Impact Starts With Me

Romans chapter 12.

And as I was praying about this year that the theme of impact really has come to my mind even early in December, and that's why the word impact behind us. I just want to keep it before us. The Bible talks about writing the vision down. You say, why did you do that? Why I think that's part of riding the vision down and making it plain, so that those in here can run with it. So the deal that bigger place, the same into the deal is with that, is that I believe that we that we are church needs to make an impact. We've talked about that for a long time. There's nothing new about that, but really, and we are going to talk about that. This this morning that the idea is, that impact starts with me. it doesn't start with something that we go out and do because we probably never will go do until we are You don't you don't, you understand what I'm saying? And then maybe that's the thing that we've missed all these years, we've been talking about what we need to go do what we need to go do what we need to go do. But maybe the thing that we really need to talk about most is what does God need to do in us? Because I think when we were in the right position with us going and doing will just be a natural thing because he said his sheep, hear his voice and they obey. So I believe it's God's telling us were calling us to do something and we finally are in a place where we understand that, I believe will naturally obey and will will do what we're supposed to do, but before we can be do, as we have to be beers, That makes any sense. Alright is that make sense? Somebody looking a little confused. So if we want our if we want our families guys if we want our church, if we want our community to experience real impact in 2026. God has to be first. He has to be first and he has to be allowed to make an impact in our lives. And apparently it needs to be bigger and stronger than what we have right now. Amen. Because what we're doing now is not impacting our community to the extent that it needs to All right, so then that must mean it's something inside of us has to change. Something inside of us, maybe we need to sing that song. We change my heart. God, make make it ever true. Change my heart. God may I be like, you may, I be so obsessed with people. And so obsessed with making an impact, the guy that that's the most important thing in. So, I asked you guys to change me so that I can go change others for your namesake. Is that does that make sense? I think we, we, we have a heart to go do and to do things for our community. But I think sometimes that's difficult because I don't, I don't know that our hearts are in the right place to go out and do because we need changed.

Wil Wheaton things that are important to him or maybe not in place is important to us. And we, and we need to change that. We need to, we need to turn that around transformation. Doesn't just, just doesn't start out there. It starts here. It starts with change on the inside before it's ever going to change. Anybody on the outside. and I understand that, I'm what I'm saying is that if we're really changed will be like Christ and we'll do like Christ did

This does that mean, does that make sense to you guys to meet us at that me that to me, that just makes sense. We can't leave our families. We're, we're, we're willing to are unwilling to go ourselves. we can't win our children and our family members in our friends to get closer to God, if we're not willing to get closer to God, I mean that just that's that's just a no-brainer there, isn't it?

January, full of goals. It's full of resolutions. Hopefully all of us in here. Are smarter than that. We haven't made any because usually, what's today, the fourth couple more days, we will have broken all the resolutions. Has anybody made a resolution in already broken on by the, by the 4th of anybody that's willing to admit it? Yeah, that would be a big. That would be a big admit, I don't, I wouldn't, but it's that time of the year. We talk about goals, we talked about resolutions. We talk about we talk Envision, talk pastors, talk about things like, what I'm talkin about. Here's the direction, we're going for the year and, and with some people, it sticks in with some people, it just goes over the top of their head, like it never existed and I'm praying for us that it's sticks. I'm praying that something changes on the inside of us. Everyone wants change but few people want to be transformed so that they can bring about change. And what I'm saying is that I want to be so different that it's just the automatic thing just automatic that. I'm going to bring impact where I go, because my life is so Changed by the power of Christ. If you look at in the, in the Old Testament and the New Testament at the early charge, their lives were so bad actually changed by, what got it done in their life that that changing their world almost was easy. And somehow we've made it hard and difficult than in so many things. That's not really supposed to be that way. We're we're just supposed to love people. I know it's bigger than that, but

So everyone wants change but what we really need is people who want transformation. We often pray things like this that say God changed my family. I mean, I prayed that prayer. I don't know about you but God changed my family. Certainly nothing wrong with God. Fix my marriage. Maybe you don't want to admit? That one is louder. Maybe you don't want to let your spouse know that you've been praying for that her cuz maybe they didn't know. It was broke, you know? God bless my finances. How have you ever prayed that? God bless my finances, but scripture consistently shows every place that you look. God starts his greatest work by changing the heart of the one that's praying.

Alter scripture reader. It's there. Every time he starts his greatest thing. He wants to do not buy doing the thing that you're necessarily asking, ask him to do but by changing the heart of the one that's praying. So, first thing he does is transform you and then everything else in your body lines up to that. I think it goes along with the scripture seek first, the kingdom of God, and then all these things will be added to you. But the first thing that has two changes you, the first thing has to change his me, we have to be transformed before. God impacts our church before God, Impact Family Life in 2026, scuse me, he must impact. Our personal life and prayer and fasting. I believe it's how we get that done.

Going to give you four points. Number one is this impact, always starts with surrender. It always starts with surrender, Romans 12:1, and 2. Says this and so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you and I underline this and made it bold in my notes. It says to give your bodies to God because all he's done for you. So we're talking about this transformation starts. The first thing we got to do is we got to give our bodies to God because of everything that he's done for me. It's just the natural thing that I'm going to do. I've got, I don't have a choice. I've got to do that. And it goes on and says, let them be a living and holy sacrifice. The kind that he will find acceptable. Which tells me that there might be some, that he finds not acceptable because he they got what they explained. That real, clear, let it be a living and holy sacrifice but kind of living inside a holy sacrifice. The one that he would find acceptable, don't be the one that he finds unacceptable. And I think we can attend church and worship and go through all the motions and it not be acceptable to him because we're not doing what he tells us to do. We're not, we're not being that person, huh? We got to say God I want to be that kind of this is the way to really worship Him. This is the way to worship Him. Don't copy the behaviors and customs of the world. But let God transform. There's that word again. That God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Boy, that's a big one huh anyway you think and then you will learn to know God's will for you which is good and pleasing and perfect. So it all starts with that transport. How many remember the commercials on TV? The Transformers more than meets the eye? Could be like a little pickup truck and all the sudden they can transform into this giant creature or Monster whatever, maybe your kids like Transformers I just kind of picture us as being Transformers because we've been transformed by the power of God. You take somebody who's just a natural man, who whose righteousness is as filthy rags. You who doesn't have it? All together, who doesn't know everything they need to know, and who is in his perfect as everybody else. But when God comes in and God does this work in us and says, but let God transform you into a new person to a brand new person. And all the sudden I see us just unfolding into something, but now we're just standing there as this giant monster in and most of us we don't see ourselves that way. We see ourselves like they did in the Old Testament grasshoppers in their side so we can never do that.

Are y'all with me this morning? The transformation doesn't begin with behavior transformation. Begins with surrender. It's not that we need to start walking around like the incredible bulk that they are. We need to be surrendered to let Shane come in. And the way that you are right now is not the way that he wants you to stay. However, it is I don't care how close to God, you think you are or that you are, but Dad wants to do something greater in you. But if you're willing to settle for where you are, then he'll know that he loves you enough. To let you stay right where you are. Okay, so God isn't asking for improvement. He doesn't say he's not saying, Hey, Kevin, can you get a little bit better? Hey, Melody. Can you can you just tighten it up a little bit? I need, I need you to be a little bit better with that. What God is asking for is not Improvement. God is asking for ownership. He wants to own it, all it really is true. That if he's not, Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. Every part of your life. Every part of your life prayer and fasting isn't about twisting God's arm and some people think it is. It, I'm going to pray and fast and maybe God will save my son. You don't have to pray and fast for God to save your son, he wants to already, he already died. In fact, he's already paid the price for it. You don't have to that, doesn't impress. Wow, they've gone three days without food. I think I better do something here. Oh my goodness. I'm slipping up on my job, will they? They they prayed and fasted. I thought I think I have to heal him now. I was just going to go ahead and let him die but I guess, since they fasted, I'll have to heal him. Now, that's not conversations you here around the throne. Because what prayer and fasting is going to do is to bring you closer to God, it's going to line things up in your life and then you will see things happen. But a lot of the things that you may see happen or going to be things that you do for the power of God working in you. The prayer and fasting is about twisting its arms. Placing ourselves on the Altar and saying God I'm giving you me, I'm surrendering my life and you have full ownership so you don't fast to get God's attention. I only say this every year at this time, but you don't fast to get God's attention. He is not impressed that you starve yourself. He's not impress, he's not old boy, he didn't have a Big Mac that day at lunch. Way to go, Kevin, God's impressed that you take that time when you would have eaten and you spend that time with him, if you just fast and keep working it did you? No good. You just work through lunch, man. He wasn't a fast. Are you with me? All right. Fasting. Get your attention back on God, it says, Okay God I'm I'm taking my attention from what I normally would do here. And I'm going to give that up because I want this more than I want that.

Application. Here is the fast is saying. God I'm running. I'm not running this year. I'm stopping. I want I want you to I want you to catch me. I want you to apprehend me so that we could use the scripture so that I can know the depth in the height of my calling. I can know exactly why you're doing the work in me. I'm not trusting in my instincts alone on what I've always known or what I've always thought. I want I want your will more than I want. My comfort. Yellow pay this morning.

Pierce Point number two, real change requires aren't honest. Heart work, not hard work but heartwork Psalms 51:10 says, this, create in me. A clean heart. We talked about that a lot this morning renewal oil Spirit or a right Spirit within me. I like, the way that the wording is there in the NOP. When it says, renewal oil Spirit, not just the right Spirit, although, they mean kind of the same thing, but a loyal loyalty is so big. How do you like people be like your friends that are loyal to you? Don't, you don't you? I mean, you don't really hate your friends but don't you kinda like want to stand away from those friends who are not real loyal to you? You know what I'm saying? That they're not real faithful to the friendship it all one day, they're your friend. But if somebody else is around there, not your friend anymore and we just I just want to let you close, Okay, because you know what, about a loyal friend and just sticks with you. How about somebody like Jesus? The Bible says he sticks closer than a brother. He's loyal in him and in God is saying for David is saying here, rather renewal loyal Spirit. Help me be loyal to you guys. I think one of the biggest things that we need to understand that the most important thing in our life right now is is probably not what we think is most important. The most important thing I can tell you, I don't even know what's going on in your world. But let me prophesy this to you. I guarantee I'll be a true Prophet the most important thing in your life right now is getting closer to God. Because I know this that if you can get closer to God, that everything else that you need in, your life will become clear. So I'm a hundred percent accurate. I may not be accurate on anything else this morning, but I'm accurate right there. The thing that you need the most and that may not be what you would have. Told me if I said, hey, what's the most important thing in your life? Maybe it was to lose weight. Maybe it was to make more money, maybe it was. So, do whatever, whatever it is. The most important thing. If we wipe away all that trash, the most important thing is knowing god more in allowing him to really know us and being loyal to him. Joel 2:12, says this. This is why the Lord says turn to me. Now while there is time I think that's significant as well. While there is still time. Turn to me. That means the time will come when there won't be time. So, I think we need to hear what it's saying. There to any way it goes on says, give me. Give me your hearts come with fasting. You hear that? I don't know if you ever called me to do that. Yeah, he did right there. Come with fasting with weeping and with morning,

don't care. Your clothing thing in grief, but tear your hearts instead. Dogs wanting to do something more than just an exterior working us. He's wanting to do something on the inside of us. The changes that person that we are in our core. When you squeeze an orange in Orange comes orange juice comes out with you. The are you follow when you squeezed, the grape grape juice comes out, when you squeeze us, what comes out God's what? He's not saying, just don't polish up the outside, that's nice. But what about the inside? What about the inside? Come with fasting weeping and mourning. Don't care your clothing in grief, but tear your hearts. Instead of knee goes on, he says return to the Lord. Your God must mean. We departed for he is, merciful and compassionate and he's slow to get angry. And he spilled with unfailing love, and he's eager to relent and not punish you.

God doesn't want outward religious performance. He's not impressed. He's just not impressed. He wants inward repentance that N word. Renewal he wants us to change and really become more like him. Families, don't change because of better schedules. Hope we can just get our schedule, right life would be so much better know. It wouldn't your life will never be better until you get your schedule right with God and God's priorities, become your priority, then your schedule workout goes back to Matthew seek first. The kingdom of God, and then all this stuff that you want, figuring out your calendar, figuring out how to not to be. So busy figuring out how not to be. Always, so tired at all changes. When you start seeking God, like you should want to see God. Everything starts here, guys, without this, nothing in your life is going to work, right? I don't mean to be on in current currency, but it's the truth, you can work harder but you'll never make more money.

You can love more but it'll never be received. You can work harder at this data way up, but it's never going to hear. You're spitting in the wind nothing's going to change in your life until you change your relationship with Jesus Christ. And I'm not just talking about salvation, I'm talking to the Saints this morning. I'm saying some stuff is got to change. Families, don't change because of better schedules, families change because Hearts change. In my heart towards the things that are most important change in wind, that changes my family's schedule changes to line up with the purposes. In the plans of God and everything else in your life, goes into much easier to live because you're letting God be Lord of all.

So you can't fast from food and then feeds Pride, anger, and bitterness, and fear. So I can do you any good, you got to get those things changed. On the inside of you got to deal with fear, you got to deal with pride not even to go get that thing. That that thing that you were throwing before church, it'll work good here. Melody, got a Christmas present. Some of you already seen it from her grand, boys. Because, because he's there, he's here. He's and so, was he counted in attendance this morning? His name is George. We're just going to call him George if he didn't have a name. Now, he does. George of the Jungle? Yes, yes. And I see if this is really good, this is good for her boys. Gave her this because of stress and pressure in her in her life and it's a little thing. I mean you can stretch him as you can do all kind of things like that. The thing that I have the problem with David, the most around the houses when I hear her name in this Kevin and

I know Kevin and I'm like what are they call that? When they stick needles in dolls Voodoo, yeah.

Melody has Melody do or something?

Like that. Now, this little boy, George, he can fast. I mean, he's already got one, two, three, four, five pack abs here. So, he's already doing okay, with his figure under sure he was much, like, mine. I mean, or something like that. And he's got a decent smile on his face, if you can see that. But if we fast in this guy fast, but yet he still gives way to Pride and anger into bitterness and the fear the fast, he's not going to do him any good.

So we've got to get rid of those things now, I don't know how you do it in your house. I think maybe we need to get a couple of these for the altar area for people that are dealing with stress. They can come up and so what you do is it and they saw