Find Your Purpose: Get Off the Sidelines

Senior Pastors here at Christ Fellowship Church, and we're so glad that you're tuning in for service today. - Yeah, Christ Fellowship is one church that meets in lots of different locations, including right here with you. - Yeah, and our prayer for you today is that you would sense God's love for you. See, I don't personally know all that you're going through today and what you're up against, but God does. And here's your prayers, and he knows your name, and he's right here for you today as you call out to him. - Yeah, thanks again for joining with us today. We love you and we're praying for you. - God wants to exceed your expectations this year. What are you expecting God to do this year in your life? Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish. - We are a church for the one who has lost that they will be found and they will find their purpose in Jesus, the one who gave it all so that we could experience life and life to the full. - God is more in store than you have in mind, and I believe so much more than it's going to blow your mind. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Welcome to church. Hey, if you're worshiping with us all live, jump off of the couch in the room, jump on your feet. You've got a reason to sing. You've got a reason to dance. Freedom is a God's house. All that's worship together. I'm shaking on the heaviness. I'm dancing out of my regrets. I'm throwing caution to it. No, I am not ashamed to praise like this. Some must say it's foolishness, but I say it's worth the risk. I can't forget what Jesus did. No, I am not ashamed to praise like this. Where are those things that want to help me? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. My sin is gone, I'm kidding. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Look at what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to the way I was. I'm seeing all this 'cause I've been. I'm free, I'm free. Think I'm free. Oh, think of your dreams. I've found a friend and a queen. No other loves as good as this.

And I'm okay, what anyone says. I'm never being ashamed to praise like this. Where are those things that want to help me? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. My sin is gone, I'm kidding. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Look at what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to the way I was. I'm seeing all this 'cause I've been. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Think I'm free. You took the cross and you broke your body. You shed your blood, now the sin you can't see. My debt is paid and my reputation is free. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. You shed your blood now the sin you can't see My death is pain and my record is sweet I couldn't do it so you couldn't do it I want it to the cross and you broke it by You shed your blood I couldn't do it so you didn't I couldn't do it so you didn't I couldn't do it so you didn't I couldn't do it so you didn't I couldn't do it so you didn't I couldn't do it so you didn't Where are those chains that once they're me? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free My sin is gone, how can it be? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free

Look, you are the Lord, Esther I'm never going back to the way I was I was being a day to stop leaving I'm free, I'm free Stay proud, I'm free Oh, is anyone free in God's house today? Oh, thank God I'm free, my record is clean Welcome to church, whether you're joining online or you are in the room, you are in God's house and where the presence of the Lord is there is freedom of it My name is blessed, I'm so excited to have you here It's a great Sunday to be in God's house I'm reminded in Romans 6 verse 22 Paul says the Lord has set you free from your sin and you belong to him, I want to remind you you are a prize purchase, you are a prize jewel of the Lord's eye and he goes on to say because you belong to the Lord he will sanctify you and in the end he will give you eternal life or we're grateful for eternal life and today we get to celebrate some of our family members who not only have made a decision to follow Jesus but they're making that publicly today with baptism Let's join in. (audience applauding) - Let's go, this is my friend Brandon and like bless said, this is church family right here Brandon, would you share a little bit

about why you're getting baptized today? - Yeah, so like I say close to a month ago I was at my mom's crash site and man I was out there just crying, praying and God sent me a sign from a swarm of police officers coming over to see me saying I got you, I love you and the chief gave me a little bit of his testimony saying why following Christ was his best decision and that day I made my decision that I'm gonna follow Christ not one foot in a home home (audience applauding) - Not one foot in, you got your whole body in the tank right now, we're about to get you baptized man I love what God has done in your life and bro it is just the start God's about to do great things in you and through you as you go public with your faith ready to get baptized, let's go, come on it's our honor to baptize you today in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - Harry, did I like this thing? (audience applauding) Heaven is rejoicing only God can do it only God can do it oh yeah you took the cross and you broke your body you said your blood now the sin against me my dead is pain and my record is clean I couldn't do it so boy you took the cross and you broke your body

you said your blood now the sin against me my dead is pain and my record is clean I couldn't do it so boy you took the cross you took the cross and you broke your body you said your blood now the sin against me my dead is pain and my record is clean I prayed it to you so you did it oh look at what the Lord has done I'm never going back to it look at what the Lord has done I'm never going back to it look at what the Lord has done I'm never going back to it look at what the Lord has done oh I'm never going back to it look at what the Lord has done I'm never going back to it look at what the Lord has done I'm never going back to it look at what the Lord has done look at what the Lord has done the Lord has done he's celebrating with us today So God, we worship you Releasing those who run to hear A place they're hoping confident in Jesus You won't forsake them And blessed those who seek His face You'll bear in the mirror

If they forget His own Jesus They won't be shaken To come on in praise The Lord gave me To see that you love His name And come on in praise The Lord gave me This His worthy of all Our praise This His worthy And blessed those who walk with Him His hearts are set up in prayer With Jesus They'll see His glory And blessed those who die with Him Who join His give in all for Jesus And for Him only Oh Jesus All for your glory Come on in praise The Lord gave me What you say Is that you love His name And come on in praise The Lord gave me This His worthy of all Our praise Come on in praise The Lord of glory It's singing you love His name

Come on in praise The Lord gave me This His worthy of all Our praise Let's start with the sanctuary Let's start with the things of plenty Let's start in the darkest valleys Every chance I give I bless your name Let's start with the hands of plenty Let's start with the praise that caused me Let's start with the body's watching Every chance I give I bless your name Let's start with the weapons for me Let's start with the rules of all me Let's start with the clothes before me Every chance I give I bless your name Let's start before we go to the extreme Let's start before we go to the extreme Let's start before we go to the extreme Every chance I give I bless your name Let's start with I bless your name Every chance I give Come on in praise The Lord gave me This His name

Singing you love His name Come on in praise Your voice with me Is worthy of all our praise Come on in praise Your offering Singing you love His grace Come on in praise How pure hope will be there 'Cause He's worthy of all our praise Yes, His worthy He's worthy of all our praise Oh, He's well He's worthy, He's well All over this room And if you're joining us online Would you just take a moment That last line would you lift up your hands today When we worship what we are left with Is a testimony Our hands are a sign of testimony Your attention. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9, thank him for the gift that is actually too wonderful for even words. For those of you who may not have words today, that's okay. But would you ponder the gift that is freely given to you today? Father, so today we say you're worthy. Blessed is your name. The name above every name. Above my name, above the things that try to dictate my life. You reign above it all, and so my eyes are fixed on you today, my heart is fixed on you, my soul and my spirit are fixed on you today.

We love you Lord. Let us be moved in our worship. I will be moved in my worship. We're saying worthy together. It's worthy of every song we could have ever seen. Worthy of all the friends we could have ever. Yes, yes. Worthy of every breath we could have ever. We live here. All His names in Jesus. Jesus, the name above every other name. Jesus, the only one you could ever see. Worthy of every breath we could have ever. We live here for you. There's no one like you. Say, "Holy, there is no one like you. There is none beside you. Open up my eyes in order. Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and leave me in your love to host around me." We're saying worthy of every song we could have ever seen. Worthy of all the friends we could have ever. Worthy worthy worthy worthy. Worthy of every breath we could have ever. We live here. Oh, see, the sweetest name, the sweetest name. Jesus, the name above every other name. Jesus, the only one you could ever see. And He's worthy. Worthy of every breath we could have ever. We live here.

Oh, you're the spirit at all. Say, "Holy, there is no one like you. There is none beside you. Open up my eyes in order. Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and leave me in your love to host around me." She calls around me. Open up my heart, Lord. You're the center at all. Oh, I will fill my life upon your love. It is a proclamation. I will put my trust in me. Come on, this is the testimony of the church today. And I will not be able to take it. I will fill my life upon your love. It is a proclamation. I will put my trust in me. hold me 'cause you are in heaven with your heart in me, in your love, in our eyes, I will give my life upon your ground, I will give my life upon your ground, oh my God, oh, in me, oh, in our love, in our love, I will give my life upon your ground, thank you. Come on, that's the truth we're celebrating today because I know that in my life and in our lives today, there's so many things that can be shaken. And I even feel in my spirit that there's people in the room that your life is shaking. It feels like there's things that aren't firm, they aren't stable, but can I tell you today that the name of Jesus is a firm foundation that we can build our lives on, that your health might be shaken today, but the name of Jesus is strong, and it's true that your finances might feel shaken today, but I serve Jehovah, Jirer, the provider who can provide in every circumstance, in every scenario, and I don't know where you're at today, but I just feel like our faith needs to rise in the room. So today with hands lifted high across this place, whatever it is that you feel like is

shaking your life, I want you just to say it out loud and submit it to the name of Jesus. And right now I pray for every person in the room today, I pray God if it is finances or even a provision of a home or a job, whatever it is, you are Jehovah, Jirer, and while the world might be shaken around us, we are built on you, a firm foundation. I pray for every person in the room who's got maybe a shaking in their marriage or in their family today, I believe that healing and restoration can begin, that a miracle can take place, and that you can bring families back together, that marriages can remain strong in Jesus' name. And finally for any health in the room, maybe there's a person who's got a diagnosis or a disease, there is no disease that is stronger than the name of Jesus, you are greater, you are better, and you are worthy of our praise today, and the church said, "Hey man, amen, come on. Can we give Jesus praise today?" I love it. Hey, whether you're with us here at Gardens or joining with us online, we're so glad you're here today. Special shout out to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who are worshiping with us. We love you. Hey, if you're in the room with us today at Palm Beach Gardens, when you turn to one or two people around you, give them a high five, shake their hands, and you can grab your seats today. I'm Jonathan, and I'm an entrepreneur. I'm Manishka, and I'm a program director for a nonprofit organization. I'm Tyrone, and I work as a Solar Project Manager. We all ask ourselves at one point or another, "What's our purpose? What if it isn't as complicated as we make it out to be?" Knowing our calling is one of those things that we all long for. One thing that I've learned is that we're all called to live life with purpose and on mission, whether you're a pastor, a realtor, an electrician, nurse, teacher, all of us.

So right now, I am an entrepreneur. I recently took a leap of faith. I quit my job that I've been a part of for eight years. In every stage of my career, I was truly believing that I was still living on purpose and I'm out of the role, and I think this is mainly through simply just pursuing what Jesus explicitly said. The greatest among you will be the servant of all. If I'm claiming to be a follower of Jesus, my walk should match my talk. What I think about is simply just the assignment that God calls us to. I think it is both broader than we tend to make it to be, and also cater to the giftings, talents, and abilities that He's gifted us. For me, the thing I'm just so passionate about is for others to see that, and passion for a local church, it is a calling that Jesus calls all of us to, to use our gifts, to edify the church, and is through the church, man, we fulfill the mission that He's called us both inside and outside the four walls of the church. That is the avenue in which I live on purpose and I'm out of the environment that I'm in. - So I am a program director for a nonprofit. I oversee a program that provides supports and empowerment to families living in communities in Palm Beach County. I have been asking God for a while and it just felt like I wasn't hearing his voice. I wasn't clear as to where I needed to be and then it all changed. When I started asking him, where do you want me to be? What is your will for my life? I recognize that God had a place for me. God has a purpose for me. God has a calling for me.

What I wish I knew about purpose 10 years ago was that the gifts and the callings that God placed in me were not a mistake. They were on purpose to advance his kingdom, to join him in the work that he's doing in our world, in our community. - I've been working for Solar Farms for about two years now. I started off doing basic financial analysis of these same projects that I now manage. It's trusting God throughout the whole process of the day and displaying Christ at every single opportunity that I possibly can. I'm not working alone. I have the Holy Spirit to guide me. If I serve the same team that I'm leading, it's easier for them to follow me through the difficult times. I just thank God that I'm able to remember that he chose me to do this. I was like, what should I do at the church? My mom's like, you've always been good with kids. Go help out with the kids. The more I started giving of my time, the more I started receiving joy and favor and breakthrough in other areas of my life through serving. I even get the mentor, some young men who don't have fathers. The fact that I can show them God's love, it means the world to me. God always steps in and makes you understand that this is all part of this greater plan. If anybody is out there struggling with purpose,

give it to God and he will show you your purpose and you might already be walking you. On mission for Jesus has opened the door for me to share my faith and have an impact on others for God. Purpose clicked for me. God was there with me in all of those defining moments. Living life with my calling and view changes everything I do from the office to serving the next generation. Now everything I do has meaning because I'm living on mission every day. Regardless of what we do, I know God has a specific purpose. A unique calling and a distinct mission for each of us. Why? Because Jesus said... I have come to give them life and life to the full. Come on, don't you love that? I love how Jonathan and Tyrone and Anishka are finding and living out their God-given purpose both in their career and as a part of their church. And as a church, we want to help you do both. We want to help you thrive in your career and the place that God has placed you so you can have leadership and influence there, which is why coming up on October the 8th, Thursday morning, we've got a day to lead that's happening right here in our gardens location. If you are, it's with John Maxwell, Ryan Leak. There's Liz Bohena. We're gonna be investing in you and in your leadership as you grow in that and influence.

So if you have a career, you have a job, you work, you need to work to be here on Thursday morning. It's gonna help you, it's gonna bless you. Last year was amazing. You can tap that disc on the seat back in front of you, get more information about it. And all the ticket proceeds goes to our Christ Fellowship South Eastern University students. It's gonna be great, we'll see you on October the 8th. I want to welcome everybody joining us today at all of our Christ Fellowship locations. It's good to be with you. Big shout out to everybody joining online. Would you help me welcome the men and women of the United States Armed Forces that join with us every week? We love you, praying for you. So we're in this series entitled This is the Life. And we're asking the question, how do we find this life that Jesus came to give us? A life that is abundant and full. How do we find it? And what does it look like when we find it? And actually next Sunday is probably my favorite weekend of the series coming up. We're gonna be doing something that we have never done that I can recall in church. I've never done this before this way. And all I can tell you is it's gonna be legendary. So make sure that you're here next week.

about what God has for each and every one of us, there was one part that we could not pass over and it has to do with purpose. Man, your purpose is important. Your purpose is more than just what you live for. Your purpose will actually change the way you live. It'll change your Monday through Friday. There's been a large body of research done on the importance of purpose. And this is what it says, research directly connects a strong sense of purpose with improved mental health, greater resilience to the pressures and the demands of life, a stronger cognitive functioning, and even longevity of life. This research goes on to say that when purpose becomes diminished or becomes a little vague in a person's life, people become more vulnerable to depression, loneliness, disengagement from community, and declining health, which tells us your purpose is important. Your purpose actually connects you to something that is bigger than you, something that will outlast and outlive you. And when you live your life on purpose, it gives life a meaning. Now, the Bible tells us that you have been created in the image of a creator, which means you've been created to create. There is, that's inside of you. You've been given this purpose to actually produce,

which is why you can find purpose in everything that you do, what you put your hands to, if it's done right. In fact, it says this in Colossians chapter 3, verse 23, says whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. What I love in that video is that Jonathan and Tyrone and Anishka have figured that out, right? They're doing everything that they do. They're doing it for the Lord. When you do it for the Lord, your work is holy, full of purpose, full of meaning. When you just replace who you're working for. You're not working for your boss. Thank God, right? You're not working for that company. You're not even working for yourself. You're working for the Lord. And when you do that, all of a sudden your work takes on meaning and purpose in your life. So it doesn't matter what you do. You could be a barber or a business owner, a pastor or a plumber. All of it can be holy and full of divine purpose when it's lived out that way. And while your purpose can be connected to your career, your purpose goes beyond your career. Because if your purpose is only connected to what you can produce, what happens when you can no longer produce? What happens when the company downsizes

or you lose that job or you decide to retire? Well, the thing that God has put on your life is still on your life. The purpose is God has given you is still there, which tells us that it's connected to something beyond what I can just do in my career. See, in addition to your nine to five Monday through Friday purpose that's on your life, God has sovereignly placed you as a part of his family. And there is a purpose, a divine purpose that is on us together as his family, as his church. In fact, when you read the Bible, you'll see three words that are constantly repeated in describing God's church. It is family, bride, body. Family, bride, body. All of them are a picture of being connected. In fact, they have to be connected in order to be complete. A family is not made up of one individual person on their own by them. No, their family's made up of different ages, different generations, all important, all have their place in the family. A bride isn't a bride without a groom, right? And a body is a bunch of different parts that all have to be connected in order to function together. In fact, in the book of Romans chapter 12, Paul says that disconnected from the body, you can't function the way you've been created to function. You can't live the life.

You're never gonna experience the life. God created you to live. You can't be who you're created to be, apart from Christ's body. In first Corinthians chapter 12, Paul's talking about the body again here, and he says, all of us together, not apart, but together are the one body of Christ, and each of you is a separate, and what's that word? What did it say to you again? Necessary part of it. Each of you, you are a necessary, important part of what God wants to do on the earth today. You are a critical member Julie and I have recently been watching a docu-series on the United States basketball dream team from the Olympics and kind of it follows them through their personal journey to get there and the games they have to play. Good series, rough language, I'm not promoting it. We had to like turn it off for a couple of points. They'll say, "Oh, Pastor Todd said it's okay." But what it reminded me of was when I got to go to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 and see the dream team play live in Atlanta. It was amazing watching these players, these big players out there playing together. Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Scotty Pippin. Man, they were all going at it. I was right there in the stands watching it.

(cheering) It was amazing. But what's even more amazing is my dad got to go hang out with the team. Of course, coach, right? He's having dinner with the team. He's hanging out with the team. In fact, when he came back, he had these little, these are the security passes of the US Olympic basketball dream team. This, can you get close? They're Shaquille O'Neal. Can you see him? He looks like he's about 15 years old. I got Charles Barkley right there. I got three of them right there. He wouldn't give me more than three, but he let me take three of them out of his office today. I'm like, "Dad, how did you get these? "Did you go into the locker room and steal them?" I mean, these were their passes to get in the, these were the extra, these were the backups in case they lost them. But what's amazing is the dream team was amazing. Watching these legends come together and play together, but they had to play together in order to win. Not one of them could win the game on their own. Malone can't win on his own. Took four other guys on the court and a whole bunch of other guys on the bench to rotate in.

It took coaches and it took trainers. It took people that would feed the team and wash the jerseys, right? Took water boys, keeping the water for life. Took a whole bunch of people on the team so the team could do what the team was supposed to do. The same is true today on God's dream team. And as I was thinking about these guys, this was not the first or the second dream team. In fact, the very first dream team goes all the way back 2,000 years ago on the Sea of Galilee when we read about Jesus' first draft for the dream team. Let me read a tea out of Luke chapter five. Says this one day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God and he noticed two empty boats at the water's edge for the fishermen had left them there and were already washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon Peter to push out into the water. So he sat in the boat and he taught the crowds from there. When he was finished speaking, Jesus said to Simon Peter, now go out to where it's deeper and let down your nets to catch some fish. Master Simon replied, we've worked hard all last night. We didn't catch a thing, but if you say so, I'll let the nets down again. Now let me just pause right there.

If you follow Jesus, he is always gonna call you into the deeper places. He will not let you stay in the shallow places of life. He'll meet you in the shallow places. Thank God he meets us right where we are, but he loves us too much to let us stay where we are. And in this passage, it's almost like Jesus is saying, Peter, the thing you've been looking for, searching for all night long, it's not found in the shallow things, it's found in the deeper places. And I realize that some of us, we've been looking for this life in the shallow places of life, in the shallow things of life, the success or money or popularity or acceptance. And we've been looking at all these other places and Jesus saying, no, no, no, it's in the deeper places. I'm gonna help you find what you're looking for. And so, they go out in the deep, they let their nets down again. And in verse six, it says, this time their nets were so full of fish, they began to tear. Can I tell you, when you follow Jesus, he's always got more in store. Like, they thought it was over, they were cleaning their nets, they were done. Can I tell you, when it looks like the end, when Jesus shows up, it's just the beginning.

You're just getting started. You might feel like you're at the end of something right now in your life, a season of life that feels like something's over. Let me tell you, you follow Jesus. You get out of the boat, you follow him. And he's gonna take you places you never imagined. In fact, in verse seven, they catch so much fish, the boat begins to sink, they call their friends out. And then, verse 10, here's what Jesus says to him. Don't be afraid. From now on, you're gonna be fishing for people. And as soon as they landed, they left everything and they followed Jesus. This is a picture of the first dream team. Setting out to fulfill the dream that is in the heart of God, to bring hope into a hopeless world, to bring life to people who are dying, to help people who are far from God, find God. And what you notice, these were ordinary guys. They were not specially trained. They were just ordinary fishermen and they weren't even good at it until Jesus showed up, right? These weren't like professional basketball players. But when they joined Jesus' dream team, they turned the world upside down. Can I tell you, there are some blessings and benefits that you and I will only receive as we join in with what God is doing on the earth. You and I will never experience it apart

from aligning with what God is doing on the earth today. There's many I could talk about. I wanna talk about three of them. Three blessings that come into our lives as we join in with Jesus on his dream team. The first one is this, you will discover your purpose. When you get off the bench and in the game, you discover why in the world, you're even in the world. These men, Jesus said from now on, you're gonna be fishing for people. You've been fishing for fish. Now you're gonna be fishing for people. I'm gonna give your life eternal significance and meaning. I'm gonna use you in supernatural ways that you never saw coming. Now, these guys, they could have kept on fishing, right? Nothing wrong with fishing. Hey man, guys, all the men said, hey man, yeah. But God had more on their life than fishing and all the life said, hey man, that's right. God had more. God had a higher calling on their life. They could have stayed with the catch, but they would have missed their calling. You realize that you've got more on your life than just getting up and going to work and making some money and paying the bills and feeding the cat and watching Netflix. There's more on your life. God has more in store for you to be a part of,

that he predestined before the foundations of the world. Before you were ever born, he gave a purpose and a destiny to you specifically. He knew you, he called you by name. He says, child, you're mine. Well, Todd, how do you know that? How do you know that God has a plan and a purpose for my life? I'll tell you, Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans I have for you declares who the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. We love that verse, leave that up for a minute. But do you notice there who has the plans? God has the plans. When you don't know the plan, that's okay. He knows the plans. He knows exactly the purposes and the plans for your life as long as you get in sync with what he's doing and what he's saying, you're gonna find it, you're gonna discover it. In fact, the Bible goes on to say, and I love this verse in Ephesians 1, it's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. I want everywhere you are today, if you're driving in the car, listening online, wherever you are, I want you to say that verse out loud with me.

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we're living for. It's in Christ. It's not in your spouse, not in your kids, not in your career, not in your friends. Those are all great parts of life. But that's not where you find out who you are. That's not where you find out who you're living for. It's in Jesus, and until we realize that, we'll be looking everywhere else and coming up empty, wondering why that doesn't fulfill me. Well, because it's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we're living for. Goes on to say in the next verse, verse 12, long before we ever heard of Christ and got our hopes up in Christ, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living. Part of the overall, look at that purpose that he's working out in everything and who, every one, you are a part of everything that God is working out on the planet. You're an important part of his plan, and he wants you on the team. You know, we have thousands of people around Christ's fellowship at all of our campuses that are a part of Jesus' dream team. Serving in ways you'll never know. I know how I can't go through them all, but let me just write off a few here.

Out in Royal Palm, we got Milton Finn. Milton leads worship out there. He's mentoring young men at our campus. We've got Lisa Felder, I mean, Lisa Smile. When you see Lisa, she just brightens up every room. When she says welcome home, you believe her, right? In Jupiter, we got Frank and Kim. They have been serving, volunteering in CF Kids since our campus was back in the hotel. We used to call you the Bougie Hotel 'cause you had valet parking up in Jupiter. You know what I'm saying? They're still serving our kids today. Their kids are even serving our kids today. And I think about Ben Reinhardt up there at Jupiter, serving our students, man not just on Wednesday nights, but he is actually going to their games and pouring into the next generation. In Okachobi, there's Hannah Klassen. And Hannah used to drive all the way from Okachobi into Palm Beach Gardens and serving kids before we had a Okachobie. to say get there first. And today, Hannah, you're still serving kids out there. You're leading sisterhood groups. You're helping the host team and you're all over it. I got Dana from Port St. Lucie leading the journey up there. She's been leading the journey classes for eight years. In fact, Pastor Jenny told me that Dana has not missed one journey class in eight years, except for like two weeks ago, she had to be out of town. And she was calling in to make sure it was covered. Dana, we are proud of you because there's people that have been here eight years and they have not been to the journey once. You're there

every time. We're going to change that today. And then I got Stuart, up in Stuart, we got Devon who serves as a volunteer coordinator for the service, all the service teams that works. She says she found community through serving. Devon started a young adults group out of just serving and now she's engaged from a guy she met serving at church. She met her spouse in the house. You know what I'm saying? So one might even say, Devon, that you are engaged because you served. I'm just saying, just throwing it out there. You could say that. And I could go campus by campus. I could go all around. I could tell you about divorce care ministry we have. And we have a divorce care ministry, not because a pastor wanted to start a divorce care, but because some people in our church that had been through the pain of divorce said, I want to help other people get through what I had to go through. We have grief share for the same reason. People that have lost a loved one. And they said, man, God help me. I want to help somebody else get through what they're going through. We have our prison ministries today and our prison campuses today, not because pastor Todd started going to the prison, but because years ago Dave Smith, who's at our Trinity campus today and a business guy named Jason Ebersall decided to make it their business to actually go into the prisons and bring hope to the prisoners. And today we're seeing thousands of prisoners finding Jesus because people like you stepped up and said, let me go. Let me make a difference. See, we would not, we wouldn't be doing everything we're doing. We wouldn't be able to feed the homeless like we're doing that. Karen, for the orphans like we're doing, we couldn't be going into all the places we're going if it were not for people like you just saying, hey, I'm going to get off the grandstands out of the seats and into the, I want to play and put me in the game coach. Let me be a part of it. And I want you to notice something here. This, this first dream team thought their job was to feed people physically, go catch fish and feed people fish, but their, their purpose was to feed people spiritually. And that is our same purpose today to carry the message of Jesus into the world, right? And when you step out and you align yourself with that, you can find purpose. The second blessing of being a part of Jesus' dream team is you experience partnership. You experience partnership, friendship, community. One of the blessings about being a part of, of the team is the camaraderie and the friendships that are forged. And I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this point because last week Julie preached

a powerful message about community. And if you missed it, you need to go back and listen to it because it's, it's good. But she said, you'll never find the right life with the wrong friends. So you got to get the right people in your life. And being on team is a part of finding that. I look at these first disciples, man, they experienced true partnership together. Now, obviously they were friends before they were, you know, following Jesus because they were fishing together. But when they started following Jesus, that one decision to step up and follow Jesus, man changed everything for them. Because now all of a sudden they were bound together. They saw and experienced things they never thought they were. See, they saw blinded eyes open. They saw lame people start running around. They saw dead people raised back to life again. And then after Jesus was crucified, risen from the dead, ascended back into heaven, these men were bound together on a holy mission. Come hell or high water. They were going to share the message of Jesus Christ. They were bound together. Now I've never served in the armed forces, but I've had people tell me that have served in the armed forces, that when you serve in the trenches with somebody, side by side, shoulder by shoulder, fighting together, man, you are, you are bound together. There's a camaraderie and a oneness there that can't, because it's like you're on a mission. It's like a life and death mission. Can I tell you we are on the same life and death mission? And when we're bound together, there's a camaraderie and a partnership that we experience. I'll tell you that Julie and I, our deepest friendships are with the people we served together with. Deepest, we've been going on for years. We've been serving together for years. I think of James and Lisa, up at Jupiter and Brandon and Michelle Cato, at Trinity today, and Frank and Sherry, David, our mom in years, decades. and that happens when we are bound together in team. Here's the point. When your relationship is something beyond you, something that's bigger than you, it actually takes on a deep, profound meaning and connection. And serving on team begins to build those camaraderie and friendship. Years ago, there was a lady named Gina

who had been coming to our church for about 18 months, and she was thinking about leaving our church 'cause she hadn't got connected to anybody. So she was here, but she felt lonely, and she stopped and talked to a pastor, which I'm glad she did. And in that conversation, the pastor found out that she had a real passion for prayer. And so he said, well, do you know that we have prayer teams that are praying? She said, yeah, I've seen people upfront praying. I'm not really into that. I don't know that I could go do that. It's okay, we have people that pray during the services, in prayer rooms. We have people that come and pray during the week, praying for our kids, praying for the church, praying for people that are gonna come on Sunday. And so, Gina got involved in that, and then she started actually bringing other people in to do this, and God just didn't want her to pray alone. God wanted her to let her passion for prayer, get on some other people. And pretty soon, man, she built these lifelong friendships with these people that she's been serving with to this day. God's got that kind of partnership for you. And the third blessing that I see from these guys that were on the first dream team is you begin to reach your potential.

When you step up, man, you reach your potential, because there was more inside those fishermen than fishing. God wanted to use them in ways they never imagined, but they had to say yes to Jesus. They had to get out of their boats. And when they did, you read in the book of Acts, these were the guys that turned the world upside down. They carried the message of Jesus across land and sea. They spread the gospel throughout the known world. They healed the lame. They opened up blinded eyes. They raised the dead. God used them beyond their imagination. They reached their potential. That weren't potential is an interesting word, isn't it? It's so full of potential. Like maybe hope. In fact, the definition of potential is capable of becoming, full of possibilities. I think about the dream team here, Shaquille O'Neal. I'm sure when he was like five, he had potential. Seven, he had potential. But somebody had to get a basket on his hand and then he had to get on from the couch to the court. He had to practice to reach his potential. And as you and I step up and we join God in what he's doing, we begin to reach our potential. As you step up, you're gonna discover abilities and talents that you didn't even know you had on the inside of you.

You'll be asked to do something. And you'll be like, I don't know if I can do that. I've never done that before. And then you give it a go and you step out and then all of a sudden you're like, I did it. And I actually liked it. And I'm pretty good at it. It's 'cause it's a God-given ability inside of you. That's Kim Tersey's story. Kim was asked to jump in and be a part of the prison ministry. And she's like, I don't know if I wanna go to prison. In fact, probably most of our team that volunteers in our prison ministry never thought, yeah, yeah, sign me up for a prison ministry. That's what I wanna do. But Kim said, okay, I'll give it a go. And then she found out she discovered her. Man, potential there and she was good at praying for these prisoners and bringing them hope. And then Kim, I think they got a picture. She started recruiting. She's recruited 25 other women to join her on the prison team. And they go in now to the women's prisons and they're leading women to the Lord. They're helping, she's discovered potential that she didn't know was inside of her. And so you might be thinking today, okay, Todd, I get it, what do you need me to do?

Need me to park cars? It's pretty hot out there. They're saying this, not be outside. You need me to change diapers? I didn't even like changing my own kids' diapers. Paint that inner city church. My own house needs painting, Todd. Okay, listen, this is important. I don't need you to park cars. We don't need you to change diapers. We don't need you to paint buildings. You actually need this. The way that God has wired you and designed you to follow Him, you actually need to be a part of what He's doing. You actually need to serve. You actually need to give in tangible ways and be a part of something that will outlast and outlive you, you're hardwired for it. And it's not about the actual task, it's about the mission that we have together. We have a mission given to us by God to carry the love and the message of Jesus into the world. We have a mission to help people that are hopeless and broken. Find the hope that only Jesus can give them. We have a mission in the heart of the next generation. We gotta help them find Jesus first. Love Jesus first.

We have a mission to help those that are widowed and orphaned and the foster care kids. God has given us this holy mission together. So I'm inviting you to actually be a part of Jesus' dream team. To be a part of the dream team. To help the dream that's in the heart of God. Be carried to the people that God loves so much. How will they know unless we tell them and show them and bring them and be a part of it. We have to be the one. And this is connect weekend at all of our campuses. So there's people out ready to connect you. All you gotta do is walk up to 'em and just go, put me in the game. I wanna get out of the stands. I wanna go on the court, throw me the ball. And they'll help you get in the game, I promise you. They'll help figure it out. Or maybe you're like, "Well, tie it on your phone. "I wanna talk anybody yet. "I wanna figure this out." That's okay. We have an app. And on the Christ Fellowship app, you can actually begin to explore all the different serving possibilities. If you open the app, you can tap your phone on that disc right in front of you. You'll see the places you can serve

in the community through the week. Let's say you pick family ministries and you pick kids ministry. One of the first questions that's gonna ask you is have you been a part of the journey yet? Have you taken the journey? And if you've been around Christ Fellowship for more than two weeks, you've heard us say, jump in to the journey. Because the journey is like the front door to everything we have here to help you on your spiritual journey with finding Jesus. And so we wanna help you on that journey. Now, the journey is more than a class. The journey is like this three week relationship experience where you get to know the pastors at your campus and people at your team. And you get to learn about a little bit of Christ Fellowship, but more about the gifts inside of you. You get to discover the importance of believers baptism and what that looks like to follow the Lord in baptism. You begin to understand the power of prayer and relationships that will build you up and help you become who you're called to be. And then ways you can serve here locally and all around the world to make a difference. See, I believe this is a significant part of your spiritual journey, which is why we call it the journey. And if you never get on that journey, I don't know how you're gonna find everything

that God has for you, for your marriage, for your kids, for your parenting, everything that God wants to do. So let us help you find the life that God is wanting you to live. And so our team has made it really simple. The journey starts the first Sunday of every week. First Sunday is when you take your first step. First Sunday, first step. Would you say that with me? First Sunday, first step. Some of you have been around for a while, you still need to take your first step into the journey. Which means if the journey starts on the first Sunday, what is the first Sunday of September? September, six, September, six. Not the 13th, we were confused. It's September 6th. Now, you may say, well, wait a minute, it's not September 6th, is it not like Labor Day weekend? Like, I might be out on the boat. Can I tell you, you've got a calling that is bigger than a boat. Do you remember the first story we read? Jesus said, get out of the boat and follow me. So we all need to get out of the boat, get off the boat, come follow me, are you okay? So you just need to register. You can register right there. When you tap the disc and you go to the journey, you can hit a journey and it's gonna say,

register for September 6th. But let's say you're out of town, September 6th. That's okay, I'm not legalistic. You can sign up for October 4th. That's the next one. First Sunday, first step, first Sunday, first step. Listen, as your pastor, as your pastor, I am asking you to get out of the grandstands, off the spectator and on the court. Be a part of the team, man, jump into the journey. And listen, you ain't saying, well, three weeks, I don't know. Okay, come to the first week. Come to the first week, try it out. Come on, just try it out. And let us help you experience what God has for you. I wrote this down. What if all of us who call Christ fellowship home, what if all of us take up this call and we actually get on the team, we actually start serving, we start giving, we start using the gifts that God has given us in ways together. Imagine the difference it would make in our church, the difference it would make in our community, the difference it would make in our world, the difference it would make in your world. Last scripture, and then we're gonna pray. James 1, 22. You got that? Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself, say it with me out loud.

To what it says. Don't come in on Sunday and listen and deceive yourself. And then just walk out and go, yeah, it's good for everybody else, but not for me, Todd. Do what, let's do what the word says. Take a step, take a step. You know, I was thinking the only reason that you may not be able to step onto the dream team is if you've never personally experienced the dream that God has for you in your own life, the hope and the joy, the peace that he wants to give you, 'cause you can't give away what you don't have. And so I wanna lead you in a prayer today. If you're here at any of our locations and you've never really fully turned your life over to Jesus, you've never really experienced his grace and his mercy to wash away your sins so that you could be made right with God, that's really the first step, right? To help you become everything God has created you to become, and so I'm gonna lead us in a prayer. Would you bow your heads with me in all of our locations? Father God, we thank you for your word that teaches us what is right, helps us know even where we are wrong or where we need to get back and step with you. I pray today, Lord, that you would speak to every person here. And Lord, I pray for those that need to get their lives right with you today. In fact, if that's you and you would say, " Todd, would you pray for me, include me in this prayer,

"to get my life right with Jesus?" I'm gonna pray this prayer. And if you would say, "Just include me with it." Would you just raise your hand wherever you are, hold it up high across all of our rooms today. If you've even watched it online, hands up high, going up all over our rooms, we're gonna pray this prayer out loud together. Those of you with your hands up, you pray just a little bit louder than the person sitting next to you. Just say this, say, "Dear Lord Jesus, "come into my life, "fill me with your grace, "forgive me of my sins, "fill me with the joy, "and the hope that only you give. "And I will follow you every day of my life. "In Jesus' name I pray. "Amen, come on, let's thank God "for all those that made that decision for Jesus." Come on. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)