The Hidden War: Why Integrity Requires Grace, Not Just Willpower

• Integrity [00:36:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines integrity as the alignment between the private life only God sees and the public life others see, emphasizing that the greatest battles are private.
• Guarding the Heart [00:37:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > Based on Proverbs 4:23, the pastor explains that believers must actively shepherd and guard their hearts like a soldier at a city gate to prevent private invasions.
• Spiritual Preparation [00:43:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that battles are won through daily disciplines and preparation (what you feed) rather than just reacting during moments of crisis.
• Spiritual Disciplines and Habit Formation [00:44:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that integrity is built through small, daily spiritual habits rather than crisis moments, emphasizing that these habits shape a person's character over time.
• Media Consumption and Heart Feeding [00:46:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor questions what 'feeds' the heart (news, algorithms, sports) and warns that neglecting spiritual disciplines in favor of these inputs leads to spiritual drift and being shaped by external forces.
• Personal Responsibility and Thought Captivity [00:51:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > Citing Proverbs and 2 Corinthians, the pastor emphasizes individual responsibility to not let the mouth speak dishonestly and to take every thought captive to obey Christ, rejecting the idea that others force our reactions.
• The Domino Effect of Focus [00:52:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that attention becomes affection, which becomes pursuit, and finally destiny, illustrating how specific focuses (resentment, entitlement, anger) determine future character.
• Verbal Integrity and Stewardship of Words [00:58:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that integrity extends beyond sexual purity to include how we speak, citing Solomon's command to 'watch your mouth' and steward words rather than speaking deviously or dishonestly.
• Spiritual Warfare and Pattern Recognition [01:02:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that the devil is an organized enemy who studies human patterns and triggers, similar to social media algorithms, requiring believers to be vigilant against these targeted attacks.
• Intentional Decision Making vs. Desire [01:05:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor emphasizes that wanting good outcomes is insufficient; one must 'carefully consider' their path and direction, as thousands of ordinary daily decisions shape who we become, not just one big decision.
• Integrity and Spiritual Discipline [01:13:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that integrity is built through specific, unseen habits and training rather than mere desire, emphasizing that God rewards these hidden efforts.
• Salvation and Surrender [01:15:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor transitions to an altar call, inviting those who desire salvation to pray a specific prayer of surrender and acceptance of Christ.

• Sermon Illustration [00:40:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about previously exaggerating how his mother would grab his arm with her nails during childhood, admitting he got in trouble for the exaggeration and clarifying the truth for the congregation.
• Sermon Illustration [00:49:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of taste buds controlling appetite: just as someone craving fried chicken will not choose broccoli because their taste buds are conditioned by repeated exposure, our hearts are shaped by what we repeatedly consume spiritually.
• Sermon Illustration [00:56:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor lists specific negative outcomes based on focus: focusing on what you don't have leads to resentment; focusing on cultural entitlement leads to entitlement; focusing on sexual imagery distorts intimacy; and focusing on politics leads to anger.
• Sermon Illustration [01:00:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his mother's advice: 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say nothing at all,' and contrasts this with the difficulty of biting one's tongue when frustrated.
• Sermon Illustration [01:02:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of social media algorithms and data tracking to explain how the devil studies human patterns and triggers to attack believers, noting that 'they know what you like' and 'they know what might trigger you.'
• Sermon Illustration [01:10:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor quotes football coach Bear Bryant: 'There is a will in every man to win, but the willingness to prepare to win is what makes the difference,' to illustrate that desire alone is not enough for integrity.
• Sermon Illustration [01:13:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of military training to explain that one does not become 'battle-ready' simply by wanting to, but by actively training. He also lists specific examples of 'hidden battles' such as closing a laptop to avoid temptation, choosing patience, apologizing first, waking early to pray, and stopping scrolling to spend time with God.

• Pastoral Charge [00:05:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > Fill out and submit a Connect card to record a visit.
• Pastoral Charge [00:06:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > Reach out via text or call to absent church members.
• Pastoral Charge [00:43:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > Stop rehearsing anger/offenses and start cultivating/preparing for battles through daily disciplines.
• Pastoral Charge [00:46:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > Self-examine and identify what media, emotions, or inputs are feeding one's heart.
• Pastoral Charge [00:47:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > Reallocate time from scrolling/consumption to prayer and spiritual disciplines.
• Pastoral Charge [00:50:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > Take personal responsibility for guarding one's speech and gaze, actively choosing what captures attention.
• Pastoral Charge [00:55:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > Actively capture every thought to ensure obedience to Christ.
• Pastoral Charge [00:57:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > Guard what is allowed into the mind and fix eyes on Christ to align life with Him.
• Pastoral Charge [01:13:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asks the congregation to stand up.
• Pastoral Charge [01:16:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > Pray a specific prayer of salvation and surrender to Christ.
• Pastoral Charge [01:17:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > Inform Jason and Donna that you have given your heart to the Lord.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:04:39] All right. Good morning. Good morning encounter. All right. I love the, uh, I love the

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:04:52] fellowshipping, right? It's what's amazing about walking life together. If y'all go ahead and find your seats there right now, Jason, if y'all go ahead and find your seats right now, we're going to get kicked off because, hey, I have a pretty good surprise for y'all today. And the surprise
[00:05:15] I'll tell you later.
[00:05:20] You don't ever give the surprise away at the very beginning, right?
[00:05:23] You've got to give something to anticipate.
[00:05:24] But let me start out by saying welcome.
[00:05:28] If you are here with us, maybe you're just visiting with us, maybe it's your first time checking us out, thank you for being here with us.
[00:05:35] We feel honored that you're here.
[00:05:36] If you'd do us a huge favor, though, there is a little Connect card in the seat in front of you.
[00:05:43] If you would fill that Connect card out, drop it in the offering plate, We would love to have a record of your visit.
[00:05:50] You can also go online and do that as well online if you'd like to do it that way.
[00:05:56] But thank you for being here. Welcome, welcome, welcome.
[00:05:59] And I don't know about you, but we are here today to encounter an almighty God. Amen?
[00:06:06] A couple of quick things.
[00:06:08] Summertime is here, right?
[00:06:10] So we know that. I need you to do me a favor because we are a family.
[00:06:13] During summer, people travel, people are gone.
[00:06:17] And we don't want to lose connection.
[00:06:20] So if there's somebody that you happen to notice on a summer day that's not here, reach out to them this week.
[00:06:27] Shoot them a text.
[00:06:28] Give them a call and say, hey, everything okay?
[00:06:30] Missed you at church today?
[00:06:32] Because then they'll know that they were missed.
[00:06:34] Amen?
[00:06:35] And that's what we do as a family.
[00:06:37] We don't put that on just the pastor.
[00:06:39] I reach out to people all the time.
[00:06:40] But we don't just put that on the pastor.
[00:06:42] We all do it because we're one big family.
[00:06:44] Amen?
[00:06:45] So, this past week was Vacation Bible School.
[00:06:53] And so today, I want to say this before we get kicked off, is a super, super, super big thank you to every single person that volunteered and helped out at Vacation Bible School.
[00:07:06] Because we could not, there's no way we could do that and be able to minister to these kids.
[00:07:14] And we did have neighborhood kids coming.
[00:07:16] We just had people that were not part of the church.
[00:07:20] And I really think that Vacation Bible Schools are some of those things that you can literally share.
[00:07:26] They can understand something about God that could change the whole trajectory of their life.
[00:07:32] You know that, right?
[00:07:33] And so I want to say a super big thank you to everyone who took the time to help out and to come and be a part of that.
[00:07:40] We could not have done it without you.
[00:07:42] And so today we are going to go into, once I open up, we're going to let some of the kids that were a part of it, we're going to experience that as our worship today.
[00:07:55] So we're just going to celebrate worship with our kids today. How about that? Is that a good thing to do? Amen.
[00:08:05] All right. So let's open up in prayer. Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for just your blessings.
[00:08:10] Thank you, Lord, for the blessings that we see. Thank you for those that we don't even see yet.
[00:08:14] but, Lord, you've already provisioned them for us.
[00:08:17] Lord, thank you, Lord, that you're always with us.
[00:08:20] You'll never leave us nor forsake us.
[00:08:21] Thank you, God, that even in the tough moments of life, we know that you're always there.
[00:08:26] And so, Lord, today, just continue to just let us walk in your presence and in your power in this place today, that, Lord, when we leave this place today, we know we've been in your presence.
[00:08:37] Lord, not that we've just been together.
[00:08:39] Lord, thank you that we have the opportunity to be together.
[00:08:41] But, Lord, we want to know that we were together with you.
[00:08:44] So God, we give it all to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're going to kick off with our

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:08:50] VBS video. Fantastic night, or week, I should say. Come on up. There we go. I know it doesn't

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:12:35] seem like we have a lot right now, but we actually had 33 kids this week. Praise the Lord.
[00:12:40] Praise the Lord. He is so good. He is so good to us and to send in so many kids for us to be able to invest into their future and into planting seeds for them. Grace, come on up. Thank you.
[00:12:55] Anyways, to plant seeds of God's goodness into each one of their hearts, it means the world.
[00:13:02] Because you never know if that one seed that you planted may be what brings them to Christ.
[00:13:10] You never, never know. And one thing that we got to do this week, and I thought it was just a beautiful time as being able to pray for our friends. We took time and they prayed for their
[00:13:20] friends. Then we also took time to actually pray for their parents. And I said, kids, there's nothing wrong with you praying for your parents. They need Jesus and they need help. They're raising you. So anyways, but it was a great time. So our first buddy Bible point, if you want to
[00:13:38] say, is that God is our creator. And one thing that we've learned is that God knows the very hairs on your head. That means they're numbered. Well, that was hard for these kids to number
[00:13:49] their friend's hair. That was not the most easiest thing, but we can know that God is our creator and he knows everything. Girls, y'all come on down to light. Come on down. We're going to wait for her
[00:14:01] to come on down. Lydia, will you say the scripture for us? Oh, wait a minute. Let me turn it on for

[00:14:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:14:10] you. Sorry. That's my own fault. There you go. Praise the Lord, everything he has created,

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:14:17] everything in all his kingdom. Psalms 1. 103.22. All right. If y'all will stand with us and let's

[00:14:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:14:26] praise the Lord. And y'all dance with us. Hallelujah. The point we learned, which is our

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:17:20] second night was God knows everything. He sees you and he knows everything about you. Even in Jeremiah, it actually says that he knew you before you were even conceived in your mother and father's womb. He knew you before that and he destined you to be here in 2026. That's what he called you for.
[00:17:42] And so, Colin, will you say the scripture for us?

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:17:47] Oh, Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
[00:17:53] Psalms 139.1.

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:17:56] Thank you.
[00:17:57] Now, listen, if y'all feel like all on the aisles, you're welcome to do that.
[00:18:04] Let's go to the next song.
[00:21:27] God wants us to know that he knows us.
[00:21:30] He knows.
[00:21:31] It doesn't matter what you try to hide from him.
[00:21:33] He knows you.
[00:21:36] Our last night that we had was God is our safe place.
[00:21:41] Anna, will you read the scripture for us?

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:21:45] Then I pray to you, O Lord.
[00:21:47] I say you are my place of refuge.
[00:21:51] I can't read the Bible.
[00:21:52] That's okay.

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:53] It says Psalms 142.5.
[00:21:56] So God is our refuge.
[00:21:57] And one thing we learned about is that even our friends can be a place of safety too.
[00:22:02] when we sit there and we're having distraught or just maybe some confused thoughts we're able to go to our friends and ask them to pray for us and say hey I need help and that's what the church is
[00:22:14] all about as well and that's where we find refuge when we have a safe place and people that believe in us and also are serving the Lord with us and they're wanting to make sure that you prosper as
[00:22:28] much as God wants you to so that you can continue carrying on his gospel. So we're going to sing one last song this morning and praise the Lord. He is our refuge. I don't deserve it. No way that I could

[00:22:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:22:58] earn it. God loves us. Praise the Lord. Let me do this. If you, if you were a part of VBS, everybody

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:26:35] else sit down. You say standing. If you were part of VBS, stay standing. If you were a part of VBS in some kind of way, please stay standing.
[00:26:42] I want you to look around.
[00:26:44] Like we couldn't have done it without you.
[00:26:45] Kids, look around, kids.
[00:26:47] Let's thank our adults for helping out.
[00:26:53] Because you know the old saying, it takes a village, right?
[00:26:58] That's what it does.
[00:26:59] So praise the Lord.
[00:27:00] Thank you.
[00:27:01] You can be seated.
[00:27:02] Kids can go to Children's Church.
[00:27:06] Hey, just give the kids a round of applause for all that.
[00:27:18] It takes a little courage to get up there.
[00:27:19] You know, it's one thing during the VBS nights when they have their peers right here, but to look out at the adults is a little bit different.
[00:27:29] So we're going to go ahead and take our offering.
[00:27:33] So if you have an offering, you can go ahead and get that ready.
[00:27:35] We'll have our ushers come down.
[00:27:37] And listen, I just say, this is just why we do what we do.
[00:27:41] This is why we invest.
[00:27:42] This is why we trust the Lord.
[00:27:43] This is why we say we want to make a kingdom impact, right?
[00:27:46] So every dollar, every cent, every penny, everything goes into allowing us to be able to make impacts.
[00:27:54] And it seems like I can never get past every time you have something like that is to wonder what kids were here that may never come back or may never go to another church or maybe
[00:28:06] not come back to another vacation Bible school, but there's that thing that they heard like that God is our Creator or that God never leaves us or that God is our safe place that they will continue to just,
[00:28:22] the Holy Spirit will end their lives and just mature that in their lives and just to watch that be the thing that just changes the entire trajectory of their life.
[00:28:34] So I love that. Amen.
[00:28:36] So let's go to the Lord in prayer.
[00:28:37] Lord, we thank You for this opportunity to be in Your house.
[00:28:39] Thank You for everyone that's here.
[00:28:41] Thank You for this week.
[00:28:42] Thank you for Vacation Bible School.
[00:28:43] Thank you for all those that helped out, Lord, and gave their time.
[00:28:47] And, Lord, getting home at 9.30 every night, we get it.
[00:28:50] But, Lord, it was not for us.
[00:28:53] It was for you, and it was for the investment of your spirit in these kids.
[00:28:58] And so, Lord, we thank you for that.
[00:29:00] Thank you for giving us the strength to be able to do it.
[00:29:02] And, Lord, we love you and we thank you.
[00:29:03] In Jesus' name we pray.
[00:29:04] Amen.
[00:29:32] So while they're passing those plates, let me just give you some announcements that you need to know about.
[00:29:40] Of course, if you have lost or haven't got your June, go ahead and get that.
[00:29:45] Next week, your July bulletin.
[00:29:48] Is Trey in here?
[00:29:49] Your July bulletin.
[00:29:51] Trey didn't like it when I changed the word to newsletter.
[00:29:54] He was like, can you start calling it a bulletin?
[00:29:56] He said, I don't care if you call it monthly bulletin.
[00:30:00] Just call it bulletin.
[00:30:01] So, for you, man.
[00:30:07] Get your June bulletin.
[00:30:09] there's still things going on and then your july one will come out next week but a couple of things the youth don't forget youth sunday nights are on through the summer they're on so tonight will
[00:30:23] be youth night invite friends they're bored during the summer they're tired eating twinkies and playing um video games yeah they are moms and dads are tired of them eating twinkies and playing video games send them to youth nights but this tuesday the youth are going to care wins so um
[00:30:45] if you're a teenager you've got a friend whatever you want to invite them to care wins just see todd let him know but uh june so this tuesday it's right here in this bulletin that you're going
[00:30:57] to get and read um also our seasoned servants meaning our senior citizens have a senior trip to Billy Graham Library and lunch coming up on June the 24th.
[00:31:12] If you can sign up, there's a sign-up sheet on the wall in the back.
[00:31:17] Sign up for that.
[00:31:18] Let us know that you're going to come and hang out with us.
[00:31:20] We're going to have a fun day at that.
[00:31:23] And even if you've been, I think I've been to that Billy Graham Library a dozen times, but I still love it every time I go.
[00:31:30] So even if you've been, sign up, let's hang out, have a good time.
[00:31:34] As well, don't forget that on june the 29th go ahead and put that on your calendar have a really big prayer night coming up here in the sanctuary it's going to be really awesome uh we're seeing god just move through
[00:31:47] our church through our prayer i don't most of you know but maybe not know um that every tuesday morning there is prayer that goes on in the sanctuary some of you can't come because you
[00:31:58] work many of you just don't come but i'm going to encourage you to come if you don't work come because we pray and we're seeing the lord move through prayer because i've always said when we
[00:32:08] work we work but when we pray god works right and um so anyway tuesday mornings at 10 don't just be that i don't want to come and pray person be the person i can't wait to go and pray tuesdays at 10
[00:32:21] amen um but on that night but because we know people work we have a june the 29th big prayer service coming up it's in here it'll be at seven o'clock at night men uh we got our men's battle
[00:32:34] ready men's breakfast coming up um yeah right see jason about that if you have any questions jason's excited i'm excited can't wait um and then of course last but definitely not least is our barbecue our father's day special barbecue fundraiser for missions every single bit of that
[00:32:55] is going to go to missions um they will be selling the doing sign up and pre-selling tickets when you go out at the end of service so if you parked out back take a detour and go there first
[00:33:07] uh because this is the last sunday to sign up right am i i'm right on that yes this is your last sunday so if you want the barbecue you don't have to go out after father's day you don't have
[00:33:20] to try to fight the um the crowds you can literally pick up your lunch and take it with you and it's gonna it's really good it's homemade barbecue and it's only ten dollars a plate
[00:33:32] so you get um a lot for that i'm trying to re oh here we go you get barbecue pork baked beans coleslaw and roll i mean i think i ate it chick-fil-a the other day didn't get near that
[00:33:45] much and it was 12 bucks i'm like and my and my chicken went that big it used to be this big now it's that big y'all are you with me you've been at chick-fil-a right uh so anyway so if you want
[00:33:57] if you would like to um to go ahead and purchase those go ahead and sign up for that immediately after service so they know how much to prepare for but uh it's kind of a win-win because a you get
[00:34:08] really good food for really cheap, and 100% of it goes towards missions. Amen? So how amazing is that? All right, so we're going to dive right in. And today, I want you to listen fast, all right?
[00:34:24] Because my treat to you today is this. I know it's been a long week, and we have worked a lot of nights. And so I'm super thankful that you are here, all you that worked at VBS, because you
[00:34:34] could have been like, I need a day off. But here's what I'm going to do for you today. 25-minute sermon. Y'all ready? Why are you? Time it. 25-minute sermon. But listen, there's a lot packed
[00:34:48] into this 25 minutes, all right? So you got to put your fast listening ears on, all right? So you don't want to miss this because it's really good. Worst case scenario, it's 28, but I'm shooting for
[00:35:00] 25. Are you ready? That's my gift to you today. All right. So we're in week two of our battle ready series. So if you're new to us, just go back and listen to last week online. It's a bit
[00:35:12] so you can stick with us, but we're really targeting this week. Now I'm going to preface it by saying I'm really, really speaking into our men this month because it's June and it's father's day month but women you will get just as much out of this if you allow the holy spirit to
[00:35:31] speak to you because my guess is that women probably deal with some if not all five of these battles that we men face too right but the key to it is that five battles that shape godly men
[00:35:46] probably could easily say five battles that shape godly women as well and so we want to dive into this and if you remember last week we talked about the battle for identity and when we were
[00:36:00] talking about that we said something that if the enemy can confuse a man's identity then he can control a man's direction right so last week we really learned who we are in Christ but how many of you would agree with this statement that knowing who you are in Christ
[00:36:22] and living who you are in Christ are two different things, right?
[00:36:27] And so this week, we are looking at the battle of integrity because I really believe that every person has two lives.
[00:36:38] And that is the life that everybody sees and the life that only God sees, right?
[00:36:44] And so the truth really kind of comes to this, is that the greatest battles that most men fight aren't the public ones.
[00:36:54] They aren't the ones that everybody sees.
[00:36:57] It's the private battles.
[00:36:59] It's the ones that everybody don't see.
[00:37:02] It's where your biggest battle happens.
[00:37:06] And that's why Solomon says, which we're going to look at in a minute, but we're not there, but he says in Proverbs 4, to guard your heart above all else.
[00:37:15] Because if you lose the hidden war, then eventually you'll lose the public one too.
[00:37:22] So let's look at our passage for today.
[00:37:23] In Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23 through 27 says, Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
[00:37:34] Don't let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don't let your lips talk deviously.
[00:37:41] Let your eyes look forward, fix your gaze straight ahead.
[00:37:45] Carefully consider the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established.
[00:37:52] Don't turn to the right or the left.
[00:37:54] Keep your feet away from evil.
[00:37:58] And so Solomon gives us these really wise words, right?
[00:38:03] And when we begin to unfold them, we really see how it totally applies to our battle for integrity.
[00:38:11] You know, Solomon was writing to his son, right?
[00:38:13] giving some and he was the wisest man the bible tells us the wisest man that ever lived and so why not take really wise words from the one the bible declares is the wisest person that
[00:38:24] ever lived right and so a couple of things today let's get into our encounter point if you're new with us encounter point is simply this it is our take-home point if you didn't remember anything
[00:38:37] else i'd want you to remember this but it's kind of what we build the rest of this off of and it's simply this, that private victories produce public strength. In our lives, it's our private
[00:38:49] victories, not our public ones, but it is our private victories, the battles that we face that only God sees, that then will produce what everybody else sees in public, right? So private victories, let's read, y'all read that with me. Private victories produce public strength. One
[00:39:12] more time. Private victories produce public strength. One more time. Private victories produce public strength. And so here is our first thing to say this. If I want to win the battle of integrity, if I'm going to win the battle of integrity, then there's a few things I've got
[00:39:33] to know and apply in life. And so here's our first one. It's this. What you feed will lead. Bottom line. In your life, the thing that you feed is the thing that will lead. And Solomon gives us
[00:39:50] that pointed point when he says in verse 23, he says, guard your heart above all else for it is the source of life. And I love how he says that, guard your heart above all else. You think
[00:40:07] of everything in your life that you put on guard. Everything in your life that matters to you.
[00:40:14] And Solomon says above all else, if you will guard your heart first. By the way, the air is running.
[00:40:23] So it just hasn't kept up. I guess it's too hot outside already. It's like somebody said it's cold. Oh, by the way, let me sidetrack. Give me 30 more seconds. Last week, I 100% exaggerated
[00:40:42] how my mom made us bleed. Now, I did not exaggerate how she would grab her nails in your arm, but I got in trouble when service was over. So I thought I should clear that up this week.
[00:41:00] I did exaggerate a bit. Moving on. Solomon says, guard your heart above all else. Now listen to this. Because every man is feeding something, right? Whether you realize it or not, you are feeding something. Let's say it this way. You don't just have a heart. He says, guard your heart
[00:41:30] above all else every man has a heart every person has a heart right we're not just we're not really like we're not just guarding it we have a responsibility to shepherd it that's really what he's saying what what Solomon is saying there is guard it shepherd it steward your own heart
[00:41:52] right because when he uses the the phrase there guard it it's the Hebrew picture of a soldier standing over a city gate that's the imagery that we get from that passage and like think of it this
[00:42:07] way you don't accidentally protect a city right you know what do you do you post guards you make them pay attention you stay alert and you watch for private or invasions that may come right
[00:42:21] our hearts no different he's saying guard it just as the imagery of a soldier guarding a city gate that your heart is so important to you that you realize that there may be private invasions
[00:42:36] that'll try to come into your heart and you gotta guard it.
[00:42:39] You gotta stand guard on it.
[00:42:41] You gotta shepherd your own heart.
[00:42:44] And so, man, let me say it this way.
[00:42:46] The problem isn't that we're really bad at fighting, right?
[00:42:49] We're not bad at fighting.
[00:42:50] The problem most of the time is we're fighting the wrong battles.
[00:42:54] Let me explain what I mean by that.
[00:42:56] Like we're trying sometimes to fight temptation after we've spent time feeding it, right?
[00:43:04] Or maybe we're trying to fight anger after we've rehearsed offenses over and over in our minds.
[00:43:10] Or we're trying to fight discouragement while consuming this constant diet of negativity and wondering why can't we overcome these battles?
[00:43:20] Because we're feeding them.
[00:43:25] We have to be careful not to feed them.
[00:43:28] Because, truthfully, the bottom line is, is what you feed is the thing that will lead.
[00:43:36] And we don't like the things that lead, but most of the time we don't stop ourselves from feeding them.
[00:43:43] Right?
[00:43:44] We'll just let the anger and the offenses build up in our minds and we'll rehearse it over and over and over and then wonder, why am I constantly fighting this battle?
[00:43:56] We've got to stop that.
[00:43:57] Right?
[00:43:58] Because what we know is that the battle's not won in these big, giant moments of crisis.
[00:44:06] The battles are won in the moments of cultivating or preparing for the battles.
[00:44:13] There's times in life you have to go on defense because maybe you didn't guard your heart the way that you should.
[00:44:20] Maybe you didn't shepherd it the way you should.
[00:44:22] And some invasion came and you're on defense.
[00:44:25] But we don't want to walk life.
[00:44:27] If we're going to win the battle, we can't walk life always in defense.
[00:44:32] We've got to prepare for the battle, right?
[00:44:35] We prepare for the battle, and then we're ready for the battle when it comes.
[00:44:40] And so think of this.
[00:44:43] Integrity is built through daily disciplines.
[00:44:48] Your integrity, it's built through daily disciplines, not in the moment of a crisis, right?
[00:44:58] So these small spiritual habits is what produces a strong man or strong person, right?
[00:45:08] Do I have any women?
[00:45:09] Do y'all agree?
[00:45:10] Does this help you too?
[00:45:11] Okay, good.
[00:45:13] So integrity is built through daily disciplines, right?
[00:45:17] It's the small spiritual habits that produce the strength inside of us.
[00:45:22] And it's not because the habits themselves save you, but think of it this way, it's the habits that we build, they actually shape us.
[00:45:32] So in life, and so Solomon, so he's like telling us to create habit, guard your hearts above all else.
[00:45:39] That's what he's saying, right?
[00:45:40] Right?
[00:45:40] It's not just words.
[00:45:42] It's serious words of wisdom.
[00:45:43] He's literally saying by that is create habits in your life that shepherds your own heart.
[00:45:52] Because those habits will shape you throughout life.
[00:45:57] Think of it this way.
[00:45:58] Nobody says, I just want to be distant from God.
[00:46:02] I want God to leave me alone.
[00:46:04] I want to be distant.
[00:46:05] Nobody does that.
[00:46:06] I mean, some might, but no believer, no Christian does that.
[00:46:11] Right?
[00:46:11] But here's what happens.
[00:46:13] You simply stop doing those little things that builds that relationship with you and God.
[00:46:20] Nobody wakes up one day and says, I think today I'll just destroy my marriage.
[00:46:26] No, you just kind of stop investing in it over time.
[00:46:31] Or, right, nobody plans this spiritual drift in life.
[00:46:36] They just begin to neglect spiritual disciplines that build our spiritual relationship.
[00:46:43] So ask yourself this question.
[00:46:46] What's feeding my heart?
[00:46:49] And this is a question between you and God.
[00:46:51] This isn't anything for your neighbor.
[00:46:53] It's just for you.
[00:46:55] What's feeding my heart?
[00:46:57] Is it the news feeds that you're reading every day on your phone?
[00:47:00] The hours and hours of news feeds or clips or shorts or whatever?
[00:47:08] Is it your YouTube algorithms that's feeding your heart?
[00:47:12] Is it something as innocent as sports talk radio?
[00:47:17] Could it be fear?
[00:47:17] Could it be anger?
[00:47:19] Could it be pornography?
[00:47:21] Could it be whatever?
[00:47:23] What's feeding your heart?
[00:47:25] Because it's a question that we've got to ask if we're going to win the battle of integrity, right?
[00:47:31] Because let's say it this way.
[00:47:33] If you have 20 minutes a day to scroll through whatever that you scroll through, if you have 20 minutes a day to do that, but you pray less than 20 minutes a day, then the problem isn't that you're too busy.
[00:47:52] The problem is that you're being formed by something else.
[00:47:59] And if it's 20 minutes scrolling, 20 minutes on YouTube, an hour on fox news or cnn or whatever you watch and all of a sudden it's three four hours of your day is consumed by all of this other stuff and you go i don't really have time to pray i don't
[00:48:20] have time to go to that june the 29th prayer meeting like i'm just going to be too busy that day how you know you're going to be busy already is beyond me but if i'm going to be too busy that
[00:48:29] day. Or I was too busy to help out with VBS. Look at what you did. If you're not careful, you're not going to shepherd this very heart that Solomon says we need to guard above all else. And if we're
[00:48:47] not careful, we will be formed and shaped by all the other things that we're not guarding ourselves.
[00:48:53] Again, I'm not telling you there's anything wrong with looking at Facebook. I'm not telling you there's anything wrong with scrolling. I'm not telling you there's anything wrong with watching YouTube. I'm not. I'm telling you there's something wrong with pornography, but you know what I mean.
[00:49:07] We're not always consumed by the wrong things. We're just sometimes consumed by too many other things. And so we have to be careful because these things that you repeatedly consume will eventually shape and control what you become. Here's you a good one-liner. Your appetite is
[00:49:33] controlled by your taste buds. You with me? Today, you're probably already thinking about what you want for lunch. You can already taste it. I promise you, if you have this hankering right now for fried chicken, you are not going to go, I want fried chicken so bad, so I think I will eat
[00:49:57] broccoli. You're not going to do that. If you want fried chicken that bad, you're going to go get you some fried chicken because your taste buds is controlling that appetite. And the reason your taste buds knows what fried chicken tastes like is because you put it in your mouth so many times
[00:50:17] it knows. Well, the same thing applies spiritually to our hearts. If we're not careful, the taste buds of our heart can be the things that control us and determine our appetite of what we do and how we live
[00:50:36] instead of how we should live.
[00:50:40] Point two is this.
[00:50:41] If you want to win the battle of integrity, you've got to be careful what captures you.
[00:50:46] Right?
[00:50:46] If we're in the same Proverbs chapter 4, if you look at verse 24 and 25, as you begin to scroll down through this, some more very wise words.
[00:50:55] Right?
[00:50:55] Proverbs 4, 24 and 25 says this, don't let your mouth speak dishonesty or dishonestly, right?
[00:51:05] Don't, notice, let me pause there for a minute.
[00:51:09] Notice who is responsible for not letting your mouth speak dishonestly or your lips to talk deviously.
[00:51:17] Notice that who's responsible?
[00:51:21] You are.
[00:51:24] Solomon says, you are, you have that responsibility.
[00:51:29] You know what drives me crazy?
[00:51:30] Is when somebody else says, well, they made me do that.
[00:51:34] No, they didn't.
[00:51:35] Nobody makes you do anything.
[00:51:38] You responded the way you wanted to respond to what somebody else did to you.
[00:51:45] Solomon says, don't let your mouth speak dishonestly.
[00:51:49] I really get this, that he's saying this, is that, you know what?
[00:51:53] But people may trigger something inside of you, but you still got to choose how you respond.
[00:51:59] So don't let your mouth speak dishonestly.
[00:52:02] And notice what he says, and don't let your lips talk deviously.
[00:52:05] Then look at verse 25.
[00:52:07] Let your eyes look forward.
[00:52:09] Again, that's us.
[00:52:10] That's our responsibility.
[00:52:12] It's our choice.
[00:52:13] It's our decision to do that.
[00:52:16] Let your eyes look forward.
[00:52:17] Fix your gaze straight ahead.
[00:52:19] So if we're going to win the battle of integrity, we've got to be careful, Solomon is telling us, of what captures you.
[00:52:27] Be careful of what captures you, right?
[00:52:31] Because I really think Solomon here is saying, watch what gets your attention.
[00:52:36] Let's sum this up.
[00:52:38] You need to watch what gets your attention.
[00:52:41] Because here's why.
[00:52:43] Because there is a domino effect to what I allow have my attention.
[00:52:47] First, it's this.
[00:52:48] It's because attention becomes affection, right?
[00:52:52] Affection becomes pursuit, and pursuit becomes destiny.
[00:52:57] So I've got to be careful, Solomon is telling me.
[00:52:59] Be very careful what gets your attention.
[00:53:03] If I'm going to guard my heart above all else, but then I've also got to watch what comes out of my mouth.
[00:53:09] I've got to watch what gathers my attention.
[00:53:12] Because you could say it like this.
[00:53:15] every affair started with a look every addiction started with curiosity every bitter spirit started with replaying the offense and every cynical person started by entertaining critical thoughts it's the natural flow of what solomon has given us here right because we can say that
[00:53:39] it happens one captured thought at a time and that's biblical second corinthians 10 tells us this for although we live in the flesh we do not wage war according to the flesh since the weapons
[00:53:56] of our warfare are not the flesh but are the power but but are powerful through god for the demolition of strongholds notice this part we demolish arguments and every proud thing that raised up against the knowledge of God.
[00:54:10] And what does it say?
[00:54:11] We take what?
[00:54:12] Every thought captive to obey Christ.
[00:54:18] There again, a responsibility on our part.
[00:54:21] We can choose how we respond, how we react.
[00:54:26] We can choose what we allow to run rampant through our mind.
[00:54:30] I'm not telling you the devil's not going to try to attack you.
[00:54:33] Not going to tell you that.
[00:54:35] But the Bible goes on to say, if we resist the devil, he must flee.
[00:54:39] Now, I'm not telling you, you don't have to resist Him 3,000 times in a day.
[00:54:45] But we don't want to let our minds run rapid.
[00:54:49] So if this Scripture tells us that we can, this tells me that we can take, and notice what it says, every thought.
[00:54:58] Not some thoughts, not the easier thoughts, but the Bible tells, and I'm just one of those crazy preachers that believe, if the bible says it's possible it's possible i'm just one of them crazy preachers that believes
[00:55:14] 100 and everything the bible tells us that it's true 100 of the time i'm just one of those crazy guys go on and tell it that preacher of ours he's just crazy he believes every word in the bible
[00:55:27] spread it throughout the city put it all over social media but i'm telling you it says we take every thought captive to obey Christ. So what that tells me is that we have the choice to take
[00:55:44] every single thought captive so that it is in obedience to Christ, right? So we have to capture those thoughts. Sometimes you're just capturing them one at the time, one at a time, one at a
[00:56:00] time, but we still capture them. Because here's a good thing for you to write down. Your focus determines your future. Your focus, what you put your time and energy into, what you focus on, what you allow to invade you, what you allow to take root inside of you, actually determines
[00:56:26] a lot about what's going to happen in your future. It just does. Because, let me say it this way, Men, we become what we stare at.
[00:56:39] If all you focus on is what you don't have, you'll become resentful.
[00:56:45] Right?
[00:56:46] If all you focus on is what the culture says you deserve, you'll become entitled.
[00:56:52] If all you focus on is sexual imagery, you'll distort intimacy.
[00:56:58] Right?
[00:56:58] If all you focus on, save this one for last, politics, you'll become angry.
[00:57:09] And so, we have to be careful.
[00:57:11] We have to guard.
[00:57:11] We have to know what we're allowing in.
[00:57:13] We have to take thoughts captive.
[00:57:16] Right?
[00:57:17] But let me just give you the other side of that.
[00:57:19] If your eyes are fixed on Christ, if you're focusing on the things of God, then here's what happens.
[00:57:27] Your life begins to align with Him.
[00:57:32] And so, my question is this.
[00:57:35] What accounts do you follow?
[00:57:37] What shows do you binge on?
[00:57:40] What conversations do you entertain?
[00:57:42] what fanaties, fantasies do you consistently revisit and question what voices are shaping your thinking.
[00:57:52] Who are you listening to?
[00:57:55] Who are you spending hours a day listening to?
[00:57:58] What's shaping your thinking?
[00:58:00] Because your focus definitely determines your future.
[00:58:04] Right?
[00:58:05] And all these things matter in your battle of integrity.
[00:58:08] They do.
[00:58:09] Like, I know that we hear sermons and integrity does actually have to do with sexual things too but it's not all about that there's lots of other ways that we fail in integrity outside of sexual stuff right and so we just want to be careful because
[00:58:29] all of this matters because it's helping us to become the man that god wants us to be if we focus on the right things right i love that solomon adds in that passage too to watch your
[00:58:46] mouth anybody ever heard that anybody else other than the person standing on this stage right now that your mouth got you in trouble before the ones that didn't raise your hand you are lying and lying is an integrity issue it's true like we we do we just he says watch your mouth
[00:59:16] because and that was the part of that passage right because there is such thing as verbal integrity right because we can be we can lack integrity in what we say that's i mean you i
[00:59:33] read it to you right solomon told us that like how do you speak to other people how do you speak men do your wife wives to your husband how do you speak like how do you talk to your kids
[00:59:47] how do you speak about people that frustrate you newsflash people are going to make you mad They're going to get under your skin.
[00:59:58] They're going to make you so mad.
[01:00:01] How do you talk to them?
[01:00:03] How do you respond to that?
[01:00:05] Because all of that is part of integrity, right?
[01:00:09] Because, let's say it this way, godly men or mature men don't just control their actions, they learn to steward their words.
[01:00:21] That's what Solomon was telling us here.
[01:00:24] Learn to steward your words.
[01:00:28] Did your mom ever tell you to bite your tongue?
[01:00:34] My mama used to say, I'm going to say something good.
[01:00:39] I don't just remember the bad things.
[01:00:45] My mama used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say nothing at all.
[01:00:54] And sometimes that's hard because it's most of the time that you want to say something when you don't have something nice to say, right?
[01:01:03] It's easier, you want to verbalize it when somebody's frustrated you or made you so mad that you don't have something nice to say.
[01:01:15] But the truth of the matter is, Solomon is telling us in this passage that our words are important.
[01:01:25] Don't let you speak deviously.
[01:01:29] Don't let your words come out.
[01:01:31] He's saying this, look, don't let your mouth speak dishonestly.
[01:01:35] And don't let your lips talk deviously.
[01:01:38] Literally, he is saying, is that you've got to learn to steward your words.
[01:01:45] Your words matter.
[01:01:48] And you're like, well, I've just got to get that off of my chest.
[01:01:51] Just go to the mirror.
[01:01:54] Go to the mirror and get it off your chest.
[01:01:57] But maybe you need to steward your words when somebody else is in front of you.
[01:02:04] This is the command of the Bible because this is important to winning the battle of integrity.
[01:02:11] If I just say what I want to say, when I want to say it and do what I do, when I want to do it, we're not going to win the battle of integrity in our lives. Because the devil knows how to push your buttons. And he knows which of
[01:02:26] your buttons it pushes that don't work on me and the ones that pushes on me that don't work on you.
[01:02:34] You know why? Because he spent our entire life studying our patterns. Listen to what I'm trying to tell you. The reason when you pull something, like pull your Facebook up and you have all these
[01:02:52] things on your feeds is because they've studied your patterns. They know what you like. They know what you might buy. They know what might trigger you to say, I want that, or might soothe you in
[01:03:08] some kind of way to read that. It's called algorithms. They know that. You're being tracked whether you realize it or not. You might not. You might think the devil is just some idiot that's not tracking you, but he knows what you've been doing. He knows your patterns. He knows what
[01:03:31] triggers you. He knows what you like. He knows what pleases you. He's not an idiot. And so we got to be careful that we steward our words and we understand what we're doing in the battle for
[01:03:48] integrity because it's not random the way he attacks us. Ephesians 6 tells us that. Matter of fact, it tells us how absolutely organized the devil is. Go back and read it. We battle a very
[01:04:07] organized enemy and he's organized his attacks against us and so therefore if we're going to win this battle of integrity notice what um luke chapter 6 45 tells us about what comes from our mouth right it says a good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart an evil
[01:04:31] person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart notice this for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart right so what's in your heart eventually leaks through your mouth that's what that passage is telling us yeah i didn't mean to say that you might have not
[01:04:52] meant to say it but it leaked through your mouth because it was in your heart ask the bible it's real life i'm completely amazed and when i read the bible how absolutely practical it is to your
[01:05:09] everyday life and my everyday life, right? And then thirdly, if you want to win the battle of integrity, you really got to decide who you're becoming. Don't wait till you get there and then say, I don't like the person I've become. Don't wait till you get there and say, I don't know
[01:05:29] what to do about this. If I'm going to win the battle of integrity, I've got to decide who I'm becoming that's what verse 26 and 27 tells us of proverbs 4 it says carefully consider
[01:05:48] if you got your bible underline the word consider circle it you could do carefully too because i love this passage carefully consider not recklessly consider or not just go through life hoping for the best. Carefully consider the path for feet. Oh, I'm done. I died. All right. Well, I said I
[01:06:32] was going to speak 25. I did not tell you the Holy Spirit might want me to go longer. My true intentions was 25, but you're going to let the Holy Spirit do his thing, right? But I'm already
[01:06:46] on point three, so you're good. But carefully consider the path. Carefully consider the path have your feet and all your ways notice this if i do that then all your ways will be what established i really think when you look at these few verses it kind of becomes
[01:07:06] solomon's climax to this passage because he's saying stop drifting he's saying pay attention and then he's saying this look where you're headed don't just go wondering if i'm heading in the right direction but consciously look at where you're heading be smart god created us
[01:07:30] we're not dummies we're smart and then on top of it he still gave us then when we get saved his holy spirit to help guide us right sometimes the problem is we're listening to all the wrong things
[01:07:46] instead of the spirit inside of us because the holy spirit is not going to lead you astray Holy Spirit's not going to take you down a path you're not supposed to be down.
[01:07:56] Our problem is we're listening to the wrong voices many times.
[01:08:00] And so then we can't consider our ways.
[01:08:05] But notice this.
[01:08:06] Don't turn to the right or to the left.
[01:08:09] Keep your feet away from evil.
[01:08:12] So it becomes very important that you don't determine your future with this one giant decision.
[01:08:21] Don't wait for the giant decision that says, this decision is going to determine my future.
[01:08:27] Because the truth is, your future is determined with thousands of ordinary decisions every day, every week, every month of your life.
[01:08:38] Thousands of ordinary ones is what shapes us.
[01:08:42] Not the one big one.
[01:08:45] If you hit a big one, make the right choice.
[01:08:47] but most of the time it's all the little ordinary thousands and thousands of ordinary ones right that determines something like this maybe the husband you become maybe the wife you become maybe the father or mother you become maybe the disciple you become maybe the leader you become
[01:09:06] maybe the man you become the woman you become it's literally being formed right now in thousands of ordinary decisions in your life that many times we make with zero thought. Just make them.
[01:09:22] Response comes, response goes.
[01:09:24] Response comes, response goes. Response comes, response goes. Without even thinking, but if you go back to that passage, go back to the first verse there.
[01:09:37] No, I'm sorry, I said first verse.
[01:09:38] I meant the 26, I think it is. But if you go back to this, he says, carefully consider.
[01:09:45] Like, the word carefully means don't just blow by it.
[01:09:49] like really think about it really understand really make decisions but carefully consider where your feet is going because everything that you're doing right now is the thing that begins to form you the choices you make today the choices you make this week will somehow play into
[01:10:11] what's forming you let me give you this practical point is direction not desire determines your destination understand this we have to consider where we're going carefully consider where we're going because and i literally just come into sunday school to go up there and i
[01:10:36] literally heard y'all talking about that so because wanting it is not it's just not enough Right?
[01:10:46] What was the quote from Bear Bryant?
[01:10:57] There is a will in every man to win, but the willingness to prepare to win is what makes the difference.
[01:11:10] Right?
[01:11:11] Everybody wants to win.
[01:11:12] But are you prepared to win?
[01:11:14] So if I can prepare myself to win, then it stands true I can prepare myself to lose.
[01:11:20] I may not even realize I'm preparing myself to lose.
[01:11:26] So think of this.
[01:11:28] Just desire to go in the right direction is not enough because that's not what that verse tells us.
[01:11:34] The verse tells us to carefully consider your paths, right?
[01:11:39] To just say, I want good things to happen to me.
[01:11:41] I want to go in a good path.
[01:11:43] I want a good job.
[01:11:44] I want to be a good dad.
[01:11:46] I want to be a good husband.
[01:11:47] I want to be a good wife.
[01:11:48] I want all these things that are good.
[01:11:50] Just wanting that doesn't mean that it's going to happen because it is the direction you're going that is going to determine your destination, not just the desire to want it.
[01:12:03] That's what Solomon is telling us.
[01:12:05] Carefully consider your paths.
[01:12:07] Carefully consider.
[01:12:10] Don't just want them.
[01:12:11] You've got to consider it.
[01:12:13] You might have to change directions.
[01:12:16] If I'm going to consider the path that my feet are walking and my feet are walking in a direction that I know is not going to be good or it's going to lead me to a place that I don't want to go,
[01:12:28] then I've got to change the direction.
[01:12:31] Right?
[01:12:32] Because the direction is what's going to determine your destination.
[01:12:36] Whoever's closing this down, come on up, Jimmy.
[01:12:40] As he's coming up, you don't have nothing.
[01:12:43] Okay.
[01:12:45] I'm going to sing to you all today.
[01:12:53] But let me say this.
[01:12:57] Kind of sum it up this way.
[01:13:00] Everybody desires good stuff.
[01:13:04] So for an example, everybody desires a strong marriage, but are you dating your wife?
[01:13:12] Everybody desires godly children, but are you discipling your children?
[01:13:19] Everybody desires integrity, but are you building the habits that support integrity?
[01:13:26] Right?
[01:13:26] What I'm saying is this.
[01:13:28] You don't become battle-ready by simply wanting to.
[01:13:34] Right?
[01:13:35] You become battle-ready by training to.
[01:13:42] We're going to close on that.
[01:13:44] I think that's a good place to stop.
[01:13:48] Stand with me, if you will.
[01:13:54] Listen to me, men.
[01:13:56] I didn't say the battle for integrity was easy.
[01:13:59] I didn't say it was going to be easy.
[01:14:00] Women, it's not easy.
[01:14:03] It's not going to be easy.
[01:14:06] But let me say this.
[01:14:09] Nobody is really applauding the hidden war.
[01:14:12] But remember, if you win the hidden battles, if you win the private battles, then what comes out publicly is just natural because here's the thing about the hidden war nobody's posting about it nobody's giving trophies for it nobody notices maybe when you close the
[01:14:35] laptop instead of keep clicking nobody notices when you choose patience nobody really notices when you apologize first nobody notices when you wake up 15 minutes early to pray before you go out the door. Nobody notices when you stop scrolling to pray or to spend some time with God. Nobody
[01:15:00] notices when you take the long road of integrity. But do you know who does notice? God. God notices it. Every, yeah, you can clap. God notices it. God notices it. And do I want to be noticed by a person
[01:15:18] or do I want an attaboy for God? I'm going to be honest. I would much rather have an attaboy from God than I would from anybody else. Because when I get an attaboy from God, then I know what I did
[01:15:32] stretched to the heavens. If I'm getting an attaboy from God, the devil ain't liking it.
[01:15:40] He ain't liking it if I'm getting attaboys from God, is he? Because that means I am doing something for the kingdom. So today, we're not even going to have any music, but we're going to close with
[01:15:55] this, every head bowed and every eye closed. Today, I think there's somebody in here that today you know that you want to give your life to Christ. Today, you simply are saying, I'm not here by
[01:16:08] chance. Oh my goodness, through this, the Holy Spirit, something is telling me that today is the day that I'm going to live. If my integrity is going to start through salvation today, if that's you that I want you to pray this prayer with me, if you mean it. Dear Jesus, thank you for salvation.
[01:16:26] Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you for giving me freedom through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Today, I accept that freedom. Today, I accept that salvation. Today, I accept that
[01:16:41] new life. Today, I want to surrender my life to you. Maybe I don't exactly know what that means, meaning the things in my life that I'll need to change, but Lord, you will show me. And Lord, you will
[01:16:51] help me. Lord, you will walk with me every moment of every day. I'm just going to start today with surrender. I'm going to start today by giving my life to you. God, forgive me of every sin I've
[01:17:01] ever committed. God, today, step out of heaven and step into my life. God, today, I'm asking you to save me. Make me a Christian in this place, right here and right now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
[01:17:13] And if you prayed that prayer and you meant it, then I promise you, then salvation is yours.
[01:17:22] And let me understand, salvation isn't just something we get, it's something we walk in, right?
[01:17:29] And so, if that's you, if you're a man or you're a woman, you can let Jason and Donna know that.
[01:17:40] Hey, today I gave my heart to the Lord.
[01:17:43] Something simple.
[01:17:43] and let them help you get to that next level because that's what they do.
[01:17:51] Amen?
[01:17:52] All right, Jimmy, you give us our benediction.
[01:17:58] I'm trying to think of a song, but I don't really ever think of it.
[01:18:02] I'm not a good singer.

[01:18:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[01:18:11] All right, you got this one well warmed up.
[01:18:16] I know a song.
[01:18:21] Since we had VVS kids today, I won't sing it for you, but I will tell you the words.
[01:18:28] Preacher once told me the best gospel presentation he ever heard was in the hymnal.

[01:18:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[01:18:33] Jesus loves me, this I know For the house be so little To him belong They are he strong Yes, Jesus loves me For the Bible tells me so.

[01:19:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[01:19:21] May the Lord bless you and protect you.
[01:19:23] May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
[01:19:27] May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.
[01:19:32] Amen. Shalom. Go in peace.