Engedi Church | July 26, 2026

Welcome to the House of the Lord. Let's teach Him a new song today. ♪ I'm free now, Heaven's my home for all eternity ♪ ♪ I once was blind but now I see ♪ ♪ I believe in Jesus' Name ♪ ♪ I believe He died to save ♪ ♪ On the cross He claimed my name ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ I believe on that third day ♪ ♪ That He walked right out of the grave ♪ ♪ Full of life within my grace ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ I was headed for Heaven till You rescued me ♪ ♪ I was stuck in my shame but now I've been set free ♪ ♪ Now Heaven's my home for all eternity ♪ ♪ I once was blind but now I see ♪ ♪ I believe in Jesus' Name ♪ ♪ I believe He died to save ♪ ♪ On the cross He claimed my name ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ Isn't that amazing grace ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross ♪ ♪ Cause he didn't hold it dead but he paid it off ♪ ♪ And he rolled away the stone now I'm getting up ♪ ♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross ♪ ♪ Cause he didn't hold it dead but he paid it off ♪ ♪ And he rolled away the stone, now I'm getting up ♪

♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross ♪ ♪ Cause he didn't hold it dead but he paid it off ♪ ♪ And he rolled away the stone now I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross ♪ ♪ Cause he didn't hold it dead but he paid it off ♪ ♪ And he rolled away the stone now I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ And I was headed for hell until you rescued me ♪ ♪ I was stuck in my shame but now I've been set free ♪ ♪ Now hell is my home for all eternity ♪ ♪ I once was blind but now I'm one ♪ ♪ And I was headed for hell until you rescued me ♪ ♪ I was stuck in my shame but now I've been set free ♪ ♪ Now hell is my home for all eternity ♪ ♪ I once was blind but now I'm one ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross ♪ ♪ Cause he didn't hold it dead but he paid it off ♪ ♪ And he rolled away the stone now I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross ♪ ♪ Cause he didn't hold it dead but he paid it off ♪ ♪ And he rolled away the stone now I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ ♪ I'm getting up, I'm getting up ♪ Come on, sing. ♪ I believe in Jesus' name I believe he died to save me ♪ ♪ On the cross he cleared my name Isn't that amazing grace? ♪ ♪ I believe in that third day That he walked right out the grave ♪

♪ Full of life within my embrace Isn't that amazing? ♪ Come on, let's give him a shout of praise. The Lion Defense. ♪♪ ♪ He loved me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ And I could sing your name for all my life And still find more to love each day ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ever on my lips ♪ ♪ Sweeter every time that I call you ♪ ♪ There's something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name than Jesus your name ♪ ♪ You are with the free who never left ♪ ♪ I won't forget your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Always ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ever on my lips ♪ ♪ Sweeter every time that I call you ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name than Jesus your worthy ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name, oh Jesus ♪

♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name than Jesus your worthy ♪ ♪ Yes we love you Lord, yes we love you Lord ♪ ♪ Yes we love you Lord, yes we love you Lord ♪ ♪ Can we give the Lord some praise in this, you Lord ♪ ♪ Yes we love you, yes we love you Lord ♪ ♪ Yes we love you Lord, yes we love you Lord ♪ ♪ Jesus your name is like a ball of water and fire that flows ♪ ♪ And on the darkness can't deny the resurrection and your love ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus your name can save and heal and heal ♪ ♪ Your name can make the storm and still ♪ ♪ You never fail, you never will ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus the red light broken for us ♪ ♪ The wounded and the worthy one, the first and last and still to come ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus the king who overwhelmed the grave ♪ ♪ The Lord who will forever reign, the name above all other names ♪ ♪ Jesus, oh Jesus be the name above all other names ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ That gets all the glory, oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ In our midst, in our city, oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, that gets all the glory ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, that gets all the glory ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, be the name, be the name ♪ ♪ Christ Jesus, be the name, yes Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name, that gets all the glory ♪ ♪ All the praise, all the honor ♪

♪ Jesus, all the glory ♪ ♪ To the one, to the living God ♪ ♪ To the one, to the living God ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, that gifts all the glory ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name, forever and always ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name, forever and always ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name, that gifts all the glory ♪ ♪ Forever and always, forever and always, forever and always ♪ ♪ Forever and always, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, yes we love you ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry, oh yeah ♪ ♪ There is no other name, there is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name, than Jesus your worthy ♪ ♪ Yes you're worthy, yes you're worthy ♪ ♪ Forever and always, yes you're worthy ♪ ♪ I could search the world, and nothing compares to you ♪ ♪ Nothing compares to you, oh nothing compares to you ♪ Come on, can we sing again? There's just something about his name. ♪ There's just something about your name, the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry, oh yeah ♪ ♪ There is no other name, thank you God ♪ ♪ There is no other name, there is no other name ♪ ♪ Than Jesus your worthy, yes you're worthy ♪

Thank you God that you're worthy. ♪ You're so worthy, Jesus you're so worthy ♪ ♪ There is no one like you Jesus, there is no one like you Jesus ♪ ♪ There is no one like you Jesus, there is no one like you Jesus ♪ ♪ Just turn your eyes to heaven and see the majesty of the Lord ♪ ♪ Just see the majesty of the Lord, see his wondrous plan ♪ Thank you Jesus. You're treat heaven to have. You're treat heaven to have, thank you Lord. You're treat heaven to have, thank you Lord. Thank you God, sing you're the name above all names. Sing you're the name above all names. Sing you are worthy, you are worthy. ♪ Be of offering in my Holy Spirit God ♪ ♪ In my heart receive our praise ♪ ♪ He is our God and His name is holy ♪ ♪ You're the name above all names ♪ ♪ You are worthy of all praise ♪ ♪ In my heart receive our praise ♪ ♪ He is our God and His name is holy ♪ ♪ You're the name above all names ♪ ♪ You are worthy of all praise ♪ ♪ In my heart receive our praise ♪ ♪ He is our God and His name is holy ♪ ♪ You're the name above all names ♪ ♪ You are worthy of all praise ♪ ♪ He is our God and His name is holy ♪ ♪ How great, how great is our God ♪ Sing it again, sing how great, how great And how great is our God

Sing it with me, how great is our God Oh, sing how great, how great is our God My whole life for Your glory My whole world for You only Everything for the honor of Your name And if my days tell a story Let it be of You only Everything for the honor of Your name And my whole life for Your glory My whole world for You only Everything for the honor of Your name And if my days tell a story Let it be of You only Everything for the honor of Your name And my whole life for Your glory My whole world for You only Everything for the honor of Your name And if my days tell a story Let it be of You only Everything for the honor of Your name And my whole life for Your glory My whole world for You only Everything for the honor of Your name And if my days tell a story Let it be of You only Everything for the honor of Your name And my whole life for Your glory My whole world for You only Everything for the honor of Your name And if my days tell a story

Let it be of You only Everything for the honor of Your name You know how I love You You know how I love You ♪ Jesus I love you, oh how I love you ♪ ♪ I love you my God, oh how I love you ♪ ♪ Jesus I love you, oh how I love you ♪ ♪ In every season Lord, oh how I love you ♪ ♪ Jesus I love you, oh how I love you ♪ ♪ Yes I do, oh how I love you, Jesus I love you ♪ Come on, if you know the Lord loves you, can you lift your hands right there? Come on, if you know the Lord is in love with you, can you lift your hands? Thank you Jesus for the love. Thank you Lord that you gave your only son for me. It's something that we'll never get tired of singing and praising you. That while we were lost in our sins, you came, you took our place because of me. And that's what we're meant to be created for, to be loved by you and for in return, us to love you back. You can just sit there for a moment, just think about the goodness of the Lord. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh. Oh. And I'm walking through the rains And I've been walking through the park You're guiding my step Teach me how to trust the voice Show me how to praise with breath Cause I know that you're with me You are the one God No other is more worthy Than that who has slain for us You're writing my story Surrender my life to you Though heaven is cold No matter what I'm called Receive all the glory Señor Glory, glory, glory, glory Glory to the Lamb Glory, glory, glory, glory Glory to the Lamb of God I am not afraid to ask The miracles that you have given Who else can receive? You have given me this voice To testify of all of your goodness Forever I will sing You are the one God No other is more worthy

Than that who has slain for us You're writing my story Surrender my life to you Though heaven is cold ♪ Oh Lord, no matter what trials become ♪ ♪ Receive all the glory, receive all the glory ♪ ♪ Receive all the glory, Lord I come to give you glory ♪ ♪ Oh, I come to give you glory, I come to give you glory ♪ ♪ I give it all to Jesus, I come to give you glory ♪ ♪ Oh, even in the trials, I'll see you, I'll see you, Lord ♪ ♪ Churches and disciples, we will praise you, we will praise you ♪ ♪ Even in the wilderness, there's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ Even in this broken land, there's revival, can you see it? ♪ ♪ A new thing is coming, even in the wilderness, there's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ There's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ Even in this broken land, there's revival, can you see it? ♪ ♪ A new thing is coming, even in the wilderness, there's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ Even in this broken land, there's revival, can you see it? ♪ ♪ A new thing is coming, even in the wilderness, there's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ There's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ Even in this broken land, there's revival, can you see it? ♪ ♪ You are the Lord, my God, no other is more than You, my God ♪ ♪ The Lamb who was slain for us, Your rider in my story ♪ ♪ Seraphim, alive to You, the One who is holy ♪ ♪ No matter what trials may come, You will receive a voice from God ♪ ♪ You will receive a voice from God ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory to the Lamb of God ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory to the Lamb of God ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory to the Lamb of God ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory to the Lamb of God ♪

♪ Even in the wilderness, there's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ I see water, even in this broken land, there's revival ♪ ♪ Can you see it, a new thing is coming? ♪ ♪ Even in the wilderness, there's still water, I see water ♪ ♪ Even in this broken land, there's revival ♪ ♪ Can you see it, a new thing is coming? ♪ ♪ You will receive a voice from God ♪ Amen. Isn't Jesus so, so good? Yes, He is. Well, you can go ahead and have a seat. I wanna say hello to those of you joining us online, including our location at Grand Rapids. But I wanna give a special shout out to those who are watching from jails and prisons all across the country. It is an honor and a joy that we get to worship and grow alongside of you here this morning. And we're all gonna be so blessed this morning because we have Pastor Dan Seaborn with us. And yes, give it up for Dan. And Dan has been so faithful to the gospel and faithful to the Lord's people for many, many years. And he's also the founder of an organization called Winning at Home, which helps to strengthen marriage and families. And sitting through the first gathering, bring it brother, bring it. Thank you. Good morning in Getty.

So good to be here with you today. I'm going to seek today to point you, thank you brother, I seek to point you as clearly as I can to the Lord Jesus Christ as I drove in this morning from a little place where Jane and I were hanging out I just was praying that God would use this message to speak to your life, to speak into your heart and that as you would leave today, you would just say, I have more desire to know Him that's the goal, that's what I want to do today is to point you as clearly, as poignantly as I can to your relationship, not my relationship, not somebody else's, but your relationship with Jesus Christ and I want to tell you where the message I'm going to share with you came from today we at the earlier part of this month, as you know, we had some celebrations of 250 years of freedom as a nation and all that kind of stuff, so I was around some of those things, I saw some fireworks I spent some money on fireworks, so some of you did as well and during all that time, I began to observe people, like I was looking going, okay, we're at an event here that is a freedom event, it's a celebration of things, but man, so many of the people who are in this environment they sure don't look free, they look very trapped, like I'm celebrating freedom, but I don't have it like, we can talk about freedom, but I don't have freedom and I began to ponder and I'm just going to ask you this morning what is it in life that traps you, because I'm going to talk to you about trusting God right there like in that spot, as I was driving this morning, let me tell you some scenarios that went through my mind of people in this room you're in your early 20s, maybe a little younger than that, and you have just longed for a relationship and nothing's happened, like you just feel so alone, and you have prayed, you have asked God to provide and from your perspective, He's provided nothing, and you just feel cheated, you feel screwed over, you feel like, man, I can celebrate freedom I'm not free in here because I got this thing that I just don't have what I want and what I would love and what I believe He designed me for is just not there, I was picturing you, I had that young lady, 22, walk away from me this week after a conversation, I watched her walk away, she wants a relationship so bad, and she's hurting so deep and I was just like, yeah, this message is for her, or maybe you did get a relationship and you're in the middle of it now and you're going, this is it? Like, this is what I signed up for? And you feel trapped, like, if this is what it's all about then I, mine's not hitting the bar that I had dreamed in my life, and so you're not free, you're trapped in here I pictured a mom in this room, you strive so hard to cover every detail you want your kids to do so well, you want your family to do, you work overtime to try to make everybody happy and inside, you just feel like, I'll never be enough, you're trapped by your own desire to over strive it's humanity, there's other things in this room that some of you would not want people to know

there's where I'm trapped, and it's a big old trap, you almost feel like the mouse in the trap where it hit your leg and got you and is this life? Is this gonna be the rest of my life? And you just don't have personal freedom, and you have a hard time let's take that thing that I've just talked about, and everybody in here, you got one might not be one of the scenarios I mentioned, but you got something and I want you to grab that thing, and I want you to get your hands on it, and I want you to bring it, and I want you to lay it right here in the center of the stage, like that's my thing, we're gonna talk about that today, and how that thing does not have to own you and I could not have preached this message in my 30s, I couldn't have because I think there were a lot of things that I, I couldn't even see some of them, but they owned me they made me feel down in here like, just not good enough You're just not ringing the bell you thought you could ring and I strived so hard. Some of you would remember the days when I was a young youth pastor in this town, very few of you, but some of you would remember that. Strived so hard and I look back and I go oh my word I was chasing my own tail because at the age of almost 66 now, the Lord's taught me some things about trusting him with the things in life that don't go the way you planned. And in my 30s I had a picture young kids growing up in this town. I want everybody to like me. I want my kids to grow up and hit all the right tallies. And things didn't work out perfect. And the best way to describe it would be some things got shattered. And what I've discovered is what I thought was the thing that would satisfy me or complete me or make me feel like I'm good enough was actually my trap. It was I had the I had the God who loved me and I could trust all along I just didn't fully get. Oh I could preach sermons about it. I could quote the verses but I have learned what it means to really trust in God and today I'm going to talk to you about you trusting fully in God. I don't have it all figured out but I'll tell you what I'm way down the road in a peacefulness of knowing God's got me. No matter the scenario you paint out he's got me and you too. Today you're in a scenario where you go damn but you don't know what I'm dealing with. Nope but I know God who does know what you're dealing with and he's got you and he wants to give you peace right there and he wants you to know he is enough for you in that spot. That's what I have

discovered. And I'm going to show you a little verse. It's not the verse I'm preaching from today but I got to show you this verse. I need to set it up. So we stand up here a lot as pastors stand up here a lot and we preach from the life of a man named Paul. He was Saul, had a crazy divine moment and became Paul. Went from killing believers to being one of the top believers and making a difference for God. But he did not know that. We know that. What I'm about to read to you he actually wrote in a jail cell. It's the start of the book of Ephesians. He's writing to the Ephesus people and he's writing a letter to them just like this morning if I'd sit down to write a letter to all y'all but I'm in jail and I don't know if you'll ever see it. Like he wrote a letter not knowing it would ever be read. The best way I describe it is some of you like me write little notes in the edge of your Bible. Like I just I write in my Bible when I'm listening to sermons or working on sermons and stuff and I'll never know who will ever see this. I'm the only one ever holds this Bible. So I don't know what what it'll ever do. Paul was doing that. He was writing letters that were gonna be in this book that he had no idea would be in this book. And what I want to talk to you about this morning is this thing you're going through this pile this this junk that you think is a great curse on your life and what's keeping you from being really free this thing could actually be part of the plan that God wants to use of your life to write something that you'll never see the result of. And in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 1 Paul is sitting in the corner of a jail cell probably malnourished probably beat and he's in there hey hey hey I want to go here for a second and it's not fair that he's in there. We live in a world right now nothing's fair. Our culture I'm just gonna tell you point blank our culture I'm gonna show you how shallow we are as a culture. We're so shallow there's no depth. I had an 80 year old lady walk in my office this week I know her just a little bit barely at all she walked in my office and what are you doing here just came in to say hi I'm like wow I'm honored you would even come in this room and can you can we talk a minute I said I said to her if you could tell culture one thing if you if you ma'am haven't lived though she's

a godly lady deals with some hard stuff smile on her face I said how do you wake up with that smile at 80 she said I'll wake up in the morning And I just think, what a gift my life is. See, most of us wake up going, what do I deserve today? I said to her, you don't think you deserve anything? She said, my life is a gift. Every day is a gift. If I got what I deserved, it would not be pretty. And I said, if you could speak one word into the culture, into a 20-year-old young girl who is you way back 60 years ago, what would you say to her? She said, oh, I'd say to her, get a better perspective. This culture is so shallow. I love that. She told me what her life was like when she was 20. And I went, whoa. And today, I just want to say to you, and today, I'm speaking into a culture. I'm asking us all to step way back over here and look at what I'm trying to say about this thing that's eating us alive in this culture we live in. It's so shallow. Today, I'm going to seek to take you like another level of depth. And in Ephesians 3, 1, Paul writes these words. Look on the screen. For this reason, I, Paul, look at the next words. I want you to see this. The prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.

I'm not even going to tell you what the whole rest of the book is about. Look at that verse. He's saying, I'm doing this for a way bigger reason than me. I'm doing it for a group in 2026 who won't ever even meet me. I'm doing it for them. And he didn't even know it. And today, some of you in this room are doing something you don't like. It's not fair. I don't get it. And God is, I think, calling all of us to go get a bigger view. Look at my word and go deeper than this world tells you to go. So today, with this fallen, broken tongue in a human state, I'm going to do my best to communicate some words from this book that are unbelievable. And I, in my best effort, will do a minimal job. And I see that more and more every year. But I'm going to try to communicate what it's like for you to trust God. So we're going to dive into a little passage. And we're going to look at four little phrases of scripture that some of you in the room will go, I know that one. I've read this verse many times. I've preached from it many times. But these are new thoughts for me that I'm sharing with you today. And they've come from years of stuff on the stage, and crap I didn't like, and things that were unfair. And God has shown me how deep He loves me

and how deep He loves you. And today, I just want to get it. I want to get through to a 20-year-old in this room today how crazy His love is for you. And a broken 50-year-old today, how amazingly deep He cares about your life. And I'm going to do that by reading to you Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. We're going to break it down one little verse at a time. The verse says, in the very beginning, Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, the first verse is this. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. So easy to say. Like, when I say it, it just rolls off my tongue. We should write it into a song. Trust in the Lord with all my heart. So easy. Most of us, you do that, amen, amen. So much more difficult to live. So much more difficult to practically do it in everyday terms. And the reason it is is because I am talking to you about a sovereign, all-knowing, boundless, eternal God in a shallow culture. Most every post that deep. And God goes, OK, y'all got a choice. Either you're going to spend your time chasing what that has to say, or you're going to seek to know my boundless love and goodness. And this over here can be very confusing,

because His ways are not your ways. The pile you see on the stage of your life, He looks at it and goes, oh, to my glory. I want to use that. And we see it as an inconvenience or a burden. We see it as a pain in the butt and God sees it as opportunity for depth. I have had so many of those piles that showed up at my door that I go, I do not want this and I got a post pile tell you every one of them showed me the depth of God's goodness. Every one of them. I did not grow on the mountaintops. I grew in that spot. And I have learned to trust the Lord with all my heart instead of getting frustrated, instead of getting angry, instead of saying God's not good enough. Here's a phrase we don't really like to say it out loud. We'd never put it in a song but you ain't treating me fair. We don't write songs to God called you ain't treating me fair. We don't sing that. We sing how great is our God except for that one spot. How great. And we don't like to talk about it. But we live with it and it keeps us from being truly free. So, as you know, I've told you before when I preach here I got this little stool in my office. I just sit on the stool and I go, God, how do we get depth? How do we as humanity in a culture, how do we get depth? And I wrote down a few little things. Let me read them to you. Number one, by the Lord not giving me what I think I want. Nobody in the room goes, wakes up in the morning and goes, God, please today give me stuff that I don't like. I'm telling you, in my humanity, I know I got some areas to grow. So I just ask you, pour out some rough spots upon me.

It'd be silly. But when they come, I think what we miss is our opportunity to truly be free. Let me make the point. The verse I just read to you, Paul, if you went back in the day and said to the prisoner guards, hey, you guys got a guy in here named Paul? Yep, we got him. He's out there running his mouth about Jesus again. We grabbed him, threw him in the slammer. We got him. He's not free. And Paul back in the prison cell is writing about, I'm so free, it's unbelievable. Jesus on the cross, got you. We got you. Three days from now, you're going to revisit that comment. He was free. And today, some of you in here are trapped by something that I'm just telling you. If you will say to God, God, I'm going to go ahead and lay this thing as ugly and as silly as it looks. I can't figure it out. It is chewing me up. It is spitting me out. And I am tired of it burdening me this way. I'm going to simply give it to you. And I want to share with you, this is probably not something you check off by 3 o'clock. This is a process. Let me tell you one of the ways I kept overcoming some of these things that were my powers. One of them was when my mind went there, which was often. When my mind would go to this thing that's keeping me immediately turned, and I'm going to call it prioritizing time with him. That was the second little thing. Prioritize time with the Lord. I spend a lot of time thinking about my thing.

And all it does to me. And how it keeps me from freedom. And how it's eating me alive. What if I just said, God, instead of focusing so much on that today, I'm going to focus on how much you care about me. How you're teaching me to rely on you in the middle of this. I'm going to prioritize time with you. I want you to know, this happened to me on Monday, like last Monday. Something happened in my life that was thrown right in front of me. Like, what the world? I don't want to deal with that. It shook me up. It shook me up so much that I said, hey, I'm going to leave the office for a bit. I went on a walk. And I'm out on the walk just going, God, what in the world? Like, I show up on Monday morning and ker-splat. And I don't, mmm. And this is consuming me. And right now it got me pretty anxious. Seriously. Seriously. I'm no more than a quarter mile from my office walking and the Lord's like, what you preaching about next Sunday? Trust. Trust in who? You. Are you going to trust me with it? you gonna spend your time worried about it? Wow Lord that's a that's a pretty big shift in my mind. Right. Trust in the Lord with all your heart right now Dan. I went and sat on a park bench. I sat there for 30 minutes. I prayed. I said well Lord I'm gonna go back and Kersplat's still there and I got to deal with it. But even if Kersplat goes the wrong way and everything shambles you're reminding me

that you are God and in eternity I won't even notice the Kersplat and that's the perspective that we lose in a shallow culture. And today some of us need to use the moments our mind goes to that thing. I'll use you moms in here who just don't think you're good enough and you're striving. I don't know why I'm hitting that one hard. Didn't even talk about it in first service but I'm hitting that hard. There's some mom in here who just feels like I can't. I'm not enough. Stop that. You're a God's daughter. You're doing the best you can. You are seeking to honor his name. He is not disappointed in you. He's looking seeing that you're here worshiping him today. You're not gonna do all that parenting stuff right. Let me just go ahead and tell you. Are you gonna fail those kids? Yeah. You're a human being. Let me just go ahead and tell you. They gonna fail you too. It's just part of the deal. And I think instead of you going what do I need to do? How much more do I need to cover? God I'm gonna shift my thinking right now. Is that would you guide me? Would you give me daily guidance? Because I'm spending my energy looking down when I need to probably spend a little more focus looking up. So give me my focus on you so that I'll do a good job of these little frickers. And you guys. Sorry. And you guide me. That's what that's what dads call them but anyway. You guide me Lord to do this the right way. So just pray and ask the Lord to guide you. Pray and ask him to guide you. That's called prioritizing time with him. Otherwise you're prioritizing time with yourself. And I'm shifting you to prioritize time with him. A third little thing I wrote sitting on the stool was the way we deepen is through non self-centeredness. So I have a person that I watch on purpose in our culture. I watch the person on purpose in our culture. Everything I see, read, video, you pick it. Anything I ever see with this person always revolves around them. They can be in an interview in a conversation where everybody else is being talked to. They will somehow interject themselves into the conversation and turn the conversation about them. That's called self-centeredness. And our culture is real big on it because it gets clicks. It gets views. It makes money. You can make money being very self-centered in our culture. Why wouldn't you? Because

ultimately what it leads to is emptiness and loss and self-hurt. And God says, don't you trust in yourself and your clicks. Trust in me. It's a different way to view it. And I realize that I'm doing a 30-minute sermon in a culture that is constantly steamrolling us with self, self, self, self. And I'm going, no, for one second. And I cannot push hard enough at this machine. I can't stop it. But if enough of us say, no, we're going to live a different way, a different lifestyle, we will be an influence on this culture in some way and somehow. Paul was in prison and he was doing what he could to stop a steamroller that was blaspheming Christianity. And in a world that says it's spreading love, what you need to understand is true love is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no greater way to find true love than to know Jesus in his depths and in his ways. At incredibly high levels and this does not happen accidentally This will be intentional on your part to choose to move to a place of going I want to know him deeper than how spend time in his word Spend time with him It's intentional that walk that took me a little over probably a little over an hour I was gone from my office that hour with the Lord Changed the rest of Monday if I'd have stayed in the office and done it my way and leaned on as we're about to see Leaned on my understanding that would have gone south That hour with the Lord helped me go whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa get perspective boy You're gonna be fine. I Mean as I walk the Lord's like have you been some hard things before? Mm-hmm. How did they all work out? Perfect? No, are you still good? Huh? Yeah then get perspective and Some of you are going through one of your first hardest times I've been through 25 of them plus now at my age of 66 You have more that potentially could come and that first time it's really hard because it's a new path for you've never done this before and I speak the Lord's peace over you today letting you know

You're gonna be fine. If you continue to lay that at the Lord's feet, you're going to be fine It might not look the way you wanted But God is God and he always will be and he's not in heaven going. Oh this one wrecks me he's good He's not wrecked and Then it goes to that second phrase lean that on your own understanding When I lean on my understanding, let me tell you what I'm doing. Number one I'm leading my soul in the chaos when I rely on me. I'm Lee. I personally will feed myself chaos and Secondly when I lean on my own understanding, I'm kind of saying I'm right And what I've discovered in my years of living is most of the times I'm probably not right at least not a hundred percent There's one area that I'll go to bat with anybody on the rest of my life Jesus Christ is the way the truth in life. No one comes to the Father except by him I'll go a hundred percent on that after that. I'm kind of iffy Not sure I'm right This is a little dangerous I'm kind of stepping out a little bit here in the town we live in I see a lot of people Who will sell their soul? To say they're right about politics I'm gonna try not to say too much right here But let me just tell you something Scriptures does not say Politics is the way to an eternal heavenly home says Jesus is Don't sell your soul for something short It's a big deal and We're gonna watch we're gonna come into more of a political season Y'all got to know that during those seasons people ask me my opinion. I'll point to Jesus every time who you voting for Jesus No, no damn serious who you voting for I said Jesus I Won't go down that road because what I hear when somebody asked me that is let's debate I'm not spending my time on that you get to choose you say Dan. I'm really big into that

That's your choice. And if the Lord's leading you that way you get to choose that I'm just saying to you it feels like so often in our culture Remember, I told you it's shallow when they lean on their own understanding. It seems to be political What? What? Lean on Jesus Lean on the author and perfecter of everything that we know lean on the one who we know Will not fail and what's this get that just get this simple thought. It's a simple thought but get it my best most intellectual and brilliant thought that comes out of my mouth this morning compared to an incomprehensible boundless God It's gonna be pretty small That's why I started with I can't even communicate the message I want to driving here this morning I'm I have a burden in me going Jesus. I have experienced that next level of freedom and I don't know how to say it and All I hear from him and my heart is just point him to me. I'm the one who does the work anyway So this morning 19-year-old here, I'm literally begging you to fall more in love with Jesus like you got you're at a crossroad right now going All right, I'm gonna go listen one more sermon and and if it doesn't go the way I'm thinking I'm done with this nonsense be done with my nonsense, but don't be done with God because he just straight-up loves you and Wants relationship with you and wants you to trust him fully in that spot today where you are just so sick of it. I Can't it I have been there I have been so angry at God I have stayed up at night and said God why why would you choose to screw me over like this said that to him and You say say it out loud. Well, I do but I jumped in case the lightning bolt comes but I did say it It's just hard Anybody who says the Christians life is easy I'm not sure. They're really walking with Christ Because it's not easy and it makes sense scripture says it won't be easy Jesus said they will hate you for my name's sake So there's no surprise here But what's hard is in a shallow culture, it's hard to talk about deep things

Because people generally go, huh? Because there's just Time and process to get you there Paul did not write that Letter to the Ephesians the day after he turned from Saul to Paul. He was blind for a while. Do y'all remember he went blind? Struck blind there had to be days where he's going what the world This is following God I could see before What's really interested me in that story is I've been looking at it lately is okay We sometimes use the phrase open my eyes Lord that I can see in Paul's case It was closed his eyes Lord, so he can actually see See God's ways are just like totally opposite of what we know and see and That's what's going on with some of you this morning with your thing that you look and you go. This pile is killing me Actually, it could actually be the exact opposite. This pile is bringing you to life Life and you life in depth life eternal life that has hope life that has influence. You don't even know about And then Probably one of my favorite parts of working on this sermon is what the Lord laid on my heart in this all your ways And all your ways acknowledge him. So just like Make him a part of your everyday life like he just he's just with you like you're leaving here today and you're headed wherever you're headed, but yeah, God just he's with me and Acknowledge that to say Jesus you're with me. I Claim you all the time in my life Like even in that place where you're even making a decision. It doesn't honor God. He's with you. He wants better for you It's amazing So I'm talking with a pastor friend of mine, he's in Knoxville, Tennessee I go down to preach his church a couple times a year. We're on the phone this week and we're talking about what culture says to us and what God asked of us and We put it in two little columns on the conversation on the on the call and as soon as it happened I was like, that's it right there that right there. It's what it means to acknowledge God. That's it

We're on the phone going. Yes, this will preach Sunday. He's like, yeah, I preach it in Knoxville. I'm like, I'm preaching in Michigan And here was the little phrase that came to us. Look at look at this. I'm gonna do a comparison God says this is what God asked of us worship him worship. God love people and use things. That's the mantra That God asked for us and I want you to just look at your life worship. God Love people and use things That's what God asked of us. Now. I want to show you I Want to show you that's leaning that's leaning on the Lord and that's acknowledging him But culture 24-7 is Telling you this message. Look at the difference culture says worship self love things and use people Let's look at the analogy again God says worship him love people and use things culture says worship self love things and use people So Driving this morning From out Sandy Pines. That's where I was driving in my little 30-minute drive. I Just asked the Lord show me in my life where I use people. I Don't want to be that way. I Mean this is something you can get your fingers around Because all of us would like to say oh, no. No, I live column number one. Bless you. We try But the reality is in a culture that does number two a lot of us do number two we live that way that came out bad that. Should have rehearsed that line. So that'll be what makes social media. So right there is what we're trying to do. Worship self, love things, and use people. We don't set out to do it, but we do it. Like I'm sorry in West Michigan, we walk over the right way, that loving things right there, I'm sorry it's big. And God says no, no, no. That's why you end up with the heap on the stage. Because you're doing the opposite of what I actually asked. And culture says no, do it, what's wrong with you? I'm deeper, I'm wiser, I'm more grounded. And then what's this? What's this? Trust in the Lord with all your heart, command. Lean not on your own understanding, command. In all your ways acknowledge Him, command. And look at the last part of the verse, and He will make your path straight, result. Three commands lead to one result.

And it's why we actually came to church today, because we want Him to guard and guide our paths. Kind of humorous, isn't it? And God says, yeah, I know. So you gotta do these things to get this result. So I'm pausing for a moment to ask you today, where in your life are you grappling with something so stinking tiring? You are, you are physically, emotionally, even spiritually worn out. And God says, trust me with it. Even if it doesn't go the way you're thinking, it's gonna be okay. I've had lots of those now in life, and I'm good. I tell people all the time, in 50 years most of this stuff I'm sweating won't really matter to me. And I challenge you to go ahead and get that perspective now as well. I really care about you 20 year olds in the room. I really do. I don't know you, but I care about your life, and I want you in this culture that is just slamming you up against the wall day after day. I want you to be able to go deeper, because when you do, you're going to stand out in this culture. And they're gonna be like, what is that? You seem to respond to things. Like, you don't seem to be about yourself so much. Like, even the way you answer questions, there's a depth to it. Where's that from? And you can point clearly to Jesus. And maybe you are near my age sitting in the room, and you're just worn out, because it didn't work out the way you planned. It's all good. It's all good, because God is good. He won't fail. He won't. I'm challenging you to let this message sink in a little today, and I pray that God would do a work in your heart, and He would use you and use the thing in your life that you actually thought was against you, that He would use it for His glory. So Lord, we submit ourselves today. We lay ourselves at your feet. This isn't an easy message. I'm gonna drive back to Sandy Pines after I'm done here, and I'm gonna think about how hard it is to live this message out, because it is. It's just not easy. And I pray over us all sitting in this room, that your Holy Spirit would do the work that needs to be done. This is not a man-made, a woman-made thing. This is a God-led thing. And I pray you do a God-anointed work, and that some of us

would actually take a first step in trusting you with something that we have just fought with. And we lay it at your feet. I pray you'd remind us today that you're eternal, and we're not. So we give this message to you, and I pray you're anointing over it. And I pray you're peace over our lives. And I ask this in Jesus' mighty name. Well, church, let's thank Pastor Dan for the word that he brought to us today. Let's go ahead and stand and close our time out with worship. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪