Built Different | Nick Nilson | Lakewood Church Service

((music playing)) You fight the battle. You get the glory. Here come the angels. Here comes the victory. The enemy ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Good morning Lakewood! Here we go. Your mercies are new every morning. Your steadfast love will never end. This hope won't fade in the evening. Lord how great is your faithfulness—sing it!

((music playing)) Every hour, every minute of my life has been part of your design. Lord, the whole world's in your hand. Every trial, every battle that I face, God, you met me there with grace. Every part has served your plan. Cuz through it all, you've been so so good. You kept your word like you said you would.

Your mercies on you every morning ((music playing)) will never end. ((music playing)) how great is your faithfulness. Lord, how great is your faithfulness. Lord, how great is your faithfulness. ((music playing)) Welcome to Lakewood this morning. We're so grateful that you're here. On behalf of our pastors, Joel and Victoria Osteen, we want to say welcome.

Thank you for coming and worshiping with us. We believe God's going to do something very special and unique in your life today. If you're a guest or visitor, can you just wave at me real quick? Just can we show some love to all of our guests, all of our visitors?

Good to have you here. So great to have you. Those of you who are watching online or listening by way of SiriusXM radio, thank you so much for tuning in. Well, this is our opportunity we get to release our faith today. And here's what I know. God says in his word that he watches over his word, anxious to perform it.

What does that mean? He's the architect of our life. He has the blueprint of the plan that he's established for your life. The good news is you didn't wake up by accident. You're not here on accident. God has purpose and destiny in this moment. So, let's not miss the opportunity to allow the architect of our faith to change us and to transform us.

If you need strength, I got good news. God has some strength that he wants to give you. If you need joy, if you need peace, if you need wisdom, if you need grace, you've come to the right place because Jesus is not only prepared to answer our prayers and to move on our faith, but he's anxious to do so.

He's excited about it. So today, my my challenge is this. Release your faith. Don't be a spectator. Be a participant of what God wants to do in this space. Amen. Can we do that? So, let's get our joy up, our excitement up, our passion up a little bit.

We're here to meet Jesus. And here's what I believe. You're not going to leave the same way. I believe you're going to leave forever changed and different. Do I have any believers in the house believing that you're going to leave different? You're going to leave changed. We're not here to just play church.

We're to here encounter Jesus and allow him to leave us very, very different than where we came in. Father, we love you. We thank you for your presence. We're here to meet with you and we believe that as we release our faith that you move, that you do miracles, that you build and transform and change.

So, Father, we're thankful that even when we're unfaithful, you are faithful. That you chase us down with your goodness and your mercy. So, we're here as your kids, ready to receive from you and ready to encounter you so that we can leave forever changed. We love you. We honor you.

Thank you for your faithfulness in Jesus name. And all the passionate believers said, "Amen." Come on, let's lift Jesus. He's good. Here and now looking back on where I've been. Still as good as you were then. There's no limit to your love. Cuz through it all, you've been so so good.

So good. You kept your word like you ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) how great is your faithfulness. 1, 2, 3, hey. ((music playing)) Oh, how great. Oh, how great. Oh, how great is your faithfulness. Oh, how great. Oh, how great. Oh, how great is your faithfulness. Oh, your faithfulness and your goodness. Sing, cuz through it all, you've been so so good.

Has he been good to you? Kept your word like you said you would. ((music playing)) Through it all ((music playing)) ((music playing)) like you said you would—all together now. Your mercies are new ((music playing)) Come on. Sing it like you mean it. Lord, how great—sing it! Woo! Your mercies are new every morning ((music playing)) will never ever end.

((music playing)) Lord, how great is your faithfulness. Lord, how great, how great! Lord, how great is your faithfulness. Oh, we're so thankful, God. Thank you, Lord. Here we go! ((music playing)) There's joy in the house of the Lord. A home where your soul is restored. Come on through the open door. Come on through the open door.

There's grace that abounds here and now. A place where new mercies are found. All are welcome in this house. All are welcome in this house. Come on church, let's declare this out. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Enter his courts with praise. This is a house of worship. We bless his holy name.

Come and rejoice in his presence. Oh we won't leave the same. Cuz, this is a house of worship. We bless, oh, we bless his holy name. ((music playing)) Oh ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Rejoice ((music playing)) ((music playing)) bless your name ((music playing)) Come on church let's declare this out together. For every battle he's won, for every chain he's undone, for every breath in our lungs, rejoice, rejoice again.

((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) with thanksgiving enter his courts with praise. This is a house of worship. We bless his holy name. Come and rejoice in his presence. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) every giant he's slain and every sinner he's saved. For every wide open grave, rejoice, rejoice—rejoice, rejoice—rejoice, rejoice again. Rejoice, rejoice again. ((music playing)) I pray into the atmosphere.

Spirit of God, you're here. You have all authority. I pray over my heart and mind. I am healed by your stripes. Your blood declares that I am free. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Calling on the power of heaven. I proclaim. Every weapon formed against me must break in the mighty name of Jesus.

I draw a permanent boundary line. The enemy has no right to come near my family. ((music playing)) could ever undo God's plans, no matter the circumstance. The cross has sealed my destiny. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, calling on the power of heaven I proclaim. Every weapon formed against me, must break, in the mighty name of Jesus.

In the mighty name of Jesus, ((music playing)) Every victory I know is in the mighty name of Jesus. I will not fear. I will not fear when the enemy comes near. On the door frame of my life is the blood of Jesus Christ. I will not fear. I will not fear.

There's an army of angels here. I'm protected on all sides by the blood of Jesus Christ. Come on. I will not fear. I will not fear—come on, declare today— when the enemy comes near on the doorframe of my life is the blood of Jesus Christ. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) There's an army of angels here.

I'm protected on all sides by the blood of Jesus Christ. ((music playing)) In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) There's no other way. ((music playing)) All in the name of Jesus. All power in heaven and earth is given in that name. Jesus. Jesus. Cuz death could not hold you. The veil tore before you.

((music playing)) The heavens are roaring the praise of your glory, for you are raised to life again. You have no rival. You have no evil ((music playing)) ((music playing)) is the kingdom. Yours is ((music playing)) Oh the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ my king. What a powerful name it is. Nothing can ((music playing)) powerful name it is, the name of Jesus.

You have no rival ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) yours is the kingdom. Yours is the glory. ((music playing)) What a powerful name it is. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ my king. What a powerful name it is. Nothing can stand against. What a powerful name it is. The name of Jesus.

What a powerful name it is. The name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is. The name of Jesus. ((music playing)) I could sing your name for all my life and still find more to love each time. Jesus be the name ever on my lips. It's sweeter every time that I call on it.

There's just something about your name. There's just something about your name. There's just something about your name that makes me cry holy. There is no other name. There is no other name. There is no other name. Jesus, you're worthy. You have been the friend who never left. I won't forget your faithfulness.

Jesus be the name ever on my lips. It's sweeter every time I call on it. There's just something about your name. There's just something about your name. There's something about your name that makes me cry holy. There is no other ((music playing)) There is no other name. There is no other name.

Jesus you're worthy—something about your name. Something about your name. There's something about your name. There's something about your name. It makes me ((music playing)) There is no other name. There is no other name. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Jesus, your name is like, the morning light, the one that darkness can't deny the resurrection and the life.

Jesus, Jesus, your name can save, ((music playing)) your name can make the storm be still. You never fail. You never will. Jesus— Come on let's declare. Jesus the bread of life ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) From my heart to the heavens. Jesus be the center. It's all about you. Yes, it's all about you. From my heart to the heavens—come on, let's declare together church.

It's all about, all about ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) from my heart to the heavens, Jesus ((music playing)) Yest, it's all about you, Jesus. Yes we worship you in this place. We lift high your name. The name of Jesus. The name that is higher. The name that is above every other name. Lord, we thank you that we can call on that name that has all authority.

And Lord, know that you hear us. And Lord, know that you respond to us. So God, we come here on this Sunday morning saying, "Thank you for bringing us through another week, God, for carrying us with your faithfulness and your mercy. Lord, we know that you haven't brought us this far just to leave us where we are.

But know God, you have more in store for us as we will continue to see your faithfulness guide us and lead us through every season and every situation. So Lord, I lift up everyone in this room who's struggling with doubt. God, who's feeling alone and forgotten. God, remind them that you hold them in the palm of your hand.

Remind them that they are known and seen and loved by you. God, remind us that you said that you will never leave us or forsake us. God, I lift up all of those in this place who are fighting battles in their mind. God, who are carrying a weariness and a heaviness, an anxiety that they were never meant to carry.

God, you said that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. So, let a lightness come upon this place right now. Help us to lay these things at your feet knowing that you can carry them because we don't have to. Lord, we trust you in this place.

God, we thank you for your healing power. We lift up all those who are fighting battles in their body. God, you are a healer. You made our bodies and God, we know that you can heal them. So, we ask you to do what only you can do. Do the things that medicine can't do.

God, we believe like your word said that we will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. So Lord, we thank you that your healing power is in this place right now. Lord, for those who need restoration in their families, in their relationships, God, we know that you are the great restorer, the author, and the finisher of our faith, the only one who has the final say, and there is nothing that you can't use for good.

There is nothing that you can't turn around. So God, we ask you to move in this place to bring it back better, God, with you. The things that feel like they're lost aren't gone. Lord, even the things that look like they're dead, we know they're not done with you.

That until you say it, it's not done. So God, we just give you all those things in this place, trusting that you will bring it back better than it was before, better than it ever was. God, for those facing tough decisions, Lord, who who need wisdom, who need clarity, God, I pray that we would hear your voice so clear, Lord, that the path would be clear for where you want to lead us.

And as we fix our eyes on you, as we trust in you and you alone, you would give us the guidance and the wisdom that we need for every situation. Lord, you are so good and so gracious. And we thank you that you're taking us from glory to glory and strength to strength that no weapon formed against us will ever prosper in Jesus' name.

Lord, we thank you for all that you have done for us, God. And with hearts full of expectation and faith, God, we say thank you in advance for all that you are going to do. We believe that it'll be exceedingly more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine.

So Lord, we lift you up in this place. We give you all the praise, honor, and glory that you are worthy of. And all the mighty people of Lakewood Church said, "Amen." Amen. Church, it's good to be in the house of the Lord this morning, isn't it? Well, we're going to take this next moment in our service to declare what God says about us.

We do this every single week as a declaration of faith. So, come on. Can you say this with me? I am blessed, prosperous, redeemed, forgiven, healthy, whole, talented, creative, confident, secure, disciplined, focused, prepared, qualified, motivated, free. determined, equipped, empowered, anointed, accepted, and approved. Not average, not mediocre. I am a child of the most high God.

I will become all I was created to be in Jesus name. Come on. In Jesus name. Yeah. That's what God says about us. I feel the faith in this room this morning. We're going to take a moment now to pray individually, to pray one-on-one for our needs. If you have anything that you would like for us to pray with you about, we'd love to join our faith and to believe for God to move.

So, there'll be prayer partners at the front of every single section. You can come down and we'd love to pray for you. The rest of us, we would love to continue to worship with you today. Good morning and thank you so much for tuning in today. We're just so glad to have you as a part of the Lakewood Church service.

And as we take time to pray in the service, I just want to take the time to pray for you. I know that many of you are facing need needs and and and struggles and challenges. And I loved what what uh Alexandra prayed. God can turn it around.

When we pray, the tide of the battle turns. That's what prayer is. Asking God. You have not because you ask not. And God is interested in the little things and the big things of life. And so I I want to pray for you, but I want to begin with the praise reports.

And thank you for sending praise reports because they encourage us so much. And Karina said that God gave her a financial miracle and she'll now be able to pay for her son to go to college. And we're so grateful for that. Some of you are believing for the same thing and I believe and I know God will work on your behalf.

And then Michelle said her friend had surgery for an aneurysm and it went well and she is doing good. So thank you Jesus for that also. So good to hear the about the faithfulness of God. I want to pray for you. There are many people that have written in and and given your uh prayer comments and requests.

And so let's pray for healing in your body right now. Anita said that her body is fighting off an infection in her leg after um after having surgery. And we're going to pray for you, Anita. Tiffany, she is waiting on answers on her biopsy report for the tumor on her kidney.

So, let's pray for Anita, for Tiffany, for all of those who may be going into surgery, who may have gotten a bad report. You're sick right now as you as you sit and listen to us. The same healing anointing that is with us here is with you right now.

The presence of God, Father, we pray for Anita. We pray for Tiffany. Father, we pray that all will go well with them. We thank you Lord Jesus for complete healing that that infection will leave her body and father that uh Tiffany will get a great report on her biopsy.

Father we just thank you that you are the great physician. You are the Lord our healer and we look to you as our healer. You said if we worship you father that you would remove sickness from the midst of us. And I'm asking you father to renew remove sickness from every person that is watching right now.

I thank you that pain has to go, sickness has to go, cancer has to go in the name of Jesus. Father, we thank you that you came to heal the sick, to heal the brokenhearted, to set the captives free. And we thank you that you're so faithful, and you're doing that right now in the name of Jesus.

Amen. Amen. Let let's pray for families. I know that Janice said that her she's praying for her son to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Many of you have loved ones that need to come to the Lord and God is going to bring them to the Lord because you're a praying mother, father, a f whatever family member you are, you just keep praying for.

I know my dad, he prayed for all of his family and and it took a few years, but they all came to know Jesus. And uh it just makes a difference to pray and ask God because God watches over them. Jade needs direction and guidance in her family.

So I'm going to pray over your family, too. Father, we pray for Janice, Janice's son, and all the prodals, Father, that are out there running from you or who just don't know you. Father, we just pray that you would put a hedge about them. You would watch over them. you would send Christians, believers into their pathway who will share the love of Jesus with them.

And I thank you, Father, that they will return to you, Jesus. They will come to you, Jesus, and they will serve you all the days of their life in the name of Jesus. I pray that you'd give husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, direction in their life, wisdom in their life.

Show them what they need to do. Father, I thank you for restoring families, for encouraging them. Thank you, Father, that strife and division has to leave in the name of Jesus. And you're bringing peace and the presence of God in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Amen. Father, I thank you for restoring marriages.

Father, for those marriages that are in turmoil right now, I pray that you would bring them together in unity. That Father, you tear down the barriers and Father, you would bring healing and restoration. Father, you have a plan and a purpose for their marriage and I thank you for bringing healing in Jesus' name.

Amen and amen. I want to pray for your career, your education. Maria wrote and she said that her daughter's job situation really needs to change. And then Edward, he needs a new job. And so many of you need a job. Maybe you need a job change just like Maria's daughter.

But I'm gonna pray that God's going to bless you wherever he plants you. Father, we pray for Maria's daughter that you would bring about the right change in her life. Father, that you would put her at the right place at the right time. You would give her great favor and that she would be able to bloom wherever she is planted.

Father, in the name of Jesus, Father, we pray for Edward, for everyone that needs a job. Father, I just pray right now for uh for people's finances, too. Father, I pray for a breakthrough in this area that you would you would have them at the right place. You would order their steps.

Direct them, Father, in the right way. Close every wrong door. Open the right doors for them in Jesus' name. And I thank you, Father, that you're meeting every financial need that they have in the name of Jesus. Father, give them give them well-paying jobs with full benefits and a great atmosphere and environment where their their skills, their uh gifts, their talents can just overflow and be used to the full in Jesus' name.

Amen. Amen. Man, it makes a difference to pray. The prayers of a of a man or woman are effectual. They're powerful. And so, I believe that as we pray, God is intervening in your situation. We want you to know we love you so much. We're going to go back to the service now.

God bless you all. My soul and trust in him. The waves and wind still know his name. The waves and winds still know his name. The waves and wind still know his name. The waves and wind still know his name. Amen. Hey, you may be seated, Lakewood family.

Hey, listen. I want to tell you, whether you're in person, watching online, or listening, that sometimes faith can look foolish. Now, before you fall out of your chair because of the way that I said that, listen to me. To the untrained eye or the new believer or even some of us who have been walking with God for a long time, some of the things that we have to do on this journey can look absolutely crazy.

Genesis chapter 12 has one of my favorite moments in scripture. God tells Abram, who will eventually be Abraham, to leave everything he knows and is comfortable with, and go to a land that God will then show him. Did you hear that? Leave first and I'll tell you where you're going.

I want you to imagine this. Waking up in the middle of the night, your eyes are crusty, breath still smelling like the chicken parmesan you had the night before, telling your spouse, "Hey babe, wake up. we got to rent a truck and move tonight. Don't call anybody. Don't call your mom.

Don't call your job. We just have to go. And she says, "Uh, why?" And you say, "Because God says we have to go." And she says, "Um, okay. Where?" And you say, "I don't know. He said he'll show us when we get in the truck and leave." Doesn't that sound crazy, family?

Honestly, it kind of is if you use your human eyes. But if you use eyes of faith, it makes total sense. Let me prove it to you. Hebrews chapter 11 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Your eyes are not deceiving you.

God will reveal all the details if and when he knows that we need them. See, when you're walking by faith, you have to move your feet even when it doesn't make sense to your brain. You take the step even when you can't see where it's leading. Why? Because understanding was never a requirement for obedience.

Look at your neighbor. Can we have church today a little bit? Look at your neighbor. Say, "Neighbor, neighbor." This is for you. When God says go, go, just go. See, I know it looks crazy to move out of state to a place where you know nobody for an opportunity when your whole family lives in the same city.

I know it looks crazy to try again when the doctor told you that you got a slim chance of having kids on your own. I know it looks crazy to apply for that scholarship even though your GPA is a little bit short. I just came to tell you do it anyway because if God said it, you can bank on it being true.

Amen. Don't let fear of what's on the other side stop you from seeing it. You might be thinking, "What if I'm wrong? Or what if I fail? Or what if I didn't hear God properly?" Every step should be celebrated. Don't let fear rob you of the joy that comes from following God's lead.

You see, I want I want to demonstrate this just a little bit because this is a step. This is a a small step, but it still requires faith. Maybe the small step is apologizing when you struggle to take accountability or or asking for help when you're overwhelmed. Maybe the small step is opening your Bible first thing in the morning instead of social media.

It's still a small step, but it requires faith. But also, this these are these are leaps. And these big steps require faith as well. Maybe it means going back to school and pu pursuing a degree when you're in your 50s or 60s. Or maybe it's letting your kid go off to college out of state when you know they won't be home for three months.

Either way, whether a small step or a giant leap, without faith, it is impossible to please God. All of these all of these steps still require faith and they should be celebrated. And here, we're not looking down on you because your state of step of faith doesn't look the same as my leap of faith.

We're not measuring whose faith move was better. We all are on different paths and some roads require fall small steps while other ones require giant leaps. But one thing I can assure you is that this it requires all of us to have faith to follow God. Sometimes the fear stops people because you're worried about what you're leaving.

But don't let that be you. Hear me. In order for you to go with God, you have to leave something else. You don't always know what the journey is going to look like or what it's going to cost you. But I can promise you this, the reward of the obedience is always worth it.

The Bible says if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things will be provided for you. You put him in first place, the first pursuit, the first priority, and step when he tells you to step or leap when he tells you to leap and you won't be put to shame.

Everything you're worried about losing, God will replace with something that's better for you, that's destined for you. You will be where you're supposed to be. You will have where you're supposed to have, and you will please God by having faith the entire way. God will always do his part.

That's a promise. All you have to do is your part and take the step. Does anybody believe it this morning? Amen. Hey, listen. I have a friend named CJ whose story embodies this very point. Take a look at the screens. While we were stepping forward in faith, there was moments where we felt like we were actually taking steps back.

I had a seed planted in me from watching an officer that patrolled our neighborhood. And that seed grew in me. I as I got older, God saw it fit to bless me with becoming an officer, which is something that I always wanted to do. I met my wife in Milwaukee.

My wife was moving to Houston when we met. She had a job. She had a place already. She was leaving Milwaukee to come to Houston and she met me and did not move. Stayed in Wisconsin. But there was always that thing and there so the conversation was always on the table because it was in her heart to be here.

I came to visit one time and there was such an overwhelming feeling that this was home. This is where we were supposed to be. You know, I said, "You know what? We're going to go." And I had moments where I was like, "I don't know." Cuz we're talking about pay cut.

We're talking about unknown. We're talking about leaving the comforts of what I knew. But it was such a strong feeling that I was supposed to be here. I knew that that was God. I'm like, "Okay, how how am I going to do this?" Right? Did I bite off too much in a rush to get here?

Should there have been more preparation? And I'm talking to people who who've been here all their lives. And I'm talking to people who worked at over um for this department. It was like here we all work extra jobs. And so I was like, okay, I just got to work some extra jobs and that'll provide me with some of the money that that I left on the table, I left behind.

And it was a young man that I met that was like, you know what, Lakewood needs some good people. And I've known you to be a good person. You got a big heart. I think you'll be good over there. From the first day to today, I love coming here.

I love the people here. I love the relationships that I've created here and being here. It provides me with the word. It provides me with being around believers. It's the love that is is offered to me that it's a I have to go to Lakewood. Pastor Joel tells people that if you do life with God by your side, there's nothing that you'll go through that you won't get through.

We get to look at where we are now and it to me in such a short time God brought us back to all those things that we left and we're in a better place. I'm no longer on patrol. I'm a crash investigator and it's what I want to do on this department.

We found a home, purchased it, did the remodeling of it, and our residential living facility is open now. And so now my wife gets to be a ER nurse and she gets to run this home. That was something that she always wanted to do. Seeking the kingdom of God and all things, not some, not a little bit, but all things will be granted to you by doing nothing no more than just seeking the kingdom of God.

Lakewood family, can we celebrate CJ? Listen. Love you. In two short years, God has replaced everything. He stepped out on faith to leave jobs. Not to even talk about some of the rest of your story and the loss and everything that you've experienced, but I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, my life is better cuz you're in it.

And I know all of us can say just on the staff and the congregation, just thank you so much for helping to keep us safe and protecting us and serving us. Our community is better because you're in it. So, thank you so much. Well, CJ, somebody may be out there says, "Man, I don't know if I have the faith to move across the country and leave jobs on the table and take pay cuts and all of the things that you all did, but what would you encourage them with that that need to take a step of faith today?"

I would say to you all, if God did it for me, he can do it for you. Take that step with faith and God will deliver. Amen. Amen. Hey, listen. If you're in the room, I wanted to do this really special and hope that it can build your faith.

If you're in the room and you have a move in your heart, you have a faith step that you know you need to take. Maybe it's a small step or maybe it's a giant leap like moving across the country. If that's you and you say, you know what, I know God's saying it, but I just need a little bit more boldness to do it.

I just want you to raise your hand. I want to just pray over you if that's okay. Amen. Amen. Let me pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you so much for every person who has something in their heart. They know that they hear from you, God.

They have a word. And I pray, Father, that today would be the last day that they would procrastinate. Today would be the last day, Father, where they sit on their hands, Father, and they don't move. But God, you would give them the boldness to step out, to believe again, to move, to apply, to chase the opportunity to write the book, to do what you've told them to do.

God, I pray that the Holy Spirit would just be on them every step of the way, and that nothing that they leave behind to follow you, Father, they would actually lose. But Lord, they would see that everything is to gain by walking with you forever. I pray that today would be the final day that our community would be short on moving on faith.

But God, we would be quick to obey when we hear your word. In Jesus' name, all God's people said, "Amen." Amen. Amen. God bless you, Lakewood. Lakewood family, listen. I wanted to let you guys know about some amazing things that are happening in just the next generation of our church.

As one of the youth pastors, we actually got to celebrate the fact that we just got done with another round of our advanced student leadership boot camp. This was a three-week boot camp that they did where they got to learn a bunch of different things, talk about who is God, who are they as the image of God.

They also got to learn their spiritual gifts and sacred pathways as to how they connect with the Lord. And so we just celebrated graduation. It was a phenomenal time where parents and students got to come together and just celebrate the work that their students have put in. The team of our volunteers and our staff all came together and it was a beautiful, beautiful time.

Also, what you guys have done is actually allowed students to get the chance to go to summer camp. We have students who may not be able to afford the full bill to get to go to camp. But because of you guys being so kind, you guys have been giving.

And so now we're able to actually sponsor students to go to summer camp. We're actually able to even help young adults to actually get scholarships to be able to go to college and pursue their endeavors in whatever it is the Lord is assigning them to do. You guys are actually helping to invest in the next pastors, leaders, lawyers, all these different people that are going to essentially take over the world.

And not only that, they're going to have a biblical foundation in what leadership looks like. So, Lakewood family, I want to personally thank you for not just believing in yourselves, believing in older generations, but believing in the next generation, the ones that are coming up to be able to do exactly what it is that God has assigned them to do.

That all happened because of you, the faithful people of Lakewood. We love you guys. Thanks for being so generous. And we'll take a moment to worship the Lord with our tithes and offerings today. And we always want to express our gratitude for you just being faithful, making sacrifices, keeping God first place.

You know, you you serve, you give, your time, your energy, you're at church, you bless people at work. That's Lakewood people. That's faithful people. I love what the scripture says in Psalm 112. All goes well for those who are generous. I think of you, God's generous people. Doesn't mean we won't have problems or challenges, but you know what?

God gives us strength in every situation. We believe in 2026 you're going to see the open windows of heaven. Know that God is smiling down on you. He sees your generosity and we just speak blessings increase. The economy is not our source. God is our source. You're connected to a supply line that will never run dry.

So stay faithful. Know we love you and we're praying for you. I love that. I love the generosity because when we're generous, we're honoring God. And you have been honoring God with your generosity. And sometimes you think, well, how am I really making that much of a difference?

But we hope that these reports and these things that we bring to you show the appreciation of the people who you are helping. So know today that God is smiling down on you. Your generosity is making a difference. It is unselfish faith. So thank you so much. You know, we could not do this without you.

So we always want to get on here and say thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So God bless. We do. Let me speak a blessing. Lord, thank you for our generous givers today. Father, you see them putting you first, the sacrifices they make honoring you. And Lord, we believe what you promise that we live under the open windows of heaven.

That you're smiling down on us. That you're our provider. Lord, I just thank you for unusual things in 2026. Show out in our lives in greater ways. Let us be a bigger blessing wherever we go. And Lord, we commit to keep you first place to honor you. And Lord, I just thank you for the abundance, the overflow, the supernatural provision, doing what only you can do.

We love you and we honor you today in Jesus' name. God bless you as you give. Here are some ways you can give. Using your smartphone, scan the QR code located on the screen. Then select the online giving option that's most convenient for you. Go to lakewoodurch.com/give. Text give hope to 77-977.

Mail a check to P. Box 2745, Houston, Texas 777227. Or call us toll-free at 888-567 Joel. Christ is my firm foundation. The rock on which I stand when everything around me is shaking. I've never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus. Cuz he's never let me down.

He's faithful through generation. So why would he fail now? He won't. Oh, ((music playing)) cuz I've still got joy in chaos. I've got peace that makes no sense. So I won't be going under. I'm not held by my own strength. Cuz I build my life on Jesus. He's never let me down.

He's faithful in every season. So why would he fail now? He won't. He won't. Oh, he's never failed. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) with you. I'm going to make it. We'll make it our testimony. ((music playing)) is the reason I'm standing ((music playing)) with you. I'm going to make it through. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Come on, make some noise if you believe that he will not fail.

He will not fail us. He's so good. You can all stand. Can we all stand to our feet? You look so good this morning. Turn to your neighbor and say, "You look good, neighbor. You look so good. You smell so good. Hey, one more time. If you're a guest or a visitor, can you just put your hand up real high in the air?

If you're a guest visiting Lakewood Church, show some love. All our guests, all of our visitors. So good to have you. So good to have you. Everybody in the house, those of you watching, listening, so grateful that you're here. Um, wow, what a powerful testimony that CJ had with Pastor DeVante.

I think CJ is actually out working and serving us on Sunday. You can clap. That's amazing testimony about stepping out in faith. I do I do like to say um on Wednesday nights we have a powerful youth ministry, youth experience. If you're in high school or junior high, Wednesday nights, 7:30 on the fourth floor here at Lakewood, Pastor DeVante, Pastor Anon, it is very powerful and it's amazing.

Also, we have a live midweek experience that happens at 7:30 here for young adult, young professionals, and anybody if you want to come. Actually, we just launched a relationship series called Learning to Love. You know, the school of love, you never graduate from it. Did you know that?

We're always We always should be learning in love. So, we're talking next three weeks, I'm going to be talking about dating, marriage, relationships, boundaries, trust, communication, all the saucy stuff. So, if you got friends or you want to come, bring your family, bring everybody you know out Wednesday night, next three weeks, it's going to be phenomenal.

Cool. Hold up your Bibles. Are you guys ready to get this declaration of faith out? If you brought your Bibles, let's hold it up. If it's on your phone, hold up your phone. Let's just let's just declare this with passion and conviction. Can we do that? This is my Bible.

I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I'll be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, everliving seed of the word of God.

I'll never be the same. Never, never, never. I'll never be the same in Jesus' name. You may be seated. You sound great today. And you set your clocks ahead. Clap for yourself. High-five your neighbor. You did it. You made it. Some of you are still waking up. I am not Pastor Joel.

I'm sorry. Uh, open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7 24. We're looking at one verse this morning. A profound verse, especially in the day we're living in. I think this is a this is a powerful verse for us to explore together and see how it lands in our life.

Matthew 7:4 Jesus is teaching and he says anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is it is wise anyone college student young adult mom husband young professional businessman wherever you are at in life whatever your age it says anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise like a person who builds a house on solid rock though the rain comes in torrent and the flood waters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock.

But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish. Like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. Today, I want to talk to you about being built different.

Look at your neighbor and say, "You're just built different. You're you're we're built. Say it with your chest, fellas. Say, "I'm built different." Just I'm built different. Father, we love you today. We thank you for your word. We believe it has the capacity and power to change us.

And and we believe that it's going to and we just posture ourselves in a position of surrender, asking you, Holy Spirit, to do what only you could do. The runway of our hearts are open. We're not here by accident. We're in this space of faith to encounter you, Jesus, and to allow you to do what only you can do.

You are the architect of our faith. So change us. Transform us, Jesus. We want to be more like you. We want to live our lives like you lived. Help us, Jesus. Change us. We believe and declare that we're going to leave this space different than the way we came in in Jesus name.

And all the passionate believers said, "Amen." I want to ask you a question this morning. How are you building your life? I want you to think about it. It's a great opportunity today to assess your life. How are you building your life? What is the foundation of your life look up look like?

You see, the question isn't if you're building, you're building something, right? Your your life is being built on something. That's not the question. The question isn't if you're building. The question is how are you building your life? You see, we all have a measure of faith that we exercise, right?

You can you can exercise your faith in someone. You can exercise your faith in something. You there's a lot of things you can exercise and put your faith in, right? The question isn't are we exercising faith? Are we building? The question is what are you exercising your faith in today?

Person, place, thing. I've discovered that you can begin building one way and over time drift. So this is a great question for for any season that we're in. Doesn't matter if you grew up in church or this is your first time in church. We must constantly be asking the question, what does the foundation of my life look like?

What am I building upon this morning? Because it can drift. It can change. Do you look to yourself? Is that what you build your life on to be self-sufficient to keep it all together? Is your foundation built on other people's opinions and you spend the majority of your life scrolling trying to keep up with the Joneses comparing?

Are you built on awards and accolades and achievements? What about education? A lot of people build their life on their education or their career or status or performance or money, how much you've accumulated. It's easy to fall into the temptation of building your life on the things you've gathered and putting your whole trust into those things.

It's very easy. These are these are all reasonable answers that probably at in some point of our lives we all find ourselves drifting into building off of these things. And this is why Jesus comes and he gives us this staggering picture of two houses that have been built.

And these houses there is no difference to these houses on the external above ground. They are the same, right? very aesthetic. Nice color scheme, nice white trim on the windows, nice pink flowers. These these houses look pretty much the same on the outside. And even when you look at the foundation, the the foundation of what the houses have been built on, at a quick glance, they look similar.

Right now, what Jesus begins to unpack for us in chapter 7 is that in life, both of these homes will experience storms, right? They will go through unexpected challenges and the winds and the rains and the floodwaters of this world will begin to pour. So, what happens to the house that is built on sand?

It begins to what? Collapse. And what's interesting is now the foundation is specifically revealed. When a storm hits, you see what the house has been built on. But in the same way, when you look at the house that's built on the rock, I love I love that Jesus doesn't say if you build on a rock, you're not going to experience winds and floods and storms and challenges.

It says, "When they come, oh, the house that's built on rock, the house that's built on firm foundation, though the winds come, though the unexpected happen, though losses come our way, challenges come, storms come, floodwaters rise, winds beat against it, all this house stays steady. This house is anchored.

It is on firm foundation. It does not move." What an amazing visual. Now, what it's been built on is revealed. It's exposed. You see, storms don't create weakness. Storms reveal what you've already built your life on. And this is why it's so important as believers to assess how am I responding when storms hit.

If I've put my trust in money, stuff, career, relationships, social media, then I'm easily shaken and immoved and collapsing. But if I've built my life on the solid rock, if I've built my life on Jesus and Jesus alone, when things come, I'm immovable. I've been so encouraged in this last season because I've seen multiple families in this church navigate loss.

Yes, question. Yes, ask why. Very healthy things to do. Work with your emotions. Work in grief. but stay strong in their faith, holding on to Jesus, immovable. Does it mean that they understand it all? No. It means that they trust in God. And it's in Jesus that they're going to find strength.

It's in Jesus they're going to find hope. And it's in Jesus, if they stay long enough with him, they will discover that he will work all things out for good for those who are in Christ Jesus. Oh, can anyone testify to that? Romans 8 says, "I will work all things out for good. the good, the bad, the ugly.

He's going to work it out for the better. And this is what Jesus is saying. He's saying, "Choose wisely what you're going to build your life on." I have a friend, he's a good friend from high school, and he lives in a part of Illinois that's very susceptible to tornadoes.

And I remember him telling me this story that him and his family had went through. and it he was at work and Ryan was doing what he normally does, wrapping up his insurance work and he said, "All of a sudden, I'm in a meeting with our team and all of our phone alarms go off and there's a tornado warning."

This is a this particular part of the Midwest is very susceptible to tornadoes. They all their phones alert. They all get into their cars and they all immediately head home to protect their families. Now, on their way home, on Ryan's way home, he said, "Nick, I drove right into chaos."

Right when I left the insurance place, I I the sky turned black. Hail started beating against the window so hard that I thought the windshield was going to shatter. He said, "I called my wife, Jamie. I said, Jamie, get the kids and get them in the basement ASAP.

Like, this is a real storm, and I I don't see the tornado, but this thing is real. Get in the basement." Ryan says he pulls into the driveway and as soon as he pulls into the driveway, he looks to his left and he sees this massive tornado now on the ground and it is coming towards his home.

He flies into the house, gets the kids all together into this corner of the basement, the corner of the foundation of the house. And as they're all huddled up, Ryan one last time wants to go and check where this tornado is. Where is it? H where is it?

Is it past them? Is it right close? where is it going? And he says, "Nick, I saw this tornado. It was coming right at us. It wasn't going to turn. We were going to get a direct hit." He said, "I immediately ran down the stairs." And as soon as I'm literally jumping over the top of Jamie and the kids to protect them, he goes, "All of the glass in the back of the house shatter and blow out."

Immediate. All he hears is an explosion as he's jumping on his family to protect him. He said, 'Nick, in a split second, everything just goes still. And he says he looks up and all he sees is calm blue sky, no home. It's completely ripped off the foundation. He's staring up at a white blue sky, clouds.

A neighbor comes, helps the girls, helps Ryan get out of the foundation, and he says, 'Nick, I looked around, and all we had were minor scratches, no no injuries. We were completely safe. Now, I want to show you. Here's a photo of the house. Well, that's there's a photo of the house that Ryan lived in.

This is the house that they took shelter in. Okay, the next slide is the tornado. That is an F5 tornado. The actual tornado that hit their house immed like dead dead strike right on their house. This is the house after completely destroyed, right? Unbelievable. You can see the tornado actually off in the distance as it's passed.

This next photo though is what's incredible. You can see all of the trash. You can see the the heater, the furnace. You can see everything. But in that corner, oh, in this corner, the foundation, you'll see a little 4x4 space where Ryan gathered Jamie and the kids and where they found protection and safety.

And Ryan told me when I was talking on the phone, he said the moment that tornado hit, he said he felt like a a a hand, a heavy hand holding him and his family down as the suction of the tornado pulled everything out. Now, you can believe what you want to believe, but I'm going to believe it was the hand of God.

I'm going to believe that God does miracles like that. And when we come to him for protection and shelter, and he's the foundation, that's the type of stuff that he does. Now, this is unimaginable, right? Like, I I I don't we don't want anyone to walk through something like this, but as I'm asking Ryan questions, Ryan loves Jesus.

And he says, "Nick, had we not had our house built on a foundation, a firm foundation, we would have never been able to walk through this." He's processing things emotionally, but they began to rebuild a home on the very foundation that they found safety in. I want you to look at this picture.

This is now the new home, a better home on the same foundation that they found safety in. Oh, don't tell me that Romans 8 isn't true. If you stay faithful and you hold on to Jesus, the Bible says that he will rebuild you better. He can rebuild your marriage.

He can rebuild your career. He can rebuild your business. He can rebuild your self-esteem. He can rebuild the dream. There are seasons and things that we go through that rock our world. But if we're built in Jesus and him alone, we can withstand it. If Ryan were standing here, in fact, he told me to tell you, he said, "Trust me, if you build your life on Jesus, he can anchor you through any storm.

And he promises that he will re rebuild you better." Now, he experienced that quite literally. But today, you get the idea. You get the point that only Jesus can anchor us through the storms of life. Now, one thing that's interesting when I was talking to Ryan is he said, "I didn't start building the foundation when I saw the F5 tornado coming."

He it was already built. So, when a storm did hit, he was anchored. And the point is, the good news is you don't have to wait for a storm to hit your life or the unexpected to happen in your world for you to make sure that your foundation is built in Christ.

And you have the right foundation to anchor you through your life as seasons change. And so today, that's what I want to explore for the next brief moment is talking about how we can assess the quality of the foundation of our lives. I want to look back at Matthew 7:4.

This is actually in the message translation. I told you one verse. There's so much in this passage of scripture. Matthew 7:4 in the message. It says, "These words I speak to you are no incidental additions to your life. They're not homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words.

Words to build a life on. If you work these words, everybody say, "Work these words." Say it again. Say, "Work these words." If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. I love how the message puts that.

So, what does it look like to work his words into life? What does it look like to be a smart carpenter to allow Jesus to make his home in our heart? You see, what's interesting is this the foundation of the home, it's the very first thing that a that a smart builder constructs.

It it digs and it builds the foundation and then everything in in the house comes off of the foundation, right? Everything is built off the foundation. It is the very first thing. What Matthew 7 is saying is that Jesus is not designed to be an add-on in life.

He's not designed to just be, well, I'm going to do my thing. I'm going to do it my way and oh, Jesus, come come over here and let just He's not a spice. I'm just I just hate to say it. He doesn't operate best that way. Now, we're all in a journey.

Jesus will take a little better than anything. But I'm telling you, if you want to experience the fullness of Jesus and the fullness of what he promises you in your life, if you want to become everything he's designed you to become, give him everything. He is supposed to be the substance.

He's supposed to be the meat. He says, "Taste and see that that I'm good." He He wants to be the full meal, not just the spice, everything in our life. Everything in our life, not an add-on. And you can go throughout your life and you can drift. And what I'm talking about when I say work his word into your life, it's a process of following Jesus and recommitting and reurrendering.

That's really what it's about. It's about assessing your life in every season. Why? Because your lives change. You're in college now. You have a new career now. You're married now. You're dating now. You have three kids now. Right? you move cities. Our lives are constantly changing. So we must assess the foundation to make sure that our foundation is built on Jesus and Jesus alone, right?

So that means I'll give you an example. My wife and I when we bought our first home, we went to the bank. We were rookies. We're learning all this stuff, doing all this paperwork. And our loan officer said, "With the house inspection, we'd ask for a foundational inspection to be done before we loan you the money."

Why? Because we want to make sure that the foundation is still quality. It's still good. It's still sound. There's no defects. Because if you have a bad foundation, which can happen over time, if you have a faulty foundation, it impacts everything in the house. walls start to lean, floors start to sink, windows don't quite shut, doors don't close, right?

So, they're wanting someone to come out and inspect the foundation to make sure that the rest of the house is sound. In the same way, our lives must constantly be under inspection by the Holy Spirit. There are times where you have to submit your life and say, "All right, Jesus, I am going to proceed to date this particular girl, but I want to make sure it's the right thing."

What do you say? Is she best for me? Is this going to cause me to compromise? Is she following Christ? That's what it means to submit your decisions to Jesus, to build on firm foundation. Every area of our life, as we're changing, we must continually be assessing and evaluating Jesus is the architect of my life, my house.

He's the author and the finisher. And he is building his home in our hearts. What does that mean? That means sometimes he wants to remodel a room. Sometimes he wants to change the paint, right? Sometimes he wants to redo the grass out front. Sometimes he wants to add on and change the kitchen and make it better and make it best for you.

But he's got the plans and he's the architect. So we go, "All right, Jesus. I'm in a new season now. Me and my wife, we we have a baby. We've just welcomed a baby into our life." So that means I want to dedicate this child to the Lord.

That's why we have baby dedications here at church because we realize the architect of your faith in your life is doing a new thing and we want to give you the opportunity to submit that new thing back to Christ to put it on firm foundation and say, "Jesus, I we're going to dedicate this child to you believing that they're going to live all their days for you.

And we are dedicating ourselves as parents to discipline, love, encourage, and lead them in the way you've called us to lead them." Are you following me? This is what it means to submit and to assess and to work the word into your life so that you're building everything in your life, every room on firm foundation.

It's why Jesus gives us the opportunity to tithe our income. What does tithing do? It it resubmits all of my finances on firm foundation. It's a it's an acknowledgment and awareness that Jesus can do more with the 90% than I could ever dream of doing with the hundred.

That's what that means. It means I trust you, God, and I'm going to submit my heart so that I'm building every area on firm foundation. There's a family in the church that I love, uh, the Leardens, and Brian and Sonia have had this thing in their heart for a business to to to build a restaurant here in Houston.

And I've been on the faith journey with them and they've taken steps of faith to get there. And right now they're constructing and renovating this space so they the restaurant can can fully live and and come to fruition. And they said, "Nick, we got an idea. We want to build this chapter of our life on firm foundation.

We want to submit our career and our job and our business plan to God. This is not my business. This is God's business." Do you hear the language? You hear the difference? I want I want to do it his way. They're like, "Nick, we got a Bible. We bought a Bible.

Can you meet us at the restaurant? We want to bury the Bible in the foundation of the renovation." I'm like, I'm there. Can we show the photo real quick? This is two weeks ago at a restaurant here in Houston. Brian and Sonia gathered their kids, grabbed the shovel, and we all scooped some dirt, and we buried that Bible that little Sky is holding in the foundation of this restaurant that they're building.

That's building your life on solid rock. Now, you may not be able to dig up your cubicle floor and bury a Bible. That's not what I'm saying. But what can you do that will remind you of every area of your life needing to be built on firm foundation?

Brian told me, "I want every person that steps into this this restaurant to feel God's love. I want them to see a difference in my employees. I want how we operate this business to be kingdom centered. And I believe God's going to bless them. I believe God's going to reward.

It's kingdom principles. So, how do you commit your sport that you play to Jesus? How do you commit your marriage? How do you commit your new job? What does it look like for you? The reality is whatever can remind you to continue to make Jesus the center of it is a good idea.

But I hope that that inspires you to do something. Maybe working the word in your life is letting go of a space in your life that you know is dysfunctional and holding you back. Maybe Jesus is knocking on the door of a room in your life and he's saying, "I can do something with that."

But many of us live our lives going, "No." You know, we kind of we kind of act like children a little bit with the stuff that we've kind of been become obsessed over. No, God, you can have all this, but not my career. No, God, you you can have all this, but not my money.

No, God, you can have all this, but you're not taking this. This is mine. and we hold we we don't allow I believe there's some certain rooms in your life that have been kept locked and God is saying if you'll unlock that and allow me to work in that relationship or allow me to work with that addiction or allow me to work with that issue I can transform it and I can do something better.

Oh, God wants to remodel some rooms today. But our responsibility is to let go and to say God work your word into that room and he will rebuild it better. Are you with me? This is what it means to submit and work the word in our life. What about when our house changes in a way that we didn't see coming?

When we walk through loss and a storm hits and we lose a business, someone we love. It appears we lose a dream and we don't understand it. That's hard, right? That can be tough when the unexpected hits. But I will say this. I think it's in these moments where we rest in his love and his character.

It's in these moments we rest in his strength. And I believe that it's in these moments, it's our greatest opportunity. It's our greatest opportunity to inspire and to show our faith to people who don't know Christ. You say, "What?" A lot of people will ask, "If God is so good, then why is that happening to you in your life?"

And you can say, "Well, God is good because God is the one anchoring me through this unexpected thing in my life. And God's going to work this thing out and redeem my pain someday because I trust him and he's going to carry me through." You see, anyone can win the Super Bowl and thank God, right?

That's easy. It's easy when you're victorious and you're successful to say, "All glory to God." But faith comes really, really real when you can go through something and you can go through a challenge and you can go through a struggle and you can stand and say, "I still love Jesus.

He's still good. He's still faithful. He's going to redeem this pain. He's going to work it out for my good and his glory." That's what gets the attention of people around you. It's what reveals. Struggle reveals, storms reveal. So don't dismiss the storm. Embrace the storm because there's great opportunity for your faith to shine to people around you when you're going through a struggle, a challenge, an unexpected obstacle.

I want to revisit the sand as we wrap up today because I think I think the sand plays a key component in the story. See, a lot of people when I've heard this taught, they dismiss sand altogether and they just say, "Build on the rock, the sand on all the stuff."

But I I actually think that that the sand I'm getting dirty today for y'all, okay? So you I'm hoping you get this. All right. The the sand actually is necessary, right? There is a place. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, it says, "Make the kingdom of God your primary concern."

Right? Seek first the kingdom of God and all these other things will be added unto you. So these things aren't bad. These things aren't the enemy necessarily. These things have a place in your life. They were just never designed to be the foundation of your life. Who am I preaching to today?

Some of you, your career and relationships and money and stuff, all these things aren't bad things. It's when you look to them to be the foundation and the anchor and the source of contentment for your soul. That's when they get out of balance. Those things have a place in your life.

But let's just not build our lives on them. Can we agree to do that today? Let's just not let's just say, God, they have a place. What you have for me is going to find me. What has my name on it, it's going to come to me. But my intention is going to be to seek you and to seek you first and all these other things will be added unto me at the right time.

Do you believe that today? I want to do this. I want to I want all of us to stand to our feet if we can. Can we keep this atmosphere of faith? We're going to end a little bit differently. We don't usually end like this, but I felt really compelled to create this space at the close of this sermon to do something a little bit different.

Is that okay? Good. What I love about Jesus is that he promises in John 10:10 to give us life and life to the fullest. Ain't that amazing? It's the best life. Building your life on Jesus is the best way you can live. Not the easiest way, but it's the best way.

Do you hear me? It's not the easiest way, but it's the best way. It's where you'll find contentment and peace and joy. And Jesus says in John 10:10, I I I want to do a great thing in your life if you'll allow me to. You What's interesting about the foundation of a home is that the the foundation of the home is what dictate dictates the sound of the the the size of the home.

That's powerful. When you think about it, the foundation determines how the size of the house. So if Jesus says make me the foundation, he is saying when you build on me, there is no limit to what I can do in and through your life. Following Jesus, friends, listen, let me get to it.

Following Jesus isn't a life of restriction. It's a life of expansion. You got to get this because I lived my life a I lived a lot of my life thinking that following Jesus meant oh can't have any fun life's going to be restricted. I had a lot of misconceptions and then I read the scriptures and I read what it means to follow Jesus and I'm still learning to to what it means to follow him.

But I've learned that wow it's actually a life of expansion where my influence grows, my character grows, my love grows, the talents and things he's put in me when submitted to him they grow. Oh, is anyone thankful that we serve a God who wants to take us from glory to glory, strength to strength?

But he says you got to build properly. You don't get it anyway. You get it one way. And that one way is the key to full life. And that one way is to build on Jesus and to build on him alone. Nothing else will do. Nothing in this world will do.

Nothing in this world will do. Only Jesus. Yeah. There's only one way. So, this is the deal. This is the deal. I didn't come to just play church today. I I I believe that some of you need to make some big decisions. Maybe there's a room in the house that you've not surrendered to Jesus.

Maybe it's a dating relationship. Maybe there's something that's negative and toxic in your life that you you've been holding to that you feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit and you need to release it and allow him to heal it. Maybe you've built your life on something that is like sand and you've gone, man, my whole life I'm I've slipped and drifted into this space of making my career everything and I need to come back to Jesus.

I don't know what it is for you, but what I want to do is during this moment of worship, the team's going to lead and they're going to sing, but in this atmosphere of faith, would you search your heart and would you surrender your life in all areas?

And would you respond specifically? Find a specific thing in your life that you know the Holy Spirit is addressing. And can you say, "Jesus, you got my finances. You got my business. You have my past. You have my present. I don't want anything to be with withheld from your grace and with your power.

You are the master architect. Church, here's the deal. We're going to sing Christ alone. He is the cornerstone. So may that be your prayer. May that be your declaration. Come on team. Let's worship and let's sing with our hands lifted. Let's sing Christ alone. Let's give it all to Jesus.

Come on, let's sing it. Be made strong in the Savior's love and through the song. He is Lord. Lord of all Christ alone. Oh Christ alone. Cornerstone. We made strong in the s. Oh, through the storm. He is Lord. Lord of all. My hope is built. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest friend but holy trust in Jesus name. Oh Christ alone strong weak made strong in the s through the sord we declare of Christ alone. Oh my god. Heat. Heat. is Lord. Lord alone. Christ alone. Oh Christ alone. Corner in the Savior's love. is Lord.

That's our prayer, Jesus, today. That's our declaration is that you would be Lord, that you would have everything. That we would build every part of our lives on you and your promise, your word. And we know that when our foundation is you, there is no limits to what you can do and how you can change us and transform us.

So, thank you for setting people free. Thank you for remodeling some rooms today. Thank you for adding some additions. Thank you for changing perspectives. Thank you that people are leaving here a little bit lighter, releasing the burden that they've been carrying, and in exchange receiving your peace. Father, we thank you.

We declare that you are Lord of all and we declare that we are built different in Jesus name. Everybody say, I want to just keep this atmosphere of faith because I believe there's people in this room today or watching listening that maybe this is your first time in church or honestly maybe it's been a while since you've been but you've recognized throughout this service that Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart with his love and maybe you've been running.

Maybe you've been trying to find fulfillment and satisfaction and happiness in all the wrong places. Maybe satisfied for a moment, but realizing, recognizing pretty quickly over time that those things can't fully satisfy your soul. But today, you're becoming aware of his love and his presence and his spirit.

And today you want to repent and come home to him. And you want a new beginning. Maybe it's a rededicating moment where you've drifted, but today you want to recommmit your life to Christ and all that you are. I'm going to count down from three. And if that's you today and you want to give your life to Jesus or you want to rededicate your heart to him, when I get to one, I want you to real boldly just slip your hand up in the air and I'm going to lead you in a prayer of faith.

Don't be ashamed. I want you to do it with courage and boldness because of the life that's coming your way and the peace that's coming your way. Three, two, if you want to give your life to Christ or rededicate your heart to him. One, slip your hand up real high all over this place.

You can even lift your hand, while you're watching, while you're listening. Come on, wave at me. I want to see it for a second. Wave at me. Come on, church. Can we celebrate all the new beginnings all the way in the back? I see you, my guy. Incredible.

All right, repeat this simple prayer of faith if you lifted your hand or even if you didn't, but you want to make Jesus the Lord of your life. The rest of us, let's repeat it as if it was our first time. Say, "Jesus, Jesus, I come before you today.

And I ask you to forgive me of all my sins. And all my mistakes. Come into my heart. Come into my life. And wash me clean. Today, I choose to make you my Lord and my Savior. I want to live my life for you and only you in Jesus name.

Amen. Come on. Can we celebrate all the new beginnings? What a amazing decision. Let me before you leave, let me encourage you. Uh our pastor always challenges us to give one year of our lives to following Jesus and planting in the house of the Lord. The Bible says those who are planted will flourish.

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish. I know I've planted myself a lot more than one year in this house and I've seen God do some pretty incredible things in me and through me. Can anyone else testify to that? Giving your life to Christ, planting in the house of the Lord, you'll see him completely change your life around.

If you prayed that prayer of faith for the first time or rededicated, I talked to a lot of people after the service that say, "Nick, what's next? like what do I do with my faith? Now, we've created a space for you. If you are new in your faith, just gave your life to Christ, we have a space called New Beginnings that we've created in the lobby immediately after the service.

If you want resources on how you can grow in your faith, in your walk with Christ, if you want to connect with some staff members or some leaders, or you just want to find information out about the church, check out that space. Our team is there, anxious to meet you and get you on that journey of growth in Jesus.

One more time, can we celebrate everybody who made that decision today? Welcome home. Listen, uh I I I want to just say this. I don't know why, but I think someone needs to hear this. Maybe it was one person, but it's worth me saying this. The Bible says, "The righteous fall seven times, but they get back up."

Following Jesus is not about being perfect. It's about getting really good at getting back up, turning away from my sin, and following after Jesus, and going to him. The righteous fall seven times, but they get up. Keep getting back up, following after Jesus, embracing everything that he has for you.

And we believe you're going to become everything God's designed you to become. Amen. Let me leave you with a blessing from Numbers chapter 6. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord show you his favor and have mercy on you. And may the Lord watch over you and give you his peace.

We love you. God bless you. Have a fantastic week and we'll see you very very soon.