Momma Said | What’s Your Sign | Pastor Scott Thomas

Hello. Hello. Listen, I know you want to

check out this message, but before you

do, I want to invite you to come check

us out in person. Here at Free Life

Chapel, we're all about family and would

love to connect with you face to face.

So, if you're ever in the Central

Florida area, come check us out here at

FLC. We want to help you discover and

live the free life in Christ. To learn

more about who we are, what we do, and

how you can be a part, check us out at

freelifechapel.org. Until then, check

out this message. We've been in this

series called What's Your Sign? And

we're we're talking about what are those

what are those things that we identify

with that marks our life like going

forward? What What are those what are

those those standout things that that

identify and and mark us that that we're

looking for? That thing that gives me

that purpose, that reason that I exist.

What's the next step for my life? A a

sign in life. How many know when I was

thinking about this? How many know your

mama had some signs that she used to

send you?

Okay, y'all don't know what I'm talking

about. Let's go. How many y'all your

mama had the look?

Oh, y'all know that sign, don't you?

Like all mom had to do was look at you.

I knew it was like walking through from

my back in my day that was

pre-Wallmart Kmart.

Where's my Kmart people? Y'all remember

Kmart? Watch this. Where's my Sears and

Robuck people? Any Sears? Oh, look at

that right there. Look at that right

there. So, I I'd be walking through the

store acting a fool and my

mama. And ice ran through my veins as

soon as my mama snapped her head around

like that. She had that thing. How about

the finger

wag? It looked like a dag on satellite

in the air when they got that finger.

Like, you know, I stopped right there.

Anybody? Anybody mama have the lip

bite? How you know that's a sign right

there? Like you better you better back

it up right now. Like it is it's going

nowhere good. How about the hand on the

hip? That's like one step before you

meet Jesus. You understand? Like like

you that right there that it's it's

going nowhere good. And then there was

the other one for me in my house when my

mama did a fast little p. She had she

she's like five foot nothing. And when

she got those little legs moving and she

was headed towards the kitchen, that's

when I knew I was going to meet Jesus

really fast now because she had that

little paddle. She had mama's helping

hand and it stayed on top of the

refrigerator and she had to reach on her

tippy toes and she would get it and pull

it down and she Anybody else grew up

where your parents believed in good

oldfashioned whoopins?

Like there was none of this timeout

stuff. One, two.

I told you that. How many know they

spank you on every syllable? Every

syllable. You got to I told you you

better not ever do that.

Like nothing wrong with the spankings.

We all came out just fine. Fine. Fine.

Fine. Fine. It it it's it's all

good. My mama had a sign. Your mama had

a sign. And and and moms moms they they

do that the signs on them. They mark

they mark all of us. They've they've

done some things to imprint on our life

and we've all been impacted by that.

There's there's a lot of great moms

mentioned in the Bible. But I want to

pass I want to bypass all the ones that

we think of immediately. All the ones

you jump to. Elizabeth and Mary and

Esther and Ruth. That's a good one right

there, right? And what about Hannah?

That that's a good one, too. Like

there's a lot of great ones out there.

Miriam, great moms. Great moms. But

there's one that's kind of, in fact, I

only see her name mentioned one time in

the Bible. But the impact this mom

made is huge. And I want to show you who

it is. 2 Kings 22:1. Here's here's what

2 Kings 22:1

your Bible says. Josiah was 8 years old

when he became king. And he reigned in

Jerusalem 31 years. His mama was Jed

Jedida. There's a lot of different ways

to pronounce that, but we'll go with

that one today. Jedida, the daughter of

Adia from

Bozac. Jadida was the mother of

Josiah. And

Josiah was a little boy when he took the

rulership of the kingdom of Judah. Now,

you need to understand the story of

this.

Josiah, his greatgrandfather, his name

was Hezekiah. Hezekiah was I an I kind

of king. He had some issues. Prideful. I

know there's no one in this room that

has any pride, but kind of prideful. Uh

man, he was he was all right. He's all

right. But but his son Manasseh was tow

up from the flow up. He was evil. 55

years evil, twisted, brought in all

kinds of idolatry, built pagan idols,

totem poles, altars to all other kinds

of gods. And this is the tribe of Judah,

like this is the kingdom of Judah, like

God's people. And he's bringing in all

this foolishness into the land. And he

reigned there for 55 years in that role.

And then when he died, his son Ammon

came in and took over as king. And Ammon

was twice as bad. He was on steroids

compared to his daddy. He was a mess. In

fact, he was so evil that the servants

in his kingdom after he reigned for two

years, his own boys killed him. His own

boys went John Wick on him and took him

right out like you are you are done.

Boom. And they they just they completely

did away with him. Like he was gone. Now

there's nobody there's nobody in the

kingdom. There's no one ruling. And the

next one up is an

8year-old boy. Anybody got a 8-year-old?

Anybody got a eight-year-old? Can you

imagine your eight-year-old running a

kingdom? Snow cones for everybody. Like

I'm okay. My kind of guy. Like I would

hang in that kingdom for a little bit,

right? Reesei cups for dinner. Like all

that kind of thing. Eight years old, he

becomes the boy king over the over the

kingdom of Judah. Now, now with him was

Jeda. His mama was with him. She was

officially the queen because it was her

husband Ammon that was knocked off in

two years. She was the queen, the

sitting queen. But Jadiah, but but

Joseph, Josiah is now the sitting king

at 8 years old. And the Bible says that

she was there with him. And here's what

happened. Josiah as he continued to grow

in the kingdom. The next thing we see

him do is he is restoring the temple of

God. And as he has we're going to bring

back God worship, the one true and

living God. We're going to restore the

temple that has gone to shambles. And as

they were restoring it, they found a

scroll in the wall. And as the as the

priest read to young Josiah from the

scroll, most scholars believe it was a

scroll of the book of Deuteronomy where

Moses is laying out the blessings and

cursings for honoring God. And what

happens if you don't? Josiah as a young

boy, he was broken in his heart. And the

Bible says he ripped his clothes, which

was an an act of of absolute brokenness.

And he began to weep and cry. And from

that point on, Josiah went stark raven

crazy cleaning Judah. He began to tear

down the altars, remove all totem pulse,

stop all pagan worship. Now, you need to

understand, it's not that there were a

few here and there. The whole culture

had been ruled for almost a hundred

years. Everybody had their favorite god.

They had all their idols. They had all

these things. And this young runt boy

steps up and he says, "We're changing

everything." And he begins to tear all

of this down. Changing everything that

culture had put in place and brought a

revival to Judah where there was a

reurgence of we need to worship the one

and one true and only God. Let let me

ask you something. What do you think it

was that caused a 16-year-old junior in

high school to cut against culture and

do something that nobody was clapping

over?

What do you think it that that hit a

16-year-old boy that he was willing to

run against everything social media was

putting out to do what was right and

close to God's heart? I'm not here for

the claps. I'm not here for the follows.

I'm here to honor one and his name is

God Jehovah. and I'll do whatever I what

a 16year-old I'll tell you at least one

thing that clicks in my head was he had

one bad mama in his life his mama knew

who God was and he said let me tell you

something son you're going to learn who

God is anybody grew up in a home where

going to church was not an option you

are going or you're going to meet Jesus

right now anybody what I'm talking about

I never understood growing up like like

they would put the Wizard of Oz on on

Sunday nights and I wanted to stay home

to watch it but I couldn't cuz we went

to church 17 times a week and I got

drugged to church every time we went. I

slept on the back pew, but at least I

was there. I like there was no option. I

had to be in church. That's how the way

it was. And I I see uh Jeda, she's like

she's taking her her boy Josiah. I'm

going to teach you who God is. She's

pouring into her boy and she is flipping

the script on a godless culture.

Understand? Remember it was her

father-in-law Ammon who was uh Manasseh

who was a mess for 55 years bringing in

all kinds of paganism. Then it was her

husband that she was married to that was

so evil he was killed off in two years.

She is the wife inside this family. But

there was something in her that was

bigger than the corruption and the evil

outside of her that y'all are tore up

from the floor up. But I'm going to keep

serving God even when it doesn't feel

good. and it's not popular. I'm going to

know him for myself. And it was that

woman. It was the strength of that mama

that raised her baby. Oh, I came with

good news to somebody today. Your house

might be tore up. And there might be

nobody you can look to in your

generations that ever worshiped God.

Right. But that's why you're here. God

always gives another opportunity in a

new generation for somebody to stand up

and say, "As for me and my house, we're

going to turn this mess

around." It's exactly what she did. She

said, "It stops with this generation."

And she began to pour into her son,

Josiah. And Josiah is taking this on.

And the Bible goes on to tell us that

Josiah had two mentors. You need a mama

and mentors in your life. That's all I

got to say. A mama and some mentors to

train. And that's exactly what happened.

And Josiah found, watch this, his

identity in God. And it was that

identity that began to move him forward.

Can we just stop for a second and just

thank God for all the mamas who would

were relentless with their faith and

they kept praying and they kept taking

us to church and they kept incre

encouraging us in our faith. Come on,

thank God for that. If you had that,

you're a blessed you're you're a blessed

person.

2 Kings 23 25. Later on in Josiah's

story, here's here's what it says. You

want to know how powerful this lady is?

Listen to the son she raised. The Bible

says in this passage that never was

there a king like Josiah before him or

after

him, greater than King David.

The impact of this young man's life and

his passion for God was no joke. He went

hard after God and he got this accolade.

His reputation was stellar. His

leadership was unmatched. And because of

his passion and heart for God, the Bible

says there was 31 years of peace that

the kingdom of Judah had, there was not

one battle they had to deal with. Ladies

and gentlemen, when you do things right

and you honor God with the identity of

him on your life, peace will sweep over

your life. I'm telling you right now, it

is the result of doing what honors

God. Well, where did this all come from?

You see, the very first passage of

scripture that Josiah would have learned

is the same passage of scripture that

Jewish children learn today. It comes

out of Deuteronomy chapter 6. For the

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

all of our students here, it's called

the Schma. Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse4

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

says Schma Israel Adonai Elohu Adonai

Ehadero O Israel the Lord our God he is

one. But it goes on to say this in verse

5. You must love the Lord your God with

all your heart, all your soul and all

your strength. Would you read that with

me? You must love the Lord your God with

all your heart, with all your soul, and

with all your strength. That pretty much

covers it right there. That's like

everything that I am. I am to love him

with all that I am. That but but

understand something. That's not just

about

information. That's about relationship.

In other words, he didn't just know

about God. He had a relationship with

God. Ladies and gentlemen, those are two

different worlds. There are people that

are absolute scholars and they're

teaching in the greatest universities

around the nation today. Old Testament

survey, New Testament survey. They're

teaching on theology and they're so far

from God because they have information

but they've never experienced the one

true and living God on the inside. And

it is possible you and I can actually

walk that out to be able to tell people

about God, but to say that I've

experienced God to the point that he's

impacted and altered my life, changed my

decisions, rescripted my relationships,

given me new values, a new purpose in

life. We've got to live our lives at

that level right there. Josiah's

identity in God was next level. He

believed God is holy and supreme. He

believed that he belonged to God. He

believed that he was created to serve

God. And he believed that God's word is

truth that he would live by. That's next

level right there. That's the only way a

junior in high school could make those

kinds of declarations and watch it

work. Sandy and I, we were in Israel a

couple of weeks ago and it wasn't a trip

that we just decided to take. We were

asked to go on this trip to accompany

pastors John and Diana Hegy. Now, if you

don't know P who pastor Hegy is, then it

it won't necessarily register, but this

man is 85 years old now and has been on

television for decades around the world

and is the founder of Christians United

for Israel, which we serve on the

executive board for that. There's 11

million members now in in Christians

United for Israel. This church has been

a part of CUFI, Christians for Israel,

for since the beginning, since the

inception of this church 2011, and we do

a lot of work, sharing benevolently in

the love to impact and support the

nation of Israel in multiple ways in

multiple different agencies to the tune

of almost $200 million over the past 20

years. The impact has been so real. the

people of Israel, the Jewish people are

so grateful that when Pastor Hegy shows

up, it gets everybody's attention

because he's so loved. And the witness

of the Christians to our Jewish brothers

and sisters there, it makes radical

impact and they're so grateful. It

brings a a a love and a connection that

is so needed today. I could run down a

rabbit trail on that. I'm not going

to. We are there with him. And because

his name and his presence is so big in

Israel, uh we we got

labeled like by

association like we landed we land the

plane landed in Israel and you've got

the the Bengurian airport like the major

airport the only airport there and

you've got that got hundreds thousands

of people that are there in the airport.

They're all waiting in line to go

through customs and get checked in and

they bring us through a side door in the

airport that I have never been in in my

entire life. They walk us past everybody

and going, "Hey, what's up?" Like this

whole line of people. They walk up

They're stamping

stuff and they shoot us right out the

door like, "Well, that was nice right

there. I've never done that before in my

entire life." And then we're going into

places that you can't get in if you want

to. Military bases. We're going into

some top secret places that are not

open. Like they're they're like they're

like opening it up and bringing us in

because of the love that we've shown

them. they're bringing us in so we

understand the impact that that the

dollars have made and and the impact of

the community. This one time we were

eating we were eating lunch in Jerusalem

in this little hole in the wall and and

and the streets are busy like packed and

we got two vanfuls. There's about 12 15

of us and and and and there's there's

two vans that that we have together.

They're all blacked out like it's all

that and and and when we come out of the

restaurant they just park the vans in

the streets. People are blowing the

horns the vans. I don't blame them. It

would have irritated me too. But but

we're all trying to get loaded to the

vans to get out of there. Cindy and I

run. We get in the second van. Pastor

Heg is getting in the first van because

he's the lead. Security is there. The

whole nine yards. Well, I'm sitting in

the van. The big sliding doors open. And

I'm seeing all the people going by. The

horns are blowing. It was all of that.

And these young people, these teenagers

are coming down the street and they're

seeing all this go on. And you could

tell they were impressed by the security

that was there and these blacked out

vans and and horns blowing and and one

of the young people, he he's on the

street and I'm sitting here in the van

looking through the door. He goes, "Hey,

are you

famous?" I said, "Hey,

no. Are you kidding

me? I'm just I'm there by association. I

could never get there on my own. Have

this kind of thing. one greater than I I

was connected to. And where whatever

door he walked through, I walked through

as well. The security that was with him

was the security that was me. The

opportunity that he had was the

opportunity that I had. I didn't have to

have it together because my identity was

associated with Pastor John Hagges that

entire time. Can I tell you something?

When you begin to associate your

identity in Christ, every door he walks

through, you can walk through. All his

power is your power. All of his favor is

your favor. Why would you not want to

link up to him and already walk the lane

that he's already paid the price for?

This is what you and I get to buy

into. This this new identity, this

transformed life in Christ, it doesn't

come from information. It comes from

relationship. How many you know that

mamas don't have babies because they

read a book?

No. No. Let me help you with something.

It's not from information. It's from

intimacy. That's what creates that we we

aren't transformed because of what we

know about God. We need a new identity

that comes only through closeness,

relationship with God. In other words,

don't just read the book, know the

author.

Don't don't just eat the food, know the

chef. Hold better. That means you get to

eat what's not on the menu. Do you

understand? That's kind of nice that

way. Don't just live the life, know your

creator. These are different levels and

this is what the identity is all about.

So let me ask you, where do you find

your significance? What where do you

find your value, your purpose in life?

Where does yours come from? What makes

you feel good about being you? What

gives you the purpose to wake up on a

Monday morning and go again? Where does

your drive where are you? What is it

that wakes you up with this this

passion, this excitement about life? Do

you have it? Well, I want you to

understand there's there's there's three

different areas that people will look to

for their

identity. Uh the the first one is an

external focus. People look outside of

themselves to qualify if they're okay.

And in in other words, I'm looking to

others. I'm looking to culture for

approval. So that means I buy stuff I

can't afford to try to impress people

that don't know me so that they will

like me.

I I I I need people to look at me and

think, man, if I could just be them,

they just don't know that I've got all

the bills to pay when I get home for all

that stuff that I paid to get that. Mhm.

They just just keep looking this way.

And that means this, if I hit the

standard that the culture says, then

that means I have value and

significance. Woo! Go

me. The challenge is if I fail to hit

those standards, my self-worth goes

down. I'm not as good. They're better.

They're always stronger, man. Their that

their vacation's better than mine. Their

house is better than mine. And I'm

always scrambling. And can I tell you

something, folks? It's such a trap.

Someone's always going to have a nicer

vacation than you. Someone's always

going to drive a nicer car than you.

Someone's always going to have more

money than you. Someone's always going

to have more approval than you do. And

this is it's such it's such a trap, such

a trick. You've got somebody who, man,

if I just had more followers. There are

people that have a million followers on

social media, but they can't post what

they want. They have to post what the

million followers want to hear. That

means the million followers are not

following the one. The one is actually

following the million followers. They

are enslaved to one million people

because they have to keep them kind.

Because if not if if I don't keep them

liking me, they might unfollow me and

that will hurt my worth, my status, my

value. The problem is seeking value from

others will always allow other people to

control you. Other people decide your

purpose. You are

owned when other people get to decide

whether you're right or valuable or not.

But then there's a second, not just

external, there's also an internal focus

that people do. Mhm. I've done this.

You've done this. I look inward for my

own value. Nobody defines me. I'm good

all by

myself. I'm going to be true to me and

true to me only. I'm going to validate.

I'm going to value my own significance.

You don't like me, kiss my grits. I am

fine just like I

am. And it's all good. But here's the

problem. Any idea of right and wrong

outside of your opinion now becomes

judgmental in your mind.

If I validate me, then whoever doesn't

agree with me is no longer my friend.

Now they're my enemy. Because you didn't

just oppose my opinion. You opposed my

value. you you attacked my worth. You

attacked my significance if you don't

agree with me. And ladies and gentlemen,

this is the challenge that we're living

in today. We have so many people living

as victims because our culture today,

this new moral standard of I'm good just

like I am. I'm I don't need anybody

else. It is a lie that's making people

implode. Now we're backing up. Now

everybody is blaming everybody else.

Everyone is calling everyone judgmental

and they're trying to cancel people

because you don't validate who I am and

what I call truth in my life and now

it's all coming to it's all it's all

crashing in. This is why culture can't

tolerate someone disagreeing with their

views. And we're so segmented in our

culture, cuz I can't disagree with you,

but still have a friendship with you and

like you because your disagreement with

me was actually a slam against me.

Because if you don't qualify who I am,

then now you're my enemy. Therefore,

I've got to separate. You're dangerous.

And now our world is splintering because

we've got everyone who's gone internally

focused. And the problem with that is

this. We aren't able to determine our

own value. That's like somebody saying,

"Let me tell you how humble I am.

I can't decide truth for me and then

everyone has to comply to my truth, but

they're allowed to have their own." It

doesn't work that way, ladies and

gentlemen. It just doesn't work that

way. External and internal standards

always fail. There's only one source

that you can find true identity and

value and purpose that is going to be

longstanding. And it comes outside of

you. It doesn't come in others. It

doesn't come in culture. It doesn't come

from inside of you. Because you and I

are so flaky. We change our mind so

often that I don't even find peace in my

own world. Can I tell you what happens

when you and I look outside and inside

for validity? What happens is all of

that begins to crash and crumble because

it creates an emotional conflict in me.

I know it doesn't add up. I keep

changing my mind about life. I was this

five years ago. Now I'm this three years

ago. Now I'm this two years ago. Life

keeps changing and that means I have

nothing stable to build my life on now.

We know this about ourselves. Oh, the

third and the only thing that you can

build your life on is Christ.

It's a Christ focus.

relationship with Jesus shapes my

identity. It is my identity. He is look

what Hebrews chapter 12 verse two says

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

this. Read this with me. We must focus

on Jesus the source and goal of our

faith. The source and the goal like like

I don't have the ability to do this

without him. He is the source of it all.

Another scripture says in him I live and

move and have my being. That means

outside of Christ, I don't live. I don't

move. And I have no being. I'm a shell

of a person. I'm gutted. I I I keep

changing ideas and I'm not sure where I

am. No wonder we're living life in a

spin cycle and nothing is moving. I feel

like I'm wasting time. And we are trying

everything except for Christ to define

my life. You'll never find who you are

until you fully surrender to him. And

let me show you what an identity in

Christ looks like. This is amazing.

Number one, here's what it says. God is

my creator. When you have an identity

with Christ, you shout, "God is my

creator. He's the cause and the source

of who I am." That gives me dignity and

value despite my behavior. Despite what

people think of me, despite what my past

has been, I have dignity. I have value

despite the external factors. I can be

Paul as a church mouse as they used to

say, but I've got dignity and value to

my life because I know my creator. He is

the cause of my life, the source of my

life. Number two, that identity says I'm

forgiven. When you've given your life to

Jesus and you're finding your identity,

him, you're saying I'm free. There's

grace on my life. Free from my past. The

guilt and the shame is gone. Oh, I did

all that. I did all that that they said

in the courtroom. I did all that to the

family members. Yes, I did that. And

then some stuff that you never found out

about. I did all of that stuff, but I'm

standing here today free and clear. No

shame is on my life. Shame was on the

cross. I have been set free. Grace is on

my life. Number three, I belong to God.

This is the third characteristic, the

third statement of an identity in

Christ. I belong to God. That means I'm

loved and I'm favored. I'm loved and I'm

favored now. I've got a confidence

operating in my life. It's not

confidence, it's confidence because it

doesn't come out of me, but since I know

that he loves me, even if you don't, I'm

good. And it's not because I'm all that.

It's because he's all that. It's because

I feel his pleasure on my life. It's

because I'm living for his joy. I It's a

relationship. It's not just a religion.

It's not just a mantra. No, there is

something that moves me inside that I

know he's real. And when I put a smile

in his face, there's nothing like that.

I got some favor on my life. I can't

explain why I'm living as good as I am.

It's just because I've linked myself to

his identity and it's opening doors for

me and taking me places I never could

have gotten on my own. It's the identity

of Christ on me that I get to run where

he goes. It changes everything. The

fourth thing that this identity says,

I've got 21, so hold on. No, no, no, no,

no, no, no. They're just five. They're

just five. They're just five. The fourth

thing is this. I'm created to serve God.

That's what an identity in Jesus

identifies with. I'm created to serve

him. That means I have purpose for my

life. You wonder why you're here. You

wonder why you're sucking air. Ephesians

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 says that you were

created after the problem

existed. That means you are the answer

to a problem nobody else

is. That the work and the purpose of

your life preceded you. God saw a

problem and he created you as the answer

and then launched you into this earth.

Now go get it. You are made with a

purpose. You're not just here running

around. You're not just a duplicate of

somebody else. If two things are

identical, one is irrelevant. You're

not. There is a purpose to your life.

I'm created to serve God. I'm here to

rep Jesus everywhere I go. Bring hope to

this culture. Be a peace maker inside of

tore up areas. I'm here to bring joy

where there's chaos. I'm here to serve

the church and the community. I bring

all of that together with my life. Why?

Because I'm living for his purpose. And

since Jesus died for the world and to

birth the church, then I live my life to

impact the world and to serve his

church. That's the purpose of my life.

And the fifth thing is this. I live by

God's word.

Yes, I do. That means it's his truth,

not

mine. That means culture can't alter my

truth. Regardless of what culture says,

regardless of what laws are passed, it

doesn't matter. Heaven and earth will

pass away. His word will remain forever.

Let foolishness happen in our nation.

Let centuries pass. This is unchanged,

unmovable. And if you want to build your

life on something that when the storms

blow, it does not get shook. You need to

know who he is. And he will hold your

hand and anchor you down in life and

carry you things that you should have

lost your mind in the middle of. But you

come out greater. Why? Because his

identity is on me. And I'm living by a

higher standard than what I could come

up with. higher than what culture can

think of. I'm doing it God's way. I'm

done with

this. I read for you in the very

beginning Kings 22 verse one. But I want

to I want to reread the last the last

line of that

verse. His mother was

Jedi Jadiah. The Jeda, excuse me,

Jadida, the daughter of Adia from

Boscath.

Isn't it interesting? The Bible tells us

where she's

from. The like this

mama, this mama is from a specific area

and you need to know where she's from

because it gives even more girl, you got

it going

on. It gives more of that impact. Why?

Because this area where she was born in,

it was in a valley in a plane. It's

actually the a region is called

Chapela. And Chapala, if you ever Google

that, you'll learn more than you ever

want to know. But Chappa is a

valley where you've got the mountains of

Judah, where Jerusalem and God is

worshiped on the mountains and it comes

down the mountains into the valley and

it goes over to the Mediterranean Sea

where the enemies of Israel came in and

they were living in that region and

there was a clash of kingdoms in

Chappella.

The city that she's from is right in the

middle of all of that. That means it's a

clash of cultures. It's a clash of

ideas. This the enemies, Israel's

greatest enemies were fought right

there. Uh David and Goliath, that battle

took place in Chappella. It's where

these worlds, the Philistines and

Israel, the clash of kingdoms, and there

was a battle of ideas, a battle of

theology, all of this is going on. And

and Josiah's mama was raised in the

middle of that hell hole, in the middle

of that chaos, in the middle of that

swirling idea of what's right and what's

wrong. And she was so strong. She was so

bold. She was so boss in who she was.

She got two handfuls of God and said,

"I'm not letting go. I know who you are.

And this culture won't sway me." and the

conflict and ideas being exchanged and

the pressure to go this way or that way.

It will not move me. I know who you are

and I'm holding on. And it was that that

raised this young lady up to produce a

son who would become the greatest king

that Israel ever saw and brought 31

years of peace and rest because there

was a mama who knew who God was. And she

didn't just teach her son who God was,

but she showed him how to know him for

himself. And God's identity was

imprinted on Josiah. And it changed

everything. Ladies and gentlemen, when

you and I know God that way changes

everything. Changes your home, changes

your relationships, changes your dating

relationships, changes how you handle

your money, changes how you deal with

boneheaded people at work. It it it

changes how you deal with social media.

It changes it. It affects all of that

because he's leading all these steps in

my

life. In fact, the place that she's

from,

Bos, it literally means, let me let me

just get it specifically down. Yeah,

that's it means elevation and a rocky

height. Those two words together, which

actually means it's a dangerous

promotion.

You're on a rocky ledge, but it's taken

you higher and

higher. She, this woman, was willing to

stand in a place that was dangerous in

exchange of opinions only to take a hold

of God and be elevated and go higher and

higher so that she could raise another

generation that would know who God is.

Would you please stand to your feet?

[Music]

So, speaking of

travel, last year, many of you know

Cindy and I both were invited and we

went to Switzerland to to speak in

Switzerland. Had an amazing amazing time

there. Did a little vacation while we're

there because when you're across the

pond, enjoy

it. But getting there was kind of tough.

because we left early one morning to get

to the

airport. How many you know when you go

to Orlando, it could be 17 hours or two.

You're just not really sure which one.

Like it just it's like just call the

helicopter. Just come drop me off. We'll

parachute into the airport and then just

flies off from

there. We do this drive. We get

there. We pull in. We start yanking bags

out. And I tell Cindy, "Run in, get in

line, get the passports out, and you we

can we can get ready to get checked in."

She went, "Oh my

god." And I

said, "Did Did Did we Did we forget? I I

did not I did not tell that. That's

That's my job. I'm supposed to I didn't

tell you. I didn't bring up I didn't

call out. We didn't We didn't talk about

passports, did we? We didn't We didn't

bring that part up." No, we didn't,

Scott. We missed that

flight. We drove back home and had to

fly out the next day. How many you know

they just don't give you new flights

going forward and they just like you got

to kind of reup some things. Here's what

I'm telling you. If you don't have the

right credentials, you're going

nowhere. It doesn't matter what kind of

price you think you've paid to get

there. If you don't have the right

identification, you go

nowhere. But with the right ID,

you can go everywhere. Jesus makes the

way. I want you to bow your heads in

this room today. If you're here and you

say, "Scott, my idea is

expired. I know I don't have the right

identification and I want to go

everywhere Jesus wants to take me. I

don't want to miss a thing. I'm not

going to do this perfect. I still got

things that I struggle with." Well, let

me help you. Me, too. All of us do. But

you want to link up with his identity on

your life and live life the way he

promised you could have it because it's

a it's a life he's already paid for. You

can't buy it. It's already been paid

for. He just wants you to accept it

through him. If you're here today on

this Mother's Day 2025 and you're

saying, "Scott, I want Jesus. I want his

identity on my life. I want to give him

me fresh and a new." On the count of

three, I just want you to shoot your

hand right up in the air real easily.

One, two, three. Where are you? Oh,

yeah, man. Hands everywhere. I love

y'all. Put your hands down. I I love

you. You know what? Way beyond me seeing

it. Heaven saw that. That's beautiful.

You're my kind of folks. I want

everyone, all of you, just pray this

prayer. Say, Jesus, Jesus, I choose you.

I choose you. Come into my heart.

Forgive me. Change me. Change me. I want

your identity. I want your identity on

my life. You are my sign.

You're my value.

You're my worth.

Help me to live this life. That pleases

you.

Thank you for saving me in Jesus name.

Amen. Can you put your hands together

right now for everyone who just prayed

that for a man? Hands were all through

this room today. 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.