Sunday Service

We are continuing a sermon series and away kind of the last one in a series during the summer I went through passages that really require you to look at the wider context in order to appreciate the verse and I got an email from sending McKinney one week saying but aren't there some verses that we can just kind of take at face value of a nice little verse that says what it means and means what it says and I said that's a great suggestion an original I was going to do a few weeks of this but last week if you were here, you know, I kind of replaced the are the scheduled sermon with one that was important for the timing but I want to go back and finish out that Series this morning and talked about kind of the one thing. If you reverse that gives a we can hold on to remember that years ago the movie City Slickers or Billy Crystal asked what's the secret of life and the cattle drive Bal said it's this and he said your finger and he said no no, no one thing is it's a concert on one thinks. I want to look at 1 verse this morning. That we can kind of focus on really it's a verse we could carry with us all fall if we wanted to all year all of our life. I've got a hold on to there's nothing about the context that when you read the water context that requires you to go. Well that verse evidently doesn't mean what it seems to me. When you first read it when you read it. It means what it says says what it's means. It's a good verse to kind of hold onto in your heart as I want to talk about that one thing this morning and this is the verse Philippians 4:6 from the NIV says do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and that's a good straightforward verse. I even love the New Living Translation better. Listen to how it's worded. Don't worry about anyting. instead pray about everything Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done now. That's a good verse for us to kind of hang onto and put in our hearts and Minds because the reality is worry itself is unproductive and it's something we do a lot of I suspect. This is a sermon and a topic that most everyone could say I'm guilty of worrying is that sound like a fair assessment matter fact, I don't know too many people who easily say, oh, I never worried. There's there's never anything that concerns me or that weighs on my mind or heart. I'm just a happy-go-lucky from start to finish. Most everybody would say, yeah, I worry but the reality is worried and isolation worry about itself is unproductive. It doesn't accomplish anything does it? Jesus even said this in the gospels when he said who can even add an hour to their life who can at anyting by worry and then even in the gospels, he said what Paulette goes here in Philippians. Don't worry trust your heavenly father not only is worried unproductive worry is wasteful because it's a waste of time now if you're older in this room and I mean as you know, post-30 as my definition of older in that sentence, you are probably beginning to realize that one of the huge most valuable things and all of Life Time. Time, I mean, it's perhaps our most precious commodity. Would you agree? Is there anything more valuable in time and the older you get the more you realize this is really valuable. It's slipping away from me. There's only so much left of it and I can't produce more or make more or get back what I've already spent might even argue that time is our most precious resource and worried waste time. Worry is unproductive. And when we worry when we just turn these things over in our mind in our hearts that were concerned with in isolation from God then we're simply wasting time. It's unproductive. It doesn't change anything and when we fret and worry and concern herself over and over with something or many things and isolation of God himself, then we're just wasting time. Would you agree with that that worry is unproductive and that it's wasteful. How about this?

Worry is sinful.

We don't really want to talk about that. There's other categories that we more to eat more easily say something is sinful. If I was The Advocate lying everyone should just tell one or two or five or ten lies each day. You would say what is crazy. That's not okay or or if you are in the habit of lying frequently you'd feel guilty about that because it's sinful. But we often don't think about worry that way. That it's simple. The scripture commands us and tells us and our Lord tells us do not worry about tomorrow. Do not worry. Paul says in Philippians. And so worried is sinful. And I don't like that one bit because that just adds to my list of things that I have to say. Well evidently I'm sending on a regular basis. Emmaus want to say Amen to that. No one, you know, it's honestly the more you study scripture the more you look into the word. You can't go really I'm never going to get away from San am I never got arrived at some point where I go? I pretty much got this handled Lord, the more the deeper you go the more you realize you need God the more you realize your distance from him. The more you realize your dependence on his grace. I think your humility grows. I think the deeper you go in your life in the corner and this is a much bigger issue than I thought and you and you're there for a year or two and then you turn the corner. Call. This is even though I had a huge blind spot in my life. I'm so worried is sinful the challenges to move away from that but I suspect this is what we want to say to the preacher who says don't worry. Right, and I with you went with it if this is preached to me and someone says slipping for 6, or I'll be your preacher. There's a verse don't worry. Don't worry about anyting. I can't help it. That's kind of my default setting anybody relate to that. Something happens and you can kind of Emelianenko know how am I going to pay that bill? You know, I got a code message this week of all weeks Gods like what you're going to preach it. Why don't you practice it? I don't want anything to do with that. I just want to I don't want to have to practice it my lovely band that we've been nursing for many decades now, it seems like and it's still been awesome. But this week we had a little problem and I called my brother and he talked to me said you need to go get one of those readers and hook it up and read the code yourself and find out until I read the code. Was really not a good code of that. I got to call my brother has its ears what it says and he said, well you need to drive it out in the middle of desert. Remove the tags sand off the VIN number and just get away is a we're anticipating but guess what my reaction is worried. How am I going to replace that man? How am I going to pay for a new van? Where am I going? If it breaks down right now? I need a few more months out of it at least in order to fit my plan to replace it. But what if those few more months don't come what if today they just completely says I'm done. I mean, it's only got $260,000 on it. I mean come on. Come on. Give me a few more miles. I'm a good Steward of what I have is the way I look at that, but I'm worried I can't help but worry about when it's going to break down. Is it going to be a repairable break down as they are they gave me such a bill that I think I'm not investing that kind of money in this vehicle. It's time I've even gone to lots and talked about my new cars and I just low that whole process cuz I haven't done it in a long long time and I just think it's really I could buy like a small house for what you want to charge me for a van to haul kids are on in. When you see this verse anything I can't help it. I can't help but worry. There's too many things on my mind. But I'll challenge you and myself and I'll say you can't help it. You can't help it. Here's a couple of tips. Don't entertain hopelessness. Don't just say I can't. I know you said don't worry, but you don't know me. I can't I can't help it. I can't not worry. It's hopeless. I'm the exception to the rule. I'm going to worry no matter what don't entertain that suspend that thought for the duration of this sermon. Okay, don't be hopeless secondly don't assume you must read yourself of concern itself. Don't think that the only way not to worry is to be somebody who says I'm not worried at all. I'm as light as a feather. There's nothing significant in my life. That's on my mind or heart. All my finances are not a care in the world to me my children. They never crossed my mind in such a way that I'm anxious about them. I'm not worried about my weight or my health or what the doctor said or my bank account. Really? That's not what scripture is telling us to do when it says don't worry. It's not saying have no concerns or thoughts of significance at all. Just skip through life easily. The question of some ways is not How do I handle any concerns at all? But how do we handle our emotions or other traits that we have that pull us away from good. Now some of us are a little more easygoing than others and we find it easier not to be dominated by worry and some personality and meet Lee goes to work but I think all the way none of us say I never have a concern on my mind. It's just how long it takes for that concern to be dominating us answer. The question is how do we deal with our emotions those things that draw us into worry or anxiety? When you think about the dominant philosophies in our world in our culture one is this from Nietzsche? He said get rid of your Pious priest and they're weak liver. Gospel of Mercy progress depends on the strong man and the strong people's therefore be strong and assert yourself be a Superman and that was the dominant philosophy underneath chi in this century and Western Civilization. How many ways it was Hitler's last week that we can just create this dominant Aryan race, but it's also the philosophy that says let's conquer a nation or less discover on undiscovered territories. We can do it. If we push up our sleeves we can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. We can conquer we can establish we can build this we can put a man on the moon.

There's a subtle knife to this sort of we can do it given enough time and effort don't we kind of suddenly slip into this sort of flocking I think about it. Is it easy to think given enough time and effort and money and advancement in technology? Mankind is going to solve all of our problems. Right do you believe cancer will be around in a hundred years or do you think will surely in a hundred years with all the advancement? We have and Technology Medical Technology. It will simply be gone for not careful. We suddenly slip into this sort of worldview that says, you know what with enough effort we can solve whatever problems away. They're all on our own Humanity itself can do it be the Superman the other kind of philosophy is is Eastern philosophy that might be the Western dominance Eastern philosophy says, look, here's the here's the solution to our emotions to our struggles. Try anxiety is everything that ails us and worries Us free your soul of Desire strip your heart of everyone passionless existence is really the secret to peace and if you can practice that that's Nirvana that's that state of nothingness and Buddhism and Hinduism and Eastern religions. Got to push us in that direction if I could just be too Fast enough if I could just kind of suppress those sorts of things and you see the two extremes that sometimes our culture leads us in either. It's up to you push up your sleeves and solve this problem. If you're going to stop worrying it's all about you simply being the kind of person that figures out how to stop wearing man up woman up and solve that problem on your own. Sometimes we drift in one of these two extremes, but it's not what Christianity points is to Jesus Redemption is not unchecked Freedom. It's not that hopelessness. I talked about it's not you know, we can't we can phone at this mistake. We say something like God likes to forget. I like to send we have a beautiful relationship. Sometimes we can slip into that sort of thinking Christina. You know what I'm never going to get it right? I'm never going to not worry. It's hopelessness. And so I'm just going to live with this since that. I screw up and I sent and I worry all the time and God likes to forgive and I'm just going to settle on this sense of hopelessness in terms of overcoming oral bang that scripture that says don't worry about anything. I'm going to let go of it that in that way but that's not what Jesus Redemption is about. Jesus Redemption is not all about putting our emotions in check either. It's not about being that Superman and I said, you know what I'll figure out a way to be self-disciplined. I probably told you to show before fella told his wife on their wedding day. I love you and if that changes I'll let you know. Sometimes we can be that kind of stoic. I'm in control. I'm going to make sure it happens or we simply detach ourselves. Sometimes we don't worry because we don't get involved. There's a whole another sermon think about that. Sometimes we say, oh it's easy for me not to worry because I'm really not committed to any relationships. I mean, maybe one or two my immediate family my wife my kids but beyond that I'm not taking anything in there. Nobody's getting in the Inner Circle start worrying about what I say on the news. I'm not going to worry about the person. I see on the street not eating. I'm not going I'm just going to distance myself. I'm going to be so everything's going to be kept at arm's distance and that's how I'm going to deal with it through some sort of self-discipline, but that's really not what Jesus Redemption is about those two extremes when he redeems us he makes us new

Caleb and I talked this week about his study of Revelation with the youth and the Greek word. Chaos means taking what already exists and making it knew it was interesting conversation given the fact that I was thinking about this sermon this week and it is emphasized that point the way God works in our life is not for us to kind of be hopeless and say oh well, we're just hopeless and his grace is going to cover that hopelessness and we just kind of wander through without any advancement or change or it's not a matter of us somehow doing it on our own or being just blown up to solve all our own problems, and we're not waiting one day to be replaced. His Redemption is to make us new to take what already exists. And redeem it. That's what Redemption is. I don't have to become a completely different person. Look if I have a mind that runs a million miles an hour to see if I have a mind like that you you lay down at night and it's just going at top speed you wake up in the morning you open your eyes and soon as you open your eyes, you know, I heard a comedian talk about being the president and he wasn't necessarily Pro our president and everybody has mixed feelings about our present. But he said listen regardless how you feel about the president. Can you imagine what it must be like to be the president? He said every morning when you wake up and you kind of pretended he said you're laying there asleep and as soon as you open your eyes, so there's people all around you're going good morning problems problems problems. We got problems with problems here. There's problems there. Did you know are you awake yet? Have you seen the paper? Have you heard this? We got problems. He just sympathetically said regardless of what you think about politicians are president. Can you imagine the burden you must feel when you open your eyes? You think we are, you know, I wake up and I think I'm going to fix the van, you know, he wakes up. North Korea might be on my plate today. We we we can just be kind of overwhelmed by the sort of thing, but God wants to use it. If I were the kind of person that has a mind that's constantly dealing with things. God doesn't say now that you're a Christian you have to change who you are. What he does is he takes who we are and he makes us knew he redeems so I want to show you how this works into battling with worry.

Look at the men and women that Jesus called to follow him as his first disciples a political Zealot a government tax collector the sons of thunder that sounds like a wrestling team. By the way, when you hear about that will be independent women and women who were of questionable reputation. These are the people that Jesus called to him. Think about what that means. He didn't go and pick the kind of people who already exhibited the qualities that you would think this is what you needed to disciple you need this kind of person didn't go when I get this person. I'll get that person. This person's even-tempered, you know, their kind of even killed he picked us sell it and anti-government who's willing to kill for his cough. He picked a government representative at IRS agent you in the Zealot. Why don't we be buddies and start following God's way he beats women who were independently wealthy his ministry, which would have been like, why are you doing that's not that's not fitting the social. And women that were of questionable character were part of his disciples who followed and traveled with him left himself open to lots of innuendo and accusation doesn't he always eat with tax collectors and sinners. I always see him hanging out. What kind of a CD Crown those sorts of folks and he made knew he redeemed them. He didn't ask them to be different kind of people who didn't say to Paul. Will you think about it and lose chest with an ax? Hey, you're full of passion and Zeal. I'm going to convert you and then I'm going to tell you get rid of all that passion and still get rid of all that ambition know he took that Quality Inn, and he redeemed it be renewed it. He made it work in the right direction. I've been reading rereading and read it once before years ago, but I'm re-reading it and now that I'm older I think I just appreciate it so much more. It's an amazing book. The Bottom to remind myself of this even corrupt politicians are born again if I read the book Born Again by Chuck, Colson, If you're not read it, it's a fascinating book to hear his story. Not only about the inside politics. If you know nothing about Watergate, it's fascinating to hear first-hand account of what Watergate was how it came to be how it unfolded how they got busted who really did wrong things and who didn't who was just a victim of accusation and then to hear his story as this tough Marine who was part of the culture in DC that knew how to twist the screws on people knew how to plant stories that would ruin somebody's career. That was a tough guy and to hear him talk about how God worked in his life and changed him and then if you know Chuck Colson story he went to prison And then came out of prison and started prison fellowship Ministry and then he's made a huge impact. He passed away a few years ago, but his life made a massive impact and when you read that book and you look at his life you realize that God didn't take Chuck Olson and convert him and say now we got to get all that nasty Marine out of you. We got to get all that nasty stuff mindedness and commit in this a dedication to redirect him. We're going to renew them. We're going to redeem who you are. You don't have to be a different person who you are gets brought to God, even if you're somebody who worries all the time. So hang with me there's a solution to I can't stop worrying. Who you are gets brought to God and gets redeemed made new and restored. Even corrupt politicians look the reality is concerns will weigh upon us. Okay. I don't have a way to preach a sermon her this morning that will say to you. Here's the secret to have no concerns way up on your mind or heart if I could then I'd be charging for admission. If I had that sort of secret that I could tell you something that somehow there would never be anything. That didn't worry you that didn't wait on your heart or mind. Okay, that's not the solution to say somehow. I will check out here's the solution. Here's what the scripture saying. Don't worry. If I wore it means turn the concerns over and over in your mind and your imagination never do that ever hear the doctor say, well this might be this and told me leave me this and what happens in your mind just turned it over and over you imagine the worst case scenario. That's where you dwell. That's the sin because you're imagining all these things and it's all in isolation of God or his sovereignty or his grace or his will he says instead of wearing In this passage? Pray invite God into your concerns or your worries. How do you see that trick there? So to speak you see what he's saying? It's not going to be the case that I'm not going to think about my van this week. Okay, I don't have the ability just to turn that off and think no big deal. Leann can be on the van with the girls and the transmission can just fall out on the highway. No big deal. No, I'm worried about that. I'm thinking about that. But when I look at this passage and I try to obey it what it's saying is invite God into those moments of worried those things that you're turning in over and over in your mind you're turning over and over in your heart. And so it becomes God. What about the van? You see the difference. There's a subtle difference there. I'm not just saying what's going to happen. What about what about my friends Health Report? I mean that they've got kids what it what does it mean if they were the financial think what about the other friend who shared with me? What about my friend who's got the long face from the doctor and they've been told there's no oh if I just dwell on those things in isolation from God, that's just worried. I'm acting as if I live in the universe in which God is not present and active and Powerful. I just turn those things over and Paul says don't worry about things instead. Replace that worried with prayer and saw all those things are going to happen. All those things are on your mind. You you simply invite God to be part of that. What about my friend Lord? I lift my friend of the Opera. I'm overwhelmed. I don't know what to think or you're wise you're good. I trust you totally about these financial concern and you pray those things to God. So you take who you are, you're suppressing that your mind is active that your heart is concerned that you some people take in the world at greater levels and others do they see stuff. They see a commercial and their heart breaks and I worry about the people who aren't getting food and other part of the world give up who you are take who you are and bring it to God. Let those worries turn you into a prayer Warrior. replace worry with prayer now when you pray. History and scripture and all of our Lives if we were all sitting in a circle and sharing with one another illustrate that sometimes God answers prayer directly and miraculously we could all share that story. We've all got stories in which we are praying about something a check came in the mail or the doctor came back and said, you know what we saw on the last test it's not there anymore. Don't know how to explain it. It was there. We're ready to do surgery. It's gone or that person were worried about who had a heart for God suddenly causes this you never going to believe what happened. I got saved you got saved and I got saved when you hear this wonderful testimony, so we know sometimes we forget we don't remind yourself that one we got answers. Sometimes it's directly answering that concern that prayer that worried that we brought to him. Luke says that God wants us to bring our prayers to him and I think it's because it looks 17th. He says there was a woman who pestered a judge and he just gave her what she wanted because she was bugging the bejeebies out of him and he just said somebody did whatever she wants just give it to her and Jesus uses that story to say pray to God. Pray to God and he will answer your prayers. How much more so we're God will God in heaven who is good answer your prayer, but I think part of the key is there when you're persistent, you're telling God you're seeking his answer to your prayer. Not simply an answer to prayer. Do you understand the difference? If I just said God, I need the song. I need the saw that I need to stop and if he doesn't solve it and I move on to soften tomorrow night. I move on to find other people to stop at for me. It might be the case that I really didn't want God's answer. I just wanted an answer. And Jesus says pray to God pray to him pray for his answer his answer to me might be. Hey learn how to fix that problem on your van and drive it for another two years. I hate that answer. I hate the thought of it. I want I want God to answer his hey guess what? You didn't know it, but you won the lottery. You didn't buy a ticket, you know go you want a new van because you bought a Coke at McDonald's if that's what you think. But if I really want God's answer then I need to pursue him and say, what's your answer? You see that difference instead of me having the answer. Sometimes. I just want him to fill my bank account with money that may not be his plan. Sometimes I want him just to heal somebody that I love. That's what I want. Pray about that person and I want them to get better. I want the doctors say there's nothing wrong anymore and that may not be his answer.

The question is am I seeking his answer? Do I trust him instead of worrying about things am I praying to God about those things? Sometimes he does answer. Like I said directly he gives an answer sometimes the answers by giving us wisdom on how to solve that problem. And so it's become something we have to deal with, you know, I pray Lord if you don't I just want to be healthier. I want to be a little less weight, you know Lord and I think sometimes he says well, you know what to do. I don't I don't I haven't had a miraculous answers that. I haven't woke up and said

Lord answers prayer

all the sudden when I pray that prayer that God says hey, I think we both know what to do. You need to eat a little ass when you sit down and eat and you need to be a little more. I just answered your prayers as you know, what to do do it. Sometimes he solves our problem. Sometimes he puts it back on us with the wisdom do it and sometimes we're not sure what the answer is to be honest. And the question becomes do I trust God?

Do I trust his character? Have I seen his character displayed on the cross in the life and death of Christ? Have I seen his character displayed in my own life? Look at what the other verse says? I think if I've got it next year. See if I can go back to it. Don't worry about anything instead. Pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. I think it's so interesting that Paul includes that at the end of the first and thank him for all he's done won't that build your trust in God's character If part of your apartment part of taking the worries that you have and turning them into prayers include sang. Not only have I taken these things. I'm worried about Lord and I've added you Lord. You pray Forme you help me you you I'm worried about these things. I'm giving them to you. But I've also he has that little thing. Thank him for what he's done. If you sat down and made a list of the answers to prayer you've seen in your life of the blessings that God has provided for you. Would that maybe widen your appreciation of his faithfulness to prayer? And maybe you'll look back in your life. And you realize oh, yeah, I remember that one time I was so praying for this and I thought this was what needed to happen and it didn't and then later I'm a I'm so glad but that did not happen. I'm so glad that God didn't answer that prayer that I was pestering him with because I didn't know what was best and he did a lot of value in celebrating God answers to prayer as part of bringing prayer request to him and so not only take your worries and and and turn them over to God and it and pray with him with him in that conversation. I'm worried about this. I'm worried about that Lord help me with this Lord help me understand this but take time to thank him for what he has done for you already. And remind yourself of those answers to prayer and his wisdom. I heard a story and I'll close with this story. I heard a story about The Hired Warrior and I thought it was a good story. There was a gentleman named Charlie and he was just eat up with worry and everybody just knew that's what Charlie was like that whenever you're with him. All he would tell you is all the things he was worried about. He always kind of had an expression on his face that look like something bad was getting ready to happen. Or maybe he didn't something you shouldn't we always just kind of had this pained expression on his face because he was beat up with where I'm going to be one that gets downsize for that and then I went to the doctor and he said everything is good, but won't do one more test I'm taking what's that one more test. Do you know say things good and it was worth it and he just was eat up with that. I watch the news yesterday and I thought you know, this was just that he was eat up with it. It shaped the way his body language and facial expression everything and then a friend saw him one day walking down the street and he was walking. Straight has chin up and seem to be kind of light on his feet and he thought that's looks like Charlie Charlie Charlie.

What what's going on? He said it's wonderful. Wonderful. He said what you looked a little different. He said I am different. I'm so so different. He said I hired this fella to worry for me. He said what he said a hard to spell adoree for me. He said I don't understand but you know how I was worried about stuff and he said yeah, we all knew how you're always worried about that. He said well, it was just worrying me to death. That was just killing me to be worried about them so much and I got this idea and I hired this guy to work for me. How does that work? And he pulled out a little red phone and he said I'll have this phone but not when I push that button the fell answers right away and I tell him what I'm worried about and he says don't you worry about it. I'll worry about it for you. Isabel how's that working out? He said the first day I called him about every five minutes and he answered every time I would say well I'm worried about this little bit. He says really don't you worry about it. I'll worry about it for you. He said the second day. I called him probably once an hour still your stuff and pop into my head that I was worried about if I call him I'm worried about this too. And it said don't you worry about attorney I worry about for you. He's not even called him last night like 2 in the morning is Friends of what you calling for. And he said well I was laying in bed and I realized I wouldn't worry about anything and I started worrying about that. And so I called him and he said that's okay Charlie. I'll worry about that for you too. And his friend said this is this is amazing. He said how much does that cost you and turn it to well, we talked about it and we agreed on $1,000 a week as friend said Charlie said I know how much money you make he said, how are you going to pay that and he said all that's his worry?

When we give something to God. There's a little wisdom in that story. That when we give it to him. He's going to worry about Force. Is the Warrior on our behalf? The things that were praying about yes, I think we can't help but turn them over in our minds and hearts but we've got in by God to be part of every little turn of that concern. We've got to say God hears with all my heart God hears what's on my mind and pray to him and we've got to learn to take that step of faith when we pray to him and trust him with the worry. I'm not saying it's going to leave our mind. It may still be on our mind. We may still think about it. We may pray about it every day to God part of our journey of faith is to grow in our trust of God and the more we pray about it the more we bring it to him the more we transfer that burden that we weren't designed the bear. We were designed to trust God with it. So scripture true when it says what it says. Don't worry about anyting. Imagine how our life would be different if we took this one verse to our heart and we memorized it and we tried to practice it everyday. Don't worry about everything instead. So you're replacing worry with something doesn't mean you're just clearing your mind of every thought or concern you're replacing turning over those items as if there's no God in the universe and isolation from God you're replacing turning those out of those items and concerned without God to turning over those items with God your worries become prayers. Don't worry about anything instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done and I'm inviting the worship team to come forward and I'm going to cheat her little bit. I think if I've got it up here, there's one more verse. If you adverse 7, here's what Paul continues to say. Don't worry about anything instead pray about everything tell God what you need and thank him for all that. He has done then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand his peace will guard your hearts and Minds as you live in Christ Jesus Paul saying if we learn to practice this if we Embrace this truth that instead of worrying about everything we prayed about everything and we turned it over to God we turned over to remind yes, but we added Lourdes every little sentence worried about Lord. What about my mom Lord? What about my finances Lord? What about this? We prayed without ceasing we had this ongoing conversation with god about all the things that worry us. All the things that weigh us down. And if we paused and thank them for what we do have from him. Which reminds us of the times he has answered which encourages us to think about his future. answers and we trusted is character. Look for this gift of this peace that surpasses understanding, you know, maybe the reason is France's understanding is because again in my mind peace means I get a phone call from Don Jacobs Honda and they say you've won a new van understand that I don't understand it when he says figure out how to stick a ranch in there and fight with duct tape and it'll last another that didn't feel like peace to me.

but trusting in something that doesn't fit immediately in our assumptions about what the answer should look like.

Trusting that's trust in God. Even when you don't get the health report that you want even when you don't get the financial results that you want it comes back to saying ultimately Lord. What I want is your answer in this area. It was some major. I'm sorry.

I was sure I was going to say is I apologize.

The heart of it is do I trust God?

freelancer Even if it fits nothing, like I imagined it should look like even if it's not the answer that I want it to be or that makes sense to me have I taken these steps have I have I stopped worrying as if it's all on my shoulders. I'm in isolation. I'm alone in the universe and instead I prayed about it. I giving it to God I prayed over and over to him about it. I've been persistent. He knows my heart that I want his answer for this. Then if you give God that sort of permission cuz he's a gentleman he won't Force his way into your heart into your life and force you to rearrange your priorities, but if you give him that sort of permission Lord, this is what I'm worried about and what I want more than anything is your answer to this concern. That's the piece. You giving it to God and you trust his answer. And that's a piece that others might not understand that goes beyond human understanding. It's it's the piece that job had when he finally realize how large God was and said though. He slay me yet. I will trust him. His friends had to say how can that make any sense at all Joe that God could strike you down and your final breath would be I Trust You Lord? And then what we saw Jesus do in the garden when he said part of me father doesn't want this cup at all. Is there any way it can pass for me? It didn't make any sense to be separated from you. Don't make any sense for me to go through this pain. Then that why does it have to be this way that Jesus could have that sort of conversation with the father and then in with none the less Not my will but yours be done. I trust you. Even when it means trusting your will that means going to the cross? Trusting the father into the grave itself.

That's funny. And Jesus says if we have that kind of faith. That's that's reality. So there's only one God there's only one maker of heaven and Earth. There's only one person that has the power to look at Dustin speak it into life. There's only one God that can speak into a dead body in the grave and say rise and it writes and if we get that faith and place it in God the Father place it in Jesus Christ, then we've lined are self-help up with reality. This is where I thought about the fact that it's not the amount of faith we have it's what our faith is in. That's why I used to say if you have just a mustard seed of faith if you place your faith in him. He's trustworthy. He can raise. the Dead from the grave Is there anything any greater problem that we're bringing to him?

Until the journey is a journey in crowing in that step to trust God that his answer. Even if it doesn't look like what we want that we can trust that we can step out and trust him. That starts with just a little practice of saying alright. I'm going to try to the best of my ability with God's grace and forgiveness on me every day. I'm going to try to not worry about anyting and to take that that worried that energy that running on my mind is going on to take that and instead turn into prayer. And I pray to God about these things and to trust him with him to have eyes open to look for his answers. And he's telling me to do something to have eyes open in that regard but to trust him.

If you've never made that initial decision to trust Christ as your lord and savior, that's the starting point. It's kind of hard to jump past introductions and say could we grow old together to somebody that you haven't met yet starts out with introduction Lord. I I I recognize who you are and I want to follow you. I want to be your servant. It's hard to jump past all that and say could I know you intimately could I could I trust your vision for my life. So if you've not made that decision, that's that's the initial step to say God. I recognize you Jesus. I recognize you as Lord and Savior and I want to follow you. I want to trust you if you have that decision this morning, I'll be in the back come to me. Pray with me. Let me help you with that decision. If you have prayer concerns will have folks both up front and in the back during this song, and we would love to pray with you. Do you really have a better sense of why we love to pray with you or not? Cuz we're better than you. It's not because somehow we've got more on top of everything. It's because we realized that prayer is this life giving gift from God and and you encourage us as much as we encourage you when you come and pray with some of the prayer warriors. It builds them up your drawing them into a timer for are there anything wrong with you sitting there and saying you know what? I don't necessarily I don't know that I'm going to go up in price, but I'm going to go up in price just because it might be good for the person I'm praying with. Can you see the wisdom in that? Sometimes we offer this prayer opportunity and nobody takes it and we think that's kind of crazy. Anybody ever get them self? I haven't prayed this week very much because I'm so busy. You're saying that to yourself. That you're so busy right now. We're giving you the gift of time. 234 minutes during this song come to one of the prayer persons one of the prayer warriors and pray with them.