A Midsummers Reminder

Hallelujah. He's good, isn't he? Like a bird

out of prison. What's the rest of that? No, that's

a different one. There you go. I just don't know

the words. Well, I'm so glad that I found out

that he would bring me out and show me the way,

right? Thank God I am free, free, free from this

world of sin. Washed in the blood of Jesus, I've

been born. I'm saved. saved by his wonderful

grace. I'm so glad. He would bring me out and

show me the way. That's enough of that. If you

got your Bible, turn to Psalms 11. That old song,

it's been in my head for a while. I thank God

every day I'm free. Amen. I'm glad I found out

about his marvelous grace. Let me tell you something.

I was raised in church. I cut my teeth on the

back of a wore out red back. They wouldn't let

us play with the good ones. You know what I'm

talking about? It's the one with the binders

about wore out, brother. The threads hanging

from them. You'd get that one under the seat.

But I had to find out for myself what they were

singing about. Had to have my own encounter.

Had to have my own experience with his marvelous

grace. Amen. I'd love to say I took it the first

time, but no. It took me a few times to get it

right. How many in here have been baptized in

water more than seven times? Anybody? See there?

It took a little bit to get it. Right. Seven

times. Well, six officially. I don't know that

you can really count Jordan because I just went

because he went. The River Jordan. I was there.

So I went in. But the other six was because I

messed up. And I take the word of God very literal.

When John was talking about falling for me first

love there in Revelation. And he said, do you

first works over again? My first work was following

in his footsteps is water baptism. And I figure

if I messed it up, I thought I might ought to

do it again and again and again and again and

again and again. Six times. I've been in creeks,

rivers, baptistries. I've been baptized about

anywhere you could be baptized. But it finally.

It finally took, or I took to it. It always took

to me. What is it? His grace, his love. It always

took to me. I just forsook it. So if you're here

this morning, and maybe you're on try number

three or four or five, you're good. Just hang

in there. Amen. Don't stop. You got a couple

more to go to catch up. Just get it. Amen. Get

a hold of it. Enough of that. Psalms 11. Again,

so good to see you. If you're visiting, yes,

we're like this most of the time. Most any given

Sunday. This is just the way we enjoy worshiping

the Lord. We've come for, we like to have a good

time doing it, but we're serious about it. Amen?

And if that's something you're looking for, come

on. Well, you can make your mind up here in about

an hour. After I'm finished, if you want to come

back and hear this again, maybe you will. Psalms

11. I'm just going to read verse 3 to you. I

was going to read the whole psalm, but I think

verse 3 will suffice. The psalmist David declares

here, if the foundation be destroyed, what can

the righteous do? I want to preach to you on

a simple thought this morning, a mid -summer's

reminder. A midsummer's reminder. This is where

we're at. It's in the middle. I know we think

we're getting toward fall, but hold off on your

decorations. It's still going to be hot. Midsummer

reminder. I'll pray for you if you pray for me,

and maybe this won't take until, ooh, we're getting

a late start, so it might. Father, we love you.

We thank you for your goodness and your mercy,

the power of your love, the abundance of your

grace in our heart and life. Now, Lord, help

me be expedient this morning. Lord, help me get

to the point. Help me proclaim what you would

have into the hearts and minds of your people.

We that have ears, may we hear what it is the

Spirit is saying to the church today. And Lord,

we'll be quick to praise you for it all. For

you are good and your mercy endures forever.

Speak into my life today. Is that your prayer?

Repeat that with me. Speak into my life, sweet

Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. That's it. Amen.

A mid -summer's reminder. You can be seated.

There are a few things that are constant in this

world. And I think one of those constants is

the matter of fact of change. Change is a constant.

It is ever occurring. Change happens every day.

How many of you remember, I think it even still

happens on local channels, if you're up late

at night and there'll be the snow come on the

screen and you hear that. This is a test of the

emergency broadcast system, right? Then they

go through their little spiel. That's what this

is this morning. This is just a simple test.

If you read in this 11th Psalm, that phrase is

used. The Lord is testing. He tests with his

eyes and he's testing his children. And then

there's this solemn warning about the foundations.

If the moralistic fibers, if the truth of all

that is true is shaken and is destroyed, what

then? Can the righteous do? And if we are living

in an age where one of the only true constants

is change, I would say it's probably one of the

truest statements of the last century. And as

we look around, we can see that nothing is as

it once was. It's not like it used to be. Amen?

I honestly thought when I were the age of some

of these children that by now there'd be some

George Jetson folks running around, and they

have some of those capabilities. They have some

big enough drones that we could go along. If

they just can't figure out how to regulate it,

if they can figure out how to regulate all of

that, then there'll be some low -level highway

traffic. Amen? It can happen. Nothing is as it

was. Homes, jobs, cars, automobile, school, even

the church has changed. Now, let me just set

out this morning early in this message to let

you know that the word evolution is not a sin.

The word in itself, evolution, is not a sin.

The theology of it. Evolution is. God is. I'm

going to get into that little rabbit trail this

morning, so I'm just going to lay that one out

there. The church has evolved over the millennia.

We are not as we were in the first century. Not

all things that evolve are negative and are wrong.

As long as... The foundation remains true. Remember,

what did Paul say about Christ being the foundation

of our faith? If any man builds on anything else,

it's no good. Christ is the foundation. So when

we begin to think about how things have evolved,

the church has evolved in some ways very good.

Some of you are fanning, but can you imagine

what it would be without even the air we got

blowing now? It'd be H -O -T, right? So some

things that have evolved are not necessarily

negatives. But when you come to the moral fibers

of the institution of the church, we cannot evolve

and grow away from or grow beyond the true foundation

of what the church is built upon. If you remember,

we go back to the question that Jesus asked his

disciples, who do men say that I, the son of

man, am? Oh, some say Jeremiah, some say Isaiah,

some one of the other prophets. But then the

pointed question returns, who do you say that

I am? And then by being inspired by the Spirit

of God, Peter would declare, thou art the Christ,

the Son of the living God. And then Jesus declares

the foundational structure of the church. And

he said, blessed art thou, Simon Bar -Jonah,

for upon this rock, that foundation, I will establish

and build my church and the gates are open. Look

and listen. If any time you see the church being

prevailed over by the enemy, you might ought

to take a good look because the foundation has

been removed. If the church remains solid upon

the foundation of Christ and none other but Christ,

then there is no way the enemy is going to overcome

and defeat the church. It's not possible. Why?

Because Jesus declared, So at the least place

it can afford to evolve, it is the church. Oh,

yes, methods can change, but the message must

always remain. There is only one name under heaven

whereby men can be saved, and that is the name

of Jesus Christ, and that at that name every

knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.

We must remain solid upon the foundation of our

Christology, and it is Christ and Christ alone.

Hallelujah. And we begin to stand firm and proclaim.

Let the air blow cool in the summer. Let the

heat blow warm in the winter. Get some more padded

seats and let's try not to get too comfortable

so that we become at ease in the house of Zion.

But yet our hearts are stirred by the foundational

truth. It's Christ who is the way, who is the

truth, and who is the life. And we remain true

in that. But the danger becomes that we begin

to allow a sway away so the church can least

afford change of any other structure in this

world. Any other system may change and evolve

away from, but the church cannot evolve away

from its firm foundation. If the foundation be

destroyed, here in David's day, he was already

worried about a crisis somehow socially in the

realm around him. He being king, something has

disturbed him to the point that the spirit moves

him to begin to write and to pen these words

that today, here, August 17, 2025, That we could

be reminded that the foundation must remain true.

I don't know what the enemy's been coming against

you with. And he may be even trying to get you

to move your mindset about church and about your

relationship with God on down the road. But honey,

if it takes you past Christ, you better abandon

that thought process. Because the idea of today

is a moralistic therapeutic deism that causes

one to think you can be good enough. Amen. You

can be more. But you can't without Christ. You

can't be good enough. You can't be happy enough.

Oh, the society today in our religious world

wants people to think that God wants you to be

happy all the time. Well, that's contrary to

the Word of God because there's too many warnings

that in this world you shall have tribulation.

And I can't be happy when I'm in turmoil and

chaos is turned upside down. But I can let down

the faith of my heart into the well of my heart.

my salvation and draw deep from the joy of the

Lord because in his presence is fullness of joy.

My God, I don't want that foundation of the joy

of the Lord removed. So therefore, among all

things. That have gone through and are existing

in the element of change. The church is the one

that can least afford it. Simply because. When

the church changes it becomes alienated from

the God. Who established it and never changes.

Oh God changes well let's see if he does. According

to Malachi 3 and 6. For I am the Lord. I. Change

not. So my heart has been stirred personally

for me this week. I need a midsummer's reminder

that the Lord remains constant. and the unvariableness

of his changing, what that declares to me is

this, that he is faithful, that the moral character

of God always remains true and unelementary.

Will it never be changed? You can keep to the

simplicity of the gospel and the character of

Jesus Christ and the true character of who God

is by his nature. He is faithful, and he will

always be faithful, and he will never change

from being faithful. faithful. The characteristics

of God is that he is wise. He is filled with

wisdom and he will always be wise and he will

never vary in the wisdom that he displays towards

you. I am the Lord and I change not. In other

words, there's no faction in this world that

can move him for the reality of who he is and

the proclamation of his word as he is described

to us. I don't care what the world says. I don't

care what they declare about God because God

God is the same and he is the true constant of

this world and he changeth not. He's merciful.

Just think if he changed and varied in his mercy,

what kind of condition would this world truly

be in? But he's merciful. What about his love?

What if he wasn't as loving as he is? What kind

of shape would this world be in? So the church

can least afford to change. And there's just

a couple of reminders for us this morning as

a church. As we live in a world and an age of

all manner of isms and religiosity, man has developed

a theology, if you will, to live by that appeases

every attribute of their flesh. Huh? Yeah, if

you look long enough, you can find what you want

to live by to align by your... personal conviction.

Can I declare to you this is not all about our

personal convictions. It's about his personal

declaration of the life that we are to live and

the image, the expressed image of his son Jesus

Christ. We are to emulate his character in this.

Well, our societies have, that's outdated. We've

grown way past that. You'd never grow past kindness.

I don't care how far we get or how old this world.

You never get past kindness. You never get past

the commandment of love. You never get past peace.

Amen. All these remain with every culture. There

is an innate desire in all of humanity to be

loved. I don't care how sour you want to be.

I don't care how cross and hateful you are. Deep

down, you want to be and desire to be liked and

loved. The moment someone tells me, I don't care

if we're bollocks or we're not, they're telling

me right out loud, I want I want everyone to

like me. I want everyone to love me. And I'm

doing all that I can in my flesh to keep that

from happening. And somebody is still nice to

me. Why? Because somebody you run across has

the love and the innate character and the truth

of the foundation of Jesus Christ down in them.

And they are portraying that every day. It's

a cry to be loved. I need to be reminded that

God's word is still true. And that we live by

his word. There's only three of these little

reminders. So here's number one. That we live

by his word. You live by his word. Pastor Brian's

already quoted this morning. In him we live and

move and we have. Our being. It's his word. It

doesn't matter how much culture tries to change

it. It doesn't matter how much the age of our

day tries to criticize it, tries to minimize

it, tries to rationalize the Word, tries to censure

the Word, tries to ignore the Word. It doesn't

matter how much social media makes fun of the

Word and every other forum you can get on that

denigrates the Word of God. It doesn't matter

for the child of God who understands the rudimentary

elements of the foundation of faith in God, understands

without the Word of God, God. We are nothing

but with the Word of God. We can do all things

through Him because He strengthens us. We can

because of the declaration of that Word that

declares His grace is provided to us and for

us and in us every day. And it becomes the all

-sufficiency of our life. His Word! I need to

be reminded of that. And so therefore, I felt

if I needed a reminder, you needed a midsummer's

reminder. Because I know there's another entity

that has not changed, and that is the devil.

Oh, Diablo. Oh, Diablo. Has it changed? He hasn't

even evolved in his methods of coming against

you. He's a three -trick pony. Hello? He's a

three -trick pony. Oh, Bobo. Three -trick pony.

He attacks the lust of your eye. He approaches

the lust of your flesh and the pride of your

life. That's it. Well, everything that he rolls

at you gets down to those common denominators

right there. That's it. That's all he's got.

I can tell you how you can overcome some of those

through the power of the word of God. How do

I get rid of that pride of life? Humble yourself

under the mighty hand of God. Well, how do I

do that? Take up your cross and follow him. Any

man that don't get the cross, take one up, can't

follow, can't go where he is. So if you want

to be in heaven, get over your high self. Hello.

No one thinks more highly of them than they think

of themselves. So why do you think the devil's

got you so bowed up on your pride? Huh? Because

that... Three -trick pony, that's one of them.

And if you apply the word of God, if you humble

yourself, what does that mean? If you lower yourself,

if you climb off your high horse, amen, put your

foot in a stirrup and come on down to earth,

you're not all that in a bag of chips. Hello?

We're not, you know. And nobody loves us better

than we love ourselves. Amen? Only one that loves

you more than you love you is God. And how so,

pastor? Because the word. Let this be a midsummer

reminder to you. For God so loved the world that

he gave his only begotten son that whosoever

believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting.

He loves you more than you love yourself. So

the way that you overcome is through the word,

right? You humble yourself instead of getting

to the point where God has to humble you. Well,

what does that look like? Well, there's a story

of a prodigal son. Loved himself. Pride. Daddy!

that belongs to me when you die. Boy, I'm not

dead yet. Well, I won't watch mine. Son, it ain't

yours until I'm gone. Come on, you know. I watched

a little meme yesterday I thought was quite hilarious.

It looked about like a 30 -year -old man, not

a boy, was in his daddy's living room and he's

saying, Daddy, you ain't nothing. You ain't got

nothing. And this daddy getting crossed up. Look

at this boy. He says, huh? What started, all

the boy had his pants down about right here,

hanging down there. He said, son, pull them breeches

up. Who do you think you are? In daddy's living

room, you know. I could play all that out, but

it'd take away from my preacher time. But anyway,

in about 90 seconds into that meme, you see daddy

frog, and you see Junior laying on his back doing

this, hocking them breeches up. That's the way

it can happen if you're not careful. God trying

to bless your life and you're so full of yourself.

He can't get in edgewise to bless you. And all

he's wanting to do is bless you. And you're blowing

up. I want all the blessings that belong to me.

Well, they don't really, none of them belong

to you unless I afford them to you. But the dad

gives the prodigal son, you know the story, gives

him his portion. And he goes off and spends it

all in riotous partying. Party on, dude. Till

he's broke. And the worst place that a young

Jewish boy full of pride in himself could wind

up is where he woke up one morning. Where is

that? You got to remember, Peter hadn't been

on the rooftop yet, and that sheet hadn't been

let down, and the command from heaven to rise,

kill, and eat hadn't been given yet. So he finds

himself in the pork aisle. He's in the pig pen

where no self -respecting, full of pride Jewish

boy. Would ever be found. But let me tell you

something. When God humbles you. That stuff you

say I'll never. Honey you're going to choke on

it all the way down. And beg for some vinegar

to wash it on down. Because you'll choke so much

on your own words. And your own pride. God will

say you'll swallow it. Keep going. You'll get

down there. Then finally he comes to himself.

And declares. The servants at Daddy's house got

it better than this. The one place at Daddy's

house I will not be is in a pig pen. Come on.

I won't be in the muck and the mire and the stench

of hog water at Daddy's house. I think I'm going

home. Because I know dad will accept me. Get

over yourself. Get over your pride. Get over

the sin you may have committed yesterday or last

night. Get over it. Repent of it. Come up out

of the mire and say, if I can just get to daddy's

house, I know he's going to take care of me.

And when you humble yourself, we're going to

get hung up on number one if I don't move on.

Because, see, when you start talking about the

Word, remind yourself of the Word of God. Faith

cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of

God. Now, faith is the substance of things, hope

for an evidence of nothing. How can they hear

without a preacher? They must hear the declaration

of the word. It's the word of God that elevates

us to the place where he wants us to be. I highlighted

this because I didn't want to skip it and I've

almost run past it. In spite of the open disregard

that's going on in this world, there is nothing

in the human experience which is more blessed

or beneficial for the human being than the word

of God. I can have my altar, and I have had my

altar experiences at one place or another. You've

heard me say I had to repent thoroughly at least

six times just to get to where I think I might

get to heaven. I'm past that, by the way. That

was a long, number six baptism was a long time

ago. I don't want y 'all to think it was two

weeks ago, you know, where I had Pastor Brian

dunk me the last baptism while nobody was looking.

No, I finally got it. And he's got a hold of

me. So we're past that point. But I finally had

to get there when we understand that it is through

the grace and the word and the power of God that

enables us and strengthens us. There is no other

experience in your human life that is more blessed

or beneficial to you than the living word of

God. I know you love your children and you were

swelled with pride when you eat. or cut the cord

or held them first time in your arms, and that's

beneficial, but it's nothing like the Word of

God. Because see, your children may end up disappointing

you, but I'm here to tell you right now, the

Word of God will never disappoint you. It'll

convict you, it'll make you angry, but it'll

never... ever, ever disappoint you. His word

is the truest beneficial blessing in the life

of the child of God. And why do you think it

is the devil comes against your reading and participation

in the word the way he does? Because he knows

if you ever develop a relationship with the word

of God, he is doomed. There's some more in this

section here. On the word of God, Matthew 4,

1 through 11, that's a powerful story. We have

Jesus in the wilderness being led by the Spirit

after his baptism. He's out there, and the enemy

comes against him with those three. He even come

against Jesus with the same three -trick pony.

The lust of the flesh. He'd been fasting 40 days

and nights. Well, if you are who you say you

are, why don't you turn them rocks into bread

and go ahead and satisfy your flesh. You know,

it's not about the flesh. Man shall not live

by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth

from the mouth of the Father. That's how we're

going to make it. Then he hits him up. Amen.

He tempts his pride. Well, just go ahead and

throw yourself down. Amen. The word. Oh, the

devil doesn't quote a little bit of the word.

He'll throw enough in to get you crossed up.

Oh, doesn't the Bible say that he's giving his

angels charge over you. You're going to be all

right. Look, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy

God. Pride went down the drain. We got the flesh

and we got pride. Jesus done got two of them

knocked out. And then here he come. Amen. There

he is again. And he said, let me take you up

in the lust of the eye. Right there it is. Look

at all. If you'll just bow down and worship me,

I'll let you have everything that you see. It

is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,

and him only shalt thou serve. If you'll apply

those three declarations of the word, that three

-trick pony, you'll watch him go down your driveway

and hit the road, and you can rebuke him every

time he tries to come back with the word. Heaven

and earth shall pass away, but thy word shall

not pass away. It shall stand forever. The Bible

is more than a book. Amen. You've got to understand

through history, armies have tried to destroy

it, burn it. Governments try to forbid it. Humanists

try to rationalize it and splint it away, right?

Judges want to outlaw it, but in spite of every

effect and effort, the word of God remains and

will remain because God has declared it. It exposes

the mightiness of God, Jeremiah 23, 29. It is

not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and

like a hammer that breaketh the rock into pieces.

I'm trying to get down to a segue over. No substitutions

for the word. There's no substitution for the

word in your life. Listen to this. Oh, I like

this part. I almost got past it. I apologize.

Your favorite Charisma magazine article might

be good, but it don't replace God's word. I tell

you how long ago, and I tell you where the Lord

stirred me, how far back. This was, my Lord,

when was this? This is a long time ago. It's

handwritten, so I know that's a long time ago.

And when I got phrases like, your favorite CD.

I'm telling you, the Lord's took me back and

found this. He stirred my heart. I don't know

what you got now, your favorite iPod, whatever.

Doesn't replace the Word of God. Amen? Your favorite

podcast. I started to say TV Evangelist, but

I updated that one right here on the fly. I updated

it. Your favorite podcast. 413. Give a little

plug for the podcast to Pastor Brian, Brother

Martin, and Brother Scotty. Look that one up.

That doesn't replace your time in God's Word.

It's not as prevalent as it used to be. Again,

here's a little sign of how long ago your favorite

singing group, which would be reflective of southern

gospel, which that's about a thing of the past.

None of that stuff is a substitute for the word

of God in your life, right? John's poetic introduction,

in the beginning was the word, the word was with

God, the word was God. The same was in the beginning

with God, and all things were made by him, and

without him was not anything made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of

men. Make our way to our second reminder. We

live by faith. This is a faith walk. We don't

live by sight. You live by faith. Faith in God.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for

according to Hebrews 11 and 1. The things hoped

for and the evidence of things not seen. You

skip on down and you see these words. For it

is impossible to please God without faith. But

for those who have faith. He is a rewarder of

those who diligently seek after him. You need

to write that word diligently down. And you need

to go look it up and to see if that is where

you are. To see if in your faith walk with God

you are. diligently seeking after him and him

alone. And if you are, then you can expect the

reward to the faithful and from the faithful.

Amen? You can expect that and look for it in

your life. Faith flows when God speaks. For God

himself is the source of our faith. and his living

word is the channel through which that faith

is transmitted to men. Not only is God the source

of our faith, he must be the object of that faith,

for faith comes from him but yet must return

to him. When faith's object is God, it will always

and also envelop God's power and grace. You can't

just have faith in faith. You've got to have

faith in God. Too many people simply want to

have faith in faith itself. But faith must reside

in the object of God. God is where your faith

must exist. Without him, we become miserable.

But through him, your faith in him, your trust

in him, your confidence in him, your faith becomes

the conduit of the release of his power into

your life. And that faith may only, let me parenthesy

that. Your faith may only result in the adding

of the sufficiency of his grace every day. But

after all, isn't that enough? Woo! Because all

I need is enough to make it through today. Why

do you say that? What about tomorrow? What about

next week? We have to be reminded of the word

of God into our life as James would pin. You

may not have today. Say not ye. I'll do this

or this or that today or tomorrow because tomorrow

may not come because life is like a vapor. What

I need is grace to make it through today. And

by his mercy. If he causes me to awake in the

morning, you know what's going to find me? His

grace. Woo! That's just done more for me than

it did 82 % of y 'all. Meaning 18 % of you got

it. It's a reminder. It's worthy to be reminded.

Don't give up believing in God. Don't stop trusting

God. Don't stop having faith in God. If you put

your faith in any other, you will be let down.

And if, well, thank you, Lord. If you become

disappointed in how God is running your life,

think back to what good job he was doing with

you. I did. I just had a flashback. The job I

did cost me six Duncans. Since I've turned it

over to him, I haven't had to get wet since,

other than baptizing a few other folks. But as

far as myself, I haven't had to go back under.

But I'm here to tell you right now, if I need

to, I will. Hey, look here. I don't care what

anybody thinks. If I feel like I'm impressed

and drawn by the Spirit, you need to follow again.

Do you know where a pastor will be? At the front

of the line, let somebody get me wet, put me

under, and then I'll come out the other end and

get the rest of you. Pride's gone. I have that

no more. Acts 3 .16, his name through faith in

his name. We covered that one. Oh, that segues

us right into number three. Somebody say, praise

the Lord. It's five after, and I'm getting hungry.

Eat more breakfast next Sunday, and you can last

a little longer. Because, look, when we worship,

when you worship and you enter in, I don't get

up and call time out on you. I let you worship

until you get in and come back out. So don't

cringe upon my time. I'll come back out in a

little while. This is the best hour and whatever

of my week when I get to stand right here and

feel what comes from the heavens down onto my

flesh and pours out of my soul. So don't rush

me now. People used to say, well, you only preach

one time a week. That's all we pay you for. I

said, look, you don't pay me to preach. I'm telling

you right now. It's those other couple hundred

hours of things that I do that you never see.

This is a freebie. I do this because I'm called

and he's anointed me to do it. That's why I do

this. This is just one of the blessings you get.

I guess I need to get back on that pride wheel.

That sounded awful prideful, didn't it? Forgive

me, Lord, for that one. Fill up the tank. No.

Grab a pan, just wash my feet because I'm not

all dirty. I just stepped in it. Whoa! Hey, Lord,

help me. If I'd known I was going to have this

much fun this morning, I sure wouldn't have stressed

like I did yesterday. I guarantee you. Let me

tell you what my Saturdays look like. It has

been for a little over 30 years since I've been

preaching. Saturday's been the day raising three

kids. I cannot study at home. Tried that. That

just does not work. You know, you can't whoop

a kid and stay in the Word and stay anointed.

Or I can't. I've got to get mad to grab them.

Come on. So I get out of there. I go to the office.

And Saturday was the day. Somebody said, what

do you wait until Saturday for? That's the only

day I had. You know, I was Bible to the occasional.

So Saturday was my day. So that's the way it

is. So my Saturdays. I don't, it's not very restful.

I didn't hardly go to ball games. I can't do

that sort of stuff. Saturday's focus day, right?

So I'm up half the night worrying about what

I'm going to say when I get here on Sunday morning.

Then I go ahead and say this stuff. And then

Sunday night's a bust too. I can't sleep tonight.

I will not sleep tonight because my mind will

replay in slow motion the stupid things that

I do and say. Those things like that that you,

that's not rehearsed. That's who I am. It's just

the way it comes on and comes out. And it amazes

me that God uses it and you show up week after

week. It's the truth. I say, my Lord, you blew

it this week. So number three, somebody say hurry

up and let's go. I'll oblige. Okay, if we live

by the word, we live by faith. Now this is a

midsummer's remind you, okay? Then we overcome

by prayer. Oh, I thought it was the blood of

the lamb, the word of our testimony. Yeah, but

you don't get that until you pray. So, let me

just remind you, don't stop praying. You can't

stop praying. There's no not praying in church.

You've got to pray. You've got to talk to God.

Well, He knows, Almighty. Yeah, He knows, but

He wants to hear you. No. Prayer is about 90

% of you telling God that you know what's going

on in your life. Because He already does. You're

not telling Him anything He doesn't know. Well,

if he knows, why don't he do something about

it? Well, he is. Well, it sure don't look like

it. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean

he's not moving. See, that's part of our problem.

We think we got to see it. No. No, I just told

you a few moments ago. We don't walk by sight.

You walk this out, this journey, by faith. You

just got to trust God. Well, he ain't doing it

the way I want to. Well, he doesn't do it the

way I want it done either. But that doesn't mean

he's doing it wrong. Matter of fact, he's doing

it more right than you could possibly do yourself.

Do I need to remind you six times I've been baptized?

Never once have I let him in charge. By the power

of prayer, we live by prayer. As believers, we

cannot look at prayer as it is an option. It's

not like power windows and power door locks.

It's not optional. It's standard. Most of us

would blow our mind if we actually had to crank

a window handle. Some kids would say, what's

that? What do you do with that? Well, you turn

it around in a circle. Well, it won't go. Honey,

roll it the other way. Turn the handle the other

way. You show most of them a car with four pedals

and they're going to say, that's a clutch, honey.

Well, that's emergency brake. I thought you pulled

it up. No, darling, you step on it. How do you

get it off? You step on it again. If it don't

have a release. It's not optional. Prayer's not

optional. You've got to pray. Well, my life's

falling apart. Well, you're not praying. You've

quit trusting and believing, and you definitely

hadn't been in the Word. You've heard it said,

and I'll have to be careful because this one

is. If you find someone with a Bible that's fallen

apart, the meme declares that their life most

likely isn't. But you get that pristine back

on it that's not even been folded. Honey, you're

lucky to get to church from Sunday to Sunday.

How people make it without the word, without

believing, without praying. I have to pray to

get out of bed. So how you do it with talking

to him maybe at lunch. I don't get it. My life

is a constant prayer. I'm praying in and out,

off and on, all day long. Jesus said men ought

always to continue in prayer. I pray. Why? Because

I need divine intervention every moment of every

day. Why? So that I don't have to get baptized

again. That's why. You say, really? Look, folks,

if it wasn't for prayer, the word, and faith,

and the anointing of God that's on my life, most

of you wouldn't even like me. I have the potential

to be a smart aleck. Yeah, I do. I'm telling

you, it's there. I know it's hard to see these

things. I know you can't believe that about my

character, but I do. And when I was a sinner,

I was a bad one because I didn't care to take

a beating. Whoop me if you want to, but you have

it to do. Hello? I've been whooped more than

I've won. It doesn't matter. That's not the point.

Hello? That's not the point. The point is I smacked

you in the mouth at least one good time. That's

the point for me. Always has been. I don't care

if you win or lose. I'm going to get one good

and somewhere in this process. It may take me

a week to see it when my eyes open and talk about

it when my lip gets done swelling. But that's

all right too. But thank God I'm not that way

anymore. Only with the devil. I hate, and I mean

it, the devil. Prayer. I reveal way too much

to you people. Prayer is not optional in your

life. It is a necessity. It's a life or death

matter for the believer. Prayer is the open channel

to heaven. It's through that channel that our

faith in God is declared. When I pray, I'm letting

God know, I believe you can. And that's why I

try to get a lot of the word in my mind and in

my body and in my soul. I can't tell you where

every address is. What's that mean? I can't tell

you book, chapter, verse, or page number that

it's on. But the principles of it, I get right

in here. and I get enough of his word in me that

when I need it, I can recall a half a verse.

I can recall three or four words. Man, don't

live by bread alone. That's all I need to make

it through today. But by every word, if I can

get that one in, I don't need to know exactly

that it's in Matthew 4, 1 through 11, if it's

verse 3, 5 out of 11. I don't need to know that.

All I need to know is that it is in there. And

if it is in there, I can apply it to my life.

And if I pray it and reminding God, that I have

faith in what he said in my life. My reminder

is this. I will make it. I will overcome by prayer.

I will have grace through faith. I'm going to

live by his word. Man, what a midsummer reminder.

Because can I tell you, sometimes we get... We

get lulled into complacency. What's that mean?

Well, we just kind of get a little bit lax. We

get lethargic. The heat, the heat, summer heat

affects us like Thanksgiving turkey. Somehow

it turns to lethargy. We get lazy. Summertime

does that for us. There's two seasons. Man, I'm

just really just opening up the curtain today.

Two seasons of the year that I do not like as

a pastor and have never enjoyed. Are you ready?

Maybe you can help me with this. You can turn

my into joy. Only you can, really. And it'll

take the Lord to get you to do it. I don't like

summer. I don't like the summer season. My least

favorite Sunday of the year is Memorial Day weekend.

That's my least favorite Sunday. Well, why is

that, Pastor? It's Memorial Day. Yeah. It's also

the first weekend after school's let out. And

the sheep gate gets left open. Many of you disappear.

Periodically through the summer. You're trepsing

over Paris. I'm just kidding. But they were.

You're on cruise boats. You're in the mountains.

How many times can you go to Pigeon Forge and

go to Dollywood in one summer? That's the truth.

I'm thinking, I went about six, seven years ago,

and I'm still good. I'm meddling now, Milton,

but it feels so good to vent. So summer. Yeah,

oh, don't get me. No, summer. Because, see, we

get. We throw it in neutral. School's out. Vacation

time. But you know what? I can't shift her up

in neutral. You want me to come in here and just

shift it in neutral on Sunday and just give you

some little something to tickle you? Until school

starts back? I can't do that. Why? Because heaven

and hell's in the balance and there's a devil

who never lets up. Who never puts it in neutral.

And he's after you every week. Every day he's

trying to steal, kill, destroy, and take everything

of your life. I can't put it in neutral. So what

do you do? You scratch around. You come up with

something like this to stir folk for a midsummer

reminder. So from Memorial Day on, it's tough

for me. And then the other time you're going

to say, it's Christmas. Right after Thanksgiving,

y 'all shut down. It's the turkey. I know it

is. I think for our holiday family meal, why

do you think we do that on a Sunday? And we just

come in here and meet for a few minutes and go

eat. Because you're checked out. And why would

I leave alone? I can't believe this. You're not

recording this, are you? Where'd you at? Well,

we're going to edit most of this. Who wants that

on the interweb, right? In the cloud somewhere.

Yeah, y 'all shut down. We got shopping to do.

Why do you think we have something special just

about I only try to preach one Sunday in the

month of December? Why do you think that is?

You think I don't want to preach? Absolutely

not. That's what I live for. It's because y 'all

ain't in it. So what do we do? We have a kids

program. On a Sunday morning. I've had pastors

say, you don't do that on Sunday night. I said,

no. And if you're in it after as long as I have

been, you won't either. Why? I said, tell me

about your December. How's it go? How's the service?

Well, they're just not really in it. I said,

ding, ding, ding. Give them something they want.

Well, what do they want? They'll flood the house

for the kids. They'll show up to see the children's

program. And the word goes out. I make sure the

word goes out. Hello? Doesn't matter what's going

on up there. The word of God is going out. And

how many people, how many of you have been really

touched and blessed through a children's or some

type of Christmas program? Come on, honest. That's

why we do it. How many of you would really in

Christmas get really all that excited about me

dropping a lung like this in it right before

Christmas? Not many. So I try to give you one

good one in the month of December. I try to make

her a dandy. Because I know I got you. You see

the counter, you know. I'm just being real with

you. And see, I'm telling you, you're the only

ones that can help me out of that. So there's

your reminder. Here's your summer reminder. A

mid -summer's reminder. Stay in his word. Stay

in his word. No matter how much this culture

tries to get you out of it. Because I'm telling

you right now, this book, without me saying a

word to you, will transform your life. You just

read it. This book. Your Bible will transform

your life. How so? It is alive by the Spirit.

His Word, sharper than any two -edged sword,

dividing asunder even to the morrow. What's that

mean? The center. It'll cut to the center of

any and every situation in your life. Stand with

me. I know you're bored out of your mind waiting

on me to hush. How many of you, this is your

first Sunday here? I would apologize, but I'm

not sorry because if you come back next week,

you'll have to get it done like it is again.

The reality is we need God in our life. You need

God. You need Him. And it's your pride that says

you don't. One of that three -trick pony. If

you don't think you need Him, you're lying to

yourself. Like that person I told you, I don't

need anybody like me. Yeah, they're longing for

love. The very moment you declare, yes, you do.

The Word of God says that it pleases God through

the foolishness of preaching to save man. Somehow

through this discourse over the last 40 minutes,

the Word of God has been declared over your life.

I've read to you from it, book and chapter. I've

quoted it to you. From my heart as it is in the

book. The word of God. God loves you. Jesus died

for you. Amen. How many of us felt so unworthy?

You didn't feel worthy. I still don't. Let me

just go ahead and share that with you. You think

I feel worthy to stand before you? No. I do not.

We had 63 young preachers, and some not so young,

but newly called ministers into the gospel yesterday

at the CAMS class. 63 of them. And I interviewed,

met my partner, we interviewed half the class

and the other half. And time after time, I just

don't feel worthy. Some of the older candidates

that were in there said, I just never felt like

I was good enough. I said, join the crowd. I

still don't. I get so nervous. I said, I still

do. And when you don't, don't get behind the,

don't stand up there. If you're not nervous,

if your stomach's nodding knots, I don't care.

I've been doing this for 30 years. And it was

just as real this morning as it was on day one.

The seriousness of what I was about to do. He

said, well, you didn't sound too serious today.

Well, I am. Jesus loves you. Well, I can't get

it right. I've not got it right. Did I not just

tell you how many times it took me to get it

right? And I pray every day and I have to repent.

Well, what's the difference? I'm not living in

sin. Sin's not my lifestyle. I'm seeking after

God, holiness and His righteousness. But as long

as I'm dealing with this old clay, this old flesh

and body, and the tempters out there with these

three tricks, and I know what they are, but yet

sometimes this old flesh still, I miss it. But

the Word of God says, if a man sins, he has an

advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus the righteous.

And if that man is faithful and just to confess

his sins, he is faithful and just to forgive

him of his sins and cleanse him of all unrighteousness.

Now you see why I had to keep going back. And

it's okay. But once you get it, you don't have

to go back. Father, I love you today. I think

we preachers amble sometimes because we just

don't know how to stop. Thank you for the reminder

this morning, sweet Lord, of your word, of our

faith, and prayer is a principle. Lord, I know

there are those in here like myself who have

struggled to get it right. How do you know that?

Because we're all human in this room. I know

I'm not the only one. If you're here today and

you say, well, I didn't get it right this week.

Preacher, you're right. I missed it. I done some

stuff that I knows wrong. Well, then you're that

person. If a man or woman, you're that person.

If you sin, you have an advocate. Jesus is here

to tell you that today. You can call on him and

repent, and he will forgive you and cleanse you

of that sin. And then leave here and don't do

it again. And it's not my intention, pastor.

It's not my intention to do it, but it just overwhelms

me. And I do these things. That's what the work

of sanctification will do in your life. You keep

praying, you keep seeking, you keep repenting,

ask the Lord to sanctify you. What's that mean?

It means to separate you. Have him to convert

your will to sin to a will to live righteously.

Heads are bowed all over this house saying, Pastor,

I need it. That's me. Raise your hand. You don't

have to come down here today. I need it. You've

been preaching to me today. Yep. Yes. Yes. Anybody

else? Yes. Yes, yes, all over this house. That's

me. You're talking to me, preacher. You're talking

to me, pastor. You're talking to me today. I

see them. Better yet, the Lord sees everyone

that's went up. Do you know that? God sees you.

I know in our tradition. I know in our tradition.

It's that, well, is it right if you don't go

down to the front? If you don't go down to the

altar? If you don't make your way out? Is it

good? Yes, it's good. Yes, your repentance is

good right where you are. When we step out, it's

merely we're saying to others that it's a, we

refute our own pride and we display our dependence

upon God when we step out and we make our way

down to the front. It means we're not ashamed.

I'm going to pray here in just a minute, but

before I do. Some of you, I think, feel like

you want to come down. And if you do, I want

you to, if you raise your hand, you want to come

down or not, I want you to come on and stand

down here with me. I'm down here. You're not

going to be down here by yourself. Come on. Come

on. Come on. Come on. Stand down here. We're

going to pray for divine healing. We're going

to pray for deliverance. We're going to pray

prayer of repentance. We're going to ask God

to cleanse us and forgive us. Amen. Come on.

That's right. That's good. Come on. We're down

here. We're in this thing together. Amen. The

devil wants you to feel like you're on an island.

It's you. No, we're in this thing together. That's

the reason it's called the family of God. Amen.

Now, heads bowed, we're about to pray. Those

of you, you feel that drawing power of the Spirit

this morning and you raised your hand, come on

down here. That's right. Come on. I'm going to

pray that repentant prayer. And all you got to

do is pray it with me. And he'll do it. He'll

do what you ask him to do. So if you raise your

hand, pray this prayer with me. Let's start off

with this prayer of repentance. Jesus, forgive

me of my sins. Go ahead. You can mutter it out

loud a little bit. Jesus, forgive me of my sins.

Cleanse me of my unrighteousness. Come into my

heart and be Lord of my life. I confess that

you died. And rose from the dead. The Bible says

that with the mouth confession is made. And with

the heart man believeth unto repentance. So you've

done that. And he's done exactly what you asked

him to do. So now just thank him for it. Lord,

I thank you. Thank you for forgiving me of my

sins. Go ahead. He's done it. You say, is that

all there is to it? Yeah, that's all there is

to it. It's not that hard. Thank you, Lord, for

cleansing me of my unrighteousness. Now, Lord,

give me the grace when I leave this house today,

when I leave this place, to continue to walk

in the work that you've done in me. I love you.

I want to serve you. Help me daily. Help me stay

in your word. Help me pray. And help me keep

believing your word is truth over my life. Now,

Father, those, anybody need a touch in your body,

come on down. We're going to pray for healing

today. Deliverance. Come on, Sister Gail. We're

going to pray over Brooklyn. We're going to ask

the Lord to continue to do a mighty thing. Hallelujah.

Father, in the name of Jesus, touch today, Lord.

You know the surgical procedure that Winters

had this week, Lord. She needs a healing touch

for her tonsils and her adenoids today. Lord,

continue to touch in body, soul, mind, and spirit

today. Continue to add strength in the flesh

this morning, Father God. In the name of Jesus,

Lord, we ask today. Grant it this morning. Grant

it today, Lord. Strengthen the body, Lord. Wisdom

to follow after you, Lord. Continue to do a mighty

work. We are dependent upon you today. That's

it, man. That's it right there. Father, I thank

you for hearing our prayer today and answering

that prayer. Touch my brother today. Touch him,

Father, in the name of Jesus. Give him grace

and give him strength, Lord, to walk the way

that you're drawing his heart to walk and to

live out, Lord. I know that that grace is available

every single day. Move, Lord. Father, touch this.

Oh, hallelujah. Oh, Lord, I need you today. I

thank you for hearing my prayer. Lord, you've

heard me. You've heard me. You've heard my prayer.

Prayer this morning, Lord. You've heard every

need. You've heard every need. Touch this morning,

Father God. Lord, continue to do a divine work,

Lord. You are healer of the body, soul, and the

mind. Lord, you are able to heal. You're able

to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we

ask or think according to the power that works

in us. Father, do a healing work today. Lord,

touch Becca this morning. You know what's going

on in her body. And I ask, Lord, that you heal

and deliver today. Father, in the name of Jesus,

Lord, continue to do a body work. Father, we

claim this child. Lord, we've prayed over and

we take authority over the enemy, Lord, that

is trying to rise up against her. Lord, take

care of this situation. Lord, only you are able

to do this divine work in her heart and life.

Lord, in her family situation. Lord, take over,

take over, take over, take over, Father. Take

over, take over, take over. Hallelujah. Father,

touch Brother Paul this morning. He needs a healing

in his body, Lord. But, Lord, also as he stands

in for Sister Dean this morning, do a work in

her body and life. Father, we'll be quick to

praise you. You have authority over cancer and

every other disease and every other sickness,

Father. You are able, Lord. You are able. You

are able, Lord. Continue. Lord, we're going to

stand firm in the promise of your word. You've

spoken. You have spoken. You have spoken. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Come on. He is the one. He will never

fail. Father, we pray for Chris today. He's had

a stroke. Lord, he's not a believer. But, Lord,

we know that you're able to reveal yourself to

him and in his life. Lord, you're able to touch

his body. But, Lord, we're praying you save his

soul. You save his soul. Sweet Holy Ghost, make

your way. Begin to draw him. Woo him to the foot

of Calvary's heel. Hallelujah. Send somebody

by with a good word, Lord. And a good testimony.

Hallelujah. We pray now, Lord. We intercede on

his behalf, Father. In the name of Jesus, Lord,

over a family. Lord, we claim our grandchildren

today in the name of Jesus. Never, he will never

fail. He will never fail. You trust him? is the

one hallelujah hallelujah he will never fail

you I tell you right now and those six blunders

of my life none of them were God's fault it was

all mine it was all He will never fail you. You

can trust him. Amen. You can trust him. I'm grateful

he don't play that payback game we used to play

as kids. I'm glad he don't pay me back. He accepts

me. Hallelujah. Lord, we love you. Thank you

for this day. Thank you for everyone under the

sound of my voice. And I pray, God, that you

go with each one of them as they depart this

house. For those who have called upon you, repented

of their sins, I thank you, Lord, for the angels

are rejoicing in heaven today at the repentant

souls that have given their life back to you

this morning. Lord, may they know and understand

what they have done today is in accordance with

your word. They prayed, you answered. Because

your word says you will. Has nothing to do with

our worthiness, but all to do with yours. You

alone are worthy. Thank you for accepting us

today, Father, into your kingdom. In Jesus' mighty

name. Now I need you to do one thing. If you

prayed that repentant prayer, you need to tell

somebody. You need to tell somebody, I accepted

Jesus today. I'd love it if you'd catch me before

you leave here. Just real quick say, hey, I accepted

the Lord this morning. Amen. God bless you. Go

in grace. Go in peace. You're dismissed.