Faith | The Gift - Genesis 13

Amen, Lord. Southland is so good at worship with you, you all can go ahead and grab a seat. Well, if you have your journals and your Bibles, and I hope you do, go ahead and grab those. Our key word is still gonna be faith today, and our key scripture is gonna come from Genesis 13. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend with your family and your friends. Let me set the stage for where we're headed today. I'm gonna start things a little bit different by actually offering you all an apology. And I realize when you hear that, you're like, what's coming on the other side of this? Hang with me for just a second. After being on staff for almost five years now, I've realized there's actually a family member I've forgotten to introduce you all to over the course of my time being able to host and now teach on occasions. And so I would love to introduce you all to our dog, whose name is Milo, and he will be 13 this fall. This photo was actually taken a few months before my daughter was born, and since then, he and I have not aged well at all. He's a lot more gray now. I'm a lot more gray as well. That's a different story for a different time. But here's what you need to know about Milo.

Milo is hands down one of the most loyal, faithful, and obedient dogs I have ever been around in my entire life. And I'm not just saying that because he's my dog. And so here's one of my favorite stories about Milo. I was here working a couple of years ago when I started getting updates on my phone from our ring camera. And so as you can imagine, it was Milo, so I called my wife. Hey, honey, quick question. Is Milo out by chance? To which she responded, yes, I let him out a little while ago. Time out. Context is always key in a story, and there's three things I think you all need to know. Number one, our backyard is fenced in, not our front yard. Number two, we live near a very busy street. And then number three, Milo is completely blind in one eye, partially blind in his other eye, and he has severe arthritis in both hips. So I just need you to kind of have this framework in mind. And needless to say, the dude is not Air Bud at all. Shout out to all of my 90s peeps. So all that being said, what's really, really interesting is despite his long list of ailments and issues and all of the things, one thing that still works really, really well is his nose. And so fortunately, the story does end well.

He was able to trace his way back home and get back to our backyard by following my voice. His wife, unfortunately, I made it home unscathed as well. I didn't have to sleep on the couch or anything that night because my response to my wife in that moment was, I'm assuming you don't mean out front. So let that sink in. But here's what he taught me in that moment. Sometimes we have to trust when our eyes can't see. Sometimes we have to trust when our eyes can't see, which sounds a lot like faith, doesn't it? Trusting when we can't always see. Let me explain something to you. You don't realize this or not, but you've actually already exercised an act of faith at least twice in the last 30 minutes. Let me explain. When you walked through our doors this morning across all of our campuses and our buildings, did you stop anyone from our facilities team and ask, hey, could I please see a copy of the blueprints? I just wanna make sure this building is up to code. No, you just came in. And as you made your way to the auditorium or maybe out in the cafe and you got ready to sit down in your seat, did you stop someone on our connection team and ask, hey, could I maybe just see the specifications for these chairs? I just wanna make sure they were assembled correctly.

No, you just sat down. So what's my point? See, at the end of the day, if we're all being intellectually honest, we all have some version of faith. Whether we believe in God or not, we all put our faith and our trust in something or someone. It could be a bus driver or it could be the pilot of a plane. It could be a lottery ticket or it could be the stock market. It could be the expired milk that's in our fridge that doesn't smell that bad. Or, and I've been in the car with some of y'all, it could be riding around town with your gas light on. Meanwhile, those of us who are in the passenger seat are sweating profusely because you're not paying attention. You think you still got 10 miles still empty, but really it's already on empty. My point is this, we all demonstrate acts of faith in everyday life. But here's the tension. And I know this about you and I. We prefer to put our faith and trust in the things we can see, don't we? Like if we can know the outcome or at least have some idea of where things might be headed, man, that makes it so much easier for us to pre-decide on how we're gonna choose to respond. Quick disclaimer, if you put your faith and trust in God, that's not how things always work out in his economy.

The Bible says this, for we walk by faith, there's our word, not by sight. We walk by faith and not by sight because essentially the Christian faith comes down to this. Do you believe God is actually telling the truth? Do we believe? If God knows what's good and true and right and best, do we trust his intentions towards us? Because when our faith is tested, notice I said when, not if, it's an opportunity to see is God trustworthy. So here's the question we wanna explore today. How do we walk by faith? How do we walk by faith? In other words, how do we trust when we can't always see? Now this brings us to our text today as we continue our study through the life of Abraham. And if you were here last week, you know from the previous chapter, Abram or Abraham finds himself walking by faith when he decides to choose to trust in God's plan to leave his homeland in his 70s, which doesn't sound too far-fetched today. Any grandparents in here? Can I see some hands, grandparents? Where you at? All right. So you all are willing to move for the right reasons, correct, like grandkids. But there's a problem.

Abram does not have any grandkids because Abram does not have any kids. So when God also promises to make Abram the father of many nations, it seems absolutely absurd because he's 75 and his wife, Sarai or Sarah, is also barren. And yet, Abram still chooses to believe that God is actually telling the truth. And his journey starts out really promising until his faith gets tested. See, this food shortage that we talked about last week causes Abram to take matters into his own hands. Then he makes a detour from the promised land to set his sights on what he can see in Egypt. Now, to be fair, before we judge him, desperate times do call for desperate measures, but not at the expense of disobedience to God. See, disobedience might be more convenient in the short term, but you all, it is always, always, always much more costly in the long term. And in Abram's case, it nearly costs him and his family their lives. So as we transition out of Genesis chapter 12 and move into Genesis chapter 13, the stage is being set for Abram to encounter yet another test to his faith. Class is in session again, so we're gonna pick things up in verse one. So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had,

and lot with him, we're gonna come back to that, into the Negev. Now, Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning. Between Bethel and I to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there, Abram called upon the name of the Lord. Now, there's an entire sermon in just these first few verses, but I wanna point out just two observations really quick. First, Abram leaves Egypt without any idea whatsoever if this famine is even over. So he doesn't get a letter, he doesn't have a face-to-face conversation with someone, he doesn't get an update on social media, he doesn't get a text in the family thread. The Bible says he just gathers his family, packs up his belongings, and they leave. Translation, he's walking by faith again, not by sight. And despite Abram's initial disobedience, he's able to walk away from Egypt with his life, his wife, and lot again. Which sounds a lot like deja vu from Genesis chapter 12. See, either Abram didn't get the message the first time, or he's just been on doing things on his way and on his terms. Quick question, any parents of young kids in the room, if you've got like maybe a one-year-old,

a two-year-old, or a three-year-old, y'all in here? Yep, so you know like how you tell them, hey, you can take one stuffy to your grandparents' house and then somehow, some way, they end up smuggling two, or three, or four? We don't negotiate with terrorists in our house. I don't know how that looks for you all, but instead of being punished or reprimanded, Abram doesn't get what he deserves, which is clear evidence of God's mercy. This reminds me of a conversation I had recently with one of my cousins, who's a local police officer. So we were grabbing lunch one day, and he was telling me this story of how he had pulled someone over who was speeding on their way to work. And so being the God-following, God-fearing man that he is, he decided to say, hey, you know what? I'm gonna let you have a warning. Don't speed, just slow down. You all know where this is headed. Fast forward a few hours later, same car goes by speeding again. So I said, hey, what'd you do this time? Here was his response. I wrote her a ticket, because you don't take mercy for granted. Which brings us to our second observation. If we've been on the receiving end of mercy, you all, we don't walk away from that encounter as the same person.

Did you catch Abram's response here? It says he turned away from his old path, and he turns back to God. And not only does he turn back to God, he also calls out to God, which sounds like deja vu again, if you remember what happened in Genesis chapter 12. So why does all of this even matter? Walking by faith means we trust in God's mercy. Walking by faith means we trust in God's mercy because what's happening here physically and geographically is also indicative of what's happening spiritually. It's this picture of this word that we call repentance, a change of mind and a change of heart that leads to a change of direction, which is why mercy means we can run to God, not from God. And the reason we can turn to God during our time of need is because we don't get what we deserve. So let's jump back to our text in verse five. In case we missed it the first time, An Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, those are their enemies, were dwelling in the land. So even though Lot's not supposed to be with Abram, in case we've forgotten,

he's also been blessed with possessions, and not just a few possessions, not the scraps, not the leftovers. The Bible says both of their possessions were so great it actually causes this rift or this fight between their two camps. Now, just to be clear, in case you haven't been tracking with us the past couple of weeks, this is not promoting the prosperity gospel, which is a false gospel. Do not forget, there is a famine in the land, which is the antithesis of prosperity. What the text is actually pointing to is evidence of God's grace, because Adam and Lot get something that they don't deserve. And when I think about this word grace, there's a lot of names and faces and situations that immediately come to mind, but at the top of that list, one of those names and faces is my wife. She just exudes grace. And when I think about just situations and examples that come to mind, one immediately that comes is her compassion towards our daughter when she's having a really, really rough day, then I tend to get into coach and correction dad mode. I think about our friends who she's just present with and serves during their time of need

or if they're in a hard season, or even her forgiveness towards me when I walk through the house with my shoes on after she's just mopped. She just exudes grace. But you all, I'm not the only recipient of God's grace. You are too. Let me explain what I mean. It's the gift of life. It's the breath in our lungs. It's the gift of a beautiful sunrise and a spectacular sunset. It's the gift of extra fries in the bottom of your Chick-fil-A bag and the person who paid for your meal, but not today because it's Sunday, which is also a means of God's grace and a gift because we get to rest from our labors. Here's what I'm getting at. God is gracious. It's just who he is, and that's why walking by faith means we trust in God's grace. We trust in God's grace. This grace cannot be earned. This grace is not deserved, but God in his grace blesses us anyway in both ways, big and small. We just gotta pay attention. So how will Abram and Lot respond to God's grace?

Let's check out verse eight. Then Abram said to Lot, let there be no strife between you and me and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Translation, we're family. It's not the whole land before you. Finally, separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left. So what's happening here? Well, because Abram is older than Lot and the patriarch of their family, he has every right to keep all of this land to himself. But instead of taking matters into his own hands again, like last time, he's actually trusting matters into God's hands by surrendering his rights and allowing Lot to choose for himself. See, unlike us, Abram refuses to play this game of keeping up with the Joneses. You know what I'm talking about? We're always comparing and competing with other people, and it's just a foolish game anyway. If we can just be honest, because someone will always have a better vehicle, a bigger house, a nicer vacation, or in this case, more land. We just gotta stop playing the game, you all.

See, Abram can't see it in the moment, but he has his sights set on something to come rather than what's right in front of him. See, he could willingly forfeit his rights over about this land because he trusted that God had something better in store for him. Abram had already experienced what happens when he takes matters into his own hands, and he'd already experienced how God still came through and provided despite his disobedience. So how much more will God provide now? Walking by faith means we trust in God's provision. Walking by faith means we trust in God's provision. And we just wrapped up our Philippians series a few weeks ago, so hopefully some of this is still fresh on your mind. But do you remember what Paul wrote as he was sitting in that prison cell to try to encourage the Philippian church? He was fully confident that God would supply their needs. Notice he did not say their wants, he said their needs. Because God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. And he's also gracious and generous to supply it. So let's see how Lot responds to Abram's generosity back in our text. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered. This is a nod back to Genesis three. Everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar.

This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and Lot journeyed east. Again, a nod back to Genesis. Thus they separated from each other. Finally, Abram settled in the land of Canaan while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were, check this out, wicked, great sinners against the Lord. So I wanna draw your attention to the progression of Lot's actions here. He saw what he wanted and he took for himself. Sounds like us, doesn't it? See, Lot didn't seek God's perspective or approval or anything on any of this. And to make matters worse, he settled near Sodom. Now, if you grew up going to church or maybe you've heard it referenced in a different context, then you know how the whole Sodom and Gomorrah tape plays out. And for those of you who haven't, spoiler alert, it does not end well. Especially for Lot's family. And there's a warning that's implied here for us today. The path to sin is paved with compromise. The path to sin is paved with compromise. And you all, I'm not pointing a finger at Lot because I know this all too well. See, when I was in middle school,

I was in a really unhealthy relationship with this girl named Debbie. So I thought, man, I gotta do the mature thing. I gotta do the wise thing. Let's take a break and create some distance. So I went to go volunteer at 4-H camp for that summer. But little did I know, Debbie also came to camp that summer. And so, as you can imagine, it did not take me long to fall back into the same trap yet again, especially when she showed up wearing her cute hat that she usually always has on anytime she's trying to tempt me. Sweet little Debbie knows how to get me every single time. One honey bun turned into a box of honey buns. And if that wasn't enough, I added a 20 ounce glacier ice Gatorade just for good measure. And you all, you better believe I paid for it that night. Now, we can all laugh at my demise over some snack cakes, but let's have an honest conversation. Students and young adults, what happens when towing the line of one physical boundary with your boyfriend or girlfriend leads you to then crossing all physical boundaries? Guys, let me talk to you for a second. What happens when that one small bet or that one big bet on DraftKings or at Keeneland or at Red Mile leads to a full-blown gambling addiction that burns your family to the ground?

Ladies, I love you. Not gonna fear about you all either. What happens when that one comment that you kinda tow the line with at work or at the gym leads to a full-blown affair? I'll tell you what happens. You'll pay for it. You will pay for it. Because if we're not careful and wise and discerning, our eyes will deceive us like Lot into lusting instead of trusting like Abram. Because here's the reality, you all. Being tempted by sin is inevitable. It's just gonna happen. But entertaining sin, that's a choice. That is a choice, and when it comes to sin, there is always, always, always compound interest involved. And as my friend Scott Hatfield often says, sin will take you further than you wanna go, keep you longer than you wanna stay, and cost you more than you wanna pay. Lot learned this the hard way. And sometimes, you and I, we gotta learn this the hard way too. But we don't always have to. Jesus did not die for our sin so we could look for the line. Jesus died for our sin so we could look at the cross. So when it comes to sin, we don't flirt with it, we don't ask where's the line, we don't tow the line. No, we flee from it.

Why? Because Jesus paid for it. Now that Lot has chosen his path and finally separated himself from Abram, let's see how things play out for Abram now. The Lord said to Abram, blotted separated from him, here we go. Lift up your eyes and look, that should sound familiar, from the place where you are, northward and southward, eastward and westward, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Here's the command, arise and walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you. So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. So what's happening here? Why does this matter? Well, if you remember back in Genesis chapter 12, Abram was having some hard time with being really obedient, and so what we see here is he is now standing in complete obedience to God. Not delayed obedience, not partial obedience, full obedience, and look what happens. God tells Abram to lift up his eyes and look. God triples down on his promise, and then God gives Abram this command to rise and walk.

God is honoring Abram's obedience, which means God will also honor our obedience. And what does Abram do in response? He trusts and obeys again by moving his tent, and then he performs this act of worship. Now keep in mind, Abram still has not seen the fulfillment of God's promise, but he still chooses to obey. He's walking by faith again and not by sight, which brings a really invasive question to the table for us today, and I love you all enough to ask it. Do we worship God or do we worship our experience with God? Do we worship God or do we worship our experience with God? In other words, do we obey God based on his character or do we obey God based on the results that we think we're gonna get? And if you're having some trouble figuring out what's the difference between the two, let me give you a few examples of how to think about this using some if-then moments and even-if moments for your faith. Here's what that sounds like. God, even if I don't get the promotion, I'll still praise you. God, if my business is successful, then I'll praise you. God, even if the divorce is final, I will still worship you. God, if you turn our marriage around, then I'll serve you and worship you. God, even if the medical report still isn't good news,

I'm gonna worship you. God, if my scans come back negative, then I'll worship you. See the difference? If-then faith means our obedience is determined by the outcome. Because if we're honest, we would much prefer to know the outcome rather than trust the outcome to the one who actually controls the outcome. But here's our job, and we've talked about this the past couple of weeks. We obey God and leave the outcomes to him. We obey God and leave the outcomes to him, and the reason we can trust God with the outcomes is because he keeps his promises. That's why walking by faith means we trust in God's promises. Walking by faith means we trust in God's promises. And you all, I realize that is so much easier said than done. I get it, I'm right there with you, but hear my heart on this. Pastor and theologian John Piper nailed it when he wrote this. God's commands are only as hard to obey as his promises are to believe. I'm gonna say that again. God's commands are only as hard to obey as his promises are to believe. Because at the end of the day,

it all comes down to this. Our faith, like Abram's, is tested to see if God's character is trusted. So what is it about Abram? What is it about Abram and his faith that lends him in the hall of faith passage that we find in a text like Hebrews chapter 11? What is it about this man's faith that gets him mentioned over 70 times in the New Testament? Well, I believe it's this. It's his resilience. Abram is committed to following God no matter what, and that's our encouragement for you all as well at Southern Christian Church. We want you all to become gritty disciples committed to following Jesus no matter what. So even when Abram drifts, even when he wanders, even when he strays, he still finds his way back to God. And this is what it means to walk by faith, you all. The Christian life is not about being perfect. It's about being persistent. Now, before we turn Abram into some kind of a hero, I wanna caution us about something when it comes to reading and studying the Old Testament specifically. See, we gotta avoid this temptation to turn every single person into a moral of the story lesson.

You know what I mean? Because like with our text today, it's gonna be really easy for me to tell you all, hey, don't be like Lot, be like Abram. God bless you, and have a good week. But that's not it. And we touched on this last week. The moral of the story is not the sinfulness of Lot. The moral. of the story actually isn't the righteousness of Abraham. The moral of the story is the faithfulness of God. And here's what I need you to see. Abram was called and then left the comfort of his homeland. Jesus was sent and left the comfort of heaven. Abram did not cling to the privileges of his property. Jesus did not cling to the privileges of his deity. Abram built these altars as a sacrifice for his sins. Jesus bled on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Abram was a foreshadow of God's promise, but Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, was the fulfillment of God's promise. Do not miss this, you all. Jesus is the greater Abram. That's the point of the story. And that's why I'm so grateful for the wisdom of people like my grandmother. And you all heard me talk about her before. She was my Sunday school teacher, but I also called her like a Jesus Jedi

because she had these weird mind tricks she would do that would get you contemplating the meaning of life while you're trying to read and study the Bible. And for me specifically, if I was hung up on something or struggling to understand something, she would just drop these one-liners that would just shatter my world like this. Look for Jesus. Just look for Jesus. And what she meant is this. The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. The point of a story is to point to Jesus so we look for him. And this principle isn't just true for reading and studying our Bibles. It's also true for life application and what exactly it means to walk by faith. See, in John chapter 14, Jesus has this fascinating exchange with one of his disciples. And I wanna check this out for a brief moment. Philip said to him, Lord, here we go, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still don't know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe or trust that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me or trust me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe or trust on account of the works themselves. Here's why this stands out to me. Here we have Philip who has had a front row seat to the words of Jesus and the works of Jesus, but it's still not enough. This is if-then faith. It's a textbook example, because he's essentially saying, hey, Jesus, if we can see, then that's enough. If we can see, then we'll believe. If we can see, then we'll obey. And before we get too critical of Philip, his heart mirrors our hearts today, which brings us back to the question from earlier. How do we walk by faith? How do we trust when we can't always see? Well, according to Jesus, here's our answer. We trust who we can see. We trust who we can see, or as my granny would say, look for Jesus. Because ultimately, we can see God's heart and God's character in Jesus. We see God's mercy in Jesus. We see God's grace in Jesus.

We see God's provision in Jesus. We see God's promise fulfilled in Jesus. And I believe one of the most powerful passages in all of scripture that reveals the heart of God comes from the book of Ephesians chapter two. You can just make a note and check it out later today. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through, here's our word, faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. What's our takeaway? This entire process of our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus is God's gift to us. This gift didn't come wrapped in paper. This gift came wrapped in humility. And let me explain what I mean.

Jesus wrapped in cloth as a baby in a manger before living a perfectly obedient life. That's God's faithfulness. Jesus wrapped in a towel as he washed the disciples' feet before he went to die on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. That's God's faithfulness. Jesus wrapped in linen as he laid in a tomb before he raised from the dead. That's God's faithfulness. Check this out, and I need you to hang on to this. Because of his humility, you and I, we are now wrapped in royalty because Jesus is the faithfulness of God in the flesh. That's why we trust him. That's why we trust him, and this biblical reality should create an entirely different lens for how we see this tension between faith and obedience. Author and pastor Kevin DeYoung said it best. Salvation is not the reward for obedience. Salvation is the reason for obedience. Salvation is not the reward for obedience. Salvation is the reason for obedience. When we recognize that we're only saved by grace, through faith, in Jesus, it transforms us from the inside out. And the person whose faith convicted me of this the most recently is my friend Ronnie's. See, Ronnie and I were introduced earlier this year through a mutual friend of ours.

And last November, Ronnie was involved in a pretty serious car accident, and it left him with some fractures in his neck, and his spinal cord was compressed, and you do not need a medical degree to know that is not a good prognosis. So much so that his first healthcare team actually thought he'll never be able to feed himself again, and he'll never be able to walk again. But his family didn't believe that was the end of the story. So they decided to walk by faith and to chase down some other answers. And so I wanna give you just a glimpse of where this one step eventually led. When I had my accident, I couldn't feel anything from the neck down. Everything was paralyzed, I couldn't move my hands. God was with me at that point, and he was giving me my second chance to make my life right. You know, laying in the hospital is where it really came across where I needed to be saved. I was having conversations with my family, and I was just trying to figure out how I was gonna be able to get out of there. I was just trying to figure out how I was gonna be able to be saved. I was having conversations with God throughout that whole time, you know, and I just asked God, you know,

to come into my life to save me. And, you know, I felt that conviction in that hospital bed. I couldn't move, get out of that bed, but all I could do was wiggle my toe. But, I mean, I was just uplifted. Ronnie, I think you exemplify what it means to be thankful in all circumstances, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5, maybe not so much thankful for your circumstances, but it's a really cool way to see how you've looked at this through, like, more of a redemptive lens, and how God's redeemed your story. You know, they told my family that I may not be able to feed myself, I may not be able to breathe on my own. They didn't know what that was gonna look like, but, you know, I came out, I could wiggle the toe, and then, you know, now I'm going through rehab now where I'm able to walk on a walker and do some rehab on a harness where I can move my legs, and, you know, I'm working on my hands getting those back, but it's been an amazing journey. You made a comment in our first conversation I wanna circle back to, because, again, I still had my old physical therapy hat on, so I'm trying to think through, like, keeping you safe, but then also wanting to honor this conviction you had to be baptized by immersion in those waters. You know, the least I could do is get in that water

after all that Jesus has done for me. I wanted to get in that water and show him, and as I was going up the steps, it kind of felt like I was floating. I mean, it really did. I mean, I felt like God was just picking me up, angels was picking me up and leading me down into that water and that was just, you know, amazing. That just shows me that Jesus was there with me during that time as well. What did you leave there in the water? Was there guilt, shame, regret? What do you feel like you left on that Sunday? Coming out of the water for me was like, as you come out, it just felt like, you know, your sins were left down in there and you came up and you came up as a new person. And, you know, I felt so touched in that moment by Jesus at that time. I just want people to understand that God can help heal you. I want them to know that Jesus is real. I think about some of the scripture as far as, you know, having the faith of a mustard seed and how you can move mountains and how that faith that I've had, how it's helped me with my recovery. It's real. One, two, three. Ta-da!

Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! You ought to say that we rejoice that day at the Georgetown campus is a massive understatement. And I can only imagine how heaven was rejoicing when he came out of that water. And you all need you to understand something. We don't share testimony videos like his or anyone else's to try to guilt-trick you. trip you about this whole faith thing, but what I'm trying to do today is just get you to see what does it look like when you can't see, when you can't see the next step, how do you put your faith and trust in the one that you can see, and his name is Jesus.

And I just want to remind you that when you've experienced God's mercy, and God's grace, and God's provision, and God's promises, and ultimately God's faithfulness, you cannot walk away the same person. It calls for a response, so how should we respond? Like Ronnie, and like Abram, it's simply this, you all, we walk by faith, that's all we can do, we can walk by faith, and all it takes is just one step. So here's what we're gonna do, across all of our campus, I want you all to stand if you're able, and let me just briefly unpack what this can maybe mean for you today. So for some of you, walking by faith means today is the day you finally put your faith and your trust in Jesus, and you come speak to someone on our prayer team as soon as I'm finished about being baptized, and they would love to have that conversation with you. For some of you here today, walking by faith means today is the day you finally stop living in denial that everything's okay in your marriage while it's burning to the ground. So you have the humility to reach out to our family ministries team and get some help. For some of you, today is the day you finally let go of your pride, thinking you can do life on your own, by yourself, in your own strength, and you contact our groups ministry team to get plugged in to biblical community

that you desperately need. For some of you here today, maybe walking by faith means today is the day you finally stop by the help desk on your way out, and you speak to someone on our connections team about volunteering on a ministry team, because we desperately need you. Or maybe for some of you here today, today is the day that walking by faith means you finally reach out to our local outreach team, and you start that conversation about fostering or adopting, because you all, there are so many kids right here in the state of Kentucky that need good, godly homes. Now again, it's not my job to be the Holy Spirit for you and help you decide what that thing may be, but here's what I can tell you. Just that one step, that one step of faith, that one step of obedience, God will honor it. All you have to do is take the one step. Here's the question I wanna leave you with. Do you trust Him? Let's pray. Father, I'm just so grateful, and just in awe, just at how you always have been and always will be more faithful to us than we ever have been or ever will be to you, and God, we do not deserve it. And the clearest demonstration of that is when you sent your one and only Son

to come down to this earth to die a death on the cross that we all deserved. But God, not only that, He rose from the grave, and because of that, we now have the hope of eternal life in heaven. God, what a gift. So Father, I pray that across all of our campuses, specifically for here at Southern Christian Church, that God, we won't just be a people of conviction, but God, we would actually have the courage to step out in faith with those convictions and just to trust you where you're leading us. God, we don't always know where we're going or where we're headed, but we do know who we're following, and that's your Son, Jesus, and it's in His name I pray. Amen.