Flourish in the House of the Lord

Hello and welcome to the Arise Church Podcast.

We are so glad you're here and want to thank you for joining us

today for the audio version of our Sunday morning message.

We want to invite you to join us in person at our Sunday morning

celebration every Sunday at 10 AM.

We are located on Old Jenks Rd. in Apex, NC.

Listen, the Lord did put a message in my heart.

That was the that was just my little introduction, but really

I believe that we are in the days right now here at Horizon.

I've said this to our team. I sense this every weekend that

we are in the very special days of the Lord is giving us an

invitation every single Sunday that we come and hear the word

of God. In fact, I listen to Pastor

Beth's message a couple of times.

One, because I wasn't here, I was in kids.

I was at kids camp and so, you know, you in the car, you don't

always get to hear everything. So I got to hear her message

again, but I'm so encouraged because I feel like the Lord is

literally like bringing us, serving us an invitation every

single Sunday of what he has for us.

So I feel like even today's encouragement and message in the

word is an invitation. And I also believe the second

part of this is that there's not just an invitation of like, hey,

come join me or hear something I have for you.

But I believe that the Lord right now, there's a

supernatural grace of impartation to all of you, to

all of us, so that he's not just inviting, like, come on, but

He's giving you the grace. That's what grace is, the

empowerment of the Holy Spirit to receive that impartation of

strength, that impartation of the word, that impartation of

courage to step into these things and maybe let go of other

things to do it. And so I pray that today, even

as even as I share what God put on my heart to share, that you

would hear the invitation, but even more importantly, that you

would receive the impartation, right?

There's an impartation that something of part of what I'm

sharing is being given to you and being imparted, added to

you, that I pray that you receive it.

I pray that you function and I pray that you know it's for you.

It's for now. Amen.

And so, Lord, may you give us ears to hears and eyes to see

today. Lord, may you just wash any

debris, anything that we've held back.

And I thank you for even the time of worship today that we've

surrendered all or how fitting because you did the very same

thing for us on the cross. You said I surrender all so that

we could be your sons and daughters, that we can step into

this place of grace. We can step into this place of

receiving from you and being called by you today, Lord.

So I thank you that we follow because you said that you would

lead us that you're a Good Shepherd.

So thank you, Lord, that you hear us, you see us and that

today you would speak to us in Jesus name, Amen.

Amen. So I want to, I want to, I feel

like this has been since I came to a rice church, this has been

just a word on my heart that I feel like we are about to

experience some flourishing in this house.

So if you, if you have felt like, no, I'm actually withering

a little bit, hang in there because God's about to plant

events in places where you will have what you need the

nourishment to grow in, in what he has in store for you.

But the the word flourish means to grow, to thrive, to bear

fruit and to remain fresh. Amen.

Because of being deeply rooted in God.

So it's to grow, to thrive, to be to bear fruit and to remain

fresh because of being rooted deeply in God.

And I want to point to this scripture that this is really

the Scripture that I just been meditating and pondering and

asking the Lord because I believe it's for us today.

I believe it's for what God wants to do at Arise Church.

For every person that calls a righteous a rice church, their

home church, whether it's online or whether it's a home church or

you're part of our congregation here, this is a word for you.

In Psalm 92, verse 12 through 15, it says the righteous shall

Psalms 92:12–15

flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in

Lebanon. Those who are planted, planted

in the House of the Lord shall flourish.

Pay attention to that. Those who are planted, not those

who are potted, but those who are planted, Amen.

Those who are planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish

in the courts of our God. That means in the presence of

God. How many of you like that

already, Amen. They shall still bear fruit in

old age. Amen.

They shall be fresh and flourishing.

To declare that the Lord is upright.

He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Lord, we love your word. You know I've meditated on the

Scripture for really since I came to arise.

The Lord put that in fact, our very first women's gathering was

called flourish. If you were here, you would

remember, but you know, we, the Bible says the righteous shall

flourish. That means that is what God,

that's a promise. That is a promise from the Lord

to the righteous. Who are the righteous?

Those who have been made righteous right by the blood of

Jesus. So if you're like, I haven't

been righteous, I cut someone off today.

Good news, you are righteous because of that.

And it says that you shall flourish like a palm tree.

And let me tell you, I I first, I read the scripture so, so many

times. And I always thought, oh, that's

cool. Like I love palm trees.

I'm, I grew up in California. Like, it just was like, yeah,

palm tree sounds really great. But until I asked the Lord what

the palm tree meant, it really opened up my, my, my perception

of even what this scripture is the revelation.

And it says that those they shall grow like a cedar in

Lebanon. That cedar in Lebanon is one of

the strongest trees, most stable trees that you will ever hear

about. But I want to tell you really

quick about the palm tree. So the palm tree as you know it

is a tree that is usually upright, right?

And its leaves are pretty flexible.

If you've ever been in a storm, many of us have, you know, those

are the ones that when the storms come, their leaves are

flexible. They can go back and forth and

when it's over, they go straight again.

And that's what I believe the Lord was saying to us, that that

is what God has for us as we're planted in the House of the

Lord. That when storms come in our

life, yes, we're going to have the capacity to be like, OK,

here we go, but when? But we will be upright, we will

continue to be upright. We will not be taken down.

Palm trees also bear abundant fruit.

There's a date palm which can actually, the date palms can

bear fruit all the way up to 100 years.

So if you're under 100 years, you're in the right place.

Amen. That that's why God is saying,

that's why his word is saying you will be like a palm tree,

not just because you're going to be in California hanging out.

It's no, he's saying, this is what I'm saying and I'm

prophetically speaking to you guys that you shall be like a

palm tree for those that are in the House of the Lord, that you

will bear fruit all the way to old age.

And it says that it can produce fruit for many, many years.

Here's the cool part. Palm trees can flourish in harsh

environments. Here's why because you don't see

it because it's under the surface.

But the palm trees have very deep roots, deep roots.

So even in the middle of harsh environments, they can tap into

the water source. And I believe that these are the

days that we better be tapped in to the water source that we are.

Roots have to go deep. A few weeks ago, I thought I was

cute and I bought some little lavender plants from a Trader

Joe's and I had plans for the plans for these plants.

I literally was like, I I ChatGPT like what it I was going

to build this garden, what I was going to do.

And I potted them because I just thought, well, for now they just

need to be potted. I just need to keep the water

right? But they were outside.

And so one of those big windy days came and went and so did my

plants so that they, the, the pot broke, of course, but then

they just shriveled up and died. It is so sad.

But you know what? If I had planted those plants,

guess what? They would have survived.

They probably would have thrived.

And that's, that's really the case.

And that's really what I want to bring to y'all that some of us

are not seeing. We're not we're not flourishing

because we're not yet planted because this promise, it says

those who are planted, not potted in the House of the Lord

shall flourish. And you know, we like pots.

Here's the reason why we like pots.

OK, One, they're cute, right? They're cute.

You could kind of pick your own colour.

You don't really have to like, you know, you can they're very

they can move around. So if you're like, yeah, I don't

like this place. Like, you know, I like to just

put move my pots. And sometimes as believers, as

Christians, we're like being in a pot is comfortable.

Yay. Because when I, the sun hits me

too hard, you know, I can just move here where I can get the

shade right. Or if someone, you know, I don't

really like the way they are doing this or that, well, I can

just move my paw over here and I can move here.

But here's the truth. You will never reach the

capacity that you were created to have if you are not planted

because believe it or not, the nourishment of the pot in the

pot, it's actually very empty. That's why you have to keep

adding different kinds of soils and mixtures and fertilizers.

I'm like, I don't even do that to my own.

I don't even have that kind of skin routine.

But I feel like, you know, we have to baby these potted plants

because they just need a lot more care.

Now. If you plant them right, if

you're planted in the House of the Lord, you will naturally

receive the nourishment that's in the soil because you're

choosing to come and be in the dirt.

I mean, of us know the dirt can be messy, right?

My son came in today and he just got a brand new white shoes and

he's like, I got mud. Oh, shoot, that was like, oh,

buddy, I'm so sorry because mud can be messy.

Mud transfers. And you know, but there's

something about the, the, the nourishments that take place

because in the soil there's so much more that's unseen, right?

There's so much more under the surface.

And so when we are planted in the House of the Lord, there's

so much more nourishment than we realized.

I was talking to a really good friend of mine this week and we

were talking about again, you guys are going to give me an F

for my green thumb because I just going to be honest, I don't

have 1 yet, but we were talking about tomato plants.

And so we were just chit chatting, chit chatting.

And she's like, yeah, my tomato plants are not as they're not

flourishing like the ones that back home they used to flourish.

And I was like, huh, mine do that too.

And then I dawned on me. I was like, well, mine like

they're tipped over and there's probably like just this much

dirt leftover since I last saw them.

So yeah, mine haven't flourished either.

They, I have not produced a fruit in that pot in a long

time. So, but it don't, I mean, I

said, could it be that when you had your tomato plants planted

in soil, maybe that's why they're flourishing?

Because the ones here, they're still in a pot and they're just,

you know, we were talking she's like, it's expensive.

Like we have to keep adding to them.

And it's like just 'cause she's like, we might as well just buy

tomatoes at Costco. I'm like, yes, that's what I do.

I buy the ones on the vine because it makes me think that

someone grew them and maybe in my imagination I grew them.

I don't know that I'm in some Italian village and I'm like,

here's my tomatoes. But anyways, so that's why I buy

those vine ones. But but it but it dawned on me.

I said, yeah, I wonder if it's that, you know, and sure enough,

I chatted ChatGPT whatever is I was like, is this true?

And they're like, yes, it's true.

You are right. You're on the right track.

You need to actually, when you plant tomato plants and they're

in soil, they will flourish and you'll have so much fruit.

I thought, huh, Lord, you're leading me somewhere not to

plant more plants right now, but somewhere.

But you know what? In, in, in, in the place of the

House of the Lord, like, you know, we are being being planted

means we are surrendering and we're saying, Lord, we're going

to be planted here and we're going to trust you that this,

you know, the, the environment that you're putting us in the

dirt that Lord, you're going to have the nourishment and the

nutrients and the water systems to irrigate because there's

going to be a root system. And that's the second, second

tree I want to talk to you about really briefly because I hope

you're seeing yourself here in that the Lord is calling us to

bear much fruit. The Lord is calling us to be

stable. The Lord is calling us to be

dependable, right? Because we need to, we need to

bear fruit for the Lord. We need to bear fruit for the

Lord and the cedar of Lebanon. Let me tell you about this tree.

This is the very same tree that King David, King Solomon used

for the temple. So if God was going to choose a

tree to build the temple, the king, what tree, right?

And it's the cedar of Lebanon. And here's why.

Because it is strong, it is stable, it has our unnatural

oils and it's resistant to pest and decay.

That's why the Lord is saying to us, you will grow, you will

grow. Let me tell you this, sometimes

the in the will we get discouraged because you're like,

I'm here and let me tell you 4 years ago we came, we were like,

we are here. And then we're like, oh, there

is the will part. We need to grow right there.

We need to grow in our congregation.

We, we needed to grow as well with the Lord grew us.

But the only way that could happen is if we were planted

because the, the, the first thing that grows in a cedar of

Lebanon is the root system. God is smart, right?

1st, the roots have to grow deep enough again to tap into the

water, but really it brings stability and strength so that

as the tree grows, it is unmovable and unshaken, right?

How many of us in this life right now we need to be

unmovable and unshaken? Amen.

And so it says here that it grows in the high mountains of

Lebanon, even through heavy snow, strong winds, hot summers,

cold winters, praise the Lord, and conditions that contribute

it. All of those conditions, you

would think, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

I lived in Maryland two years and I was not loving it, but you

know what? God created this tree till I, I

was, I was like, let's, let's stay inside.

But thank you Lord for that because I will tell you, I will

tell you those two years that the Lord took us and I'm so

thankful for that. I, it was a gift of the Lord to

take us through that time of growth and like going deeper,

right, deeper. It wasn't a time to like stay on

the surface. We had to go deep, deep, deep

with the Lord and during those two years, I tell you what, the

weather, the the, the winters that I was not used to guess

what it did in me, not what I expected.

I was like, I expect it to freeze me.

No, it actually builds resistance in me and it brings a

brought about a resilience from the Lord to go through those

harsh winters, to be able to take from the Lord what I needed

to build that strength. And same with these trees, they

as they grow and they go through all this harsh weather, it

doesn't deplete them. It actually makes them stronger

from the root system and then from the inside out all the way

to the SAP. And that's why they can build

such long tree branches that I will not try to be a tree for

you. But we do have pictures.

There's a tree, there's a picture of a Lebanon.

Do we have that picture? OK, that's the actual though,

the grain of it. It's like, look at these guys.

I don't know them, but they're holding the big tree.

OK, Is there a picture of the tree of the actual Lebanon?

OH, there it is. So this beautiful Lebanon cedar

of Lebanon, because of its deep roots, it can actually be pretty

wide. Its branches can spread really,

really long, and the leaves flourish because there's all the

SAP, all of the nutrients that's coming from the roots.

Amen. And I believe this is a picture

of what God has for us here to rise.

That you wouldn't be a tree that Withers.

Don't be like my tomato plants, right?

But may the Lord root you, may the Lord strengthen you, may the

Lord call you to be planted so that you can be as majestic as

that. And here's the beautiful part.

And here's what the Lord connected these parts.

You think, well, that's beautiful.

I just, I get to look beautiful like a tree.

No, this tree brings one, it brings the shade, but it also

brings a place where others can come right and take shelter.

And that's what God wants to do in each of you.

You think, oh, I just need to grow.

Here's why you need to grow because there's a place in the

Lord that as He grows, as we can be, have greater capacity,

right? If a tree like that doesn't have

the inner strength to hold the weight of those branches, it

would collapse, right? It would.

We've seen that. We've seen that during storms

when the trees are sick or they're unhealthy or there's

pests, they collapse at the very first wind.

But these trees are not made for that.

And guess what? These are the trees that the

Lord said. Those are the ones I want for my

temple. Those are the ones that are

going to bring honor and service to me.

And I believe that the Lord's doing that in these days of

grabbing a hold of that resilience of what God's

building in you, Sometimes we want to run away from it, but I

encourage you stay with it, stay grounded, stay rooted, stay

immovable because that strength is going to spring forth.

OK, let me tell you one couple more things and then we're going

to move on. Enough science for today.

But it says that these trees grow very slowly.

I wasn't expecting that. Lord, Fast forward.

No, there's something about the steadiness and the resilience

that begin to develop the tree. Right.

So for those of you that you feel like I've been here a

month, I've been saved, I've been baptized, but where's my

fruit? The Lord wants us to be so

deeply rooted so that as we grow, there is more fruit,

there's more being developed. You know, that's why you're in

the soil because more so be patient because these trees do

not grow overnight, but they do produce strength over time.

Amen. And so I want to encourage you.

This really reflects just our enduring faith in the Lord.

You know, these times of of coming together, even what the

Lord LED us to today to come on our knees like that is how we're

getting more strength. You know, it's repeating the

same thing and doing it and doing the things that God's

called us to do and sticking to it.

Amen. So it eventually this tree

matures into a massive trunk with wide branches, just like

you saw in Psalm one O 416 says the trees of the Lord are full

of SAP, the Cedars of Lebanon, which he planted again, you

could look over that and be like great SAP, sappy trees.

But the truth of the SAP, the SAP could not be produced.

And the SAP is what actually allows the nutrients of the soil

to be carried throughout the entire tree so that long, strong

branches can grow. And so this whole process that

the Lord is taking us through is so that there's actually

vitality and life when they when some when life taps at you, do

we crumble or just SAP come out? We're like, Oh, you watch me

now, I'm going to grow and know another branch, right of

strength. I'm going to grow another branch

of joy in my marriage. I'm going to grow another branch

of resilience to lead my children in the way they should

go. Amen, parents, right?

And that's what this is producing in US.

It's not just like, oh, here's more branches, but there's a

purpose that these branches are to also carry the weight and the

capacity that God has for each and every one of us.

So let me tell you this again, it takes about two to five years

for a tree that's planted, that's been planted to begin to

grow and you see fruit. So there is a process of being

patient, but also being steadfast.

And let me tell you, that's been one of my most consistent

prayers to the Lord for these for this last few years, this

season of like, Lord, help me to be steadfast.

Like, yes, Lord, I need all the other things, but Lord, help me

to be steadfast for you, you know, to be unmovable, to be

unshakable, to just be steadfast in what you've called me to do.

It's, it's really like, it's not Lord, Lord, help me to be

comfortable. Lord help, help me so that my

children just behave every day, even though they do.

But you know, Lord, don't let anything like just don't let

anything come my way. It's like no Lord like

steadfast. I want to be steadfast and I

believe that the Lord's moving that in us because of the days

that are coming. This is preparation.

In case we didn't know it, this is preparation.

These are days that you are being strengthened, steadfast in

your marriage with your children, not so that you could

stay together, but so that you can be like that tree, that that

beautiful tree that can provide shade for others.

Amen. Because you're like, I just want

to make it. Yes, you will make it, but it's

so that you can be a fruitful tree for other people in the

Kingdom of God, Amen. I want to speak really quick to

the Lord put this on my heart for marriages, you know, when in

fact, I want to congratulate my beautiful parents, Beth and

Terry Austin. They celebrated.

Where are they in the room? 43 years, 43 years.

How many of you know that's steadfastness in the Lord.

And here's something really sweet that happened the the

morning that of their anniversary, I woke up and I

went downstairs and I said happy anniversary and mom had a big

old smile on her face. She goes 43 years of saying I

do. And I was like you did.

So, you know, I'm not really touch me because I thought,

Lord, like how beautiful that it's been an intentional daily.

I do 40, she said 43 years of daily saying I do.

So I went upstairs and I told Ty, I do, I do, I do.

But you know what it's like there's an intentional of like

there's 43 years of saying I'm saying planted.

There's 43 years of laying my life down.

There's 43 years of saying I do what I promised to do on our

wedding day. And you know, that's what the

Lord I believe and I speak that over marriages that the Lord

would renew that SAP in you. So point to your spouse and be

like, come on, be sappy because that vitality.

The man just stared at me. The women are like, there's a

vitality that the Lord wants to push upward in your marriage,

that the deeper you are rooted in the Lord, the deeper you're

rooted in within the House of the Lord and in the environment

that's going to stir up those nutrients.

And I'm even talking to you young people, don't, don't look

away, 'cause you're being prepared for what's to come,

Amen. You're the Lord's preparing you

to be that spouse, that sappy, that's ready to go and bring

forth life, right? And so listen there, there is

just days of us being there by the Lord.

I felt like the Lord saying, there's vitality coming back

into marriages, there's vitality and strength.

And you think, Oh well, we've tried this.

But you know what, God can grow new things.

Did you know that there could be new branches that God's like you

don't even know what's coming and so stay grounded, stay true.

I love that the Lord says you know, if in in Psalm 1010, I'm

sorry, Psalm chapter one verse one and three.

This is this is honestly one of my life verses for many, many

years, because this is where the place where the Lord brought me

to say, this is what you will be.

And it says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of

the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the

seat of the scornful. So if you find yourself in that

company with the ungodly, with the sinners, the seat of the

scornful, pay attention. He says blessed is a man who is

not, but it says his delight, our delight.

Look at, tell yourself, my delight, my delight, Lord, I

delight to do your will. I tell that.

I say that. I speak to myself.

I say I delight to do your will when things get hard.

I just not when I was like, Lord, where are we going to go

out to eat? I delight to do your will.

No, it's in the hard days when I don't want to do the hard

things. But I say, Lord, I delight to do

your will. And it says, but his delight is

in the law of the Lord and in his law He meditates day and

night. And it says, he again, a tree he

shall be. These are promises you guys, He

shall be like a tree planted. It's planted, it's unmovable,

it's unshaken, it's tapping in, planted by the rivers of water.

Listen, that bears fruit. That bears for its fruit in its

season. There is a season of

fruitfulness that's coming. And as we are tapped into the

Lord, as we are not moved, as we're planted, it says that in

its season it will. It says whose leaf also shall

not wither, meaning that there's no decay, right?

There's no decay, there's no waste.

It's like those leaves will not wither.

I've seen way too many leaves wither and you know, that's the

sign of like there's a nutrient deficiency going on, right?

They even have those apps where like you could take a picture of

your plant and you're like, OK, what's wrong with my plant?

I'm like, I want to try it on my pet.

What was wrong with my pet? But you know, it's like there is

something of like there's a reason why things are withering.

It's like, Lord, 'cause us to know the reasons why things are

withering. Is it 'cause we're not tapping

into you? Maybe we're tapping everywhere

else, but that's those other places are lifeless.

They don't bear fruit in our lives.

So I want to encourage you as you're, as you're, as we're

seeking the Lord and hearing from him.

Lord, show us when those things are withering.

Lord, what is missing? Where have I not tapped?

What's the what's the nutrients that you want me to tap into in

the spirit, but also in the community?

Amen. And it says, and whatever he

does shall prosper, not whoever, but it says the one who is

meditating on his word day and night, That one, not the one

that's sitting in the counsel of the ungodly, right?

Sometimes that could be the tik toks and the things that just

the ungodliness. It's like chatter, right?

Or the empty words. But he's like, don't sit in

that. Don't sit in that.

Wherever you sit, don't sit in that.

And and you're not standing in the past.

You're like, well, I'm not with you know, I'm not doing the

sinners, but I'm in their path. That means you're going to be

taken down or brought with them, right?

So many times I've asked myself this question, Lord, show me

where my feet need to be. Show me where my feet like this.

Like when I find myself in situations where I'm like, Lord,

like this is hard. Like just show me that this is

where my feet need to be. And then I have confidence that

you will sustain where I need to be.

And so some of us is like, Lord, are my feet where you want me to

be? Am I in your will?

And it's and it's so. And then the seat of the

scornful, right, The seat. And I said, I like that it's a

seat because you're usually sitting like, well, you know,

the scornful sits and before you know it, you're just like kind

of rots like, oh, so if you find yourself like I've been

scornful, I have not been like that tree that's delighting in

the Lord. What are you delighting in these

days, right? What are we delighting in?

And is that producing life right?

And if we're not delighting in the Lord, then we're missing

out. So I encourage you as you are

hearing these words, Lord, cause me to want to do your will,

cause me to want to delight in your word, cause me to want my

feet to where you want my feet to be each and every day.

It's really that simple. You know, sometimes I'll ask my

kids, are you doing what I told you to do?

Yes. No, it's like that was easy.

You know, God doesn't want to take us to some like weird like

back alley and go this way and go that way.

He's like, no, my word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your

path. So I I pray that as you're

hearing this words that maybe the Lord by the Holy Spirit,

just like AGPS is saying, Hey, reroute.

OK, you took the the wrong off ramp, right?

Or you were distracted and you did you didn't catch where you

needed to go that the Lord is rerouting us to cause us to be

steadfast to be back planted in his house.

Amen. Last, I want to finish with this

and I want I this is where the Lord really even late last night

landed in my heart so, so clear of what he's doing here with us.

It's in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10.

Ephesians 2:10

And this is where I felt like the Lord's heart for us.

I hope you're hearing that this is God's heart for you.

This is God's heart for your family.

This is God's heart for your children.

This is God's heart for your marriage.

And this is where we can rest. Because you're like, oh, that's

a lot of work to grow and plant and reap and root all the

things. But listen, have you noticed

that trees aren't usually running around too weary, right?

What are trees usually doing? They're like, honestly, I love

watching them because they're just enjoying.

They're just like happy sitting there not doing too much work,

but being super intensely. Things are going on on the on

the parts where you can't see it, right.

It's it's all usually deeper. It's usually under the surface,

but yet they can be enjoying the sunshine and it says here in

Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. I hope you catch this.

Ephesians 2:10

It says for we are his workmanship, workmanship created

in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepare beforehand

that we should wear my feet are that we should walk in them that

we should walk in these things and that's where if the Lords

planted you, it's like, yes, that is good.

That's his handiwork. That's his workmanship.

If we can go back really quick to that picture of the the grain

of the the wood, the piece of wood.

Again, thank you there. I don't know who these men are,

but they're modeling for us. But I looked at this and this is

a cedar tree, cedar of Lebanon. But look at the grain.

I mean, to me, I look at that. I'm like, Laura, that is

craftsmanship. That is your handiwork, right?

I mean, look at even the fortitude, the colors.

I like geeked out a little bit over this picture because I

realized, you know, you only we only see sometimes on the

outside, but there's a lot going on that God's doing.

And did you know that every single year that trees gain

another ring right in their grain?

And so that is showing you like when you're going through

storms, another ring of beauty, when you're going through things

that were disappointments, but you stood steadfast in the Lord,

planted in the House of the Lord, another ring of strength,

Amen. When your marriage goes to a

storm, but yet you held fast to the confession of your faith and

of your vows, Amen. You are building another layer

of strength around you. That's why these trees are

immovable, not because they were in a little nursery, but because

they were. They withstood the storms, they

withstood the temperature, they withstood everything.

But yet because they stood grounded, these beautiful rings

of life, really they represent life because that's how many

years they have withstood. And so even in the grain, they

can even look at the grain and say, oh, at this year, there was

a storm at this year, there was a pest that this tree had to

fight at this year. So it's like there's a story in

these rings and that's happening in your life.

Amen. That is the workmanship.

That's what God says. I'm, I'm a, you are my

workmanship. I've been building this

workmanship in your life and through your life when you

didn't even see it, right? Because most times we don't look

at a tree this way, but God is saying, I want to do that

beautiful work in you. And that's why these trees are

that's why they were used for the temple, because of their

strength, because of like what they can hold and really because

of their beauty. And God is doing that in your

life today, today, August 2nd, 2020.

Sixth, that's what he's doing when he's calling us up to the

altar, when he's saying, will you lay down your life?

Will you lay down your pride? Will you lay down?

And every time that you say yes, deeper rooted, steadfast, every

single time. And so if you have felt the

tension of like, Lord, I do, but I don't, but I won't, but I

don't lean into the Lord, lean into him, press harder, press

deeper, go there with him because he's going to bring

about the where you're like, OK, you went a little deeper in your

marriage in that conversation, in those prayers and that said

that. And before you know it, OK,

water, water roots are going deeper and going deeper.

But you see the difference between that and a potted plant

that's like, I have nowhere to go.

Where can I go? And you dry up and you

shriveled. So if today the Lord I believe

he's calling each and every one of us to say Lord, plant me,

root me, take me there. I'll be patient, I'll I'll I

will wait for your fruit to come through to my life.

I'll be unmovable by your grace. Let me tell you this Proverbs

830 and this is what I want to close with.

It says in this Jesus was there from the beginning because some

of us think this is before Jesus.

I made all these things, decisions that I didn't know

today would cost me, but here I am Lord, what do I do?

It says in Proverbs 830 verse 3030 and 31.

Then I was beside him, Jesus, Jesus as a master Craftsman.

And maybe today that's the invitation that you need to

accept, invitation and impartation of Jesus saying I am

your master Craftsman. And it says Jesus is Jesus

speaking. And I was daily his delight.

Jesus was daily the delight of Father God.

He delighted in him, right? Delighted in being in his

company, delighted of seeing his face.

And then it says he said rejoicing always before him.

God, Jesus was rejoicing before the Father and he says, and my

delight was with the sons of men.

Jesus delight is your face each and every day.

Jesus says I do is you each and every day and he's waiting for

us and saying, will you say I do to me?

Will you say yes? Yes, Lord, will you say I

delight to do your will because Jesus did that on the cross and

in the garden of get 70. He saw your face and when he had

to make the biggest sacrifice where he was sweating blood and

water, he said not my will but yours be done.

And so I pray that today you press in that way to get that

same. Just that heart that Jesus has

for you is that I delight in you just like he says I delight.

That's why we can trust the master Craftsman.

That's why we can trust that he'll be with us in the storms

because we're rooted. So today, if you're going

through a storm and you're like, girl, I'm drenched in the storm,

I'm telling you, stay put. He will make you steadfast.

That other ring of His strength is coming around you, a master

Craftsman in Jesus name. And I pray that over families

today that the Lord will just literally just come around you,

surround you, and that SAP would begin to flow in your

relationships. That SAP of life, that SAP of

nutrients, that things that you thought were dead were now are

coming back to life. What the enemy meant for evil to

destroy you. God is saying I will turn for

your good in Jesus name. So can we all stand.

Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord. Lord, I thank you that your,

that your will for us is that we would be in the House of the

Lord planted because in your presence there's fullness of joy

and pleasures for evermore. So Lord, like the palm tree, we

shall flourish. Like the cedar of Lebanon, the

people of a rice church shall grow.

Like those who are planted in the House of the Lord, they will

flourish. And I pray over you, a rice

church, that you and your generation shall flourish in the

court of the Lord and in Jesus name, that you will bear good

fruit into the old age, and that you will declare the Lord is

upright in Jesus name. So Lord, we surrender to you.

May our feet be where you delight us to be in Lord, may

our face go. Just stand before you Lord, as

you shine your face on us today in Jesus name.

We want to thank you again for joining us for the Arise Church

podcast. We hope you were encouraged by

what you heard today. You can find

[email protected] and on Instagram at Arise Church NC.

If you need prayer or support or are interested in learning more

about Arise Church, we encourage you to connect with us online or

in person at our Sunday morning service.

Thank you and God bless.