BYOB | We The Church | Pastor Scott Thomas

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Until then, check out this message.

>> Pillars are essentials for the Christian

faith. There are some things that are

just nonnegotiables,

that are solid, that are required, that

you just got to have. How many you know

that toothpaste is not optional in your

house? You have got to have that right

there.

Amen. That's That's a good That's a good

place to say amen right there. Yeah.

Yeah.

There's a few things there's a few

things in our life that we just we just

cannot do without. We're going to be

dealing with some of these in this

series as we kick off this this series

called We the Church.

as the church, as the body of Christ,

who are we and what does it mean to be a

Christ follower so that we're living

that out in 26. Anybody make any

resolutions this year?

>> Don't do that to yourself, but that I

mean it's okay. I know. No, it's people

make the resolutions. It's all good.

It's all fine. And I I just And whatever

that looks like for you, what whatever

it is, and it's you can make some great

resolutions to I'm quitting that. I'm

starting that. That's all good. I just

need to let you know that God has a

pre-designed, preset, pre-wired

resolution for you this year.

I thought y'all to know. And the

resolution is this.

His plan, his goal for your life is for

you to build a legacy of faith

>> in your family.

Your family

should be stronger Christ followers

because you are in it.

>> The influence of your life on your

family should make them turn their head

and look at Jesus differently,

>> greater. The way you talk, the way you

laugh, the way you love, the way you

serve, the way you worship, the way you

prioritize him at home and in church on

the weekends,

there should be something about your

life that, God forbid, you were to be to

to exit that they would say, "This is

what they set for me and our house."

Right now, I have the honor of working

on continuing building the Thomas

legacy. We're now into five generations

of Christ followers in our in our

family. That's as far back as I can

affirm. There might have been some more

before that, but we had some heathens

mixed in, too.

>> Yeah. My family looked like your family.

That's exactly right. I did a deep dive

in my family tree one time. I just

decided to cut the tree down cuz it was

scary. It was scary. like like I got

some knots up inside that tree and some

some branches going this you know all

all that kind of thing. Uh but but I I

we're going to we're going to leave a

legacy. We're going to make an impact.

Deuteronomy chapter 6 tells us moms and

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

dads when you are at home talk about

impress me on your children. Make sure

they know who I am. Psalms tells tell

praise me to the next generation. Make

sure they know my deeds. who I am, what

I can do. Raise awareness. Testify of

me. This is in our Bible. Make an impact

uh of faith in our friends. Build the

reputation amongst your your peers that

you are a Christ follower. We're serve

Christ in culture. Wherever we are,

we're repping him. We want to we want to

carry that. But the only way the only

way that that's going to happen is if we

stand on two essentials. You got to have

these down, y'all. that you got to have

them down. You might want to write both

of these down. Put one in one shoe and

one of the other so you can stand on

these two essentials right here. And

here's what they are. Number one, the

Bible is the only authority you live by.

>> Not the Quran.

>> No, no. Let's let's get real straight

today. Let's get real straight. all this

man-made fabricated stuff that's full of

errors and fallacies and breakdown. You

stand on the living word of God

that was written over 1,500 years by 40

different writers, only one author, but

it all comes together without any error

or any fallacy or breakdown in it. You

build your life on the word of God as

the only authority. I don't care what

Washington votes on. I don't care what

legislation comes down. If it doesn't

line up with the word of God, it doesn't

line up with my life. I will follow

God's word over everything.

>> Oh, it's a different day, y'all. It's a

different day. We're living in a time

right now where you just can't assume

everything is going to line up with

God's word. You better know that this

right here is the constitution of my

life.

>> The Bible is the only authority. That's

number one. And number two, Jesus is the

only savior.

>> Now, now you you got to have those two

down. You got to know that. You got to

believe that. You got to stand on it.

There's a lot of great people. There's a

lot other faiths. People have different

ideas and beliefs. And they're precious.

They're wonderful people. Love them. But

I'm just telling you now, Jesus is the

way, the truth, the life. Nobody gets to

heaven or sees the father except through

Jesus.

[Applause]

You got to get used to holding that. You

got to get used to differing with people

in your life.

I can differ with you without being

offensive about it.

>> But like I say, I just don't see it that

way. I live my life different.

>> And we stand on those things. The Bible

is the only authority. Jesus is the only

savior.

It's really important though the order

that we mention because unless you see

your Bible as the only authority, you

will never see Jesus as the only savior.

So we've got to start with our Bible.

We we we need a wonderful, loving,

uplose and personal relationship with

the word of God in our life.

It can't just be something that we see

crossstitch on grandma's wall somewhere

where she's got her favorite verse

there. This got to be something that

this is my Bible. This is my message

from God to me that I hold dear. This is

my personal map for living my life. This

tells me how to handle people that I

work with that get on my nerves. This

right here helps me deal with that crazy

uncle in the house. This right here

helps me deal with me. This right here

is everything. The road map. Y'all

remember the B I

Yes.

>> I can't hear you. I

[Music]

>> I expected more from the nine o'clock

crowd, but that's okay. That's okay. You

should have had like three-part harmony

going on right there. Yeah. All that.

The Bible is the preeminent truth and

absolute standard for life. Period.

Folks, there's not another revelation of

God. There's not another book to add to

it. You don't add to or take away from

the book. God didn't pull any punches.

Don't pull anything out. Don't redact

it. Don't change it to fit your

lifestyle. Change your life to fit the

word. This is how this is the anchor

point. This is the focal point.

Everything revolves around the word of

God. We've got to know his word. John 17

John 17:17

verse 17. Read this loud. Read it proud.

Here's what it says. Your word is truth.

Done.

Your word is truth.

Let God be true. Everything else a lie.

God is true. God's word is true. This is

why we're pushing our B yo B in 26.

Bring your own Bible. Bring your own

Bible in 26.

I want you to to get close. I want you

to get personal. I want your

fingerprints. Le let's put some wear and

tear on our Bibles as we open and close

them, reading them this year. We want to

make this a manual for our lives.

Learning to live God's word.

Dwight Moody, the evangelist and

publisher

in the 1800s who made such radical

impact in the church world. Here's what

he said. This book will keep you from

sin or sin will keep you from this book.

We get to decide which side of that

phrase we're on.

It's one of the two. I have noticed in

my life when I was trying to do me

instead of God, I didn't want to read

the Bible today. I I I I wasn't into

what God had to say cuz I knew it was

going to be a little bit different than

the way I was feeling I was thinking or

what I wanted to do.

This book will keep you from sin or sin

will keep you from the book. Let's talk

about the power of your Bible today.

Paul, this guy who wrote twothirds of

the New Testament was writing to his

young protege. His name was Timothy.

Paul was writing from a Roman prison.

Neero had had arrested Paul, put him in

prison. This is the second time he had

been imprisoned. And Paul was pretty

sure this time he would be executed for

his faith. And according to what

historians tell us, in fact, he was.

This was the last this is the time that

he he died after this that he was

executed.

But he wrote this letter to Timothy. And

so understand it was Paul's kind of

closing words. I've written twothirds of

the New Testament. I've sent I've sent

letters out to churches everywhere

encouraging building but building faith

and but but this this one thing I need

to leave young Timothy this young pastor

who's I he he's bless his heart he's

kind of timid uh he's a sweet he's a

sweet guy and God's hands on his life

but I need to kind of because there's a

moral decay and there's false teachers

going on in culture right now and I need

to equip him and encourage him how to

handle what's going on inside of his

world And here's here's what he writes.

2 Timothy 3:16 says this. And by the

2 Timothy 3:16

way, if you have your Bible, you can

open with me uh to to 2 Timothy 3:16.

2 Timothy 3:16

You don't have to just look at it there.

And I would encourage you, if you

brought your own Bible, you can get your

own pen and you can underline or you can

circle verses. It's amazing how you can

do that because it's your Bible.

Second, and and if you're borrowing

someone else's Bible, write in it

anyway. They're not writing in it. You

write in it and it'll be your Bible

anyway. 2 Timothy 3:16, here's what it

2 Timothy 3:16

says. All scripture is inspired by God

and is useful to teach us what is true

and to make us realize what is wrong.

>> It corrects us when we are wrong and

teaches us to do what is right.

>> All scripture is inspired. What What

does that word inspire mean? It means

it's been breathed out by God. This

wasn't the fabrication of man. Man

didn't come up with this. Let me just

kind of put it this way. Man cannot

write a book at this level.

>> If you and I were to choose to write

this book, I would never set the

standard so high that I couldn't meet

it.

>> I would set a standard that, oh, I'm

crushing it. I'm I'm living my best

life. Bam. If I were to write a book, I

would never tell me or hold the standard

that I'm to love my enemies.

>> I I I I wouldn't be I wouldn't be

excited about that. I would never I

would never never require me to forgive

somebody.

I WOULDN'T WANT TO EXTEND GRACE TO THEM.

I WANT GRACE, but I wouldn't write it in

that they get it. Also,

we wouldn't write a book. We couldn't

write a book at that level. No, this

book is inspired. It is God breathed.

It's inherent. It's infallible. It is

never changing. This book is at a level

that is beyond what a man could put

together. I if I were writing that, I

would never have written hell in there.

Oh, no. Hell no. Heaven. Yes. That's

that's what I would have done.

It wasn't our idea. You see, here's the

reality. You don't read the Bible. The

Bible reads you.

>> This is this is the holiness. This is

the power. This is the the impact of

God's word. It teaches what's true so

that we will avoid living a lie. Oh,

have you ever been deceived by somebody

and you ran down that road for a while

only to find out that they were playing

you in the end? It's frustrating when

you think you've lost months or years

based on what somebody else said. God's

word says, "I want to expose the

deception so you don't live believing a

lie." And you're putting your full

weight on something that will actually

hold you in the end. It exposes. Oh, the

Bible exposes me

>> and you,

>> our pride, our attitude, the excuses we

keep coming up with as to why we can't,

the sin that we love, our pet sins. Oh,

we preach against sins that we've

overcome or we don't deal with, but we

hide our pet sins. We don't talk about

them.

>> Oh, just keep looking this way. Ju just

go act like I'm not talking to you. Just

look right here. It exposes us. It

corrects us. It brings us to a place of

repentance. It makes us want to change,

start some things, stop some things,

leave some things. It it instructs us.

It gives us purpose in life. it

decisions, lifestyle. It begins to

morph. It celebrates us. It encourage

us. It gives us hope and strength. No

book compares to this book.

>> Amen.

>> Your Bible, this book that we hold dear

to our hearts is holy, living, and the

active word of God. The founders of

America understood this. They got a lot

of things twisted. They struggled

through some things but they understood

who God was and wrote it into the

declaration of independence as to who we

are and our civilation civilization was

built on its principles. Medicine is

conf has confirmed its claims. Science

has learned from its pages. Astronomy

has been educated by it. Archaeology has

proven its validity. History affirms its

records. Intellectuals have attempted to

delegitimize it and failed. Atheists

can't erase it. They fought it, but it

keeps standing only to change the

atheist heart to now believe in the one

true and living God. This word has stood

the test of time. And I don't care what

question you throw at it, it'll still be

here when you're done questioning

because God is the same yesterday,

today, and forever. He does not change.

And his living word is his promise to

you and I.

The Bible is greater than other books.

Like the entire sum of human knowledge

stored in every library on earth is

greater than a single X scratched into

the dirt by a toddler. This Bible is

greater than every other book. Like the

artistic complexity of the cyine chapel

ceiling is greater than a stick figure

man drawn on a napkin with a leaky pen.

The Bible is greater than all other

books. Like the unstoppable earth

shaking force of a category 5 hurricane

is greater than a gentle breeze coming

from a Victorian lady waving a paper

fan. The Bible is greater than every

other book like an overflowing

neverending royal banquet is greater

than a single dry breadcrumb found at

the bottom of a toaster. God's word is

power. God's word is force. God's word

is that that brings life to you and I.

Matthew 24 says, "Heaven and earth will

pass away, but my word shall remain

forever."

Second Timothy

chapter 3:17, the verse after what we

open with Paul speaking to Timothy, he

goes on to say this,

God uses it to prepare and equip his

people to do every good work. God uses

his word to prepare us. This is why you

and I have got to know this book.

Because if I don't know this book, I'm

unprepared for life.

>> I'm I'm I'm shooting from the hip. I'm

trying stuff. I'm driving in a city that

I don't know where I am.

Drive the state the the city of New York

for the first time with no GPS.

[Music]

Oh, you're going to be going the wrong

way. I promise you. I don't care where

you're going. You're going wrong.

>> God's word leads us that way. How how

does the Bible prep and equip us?

Cindy, her her car lease came up and we

were going to go get her a get her a new

car here recently. And um my wife, you

know, she she's she's she's Puerto

Rican. She's Puerto Rican. And I love

that about my wife. But but come come

come come come come come come come come

comes coming coming coming pre pre-wired

in a in a in a proper Puerto Rican woman

>> is that uh anytime that the the the

temperature drops below 70, it's

officially arctic weather.

And so inside of the accessories that

Cindy has to have in her vehicle, she

got to have a booty warmer in that car.

Oh yeah, she got to have them heated

seats in Florida. And she informed the

salesman. She goes, "And I need a heated

steering wheel. I need a I got to have a

a steer." She She goes, "My husband's

truck and my he has he drives a truck

and he's got a heated steering wheel. I

I I need a heated steering wheel in my

car." And the salesman looked back and

he said, "Uh, ma'am, the car that you're

turning in has a heated steering wheel."

She said, "Shut up." And he said, "No,

it it it does." I said, 'Are you

serious? We went out there, sat on her

car.

The manual says there's a little button

underneath the steering column, pushed

that button. Look at that right there.

You see, there's a there's a manual to

her car in the glove box that we never

looked at all three years.

And everything she said she wanted was

already there. She was just unaware of

it cuz she never looked at the manual to

discover what was actually equipped for

her life. So, she drove around

frustrated and wanting something that

she thought she didn't have when she was

already wired for it. I need you to

understand that you've got a manual in

your glove box. It is called the living

word of God. And there's some things you

think you're missing in life. And he

says, "No, I've already equipped you.

I've wired you for this thing. It's

already there. But I got to show you how

to access those things that I promised

you. There's nothing missing, nothing

broken in your life, and you have full

access to it. So, how does the Bible

prepare and equip us? It shows us some

things. Number one, real quickly, God's

word, it nourishes us. In other words,

y'all need some spiritual calories in

your life.

Y'all need some spiritual carbs is what

I'm trying to tell you. Some of y'all

are spiritual hangry. Yeah. You know,

anybody that gets hangry that like when

when they're hungry, they get angry and

they just get on your neck. Okay, look,

there people admitting it right now.

Lord, all those hands raised. Would you

just help them and all those around

them?

There's no reason FOR YOU AND I TO BE

spiritually hangry in our lives.

>> No. No. God's word is there to feed you

with some spiritual calories to get you

through. 1 Peter chapter 2:2 says this,

"Desire God's pure word as newborn

babies desire milk. Then you will grow

in your salvation." Literally, the Bible

talks about growing in our faith. The

Bible is milk for brand new believers.

You don't you don't take a piece of

bread and cram it down a three-month-old

throat. They'll choke on it. But there

is milk. There is that beginning entry

level that will feed our lives. There's

milk for newborns. But then the Bible

goes on to say, "And there is solid food

for mature believers." In other words,

if you've been serving Jesus for 10

years and you still drinking milk and

you ain't eating no bread, there's

something wrong with your diet.

>> Oh, yes, there is. You you you need to

put the bottle down and pick up the

fork. We got We got to change some

things. We should be growing. If I've

been serving Jesus eight years and I'm

not able to lead a small group,

something's wrong right now. My faith

ought to be advancing. I should be

maturing in my faith. I should be able

to tell people what he did in my life.

Here's the scripture that fed me. Went

through some hell in my life. Here's how

he got me through. Like, you ain't got

to be a preacher to do that. You got to

have a pulse and an experience with

Jesus. And that's all it takes.

God's word will nourish us. The Bible

feeds and strengthens and excites our

faith. You need some bread. Turn to

someone. Tell them you need some bread.

>> Jesus said he is he is the bread of

life. He is the carbs of life. Hey,

that's right. That's what he said. Oh,

but then the SECOND THING THAT THE BIBLE

SAYS that he'll do is he transforms us.

>> He doesn't just inform us, he transforms

us.

It's when his information, when his

word, when his promises get inside of

us, because these are living. These are

active words. They're not docile.

They're not dormant. They're not just

black letters on white pages. If you

look close enough, this book is

breathing, y'all. I'm telling you right

now, it's a it's alive. This book, when

you ingest these words, it begins to

build you. It begins to change you.

James chapter 1 23-2.

James 1 · chapter mention

If you have your Bible that you brought

with you, you could write in the margin

right there beside James chapter right

right beside James chapter 1 23-2 that

James 1 · chapter mention

your Bible is a mirror.

That's a scary site, isn't it? That's

what I got to look at every Sunday up

here. Just so you know, that's what I'm

looking at right now.

YOUR BIBLE IS YOUR B. YOUR BIBLE IS A

MIRROR.

YOUR BIBLE REFLECTS BACK TO YOU.

>> YOUR BIBLE REFLECTS BACK TO YOU who you

are. Usually we're going

[Music]

>> and then all of a sudden

as long as we're looking in the mirror,

I don't HAVE TIME TO JUDGE you

>> cuz I SEE I GOT SO MUCH TO WORK ON IN

ME.

This is why in the tabernacle,

the basin that was called the labor

where the priest would wash his hands

and wash his feet, it was lined in

reflective in in mirrors.

So that as the priest would wash his

hands, the washing of the water by the

word is what the Bible tells us that the

goal behind being washed by the word is

I can see my reflection in God's word.

that I don't look different than the

word. I look like the word.

>> My attitude mirrors the word. My

relationships mirror the word. How I'm

parenting, how I'm handling my finances,

how I deal with people at Walmart, it

mirrors.

Had to go there, didn't we? Yes, we did.

The Bible according to what James tells

us that when we look at it, that mirror

is not condemning,

it's reflective. But here's what James

says it does is when you look into this

word, it's not telling you you're you're

horrible. You're a failure. You keep

messing up every time. That's not what

this book is doing.

>> This book is reminding you, I know you

got challenges, but you are a child of

God,

>> and you are fearfully and wonderfully

made. And yeah, I know you on your

nerves right now, but I love you in

spite of you, Scott. This word is

encouraging and it's reminding me that I

am

one of God's sons and he loves me with

an everlasting love and his work is

still ongoing in my life. In other

words, it's not condemning me. It's

building me. It is encouraging me. When

you get into the word, it breaks self-

condemnation off your life.

that this selfhate, this negative self-t

talk that eats us up and and spits. Some

of us, we don't EVEN HELL STOPPED

DEALING WITH our lives a long time ago

because we doing a good enough job for

hell.

>> And now when when we begin to read the

word, now shame falls off of our life.

THIS GUILT, THIS HEAVINESS rolls off

because when it encounters the promises

of God's word and what Jesus did for you

and me, it makes me live at a different

place of freedom. In other words, you

can't afford not to read your Bible

because it makes you hopeful. It makes

you thankful. It makes you confident.

I'm going to just walk around naturally

confident and joyful. But every time I

keep seeing God's word, make promises

that you're getting better, Scott, and

I'm for you and not against you. I got

your back. We're going to get through

this. I keep reading and and feeding on

so much hope. I can't help but walk

around with some hope in my life. And

now I got so much. I'm a hope donor. I'm

a hope dealer. I CAN GIVE SOME to

somebody else. This is what this ladies

and gentlemen if for nothing else for

your own heart, your own mind, your own

spirit. Get off your back by getting

into his word and let his word transform

how you see yourself.

Romans chapter 12 says he's rewiring

Romans 12 · chapter mention

your mind. You're going to see life

different. Start thinking God thoughts.

How about setting up something in your

life to where you just naturally desire

things that God desires?

>> Like it's not like you go, "Oh, got to

deny me and go do this."

What about if your default is just to do

things that please God

>> and there's temptation not to do it. And

I can still get caught in that. We all

do. But what if I go from always wanting

what's wrong and having to reach for

what's right to I'm just living in a way

that things have fallen off my life and

I'm living in a default mechanism of

doing what's right, a routine of what's

good. The temptation is still there, but

my default has changed. Would it be okay

if God's word rewired your default

mechanism where all of a sudden no

longer are you negative and heavy and

hard, but you find yourself

complimenting and lifting and joyful and

encouraging? What what if he changed

ladies and gentlemen? That's exactly

what God's word does. The word is

called, you ready for this?

Sanctification.

It's a cleaning out and a putting in. My

desire is aligned with God. Let's keep

on going because the third thing that

the Bible tells us that the word does is

it fights for us.

>> It fights for us. Hebrews chapter 4:12,

the word of God is alive and active,

sharper than any two-edged sword. It

penetrates even to the dividing soul and

spirit, joints and marorrow. It judges

the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The Bible says that it is a sword in our

lives.

It is a weapon that is fighting for you.

And do you know how it fights for you?

The word of God drives deep down between

soul and spirit.

What does that mean? Soul is when Scott

is full of Scott. My attitude, my pride,

all the stuff that I think I am.

>> Spirit is the part of me that

communicates with God.

And those two are continually at odds in

your life and in my life.

>> Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Me. Jesus.

Me. Jesus. Me. Jesus. Right.

>> Oh, act like you ain't never had that

going on in your life. Some of y'all

doing that right now.

And the Bible says that his word

penetrates and begins to separate

and begins to identify how to fight and

push back. It helps me deal with me. It

helps me identify what's out of order in

my life. It's that internal voice that

is talking back to me. It It helps me to

choose Jesus. It's that alarm that goes

off. Have you ever had that conviction

where you said something you shouldn't

have said and you felt horrible about it

all day long? Isn't that wonderful?

>> No, it is. It's wonderful CUZ YOU DIDN'T

ALWAYS FEEL BAD about saying the wrong

thing. You used to be pretty proud of

yourself. Oh, that was a good comeback.

I cut her, left her bleeding, and I

walked out the room. WE USED TO BRAG

ABOUT THAT STUFF.

Have you ever been in a like a

confrontation and you left and 5 minutes

later you thought of the best comeback?

You just didn't think about it then, but

boy, you just wish you would have,

>> man. Missed an opportunity. No, that was

not an opportunity.

>> Bible says God's word steps in and it

fights.

That's why it's important that we're in

church on Sundays. So God's word can

bring conviction. That's why it's

important that we're in life groups so

that as I hear the word, it brings

conviction and changes and helps me to

see God's way. Reminds me that there's a

higher way for me to live. God's word

fights for us. Ephesians chapter 6 verse

Ephesians 6:17

17 literally calls this the sword of the

spirit. And it's the only offensive

weapon you have as a believer.

It's the only thing you can fight with.

When Jesus was being tempted in the

wilderness and the enemy came up to him

and we tempted him three times, here's

what Jesus said. It is written. It is

written. It is written, ladies and

gentlemen. The first words out of your

mouth when when hell hits your life

should be, "It is written."

>> It is written. I'm I'm coming through

all this. It is written, "He will not

leave me nor forsake me. It is written

that he is my the same yesterday, today,

and forever. It is written that if God

be before me, who again can be against

me? It is written, no weapon formed

against me will prosper, and every

tongue that rises against me in

judgment, it shall be condemned. It is

written. We've got to have the word in

our heart that we will not sin against

God.

We need to have the word fighting with

us and for us. Finally,

God's word is a guide.

Psalm chapter 119 verse 105

Psalms 119:105

says, "Your word is a lamp to guide my

feet and a light for my path." You want

to discover your Bible?

The longest chapter in the Bible is

Psalm 119,

170ome verses.

The entire chapter is about the Bible.

In fact, you might not know this. I'm

going to give you a little side note for

what it's worth. Again, this is

something for all you. You have to go

and you got to open your Bible to Psalm

119 and look at this. Every eight

sections, every eight verses is a new

section.

It takes all 22 letters of the Hebrew

alphabet. Alfet gimmel vineet yammed. It

It takes all 22 letters of the Hebrew

alphabet and every eight verses starts

with the next letter.

The first eight start with alf. The

second eight start with bet. It it moves

right on down. And every eighth verse is

speaking of the word of God. The word of

God. The word of God. So that the the

largest chapter of your Bible is all to

reinforce who God's word is and what it

will do in your life. I dare you to read

it this week. Allow it to feed you and

understand what God wants to do. But

God's word is a

it's a light.

It's a it's a lamp. Do you understand?

If there's no light, you're what? You're

doing life in the dark.

>> You're just kind of

I'm I'm going to get married blind.

>> I'm going to just figure this out.

I'm I'm going to start a a business

>> with no sight.

>> Think, oh, I know what I'll do. I'm

going to raise a kid.

I'm going to parent a teenager

with no vision.

Where did they go?

Why

>> would you do that?

>> The Bible says that God's word is that

light.

You can't do life with no guide. You

can't do life walking in the dark. And

culture, they flash lights that blind

you. And culture will blind you and get

you walking in circles. And now you're

stuck in a cycle. and you can't figure

how to get out of that because although

there seem to be flashing lights,

they're not leading you forward. They

just got you walking in circles. No,

only God's word speaks to every issue of

life to show you the way out. It deals

with your spiritual life. It deals with

your personal life and your actions. It

deals with government, society, justice.

It deals with history and future. It

deals with relationships. It deals with

work, career, finances. It deals with

suffering and hardship. It speaks to

every topic and issue you can bring up.

God's word speaks to it and shines light

on how you can navigate it, how you can

get through it, how he is with you, how

to come out successful on the other

side. I know it hurts, but victory is

coming. Weeping endures for the night.

JOY IS COMING. WHY DO I SAY THAT?

Because God's word is the anchor going

TO GET ME THROUGH. WE GOT TO GET A HOLD

OF GOD'S word and champion it in our

life.

Matthew chapter 7 says you got to build

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

your life on the solid rock, the solid

foundation

of God's word. Would you stand to your

feet, please?

To all my young adults in the room

today,

if you're between the ages of 18 and 35,

wave your hand at me. 18 and 35.

Look at that. Look at that.

Dang.

That's why the nursery is so full. I get

it now.

>> Can I help you with something?

Blink three times and you're going to be

46.

[Music]

>> Where's my 45 to 55 year old, 60 year

olds? Am I telling the truth or what?

Does it go like like like see all those

hands raised? They think they're still

25. They they don't even know. They

don't even know. That's all of us,

right? I'm I I feel you. It like when

did that happen?

>> When did what?

Start

the legacy. Now,

if God's plan for you is to leave a

legacy, and it only comes by declaring

his word as your only authority and

Jesus as your only savior, establish

that legacy now. Don't wait till you're

in your 40s. Don't wait till you're into

your second marriage. And don't wait

till you're in rehab to decide to try

Jesus.

>> Choose him now

and avoid the hell in life.

Listen, have a conversation with someone

who's got more life than you and ask

them and let them pour back into your

life. Go allin with Jesus now. Build a

legacy of faith for your family and the

generations to come. God's word is the

only hope that we have.

US Naval officer, captain of the of a

ship, USS Lincoln,

sailing in the ocean,

middle of the night,

and he saw a light ahead of him.

He thought, "There's a ship coming

where the United States

radioed ahead.

This is the captain of the USS

Lincoln aircraft carrier.

We are in the same course. I request

that you go 30 degrees south that we do

not have an encounter.

And immediately they radio back. No, you

go 30° south.

Kind of rubbed the captain a little bit

raw.

He got back on the on the This is the

captain of the United States, USS

Lincoln. I am commanding you to veer off

course 30 degrees. We are in the same

path.

Only get it respond back. No, you change

course.

Captain got back on. This is the captain

of the USS

Lincoln. The radio came back. This is

the lighthouse.

[Applause]

>> Meet the lighthouse.

Ladies and gentlemen, this light

may have you change course in some

things when you didn't feel like it, but

it's saving you from a crash that will

sink everything you say you love.

>> We've got to listen to, respond to,

highlight, respect, and celebrate the

light of Christ that comes through his

word. Would you bow your heads in this

room? Father, today thank you for your

word that speaks to all of us. Your word

is everything.

Your word, we live by it. We breathe by

it. We do life by it. We decide by it.

We're corrected by it. We're challenged

by it. We're successful by it. Lord,

thank you that you gave us your word so

that we could know you, encounter you,

understand who you are, to meet Jesus,

to have principles working in our life.

Without your word, this life would not

be livable.

But today, God, we refuse to leave that

book on the shelf. I refuse to live

leave this handful of promises and life

hacks sitting to the side while I

blindly walk about trying to figure life

out. I will do it your way. We declare

in 2026 that we're setting a legacy for

our families. We declare of thou 2026

I'm laying a new foundation for my life.

I will come to your word. I will read

your word. I will discover your word. I

I will highlight your word in my life. I

will change course for your word instead

of trying to change your word to fit my

life. God, your word is truth. Your word

is the way, the truth, and the life. So

today, God, I pray that we would begin

to embrace and move towards you in a

whole different way. Arrest us, awaken

us, convict us, draw us by your word.

Speak to us, correct us, elevate,

encourage, rewire us. I pray nourish us,

feed us, excite us, bring a hope and a

joy and that love that comes through

knowing you by your word. God, bring all

that alive in us. I pray as we embrace

the manual that shows us every option we

have for living this life successfully

because of what Jesus did for us. I pray

this over my friends, over families,

over parents, over singles, over young

families, over business owners today

that God, we will set our eyes and our

mind on you and let you decide the

course of our life. In Jesus name we

declare this. Amen. Amen. If you receive

that today, put those hands together.

>> We hope you enjoyed this message. To

hear more impactful messages just like

this one, check us out at

freelifechapel.org.

We hope you have an amazing week.