Huddle Up - Damon Moore - February 8, 2026

This is the City Place Church Podcast.

Here at City Place, we build dreams, ignite faith, and establish leaders that win the lost for God's kingdom.

From wherever you're listening, we hope that you are empowered by the message.

Alright, are you ready? Yeah.

If you're ready, say, let's go.

Let's go.

Awesome.

It's football Sunday.

Uh, any football, American football fans let's any.

Football, soccer, football fans.

Let's see.

Okay.

Okay.

Right there.

Security.

Just right here.

Second row.

Uh, any, uh, any, any people who are just like, it doesn't really matter to me.

What sport? What? Hold on.

Now I know how I'm gonna target our prayer.

Let's just, father, there's so many lost people in this building.

God, I just pray that you just meet them now, right? No, I'm just saying.

I'm just kidding.

No, but welcome.

We, we like to take, uh, some Sundays throughout the year and, uh, make them like just focused on, you know, the gospel, but also having some fun.

We know that, right? You know, across the United States, one of the biggest days throughout the year is an athletic day, the Super Bowl.

Some people don't even like watching football.

They enjoy the halftime.

Anybody else, you're like, I don't like football, but I'm gonna tune in about eight 30.

Right? Like, they, they, the world watches and then some people don't even watch it for the football or even the halftime show.

Some people watch it for the commercials.

Anybody watch it for the commercials? Okay.

Uh, some people don't even watch it for any of those things at all.

Some people just there in the room because they got invited to the party and, and, and I'm sure there's some people who go to the party and bring a book or their iPad like, so, so what we wanted to do is we just wanted you to just come into a fun environment because sometimes you can, you can have a concept or a feeling of what church may be like.

And church is a gathering of people together for one common mission.

And that's to see Jesus glorified.

A church will become a church when you meet in a school.

Because of the people that are there.

Here's the thing that I've learned over the years, but I also find in scripture is when a church is focused on being the church, this is what Jesus said, hell cannot stop it, right? And so this morning there's a couple of scriptures that I want to, uh, focus on today.

And there's a part of athletics that will seem insignificant that I wanna focus on today.

I wanna focus on the huddle, like no one watches football for the huddle.

I'm not even gonna lie to you, but something happened to me this year that changed my perspective about the huddle.

I became a high school football coach.

I know, I know.

I'll do autographs and pictures at the end.

Not now folks.

Not now.

Right.

But I became a high school football coach and my perspective started to change even more because they gave me a headset and, and so innovation bulls, boy, let's go.

No, I'm just playing.

Playing.

And so like my perspective, like you gotta go all in.

You may not remember the message, but you remember the outfit just playing.

No, no, no, no, no.

Look, look, it's not about me.

It's not about me.

Focus on him.

No.

Listen.

I became a coach and when I was in the stands, I had one view.

When I became a coach, I got another view.

When they gave me the headset, clarity came.

I started looking at the value of the huddle and why it was so important and the things that take place in the instruction that's coming from the headset.

And so this morning I'm gonna read a couple of verses and I'm gonna talk to us about the importance of the huddle.

Said, if you do decide to watch the game today, whether it's for the commercials, the halftime show, you'll look at the huddle, not as what are they doing? Or it's a break time.

There's actually great wisdom in the huddle.

Yeah.

So let me give you two verses.

I'm gonna show you a video of a, of a huddle because the huddle is not just a thing that's happening on the field.

Huddle happens in practice, it happens amongst us with coaches, it happens amongst the players, it happens in the locker room.

It's a powerful, powerful thing.

And sometimes we just don't know what's being said until you get in the huddle or you get the headset.

Y'all good? Yep.

It's football Sunday.

I just want y'all to know I'm be like a football coach.

So everybody stand up right now.

Gonna gimme 15.

I'm just playing.

I just playing.

I almost brought a whistle.

I don't know why I went.

Had a country accent.

We lived in North Carolina for a decade.

Hey man, I loved it.

Alright, here we go.

John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

It says this.

This is Jesus talking.

It says, yes, I am the vine.

You are the branches.

Those who remain in me and I am them will produce much fruit for apart from me.

You can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch in withers, such as branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want and it will be granted when you produce much fruit.

You are my true disciples.

This brings great glory to my father.

Set that one aside.

Let's read one more.

Ecclesiastes chapter four, nine through 12 says two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up, but pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken this morning.

Our topic of discussion in the locker room is simply the huddle.

Somebody say, huddle up, huddle, huddle up.

Write this down.

There are two huddles that you and I need to value.

Two huddles that we need to value.

The first huddle that we need to value is our huddle up with Jesus.

The second one is our huddle up with others.

We need to value our huddle up with Jesus.

There's four seats right there, fellas Front row.

I saved them for you.

Part of those guys.

That's the innovation.

Bulls.

Let's go.

Bulls in the house, huddle up with Jesus and we huddle up with others.

John chapter 15, Jesus says, Hey, if you abide in me and I abide, I abide in you.

John 15 · chapter mention

You'll bear much fruit.

Hang out with me.

Huddle up with me.

Stay connected to me.

And he says, by this, the father is glorified.

And if you grab hold of my word and my word remains in you, you're gonna bear much fruit.

So, hey, huddled up with me.

And then we read in Ecclesiastes, it says, Hey, listen.

Two are better than one.

Two are better than one because the reward for their labor is great, but man pity to the one who's trying to do it all by themself, because if they fall, they don't have anybody else.

So me huddling up with you has great value.

'cause there will be times when I trip and God has placed you in my life to be there to pick me up.

There's great value in the huddle.

In fact, I want to take you into an NFL huddle.

It's not in the locker room, it's actually on the practice field.

And here's what I want you to do.

I want you to listen to the tone from the coach and listen to the tone from the players.

If you're ready, say, let's go check this out.

I got it.

Here's what I need, man.

I need you to trust me.

I, I swear to God, I'm not a lunatic.

I swear to you.

And if I absolutely knew we could get to where we need to get without ever putting pads on, I'd do it.

I swear to you.

But also for us as a team to get better defensively.

What is the essence of what we do, man? What are the two things? Pursuit and tackle.

Pursuit and tackle.

Man, if you don't work on tackle.

If we don't work on run after catch, making a move, man, we, what are we doing man? Then we finally get to week eight and we come to life 'cause we got enough reps.

That's why I'm doing it.

I swear, man, I don't wanna put anybody in jeopardy, but I, we have to do it, man.

I believe you.

We're not gonna do it every day.

I'm gonna give you an illustration tonight, man.

I gotta a plan.

I swear to you.

All I think about is you guys, that's all I think about, man.

That's all I think about is you guys and how I set you up for the best possible, the best possible advantage I can give you to have a season.

I swear to you, man, I just need you to trust me.

That's all.

Please listen.

These people right here in this front row, they got these kind, it almost look like a soccer ball or something on their foot.

Two circuit.

These kids have cancer, man.

They got cancer, man.

I appreciate it.

If some of you guys go over there and sign, just say hi.

It'd be nice, you know, we're all fortunate here.

We all know.

Let's be better tomorrow.

Let's be better tomorrow.

Break it up.

Bring it up.

Break it up.

Wanna let y'all know, man, today is the minimum of effort.

Tomorrow we gonna come back even better.

I know we started out slow.

I know we got pads on the first day coming back.

I know we looking at Coach Craig, but we gotta believe in him.

You know what I mean? He going, he gonna put us in the right position.

We just gotta come out here and be dogs.

We gotta come out here and know we gotta be champions.

If today y'all think this is it, this ain't it.

We gotta keep going.

Do not give up.

Do not feel like you tired.

Were you tired? Think of last year.

Every time I get tired or I think I can't go no more, I think that ain't us.

We can make it.

We gotta believe.

We gotta be mentally strong.

When we tired, that's when we gotta put our fundamentals together.

That's when we gotta be more focused.

When we tired, look across the field and see how tired they are.

That should give you more effort.

I'm gonna get fundamentally strong.

Everybody's great when they not tired.

The champions is when they tired.

That's when the real champions come out.

That's when our real dog come out.

I get emotional about this.

I'm about to cry because I care about y'all last year, wasn't it Last year got me angry for this year.

I'm trying to be better for y'all.

When you see I'm tired, I'm gonna keep going.

Remember your why? Remember why you play football.

Them kids over there got cancer.

Do you think they give up? They on there fight.

They came out here to see us.

They fight life every day.

Look at everybody else.

Look at your perspectives around you.

Look at the people around you.

They got problems too.

Keep going tomorrow.

Let's go.

Yes, sir.

I want y'all to give everything you got, sir.

Every day.

Do your best.

Let's go.

Lion Zone three.

1, 2, 3.

There is so much.

Impact in a huddle.

Did you hear what Coach Campbell said? Trust me, I love you guys.

All I want for you is to be successful.

God, the father would say the same thing.

Trust me, all I want for you is to be successful.

All I need for you to do is trust me.

I know at times there's gonna be a little physical contact, but just trust me, I've got a vision for you that's gonna lead you to success.

Just trust me.

And then he goes, and while you're going through it, we're not just building it for us because there's some kids over there who need what you are going through to impact them.

Your pain in this moment is actually being watched by somebody from the stands, and all I need you to do is just walk over to them and encourage them while you're going through what you're going through.

Now, all I need you to do is just trust me.

Know that everything that I would ever do is from a place of loving you.

I talked to one of the coaches of innovation and I said, Hey, when, when we're in practice, what are you trying to communicate to the players? And this is literally what he text me.

He, uh, emailed me.

He said, listen, the first thing I want them to know is that I love them.

Everything that I will do, everything that I will say.

I want them to know that I simply love them.

And then he repeated what Coach Campbell said, and I was like, ah, he said, and I want them to know that I'm doing everything that I can to position them for success.

And the team, they will succeed as, as soon as the team succeeds.

And so this morning, as we're talking about the huddle, I learned so much being in the huddle, but I learned so much because I had the headset on and I could hear what the coach was saying.

I got a greater understanding of why the plays were called the way they were.

I got a greater understanding of the tension in the moment with the opposition trying to come against the bulls.

I can understand why the coach called what he called.

I can understand why the coach went with this scheme because I could hear it clear this morning.

I'm inviting you into the coaches huddle, but then I'm gonna invite you into the huddle with others.

Jamal Williams got so passionate, and this is literally what he said.

He said, Hey, we need to trust Coach.

We need to put our attention on the one who has the vision for us, like you and I need to encourage each other to constantly focus back on Jesus.

This morning, my, my whole priority is to focus you back on coach.

As I've invited you into the huddle.

Y'all trending, okay? Yes, ma'am.

And so I realized just being in the environment this season, being able to listen to, there's some things that the huddle provided that was valued.

Write this down.

The first thing of being a part of the huddle presented and it presents you and I, is it allows us to build community.

For those of us who are in this atmosphere, it allows us to build a spiritual family.

Jesus says, Hey, listen, connect with me and I will connect with you.

And by the time you're finished, watch.

Now, he doesn't say God is glorified, he says, the Father is glorified.

When you're connected to me, you're connected to the family.

Your connection to me bring God's glory because you're producing purpose and fruit and impact.

Huddle up.

Somebody say, huddle up.

Huddle up.

It builds community, a spiritual family in your notes, and this is just what the Lord gave me.

I'm giving it to you.

When we huddle up with Jesus, we connect and establish a lasting relationship with him.

We, we, we, we create and establish a lasting abide, which means to dwell, remain fixed in relationship with him.

It's a commitment.

I'm not coming out.

I'm all in.

I'm all in.

Trust me, men.

Trust me.

I only want you to be successful.

I love you.

Men.

Trust the process.

Hey fellas, break it down on Jamal.

Jamal says, trust coach.

I don't want what was last year when there's something new this year.

Can we all put in the price together? Can we all be a family? Can we all move together? We're one team, one sound.

It builds community, it grows us.

Many of us don't experience the fullness of life because we aren't thriving in a life-giving community.

Anybody grow up and you don't have to raise your hand, grow up with a toxic family, toxic friends, anybody.

Still got some swamp people trying to suck the life out of you.

You give and you give, and then they are constantly just tugging on you.

Some of us have never been in a life-giving environment, and Jesus said this in John chapter 10, verse 10.

John 10:10

He clearly said, I've come to give you life and to give it to you more abundantly.

But there's an enemy who tries to steal, kill, and destroy.

Jesus.

Lets you know, like the environment that I'm setting here, the culture of this team and this community is one that's life giving.

Yeah.

Ecclesiastes chapter four, I read it.

Two are better than one because they have great reward for their labor.

Every person needs three things.

And if you've been here before, you've heard us mention this, every person needs to be known, loved, and challenged.

It may not be in your notes to write it in.

Everybody needs to be known, loved, and challenged.

Everybody needs to be known, loved and challenged.

Everybody needs to be known, loved, and challenged.

It's the innate thing that we all have on the inside of us.

If you, sometimes you roll in isolation.

You might say this, maybe you said it.

I don't need nobody.

I'm good by myself.

Every single person.

Every single person, because Ecclesiastes lets us know that if you fall and you ain't got nobody to pick you up, woe to you.

Proverbs says, A person that isolates themself, seeks their own desires.

So when we isolate ourselves, not for rest, but just because we going to do that thing and we're gonna build it ourselves, it's actually pride.

God didn't design us to do life by ourself.

In fact, in the Book of Genesis, he created Adam, and Adam was doing his thing.

And this is what God said.

It's not good for man to be alone.

So let me create for him a helper.

He didn't just use the word spouse.

He said, let me create for him a helper.

Why? Because when they join together, the purpose can be accomplished quicker.

More efficient, faster, greater impact.

God never designed for you and I to do life alone.

The challenge this morning is can we please not do it by ourself? So write this down.

It should be in your notes that all of us watch.

Now, all of us are gonna need to take a step that's not in your notes.

All of us are gonna need to take a step.

Here's why.

Because when you and I huddle up with others, we establish a spiritual family and a winning team.

It's practical, but when we huddle up together, we're establishing a spiritual family.

We are invited because of our relationship with Jesus.

But then I start looking at the people around me, and now I see that I have the spiritual and I have the natural.

I have the spiritual relationship with Jesus.

But then I got you.

I got you.

I love.

I love being a part of the man cave.

I'm a part of like three or four small groups.

Like I love being a part of the man cave.

All the men in the house say, yeah, yeah, there's great strength in that.

There are days when I need that.

Yeah.

All the men say, yeah, yeah.

Can you hear that men, the strength of your voice when sometimes you feel like your voice may be silent.

All the men say, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm better.

I'm better rolling with you than by myself.

We have sisterhood groups.

All the ladies say, Hey, hey, listen, no longer do you have to have somebody tell you who you are and who you are not.

What if you are in an environment with other ladies who declare that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and girl, you go ahead with your bads here.

All the ladies say, Hey, hey.

You are not by yourself, the enemy.

We try to make us feel like we're by ourselves.

You are not.

When we huddle up and Coach starts talking, coach is for us, and you get a few players who like bring it in, bring it in.

Bring it in.

Listen to coach.

Listen to coach.

He wants us to succeed.

Everybody lock in.

Let's go.

What if we get there together? We gonna have tough days.

One of the things that I love about City Place in this season, we have journeyed together in highs and lows.

There have been.

Losses.

There have been battles, there have been, uh, situations, and one of the most amazing things is that when people come up to me, they're like, pd, the church has come around me so quickly.

I know I'm not by myself.

One of our leaders, they've lost three family members within a span of like eight weeks.

Three like eight weeks.

And do you know what he, he, he was like, I know I got a family and I feel comfortable sharing my loss.

Like we need each other, a spiritual family, and a winning team.

Craig go, shell said this.

He said, you can't experience what you don't show up for.

Sadly, culture is conditioning us not to show up.

Like he said this, he says, slowly, comfort is costing us connection.

Do you boo? Like do you boo? Live in your truth? Boo has has us slowly drifting and grinding all on our own versus like, Hey, I need you, boo.

I just handed that on there.

Cheesy is all get out, but like, what if we invite people into that space where we normally go alone? Thank you.

She preaching me down.

That's so good.

Yes it is.

Yes it is.

Yes it is.

Listen, today I invite you, watch.

Now I invite you to an after party where maybe God has a fresh friend.

Maybe your spouse is in the building.

And if you show up, maybe they're there too.

Come on, somebody.

Oh Lord, have mercy.

If you're here for the first time, take the three week challenge.

Next week could be different.

It could be different.

Listen, God shows up for us.

I showed you the video.

Jesus made it clear, I'm divine.

You're the branches.

I'm here.

I'm not going anywhere, anywhere.

Connect with me.

Huddle up with me and I promise you, you will bear fruit without me.

You can do nothing.

Think about this, everybody.

Think about this.

You could be succeeding.

And spiritually Jesus is like they haven't done anything yet when, think about this now.

We can't be our own judge of success, nor can we compare.

I have struggled with the comparison trap.

Anybody else? And do you know where it's gotten me? Nowhere frustrated, disappointed, mad at God timing and at sometimes lazy.

If we connect to coach, he says, you'll bear my fruit.

So what if we just stay connected to him and huddle up with him? Number two that I realized is that we gotta recognize the coach's voice.

I learned this by having the headset.

'cause when I was sitting in the stands, I was complaining, how come coach ain't running that? Come on coach, give him the ball now what we doing? But man, when I had the headset on.

I realized that there was a cadence and every time a play was coming, there was so much going on.

He was communicating roles, responsibilities, formation, direction, routes.

He was, uh, uh, identifying potential audibles.

All sorts of things are happening in my ear that I never knew when I was just sitting in the stands.

Like when I begin and when you and I begin to, to recognize God's voice, he begins to speak so many things.

Last week we talked about it.

When God begins to speak to us, he's speaking to us because he wants a close relationship with us.

When God speaks to us, he's trying to change our view.

When God speaks to us, he's trying to grow us and lead us.

And God's gonna use different formations, different routes.

He's gonna call audibles different, different play sets because he can see from a perspective that we can't.

We had a coach in the box and the coach was, had a higher view than field level.

What coach Lance would say, he would say, ah, they're in a four three.

They're in a cover two, cover four coach.

This is their defense coach.

Coach.

This is the way we should attacky coach.

From the ground perspective, it just looked like the guys are where they're supposed to be on defense.

Nah.

But from the perspective the coach can see differently.

So in one season, coach might have had us running this play in the next play.

Coach might have us running this, but we won't know if we don't recognize coach's voice.

And the only way we recognize that is that we gotta huddle up.

And they don't start huddling up on game day like y'all.

There are so many forms of huddle in a football practice.

There's, all right guys, break it down, bring it in.

Hey guys, I want effort today.

Let's go break it L one through three.

Then there's like, alright guys, go in your segment groups.

And then, then, then you go in your segments and you're talking to, to just your positions.

And then at the end, the practice coach, like everybody take a knee, take your helmet off.

Then you're here.

And then there'll be some guys that'll get together in a huddle for Bible study.

Before a game, and then you've got other guys who get together as team captains, so many huddles, and then coach goes, Hey, I wanna get all the coaches together.

So many huddles are going on, all because one coach is trying to bring the whole unit to success.

If you and I can recognize coach's voice, in fact, we wrote it like this, the goal is to listen to God's voice in everything and everywhere.

Listen to God's voice in everything and everywhere.

Write this down.

When you and I huddle up with Jesus, our ears start to turn or start to tune in to what he's saying and where he wants us to be led, where he wants to lead us.

When we lean in, our ears start to tune in to what he says.

And where he wants to lead.

John chapter 10, Jesus says, Hey, my sheep know my voice and a stranger.

John 10 · chapter mention

They won't follow.

He says, and when they know my voice, I go ahead of them and then they follow me.

So when we start listening to coach God the Father, we start tuning in to the sound of his voice.

God will speak to us through his word, and his spirit will speak to us, to our spirit.

Write this down.

When we huddle up with others, we begin to push others to focus on what God is saying and what God is doing.

Like when we huddle up together, I'm, I'm I, I want you to push me.

I want, I want you to push me into all that God has said to me that I've shared with you.

I want you to, I want you to know me, love me, and challenge me.

Get me to my purpose, please, and then give me permission to do the same for you.

Like push each other to where God's called you to be.

Fellas, let's go.

I don't want last year.

This is a new year is what Jamal said.

Let's go like we push each other when we start recognizing coach's voice.

Proverbs 20 s 17 says, as iron sharpens iron soul person, so one person sharpens another, like, I need you to sharpen me.

Hebrews 10 24 says, let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up, meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.

Push me to purpose.

Please push me to greatness.

Please push me to be all that God's called me to be.

Please.

Number three.

Number three.

Number three, the huddle and worship team.

You can come on up.

Number three.

Number three, when we're huddling up, we get the plan of attack.

We get the plan of attack.

God has a perfect plan for your life.

Yeah.

God has a plan.

Every person in this room, God has a plan for your life.

You and I are on a journey to discover why God created you in the time he did and why he created you and what he has for you to do.

Jeremiah chapter 29, Jeremiah chapter 29, no.

Jeremiah 29 · chapter mention Jeremiah 29 · chapter mention

So often, just to give you context, God is calling his people back to himself in Jeremiah 29.

So often we read Jeremiah 29 11.

If you've been in in church for a while, we read it and it sounds like a motivational scripture.

For, I know the plans I have for you, but God is literally calling his people back to him who had been separated from him, and he starts telling them all that he's going to do in the earlier verses so that by the time we get to verse 10, God is really locked in now to say, now let's get this thing moving now.

And so he says this in verse 10, for thus says the Lord, after 70 years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word towards you and cause you to return to this place.

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil.

To give you a future and a hope.

Then here's your action step.

Then you'll call to me.

Go and pray to me, and I will listen to you, and you will seek me and find me.

When you search for me with all of your heart, God says, Hey, listen, I know the plans I have for you.

They'd give you a future and a hope, but here's the thing that I want you to do.

Huddle up with me and when you huddle up with me, huddle up with passion.

If you come look to huddle.

You gonna find me? I'm gonna do my part.

You stay close to me.

Somebody say, huddle up.

Someone say, power on.

Write these down.

Write these down.

Since God has a per perfect plan and a purpose for me, when you and I huddle up with Jesus, you and I will discover our why.

If he knows the plans, then I would want to know what he has planned.

Anybody else, right? Like if you're building a house, you have the architect design it, right? And then you take a look at the design and they tell you where everything is, and then you go, oh yes, that's it right there.

And so since God has the design, I want to know, and you should want to know as well.

So the closer we get to Jesus by huddling up to him, you and I discover our why.

Watch this.

Now I realize this, that God's game plan isn't designed for you to be the lead salesperson, just a parent or a graduate, or just a career person.

That's your role.

But what he does want from you and I is eternal impact to everything that he allows us to do.

So when we get the job and we get the big title, we can say, man, that's my per everything that God places us in.

There's an eternal purpose.

So we want to ask God, why did you make me the top salesperson? How come you gave me these kids, or this spouse, or this relationship, or whatever it may be? God, what is the purpose? Because here's the thing, when God gives us purpose, it's for his purpose, for his people, for somebody else.

But you get the benefit.

You get the benefit of some natural things, but everything that God's gonna place in your hand has eternal impact.

Write this down.

When you huddle up with others, the community moves as a unit towards victory.

When you huddle up with others, the community moves as a unit towards victory.

This is all getting the game plan of attack.

This year, the innovation bulls went eight and two as a second year program.

The first year we went five and five, no, no other school in Orange County had done it, but there was a group of students that had been second teamers and third teamers and never played at other schools, that when they got under the right coach and he started trusting the process, they turned into winners.

They had the potential, they just needed the right coach and they needed to be spoken into, and they needed to run the coach's plan.

See, when you and I connect, the atmosphere starts to change because we become a unit.

And then when we start moving towards being a unit, we turn into a winning team, which then leads me to number three or number four, and I'm just gonna give these to you.

'cause if you don't get these blanks filled, I know y'all are gonna chase me and try to tackle me.

What the huddle does, it gives us an opportunity to rest and re reset.

We would call people together and we would say, Hey, it's huddle time, and then there would be people who would bring water so that those athletes can be refreshed.

Like when you and I get in a huddle, it allows, God write this down.

When you huddle with Jesus, you recharge.

Psalm 1611 says, you will show me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy, and that your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

In your presence, there's fullness of joy.

I need joy.

When the weight is heavy.

And then I need your fullness at the same time.

So when you huddle with Jesus, you recharge.

And now write this down.

When you huddle with others in a Christ-centered community, you encourage others and you serve them as well.

You encourage others and you serve them as well.

Encourage others and serve each other as well.

Last one.

Last one, last one.

Last one.

Part of the huddle that I really enjoy and I learned is that you get to celebrate.

You get to celebrate.

You get to celebrate.

David, can I steal you? This is my son, whom I'm well pleased.

And I love So you, so you get to celebrate.

I'm putting you on the spot.

We didn't prepare this.

We, we didn't prepare this.

Now, one of the things I really enjoy about the huddle is that, uh, they always break it down.

And at times the coach gets in to the huddle and it'll be in the locker room.

And he'll, he'll say, Hey guys, nobody comes into our house and take what's ours.

And everybody goes crazy.

And then when coach leaves, before they run out onto the field, the athletes huddle and then they start cheering.

And so David, what I think would be really cool is if we can get this group hyped, I've given them the word of God and pointed them to coach, but it would be great if one of the players, God got 'em hyped this morning.

So I'm gonna do my part, and then I want you to do yours.

And here's the thing, I can sense it.

They're wondering about the remaining blanks on their sheet of paper.

Yeah.

Did you see? Did you feel like they, they not locked in? They not locked in, so I'm gonna give it to 'em.

You ready? Write this down.

Before David does his thing, write this down.

When you huddle in love with Jesus, he celebrates with you like when you're walking in his purpose.

Jesus is excited about that.

In fact, Zephaniah three 17 says the Lord, your God is in your midst.

The mighty one will save.

He will rejoice over you with gladness.

He will quiet you with his love.

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Can you imagine God's life? Let's go.

I got that second blank so that they not get mad at me.

Say, when you huddle in love with others, watch Now.

Their victory is your victory.

When you huddle up with others, their victory is your victory.

Tonight, when you watch the game, watch how the offensive linemen, there're gonna be five linemen who about 300 pounds.

When the team scores, they don't get in the end zone.

They do their part and then they get excited.

They're like way to go, oh, you late, you late.

You late son.

You supposed to know.

You supposed to know.

Right, but listen, their victory is my victory.

If I play my part for what God asked us to do.

As long as we win, at the end of the day, somebody's gonna be holding the trophy.

And you know what? They not gonna go, oh man, I blocked that guy all day long.

Oh man, I was just a holder.

Oh man, today I didn't get all the time.

Do you know what they're gonna be like? Yeah, we won, baby.

So to wrap up this morning, I'm gonna be the coach and I'm gonna tell you what God would say to you.

Ladies and gentlemen, trust your coach.

Your coach loves you.

Your coach has nothing but good thoughts towards you and trust the game plan that he has for you.

Listen, they're going to be people who are going to be going through situations and they're going through tough times.

They're going to look at you as the church of Jesus Christ.

Don't go by them.

Your life is good.

Go over there and encourage them because listen, if you'll just trust me, I promise you, even in the hard times, I'm setting you up.

To win men.

Trust me ladies.

Trust him.

Break it down on David.

Alright, everybody stand at your feet.

Let's go.

Stand at your feet.

Alright, so we're here for one reason and one reason only, and that's for Jesus.

So that's what we're gonna break it down on.

Like coach was saying, well, like my dad was saying, we gotta trust the Lord.

He's got the place for us to run.

We just gotta go and execute.

We gotta make sure that we listen.

So that every single time that we step into the plating field, every single time that we're stepping into a battle, we know that we have a coach who's looking for us and who's got the plan for us to win, right? Alright, so on three, we're gonna break it down on Jesus.

So I'm gonna say, Jesus on me.

Jesus on three.

And then 1, 2, 3.

And you guys are gonna say, Jesus, all right, Jesus on me.

Jesus.

On 3, 1, 2, 3.

Jesus.

On.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

I love you.

I'm just playing.

I'm just playing.

I'm just playing.

I'm just playing.

I'm just playing.

I'm just playing.

Y'all saw me earlier with the Kurt Franklin style of worship, bleeding.

Now listen, it's game time.

It's game time.

You're invited into the huddle.

But here's the thing, some of you don't even know if you're on the team, so I want to give you an opportunity to put on the jersey and come into the community of Jesus Christ.

Would you bow your head and close your eyes? The Bible says that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you so that you can have eternal life.

He paid a price for you so that you can be on a winning team and a part of his family.

And here's what the Bible says in Romans.

It says that if you will confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died and rose again, that you will, he will come in and be Lord of your life.

Your head's bow and your eyes are closed, and you haven't yet said yes to Jesus being your personal Lord and Savior.

I'm gonna pray a prayer this morning, and as a church, I want us to pray it all together.

And then at the end of that prayer, I'm gonna ask you to slip your hand high enough and long enough for me to see it.

If you're saying, I'm surrendering my life to Jesus today and I'm choosing him to be my savior, let's pray.

Say, dear Jesus, today, I'm huddling up with you.

I acknowledge that you died for me and you rose again, and on this Sunday, I choose you as my personal Lord and Savior.

I receive your forgiveness.

And I'm turning to you.

I declare now that you are my Lord, my savior, and my friend, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now with your head bows and your eyes closed, if you prayed that prayer, would you raise your hand for me on the counter? Three.

1, 2, 3 you're making Jesus your Lord and Savior.

This morning.

Come on.

Let me pray for you.

Father and Jesus name.

I thank you for who you are.

You are Lord.

You are Savior.

You are God.

And God.

On this day, I pray that you would bless every single person that said yes to you as they take their next step in walking in relationship with you this morning.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Thanks for joining us.

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I.