Rethink Happiness

Well, good morning, everybody. Turn to your neighbor and say it's time to get going. 60 date challenge starts today. Are you ready?

I feel like a football coach up here. I'm going to have a lot more time. This fall. My huskies are losing like crazy cuz I don't have

hello. Hello. There we go. Okay, that'll work will go this route here today. It is great to see everybody here and we do kick-off or 60 days of spiritual growth and get a few things to kind of help you along the way. Make sure you get a study guide. Everybody way to study guide. If you got one on your way and we hope to hand out to everybody, but if you didn't get one of those, make sure you do. We've got some stickers. I want you to take one of those, as your leader, going to get these as you leave. Go ahead and put it on your forehead and keep it there for 60 days. Do not take it off. That's the challenge. I get a, get a wristband. What time is it? It's happiness time. That's what that wristband says. And I encourage you pick one of those up and Dad should be thinking about the eight Beatitudes, the eight secrets of what it means to live a happy life. That's all we're going to be talking about for the next ten weeks notice. Every day. I'm going to be doing a devotional, if you can find that. On Facebook that doing that private for the last hundred twenty five days or. So. We're going to continue that watch one of the pastor's that daily Vlogs. We've got the Pastoral staff doing a vlog every week and a day to check that out. Use this as a personal devotional or get any one of the rethink, small groups and a walk through the eight Beatitudes, losing the study guide that we have a router groups is that him talked about earlier. We have three think small groups and we all sweat class, small groups of three different kinds of groups that you can be apart of if you'd like to join those. And I just want to cruise you today to really think deeply about taking the 60-day challenge and then talk to the Lord daily about wanting to become a more devoted follower of Jesus Christ. That's our desire. That's our heart is that we will become more and more and more like Jesus Christ. So for the next ten weeks, we are going to study the Beatitudes and the Beatitudes are found in the in the very beginning of the greatest sermons. Urban preach The Sermon on the Mount. You turn the Matthew Chapter 5 chapter 5 through 7. You see The Sermon on the Mount. The greatest greatest sermon, that is ever ever been given by the greatest man who's ever walked this Earth. Our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. In fact, The Sermon on the Mount has been called the essence of the teaching of Christ. Well, if that's true, the Beatitudes is the essence of the essence because the Beatitudes is the quintessential teaching of Christ. And so, what we're going to be looking at and talking about is the most important teaching that Jesus Christ ever gave. And if we were to get one thing, right, we need to get these eight Secrets right and I want to challenge you to take it. Very, very seriously. With me. In fact, I want you just to hear my heart as your pastor and friend. It's time to get serious, and there's no time to be in neutral. We got to put it in drive. We need to move forward in our faith. We need to be all about Jesus Christ. Don't get caught up in secondary issues. Don't get pulled aside by other things focus on Jesus Living Like Jesus. Learning of Jesus, loving like Jesus, leaning other people to Jesus. That's what it's all about more than anything at all. The world. We need to understand how Jesus taught, how he thought. How we acted how he related to other people. His values Kingdom values. I want to challenge you to think deeply rethink happiness rethink. What it really means to live a happy. Happy life. 2 weeks ago today. My daughter-in-law, I received a text message from my son who we knew was somewhere in the Middle East. I thought he was in Qatar. Other study was other places. He was off the grid for several weeks and we weren't quite sure where he was at and what he was doing. But Rachel received a text. She got it that morning and showed us that later in the day is kind of a busy day, two weeks ago, Sunday and my son posted a picture of himself with a bunch of Damages behind him, and he said, leaving Kabul. And I had just been watching like all of us, the news and everything that was happening in Afghanistan, the 13. Marines military. Individuals who were blown up in the explosion. Watching all that was on there. When I heard he was in the middle of all that. I have, to be honest with you. I was, I was numb. I was numb.

As I thought of the flag-draped, caskets, as I thought of all I read about the 13 families who have lost a loved one. As I heard about the Carnage and everything that I had been reading and studying rather intensely. Just kind of came flooding back to me. It was a it was an emotional moment. As I was holding my son son in my arms and looking into the eyes of my son's pregnant wife. It was a very numb experience and I had to kind of quietly steal away around the corner to get a hold of my emotions. It was, it was deeply deeply moving.

Rachel Lee Strobel to talk to Reggie the next day our schedules didn't match up. So it was until about four days later that he and I got to FaceTime, but just to hear incredible tragic situation. You know, the emotion on the faces of those refugees. Reggie was one of the last planes out, in the back of the picture. They were refugees on the plane. He was on. Henry said it looks like a lot of pictures I've seen from concentration camps, just a despair. not only did the 13 service Personnel pass away, but many others died and They had to spend a lot of time. Caring for those bodies, human excrement everywhere. I mean flesh, was pressed into a very small confined area. You saw some of the pictures. It was overwhelming. I don't need to tell you this today, but I'm going to tell you today is your pastor and friend. It is time to get serious about Jesus. Think Like Jesus relate to other people like Jesus, even if they don't believe the same way you do. Treat other people like Jesus treated other people, even if they disagree on a lot of things that you agree on, it's time to be Christian and to live like Jesus and Love Like Jesus and lead other people to Jesus. If anybody agrees with me, say a big. Amen. It is time to get serious. We are Christians. That means we live like Jesus. We don't take a pass and say, well, I'm going to call myself a Christian, but live like this. I'm going to call myself a Christian, but treat other people like that. Where do we get off thinking? That's okay. It's time to get serious. You don't need me to tell you that, but I am. Anyway. That we strive for authenticity over these next 60 days. I want to challenge you to experience a personal Revival and you see it on the screen way to read scripture. Intensely. I want you to pray, passionately, serve love ugly. I want you to obey. Relentlessly. Give generously love deeply. I want you to do these things and join me as I want to do these very same things. The world is only going to be changed by Jesus Christ, and he has chosen to use people like you and me to get that done, but we have to be a clear representative of Jesus Christ. It can't be fuzzy or foggy less of self. And more of him that has got to be our motto motto and Mantra every single day. May God use us and help us. Jesus said if anyone is to come after me, he must deny himself. Daily deny himself daily. Take up his cross and follow me. Someone once said, salvation is the miracle of a moment, but true discipleship is the Journey of a lifetime as true discipleship following, Jesus becoming more and more like him. That's the Journey of a lifetime. I wanted to find a few turns. As we get started. We're laying the foundation here today. And then starting next week, when you look at the attitude, number one, then be attitude, number 2, and move through them over these next ten weeks. Secrets. This isn't like hated to hear this about so-and-so, not that kind of a secret. When we talk about the eight secrets of a happy life. We're talking about the absolute Essentials. The absolute Essentials of what it means to live a happy life. Cambridge Dictionary says, the particular Knowledge and Skills needed to do something very, very, well. You know, what is a secret of being a good cook, you know, what is a secret of a happy life. You know, what are the essentials? Greg McKeown is written a book called essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less. And then there he talks about priorities in a putting first things first, and he makes the quote early in the book. You says if you don't prioritize your life someone else will If I want to just chill just let's not be caught up in peripheral matters. May the main thing, be the main thing in the main thing is Jesus living his life. His values. His priorities loving people like Jesus love. The second term that we wanted to find his happiness. What does it mean to be happy? What does it mean to you to be happy? I'll tell you what, it means to my dog. Rex anything that has to do with outside. That's what it means to be. Happy running. Digging chasing working with my grandson Rowan. I mean, anything, you know, that has to do with outside. I mean, he's all about it. That makes him really, really happy. And then there's many a grandson rolling who likes to be outside. We have two two year, olds in her house right now, they both like to go outside and rolling likes to run outside. Go outside, go on walks. Go to the park. As long as he has a monster truck in his hands. You see the monster truck right there. Got to have a monster truck in his hand and he also likes boxing. Papa. He like boxing. Papa. That's great. Fun. Slapping and boxing Papa's face. It's a beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful thing. How about you? What makes you happy? What is your definition for happiness? The science of happiness is its own discipline? Books are written certification can be earned soaking degrees. You can get a degree in happiness. One of the most popular studies at U. Cal Berkeley is a study on happiness. If you can imagine that. Interesting, fascinating. Katherine Nelson coffee, a PhD said in the science of happiness in positive psychology 101, happiness is understood as the positive emotions we have, in regards to pleasurable activities. We take part in through our day. I read that phrase positive emotions in regards to pleasurable activity. What about when things are pleasurable? Is that mean we can't be happy, the Bible has a different definition than that. In its website, the staff at positive psychology. Cam says, happiness has been a human Pursuit as long as we can remember. It's been a human Pursuit as long as we can. Remember. The sad thing is many, people are looking for happiness, in all the wrong places.

All the wrong places. As Christians, we know the exact words to a happy life, but many are searching but they're sadly, looking in all the wrong places, Irene Cohen a PhD said, in her work is simple by step process for cheating daily happiness. She said everyone is engaged in the pursuit of happiness. Even though happiness isn't always easy to catch for that. Very reason. There are countless theories and ideas out there for how to become happy. It's my experience. She writes there isn't a one-size-fits-all formula for happiness. I beg to differ. There is a one-size-fits-all formula for happiness and it's written by Jesus Christ. The Living Lord is called the eight secrets to a happy life. If you want true happiness. For filming complete, internal happiness. Jesus says, here's how Here's how you do it. The Bible definition and here's a simple. Simple definition. For happiness is a deep internal Joy anchored in an eternal God. A deep internal Joy anchored. In an eternal God. So whether times are going super well or not so good. We can be happy because the joy of the Lord is our strength. Internal Joy found in Jesus Christ or loving Lord.

The eight secrets of a happy life. and I was, Interested. To think about this word Kingdom, as well. It's just a real quick definition for Kingdom. It's Jesus's values. His virtues his way of life, what it means to be Christian, what it means to live the Jesus life. And the Beatitudes are a window in to seeing what it means to be members of his kingdom. Keep that in mind as we work our way through. And then, finally rethink rethink means to reassess re-examine review. Refocus return reclaim think again, and think thoroughly as you wear this wristband. As you go through the, through the study guide, as you use the sticker, as you come every week. As you study everyday, we think what it means to be. Truly happy Jesus style. What does it mean to live a truly happy life? big secrets will tell us how and then DC news survey recently said that only 14% of adults in the US are truly happy. 14%. I thought that is amazing. That seems way low 14% that I started to think about. I thought, you know. I'm at probably fairly close and I don't know for sure, but it seems like there's a lot of unhappiness. Lots of people aren't happy today. You know, we live in a deeply conflicted, a more than I can. I can think of, in my lifetime. Everything's are deeply. Deeply conflicted, as a result of this conflict, families are fractured relationships. Have been ruined and good. Friendships have been severed. I hear it over and over and over again. With all the different views on politics and pandemics and all the things that we can imagine and we can come up with 10 12, 15, different issues. Those have become more important. Then relationships and people's relationships have suffered even in the church conflict and disunity is right. Happiness is waning in the lives of many and we need to rethink happiness, friends. We need to return to the eight secrets of a happy life. I had a great great privilege the last week of August and the first week of September to teach 20 pastors from four different countries on Zoom. They were in New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Tonga and did my day job during the day. I'll be sleeping pastor at BCA, and then I went home and from 5 at night, till 10 at night, 5 hours each night for nine nights. I did a lot of talking. And you said Rob you hardly ever talk? And I can hardly imagine that could happen, but 5 hours each night. 5 hours one week and then a couple days off on the weekend. And we went out of the other four days and we talked about leadership in Ministry and as I gave examples, and illustrations about what has happened in America. Over this last year-and-a-half. They all just stared at me. They looked at me. We we can't relate to that. That's not happening in our country. Will the pandemic is? You know what? We're used to wearing masks. We always wear masks. So that's not kind of a big issue. But, you know, I talked about all the other issues that have become bigger than life. And they just stared at me. And I thought to myself, what a sad sad story is, you uniquely an American thing. And the work of ministry and being Christian and loving Christ and living for Christ is vitally important more important than ever before friends. And we need to make sure that the most important thing in our life is Jesus. And the one we love the most is Jesus, and he will guide us and lead us.

I heard somebody say this and I think it's important. Make it your goal in life, more more so than the other not to make a point, but to make a difference. I think there's so much making points today. But unfortunately, not enough people are trying to make a difference.

Regardless of where you are and whatever issue you want to talk about me, I encourage all of us to fall more in love with Jesus Christ than we ever have before and pray that his life and love radiates through our life. And that we will live out in flush out the eight secrets of a happy happy life.

Let's be different. Let's be christ-like the great Beethoven said recommend virtue to your children, it alone. Not money can make them happy. And when I think of the eight secrets of a happy life, I think of the virtues and values of Jesus, the virtues of Kingdom living. And we would do well to replicate every single one of them. Matthew Chapter 5, it says that Jesus.

Saw the crowds and he went up on the Mountainside and he sat down and his disciples came to him maybe and to teach them and he said, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted, you've read these words. So many times. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? For they will, be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will be? Shown Mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see. God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of, God. Blessed are those, who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew five through seven. We see the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest man who ever lived in these opening versus, as I mentioned earlier, the quintessential teaching of Jesus. I've been to the Mount of Beatitudes where this incredible sermon has been preached. I stood there and I thought to myself, I am standing right here, right now on this mountain that is as practical as it is picturesque. It served as a natural Amphitheatre. Jesus would preach on the mountain and his voice would go down to the water and it would bounce back up. And all of his listeners could hear beautifully is as if there was a sound system in, there was a natural sound system there. Jesus preaching to Proclaim and he shared a team entered and he's taught them about what it meant to be Children of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest man who ever walk this Earth. Our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ contained in these Opening, 12 verses of Matthew chapter 5.

The Beatitudes are considered the beautiful sayings of Jesus. That's what beatitude mean and the word blessed in the Greek. Makarios means happy. Blessed. Are you who are poor in spirit? Blessed? Are you? Who mourn blessed? Are you? Who are Meek networks? Happy are you. When you do these things happen or you, if you choose to live this way, happy or my children in the Kingdom of Heaven who live out the virtues and values of the Kingdom. It's not a superficial happiness. It's an eternal joy. As I mentioned a minute ago, based on a relationship with eternal God. It's not based on the physical circumstances of life. If I just make a little more money, if I just get this job, if I just do this, do that, then I'll really really be happy. No, it's based in a deep relationship with an awesome. Constant Almighty. Faithful. God. Come, what may good or bad. We can always have joy in Christ. Amen. Happy, are you? If you live this way.

I noticed the deliberateness in the first couple of verses and what she did when she states these things. He says it says here that he went up on the mountain and he positioned himself in the right geographical place. Again, it was a human or excuse me, a natural Amphitheater. He sat down, it says, This is the posture of all Jewish teaching. His listeners would have understood what that meant. Okay, we're going to, we're going to get a lesson here. It says he opened his mouth. That's an idiom that use often in in Old Testament Hebrew that says, okay, get ready. Get ready, something really important. It's about to be shared and then it says, simply he taught them and that's an expression in the original language for formal teaching not, but he often did walking along the road sharing Parables. Those can think he was getting down and just laying it out. Line upon line upon line. They understood that the eight secrets of a happy life are radical and revolutionary.

I mean, we have the the smiley face here. Jesus had a way of turning things upside down. Or maybe you would say they were upside down and he turned right-side up. That made him be a better way to say it. Jesus taught, the principles of an upside down kingdom. He caught something that was counterculture. The Beatitudes would have been counterculture. They were not the norm in that day and they certainly are not the norm in this day. And as powerful as they were, then they're just as powerful today as just really needed, then they're desperately needed now. Show me just to look at them just briefly. It says, blessed are the poor in spirit. She said, blessed. Are you? If you understand, you are nothing without God. He's talking to a bunch of Jewish people who had lived out a religion, based on 613 laws. They didn't need God that a bunch of laws. And then, all they had to do was perfectly follow them. That was their religion ever self-absorbed. They were man-made. They didn't need God, they had rules. Jesus said that's all backwards. You need to understand that the work of God is a work of the spirit. The work of God is the work of your inner spirit and soul and Center in Coeur, d'Alene. Get right with God. Relationally. It's not just doing a bunch of stuff. It's being in relationship with the Living. God blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn blessed are those who understand sin is destructive and it destroys people in relationship. Blessed. Are you who mourn over sin and are deeply moved by your sin and convicted by your sin is trying to group of people that have a callous heart are unrepentant. Didn't care about Sin. That rules blessed are the meek. She says respect other put other people first. Be humble. You've talking only to a Jewish people that were not only lacking in humility, but they lived in the backdrop of a Roman culture. That was anything, but me. What's the weather, right? Just listen to those who do justice? Kindness and compassion. He's talking to a group of people that we're living in a culture that was all about Injustice and Prejudice, whatever we can do to get ahead. That's what we're going to do. What's what are the merciful people who forgive quickly less of the pure in heart? People question their own motives and make sure they're doing the God thing, the right thing, the empathetic thing, the loving thing, the kind thing that was foreign to his. Here's blessed, are the peacemakers for those who build Bridges. He's talking to a culture. Who said, no, it's all about advancing. My own agenda. I Don't Want to Build a Bridge of Peace. I want to win. I want what's best for me. I don't care about the other person. Blessed are those who live with conviction during times of persecution, see it as an opportunity to show your faith. He's talking to a Jewish people that just wanted to fight. Just wanted to fight.

I want to give you just a few thoughts. As we wrap things up. That will be very helpful as we go in our series ahead. What are some guiding principles and understanding the Beatitudes having to go through these quickly, but they're important to encourage you to write them down. There's a place for you to write them down here in your book if you want to keep it all there. That's why I handed it out today, but the Beatitudes describe the standard of behavior for all Christians, the Beatitudes are descriptive and prescriptive. They describe what a Christian is. So if you want to know what is Christian, its leaves at 8 and also prescribed for you and me, what we are to become, we need to become more and more poor in spirit morning, over sin meat It's so merciful peacemakers excetera through all eight. It's both descriptive and prescriptive. Mini Christian settle for subnormal. So that to become normal seems abnormal. The reality is that these eight or the norm? These are the standard Jesus's. This is a standard of life in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what I expect of my followers and these are the eight secrets that lead to a happy life. Happy. Are you blessed? Are you makarios is the Greek word?

Jesus said, I want you to live authentically. Visibly thoroughly deeply. I listen. There are a lot of versions of Christianity right now.

There's a lot of people that claim will, this is Christian. That's Christian. You know, syncretism is not only found the deep dark heart of Africa were people at animism and little bit of this and a little of that and they Stir It Up and come up with their own religion. Threat, America, people are coming up with their own version of Christianity.

And yet everybody thinks knowing I'm doing it just the way Jesus want. I'll tell you how, you decide. You compare a person's version of Christianity to the eight secrets of a happy life. This is Jesus's version of what it means to be a true follower of Christ. And we filter our life through these eight Beatitudes to determine what he wants us to become and who we are supposed to be as Christians. You could read it this way. Instead of blessed are the poor in spirit, Christians are poor in spirit Christians, mourn, Christians are merciful. Christians are pure in heart. Christians are peacemakers. This is what it means to be Christian. Secondly, every beatitude is to be lived out by every Christian. It's not multiple choice, folks. How many thought it was going to be honest. It's not multiple choice is not. Well, you know, I'm pretty good in this one, but not so much in that one. Hey, I got a friend. That's really merciful, but not very pure but that's okay. That's not how it works. All 8 Ali, we're all in on all eight. And that's why. We asked Christ to help us be the people. He wants us to be the Beatitudes number 3 or not natural tendencies. Apri Christian. Somebody was not yet a Christian cannot just kind of work up enough virtue to do these. You can't be poor in spirit without being poor in spirit. You can't be saved without recognizing. You need a savior. You can't be a servant of Jesus without serving Jesus. I need to understand. There's nothing that I can do to earn eternal life. It's only through Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross, that I can find my way to heaven. I need to be saved. I need to be forgiven of my sins. If I'm going to go to heaven, only Jesus Christ can do that.

They're not natural tendencies. I need the spirit of God. Working in me. I need the power of the resurrected Christ to work, in me. It's not easy to be a peacemaker. But with the power of God, we can do all things. Amen. We can build Bridges to severed relationship. We can reach out to the disenfranchised. We can do everything. Jesus calls us to do in the power of Jesus Christ. So we invite him and his spirit is at work in us and he gives us the strength to grow and grow and become more and more like him number for the Beatitudes. Serve as a test to see if we're really Christian that kind of touched on that a moment ago. But let me just hit a quickly again, here. I want you to join me in value 8 in your life, even right now. In light of these eight Beatitudes. And then, I want to encourage you to emulate. Prescription Jesus Christ has given us in these a beatitude so that you can join me in. Elevating our followership of Jesus Christ. Evaluate emulating Elevate, Jesus Christ. Help me with my broken relationship. Be a peacemaker like you were a peacemaker. May I honor God in my relationships on each of these eight, as we work through them? Ask God to help you be more and more and more like him. You see the attitudes, tell us what it means to be Christian. There's self-examination test. We filter our life. Through them. Finally. Jesus listed the Beatitudes in sequential order. What are the poor in spirit? We don't get to 2 3, 4 5 6, 7 or 8. If we don't first understand that we desperately need Jesus. I can add nothing to my salvation is through Christ Alone, Christ Alone, Jesus, forgive me of my sins. I want to be a follower of yours and we invite him in as he forgives us of our sins. And we're saved. Conversion happens. When we accept Christ the Savior and then we understand the gravity of sin blessed are those who mourn and it helps us find humility. Because we realize it's not about us. There's nothing I can do. My righteousness is as filthy rags and so I can be humble much easier. And that you melody tells me find righteousness and mercy and Purity and so forth will talk about that. These weeks ahead. I want to close with this next slide. Would you joining join me in these action steps as we get ready to pray? Today we kick off 60 days of spiritual go. This can be one of those things you do. Hey, Pastor Rob's fired up in that. Great, good for him. That's awesome. You wrote a study guide. He's got a sticker and he's wearing a wristband. That's really, really cool. Okay. Now I'm going to go have lunch and forget everything we talked about today. Or you can do exactly what I plan to do. And that is make the 60 days. Different special carved out marked out too big in the God's word dissect, the Beatitudes applying ruthlessly to my life vigorously. Pray, Reach Out. Re-examine and examine again, my personal testimony and strive more than ever before. To live like Jesus. Love, Like, Jesus and Lead others to Jesus. So, encouraged you to come in study. These eight Beatitudes over to go over week after week, after we get in a group, go through the devotional study guide, determine which one of these eight Beatitudes you struggle with the most. Maybe it's hard for you to forgive someone. So blessed, are the merciful. That's a tough one.

These are some people in your life. They're just really causing you a lot of angst. So, peacemaking. At stuff. Maybe you could try and decide if you want to be a follower of Christ. So blessed are the poor in spirit. That's the one that you need to really kind of continued to work on. I hope you see a can be a place where you can come and learn to kick the tires of faith in overtime, find your way to Christ. We want this to be that kind of place, both online and in person. And then rethink what it means to be truly Christian. Ask God to align your heart, your attitude, your conversation, your relationships, your compassion, for others. The virtues of Christ to align those with his. And then finally. Pray, pray right now with me and pray every day for 60 days. Lord. May I be more like you. I long more than anything in my life Lord to be devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. Give me the strength. Give me the passion. Stir My Heart Change. My Mind. Help me rethink.

Lord, I pray for my friends here today. As we wrap up this service. So we look forward to an incredible. Journey over these next. Ten weeks. We were talking about Jesus, in the values of Jesus, in the virtues of Jesus, and the teachings of Jesus. You are a lord and savior. You are Master. You are the captain of Our Lives. You are Lord, Our Savior, our resurrected King. We are followers of you. We are Disciples of you. We're not followers of somebody else or some ideologies. We are followers of Jesus Christ, The Living savior. And I pray, Lord that you'll help me. You help us, you'll help us as our church, get it right when it comes to these eight secrets to living a happy life. Me these Beatitudes be flushed out in her life and shine victoriously through our life. So that all who know it know there's something different about those folks down there at BCA. They live and love and Lead, like Jesus. It's uncanny. It's unbelievable for serious about Jesus.

If you here today and you have not committed your life to Jesus with, you do that right now. If you'd like to make peace with God, through faith in Christ, just simply pray, a prayer. I prayed so many of us prayed long ago, Jesus Come into my life. Forgive me of my sins. If you pray that prayer, please please tell me about it. Fill out the online connection card or the one right in front of you. If you're seated here, dropping the black boxes, you leave, we want to follow up with some great. Great next steps for you. We know it will really be helpful.

But I pray your blessing for each and every one this year.

As we purpose in our own Hearts to make the next 60 days. Different. Dallas repurposed to really seek after you and get after these eight. I pray that by your Holy Spirit. Give us strength and encouragement. I pray your blessing on our church. I pray your blessing on everybody who's here. I pray your blessing on those and other services. Those listening online. I pray, you'll stir our faith. May we reach higher? May we go farther and may we grow deeper in Jesus, these next 60 days. And we thought possible. And we pray it all in Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. I got you two stand with me. We're going to sing a closing song in our prayer team is here. If you have a special need, you like prayer for, we encourage you to come down during the song or after maybe like to stand in for someone. Who's going through a really challenging time. Just want to invite you to come for prayer room to sing a song and then we'll be dismissed. God bless you.