Life.Church with Craig Groeschel - Bad Advice, Part 1: How To Drift From God

Episode Date: June 12, 2016

“How did I end up here?” Behind every mess of harmful habits and rough relationships, we can look back and see where we got on the wrong track. Let’s untangle our lives by learning how to avoid Bad Advice. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are Life Church, one church meeting in multiple locations and reaching around the world through church online. If you have any questions or you'd like to learn more about us as a church, you can always visit us online simply by going to life. com. Coming up, Pastor Craig Rochelle dives into an all new message series. And today we'll see how every temptation, broken relationship, bad influence, and neglecting to spend time with God, all contribute to losing our faith. All that more coming up in part one of the message, bad advice. Now, some of you may be thinking, why in the world would I go to church for bad advice? Let me tell you that there are so many of us that when we look at the way we live, when we look at the way we behave, it's almost as if we're following bad advice.

What I want to do is give some bad advice, and when we do it in the context of church, I believe it's going to be incredibly obvious that, oh my gosh, oftentimes I'm actually following this bad advice. then when we see it for what it is, we're going to look at good and godly advice from God's word, and I believe that God will use this to impact a lot of lives in a very powerful way. I'm wondering at all of our churches, I want to ask an introductory question to today's message. Don't answer it yet. I want to set it up, and then I'm going to ask it again. The question is this. I wonder how many of you at one point in your life were actually closer to God than you are today. Don't answer yet.

I want to kind of unpack it for a moment. How many of you were closer to God at one point than you are today? Think about it this way. Was there ever a time in your life maybe years ago when you were more passionate about God's word? That you would faithfully study His Word that almost daily. They'd be like, oh my gosh, I didn't see that before. This spoke to me in a powerful way.

I was transformed by the word in this way. I want to get to church early. I want to be on the front row. I can't wait for worship. I'm excited leaning. in expecting to hear something great from God. I'm bringing people to church with you. Oh my gosh, if I could just have them here, I believe their life would be changed. You were on fire to pray faithfully seeking God as you were praying. God would like answer prayers. Like, wow, he did it and

he did that. I believe he'll do this. How many of you would say honestly that you maybe had a passion like that, but somehow over time, life kind of happened and you cooled in your passion for Jesus. Those who are Jesus followers, how many would say, Yeah, honestly, there was probably a time in my life when I was more full of passion for God than I am today. All of our churches, would you be honest, those of you would say that's true, and raise up your hands. Raise up your hands, raise up your hands, raise up your hands. A lot of people would say, yes, that's absolutely and completely true for me. I like the story that happened in a couple's marriage.

Years ago, there was a couple that always would sit side by side in the truck. The husband would drive and the wife would cuddle up right next to her honey bunny and he put his arm around her snuggling as they drove in their truck. Well, 20 years later or so, the wife was actually sitting on the passenger side as the husband still drove the truck. And the wife said, honey, what happened to us? Remember back when when we always used to cuddle as you were driving the truck? What happened to us? And the husband smiled playfully and said, well, sweetheart, I wasn't the one who. who moved.

If there was a time in your life that you were closer to the presence and person of God than you are today, may I suggest that God isn't the one who moved? I believe God is going to use this message in a lot of people's life today. We're talking about bad advice, and I want to talk about how to drift from God.

In fact, in order to do it, I want to start with a parable from Matthew's gospel, Matthew Chapter 13, and I'm going to summarize kind of what Jesus was saying, and then I want to look at the application of the teachings of Jesus. Jesus essentially was talking about a sower. That was a guy who would have a bag full of seed and would go out and cast the seed out, throwing it, hoping for a harvest. And Jesus said there was a sower who cast some seed out, and some fell along a path, and the birds came along and ate it, and the seed was gone and disappeared.

He said, the sewer threw some out on some rocky places, and because there wasn't a lot of soil, the roots couldn't really grab a hold, and so when it tried to spring up, very quickly the sun scorched the baby plants, and they died. He said, some fell among the thorns, and when the little plants tried to grow, the thorns actually choked out the plants,

and there was no fruit. Then he said, the sower threw some, and it fell upon good soil. And Jesus said when it did that, it brought a 30-fold, 60-fold, even a hundred-fold harvest. And Jesus was essentially going to say to his listeners, you're actually one of those different types of soils. And I would challenge you maybe to ask yourself, which type do you think I might be? Let's look at the application in Matthew 13, verse 19. Jesus talked about what this means to those who were along the path.

Verse 19, Jesus said, when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not, what, let's say it aloud, and does not understand it, the evil one that Satan comes along and does what? The evil one snatches away what was sown in their hearts. This is the seed sown along the path. In fact, if I could be quite honest with you, that is what will happen to some of you today at all of our churches. God's word, the seed will be sown toward you, and when you hear it like, ah, it doesn't really make any sense. Why wasn't he funny today? There weren't any cat jokes.

I don't like his shoes in particular, and the music was too loud. And you'll go away completely as you came in. You're watching online, you click off, and nothing happens at all. You hear the word, and yet nothing happens in your heart. You go along the way. Then he talks about the rocky ground, verse 20. Jesus said, then the seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word at once and does what? Say it allowed it once they receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only for how long?

Just a short time, just a little while. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, what happens to them? They quickly fall away. Quite honestly, that will be some of you today. You're going to hear this with joy and say, oh, yes, you're right. I want to be closer to God again.

So you're like the lady, you're scooting back over toward God. You're like, I feel it. I'm going to be in a life group and I'm going to start serving and I'm going to start reading in the U-Version Bible plan and I'm going to get close to God again. And for a little while you will. And then boom, one day, something's going to happen. You get a bad report.

Someone makes fun of you. Oh, you're getting way religious, aren't you? Mr. Religious, Mr. Religious. Something's going to happen. you go, oh, I didn't see that coming. And instead of living with that passion, you're going to fall away. Jesus said, that's what happens

when there's seeds sown along the rocky ground. Then, in verse 22, he says, there's some seed that falls among the thorns. And this refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life. And the deceitfulness of wealth, what does it do? It chokes out the word making it unfruitful.

The worries of life. Guess what? This will be some people too. And this isn't bad people at all. This is good people. You might be sitting next to someone or you might be that person. This is someone who really wants to get it right. But what happens?

We get preoccupied with life. You know, I'm a student and, you know, I've got to work hard and not getting so much debt and I've got to study really hard. Or, you know, I just got married and, you know, we're newlyweds and we're trying to get this figured out. and she squeezes the toothpaste in the wrong place, and he puts the ketchup with the refrigerator. Who does that?

And then we, you know, kissed a little too much, and now there's a baby coming. Oh, we got our firstborn, and now we've got to get a minivan. I swore I'd never drive a minivan. And now we own a house, and we got a yard, and now we've got a mortgage to pay, credit card bills, and now two kids in another stroll or whatever. You know, life just kind of happens to you, and you don't mean to.

But you just get busy. And the worries of this life, choke out the word of God. Then verse 23, Jesus says, but the seed that falls on what kind of soil? The seed that falls on good soil. And I would like to say today, I believe that there are so many of you here today

that your heart is good soil, that God has been working on you, preparing you for this moment. And when His word lands in your heart, we will see a divine harvest. But the seed that falls on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop

yielding 160 or 30 times what was sown. Now, whenever Jesus said this, people would have been like, what? No way. Because Jesus lived in an agrarian economy where essentially everyone would know if you get an eight-fold or a tenfold return on seed planted, and you're excited.

Okay, 30-fold unheard of. 60-fold, miracle. A hundredfold, only God could bring that about. But when the word of God is planted in a heart and it lands in good soil, the fruit that God can bring can go beyond your ability to imagine, comprehend, or even dream possible. It's what happens when the seed falls on good soil.

But we have to be careful because there are so many of you who said there was a time when I was closer to God, but I've drifted away. Years ago, when I was a little kid, we went on one beach vacation. So much fun, I will never, ever forget it. And my mom was like crazy, passionate, be safe. Sunscreen, watch out for the jellyfish, watch out for the sharks, watch out for the undertoes, watch out for the tsunamis. It could all get you. Okay? And so what she did is she had a red towel that was on the beach. And so when we're out playing, you know, only go this deep, you know, no deeper because, you know, you'll be taken away, okay?

Watch for the red towel. Keep your eye on the red towel. Keep her eye on the red towel. So my little sister went out there playing and having fun. Red towel, red towel, red towel, red towel. Get a little red towel, red towel, red towel. Well, you know what happens when you're in the water in the ocean? What happens? The current's like, you know, and suddenly we forgot the red towel. Like, you did that kind of stuff. You know, having fun, looked up. where's the red tower, beach, that's all gone. Well, what had happened?

We had drifted unknowingly away, just enjoying the beach, just enjoying the sun, just enjoying the water. And we didn't even recognize what happened. We drifted away. Could I say that there are many that don't even recognize

how far we've drifted from the strength, the presence, goodness of the grace of God. Hebrews 2.1 says, we must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not, let's all say it aloud, so that we what, so that we do not drift away. So here's what I want to do today. I want to give you some bad advice, all right? You're ready for some bad advice? Because that's the name of the message. Here's some really bad advice. If you ever wake up and you are sick and tired of the presence of God, you just can't take it anymore. You've got joy that's abundant in your life. You sense God leading you. You know the Holy Spirit

is with you. When you're praying, you're seeing results when you're reading the word. It's filling you. God is using you in people's lives. You're active in the church. You're making a difference. Your spiritual gifts are alive. God is using you for His glory. And you say, I can't take it anymore. I just can't take all this goodness and blessing in my life. I want to show you very specifically how to drift from God. Are you ready for this? You don't know. So miss this, write this down. Number one, so important, neglect your time with God. This is really important. If you want to drift from God, neglect your time with God. In Psalm 63, verse 1, David was in the desert of Judah, and he cried out, you God are my God. Earnestly, I seek you. I thirst for you.

My whole being longs for you in a dry and parts land where there is no water. Don't do that. don't seek God, don't yearn for him, don't crave his presence, because that'll only make you close to him. Just do not do that. Neglect your time with God. Do not enroll in a U-Versian Bible plan. Do not let your friends come along and support you because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword. It washes your mind and makes you new. It speaks to you, it encourages you, it builds your faith and gives you strength. So by all means, neglect the word of God. Don't ever worship. Listen, if you go to church, just don't worship. Sit there and look at the lights. Just don't let it get in your heart. You know, think about the music being too loud.

Just look around. Come in late if you have to, sit on the back. Don't pay attention. And if you can help, just don't go to church at all. I mean, it's even better. You know, do like most American Christians, come once a month. That's really effective. And then don't get involved. Don't use your gifts. Don't pray. Don't seek God. Don't ever like, discipline yourself to fast, just the best as you know how. Ignore God and neglect your time with him. The second thing that you want to do if you truly want to drift from God is I encourage you to hang around the wrong people. Oh, this is so good. Why? Because it's impossible to live the right life when you have the wrong friends. So if you want to be outside the will of God, make sure you

hang around some really ungodly people. And not to share your faith with them, but just because you like being around people that are worse than you. Why? Because they make you feel better about yourself and they will drag you down. First Corinthians 1533 is so powerful. Do not be misled. What does bad company do? Bad company corrupts good character. So you need to remember that. Don't hang around people who are faithful in their walk with Jesus. You know why? They'll do stuff like encourage you in the Lord and annoying stuff like that. They might hold you accountable as iron sharpens iron.

They might like pray for you and who would want that. Don't be around people who will make you better and make you more like Christ. Get around people that ignore Jesus, that say a lot of bad words, that like watch really bad stuff and just get around there and just let it drag you down. And if you really want to go for it, if you're not married, my best advice would be marry a non-believer. Oh, yeah. Be unequally yoked. And they don't have to be like even a really bad, bad person.

Be even better. They can be what I call a cultural Christian, someone who claims Christ but doesn't know him at all. If you really want to drift from God, hang around the wrong. people. This is so good. I can't believe you guys aren't like cheering away. Okay. Number three. If you really want to do from God, number three, give in to temptation. Do this over and over and over again. Never resist temptation. Why? Because sin is so much fun. How many of you would agree? How many you would say sin's fun? It is fun, right? If you don't have your hand up, either you didn't do it right or you're lying. It's fun. It's fun.

I mean, it's a blast until it's not, right? I mean, it's fun for a while until it kicks you in the, right? It's like a sneeze. Feels good coming out. And then there's snod everywhere, right? Somebody said, amen, he's been there. I've been to that party. I woke up the next day.

Oh, it's fun for a little while. You want to drift from God. Give into temptation. In fact, this is what James said, the brother of Jesus. James chapter 1, verses 14 and 15, he said, and this is so exciting. But each person is tempted when they're what? When they are dragged away. Don't you love that imagery?

Just imagine this. You're like, you are serving Jesus, but no, now you're tempted. You're being dragged away by the evil one. Okay, you're being dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. then after desire has conceived, what does it do? This is so fun. It gives birth to sin and sin when it's full grown. What does it do?

It gives birth to death. Isn't that the goal, right? Isn't that what you want? I mean, spiritual death? Okay. Where you've got no joy, no passion, no life, no faith, spiritual death. Isn't that our goal, right? Right?

Okay. So when you're tempted, Do not fight it. Don't resist it. Just give into it. Tell yourself, well, this is just the way I am. I can't overcome this. I mean, this is just by one, my two,

it's just by a few things, okay, that I do to help me cope with life. Okay, if you have to bring God into the whole thing, if you've got to bring God into it, okay, just ask him to forgive you and then keep on doing it. Just tell yourself, He understands and just keep on doing it.

Above all else, hide your sins, rationalize them. Don't tell anyone about it. If you want to drift from God, give into temptation. Neglect your time with God. Hang around the wrong people. Give into temptation. And number four, if you want to drift from God, love this world more than you love God. Oh, this is so good.

Okay. John said this, 1 John 2.15. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, what did he say? Love for the father is not in them. That's why you want to fall in love with this world. Believe this world is your home. Sell out to materialism.

Get more and more and more. And then if you can get into debt, that's even better because you'll have financial bondage to go along with your materialism. Okay. Obsess about things that don't really matter. I mean, we can all enjoy sports, but it's better if you obsess about them. Fitness is good, we agree, but if you can obsess about it, it's even better. If you pick your favorite hobbies, I don't know what they might be, extreme ironing.

Competitive dog grooming, whatever it is, just go all into it with everything that you have so that you stop being connected to God. Whatever it takes. Follow people on Instagram that make you hate your life. You just look at them and go, oh, I hate them. I hate my life. My life stinks. They've got exciting lives.

Mine is horrible. I want more of this world. How do you drift from God? Love and pursue the things of this world more than you love and pursue the things of God. One more thing. If you're taking notes, write this down. If all else fails, fake it. If everything else fails, just fake that you're still.

close to Jesus, and that is a guarantee way to make it not work. I love Isaiah 29, verse 13. When the Lord says this, these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips. Don't miss this, but where is their heart? The Lord says, but their hearts are far from me. That's exactly what you want. You don't have to be incredibly immoral. You can just fake it. You know the drill. I mean, you can come to church if you want, you got to put your hands in the air. They're all going to make, well, that guy must really love God. He's got his hands in the air. You can put a bumper sticker on your car.

You can learn the Christianese language. If you don't know it, maybe some of you aren't church people. We have our own language. Just throw in some spiritual words like, the Lord sanctifying me. Woo! That person must be really on fire. Listen, you can fight with your spouse all the way to church, but when you come in, just say, praise Lord, brother, hallelujah, glad to see you.

And you can fool everybody. just learn to fake it. Now, that was really hard to be sarcastic for that long in the middle of a message. But I hope you'll see some effectiveness in what I just did that when we talk about what we often do in terms like that, it becomes incredibly obvious that many of us are essentially following bad advice. And the reason why I was so insistent on trying to make this point,

point is not because I'm coming down on anybody else, but because this was a real issue in my life at a very significant point in my development as a pastor. In fact, years ago, before Amy and I had the privilege of starting life church, I served for five years at First United Methodist Church in downtown Oklahoma City. And I was just under the impression that, hey, when you became a pastor, you'd be like going to work, prayer meetings, fasting meetings, you know, your Bible would hover above the desk, everybody be holy, and we'd all get along. And what I didn't realize is there's people there. And people are tough and there were real problems. And it was really a job. And as a very young pastor who was really still developing in my young faith, I ended up playing a role more than I

was pursuing Christ. And I'm not proud to tell you this, but I would just, I played the role. If I'd see someone who was hurting, I'd say, I'll be praying for you, and I wasn't praying for them. Back then, when I studied the Bible, it was more in order to preach than it was in order to feed on the living word that would transform my heart. If someone said, hey, Pastor Craig, what's God showing you in the Word? I'd be like, way too much to talk about right now. And the reality was that I just wasn't really pursuing God in the Word. image that I felt like God gave me is one that some of you will relate to today, I felt like God showed me that I'd become a full-time pastor and a part-time follower of Christ.

Okay? Full-time pastor and a part-time follower of Christ. And I don't know what your image would be, but some of you might say, well, I'm a full-time parent and a part-time follower of Christ. I'm a full-time student and a part-time follower of Christ. I'm a full-time business owner and a part-time follower of Christ. Because when you look at it, if there was a time before, that you are closer to Jesus than you are today, what happened? We need to recognize that he didn't move, that we actually drifted away. Now, if you're feeling what the Bible or, you know, scholars might call conviction right now, if you're feeling that's a good thing, meaning, oh, this is speaking to me, I'm recognizing

this is really me. Okay. If that's happening to you, let me just tell you, That's a good thing. It's a good thing. Why? Because your heart's good soil. That means that as the word is going out, the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Don't worry if that's you, be encouraged. If, on the other hand, you know you've drifted from God, and you're hearing this,

and you're thinking, eh, don't really like this one, I wish he's talking about something else, why am I even here today? If you know you've drifted from God, and that's your attitude, that's when you really need to be cautious, be aware, pay attention because your heart, the soil might be rocky ground or thorny. And what we want to do is go before God and say, make it good, make it good, make it good, make it good. Revelation chapter 3, verse 1,

Jesus was talking to the church in Sardis, and here's what he said. He said, I know your deeds, and what do you have? Let's say this aloud. He said, and you have a what? You have a reputation of being alive. In other words, hey, we all think you're alive. You have a reputation for it. I mean, yeah, she's a Christian, yeah, he's a Christian, yeah.

They're a member of such and such church, yeah, they were confirmed there. Yeah, they were baptized when they were a kid. Yeah, they're church members. Yeah, you know, they're such a member. in such denomination, you have a reputation for this, but then Jesus said, but what are you? He said, you're dead. You have a reputation for being alive, but you're dead.

The scary thing is that there are some of you here that you have a reputation for being a Jesus follower. Why? Because at one time you were really, really passionate about pursuing him. But if you were really, really honest right now, some of you would say, I'm actually more spiritually dead on the inside.

I mean like, not even not dead, but I'm just not passionate. If you're really, really honest, many of you say, yeah, there was a time in my life when I was really, really much closer to knowing God intimately than I am today. I've drifted. You have a reputation for being alive,

but the fact is you're really, really not. So what do we do? What do we do when we recognize this could be an issue for us? I love what Jesus said in Revelation chapter 2 about returning to your first love, some very strong words, he said to the church in Ephesus. He said this to them, he said, you have forsaken the love that you had at first. In other words, there was a time when you were more passionate about the love that God had for you.

You've forsaken that love. And then he said this, consider how far you've fallen. That's maybe what some of you need to do right now. Consider where you were and consider where you are. Consider how far you've drifted away. And then Jesus said, very simply, and if there's any of it, application for the message. This is hands down the application. Jesus said this. What do you do? Say it aloud. Everybody, all of our churches, let's say it aloud. What do you do? Jesus said you repent and do the

things you did at first. Let's say it again, all of our churches. I need somebody in Wichitaa. I need someone in Kansas City. I need someone in Albany. I need someone in Tennessee. I need someone in Florida. I need someone in Texas. I need people all over Oklahoma. What do you do? What do you do? You repent and do the things you did it first. One more time, what do you do? You repent and do the things you did at first. What does repent mean? Repent simply means. Re means to turn. Pent means to go back to the highest. What does it mean? Wherever I'm going, I'm turning away. I'm going back to that which is highest. I'm turning back to God and I'm going to do what I did at first. I don't know what that means for you. I don't know what you did at first. You know what I did at first? I was passionate about God in his word.

I shared my faith everywhere all the time. I pray. a lot every single day. Fasting was a part of my life. Church wasn't an option. It's who I am, where I belong, what I do using my gifts. That was just all in there. And it wasn't a religious ritual. Wasn't I have to, I've got to, well, I better and they're looking. No, it was a response to the grace of Jesus who saved a person who was lost, dead, and hurting. And by only response was, Jesus, take all of my life. Everything I have, I give it to you. I want to know you, pursue you, put you first, nothing less in my life but serving you with all of my heart. What do you do? If you recognize, you've drifted from God. Cry a little bit. Feel it. Feel it. Feel it.

Repent. Crave something more. Something better. deep from the depths of your soul. I want to be intimate with my first love. I don't want to sell out to the things of this world. I don't want to be held and bonded to the temptation. I don't want to be dragged down by the wrong people. I want to be a light that drives people closer to God. I don't want to neglect the God who sent his son for me.

I want to put him first. I want to love his church. I want to embrace his work. I want to be filled with his spirit. I want to be led every day step by step, and I want my life to glorify the one who gave his life for me. What do you do when you wake up and realize that you've drifted? You recognize that God never moved,

because when you draw near to him, he always draws near to you. And so what do we do? Very simply, we repent. and we do the things we did it first. And the grace of God is there to take us back. In a moment, we can be intimate with him again. And that is good advice and godly advice

that can transform all of our lives. So, Father, we pray in your presence that while our actions may reflect sometimes what looks like bad advice, that in your presence and by the power of your word, we receive godly advice, and we want our hearts to be good soil, that we would reap a 30, 60, or a hundredfold spiritual harvest. At all of our churches today, as you're reflecting in prayer, I want to just ask again, and I'm going to add a little extra portion to the question. I asked earlier, how many of you would say

that you've drifted from God? And now I want to ask a second part of that question, and that is, how many would say, I want to come back and be good soul. All of our churches, if you're if you say, yes, I've drifted some, but I believe that God brought me here today because my heart is good soil and the seed is landing in my heart and God wants to do something with it. I want to draw close to God again.

That's your prayer. Would you lift your hands high right now? All of our church and say, yes, I am good soil and God is speaking to me. Father, I thank you that you've been preparing hearts to hear this message. And God, if it feels like we've been knocked upside of the head, so be it we receive what you want to show us

as your church today. God, I pray that every person would have a special encounter with your living presence even now. And God, that we would grieve over any sinfulness in our lives, anytime we've neglected you or taken you for granted. And God, as we know you have loving arms to welcome us back, we simply repent. And God tell you that we're sorry.

And we thank you, God, that your goodness, your grace takes us back as the prodigal return to the Father so you receive us with joy, grace, Thanksgiving, and saying, let's have a party. My son is back. My daughter is back. God, I pray that very, very practically, we would do the things that we did at first. As simple as it is, never taking the rich disciplines that we have as Jesus followers for granted, pursuing you and being transformed by your power.

God, I thank you today. There are people at churches all across our nation. beyond that are full of people with good soil in their hearts. And God, that as your word is proclaimed, there will be 30, 60, or hundredfold returns because your word has landed in good soil. As you keep praying today at all of our churches, there may be some of you would say, you know, I don't know if I really drifted to God. I don't know if I was ever really close to God. I don't know if I've ever really known God personally. What's really interesting about my story, it may be similar to some of yours. I actually grew up going to church in church and yet

didn't know God personally. That was confirmed. I was baptized. I did all the rituals. But I had a head understanding of who God was, but didn't have a heart relationship with him. And quite honestly, some of you would say, well, that's you. Others, if you'd say, well, I'm not a church person at all. I mean, I can't even believe I'm watching this or I'm even in a church building right now. you know, is God going to strike me down? But something right now is drawing you toward God. What is that? Let me just tell you what it is.

That is the love of God. That is His Holy Spirit. There's a longing inside of you that only Christ can fill. At all of our churches, there are those of you who would recognize, not only have I not drifted from God, but I don't think I've ever really known him, I've never been alive in him. When you call on Jesus and do just what we talked about,

when you repent, when you say, I recognize I've sin and I turn away from my sin, and I turn toward Jesus. And when you call on him, the one who was without sin, who died in our place, on the cross, to do for us what we couldn't do for ourselves. When you call on him, he hears our prayers. He will forgive your sins in a moment,

and you will be completely brand new. In fact, that's why many of you are here today, and you can sense it. And all of our churches, those who say, yes, I'm ready. I want to know him. I want to call on him. Today, by faith, I surrender my life to Christ.

That's your prayer. Would you lift your hands high right now? All of our churches say, yes, I surrender my life to Jesus. As a church, we are honored to play a very small part in all that God is doing in and through your life. And we would love to continue with you on that journey. To find out what your next steps could be in your relationship with Christ, just go to life.church slash next. As a church, we love partnering with parents to lead kids to become fully devoted followers of Christ.

And one of the ways our team has done that is by developing the Bible App for Kids curriculum, a series of shows that takes kids on a Bible adventure and teaches the practical biblical truths. And as a result, God's Word is being written on the hearts of kids around the world, and it's adorable. Check it out. Okay, listen to what the Bible says about Jesus. Isaiah 4113. The Lord your God says to you, do not fear, I will help you. with me.

Psalm 55. 17. Morning, noon, and night. The Lord hears my voice. Friends, you got it. That's the longest drum. For additional resources for you and your family, you can find all that and more simply by going to life.church slash kids.

Or you can download the Bible app for kids to anyone of your mobile devices here at Life Church. It's our mission and our passion to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ and we're willing to do anything short of sin to make it happen, all because we truly believe whoever finds God finds life.