JUST BETTER TOGETHER

I would be perfect if it wasn't for the little ways I fall short every day of my life. I would be perfect if it wasn't for the million things that I never can seem to get right. But I got this peace inside, cause I know that every time. I give you failures and you give me grace. All of my problems don't push you away. And somehow you love somebody like me. Don't know how you do it, but you do it perfectly. You do it perfectly. Oh God, you're perfect. And you're never gonna break a promise. You're faithful beginning to end. And I don't deserve it. Cause I got nothing I can offer you. But you took me in and called me your friend. I give you failures and you give me grace. All of my problems don't push you away. And somehow you love somebody like me. Don't know how you do it, but you do it perfectly. You do it perfectly. Oh, perfectly known, perfectly made. Because of the cross I am perfectly saved. I give you failures and you give me grace. And all of my problems don't push you away. And somehow you love somebody like me. Don't know how you do it, but you do it. I give you failures and you give me grace. All of my problems don't push you away. And somehow you love somebody like me. Don't know how you do it, but you do it perfectly. You do it perfectly.

Perfectly, perfectly. You do it perfectly. Good afternoon, Church. Will you all stand to your feet and worship with us tonight? Thank you. Your way is a lamp unto my feet. Your way is the only way for me. It's an ever road that leads to life, and I want to be on it. It's an ever road, but the mercy's wide, because you've got your promise. I'll take you at your word. If you said it, I'd believe it. I've seen how good it works. If you started, you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word. Alright. You spoke, and the chaos fell in line. I know, you've seen it in my eyes. It's an ever road that leads to life, and I want to be on it. It's an ever road, and the tide is high, but you've got your promise. I'll take you at your word. If you said it, I'd believe it. I've seen how good it works. If you started, you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word. If you said it, I'd believe it. See how good it works You started to complete it Now take it back to work It's a girl you promised A girl you promised

A girl you promised You said your love would never give up You said your grace is always enough You said your heart would never forget or forsake me You said I'm saved, you call me yours You said my future's full of your hurt You've never failed, so I know that you'll never fail me You said your love would never give up You said your grace is always enough You said your heart would never forget or forsake me You said I'm saved, you call me yours You said my future's full of your hurt You've never failed, so I know that you'll never fail me Now take it back to work If you said it, I'd believe it I've seen how good it works If you started, you'll complete it And I'll take you back to work If you said it, I'd believe it I've seen how good it works If you started, you'll complete it And I'll take you back to work You're gonna promise You're gonna promise You're gonna promise That I'll take you back to work Back to work Back to work Back to work Back to work

Come as you are Just as you are It's time to come home Out of the dark There's no need to hide He already sees you Don't be afraid To show him your face He won't turn you away He'll never turn you away Everybody needs, everybody needs Everybody needs saving Everybody breaks, everybody bleeds You don't need to be ashamed Call on Jesus Say His name Just receive Him in your heart And you will be saved And God has raised Him From the grave Just believe it in your heart And you will be saved As simple as that Don't overthink, don't complicate it No strings attached He loves you, He loves you Everybody needs, everybody needs Everybody needs saving Everybody breaks, everybody bleeds You don't have to be ashamed

The Savior is a breakaway ♪ Come on Jesus, say His name ♪ ♪ Just receive Him in your heart and you will be saved ♪ ♪ And God has raised Him from the grave ♪ ♪ Just receive Him in your heart and you will be saved ♪ ♪ You will be saved, you will be saved, you will be saved ♪ ♪ You will be saved, just receive Him in your heart and you will be saved ♪ ♪ Yes, good and faithful Father, yes you are ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still saves us, saves us, saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still saves us, saves us, saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still saves us, saves us, saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still saves us, saves us, saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still it saves us, still it saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ Just believe and in your heart it will be seen ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still it saves us, saves us, saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ What you did on the cross still it saves us, saves us, saves us ♪ ♪ There is power in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ You are, you are, you are, you are ♪ ♪ You are, you are, you are, you are, yeah ♪ ♪ You are, you are, you are, you are, yeah yeah ♪ ♪ Simple as that ♪ ♪ Don't over think, don't complicate it ♪

♪ No strings attached, he loves you, he loves you ♪ ♪ Everybody needs, everybody needs, everybody needs saving ♪ ♪ Everybody breaks, everybody bleeds, the savior is a breath away ♪ ♪ Yes you are ♪ Come on, praise him if you have a testimony in this room. ♪ Who thought I'd find you at the lowest place? ♪ ♪ And who thought you'd feel me in the crowd? ♪ ♪ And who knew you'd make good on my mistakes? ♪ ♪ You're nothing like I thought you were, you're better ♪ ♪ What a God, what a God, he is ♪ ♪ What a God, what a God, what a God, what a God, it's who you are ♪ ♪ What a God, what a God, it's who you are ♪ And I thought you'd show me what perfection Cause we're a kind of God that's forever lost And when you say it's over for a second Baby you say, no it's not, no it's not You say, no it's not, no it's not What a God, what a God What a God, what a God What a God, what a God What a God, what a God What a God, what a God You are so worthy Yes, what a God you are All I ever needed What a God you are And if the highest place I reach is at your feet Then I've done it all If the best thing that I've seen is your glory Then I've seen it all

Your love has changed my life Forever satisfied God You are my everything And if the highest place I reach is at your feet Then I've done it all If the best thing that I've seen is your glory Then I've seen it all Your love has changed my life Forever satisfied God You are my everything If one word is the only thing you speak Then I've learned it all If I feel your heart and never see your face Then I've seen it all Your love has changed my life Forever satisfied God You are my everything You are my everything You are my What a God, what a God And if the highest place I reach is at your feet Then I've done it all If the best thing that I've seen is your glory Then I've seen it all Your love has changed my life Forever satisfied God You are my everything If one word is the only thing you speak Then I've learned it all If I feel your heart and never see your face

Then I've seen it all No treasure of this life Forever satisfied God You are my everything You are my everything You are my everything And if the highest place I reach is at your feet Then I've done it all If the best thing that I've seen is your glory Then I've seen it all Your love has changed my life Forever satisfied God You are my everything If one word is the only thing you speak Then I've learned it all If I feel your heart and never see your face Then I've seen it all No treasure of this life Forever satisfied God You are my everything You are my everything You are my everything You are my everything You are my everything You are, you are my everything You are my everything You are, you are my everything God You are my everything Jesus And Lord there is nothing above you There is nothing greater than you

Your sacrifice was enough Your love is enough And we thank you for that Lord Lord I can feel a whole wave of healing tonight Lord Lord I can feel addictions breaking tonight Lord Lord I can feel people being saved and brought to the altar tonight Lord And I thank you, I thank you for your love that draws them to it We couldn't do anything without you Lord We couldn't do anything without you Jesus There is nothing in this world greater than you We thank you Father God Lord And I just want to pray over this congregation Lord I want to pray over these people Lord I pray that you can heal them with whatever they need Any sicknesses that they have, any addictions that they need to be broken Lord I pray that when they call on your name that it will be broken instantly And we know that it can, we know that it will And Lord I just want to pray over the rest of this service Jesus Lord I pray that your presence dwells on us We thank you and it's in your name that we pray, Amen Celebrate recovery, let's give a shout to Jesus Christ tonight, Amen Yes, he's our Savior, our Redeemer and our Deliverer Give him a shout tonight, he's worthy of praise, Amen Well I'm David Morgan and it is a joy and a privilege to be here with you tonight And lesson number 7 in our study is simply titled Sponsor The title is Sponsor And it talks to us about the need that every one of us have To have someone in our life that can speak into our life Someone that can hold us accountable Someone that can tell us when we're getting off the track

And help us get back on the track How many of you are glad tonight for godly counsel in your life? And I want to share a lesson with you tonight I've entitled this lesson Just Better Together We want to read some verses from Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verses 9 through 12 Ecclesiastes chapter 4 beginning in verse number 9 Two are better than one Say that with me Two are better than one Let's say it again Two are better than one Because they have a good return on their work If one falls down, his friend can help him up But pity the man Listen to this But pity the man or woman Who falls and has no one to help him up Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves A cord of three strands is not quickly broken I believe that it is so important that every one of us have somebody in our life To encourage us, to walk with us, to challenge us, and to hold us accountable I believe that God's word is really clear Two are better than one How many of you know there are good things But if you put a good thing with another thing It's a really wonderful thing How many of you know peanut butter is pretty good? But if you put peanut butter with

Yeah Ah, that's even better. Somebody say amen to that. Yes, ma'am. Apple pie is really good, but if you put apple pie with... Yeah, there you go. That's even better. Somebody say amen to that. Scrambled eggs are good, but if you have scrambled eggs and... Oh, that is really good. That is really good. A steak is really good, but a steak and... Baked potato is fantastic. You know, I think Stephen is good. How many think Stephen is good? Stephen is good, but Stephen with cats is better. Oh, that's right. That's right. In just a couple of weeks, my wife and I are gonna celebrate our 15th anniversary. We're gonna go away for a few days and celebrate our 15th anniversary, and we're really excited about that. And before we got married, we were okay, but I wanna tell you I'm better because she's in my life. Two are better together.

The Bible says 59 times, uses the phrase one another. God didn't call us to live this by ourselves. He called us to live it in covenant community with others. Listen to this. The Bible says love one another, encourage one another, submit to one another, accept one another. Don't grumble against one another. Live in harmony with one another. Stop judging. Well, let's pause right there. Stop judging one another. Fellowship with one another. Confess your faults to one another. All through the scripture, the Bible talks about coming together, being connected to others. Ephesians chapter four, verse number 32 says, be kind and compassionate one to the other, forgiving one another. Psalm 34, three says, oh, magnify the Lord with me. Let us, everybody say us. Let us exalt his name together. I discovered something only about a year ago. We live in a straight line, probably about four or five miles from here, right along the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.

And in the fall of the year, oftentimes you'll see flocks of birds flying in formation. How many of you have seen that, birds flying in formation? I discovered something just about a year ago. When birds fly in formation, they use 40% less energy than a bird flying by itself. There's some wisdom in that. Do you know, if you want to get to your destination easier, if you want to get to your destination faster, you do it flying with others. You do it rightly connected with others. Hebrews chapter 10, verse number 25 says this, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another all the more as you see the days approaching. I can't begin to tell you how important it is to have people in your life that love you, that pray for you, that are gonna be there for you. I'm not just talking about when things are good, but when you're going through some tough times in your life. How many of you have experienced the need of having other people in your life? It is so critical that you are connected to that sponsor, that you're connected in that accountability group, because we don't need a lot of help when things are going good, but when our world is turned upside down, that's when we need help.

I said just a few moments ago, my wife and I are gonna celebrate our 15th anniversary. 22 years ago, I went through a divorce, and that was something that I really never imagined would happen in my life. My world was really turned upside down, and you probably can't even conceive of this. I was pastoring a church at the time when it happened, and I really didn't know what my future looked like, but I had three people in the church that I had a committed relationship with. They prayed for me. They were there with me, and for two years, one of those three called me every day. For two years, one of those three called me every day. of those three had me over to their house for dinner once a week. Two years in, we rode motorcycles together, and two years in we were out riding our motorcycles and we'd stop to get something to eat and we're sitting on this deck at a restaurant and this just all starts going over in my head. And I looked across the table and said, I want to ask you guys a question. Did you sit down with a calendar and decide who was going to call me every day? And it got really quiet. And then one of them said, yes we did. I said, are you serious? And another one looked at me and said, we had decided we were not going to lose you. We were not going to lose you. Let me tell you something. Yes, give God praise for that. When you go through tough stuff in your life, you better have those relationships. You better have that person that you can go to and say, I need you to talk to me.

I need you to be with me. I need you to help me in this situation. And I believe that it is the will of God that every one of us have that kind of person in our life. I read an interesting article a few months ago about St. Jude's Hospital over in western Tennessee where families who have received the worst of news, whose lives have been shattered over the news that their child has cancer, can find healing, hope, and help at no charge. Let me say that again. St. Jude's Hospital is a place where families who have received the worst of news can find healing, hope, and help at no charge. That's a wonderful thing. It really is. But I know some other places where you can find healing, help, and hope at no charge. One of them is right here tonight. One of them is right here tonight. Let me tell you, you find help, hope, and healing in your church. You need to be connected to a church. You need to be involved in a church. You need to be faithful to CR every week. You need to be faithful in your accountability groups every week because it's in those places that you find healing, help, and hope, and you don't have to pay for it. It comes from the goodness of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give the Lord thanks for that this evening, amen. Peter says a very interesting thing in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse number 5. He says, you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be holy, to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God. You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house. You are being built. I love that phrase being built. Do you know what God is doing in our lives?

He's building us together. He's building a structure for His glory and for His honor. He's building a habitation for the glory of God. He's building a habitation for the Holy Spirit to be glorified in. You know, it says this, we're like stones being built together. I'm so glad that Peter didn't say, you're just a pile of rocks. We're not a pile of rocks. We're stones being built together to build a holy habitation for the glory of God. In 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse number 9, he says, but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Do you know who Peter's talking to there? He's talking to us. He's talking to each and every one of you who have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He says this, you are a chosen person. I'm so thankful to see, you know, sometimes we misspeak when it comes to Christianity. I've heard a lot of people say, I'm so glad I found Jesus. You didn't find Him. He found you. How many of you are glad He sought you out? How many of you are glad when you weren't listening, He kept knocking on the door? When you had turned away from Him, He kept calling you home, come on back, come on back, come on back. Why? Because God chose you. You know, when, and I may have told you this before, but when I was in elementary school, how many of you had spelling bees when you were in elementary school? Anybody have spelling bees? I'm telling you, the spelling bees made my knees knock together. It made me get sweaty under my arms when they said we were going to have a spelling bee.

I was spelling. challenge. That may not be a real term, but I was spelling challenged. And if they were picking up, if they were choosing people to be on a team, I knew I was going to be down at the end of the line. I mean, down at the end of the line. Now, if it was recess and we were picking up for a ball game, I wasn't worried about that. I was going to be picked pretty early on. But when it came to spelling bees, I became really nervous. Actually, it gave me a complex. I think it scarred me. I may need counseling over it. And we may need to start a group for that. Speletology or something. I thought I was over it until about three years ago, the Real Revolution staff went out for a little picnic at the river and they were going to play badminton. I was the next to the last one picked. It wounded me. They picked girls. Now, I know that's very sexist, but I've never been a girl picked over me in sports before. All those scars rose up within me again. All those wounds. And I'm driving home trying to deal with it. My wife's over here doing this. Oh, poor you, poor you. I'm driving home trying to deal with it, but I got over it. You know how I got over it? I started remembering what the Bible says. You are chosen. You are chosen. God says, I picked you. I want you to hear that tonight. You know what God says to you, to every one of you sitting here in this room tonight? God says, I picked you. Not only did I choose you, but I chose you to be a royal priest. You're a priest unto God. I chose you to be part of a holy nation. You know, we celebrated 250 years this past week in America, and I thank God for the freedom that we can come and assemble here tonight, lift our voices unto the Lord. I thank God for His grace that has been bestowed upon us that allows us to continue to do that. I'm proud to be an American, and I'm not ashamed of it. But I'm even more proud to be part of a holy nation. I'm more proud to be part of the kingdom of God. I'm more proud to be part of the family of God. God has called us to be a holy nation, a special possession unto Him. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse number 10, listen to these words. I want you to hear this tonight. 1 Peter 2.10 says, Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Once you were a nobody, but now you are a somebody. You're not a nobody anymore. You're a somebody because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you had not received mercy, once the weight of sin was upon us, but because of Jesus Christ we have

received mercy, we've been forgiven, the past is gone, the new is in front of us. And we can give praise unto God for that. I want to challenge you this evening. I believe there's four relationships that every one of us must have in our life. Four relationships that every one of us must have in our life. Number one, we need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I was talking to somebody just this afternoon and he was telling me about an individual that he had encountered that had an adult in his mid-thirties had been in and out of church his entire life. From childhood he had been in and out of church his entire life. And as they were sitting and talking together, he began talking to him about being born again. About accepting Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. And this young man looked across the table and said, I've just I got to be honest with you, I've never done that. And right there sitting together he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. The most important relationship in your life is your personal, intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. Christ as Savior. The second thing, and I believe this very strongly, is you need a relationship with the church. You need a relationship with the church. If you don't have a church, you come to church here. You'll be welcome here. You'll be received here. You'll be embraced here. I can promise you that. And if you have been in and out of church, get back in church. You need a steady, faithful diet of the Word of God. You know, I've had people tell me down through the years, well, you know, I watch so-and-so on TV or I watch, you know, podcast. That podcast guy is not going to be there to pray for you when you get in trouble. That guy on TV is not going to be around when you need somebody to walk this out with you. You get in the church. Build a strong connection and relationship with the church. Third relationship you need is a relationship with this group. You need to be committed and faithful to celebrate recovery. You need to be walking it out with other men and women who are committed to walking it out. Amen. Amen. And the fourth relationship you need and every one of us needed is with a sponsor or an accountability partner. For the last 10 years, I've met virtually every Monday with two men. They're my accountability partners. They can ask me any question they want to ask me. I can ask them any question, and we're going to be honest about it. And that relationship has produced so much strength in my life. We study the Word together, we pray together, and we encourage one another along the way. And, you know, we've talked a few times over the last three or four years, do we want to keep doing this? And we all

three look at each other and go, absolutely. This is so important in all of our lives. Number one is your relationship with Jesus Christ. Number two is your relationship with the church. Number three is your relationship to celebrate recovery. And number four is your relationship with a sponsor or an accountability partner. You can't win this battle by yourself. You can't. I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how much willpower you are. You will find yourself in a spot where you will fail all on your own. But when you have the right relationships with others and that person who will show up when you need them, if it's the middle of the day or the middle of the night, they're going to show up for you. Then you can win and you can be victorious and you can have the victory in your life every day. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, I thank you for the privilege of sharing your word this evening. I pray for every man and woman that's here. I thank you, God, that your plan for them is to be more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ the Lord, to daily walk in victory. And Father, if there are those here who don't have a sponsor or not in an accountability group, I pray that you'll challenge them to seek out that person that is spiritually mature, that is living it out in their life every day, and ask them to walk this journey with them. Father, I thank you for godly men and women that you have called to help us along the way. May this word, this seed, find good soil and good hearts in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. I love that what he said about the four relationships, and I want you to know that we want to help you with all four of those, okay? So, first and foremost, if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, like he said, that's the most important relationship you could ever have. So, talk to any person here, anyone in leadership, your friend that you came with, right? And we can lead you through what that looks like and how do you ask Jesus into your heart. It's really simple, right? But if you want to do that and you've never done that, please, don't wait on that and make that decision today. If you don't have a church relationship, right? We're here. We're here every week. There's tons of us in this room that come to church here on Sundays. We will meet you at the door. We will walk you in. We will introduce you around. You can sit with us. Like, we want to help you. And there are people that come here from other churches. So, if you don't... have a church, we can introduce you to some people that go to some different churches if this isn't the place for you. Okay, if you aren't connected at

Celebrate Recovery, like I know there's people here that it's your first night. I know there's people who were scared to walk through that door. Don't be shy. Come talk to us. We want to meet you. We want to know you. We want to hug you. We want to walk this with you. And if you don't have a sponsor or an accountability partner, we want to help with that too. So come see one of us. Come back to small group. We will introduce you to some people that are godly people that will be happy to walk with you and check on you and encourage you, but that's also going to come with, like like Pastor said, some accountability, right? So you got to be ready to to be accountable to some people, but we want to help you with any of those relationships if you're not in one of those relationships right now. So just come see us and don't be shy. Just ask and let us help you, okay? Amen? All right, so if y'all would stand. We're gonna close out with our serenity prayer tonight. Together we start with God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen. All right, you can have a seat. We're gonna say goodbye to our online audience and thank you again for coming and let you know that if you get out and are looking for Celebrate Recovery near you, just go to CelebrateRecovery.com and find a location near you. And if you're in this area, we would love to invite you here. For those of you in...