Holy Hype | Step Up | Pastor Scott Thomas

hello hello friend thank you so much for

tuning in here at Free Life Chapel where

we help you discover and live the free

life in Christ my name is cot and I'm so

glad that you're tuning in with us if

you ever find yourself in the central

Florida area come visit us we want to

connect with you face to face but until

then visit our website freelive

chapel.org to find out more about what's

happening at your church there's a

phenomenal message in store just for you

I hope you're encouraged so for for

Christmas uh cadb Elizabeth bought me

one of

I'm a dude that loves gadgets where are

the dudes that love gadgets any Gadget

guys and okay yeah I know there's

probably some ladies too but yeah just

it's a it's a it's a dude thing so they

they bought me this this cool

deal that's kind of for me but not

really it's so it's got this it's a it's

a it's a battery it's like a bomb

battery like it's got a light on it it's

got It's got like like really really

cool stuff on it like hey how you like

that uh it's it's yeah can does it turn

off yeah okay there you go like it's

cool but but what's beyond the battery

what's cool about the

battery is it connects to some jumper

cables look at

that and so that means if I find you

stranded at

Walmart I can hook up this little b i

carry this battery in my truck I can

hook

up if I can clip on to you and your

battery I can charge your battery and

get you up and going you can say thank

you

later you're welcome it's it's not even

for me really it's it's to help somebody

else have have you ever been trying to

go somewhere you got in your car tried

to start up and the battery was dead

anybody ever had a dead battery and

you've been trying to get to

work dead battery going on

vacation that battery comeing to church

yeah call us I got a I got a charger

like like like there's it's frustrating

when you want to go but watch this the

battery's dead when the battery's dead

you're going nowhere can I tell you

something when your battery is dead your

life is going

nowhere and the thing that brings your

battery back to life is a Biblical word

called encouragement

encouragement I know it sounds so oh

yeah I've heard about this word I know

you got all your Tony Robbins videos you

watch good for you I've heard Oprah yeah

that that's all good

everything anybody I don't care if

they're self-help if they're a doctor

anything you've ever heard about

encouragement that is true it comes from

the

Bible encouragement is God's

idea it's not the culture's idea it's

not just be a good person no that's that

that's th this is a Biblical idea and I

believe we have underestimated its power

and I want to talk to you about that

today think about the word

encouragement it has a prefix in and

then courage to put courage into

something when you encourage somebody

you're pouring courage into somebody who

is discouraged

if you are discouraged you are

depleted and since it takes courage to

do anything in life you need to make

sure that your courage tank is filled so

you can go somewhere in life we all need

encouragement would you turn to someone

sit beside you and tell them you need to

encourage me just tell them you need to

encourage

me now watch this watch this watch this

1 Thessalonians chapter 5: 11 read it

loud with me read it proud here we go 1

2 3 encourage each other and build each

other up just as you were already

do encourage each other watch and build

each other

up encouragement is a

builder it strengthens the structure and

the foundation of who you are and when

Paul was writing this to the church and

thessalonia he was saying encourage and

build each other up just as you are

already doing it's interesting to me

that he highlights what's already going

on and tells him now do more of

it I know you're encouraging now do more

I know you're lifting each other up but

do more of it Paul is not highlighting

prayer I know you're encouraging others

but you need to pray more that's not

what he said I know you're encouraging

each other but you need you need to give

more didn't say that serve more didn't

say that read your Bible more didn't say

that he said I know you're encouraging

others I'm telling you to do more

encouraging that means encouragement is

not just a nice thing to do

encouragement has a spiritual impact to

it it's deeper than just making somebody

feel good about today it goes deeper

than that and we need to look at this

why was Paul encouraging the Believers

to keep the encouragement going because

it's foundational to your life today I

want to talk about this and unpack this

for you the first thing the first the

first person the first thing you need to

do with encouragement is number one

Encourage

Yourself turn to someone tell them you

got to speak to yourself sometimes you

got to speak to yourself

sometimes you ever done that you ever

encouraged

yourself you heard me say it before I've

left myself voicemails

couldn't find anybody to encourage me so

I'll encourage myself Scott you

goodlooking devil

[Applause]

you that that was so please cut that do

not show that ever for all of you online

I'm so sorry you just saw

that Scott you're going to make it today

I know they're on your nerves but God's

for you you're going to be fine son keep

going fearfully and wonderfully made you

got this I've left myself voice message

like like that and after I get done

laughing at myself I start listening and

you know what it Dagon helps encouraging

words are powerful the Bible gives us a

story in 1 Samuel where David and all of

his Warriors they left their camp in a

place called ziklag and they went out to

battle when they came back they came

back to find out that while they were

gone one of the surrounding enemies

today David the amalekites came in and

they completely tore up stole everything

in their camp and kidnap the women and

children David was a mess and even worse

than that David's Warriors his men were

off I mean they they lost they lost it

they lost their minds they be the Bible

says they were crying they were angry

that all this range of motion they were

going nuts and they directed it towards

David and the Bible says that they

talked about stoning David now some of

y'all going yeah I've been stoned before

no that's a whole different level of

stone I'm talking about this this and

this one like we want to drop rocks on

David's head we want to beat the life

out of him because of what David did he

led us out left it exposed my wife and

my kids are

gone and the Bible says something really

interesting in 1st Samuel chter 30: 6 it

says this David encouraged

himself in the Lord his

God sometimes you got to encourage

yourself yes sir you can't wait on

somebody to come around you can't wait

on somebody to call you send that text

message you know what you need to hear

but let me ask you here's my question to

you how how do you talk to

yourself are you an

encourager or are you judgmental of you

do you see yourself as a

failure do you see yourself well it's

not fair it's not right are are you

heavy and hard on yourself do you not

give yourself a break are are you always

throwing elbows on you like like you you

get 13 people give you a compliment on

the on the hair change but one person

doesn't like it and that one person

trumps all 13 people and that's all that

you think about all day long are you are

you that person that your word is just

just it's just hard you to see yourself

as a failure or or are your words are

your words strong are your words

uplifting are you are you saying no I

know I fell down but I'm learning I'm

growing I'm discovering new ways to keep

moving forward I've never done that

before but I bet I can learn I want to

start something new when you hear a new

challenge about something that you're

not doing do you see it as well I'm a

failure I can't do that or do you see it

hey that's something I need to try to

start in my life how do you look at it

is it half empty or is it half full

which way are you looking at it it's

critical that you and I learn to use

God's word to encourage ourselves you

know why because sometimes you and I

don't even believe our own

words our words don't seem to impact us

because we see ourselves so bad or or we

we we see ourselves as a failure I

didn't get this done I can't do that and

so we it's hard to even encourage

ourselves in that and that's why we need

the Bible because I need God's word

whose word and opinion is higher than

everybody else's that can speak to my

life because it's based on his love his

reputation his faithfulness and when I

speak God's word over my life that's a

different level of speaking and so

sometimes you've got to speak to

yourself you've got to encourage

yourself with the word of God this is

this is what Paul did in the Bible in

the book of Ephesian uh uh 1 Corinthians

he he he starts talking like what what

shall separate me from the love of God

he said nothing trial tribulation stress

he he's he wasn't preaching a message he

was talking to himself when he could

find nobody to speak life into him he

decided to speak life into himself

talking about the faithfulness and the

goodness of God you and I need

encouragement and sometimes it's got to

come from us you need to look yourself

in the mirror and encourage yourself

that sometimes you got to do

it if if you're waiting on somebody else

to do it it may never

come number

two you got to encourage

others I know really deep

huh encourage

yourself but also encourage

others in Acts chapter 4 this idea of

Acts 4 · chapter mention

encouragement is like taking through the

roof there's a guy named Joseph who was

who was working with the churches loved

God and and he was is so powerful watch

this in his encouragement of other

people that all the leaders got around

and say yo Joseph come here we got to

talk to you what's up he said I know

your government name is

Joseph but we're changing your name you

are now officially called

Barnabas Barnabas because Barnabas means

son of

encouragement you are now going to you

you're words your presence when you

engage with somebody you're such a

lifegiver you build people they have a

hope they have a strength they have a

joy that they didn't have until you got

there son you got to understand what is

on your life is changing people around

you we will now rename you Barnabas and

the Bible says in the book of Acts chap

11 Stephen after he was just

stoned after he had just been Stephen

was stoned for his faith

some of y'all need to come back to

church after he was stoned for his faith

all of a sudden the Christians in

Antioch are like man we ain't going

public with our faith that are you

serious this is scary they're killing

Christians for their faith and the Bible

says that the church in Jerusalem sent

Barnabas to Antioch go encourage the

Saints encourage the Believers to stand

strong and the Bible says in Acts 11: 23

when he Barnabas arrived and saw the

grace of God he rejoiced and encouraged

them all to abide in the Lord with all

their hearts in other words Barnabas

showed up he was on a mission I want you

to build the Saints I want you to

encourage the people give them a hope

they don't have give them a joy they

weren't feeling give them something to

look at and the Bible says he lifted

them he encouraged them in a time of

fear and loss encouragement showed up to

turn the situation around

you can be going through a horrible

scenario when encouragement shows up

you're better than you are it may not

have changed the circumstances but

you're better in the circumstances

you're stronger in the circumstances and

as long as you stay strong everything is

going to be fine sometimes you need a

hookup and you and I are to be these

people that are walking around with our

little hookup waiting to connect with

somebody who do I see that they are

discouraged their battery is dead

they're going nowhere they have no Hope

they've got no joy they've lost their

dreams who can I connect to because God

has put so much in me I'm a walking

lifegiver everywhere I go looking to

connect and pour this joy into somebody

[Applause]

else we

need

encouragers in our homes

again like like in in home not like you

left your socks on the

floor they may have done

it but you didn't leave your underwear

on the

floor I I'm going to find

something to

encourage ladies it's going to be hard

encouraging your husband I know but just

hang in in there just hang in

there no but in in our marriages we need

more

encouragement with with our kids Oh

Heaven Help Us today our kids need to

hear

encouragement because social media and

what's going on today and what they hear

it's so competitive driven and how they

don't add up and they're not enough and

I don't have this and I don't have that

and I should be here and I'm not there

and they need to have Mom Dad look them

in the face and tell them who who they

are and what they're doing and they're

amazing and God's hand is on their life

and there's a blessing they're doing

phenomenal they're growing they're let

them hear the encouragement we need more

encouragement on social media we need

encouragement while we're walking

through

target

tar like like like when you see somebody

and the outfit looks nice tell

them oh you're looking good now if

you're a brother you don't say that

to a lady you understand like you can

cop another brother but but Cindy is

notorious for this you've heard me tell

you if she sees a lady in in and and

wherever she is and she's got she got

the outfit going on Cindy will tell her

excuse me come here you need to know you

got the all that's working right now

that that looks good on you girl she

said I thought it but it doesn't do you

any good unless I tell you this this

Cindy does this regularly she will just

pour into and those people walk by oh my

God they walk different when they're

leaving it's like like they they just

they just got that bump back you

understand we need encouragement today

why because encouragement is both a

weapon and a

Wonder there's things encouragement does

that you don't even

know in fact I want to tell you what

it's a weapon because it destroys

discouragement but it's a wonder

because it strengthens connects and

creates community in a way you never

realized in fact let me put it this

way encouragement impacts two people the

person receiving the

encouragement and the person giving it

have you ever had someone cheer for

you everybody ever play sports and you

you know family showed up or

cheerleaders all that kind

when I was in high school that was back

in the 1800 1900s I got I I was I was in

high school and

um so we were the Radford grew up in

went to high school in Radford Virginia

we were the Radford Bobcats that's who

we were and I played baseball that was

my world we were horrible and so

um but when I would when I would step up

to bat they would announce up to about

now thas number 15 Short Stop Da

I get in my position getting ready to

hit and I hear over on the

sideline how many have you ever met my

mom you know my mom Pastor Joy okay my

mama has been in chur all my like my mom

is like Jesus Mama Jesus mom right like

they're just right there and and mom's

got hair stacked up high PhD Pentecostal

haird like that's my

mama and my mom is on the sideline I'm

in the batter's box big game going on

and I hear this

let's

go

[Applause]

Scotty woohoo go

Bobcats after I struck out I went back

to the um went went back to the Dugout

and and I would sit down and my boys

they wouldn't even look at me they would

go Thomas your mom's

here I heard her well I know what you're

talking about but on those occasions

where I actually got a

hit like oh my God I hit the ball and it

take I'm running to first and I hear my

mama go Scotty go Scotty can I tell

you put a little pep in my step when I

heard my mama

yelling my stri is a little bit longer I

just hey and when I came sliding in I

popped up look over see if Mama's

looking there she is I see you girl like

there's nothing like having Mama cheer

for you when when somebody cheers for

you it's just different right can I tell

you

something when you're

cheering or being cheered for something

is

happening inside of you that you don't

know hormones and neurotransmission are

wired God wired you so that there be an

explosion of hormones and

neurotransmitters that when you hear

someone cheering for you or when you

cheer for somebody else I've wired you

to come

alive God did this I want you to

understand five key effects that I want

to focus on here with cheering and

encouragement number one

oxytocin is released in your body it's

it's called The Love or the bonding

hormon Cindy has a bunch of this flowing

for me the the the effects of this it

promotes feelings of trust and empathy

and it builds a sense of community and

individuals connected together then

there's a dopamine hit that you go

through when cheering happens this is

aociated with reward and pleasure like

ah that hits it creates a feeling of

Happiness motivation excitement and it

builds social interaction then there's

these endorphins that are released when

you're cheered for and when you're

cheering for somebody else and it's a

natural pain reliever it's it's a mood

enhancer many times it's called the

runner's high it's a sense of euphoria

that that happens when you're cheering

or being cheered for and then you've got

this epinephrine or or the adrenaline

that that hits and this is where's an

increased energy and alertness preparing

individuals for action and it creates

excitement and then there's this

serotonin that hits when you're cheered

for or when you're cheering helps to

regulate your mood emotions and social

behavior and it promotes feelings of

Happiness on the

inside when you

cheer or when you're cheering for or or

you're cheered

for can I tell you this is one of the

unknown unseen unrealized

benefits of worshiping in

church do you know what praise and

worship is cheering for Jesus yes sir

yes sir and when I'm cheering for him I

feel better about

me why is that God wired you to be

strengthened when you

worship when I begin to praise him I

connect different have you noticed

people who go to the ball games and

cheer enjoy the games more than those

who go to the ball games and don't

cheer they're more into I mean they're

just just like they're consumed with it

like the fans and the players are all

one Community they're

connected we we feel it like it's all

one like there's like guys go to the

next level girls go to the next level

when they got their team like they're

all in what is that because the cheering

and the receptivity IT unites and it

pulls together as one this is why it's

important that when we come together on

Sundays and we worship Jesus together

something happens in this room room that

the encouragement and the celebration it

happens physiologically neurologically

it happens in the room and it pulls us

together that's why I encourage you

don't just sit and watch and listen to

worship open your mouth and begin to

declare and cheer for Jesus for his

faithfulness and his goodness it will

change you and it will step up your life

in him I don't praise him because I feel

like it I praise him because I need to

and that changes my

life God wired you to receive

encouragement when you give

encouragement see some of y'all are kind

of tripping on that right

now you receive encouragement when you

give it you don't have to wait for

someone to give you encouragement if

I'll encourage others I'll be encouraged

myself so now encouragement and feedback

in my life is a byproduct of giving life

to others I am brought back to life you

want to know what purpose in life is all

about being a lifegiver to somebody else

finding somebody who was down somebody

who's tried to do it alone someone who

is discouraged and then they ran into

you and all of a sudden because you ran

into me and I happen to have a battery

I've got more encouragement than what I

need so let me hook up to you and I can

pour some into you I am a encouragement

Giver I'm a donor I'm a lifegiver that's

why I'm here ladies and gentlemen you

got to open your mouth and share can I

we we all are drawn we're all drawn to

encouragement right Ladies If you ever

see your husband close to washing a

dish Hercules Hercules y Hercules

he'll be

like and you know what you're going to

find tomorrow he's going to be standing

in front of the sink again looking

around for is she

come oh he'll start washing dishes like

crazy because we all come back to a

place of Celebration and

encouragement when you go to work

tomorrow walk in the room going Hercules

find some people that you can encourage

hey nice outfit I like that listen the

way you did that report you did some

extra stuff how you put it you bound it

you put it in that folder it was next

level we didn't even ask for that that

was amazing thank you thanks for raising

the bar man you make the place better I

love to hear your laugh your laugh is so

it just gives me joy to hear your laugh

that's some fine something to pour

courage it's not cute it's not Dr Phil's

stuff this stuff is Bible this is Spirit

this is God that when we use

encouragement in the proper way it

brings people back to life again Romans

chap 15:4 says this the scriptures were

written to teach and encourage Us by

giving us

hope that means Church ought to be

filled with holy hype right when you

come to church you ought to feel better

about you like I I'm not saying that we

just okay anything goes no but what I'm

saying is you are encouraged you're

built you heard teaching and

encouragement okay I know we didn't do

it right but man tomorrow we're going to

crush it we're lifted you don't need any

church throwing elbows on you how many

you know you don't need anybody telling

you what you did wrong because you

already know what you're doing wrong in

life where are you in this room right

now wave your hand at me yes you do and

you want to point out my issues I will

give you more points and sub points

below all those that you ain't even seen

yet I need some

encouragement I need someone who can

lift me and push me

forward hope for for Life comes with

teaching and encouragement Hebrews

chapter 3: 13 check this out read this

with me encourage each other every day

while you have the opportunity if you do

this none of you will be deceived by sin

and become

stubborn look at

this if we encourage each

other it fights the deception of sin in

their life

you want to tell me encouragement isn't

powerful you want to tell me

encouragement isn't spiritual you want

to tell me encouragement doesn't really

matter that according to that right

there anything that makes me stronger to

stand against things of distraction and

deception of breaking down and pushing

back from God in my anything that stops

that that's a blessing in my life I

don't only want that I want to propagate

that in other people's

lives encouragement does that

what does what does encouragement do for

you and for others who hear it it makes

them aware of things they weren't aware

of because when you highlight and you

encourage or build them in an area that

they hey I really like how you did this

I like when you said that man the way

you handled this situation was amazing

that was tough but when you came through

boy it was such a when you all of a

sudden now people have an awareness I

didn't even know that that mattered I

didn't know that and people are doing

better than they realize they are but we

have to help them see it number two it

brings correction and Direction it move

that people move towards a place of

Celebration how how about we how about

we catch our kids doing things right and

celebrate

that if if we're going to correct them

that's fine there there needs to be some

hey let's not do that but how about if

we make sure we got twice as much of

you're doing amazing and I love you and

I'm so proud of you anden this and lift

and build them let home be that place

that they can escape to not a place they

have to run

from number three when we build

encouragement it brings belief it

elevates people's hope they they okay

maybe that tomorrow can be different

they begin to think different their

faith comes alive when when we when we

encourage people their strength hits

differently on the inside the situation

might be bad here but they're stronger

in the middle of it and they're pushing

back they're able to handle life their

attitude changes their mind mindset the

atmosphere around them instead of being

so negative now they're thinking

positive that's a game Cher

folks encouragement brings action people

now want to take a step and do what they

never did try what they never

tried you know what I am going to write

the book you know what I I am going to I

am you've encouraged me I am going to

I'm I'm going to try I'm going to start

this business I'm going to do it you

know what I am going to start serving

I'm going to go to a life group I'm

going to sign up you've encouraged me

you've encouraged me I'm going to I'm

going to give it a try encouragement

pushes us into some places that we never

would have gone had we not been

encouraged to take a step we need voices

of encouragement in our life Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 ver 24 really Nails this down

here's what it says read it with me and

let us consider how we may spur one

another on towards love

how we can spur one another encourage

one another Spurs on a on a cowboy's

boots when he sit on that horse and he

wants that horse to go all it takes is

a and I promise you when those little

Spurs hit the high quarters of that

horse he's going to Giddy Up and Go it's

time to go there's nothing like a good

kick every now and then right we need it

and you can kick with encouragement you

can kick with joy you can kick with fear

or you can kick with faith faith and

they get two different results fear uh

ends quickly Faith lasts for a long time

we always want to kick with

encouragement we want to kick by picking

people up we want to kick with Hope For

Tomorrow never kick if you don't do this

that doesn't work ladies and Gentlemen

let's bring that hope that life that joy

that strength that believability that

God is good and this can turn around we

have to bring the encouragement to

people's life every believer is called

to be an encourager every believer is

called to be a lifegiver a hope dealer

we're called to cheer for other

people and maybe you're here today and

you say Scott I was never raised in that

I don't even know the language of

encouragement never heard it never

experienced it never I was never

encouraged growing up as a kid well all

the more reason for you to change

something in your

generation it's time for some new things

and so how how do you start you start by

encouraging

yourself get used to hearing yourself

Speak Life over yourself we're doing

good today it's going to be a great

Monday God is on our side if God is for

me he's going to be with me going be

help me all day long God God is God's in

our marriage then then then encourage

your spouse when you say that kind word

of encouragement to your spouse once

they wake up from that fainting spell

then then encourage them to try it again

having them sit down this time but but

pour more life and and then and then

just try with the kids or try with a

friend shoot a text message bro praying

for you today that's it that's

encouraging just a little bump goes a

long long way you start how do you learn

to encourage you learn to encourage by

encouraging you start get the words out

of your mouth you can choose to

encourage or you can hold your words and

allow the discouragement to

continue I've got a battery you're broke

down but I'm not even going to tell you

about it hope you figure it

out how how sad would it be for me to

have the answer to unstick your life but

I just drove right past you holding the

answer the entire

time encouragement you're wired for this

you are charged for this and the

opportunity to connect with somebody

else's life and connect them to the life

source of Jesus on the inside of you to

bring them back to life again ladies and

gentlemen there's nothing like that in

the

world I heard of a

Native American

Elder that was sitting around a campfire

with several other young Native American

boys that were on their way to

manhood as he was pouring wisdom and and

thoughts of life into them he looked at

the boys and he said inside of you there

are two

wolves one

wolf is

good one wolf is is good and the other

wolf is

evil you've got

both one of the young men looked back at

the Elder and he

said

sir H how do we know which one is going

to win in our life and the Elder looked

back and said the one that you feed is

the one that will

win you feed

one and starve the

other ladies and gentlemen we have to

feed encouragement and when you get good

at just those little bumps if I'm

thinking about you I'm praying for you

every day of your life you should spit

an encouragement towards somebody every

day on social media in a text message

face to face in a card something to

Speak Life over somebody because I need

life in me and I need the explosion of

cheering that happens inside of me I

need all of that myself so let me create

it in somebody else and let me

experience it so I can have everything

that Jesus died to give me in this life

more abundant would you please stand to

your

feet we can live this thing

strong but there's some things we've got

to decide to do to step up and move

forward and making this year a year

where you're speaking encouragement and

giving life let that be your mark to the

point that people maybe want to change

your name to father today we declare

that we're so grateful for your love and

the words of life that you've spoken

over all of us we're here today because

of the encouragement of your word we're

here today because of the hope and the

strength we gain by reading your opinion

about us your teaching and your

encouragement have poured the hope of

Christ in us that makes us know and

believe we can live stronger than what

our past is and we move forward today

God I pray that we wouldn't just be

recipients of that but we would also be

givers of that help us to be lifegiver

hope dealers that everywhere we go we

are people of encouragement that our

voices are used to bring life and not

death to move people forward and not

backwards never to walk past somebody

who needs it and I withhold it but God

help us identify those in our life that

we can encourage help us to be

encouragers in our home in our marriage

with our kids with our friends on the

job in church help us to connect and be

those people that are giving it and

receiving it we'll give you praise and

thanks for it in Jesus name amen did I

or did I not say you were going to be

encourage yeah feel free to check out

our website freelive chapel.org for more

encouraging messages until then I hope

you have a great day