It's Complicated | Common Friendship | Jen DeWeerdt

Well, good morning, City First. How we all doing today? Doing good? Amazing, amazing. I'm so grateful each of you who are joining us, whether you are in the room or joining us online, we are so glad that you are here. Welcome to church. It's gonna be a great day, right? Right. Well, before we jump into this week, I want to invite everyone back for next week already, okay? As we begin our new series called Toxic Traps, finding real freedom by not taking the bait, okay? And I'm gonna just give you a huge, like this is just a big announcement for you, all right? Scripture talks about this, that there is the enemy of your souls, Satan, okay? And he doesn't want your life to win. Not one bit, okay? You're like, okay, Jen, it's the first thing we're jumping into this morning. Yes, he doesn't want your life to win. And in this series, we're gonna be talking about some of the toxic traps that the enemy so loves to set up for our lives, how to recognize them and then how to overcome them, all right? So I want you to bring a friend and we're gonna continue to grow together, all right?

So don't miss next week. Well, with the new series launching next week, that means that this is the last week, right? Of the series that we're in calling It's Complicated. And we've been talking about relationships and this has been a life-giving, oftentimes eye-opening time together as we've been learning and growing. And as you wrap up the series, I really believe that I have an important message for today. But before I jump in, I just gotta tell you guys that I drew the short straw today. I'm the one that has to preach on daylight savings, okay? And so this is what I want. I know that we've all had one less hour of sleep, but guess what? It doesn't matter. We're here in church today and we're ready to learn, we're ready to grow, we're ready to take in. So who's ready to learn today? All right, I'm ready to preach and we're gonna do this thing, all right? So move yourself to the edge of your seat. If you see your neighbor sleeping, nudge him. But man, I need you with me this morning, okay? Because we're gonna learn about something that I believe is a really important, important, important, important subject for us as believers. So here's the deal. We're talking about relationships, all right?

And we've talked about how it's complicated. And I know that there are marriages and parenting and work relationships and neighbor relationships and friendships and families, that there's dynamics that can be challenging and difficult and, hello, dysfunctional sometimes, right? And even weird. And yes, relationships are complicated. It's complicated, but this is what I also know, it's powerful. Relationships are powerful. Relationships are a force in your faith. In fact, relationships are God's idea. We are wired for relationship, first with God and then with others. In fact, at the very, very beginning, okay, Genesis chapter two, verse 18, God says this. He said, it is not good. Everybody say not good. Not good. Not good for the man to be alone. It's not good for him to be alone. Now listen, that word alone there, it's the word picture when you study it means this, it means to isolate. And actually a word picture, when you get down and study, it can be a soldier abandoning his post, abandoning the army, okay? So it's given this picture of isolation. And actually, you know, the scriptures

that we refer to each and every week were not written in English, okay? The Old Testament was actually written in Hebrew. And when you look at the translation for that word Hebrew, and this I think is crazy, the word alone is actually the Hebrew word bad. So alone equals bad. Alone is bad. Actually, when you listen to the enunciation, you know, it is bad. And so there's enunciation there. There is like exclamation, alone is bad. And this concept goes far beyond a husband and wife scenario, okay? There are all kinds of relationships in this house. Statistics say that 48% of this room is single. So not everyone in here is a parent. And not everyone in here has a coworker in the cubicle next to you. But guess what? There is one relationship that every single person in this room has or should have. And that is this, friendship. Friendship. And this is our topic today. This topic is for all of us. It is bad. for you to be alone. It's bad. In fact, even another scripture

in Ecclesiastes chapter four, verses nine through 12, it says this, it gives us a beautiful picture. It says, two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Do you wanna succeed? Well, guess not, you're not gonna do it alone. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm, but how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. Alone is bad. Two is better. And the scripture says, three is even better. And listen, and I'm gonna say something here, and I sincerely don't mean it for it to be overdramatic. But I am standing here today, yes, because of Jesus, but secondly, because of the friendships that I've had in my life, the faith friendships that I've had in my life. It's the reason why I'm standing on the stage right now. I have overcome fear because of friendship. I have stepped into my purpose because of my friends. Friends have helped me keep going, just keep going. My friends have pushed me to be better, to think bigger, to not settle. I have become a better wife, a better parent,

a better leader because of the friends in my life. My friends have comforted me during difficult times in my life, and then guess what? They've extended a hand and helped pick me up and say, listen, it's time to get up. You can't stay here. You can't stay here. I've had my friends drag me out of a pity party. Hello. We can all get in our own little pity party, and sometimes you need a friend to show up to that pity party and drag you out. My friends spoke truth over me when I had bought into a lie. I've been encouraged when I've failed because of the words of my friends. I've had my friends check my bad attitude. Jen, what are you doing? You're better than that, and I could go on and on and on, but you get the point, and this is my point today. Friendship is a powerful force. It's a powerful force, and as I've served in the church for over three decades, I've witnessed friendships being a force for good, but listen to me. Also bad. Powerful force, good or bad. See, it all depends on the kind of friends that you have. I've seen friendships literally suck the life out of people. I've seen friendships derail spiritual momentum in the life of a believer. More times than I have cared to see, honestly.

And I've seen followers of Jesus full of passion, full of life, and on mission lose the fire that they once lived with all because of friendships. See, all friendships are influential, but not all are beneficial. They're all influential, but they're not all beneficial. See, God is doing something special in this church right now. And as your pastor, I'm just gonna speak to it. He's stirring something in the hearts of the people of this church. He's doing something. I even heard just this morning, Lisa shared it in a huddle. In the past 10 weeks, listen to this, over all of our locations, 746 people have made Jesus the leader and forgiver of their life in this house. That is crazy. We are living in special times as a church. Every single week, people are coming to Jesus, turning away from their old lives and saying, I'm done with it, I'm surrendering my life to Jesus. People are being baptized, they're being set free from addictions, lives are being turned around, and it is so very special. And if you are new to faith today, you are not alone. And if you are new to faith today, in this house, maybe you're one of those people that have made that decision in the last 10 weeks,

I want you to know that today's message is for you. It's for you. See, when I first gave my life to Jesus, there were certain friendships that I had to back away from because I knew that those friendships were not gonna take me to where I wanted to go. Oh, in my faith. I didn't hate on them, I just had to back away. Because I knew this is where my faith, I had said, I'm not going that direction anymore, I'm going in this direction. I know the people aren't going in this direction, and so I'm gonna have to back away for a while. But guess what? This message isn't just for new believers, it's for all believers. Whether you've been following Jesus for a day or eight decades, the principle of friendship matters. See, because it's the way Jesus set up his church, that we are in community together. It's how we grow. Who you connect to will direct you. Who you connect to will direct you. So I don't care if you've been saved for a day or eight decades, like I just said, this message is for you. Because sometimes, especially those who have walked with Jesus for a while, we're like, that's right, this is for the new people in church. No, no, no, this is for us.

We're gonna take some notes today, and I want you to just kind of have a heart check as I walk through this message today. Because sometimes we need to step back and honestly ask ourselves, are my friendships taking me where I want to go in my faith? That's for all of us. At every stage of faith, who we choose to have as our friends matters. See, Proverbs 12, 26 says this. It says the righteous choose, everybody say choose. Choose their friends carefully. Carefully. That's not saying the new believers, that's saying the righteous. They choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. See, this is the cool part, right? We get to choose our friends. But we must choose carefully. And let me get real practical here for a minute, okay? I wanna give you three simple questions that you can ask yourself when choosing a friend or assessing your current friendships. All right, the first one is this, are they wise? Are they wise? Proverbs 13, 20. Okay, first of all, if you need some good advice on friendships or relationships in general, just jump into Proverbs, okay?

Because it'll give you a lot of wisdom. Proverbs 13, 20 says this, walk with the wise and become wise. For a companion of fools suffers harm. You hanging out with the fools, you're gonna suffer. But man, you wanna be wise, hang with the wise. Put yourself in rooms with the wise. Understand that who you choose has influence over you. They have influence over you. So choose people who are wise. The second question is this, are they reliable? Are they reliable? Proverbs, another proverb, right? 18, 24 says this, one who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. There's a friend out there for you that'll stick closer than a brother. You just gotta choose them. You gotta find them. Because listen, you don't want the unreliable friend. A good friend is there when you need them. Can you rely on the friends that you have? Can you count on them? Or are they wishy-washy? The King James Version, like actually when you read it, it says this, a friend is someone who shows himself friendly. Meaning this, that they prove who they are by simply showing up.

They're consistent, not only in their presence, listen, but also in their character. They aren't acting one way one day and then a different way the next day. You can't count on them. No, they're reliable. So are they reliable? Are they wise? And the third question is this, are they living like a believer? Are they living like a believer? First Corinthians 511 says this, and this is the Apostle Paul talking to the Corinth church. He said, you are not to associate, sorry, with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin or is greedy or worships idols or is abusive or is a drunkard or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. That's right, stay away from them, somebody just said. Now listen, this is different than when Jesus sat down and ate with sinners, okay? Jesus kept company with his disciples, but he met and ate with sinners. Paul is saying here, don't keep company or have consistent friendship with someone. who claims to follow Jesus, yet doesn't act like it. I don't care if they can spell Jesus. I don't care if they can, I thank God. You know, all the people that thank God.

No, no, no, are you living it? Are you living it? Paul is saying, don't even eat with such people. Avoid, beware. Why? Because who you spend the most time with is determining the direction of your life. Who you're spending the most time with. If I spend my time with a gossip, I become a gossip. If I spend my time with someone who is greedy, I start to love money. If I spend my time with someone who is angry, I become angry. Bitter, I become bitter. Somebody lacks self-control, I become a little loose in the turns, full of lust. I start to think about things that I know I don't wanna think about. See, we become who we spend the most time with. We become it. So the questions again, are they wise? Are they reliable? Are they living like a believer? Now here's an exercise, okay? I want us to flip these questions around and ask what kind of friend are you? Are you wise? Are you, amen, you are. I know you. Are you reliable?

And are you living like a follower of Jesus? See, this message isn't just to help us choose friends wisely, it's also about looking at the type of friend we are. We must be the type of friend we wish to have. Are you wise? Do you give good, wise, godly advice to your friends? Are you prayerful about what you say? Are you reliable? Do you show up for others? Are you consistent in your character? Are you living like a believer? Do your actions line up with your title of Christian? When people hang out with you, are they becoming more like Jesus? Or is it more the companion of fools? You know, even as I've prepared this message, I've had to assess the kind of friend that I am. It's actually made me think, you know, Jen, you need to remember that you have influence in the lives of the people around you. How you act, how you talk. It's affecting other people. How I live matters. It will have a ripple effect. The way I live. So once we understand the kind of friends we need and the kind of friend we need to be, what's next, what do we do?

Well, we all know that Jesus had the 12 disciples, right? But have you ever thought, have you ever had this thought about how the 12 also had each other? I'd never thought about it this way. You know, we're all like, like, you know, Jesus had the 12, you know, and the 12 had Jesus, they were all following Jesus, but the 12 also had each other and they needed each other. The 12 had three and a half years with Jesus and then the 11 minus, because we're minus Judas right now, right? Hey guys, there's always gonna be one in your life. After Jesus ascends to heaven, it's the 11 and they needed each other. And there are some characteristics of their friendship that inform how you and I are to walk out our friendships. And I want us to take a few moments and I want to dive into just some common things that I see when I look at these 12 and how they had each other. What were some of the things that were a part of their friendship, their journey that made them effective, that we just got done talking about how relationships are powerful. They had powerful friendships because we're reaping the benefit of those friendships right now. So the first thing, okay, I'm gonna talk about four things.

And the first thing I noticed is this, is that they had a common commitment. Everybody say common commitment. Thank you, because I need a drink. This is where it all starts. It all starts here, a common commitment to Jesus. Matthew 4, 18 through 22, it's a story, okay, of when four of these individuals started this common commitment. It says, while walking. Walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'" Immediately, everybody say immediately. Immediately, they left their nets, and they followed him. And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets. And he, meaning Jesus, called them. Immediately, they left the boat, and their father, and followed him. Now, this is just four of the 12, okay? But, I mean, Jesus' call to all 12 of the disciples was very similar, okay? I'm sure, it was like, follow me. And then they immediately, they left everything, and they followed. You know, if you've taken a step

to make Jesus the leader and the forgiver of your life, this is you. You answered his call to follow him. And the next thing they did, what they immediately, what'd they do? They left what was. And then they followed Jesus. To follow something new, you must leave what was. And I know I've already preached this a little bit, but to follow something new, you have to leave what was. An earmark of a kingdom friendship is that you have both left and followed. You've left, and you've followed. You have a common commitment to Jesus, all right? This is so important, and this common commitment, and this is the word, it's not a common suggestion, it's not a common, like, whim, it's a common commitment. Commitment is a serious word. When these men left, they were like, we're all in. And guess what? For your friendships, your kingdom friendships to have the most impact, you're gonna have to say, I'm all in. I'm all in, I'm all in. Listen, the only way to live with Jesus is all in. It's the only way. You're not gonna be perfect, you're gonna mess up a million times, okay? But you fall down, you get back up. You fall down, you get back up.

You fall down, you get back up. That's what commitment is. Commitment isn't perfection, it's just continuing on. All right, but it's that commitment. It's like, okay, let's go, let's go. The second common thing that they had was this, a common connection. They had a common connection. They walked together. They ate together. They went to the synagogue with Jesus together. They laughed together. They got in a boat together. They shared the good news together. Notice the key word there, together. They had a common connection. See, in the Gospels, you will see these guys as you read through the Gospels, okay? You see these guys and they're together all the time. They experienced so much life together with Jesus at the center. And yes, it looks a little different for us, but the concept is the same, okay? We journey through life, this life, with like-committed people. We go to church together. We eat meals together. We laugh together. Some of you, you need to remember that. Life, sometimes once we come to faith,

we're like, we have to be so serious. No, no, no, Jesus is funny. Look at you. God has a sense of humor. All right? Look at us with the nose. I mean, I don't know. Why did he put a nose on us? I don't know. You know, I don't know. We all look goofy. Jesus had, God had a sense of humor. So listen, we have to learn to laugh, okay? If you have a boat, good for you. Well, then get on that boat and go like the disciples, okay, invite me and I'll go with as well. You have fun together. You have experiences together. You know, when I started talking about friendships, you knew, okay, you knew that as your pastor, I was gonna have to talk about life groups today. It's just part of it, okay? Because it is one of the places where you are gonna find like-committed people, where you're gonna have common connection. If you aren't in a life group, I want to encourage you to jump in. I know it can be a challenge, okay? I get it. I don't like new things, all right?

But hopefully this entire. Our message is telling you why it's worth it, and why not only it's worth it, but it's important to your relationship with Jesus. And here's the deal, our life groups aren't perfect, but I can guarantee you that it's a better place than anywhere else to find wise, reliable people who are living this thing out. Where else you got? The bar? I'd hedge my bets on a life group, right? It's where you're gonna find, we talked about having wise people, reliable people, people who are walking in the same direction you are. A life group is the best place to find those people. And we will do our best to help find a group that is just right for you. And hey, listen, if you can't find one, then start one. Hey, there's something now. And then invite your friends, and then invite your friends, and have your common connection there. Eat together, laugh together, talk together, which brings me to my next common thing, is this, common conversation. So they had common connection, they had, you know, what was the first one again? I can't even remember now. No, I said commitment, duh. Common commitment, sorry guys,

coffee hasn't kicked in yet. Common commitment, common connection, and common conversation. See, as you read the Gospels, we are given a front row seat into so many conversations with Jesus that these disciples are having with Jesus and about Jesus. See, this is what I love about Jesus, okay? And we have to remember this, that Jesus wasn't a surface guy. Wasn't just on the surface. These guys, as they had their common commitment and their common connection, Jesus was making sure that there was common conversation that happened, and the 12 jumped in and participated in that. There were meaningful, spiritual conversations over dinner tables, walking through fields, sitting at wells, journeying from town to town. There was below the surface conversations. And this is necessary in our day and age. Many researchers say that we live in a time where people are lonelier and more disconnected than any other moment in history. But listen, it should not be the same in the church. It shouldn't be the same in the church. The church, and the way Jesus designed us, the way God designed us for relationship, this should be the place where, man, it is not like that. We are not the loneliest generation. We are not the most disconnected

because we're leaning into this idea of yes, having commitment, and yes, having connection, but also having meaningful conversations. So we can take note from the life of Jesus in the 12 and have beneath the surface conversations. Ask questions of each other. Be honest. Even in the church, it's really easy for us to be like, hey, how's it going? Good, life's great. I'm not saying you have to divulge everything to everybody who asks you how's life going, but there needs to be those few people in your life, your close circle, that you can be completely honest with. And you can talk straight with. There's been times in my friendship circle where people have talked really straight to me. Listen, friendship doesn't coddle you. True friendship isn't just coddling. It isn't like, oh, you feel it? Okay, then I'm gonna like, then I'm just gonna affirm it and I'm gonna, yes, people felt with me with things, but there are also times when people are like, nah-ah-ah, that's not you. And that's not how Jesus is asking you to live. And so sometimes we gotta talk straight, which means this, okay, we can't live easily offended, being easily offended in our relationships and in our friendships. Another thing we need to learn to do

is discuss spiritual things. And I wanna encourage you to talk about spiritual things in your friendship circle. And this can be challenging because sometimes we're like, we're just, we don't live in a culture that kind of accepts this type of talk where we're like, no, listen, but here's the deal. If we have a common commitment to Jesus, then he better come up in the conversation, right? And it can be as simple as this. Let me help you out with a couple questions, okay? Write these down. What were some of the thoughts about the message at church today that stuck out to you? It's an easy one to start with, okay? If you're not sure how to have conversation, hey, what was something that stood out to you about today? And then you share what stood out to you. Is there something I can be praying for you about? about? Is there something that as you've been reading the Bible or you know, that you feel like Jesus is showing you and why, like why is that sticking out to ya? There are just some simple questions. Listen, let's become good question askers. Are you curious about it? Are you curious about how your friend is doing? Are you, you know, and even if you're like, well I'm not curious, well then act curious and then guess what?

Things change when you start asking questions. And I get it, you know, sometimes the first time you like, you went in a circle with your friends and you have never talked like this, you guys can tend to be, it can tend to be a little awkward. It's okay, step into the awkward because it's worth it. It is worth it. The reason why we are so lonely and disconnected is because we don't have those kind of conversations. So lastly, there was this, a common commission. A common commission. Now I don't mean a commission as in, hey, I'm taking some money off the top or I sold something and I'm getting a kickback. That's not the kind of commission I'm talking about. I'm talking about a common commission. See, it wasn't just Jesus and the 12 all the way to heaven. They didn't stop at common commitment and common connection and common conversation and they just sat there in it. No, no, no. They had all those meaningful relationships, but then there was a kingdom commission and a purpose to their friendship. There was a purpose. Catch this, the friendship, listen, the friendship of the 12 was so powerful that it has impacted us right here and right now. Think about it. Jesus told his followers before he left

and descended to heaven, he said this, he said, listen, therefore go and make disciples of all nations, share the good news, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. And then guess what? Jesus said it and then guess what? They went and did it and because of their common commission and their kingdom purpose, we are here now. We are here now. They actually did it. So what an example for us. And I felt this point in my bones this week, you guys, that we had to be reminded of this. Do you understand that your friendships are meant to have a common kingdom purpose? A kingdom purpose. It's not just some, God didn't just give you those friends so that you can like sit at the table and have great, meaningful conversation, yes, but there is a fourth point to it, a common commission, a co-mission. Together, you are on mission. Together, you're on commission. You are going, you're on mission together. So like some, where are you serving? How are you making a difference? How are you spurring each other on to good works?

You know, we have, Jer and I have been so blessed to have so many great friends, not only in Rockford, but also around the world, but can I tell you something? We have a understanding that those friendships aren't just so that we can get together and even have great conversations sometimes and go do cool things together, but guess what? We understand that there is a kingdom purpose for those connections. It's not just so that we can have, we are like, how are we making a difference? How are we building kingdom together? We are on mission together. And church, I wanna remind us, especially those of, no, you know what? All of us, I was gonna say, especially those of you who walked with Jesus for a while, but can I tell you, the ones of you who are new to faith and you are new to Jesus, you are so on fire right now. Oh my goodness, be on mission. You don't have to wait till you've been following Jesus for three years to start going, okay, now I can do something for Jesus. No, no, no, you have a fire in your bones right now. Now use it, you are on mission for Jesus. Spread the good news, tell your friends about Jesus. You can be on mission from the very moment you meet Jesus. And then those of us who have followed Jesus for the eight decades, man, may you understand, may we understand, may I understand

that there is a mission behind our friendship, that it's not just about us, it's about the mission. mission that Jesus has assigned. So how are you exercising that? So we have a common commitment, a common connection, a common conversation, and common commission. And I just want you guys to take, just to take an assessment today. Where are you at with those things in your friendship? Because this is what I know. I said at the beginning, I am standing here today because of, yes, Jesus, but because of the friendships that were in my life. And I'm not saying you will ever stand up on this stage. Some of you are like, dear God, don't ever make me stand on that stage. But guess what? I'm saying you overcome, you overcome fear. What are the things in your life that you're like, oh, I just can't overcome that? Guess what? Your friendships are meant to come alongside you and spur you on, comfort you, urge you, challenge you, pull you, push you, make you better, push you to Jesus. And may this be a house, my prayer is that this is a house of God where our friendships are life-giving and they are powerful. And here's the deal, okay?

If you have the common commitment, common connection, common conversation, common commission, guess what? Your friendships will actually be uncommon. We are called to have uncommon friendships. They're not common in the world, they're uncommon. But the uncommon comes by having these common things in our friendships. Let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, I thank you so much. I thank you so much that you designed us to live in relationship, friendships. And God, I know there's some people in this room today watching online in one of our locations that maybe, God, they're like, Jen, I just need some good friends. I pray, God, today that you would give them the courage to step out into new friendships, that they would even ask people at church, hey, can you help me find a group of friends that can help me? I don't wanna walk this journey with Jesus alone. I know I'm not meant to walk this journey with Jesus alone. And God, I pray for all of us today that we would be people who are wise friends, reliable friends, people who live it out. And God, help us. Help us as we live our lives with mission together. God, I thank you. God, may we be truly, truly have kingdom friendships in this house that make a difference, that make us strong,

and make your name more famous. With every head bowed and every eye closed, if you are here today and you've never made Jesus the leader and the forgiver of your life today, I wanna give you that opportunity. It's your turn today to join the 746 people who have gone before you the last 10 weeks and said, I'm gonna follow Jesus. And that of you today, and maybe you've been coming around here for a while and you've never made this commitment, or maybe it's your first time, and you're like, I need Jesus in my life. I'm tired of doing it on my own, and I believe that Jesus is the son of God, and I choose today to follow him. If that is you today and you wanna make Jesus the leader and forgiver of your life, just slip up your hand right where you're at. Just slip up your hand right where you're at. And if that was you, whether you raised your hand or you didn't, or whether any of our locations are online, man, let's pray this prayer together, all together so that those who are making that commitment do not feel alone. Let's pray this prayer. Dear Jesus, today I choose to make you the leader and forgiver of my life. I leave my old life behind, and I choose to follow Jesus today.

I receive the free gift of salvation. I receive your forgiveness. I receive your purpose. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus' name, everybody said amen. Let's give those who prayed that prayer a huge hand clap. Incredible message from Pastor Jen Dewart today, and if you just made that decision to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of your life, I just wanna be one of the first to say congratulations. That is one of the best decisions that you can ever make, and we have a free gift that's just for you. You can scan the QR code on the screen or head on over to our app and download the New Beginning booklet. That booklet has everything that you need to know on what is the next step to take now that you've made that decision. It's completely free, and we would love to get that in your hands. You can also download it by commenting below, and we'll send you a link to it as well. And you know what? Every single month at the beginning of the month, we have a program. It's designed specifically for you to discover your divine. God-given gifts, and design, and your personality. It kind of gets to know who you are a little bit more, and it's called Growth Track.

Growth Track can be taken in person at the beginning of every month, or you can jump in online and start whenever you want. So you can scan that QR code or hop on over to our app and click on Growth Track, and we would love to get connected with you and let you know more about what that's about. But it's a great next step for you to take whether you just made that decision today to follow Jesus, or you've been following Jesus for a long time. Well, hey, we're so excited to be praying for you as you get going into this week. Just a quick reminder, if you're around our Spring Creek location, we have Original Women's Night coming up this Friday. There's free childcare, bring your friend, like grab your girls, bring your friends. We want you to be here. You can also watch that online as well, but if you can come in person, come, and it's just getting us ready for Original Conference that's happening in May too. It's gonna be such an incredible time. But hey, just a reminder, next Sunday, we start our brand new series, Toxic Traps. We're gonna be finding freedom in a bunch of different areas of our lives. But again, invite your friends, invite your family, and be sure to catch us here next Sunday. Well, hey, I love you guys.

We're praying for you. Have a great week.