Game Plan | Part 5

♪ Grace upon grace, honey, luvia ♪ ♪ Even though I don't deserve it ♪ ♪ You did it ♪ ♪ Even though I couldn't earn it ♪ ♪ You've given it ♪ ♪ You am mine ♪ ♪ And you keep me on your mind ♪ ♪ I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, my life ♪ ♪ You've been right here by my side ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, the only ♪ ♪ There's only one ♪ ♪ I'll give you glory ♪ ♪ For all that you've done ♪ ♪ Even though I don't deserve it ♪ ♪ You did it ♪ ♪ Even though I couldn't earn it ♪ ♪ You gave it ♪ ♪ And you am mine ♪ ♪ And you keep me on your mind ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful ♪ ♪ I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ And all my life ♪ ♪ Oh, my life ♪ ♪ You've been right here ♪ ♪ Right here ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪

♪ Just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Just grateful for you ♪ ♪ And who am I ♪ ♪ Can you keep me on your mind ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ And God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ All my life ♪ ♪ Oh, my life ♪ ♪ You've been right here by my side ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ We're just grateful ♪ ♪ We're just grateful ♪ ♪ We're just grateful ♪ ♪ We're just thankful ♪ ♪ You've been right here ♪ ♪ You've been right here ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Can you ♪ ♪ My heart ♪ ♪ I'm lifting pros on my hands ♪ ♪ 'Cause you gave me tears after tears ♪ ♪ After tears ♪ ♪ And God ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ 'Cause you gave me tears after tears ♪ ♪ After tears ♪ ♪ And God ♪ ♪ I am ♪

♪ I'm lifting pros on my hands ♪ ♪ 'Cause you gave me tears after tears ♪ ♪ After tears ♪ ♪ And God ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ 'Cause you gave me tears after tears ♪ ♪ After tears ♪ ♪ And we were mine ♪ ♪ And you keep me on your mind ♪ ♪ And I'm just thankful ♪ ♪ 'Cause you're grateful ♪ ♪ And God ♪ ♪ I'm just grateful ♪ ♪ For it ♪ ♪ And all my life ♪ ♪ Oh my life ♪ ♪ 'Cause you've been right here ♪ ♪ 'Cause you've been right here ♪ ♪ And God, I'm just grateful ♪ ♪ 'Cause you're grateful ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ 'Cause you were mine ♪ ♪ And you keep me on your mind ♪ ♪ And God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ And all my life ♪ ♪ You've been right here by my side ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪

♪ Oh God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful ♪ ♪ I'm just grateful ♪ ♪ I'm so thankful ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God I'm just thankful for you ♪ ♪ You're free so on who sent me free ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ This has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ There's salvation in your name ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living home ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ This all who sent me free ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ This has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ Oh, when praise your name ♪

♪ Jesus Christ, my living home ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord who sent me free ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ This has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ There's salvation in your name ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living home ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord who sent me free ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ This has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ There's salvation in your name ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living home ♪ ♪ And came the morning ♪ ♪ Let's see you, the promise ♪ ♪ You were buried by me ♪ ♪ The pain that you were buried ♪ ♪ And out of the silence ♪ ♪ The glory of the land ♪ ♪ And he claimed to pray ♪ ♪ Has no claim on me ♪ ♪ The glory of the land ♪ ♪ And came, then came the morning ♪ ♪ Let's see you, the promise ♪ ♪ You were buried by me ♪ ♪ He is to breathe ♪ ♪ And out of the silence ♪

♪ You were holding my hand ♪ ♪ He claimed to pray ♪ ♪ Has no claim on me ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, Jesus the Lord ♪ ♪ He is to be the glory ♪ ♪ In the eyes ♪ ♪ And hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪

♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪

♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ ♪ Praise no one who has set me free ♪ So you made a way across the great divine Left behind hell is the wrong To build a gear inside And there at the cross You paid the debt I owe You broke my chain, freed my soul And for the first time I have all Thank you, Jesus, for the blood of I Thank you, Jesus, it has washed me wide Thank you, Jesus, you have saved my life You brought me from the darkness And to glorious life Oh, yeah Well, you took my place Made a sign, my tomb must sing You were buried for three days But then you walked high out again Now I'm dead as no sting And I have to win Oh, I have been transformed Out of all other lives Thank you, Jesus, for the blood Oh, I have been transformed And for the first time I have all Thank you, Jesus, you have saved my life You brought me from the darkness And to glorious life There is no one who's strong

There's no one who's working hard No, no, no But then you walked high out again And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time But then you walked high out again And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time

And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time And for the first time I have all this time I want you to get ready to receive the rest of this message today Because we're in this series called "The Game Plan" That God has called you to be spiritual champions for Jesus Christ But one of the things that you've got to have is what we started last week was called winning habits What are the winning habits of people who are ordinary folks in the body of Christ That causes them to keep overcoming and walking with Jesus Even when they have a setback, even when they fail, even when they fumble Even when they get tackled by something What causes them to overcome, not throwing in the towel, as that prophetic word said What it is are the winning habits that you keep in your life So let's go to our main over-arching texts Let's go to Philippians chapter 3 and verse 10

And in fact, I'll tell you what I'd like for you to do I'd like for everybody just to speak this verse out loud with me with me, okay? This verse, verse, verse. the Apostle Paul to the early believers that we're going to quote together. Here we go. Ready? I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. That mighty power is ultimately the resurrection of our bodies when we receive a glorified body. We know that. But that resurrection power is not just for then. That resurrection power is for now that you have the authority and the dominion with anything you're wrestling with an attack that's coming from Satan. It is the resurrection power of the cross of Jesus Christ and his blood that gives you authority to tell the enemy to leave you and his hands off on you that gives you the victory. But what does it all come from? It comes from this one thing from knowing Jesus Christ. So what Jesus is after is he's not after your attention. A lot of people that call themselves Christians give God their attention, but they do not give God their affection. And you know when something you know an affection has been you know an affection is it you and not just attention. Here's how it is. It's just like when you get married you stop texting your old boyfriend and your old girlfriend. You quit scoping out their Facebook page to see if they still look hot after 35 years. Are you listening to me? When they have your affection nobody else appeals to you anymore. Jesus is tired of Christians. Do you have your attention? But there were distractions of things that pull you away from affection for him. Now I didn't, that just hit me. Thank you, Brenda. I have affection for you. Yeah let's not do that here. Whole different service, okay. All right. Y'all didn't know Asians could turn red, did you, man? Y'all just didn't know that, right? Whoo, Gloria, I'm up to the step to this side of the building, amen. So what it really is is that this try and try and try and try and try and try and try and try and doing doing doing doing trying to please God, that is not what drives you. What drives you is to know him. I want to know you more. I want to intentionally be with you because it is that affection that actually gives you the power and the authority to know the mighty resurrection power of God that will help you simply walk out your faith with Jesus Christ. He's not complicating this because a lot of people want to just do and get the rules done. No, he says the power of the cross

comes out of just wanting to know me. I just don't want your attention. I want your affection. So here's what he says in verse 13, okay. So then he says, then he says this to those believers. So he says, I focus on this one thing, forgetting the past. Why would he say forgetting the past? Because he had a pretty rough past, okay. He's had people murdered, he's had people incarcerated, and he did it all the name of God, and people kept holding this against him. They remembered his past. So the enemy keeps throwing our past up at us. Y'all understand that. So he says, you have to focus on following Jesus Christ to know him. And if you look at that word, no, it's a very intimate term. It's not just knowledge. It's an intimate term of truly wanting affection to know God, to know Jesus. He says, so in this path, he says, you got to forget the past and start looking forward to what lies ahead. And then he says this word, I press. I would say those two words with me, everybody, would you? I press. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. So let me say this again. Paul isn't preaching just more discipline, get more discipline, get more discipline. He's talking about discipleship, the true follower that wants to pursue Jesus Christ. So that discipleship or that, even those disciplines, come from the desire of just wanting to pursue Jesus Christ, not from guilt, but being smitten by the power of what he did for use. It was so good. They're not born. They're not born just because they got born in a Christian family. They are not born. Spiritual champions are grown through this daily desire to pursue Jesus Christ. And out of that comes the disciple. You become a disciple and the disciplines follow those mighty powerful resurrection power of Jesus Christ. So I know this from last week, you don't drift toward Jesus. You don't drift. It's nice to show up church, but you just don't drift toward Christ. You have to train toward Christ. I keep pressing to know him. I keep pressing to one of the other words. I keep pressing God. Maybe it's only 15 minutes I'm praying, but I keep pressing. I'm starting to just memorize the script. Just keep pressing toward Jesus Christ. You will become more like him, experience the resurrection power. So we're just going to just for a second go back to that first winning habit. Remember the first winning habit of spiritual champions? Here's what they do. They stay connected to the team. You need the body of Christ. So let's look at that scripture just real quickly that I read last week just to remind you again. He said, "And let us not neglect our meeting together. As some people do, that's talking to believers. Some just neglect it. They don't intentionally

get involved with other people. But encourage one another. Encourage that means to put courage in. So one of my ministries and your ministries is to put courage into other people's marriage. Put courage into their walk with God. When they're struggling with an addiction, put courage in them to keep walking through the power of Jesus Christ. Keep encouraging to be in the house of God when they feel embarrassed and don't want to show up. Encourage them to keep walking with Jesus Christ, especially as the day of his return is drawing near. So the writer of Hebrews is saying, as Jesus Christ is getting ready to approach, there's going to be more distancing of people who call themselves Jesus Christ followers or Christians from being together, barriers power when you hang out with God's people. And if you remember what I said last week, I said isolation is Satan's tactic against people. It's to put them alone, and I won't rehash all that. But you have to understand this. You have to intentionally put yourself with believers. Now, you can follow Jesus Christ alone. Some of you are following Jesus alone because you're the only person saved in your family or on the workplace that you're in right now. You can follow Jesus alone, but you will never mature outside of the family of Jesus Christ. He puts you in spiritual families and you need a family. Tell the person beside you. I need you, man. I need you, sister. I need you. I need you. And some people goes, well, I hear these Christians. I hear them. I get it. And some of them have a reason to act this way. And some of it's justifiable because they got hurt in church and because there are some believer that did something stupid. But you are supposed to be in a body of believers to grow. But some people say, well, I don't have to be a Christian to go to church. I had the real joy of doing the values 301. Everybody needs to go through values 301. I had a great time with you. Y'all were a blast. Y'all were just blast. But I was saying something to them about being in small groups and being connected. People that say, well, you don't have to be a Christian and go to church. Well, that's true. I agree with that statement. You don't have to go to church to be a Christian, okay? You don't have to because salvation comes by the grace of God through faith you believe in, right? That's right. You could save salvation. But I can tell you this, too. You can be married, but you don't have to go home to be married. Cela. You don't have to go home to be married. No, you don't. Yeah, but I'm married. I'm saved. But you don't have to go home. Just stay away from her. Stay away from him. And tell me if it affects your marriage or not. Though you tell me, will it affect the pursuit of knowing each other? Yes. And it does the same thing

in the body of Christ when people say, I want Jesus, but I don't want his family. It affects your relationship with Jesus Christ. This is God's strategy. And we're serious about God's strategy to put people in families, to put people in place where there's accountability and there's joy and there is encouragement. And there's holding each other up, crying with each other, laughing with each other, and growing each other in Jesus Christ. That's why we have the growth track here. or if you've been coming here for a couple of years, but you really don't know who we are. I mean, there may be some of you that may go in here 36 years and you really don't know what we stand for. You really don't know the mission of what we do. And you know how you don't know the mission? You're not involved. You're not involved. You don't know the mission. That's why I encourage you, whether you're a new believer or you're saying pastor, I need to get more engaged in what God is doing here. Take Discovery 101. There's a QR code right up there. And then we'll show you the path to the next thing, serve tool one and values 301. We'll keep helping you walk this out with Jesus Christ. And just follow Jesus Christ, because here's what you have to understand. You're not special. I'm telling you, you need God's family to grow and mature in Jesus Christ. Because God designed you for community. He designed you to need other brothers and sisters in Christ in your life.

Now I want to take you to a really important passage of scripture in Genesis chapter two, verse 18 when it all started. And here's what it says. You know, God created all the heavens on the earth, the animals, all the plant life, the heavens, the oceans, all that good stuff. He created Adam. There was Adam all by himself hanging out with the orangutans and all the giraffes and having a wonderful time. And then God says this, God says this. He says, "The Lord God said it is what? Not good." He said it is not good for the man to be alone. And all the ladies said, amen. He makes some of the worst, I make some of the worst mistakes without consulting her. But he says it's not good. Now hold on. Everything he said he created and said it is good. God said it was good. He created said it's good, everything was good. I mean, and when he said this, just remember there was no sin. God was walking with Adam in the cool of the day saying, what's your name today? Oh, I called that a hippo. I called that a butterfly. I called this and he's naming all these things. And there's no sin.

There's perfect joy, there's perfect communion. There's intimate walking with Jesus Christ in the cool of the day. And yet God, the word God uses for man and there's no sin is not good. It's not good. And it is the same way for believers that it is not good when you stay isolated from other young people in the youth group, from other leaders and mentors, it is not good. This is why one of the wisest men, Solomon said this in Ecclesiastes 4-12. He said, a person standing alone can be attacked and defeated. But two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. You need to intentionally, ladies, start putting yourself with other godly ladies. You're young married couples, with other godly married young couples. You need men, you need to put yourself in groups with other men that challenge you so that when you stand against the enemy, you will not be defeated. You will be attacked. I will be attacked, but you will not be defeated when you have the Lord by your side and your brothers and sisters by your side. I'm gonna tell you, that's the way it ought to be in this church.

If Satan picks on one person in this church, all the rest of us, the 4,000 of us ought to jump all over him like white on rice and say, if you dare touch my brother and my sister, I'm coming right behind him and I'm gonna tell you, never touch God's people. You really need each other, everybody. God's design for you is the family of God. Intentionally, put yourself in community with other believers. So what's the first we didn't have it? Stay connected with the team, the family of God. Here's the next one, you ready for this? Stay in communication with the coach. Pastor Sam is not the coach. Do you know who the real lead pastor of this church is? It's Jesus Christ himself. He really is, he's the main pastor. So any complaints you have for me, I'd just take them to the pastor. But what am I talking about here? I'm talking about your prayer life is actually not just communication, it is communion with him to know him. So prayer isn't just talking to God. Prayer is actually how you grow close to him. It's communion, it's having fellowship with him. It's not just putting your laundry list of, here's all the bad things my kids are doing right now. This is what my boss has done.

This is how I hate the world right now in the nation. No, no, would you just stop for a moment? Prayer is for you. but you actually build this, you start growing in your relationship with him. So if I could put this word prayer, not only deepens your relationship, but prayer deepens and displays your position with God. When you pray and you're talking to him daily and you're bringing every issue to him, prayer deepens, but it also displays just how close you are with God in relationship when you pray. I want to show you something when Jesus had the model prayer. Remember the Lord's prayer. Remember he said, "This is how you pray." I want you to look at something Jesus said, just on the outside of this, to show you it displays your closeness, your relationship with God. Look what he said. In fact, let's read the first part of that Lord's prayer out loud. He says, "Pray like this." Let's say it together. Ready? Are in heaven may your name be kept holy. Can you believe that? That the holy, holy God with no sin, all powerful invites me to say, "Our Father." He would even go, "Abba Father, daddy God."

Can you believe that he would say this? He is putting it in the most intimate terms and then he calls you his sons and his daughters. These are intimate terms, everybody. What Jesus said is when you come to him, he says, "Know the model prayer." He's not saying that you've got to repeat it just like this, but he's saying, "Notice the model here. "When you come, you come based upon, "you are my Father, these are intimate terms. "I am your son, I am your daughter." That's intimate. He says, "When you pray, it shows the closeness, "not just the depth of it, but the closeness "of who you are with him." Now, how is it that we're able to call him Father? How is that? There's only one reason why I can call him Father, you can call him Father. It's because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not based, that means when I go to him, he's not interested in my technique of prayer. Some of us want to go to him technique of prayer. You think if you just cry enough, then he'll finally give in. No, it's not your technique of prayer. Some of you feel like you got to shake and I got it. You got to bend, I got this, I got to move. Your technique of prayer has nothing to do it. Some of you think that you got to come to him

in Elizabethan English. Oh, vow almost, oh, God. And you got to put it, God. You've heard those prayers, God. Like somehow got to, oh, they finally said it right. God. It's not based on your technique. Some of you don't want to come to him because you say, God, you know all the trash going on in my life right now. You know all the closet conduct. Can I tell you, it is not even based on your works. How much you tied, how much you showed up to church. He says, when you come to me, you need to understand when you're actually praying, coming to me, it demonstrates that you know that there are intimate terms between you and me. And I call you daughter and you can call me father. That's what prayer does. It actually shows that. And Jesus gave us the position. And he says, so if your sons and daughters, then what are you? Listen, I'm sorry, but you're not mentioned in my will. But my son is. His family is. Well, there is some for the church, but not you personally. (congregation laughing) Yeah, I did. I put the church in my will, yeah.

And the dog, you get the dog too. No. (congregation laughing) Somebody else gets the dog. (congregation laughing) Are you following this? He says, so when you approach me, spiritual conquerors have the winning habit of wanting to know him and come in the deepest level of intimate terms. And if I'm a son and a daughter, then that means I'm also an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ is what the Bible says. So everything God has, He gives me and you the access to as His sons and daughters. How many of you thank God? We're not running out of everything, anything. We have everything in Jesus Christ, right? So prayer, what prayer does so? When you're communing with the coach, it deepens your relationship with him. It deepens the relationship with him. Okay, how about this? What if after church today, I surveyed all the, all the married couples here, only the married couples. I'm gonna survey him. And I can tell you, I could show you the key difference between the stagnant marriages in this church and the strongest marriages in this church. I can give you the one key that I can tell you,

there's one key that'll be repeated. And I'll tell you what it is. It is the couples that have strong, honest, open, two-way communication, not just one person always doing all the talking, two-way communication that doesn't mean they don't have the same struggles and tax like the rest of them, but I'm telling you, it's those that have that kind of conversation. I don't want your relationship with Jesus Christ to be like some of the relationships I see when I sit in a restaurant, the older a couple gets, the longer some people walk with the Lord, they have attention, but not affection for each other. I remember one time, Brendan and I were sitting at a restaurant, Sarah was with us at the time and she was sitting there and she was observing this couple. She said, "Mom and dad, don't you turn around and say that couple." She said, "Please don't ever be like them." I said, "What are you talking about? What do they do?" She said, "The whole meal they have not said one word to each other, not one." Younger generation is watching your marriages and it's the same way, nowhere is this more true than your relationship with God. You want an anemic walk with God than having an anemic prayer life. The anemic in your conversation to bring them every detail. I mean friends, it's not just when you're making a time, when you're having your time prayer time, when you're working in the day, you start praying in the spirit. Start praying when you're walking that campus hall. When you're in that business place and when you're raising your kids, start praying in the Holy Spirit church. Start praying. Just begin to talk to God and I'm going to tell you friends, the power of the Holy Spirit will show up as you pursue the relationship with Jesus Christ. It will show up every time. I promise you, I promise you.

I know it's a problem, it's because everybody's going, "Well, I'm just too busy to pray." The world is run by tired people. When people say, "I'm too busy to pray," you know what I want to let's look at the life of Jesus Christ. Let's find out who's busier. You are Him. I'm going to give you one day in the life of Jesus. I'm going to let you look at His Google Calendar just for one moment. Let's go to Mark chapter 1, go look at His Google Calendar in there, Mark chapter 1. He starts the day out. This is one day. This is one day in the life of Jesus. First of all, He goes and preaches in the synagogue, so it'd be like me. So you've got to prepare the message. You've got to get inside of you. That takes a lot of work. This doesn't just happen just like your meals at home, just don't happen. He's got to study. Then He goes and preaches in Mark chapter 1. While He's preaching to Mark chapter 1, a demon possessed man, a demon starts crying out, God has to, Jesus has to deliver and cast out a demon. I don't know if any of you have ever cast out a demon, but it takes emotional and spiritual energy like you cannot believe. So He does that. Well, then somebody invites him over dinner, Peter invites him over dinner, but his mother law has got this sickness on her body, Jesus has to drive out the fever out of her body. Well then when He's done eating supper, the Bible says that people from the city were all lined up outside with sicknesses and disease. And so He spends the rest of His night casting out demons, healing people. That's just one day in the calendar of Jesus Christ, and you want to talk too busy to pray?

Look what Jesus did the very next day. Look at this. Mark 1.35, after all of that. Before daybreak, the next morning, Jesus got up and went to planet fitness. Jesus got up and went to an isolated place to what everybody, because He knew that the source of His power came from His pursuit of never disconnecting from the Father in communion. Can I tell you, don't you disconnect from your heavenly Father? Because that is real, the real power of who you are and what you do for Him really starts being displayed. So here's what that communion, stay in communication with the coach. Prayer brings you into God's presence. Don't watch this. Prayer brings the power of God into your problems. It's not just about talking to God, but when you pray, it not only brings you into His presence, but now it brings God's presence into your problems. So now guess what? You're not the one having to do the battling. You're not the one that's having to figure it all out. He's the one that gets involved in it. So here's the bottom line of this. There are some things that will not happen if you don't pray. If you don't pursue Him to know Him and see His power of the resurrection work through your prayer, there are some things that will never happen until you pray. But I will tell you there are things that will happen when you pray, because you're not just getting God's presence, you are bringing His presence into your problems. started over Egypt. Hezekiah prayed and God slew 185,000 of his enemies just in one prayer. Look at this. Elijah prayed and God blinded the whole army. Made all of them blind. Jesus prayed. Defer is open. Blind eyes open. Defer is open. The dead were raised and the gospel spread. And when you pray, it's no different. That's why James 5, 16 says the earnest prayer of a righteous person produces wonderful results. Righteous person means I'm in right relationship.

I'm pursuing knowing Jesus Christ. Can somebody say, "Oh, man, amen." So here we go. What are the winning habits? Stay connected with the team. Stay in communication with the coach. And here's the last one. Stay committed to the playbook. Here's why you need the word of God. Let me give you 2 Timothy chapter 3 starting at verse 16. You ready for this? All Scripture. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach you what is true and to make you realize what is wrong in your life. It corrects us when we're wrong, teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people for every good work. Why do you need his playbook? Because it teaches me, Sam, when I'm right, shows me when he's wrong, shows me when there's truth, shows me when there's error. And then what he's doing, it's actually the training that brings me closer to Jesus Christ. Watch this to prepare me and equip me for the work that he has before me. How many believe the word of God is imperative for you to stay spiritually strong and win? It's imperative. Can I just tell you something that's really important? Is that word inspired really means, the Greek word really means God breathed. That all Scripture is God breathed. It's all inspired by the power of God. Actually, that God breathed is the word to exhale. So, can I tell you what the Scripture is? It is the out-breathing of the mind of God. If you want to know what God thinks about the current cultural issues, don't go to TikTok to go find it. Go to the Word of God and look at the out-breathing of what's on God's mind. You want to know how to treat your spouse? Don't talk to your neighbor that couldn't make his own marriage work. Go to the out-breathing of what God says, how you honor each other. See what's on God's mind. You want to know about your sexuality? Go to the out-breathing of God and see what's on his mind. That's what Scripture, all Scripture, is the out-breathing of God's mind. That's what it is. Some of you say, "Well, Pastor, I just can't find a good Bible-reading path." Here's what we did for you this morning. If you have the church app, just go to church center. If you don't have it, go to church center, open it up, and then go to Grand Rapids first, download our app. It's on the church center. Right by today's sermon, the sermon notes, you're going to see Bible-reading plan. It's already laid out for you. You can click on that one, and if you click on it, you can look to other plans and find one that fits you. But there's something so easy for you to say, "God, I want to start knowing you and pursuing you." You have to know the playbook what's on God's mind. That's the biggest question I get as a pastor.

Pastor, I don't know what God's will is for this. I don't know what God's will is for this. I don't know what God's will. There are some things that are the unrevealed will of God that you're trying to figure out. But I always say the will of God is not like a book. When you go to the end, the will of God's like a scroll, it unrolls. He starts showing you pieces and you start feeling the nudge of God, and you test the Scripture with it. Is this what God would want me to do out of his word? But it's so interesting to me. People want the unrevealed will of God, and here's what I tell a lot of people. If God can't trust you with us already written and revealed, if He can't trust you to go pursue that first, why would He trust you with something unrevealed like who to marry, or what's stalked by, or whether or not take that job, or to go to that particular city, or to date this particular person? Why would He entrust you with something you can't see when He can't even trust you with something that you can see? So I only want to know what's right and what's true, what's wrong, what's good and right helps who don't live right, but I want to to know every other good work that you need to do. When you follow the revealed will of God, can I tell you, pursued to know him, then he'll start showing you those things. He'll give you the God nudges. He'll show you. He'll let you know by the spirit of God whether it's right or wrong." How do we thank God for the word of God that's just so powerful for that, amen? Psalm 119, 104 says this, "Your commandments," the psalmist said, "give me understanding. No wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." When you all go to your Friday night football games this fall, let me just let you learn a little revelation. When he gets dark out there, the football field lights don't illuminate the whole season. It just illuminates the next play. And that's the same way with God's word. It may not give you the whole season, but he starts revealing to you the good purpose of God. As I start saying, "Lord, I want to know you." Could you imagine? I'm getting excited about this football season. We want to see the Detroit Lions go to the Super Bowl. That's all coming to agreement and prayer right now. Amen. But let me show you will not allow them to win. Here's a sure thing that they wouldn't win a game. What if Jared Goff decided he didn't want to read the Bible? I mean, the playbook. He didn't want to connect with the team, didn't want to talk to Coach Campbell,

and didn't want to look at the playbook. And he wants to show up for the game. How long do you think he would last and the team would last? I will tell you it is the same way with God's people in his word. It would be absolute chaos and pandemonium in that game. And could it be that a lot of the reason why some people are not winning is because they're not following God's game plan? To simply say, "God, I want to hear from you. I want to stay connected with his team, and I need to know your playbook." That, my friends, those three things are the winning habits of the spiritual champions of God in the game.