Seeds of Faith

Hey, good morning.

Welcome, church family.

Welcome online.

We're so glad you're here this morning.

My name is Brandon, and I just want to welcome you to our time together.

And I just thank you so much for spending part of your weekend with us.

Man, if you've been tracking with us, you know that we're in this series right now called Four Generations, and we're really laying a foundation for what it looks like for us as a church family to begin to look forward to the next generation and see uh all of us invest, seeds of faith for the next generation, so we can uh really move the gospel forward and move the kingdom forward into the next generation.

So we're really excited about that.

And today we're having a special Sunday, especially in person, because we are uh having our commitment Sunday.

So our church family is coming together, and we'll be uh bringing all of our commitments for this four generations initiative so that we can uh expand our space that we want to grow campus.

So we're super excited about that.

But just want to make you aware as well that you can uh do that online so you can fill out your commitment card online on the church app, our website, and submit that today if God leads you.

And uh and we just want to thank you so much for partnering with us in this initiative as we really uh create more space for God to do something really cool among us and see the gospel move forward into the next generation and for generations to come.

Really we want to be a church that is for every generation to have the opportunity to respond to Jesus.

So we're so grateful for you, church family.

Thank you for being part of this with us.

Uh and so we're wrapping that up today.

We're in our last message of that work, we'll be talking about what it means to so seeds of faith today.

But before we get there, just a couple things to note.

Uh one, uh, my brother's not here, uh his family is safe, so we pray for them.

Uh they've hit a lot of things for the past couple weeks in their home.

So we're praying for them.

Uh they get very quickly.

And secondly, we just like to invite you to download the church to grow app because it's hands down the best way to stay connected with our church family and with everything that's going on in your life of our church.

So make sure you download that app.

You can do things like fill out uh connection cards or terminals uh you find how much you call you to, uh, whether it's factors in joining the community group or whatever that looks like, you can do that on the app.

So it's really a great tool for you, great resource for you in your faith journey.

So make sure you do that.

And then the other thing today that I really wanted to highlight is our United weekend.

It is coming up.

Uh March 1st through the 3rd.

It's our weekend where our students pull away for a few days and we gather at the social circle theater.

And we spend just a few days really going after the Lord together and seeking the Lord, and uh he always moves so mildly within our students.

So we're expecting that God is gonna move on that weekend.

We've been praying and pushing into this weekend for a while now, and many of you have been doing that with us.

So we just invite you to continue to pray uh as we move forward to this weekend because we know the enemy likes to attack and he likes to distract uh from what God is doing, and so we're praying that God really grabs a hold of the teaching of our students through these days and lose in their hearts.

And so uh man be on that journey with us, pray with us, and also if you're looking for a way to serve and be for generations we uh this is a great opportunity to do that.

This is such an easy way to serve the next generation and serve our students.

So we we need people who uh can help leave agrees or via hosting uh or many other different things throughout the weekend as it pertains to uh what we're doing.

And so we don't want you to be a part of that.

You can sign up on the app, on the website, and you can check that out uh there.

And you can also give to help support each student if you want to go on the weekends.

However, the Lord is leading you to be a part of that, and we can challenge you to have you back with the leading and participate in service next generation because God is on the lead uh in this next generation and we want to be a part of that we can believe that he wants to do that in our students.

Uh just kind of weekend of March, so make sure you're part of that.

And then uh we uh the weekend after the weekend so that March 10th will be our uh big gift today, and this is where we will bring our first free uh kind of offering to start this four generations initially.

So we'd love for you to be a part of that as well.

So uh being said, we're gonna jump into some worship this morning.

Uh and we just got together through that.

So I invite you just to grab whatever you need to stay engaged, uh, because we'll be going to the sermon right after this.

And so whatever you need to take a note, stay engaged.

Um let's spend some time worshiping the Lord together, and then we'll hear from God together, from Pastor Russ, and then I'll be back on the other side to close this out.

Your name is power, your name is Stronghold, shine through the shadows, the life.

I just want to speak the name of Jesus over fear and all anxiety soul helped by depression I speak Jesus Your name is power, your name is your name is every stroll, shine shadow, your name is power, your name is your name is shine through the shadows for the shall Jesus from the mountains, Jesus in the streets, Jesus in the darkness over every enemy, and Jesus for my family.

I speak the holy name Jesus from the mountains and she sends the trees, she is in the top of every enemy She's a square family, I should be home your name is power, your name is so big is eating, your death is like it be strong, shine the shadows.

I just want to speak the name of Jesus.

Come on, church over every heart and every mind.

I speak Jesus, speaking everyone Jesus from the mountains, she descends the streets, she descends the time.

Here, I want to tell you something this morning that we serve a big God.

Does anybody believe that we have a big God?

And so, because that's kind of poor.

Some of y'all didn't even offer up a clap.

Let's try that again.

Do you believe that we have a big God?

Thank you.

Thank you.

And today's a big day, and I'm excited about it.

And if you are a guest with us and you come in on a day like today, just relax.

Just relax.

I hope what you're going to see is you're going to see our church at our best.

You're going to see our church at our best.

You're going to see a response of faith and hopefully big faith.

Big faith to see what God is going to do as we move forward as a church family.

Hebrews says that faith is the substance of things hoped for.

It is the evidence of things unseen.

And so faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of what is unseen.

And so our lives are that response to how we live, how we love, how we give, how we trust God with everything that He has provided for us.

I came across this story in a book, the story told by Jay Wilbur Chapman, and this is from the perspective of an adult son who had been a prodigal.

Here's what he says.

He said, I got off at the Pennsylvania Depot as a tramp.

And for a year I begged on the streets for a living.

One day I touched a man on the shoulder and I said, Hey, mister, can you give me a dime?

And as soon as I saw his face, I was shocked to see that it was my own father.

It was my own father that I had tapped on the shoulder and said, Hey, mister, will you give me a dime?

And I said, Father, father, do you know who I am?

Do you know it's me?

And throwing his arms around me with tears in his eyes, he said, My son, at last I have found you.

I have found you.

And he said, You want a dime?

You want a dime?

He says, Everything I have is yours.

Everything I have is yours.

Think of it.

I was a tramp.

I stood begging my own father for 10 cents when for 18 years he had been looking for me to give me all that he had.

And it's a small picture, very a picture that falls short of really what I believe God wants us to know and what he wants us to understand as his children.

His supreme goal in bringing us to himself is to make us like himself by filling us with himself with all that he has and with all that he is.

And so we often come to God in prayer and petition and we're hesitant to ask for big things.

We're hesitant.

He wants us to come in confidence.

In reality, we are his children that have access to him and access to his abundant resources that are exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think.

And so Jesus invites us.

He invites us in the scriptures.

John 14, 13 and 14 says this, you can ask for anything in my name and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.

Yes, ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.

And I don't believe that God is a genie in a bottle, or we can, you know, rub the lamp and ask for three wishes.

That's not it at all.

But he's speaking to those walking in the way and the will of Jesus, desiring that the will of Jesus be done, earnestly desiring.

What is his will?

His will is for himself to be glorified in and through us, his church, by doing his will.

What is his will?

It is to go and reach people far from God and to leave and to become followers of Jesus.

His will is to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And he says he'll be with us to the end of the age.

That is his will.

And so we as a church are on a mission.

We are on this mission, knowing that God called us to reach people near and far.

And not only, here's the reality.

We are called to go, but the reality is sometimes we don't even have to go because God is bringing the world to us.

Matthew 7, 7 and 8 says, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.

Keep on seeking and you will find.

Keep on knocking, and the door will be open to you for everyone who asks, receives, and everyone who seeks finds.

To everyone who knocks, the door will be open.

And so we've been in this series four generations.

Four generations.

And the title of the series will culminate today, helping you understand.

God has called us to reach people and to reach people beyond this generation.

He's called us to have impact in generations to come.

Long after you and I are gone, my prayer is that this church will be strong and vibrant.

As strong and vibrant as it is today, even more so, because of the faith that we have to move forward today.

And so we've been studying this prayer that Paul has been praying over the church at Ephesus.

And I'm just going to read, I'm going to read the whole section.

Ephesians 3, 14 through 21.

He says, when I think of all this, and you know I've I talk about context and context and context.

What does he mean when I think of all this?

What is he thinking of?

He's thinking of what he has already written, as we talked about this a few weeks back, several weeks ago.

He's talking about the gospel.

When I think of all this, I think of the fact that I was dead, but he made me alive.

And he has created me as his masterpiece to do his good works that he's already prepared for me before the foundation of the world.

And so that we find that in Ephesians 2.

You also find, so there's this personal salvation.

The gospel is personal for us, but it's also collective.

He talks about breaking down the walls of hostility between Gentiles and Jews, which means he has come for everybody and every nation, every tribe and tongue, every ethnicity.

He has come to break down walls, and we are all one in Christ.

That's what he means when I think of all of this.

The goodness of God.

I fall to my knees and I pray to the Father.

Paul is in a prison cell when he's writing this letter to the church at Ephesus.

And so there's probably a Roman soldier there.

And so, in the presence of a Roman soldier, he falls down to his knees.

He says, and I pray to the Father, the creator of everything in heaven and on earth, I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources, he will empower you with inner strength through his spirit.

If you want a little more explanation on some of these verses, please go back.

Go back.

I would say go back and watch.

Go back and listen.

And then it says in verse 17, then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

We've talked about the metaphor of the tree.

Blessed is the man.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of sinners, sit in the sea of scorners.

Blessed is the man who is like a tree planted by streams of water, who will in due season yield its fruit.

He wants us to be trees.

And if you read Isaiah 61, he says, not just trees, he wants to raise up oaks of righteousness.

Your children, your babies, your grandbabies.

He wants to see your children raised up as oaks of righteousness.

What does that mean?

It means they're rooted in the gospel.

They know Jesus, they love Jesus, they obey Jesus.

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand as all God's people should, how wide and how long and how high and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God who is able.

Who is able through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or think.

Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all.

Say it together.

Generations.

Forever and ever.

Amen.

So that's where we've been.

And so we we've got, as far as teaching, we've gotten up through verse 19.

So today, let's slow down.

I'm almost out of breath.

And let's read verses 20 and 21 and see what God says.

Now all glory to God, who is able.

And then when I when I memorize this, I think I have a there's a combination of the King James and the ESV when I quote this verse.

Because I think of it now to him, now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond of all we could ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

But here's what it says in New Diving Translation.

Now all glory to God, who is able through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Glory to him and the church and Christ Jesus through all generations, forever and ever.

And so Paul concludes, he concludes this section, he concludes his prayer.

And his prayer, his conclusion is referred to as a doxology of sorts.

And what is a doxology?

A doxology is a it is a hymn, it's a liturgical repeated prayer.

It is meant to be a prayer that is lifted up.

It may be in song or in unison as a church, where Jesus is lifted up, and so he comes to this doxology, and he is acknowledging that Jesus, that God is worthy of praise for who he is and what he's done.

And so what is Paul emphasizing in this closing doxology?

He's emphasizing this that God is a more than enough God.

God is a more than enough God.

Paul's declaring that God is limitless in his provision.

He's limitless in his provision.

We expect and we ask far too little of our Heavenly Father when in reality he has every resource and more at his disposal to meet our needs.

J.B.

Phillips wrote a book years ago titled, Your God is Too Small.

Your God is too small.

He says the real problem behind our shortcomings, often in our life as followers of Jesus, is our inability to see God as He truly is.

Our image of God falls short and does not merit contemplation, devotion, or obedience.

We ask of him, what we ask of him is far too short of what he desires to offer us.

Our God is too remote, he says.

And he's inept.

That's what J.B.

Phillips is describing.

We say our God is too small.

And here's what we do.

We tend to see God as being created in our image rather than us created in his image.

And the psalmist, the psalmist kind of kind of reiterates this and confirms this in scripture, the psalmist, Psalm 50, 21.

He says, These things you have done, and I have been silent.

You thought that I was one like yourself.

You thought that I was one like yourself.

That's what the psalmist writes.

This is the prop prophetic word from God.

You thought I was one like yourself.

But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

So God is able to provide far beyond what we ask or think.

How?

How.

So God is a more than enough God.

He can provide beyond what we could ask or think.

How?

According to His power at work in us.

His power at work through us.

Everything Paul did in his ministry was in the power of God.

Everything that we see that is that is the power, miraculous work, it's the power of God.

There was nothing within the Lord's will that he could not see accomplished.

In his obedience and in the power of the Spirit.

And you talked to someone you know is outside of a relationship with God, and you took a step of courage, and you said, Well, you know what I believe?

I believe in a God who's big enough to provide the answer to your situation.

And you spoke with courage and you shared.

Let me tell you about my story.

Let me tell you how God worked in my life.

Let me tell you how God's worked in my family.

Let me tell you how how have you ever stepped out?

Have you ever just said when somebody was explaining something that was a problem in their life?

Have you ever just stopped and said, you know what?

Can I just pray for you right now?

Can I pray for you?

Because I believe in a God who allows us to come to Him.

He's got resources beyond what you need.

How many of us are willing to step out in faith in our daily life and just say, God, you know what?

I'm going to speak on your behalf today.

1 Corinthians 2, 4 and 5 says, Paul says this in his letter to the church at Corinth.

He says, And my message and my preaching were very plain.

Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.

I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom, but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 4, 20.

Paul says this, he said, for the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk.

It is living by God's power.

And so God is a more than enough God.

God, how does God do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think?

It's His power at work through us, which is the Holy Spirit, which is which I believe we far too often fail to step out of faith when God opens a door for us.

What's the result of a God that is more than enough God?

His power works through us.

It's his glory to all generations.

Listen to me.

It's his glory to all generations.

And listen, the church is not an optional part of Christianity.

The church is not an optional part of our faith.

Rather, it is the place now and through eternity where God is given honor and glory.

It starts in the church and then it makes its way out.

His redeeming love.

Just as Christ is the evidence of God's redeeming love, the church is the evidence of God's transforming and uniting power.

And so God expects for the Holy Spirit and the power of God to work in the church, through the church.

And an unbelieving world sees the power of God at work in us through us.

They take notice.

What's going on there?

What is happening there?

People are believing who didn't believe.

People are brought to a place of forgiveness and redemption.

Paul writes back in chapter 2, verses 5 through 7, he says that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

It is only by God's grace that you have been saved, for he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him.

In the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Listen, listen.

Here's this might be highlighted.

It's not highlighted, but verse seven.

Verse seven.

But imagine it being highlighted.

So God can point to us in all future ages.

As examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us.

I want you to read that.

As examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and his kindness toward us.

He'll say, Hey, look.

Look.

I'm pointing.

Remember that church?

And listen, he's going to point at some other churches.

He's going to point at churches in Romania.

He's going to point at churches in Africa.

He's going to point at churches in in China.

He's going to point at churches in Puerto Rico and Haiti, the Dominican Republic.

He's going to point.

But he's going to point down here and little Podunk Walnut Grove.

When I tell people about our church, I'm like, we're in Walnut Grove.

And then I have to, then I go into explanation.

Like, not little house on the prairie, Walnut Grove, because who knows where Walnut Grove is.

I don't even know if GPS brings you to Walnut Grove.

But you know what?

Church at the Grove is going to put Walnut Grove on the map.

Because not because of anything we've done, I've done, it's because of the power of God in and through us.

And so when you tell somebody something about Walnut Grove, we go to Walnut Grove High School, or we live in Walnut Grove, oh, they're going to, oh, that's yeah, that's where that church is.

Is that where that's where Church of the Grove is?

That's what they're going to say.

Maybe.

And so God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

And I'm listening, we are not, listen, this is not about exalting the church of the grove.

It's really about exalting Christ.

That's what this is about.

It's about, it's about exalting Christ.

A church that's unified.

The attention is not on really anything we do.

It's about what Christ has done and what he's doing.

And our response.

And if God receives the glory and the gospel is forwarded to generations to come.

Where our children have adequate faith.

Where our growing student ministry is able to flourish.

And where the people who are moving into this community will be able to come in as a family and find a place to sit, a place to worship, a place to serve, a place to discover their gifts, a place to hear the gospel.

So in a moment, we're going to ask you as a church family to come and bring your commitment cards and place them in these baskets.

So this is this is a time that we are receiving.

We receive your offerings, your commitments, your commitments.

And if you want to go ahead and pull it out, just kind of put your hands on it.

I'm going to fold it.

Just fold it in half.

Fold it in half.

Hold on to it.

And so in a moment, I'm going to ask you to come.

And I'm asking you to come as a couple or a family.

And I know if you're here and you're new, there is no expectation for you to take part in this.

I mean, that that I understand that.

If you are maybe you're new in the past couple of weeks or a few weeks, you're like, well, I'm not even sure if this is my home church yet.

That's understandable.

And so we had we had a leadership night.

We had 21 families commit already.

And if you were among those, I would ask you to just bring a card.

It may be blank because you've already brought yours, but just to take part in this, to be unified as a church to come.

Those 21 commitments totaled just short of$600,000 to this point, which I praise God for that.

I felt like that was a blessing.

Huge blessing.

Huge start.

So I'm gonna ask you to read.

Let's read together our giving liturgy.

This we read this about once a month together, but I felt like today is a great day for us to read this together right before we come and to bring our offering.

Ready?

Let's read it together.

Holy Father, there is nothing I have that you have not given me.

All I have and am belong to you, bought with the blood of Jesus.

To spend everything on myself and to give without sacrifice is the way of the world that you cannot abide.

But generosity is the way of those who call Christ their Lord, who love Him with free hearts and serve Him with renewed minds, who withstand the delusion of riches that chokes the Word, whose hearts are in your kingdom and not in the systems of the world.

I am determined to increase in generosity until it can be said that there is no needy person among us.

I am determined to be trustworthy with such a little thing as money that you may trust me with true riches.

Our team leads us in this closing time of worship.

I'm just gonna ask you to come.

This is mine and Jill's card right here.

I'm gonna ask for you to come and bring your commitment cards to the Lord for his glory, for his honor, and for generations.

Hey, thank you so much for worshiping with us today.

And hopefully God spoke to you and that uh you were challenged and encouraged around his word uh and what he's doing here, and just pray that uh you were reminded today of what it means to actively sow seeds of faith for the next generation.

And so, whatever that looks like for you, whatever next step God's calling you to, we'd love uh to help you on that journey.

And so if you want to text Start to Follow to 9700, start to follow, it's all one word to 9700.

And we'd love to just give you some resources for your journey, whether that is you taking a step for the first time to follow Jesus, or you just want some information about that, or uh you've been following Jesus for a while, but there's a next step that he's calling you to this morning.

We would love to just partner with you and come alongside you for that.

So make sure you text in uh and start a conversation with us.

And lastly, make sure you don't forget about our United Weekend coming up next weekend with our students.

And so be praying for that, uh, be praying that God moves mightily uh and the lives of students as we show up and create space for him to move.

And so, also if you want to participate in that, please reach out to Jonah or Anderson or go on the app and website and find out uh details about how you can be involved in serving this next generation.

And don't forget about Big Gift Sunday of the following weekend.

Uh so lots going on.

Make sure that you are staying connected with all that's going on in the life of the church.

We're in a busy season, but it's so good.

God is moving, and so we're so uh thankful for you, church family, and thankful for what God is doing.

And so if you need anything, we are here for you.

Please reach out and let us know.

And otherwise, we will see you next Sunday.

Hope you guys have an amazing week.