How many of you know Jesus changes everything?
Come on. Anybody can really celebrate in your life the difference that he’s made.
One of the best things that we do as believers is to remind oursel where we would be right now or possibly be and to
just think about in our own mind if it weren’t for him, where would I be?
Because there’s no doubt about those of us who have decided to follow Jesus, the the the pathway has been different for
us. And the choices that we have made along the way were based on his leadership in our life. And we made
decisions that we would not have made if it were not for a decision to follow him
and and and pursue his will, his purpose. You know, God, somebody needs to hear me say this today, and that is that God has a plan for your life.
[Music]
And and the plan he has for you is to prosper you. And I know some people that word like you don’t you only think of,
you know, maybe financially. Well, he wants to bless you in every way. But prospering you means to to give you
progress like to continue to be there in every storm that you face and every difficulty
in every trial to get you through whatever you’re going through right now. He has a desire to
pro his plan is to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future.
[Applause]
[Music]
And I feel like I’m speaking to some people today at all across our locations who need to be reminded that it’s not
over whenever circumstances tell you it’s over.
That that’s not when it’s over because God has a plan for your life and
for your future. And as long as you maintain hope and confidence and trust
in him, you’re gonna you you may start a new chapter and you may start a new season in your life and it may feel like
you know it’s over because one chapter ends. But when you’re walking with God, there’s a new chapter that’s going to begin. There’s a new door that is opening up.
[Music]
And today I wanted to take a moment and right before I came up here I I was just asking God, God, what what is it today
that I can say in just a couple of minutes here and that is that I want to remind you I feel like a few weeks ago I
the the Lord really led me to to talk about this. But today is not just another day.
Today is the first time this day has ever been recorded in history. And you’ve never been here before.
And I’m telling you that because today is a day where God wants to be involved in your life. No matter who you are,
no matter if if you’ve served God a long time and it’s kind of gotten rusty, dusty, crusty, or if you’re brand new to
serving the Lord, or maybe you haven’t even made a decision yet to give him your life. Wherever you’re at across all
of that, I I want to just say to you today that our lives moves forward at the speed of our decisions.
And and and when we hold back, we stay stuck. Amen.
And and every single person that’s in the room today, some of you really need to hear this more maybe than others, but everybody needs to hear me when I tell
you that is that the the next move is your move.
And sometimes we wait on God to do for us what God has intended for us to do for oursel.
And you say, “Well, I’m waiting on God.” Here’s what I know right now. In the presence of God, here’s what I know is that he is here right now.
His presence is here. There is freedom here. There is liberty here. There is joy here. There’s new beginnings here.
It’s all right here. It’s all right here. God’s here. God’s here to do what only God can do. But the decisions that
we make are what move us forward in God’s plan for your life. So whatever that is today, wherever you’re at, I want you to think about as we move on
and move forward in our service that this is the day. This is the day the Lord has made. God’s involved in this
day. God’s a part across every location today in Dupont, in Yakimal, in Belleview, online right here in Tacoma.
God’s here. His presence is here. His power is here. And and he’s he’s basically saying, “You know what? My I’m real. I’m for you. I’m not against you.
I know right where you’re at. You are the apple of my eye.
But the next move is your move.” And here’s what I think is going to happen today. I think some of you are
going to get set free because you’re going to make a decision that I’m not going to live the way I used to live anymore.
Some of you are going to have a brand new beginning in your life today. Some of you are going to decide that I’m going God’s way. I’m following God’s
will. Some of you are at a crossroads right now trying to make a decision in your life. And on this day, you’re going to be given the wisdom of God. You’re
gonna make the decision and you’re gonna leave church today different than you came because it’s not just another day.
Come on. It’s not just another day. This is our day. God is good. God is for us.
Amen. Today is a special day uh for us.
And we’re we’re on uh we’re we’re having extended time together from this location today.
The reason, one of the reasons is because we there’s some people that I want to introduce you to if you don’t
know them today. And I want to begin by telling you that some people come into your life for a reason. Some come for a
season and then others come for a lifetime.
And our speaker today is a lifetime friend of of myself and our family.
Uh, we’ve been friends since we were teenagers and had girlfriends.
Yeah. Before we had our wives. We’ve known each other longer than we’ve known our wives. And we both married unbelievable wives.
We are We are both We are both second generation pastors.
Uh, not just pastors, Southern gospel preachers.
We both had daddies that were southern gospel preachers. We started in ministry about the same time. We’ve cheered each
other on. We’ve served each other. We’ve traveled together. We’ve hunted together. We’ve laughed together. We’ve cried together. He now serves as one of the three overseers in our church.
And here’s the part that I want to just say before I have him come is that 25 years ago, the doctor reported that his wife Janet had cancer.
And for the last 25 years, our friends have fought one of, if not the most
courageous fights that I have ever seen in my entire life. And
what I want you to know is that sometimes God puts people in your life to be an example to you.
And I can’t tell you how many times when I felt discouraged.
I just had to think about my friends and what they were going through and that they had never given up and they had
never compromised their faith that they they were in my same like I couldn’t say well I’m a pastor at well they are too.
I couldn’t say well this is you know the the season of my life that I’m in. Well well they’re in that same season. It’s
like it took away every excuse that I could have made to get weak or to feel sorry for myself. And I’m so
grateful for Pastor Danny and Janet Green today. And Pastor Danny is going to come and he’s going to speak to us
today. Pastor Danny,
[Applause]
[Music]
please be seated, man. Good morning, church.
Good morning.
everything I was going to say about our relationship, he said it.
And uh I I want to just before we go a step further, something happened a few minutes ago
when we were singing here and now Jesus, you change everything.
We’re in the journey with Janet’s chemo treatments and there’s a long story there, but she’s using a chemo. She
she’s had two rounds of a chemo we used 25 years ago because we’ve exhausted pretty much
every chemo that’s been invented for her journey. And so, but yet just a
moment ago, right here, I didn’t tell her this.
Um, I just felt in the Holy Spirit at that moment to pray for our oncologist.
His name is Terry Jenkins.
Uh, just a few days ago, Dr. Jenkins and Janet celebrated their 25th anniversary together.
And and he we were at the office and he said, “Hey, we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary.” I said, “Look, I’m sitting in the room, y’all. I mean, come on.
but as he’s a he’s a Christian and it wasn’t until about two years ago that he opened that part of him as a
doctor and he wept in the office and every appointment since then he he has tears and he gets emotional because he
knows only God leading him will continue carrying us forward.
But here’s what happened a minute ago.
I just felt that wherever he is this morning in church or at home or in his
car that the Holy Spirit would grant him revelation and wisdom on what we need to do in our next step.
How many of you believe God can speak to him through him? And I I felt it at that moment, right? I’m
like, God, because he just comes in, he writes on the board, you here’s two or three thoughts I have. What do y’all think? And I’m like, you’re the doctor.
But he knows we are spiritled people.
And two two appointments ago, while we’re talking, he said, he said, “Yeah, I tuned into Skyre this week and watched
y’all’s service.” And I’m like, “Good for you, Dr. Jenkins.” He’s he’s hungry and he’s a good man and he’s a godly
man. And uh would you just pray with us that the Lord would give him revelation because uh we’ve done two rounds of this
treatment and it doesn’t appear to be doing anything helping. So we need some answers and so uh we know who the answer
giver is and uh we need divine revelation. Amen.
So, we do dearly, dearly love our friends Kevin and Sheila. We love their whole family,
uh, Ryan and Jod and these precious boys, young men. They’ve got a teenager in the house now. Uh, Ken, and got to
watch him play a little basketball yesterday. And I was with Ken when he Can Can I talk about it?
I We’re We’re from Texas, y’all. And if it weren’t for the crazy airplane people, I’d have my sidearm on today.
But anyway, uh just Texas. We don’t mess with Texas. So,
but we we we had a ranch in Texas and we’ve hunted for years and I’ve watched Ken grow up and shoot and learn about
the outdoors like that. And I was with him, he and Jody, when he he Can I tell this story? Is this okay? I know it’s taking time. So, there’s a ravine. It’s
a deep ravine at the ranch. and and we were they were about to get on a plane and head home. I mean, it like it was over. Like time was out. There’d been 3
days. We hadn’t shot anything. And Okan, he’s left-handed, you know. He was 12 years old. And we run up to that ravine
one last time. And I threw some rocks off down in there. And we’d been toodling around for 2 hours at least after our hunt. And boy, I heard
something scampering. I said, “Get ready. Something’s happening.” And they ran up on the other side. There was some odds came up. And we’ve never shot one
of them on our place before. We It’s a Anyway, it’s a breed of animal we hadn’t killed. And Ken, that that 12-year-old
boy with his rifle, he dropped down like this on his just I mean, no support, shot across that ravine and hit that
animal. I’m like, go boy, man.
Anyway, I don’t mean to offend anybody by that.
That’s not my intent. But it’s the manhood in me. I’m a man’s man. I love the outdoors. And it was just awesome to watch a 12-year-old like come into his manhood and conquer something, you know.
So, this is our family and I love you, Kevin. And uh I will say this one more
thought is when 13 years ago is when cancer came raging back in Janet’s life.
We thought we had it under control for several years.
And when John Mason, the surgeon, came out, he said, “Pastor, I got to tell you, it’s it’s everywhere.”
And I’m standing in a place in the hospital where I’m normally standing with other people getting that report, but I was getting the report.
And I began to weep. And within about 10 minutes, I found my way
to a private spot and I got on the phone and I called Kevin Gerald. I said,
“She’s going to come into recovery and she’s going to want to know what the response, what the answer is. What am I going to tell her?
He’s the man I called. That’s because I love you and I have confidence in you and we’re in this for life.
Thank you. Okay.
Let me share some thoughts with you today in in in this journey we’re on.
And I want to start with a quote that and I hope they’re going to put it on the screen because I want us to read it.
And this quote says, “I said to the man who stood at the gate
of the year, give me a light that I may tread into the unknown.” And he said, “Go out into the darkness
and take the hand of God that will be better for you than a light and safer than a known way.” Amen.
20 28 years ago or so, Janet and I were in England and we were at Windsor Castle
and I was walking through the castle. We weren’t with the queen. We were just tourists. But we were walking through
the castle and engraved on the wall was this statement. I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, give
me a light that I may tread into the unknown. And he said, “Go out into the darkness and take the hand of God that will be better for you than a light and
safer than a known way.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith,
it is impossible to please God.”
James says, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” And verse 26 says, “Just as
the body is dead without breath, also faith is dead without good works.” What I want to say to you is living by faith
is not always safe.
And walking out our daily lives by faith is not always
safe. It means embracing the tension
between our questions and our obedience to God. And I had no idea at the time how important the wisdom in that
statement was going to be to my life and the journey we have been on for 20 almost 26 years.
Some of you struggle with recurring tests of your belief system systems as a Christian. It’s either a faith issue.
You’re not sure God can be trusted or you simply have a misunderstanding of
what the Bible says about living by faith. In other words, you you may not be exactly sure what God expects from you as a follower of Jesus.
So, let me explain it this way. Some of you struggle with self-discipline and consistency to exercise your faith,
which can be perceived as laziness or as a lack of priorities or concern.
Living by faith means praying bold prayers.
So, are you playing it safe when it comes to obeying God? Are are you willing to take bold risks for him?
Or will you continue to just play it safe in your journey every day? Because without faith, it is absolutely
impossible to please God because we must believe that he is who he says he is and that he rewards those who diligently seek after
him. So living by faith is not always saved.
Walking life out in faith is a daily trust that my life is in God’s hands.
And I’m not sure where it will lead, but whatever happens, I’m standing firm in my faith because staying in God’s hands is the safest place I can be.
So let’s look at two stories briefly kind of paint this picture. My first story is 1st Samuel 14. God’s people are
hiding in caves from their enemy, the Philistines. And Jonathan, son of the king, Saul, is tired of running and hiding. So he has a
conversation with his armor bearer and he convinces him to join him in a twoperson raid on a military outpost of the Philistine army.
So 1st Samuel 14:6, he says, “Let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows.
Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf.
Nothing can hinder him from saving us.”
Now, if you’re trying to convince me to do something really bold and courageous
and dangerous, I’d like something a little better from you. A little more convincing from you than maybe this will work.
I mean, I I think we’re going to be good. I’m like, well, hold on a minute. Let’s how much thinking have you done about that?
So So in one breath, Jonathan offers two opposing positions.
Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving us. And and maybe he will.
Okay. Wow.
This is the tension we must embrace if we’re going to live out a life of faith.
Jonathan is saying what most of us say.
I know God is able to do it and I hope he does.
I know he can. And I’m and I’m and I’m pretty sure he will, but I can’t be
completely certain how things are going to work out because living by faith is not always safe.
Let me be clear. Faith is not the absence of uncertainty.
It simply believes that God’s promises are bigger than my perhaps
because perhaps means there is uncertainty but it also means there is possibility.
And we all must accept that in the land of faith and bold prayers is where our promises and our perhaps have to coexist.
I know he can and maybe he will. And living by faith is not always safe, but
I’m okay with that as long as I know I’m in his hands. So don’t get out of his hands.
Go out into the darkness and take the hand of God. That’ll be better for you than a light and safer than a known way.
Sometimes you just got to hold on. That’s so good.
Well, you’re just talking about some theory. Well, I beg to differ. Ain’t no theory with me,
man. and I stood in our dressing closet 13 may it’ll be 13 years ago when we’d gotten that report and now we’re going
to go see this PET scan. We’re going to go get all this stuff, meet with Dr.
Jenkins and I hadn’t seen him in a number of years cuz we hadn’t had the need for chemo and all that’s going on
and and I’m standing there and boy came over me and I fell on my knees and I’m like God what are we going to do? And I
said, I heard it in my ears so clearly what Peter said when Jesus walked out to all of those followers and he, you know, he’s like, “What are y’all all following
me for? Why? Why are y’all here? Are you just here for the dog and pony show? Are you just here to what are you here unless you eat my flesh and drink my
blood?” Jesus said, “You don’t have any part with me.” And they’re like, “What is this? Messed everybody up.” Most of them left. And then Jesus looked at his
disciples and he said, “What are you going to do? Come on. Why are you here?
And Peter said, and boy, those words were in my heart and they came out of my mouth. Peter said, where are we going to
go? You’re the ones with the words of eternal life. We got no place else to go. We’re all in with you, and that’s
the safest place we can be. I don’t know how this is going to play out, but I know who the leader is. And I know that
as long as I’m holding on to your hands, you’re going to take me where I need to go. It might not be the path I want to go on, but it’s going to be okay.
Because I think sometimes we get stuck in an earthly mindset and we forget to realize that we’re just temporary
earthly beings. There’s an eternity waiting on us that’s far bigger than anything we have down here. And we need to keep our focus on that.
Okay. So, here’s the second story. Daniel 3:16, Shadrach, Meshach, Abedneo.
They had been ordered by Nebuchadnezzar, the king said, “You go bow and worship the idol that he built for himself. And if they refuse, they’d be thrown into
the fire furnace.” That was heated up 10 times hotter because of his anger. He was mad. And the king was mad. And here’s what they said.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t even need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
Man, I read that and I’m like, God, give me that kind of
like, it’s not even a question, right? Wow. The courage.
Do you hear it in their tone? Their their relentless faith in God said it’s
right in the Bible. We don’t need to defend ourselves before you in this. I mean, I can see the attitude like
they’re tick by now. Who we going to def who do you think we’re not going to defend ourselves before you
if we’re thrown into the blazing furnace? Read on. The God we serve is able. Say it with me.
is able to save us from it. And he will rescue us from your hands.
But even if he doesn’t,
You know, some of us just need to grow up a little bit. Pardon me if this is concentrated, but some of us just need to put our big panties on.
That would be for a woman. You men need to put your you come on, David strengthened himself
in the Lord. Some of you just need to you just need to gird up your armor around you and say, “I’m ready for the battle. I may get beat up, torn up. I
don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know God is with me. And I’ve got to tell you, even if he doesn’t come through like I want him to or think he should.
But even if he doesn’t, we’ll not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you’ve set up. God is able and we’re going to trust him no matter what.
Walking out a life of faith creates this tension that we simply have to learn to struggle through.
And some of you keep asking God to rescue you when he’s trying to get you to stand in your faith.
You cannot break the baby chick from its shell as it is struggling to peck its
way out of because the chick must endure the struggle to gain the strength to
stand upright with a strong neck and feed itself. What God is asking of you will not always feel safe.
Faith requires risk and faith requires obedience. But I don’t just see I don’t
I I just don’t see how he’s going to do this. How’s this going to happen? I don’t know what God’s going to do. Faith
is hope that is not yet seen. Hebrews tell us if God is if if if it it is
trusting God and being obedient even when it doesn’t make sense.
But I’m afraid. Is fear a sign that I don’t have faith? Absolutely not. It’s not wrong for you to feel fear. It’s wrong to let fear have the last word.
Courage is not the absence of fear.
Courage is pushing past your fear and moving forward anyway. It’s like, I know God is with me. I’m scared out of my
mind, but he sees things I don’t see and he knows things I don’t know. Come on.
Here’s a little more vulnerability for you. So, 12 years ago, this past fall when we got this news cancer was back
and Janet was just not doing well. And I had a trip planned. Don’t judge me here.
Stay with me, man. I had a trip planned with my dad, my father-in-law, and one of my dear friends. And we were going
from Texas to Colorado on a hunt. And we’d had it planned for a couple years.
And Janice said, “I want you to go.” It was in like October and this had been a few months now. And she said, “Danny,” she knew I needed that time. And it was
time with my dad. Uh, which went to heaven. He went to heaven October the 5th, just recently. And I, so this was
like 12 years ago. And she said, “You need to go.” And her sister flew in and stayed with Janet. And we took off on this trip. And I here’s here’s the point
I want to make. On that trip, Dad and I were riding together, my father-in-law and my other dear friend, which they were we’re traveling two vehicles. And I
looked at my dad, tears running down my face on this drive from Texas to Colorado. And I said, “Here’s Dad.
Here’s what you got to help me with. I have given Janet to God because she’s his.” And I’m asking him though to leave her with me because we got grandkids coming.
We We have eight grandchildren now. And at the time we had two. The second one had just been born like days.
And I looked at my dad and here’s the here’s the place you have to get to in this struggle is I said, “God, she’s
yours and I’m asking you to leave her with me. But if you know something that’s in the future that I don’t know, I have to trust you.
And she’s in your hands. And whatever you decide, I might not like it and it
might hurt, but I want what’s best for her because eternity is far more important than what’s on this planet.
And here we are. Here, here we still are. Here we still are.
And in August, in August, in Jesus name, we’re going to celebrate 44 years of marriage together. And I’m so and now now we got eight grandkids.
The youngest one is 10 months. The oldest one is 15. And we’re having the time of our life on this journey. You just got to figure out how you’re going
to deal with this tension and this struggle.
Courage is not the absence of fear. In fact, those who accomplish big thing big things for God are not the people who feel the least fear.
Often they’re the ones who deal with it most.
I was so scared at age 26 when we drove into College Station, Texas in 1987 with a three-year-old and $800 in our pocket
to start our church. I was scared 26 years ago when the doctor said it’s stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and it’s already spread to the lymph nodes.
I was really scared 13 years ago when cancer came raging back and I’m still scared. But but don’t let fear stop your
faith or trust in God because I know he is able and I hope he does it. I hope he does it. I hope he does it. And until
then, we endure and we wait and we work and we pray and we hope and we love and we we do what he’s called us to do.
So instead of letting fear disable your dreams, increase your capacity for faith and risk. Well, how do I increase my
capacity for faith? Listen to me. You act on the part of God’s direction that you understand and you leave the rest to him.
You embrace the tension of I know he can and maybe he will. You embrace that.
Don’t fight it. Embrace it. God, I know you can. I’m hoping you’re going to do it. No, you can’t. How do I trust God and stand in my faith when it doesn’t
feel safe? You simply step into the fear.
What do you mean? You quit letting fear be a war against you and just embra it.
What do you mean by No, you the fear.
You’re not going to be free of fear ever. Right?
If you are, you’re lying. And you know where you go.
And if you don’t know, the book says all liars. Anyway, that’s not my sermon.
You You got to step into the tension and into the fear. You take the chance
and you obey God knowing that whatever the outcome, he’ll be with you and he’ll take care of you. I said to the man who
stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread in the unknown.” He said, “Go out in the darkness. Take the hand of God that’ll be better for you than a light and safer than a known way.” You resolve to keep
believing God until his promises outgrow your perhaps.
But what if God doesn’t show up like I expect or hope or want? Well, you continue to stand strong on his word.
And I remind him, I remind him because he told me I could. You said, and this is what I read.
But what if God doesn’t show up?
This is when you learn to keep believing for what hasn’t happened yet.
After all, isn’t that what faith is?
What we hope for. See, it’s easy to say, “Man, I’m a man of faith.” But show me some works. Well, I saved by works.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But show me what you’ve been through. Talk tell me some struggles.
Talk about talk about some challenges you’ve had. How did that where did you lean? What what how did you process that? Where’s your faith in all of that?
Bold faith is about trusting God in the middle of your situation. especially
when you don’t know how it’s all going to work out.
So, let’s let’s close tonight today. And let me ask you, what what bold what what
act of bold obedience is God asking you to take?
In what area of your life are you playing it safe when it comes to trusting and obeying God? Is it trusting God to guide you through the the current
marriage crisis that’s there that you’re ignoring?
You’re holding back and she knows it.
Is it facing the fears this pandemic has created across our country, believing God will keep you and protect you?
Is it trusting God with with the money he gives you?
Do you struggle to prioritize him and let God give me wisdom and bless my finances? Do you struggle to get back to God?
Because faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
It there’s no faith there. It’s just a it’s just a statement.
Because without faith, it’s impossible to please God.
So what bold prayer are you afraid to pray?
So Janet and I have learned to trust God in everything in our marriage, our family, our money, our health, our future. We’ve given him our whole life with no regrets.
Now we’ve learned to embrace the tension between bold prayers and bold obedience.
Oh yeah. We I mean she’s like just the other day she said, “Man, Danny, I’m scared.” I’m like, “Man, I’m scared too, Janet.”
That doesn’t mean scared like hopeless or frantic or
[Music]
that’s that’s not that’s not that probably did look too nice. But anyway,
we look at each other, tears running down our face. I’m like, “Man, I’m scared too, honey.
So she sits here today and I’m again vulnerability. Maybe this will help you.
You see Janet sitting here and she looks like the picture of health. She got her makeup on. She got her eyelashes on.
You ever seen one of You ever seen people people maybe they only do this in Texas? They put eyelashes on the front of their car.
Don’t do that. Don’t Don’t do that.
So, four times in our marriage, I’ve had the opportunity to take a set
of hair clippers when Jan’s hair is all falling out because of the treatment and shave her head.
October, right after my dad passed, Janet and I have a little place in Durango, Colorado, and we love to go to the
mountains. And so we flew up to spend a couple weeks just to kind of chill and cancer. We’re already on this new journey with this new chemo, and her hair is falling out.
And she got had ended up in CCU for 5 days. It’s it’s a long journey. So, while she’s in the hospital, hair’s all falling out. And I’m like, “Honey, let
me It would look better, I think, if we just shaved it off.” And so, what husband can say four times you’ve shaved your wife’s head?
I bet I got the trophy on that one. Trophy.
So, but you say, “But look at her hair now.” Yeah, she fixes it and then puts it on.
She doesn’t have to roll it.
But here’s what I’m saying. You said, “Why are you saying I’m not trying to bear? It’s just a re You need to know reality, folks. Come on. You got to
understand life’s a mess sometimes.” And then so part of her journey, part of her journey is lots of tumors have been
in her muscles, in her back, and all through here. And so in the last 5 years or more now she’s lost the use of this
left arm about 80%. Her fingers have drawn up. Those tumors have destroyed all of those nerves and the pain here is
what she deals with most. So if you see her holding her arm, it’s probably because it’s hurting. And then she her hand is drawn up and she hates it. But
and I understand. So So today I watched her struggle putting her eyelashes on with one hand, you know, trying to do all that. And I said, “I can help you.
It’s not going to be very good, but I can help you. But here’s what I’m trying to tell you. You can either whine about something or you can put the eyelashes
on one hand and come to church.
Say, please, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m just saying life is a mess sometimes.
I know he’s able and I hope he does.
She is a living miracle. She’s not supposed to be here. Stage 4 metastic breast cancer 25 plus years ago. She’s They gave her six to eight years best.
20 Here we are. She’s not supposed to be here. I’m just saying you keep trusting God. You keep leaning on him. Come on, Chris. So, so here’s what I want to do.
Here’s what I want to do.
When you if you’re in this room today and there’s an outcome that is uncertain,
there’s a song that’s been a real help to me.
And we’re going to sing that song as a as words of declaration and proclamation.
Jesus is here today and he’s spoken to some of us. And if there’s an uncertainty in your heart about things
you’re facing, money, health, career, family, doesn’t matter.
I’d like to invite you when we sing this song to just stand if that’s you to say, “Lord, I’m giving this to you and begin to make a declaration with these words.
Christ is my firm foundation, the rock on which I stand.
Rains come, winds blow, but my house is built on you.
Amen.
Come on, if that’s you, as we sing it, I want you to stand.
The rock on everything around me shen.
I’ll never be more glad that I’ll put my faith in Jesus.
[Music]
He’s never let me down. Faithful through generations.
[Music]
So why would he now? He won’t.
[Music]
you.
[Music]
I’ve still got joy in. Come on, say it.
I’ve got peace that I won’t be going.
I’m not my
[Music]
Jesus.
He’s never let me down. He’s faithful in every season.
o I would now
[Music]
in the name of Jesus. He in the name of Jesus. He won’t.
[Music]
You won’t.
[Music]
You’ll never fail. You won’t.
[Music]
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. You won’t.
You won’t fail.
Oh, you came and we blew and my house was built on you.
Yes, it is.
I’m with you.
I’m going to make you for a king with blue eyes on you.
I save you. I’m going to make it through
the wind through my fulfilled for you.
Oh, I save you. I’m going to make it. Oh, I’m going to make it.
[Music]
In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus. Foundation. Rock.
Everything around me. Take it all.
I’ll never be more I
never let me down. faithful through generations.
Oh, I will be there now.
[Music]
He won’t fail.
[Music]
He won’t.
So I feel like that the Lord has gifted me and given me the opportunity to pray for people who are in that struggle. And
you prayed for yourself just now. And you’ve sung this song. But I’m going to ask you to close your eyes across the room. And I just want to speak over you
right now. Father, give a spirit of endurance to your people.
Give faith like we’ve never known to step into the fear, to embrace the tension, and to walk with assurance that
you are with us every step of the way. I am not alone. I
am not by myself. God is with me. Jesus, you are by my side and I lean on you and
I look to you because you are the beginning and the ending. You are the author and the finisher of my faith in
Jesus name. Amen. Amen and amen.
[Music]
Come on, let’s thank the Lord right now.
[Applause]
Come on. I feel victory in the house today.
[Music]
What a special special day of encouragement.
You know, I I I knew that this was going to be special. I just felt it in my spirit, but I also know the the the man
of God that was know him so well as we talked about through the day. And uh
[Music]
some of you who know fear ko w can proclaim
no fear n o
and what you feel becomes subjective. Ed to what you believe.
As as Pastor Danny put it so well that you will always have to step in to the fear.
You will always if you’re going to move forward in God, you’re going to always have to step into the unknown.
And today for some of you that just simply means a new beginning. We call it salvation where you turn your life over to God and
you don’t know everything about what’s ahead. You don’t know the consequences of that.
You don’t know what God’s going to ask you to give up. I can promise you this.
For most of you, if you’re just beginning on this, I’m going to tell you, be really honest with you. will probably tell you you got to give up some friends and relationships that
would hold you back and open yourself up to the new friends
that this is one of my friends you’ve heard from today. God will put friends in your life who love their wives,
their husbands, who have family, Pastor Danny’s family.
All of our children are serving the Lord today. Now, you know, you can say whatever you want to say, but that stuff just doesn’t happen
without God’s help and friends and the right people surrounding you.
But you got to make bold decisions about who who you’re going to do life with and who you’re not going to do life with.
Saying yes to Jesus might mean that you have to start doing things like like giving, volunteering,
pushing self aside. I don’t usually do this when I talk about salvation and tell you all the things you’re going to have to do first. But I just feel like
being honest with you today. Some of you are right here and the only thing holding you back from a better life is having the courage to make the decision
and say yes to Jesus and the best life possible this side of heaven is yours.
It’s yours.
So wherever you are, wherever you are on the east side over in Yakama, if you are at our DuPont location, our Bellev location, or online or here in Tacoma,
wherever you are, this moment is for you. It’s an opportunity. And I’m going to encourage you, whoever you are who
feels prompted right now. Don’t just take that for granted. You feel a prompting. You feel like maybe a little nervous right now cuz you’re about to
take a step of faith forward and pray a prayer of new beginnings, dedicating your life to God.
But I want to encourage you if that’s you today, man, woman, young person, whoever you are, I’m just going to ask you to boldly on the count of three, raise your hand. Don’t look around.
Don’t worry about anybody else. Don’t think about Don’t think about all the other stuff. Just Are you ready? One.
Come on. Your salvation. This is a decision I talked about earlier to move your life forward. One, two, three.
Hands up. Hands are going up. Right here in the corner. Hands are going up. and they’re going up. Yakimo,
keep holding your hand up, sir. Keep holding your hand up, man. God doing something new right now here today, and you’re part of that.
While your hand is in the air and held high, say with me, Lord Jesus, welcome to my world. Forgive me of all my sin.
Come into my heart and make me a new person. I receive you now.
as the leader as the Lord of my life and I’ll never be the same again in Jesus name.
And we all shout a great big come on a great big amen
and amen and amen. I welcome you to the family of God today. Okay. Now, somebody might be
coming to you right now, wherever you’re standing. If you had your hand up in the air and they’re going to give you a card, just a way of introducing yourself
to us. We don’t want you to stay on the outside looking in. Okay? Today, you are part of God’s family, which means you’re
part of our family. And this is just a connection point for you today. And and I’m believing that today as you have
prayed this prayer that new things are going to begin to happen in your life.
New people are coming into your life. Be faithful to God. We’re going to give you a little bit more direction in just a moment. We’re got a gift for you. We got
all that. But as you remain standing today, we’re celebrating you. And I’m going to I’m going to just share
something with you. I don’t want you sitting down. I know this has been a different day, but don’t sit down anywhere. All right? Because the Bible
says that the world of the generous gets larger and larger
and the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
This we’re clapping because we know many of us know this is a spiritual principle called reciprocation.
All right. When we give, it’s not gone.
[Music]
We just did it in a prayer. Some of you just said, “I give my life to Jesus.”
You didn’t just give up your life. You just found your life.
You just found your life. It’s not gone because the law of reciprocation that
God, it’s in harvest time, seed time, harvest. It’s everywhere in the universe and in the earth. And it’s a principle of God that when we give, it is given
back to us good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. And that’s why this principle that the world
of the generous just keeps getting bigger in friendships.
It keeps getting be bigger in love and joy and provision and favor and blessings.
And we’re going to give on our way out of service today. You’re going to give. And I just want to ask you as you prepare your tithe right now. Yeah. You can turn
around. I told you not to sit down. You can turn around and get your purse if you want. You can kind of get ready. But I’m just going to ask you because we’re living right now in a bit of a recession
or something going on in economics. And I’m believing that God’s going to provide all of your need.
I believe God’s going to supply for you and provide for you.
And you may think, “Well, Pastor Kevin, it’s not looking good.” I’m believing with you. I’m believing for you that God is going to open up doors. God’s going
to provide for you. He’s going to sustain you. And that when you give to him, I’m believing with you that the law of reciprocation is going to be in
effect. And as you give today, that that alignment with somebody that you need to meet, a person, an open door, an opportunity, it’s coming your way. I’m
just believing you that God takes care of his people. It can be in flourishing time, or it can be in the wilderness, but God’s taking care of you today.
Amen. So, I’m going to ask you to hold your hand up that represents your giving today. Just hold your hand up in the air. And I thank you, Lord, that we are blessed. I thank you that the favor of
God is upon us. And I thank you, Lord Jesus, that today your provision is
ours. You supply all of our need and our world, no matter what’s happening around
us, just keeps getting larger and larger in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, location pastors are coming right now. Location
patchers are coming