God the Spirit... Empowers | Pastor Anthony Vaughn

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

Come on, family.

Come on.

Does the man of God look good?

Come on, Pastor Keith.

Appreciate you guys so much.

You can go ahead and be seated.

I appreciate the love and uh the support, the prayers.

But come on, real quick, even before we go in, uh come on, does Pastor Keith look good?

Come on now.

I know you guys miss.

I'm telling you, if you you keep a man of God trapped in his home long enough, I I don't know what you are installed for when the man of God gets back, but I know he's going to be uh bringing the word of God.

Just to introduce myself, come on, real quick on family, guys.

How about that?

Just just uh on family.

Um I'm your cousin from up north.

How about that?

Ain't that right, Pastor Megan?

But uh, we we love you guys so much.

Uh, one of the pastors at the DC location.

Uh always love what God is doing here in the Orlando family.

This is a beautiful facility.

We see that God is moving.

And uh, we're just praying for you guys.

We're we're here to support, we're here to cheer with you guys.

I'm telling you, the best is yet to come.

Come on, can we can we just give some praise right there?

The best is yet to come for what God is doing right here at Celebration Orlando.

But I really just want to love on Pastor Megan and Pastor Keith.

They've just been just incredible people in me and my my my wife, Brenda Life, just mentoring us, pouring into us, supporting us.

And I really just want to love on you guys.

Thank you guys so much.

Send my love to Pastor Keith.

But I just wanted to say thank you guys so, so much.

Even before we transition into the message, really want to introduce myself.

Come on, I've been married 15 years.

Come on, we're all of the Murray folks in here.

Come on, been married 15 years to an incredible woman of God, my high school sweetheart.

Come on, somebody.

Caught it right in high school.

How about that?

And never let go of her.

But we were married 15 years.

We have three incredible sons.

One of my sons, the middle child, Isaiah, is here with us today.

Got a five-year-old and a 14-year-old.

And for all of the parents out there right now, if the five-year-old was the first child, I will only have one child right now because the five-year-old is just full of energy.

But um, we we we were from the DMV area, the DC area.

We're we're in Merlin.

Come on, real quick, Merlin.

You hear my accent, don't you?

Merlin, real quick, real quick.

Somebody say it with me.

Merlin.

You gotta stretch that R.

They didn't do it right over here.

Let me go over here.

You gotta stretch that R.

I'm from Merlin.

Come on, say it real quick.

Merlin.

Feel like you're kind of Italian, right?

Where are you from?

Merlin, Merlin, Merlin.

But um, born and raised in DC, we live out in Merlin and just incredible for what God is doing uh in our DC location.

Uh, shout out to all of our DC fam if you're tuning in.

I'm telling you, God is moving in the DC area as well.

We're just we're just excited for what God is getting ready to do.

But before you um, before we jump into it, go ahead and grab your Bibles, guys.

We're gonna jump into Mark 6.

And uh, if you could do me a huge favor, grab the NIV version.

I'm telling you, it's some words in that NIV version that I that I love, that I think that God is just definitely gonna highlight for us.

And it's just we're good, we're just gonna dive into it and unpack it together.

But now let us pray real quick.

Father God, we love you.

We honor you.

We thank you so much for what you're doing here, even at the Celebration Orlando campus.

And we know that your spirit is moving.

You've been moving even through this series of just unpacking who the Holy Spirit is.

And we honor you for that, Lord God.

We thank you that even in this moment right now, we know your presence is here.

You're here with us.

And we just open up our hearts, we open up our minds, we open up our souls, and right now, Lord God, we just ask, have your way.

We we we decrease right now so that you can increase, Lord God, and we just thank you that you're getting ready to make a move in our lives, and we know that you're doing a great thing.

It is in Jesus' name we pray.

Come on, somebody shout, Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

In this series of the Holy Spirit, come on, anybody been enjoying this series of just unpacking what God is doing?

I'm telling you, I really believe it, Lord.

I really believe it, family day.

Through this series, begin to lean in.

I really believe that God is unpacking, He's reintroducing Himself of what and who the Holy Spirit really is in our lives and back to the church.

That the Holy Spirit, hear this from me.

The Holy Spirit is here to empower you, it's here to strengthen you, it's here to be your support of what you need.

God has called all of us to do incredible and impactful things for his kingdom, and that strength comes from his spirit.

We cannot do this alone.

You cannot do this by yourself.

The things that God is calling you to touch, the things that God is calling you to speak to, hear this from you.

And I love it that Jesus Christ Himself said, even to his disciples, he said, When I ascend, there's something that's who he is gonna descend.

Your helper, your comforter, the one that's gonna give you the strength is gonna descend to be the support that you need.

Come on, anybody believe it today that God has called you to do some incredible things and that strength is gonna come.

And I love it that as we unpack and go further and further, Pastor Clay and Pastor Chris Brooks preach that incredible message of just helping us understand of who the Holy Spirit is.

That we understand in our faith that the Holy Spirit, we we believe in the Trinity that there's this God the Father, and we understand that God the Son, Jesus, but we we we kind of like push off the Holy Spirit a little bit.

Come on, B, just be family with me real quick.

It's like it's kind of like superhero.

You know, you got Batman and then you got Robin.

You know, you know, Jesus Batman, but then you know, Holy Spirit is just Robin.

You know, we just send the Holy Spirit to do whatever he that he can't do.

You know, with Jesus, like I just take care of the rest.

No, no, the Holy Spirit is God.

The Holy Spirit that that the Holy Spirit is the living God living inside you, the same spirit.

Come on, somebody help me preach in here real quick.

The same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives deep down inside of me.

That same spirit is right here with you today to be with you, to talk with you, to comfort you, to give you the peace that the world cannot give, to give you that peace, to give you that understanding, to be with you.

This is the gift that Jesus said.

I love it that when when when Jesus said that he told the disciple, he said, you know what?

Greater works you would do.

And understand it that he wasn't saying greater works as in in quality, but in quantity.

That greater works.

When when I died, I will ascend, and the Holy Spirit would descend, and I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and then you will walk in this gift that I have given you.

So now Jesus pours out his spirit, and we we have this gift.

And I want I want to dive into Mark 6, verse 50.

Mark 6:50

We're gonna dive into verse uh 45.

And I love it that when we when we here to understand, when we read the gospel and we take it, we we read it at face value, but understanding that the way that that the disciples, that Jesus is not in the flesh anymore.

Anybody understand that Jesus is seated in heaven and the spirit is here, and the same spirit that Jesus walked with, the same way that he related to the disciples, he relates with us like that today.

So when Jesus is talking and he's teaching, it's that same spirit that hit that helps us relate to what how we relate with Jesus the Holy Spirit today.

And I love it that even in here that when we talk about this gift, this gift, Pastor Chris called it, he he took you down into the Greek.

He said the paracletus, the one that comes beside you to comfort you.

Anybody, anybody need any help in here today?

Come on.

I know some somebody somebody's wife is nudging, and like, yeah, my husband needed some help getting here.

He got lost on the way to church, you know.

Any parents in here need needed some help today, getting that a child ready for service today?

That that that did Jesus always here to help us, to help us.

I want to share a quick story before we even dive into the scriptures.

I and where are all my fitness gurus at?

Come on, I know I'm down in here in sunny Florida.

I know, come on, where are all of my fitness gurus at?

You know, you wake up early in the morning, you know, like Rocky Bible, you're you're eating your eggs, you go for your your four-mile run early in the morning, probably on the beach somewhere.

Come on, all of my fitness gurus.

It's I love the fact that um a buddy of mine that uh that I grew up with, and we work out together.

So we we go to the gym and and excuse my heart real quick.

Come on, pray for your cousin Anthony.

It's it's it's this older gentleman in there, and we we we actually named him, pray for him.

We we we call him, we call him old man Grumpy.

And and and old man Grumpy, he has to be about 60, maybe even 70, but he's he's strong, guys.

I'm telling you, he's he's strong, but but for old man Grumpy, he he gets on the bench press.

Follow me quick, and he he piles all of these weights on guys.

I mean, he's he's piling.

Everybody in the gym knows old man Grumpy.

So now old man Grumpy gets on the bench press and he has all of the weights there.

And now old man Grumpy goes to lift the weight, and and it's this it's this noise that he makes that a man of God, a man should never make.

I even feel embedded to make this noise, right?

He he goes to to lift it off, and he he he he goes he he he blifts and he's like eh.

And then and then everybody knows that they they have to run over and help old man Grumpy because old man Grumpy's getting ready to kill himself, and he goes over to him and they're trying to spot him, and old man Grumpy always goes, No, get off me.

No, no, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it.

And he's he's straining, and then like seconds, seconds away from his death, he always goes, Okay, get it, get it, get it, get it.

And then they put it back on.

He does this every single time, guys.

Then it is so hilarious, God.

He he walks around the gym.

I'm telling you, walk and he's mumbling.

I don't know what he's mumbling, though.

He's mumbling.

I'm like, Jesus, if he's on the other line right now talking to you, please tell old man Grumpy that he cannot lift this weight.

So he circles the entire gym and he goes right back.

And all of the occasion, all of the gym that we're in it, we know that he does this every single time.

And it's like you're you're like his designated spider.

Like if you're right here, you know today is your day to save old man Grumpy's life.

I don't care what your fitness plan is that you're doing, no, you're you're you're right here anointed to save that man's life.

And he he goes in and again, same thing.

He goes he takes the weight off, boom, and he goes down, and then he strains again.

And then everybody's looking out to the corner of their eye because they know, okay, dude, go get him like that's your job.

Go.

So the same guy goes over to help them spot them, and then old man Grumpy goes, No, no, no, I got it, I got it, I got it.

And seconds away from his death again, he says, Okay, get it.

So we we we laugh at that, but I I just wonder, are we just like old man Grumpy sometimes?

That then old man Grumpy is always neglecting the spider that's in his life.

That the spider is right there to help him, so so that because old man Grumpy cannot lift the weight that God has put on it, that's on the rack right now, he's not built to lift it.

And the spider always comes over to help him lift that what he's trying to lift.

Well, old man Grumpy continues to say, no, no, no, I got it, I got this, God.

I can do this by myself, God.

I have all I got I got the wisdom, I got the IQ, I got the resources, and now we're neglecting the spider that's that's in our life.

I just wonder sometimes, do we be like old man Grumpy?

I just wonder sometimes, do we be like old man Grumpy?

That just neglecting the spider that's in our life.

You know, you know, a lot of times I know in my life that pride can kick in.

You know, you know, this thing called pride, you know.

You know, this pride is a silent killer.

It is a silent killer.

A lot of times we don't even know that pride is there, it's it's it's always there that it's that it's that silent killer.

It will begin to choke out the dreams and the visions that God has for you.

See, we don't handle what pride wants to do in our life.

We can easily become like old man Grummy.

See, pride is the mountain in your life right now that's blocking you from seeing what God wants to do in your life.

A lot of times we can't see what God wants to do in our life because pride is sitting right there blocking us when the Holy Spirit wants to move and step in to help us.

A lot of times we can't see what the Holy Spirit wants to do because pride is sitting there right in our life.

See, pride will ruin your family.

See, pride will ruin your marriage.

See, pride will ruin the relationships that God has put in your life.

A lot of times, what God is trying to do, we can't see it because I know for even for myself, family, it is because of pride.

See, we we we we can have all of the degrees on the wall, we can we can know all of the people, but I'm telling you this there's some things that God has called you to do that you cannot do underneath the IQ that you think that you have.

I'm not here to beat you down, I'm here to celebrate you and encourage you to go do every single thing that God has called you to do, but you can't do it without the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit that is gonna help you, it's gonna help you do this.

And I love it here that in this story that even in Mark um verse 6, 45, we're gonna read it.

And I I wanna I'm gonna unpack it pretty quick, but I I want us to go text by text because I think there's some key words that's gonna help us out the way that we relate to the Holy Spirit.

So Mark 6, verse 45, it says, Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Betheda.

Mark 6:45

While he dismissed the crowd, after leaving them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Verse 47.

Later that night, somebody underline that later that night the boat was in the middle of the lake and he was alone on the land.

Verse 48.

He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them.

I love it.

He says that the disciples were in the middle of a dark lake by themselves.

Now they found themselves straining at the oars because the winds were beating them up.

Underline that word straining.

What's in your life right now that you've been straining too long with?

Take some self-inventory right now.

What's in my life right now that I know, Lord God, that I just been straining way too long with this?

We could be caught in a cycle where we feel like that we just been straining too long with this.

Then you know what, God, I'm straining too long with my anxiety, I'm straining too long in my marriage, I'm straining too long in self-doubt.

I'm straining to Lord of believing the promises that God has spoken in my life.

What am I straining too long with?

See, you know what?

When the Holy Spirit shows up, the fruit of the spirit shows up.

See, I love it here that even in Galatians 5, 22, verse 23, but the fruit of the spirit is what?

Somebody say love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

See, when the spirit of the Lord shows up, his freedom shows up.

See, I'm understanding that the longer I walk with God, the things that I'm straining with, we have to make sure that we're in a place where we invite the Holy Spirit into them places.

So if I'm struggling with self-doubt, if I'm having frustration, if I'm struggling with this and I'm struggling with that, how do we invite the Holy Spirit into our life?

So I was having a conversation with a gentleman uh last week, matter of fact, and he was saying, you know what?

I hear everything that you're saying, Pastor Anthony.

I hear everything that you're saying about the fruit of the spirit, but you know what?

When you talk about joy, I have misery right now.

When you talk about peace, you know what?

I'm dealing with pain right now.

When you talk about patience, I'm dealing with frustration right now.

Can we be honest, family?

When we talk about kindness, you know what?

I'm dealing with bitterness right now.

When you talk about faith, I'm dealing with I'm dealing with doubt right now.

Because you know what?

When we're when we when we when we when we don't allow the Holy Spirit to move in our life, we can begin to strain at some things longer than what God wants us to strain at.

So even right, I want to ask the question, what is what's in your life that you, you know what, God, I feel like I'm just straining too long with.

And it says that the winds were beating at them all night, that when they were trying to control the boat, the winds were out empowering them.

That the oars, the very thing that they used to guide and direct, they could not guide and direct the boat anymore.

You ever felt like you just lost control of a season in your life, of everything that you thought you had control with, that you no longer have any more control?

That's where the disciples found themselves at right now, in the middle of a dark place, in the middle by themselves, where they had no other option but to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit.

He found himself in a dark place.

So there's this on staff in DC, there's this uh teammate of ours named Sarah.

She's actually, she used to be a rower, and she was preaching to me, guys.

And she she was telling me, Oh, I see what you're saying in the text, Anthony, because when you have an understanding about rowing, there's two things that's verb that you have to make sure that you have.

One is the position.

If your position in the and while you're in the canoe or the boat or whatever, if your position is not correct, it throws everything off.

And so if your position is not your form, your technique, your method, if none of that's correct, I know nothing about Rowan.

So I was listening to her.

I was like, oh, you're preaching to me right now, Sarah.

Your position has to be correct.

What does your position in God look like right now?

What does scripture engagement in your life look like right now?

What does your prayer rhythm in life look like right now?

What does the fellowship of being with God and his people?

Because the more and more we get connected with God's people, the more and more we're able to hear the voice of the Spirit when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.

Because this is why an in-person gathering is important.

Communicate, I mean a corporate gathering is important.

Why?

Because now we can hear what the voice of the Spirit is saying through confirmation of other people.

This is important.

What does position look like in your life?

And I love it that she said, you know what, position is important, but you know what's really important is also teamwork.

See, see, you can have great position, but if teamwork is not important, it throws everything off.

See, this is why John, this is why Jesus said in John, if you abide in me and I abide in you, then this is where the fruit comes from.

You cannot bear fruit without me, what Jesus was saying.

See, fruit comes in your life, family.

When we start abiding with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, more and more, because God wants to do some great things in your life, but it comes when we abide with one another.

We have to make sure that we're abiding with Jesus.

Write this down, family.

It says, even I said, even though your opponent may seem larger in appearance, but if you have the Holy Spirit, the advantage is always yours.

We have to always have to make Pastor Chris Brooks say that we have to ask.

We have to learn how to invite the Holy Spirit in our life.

When you wake up in the morning, invite the Holy Spirit into your life.

When you're going throughout your day, invite the Holy Spirit into your life.

When you rest your head at night, make sure that we thank the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for protecting me.

Thank you for walking with me.

Thank you for being with my family.

Even over this Church right now, thank you so much for what you're doing, Holy Spirit.

We're creating room for God to be God in our life.

That all that comes through the invitation of asking, you know what, God, have your way.

Have your way in my marriage, God.

Have your way with these kids.

Matter of fact, the spirit of the Lord upon me.

Some of you got to walk in your workplace on Monday and say, you know what, God?

I asked that, do what you do, Lord God.

This is your reign.

This is your territory.

Do what you do, Lord God.

Just anoint yourself right now and say, you know what?

I speak to my destiny.

I speak to where I'm at right now.

Because why the spirit of the Lord is upon me.

Somebody claim that over their life, even right now.

And I I love the next text.

Check this out, family.

It says, shortly before dawn.

Shortly before dawn.

He went out to them walking on the lake.

He was about to pass by them.

Check that out.

I just want to unpack it real quick.

It says shortly before dawn.

But if you go a couple scriptures ahead, it said later that night.

So they went from later that night straining to now shortly before dawn.

I'm not the brightest person in this room right now, and I know that, but later that night, shortly before dawn, that's they that means that they've been struggling from eight, nine, ten o'clock all the way up until shortly before dawn.

That means what, four, five, six, six o'clock in the morning?

They've been struggling all through the night.

Now, if you understand that these these were, these used to be some professional fishermen.

They were profess, they they had expertise in this area to get them out of the struggle that they were in.

That they could have easily begun to tap into their IQ.

You know what?

I've been down this storm before.

I've been down this pathway before.

I've seen this obstacle before.

I have wisdom in this area right now.

They were relying on their IQ to get them out of the storm that they were in.

They were struggling and they never stopped to ask for Jesus to come off the mountain and save the day.

I just wonder sometimes do I struggle too long in an area of my life because I have not asked for the Holy Spirit to show up?

Struggling because I have IQ in this area, struggling because I have the systems and the resources and the connections that I have.

You know what, God, I can do this on my own.

We become like old man Grumpy family, where we're just neglecting when the Holy Spirit wants to come into our life and save the day to move you forward, but we rely on our past.

Come on, somebody, to get us through what we're going through.

Oh, I've seen this storm before.

I've seen, as a matter of fact, had to let if you if you read it in a different translation, when Jesus sent them out, I think it's in the King James, he said that they were reluctant.

In other words, they they were reluctant because they understood if you travel in this in this particular lake at nighttime, the winds can always be choppy during this time of the season.

Doesn't you ever remember when God just sends you somewhere and you're like, you know what, God, I don't want to go that way.

I've been that way before.

Uh oh no, God, I I when God gives you a plan that doesn't make sense.

You come on, you no, God, you know what?

I think you're missing it right now.

I I if I go that way, you know what?

I can lose that.

If I if I go that way, I I'm gonna deal with that.

If I if I go that way, then that can that can bring some frustration.

If I go that way, then that might stress me out.

Sometimes God will send you down a pathway so that he will show you that he is still God in your life.

God will give you a plan that doesn't make sense, but I'm telling you right now, by his by his words, it will come to pass.

Don't don't allow your wisdom to get in the way of what God wants to do in your life.

And they were straining, and and they they never asked for Jesus to come and help them.

All of these hours gone going by, and they never asked for Jesus to come and help them.

And listen, listen, listen, let's go a little bit further to unpack.

And then he goes and he says, He was about to pass them.

But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.

They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified.

Love this part.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, Take courage.

It is I don't be afraid.

Hear Jesus here, take courage.

It is I don't be afraid.

Always wondered was it was it like loud Jesus or calm Jesus?

You know, I don't know.

Sometimes I read the Bible like, take courage, or whether, come on, yeah, come on.

We we seen a couple movies, you know.

Sometimes Jesus is real calm and smooth with it.

I can just see him just floating on on the lake, take courage, and the wind is just blowing behind him.

It's just my mind.

I'm sorry, guys.

But he said, take courage.

So, you know, Google, follow me real quick, follow me, take courage.

You know, Google, you know, that's where we all go to get our definitions, right?

Come on, now I'm not the only one.

Google said courage.

Courage is this the ability to do something that frightens one.

Also, it says, courage, strength.

Somebody say strength in the face of pain or grief.

So, so Jesus here, follow me.

Jesus is saying, take courage or take strength.

Are you following me?

He's saying, take strength.

But you know what?

Let's be honest, the disciples are like, I've been at this all night, Jesus.

I have no more strength.

I have no more strength to give to this thing that I'm dealing with, Lord God.

I need you.

I you're asking me in a time of my dark place to give more strength.

I have nothing else to give.

And he's telling them to take courage, take strength.

In other words, I love it in 2 Corinthians verse 12 chapter 12, 9.

You guys know this scripture.

My grace, my God, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

When you run out of strength, that's when the Holy Spirit wants to show up in your life.

When you have no more strength to give, that's when the Holy Spirit wants to show up in your life.

The very thing that you're struggling with, it's not in your strength that Jesus is getting ready to show up.

It's in the very thing that you're lacking that Jesus is getting ready to show up.

So when you look at your lack, when you look at your frustrations, when you look at your doubt, when you look at the very thing that you're struggling with, the very thing that you think you can't do, that's where Jesus wants to show up even right now.

Even here in Orlando, where you think you have lack, that's where the Holy Spirit is getting ready to show up.

I'm telling you that even in this season right now, where you think you can't get it right, the Holy Spirit is getting ready to show up.

Come on, somebody.

He says, Take strength.

In other words, Jesus, I see it as a like a basketball game.

Jesus on a sideline and saying, pick me.

Pick me.

I see you struggling right now, pick me.

You ever been you ever been to a basketball game, pickup game?

I haven't played pickup game in a long, a mighty long time right now.

But if I would go to a game and there's a gentleman on the sideline, the team is losing, and the gentleman's saying, pick me.

Pick me.

For your marriage, pick me.

For for for what you were struggling with, addiction, pick me.

You know, for your kids that's going through it right now, through this pandemic, you know, up north, we're still doing virtual learning, pick me.

You know, everything that they're watching on TV right now, you see what your kids are going through.

Jesus saying, the Holy Spirit is saying, pick me, pick me, pick me.

You know what I'm going through right now with my marriage and the relationship, maybe the singleness.

You know what, look God, I feel lonely.

My heart is hurting.

Jesus, the Holy Spirit is saying, pick me, pick me, pick me, watch what I watch what I do.

Take courage and watch what I do.

And we're gonna get ready to close out.

He goes and he says, I love this part, he says, and then he and then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.

They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loads.

They hear hardened, and I love it that he says, they climbed into the boat.

He, I'm sorry, he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.

I just want to leave your question, Orlando.

Is there room in your life?

Is there room in your boat for the Holy Spirit to step in right now?

And they were running and they were dealing with this and they were struggling, and as soon as the Jesus showed up, as soon as the Holy Spirit showed up, and when Jesus stepped into their boat, the wind died down.

Is there enough room for the Holy Spirit to step in your boat?

See, I when I when I look at the text family, to be honest, I really want to look at it that you know what?

Maybe the wind really didn't die down.

Maybe they just took their attention off of the storm and actually put their attention on the Holy Spirit.

See, when we put our attention on the Holy Spirit, we're not focused on the wind anymore.

And now what seemed like a storm is not even a storm anymore because we're focused on the Prince of Peace.

We're focused on the Holy Spirit, and we can just take our attention off the storm of what you're going through and actually put our attention on the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will always show you that there's peace in every storm.

Because peace is not the absence of the storm, but rather peace is the presence of the Holy Spirit in every storm.

See what I'm finding out when walking with God, sometimes he'll calm the storm and sometimes he'll calm his child.

Sometimes he'll speak to the storm and sometimes he'll speak to the child.

Just because you don't feel that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now, is maybe because he's speaking to your storm right now.

The very thing that you think you're struggling with, God is over here dealing with it.

He's touching it, and then sometimes he'll speak to you.

You know what, God, my heart right now, God is saying, I'm I'm I'm I'm touching it.

Trust me in this, I'm I'm touching it.

And we can we can just stand to our feet as we get ready to close out.

I'm gonna leave you with that that question, family, is there is there room in my boat right now for God to be God in my life?

We can easily, I know, especially in the DMV area, when I'm talking to people, where we're so busy.

Where we're so busy with with with with life and being a adult and paying bills and and job and entrepreneurship and who we're connecting with.

We got to make sure we have the highest title because especially in the DC area, that's the first question they're gonna ask.

What do you do for a living?

And if I don't do something great for a living, the conversation just go down.

But we can become so busy in life that we get to a point that we don't have room for the Holy Spirit to do something miraculous in our life.

And I can just see, I can just see that they were making sure when Jesus was getting ready to step in.

Would it what if stuff was still in the way?

The crowdiness of our schedule, not making time during the day of praying, having conversation, not not feeling the importance to be a part of community, whether it's in groups or online, whatever.

What what we're crowding my boat right now, Holy Spirit.

That I cannot allow the concerns in my life to consume me.

So we can easily allow and take time.

I found myself just daydreaming all about my concerns.

So what one minute went by, five minutes went by.

Before I knew it, I was in a space where an hour would go by, and I'm just allowing my concerns to consume me.

And so now my concerns is taking over.

I'm dealing with negative thinking, I'm dealing with doubt.

I'm looking at all of the lack in my life, and I'm saying, you know what, God, I don't see I don't know how you can do what you're getting ready to do.

I really don't know what you're getting ready to do.

So now we're just focused on the lack because our concerns have consumed us.

But I love the words of Jesus that when he said, All who are heavy, all who are heavy laden, brink, come to me.

Come to me.

That for everything that you're carrying right now, come to me.

That for everything that you're dealing with, come to me.

That for everything right now, and all we have to do, hear the Holy Spirit, is make room in our boat for Jesus to step in and the everything that you're struggling with, God said, I'm getting ready to take care of it right in this season right now.

I'm getting ready to take care of it.

Come on, family, all hands across the building right now.

Can you just begin?

Just pray right now as we get ready to close out.

Father God, we thank you so much.

We thank you for what you're doing in this season right now.

Begin to put your attention on the very thing that's concerning you right now.

Give that to Jesus.

Give it to him, give it to him right now.

Lord God, we make room in our life right now.

The very thing that's concerning us, the very thing that's pulling us down.

You know what, Lord God, we release it right now.

Your word said we have not because we ask not.

So, Lord God, as you as your sons and your daughter, we make room right now.

And we say, You know what, God, do what you do.

Heal us, touch us, guide us, speak to us right now.

Now, Holy Spirit, fill us up.

We're running out of strength, Lord God.

Fill us up again, fill us up again, Lord God, fill us up again.

It is in your name, Father God.

We thank you.

And if there's anybody in here, maybe, hey, maybe this is your first time, and you hear that the word is speaking to you, and we're we're talking about the Holy Spirit, and I love the fact that that gift that Jesus has given us, his church, his people, can only come by the confessing of the mouth and the believing of the heart that Jesus Christ is indeed our Lord and Savior.

And maybe you haven't made that confession yet.

This is your day.

Maybe you need to rededicate, maybe you need the Holy Spirit to come in fresh into your life.

Just stretch your hands.

We want to lead you in a prayer right before we close off.

Father God, touch him.

I repent.

Pray these words out with me.

I repent that I am a sinner.

I love you, I thank you.

I invite you into my heart, Jesus.

Fill me up right now, Lord God.

I confess with my mouth.

I believe in my heart that you died and that you rose again.

It is in your Jesus' name that we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Love your family.

Thank you so much.

Thanks again for listening.

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