The Spiritual Checklist: When ‘Trying Harder’ Replaces the Gospel

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Lord, we're grateful to God for bringing us together in worship on this final Sunday of the year.
[00:00:08] And as we gather, as we gather, we come with thankful hearts, remembering God's faithfulness during the seasons of our lives, whether it was during difficult seasons, whether it was during, you know, high-lifted spirits of our season,
[00:00:28] Whether it was renewing our mind through seasons or whether it was just you know his faithfulness just carrying us this whole year you know God is so faithful and just hallelujah so whether you're visiting for the first time or you're a regular member we welcome you to the house of God and we come we come with an expectation
[00:00:57] God is going to do something great and mighty in our service on today, being that this is the last Sunday of this year.
[00:01:08] So I challenge you.
[00:01:10] I challenge people on my job all the time, but I challenge you.
[00:01:14] I challenge you today to give God your best praise, to give God your best worship.
[00:01:21] to give God the I mean the absolutely best the last Sunday of the year so if you don't mind I want you to worship God like you never worshiped him before if that means just lifting your hands hallelujah and just taking the opportunity to love on our God hallelujah he is faithful
[00:01:43] He is just.
[00:01:45] He is holy.
[00:01:47] He is mighty.
[00:01:48] I'm talking about the King of Kings.
[00:01:51] I'm talking about the Lord of Lords.
[00:01:53] I'm talking about our Savior.
[00:01:56] Hallelujah.
[00:01:57] Can you just stand up on your feet and just give Him a sacrifice of praise with the fruits of your lips.
[00:02:03] Hallelujah.
[00:02:06] Hallelujah.
[00:02:07] Hallelujah.
[00:02:08] Hallelujah.
[00:02:10] I want to read a scripture right quick.
[00:02:12] Hallelujah.
[00:02:15] I want to read a scripture.
[00:02:21] If I can get this phone back right open up.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
There it is.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I want to read Isaiah chapter 43 starting at verse 18.
[00:02:32] It says, Remember ye not the former things?
[00:02:36] Neither consider the things of old,
[00:02:39] Behold, I will do a new thing, and now it shall spring forth, ye shall know it.
[00:02:47] I will even make the way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
[00:02:51] The beasts of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls, because I give waters in the wilderness and in rivers in the desert to give drink to my people, my chosen, this people I have formed for myself.
[00:03:06] they shall show forth my praise come on give god a praise in this place bow your hands with me father god in the name of jesus and we set our hearts right now to give you the sacrifice of praise with the fruits of our lips on this last sunday of the year father god we pray oh god that our praise will be genuine
[00:03:30] God, we pray that our praise, hallelujah, will shake the very foundations of this earth, oh God.
[00:03:37] God, we pray, hallelujah, that chains will be broken on today.
[00:03:41] Hallelujah.
[00:03:42] We pray, oh God, that those that are bound will be loose on today, God.
[00:03:47] God, we give you a sacrifice of praise.
[00:03:50] And God, we just love you, we thank you, in Jesus' name.
[00:03:53] Come on, y'all, let's praise God with us.

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Wanting a place to hide this weary soul This vagabond And I tried with all my might And I just can't win the fight I'm slowly drifting A vagabond
[00:04:31] Just when I ran out of rope I met a man I didn't know And he told me that I was not alone He picked me up
[00:04:51] He turned me around, He placed my feet on solid ground I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because He healed my heart, He changed my name Forever free, I'm not the same I thank the Master, I thank the Savior I thank God

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I can't deny what I see Got no choices but to believe My doubts are burning Like ashes in the wind So, so long to my old friends Burden and bitterness You keep me moving

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
You ain't welcome here From now till I walk the streets of gold I'll sing of how you saved my soul This wayward one has found his way back home He picked me up
[00:06:16] He turned me around He placed my feet on solid ground I thank the Master I thank the Savior Because He healed my heart He changed my name Forever free I'm not the same I thank the Master I thank the Savior I thank God
[00:06:46] He lost another one cause I am free I am free I am free He lost another one I am free I am free I am free He lost another one I am free I am free I am free
[00:07:14] I am free, I am free, I am free Because He picked me up, He turned me around He placed my feet on solid ground I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because He healed my heart
[00:07:39] He changed my name forever free I'm not the same I thank the Master I thank the Señor I thank God Oh, get up, get up, get up Oh, get up out of that grave Get up, get up, get up Get up out of that grave
[00:08:08] Get up, get up, get up, get up out of that grave Get up, get up, get up, get up out of that grave He picked me up, He turned me around He placed my feet on solid ground I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because He healed my heart, He changed my name

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
There is a truth that's older than the ages And there is a promise of things yet to come And there is one that was born for our salvation
[00:09:43] There is a light that overwhelms the darkness There is a kingdom that forever reigns And there is freedom from the chains that bind us Jesus

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Who walks on the water Who speaks to the sea Who stands in the fire beside me He roars like a lion He bled as a lamb
[00:10:48] He's Jesus There is a name I call in times of trouble There is a song that comforts in the night
[00:11:12] There is a voice that calms the storm that rages for He is Jesus
[00:11:25] Jesus Who walks on the waters Who speaks to the seas Who stands in the fire beside me He roars like a lion
[00:11:48] He bled as a lamb and He carries my healing in His hand He's Messiah, my Savior, and there is power in Your name
[00:12:18] You're my Redeemer
[00:12:48] You're my Redeemer There is power in Your name Yes, You're Messiah
[00:13:20] of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit of the Holy Spirit,
[00:13:51] You are like a lion, you live as a lamb, you carry the burden of the world.
[00:14:01] You are like a lion, you live as a lamb, you carry the
[00:14:11] All my water and you speak to my sea And you stand in the fire beside me And you roar like a lion and you bled as a lamb And you carry my healing in your hands
[00:14:40] Your Jesus Yes!
[00:14:46] And there is no one like You
[00:15:14] I know a name That can silence roaring waves I know a name
[00:15:40] That can empty out a grave I know a name It's the only name that saves And it's worthy of all praise
[00:16:01] I call you Jesus I call you, I call you Healer Risen and reigning in power Something comes out of the grave
[00:16:22] Every time I call you Jesus I call you, I call you Savior Worthy of glory forever When something comes out of the grave Every time I call your name
[00:16:51] I have a key With dominion over ten He holds the keys In His holy nail-scarred hands He is the healer
[00:17:24] that has crushed the serpent's head, our resurrected great I Am.
[00:17:39] I call you Jesus, I call you, I call you Healer, risen and reigning in power,
[00:17:49] Something comes out of the grave Every time I call you Jesus I call you, I call you Savior Worthy of glory forever Something comes out of the grave
[00:18:18] Every time I call your name Shades break, drive away Every time I call your name The gates of hell shake Every time I call your name
[00:18:48] All day, every time I call your name The gates of hell shake Every time I call your name
[00:19:19] Where, O death, is now your sting?
[00:19:31] Where, O grave, your victory?
[00:19:42] Where, O death,
[00:19:45] It's now your seat And where, O rain, your victory

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Death things come alive!

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Death things come alive!
[00:20:30] Death things come alive!
[00:20:33] In the name of Jesus!
[00:20:35] Death things come alive!
[00:20:38] Dead things come alive!
[00:20:40] Dead things come alive!
[00:20:43] In the name of Jesus!
[00:20:46] Dead things come alive!
[00:20:49] Dead things come alive!
[00:20:51] Dead things come alive in the name of Jesus Dead things come alive Dead things come alive Dead things come alive in the name I call you Jesus
[00:21:09] I call you, I call you Healer Risen and laying in power Something comes out of the grave And every time I call you Jesus I call you, I call you Savior
[00:21:37] Worthy of glory forever Something comes out of the grave Every time I call your name

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
I'm thankful this morning for His amazing grace.
[00:22:19] I'm thankful this morning that as a little girl, when the Holy Spirit drew me to the cross of salvation and I gave my life to Him, that even then my chains were broken.
[00:22:36] Those chains of sin.
[00:22:39] You see, we all carry different kinds of chains.
[00:22:44] The sin is sin and He came to this world to free you of that.
[00:22:48] And I'm thankful this morning that His promise is for me and His promise is for you.
[00:22:54] So even right now, you saints, if you can believe with me, Holy Father, if there is one in this sanctuary that does not know you as their personal Lord and Savior,
[00:23:06] Holy Spirit, even now, draw them to the cross of salvation.
[00:23:10] For Your Word says, O God, that all men come to You through Your Spirit.
[00:23:16] And this morning, Lord Jesus, prepare our hearts, Father.
[00:23:20] Begin to work in that heart this morning, Lord Jesus.
[00:23:23] Lord, open their eyes to let them know that that amazing grace is for them.
[00:23:29] Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
I once was lost, but now I'm found I was blind, but now I see T'was grace that taught my heart to fear
[00:24:15] And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed My chains are gone
[00:24:46] My God, my Savior has ransomed me And like a flood His mercy rains Unending love, amazing grace
[00:25:19] He has promised good to me His word my hope secures He will my shield and portion be As long as life
[00:26:28] Come on church, has He saved you this morning?
[00:27:21] Amazing grace the earth shall soon discover like snow the sun forbear to shine
[00:27:48] We'll be here below We'll be forever mine We'll be forever mine

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Jesus!
[00:28:34] Jesus!
[00:28:34] Hallelujah!
[00:28:54] Jesus, Jesus.

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
As we end this year, I want to remind you that if you look back in these, will soon be 365 days, those valleys that you have walked through, in those dark seasons, those seasons where your health has declined and those seasons where your finances have plummeted,
[00:29:23] In those seasons where you've said, Lord, where are you?
[00:29:25] I pray that today that you can reflect and say that He met you in those moments.
[00:29:35] He was never late.
[00:29:39] He was never early.
[00:29:42] But He was right on time for you.

[00:29:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
I remember how you held me through the night And I remember how you sustained me When you stepped in to set me free
[00:30:25] If I knew then what I know now I would be still and let you work it out Jesus, I was tossed in the water But I never went under
[00:30:55] Jesus, when I went through the fire You were right there beside me You were always on time You are always, always, always on time
[00:31:25] You are always, always, always on time And I remember how You cared
[00:31:58] He loved me when I couldn't love myself I knew this is what I know now I will be still and there to worship
[00:32:27] Jesus, I was tossed in the water But I never went under
[00:32:38] Jesus, when I went through the fire You were right there beside me You were always on time You were always, always, always on time
[00:33:07] You are always, always, always on time You are always, always, always on time

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
There's never been a day, never been a minute Never been a moment that you weren't in it There's never been a time that you didn't see me through

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
So I worship you There's never been a day, never been a minute Never been a moment that you weren't in There's never been a time that you didn't see me through God So I worship you There's never been a day, never been a minute
[00:34:16] There's never been a moment that you weren't in There's never been a time that you didn't see through God So I worship you There's never been a day There's never been a minute There's never been a moment that you weren't in There's never been a time
[00:34:57] I worship you There's never been a day There's never been a minute There's never been a moment That you weren't in There's never been a time That you didn't see me through God So I worship you
[00:35:19] When I was tossed in the waters You were right there beside me You were always on time My Jesus When I went through the fire You were right there beside me You were
[00:35:48] You are always, always, always on time You are always, always, always on time

[00:36:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Amen.
[00:36:14] Can we give the Lord a hand of praise?
[00:36:17] He's always on time, isn't He?
[00:36:21] Amen.
[00:36:22] Always on time.
[00:36:24] The year's not over for what God's promised you.
[00:36:26] Amen.
[00:36:28] Hey, today could be your day that you see the miracle of God transform in your life.
[00:36:35] Can you turn around and shake your neighbor's hand and say, Your miracle's coming.
[00:36:38] Your miracle's coming.
[00:36:39] Praise God.
[00:36:41] Amen.
[00:36:43] What a great privilege it is to be together in the house of the Lord today.
[00:36:47] God is good to us.
[00:36:50] I'm thankful for as many blessings in our life.
[00:36:53] Couldn't do it without Him.
[00:36:54] Amen.
[00:36:56] We would have never made it through this year if it wasn't for God.
[00:37:00] Amen.
[00:37:00] Let's just be honest.
[00:37:03] If it wasn't for the Lord, we wouldn't have made it.
[00:37:07] But God was with us.
[00:37:09] Come on, He's good.
[00:37:10] We can give Him praise for what He brought us.
[00:37:17] I'm thankful for every place that He's brought us through this year.
[00:37:22] I'm thankful for every trap of the enemy that did not win.
[00:37:26] I'm thankful for every
[00:37:29] Every demon of hell that did not overcome us.
[00:37:35] Thankful for every moment that he held us and he cared for us and he loved us through it all.
[00:37:42] Looking back, there was some times in your life this year that you probably thought, how can I go forward?
[00:37:52] But look at you, you're still here.
[00:37:54] You're still going in the right direction.
[00:37:57] Amen.
[00:37:58] Praise God.
[00:37:59] Amen.
[00:37:59] Give God glory.
[00:38:02] Amen.
[00:38:06] I'm going to ask our ushers to come and help us to give.
[00:38:09] This morning is your last chance to give this year unless you give online or text to give.
[00:38:13] We would love for you to help us finish strong.
[00:38:17] Let us start at, let us finish 20, 25.
[00:38:22] And let us walk into 26 faithful.
[00:38:25] Amen.
[00:38:27] I want to be faithful.
[00:38:27] God's been good to us, isn't he?
[00:38:29] He has.
[00:38:30] David said, I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor a seed out begging for bread.
[00:38:35] God's always taken care of us.
[00:38:38] So Father, bless this offering.
[00:38:39] Bless our time.
[00:38:41] Bless what you've given to us, Lord, because we're here today because of your blessing.
[00:38:46] And Father, we give it back to you.
[00:38:48] And we thank you.
[00:38:50] For what you've done and what you're going to do.
[00:38:52] In Jesus' name.
[00:38:53] Amen.
[00:38:54] God bless you as you give to the Lord this morning.
[00:38:57] Amen.
[00:38:57] You can thank God for it.
[00:38:58] Amen.
[00:39:01] Amen.
[00:39:01] I want you to remember our family in prayer.
[00:39:03] Mom lost her brother.
[00:39:05] My uncle yesterday, 61 years old, Mike, and they were in the mountains and was there with his family and he...
[00:39:16] I got up yesterday morning and sat on the edge of the bed and told his wife.
[00:39:22] He said he wanted something to drink and some ice.
[00:39:25] She went and got it for him and when she came back into the room he was passed over from this life into the next.
[00:39:32] And I ask you to remember the family in prayer that the Lord would just comfort.
[00:39:38] I told Natalie the other day, I guess we spoke a little too soon, I said, honey, it's the first year that we haven't lost somebody in a while.
[00:39:48] But this is the thing, heaven gets sweeter and sweeter all the time.
[00:39:53] I'm thankful for the Lord saving Mike.
[00:39:56] I'm thankful for what the Lord did in his life and how he changed him.
[00:40:00] I know that he's where he needs to be with the Lord.
[00:40:02] One of the things that he shared with mom was, one of his greatest regrets in life was that he didn't serve him sooner.
[00:40:09] That was his desire was that he wished that he would have served the Lord sooner.
[00:40:15] Let me just give you something about Mike's life and I think Mike would be okay for me sharing this.
[00:40:21] Mike was in church.
[00:40:24] I know Mike as a younger man as when I was a kid you kind of know your your uncles and aunts and all of them cousins more when you're younger and you get older you have your own families things change but I remember Mike his life was very troubled it comes from a family of trouble my mom and them come from a very difficult place and their life as kids home was very dysfunctional and addiction sin held on tight
[00:40:50] Mike found the Lord and got in church and had a business and in seasons of hard times, every six months, every year, whatever it was, seemed like addiction would grab a hold of him again and he'd go back into things that he shouldn't have been involved in.
[00:41:07] Stay there for a couple weeks, a month or less, and go back home and get everything back together.
[00:41:12] And you know what I thought about that was, and let me just be this statement to you.
[00:41:19] It takes more than just coming to church to stay saved.
[00:41:26] It takes commitment.
[00:41:29] It takes relationships.
[00:41:32] And it takes being involved.
[00:41:35] Building a brother and a sisterhood.
[00:41:38] Especially if you've come out of dark places in your life.
[00:41:43] You cannot just go sit at the house and decide to show up once a month.
[00:41:47] and think you're going to stay clean and you're going to stay where you need to be at.
[00:41:51] You've got to stay with the Lord.
[00:41:53] But in the process of time, Mike got a hold of Jesus and Jesus got a hold of Mike.
[00:41:59] And in the process of that, he didn't know what his purpose was, but you know, he even led three or four of his family members to the Lord before he passed.
[00:42:08] And you know what?
[00:42:08] I think what a great testimony of that, of what God did in his life.
[00:42:13] It isn't how we start.
[00:42:16] It's how we end.
[00:42:18] So let's end strong this morning.
[00:42:21] Let's end in faith, let's end in hope, and let's end in love.
[00:42:26] Amen.
[00:42:30] One more time I'm going to ask you to stand.
[00:42:32] Philippians 13.
[00:42:35] I don't plan on sharing long this morning.
[00:42:38] We're still recovering, but we're getting better.
[00:42:40] Better than last Sunday.
[00:42:43] We're moving in the right direction.
[00:42:45] I still get winded but we're moving in the right direction Philippians chapter 3 verse 13 brethren I count not myself to have apprehended
[00:42:57] But this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Father we ask you to hear our hearts today and let us speak from a place of clarity a place of understanding
[00:43:25] God, let it be a place of anointing.
[00:43:28] Lord, I pray that something is said today will bring hope and transformation in our hearts and lives.
[00:43:34] And we'll give you thanks and praise in Jesus' name.
[00:43:38] Amen and amen.
[00:43:39] Give the Lord one more hand of praise.
[00:43:41] He's good.
[00:43:44] Amen.
[00:43:44] You may be seated all over the house of the Lord this morning.
[00:43:48] I want to share with you on leaving really a holy pause.
[00:43:54] A sacred pause at the end of our year.
[00:43:59] I think that we need to leave what is behind and reach forward to what is in front of us.
[00:44:08] But to do that, we've got to take a sacred moment, a holy moment.
[00:44:13] A moment to pause and reflect and look at what Paul said to the Philippian church.
[00:44:20] Forgetting those things which are behind.
[00:44:24] and reaching forth into those things which are before I press toward the mark.
[00:44:29] The reason some of us are in the same place today as we was at the beginning of this year is because we have chosen not to let go of our past and go forward into the promise that God has.
[00:44:44] Our past has held us captive and our future seems as a distant reality that cannot be achieved.
[00:44:52] But God has placed His hand upon us for such a time as this.
[00:44:58] I believe that with all of my heart.
[00:45:00] That at the end of the year, I look at this as a checkpoint in my life and in the church's life and our community's life and in this...
[00:45:10] It's more than a calendar change, but I want to ask you to have a spiritual evaluation.
[00:45:16] you know brother Kevin said that he always challenges his employees I want to challenge you this morning I want you to grade yourself on where you're at this morning I want to give you a I want you to look at your spirituality and your spiritual evaluation I want to just be honest and this is the end of the year and I know some churches ain't having it today on the way to church I was coming there were spotty places that just seemed like the church parking lots was kind of empty and I thought man
[00:45:43] Why don't people want to finish strong with the Lord?
[00:45:46] And I'm just going to be very honest and very truthful with you this morning.
[00:45:49] I want to ask just a few questions.
[00:45:50] I want to ask you, do you pray more than you did at the beginning of the year?
[00:45:53] You don't have to answer this out loud.
[00:45:55] I don't need to know that.
[00:45:56] This is between you and God.
[00:45:58] I want to ask you, have you read your Bible more at the end of this year than you did at the beginning of the year?
[00:46:03] I want to ask you, have you allowed yourself to compromise your convictions?
[00:46:08] There are things in your life that you've done or allowing to do that you would not have done last year.
[00:46:15] Are you more, have you walked in more of a righteousness of God or has unrighteousness filled your life?
[00:46:23] I want to ask you, have you forgiven more or at the end of the year do you carry more grievances and more offenses?
[00:46:32] Is your marriage better today than it was at the beginning of the year or is it worse?
[00:46:37] Is your relationship with your family better?
[00:46:39] Or is it worse?
[00:46:41] See, the problem is that if we don't take an evaluation of where we are at, we are doomed to fail and fall into deeper places of our life.
[00:46:49] The Bible says that we need to look at ourselves and examine ourselves and see if we're still even in the faith.
[00:46:57] See, because a lot of times we do religious activities and religious activities make us equate ourselves to spirituality.
[00:47:06] And see, this is the problem, and I was talking to those who are praying this morning.
[00:47:10] Even in the Pentecostal churches, we like glitter, we like sensational, but we don't like fateful.
[00:47:19] We want the next euphoric moment
[00:47:23] But we don't know how to pick up our Bible and read it when we don't feel it.
[00:47:29] So I want to just be honest.
[00:47:30] Where are we at in our walk with God?
[00:47:34] Where are we at?
[00:47:34] Can I just be honest with you?
[00:47:37] I feel that this AI, this metaverse is leading us to the coming of the Lord at such an accelerated pace.
[00:47:54] You know, if you was a young person in the church in the 90s, we used to call this thing the beast.
[00:48:01] And it was a super computer that they had.
[00:48:05] And now we have this artificial intelligence that is now part of our systems where there are things that look like reality that are not reality.
[00:48:22] And so what are you saying in all that?
[00:48:24] I am saying that we are progressing in knowledge but morality is decreasing and declining.
[00:48:34] information is getting greater but people are more depressed than they've ever been before in their life and I look at the world we have more access to scriptural things when I first got in the kingdom and I first gave my heart to Christ and when I first got in was when the church in the beginning and I think about all you had was a Bible and a Strong's Concordance and that was all the information you got
[00:49:03] Now there's more information about the Word of God than there's ever been in our entire life and people are more biblically illiterate than they've ever been.
[00:49:12] So what am I saying?
[00:49:17] I want you to evaluate your spirit this morning.
[00:49:19] I want you to evaluate and give yourself a checklist.
[00:49:22] I want us to have a pause at the end of this year.
[00:49:25] See some people are dragging things into their next year that God never intended us to carry.
[00:49:34] Regret.
[00:49:35] Sin, Disappointment, Distraction, and Spiritual Apathy or Laziness.
[00:49:43] God does not say carry it forward.
[00:49:46] He says lay it down.
[00:49:48] Press on.
[00:49:49] Go forward.
[00:49:50] But we got to let it go of the past.
[00:49:52] Right?
[00:49:53] So our past is the reality of it is that Paul is writing as a man.
[00:49:57] Who is he writing?
[00:49:58] Not as a perfect man.
[00:49:59] And I don't stand here as a perfect man.
[00:50:01] I stand here as a man that has a sinful past.
[00:50:05] God had to save me just like He had to save you.
[00:50:10] Paul had a sinful past.
[00:50:12] Paul missed out on opportunities in his life.
[00:50:16] He missed out on things that God had called him and spoken him to do.
[00:50:20] He had painful memories.
[00:50:22] There was regrets and things that he saw and done and heard and felt that hindered him at times.
[00:50:29] Yet he says this, forgetting those things which are behind.
[00:50:36] What is behind?
[00:50:37] What must be released?
[00:50:39] Our past sin.
[00:50:41] Forgiven, but I still remember it.
[00:50:43] Bible says that Isaiah, Scripture says that I will remember your sins no more.
[00:50:50] Let me tell you something.
[00:50:52] Listen, I don't care if you've been a royal wretch this year.
[00:50:55] Listen to me.
[00:50:56] Don't end this year in that place.
[00:50:59] Let it get under the blood.
[00:51:01] Let them change you and let them transform you.
[00:51:04] Amen.
[00:51:05] Let it be behind you.
[00:51:07] Well, I sure haven't been praying like I should.
[00:51:08] Okay, get it under the blood.
[00:51:10] Let's move forward.
[00:51:12] Well, I haven't lived a life pleasing to God.
[00:51:14] Get it under the blood and let's move forward.
[00:51:17] Well, I haven't been as faithful as I should.
[00:51:19] Okay, let it go.
[00:51:20] Get it behind you and move forward.
[00:51:23] That's your failures, mistakes that paralyzed our faith because we failed.
[00:51:27] We failed.
[00:51:27] We've missed the mark.
[00:51:28] We've made a mistake.
[00:51:29] We've done stupid stuff.
[00:51:31] Let it behind you.
[00:51:32] Don't let it keep continually in you.
[00:51:34] Our past success.
[00:51:35] So many of us are focused on what has happened in our past that we cannot focus on where we are at right now.
[00:51:41] Let it be behind you.
[00:51:43] Your victory of yesterday, your achievements of yesterday are only distant memories.
[00:51:47] Let it be behind you and know God has new mountains for you to climb, new high places for you to ascend, and new depths for you to go into in His Spirit.
[00:51:57] You cannot grab tomorrow while you're holding on to yesterday.
[00:52:01] I asked my wife to bring me a suitcase.
[00:52:06] We, several years ago, we were on a cruise and
[00:52:11] We were going through the terminals and I'll never forget it.
[00:52:15] We didn't have these cool suitcases like this.
[00:52:19] We had ones that you carried.
[00:52:23] And they were big.
[00:52:24] I throw them things in the trash.
[00:52:25] That's why I couldn't bring it today.
[00:52:27] I almost lost my soul on that.
[00:52:31] Because if you've ever been anywhere with a woman, and especially a teenage daughter, we should have had
[00:52:41] Boxed suitcases the size of refrigerators.
[00:52:45] I don't know why we need 35 pairs of shoes to go on a seven-day cruise, but we did.
[00:52:49] And I remember going through that terminal.
[00:52:55] And so my brother, I think, was with us, and he has this inept ability to stay anywhere at any time for any length of time.
[00:53:03] And so they have held him hostage on this boat for seven days.
[00:53:06] And he finally, we finally ported and was able to get off and we was back in America.
[00:53:12] And so we got to get off of this boat.
[00:53:13] We can't wait till they call our name.
[00:53:15] We can't wait till they get our, for this nice orderly way to leave.
[00:53:18] We got to just drag everything off the boat as fast as we can get off the boat.
[00:53:22] So we're getting off, we're climbing, we're going through the place and we got little Luke and we got all this junk and we're carrying all these bags and it's getting hot and sweaty and they loved me when I got on this boat and I thought it was great and everybody just welcomed me and now they're like, get out of here!
[00:53:37] We got somebody else.
[00:53:39] And I got all these suitcases and I'm dragging them and I'm carrying them.
[00:53:42] But the problem was we were carrying more back than we carried there.
[00:53:48] And our clothes was heavier because some of them were still wet.
[00:53:53] And though we had been on a journey, now the load got heavier than what it was intended to be.
[00:54:00] And I thought about that this morning.
[00:54:01] Some of you this year are ending heavier than where you began at.
[00:54:08] See, your suitcase is full of all kinds of things.
[00:54:11] It's got your personal things in it.
[00:54:14] It's got trash in it.
[00:54:17] You're carrying disappointments, carrying broken dreams, carrying things that are broken and just don't work.
[00:54:28] All this stuff that you've got in your life.
[00:54:31] I even brought Luke's hat.
[00:54:33] Mr.
[00:54:33] Steal Your Girl.
[00:54:35] Maybe some of y'all are carrying that.
[00:54:38] maybe somebody really relationships resolved or something broken and you're walking in this year not like you did you came into this year and your life is full of pain it's full of brokenness full of hurt and the suitcase is getting heavier and heavier and heavier and I'll never forget walking through that place and I said there has got to be a better way than this
[00:55:06] Why in the world am I carrying these big ol' heavy suitcases?
[00:55:13] And everybody else has got these nice ones.
[00:55:17] They got wheels on them.
[00:55:19] They're just going through it.
[00:55:21] But theirs is as heavy as mine, but it don't seem that heavy.
[00:55:25] And you know what God spoke to me?
[00:55:28] He said, because there's somebody else that's carrying it than what they're carrying.
[00:55:32] And I'm going to tell you, there's some wheels underneath this that's carrying the weight.
[00:55:36] The Bible says, Come unto me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[00:55:40] Listen, it may not change.
[00:55:42] You may still be dealing with a broken home.
[00:55:44] You may still be dealing with broken finances.
[00:55:47] You may still be dealing with a broken body.
[00:55:48] But it ain't you carrying it anymore.
[00:55:52] It is the Lord carrying it for you and with you.
[00:55:55] And so guess what?
[00:55:56] Why everybody's looking at you?
[00:55:58] Why ain't you collapse?
[00:55:59] You're walking through a divorce.
[00:56:00] Why ain't you collapse?
[00:56:01] Your business has failed.
[00:56:02] Why ain't you collapse?
[00:56:04] Your body's sick.
[00:56:05] Because guess what?
[00:56:06] I'm not walking by myself.
[00:56:08] He's walking with me and He's carrying me and He's carrying my load and my burdens and my pains.
[00:56:16] So guess what?
[00:56:17] Some of you need to let it go.
[00:56:20] Your past.
[00:56:23] Let go of your guilt.
[00:56:24] Let go of your hurts and let go of your failures.
[00:56:28] You will never go into tomorrow as long as you're holding yesterday.
[00:56:34] Let it go.
[00:56:35] Number two.
[00:56:36] You've got to reach out for what's ahead.
[00:56:39] Paul doesn't just let go.
[00:56:40] He says, I'm going to go forward.
[00:56:44] I'm going to go forward.
[00:56:46] God calls us out of comfort.
[00:56:50] He calls us into growth.
[00:56:55] Not into stagnation.
[00:56:56] Not into death, but into growth.
[00:56:59] He calls us toward purpose.
[00:57:03] Did you hear me?
[00:57:03] God doesn't lead you out of something great into something less than.
[00:57:09] He takes you from the Egypt to Canaan.
[00:57:13] And one day, guess what?
[00:57:14] We're going to be in glory, praise God.
[00:57:18] This is not our home.
[00:57:19] He doesn't take us from this world into something less than.
[00:57:24] He takes us to a place that I have not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered the heart of man, the things that God has pressed toward.
[00:57:34] The problem is, it's not a stroll.
[00:57:39] it's not a drift it is a press and are you drifting or are you pressing now I got Tevin back there he's got a lot going on Tevin I'm gonna need you to hand that baby somebody else come on up here bud I text him when we were singing I said Tevin did he was in track come on up here I asked him before I called him up because I had I had to make sure he knew what was he was doing
[00:58:12] I said, Tavin, when you cross the finish line on a race, how do we know who, well, how do you know you've crossed it?
[00:58:22] What part of your body has to get across it?
[00:58:25] What'd you say?
[00:58:25] Your torso.
[00:58:27] This right here.
[00:58:29] Not this, but this.
[00:58:33] So what do runners do when they, if this is the finish line right here, what are they doing?
[00:58:38] They're pushing that chest.
[00:58:40] They're pushing that chest out.
[00:58:43] You've watched the Olympics, right?
[00:58:45] And they're running and they're running and they dive in front of that line because this has to cross the finish line.
[00:58:53] Can I tell you something?
[00:58:55] You will never go where your heart doesn't go.
[00:59:01] Somebody needs to hear what I'm saying.
[00:59:03] You wonder why you're not going forward.
[00:59:06] It's because He ain't got your heart.
[00:59:09] But when He gets your heart,
[00:59:12] When He gets you to push and lead from your heart, then God, you will start seeing the answers.
[00:59:20] You'll start seeing the problem.
[00:59:21] But the problem is, is our heart is divided.
[00:59:24] Our heart is full of things that it should not be full of.
[00:59:27] And God said, check your heart to make sure it's pleasing.
[00:59:30] Make sure it's right.
[00:59:32] Because He can't be coming over here and going over there.
[00:59:35] He's got to keep running toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[00:59:44] Press forward.
[00:59:47] Your wife needs to have your heart.
[00:59:51] Your husband needs to have your heart.
[00:59:55] Your children need to have your heart.
[00:59:57] Your church needs your heart.
[01:00:00] But most of all, your God needs your heart.
[01:00:05] Amen?
[01:00:08] I said it last week and I'll say it again.
[01:00:12] So many preachers chase drinking, dipping, chewing whatever else you want to add to it.
[01:00:18] But the problem is if our heart is right, we won't want to do those things.
[01:00:26] You ain't got to tell somebody how to be religious.
[01:00:30] If I fall in love with Jesus more, I'll love her more.
[01:00:36] I'll love you more.
[01:00:38] I'll love Him more than I've ever loved.
[01:00:40] But my heart's got to be pressing toward Jesus.
[01:00:45] Hi, are you drifting?
[01:00:47] Or are we intentionally pushing toward God?
[01:00:51] Let me get that closed, but I've got two more to go.
[01:00:54] Number three, how do we do it?
[01:00:58] We return to spiritual disciplines.
[01:01:01] There's no flash here.
[01:01:02] There's nothing, wow, that's so amazing.
[01:01:09] No, Bible says, but Matthew chapter 6, if the church is going to see souls saved, discipline must come before the harvest.
[01:01:22] Prayer needs to be part of our life.
[01:01:26] Reconnecting with God but when you pray go into your room and when you shut the door pray to your Father who is in the secret place and your Father who sees you in secret will reward you openly Prayer is not Prayer is not preparation for the work Prayer is the work Prayer what?
[01:01:52] Realigns my heart Prayer
[01:01:56] Soften my heart.
[01:01:59] Prayer invites the Holy Spirit to move into my heart.
[01:02:06] You know, people pray and they say, well, I've prayed about it.
[01:02:08] No, you've prayed your will, not His will.
[01:02:12] See, the reality is that we need to have God to work in our life.
[01:02:17] You know, I've got a phone up here, and guess what?
[01:02:19] It looks fine, and it's good, but until I put a charger in here, it's useless.
[01:02:25] It won't call, it won't message, there will be no GPS.
[01:02:28] Prayer is the charger of the soul in our life.
[01:02:32] When prayer dies, guess what?
[01:02:34] We die.
[01:02:35] The power dies.
[01:02:37] When prayer revives, guess what happens?
[01:02:39] Connection is restored.
[01:02:41] Many Christians are not broken.
[01:02:43] They're just unplugged.
[01:02:45] You need to get back in prayer and let God fill you and charge you again.
[01:02:51] Hallelujah.
[01:02:53] A prayerless church will be a soul winning less church.
[01:02:59] But not only do we got to pray, we need the Word.
[01:03:04] Psalms 119 says, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet.
[01:03:09] and a light unto my path.
[01:03:12] You cannot share a gospel you are not living in.
[01:03:16] Let me say that again.
[01:03:20] You cannot share a gospel that you're not living in.
[01:03:24] The Word sharpens discernment.
[01:03:30] If you're in the Word, you know what's right or wrong.
[01:03:33] You can see it with plain eyes.
[01:03:36] This is not right.
[01:03:38] The Word fuels my faith.
[01:03:41] When I'm weak and tired and feel like the world has drained my faith, the Word of God fuels my faith.
[01:03:49] The Word gives me confidence in witnessing to tell others about Jesus Christ.
[01:03:56] Anybody ever had a...
[01:03:57] I remember, I don't know if these phones do it like the old Garmins and the old Tom Toms and all that did.
[01:04:03] You'd be driving down the road in those GPS's and you would take a wrong turn recalculating, recalculating, recalculating.
[01:04:12] It would say that.
[01:04:15] See, the Word of God is a GPS.
[01:04:17] and your GPS guess what happens if you miss a turn driving your GPS will tell you hold on we got to recalculate we got to change the direction that we're going because we're not going in the right direction because God's word brings direction
[01:04:33] God's Word restores clarity.
[01:04:36] God's Word keeps you from getting lost.
[01:04:39] You know why there's so many people lost in the church?
[01:04:41] It's because they're not in God's Word.
[01:04:43] God's Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
[01:04:49] Hallelujah.
[01:04:51] A Bible-less believer will always lose direction eventually.
[01:04:57] Always.
[01:04:58] If the Bible is closed, then guess what happens?
[01:05:01] Heaven's voice is muted.
[01:05:03] You can't hear what God is saying.
[01:05:06] Why does God... We have a whole book, 66 books, of God speaking to us, giving us direction, but people want the glitter, and they won't get in the pages.
[01:05:19] God help us to get in Your Word, that it may guide us, that it may direct us in what we need to do.
[01:05:26] Fasting, we need to fast.
[01:05:29] Fasting denies the flesh.
[01:05:31] Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance, for they disfigure their face that they may appear to men to be fasting.
[01:05:40] Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
[01:05:42] But when you fast, anoint your head, wash your face, so you do not seem to appear to men to be fasting.
[01:05:49] But your Father who is in secret and who sees in secret will reward you openly.
[01:05:57] Fasting says this, God I want you more than comfort.
[01:06:03] Fasting breaks spiritual resistance.
[01:06:07] Some of us are spiritually resistant to what God is trying to do in our life.
[01:06:14] We have built up this immunity
[01:06:17] in essence that the Lord can't even walled up in our life that the Lord can't even get to us and fasting says okay all the little blocks that you've built in your heart I'm going to bring down and I'm going to allow you to hear my voice clearly fasting increases the sensitivity to the Lord I remember fasting one time I don't know 20 something days or 30 days and I remember walking through food line
[01:06:43] Boy, you know what?
[01:06:44] It was almost as though if you've seen that movie The Passion and that little demon child looks at that person.
[01:06:50] Man, I was walking through the store and I saw some people look at me and I said, my God, there's some kind of spirit which I might not have been aware to before.
[01:07:04] See, fasting opens your discernment and your spirituality up that God can show you the spiritual things that has been hidden to you in those moments.
[01:07:14] But also, it prepares our heart for revival.
[01:07:17] I want revival.
[01:07:18] I want God to move.
[01:07:20] I want God to restore, refresh, and revive.
[01:07:23] How do we get there?
[01:07:24] When we pray and we fast.
[01:07:26] He says, then our health will spring forth, our light will shine, and God will hear us when we pray.
[01:07:32] Listen to me.
[01:07:33] We need to deny ourselves.
[01:07:34] Our flesh and fast and pray.
[01:07:37] I don't know if you remember this.
[01:07:39] We got digital everything now.
[01:07:42] I think I lose a generation when I talk about this stuff.
[01:07:45] But I remember televisions that we had to twist the knob.
[01:07:49] And we had tenfold.
[01:07:51] Looked like we were trying to connect to the aliens in outer space.
[01:07:55] And we would move it.
[01:07:57] And you would go, hold, don't move it.
[01:07:58] Hold it.
[01:08:00] And some of us would have to just stand there and hold it.
[01:08:03] So we could watch the news that came on at 6 o'clock.
[01:08:06] Because we didn't have 24 hours a day news.
[01:08:11] Listen, in our life, fasting clears the static.
[01:08:16] I told this to brother Travis yesterday.
[01:08:19] Fasting turns down the noise of the flesh.
[01:08:23] And the voice of God comes clearly.
[01:08:25] The problem is, is when the flesh is loud, the spirit is quiet.
[01:08:33] But when the flesh is quiet, the Spirit is loud.
[01:08:42] We wonder why we don't hear the Spirit is because there's too much flesh in our lives.
[01:08:51] Can I just preach the word this morning?
[01:08:54] Can I just help somebody?
[01:08:56] Listen to me, and I'm not a clothesline preacher, but I'm just going to tell you the truth.
[01:09:00] Some of you need to change your radio stations.
[01:09:03] Some of you need to delete some apps off your television.
[01:09:06] Some of you need to get some stuff out in front of your eyes and out of your heart because the enemy is using that to keep you bound, to keep you locked up, to keep you in a place of dysfunction, in a place of dysphoria that you don't even know what's happening.
[01:09:21] Get rid of the flesh out of your life.
[01:09:24] Listen to me.
[01:09:25] Even your bodies are a temple of God and you need to be careful what you're marking yourself up with.
[01:09:30] How you're stabbing holes in your body.
[01:09:33] Know that this is God's body.
[01:09:35] So much stuff is fleshly and sensual.
[01:09:40] Listen to me.
[01:09:40] It's got no place in the child of God's life.
[01:09:44] Oh, I'll finish this year, Brother Ray, preaching the truth and telling them that it's not pleasing to God.
[01:09:50] It's sinful.
[01:09:53] It's the sinful things of the flesh.
[01:09:56] Help us, God, and let me tell you parents, you have permission as long as they're living in your house to say, we ain't doing this mess up in here.
[01:10:08] I care if you 15, 18, 35 then get your butt out there and do it by your own self but you ain't doing it in this house well that's hard preacher I just want to be my friend and you got a dysfunctional home God ain't called you to be your children's friend He's called you to be a witness to them to give them the glory unless we teach them they won't know
[01:10:38] We've got to have a heart.
[01:10:39] Let me close.
[01:10:40] A heart for souls.
[01:10:42] It's my heart's desire to see Jesus burst into lost people's lives.
[01:10:50] The Bible says that my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
[01:10:56] Verse 19 of chapter Matthew 28, Therefore go make disciples out of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[01:11:06] This is the end of the year.
[01:11:07] Let me evaluate yourself.
[01:11:09] Ask you this.
[01:11:10] Who did I pray for this year?
[01:11:13] Who did I invite to church?
[01:11:17] Who did I invite to Jesus?
[01:11:19] Who did I share Christ with?
[01:11:23] See, a lifeguard doesn't jump in the water because it's convenient.
[01:11:29] They jump in the water because somebody is drowning.
[01:11:34] Lost people aren't resistant.
[01:11:37] They're desperate.
[01:11:39] They don't need judgment.
[01:11:42] They need rescue.
[01:11:44] The church is not a country club.
[01:11:47] It is a rescue station.
[01:11:50] Amen?
[01:11:52] You know, I thought about that.
[01:11:54] You know, I play golf with some of the guys in the church and I've been privileged to play at some very nice places.
[01:12:01] And God has opened some wonderful doors for me to play in places that I have no business being in.
[01:12:07] By number one, it costs so much money to get there.
[01:12:12] And number two, I don't know.
[01:12:16] Their kids got a higher tax bracket than I do and they're children.
[01:12:22] But you know what I've learned about country clubs?
[01:12:25] Is they keep it a certain way to keep the members happy.
[01:12:30] You pay your dues.
[01:12:32] You get to be a part of this fine establishment.
[01:12:35] You get to have a little voice.
[01:12:36] You get to have your little parties.
[01:12:38] You get to have your little social and things.
[01:12:41] And you have a country club that's private so it keeps the riffraff out.
[01:12:48] So you don't want the poor people coming.
[01:12:52] You don't want the undesirables coming.
[01:12:54] You only want the people that's in your class to come.
[01:12:58] And what I've learned is that there's a lot of churches that are country clubs.
[01:13:04] That you pay a membership due and you keep people that's just like you.
[01:13:10] And it's not, we don't want anybody that's undesirable.
[01:13:14] Because it's going to mess up our vibe and the trendy cool factor of who we're trying to be.
[01:13:23] but listen to me the church is never called to be cool it's never called to be trendy and it's never called to be comfortable the church is a life station saving it's an ER department it is a ICU there's blood on the floor
[01:13:40] There's rags on the floor.
[01:13:43] There's body fluids.
[01:13:45] There's everything happening at a moment.
[01:13:49] Why?
[01:13:49] Because we're not so worried about keeping everybody comfortable because somebody's dying on this table right now and I need to get them
[01:13:58] Jesus, I want to tell your church we need to get our eyes back on Jesus and stop worrying about how he looks and what everybody's comfortable with and just save souls for Christ.
[01:14:11] Hallelujah.
[01:14:16] Now you can go up in them pretty parts of the hospital because they ain't dying.
[01:14:20] but there are places where they are dying and they ain't worried about you they ain't worried about if you're their mama get out of here we got a life to save I'm not trying to keep you comfortable I don't care if I offend you I don't care if you like it the only thing that matters is if this body gets up off this table Hallelujah Church has got to stop worrying about offending people for Christ
[01:14:49] We are a life-saving station.
[01:14:53] We are to pull people to Christ.
[01:14:56] And I want to say this, the church does not exist for seating capacity.
[01:15:01] It exists for sending capacity.
[01:15:04] Someone you know won't make it into the new year without Christ.
[01:15:09] Somebody God's placed in your life for purpose.
[01:15:13] See, the calendar at midnight flips, but lives don't change.
[01:15:19] Some people will cross into the new year.
[01:15:22] Sister Ashley, help me close.
[01:15:24] Still lost.
[01:15:26] Some people will cross into the new year still broken.
[01:15:29] And some people will cross into the new year still without Christ.
[01:15:34] God's placed names on your heart.
[01:15:37] First of the year we're going to gather names.
[01:15:41] I've preached to you for the last three months on soul winning.
[01:15:46] How many souls have you won?
[01:15:49] We're going to get names here in the next little bit.
[01:15:53] And I'm going to tell you, we're going to find names of people that are lost.
[01:15:57] That's in your circle.
[01:15:59] And we're going to start praying for them.
[01:16:02] We're going to lay them on these altars.
[01:16:05] And we're going to ask God to make the bed so hard they can't sleep.
[01:16:11] Take the high out of the dope.
[01:16:16] Take the drunk out of the liquor.
[01:16:20] Let them be miserable.
[01:16:25] They have to come to Jesus.
[01:16:29] So let me just tell you this.
[01:16:32] God, heaven counts souls and not Sundays.
[01:16:41] Heaven counts souls and not Sundays.
[01:16:45] He said, Sunday's not for me.
[01:16:48] Sabbath.
[01:16:49] He said it ain't got nothing to do for me.
[01:16:52] He said it's got to do for you.
[01:16:55] To give you rest for your souls.
[01:16:59] But while you take this day, you're going to worship me.
[01:17:02] You're going to honor me.
[01:17:04] But He says I want you to see souls saved.
[01:17:08] You know, for those who need a release this morning, let it go.
[01:17:14] Let it go in your life.
[01:17:17] Let go of guilt, let go of pain, and let go of disappointment.
[01:17:20] Let it go.
[01:17:21] Let go of unforgiveness.
[01:17:24] I'm not carrying this into the new year.
[01:17:26] I'm letting it go.
[01:17:26] You know when you forgive somebody it doesn't mean what they did was right.
[01:17:30] It doesn't mean you forgot it.
[01:17:32] It just means that you're not allowing it to hold place in your heart anymore.
[01:17:37] You're not allowing it to control you anymore.
[01:17:39] It's not allowing you to anger you anymore.
[01:17:42] Maybe this morning you need a renewal altar.
[01:17:46] God, I need to pray more.
[01:17:49] I need to read my Bible more.
[01:17:52] I need to fast more.
[01:17:54] This year, Lord, my walk with You comes first.
[01:17:59] You are the first thing in my life.
[01:18:02] Maybe it's a soul winning.
[01:18:05] Maybe today's just not the end of the year.
[01:18:07] But maybe it's the beginning of something brand new.
[01:18:11] Now is the day of salvation.
[01:18:15] Listen, invite people not to religion.
[01:18:18] Invite people not to church membership.
[01:18:21] But invite people to Jesus.
[01:18:26] You know, I want everybody to look at your hands.
[01:18:28] Open them up.
[01:18:32] Closed hands represents holding on to your past.
[01:18:38] Closed hands
[01:18:40] Hold on the comfort.
[01:18:43] Closed hands hold on to fear.
[01:18:47] Open hands say I release all of my past into your hands.
[01:18:57] But I'm open to receive what you have next.
[01:19:05] See, some of us are closed, and God can't bring nothing good because you're holding on to everything that you've got.
[01:19:10] And God's saying, let it go.
[01:19:12] I'll never forget the story my brother told me when he first started his landscaping company.
[01:19:16] I said, Tim, can you buy us some mulch?
[01:19:18] He said, yeah, yeah.
[01:19:21] He took his last bit of money out of his account, and they bought some mulch for the church, $800, $1,100.
[01:19:25] And he got a phone call that said, we're going to let you go of a property.
[01:19:30] And they didn't really know how to cut grass at that time, didn't know what they were doing.
[01:19:35] He went into the place, bought the mulch for the church.
[01:19:39] He didn't have any money left.
[01:19:42] His only client that he had was going to fire him.
[01:19:45] They called him to fire him.
[01:19:47] He went in there and told them something, talked to them, and somehow or another he walked out of that meeting and his business tripled that day when they were supposed to fire him.
[01:20:00] What does that mean?
[01:20:02] And I'll never forget it.
[01:20:03] It was just a symbolic to him and to me.
[01:20:06] When you let go of what you're holding on to, you release your control and you say, God, I'm ready to receive your control in my life.
[01:20:19] What you have for me.
[01:20:22] So let me just say this.
[01:20:23] God just didn't just end this year, but we got to end it on our knees.
[01:20:28] We've got to end it in where the Lord wants us to end our lives.
[01:20:33] So Father, I pray, oh God, will you pray with me?
[01:20:35] Father, I pray that you help us, God, to do what you've called us to do.
[01:20:43] Open the door in our life.
[01:20:46] Open the door in our home and our family.
[01:20:50] Open the doors.
[01:20:52] Father, let us let go of our past.
[01:20:54] Let us stop carrying it forward.
[01:20:58] Father, I pray that this challenge this year, Father, will not just be a calendar change, but it will be a spiritual evaluation.
[01:21:09] God, let us know we can't grab tomorrow by holding on to yesterday.
[01:21:15] Father, I pray, oh God, to continue to help us to go forward.
[01:21:21] You know, the new year is not about resolutions.
[01:21:28] It's about direction.
[01:21:31] Listen, I don't want you to make no resolutions because they ain't going to last.
[01:21:36] But find direction.
[01:21:39] Find the direction that you need to go.
[01:21:42] And trust God that He's working it out in your life.
[01:21:47] Will you stand with me all over this place?
[01:21:51] I should have hit you with a shotgun this morning, not a rifle.
[01:21:54] Every person in this place should have felt something.
[01:21:58] and their life past present future things my spiritual disciplines in my life and soul winning something somewhere should have touched your life something's in this message it should have said man that's for me that's applicable for my life and I thought there's no greater way for us to end this year than to end it in these altars
[01:22:27] Because it is Him, Kevin, that brought me through this year.
[01:22:32] And I don't want to end it without Him.
[01:22:36] I need Him because I don't know what next year holds.
[01:22:40] If I knew, I'd probably be in the corner sucking my thumb, crying.
[01:22:44] But God don't allow me to know my future.
[01:22:48] But He allows me to know that He was with me even what we face.
[01:22:53] So this morning,
[01:22:55] I want every head bowed and every eye closed.
[01:22:56] I want to ask this before you come, but I want just to be honest.
[01:23:00] I want you to be honest with yourself.
[01:23:01] This is that spiritual evaluation.
[01:23:04] Say, Pastor, I heard something that I need to hear today.
[01:23:07] That I want to finish this year right.
[01:23:08] Listen, I don't care if you didn't pray enough.
[01:23:10] I don't care if you didn't read enough.
[01:23:11] I don't care if you didn't fast.
[01:23:13] I don't care if you never told nobody about Jesus.
[01:23:15] I don't care if you never invited anybody to church.
[01:23:17] I don't care if your life was a shamble, wreck, train wreck, crash, mess up, nuclear bomb, explosion life.
[01:23:24] That's behind you.
[01:23:26] Today is in front of you.
[01:23:28] Tomorrow is a gift from God.
[01:23:31] So we're going to start right now.
[01:23:34] So you say, Pastor, I felt something this morning that I needed to work on.
[01:23:37] I heard something that I needed to do in my life.
[01:23:39] Just raise that hand.
[01:23:40] Say, that's me.
[01:23:40] I felt it.
[01:23:41] I heard it.
[01:23:42] God spoke this to me.
[01:23:44] You need to write it down.
[01:23:45] You need to put it in your Bible.
[01:23:46] You need to put it in your spirit.
[01:23:47] You need to write it on the refrigerator.
[01:23:48] You need to go home and every time you open that refrigerator, get a cold cola or a bottle of water.
[01:23:52] Man, I need to keep going forward in this.
[01:23:55] These are constantly before you.
[01:23:57] Put an alarm every day on your phone.
[01:23:59] Whatever you got to do to make it work.
[01:24:02] But make sure you're making it work.
[01:24:05] So this morning, every hand raised in this place.
[01:24:08] So that means you're real just like me.
[01:24:11] That there's places that you need to work.
[01:24:13] Things that you need to do.
[01:24:16] Things that you need to let go of.
[01:24:18] Things that you need to have faith for and trust God for.
[01:24:23] So I want you right now, will you get out of your seat and I want you, everybody will, let's just come.
[01:24:27] Let's just come to the front.
[01:24:28] Let us just surrender our life.
[01:24:30] Let us finish this year in prayer.
[01:24:32] Just come and say, God, I'm giving you my life.
[01:24:35] I'm giving you what you brought me out of this year.
[01:24:36] I'm thanking you for it.
[01:24:38] But Father, I'm ready to walk into the new season of my life.
[01:24:41] I don't want to carry this mess anymore.
[01:24:43] I don't want to carry this hurt and unforgiveness and bitterness.
[01:24:46] I don't want to carry this in my life.
[01:24:49] Just come.
[01:24:49] Just come.
[01:24:50] Keep coming.
[01:24:50] Fill these altars up.
[01:24:51] Move up as close as you can.
[01:24:52] Just keep coming closer to the front so we can fill this up.
[01:24:55] I want us to pray.
[01:24:56] Father, I want more of you.
[01:24:59] I want what you want from my life.
[01:25:01] I want to let go of the things that has held me captive and in bondage.
[01:25:07] My past, my hurt, my pain, my future, which seems to have caused me so much anxiety.
[01:25:14] I'm giving it to you, Father.
[01:25:16] Father, right now, in the name of Jesus, listen, this is between you and the Lord.
[01:25:21] Right where you're at, say, God, you see my needs.
[01:25:24] You see, on the inside, I'm crying out for help, Lord.
[01:25:28] I need you this year, God.
[01:25:30] I need to finish this year with you.
[01:25:32] If you failed, ask God to forgive you.
[01:25:35] If you failed, say, God, I messed it up.
[01:25:37] I've been a terrible husband and wife.
[01:25:39] I've been a terrible Christian.
[01:25:42] I've not been a good person.
[01:25:43] God, forgive me.
[01:25:45] I've been greedy.
[01:25:46] I've been stingy.
[01:25:47] I've been mean.
[01:25:48] I've been hurtful and hateful.
[01:25:49] I've been unforgiving.
[01:25:51] I've been fleshly.
[01:25:53] God, I need You in my life.
[01:25:56] Father, in the name of Jesus, right where we are, Lord, I pray all over these people.
[01:26:01] Father, the Holy Spirit breaks every bondage, every chain that has held people captive.
[01:26:08] Lord, I pray that there's freedom in their life.
[01:26:11] God, I pray that You bring clarity.
[01:26:14] Let the Word come alive inside of them.
[01:26:18] Father, I plead the blood of Jesus from the top of their head to the soles of their feet.
[01:26:23] Right now, Holy Spirit, that You have Your way in their lives.
[01:26:28] Father, I give You my past.
[01:26:31] I give You my pain.
[01:26:32] I give You my hurt.
[01:26:33] I give You my frustration.
[01:26:34] I give You my disappointments.
[01:26:37] Come on, if it failed, if it fell apart, God, I give it to You.
[01:26:41] Come on right where you are.

[01:26:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Right where you are Father.
[01:26:49] You are always, always, always on time.
[01:26:57] You are always, always, always on time.
[01:27:05] Come on, right where your heart is.

[01:27:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Let Him do a work inside of you.
[01:27:12] Let them do a work right now, Father.
[01:27:19] Let me push my heart out.
[01:27:20] Let me push my chest out.
[01:27:22] Let me push it towards you, Jesus.
[01:27:24] Let me push it towards you, Jesus.
[01:27:29] Let me walk in my calling and in my purpose.
[01:27:33] Put your hands upon our life.
[01:27:35] Guide and direct us, Lord.
[01:27:37] Holy Spirit, move in our lives.
[01:27:40] Put your angels around us, comfort us, O God, with your presence.
[01:27:44] Speak to us and through us, Father.
[01:27:47] For your glory, God, it's your glory, Father.
[01:27:52] Put your angels around us, Jesus.
[01:27:56] Jesus.
[01:27:57] Come on, right where you are.

[01:27:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Say, I give myself to you, Lord.
[01:28:03] You were always on time.
[01:28:09] You were always, always, always on time.
[01:28:16] You were always, always, always on time.

[01:28:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Now put your hand on your neighbor because you're not in this alone.
[01:28:29] You're part of a community.
[01:28:31] You're part of a church, the Ecclesia, the called out ones.
[01:28:36] You're part of a family of God.
[01:28:39] Now put your hand right on, might be a husband, wife, might be somebody you don't even know.
[01:28:43] A child, somebody right now.
[01:28:45] Father, I pray blessings upon them.
[01:28:49] I pray that you put your hands upon them.
[01:28:52] I pray that You lead them in the promise, O God.
[01:28:56] I pray that You guide them, direct them into the places of holiness and righteousness.
[01:29:03] Guide us, Lord.
[01:29:05] Let our hearts be positioned toward You.
[01:29:09] Let us be positioned, God.
[01:29:11] The burdens that we've been carrying, carry them for us, O God.
[01:29:16] Lord, help my brothers and sisters in this church.
[01:29:19] Let the Spirit of the Living Lord come alive this year.
[01:29:25] Father, as we finish this year, let them see the hand of God at work.
[01:29:30] Let them see miracles.
[01:29:31] Let them see answers to prayer.
[01:29:33] Let them see the work of God.
[01:29:36] Doing only what they can do.
[01:29:40] Come on right now, just pray for them.
[01:29:42] Father, touch them.
[01:29:44] Help us to be one church, one body, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
[01:29:50] Let us be unified, oh God, that we might be the church that you've called us to be this coming year.
[01:29:58] Lord, if you come back this year, Father, let us be ready.
[01:30:03] Let us be ready.
[01:30:05] In Jesus' name.
[01:30:07] Come on, right where you're headed with those hands.
[01:30:10] Let's finish it.
[01:30:11] Will you open them toward God and say, my hands open toward what you have.

[01:30:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
But I never went under Cause you were always on time Jesus When I went through the fire
[01:30:32] You were right there beside me You were always on time You were always, always, always on time You were always, always, always on time
[01:30:57] Yes you are always, always, always on time You are always, always, always on time I want to ask this before we dismiss I just want to ask you this I'm not asking you if you're in dark sin I'm not asking you if you are

[01:31:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Lost as lost can be, I'm asking you this morning.
[01:31:30] Pastor, I know I'm not where I really need to be.
[01:31:37] But I want to make sure that I ended right with God this year.
[01:31:42] And I really felt stirred in my spirit to surrender to Him more.
[01:31:50] and Give My Life to Him.
[01:31:51] Maybe you don't know Christ, but maybe there's a place in your life that you say, Pastor, I really in my heart want to make it right with God.
[01:32:02] I want you, no one's looking around, every eye closed and head bowed.
[01:32:04] No one's paying attention.
[01:32:06] This is between you and God.
[01:32:07] You'll never go forward until you admit there's a problem.
[01:32:13] I want to ask,
[01:32:15] I'm going to throw my hand up.
[01:32:15] I'm going to be the first one.
[01:32:17] There's some things that I want to see God do in my life and there's some things I need to let go of.
[01:32:21] Who will be honest and say, this is the year, Pastor.
[01:32:24] I'm ready to let some stuff go out of my life.
[01:32:27] Fear, anxiety, unbelief, doubt, whatever it is.
[01:32:32] There's some things in my life that I want to walk into this next year not caring with me.
[01:32:36] There's some hurt, there's some unforgiveness, there's some pain.
[01:32:39] I want to know that everything's right with being God.
[01:32:42] I want to know everything's under the blood.
[01:32:44] I want to finish this year right.
[01:32:47] I want us to pray this all over this place if you said it.
[01:32:49] Dear Jesus, I give you this year my life.
[01:32:54] My past, my mistakes, my failures, and my shortcomings.
[01:33:01] I put it on the blood and I'm going forward.
[01:33:05] I'm not looking back, but I'm pressing forward.
[01:33:10] Thank you Jesus for cleansing me, washing me, giving me purpose and direction.
[01:33:19] I will follow you with my whole heart.
[01:33:22] Today I make a covenant and I surrender my life afresh and anew.
[01:33:29] To you, Jesus, the lover of my souls.
[01:33:33] In Jesus' name.
[01:33:35] Amen.
[01:33:36] Amen.
[01:33:37] I'm ready to go.
[01:33:38] I'm ready to go on what God has.
[01:33:40] I'm ready to go on what God has.
[01:33:44] Can you lift those hands and just one more time just love on Jesus, Father?
[01:33:47] We just love you, Father.
[01:33:48] We just thank you.
[01:33:50] We thank you for your blessings and your mercy and your goodness.
[01:33:53] And we thank you for the Holy Spirit.

[01:33:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Never been a moment that you weren't here There's never been a time that you didn't see me through God So I worship you There's never been a day Never been a minute Never been a moment that you weren't here There's never been a time that you didn't see me through God So I worship you There's never been a day
[01:34:27] There's never been a minute, never been a moment that you weren't in There's never been a time that you didn't see me through God So I worship you, Jesus I was tossed in the waters But I never went under if you were

[01:34:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Jesus as we conclude today I want you to be reminded of what Paul said in Philippians the third chapter the 13th 14th verse he says forgetting what is behind pressing for what is ahead I press on towards the
[01:35:25] See, Pastor was talking about the moment of our sacred pause.
[01:35:36] It's a time to release from the past into God's hand.
[01:35:45] Not caring regret or fear, but gratitude and faith.
[01:35:54] We pause not to remain still, but to refocus our hearts on Christ and move forward with the renewed purpose, with the renewed mind, with the renewed direction on how to move forward in Christ.
[01:36:19] By what?
[01:36:20] By prayer.
[01:36:22] By fasting.
[01:36:24] By studying the Word, by walking in the Word, by talking the Word, and by winning souls for Christ.
[01:36:35] So as we leave this place, I want you to determine in your heart to press forward, to press on, to trust God into all your situations
[01:36:53] in every circumstance I want you to trust God I want you to prepare your heart for his presence prepare your mind for his purpose and to live according to what the word of God says so as we get ready to leave in prayer Father God we thank you oh God for another opportunity oh God to hear your word oh God God we pray right now oh God
[01:37:22] That's the word that was spoken, oh God.
[01:37:25] God, we take a pause and reflect on your goodness, your mercy, oh God.
[01:37:32] Not caring what we have received or what we have gone through in these last 362 days, oh God.
[01:37:42] But we declare that you're grateful, you're mighty, you're holy.
[01:37:48] And God, we pray right now, oh God, that we can refocus our minds on you, oh God.
[01:37:54] Repurpose our hearts to finish this race, oh God, according to your word, according to your will, and according to your ways.
[01:38:05] So we declare that our giants will be defeated, our Jericho walls will fall down, and our Red Seas will open up.
[01:38:17] Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and redeemer.
[01:38:28] In Jesus' name.
[01:38:29] Amen.
[01:38:30] Touch somebody, let them know that you love them and God loves them.
[01:38:35] And you may be dismissed.