Broken Pieces | Pastor Micahn Carter | Forward City Church

((music playing)) We're going to um just stay standing just for a second. We're going to press in. And uh last night was historic. >> I mean, the whole conference has been filled with the power of God, but He ain't done. >> And if you're greedy enough, >> you can get so much more.

((music playing)) >> I wrote this song. I I won't I'm not a ((applause)) He told me to sing the song that he gave me. Just close your eyes cuz I feel like it sums up what he wants to do. I never knew I'd fall in love. and find myself undone. But I did.

I gave away all I've ever been. time and time again just for him. And I'm overwhelmed by the love that came and found me. gave me the world while I gave you my sin. But the grace, the grace changes everything. It makes my life new again. It rewrote my story.

I'm never the same. ((music playing)) But the grace, the grace changes everything. ((music playing)) It took all my sin and shame. It destroyed my past and now I am free at last. ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) But the grace, oh grace changes everything, ((music playing)) makes my life new again. You rewrote my story. I'm never the same. For your grace.

Your grace changes everything. ((music playing)) It took all my sin and shame. It destroyed my past. Now I am free. last. ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) When I was growing up, there was uh this is radio days. Y'all don't know nothing about no radio days. But when I was growing up, they had these things called dedications. and you would call in, you'd be like, "Can you play Boys to Men and dedicate it for my girl?"

But I got some dedications today. I dedicate this message to the people who grew up without a dad. I dedicate this message to the people who gave everything they could to their marriage and it still failed. I dedicate this message to the man or the woman that is shackled to shame because their choices left collateral damage that they didn't feel like they could repair.

I dedicate this message to the ministry leader that's been hiding behind armor like non, but you got leprosy underneath and you can't tell anybody because you're afraid you're going to lose your authority if you show them what's under your armor. I dedicate this message to people who had a dream but woke up and it became a nightmare.

I dedicate this message to the people who've been betrayed so bad that the scars on their back make it hard for them to trust anyone else. I dedicate this message to the people who are still grieving the person that is no longer with us on earth. To the parent who had to bury their son or daughter.

I dedicate this message to the person who's always in a crowd of people but always feels invisible. I dedicate this message to you ((music playing)) today. I'm going to preach a message entitled Broken Pieces. Turn with me to the book of Nehemiah, chapter 1. Nehemiah chapter 1. I don't plan on preaching too long.

I really can get it done in a short amount of time. God has done so much. What else is there to be said? But the Bible says this in Nehemiah chapter 1 in late in the late autumn in the month of Kizlev in the 20th year of King Exer's reign.

I was at the fortress of Souza. Hannah, one of my brothers came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. And I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who return to the providence of Judah.

They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem have been torn down and the gates have been destroyed by fire." And when I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. And then I said, >> "Oh Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands.

Listen to my prayer. Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned. We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands and decrees and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.

Please, please, please remember what you told your servant Moses. If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return, if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring I will bring you back. >> I'll bring you back to the place I've chosen for my name >> to be honored. >> The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.

Oh Lord, please hear my prayer. >> Listen to the prayers of those who delight in honor in you. And please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. put it in his heart to be kind to me. Father God, help me to decrease, >> help you to increase.

God, I pray that we wouldn't just be inspired, but transformed. And Lord, I pray that even in this room, there may be someone that doesn't know you, but by the end of this message, they will gladly receive you as Lord and Savior. So God through the video, those watching online, those in the room, God, do something special today in Jesus mighty name.

Amen. And amen. You may be seated. I want to get into this message. Broken pieces. Broken pieces. I uh I I really do feel like this might be one of the most impactful messages that I've ever preached. And so, please just lean in today. I'm going to try my best to just regurgitate what the Lord had told me.

I want to thank Pastor Travis and Pastor Jackie for loving my family so well. I have so many words I want to say, but I'm just so grateful to serve you guys. Let me get into this message. Broken, broken, broken pieces. Broken pieces. What's interesting about this story that if you continue to read on, we find out the reason why Nehemiah is in disarray and he is broken himself is because he's realizing that the walls in this area have been torn down.

And now these people are under con complete captivity. They're constantly getting beat up by the enemy. And Nehemiah is burdened for his people. He's he's a broken man, but he's burdened for broken people. And he gets there and he says, "Hey, I I want to I want to do something.

I want to rebuild these walls. These walls got to come back up. We got to get our protection back. We got to get our surrounding back. We got to get our shield back. We got to get our confidence back. Someone's got to go there and do something. Now, mind you, these walls have been laid dormant on the ground for decades.

It wasn't like they just happened to be like that. We're talking about 10, 15, 20 years. These walls have been laid dormant. Every day people pass by and they see the residue of what was. There are no more good old days. Every time I walk in this area, I see the rocks, the rubble of what was.

And Nehemiah says, "I'm sick and tired of my people walking by things, not seeing the potential." And I know, he says, "And this day, I didn't read it, but he says, in that day, I was the cup bearer to the king." He's in a good place and he sees people in a broken place.

And why is it that someone from the outside is the only one that could see that the people need some help? >> Broken pieces. Could it be that he was a broken man and you have to have broken eyes to see broken? Nehemiah gets there and he says, "Hey, we're going to do something.

We're going to rebuild these walls. Give me favor with the king. Give me favor with the people and I'll go do it." I'm not a Home Depot guy. I never worked at Lowe's. I don't know how to build something. All I know how to do is hold this juice. >> And if you had to hold the juice for the king, your fingernails had to be well manicured.

You can't have no nasty hands holding some king juice to the king. >> Get your head took clean off. And so he's like, I'll go do it. And what's interesting is what I found in this scripture and what I found in the text is that God wanted to use somebody to do something incredible.

But what I noticed that was so interesting to me is when he went to go rebuild the walls, he didn't get no new material. >> Very good. >> I just want to give you four things that God wants to do. Four things that we we going to get out of here.

But the first thing I want to announce to someone that God does want to restore you. But see, some of you look at restoration the wrong way. You keep praying for new and God wants to use what you have left. ((applause)) >> Your version of restoration was a new thing.

God's version of restoration was use what's on the ground. >> Use the broken pieces >> to put it together. I remember uh for me, I'm just only speaking for me, there was a season of my life last year, matter of fact, I wasn't in a church home. I was praying in my house with my family.

I was watching online to Forward City. And but God told me, Mik, you got to use what you got left. >> Everyone else left me. I didn't have nobody else but my family. So, use what you got left. >> So, I said on Tuesday nights, I said, Elijah, Elijah, Elijah, that's my middle son.

That's the White Wonder. Elijah, would you want to come to the house and bring you a guitar? Dewey, I'm going to get this little drum pad. I'll buy it, but will you learn how to play the drum pad? My MD from my old church moved to Birmingham. He was there.

I said, "Hey, you want to come to the house on Tuesday nights, but guess what? If you're going to do it, it's got to be every Tuesday." >> Every Tuesday at 6 p.m. I don't care what's on your schedule. I don't care what you got to do. every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

So every Tuesday for a year, me and my boys turned my loft into a worship house because God told me, "Meon, stop waiting for the church to come to you. Why don't you just use what you got left? Why are you waiting for them to applaud something that you were supposed to do in a private space anyway?

Use what you got left. I know you got all these pieces, but use the pieces that I put in your life to do what I called you to do. You didn't need a microphone when you was 19. You didn't need a stage when you was 20. You didn't need nothing with that youth ministry in the back of the house.

Use what you got left. Use what I put in you. I put something great in you. Release that to the world. And it may only be on 4969 Sussex Road, but release it. Come on. >> Come on, man. >> Some of you are waiting for God to send you some home improvement.

And he says, "Look around. Everything you need ((applause)) >> is right there. >> And while they're building the wall, there's a sucker named Sambalot. >> He's a sucker." >> He comes and he says this. He said Sam was very angry and when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall, he flew in rage and mocked the Jews, >> saying in front of his friends and the Samaran army officers, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they're doing?

Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of these broken pieces pieces charred ones at that? Do they actually think that in a few days God could turn this around? And I started thinking about it because what Nehemiah did was he said something on the inside.

He said, "We may be broken, but we ain't broke." >> Did you just hear what I said? I may be broken, but I ain't broke. My daddy owns a cattle on a thousand heels. I know people may have left, but I'm never alone because I got the Holy Spirit on the inside of me.

Can I tell somebody, you may be broken, but you ain't. Started thinking about my sis. I started thinking about my sis, uh, Pastor Jackie, and I started thinking about she got this broken foot, and her foot is jacked up. >> But I see her >> broken but not broke. >> Devil, you may have got my foot, but you ain't got my mouth.

You may have got my foot, but you ain't got my hands. You may have got my foot, but you ain't got my mind. You may have got my foot, but you ain't got my faith. See, people will see your fracture, but God sees your faith. When you use the broken piece, I'm about to turn this thing upside down.

I may be broke, but I ain't broken. I may be broken, but I ain't broke. Who you think you fooling with devil? Do you know the God that pulled me out of hell is the same God that could blow me back to the palace? Who you fooling with devil?

I may be broken but I ain't I'm rich in faith. >> See, some of you got to get this on the inside of you because you use your brokenness as as something that's to be looked down upon. God, I'm telling you, God's getting ready to restore some of you, but it's not going to come the way you think it's >> not only is God going to restore you, but I noticed something about that wall that God repositioned it. >> Imagine, imagine, imagine, imagine, imagine.

Here's all these stones, stone walls. They're now in rubble. Could you imagine going, which piece goes where? >> And we prayed things like, "God, put it back together. Make my marriage like what it was. >> Make bring my friends back in my life. Oh, God, do the thing again.

Put it all back together." We look at God like this is a puzzle piece and there's these pieces on the ground and I'm supposed to put the puzzle piece back in the same spot. But when I look at this wall, God when he let the broken pieces fall, he let them fall on purpose because some things aren't supposed to come back in your life the same way.

Can I just tell you some things God wants to rearrange it. That friend ain't supposed to be over there. That friend supposed to stay over here. Those people that left ain't supposed to be by this wall. they supposed to be over there. God don't want your marriage to go back to what it was.

He's trying to build something new. God's not trying to get you back to your old job. He's got a new place of promotion for you. And what God wants to do and his rebuilding is now put the pieces back the way they were. He wants to reposition. There's a reason why I'm in Colombia and not in Yakama.

Because God said, "Son, I got to move some Some people got to go out. Some people got to come in. I'm sure when they were rebuilding the wall, they're like, I don't know if this rock was in the wall last time, >> but it is this time. That friend wasn't there last time, but it is this time.

That assignment wasn't there last time, but it is this time. That anointing wasn't there last time, but it is this time. The authority wasn't there last time, but it is this time. Could someone say broken pieces? ((music playing)) >> You see, God >> God breaks us >> to reshape us. >> He's the potter.

And if he doesn't like the way the pot turns out, >> he breaks it all down. So we can build it all new. Not the old, but the ((music playing)) ((applause)) >> repurpose, repurpose, rep, reposition, reposition, rearrange. Some of you, God's re. You're so depressed they're not there. He's rearranging. You're mad they didn't call your name.

He's re >> You feel looked over. He's real. >> Give us some time. Might be 52 days. Might be 52 years. Just >> I couldn't see it then. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see it then. Why? Why did they leave? Why did they They son.

((music playing)) >> You would have never been open to what I was going to tell you if you would have had the wall. You would have never been able to hear me if you would have had the wall. If those people were still there, you would have listened to them and you wouldn't have listened to me.

The fact that they left gave you ears to hear my voice. I'm talking to somebody right now because you feel discouraged, but God's moving some stuff out so you can see that you're broken in need of a master to put it all where he wants. ((applause)) Wow, >> this wasn't in my notes.

But what's interesting about this text >> is when they were building the walls, there's no construction labor there. ((applause)) There's buticians and perfume makers and people who do average stuff and some you keep looking for important people to come and replace the ones that left. And God's like, I'm trying to send someone to you and it might just be a coworker.

It may be someone that don't have the same biblical background like you, but can you listen to a 12-year-old? Can you listen to someone who lost his whole church and God still used them? Can you can you open your ears to come on non will you go in the dirty river and dip not one time but seven times to get clean or do you just want a prophet to show up?

((applause)) Not only does he want to >> rearrange and repurpose and ((music playing)) he also wants to redistribute ((applause)) >> cuz there's another text >> about broken pieces. is. >> Yes, sir. >> Someone had a lunch. >> But people were hungry. >> And this is what Jesus said. He said, "You feed them." >> See, some of you keep trying to build something for you. >> And this ain't your kingdom. >> You are not the gift.

And you are not the king. >> And that crown is too heavy for you. You ain't meant to carry that. >> Yes, sir. >> You don't know how to handle glory. >> Yes, sir. >> That's why we're called to reflect it, not to take it. Why? Cuz it will crush you.

And Jesus, he took Why didn't Jesus just go 5,000 fish? Why? Why did he break it? >> Bless it. Because there is multiplication anointing. Listen to me. There is multiplication anointing >> on the breaking. Jesus couldn't get us in if he didn't get >> if he didn't get broken.

We don't get covered >> with the blood. >> And some of you despise the breaking. >> But it's the breaking >> that produces >> multiplication. And some of you are looking at the pieces of your life like it is nothing. I don't understand what this is. Can I tell you in God's eyes the pieces are so valuable >> that he said gather >> the leftovers. >> Why?

So that nothing >> is wasted. >> I know you got broken pieces, but this season wasn't wasted. I know you invested in those people and they left, but that investment wasn't wasted. I know you cried a lot of tears, but God bottled them up. They're not wasted. I want to remind someone today that's got broken pieces in their life that none of it is wasted.

And God is a collector and God is an organizer. And God puts it all back. And God makes sure there's an account for that. I saw it. I want it back. I saw it. I want it back. I saw him leave. I want it back. I saw what you sowed.

I want it back. I saw what you released. I want it back. It took a broken man to care about broken people. That's why Nehemiah was motivated cuz he was broken himself. Can I multiply what God is doing? I'm a sinner. My family's a sinner. We're all a sinner.

I'm a broken man. Can you take a broken man and multiply? But can I ask you a question? Can you give them a peace? P I E C E without giving them your peace. P E A. See, >> cuz some of you God's telling you give a peace away and you keep giving ((applause)) >> you keep giving your peace away.

They call you, God told you to bless them, but instead of blessing them, you gave your peace away. >> You see their posts on Instagram, they're succeeding and you're frustrated and you just keep giving your >> peace away. The other ministries booming and you know, no no, but you just keep giving your peace away.

Can you get listen to me? People that left me still call me. >> Can you help me write this message? >> It's the week after Easter and there's no one I know that can do this better. My God. >> Can you help me if you would know who's preaching messages that I wrote? >> Amen. >> On stages they said, "I'm disqualified to stand on, >> but God is a collector."

You may not get to the stage physically, but you going to get to the stage spiritually. Why? Cuz nothing is wasted. Nothing is wasted. There's power in multiplication. Imagine if I just said, "No, no, no. You got Let me give you a piece of my mind." ((applause)) >> What a word. >> It's not my kingdom.

((music playing)) >> I'm a servant of the most high God. I said yes to him. And if people are going to get saved through another person that left me, so be it. >> Do we got five minutes? >> The last one. >> The last one. The Lord wants you to remember.

He wants you to remember. Some of you need to hear this. The power is not found in perfection. >> The power is always found in pieces. >> Listen to me. >> I know you well be ye perfect. That word perfect does not mean performance. ((applause)) It means complete, >> mature, >> fully de developed.

Watch this. Brought to its intended >> end. The only way you get brought to your intended end is through broken >> pieces. Every painful moment brought you closer to Jesus. >> Every disappointment brought you closer to Jesus. >> Every loss brought you closer to Jesus. >> Every confused thing, the answer you didn't think you should have got, the the cancer brought me closer to Jesus. >> The failure brought me closer to Jesus.

Brought me closer to my wife. Brought me closer to my kids. >> No stage did that for me. No honorarium check did that for me. No accolade did that for me. No church I ever preached in did that for me. No pastor relationship that was my buddy because I had a gift did that for me.

You know what did it for me? Broken >> pieces. >> Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses. All the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Here's what I learned. I hate that fable >> because they put the emphasis on being put back together.

Don't put me back together. >> I hear better when I'm broken. >> I obey better when I'm broken. >> I love deeper when I'm broken. I'm a better husband when I'm broken. I'm a better dad when I'm broken. I'm a better friend when Don't put me back together.

I don't want to be put back together. I want to stay broken. Not broke. ((applause)) There's some pieces I don't want back. There's some friends I don't want back. There's some assignments I don't want back. There's some things I don't want back. There's some houses I don't want back.

There's some memories I don't want back. You can have that >> cuz I had it but didn't have this. ((music playing)) Most, listen, it's not bragging. Most of the things that all young preacher preachers aspire to have, I had it. >> But what I got now, >> even without this, cuz now I don't need this. >> I don't need this. >> Yes, sir. >> When I came here, I told you I don't need to preach.

Did I not tell you that? I don't need to preach. I don't need this. >> I need him. >> I need his voice. >> Paul says it like this. Because of these extravagant because of the extravagance of these revelations and so I wouldn't get a big head. >> I was given the gift of a handicap >> to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. >> Satan's angels did his best to get me to my knees. >> But then there's no danger of walking around high and mighty.

And I didn't think first that it was a gift. And I beg God to remove it. >> Three times I said, "God, take this away from me." Yes. >> A thousand times I said, "God, take my name off Google." >> Thousand times I said, "God, can the truth be told?" >> But he said, >> "Jesus, >> Jesus, >> my grace >> is >> enough.

It's all you need. So my strength comes into its own in your weakness. >> And once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ strength moving on the inside of my weakness.

And now I take limitations in stride and with good cheer. And these limitations that cut me down to size. abuse, accidents, oppositions, bad break, failure. I just let Christ take over. >> And so the more weaker I get, the more broken I get, >> the stronger >> I become.

((music playing)) The problem with the church today is we want perfection. >> We don't want brokenness. >> But the man we look to, >> the man we worship, we only worship because he was. What makes you think we're better than Jesus? I know he was sinless. I'm not giving excuse for sin.

Because brokenness doesn't mean keep doing your same sin. If you broke your foot 10 times, you're just an idiot. You break it once, you learn your lesson. >> If you continue to break it, you're just stupid. I think about hear me hear me. It's okay to be broken >> and you should aspire to be broken >> and let the work do its work. and never feel like you have to put on a front that you're all put together, that you're all superior because you know 75 million scriptures. >> But don't be broke.

Don't keep living broke. Activate your faith. >> Go ahead and cry like Jesus. >> Mourn like Jesus, but activate your faith. Let your life be a sacrifice for him because what he wants to rebuild, he wants to use all those pieces for the people around you. Everyone standing to your feet.

God, use our broken pieces. ((music playing)) I'm going to do something first cuz I just feel like it's very important. There may be someone in here who isn't fully surrendered to God. I came to church and I knew about Jesus, but I wasn't really living for him. And there is a difference.

((music playing)) >> There's a difference between a raised hand and a raised heart. >> Good. >> There's a difference between coming to church and being the church. There's a difference between a kind of God and a yes God. ((music playing)) And I just feel like there's maybe some person in the room, maybe it's one person that you need to really give your life to God.

Not your gift, ((music playing)) not your skills. Like, and there's some radical things you're going to have to do. There's some radical things you're going to have to do. You're going to have to eliminate some pieces in your life. You're going to have to let God rearrange some pieces in your life. >> I'm not going to ask eyes to be closed.

I'm not going to ask heads to be bowed. Cuz if you're for real about it, you're just going to be for real about it. ((music playing)) >> And if you're embarrassed, you're not going to make it out this room. If you can't do it in front of a bunch of Christians, how you going to do it in the world?

((music playing)) >> If you're not living for God, and you know what I'm saying, and it's time for you to really say, "God, I'm all in. I'm not." ((music playing)) Salvation is more than just a prayer. >> It's a posture. Yes, sir. >> Just cuz you come to church and sing the songs, >> doesn't mean your posture is >> if when I'm talking and you're I this I got to get I got to get serious.

I got to get If that's you, I just want you to lift your hands in the air right now. All across this room if that's you. Yep. I see some hands. Yep. Boom. Boom. Boom. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Hands. Yes. Yes. I see you.

I see you. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your vulnerability. Come on. We celebrate you. We're excited for you. God's going to use the broken pieces. He's not done with you. Will you come up?

Pastor Travis wants all the people that lifted their hands come up. Come up. Come up. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Your family. Your family. We're not ashamed. We're family. I'm the greatest sinner in the room. We're family. It's real, man. It's real. It's real. It's real. It's real.

He's real, man. ((music playing)) I get it. I get it. You're not fake. You're not phony. God's not ashamed of you. God's not appalled by any decisions you made. God's not running from you. God's got plans and purpose for you so much that he used a flawed person >> just to speak to you.

Use my broken pieces. If you're standing up here, if you came out, just lift your hands. I want to pray for you. Matter of fact, repeat this after me. Say, "Lord, >> I give you all of me. >> I'm not holding back anymore. >> I'm not making excuses anymore. >> I don't care how hard.

I don't care how lonely. I don't care what it feels like. My answer will be yes. I die to myself. >> I die to myself. >> And I live for you. >> And I'm not going to be ashamed. >> And if my family don't understand and if my friends don't understand, my answer will still be yes. >> When it's hard, >> I'll say yes.

When it's not easy, I'll say yes. When it's difficult, I'll say yes. When I fail, I'll say yes. I'm not going to stop. I'm not going to stop >> coming to your feet. >> So Lord, >> use me. Help me >> to change the world. >> I will not >> be the same >> again.

I fully surrender to you in Jesus mighty name. Amen. ((applause)) And secondly, there's some people who's been despising their broken pieces. You've been angry with God, confused by God. Your expectations have been distraught and shaken. There was a point in my life and my wife's life when we were like, I'm not seeing what the Bible says.

I know this to be true. I know what the word says, but I don't see it. And I was left confused. And I remember telling my wife, "There's three things I will not give up on." And the devil was trying really hard. There's three things I will not give up on.

I will not give the devil my belief in God. >> I'm going to keep believing >> even when I can't see it. ((music playing)) I'm not going to let the devil take my belief in the bride of Christ, the church. >> I know I didn't see the church like I wanted to, but I know what the church is meant to do. >> And he was not going to take my belief in the church. >> And lastly, I said, I don't care how many people left my life.

The devil will not take my belief in people because I know that I'm meant to be poured out. And it doesn't matter. They hated Jesus. They might hate me, but he ain't getting none of those three things. And if you're here and some of you, you got these pieces.

What's been laid dormant for decades can be rebuilt in days. ((applause)) What's been laid dormant for decades >> can be rebuilt >> in days. Your joy can get back in days. Your appointment can come back in days. Your marriage can get restored in days. Your kids can turn around in days.

The laughter can return in days. The healing can flow in days. You can be used again in days. Clarity can return in days. ((music playing)) If that's you, and it's time for you to embrace the broken pieces >> and allow yourself to not just be broken, but stay broken. Just lift your hands.

That's you. That's you. That's you. That's you. >> That's you. Mama Janice, come here. Come here. Come here. I'm sorry I wrecked your world. I'm sorry. My choices made your family get displaced. I'm sorry you lost your pastor. Release your anointing. ((music playing)) Every hand that's lifted. Father God, I pray >> that they would see the good in the rubble.

That they would see your hand reshaping. That they would see your love of protection. That they would see that you were rearranging some things cuz they meant so much to you. And yes, we don't always get the answer, but we always get the comforter. >> And so God, I pray for comfort.

I pray God for clarity. I come against unforgiveness, and I come against bitterness. I come against this lie about church hurt. I come against the thing that would try to keep people out. I come against the thing that would want to make people not submit and not surrender.

God, I pray for a clean heart. God, I pray for a mot. God, I pray for a willingness to obey the Lord even when it's hard. Even when it's not seen, even when no one knows that the answer still be yes. So God, every broken piece, put it not just back together.

God, make it good. God, your word says that you will turn it for our good. God, I'm sorry we keep praying for better, God, when you just said you was going to make it good. So God, make it good in our life. Make it good in our marriage.

Make it good in our family. Make it good in our ministries. Make it good in my soul. Make it good in my mind. Make it good in my heart. Make it good in my life. Make it good with my kids. >> And God, I pray people in their brokenness would never walk hunched over. >> God, help us to stand tall, >> unashamed. because you your strength is made perfect in our weakness.

God, we thank you and we love you in Jesus mighty name. Amen. >> Come on, can we give it up for that word, please? >> Families, Pastor Jim, I pray that this message you just heard impacted your life forever. That's our desire. and not only you, but that you would share it with a friend, a family member, anyone that God puts on your heart that this word would affect, would change them, too.

Hey, also, while you're at it, head over to our YouTube, become a subscriber, hit that bell notification so that you are notified every time we upload something new. And Meg, we have some good stuff coming to you. Hey, at Ford City, we don't dismiss. We simply declare, your past is gone, your future awaits.

Move forward.