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Thank you for listening to this message from the Altar Fellowship.
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Good morning.
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You can go ahead and be seated.
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It's good to see you.
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All right, we're getting there.
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I love y'all.
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Happy anniversary, guys.
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This is uh this this listen for for all of our you know yeses and investments and of time and energy and resources into this church, man, it would be very awkward if it was just me, my wife, and kids in here by ourselves.
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And so uh I'm so great, I'm so grateful uh that each one of you has been hand chosen by God to be a part of this community.
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I'm so grateful that uh that that your talents, your energy, your voice, your unique expression, the beauty and uh and the revelation that God has given you, that you bring those as a gift to this house so that we together can bring to the Lord our gifts uh week after week.
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And so thank you just for uh for being here.
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Thank you for giving your time, uh, your resources, your finances, your your energy, your gifts, your abilities uh to the Lord here as a part of this house because it you know I always come back again and again to the to the wise men that came to Jesus with their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
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I I think and that we we get to join that company of people who have the revelation of the worthiness of Jesus and who are able to bring our riches, our resources, our gifts to to him uh for his honor.
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And so thank you just for being a part of that here.
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I just want to tell you guys, y'all are amazing.
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You guys bless us, me and my family more than I'll ever be able to articulate.
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We're so grateful uh for you.
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And uh, and you know, I I believe something that I've preached a lot through the years is that Isaiah, I think, meant it when he said that there will be no end to the increase of his kingdom and his peace.
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And so that which we have experienced to this point, we expect that what is to come will be even greater.
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The miracles, the lives and families that have been restored, uh, the people that have been, the captives that have been set free, the amazing and tremendous, miraculous moves of God or demonstrations of God's power and love we have experienced over these last seven years, I think aren't even fit to be compared to the glory that is to come in the years ahead.
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And so I am excited.
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Today I feel like we are, you know, on the on the first, taking the first step of a journey into unprecedented glory.
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And uh and I'm glad to have you along for the ride.
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So you feeling good?
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All right, you know, as we as we celebrate today's seven amazing years of serving this community, I'm blown away over and over again by the faithfulness and kindness of God.
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You know, over these last couple days, uh, Friday night and Saturday night, we have uh remembered the things that God has done in the past, some of the breakthroughs, blessings, miracles that he's done.
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But today I want us to begin together to turn and look toward the future.
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Uh Proverbs 29, 18, uh it says this in the King James Version, it says, where there is no vision, the people perish.
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That's not right.
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Where there where there where there is no vision, it says, the people perish.
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And this is a verse maybe you have heard.
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I know I've quoted it in in the past.
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And uh, you know, it's funny when I I think about this verse, I remember the the very first time uh I was ever invited to travel somewhere as a guest preacher.
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It might have been actually the second time I was invited to to travel somewhere as a preacher.
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I went to uh Minneapolis, I met a um uh a man in uh in Mexico who was a missionary down in Mexico, who's on a mission trip, and he said, I'm a part of a church in Minnesota, we'd love to have you.
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And I flew up there and I preached on this verse.
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And uh, and I I it's easy for me to preach on this verse because I am by nature a visionary.
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Vision comes easy for me.
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I'm never, you know, twiddling my thumbs thinking, all right, Lord, what should we do next?
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That's the easy part for me.
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It's like, how do we get from where we're at to where I'm dreaming about us being?
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Like, that's the that's the uh the the question or the stuff that I maybe wrestle with more.
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And so, you know, when when Proverbs says in in uh in chapter 29, verse 18, where there is no vision, the people perish.
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I I think it can be for us maybe a little bit confusing.
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The New King James, which is what I tend to preach out of, I think says it in a way that's a lot clearer.
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It doesn't say where there is no vision, the people perish.
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It says says it like this where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.
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And so vision, it doesn't just mean physical sight.
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Uh the the word there is the Hebrew word chazon, and it doesn't just mean like physical sight, it doesn't mean the ability to see.
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Uh vision mean it doesn't even mean a plan or uh a strategy.
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Vision specifically means like a divine revelation, a sense of of God's dream.
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And and so the the Bible is is telling us in that moment that that what life requires, what freedom requires, what our connection to God requires is that we would have some sort of internal witness that God has a plan for our life.
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Just this morning I was out to breakfast with a friend of ours, and uh this young man he said, you know, how do you how are you able to worship God when you're still kind of confused or unsure about things?
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How can you worship God when you're in the middle of kind of the valley?
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And uh and my answer was was simple.
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I said, You want to know how we're able to worship God when there are still unanswered questions?
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It's because we know that suffering and sorrow and death are temporary.
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We know that suffering, as those who are covered in the blood of Jesus, we know the end of the story.
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And that vision that is spelled out in Revelation chapter 21, that He will be our God and we will be His people.
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The dwelling place of God will be with man, and He will wipe away the tears from their eyes, and uh and there will be no more death or sorrow or suffering.
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Like that's the vision.
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That's the the internal sort of conviction that we have, the dream of heaven, the revelation that we have, and that vision is able to give us life.
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Where there is no vision, the people perish, Proverbs 29 says.
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But this is the way that the New King James puts it, where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.
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Now, the the word that's translated in the King James Version for perish is translated in the New King James as cast off restraint.
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That word uh is the word para, which uh which means to loosen or uncover.
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In fact, one of the ways it's translated is naked in the Bible.
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And so it doesn't, it's not just about life or death, it's about our connection and our covering, our connection to God and our our uh our position as those who are covered by Him.
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And so, you know, if if we want to be secure, we've got to be covered by one that is able to keep us.
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By the one, I should say, that is able to keep us.
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And and the way that we remain covered is that we stay in the vision, we stay connected to the vision.
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Like this has been my litmus test for and God, have I lost it?
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Have I strayed?
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Am I have I made myself your enemy?
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Maybe you have never felt this way, but I I come back again and again, like today's really hard, God.
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Are you judging me?
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Like, what's going on?
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You know, have I blown it?
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Is there something that I missed along the way?
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And I have to come back and judge myself based on this question.
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I go, have I, to the best of my ability, obeyed uh what I believed to be the will of God with the resources and information that were at my disposal?
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Have I done the right thing as far as I knew before God?
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Because if so, it's not to say that I'm always gonna nail it, but it is to say that I can come before God boldly, knowing that I haven't held him at arm's length and said, No, I don't want your will.
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No, I don't want to obey your word, I want to do things my own way.
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And so if we stay connected to the vision, we can we can know that we will never be uh those who who cast off restraint.
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That is to say, those who loosen our bond to God or who allow ourselves to be uncovered or exposed.
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Where there is no vision, the people perish.
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So because it is maybe my my highest responsibility or aim here to make sure that we uh are a people who are constantly uh uh uh on a trajectory toward life, let's talk about vision today.
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Can we do that?
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And so y'all know me well enough to know that it's it's not often that I just move away from scriptures and talk about my own stuff.
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We're gonna do that a little bit today.
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Please don't get mad at me.
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I love the Bible.
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I love the Bible.
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We are I'm gonna exposit some some more script I just did it for the last 10 minutes, but I I'm gonna do some more biblical exposition in the weeks ahead.
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But I I want to talk about our vision here as a as a family, and so the maybe the first and most obvious thing that I could talk about is this.
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What do you think about this?
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So, y'all need to know the last couple weeks, uh Trevor Hager has done just an unbelievable um bringing together a team of people, and and uh, you know, I think about uh Nate Crespo and and uh and and Chris and Lisa Harden and many others that have given their time and their energy and their skills.
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I saw Brady Reddick here a bunch of times uh that that that uh to come and to make this happen.
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And and I'll tell you kind of where this came from.
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So Trevor came to me, I don't know, uh a month or two ago, and he said, Hey, you know, my job is to be in charge of like media and production.
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And he's on that camera right back there in the middle, I think.
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And he's uh he said, I've got to be honest with you, this church looks bad on camera.
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And he said, I'm trying to make the cameras look good, and this building is not helping.
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And and he said, So I want to change the stage.
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And I and uh and so we we got together and we began to put our heads together, and uh I shared with him something that a mentor in leadership shared with me early on in ministry, and he said, Everything you do, from big to small, should serve the vision.
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And if it doesn't serve, everything you do should serve the vision.
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And if it doesn't serve the vision, don't do it.
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Like ask yourself, how can every part of what you do contribute to and move forward the vision?
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And so uh and so I said, you know, Trevor, the temptation will be for us to make our church look like a concert hall, and and we don't want that because that's not the vision.
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In fact, one of the things that's that's interesting as I've studied church history is is that uh uh, you know, you can see, especially in in Europe, you can see that there was this sort of conviction that that began in the Catholic Church and you know has also moved into uh the Eastern Orthodox Church and then was carried on into the Church of England and the Anglican traditions, that uh there's this sort of shared theology of who God is and how we relate to him as that he is the king, he's the monarch, he's the most high king.
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And when we gather together to worship him, it's like gaining audience before the king.
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And so you you know you do it very low and you come in like, oh, you know, great king, please have have mercy on me.
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Thank you for letting me come to you.
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And and you can actually see that theology of worship in the buildings that they built.
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They they built palaces to meet with God in, right?
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Palaces where his presence and his glory would dwell.
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Like that was their conviction.
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But then uh uh the Puritans, when the Puritans began to uh to sort of gain influence, they had this conviction that he is the king, but he's not just the king, he's also our father.
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And so the Puritans didn't meet in cathedrals or even chapels, the Puritans started to build what they called meeting houses.
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And they started to build their churches to look not like palaces or castles, they began to build churches that look like homes.
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And they said, because this is where children are gonna come to jump into the lap of our Father.
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And so when Trevor and I talked, we said, let's let's do everything we can to make this feel not like a concert hall or a cathedral.
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Let's make this feel like dad's house.
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And we're gonna come together week after week, and we're going to uh appreciate our father, and we're gonna listen to the voice of our father as he gives us instruction and guidance and tells us stories, and we're gonna enjoy the presence and the love and the embrace of our father when we gather together.
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That's our heritage.
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And I want you to know that even our facilities are designed to preach the message, that God, who is the great king, can relate to you not like a subject, but like a son.
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And that's the gospel.
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And and our our effort here has been to make sure that our facilities preach the gospel.
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It's why I preach from a kitchen table instead of a pulpit, you know, because this is this is who uh who we who we know God to be.
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Jesus says, when you pray, pray like this, our Father.
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Start from the revelation that you are beloved sons and daughters who have access to the presence of your Heavenly Father.
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And uh so the first thing is this, and I think Trevor and his team have done a tremendous job.
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I'm so, so excited uh about this, and uh, it feels great, doesn't it?
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Now, I uh I also want to share, you know, we've been um in this last for this last year, we have not done a single like Friday night service.
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We have had Sunday mornings, and that's been it.
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And uh and we did that as a sort of as a year of rest.
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You know, we were planting and planting and planting and and uh you know reaping and sowing for those first six years, and we felt like it was time to take a year where we uh maybe got acclimated to our pace.
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But I've got to tell you, it's been the hardest year for me because I am not a manager, I'm a builder.
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That's who God made me to be.
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And uh and I and I and I understand, like I should say to my staff, like, y'all buckle up, but we're going, you know.
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It's yeah, I love I love you guys.
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It's gonna be good.
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Y'all make sure that you carb up, you know, because it's time to go.
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We uh we have spent a year of of just maintaining, and uh glory to God today, it's over.
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It's time, like we're it's time to build again.
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And uh and so here's where we're gonna start.
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How many of you have ever come to an altar fellowship revival night?
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Yeah, come on.
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Many of you came into the church because of these revival nights.
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We'd have guest speakers and worship leaders come in.
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We had some amazing nights, and I've got to tell you, man, I missed that.
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I think we have in many ways spent this last year, I should say I have in many ways spent this last year kind of saying to you, get ready because God needs you, God is inviting you to be a disciple maker.
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That if you you have been looking to others to disciple you, and it's time that you begin to look at who you might be able to disciple, who you might be able to pour into and teach them all that the Lord has done in your life.
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And what an amazing opportunity.
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Because of that, we have kind of largely overlooked the community outside of this building.
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And I and I I think that that is not a sustainable position to keep.
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We have got to be people that fling our doors wide open and say, if you want to come and drink from the river of the goodness of the Lord, come on in, right?
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From the highways and byways.
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You're welcome.
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And so uh and so this is what we're gonna do.
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The first thing that we're gonna do is we are gonna relaunch our revival nights.
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We're gonna do those every couple months.
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And uh I let me introduce you to the person who is in charge of those.
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Cameron, where are you at?
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Bring your bring your luscious hair up here.
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All right.
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Y'all give it up to one of our new staff members, Cameron Payne, a mighty and anointed man of God.
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Also, one of our new worship pastors who is gonna be uh in charge of not just obviously leading worship on Sundays, but in charge of administrating uh these revival nights and making sure that we have wild and unpredictable events.
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And actually, this is what we've talked about, it is about like making it a secret to where you never know who's gonna show up or what's gonna happen.
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Uh, we've got some things that are already in the works that are gonna be uh things you don't want to miss.
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So I I am really looking forward to those.
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I think that's gonna be a lot of fun for it to just be a gift to the community every time for us to be able to come together on those evenings and really enjoy the presence of God.
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Cameron, will you uh we've got a microphone somewhere.
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I think Pastor Chris, you may have it.
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You want to introduce yourself, tell us about your beautiful wife and kids and Yeah.
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Well, uh my name is Cameron.
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I grew up in Minnesota and we've been here uh and the Lord moved us here two years ago, and it's been so good.
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My uh beautiful wife and kids are down uh downstairs anyway.
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We're so excited to be here in this article.
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It's like a joy of our life to be able to do so and just step in uh you know what I carry uh worship and open up to see just what the Lord does and be you know praise and ministers to him first and foremost.
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Amen.
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We're so excited to be here with y'all.
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Amen.
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Let's go, man.
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So excited to have you, buddy.
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Love you.
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If y'all see Cameron love on him, he's gonna be uh helping us dream and make these events as special and impactful as possible.
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Thank you so much, man.
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Let's go.
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So uh revival nights are back on the calendar.
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Those are gonna be happening again.
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Get ready.
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Uh next, so part of what is just overwhelming to me here is that somehow in the middle of you know, some city nobody'd ever heard of seven years ago, God has sent us some of the greatest musicians I've ever heard in my entire life.
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So just some un, but we are so spoiled here.
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Y'all don't understand.
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I uh yeah, we are we're blessed.
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And uh and so part of what we have had in our heart to do for some time is to is to help capture the voices that God has given us here and also make this the kind of place that people who are, you know, maybe need a rest from trying to to climb the ladder in Nashville can come and reconnect with the presence of God and and remember what it's all about, right?
00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:51.599
And uh, and so I've we built a recording studio up there last year, and it has mostly just been sitting around collecting dust.
00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:59.759
Uh until, I don't know, a month ago, I called this guy, Austin Adams, and I said, Hey man, you moved here to start a recording studio, didn't you?
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.920
And he said, Yeah, but it's just it hadn't worked out.
00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:03.680
And I said, Well, let's fix that.
00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.720
You want to come you want to come on as a worship uh pastor and and also run this recording studio?
00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:12.079
Austin, come and uh introduce yourself and people.
00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:16.799
Tell them what you're doing and what you got in your heart, and uh and where you came from.
00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:22.720
Austin is uh, for better or worse, maybe one of the most uh experienced ministers on our team.
00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:32.240
And uh he's been a worship pastor and a senior pastor of a church, and uh and and probably unsurprisingly was pretty convinced he was totally done with ministry.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.799
And uh and God said, No, no, no, you got more in the tank.
00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.759
And so here we are.
00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.519
Yeah, he won't leave me alone, I'll tell you what.
00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:39.839
He's just he's he's persistent.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.160
Yeah.
00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:41.599
Uh my name is Austin Adams.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:43.599
I'm from another planet called Alaska.
00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:45.519
Uh moved here like two years ago.
00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:50.720
It feels like a different country, but um, I just want to start by saying I've never been honored by a church like I've been honored here.
00:20:51.039 --> 00:21:02.240
And um, I've been I've worked at several churches and have had highs and had lows, and um I it's a joy to be here, and thank you so much for the culture of honor you've created here for our team.
00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:03.759
So I just appreciate you and that.
00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:05.440
Um yeah, moved on here.
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.400
I've been in music for a long time.
00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.759
I've been a worship pastor, I've been a pastor, uh, a few other jobs in between.
00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:26.319
Um and had I've always had a passion to um not just sing songs on a Sunday, but to really create something uh compelling for the kingdom to usher in the beauty of heaven um and to mine out the gold in artists and creatives uh that I know I'm just waiting to be heard and be um to be shared into the world.
00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:28.000
So we have a wealth of musicians here.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.799
We have so much talent in this room I know has been untapped.
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:33.440
And so for this house, we want to record the sound of the altar.
00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:35.680
We want that to go out to the out into the world.
00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:38.559
And I also think there's musicians beyond these walls that are waiting to be heard.
00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:38.720
Yeah.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.799
That our our church can be a hub for that sound uh in the tri cities and the world beyond.
00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:44.400
So that's the goal.
00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:45.440
I love it.
00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:46.720
I love it, man.
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:57.519
So uh Austin and Cameron, they were telling me that their goal is to meet and and build relationships with every single musician in the Tri Cities, and uh and I thought I I don't know why it's never crossed my mind before.
00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:58.960
We should go find musicians yet.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.480
Them all here.
00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:00.640
Yeah.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.920
And we're not going to quit.
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.000
Cam and I are not going to rest until that happens.
00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:04.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:06.240
I'm excited, man.
00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:07.680
Well, welcome to the team, Austin.
00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.920
We've got high hopes and expectations for you, man.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.640
We're so glad to have you.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.359
Thank you so much.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:11.920
Awesome.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.319
Love you.
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:16.880
So good.
00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:23.599
I uh have spent a lot of time around musicians, and I know that uh it's a dangerous game you're playing.
00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:31.920
You know, they're like they can be wild people, but man, I think God's got a grace on our team to help push them toward Jesus.
00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:32.880
Amen.
00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:43.599
So uh now uh part of what there's a there's a quote that if you've been at the church for any amount of time, you have heard me use before.
00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:52.640
It's a quote from Winston Churchill who said that one of the signs of a great society is the diligence with which we pass culture from one generation to the next.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:59.440
And I I want you, I'll I'll bring you into my internal world, my processing as a leader.
00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:06.960
You know, I I see all the kids, 300 kids a week on average, come to our kids' ministry, ages one to ten.
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:09.039
And what an amazing gift that is.
00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:10.240
But here's what I found out.
00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:17.119
I've raised now three boys, I guess my youngest is eight, but the other two are in high school and middle school, so they're out of kids' ministry.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:23.599
And here's what I have realized about little kids is that they want to listen to anyone other than their parents.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:24.640
You know what I mean?
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.480
Your kids all love me and hate you.
00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:30.400
That's like that's how and my kids, my kids love y'all and hate me.
00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.880
Like this is this is just how it works sometimes.
00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:44.880
And so there's this sort of gap where you know, people my age, people in our 30s and 40s, like we are, you know, looking at the kids and saying, all right, kids, don't you want to love the gospel and don't you want to worship God?
00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:46.960
And they're like, not if you're asking, old man.
00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.400
Like, you know.
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:56.480
But my kids will look at, you know, some of the college students and the young adults in our community like they hung the moon.
00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:58.720
They're just the most incredible, awesome people.
00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:01.680
I want to be just, you're 21, I want to be just like you.
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:18.319
And uh, and so I want to tell you something that the Lord has been speaking to us about recently is that we are gonna be relaunching, and I think many of you weren't even here when we had that before, so maybe for you, it's it's that we're gonna be launching a young adults ministry here at the Walter Fellowship.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:25.759
And uh we're gonna be doing this in uh in an interesting way.
00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:28.799
Um now, you guys have met Jacob Nelson.
00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:30.960
Jacob, you want to come up real quick?
00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:32.319
But you may not.
00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:38.240
So Jacob is uh he he is himself a young adult, maybe you could tell.
00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:44.880
And uh and uh and also just an amazing worship leader, and so he is gonna be a core part of this.
00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:50.400
Um, but we have also brought on a young adult's pastor that you maybe haven't heard from before.
00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:52.559
This is now Pastor Daniel Keats.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:25:10.880
Daniel He's a Daniel and and uh his wife, Alexis, have been here for several years and are just uh wonderful.
00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:16.720
And so um, would you I don't know, introduce yourself, share a prophetic word, you know, do whatever you need to do, tell us what you're saying.
00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:17.759
Absolutely.
00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:24.880
Um it's been awesome getting to know uh quite a few of you and not enough of you over the past four years that Lex and I have been here.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:35.920
I remember two years ago I came up to this altar and I uh asked Pastor Matty, I was like, hey, I feel called to be a pastor, and then he gave me a bunch of advice, and I read some books, and then I was like, you know, never mind, no way.
00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:52.480
Um but over this past year, um, in this year of rest, I've done a lot of contemplating, me and my wife, and um we've realized that we have this passion and this calling, and we we notice this void um here in you know the family in worship at the altars.
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:56.559
We have a group of individuals, these young adults, who feel like they don't belong.
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:03.680
They feel like they don't have they have a script written out from zero to eighteen, and then it's out the door and figured out.
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:10.400
And we have a millennial mostly church here, and there's a big gap between you know 18 years old and 28.
00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:27.200
Um but we are honored at the potential to open up our home to the young adults and give you guys a place to call home, come eat warm meals, get to know people who are in the next phase of life, and help you transition into being a fruitful member of this church and knowing where you belong here at the altar.
00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:35.039
Um I was talking with a friend this week, and uh he said, you know, just because you're you have sheep doesn't make you a shepherd.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:41.039
And uh he said, What makes a shepherd is someone who tends to those sheep, who cares for them, who guards them, who protects them.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:27:07.680
And so Lex and the staff that we're gonna build around us really want to focus on bringing you, young 18 to 24-year-olds, up into that next phase of life, and that you can feel like you belong here and that you have family and community, and then you can take the torch as when some of us pastors step down the next decade or two decades that we have passed on to good hands of faithful disciples who are apologetically, biblically literate, and know what their purpose is in the kingdom.
00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:12.880
Yes, and uh, I don't want you to think that I have like this great vision or amazing idea.
00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:19.440
You know, I I'm I'm nothing more than someone who's being a submissive vessel in this opportunity.
00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:24.480
And you know, Psalm 127, one says, Unless the Lord builds this house, those who labor labor in vain.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:26.480
And I don't want to labor in vain building this.
00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:30.559
It's gonna be all the church, this whole community is gonna be on board to build this.
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:32.000
Um, but I'm so excited.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:38.000
Um, so those of you who are young adults, please, after service, come come get my number, come get Lex's number, come get to know us.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:42.240
I'm so excited for the opportunity to uh to build into your lives and pour into you.
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:43.440
Yeah, amen.
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.240
Thank you, man.
00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:45.279
So good.
00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:50.160
Well, hey, what one more one more time, Pastor Daniel, Mr.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:53.519
Lexis, uh, Pastor Jacob, we're so glad to have y'all.
00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:55.440
This is gonna be an exciting time.
00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:59.359
If you are between the ages of 18 and 24, will you raise your hand?
00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:00.240
Look at them.
00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:00.640
Look at them.
00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.319
Oh my gosh, there's a lot of them.
00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:02.960
Let's go.
00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:04.079
All right, well, get ready.
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:10.079
Y'all, you guys are gonna about to have some great times, make some great memories, and uh and be a part of something special.
00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:20.559
I think, you know, uh I think it we are in error often because we we convince people that uh that that ministry is is reserved for later.
00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:24.240
And and if you assume that posture, you'll find that later never comes.
00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:27.119
It's it's always one degree away.
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:35.200
It's always, you know, once I get married, once I have kids, once we buy a house, once I can get settled into my career, and it just never really comes.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:46.319
And uh, and so my hope, and as Pastor Daniel and I have been talking, uh, you know, our plan has been to see our 18 to 24-year-olds really begin to take uh the reins of this ministry in a beautiful way.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:53.279
They really begin to step into leadership positions as burden bearers and pillars in this house in a way that you really can.
00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:59.440
Uh, and so we are looking forward to receiving from you and the gifts and anointings God has put on your life.
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:00.400
All right?
00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:02.319
Are we having fun?
00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:15.440
All right, next, I should tell you one of the uh one of the more difficult things for me this last year has been realizing that uh I think that we have been a less healthy church because we haven't had Wednesday nights.
00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:26.960
And uh and and I mean, you know, we have our Sunday morning service, but it's Sunday morning there may be a hundred people in the room that have never been here before, you know, a hundred people in the room that are just checking it out or just passing through.
00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:36.799
And uh, and I think Wednesday nights, for the years that we had Wednesday nights were an opportunity for me to sit down and uh and just share my heart, handle family business, right?
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:52.160
And and to note without cameras, without uh worrying about a broadcast or anything like that, to really just get to sit and have heart-to-heart family discussions uh that were, I think, so profound and formative for the culture that the Lord had has called us to build here.
00:29:52.240 --> 00:30:02.079
And so we are going to be uh in January relaunching Wednesday night services at the altar fellowship.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:04.160
And uh we're looking forward to those.
00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:11.680
We'll have Q ⁇ A's and pizza parties, and you'll just never know what might what might happen when we get together on uh on Wednesday nights.
00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:16.880
I think also this will give us an opportunity for more people to get involved in the work of the ministry.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:19.119
I'm excited to have more people preaching and teaching.
00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:21.279
Excited to have more people leading worship.
00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:30.160
I want more of you to be able to bring your gifts to the people of God here at the church, and I think Wednesday nights will give us more opportunities, more chances for that to happen.
00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.599
So I'm really looking forward to that.
00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:36.319
Part of that is that we are on those Wednesday nights going to have some kids' ministry.
00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:43.599
And so you have heard us sort of asking you to volunteer to minister to our kids, to be a part of the kids team.
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:56.640
And uh because of that, because our kids' ministry has grown so tremendously, and because we're adding Wednesday nights back, we also needed to add somebody to our kids' team that knew what they were doing.
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:00.400
And so uh so we brought Miss Kirsten Turner.
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:02.079
Come into the stamp, Kirsten.
00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:21.119
So, Kirsten, introduce yourself, tell us about your your role, how people can get involved, and and where you came from to get here.
00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:23.519
Well, my name is Kirsten Turner.
00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:27.279
Um, and my husband, Josh, and I, and our two girls, Eloise and Maddie.
00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:29.839
We've been here for a little over four years now.
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:41.519
Um Josh knew Pastor Maddie back in Mobile, and so we've we're following along with what God was doing here, and you know, the Lord gave us the call, and so here we are.
00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:43.920
Um, and it's been just such a tremendous journey.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:46.079
But being here is such a joy and an honor.
00:31:46.240 --> 00:32:03.599
Um, I've been serving for quite a while with um the altar kids and running alongside Pastor Anna, helping with scheduling and some behind the scenes things, and so just so excited to step into that role even further to take on some more responsibilities behind the scenes.
00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:13.279
But it's just it is such a joy um to get to know all of our families and to serve our kids and to run alongside Pastor Anna and our um entire staff in church.
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:14.400
So thank you so much.
00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:16.240
Thank you.
00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:17.519
So good.
00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:19.039
Come on.
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:23.839
So uh, all right, lastly, and I am gonna wrap this up shortly.
00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:31.920
Lastly in Isaiah 56, uh, God says, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:38.160
And if we are a house that does worship really, really well, but doesn't know how to pray, we're in trouble.
00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:55.440
If if we are a church that does outreach really, really well and young adults ministry really well, and we've got the best preachers and you know prophetic voices in the nation, but we don't know how to pray, we are in serious trouble because the house that God is building is a house of prayer for all nations.
00:32:55.680 --> 00:33:01.920
And uh, and so uh just recently Mama Fred and I were talking and she said, Y'all need to pray more.
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:03.759
And I said, You yeah, you're right.
00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:13.599
And uh and if you know, if you know Miss Fred at all, you know um she she doesn't just talk the talk, she walks the walk.
00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:14.160
She will pray.
00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:18.720
If you ask her to put you on her prayer list, she will pray for you, you know.
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:23.279
And uh, and so we got to talk in and and uh and I talked with our newest elder, Mr.
00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:29.519
Michael Turley, about uh about helping to pull this together.
00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:41.279
And uh, and so we not only are launching Wednesday night services, but prior to those, on Wednesday late afternoon, evening, I don't know what time they're gonna be even yet, probably about five o'clock on Wednesdays.
00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:46.960
We are gonna have an intercessory prayer gathering where anybody that wants to can can come and join us.
00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:51.599
You'll get some instruction and training on what intercessory prayer even means and how to do it.
00:33:51.680 --> 00:34:04.640
Uh, and then also you'll have the opportunity to lift up not just leaders in this church, leaders in the city, leaders in the nation, uh, to pray that God would hit particular topics to intercede for God, to bring healing to marriages, to bring healing.
00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:13.119
You know, we we got together at men's prayer and we hit a couple things a few weeks ago that were specific points of prayer that we are gonna lift up together and agree together on.
00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:21.280
And I just want to make sure that that's not something that only the men do and it's only every Sunday, but that becomes a part of the DNA and the fabric of who we are as a people.
00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:22.719
And so, Michael, would you come up?
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:30.159
I just want to make sure for those who don't know you, which can't be many people in here, would you come introduce yourself and share your heart?
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:52.639
You know what brought me Can you hear me?
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:05.119
So about six years ago, what really began to connect me with Pastor Maddie was I began to have a series of dreams about him and Pastor Ian.
00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:11.199
And through those series of dreams it brought my wife and I to the altar fellowship.
00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:16.400
Now one day I get a text message from Pastor Maddie.
00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:19.039
He said, Be in my office at noon tomorrow.
00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:26.719
Well, coming from the past of who I used to be, that really terrified me because I really thought something bad was gonna happen.
00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:36.000
And he took me back into his office with four other women and put us on a conference call with Prophet Teresa Bone down in Mobile, Alabama.
00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:39.920
And those other four people aren't in this house anymore.
00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:42.480
It breaks my heart.
00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:49.039
But I knew in that moment that he gave me his permission to be like eyes and ears for him and for this house.
00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:57.519
And one of the greatest ways that he discipled me over the past six years in that is he didn't respond to most of my messages.
00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:04.639
And I don't say that in disrespect, but what has happened in the past six years is Yahweh gave me a gift to dream.
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:13.519
I've dreamed all of my life, but since walking in freedom, those dreams have been activated, and 90% of all of my dreams are about people in this room.
00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:16.880
Like, how many of y'all have come to me because I had a dream about you?
00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:19.280
I've come to you because I had a dream about you.
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:32.480
You know, the something beautiful happens in the Word of God when the Lord will actually bring a prophet to work alongside of an apostle to establish something in the kingdom.
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:41.599
But in that, there's like this fear, okay, Michael, like what does that even mean for me?
00:36:42.320 --> 00:36:47.119
Well, the Lord says to equip the saints and to find the treasure people.
00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:50.159
It's not harder to find dirt.
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:51.920
We know what that looks like, right?
00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:58.800
And so I'm grateful that the Lord has given me a gift to dream and a gift to love.
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:16.880
And really it's only possible because in the beginning we leased a church where we had to set up and break down kids' church every single week, and that just created a space to be shoulder to shoulder alongside of people to actually do something and to create a relationship where we can love one another.
00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:34.719
And if we can get close enough to one another without being offended and not just trying to wipe our hands with people, then the spirit of the Lord is gonna whisper sweet secrets about one another that maybe I could go to my brother Jill one day and be like, you know what, there is more, and he's gonna show you this week.
00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:38.719
Because that's the heart of the father.
00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:39.440
Yes, sir.
00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:47.599
And in the new covenant, the gift of prophecy is to reveal the heart of the father for his people.
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:53.039
And so that's my desire for what I offer friendship for everybody in this place.
00:37:53.119 --> 00:38:02.880
Like let's find the treasure in one another, because if we can find the treasure, if we can hear the voice of God, if we can see what he's doing in the earth, everything changes.
00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:03.760
Yes, sir.
00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:04.639
That's right.
00:38:05.119 --> 00:38:06.239
That's awesome, Michael.
00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:07.599
Thank you so much, sir.
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:25.840
Now, you'll some of you will remember months ago I I said uh that the ministry God will breathe on most powerfully here will not be what happens on this stage.
00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:29.280
It will be what happens around your tables and in your homes.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:36.559
And I added that the coming revival will not happen in stadiums or arenas, it'll happen in living rooms and around dinner tables.
00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:42.639
And the revivalists God will use will not be known by titles like pastor or prophet or evangelist.
00:38:42.719 --> 00:38:48.480
They'll be known by titles like mom, dad, brother, friend.
00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:57.920
Everything we are doing today and in the days ahead is not to better serve my ministry, it's to better serve your ministry.
00:38:58.960 --> 00:39:06.480
Your ministry to your family, to your community, and most importantly, your ministry to God Himself.
00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:14.079
And uh and so over these last, over this last month or so, I've been asking God, what's the vision?
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.199
What's the vision?
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:20.559
And and we've talked a lot about that today, and I'm way over my time, but I've been asking God, what is the vision?
00:39:20.719 --> 00:39:25.840
And and every time I asked that question, he would bring me back to a poem I read 20 years ago.
00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:32.639
When I was early, you know, just fresh into the ministry and had no idea what I had signed up for.
00:39:32.880 --> 00:39:44.159
I uh I read this poem and and God brought this uh across my uh my desk uh so to speak in uh uh in a book that I was reading at the time.
00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:47.920
And the the poem starts with the same question what's the vision?
00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:58.960
I want to read this over us as a uh as a signpost, a stake in the ground of who we are as we begin to discover who we are becoming.
00:39:59.280 --> 00:40:00.719
Here's the the poem.
00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:04.800
So this guy comes up to me and says, What's the vision?
00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:06.239
What's the big idea?
00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:12.960
I open my mouth and words come out like this the vision, the vision is Jesus.
00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:16.960
Obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
00:40:17.199 --> 00:40:19.760
The vision is an army of young people.
00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.880
You see bones, I see an army, and they are free from materialism.
00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:27.440
They laugh at nine to five little prisons.
00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:32.320
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday, they wouldn't even notice.
00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:36.639
They know the meaning of the matrix, the way the West was won.
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:38.960
They are mobile like the wind.
00:40:39.119 --> 00:40:42.159
They belong to the nations, they need no passport.
00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:46.880
People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:51.360
They are free, yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:52.800
What is the vision?
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:56.960
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
00:40:57.440 --> 00:41:00.480
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:05.840
It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:09.280
It scorns the good and strains for the best.
00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:11.679
It is dangerously pure.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:17.440
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:22.719
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
00:41:23.039 --> 00:41:26.559
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:36.079
A million times a day, its soldiers choose to lose that they might one day win the great well-done of faithful sons and daughters.
00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:41.199
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as they are on Sunday night.
00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:48.320
They don't need fame from names, instead, they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again.
00:41:48.559 --> 00:42:00.400
Come on! And this is the sound of the underground, the whisper of history in the making, foundations shaking, revolutionaries dreaming once again.
00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:05.760
Mystery is scheming in whispers, conspiracy is breathing.
00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:08.559
This is the sound of the underground.
00:42:08.800 --> 00:42:12.320
And the army is discipled.
00:42:12.639 --> 00:42:15.599
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:18.960
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
00:42:19.119 --> 00:42:24.320
The tattoo on their back boasts: for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:28.880
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:32.159
Winners, martyrs, who can stop them?
00:42:32.400 --> 00:42:34.320
Can hormones hold them back?
00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:36.000
Can failure succeed?
00:42:36.159 --> 00:42:38.960
Can fear scare them or death kill them?
00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:49.920
And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulfuric tears, and with great barrow loads of laughter.
00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:55.199
Waiting, watching, 24-7-365.
00:42:55.599 --> 00:43:06.960
Whatever it takes, they will give, breaking the rules, shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide, laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:09.440
The advertisers cannot mold them.
00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:11.280
Hollywood cannot hold them.
00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:17.840
Peer pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late-night parties before the cockerel cries.
00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:22.480
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:25.280
On the outside, they hardly care.
00:43:25.599 --> 00:43:30.159
They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate, but never to hide.
00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:33.280
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
00:43:34.079 --> 00:43:41.920
They would lay down their very lives, swap seats with the man on death row, guilty as hell, a throne for an electric chair.
00:43:42.159 --> 00:43:51.840
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God, and they live as if it all depends on them.
00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:55.199
Their DNA chooses Jesus.
00:43:55.760 --> 00:43:58.400
He breathes out and they breathe in.
00:43:58.639 --> 00:44:00.400
Their subconscious sings.
00:44:00.559 --> 00:44:02.719
They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:06.559
Their words make demons scream in shopping centers.
00:44:06.800 --> 00:44:08.480
Don't you hear them coming?
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:10.880
Herald the weirdos.
00:44:11.840 --> 00:44:13.679
Summon the losers and the freaks.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:17.519
Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:20.559
They walk tall and trees applaud.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:22.559
Skyscrapers bow.
00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:26.559
Mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension.
00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:32.400
Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.
00:44:32.639 --> 00:44:34.079
And the vision will be.
00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:36.400
It will come to pass.
00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:38.239
It will come easily.
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:39.920
It will come soon.
00:44:40.320 --> 00:44:41.599
How do I know?
00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:45.199
Because this is the longing of creation itself.
00:44:45.519 --> 00:44:49.679
The groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:53.280
My tomorrow is his today.
00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:56.719
My distant hope is his 3D.
00:44:56.880 --> 00:45:09.679
And my feeble whispered faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking, great amen, from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ Himself.
00:45:09.840 --> 00:45:14.559
And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
00:45:14.960 --> 00:45:16.079
Guaranteed.
00:45:18.880 --> 00:45:20.079
What is the vision?
00:45:20.719 --> 00:45:21.920
It is Jesus.
00:45:23.039 --> 00:45:24.000
What is the vision?
00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:26.400
It is holiness that hurts the eyes.
00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:36.079
And may we never begin to believe that this thing is about just crossing church off of our weekly to-do list.
00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:46.079
The blood of Jesus has purchased for us so much more than just playing church.
00:45:46.719 --> 00:45:50.079
So congratulations on seven years.
00:45:51.039 --> 00:45:53.599
And here's to the next 70.
00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:54.320
Thank you.
00:45:54.559 --> 00:45:55.599
God bless you.
00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:57.519
We love you guys.
00:45:59.199 --> 00:46:03.199
And uh we will see you right back here next week.
00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:08.880
Thank you for tuning in to this service from the Altar Fellowship.
00:46:09.039 --> 00:46:12.400
We pray that you were impacted powerfully by this message.
00:46:12.559 --> 00:46:25.920
If you have been personally affected by our ministry and you would like to partner with the altar as we work to establish the kingdom of heaven, please visit our website at www.thealtar.org.
00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:20.559
Thank you for listening to this message from the Altar Fellowship.
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Good morning.
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You can go ahead and be seated.
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It's good to see you.
00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:30.800
All right, we're getting there.
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I love y'all.
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Happy anniversary, guys.
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This is uh this this listen for for all of our you know yeses and investments and of time and energy and resources into this church, man, it would be very awkward if it was just me, my wife, and kids in here by ourselves.
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And so uh I'm so great, I'm so grateful uh that each one of you has been hand chosen by God to be a part of this community.
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I'm so grateful that uh that that your talents, your energy, your voice, your unique expression, the beauty and uh and the revelation that God has given you, that you bring those as a gift to this house so that we together can bring to the Lord our gifts uh week after week.
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And so thank you just for uh for being here.
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Thank you for giving your time, uh, your resources, your finances, your your energy, your gifts, your abilities uh to the Lord here as a part of this house because it you know I always come back again and again to the to the wise men that came to Jesus with their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
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I I think and that we we get to join that company of people who have the revelation of the worthiness of Jesus and who are able to bring our riches, our resources, our gifts to to him uh for his honor.
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And so thank you just for being a part of that here.
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I just want to tell you guys, y'all are amazing.
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You guys bless us, me and my family more than I'll ever be able to articulate.
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We're so grateful uh for you.
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And uh, and you know, I I believe something that I've preached a lot through the years is that Isaiah, I think, meant it when he said that there will be no end to the increase of his kingdom and his peace.
00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:16.639
And so that which we have experienced to this point, we expect that what is to come will be even greater.
00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:36.479
The miracles, the lives and families that have been restored, uh, the people that have been, the captives that have been set free, the amazing and tremendous, miraculous moves of God or demonstrations of God's power and love we have experienced over these last seven years, I think aren't even fit to be compared to the glory that is to come in the years ahead.
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:39.120
And so I am excited.
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Today I feel like we are, you know, on the on the first, taking the first step of a journey into unprecedented glory.
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And uh and I'm glad to have you along for the ride.
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So you feeling good?
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All right, you know, as we as we celebrate today's seven amazing years of serving this community, I'm blown away over and over again by the faithfulness and kindness of God.
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You know, over these last couple days, uh, Friday night and Saturday night, we have uh remembered the things that God has done in the past, some of the breakthroughs, blessings, miracles that he's done.
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But today I want us to begin together to turn and look toward the future.
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Uh Proverbs 29, 18, uh it says this in the King James Version, it says, where there is no vision, the people perish.
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That's not right.
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Where there where there where there is no vision, it says, the people perish.
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And this is a verse maybe you have heard.
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I know I've quoted it in in the past.
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And uh, you know, it's funny when I I think about this verse, I remember the the very first time uh I was ever invited to travel somewhere as a guest preacher.
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It might have been actually the second time I was invited to to travel somewhere as a preacher.
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I went to uh Minneapolis, I met a um uh a man in uh in Mexico who was a missionary down in Mexico, who's on a mission trip, and he said, I'm a part of a church in Minnesota, we'd love to have you.
00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:08.159
And I flew up there and I preached on this verse.
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And uh, and I I it's easy for me to preach on this verse because I am by nature a visionary.
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Vision comes easy for me.
00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:20.560
I'm never, you know, twiddling my thumbs thinking, all right, Lord, what should we do next?
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That's the easy part for me.
00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:26.160
It's like, how do we get from where we're at to where I'm dreaming about us being?
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Like, that's the that's the uh the the question or the stuff that I maybe wrestle with more.
00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:38.959
And so, you know, when when Proverbs says in in uh in chapter 29, verse 18, where there is no vision, the people perish.
00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:41.920
I I think it can be for us maybe a little bit confusing.
00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:47.439
The New King James, which is what I tend to preach out of, I think says it in a way that's a lot clearer.
00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:50.079
It doesn't say where there is no vision, the people perish.
00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:57.040
It says says it like this where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.
00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.879
And so vision, it doesn't just mean physical sight.
00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:08.160
Uh the the word there is the Hebrew word chazon, and it doesn't just mean like physical sight, it doesn't mean the ability to see.
00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:13.439
Uh vision mean it doesn't even mean a plan or uh a strategy.
00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:20.240
Vision specifically means like a divine revelation, a sense of of God's dream.
00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:37.759
And and so the the Bible is is telling us in that moment that that what life requires, what freedom requires, what our connection to God requires is that we would have some sort of internal witness that God has a plan for our life.
00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:50.000
Just this morning I was out to breakfast with a friend of ours, and uh this young man he said, you know, how do you how are you able to worship God when you're still kind of confused or unsure about things?
00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:53.600
How can you worship God when you're in the middle of kind of the valley?
00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:55.680
And uh and my answer was was simple.
00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:59.920
I said, You want to know how we're able to worship God when there are still unanswered questions?
00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.920
It's because we know that suffering and sorrow and death are temporary.
00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:13.360
We know that suffering, as those who are covered in the blood of Jesus, we know the end of the story.
00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:20.560
And that vision that is spelled out in Revelation chapter 21, that He will be our God and we will be His people.
00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:28.000
The dwelling place of God will be with man, and He will wipe away the tears from their eyes, and uh and there will be no more death or sorrow or suffering.
00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:29.600
Like that's the vision.
00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:39.600
That's the the internal sort of conviction that we have, the dream of heaven, the revelation that we have, and that vision is able to give us life.
00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:44.560
Where there is no vision, the people perish, Proverbs 29 says.
00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:53.120
But this is the way that the New King James puts it, where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.
00:06:53.759 --> 00:07:01.120
Now, the the word that's translated in the King James Version for perish is translated in the New King James as cast off restraint.
00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:06.240
That word uh is the word para, which uh which means to loosen or uncover.
00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:10.240
In fact, one of the ways it's translated is naked in the Bible.
00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:23.839
And so it doesn't, it's not just about life or death, it's about our connection and our covering, our connection to God and our our uh our position as those who are covered by Him.
00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:29.920
And so, you know, if if we want to be secure, we've got to be covered by one that is able to keep us.
00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:33.439
By the one, I should say, that is able to keep us.
00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:40.160
And and the way that we remain covered is that we stay in the vision, we stay connected to the vision.
00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:44.639
Like this has been my litmus test for and God, have I lost it?
00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:45.839
Have I strayed?
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:48.319
Am I have I made myself your enemy?
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Maybe you have never felt this way, but I I come back again and again, like today's really hard, God.
00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:54.399
Are you judging me?
00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:55.199
Like, what's going on?
00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:56.720
You know, have I blown it?
00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:58.800
Is there something that I missed along the way?
00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:02.160
And I have to come back and judge myself based on this question.
00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:13.839
I go, have I, to the best of my ability, obeyed uh what I believed to be the will of God with the resources and information that were at my disposal?
00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.680
Have I done the right thing as far as I knew before God?
00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:27.680
Because if so, it's not to say that I'm always gonna nail it, but it is to say that I can come before God boldly, knowing that I haven't held him at arm's length and said, No, I don't want your will.
00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:31.040
No, I don't want to obey your word, I want to do things my own way.
00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:39.919
And so if we stay connected to the vision, we can we can know that we will never be uh those who who cast off restraint.
00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:47.120
That is to say, those who loosen our bond to God or who allow ourselves to be uncovered or exposed.
00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:50.320
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
00:08:50.559 --> 00:09:07.039
So because it is maybe my my highest responsibility or aim here to make sure that we uh are a people who are constantly uh uh uh on a trajectory toward life, let's talk about vision today.
00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:07.919
Can we do that?
00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:16.399
And so y'all know me well enough to know that it's it's not often that I just move away from scriptures and talk about my own stuff.
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:18.480
We're gonna do that a little bit today.
00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:20.399
Please don't get mad at me.
00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:21.360
I love the Bible.
00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:22.399
I love the Bible.
00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:33.360
We are I'm gonna exposit some some more script I just did it for the last 10 minutes, but I I'm gonna do some more biblical exposition in the weeks ahead.
00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:42.879
But I I want to talk about our vision here as a as a family, and so the maybe the first and most obvious thing that I could talk about is this.
00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:47.679
What do you think about this?
00:09:48.399 --> 00:10:08.240
So, y'all need to know the last couple weeks, uh Trevor Hager has done just an unbelievable um bringing together a team of people, and and uh, you know, I think about uh Nate Crespo and and uh and and Chris and Lisa Harden and many others that have given their time and their energy and their skills.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:13.840
I saw Brady Reddick here a bunch of times uh that that that uh to come and to make this happen.
00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:16.159
And and I'll tell you kind of where this came from.
00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:25.279
So Trevor came to me, I don't know, uh a month or two ago, and he said, Hey, you know, my job is to be in charge of like media and production.
00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.240
And he's on that camera right back there in the middle, I think.
00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:33.120
And he's uh he said, I've got to be honest with you, this church looks bad on camera.
00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:38.639
And he said, I'm trying to make the cameras look good, and this building is not helping.
00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:40.879
And and he said, So I want to change the stage.
00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:56.879
And I and uh and so we we got together and we began to put our heads together, and uh I shared with him something that a mentor in leadership shared with me early on in ministry, and he said, Everything you do, from big to small, should serve the vision.
00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:00.399
And if it doesn't serve, everything you do should serve the vision.
00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:02.960
And if it doesn't serve the vision, don't do it.
00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:10.639
Like ask yourself, how can every part of what you do contribute to and move forward the vision?
00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:20.399
And so uh and so I said, you know, Trevor, the temptation will be for us to make our church look like a concert hall, and and we don't want that because that's not the vision.
00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:51.360
In fact, one of the things that's that's interesting as I've studied church history is is that uh uh, you know, you can see, especially in in Europe, you can see that there was this sort of conviction that that began in the Catholic Church and you know has also moved into uh the Eastern Orthodox Church and then was carried on into the Church of England and the Anglican traditions, that uh there's this sort of shared theology of who God is and how we relate to him as that he is the king, he's the monarch, he's the most high king.
00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:55.919
And when we gather together to worship him, it's like gaining audience before the king.
00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:01.279
And so you you know you do it very low and you come in like, oh, you know, great king, please have have mercy on me.
00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:02.639
Thank you for letting me come to you.
00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:07.840
And and you can actually see that theology of worship in the buildings that they built.
00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:12.399
They they built palaces to meet with God in, right?
00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:15.279
Palaces where his presence and his glory would dwell.
00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:17.440
Like that was their conviction.
00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:31.600
But then uh uh the Puritans, when the Puritans began to uh to sort of gain influence, they had this conviction that he is the king, but he's not just the king, he's also our father.
00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:39.759
And so the Puritans didn't meet in cathedrals or even chapels, the Puritans started to build what they called meeting houses.
00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:47.200
And they started to build their churches to look not like palaces or castles, they began to build churches that look like homes.
00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:54.080
And they said, because this is where children are gonna come to jump into the lap of our Father.
00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:06.639
And so when Trevor and I talked, we said, let's let's do everything we can to make this feel not like a concert hall or a cathedral.
00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:08.720
Let's make this feel like dad's house.
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:27.519
And we're gonna come together week after week, and we're going to uh appreciate our father, and we're gonna listen to the voice of our father as he gives us instruction and guidance and tells us stories, and we're gonna enjoy the presence and the love and the embrace of our father when we gather together.
00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:28.960
That's our heritage.
00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:41.200
And I want you to know that even our facilities are designed to preach the message, that God, who is the great king, can relate to you not like a subject, but like a son.
00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:44.000
And that's the gospel.
00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:49.200
And and our our effort here has been to make sure that our facilities preach the gospel.
00:13:49.279 --> 00:14:00.240
It's why I preach from a kitchen table instead of a pulpit, you know, because this is this is who uh who we who we know God to be.
00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:04.879
Jesus says, when you pray, pray like this, our Father.
00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:14.879
Start from the revelation that you are beloved sons and daughters who have access to the presence of your Heavenly Father.
00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:20.720
And uh so the first thing is this, and I think Trevor and his team have done a tremendous job.
00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:25.759
I'm so, so excited uh about this, and uh, it feels great, doesn't it?
00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:42.240
Now, I uh I also want to share, you know, we've been um in this last for this last year, we have not done a single like Friday night service.
00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:46.080
We have had Sunday mornings, and that's been it.
00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:50.080
And uh and we did that as a sort of as a year of rest.
00:14:50.159 --> 00:15:04.320
You know, we were planting and planting and planting and and uh you know reaping and sowing for those first six years, and we felt like it was time to take a year where we uh maybe got acclimated to our pace.
00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:13.039
But I've got to tell you, it's been the hardest year for me because I am not a manager, I'm a builder.
00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.759
That's who God made me to be.
00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:24.240
And uh and I and I and I understand, like I should say to my staff, like, y'all buckle up, but we're going, you know.
00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.000
It's yeah, I love I love you guys.
00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:27.120
It's gonna be good.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:31.440
Y'all make sure that you carb up, you know, because it's time to go.
00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:40.639
We uh we have spent a year of of just maintaining, and uh glory to God today, it's over.
00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:43.360
It's time, like we're it's time to build again.
00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.399
And uh and so here's where we're gonna start.
00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:49.440
How many of you have ever come to an altar fellowship revival night?
00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:50.960
Yeah, come on.
00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:53.279
Many of you came into the church because of these revival nights.
00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:55.679
We'd have guest speakers and worship leaders come in.
00:15:55.840 --> 00:16:00.159
We had some amazing nights, and I've got to tell you, man, I missed that.
00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:12.000
I think we have in many ways spent this last year, I should say I have in many ways spent this last year kind of saying to you, get ready because God needs you, God is inviting you to be a disciple maker.
00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:23.759
That if you you have been looking to others to disciple you, and it's time that you begin to look at who you might be able to disciple, who you might be able to pour into and teach them all that the Lord has done in your life.
00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:25.519
And what an amazing opportunity.
00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:30.240
Because of that, we have kind of largely overlooked the community outside of this building.
00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:36.559
And I and I I think that that is not a sustainable position to keep.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:44.159
We have got to be people that fling our doors wide open and say, if you want to come and drink from the river of the goodness of the Lord, come on in, right?
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:45.440
From the highways and byways.
00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:46.159
You're welcome.
00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:48.080
And so uh and so this is what we're gonna do.
00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:51.840
The first thing that we're gonna do is we are gonna relaunch our revival nights.
00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:53.919
We're gonna do those every couple months.
00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:58.000
And uh I let me introduce you to the person who is in charge of those.
00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:00.080
Cameron, where are you at?
00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:03.120
Bring your bring your luscious hair up here.
00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:03.919
All right.
00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:14.160
Y'all give it up to one of our new staff members, Cameron Payne, a mighty and anointed man of God.
00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:28.319
Also, one of our new worship pastors who is gonna be uh in charge of not just obviously leading worship on Sundays, but in charge of administrating uh these revival nights and making sure that we have wild and unpredictable events.
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:35.279
And actually, this is what we've talked about, it is about like making it a secret to where you never know who's gonna show up or what's gonna happen.
00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:41.279
Uh, we've got some things that are already in the works that are gonna be uh things you don't want to miss.
00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.759
So I I am really looking forward to those.
00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:51.119
I think that's gonna be a lot of fun for it to just be a gift to the community every time for us to be able to come together on those evenings and really enjoy the presence of God.
00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.920
Cameron, will you uh we've got a microphone somewhere.
00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:55.599
I think Pastor Chris, you may have it.
00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:01.119
You want to introduce yourself, tell us about your beautiful wife and kids and Yeah.
00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:02.640
Well, uh my name is Cameron.
00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:08.400
I grew up in Minnesota and we've been here uh and the Lord moved us here two years ago, and it's been so good.
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.799
My uh beautiful wife and kids are down uh downstairs anyway.
00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:18.079
We're so excited to be here in this article.
00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:33.359
It's like a joy of our life to be able to do so and just step in uh you know what I carry uh worship and open up to see just what the Lord does and be you know praise and ministers to him first and foremost.
00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:34.000
Amen.
00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:36.079
We're so excited to be here with y'all.
00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:36.720
Amen.
00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:37.680
Let's go, man.
00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:39.359
So excited to have you, buddy.
00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:39.920
Love you.
00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:46.720
If y'all see Cameron love on him, he's gonna be uh helping us dream and make these events as special and impactful as possible.
00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:48.000
Thank you so much, man.
00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.039
Let's go.
00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:52.720
So uh revival nights are back on the calendar.
00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:54.400
Those are gonna be happening again.
00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.359
Get ready.
00:18:55.519 --> 00:19:14.079
Uh next, so part of what is just overwhelming to me here is that somehow in the middle of you know, some city nobody'd ever heard of seven years ago, God has sent us some of the greatest musicians I've ever heard in my entire life.
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.720
So just some un, but we are so spoiled here.
00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:17.920
Y'all don't understand.
00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:21.279
I uh yeah, we are we're blessed.
00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:43.839
And uh and so part of what we have had in our heart to do for some time is to is to help capture the voices that God has given us here and also make this the kind of place that people who are, you know, maybe need a rest from trying to to climb the ladder in Nashville can come and reconnect with the presence of God and and remember what it's all about, right?
00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:51.599
And uh, and so I've we built a recording studio up there last year, and it has mostly just been sitting around collecting dust.
00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:59.759
Uh until, I don't know, a month ago, I called this guy, Austin Adams, and I said, Hey man, you moved here to start a recording studio, didn't you?
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.920
And he said, Yeah, but it's just it hadn't worked out.
00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:03.680
And I said, Well, let's fix that.
00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.720
You want to come you want to come on as a worship uh pastor and and also run this recording studio?
00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:12.079
Austin, come and uh introduce yourself and people.
00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:16.799
Tell them what you're doing and what you got in your heart, and uh and where you came from.
00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:22.720
Austin is uh, for better or worse, maybe one of the most uh experienced ministers on our team.
00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:32.240
And uh he's been a worship pastor and a senior pastor of a church, and uh and and probably unsurprisingly was pretty convinced he was totally done with ministry.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.799
And uh and God said, No, no, no, you got more in the tank.
00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.759
And so here we are.
00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.519
Yeah, he won't leave me alone, I'll tell you what.
00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:39.839
He's just he's he's persistent.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.160
Yeah.
00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:41.599
Uh my name is Austin Adams.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:43.599
I'm from another planet called Alaska.
00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:45.519
Uh moved here like two years ago.
00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:50.720
It feels like a different country, but um, I just want to start by saying I've never been honored by a church like I've been honored here.
00:20:51.039 --> 00:21:02.240
And um, I've been I've worked at several churches and have had highs and had lows, and um I it's a joy to be here, and thank you so much for the culture of honor you've created here for our team.
00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:03.759
So I just appreciate you and that.
00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:05.440
Um yeah, moved on here.
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.400
I've been in music for a long time.
00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.759
I've been a worship pastor, I've been a pastor, uh, a few other jobs in between.
00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:26.319
Um and had I've always had a passion to um not just sing songs on a Sunday, but to really create something uh compelling for the kingdom to usher in the beauty of heaven um and to mine out the gold in artists and creatives uh that I know I'm just waiting to be heard and be um to be shared into the world.
00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:28.000
So we have a wealth of musicians here.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.799
We have so much talent in this room I know has been untapped.
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:33.440
And so for this house, we want to record the sound of the altar.
00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:35.680
We want that to go out to the out into the world.
00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:38.559
And I also think there's musicians beyond these walls that are waiting to be heard.
00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:38.720
Yeah.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.799
That our our church can be a hub for that sound uh in the tri cities and the world beyond.
00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:44.400
So that's the goal.
00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:45.440
I love it.
00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:46.720
I love it, man.
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:57.519
So uh Austin and Cameron, they were telling me that their goal is to meet and and build relationships with every single musician in the Tri Cities, and uh and I thought I I don't know why it's never crossed my mind before.
00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:58.960
We should go find musicians yet.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.480
Them all here.
00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:00.640
Yeah.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.920
And we're not going to quit.
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.000
Cam and I are not going to rest until that happens.
00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:04.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:06.240
I'm excited, man.
00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:07.680
Well, welcome to the team, Austin.
00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.920
We've got high hopes and expectations for you, man.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.640
We're so glad to have you.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.359
Thank you so much.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:11.920
Awesome.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.319
Love you.
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:16.880
So good.
00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:23.599
I uh have spent a lot of time around musicians, and I know that uh it's a dangerous game you're playing.
00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:31.920
You know, they're like they can be wild people, but man, I think God's got a grace on our team to help push them toward Jesus.
00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:32.880
Amen.
00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:43.599
So uh now uh part of what there's a there's a quote that if you've been at the church for any amount of time, you have heard me use before.
00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:52.640
It's a quote from Winston Churchill who said that one of the signs of a great society is the diligence with which we pass culture from one generation to the next.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:59.440
And I I want you, I'll I'll bring you into my internal world, my processing as a leader.
00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:06.960
You know, I I see all the kids, 300 kids a week on average, come to our kids' ministry, ages one to ten.
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:09.039
And what an amazing gift that is.
00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:10.240
But here's what I found out.
00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:17.119
I've raised now three boys, I guess my youngest is eight, but the other two are in high school and middle school, so they're out of kids' ministry.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:23.599
And here's what I have realized about little kids is that they want to listen to anyone other than their parents.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:24.640
You know what I mean?
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.480
Your kids all love me and hate you.
00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:30.400
That's like that's how and my kids, my kids love y'all and hate me.
00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.880
Like this is this is just how it works sometimes.
00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:44.880
And so there's this sort of gap where you know, people my age, people in our 30s and 40s, like we are, you know, looking at the kids and saying, all right, kids, don't you want to love the gospel and don't you want to worship God?
00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:46.960
And they're like, not if you're asking, old man.
00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.400
Like, you know.
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:56.480
But my kids will look at, you know, some of the college students and the young adults in our community like they hung the moon.
00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:58.720
They're just the most incredible, awesome people.
00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:01.680
I want to be just, you're 21, I want to be just like you.
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:18.319
And uh, and so I want to tell you something that the Lord has been speaking to us about recently is that we are gonna be relaunching, and I think many of you weren't even here when we had that before, so maybe for you, it's it's that we're gonna be launching a young adults ministry here at the Walter Fellowship.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:25.759
And uh we're gonna be doing this in uh in an interesting way.
00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:28.799
Um now, you guys have met Jacob Nelson.
00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:30.960
Jacob, you want to come up real quick?
00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:32.319
But you may not.
00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:38.240
So Jacob is uh he he is himself a young adult, maybe you could tell.
00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:44.880
And uh and uh and also just an amazing worship leader, and so he is gonna be a core part of this.
00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:50.400
Um, but we have also brought on a young adult's pastor that you maybe haven't heard from before.
00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:52.559
This is now Pastor Daniel Keats.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:25:10.880
Daniel He's a Daniel and and uh his wife, Alexis, have been here for several years and are just uh wonderful.
00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:16.720
And so um, would you I don't know, introduce yourself, share a prophetic word, you know, do whatever you need to do, tell us what you're saying.
00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:17.759
Absolutely.
00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:24.880
Um it's been awesome getting to know uh quite a few of you and not enough of you over the past four years that Lex and I have been here.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:35.920
I remember two years ago I came up to this altar and I uh asked Pastor Matty, I was like, hey, I feel called to be a pastor, and then he gave me a bunch of advice, and I read some books, and then I was like, you know, never mind, no way.
00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:52.480
Um but over this past year, um, in this year of rest, I've done a lot of contemplating, me and my wife, and um we've realized that we have this passion and this calling, and we we notice this void um here in you know the family in worship at the altars.
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:56.559
We have a group of individuals, these young adults, who feel like they don't belong.
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:03.680
They feel like they don't have they have a script written out from zero to eighteen, and then it's out the door and figured out.
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:10.400
And we have a millennial mostly church here, and there's a big gap between you know 18 years old and 28.
00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:27.200
Um but we are honored at the potential to open up our home to the young adults and give you guys a place to call home, come eat warm meals, get to know people who are in the next phase of life, and help you transition into being a fruitful member of this church and knowing where you belong here at the altar.
00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:35.039
Um I was talking with a friend this week, and uh he said, you know, just because you're you have sheep doesn't make you a shepherd.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:41.039
And uh he said, What makes a shepherd is someone who tends to those sheep, who cares for them, who guards them, who protects them.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:27:07.680
And so Lex and the staff that we're gonna build around us really want to focus on bringing you, young 18 to 24-year-olds, up into that next phase of life, and that you can feel like you belong here and that you have family and community, and then you can take the torch as when some of us pastors step down the next decade or two decades that we have passed on to good hands of faithful disciples who are apologetically, biblically literate, and know what their purpose is in the kingdom.
00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:12.880
Yes, and uh, I don't want you to think that I have like this great vision or amazing idea.
00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:19.440
You know, I I'm I'm nothing more than someone who's being a submissive vessel in this opportunity.
00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:24.480
And you know, Psalm 127, one says, Unless the Lord builds this house, those who labor labor in vain.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:26.480
And I don't want to labor in vain building this.
00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:30.559
It's gonna be all the church, this whole community is gonna be on board to build this.
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:32.000
Um, but I'm so excited.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:38.000
Um, so those of you who are young adults, please, after service, come come get my number, come get Lex's number, come get to know us.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:42.240
I'm so excited for the opportunity to uh to build into your lives and pour into you.
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:43.440
Yeah, amen.
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.240
Thank you, man.
00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:45.279
So good.
00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:50.160
Well, hey, what one more one more time, Pastor Daniel, Mr.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:53.519
Lexis, uh, Pastor Jacob, we're so glad to have y'all.
00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:55.440
This is gonna be an exciting time.
00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:59.359
If you are between the ages of 18 and 24, will you raise your hand?
00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:00.240
Look at them.
00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:00.640
Look at them.
00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.319
Oh my gosh, there's a lot of them.
00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:02.960
Let's go.
00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:04.079
All right, well, get ready.
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:10.079
Y'all, you guys are gonna about to have some great times, make some great memories, and uh and be a part of something special.
00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:20.559
I think, you know, uh I think it we are in error often because we we convince people that uh that that ministry is is reserved for later.
00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:24.240
And and if you assume that posture, you'll find that later never comes.
00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:27.119
It's it's always one degree away.
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:35.200
It's always, you know, once I get married, once I have kids, once we buy a house, once I can get settled into my career, and it just never really comes.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:46.319
And uh, and so my hope, and as Pastor Daniel and I have been talking, uh, you know, our plan has been to see our 18 to 24-year-olds really begin to take uh the reins of this ministry in a beautiful way.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:53.279
They really begin to step into leadership positions as burden bearers and pillars in this house in a way that you really can.
00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:59.440
Uh, and so we are looking forward to receiving from you and the gifts and anointings God has put on your life.
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:00.400
All right?
00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:02.319
Are we having fun?
00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:15.440
All right, next, I should tell you one of the uh one of the more difficult things for me this last year has been realizing that uh I think that we have been a less healthy church because we haven't had Wednesday nights.
00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:26.960
And uh and and I mean, you know, we have our Sunday morning service, but it's Sunday morning there may be a hundred people in the room that have never been here before, you know, a hundred people in the room that are just checking it out or just passing through.
00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:36.799
And uh, and I think Wednesday nights, for the years that we had Wednesday nights were an opportunity for me to sit down and uh and just share my heart, handle family business, right?
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:52.160
And and to note without cameras, without uh worrying about a broadcast or anything like that, to really just get to sit and have heart-to-heart family discussions uh that were, I think, so profound and formative for the culture that the Lord had has called us to build here.
00:29:52.240 --> 00:30:02.079
And so we are going to be uh in January relaunching Wednesday night services at the altar fellowship.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:04.160
And uh we're looking forward to those.
00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:11.680
We'll have Q ⁇ A's and pizza parties, and you'll just never know what might what might happen when we get together on uh on Wednesday nights.
00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:16.880
I think also this will give us an opportunity for more people to get involved in the work of the ministry.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:19.119
I'm excited to have more people preaching and teaching.
00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:21.279
Excited to have more people leading worship.
00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:30.160
I want more of you to be able to bring your gifts to the people of God here at the church, and I think Wednesday nights will give us more opportunities, more chances for that to happen.
00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.599
So I'm really looking forward to that.
00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:36.319
Part of that is that we are on those Wednesday nights going to have some kids' ministry.
00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:43.599
And so you have heard us sort of asking you to volunteer to minister to our kids, to be a part of the kids team.
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:56.640
And uh because of that, because our kids' ministry has grown so tremendously, and because we're adding Wednesday nights back, we also needed to add somebody to our kids' team that knew what they were doing.
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:00.400
And so uh so we brought Miss Kirsten Turner.
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:02.079
Come into the stamp, Kirsten.
00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:21.119
So, Kirsten, introduce yourself, tell us about your your role, how people can get involved, and and where you came from to get here.
00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:23.519
Well, my name is Kirsten Turner.
00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:27.279
Um, and my husband, Josh, and I, and our two girls, Eloise and Maddie.
00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:29.839
We've been here for a little over four years now.
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:41.519
Um Josh knew Pastor Maddie back in Mobile, and so we've we're following along with what God was doing here, and you know, the Lord gave us the call, and so here we are.
00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:43.920
Um, and it's been just such a tremendous journey.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:46.079
But being here is such a joy and an honor.
00:31:46.240 --> 00:32:03.599
Um, I've been serving for quite a while with um the altar kids and running alongside Pastor Anna, helping with scheduling and some behind the scenes things, and so just so excited to step into that role even further to take on some more responsibilities behind the scenes.
00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:13.279
But it's just it is such a joy um to get to know all of our families and to serve our kids and to run alongside Pastor Anna and our um entire staff in church.
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:14.400
So thank you so much.
00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:16.240
Thank you.
00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:17.519
So good.
00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:19.039
Come on.
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:23.839
So uh, all right, lastly, and I am gonna wrap this up shortly.
00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:31.920
Lastly in Isaiah 56, uh, God says, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:38.160
And if we are a house that does worship really, really well, but doesn't know how to pray, we're in trouble.
00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:55.440
If if we are a church that does outreach really, really well and young adults ministry really well, and we've got the best preachers and you know prophetic voices in the nation, but we don't know how to pray, we are in serious trouble because the house that God is building is a house of prayer for all nations.
00:32:55.680 --> 00:33:01.920
And uh, and so uh just recently Mama Fred and I were talking and she said, Y'all need to pray more.
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:03.759
And I said, You yeah, you're right.
00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:13.599
And uh and if you know, if you know Miss Fred at all, you know um she she doesn't just talk the talk, she walks the walk.
00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:14.160
She will pray.
00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:18.720
If you ask her to put you on her prayer list, she will pray for you, you know.
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:23.279
And uh, and so we got to talk in and and uh and I talked with our newest elder, Mr.
00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:29.519
Michael Turley, about uh about helping to pull this together.
00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:41.279
And uh, and so we not only are launching Wednesday night services, but prior to those, on Wednesday late afternoon, evening, I don't know what time they're gonna be even yet, probably about five o'clock on Wednesdays.
00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:46.960
We are gonna have an intercessory prayer gathering where anybody that wants to can can come and join us.
00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:51.599
You'll get some instruction and training on what intercessory prayer even means and how to do it.
00:33:51.680 --> 00:34:04.640
Uh, and then also you'll have the opportunity to lift up not just leaders in this church, leaders in the city, leaders in the nation, uh, to pray that God would hit particular topics to intercede for God, to bring healing to marriages, to bring healing.
00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:13.119
You know, we we got together at men's prayer and we hit a couple things a few weeks ago that were specific points of prayer that we are gonna lift up together and agree together on.
00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:21.280
And I just want to make sure that that's not something that only the men do and it's only every Sunday, but that becomes a part of the DNA and the fabric of who we are as a people.
00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:22.719
And so, Michael, would you come up?
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:30.159
I just want to make sure for those who don't know you, which can't be many people in here, would you come introduce yourself and share your heart?
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:52.639
You know what brought me Can you hear me?
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:05.119
So about six years ago, what really began to connect me with Pastor Maddie was I began to have a series of dreams about him and Pastor Ian.
00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:11.199
And through those series of dreams it brought my wife and I to the altar fellowship.
00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:16.400
Now one day I get a text message from Pastor Maddie.
00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:19.039
He said, Be in my office at noon tomorrow.
00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:26.719
Well, coming from the past of who I used to be, that really terrified me because I really thought something bad was gonna happen.
00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:36.000
And he took me back into his office with four other women and put us on a conference call with Prophet Teresa Bone down in Mobile, Alabama.
00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:39.920
And those other four people aren't in this house anymore.
00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:42.480
It breaks my heart.
00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:49.039
But I knew in that moment that he gave me his permission to be like eyes and ears for him and for this house.
00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:57.519
And one of the greatest ways that he discipled me over the past six years in that is he didn't respond to most of my messages.
00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:04.639
And I don't say that in disrespect, but what has happened in the past six years is Yahweh gave me a gift to dream.
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:13.519
I've dreamed all of my life, but since walking in freedom, those dreams have been activated, and 90% of all of my dreams are about people in this room.
00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:16.880
Like, how many of y'all have come to me because I had a dream about you?
00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:19.280
I've come to you because I had a dream about you.
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:32.480
You know, the something beautiful happens in the Word of God when the Lord will actually bring a prophet to work alongside of an apostle to establish something in the kingdom.
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:41.599
But in that, there's like this fear, okay, Michael, like what does that even mean for me?
00:36:42.320 --> 00:36:47.119
Well, the Lord says to equip the saints and to find the treasure people.
00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:50.159
It's not harder to find dirt.
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:51.920
We know what that looks like, right?
00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:58.800
And so I'm grateful that the Lord has given me a gift to dream and a gift to love.
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:16.880
And really it's only possible because in the beginning we leased a church where we had to set up and break down kids' church every single week, and that just created a space to be shoulder to shoulder alongside of people to actually do something and to create a relationship where we can love one another.
00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:34.719
And if we can get close enough to one another without being offended and not just trying to wipe our hands with people, then the spirit of the Lord is gonna whisper sweet secrets about one another that maybe I could go to my brother Jill one day and be like, you know what, there is more, and he's gonna show you this week.
00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:38.719
Because that's the heart of the father.
00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:39.440
Yes, sir.
00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:47.599
And in the new covenant, the gift of prophecy is to reveal the heart of the father for his people.
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:53.039
And so that's my desire for what I offer friendship for everybody in this place.
00:37:53.119 --> 00:38:02.880
Like let's find the treasure in one another, because if we can find the treasure, if we can hear the voice of God, if we can see what he's doing in the earth, everything changes.
00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:03.760
Yes, sir.
00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:04.639
That's right.
00:38:05.119 --> 00:38:06.239
That's awesome, Michael.
00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:07.599
Thank you so much, sir.
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:25.840
Now, you'll some of you will remember months ago I I said uh that the ministry God will breathe on most powerfully here will not be what happens on this stage.
00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:29.280
It will be what happens around your tables and in your homes.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:36.559
And I added that the coming revival will not happen in stadiums or arenas, it'll happen in living rooms and around dinner tables.
00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:42.639
And the revivalists God will use will not be known by titles like pastor or prophet or evangelist.
00:38:42.719 --> 00:38:48.480
They'll be known by titles like mom, dad, brother, friend.
00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:57.920
Everything we are doing today and in the days ahead is not to better serve my ministry, it's to better serve your ministry.
00:38:58.960 --> 00:39:06.480
Your ministry to your family, to your community, and most importantly, your ministry to God Himself.
00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:14.079
And uh and so over these last, over this last month or so, I've been asking God, what's the vision?
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.199
What's the vision?
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:20.559
And and we've talked a lot about that today, and I'm way over my time, but I've been asking God, what is the vision?
00:39:20.719 --> 00:39:25.840
And and every time I asked that question, he would bring me back to a poem I read 20 years ago.
00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:32.639
When I was early, you know, just fresh into the ministry and had no idea what I had signed up for.
00:39:32.880 --> 00:39:44.159
I uh I read this poem and and God brought this uh across my uh my desk uh so to speak in uh uh in a book that I was reading at the time.
00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:47.920
And the the poem starts with the same question what's the vision?
00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:58.960
I want to read this over us as a uh as a signpost, a stake in the ground of who we are as we begin to discover who we are becoming.
00:39:59.280 --> 00:40:00.719
Here's the the poem.
00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:04.800
So this guy comes up to me and says, What's the vision?
00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:06.239
What's the big idea?
00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:12.960
I open my mouth and words come out like this the vision, the vision is Jesus.
00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:16.960
Obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
00:40:17.199 --> 00:40:19.760
The vision is an army of young people.
00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.880
You see bones, I see an army, and they are free from materialism.
00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:27.440
They laugh at nine to five little prisons.
00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:32.320
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday, they wouldn't even notice.
00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:36.639
They know the meaning of the matrix, the way the West was won.
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:38.960
They are mobile like the wind.
00:40:39.119 --> 00:40:42.159
They belong to the nations, they need no passport.
00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:46.880
People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:51.360
They are free, yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:52.800
What is the vision?
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:56.960
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
00:40:57.440 --> 00:41:00.480
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:05.840
It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:09.280
It scorns the good and strains for the best.
00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:11.679
It is dangerously pure.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:17.440
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:22.719
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
00:41:23.039 --> 00:41:26.559
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:36.079
A million times a day, its soldiers choose to lose that they might one day win the great well-done of faithful sons and daughters.
00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:41.199
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as they are on Sunday night.
00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:48.320
They don't need fame from names, instead, they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again.
00:41:48.559 --> 00:42:00.400
Come on! And this is the sound of the underground, the whisper of history in the making, foundations shaking, revolutionaries dreaming once again.
00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:05.760
Mystery is scheming in whispers, conspiracy is breathing.
00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:08.559
This is the sound of the underground.
00:42:08.800 --> 00:42:12.320
And the army is discipled.
00:42:12.639 --> 00:42:15.599
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:18.960
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
00:42:19.119 --> 00:42:24.320
The tattoo on their back boasts: for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:28.880
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:32.159
Winners, martyrs, who can stop them?
00:42:32.400 --> 00:42:34.320
Can hormones hold them back?
00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:36.000
Can failure succeed?
00:42:36.159 --> 00:42:38.960
Can fear scare them or death kill them?
00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:49.920
And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulfuric tears, and with great barrow loads of laughter.
00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:55.199
Waiting, watching, 24-7-365.
00:42:55.599 --> 00:43:06.960
Whatever it takes, they will give, breaking the rules, shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide, laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:09.440
The advertisers cannot mold them.
00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:11.280
Hollywood cannot hold them.
00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:17.840
Peer pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late-night parties before the cockerel cries.
00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:22.480
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:25.280
On the outside, they hardly care.
00:43:25.599 --> 00:43:30.159
They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate, but never to hide.
00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:33.280
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
00:43:34.079 --> 00:43:41.920
They would lay down their very lives, swap seats with the man on death row, guilty as hell, a throne for an electric chair.
00:43:42.159 --> 00:43:51.840
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God, and they live as if it all depends on them.
00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:55.199
Their DNA chooses Jesus.
00:43:55.760 --> 00:43:58.400
He breathes out and they breathe in.
00:43:58.639 --> 00:44:00.400
Their subconscious sings.
00:44:00.559 --> 00:44:02.719
They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:06.559
Their words make demons scream in shopping centers.
00:44:06.800 --> 00:44:08.480
Don't you hear them coming?
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:10.880
Herald the weirdos.
00:44:11.840 --> 00:44:13.679
Summon the losers and the freaks.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:17.519
Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:20.559
They walk tall and trees applaud.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:22.559
Skyscrapers bow.
00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:26.559
Mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension.
00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:32.400
Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.
00:44:32.639 --> 00:44:34.079
And the vision will be.
00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:36.400
It will come to pass.
00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:38.239
It will come easily.
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:39.920
It will come soon.
00:44:40.320 --> 00:44:41.599
How do I know?
00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:45.199
Because this is the longing of creation itself.
00:44:45.519 --> 00:44:49.679
The groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:53.280
My tomorrow is his today.
00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:56.719
My distant hope is his 3D.
00:44:56.880 --> 00:45:09.679
And my feeble whispered faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking, great amen, from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ Himself.
00:45:09.840 --> 00:45:14.559
And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
00:45:14.960 --> 00:45:16.079
Guaranteed.
00:45:18.880 --> 00:45:20.079
What is the vision?
00:45:20.719 --> 00:45:21.920
It is Jesus.
00:45:23.039 --> 00:45:24.000
What is the vision?
00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:26.400
It is holiness that hurts the eyes.
00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:36.079
And may we never begin to believe that this thing is about just crossing church off of our weekly to-do list.
00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:46.079
The blood of Jesus has purchased for us so much more than just playing church.
00:45:46.719 --> 00:45:50.079
So congratulations on seven years.
00:45:51.039 --> 00:45:53.599
And here's to the next 70.
00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:54.320
Thank you.
00:45:54.559 --> 00:45:55.599
God bless you.
00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:57.519
We love you guys.
00:45:59.199 --> 00:46:03.199
And uh we will see you right back here next week.
00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:08.880
Thank you for tuning in to this service from the Altar Fellowship.
00:46:09.039 --> 00:46:12.400
We pray that you were impacted powerfully by this message.
00:46:12.559 --> 00:46:25.920
If you have been personally affected by our ministry and you would like to partner with the altar as we work to establish the kingdom of heaven, please visit our website at www.thealtar.org.
