Speaker 1: 0:00

Can you hear me now? Yeah, that's because I switched to T-Mobile. No, I'm joking. Back to what I was saying. Have you ever wanted to lie to your spouse? Never. Someone said yeah, I did. Actually Not talking about a big one, talking about a small one. Right, there's something that would make a situation less inconvenient. Okay, so this happened to me one time when Aaron and I first were married. So back when we first got married, aaron worked for Geico. She was a manager at Geico and she had to do the midnight shifts, okay. So she didn't get home until around 1 o'clock in the morning and I remember this time I was staying up.

Speaker 1: 0:41

I was trying my best to stay up and wait for her, and I'm laying in the bed half asleep. When I saw it. I saw it A giant cockroach. I mean, this thing came straight from Men in Black. Okay, this thing was huge. And I said, oh no, I got to get this thing before Aaron gets home.

Speaker 1: 1:01

So me, being the heroic man I am, got up, grabbed my shoe and went for the kill. Okay, but as I went to get it, I missed it. And then I lost it. I couldn't find it. So I'm searching everywhere for this roach, couldn't find it. And then I hear Aaron walking into the house. I'm like, oh, do I tell her or do I just like, act like nothing happened, and hopefully this thing doesn't crawl on us in the middle of the night? So here you go. I walk out to greet her and apparently I have the worst poker face ever, because she looked right at me and said what's wrong? What happened? And so I said OK, babe, there is a bug in the room. And exactly I knew what was going to happen. She freaked out. Ok, so here you go.

Speaker 1: 1:50

About one in the morning, we're flipping the mattress, we're pulling stuff out of the closet, we're looking everywhere for this roach and we cannot find it. And finally I said, babe, maybe I didn't even see it, maybe I made it up and she's like you didn't. So here you go. So we go to bed. Worst night's sleep I ever had. I thought someone was crawling on me the whole night. The next morning, though, here you go, the next morning, I wake up, I walk out in the hallway and boom, there it is. And that thing was huge. And at this time I got it, smashed it, and I became Aaron's champion for that moment. Ok, yeah, it was great.

Speaker 1: 2:24

But there was this temptation. Maybe I'll just tell this little thing, this little lie, what's it gonna do? Won't hurt. It would have been easier for me to lie and prevent and pretend like I never saw the bug. But pretending that it wasn't there wouldn't make it go away.

Speaker 1: 2:43

And the same is true for the lies that creep into our marriages. The same is true. We may want to pretend they're not there. We may hope they don't crawl into bed with us, come on. But if we don't address them, they will not. Maybe they will wreck our relationships, they will wreck our marriages.

Speaker 1: 3:04

So today we're going to talk about four lies that destroy marriages. And here you go. And these four lies I'm going to share today I believe can also be applied to friendships and also parenting. Okay, if you're a parent, okay, here you go. Here are the four lies. I'm going to get right into it. The first one is this I can change him or I can change her. I can change them. I can make it happen.

Speaker 1: 3:30

See, men marry women hoping they won't change, and women marry men hoping they will change. Both are disappointed. You've heard it said opposites attract, and it's true. But over time, opposites just don't attract, they also attack. The easygoing boyfriend becomes the never pick up anything husband. The strong, confident girlfriend becomes the controlling. We start wishing for things to change and when we do, our first instinct is what we often criticize, or we nag or we complain. But let's be honest none of those things actually work. Nagging someone doesn't change hearts. Criticizing someone doesn't change hearts. Criticizing someone doesn't change hearts. Only God does. Only God does.

Speaker 1: 4:28

In relationships, it's easy to feel frustrated. Maybe you find yourself saying things like this. Maybe you wish that she would prioritize you over the kids, maybe you wish that maybe he'll stop drinking so much, or maybe you wish she would control her temper. And at some point you feel like something has to change. And our natural reaction to get that change to happen is to criticize, to complain, to keep pointing out the things that we don't like. And criticism, here you go. Criticism well, that just makes people defensive. And nagging well, that just pushes people away. And complaining well, we all know that just creates resentment. So here's the truth. Here's the truth that we all need to know. You can't change anyone. You can't change anyone, but God can, but God can.

Speaker 1: 5:27

It's actually one of the beautiful things about the resurrection is that, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we can change, that we don't have to stay the same, that just because we once did something, that we once lived one way, through the grace of Jesus, we can become something more, something better, the person that God designed us to be. So here you go. So here you go. So how does God change a heart? And I'm going to give you an answer. That's so easy and you're going to be so mad at me for saying it.

Speaker 1: 5:54

How does God change your heart? We pray first. You're like Jacob come on Prayer and I will say this we got to stop underestimating the power of prayer. We have to stop. As a Jesus follower if you're not a Jesus follower, then you don't have to do this, but as a Jesus follower, prayer is your number one weapon. Prayer is your number one response. We have to pray first. Now I want to give us two prayers to pray for in our marriages. Okay. The first one is this we got to make prayer circles for your spouse Like a prayer circle.

Speaker 1: 6:31

What does that mean? What are you talking about? What do you mean? You want me to walk in circles around my spouse? They'll probably uppercut me. No, don't do that, okay, okay, a prayer circle, based on Mark Batterson's book the Circle Maker, is a practice of persistent, faith-filled prayers where you metaphorically circle a request in prayer until you see God move. How the story goes is that Handi the circle maker, who was a Jewish sage, who, daring a drought, literally made a circle in the sand, stood in it and prayed every day until God sent rain. And God did, and God sent the rain. It's a really cool story Now in these prayers, though. So what is a prayer circle? How does that mean for us?

Speaker 1: 7:15

In these prayer circles, we have to be specific Now. Vague prayers don't get you anywhere. Now, what do I mean by that? God, just change them. Well, change what the show they're watching, yeah, change their faith, no, no, be specific, god. Change the way they react to their kids. God, change the way that he responds when I ask him a question.

Speaker 1: 7:40

God, be specific with your prayers. Be specific with your prayer for your spouse, but so you want to be specific with your prayers. Be specific with your prayer for your spouse, but so you want to be specific, but then you want to be persistent. Now, I got to say something about persistent. I got to say something. It's not like, oh Lord, just make him not be so mad. And then you don't do it again. Dude, we have to be persistent to the Lord. We have to go before the Lord constantly, consistently, because here's the truth we're persistent about our worries, we're persistent about the things we want to complain about, but we're not persistent to the one who can actually change the thing that we're struggling with. And so we got to be persistent in prayer. We got to keep going to this thing, say God, this is happening and I need you to move on my behalf here. We got to be persistent. And then we have to be expectant, pray with faith, believing that God will hear our prayers.

Speaker 1: 8:38

The other day I got coffee with a guy from our church and we were talking about prayers and we were talking about how, a lot of times, prayer is like a defense. We're always like something happens and then we pray God, can you help us with this? Can you do that? But prayer needs to be our best offense. We're going to pray ahead of time and get some points on the board. We're going to start praying. God, I know you can make my husband a great father to my kids. God, I know you're going to provide for my wife. She's struggling with this depression. Help her move in her life. We're going to start praying as an office of move, come on, come on, and not just on the defense.

Speaker 1: 9:13

And this is about intentionally. I want you to get this. This is about intentionally inviting God into your life, intentionally inviting God into your marriage, because, man, we intentionally and maybe unintentionally, invite a lot of other things into our marriages. We invite a lot of other things and a lot of other voices into the way we live our lives, where, again, the one, the one who sent his only son, who lived the life we couldn't live, who died a death we deserve but three days later, got back up again, and the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. That same spirit is the one that we can invite to our lives every single day. And so we're going to keep doing it. We're going to be specific, we're going to be persistent, we're going to be expectant, and I encourage you to write one to three prayer circles for your spouse. I'm going to pray for you and your kids and your friendships. Have some specific prayers.

Speaker 1: 10:14

The power, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and ineffective. Come on, we're not preaching today. Maybe you say I've been praying and he still leaves the toilet seat up. We pray first, and consistent, because when we pray it gets me in on God's world and gets God in on my world. And so here's the thing Prayer may or may not change your spouse, but prayer always will change you. It may not immediately change your spouse, but it will change you. And so what we're going to do, we're going to make prayer circles for our spouses, for the people we're in relationships with. And the second way we're going to pray when your marriage is struggling, when relationships are hard. We're going to pray for God to change you. You're like what? Yeah, yeah, you're going to pray for God to change you, not just them. I'm sure it's all their fault, but we're going to pray for God to change you. And what kind of prayer should we do? Psalm 139 says this is the kind of prayer that we should have, and this is a hard prayer to pray. This verse 39 says this is the kind of prayer that we should have, and this is a hard prayer to pray.

Speaker 1: 11:27

It's one of these Bible verses that is a nice hallmark card. But then, when you really start looking at the words what King David is saying or Solomon is saying. It's like ooh, it says this. It says search me, ooh, search me. I don't want you all up in my business, god. Search me, god, and know my heart. See if there is any offensive way in me. Like you know there isn't. What he's really saying is show me, show me where I've been offensive and lead me in the way everlasting. Search me, god, do a work in me. I just don't want to point fingers at someone else, but God do a healing work in me. And when you pray, god may not change your situation, but he will definitely change you. He might shift your attitude, soften your heart, give you wisdom to handle things differently. He may strengthen your confidence to set healthy boundaries or give you the courage to leave an unhealthy situation. He might help you be less critical, less controlling and more patient and more forgiving, or he might simply build your faith when you're struggling to hold on. So pray, god, do a work in me.

Speaker 1: 12:44

A second big lie that a lot of us believe when it comes to relationships, when it comes to marriage, is that a good marriage is always 50-50. A good marriage is 50-50. Sounds good, seems right, makes mathematical sense, and I'll show you a little formula that illustrates why this is such a destructive lie. Because half-hearted effort plus a half-hearted commitment equals a wholehearted disappointment. And this is the very thing we see over and over again with people with good intentions say marriage is 50-50. Because whenever you think a marriage is 50-50, what you end up doing is keeping score Well, I took the kids. Well, I cleaned the dishes. Well, I folded your stank laundry. I did all these things. What are you doing for me Now? Here you go, here you go. Anytime you keep score, both of you lose, because marriage has never been intended by God to be 50-50. It's always a hundred percent, full-on submissive love and servanthood to the other, laying down our desires to be a blessing.

Speaker 1: 13:59

Now the Apostle Paul has a lot to say about this, and he uses some words here that we might not like or we might not just understand. To be honest, I'm going to help us understand it today. Ephesians 5, 21 says this submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Let me highlight that Submit to one another, that means everybody. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord, husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Now I've got to say something about Ephesians 5, because this can be confusing. Is it saying that husbands are supposed to reign supreme over the wife and the wife is just supposed to take it? What is Paul saying here? Actually, paul is giving us a new look on marriage that dates back to God's original intentions in Eden.

Speaker 1: 14:49

Let me show you Christian marriage calls for equality. I understand in Ephesians 5 is in mutual submission. Many people read Ephesians 5, 22 through 33 and think Paul is saying wives must always submit to their husbands and while the husband just needs to love their wife. But if we look deeper, paul's actually teaching mutual submission, where both husband and wife serve, love and honor each other. Paul's call to submission goes both ways. Ephesians 5.21 says submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. In the original Greek there the word submit isn't even in verse 22. It's borrowed from verse 21. This means Paul never commands only wives to submit. He's continuing a thought about how all believers, including husbands and wives, should submit to each other. So why does Paul then? You say then Jacob? Then why did Paul say wives submit? And he calls husbands to love.

Speaker 1: 15:52

Well, paul is right into a patriarchal culture where women were already expected to submit. His teaching was radical because he told husbands to love, and to love sacrificially. There is nothing in history that ever teaches the husband to love his wife. Wives were trophies. Wives were signs of gaining more wealth or moving up. There is no verse even in the Jewish Hebrew Bible that to love your wife as Yahweh loves Israel. Paul is saying something radically new to the church that, husbands, you're supposed to love. And what love? Like a little love, like a Marvin Gaye kind of love? No love like Christ loved. Well, how did he love? Christ loved Well, how did he love? He loved so much that he went to a cross. That's some next level love. Okay, let's continue. So, in other words, paul isn't making a rule, he's correcting it in balance.

Speaker 1: 17:09

Headship means source, not authority. The Greek word head can mean source, not ruler. Just as Christ nourishes and cares for the church, husbands are called to nurture and support their wives, not dominate them. Philip Payne says in his book Men and Women One in Christ argues that Paul's message is about unity and love, not hierarchy. He shows that the early church taught mutual submission, not a one-way obedience. So marriage reflects the gospel. So marriage reflects the gospel relationship of love and service. So again, ephesians 5 compares marriage to Christ in the church. But Christ leads by serving, sacrificing and loving, not by demand and obedience. True leadership in marriage and in life. And in life means laying down your life and in your marriage it means laying it down for your spouse, just as Christ did. So mutual submission makes marriage stronger. Paul's command is not about power, it's about partnership. Galatians 3.25 reminds us that there is neither Jew nor Greek slave, nor free male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Speaker 1: 18:19

Healthy marriages aren't about control, they're about teamwork. So the true meaning of headship is this Headship is not about serving. Headship is about serving, not ruling. A husband's role is to love, encourage and sacrifice, not to make all the decisions. And a wife's role is to honor, support and lead alongside her husband, not simply follow orders. So how do we live out equality in marriage? Well, we make decisions together. Both voices matter, recognize each other's strengths Husbands aren't just the only leaders in the home and serve each other daily. Mutual love is more powerful than forced roles. So again, paul's teaching in Ephesians 5 doesn't create hierarchy in marriage. He calls for mutual love, respect and partnership. Christian marriage is about serving like Jesus, doesn't create hierarchy in marriage. He calls for mutual love, respect and partnership. Christian marriage is about serving like Jesus, loving sacrificially and building each other up so God receives all the glory. Marriage, at its heart, is a demonstration of the good news that points people to God, and so when husbands and wives submit to each other, their marriage reflects the gospel of grace.

Speaker 1: 19:35

Now I got a couple books to recommend I like to read, and there's three books Philip Payne's book, one in Christ, another book called Tell Her Story, and then Beth Allison wrote a book called Understanding Biblical Womanhood, and I encourage you, if you're really interested in this topic, to read those three. Okay, and because this is what the devil will try to do, he will try to say marriage is just 50-50. That there's a power struggle here. But what we see in Eden, and what we see confirmed by Jesus when he speaks about marriage, is that there is a co-mission, that there is a partnership between man and woman, husband and wife, and when you're together, nothing can stop you. So that leads to the third lie, though, because the thing that will separate husband and wife. The thing that would separate relationships is when trust is broken.

Speaker 1: 20:30

And so the third lie is this this one little thing isn't a big deal. This one little thing isn't a big deal. This one little secret, this one little challenge, this one little way I'm dealing with it and coping with it, that no one really knows about, isn't really a big deal. And the devil tells you you can just get dealing with it and coping with it. That no one really knows about isn't really a big deal. And the devil tells you you can just get away with it. This one little thing isn't a big deal.

Speaker 1: 20:54

It's rarely the big problems alone that destroys the marriage. Listen to me, someone will say oh, he was unfaithful, she was unfaithful, and that's what made their marriage blow up. He was unfaithful, she was unfaithful, and that's what made their marriage blow up. No, no, it's rarely that alone. Almost every time it's a few small problems, little things that were left unchecked, unconfessed. Sins start to grow and compound and get bigger and bigger, because sin grows best in the dark.

Speaker 1: 21:29

When Aaron and I were in pre-marriage counseling, we knew we wanted to learn from couples who are more seasoned than us and who we admire their relationship and their journey. So we intentionally set up meetings. We said we'll take you out for dinner, we'll take you out for coffee, share with us what you guys have learned about marriage. And we did this with almost I believe it was almost like over 20 couples and we just met with them and talked to them. And one of the best ones was what someone told us about the jab how you can't jab your spouse and you got to speak honest and be kind. But one of the ones that really stuck out was our senior pastors took us out Speak honest and be kind. But one of the ones that really stuck out was our senior pastors took us out, andy and Sharon Mead.

Speaker 1: 22:14

And over dinner Pastor Andy shared advice that I believe applies to every marriage. He said don't let the foxes ruin your marriage. And he said don't invite the foxes into your marriage. And I was like what are you talking about? When he said it, I was like what foxes? And I said what does the fox say? And first, when he's talking, he's pointing us a verse in Song of Songs and it says this it says Catch for us.

Speaker 1: 22:37

The foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, are vineyards that are in bloom, and he shared how it's easy for them to bring for them for their context. Their relationship was to bring church problems to their kitchen table, to their couch and then to their bedroom, and they discovered how these little problems and talking about other people's issues and other people's things were like a fox and it was ruining their intimacy and their relationship. And then they were only starting to connect by complaining or venting about things rather than getting to know each other. So, aaron and I, we've been intentional about watching the little foxes, the small problems, the seemingly minor issues that, if ignored, can grow and cause major damage, just like in the vineyard, where the tiny fox can ruin an entire harvest. Little unchecked issues can slowly erode a marriage. And let's be real, we need our vineyards to grow because we need some good wine.

Speaker 1: 23:39

There's something deeply symbolic here, though. The vineyard is flourishing, things are good, life is rich, love is strong, and yet, in the very same place where there is blessing, something sneaks in under cover of the darkness, and that's how the enemy works. The enemy will rarely come to your front door patiently knocking and explaining all of his intentions to ruin your marriage, but he comes in when no one's watching, in the secret places, when no one's watching, in the secret places, foxes attack at night. I want you to hear this, because sin thrives best in secrecy. At first they go after the fruit, the obvious blessing of your marriage. But they don't stop there. If left unchecked, they barrel deeper, beneath the surface, where no one is looking, and slowly they gnaw away at the roots, the very foundation of your relationship. And what are these foxes? They're the unchecked desires, the small compromises, the hidden wounds we never let heal.

Speaker 1: 24:55

Now I'm not just talking about the wounds that develop in marriage, because we do wound each other in our marriages, but the wounds that we bring into our marriage. And there is nothing like a marriage to press harder on the wounds of our heart. Let me tell you something about your heart. God wants to heal the wounds of your heart. He doesn't want to leave you as he found you, but there is healing in Jesus' name for those wounds and every sin done against you. God can heal it, restore it and redeem it, and the wound that tried to take you out becomes the wound that you use to help someone else find healing for their wounds.

Speaker 1: 25:44

Come on, come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. He wants to use your story, your story of healing, your story of forgiveness, not just to make you a better person so you can write a self-help book one day, no, but that you can get down and dirty with people who are in need and be someone who makes a difference with your life. And the only way you make a difference in this world is by loving on people. You can accomplish all the tasks, but if you haven't loved people, you miss it. Come on, let me stick to my notes.

Speaker 1: 26:29

Here you go, you don't manage sin. You confess it. You bring it into the light where healing begins, where the enemy loses his grip and where the vineyards thrive again and the devil tells you that little thing is not a big deal. But scripture says this therefore, confess your sins to each other and you pray for each other that you might be healed. There's some of you that this would be one of the most difficult things for you to do. Is there this little secret sin that has the potential of growing? But if you have the courage to confess it together, you will defeat it.

Speaker 1: 27:06

Now I want to be practical. Based on the nature of the confession, I do recommend to go see a Christian counselor. I do Not just because you need someone in the room with you, but because you need someone to help you process and take healthy next steps. And if you have the person receiving a confession, you might get hurt. But I want to try to remind you of when someone loves you enough to open up and ask for help. That is one of the most generous expressions of love, even if the confession hurts at time. But hiding the secret is much more painful, ultimately, than receiving the secret confession and working on it together.

Speaker 1: 27:44

And perhaps, perhaps, with that being said, the biggest lie that we see out of all the lies is this last one that there is no hope for my marriage and there's no hope, no hope for my relationship with my kids. There's no hope for this. For my friendship that went south, there's no hope. I want to pause for a moment and acknowledge the weight of this, the reality of that, that many marriages, many relationships, haven't been what you dreamed it would be, and I know that some of you are carrying pain so deep and so raw that even talking about marriage feels like touching a bruise that can't heal Some of you. You're married to an addict, and that's heartbreaking. It's a complex road. Some of you have been betrayed over and over again. Some of you have suffered abuse maybe not physical, but words can cut just as deep and you have felt dismissed, diminished and you feel like you don't matter.

Speaker 1: 28:41

And here's what I know about lies. What the enemy does best with lies is this the most dangerous lies aren't the outrageous lies, they're the lies that have enough truth in them to make them feel believable. Have enough truth in them to make them feel believable. There's a little bit of like oh, maybe that is true, maybe that isn't. And when you think my marriage is too far gone, we're too broken, there's no way we can ever heal. There's a reason that feels so real because there is pain and there has been betrayal.

Speaker 1: 29:12

But for a marriage to be healed, it takes two people fighting for restoration. And while you can't force someone to fight, you don't have to stay in a place where you're being harmed either. And if your marriage is unsafe, you do seek help. But here's the thing God can't move in this. The real question is God, what are you revealing about yourself and about me in this season of heaviness? God? What are you trying to teach me here? What can I learn in the waiting, in the grieving, in the unknown. What is he teaching you about his presence, his faithfulness, his love that doesn't waver even when everything else feels unsteady. So instead of just asking when will things change, maybe ask God what do you want me to see? What do you want me to become? Who do you want me to become? But I want to leave us with some faith here today, because Jesus says something so outrageous, and he meant it. And he meant it. He said with God, all things are possible. So even that broken relationship can be healed in Jesus' name, because all things are possible. Even when you're ready to give up, you can get back on track because all things are possible. You can have the courage to step out of something harmful, because all things are possible. With God, all things are possible. So where do we go from here?

Speaker 1: 30:48

We take some time, whether in your small group, with trusted friends or with your spouse, to identify the lies that you've been believing. Not always easy, but it's important. And if you're not married, you may think I'm incomplete. Until I am, I'm half a person until I meet my spouse. No, no, no, that's a lie. You're complete in Christ.

Speaker 1: 31:08

Marriage is not your goal. Serving Jesus is your goal and if you are married, you might be believing the lie that there is no hope whatsoever. But there is hope. It can be hard and that's why I say marriage counseling, identifying the red flag, setting some boundaries, learning how to speak up for yourself, and may god's holy spirit give you all the comfort and courage you need in times of trouble. And for those who have healthy marriages, this is your season to mentor others. Just don't sit back. Oh, look at my trophy marriage. It's great, it's great, but there's people who need you, there's couples who need you, there's couples that need you. There's family, generational curses that can be broken with your mentorship. When you stepping into a place of saying I'm going to walk alongside you in this, come on, come on.

Speaker 1: 32:14

A God honoring marriage isn't a fairy tale. It's a choice. It's a choice to keep Jesus at the center, to put in the hard work, to sacrifice, to apologize, to forgive, to realign with him again and again and again. Marriage isn't a contract. It's a covenant before God. And here's the good news you're not alone. You have the source of all power and truth, and his name is Jesus, and the enemy will try to convince you that your marriage is beyond hope, that you'll never change, that things will never get better. But Jesus is the truth and the truth will set you free. So questions of application what lies about marriage? Have you believed and how have they impacted you? And the second one how can you partner with your spouse this week? Maybe do a chore together, maybe go on a date night, maybe do something intentional and watch how God moves.

Speaker 1: 33:20

Let's pray God, jesus, holy Spirit, come, invade the wounds of our hearts. Right now. I just feel like the Holy Spirit, saying you're not even mad at your spouse, you're mad at the person who originally put that wound in your heart. Come, holy Spirit. You're mad and you're bitter and you're angry and you're taking it out on your spouse and your kids. Come Holy Spirit, bring healing right now in Jesus' name. Bring healing in Jesus' name. All things are possible with you, god, so heal in Jesus' name.

Speaker 1: 34:17

I feel the call to the challenge. There's people here that your marriage is in a healthy spot and you've gone through some stuff. Though You've gone through some things and you're in a healthy spot because of it. Mentorship, mentorship, mentorship. Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit, god, this is complex. There's there's so many variables. So many things lord, but ultimately lord. We want to be like you, we want to serve like you, want to love like you, want to lead like you in marriage. It's helping me become more like you, jesus is helping me become more like you, jesus. So I say more of you, more of you. Come Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 35:29

You may be in here today and you're like this sounds good, but I don't even know this Jesus you're talking about, or I have and I walked away from it. If you want to make a decision to trust Jesus with your life again, I'm just going to count to three and on three, just toss your hand up in the air. I'm not going to call you out or have you come up front or something like that. I just want to see who I'm praying for. If you want to make a decision to trust Jesus with your life for the first time, or trust him again, just toss your hand up in the air in three. One, two, three. Bless you, bless you all across this room, bless you and, just right where you are, say Jesus, forgive me for my sins, make me new. Today I trust in you. Today I follow you In Jesus' name. Amen, amen, amen. Let's give God some praise in here today.