How Do I know When I grow? - JJ Vasquez

Welcome to the journey online familia! Happy Sundays! Welcome! Welcome. Let's go! We got the energy today. Yeah, we came with it. I hope you got the same energy there in the chat if you do. Put some like, I don't know what energy emojis look like. We haven't met, my name is Ben and I just love getting to serve as one of your online hosts. And before these ladies introduce themselves, they're very color coordinated over here. Looking like a worship R&B group. It's the J Wings, y'all. Hey! Look at them harmonizing their heads. But who are they? Who are y'all? Let them know. Right. And my name is Sasha and I'm so thankful to be here with you guys and I'm one of your new online hosts. First time host! Shout out! FTH! I love that. Let's go. And I'm Josanne, aka JoJo. If you don't know, we didn't know. And mine doesn't rhyme.

My name is Chantelle. I get the absolute joy of being in the house of the Lord today and I'm so excited to be here on this lovely Sunday. Chantelle rhymes with a lot of things. Right. Chantelle, well. Can't tell. Can't tell, right? I mean, can't tell. I didn't know the joke. But yeah, I'm glad to be here, guys. So glad to be here. As you can tell, we're having fun because we here operate in the joy of the Lord. So I pray wherever you are, you're feeling that joy, you're feeling that energy. And we were chatting before we went on camera here about last week's sermon by Pastor Joey. What was your takeaway? Because there were so many nuggets in that. How did y'all feel about that message? Honestly, what I got from it last week, and you guys can go ahead and drop what you got from it last week as well in the chat. But what I got is that God will move immediately. Amen. As soon as you even walk out the room, he will show up and you, if you're just looking for him, he will find you. Right. And you can find him. And I think that's what's so beautiful about that message. And yeah, it was really powerful to me. What about you? I'm sorry.

No, of course. So for me, it was more like the analogy that he used, the snapshot. So like now, when I go through my day, I'm like, wow, Lord, what are you trying to teach me in this moment? That's right. What do you want me to learn right now? What are you trying to tell me? So I was like, now it's like seeing live how Lord is moving in those little details. So that really stood out to me the most. So now I move with a snapshot. I'm like, okay. There you go. Let's go. A snapshot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I loved it. For me, it was just a reminder to slow down. I feel like I'm always busy. And if you're someone who can relate, like you're always busy. Friends ask you out and you're like, I'll have to check my calendar. I'm really busy. I haven't cleansed. But I've learned that sometimes it's best to slow down. I don't want to always be so busy and miss those moments that God has for me because I'm always doing something. There's not anything wrong with working hard and being busy, but I don't want to miss out.

Right. On the moments. Yeah. That's powerful. That's good. What about you, Uncle Benny? For me, there was a lot. I think one of the big things was we're always looking for the miracles, but God works in like mundane, in the daily. And the Lord really kind of spoke to me recently just looking in my backyard. So I've been living in the house we live in for about six years now. And when we first moved in, we planted a little mango tree and that John grew up, sorry, that's a Philly slang. It grew up like 12 feet tall, but we had this cold snap come through and all the leaves withered, died. We had to chop the tree down and hopefully it revives. But then we have this small lime tree off to the side that you can like see through the leaves because it's not that much. That one survived. But beyond that, that huge mango tree, it looked great, luscious, never gave fruit. Crazy. But this small lime tree gives fruit and it's the only one that's surviving, it's still giving fruit. So it just spoke to me that even when you're feeling worn out, even in that mundane, the daily you're going through, the Lord's still bearing fruit. Even when you're weathering the storm, the Lord is bearing fruit in your life. Even when you're up through the shadow, you know, the valley of the devil, there ain't no evil. That's some J Wings. It's the J Wings, baby.

I'm just saying. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, but that was a daily snapshot the Lord gave me just looking out in the yard as we were cleaning it up. Amen. Yeah. You know what I was thinking about? What's up? You know what I'm thinking? If you guys are going through your mango season or your mango season, if you're Caribbean, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Or if you're going through your lime season, go ahead and drop it in the chat. We'd love to know. Drop a mango emoji or a lime emoji. Exactly. Because we want to pray with you. because that's what we're here for. It doesn't matter what season you're going through. That's the whole point of community. And that's why we're here. And as an online team and online community, we want to make sure that we're praying with you through those seasons as well. Yes, and if there was like a snapshot moment for you, maybe you want to share it with us so that's something that can encourage someone else. Because you never know your story could be that moment where someone's like,

man, I was going through the same thing and I needed that reminder of like, slow down, God is speaking to me. Absolutely, and if you were blessed by that message or you don't know what we're talking about because you didn't get to see it, go to our YouTube page, let's get the messages up, share that message with somebody you know who would be blessed by that. And they can also do that through the app. Yes, the app is so helpful. You even have Wednesday services. That's right. You can actually, you know, hump day. So in case you need that recharge, you know what I mean? You can go ahead and lock in and go ahead and watch online or you can come in, you know, in person as well. That's right. You know, every time Wednesday, 7 p.m. Be there, be square. We're praying with you, for you, around you. Yeah, that's right. We're praying. Man, I love that. And throughout the week, we're praying for you. If you want to drop your prayer request on the app, we always see those.

Like I go in and I look at those and I use that as opportunities for when I feel like, God, I don't know what to pray about today. I use the app to go in and look at your prayer request so I have something to pray about. So drop those prayer requests so we know how to intentionally pray for you. Absolutely. And if you do it on the app, doesn't it tell you when somebody has prayed for you? Yes, it does. I think that's really cool. It's such a great change. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I hope. Let's go. You know what she means. Let's go. Let's go. But right now, we're talking about prayer. I want to pray for you. That's right. And I want to pray with you. So wherever you are, just prepare your space, your heart, your mind, your spirit, because the Lord is going to speak today. The question is, are we listening? Yes.

So wherever you are, join us. Father God, we thank you today. Lord, it is an honor, a joy, a privilege, not just to be present in your presence, but to be called a child of God today. Father, I pray that the word today will penetrate our hearts and transforms our lives. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. See you after worship. Bye. Bye. Come on, church. Come on, today is a new day. His mercies are new. He's doing a new thing right here, right now. Come on, if you believe it, let's put our hands together. ♪ There is revival, there is revival, there is revival ♪ ♪ Right here and now, there is a fresh wind ♪ ♪ And I can hear the sound, something truly wonderful is happening ♪ ♪ There is a difference inside of me, more than a feeling ♪ ♪ This is a prophecy, something really powerful is happening ♪ ♪ And we believe it ♪ ♪ Darkness bowed out to the day, mountains gave up on my way ♪ ♪ Breaking out of yesterday, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ Tell this giant in my face, you're not greater than my fate ♪ ♪ Best believe me when I say, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming, I got a new thing coming ♪

♪ I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ There's an anointing to destroy the yoke ♪ ♪ Tell every stronghold, you gotta let me go ♪ ♪ Something really powerful is happening ♪ ♪ There is a freedom that I have never known ♪ ♪ Out of the shadows, into the overflow ♪ ♪ Something really powerful is happening ♪ ♪ Darkness bowed out to the day, mountains gave up on my way ♪ ♪ Breaking out of yesterday, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ Tell this giant in my face, you're not greater than my fate ♪ ♪ Best believe me when I say, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ He's Jesus, come on, he's worth it ♪ ♪ He's up to something, and it's good, we thank you Lord ♪ ♪ I can see a cloud, heavy with rain ♪ ♪ And it looks like revival, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ Oh, I can see it cut out, headed with the rain ♪ ♪ And it looks like salvation is headed our way ♪ ♪ Oh, I can hear a sound, the abundance of the rain ♪ ♪ And it sounds like freedom is headed our way ♪ ♪ Oh, I can hear a sound, the abundance of the rain ♪ ♪ And it sounds like revision is headed our way ♪ ♪ Oh, I can see a cloud, headed with the rain ♪ ♪ And it looks like healing is headed our way ♪ ♪ I can see a cloud, headed with the rain ♪ ♪ And it looks like joy is headed our way ♪ ♪ It's headed our way, it's headed our way, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ We believe it, it's headed our way, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ Oh, it's coming, we receive it, it's coming ♪

♪ Come on, let's go, let's go, darkness, bow down ♪ ♪ Darkness, bow down to the light, come on, tell it ♪ ♪ Darkness, get up out my way, I'm breaking out of yesterday ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming, the doubt is shining in my face ♪ ♪ You're not greater than my faith, best believe me when I say ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming, I got a new thing coming, yeah ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, new heart, fresh faith ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, now, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, new heart, fresh faith ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, now, I got a new thing, I got a new mind ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, come on, we receive it today ♪ ♪ All that you have for us, we receive it ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, new heart, fresh faith ♪ ♪ I got a new mind, now, I got a new thing coming ♪ ♪ I got a new thing, oh I got a new thing ♪ ♪ We believe it, it's on its way, sing it out ♪ ♪ I got a new thing coming, I got a new thing ♪ ♪ Come on, I can see a cloud, I can see a cloud ♪ ♪ Heavy with rain, and it looks like revival ♪ ♪ It's headed our way, salvation, I can see it's coming ♪ ♪ Heavy with rain, and it looks like salvation ♪ ♪ It's headed our way, oh I can hear a sound ♪ ♪ The abundance of rain, and it looks like freedom, yeah ♪ ♪ I can hear a sound, the abundance of rain ♪ ♪ And it sounds like provision, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ It's headed our way, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ It's headed our way, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ We're expecting, we're looking forward, it's headed our way ♪ ♪ It's headed our way, it's headed our way ♪

Yes, Jesus! God, we worship you, God. Lord, we believe that our blessing is headed our way. Come on, if you believe that this morning, could you give him a shout of praise? Could you lift your hands? Could you worship him? Could you give him the praise that he deserves? Come on, all over this room. If you could just press in and acknowledge who he is. God, we thank you, because your presence is here. It is tangible. Holy Spirit, have your way in this place. Have your way in this place. ♪ I don't wanna chase the wind ♪ ♪ When I was born to breathe you in ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, come and move again ♪ ♪ I know you love to make things new ♪ ♪ So make our hearts an upper room ♪ ♪ We wanna look just like you ♪ Come on, we sing church. ♪ Holy Spirit, you are all I want and all I need ♪ ♪ Come again and fill me with your power, with your strength ♪ ♪ I will wait for you, I will wait for you ♪ ♪ We will wait on you, God ♪ ♪ Gift of Jesus, come on in ♪ ♪ Your power's never known a minute ♪ ♪ You are a portion, you are enough for us ♪ ♪ You promised and you pour your spirit out ♪ ♪ Sons and daughters, come receive it now ♪

♪ You are a portion, you are enough for us ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, you are all I want and all I need ♪ ♪ Come again and fill me with your power, with your strength ♪ ♪ I will wait for you, I will wait for you ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, you are all I want and all I need ♪ ♪ Come again and fill me with your power, with your strength ♪ ♪ I will wait for you, I will wait for you ♪ ♪ I will wait for you, I will wait for you ♪ ♪ I will wait for you, I will wait for you ♪ Come on, His word says that those who wait upon the Lord, they will not grow weary, He will renew your strength, He will come again and be the source of your life. Come on, could you declare this right now? Those who wait upon the Lord will not grow weary, will not be, and those who wait upon the Lord will rise and renew your strength. I will wait for you, I will wait for you. Those who wait upon the Lord will not grow weary, will not be. Those who wait upon the Lord will rise and rise again. Those who wait upon the Lord will not grow weary, will not be. And those who wait upon the Lord will rise and rise again, renew their strength. And those who wait upon the Lord will not grow weary, will not be. Those who wait upon the Lord will not grow weary, I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for you.

I will wait. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. Holy Spirit, you are all I want. You're all I need. Come again and fill me with your power and your strength. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. Holy Spirit, you are all I want. You're all I need. Come again and fill me with your power and your strength. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. You are worthy, oh, praise God. Amen. Amen. Amen. I love that song. Yes, I'll wait for you, Lord. And if you didn't know, waiting is an active verb. And one of the ways we wait on the Lord is in prayer. Here at Journey, we believe in pray first, which means prayer is our first response, not our last resort. That being said, we do have a prayer here from one of our very own in the community that if you will please join me as we join them in this prayer.

Says, thank you, Father, for. Placing in me the desire to know you intimately my relationship with you Helped me to be grounded and not allow the enemy to get me back to old behaviors that are not of you Thank you for showing me out of addiction and toxicity and Lord that prayer goes for many that are currently struggling with addiction We pray in your healing. We honor praise you in Jesus name And just like Ben said prayer is our first response and we want to pray for you so go ahead and submit your prayer requests on the chat the online app as well as scan that QR code and submit your Prayer requests and also let us know how you're how God is moving in your life Let us know so we can praise with you and pray together. That's right And we also want to welcome you in we are so glad that you are here with us on this lovely Sunday morning We know that there's no coincidence that you're here today and that the Lord has something special for you So excited that you're here with us. Amen. And if you're just joining us welcome into the room My name is Jozan aka Jojo your host for today. I love that Okay And my name is Chantel and I get the absolute joy of being in the house of the Lord today and being one of your Hosts. Amen. And my name is Sasha and I'm so thankful to be here with you guys to share this day And I'm one of your new online hosts Allow me to reintroduce myself Today as well, and it's always an honor to do that Amazing online family We're so grateful for you, absolutely and then we got another special group. Yeah First time guess that means you're an FTG drop an FTG in the chat Let's go we can get to know you we can celebrate you also scan that QR code Yeah, that's where we can reach out to you. Talk to you get to know your story and also help you figure out Maybe what's your next steps here? Speaking of next steps one best way to communicate and build that community is by going through next step and step one is online and that's where you get the opportunity to meet our lead pastors pastor JJ and pastor Liz and you get to know our mission our Purpose and also explore ministries are available to you and your family. So go ahead and scan that QR code and take your next step Yeah, I'm so proud you're doing Another thing you said something really important you can find out about the mess the mission

but also you can go ahead and Go to our YouTube a channel and you can also subscribe and go back to old sermons and you know Just get filled up with the Holy Spirit and watch those old sermons in case you want to watch those So yeah, go ahead and scan that QR code below so we can get connected Absolutely, and speaking of connected one of our online family members Jasmine decide to get connected and plugged into what we're doing here online And join it in that serve helped her grow closer to God, but also build community Yeah, and then that community she found was in small groups small groups was a place She found to get connected even from Connecticut where she lives. Yeah, so even though she was far she was still able to connect with journey church by doing her next step and Signing up as an online chat moderator and that's what she was able to really build relationship and grow in her faith Yeah, and one thing I love about that is that she said pray first really made it was a game-changer She said that even though she didn't necessarily feel, you know stronger but like with God's protection she felt stronger Yeah, and she's been making such an impact online and helping make people realize that they can be reached online I just because they're not here physically in the building doesn't mean that God can't speak to them Amen, and stories like this are only possible because of your generosity We continue to make Jesus accessible to anyone if you want to partner with us in generosity Go ahead and scan the QR code or go to the journey church app So you can be part of what God is doing and how he's moving and changing lives throughout these Places in his spirit, so we want to thank you and we're gonna worship with you. Yeah one more time I'll see you after yeah Campus joining us in worship today I know who I am, cause I know who you are, the cross of salvation was only the start. Now I am chosen, free and forgiven, I have a future and it's worth believing. Cause I wasn't made to be tending a grave, I was called by name, born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know who I am, and I was made for more. I know who I am, cause I know who you are, the cross of salvation was only the start. Now I am chosen, free and forgiven, I have a future and it's worth believing.

Cause I wasn't made to be tending a grave, I was called by name, born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. Thank you Jesus. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know who I am, and I was made for more. Hallelujah, you called out my name, so I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah, you buried my past, and I'm not going back. Hallelujah, you called out my name, so I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah, you buried my past, and I'm not going back. Cause I wasn't made to be tending a grave, I was called by name, born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. Come on, let's declare it together today. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know who I am, and I was made for more. Come on, we were made for more. Cause I wasn't made to be tending a grave, I was called by name, born and raised back to life again. He rose from the dead, and I was made for more. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know who I am, and I was made for more. Let's sing hallelujah. Hallelujah, you called out my name, so I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah, you buried my past, and I'm not going back. Hallelujah, you called out my name. ♪ I'll sing out Your praise, hallelujah ♪ ♪ You buried my past, I'm not going back ♪ ♪ I was made to be tenth in a grave, I was called by name ♪ ♪ Born and raised back to life again ♪ ♪ I was made for more, so why would I, so why would I be? ♪ ♪ Been in my shame when I found You, Your grace is running down ♪ ♪ I am Yours, I was made for more, I was called by name ♪

Made for more. How many people know what you were made for? It's hard to know. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus and Peter are having a conversation and there's a lot of talk about who Jesus is. And he asks Peter, he says, hey man, there's a lot of people that are talking about me. Some people are saying, you know, he's John the Baptist. Other people are saying that Jesus is Elijah. He looks at Peter, he says, Peter, who do you say that I am? Peter looks at Jesus and he goes, to me, you're the Messiah. You're the son of God who came to rescue the world. And then Jesus looks at Peter, he goes, bingo. And then he says this, and you are Peter. His name was Simon before. Peter means rock, and on this rock, I will build my church. Peter discovered who he was and what he was made for when he discovered who Jesus was. So if you wanna know what you were made for, you gotta talk to the maker. It's one of my favorite TV shows, is the one where the guy shows up at the pawn shop with the thing, and he's like, I don't know how much it is worth. And then the guy calls the expert, and the expert comes in and he goes, oh no, I know what this is worth.

Don't be fooled by the dirt. Don't be fooled by the dust. I'm convinced, because I deal with this. This is valuable, this is worthy. This has got a price on it. I need you to know today, I don't care what you walked in, what dirt you walked in with, what kind of past you walked in with, your maker is looking at you today saying, uh-uh, this has got value. This has got worth. I know why I made it. I made it to reflect my glory. I made it to look like me in the world. I made it to shine my beauty and my glory. Come on, you weren't made to be in the dirt. Come on, you got value, because Jesus has got value. Thank you, Jesus. ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ You buried my past and I'm not going back ♪ ♪ I wasn't made to be tempted and grieved ♪ ♪ I was called by the Name ♪ ♪ Born and raised back to life again ♪ ♪ I was made for more ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Born and raised back to life again ♪ ♪ I was made for more ♪ ♪ Born and raised back to life again ♪ ♪ I was made for more ♪

Come on, if you believe that you were made for more, if you believe you got a purpose, if you believe God has called you, set you apart, come on, that there's a design for your life, and that this life is not the end, but there is a greater life. Father, we love you, and we thank you, and we worship you. Father, thank you for pulling us out of the mud, for pulling us out of the dirt, for lifting us up out of the grave, Father. We rebuke and we put aside every lie that seeks to steal our identity in you, Jesus. We love you, and we're grateful in your name, we pray. Amen and amen. Well, listen, before you take a seat, I want you to find three people that you didn't drive to church with today. Give them a big old high five. Tell them, made for more. Come on, made for more, made for more. Amen, awesome. Well, how many people are excited to be in the house of God today? Yeah, me too. So glad that you're here. If we haven't met yet, my name is JJ, and alongside my wife, Liz, we have the honor and privilege serving Journey Church as its lead pastors,

and if you didn't know that, that means you are a first-time guest, and we're so glad that you chose to be with us today. If you're looking for a home church, look no further. We think you walked into it, not only because you are surrounded by the presence. of God, but because you are surrounded by some of the most amazing, honest, open, transparent people in all of Central Florida. Journey Church, will you put me right by putting your hands together, welcoming all of our first-time guests one more time? Yeah. Hey, while you're at it, keep it going for Journey Church Online. What's up, Online family? Come on, welcome in our East Orlando campus meeting at University High School. Keep it going for our Kissimmee campus meeting at Gateway High School, and keep it going for all of those who are currently incarcerating, watching in jails and prisons throughout the United States. We're so glad that you're with us. If this is your first time at church and you're like, why are people clapping for people who are incarcerated? We're not excited that they're incarcerated. We're excited that every Sunday, tens of thousands of people who would not hear the gospel otherwise are hearing it because of your generosity, because of what God is doing at this church, and so we get letters, just so you know, every single week from inmates who have met Jesus, every single week. And so, it's just powerful to know God is on the move in

people's lives. Well, I'm really pumped. Today is a Sunday that is three Sundays away from Easter Sunday, everybody. Easter, let's go. If you're new to church, Easter is the day where we celebrate not just the death, but the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because he came out of the grave. We know we're gonna get out of the grave one day too, and it's a big deal. A lot of people call Easter the Super Bowl of church Sundays, and I disagree. I believe that every Sunday is the Super Bowl Sunday because every Sunday is somebody's first time, and if we don't do it right, their last time. And so, I put a lot of weight on making sure that this place and this room is welcoming and loving, and we pray a lot to make sure that God is here when you come here, because I think if you meet God, there's no way you don't come back. But I do think what is different about Easter is that on Easter, there are a lot of people who would not normally come to church that would come to church because they were invited. I think studies show that 7 out of 10 people would come if just invited by a friend, and so we're excited about that. Last Easter, we had over 12,000 people in attendance, and this Easter, we're expecting on all of our campuses somewhere between 14,000 to 15,000 people. And I just need you to know, we don't have that many seats, and we're gonna need your help. And so, if you are here at Fern Park in East Orlando, y'all

gonna crush it. I know it. Kissimmee, y'all gonna crush it. Kissimmee might have to add a third service pretty soon because they're outgrowing two services already. East Orlando, we got a bigger auditorium at East. We're gonna fill that come Easter Sunday here at Fern Park. If you live near any one of our campuses, I'm gonna ask you to go to one of our campuses, all right? But also, I would say this. If you're here in the... Just if you can come to... People sometimes think they gotta move to Africa so that people can hear about Jesus, and I just want you to know, you don't gotta move to Africa for people to hear about Jesus. If you really wanna hear people to hear about Jesus, if you could just move to the 1.30 p.m. service here at Fern Park, that'd be great, or... I'm laughing, but I'm dead serious. If you could move to our Saturday, at Fern Park, we're gonna add two Saturday services on April 2nd. It's gonna be 5 and 6.30, so you can come on. You can come on Saturday, and then you don't gotta wake up on Sunday. You don't gotta rise because Jesus rose, and so he rose for you, and you can just sleep in on Easter, and it's more than a move. It really is. You really are making space for people to hear about Jesus, and then you can come back to your regular service time here at Fern

Park the next week, because half of those people ain't gonna come back anyway, so... But, and there'll be space, but I've been doing this for a minute. I just, that's how it works, but we can get some of them, so I'd love it if you'd consider that. All right, you guys ready to get into the Word of God today? Good. I haven't preached in two weeks here at Journey, and so I got a lot in me that I wanna share. I'm really passionate. I kinda gotta do a little recap. I try and preach in a way where, like, if you show up in the middle of the year, it's not like you showed up in the middle of a season of your favorite TV show or anything like that, but we have been in a vision, a vision series, a vision phrase all year long called Follow Me, and Follow Me was Jesus's words to his disciples in the book of Mark. He said, Come, follow me, and this has been our rallying cry here at Journey Church. In 2026, I really do believe if you were to summarize Christianity into two words, it would be follow me. Follow me would be what I would summarize Jesus as saying, look at my life, live like I live, and now I want you to notice that he said follow me. What he didn't say was believe in me because Jesus did not die on a cross and rise from the grave to create converts. He came to create followers. I'm glad that you believe in Jesus. Ready?

Big whoop. So do the demons, the Bible says. Their issue is that they don't follow. And so God is looking for people who would align their lives according to Jesus. And that's what we're gonna be on all year this year. We're gonna be following Jesus, aligning our lives to his life. And we also spoke at the end of January that when Jesus said, follow me, there was something that was insinuated that was connected to that. And that was not just follow me, but be with me. That when Jesus called you to become his follower, he was also calling you into relationship. You gotta be with him. Following him means leaving where you were and stepping into the thing that, the person that God has called you to be with. Christianity is much more than a religion for those who are looking on the outside in. It is really a relationship. It is really getting to know somebody and that person impacting every area of your life. Today, we're gonna take it a step further. We got follow me, we got be with me, but I wanna show you ultimately where God wants to take you. And it's found in Romans chapter eight, verse 29. For God knew his people in advance and he chose them. Now, I just wanna pause.

He chose them. That means that he called them, follow me, be with me. But here's why he called them, follow me, be with me. Let's finish the verse. To become like his son. When God says, follow me, it's so that you can be with me, so that you can ultimately, because we wanna talk about, become like me. Become like me. This is what Jesus wants you to do. I remember when my son was real young, he dropped something on the floor and when he dropped it, he said, ay Dios mio. That was really surprising to me. One, because he used the Lord's name in vain. I thought that was not good. But then second, that was really surprising because my son don't speak Spanish. So I was like, that's wild. And then when I thought about it more, I remembered that his grandma, my mother-in-law, her favorite phrase is, ay Dios mio. It means, oh my God, by the way, if I didn't translate that. So, ay Dios mio. So I realized he wasn't saying it because he knew what it meant. He was saying it because he spent a lot of time with somebody and he started talking like the person he spent a lot of time with. The more you are with Christ,

the more you talk like Christ. The more you walk like Christ, the more you act like Christ, the more you live like Christ. When Jesus says, be with me, it's so that ultimately you can become like me. He wants you to be like him. Let me say it this way. Jesus didn't just die to save you from sin, but to transform you into him. This is the ultimate of salvation. He wants you to become like him because when Jesus changed the world 2,000 years ago, and if we could just get a couple more, the world would never be the same. So, here's what I wanna speak to you today about. We're gonna start a series today and the series is gonna be called this. It's real simple, but I think it's powerful. We're gonna talk about becoming like Jesus. Becoming like Jesus, part one. I don't normally add parts, but I felt like this one needed it because today's message is really three messages, and so, but I'm bringing the first part of it. Now, I can't, I only got 30 minutes, so I can't do all three, so part one. Now, if becoming like Jesus doesn't interest you, if you're like, eh, not interested, maybe I can rephrase becoming like Jesus

in a way that would interest you because when I say becoming like Jesus, what I'm really talking about is growth. Somebody say growth. Becoming like Jesus is growth. It's growth in life, and you might not be interested in being like Jesus, but I for sure know that you're interested in growth. I know you're interested in growth because growth is a multi-billion dollar industry. I know that when you walk into your bookstore, the largest section in your bookstore is the self-help section. I know you're interested in growth because gym memberships are on the rise. I know you're interested in growth because there are a bunch of people like me who got rings that track their sleep and watches that track their steps. I'm tracking stuff. I don't even know what it is I'm tracking it right now. I'm tracking my HRV. I don't know what that is, but I'm tracking it because I care about growth. You know growth people care about it because CEOs will spend millions of dollars investing in the growth of their company and bringing in consultants to teach them how to develop leaders. You know this world cares about growth

because there's about a million podcasts and two million YouTube channels and we're subscribed to half of them. And I know you care about growth most importantly, hear me, because you're here today. And you would not be here if there wasn't a part of you that wanted to grow, that wanted to grow. to be a different version than the version that is you today. We all want to grow. I think we want to grow for three reasons. I think, even though we wouldn't really articulate it this way, I think number one, we want to grow because we know that the result of growth is opportunity. How many people know that there's things you can do when you're grown that you can't do when you ain't grown? One of my earliest memories in life is going to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey with my cousins and not being able to get on the roller coaster because it was this tall to ride, and I was not this tall. And I was upset, and I was sad, and I was angry. I had to wait to get grown to get on there. But then I was sober, and I understood. I understood that if I somehow found a way to sneak on that ride, that ride would find a way to fly me off that ride. There was a reason why that limit was there. It was to protect me. I remember being a kid, and my parents sending me to bed early while they watched rated R movies, Sinners.

And I would try and sneak down the stairs of the second floor, and halfway through the movie, they'd pick up, and they'd, go to bed, JJ. And I'd run up there, and as upset that I was that they were keeping me from watching the cool stuff, I recognized that they were trying to protect my mind. My kids are now becoming teenagers. They're getting handsome, and they're getting older. And the other day, they talked me down. They said, hey, Dad, just asking for a friend, how old do you think is a good enough age to date? And I was like, well, you can tell your friend. It's going to be a minute. They said, oh, how come, Dad? How come? I said, what age? I was like, I don't know, 16, 17, 18. They're like, 18? We'll be adult by 18, not as long as you're in this house. When am I going to be able to date? I said, I don't know, man. I'm going to tell you. Listen, I said, I don't think we need to be talking about dating right now, I told them. I said, how about, let's start with hanging up the towel when you get out the shower. Because if I can't trust you with a towel, you think I'm going to trust you with some little girl's heart? Wow, come on, come on.

Here's what I'm trying to say. There are things that God wants you to have, experiences that God wants you to experience, that he will withhold until you're tall enough, old enough, and mature enough. Not because he's mean, because he wants to protect you, he wants to guard you, and he wants to protect others. That's good, that's good, that's great. But when you grow there, you will go there. The other reason why growth is good and why we want growth is because we know that the result of growth is opportunity, but we also know that the opposite of growth is death. Did you know that? I have a family member right now that's going through the dementia process, and it's overwhelming, man. It's really sad to see and be a part of it. And we started doing research, my wife and I, how can we help that person? How can they slow it down? Is there a way to reverse it? Hey, it's genetic, it's the things that we need to be doing now so that you and I don't suffer from this when we get older. And it's crazy when you do the research, it seems like one of the number one ways to reverse, slow down, prevent dementia is actually by learning new things. Pick up an instrument that you never learned how to play. Learn a new language, because science shows us that as we are studying and learning new things,

our brains are creating new synapses, and the neural pathways are being formed, and the processing speed is increasing. But we know that in every other area of life, right? Like, money that is not being invested is depreciated. Muscles that are not growing are atrophying. If, let me just say it another way, if you're not growing, you're dying. This is why you gotta be careful when people be like, I'm taking a break from church. I'm like, what you mean, you're taking a break from Jesus? They're like, no, just from church, I've been going to church my whole life, I'm taking a break from church. I'm like, I got bad news for you. Jesus is the body of Christ, it's church. And I'm gonna tell you, because I was counseling them this week, there is no taking a break from Jesus. There is no neutral gear in the life of Christ. There is drive, and there is reverse. If you're not following, you're falling. There's only two options. Be careful, because it feels like a break, but it's breaking. Feels like a vacation, but it's escaping. You gotta be careful. The result of growth is opportunity. The opposite of growth is death and ready, and the call to growth is obedience. Growth isn't just a suggestion.

I don't know if you know this, but in your Bible, growth is actually a command. God commands growth. Hebrews chapter five, verse 12 through 14. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You're like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. God here sounds like a frustrated parent. Will you grow up? Will you grow up already? It's time to grow up. I remember when my kid was little, he used to say the word bullet so funny. He used to say, boo-loop. And with the Nerf bullets, he'd say, daddy, daddy, get the boo-loop. I never corrected him. I just loved to hear it. It was the cutest thing. How many of you know that's cute when you're four? Boo-loop. But if you say boo-loop at 14, we getting a speech therapist. You know what nobody gets mad about?

Nobody gets mad when a baby poops his pants. Nobody gets mad about that. We understand, we get the diapers, we do the cleaning. If you're a baby and you poop your pants, no problem. If you're 30, we going to the hospital. Because there are some things that are okay when you're just getting started that are not okay when you've been here a minute. I'm trying to tell you today, there were some things at the beginning of your Christianity that were understandable and they were okay and God was understanding, but you've been here a minute now and it's time, lovingly, on behalf of Jesus, with all the mercy and the faith and the grace, to grow up. You can't stay there no longer. God has got a place for you and growth is possible. Amen? Amen. He wants you to grow. Now hopefully I've convinced you that he wants you to grow and that you want to grow, but if I've done my job, your next question should be fine. I want growth, but what growth? What is growth? Is it the number of subscribers to my podcast or my YouTube? Is it the number of followers on my social media?

Is it the size of my 401k? Is growth growing a family? Is it benching 225 or squatting 400? What is growth? And it's a tough question to answer because not everything that grows is good. Tumors grow, mold grows, fear grows. We see it happening in the Middle East right now. Conflict grows, hate grows. Here's the question I want to answer today. This is kind of like my subtitle to my title. We talked about becoming like Jesus, but here's the real question. How do I know when I grow? How do I know when I grow? I imagine the kid measuring themselves on a doorstop. Did your parents do this when you was little, when they have the little thing and it's like a little pencil, and you see, my parents would never let me do that. How dare you draw on the walls? But somebody does this right here. They measure you, right? And then I wish there was that for like your spiritual life. I wish there was a way to kind of go up against the wall and be like, am I, am I, am I like Jesus yet? I wish there was a way to be like, am I, am I there? Am I, am I like him? Cause I've been trying to follow him for some time

and I just don't know if I'm like, I wish I could track it. I wish I could track holiness on the watch or on my ring. Wouldn't that be cool? You get an alert, be like, yo, I'm real holy today. Let's go. Oh, your ring starts beeping. Your faith is high. Yo, my faith is high. Let me pray for you right quick. My faith is high. Got you in the name of Jesus. That would be so cool. It'd be so easy. I wish you could get a diploma from church. Take a couple of classes. They'd be like, Jesus, hanging up on your wall. You got it. You like him. Here's my question. How is spiritual growth measured? Like what is spiritual growth measured in? Because I know that height is measured in inches. Weight is measured in pounds. I know that wealth is measured in how many zeros you got in your bank account. Here's the question I want to pose to church today. What is spiritual growth measured in? And I think if we switch places

and you're preaching this sermon, I think you might tell the church today, you go, oh, that's easy, Pastor. Spiritual growth is measured in miracles. Yeah, if you could open up the eyes of the blind, whoo, if you could raise the dead, whoo, that means you're spiritually mature. I think others would be like, no, if you could speak in tongues, that's how you know you're spiritually mature. I think other people might be like, no, no, it's being able to explain the book of Daniel. That's being spiritually mature. It's being able to prophesy, speak a word of knowledge over somebody, tell the future. That is spiritually mature, and I just want to let you know today, no, it's not. Preaching, that's spiritually mature. I know that's not. I've been preaching since I was 12, and I can promise you a lot of time, a lot of that time was

spent not being mature. Now, the Bible, though, does give us an answer. I'm gonna give it to you, and then I'm gonna explain it to you. How is spiritual growth measured? How do you know that you're growing? Listen, spiritual growth is measured in love. Love. Love is how you measure spiritual growth. Now, you might ask yourself, Pastor J.J., where is that in the Bible? And I will tell you, everywhere. It's everywhere in the Bible. I'm gonna give you, like, eight verses. 1 Corinthians 13, verse 1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Oof. Are you grown?

Let me ask you a question. Are you grown if, at church, you bless your father God, but at home, you curse out your wife? Are you mature? Are you like Jesus? Have you grown spiritually? Are you grown if you speak in the tongues of angels in your bedside closet, but you gossip about your coworker at the water cooler? Are you grown? Let's keep it going. 1 Corinthians 13, 2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Are you grown? Could you spend five years trying to understand the book of Revelation and the Bible, but you want to take five minutes trying to understand what your kid's going through at school? Are you grown? Are you grown if, on Sunday, you

got the faith to move that mountain that won't move and throw it into the sea, but on Monday, you're honking at the car in front of you because it ain't moving fast enough on the street? Where's the love? Are you mature? Are you grown? 1 Corinthians 13, 3. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship, that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. I fasted 21 days. But you haven't forgiven. And it's been 21 years. I'm mature. I get on my knees, and I cry out to God, but you criticize people online. Without love, you ain't grown. Some of them, I say, what about joy, peace, patience, kindness? Oh, you're talking about the fruit of the Spirit. I'm glad you brought that up. I thought that was being grown,

all those other character traits. Aren't you saying that's what means you're growing spiritually? Yeah, but where does that all come from? Galatians 5, verse 22 to 23. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Now, let me talk to you about this verse real quick. What's the first word in the rest of the words? Love. When you do an exegesis, exegesis is the word that describes pulling biblical truth from Scripture. There's this principle called initial position emphasis, which means that you look at the first word in the verse, and oftentimes, not always, but oftentimes, what stands at the beginning of the verse stands at the foundation of the verse. That's why in Genesis 1, 1, it says, in the beginning, God, and then every other verse after that

is built on God. So, when it says love, let's look at the verse. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, it's saying that all these things come out of love. Joy is love delighting. Peace is love. resting. Patience is love enduring. Kindness is love acting. Goodness is love choosing. Faithfulness is love keeping. Gentleness is love lowering. And self-control is love restraining. When we did our love, sex, and marriage series in February, somebody called in with a question into the podcast and said, hey, I'm a single person and I understand that God is not pleased with, you know, having sex outside of marriage and masturbation and all these other things, but I got these, how do I overcome this struggle? And I was like, you're not going to like my answer, but I'm going to give it to you anyway. The more you fall in love with Jesus, just keep on falling in love with Jesus because then what happens is your love for God and God's love for you becomes a self-restraining force because you love him so much, you don't want to hurt him. And possibly, listen, possibly the greatest biblical evidence that it is love that shows spiritual maturity, that shows you should be coming like Jesus, 1 John chapter 4 verse 7, beloved, let us love one another for love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Look at verse 8, and anyone who does not love does not know God because God not has, not contains, not emanates, not wills, God is, someone say is, is, he literally is love. He is love. Listen, if Jesus is God in the flesh and God is love, then that means that Jesus is love in the flesh. So this leads us back to our question, how do you know you're becoming like Jesus? How do you know that you're growing? Ready? Here's the question, this is it. Are you becoming more loving? Pastor, I lead five small groups, are you becoming more loving? Well, Pastor Jason, you don't know, I come to prayer service every Wednesday night, are you becoming more loving? I memorize Psalms 23, the Lord is my, shh, are you becoming, are you becoming more loving? Now this is good because now you have a tool. Now you

have a tool. Whenever you want to see if you've grown or what a grown person would do, you find yourself in a situation, ask yourself, what would a loving person do? And that's how you get out. When your in-law disrespects you in your own home, what would a loving person do? When a friend disagrees with you, disrespects you, when a friend betrays you, what would a loving person do? When you find someone online who believes something different than you, what would a loving person do? When you see someone hurting on the side of the street, what would a loving person do? I just want you to know off the jump, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I'm trying to make you feel measured. Measured. What would a loving person, because that's how you know you've grown. And if you've been a Christian for a while, you'd be like, well, that's kind of like what would Jesus do? Yeah, but I'm going to say what would a loving person do, because I don't know what you think of Jesus. Because we've got a lot of different Jesuses. I mean, there's one Jesus in the Bible, but if you're on social media, you see a lot of different Jesuses, boy. You see the Jesus that criticizes people, and you see the Jesus that forgives people, you see the Jesus that hates on people, you see the Jesus that loves people, and I'm just like, you want to know what Jesus is? Look at 1 Corinthians 13, verses 4-8. Love is patient, love is kind, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not dishonest unto others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Here's why I love that. Jesus is a forgiving God. Jesus does let it go. Jesus does release it. But look at the very next line, but he also does not delight in evil. He rejoices with the truth. He's the perfect combination of mercy and truth, of I forgive you and get right, both at the same time. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, love never fails. So here's the question, I'm going to ask it again, are you becoming more loving? And if you don't know, and if you're not sure, that's okay, because here's my second point, listen, it's hard to know because it's slow. It's hard to know because it's slow. How many people know that growth is slow? 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. And we all are being transformed into the image, his image, Jesus' image, with ever-increasing glory. That word being transformed and ever-increasing, I'm gonna talk about both of them,

the word transformed in the Greek means metamorpho-o. Does that sound familiar? Any English word that you can hear that metamorpho-o? Yeah, metamorphosis. It's the same one we get that word from. Metamorphosis is the process by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Now, when that caterpillar is in its chrysalis, when it's in its cocoon, there is no single point at which that caterpillar stopped being a caterpillar and it started being a butterfly. There was a process. I love it when you say we are believers, because when we are believers and we get saved, there's another way that the Bible says about it. It says that we are born again, born again. And so I've been seeing a lot of people's baby pictures online, and so I thought I would show mine. This was me when I was born. Okay, there we go. Yeah, it's baby JJ, 1986. So it's 2026, this is the year I turned 40, and that is baby JJ, and he's cute. Now, that was me then. This is me now. Now, it's the same person, but they're two different people. And there is not one point in my life, you can keep this picture up just a little bit, there is not one point in my life that you can point to as you go,

that was the moment that that became this. Because there was no one moment. There was a lot of phases between that and this. There was the Ninja Turtle phase. There was the Darkwing Duck phase. There was the Puerto Rican phase. Yeah, I know about that. That's like when your parents are Puerto Rican, but you've never been to the island. But you're so proud that you start to wear the Air Force Ones with the Puerto Rican flag on them. You start to rock the Puerto Rican flag out your back pocket, you just can't even speak Spanish. Don't even know what salsa is, thinking salsa is the thing that goes on chips. You don't even know. But you're proud, I went through that phase. I went through the cornrow phase, you ain't never gonna see it. The cornrow phase. Went through an agnostic phase. Pornatic phase. Panic attack phase. Heartbreak phase, went through a lot of heartbreak behind this guy. Every girlfriend I ever had cheated on me, lost a son in my arms. I'm glad to say the person I am today is healed. The person I am today has not watched porn in years. The person I am today does not need medication to preach.

The person I am today has got joy and has got peace and he's confident in what he believes. But the person I am today was not born in a moment. The person I am today was a process. As excited as I am about the person I am today, I know I'm not perfect. And I cannot wait to make the future me. I asked Chappie T what I would look like when I turn 70. Y'all wanna see it? Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I look just like my dad. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! You hear that?

Ms. Vasquez, you're a lucky woman if you got that waiting for you in 30 years. I'm gonna just say right now, that's a silver fox. I cannot wait to meet that version of me. Because I bet that version of me is the version of me that finally doesn't care about what people comment about him on social media. He don't care. He's like, I'm going to heaven. I don't care. This version of me is probably the me that is finally selfless. This version of me, babe, this might be the version of me that finally remembers to close the closet doors when he leaves a room. It might take 30 years, but he'll get it. Eventually, what am I trying to tell you? I'm trying to tell you, I cannot wait for you to meet future you. It's not going to happen overnight, and it's not going to happen in a moment, but one day you will become the person that God created you to be. You just stay on it. I think a lot of people think that they change overnight. That's not how it works. The Bible says that we were in a kingdom of darkness and we were brought into a kingdom of light,

but it doesn't happen instantly. I think, we're going to do an illustration right now where the lights in church are going to go off, and I just need you to know, it's not a blackout. It's an illustration. However, this is a church with a lot of people who are just starting to find Jesus, so hold onto your purse as the lights go off. I gave you a disclaimer. It's important you know that. So, I think a lot of people are like, I'm lost. I found Jesus! I'm going to do it again, all right? I don't know Jesus. I'm in the world. I'm lost. Come to church, I get saved. Yay, Jesus! It doesn't happen like that. You know what the Bible says? Here's what the Bible says in Proverbs 4.18, the path of the righteous is like the morning sun. Like the what? Not the flickering of a light switch, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Have you ever seen the sun rise? It's not a light switch. You want to know transformation? Here's transformation. Ready? I'm lost.

Then the sun rise. It didn't happen suddenly. It happened gradually. The sun rises. Here's what you need to know about faith. Faith rises. Hope rises. Purity rises. Holiness rises. Gentleness rises. Self-control rises. It doesn't happen instantly. It rises. I remember one time I was in New Smyrna Beach on the east coast of Florida, which you want to see a sunrise, beautiful sunrise rise, go to New Smyrna, it's about an hour east. You're on the east coast. There's no buildings. You can literally see the sun rising in the east. It's beautiful. And I got there too early. I got there like 40 minutes early because they didn't want to miss it. It was 40 minutes. I'm in the dark. And I'm just thinking to myself, this was a bad idea. I should have timed it out better. And I was so upset. But you know what I never thought while I was sitting in the dark? Not once, not once, this is the day that the sun does not rise. No matter how dark it got, I knew that I knew that I knew that if I just kept my eyes on the horizon, that eventually the sun will rise.

I'm talking to somebody who's been sitting in a dark season, sitting in a dark place, sitting in a dark mood, sitting in a season of financial struggle, of sin, of addiction, of brokenness, of anxiety, of depression. I know it's dark, but if you just keep your eyes on the horizon, I promise you that you will not be who you are for long, but that Christ will meet you and that your life, change, arises. Somebody say arises. There's a great book called The Critical Journey. It was a book that was written by a bunch of researchers who studied Christians' lives and they wanted to make a map for becoming like Jesus. And it's a great book. It's very academic, but its conclusion was that there are six stages of following Jesus, that when you become like him, ultimately, stage one, I'm gonna give it to you, it's the recognition of God. That is when I discover God. Like you get saved, right? Like I make my, I raise my hand, God is real, I'll give him my life. There's stage two, the life of discipleship. And this is now, I learn to live for God. So after you get saved, typically you start reading your Bible, you start praying. This is what's happening. You're going to church. Then there's stage three. Let me know if you know what I'm talking about. Now it's productive life. Now you go, I work for God. Some of us get saved, we start reading our Bible, and then we get on a team. And we start holding doors, we start serving, we start singing on the worship team, we're volunteering, we're getting involved. And then this happens in every single believer.

Listen, it's called the wall. Here's what the wall is. You're following God, but then all of a sudden, burnout comes. Loss, disappointment with God, unanswered prayer, ministry disillusionment, identity crisis. Let me just tell you right now, if you're a new believer, if you just started following Jesus in the last year or two, this is coming. And I need every Christian who knows what I'm talking about to say amen. If you've hit the wall before. But on the other side of this wall is some of the greatest experiences with Christ. Because right after this wall, you have the journey inward. This is God heals me. Y'all, I was a pastor for years before God healed the wounds in my heart that led me to addiction. God starts to, he breaks you so that he can get inside of you and start working in you. Then it's stage five, the journey outward. And now it's God loves through me. And this is where self-help and Christian formation differ. Because self-help is about you becoming the best version of you for your sake. Spiritual formation is you becoming the best version of you for other people's sake. God wants to build you, not for you, for others. That's the journey outward. And then finally, stage six, the life of love. And here's what it is. God has all of me. God has all of me. Here's what I love about stage six. Well, isn't the journey outward, loving other people? Yeah, but in stage six, now that God has all of you and you'll experience this

as you continue to mature in Christ, you're not even trying anymore. Generosity is not what you're trying to do. It's who you are. Holiness, purity is not what you're trying to do. It's who you are. Because in stage six, God has all of you hopeless and you have become like Christ. Are you perfect? No. Will you sit? Absolutely. But the instincts change. The instincts change on the inside of you. But it's slow. It's so slow. And I want you to notice one last thing about this journey. What does stage one through three start with? What does stage four, five, and six start with? Here's my last point. It's hard to do because it takes two. Transformation is hard to do because you can't do it alone. It's a partnership. 1 Corinthians 3, 6-7. I planted the seed in your hearts and Apollos watered it, but it was who? It was who? God made it grow. God makes the seed grow.

Listen, there are some things that you can do to help your growth. And this is why I want you to come back next Sunday because next Sunday, we're gonna talk about all the things that you can do, six things you can do to help grow. But if I dig a hole, plant the seed, cover the dirt, put on the fertilizer, but it doesn't rain, then without heaven, my work means nothing. So I'm gonna give you all the steps next week on what you can do. But what I'm telling you right now is what only God can do. Only God can change a life. Only God can transform you because only God can send the rain. See, the devil's been lying to you. He's been using your failure. He's been using your mistakes. He's been using, you tried to get better. You tried to break free. You tried to get out of that depression. You tried to snap out of it. You tried to be holy. You tried to be pure. You tried to move out. You tried to end it. All these things, and you couldn't do it. And here's what the devil does. The devil is a master at taking half truths and making you believe their whole truth.

So here's what he told you when you failed. Ready? You tried to change and you didn't. And here's what he told you. I can't do it. Because the devil speaks to you in the first person. I can't do it. And there are people in the room today who honestly believe that they cannot change. I can't do it. And I want you to know that's a half truth, not the full truth. Do you want the other half of this truth? Say, amen. It's I can't do it alone. That's the real truth. That you can't be who God's called you to be. Listen, alone. You need God. And he's here to help you become everything that he created you to be. Every head, body, every eye closed in this room today. I feel heavy for you because I know there are people who are tired, man. Tired of carrying the same weight. Tired of being in the same situation. Tired of looking in the mirror and seeing the same person over and over again. And I want to give two messages. One is to that person who feels like they're not changing.

You've been serving God your whole life. Are you ready? It's happening. It's just happening slow. Stay planted. God is transforming who you are. You are becoming more loving day by day, by day, by day. But it is an ever rising sun. To everyone who feels that they're stuck in a place. Can I just encourage you? You cannot do this on your own. You need God's help. In your own words, would you invite God into the growth process? Would you invite God into the transformation process? When it isn't gonna just be through a therapist. It isn't just gonna be through medication. It isn't just gonna be through going to gym. The gym can change your body. The therapist can affect your mind. People can affect your emotions, but only God works on the heart. Only God can work on the heart. God, we put our heart in your hands today. And we say, transform us, form us, work with us, build us, mold us, because I can't do this on my own. Well, sometimes you got to hit the wall to realize you can't do it on your own. And I know there are people here who know what that wall is

because you're in it right now. I was serving, I was giving, and it just stopped. I'm just, you gotta hit the wall to realize you need God the rest of the way. Meet us, Lord. If you're in this room today and you don't have a relationship with Jesus, you need God to get started. You need God to get started. I wanna encourage you to invite Jesus Christ into your heart today to be your Lord and save your life. Who is Jesus? He's God in the flesh, love in the flesh, who moved to this earth 2,000 years ago to wipe away every sin and give you a fresh new start. If you're in the room today and you would say, you know what? I don't know that I have a relationship with him. I wanna follow him. I wanna be with him so that I can become like him. If that's you on the count of three, would you raise your right hand? I need Jesus in my life. Can't do it on my own. All over this room online at Eastern Kissimmee 1 2 3 raise your right hand right now on 3 1 2 3 Let me see it. Let me see so many hands all over this place so many hands. Thank God. Praise God I love you. Awesome. Whether you raise your hand or not. I want everyone to pray this prayer out loud with me Let's not leave them hanging everyone say this out loud say father God Today I put

my heart in your hands You are the powder. I am the clay Shake me According to your desire according to your will according to your love Take all of me Remove any impurity Wipe me clean. I give you all that I was All that I am and all that I ever will be Jesus name we pray. Amen Help me welcome to the family of God All of those that made a decision to follow Jesus today Amen what an amazing Whoo, if you made a decision to follow Christ today, and we want to walk alongside you and support you Please scan the QR code on the screen so that we know who we're praying for we can be intentional about it Yeah, amen. Amen. Like I said, what a word and I just want to go around here and just your main takeaway and chat I want you to join us by putting your main takeaway in the chat go into the app and doing it there in the Conversation. Yeah main takeaway Faith rises faith rises. Yeah Yeah Exactly. Yeah, that's super good. I was keeping it quick cuz you know Powerful powerful. Yeah For me, it's if you're not walking with Jesus you're walking away Yeah, I was like man, yeah, I want to grow with Jesus I want to become more like I know that also takes time Yeah Yeah, exactly and how to be more like him. So it's like being more lovable So it's just because you're serving just because you're coming into church. Are you really being lovable? Yeah, so just kind of remind yourself like how how your character is. Yeah for me that growth is slow Growth is slow. We want an instant But that's not how growth looks like. So that was kind of my takeaway again chat. We want to know what's your takeaway? Let's keep talking about throughout the week

And if you love this message, make sure you share it by sharing the YouTube page the link to our YouTube subscribe If you're not and because we know this will bless Someone else and just another way to get community and build that up you take go through next steps And step one is online and that's where you get the chance to hear from our lead pastor Pastor JJ and pastor Liz and also know about our mission our purpose and also explore the ministries are available to you and your family So go ahead and scan that QR code and take your next step. Absolutely. Yes, and another way is through your generosity without your generosity We wouldn't be able to do this or to be able to be here or send the message out or get the message out Or so if you want to partner with us in generosity Go ahead and scan the QR code below so you can partner with us in any way that you can But you can also get through the journey app There's a link of tab that says give but also stay in the app during the week This is how we stay in touch with you This is how we pray for you drop your prayer requests in there your praise reports because we love to see What God is doing in your life? And when somebody prays for you on there, you're able to see that they pray for you So you get that notification that your prayer somebody has prayed for you. And I think that's just a beautiful reminder Yeah, your prayers are not going into the right actually praying for you Well, it's been an honor. Yes We're just so thankful that we get to do this we pray that you have an amazing amazing week