Gender, Marriage & Family

This episode of All In with Pastor Jordan Easley has been made possible by the generous support of viewers like you. Welcome to All In with Pastor Jordan Easley. Today's message is about to begin, and we invite you to prepare your heart and mind to hear an inspiring message from God's Word. We hope and pray for God to speak to you today as you seek to live your life all in for Jesus Christ. And now from First Baptist Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, here's Pastor Jordan Easley. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I went fishing. I went fishing in a place called Homer, Alaska with some buddies and our sons. Anybody ever been to Homer, Alaska? Incredible place if you're a fisherman. We went to the river several days in a row and caught salmon out of the Kenai River, all kinds of salmon. We're gonna have a fish fry at my house. You guys are all invited, okay? On the last day of our trip though, we decided to forego the river and we made our way to the ocean because they said we've gotta go deep sea fishing for halibut. Now Homer, Alaska is where the Deadliest Catch is filmed, if you've ever seen that on Discovery Channel. And so my whole life, I've watched this show and I'm like, man, someday I'm gonna scare my son to death

and I'm gonna bring him on one of those boats. And I got the chance to do that, which is pretty cool. But it was one of those trips I'll never forget. We were catching these massive fish. We were on the way out there and it was about a 30 mile trek on a boat. It took about an hour and a half to get out in the middle of the ocean. And before we left, the captain was like, trying to prepare us. He's like, it's gonna be big waves and big swells. You need to prepare yourself. But I got there and I was shocked at what I saw. I looked around after an hour and a half boat ride, 30 miles off the coast, and it was like glass. The water was perfectly clear, perfectly calm. And it wasn't what I expected at all. Just an hour and a half before that, the captain's like, hey, you need to take some Dramamine, right, like you need to prepare yourself because this is gonna be wild. Like you see on the TV show and you get out there and there's no waves whatsoever. In fact, I was so shocked, I pulled out my camera phone and I'm like, I'm gonna capture this moment because nobody's gonna believe how calm the ocean is. It was so pretty and it was so peaceful. And if you're like me, you would assume it was also very safe. But apparently that's not the case at all.

You see, while we were out there, the captain of our ship received a call on his radio. And the call came from the Coast Guard. On that call, he let us know that the Coast Guard informed him that already on that morning, there had been two different boats, boats that were fishing in the same area that we were fishing. And these boats had already capsized and there were eight people currently missing at sea. We found out those eight people have still not been found two weeks later. So when he shared that news with us, I asked him, how could that even possibly happen? I mean, there were no waves, there were no storms. How could people be missing and boats be sinking? And this is what the captain told me. He said, sometimes the most dangerous storms we experience are the storms under the surface. When he said that, I was like, timeout, you gotta say it again because I've got to share this message with our church. He said it, sometimes the most dangerous storms we experience on the sea are the storms under the surface. He said, you know, to the naked eye, these waters look peaceful, but to a trained captain that knows these seas, they know right now under the surface of the water, that water's moving at 26 knots. He said, it's like a tidal wave that's moving

that no one can see. And if you're not paying attention, if you're not being careful, if you throw your anchor out at the wrong time or the wrong place, he said, you can easily be caught in the current and swept away. You know, that's not only true at sea, that's true in this world that we're living in today. See, to the casual observer, this world might seem normal as we're just living one day after another, as we're experiencing one thing after the other. People like us have a way of being lulled to sleep, don't we? By the gradual culture shifts of the day. There aren't too many big waves in our culture that scare us anymore. There are very few big swells that startle us anymore, but the devil is very sneaky. And he has a sneaky way of keeping the storm brewing underneath the surface. And may I just say that storm is happening right now. Even today, there is a dangerous and demonic undercurrent, one that was designed by the devil and it is a destructive storm. that's very present in our world today. And it has one singular goal of moving our culture and really moving our mindset away from God and His ways and towards the devil and His ways. The storm under the surface is targeting things like gender,

things like marriage, things like family, and the list goes on. And when I say the devil is targeting these things, what I really mean is, the devil is trying to redefine these things in our hearts and in our minds. He wants us to see these things differently than God wants us to see them. And in today's message, we're gonna see very clearly that God is the creator and the definer of all of these things. But what I wanna point out is that if God is the definer, then we need to recognize the devil is the distorter. His goal since the beginning of time has been to distort and to destroy everything that God has created. We see that very clearly in our culture today. I don't have to even convince you that that's true in our world today, especially in areas like gender. I mean, what is culture currently saying about gender? Many modern cultural movements are promoting this idea that says that gender is now fluid and can be self-determined. No longer are boys just boys and girls just girls. No, the megaphone of society is preaching that you can now define your own gender. Your identity can be defined by you based off of how you feel or who you'd like to become. And if your feelings change tomorrow, then the world will tell you

your gender can change tomorrow. Right now, the storm under the surface, the current of our culture, it's working to indoctrinate this next generation and to convince our world that being a transgender is completely normal. In fact, I read a recent Gallup poll from 2021 that says this, 71% of Americans are now accepting of transgender identities. Now that is a shocking stat to me because I also know that when I was a kid, which wasn't that long ago, guys, but when I was a kid, that number was less than 7% in America. But now they're saying today that 71% of us are ignoring what God says about gender and we're believing what the world has to say. Listen, before we get really started here, if you're here right now or you're watching this on some screen somewhere and you struggle personally with this idea of gender, or perhaps you have a loved one that is in a battle right now in this area of gender, I want you to know something. I want you to know very clearly that this church does not hate you. In fact, we love you. We are glad that you're here. We are glad that you're watching this. We don't believe that your struggle makes you a bad person,

but there's something that you need to know today. And that is we are going to love you enough to tell you the truth. We're doing that today. We're gonna do that throughout this series. I pray that we do that every single time that we have services in this place. We're gonna love you enough to tell you the truth. And may I just tell you, the devil doesn't. The devil doesn't love you. He doesn't want the best for you. And the fact that he's lied to you and deceived you and misled you to the point you are today for all these years is just proof of what we're talking about. So today, if you struggle with this idea, I don't want you to feel targeted. I intentionally hope that you feel loved because we do love you. And that's the reason that we're willing to have these conversations, hard conversations. And my prayer is that you'll have an open mind and really an open heart as we walk through this today. But just foundationally speaking, I want you to hear when it comes to gender, God is the definer and the devil is the distorter. And despite what the world says, listen to me, the world doesn't have a right to redefine that which God has clearly defined. Culture will tell you that gender should be fluid

and that gender should be deconstructed. But here's what we need to know. The measure for gender is scripture, not culture. The measure for gender is scripture, the word of God, the truth of God. And it is not determined by the culture of the day. So what does the Bible say about gender? Well, when it comes to gender, God determines it. That's what we're gonna see in God's word. In Genesis 1, 27, it says, so God created man in his own image. He created him in the image of God. He created them, male and female. So for every single person, from the time we were created by God, we've either been male or female. And both genders have purpose, by the way, both genders have a role to play. And I think. I think the most important takeaway we need to have is the fact that both male and female genders were not only created by God, but we were also created in the image of God. The Imago Dei. Have you heard that phrase before? The Imago Dei, that's a Latin phrase. And that Latin phrase defines what it means to be created in the image of God. It doesn't mean that we all look exactly like God looks. All right?

And someone asked me, well, how can we all be in the image of God if we all look differently? If we're boys and we're girls, and we're black and we're white, and we're different ethnic groups, and how can we all look like God? No one said we did. When you're created in the image of God, I don't want you to think about God in a physical way. I want you to understand that we were built to resemble God in a spiritual way. How does the Bible describe God? Does it define him as being tall, dark, and handsome? No, it doesn't. That's not how it says it at all. In fact, it doesn't talk about God as being person. The Bible says that God is spirit, right? John 4, 24 says, "'God is spirit, and those who worship him "'must worship in spirit and in truth.'" So you and I were created in God's image, meaning our soul and our spirit and our sense of morality and creativity, our intellectual essence. All of those things are woven from the fabric of who God is. Each one of us were intentionally designed by God, and we were designed and created as either a male or a female.

He created you that way on purpose, and he designed you the way that you are for a purpose. In Psalm 139, verse 13, it says, "'For it was you who created my inward parts. "'You knit me together in my mother's womb. "'I will praise you.'" Why? Because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Some people say, well, if God makes it so abundantly clear when it comes to this topic of gender, then why does there seem to be so much confusion in our world today when it comes to this subject? Let me tell you why, may I? The reason there's so much confusion is because the devil is the author of confusion. In 1 Corinthians 14, verse 33, we read, "'For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.'" May I ask you, if God isn't the author of confusion, then who authored confusion? The devil did, and that's what he does, and that's what he has done, especially in the area that we're talking about today. The devil wants you to doubt everything that God defines. I'm gonna say that again, just in case you're writing that down today. The devil wants you to doubt everything that God defines, and that's true when it comes to gender, and that's true when it comes to creation. It's also true with morality and salvation.

Mark it down. If God says it, the devil's gonna work hard to make you doubt it. That's been true going all the way back to the garden. Think about that today. In the Garden of Eden, you know that story. What happened in that story? God said something very clear to Adam and Eve, did he not? He made himself abundantly clear regarding the tree, regarding the apple. He said, this is exactly what you need to know, this is what you need to avoid. And so when he said that, what did the devil do? The devil kicked it into high gear and did everything he could to cause Adam and Eve to doubt God. He caused confusion in the garden. He sowed seeds of doubt into their hearts. And what happened next? Their doubt led to disobedience, right? The devil put a question mark where God put a period, and that doubt that he created, it led to disobedience in the garden. But don't stop there. What happened next in the story? Let me tell you. Their disobedience caused them to become disconnected from God. Now they're all naked and they're covering themselves with leaves, y'all remember that part?

Then they're disconnected from God. And now instead of being connected to their creator, instead of being blessed by their blesser, now we see Adam and Eve experiencing consequences that God never intended for them in the first place. He wanted to bless them, but he couldn't, why? Because their doubt led to disobedience, and now they're on the run. Listen, the devil runs the exact same play in your life today. He distorts what God defines. And this is how it works in the garden. It's how it works in our culture. It's how it works in your life. He distorts God's creation. He distorts, go ahead, come on. Next, distorts. I was ready, y'all gotta get ready. If I'm ready, y'all gotta be ready, all right? He distorts it. If God defines it, he distorts it. And when he distorts it, it's why? To cause doubt in your heart. If he distorts the truth, now you're doubting God. And when you doubt God, you distrust God. And if you distrust God, you're gonna disobey God. When you disobey God, you disconnect yourself from God. When you disconnect yourself from God, guess what? You are automatically gonna experience the downfall from that experience.

And that downfall, it leads to us experiencing not the very best from God. No, no, no. Now we're experiencing consequences from God that God didn't want to give you in the first place. The devil distorts what God defines. Hey, don't forget what Jesus says about the devil. In John 8, 44, Jesus said this, "'He was a murderer from the beginning "'and does not stand for truth, "'because there is no truth in him. "'When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, "'because he is a liar and he is the father of all lies.'" Hey, that's Jesus talking. And that's Jesus telling you everything that you need to know about your enemy. He said he's a liar, he's been lying to the world a long time, and he continues to lie regarding this conversation we're having today, especially in the idea of gender and identity. Today, the world will tell you that you are who you say you are, that your identity is determined by how you feel. But on the other hand, God says, that ain't right. You are who I say you are. I made you. And by the way, you are remarkably and wondrously made. And hear me when I say this, someone needs to get this today.

God didn't make a mistake when he designed you. He didn't make a mistake when he designed you. In Jeremiah 1, 5, the Lord said, I chose you before I formed you in the womb. I set you apart before you were born. In Isaiah 64, 8, the prophet said to the Lord, we are the clay and you are the potter. We all are the work of your hands. In Matthew 10, 30, he tells us, even the hairs on your head have all been counted. Hey, I know for some of you, counting the hairs on your head's not that impressive, but I'm just here to tell you that the meaning behind that verse is that you have a God that loves you so much, a God that's been so intentional in his creation of you that he knows things about you that only a loving creator could know. Ephesians 2, 10 says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Listen, when it comes to gender, God determines it. But now let's go to the next one. You ready? When it comes to marriage, God declared it. When it comes to marriage, God declared it. This is another one of those areas where the devil has worked very hard to cause confusion. Our world doesn't really even understand

what marriage is all about any longer. You know, contemporary culture has tried to redefine marriage as a relationship between any two consenting adults, despite gender, regardless of sexual preference or lifestyle. Marriage in our world is currently seen as being temporary by the majority of people. It's seen as being something that is conditional and based on mutual happiness and mutual fulfillment. And that's where the world stands on this topic called marriage today. And when you look at it, it's pretty easy to see how the devil is using this cultural current once again to fulfill his mission. And his mission, by the way, is one of distortion. He's distorting the design once again, and also confusion. God is not the author of confusion, the devil is. So knowing these things, I think it would be wise for us to ask the question, how does God define marriage according to the word and according to the truth? Because after all, he is the one who instituted it in the first place. Genesis 2 24 says, this is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife and they become one flesh. That phrase one flesh in the Hebrew is the word echad, E-C-H-A-D. That word literally means unity through plurality.

It gives us the word picture of two things becoming one thing and that one thing becoming super strong. And that's God's design for marriage. And when you pay attention to the details of his design, it's pretty easy to see that marriage according to God can only happen between a man and a woman. In fact, I'll say it this way, marriage cannot be called marriage unless it happens between a man and a woman. You say, Jordan, that's pretty close minded, especially in the world we're living in. What would you call it if a man and a man got married? What would you say if a woman and a woman got married? Isn't that marriage? It's not, not according to the word of God. You say, why is that? And I'll tell you, because that's the way that God defined it. Not the way I defined it. It's the way that God defined it, and it's not the way that God designed it. See, when you mess with the design of something, that thing won't work in the way it was intended to work. For instance, take the watch that I'm wearing today. At one point, there was a watchmaker, a designer that put it all together and figured it all out and said, man, if in order for this watch to work properly, it needs to have gears, it needs to have springs, and it needs to have moving mechanisms

that are made out of metal. Watches have been made that way for hundreds of years. But imagine if I were to open up this watch today, pop the face off, look at the stuff inside, and say, you know, I don't like that design any longer. I see the springs and I see the gears, but I don't think they need to be in there anymore. So imagine that I open it up and I remove the gears and I remove the springs and I replace those things with, name it, mashed potatoes, all right? Let me ask you, do you think my watch would work properly if it were filled with mashed potatoes? Of course not, it's not gonna work, why? Because when you alter the original design of the watchmaker, the watch can't function in the way that it was designed to function. Now, let me say it this way, that same concept and truth applies for marriage as well. God defined marriage, we didn't, He did. He designed marriage. Understand that American lawmakers did not define marriage. Understand that religious leaders or high-profile people or the person running a chapel in Las Vegas, like they don't get to decide if this is a marriage or if it's not. God is the definer of marriage. And He tells us in order for marriage to work or operate in the way that He intended for marriage to operate, then we must build our relationships

according to His word and His design. So what does the designer of marriage tell us about this institution called marriage? I've already given you a couple, but I'm gonna redo them on the board in case you're taking notes. The first one is this, marriage was instituted by God. It was instituted by God. We read Genesis 2 24. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife and they become one flesh. Marriage was God's idea. Remember, He wrote the rule book. Secondly, marriage was not only instituted by God, but marriage can only happen between a man and a woman. Remember, go back to His design and the way that He created it to work. What does He say? It says, anything other than one man and one woman goes against the design and it doesn't work according to the Lord. But the third thing I want you to get here is that marriage was designed to be a lifelong covenant, a lifelong covenant. In Genesis, when it says a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, I wanna encourage you to do a word study on that word bond in the original language. That word bond, it literally means a permanent bond. It means sealed together, a lifelong bond

that should never be broken. In fact, in Matthew 19, verse six, when Jesus is talking about marriage, this is what He said. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate. That was God's intention for marriage. Marriage was never meant to be a contract. Just like you sign, I sign, preacher signs, we got a contract. It was designed by God to be a covenant, which by the way, it goes far beyond just a commitment. Listen, I make commitments all the time. I break them. I made a commitment on Monday that I was gonna eat healthy. Guess what? That's out. You make the same kind of commitments, right? We make commitments all the time. I've signed a lot of contracts that really didn't pan out too much. I've signed so many contracts where I just checked the box saying I agree to the terms and conditions and I've never read them. Have you ever done that before? Anybody ever just said, yep, if you're not raising your hand, you're lying in church. All of you have checked that box and said, I have read the terms and conditions and none of y'all have ever read the terms and conditions.

But let me just say it this way. A covenant is different than that. It's different than just making a commitment. It's different than just signing a contract. And from the very beginning, God has wanted us to understand what a covenant relationship is supposed to look like. In fact, one of the main reasons that Jesus came to the earth was to show us up close and personal how this relationship was supposed to work. Which leads me to my next point. And that is that marriage reflects the relationship between Christ and the church. He shows us what a covenant looks like. In fact, in Ephesians chapter five, Paul is talking. He begins this talk by quoting the verse in Genesis that we've already seen a couple of times. He said, for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. But then he goes on to say in verse 32, this mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. Now, what does that mean? It means that when Jesus came to the earth, He came to display to us what a covenant relationship was supposed to look like. He came to show us how we as husbands and wives

are supposed to live. You see, Jesus came as the groom and He calls the church His bride. And in the same way that Jesus laid down His life for the church, in the same way that Jesus sacrificed and suffered for the church, in the same way Jesus tells us there's nothing that can separate you from the love of God as the church, He's showing us that today, your marriage covenant should reflect that covenant that Jesus has with us, the church. You know what I've learned about marriage over the past 24 years? I've learned that my marriage isn't necessarily about my happiness as much as it is about my holiness. I've learned that. I've learned that personally. It's not as much about my happiness as it is about my holiness. You see, when God designed marriage, it wasn't just because He's like, oh, Adam, you're cool, you should have a great life, so I'm gonna give you a wife. It was way beyond that. You know, when God created marriage, I believe He created it as a tool, a tool that was designed to draw us close to Himself,

a tool that was designed to conform us into the image of God. And so the world has a completely different idea when it comes to marriage. But may I just tell you, their ideas are wrong. Why? Because the world doesn't have the right to redefine something that God designed and defined. Marriage was God's idea. And when you mess with the design, your marriage will not work in the way that God intended for it to work. Same principle applies. When it comes to gender, God determines it. When it comes to marriage, God declared it. But can I give you one more today? When it comes to family, God designed it. God designed the family. Our current culture increasingly accepts and promotes a multitude of family structures. Right now, you can look to the left and the right. You can look all over this community, all over our country, and you'll see households with homosexual relationships. You'll see cohabitating couples that are living like they're married, but they're really not. You'll see kids being raised by absent parents. There's also been a huge rise in homes that are being ruled by the kids, even though there are parents living in the home.

I recently read a Pew Research study that said this. It said that right now, 38% of Americans now believe that marriage is obsolete, and 44% of adults live with an unmarried partner at some point in their lives. When I read that, I thought to myself, you know, that is a great example of how the undercurrent in our culture has moved us in the wrong direction. And I'm saying that because in the 1970s, this number right here was less than 1%. In the 70s, less than 1% of Americans were living with a person that they weren't married to. And I'm not talking about roommates. I'm speaking of relationships that are intimate. So less than 1% in the 1970s. In the 1980s, that number rose to 15% of Americans. 15% of Americans were shacking up with their boyfriend and their girlfriend. They're not married, but they're living like they are. But today, 44%, come on, y'all. I don't know how we got to the place where we saw that as being acceptable, but I can assure you it wasn't the Lord's voice that we were listening to. He didn't tell us to do that. In fact, he told us not to do that. Listen, in the Bible, God presents the family as the foundational unit of society. And his design for the family ideally consists

of a father and a mother and children. In Genesis 1, 28, we read, God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. So God tells us, remember, this is his design. He said, you should have a husband and a wife. And if you're married, then you should have babies if you're able to have babies. Psalm 127, verse three puts it this way. Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the sons born. in one's youth. Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them." But not only does God tell us to have kids, moms and dads, he also tells us that our job is to teach our kids, to disciple our kids, to raise our kids in the Lord. What does he say in Ephesians 6, verse 4? "'Fathers, don't stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.'" So from the very beginning, God has had a design for the family, and here it is. Are you ready? It's a husband and a wife, by the way, that's a male and a female, united in a God-honoring marriage, raising kids to know the Lord and to love his word. That's God's design for the family. But here's what I realized as I'm speaking to you today.

Not every person in this room has a family that looks like that. And right now you could be thinking all sorts of things. Maybe you're angry at what God's word says. Maybe you're angry at me for being the messenger. Perhaps you're just sitting there and you feel guilty. Can I just say something loud and clear? God knows exactly where you're at today. He knows exactly where your family's at. And guess what? He is still head over heels in love with you. He's not disappointed in you today. The Bible says he's with you and he is for you. He is a God of grace and compassion and provision and love. And he wants you to know that everyone in this place that's facing challenges in your family or circumstances in your home, that you serve a God that can do all things. And he is a God who is with you today, listening to you and wants to talk to you about what's next. So if you're here today and you say, pastor, my family looks different than the family you just defined from the word of God. What should I do? I'd recommend two things. Number one, I believe all of us fit into one of two categories today. I believe that my family and your family fit into one of two categories. The first one is families in need of dependence.

We need to have families that are depending more on the Lord, trusting in the Lord. But there's some families right now that are really struggling. You maybe you're a single parent home. Maybe you're a blended family, you're foster parents. Maybe you're unable to have children and you're battling infertility. Perhaps you've adopted kids and you're like, I don't even know how we're gonna do this. Or perhaps your family looks exactly like God described it and you're mom and dad and you got kids. Let me tell you something, your family is in just as much need for the Lord as any other family, amen. Listen, we are all families in need of greater dependence on the Lord. We need to depend on him every single moment of every single day. But in the same way, we have families in need of greater dependence. I also believe in this room and in this community, we have families in need of repentance. Families that need to say, you know what? We've been doing it our way, the world's way, but now we need to turn around. That's what repent means. We need to turn around and do it God's way. There are people that are living homosexual lifestyles right now.

And you know, deep down inside that that's not the way God designed it. You have cohabitating adults who aren't married. And I could be speaking to you right now. You're like, pastor, what do I do? Do it God's way. Repent of your sin and change it. Do it differently. Do it God's way. You have absent parents and you know, you're working hard and you're providing all the things, but you are absent in the home and you're not raising your kids to know the Lord and to prioritize his church and to love his word. In the same way, I believe we need to turn away from any lifestyle that doesn't agree with God's word. Even if the world says it's acceptable, we can have a world that applauds those types of relationships. But if we know that God's word says we should do it differently, then I believe we should be people that choose to believe God's design for us and our families and our homes and understand that God's design is worth pursuing. Listen, this sermon is one of those that could go on and on and on, because the truth is the storm under the surface has been brewing a long time.

And the cultural current has moved people, even some really good people, to destinations that don't honor God and don't align with his word. And many of us, if we're being honest, are in a position today where God is giving us the opportunity to choose a new path, choose a new road. You know, Jesus talks about the roads in Matthew 7. He said in verse 13, enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction. And there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life and few find it. As we wrap up today, I want you. to internalize what this conversation with Jesus must have been like. See, when those words came out of his mouth, I believe that was the message he wanted us to hear. He was saying, in this life, you're going to choose one of two roads. He said, you're gonna listen to one of two voices and you're gonna end up in one of two destinations. Jesus said, you can follow road number one, which is the devil's way, the world's way, and that path looks easy and attractive and it offers pleasures and the illusion of freedom. And many people go down that road

because it seems to promise everything that you desire. And you can get it without any effort, without any sacrifice, without anybody telling you what to do, without any kind of books that are giving you instructions for life. But the reality is, road number one leads to destruction. The devil's way may seem appealing in the moment, but guess what? This moment called life will be over in the blink of an eye. And when that moment is over and your time of rejecting God on this earth comes to an end, the Bible says you will experience two things. You will experience spiritual death and separation from God. But here's the good news. Are you ready? You don't have to take road number one. Aren't you grateful for that? Hey, you don't have to take road number one. Jesus said, hey, there's a second road and you can take that road today. You see, road number two represents God's way. Now Jesus calls it the narrow road. Did you notice that? You say, why is it narrow? Well, it's narrow because it's not always easy or popular to take that road.

It requires a great commitment. It requires discipline. It requires perseverance to even stay on the road. And I'm just gonna tell you, this is a road that gets rocky at times. It's not a road that's easy to navigate, but the Bible tells us that road number two leads to life. Road number one leads to destruction. Road number two leads to life. And so you've got to ask the question, if Jesus says that this is the road that leads to eternal life with God, then why in the world would I even think about taking road number one? Hey, there are a lot of people right now and you're on road number one. There are a lot of people trying to navigate both roads. And Jesus said, you can't serve two masters. You must choose one or the other. So let me just ask you, what road are you on? What road do you wanna take? And if today you would say, you know what? I'm not, I haven't believed God's way in the past, but I believe God's way today. I haven't taken God's way in the past, but I wanna take God's way in the present and in the future. What can I do today? Repent. We have families in need of dependence, yes,

but we also need to be families ready to repent when the Lord calls us home. Jesus said in Matthew 16, 24, if anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself. Deny himself, take up his cross and follow me for whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life because of me will find it. Hey, I know today we're talking about some tough stuff. Throughout this entire series, we're talking about things that God has clearly defined that the world has tried to redefine. And I think it's important for us to understand that once God defines something that the devil tries to distort it. Don't allow his distortion to lead you to doubt. Don't let that doubt lead you to disobedience and don't allow that disobedience to lead you to destruction. God said, there's a road that leads to life and you can take it today. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Listen, there may be somebody here today that says, pastor, I wanna take road number two. I wanna take the road to life, Jesus way. I'm tired of doing it my own way, I wanna do it his way. Lord, we're thankful for the truth. The Bible says, your word is truth. Jesus, you say, I am the truth. And so Lord, we thank you for giving us

that kind of foundation to put our feet on today. Thank you that we can stand on who you are and the word that you've given us. And Lord, that we can know that even when we find ourselves in a world where the cultural current is driving us in the wrong direction, that we can be people that turn to you today and find peace and hope and joy in who you are and the way that you've determined. God, thank you for this opportunity to be in your house with these people. Thank you for our time of worship today. And I pray that you'll continue to do a work in our heart from the seeds that have been planted today from your word. And allow them to impact us so that we can make a difference for you and your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen. For many years, I've had the privilege of ministering inside jails and prisons. those moments to change countless lives, including my own. That's why I'm thrilled to tell you about a brand new ministry opportunity that will help us share the good news of Jesus with incarcerated men and women all across the United States. All In Ministries has partnered with the creators of the Pando app, a groundbreaking platform that allows inmates to grow in their faith in a whole new way. Through this secure tablet-based system,

inmates nationwide can now access life-changing, Christ-centered content right where they are. And every week, All In will upload a brand new sermon to the Pando app, bringing gospel truth and hope to people who often feel forgotten, abandoned, or hopeless. And here's where you come in. You can join this mission by becoming a financial partner. Your generosity opens doors to hearts that desperately need to encounter the love of Jesus. Supporting this ministry is simple. Just follow the instructions on your screen to make your best gift today. Thank you for standing with us. Your support means more than you will ever know. And together, we can bring the hope of the gospel to those who need it most. Hey, we never wanna end our broadcast without giving you the opportunity to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. If you'd like to make the decision to trust Jesus and wanna know more about what it looks like to follow Jesus, get in touch with me right now. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the screen so that we can pray for you and also put information in your hands right away. Today, we celebrate your decision and look forward to being a part of your personal journey of going All In with Jesus Christ. This episode of All In with Pastor Jordan Easley has been made possible by the generous support

of viewers like you. We hope today's message encourages you as you strive to live your life fully committed to Jesus Christ.