I Did Not Expect This | Andra D. Morrell

that there's a burden when we give gifts. You ever want to give a gift to someone and you just don't know what to give them? Because you feel like they have everything. Everything you think of, you feel like that person already has. You walk around Target, not Walmart, we go to Target, right? We walk around Kohl's. We walk around Hobby Lobby to be creative about something. Maybe I'll make them something. There's a burden when we think about giving a gift and there's also a burden a little bit when we receive a gift. Because what if I don't like the gift? So I got to put that face on. You know that face. Y'all have done it before. Ooh, I love it. And then you ask, what is it? We love a gift that's useful, but some of the gifts we look at and we're like, how am I going to use this? You know, we think about the story of Mary. As the angel came to Mary and said, you have favor with God. But there is disruption that happens when we have favor with God. You know where disruption happens? In our plans.

The things that we planned out and the things that we want. Even though God came to Mary with a gift, I bet you Mary felt a little pressure. Because she felt disruption. You know, David here. David's right there. If you, if camera one sometimes can see his head right there, look. I built this wall to hide the band, but David is still being seen, man. My goodness. David's going to get married next month. Yeah. To Veronica. He's like marrying himself. There is Veronica's right here. But you know, Veronica's particular about her big day. Myself and Pastor Rod are officiating this ceremony. She told me, I cannot wear sneakers with my suit. I want to wear sneakers with my suit. She said, you better not or I'm not going to let you in. You know, my look is, I wear a hat. Most of y'all don't even know if these dreads are real or not. Some of you think they're sewed into the hat. No, I got real hair guys. It's real. She said, I can't wear a hat. She is particular.

And that's every woman's big day. You have dreamed of this day. The day of marriage. You want things to be perfect. You want things to go the way that you planned. And if you think of Mary, she's probably in that same thought where the angel says that the Holy Spirit is going to come upon you and you shall be pregnant with Jesus. What an amazing disruption, but it's still a disruption. It still brings a level of pressure. What an amazing gift it is that it's going to bless the whole world. But if we're considering Mary in that moment, it's a disruption of her plans. You know, we have an opportunity to be able to give a gift. Pastor Rod introduced our legacy for the end of this year, our end of year giving. And he put an audacious goal out there. $150,000 is what we are going to raise. We have never raised that in the history of our church. It's an audacious goal. It's pressure. It's disruptive because many of us, we maybe had plans with the bonus that we got from our job.

We maybe had plans with what the extra we had at the end of this year. But I believe God is speaking to many of us and disrupting our plans to give in order to bless the whole world. That may be a little bit grandiose to you, to bless Spring Branch. He set this audacious goal because we are in a place of growth that we've never been in the history of our church. We are excited to see that we actually have reach here in Spring Branch by partnering with Spring Spirit. Many of us that served there this past weekend on our serve event, we understand that there was hundreds and hundreds of families that we were able to serve. We wanna serve them even greater in 2026. It's an audacious goal. It's disruptive, but it is a gift. We wanna expand what we do inside the prisons with the Pando app. We know many people have come here to this church coming straight out of prison because they heard the word of the Lord. And we wanna expand that with our discipleship program. We wanna disciple while they're behind bars and allow God to be able to grow their faith, grow their discipline. And that's what we, it takes money to do that. That is our reach across the nation

as we continue to plant churches with ARC who also helped us plant in 2016. We also want to touch the world with this gift as we plant churches in the Middle East, a rough terrain, a terrain that doesn't get an opportunity to gather freely like we are right now. We're sending pastors in and equipping them into the underground church in the Middle East. It takes money to do that. And we're partnering with the gift that's disruptive to our plans, but it's still a gift. Today, sorry, next week is our Big Give Day. And we get an opportunity as people give of their gifts for our legacy end of year giving. Next week is our Big Give Day, but you can give to the end of the year. I know for many of y'all, we give because we want to give inside the fiscal year of 2025 because you're looking for that deductible. Some of y'all look at you in here trying to swap kids with somebody. Can I take your kid on my taxes? Kenneth, you got twins. Let me take one of them because I need some deductibles. You should have swapped some kids. Hey, y'all got enough too over here. The Teagues, give me one of them kids. Because I need one of them deductibles. I know we want to give it to the end of the year, but here's the thing.

We're not telling you what to give. We're asking you to pray. Seek God because I believe he'll put it down in your knower on what to give in this gift of legacy. Worship team, come back up. We're going to spend a ton of time in prayer and then I'm going to come up with a message. But as we prepare for the end of the year, I want to let you know you're ending the year strong. You may have some disappointments, but I'm here to prophesy to you you're ending this year strong. We're walking into a new year with new boldness. We're walking into a new year with a new word, with new passion. So today, as you pray throughout this week and what you give, understand, God's got you in the palm of his hands and he knows that your 2026 holds and he knows the strength that you need and he will give you that strength. Amen, church. Let's stand on our feet. God, I thank you, Lord God, for the gift that you've given in Jesus. I thank you, Lord God, that you found favor with Mary. And God, as the words you've given to Mary, we take on those words from your word, that you find favor, that we find favor in you. Lord God, so see us here at 2355 Bingo,

here to worship your name, here to figure things out, here to hold on to a promise that you have for us. God, we've held on for all this year, but God, we know you're not done yet and the best is yet to come. So God, we worship you. We put our trust in you. So God, in this moment of worship, see our hearts, see our posture and do what it says that you would do, that you will strengthen those that are totally committed to you. In Jesus mighty name, Amen, and Amen. Let's get to worship church. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. ♪♪ ♪ He's been my fourth man in the fire, time after time. ♪♪ ♪ Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. ♪♪ ♪ And what He did for me, Your recovery is more than enough. ♪♪ ♪ I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. ♪♪ ♪ He will never fail. ♪♪ ♪ I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. ♪♪ ♪ He will never fail. ♪♪ Perfect submission, all is at rest. I know the offer of tomorrow and Lord my savior. So listen, this is my story. Oh, and this is my song.

I'm praising my risen King and Savior all the day long. So I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. Oh, He will never fail. Oh, we trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. How many of you have a testimony this year? That you sought the face of the Lord and He answered you. We thank God for 2025. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for all you've done. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. That's why, do we have a testimony in this room? Come on, let's declare it. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. That's why I trust Him. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. That's why I trust Him. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust in God. My Savior, the One who will never fail. He will never fail you. So I trust in God.

He will never fail. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. That's why I trust Him. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. That's why I trust Him. So wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. He will renew your strength. So wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. He will renew your strength. So wait on the Lord. You better prophesy over your life this morning. Wait on the Lord. He will renew your strength. That's the way the saints They now wait on the Lord Who shall renew their strength They shall mount up upon the waves Like an eagle and a swan They shall walk like a weary They shall run and not make That's what happens when you wait Come on, let's declare it! That's what happens when you wait

That's what happens when you wait That's what happens when you wait That's what happens when you wait We are getting stronger That's what happens when you wait We are getting stronger That's what happens when you wait You're getting stronger That's what happens when you wait We are getting stronger That's what happens when you wait Wait on the Lord He will renew your Someone needs your strength Renew this morning Oh wait on the Wait on the Lord The year is not over Wait on the Lord A lot can be done in a day He will renew your strength Come on prophesy over your life Wait on the Wait on the Lord He will renew your strength So wait I say Wait on the Lord I will wait on the Lord He will renew your strength So wait I say

I've been fused today Encouraged, be encouraged today Be encouraged today He's handing out strength You got to the end of this year weak But he's handing out strength Amen church, amen, amen Stay standing with me Worship team don't go anywhere Don't go anywhere We're gonna get straight into the word today I believe the Lord has a word for you He's encouraging you I thank God as we get into this year I thank God for our worship team Thank you, these are faithful people Our worship team over the years Have had many faces But these are the faithful These are the faithful I'm so, I'm always appreciative Of Nelcy and Kenneth They took a lot of responsibility off me Little do you know I was leading worship every week for a minute And y'all was tired of hearing my voice And they took a mandate That I asked them that they weren't ready for But they took the mandate on And I'm so excited for them and their leadership

Thank you so much Thank you for your leadership Alright we're gonna get into the word today I'm gonna say standing with me In Philippians 3 We're gonna be in Philippians 3 and 10 And then I'm gonna jump to the Old Testament Somebody say Old Testament And I'm gonna get into Exodus 13 Also today we got a gift for you We wanna give you some cool stickers That were designed by Pastor Rod and Eva Eva Vargas, my red headed child Where is she at? There she is, way back there on social media These are cool stickers It says I'm a cheerful giver Cause why? God loves a cheerful giver Amen? I love it You can get those on the way out That's our gift to you in this Christmas season In Philippians Paul The Apostle Paul He is in jail He's in jail and wrongfully accused But yet he finds Something on the inside of him To write to the church of Philippi Here's what he says He says I want to know Christ

Is that your prayer today? I wanna know Christ Yes To know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings. Now that's a deep prayer. I want the victory. But I want to take participation in the suffering of Christ. Becoming like him in his death, meaning I'm putting everything of myself in flesh, I'm crucifying it. And then Paul says, and so somehow, by some way, by the Holy Spirit, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. That means I'm laying down myself. I'm putting down the flesh and being resurrected by Jesus. Not that I have already obtained this. Listen, listen, we got to be honest. I got to be honest. I have not obtained this. I've been walking with Jesus for a long time. And Paul is honest here, not that I've already obtained all of this or have already arrived at my goal. But here's where we get the passion. It says, but I press on. But I press on. Does somebody got to press on in their spirit? Press on to take hold of what which Christ Jesus took hold of me. He says this to you. He writes this. Apostle Paul writes this to you. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Here it is again. I press on. That's a word for somebody. I press on. I've got some mistakes. I've got some disappointments. I've got some setbacks, but I press on. I've got some situations that are trying to take me down. I've got some things that are wrecking my mind, but I press on. I press on. I feel the Holy Spirit in the room that's helping somebody to press on. I feel the Spirit helping somebody to press on. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Now, I want to go back to the Old Testament real quick, and I'm going to tie it all together. Exodus 13, 17. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. Some of us, we look at God, God. Yeah, you take it to your Lord.

This way is shorter, but he said he didn't lead them there. For God said, if they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Reds for battle. God, I thank you. I thank you, Lord, for your Holy Spirit that is in the room. So speak, Lord. You have a word for your people that is uplifting, edifying. Let us not walk out of here the same way we came in, in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Don't sit down yet. Don't sit down yet. Worship team, we're always trying to look at Tim. Tim, ready to get—she turned so quickly after that. Amen. Tim, if you don't stay still in the Lord and in the power of his might. If at the—if what you planned at the beginning of this year and where you're at right now at the end of this year, if everything went the way you planned, you may be seated. Okay, so we—I was ready to have the prayer team come up and pray for y'all liars because— Okay, okay, maybe this might—50% of what you planned, you've seen and accomplished by this time in the year. Wow, 50. Okay, okay, there's one 50. Okay, what about 25%? 25%. Okay, okay. What about 1%? Is there any 1%? I got 1% done. Anybody—it's okay, don't be pressured. Anybody zero? Because I'm at a zero. I didn't get nothing done. I'm still 295 pounds. I didn't lose no weight, y'all. We didn't go on through too fast. Or you may be seated in the presence of the Lord. These two passes are about captivity. One is in captivity, that's Paul in prison speaking and writing to the church in Philippi. And the other is a people being freed from captivity. And I want to talk— intertwine a little bit of both of these things but if I were to put out what my points would be is we got the crying out we've got to make it over and we've got the covered and I don't know but this week I just maybe last week as I was watching the Prince of Egypt I felt like speaking about Moses and getting the Israelites out of Egypt and somebody had asked me about Old Testament slavery and

I got talking about again Egypt again and I and and then one of my boys that are with me they're staying with me one of them is on camera right now and they were asking me about who wrote Genesis I said Oh Moses I saw today I just felt we need to talk a little bit about what freedom is amen in Exodus 3 and 7 the Lord said I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering I don't know about you I'm glad God hears me I don't I got a lot of devices in my house and I know my devices hear me because I can be talking about a restaurant or some type of product and then I scroll somewhere on Instagram and see it everywhere so I know they're listening come on but I'm also so glad that my God is listening to me I'm also so glad that he hears my cries even when my cries don't even have words when I'm late in the midnight hour and my soul is grieved I'm so glad my God hears my cries has anybody cried yourself to sleep has anybody been in some tough situations where you can't even get words out I'm so glad my God even hears that too that he hears are crying out and I want you to know that God puts things in our path in response to our prayers that we pray you know I I through life have walked into many blessings that I prayed for me coming here to Houston was a God-given blessing I prayed to this and I got an opportunity to be at the top of church world and meet some of the biggest names in the country I have an opportunity to ministry at a level that has just blown my mind and God opened the doors for me to get from Michigan here to Texas and as I see and I sit in front of you that story of me coming from Michigan here to Texas is the story of how we got here to Union Houston it is a story of connection and how God has put blessing in front of me to get us where I'm here in front of you delivering the word of the Lord a man sometimes what we pray God puts what we pray right in front of us but some of us God puts what we pray right in front of us but most of us we trip right over what God puts right in front of us trying to get what we think we want we've been praying for things and he puts that thing right in front of but we trip right over it with our eyes looking to where somewhere else

sometimes and this is where I think where Paul is Paul is saying I want to know Christ because he's in a situation in prison and he's like I want to know Christ and you're thinking myself you want to be free you're wrongfully accused and in prison but his prayers I want to know Christ I don't want to miss him in the place that I'm at because I believe Paul understood something where he was at in that moment is right where God wanted him to be and I'm here to tell you wherever you're at right now it may not feel well it may not be where you want but this is right where God wants you to be right now because I believe he's taking you out of your situation he's taking you higher but you've got to be able to say I want to know Christ right where I am sometimes God answers prayer by putting things what looks like our prayers in front of us but sometimes God sends a problem as an answer to our prayer and this is where Paul is he sends the problem of prison as the answer to his prayer I have an experience of that we all were at a church and and we were praying for some things for God to do inside of us and God sent a problem as an answer to our prayer it was a rough time it was a confusing time it was a time where you guys left first and then I figured out if I was gonna leave or whatever, but he sent that problem to us to get us to where we are today. If we didn't have that problem and that nudge way back at Cinemark in Katy, Texas, we would not be where we are today. Sometimes God sends problems as an answer to our prayer. Well, I got Bible, I got Bible. In Exodus 13, God brings the Israelites out of Egypt. They have been crying for hundreds of years, being enslaved. God hears their cry and he sends Moses. And if you know the story of Moses, it was a treacherous trek to get where he was,

a baby that was saved by Pharaoh who was killing all the firstborns, firstborn males. And here he is, grows up into the palace. He has an encounter and an issue where he ends up going out to the wilderness where he encounters the burning bush, the presence of God and gets the mandate to go back into Egypt to free God's people. Let me tell you something, the blessing that you're looking for more than likely comes into your life on two feet. Some of us were looking for miraculous, but he sent relationship to us. He sent that brother, that sister to us that's been praying for us into our life. And that's the answer to your prayer. He's sending it in your life on two feet. Here with the Israelites are being freed from Egypt. And here's the thing, they have no structure, they have no civility. It says when Pharaoh let the people go, but Pharaoh let the people go, but the people didn't let Pharaoh go. It took 10 plagues for Pharaoh to let the people go, but it took 40 years for the people to let Pharaoh go. Let me tell you something, relief is easy, but freedom is a process. Hear me out, relief is easy. This is why many of us have vices. This is why we smoke.

This is why we drink too much. This is why we're out and frivolously acting out with our body through sex. Well, this is relief is easy, but freedom is a process. But I'm here to tell you whatever situation that you're in, whatever mistake, whatever setback, I want you to know you're still gonna get where God wants you to be. You are not behind. God is gonna get you there at the right time, at the right place. You just gotta have your posture toward him. Somebody tell your neighbor, I'm gonna get there. I'm gonna get there, hell or high water, I'm gonna get there. You're going to get there where God has promised you to be. This is where we're at here at the end of 2025. And I can believe many of us were saying, I didn't expect this. I didn't expect this year to go the way it went. I didn't expect this problem. I didn't expect to have this disappointment, this setback. I expected I was gonna be further along. I didn't expect this tension. We can look at the end of this year and we can probably say, I didn't expect this. And I'm telling you, this is where the Israelites are. See, because if you think about where Canaan is, where the promised land is,

it's probably a few weeks travel from Egypt. But it took them 40 years to get there. God sent them the long way. And I don't know about you, but I think sometimes as I'm in my 30 plus age, I'm not lying, I'm 30 plus. Not 30 plus. I'm realizing in my life, I kind of think through that I feel sometimes I've missed plan A and plan B. Plan A for the Israelites is the short route, going straight from Egypt, straight over into what we know of Israel, right? Pretty short travel. But it takes us 40 years. And for some of them, plan B would be to go back to Egypt. Well, I'm done with this, I'm going back. But for some of us, plan C has taken us around the long way into the desert, across the Red Sea. And it feels like we're walking in a circle, but God has purpose for our travel. God has purpose for the things that we felt are delays. For many of you, you're in plan C right now at the end of this year. You started a new career. Some of us, maybe you had to go back to rehab. Maybe you had to go back into therapy. You thought I was over that thing, but now here I am again. Maybe you've had to change your retirement plans. Maybe you're 40 and you have a newborn child.

Maybe you've made mistakes and you're praying to God and I'm asking God to restore what I've lost. Maybe you're in plan C. Maybe you are in plan C and here is my other point where we gotta do, we gotta make it over. We gotta make it over. God knows us best and God knew the Israelites were too weak for war so he led them to the water. Exodus 13, 17, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, through that, sorry, though it was shorter. For God said, if they face war, they might change their minds and return back to Egypt. Here's where it is. At the end of that, the Israelites went up out of Egypt, ready for battle. See, this is what's happening. We're preparing ourselves for a war that God does not intend for us to fight. We're moving and shaking and doing things in our life on our own strength, on our own thoughts, on our own trajectory. And he's saying, you're too weak for that war. And here we are where they're ready for battle. Let me tell you, these people have been slave for 400 years, generation upon generation don't know how to fight. God knew they were too weak for war. So he had to send them the long way.

He had to build some strength into them. He had to send them to a place where he knew where he can conquer the Egyptian army. Listen, if you fight this enemy on your own, in your own strength, hand-to-hand combat, here's what I'm telling you, you're gonna lose. And you've seen this. You've probably seen this in your own life with the situation that you've been dealing with, the strongholds, the addiction, the things you keep coming back to, the things you keep circling that hill around. You've probably been in this fight. And God is saying, come to where I'm calling you. Come my way. It may be the long way. It may be the way that you don't wanna go, but it's the way I've got provision for you. It's the way I've got a way to fight your enemies. It's the way I've got a way to fight your battles. We can't go on it on our own. And here's the thing. We look at situations coming to a Red Sea as a problem. We look at it as the Egyptian army is right behind them because Pharaoh does not wanna let his people go. Let me tell you something. The enemy doesn't wanna let you go. This is why temptation is always a thing. Be at a watchful eye because the enemy doesn't wanna let you go.

And here, what I'll tell you today, as you're here in church, the situation that you're dealing with, you're fighting this battle because the enemy does not wanna let you go because he knows if you get free, you are gonna be a thing for the kingdom of God. You're gonna be a power that has gone. If the enemy lets you go, he knows he's destructed. He knows he's destroyed. This is why he's fighting you so much. This is why he keeps pulling you back. Pharaoh doesn't wanna let the people go. He came to come get them again. But God made provision, but we gotta make it over. How do we make it over? I think some of us in this house, our moment in the Red Sea is our surrender. It's our worship. It's us connecting to a place that helps us be discipled. It's the thing that feels like it's impossible. Some of you've never been a part of a church and you've never been a part of something to serve or to be discipled, and it seems like an impossible task to you. Some of us, we don't like people in our business. So this is why we don't go to Connect Group. I don't want them in my business and I want them asking questions about what I got goings on.

My business is my business. I hear it all the time. But do you wanna be free? We gotta make it over. We gotta make it over with community. The enemy fights strong in isolation and we pull ourselves away. And most of the time we're hurt. That's what we do. That's easy for us. I just be over here by myself. I don't need nobody. I do it too. I feel like when I get out there and I'm risk-taking or what have you, or maybe going out there on faith and it doesn't play out the way that I want to, I know my safe ground. So I just go ahead and isolate just me and mine. Go get me a little pint of Blue Bell ice cream and watch a good show. It's just me and my weighted blanket. I love my weighted blanket. Some of us are like that and the enemy has his greatest power when we're isolated. God has brought us to the Red Sea as a problem, we look at it as a problem, but he's got provision to split that sea and make it over. The Egyptians are behind them, the Red Sea is in front of them. God tells Moses to stretch his hand over the sea, that means there's a partnership for God's miracles. He's going to have you do something.

He's going to have you in worship and surrender. He's going to have you maybe take a step forward in a place of the unknown. Because we find this out at the beginning of Exodus 14, it says this, the Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still. Then the Lord said to Moses, why are you crying out to me? See crying out doesn't make us over. We cry out, then we got to move. This is where Paul is. Paul is in prison, but he's talking about pressing on. Paul, you in prison? Well, how are you talking about pressing on when you're in prison? You ain't got nowhere to go. So what does pressing on mean? I think before we're free physically, and this is for many of you that are with us watching on the Pando app. For many of us that are free physically, we got to get free mentally. We got to get free spiritually. And that's the pressing on he's talking about. He's pressing on in the spirit. I believe today that there's a press on spirit in somebody today, where they've been stuck in a situation, going around and around in their situation, and they need to get free right here in the nowhere, right here in their spirit. They need to get free right here in the mind. And they press on. It says to Moses, why are you crying out to me? Move on. Tell the Israelites to move on. Move forward. And as we get to the end of this year, I don't want what this year you struggled with, this year, what you walked around that hill, that mountain over and over again, for you to carry

that situation right into 2026. There's got to be a thing where it's like, it's got to end here. And this is where God can cover it. Because they walked across the Red Sea on dry ground, told Moses to be able to put his arm out and hand out, stretch his hand out. And it's because God led them to the Red Sea, that he was able to swallow up their enemies. Let me tell you something. If you're in this place and you've been in isolation, get around some people that know how to pray for you. Because it's prayers that's going to swallow up your enemy. It's the prayers of the people. It says the prayers of the righteous, it has great power. Get around some people that can pray for you, that's going to check up on you. Get around some people that are going to hold you accountable. Hear me out. That's going to hold you accountable. I'm believing in 2026, Pastor Rod is going to give our vision for 2026. And it's an audacious one. Our vision of what he's calling you individually. But I believe today we're growing a community of men of integrity. That should have gotten more claps from our women. Lord, yeah. They've been waiting. They've been waiting. Because if it was, if we could have some women of virtue, I'm going to be like, yes, Lord. Yes. Bring them, Lord. Bring them. I ain't got no ring on this finger. Bring them, Jesus.

But I said men of integrity, women like, we'll see. We shall see. I'm telling you, a healthy church has healthy men in it that lead, that lead their homes and lead the next generation. Thank you. Thank you. Have healthy men in it. Men of integrity. I'm thinking of this week, my team, Michigan, you don't know. Let me tell you, sometimes when you're digging around the cookie jar, somebody else will take you down. Men of integrity in this house. Because if we have men of integrity, we have a healthy church and we also can have and grow a healthy youth ministry and healthy young adults, because we have men and spiritual parents that help guide our young people in the right direction, that take the away from the influence of culture and bring them into God's marvelous light and purpose for them as they grow the kingdom at a young age. There's power when young people are on fire for God and serving God and be able to put a resistance back to culture. But we've got to have some healthy men because they need to see the men be successful. They need to see the men in whole relationships and marriages. They need to see men that love God and serve him. We want to do more as people come out of prison as they come here to Union Houston because they've the word of the Lord through us, through the Pando app. And as we have a healthy church, we help restore people back to civilization. And more than just finding jobs that just get them by, but they flourish in this new life, a new life. We want to see that in our church. And so today, individually, as we see how God covers us, he covers us because we get across the problem that he's placed in front of us. Whatever situation that you're in, you're going to get to where God has you. Amen, church. Let's stand on our feet. Worship team, come up. I hope this word has touched one of you that wherever you are in life, that you got to press on. I hope you're encouraged. I hope you're encouraged to press on. I press on toward the call.

What is God calling you to? Where are you feeling the nudge, the pull of the Holy Spirit? What is it that we need to forget that is behind us? And what is it that we need to press on? I'm so glad that our God makes all things new. So at the end of this year, God's not done with you yet. I know that you've been praying all year long. I know we, I was hoping, I was thinking, as I said, 50% of your plans that, you know, you saw them come to pass at the end of this year. When I got to 50%, I was hoping more of y'all sat down, but most of y'all were still standing up. So I don't know what disappointments or things that were missed that you have gotten into or you're encountering at the end of this year. Maybe you've been praying for something and you've been waiting all year for it to turn around. Here, let me prophesy to you. Let me stretch out in the room and prophesy to you. God is not done with you yet. His promises are going to come to pass. What you have to do, strength as we get in, as we end this year strong and get into 2026. Prayer partners come up. If you need prayer for anything, the prayer partners are going to be up here. But I don't want to get out of this experience today without giving an opportunity for somebody to say yes to Jesus. It's one of the greatest and the best decisions you will ever make in your life is to be in right standing with God. So if you can just bow your heads, close your eyes. If you're in this room and you're saying, you know what, I haven't made a declaration in my life to say I will follow Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Well, today is the day. Tomorrow is not promised. I know many people that have pushed things off. Maybe we didn't get some of the things we wanted done at the beginning of this year because we've procrastinating. We've been pushing off. Well, don't procrastinate on a decision with Jesus. He's calling out to you. He's asking you to come. So let all your inhibitions go. Let what the past, let it stay in the past and press on toward him today. If that's you today, I'm going to count to three and I want you to just lift your hand and say, I want to make a decision for Jesus. One, he loves you. He's calling out to you. Two, he's got provision. He's got purpose for you. Three, put your hand up if that's you today. I see you. I see that hand. I see that hand. Amen. Amen. The angels rejoice when you say yes to Jesus. So if you can, just pray this prayer Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins and I turn to you. I make you Lord and Savior of my life. In Jesus name, amen and amen. We rejoice. We rejoice. We rejoice. We rejoice. Hey, if you made that decision, I wanna get a Bible in your hands, I wanna get some clear

next steps. Stop at the Connections Point area and get that free gift from us. We wanna help you on your journey of faith. Saying yes to Jesus, only one moment, one moment in time, but you gotta live this thing out. Amen, church? Prayer partner's gonna be up here. If you need some strength, you need some prayer, prayer partner's gonna be up here. But until then, I wanna say, may the Lord bless you and keep you, may he shine his face upon you. May he be gracious to you, may he give you peace, and show you favor this week. God bless you, I'll see you next week.