Morning, church, family, those here in the room and those watching online. I, I wanna start this morning's message, it's just being a little transparent with you. And to let you know that I'm actually a little nervous today to share. I'd say I'm nervous to share because not so much the whole public speaking side because I've had enough reps under my belt. Uh So I enjoy this interaction that we have together every weekend. But I'm nervous to share because what I'm gonna share with you this morning, it's something that I've been wrestling with. I've been praying through and processing for the last six years of my life. And so how, how do you wrap up six years of your life in 30 minutes and nervous because I just share my heart with you because this truth that I want to share that we're gonna talk about has been the single biggest difference my life and I'm nervous to share because I in that this truth could potentially transform and change somebody in this room's life right now. Somebody watching online right now. And, and what, what is this idea? What is this concept? Well, as I've been wrestling through this idea and, and, and trying to figure out how to package this thing to just trying to be open, but yet concise enough that we're not here 17 hours going through. And I, I came across this spoken word poem by a guy named David Bowden. And, and he, he phrased things that I'm like, yes. Have you ever had that? Have you ever had that where somebody, uh, said something or wrote something? And you just agree with it? You go, that, that's it. That's what I've been thinking. That's what I've been praying. That's what I've been going actually, when we say the words, amen. What we're saying is, yes. Yes, this is true. Yes, I believe that. I affirm that I trust that. And so he put a few words in my mind that, that really resonated with my heart that I've been praying through for six years. And I wanna share these with you and it really starts out with two words, really only three total letters between the two words is that most of life, most of religion, as we understand it can be summed up with. If I, if a, here's what I mean, if you've ever had that moment late at night, driving in your car or on a walk or in a room, it, it typically is a private moment. It's a personal moment. It's, it's not typically the front facing social media posts version of yourself acts like you have it all together. It's that questioning, doubting, struggling self and, and you, and you, you start a statement with if I it was good enough. If I just try harder. If I stop sinning, if I was just better, if I crossed all my ts dotted all my, I's if I had the relationship, if I had the promotion, if I had the looks or if I had the skill set, if I had the money, then I would be loved, then I would be accepted. Then I would understand forgiveness, then I would find my purpose. But here's the problem that any time you start off with, I, you will always be left wanting more if I would obey. What about the times that you don't? If I choose to go to church every Sunday and, and, and check these boxes and, and act a certain way and do this, you still find yourself struggling, don't you? And you find yourself asking? Am I enough? Am I loved? If I reach the pinnacle of my career, then I'm still left wanting more. Maybe you haven't had these. If I conversa, maybe you've put that second word as he or she him, her or they, if they hadn't have done that, if he hadn't have said that if she didn't betray me, that'd be different. If the coach had put me in the fourth quarter, we would have won state from the theologian, Uncle Rico. Right. The reality is, is that if your, if is followed by, I, you will always feel incomplete, always and religion as we know, it is always if followed by an eye and left wanting more. This is like this is how it is. This is how we find ourselves that we have to go for it. After, after, after I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna reach it. I'm gonna meet this person. I'm gonna be the right person, all these things. And then we get to the end of the day, we put our head down on the pillow and we feel like, ah, did I do enough? Am I enough? Could I have done more? Why did that person hurt me? God can't love me. I fell again. I'm on the, I made a mistake. So I say this is a very personal message for me because six years ago, I reached a point where I just felt a little stuck spiritually. It's a weird place when your profession is a pastor. You don't really like to share that one a lot. And it wasn't like anything like crazy going on, but I just wasn't feeling it. Do you ever go through the motions? Right? It's because any, if I followed up with, I left me feeling incomplete. And so I made a switch and I came across this verse in Romans chapter eight, verse 31 and said this, what then shall we say to these things. If it was an, if it was, if God is for us, who can be against us and see here's the shift, it's subtle but it will wreck you. If you make it, you ready for it, you have to abandon if and then instead embrace if Christ. Because if everything is Christ, your sins can be forgiven. If Christ created the world, then he is in control. If Christ can be born in a manger, we can run church and a comedy club. If Christ walked on water, then there is nobody keeping us from anywhere fed the 5000. And that means that the hunger I have in my soul can be fulfilled. If Christ calms the storm, then the storm of life that I find myself in is not controlling me. And if Christ rose from the dead and he is alive, then I too can be alive. Here's, here's the shift, here's the shift that has radically changed my life and I wanna share this with you and it's this that Christ is powerful. Then anything is possible. Do you see it no longer? Am I defined by my, if eyes instead, I am defined by if Christ, because those are true, those are eternal. And if Christ rose from the dead conquered death, that means that forgiveness is possible, that life is possible. Purpose and and love and dreams are possible. And so six years ago, I had this idea that what if I let God actually define me and not my own efforts. So for about a year, I would start off every morning of saying these and I'm, you know me that for those that know me. I'm not a morning person. So it's not like I popped out of bed. Hallelujah. Like, ok, it's a struggle. Ok, here's some coffee first. But at some point in the morning, I would take 30 seconds and I would recite some of the promises of God. And instead of focusing on my, if I, I would focus on if Christ and I would say things like if God you were for me, if God you are with me, God, if you are in me, God, if you love beyond me and then God, if you work within me and work have worked for me to do God. If all of these are true, since all of these are true, then what have you called me to do today? And I tried to and it wasn't like this like crazy moment. It was a process, but I started to dream again. It's hard to dream with if, isn't it, it's hard to dream if you have an if day or an, if he or an, if she because you find yourself just waiting for something that you're not sure is ever gonna come if we start with if Christ possible. So over the course of that next year, I started to get this sense to do a few things. And I said, ok, God, this doesn't make sense to me, but I'm gonna go for it. The first thing I was called to do was actually to write a book. I was like, this seems weird. Probably no one's gonna buy it or read it or anything. But ok, and so I did, I literally wrote a book called Goddess for Us. It's on Amazon and all the 10 people that bought it and you can find it's only available for Kindle because I couldn't afford to print it. That's you didn't have to laugh there. That was a true story. Thank you. So this is weird, God. But ok, so I wrote it. The second thing God called me to do and called my wife to do to do was that we start having these conversations and saying, I think God has called us to foster care and that doesn't necessarily make sense either. I mean, I'm in, I'm in grad school. We're working full time. We got to hyper boys like to get if you, if you know the foster system, it takes hours upon hours of class work and case studies and, and like, but God placed it on my wife and I's heart. And so we said, ok, God, like it seems like we, we have a busy schedule, things are weird. We don't know what it's gonna look like. But ok, but now here I am six years later a little started kindergarten every night, every morning crawls into my lap, grabs my face and just says, daddy, I love you. I couldn't imagine that life before. So he called me to write. He called me to foster care. And you want the third thing, call me to started. And if I had stayed at, if I, I don't know if Mission Grove starts, this area is crazy. It's expensive. We're starting something from scratch where we're gonna meet like, but I realized that Mission Grove and the start of a church is not based if I it's based on if Christ and if Christ really rose that is for us, you hear me say it all the time. This is where it comes from that if Christ is powerful, anything is possible. And so I say this message has been six years making because I mean, I I'm thinking God, God's not gonna use me just this a one time skinny kid put on a few pounds of uh during this process, but of planning the church, I blame you guys for that. Thanks. Um And uh just like I still like pursuing grad school, like trying to pursue like a doctorate. I still laugh at fart noises like that doesn't seem appropriate. Like I feel like I should have reached a new level of maturity, right? Like, like when I see someone who's educated and leading stuff, like I remember sitting in the class grad school class all these guys are gonna be incredible leaders all over the world, all over the valley. Someone let one rip in class. I'm like, I'm like, God's gonna use that guy, the sarcastic youth guy that still laughs at inappropriate thing. Like, like what? Like, but I realized that and the reason I made the jump, the reason I said, let's do it, let's go for it because I finally reached the point in my life where I replaced if I with if Christ. And so that idea of God being for me and God being for you changes everything. And in this process, man, we've been able to walk in and see God move in incredible ways, did a wedding ceremony last night and just the story of redemption is just so amazing doing a baptism later tonight. See that commitment, man, it's just amazing. I don't share this like, oh look what John did like, no, I'm still the same goofy dude messes up. And if I say things that offend you, I'm sorry, an email clark. I don't know. I just like, but like I realized that like it, it's not about me and I and I'm here to tell you I'm not saying go do this, go do that. I don't know what God's calling you to do, but I know that God is calling you and I know that God is for you and if you can replace your, if I with, if Christ anything is possible and you can dream again. You can find love again and joy that you're not just a victim, that you're victorious. You're not a coward. You are courageous, that lives can be changed, that families can be united, that dreams can be had and um ministries and businesses can be started and relationships and friendships can grow and all of that stems not out of our perfection, but out of our obedience and belief in the very promise of God. See in Colossians chapter two, verse six and seven, Paul says this. He says, therefore, as you receive Christ, the Lord pause for a moment. How did we receive faith in the first place? Our faith is not based on if I, our faith is based on Christ. So how did we receive Jesus? It was through faith. So just as you received Jesus, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in faith just as you were taught abounding in thanksgiving that God wants to walk with you. So I wanna add a tag onto our big idea this morning that if God is powerful and he is then anything is possible. Therefore, walking Him and all of us watching online and here in the room or listening later on podcasts, whenever you're hearing this message, understand this, that all of us can take. Well, what direction where we go. Here's the beauty of it. The promise of God is the path He is the path. He said it himself. John 14 6. He said that Jesus said to him. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. He didn't say go and do a bunch of things. Go get your life correct out of that addiction. Do every, do all the stuff by yourself and then, and only then maybe one day you might be good enough if you've ever had that thought, that doubt that I am not good enough for the love of God. That's not from Him. You are enough. Why? Because it's not about you. Your if is not based on I it's based on Christ and that word is true yesterday today and will be true tomorrow. And that's where our identity is. And so it says to walk in faith, what is Faith? Hebrews 11 1. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen. If faith was easy, more people would have it. There's a picture of faith in chapter four, Abraham. Father Abraham and many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. Ok. If you're not church, you missed out. There was some great music in old school kids, Sunday school. Ok. There's this guy book of Genesis. This is before the law even comes into play over 400 years before Moses even comes onto the scene. And so God promises him a child and to go and that he will build this nation. But it takes 25 years for it to come true. And so he's waiting for a long time. Now, thousands of years later on the other side of that received promise, Paul writes this in Romans and he says here in Romans four verse, it says, no unbelief made Abraham w concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his, what faith as He gave glory to God. And this is another great definition. If you want to underline it. Romans 421 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. He says that is why faith was counted to Him as righteousness. But notice this here verse 23. But words, it was counted to Him were not written for his sake alone, but also for ours. It'll be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead, Jesus, our Lord who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for justification. This means that faith is how we walk just as you receive Jesus walking Him in Galatians chapter three verse two and three. He writes this to a church. So let me ask you this. He says, did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? So are you so foolish having begun by the spirit are now being perfected by the flesh? I wonder if some people receive Jesus believe in God call themselves a Christian. And now go, ok, Jesus, my turn. I got it. I got, I, I got it. I, I'll take it from here. No, that's not, that's not how it works because now you're transitioning back to if I, if I am good, if I work hard, if I have perfect attendance. If I say the right thing, if I think the right thing, do the right thing, whatever it is, I make myself publicly acceptable, then I will be acceptable to God. That's not how it works. That's not how you were saved. If that's not how you were saved, then why would you transition faith is hard. It is fact first Timothy chapter six verse 12, it says, fight the good fight of faith. Why are you gonna have to fight unless it's difficult? Right? It doesn't say sit in the comfortable chair and cozy faith. No, it says fight the good fight of faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. And then simply put in Second Corinthians chapter five verse seven. For we walk by how walk by faith, not by sight. It takes courage to walk by faith, but anything of value in this life takes courage. Think about all the monuments that are out there in the world today that celebrate the courageous acts of our heroes of our past there's no statue that says here is Joe who did nothing. Here is Sally who sat on the couch and complained about things from afar, right? Like no uh all of these were action. But here's the key though. The people who do stuff in this life are focused, what Christ has promised in the next. The fact Jesus is alive means that forgiveness is possible that eternal life next. It's possible that abundant life is possible. Now, therefore, we don't walk by works. We don't walk by the ways of the world. We don't walk. We don't have an if I paradigm that if I post this or say this or love me and that is enough, it's not enough. You know it. If you're if you don't admit it publicly, you know this privately that even if you reach the mountain top, you put your head down on the pillow at night. And at some point you're gonna think is that it? And if you're not at the mountain top, maybe you're at the valley bottom and you find yourself asking why and we were there. It's gotten this. But if the statement, if the promise is if Jesus, if that means your suffering is not in vain, that means healing and hope is possible. That means that you can dream again, you know, officiating a wedding last night, it was such a redemptive story. And so many people, you know, turn to look at the bride walking down. I actually like to look at the groom to see the groom looking at the bride walking down and just a pure joy. Do you know that's how Jesus sees you as you are? Yes. Uh messed up, screwed up, doubting, worrying, questioning whatever version you think of your not the pretend version, not the public version, the the you actual version, all of the doubts, everything that Bur Jesus sees you and smiles and says, I want you. And so we receive that into our life through faith and therefore continue to walk in that now, life becomes doable. So how, how do we walk? Well, first, even before we do that, what keeps people from walking in faith? Well, it's things like comparison, right? We love to compare always, I'm not walking as fast as that guy, not walking as strong as that curl, but at least better than that one. And if you go to the gym and you step on a treadmill, you're looking for two things, right? You don't wanna go next to the guy that's going crazy. That's running at like speed 15. I'm like, dude, just go outside like you don't need the treadmill though. You, you know what I mean? Like have you seen those people? And you're like a little too much man, but you do want to find that person. They're like, I'm a little faster than that person. I know I'm slow on the treadmill. I know I should be on there longer. But like, right, how many of us live our faith that way too. See, comparison is a trap that'll keep you from walking in faith. So, it's comfort. So, it was conflict. So complacency. Yeah, it's fine to do. Are you though? I think at our core we know we're longing for something more and that more is not self, that more is Jesus. So, how do we walk in our faith? That's what we've been talking about these last three weeks is to plant the gospel in your life that if Christ rose from the dead and that is the seed, the gospel that we teach and preach, then am I willing to plant that seed in a good soil? Am I am I willing to receive that belief in that, that that's gonna leave to life of flourish and thriving? So maybe some of the next steps for you is just to talk to someone. We think questions, I don't know. This first thing is nice. I like the songs. I felt a little something but you know, Jesus is little more than indigestion. OK? Um And if you and that's OK, if you wanna have questions and then come talk to somebody, talk to me, talk to the person you came with, talk to one of our leaders because again, it's not about me, it's about Jesus. And so have an honest, open convo, some people need to make that commitment to Christ need to move from a head knowledge and move into a full heart belief and exchanged our if I for if Christ, because when you do that, you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again on the third day. When you do that, what you're saying is that my faith, my salvation is through God alone. And God, I want the Holy Spirit in my life. You can make that step today and some of you believe some of you. So, yep, that's me. But you've never gone public with your faith. I encourage you to take that step of baptism. You can do it tonight. We can talk through because that is, is a symbol. It is a public declaration of a personal belief that when you go into that water, you're dying to self and then you are raised to walk in newness of life, not in our own power, but through faith in Jesus. First thing is to plant the gospel. Second thing is a growing community because you're saved through faith alone, but you are not saved to go through life alone. We need each other. We just do so tonight at the dinner, we're gonna share with you like eight different groups that you can get plugged into or maybe you're thinking, well, I feel God might be prompting me to start a group or to host a group. That's how all eight of those groups started is God prompting someone to say no, I wanna step out. I remember thinking John, I, I believe in Jesus. I commit my life to him, but I don't know what to do next. We have a resource online called The Experience Jesus Devotional where you have 20 different videos about 3 to 5 minutes long to answer questions. Like what is a disciple? What is the gospel? What is the church? How do I read my Bible? How do I pray about spiritual gifts? How do I even, where do I start to even disciple someone? And if, if you wanna take those things and grow, you can actually experience that. Yes, you can go online and watch that by yourself. But it's even to go through that with someone because we need each other. So you plant, you grow and then at some point, then you see that fruit and you start to multiply and that multiplying comes through service. We can't do what we do without those who serve so much so that we just recently our team started calling everybody the dream team. And that's what it is is that our volunteers are the best and that you can join the dream team as we build one another up and then as we build each other up and we serve and you join that dream team and, and find different ways to plug in using your gifts and abilities. Then we wanna encourage you to go out then and to be for the community to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to be love and, and service, sacrifice to your neighbors to your business. And so we help pay off medical debt. That's why we serve the homeless downtown or we buy Christmas gifts for kids with cancer or backpacks for foster kids or, or serve in the schools or provide lunches. What is it that God might be calling you to do? This is where this idea of being for the community has come from. It's not us. It's, it's God because if God is for you, if God has blessed you, then you can turn around and be a blessing where you are right now. And so the challenge to you today is, is simple is to take a step, your next step, we'll help you do that. There are cards right here in the room. You can put down what it, where you are, what, what you feel like God might be prompting you to do to, to do. You can fill that out on the next step, digital bulletin card. Just let us know because we want to come alongside you because to know that you are loved and you are enough that if you change your, if I to if Christ, you'll realize that if Christ is powerful, anything is possible. So therefore walking Him, will you pray with me? You on. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for saving us gotta pray if there's somebody here right now who doesn't trust in you, I pray that they would believe in their heart, that your death on a cross and resurrection on the third day is what leads to forgiveness in eternal life. God, I pray that we would put our belief and our faith in you maybe for the first time and we abandon our if is and embrace your promise of if Christ because your promise is the path, help us to walk in that path. God, I'm not perfect. I am broken. I still make mistakes. I still have worries. I still have doubts but God, I wanna walk in your path and in your way, God in doing so this is what led to us starting this church and God, our church is growing and, and we're seeing life transformation happen and it's not because of us, it's because of you. And so God, it's in that same power. I ask that the people here in this room watching online wherever they're connecting and experiencing this message right now. God, I pray that they would lean into you that they would put their trust, their faith in you and then in turn, walk in that faith and obey whatever that next step may be that we can experience your power, your love, your purpose. God, we love you. It's in your son's name. We pray, I encourage you to fill out that card. You can put in the boxes in the back. I'll be outside and happy to pray with you, talk with you, but don't leave here today without responding. Not to if I but to the, if Christ know that God is where you stand and sing together.