Making Room for God: A Call to Spiritual Leadership

• Making Room for God 00:26:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces the series theme 'Make Room 2.0' and the need to make room in hearts, heads, and homes for God's work.
• Spiritual Leadership in the Home 00:30:07 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor addresses the attack on families and the necessity for men and parents to provide spiritual leadership, citing Joshua 24:15.
• Prayer for the Home and Family 00:35:38 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor outlines practical ways to make room for God, starting with praying over the home and family, referencing Luke 10 and Matthew 18.
• Praying over the home 00:36:53 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor instructs the congregation to dedicate their homes to God, asking for His love, exaltation, peace, and presence.
• Praying over the family 00:37:09 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes praying for family salvation, safety, provision, and purpose, specifically focusing on God's will rather than human will.
• Meaningful reminders in the home 00:38:41 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor suggests using pictures, quotes, Bibles, and journals as declarations that Jesus is Lord, using the biblical example of Ebenezer stones.
• Setting godly standards 00:41:27 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor urges parents to define acceptable and unacceptable words, actions, attitudes, entertainment, and music in their homes, citing Proverbs 3:33.
• Establishing God time 00:42:54 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor advocates for daily family altar times to read Scripture and pray, addressing common objections like lack of time or tiredness.
• Parental responsibility for spiritual training 00:44:51 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor cites Deuteronomy 6 to assert that parents, not pastors, are responsible for impressing spiritual truths on their children.

• Sermon Illustration 00:28:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a story about a three or four-year-old boy who gave 20 cents from his allowance to help 'make room' for more kids in the church, comparing it to Jesus multiplying the boy's five loaves and fishes.
• Sermon Illustration 00:32:04 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts his upbringing in a Christian home where his father, a blue-collar worker, and his mother, a homemaker, made God the center of their home, using Matthew 6:33 as their family tenet.
• Sermon Illustration 00:39:03 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a story about a man who was a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix but, after giving his heart to Jesus, removed Hendrix's pictures and replaced them with Jesus, declaring 'Jimi came down and Jesus went up.'
• Sermon Illustration 00:39:58 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the biblical account of Samuel setting up an Ebenezer stone to mark God's help, explaining how Israelites stacked these stones as reminders of God's power and provision.
• Sermon Illustration 00:40:55 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor notes that in the past, virtually every Christian home had a large family Bible on the coffee table, serving as a modern 'Ebenezer stone' to declare belief in God.

• Pastoral Charge 00:25:53 ▶️ 📄
  > Take the 'Make Room 2.0 Commitment Card' home and pray over it with a spouse (or find a spouse to do so).
• Pastoral Charge 00:36:53 ▶️ 📄
  > Pray a specific prayer of dedication and blessing over one's home.
• Pastoral Charge 00:38:15 ▶️ 📄
  > Married couples should regularly hold hands and pray together for their children.
• Pastoral Charge 00:36:54 ▶️ 📄
  > Verbally dedicate their home to God.
• Pastoral Charge 00:37:12 ▶️ 📄
  > Pray for family members' salvation, safety, provision, and purpose.
• Pastoral Charge 00:38:09 ▶️ 📄
  > Married couples should take hands and pray for their children regularly.
• Pastoral Charge 00:38:39 ▶️ 📄
  > Pray over the family.
• Pastoral Charge 00:41:18 ▶️ 📄
  > Identify and place meaningful reminders in the home.
• Pastoral Charge 00:42:39 ▶️ 📄
  > Set godly standards for the home.
• Pastoral Charge 00:43:05 ▶️ 📄
  > Establish and maintain a daily 'God time' for family Bible reading and prayer.
• Pastoral Charge 00:44:13 ▶️ 📄
  > Establish 'God time' in the home.
• Pastoral Charge 00:45:24 ▶️ 📄
  > Impress spiritual truths on children.
• Pastoral Charge 00:46:08 ▶️ 📄
  > Commit to making changes to make room for God.
• Pastoral Charge 00:46:39 ▶️ 📄
  > Stand, bow heads, close eyes, and lift hands as a sign of commitment to make room for God.
• Pastoral Charge 00:48:08 ▶️ 📄
  > Lift hand to indicate openness to prayer for salvation.
• Pastoral Charge 00:48:37 ▶️ 📄
  > Pray the provided salvation prayer with the congregation.
• Pastoral Charge 00:49:08 ▶️ 📄
  > Recite the specific prayer of salvation.
• Pastoral Charge 00:49:55 ▶️ 📄
  > Go to the lobby to receive free resources and a Bible.
• Pastoral Charge 00:49:55 ▶️ 📄
  > Go to the lobby to receive free resources and a Bible.
• Pastoral Charge 00:57:55 ▶️ 📄
  > Verbally declare 'We speak Jesus' over their homes, families, children, and marriages.

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:00:47] We're in the Lake City Church. Let's stand to our feet. You ready to worship?

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:00:52] To Lake City Church, we're so excited that you're here with us today.

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:12:04] If it's your first time, make sure to fill out that guest card online or in your worship guide and bring it to the Welcome Center. We have a gift waiting just for you.
[00:12:11] Now let's see what's coming up at Lake City.

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:12:13] I'm so excited to invite you to a special event on Wednesday evening, September the 30th.
[00:12:19] We're calling it Building on the Word because right after the 6.30 to 7.30 Wednesday night live, We're going to have an opportunity to go into the new building and write scriptures and prayers on the walls.
[00:12:32] This is incredibly important because every person that will come into this building for years and years, generations to come, will be able to stand on the word of God and lives are going to be transformed.
[00:12:45] Hope to see you Wednesday, September the 30th.

[00:12:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:12:48] Next up, we have Child Dedications October 7th.
[00:12:51] This is an opportunity to publicly commit to raising your children to know and follow Jesus.
[00:12:55] Lastly, we have our own Lake City Marriage Conference, October 16th and 17th.
[00:13:00] Whether you're soon to be engaged, you are engaged, you're newly married, you've been married for years, take time to invest in your relationship and keep Christ at the center. Register now.
[00:13:09] Thanks again for joining us this morning.
[00:13:11] For more information or to register for any of these events, tap the tag on the seat back in front of you.
[00:13:15] And remember, we love you. God loves you. Make it a great day.

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:13:18] Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning.
[00:13:22] third service. It is good to have you in the house this morning. Are you doing okay? Are you cold? Awesome. Awesome. Well, you look cold. No, I'm just playing. If you're watching online, it is good to have you with us this morning. And behind me on the screen, the
[00:13:37] team's going to throw the four ways that you can give here at Lake City Church. There's four ways that you can financially give behind me on the screen. But there's so many things we do together. We worship together. We do everything. Anybody at the car show yesterday?
[00:13:50] yes hey if you were a volunteer or you helped out or you helped plan it thank you so much thank you so much for what you do God has a way right now of touching and blessing every single thing we do
[00:14:04] here have you noticed that every single thing you might think it's this lofty lofty thing and God touches it you might think it's just coffee with somebody God touches that too when we give here
[00:14:15] we give all kinds of ways we give our time we give financially we commit to the Lord and to one another. Amen. I want to read this for you. Listen to this.
[00:14:23] This is Proverbs chapter 16, verse number three. Listen to this. Commit to the Lord, whatever you do. Somebody say whatever. Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. If there's anything in your life that you
[00:14:39] need help with, give it to God. If there's anything that you want to go better than it is going right now, you've got to give it to God. If there's anything you need help with, the
[00:14:49] best thing to do is to give it to God. Whatever it is, I tried this. I tried this with my friendships.
[00:14:55] I tried this with my finances. I tried this in my marriage. I tried this in my job. Every time I gave it to God, it went amazing. Amen? Some of y'all know what I'm talking about, yeah? When you give it to
[00:15:07] God, whatever it is, whatever plans you have, he'll bless it if you give it to him. Would you stand with me this morning? I want to pray over the tithes and offerings. God, thank you for what you do and what
[00:15:17] you ask us to do, God. Thank you that we can go to you. Thank you that we get to be Lake City Church. It's an honor and a privilege to worship together, to have fun together, to serve
[00:15:27] together, to give together. God, we love you this morning. We love you, God. And we're so grateful that we get to take the things that are in our lives and the things that are in our
[00:15:36] hearts and give it back to you and say, God, would you touch this? Would you bless it so I can give it? God, we thank you this morning. I bless every gift and every giver, every family
[00:15:44] that's represented in the room and online.
[00:15:47] God bless them.
[00:15:48] In Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, and everybody said, amen, amen.

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:22:02] We just thank Jesus' name, and everybody says, you can be seated this morning.

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:22:17] Months away from seeing the fulfillment of this leg of the journey, and that is the opening of the brand new building.
[00:22:25] I need your help.
[00:22:27] I need every one of us to ask God, What can I do to be a part of this phase of the Make Room journey?
[00:22:36] And how can God not only change my life, but use the resources that He has given me and help me to share those resources so that we can complete this vision, we can finish strong for what God has for us.

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:22:53] We are making room because God has so much more He wants us to do.

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:22:56] We're making room because there's more kids in the Mooresville area that need to know there is no junior Holy Spirit.

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:23:03] We make room because today's transformation is tomorrow's legacy.
[00:23:07] We're making room because we're hungry for His presence.

[00:23:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:23:11] We're making room because God made room for us.
[00:23:17] Well, good morning, everybody.
[00:23:19] Are you guys pumped and excited?
[00:23:22] I'm so glad to be in the house with you.
[00:23:25] God is in the house.
[00:23:26] The Spirit of the living God is here among us.
[00:23:29] He inhabits the praises of his people, doesn't he?
[00:23:32] I just sense the presence of the Lord.
[00:23:35] That last song was so intimate, so powerful.
[00:23:39] I hope you were tuning into that because God was just moving in our hearts and our lives.
[00:23:44] If you're watching online, thanks for joining us this morning.
[00:23:48] I want to just remind you today at 1 o'clock we have our Next Steps luncheon.
[00:23:53] If you're new or newer to Lake City Church, I would love to have the opportunity to meet you.
[00:23:59] also to introduce our lead team to you if you've never been to one of these luncheons you're invited but you need to register you can tap the tag on the seat back in front of you
[00:24:09] go ahead and register right now because we're going to have to throw a couple of extra steaks on the grill just for you but I'm looking forward to seeing you also I want to remind you again
[00:24:21] that as we saw on the screen this Wednesday evening immediately following Wednesday Night Live we're going to have an opportunity to go over into the new building and write scriptures and prayers on the walls
[00:24:34] and that's something that we did before we moved into this building and all of these walls you can't see them now but they're scriptures and they're prayers for those who would come into this building
[00:24:46] years after we actually built it so it's a powerful thing I'd love for you to join us this Wednesday night for Wednesday Night Live and then for being able to go over there and write those scriptures and prayers.
[00:25:00] Okay, are you guys ready to dive into the word?
[00:25:02] Okay, Lord, we just say thank you for this amazing day.
[00:25:06] It's a glorious day on the outside, but Lord, on the inside, we just sense your presence.
[00:25:12] And we know that you're gonna speak to us through your word.
[00:25:15] Lord, I pray that you would just dial in on where we're at and what we need to hear today.
[00:25:20] Help me to say only the things that you want me to say.
[00:25:23] And Lord, may you receive all the honor and the glory.
[00:25:26] and Lord I pray all of this in the mighty and the powerful name of Jesus and everybody said amen, hallelujah thank you for the yo's our series is called Make Room 2.0 and in your worship guide you should
[00:25:40] find a card, it looks like this, it says Make Room 2.0 Commitment Card it's really a faith commitment card and I'm going to go ahead and encourage you, take this card home you and your wife
[00:25:53] pray over it and if you're not married find a wife get married and pray over it. That would be the answer to somebody's prayer right there, right? But just pray and ask God. I want to in advance say thank you for praying
[00:26:09] as to what God would want you to do to help us make more room so that we can share the good news of Jesus with more people and by the way if you didn't get a card or a brochure
[00:26:22] we have them in the lobby. You can pick one up on your way out. We will receive these cards on the 18th of October, which is about three weeks, I think it's about three weeks from today, and we'll just
[00:26:34] see what the Lord's going to do. I have a feeling God's going to do some incredible things, so thank you guys for praying over this. I love this series because it's a challenge for every one of us to make room
[00:26:46] in our lives, to make room in our families, to make room in our church and our community for what God wants to do.
[00:26:54] It's been such an incredible journey.
[00:26:56] Our theme verse comes from Leviticus 26, 9 and 10 where God says, I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers.
[00:27:07] You will still be eating last year's harvest when you'll have to move it out to make room for the new, the new harvest.
[00:27:15] I just wonder how many of us would like to see a new harvest.
[00:27:18] Maybe you could use a new harvest in God's favor and God's fruitfulness in your life.
[00:27:26] Maybe you'd like to see an increase of numbers, your numbers.
[00:27:30] Maybe you'd like to see the new harvest of hundreds of people that God is going to bring in who will be born again and become connected with his church.
[00:27:40] I think all of us want to see that.
[00:27:42] But we have to make room.
[00:27:43] First we make room and then God gives the harvest.
[00:27:47] Last week, we read the scripture that talked about stretching to make room for more children.
[00:27:53] We already are seeing hundreds of children every single week between Kid City and Kid City Junior.
[00:28:00] And Pastor Anna and Carly and their team, they're doing a fantastic job.
[00:28:04] They really are.
[00:28:05] Pastor Anna told me the kids want to make room for more kids.
[00:28:11] Isn't that amazing?
[00:28:11] I love that.
[00:28:12] The kids want to make room for more kids.
[00:28:14] And she said that some of the kids are doing bake sales, some of them are doing lemonade stands, some of them are giving their allowance to help make room.
[00:28:22] I was actually brought to tears the other day when they showed me the offering envelope of one little boy, I think he was three or four years old.
[00:28:30] He had given 20 cents to make room.
[00:28:33] Yeah, I had the same, I mean, it brought tears to my eyes.
[00:28:37] Folks, that's amazing, isn't it?
[00:28:39] I think it's absolutely amazing.
[00:28:41] Do you have any idea what God can do with a little boy's 20 cents?
[00:28:47] I mean, how many hundreds, maybe thousands of kids will hear the good news of Jesus because of this one little boy's 20 cents.
[00:28:54] Remember what Jesus did with the boy's five loaves and fishes?
[00:28:58] He multiplied it and fed 5,000 people.
[00:29:01] So what can God do with this little boy's 20 cents?
[00:29:04] What can God do with your 20 cents or 20,000 or let's think big, 20 million?
[00:29:11] you. I mean, it's just amazing. I want to get on that kind of thing, don't you? Why not? Yes.
[00:29:20] So far, I've talked about the need to make room in your heart for God to move and talked about how to make room in your head for God to move. Today, I want to talk about the need to make room
[00:29:32] in your home for God to move. And I know that some of you are single, some of you are students, some are empty nesters. But please, please, please don't check out on me because these
[00:29:45] principles apply to every one of us regardless of what stage of life you're in. Having said that, this message also zeroes in on the need of parents to provide their families with spiritual leadership. If we thought about it, we would all recognize there is an all-out attack on families
[00:30:07] today, isn't there? There's an attack. And at the tip of the spear is Satan who wants to destroy your spiritual leadership and ultimately destroy your home and your family. And knowing that, it's absolutely incumbent upon us to intentionally make room for God in our homes. And let me talk
[00:30:29] to the men for just a second, okay? Men, where are all the men? All the manly men. Men, we need an old-fashioned revival of biblical proportion to revive spiritual manhood that will cause us to rise up
[00:30:45] and say as Joshua did in Joshua 24, 15, as for me and my house, my family, we will serve the Lord.
[00:30:53] We need men to rise up and to declare that.
[00:30:56] And let's be honest, if you don't lead your family, someone else or something else will.
[00:31:01] And that's why we're seeing so many families obliterated today because there's little or no spiritual leadership in the home.
[00:31:08] I say, where are the men of God?
[00:31:10] Where are the spiritual leaders in the home?
[00:31:14] Parents, please hear this.
[00:31:16] It's not enough for you to be a Christian.
[00:31:19] The truth is that you are called by God to establish a Christian home.
[00:31:24] Your home is meant to be a microcosm of heaven on earth, a place of peace, safety, encouragement, love, healing and recovery, learning and growing, protection and affirmation, and most of all, a place where God is welcomed and where God is
[00:31:40] worshiped passionately. That's a Christian home. I wonder, does your home look like that? It should.
[00:31:48] It should. We've got to make room in our home for God to move. I was privileged to grow up in a Christian home. I didn't realize at the time how valuable it was or how rare it was. My dad wasn't
[00:32:04] a minister, in case you're wondering. He wasn't a minister at all. He was a very blue-collar worker. He fought every challenge and every weakness that we all fight, but he had a deep love for God. And I just want to say
[00:32:16] something. Men, you don't have to be a spiritual giant in order to lead your family. You just need to be a man of principle who loves God. And before I talk about my mother, go back to the men for just a second. Diana just helped
[00:32:32] me to remember I said something at the other services about women and sometimes the women kind of eclipse their man in giving leadership in the home but she reminded me hey sometimes it's because the man just won't stand up and give
[00:32:44] the leadership so I want to poke the men just a little bit and say guy if you're not leading your family get with it rise up man up and lead your family spiritually did I do okay
[00:32:55] on that hon? I hope so she gave me a thumbs up my mother was was a very simple stay-at-home mom they used to call them homemakers in in that day and indeed she was a homemaker I think we could use a few more homemakers today what do you think
[00:33:19] I think so and and the thing that made our home different different from even some other Christians home was that God was the center of our home I'm going to say it again God was the
[00:33:31] center of our home. You could see it. You could feel it. When my unsaved friends would come to my house, when they would leave, they would say, hey, man, your family, your home is different. What is it?
[00:33:42] Your family is so different. The scripture that became the tenant for our family was Matthew 6, 33, where Jesus said, seek first. Like number one, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you.
[00:33:59] we had a plaque in our home, a big plaque that had that verse seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things speaking about the necessities of life will be added unto you
[00:34:10] we signed letters and we signed birthday cards with that verse, seek ye first the kingdom of God, that verse is still ingrained in my thinking to this very day, in fact it became the tenet for my own family, Diane and I and our
[00:34:27] four children and 16 grandchildren and now one grandchild which I'm sure is going to be many before long, we all center our lives on this creed, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other
[00:34:41] things will be added God is not an afterthought, he's not a second thought, I mean he is first in our lives and that's the product of a true Christian home I'm here today because of a
[00:34:55] Christian home. And I'm so very grateful for it. Now, I know that many of you were not raised in a home where God was first. Maybe you came from a home where sports was first, or maybe education
[00:35:09] was first, or money was first, or drugs or alcohol was first, or social status was first. But you gave your heart to Jesus, and now you want him to be first in your life. You want him to be first
[00:35:23] in your home. How do you do that? Well, I want to suggest five practical ways to make room in your home for God to move. Are you ready? Are you buckled up? Are you sure? Okay, number one, pray for your
[00:35:38] home. Pray over your home. Pray over your house, your apartment, whatever you're living in. Pray over it. In Luke chapter 10, when Jesus sent out the 72 disciples to evangelize, he told them in Verse 5, before you go into a house, say, peace be with this home.
[00:35:58] In other words, they prayed over the house.
[00:36:02] There's a powerful little truth tucked into this passage, and it's this.
[00:36:06] Something very real happens in the spiritual realm when we pray peace and blessings over our homes.
[00:36:14] And that's why they pray prayers of dedication and blessing over the Old Testament temple.
[00:36:20] that's why we pray prayers of dedication and blessing over church buildings just like we prayed over this building here before we opened it just like on Wednesday night we're going to place scriptures and prayers over the new building
[00:36:33] and there will come a time when we'll pray this one dynamic awesome prayer of God's dedication and blessing over that new building it's because something happens in the spiritual realm when we pray over our homes
[00:36:46] So I want to strongly recommend for you to pray a prayer of dedication and blessing over your own home.
[00:36:53] Say something like this.
[00:36:54] Say, Lord, we just dedicate this home to you.
[00:36:58] We dedicate it to you to be a place where you are loved, where you are exalted, and where your peace and your presence is made known in this place.
[00:37:07] Pray over your home.
[00:37:09] Number two, pray over your family.
[00:37:12] Pray for their salvation, their safety, their provision, their purpose.
[00:37:15] that is God's purpose speaking of purpose in a Christian home the question to our children is not what do you want to do when you grow up but what does God want you to do
[00:37:27] when you grow up remember it's seek ye first the kingdom of God I think it's a spiritual tragedy when parents, Christian parents are teaching their children to pursue their will rather than God's will I'm getting a little personal aren't I
[00:37:47] But we need to teach our children how to pursue God and His will for their life.
[00:37:53] Help them define God's will.
[00:37:55] It's not about your will for them.
[00:37:57] It's not about their will for their own life.
[00:37:59] It's about God's will for their lives.
[00:38:02] And mom and dad, I believe the most powerful prayers ever prayed are the prayers of parents for their children.
[00:38:09] So I encourage you on a regular basis, if you're married, take the hand of your spouse and pray for your children.
[00:38:15] Pray for your children.
[00:38:16] and pray over your children.
[00:38:17] There's not one day that goes by that Diane and I don't pray over our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren.
[00:38:24] And maybe that's what Jesus had in mind when he said in Matthew 18, 19, I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you're praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
[00:38:39] So pray over your family.
[00:38:41] Number three, third way to make room for God in your home is to put meaningful reminders inside your home.
[00:38:47] I'm talking about things like pictures and quotes and Bibles and journals.
[00:38:52] These are more than decorations.
[00:38:55] These are declarations, declarations that Jesus is Lord, that Jesus is master over this home.
[00:39:03] A while back, a man told me that he was a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix.
[00:39:08] How many of you know who Jimi Hendrix is?
[00:39:11] Okay, and for you young guys out there, you've probably never heard of Jimi Hendrix. Just to let you know, Jimi Hendrix was one of the most influential electric guitar players in the entire world. And so this guy, he was a big
[00:39:24] Jimi Hendrix fan. He told me that he had pictures, posters of Jimi Hendrix all over the walls in his home. But then he gave his heart to Jesus. And he told me, Pastor Rob, Jimi came down and Jesus went
[00:39:39] up. I love that. He said, I no longer exalt Jimmy. I exalt Jesus. I ask you, who are you exalting in your home? I was reading in 1 Samuel 7, where God overcame Israel's enemy and gave them a phenomenal
[00:39:58] victory. And then in verse number 12, it says that Samuel took a stone and he set it between Mishpah and Shin, and he named it Ebenezer, saying, thus far the Lord has helped us.
[00:40:11] So here's the thing. The word Ebenezer means stone of help. And from that time on, whenever they encountered God's miraculous help, they would stack up these Ebenezer stones. And that would help them remember that God was large and in charge. You got to love that. And whenever they
[00:40:30] were walking along, and they were with their family, and the kids said, hey, mom, dad, what's this big stack of stones over here? And the parents would tell the story of God's almighty power and
[00:40:41] his almighty provision. Yes. You know, it wasn't too long ago, right here in America, that virtually every Christian home had a large family Bible, usually on the coffee table. And everyone who walked into the home knew that this was a family who believed in God, who trusted in God. That
[00:41:05] Bible was a kind of Ebenezer stone, a reminder. So let me ask you, what kind of meaningful reminders could you put inside your home to declare his presence, to declare the fact that he is large
[00:41:18] and in charge of your home? Number four, the fourth way to make room in your home for God is to set godly standards.
[00:41:27] I'm going to get a little close.
[00:41:29] So hang on, okay?
[00:41:31] Getting a little close here.
[00:41:34] Set godly standards.
[00:41:37] This is what we will allow in our home.
[00:41:41] This is what we will not allow in our home.
[00:41:46] I can almost hear somebody's thinking, well, you mean I can determine what I allow in my home?
[00:41:51] Yes, you can.
[00:41:53] As parents, you should have a standard for your home.
[00:41:57] For example, what words are acceptable in our home?
[00:42:01] What words are not acceptable?
[00:42:04] What actions are acceptable?
[00:42:06] What attitudes are acceptable or not?
[00:42:09] What entertainment is acceptable or not?
[00:42:11] What music is acceptable or not?
[00:42:14] You might be tempted to think, oh, these things aren't important, or God doesn't look inside my house.
[00:42:20] Well, it does matter, and yes, God does see inside your house.
[00:42:24] Proverbs 3.33 warns us by saying the Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked but he blesses the home of the righteous if you want your home to be blessed and I know you do
[00:42:39] you've got to set some godly standards number five fifth way to make room for God in your home is to establish God time God time now some families they have sports time they have entertainment time
[00:42:54] they have ballet time baseball time every kind of time but no God time I'm talking about time where you gather the whole family together for a few minutes each day and you read the Bible
[00:43:05] and you pray you can do it before school you can do it before dinner you can do it before bed you can do it anytime but just do it we used to call this time
[00:43:16] family altar because every day every night when we would read scripture after we would read scripture we would get down on our knees in the living room and we would pray, just like we were at the altar, family altar.
[00:43:32] Folks, I've been teaching this family discipline for decades.
[00:43:38] And here's the pushback I always get.
[00:43:42] Well, Pastor Rob, we don't have time.
[00:43:47] Or Pastor Rob, we're going in too many directions.
[00:43:51] Or our kids are too young, our kids are too old, our kids are teenagers.
[00:43:55] We're too tired, my husband won't do it, my wife won't do it, and on and on it goes.
[00:44:00] All I can tell you is this.
[00:44:02] God time in my home changed my life and it changed my family and it will change your family too.
[00:44:13] If you want to make room in your home for God to move, if you want to lead your children and your grandchildren to know God and to love God and to serve God, you've got to establish God time.
[00:44:26] But you can be sure of this.
[00:44:29] If it's not important to you, it won't be important to them.
[00:44:34] So I want to close with this, this passage, Deuteronomy chapter 5, chapter 6 rather. It gives us crucial instruction as parents. It says this, and some of you are not parents, but you're going to be one day, so listen up. Okay, listen up. It says, love the Lord your God
[00:44:51] with all your heart. Notice it starts with our heart as parents. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. And it goes on in verse 7,
[00:45:00] Impress them on your children.
[00:45:02] Impress spiritual things on your children.
[00:45:05] Folks, it's not my responsibility to train your children.
[00:45:09] It's your responsibility, okay?
[00:45:11] It's not our children's pastor's responsibility to train your children.
[00:45:15] It's your responsibility.
[00:45:16] Moms and dads, it's our responsibility.
[00:45:19] Grandparents, it's our responsibility.
[00:45:22] So impress them on your children.
[00:45:24] Then it goes on to say, talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up, tie them as symbols on your hands
[00:45:35] and bind them on your foreheads.
[00:45:38] Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
[00:45:42] Wow, this is pretty intense, isn't it?
[00:45:45] God wants us to be very serious and very intentional about providing spiritual leadership to our families.
[00:45:52] And I think for most of us, the truth is this.
[00:45:56] if we want to make room in our homes for God to move most of us we're going to have to make some changes so my question to you is this are you willing to make some changes
[00:46:08] in order to make room for God in your home I really believe you are I really believe that so let's pray together Father I just thank you that your word is so direct so instructive
[00:46:23] Lord I pray for each one of us, Lord, that you'd help us to hear your word and respond to it in obedience, I pray in Jesus' name. Would you go ahead and stand together with me? And as we stand in the presence
[00:46:39] of the Lord, with our heads bowed and eyes closed, if you say, I want to make room in my home for God to move, would you just lift your hand with mine? Just go ahead and lift it up. Lord, you see hands
[00:46:52] raised all over this auditorium.
[00:46:54] We want to make room for you in our homes.
[00:46:57] God, I pray that you would help us.
[00:47:00] Lord, help us to take the truths that we've heard today from your word.
[00:47:03] Help us to apply them in our homes.
[00:47:07] God, help us as leaders in our homes, moms and dads, to rise up and give strong spiritual leadership to our children.
[00:47:18] God, right now I pray for your blessing upon the homes and the families, every one of them of Lake City Church.
[00:47:26] I pray each person, each family would experience your favor and your blessing.
[00:47:32] God, I say thank you for it in Jesus' name.
[00:47:35] You can go ahead and take your hand down.
[00:47:38] Before I say amen, I want to pray one final prayer.
[00:47:44] Maybe you're here this morning and you're not really sure about your relationship with God, but you're open.
[00:47:53] And you're open for God to just work in your life.
[00:47:58] In just a moment, I'd love to pray a prayer for you and for others who would say, I'm not really sure about my relationship with God, but I want to be sure, and I want to open my heart to God.
[00:48:08] If that's you, would you just lift up your hand right now and allow me to pray with you?
[00:48:13] God bless you, God bless you, God bless you.
[00:48:14] Others, God bless you.
[00:48:16] Anybody else want to just get in on this prayer?
[00:48:18] Say, I want to be certain that Jesus Christ is my Savior, my Lord.
[00:48:22] Father, thank you for these that have responded.
[00:48:28] And now, Lord, I pray that you would give my friends the assurance of their salvation.
[00:48:35] In just a moment, I'm going to pray a simple prayer.
[00:48:37] I'm going to ask everyone in the audience to pray this prayer with me, to repeat this prayer.
[00:48:44] If you raise your hand, I want to just ask you, you pray this prayer along with the rest of us.
[00:48:50] Pray it from your heart because God will hear you.
[00:48:53] Maybe you didn't raise your hand, but you felt like you should have, I want to invite you, pray this prayer along with the rest of us because God sees you and God will meet with you.
[00:49:05] So let's pray this prayer together.
[00:49:08] Say, God, I know that you love me because you sent your son Jesus and he died on the cross for my sins.
[00:49:20] Today I repent of my sins.
[00:49:22] I ask you to be my Savior, my Lord.
[00:49:26] And from today on, I'm going to live for you.
[00:49:31] in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Come on, y'all. Let's give God praise and honor and glory.
[00:49:39] Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. If you prayed that prayer, I want to encourage you after the service is over in the lobby, we have some resources for you, free resources, including a Bible that I'd love to give to you. So make sure you go out there in the lobby
[00:49:55] and you get that packet of resources that will help you in your journey of faith.
[00:50:01] maybe you're new this morning first time perhaps at Lake City one of the things we do every Sunday morning is that we share together in the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion and when we do this
[00:50:13] we're celebrating the fact that God the Father loved us so much that he sent his one and only son Jesus and Jesus loved us so much that he sacrificed his body and his blood for us
[00:50:25] and so Lord as we just prepare our hearts in just a few moments to receive these emblems, that little cracker. It reminds us of the body of Jesus that was bruised and broken for us. That little cup of juice reminds us of the blood
[00:50:43] of Jesus that was shed on Calvary's cross. And we're reminded of the scripture that says without the shedding of blood, there could be no remission, no forgiveness of our sins. And so God, today, we're just so thankful. We're thankful for your love. We're thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus.
[00:51:01] And we just celebrate today. Thank you for forgiveness. Every one of us who put our faith in you, we are free from our sins. We are totally forgiven. And we say thank you for it. We pray all
[00:51:13] of this in the mighty and the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. Amen.

[00:51:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:51:45] heart, because I know there is peace within your presence. I speak Jesus. I speak the name of Jesus.
[00:52:08] Every dark addiction starts to break. Be clear in every soul, the man is free. I speak Jesus.

[00:52:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:52:25] I speak Jesus. This morning, I speak the name of Jesus over every house and every family

[00:57:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:57:47] represented in this room.
[00:57:49] Lord, as the song said, there is power, there is healing in that name.
[00:57:53] So this morning, church, say it with me.
[00:57:55] We speak Jesus over our house.
[00:57:57] We speak Jesus over our families.
[00:57:59] We speak Jesus over our children.
[00:58:01] We speak Jesus over our marriages.
[00:58:03] God, we ask that you come and do something new in our houses, God.
[00:58:07] That your presence is felt in our homes, God.
[00:58:10] Lord, I pray that where we've missed that, God, that we would implement that in our daily lives, in our daily routines, God, that we make place for you, God.
[00:58:18] Lord, that we would see our families and our lives and our schedules and our stress levels, God, begin to change because you are Lord of our homes, God.
[00:58:27] Lord, I thank you for the word that went forth this morning, God.
[00:58:30] I pray that you would continue stirring in our hearts, God, to implement new things, new practices.
[00:58:35] Lord, that they would become routine for us, God, in our homes and in our families.
[00:58:39] I pray that you bless your people as they leave this morning, God, that you put a hedge of protection around them, Lord.
[00:58:44] Lord, that you fight off the enemy that is against them, God.
[00:58:47] and Lord that you would just bring protection and healing where it is needed in your mighty and precious name we pray amen Lake City Church we love you God loves you make it a great day
[00:58:58] and we'll see you back next week