Holding on Is Hurting You | Pastor Daniel Floyd

Well, welcome to church everybody. Come on, let's put our hands together for Jesus one more time. Come on. Has God been good to you this week? Come on. You're awake today. You're alive. You're living in his blessings. And uh hey, I want to encourage you to get registered for marriage night. our friends Jimmy and Irene Rollins have just a really really amazing story um of how God has worked in their marriage.

I don't want you to miss that. And then some of you may be thinking, well, we just had it in the fall. Well, we are kind of reorienting the calendar and this will be the season of the year where we have it. So, it'll be another year before there's another one.

So, if you missed this one, you have to wait a whole year. And so, make sure you get registered. It's going to be um a powerful night and a fun night. Uh how many of you know you need laughter in your life? So, we're going to laugh a little bit, learn a little bit, and um and believe God's going to do a really, really great work.

Um want to let you know if uh if you didn't get a popsicle stick on the way in, lift your hand. Our ushers will get it to you. You're going to need this later on. Some of you are like, "What do I need a popsicle stick for?" Just trust me.

Trust me, you're going to need it later on. Make sure you have one of those. And uh hey, can all of you be praying for our student ministry? Our middle schoolers are at camp. Uh they'll be heading back today. Then our high schoolers go next week. And so keep them in your prayer.

How many of you know we're building a house for the next generation? >> We are building a house. >> There is no church of tomorrow if you don't build a place for the next generation. And we believe in them and what God's doing in their life. And uh they're having a great great time this weekend.

And the Lord's moving in a great way. And so we're thankful for that. I'm excited to get into week two of this series called It's Complicated. We've been talking about relationships and they can be amazing and they can be life-giving and they can be powerful. How many of you know at times they can be complicated and if you missed last week, go back and get that.

Next week I have a surprise for you. I won't tell you, but you won't you'll want to be in the house for it. Um, and I want to start out today in the verse we've been looking at. Kind of a theme verse for the series of how God calls us to relate to one another found in Colossians chapter 3.

Go with me there. Um, it'll be on the TV for you here. says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy, and dearly loved, here's how we're supposed to relate with each other. Clothe yourselves with compassion, with kindness, with humility, gentleness, and patience. Then here's here's a tough one. Bear with each other.

Forgive one another. If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you." So, there's the standard of forgiveness we're supposed to give. How many of you know that the Lord has forgiven us completely? >> Yeah. And over all these virtues, put on, everybody say it with me, put on, >> put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

This is what God always wants is unity. The enemy always wants division. God always wants to bring together. The enemy always wants to separate. I want to bring a message entitled this today. And I'll just tell you up front, it's going to be a sobering time together. But I believe that there's some freedom God wants to give you in your life.

There's a weight that he wants to lift off of you. If you'll lean in today, I I promise you this. If you'll lean in and respond to what God wants to say, you're going to leave this place a little lighter than what you walked in. So, I want to talk about this topic today.

Holding on is hurting you. Holding on is hurting you. If you're the note-taking type, write that down. If not, write down. Anyways, you're learning everybody. Only been 180 days and you're learning. Today's day 180. All right, let's pray together. Father, we love you and Holy Spirit, we're here that you may speak to us.

We haven't come just to check a religious box, but we've come to meet with you. And so, may the word of God do the work that it can do in our hearts and minds. They're open to you. We pray this in Jesus name. Everybody said it. Big amen. >> Amen. >> Amen.

So, uh, this weekend, my oldest, Owen, turns 19. First birthday away from home. It's kind of weird. Everybody, uh, facetimed him, 19. I told him, "It's your last, uh, year in the teens." And he said, "Yeah, I'll kind of be more of an adult next year." I was like, "That's great to hear that you're going to pay your tuition and your your insurance, you know, all the things adult do.

You're going to pay your bills." Um, but he he turns 19. But I was thinking back over, you know, you get reminiscent. And I was thinking about whenever he was younger, he came to us one day and he was like he really wanted a hamster. And so after asking for a long time and us setting up the understanding that you get a pet, it's your responsibility.

I'm not cleaning the cage, you know, went through all the things, we finally got him a hamster. And the cage we got him was like a little penthouse, everybody. Like it had a cage here, then it had a tube and it went to another place, you know. Um, it had a gym, like a little workout wheel.

It had the kitchen. I mean, this this thing was set up good. This hamster had it good. And we went to the pet store and we bought it and he picked it out, you know, the little case and the whole thing. And then he comes to me like a few days in and he said, "Dad, I can't sleep with this hamster."

I was like, "Remember that talk on responsibility?" And he was said, "What's going on?" He said, "He chews at the cage all night long. It was a wire cage, you know, with a plastic coating on it. But he said he chews at it all night long. And I was like, "Well, you're going to have to learn to sleep with the chewing."

So, one day, this goes on for, you know, a week or so. And then we come home from one day for I don't know where we were, but we came home. Owen comes downstairs after going to his room, and he says, "Um, the hamster's not in the cage and the front door's open."

To which I thought Tammy was about to go get a hotel locally, stay somewhere else. And so it took, honestly, it took a couple of days to find this hamster, everybody. And I won't tell you how I found him because I don't want to gross you out, but just he left signs and clues.

Are y'all with me? Okay. So, I I finally found which room he was in, and it was our master bathroom. Even Yeah, even more so. Tammy is like, I'm going to another room in another I'm going to get a hotel or somewhere. But so finally I I did what any good dad did.

I Googled because it was before chat was available and figured out how do I catch a hamster that is loose and I found out peanut butter. If you need this little some of you are writing that down. Peanut butter. If you ever need this we're an allpurpose church.

We'll help you in every way. Um and so but I found out peanut butter helps. So, I set up the trap and put it in there. And finally, I come home one day and um and he had taken the bait and the trap fell on him and he was in the the the trap little cage.

And so, then I took it back to the pet store and I said, "This hamster chewed through a metal cage." And they said, "Hamsters can't chew through that." And I said, "Well, I don't know what genetic altering y'all are doing here at this pet store, but this hamster threw chew through it and it is now yours again.

I don't need my money back. I don't need anything. Here's your hamster and here's a free cage that's broken and you can have that too. But I was thinking about this as it relates to relationships. And how many of you know that the enemy of your soul when it comes to relationships in your life is constantly setting out traps to trap you?

Could I say it this way? is constantly putting out little bait to try to bait you in so that you'll fall into the trap of not living the life that we just explained of compassion and kindness and humility and love and patience and all those things. And I think one of the biggest traps that he sets for us is the trap of offense.

I just want to talk to you today about this trap of offense. And here's the reality is that all of us today in the room online at a prison campus or one of our gateway gatherings, you have had the opportunity and maybe have been offended, right? I mean, the opportunities are all around us.

You can't live through life without having the opportunity to get offended. I mean, you just you scroll a little bit and you have the opportunity to get offended. You drive on the roads and you have an opport can I get a better amen? You have an opportunity to get offended. someone says something and and that's what happens in life.

Why? Because we live in a fallen world. We live in a broken and a fallen world where sin has entered and now it affects and infects every area of our life. And we've all had the opportunity somebody said something they shouldn't have said. We had the opportunity to get offended.

Someone did something to us they should have never done and it's the opportunity for offense. Someone violated a value of ours and there's the opportunity for offense. Someone should have stood up for you and they didn't. It creates the opportunity for offense. Someone did something that was extremely painful.

We've all been in those moments. And there's the opportunity for offense. And I think one of the most clear pictures in all of scripture of this is found in 1st Samuel chapter 18. I'll have it on the TV if you don't have a copy of the scriptures with you.

But it's about King Saul. King Saul, if you're new to the Bible, he was a guy in the Old Testament. He was a king over Israel. And there was another guy's name was David, which would eventually become king. And David is best friends with the son of Saul named Jonathan.

If you're with me, say amen. >> So there's this guy. He's a great heart player. um he watches over sheep and and Saul has brought him in, but he's also an incredible warrior and he's a powerful fighter. And so they're just coming in from this battle and David has led the charge for the battle and he and King Saul are coming back in from that battle and people begin to sing this song.

And here's what the Bible tells us. It says, "When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David killed the Philistines," so so Goliath the giant, if you've heard that story, it said women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. So they weren't even coming out to meet David.

They were coming out to meet the king. And it says they sang and they danced for joy with tambourines and symbols. This was their song. So here's the lyrics of the song. Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands. So, so they're highlighting David's victory over Saul's and it said this made Saul very angry.

What's this? He said they credit David with 10 thousands and me with only thousands. Now watch the leap that he makes in his mind. Next they'll be making him their king. So, it goes from lyrics that are highlighting David's victory to next they'll make him king. And then the Bible says this and here's here the bait was put out there.

The lyrics of a song that offended him and the trap was set and he fell for the trap. And here's how we know. So from that time on kept David Saul kept a jealous eye on David. From that moment on, something got infected into his soul. From that moment on, from that one little situation.

And how many of you know, I'm not downgrading things in your life that were extremely painful, but how many of you know a lot of the offenses in our life were over something that it really shouldn't have offended us? that a lot of times in life we end up severing a relationship or or we don't talk to somebody or or we don't engage on the level that we used to with somebody.

And if we were really to go back and and get it all down to what actually happened, what started the offense, what started the argument, what started the thing is we saw something differently or we had a different perspective on something and that grew into something else and that grew into something else and follow the logic or the illogic of King Saul.

They sing a song that David had a great victory. Well, everybody, he did. They were singing a fact. He had a great victory. But in that moment, Saul's self-esteem couldn't handle it. And because his self-esteem couldn't handle it, he got offended. And because he got offended, then he kept a jealous eye on David.

And can I tell you something? If you don't know the whole story, it ruined his family. It ruined his children. It ruined generations because he held on to an offense. Can I tell you something? The same is still true today. Is an offense will contaminate you from the inside out.

It will trap you like that little hamster because the enemy in your relationships, in your life, is constantly setting out bait. Let me see if this will work. Peanut butter doesn't work. Let me see if cheese will work. You would think cheese would work on a hamster because they're in the Okay, they don't.

Peanut butter. Let me see if this comment will work. Let me see if that post will work. Let me see if that whatever it is, he's constantly setting bait, seeing if it'll trap us, seeing if it'll get us. And we have a we have a choice to make when the bait is set.

We have a choice whether we take offense or we move on from the offense. Matter of fact, Proverbs chapter 19 11, look what it says. This says, "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook an offense." It's to his glory to overlook an offense.

Look what Hebrews tells us about offenses. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no, watch this. Poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. You know what happens when you're offended and and you take the bait and you get the trap of offense and you let anger come in?

The Bible teaches us that it is going to lead to a bitterness poison inside of you. And notice what the scripture says. It doesn't just contaminate you, it corrupts many. And some of us think that we can have an offense. We can have an offense against that boss that laid us off with no good reason or the ex that walked out on us or the person and and I'm not listen to me today.

I'm not downplaying the pain. I'm not saying what they did was right because some of you have walked through traumatic things in your life. And even now as I speak about this, there's an uncomfortableness in your soul. And I'm not saying that it was okay. I'm just saying it contaminates you.

You're the one in the trap. You're the hamster. And we think that we can compartmentalize off in our heart and go, "Well, I can have this part of my heart and what that person did and I can have hatred towards them and anger towards them and bitterness towards them and and and you know that's there because if you see them in the grocery store, you dart to the other aisle."

Is that too real? Whenever whenever that family gathering comes around, just something comes. Whenever someone says it triggers something within you, even when you hear their name spoken, even in this moment, something is like rising on the inside of you, that is an indicator that you have not let it go.

And I'm not saying that's easy. I'm just trying to lay the groundwork that it contaminates you and it contaminates every relationship around you. You can't compartmentalize bitterness, everybody. You can't compartmentalize unforgiveness. You can't say that's in one little section of my heart and I'm going to keep that walled off from everything else and everyone else.

No, it will become the lens through which you view people and you engage and you interact and you trust or you don't trust. It will cause you to look at people with a jealous eye because whenever you are offended, it is a sense of losing control and power.

And the one thing we feel like we have power over in the middle of an offense is how we respond to people. And so I'm going to take my marbles and go home or I'm going to forever put up a wall against you or I'm going to have anger and hatred towards you.

At least I can control that because you took something from me that I couldn't control and it contaminates every relationship. And so there's a lot of responses we have or a lot of reasons that we get offended. And I I I wouldn't I wouldn't think that I could cover them all.

I'm going to give you four real quick. If you're with me, say, "Amen." >> I told you we're going to do some work today, but we're going to get to a really good place. Okay, everyone. I know you're like, "Wow, I came to be encouraged today." You're going to be encouraged before you leave.

I promise you that. Number one is this. One reason is simply poor communication. Psalms 141 says, "This would be a good verse for all of us to memorize. Set a guard over my mouth, oh Lord. Keep watch over the door of my lips. Man, that's great wisdom right there.

There's some of us that we we're dealing with offenses in our life right now and it's simply that there was some crossing of communication and we let it we let it turn into something that it never should have turned into. We we let a miscommunication. You you know what?

There's a seems to be turning into an epidemic right now of children, adult children that no longer speak to their parents. I don't understand that. I'm not saying there shouldn't be boundaries and I'm not saying that all those things are true. But could it be that some of you don't talk to family members because somewhere back along the way it just was poor comm you couldn't get on the same page.

And is that worth being trapped? Satan set the bait. The enemy of your soul put out and finally found the one that would get you. And for some it was just poor communication. For some it was unmet expectations. You expected something of someone and they didn't follow through.

They didn't do what you thought they were going to do or or what you expected out of them. Some of you, you you put expectations on people and you expected them to behave a certain way and to respond a certain way or to protect you in a certain way or to value something that you valued or whatever it may be.

It was some unmet expectations. This is what the scripture tells us in James chapter 4. It says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? What's producing that?" He said, 'Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something? Here it is, but you don't get it.

You have an expectation, but you don't get the what you expected. And this is what causes fights and coveting covetishness. This is what he goes on to say. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. So, you quarrel and you fight. It's it's a it's an unmet expectation that do.

How about this one? Despising differences that that that that there's there's offense because someone was different than you and you begin to despise the difference instead of celebrate the difference. Some of you have tension in your marriage relationship right now because you can't celebrate the difference of the person you're married to.

You know, if everyone around you thinks like you, talks like, looks like you, and acts like you, one of some of you are pointless. My name's Daniel. I'm your friend. I'm here to help you. Right? That's the beauty of the body of Christ is we have different perspectives and we look different.

We talk different. We come from different backgrounds. Why? And we all come together under the banner of Jesus Christ, >> right? You don't despise the differences of others. Why? The Bible says this, if a house is divided itself against itself, that house cannot stand. And we apply that to like the church or we apply it to marriages.

But can I tell you it's true about all of your relationships. There's people that are different than you. Everybody, not everybody thinks like you. And that's a good thing because God's image is on people and God made them different and they think and the moment you begin to despise that difference instead of celebrate that.

I was I was talking with some people this week and I said the difference is a gift. >> Your difference is a gift. But man, offense begins to come in when you begin to despise that different thing. It may annoy you and you may not like it, but can I tell you rather than getting offended by it?

Why don't you get curious about it? >> You go. I don't I don't see it that way, but man, I'd like to know why you do and how you think that way and why you're I want to I don't want to despise it. I want to celebrate something in you.

We despise differences and because of it we leave room for offense. How about this one? And and this is really at the core of all of it is our sin nature. In Romans 3:23, if you don't think you have this says for everyone, everybody shout everyone. >> The Greek word for that everyone is everyone.

Look at your neighbor and say that's you. Yeah. Look at your second choice on the other side. Say that's you too. For everyone has what? Everyone has sinned and we all fall short of God's glorious standard. We all my Greek professor said all means all and all that's all all means.

We've all fallen short. And because of that, you know what happens is that unfortunately is that we end up on the shrapnel side of other people's sin. And for some of you, that's been incredibly painful. And can you just hear me say, "I'm so sorry. I'm just so sorry you've been on the receiving end of the sin nature of other people because that's incredibly painful.

But just because you have, can I tell you something? It's not worth you saying trapped by the bait of offense. And so what do we do? How do we stay out of the trap? Well, some of us, we just we go with, "Well, so what? It's not a big deal."

We just kind of brush it off. And that's not a good response because it is a big deal. Pain is pain. Hurt is hurt. And it's a big deal. Some of us go with guess what? And we want to go tell everybody else what so- and so did.

So, we go the gossip route. And that's not helpful either. The Bible says if you have an offense against somebody in your life, you go to them directly. Some of us just try to stuff it and forget it. For most of my life, that would have been my mo.

Just stuff it. Stuff it till you don't feel it anymore. And that's a horrible way to go because eventually it rises to the surface. But I I was always like, "But I'm a guy. I don't feel. I do guy things." Like not feel, but I learned it'll contaminate all the relationships around you.

And so if you love your children, if you love your friends, if you love your spouse, that's not a good option. And so for our next few minutes together, let me give you some thoughts on what we do do with it. Okay? Are you with me? Say amen. >> All right.

Number one is this is you got to realize it affects your relationship with God. Just baseline starting point. You got to realize this is a big deal. one because it's not only affecting these relationships, it's affecting this relationship. This is what the scripture tells us. It says, "Do not judge others and God will not judge you.

Do not condemn others and God will not condemn you. Forgive others and God will forgive you." And here's how God is going to forgive you. Watch this. Not my words, the Bible's words. It says the measure how much you give you use for others is the one that God will use for you in the context of forgiving people in your life.

However you measure out forgiveness, that's how God's going to measure forgiveness back to you. Matter of fact, the scripture tells us in one place that if you come to the altar to worship God or to offer your sacrifice before the Lord, but you have an offense against someone in your life to set your offering down and go and deal with the offense and then come back and bring your worship to God.

In other words, you got to get this God's like, get these relationships straight before you come to me with your offering. Don't bring me your worship when you have offense in your heart. He said, "It's not the kind of worship I want. I'm after a clean heart." Number two, you've got to acknowledge your hurts.

It's why I love the Psalms so much because David is so honest in the Psalms about what's going on in his heart and mind. Listen to this. says, "I kept very quiet, but I became even more upset." How many of you ever been there? The more you let it stir, the more you mole on it, the more fired up you became.

He said, "I became very angry inside, and as I thought about it, my anger burned." This is why you've got to get it out. Are y'all with me, everybody? >> This why you got to find This why we're always like, "Get into a small group. Get into a small group."

You're going to I'm going to preach that till I'm blue in the face. Why? You've got to have a place where you let it out. James 5:16, where you confess to one another. There's a power in confession to one another. It begins to lose its grip and it begins to lose its hold on us.

Whenever we're able to sit down with someone and go, "This happened and it hurt and this is how it felt." Because if you just sit in your own mind and in your own thoughts and you let it ruminate and you just go over, what happens? It just gets more and more and more and begins to eat you more and more and bitterness gets more and more and it gets deeper and deeper rooted in your life and takes more and more work to uproot that bitterness in your life.

That's why you got to get around somebody and go this happened and it hurt me and I'm angry about it and you're listen to me you're no less spiritual and you don't dishonor God and you're not a disappointment to God. For some reason in Christianom, we've created this perception that we got to be like, "Well, God bless you.

I'm good, brother. Amen. Everything's wonderful." No. Sometimes things are horrible in this world. You will have trouble, but take heart. I've overcome the world, but sometimes you have to acknowledge the trouble. >> Are y'all with me? >> It's okay to go, "No, this hurts and this is painful.

I trust God and I know God's going to bring me through it and I have faith that it's going to be better on the other side. But right now on this side of it, it stinks >> and it's no fun and it's painful. You've got to get that acknowledgement so you can get to the side of victory. >> We are going to get to the side of victory.

You are going to get free. You are going to get out of the trap. You're not going to be held by this forever. But on this side of it, you at least got to go, I'm in a trap, everybody. >> Okay. Number three, this is how we begin to get out of this.

Number three is we pray. And here's how we pray. You've heard it said, "Love your enemy and love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. How do you begin to get out of the trap of offense?

You begin to pray for the person that perpetrated the hurt. Some of you thinking, "Oh, I got some prayers, pastor. I've been praying several things on them. Broke down car, broken leg, lose their job, financial ruin, you know. Can I tell you something? Forgiveness is a moment and a decision. >> Walking it out is a journey.

Now, the Holy Spirit can do a supernatural work and you can forgive them and never think about it again. But I've learned a lot that it's a moment where I go, I am going to forgive and I am going to continue to forgive. And what helps in that continuing to forgive is prayer.

God uses it to soften your heart. And all you may be able to do is start out with, "Lord, bless them. Amen." And can I tell you, that's a great starting place. >> Amen. >> If that's all you can give and all you can do, then start with that.

And step by step, you'll find that God begins to soften your heart towards that person, towards that situation, and begins to give you freedom. Number four, two more thoughts real quick. You got to deal with the root. And here's what happens. We don't start in sin when we've been offended, but when we take the offense and we allow bitterness in, now we're dealing with a sin issue.

So, we've got to deal with it. Acts 8 says, "For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." It's what bitterness does in our life. So, what do we do? Acts chapter 3, repent, then turn to God so that your sins will be wiped out.

Aren't you thankful that God isn't waiting for you to jump through hoops? He's just waiting for you to go, God, I've let bitterness, will you forgive me? And then what does he say? Times of refreshing will come from the Lord. So, he's going to bring times of refreshing into your soul.

And where there was bitterness and poison, there's going to come life and freedom >> when you're willing to let it go. Number five, last thought is when possible, seek restoration. When possible, it's not always possible. Romans says this, if it's possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. >> If it's possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Here's the reality. is for some of you it would not be wise or safe to seek restoration. But if possible, live at peace. For some of you, the person that offended you doesn't even live isn't even alive anymore. And so that's not an option. But you know what?

You can live at peace. You can get out of the trap. you can have a clean heart. And so I was trying to have think of a way that we could have a moment kind of activate this in our life. And so I gave you a popsicle stick.

And here's what I want you to do. Just a moment. Austin's going to lead us in just a short chorus. And while he does, I want you to write down the name. You're not going to turn these in. Don't worry. I want you to write down the name that God has brought into your mind that as I've been speaking, I know for many of you, the Holy Spirit has already revealed.

You knew the moment I started on a fence, you were like, "Oh Lord, it's that person." I want you to write that down. And today's going to be a day where we release it, where you're not held captive by this offense any longer. So, you're going to write it down.

And then whenever I come back up, I'm going to pray for us. And then when we're done praying, we're together collectively just going to break the stick. Throw it away on your way out as a symbol that today is the day that I'm breaking this offense off of my life.

And so as Austin leads us, you follow what God is saying to you and you write that name down. Then I'll be back in just a moment. I've run to the father, falling to grace. I'm done with the hiding. No reason to wait. My heart needs a search.

My soul needs a friend. So I run to the father again and again. I run to the father. I fall into grace. I'm done with the hiding, reason to wait. My heart needs a searching. My soul needs a friend. So I run to the father again and again and again and again.

Oh, again and again. Oh, oh, oh. I run to the father. I fall into grace. I'm done with the hiding. No reason to wait. My heart needs a searching. My soul needs a friend. So I run to the father again and again and again and again. So we're going to pray together.

Here's what I want you to know that we're doing is we're saying today I'm releasing this offense. I won't be held bound anymore. Here's what I want you to know we're not doing. We're not saying that what happened was okay. We're not saying that what took place was right.

What we are saying is I'll no longer be held captive by it. And today is the beginning of a new beginning in my heart and in my mind. Let's pray together. Father, we honor you and we thank you that you give us the strength and the power by your spirit to live in freedom every day of our lives.

So these names represent hurt and represent unforgiveness and even represent bitterness and maybe even anger that we've allowed into our hearts. And so today we repent and we turn from that and we believe times of refreshing will come into our heart. And today we say we are no longer bound.

Today we declare that today this is a moment where where the enemy thought he had us trapped, we are free indeed in the name of Jesus. And so we thank you for that and we pray this in your name. great name. Everyone said amen. >> Amen. >> On three, let's break this. 1 2 3.

Amen. How many of you receive the word of God today? Come on. How many you believe that freedom is in the house? Well, you know, I never like to close a time together without giving you the opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. And can I tell you something that the greatest forgiveness that's ever been extended in humanity is the forgiveness that Jesus extended to us >> because we were the ones that offended him because of our sin.

And today I want to give you the opportunity to receive his forgiveness and his grace and his mercy. It's available to you. So will you bow your heads with me one more time and close your eyes right there where you're seated. Maybe you'd say, "Pastor, today I I need that forgiveness.

I need the grace of God, the mercy of God in my life. I know in my heart that I'm far from him, and today I want to make him the Lord of my life. I believe he died for me. I believe Jesus arose from the grave. And today, I'm surrendering my life to him."

Or maybe you're here and there was a time where you really walk closely with the Lord, but you know in your heart you're far from him. and you want to say, "God, give me a fresh start today." If that's you, when I count to three, no one's going to come to you or embarrass you.

I just want to know who we're praying with. But if you'd say, "That's me, pastor." Then when I get to three, I just want you to shoot your hand up high enough, long enough for for me to see. And then we're going to pray together. If you say, "That's me.

I need that. I want a fresh start today on three." You shoot your hand up. One, two, three. You just shoot it up high. Keep it up. God bless you all over the room. Wow. Beautiful. God sees you most importantly. Incredible. I see him in the very, very back.

Church, will you pray this out loud with me together for the benefit of those who just slipped their hand up? Just say, "Jesus, I need you. I ask you to forgive me of all my sin. I believe you died for me. I believe God raised you from the dead.

Today, I make you my Lord and Savior. Thank you for a brand new beginning. In Jesus name. Come on. Everybody said amen. Amen. Let's put our hands together and celebrate those who just made that decision. Come on. All of heaven is rejoicing.