GPS | Pastor Chris Kouba

Grab your Bibles, open them up to Proverbs chapter nine.

Proverbs chapter nine.

It's really good to be back with you.

Was out for a couple of weeks.

Uh, had an opportunity and privilege to lead an incredible group of people here from our church to go see Paul and his journeys.

Went to Corinth and Philippi and Thessaloniki and got to preach at Mars Hill, which was just a highlight moment in every way.

Berea, just incredible to be able to go see the Bible come to life.

Just a quick little plug for you if you are interested.

I'm hoping to lead a group to Israel.

Uh, and our plan is to leave December 26th next year.

Okay, so the day after Christmas, a year from now, all right?

So about 18 months or so uh is when that's going to take place.

And so if you are interested, I have no details whatsoever, all right?

Uh, but I just figured this out this week.

But I want to go back to Israel and would love to take so many of you with me.

I'm telling you, it is a life-changing trip in every way.

So just put that in your uh memory bank if you would, and we'll get you more details here coming up uh soon.

Because of the fact that I was gone, I was not able to be here uh for the commitment time for our above and beyond series.

It was absolutely incredible.

Uh, I got to watch the video, and it was just awesome to be able to see so many of you uh that came forward and made commitments uh in your decisions to respond through this above and beyond series.

And our goal, we said all along, this isn't a financial series, this is really a heart series, and we want to lead you in places we we many people said they were gonna give for the very first time.

Praise God for that.

Uh we had quite a few folks who said they were gonna move from tipping to tithing.

Uh, we had a number of folks that were like me.

This is what Hillary and I are going to do.

We're going to increase our level of giving.

Right now, we give 12% of all of our money away.

We're going to increase that to 13%.

And so I did not have a chance because I wasn't here last week to fill out my commitment card.

But I'm going to, and I know some of you probably were in the same boat.

We're going to put the QR code up on the screen here.

If you were not here last week, we still want to make sure you have the opportunity to respond and to commit.

Here's the QR code.

You can fill out a digital version of this sign.

I just want to let you know in two weeks or in two months, you're going to want to quit.

Okay?

You just got to know that.

Like the enemy's going to want nothing, this isn't working, this isn't good.

Some kind of thing's going to come up.

That's going to be a financial crisis, and you're going to think you can't afford to tithe.

I'm just telling you, don't quit.

Don't quit.

If you want to see another one is on the way, if you want to see a miracle, don't quit.

This is the one thing he says, test me on.

And if you do, I will pour out the blessings of heaven on you.

Just try it.

Just try it, please.

Don't quit after two months.

Keep going, and I'm sure God's going to do some great, incredible things.

Proverbs 9 is where we're going to be.

I'm in a really weird, fun season in my life right now.

I've got a graduating senior, and she is headed off to college next year.

She already knows where she's going to be going, and it happens to be the alma mater of her mother and I.

And so uh it's pretty incredible for us to be able to kind of go back.

We've we've made a couple of trips already just to kind of make sure she knows the lay of the land and meet some friends, things like that.

And it's kind of wild because like I've made that drive from the Houston area hundreds of times to go up to Waco.

I mean, I whenever I was a student, I went, of course, multiple times and since then have made many, many trips along along the way.

And I know exactly how to get from Houston to go to Waco.

But no matter what, when I get in the car, I do the exact same thing I do, whether I know where I'm going or whether I don't, I pull out my phone and I put in the destination in my phone.

I'm guessing many of you do the very same thing.

And really, there's three different options that you have if you're gonna put in uh a navigation system to help lead you where you're wanting to go.

The first one, I'm curious just to get a little a poll from it here.

How many of you are Google Maps people?

Would you raise your hand?

Google Maps people?

Okay, raise them proud.

All right.

That's that's by far the majority of the room here, and that that that bears with what the statistics say is that Google Maps is like by far the most used navigation app that's out there.

Like not even close, not even a close second.

Uh, it also has the most business destinations that it it has a database that allows you along the way to be able to identify what those are.

The most points of interest are also on Google Maps.

It's a it's a great app.

How many of you are Apple Maps people?

Would you raise your hands?

Apple Maps people?

Okay.

All right.

You do look kind of cool, by the way.

Just FYI.

It's the most innovative, cool looking one.

I mean, I'm a I'm an Apple guy.

I love, I don't use Apple Maps, but I I love Apple, and there's no question about it, it looks sleek, and the interface is really, really clean, and it's just always seems to be kind of improving.

But did you also know that it's the safest navigation app out of all of them?

It doesn't sell your information like the others.

Meaning, this all you Google Maps people, everybody knows everything you do all the time.

Just know that, okay?

Apple people, apparently that's not the case.

They protect our protect security a little bit better.

How many of you are Waze people?

Would you raise your hands?

Just hold them up really high.

I just noticed the authority by which you put your hands up.

Uh I'm a Waze person in every way, and I believe that's what leaders are, all right?

We're Waze people, okay?

Here's what Waze is known for.

Waze is known for some of its community sharing uh aspects to it, but it's also known for aggressively avoiding traffic.

You know what I love about that?

The word aggressively, all right?

And it will, it'll take you some weird routes to go all around, but it knows there's traffic up there, you don't want it, and so it's gonna take you all around.

Did you know whether you are a Google Maps person, whether you are an Apple Maps person, or whether you were a Waze person, they're all different interfaces of the exact same thing.

Like the technology isn't any different behind the hood.

It's just the make of the model of the car is what looks a little bit different, if you will.

In fact, all of them operate on a system that exists.

Let me give you some stats on this, okay?

It's 31 satellites orbiting 12,550 miles above Earth in precise patterns.

It's called the GPS Global Positioning System.

It was developed by the U.S.

Department of Defense.

It maintains incredible accuracy through atomic clocks that are synchronized within billionths of a second.

Think about that.

When you open up your Google Maps or your Apple Maps or your Waze to find the quickest route to work or your destination.

It's communicating with multiple satellites in space, each one broadcasting radio signals at the speed of light.

In fact, your phone doesn't know where you are unless you are connected to at least four satellites at one time.

Four satellites.

And if any of those four satellites give out or you're not able to connect to them, then there's no reference point for you to know where it is that you are.

And then none of the navigation apps that you would use work.

Here's what this means: Google Maps with its billion plus users isn't built on Google technology.

It's built on the foundation of a GPS system.

Apple Maps, as cool as it looks and as innovative as it may feel, at the end of the day, it's not built on Apple technology.

It's built on the same foundation of a GPS system.

Waze, as much as it might help you avoid traffic, isn't built on Waze technology.

It's built on the same foundation.

And without that foundation, none of those things would work.

This morning we're beginning a brand new sermon series called Anchored.

And for the next four weeks leading up to Easter, we're gonna walk you through the four core values of United City Church.

These are things that drive us and guide us, and these are things that in every decision that we make, they are filtered through the lens of how does it fit these four satellites for us to know where we are.

I would argue this that this is not only something that should be very beneficial and helpful to you individually, but if you are wondering why do you guys do it like this, or why do you guys do this, or or explain to me this.

The reason why is because these four things are what we are anchored to.

If you're new to United City, here's what I would tell you: you picked a perfect time to come because we're gonna tell you exactly what we are all about.

And even though it may not necessarily address a certain question, you're gonna know, oh, this is kind of how they came up with this, because these four core values drive us.

First one that I want to speak about today is the Bible speaks.

The Bible speaks.

When I got in my car this morning in my driveway, I uh again I knew how to get there, but I I still looked it up on the app, and I know that I have basically I knew where I was and I knew where I wanted to go.

And I typed it into that GPS system, I used Waze, and it told me how to get there.

Now, one of the best benefits of those navigation apps is that they're also pretty smart.

So, for example, sometimes the navigation app will say, Hey, I just want to make sure you know the destination you're gonna go to at the time that you're gonna arrive is gonna be closed.

Are you sure you want to go there?

So sometimes the navigation apps don't just tell me how to get there, they may keep me from going somewhere I shouldn't go.

On the other hand, there's there's certain times whenever it says, Hey, you can go then, but it's really busy then.

If you went at this time, it's a lot less crowded.

That's a very helpful thing.

It can guide me to go at a different time.

Not maybe the same destination, but a different time.

There's other times, though, whenever it will say, hey, there's massive traffic going on here, and if you're gonna get in this destination, you're gonna have to go this crazy long outside of the way route, but it's the best way for you to get there.

Sometimes it will take you a different route than you originally planned, but it gets you there to the ultimate destination.

Folks, what I want to begin to talk with you about is this whole idea is that there's a lot of different ways that people pick where they are and where they want to go and determine what course of action they're gonna go and get there.

Everybody has something.

It's not a matter of what GPS system you use.

It's essentially a matter of uh, it's not a matter of if you have a GPS system, it's a matter of which one you actually choose to use.

For some of you, whenever you think about where I am and where I want to go, you decide, well, what do my friends say?

Some of you say, well, what does the culture say?

What's trending?

What's popular?

Some of you may say, What do my what do my family say?

Like, kind of what have they done?

I'm just gonna do what what they've always done and just kind of fall in line.

Can I suggest to you today, not only for our church, but for you individually, that there's a better way?

And it's by letting the Bible speak.

Proverbs chapter 9, verse 10.

Proverbs 9:10

It's an unbelievable verse.

We're gonna break it down here.

Proverbs chapter 9, verse 10.

Proverbs 9:10

It reads like this fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

In this passage, I want to give you three principles as to how you can let the Bible speak in your life.

Okay?

First one is this start with God.

You gotta start with God.

The goal we see, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Wisdom is the goal, that's what we're trying to get to.

So let's backtrack from there and figure out how we get there.

It says the fear of the Lord.

So you gotta start with the Lord.

Wisdom is defined as the ability to use knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments.

But we won't get anywhere unless we start with the basic understanding that it is God, the fear of the Lord, that's the beginning of wisdom.

Proverbs chapter 1, verse 7 tells us something similar.

Proverbs 1:7

It reads like this: it says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and fools despise wisdom and instruction.

If you really want to break it down to its core, the biggest difference between Christianity and every other worldview that's out there comes down to Genesis chapter 1, verse 1.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God.

You either believe that or you don't.

And if you do believe that, it changes everything.

We see that God reveals himself through his creation, but he also created us as his image bearers so that we would be able to have a relationship with him.

And if we reject the idea that God is the one who is it all starts with him, it doesn't mean that we then just don't have a God.

It just means we have a God made in our own image.

And what ultimately happens with any type of God is you're gonna worship that God because we were created to be worshipers, and so therefore, for some of you, you may be worshiping yourself, your decisions, your input, your thoughts, and that's the guiding principle for all of your life.

What you will need to know is this some of you, you may worship government, you may worship the culture, you may worship your family, you may worship your friends, you may worship your feelings.

Whatever you worship, whatever you uphold as truth, that is what will speak.

And what we want to do is allow you to realize that if God is the creator, he's the one who knows all the answers, he's the one that has all the answers, and so it will lead us to what is the phrase, fear the Lord.

What does it mean to fear the Lord?

It doesn't mean like you're scared of him or like you're in terror or you're running away.

It's instead a reverent awe, like an like an the utmost amount of respect.

It's a recognition that God is God and that I am not.

And not being afraid of that, like he's some kind of ruling, uncaring dictator, but instead an awe of that because he holds the ultimate power while at the same time he's attracted and drawn to his, we're attracted and drawn to his beauty, his presence, and his desire to relate with you.

I love the mountains.

I'm a mountain guy.

We go there every summer.

I'm going to summer uh for family camp.

I lead it every year, and we just love being there.

And I'm telling you, I've been literally 20 years in a row, and every single time I go, when we kind of hit just past uh uh just just just on the road past um Breton, New Mexico, and then you kind of go into Colorado and you start to make that turn and you start to see those mountains, it just every single time I'm just blown away.

Like it just takes my breath away.

Just how big they are, how massive they are, how expansive they are, all in the midst of the sky.

And I've got great respect for the authority of the mountains.

You ain't pushing the mountains around.

On the other hand, it's a it's a respect for it that at the same time makes me want to get near it, makes me want to explore it, makes me want to climb it, makes me want to learn the new things that have changed on it, makes me want to know all about the ecosystem and all the animals that make their living on top of that mountain.

And so I respect it while I'm also drawn to it.

Maybe some of you are beach people, and you go down to the beach and you love being at the beach, and just sitting there at the beach, and every time you go to the beach, what happens?

You begin to look out, and the expanse of the sea is just amazing.

The ocean is just overwhelming, and those waves just keep crashing in.

And we know there's some dangerous things about the ocean, and there's some dangerous things we gotta be careful about because if you aren't, if you if you don't take it seriously, that undertoe could grab you, or or some of the wildlife there could maybe get you.

But at the end of the day, while it's something that we respect, it's also something we want to explore.

It's something we want to get in, it's something that we want to enjoy, it's something that we want to snorkel and see the beauty of all the things that are underneath the surface.

Folks, in the same way, we have a God who we are to respect and we are to hold up and we are to honor while at the same time drawing near to him.

And when we start with God and we recognize that God desires to bring us into a relationship, it leads us by fearing the Lord, it changes us.

Think about this.

Um, Psalm chapter 111, verse 10, it says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Psalms 111:10

All those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

Psalm 34, verse 9, O fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack.

Psalms 34:9

What an incredible promise.

Church, what we're gonna do collectively, and what I pray and hope that you will do individually is let the Bible speak, and that starts by you admitting, submitting, and staying under the reality that it all starts with him.

Second thing I want you to see from Proverbs chapter 9, verse 10 is second thing is seek wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10

Not only it starts with God, but second of all, seek wisdom.

If you start with God, you know he's the source and he's the guide for all things, it leads you naturally to begin to seek wisdom.

This is when we go to God for all things.

You begin to want to know what he says about your situations in life.

You begin to see him as the foundation for your decisions, you begin to let him to be the filter for the choices that you make.

When you think about your future, you don't just want to ask, what do my friends think?

What do my family think?

What do I think?

You want to ask, what does God think?

And do that.

Proverbs chapter 4, verse 7 and 8.

Proverbs 4:7

The beginning of wisdom is this get wisdom.

And whatever you get, get insight.

Praise her highly, and she will exalt you.

She will honor you if you embrace her.

How do you get wisdom?

Where is it found?

Psalm 19, verse 7 through 11.

Psalms 19:7–11

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned.

In keeping them there is great reward.

The simple answer is this wisdom is found in this.

You want to know how to be wise?

You want to know how to make good decisions?

You want to find out what's best for your life?

It's in this.

God's word is the answer.

Psalm chapter 119, verse 98 through 100.

Psalms 119:98–100

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the age, for I keep your precepts.

How do you get this?

James chapter 1, verse 5 gives us the answer.

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.

Who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Let me give you some practical application here on how you can seek wisdom, okay?

First one is this pray and ask for wisdom.

Pray and ask for wisdom.

Here's a simple prayer that could change your life.

God give me wisdom.

God give me insight.

God give me knowledge.

If you're struggling to know what to do in a situation, ask God.

If you're wondering what you should do about a relationship, ask God and He will tell you.

It doesn't mean, here's what I've found.

It doesn't mean you're always gonna like the answer.

You see, sometimes I think people say, Well, I don't feel like God's really answering my prayer.

No, he has.

You just didn't like what he said.

And so we can't ask God for him to confirm what we've already decided.

You ask and pray for wisdom, giving him the opportunity and the freedom to answer how he knows is best.

Some of you are like, Well, I've never felt like I've heard God, I've never really heard him speak to me.

I mean, I've never experienced that.

In fact, I feel like I've actually been praying and asking God for some things, and I feel like he hasn't really responded.

So here's what I want to tell you.

Here's the answer.

The second thing you can do practically is not just pray and ask for wisdom, but number two, read God's word.

You want to know what God says?

Right here, read it.

It's all right there.

I'm not saying it's bad, it's totally fine if you use God's word as like an index book where if you have a particular issue or something you're trying to work through and you want to go and find all the verses on that, that's not a bad thing to do.

But can I tell you it's not the best thing for you to do?

Instead, can I tell you the best thing for you to do is to read God's word daily and consistently?

For you to get on a Bible reading plan.

I've read through the Bible 15 years in a row all the way through, and can I tell you I found something new this morning?

This morning.

I promise you, familiarity is not gonna keep you from God being able to speak to you through it.

So you put yourself under God's word, you find yourself in a place.

What I've discovered is this is that when I begin to read God's word consistently, he causes me to ask questions that I didn't even know to ask.

God begins to reveal things in my own life, but also reveal things about him that I would have never thought about otherwise unless I was reading his word.

You want to know how you can experience wisdom?

You read and you get under God's word.

Psalm chapter 119, verse 130.

Psalms 119:130

It reads like this the unfolding of your words gives light, it imparts understanding to the simple.

Get under God's word.

Third thing is this don't miss church.

Don't miss church.

You guys gotta know this.

I promise you, I'm not trying to be legalistic about this.

I just missed two weeks.

But I do want you to hear a pastor who loves you and tells you don't miss church.

There is something miraculous that happens in this.

I'm not trying to say anything about the United City in particular.

I'm just saying when God's people get together, when they worship, when they take the Lord's Supper together, when they pray together, when they open up God's word together, wisdom just pours out.

When you get into a small group, and you're in the middle of that small group and you're studying God's word, in the midst of that small group, somebody begins to say, Man, I just really feel like the Lord's been saying this to me.

I can't tell you how many times that's happened, and all of a sudden, something that I felt like I was stuck on just gets unlocked.

Because there's wisdom that God uses in the community of believers by us being together.

And so I would just tell you this: don't miss church.

Now, I'm not saying you can't ever miss church and you're not gonna go to heaven if you if you miss church.

I'm not trying to say that, but I am trying to say this.

You need to evaluate what you're missing church for.

Because I can assure you, whatever it is that you're going to isn't giving you the wisdom that you'd have if you came to church.

There is a blessing that comes with this.

So don't hear me on you judgmentally.

Hear me as a pastor saying, I'm telling you, you need it.

I'm telling you, you need it.

And the people that are around you, and the people that are before in front of you, and the people that are behind you, they need you to be here.

Look, I watched online, it was awesome.

I feel like we do an incredible job with our online presentation.

Ain't nothing like being in the room today.

Ain't nothing like the way that my heart just leapt singing those songs today, being able just to hear and to be around God's people and to be able to hear the sound of singing as we're all declaring our praise to our glorious God.

Folks, don't miss church.

Colossians chapter 3, verse 16.

Colossians 3:16

I love this verse.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

How do you do that?

Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.

You can do that through the hearing of God's word in a small group, through the hearing of God's word in a message, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

He does something in and through us.

Things change.

You literally get wisdom in a way that leads to life.

Final principle from Proverbs 9, verse 10.

Proverbs 9:10

Let the Bible speak.

Let the Bible speak.

I got four teenagers in my house.

Uh three are in high school, and one is in middle school.

And uh they're all at various levels, of course, of their educational journey.

Um I would try to, I would like to think that I'm a fairly educated person.

Uh I graduated the high school diploma, I then went on to college, and I graduated with a bachelor's degree from college, and then I went after that to got a master's degree from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Uh, and then after that, uh I decided a few years later to go back and to get my doctorate of ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

And at every single stage along the way, I made pretty good grades.

I'm not super smart, but I know how to study and I work hard, and so therefore, I was able to figure that out.

And because of that, I mean, all the way through school, I did really, really well in school and have the highest level of education that I possibly can.

I say that to tell you that there is nothing that can make you feel more dumb than when your seventh grader asks you for help on math.

Just cripples me to my knees.

Like, I just and of course I'm sitting here thinking, well, I mean, like, I I I don't how do I not know this?

You know what I mean?

Like, like, how did what I I did math was my thing.

Like, I didn't have to take math in college because I did so well in high school that I was able to collapse out of it.

So, how do I not know?

And here's what I've also discovered.

My older three kids, they don't even ask me anymore.

They just dad doesn't know anything.

We're not gonna ask dad.

So my seventh grader hadn't quite figured it out.

He's early on in the process.

So he still asked me for math homework.

And I mean, I give it a hard try.

Like I'm like, oh I got this son, I'm just and I'm like, what in the world?

Caitlin, can you come over here, his older sister?

Can you he explain this kind of stuff?

And here's what's so wild to me.

I guarantee you, I did really well on the test that he's about to take in seventh grade math.

But for some reason, I forget what it is that I mastered.

And what's crazy about it is that I think about even my my school, and you may think about this in your own schooling situation, whether you're in it right now or whether you used to be in the past, you aced certain subjects, and then you go away for the summer and you come back and you have a test, and you have no idea what you learned.

And it's like, what in the world?

How did I how did it leak so much over just a short period of time?

In my case, how do I forget seventh grade math?

This is I feel like if I went back to school for a little bit, then maybe I could figure it out and I'd be kind of fine, but still, it just baffles me.

And I think what happens is there's a massive difference between cramming for a test and then actually using something in your real life.

I've got to wonder if that's not the problem with a lot of us when it comes to God's word.

We hear it when we're supposed to hear it, but we don't actually use it on Tuesday.

We don't actually think about it on Thursday at four o'clock.

It has no bearing whatsoever on our actual daily lives.

I used to meet with premarital couples all the time, and they used to take this assessment that would give them strength and growth areas, and it drove me crazy because what you would see is they're a hundred percent compatible in spiritual beliefs.

They both love Jesus and they're both all about him.

Yet when it comes to conflict and communication, they're a total train wreck.

And here's why: because they never allowed their spiritual beliefs to connect to their communication and their conflict.

What God is asking you to do and us collectively to do is not sit under this like it's some kind of relic that we're supposed to admire, but let it be words that come close to our soul that guide how we live.

Here at United City Church, I can assure you of this.

You come here to this place, what we're gonna be known and what we're gonna be marked by.

We're gonna preach, we're gonna hold up high the word of God.

Our preschool ministry is absolutely growing massively.

It is crazy.

This hour, I think they've already opened up three or four new classrooms already.

If you're looking for a place to serve, I'm just gonna tell you right now, you need to go serve in preschool.

We we we need help in there, but it is just incredible to see how God is bringing so many families there to this place.

But can I also tell you what we do at United City Church is we don't babysit.

At the earliest of ages, we read God's word over them.

In our two and three-year-old preschool worship, you know what we do?

We sing songs that have God's word in them.

We're allowing them to know not just this is something that your parents have and they bring into big church, this is something that you need and you can receive.

You see kids, we've got an initiative.

Lily Thomas on our team has done an amazing job of developing this where you go to UC Kids, and we can guarantee you two things are gonna be true.

One, your kids are gonna have a blast.

Two, you could ask them on the way home, what did you learn, and they'll have something to say.

Test it.

I'm not afraid of it.

Test it and let me know if you don't.

But here's what I would tell you.

What I think you'll discover is this is that through the Bible trivia, through the Bible challenges, through all the different initiatives that we're doing in our UC kids, we're not just teaching them God's word when they're with us, we're teaching them to love God's word when they're not.

We want them to hold this thing closely to their hearts and to their lives.

United City youth, United City young adults, two incredible environments that we have in the midst of our church throughout the week.

And what we do is we want to make sure that you have an amazing experience, but we also want to challenge you with the depths of God's word.

We're not gonna soften it, we're not gonna lighten it up, we're gonna allow God's word to speak.

And so at United City Church, what we're gonna be marked by is how do we get the Bible in you?

Because we believe the Bible in you can lead to you living the Bible, and then it changes your life.

Every time you come here, you're gonna hear this word open your Bibles too.

We're gonna open up God's word and we're gonna ask you to look at it and to read it and to hear from it and to hear be studied from it and to have it preached to you.

But I would simply tell you this: the worst thing that you could ever do is treat it like seventh-grade math.

Where you hear it and you walk out and it does nothing.

You want to know how you can apply it?

You do what he says.

Some of you are like, Well, I don't feel like God's really speaking to me, God's not really guiding me.

Is it possible the reason he hasn't is because you're not doing what he's already told you to do in his word?

What I've discovered is this is that the majority of the things that I need answers for are found in here.

I just need to do what he's already said.

Maybe for some of you, what you need to do is you need to recognize that you've allowed some things to creep into your heart, into your life that God says, I don't want those things.

So, because of that, it's almost like a block where you're not being able to hear from him.

You need to repent, you need to confess, you need to come before the Lord and experience him.

Some of you, what you need to do is you need to take the next step.

You need to take that next step, maybe first of all, of you of being baptized.

This is your next step of obedience, what God's asking you to do.

Maybe for some of you, you need to join this church.

God is calling you and leading you to make this the place that you say, Hey, this is where I want to sit under the word of God.

Maybe for some of you, what God is calling and trying to lead you to do is to say yes or to say no to something that God's already been very clear about.

And you're trying to figure out the work around and you're trying to do this, but the GPS system says you can't go there.

You got to go somewhere else.

And at the end of the day, the reason why you keep hitting a roadblock is because you keep trying to ram down the wall, and at the end of the day, it's never gonna work.

So maybe for some of you, what you need is you just need wisdom to be obedient to do what God's already asked you to do.

Maybe your issue is this above and beyond series.

Money is the greatest issue that most people deal with.

They're like 75% in on the Lord, but this 25% is like, nah, I got it.

Is it possible that's the reason why you feel like God is distant?

Because you're just not being obedient?

Respond to Him.

Others of you though, maybe your next step today is you need to take the first step.

And that is to enter into a relationship with Jesus to experience his wisdom in your life.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes all across this room with me?

What's the Lord leading you to do by his word?

You commit right now to do it.

Some of you, you need to make one key decision this week that's gonna unlock his wisdom to be given to you.

Maybe it's to get rid of a sin that you've tolerated even though God hasn't.

Maybe it's to seek forgiveness or let go of some bitterness that you've just ignored.

Maybe it's to break off a relationship that you know you weren't supposed to be in in the first place.

Whatever it is, would you commit to do it?

If you need to be baptized, would you come forward?

Let us schedule your baptism in just a moment.

Others of you need to begin this journey with Jesus.

He died on a cross, he rose from the dead.

Gives you his life that you can be saved.

Today, would you come forward and let us talk with you?

Lead you in a prayer that can forever change your life.

Some of you may just need wisdom for a decision, struggle that you're walking through.

What we want to do is we want to pray with you, we want to pray for you.

So, in just a moment, we're all gonna stand.

You're gonna have folks at the head of the aisles.

If you're in the balcony, you don't have to go far.

I'm gonna ask no one to be leaving unless you're making a decision, coming forward for prayer.

Just allow us the opportunity to walk with you in these moments.

Father, in heaven's Jesus' name, I pray, God, that you would bring heaven down.

Meet us in this time.

Lead us to make life-changing decisions with boldness and clarity.

So grateful that we did.

It's in Jesus' name that I pray.

Amen.

Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

We can't wait to see you next week for any of our services at 8 30, 10, 11 30, or Espanol at 1 o'clock.