The Common Theme

Come on, let's sing this song together. ♪ Wondering into the night ♪ ♪ Wanting a place to hide this weary soul ♪ ♪ Oh, this pack of bones ♪ ♪ I try with all my mind ♪ ♪ I just can't win the fight ♪ ♪ I'm slowly driven ♪ ♪ Of that goodbye ♪ Come on, sing it out with me. ♪ Just when I ran out of room ♪ ♪ I met a man I didn't know ♪ ♪ And he told me that I was not the Lord ♪ ♪ He kept me up ♪ ♪ He turned me around, placed my feet on a solid ground ♪ ♪ I met the master, I met the savior ♪ ♪ Because he killed my heart ♪ ♪ He changed my name so relatively young ♪ ♪ I met the master, I met the savior ♪ ♪ Come on, cut your hands right down ♪ ♪ Oh, I did not deny what I said ♪ ♪ I had no choice but to believe ♪ ♪ My doubts are burning ♪ ♪ Oh, like ashes in the air ♪ ♪ So so long to my old friends ♪ ♪ Burning and dead and loose ♪ ♪ You can just keep it moving ♪ ♪ Now you ain't welcome here ♪ ♪ Sing it out from now 'til, from now 'til I walk ♪ ♪ The streets are cold, I'll still have you say my soul ♪ ♪ This way, we're stuck, let's find this way back ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, he kicked me up ♪ ♪ Oh, he turned me around, placed my feet on a solid ground ♪ ♪ I met the master, I met the savior ♪ ♪ Because he healed my heart, changed my name ♪ ♪ Forever free, I'm not the savior ♪ ♪ I met the master, I met the savior ♪ ♪ I met God ♪ ♪ I have no hands like that ♪ ♪ The resurrected King is resurrected me ♪ ♪ The resurrected King is resurrected ♪ ♪ He'll lost another one, I am free ♪ ♪ I am free, I am free ♪ ♪ He'll lost another one, I am free ♪ ♪ I am free, I am free ♪ Come on, check the classee, he'll lost another one ♪ ♪ I am free, I am free ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ She'll lost another one ♪ ♪ Another one, I am free, I am free ♪ ♪ Let the redeemed people say I'm safe ♪ ♪ He'll lost another one ♪ ♪ Another one, I am free ♪ ♪ The capital like it, I am free ♪ ♪ I am free, I am free ♪ ♪ He'll lost another one, I am free ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ He can't be here, oh, he can't turn me around ♪ ♪ Oh, he can't just come feed on ♪ ♪ He's starting to cry, I met the master ♪

♪ I met the savior ♪ ♪ He'll ask me if I can give my heart ♪ ♪ He'll change my name ♪ ♪ Forever freedom ♪ ♪ I'm sitting high with the master ♪ ♪ Come on, stand up and say I'm the Lord, they come ♪ - Well, hey, good morning. Welcome to the local church. You may be seated for just a quick minute. And hey, my name is Carson Padraza. I'm so excited to welcome you guys here today, especially if you're a guest in our house. We're so grateful that you're spending your Sunday with us. In fact, we have a free gift just for you. It's our little way of saying thank you for joining us. If you haven't already done so, do us a favor and fill up that connect card and then see back in front of you. We want to put a free gift in your hands so much more than that. We want to get to know your name and your story. Make sure you get a proper welcome here today. And listen, whether you're a guest or you've been around us for a while, if you're looking to get better connected, take your very best next step. I want to invite you to connect track. Connect track happens the last Sunday of every single month

and it's your very best way to get connected here at the local church. You can find all the info and more on our website and our app, all those great things. And hey, I want to invite all of the families to join us back next weekend because it is superhero weekend. And in my house, that is a big deal. Next week in local kids, they're made super in Jesus, how God makes us brave and God makes us courageous and all how God makes us unique and strong and so it's a great time for your kids to learn more about Jesus but they also have some fun, some games, some candy and they get to dress up as their favorite superhero so I can't wait to see your little ones all decked out in their favorite favorite superhero garb it's always a fun time next week's gonna be fun but we're gonna have some fun uh right now this weekend is baptism weekend and we celebrate that big around here because it's a big deal and and baptism we believe that a disciple is someone who does what Jesus uh does and obeys what Jesus teaches and you know that's one of the reasons why we give every single sunday is because Jesus was generous right for God to love the world that he gave and then he showed up in generous ways his word tells us to be generous and that's one of the several reasons why we give if giving is part of your worship today there are several ways you could do so they're on the screen behind me we have some offering boxes on your way out giving kiosk in the lobby you can always give safely and securely online but right now we're gonna pass some buckets and so if you're on the left hand side of your row if you can reach down and pass that to your right it'd be greatly appreciated and much like Jesus gave and he told us to give Jesus was baptized and he told us to be baptized so that's why we choose to be baptized that's why we celebrate baptism big around here at the local church and baptism is is a symbol it represents when we go under that water the death and burial of Jesus and we come out of that water it represents his resurrection and that it is his death and his resurrection that washes us clean and so we put it in the middle of worship because we believe that's where it belongs so let's stand to our feet this morning let's continue to worship together and let's celebrate baptism together come on church as they come up out of the water I wanted to

sound like a praise part of because the Bible declares that when one comes to salvation heaven goes crazy over. I could say your name for all my life and still find more to love each time. Jesus be the name every time that I go alone in there's just something about your name there's just something about your name there's just something about your name that makes me cry holy there is no other name there is no other name there is no other name Jesus no other name you have been the friends who never left I won't forget your faithful there's just something about your name there's just something about your name there's just something about your name that makes me cry holy there is no other name there is no other name there is no other name Jesus no other name there's just something about your name there's just something about your name there's just something about your name that makes me cry holy there is no other name there is no other name there is no other name Jesus no where is the man come on that stuff you saw the worship we are you a holy new world. The resurrection and the light, Jesus Jesus your name can say your name can heal Your name can make the storm, it's still You never fail, you never will Jesus, Jesus the bread of life Woke it in for us, the walking and the worthy one The first, the last, and soon the cup Jesus, Jesus the key Oh, the round of the bread The Lord who is forever in The name of all the love and thanks Jesus ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ They can't swallow the glory ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪

♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus, me the name ♪ ♪ They can't swallow the glory ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ Cheers be the name ♪ ♪ They can't swallow the glory ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ We love you, Jesus ♪ We love you, Jesus. That's a beautiful name, the name of Jesus. Come on, church, just continue to worship together. ♪ And I know a name ♪ ♪ That can silence roaring waves ♪ ♪ I know a name ♪ ♪ That can empty out a grave ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know a name ♪ ♪ And it's the only name that saves ♪ ♪ And it's worthy of all praise ♪ ♪ I call you Jesus ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you ♪ ♪ The healer risen and reigning in power ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every time I call you Jesus ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you ♪ ♪ Save your risen and reigning in power ♪

♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every time I call your name ♪ ♪ 'Cause say I have, I have a king ♪ ♪ With a minion over death ♪ ♪ He holds the keys ♪ ♪ In his holy nail scarlet ♪ ♪ He is the hill ♪ ♪ That has crossed the surface bed ♪ ♪ Our resurrected great course ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you Jesus ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you healer ♪ ♪ He risen and reigning in power ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every time I call you Jesus ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you Savior ♪ ♪ You're worthy of glory forever ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every course I've got to say ♪ ♪ Change brick, drive old's weak ♪ ♪ Every time I call you Jesus ♪ [MUSIC] >> Come on, children, God, cuz you're a daughter, come on! Every time I call your name, every time, every time, every time I call your name. And I call you Jesus, I call you Jesus, I call you Jesus. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> Come on, with the cleanse over sickness, somewhere old, where old death? >> Yes, now you're speaking everywhere old, where old, where old, where old, where old, where old, where old. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> Jesus, you're the reason we're here. You're the reason we praise. You're the reason we're free. Every time we call your name, it gets deeper, it gets awesome. God, thank you. Thank you for letting us praise you today, thank you now for helping us to give our attention to your word. Speak to us, Jesus, through the book that is all about you. Every time we call your name, in Christ, the name above all names, we make this prayer. Amen. Hey, greet somebody before you're seated. Go ahead. Yeah. [MUSIC] Thank you so much. I'm Dan Sutherland. If we haven't met, I'll be out in the lobby after the service. Love to shake your hand. Pastor Eric will be up next week. My opportunity today to kick off a new series. But let me do this first. I love baptism weekends. There's just something about, yeah.

There's something about seeing people profess their faith in a public way. And we do a little bit of explanation every time we baptize these days. So let me do that quickly. Many of us were baptized or christened or dedicated as a child. I was. to have us christened or baptized or dedicated. Much like Jesus' parents made that same choice with him. Scripture tells us that when he was eight days old, they took him to the temple and dedicated him and yet he came back as an adult and was baptized. The first decision was his parents faith being expressed. The second baptism was his faith being expressed. So that's what we teach. We do what Jesus does. He was baptized. We teach what Jesus taught at obey. He taught us to baptize. So we're going to open it up as we have the last few times if you're here and you want to be baptized but you weren't signed up today like the young lady who came right here like the four who came at 8.30. Then you can come still and be baptized. You can head out right now, grab one of our prayer partners in the back. We have shorts, t-shirts, towels, everything you need or you can head out at the end of the service as well and talk to one of them because we'll be offering spontaneous baptism as well. It's a great day. It's a fun thing. I want to kick off a new series with a story. Here's the story. When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher asked for a parent teacher conference. Now guys, that's never a good thing, right? When the teacher calls about your kid but they had the conference and my parents told me it went like this. The teacher said, "I love Danny. He may be the brightest kid in our room but I'm having a problem. When we give them 20 minutes to do a math page of problems, he hasn't done in two minutes." And then he entertains the class while they try to finish their work. Now I know you guys cannot imagine that but I kind of look like this guy. I mean, I had paper so there were paper airplanes. I had paper so there were paper wads. I could talk. I really think my love to talk started in the fourth grade because, hey, I was done with a page. What's happening, dude? It's time to have some fun. The teacher said, "I don't want to just complain. I want to bring a solution." Now, by the way, that's one of the best principles there is in life. Anybody can complain, bring a solution when you have a complaint, bring an alternative, bring a possible answer. And the teacher said, "I tell you what I'd like to do," talking to my parents, "we have a small library at our school and I'd like to give Danny permission when he finishes his classwork

to go and get a book from the library and bring it back and read it while the other kids finish their work and maybe that will occupy him. Now, let me give context. Small town, small school, one class of fourth graders, one class of fifth graders, and the library was in a closet and looked like this. 147 library books in the West Ward Elementary School of Coleman, Texas. I read all 147 that year. I'd start in class, I'd take it home, I'd finish reading, I'd bring it back. I just had a voracious appetite to read and my mind wouldn't sit still when I'd finish my classwork. So the teacher managed to save the sanity for class and she managed to keep me occupied and I read the last book about three weeks before school got out. So I got a little onry those last three weeks, but they made it. The question was what were they going to do for fifth grade? Later that summer, something happened that doesn't happen anymore to my knowledge. A world book encyclopedia salesman came by our house, he was going door to door in the neighborhood. Some of y'all remember those days. Now let me explain for those who don't know. Before we had the internet, before we had Wikipedia, before we had Google, before we had chat GBT, we had encyclopedias. They were a collection of books that said something about every subject known to man. That's what we used to have. And this guy tried to sell a set to my dad. My dad said, I don't have $149 or whatever they were. He said, well, I happened to have one last that set looked like this. They give you an update book each year. Those are actually the update books that you see, but it was that that beige and dark green binding with gold imprinted lettering, not real gold obviously, and I started carrying a world book encyclopedia to school every day. And in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade, I read all of the 1964 world book encyclopedia. Now here's the good news, if we're playing trivia that ends with 1964, you want me on your team, because I'm an old dude that knows lots of old stuff, but anything since 1964, I don't have a clue. It kept me occupied. Here's how world book advertised their product. Here's the connection to today's series kickoff. World book called their product, everything you need to know about everything all in one set of books. That's how they described it. The Bible, your first blank, you're ready? Let's write it in. Is everything you need to know about Jesus all in one set of books? And for the next three weeks, we're going to look at how should we study the Bible coming at you, bro? If you're ready? Nice. Sorry about the throne. Nice catch. He needed a pen. He's a good guy. Wave at him, bud. There you go. God, he's, I love Jesus shirt on. I like it.

I'm sorry that I am so ADD. It is part of living inside this brain. What we're going to do is look at what do we need to know about Scripture before we read the Scripture, before we study the Scripture, before we dive into it, what do we need to know that will shape how we look at Scripture, that will shape, how we understand Scripture, that will shape how we study Scripture. So the series is called all in his story, because that's what the Bible is. This is the story of God. This is the story of God loving his people so much. He went to extremes to win us back to him, all in his story. That's what we're talking about the next three weeks. And today's title is the common theme. When you read Scripture, there are common themes that you need to look for, common things that you need to pay attention to. Now, some of you are readers. If you're a reader, you know that John Grisham's books are about corruption in the legal system. Every book he writes is about that subject. You know that Tom Clancy's books are about military, espionage, and expertise. Love me some Clancy. And if you read James Patterson, you know that they are all mystery books with some detective somewhere trying to solve some murder. Those are the themes of those writers. What are the themes of the Bible? What are the common themes that we ought to look for them as we read it and as we study it? Write this in. The Bible is a set of books that focuses on red redemption. That's what it is. It's a love story. It's a story of a God who loves his people so much he'll go to extremes to win them back to him. So the common theme, the common thread, the central message, the point of the story, that's what we're going to look at. Let's jump in. Number one, realize every page of the Bible points to redemption. Every part of the Bible is a part of the history of God trying to redeem his people. Redeem means win back. Redeem means to gather them back home. It's God's heart to reach us that screams at us from the scripture. In fact, look at 2 Timothy. I love when scripture talks about scripture. That's a pretty good source, right? 2 Timothy says, "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what's true and to make us realize what's wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we're wrong and it teaches us to do what is right. I have been a Christ follower 53 years from 17 to 70. I still get things wrong. How do I know? My wife tells me. How else do I know? that one it corrects me it encourages me it teaches me I've been studying this book 53 years I find new stuff every week it's like wow where was that how many times have I read this chapter and not not caught that scripture speaks of redemption now in the Old Testament God uses several different ways to try to redeem his people and we're going to do a survey of the Old Testament

the whole thing in the next five minutes okay because I want you to see this theme of redemption again and again and again in the scripture God starts with lessons from history was you write that in the book of Genesis the first book of the bible covers 2000 years of Hebrew history story after story of God saying this is how I worked with this person this is how I worked at this moment he covers Adam and Eve Noah Abraham Sarah Joseph 2000 years of God working in Hebrew history and yet most of the people missed him the next set of the books of the bible are about rules and laws write that in your notes this covers the books of Exodus Leviticus numbers and Deuteronomy and if you have tried to read Leviticus or Numbers lately you know what I'm talking about about laws and rules it starts with a simple list the 10 commandments I like to call it God's top 10 list Letterman did not come up with that God came up with that 4,000 years ago we've had that around a long time but there's also this is crazy 613 Levitical laws and rules I can't even count to 613 but for some people people who need a system to understand God people who need rules and laws and order and structure it worked but it didn't work for most of God's people then God says okay I'm gonna send you leaders that's the third group of the third set of books in the bible leaders like Moses Joshua Ruth books of the bible like Joshua judges and Ruth did God use leaders he did did the people listen to them not many only a few then God says I'm gonna use kings I'm gonna use the people that are in charge of the nation and we have six books that are about kings first and second Samuel first and second kings first and second Chronicles all about kings here's the general rotation if you read those six books good king who's godly so so king who's not wicked evil king you need to get away from good king so so wicked bad evil it's just repeats itself and you and I know from American history a nation does know better than its main leader that is simply a reality we reflect the leadership of the person that is president in the United States it is the way it happens God used the leaders they didn't listen God used the kings they didn't listen so what does God do he sends more leaders that's the next blank more leaders God sends Ezra Nehemiah Esther they're all great leaders and the books of Ezra Nehemiah and Esther show God trying to reason with his people through godly leaders but when God's people won't listen to lessons from history and rules and laws and leaders and kings next thing God tries is wisdom in common sense maybe they'll just listen to reasoning and God speaks to us through the books that are called the books of wisdom Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon you know what the problem is

some people don't have enough common sense to listen to common sense I mean it makes sense it's wisdom but they don't get it and lastly God uses preachers and pastors to try to reach his people the last third of the Old Testament is God speaking through preachers and pastors they're often called prophets Isaiah through Malachi 17 books 17 preachers pastors prophets covering 300 years of history does the nation listen no They don't. All of school. leaders, kings, books of wisdom, common sense, preachers, pastors. God's trying to redeem His people. Realize that every page of Scripture is about redemption. When I read looking for redemption, it changes how I read, 'cause that's God's purpose. Number two, realize that every page of the Bible points to Jesus. It's not just about redemption, it points to a specific person that is both man and God. It points to Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God Himself. So here's what God does, God the Father. You won't listen to my lessons in history. You can't find your way to me through rules and laws. You refuse to listen to the leaders I send your way. Your kings are worthless. You reject wisdom and common sense, and you won't even listen to my pastors and my priests. Here's my last shot. This is what God the Father says, my last shot. Write this in, because God the Father loves us. He sent us His best. Because God the Father loves us.

He sent His Son. Now I know Hallmark coined the phrase years ago, care enough to send you very best. Sorry, Hallmark, you're 2,000 years late. So God the Father did. I've tried to reach you every other way. You won't listen. I'm gonna send my son. And let me be honest with you, Church. I love being here on Sunday. I love getting to be a part of the 15, 1600 of us that come every week. I love beginning to be part of the 3000 plus of us that are out there online. If you're out there online today, hey, glad you're listening. It's awesome. I have a daughter and I have a son. And I gotta tell you, Church, if the choice was, I have to sacrifice one of them to gain you guys. You guys are out of luck. I don't think I could do it. I don't, wow, I don't think I could do it. And yet God the Father loved Dan Sutherland enough to send Jesus to die so Dan could live. Now that's a sorry deal for God. It's a great deal for me. That's the message of scripture. I love you this much. This is why we'll read the Bible,

even when you're reading the Old Testament. You're saying pastor, Jesus has not mentioned the Old Testament. Oh yeah, he is. You just gotta look for him. He's all the way through it. John in the New Testament tells us that it was Jesus who spoke the world into existence. He's in Genesis one. He's all the way through to Revelation. The Bible is a book of redemption. It's also a book about Jesus. Write this in your notes. The way we get to God the Father is through Jesus the Son. This is what separates Christianity. It's about Christ. Jesus is the story. Jesus is the point. Jesus is the Redeemer. Jesus is the gospel itself. When I'm sitting at the cigar shop or in a coffee shop in a restaurant and I meet somebody. If I meet a woman, or if Mary and I are out together and we meet a woman, inevitably a woman will say, well, do you have family? They'll ask you about family. That's what women do. They value relationships. But if I run into a guy, what does he ask me first? What do you do?

Who doesn't ask do you have a wife? Who doesn't ask about kids or grandkids? Hey, you got a job? What do you do? And when I say I'm a pastor, 90% of the time I get this response. Oh, I'm not very religious or I'm not into religion to which I love to say me either, can't stand it. And then I explain, religion is about our efforts to reach God. Christianity is about God's efforts to reach us. And it's about relationship, not religion. It's a living thing, not a set of rules. Look at what Jesus said, "I've been told this is one of the most narrow-minded statements in all the Bible." I totally disagree. Jesus said, "I'm the way, the truth, and the life no one can come to the Father except through me." I've had people say, "That's pretty narrow-minded, isn't it?" I said, "No, that's actually pretty broad-minded because you just told the whole world how to get to heaven." The gate's narrow, the way it is narrow, it's Jesus. Now I know it's a popular thing to say there are many paths to heaven. Jesus says there is one. And if my choice is between what social media says and what Jesus says about eternity, let me think about it. I'm going with Jesus. Amen. That was cool. That's in the bell free.

What have we got, guys? Sabbath's going, "I'm going, maybe somebody's just going to drop in and be baptized." Wow. That was interesting. I am A-D-D. I tell you, I am, I am. There is no doubt. Jesus said it's about Him. Can religion make you a better person? I think it can. Can it meet and eat in your life? I think it can do that. Can it get you to heaven? Jesus says, "You've got to know me to get into heaven." I'm the key. I'm the door. I'm the gate. I'm it. No other options. So we've got to teach that and believe it and love it. I have a set of convictions that I have kept for more than 40 years now. They have changed slightly over the years. I edit them from time to time, but it literally is a single page document called "12 Convictions." And I keep it on my laptop. Let me share with you conviction number one. I want to do a series on this sometime, but here's conviction number one. It's in your notes. It's all about Jesus, Bada bean, Bada boom. End of the day, it's about Jesus. This is why we ask two questions here every single week.

What's Jesus teaching you? What are you going to do about it? Because the Scripture is about redemption. The Scripture is about Jesus. Third realization, right it in, realize every act of the Spirit points to Jesus. Every act of the Spirit points to Jesus. Now why the switch from redemption to Jesus to the Spirit? Because that's the flow of the outline of the Scripture. The Old Testament, God, the Father's using all kinds of ways to try to redeem us. The New Testament, the Gospels, the first four books, God the Father sends Jesus the Son as His way to redeem us. But from the book of Acts on in the New Testament, the last two thirds of the New Testament are about God the Spirit who also points to Jesus. And here we are 20 centuries later and the Spirit of God is still with us. Write this in your notes, we talked about this two series back in the series called Overflow. The Spirit is the presence and power of God in our lives. It's the easiest way to understand the Holy Spirit. He's the presence and the power of God with us and in us now. Here's another way to say it. Write this in. The Holy Spirit always points people to Jesus rather than drawing attention to Himself. Now when we did that six week Spirit on Overflow, we talked about the Spirit more than anything else. But on the whole of a year, we talk about Jesus a ton more. Why? Because Scripture teaches that the Spirit points to Jesus. The Spirit brags on Jesus. The Spirit uplifts Jesus. I'm going to go for it here. Are you ready?

I have a handful of what I will call and what they call themselves extremely charismatic friends, extremely charismatic friends. And when they talk to me about God is, "Oh, the Spirit did this and the Spirit did that and the Spirit and the Spirit and the Spirit, the Spirit," listen up. That is not the Spirit speaking because the Spirit talks about Jesus. Now is the Spirit the person and presence of God in our lives now? Yes. But Jesus taught us to pray to the Father. And we know Jesus stands beside the throne in heaven. That's why we pray in Jesus' name. The Spirit lifts up Jesus. Want to see it in Scripture? Look at this one. "I will send you an advocate," Jesus says, "the Spirit of Truth. He will come to you from the Father, and He will talk about Himself." Is that what it says? Not what it says. What does it say? "He will talk all about Me. He will testify all about Me." There's a common theme in the books of the Bible. It's redemption. Write that in your notes. We're wrapping this up. We're going to land this plane. The common theme in the books of the Bible is redemption. The common redeemer in the books of the Bible is Jesus. He's the hero. He's the central character. It all points to Him.

But the common reminder of Jesus in our lives today is the Spirit. He lives in here to point us to Jesus, to remind us what Jesus said. Look at this verse. It tells us how Jesus treated Scripture, which is what we're after today. In beginning with Moses, that is the books that Moses was responsible for. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. In all the prophets, that's the last 17 books of the Old Testament. When somebody in Jewish beliefs in a Jewish system in Jesus' day talked about Moses and all the prophets, they're saying, in all the Old Testament, that's what they're saying. From start to finish, cover to cover. In all the Old Testament, he says, Jesus interpreted to them the Scriptures and the things concerning Himself. Read the book thinking it's about redemption. It is. Read the book thinking it's about Jesus. It is. Read the book asking the Spirit of God to speak to you through the book about Jesus. He will. Close with the story. My parents retired in their early 60s with too little money and too much time on their hands. So they bought a used pickup and a very, very used beat up fifth wheeler. And they drug it around the country for the next 10 years. They've visited all 48 continental United States, every state park, every national park, every RV park. They even parked in Walmart parking lots. I mean, they were true blue collar, red neck retirees. The only problem was this was before cell phones became really handy and really easy to use and really popular. So they'd be gone weeks at a time.

And I'd have no clue where they were. I mean, my mom had Parkinson's. I didn't know how she was doing. My dad could barely see the drive. Angels took care of him. I didn't know. So finally, I bought them a cell phone. And this was back in the days where you had to check your cell phone to see whether you had a local signal or whether you were on roaming. You all remember those days? And the regular signal cost this much and the roaming signal cost this much. And I said, "Dad, I want you to call me every night at 9 p.m. my time." I know you guys are done by then. It may be 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. where you are, but you've already had dinner. You're sitting watching the sunset somewhere. Call me. I need to know you're alive. I need to know what state you're in. Call me. So the first night he calls me on the phone I'm paying for, he calls on Rome Collect. But he called and I bragged on him. Said, "Dad, wait a go. Good, are we okay for about a week?" No, sir. I want you to call tomorrow night. Tomorrow night? Yep. We're going to do this 9 o'clock thing. And within a couple of weeks, it became a life-changing habit for both of us.

If I was ever 15 minutes late picking up the phone or calling him back, he'd say, "I I thought something happened to you. For 20 years, we talked every night at 9 o'clock. My mom graduated to heaven in 2013, can't reach her anymore. My dad followed her to heaven in 2017. I can still hear both of their voices in my ears, but I miss talking to them. It became sacred. I now have a 9 o'clock habit that I think they would both be pleased with. I carry my phone to the back porch. I turn it off on sound, but I flip up the scripture passage that I'm reading for that day, and I read it, and then I talk to God. Now listen, the Bible is that important. It will change our lives if we will look to it for redemption, for Jesus, and for the Spirit to talk to us, and God's willing to meet you there every single night. Or God bless those of you who can do it in the morning, He'll even meet you then. Let's give time to God. We're going to allow folks to come if they want to be baptized. We're going to sing one more song, we're going to worship. We're going to have a couple of prayer partners down front, and some in the back. The ones in the back are going to be there to receive you. If you want to be baptized, they'll be right in front of the tick booth back there, and they'll set you up. The way you have listened today, the way you've worshiped, let's continue to do that. Father, thank you. Thank you that when we give your attention, the attention your word deserves, Lord, that you show us your redemption, you show us Jesus, you even show us how the Spirit works in our lives, help us, Father, to treat that date and that time is sacred, and to realize that you have so much to say to us. We worship you now because you're worthy of our worship in Christ, we make this prayer. Amen.

Come on, Church, before we go, come on, stand up on your feet. Is it all right if we end it off on a high note? Okay, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, you know this singing out with me. I'm shaking on the heaviness, I'm dancing out of my regrets, I'm flowing caution to the wind. No, I am not ashamed to breath like this, some would say it's foolishness, but I say it's worth the risk. I can't forget what Jesus did, no, I am not ashamed to breath like this. Where are those chains that are untabby, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. My city's gone, how daddy, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. So look at what the Lord has heard, I'm never going back to the way I was. I'll sing out as the zombie, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. I can't feel, I can't feel. I've found a friend that never quits, nor the love that's as good as this. And I don't care what anyone says, I'll never be ashamed to breath like this. Where are those chains that are untabby, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, my city's gone, how daddy, I'm free. I'm going to clap, see what you are, the Lord has. Look at what the Lord has heard, I'm never going back to the way I was. I'll sing out as the zombie, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. You took the cross and you broke the body. My debt is paid, and my record is made I couldn't do it, so you did it You took the cross, you took the cross You shed your blood My debt is paid, and my record is made I couldn't do it, so you did it for me You took the cross, you took the cross You shed your blood, now the sin I can see My debt is paid, and my record is made I couldn't do it, so you did it for me I couldn't do it, so you did it for me

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