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Get Back Up | Pastor Scott Thomas

Free Life Chapel Podcast

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  1. hello hello friend thank you so much for

  2. tuning in with us here at Free Life

  3. Chapel where we help you discover and

  4. live the free life in Christ my name is

  5. kotti and I'm so glad that you decided

  6. to tune in with us hey if you ever get a

  7. chance to come to the central Florida

  8. area come visit us we would love to

  9. connect with you face to face but until

  10. then visit our website freelive

  11. chapel.org to find out more about what's

  12. happening at your church today there's a

  13. phenomenal message in store just for you

  14. I hope you're encouraged

  15. Micah 7 verse 8

    Micah 7:8

  16. read it loud use your outside voice with

  17. me are you ready practice for later on

  18. here we go one two 3 our enemies have no

  19. reason to gloat over us we have fallen

  20. but we will rise say that last phrase

  21. Together We will rise again say it again

  22. we will rise use some P County attitude

  23. we will rise at that's what I'm talking

  24. about right there

  25. that's what I'm talking about I love

  26. watching I love watching football

  27. especially for the hits I'm all about

  28. the hits I grew up in I grew up in a in

  29. a in a in a Christian home my my dad was

  30. a pastor all my life but my dad wasn't

  31. confused when it came to sports when I

  32. played ball he said Son here's how it

  33. works we're

  34. Christians but you hit them as hard as

  35. you

  36. can and because we're Christians we'll

  37. pray for their healing

  38. later but hit them hard right now I I I

  39. I that that that's that was the mindset

  40. that I was say I that that's part of the

  41. reason I love watching football today

  42. there's going to be some big hits not on

  43. Mahomes there two hand touch on Mahomes

  44. but you understand like there there's

  45. some big hits that happen uh on in in in

  46. in ball games and you see you see a wide

  47. receiver going across the middle and he

  48. gets knocked over he loses his helmet

  49. because a defensive back was coming

  50. across and just had the eyeon bam hit

  51. him and separate him from the ball I

  52. love that stuff right there I love that

  53. but you know what really gets me going

  54. is when you see a dude take a shot bam

  55. whether he drops the ball or not he hits

  56. the

  57. deck and he pops right

  58. back he gets right back up you know what

  59. that is there's some attitude up inside

  60. that I know a little something about

  61. that when I was when I was in 10th Grade

  62. I I went to a I went to a school in

  63. Northern Virginia uh almost 25 200

  64. students it was a big school and they

  65. the football team was big the Wolverines

  66. that's who we were right we did our

  67. thing and all these like the the linemen

  68. like they're all got these D1

  69. scholarship offers they're going here

  70. and there and it look like that the my

  71. my job as a as a sophomore I'm playing

  72. outside linebacker on the defense and my

  73. job was to hold the big Shield pad and

  74. as the offense was running their plays

  75. just at least track with them keep

  76. outside containment and and run the play

  77. so that they would know where to hit who

  78. to block all that kind of thing well the

  79. coach called this one play and I'm this

  80. little runt

  81. sophomore and you've got Goliath's

  82. Brothers playing on the offensive

  83. line and they call a play and I'm

  84. running I'm pushing to the side I got my

  85. little Shield pad with me helmet

  86. shoulder pads on and this pulling guard

  87. he comes out he he's he's he's 300 plus

  88. he pulls around and he's running and he

  89. hits me in a dead

  90. run when this when this gentleman hit

  91. me the first thing of me to hit the

  92. ground was the back of my helmet and my

  93. shoulder pads my feet were in the air it

  94. hit me so hard I flipped over it was

  95. humiliating my the pad goes flying out

  96. of my hand I hear all the team everybody

  97. saw it because the play was running my

  98. way everybody goes oo

  99. humiliating and the coach comes running

  100. over and I don't know if he was

  101. concerned about me or not CA he's going

  102. are you okay you see that there's conf

  103. conflict

  104. there you don't laugh in my face while

  105. I'm trying to catch my breath I'm

  106. stuffing one lung back down my throat

  107. got like I'm I'm dying here I was

  108. [Music]

  109. humiliated but you know what I did as

  110. soon as I hit

  111. before I even hit the ground I was TR I

  112. knew it was going to be ugly I was

  113. trying to get back up again as soon as I

  114. hit the ground I'm digging I get back up

  115. and I'm standing there looking at

  116. him and they're saying are you okay and

  117. I said yes to all four of them there was

  118. one all four like all y'all I'm I'm I'm

  119. good I was trying to like put that

  120. together cuz I was rocked but I was

  121. fighting to get back up I I want you to

  122. understand there's some shots that we

  123. take in life but we got to keep getting

  124. back up have you ever been knocked down

  125. by a

  126. situation you ever had life just smack

  127. you in the

  128. mouth man there's there's some things

  129. that that that come and they they hit us

  130. that that we didn't see coming we get

  131. blindsided by some stuff rejection a

  132. diagnosis from the doctor spouse looks

  133. at you and say I'm out I'm done it's

  134. over it it it doesn't we we don't see it

  135. coming when these when these things hit

  136. you get you get lied on you get betrayed

  137. by somebody it hits hard and it kind of

  138. sucks the wind out of your life for just

  139. a minute I don't know if youve ever been

  140. there if you've never been there keep

  141. living keep sucking a it's on the I

  142. don't wish it on you I'm just telling

  143. you it's a part of life it happens when

  144. things happen to us we get knocked down

  145. by situations uh anybody ever had a

  146. self-inflicted

  147. wound many

  148. you knew you shouldn't have gone out

  149. with him you knew you shouldn't have

  150. gone out with him I'm sorry let me just

  151. get back to this I I shouldn't have gone

  152. there we we we do things knowing we

  153. shouldn't and sometimes it's not just

  154. the hits that other people throw in our

  155. life sometimes it's a decision I made

  156. that really goes sideways really fast I

  157. got I got fired from a job I I I I I did

  158. I I had to file bankruptcy I made some

  159. bad decision there's some things that we

  160. go through that hit us whether it's

  161. somebody else or it's decisions of our

  162. own choosing life comes to all of us we

  163. all get

  164. hit Cindy and I have been through

  165. several hits in our 30 plus years of

  166. marriage we buried two

  167. children that's

  168. hard I I I I didn't see that coming that

  169. wasn't my plan but we had to walk we had

  170. to walk that out that that one that one

  171. stung I don't mind telling you and and

  172. and we got betrayed by some friends

  173. publicly like on blast and you're

  174. sucking air trying to figure out how to

  175. navigate this whole thing like years of

  176. relationship and then that goes down and

  177. we're trying to know how to answer to

  178. the public but this is going on it it

  179. was just all of that the Betrayal the

  180. the lying all that thing and then some

  181. Financial hits there's some things we

  182. went through some things of our own

  183. choosing some things culture we we've

  184. all been rocked by some things whether

  185. it was us or somebody else shots hits

  186. thrown on us it's a part of life anybody

  187. ever had a shot thrown at you or you

  188. made a decision that it it it knocked

  189. you to the ground anybody ever been

  190. there done that okay that's called life

  191. we all take hits this opening verse that

  192. we that we open up with with the Book of

  193. Micah Michael was a prophet uh about 700

  194. years before Jesus came on the scene

  195. right so like he he's one of the old

  196. guys and and and Micah is talking here

  197. and and culture was spiraling culture

  198. was a mess it kind of looked like 2025

  199. like like culture was a mess and Micah

  200. is speaking on behalf of Israel in this

  201. entire chapter and and here here's what

  202. Micah says Micah says um we

  203. fell we blew it we pushed back on God we

  204. made decisions that were wrong we got

  205. LED astray by some other people as a

  206. nation we have absolutely we're living a

  207. train wreck and our enemy is laughing at

  208. us right now have you ever had somebody

  209. laugh at you because you fell

  210. down like people were close enough to

  211. help but they just chose to smile and

  212. walk

  213. on that that's that's what Micah is

  214. saying as a nation we've hit the ground

  215. we got the wind knocked out of us it is

  216. ugly right now it happened we blew it

  217. failed it it hurt it's a mess but he

  218. goes on to say this in the middle of all

  219. the hit but God is going to help us back

  220. up

  221. again now now now you have to understand

  222. he's saying this while he's still down

  223. he's stay saying this he's talking about

  224. God's ability to pick them up what God

  225. is going to do even though he was on the

  226. ground the nation was a mess at this

  227. time he was declaring this because being

  228. down doesn't mean being out as long as

  229. God is on the scene everything is going

  230. to be all right Micah believed that God

  231. would turn things

  232. around and that they would get back

  233. up and they did and God restored the

  234. nation what you believe about God is

  235. called

  236. theology theology is the study of God

  237. it's when you open your Bible and you

  238. discover God's thoughts God ways uh

  239. God's character and then you Embrace

  240. that everybody under the sound of my

  241. voice has a

  242. theology you don't have to have been to

  243. college you don't have to been to

  244. cemetery Seminary you don't have to have

  245. done all of that stuff in order to have

  246. a theology but you have a theology a

  247. mindset of God whether he's good or not

  248. whether he's faithful or not whether

  249. he'll be with you or not whether God is

  250. the one that's punishing you or if God

  251. is the one that is blessing you if

  252. blessing is based on a lottery or God

  253. just operate by his character you you've

  254. got all kind God you you got a Theology

  255. of God belled on you and failed you or

  256. God has always been by your side you you

  257. and I have a theology everybody in this

  258. room all you watching along all my

  259. brothers at pul correctional institute

  260. you've got a theology right now about

  261. God you've got a perspective of God and

  262. Micah's perspective was in our worst of

  263. times God is still good and you and I

  264. have got to wrestle with our theology

  265. because understand this what you believe

  266. about God determines what God is able to

  267. do for you in your

  268. situation let me put it this way if you

  269. believe God can change the situation he

  270. will if you don't believe he can he

  271. won't well I don't know if I like that

  272. Scott well let me give you some

  273. Bible Jesus walked into a town and there

  274. was a blind man that said Jesus heal me

  275. and Jesus goes I got you boo let's go

  276. and he took him by the hand and walked

  277. the dude out of the city he lived

  278. in the guy's going Jesus you going to

  279. heal me he said yeah keep walking with

  280. me but but Jesus no walk walk walk walk

  281. walk walk walk they got outside the city

  282. limits Jesus said I can heal you now he

  283. said why why not heal me there he said

  284. because there's so much unbelief in that

  285. City I will not do a miracle in that

  286. City

  287. wow I want you to understand something

  288. what you think and what you believe

  289. about God is what you will get from God

  290. God has expressed he put his his power

  291. on full display in his word and if you

  292. and I will get two handfuls and believe

  293. him even when the circumstances look

  294. against him despite what mama taught you

  295. despite what life is trying to tell you

  296. despite what your friend said despite

  297. what what you've been through God is

  298. good and you and I have got to believe

  299. that because there's a challenge that we

  300. all face in life kind of reminds me when

  301. I was a kid what we used to

  302. play if there was three of us standing

  303. here together one two three I would

  304. reach over and I would slap the guy on

  305. the back of the neck over here and I

  306. just turned and walk

  307. away and the guy who got slapped got mad

  308. at the guy beside him like what the and

  309. now here they going at it and I'm the

  310. one who threw the shot I want you to

  311. understand the enemy of your life is

  312. good at throwing shots and blaming God

  313. for stuff he slaps and he points at God

  314. he slaps look God failed you he slaps

  315. see God didn't help your child he slaps

  316. see God's Not A Healer and he slaps and

  317. he points he slaps and he points and you

  318. and I develop our theology based on what

  319. all the evidence seems to be pointing to

  320. and you and I've got to be so careful

  321. because we can actually convict God off

  322. of evidence that is actually not against

  323. him it's circumstantial but it's not

  324. reality I know what it is I did this

  325. when we lost our kids I got so angry

  326. with God I screamed at God oh you can't

  327. do that well I

  328. did I was a pastor while it was going on

  329. you ever been you ever just been mad at

  330. God some of y'all are hon honest enough

  331. be real but that's okay I'm going to

  332. just tell you where my stuff was this is

  333. how I was out there I got mad I screamed

  334. at God where

  335. the I had a private conversation with

  336. god you understand where are you I got

  337. so mad at it that that I then okay fine

  338. and I gave him the silent treatment I

  339. got him

  340. good ain't talking to

  341. you well that didn't last

  342. long Jesus like I like I was trying

  343. everything trying to express myself and

  344. because he's good and because he's a

  345. father he could handle my temper tantrum

  346. he could handle me dealing with life and

  347. trying to work it out and trying to

  348. figure it out because what happened was

  349. when I went through the worst crisis of

  350. my life my theology got rocked right I

  351. then begin to question stuff and if

  352. that's not true then what about those

  353. things and what about those things and

  354. all of a sudden my world was shifting

  355. and I wasn't sure how to move forward

  356. from here this is why the Bible over and

  357. over again highlights God's hand his

  358. help his work to reveal his character so

  359. that you and I develop the right

  360. theology on on who God is and what he

  361. wants to do not just in their lives but

  362. your life and my life as well would you

  363. turn to some tell them God wants to

  364. bless you just tell God wants to bless

  365. you God wants to help

  366. you there's a guy named Joseph sold into

  367. slavery by his brothers only for God to

  368. turn around and make him the governor of

  369. Egypt the there's a guy named Moses had

  370. an anger problem he killed a dude and

  371. was running he was a fugitive for 40

  372. years God met him in the desert and had

  373. him go back and become the deliverer for

  374. the entire nation of Israel God knows

  375. how to pick you back up again and get

  376. you back to where you need to be there

  377. was a girl named Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth she

  378. was a young Widow got married young her

  379. husband died she moved back to a foreign

  380. country she's Poe she wasn't poor she

  381. was po y'all she couldn't afford the

  382. other o or the r she was

  383. Po and she was out picking up corn that

  384. that the farmers had left around the

  385. corner just to servant helped and ran

  386. into a guy named Boaz hey and she

  387. married Boaz and she and Boaz she they

  388. started having babies and and and Ruth

  389. this girl who was a widow and poor and

  390. in a foreign country all of a sudden

  391. becomes one of the great grandmothers of

  392. Jesus God knows how to pick people up

  393. job he was wealth that's not job that's

  394. that's job job job was was was wealthy

  395. and then he went Bank

  396. rupt only for God to double everything

  397. why because job didn't lose his theology

  398. I'm not going to curse God I will not

  399. blame God I'll keep my eyes on even when

  400. I don't understand him I'll Trust his

  401. heart when I can't see his hand I'm

  402. going to keep moving towards him David

  403. he had a giant

  404. issue never mind he he he had he had to

  405. he had to face Goliath and then and then

  406. David after he kills big ugly now is

  407. running for his life 21 attempts on his

  408. life by the king of Israel trying to

  409. take him out then David if that wasn't

  410. enough then he has an affair with a girl

  411. named basba trying to hide it has her

  412. husband

  413. killed he's confronted by the prophet

  414. cries and repents and because his heart

  415. was so tender before God here was God's

  416. testimony about David he's a man after

  417. my own heart jacked up Twisted

  418. David I love him and I can bring anybody

  419. back if you're theolog is right if

  420. you'll trust me when you don't

  421. understand me if you'll trust me when it

  422. looks bad you see those stories ladies

  423. and gentlemen they're there to shape

  424. your theology your your attitude your

  425. mindset your expectations towards God

  426. that's why they're there to help us when

  427. we take our own hits in life that if he

  428. did it then he can do it again he

  429. doesn't just do it in the Bible he he

  430. doing it right now in your life in my

  431. life how many of you would have to admit

  432. there is no reason why I am in this room

  433. right now that God must have been

  434. working to pick me up and to turn some

  435. things around yes yes I know

  436. that I love that I'm I've got the same

  437. story you see God God works his best

  438. stuff in our life when we realize number

  439. one he loves us I mean I mean loves

  440. you not like your spouse not like your

  441. kids he loves you

  442. he knows you

  443. completely

  444. fully the part you don't talk

  445. about the yeah okay okay you're going to

  446. make me go there the browser history

  447. he's aware of that what's on your

  448. computer he he knows what happened on

  449. vacation last year he knows he knows the

  450. text M he knows all of that and is crazy

  451. about you other folks they know parts of

  452. you God knows you fully and is crazy

  453. about you and number two he for you

  454. there's no scorecard he's not throwing

  455. elbows if God wanted to get you he'd

  456. have got you right he's not trying to

  457. pull you down he's trying to show you

  458. that I'm a friend that will stick closer

  459. than a brother I know how to help you

  460. through things that you can't help

  461. yourself through I just need you to

  462. trust me dog I got you back this is who

  463. he is he loves you he's for you and

  464. number three he's got a plan to pick you

  465. back up again he's not he's not a

  466. spectator watching him going oh oh

  467. dto he's waiting on us while we're down

  468. to reach so I turn him from a spectator

  469. into a

  470. savior he's there he's available he's

  471. watching and he knows how to handle and

  472. get you through this in Genesis chapter

    Genesis 15 chapter mention

  473. 15 the same thing happened guy named

  474. Abraham y'all know Abraham right the old

  475. guy that God said you're G to have a

  476. baby and like all his Plumbing is

  477. stopped working there's no little blue

  478. pill like there's nothing out there to

  479. help the guy out

  480. only for the promise of God to happen he

  481. has a boy named Isaac right God looks at

  482. Abraham in Genesis 15 he said difficult

  483. days are

  484. coming I ain't going to let I ain't I'm

  485. going not going to lie there's some hits

  486. coming and your kids are going to make

  487. some Twisted crazy decisions they're

  488. going to walk away from me they're going

  489. to Rebel they're going to push back on

  490. me and they're going to be stuck in in a

  491. situation they're not going to like and

  492. it's going to be hard God God's laying

  493. this out God's a realist he talks about

  494. life Jesus said in this world you will

  495. have trouble but take heart I've

  496. overcome the world in other words reach

  497. to the one who can do something and God

  498. looks at Abraham in Genesis 15:14 listen

    Genesis 15:14

  499. to what he said but I will punish the

  500. nation that enslaves them and in the end

  501. they will come away with great

  502. wealth here's what I want you to

  503. understand God planned their comeback

  504. before the fall even happened

  505. he said I'm telling you they're going to

  506. screw up but before the screw up happens

  507. I'm just telling you I'm going to

  508. restore them I've already got a plan to

  509. bring them all the way back around I

  510. don't know what broke your heart what

  511. made you cry what made you want to quit

  512. what made you move to another state what

  513. put you in the situation you're in right

  514. now but I'm here to tell you the fall

  515. was not fatal and God is still working

  516. in your life and as long as you got a

  517. pulse there is hope and you can come out

  518. of this because God has already planned

  519. your comeback turn to someone tell him

  520. get back up get back up get back

  521. up so here's my message to you here's my

  522. message everyone gets hit in

  523. life look at the person beside you look

  524. at them look at them they got their Bell

  525. rung they've been knocked to the ground

  526. yes they have some of them laying down

  527. there right now

  528. help help I'm fallen and I can't get

  529. yeah yeah I just had to say it cuz you

  530. were thinking

  531. it

  532. everyone everyone gets hit in life

  533. number two everyone not only gets hit in

  534. life Everyone Falls in life all of us do

  535. there's no rock stars in the room I've

  536. been there I've tasted the dirt I know

  537. what that's like everyone gets hit

  538. Everyone Falls but here's the key not

  539. everyone gets back

  540. up there's some folks that are still

  541. laying on the

  542. ground and they're still talking about

  543. the

  544. hit and they're still pointing

  545. fingers yeah they they went through a

  546. tragic divorce the problem is been

  547. married for five years but they still

  548. talk more about their ex than they do

  549. their present

  550. all none of y'all have to come back next

  551. week me and Pastor George got it we're

  552. going to have church all by

  553. oursel how do I I know if I'm still down

  554. are you still talking about your past or

  555. you looking at your future which one are

  556. you talking about

  557. more are you still reminiscing over what

  558. they said do you still have these

  559. harbored thing you're still laying on

  560. the ground if you're there because you

  561. got your eyes so much on your past you

  562. can't see forward I'm not even looking

  563. at where I'm going what God has promised

  564. what his word is saying that he's able

  565. to pick me up and move me forward I've

  566. got to put my mind on that Proverbs

    Proverbs 24:16

  567. 24:16 read it loud read it proud here's

  568. what it says The Godly May trip seven

  569. times but they will get up again but one

  570. disaster is enough to overthrow the

  571. wicked wi wicked wicked there is not

  572. like you're thinking Wicked is somebody

  573. who is just separated from God I've

  574. lived that Wicked life I would just

  575. separate from God the righteous are just

  576. people who are in relationship not

  577. perfect don't have it all together they

  578. just we just have a

  579. savior those who have called on Jesus

  580. they they get hit they fall seven times

  581. but they get up

  582. eight those who don't have Christ when

  583. they fall there's no getting up they're

  584. down for the count and you don't have to

  585. be counted out in life Jesus is the one

  586. that brings the resurrection back to us

  587. so there's two quick keys to getting to

  588. getting back up in life this is

  589. it after this we're all going to go to

  590. Bob Evans it's going to be great so here

  591. here we go two two two to Quick two

  592. quick us to getting back up number one

  593. it's so simple it's so simple but I got

  594. to say it you need to call on

  595. Jesus you you know but but please hear

  596. me don't make that so remedial you got

  597. to ask him to help you back

  598. up Jesus isn't

  599. absent he's your answer right he's

  600. watching he's close enough to help but

  601. he needs you to call on

  602. him we call on everybody but him

  603. peanut Billy Bob Wilbur we call on all

  604. kinds of folks and usually we call on

  605. folks just as crazy as we are or help

  606. get us in the situation we keep reaching

  607. on stupid never mind let me come back to

  608. here so we we we got to make sure that

  609. that that we're calling on Jesus the one

  610. who can actually help us through this

  611. Micah chap watch this Micah 7 we read

  612. the first half of the verse in the

  613. beginning but I want to read the second

  614. half of the same verse to you because

  615. Micah goes on to say this though I sit

  616. in dark Darkness the Lord is a light for

  617. me in other words I can be in my

  618. situation I can be on the ground but as

  619. soon as I catch an eye full of Jesus I

  620. know that everything is going to be all

  621. right and he puts hope in my darkness

  622. and he brings light in my situation and

  623. so now you get around us in church and

  624. you hear us sing and worship and praise

  625. and you might think we actually have it

  626. all together when you don't know we're

  627. just as jacked up and taking as many

  628. hits As You Are but I got my eye on the

  629. answer and I'm seeing for in my future

  630. I'm not focused on my past the

  631. experience is not my focus the

  632. expectation is my focus and when that

  633. changes light comes in your darkness and

  634. I can handle anything as long as I know

  635. I'm on my way out this is what Jesus

  636. does number one you need Jesus tell

  637. somebody you need Jesus you need

  638. Jesus number two it's going to irritate

  639. some of you but just deal with it

  640. you need the

  641. church y'all sure enough need the church

  642. yes and by the way the church is not a

  643. building the church are the

  644. people you can find the church at

  645. Starbucks you can find the church at

  646. Target you can find the church at a cal

  647. no you you can find the church

  648. you you can find the church on

  649. vacation you can find somebody who's a

  650. total stranger and they are the church

  651. there's nothing like that because the

  652. church why do I need the church the

  653. church the intention of God's word of

  654. God's plan was to be one that lifts and

  655. heals and moves us forward Proverbs

  656. chapter 17: 17 if you're looking for

  657. another tat this is a good one this is a

  658. good one check this out here's what it

  659. says read it read it loud read it proud

  660. a friend loves at all times and a

  661. brother is there for times of trouble

  662. your Bible just defined what a friend is

  663. Right a friend loves it all times even

  664. when the reputation is bad a friend

  665. still

  666. loves and when everybody walks out a you

  667. look up and a friend a real friend is

  668. still standing there if your friend

  669. can't handle your situation and they run

  670. they're not your friend a friend loves

  671. at all times a brother is born born

  672. created exists for not slapping high

  673. fives over a ball game not sharing the

  674. same Jersey a brother exists for

  675. adversity they're there to fight for me

  676. and to fight with me a brother is built

  677. you know what this verse is telling us

  678. you're not built to do life alone I'm

  679. not here to do it isolated I need you in

  680. my life you need me in your life we need

  681. each other your neighbor is wearing some

  682. ugly shoes but you need them in your

  683. life right now

  684. look some of y'all looking at your

  685. neighbor's shoes right now let me see

  686. what they look

  687. like watch I'm almost done Ecclesiastes

    Ecclesiastes 4 chapter mention

  688. chapter 4 says this two are better than

  689. one they have good reward for their

  690. labor when one is down the other is

  691. there to pick his brother up you know

  692. you got a brother you know you got a

  693. sister when they're always picking you

  694. up and they don't let you f focused they

  695. don't let you reminisce on where you've

  696. been they've got you focused on where

  697. you're going and they keep talking hope

  698. and life and promise and that my friend

  699. is the

  700. church yesterday I did something I never

  701. should have done but I did it you ever

  702. done that sure you

  703. have it's been well over a year since

  704. I've gone and I've run Lake

  705. Hollingsworth Lake Collinsworth me if

  706. you're not from this area 2.8 2.9 miles

  707. something like that who knows it may as

  708. well been one I it's it's a long

  709. ways and I decided let's go I will to

  710. move my 57 years around this Lake let's

  711. get it

  712. done I went out there I'm 10 steps into

  713. it I'm feeling muscles pull that I

  714. didn't even know I ever had like what in

  715. the heck are you doing my body's

  716. rebelling against me like all that's

  717. going on but then you know there there's

  718. this thing and so I'm running I'm

  719. running and I lifted my head I'm looking

  720. at my watching like okay I'm a mile and

  721. a half into this I haven't stopped I'm

  722. doing good I got one lung hanging out of

  723. my mouth over here like I'm I'm getting

  724. through

  725. it and I I made a I made a a pack with

  726. myself when I got to a mile and a half

  727. I'm going to stop I'm going to walk for

  728. a half a mile oh you deserve it I was

  729. looking for an ice cream shop somewhere

  730. along the way you

  731. know I'm running and I get to that mile

  732. and a half marker like woo and I look up

  733. and probably 50 yards ahead was this

  734. lady

  735. [Applause]

  736. something inside me said catch

  737. her help me Holy Ghost and so here I

  738. went man I I so let's let's let's just

  739. just run to the lady just just make it

  740. to the lady like slow down but but run

  741. run to the

  742. lady and I get to where she is I'm like

  743. who and I'm thinking real I'm in my I'm

  744. having these conversations in my head

  745. you made it slow down breathe and then

  746. here's what my but if you pass her

  747. running and and then slow down and stop

  748. she's going to think that well you're

  749. not even really running you were just

  750. trying to outdo her and so I got all

  751. these games going on in my mind and I

  752. look up and there's someone 30 yards

  753. ahead and my head goes run to them run

  754. okay let's go what are you doing run and

  755. so I'm I'm running and I get to them and

  756. I promise you there's another and so I

  757. kept running to people

  758. I lifted my head and I'm going over two

  759. and a half miles I'm like what is wrong

  760. with

  761. me I finished the whole lake without

  762. stopping because of people I didn't even

  763. know they they didn't have a

  764. clue how they were helping

  765. me but because they were out walking

  766. that day they kept setting goals for me

  767. and so I just kept moving where they

  768. were and once I passed them I lift my

  769. eyes and I found somebody else and I

  770. passed and I kept on moving and I lifted

  771. my head and oh I made it all the way

  772. around you and I need each other and

  773. it's not that we got to be besties and

  774. it's all going to be like that but when

  775. you get around some other people and you

  776. keep showing up on Sundays somehow Life

  777. Starts turning for you cuz you start

  778. seeing some faces I've been praying for

  779. you man I've been watching for you

  780. you're coming through this you're not by

  781. yourself we're going to come out the

  782. other side there's nothing like knowing

  783. you got a crew a posy an army that

  784. you're getting through it together this

  785. is why the church exists don't run from

  786. the church run to the church if you feel

  787. alone run to the church if your marriage

  788. is a mess run to the church going

  789. through divorce run to the church sick

  790. run to the church unexpected pregnancy

  791. run to the church sleeping with anything

  792. that will lay down with you run to the

  793. church questioning your sexual

  794. identification run to the church moral

  795. failure run to the church bankrupt

  796. addicted Angry Run to the church

  797. convicted serving time or released just

  798. get to the

  799. church we want to get you back on your

  800. feet again you got a life to live if God

  801. be for you who can be against you you're

  802. going to be all right but you need some

  803. people who can remind you of the plan

  804. God has for your life so let me just put

  805. you on notice we're not afraid of your

  806. failure I don't give a rip what your

  807. reputation is you're welcome in this

  808. place because all of us have a past all

  809. of us has a reputation all of us are got

  810. some nasty on us somewhere we've all got

  811. some stories so you got hit guess what

  812. we did too you fell down guess what we

  813. did too

  814. but the god that we know and the god

  815. that we serve knows how to pick you back

  816. up if he did it for

  817. me he can do it for you too let me

  818. finish with

  819. this Malachi my grandson had a birthday

  820. in January January the

  821. 22nd and before his birthday we had

  822. bought this gift that had to be put

  823. together and so I went over early before

  824. the birthday party and I'm working on it

  825. took me two

  826. hours I pull it out of the box it comes

  827. all so nightly P nicely

  828. packaged and when I opened the

  829. directions up it filled the living

  830. room like what the

  831. heck and I'm like point one uh step one

  832. step two step three step four and I'm

  833. walking through about 24 25 steps to

  834. finishing this whole thing

  835. out I'm moving through getting it done I

  836. get down literally I was on step number

  837. 19 step number 20 and it's looking good

  838. I'm like you go taking some wheezys with

  839. it I'm I'm I'm I'm kind of proud of

  840. myself like I did

  841. that and when I got right towards the

  842. end I look around

  843. and well what's that piece doing

  844. there the devil is a liar like what why

  845. why in the

  846. world and I go back I pick piece up and

  847. I look at the little sticker and it

  848. tells me what piece number it is and I

  849. look back to the very beginning of the

  850. of the instructions I go where where's

  851. that number look back to number 18 19 20

  852. 21 to no it doesn't go on there where

  853. does it go oh that was step number

  854. seven I missed step

  855. seven and it was looking good it was

  856. taking shape like it it looked good but

  857. but this

  858. piece had to be put on at step seven

  859. but I had already put so many other

  860. pieces together that now it wouldn't

  861. just fit

  862. in I had to start taking the thing

  863. apart and start pulling pieces off and

  864. pulling the back off and pull this leg

  865. down and take this thing out and get

  866. this wedged in there like all that some

  867. duct tape it all end up working together

  868. like like we got it all in but I had to

  869. back all the way up to the

  870. beginning because I missed a

  871. step many of you have taken some hits in

  872. life and no one even understands your

  873. story you're a living breathing walking

  874. miracle I get it but here's what I do

  875. know you and I in our drive to come out

  876. we can start trying to put our life

  877. together we're making great decisions

  878. you're back in school and you're getting

  879. some counseling and and and you got a

  880. new friend group or you moved and and

  881. you're making some great decisions and

  882. life is starting to take some shape I

  883. want you to understand

  884. if you're going to finish it and be able

  885. to enjoy it because it's the way it's

  886. supposed to be you got to make sure you

  887. don't skip the beginning

  888. step Jesus has got to go in the

  889. beginning or you will get all this put

  890. together and realize I've got to break

  891. it all back down again because it's not

  892. working I did all of this but it's still

  893. not right I've got to get Jesus in the

  894. very beginning so then everything that

  895. follows it will come together ladies and

  896. gentlemen you've done some great moves

  897. but without Jesus you're going to have

  898. to take life apart again if you'll get

  899. Jesus back in his proper place he puts

  900. structure and strength to the whole

  901. thing and he will help you finish the

  902. Masterpiece he made you to be would you

  903. please stand in your feet in this

  904. room it's an amazing amazing crowd in

  905. this room today all my brothers at py I

  906. am talking to you I love you guys

  907. I love you guys and God's not bailed on

  908. you he's right there he's got your back

  909. and his plan is still in full effect

  910. it's not a plan B God knows how to take

  911. and get the best out of your life trust

  912. him in this but all of us in this room

  913. we've taken some

  914. hits and for some of us in this room

  915. we're still down it's crazy you could be

  916. down and still have a lot of money you

  917. could be down driving a nice car you

  918. could be down have your marriage have a

  919. business education you can and still be

  920. down

  921. he wants to bring you fully alive

  922. today and I want to ask you to Bow your

  923. heads in this room if you're here today

  924. and you say Scott I don't know Jesus

  925. that way I'm not invited him in or it's

  926. been a minute and I I got to admit I'm a

  927. long ways into putting my life back

  928. together again but I'm missing a peace

  929. and I recognize that I need Jesus in my

  930. life I need to put him back in his

  931. proper place if you're in this room and

  932. say Scott I want to pray I want to get

  933. Jesus back involved in my life I want

  934. him to lead my life I'm reaching for him

  935. today so that I could connect with his

  936. house and get my future back on the

  937. count of three I want you to throw your

  938. hand in the air we want to pray a simple

  939. prayer that's going to transition

  940. everything here we go are you ready one

  941. two three raise that hand raise that

  942. hand where are you hold that hand right

  943. there hold it right there we had 69 in

  944. the first service 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

  945. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 to 1 to 2

  946. to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 to 7 to8 39 3 31 32

  947. 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

  948. 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58

  949. 59 60 61 that's the balcony 62 63 64 656

  950. 7 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 7 78 79

  951. 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 9 2 93

  952. 94 95 96 97 98 9 100 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

  953. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 212 23

  954. 24 25 26 27 28 39 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

  955. 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46

  956. 47 I at least see 147 hands you can put

  957. those hands down right now

  958. [Applause]

  959. can I tell you

  960. something you didn't raise your hand for

  961. me you were reaching for

  962. Jesus I want you to pray this prayer for

  963. me everybody in the place pray this

  964. prayer loud and proud say Jesus Jesus I

  965. give you me I give you me forgive me

  966. forgive me I Repent I Repent change me

  967. change take all of me take all of I take

  968. all of you I take all of you I want I

  969. want to serve you to serve you with my

  970. life with my life today today I'm yours

  971. I'm Yours and you're mine you're m in

  972. Jesus name in Jesus name amen amen amen

  973. amen

  974. [Music]

  975. [Applause]

  976. amen I want to pray over everybody in

  977. the room today because there's a lot of

  978. you that you love Jesus but you've taken

  979. some hits and I want you to know the

  980. spirit of God sees you and he's for you

  981. he loves you and he's rushing by your

  982. side today reach for him again dust off

  983. your theology and go back after him

  984. again in and begin to Proclaim his

  985. goodness and his faithfulness and his

  986. power to turn you around and to pick you

  987. back up again heavenly father in the

  988. name of Jesus I pray over every person

  989. in this room those who have just

  990. accepted you and those in this room who

  991. already known you but God we were taking

  992. hits and we might be down in this moment

  993. we've been separated from the ball we we

  994. we got rocked but Lord today you're

  995. going to help us get back up again there

  996. is a comeback there is a stepping up

  997. we're bouncing back from every situation

  998. we will not not stay down and I pray

  999. your love your power your hope your

  1000. strength would invade lives and hearts

  1001. those who are crying in this room right

  1002. now those who Hearts have been broken I

  1003. thank you that your very present help in

  1004. the time of trouble that you show up

  1005. when everybody walked out that you do

  1006. your best work in the night Seasons so

  1007. that our song comes back and our joy

  1008. comes back and our laugh comes back God

  1009. give us some light in the darkness and

  1010. show us that our future is still Fully

  1011. Alive in the name of Jesus I'm asking

  1012. for mirac Les I'm asking for you to

  1013. resurrect hope and resurrect homes and

  1014. resurrect marriages and resurrect Joy

  1015. today God over marriages and singles and

  1016. students and and grandparents and

  1017. business owners God I'm asking you to do

  1018. what only you can do and as you do your

  1019. part the Church of Jesus Christ will

  1020. stand Here With Arms Wide Open with no

  1021. judgment but fully Embrace and watch you

  1022. work to change and restore lives

  1023. completely we love you honor you and

  1024. thank you today

  1025. in Jesus name everybody

  1026. said amen amen one more time put those

  1027. hands together we hope this message

  1028. encouraged you for more encouraging

  1029. messages feel free to visit our website

  1030. Freel chapel.org until then I hope you

  1031. have an amazing day