I know you may not know some of them, and that's okay.

But uh, we're doing this to honor him and all that he's done to help CCW.

Can we just give them a round of applause?

And I know, yes, you might be here today and you're like, what in the world's going on?

Pastor Joe's been here for, I believe, four years now, and um, and we were talking, we met Friday night, uh, we had a we had a night of worship round table Friday night, and we just had him come and he was playing the acoustic guitar, and it was probably, I don't know, 40, 40 people there or so.

And we were going around a circle, and we had people just tell how Pastor Joe and Michaela have impacted their life.

I tell you, it was a sweet, sweet, sweet moment.

And guests I know you're again, you're wondering what's going on.

It's okay.

We're glad that you came to CCW today with us.

If this is your first time, would you mind taking a moment and texting CCWS all one word to 94,000?

CCWS to 94,000.

We would like to meet you after service.

We'd like for you to stay with us for lunch after service.

Um, and again, our pastors would love to meet you.

CCW family, can we just welcome our guests today that have come to worship with us?

Also, we want to say thank you to all of the men that served yesterday morning.

Uh, Pastor Eli, Corey Cummings, I don't know who all was back there cooking.

We had our first kitchen event yesterday.

We're actually doing a launch lunch today for that, but we tested it yesterday, everything went great.

Can we give those that served the men's ministry yesterday?

Awesome, awesome.

Well, look, we're gonna take the next few minutes, okay?

This is a little different.

Um, it's a night of worship style Sunday morning, so if you need to sin, feel free to.

If you want to stay standing to worship with us, feel free to.

Pastor Joe's gonna come and give us a short message here in just a few minutes, but we're just gonna continue to worship and how holy, holy our God is.

Come on, let's sing holy forever.

Your name is the height, your name is a grace, your name is all in the pain, allows and positions, your name stands above the ball in the angels' cries, holy all creation cries, holy you are in eye holy holy forever if you pay forgiving, if you pay pretty sing the song of ages, and if you walk in freedom, and if you bear this day, sing the song for everything, sing the song forever, and a man and the ages cry of creation crystal, you will always be all day, holy for your name is the highest, your name is the greatest, your name stands apart Come on, say that out your name is the highest, your name is the highest, your name is the grain, your name is above the boat of boat, is the bigger day to the bottom of the day of the day, you will always be holy for you always holy, holy always.

Come on, y'all.

I'm gonna need some help with this next one.

Come on, I don't know about you, but I'm so thankful that God has never changed all me.

I've gotten it wrong a thousand times, but you stay the same.

Come on, let's sing this out.

I'm calling on the God of chain.

I know that you will keep your God.

I need you now to do the same thing.

Come on, can we just lift it up to Jesus?

Come on in this room if you need him.

Oh God, my God, I need you.

Oh God, my God, I need you now.

How I need you now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh rock, oh rock of ages.

I'm standing on your faithful day.

Oh, we're standing on you today, Jesus.

On your faithful day I'm calling on the God of Mary Whose favor is upon the low I know if you are things are passing.

I'm calling for the God of David Who made a shape to boy created most in the sound I made that face good by the way.

You heard your children, you hear your children now.

Come on, he's a saying, you answer prayers back then, and you will answer now.

You are the same, you are the same, you are providing, you are providing nobody's the same, you are the same God, you are the same God, you move it hourly, God moving our work now, you are the stay, you want to stay, you are here, you are here, you want to stay, you want to stay, you want to stay, you want to stay on, you are to stay, you want to stay, oh my god, you're gonna take away how we need you, how we need you need to use a mission to be still.

You free the hearts right, you are the same You touch the letters, I feel you church right.

You are the same You are the same, and we're gonna be able to do that.

You can have all this for the silver, you are the treasure that I own.

Now that I'm tasted of your goodness, it's not a good idea.

You are my thing, I don't want anyone else, I don't need anything else, you are anything else.

Can we sing the course more turkey?

I don't want anyone else I don't need anything else pour it out, pour it out of the hand pour it out Come on, sing it out to hands Come on, pour your fragrance away on the sing it out of the same you are Talent Today, you are talented voices.

All this all is love Heavenly Father, we just come for you.

God, we thank you that you're more than enough for us.

God that you are way more than enough for us.

Everything in this world will fade except for what we have in you.

God, I pray for the people who are here that are struggling to find out if you're enough for them.

Lord, I pray that you would meet them where they're at and show them that you are the I am.

Anything that we need, anything that we can ask, you are a Lord.

As we just continue in the service, God have your way in us.

We love you and we praise you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

You guys may be seated.

Got me singing and preaching, y'all.

I don't even know how to.

Well, y'all know anytime I get a chance to speak, I like to do crazy stuff.

So, how about all the men?

Stand up.

Older men, if your wife is here, if your girlfriend's here, I want you to stand up next to them.

We're just gonna sing to them.

We're just gonna sing to them.

We're gonna sing a little love song.

Alright, here we go.

Y'all ready?

I'm gonna start this out, then y'all gotta help me out.

But don't look at me.

I don't want you to sing to me.

Sing to your girl, okay?

Look at your girl in the eyes.

Where'd he at?

Benji, get over here with your girl, man.

Come on now.

Alright, we're gonna sing this.

Loving you is easy because you're beautiful.

Somebody hit the high note.

Y'all maybe see it.

I love it.

I love it.

That's my dog right there.

Listen.

We're gonna work on the high part of it.

Um, but man.

So I don't have a sermon.

I'm just gonna share a little bit of my heart and my testimony.

Um but before I do that, um, I just want to say that I love each and one of every one of y'all.

I'm thankful for who you are to me and Michaela, um, what you've been in our lives, and I wouldn't be where I am without a church name like this.

I don't know how much you mean to me.

If it wasn't God calling us how we wouldn't leave because this is home.

So we'll be in a different location, but this will always be home.

And this is our family.

So I want to thank you guys for just everything that you've done for us and who you've been to us.

We want to pray and then we're just gonna share a little bit in the end of the service.

I was praying.

We just come before you just say thank you.

Thank you for the thing.

Jesus, we love you.

We love you.

We pour out our fragrance all you.

Everything that we have as God on your feet.

We worship you.

That you would take this little fish and this little bread, and that you would feed your people.

That you would do in one moment more than I can do in a lifetime.

Because you're that big, you're that good, you're that strong.

Lord, we love you and praise you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Alright, so I don't know how I'm gonna do this, but I'm gonna do my best.

Um so I just kind of want to start just start with my testimony.

Uh, when I got saved, after I got saved, um Pastor Rick, my mentor, there was a moment where um I was on the fence.

I wasn't saved, but I was struggling to decide if Jesus was the real thing, if he was worth it, or if I should just pursue the world.

And I had a youth pastor that would not leave me alone.

He would not stop texting me and say, hey, we got youth group tonight.

Hey, we got this, we got that.

And I was just like, dude, leave me alone.

I couldn't stand the guy, okay?

I knew because I was struggling.

You know, when you're in sin, you're living in sin, you don't want to be around people who ain't.

You don't want to be around people, you go start saying, Oh, they're hypocrites or they're they're judging me, and they're not.

It's the spirit that's in them that's convicting you of sin.

And so I didn't want to be around him.

And then one week he said, Hey, will you come to church camp with us?

And from my my best friends, I heard all the cool things that happened there.

And y'all know the story.

I went there for a girl and I got Jesus.

I got the better thing, I got the greatest thing.

And after that, the same camp, after being in college, uh, just studying geology, which I don't know nothing about it.

I didn't retain anything.

Um I'm just being real, okay?

I did it because I didn't want to do biology.

And so I'm I'm like trying to find out what I'm gonna do with my life.

Who am I gonna be?

And he made such an impact on me that I decided I'm gonna be a psychologist, right?

That's crazy.

A psychologist and a youth pastor.

That's what I thought I was gonna do.

And then I thought, you know what, maybe I'll be a police officer, a youth pastor, and a psychologist.

None of that worked out, okay?

None of that worked out.

Um, but it was at this camp the last day, and the guy was given an altar call, and he's like, you know, if God's calling you to ministry, I want you to come forward.

And I didn't think that was for me.

I read scriptures, I just my heart wasn't in that.

I wanted to volunteer church, I wanted to help Rick for the rest of my life, and that's it.

Um, but I felt the Lord call me.

And I can't say it was an audible voice, but I heard go.

And I didn't want to go.

I had other plans, I had other things I wanted to do, but he said go, and I fought for three minutes.

And I realized if I don't go, I'm gonna miss out on what God wants to do with me.

And so I went down the aisle, and y'all, it has been a journey I have been through the most.

Like a lot of it was my fault.

But this guy right here never stopped loving on me.

And I got into ministry and I met my beautiful wife, and we were in Ohio, and things started off good, and then COVID happened, and y'all know the world shut down.

Um, and there was just this struggle because we didn't feel like we were supposed to be there, but we had no other options, and things were happening.

So I called my mentor and I said, Hey, I need you to pray for this thing that I got going on.

And he said, Well, you know what you could do?

You can move to Alabama.

I'm like, nah, that ain't it.

Uh-uh.

Nah, y'all, up until this point, I hadn't never been to Alabama and I didn't know that they like people like me.

But they do, y'all do.

I love you, y'all love you, I love y'all too.

But I'm telling you, growing up in Indiana, we thought of uh Alabama, we thought of the banjos and all that.

And I know there are some parts like that, but I didn't know, okay?

Don't judge me.

I didn't know.

But he said, why don't you just come and see about it?

So I asked my wife.

I'm saying, my wife is so awesome.

Like, if God calls me to something, she's like, I'm right there with you.

She's like, I'll pray, but like, if you if you decide that's where we're going, let's go.

And so she said, let's let's take a ride.

So we took a weekend trip, the only Sunday we had off at the church, and we drove here and we met Pastor Rick and Benji and Dave and Pastor Danny.

And y'all wonder how we made it here with Pastor Danny there.

He was crazy.

Listen, he was asking all kinds of questions, but we sat down with them and had an awesome time, and I remember this feeling that I felt then.

Like I didn't even know y'all, but I I felt family.

Like that's all I could think about.

Like, this is family.

And so we took a leap of faith.

And as y'all know, some of y'all know, I came here as an intern and a janitor.

Listen, me and Pastor Rick almost got into it a couple times now.

I was cleaning up after him all the time, man.

Trash, everything, coffee cups, half the coffee drink.

And I did that.

And in that moment, I like for me, what it was is God was saying, Are you willing to get down here?

Because if you are, I'll take you here.

If you're willing to get down, and so I got down, and then a position opened up, and I became the janitor, the secretary, and the assistant youth pastor.

And the secretary didn't last long.

Benji got me out of that as quick as he could.

I'm just gonna be 100 with y'all.

I wasn't answering the phone like I was supposed to, so if you called then, I'm sorry.

I look, I would, I'm sorry.

That's all I gotta say.

So as soon as Pastor Danny decided that you know he was gonna sit down and Pastor Rick got promoted, he told me, he said, Look, I'm just gonna be real with you.

I'm not sure if I'm gonna hire you as a youth pastor.

And I was like, What?

Like, ain't that the plan?

He's like, I'm gonna pray about it.

That's the type of man we got here.

I've known him for 12 years.

And he said, I'm not just gonna put you in a position, I'm going to pray about it and make sure that you're the right person for this church.

I know we have a history, but uh God is first.

And so he prayed about it, he came back and he said, Hey, it's your turn.

Now, what y'all most of y'all don't know is when I came here, Benji, you know, he put me on the worship team and I didn't play, I didn't sing for the first month.

Um, I thought I was just terrible, I don't know.

Uh, but I didn't sing for the first month, and I was just kind of helping out whatever, and then he let me sing um breakthrough.

And that became my song.

And it became my song because of what I've been through.

God has broken through so many different things to get us where we are today.

If we look at statistics, I shouldn't be here.

I should be in jail, dead, or on drugs.

By the grace of God.

I'm taking a master.

But as I begin to help with worship, Pastor Rick and I would have conversations, and he'd say, Hey, you know, like you don't have to do worship.

Like you're To be the youth pastor, and I'm like, yeah, but this is I love doing this.

And I kept doing it.

And we would have conversations like, hey, look, you know you're not paid to be the worship pastor, right?

You're the youth pastor.

I'm like, I know, I know.

And I kept fighting as long as I could.

And finally he just stopped saying stuff about it, right?

Because that's where my heart was at.

And it was this last summer at mission serve in a room full of a bunch of teens leading worship.

And I felt the Lord say, Yeah.

This is what you're called to do.

And so I fought it and fought it and fought it.

And I couldn't fight no more, y'all.

When he calls you, you gotta go.

And so I accepted a position at another church.

And we fought.

McKenna and I fought about it because this is family.

But when God calls, we gotta say yes.

And I want to say this before I move on.

There's probably some people in here that God is calling to do something and it don't make sense.

It don't look right.

The numbers aren't adding up.

I'm leaving proof that if you'll just take a step of faith, he'll meet you where you're at and he'll get you there.

He won't call you to something without bringing you through it.

And he's gonna walk every step of the way with you.

So the last thing I want to do before we transition, I know Benji's got me on a time crunch, so I got about 30 minutes left.

I'm playing, I'm playing.

I ain't got that much time.

I just want to uh honor some people that have just been big in my life here.

They told me don't name drop, but Pastor Rick said since I'm leaving, I can do what I won't.

So I'm gonna do what I won't.

So I I wanna ask all the youth leaders, past, present, now.

I want y'all to stand up.

All the people who've been youth leaders with me over these last couple years.

I know there's more than just y'all.

Come on, stand up now.

Don't make me come after you.

Come on, these people, man, they they they helped me do what I had to do.

I I wouldn't have been able to do the things that I did at this church without these men and women around me.

I wouldn't have been able to do what I was able to do without these people.

Thank you guys.

I appreciate y'all.

And then I want the staff to stand up.

That's right.

Y'all come on now, Dave.

All y'all.

Elizabeth with the kids, that's all right.

Where's Anita?

She in here.

I don't see her.

Oh, there she is, Anita.

I love you.

I love you.

Man, give it up for them, man.

I already, you know, talked about Rick a little bit, but I'm serious.

Like, one thing that most people don't know, like McKenna and I, our marriage was like on the rocks when we moved here.

And part of us moving here was like, man, we need a mentor, we need somebody to pour into us.

And our marriage, we we have been married five going on six years now because of this church and because of Pastor Rick.

And so, man, I'm thankful for what y'all have done.

We have a testimony because of God's goodness and his people.

Miss Anita, man, I want to say thank you for how you loved on me from from the jump.

Y'all listen, I got thrown into a wanas.

I ain't never heard about awanas since I moved here.

And Miss Anita, she said, Whatever you need, I got you.

Everything I was going through, she was right there with me helping me out.

My first time getting to preach here.

She came up to me and she was like, Man, you just did so amazing.

And Anita, I am thankful for you and Denson.

And I love you and I appreciate you so much.

And he just taught me everything that he knew and he poured into me.

And he helped me.

And he walked me through it.

There was times where I was messing up and he was right there.

And he continued, even till now.

He said, Anything you need, I got you.

So I'm thankful for y'all.

I love y'all.

Like for real.

And then Dave and Amanda.

Y'all most of y'all didn't hear this, but Amanda prayed that I would listen to the Lord in this calling of worship.

She prayed it down.

But what y'all don't know is Dave and Amanda, when we moved here, we lived in a three-story apartment and we had two dogs, and it was awful.

And Dave heard me complain about it enough where he said, Hey, I'll buy a house and you can rent it off of us.

And so he bought us a house in Childersburg with a big old yard and helped us.

I mean, we saved so much money by living in there.

And Dave man, I know we've been through the most.

I know we've butted heads, but I appreciate you.

I'm thankful for the man of God that you are.

I'm thankful for you speaking up when I needed it, when I didn't want to hear it, because I've grown, because you did not step back, but you spoke into my life.

I didn't want to hear it at the times, but I appreciate you.

And Eli's over there, so I ain't gonna say nothing about him.

Now I'm playing.

I think Kirby's in here, but Eli, I didn't like him when he first got here.

I'm just being 100.

I'm trying to speed up, I'm trying to speed up.

Hold on.

But I didn't like him because I always been the baby.

Every church I worked at, you know, we got some old people working here.

And but I always was the baby.

And then here comes little Eli, 21, 22, I don't know how old he was.

I didn't like him.

But I got to know that man.

And he wants nothing more than Jesus to be exalted in his life.

He wants nothing more than Jesus to be exalted.

And him and I being the young guys, we bonded over that.

And encouraged one another.

And that's my that's my brother.

We have such an amazing staff here.

And I want to name drop a couple more people, and I'm done.

I'm done.

The Propers.

When McKay and I moved here, we knew Pastor Rick.

And that was pretty much it.

Cass and G.

And they took us in.

I mean, they're not old enough to be our parents, but they acted like our parents and loved on us.

I don't know how many times we've been to uh Texas Roadhouse with the Rose, and they just they were a staple for us.

I appreciate y'all.

I love y'all.

I love y'all girls too, man.

The Torres's, I know Sarah's up here, and Miguel, Paula.

When I got here, I told y'all I didn't think there was no black people.

And I met them.

They're not black, but they're close enough.

I'm gonna get in trouble, but y'all can't fire me, so.

But listen, we went over there to visit one time.

I don't know if it was the food or the hospitality, but we've been locked in ever since.

And I'm thankful for y'all.

Um Miguel told me that when I asked him to go to the movies one time, he said I was a weirdo.

And I guess we got past that part, so we're friends now.

Um, but thank you guys.

And then uh Miss Iris, is she in here?

There you are.

I love you, and I thank you.

I didn't have a grandma growing up, and you've been that for me, you and Larry.

And I appreciate all the prayers, all the love, all the encouragement.

You got me for life.

I appreciate you.

I'm almost done.

I'm almost done.

Alas, I I didn't get to say all the names.

There's a lot of y'all I appreciate.

There's a lot of y'all.

Um, but I want to close with Michaela.

I am not the man that I always want to be.

But you stuck by me.

When we could have been done, you didn't give up.

And I'm thankful for you.

Y'all don't know, man.

We've been through everything together.

And you're the most beautiful woman in every room.

Baby, I'm looking at you now.

But thank you for the last five and a half years.

Thank you for pushing me to be better when I don't want to be sometimes.

Thank you for loving me and being my wife.

She's embarrassed.

I'm sorry, y'all.

I gotta do it though.

Because everybody sees my face, but they don't see the one that has encouraged me when nobody else was, that prayed for me when nobody else was.

The one that stuck by my side.

So I'm done, I might have gone over.

But I just want Pastor Rick to come up and I mean it.

CCW is family, and I I'm thankful for you guys.

I love each and every one of y'all.

So thank you.

Hello.

I don't usually use one of these.

I have had a front row seat.

I told him the other night that I have been so busy and so many things have happened, I hadn't had time to be sad.

And and you gotta sing seven songs and talk.

Um but I can remember sitting in my office, and when I would get done all of the work that I was doing for the week and preparing messages and check every box, my boss wouldn't let us leave because we were done.

So I'd sit there and think about kids and pray about kids.

God kept bringing Joe to my mind.

So I'd send him another message.

I'm like, I'm just not gonna quit.

Um and I think about God's sovereignty there because there wasn't some steeped relationship at that point.

It was just God going, there's something about this one, and his sovereign hand and what Joe is saying, he won't get up and share all the bad.

His testimony where he was, it's God just grabbing a hold.

He picked one out and said, that one, and I just got to be a part, you know.

Thank God for Facebook.

So I'm shooting these messages, but um having that front row seat, I was saying the other day, I'm not gonna be that sad because I know that Joe is in my life forever.

He's a son in the faith, and um this is a step in the process, but I was sitting there thinking, and um, if you get a handful of people in your life that you can really count on, you're a lucky person.

And Joe, you are that.

Um I know that you're just three and a half hours away, but my heart is sad to think about that I don't get to walk by and see you tomorrow.

I don't get to ride to a hospital visit with Joe.

Joe and I we laugh and laugh and laugh.

And most of you, if you've been around Joe, it's not because of me.

Joe's just a party with feet.

And uh I hope that you'll never change any of that.

Just take it.

I've told him.

Man, in ministry, if you can be that somewhere.

This church, they're about to get blessed so much by that.

But we want to take a moment.

And church in a moment, I'm gonna ask Joe and I'm gonna ask Michaela if she'll come down.

He's gonna stand with you in a moment.

And anyone that can come, we're gonna lay hands on them because we are our hearts are heavy, but our hearts are excited.

Because if you if you've heard the story of how this really went down, you know it's a God thing.

You know, a man chasing after Joe in a parking lot that didn't know him.

And if you just go back and look at all of it.

But God said, This is the opportunity that's before you.

You can pray about it, and Joe has done that.

And so, as much as I'm sad and I'm excited, and I would be the same way if one of y'all, listen, and I think you're here, and I think Joe said that there are people in this church that you probably have a calling in your life to do some ministry, to do some mission work, and to do something bigger for God than you think you could ever do.

And so we want to send people.

In fact, the scripture that I chose to read says this.

In Acts chapter 13, it says, As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I've called them.

Acts 13 · chapter mention

Then they fasted and prayed, and they sent them, and being sent by the Holy Spirit, they went where they were to be sent.

And that's what Joe and Michaela are doing.

We're commissioning them today to serve the Lord as an extension of the heart of CCW.

We have been a step here, and we are so thankful for these four years.

Every memory, every moment that we shared, the lives impacted.

I mean, we're gonna have people here forever that were impacted by Joe Daniels and Michaela Daniels.

And you're gonna take what God's done in your heart to Pensacola, and we get to be a part of that gospel.

You see that?

We're sending somebody, and I hope, church, if maybe it's gonna be sad like this, but I hope that we send 50 more families by the grace of God to do his work wherever he may have people.

So we want to be a sending church.

But I had a little scripture that I thought about.

What would I share to Joe?

And here's the thing: I'm not sending him and he's done with me.

We're gonna continue this journey together.

Um, and I know that many of you feel the same.

But here in 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy, Timothy was written a letter by Paul, his mentor.

Timothy is a son in the faith, and there's a lot in this letter, but I just picked a few things.

Starting in verse 8, it says this.

Joe, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, for to this end we both labor and we suffer, because we trust in the living God.

Who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

Let no one despise your youth, but be thou an example in conduct and love and faith and purity.

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which you have been given, and by the prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership.

So I'm gonna ask if Michaela would come and join Joe right down here and church, council, staff, any that would like to come and pray with us and join us as we commission them as a part and extension of the heart of CCW to go to Pensacola, Florida to build the kingdom of God.

We're not sending them away, not a part of them, we're sending them off as a part of the work of God with them.

Father, we are thankful for your goodness to us.

God, we're thankful for the bond given to us through your Son Jesus.

God, that you can make family that aren't family, that you can bring a spirit together.

And God, we are so thankful that for the season that you've given us, a season to build, a season to see giftedness come, a season to see the fruit of your works in a young man.

God, I am so proud.

Of John McCain.

God, I know by the power of your Holy Spirit, they're gonna go and do a work of God, and we are so excited.

God, and ask that you would give a big testimony of your goodness.

God, where their feet go, I pray that the work of God goes.

Let them touch hearts.

God, I pray that you protect them.

Rebuke the devour.

God, rebuke the work of Satan.

God, I pray that they would focus on your book.

God, I pray that your word would be life to them.

Grow them in their personal life, but grow them in their marriage.

God, I pray that in the years and days ahead we just have testimony after testimony.

God, I pray that Marcus Point Baptist Church would grow in a great way.

Because of the ministry of these two.

And God, we just set it arm in arm for the kingdom of God and the glory of God.

Lord, that these things come too.

Lord, help our church.

God, we are excited, but Lord, we pray in transition.

Lord, we know when you're at work that you've got a plan.

And God, we're asking for your plan to unfold here and that, God, just as Marcus pointed out here at CCW.

We have a testimony of your goodness, of your work.

So Father, we thank you.

We praise you.

And God, we commend that what we do moving forward, we will be active to glorify your name.

We love you, Jesus.

In your name.

Amen.

Amen, church.

We're going to have an opportunity, Church, after the service here, to gather in fellowship with Joe and Michaela.

We want to invite everybody to lunch.

We're going to do one more song over there.

So would you stand and sing the song?

The blessing.

And then we'll have just a little more.

And a thousand generations.

And your family, and your children, and their children.

And their children.

Be upon you.

And a thousand generations.

And your family.

And your children.

And their children.

And the children.

May your savor be upon you.

And a thousand generations.

And your family.

And your children and their children.

And their children.

Be upon you.

And a thousand generations.

And your family.

And your children and your children.

And your children and your presents all before you and behind you.

And beside you.

All around you.

The winning rule is with you.

It's with you.