And you know today you’re in right standing with God, not because of what you have done, but because of what Jesus did. Come on, 2,000 years ago. Hey, God. Hello, Yakima. Hello. Look at your neighbor and tell them, I’m glad you’re here today. Tell your neighbor, like, church is better because you’re here today.
It’s better. The room is better. Come on, the room is better. Tell somebody it wouldn’t be the same without you here. Praise God. Amen. Shout out to all the students. Student takeover weekend last weekend. I think everybody who invests in Champion Center, everybody who has the heartbeat of Thinking 3, walked away last weekend from our services just thinking about how God has been so good to us and realizing that mission is being accomplished.
Through the young people, the youth, the young men, the young women who filled all of our campuses last week from the parking lot all the way to the platform, getting involved, being involved, loving the Lord. I was listening to watching the speakers as they talked, and I just thought, man, so much maturity.
Don’t put the youth down. Like, don’t treat them like kids. They’re just kids. Don’t do that. There’s so many of them like next level in their devotion to God and they’re just discipled and they’ve turned their hearts over to the Lord and they’re walking in the word of God. And so it was a big, just a big, exciting.
I want to thank all the youth leaders at every location, champion center, youth leaders. Thank you for your investment. Thank you to all the parents who make it all happen. It’s exciting to see things you dream about actually happening. In the life of the church. And then of course they came back for one big night this week.
And they went crazy. They got rowdy. They had professional wrestling in here. I told Pastor John. I’m like we haven’t been in the news lately. Let’s keep it that way. Okay. They had fun. You know our youth. They have, they, it’s experiential. They have encounters with God. They learn the word of God and then they have fun.
And why not? Just having fun, serving Jesus, being with their, being with the other young people in our church. So anyway, I couldn’t help but give a shout out to that. And you heard about September 28th coming up parent night. Everybody shout, be there. Everybody say be there. Okay. You may be seated.
Before I tell you what let’s do, let’s just all say as you sit down, say with me, my heart’s open. My mind’s ready. Make me better, God, by your word. I’m ready. I receive it. I believe it. I believe it. I believe your word. And I won’t be the same again. In Jesus’ name, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen.
So today is the official Champion Center launch, I should say, of our new book, True North. True North is available in softback, hardback, at all of our locations this week. I want to encourage you to grab one for yourself and a friend. Consider doing a small group around it. It’s available through Amazon. Other ways you can get it.
But, you know, best place to get it for many reasons is in the lobby here at your location. I’m really excited about this book. I’m excited about the opportunity that we had. I asked four pastors to join with me. And you can see the pictures of them on the back. I’ve never done anything like this before.
I think it’s pretty rare. Actually, but we engaged in conversations, had a lot of fun doing it, as you can imagine. And I think I thought it would be about half this big and it just got so good. So I want to encourage you to check it out. And I think it will really help you and it will help you in your walk with God.
You know, one of the best things God does is provide us with truth. I want you to think about that. Anybody thankful today for God showing you what you didn’t know? You know, what you didn’t know about him. What you didn’t know about yourself. Things you didn’t know, you know, he’s taught you a new way to think.
When you know the truth, Jesus said the truth will set you free. Say that out loud. Say, when you know the truth, the truth will set you free. It doesn’t just say the truth will set you free. It says when you know the truth. When you know the truth. Not when you’re around truth.
When you know the truth, the truth will set you free. And that’s not just like sometimes we think set you free of addictions. No, it will set you free from the garbage that you started carrying around. And the extra baggage. And the ways that you learned how to process. And things you thought were true and they’re not true.
Truth will… We’ll set you free. And here’s what I want to ask everybody to do today. I want to ask you to assume, I want you to assume, if you would, that this week you’re going to encounter everyday lies that are trying to access your mind. I just want you to think about that. Every morning when you wake up, between then and when you go to sleep, and maybe even sometimes while you’re sleeping.
Lives are trying to gain access into your mind and into your life. Can we just like start with that premise? You’re processing it with me. You’re thinking about it. I want you to start with the idea that you believe some things right now that are lies. So I’m not going to preach at you. I’m just joining in with you.
And we’re all acknowledging the battlefield where truth versus lies is part of all of our lives right now. And that is what Jesus came to do, is to bring truth to a world full of lies. Amen? Okay, John 18, verse 37. Jesus said, for this purpose, I was born. And for this purpose, I have come into the world.
To bear witness. What? To bear witness to what? The truth. God is the source of all truth. And Jesus said, I came to bear witness to the truth. And everybody who is of the truth. listens to my voice for this purpose i was born to bring truth i don’t know what your thoughts are when you think about jesus but i think the the most simplistic way people think about jesus is the baby born in a manger and we celebrate that at christmas and then Easter we celebrate, you know, that there was a cross, he died and he rose again, and we celebrate that.
And that’s like, that’s the pinnacles of, you know, of Christianity. But I just want you to think about and inject the thought and the idea here that Jesus said, I actually came to the world to bring truth. So being on the side of truth is being on God’s side. The battle between lies and truth is being played out every day.
In our homes, in our schools, our politics, our government. It’s being played out every day. In our world. Battle, battle, battle. Satan came into the Garden of Eden as a serpent. Lied. Created doubt. Did God really mean what he said about that tree? And boom, battle on. And it’s been going ever since then.
Lies versus truth. Jesus calling him out. Satan is a liar. He’s the father of all lies. Lies versus truth. I came to bring truth. And he’s a murderer from the beginning. He came to bring lies. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Battle on. Everybody say battle on. Say it again. Battle on. So truth is a bright light of knowledge that exposes the lies of the enemy.
And when we walk in truth, our life is blessed. When our children live in truth, they experience God’s protection and heaven’s favor, goodness and peace. When they know truth, walk in truth. Same for our nation. A nation that is built on truth will be a nation of… Freedom and blessing, peace. Truth is a good thing. Truth empowers us to overcome the lies of the enemy.
And so I want to talk to you today. I haven’t even introduced my topic yet. I want to talk to you about how to be a champion of truth. Being a champion of truth. And the first thing I want to tell you is stop being okay with lies. Okay with lies. The lies in your head, the internal lies of fear, negativity that cause you to be discouraged, cause you to be held back, cause you to live defeated.
Lies that tell you you’re not going to make it. Lies that tell you God’s forgot about you. Stop being okay with lies in your head. Stop being passive about lies. Stop being okay with generational lies, family lies. Stop defending it. Well, my dad was this way. My dad thought this, so you know I grew up in it.
Stop it. Stop being okay with it. It should stop with you. The lie should stop with you and the truth should come with you. Beliefs about people. Why do you not like… Those other people. Why do you not like that group of people? Why do you not like those people with a different color of skin than you have? What is your deal? You know what it is? If you have issues like that, it’s lies.
It’s lies. Stop telling yourself, I can be a Christian and favor one group over another. No, you can’t. No, you can’t. Jesus loves the world. He loves all the children of the children’s song. So I want to stop. I’m just wanting to raise up. Raise a banner and a flag and say, let’s all stop. Come on, God’s people.
Let’s stop being okay with lies. Let’s stop being okay with negative beliefs about God. Let’s stop being okay with the lies about church. The people at church. Reasons why you don’t go to church. Reasons why you’re… Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies. Stop being okay with a logic that says, I don’t think we have to give. I don’t think we have to tithe.
Oh, I’m getting ready like this was not in my notes. I’m straying away. I’m just encouraging. Come on, can we just first start with this? Say, I’m not okay with lies. Say it again, I’m not okay with lies. I’m not okay with lies being put on me. I’m not okay with lies being put on my children. I’m not okay with pressure to conform, to socialize, culturalize. I’m not okay with it.
See, lies are how the enemy gains access into our life and into our mind, into our family, into our culture. And then lies destroy us. They destroy marriage. They destroy careers, society, and nation. I’m really not oversimplifying this. It really is that. If you just dig beyond everything else, you get down in there, there’s lies.
Think about this. I’ve got it. I put it on your screen. Write it down. Lies are not just bad information. Lies are spiritual weapons. Somebody say that’s good. We’re going to talk about like how incoming lies lead to a deceived life. But let’s consider this. Let’s go to, let’s just go to. What if you’re in construction? Some of you are in the construction business today.
And every day you depend on measurements, right? But what if you don’t have a clear 12 inches equals a foot? What if that gets muddied up? What if something in the construction world starts saying it’s not really true? 12 inches is not a foot. It’s not a foot. It’s actually ten inches. And somebody else says, no, it’s actually seven.
Come on, think about it. Everybody gets on different pages. You talk about confusion. Right? Build something needs a consistent form of measurement. Or you’re all messed up. And Jesus said, you know, like, a foolish man builds his house on the sand. And a wise man builds his house on the rock. And then he described what the rock was.
He said, everybody who hears these sayings of mine and does them, he is like a man who builds his house. He builds his life on a firm foundation. So there’s a qualification. And what if everybody goes, no, I’m going to build it this way. No, we’re going to build it that way. No, we’re not going to do it God’s way.
No, we’re going to do it my way. No, I like that part of the Bible. I don’t like that other part of the Bible. So since I don’t like that other part of the Bible, I’m not going to, I don’t believe that. You start doing all of that. And what do you end up with? Same kind of thing that a contractor ends up with if he doesn’t have a verifiable measurement that is used.
When they’re cutting the wood and they’re cutting the drywall and getting it all together, got to have consistency, got to be a pattern, got to be a true north. Amen? So be okay with lies. Get fired up. I want to fire you up this week. I want you to get mad at the liar in your life. I want you to get upset about the lies that he’s telling you, he’s telling your children, he’s trying to infiltrate your mind every day.
just say, I’m not okay with that. Oh, it sounds simple, but fresh, better life. If you’re not okay with life. Okay. Second thing on how to be a champion of truth is learn to think biblically. Bible says, do not conform Romans 12 verse two, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That means from lies to truth. Every day, every week, every church service, God, show me something about me. Show me where I’m not getting it right. Show me how I’m not thinking right. Show me, God, put the light of wisdom, the light of revelation. I know I’ve been going to church all my life, but I’m still not there.
I need, come on, I need wisdom. I need truth. Then you’ll be able to test. And what God’s will is, his good and his perfect and his pleasing and his perfect will. Do not conform to the pattern of the world. Everybody’s saying this. That doesn’t make it true. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind to the truth of God’s word.
Pastor Sheila and Pastor Jody are in South Africa right now. And they’re actually getting ready to come home, but they’ve been speaking at a women’s event in South Africa. And when they return back to the United States, they’ll go through our United States Border Patrol, where they’ll present a passport, and they’ll have their bag scanned and body scans, and they’ll present proof of their…
You know, of their identity before they’re allowed to enter into the country. And this is the way it should be. This is how a country protects itself from those who will do harm to the people of our nation. Outsiders who come to steal, kill, destroy and hurt our nation. Now, I’m going to pause right there because this has been one of the lies.
It’s not really what I have. In my notes. But this has been one of the. It’s an example of a lie. That it’s okay to open up the borders. And just let people in. That’s the craziest thing. There’s no sanity in that. If so. Just go to your house. Open up the doors. And invite the people in the streets.
To come into your house. You know that’s crazy. But a lie gets introduced. And then it gets believed. And then lies infiltrate. Right? And so anyway, for what it’s worth, God taught people build walls. Build walls around your city. Put gates on your city gates. Like I’m not just making this up. Like this is biblical truth.
Like we don’t. Okay. You know the point. I’ll get to that maybe another time. But my point I really wanted to make is that the spirit of darkness has an agenda. To infiltrate your mind with lies for the purpose of destroying your life. Can you hear me? Since the day you were born, biblically, is like setting up a border patrol.
Your mind, where God’s word is the established truth. Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. Come on, don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good. Somebody clap your hands right now if you believe that God’s word is true. Cation, clap your hands. And just like my wife’s suitcases, baggage, and her person and everything on her is going to go through this rite of passage.
And they’re going to present identity of who they are called by God. And say, no, you can’t come here. No, you can’t come here. No, I’m not going to allow you here. That is not true. God’s word tells me the opposite. You cannot come here. I come here. Word of God that we start to call out what is not of God.
And we choose what God says over what others say. Opinions of the world. So just because something’s on social media doesn’t mean it’s true. Doesn’t mean it should be in your life. Just because something’s on TikTok doesn’t mean it’s true. It’s like, not here, not here, not here, not truth.
Just because a singer or an artist is popular, it doesn’t mean that you should listen to their song. It doesn’t mean, well, I like that song. I just like the music. I don’t pay any attention really to the words. Shut up. That’s a lie. That’s the way the enemy won. He said, if you hide in my word, you are truly my disciples. Truth will set you free.
If you do what? If you say it again, if you what? Come on, shout it out. If you what? If you abide in my word. I love what Apostle Paul says, 2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 5. He says, we destroy arguments and every lofty. He’s got like an attitude. He got some swag going on in this verse. He’s like, you know what we do? We destroy arguments, every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.
We take every thought captive to obey Christ. Like when it goes through our metal detector and the alarm goes off, we grab it and we get rid of it. It’s not allowed here. It’s not coming in my life. It’s not coming in my house. We destroy every idea, every concept, every… What’s he doing? He’s telling us to be champions of truth.
Amen? To only let what is God’s word come into our lives. So the third thing, being a champion of truth, is to speak the truth. Speak the truth. Everybody say speak the truth. Speak the truth. Learn to think biblically and then speak the truth. Now this one I think is a little bit more. You know, like getting into poking one another with this, like jab one another. Because we live in a time where truth is being censored and suppressed.
Am I right about that? And scripture says the people who suppress the truth, listen to this, they’re wicked. People, that’s Romans 1.18. It says people who suppress the truth by people suppress the truth by their wickedness is wicked to suppress the truth. Truth is God’s tool for good. Truth changes lives for the better.
So people who suppress the truth suppress it by wickedness. How many of you think God wants us to be quiet about the truth? Don’t don’t show your don’t raise your hands and show yourself unwise or foolish right now. No, none of us do. Anybody think God wants us to be quiet about the truth? Anybody think Jesus stopped speaking truth because the power brokers wanted him to? No.
And I think for all of us today, it’s just a challenge. The Bible says this, it says in Ephesians 4, it says, speak the truth in love. We will grow up when we do this to become every respect and have respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is Christ. I don’t have a lot of respect for people. And let me reword this. I don’t think you’re mature yet in Christ if you are afraid to speak truth.
If you’re afraid to have a conversation. I mean, just a few years ago, deliberation was seen as a positive thing. Right? Differences were discussed with respect towards those you disagree with. It hasn’t been too long ago that that’s been the case. But now there’s a fear that’s connected to speaking the truth.
And we have to remember God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. I said God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. So being a champion of truth is not being afraid to be on the side of truth. Stand up for truth. Stand up for truth in your home. Stand up for truth in your life. Stand up for truth at work. Stand up for truth at school.
I’m not talking about walking around and picking fights. No, no, no. I’m just talking about there’s a right time where opportunity presents itself. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid because God uses us to bring truth to the world, just like he came to the world to bring truth. He uses us to speak the truth.
Speak the truth. Speak the truth. And the verse I just read says, speak the truth in love. Let me just remind you, it doesn’t say be silent in love. There’s a total difference there. Well, I just don’t want to hurt somebody’s feelings. I don’t want to bring, well, there’s some times where we destroy the works of darkness by speaking truth that permeates the darkness and gets into somebody’s heart and life.
And God uses the truth we speak. To help deliver people from bondage. God uses the truth we speak. I think confessing God’s word is one of the most powerful things you can do in your everyday life as a believer. So if you’re not confessing God’s word in your life every day, you’re missing out on one of the weapons that God’s given you.
Speak the truth. You have doubt? Do you have doubt in your heart right now? Like, don’t just walk around saying, you know, I just doubt. I’m just not sure. I don’t know. No, no. Speak truth. Like, I’m standing on the word of God today. I’m standing in a place of faith. Fear, you have no place in my life.
God hasn’t given me a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. Speak the word. You feel like you’re struggling today? Don’t just talk about, well, I’m struggling. Don’t just walk around like that. Just say, no weapon formed against me will prosper. I serve the mighty God. So what are we doing? We’re going to speak the truth.
And there’s a lot of people right now that are, they are speaking truth. One I want to mention, her name is Riley Gaines. And many of you know her story, but she’s a female athlete. And one day she, after competing in the Olympics and some stuff happened to her, she was standing at a microphone trying to explain why women’s sports should remain for biological women.
And she wasn’t screaming and she wasn’t threatening anyone. She was just speaking with conviction, experience and biology. But within moments, the atmosphere shifted and doors were blocked. Security had to escort her through a hidden exit because the crowd became hostile. Not because she lied, but because she said something that people didn’t want her to say.
And this is the kind of moment we’re living in today. The suppression of truth is an issue at the core of good versus evil. Jesus loved people enough to tell them the truth. Think about that. Some of the most loving moments in the Bible are the truth-telling moments. Parents, tell your children the truth.
Don’t scream at them. Don’t threaten them. Just talk about the truth. God’s plan for our life. Can you shout amen? So don’t be okay with lies. Say that with me. Okay, say, I’m not okay with lies. Oh, I just love that one. I might just hang out on that one for a while. I am not okay with lies. I am not okay with lies.
I’m learning to think biblically. Come on. And I’m speaking the truth. That’s how we become champions of truth. Let’s be a church that speaks the truth. Speak the truth and love. We’re not conformed to the world. We’re transformed. We call the devil out. We throw the flag on deception. Not true, not true, not true.
We fight the good fight for truth. Amen? We stand up for God and his word. We cheer one another on. I want to just say to anybody who’s at our locations today, and you’re going to self-identify when I say this, is that your life is not. It’s not good right now. Your life is in a space where you’re discouraged.
Your life is in a space where maybe you feel overwhelmed. You might be in a place right now where you’re really struggling just to sort things out. And I want to encourage you for a minute. I want to say Jesus came to get rid of all that stuff and to help you get out of the fog. And get out of the confusion and live a victorious life in the clarity of his plan, his purpose, and his will for you.
He came to shed a light, like bring a bright light of hope, encouragement. He came to bring you joy. He came to bring you strength. And all of that comes when you know the truth. Truth sets you free. I’ve laughed sometimes, like, some bad things happen. Let’s just imagine here.
Somebody has a heart attack, okay? And they’ve been living in a fog. They have a heart attack. They end up in the hospital, and you’re like, not good. Horrible. Pray for them. They survive it. They get out of the hospital. No more fog. They love life. Life is a blessing. Life isn’t joy. They’re like in a new place of celebrating every morning when they get up.
What happened? The fog got cleared. The lies are gone. They get up every morning with victory in their heart and joy in their life just to be breathing and living. That’s what I’m talking about today is that he comes to bring life. He comes to bring hope. Come on. He comes to bring truth. Amen. Let’s be champions. Praise God.
Are you encouraged today by God’s word? I want to pray over you today. If you say, Pastor Kevin, I just want to be a champion. Just slip a hand up in the air. I want courage. I want boldness. I want to know more about God’s word. I’m enrooted right now. I’m getting the Bible in my heart. Just raise your hand. God, I thank you that you came to destroy the lives of the enemy.
God, I thank you that you came, God, to deliver us from lies that the enemy is telling us, lies in our family, lies in our history. I thank you that you came right now, God, to help us understand that you are a good God doing good things for people like us. And so in this room and every room today, I pray your word.
will remain in us, that we’ll abide in your word, and that truth will set us free in the powerful name of Jesus. And everybody said amen. Amen, amen, amen. Amen, amen. Come on, let’s clap our hands and thank the Lord today. Amen.
You’re seated today around people who have made decisions to follow Christ, but maybe you’re one of those people who’s today, you haven’t really crossed over the line. I want to welcome you today, the family of God. God’s been drawing you. God’s been speaking to you. God’s, you know, God’s been dealing with your heart and with your life. And he’s got you here. You’re not here on accident. You’re here on purpose.
And with heads bowed and eyes closed, I want to give you a chance today to make today your day of salvation. I’m going to invite you, if you would, today to just say, I’m not leaving the building. I’m not leaving this service like I came. I’m going to open up my life, open up my heart, and invite Jesus to come in and be the leader, be the Lord of my life, forgive me of all my sins, give me a fresh, brand new start.
If that’s you today, just right now, throw your hand up in the air. Put your hand up. This is my Sunday. This is my moment. This is my time. Good. God bless you. Good. My time of salvation. I don’t want to be the same. I want to be fresh. I want to be new. I want God’s plan of hope and salvation in my life. I want to be led by the spirit in my life.
Good, good, good. God bless you today. Good. Hold your head up high right now. I’m going to invite everybody. Pray this prayer with us. And if your hand is up, this is your day. Seize the opportunity and pray it out loud. Pray it from your heart. Say it with us. Lord Jesus, welcome to my world. Forgive me of all my sin. Come into my life.
Make me a new person. I boldly declare. By your word, I’m an overcomer. By your word, I have victory. By your word, I am forgiven. And today is my day of a new beginning. I won’t be the same again. In Jesus’ name, shout a great big amen. Amen. We welcome. Come on, let’s welcome church. Every person, welcome to God’s family today.