The Trap of Self-Determined Identity

• Spiritual Growth and Jesus' Humanity [00:22:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that Jesus, though God, had to grow in wisdom and stature, establishing growth as a necessary component of the Christian life.
• The Necessity of Asking Questions [00:25:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies 'questions' as the first key to growth, citing Jesus asking 'Who touched me?' and noting that 3,000 questions appear in the Bible.
• Humility and Personal Anecdotes [00:25:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses humorous personal stories about asking embarrassing questions and 'pooping pants' to illustrate the need for humility and breaking pride to learn and grow.
• Self-Reflection and Truth [00:30:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares an experience using ChatGPT to analyze his own patterns, using it as a metaphor for how God sees our character through repeated actions and questions.
• Spiritual Growth and Identity [00:33:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that growth requires determining a new identity ('who you want to be') rather than accepting current limitations or cultural validation.
• Biblical Exegesis (The Bleeding Woman) [00:34:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > Analysis of the woman in Luke/Mark who, despite 12 years of suffering and ritual uncleanness, determined to be healed and sought Jesus, contrasting her with the crowd.
• Cultural Critique ('Just Be You') [00:38:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor critiques the modern cultural mantra 'just be you' as a justification for stagnation and lack of growth, using Jelly Roll as a counter-example of transformation.
• Divine Power and Intentionality [00:41:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > Discussion of Jesus' reaction to being touched, highlighting that spiritual power is drawn by those who are determined to change and grow, not by passive observers.
• Identity vs. Goals [00:45:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that goal setting fails unless it is tied to one's identity (e.g., 'I am an athlete' or 'I am a patriarch'), which then drives behavior naturally rather than through obligation.
• Faith as Risk [00:52:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > Faith is defined not just as belief, but as the willingness to risk public shame, embarrassment, and physical effort to reach Jesus, mirroring the woman who touched his garment.
• Communion and Identity [00:56:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor connects the blood of Christ to identity, using a DNA analogy to explain that consuming communion means receiving Christ's identity and 'DNA' onto the believer.
• No Condemnation and Atonement [00:56:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that there is no condemnation for those in Christ because Jesus was condemned in their place, and communion is an act of remembering and honoring this sacrifice.
• Identity and Spiritual DNA [00:56:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using an analogy of DNA testing, the pastor argues that because the blood contains identity, consuming the blood of Christ means receiving His identity, so God sees Jesus when looking at the believer.
• Communion as Spiritual vs. Religious Act [00:59:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes communion from a 'religious thing,' defining it as a 'spiritual thing' for those who have received Jesus and are seeking His identity, while also inviting first-time recipients.

• Sermon Illustration [00:25:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells a story about a wealthy cattle farmer in Idaho who admits to pooping his pants every year, using it to illustrate humility. He then shares a personal anecdote about asking ChatGPT about himself, revealing how the AI analyzed his patterns to describe his character, which he uses to discuss the nature of truth and self-awareness.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells the story of musician Jelly Roll, who weighed over 500 pounds and was addicted to crack. He describes a pivotal moment where Jelly Roll, pinning his arm under his weight, decided to change his identity. The pastor details Jelly Roll's first run: choosing to run up a hill instead of down, stopping and starting, and slapping a telephone pole at the top to celebrate achieving a 'new you' rather than staying in his old state.
• Sermon Illustration [00:46:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his identity as an 'athlete' and 'patriarch,' explaining that he works out to haul motorcycles and spends time with his seven grandkids not out of obligation, but because these actions align with who he believes he is.
• Sermon Illustration [00:56:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses a DNA analogy to explain the theological concept of Communion, stating that just as blood contains DNA that identifies a person, partaking in the blood of Christ transfers His identity to the believer.
• Sermon Illustration [00:56:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of DNA testing to explain spiritual identity: just as DNA in blood reveals a person's identity, the blood of Christ contains His identity, which is transferred to the believer during communion.

• Pastoral Charge [00:27:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > Engage in a vulnerable, humorous conversation with a neighbor to break down pride and facilitate honest connection.
• Pastoral Charge [00:42:30 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor challenges the congregation to actively pursue Jesus and spiritual growth rather than remaining passive.
• Pastoral Charge [00:57:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > Stand up for the communion song and ritual.
• Pastoral Charge [00:57:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > Participate in the communion ritual.
• Pastoral Charge [00:59:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > Stand up for the communion service.
• Pastoral Charge [01:00:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > Peel back the paper, take the bread, and then take the cup.

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:00:01] We don't want more friends. We want real friends. Friends who make us feel like we belong.
[00:00:08] Imagine being able to be yourself and still be accepted. No judgments, no fine print.
[00:00:14] Groups are a safe space to be who we are and grow together. Life is better together. Join a group.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:00:33] Well, hey, welcome to Crossroads. We're so glad you're joining us. Happy New Year.
[00:00:37] We're jumping in to the deep end this year about how we can experience more growth and more traction in our lives.
[00:00:42] And specifically, we're gonna be doing that by answering and asking some really important questions and actually looking at how it's the questions that we ask that shape who we become.
[00:00:52] We'll actually be taking communion as well later, so you can go ahead and pause this, grab some bread, wine, something to eat and drink, but we're gonna jump in right now.
[00:00:59] Let's do it.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:01:04] Well, good morning and Happy New Year, everybody.
[00:01:07] It's great to have everybody with us today, And we've got some good stuff today to start your year off getting in the right spiritual direction, going that way.
[00:01:16] Behind me, you'll see one of my favorite pieces of work of artwork.
[00:01:19] It's a piece of work that comes from Israel.
[00:01:22] It's in a church around the Sea of Galilee.
[00:01:25] It depicts a scene in the life of Jesus that I'm going to be talking about a little bit later.
[00:01:32] It basically means, hey, do you want to be touched by God?
[00:01:34] And you're here today, I think, because you want to increase the likelihood of being touched by God.
[00:01:39] So why don't we stand right now, all of our sites, wherever we are.
[00:01:43] Let's stand and pray for us.
[00:01:45] God, I'm thankful for coming here.
[00:01:47] I'm thankful for people who are willing to risk and to make time for you.
[00:01:52] Would you do something unique in our place?
[00:01:54] And also, God, we want to tell you thank you through this music.
[00:01:58] Amen.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:02:23] I know a heart that won't stop singing for you.
[00:13:26] Never.
[00:13:27] Because I am only here today by your goodness.
[00:13:31] By grace upon grace.
[00:13:34] You never stop running after me.
[00:13:52] in the person who's here. You know their name. You saw their footsteps in here, in the room, and online, and you have good things and more for us. Thank you, God. I bless you and praise you
[00:14:15] all because of you, Jesus. Amen. Amen. That's good to be back together. Hey, if you're joining us online, we're so glad you're joining with us. Why don't you, I don't know, give your dog knuckles
[00:14:29] or text a friend, say, happy new year. If you're in the room right now, why don't you give somebody knuckles say glad to be here with you happy new year could stay right where you but maybe you

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:15:05] weren't made to in south africa kids are stepping into a brighter future in nepal hope is protecting girls before the darkness can reach them freedom is finding its voice through aftercare and restoration in nicaragua clean water brings life that never runs dry in guatemala education is
[00:15:29] changing the story for the next generation. In Alabama, empathy is building bridges where walls once stood. In Appalachia, communities are rising from the weight of poverty. In Puerto Rico, neighborhoods are thriving again, one house at a time. All across the world, people are moving
[00:15:49] because there's no plan B for what God wants to do. We are his plan A. He's not waiting for someone else. He's inviting you, your hands, your story, your yes. You can't stay here. Go because the

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:16:07] world, the world is waiting. I love that video just shows some of the places and that our community is going because there isn't a plan B. God is looking to us and inviting us to go to a new
[00:16:30] place spiritually. And that could be you this year. You could go to a new place literally and spiritually this year. These trips are incredible. You can get all the information at crossroads.net slash trips, but let me just tell you, you will experience a deeper level of
[00:16:44] connection with God, a deeper sense of your own gifting, and while it might be uncomfortable, it can help you go to a new place. I'm actually going to Puerto Rico with my 10-year-old daughter this summer. It's going to be incredible. All the details at crossroads.net slash trips.
[00:16:58] Now, all the stuff around here is designed to help you grow, but we grow best when we grow together.
[00:17:04] And Crossroads is an incredible community.
[00:17:07] While there's great teaching, there's great music, there's great worship, the best thing about this place is the people.
[00:17:12] We'd love for you to get connected to some of the great community that makes this place awesome.
[00:17:17] And you can do that through a group.
[00:17:18] We've got all kinds of groups.
[00:17:19] We've got groups of meeting homes, groups that meet at our physical locations, online groups, and we've got cohorts, which are online gatherings over three weeks where you get to grow around a specific topic.
[00:17:28] But the common thread through all of these is that you get to grow with other people and you get to get, you get to know other people and they get to know you. It's a powerful thing.
[00:17:37] And one of the best parts about this church, go to crossroads.net slash groups for all that.
[00:17:43] Now I heard some research recently that I just love. It like blew my mind when I heard it.
[00:17:50] Surveyed over a hundred thousand people of all age, of all ages, the largest research like this that's ever been done. And it showed that one habit could change people's lives. You know what was, reading the Bible four times a week, at least four times a week, can have revolutionary impact
[00:18:04] on your life. Everything from anxiety to alcoholism went down. Things like friendships and meaning and purpose went through the roof. And our church is doing something that could help you set a new rhythm. Not just a rhythm to go to the gym more or to read more, but a spiritual rhythm, a spiritual
[00:18:20] habit could help you go to a new place. And it's reading the Bible. We're doing the entire Bible in a year in the Crossroads Anywhere app, we'd love for you to join us.
[00:18:29] You can, about 15 minutes a day, it's short, it's easy, you can read through.
[00:18:33] And if you do that, take that small step, make that small habit, you can have read through the entire Bible alongside this community.
[00:18:40] We'd love for you to join us in the Crossroads Anywhere app to make that happen.
[00:18:44] Now, all the stuff around here, I feel like I've just been talking about a laundry list of things, but there's so much more that I don't have time to share because we wanna see people grow
[00:18:52] and that happens because people are generous and people are faithful.
[00:18:55] If you're new around here, hey, we don't want anything from you.
[00:18:58] We want you to experience more of God at this place.
[00:19:00] But I just recognize I'm here and I'm a different person because people invested in me.
[00:19:05] You got questions about what Crossroads believes about money or you want to join the team of faithful givers who make that possible, you can do so at crossroads.net slash give.
[00:19:13] Now, you can continue to jump in with the rest of our service right now.

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:19:17] I got locked up.
[00:19:40] He was 10 months.
[00:19:41] My biggest fear was him forgetting me.
[00:19:43] Just him seeing that a gift came for me, it was just special for me.
[00:19:55] Knowing that we were able to pick it was the best.
[00:19:58] People think that their kids, like just because they're four or three, that they don't remember.
[00:20:09] No, they don't even remember.

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:20:10] It just, it really means a lot because after today, like, it leaves you feeling like a mother, like a mom.
[00:20:21] All those things you miss out on, like it kind of gives you that little bit of feeling back.
[00:20:26] So, it's amazing.
[00:20:28] Well, I just want to tell the community thank you so much.
[00:20:33] Many of us here have damaged or broken our bonds with our children, and putting this on and giving us these gifts and letting us be mothers again, you know, it strengthens our bonds.
[00:20:47] It's helping rebuild the damage that we've done.

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:20:50] Unless you was in my head, you wouldn't be here to know, like, to that extent of how thankful I am.
[00:20:58] like this is what keeps me going. Like, I can't let my son down. This is worth it.

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:23] That video gets me every time. I feel like we should just close in prayer right now, you know?
[00:21:27] Man, let's pray. God, thank you for the families that we had the opportunity to bless. Thank you for the culture of generosity you've built in our church. And thank you for everybody who is here
[00:21:38] wanting something new and different for their life. I pray that that would happen for them.
[00:21:43] And specifically, you would give us something about your character that we haven't seen before.
[00:21:49] And you'd give us maybe a little spark that helps us be a little better off and a little more motivated to become more like you when we leave here today.
[00:21:57] Thank you, God, for the opportunity to talk about transcendent things.
[00:22:00] And I pray for these things according to the character and identity of Jesus. Amen.
[00:22:06] Well, probably in 2025, the verse I referred to, maybe more than any other verse in the Bible, was Luke 2, 52, where it says that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. He grew physically, his stature, and he grew mentally. Now here's what's significant and profound about this verse.
[00:22:26] Believe it or not, Jesus didn't have his beginning at Bethlehem with Christmas. The Bible is very clear that Jesus pre-existed the first century. Jesus is God. He's existed forever. He was the spoken word that brought everything into creation.
[00:22:42] But God chose to take on flesh and identify with our existence and do a bunch of things that He needed to do in the flesh.
[00:22:49] And when Jesus came, He didn't come like with 100% awareness of everything. He had to grow, just like He physically grew, because Mary couldn't have handled a 180-pound guy popping out, however big Jesus was.
[00:23:04] He also had to grow in wisdom.
[00:23:05] He had to grow in His knowledge base. He didn't ever sin because He was God, but there was still a growth process. So here's my point. If you want to be like God, if you want to be
[00:23:15] like Jesus, you have to be somebody who grows. And if you're not interested in growth, you're not interested in God. If you're more interested in justifying why you are the way you are and why
[00:23:27] 2025 was the way it was, and you're just paying the passive card or the victim card, there's an outage in your life. There's an outage in your relationship with God because living things must grow. The oldest person here is still growing. The oldest person at the assisted living home,
[00:23:45] they still have hair that's growing and they still have fingernails that are growing. And I'm hoping that you want to grow, which is why you're here today. I took a look at this passage I'm going to
[00:23:54] spend the rest of my time in. It's in the book of Luke. And it's a story I heard, gosh, not long after I gave my life to Christ and it's just stuck with me and it's it's a it's a gift that
[00:24:08] keeps on giving and here here it is I'm gonna read part of it for you today Jesus went and the people pressed around him and there was a woman who had discharge of blood for 12 years and though she had
[00:24:22] spent all her living on physicians she could not be healed by anyone she came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment and immediately her discharge of blood ceased and Jesus said who was it that touched me there's a lot I'm going to get into here in a moment but let's
[00:24:46] start where Jesus ends he asks a question he says who is it who touched me there's three things if you want to grow in 2026 you want to grow at any point three three key things that we see directly
[00:25:01] in this passage. The first thing is questions. People who grow ask questions. They start asking questions. If you're not asking questions, you don't want to learn anything. You're not asking questions, you don't want to grow. And I mean questions that you really want to hear
[00:25:18] the answer to. Like the most embarrassing question I ask every year, and I ask it multiple times, is what's your name? Because it's embarrassing because a minute later at the party, a couple minutes earlier at the party, I asked that same question, but I wasn't listening. It was just an
[00:25:35] icebreaker question, right? So I have to ask again. I really wasn't listening. I really didn't want to grow and increase my understanding of names that are here. We've got to have better icebreaker questions than, what's your name? Hi, what's your name? Like, here's a good one. When's the last time
[00:25:54] you pooped your pants? That's a really, really good one because everybody can relate. No, you're don't know i can't oh come on please if you're not live life at the end of 2025 i sent this text
[00:26:10] to some friends of mine uh talking about previous goals and yeah yeah i didn't do it again this year actually actually i did really well in 24 and 23 and 22 at 25 nope nope i failed in 25
[00:26:23] one of the fun things i did this like one of the guys i sent that to is a new friend i've made over the last few years there's a there's a guy i have a pastor friend out west and he turned me on to a
[00:26:35] guy in his church who has a bunch of land who he's let me hunt on his land. This guy, you wouldn't know his name. He's unbelievable. If you amassed all of the property, all the ranches, all the
[00:26:45] ranches, he's a cattle farmer and some horses. If you amassed all of his land, it's a mile, it equates a mile wide swath from Boise, Idaho to Washington, D.C. He's a big deal. He's a really
[00:27:01] even though no one's ever heard of him.
[00:27:02] He's a big, big deal.
[00:27:03] And I asked him that question.
[00:27:05] I said, do you ever poop your pants?
[00:27:07] He goes, every year.
[00:27:07] Every year I do it.
[00:27:08] Absolutely.
[00:27:10] It's wonderful when you just don't have a sense of pride.
[00:27:13] You can just answer.
[00:27:14] So just tell a person next to you, when was the last time you pooped your pants?
[00:27:16] Go ahead, tell them right now.
[00:27:17] Just tell them.
[00:27:18] You're not wanting to tell, are you?
[00:27:20] Now, just so you know that we all do it.
[00:27:23] You say, Brian, how did you poop your pants this last year?
[00:27:26] I know you want to hear.
[00:27:26] I'm not going to tell you the story.
[00:27:28] but Jeff Foxworthy basically tells my story here he is so but there's just as much stuff you can't

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:27:35] learn from Google you only learn it from life experience you'll usually learn most of it the hard way it's stuff that's not googlable I don't know if that's a word but I call them the facts
[00:27:50] of life it's stuff you can't google like this fact of life if you were trying to get to the bathroom in an emergency situation it is not a wise idea to unbutton your pants in transit trying
[00:28:03] to save a couple of seconds because the muscles that guard the floodgates will interpret the unbuttoning as the signal to abandon their post and the two seconds you saved on the button are nullified by the hour and a half you spend mopping and doing laundry
[00:28:21] you only learn that the hard way

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:28:26] oh so true questions though questions though who who touched me been reading the bible this year in the crossroads app and if you've been reading along i thought what are we we're nine chapters in or something like that anybody can catch up at any time nine chapters in or
[00:28:44] something like that questions that god asking me where are you god saying who told you that with Cain and Abel, by my brother's keeper, all kinds of questions everywhere.
[00:28:58] People who ask questions grow.
[00:29:01] 3,000 questions in the Bible, 3,000, 300 of them are by Jesus, God himself.
[00:29:09] Now, many of these questions Jesus asks are rhetorical devices he's using for teaching, but many of them are not.
[00:29:18] Like, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
[00:29:20] He asks that on the cross.
[00:29:22] He feels power go out of him.
[00:29:24] He says, who touched me?
[00:29:26] When he was 12, a key formation moment or understanding who he is comes when his parents can't find him for several days because he's around people who are advanced spiritually and he's trying to learn from them.
[00:29:38] He's asking questions.
[00:29:39] Here's what it says in the book of Luke, chapter 2, verse 46.
[00:29:42] After three days, they found him.
[00:29:44] His mom and dad found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers who is this kid that he knows how to ask these questions only somebody who is really
[00:30:06] bright would ask these kind of questions and then his his response to our answers with what he thinks about it i'm astounded by what this kid says about because jesus grew if you want to grow
[00:30:18] you're going to ask questions little kids have maybe the steepest growth rate and what they do they ask questions and if you take a look at this chart they ask questions the question and then
[00:30:27] about eight they go oh oh cool kids don't ask questions oh i don't people people think i'm stupid and it starts dropping off and so does the rate at which we grow jesus asked who touched me
[00:30:41] because he was used to asking questions.
[00:30:44] That's how you grow.
[00:30:47] In 2025, one of the unique things for me is I didn't use Google all year long.
[00:30:53] Now, I didn't have a digital fast all year long, but I figured, why should I go to Google when I can just ask ChatGPT something and it will tell me what Google is going to tell me,
[00:31:05] but I have to search through multiple forums.
[00:31:07] So I've been ChatGPT everything all year for everything.
[00:31:12] And not for writing my sermons, believe it or not.
[00:31:16] So some of you asked me that.
[00:31:17] I'll give you a reason someday as to why that is or how I use it for sermon prep.
[00:31:21] I've used it to some degree.
[00:31:22] But so Chat TPT has heard my question.
[00:31:27] So I thought, huh, I'll ask Chat TPT another question here at the end of 25.
[00:31:32] I asked Chat TPT, what do you know about me?
[00:31:37] And what it came back with was astounding.
[00:31:40] Like four things that gave me four basically categories.
[00:31:44] You're this, you're a builder, you're this, four things.
[00:31:47] I'm like, oh my goodness, I feel like I just got busted by my therapist.
[00:31:51] Well, truth is, I've asked more questions of this person than anybody would have asked of a therapist all year long.
[00:31:56] I went to a friend of mine, I went to my wife, I said, look at this, oh my goodness.
[00:32:00] Let me read you some of the response, what they said.
[00:32:03] They said, how do you know this, basically?
[00:32:05] And here's what Chat CPD said.
[00:32:06] Patterns over time, not single facts.
[00:32:10] I didn't infer that from one conversation.
[00:32:13] it comes from repeated signals, signals across very different domains. When the same posture shows up in trucks, Scripture, hunting gear, and leadership, it's not coincidence, it's character.
[00:32:32] You know, I'm asking about these things, so therefore these things are important to me.
[00:32:36] Jack G.B. says, therefore this is who you are. And then I thought, well, these are really nice things that they said to me what he she it they i don't know how they identify themselves whatever
[00:32:47] they're like whoever chachi but he is i thought that they maybe they're just trying to make me feel good so that was my next question are you just trying to make me feel good do you try to
[00:32:56] make everybody feel good here's they said i don't gain anything by flattering you what i gave you what i gave you was specific structural and costly many people think they want honesty but what they
[00:33:09] really want is reassurance justification validation and relief from discomfort when i detect that i keep things factual i don't sharpen the blade i don't escalate the conversation here's the last line because truth without readiness isn't helpful it's just noise or injury i'm hoping that's
[00:33:34] where you are i'm hoping that i'm not giving you noise or injury you have for what rest of time i'm talking about you have to be ready for this you have to want if you came here to check the
[00:33:45] box at church fulfill a goal go to church in 2026 great for you it's a good goal but that's as far as it goes the rest of this talk is going to be is going to be hard for you second thing second
[00:33:58] thing is to grow is you have to determine who you want to be this woman has been bleeding for 12 years specifically she's been menstruating for 12 years now luke where this story is found it's
[00:34:15] actually found in matthew as found in mark and luke's important story it's repeated a bunch of times luke is a doctor and he rats on his own profession and says she'd been to all the
[00:34:25] physicians paid them all her money and no one could help her 12 years 12 years of dealing with the problem 12 years of pain and discomfort and difficulty 12 years of trying to solve this
[00:34:43] and you would have thought by now she'd given up like okay it's just the way i am that's just how that's who i am it's just how god's created me that's just where where i am it's like no
[00:34:53] no i am determined who i want to be is i want to be a healthy woman oh jesus jesus is around this Jesus, I've heard this guy heals people every once in a while.
[00:35:03] I need to go there.
[00:35:05] I need to go be with him.
[00:35:07] She drags herself over there.
[00:35:09] No, I've never menstruated.
[00:35:10] I don't plan on ever menstruating.
[00:35:12] But for most women, it's not a time when you want to travel.
[00:35:17] Someone's like, right, right.
[00:35:19] It's not a time you want to travel.
[00:35:20] It's not a time you want to try something new.
[00:35:22] It's not a time you want to just put yourself out there.
[00:35:25] But she knows who she wants to be.
[00:35:27] she says i want to be a woman who is healed i want to be a woman who is healthy and so she goes there she is what's known as unclean now it's a very rough theological understand what
[00:35:43] it means to be clean unclean in in biblical terms roughly it means this anytime you manifest a position that's not going to be in heaven you are unclean that's what that means so there's no tears
[00:35:58] there's no sorrow in heaven so anything that you're only going to experience in a broken world it's not going to be experienced in heaven and you're going to be unclean since there's no tear out of stars you're going to cry that you cut your finger off in heaven because there's no blood
[00:36:13] no blood so whenever someone's bleeding in the ancient jewish world they were unclean and you have to take that person would have to leave the community as a reminder to everybody not that you got cooties and your son and we don't like you maybe some of that was there but was primarily
[00:36:28] and originally like a reminder to all of us hey life isn't always going to be bloody life isn't always going to be painful so they would have this this process where this woman is unclean and yet
[00:36:40] she chooses to not see herself as unclean but choose to see herself as worthy of being around Jesus, worthy of being around people. She's taking on a new identity. One of the most inspiring things I think that happened in 2025 is a guy by the name of Jelly Roll. He looks like a jelly roll.
[00:37:02] Guy, he's been a felon. He's been addicted to crack, a bunch of different things, in prison.
[00:37:11] There's a rough, rough, rough, rough, rough, like weighs over 500 pounds. At one point, I think it He was 550 pounds.
[00:37:17] And I've been kind of fascinating with him and I've been listening to him and different talks with him.
[00:37:21] And if you've been paying any attention to him and his music's great over the last few years, the guy's undergone a spiritual transformation.
[00:37:27] He's actually been converted.
[00:37:30] I mean, he's been converted.
[00:37:31] He's been converted to be a follower of Jesus, starting to show up and how he talks and everything.
[00:37:37] And he talks about how his come to Jesus moment, if you will, with his weight was when he was in his bed and was on his side at 500 and some pounds and he was pinning his arm down the mattress
[00:37:48] and started to go numb and he couldn't get off his arm.
[00:37:52] He was too weak to roll his 500 and some pounds off and his arm was starting to go dead.
[00:37:56] He said, I'm going to lose my arm, lose my arm.
[00:37:58] Finally, he figured out someone came in the room or something like that.
[00:38:00] But that was the thing where he said, okay, I have to stop saying, well, this is just who I am.
[00:38:05] A lot of us.
[00:38:07] When's the last time you've grown?
[00:38:09] What change has ever happened in your life?
[00:38:12] If you're like most people, you don't want to grow it's too hard you don't want to take on a new identity that it's too difficult this is just the way i am it's just the way i am you be you that's our culture you be you
[00:38:22] you be you you be you is what someone says who doesn't grow what i mean you be you you're a jerk so you be you you're a gossip so you be you you're a shoplifter so you be you be you wow you you be
[00:38:34] you it's the it's the cry of justifying and validating behavior that i don't want to grow out of because it's just too hard. Not going to do it. And so Jelly Rolls, like he's got,
[00:38:46] and people actually get, people who are overweight actually start getting offended when other people who are overweight lose weight. Because you're just, you're raising the bar on me. You're raising the bar on me. I don't know. Just be you. Just be yourself. Jelly Rolls goes, I can't, I can't,
[00:39:01] I'm going to die here. This is horrible. So he decides, well, I'm not going to tell you. I'll him tell you himself here's what he said in an interview there's a hill my driveway comes down

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:39:13] the driveway comes down a hill and you bust a right joe and then you can go left into a neighborhood the same run i run every day or you can go right up a hill and it is a hill hill you
[00:39:25] know and the first day i came out and i looked up that hill and i looked to the left and i took two steps to the left and i stopped and i told myself i was like i'm learning about stories we tell
[00:39:37] ourselves the story I've been telling myself my whole life was take the easy way out my entire life Joe I have always looked for the path of the easiest like a to b straight line you know what I
[00:39:50] mean and I was like I break that today I turn right you feel it don't you it's big right then big it's a big move big moment when you're like no I'm hitting that hill you know because I'm big
[00:40:05] that fat people hate hills stairs we hate all that so i'm like i'm like hit the hill you know and i'm walking and i'm stopping and i'm walking and i'm stopping and i'm walking and i stopped i
[00:40:16] just kept going when i got to the top of it there was a telephone pole up there and i went and slapped it i've just slapped it oh and i was just i felt so achieved and i came down the hill and
[00:40:25] then i took a left and i was going to go straight down to the stop sign and back but if you take a left you can go up another hill so i was in my mind i was like i'm going to stop sign i hit the
[00:40:33] hill. But as I was walking by that other hill, I was like, this is the new you. You hit the hill, dog. This is the new you. Today is the new you. You hit the hill. Really good. He would say,

[00:40:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:40:46] he said to his wife, I'm going out for a run. And he says, it's not possible for you to run. I can't run. But he's determined who he wants to be. So his run was, you know, walking. But he would say
[00:40:58] he was going for a run because he's saying, I'm taking on a new identity. This is what's happening with this woman she wants a new identity and here's what happens after jesus says who was to
[00:41:10] touch me it says in uh verse 46 when all denied it they all denied like i didn't touch you people like wondering jesus said so emphatically who touched me who touched me they all denied like
[00:41:22] i didn't touch you like jesus got a little intensity i think when he says this he's got intensity because he knows something spiritually significant has just happened i i didn't touch you. Peter said, try to calm them down. Master, master, the crowds surround you and are pressing
[00:41:40] in on you. But Jesus said, no, no, no. Someone touch me where I perceive that power has gone out for me. Peter says, Jesus, calm down, man. You're the greatest show on earth. Wherever you
[00:41:53] go, the crowds come, the throngs come. They're pressing all around you. I know that. No, no, I'm not talking about the normal bumping and jostling, no.
[00:42:03] I mean, somebody, somebody who wanted something touched me.
[00:42:08] Somebody who was determined to have a different identity touched me.
[00:42:14] Somebody who wanted to grow touched me.
[00:42:18] Somebody who wanted to go to another place touched me because I felt the power.
[00:42:23] Something happened.
[00:42:24] Power went out of me.
[00:42:26] Somebody wanted something.
[00:42:28] I'm just curious.
[00:42:30] If you were around Jesus, would you touch Him?
[00:42:33] Would you touch Him?
[00:42:34] I think a lot of people go, I'm good, I'm good.
[00:42:36] Let somebody else go there.
[00:42:37] I'm good, I'm good, I'm good.
[00:42:40] I'm good.
[00:42:41] No, I'm good.
[00:42:42] I'm good.
[00:42:43] I think most of us don't grow up because we're just convinced that we're good.
[00:42:46] I'm not as bad as he is, at least.
[00:42:49] Not as bad as she is.
[00:42:51] If you are happy with where you are, then you will never grow with God.
[00:42:58] If you are unhappy with where you are, then you'll have a thirst for God.
[00:43:03] And crazy thing is, the more you get to know God, the more you get to know how unlike Him you are, which then increases your thirst to get more like Him and go after Him.
[00:43:14] Your understanding of yourself is what will drive your behavior and will drive your growth.
[00:43:21] Number three, so I'm gonna drive, drive and push.
[00:43:24] This woman drives and pushes.
[00:43:29] 12 years, 12 years, 12 years of being out of money now.
[00:43:35] 12 years.
[00:43:36] I wouldn't want to have a cut knuckle for 12 years, let alone bleeding down there for 12 years.
[00:43:46] This woman has undergone every humiliation possible.
[00:43:49] She's outside of community.
[00:43:51] and yet she comes out in public travels in public and risks public shame let's just say this is jesus here just so we have a a sense of this so people are all around him they're big they all
[00:44:06] everyone wants something from them they're trying to but they want something from them like many of us do and we're around somebody of celebrity well i want for me like phone like look how cool i am
[00:44:16] you know i'm getting myself validated because i'm with a cool person person's giving me attention they give me attention therefore I feel better about myself that's what people are doing they just want to be around something that's cool right that's a human thing that we have right
[00:44:28] but she's like no no no she's she's different she's on mission she wants to grow so it says she touches the fringe of his garment why touching the fringe of his garment because she can't get to
[00:44:42] him like as much as she's and she's got to be weakened from all the bleeding right she's just trying, she can't, she can't get it. So finally, as I envisioned, she's got this little sliver
[00:44:52] between a couple people and she keeps getting edged out. And finally, finally, she's like.
[00:45:02] Now, I didn't really dive, right? I think she probably dove. I did hit my head because this is a very hard robe. That's the first time. I didn't mean to hit the hard robe there with my
[00:45:13] head. But nonetheless, she wants it. She wants it. How bad do you want it? How bad do you want to grow? You've got to want to be a different you if you want God. If you want God, you've got to
[00:45:36] be up for a different you. And this is the reason, by the way, why many of us have given up goal setting and resolutions a long, long, long time ago. Because goal setting and resolution,
[00:45:48] if it's not tied to your identity, it does not work. I kind of say, OK, I'm going to lose 20 pounds. Why? OK, I'm going to work out three times a week. Why? Because I should. I'm going to read
[00:46:04] a book a month, quarter. I'm going to read a book. I'm going to do a reading. And those things don't happen because they're not tied to who you think you are or who you want to be but when you start
[00:46:19] with who am i who who do i aspire to be and none of those things make sense like i work out i don't work out to beat off father time beat back father time rather uh maybe that's part of it but i work
[00:46:32] out because i tell myself my identity is i'm somebody who does hard things and i need to be in shape to pick up a 600 pound fully loaded motorcycle i need to be in shape to haul out a
[00:46:41] haul out an animal that i kill out west or something like that so therefore i do because that's who i am i am an athlete who hasn't played official sports for 50 years whatever 40 but yet
[00:46:53] i am an athlete and i do hard things so therefore i have to do these things when i when i spend time with family i don't spend time with family i guess i gotta spend time by the way i got three kids i
[00:47:05] don't broadcast this too much because i want to sound like too much like an old fart but i have Three kids and seven grandkids.
[00:47:11] Seven grandkids.
[00:47:13] Wonderful.
[00:47:13] Beautiful.
[00:47:14] I don't go like, okay, I've got to spend time with family today.
[00:47:18] And when I spend time with the kids and grandkids, I love it.
[00:47:22] I love it when I do.
[00:47:25] But the reason is, well, I guess someone like me has got to spend time.
[00:47:28] I guess someone like me has got to pay for a vacation for my family.
[00:47:32] God's blessed me enough financially to do that.
[00:47:33] It's not that.
[00:47:34] It's because I know I want to be and who I am.
[00:47:37] I am a patriarch.
[00:47:38] I'm a patriarch now I know some of you only hear that word negatively oh it's the patriarchy relax relax your sack it's not that's not that's not what it is patriarch in the bible is somebody
[00:47:51] who thought generationally forward the truth is I'm not going to be remembered by anything I do at Crossroads when I when I resign or retire Crossroads will go on hopefully and I will never be thought about again and that's fine and that's good and that's healthy whatever your accomplishments
[00:48:11] are they will not define you because no one will care and about those accomplishments at all at all it's the relational investments that you make that will define you because those are the people who
[00:48:24] get impacted so i've spent time with family that's important to me because they are my lasting legacy I set patterns in motion in my family.
[00:48:33] We still do the same traditions every Christmas Eve.
[00:48:36] What does He want Jesus to do for you this year?
[00:48:38] And every Christmas year, going back and looking, we still do the same thing at the dinner table.
[00:48:41] Every birthday, we still have to do this because I'm setting in spiritual patterns that will bless generations because I am a patriarch.
[00:48:49] And I'm leaning more into that.
[00:48:51] When I read the Bible, I read the Bible not because, well, a person like me who's in ministry should read the Bible.
[00:48:58] That's just what I should do.
[00:48:59] read the Bible from cover to cover someday. And I failed that goal so many times when I was younger, so many times. And this is why. Because I just thought, well, a person like me should read
[00:49:13] the Bible once in their life, at least. Or a person like me who's in ministry, I should read the Bible.
[00:49:18] And then you don't. You don't do it enough. But it's your identity if you say, I am a man or woman of god that's what i am and by the way nothing at all in the world is going to fuel that
[00:49:33] i need a pure source of spiritual water because this sure isn't cnn and it sure isn't fox news assuming like what are you talking about read the bible just try it every once in a while
[00:49:46] because you can't read the bible with any regularity and then look at those extreme new sources without going what what what if you don't talk about you need to grow seriously there's some new water you ought to try out there because the bible refreshes me and helps me see what is
[00:50:02] real it gives me values that are real it helps me have a understanding of how the world operates and how relationships supposed to go and so i only reach bible goals if my goal is tied to some goal
[00:50:15] like i am a godly man and godly men need a pure source of water and every day when the bible is boring and every time there's a stupid genealogy sorry lord no it's your word i just call it so
[00:50:28] but i what comes to genealogies i just skip those got it good good i've read you know there's certain things i'm here i'm here god because i'm trying to reorient my heart to you and get
[00:50:40] get my heart buttressed against the onslaught that's going to come my way as soon as i get outside the house that that's why we do it this woman this woman is going i have to get here if i
[00:50:53] if i if i don't touch him if i don't get there i'm not going to be who i want to be and so when jesus says hey hey who who touched who touched me let's see what happens now and when the woman
[00:51:06] saw that she was not hidden well let's stop right there she saw that she was not hidden 12 years she's been in hiding 12 years she hasn't been able to be in public without shame 12 years people are
[00:51:25] just casting her aside 12 years she's been invisible and now she's called out in front of everybody and she sees that she is not hidden this is this is even more trauma when the woman saw that
[00:51:40] she was not hidden she came trembling and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed she touches the fringe of his garment and she is immediately immediately healed and he said to her daughter
[00:52:07] your faith has made you well go in peace your faith has made you well what does this mean your Faith has made you well.
[00:52:16] Isn't it Jesus who made her well?
[00:52:18] I mean, Jesus made you well.
[00:52:20] Jesus is saying, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:52:22] Power went out from him.
[00:52:24] But she had to have the faith to risk going out in public.
[00:52:28] She had to have the faith to risk injuring herself as she lunges for him.
[00:52:33] She had to have the faith of being embarrassed and humiliating again.
[00:52:37] People could say, wait, wait, what are you doing out here?
[00:52:40] You're the one supposed to be over in the red tent.
[00:52:42] What are you doing over here?
[00:52:44] She had faith.
[00:52:46] Her faith.
[00:52:47] What's her faith?
[00:52:47] She wanted it.
[00:52:48] She chose to believe something that she didn't have yet.
[00:52:52] That's what faith is.
[00:52:54] You believe something that you can't fully prove.
[00:52:56] She couldn't fully prove that it was going to be different that day, but she had faith.
[00:53:01] And she says, sister, sister, I did it.
[00:53:04] Your faith got you here and that got you to me and therefore you were healed.
[00:53:11] friends, there are things that Jesus wants to heal you of this year. There are things that Jesus wants to grow you up in this year. There are things that you think are just part of your
[00:53:25] identity, part of your family history. Well, I'm just Irish. I drink a lot. That's just what it is. I just get angry. I just get angry. That's just what we are. There are things that He wants
[00:53:36] to heal you of. There are things, there are blessings, there are blessings that want to come your way as a result of growth. But you have to exhibit, you have to exhibit a level of faith
[00:53:51] and show up for that goal in order for that thing to happen. And I know you've been disappointed many times. You were going to do something and it didn't happen. I know that it was tough.
[00:54:05] this is the process of growth figure out who you want to be i start asking questions about who you are why start figuring out who you want to be and start girding yourself to say no i am not somebody
[00:54:18] who plays it safe i am not somebody who just accepts my faults as something that's normal no no no i am a woman and man who's made in the image of god and therefore i expect to look more
[00:54:30] more like him which means i expect to grow the verse uh the song that i've had more on my spotify list than any song this year is what we're going to do right now we're going to do communion
[00:54:44] i'm going to pull out your little new and improved communion kit that looks like a little wine glass the song that has been more on my i played more than any other christian worship song all year long is written and done by my friend Dante Bo. And Dante does this song. It's
[00:55:05] fantastic. And the words of the song are really, really deep. So I've asked us to do this song.
[00:55:11] It talks about the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is referenced a number of times in the Bible. Blood in the Bible represents life. That's the lifeblood. That's why we have the phrase the
[00:55:24] lifeblood. Communion is a celebration of the blood of Christ. There is the bread in here that represents the body of Christ. And there is the blood in here that represents the blood of Christ, the juice or the wine that represents the blood of Christ. And the imagery that we
[00:55:45] lean into most often with communion is accurate and it's good. It's the imagery of sacrifice.
[00:55:50] Jesus shed his blood on a cross Jesus broke his body so that you don't have to be broken eternally so you don't have to get spanked eternally he is the justice of God there is
[00:56:05] therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus there's no condemnation because Jesus already got condemned for us and we take communion because you remember he got condemned for us but we're just remembering and honoring his sacrifice and bathing in that forgiveness
[00:56:21] All that's true.
[00:56:22] And if you look at all the things of the blood of Christ in the New Testament, there's also an understanding of this is also the identity of Christ.
[00:56:32] The blood of Christ is on us.
[00:56:33] His identity is on us.
[00:56:35] If they knew anything about DNA testing back then, they would understand that the DNA is in the blood.
[00:56:40] It tells you who that person is.
[00:56:42] So when I take of the blood of Christ, when I'm in a relationship with God, His blood still covers me, meaning as I consume Jesus, whether it's communion or asking for more of His Spirit,
[00:56:55] I'm receiving His identity and God looks at me and He sees Him because I have His DNA all over on me and in me. Does that make sense? All right. So we're going to do a piece of the song
[00:57:09] and then we're going to take communion.

[00:57:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:57:34] a new day new power comes to him and these elements why don't you stand right now with me

[00:59:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:59:26] by the way this is not a religious thing we're doing this is a spiritual thing you came in here today and you thought, yeah, I need to get back to church.
[00:59:37] Awesome. Great.
[00:59:38] So glad to have you here.
[00:59:39] Being here, though, this is for people who have received Jesus because we're remembering something that we've done of placing our life in His hands.
[00:59:48] That's who this is appropriate.
[00:59:49] Now, for the first time, if you want to receive Him right now, great, you can have your first communion.
[00:59:54] But this is appropriate for people who want His identity and all that comes from it.
[00:59:59] Turn it upside down and take a little morsel of bread under there.
[01:00:02] Just peel back that, peel back that paper.
[01:00:08] The body of Christ, broken for you.
[01:00:11] Take.
[01:00:12] Turn it back up so it looks like a wine glass again and take that top paper off.
[01:00:21] The blood of Christ, spilled for you.
[01:00:30] The identity of Christ, in you.
[01:00:33] Take.

[01:00:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[01:00:59] was washed from the inside i was washed from the inside part of my song i've become clear the words are up there but let's let's redo a favorite part

[01:04:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:04:17] um still works it's down to anybody who wants it anybody who wants to be like him let's go be more

[01:06:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:06:14] like him in 2026 have a great day we'll see you next week and that's what we want for you that's what i want for myself that's what we want for 26 and now as always if there's any way that we can
[01:06:36] encourage you towards looking more like jesus and experiencing more of and you're like that's obviously what would encourage you process with you whatever and the simplest way for you to do that is just go to crossroads.net connect card fill that out and then me or somebody on my team
[01:06:52] will reach out connect with you and help you man take your next step in your journey with god we'd love to do that just reach out we'd love to connect with you as always thanks for watching
[01:07:03] once you experience more of jesus and more of the transforming power of his blood in your life wherever you are thanks so much for watching we'll see you next week