NEW YEAR NEW COMMITMENTS

Bradley

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A Commitment to Spiritual Maturity

I want to welcome you again this morning.

First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.

I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.

I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

That being said, for the month of January we’ve taken a break from our expositional style in order to focus in on the New Year. Because as we enter 2022, I believe God has big plans for MCF.

However, if we want to accomplish what God has planned, we have to be prepared for what lies ahead. How do we get prepared?

It starts with you and I making some commitments.

Commitments that will requires us to focus more on the spiritual rather than the physical.

Commitments that will lead to more joy, more hope, more peace, and more purpose in your life.

Commitments that if kept will lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

So, what are the commitments we need to make? For our purposes, there are four.

In week one, we looked at the first one, a commitment to give. A commitment that requires us to give more of our time, talent, and treasure.

In week two, we looked at a commitment to pray. A commitment that requires us devote more time and attention to our prayer life.

Last week we looked at a commitment to read God’s Word. A commitment that requires a daily consumption of God’s Word in our life.

And so if you missed the messages from the past few weeks, I would encourage you to go online or log onto the MCF app and listen to them in their entirety.

Today however, we are going to look at the final commitment. A commitment I have simply titled, “A commitment to Spiritual Maturity.”

And so to help get us focused on this final commitment and what it means to be committed to spiritual maturity, I want to begin by asking you a question I think we can all relate with.

Question - Have you ever had one of those occasions where you haven’t seen somebody for a long time, and then you run into them or you see them on Facebook, and you hardly recognize them because they’ve totally changed in appearance?

For example, we recently ran into some friend or ours, who hadn’t seen our son David in several years and couldn’t believe how much he had grown and how different he looked. Because last time they saw him he looked like this:

Picture of David.

I don’t know if you notice, but that’s me and David at a Broncos game. Just thought I’d throw that in there. For all you Chiefs fans, that’s what a real football stadium looks like.

But here’s a picture from just over a year ago.

Picture of David.

Quite a difference, right? I mean I haven’t changed, but David went from being a little boy to a young man.

But that’s what happens, right? As time moves forward, people grow, and with growth comes physical change and maturity.

In fact, it’s been intersting over the last few weeks to watch people on Facebook respond to the 10 year challenge.

If you’re not familiar with the 10 year challenge, it’s a challenge on Facebook that asks you to post a picture of yourself from 10 years ago and a picture from today. And what’s fun and fascinating about it is to see the physical change that has taken place in a person over a 10 year period.

So, just for fun, here are some of the ones that I found intersting or entertaining:

Show Pics

Well, enough of that.

But the point I’m trying to make is that over time our appearance matures and changes, sometimes significantly and sometimes not so significantly. Sometimes for the best and sometimes not for the best.

And what we need to understand this morning, is that what is true for the physical body is true for the spiritual as well.

That the longer you are a Christian, the more you follow Jesus, the more evident it should become that you are maturing or growing in your faith.

And the hope would be, that after a year, two years, and even 10 years, there would be a noticeable difference in your spiritual life. To the point, that if you ran into somebody you who hadn’t seen in years, not only would they notice that you’ve matured physically, but that you’ve matured spiritually as well. .

In fact, the hope would be that you would look more like Jesus than you ever have before.

The question then is, “How does a person grow in that kind of spiritual maturity?”

That’s what I want to talk with you about today.

And so to help us better understand what that looks like and how that takes place, we are going to spend the majority of our time today in Hebrews 10 where the writer of Hebrews gives us some insight into what a person needs to be committed to in order to grow in spiritual maturity.

And based on what we are going to learn today, the writer is going to give us three growth commitments we need to be willing to make.

So, what are those commitments? Let’s find out as we jump to the middle of the chapter beginning in verse 19. Look at what the writer says:

Hebrews 10:19–21 ESV

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

What I want you to notice first about this passage is that the writer starts with a “therefore”, which is a signal for us, that before we go any further, we need to ask the question, “What’s it there for?”

And it’s there because everything we are about to learn, and everything the writer is about to encourage us to do, will be based on everything he just said in the verses above.

Which might cause you to ask the question, “If everything the writer is about to say is based on what he just said, shouldn’t we have started at the beginning of this chapter?”

Yes. And in most cases we would need to stop here, back up, and find out what the therefore is the for.

But in this case, after stating, “therefore”, the writer does us a favor by quickly summarizing everything he’s just said in a few short sentences. Which is why we started with the “therefore”, because before we can understand how to grow in spriitual maturity, we first need to understand what that maturity is based on.

So, what’s it based on? Well, according to the “therefore” it’s based on what Jesus has done for us and what we now have access to because of Him.

Look again at what he says:

Hebrews 10:19–21 ESV

What the writer reiterates here is the hope and confidence a person can have because of what Jesus has done.

That because of Jesus, our sins can be atoned for.

That because of Jesus we can have access to God.

That because of Jesus we now have an advocate that intercedes on our behalf.

That because of Jesus we can become something we couldn’t before.

And that’s important for us to understand because without Jesus spiritual maturity is an impossibility.

But because of what Jesus has done for us, the door for spiritual maturity has been opened. And all we have to be willing to do is to walk through it.

That’s good news for us this morning church. To know if you put your hope in Jesus, if you make Him Lord of your life, you have the ability to become all that God desires you to be.

Which now leads us to the first commitment we must be willing to make if we want to grow into spiritual maturity. And I would state it like this:

Growth Commitment #1 - In order to grow in spiritual maturity, I must have a genuine desire to draw near to God.

Because based on the “therefore”, here’s where the writer says spiritual maturity begins:

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

The writer says if we want to grow in spiritual maturity it starts with drawing near.

The idea being, we need to be committed to getting as close to God as we possibly can.

The question then is, “How do you do that?”

The writer gives us four clues on how that’s accomplished:

First, he says drawing near to God starts with a true heart.

So, what does that mean? The idea here is that our allegiance and desire for God needs to be genuine. In other words, it needs to go beyond ritual expression or worship expression and come directly from our heart.

For example, your allegiance or desire for God can’t just be based on church attendance. That just because you show up on Sunday it doesn’t mean you are genuinely committed to a relationship with God.

And it can’t just be based on worship expression. That just because you raise your hands, clap your hands, close your eyes, and sing really loud that you are wholeheartedly devoted to God.

I mean don’t get me wrong. Church attendance and passionate worship are great. But that’s not what drawing near with a true heart means.

Drawing near with a true heart means you truly desire to surrender your life fully to God, not just on Sunday, not just on Christmas, not just on Easter, not just when you sing the worship song, not just when you feel like it, but in every moment and aspect of your life. That your desire is to give God 100% of your life 100% of time.

The quesiton then is, “How do you do that?”

Well, along with a true heart and desire for God, the writer says we need to have full assurance of faith.

The idea here is that we would fully understand that it’s through Jesus that we get close to God. That it’s through faith and faith alone in Jesus drawing close to God becomes possible. Jesus puts it like this:

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus says He’s the only way to get to God.

What that means then, is if you want to get closer to God, obtaining a heart like that doesn’t come through church attendance. It’s not going to come through denominational affiliation. And it’s not going to come through a priest or a pastor. The only one with the power to open your heart to God’s presence in your life is Jesus. He’s the only way. Which means, you have to be fully willing to embrace Jesus as Lord and savior. Like Jesus has to become your everything. I know, it’s radical holy roller stuff.

But it doesn’t stop there. Because along with assurance of faith, your heart must be sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.

So, what does that mean? It means along with seeing Jesus as the only way to draw near to God, you have to be committed to allowing the work of sanctification to take place in your life.

And when I say sanctification I’m talking about the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in your life as more of the old you dies and more of the new is born. Paul puts it like this:

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Think of it like this. If you’re a farmer and you want your crops to have a high yield, along with water, you have to make sure the weeds don’t take over, right?

That’s what sanctification is all about. It’s about God weeding you out. Because if you want to mature in your faith, the weeds of your former life need to go.

But for that to happen we have to be active participants who are willing to respond when the Holy Spirit identifies a weed in our life.

For example, maybe a weed in your life is premarital sex. And the Holy Spirit says, “You need to get rid of that weed. That’s a weed that’s keeping you from growing in your relationship with me.”

Well, guess what, in order to get rid of the weed, you have to make the decision to stop having sex with your girlfriend or boyfriend. You have to be willing to respond obediently to the Spirit’s leading.

And there would be other examples, but my point is, if you want to grow closer to God, you have to be willing to get rid of what keeps you from getting closer to Him. Because I’m going to tell you right now, nobody who keeps on sinning once they know the truth gets access to the Father. The Apostle John puts it like this:

1 John 3:6–9 ESV

6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

John basically says, “If you want to abide with God, then you have to be committed to getting rid of the sin in your life.” Which means, you need to be committed to the process of sanctification.

Finally, if you want to draw closer to God, the writer says, your body has to be washed with pure water.

So, what does that mean? Does that mean I need to be water baptized. Well, you do need to get water baptized, but that’s not what the writer is referring to here. Because in this case “pure and water” are being used symbolically to represent the purified Word of God.

In other words, along with a true heart, along with faith in Jesus, and along with sanctified life, you and I need to be committed to living by God’s Word.

Pastor Bob talked about this last week. And it’s the idea that you are committed to living out God’s Word in your life. Committed to allowing it to pour into every crevasse of your life. Pastor Bob put it like this. He said you need to be willing to eat the book.

Why? Because when we eat the book, when we allow God’s Word to be consumed into our lives, it opens the door for maturity.

The Apostle Peter puts it like this:

1 Peter 2:2 ESV

2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

Peter says we are to crave the pur spiritual milk of God’s Word. Of God’s truth.

Which is why reading our Bibles and growing in the knowledge of God’s Word is so important. Because the more you consume God’s Word, the closer you’ll be to God.

All that to say, if we want to grow in spiritual maturity, we have to be willing to draw near to God.

This leads us to a second growth commitment:

Growth Comittment #2 - In order to grow in spiritual maturity, I must hold fast to my faith.

The writer puts it like this:

Hebrews 10:23 ESV

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

The idea here is that we are too hold fast to the promises that God has made. Promises that are found in His Word.

And so in essence, what the writer is saying, is if we want to grow in spiritual maturity, that maturity comes as we hold fast to what God has promised.

And I think we all understand that, but if we’re honest, we’d all to admit easier said than done, right? Because sometimes it’s hard to hold fast to a promise that hasn’t happened yet.

For example:

It’s hard to hold fast to the promise of provision when the bills seem never ending.

It’s hard to hold fast to the promise of relational healing when the marriage is falling apart.

It’s hard to hold fast to the promise of physical healing when the doctor’s say there’s no hope.

It’s hard to hold fast to the promise of godly parenting when your child continues to run from God.

It’s hard to hold fast to the promise of godly living when the godless continue to prosper.

I think if we’re all honest we’d have to admit that holding fast is hard because holding fast means we have to trust God even when the situation feels hopeless. And that’s hard.

And yet while it’s hard, it’s what matures us. The Apostle James puts it like this:

James 1:2–3 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

What James is saying here is that it’s through holding fast that we grow. Through holding fast that God matures us in our faith.

The question then is, “How do you hold fast?”

That’s a great question, and to be honest, we don’t have the time to fully answer that quesiton today.

Which is why next week we are going to begin a new study on the book of James. A book that was written to Christians who were struggling to hold fast. A book that was written to help Christians navigate the trials and challenges of life while at that same time maturing and growing in their faith.

So, if you want to learn how to hold fast, I want encourage you to be here next week as we begin that journey.

But for now I would say this. When it comes to holding fast, Holding fast doesn’t begin with the promise, it beings with the Promise maker.

In other words, if you want to hold fast, you have to stop focusing on what you don’t have yet, and start focusing on the promise maker. On the one who is always true to His Word.

This is exactly what Sarah had to do in Genesis 18 when God promised at 90 years old she would have a child. Kind of seems impossible, right? but Sarah didn’t’ focus on the impossible. Instead she focused on the promise maker. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

Hebrews 11:11 ESV

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

Notice what the writer says. He says Sarah didn’t focus on what seemed impossible, but on the faithful God who made the promise.

Because that’s where it starts.

And I’m going to tell you right now, the more you put your hope in the promise maker, the more you will mature in your faith. Why? Because your confidence isn’t in what hasn’t happened yet, but in the faithfulness of the promise maker who said it will happen.

And we’ll talk more about that in the weeks to come as we dive into the book of James.

Which new leads us to our final commitment for spiritual maturity.

Because along with drawing near to God and holding fast, in order to grow in spiritual maturity:

Growth Commitment #3 - In order to grow in spiritual maturity, I must be willing to connect socially.

The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

I love how the writer introduces this next growth commitment, because in a way he bring us into the conversation. He says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works...”

In other words he says, “Hey, let’s stop and think about this for a moment. What could we do that would help us love each other more. What would we do that would help us be more committed to helping others?”

And He asks that because both of those are aspects of Christian maturity as we grow in love for one another and others.

So, how do we do that?

Thankfully he has an answer because he says, “How about we do that by...”

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The writer says the answer to this kind of growth takes place as we make meeting together a priority.

So, a great quesiton would be, “When he says meet together, what is he talking about?”

Well, in the context of the NT he’s talking about about Christians gathering together for social purposes. What kind of social purposes? Thankfully the book of Acts tell us. Because in the beginning days oft he church, Luke, the writer of Acts, gives us the purpose for the gathering of believers. He writes:

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Based on this passage, Luke says Christians were devoted to gathering together for three purposes:

First, for teaching and fellowship. Which means they came together to study God’s Word and to fellowship with one another.

Second, they came together for the breaking of bread. Which means they shared a meal or had dinner together.

Third, they came together for prayers. Which means they took time to pray and pray for one another.

So, a good question would be, “Why were they so devoted to all of this?”

Well, back in Hebrews 10, the writer tells us.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

The writer says they met together to stir one another up and to bring encouragement to one another.

So, why was that important? It was important because life as a Christian in the 1st century was hard. And so in order to not lose heart or lose focus, the believers were making it a priority to meet together for support and encouragement.

In fact in Acts 2 we are told it was a daily priority. Check this out:

Acts 2:46–47 ESV

46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Notice what the writer says. He says their engagement with one another took place on a daily basis as they showed up not just on Sunday for church, but every day.

Not only that, but through the rest of the week they were meeting in each others homes for ongoing fellowship and encouragement.

And apparently it was so impactful, that other people started taking notice. So much so that they wanted to be a part of what was happening. And as a result on a daily basis people were getting saved.

Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Ok, that’s great pastor. Good for them. But what does this have to do with me and with church today? Pastor, surely your not suggesting that we start having church every day and meeting in each others homes every day? Because pastor that’s not even practical”

No, I’m not suggesting we have church every day. And I’m not suggesting we meet in homes every night. But I am saying this:

If you want to grow as a Christian, it’s going to take more than just you in your life. And it’s definitely going to take more than 1 hour on a Sunday morning with a group of believers to keep you moving forward spiritually.

Because just like then, we are living in a world where it’s hard to be a Christian. A world where it’s hard not to get discouraged. A world where it’s easy to lose heart and lose focus.

And just like the Christians of that day, Christians today need to be connected with other Christians in a way that they can be encouraged, strengthened, and stirred up. And the only way that happens is if Christians are willing to meet together.

But here’s the challenge. The challenge is in making gathering together as Christians a priority. Why? Because quite frankly, life is busy.

And as a result, when life gets busy, it’s easy to make Church and Christian fellowship less of a priority. And to be honest with you, that’s what many Christians have done. They’ve made it a habit of not gathering with a body of believers on a consistent basis.

And whether they realize it or not, it’s making their life as a Christian that much more difficult, and in some cases, it’s stunting their spiritual growth and maturity.

Because while your personal devotion and relationship with Jesus is important, you can’t fully develop as a Christian unless you surround yourself with other believers who can challenge you, encourage you, and at times hold you accountable when there are things in your life that need to change.

And the truth is, we all need that. And I’m of the opinion that we need it more than ever. Which is why the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Notice what the writer says. He says not only should we not neglect to meet together, but we should be committed to meeting all the more as the Day draws near.

So, what does he mean by that. What Day is he talking about?

What he’s referring to is the Day that Jesus returns. The day that the sky cracks open and Jesus comes back for His church.

And he says as that day draws nearer, we need to be more committed to meeting with one another. Why?

Because the closer we get to that day, the worse things are going to get on planet earth. And I don’t know about you, but I feel that day approaching more and more as the world continues to spiral out of control. And I believe we need each other more than ever.

The question then is, “How do we make meeting together a priority, and secondly, what does that look like?”

Well, first I’d say, making it a priority starts with a decision. A decision that will require you to change some priorities and form some new habits.

What changes in priority am I referring to? Well, they differ for all of us. For some it could be making sporting events less important. For others it could mean making personal hobbies like hunting and fishing less important. And then for some it could mean making your personal time less important.

For example, sometimes people will tell me, “Pastor, I would have been there Sunday but, it’s really my only day off and I just needed to be able to stay home.”

And I get that. From time to time you have to unplug. But that can’t become the habit. And while you think you did yourself a favor, you just missed an opportunity to receive the encouragement you needed to move into a new week.

So, if you want to make Christian fellowship a priority, you may need to rearrange your priorities.

Along with that, you’ll need to form some new habits that will help you grow spiritually. What habits? I’m glad you asked because I have a few suggestions:

Habit #1 - Start going to church every Sunday.

Because I’ll be honest, I can’t think of a better place for your family to be on a Sunday morning than in a place where you are worshiping, fellowshipping, and growing spiritually with other believers.

In fact, I can’t think of one negative thing that would come from you being at church with your family on a Sunday morning. To be in the presence of God. To be surrounded by people who love you, care for you, believe in you, and are praying for you. I find that super encouraging.

And yes, I understand there are weekends where stuff comes up, kids are sick, your on vacation, etc… But honestly those should be few and far between to where week to week Sunday worship is a top priority.

But to become a priority, it has to become a habit. Something you do every week no matter what.

Habit #2 - Start or join an MCF Connect Group.

When I say Connect Group, I’m talking about a group of 8-12 people who meet on a weekly basis for teaching, fellowship, and prayer.

Why would you do that? You should do that because unlike Sunday morning, a connect group gives you opportunity to connect with other christians at a deeper level. In a place where meaningful conversations can take place. In a place where prayer requests can be given and prayed for. In a place where you can be known.

And believe it or not, we are getting ready to start new groups in just a couple of weeks. And I’m super excited about our groups this Spring because for the first time we are doing something compeltely different.

Different in that for the next several weeks and up to Easter, all of our groups are going to be going through the same study. It’s’ a study based on a TV series called “The Chosen”. A series based on the life and ministry of Jesus.

And I’m excited about it because not only will we be doing it together as a church, but week to week we are going to be learning together about who Jesus is, what He did for us, and how He wants to work in our lives today.

And the good news is, anybody can lead a group like this. All you have to be willing to do is host, press play, and then lead in some discussion.

And what I think you’re going to discover, is not only is the study going to be helpful, but being in relationship with other believers on a weekly basis is going to bring encouragement and needed support to your life.

For example, just last week we had an individual in our church who was struggling financially because their spouse had been out of work with covid for over a week. Jackie was able to giver them some aid from our benevolence fund, but then she also encouraged them to call their connect group. And would you believe within a couple of hours their connect group mobilized and is providing a meal every night for their family for the next week.

How encouraging is that. To know you have a group of people in your corner who are their to encourage and support you in a time of need.

Which is why the writer of Hebrews said not to neglect from meeting together. Why? Because we need each other.

I can tell you from personal experience some of Denise and I’s greatest growth and friendships have come from being involved in a connect group. People that we could still call on today in a time of need. People that are still an encouragement in our lives. People who have helped mature us spiritually.

But along with weekly worship attendance and a connect group, I want to encourage you to form one final habit:

Habit #3 - Be committed to meet and pray with other believers.

Along with the teaching and the fellowship, the book of Acts said they met for the prayers.

As I shared a couple of weeks ago, I can’t stress strongly enough the importance of prayer in our lives. And what I want you to consider this morning, is that how much you mature spiritually in 2022 is going to be largely based on how much time you devote to prayer. But not just prayer on your own, but prayer with other believers.

I know that to be true based on what I’ve seen happen in the last year.

Because last year for the first time we joined Church of the Highlands for their 21 Days of prayer. 21 Days where we invited people to show up at the church at 6am to worship and pray.

And I have to be honest with you, I didn’t know what you all would do, and I was a little discouraged on the first day when only 6 people showed up to pray.

But we kept going, and by the end of the 21 days we had around 20 people who were showing up.

From there I decided to start a prayer meeting every Saturday morning from 7-8am. My goal, to simply pray for the Sunday worship services. And just like the 21 days, it started with a few, but within a few weeks it grew to around 30 people who were coming every Saturday morning to pray.

Then in August we joined the church of the Highlands for another round of 21 days of prayer. And this time over 100 people signed up to come in person or join online, and would you believe 50 people showed up in person to pray on that first day of 21 days.

This then led us to where we are today as once again we are doing the 21 days. And what’s amazing is this time we had 165 sign up wether online or in person and we’ve had anywhere from 40-50 showing up at 6am to pray for the last coupe of weeks.

And I’m telling you right now, not only is it making a difference in our church, it’s making a difference in the lives of those who are praying. Because when a body of believers show up to pray, God shows up in a way that He doesn’t when we pray alone.

I can’t explain it, but I know it to be true.

And I know for me it’s been transformational. It’s grown me in ways I would have never thought possible. It’s given me hope in areas where I didn’t even know I needed hope. It’s encouraged me to keep moving forward despite difficult circumstances. Corporate prayer has changed me, and it will change you as well, if you’re willing to be committed to it.

So, there you have it. Three social habits that if implemented into your life will change your life.

That being said, and based on everything we’ve learned today, I want give you three next steps for you to take today that I believe will hep you grow in your spiritual maturity:

Step #1 - Decide today to be here next Sunday.

Next Sunday we are starting the James series. And I’’m super excited this series mainly because James has a lot to say about trials. In fact, it’s how he starts his letter. Because in verse 2 he actually says:

James 1:2 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

Now, I don’t know about you, but I rarely consider my trials as something to rejoice over. But James says we should count it as joy when we face difficulty. So, what’s that all about? Come back next week and you’ll find out. Because what James is going to teach us about trials is going to grow us in our faith.

So make next week a priority as we begin this series.

Step # 2 - Don’t leave today without signing up to host or attend a Connect Group.

In your sermon notes you have a card that looks like this. And what I’d ask you to consider is to either sign up to attend or host a group.

Now, I’m going to be honest with you. While we have several Connect Groups, most of them are already full. Which means, we need some people to sign up and host groups. And all that means is you’re going to be the point person on leading the group. And to help you we are going to train you and give you everything you need to succeed.

And so by signing up to host, Pastor Jackie will send you info on a zoom meeting that you can attend and get everything you need to host.

And I promise you, if you’re willing to host or attend a group, it’s going to grow you in new ways. That through fellowship and interaction with other believers, you’re going to be encouraged and strengthened in ways you didn’t even know you needed.

But for that to happen, you have to sign up.

Step #3 - Join the last week of 21 Days.

Tomorrow morning at 6AM we will gather here for the last week of 21 days of prayer. And as I said we’ve had a great turnout here and online.

But this week I want to take it up a notch. And so what I’m asking you to do one of two things.

First, through the MCF APP to either join us online at 6am everyday this week.

Second, that you would make it a priority to be here in person everyday this week at 6am.

You see what I’m praying for and envisioning isn’t just 40-50 people here tomorrow morning, but 80-100.

I mean can you imagine that, if on this last week of 21 days we had 100 people showing up at 6am to pray. Can you imagine what God might do. Can you imagine the impact that would have on our community? If anything the buzz it would create as people drive by at 6am and see our parking lot packed with cars. Would that not be amazing.

And I can promise you this. If you show up this week at 6am each day, by the end of this week, you’re going to have changed spiritually. Like if you could take a spiritual picture of yourself on Monday, on Friday it would look completely different.

So, if at all possible, make every effort to join us either online or in person, and preferably in person.

MCF, as we close out this series, I truly believe the greatest year for MCF lies ahead. And that because we prayed, God is going to do more than we could have ever imagined.