The Beginning of Wisdom | Pastor Daniel Floyd | Gateway Church

((music playing)) All right, welcome to church everybody. Come on, put your hands together for Jesus today. ((applause)) I think you can do better than that. Come on. He's worthy. He is worthy. Maybe maybe you're new to church and you're like, "Why are these people so excited?" Well, we just believe that we haven't come to preside over a funeral, but the grave is empty.

He is alive. There should be life in the house of God, should there not? Should be joy in the house. Hey, it's a great season to be a part of Gateway Church. Last weekend, we had water baptism at every location. And I'm happy to report to everybody 401 people went into the waters of baptism.

((music playing)) ((applause)) Did y'all hear me? 401. That's lives changed. Packing heaven, plundering hell. Come on. We can put our hands together better for that. 401 people. Wow. ((music playing)) Across all of our locations. And uh last Sunday, I brought a message that you were made to serve that God's uniquely gifted you to make a difference in the world around you.

And we have an opportunity next Sunday to make a difference as a church in a very practical way. Uh we've got reports from our community partners >> ((music playing)) >> uh that deal in food insecurity in our communities. And you you maybe wouldn't think about it because I imagine a lot of us, you know, we have busy lives and you just grab something, go out to eat.

There's a lot of people that that you see that ((music playing)) aren't in that situation and uh they they have some needs. There's a lot of children ((music playing)) in our communities that are on free or reduced lunches and on the weekends sometimes it's a little harder for them to get meals.

((music playing)) And our food banks are seeing an all high all all-time high demand, but they have an all-time low supply is what we're learning. And I just think with as many people as a part of Gateway Church, we can make a dent in that together. And so, yeah. ((music playing)) So, here's all I'm asking you to do.

I'm just asking you to be the ((music playing)) church and to make a difference. So, next Sunday, sometime between now and next Sunday, go buy some canned goods or dried goods. All right? Don't be bringing chicken and steak up in here. All right? We can't we don't need ((music playing)) that. Just buy some things that you would want your family to eat, dry goods and canned goods, and just bring a bag and drop it in the lobby next Sunday.

And together with all that God has blessed ((music playing)) us with, we can be a massive blessing. And we have many campuses that do mobile food pantries. And so we have the distribution capabilities. We just need the food to be able to do it. And we're going to make a difference and meet a whole lot of needs.

Can we do that together, church? Isn't that a great opportunity we have? ((music playing)) We're beginning a brand new series today called How Not to Ruin Your Life. And uh we're going to be walking through the book of Proverbs. It's going to be uh a great time together over the next four weeks.

And then on the other side of Thanksgiving, we begin a series on um his name shall be Called is the name of the series leading into Christmas. Then everybody, it's going to be candle light. And we have an incredible service planned across all of our campuses. It's a great time for you to invite somebody to church.

And then it's 2026. Welcome to a new year. All right. Just that fast it happened. Um but we're going to be doing a Bible reading plan together during this series. And you can simply ((music playing)) text the the number 710, the keyword Proverbs, and uh I'll I'll let you know.

It's pretty simple. Read a chapter a day. ((music playing)) There's 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. Read a chapter a day. And then we're going to do the soap method again, which is scripture ((music playing)) observation. What did God say to you? Application. How do I apply it to my life?

And then you end in prayer. And if you don't have the discipline in your life of a daily time with ((music playing)) the Lord, it's a great time to start it. And uh so I want to encourage you to jump in on that because if all you do is eat spiritually one day a week, you will be an emaciated believer.

Can I get a better amen? You need to you need to eat every day. And uh so get into the word of God every day. He wants to speak to you. And uh let's go to the Lord in prayer. I want to bring a message today entitled the beginning of wisdom.

The beginning of wisdom. Let's pray. Father, our hearts and minds are open to you. So would you speak to us? We believe your word has the power to change us and will never be the same because of it in Jesus' name. Everybody said a big amen. >> Amen.

So I I did a Google search on what is a common Google search. So I found this out that there are about 9 million Google searches every minute. Think about that. There's about 14 billion every day. That's a lot of searching, everybody. Here's the number one search. One of the top, not the number one, one of the top searches is this.

What is love? Baby, don't hurt me. Don't. I'm kidding. [laughter] That wasn't the search. It really was though. What is love? And it was up there with how do you get Taylor Swift tickets and who is she dating right now? Those are other really big searches right now. I I uh I did a little uh chat GPT, a little AI.

I know some people think it's the Antichrist. I don't um but did a little chat GPT search of what are what are the most searched things. Matter of fact, chat GPT has about 1.7 to 2.9 million inquiries every minute globally. Think about that. Every minute since we've been talking, there's been 9 million searches on Google and over two million in just a 60-second span.

Here's what that tells me is that people are looking for knowledge. Some of the questions chat GPT said that it's asked the most about life is what is the purpose of life? What is the meaning of life? These are real questions people are asking. Why do I feel so afraid and so shameful?

And people are going to the wrong place to find the answers for these things. But people are looking. And we are in a season of life and a time in our history as a nation where there's more knowledge at our fingertips than ever before. But I would propose there's less wisdom than ever before.

Because just because you have knowledge doesn't mean that you have wisdom. We are desperately in need of wisdom. Matter of fact, Proverbs chapter 4 says this. It says wisdom is everybody say it with me. Wisdom is >> it's supreme. It's should be highly valued among us. Therefore, get it and listen to the links to which you should go to get wisdom.

It says though it cost all you have. Get understanding. In other words, no matter what the price is that you got to pay, wisdom is so valuable that you you need to be willing to pay that price. You need to be willing to give up that thing. You need to be willing to walk through that that issue so you can gain wisdom because it is of that much of a value.

The word wisdom here isn't the the idea of knowledge in the Hebrew or of just facts and figures or a certain level of intellect because um if if we all could get uh more knowledge or wisdom be by what we ingest then we would be some of the wisest people that ever lived.

But that's not the idea of this. The idea of wisdom in this proverb is the ability to apply knowledge into every area of your life. Knowledge isn't enough. It's the application of knowledge, the Bible says, is where wisdom is found. It's the ability to apply it in my morality, in my ethics, in my finances, in my relationships, in every area of my life.

I can have godly knowledge, but if I don't know how to apply it into my life and live it out in my life, then I don't have wisdom. This is why I can set in an environment where I'm hearing godly things but not have godly wisdom because I don't know how to apply it into my life.

Matter of fact, James chapter 3 says that there is godly wisdom and then there's earthly wisdom and earthly wisdom is has self-interest at the center of it. And earthly wisdom is divisive and but godly wisdom is peaceful and it's kind. It cares. Are y'all tracking with me? There's different.

Just because I say have wisdom, I need to have godly wisdom. I need divine wisdom in my life. How many of you know I feel like for me, I need divine wisdom in my parenting. I need divine wisdom in in leading. I need divine I don't just need what Daniel can do.

I need better than what I can do. I need wisdom that comes from above. And that's what we're going to talk about in this series. In the book of Proverbs, there's four types of people. And I'm just going to warn you. The first two types, it may feel a little depressing, everybody, but we're going to eventually get the plane up in the air and it's going to be joy by the time we're done.

Can I get a better amen? There's four types of people. I want you to write these down if you're the note-taking type. If not, go ahead and write it down anyways, okay? It'll help you. Four types of people that the Proverbs talks about. And I want to challenge you to maybe see yourself in one of these four areas and maybe be challenged to step in to the one that we all want. is the last one I'll talk about which is the wise person.

The type of person number one I want us to look at the Bible talks about in Proverbs is the fool. And the fool I I want to title it this this is my add-on is the resistant one. They they resist wisdom in their life. Proverbs chapter 1 vers7 says this.

The fool despises wisdom and instruction. So it's not that the fool doesn't have some understanding of what wisdom is. They just don't want it. It's what the Bible calls a fool. I didn't I didn't call it that. That's what the Bible calls it. Okay? Don't shoot the messenger.

I'm just delivering the letter. Okay? The Bible calls that person the fool. They they're the person that they've been around it enough. Have you ever met someone and they say about them, they should know better? Hello. Right. This is the person that should know better, but they decide on their own they don't want to do it.

Matter of fact, one proverb says this that the p the fool finds pleasure in what they do. In other words, they like it. They're enjoying it. They're having fun playing the part of the fool. They're they're having fun. They're enjoying knowing what they should be doing, but doing what they want to do anyways.

It's it's enjoyable to them. You you can see the path. You can see the predictable path they're walking down, and they just don't care. They're just like, I'm kind of loving life. I'm enjoying this. I I don't mind the hangover is what they're saying. Are y'all with me?

I know that I know that this sexual encounter isn't going to lead to fulfillment, but I'm kind of enjoying life. And you can't debate that person. You can't talk them into another path. Parents, hello. You can't force them into a different decisionmaking metrics in their life. They just they're the fool.

They're living life. Matter of fact, the Bible says this about the fool that whenever you try to speak good wisdom to them, they will scorn you because of your prudent words. In other words, they're like, I don't want to hear it. The scripture also says this about a fool.

It says that when you are wise, you become wise if you walk with wise people, but a companion of fools suffers suffers harm. This is why, listen to me students, this is why we want you in youth. Because we want you around a companion of wisdom. >> Because bad company corrupts good character, the Bible says, and we want you around people that are going to speak the word of God.

Parents, this is why it's so important for you to have your student at youth. I I mean, maybe I'm a little extreme, but you don't have a choice in my house. If I'm paying your gas, if I'm buying your food, you going to be in the house of God.

Can I get a better amen? ((applause)) Like, you know, I I you know, I tell people I had a drug problem growing up. I was drugged to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, when I wanted to and when I didn't want to. But I thank God that it was a priority that I'd be planted in the house of God so that wisdom could be around me.

Because any times I found my life in the ditch, it was because I had some friends around me going, "Hey man, let's try this." Because a companion of fools suffers suffers harm. And here's the good news. If you find yourself today going, "I know what is right, but I just don't want to do it.

When you turn to God, God, he says, "Draw close to me. I'll draw close to you." And he has a way of softening a foolish heart. And the grace of God is greater than any ditch you have found yourself in. Can I get a good amen in the house of the Lord today?

Type of person number two is what the Proverbs calls the scoffer. This is the prideful one. The prideful one. Proverbs 21:24 says this, "A proud and halty man, scoffer is his name." Some translations say mocker, he acts with arrogant pride. This this is a this type of person wants they want nothing more than to attack truth.

You're trying to live wisdom in your life. You're trying to live according to the scripture, according to the word of God. The scoffer wants nothing more than to attack. They want to make people of faith feel small and insignificant and them feel great and grand. They they want to make fun of you because you're trying to live for Jesus and you're trying to make decisions of purity in your life and you're trying to manage your household according to the word of God.

They just want to attack you and they they you can't debate this person to Jesus. Don't even try. Matter of fact, all they want you to do is jump into their pigsty with them. Are y'all with me today? If if Solomon was writing this today, he would say, "A proud and hotty man scoffer is his name.

He acts with pride and he has an Instagram account. He has a blog." Are y'all tracking with me? You don't debate this person to Jesus. you pray them to the cross >> because only the power of the Holy Spirit and only the blood of Jesus can soften a heart that is antagonistic towards truth, that is antagonistic towards the gospel.

You don't fight them. You don't get in the pig pin with them. Hello. You stay out of the comment section, everybody. Let me say it again. You stay out of the comment section. I got to defend. No, God needs no defense. He is high and exalted. He is seated on the throne.

There are no emergency meetings in heaven. He does not have a PR problem. ((applause)) He's God all by himself. And he's good. Philosophies have come and gone. Critics have come and gone. But the word of the Lord has remained. And our God has remained. He doesn't need defenders, but he does need representatives, ambassadors that love the way he loves, that are kind and compassionate the way he's kind and compassionate.

The way that he hung on a cross and said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing." You don't jump in the pig pin with scoffers. You meet it with grace and kindness and wisdom and a smile on your face. >> You can hate me and I'm going to smile at you.

This is why the Christian life is impossible apart from the power of the Holy Spirit >> because it goes against everything your flesh wants to do. Oh, come on. Put your hands together if you believe it. All right. ((applause)) I appreciate the honesty. It is hard. The scoffer is the one that I thought forever if I could just get them in a room with me, they would change their mind.

I don't know if you know it, but pastors have critics. I didn't know this when I signed up for this thing. I just thought you're going to love people to Jesus and they're going to love you and it's going to be a wonderful thing. but didn't turn out that way.

And I used to think I'm a good guy. If they could just get in the room with me, they would see my perspective and they and I just learned you release these people to the Lord and you keep a sweet spirit. Can we keep a sweet spirit, everybody? >> Let's just keep a tender heart to Jesus, tender heart towards people.

All right, not of you. Clap. You're not there yet. That's okay. The Bible says about mockers, they resent correction. So in other words, when you try to offer wisdom, it's falling on deaf ears. And even beyond that, they resent it and will resent you for it. So debate is not the avenue.

Love is. And so they avoid wise people. Number three is called the simple. This is the immature one. the immature one. This isn't bad. It's just there's not been enough time yet for maturity to take its course in the life of this individual. This is all of us at some point in our life, usually when we're younger, but some of us could be older and still in this phase because we never allowed maturity to have its full work in our lives.

Are y'all with me? This is the the simple one. The Bible says this about them. They believe anything. Look at look at this scripture in Proverbs 14. It says, "The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. The simple believe anything." There's there's not a level of discernment yet in the simple individual.

There's not a level of some life experience that taught some hard lessons yet. They're just not there yet. Listen. Listen to me, young people, all of our students, our young adults. This is why you need godly counsel in your life. This is why you need to listen to your parents.

I expected a better amen. I mean, I teed it up. It was right there. It was just like reverse. That's why you need to listen to your parents. >> Okay, there we go. Okay, let's try. ((applause)) On a serious note, it I know it feels I know the feeling is I'm just trying everybody's trying to control me and everybody's just trying to rain on my praise.

And it's not that at all. It's that as you live some life and you experience pain, the people you love the most, you want them to avoid that pain. That's all it is. It's I'm trying to help you avoid some pain and mistakes that I had to learn the hard way and I'm willing to impart that wisdom into you so you don't walk that same road.

That's all that's happening. Young people, this is why you need to be in youth. This is why you need to be at young adults. This why you need to have pastors in your life. Why? And people that will correct you. The moment your heart, no matter your age, is no longer open to correction, you're no longer growing.

And so many of us plateau in our journey of faith because we're no longer open to correction. I'm I'm 49 and I still have people in my life. I still have a pastor in my life. I talked to him this week and he gently challenged me in a certain area.

I I want to get better. I have not arrived. There is no finish line in this Christian faith. There is no like, "Oh, I've made it. I don't need grace." No, no, no. None of us are there. It's like an onion. God keeps peeling back the layers. And you need people that can see your a blind spot is blind because you can't see it.

You need some people in your life that can go, that's a blind spot for you. I don't know if you come across as, you know, one of the best questions you could ever ask someone for for growth, spiritual growth, personal growth. What's it like to be on the other side of me?

Write that down. What's it like to be on the other, you know, the best questions you could ask your spouse? What's it like to be? You better be ready for the answer. What's it like? Why? Because we can all get better. We can all grow. Hopefully, we're still being sanctified, still in this process of getting better.

Are you with me? I remember one clear moment where I got corrected and it really helped me. I'm I'm a pretty I would like to think I'm a pretty disciplined person. I always want to get more discipline in my life, but I'm pretty rigid and routine in how my day goes.

Um, I get up at the same time every day within, you know, 10, maybe 15 minutes at the most. I make the same cup of coffee, the same grounds. I buy the same bag. Are y'all with me? I go to the same chair with my Bible, my journal, my reading glasses.

Yeah, here we are at this age. And my pen because the my scripture kit's getting smaller. The print. I don't know what happened to my Bible. It's this reverse miracle. And I I read, I do the soap method, I journal, I then I go outside, I walk the neighborhood and pray so I don't wake anybody up.

And then I go to the gym and I do the same workout on Monday and I do the same Tuesdays the same workout and the Wednesday workouts. I just that's my life. I just but always haven't always been like that. So I was interning at this church and I think I was 19 or 20 somewhere in there in Greenville, Tennessee.

I grew up in East Tennessee. This was about an hour from where I grew up. and this church uh let me intern in the youth department. And so I was under this pastor and it was like my first internship and I had a desk. Y'all, I thought I'd arrived.

I was like, "They might as well make me the senior pastor. I have a desk. It wasn't in an office. It was just out out in the open, but I had a desk." And it was like an executive desk. You know, one of those big wooden ones. I was like, "Yeah."

Yeah. Anyways, it was up against the wall, so you couldn't sit on the other side of it from me. But anyways, [snorts] so I come in one morning because I wasn't the best at being on time in those times. And now I'm a little bit like if you're on time, you're late.

And um I hate being late to things. And but I wasn't the best then. And so I I come in one morning kind of when I wanted to. And there was a little sticky note from the pastor that was um I was working for uh in the youth area and it said um glad you finally made it something like that.

And then it had this proverb and uh I want to I want to show you the proverb that that he gave me as a word of correction. Go to the ant you slugard. Consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler. Yet it stores up provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you slugard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. It's very funny now. I don't think I'd be here today if I didn't have someone in my life that cared enough to correct me because I was simple.

And the destiny of a simple person is undetermined because you don't know where they're going yet. But if you'll surround yourself with godliness, it's why we want you in a small group. It's why we want you in community. Why? Because when you get with the wise, you become wiser.

All right. Final one. Number four is obviously the wise. And this is the seeking one. This is the I'm going to continue to grow one. And the Proverbs says this in chapter one. You'll see this in your reading as you engage in the Bible plan because I believe all of us are going to do it right by faith.

Says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. It's in chapter nine. You're going to see it in chapter one. Says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

And so, here's what I want you to see about this is that the fear of the Lord is how you see God. And how you see God is where you start with wisdom. Is are y'all tracking with this? So my view of God determines the level of wisdom that I'll walk with in life because the beginning, the word beginning means the starting point or it's it's like you're at the line of the track and they've let the gun off.

That is the starting point. It's not down the road in your maturity of faith. It is at the starting point that if you want wisdom in your life, then the lens through which you look at God through. One theologian said, "What you think about when you think about God is the most important thing about you because it will it will shade how you relate to God."

And I used to think growing up that the fear of the Lord was literally I had to be scared of him because he had this holy taser gun and he was just waiting to zap me the moment that I messed up. And the moment that I had an attitude, that's it.

I was toast. And God was just out to get me. And so that's how I related to God. I wanted to be close enough to God to have fire insurance and not go to hail because it was two syllables in Tennessee, everybody. Not one. I didn't want that.

I knew that. I was like, "Got that. Pass. Go. Collect $200. I don't want to go to hell." But I didn't want to get so close to him because he seemed like a real angry God and I didn't really want to know that God. So, I wanted to avoid hell, but I didn't really want to know him. because that was my view of him.

And if that's how you see God, then that's how you relate to God. I just want enough for fire insurance. I want to go to heaven. But I don't know that I really want to know him. Because some of you, your view, your lens of seeing God is he's this ogre in heaven just waiting to get you the moment you blow it.

You see him like this. Because some of you, you you project your earthly father onto your heavenly father. and your earthly father, you never wanted to tell what was really happening in your life. And so that's how you see your heavenly father. And so instead of running to God when you blow it, you run away from God.

And so it matters because the beginning of godly wisdom is how you see God. And the fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God. I'm going to show you. It's something altogether other. But the wise person has the fear of the Lord and they have wisdom.

And the Bible says when you instruct a wise person, they get even wiser. When you teach the righteous, they will add to their learning. So the wise person is moldable. The wise person hasn't got so set in their ways that they're not open to God changing them and growing them.

They're they're still listening to the voice of God going, "Where do I need to get better?" There's a humility that says I'm not there yet, but I I want to get better. I want to grow. I don't want to be the same person. I always say the worst compliment I could ever get as if someone saw me a year from now and say, "You ain't changed a bit."

That's awful to everybody. I hope I have changed. I hope they go, "Man, there's less of an edge on you than there used to be. Man, you're more gracious than you used to be. You seem to be more patient than you've ever been in your life. I hope that I'm always getting wiser.

Are you with me? But it starts with the fear of the Lord. And there's some benefits to the fear of the Lord. Says those who fear the Lord have a secure fortress and their children take refuge in it. So parents, when you have the fear of the Lord, your children benefit from it.

So let me give you three thoughts very quickly about what is the fear of the Lord? How do we have the fear of the Lord? There's, and I want to show you this because a lot of us think fear of the Lord is behavior. And if you live your Christian life on the behavior side of Christianity, you'll forever be frustrated and forever feel shame and feel like a failure.

You've got to live on the intimacy side. And when you get the intimacy side right, it'll produce favor. I want to live for God because I'm so in love with God. It's a big difference. Are you following me? I want to do the thing God wants me to do because I have such connection with God.

But if you live on the behavior modification side, well, I better not eat, drink, smoke, chew, or go out with girls that do. Then it's forever behavior modification. Well, I better do better. I better tithe. I better serve. I better No, no, no. If I'm on the I'm so in love with Jesus side, I can't believe that I get to serve and I can't believe that I get to be kind and I can't Are y'all tracking with me?

It's a completely different motivation to live your life from. And the fear of the Lord, David does say, "Let me teach you the fear of the Lord." And he talks about some behavior things like not speaking evil and how you relate to people. But I don't want to start there.

I want to start with you got to see God right. And if you'll see him right, that other stuff will take care of itself. No one has to tell me to do things for Tammy. I fell in love with her. She's amazing. She's godly. She's attractive. It's all get out.

She's Are you following me? So, I don't need a rule book on loving her well because I fell in love with Okay, y'all get it? Okay. Number one, let me give you these quickly. Recognize his greatness. Fear of the Lord begins with recognizing his greatness. The Bible says, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.

His ((music playing)) greatness. No one can fathom. He's great." So, how do I see God? ((music playing)) I see him as great. I see him as amazing. I stand in awe. I heard somebody say this one time ((music playing)) that God does wonderful things. Here's a way to think about that. He does so many things that make me go, I wonder how he does that.

He's wonder. He's full of wonder. ((music playing)) How in the world did he heal that body? It's amazing. How in the world did he repair that marriage? That's unbelievable. How in the world did he bring that prodal guy back home? That is wonder. I wonder how does God do all these things?

It's wonderful. Are you with me? And the tension we have to live in is he is father and he is great. And if we swing to either extreme, then we miss God. We have to live in the tension of the two. That he is great, but he's my ((music playing)) friend.

He's sovereign, but he's my father. Let me unpack this a little more. Number two, you have to recognize his holiness. He is holy, everybody. He's not your homeboy. He's holy. Psalm 99:5 says this, ((music playing)) "Exalt the Lord our God, bow low before his heat feet before because he is what?

He's holy." And so part of your Christian walk is to learn to live within ((music playing)) the center, what I call the center of biblical tension. And the center of biblical tension is this. God is my friend, but he is the sovereign judge of all creation. God is my father, but he is holy, and he's nothing like me.

And if I swing to either extreme, I get the wrong view of God. If I swing to he is friend only, then it's like I'm chilling with Jesus. He's my good luck charm. I need a contract to get signed. I'm going shoot up a prayer to the man upstairs.

No. But if I swing to the other extreme that he is holy and that's all I think about God and I'm like I'm afraid of him because he's holy and I'm not and I can never approach him and it's not that either because then I don't have the relational connection with him.

So I live in the tension of both that I revere his holiness and his greatness but I can get low at his feet because he's my father. It's both and it's not either or. This is the fear of the Lord. Oh, I love him and I love his presence and I can't believe all the wonderful things he's done in my life.

And I can't even believe that I'm even alive and that he would love me and forgive me. ((music playing)) And man, he's so good. and I walk with him as the hymn says in the cool of the day and I talk with him and he tells me that I'm his own but I also bow before him.

((music playing)) He is king of glory and I am not. It's both and it's not either or. All right. Can I give ((music playing)) you one more? The final one is I I have the fear of the Lord when I recognize his greatness, recognize his holiness, ((music playing)) and I submit to his word.

The scripture says this that the instructions of the Lord, they're perfect. ((music playing)) They're trustworthy. They're right. They bring joy to the heart. Says the commandments of the Lord ((music playing)) are clear. They give insight for living. They're pure. They last forever. They're true. They are more desirable than gold and even the ((music playing)) finest gold.

This is ((music playing)) the word of the Lord. So if there's two opinions, everybody, I go with what God says. If culture says something that God doesn't say, I go with what God says because I submit to his word. I submit to the word of God. They're sweeter than honey. even honey dripping from the comb.

They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey him. So, let me give you Daniel's definition of the fear of the Lord. You can take a picture of this or write it down. It's living with reverence for the greatness and holiness of God ((music playing)) that reveals itself in a life submitted to God.

So, I live with reverence for ((music playing)) his holiness and his greatness. And you'll be able to see that in my life because I live submitted to him. This ((music playing)) is the fear of the Lord. And when you live that way, here's the promise of God to you. How joyful are those who fear the Lord, all who follow his ways.

This is ((music playing)) the word of the Lord. Come on. Do you receive the word today? >> ((applause)) >> Let's pray together. Every head bowed, every eye closed at all our locations, our gatherings, at our prison campuses. I'd encourage you just in ((music playing)) the stillness of this moment, maybe you just keep your Bible open there.

Keep your pen. And where do you find yourself ((music playing)) today among these four that Proverbs describes? Do you know what to do, but you're choosing not ((music playing)) to do it right now? Has something caused your heart to get so hard that you even ((music playing)) scoff at truth? Are you simple and you need to get some godliness ((music playing)) around you?

You've surrounded yourself with the wrong people. >> ((music playing)) >> Are you wise? Maybe ask the Lord, keep me humble and hungry so that I can become wiser still. Maybe you're here today and you can't have the fear of the Lord because you've never met the Lord. You can't even begin to have godly wisdom because you don't have relationship with God.

((music playing)) And that's a scary place to be. You can't even tap into the wisdom of heaven because you haven't yet surrendered your life to Jesus. ((music playing)) And I want to give you the opportunity to do that. We never want to end a service without giving ((music playing)) you the opportunity and knowing every every single time we gather, there's people in the room that have never really surrendered your life to Jesus.

I'm not asking you if you grew up in church. I'm ((music playing)) not asking you even if you're a member somewhere. God will not ask you that when you stand before him. He honestly won't care where you were a member. The thing that will matter is what did you do with his son Jesus?

Did you surrendered your life to him? Did you come to the point in your life where you knew you were a sinner? Not just I'm a kind of a good person that does some bad things. No, no. The Bible says that we are born into ((music playing)) sin. It's in the DNA of who we are.

And we have no other hope other than Jesus. There is no remission of sin except by the blood of Jesus. ((music playing)) And if you've never come to a point where you've fully surrendered your life to him, I I invite you to do that today. And for many of you, I just knowing how the enemy works.

It's there's there's a a voice that's saying to you, ((music playing)) you don't need to do this today. You're good. But you know in your heart that you're far from God. Or maybe you're here today and you've strayed away. There was a time in your life where you were walking closely with Jesus and it ((music playing)) is not the case now.

Then today is the day for you to return to the Lord with arms open wide and full of grace and mercy. He says, "Come unto me." So, in just a moment, we're going to pray together. There's nothing special about how I pray. It's just me helping you express to God that one you confess you're a sinner ((music playing)) in need of a savior, that you believe Jesus died for you, and then confessing that you're ready to make him the Lord of your life.

If that's your desire today, I just want to know who I'm praying with. I'm not going to point you out. No one's going to come to you or embarrass you. But if you say, "Pastor, that's me. I need to take that step. I know I'm far from God right now.

I need ((music playing)) a fresh start today. If that's you, when I get to three, I just want you to shoot your hand up high enough, long enough for ((music playing)) myself to see it. And then we're going to pray together. I just believe when you shoot your hand up, it's kind of your first step of faith, saying, "God, that's me.

I need that ((music playing)) today." And I believe many of you are going to take this step. On three, you just shoot your hand up. One, ((music playing)) two, three. You just shoot it up all over the room. God bless you. God bless you for your courage all over the room. I see you.

((music playing)) Wow. You can put it down, church. Let's pray this out loud for the benefit of so many who slipped up their hand. 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." Everybody said, "Amen." Come on, church. Can you celebrate those who made that decision? Beautiful. ((music playing))