Anchored Always - Week 10

I went home last week after the service and just prayed a little more and God just began to speak to me more even through the sermon and the service last week about being anchored in his faithfulness. And as I began to pray and God just began to speak to me a little more he reminded me a couple things was one one was this I don't know whether or not y'all realize it but after this week we only have one more week left in the anchored series only one more week left and I um for those of you who don't know I went to Syracuse University and my degree is actually in writing. I got a degree in writing and rhetoric from Syracuse University so I write and one of the things that you learn when you write especially when you're writing essays and books and scripts and all of these things is how you begin it in the introduction you got to bring it back to that in the conclusion you're supposed to match it and so as I'm praying and going through it God is like I need you to bring it back to the beginning one time for them because the temptation sometimes we could go through this whole series we go through this whole season we talk about anchored and then after the series is over we start thinking all right what's next that's done what's next but the scripture not even a scripture the thought that God gave me as I began to think about anchored in his faithfulness is this God has called us to be anchored always anchored always I want to speak to you from the top of today and Rufus you can stay with me I'm not going to be long I want to speak to you from the top of today anchored always always the our theme scripture has been Jeremiah 17. It says this in Jeremiah 17 verses 7 to 8 it says but blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord whose confidence is in him they will be like a tree planted by the water that sent out its roots by the stream it does not fear when heat comes here's the part its leaves are always green its leaves are always green this is important because as we think about being anchored I think it's necessary for us to understand that there is I'm gonna make up a word there is an alwaysness you ever heard that word before alwaysness there's an alwaysness that's innately tied to anchored always it said his leaves are always green and and I know sometimes when we think about something that lasts forever it's hard for us to imagine it because we're human we think how can I always be

anything here's what God wants me to help you to remember to understand when we talk about always it's not an always feeling it's an always being I'm gonna say it again it's not an always feeling it's an always being you won't always feel anchored some of us sometimes the issue is we get too distracted by our feelings God wants us to he brought us through this whole season this whole series not so we can feel anchored but so that we can be anchored he knows that you know what life is gonna happen when this series is over things will change things will change at home things will change in your family things might change in your health things might change at your job things might change with your bank account things may change but that's why I love the song we just sang rains came rain came winds blew my house was built on you I'm safe with you you know what I recognize as I begin to like think through this more and this might sound ridiculous but some of us have more faith in the chair that we're sitting in than we do in a God that holds us it's ridiculous to think about but some of us come in here week after We sit in the chair and we never look at the chair and say is it gonna hold me today? Week after week we never come in we just plop down do And we just assume the chair is gonna hold us How crazy is it that we have more faith in the chair? Then we have in the God Who's protected us who's provided for us who's made a way for us time after time year after year Generation after generation some of us go through our lives with so much anxiety and so much stress We just it's almost as if we just waiting on God to fill God I got I got I'm waiting for you to pull a rug out from under me Got got got I'm waiting for you to show that you really can't hold me through this God wants you to remember today and ask yourself the question has God filled you yet Has to be a moment in your life where he didn't come through for you Some of us think because God hasn't come through when we expect him to come through that he's filled us God is like no part of being anchored is always trusting and always trusting my timing and

Always trusting that even when you don't see it yet. I'm still working Even when you don't feel it yet. I'm still good. I'm always good. I'm always perfect I'm always loving you. There's a scripture that I asked the team to throw up It's in 1st Corinthians 13 7 When it talks about love 1st Corinthians 13 7 says this love always protects always trust always hopes always perseveres always God wants us to rest in always And I love how it says this and I'm going back to Jeremiah 17 it says It has no worries even in a year of drought and Never fails to bear fruit Now again, I know because we're human we think how could this be? But can I challenge you today? Can I challenge you to put down your human thinking when it comes to God? Some of us have put limitations on God because we look at God to our human lens our human God is like I'm not human. I Don't have limits Do you remember in the scriptures where I told you with man? Some things are impossible, but with God all things are possible God how can I be always anchored? He said you can be always anchored because your trust is in the God who's always the same He's never failed and you might look like CJ is there anything more no No, there's nothing more but for you to know that you're in the hands of a God Who's always good Always faithful this is important because I know There may be people in the room today and you're like Can can he do it again Can he come through again? This is why I could almost title this anchored in faithfulness part two

God wants you to know today with him. There is a such thing as always There's a such thing as always it says Never fails to bear fruit Let me say it like this when you're anchored and your trust is in God It says this when you're blessed is the one whose trust is in God So get this if your trust is in God and you're anchored that means this You can be always blessed Always but now again, I didn't say you'll always feel blessed Don't get distracted and deceived by your feelings, but I don't feel blessed. Oh, I guess I'm not blessed No, no, no, no No If my trust and my hope is in God and I have breath in my lungs and I'm still here today Guess what? I'm always blessed Some of us need to start saying these things over our lives Some of us the only thing we proclaim over our lives for a lot of us is the things that we feel Is the things that we see? If our bank account is down, we're terrible If the job is changing, we're terrible. If something is happening. I'll be okay. I'll be okay. I'm just I'm not I'm not I'm not our kids school we're terrible God is like I never called you to be going back and forth I'm not I'm not I'm not that's why this series anchored is how to be stable in the shifting world do you need to remember here's how you be stable here's how you remain stable you put your faith and your trust in the God who's always always in every season in every area of life this is why Paul said I've learned the secret and being content whether I have plenty or whether I have a little is that I serve a God who can do I can do all things through Christ

who gives me strength always God never called us to be people who go back and forth during the anchor series I was good in January I was good in February I felt good in March I felt good but in April I don't know God's like no no no no no no no how you feel may change I'm not saying you always gonna feel good I'm not saying you always gonna feel blessed I'm not saying you always gonna feel like God is gonna come through but can I tell you something just because you don't always feel like it doesn't mean you're not always blessed you are always blessed and here's what you're not only always blessed but here's the other part it says they will be like a tree that's planted by the water so he don't want you to be always blessed he always he he also wants you to be always planted planted in his hand planted in his security planted he says listen if you want to remain anchored I need you just to be like that tree don't forget what anchor looks like it looks like the picture of that tree that's planted by the water that's steady its roots are sending itself out into the stream it sends itself out into the stream you know what that shows me I'm not weather dependent I'm water dependent I'm dependent on the the living water the well that never runs dry never ever never you mean never ever ever ever never you mean I can always go to him and he'll always come through and he's always on time and he'll always deliver me and he always protect me and he'll always preserve me and he'll always care for me you mean always always always this has to get into your heart and mind because anxiety will trick you out of always don't let anxiety trick you out of always don't let other people's anxiety trip you out of always because you know what I've noticed in my own life I've noticed in my own life I could be walking through and I could be good I could be good I was talking to somebody earlier they were like CJ every time we talk to you you say you say you good like it's okay I really am good I may not always feel good but I'm good CJ how could you be good with everything that's going crazy around you because my life is not dependent on the weather that's happening around me I'm always good CJ how is that possible because I have a supernatural strength I have a supernatural dependence it's not based on me it's not based on people around me it's not based on nothing that's going on around me God wants us to be always anchored always trusting and I say there could be times when I walk around and I feel good and I am good and I don't feel good at times but I could go around I'm like I'm good and then people make what about this

what about this what about this what about this did you see this did you see this did you see the news did you see the numbers did you see this did you see this I'm like sometimes for my football people in the room sometimes we got a stiff on people a little bit I'm not going to allow you to put your anxiety on me I'm not gonna allow you to put your worries on me I'm not gonna allow you to put your stress on me I'm not gonna allow you to put your fear on me If you wanna have that, you can have it. I've chosen my place. I've chosen where I'm gonna stand. I've chosen to be planted. I've made up in my mind that my faith is always gonna be in God. And if it isn't, people will look at you crazy if, because people think it's so impossible to be, how you always, I think God wants us to be a picture of always good, always blessed, always planted, so that people will look at you and be like, what is wrong with this dude? What is wrong with this lady? They ain't never shaken. I just thought about a old song, forgive me. Bone Crusher had this song back in the day. He said, I ain't never scared. I ain't never scared, never? Never? I don't know what his hope is in. Some of us actually should be scared because I hope it's in the wrong place. But if you wanna really be never scared,

you wanna really be bold and courageous, you wanna really step the way God called you to step, you wanna really give off, I told my wife, I hate this term, but you know the term like is giving? God wants people to look at you and say, is giving always blessed? Is giving always fruitful? Is giving always planted? Is giving always secure? I love how God came and I'm done, man. I love how God came to Joshua. Joshua was always one of my favorite people in the scriptures. God came to Joshua and he told him over and over and over again, I need you to be bold and courageous, be very bold and courageous, be bold and courageous, be bold and courageous. I believe God wants us to have the same boldness and courageousness that he told Joshua to have. Maybe you're in here today and you're fearful. I don't know why all these things is coming to my head right now. But there's another song, I don't know if it's a song, if it's a meme, it's called big stepping. Big stepping. Not a little timid.

I don't know. I'm not sure. Step big. When you show up, show up. In your family, in your job, in a relationship, step in it big, step in it confident. How could you? I tell you what, I tell you what, you want the boldness to do it? I said this before, but anytime you start feeling timid, anytime you start feeling scared, anytime you start feeling afraid, anytime you start feeling like I don't know, I want to challenge you right then. That's the check engine light in the car going off that you need to get your eyes back on the source. Get your eyes, and I know I say it week after week after week, but I can't say it enough. Get your eyes back on the source. There'll be points in this year where you're gonna have to remember to get your eyes back to the source. Just the same way it's easy to be bold and easy to be courageous and easy to be generous and easy to be fruitful, when your eyes and your mind is on Christ, the same way it's easy, it's the same way it's easy to be scared and timid and filled with anxiety when you start looking at yourself. When you start looking at your own capabilities

and your own gifting and your own supply, God is like, I never called you to look to you. Some of us walk around scared and anxious, afraid, because our hope is in our jobs. Our hope is in our jobs that go up and down. Our hope is in a stock market. Some of you, your hope is in your parlay. Talk about never filled. Some of you parlays had never come through. Some of the guys in here like CJ, stop talking about parlays, I will. But you continue to put your hope in it. He said, I want you to be always blessed. He said, I want you to be always blessed, always planted. And I said it already, but the last one, always fruitful, always fruitful. CJ. mean to tell me there's a world you mean to tell me there's a place where I could be always fruitful look at what the scripture says it says it does not fear when heat comes its leaves are always green it has no worries no no worries people I I know this is crazy to think because we got so accustomed to a worldly viewpoint we've got so accustomed to like you know you know you know you know I'm not saying it's not okay to be scared sometimes I'm not saying it's not okay or not normal to have a little worries but I just can I call us a little bit higher can I call us and which is what I mean when I say a little bit higher can I call us to look a little bit higher can I call us to put our mind on something that's higher there's a word he says it has no worries even in a year of drought no worries even when everything around you is failing it has no worries even when you go on instagram and see all the craziest news it has no worries even when what you thought was gonna happen didn't happen it has no worries even when the heat comes

God don't want us to be people that's just waiting on good times to roll around some of us spend our whole lives just waiting on the good times to roll around you know I love when the scripture says this is the day that the Lord has made today it's the day that the Lord has made and who he is is the material from which he creates so if he made today and he is good that means today is good and tomorrow is good and the day after that is good because he's always good I know I know you don't feel like it I know you might be going through something right now like something right now like CJ don't feel good CJ I know you're trying to call me higher but CJ what if you don't feel like it can I tell you there's a place to make your feelings and your thoughts become obedient to the truth there's a place where he's like you know what I don't feel good today I don't feel like it but I know what his word says I know what his promises are I love this quote because some of you may be here and you're like it feels like it's over it feels like it's over it feels like the credits are rolling if your trust is in God and your hope is in God and your confidence is in him find comfort in this if it's not good it's not done if it's not good it's not over yet if it's not good yet keep praying if it hasn't turned around yet keep holding on if you haven't seen what you're looking if you haven't seen what you're looking to see yet keep going to him keep praying God has been putting on my heart so deeply he says CJ I want to call my people back to prayer I want to call my people back to reliance on me in this day and age is so many things to put our hope and trust in so many things to rely on I believe God is bringing us to a place where he's removing everything that has taken his place everything that has tempted us to put our hope and our trust in and he's removing those things so that the only place that we have to look is up sometimes he has to remove things just so you can know those things was never solid to begin with with some of us have been living our lives on a lie building our lives on things that we thought was solid that we thought was secure and God has begun and will begin to move those things away I'm gonna move this I'm gonna move that I'm gonna move this I'm gonna move that not because you're gonna die not because you're gonna fail but because there is no other way to get you to come to your knees and look up always anchored

When I look back over my life, I see all the evidence that I need to see. When I look back over my life, I'm filled with faith, I'm filled with confidence. Because you know why? I start seeing areas in my life, I told this story last week, I told this story last week of when I was in college, and I was in that dorm room, and I had no money. I remember that time, I remember that time when I just got married, and we was having our first daughter, and I had no job, and all I had was this word from God, and God telling me, CJ, I want you to work on speaking, and I just remember working on it, and working on it. I remember the phone bill coming up, not having any money for the phone bill. I remember looking at my wife, like, I don't know, but you know what I did in those moments? I went in my room, and I got on my knees, and I began to cry out to God. I began to pray to God, and He never failed. I know it may seem like nothing to you, I remember there was a time, and I told y'all I could go through stories, I remember a time, it was actually my father's retirement. And why am I sharing this? I don't know, but I feel like it might encourage you. I remember it was my father's retirement, he was having a retirement party, and it was a certain amount to get in, and I remember not having the money. But I remember, and I'm like, man, my father had worked all my life, and I really wanted to go, I really wanted to be there to support, and I didn't even want to go to him and ask for the money, like, how did it look like going to my father asking for money for his retirement party? Something like, I don't even want to do that. And I remember that I wasn't working at that point, I wasn't expecting no money to come in nowhere, no way, and I just remember going in the room, laying on the bed, and I'm just like, God, I really want to go to this retirement party. And why am I saying, I'm also saying this because sometimes we think prayer looks a certain way. Sometimes prayer is just honest words to God.

Honest words to God right where you're at. Right in a bad situation, right in the one bedroom apartment, right in the car that's broken down, right in the bad health, right in the doctor's office, right in the financial aid office, wherever you might find yourself. I remember I was on the bed, and I just started praying. I'm like, God, there was no piano in the background, there was no worship team, there was no lights, there was no stage. I was like, God, I really want to go to this retirement party. I have absolutely nothing. But God, I'm crazy enough to believe that you'll make a way somehow, somehow. And I was just sitting there, you remember what I told you last week, that when you really have faith, faith will cause you to open your eyes and start looking? So after I prayed, I'm sitting there, I got, I promise y'all, I got crazy faith, y'all. I promise you, I do. I promise you. Because anybody else would be like, CJ, this is dumb. But I'm like, no, I prayed. I believe when I pray, God hears me, and I believe he'll answer when I call out to him. So after I prayed, I'm just, I'm waiting on a phone call. I'm like, all right, God. And I'm just standing, I'm just praying. And I forgot the retirement party is actually the night of the day that I'm praying. And I'm just laying on the bed, I'm just praying. And I just feel this impression. I feel this prompt and I feel this nudge, CJ, check your bank account. Now, if you ever been in a situation where you was broke, you don't check your bank account. Why would I look at my bank account and get more depressed? Ain't nothing there. So I'm sitting there, I'm like, nah, I'm not expecting no paycheck, I'm not expecting nothing. It wasn't tax season.

I'm just waiting. feel the impression again cj check your bank account i'm like god i don't want to check this but you know what as a disciple said if you say so i'll do it so as i'm laying on the bed i'll pull out my phone and i check my bank account can i tell you you i don't know how my wife knows she remembered the moment i came running out to her the exact amount that i needed for admission to the retirement party was the exact amount that was in the account don't ask me how i don't know how i remember running out to my wife i looked at the phone i was like you know what it's not you're not sure you got to refresh it a couple times i'm refreshing i'm looking at the transaction statement like what i ran out to my wife i'm like babe was you expecting money she's like no like the exact amount is there i know it wasn't much money i don't think it was more than 97.10 whatever the amount was but you know what it was to me it was another sign it was another reminder that i'm faithful and even the things that you think is too little this is for somebody because some of you feel like the things that you need to pray for is too little god said it's not too little if it's on your heart if it's on your mind tell them tell them what it is that you need tell them what it is that you're concerned about tell them what it is that have you anxious tell them what it is that has you scared tell them what it is that has you not be able to sleep at night tell them what it is that has you laying in the bed at night crying some of us feel like god you have bigger things to worry about god this is not worth praying about god wants you to know there's nothing too big or too small he wants it all would you lay it all at his feet a god who's always come through a god who's always faithful one of my old pastors used to say this if we really believe that god was always good if we really believe that god was always faithful if we really believe that god always comes through we would pray a lot more we would come to him a lot more we would talk to him a lot more heads bow eyes close always good always faithful nothing too small for him we spend a lot of time in church talking about

how nothing's too big for him i want to encourage you with this nothing's too small for him some of us haven't prayed because we feel like the things to pray about is too small some of us haven't prayed because we feel like the things to pray about is too small god is like give me the small thing and the big thing and the medium-sized thing give me everything anything that you have that you feel like god i need you to come through you heard my silly story about a retirement party what thing that you feel like is so silly that you need to pray for can we do this can we do this rufus is gonna play they're gonna lift the music just a little bit and as he plays i want us to start praying if there's things that you need if there's things that you need to pray to god for could you can we just do this together i just want you to come up to the front just come up to the front don't hesitate come up to the front the little things the big things the in-between things that you need to pray to god for and say god i need you to come through god i just want to lay it down to you right here as rufus plays as the team sings come on y'all come on come on whatever it is come all the way up come all the way up don't stop it there don't come all the way up come all the way up whatever it is tell them tell them look up to him begin to pray if you need to kneel you can kneel down if you need to kneel down now if you need to cry you can cry tell them what you need tell them what you need tell them what's bothering you tell them what has you anxious rufus continue to play no singing rufus continue to play continue to play band play band play play loud play loud as they pray Come on, just pray, whatever it is, pray, just pray, just pray, lift it up to Him, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, God we need you, pray, God come down, God make a way, God open the door, God heal, God deliver, God restore, make a way Father God, we need you, come through for us again, as you have in the past, as you've done so many times before God, do it again, show up again, show yourself mighty again, show yourself strong again, deliver us again, heal us again God, in every season you've been faithful, in every season you've been loving, do it again for us God, give us another story, another miracle, make another way, part the Red Sea again God, do it again God, come through again God, we trust in you, all our hope, all our faith, all our confidence, it's in you God,

it's in the God who's come through time after time, it's in the God who'll never fail, God we love you, God we need you, God we call out to you, continue to pray, continue to pray God we need you I need you I need you Come on, where he came, where he came Where he came, where he came Rain came, winds blew My house was built on you I'm safe with you I'm gonna make it through Rain came, winds blew My house was built on you I'm safe with you I'm gonna make it through Father you see your people, you hear their cry, Father God as you've done so many times before God God even in their lives, God even in the stories that they have, remind them now God Of the stories that they have of how you've always been good, how you've always come through God let the testimonies of the past be our faith for tomorrow God Be the things that encourage us to keep going, and to keep holding on, and to keep standing strong Father God we will be people that declares your faithfulness, we are testimonies of your goodness, of your faith God Father God for children, God who's represented here, for those who have come up for their children For those who come up for loved ones that they're praying for, for those who have bills that they need provided for Father God would you show yourself faithful Would you begin to work miracles in our lives So we begin to run out and tell people Let me point you to the God who did it for me, and if he did it for me, he can do it for you If he did it for me, he will do it for you Father God for relationships that need healing, for marriages that need restoration For those who are dealing with infidelity in their marriage, for those who are dealing with secret addictions

Father God we believe that you can come through and break chains Father We call on the one who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly Above all we can ask or imagine to you be the glory and the power forever and ever and ever Amen Can we give God a hand clap of praise As you get set to head out today God wants you to never forget his faithfulness, always remember how he's come through Be blessed, carry this with you into the week If you need to learn about your next steps, head out to the hub Easter Sunday, get your food bags Some people in the room will continue to pray, let them continue to pray We will see you next week, God bless