January 7, 2024 - Is spiritual growth on your vision board?

That's great.

Do you have a vision board for 2024? How many New World Vision board is okay? This is me fun. OK Google tool that coaches used to help people to stay on track for usually it's for the new year. Right? Like we wanted to start off the new year right with them what how we can meet our goals and do the things we want to do well for me. I want to know God's plans for me more than my plans for myself my plans and go all over the place by 10 God's plans for me, and I don't want to lose track of those plans. And so every once in awhile, I do have a vision board and this year. I actually got hooked into doing what up, but Basically, it's a collection of images are objects with texts or quotes that can be arranged in a way that's appealing to you that focus on your goals in Your Vision. So, where do you want to be this year? What would you want to see happened in your family? What do you want to see happen to your business? What do you want to see happen in your life and it all comes together now? In order for you to see this. I can't see this on the screen so you don't have to tell me what comes up behind me. How many that would start on right now? It's okay the the or I'll see that guy will see it up there. Forget what I just said the how many you've ever seen Pinterest fails. You know what that is. It's it's like when when you see a picture on Pinterest and then you try to recreate it and then you show the two pictures together and it's hash tag tag is nailed it. So if you ever want to have fun on Pinterest and search the hashtag nailed it but here's a few for you. This is what I mean. Do we got that thing up there? I can't with Oreo Cookie Monster cupcakes and then nailed it. Okay. This is what I'm talkin about. Here's a here's another one. This is Santa Claus red golden bread nailed it. This one. I hope you can see it up there to you know, it's the chicks in the internet a great coming out just like mail then okay. So what I did I wanted to show you what a proper official vision board look like. So I found one online and this is what 2024 looks like for one person. Who's the coach get that they got the big there. They got the energy the expansion the chulay the focus the all these different things. Okay. Now this is what I was working on on the back of my door. This is at nailed it. Is my first organic I just got a sick and things up on the wall that make sure they stuck basically but then I decided in the process of doing I asked God like what what's your word for me for this year? And sometimes he gave me a good one. It was just I I got really excited about it. And then what's the verse that goes with that because I asked and I found a verse and I looked at it about five different translations and I picked the ones I liked it. I put it all into that the Trevor translation and and because I want to meditate it on for the next year and see how it works out in my life. But this is what I finally got it done. This is a final one. That's my vision board. So the word for me that God gave me his redeem and down the side there and those are 49 books that I have first first first draft or better that I want to get done. All this year. But there's four on the bottom there that I will get done in the next probably 3 months. There's three courses up there. Then I'm going to get done fairly quickly in the new year and there's more to come there. I've got a prayer of agreement that I'm praying and I reworked and Maddie just inspires me. I read that every day and then on the bottom corner, you can't really read it but it says I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and it's about its it just a clearing scriptures over my health over my you know, I will see what God wants to see get done in my life and Yeah, so that's that's the vision board right? I'm not saying you need to have a vision board. That's not what we're talking about today. I am asking. Do you have plans to become more like Jesus in 2024? That's the question that we want to deal with and it's a good question. But I want to see if there's a caveat to that being a good question. Again is a coach. We want smart goals, right? So smart goals are specific measurable achievable relevant and time-bound spiritual growth doesn't fit into that specific. Give me more and more like Jesus. What does that look like? It's not going to look the same for me as it looks like for you miserable. You're not going to be able to test to make sure you've heard you got 10% more patients or kindness or Envy less or are less boastful. You just get it. There's no real way to if you can figure out a way to do it. You're on the wrong track is what I'm trying to say. Achievable it's a god like he's will finish the good work. He started in you unto the day of salvation. Do you will be like Jesus because you will see him as he is, but but for myself I did more comforting and thinking that I will be like him. So I will see him and then he'll keep on working on me cuz I don't think I'm going to have it all work out in this lifetime. Okay, I think he's still going to be working on me and Eternity cuz I don't think an eternity. I'm going to have it all together cuz what's where's the fun in that, we believe will keep on working. Is it is it relevant? It's a mean thing to God. God's main thing is to make you more and more into the image of the his son. It is so relevant. It's relevant in every part of your everyday life. Is it time Bound for smart goal, not so much? He's never going to stop making you more and more like his son. so

I'm going to read. I'm going to read a portion from Peterson's transliteration of Ephesians 4 and just so you know.

Anytime you translate scripture. You can transfer it anytime you translate anything from one language to another you can translate it word for word thought for Thought or concept for concept a word-for-word translation. You take this word means this word and you put that word there. I thought forethought means this is the sentence in it how it makes sense in the original language. I take all those words and put it in a sentence that makes sense in this language. For example Greek and Hebrew Greek in English have two totally different sentence structures. Are you really cannot read Greek unless it's about 4. Translation. It's so Greek All You Need Is Right ending on the word and you could if it agrees with whatever else is in there, so you can throw it anywhere in the in the in the sentence and

You guys are glazing over. Do you know that the lesions one is all one sentence anyway.

What I'm trying to say is I'm reading a translation that weed. I barely ever preached out of but I'm reading it because I want you to get the feel of what Paul is saying to the church in Ephesus, okay? so Ephesians chapter 4 in the message

does in light of all this here's what I want you to do. Well, I'm locked up here a prisoner for the master. I want you to get out there and walk better yet run on the Road. God has called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling down some path that goes nowhere and Mark that you do this with humility and discipline not in fits and starts but was steadily pouring yourself out for each other and acts of Love alert at noticing the differences and quick to mending fences. You were called to travel the same road in the same direction. So stay together a both outwardly and inwardly you have one Master One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who rules over all works through and is present in all everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. But that doesn't mean you should all look or speak the same way. Out of the generosity of Christ teaches give it as a gift the text for this is he climbed up on high mountain. He kept her the enemy and sees the booty. He handed it out to the gifts to people. It's true. Is it not the one who climbed up? So it's it also climb down down to the Valley of the earth and the one who climb down as one who climb back up to the highest Heavens. He handed out gifts above and below fill the heavens with his gift. He filled the Earth with his gift. He headed of gifts of the Apostle Prophet evangelist and Pastor teacher to train Christians the skilled servant work working with in Christ's body the church until we all move rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's son fully mature adults. Fully develop within and without Fully Alive like Christ. No prolonged infants. He's here, please we don't tolerate babes in the woods small children who are in Easy Mark for imposters. God wants us to grow up to know the whole truth and the talent and love like Christ and everything. We take our lead from Christ as a source of everything. We do Keeps Us in step with each other. He is his very breath and blood for with blow through US nourishing us. So that will grow up healthy and God robust in love. And so I insist and got back me up on this there be no going along with the crowd the empty-headed Mindless crowd. They refused so long to deal with God that they lost touch not only with God, but with reality itself, they can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain. They let themselves go into sexual Obsession addiction and every sort of perversion but that is no life for you. You learned Christ. My assumption is that you've paid careful attention to him been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Christ since then you do not have the excuse of ignorance everything and I do mean everything connected to that old way of life has to go it's rotten through and through get rid of it and then taking an entirely new way of life a god fashioned life a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your content as God accurately reproduces his character in you. What is a job to do then is no more lies. No more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth in the price body. We're all connected to each other after all when you lie to others you end up lying to yourself. Go ahead and be angry you do well to be angry, but don't use your anger is a few old for revenge and don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't get the devil of the kind of foothold in your life. Did you use to make ends meet by stealing will know more get an honest job. So you can take to help take care of those others that can't work watch the way you talk like nothing Fowler dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps each word as a gift. Don't grieve God don't break his heart his holy spirit moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted make a clean break with all cutting backbiting profanity about propane talk be gentle with one another sensitive forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as Christ forgave you Watch what God does and then do it like children who have learned proper behavior from their parents mostly woodcut does is love us keep company with him and learn how to live and learn a life of Love observe how Christ loved us is love was not cautious but extravagant. She didn't love in order to get something from us, but to give everything of himself to us love like that. Can I pray?

Heavenly father today is we consider your words to your people. I pray that Holy Spirit you'd speak to each of our hearts.

You would encourage. Those of us who need to be encouraged.

You would bless those who need to be blessed. You strengthen those who feel a little weak right now?

I need to give people a reason to celebrate who are ready to rejoice in your good things. We thank you Holy Spirit. That's what you're doing right now. In your name. Amen.

So when I say the spiritual growth on your vision board, what I'm asking is do you intend to become more and more like Christ this year?

Spy things I want you to remember about spiritual growth. First off spiritual growth is a choice. It takes discipline and requires Community changes everything. happens with habits Can we unpack that quickly? First of all spiritual growth is a choice or passage says in the Fusions for 1 and 2. I want you to get out there and walk better yet run on the Road. God has called you to travel. I don't want anyone sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone's trolling off on some path that goes nowhere.

Spiritual growth is a choice. It's possible to grow in the wrong direction.

Says in Matthew the hearts of some will go grow dull that the love of of many will grow cold. It says there's danger in growing weary in doing good. There's a possibility of growing corrupt according to deceitful desires are those who grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Joshua told his people when they enter the promised land he says in Joshua 2415 if serving the lord seems undesirable to you then then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve if it's the god of the ammonites the god of your ancestors who served beyond the Ephrata where the god of the ammonites in Homeland your living, but for me and my household we will serve the Lord. That choice is something you need to make sometimes. It's a it's it's never a one-off like I made Jesus my Lord do you did you recognize he is Lord, but

Some of it it's a daily Choice others. It's a circumstance or problem that brings a choice to the Forefront again. Everything's going along fine. And then your World falls apart and it's like can I really trust God to be good?

Truth is if we're not growing we're backsliding. There is no treading water. in spiritual things that it were either moving forward towards God's will for us or removing away from God's will for us. That's why he's giving us confession and repentance. If we're moving away from him, we confess with him that we're moving away from him. That's what confession means agreeing with God. repentance Greek it's it's metanoia in Hebrew, which shoe that means we should means turn around in the opposite direction. Metanoia means change your mind. So when we repent we change our mind and we turn around we go the opposite direction. And instead of going away from God we start moving towards God. Habits, we once did that Drew us closer to God disciplines. We once did that you was closer to God.

We start doing them again.

Now one thing I've learned in my own life is that I need to have grease for myself when it comes to the disciplines. I could do a whole lot more when I was waiting for then I could do now.

if I can't Spin 5 hours a day in prayer because I've got to be working. I've got to be sleeping. I got to be waking a tall it is I can't think that I'm not.

When I was a young Pastor, it was 5 hours every morning I could get up at 5. No one thought I was in the office till 10 and I had 5 hours every day just to be in his presence into brain, and it was awesome.

Then we have kids and kids are young and all these things that life changes and all these things happened.

I can't I mean I'm thankful for the time I had. But now I have to learn how I can spend time with him. How do I work it it practically work it into a schedule now.

Understand here today. His grace is sufficient.

He will Empower you to accomplish every good work prompted by faith.

Are you ready to choose to grow more and more like Christ?

Question you can ask is exactly that in my ready to choose to become more and more like Jesus.

So never forget that spiritual growth is a choice. secondly It takes discipline. Our passage says in Ephesians 4:3 and Mark that you do this with humility and discipline not in fits and starts, but steadily boring yourselves out for each other and acts of Love alert at noticing differences in quick and mending fences.

Jesus said that eternal life takes work. I should mention I've got scripture verses for all of these things. They didn't fit on the notes. They will be on the website when I post this later today all of the scripture verses. So Jesus said eternal life takes work Paul wrote that he was pressing on towards the goal to win the prize Peter wrote that we need to keep adding to Faith goodness in the goodness all urgent and all their self control of the self-control perseverance and perseverance godliness in the goddamn his brotherly kindness and the brotherly kindness love. It's it does take work to work the disciplines. Don't forget.

God doesn't leave us alone in this.

while we work out our Salvation God works in US He strengthens us by his spirit and in our in our inner being he empowers us within the unimaginable power that is within us. He provides the armor to stand strong by the power of His might. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. God will complete the good work. He started in you.

The question we need to ask is MI ready to work with Holy Spirit to become more and more like Jesus.

Don't think you can do this on your own don't expect to do it all in all on your own. Man, it's 7 days. I got to start the Bible reading plan to get through the Bible in a year of seven days. You behind already. It's okay. Don't worry. Maybe he'll have you read through mark this year instead of the whole Bible. Just let him lead you.

I never forget spiritual growth is a choice. It takes discipline and number three spiritual growth requires community. Our passage says in Ephesians 4:4 you are calls to travel the same road in the same direction. So stay together with outwardly and inwardly you have one Master One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who rules over all works all through all and print is present in all and everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

All of these verses will be in the notes. I post online. Okay together. We get our meaning Romans 12:5 together. We spur one another on Hebrews 10:25 together. We are encouraged by 1st Thessalonians 5:11 together. We are healed James 5:16 together. We meet our need to contribute to 1st Peter 4:10 Together We Grow Ephesians 4:2. We need each other for spiritual growth. So the question becomes am I willing to grow with others to become more and more like Jesus? What does that mean? Am I willing to confess my sins that I might be healed?

Confess your sins one to another and pray for one another that you might be healed.

Am I willing to to?

Free up some time to talk to somebody who wants to talk.

Because I know that I get blessed as I bless others I get refreshed as I refresh others.

But selfishly, I just know this because he's proven it time and time again.

I got like 2 or 3 Messages on my phone right now, if people be really fun to help. I don't know how I can make the time but I think I'm going to try I'm convicting myself here. I don't know we need each other for spiritual growth.

So never forget spiritual growth is a choice that takes discipline requires community and number for spiritual growth changes everything everything.

Get our passage from Ephesians 4 23 and 24 everything and I do mean everything connected with that old way of life has to go it's rotten through and through get rid of it and then take on an entirely new way of life for God fashion life a life renewed from the inside out working itself into the conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. I love that phrase. I love that portion of scripture you work to God is working in you. You'll change because God is changing you.

Everything Changes again find these versus online. Okay, 17 spiritual growth changes our thoughts spiritual growth changes our attitude verse 25 changes our actions verse 26, it changes our words verse 29, it changes our reactions and verse 38 changes our desires effusion 5 1 it changes our relationships effusion 528 changes everything.

Some things change in an instant. And other times we need to live up to what we've already attained. The theological term for this is sanctification.

Sanctification can happen like that and most of it happens over time.

Question you can ask yourself. Is it my becoming more and more like Jesus?

I guarantee you you can look back at your life and say yeah, you're not going to be measuring it. I got 10% more patients. But you will be saying bad. I didn't even I I started praying for that guy who cut me off and waving his fists instead of really getting mad at him. There's something God's doing than me. You get those moments to say. Yeah, I know I am I am I am coming on that fat? That would have really ticked me off before it now.

I can bless those who curse me I can pray for those who persecute.

He's finishing the work. He started in all of us.

So never forget spiritual growth is a choice. It takes discipline. It requires Community. It changes everything and number 5. It happens with habits. Get this from 1st Timothy 4:7 and 8 says stay clear of those silly stories that get dressed up as religion exercised alien. God, no spiritual flabbiness, please workouts in the gymnasium are useful but a disciplined life in God is so much more making you fit for today and forever you can count on this.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson wrote this you said it's so I thought and reap an action. So when so when I act and you Reba have it, so I haven't you Reba character to character nirupa destiny.

So what are some habits or disciplines are rhythms, whatever you want to call them. What are some things that you can do for spiritual growth? Well, here's a few. I'm just going to give you a Bible reading prayer singing praying in the Holy Spirit meeting together fasting Community. There's all we could go on and on and I'll go through some more later. But question is do I make time do I make space for the disciplines for spiritual growth?

So spiritual growth is a choice. I can grow to become more like Christ, or I can let my love Pro cold.

Number to spiritual growth takes discipline, but don't forget it is God who works in you to Will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose spiritual growth requires community. So, let's see how inventive we can be at encouraging each other towards love and good deeds. Spiritual growth changes everything so I'm Breeze a god fashioned life a life renewed from the inside and working itself in your contact as God accurately reproduces his character in you. finally spiritual growth happens with habits What habits are you going to make room for in your life so you can grow grow more mature more and more like Christ in this coming year.

Seriously, what habits are we going to? Make space for in our lives.

The Greek question. I'm so glad you asked. because Again, the foundation stones for this are very much. We need to remember that.

Spiritual growth is becoming more and more like Jesus and secondly that the father has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He will finish the good work started in us. It's not anything we can do on our own determination or our own discipline spiritual discipline opens up the room for Grace. It's not a matter of our own determination here.

Pathway to spiritual maturity requires growth. That's the word. I want you to remember today growth.

She is God's word are as real relationships. Oh, we overlooked offense W is worship and prayer. He is to treat hardship as discipline and age is the whole day is rhythms. Let's go through this quickly.

God's word God's word is a spoken word. It's always going to line up with his written word. Whether it's written word for word thought for Thought concert for Concept in Greek or Hebrew or whatever.

It's his word is useful for teaching us. What is true and to make us realize what's wrong in our lives at correct us when we're wrong and teaches us to do it which right? It's not an option to be in his word. It's not his opinion is book. It's not approve my opinion. We've all done it. I'm at first there's a person there that prove them, right?

We're in this word to let the word read us. That's why I like reading different translations because I can get so familiar with other the ones I try to memorize and try to go in and then you read it in here and it's like that's not what it is says and then you look it up. It is what it says. It's just in a different way.

And sometimes those different ways really challenges us right here. Because we thought we knew what it said.

But holy spirit takes whatever there and he speaks it to our heart and he says no today. This is what I want you to work on. This is how I'm making you more and more like my son whom I love.

When you start letting the word read you instead of reading it to check off a boxer to find a loophole you're starting to mature.

Question we can ask ourselves is that I've been letting the word read me.

the our reminds us we need to have real relationships and that's Real relationships we we we need people of wisdom to speak into our lives. We need the newly planted to remind us how good God is and how amazing is Greece's door.

There is no Jew or Greek or male or female or sleeve or free in Christ. We are here for each other.

We listen if God can talk to a donkey he can talk for me, so they can have confidence that we can learn from each other anytime anywhere when were open tomorrow.

Can you start learning to listen more than you speak and start thinking more before you open your mouth? You're starting to mature? And the question we can ask ourselves is do I have people of wisdom speaking into my life?

The Owen Groth reminds us to overlook offense.

Offense is going to happen in this life. Jesus told us that

he also said to pray for those.

Greater than less those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you.

Paul tells us to get rid of all bitterness rage and anger harsh words and slander as well as all types of evil Behavior instead be kind to each other tenderhearted forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you

you start treating people how you'd like to be treated instead of treating them how they deserve to be treated. You're starting to mature.

Question you can ask ourselves is have I been growing less and less offendable.

I know we all got those moments when it's just easy to be offended. Ashley living in the city surrounded by these drivers anyway. God helps us.

The W in group reminds us worship and prayer.

Worship and prayer Our tools that God give us to exchange our problems for his peace.

when we trust in him scripture says the God of all who bills us? with all peace and joy as we trust him. So will overflow with hope by the power of Holy Spirit. So you get peace and joy and hope that you're trusting God.

I know I'm not trusting God if I can't go to him in prayer and exchange my problems for his peace.

It may be that I'm offended at him because things haven't gone my way or he set me up.

But that's really the Rhythm that she has for all of us is to it. We don't ignore. problems But there are Psalms of lament that Echo your feelings. What you can do when you're feeling discouraged or alone or depressed or hurt or away from God go to the Psalms and keep reading the songs until you get the one that feels the way you feel. And then you pray that song Until you realize that you can actually say that last line of that song Because all but two will end up with yet. I will praise him my savior in my God.

God is not afraid of your emotions. You can bring those to him and you can say God not that it's true, but it feels like it's true. This is what I'm feeling right now.

Then find a Psalm of lament and pray it true. Don't leave his presence until you have his peace. He will give you his peace.

Is peace comes when it's like okay God, I trust you. I don't have the answer to this prayer. But I trust you that you were going to I'll trust you and then when I went at when I'm not trusting you, I'm going to come back here and do it again. And when I lose it again, I could I just come back. It's okay. His grace is sufficient. I can go back and go back go back.

But then sometimes in that moment, we're just we've prayed enough and it's like yeah Faith arises and I don't see it yet, but I see it now.

And then everything changes. Because I don't have the answer, but I can freeze him in the way. I can freeze them before this in the middle of the storm. I can resume his is going up and it's not something that it's forced in me is something I can't stop doing.

Psalm 115 8 houses says that How does it freeze basically? It's like they worship gods of. Wood and stone and they become like those Gods who can't see or hear?

we become Who we worship? I thought in that I'm going to be gone because I'm worshipping God in that. I become more and more like Jesus as I worship God almighty. You become like the ones we were the one we worship.

You start wanting peace when you start wanting peace and stop thinking you always need to be busy. You're starting to mature. It's more than a king, but that's a good one. Anyway question is have I been exchanging my problems for God's peace.

Pretend girlfriend mindless to treat all hardship as discipline.

We're all going to go through things in this next year with a hole in the middle of things right now. and what I've learned what I wait, there's five decisions. I've made that have helped me go through a lot of junk the last few years.

Those decisions are I'm going to stop giving God credit for the works of the one who comes to steal kill and destroy. I I know the works of the enemy and I know the works of God and I'm not going to blame God for the enemy that's messing up my life.

P I'm going to treat all hardship as discipline knowing that I have a good father and he is going to turn all things together for good

a is I'm going to read the cast all my cares upon him because he cares for me. That's how I exchange my problems for his peace.

And I'm going to never forget that the God of all hope fills me with peace and joy as I trust in so I overflow with hope by the power of Holy Spirit. the spelling of Stand By the way, if you want to know how to stand take up your position and stand and the D reminds us to don't worry about anything but pray about everything and thank him in All Things. Because that's his will for me.

I think I've told you this I just find it. So interesting in the end of Philippians 4 and tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. And we can do that giving praise if you thinks is a choice we can make that decision to give thanks in all circumstances.

In Ephesians, I think it is.

It says give thanks for all things. And that's just wacky. I'm sorry until you get to the Greek and you'll realize it's as we are filled with Holy Spirit.

We can give thanks for all things. It's only as Holy Spirit fills us that it makes sense to give thanks for all things.

Heater that is always be filled with Holy Spirit. Who is always be filled with Holy Spirit?

Physical maturity is bound to time emotional maturity is bound to forgiveness and spiritual maturity is bound to obedience.

the more we obey

the more mature we become

In your heart you got to set apart Christ as Lord. You're not your own you've been bought with a price you belong to God and Colossians 2 tells us now just it is you've accepted Christ Jesus as your lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots go down in him that your lives be built on him than your faith will grow strong in the truth that you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.

That's a good message right there.

When you look for God's leading more than you look for his approval you're starting to mature. Question we can ask ourselves is in my eye been treating hardship as discipline.

Finally the H in growth reminds us to hold to his rhythms. And I just I love this is Peterson's translation again. I absolutely love this Matthew 11. 2830 is are you tired worn-out burnt out on religion? Come to me get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest walk with me and work with me and watch How I do it. Learn The unforced rhythms of Grace. I won't allow anything heavy your ill-fitting on you keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

How do you move the his rhythms?

on that vision board I created I put up my Rhythms on there. And that's the next line here. My rhythms I want to keep is it's an hour a day to let God have his say a Sabbath each week gets his Joy. I see a rhythm each month. So he keeps the Trump supporter to keep my steps in order when we get every year to keep trying near. I did this up a few years ago, and I had to change it this year because this fits more with my reality right now.

It's okay. If your rhythms change because your situations change, it could be your work changes. It could be your health changes. It could be your your your relationships change.

Don't look down on what you used to be able to do and be discouraged not to start now. And don't despise the day of Small Beginnings dowhatyoucan. His grace is sufficient. You will be blessed beyond your expectation. Because God, is that good.

Everyday, I want to write I want to journal. I read the Bible. I pray I Thanksgiving. It's it's I was going to include in there laughing. I haven't gone to the point of the I want to force myself to laugh. But I like noticing that I laugh everyday and if I don't do, you know when you're 4 years old, the average four-year-old will a 400 times. When you're 40 the average 40 year old last four times a day. Do you think Jesus said become like children to see the kingdom?

What does that mean? I think it has a lot more to do with laughter than we think. anyway

is old The rhythms are all use each month. They could be. Remembering arrest a reflection or connection or dwelling or a biting or curiosity or listening or margin or other Nasir awareness or mindfulness? And if you need explanation on any of those, I'd be happy to help you with that.

But his rhythms help us to keep step with his holy spirit. They slow us down to pause to recognize and see what he's doing. lately create space in order to rent we create space in order to realize that the God of all creation is already here.

You won't recognize that if you're just running from place to place or doing the next thing of the next thing. so there are Rhythm we can have Where we take a day a week, we call a Sabbath and we rest in that and it's just not not doing anything. It is celebrating the life that he's given us. anyway

Since you're in relationship with God be in relationship with God makes space in the day-to-day of every day to connect with him to recognize that he's already there.

You start being more concerned about loving rates than you are hoping proven right. You're starting to mature. I don't know where that came from. But have I been moving to the unforced rhythms of Grace?

So are you ready to become more and more like Jesus this year?

He's working that in you anyway, so if you don't you might as well just get with the program and otherwise, it's a less comfortable enjoyable and it's much much much better to go with his plans for you.

A lot of that is what it's going to do. What's that? That's going to look like a lot of it is how what does love look like in this moment?

How can I love now?

And it's keeping in step with holy spirit because he'll give you those ideas. He'll lead you how best to do it.

Remember growth remember it being in God's word have real relationships Overlook offense worship and prayer Street hardship is discipline and holds in his rhythms like create space. Forgot to be God.

And with everything that's been said, what is Holy Spirit and prompting you? Has anything come up to for you to think well, maybe I should make some changes in my life. Or maybe I should do something a little bit different. Those thoughts have come up pay attention to them.

Because it fits through obedience to those little prompt things that we see greater revelation of God.

My goal is to become more and more like Jesus and I recognize I'm not there yet.

But like Paul who said I am not that I've already obtained all this Urban made. Perfect. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Will you press on towards the goal to win the prize? Because God is calling you heavenward in Christ Jesus.

expanding brain

Lord I want to thank you for

You are so good. And your love endures forever?

And even as we talked about leaving space and leaving. Just a pause and recognize you are here Lord. We we leave space now.

And we recognize that the god of the universe's. It's very present Al.

You aren't afraid of what we are afraid of.

You're not surprised by what surprises us.

You're not ashamed to call us your own.

So Lord, I speak to every relationship. I speak to every financial concern. I speak to every health issue.

And I say Jesus is Lord.

The Lord be Lord of our moments and Lord of our life.

A lord of our heartaches and Lord of our laughter.

evil Lord Over All

I thank you Father that you are ready to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine according to the power that sit work within us and that's the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is alive in us in a live in this year.

The Lord we speak to the impossible and we say it is possible. We speak to the herd and we say be healed. Receded a big to the pain and we say begone.

Let Faith arise in this place toward God and go with us as we go forward.

Thank you for being with us God and help us to be with you. Your precious name we pray. Hey, man.

Amen, thank you, Pastor Trevor.

Stand back there works for me. I can use this and fine, but I'm going to start taking this personally a med. Well, I want to thank God for that. That message has just the one point with what God has been sharing with me over the last few weeks and I believe that 2024. I'm going to preach a message on this next Sunday. And in the title that God's given me is 2024 and Open Door. The thing with the door you got to walk through it. You can't just sit there and look at the door and say oh, it's all good the doors open. No, you have to go through. So there's is a calling on our heart and our part that God is saying I want to activate my people. I want to but we will have dreams we all have visions. We all have things we want God to do but one of the most essential things is that we do it cause calling us to do. Is when we do what he's calling us to do that opens the door for him to do what he wants to do through us. And we're going to talk about that a little bit more but I think with Pastor Trevor shirt today was just a perfect precursor for that. I just allow us to really process to get through these cuz I believe we've been going through such an and the only way to really Define it is mournful. The last few years have been so difficult for so many people and such a challenge in so many different ways. We got to get beyond that way of thinking and we got to start thinking the way God thinks we got to start seeing his plans his work his efforts his energies. What is God wanting to do in and through us and that's where our folks really has to be on in the next little bit so that we can get on board and just enjoy this the Wonder and the the I don't know. I just I'm having a hard time putting into words because I believe there's such good things coming down the pipe. And we just got to be ready for. Just a few announce between closing a we did announce on the 28th would be doing baptismal service. We're going to push that back a little bit. And the main reason for this is as I've had a few people contact me and say Hey, I want to be baptized and we just need to spend a little bit more time with them Erin getting ready. So we were originally supposed to have it next Sunday. That's not going to happen. So we're going up will let you know but if that is on your heart that you want to be baptized in water, please talk to me today or next week and once we've time to get the numbers were firm date with that I so thank you for that. And also if anybody wants to stick around after the service and help us decorate a little bit that would be greatly appreciated. But we also want to encourage you just to get to know one another again and then to share your experiences with what God has done for you this year and the other challenge. I want to have you know, like when we get together we say hello. How's your weather? How's the weather? How's your job? Is he saying I want to ask this question when when you talk with other believers? Start the conversation ask them this what are you expecting God to do this year? You were that conversation goes? See where that leads your discussion sure. We can talk about the weather sure we can talk about is getting cold. And yes, it's getting cold. We all know that okay, but we can focus on what God is doing and allow him to work in through Us in the way that he wants. So thank you for being with us again. God is good and he's doing great things. We're closer service in prayer and then we will dismiss you already have my father. Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you. God for what you were doing through these people who call Kingdom where their home into those people who join us online every week father. I pray God you're about to do something very quickly that is going to just blow us away. So God, I pray and ask that you would give us Hearts to believe that Lord that you would help us to raise our anticipation of our not to a fake level not to something that you're not planning but God help us to see what you want us to see help us to believe what you want us to believe not what our eyes see. What are yours here? But God what your spirit is saying to us? Let that be the preeminent in our lives by the thank you for this this time together. Thank you for this year of 2024 that you brought us into and Lord you brought us through so much and thank God we give you praise for that we give you thanks for that. We acknowledge Lord that every good thing comes from your hand and father. We are so grateful for all the good things you have done you are doing any of the things you will do in the future. The father thank you for this church. Thank you for the people who call it home and thank you Lord for all those people to join us online. God let your kingdom come and let your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. And I like ice people said amen. God bless you. Thanks for being here spend some time. We're letting you out early Pastor Trevor has an ability to say so much in such a short time. I'm trying to learn that I take a really long time to say a lot but we got some time hanging out with one another get to know one another and if you want to help us to decorate will be doing that as well. So God bless Phoenix time.