11 a.m. Traditional

[Music] I have a future and it's worth the living. Yeah. Cuz I wasn't made to be in a grave. I was called by name. Born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am yours and I was made for more. [Music] Hallelujah, your praise. Hallelujah. [Music] You buried my past so I'm not going back. Hallelujah. You call out my name so I sing out your praise. Hallelujah. You buried my past so I'm not going back. I wasn't made to be in a grave. I was called by name. Born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am yours and I was made for more. Hallelujah, your praise. Hallelujah. [Music] You buried my past so I'm not going back. I was made to be in a grave. I was called by name. Born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. [Music] So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am yours and I was made for more. [Music] From the beginning, you've been unchanging. [Music] Age to age, constant. You remain. Every question I've asked, you are safe. So I trust you even still. You are who you say you are. You do what you say you do. You come through. You are able. [Music] So I'm running through parted ways, straight to you. You are faithful, Jesus. You're holding me steady. [Music] This is a promise that you keep. This firm foundation. [Music] Who you say you are. You do what you say you do. You'll come through. You are always able. I believe. You already made a way. So I'm running through parted ways. Straight to you. You are faithful. I believe. [Music] I believe that on the cross your blood was spilled. And by your stripes I have been healed. And every promise, you fulfilled. I believe. I believe that you rose again in victory. And that same power lives in me. I'm born again. I've been freed. I believe. I believe that the gates of hell will not prevail. Your church is still alive and well. This gospel truth I'll live to tell. I believe. I believe that one day soon you'll split the sky. You're coming for a spotless bride. Until my faith has been made sight. I believe. I believe. I believe you are who you say you are. You'll do what you say you'll do. You'll come through. You are able. [Music] I believe you already made a way. So I'm running through parted ways, straight to you. You are always faithful. I believe. [Music] I believe. Oh, on that day. [Music] I'll finally see you face to face. And nothing will separate. I believe. I believe I'll join with every tribe and tongue. And bow before the Lamb of God. Singing holy, holy, holy. One I believe. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Good morning, my chapel family. Um, let's stand and worship the Lord this morning. All my words fall short. All my words fall short. I've got nothing new. How could I express all my gratitude? I could sing these songs as I often do, but every song must stand and you never do. So I throw up my hands and praise you again and again, cuz all I have is Hallelujah. [Music] [Applause] And I know it's not much, but I'm nothing else before a king except for our singing Hallelujah. I've got one response. I've got just one more. In my arms fresh, I will worship you. So I praise you again. [Music] And I know that I for king. [Music] Except for our singing Hallelujah. [Music] I'll bring my Hallelujah. [Music] Oh, so calm my soul. Let's lift it up. So come on my soul. Oh, don't you get shy on me. Lift your soul cuz you got a lion inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. Oh, come on my soul. Oh, don't you get shy. We lift up your soul. You got a lion inside those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. [Music] Oh, come on my soul. Oh, don't you sh. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Sh. You got a light inside. Get up and praise the Lord. Oh, I praise you again and again. All that I have is Hallelujah. I know it's so much, but I'm nothing else for except for our heart singing Hallelujah. [Music] So I throw up my hands and praise you again and again. Cuz all that I have is a Hallelujah, Hallelujah. And I know it's not much. I'm nothing else fit for a king. Except for a heart singing Hallelujah. [Music] Hallelujah. [Music] Amen. Thank you, church. Thank you for singing that because now I'm not nervous anymore. Stand up and sing. Hallelujah. Welcome. Welcome to our in-between service, you might say. It's our last service of the year. We're so glad you've come to worship with us. We want to remind you just real quickly that you have a bulletin. Hopefully, you brought one when you came in. Inside that bulletin, you have lots of information, but you have a QR code that you can scan and add your name as being in attendance. You can lift up prayer requests for for the pastors that pray every every single Monday. We lift them up personally. We also have a prayer team that lifts lifts prayers up. This is a praying church. Take advantage of that because prayer works and we thank you for we thank you for that. Uh, you can also put your tithes and offerings in at that same location. Let us go to the Lord in prayer. Oh, hey y'all. This is my first time preaching, okay? I never preached a day in my life. So, y'all y'all might get the best the best and the worst all at once. For anybody that doesn't know, my name is Pastor Tristan Hunt. I'm one of the associate pastors on staff here, usually in charge of prison ministry. So, you might hear that word a couple of times during the course of this day. Bear with me. Give me give me grace. Now, let us go to the Lord in prayer. Our heavenly father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for opening the doors that we might come in and worship you, Lord. We're not here for us. We're here for you. We're not here to learn as much as we're here to share, to share the spirit, to share the anointing of the Holy Spirit that works and lives in each and every one of us. Now, let us touch each other that we may know you better in the course of this day. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Now, let's get out and greet each other. Get out in the halls and the ball hallways and the byways and let's say hello to everybody. [Music] I know who I am cuz I know who you are. The cross of salvation was only the start. Now I am chosen. I'm free and forgiving. And I have a future and it's worth the living. Cuz I wasn't made to be attended in a grave. I was called by, born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. So why would I make a bed in my shame when the fountain of Christ is running my way? I know I am. And I was made for more and I know who I am. on you. The cross of salvation [Music] was only now I am chosen. I'm free and forgive. I am a future. And these words [Music] cuz I was made to be dead in the grave. I was born by name. Born raised back to life again. I was made more. [Applause] Oh, why would I make a better my when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am yours and I was made for more. Hallelujah. You called out my name, so I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah. You buried my past and I'm not going back. Hallelujah. You call out my name so I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah. You bearing my best and I'm not going back. back cuz I was a name to be dead in a grave. I was called by name. Born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. [Music] So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am yours and I was faithful [Music] because I was made to be tended a grave. I was born by name born and raised back to life again for more. Why would I make a bed in my shame when a thousand of grace was running my way? I know I am yours and I was made for more. Hallelujah. You call out my name so I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah. [Music] You buried my past and I'm not going back here. [Music] You call out my name. So I'll sing out your praise. Hallelujah. [Music] You bury my past and I'm not going back. I wasn't made to be tended in a grave. I was called by name. Born and raised back to life again. Cuz I was made for more. [Music] So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace was running my way? I know I am yours and I was made for more. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Sing. The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd and he is everything I need. So I will not worry and I will not fear the enemy. He said that he loves me. He said that he's with me even though I walk through the valley of shadow and death. And still I know he has good plans. He has good plans for me. So I will take heart in deserts and gardens. He has good plans. He has good plans for me. If I know my father, I know my father has good plans. [Music] The Lord is my savior. So why should I doubt my victory? Why would I question him? The rod and the staff that comforts me. He quiets the waters. He quiets the storm inside of me. So what could be better than walking with him when I believe he has good plans. He has good plans for me. So I will take heart in deserts and gardens. He has good plans. He has good plans for me. If I know my father, I know my father has. He has good ways. He has good plans for me. So I will take heart in deserts and go. He has good plans. He has good plans for me. Cuz if I know my father, I know my father has good plans. God bless. [Music] Surely your goodness, Surely your goodness and mercy will follow after me. Fear will not find me cuz I'll be dwelling in the house of God. Surely your goodness and mercy will follow after me. Spirit will find me cuz I'll be dwell in the house of God. Surely your goodness and mercy will follow after me. I'll be in the house of God. Surely your goodness mercy will me. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Yeah. Heat. [Music] Yeah. Heat. [Music] Good. Good. Good. If I know my father, I know my father has. He's got good plans. Cuz if I know my father, I know my father has good plans. [Applause] At this time, I like I'd like to ask our ushers to come forward and collect our offerings and gifts. And as we continue to worship together, would you join me in a prayerful spirit? Let us pray. Our loving and gracious God, we're grateful that we can gather in your name this morning to hear your message. Prepare our hearts, our minds to receive whatever it is that we need to receive. And let us pour out whatever we need to pour out as well. As we await this new year, we pray for hope. We pray that we continue to deepen our own faith experience so we can embody your grace. so we can embody your love, but mainly so we can embody your compassion. It is so needed right now with our broken world. But let us be catalysts of everything you stand for, which is unconditional love. We're grateful that we can uh await a new year with a new horizon, a new way to look at where we are and move forward. At this time, we'd like to pray for those that are also seeking hope and needing it. We pray for those that are seeking to restore. [Music] We pray for those that are seeking certainty during a time where they're seeking. We ask for all these things in the name of Jesus who taught us how to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. [Music] The Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. [Music] Amen. [Music] Amen. Amen. [Music] Amen. Amen. Amen. [Music] The Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. [Music] Amen. Amen. Amen. [Music] Amen. [Music] Amen. Amen. [Music] Amen. [Music] Amen. Amen. [Music] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Oh, [Music] may his favor be upon you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children and their children. and his name be upon you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children and their children. May his presence go before him and they beside you, all around you within you. He is with you. He's with you. You're coming and going. You'reing rejoicing. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. [Applause] Yeah. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] be saved beyond you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children and their children. His presence go before you and behind you and beside you, all around you and within you. He is with you. He is with you in the morning in the evening and you're coming and you're evening and rejoicing. He is for you. He is for He is for you. for you. [Music] Sing it. Amen. Amen. Amen. [Music] Amen. Amen. Amen. [Music] [Applause] Hallelujah. Thank you for the white heads and their leading of our worship music. Thank you very much. I don't think they have to struggle with song time on the on the stage, do they? They just all join in together. Have you ever felt like you were unimportant? Have you ever felt like you were the brunt of a joke? Ever been dismissed before you ever got started? And dismissed just because you didn't measure up to somebody else's thoughts on what is right and what is good and what is professional or what is acceptable. I want you to know that I believe at some point in our lives, if it hasn't yet, stand by because it will happen sometime that we will all have been slighted, overlooked, misunderstood, felt invisible. And yes, if any of you answered yes as I do to those questions of human conditions, I want you to know you are not alone. Several group people groups that I know come to mind that experience dismissal from the masses when they find themselves struggling with multiple life experiences. Examples, families with incarcerated members get shunned all the time. In fact, it's commonly known that if a member of the family gets incarcerated, the whole family seems to be incarcerated. They may not all be locked up, but they get the eyes behind them. They get the looks about them. They get scorned in the public. They get laughed at, belittled, dismissed from friend lists, slighted, overlooked. In fact, I've even heard of some of them being called criminals themselves. another people group that struggle with all the above sickness that can't be seen people examples uh is so long that I I I didn't I decided not to add any list because I couldn't stop but you know in yourselves those people that get slighted because they're maybe physically deformed by birth or by accident and suddenly when you come up on them or when some people come up on them they turn their head way instead of reaching out and embracing. But you know who else? One that's the closest to each and every one of us hopefully Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ felt those same shameful words, that same dismissal, that that same attack on his on his character. Yes. Yes. Today I I decided today when when Pastor John invited me to preach, I thought, wonderful. I I don't know what I'll talk about, but wonderful. And you know what? I walked out of that office and the very first thing that came to me is something that you guys get to get to experience all the time. In fact, the story that I want to tell today, many of you have a party in one way or another. But let's begin the story by hearing from Jesus himself. In today's scripture re reading, you'll see that Jesus was teaching his disciples about what is to come. He was going to leave them soon and he knew that his absence would cause great sadness upon them. And so he wanted to make sure they were not confused. He wanted to remind them that they will see him again. And like all of us, when we're learning something for the first time, we get confused. We're not sure what it is that that we're hearing. And that's what the disciples were doing at this point in time. They were confused not necessarily by the words that Jesus was speaking but of the true meaning behind the words that Jesus was speaking. So he is defining the use of his words so that they would better understand the context. So I invite you now if you have your Bibles to go ahead and pull them out. Perhaps it's in a digital form format or or on your phone or maybe it's the pew Bible in front of you or possibly in on the back of today's bulletin. Feel free to go there and I think they'll be I think it will be up there on that displayed up on that board behind me. Hear now the words of the Lord. A little while and you will no longer see me. And again a little while and you will see me. Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn. But the world will rejoice. You will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy may be made complete. May the words of our savior move us all to action. as he spoke that words in and in and verse 20, it seems to me that king that that that that Jesus may have even directed his disciples to King David's words in Psalm 30, reminding them that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Certainly, that particular psalm would would fit in many instances instances in today's Christians world. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. For the last four weeks, we have been in a series sharing the light of the world. We have ushered in a season of preparation, our time of Advent, a time when 26 staff members recorded daily podcasts sharing where the light of Christ has been recognized and is evident in their lives. It has been revealing, humbling, exciting, funpacked the whole month. And I hope you took at least five minutes out of your day to listen to those heartfelt moments revealing the power of the Holy Spirit using common men and women to shine the light of Christ into the world we walk in. This week that preparation culminated in celebration of our Lord and Savior's birth. Happy birthday Jesus. I pray that each and every one of you have affect have been positively in some way or another affected by his light and are now fired up to enter into 2026 telling everyone you know about your experience with Jesus. All of us have heard of the Salvation Army. I believe the Salvation Army. Uh, we we'll see their red kettles at at all the at all the grocery stores and the malls. We see them as we enter in. Uh, we we watch the Dallas Cowboys jump into a big old red kettle after a big touchdown. Well, okay. Sometimes. Not so much this year. That army, the Salvation Army, was founded in 1865 by a British Methodist pastor, William Booth, and his wife, Katherine. It was known then as Christian mission. But soon after beginning his ministerial career in England, Booth abandoned the whole concept of the traditional church pulpit in favor of taking the gospel straight to the streets. all directly directly to the people. Walking the streets of London, he preached to the poor. He preached to the homeless. He preached to the hungry and the destitute. The hungry and the destitute. When clergymen found out that what Booth was doing, they disagreed with everything he did. They disagreed with his unconventional approach. and he and his wife finally had to withdraw from that church to train evangelists throughout England. Jesus reminds us and I believe they remembered those words of Luke 5:31. Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. So thieves, prostitutes, gamblers and drunkards were among the first converts to Christianity in Christian mission. And soon those converts were also preaching and singing in the streets and living the testimony of Jesus Christ in their life. When Booth read a printer's report of of the 1878 Christian Mission annual report, he noticed something in the statement. The words the Christian mission is a volunteer army. H crossing out those words volunteer army, he pinned in salvation army. Those words in fact became the basis of the legacy of the Salvation Army. In fact, the the Salvation Army launched an offensive throughout the British Isles that in spite of violence, in spite of persecution, they converted 250,000 souls to Christianity between 1881 and 1885. Their message spread like wildfire. It spread all over the place, eventually gaining gaining a foothold in America. Not only in America, it moved up to Canada. Not only in Canada, went all the Australia and France and Switzerland, all over the place. It just kept growing and growing. And today, in fact, the Salvation Army is active in virtually every corner of the world and serves in over 100 countries offering the message of God, healing, and hope. That's the message of God. And they serve it to everyone. Now with this background context, let's launch into the story that I really came here to share. In 1979, a little closer to our time frame, our era, the Salvation Army captains Charles and Shirley White, no relationship to Lewis White, the Reverend Lewis White that started White's Chapel, but they came together and they were told as they were putting their buckets out, they were told at a mall in Lynchburg, Virginia, that no, you may not put buckets out here. Ouch. They were a little bit confused. Why not? We've been doing this forever. He said, "I'll tell you what. There's there's a couple of trees inside the mall. You're welcome to use those trees. If you can find a use for them to bring into your into your ministry, you can use those." Wow. They said, "This is quite a conundrum. What are we going to do? Our our method has been cut off." And as that later on that week, they were they were in the Hallmark greeting card store and they saw these cards, angel cards. Boom. Something happened inside their brain. They began to think about a way that in fact inspiration was born. And so they took they bought as many of those angel cards as they could and and they they used those cards to identify children in need and then placed them on the mall trees. There they invited people to choose an angel card, purchased the items listed and returned them to the mall trees where volunteers were standing by to accept and receive their their gifts and then distribute them. As the names were compiled, they began to realize that they don't the kids don't just need toys. The kids need clothes as well, the essential clothing. And so the list morphed in from to toys and things that were fun to play with to also include undergarments all the way to warm jackets, everything stitch of clothing that you would wear to school so that you would have nice warm clothes to go to school on. You know that very first tree? That very first tree served 476 needy children. Now wait a minute. I don't know. Has anybody in here ever started something? When you start something, it it never starts off with 476. To me, that's this. It always starts off here and grows. But when they said 476 total angels were on that tree, I was blown away. But you know what blows me away even more? Today, they serve over 1 million children every single year. Wow. I'll say it for you. That's a lot of people. That's a lot of kids. You see what happens is God takes our little and makes it into a legacy. I never know whether or look back to see if there's anything there or not. I'm just going to take the word that it is. Okay. So, I want to go on to that from there. What happens there is I learned this story about a person that's very important to my story today. And I'm going to title her from bank robber to angel. And I'll tell you a little bit about this bank robber. Her name was Mary K. Beard. And from the time by the time that she turned 27, she had established herself as one of the most notorious criminals in the country. Along with her husband, Mary Kay was wanted in four states for a string of bank robberies and became the target of a mafia hit for double crossing the mob on a diamond heist. She was a mean girl. She appeared on the FBI's 10 most wanted list and earned the reputation as Bonnie Parker of Alabama. I know there's some younger people here don't even know who Bonnie Parker is, but it seemed like Mary Kay's life would come to the same kind of violent end as that legendary Texas duo, Bonnie and Clyde. But God had a different me had a different message. He had a different plan. Can I have a water, please? God put her in a place where she could learn and do something different. In fact, in 1972, Mary Kay was arrested. Thank you, ma'am. Mary Kay was arrested and she was put in uh she was convicted and and and sentenced to 21 years in the Alabama State Prison. I told y'all I was going to hear something about prison somehow. Another 21 years. And it was in that prison that God called her to a new life. Flipping through the Bible one evening on her bed, Mary Kay read Ezekiel 36 26-27 where it says, "And I will give you a new heart, a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. and I will put my spirit within you. And cause is what it's written in the message. But but Mary Kay didn't read cause. Mary Kay read. And I will empower you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Okay, God. She prayed in her cell that very night. If you will do that for me, I will give the rest of my life back to you. You see guys, when we ask, God moves and he opens the way for us to take action. Fast forward a decade. In 1989, I was attending Wheatland United Methodist Church in Dallas when the opportunity to participate in the Angel Tree program was presented to the congregation. My family was blessed to deliver Christmas gifts to children of incarcerated men and women. Now, I didn't tell y'all this, but I've been involved in prison ministry since 1995, going into the prisons, telling people about Jesus Christ, letting them know that they are not alone. But this happened pre prison time for me. And and so my when we were delivering these clothes and these gifts, uh, we walked into a house and there was a little boy and there was a bigger sister. The little boy was excited to see us because we had gifts. What 5-year-old boy have you ever seen that wasn't excited to see those? And his daughter who was about I mean his sister who was about seven was terrified. She did not warm up to us at all. In fact, she plastered herself against a wall and she did not move the whole time we were there. Little brother, on the other hand, boy, he was so excited. He was bouncing off the walls. He wanted to know where did these gifts come from? How did we how did we get them? And when we told him that they were from their dad, he wavered just for a moment. His dad had been in prison most of his whole life, and he wanted to know, how did their dad know what they wanted? How did their dad go to the store and buy it? He's in jail after all. Remember, this is a 5-year-old boy. He wanted to know. He wanted details. He wanted facts. He was so excited about us delivering these gifts from his dad that he we didn't get a chance to speak. We just had to listen and let him let him finally give out of all his questions. We answered him as best as we could, but he finally calmed down and we were able to continue doing what we were there to do. And as we were leaving, my friend, which there was two families delivering all these gifts together that day because we had a bunch of them, my friend reached over and touched her shoulder, not to not to grab her into something, not to draw her away from the wall, simply to let her know that she was loved. and that she was thought about. This little girl who had been frozen all this time suddenly grabbed up his her his legs and wrapped herself around him and began to cry, sobbing, "Thank you. Thank you for bringing us gifts from our daddy." You see, at seven years old and 5 years old, when your daddy's been in jail for four years, you don't know who he is. You don't know what he's up against. You don't know what to expect. But they knew after talking to us and hearing what it is that they received that it was from their daddy because we said things that only their daddy would know. You see, back when I talked to you about Mary Kay, Mary Kay uh had been in prison those years and and even though Chuck Coulson is the founder of prison fellowship and it's in part of his ingrained in part prison uh Angel Tree Ministries ingrained in it, he recognized and he gave credit to the former bank robber Mary Kay Beard as having in the person who joined prison fellowship upon her release and spearheaded Angel Tree for incarcerated parents. You see what happened with that with with Mary Kay is she witnessed mothers packaging up toiletries, wrapping them up in the newspapers that they had, packaging up toiletries, shampoo, soap, whatever they could get right there because that's all they could afford. and given them to these children as they came to visit them on Christmas. And she was moved. And back when later on when God opened a door, when God made a way, she remembered that. And when God made the way, she figured out the logistics so that every child of inmates might receive a Christmas gift from prison and know that they are loved and not forgotten. The result of her promise that was it the the promise in she read in Ezekiel 36 was had opened a way for God to allow her to share his love by helping meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of families of prisoners. Now over 40 years strong, Prison Fellowship, Angel Tree has served millions of children, providing them with Christmas gifts from their incarcerated parents. Lives have been changed, families have been restored, and the gospel has been proclaimed. In the late 90s, a group of volunteers led by our esteemed director of adult education, Tracy Christensen, along with a few dedicated volunteers, had been and has been for more than a quarter century leading the Angel Tree program here at Whites Chapel and has been serving the needy in our community. They didn't find them. Many of you have been out there and looking at at the angel trees as they went this last month and you saw that they were everywhere. All down that aisle, all across here, they were everywhere. That went from two trees to a forest. And now that Tracy has has definitely no longer involved in it. She's she's handed off the baton. Uh, this we just we get the luxury of of of partnering with many organizations from right here in this church that provide the the needs that they need. And it's not just prisoners, okay? We're not our Angel Tree Forest is not with prisoners at all. In fact, it does provide stuff that's needed uh for families in crisis, for women's shelters, for children's agencies, for veterans, for military families, for refugee families. You see, the needs list keeps growing every year. The Bible, folks, is chocked full of stories about the Lord taking our not enough and turning it into more than enough with leftovers to boot. Some examples are look at Exodus 16. You'll you'll see and read about how God feeds the masses. the masses. If you do some study, you'll find out the masses may be somewhere in the vicinity of two million people. He serves the masses. Quail and mana for 40 years. Our little he turns into a legacy. Or maybe you read about in John 6 where Jesus feeds 5,000 plus with the five loaves and two fish of a not enough but willing to share young man's lunch. And the disciples, they picked up 12 baskets full of leftovers. Now, I'm not a super athletic person, but my when my children were younger and when they wanted to play catch, I was quick to participate. My children used to laughingly say, "I can put the ball in your hand, Dad, but you still got to catch it." You'll catch on to that one as you're going home. Some of y'all are better than me catchers, but and we still have fun doing it because it's with the family. The love, the joy that happens when you're involved in a family is amazing. We are faithfully serving the needs of multiple communities. Maybe it'll come up ma multiple ministry gifts uh uh organizations right here from our church. The church can open opportunities for you to serve, but you have to show up. You have to participate. You have to do the work. Ladies and gentlemen, somebody had to submit the names of those children in order for them to receive the gifts provided by God through his followers, you and me. Remember how the text ended? Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. You ask, if you ask, you will receive so that your joy may be made complete. It reminded me of Psalm 127:3. And I thought about the core message of that psalm. It is that children are a divine gift, a blessing from God, a precious heritage. They are not burdens. They're the source of strength, legacy, and joy. We do not serve for ourselves, but for the happiness and joy of others. However, I found out and many of you will too, and many of you that I've served with mission trips will attest, somehow someway, maybe by osmosis, every time we serve, we are filled with God's grace and joy abundantly because he knows that we are not invisible or forgotten. To God be the glory. Amen. Our heavenly father, we we know that today is your day. This is the day that we get to worship you. This is a day that we get to come before you and let you know just how much we love you. Let you know how much we recognize that we are your children. That we are gifted by your gifts. That our ability to speak is because you allow us to speak. our ability to raise hands in worship is because you allow us to have hands to raise. Lord, now I just ask that you take every word that was said in today's message, bring it to fruition in each person's life that is here that they may know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are not forgotten. They are not invisible and you will make a way and a legacy if they will simply give you their little. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. [Music] Let's sing together my soul. Oh, don't you get sh me with your soul. You got a lion inside those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. Come on my soul. Oh, don't you get shy of me. Lift up your soul. Cuz you got a lion inside of your soul. Get up and praise the Lord. Oh, come on my soul. Oh, don't you g your soul. Cuz you got a lion inside those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. [Music] So come on my soul. Oh, don't you get shiny. Lift up your soul cuz you got a light inside of those. Get up and praise the Lord. [Music] So I'll put my hands and praise you again and again cuz all I have is [Music] I know it's not much but I'm nothing else for him except for heart Hallelujah. [Music] Hallelujah. [Music] >> You're welcome to stay a few minutes longer and listen. You're welcome to hear a a pastor pray for you. You're welcome to join the Steven Minister that's standing over there underneath the Steven Ministry banner to pray if you need prayer or to pray with someone else. We're not rushing you out of here, but we want you to know that there will be communion served in this church as there is every Sunday. Today's communion will be held in both the parlor and the gallery. Please join us in this last line and last stanza and that will be your benediction. You're free to go after that. So I throw up my hands and praise you again and again. Cuz all that I have is a hallelujah. [Music] And I know it's not much, but I'm nothing else fit for except for a heart singing hallelujah. [Music] Y'all have a blessed Sunday. [Applause] Everything I need. My father [Music] and every single time the Lord will proide. My father has it. My father has it. Yeah. [Music] I know he has it. Look at the sparrow. It's lacking for nothing. Fear of tomorrow and what it will bring. I know if I have you, I have enough. Cuz your love will sine. Everything I need. Everything I need. My father has it. My father has it. And every single time the Lord will provide my father has it. My father has it. Yeah. [Music] I know he has it. [Music] Seek first the kingom and its treasures and everything else. It will be added. All that I'm needing. Yes, I know the Lord will provide. I know my God's not empty. He gives us blessings upon blessings. I'm still believing that I know the Lord will provide. Yes, I know. Seek first the kingom and its treasures and everything else will be all that. I know the Lord will provide. [Music] And I know he gives us blessings upon blessings. I'm still believing. Yes, I know the Lord will provide. Yes, I know everything I need. Everything I need. My father has it. My father has it. And every single time, the Lord will provide. My father has it. My father has it. It's everything I need. It's everything I need. My father has it. My father has it. Every single time the Lord will hold my father. Seek first the kingom and its trees. It's everything else. It will be all that I needed. I know the Lord will provide. I know. I know. My God's not empty. He gives us blessings upon blessings. I'm still believing. I'm still I know the Lord will provide. I know the Lord will provide. I know the Lord will provide. [Applause] [Music] [Music] How great this love. Oh, it's moving on my mountain. This perfect love is casting out my fear. How great this love. Oh, it welcomes me like family and anywhere I go and meet me there. Cuz he is good and he is God and what I [Music] got. He is just it all. So kind. What I deserve, it's not what I find when I say my God is love. [Music] Oh great this love. Oh it's faithful through my failures. This trust in love, it's with me till the end. How great this love. Oh, it's closer than a brother and this is love. He died so I could live cuz he is good and he is God and what I earn. It's not what I got. And he is just yet oh so kind, what I deserve. It's not what I find. And he is good. And he is God. And what I earn, it's not what I got. And he is just so kind, what I deserve. It's not what I find. What more could I say about him? My God is love. [Music] My God is love. [Music] I know my God is love. I know my God is love. And this is enough to know. My God is love. I know my God is love. I know my God is love. And this is enough to know my God is love. I know my God is love. Cuz I know my God is love. And this is enough to know. Oh my God is love. [Music] He is good and he is God. And what I heard, it's not what I got. He is just yet oh so kind, what I deserve. It's not what I find. What more could I say about him? My God is love. What more could I say about him? My God is love. What more could I say about him? My God is love. [Music] Blessed are those who run to him who place their hope and confidence in Jesus.