The Way | Dr Aaron Cole

well good morning Welcome To Life Church

I'm Aaron Cole the senior pastor it's

great to see you and can we welcome all

of our campuses Brookfield campus

Milwaukee campus Appleton Germantown

online every campus everywhere I just

want you to look at your neighbor and go

have you lost weight just has you lost

weight is your skin more glowing or is

it just the lighting I mean you just

look great and then respond back with I

know thank you just that's it thank you

I know I thank you yeah yes yes so again

I hope you had a wonderful

Christmas great New Year's and off to a

great start in

2025 and again we're starting this brand

new series uh that will be going for the

next five weeks as we're talking about

the way I think it's going to be

challenging I think it's going to be

inspiring I think some of what I'm going

to say and we're going to say and the

campus pastors are going to communicate

over the next several weeks are going to

be things that are going to be some

things that you know but you kind of

fundamentals you need to remember uh and

then there are other things that may be

like wow I've never thought of it quite

like that and So today we're going to be

in three of the four gospels as I kind

of launch in so if you want to turn to

Luke chapter 9 I'm going to get there in

Luke 9 · chapter mention

just a minute as we begin this series on

the way I also just want to say to all

of our campuses that this Wednesday

night uh at uh at the Germantown campus

we're doing the Revival night and so

again this is what I would call a

Insider event I don't promote this with

outside this is not something I'm trying

to get a lot of outside people to come

to this is really something this week

and then every single Wednesday

throughout the course of the month we're

going to have these Revival nights and

it's just a time for us to come together

and for us to be able to worship God

there's going to be a message and

there's altar time and so depending upon

what your schedule is if you've got an

hour you'll be able to probably get in

and out in that amount of time with

worship and that because there's no GGA

guest greeting announcements there's no

like offering there's not special it's

just boom boom boom boom and this

Wednesday I'm kicking it off at

Germantown and I really have a message

that I think is is going to kind of get

in your kitchen it's not intended for

people that aren't Christ followers it's

really intended for people that have

been serving Jesus and um really to kind

of level up your game and to kind of

setep things up so if you want to be a

casual Christian don't come on Wednesday

if you're easily offended don't come on

Wednesday if you're a crusty Christian

don't point it's not nice don't be here

on Wednesday right because I'm gonna

burn the crust up amen it's just all

going to be gone because we're we're

just going to like lean in and I'm

really going to challenge you on some

areas and some things uh that I think

the Lord's laid on my heart and then

we're going to have a time just to kind

of pray and and an altar experience and

so um anyhow I just hope that you'll be

with us this Wednesday night at

Germantown campus for the Revival night

as we kick this off I got to get into

today's message my heart's really full

with a lot of things and I've got 22

minutes and 15 seconds do I ever pay

attention to that clock the answer is no

but I'm going to try all right so as

we're starting this this series really

what this is about is that I believe God

God has a plan and a purpose for every

person's life I don't believe anyone's

an accident I don't believe you're here

by accident whether you're at a campus

you're watching online I don't think

there's any accidents but I do believe

that very few people find their purpose

very few people live in The Sweet Spot

of their purpose as I was driving in

today I was thinking of all the years

and now decades that I have pastored

this church and and how that I am so

grateful for all the things that God has

done and for all how God has been faith

and how God has shown up over and over

and over and over in my life and how

that I get to do what I get to do and

Tammy asked me the other day if you

could do whatever and it didn't matter

what what would you do and I I would

pass to the local church this is I

believe that the local church is the

bride of Christ I believe the local

church is the hope of the world I

believe you're the solution to the

problems that ill this world I just

don't think that most of us realize the

amount of power and the amount of

strength that we walk in not in of

ourselves but through Christ so my hope

is is that through this series Jesus

promised that he was the way he declares

that we're going to look at that in

John's gospel where he declares that

he's the way so if he is the way and we

walk in the way then we won't we'll get

out of our way right and we'll get into

his way and we will do what he's called

us to do and we will live that life

whether you work at a factory whether

you work in an office whether you're a

stay-at-home parent whether you work at

a at a at a you own your own company

whether you're a student if you're a

minister it it doesn't matter whatever

the call is remember uh Ephesians

chapter chapter 4 there is 11 and 12

there are the Saints of the church

that's you that's called The Marketplace

Ministry and there are those of us such

as myself that are full-time vocational

ministers that we're called to serve you

you have the greatest opportunity to

change the world not me you have the

greatest opportunity to change the world

in which you live in not me I'm here as

a coach but you're the players on the

field I'm here to be kind of a voice in

the Sky Box and and and also to kind of

be someone that's on the field that that

that's cheering you on that's provoking

you on that's challenging you on but

you're the one that goes into the

highways and the byways and the hedges

and you compel people to come in you're

the one that takes the light of Jesus

Christ into a very dark world you're the

one that brings the salt that that we're

called to be into a very tasteless

Society that's you and I envy your

position I think you are the nvp I just

want you to realize it and to walk in it

and to live in it and just to feel what

that feels like just for a

moment when you lead someone else to

Jesus an infinite god with infinite

power flows through you to touch someone

else purposes created in your life how

many of you have ever experienced that

feeling of what it was like to look at

someone and say I'd like to would you

like to pray and accept Jesus Christ in

your heart and your life and for them to

say

yes I mean I don't care what athlete I

don't care what what what who says I

don't care what any feeling or euphor

there is nothing like because life

change happens in that moment and my

prayer is that I'm going to show you how

to do that this this month my prayer is

that you're going to see lost friends

and neighbors and loved ones come to

Jesus Christ this year I do believe we

will see more people come to Faith in

Jesus Christ in 2025 than we've seen in

in in any year in the history of Life

church because I I just believe that

that the world in which we're living in

is poised and ready and I just I just

think all of a sudden it just flips the

on switch and the enemy of your soul

doesn't want to keep you from going to

church he doesn't want to keep you from

giving to Greater he doesn't want to

keep you on a mission trip he doesn't

want to keep your kids from going to

Camp he just wants to keep you nominal

he want to he wants to keep you Frozen

he just wants to kind of keep which is

easy on a day like today amen he he just

wants just to kind of keep you kind of

just kind of kind of you know quesas s

whatever will be we be he just wants to

kind of keep you just non-engaged but

Jesus says that when we follow him and

we're in this way that all of a sudden

it ignites our faith it turns on our

senses and we live life at this total

other level that's my prayer none of

that's in my notes I need to get into my

notes so today I want to talk about the

way Luke's gospel chapter 9: 23 how do

you do this this verse 23 this is kind

of the the the the the verse for us

today whoever Jesus said wants to be my

disciple and I would say all of us would

want to be followers of Christ and if

you're not you're going to have an

opportunity today to do that what do

they do they must it's not optional one

deny themselves two take up their cross

daily and three follow me whoever wants

to be become my disciple must deny

themselves take up their cross daily and

follow me what does this look like how

do you do this

I'm so glad you asked that question

Jesus is it's really simple the first

thing that we have to do if we really

want to follow Jesus we really want to

be a disciple we really want to follow

him is that we've got to embrace what he

calls the Great Commission the Great

Commission so if you got your Bibles

turn to Matthew chapter 28 Matthew

Matthew 28 · chapter mention Matthew 28 · chapter mention

chapter 28 I'm look at Verse 18 19 and

20 it's going to be on the screen if you

don't have a have a Bible in front of

you but this is what's called the Great

Commission Jesus says this to all the

disciples he says and he came and said

to them all authority in heaven and on

Earth has been given to me so why is

that given to him here's a reason verse

19 go therefore anytime you see a

therefore in scripture figure out what

it's there for right real simple but he

says all Heaven all power in Heaven and

Earth has been given unto me why for you

to go therefore and do what Make

Disciples of all Nations baptizing them

in the name of the Father the Son and

the Holy Spirit and teaching them to

observe all that I've commanded you and

behold I'm with you always to the End of

the

Age so he says all power on Heaven and

Earth has been given to Jesus to empower

you and I to do one simple thing go go

into our world whether it's a high

school a junior high Middle School whe

whether it's a it's it's Corporate

America whether whether you're starting

a business whether you're going into an

entrepreneurial uh Endeavor whe whe whe

whether whether you're you're in working

at a factory whether you're in a cubicle

whe whether you're stay-at-home parent

whatever your world looks like you go

into that world you go into that grocery

store you go into that Starbucks you go

into that coffee shop you go into that

eery you go to that golf course you go

into that shopping mall you go into that

place of business you go to your office

you go and you're not just going just to

go and trade days for dollars oh no

you've got a much higher call you are

called to make disciples not just

converts not just people that raise

their hands and say say well I want to

give my life to Jesus that's great

that's the beginning but discipleship is

about saying hey man want you come and

be with me and let's walk this thing out

together let's talk this thing out

together let's pray this thing out

together there's going to be good days

and bad days and you're going to do that

not just in your own Community but to

All Nations that's why we do greater

around the corner and around the world

because missionaries will go to places

that you and I cannot go and they will

meet people that you and I will not meet

the side of Eternity but because we send

them we are making disciples not just in

our local communities not just in

Milwaukee not just in Appleton not just

in the Fox Valley not just in South

Eastern Wisconsin or Central Wisconsin

not just in America but literally around

the world we go and we go because we're

not just saved from something we are

saved for something and some of you

think you've just been saved from

something and that's great God brought

you out God brought you out but why did

he bring you out why are you here today

you're like man he is really excited I

haven't got in my message

yet because he has a plan and a purpose

for your life and it's not just for you

to be a Christian and sit and check your

for a life RP and check your box for

tithing and check your box to go on a

mission trip and check your box to send

your kids to camp and and check your

boxes to serve at Ministry he's called

you to

go and my question is are you making

disciples my job as a pastor is to equip

you to do that work that's not my job to

do that my job is not my job is not to

make disciples as a Christ follower as a

sheep before I'm a Shepherd that's my

job as a Shepherd my job is to equip you

to go do that are you doing that if you

want to walk in the way if you want to

walk in the plan and the purpose if you

want to you've got to get Beyond trading

days for dollars you've got to get

beyond what what you want you got to get

Beyond this material world and you've

got to get one more Step Ahead you've

got to get perspective it's like being

on an airplane get above the clouds get

above the gray skies and see that

there's a whole world up there and see

it from a supernatural perspective that

there are hurting lost men and women all

around you that need Jesus the cries of

the Lost are crying out do you hear them

do you care that's what it means to

follow

Jesus wow I can't believe he's that

excited okay I'm I'm only on point one

folks let me get a little drink

here Hudson Taylor basically the founder

and the father of modern missions who

went to China from the UK said this

quote the Great Commission is not an

option to be considered it's a command

to be

obeyed you don't get a choice in this

now you can get mad you can leave this

church and you can find a lukewarm milk

toast church with a pastor that won't

stand up with any backbone that will

tell you whatever you want to hear and

you can you can you can do that and take

your chances with eternity that's your

business wow I cannot believe he just

said that rewind the tape baby but I'm

telling you this is what it says I don't

get an option on

this is it easier not to get involved in

people's lives absolutely because people

are

messy this is comp complicated but this

is what we're called to and not there's

not one single one of us that can do

everything but every one of us can do

something so what are you called to do

where are you stay-at home parent who

are the people in your neighborhood who

are the people where your kids are

around and and and that you're

interacting with and other that's your

world students you don't get a pass oh

when I get to be 18 I'm a legal adult

whatever you don't get a pass why are

you in that middle midd School whose

class are you in who's sitting around

you I don't like that person yes and

that's why God brought you there maybe

to knock some of the pride and arrogance

out of you and to Humble you a little

bit but also to hear the cries of the

Lost how do you hear the voice of the

Lord the Sheep know the voice of the

shepherd because they

listen your factory quit boning the

place that you work maybe God has sent

you there to lead people to faith in

Christ maybe he sent you there to be a

light in the dark world maybe that's

where you're

at oh my goodness goodness it's like a

baton in a relay race the Baton is the

gospel and if one Runner stops the

entire Mission gets

stalled and each one of us has to run

our own

race I wrestle with this what does this

look like how does this work in my life

what's going on I'm going to say

something to you right now that I have

not said publicly to

anybody few weeks ago matter fact it was

about two weeks ago I went in for a

video shoot for our Christmas

Spectacular walked into a building on

the east side of Milwaukee now there's a

lot of things that happen inside of me

there's a lot of vision that I have that

I don't share because it would scare you

and I don't want to do

that but I have always said when we get

to a place that we have a very dominant

and resourceful culture in the suburbs

that then the east side which is a very

it's like the walls of Jericho were were

were very shut up and very tight and

shut up it's not an easy place to be but

God if you would grant us at some place

and some time and some opportunity just

like you did Milwaukee just like you did

Brookfield just like you did Germantown

just like you did Appleton if you would

grant us an opportunity to be on the

east side I know it's a different

Ministry I know it's going to look

different I know what's going to happen

but I also know that there is a campus

University of Wisconsin

Milwaukee along with other schools such

as Marquette and other schools that are

right in that downtown area and young

professionals that are moving into that

area over and over and over how do we

reach

them so I walked into a building to do a

a video shoot I was with Dustin Johnson

and Dustin and I were were going and I

didn't even know I i' had seen this

building before I I knew I knew I knew

the whereabouts I knew all of it it's

one of those really cool places there's

no place to park but but at Milwaukee it

doesn't deter Milwaukee's attendance at

all amen give a big shout from Milwaukee

and um but I walk in this building and

and it's the stained glass and it's

everything and it's very different than

the other place and immediately I said

to the guys to Colin and to Ethan we got

to get this

space we we we this is like is this only

to find out later that the building's

for sale now I don't have any

money and I don't don't know if God's in

this this is one of those like you know

back in the Old Testament I love when

when Jonathan is armor Bearer they have

one sword between both of them and

they're going on a scouting mission to

to scout out the Philistines who were

once again trying to invade Israel and

they're in this tree and this dozen or

so Philistine Warriors are actually

having a lunch break underneath the tree

and and Jonathan his armor bear are up

in the tree and it's like God's brought

them to them and they look at each other

with one sword between them and go I

don't know if God's in this or not but

perhaps God will show up today and they

jump out of the tree the rest of the

story is that they just pull the full

can out and whip all the Philistines

within one sword between the two of them

there are those moments like beniah who

was a mighty man of God of Israel who

ran into the pit on a snowy day and

destroyed the lion and brought him out

as a Victor I don't know this is way

beyond my

coverage but perhaps maybe I walked into

that building two weeks ago and that was

the Holy Spirit I don't know I'm not

telling you it was God I'll know if I

have $900,000 to buy the building if

it's God I can tell you that something's

alive in my heart because there's been

something stirring for me for the next

generation and Tammy and I have been

talking about this how do we do this

what do we do with young adults what do

we do with this and I am not a young

adult guy I don't young adults are

fickle young adults they they they they

they don't know what they want young

adults say they want something and

they're here they're there they're

whatever you you can't build a church on

young adults you can't build a Ministry

on young adults but God is doing some

great Mighty move with young adults in

our country and I just sit back and I

look and Milwaukee is the only great

City in nor in America that never had a

Revival Chicago did with Moody we we we

see that in Detroit there have been

massive moves of God we we see we see

that in places like Minneapolis but

Milwaukee for whatever reason it's the

only place that Billy Graham couldn't

fill County Stadium the only Stadium

Graham could not fill was in our own

backyard and I just sit there and go but

perhaps maybe God in this and perhaps

maybe this is God's time and I don't

know what it looks like I'm just telling

you I have a heart I'm just telling you

I've got a desire to what does it look

like to be on the east side to do

ministry to young adults people that

that that are looking for answers and

that are looking for Hope why because

we're called to go that's not my world I

don't live in that zip code I don't plan

to live in that zip code but there's

something about that and it's crazy and

it's beyond anything we have the ability

to do and why are you that because maybe

just maybe God's speaking to someone's

heart maybe you're a business person and

you go you know what I'll write that

check I'll do that and you would say hey

you're crazy you're just getting a

glimpse into the circus inside my mind

I'm way crazier than this I have way

bigger you have no clue and idea the

places that I prayer walk and the places

that I believe God for and the places

that I go but this is one of those

places that I just go I'm willing to

jump out of the tree as long as I've got

a tree to jump out of and let's just see

what

happens that's Point number

one I'll be quick the campus pastors are

all wigging out like whoa my goodness so

if we're going to follow Jesus and we're

going to follow the way we've got to

embrace the Great Commission secondly

he's a great

commandment the great commandment if

you're taking out great

commandment Matthew's gospel chapter

22 just flip over a couple Pages Matthew

Matthew 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22 vers vers 37 38-39 and Jesus

said to them you shall love the Lord

your God with all your heart with all

your soul with all your mind and this is

the Great and the first commandment and

the second is like it you shall love

your neighbor as

yourself really simple the greatest

commandment to fulfill all of scripture

is to love God and love people love God

love people that's it love God love

people much easier preached than lived

amen right because people are funky

let's just be honest right and people

get on your nerves and and and you like

people till you don't and they like you

till you don't but the but the reality

is is that we're called to love

God and there are times that that

becomes Troublesome because let's just

be honest there are things that God does

that we don't completely understand and

ways that he works that we don't

completely get but but we're called to

trust him there are times where God

gives and God takes away but we're still

called to say blessed be the name of the

Lord there are seasons in our life where

we don't understand what's going on and

it feels unfair and maybe it is because

because fairness ended in the garden but

we're still called to love God

passionately do

you and if you go how how do you know is

there ever been a time in your life

where you were more passionate in love

with Jesus than you are

today if there

was then the answer is you don't really

love him the way you used to love

him if you're as red hot as you've ever

been

great and do you love

people and you go man I don't have heart

then pray and ask God to give you a

heart for people give you a heart for

people give you a heart for people

because people are just people I don't

care wherever you go I don't care

whatever language I don't care whatever

the social demographic is they're just

people God's mission is more about who

you know than what you know God's not

trying to get you to become some

Theologian or some Bible scholar in

order to go change the world listen if

Bible scholarship and Academia and

through theological studies were to

change the world it would already be

changed by now

it's not it's one beggar to another

beggar where to find food it's that

simple it's one thing to go hey we're

we're we're we're doing something here

and you want to come be a part of it hey

do you want to join me for lunch hey do

you want to come to church and and then

afterwards we'll go grab a cup of coffee

or whatever John's gospel chapter 15: 12

13 and 14 says this is my command Jesus

says that you love one another as I've

Loved You greater love has no one than

this than someone who lays down his life

for his friends and you are my friends

if you do what I command

you

so are you loving

people who are the people you're called

to love people in your class people your

work people that are with you on the

assembly line people that are in the

cubicle around you people in your

department people in your neighborhood

people that in in the local community in

which you're a part of people at the gym

that you see some of you all see for a

couple weeks and then you're gone the

parking lot was so full yesterday you

people get on my nerves anyhow I'm just

saying like it's just like you know you

but but who are those people and are you

showing them the love of God it's real

simple SM in our in our context just

smile at people don't think you're weird

that's okay just smile good morning good

afternoon Hi how are you do not let them

change you you change them you be the

thermostat not the thermometer don't

read the room and respond you change the

room walk in hi good morning how are you

and then and then pray as before you

start your day and on your way to your

day Lord show me who today needs your

love who can I help today who can I

serve today who can I defer to today

what can I do today simply to love

people see the the the mission at Life

Church is that Life Church exists to add

people experience life change through

Jesus it's real simple and like this

year one of the focuses that or the

focus that you're going to hear from us

at every single campus is simply this is

that we want to see more people come to

Faith in Jesus Christ than ever before

how is that going to happen because you

are going to go tell people about Jesus

and you're going to go share the love of

of Jesus and the love of God is going to

burn so brightly in you that the holy

spirit's going to open up doors as you

begin to pray and you begin to be open

to do that at every campus starting next

weekend there'll be a physical cross in

every single foury year in the hub of

every campus and there are 450 light

bulbs sockets that are set that we've

built we've had we've had a team of

people I've not built them thank God or

the thing would have burned down it

would set the villing on fire but

there's a there it's all electrically

set up so that there are 450 sockets

because what we're believing for is that

450 people will will give their life to

Jesus Christ documented salvations over

the course of this year and every time

we do we're we're going to put a light

bulb and because a light gets turned on

in somebody's life and the light's

turned on in someone's life and so at

every single campus next weekend you're

going to see a physical cross in the hub

and when you come in and you ask what

it's about we're going to tell you again

what it's about we're believing that

that light that that cross will be

filled that all 451 of those 50 of those

slots will all be filled because you're

telling people about Jesus it's going to

happen not because of great preaching

amen because if great preaching would

have changed that by it would have

already happened by now I'm sorry folks

that this is as good as it's going to

get and and it's not going to happen by

great worship because if it are great

buildings it's going to happen because

you are following the great commandment

to love God with all your heart mind

soul and strength and love your neighbor

as yourself you're following in the way

okay I got to land the plane I'm

negative 24 4

seconds third statement is the way what

is

this John Chapter 14 verse six this is

John 14 · chapter mention

how we fulfill Great Commission and

great commandment Jesus said to to him I

am the way and the truth in the life and

no one gets to the father except through

me you want to fulfill the Great

Commission and the great commandment of

God in your life real simple follow

Jesus don't follow me don't follow a

church

don't follow your campus

Pastor follow

Jesus be madly in love with following

Jesus push everything else aside and

follow Jesus forget what the world

says forget all of that and just lean in

and follow Jesus God here's my life what

do you want me to do God here's my life

where do you want me to

go God here's my life bring people in in

my world today that need your love and

and I just pray just give me that nudge

of the Holy Spirit just that Whisper of

the holy spirit that I need to maybe

walk across the room or or or buy

someone a cup of coffee or just simply

just just the incarnational presence of

Christ residing in you Jesus Christ is

in you people can

tell and just be

Jesus you don't even have to preach a

message message just be Jesus but when

they ask of the hope that you have

because they'll see it when they ask of

the peace that you have because they'll

sense it when they ask of the joy that

you have because they'll be able to tell

it then be ready to give them a witness

oh this isn't me this isn't my

personality this isn't my

disposition this isn't some book I this

is

Jesus if you knew me I'd be one mean

individual let me just say

that but Jesus came into my life and

he's changed

me and that's the difference and if you

want to know more about him I'm happy to

share and if you don't that's

fine it's by just saying is there

anything I can pray with you about just

becoming bold in your faith and just

taking that step if you want to live

like Jesus live you're going to have to

do what Jesus did what did Jesus do

Jesus John's gospel tells us he got up

early in the morning and he asked the

father to download in his heart what he

needed to see and so when he was

encountering people along the way that

day he'd already seen them in the

Supernatural I I mean this in a weird

way but I mean he would already like you

know today he his heart was prepared and

so when this would happen or that would

happen he would instead of trying to

make things happen he he would literally

just flow through that and that

opportunity and and he he knew that hey

this person is coming for healing or

this person is coming for a need or this

is what's going on and he just knew

because because of the Holy Spirit Well

that same holy spirit's inside of you

it's the reason why Jesus again in

John's gospel chapter 14156 he breathed

upon them and they receive the Holy

Spirit when we have salvation the Holy

Spirit fills

us so there's the power of the Holy

Spirit that's inside of you that's at

work inside of

you and so when you're alone with the

Lord and you ask God God bring people

across my path he will God help me to

love people he will God help me to grow

in this he will it'll test you at times

it'll push you at times it'll be

inconvenient at times just like it was

for Jesus it'll be messy at times just

like it was for Jesus people will

confuse and and will will will will may

not always be popular but but God will

use

you see you cannot experience the

promises of God without the practices of

Jesus and we want the promises of God

from Abraham Isaac and Jacob all the way

to the end of the book but are we

following Jesus

you want the blessings of God in your

life then quit ask God to bless what

you're doing and just start doing what

he's blessing it's real

simple just start following the leadings

of the Holy Spirit and you go but I

don't know I'm not really sure I'm not

either but the news but the good news is

is that the power that raised Christ

from the dead dwells in me and dwells

within you and so when we are doing what

we are have the ability to do to abide

in the vine and to stay in Christ and

listen to the voice of the Lord God will

help us he will will lead us and guide

us and direct us and how do you learn

his voice how do you learn his ways by

being around him by stepping out in

faith by saying things it's part of why

I said that what I said today I'm very

serious about this Eastside property I

cannot shake this I don't know what this

means I don't know what this is I I I

don't have the money for it it's nowhere

in my plan I just can't shake it but I'm

telling you enough that I'm standing

here as a grown man in front of four

physical campuses in an online community

and saying there is something that's

here that I cannot shake and I don't

know what it's about and this is not the

most advisable way to go about this but

I'm just saying there are just times in

our lives we kind of go God if this is

you I'm going to jump out of the tree

with the sword between me and and and

and and and and and the other guy and

and we're we're we're going to just we

are going to invade the area that you've

called us to we're going to do what

you've called us to do sometimes it's

just taking that step it's just taking

that that jump and just taking that so

what in your life needs to change today

in order to live like

Jesus are you all in are are are you all

in on following the way cuz that's what

this is about cuz again if you just want

to trade days for dollars just check out

of this message if you just want to just

you you want to keep your same life from

last year and just repeat this year just

if you want to live your life looking at

somebody else's social media real this

is not for

you but if you want to change your

world whatever that looks

like then it's about what Jesus

says I've got to deny myself what do you

need to deny

today what do you need to give up

today what what do you need to lay aside

that I got to deny

myself I got to take up my cross are you

willing to take up everybody wants a

crown but nobody wants the cross to get

to the

crown are you willing to take up your

cross what does that mean you're going

to have to sacrifice it's going to take

you time and money and energy and maybe

friends and and maybe being

misunderstood just like Jesus was it may

be a very lonely road are you willing to

do

that I'm willing to to deny myself take

up my cross and follow him oh and by the

way you take up your cross daily because

it's that difficult you got to remind

yourself every single day this is what

you're going to do every single day this

is what's going to happen every single

day and you keep doing it and you keep

doing it and you keep doing it and you

keep doing it and you don't let up and

you don't shut up and you don't pull

back

back because you want to follow

Jesus will you bow your heads with me

today every

campus every campus I want to pray for

you right now father I just thank

you Lord for how simple you made it and

that is for

us if we want to follow you deny

ourselves take up our cross daily and

choose to follow

you it's not a one-time

decision it's an everyday

decision that we decrease and that you

increase that it's not our way it's your

way it's not our resources they're your

resources it's not our time and our

talent and our treasure they're yours

there's no

negotiating and so I pray that today at

every single campus you'd speak to

hearts and Liv lives about what we are

to do to move in that direction and to

do what you've called us to do in Jesus

name I

pray

amen amen so here's what I want to do at

Germantown today here's what I want to

do the band's back and they're going to

lead us in a

song and you may need to move from where

you are for a moment and come and find a

place to

pray there are times where you're like

you know what I got some junk I need to

get rid of I got some things I need to

get rid of

and sitting in your seat is way too

comfortable and you need to move from

where you are and come and find a place

to pray so you can do that in just a

minute it may be a deal where right

where you are you you you not a follower

of Jesus Christ and you need to give

Jesus you need to invite him into your

heart and into your life and be your

lord and savior and you need to make

that decision it's that simple and maybe

what you need to do whether you're

sitting in your seat or you're coming to

the front you may never be in a church

where you've ever done this before this

this may be totally different than

anything you've ever been around but at

the end of the day what you need to do

is you need to just write where you are

or come to the front and just simply say

Jesus Come into my heart and come into

my life be my Lord and my savior Just

Surrender yourself to

him it may be that man you're pretty

good with the Lord and everything's

there but you don't have a heart for

your neighbor you don't have a heart for

your

world you may need just to find a place

and get alone you may need to turn

around in your seat and say oh God

forgive me for not loving my neighbor as

I love

myself God forgive me for not hearing

the cries of the Lost forgive me for

thinking that I could just throw some

dollars in the plate or I could just do

some token and it would replace God I

know what you're asking to me because

some of you God's asking some big things

of you and again you're not giving me

the Heisman it's is between you and God

I'm just

communicating I am going to tell you

this in 20 25 we will see more people

come to Faith in Jesus Christ than ever

before and if you've got lost loved ones

and friends and neighbors and if you

want to there has never been a greater

time at Life Church for you than to

engage in personal Soul winning in this

year but that's going to start not with

a

conversation not with the Romans road

it's going to start with you simply

saying oh God give me a heart for lost

people oh God give me a heart for the

hurting oh God break my heart for what

breaks yours that's where it begins

and then you become so consumed with

that that you can't do anything else you

become so desperate that you can't do

anything else you become so that you

can't and so again if that's not you

just sit back the band's going to play

you can Max and relax and nobody's going

to disturb

you but if you are desperate to know

more of the Lord if you're if if you're

leaning I just encourage you whatever

your posture is I I'm not doing any kind

of particular way either move from your

seat in just a minute come and find a

place to

pray turn around in your seat sit in

your however you want to do it but what

do you need to give to God today what do

you need God to show up in your life and

you may say this you know what Aaron man

I've got so much going on and I'm

hurting and I'm whatever that's great

are you going to push beyond your hurt

and beyond your failure and beyond your

frustration and lean in and go God this

is the word that you gave our pastor and

so what do I need to do because many

times what we need to do is get Beyond

ourselves and turn to help someone else

else and in turn when we do that God

blesses us when an infinite God flows

through a finite creature to touch a

finite creature purpose is always

created it's why used should take kids

on mission trips as a youth pastor

because when God ref fill to them to

touch somebody else boom every single

time it ignited something in them

whether they were going to go on to to

to to to be the CEO of some company or

they were going to be a a missionary

somewhere around the world it didn't

matter it just it ignited something

inside of them because that's what God

wants to do it's the way it's what it

means to follow Jesus

so get beyond your bad self get beyond

your hurts get beyond your pain get

beyond your failure get Beyond

whatever's frustrating you get Beyond

whatever physical element that that your

enem is going yeah but you can't do that

because your back's hurting get beyond

all it may be that Divine Healing comes

when you get off of yourself and you get

onto what God's doing I don't know but

all I do know is that he's asking this

of us as a congregation so I'm going to

I'm going to quit preaching I'm I've

already preached one message that sermon

too right so you don't have to come back

next week I'm just joking you better be

here next week but um but I just want to

encourage you that I I want to pray and

then nandoo I want you guys in the band

just to lead in this song and then if

you want to come forward come forward

you want to sit in your seat sit in your

seat you want to kneel no one's judging

you but I'm challenging you what's the

Holy Spirit saying to you he is speaking

right now what's he's saying to you and

if you'll respond God's going to use you

and if you don't that's between you and

the Lord but I will say this as a

corporate body God is going to do more I

I believe more people are going to be

saved this year than we've ever seen and

if you want to be a part of that this is

the time to begin there's no better

place and start it right now father I

just thank you for your word and I just

pray Lord that you would

just God you'd speak Holy Spirit and let

us respond in Jesus name amen