Bethel Church Service | Kris Vallotton Sermon | Worship with David Funk, Aubree Archibeck

Oh, hello Bethl online. We're so happy to see you tonight. >> Hello, guys. >> Do you guys remember Dom? >> I'm back. >> Dom is back. >> And I'm not going anywhere. Here we are. >> Well, you're not going anywhere from Bethl. >> No, we're from Bethl. >> But you're going. >> But we are going.

Speaking of this week, we are Well, Bethl Music. The last time I was on here, we were going to Asia. And >> he came back and I said, "You're back." And he's like, "I am, but I'm >> incredible. We had like six nights of worship in a bunch of different nations.

Um >> you guys were in Asia. If you guys are part of our um community and you're living in Asia and you were at one of those uh worship nights, why don't you let us know in the chat? You can let us know where you're from, but specifically um you guys were in the Philippines. >> We're in the Philippines, Singapore, uh Malaysia, Jakarta, Indonesia. >> Um it was incredible.

And the hunger in the room, I mean, God moved every single night. And wow, >> it's just incredible cuz the presence of God would fill the room and we'd sing these songs of faith, but then also uh we'd watch people just be met uh personally with the Lord.

And so we're excited. We're we're leaving this week for the a West Coast run. And so West Coast Beth music will be out. >> West Coast, Best Coast. >> Yes. Yeah. And it's going to be sunny hopefully. It wasn't sunny today, but uh we're going to be in like three or four cities in in Canada and then we go all the way down Southern California, San Diego, LA.

And so we're excited. We're I feel like a lot of uh anticipation and and really we're just praying that uh there's hunger in the room and that we could go after Jesus together in these cities and fan the flame of what God is doing in your city. And so that's the heart of these nights and >> so awesome if you guys are going uh with them on tour.

I didn't know you guys were going to Canada. Um, but as a body, why don't we just pray real quick for what God is about to do on tour that people would come who um actually are far from God, but would be so curious, but in that place that they would encounter the one true living God.

And so, God, we just pray that people would come into the presence at these worship nights, Lord, just so ready and expectant, but so hungry, knowing that you are the one that satisfies, you are the one that comes to fill fill fill fill your people. And God, we pray that these nights would be marked by miracles.

That people would come into the presence of God and be radically transformed to be more like Jesus. >> Thank you, Lord. >> Thank you, Jesus. Amen. >> Amen. >> How fun. >> So good. >> It's so good. Um things have been so good here. We're excited and expecting for tonight.

We've got Dave. Uh is Dave going on tour with you? >> Dave Funk is going on tour and he's leading tonight. >> He's leading tonight. Aubrey Aubrey Archebeck is also leading tonight. We love Dave and Aubrey. And we've got Papa Chris preaching tonight. Bringing the word. >> Bringing the word. >> It's going to be so good.

I've been thinking about um just Oh my gosh. It says, "Dom, you gave me my first prophetic word I ever received at Bethl. Never forgot it. And it changed so much in me and my family. So grateful for you." From Dan on Bethl online. That's so cool. >> Bless you, Dan.

I don't know where you are in the world. Tell me where you're at. But >> yeah, Dan, if you could let us know in the chat. How cool. Cuz Tom, you've been here for how long? Woo. Um, we moved here in 2010. So, um, what is that 16 almost 16 years now?

Um, me and my family. And yeah, this I got plugged into this tribe of crazy people. And I'm so grateful to be here. So, >> aren't we so thankful? If you're if you're grateful to be part of this crazy tribe, this wild community of people who are just set ablaze for Jesus, why don't you just give Jesus like, "Yes, Lord."

In your in your living room, in the kitchen, wherever you are, Yeah, you're hungry. You're like, I'm so thankful to be part of this wild, wild wild community of people who believe that God is who he says he is. I feel excited about that. I'm like, oh, I'm so grateful to be a part of this house.

Um, Don, what's something God's doing in your life? What's something that you're maybe uh sensing that maybe the Lord wants to release tonight? Maybe something that God's doing in you might build faith for the people of God watching. Yeah. I mean, I I'm just excited to be in a room with people that love Jesus.

Um, >> it never it never uh I don't take it lightly that we get to gather together and even our online community that you get to tune in and we all get to be going after Jesus together tonight. So, I I feel personally like um yeah, just so expectant for his presence. um his presence is the antidote to most things we're going through in life, if not everything.

And so, um yeah, I I think that this week, this last week, I I really was looking forward to church. I was like, I need it. Um I had been in a lot of meetings and things and I was like, man, I just need to be around community of believers.

Uh and I could feel it this morning in our service in worship. I just felt a lightness, a heaviness lift off and a lightness come on. And so, um, that's what I'm praying for tonight. I'm I'm believing that so many people in the room and online will experience the presence of God.

The tangible presence of God is what we're after. It is the answer. It is the antidote to anything you're walking through in life. So, >> so good. I love it. How many of you are excited to just be here to worship God? Yes, >> I am, too. U, something I've been thinking about.

Actually, I don't know. God put it on my heart today about Mark 6. And every time I think about Mark 6, it's all about the feeding of the 5000. But guys, the the part that is sticking out to me is that the apostles have returned. This is Mark 6:30.

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." Rest is so important regardless of how many things you're doing. And it says in that later in that verse, for many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat.

Some of you are in busy seasons, full seasons where you are going, going, going. And yet in the midst of it, the Lord is inviting us to rest. And he said um in verse 32, and they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many had seen them.

Even some of them ran a foot and they reached that place before they got there. And when they went ashore, Jesus saw the great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them. You guys know the story.

It starts to get late. The disciples are like, "Send them away." And he's like, "No, give them something to eat. You give them something to eat." And you guys know this story well. Um they're asking him, "Shall we go to buy 200 dinari worth of bread and give it to them?"

And he says to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And they have five loaves and two fish. And everyone sits down. He breaks, he looks up to heaven, says a blessing, breaks the loaves and gives it to every single person. And what I felt for us is that rest was going to be really important in this season.

And in the midst of rest, I still have something to give. Even if it feels like I have nothing to give, even if it feels like I'm running on empty, there is something that God has already deposited inside of me that I have available that I can give to people.

And when I start to bring what is inside of me to the people around me and I begin to bless them, I bless what I have. I bless who I am. I bless Jesus. I begin to get more um locked in with heaven and what's available to me.

All of a sudden, I have way more than I could ever think I needed. And it can actually satisfy everybody. And I don't know um who needed that tonight. I don't know if you need that. Maybe it's just for me. Maybe that was just uh the Lord reminding me, Cassie, from a place of rest, you can do everything I've called you to.

You can help support so many other people just because it's already inside of you and you just break it apart and you allow people to step into the overflow. If you've been in a full season, if you've been in busyness, things feeling just um constant like it's go go go, I want you just to put out your hands to receive this right now.

Maybe Dom said that's me. um preaching. I'm like, Jesus, help us. >> We haven't even started the service and Pastor Cassie, she's preaching. >> Father God, here we are. God, we just uh come before you and we just say, Lord, in our own strength, we can't do anything.

But God, we just thank you that you have put in you've put things inside of us that we're meant to actually bring before you. Eyes locked on heaven, knowing that we have access to way more than we could ever ask or think to be possible. But God, but God, when we recognize what you put inside of us, that little bit that we have, it multiplies.

And God, I pray right now that people would have a a revelation, an understanding of what is available to them by the spirit. and that there is already so much inside of them ready bursting, readily available to actually be given out to be um shared with the masses, God, that we all have something to give.

No matter if we're in our greatest place of desperation or need, we have something to give. And so, God, we come before you and we just say we're hungry. We say that we may not have a lot, but what we have, we bring before you, Father. And we just ask that you would fill your kids that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteous or for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.

God, we come before you and we just say we're hungry. We're hungry. I pray that um even tonight as we go into wor worship that we would have a posture of humility and hunger. So so ready to be satisfied by our king. Oh Jesus, we feel you. We feel your presence.

We know that you are here and we know that you're about to move. God, give us your perspective as we lock eyes with heaven, knowing that there is so much available for us tonight in your presence. I don't even know if that's a word, prayer, amen. I don't know what it is, but God is here. >> He is. >> He is here.

Anything else you want to add, Dom? >> I don't think so. I'm excited. I'm excited for tonight. >> We're excited, guys. We are going to see you in just a not No, we're we're not going to see you. We're going to go on a huddle. >> Yep. >> You're going to jump into worship and then we're going to see you after service.

Be blessed. Come hungry and let's go worship God. >> See you guys. >> Good evening, Bethl Church. Welcome. Good evening and welcome to church. Happy Sunday night, everybody. Grab the hand of a neighbor and say, "Welcome to church. Welcome to church. Good to see you. So good to be in the house of God together.

Welcome to our online church. We're so happy to be with you. Um, as I was praying for the service tonight, the Lord reminded me, he said, "This is a global worship service. We are a body together with so many people, and so many of us are coming off of missions trips.

If you are in the room and you are on a missions trip, give me a wave. How incredible. We're still reminded that we're part of a global church. Yes. Do you have space this far out for missions to hear one more testimony before we enter in tonight? Just to remind you what a gift it is to have the Bible.

So, I was on a team uh beautiful 15 person team. We went to the Iris base in uh Malawi, which is a country in Africa. We had the best time. Two weeks of seeing hundreds of salvations and miracles. And uh on our very last day, uh we were in this incredibly unbelievably worn down red YWAM truck that we were all sitting in the back of and we are on our way up the mountain to the airport to fly home and the truck breaks down in the middle of nowhere, 17 miles from the airport.

Um no cell service and not a mechanic in sight. And we were really keen to get home, as you can imagine, after two weeks of being on the road. Uh, and so we did not know what was happening. 10 minutes turned into 20 minutes, which turned into 40 minutes.

And we were not actually sure if we were going to make our flight home. And all of a sudden, one of our team members is just having a conversation with a man on the side of the road. And it turns out that the man is a pastor and in a big community of churches in the region, and he's asking, "Do you have any extra Bibles?"

And I happened to pack three Gospels of John before we left. And I said, "I have Bibles." And wouldn't you know it, the man gets the Bibles in his hand and the truck starts. And it is he stops for the one. He stops for the one. And it was such a powerful reminder that we hold the power of God in our hands.

And that the the world is so hungry not only for the gift of the gospel through loving action, but literally the gift of the word of God is such a privilege to have in our hands. and and God just had one last little moment in store for Malawi before we left, which was so incredible to be a part of.

Anyway, as we enter into a remarkable thing that we get to do together tonight. So, let us turn our faces to heaven and and join me in a moment as we uh pray and just offer the service to the Lord tonight. God, we thank you that you are a miracle working God, that you have everything in your hands, that you are so interested in stopping for the one.

And as we come before you tonight and give you our offering of worship and giving you our full attention and our whole body, soul, spirit, and mind tonight, would you come and would you light up this place with your glory? It is such an honor and a joy and a privilege to call you Lord, Lord, Lord of all.

What a joy in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Let's enter in. He is so good. >> Yeah. Let's lift our hands just as we begin. Jesus, we welcome you here, Holy Spirit. You are welcomed. You're honored. We come with expectation tonight. We love to meet with you, Lord. We're here to meet with you, Lord.

Lord of all, King Jesus. You are great and greatly to be praised. Yes, >> Lord, you are great and you are greatly to be praised. >> You deserve the highest praise. The greatest praise. >> Yes. >> So, so that's what we bring you tonight, Lord. >> Great and greatly to be praised.

Praise the Father. Praise the Son. Praise the Spirit. Three and one. God of glory, majesty, praise forever. Let's sing that again. That's who we've come to meet with tonight. Oh, praise the father. Praise the son. Praise the king. You are the God of glory. Majesty, praise forever to the King of Kings.

In the darkness, in the darkness, we were waiting without hope and without light. Till from heaven, he came running. And there was mercy in your eyes. To fulfill the law and prophets, to a virgin came the word. From a throne of endless glory to a cradle in the dirt.

Oh, we remember your story, Lord. You came and you died to save us. Sing in the darkness. In the darkness we were waiting without hope and without light. Till from heaven you came running. And there is mercy in your eyes. To fulfill the law and prophets to a virgin came the word.

From a throne of endless glory to a cradle in the dirt. Come on. There's no one like our God. Let's sing. Praise the Father. So we praise the Father. Praise the Son. Praise the Spirit. Three and one. You're the God of glory, majesty. We praise forever to the King of Kings.

Lord, you are great and greatly to be praised. Oh Lord, you are great and greatly to be praised. Who else is worthy but you to reveal the kingdom? To reveal the kingdom coming and to reconcile the lost to redeem the whole creation. You did not despise the cross. for even in your suffering.

You saw to the other side knowing this was our salvation. Jesus for our sake you die. Oh thank you Lord. Lift up thanks to the heavens tonight. Oh we praise the father. Praise the son. Praise the spirit. Three and one God of glory, majesty. Praise forever to the king.

Sing it again. Praise the father. Oh, praise the father. Praise the praise the spirit. Oh, that's why we come tonight. You're the God of glory. Majesty, praise forever to the King of Kings. In the morning that you rose, all of heaven held its breath. Till that stone was moved for good for our lamb and conquered death.

And the devil rose from their tombs and the angels stood in a for the souls of all who come to the father. Hallelujah. And the church of Christ was born. The sp by his blood is his name in his free I am free Jesus Christ everyone's praise we Heat.

Heat. Majesty praise forever praise praise praise. You are the god. Praise forever. We praise forever to the King of Kings. You are great and great to be praised. Lord, only you are worthy, King Jesus. Let's declare that tonight we sing. Only you are worthy of the highest praise.

Sing that again. Only you. Only you are worthy. Alpha and Omega. Only you are worthy. >> You are the king. Sing one more time. Only you are worthy. >> Sing in the morning one more time. In the morning that you rose, all of heaven held its breath. Till that stone was moved for good.

For the lamb had conquered death and the dead rose from the tomb. and all the stood in all for the souls of all who come. You and I were restored to the father tonight. Let's go. And the church of Christ was born. The spirit in the flame. Now this gospel truth.

It will end up forever by his blood and his name. For the love of Jesus Christ by his blood and his name by his blood and in the name of Jesus it is free. I am free for the Jesus. Heat. Heat. Oh, we praise for it. It's just a voice singing.

We praise the father. Praise the son. Praise the spirit. Three in one. Oh God of gloryy, mesty, praise forever to the King of Kings. Let's lift a shout to the Lord tonight. You are great and greatly to be praised. You are great and greatly to be praised. There's no one like you.

King of heaven, king of glory. >> Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Oh my soul, praise the King of Kings. We praise you, Lord. And praise the Lord, oh my soul. Oh my soul, won't you praise the Lord? >> Worthy of praise with you. Praise the Lord, oh my, oh my soul.

Praise Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, all my soul. Praise the Lord. All that's within me was praise. Oh my soul praise. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord. The highest praise.

Praise the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord. All that is within me. Praise. >> Praise the Lord. Oh, >> all that is within me. >> Praise the Lord. >> Everything within me. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord. Amen. >> I'm going to teach you guys a new chorus.

Is that all right? >> Goes like this. We welcome you in. We welcome you in our God, the King of glory. Be welcomed here again. Come being enthroned as we praise you alone. You're all we want. Come and have your way in us. You guys got that. Okie dokie.

Come and have your way here tonight. Here we are together. We'll remember all you've done for us and bring an offering to the faithful one. Flame wide the ancient gates with thanks and highest praise. We welcome. We welcome you in. We welcome you in our God, the King of glory.

We welcome here again. Call me in as we praise you alone. You're all we want. We're coming and have your way in us here and now. Everything we once thought that we care about can never hold a flame to who you are to fl the ancient gaze. Oh, and pour out the highest praise.

We welcome you to it. We welcome you to our God, the king of glory. We will come here again. Call me as we praise you. Oh come. We welcome you. We welcome you in our God, the king of glory. We welcome you again. Call me in gold as we praise you alone.

You're all we want. Oh come and have your way in us. Oh Lord come and have your way in us. Tell me who is like the love strong and might. Tell me who could stop the Lord. Nobody. You're the only holy one. Set aart. You stand alone. So he's our heart and he's our soul.

You're worthy. Tell me who is like the Lord. Strong and mighty. Well, tell me who could stop the Lord. Nobody. You're the only one you want to stand alone. He's our highest in the song. We welcome you in. We welcome you in our God, the king of glory.

Be welcomed here again. Come and fall as we praise you alone. We want your way. We welcome you in our king. We will come to you again. We call as we will come. Tell me, tell me who is the strong. Tell me who can stop the nobody. You're the only holy one alone.

He's our heart and our song. Sing it again. Oh, tell me who is like the strong and mighty. Tell me who is like the nobody. You're the only holy one sart alone. He's our heart and he's our soul. So we welcome you in. We welcome you and our God, the King of glory.

Be welcomed here once again. Come be as we praise you alone. You're all we want. Come and have your way. Come be thrown as we praise you alone. we want. Come and have your way in us. That's our prayer tonight. Lord, come and have your way in us.

Holy Spirit, move among us tonight. >> You're the one we were. >> Come and have your way in us. You're the one we came to see. You're the one we came to praise. Holy Spirit, come and have your way in. We came to see our way. >> Let's sing that bridge one more time.

Tell me who is like the strong and mighty. Tell me who could stop the love. There's nobody cuz you're the only holy one set aart. You stand alone. He's our heart and he's our soul. You're worthy. Tell me who is like the Lord. Strong and mighty. Tell me who could stop the Lord.

Nobody. You the only holy one set aart you stand alone. He's our heart and he's our song. Jesus you're worthy. Tell me who is like the tell me who could stop the Lord. Nobody. You're the only holy one set upon yourself alone. He's our soul. We welcome you.

We welcome you in We call as we praise you. You're all we want. We're coming your way. We welcome you in. We welcome you in our God, the King of glory. Be welcomed here again. Come be as we praise you alone. You're all we want. So come and have your way in us.

Sh. And who thought I'd find you at the lowest place. Who thought you'd feel me in the crowd? And who knew you'd make good of my mistakes? You're nothing like I thought you were. You're better. What a god. What a god. What a god. What a god you are.

And what a god. What a god. What a god. What a god. And I thought you'd show up for perfection cuz what kind of god looks for the lost? And they say it's over for a sinner. But you say, "No, it's not. No, it's not." But you say, "No, it's not.

No, it's not." What a God. What a God. We said it all. What a God. What a God you are. What a god. What a god. What a god. What a god. You are like a god. Who is like a god? strong in my life. And if the highest place I reach is at your feet, then I've done it all.

If the best thing that I've seen is your glory, then I've seen it all. Your love has saved my life forever. satisfied. You are my everything. And if the highest place I reaches at your feet, then I've done it all. If the best thing that I see is your glory, then I've seen it all.

Your love is save my life forever. Sisfy. You are my one is the only I still have it all the treasure of this life could Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. And if the highest place I reach is at your feet, then I've done it all. If the best thing that I've seen is your glory, that I've seen it all.

You're seeing my life. I'm forever sisfied. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. You are my You are my everything. You are my What a God. What a God. What a God. What a God you are. What a God. What a God. What a God. What a God.

You are everything. >> You are my everything. You are my everything. You are my everything. You are my everything. You are my everything. You are everything. So much better. You are so much better. You are everything. You are everything. You are. What a God. What a God. What a God.

What a God. You are. >> What a God. What a God. >> What a God we serve. What a God. I've never seen another like. What a God. What a God >> who is like the Lord. What a God. What a God >> who is like the Lord.

What a God. What a God. >> This is our God. What a God. What a God. Still we stand in awe. We stand in awe. We behold. >> Yes. >> We behold the Lord. >> What a God. We behold you. We behold the Lord. We behold the Lord.

What a God. What a God. What a god. What a god. What a god. What a god. What a god. What a god. We're standing on We standing on who you are. We stand in awe of all who you are. Of who you are. No other God like you.

You're the one true living God. God. You're the one true living God. You're the one true living God. Oh, you're the one true living the maker in the end. Oh, who is like you? There's no one like you. Oh, we stand in a We stand in the Lord our God.

We stand in you. Heat. Heat. There is no there is no there is no there is no there is no one like Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. God. Come and behold him. Isn't he fascinating? Come and behold him. Get lost in his majesty. Come and behold.

Isn't he captivating? We'll keep on singing for all of eternity. Come and behold him. Isn't he fascinating? Come and behold him. Get lost in his majesty. Come and behold him. Isn't he captivating? We'll keep on singing. Come and behold him. Come and behold his fascinating. Come and behold.

Get lost in his m. Come and behold. Isn't it captivate? We'll keep on singing all eternity. We'll keep on singing. Get lost in his majesty. >> Get lost in his majesty. Get lost in his majesty. Get lost in his majesty. You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful.

You are. You're beautiful. You're beautiful. Oh, you're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful. Beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful. Thank you. He has done great things. He has done great things. Arms open wide. The lamb crucified. Worthy is he. He has done great things. Our God has done great things.

Thorns on his brow, grace flowing down. Worthy is he as far as the heaven above. Great is his everlasting love. Rivers of mercy run over us as far as the east from the west. He has removed all our sins. We are forgiven. By his blood you have done great things.

And he has done great things. He has done great things. Arms open wide. The lamb crucified. Worthy is he. Worthy is he. And he has done great things. Our God has done great things. Thorns on his brow, grace flowing down. Worthy is he. As far as heaven, as high as the heavens above, great is his everlasting love.

Rivers of mercy run over us. It runs over us. As far as the east from the west, he has removed all our sin. We are forgiven by his blood. What a God you are. What a God you are. Worthy is worthy. For this world, worthy. High is the heavens above.

Great is his everlasting love. Rivers of mercy run over us as far as this from the west. He has removed all our sins. We are forgiven by his blood. As far as the east from the west, he has removed all our sins. We are forgiven. By his blood we are forgi by his blood.

We are forgiven by his blood. Worthy is the lamb seated on the throne. We crown you now with many crowns. You reign victorious. Hi. I am lifted up. Jesus, son of God. The darling of heaven crucified. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy is the lamb.

Worthy is the sing. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross, Lord. Thank you for the price you paid. Bearing all my sin and shame. In love, you came and gave amazing grace. Thank you for his love, Lord. Thank you for your nail piercings. You wash me in your cleansing flow.

Now all I know is your forgiveness and embrace worthy the laded on the throne. We crown you now with many crowns. You victory. Oh Jesus, son of God, the darling of heaven, crucify. Heat. Heat. Heat. Worthy is the lamb. Yeah. Lift your voice. We sing. Worthy is the lamb.

Worthy is the lamb. Know the song we're singing. But worthy is the lamb. is the lamb worthy. We crown you down with ground you vtory you are Jesus the cru Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. receive your Lord. Worthy is worthy is thy lamb. Worthy is thy your people sent to you.

Worthy is the lamb to receive blessing honor, power and glory. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy is the lamb. Just lift your hands in the air right now. Such a presence of God in this place. Even as this young lady, he must be about 12, 13 years old, started to dance.

It was like this fragrance of heaven just released in the room. Just lift your hands. God, we welcome your presence here. We welcome your presence, your unpredictable presence, Lord God. Sweep us off our feet, Jesus. Sweep us off our feet as we open our hands and give you all things, God. >> Yes, your presence, God.

I couldn't stop thinking about the story I'm about to tell you. But it was a family member of mine. They were involved in a new age way back way back. And and I I kept praying for my nephew. So this is my nephew's mom is involved in uh in this new age.

And and I kept praying for my nephew and I thought like what can I do? I I feel helpless. I feel helpless to somehow that he would be raised knowing and loving Jesus. And someone ends up inviting his mom to a meeting just like this. And the preacher calls people to come forward.

And she just stands in the back watching. And the preacher points at her and says, "You've been following the wrong light for your whole life." And if you know anything about new age, it's all about the light. You've been following the wrong light. And tonight, you bow your knee to the brightest light of all, Jesus Christ.

And she came down the aisle and she dropped down to her knees and she wept and wept and she radically gave her life to Jesus. I I started babysitting my nephew and he started telling me about how much he loves Jesus and now he's grown up to being a 16-year-old and he loves Jesus.

Uh do you know what I love about that story is I had nothing to do with it. It was all Jesus. It was another family member of mine that we led to the Lord and he was weeping in our living room. And then for years he struggled and then just a few weeks ago I get a message from him saying, "Rich, I I've been going to church and I've been bowing my knee and praying."

First time in his life he's gone to the church. And I thought to myself, I love this story cuz I have little to do with it. I was part of this story 20 years ago, but my goodness, God turned his life around. I sat with a friend of mine, Alyssa, today and we started to speak about her healing that happened 5 years ago just yesterday where she had 16 incurable diseases and she was in braces on every part of her body.

She hadn't been able to walk in 20 run in 20 years. I remember the meeting in Seattle as I prayed and I did not have a lot of faith and she didn't have a lot of faith either but the Holy Spirit touched her and she started to shake.

She started to weep and she starts to throw her hands in the air and she hadn't been able to do that in over 3 years. She started to move her leg and she hadn't be able to do that in two years and by the end of it every brace is off her body and she's running around the sanctuary.

Do you know what I love about that story is it's not about me, it's about Jesus cuz I had this much faith and she told me yesterday she had that much faith too. I don't know about you, if there's a situation that needs a turnaround, needs a turnaround in your life, a family member, a sickness, a situation in uh in your organization, you need a turnaround and you're like, I can't do this.

I give you some good news. That's the perfect place for a miracle. That is the perfect place to be in for a miracle. Where your hands move from this to this. Open your hands with me if you wouldn't. This is the posture of for a miracle to happen.

Holy Spirit, I didn't come to play church. I came for the Holy Spirit to inhabit the church, the body. And God, we ask right now, us with little faith, we ask that you come in to impossible situations and you turn them on a dime. You'd turn them round in a moment.

You would come in as mighty God. You would come in as wonderful counselor. You would come in as prince of peace. And you would bring shalom to chaos, God. And those situations, you said, "Ah, ah, nothing. I can't do anything about it. Jesus, would you be the mighty one?

If you would say to me, I've got one of those situations. Just raise your hand quickly. See tears all in this room. It's basically everyone. Put your hand on someone next to you and pray the most dangerous prayer. Send them to India. Whatever it is, pray the most dangerous prayer you can. start to prophesy, church, and just pro to pray dangerous prayers that we would move the mountain, that the walls of Jericho would fall, that the prison doors would open wide and swing open, that natural things would turn on a D.

That natural things would turn on a D. Family members that you would say are too far gone, they're coming back into the kingdom. Family members that are too far gone, God's outreached hand is pulling them into the kingdom. Bodies that you would say or the doctors would say are too far gone.

The hand of God would heal relationships that are too broken to be mended. the redeemer would come. God. Worthy is worthy. And every voice Paul praised before the prison doors swung open. Joshua worshiped before the walls of Jericho fell. Every voice and every hand lifted high. We praise you God before the breakthrough. is worthy.

We crown you now with many crus The son of God the crucif. Worthy is worthy. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy is the lamb. See it all the we call you now with many crowns. You reign victorious. I am lifted up. Jesus, son of God, the dying of heaven, crucified.

Worthy is the Worthy. >> And while you were still sinners, he died for you. Isn't that just good news? Just removes performance. While we were still sinners, he died for me. Oh, this king is too kind. This king is so good. No one's too far from God. No situations too far from God.

No sickness is too much for my God. Oh, this king is so good. Won't you find 17 people and say, "God is so good." And make your way to your seat if you can. God is so good. Well, welcome to 6 PM. Aren't you guys glad to be here tonight? >> Yes.

And we want to also Why don't you just turn and wave to our amazing online family right over here? We love our amazing online family. Um, if you have an open seat next to you, would you just raise your hand? And if you're in the room, you can go ahead and find a seat, make a new friend, maybe get a date.

Who knows? You know, you never know. Um, amazing. Yeah, we see lots of hands here. Again, if you're in the room, find a hand. And if it is your first time uh to Bethl, we'd love for you to stand up. We want to greet you and just acknowledge um that maybe many of you have come from a long distance.

Would you stand if it's your first time to Bethl? Any anybody? We've got one. Amazing. Yeah. Amazing. Let's guys, let's welcome them. And if you can remain standing, we have um a little gift for you. Believe it's a coupon um at our bookstore that you can use. And um I just wanted to share I had a specific scripture that I was feeling.

You can keep standing if you're our guest because we want to just acknowledge. I feel like this is a word maybe for some of you, probably even for all of us. But it's Psalm 37 and it says um keep trusting in the Lord. I'm reading this out of the passion, but it says, "Keep trusting the Lord and do what is right in his eyes.

Fix your heart on the promises of God, and you will be secure, feasting on his faithfulness. Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and he will provide for you what you desire the most. Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you'll find he pulled it off all perfectly."

And I just was reading that and I was like, man, that is such a good verse. It's like maybe you're in a waiting season. Maybe there's something um that you're just holding on to. Maybe there maybe you've lost hope in a a specific situation. I feel like the father as we fix our eyes on him, as we feast on all of his promises and his faithfulness, he's going to fill us with great hope even in the midst of the waiting.

And so if you're around one of our guests, would you just extend your hands? And God, I just pray for any of our guests, but any of us, God, that need just a even if it's you, put your hands out in front of you. God, we just receive your fresh hope and strength.

And we fix our eyes on you, God. We feast on your promises and your faithfulness. We are saying, "What a God. What a God." God, we remember. We remember who you are, God. That Father, I thank you right now for breakthroughs in this room, Jesus, that have been long.

I just feel like there's even been like chronic long l long issues with health issues right now. So I declare complete healing in bodies. I I just declare right now that sons and daughters come home in Jesus' name. God, I pray for financial breakthrough. God, I pray for marriage reconciliation.

Nothing is impossible with you, God. What a God. What a God. And so we feast on your faithfulness and your promises in Jesus' name. We thank you, Father. Amen. Amen. Amazing Dylan. >> Amen. There's there's a couple right there. Would you guys mind standing? I I feel like I have a word for you that just stood.

Yes. Um I I really felt to encourage you. I saw a window in heaven open above you and u I I specifically felt God say, "I'm not done yet." And I saw a it was a window of opportunity. I think it's specifically around a ministry where heaven is waiting to back you and back your yes.

I see there's angels on assignment for you. And I felt specifically that God was going to birth something in your heart over the next year that he's wanting you to step into and see increase beyond what you've dreamed of. And I feel like there's been a faithfulness of years past where you're going to it's almost like doing the same things, but there's going to be breakthrough upon breakthrough upon breakthrough.

And the I feel like it's a harvest season ahead. So we just bless you. We say yes. We encourage you and God will redeem the time in Jesus' name. Bless you. And was was there family back there here for the first time or a group of people? Yeah.

Why don't you guys stand? I felt like I had one more word for you guys. Are you guys a family or friends? >> Family. Um, I saw that there was something specific that I felt like you were contending for. And there was like this bowl in heaven that has been prayed and prayed and prayed.

And I just saw this bowl tipping out over your family. And I felt like God said it's going to be an answered prayer season. and that there'll be a John 15 where the joy of answered prayer will touch your family and it'll be a sign to the rest of your family that God is real and that he loves you.

And I feel like that there's specifically even one or two unsaved family members uh that are going to see what God does through your life and have an undeniable experience of who Jesus really is. So, I just felt to encourage you as a family, don't give up. I feel like the bowl is tipping and God is going to reveal himself through you.

So we just bless you uh in Jesus' name. Amen. Bless you. Uh we have before we go one very special announcement and that is BSSM applications are open. Um if you're a student of UV impacted in give us a shout. Yes. Um, we just want to say uh if you have found yourself thirsting for more of God, uh, I did BSM in 2018, Jory did in 2019, and I did not know it was this possible to be this madly in love with Jesus.

And if you are thirsty, if you're hungering for the more of God, there's something that's been cultivated here where your life will change. And I burn for nothing else now other than the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom. And so we want to invite you, if you are interested, go to bsm.net and you'll find the instructions there.

All right, we love you. Handing over to Alyssa. Hello. Oh my goodness. Wow. Yes. Come to BSSM. It's incredible. Well, I have the opportunity to share offering to take the offering tonight. And I was reminded as I was sitting with the Lord about Matthew 25, which is the parable of the talents.

And I shared a little bit about this at the beginning of the year. But um the revelation that I received, I've read that story many times as probably many of you guys have. But what is so unique is the the different servants. They each receive different talents. And what's unique in that is that every talent, one talent is worth 15 years of wages.

And so each of those servants received an abundance. And so I I've never looked at that parable the same because it really struck me about the posture of our hearts. So that one servant that hid into the ground, he received an abundance that day. I always thought, you know, very child uh very foolish in my thinking, but thought that oh, he buried in the ground because he had the lease and he was afraid, which it says that it is, but really he received an abundance.

And I I just got the opportunity to take a team with my wonderful co-leader, Kate Massen, to Malawi, Africa, any of my team members uh in here. Shout out. And you know, it really confronts so much in our lives when we're in a place where people walk and live in extreme poverty and extreme suffering.

But I was really confronted and um the Lord has been humbling me so greatly uh in my heart that I wouldn't be complaining about the things that we have so much abundance in here in the states and in other parts of the world. And so in that I I've just been like, "Wow, God, my heart has changed."

And what really differentiates between seeing abundance and not seeing abundance is the posture of our hearts. And the posture of our heart is so important. And I I just think about that that um that test that uh parable and I really just sat with the Lord and said, "God, there's been places in my life that the Lord has to had has had to rid me of of selfish ways of complaining of of ways that I've just seen things of ways that I haven't been grateful.

And a heart of of gratitude has really been popping up in my heart in so many ways. And I I just encourage you tonight that as we give offering that the Lord really does look at our hearts. And it was such a beautiful they I've never been in another country.

I mean I've been in other countries but I've never seen offering done this way where they have this big blanket and uh they open it up and people are We had just done the craziest dance party. We're under a tree. Church is under a giant tree where the shade is cuz it's so hot.

And I have never danced so much in my life at church. And there is so much dust coming from the floor because we are stomping. We are praising the Lord. And let me tell you though, the people the people of that nation have a heart of radical gratitude and they were giving so freely.

And it's not to say that we're not or I'm not, but the Lord checked me in such a beautiful way that when I go to give offering and when I go to give something unto the Lord that my heart would be in a pure place. And so we are going to just read offering reading number one.

So if you could join with me and stand as we receive today's offering. Uh ready 1 2 3. As we receive today's offering, we are believing the Lord for jobs and better jobs, raises and bonuses, benefits, sales and commissions, favorable settlements, estates and inheritances, interests and income, rebates and returns, checks in the mail, gifts and surprises, finding money, debt, paid off, expenses decrease, blessing and increase.

Thank you, Lord, for meeting all of my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the kingdom of God and promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Well, we are going to be passing the buckets and I'm just going to pray. If you have um your local church uh your a different church that you go to, you can hold that offering uh for your for your church, but we also have our uh beautiful buckets passing around.

So, let me bless the offering. God, I just ask that there would just be an increase, Lord, um and what people are given today, Lord, that our hearts would be so um attuned to the abundant life that we walk with you, God. And Lord, I ask that there would just be an abundance over everything that is sown today and then some in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen. Well, as those are going, um, don't sit down yet because will you do me the honor of welcoming up Chris Valatin. Thank you. You can sit. Thank you so much. >> Hi guys. So good to see you. I am lovable and so are you by the way.

You are lovable too. Wow. Just grab a hand of the person next to you. You can um squeeze that hand if you need to, but can't say that out loud. If you're watching on Bethl TV, you're part of our Bethl community outside here. Just squeeze the hand. The person next to you there, too.

I'll pray slow. This is some of the most exciting times that you you all have had, some of you. So, Lord, I just bless what you're doing tonight. I pray God you would do anything you want tonight, but please tell me about it so we can work together on it.

And uh bless the word tonight, Lord. And I pray that you would impart things to people as we talk tonight in Jesus name. Let it be an experience, God, and not just information. Amen. >> Amen. Thank you so much. Um, yeah. I I want to talk I pro I think this is probably be a two or three-part series, but I want to talk about discovering your destiny.

And I, you know, I think for a lot of years, um, you know, we sit with people who know the Lord or they don't know the Lord yet and we're like, God's got a plan for your life and people like, awesome. What is it? You're like, I don't know, but it's good, right?

And uh uh how many of you have read the Rick Warren book uh purpose-driven life? Great book, by the way. I love Rick Warren. He's uh I I I don't know him. I've met him a few times, but he's But I I really love that book. I read that book.

And I get done with that book and I'm like, I have a God has a purpose for my life. It's so good. What is it? And so I I wrote a book called Destined to Win and it was kind of a response to the question. Uh, you know, we've had over 18,000 students and and I can't even tell you how many times students have come up.

It's like, I love God and I want to serve him and I actually want to do what he wants me to do, but I don't know what that is. And I'm like, yeah, God's got a good plan for your life. And they're like, yeah, I I know that.

What is it? And so I I this is maybe my attempt at um that you know um at answering that question at least giving you some tools to answer that question. And um Mark Twain said this. He said the two most important days of our life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.

The day you were born and the day you find out why. Um, I I you know, I'm a pretty old man and I shut up. I thought I'd just say it cuz I know you're already thinking it. So, it's like gosh, can he even remember his message? And uh sometimes there's a lot of stress around what am I supposed to be doing?

And and first of all, I I just I want to take some of that stress away and say the Lord is leading you. And what I find that sometimes sometimes in my life I don't realize the Lord is leading me until I look back. Do you know sometimes the Lord's leading me and then I I don't know he's leading me?

I I uh and then you know Romans 8:28 how it says all things work together for good. Right. >> I I I know it says all things work together for good, but are you like me? Sometimes I think it means all good things. >> No, I know it says all things and I know it means all things.

I'm saying, have you ever been in a season where bad things are happening or seemingly bad things are happening and you're like, "This can't possibly be for good." And yet the Lord has this amazing way of taking things that are not good in my life. even he can take my failures that doesn't mean we should fail on purpose but he could take our failures and make it turn it into good and uh you know a part of my story that you've heard many times but I'll just do a little read readers digest version you know I uh we got married real early Kathy I was 20 and Kathy was 17 and uh when I was 22 I had a nervous breakdown and because we were living in the Bay Area with all the traffic and I was leading a shop I had a I was leading repair shop with 13 guys I had no idea how to lead anybody.

It was like leadership by fear. I had one tool. It was like I will fire you if you don't do a good job. And it was like anyway, all that kind of led it led to a nervous breakdown. And we had vacationed in a little town called Lewon.

Some of you would know where Weaverville is. It's like it's like 10 miles from Weaverville. And so uh we moved there and uh and and I that nervous breakdown lasted three and a half years. and we moved to when we moved to uh Lewon about a year later, Bill Johnson moved to Weaverville and became our pastor.

And I I just as a little side note, like if I hadn't had a nervous breakdown, I would have never met Bill Johnson. If I didn't meet Bill Johnson, I wouldn't have had he wouldn't never been my spiritual father. If he didn't become my spiritual father, let me just say in in short term like I wouldn't be here today. >> So I'm not saying God gave me a nervous breakdown.

I'm just saying God allow what what happened in my life which I thought you know if you would have said halfway through my nervous breakdown like hey God's got a plan for this I would have like this is a terrible way to get there but sometimes we find our our destiny actually in our fray and sometimes our greatest sometimes God is guiding me through my fray through the through through my battle and Even God uses battles like bad things in our lives to actually take us to our divine purpose.

And what I'm getting at is I I want to talk about finding your destiny, but I want to point out that God wants you you to have your a destiny be more than you do. Like I God has a plan for your life better than your plan. And and sometimes I sometimes the the journey is more about discovering that God's already been moving me into my plan and just being and and just being and um having peace that God is moving me in my plan more than like my plan.

It's like oh God discovered my plan and what I can do now is partner with it. And one more thing before I I go on is sometimes uh like do you remember Abraham and Sarah? They were Abram and Sarai at the time. God he Abra Abraham uh we'll call him Abraham.

Abraham encounters God and the very first prophetic word he has is leave the Chaldans his his city to a place I will show you. And if you would have uh asked Abraham like uh a month after he had an encounter with God, where are you going? He would have had to tell you I don't know where I'm going.

I just know where I can't stay. Exactly. >> And some of you have this thing going on. I feel this is prophetic. Some of you have this thing going on where you don't know where you're going. It like like the divine purpose in your life has made you um uh uh uh can I say wholly restless. >> Like you you're just like I can't I know where I can't stay.

I I know I have to move. I just don't know where I'm going. And uh and and the psalmist wrote that the the Lord is a he's a lamp to our feet and he's a light to our path. I sometimes think that's two different seasons. Like sometimes the Lord's a lamp to my feet like all I know is the next step.

We say it like this uh day by day. Sometimes we say it when people are in tough places like they're coming out of alcoholism. They're coming out of some and we go like can you win today? And sometimes I don't know. I don't know where I'm going. Like the Lord refuses to show me my where I'm going, the path, but he's like he just like he he like tomorrow we're going to do this.

I'm like, Lord, where are we going? And sometimes I believe the lesson is more about who I'm with than where I'm going. Yes, >> I I felt in CO when we were in CO, I don't know about you, but one of the things, you know, I'm kind of one of the prophetic guys here and I and and and I I live I find a lot of security in having an idea of where I'm going and hopefully where the body's going.

You know, not not necessarily perfectly, but an idea of where we're going. And I find a lot of security in the fact that I have this sense of where we're going. But in CO, I had no idea where we're going. And I felt the Lord say, "This is a season for you to trust who's leading you, not where you're going." >> And sometimes we can lose sight of the fact that when I'm looking for my destiny, my destiny happens to be in a person.

His name is Jesus Christ. >> If I lose sight of that, it matters not where I'm going. >> Like if Jesus is not the center of, you know, it'd be great. It It's one thing like, I'm going to the top of this mountain. You get up the top and you figure out you're at the wrong mountain. because you act you you have this vision, you have this you have this goal, but it isn't rooted in Jesus. >> Are you with me? >> And so, we don't want to climb a mountain and get to the top of the mountain, a wrong mountain.

And it's it's much more important that we that we're submitted to the tour guide than we are about the actual destiny. So, but all that being said, I do want to just give us some some ideas and and and maybe hopefully some encouragement. So in Ephesians chapter 2, if you want to turn there, I'm going to give you quite a few scriptures.

Verse 10. We are his workmanship. Say this with me. We are >> We are >> his workmanship. >> His workmanship. >> Created in Christ Jesus. >> Created in Christ >> for good works. >> For good works. >> Everybody say, good works. >> Good works. >> Everybody say, I was created. >> I was created >> for good works. >> For good works, >> which God prepared.

Say it with me. which I prepared >> beforehand. >> beforehand >> so that we would walk in them >> so that we would walk in. >> Let's do it one more time. For we were for we are his workmanship >> his workmanship >> created in Christ Jesus >> created in Christ >> for good works. >> Which God prepared beforehand >> which God prepared beforehand >> so that we would walk in them >> so that we would walk. >> Okay.

I I just want to point out a couple of things and this has been preached many times but I think it's powerful. God created the work before he created the worker. >> Okay? He look it it says it says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand.

What did he prepare beforehand? The works. So he created the work then he created the worker. Now why is that important? Because like Jeremiah God says Jeremiah I called you to be a prophet. He says, "I'm not good at that. I I'm not good at prophets. I don't want to be a prophet."

And God says, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were and before you were born, I called you to be a prophet to the nation." So Jeremiah's like feeling insecure like, "I can't do this." And God says, "How can you say I can't do this?" >> Because I created the work before I create the worker. >> I said, "I'm gonna create a man.

I'm gonna call him to be a prophet to the nations. His name's gonna be Jeremiah. Jeremiah's like, I can't do this. And God's like, I created the work before I created the worker. >> Are you with me? >> Moses. God calls Moses. And God says to Moses in the burning bush, you remember this.

Maybe you've read the book or you've seen the movie. And he says to Moses like, "I want you to deliver my people. I'm giving you the Reader's Digest version of it." And Moses says, "I don't talk too well." And God said, "I made your mouth. I I'm pointing out that sometimes insecurity I understand arrogance is the other side of this, but sometimes insecurity robs me of the fact that whatever God's called me to do, he's given me the grace and the power to do it.

If you would have told me at 20 you were going to preach, you're going to stand in front of thousands of people and preach, I would have be like, I I mean, I had terrible social anxiety. A lot of times students uh you know, one of the things students say, I feel like I'm called to preach, but I'm so nervous I can't think of what to say.

Have you ever had that happen? I'm like, yeah, I had home group in my house for 20 years. Average size of home group, 30 people. It was on Wednesday night at my house. Every Wednesday night I was late to home group. You know why? Cuz I was in the bathroom on the toilet.

I could give you more information, but I think you get the idea. I was sick every Wednesday night for 15 of the 17 of the 20 years. Why? Cuz I was afraid to speak in front of people. 30 people. So students come all the time. They're like, "Hey, I feel God's called me this, but I'm terrified.

Like, how long will it take for me to get over this? Hopefully few weeks. Do do you know you know what I'm saying? It's like sometimes God calls us to something and it it we have to cross the chicken line to actually come into our purpose. Listen, not all the time, but it's common for us to know where we're called because we're terrified of it.

So, if you would have told me when I was 20, some of you are 20, 25, you're in your 20s and you're like, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing cuz you know something I'm like I I had no idea I was going to be a preacher.

Sometimes the Lord's like, you know, from the time you're born, like you're like Jeremiah, you're like, I know I want to be a preacher, not me. I want to be a business guy. And so sometimes the next five years of what you're doing is more about God building a woman, building a man than it is about actually you actually accomplishing something.

I remember when I was in business with the first few years of business, first nine or 10 years were really tough and God said, "If you go in business, I'll bless you." And we made no money. And I remember year five or six or seven, I don't remember what year it was, but I was on the floor and we couldn't make payrolls and things were tight and was it was winter time.

And I said to God, "God, you said that if I open a business, you'd bless me." He said, "Yeah, well, you're building a business and I'm building a man. You and I have totally two different goals. You So next time God says, "If you do this, I'll bless you."

Say, "Is there money involved?" I've learned to ask like, "Does this have anything to do with like natural prosperity on Earth? So God created the work before he created the worker. He created the work before he created the worker. In Genesis chapter 1, it's a story of obviously creation of the world.

And on the, you know, on the fifth day, God said, um, he said something. Here it is. God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the field after their kind." It was so. And God made the beasts of the field after their kind, cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after his kind, God saw it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let him rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And God created man in his image.

In the image of God he created them. God blessed them. And God said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Um and then um in verse chapter 2 it says verse 8 says, "And the Lord God planted a garden towards the east of Edid and he placed the man whom he had formed. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and to keep it.

I I I want to point out just a couple things out of these verses and there's so much in here I could preach the rest of the night on just this. But God created the world for man. Then he commissioned him to rule his capital planet. Are you with me?

God created the earth for man and then he commissioned him. And did you notice that he didn't put Adam in a forest? He put him in a garden. I'm pointing out that Adam, man, was born immediately with work in mind. We were created for good works, which he prepared beforehand.

I want to point out, if you're not working, if you have nothing to do, you're already not in God's plan. Do you remember us uh someone who who took the offering tonight? >> Yeah. You you uh you were you quoted the talents >> and the guy who buried the talent.

Do you remember what God said about the guy who buried the talent? And actually the guy who buried the minina, he said, "You lazy. >> You lazy wicked slave." Did you notice he used lazy first? Like lazy is not God. you you can't you can't find your purpose and be lazy. >> You were born to work. >> You were born for good works.

Now, I I'm not talking about working for your salvation or anything like that. I'm just talking about once you get saved, you were born to do something. >> In fact, I was reading I've been reading in Timothy this week and God said to Timothy, if a if a man's not willing to work, if he's not willing to provide for his family, he's worse than an unbeliever.

I I don't say that to condemn anybody. I'm just like sometimes it's like I don't know what to do. Get a job. >> Where? Somewhere. I noticed that the disciples were all working when Jesus found them. >> Okay, that went that didn't go well at all. I'm just pointing out that we were created for good works which he prepared beforehand.

Adam, God created the whole earth and he puts he plants a garden. God plants a garden and he puts Adam in a garden. He doesn't put him in a forest that doesn't need a human to facilitate it. He puts him in a garden that needs to be cultivated and keep and kept.

And I'm pointing out that Adam was born and you know, you can imagine God could have made everything a big ecosystem that didn't need man's intervention. But he's like, "Well, I'm going to create a space that actually needs Adam's work." So God puts Adam in a garden and he becomes a part of the ecosystem of making the garden, protecting the garden, right?

Cultivate it and keep it. Keep it was the is the word protect. It means I I don't know. I don't know what it means for Eden, but bad animal stay out. He gave him power over the birds. No, the no poop zone. Do not poop on I don't know.

I don't know what how he did it, but you get the idea. I'm just pointing out that that that everybody in this place, every human being was born with a purpose. If you haven't found it yet, if you're not sure what it is, it it just begins with do something like what do I do?

I don't know what God wants me to do. Get a job. McDonald's. Get a job somewhere. Just like serving people is the beginning of find find some place to serve people. Okay, good point, Chris. >> There there's um there there's a you know this morning I had I don't want to call it an encounter, but I was leading prayer this morning.

So during worship and first service, I was really seeking the Lord like, "Okay, Lord, I have nothing this morning. I have you, you know, you ever have that like I don't have a theme." So I'm like, "Lord, I I have no idea what to pray about this morning."

And and I felt the Lord say, "I want you to pray. I want you to pray for unforgiveness and jealousy." I I really do believe the Lord is making the crooked places straight. And I don't think it's just for the corporate body. I actually think he's working in each one of our hearts.

I know he's working in mine. It's been a pretty intense season of course and and and I and I uh and you know I've confessed a couple of my things and but I feel the Lord working aside like I feel like God cares about motives. >> He doesn't just care about what I do.

He cares about why I do it. >> How many know that encouragement and flattery look the same on the outside but have a very different motive? >> Do do you do you know what I'm saying? Uh, flat flattery. Flattery is when I say good things to you for my benefit.

It's like the proverbial car salesman. By the way, I think car salesmen are amazing people, but the stereotype car salesman is like, "Oh, you got amazing. I love your shoes." And I'm like, "We all know that we're playing a game that you aren't encouraging me. You're flattering me."

Cuz when you're encouraging me, you do it for my sake. When you're flattering me, you say the same things for your sake. It's counterfeit encouragement, right? So motives matter. Not not just what I do, but why I do it. It matters. In fact, I'd point out that sometimes you can do the wrong thing, but God knows your heart. >> Right?

Sometimes you can do the wrong thing, but God's like, I know you didn't mean that. >> Yes. >> I know you were trying to do the right thing. But one of the things that undermines, this is not in my notes. I just kind of add it tonight because I I felt so strongly like sometimes we're looking for our God, what do you want me to do?

Who who where am I going? And yet one of the one of the kryptonite of destiny is unforgiveness and jealousy. >> And this morning, I said this this morning, but I just been I've been thinking about it really a lot lately in the last couple months. I just was searching my own heart because I see things that I've that I've done wrong. some things have become public that I've done wrong and and I'm like, Lord, is there a motive in here?

Because I know how to change the action, but I I just want to know for from you like cuz I'll repeat this bad action if I don't actually deal with what's actually going on in here. And I'd point out that I often don't know my own heart. I know you think you do.

I know social media's definitely thinks they know why I do what I do. But if I was going to be honest, there are many times I'm not sure what my motive is. I I don't walk around all day and say, "Why did I say hi to Rich?" You know, I don't be so introspective that I'm like so like, "Okay, and then why did I do that and why did I do that?"

You know, I'm not talking about that. But I was talking about when when we have a failure or when we're when we're really like trying to impress someone like what what's going on inside of here? Lord, would you help me with this? And this morning I shared a story of uh I I have somebody in I had a person in my life uh that I I really had a struggle with and it went on for many years and to the place where um I just had you know someone would say you have bitterness in your heart and I would say no I'm not no I don't I had been confronted more than once about you know I really think that you have an offense here and I'm like no I And then about oh maybe I'm really bad at time.

A year and a half agoish I felt the Lord say you you need to forgive this person. You know it's sometimes hard to forgive someone who hasn't asked for forgiveness. But I love what Joyce Meyer said. She said unforgiveness is like drinking deadly poison and thinking the other person's going to die.

See, my forgiveness for you isn't predicated on you asking for it. >> It's it's predicated on him asking for it. >> See, I have to forgive you because Jesus forgave me and I did I I didn't deserve it. >> And when he forgave me when I didn't deserve it, he gave me the power to forgive you when you don't deserve it.

Now, obviously, when people repent, they deserve it. I'm pointing out that if I wait for someone to ask for forgiveness, then I am locked in this place of unforgiveness until they respond. And I'd like to point out that it would be great if they ask for forgiveness and we can reconcile.

But how many you understand that I can't carry unforgiveness around with me because it doesn't just hurt you, it hurts me. And so about a year and a half ago, I felt the Lord say, I you you have unforgiveness in your heart. And I had this really powerful night where the Lord said, "You want to see your heart?

Here it is." I'm like, "Whoa, that is really ugly." Like other people have tried to point it out to me, but that is really ugly. And the Lord's like, "Yeah, you you need to forgive." And I went through maybe what you go through, like they haven't asked for it, and by the way, they really did harm me.

And by the way, they said these bad things about me. And I I went through this whole list of why why why I'm justified in holding offense. And the Lord's like, I I could do that with you. I'm like, Lord, but I'm pretty, you know, pretty innocent. I didn't say that at all.

I was like, I'm aware. I'm aware that I have had multiple failures that if you did what I'm doing to that person, you and I wouldn't even have a relationship. And so he said, "I need you to forgive them." And I really from my heart, I'm like, "God, I I forgive."

And I wrote them a nice letter. And uh I didn't I didn't say it kind of like, "I forgive you for all the evil you did." I basically said, "Would you forgive me?" And um and so then but I can I tell you like there was no emotional change in me like I didn't feel different. >> And then the Lord said about 6 months later, he said, "I want you to bring forth fruit of repentance."

And I'm like, "Okay, what's that going to be?" He said, "I want you to send him a gift. I don't want to tell you what the gift is because I don't want to give away who this might be." And so I'm like, "All right, what kind of gift?"

And he gave me a specific gift. And I found the gift and I sent it to them and with a really nice note, like love to reconcile. And to my surprise, they wrote back and said, "We would love to reconcile, too." >> And I was like, "Whoa, this is kind of a miracle." >> And uh and so we had a conversation and it was good, but to be honest, nothing changed inside.

Okay, here's what I'm talking about. Nothing changed. Like, my position changed, but when they were in the room, I still had that uh I I don't know what you call that because I confess offense, but whatever it was, I still had that. When I see them, I still have this.

And I keep and and and my response is I forgive them. Like every time I'd see them, like in my heart, I'm like, Lord, I forgive them. And then uh about six eight months ago, we were worshiping. We're just in worship. I wasn't thinking about them at all.

I was actually I was having this moment with Jesus and I was just like, "Lord, just thank you for and all of the sudden without any warning and without being on the subject and not even thinking about the subject, all the animosity for them left me in 30 seconds.

It just went out of me. The truth is, I didn't even know it was in me. It kind of scared me like, "Oh, I've been carrying this and I didn't even know it." >> And it left me. And when it left me, I instantly had this crazy compassion for them. >> Like, I saw them through these red colored glasses.

I'll say through. And I was like, I couldn't wait to see them. Wow. >> In fact, they happened to come in the room that day and I ran up and put my arms around them and I'm sure they were like, "Are you okay?" I said we were good.

Are you okay? And I was like, I couldn't wait to say I love you. >> I I am so thankful for you. And the Lord's really done this beautiful work in us. My point is there was something I did, but there was a piece of what needed to happen that I couldn't do.

That's right. >> I couldn't make that happen. >> I didn't even know it was in there to make it happen. Well, that's not true. I knew there's something wrong still because when I'm in the room with them, I have this uh when their name comes up, I still have this uh I'm I'm I'm I'm like giving them grace, but and I'm like, is this ever going to go away?

And I just kind of thought this is the walk of forgiveness. Like, I've forgiven them. I'm going to behave as if I have. They're behaving as if they have. And yet there's still something in there. And sometimes I think that we could only do what we can do, but then he does this thing that only he can do >> and he removes it from us.

I I I really talking about destiny tonight, but I feel so strongly that some of our destinies are being siphoned off by bitterness and unforgiveness. I'm I'm not trying Listen, I hope that you're not hearing me accuse you. I'm taking you through my story and I'm saying since that time, I felt like the Lord has opened the doors for things that I've been involved in that had a black cloud over them.

And I feel like that unforgiveness in my heart was not allowing the blessing of the Lord to actually be completely full in my life because I had something going on. The other thing I want to point out that I think is way bigger than people think is jealousy.

Do you know why ultimately Jesus went to the cross? I I understand God's plan. I'm talking about how he got there. The Pharisees were jealous of him. jealously. He was doing works and signs and wonders and and they used to wow the crowds and all of a sudden the crowds were were he was doing you know basically filling stadiums.

I understand there was no stadiums, but he was the crowds were following him and they were like they were jealous of him and they were the righteous godly people and all of a sudden he's speaking against their hypocrisy and the crowds are following Jesus and not only is he talking but he's doing signs and wonders and miracles.

Do you know uh I said this this morning, but when there was only four people on the earth, the murder rate was 25%. >> Because Cain killed Abel. And you know why he killed him? He killed him because God's favor was on Abel and not on Cain. Are are you are you am I making any sense?

Do you know Saul was the very first king of Israel? And God chose Saul and and actually he started out really humble. As a matter of fact, when when the prophet tried to anoint Saul in front of the people, he actually hid in luggage. They had to actually go find this man who was he said it says he was head and shoulders taller than anyone in Israel.

So this guy looked like a king and he's can you imagine? They're like, "Hey, let's anoint this man." And in the day of his of his commissioning in front of the people, he's literally hiding. They have to go find him. like he didn't want to be king and yet he he's king and they go out into this battle and you know the story of it's in 1st Samuel 17 and it's the story of David and Goliath and David comes as a young man 15 16 17 years old and he kills Goliath and you know and that battle went on probably for months and when they finally came home when all the armies came home the women lined up it would be the women because most of all the men were out to war and the women were lined up on the streets and as they came in they had already heard about the battle the the women did and they they actually created a song and that song went something like this Saul has killed his thousands and David has killed his 10 thousands and that day something happened in Saul it says he was jealous and he was suspicious and the next verse says and an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul it's a very disturbing passage message, but it it's right there.

And and I I wonder how much in our lives is siphoned off because of jealousy. And I point out that we live, we're the first generation to live in social media where people put their four children on social media where they're all smiling in their best clothes and you you haven't seen your kids smile in months.

And you go on social media and you see these people like the perfect family and the perfect ministry and you know and and it's the it's the perfect church, the perfect business and and and you know you got photoshopped everybody's photoshopped so it's the it's their perfect and you you're like I I can can't be that.

And then you look at followers and like they have a million followers and you have four. I I I know this is going to sound crazy, but I feel like so much social media is motivated out of jealousy. >> Person has a big business or they have money or they have a big ministry and it's like, oh, that's a mega church people and they're all evil.

I'm like, uh, Peter was a mega church pastor. And some some people are evil, but sometimes you have a big whatever because the favor of the gods on you. >> Sometimes people give buy your books. I know they were doing an interview with a a man I I really admire and they were asking him like, "Hey, do you have it was a very wealthy pastor of a of a large church and they they were asking him like, "Do you have do you have a what kind of exotic cars do you have?"

He says, "I don't have exotic cars." And he said, "Do you have a jet? I don't have a jet. And uh he has a very nice house and he doesn't take a salary. And they were just kind of like it was a good interview. They were it wasn't a I'm going to catch you doing something wrong interview, but it was an interview of honest interview.

And he said, "I've sold millions of books and that's how I've made my money. I don't" And I'm like, "If you're mad at this person for being wealthy, don't buy his books. I'm just pointing out like he didn't steal people's money. >> He wrote books that help people and and the the fruit of that is people bought them. >> And sometimes churches grow because that's where people get help.

Sometimes businesses grow because that's where people they like the food or they like the whatever that person does. And you know, uh, if you don't, if you're mad at Elon Musk, don't buy a Tesla. >> I I'm not trying to say these people are perfect. I'm just trying to say it feels to me like so so much of of what happens is out of jealousy. >> Like if someone has a lot of money, well then they've taken it from me maybe, or they've just done something that people like and they buy.

And those people often employ thousands of people, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people. And you live in the same country and you could have got that idea, but you didn't. I'm not trying to be harsh. I'm just trying to say jealousy. It's Listen, it's it's none of us are immune from it. >> I'm not saying it's them.

I'm saying all of us. Like I see something that I want and that person has it and I I have to I have to manage it or I can end up like Saul. I'm jealous. G Saul has killed us thousands. I I'd say killing thousands is a pretty big warrior. >> And by the way, if I'm a father and the guy I chose to be on my team killed 10,000, why would I be jealous of him?

I'm the one who found him. I I I I remember Cluty Keith made this statement. Uh this is probably 20 years ago and he said, "If you're jealous of someone, invest in them. Then their their victory will be your victory." >> I'm just convinced that so much criticism comes from I'm jealous of that person, so I have to tear them down.

I have to figure out reasons why they're evil. They're And by the way, you could if you look hard enough, you're going to find some because we're all human. No one does everything perfectly. And and you know, there's a lot of people that they don't have any bugs on their windshield because their car never leaves the garage.

So you you know what I'm saying? And I'm just saying so and and I'm saying there's people that are jealous of you and and and I I found too that and this is my this is I find because I have this same thing going on that jealousy and unforgiveness become irreconcilable.

Like I don't want to actually reconcile with you because I want to hold offense with you. It makes me feel powerful when I have something against you. And I I just I just want to I you know tonight my my message is really about destiny. But I feel so so I feel so driven to say to me and I'll tell you this is message was the Lord's been speaking to me for me about me.

So, I've been going through a surgery of my own. Like, why do you have that thing with that person? Well, Lord, they said, "No, actually, you're jealous of their ministry." No, Lord, I wouldn't that that wouldn't be me. Yeah, it would. And so I I I just want to point out like I want I h I have several I have 40 pages of how do I find my purpose?

But the things that siphon off our purpose is when we have wrong motives and and how how do we become successful in God? Whatever that means when we're jealous of other people who are successful in God. Like certainly the Lord would be like certainly you don't want to be that person you're jealous of right because then other people be jealous of you.

And I'm pointing out that that that Cain is jealous of Abel because the favor of God's unable. The Pharisees are jealous of Jesus because the favor of the people and obviously God is on Jesus. Saul is jealous of David because the favor of the people's on David. And I'm pointing out that the favor of God on someone, the favor of people on somebody can stir things up in us that we we we have to realize like that little thing that where we want to find something wrong with that person that is can I just say this to all of us like that is evil.

And I feel like social media lends itself. I'm not saying everything that's I've been criticized about is wrong or or you or anyone else. I'm just pointing out that it feels like social media gives a huge place for that. It gives a place for me to look better than I am cuz I can Photoshop it and show you my best moment.

And it gives a place for you to feel bad about the fact that you are not there. And then it tells you how many followers I have and how many you don't have. And it creates immediate like, oh well that person has a lot of followers because they and there's a sign and they have a big because they make money and it's all evil and I'm like or maybe that's what you want and you struggle because you don't have that favor with people or with God and that and I'm and I'm not saying them.

I'm saying us. I'm pointing to me and us like that will undermine Bethl. The leadership of Bethl being jealous of other people or bitter with people who are even accusing us >> is exactly how the enemy wants to take us down. >> Just be just be bitter with the people who are accusing you and they don't even have to be right or wrong because the enemy has already worked out his plan and you being bitter is all he needs. >> He doesn't even need that person to be right.

He just needs you to be bitter with the person who accused you. >> Are you with me? >> And so I just want to I just want to say who can ascend to the holy hill? We're talking about a hill. Can I say promotion? Who can get to the top?

You know we say who's at the top of that mountain? It's like who can ascend to the holy hill? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. >> Has clean hands and a pure heart. And there's no temptation except common for all of us. So there's nobody in here that's inoculated from human motivations that we don't have to manage.

And if you didn't hear Haley's message this morning, I thought it was beautiful. She talked about that when she got promoted, she she saw things grow in her life. And while the things that she wanted to grow were growing, the weeds were also getting watered. And she realized two things were happening at the same time.

Her gift was growing and so were the weeds. And she was talking about this morning how you don't just go out and weed the garden. You're like, "Oh, good. I'm good." Now, it's like this is something you do all the time. This is something you do. you you you you get on if you're on social media or whatever or you hear about someone that prospered and you wanted that thing, you wanted that job, you wanted that ministry, you wanted that, you know, and you look at them and you you know, it's like the comparison is a killer. >> And and and we live in a world that's so easy to compare because now we have numbers of how popular you are and how popular I am or not.

We have we have statistics on why I look like a failure in your mist. Like people are actually counting how many you killed and how few I killed. That's that was a bad analogy. You know what I'm saying? Like there is I just go on social media and in five seconds I know you have all these and I don't and you've sold all these and I haven't and you have a wonderful family and mine my kids don't behave and yours probably don't either but you photoshopped them.

I'm sorry before we go on. Yeah, I'll feel the stop. you know, we have our our family online and in here. If you have any of that going on, I already confess mine that I that I that I'm working through that. If that's you, would you stand? I want to pray for you.

I don't want to shame you. I just feel like we should have some kind of like let's, you know, the Lord said, "Send them up this gift." And I feel like sometimes we just need to stand and say, "I'm I'm in for it. I'm I'm in for the Lord doing this."

Yeah. And don't worry if you're standing like no shame because all the people are sitting those people all would have stood at some moment in their life. Nobody is immune to this. It's like nobody's like oh that terrible person's standing glad that wasn't me. >> Mhm. And if you're um following us on you know YouTube or whatever um stand, you know, if you're driving just open the sunroof.

I propose pull over first and open the sunroof. But I just want to pray for us. Father, I thank you that you uh do what we can't do. But we do what you can't do in our lives. Father, in that you've asked us, we must forgive. You can't you can't make us forgive.

But once we forgive, Lord, you can remove the animosity. >> You can heal the heart. You can heal the mind. You can heal the relationship. >> You can heal us, God. And so I pray God for all of us who are standing and for those who will watch even later and go, "Oh my gosh, that's me."

Lord, I pray that you would, Lord, that you bring about forgiveness, that you would give them a plan to reconcile with anyone that that's been harmed or hurt or wherever there's broken relationships. And Lord, I just pray for that right now in Jesus name. And Lord, I thank you that you care so much about relationships that you said if you come if you if you go to worship and you at the altar and you remember your brother's got something against you, you should need go do that first.

And you care more about relationships than you do about worship. And so Lord, I just pray God that you would bless each person here that you give them a plan. And Father, whatever part of that process they're in, I pray that you'd give them the grace to forgive and be forgiven.

And Lord, if there's jealousy or envy in our hearts, Lord, I pray that you would remove that jealousy, that you remove that envy, and that you would remind all of us, God, that you have a desire to bless all of us, not one person, all of us in Jesus name.

Amen. You can sit. Thank you so much. All right. Well, we're going to change gears. Are you guys okay? that I know I created such a somber moment. Now I'm like, "Okay, we all be happy." Um, turn to Matthew chapter 16. I'm going to I have about maybe 15 minutes left, so we'll we'll just do the second part.

Um, finding our identity. There's a a a great passage in Matthew 16. Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they said, "Well, some say you're Jeremiah. Some say you're one of the prophets." And then he asked this question, uh, verse 15. He said, "But who do you say that I am?"

And Simon Peter answered, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father who's in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

And I'll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. I I'd like to point out that whoever Jesus is to you, he'll be through you. >> So this could read, "Who am I to you?"

Jesus said, "And who do people say that I am?" But I read a commentary and it said that this this Greek verse could be read like this. And who am I to you? And Peter says, "I know who you are. You're the Christ. You're the son of the living God.

The Christ means the one anointed with power, right? How many you know that Jesus is more than the Christ? He's the Christ. He's the savior of the world. He's the bread of life. He's the lamb of God. I and and John Paul Jackson pointed out that there's 365 names of Jesus Christ.

But when Peter sees Jesus, he says, "I know you who you are. You're the one anointed with power." And Jesus says, "And you're the one who the gates of hell will not prevail against." And I'd like to point out that when you describe Jesus to me, I can often tell what you are called to do.

Because whoever Jesus is to you, he will often be through you. >> Are you with me? >> So if you want to discover who you are, ask yourself, who is Jesus to you? >> Like I feel like Jesus is walking around right now going, "And who am I to you?

Oh, you're the lamb of God. You're you're the you're the shepherd who goes out after the one." Oh, and you're the one who goes out after the lost. And I point out that that none of us, we all play a part in the body of Christ. I'm not the body of Christ.

I'm a piece of the body of Christ. You're a piece of the body of Christ. Sometimes we get frustrated with people because the way I see God motivates me this way and you're not motivated that way. And sometimes I get accusational because how COME YOU'RE NOT SAVING THE LOST?

HOW COME YOU'RE NOT? IT'S HOW WE DO THIS. IT'S LIKE I can't do everything. I'm a peace >> and you're a peace and together we we together we we we are the body of Christ. And so, you know, ask yourself the question like it'd be really good for you to journal like who is God to me?

Who is Jesus to me? And then ask yourself if that's who he is to me, how could he be that through me? Does that does that make sense? In 1 John 3:2, John writes this, "Beloved, now we are children of God." It has not appeared yet of what we will be.

But we know this, when he appears, we will be like him because we'll see him just as he is. I'd like to point out first uh Genesis chapter 1, we read it already, that we were created in the image and likeness of God. I'm pointing out that the more I see him, the more I know who I am. >> Trying to find me without knowing him. trying to find me without a revelation of him.

How many understand I'm going to be I'm going to be a counterfeit Christian and from the standpoint if I can't see him, I don't know who I am. I was made in the image and likeness of God. Every time I have a revelation of Jesus, remember John said, "When I look at Jesus, it's like looking in the mirror.

When I when I have a revelation of Jesus, when I see a different side of Jesus, how many understand it totally affects who I am in the kingdom >> because I'm reflecting who I >> John says, I don't we're we're children of God. We know we're children of God.

We don't know what we're going to be exactly, but we know when we see him, what we'll be like him. In other words, the more I see him, the more I see who he is, the more I know who I am. Confidence in God comes from knowing who he is.

Because I was made in his image and in his likeness. Do you know uh in uh Deuteronomy, God said to the uh to the people to the to the uh Jews, he said, "When I come down to you, have you noticed when I came down to you, I from the mountain, when I spoke to you, did you notice I gave you no image?" >> Are you with me?

He said, "When I came and spoke to you, did you notice I did not come in an image?" And the and then he says, "You will make no grave an image." And he made it one of the commandments. Why did God not come in an image? Because he already made an image of himself. >> It's called you. >> And then he filled you with him.

You can't make an image of God because God already made something in his image and likeness. It was you >> and then he filled you with him. I of course, just to be clear, I'm not saying you're God. I'm not saying I'm God. I'm saying I'm a son of God and he made me in my in his likeness and in his image.

So God goes, "You can't Did you notice I didn't come in an image?" He says to them, "Do you notice when I came down from the mountain, I didn't come in some image? >> Why? Why didn't I?" And and then he goes, and he doesn't tell them why.

He just says, "Therefore, therefore, because I didn't come in image, you can't make images after me. You can't make idols after me. You can't even make an idol that represents me. Cuz I already made an idol." No, I made an image that represents me. It's Yeah. Whoa. Well, delete that right away.

I already made an image >> that's in my likeness. It's called man and woman. >> What how beautiful is it to carry the image of the living God? >> How how close do I represent the image of God? The more I see him, the more I become like him. >> Listen, you want to have great self-esteem, just get to know him better. because the more you get to know him, the more you're going to get to know you.

That's a good word right there. The last point I'll make, and we'll probably take up with this next time I speak, is in uh 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul writes this. If you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would have you would not have many fathers.

For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the gospel. Therefore, I exhort you and listen to this. Be imitators of me. What? For this reason, I've sent you Timothy. For what reason? Who is who is my beloved faithful child in the Lord? Okay. What's he going to do?

He's going to remind you of my ways, what you're in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. We have this idea like, "Don't follow me, follow Jesus." If following you isn't following Jesus, that scares me >> cuz what path are you on? >> Do you know how we say um in fact, Romans says, "Bad, Paul wrote in Romans, bad company corrupts good morals."

And we say it this way, "Oh, you got in with the wrong crowd." And we know that if someone hangs around the wrong crowd, like all of us that are parents, right? You're like, you you are vetting who your kids hang out with, right? And as they get older in their teenage years, you're concerned like, you know, Henry comes over your house and you're like, you're scanning Henry because you're like, cuz you understand that you may have a good son or a good daughter, but bad company corrupts good morals.

And we know that. So, we're like, you you care who your kids are friends with because of that dynamic. In fact, uh it was uh Henry Chaplain, I think, said this. He said he said, "Show me your friends and I'll show you your destiny." >> But I'd like to point out that the same work is true when you hang out with godly people. >> Like you, this is this is listen, you should come to BSSM. >> You love it.

I I'm pointing out that there are things that happen in community that can't happen independently. Amen. >> You you you were never born to be independent. You were born I was born to be interdependent. >> If you know the Paul said in uh in the Bible 1 Corinthians he said each of us are a part of the body.

He said the the hand the eye can't say to the to the mouth I have no need of you. The hand can't say to the to the to the to the eye I have no need of you. But how many understand that if I'm the hand, I might need to know the knee, but if I don't have a relationship with the arm, I actually don't have a purpose. >> And I'd like to point out that sometimes we're trying to find our purpose without actually being part of a body. >> I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Well, you might get connected to somebody that gives you purpose. And Paul said, "I want you to imitate me." And then he points out, "When you're imitating me, you're imitating Christ because I'm following Christ. So when you're imitating me, you're imitating Christ." I'm pointing out and I understand that in the I I'm sharing this in the accusation of global accusation of bad fathers and bad mothers and bad leaders.

And I'm like, well, that's probably true. That's absolutely true. There are bad everythings, but do do you know there's 367,000 churches in America alone? The average church is 70 people. I mean, there are a lot of good spiritual leaders that love people. There's no perfect ones, but there are some really good ones.

When I met Bill Johnson, he changed my life. Hanging around Bill Johnson changed my life. I Kathy and I were with Bill and Benny five days out of seven for 15 of the 17 years that we knew them. We lived with them for six months. I watched Bill when we were all really broke.

They live their parsonage, their house was right behind the church on Main Street. So every day people came to the church to get food, to get money, whatever they had. And we were a very poor church, financially broke church. And we lived with Bill and Benny for six months.

And I can't tell you how many times people would come to the house for food and Bill would give away our dinner. And when when we're like I'm like, "Yeah, that reminded me that I never want to live in a parsonage behind a church on the highway." I watch Bill and Benny take people in in their little foot house and have a whole family living with them.

Not just my family, but broken families would come and live with Bill and Benny for months at a time. And like I learned generosity and loving people through watching two people give their life to people. And uh I I I watched I learned I remember that uh you know, Kathy and I are obviously both raised in dysfunctional families.

Bill's a fifth generation pastor. Benny's a fourth generation pastor. Uh and and so you know we would the first probably five, six, seven years we would go home after being at Bill and Benny's and probably three nights out of seven we would lay awake at night and talk about how Bill spoke to Benny and how Benny spoke to Bill how they how they disciplined their children.

I remember one of the lessons I learned is, you know, how little kids run up to you and they're like, "Daddy, daddy, daddy." When you're having a conversation with an adult and when my kids would run up and go, "Daddy, daddy, daddy." I go, "Hey, hey, I'm having a conversation here.

The important people are having a conversation. Go away." I'm exaggerating. Make a point. When Brian or Eric would come to Bill, he would go, "Oh, hey, excuse me, Chris. Brian, what do you need?" And he would and then he would say, "Brian, okay, when I'm talking to Chris, you you wait from now on."

And of course, he never would. But Bill always made his kids like like Bill was not married to two women, the church and Benny. He didn't have a mistress. When he came to Bethl, I'm sorry, when he came to Mount Chapel, it was called Calvary Chapel at the time. when you came to Calvary Chapel and you sat with the board, he said, "My wife isn't free help and you're not her second husband.

I just want you to know like she will be my what the role she'll play at bel at at Mount Chapel is she will be my wife. She's not your free woman's leader. She's not your free home group leader. You're not getting a two for one deal. She's my wife."

And and I I learned how to make my children feel like the most important person in the room. I learn I learned how to make sure that my kids didn't feel like their dad had two wives, the ministry or the business and them like I learned that from Bill and Benny.

I learned Bill would say never go never go to sleep mad. You know Ephesians 5, be angry but don't sin. Don't let your son don't let the sun go down your anger. So many nights Kathy and I would lay awake trying to get Kathy to forgive. It was hard.

So much offense she had. Yeah. Everyone's laughing because you know us, right? So it was almost always me. But we tried to practice like we don't because you go to sleep mad and you wake up bitter. Bill would say if you go to sleep mad, you wake up bitter.

I would try to we just learn like what I'm getting at is I was becoming more and more like my mentor because the when a pupil's fully learned he becomes like his teacher and we have this thing about don't listen don't follow me follow Jesus and it's like if you're if people who are following you aren't following Jesus you need to change who you're following because for some of us we're the only Jesus some people know until they until they grow in their own relationship with God >> and so it's really important that we that we have mentors in our life that we have people that believe in us.

And I I I've said this publicly, but I'll I'll say it again. Like I have uh you know, I'm not following a per a p uh a perfect person. There's no perfect person in this room. And Bill's not a perfect person. And so if you're looking for a perfect person, that's only Jesus.

And ultimately, we need to be following Jesus. But um but Bill believed in me before I deserved it. Before Before I saw anything good in me, he saw good in me. That's Bill's superpower. We weren't ever allowed to speak evil of anyone in Bill's house for 17 years.

If I complained about someone, Bill never corrected me. He just looked at me. He would never participate in a complaint about anyone. And I'm like, "Mr. External Processor, grew up in a bad home. Let me tell you 14 reasons why that person's a jerk." And Bill would just look at me.

You ever have that weird feeling like you just did something wrong? I learned that God loves people and that if you're not a part of the problem, you're not a part of the solution, it's none of your business. and that you don't know the motives of people's heart >> and people are better than their worst day and that some people fail terribly but they but God redeems them.

There are a lot of Peters around who deny Christ after Jesus warns them. Four hours later they deny Christ. Cut off a guy's ear. Violence denying Christ and four hours later the Lord's like feed my sheep. Tend my lambs. a lot of people that the Lord looks past their responses and goes, "There's a good man in there.

There's a good woman in there." And I met a man like that. I met a man who would not speak evil of someone. He would not speak evil of his enemies in Weirville, of people who hated us. And Bill's like, "He's a good man." And I'm like, "Bro, you got no discernment.

I grew up in the streets and and that was like knowing who's harmful was how I stayed alive. So like finding someone who loves sinners and hangs out with sinners and who truly loves them and finds the best in them. Danny Silk, drug addict when he came to our church, met Bill Johnson, changed his life.

I could go on and on. Many of the people that you know that are on this platform, they were repbates that met Bill Johnson who loved them when they were when they were broken and who spoke well of them when no one else did. That was our culture.

It became our culture in Weville. Our little church grew from 40 people to 300 people in a town of 3,000. And it was because of Jesus in a man, in women, in people. You can make a huge difference in someone's life by you being fully alive in their life.

By you loving them when they fail. Anyone can love you when you're succeeding. Anyone can love you when you're you've got great character. But loving you in your brokenness, that takes the eyes of Jesus. >> You know, one of the big accusations about Jesus is he hung out with people who were sinners.

In fact, it was guilty by association because they called him a a drunkard and a wine bibber. And he's like, "If you," the Pharisees, like, "If you're righteous, why are you hanging out at their parties? Why are you hanging out with people who are obviously evil?" And the crazy thing is, people who were evil met a perfect person who had never sinned and liked being around him.

I don't know if you got that. Like Mary Magdalene had what, seven evil spirits, I think. and she loved Jesus and she was a prostitute. Like, how do you have so much love that people who are actually sinning meet a perfect person and actually want to invite them to their party?

You can't be super judgmental. You must you must have found someone who sees something else in you than your behavior because you're not inviting Jesus to your parties. I want Bethl to be full of broken people. I want Bethl to be full of sinners, full of people who have failed.

I don't want to just be famous for healing the sick. We want that to grow, of course. Seeing miracles, that's all fine, but if we're not changing the hearts of people, >> I don't want to hang around with self-righteous people who don't think they need a savior. I'd rather make mistakes with messy people than than be in a group of people who don't need any they don't they don't need us.

So finding someone that believes in you is really important. I met my wife. I told you she was 12 and I was 15. I had I lived in a culture that had girlfriends since I was like in the fifth grade. So I had lots of girlfriends girlfriends. I was a kid.

I didn't fall in love with Kathy. She fell in love with me. I could understand that. Of course I grew in love with her. And I can still remember this time. I knew her about seven or eight months. She she lived in another town, so I had to drive 30 miles to see her on my motorcycle.

And I remember going home one day and I remember thinking, she's the only person I've ever met that believes in me and that I can be myself and I don't have to try to impress her. And then I remember when I going going home that night on my motorcycle thinking, she's the only person that I enjoy being with that makes me better.

And from that day on, I decided at 15 that I would marry her. And at 16, I asked her to marry me because I knew that she believed in me and I knew that she made me a better person. Would you stand? I want to pray for you.

Father, I thank you for this night. I thank you that you love sinners, that you love saints, that you have a plan for us. And God, I I know that you have a plan to give us a future and a hope. So, I pray for every single person in this room.

Lord, I pray for those who feel like they've failed or more importantly, feel like they're failures. Lord, I pray in Jesus name right now that you God would come and that you would speak to them and that you would you would tell them I what you told me, I love you.

I believe in you. Follow me. I can change you. I will change you. And Lord, I pray for those in here that don't know you yet. People that have never met you or maybe they met you and they fell away and somehow they ended up in this room or they end up online tonight.

Yeah. >> And if that's you, if you if you don't know the Lord or or you've fallen away from the Lord, would you just raise your hand? I just want to pray for you right where you're at. I just want to pray that the Lord would come into your life.

Anybody in this room? Okay. Lord, I pray for those that might watch this video later for everyone. Oh, raise your hand. Oh gosh. Lord, I thank you for this woman right here in Jesus name. I pray God that you would transform her, that you would forgive her sins as you'd forgive my sins, and that you would transform her into a new creation.

Lord, I pray that you would restore her relationships. I feel like there's this whole um swirl around you, and the Lord is restoring your relationships and he's I saw that I saw people reconcile with you in the next year. And I pray God that you would reconcile her to her family, that you would reconcile it to her children, that you would reconcile her to people that um that have been um you know, just whatever hurt her, separated from her.

And I pray Lord that the goodness of God would so be in her life in Jesus name. And I pray God for those who are online and who watch us later, God, I pray for everybody who's listening that they would hear God has a plan for you. God has a destiny for you.

God's forgiven you. He you're better than your worst day. God takes people with evil hearts and he takes out their heart and he gives them a new heart. And God, I just pray that you would do for them what you've done for us, God. That you would change them, that you would transform them, that you would forgive them, and that you'd put them on a path of goodness and righteousness in Jesus name.

And everybody said, "Amen." >> Amen. >> God bless you. Thank you so much for listening tonight. Hey, if you could hold your seats one second. I feel like there's two people God wants me to pray for. Um, you're in this room when you were 13 years old. You had a bad accident and there's been some fear attached to this, which makes sense if you have been through an accident.

But the Lord said if you'll respond to that, he'll heal you and he'll set you free from that accident. If that's you, in a moment, I'm going to have you come up forward. I'll have you come up front in a minute. Uh, there's I believe you're a woman. uh you've been sp you've been experiencing burnout.

You're a teacher. It's been really bad the last two months to the point where you woke up this morning and said, "I don't know what I'm going to do if something doesn't shift around me." And it's not just the workload. I feel like there's been some other things like politics and different things that have been a real drain on you.

So, if that's you, uh I'm going to call the ministry team forward right now. Um if either one of those words are for you, I believe you're still in this room. Would you come up front? We're going to pray for you. uh ministry team, go ahead and come.

Uh if you just want to come to a person in the ministry team too, you can do that as well. But uh those are the two words I had right now. Um let them come really quick. God's really in the business for stopping for the one. And I I feel like those two people, God has something for you today.

So uh you go ahead. Go ahead. If you want to receive additional ministry, prayer, prophetic healing in your body, just come forward right now. Our team has their hand raised. That means they're ready to pray for you. Uh the rest of you, God bless. Have a fantastic week. >> How you doing, sir?

Tell me your name. >> Ah, thank you, Jesus. Hey guys, welcome back. What a message. What a word. And also um the word that Pastor Jeremy just uh released, if that's for you, we can we can figure out how to connect that too. But um just felt like such a powerful word tonight.

It felt like a resetting word. Um I love how Pastor Chris is bringing not only what the Lord is doing in him, but it felt like an invitation to so many others who've been struggling with um unforgiveness, bitterness, uh jealousy, whatever that looks like. because actually we desire more than anything to be walking in the direction that God has us going to to do what we're called to do, to be who we're called to be.

And we don't want any hindrance keeping us from going into those places. And so it felt sobering. I know so many people in the room stood. I'm sure so many of you were standing as well, but also knowing and recognizing you may not have felt something in that instance, right?

Like what what Papa Chris was saying was so many times he extended forgiveness. He he did the thing. He he said the action. He said it. But it wasn't until that moment with God where he felt all of it get pulled out of him. That animosity. And so if you stood tonight and you're like, Cassie, I didn't feel anything shift.

You know, like I'm not sure the impact of what that prayer will be. Um our repentance will often bear fruit. And so what will that look like? And you may not see it instantly like uh when you plant seeds in a garden. Seedlings take time. They have to uh grow underneath the soil before they actually begin to sprout.

And so um God, we just thank you that more happened than we even realize tonight. And I feel like there's so many of you maybe you could um even respond in the chat to let us know if this is resounding with you. But I felt like so many of you stood you actually began to forgive real people in your life. when when we were going through that prayer, you were like, I'm thinking about people.

I'm thinking about co-workers, leaders in my life, family members, friends, whatever it was. And as you stood, you wondered, God, is this going to bear it? Like, is this is this really doing something? And I I just sense way more is happening than you even realize. And so, God, we just bless um the the bravery for people to stand, for people to forgive, and and it's a lifetime thing that we're going to do forever. like I if anytime something comes up in my heart, I get to forgive.

I get to release that. Um cuz I don't want anything else to build in its place. Powerful. I'm looking at the chat. I'm looking at the comments. I know some of you uh are are responding or saying it was a resetting word. It was for you. If you um I know some of you are forgiving family members.

I mean, this is powerful. like this. This kind of stuff actually brings freedom in life in ways that we may not even expect or understand. And so God, we just bless um we bless what you're doing, Lord. We just thank you that um I even felt like there were like knots like I saw a picture of like knots and and the Lord is helping you untangle knots.

And so whether knots are with relationships, it's like the like a picture of like a ball of yarn that's all knotted up. and um whether that's with relationships or anything else. Um yeah, God, we just thank you for what you're doing and that people would meet you in the midst of it.

Thank you, Jesus. >> What's going on? >> Amazing. It's incredible stuff. Um I was just looking at Carolina who who is asking for prayers um that there's a small nodule in her father's lung. Um and we want to pray that it's not cancerous. And so even just right now, Lord, wherever Carolina's father is, that you would um be in the room with him, that you would your healing presence would would fall on him from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.

Um we pray that there's that this body is uh there's no cancer in this body in Jesus' name. We declare that and we agree with you, Carolina, as you have put this in the chat. We are agreeing um that there's your your dad's body is cancer-free in Jesus' name.

Um, and we just ask that you would be with Carolina and her whole family in this time. Um, as as as fear and uh things like that might come up, that you would just be the perfect piece um in their family. And so it was incredible time in worship.

Um what really stuck out was just the what a God um moment. And then >> and so I just I feel like even there's just to encourage you through the week. uh if you're joining in and you're like, "Man, this was this is exactly what I needed." Um that it would continue on during this week that there would even be people that the Lord brings your way that may you may need to forgive that you're like, "Oh, that's that's somebody I need to forgive."

Like I just feel like uh the Lord was just maybe I have a sense that there's maybe uh divine appointments, divine uh run-ins with people uh this week that that uh the conversation you've been maybe avoiding um or not wanting to have or the person that >> like Chris mentioned, you know, they're in the room and there's an angst there or there's some level of um yeah, tension that that even just there would be hope in those situations for you and wherever you're at, whether it's work, whether it's family, uh We're praying for whole and reconciled relationships in Jesus name. >> Amen.

We say amen to that. And I know some of you are asking for prayer for um your husband, Don. I know you're you're asking for prayer for uh colon cancer. And your husband, I know there's another person, Cleopatra, who's asking for um prayer for uh a friend who has stage four pancreatic cancer.

And um some of you are asking for yourself, Charles. We see you. And some of you um are in places where you're contending and whether it's a financial miracle, whether it's um a a body uh a need in your body, whether it's healing, whether it's um a mighty touch, whether you want to just encounter God, God, we just we just say come, Holy Spirit.

We just thank you, God, for what you're doing, Lord. And we and we just pray right now for those people who um have these diagnosises, God. Whatever that is, God, we just speak life into their bodies in Jesus' name. God, we thank you that there is power in your name, God.

And we bless their bodies. Actually, um um if you are contending for anybody um for a miracle in your body, why don't you just say, "I bless you in the name of Jesus. I bless whoever it is, insert their name. I bless whoever in the name of Jesus."

Um there's something so powerful. Um there's life and death uh in the power of the tongue. And sometimes I just think about what I'm releasing in terms of life from my tongue. And so when I'm speaking a blessing over over somebody, if I looked at Dom and said, Dom, I bless you.

I'm not just saying that flippantly. Like I know what happens when I bless somebody. And so um I I want to just say Cleopatra, we we bless your friend in Jesus name. Carolina, we just bless your father in Jesus name. Charles, we bless you in Jesus name. I know there were a couple others, but God uh uh nochow God we bless them in Jesus name.

We say uh say Harley uh we bless your friend in Jesus name. Whoever that is wherever you are Charles even if you're praying for yourself maybe put your hand on your heart whatever it looks like but just say I bless me in Jesus name. I know it could feel silly but I feel like there's something about the the the declaration um the partnering.

I remember people saying way back in the day when I did BSSM they're like uh the kingdom of God is voice activated and as we begin to declare out what you loose in heaven is uh loosed on earth and what you bind um in heaven is is bound on earth and and um it's that passage that Chris was talking about tonight but there's something about us to actually loose blessing and to release it.

Not only I can feel the fire of God on my back right now. I feel like someone has um even back pain. Um and right now the Lord is actually healing you. I I saw um like in the middle of the back. I don't know if you've had um a bulging disc or something like that, but I even just felt like uh someone was having a back pain healed right now.

And so we bless Shelby. I I see Shelby needs healing from cancer. God, we bless Shelby in Jesus name. I don't know um if you guys are partnering with me. I know I can't see you. I can't hear you. I'm reading the things. Um um but I see Denise blessing her friend Marilyn who has cancer.

There's something about us actually beginning to release blessing to speak it out. Um and I could just sense um I can sense the delight of the father even in the midst of this. And so God I just thank you. >> There's a guy named Benjamin on our community chat who >> uh is praying for his daughter to come back to Jesus.

Uh, and so even right now, um, Benjamin, thanks for putting that in the chat. And any any family members that are away from Jesus, we thank you, Lord, that you draw all men to you. And we ask right now even for divine appointments to family members that are not walking with you, that are not walking with Jesus, that you would meet them, Lord, that you would give them people and community around them that are speaking the truth that you're putting them, you're drawing them to churches that with good people that will love on them, Lord.

And I just pray that um yeah, for all of these family members that are being represented and for the people that are standing in proxy that there would be a faith that is um that is given uh from you, Lord. Uh to to continue to pray and to continue to contend for family members.

Um and I just pray for boldness in some of these guys to to to share the gospel and to share the gospel with their family. um even even as as that burden would increase uh for our family to know Jesus that you would give these guys the words um and you'd give us language to how to how to share the gospel and how to how to just um yeah bring bring the loss back to you Jesus.

So we thank you Lord. >> Amen. Come on guys before we go. I know you're receiving that whether you're receiving it for your family members, whether you're receiving healing, whether you're just receiving um even the victory through um or forgiveness, not just unforgiveness, but but the fruit of it, the forgiveness part.

Um but while we were ministering, while we were just connecting with you guys, I kept hearing come up here. And I was reminded of Revelation 4 and and I was just thinking um about that verse and how the the door had been open, standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this."

And at once I was in the spirit and behold, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne. I felt like as I was even um being reminded to come up here, I felt like there was something we talked about it at the beginning u before we even started service about locking our eyes with Jesus about having the right perspective of actually um looking to him and having such an awareness and I saw people who were in the chat and I know that there are people who are watching online who are just waiting for an encounter with Jesus and God I thank you that there is such an opportunity to see you.

God, I thank you that um we just get to adjust our gaze, to adjust our perspective, and to look for you, and there is one. Behold, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne. He who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelon. There's so many other things that you can read with it.

But but God, I pray that this week that we would encounter you, God. That we would see you, that we would know you, that we would know that there is access to actually approach your throne. That we to fear approaching your throne because of what Jesus paid for.

That we have access to see you, to know you, and to have relationship with you, God. And I pray that this would be a week where we get to um seek your face to see you, but to understand in experiential knowledge that we can access you, that we can see you and that we can just come before you.

I I bless the encounters this week as you meet with the Lord. God, whatever that looks like, however that that that transpires, but God, that there is an invitation to encounter, God, um we just bless this community, God. just thank you for who you are, God, and that you long to meet with your people.

Guys, we bless you. We're super grateful that we get to do this together, that we get to meet with you, not only in the house of God, but in our homes, >> in our rooms, in our kitchens. >> It's an honor to for you to join us. Uh we love you guys.

Have an amazing week, and I pray that the presence of God would be so tangible this week for you, and we'll see you next week, right? >> Yeah, we'll see. >> Well, I won't I may not see you guys next week, but I'll be here. >> Cassie will be here. >> Bye, guys.

We love you.