BC CONFERENCE 2025

Praise God from whom praise him all creatures

Praise him, praise Father Son and Praise God, blessing, praise him creatures, praise him, praise God, Son, God praise God, praises coming, praise God, praise creators. Who’s excited to be in the house of God tonight? Oh man, there’s something special that happens when his people get together in one place in one accord to praise his name.

Psalm 145 says it like this. I will exalt you, my God and King. Praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day. Yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord, He is the most worthy of praise. No one can measure His greatness. And I love this last part. Let each generation tell its children your mighty acts.

When things get rough, I just gotta praise a little bit. When things look bad, I gotta lift up a worship. A story for the next generation of people, a story for the next people coming up that they will hear the goodness of God. Hallelujah. Man, thank God, Jesus. Amen. We lift your place, and by the blood of the land, we conquered, and by the word of our testimony. Hallelujah. He is enough for me and I have a father, his name is my everything.

Oh death, you have lost your steel

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow dead, I will fear no evil. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow, I will fear no evil. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow death, I will fear no evil. Oh death, you have lost your steel. Oh grave, you’ve met my king. Oh fear are you trembling? We both know who wins. We both know who wins this time.

Oh death, you lost your steam. Oh grave, you met my king. Oh fear of the trembling. We both know who wins. We both know who wins this time. Oh death, you lost your seed. Oh God, for you met my king. Oh, we both know who is Oh death, you lost your steam. We both know who is We’ve got to who is this fight know we both know who is this fight our king our Lord We both know who is this fight Cause we all know who wins this fight Oh what battle are you facing Cause we all know who wins this fight Because the enemy has been defeated And death couldn’t hold you down to lift our voice in victory We’re gonna sing those praises aloud.

The enemy has been defeated

The enemy has been defeated Death couldn’t hold you down gonna lift our voice in victory We’re gonna make your praises a lie has been defeated Come on Death couldn’t hold you down the list our we’ll make our praises allow Cause the enemy has been defeated Death couldn’t hold you down in victory gonna make our praise The enemy is been defeated Death could hold you down this in victory gonna make God praise it the enemy is being We lift your neighbor, we lift your neighbor, shout out to God with the voice of tribe.

Shall I to God with the voice of breath? Shall I to God with the voice of trying? We lift your neighbor. We lift your neighbor. Shout out to God with a voice for the tried. Shout out to God with the voice of faith. Shout out to God with the voice for the tribe. We lift your neighbor. We lift your neighbor.

Wanting a place to hide

Wanting a place to hide this real and I tried with all my eye. But I just can’t wait to find I’m slowly drifting. Oh a vagabond It just when I read I know I learned I didn’t know And he told me that I was not joke Jake pick me up You turn me around place my feet on Side I make a master I think the savior You have to heal my heart to change my leg to let us read I say I make a master I couldn’t favor I can’t know what I see I no choice but to believe my cancer burden I can should come you know so soon to my own food she can just keep it looking up to hear through now till I want to shoot a go I see them how you save my soul this way you son I sign this way back.

Oh you pick me up, you turn me around She case my feet on silicon, I didn’t master, I didn’t say you save you, cause you feel my heart, you shake my name, whatever free, I’m not saying, I think the master, I think you say you go, I take God Come on if you know what’s he was with me, come on. See us another one, I am free, come on, oh I’m free, yeah, I am free, come, get us another one, I am free, I am free, oh my God, tell us that one, I am free, yeah, I am free, yeah, I am free, help us another one, I am free, oh I am free, yeah, I am free, lost another word, I am free, I am free, I free, help us another word, I am free, oh I am free, yeah, I free, lost another word, I am free, I am free, I am free, what’s never, I am free, I am free, you kick me, you kick me, turn me around, you place my feet on the ground, I think the master, I think you shave you, because he heal my heart, you change my name for every free, I can see I think the master, I think the same, I think God.

We have so much to thank God for

I thank God. Do you thank God? Oh, we have so much to thank God for. We’re so glad you’re here tonight. Welcome to 45 years and two nights. Amen. This is the best place you could be on a Monday night. Wouldn’t you rather spend your Monday night worshiping God? Singing your heart out, remembering all the good things he’s done, and just expecting what he’s gonna do next. Amen.

Hey, it’s week, it’s night two, and we’ve told you from the beginning, we’ve been telling you for weeks. Ooh, momentum builds, things start happening. You’re so smart, you didn’t take a night off. You got here so you don’t miss a thing. We’re so glad you’re here. If you missed yesterday, catch up. There were great Pastor David gave us a great, great, great message. Wasn’t it great? Awesome message. Tonight, be just as good, better and better and better.

We bring our an offering to God

You guys take your seats for just a minute. We’re gonna do this wonderful thing where we bring our an offering to God. Yes, thank you for that. Excitement. You know, if you were here last night, Pastor David taught us about seeds, and then this morning Pastor Jared came and taught us in leadership about seeds. So I think there’s really something that the Holy Spirit is highlighting for us to help us. Whatever he brings up, it’s always for our help and for our benefit. It’s to help us move forward, it’s to help us make progress with God in these lives.

And so we learned last night that we’re to be seed sowers, not wind watchers. Right? Meaning we don’t wait until everything looks awesome, and we have a big surplus, and then we’ll think about giving. Do you know what? I never thought about giving. I just never did. I thought somebody else would do it. I thought I don’t have enough. I gotta pay tuition. Do you know how much those books are in college? I gotta buy all that car insurance, put gas in the car. I never thought about giving.

And yet the more I sat with God and in my Bible and with his people, I was impressed in a meeting just like this, that I should join into the giving. I’d be like, well, I don’t, you know, I don’t have very much. Didn’t matter. Just do something. See yourself as a giver. Begin to see yourself as a seed sower. Begin to see yourself as a part of the process of what God is doing in building his kingdom. See your put yourself in there. Don’t think somebody else will always carry the load. See yourself as God making you able to help carry the load. And it’s a much, much better place.

Even Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than it is to receive. Now that takes some convincing. Right? Because receiving is good. Giving, sometimes it feels like extortion. I’m not trying to extort anything from you. I just want you to get in to the whole of what God is doing. And I will tell you this that in my life, and I know many of you would would echo this same testimony. When I determined to see myself as a giver, a person that God made able to give. Giving. And when I did that, what I received stayed in me more. I wasn’t just a hearer. I was a doer. And little by little the word began to gain traction. I believe that’s because of this truth.

So many good things about seeds. But also in Galatians in chapter 6, verse 6, it reads this way. Well, I want Christian instruction. I wanted to know God. I wanted to know the word. I wanted to know the truth. And I, and the more I got, the more I wanted. And so this told me that because I was under good instruction, I should be willing to contribute to the livelihood of the people who were instructing me. And I’m telling you, when I did that, the instruction that I got went down deeper into my heart and took root, and I could begin to live it out.

Say, well, I’m not sure. Just trust God. Just be a believer. Just be a person that believes what God said is true. You don’t have to feel it. You don’t have to see it right away. You just believe it and let God do the showing. He’ll prove it to you. So tonight we have this opportunity to sow seed, to contribute towards those who are teaching us, instructing us in the precious, living, active word of God. Don’t miss your chance. You’re a participant with God. The screen will show you all the ways you can give. Just be sure that you engage your heart with what you do.

Can we pray?

Can we pray? Father, we thank you. We thank you for this opportunity. We thank you that you love us, that you want us to know the truth, that you send us great people to give us wonderful instruction. And tonight we determine that we will respond by being obedient, by being engaged, by not just being a receiver, but be but becoming a giver. And you said we would be blessed in our doing. And we believe you. So receive what we bring tonight. We believe it brings you pleasure and that it contributes to the livelihood of those that teach us. And we thank you for it in the name of Jesus.

Host team’s gonna come serve the church. You guys can put something in the container. You can give online, you can do it anyway from your heart. And while you’re doing that, give your attention to the screens for some wonderful information. Thank you.

As soon as I walked in the doors

As soon as I walked in the doors of the church, I just felt instantly welcomed by the older generations here. Like I could so clearly see the foundation that they’ve built over the years. And I’m just so thankful for the impact that they’ve had on mine and my wife’s life. Um coming up to us just saying that they’re praying over our marriage, praying over our house. Uh before we even knew them, they’re telling us six things. The older generation at this church has been a backbone in my life when it comes to wisdom. Anytime that I need prayer for absolutely anything, they’re there.

I’ve gotten my calling. Like I feel that God has called me to something, but to hear somebody else older and who I look up to say something. That was something so so special to me because I’ve realized the importance of people covering you in prayer. The amount that you have been faithful to specifically this church, and um really help grown it to where it is now. And um I don’t know if I would be here today without this church, and so um, because of all the work you guys have done. And you are one of the reasons that I’ve consistently stay in a church and why I started to connect with God and want to connect with God is because of the impact you had on me. And I will never forget that.

So thank you, guys. Thank you for all the incredible hard work that you’ve done. Those late night studying, those late prayer sessions that nobody sees. Each and every one of those times makes a difference, and it does not go unnoticed in the very, very slightest. Come on from the front to the back, let’s sing. Come on, do you believe it? Forever your kingdoms, your kingdom worship Jesus Creator Your Kingdom, your kingdom, your kingdom. The only one through God, the only one who says Jesus, he will reign, he rains, he raised over all the earth, he rains, he raised, the only one through God, the only one who says, whoever he will raise, he raised, he raised over all the earth, he raids, he raised, the only one should die, the only one who says, whoever he will raise, he rest, he raised over the earth, he rest, he rest, the only one should die, the only one who saw he raised find the song our ears of mercy on us our Come on, if you believe this thing is he does come on your key rest, he raised, he raised, he rest.

The only one who says

The only one who says for everyone we will lay He remote He raised We only God Come on can we give him some praise tonight Do you have a because today? Because He saved me Because He healed me Because He delivered my family Oh thank you Jesus Because He said He would be here with us Thank you God Now if you love Jesus in the room Will you raise your hands Oh thank you thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you We bless your holy name Oh we love you Lord We’re here for you Only you are worthy of our praise Heavenly Father We welcome you in Holy Spirit, we welcome you in this place. God, have your way in this church. Have your way in our hearts. Have your way in this city. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Well, thank y’all for being here. Man, welcome to BC Conference. Night number two. Come on. Man. Man, it’s gonna be a great time. It’s a really special night for a number of reasons. I want to say that I’m in a good mood tonight. And it’s not just because the Jaguars won and the cowboys lost. It finally happened. It took a couple years, but we doing it. No, no. Really, really grateful that you’d be here. Um we got someone from Texas in the house, oh yeah. Uh my job is to introduce the speaker. I want to say just a couple things about uh Jared Neiman here.

Pastor Jared Neiman from Abundant Church

Pastor Jared Neiman from Abundant Church in El Paso. You know, I think of him, I think of a couple different things. Uh one thing I think of when I think of Jared is he’s one of the people that pastors one of the largest churches in the nation. Phenomenal pastor, brilliant, brilliant uh teacher of the word. Um strategy. He’s just an incredible man, and he’s someone who has mentored me as a mentor. He’s shown me so much. A lot of what we do here, a lot of who we are has come not just from him, but from his family. They’ve uh they’ve partnered with us, they’ve they’ve led us as we followed their lead in so many different ways.

And so that’s what I think of when I think of Jared, but you know, something else I think of is that Jared is also, he also happens to be my friend. And um, he doesn’t have to be my friend, he doesn’t have to give us the, he doesn’t have to answer my calls. He doesn’t have to text me, check in on me. But man, his family has meant more to us, our family, and this church than you guys know. And so if you’re new, I know they’ve got a lot of new people in the church. Amen. Amen. So, Pastor Jared, we we we love you. Um, we appreciate you making the time. We know you could be doing a lot of things on a Monday night in September, uh, but that you would make the time. It just means it means a lot to us. Really, it means a lot to us that you’re here, and we want to say that our heart is open to what God would have to speak to us as a church through you. So will you please help me welcome up my great friend, Pastor Jared Neiman. Amen.

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord. Hey, can you all just stay for a little bit? Is that cool? Can you just hang out? We’re gonna do some little dirt. Conference, right? We do whatever we want. Is that cool? Hey, how many of you love Jesus tonight? All right, we’re gonna fix this. You gave me a better round of applause than you just said, Jesus. I said, How many of you love Jesus tonight? Woo! Woo! We we almost had to take communion, repent, get saved, we give the baptismal out and baptize everybody for that. Just we don’t live under the law, but you might get struck down for that. I’m just kidding. And how many of you are so glad that God is on your side tonight?

Put your hand over your heart. Just repeat after me. Say, God, speak to me. Speak to me now. From your word through your spirit. Give me eyes that see, ears that hear, and a heart that understands. Speak to me in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. Um just. I just feel such a great presence of God in this place. And I know we have ways of doing things, and a script, and you know, time. But can we just lift our hands back towards heaven? Can you just you and the keys just sing our God reigns? Just but really, I just want it to be that the choir sings, and you just lead them softly. Does that make sense? Come on, lift your hands, lift your voice towards heaven.

You know, when we praise God, God inhabits our praises to still the Avenger and to quiet the enemy. Yes, he does. Because the enemy to God has been defeated. And the enemy attempts through the world’s ways to bring bondage and pain and darkness, confusion, and hurt, depression. And when I walked in here tonight, I always just kind of ask the Lord, like, what do you want done? And David can tell you I’ve changed my message three times. Poor people have entered so many scriptures. But when I came in, I I just felt like the Holy Spirit told me to pray for a specific group of people.

The Holy Spirit is in this room

And I love being in a church that still lays hands on the sick and prays for people and we’re baptized in the Holy Spirit, and we believe in a God that delivers and heals people and still does miracles. And you know, the beautiful thing about the God we serve is he is a living God. Our Father is in heaven, Jesus is at his right hand, and the Holy Spirit is in this room. The Holy Spirit is not the lesser than part of God. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s equal representative on this earth. And when we gather together before the Lord, the Holy Spirit comes into this place to mount us up with wings like eagles to restore our souls, to breathe life, to take chaos into order, darkness into light, mourning into dancing, sorrow into joy, all the broken pieces into restoration and harmony.

And I just felt like the Lord told me to pray that there’s a few people here that you are just struggling. You’re struggling with anxiety, with depression, with bondage. Fear is overwhelming you. However, you describe it, whatever it may be, we understand they’re all interconnected. And I just want to encourage you before we pray that we serve the God of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. So if I’m talking to you, not with every head bowed, but every eye open, because we are going to witness the power of God. If you’re struggling, if you’re feeling broken, if you’re depressed, if you’re bound to alcohol or weed or cocaine. If you are not living in the peace and the freedom that the Holy Spirit wants to give you, I want to invite you to get out of your seat, come down to the front, and we’re going to pray, we’re going to worship. I’m going to lay hands on you.

The power of God is going to come into your life. Just place and spear the best. Come into this room. Come into our minds. Come into our hearts. Come into our spirits. We invite the presence of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we need you in this place. We declare peace in the name of Jesus. To be overcome by your presence becomes Let us become more aware of your presence. Let us experience the glory of your goodness. Let us become more aware of your presence. Let us experience the glory of your goodness. Let us become more aware of your precious presence comes. The glory of your presence. The glory of your goodness, let us know. Let us know by surrender with some red holy spirit. Your glory God is what our hearts love. Come by your presence your name We sing the praises to the key God from heaven if our praises to him that is God sees him. Praise God every person in the world Come on, believer sinner. Praise God. Are we here to worship Jesus this week? Pray. Come on, give him praise. Come on, believer sinner. Just lift up a shout of praise to the King of Kings, to the Lord of Lords.

Did everybody get prayed for?

Did everybody get prayed for? I I think uh you can go back. You go back to your seats. I don’t think we’re ready to go back to our seats, but I’ll get that in a second. Wow. Don’t you love the energy of this youth group? I just want to uh I just want to say something to the church. Every day we should be praying for these kids. If there was anything, if there was anything to have a broken heart about tonight, it’s that for a call of depression and anxiety and freedom that 80% of the youth group came down. And that’s because if Satan can’t get you, he’ll get your kids. And in the name of Jesus, I declare freedom over you. I declare joy over you. The book of Acts says that our children will prophesy and declare. We declare over you that God has a hope and a future. We declare Jesus over you. We declare freedom over depression, over pain, over sexual addiction, over pornography. Alcohol will not rule you. Darkness will not rule you. The enemy cannot have you.

We’ve got pastors and evangelists and doctors and lawyers and business owners in this room that are gonna advance the kingdom of God, and they are not gonna be ruled by the world’s ways. We declare freedom and joy and peace in the name of Jesus. One more thing. David, that was very nice. I don’t remember a time in my life not knowing your pastors. That’s how long we’ve known each other. And uh, I mean, I literally grew up with Hannah and Jordan. And I don’t think I’ve ever called Marshall and Cindy pastor because it was like uncle and aunt. It was just like they were like my my dad and mom’s friends, and we were families, and we take trips together, and we visit each other’s churches.

It’s weird for me to be standing on this stage

And um, it’s weird for me to be standing on this stage because every time I’ve ever come to this church, I watch my dad preach. And I am in messages that he would preach, and I know the message, so I would say amen to get the crowd to amen, because that’s your job when you’re the traveling son. Is you amen ahead of time to tell the crowd, hey, amen. Uh and um about ten years ago we transitioned our church, uh, the leadership of our church from my parents to me and my sister, and so I very much know what it’s like to be in this season. And actually, I feel like we’re on the same road. I just I just left a little while earlier than you all did, if that makes sense.

And um I asked Cindy if I could do this, but um would David and Jordan and Hannah come up here, please. You know what’s interesting when I I was I was down here during worship, and you all did an amazing job tonight. You know what? I I just I felt like the Holy Spirit told me to tell you all something, and I I hope that going forward that the church will pray this over you in their prayer time and church, you should be praying for your pastors. Um I thought of you two, I thought of Isaiah. Um the purest context of the scripture, it says, Do not remember the former things, for I will do a new thing. I will bring rivers through the desert and roads through the wilderness.

Now, of course, in the not remembering the former thing, he’s talking about sin and regret. And and and we’re not here for that because we know the grace of God, and we’re honoring the former thing. The greatest context of that would be the memorials that God would have the nation of Israel set up so that we do not forget what God has done. But I do believe that God is going to do a new thing. And it it’s not in comparison to the former thing or even erasing the former thing. But God is the God of new things. And I pray in Jesus’ name that through your leadership, God is going to do a new thing in the coming decades of believer center.

And it has become a cliche, but cliches are cliches because they are so true. But the best days of this church are not behind us, they are ahead of us. Church, would you extend your hands? We declare over David and Jordan that you are going to do a new thing. New ideas, new opportunities, new people filling the seats, new salvation, new baptism, new messages, new creativity, new businesses, new provision, new healing, new miracles, new plans. Bring roads through the wilderness. Not a road, roads through the wilderness. Rivers through the desert. In the name of Jesus.

But I I felt like it when you study out the phrase create a steadfast spirit. In the literal text, it says, create a Genesis week in my life. And it references the first chapter of Genesis where Elohim, the creator, and the creative power of God, creates over a period of time everything that we live in. And David cried out and said, create a Genesis week in me. And I felt like the Holy Spirit told me to tell you that I believe that God is going to create and bring you into a season in your personal life and in your leadership in this church. And that he’s going to create a Genesis week for you.

And that’s a new creative order that He’s going to bring for you and your kids. I don’t know what it means. I don’t need to know what it means. But I just pray in Jesus’ name that His creative power is going to be flowing in and through your life. I believe you have a calling to support them. And you are as much a key to the future success of this church as anyone standing in this room. So I pray over you in Jesus’ name. That God, you will create a Genesis week in Hannah’s life. In her kids’ life. I believe Hannah is going to bear greater fruit in the coming years ahead than she has ever born in her life. And renew a steadfast spirit in her. And her children. Anoint her Lord. To empower her sister and her brother-in-law. And the three of them will take this church into the future that you have for it. In the mighty name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. And all who agreed said. Amen.

Can I give you a hope?

Can I give you a hope? Okay. Well, I’m gonna you can sit down. I’m gonna try to preach. We’re good. Thank you guys. Can we give the worship team another round of applause? 13 minutes left. So bow your heads, close your eyes. Maybe you’re here today and you don’t know Jesus. I’ll do this quickly. We really are at it at an incredible time in this church. A time of honoring the amazing legacy of our founding senior pastors. Forty-five years. Forty-five years. Forty five years. Anybody can do something for a couple years. Anybody can serve God for a few months, even a decade. But 45 years. No scandals, no issues. No moral failures. Forty-five years of teaching the gospel.

Pastor Marshall was teaching the grace message before famous people were teaching the grace message. 45 years of raising kids to serve God. 45 years of getting people saved. 45 years of showing up week in and week out in the highs and the lows and the storms, the figurative storms, the literal storms. And I believe that your treasure room in heaven is going to be packed full. Whatever that means, I don’t think any of us really fully understand it. Hopefully, it’s like gold and diamonds. It was like good stuff. And we thank God for you. We love you. Can we celebrate your pastors?

But this is a pivotal time. Transitions aren’t easy. They’re funny. They’re weird. They’re awkward at times. I’ve been through it. I uh was telling them I tore our church down. I don’t mean literally, but we we tore it down and rebuilt it. We took it down to the studs, if you know what I’m saying. And it wasn’t always fun or easy. As someone who’s been through it, I want to ask everyone here to stand with them. To arm them with your own prayer. To anoint them in your prayer time. To ask the Holy Spirit every day to give all five of them wisdom, the mind of Christ, and the courage to not just see what is right, but to do it.

The reality is we cannot miss this moment. We can’t miss these moments. This is a big moment in the history of this church, and we cannot miss it. This community needs your church. Jacob said, How awesome is this place. It is none other than the house of my God. We need churches. We need thriving churches. We need awesome churches. Amen.

For this cause I was born

John 18, 37. Jesus speaking to Pontius Pilate before he’s going to go be tortured, beaten, bruised, mocked, made fun of, betrayed, and ultimately crucified. Pontius Pilate, he asks him why he has come, if he’s the Messiah, they’re talking, and Jesus says in verse 37, he says, For this cause I was born. And for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hear my voice. We but write books on vision. We do leadership studies and podcasts about vision. Vision is important, it’s powerful. The Bible speaks of vision. You need to have a vision. We rarely talk about having the right cause behind the vision. Vision is wonderful, but without the right cause, the vision can die.

Can we all agree that Jesus did not lack vision? Jesus had more than enough vision than anyone could ever speak of. But why has his vision now lived on for thousands of years after he went back to heaven? Was it the vision or was it the cause? See, without a cause, we can grow weary. We can become overburdened. We can achieve great success and still feel empty. You need to look no further than Hollywood, the NFL, NBA, famous musicians. We see it all the time, don’t we? They achieve the dream. They get the two hundred million dollar contract. They win the Super Bowl. And then you find out that they are just as depressed, just as broken, and just as empty as everyone else. They drink all the drinks, smoke all of what you can inhale. They have all of the sex, they buy the houses, they get the cars, they have the bank account. And what do they say? What’s the use anyway?

See, you can have a vision, you can even have a fulfilled vision. But without the right cause, you can still burn out, flame out, become overburdened, grow weary, quit, and even want to give up. Jesus died on the cross to allow his cause to go beyond himself and to be handed to everyone who follows him. You heard what he said. He said, For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world. Everyone who is of this truth hears my voice. We have the greatest privilege that is given to mankind, and that is the privilege of partnering with Jesus to advance his cause on the earth. If you know Jesus, you are called, and you are a part of the cause of Christ. And when you understand this privilege, your life will never be the same.

Living for the cause of Christ

So let’s talk about living for the cause of Christ. What does it do in our lives? What do I mean when I say that your life will never be the same? Well, number one, when you live for the cause of Christ, it gives purpose and meaning to everything that you do. Verse 12. For this reason I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded. See, when you understand that you are saved, and upon salvation, your life with God did not end. Salvation is not the end, it is the beginning. It is the beginning of a new life, but it is also a beginning of walking in your calling. And it is not just another calling, it is a divine calling, it is an anointed calling, it is a holy calling.

You are called by God. You have a purpose in your life, and it is given to you through his grace by what Jesus did for you on the cross. And the choice is yours in this moment tonight. Will you be ashamed of it? Or will you be persuaded by it? You can reject the call. You can turn aside from the call. But please understand that God has saved you and called you with a holy calling for his purpose and his grace. To do what, Jared? To advance his cause on this earth. And when you accept it and you become bold in it, it. It solidifies our relationship with Jesus, and it should, through the power of the Holy Spirit, strengthen our resolve and our commitment to him. Amen.

See, so many people there are simply wandering through life. No purpose, no direction, no cause to live for. Jesus said, For this cause I was born. Can anybody think of what the world says? The world tells us you need to have a cause worth dying for. Everything in your life matters. You know, I hear this all the time. I’m sure your pastors do too. When you’re a pastor in a church, you get this question, Jared. What’s my purpose? And it’s a sincere question that has the easiest answer. Our purpose as Christians is to advance the cause of Christ on this earth. Our purpose as Christians is to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

Our purpose as Christians is to live in and be a part of the advancement of the Great Commission, which is to go into the world to get people saved, baptized in water, filled with the Holy Spirit, and train them up in the word of God by making them disciples. That is our purpose. It is not just my purpose or David’s purpose or Cindy’s purpose. It is all of our purpose. And when you understand that, it gives meaning to everything that you do. Number two, it then rightly determines the priorities of your life. Matthew 6, 33, Jesus said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. One translation says, seek ye first the advancement of the kingdom of God. And he says, and all these things will be added unto you.

The priority of our lives as believers is to be to advance the kingdom of God on this earth. Jesus said, seek ye first. Actively pursue as the priority of your life. You’re allowed to have other priorities, but priority number one is to be to advance the kingdom of God. And how does God primarily advance his kingdom in the earth? Through the church. Collectively and individually. Because we are the church, and we are the church. Somebody say amen. There has got to be more to life than waking up, going to work, paying taxes, and then dying. And hopefully, I can go see the mouse at some point. Come on, man. There has got to be more to life than that.

But see, when you don’t have a cause worth living for the enemy will cause you to believe that that is all there is to life. You have a holy calling to advance his kingdom. Jared, I’m not a pastor, I know. But see, you go to work every day as an ambassador for Christ. You young people go to school as representatives of Jesus Christ. Yes, you’re there to learn and take tests and get your education. Yes, you’re at work to collect the paycheck to be able to pay the mortgage and provide for your family, but the cause of Christ gives you meaning to those things.

When you understand that you are in life to advance the cause of Christ, going to work, playing golf, going on vacation, picking up the kids at school, hanging out with your friends, being in class, teaching a class, being in the hospitals, whatever it is you do, everything you set your hand to do is to be done to advance the cause of Christ. Nothing is taken for granted. Being stuck on the freeway is a moment to advance the cause of Christ. You can flip people off or you can worship. The choice is yours. Everything. When you understand it, you understand your purpose and your calling.

The cause of Christ should be the determining factor of our decision making. The cause of Christ should be the determining factor of the words we speak. The cause of Christ should determine our attitude, our choices, our response, our time, and our money. Everything should be done to advance the cause of Christ. And when you do it, when you do it, it gives purpose and meaning and it prioritizes your life. You know what I love about Jesus? He says, if you will seek first, all these things will be added unto you. You can go, you can go read Matthew chapter 6. Go read the 12 verses before verse 33.

You want to know what he’s talking about? He’s talking about earthly needs and desires. People, oh, everything’s about heavenly things. No, well, in Matthew 6, he is talking about the bills getting paid. He’s talking about putting food on your table. He’s talking about clothes on your kids’ back, shoes on their feet. Paying for the books. That chapter is about earthly things. It’s about the things that are stressing you out. The things you pray about, the things you worry about, the thing that wakes you up and makes you go to that job you don’t really like. That’s what he’s talking about. And you know what he says at the end of it? He says, look, seek first to advance the kingdom. And all these things. See, when we prioritize God, oh, he prioritizes us. Amen.

Living for the cause of Christ forces trust

Number three. Living for the cause of Christ forces trust and dependence on him. It said, and all these things will be added unto you. Verse 34 says, Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will worry about its own things. You know the Lord is already in your tomorrow. But some of you won’t prioritize him today. Proverbs 3, verse 5, just one of the famous scriptures in the Bible. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your path. And it means all. We love this scripture. There’s probably some of you that have plaques of this scripture in your kitchen. We post it and we repost it and we quote it, we write songs about it, we pray about it. We tell our friends when they’re struggling, well, trust in the Lord with all your heart.

The truth is, many Christians try to trust in God when their own life hasn’t worked out. And then we go, well, I’m trusting in the Lord. Most of us have a habit of trusting in ourselves until we fall or wear out, and then trust in God. But the reality is we need to turn that around. But when you live for the cause of Christ, it forces you to trust in Him. The last thing, the cause of Christ is actually the only cause on this earth that truly matters. Except people coming into relationship with Jesus.

By show of hands, how many of you got born again inside this church? Look at all these people. How many of you recommitted your life inside this church? How many of you got either filled with the Holy Spirit and or baptized in water inside this church? In churches all around this city and all around this country, every Sunday morning, maybe Wednesday night, whenever they have service, men and women, young and old, rich or poor, they hear about the good news of Jesus Christ and they open up their hearts to God and they make Jesus their Lord and Savior.

This last week at our church, we had 1,100 people respond to the call of salvation. We had 302 people get baptized in water this weekend at our church. You know that a thousand years from now, those 1,100 people, they will still be in the kingdom of God. A thousand years from now, no one will remember who wins the next Super Bowl. A thousand years from now, no one will remember the name Trump or Biden or Vance or Obama. A thousand years from now, no one will even remember the names. Truth is, we don’t remember now. A thousand years from now, no one will remember who the governor of Texas or Florida, no, no one will remember. A thousand, no one will remember. A thousand years from now, this building probably won’t be here.

But a thousand years from now, the people that you helped bring to church, the people that you witness to, the people that you represent Jesus to, and maybe they show up here, or maybe they show up in my church, maybe they show up somewhere else, maybe they watch something on YouTube and they cry out to Jesus and say, Jesus, save me. Thousand years from now, those people will be in heaven with us. The cause of Christ is the only cause on the earth that truly matters. Why? Because it’s the only cause that is eternal. And when you attach your life to the cause of Christ, let me say it this way. When you attach your life to the church, you attach your life to something that gives purpose, meaning, and fulfillment to everything that you do. And it bears reward on earth, but mostly it bears reward in eternity.

If you’ve never made Jesus Lord and Savior of your life, if you’ve never opened up your heart to God, I want to give you the opportunity to receive your eternal gift, salvation through Jesus. To secure your eternity in heaven, but also to allow Jesus to come into your everyday life. If you’re here and you’ve never asked Jesus to save you, tonight is your night and this is your moment. Or, hey, maybe you’re here and you’re just far from God. You used to have a relationship, you don’t need more. You at one point you ran to God and then you ran away from God. Can I tell you, I’m just so glad you’re here. And I believe that the reason you’re here tonight is for this moment.

I hope you enjoyed the worship and the prayer time and the celebrating, and I hope the message ministered to you. But the truth is, the reason you’re here tonight is for this moment. And that is that you would come back to God. That you would recommit your life with God, that you would get right with God once and for all. And maybe that’s maybe that resonates with you. You know what I’m saying? Like you just you just know in your heart you’re not right with God. You might believe in God, have an awareness of an eternal being, a creator. You might even believe Jesus is the Lord. He’s just not your Lord. You know in your heart you’re not right with God and you’re you’re hurting, you’re frustrated, you’re you’re not happy, you’re not fulfilled, you’re you’re struggling, maybe even tormented on some level. You’re not right with God, but here’s the good news you can get right. And you can do it right here, right now.

Let me tell you that God loves you exactly the way you are, but he also loves you enough not to leave you that way. If you’re not right with God, whether you have never been right with God, or are you just you’re like, man, I just need to come back. I’m gonna count to three. And in a moment we’re gonna pray the prayer of salvation. But before we do that, I just want you to take one small act of faith. And on the count of three, I just want you to raise your hand up. There’s gonna be a few of you because you know you need to do this. Tonight is your night. This is your moment. Do not leave here without doing what you know in your heart you need to do, and that is that you get right with God once and for all. You make Jesus Lord of your life. You commit to Him, you open up your heart to Him, and you allow Him to come and save you.

On the count of three, without hesitation, raise your hand up if I’ve connected with you. One, two, three. Come on, raise it up. Yeah. One, two, three, several hands. Listen, our team is gonna bring you a little card. We’ll explain that in a moment. Keep your hands up just so we can get you. Several hands back there. God bless you. At least eight or nine hands in the room. Praise the Lord. Now, as a church family, let’s pray the prayer of salvation with them so they don’t feel like they’re by themselves. Repeat after me. Say, Heavenly Father, I give you my life. I give you my heart and my soul. And I make Jesus my Lord and my Savior. Forgive me of my sins and wash away my past. Take me to the life you have for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Believer, sinner, can we celebrate? Welcome to the family of God. You’re going to heaven. David’s gonna come back up. I forgot to talk about this. They Hannah asked me to bring this book I wrote called The Missing Peace. You know, there were so many people that came down here. I wrote a book. This is a study book of how to find peace in your life. And there’s a few of them out in the lobby. And if you want to go grab one, it’ll help you. It’ll be a blessing to you. Thank you for having me tonight. And I just want to say. But for me, as a person who grew up, it is an honor that you would allow me to share here tonight. God bless you. I love you. God bless you.

Thank you, Patrick. Come on, y’all appreciate Pastor Jared for speaking into our lives. Amen. Oh, y’all stood up. They all stood up, so I don’t know how to tell them to stand up. Hey, well, uh, man, so grateful that you guys would uh join us. Did you enjoy church tonight? Man, just grateful. On a Monday night, I’ve got a couple quick announcements for you. Number one was gonna be the book, and Jared was gonna go sign up, but I don’t know if you have time. You might have to take, you might have to, you know, snag him real quick if you if you can catch him, but we’d love for you to check out. We also have merch out there for the conference. You probably saw it. We’ve got some new stuff uh from yesterday, so encourage you uh to do that. But we also want to invite you to night three. That’s tomorrow night. Uh, there’s this guy coming, Jabin Chavez. I don’t know if anybody knows him. The youth do. Anyways, yeah, we’re real excited to have um Pastor Jaben with us tomorrow. Food trucks are at 6 p.m. tomorrow. We encourage you guys to come. If you’re coming to the leadership sessions, they’re tomorrow, starting at 10 o’clock. Love to see you then. But man, be safe. We love you. Thanks for being here. You’re dismissed. God bless you.