Life.Church with Craig Groeschel - Making Change, Part 1: Less Is More

Episode Date: September 11, 2016

Do your finances bring you fear or freedom? Whether you’re digging out of debt or planning for your future, now’s the time to build a foundation that endures. Investing in a brighter tomorrow starts by Making Change today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thanks for joining us here at Life Church, where we are one church meeting in multiple locations and reaching around the world with the help of church online. If you have any questions or you'd like to learn more about us as a church, you can always check us out online simply by going to life.church. Or you can check out the all-new and updated Life Church app. It's a great way to stay connected throughout your week. You know, at one point or another, we all seem to find ourselves struggling or finding stress with our finances.

And whether you're digging yourself out of debt or planning for the future, now is the time to build a foundation that endures. And today our senior pastor Craig Rochelle will show us how living with less can often lead to a more fulfilling life as we start, the all new message called Making Change. Hey, a warm welcome today to all of our life churches, our open network churches,

all of our family members all over the world at church online. I am more excited than I can even describe as we're starting a brand new four-part message series today called making change, making change. And I just want to say with all sincerity that I really, really believe that for so many of you, what God could do in your heart

in the next four weeks through this message series and through financial peace can propel you in a direction that literally will change your life, could change your children's lives, and could change lives because of what God does. I believe with all my heart. this message series has the potential to bring about that kind of change. And at the same time,

I believe that for many of you, this will be one of the easiest message series to shake. To say, you know what? I don't need that. I don't want that. This isn't for me. And I want to beg you to resist that temptation and make a commitment to be here all four weeks, to have your heart open to what God might want to do, to be a part of a financial peace university class, and to believe that God has something better for you. Let me cover just the basics of what we're going to cover over the next four weeks. It's my hope that you'll even be able to remember these four big things. Here's what we're going to talk about.

Today, week number one, we're going to talk about less is more. Everybody say less is more? Then we're going to talk about stress is bad. Everybody say stress is bad? Then week three, we're going to talk about giving is good. Everybody I said giving is good. And then week four, we're going to talk about tomorrow matters. Tomorrow matters.

What are we going to talk about? Let's say it loud, everybody. We're going to talk about less is more, stress is bad, giving is good, tomorrow matters. That's really good. All of our churches again, what are we going to talk about? Less is more, stress is bad, giving is good, tomorrow matters. One more time, because we're all going to remember this. If you'll notice, I've even got to dance.

move. I didn't plan it, but I've got a move going on here. What are we talking about? Less is more, stress is bad, giving is good, and tomorrow matters. Today I want to dive into the theme that less is more, because if you're like me, I've been programmed to believe that more More is always better. For my whole life, I always thought, if one is good, then two is better. If one dollar is good, two dollars would be better. If one car is good, two would be better. If one kid is good, six would be better, at least on most days.

If one is good, then more is better. If one is good, then more is better. In fact, wow, look at this. Where did this come from? How many of you have ever enjoyed the candy called sprees? All of our churches, you've had a spree? The red ones are the best by far. The red ones are the best by far.

I always believed if a few sprees were good, then more was better. Until about the fifth or the sixth grade, when one time I went to the movie theater and instead of buying one roll of sprees guess what I bought? Say it with me, I brought two. That's exactly right. I went into the movie theater and I started diving into them. Eating one at a time.

I went all the way through the first container. Then I got into the second one and then by the end of the movie these were no longer called sprees. They were now called spew. That's right. I vomited the most colorful vomit in the history of the world. You talk about a technicolor yawn.

I mean, it was just everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. One is good, sometimes two isn't better. I want to talk today about the theme that sometimes less is more. And I've got just in honor of that theme, one verse in your name, notes today. Now, a lot of times I like to use a lot of verses, but guess what? If there's only one verse and you internalize that one verse and you memorize that one verse and you know that one verse for the rest of your life, then we could make an argument that less is actually more. And so in honor of this theme today, you're going to get one verse. Now, I cannot promise that I

might not just spiritually drop one in out of memory because God's word is hidden. in my heart. I can't make, but in your notes. In the spirit of the theme, there is one verse, and the verse is found in Ecclesiastes four, six, and let's all say this aloud. Better is what? Better is one handful with tranquility than what? Then two handfuls with toil, and it's chasing after the wind. Let's do it with an illustration like this. Better is what? Let's say it loud. Better is one handful with tranquility, then what? Then two handfuls with toil and stress and fear and panic and financial worry, and it's chasing after the wind.

I hope you'll remember this. Let's say it again, because we're going to internalize this one verse. Better is one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil, and it's chasing after the wind. One more time, man. And we're going to drive this in deep today. You may say, man, that guy was repetitive, but you will remember, you will remember, you will remember, less is more, stress is bad, giving is good, and tomorrow matter. Better is one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and it's chasing after the win.

When is one handful better? Why is one handful better? because if I have one hand and someone needs a hand up, what can I do? I can give them a hand up. If I have one handful that someone needs something, I can do what? I can offer something to someone who is in need. If I have one handful and someone needs comfort, what can I do? I can offer them comfort.

If I have one handful, and I want to take a nap, what can I do? I can take a nap, okay? Because why? Say it with me. Better is, one handful with tranquility. than two handfuls with toil and a chasing after the wind. So what I want to do is really focus on when less is more. Less of what doesn't matter.

Why? So I can experience more of what does. If you'll look in your notes, what I want you to do is look at the question, the statement, and I want you to work for a minute to try to define what does matter. to think about in your life and ask yourself what really matters. If you have a hard time thinking, you know, the top three things that really matter, I was talking to a person that was really sad. And yet, at the same time, it was oddly powerful.

This person found out that she had about three months or so to live. And all of a sudden, man, I'm telling you, in her life, there was like real clarity about what's important and what's not important. Okay? Just imagine if you've got a limited time to live, what would you put on the paper? What is really, really important? And in our life groups this week and in our FPU classes this week, we may talk about this. What is it that is most important? I actually posted on social media and asked people what they thought that was most important. You can probably guess what they put. Many people put, you know, their relationship with God, their spiritual life, they put, you know, a marriage, they put relationship with kids, they put friends, they put their health. Let me tell you what, no, one put on there. This is interesting to me. Don't miss this. What nobody said was really, really important was nobody said how much money they had in the bank. Right? Nobody said their new Westbrooks, which actually that's pretty cool, but nobody said that. Nobody said their leather sofa. Nobody said the countertops that they finally got. Nobody said their hoverboard that they've

been wanting forever and ever. Nobody said the number of Instagram followers they had. And nobody said that they finally got to the next level of Pokemon Go. When you define what matters, what you'll often recognize is so much of our lives are spent pursuing things that really don't even make that list. We tend to think whatever I don't have is what I need because more is better, more is better. But today we're learning the principle, what are we learning? We're learning that less is more, less is more. better is one handful with tranquility,

than two handfuls with toil and a chasing after the wind. So what I want to do is I want to keep this really, really simple. And I want to give you three thoughts if you're taking notes under what I call less is more living. Less is more living. The first thing at all of our churches, if you're taking notes, is this, what are we going to do? The first thing is we're going to learn to cut back. We're going to cut back.

We're going to cut back. I give you an example. When Amy and I first got married, our very first home was built in 1910. Really cool, two-bedroom, one bath house. And what was really interesting is this house only had one closet. And the closet was about, honestly, Amy, about this big. Why is that? Evidently, in 1910, if you were a man, you probably had a suit if you went to church

or had that type of a job. You had one, maybe two nice shirts. You had some jeans and a couple of shirts to wear maybe a nice pair of shoes and a casual pair of shoes. And that was about it. Okay? Ladies, I have no idea what you wore, but evidently it would fit in the closet next to those few things.

One little closet. Fast forward to today, and what do you see? Not one little closet, but closets everywhere. Some of you, you have walk-in closet. Some of you, you have walk-around closets, like eight laps around your closet equals a mile. Some of you, you have what I call two level closets. Your clothes are on one level, and then you've got another level. I don't have this, but I've actually seen some that have a button that make a level come out of the ceiling.

Honest to goodness, I know it's hard to believe, but there's like a third level, and it is truly amazing. And here's what so crazy is. So many of you, you've kind of got something similar to that, and you can walk in with clothes on the bottom level and clothes on the top level, and you touch all your clothes, and then what do you say? You say, I've got nothing to wear, right? It's crazy, right? And some of you, you got so much stuff in your closet that it doesn't fit in your big walking closet, so you put some of it in the garage. Okay? Some of you, I've seen it, you have so much in your garage.

What is a garage made for? Automobile. But you've got so much junk in your garage that you can't park your car in the garage. Some of you, you've got so much stuff in your multiple closets, your two-story closet and in your garage that you have to put stuff in your attic. There are some of you, and this is hard to believe

for some people in the world, but there are some of you who have so much stuff in your closet and in your garage and in your attic that what do you do? You rent storage place for your stuff. You pay somebody else at another place to put your stuff that you don't use and you don't see, and you probably forgot it's there.

But what do you do? You're paying to store your stuff. That's why every now and then we have to remember, less is more, less is more, less is more, better as one handful with tranquility than a bunch of stuff and toil as it goes with it. We need to understand the principle that Jesus taught us, and Jesus was telling a story about a guy,

and at the end of the parable, Jesus said, your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. We know that up here, but we often don't live it here. Your life does not consist of the abundance of stuff. The most meaningful things at the end of your life will never be stuff. And yet, we tend to just accumulate, accumulate and accumulate. And that's why I really want to encourage you to consider cutting back on your consumption, to make it a conscious effort.

We're cutting back, we're cutting back. What I want in my life, honestly, is less stuff and more friends, right? I want less stuff and more time with family. I want less stuff and more experiences. And in order to get this, what I want to do is I want to do. to cut back on consumption because I know deep down that so often less is actually way more. The first thought is this, we're going to cut back. The second thought, if you're taking notice, is we're going to clear out. We're going to clear out. I had a mentor tell me one time that you

need to clear out as if your life depends on it. And then he told me because it did. And I thought, well, that's a little dramatic, okay? But this guy was a person I really respected. And he said, to really be the husband that you want to be to Amy, to really be the dad that you want to be to your six kids, to really be the pastor that would honor God, you need to clear out as if your life depended on it because it declutters your heart, declotters your mind,

it frees you to be everything that you're supposed to be. And so one of the reasons I'm kind of like wigged out about this is because this year I've been reading lots and lots of books and I read three books on basically minimalism. I read one book on essentialism, and then I read one book by this crazy lady about organizing. And she's like, crazy lady, but so much was like really, really, really helpful.

And so I've been applying these principles, and here's what I've found. As I declutter, as I cut back, as I clear out, what happens is there is room in my soul that wasn't there before. Even when I'm not looking at piles of stuff in my office, I can walk in and I literally feel like I can connect with God in a more intimate way.

When I come into the house and it's neatly organized and everything's in the proper place, it's like there's not a drag on my heart, and I'm able to enjoy time with Amy and I'm able to enjoy my kids instead of like there's just being something that holds us back. And I really, really would encourage you to consider cutting back and clearing out. Now, I want to acknowledge for a moment why this is so difficult for so many people,

and it really, really is. And for some of you, your story's a little bit like mine. You didn't grow up with much. And so you have this real kind of conserve and show value to things. Why? Because we don't want to waste, and we might need something one day. And so I acknowledge that. And then there's the whole other end of, this is just a sentimental. You know, we got this back when such and such happened and, you know, long before we even had kids, we had this such and such, or someone I love gave us this. And so I acknowledge all those things, but at the same time, your life does not consist in the abundance of stuff.

Okay. Your life does not consist in the abundance of stuff. Better is one handful with tranquility than two with toil. and it's chasing after the wind. One of the reasons I believe that we can walk into our closet and have so many clothes and say, there's nothing to wear, why is that? Why is it?

It's because we're overwhelmed with choices. We literally, we have so many things. It's kind of like if you're trying to find a movie on Netflix, it's like it's really hard to pick one. Why? Because there's so many. If you're on an international flight and there's only eight choices, only eight options,

you want to watch three of them, right? Because there's only eight options. It's kind of like, I don't know if any, of you have ever eaten at Cheesecake Factory. Anybody ever eat at Cheesecake Factory before? No matter what you think about that place, I think the food's really good, but man, I have a hard time ordering there.

If you've ever been there, there's like a 73-page menu. I'm exaggerating slightly. But there's every kind of food. Every kind of food. I can't decide. There's so many options. If I go to an Italian restaurant, I know what I want.

If I go to Mexican, I know what I want. If I go to an Asian place, I know what I want. When I go to a cheesecake factory, I'm so overwhelmed because there's so many options. When you cut back and when you clear out, it brings freedom for your soul. Suddenly it becomes easier to choose, and there's not a drag on your life you're able to connect so much better.

Can I tell you one of the crazy things from that crazy book I told you about? I'll tell you whether you want or not. This was a tool that really helped aim in a massive way. This crazy lady, and she's crazy, but she's really helpful, okay? Really helpful. One of the things she said is if there's something you're having a hard time giving away, getting rid of, thank it for serving a purpose in your life. Thank it.

So someone gave you a gift and you don't want it anymore and you haven't used it in 30 years. You say, thank you. That's 30 years ago when my best friend gave me this gift, it really blessed me. You've served your purpose and now I'm setting you free to do something else. Thank you. You served your purpose. I'm a book hoarder. I mean, you never know.

I might read those thousand books again. I never have, but I might. You never know. So what can I do? Thank you for serving a purpose. Seven years ago when I read you book, you really ministered to me. Now I'm going to set you free to minister to someone else. Thank you for serving your purpose.

Toad it's crazy, but just try it. Thank the book. It's in the book going out. Cut back and clear away. Walk through your closet. If you haven't worn it in the last year, bless somebody else with it. Every time you get something, give something way. Get one, give one.

Just got a shirt, give one, give one. Just got pants, give pants. Just got shoes, give shoes. Just got underwear. Don't do it with underwear everywhere else. Get one, give one, give one. Go through your house and try to give away a hundred things. We do this with our kids all the time.

Give away a hundred things. It's incredibly easy. You'd be shocked at how easy. Some of you, you're going to go to five, but some of you, you're going to be in the thousand giveaway class. I don't know if there's a hashtag, put it down, hashtag thousand thing give away. And when you do, what happens? You recognize better is one handful with tranquility than a bunch of stuff with toil and chasing after the wind.

Cutback. Everybody say cut back. Clear out. Everybody say clear out. And finally, number three, we're going to talk about this. We're going to pay off. Everybody say pay off? Pay off.

Pay off. In fact, who remembers what we're talking about today? that less is more and stress is bad. How many of you would agree that financial stress is absolutely no fun at all? I mean, I have never, ever heard a single person say, man, my debt helps me feel so much peace. You know, I am so thankful for high interest rate credit cards.

I feel so close to God. Every time I see how much I'm paying an interest. I mean, you know, I feel so much better. My debt brings me joy. I've never heard anyone say this, but what I have her over and over and over again is, man, it makes me feel really stressed out. I worry about it all the time. You know, we have fights about money.

This isn't helping us. I give anything to be able to go back and not to end up in a place that I am right now. That's why we're going to pay off. And we're going to talk really specifically next week about the heart behind doing this. So we'll be motivated to honor God and paying things off. What's fun is being debt-free. Okay. you may say, well, I could never get all the way there.

You just make a few steps in that direction. I'm telling you what. You get crazy a little Dave Ramsey crazy, and you pay off your first credit card. Woo-hoo! Okay, it feels good. Then one day you pay off a car, and you're like, no more car payment.

Then you're getting momentum, and one day you've got no student loan payment. And then, like, years later, you're like some crazy people who don't even have a house payment. Could you even imagine? the freedom of going around every day without a house payment. That is fun. Stress is bad.

Eliminating is incredibly freeing. Better is one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and it's chasing after the wind. I'd say it this way. Better is a car that's paid off than a brand new one with really big payments that stress you out. Better is a smaller house than fighting over the payments of a really, really big one. Better is to have financial margin and to be able to help others than living paycheck to paycheck wondering what would happen if you actually didn't get a paycheck. What are we going to do?

We're going to cut back. We're going to clear out and we're going to pay off because less is more, less is more, less is really, really more. Less is more, better as one handful with tranquility. Now, all that to be said, I am not telling you that you shouldn't have anything. And I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't have anything nice at all. In fact, because you don't have a lot of junk, you may actually have a few really, really nice things. And I would argue all day long that it's better to have some nice stuff that you own than a bunch of junk that owns you. I'm going to say that again because this is going to set somebody free.

It really is. It's better to have some nice stuff that you own than a bunch of junk that owns you. It's better to have something you love, something you use, something you enjoy than a bunch of stuff that clutters up your life. Better is one handful. I'm going to argue all day long that the richest people in the world are not those who have the most, but those who need the least. Let me say it again. The richest people in the world

are not those who have the most, but need the least. If you think I'm crazy, you just try this. You go, hop on a mission trip somewhere, go to a developing nation, spend four or five days there. And let me tell you what's going to happen.

It's going to happen every single time. The first day you get there, you know what's going to happen? Your heart is going to break. You're going to go, oh, my gosh, they don't have running water, They've got dirt floors, you know, there's no electricity. And you go, how do these people live?

This poverty breaks my heart. It's the worst thing ever. Then what's going to happen? Two days in, you kind of normalized to it, and it's not shocking you as much. And you start to look at the kids out playing with no shoes on and enjoying themselves outdoors, not inside all day, playing on your iPad, but they're outdoors and they're laughing. and then you go to a worship service

and you see some Jesus followers who have nothing and worship like they have everything. And they have this deep sense of passion for Jesus and this otherworldly contentment. There's no like comparisons and logging and lust for more. There's no two hands and toil.

We have what we need to get through the day. Give me today my daily bread. And God has met my needs today. Therefore, I worship my God. And on day four or five, here's what happens. It always happens to me. I start to look on at people who have nothing and yet seem very satisfied.

And I'm strangely jealous. I wish I had simplicity. I wish I had that passion. I wish I had time with my kids like that. And I make a promise when I get back, things will be different. And I come back. And for at least two days, things are different, okay?

And then what happens? You get sucked back in to the materialism, the relentless pursuit of more What I don't have is what I need. What I don't have is what I need. What I don't have is what I need. And I'm dissatisfied and my life is overwhelmed with stuff because I've forgotten the principle.

That less is more. Stress is bad. Giving is good and tomorrow matters. Never ever forget this. Listen, guys, you have one chance to get this right. You have one ridiculously short life. What are you? You're a breath that appears for a little while.

You're a mist that vanishes away. You blink, your kids are going to be grown. You blink again, and you're going to be going, where do my life go? Life passes. Please understand that your life is too valuable, you're calling too great and your God too good, to waste your life on meaningless things. Let me say it again, when you understand that you serve a good,

God who has given you breath and gifts and a purpose. Your calling is special. You were not put on this earth during this time to accumulate stuff for yourself. You are put here to giving is good to make a difference in the lives of other people. And when you recognize that your calling is too great, your God is too good, life is really, really short. Then you refuse to waste your life on things that do not matter. Why? Because. Less is more. Stress is bad.

Giving is good and tomorrow matters. Better, say it with me, is one handful with tranquility. Feel it, say it again. Better is one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. If I could say it this way, better as one handful and an intimate relationship with my children than two handfuls and they grow up and I don't even recognize it.

But better as one handful, some really good friendships than the pursuit of things and no real spiritual community. Better as one handful and some experiences, family vacationed, than two handfuls in no time for each other. is one handful and a strong marriage honka honka honka okay can i do that let me just do it this way have some fun man have some fine have some fine have some fine you don't have fun you can't come here honka honka okay i could have done something else better is well come on now you're going to have fun if you come here better as one handful and a little honka honka honker a little look okay been busy busy busy accumulation stuff and no intimacy better is one handful and the ability to make a difference in someone's life than two handfuls in being consumed with yourself. Don't miss this.

Better is one handful. And the ability to glorify and praise your God and bring him honor in everything that you do in the way that you live, than two handfuls and toil. And that's why I'm going to drive this in. And we're going to get in our hearts. Say it with me all of our churches. What do we know? less is more, stress is bad, giving is good, and tomorrow matters. And all of our churches one more time, what do we know, that better is one handful with tranquility than two with toil and a chasing after the wind? Now, Father, we ask that all of our church, as your Holy Spirit, would minister life, that we truly could believe and embrace the truth from your word, that less is often more.

Better is one handful, God. I pray that your Holy Spirit would do a healing work in our hearts. God set us free from the relentless pursuit of more. And God, may we pursue you and the things that matter most. All of our churches, as you take a moment and just kind of reflect in prayer, I know that many of you right now, you're going to look at your life, go, okay, man, if God's ever speaking to me, it's right now. Stuff, stuff, stuff, junk, junk, overwhelm, accumulation, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And what's going to happen? God may lead you, cut back, clear out, and pay off.

Really simple, really life-changing, really good for your soul, really good for your relationships, because less is often more. All of our churches, those who say, man, I want to believe it and I want to live it. I want it in my heart, and I want to pursue God. I want to pursue what matters most, and I want to clear out the other stuff that gets in the way of that which matters most. If that's you, all of our churches, you want a little bit of less, as more living. Would you lift up your hands high right now? Just all of our churches say, yes, God is speaking to me.

His hands are going up all over the place. God, I thank you so much that when we come to church to worship you, God, you speak to us. We believe your word is living and active, and we believe this one verse, God, could land in our hearts in such a way that for the rest of our lives, this starts to shape us and conform us, God, not to the image of this world, but to the image of your son, Jesus. God, I pray that the image and the truth would stick in our hearts, that better is one handful with tranquility, with peace, with your presence, with good relationships, with contentment, with joy, with your goodness,

better as one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and stress and fear and an ongoing sense of being overwhelmed, always chasing after and never catching the wind that does not change lives. God, empower us, empower us, plant this truth deep within our hearts that we would truly recognize less is more,

less of what doesn't matter, and more of what does, that we can honor you in all that we do. As you keep praying at all of our churches today, there are some of you, you're going to recognize your whole life. You've been pursuing something that you just can't seem to find. You think, hey, if I just have this relationship, maybe I'll be happy. If I just have this experience, maybe then that will fill the void.

If I just get this thing, that job, move to this city, have that house, drive this car. And you've been searching and searching and searching for that thing that would fill that sense of emptiness and the longing and the craving in your soul. What's the problem? The problem is there is no thing, no human relationship that can fill that void. One theologian said that we all have within us a Christ-shaped void. What is our problem? Our problem is very simple.

That we are all sinners. And our sin separates us from a holy God. We're going our own way. So we're looking for things to fulfill us in a sin-filled world. And the problem is, we are spiritual beings. We need a spiritual savior. And the answer is not found in a thing, but in a savior. And all of our churches, there are those of you, you may recognize, yes, I've been searching

and I cannot find it. You've been searching for something spiritual and you will never find it in the material. You recognize in your own life, you know what? I have messed up. I have sin. I don't even know where I stand with God. Let me give you good news. When you call on Jesus, he will forgive every sin that you've been.

ever committed. He will make you brand new. He is what you've been looking for. The very emptiness you may experience today is what's driving you toward him. And all of our churches, there are those of you recognize. That's me. I need him. I want him in my life. I want him to fill the void. I want him to forgive my sins. So today, I surrender to him. And all of our churches you say, that's my prayer. I turn from my sins. I turn toward Jesus. I give my life to him. That's your prayer. Lift your hands high right now, all of our churches and say, yes, I surrender to him. Those of you at church online, you click right below me. And as we have people in all of our church that's calling out on Jesus, I would love it if all of you would just pray aloud with me. Pray Heavenly Father,

today I surrender my life to you, asking Jesus to forgive me, to save me, and to make me new. fill me with your spirit so I could serve you always my life is not my own today I give it to you in Jesus name I pray all of our churches would you celebrate big welcome those born into God's family today

here at Life Church we're honored to play a 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 All you have to do is go to life.church slash next. You know, recently I had the chance to catch up with Pastor Craig and hear a little bit more from his heart about the series Making Change as we went behind the message.

Check it out. Hey, Life Church, going behind the message here with Pastor Craig as we're starting a brand new series, Making Change. Yes. Something I know that I know is pretty important to your story. You're an Amy's story. Tell us why now is the right time for our church to be making change. Well, we're looking at four big thoughts. Less is more stress is bad, giving as good tomorrow matters.

And we're talking really about a wise use of managing money. And the reality is so many people are hurting financially. People want to give more and do more, but they just can't. And so we're talking about how to make change financially. And we really believe it's going to make a big impact. Was there a moment in your life where you made a change? Absolutely. I mean, I'm still trying to make changes every day all the time because there's, you know, the message is in the world more is better, more. better. And so this week what we're talking about is actually less is more. I've read Jonathan this year two books on minimalism, one on essentialism and one on organizing. And what I'm recognizing is that just freeing my life of clutter and stuff is good for my soul and helps draw me closer to God. So Jesus said it, that your life does not consist and the abundance of stuff, is paraphrased.

So we're talking about less is more. That's great. Now, I know you also had just recently a new episode of the Craig Rochelle Leadership podcast release. Pretty excited about that. I heard it's one of the most asked about topics. When we teach on leadership, the most commonly asked question we get is how do you influence your boss or how do you lead up? And so this month was part one of how to lead up and I think it can help influence those all around you. That's great. That's great. We got a lot of stuff going on here. Pastor Craig's putting out a ton of stuff. We need to end this because less is more. Less is more. Less is more. Less is more. Even more from Pastor Craig. You can check out the Craig Rochelle podcast with new episodes releasing the first Thursday of every month.

All that you need can be found at life.church slash leadership podcast. You know, here at Life Church, it's our mission and our passion to lead people become fully devoted followers of Christ. It's that statement that drives everything we do as we help people find God and truly find life.