Needed, right? Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Hey, you know what, I just want to say this before we get started. If you ever, sometimes I get emails and we have suggestions by you guys, and we always welcome suggestions, and some of them we take serious, other ones we use to light our grill with, just so you know that. But, no, but in all seriousness, we have a lot of people that ask,

you know, it would help a lot in transitioning and help us if we just go ahead and let the children, with how the Lord was moving this morning in people's lives and hearts, this is exactly why the children are here on Sunday morning. This is exactly why, so they can see how their moms and dads are worshiping the one true God, and they are invited to come along, and in the middle of whatever,

we're going to stop and pray for Miss Pauline. In the middle of whatever, we're going to follow what the Spirit says to do in the morning. In the middle of whatever, Miss Cherise isn't even singing the right words. What's up with that? It's all good.

And I was going to give her a hard time for being so casually underdressed, but she has on the most beautiful, beautiful sweat outfit I've ever seen in my life. Go Gators!

You know, it is only in the South can you rile up people so much with college football. Only in the South.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah. We have to look at your Clemson everything every Sunday, okay? We get it! We get it! We get it!

I live it! I live it, baby! Okay, I'm with you!

Oh, we're going to preach today, weren't we? Yeah, we're going to talk.

Oh, my goodness. Hey, I want to say thank you. Is Joe in here this morning, or is he helping somewhere else?

Oh, Richard. I was looking for your hat, Joe. You always have your hat on. It threw me off.

I'm grateful. No, don't put it on right now. Yeah.

You've got to turn around backwards like Rob's. That way you'll look good.

No, just really, seriously, really grateful for Joe stepping in last week and helping out and bringing the Word.

I haven't had a chance to watch this. Amen. Amen.

Amen.

Extremely grateful for Joe. And on that note, he said he forgot. I saw on the group meeting you forgot to say who you were and all that good stuff.

But Joe does a tremendous job with our student ministry.

And if you have a student tonight at 530, at 530 over in the student section around the front of the building over there.

So please make your way over there.

I want to say hey to our friends in the back.

I know that Donna wasn't able to be here when she and Maria came up and talked to you about Saved by Grace.

And it's a ministry that we're really excited to have a window with as well, too.

We've had part of what we do, just so you know if you are visiting, we have a mission wing over to the side.

And we've been using it for students for outreach and missions and some with team effort.

And that window has closed.

And we've been working with Saved by Grace and we're able to provide temporary housing for people who are homeless or in transit right now and trying to get their life back together a little bit.

And so we have some units over to the side.

And recently we've had two families that we were able to give them a respite in a few weeks to where there's no charge for utilities, no charge to stay.

Just get your life back in order.

And Saved by Grace has worked diligently to find them some permanent options for housing.

And that's huge.

And while they're here, we're able to not just give them a warm shower and a warm place to stay but meals and clothing and an invitation to come in here and be loved on.

And I love that about our fellowship.

It doesn't – you don't have to look a certain way to feel welcome.

And that's beautiful.

That's beautiful.

So grateful for you, ladies, and thank you for all that you do.

Looking forward to being able to serve in 2020.

I will say this, that this is probably mostly my fault.

I should have said something to Joe ahead of time.

But so Joe's going to – I told Joe, hey, will you step in for me?

Well, I'm going to take Joe to see her family for a couple weeks in Atlanta.

We didn't get away for Christmas.

Sure.

And I asked him, I think it was Wednesday or Thursday even.

Thursday.

Joe, what are you going to – what are you going to – what are you going to speak on Sunday?

I don't know.

I don't know yet.

I'm still going to – okay, okay, okay.

I should have told him then, hey, I've been working on a message, a New Year's message, and I'm going to be teaching from Psalm 90.

Okay?

I didn't tell him that.

So I got back.

I get back in town, this, that, and the other.

And we got back Wednesday around 2.15.

I helped unload the car.

I was up here by 2.45.

I worked until about –

You taught on Psalm 90. I'm like, he did not. And so I go back and I start looking. And I don't try to stay disconnected with my phone. And there's like, I have 114 group me indications in there. And if I just would have looked on the Ramah Church, everybody, good job, Joe, on Psalm 90. Good job, Joe. You did an amazing job. And I'm just like – and Casey's like, well, just go ahead and do it. I'm like, no, I'm not going to go ahead and do it. So I had to punt. And I regrouped. And I had to ask God, give me a new word because I've been working

for weeks on Psalm 90. So I've got a message on Psalm 90 you guys are going to hear one day. I don't know when that is. But it's not today. Today, we're going to talk about where are we going? Where are we going? I think we got this slide. Yeah, where are we going? Where are we going? You know, if you got your Bibles, apps, whatever, let's turn to Philippians chapter 3 this morning. As I said a few minutes ago, we took a trip to Atlanta to see Jill's family. Is anybody here from Atlanta?

So before I make fun of Atlanta to see who I'm going to upset? Traffic is just for your prayer life. I'm serious.

You know what? I've come to find out – I'm going to really go off the map here – but I've come to find out I think a lot of your personality is really revealed when you're behind the wheel of a car.

Let me just say that to all you Cutter Offers out there. Let me just say a lot of your personality is revealed when you're behind the wheel of a car.

Man, I tell you what, it comes out. It comes out. Jill gets mad at me because I don't get mad when people cut me off.

I do this. They cut me off. They look in the rearview mirror. I go – I do this. She goes, oh, stop it. You're so condescending.

I'm like, no, they get it. You're good. You know? So I don't think I'm any better than that.

But anyway, so we're going to Atlanta. We're going to Atlanta. And so we get Caroline in the car.

We make sure that the iPad is charged up, right, for that five-hour trip, a minimum of five-hour trip because you better have some movies on that iPad for that three-year-old, okay?

So we explain to Caroline it's going to be a long trip. We're getting in there, this, that, and the other.

And so we're going to go see your cousins. It's all exciting. It's been building for days.

We get in the car, shut the door, not even out of the driveway. And her question is, where are we going?

Where are we going? Where are we going? We just spent days telling you, where are we going, okay?

She's not old enough to understand that, are we there yet, okay? That will come in the next two years.

Are we there yet? But she's like, where are we going? Where are we going?

So where are you going? Where are you going individually in 2000? It's another decade.

That's crazy, isn't it? 2020. Where are you going?

And where are we going as a church, you know? And maybe you've already made plans.

Maybe you're a goal center and you've made these goals. But God might have some surprises for you.

You've got to understand that God has the editing rights to your life and to my life.

Where are we going as a fellowship? I want you to know that your leadership is strategically praying

and asking the Lord what He wants us to do. But you know what?

The Lord might have a surprise or two in store for us as well, too.

We need to be open to that, open for that. I remember as a young kid,

I remember sitting on my pillow in my room and thinking,

man, how old will I be when the year 2000 comes?

You know? Some of you are a lot younger than I and you never thought about it.

And then you think about, what am I going to do when I grow up?

You know, what's going to be my vocation? The vocation that God has called,

I never thought this would be my vocation. Never.

Uh-uh. First of all, I was going to be NBA basketball star. Okay?

Oh, I'm not kidding you. That's not funny.

And so, I was going to be 6'4 and be in the NBA. Okay?

My mother is 5'4 and my dad is 5'10. Okay?

And I hung up on the monkey bars upside down because I thought that would stretch my vertebrae.

I'm not kidding.

And it made me 6'1. I'm shrinking now. I'm down to 6'4.

Now, I used to be 6'1. But now I'm shrinking again. That's the whole age thing.

Your vertebrae compressed, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

So, I got all that going for me.

But, you know, I used to think about all that.

Who am I going to marry one day?

Who is this? Who is that?

And I remember, maybe you're like me, but once you gave your life to the Lord,

man, God just rerouted everything, didn't He?

He reroutes everything.

Not in a bad way.

But, you know, I think back, even in this fellowship, to all that the Lord has done.

And I think I have an interesting pursuit.

but I've watched what the Lord has done

and how the Lord has incredibly moved

in the life of this fellowship

over the last six years

as God planted this church

and he has done just some amazing thing

in the last six years

but the one thing that we do not want to do

when we ask where are we going

is we do not want to stop

and look back at what God has done

and just live in that

and just live that way

it's good to celebrate

we need to celebrate

but we need to move on

we need to move on

and you never want to rest on your laurels

I see that we have like one of two options

we can either veg out as a church

look at what all God has done

and all these things that God is allowing us to do

and all this that and the other

and this is great

and then we're just going to veg out

we're going to write our history down

and celebrate that

and that's just who we are

and what will happen is

because inevitably we will become irrelevant

for the kingdom work

or we can reach out

and we can realize the potential that God wants for us

or realize that God has some new things done

thank you Lord for what you have done

but Lord we want to do more for you

we want to do more for you

and so we're going to look at some verses

in Philippians chapter 3

and let me just give you your bearings

as we read just a few sections in here

we're going to start in verse 10 of Philippians 3

but up to this point in this section

Paul has been autobiographical

he's speaking largely about himself

and he's using himself as an example

he's saying this is who I am

this is who I've been

this is where I want to go in the future

and the way Paul writes

and he's writing about in the future

he uses a metaphor

that if you're familiar with anything

within the New Testament context as well

Paul likes to use this metaphor

and that's the metaphor of being an athlete

I think Paul probably was a sports fan

he probably was a college football fan

how about that

and so I mean he writes about fighting the good fight

he writes about running the race

he writes about shadow boxing

like a boxer

and he uses the metaphor of a sports arena

and he does it right here as well too

and one of my favorite verses that ties into this

is in 1 Corinthians 9

when Paul says

don't you know that everyone who runs the race

only one gets the prize

so and he goes on to say

then you should run in such a way

to obtain that prize

you should run in such a way

to obtain that prize

and so looking at understanding that

we're going to start in verse 10

and I'm going to briefly give you

four principles

that I think could help you

navigate your new year

to navigate in the new year

and navigate collectively as well too

the first principle is this

don't settle down

buckle up

don't settle down

buckle up

look with me beginning in verse 10

of chapter 3 of Philippians

that I may know him

and the power of his resurrection

and may share in his sufferings

becoming like him

in his death

that by any means possible

I may attain the resurrection

from the dead

wow we could just preach on that one verse

right there

verse 11

that is so powerful

right there

not that I have already obtained

this

or am already perfect

but I press on

to make it my own

you know

let's just stop

stop right there

we'll get to the rest of that

in a second

but I'm really relieved

when I read that

because here's Paul the apostle

he is a brilliant man

he is a high achiever

he is a very spiritual man

and interestingly enough

when he writes this

in Philippians

he has been walking

with the Lord

for 30 years

he's been walking

with the Lord

for 30 years

at this point

and he Paul is saying

there is still

room to grow

I'm not there yet

I ain't got it all figured out

there is still room to grow

I am not

I have not obtained it yet

I have not perfected yet

and that's the principle

don't settle down

buckle up

buckle up

God's got more for you

get ready for more

I mean

I wonder

how many of you here in this room

really believe

that God has got some things

in store for you

in this year

yeah

I mean

you need to believe that

God has got some stuff

in store for you

for you

you know

and Paul believed it

that God has got some stuff

that God has got some stuff

sanctification okay in other words they believe that you can reach sinless perfection this side of glory they believe that you can attain this sinless perfection while you're on earth there are people who teach that theology and that that could that could be held and if you've ever met somebody like that they are a pain and absolute pain there is a spiritual pride that comes with that theology I'm telling you right now anybody who thinks that they are a perfectionist

and that's one who perfectionist is someone who takes great pains and gives them to someone else okay that's that's my definition how about that you know there's a there's a story where Charles Spurgeon was preaching and he was talking about how you know that we never really reach sinless perfection and this that and the other and someone came up to him after the message and says Mr. Spurgeon I have to disagree with you I've been walking with the Lord a great number of years and I have finally found a way I've mastered my longing

inside and I have reached sinless perfection I live my life on a day by day basis where I do not sin any long and Mr. Spurgeon shook his head and he recently grabbed the pitcher of water that was underneath his pulpit where he was preaching and he poured it on the man's head and the man when I read began to spew these words at him and Mr. Spurgeon smiled and said I thought so I thought so and so this this also tells

me that we never reach this side of perfection perfection perfection this side of heaven but it also tells me that our sense of imperfection drives us upward and it drives us onward it's that that sense it that's essential that's within the race that Paul's talking about if you're a runner and you're leading the pack if you have in your mind you begin to have this thought process I think I got this race won what's going to happen you will slow down your pace and you may not you may not win that race

you may not win it so it's this sense of imperfection that keeps us going I need I need to do better that that angst should drive us and that angst I want to live with that because I like that angst because it shows me my shortcomings and I need I need to know the Lord deeper I need this it drives us as it did the apostle Paul

and so you know once we start comparing ourselves among ourselves you know I'm saying the Bible says we are not wise okay because we have the tendency to look at people who aren't running the race very strongly and say I'm better than that guy I'm better than she is I don't feel so bad I don't feel so bad at all

you know question what if the apostle Paul were to compare his Christian race with anyone else I mean you think about it I mean the apostle Paul he had a vision outside of Damascus the apostle Paul saw saw people healed physically with his own hand Paul the apostle Paul called to the third heaven I mean this is the apostle Paul think

about that I mean he wrote almost half of the new testament he could easily say well I'm not I'm not perfect but I'm better than he is so I must be close I'm pretty close no he writes not as though I've already obtained or that I'm already perfect and in verse 13 he says I do not consider that I've made

I've made it my own a growing Christian a growing Christian is never satisfied with his or her spiritual state if you are growing you are never satisfied I want to grow more I want to know the Lord deeper I want that longing in my heart that longing in my life I want to press on the second principle I want to give you this morning is that is to don't do everything

don't do everything choose one thing choose one thing choose one thing or to put it in medical terminology don't be a general practitioner specialize in something narrow your focus some of us need to narrow our focus in 2020 look at as we continue on in verse 13

as we continue on in verse 13

that they succeed in nothing you know there they spend lots and lots of time and energy and they accomplish very very little and the Bible would it would have us to narrow our focus and here's a word for you in 2020 it's a real simple word I'm gonna give it to you take it with you in 2020 it's the word no no put that in your pocket and and and and pull that out when people begin to try to put demands

hands on you and they would want you and they would want you and they would want you and they would want you to do this or you to do that no not because I don't love you but because God hasn't called me to that he hasn't called me to that you know don't do everything choose one thing one thing that that little phrase I've discovered this week the importance of that little phrase one one thing and it's it's it's it's it's a biblical phrase and here's just a little sample remember Jesus he's he's he's he's going along and this

guy comes to Jesus he's the rich young ruler and he says what must I do to inherit the kingdom of heaven eternal life and Jesus says well you know the commands and the and and Jesus says and it's to the uh the rich young ruler says well I've followed them all of my life that that's not the truth there's no way he could have followed him but Jesus doesn't bust him on that does him he doesn't bust him on that he says he said that's great but one thing one thing you lack sell everything give it to the four poor and follow me

okay and and and what Jesus did was put his finger on the idol in that young man's life that's what you need to deal with not everything just that one thing you deal with that one thing and then there's Mary and Martha we all know we all know the story of Mary and Martha you know Martha Martha loved to serve Mary loved to hang out at Jesus feet okay and some people we I mean we use the phrase I'm more of a Mary well I'm more of a Martha you know we throw that around a lot of times

and if you remember how Mary I mean Martha ends up complaining she's like um Jesus Mary isn't working hard enough she's not she's not she's not helping me out here and Jesus says Martha you are distracted with many things but one thing is needed one thing is needed Mary has chosen the good part which would not be taken from her

and then one of my favorite Psalms in Psalm 27 David says one thing one thing I ask of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord one thing one thing we need to narrow our focus another way of putting this is we need to live with priorities some of us are so scattered a whole bunch of stuff we're not good at anything

that's a word today for somebody I'm telling you maybe a whole lot of somebodies don't do too many things narrow your focus the one thing that God has for you say yes to the right thing and no to everything else a lot of times we have the tendency we major in the minors

there is I read a book years ago it talked about there's a higher yes not that these things aren't important but God has a higher yes for you you need to

discern what that is for you in your life your family your ministry in 2020 we want to keep the main thing the main thing right and I think about us as a church you know I like to evaluate us individually but also collectively as a church as well too you know there's what is the the main focus of our church what is the main focus of our church I'm gonna I'm gonna contradict myself because I'm gonna give you two things how about

that but it's all tied together but it's all tied together one of the things that I love the one thing that I think we do really really well here is we love well we don't always get it right I get it but I believe the heart of this church is to love well and I believe that we hold the scripture to be so very vital and so very important we teach verse by verse a lot of times for a reason there is there's value in that there's a lot of other things that we could do

okay but they're not as important okay but they're not as important and so I have a lot of people say well why don't you do this why don't you branch out and do that why don't you do all this why don't you

years and years ago remember Colonel Sanders it's probably changed now but the motto of KFC remember what was it we do chicken right now it's probably debatable whether they do chicken right or not but to Colonel Sanders he he I had to throw a food element in there because Joe always brings food element to his messages and I don't do it enough right right Bobby there you go okay but we do chicken right okay now that doesn't mean that we don't have salads or but he's like or desserts but that's not our concentration

we might have we're not gonna we're not gonna fail in this right here we're gonna do chicken right I want to do the Bible right I want to do the Bible right and so I want us to love people to disciple people to preach the gospel to teach the word of God so that they in turn can have change in their life change in their marriages change in their family units growth healing all those things it's it's so important

and so the third principle I want to give you I got to move through these a little little quicker because I've gone a little bit but don't look backward look forward absolutely there are lessons to be learned back here and is the is it hot in here is it me goodness gracious okay don't look every week I think it's me okay I know Gene you laughing at me I know right but there are lessons to be learned back here but that's not where we're supposed to live

and if we don't learn the lessons back here and if we don't learn the lessons back here guess what God will continue to give us opportunities to relearn these lessons okay but we've got to move forward we got to move forward

um looking here uh again at the end of 13 and 14 of forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ man you want to live a miserable life then lead your life looking back over your shoulder

it's miserable I could have done I should have done this I could have done this I should have living in the past

and drowning in all your regrets okay I mean imagine he's talking about a runner running the race imagine a runner who runs the race

like this he's going to fall on his face it's not going to end up well and that's the idea of this verse

and I think a lot of Christians I know a lot of Christians who are crippled people they are spiritually crippled

absolutely because they are paralyzed by past hurts past regrets past bitterness and they can't get they can't get past it

they can't they can't move forward you know if you want to find someone who's a good example we just spent a lot of weeks

uh talking about this but look look in the old testament at the at the life of Joseph

I mean Joseph had every reason to be bitter to carry grudges but he did not he was able to get past it he was able to move

past it and and and in Genesis chapter 50 verse 20 he goes on at the end of his life he says to his brothers

as for you you meant evil against me but God used it for good to bring about to bring about that many people

should be kept alive today he took all that could have been a grudge all that could have paralyzed him

spiritually I mean he's in jail his brothers have done this he even had dreams from God and none of these dreams

had come to realization he could have been second guessing everything but he moves past it he didn't

carry these grudges some of you need to move on as a matter of fact uh um I'm going to give you some

I'm going to give you a little bit of encouragement for one of Caroline's favorite theologians okay my

daughter Caroline her favorite theologian can you can you throw that clip on for me this morning

oh you can sing if you want here we go

I can't hear you you know it

you guys are you guys were louder on that than some of the songs this morning

seriously some of you guys have got some baggage you need to let go of he's Paul says forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to see what lies ahead and that word straining or maybe your version says reaching it's it's it's uh it's the word picture in the Greek of a of a of an athlete who's straining every muscle to get to the end of the tape he's on the line he's gonna bust the tape open that's what I'm doing everything is I'm straining

and notice the little word he says he says he says press to press Paul says it twice once in verse 12 he says I press on another time in verse 14 he says he says but I press the word press is is is sort of like straining forward in here but it means to put every ounce of fiber into running the race every ounce of my being I'm pressing it's it's the Greek word uh doiko okay and it's the same word that he uses back in verse 6

meaning persecute meaning persecute and you're like well wait a minute it's it's if it's supposed to be the same word without going into it reading it or time will allow this but I I I need to just I'll explain this to you what he's saying is that I hated the church so much I hated Christians so much that I persecuted the church that same word press doiko okay then now in verse 12 and in verse 14 he says I press he says now presently as a Christian

I press towards the goal and the meaning is this the same amount of energy that I used before as a for as a Christian I was doing the devil's work I now take that same energy that same intensity and I put it towards lifting up the name of Christ I press I strain that's what I'm doing I'm pressing forward towards the goal all of the energy in the past that's the picture and you know the question I have for you this morning

is what if you put the same application and the same effort in your spiritual life okay in your spiritual walk as you do with all of your hobbies all your stuff what would your life look like in 2020 one year later if you put the emphasis on spirituality as much you know on spirituality as you did shopping

as you did playing golf as you did playing golf as you did I know I mean yeah I'm preaching to the choir brother okay as you did with technology what if you spent as much time in the word as you did in the book Facebook for those you don't know the yeah I'm not even on Facebook but I hear it called the book okay there you go what just just what if for one I challenge you for one year

take God take God at his word take God at his word that if you draw near to me I will draw near to you take him at his word what what is one year in the lapse of your whole life what if you gave more time to the things of the kingdom than you did to the things of this world and I'm not I'm not preaching at you I'm with you I'm with you

but he says I press on to the mark I press on to the mark now I want to say this as a church I I thank God for all that he has done and how he's opened up the door for us in the last six years he has done a lot I've watched God multiply people I've watched God strengthen marriages and heal marriages I've watched God heal individuals I've watched God

bring about salvation this past year we had 11 11 baptisms and we have a lot of things to to celebrate I've watched God how he's taken us from a Sunday night Bible study that wasn't supposed to be any more than just a Bible study and he opened up the door for us to to purchase a small little piece of the shopping center and in in time God has opened up the door to where he's allowed us to purchase about three quarters of the shopping center and five and a half acres out back to be able to do

more ministry we have we have now saved by grace working with us with housing temporary housing providing there's a huge need in this community for for dealing with the homeless people and providing shelter for families and individuals that are hurting there's a there's a there's an orchard that we're growing back there that hopefully this coming year will will have a big

a big

one let's start off with one large raised garden bed out there we had to get it planted this spring for it to be of use to where we can have some fresh vegetables for these families as well too that's utilizing our resources for kingdom work we could take that five and a half acres we could have built something for look at this grandchildren's window we don't need that what we need is to be able to understand what the heartbeat of this community is and to sow into this community

I'm humbled by all that God's done but I don't want to look back I don't want to look back I want to press forward my hand is reaching up my hand is reaching up okay I'm reaching and I don't want to be to where we're like oh this is nice this is great this is where this is where we are this that and the other I don't want to live on that there are still more unbelievers in this community

there are still more people who don't know about Jesus in this community there are still people dealing with drug and alcohol situations in this community there are still people who just need to know that someone cares

the fourth and final principle is that don't travel alone 2020 don't travel alone walk together we gotta we gotta walk together watch what he does here in verse 15

let those of us who are mature think this way and if anything you think otherwise God will reveal it to you also let us hold true to what we have attained if you notice in there there's a change in his language in there he's gone from the beginning part of the chapter up to this point Paul's talked about himself it's autobiographical here

here am I I'm Paul I'm Paul I've done this I've made these choices this is what I've done and um but now I want to press on I want to reach forward but now he's changed from I to us he's changed from I to to we okay this is this is this is good it's plural it's collective there's a principle in here 2020 listen don't isolate yourself

don't isolate yourself don't travel alone walk together you know runners do better in packs there's a reason why they're all bunched up together for a little while

you know and uh athletes encourage one another they they they do that they they set a pace if you will and and so and so we travel better when we're in packs when there's accountability in packs

there's refreshment there's refreshment that comes when we travel together when we don't walk alone we encourage one another we do better and and and let me speak directly to some of you who have gotten off track completely or are just sitting in the bleachers

because in the Christian life we have a tendency to do that to just sit in the bleachers we go from a participant to just an observer

whatever it's really easy to do really easy to do somebody once said that sports like uh baseball football and basketball um develop develop muscles and that's why Americans have the strongest eyes in the world because we love to watch sports

we love to watch sports but here's the funny thing about spectators you know sad but true um spectators are the ones who give the advice to the athletes

you ever notice that why did he call that play that's the most you know we we stand here here some of the elders on wednesday night we talk about that

the coaching was so stupid that's why they're gonna lose their job he should have caught that ball

why did they throw that pass why did they throw that we're the ones out there giving all that all the answers we got all the answers we got all the monday morning answers that they should have

that they should have had they're um but we're not doing anything are you guys in the weight room i didn't think so yeah

i know but we're not doing anything but we are telling others what to do we're telling others what to do okay um listen listen

telling other people's how other people how to do it this is not

okay

well

Ex-

I need people we need people who will press on who will run who will reach for the goal this year this year all that God had all of us together all of our gifts all of our graces some of you are not utilizing them and what you're doing is you're robbing the church

Well, you just told me to say no. Yes, I told you to say no say no to those things that God hasn't called you to do

Because if you say yes to everything guess what you're giving someone else you're not giving them a chance to step up and be a blessing

And walk in their giftedness

Find out. Well, how do I really? How about starting off praying?

Asking God

That's a great place to start

Well, i'm not hearing from God lately. Are you in his word? Well, no, not really, but you know, I listen to podcasts

God's not in the podcast. Let me tell you that right now. God's in his living word

God is in his living word those podcasts can strengthen you encourage you. That's not where you will hear from God

You'll hear about God

You'll hear about God

You know

Let me just say this to you. I wasn't gonna say this. I'm gonna say it anyway

This is the reason why churches

Churches do not operate with power

This is the reason why so many churches

Continue to just sit in

Doldrum

Every day

These four walls these four and no more

They have no vision beyond these four walls. They never they never have a heart for anything that goes on in their community

Even within the people right in here

Some of you been walking in these doors for years and years and there's some people sitting on the other side of the room

You'll be like you saw him at walmart. Yeah, you go to ramon

I know that

Here's the reason why listen even i'm speaking to the elders now to some of our elders

Our elders need to step up as well, too

And guess what i'm an elder. Okay, so i'm not throwing our our brothers under the bus. I'm in the bus with them

Here's the problem. Here's the problem with the church. Listen to me, please, please

The problem is people don't want to go to the mountain with moses

You want moses to come back with the word

I

Know you go moses and you tell us what god said

I don't want people. I don't we don't need leaders who just want

Moses to come down with the word you come back with the word with us

And if you're not coming back with the word guess what you're not meeting with the lord

Curtis just made us all mad

Paul's saying man i'm not perfect

I've been walking with the lord for 30 years

There's plenty of room to grow in this man's life

I've been walking with the lord a long time. Curtis has there is so much room for this man to grow

Let me tell you how satan has attacked me

Just in the spirit of transparency. This has nothing to do

But this this does have something to do with the message today because this is about god telling curse. Let it go

Friday night

I got an extreme

hurtful

text message

This is being broadcast so i'm not going to mention any names but from

A family member very close family member who I love dearly. I've tried to love i've tried to love

He's angry

He's bitter

I had to block his number

Because of just the foul things that he continues to just rain down upon me

And he sends me this text

Reminding me of things that i've done that I did in my 20s

And saying you have no right to preach to the people at your church

You know some of the things that you've done

You need to confess them

And you need to call me and get it right

I didn't know he was my god

Let me tell you something

I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and i've made a lot of poor choices in my life

I confess that to the lord. I confess that to you

the body of

Well, so I will try to answer that because I read it

If I don't break all of the things you come into

This is my powstening

Allowed me to stand before week after week and pour my heart out to

I owe him. I owe him no other than my love

And so it's hard and it's hurtful. Maybe some of maybe i'm supposed to say that because some of you are dealing with some things

And people continue to throw darts and arrows your way

Let it go

Because the scripture says you are a new creation in christ

I'm, not a better curtis. I'm a new creation

I look back. I look back on those days

And i'm like who was that guy?

Who was that guy? Why did he think those clothes look good and that mullet looked so good?

Why was he so selfish lord?

I don't know

But you know what

2 000 years ago my son said i'll bear the shame

Because I know he's going to come to a revelation of who I am one day

I'll take it all for him. I'll take it for her. I'll take it

I'll take it

So

Think future

Not past

Think future the past whatever it is good bad, whatever

Let

Let it go

Else is the new prophet of the day, right? Let it go

Think together not alone

Together

Proverbs says he who isolates himself is not wise

Wow

Really? Yeah

Is not wise think together who can I run with who can I go with who's in the path?

You know participate way think participation not spectator

Participation

God doesn't just want your eyes in 2020. He wants your hands to the plow

He wants your mouth to speak about his love and his peace and his grace to give the word

He wants your feet to do his bidding and he wants your hearts to be engaged in the process

That that's what that's it for 2020 all all the things that god has done

We are grateful for we give thanks and praise

But he still wants to use our time our talents and our treasures to do

Did you not know that the kingdom work is not finished yet?

It's not done yet

It's not done yet

We have a lot to do

We have a lot to do i'm so very grateful for what god has given us

I'm, so very grateful for who we are as a fellowship

But i'm really excited for what lies ahead in the days ahead

Let's stand on our feet as the worship team comes up

And I probably should have given them more time. Sorry

Yes, ma'am

I thank everybody for praying for me and

And I know that whatever i'm going through

I'm going through it. It's not gonna last long, but I got to go through it

And god is dealing with me about this and

It's something that he's going to show me

Something that's going to come good out of this

You know, I can I can see half of everything

I

I just I could see partial and the same eye over here. I could see partial just a good half

Yeah

But I just thank god because I know he's bringing me out of this and he's going to bring me out of this

And he's going to get the glory out of my life for this

You know, he's going to get the glory, but there's something that I got to go through

And don't think because you prayed today and I didn't get this and heal it

Don't think that that's that's not god's plan

Amen

Even plan for me to come in here late so I can be right here on this corner to get up here

Amen

You know, I just thank god for everything that's going on in my life

Every situation that's happened over the past 30 days

I just thank him, you know, because I know he's got a plan for me

His plan is not my plan. His ways are not my ways

So whatever the plan is, god, I accept it

Whatever you've got to do

Whatever I need to do

I'll do it

Because I know it's you

That's got the last save

You know, they say it's a stroke in the brain that caused the vision to go

And, you know, they're going to run another test

To find out if it's really that

Because the brain scan didn't show any defects or anything

But that's why I say

If the brain scan didn't show the defects, god got his own

He has been a blessing He has been a blessing And God has put us here in this place for a reason And I just thank God for it

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Let's give God praise this morning Amen

Amen

Amen

Hallelujah

Thank you

Thank you

Thanks

Thanks

Thank you

We'll be right back.