Fuel - Your Breakout Year

0:06 Welcome to another inspirational podcast at Real Life. Church for more great content and updates, visit Real Life, Church kc.com will good morning and welcome to Real Life Church. Go ahead and stand to your feet. Whether you're with us in person, here, Kentucky, Trail, or you are joining us online. We are so pumped to see you this morning. We're so excited to worship god with you. Just experience his presence together today. So we're going to worship Him big. You can go ahead and put those hands together and let's worship Him.

1:09 Any broken? I call you Faithful for everything. You start. My soul was made. To respond. I will respond. I know you want calls. You deserve every single. To be free to be.

2:30 Come on. I know you've all calls. You deserve every single one. Why I always lose.

6:03 To be amazing. I know you've all 1,000 it all the names of Jesus, we sing the right arm. Next song, We intro last week's called make room as I was thinking about it this week, the perfect story happened. My youngest Hattie was up in bed and she hollered at me mama, can you come up to bed with me? Ran up the stairs said, sure baby. But mommy's not going to fit your bed with you. So she said, mom Aus couch so she's food stove and she made room for me to get in.

6:52 I crawled riding and she laid her head down in the tears stopped, and she took a breath. She had his children. You just reminded me. Just a scooch over a little bit. Make some room for a we can experience that joy in that fullness to take breath even if just for me. So we're going to do that together. Today, I'm going to scoot over a little bit. We're just going to make this is my surrender.

7:33 This is my surrender. Here is where I live. This is my servant You surround me a song deliver.

12:54 From my enemies. I know.

13:59 You. Let's sing it out one more time.

18:11 Come on church. We are no longer slaves, who is thankful for that? Truth today that we are no longer slaves. I believe somebody in this room today needs to hear or be reminded that there is a God who loves you, a God, who was pursuing, you a God, who is fearlessly, wanting the The best for you this year in 2023. Do you guys believe that church? Yeah. Well, if you are joining us here today, whether you're here in person, whether you were online, we are so pumped that you decided to spend your Sunday here with us at real life church. And we want to say a special hello to those of you guys that are joining us online. Whether the snow kept you away, whether you were feeling a little cozy to come here on Sunday morning.

18:52 We are just so glad that you're here. Would you guys give them a warm? Welcome Church online. Yeah and if you are new with us here in person we're glad you're Here, thanks for coming. Thanks for saying, yes to spending your Sunday with us here at real life church. And there are a couple ways you want to connect with you. We just want to thank you for choosing to come and spend some time with us. There's a QR code that's on the fat on the back of the seat. That's right. In front of you, can scan that and get connect with us. You can text RL new to 97,000. Also we have a special gift for you. Just to say, thanks, you can stop by our. We have a new here, Booth out in the hug, you can stop by there and grab a gift. That's just from us. You just to say, thanks for spending your morning with us. If you don't know anything about us, we are a church that is on Mission.

19:36 And when I say on Mission, I mean everything that we did here this morning with on purpose with a purpose and that was to reach people in our city outside of the walls of this church for Jesus, everything that we do, every chair that is set up everything out in our Hub, everything in our children's ministry, even Beyond at our Hope Center it because we have a mission to see people who are far from. God, really discover that real life and purpose in Jesus. And you may be here today, If your new, as a result of somebody who was on Mission, maybe they decided to invite you to take a step of Faith, may be to create a new habit, this year and invite somebody new to church. And if you guys are like me were really working on these New Year's resolutions, aren't we? We're trying to try and figure out all these things that we can do this year to be the best version of ourselves. And sometimes we go way too big.

20:22 If you want to do all of these things and conquer, all these things in the year of Sue 2023. But sometimes it starts with small habits and such as just deciding to say yes to those small things. Like inviting someone to church because those small things, the small choices that we make. Ultimately make a big impact on the person that we're becoming the person that God really wants us to become. And as we continue in this series, our breakout year, your breakout year, I want to invite you guys to welcome Pastor Shawn, putria joining us on stage and to continue hearing about all of this, that we can do this year in 2023. Thanks Gary. Appreciate you guys should be seated. Oh man, I just gotta know who's feeling the power of God in their life this year so far.

21:04 Come on, jump telling you. I'll know just the power guys. Place. Just been on our church, the last few weeks and it has been awesome. And I just want to believe that really, the heartbeat of the serious is to put the power and presence of God in our life this year. And I let our faith take off. Amen. Just derive everything we do. And so, the whole point of the series your breakout year is really the center lies on Jesus and let him drive everything you do and we launched a few weeks ago and man, Reigniting. Our faith, like our personal passion for Jesus and just track down the story of Paul. And just a little bit, we can cover in last week, man, just talking about cutting out the negative voices that hold us back. They keep us grounded. And we just drove into just, I mean, an amazing story in the Bible, David and Goliath, right?

21:49 And how just one man or woman of God can show up to the battlefield and everything changes. Amen. Through the power of Jesus and literally that the school of, of Goliath, Has buried and Golgotha and that Jesus is cross was on a place marked at the battle belongs to God already. Amen. And so today, we get to continue really in that same vein and really kind of a little different angle. And we talked about what is be marked by prayer, really tapping, the fuel of the presence and power of God, you've talked about your condition and finding your passion, your call through Paul. We talked about taking off and really cutting out those voices to hold you back. But, today, we're going to talk about sustained flight, amen. There's the power and presence of God, the fuel of God and really Person marked by prayer. So today's message called fuel tapping into the power presence of God.

22:34 I can't think of a really a better Sunday to talk about the power of prayer because there's something special today that is a reminder of prayer across our nation 20 days ago, 13 million people gathered around to watch what they thought would be a Monday night football game. The epic battle, right? The Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals. And what they didn't know is that they were going to that there were tuning in, they would be probably participating in one of the most unscripted. With prayer meetings in history. The reality is set in is on a few watch the game. You've all heard about this already but Demar, Demar Homeland as he is, he's collapsed on the field became very apparent. Pretty quickly. This was real serious. And something significant happened as they were doing CPR and they were shocking, his heart back into life, something that is rarely seen.

23:20 So that's hidden behind through the veil of policies, and Regulation, and really pushed behind the scenes, you saw coaches and owners, and multi millionaires, and, and players, and fans, and participants and refs. Literally get on your knees and cry out to God, asking God, for a miracle and it happened. Amen. It happened in front of the whole world to watch. And it's just a reminder that no matter how much money you have that, it didn't need money that night, they didn't need a w or Super Bowl ring. They need a miracle of God. And for some of you guys, you were watching that game that night and I was tuned in, and I was watching it. And I grabbed my oldest son, I grabbed Jack. And I told my city, I come here and I said, watch this, I said this is so impressive. In it.

24:03 But what is happening on this field? This means battling for life and we get the opportunity, not the only thing to do. But the greatest thing we can do is we can pray for him. And so me and my little boy, we pray for tomorrow, Hamlin, but we also pray for something different. We prayed that prayer would no longer be behind the curtain. We prayed that prayer would be no longer Last Resort, but a first response for our nation. Like, we were praying for something bigger like the glory of God to go out across the Nations across the world, because there are so many People watching this and are afraid and they'll throw their own reality. That the death is right there and that God can really come back to the presence of him in America. Amen.

24:44 And so it's interesting that night into that next morning how people did pray, it didn't matter what the regulations were demerit. The FCC said in a fell or even ESPN that they broke the rules. Amen. And they're crying out to God. And so to me for today, it is not just Just a rematch today is a reminder of the power of God. Amen, through prayer. That's what I'm saying to watch this game and so the reality is this. So many of us, we believe in prayer, we may be believed deeply in prayer. We may even go to church, we might be on a team but we might even serve on a regular basis.

25:24 We might even be on staff but all we marked by prayer. And for so many people, their prayers are hidden in fear of what other people think. And you might relate to this. This has been my experience that people especially when they when they get into groups. Maybe it's at a huddle like this morning or if you're on our teams or maybe it's around your family. It's like, is that Thanksgiving meal or whatever? And somebody says, who's going to pray, right? And for most people, this is reality. They may be like Oh, I'm love with Jesus and it's like they do this thing. Don't make eye contact and they start saying, oh, dear lord, don't don't let him take me. I don't know what I'd say it. I'm just a A fool. It's not gonna be good. Don't do it. Lord, I never cussed again.

26:05 Come on somebody, I'll never Speed. Come on, I'll clean the dishes. So, I mean, I'm gonna do it. I'm put the seat up and down every time. Lord, just don't let me pray and in start praying, right? Don't pick me for love of God. No, pick me, right? There's Lily. Crying out to God. It's interesting because for so many people, they're praying not to pray instead of praying. It's true, isn't it? It's so true. So many people are so worried about the power and presence of God through prayer. But I just want to say, how many of us would be have the courage to be marked by boldness of prayer, really breaking through over fear and put her faith. We just sang a song. I'm no longer a slave of fear, come on somebody, but I'm a child of God, and what a perfect fitting song for the message today. I know a bakery, relate to the story, being afraid to pray and really, not will be picked to be in prayer and be like, I can relate to that story of being like, Oh man, don't pick me. I mean, we've all been there, right? I mean, when you first started a Christian and you're like, oh Lord, you know, and then your face starts to grow. And so I just believe today is really going to speak to you guys are in that season where prayer is on the back seat. And today it's going to move up into the front seat next to you, I'll believe this.

27:15 If Satan can't defeat you, which by the way, he can't, amen. If you can't defeat you, he will distract you from being a man or woman of prayer. My fact, he says thanks into your life that you need be. Be delivered from they. Do you see yourself through? He'll say stuff you like this? Well what will the people think of me? I don't know what to say. And I just encourage you is less about the words and it's more about your heart towards God. Amen. Like Lily come before God Like You Are God, I'm thankful for you just humble yourself if you choke on the words, who cares Your Heart Is Right. Amen. But the reality is so many people that mean, what if I mess this up or man? I'm not qualified to pray, but you're qualified of the Cross to pray. I get this a lot.

27:57 I'm just too. Easy. Now, you may not say it that way but that's what you're saying, right? I can't, I can't find time and just so unregulated. I can't just now my heart. I just it's too busy to pray. I love this one. You see it all the time. I'll pray for you brother. I'll pray for you brother, right? And he's like will you are you and we've all been guilty of like I'll pray for your brother and then like oh yeah like two months later be like you found out like everything went sideways and you don't know D about it and you didn't pray about it, right? It's so easy. I just believe that our church these aisles are Hall's, your homes should be filled with regular prayer. Amen. I mean, it spontaneous prayer. I mean, of all places in the world, this is where we should be praying, amen? And so we don't have to be shy like in a Huddle's like we're going to pray and you know we bowled prayer before Jesus. Amen.

28:48 We gotta stand into it and lean into it to be marked by prayer. There's the reality if we're not careful we can really Drift from God in really Literally be praying not to pray. This will do is I'm gonna zoom in into a store in the Bible that I believe is going to really Mark, really overcoming fear and really be marked by prayer and what God can do through a single person whose life is marked by prayer, we're going to go for Daniel in the Lion's Den kill somebody is gonna be good and it's one of those stories that we probably heard of or maybe known about, but I think going to get a perspective and God's presence going to meet. You just beat us here today, I want you to know that you guys put your hands up, like this is we're going to be starting out. In prayer. Now, I want you to take a moment in silence to invite God. To teach you how to pray to remind, you not the words, but of the power of Prayer in your life and to invite God to Mark, You by prayer that the end of this message. And in this year, you look back and say it was all because of Jesus, through prayer that made all the difference. So, I'm gonna give you guys a little time to pray as if I God speak to you, Father. Teach us how to pray today.

30:20 Get the even, if we don't the words, you know, we haven't prayed before our lives. Got to be reminded of your power through prayer guy. The means happened to the source that the battle belongs to you, and that I can only make a difference worth making through your power and strength. And for those of us who are tired today or weary of going through the battles of Life today. I pray a special blessing on them the life, we founded and really truly marked by your presence through prayer today. Day. And I pray this in the church said, amen. Amen. We're going to jump into the story of Daniel Lyons day and I'm going to do my best and it's going to be it's there's a lot in this story and I'm going to give you like some background to Daniel and man, I, you cannot give this story enough.

31:09 There's just so much that goes into it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna skip a rock across the background and we'll get there. And then be in, Daniel chapter 6 for pretty much the rest of the day. We're gonna pick up Daniel chapter 1 says this the king, These guys start what we talkin about here? This is Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. He says, he talked with him and he found none equal to Daniel hananiah, mishael and Azariah. And so, the area of the king service and every manner of wisdom, understanding about which the king had questioned them, he found them ten times greater than all the magicians and enchanters in the whole Kingdom. Now, what is happening? What is going on here? You gotta realize the context. Three years earlier, this Kingdom of Babylon, it had invaded into Jerusalem, it had gone into the The temple courts, it hit it. Tore down the temple.

31:53 It had gone in and taken, Daniel. He was serving the really the king, Ander the nation of Israel. He was inside the family and they took these Jewish people captive, they marched them back into in the nation or the really the nation of Babylon and send the servanthood into bondage and brought them back to the course of the king's Palace. And Nebuchadnezzar himself said, hey, train some of these men that we've taken from their Kingdom and really in their courts. I want you to train them up and in three years, we'll see. Some of those as advisors and leaders over our kingdom after we've indoctrinate him and cultured them into the things of our kingdom. Now, that was a really fast skip over a lot of things right there. So I would encourage you to read more because there's so much in the story, but here's the problem.

32:35 Here's the tension for Daniel, Daniel and he's three friends. We just mentioned the minute ago, they're being forced into Traditions into regulations into rituals into Customs, that are really removing their allegiance and their Faith to the one true God. This is a very first thing that they want to do. And so what they do is they actually they gave them new names. They merely took them captive, and they renamed him. And you see this in Daniel chapter 1 verse 7 says, the chief official give them new names are trying to erase through identity. They're trying to remove their allegiance, to God. They're trying to put fear into them and to make them men and women not marked by prayer. And so Daniel the game, the name belteshazzar made. What a downgrade. Come on somebody, right your enemy belches are that's great and to hand now, you might His name's they gave Shadrach the Michelle.

33:22 They gave me shocked into as a Riley, gave a Bendigo and the you might be today's years old and you start to realize that all those years been talking about the fiery furnace and Shadrach Meshach, and Abednego, they actually call them by the names of their enemy. Gave them to remove the mark of God on their life in that crazy to think about like these are new names given to them as their older in their life. Guys. Tell you today that they could change their names, they could change your address and location their job description. They can kill. He'll family members and their nation and destroy their Temple, and their course, but they could not destroy, or take away their allegiance and their faith, and their prayer life. Amen. This is the story that they're walking through that, they can hope through endurance and all things. It's amazing.

34:06 They first thing they do is they want to serve them the King's food and drink the Kings Wine. And Daniel and his three friends are like hey no thanks. We're not going to file ourselves by having this food from this this area, and so they became vegetarians and so they're like, oh there's no way you can be strong enough and they're going to kill. Just watch and Dana and his buddies man, they grew strong after the vegetables. Come on somebody, right and God washed over them, became strong in the king, selected them, and promoted them, and put them in prominent seats. And then three, and then Daniel chapter 3, the you Nebuchadnezzar's got an ego stroked, like they all do, right? And he builds its own statue of himself and they said bow before the statue. Otherwise you get thrown in the fiery furnace, great story right? It's amazing and so Shadrach Meshach Abednego like man, we're not going to bow down, I guess was putting the fire and so he got thrown into the fire and there was nothing to fire. Amen.

34:50 You guys know. The song, right? They then were consumed in the fire, they just stood there. Like this is it bro? And then there's there's Jesus like appears like a pre-incarnate Christ, they called a christophany like Jesus always been there, right? But he came down is just in the fire with these other three. And they're not being consumed by the Flames. Then you move on to Daniel chapter 16 and jump into into another dire situation. But every time Daniel, his friends were always marked by prayer. There was a Divine flow in Daniels life, their spiritual protection. There's Power of God, there's the fuel from the fuel source. God himself. Amen. And so they may be thinking, man, what am I lacking this year? It's like, how was your prayer life?

35:31 Like do you have a prayer life? Are you marked by prayer? It's like trying to vacuum your house up, plugging it in. That's what it's like not to have the power of Prayer in your life. You just going to drop, you can drive in circles and just, you know, just push around the dirt. Come on somebody right. Just make the Messier, just keep it on going, right? And here, we pick it up in Daniel, chapter 6, and all of a sudden, there's a new kingdom that comes in. It's no longer Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. Now it is the Persian Empire and seriously great is taken down. The Babylonian Kingdom had partnered up with all the other kings around him and took down Nebuchadnezzar. And there is so much prophecy about this. I mean, if you really struggle with faith, you're skeptic I would encourage you to look at this story, I mean hundreds of years in advance from Isaiah to First Chronicles to Daniel. You have the story of this giant king and we're talk about Babylon.

36:17 I mean you're talking about what would be the greatest King. On Earth, the time like the Roman Empire, the Greek Empire you back up and you get to the Persian Empire. You go back to Babylon. You're talking like the Great's of the great when I love about this is that all the history of the world, it just lays right with the Bible, doesn't it? It's so amazing. You can line up the Kings and the Pharaohs and you put it right next to the Bible stories and they line up absolutely perfectly and so often you actually learn way more from the bible stories than you do from history and it's accurate. Amen. And it's amazing to watch Bucyrus the great defeats Ilan. And to even as a prophecy of how King Nebuchadnezzar he is, he is feared. He is feared greatly, especially by his, by sons, he dies, they actually dig them up.

37:00 They stabbed him to kill him again. They dragged him through the cities of Babylon to make sure he's dead, because he was such a violent tyrannical, leader, as prophesied in the Bible. Absolutely crazy. Well, you know, Daniel chapter 6 that I told her, there's so much that goes in this, but Daniel chapter 6. We read the text verse 1. It says this, it, please, Darius. Now, you got really serious. Is this? This The Persian king of the Chaldeans and so what you have is, you have Cyrus the Great who is the king of all Persia and then he is given Darius a section of his kingdom. So he's a kind of a subordinate King and he says this ad, please diri, standpoint 120 say traps. These are Governors are rulers to rule throughout the kingdom. It was three administrators over them. One of whom was Daniel Janos promote up pollution pipeline.

37:44 So the say traps are made accountable to them, so the king may not suffer loss, so get the pictures, an org chart. Are you got Cyrus the Great? You've Got King Darius, you've got Daniel and two other administrators and they probably have somewhere around 40 say traps under each of them. And this is how they establish it. And I love this verse verse 3, it says this now, Daniel, so distinguished himself among the administrators and the say, traps by his. Help me out by his, what, that was a good one, right? It was a hard words that exceptional qualities. That the king plan to set him over the whole Kingdom man. I love this that he stood Out Among the rest like he distinction self because he had strong character forged in the things of God.

38:31 You know, he was he was trustworthy from the Kings perspective. He's like, man, if I'm going to hand this off to more somebody else, man this guy Daniel, he's getting it done. And I think about us as Christians. This is what every one of our bosses should say about us. Amen. They should mean that guy's does exceptional work. That guy goes above and beyond and here's the reality. When you're working on a home you got to work on as if it's Jesus as home. Amen. And if you're working on finances you get to work on it as if it's Jesus as finances. If you're mowing the grass, who's already Ramon, you're moaning. Jesus is yard amen. We work on to God, not unto men and so we just stand out above the crowd. It's ultimately, this character of Daniel, that really gets the attention of the world and God will use to share his glory and show his glory, not just to a nation.

39:19 But to the IT world all because of the daily things. He did every single day in his life. Matter of fact, don't be surprised in the stories, you'll find an often in life. That is God. Promote you new enemies. Start to arise. People get jealous because God's hand is on you and there's favor on you and you kind of stood up the bones arrest. And well, what is this guy doing here? He's not really from Babylon. I can't believe in. You can hear all these things, right? And so when you're growing and you're exceptional, you get promoted. Just expect the fact, there's some enemies. They're going to rise around you. Amen. Y'all been there, right? Unless you have been promoted. Come on somebody, right. Just kidding. Daniel chapter 6 verse 4 says this. And at this, the administrators and the state traps, try to find grounds to charges against Daniel and his conduct of governmental Affairs. I mean, they're looking for a reason, like, they don't like him personally, they're jealous or upset, is like, there's gotta be a reason that we can get rid of Daniel. We're going to look through his books. We're going to check out his life. We're going to put him out of the race. We're going to find something against them and says this, they could not find or they could not find no. Eruption in him, this man was a man of character, man. He crossed the t's, he died.

40:25 The eyes, he looked, he was trustworthy and either corrupt or negligent, may God help us to be those kind of people. Amen. I'm you sift through the stuff and it's like, man. I'm trying to shoot some arrows, and then I can't find a weak point in his armor. This guy is just got it figured out how he is, just subject to the things of God. And finally has been said, we will never find any basis for charges against this man. Daniel, like, if we're going to win, we got to find a Front approach said this unless he has something to do with the law of God, there's got to be some way we can trap Daniel, like we're not going to find his character. So we're going to go out to him personally sound familiar, right? This happens all the time, we're going to, we're going to take him down a different level at this point.

41:06 It really becomes the beginning of the end for these accusers. Because at this point, they shifted from trying to find real things to really battling, God himself agreed to make this person about faith and it just began to war against God and faith. He says this in verse 6, it says these administrators. These say traps went as a group to the king now. Yes, I think about this. There's only three administrators. Right? So the administrators. So the two other administrators right there, the Cahoots. They realize like we don't like this demo guy. He's taking our promotion. This isn't fair. They're crying behind the scenes are doing all the things that the small people do, right? And they gather up the say traps around them and they go as a group to the king.

41:46 Can I just tell you today? That even if the whole world is against you? Amen. Even if even if every rallies against you, even if the only person standing that this battle already belongs to God. Amen. And not to be afraid of going against the grain. Even if a nation stands against you, if a group of people or friends or your bosses, or your co-workers, or your Associates, that the battle belongs to God and he will win. Amen. Goes on, the save my king Darius who lives forever. This group went to them and they're just, you know, patting his ego. Oh, the King live forever, you can hear this like, wow, this is gonna be great cheesy movie, right? And the role administrators these perfect, another name for different rulers and the government, they say traps advisors Governor's we have all agreed it. Can I just tell you as a just maybe leadership principle is just just food for thought.

42:39 But if you're in leadership and a group of people below, you come together and they all agree on something. There is 100% Personal Agenda. Come on somebody like Paul talked about it without you because you're a very smart and we all agreed, this should happen in the king. He just doesn't have the wherewithal, or the maturity or whatever to understand, like he's going to get set up. And so the king should issued you create and enforce a decree that anyone who prays to any God or human being during the next 30 days except you your majesty. You know just patted his ego stroking, his ego and they should be thrown into what helped me out into the And the lions den. I mean, if they're going to worship any other God or anything or any other person besides you, it's be executed just just stroke that he go. Now your majesty Majesty issued a decree of put in writing so it cannot be altered.

43:26 And of course the law of the medes and Persians which cannot be repealed. And so, King Darius, put the decree in writing this trap is now laid that King took it Hook Line & Sinker. This is incredible about the story. Daniel, this is what stuck out to me. What stuck out to me is that all the They could pick about Daniel if everything in their life that they can say, we're going to come after that Daniels prayer life was so consistent that it stood out so much, that Dana was marked by God so much. They picked to attack his prayer life. There was a grain in his DNA. Like Dana was the kind of guy he got around and he just got off the phone with Jesus. Come on somebody like he did, he just walked with God. He continually walked with God and it's just amazing to me that they would pick prayer.

44:13 Whereas a thing attacked Daniel, that that will be the thing that would Mark him out there. What stands out about doing old man, is a man of prayer, we got to take down his prayer life may, God help us to be those kind of people. Amen. Like if our accusers were looking for the obvious place to shoot an arrow or still put a knife in our back. It would be our prayer life that that would be incredible. I mean how humbling. Thank you. I mean Daniel, Pauly was tickled to death, you know me, God help us to be the kind of people that are above board on character. Like, if somebody were look through our books, come on somebody. If somebody was sick, You are finances, man. Squeaky clean clean. If there to talk to her Associates or coworkers or a boss, has this. Like I can't find anything about him but you know what? Got you praise that you praise. We're going to trap them somehow in his prayer life. Well, this is about to get real verse 10. Now, Daniel learned that the cream and published like he knew full well like he heard through the grapevine as you know, the find out and often leadership, right? He's one of the three.

45:10 His two buddies didn't tell him I was going on. He found out somewhere. He heard about it. It. And as soon as you heard about, he knew that, if he were to pray, he'll be executed. That's the first thing that stuck out to him. Obviously, it's like, I'm going to a lion's den. He knew very well that was. And so, the first thing he does, I love this. He went home to his upstairs room, were the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Come on somebody and three times a day. He got down on his knees and what? And prayed, he didn't give a rip. Come on somebody, he didn't care that. This decree of been issued. It didn't matter. Like, he literally got on his knees. It's amazing. Get the picture. Here's the window. You guys are like at the window and here's Danny was like, oh the decrees issued that I'm going to be killed. Okay, I'll take care of this.

45:55 Okay. Well actually kill the window display in the window. All right guys, hey, if you're going to stab me through right here and it gets on his knees and he starts praying. As he always says to God and humble humility. Now the fact nothing changed about Daniel that day except for his prayer requests. Come on somebody. That's the only thing that changed. They thought they're going to trap it, that know they're coming after a living God. I mean, Dana was really not too concerned about his own life or what was going to happen to him. He prayed giving thanks to God just as he's done before he was so consistent. He goes, well, you know where to find me. I've been doing this for a long time, so you come about 10:00, Or 2:00 or six, but whatever times it is just look for me.

46:37 I'll be that guy on my knees so you can stab you in the back, I'll be ready for it. I'll be praying. I mean, that's what courage. Amen. I mean, what boldness of faith? I mean, We Gather in a circle sometimes and pray and people like you can't pray right now. What are you nervous about? You know, there's a sphere of like oh we're going to people think of me, who cares if you think of you. Amen. I mean here's the, here's the reality, you can either bow before God and stand against people or you can bow before people and stand against God, but make no mistake about it. There was absolutely no third option in your life. So when the words come down your mind that a lot of want to offend somebody. Well, I got some news for you.

47:17 It's going to offend somebody It is going to offend somebody, he's got to pick which side of the fence, you're going to be on because as for Daniel and his side, he actually was promoted through this whole piece. I'ma give you a spoiler, he didn't die. Come on somebody, and he was actually promoted in the name of the glory Jesus went out. Because one man, one man had the courage to go against the grain and to stand up to people. That's why I saw my night football, come on somebody that there's like this Awakening that could potentially happen on our country. So for Daniel, he didn't show The windows. Come on somebody. He didn't relegate to a compromise. He didn't find a new room. I'm sure it plenty of places in that house. He's a high administrator, right? He didn't just you pray. Once a day, he didn't limit his prayer, he didn't prayer in silence.

48:02 He prayed three times a day at the windows open. Nothing changed for him down on his knees, giving. Thanks to God the just as he's done before. See if he's got any prayer requests. It's awesome. But don't be fooled into the third option. Here's the reality. Playing it safe. Never changed a nation. Playing it. Safe, won't change your family. Now, in fact, won't change your marriage. It sure won't change this church and it won't change this community or the world playing it safe. It comes to your prayer life and so this year, there's anything that we're going to do. We're going to men and women marked by prayer. Amen. That's what we're going to do. It's kind of those things that's like, is got in it, or is it built by human hands?

48:46 If we want God in it, we're going to put God in it and we're going to say, okay Faith, we no longer a child to fear a men were a child. Of God. And so if you don't like what I'm doing, that's okay because God's got my back. You try to stab that but it's not going to work. Amen. For Daniel, it didn't matter when Earthly King decree said here's here's here's what the stake for Daniel because you read these stories and it's like, oh really, what's a matter? And for Daniel, I mean it wasn't just as life but his career. I mean maybe it's a leadership principle, every news, getting promoted before he's promoted, probably not a great idea. But the reality is, he knew he was going to be in charge of a large portion of the Kingdom, but he's gonna be the CEO. Come on somebody. Well, all he had to do is just go to the king and apologize and say, all, I'm really sorry I did.

49:28 I shouldn't be praying. You're right. All relegate to the last resort and then I'll stop doing it. But that's not what he did. He was bold in his faith. I hope people can say about us. We walk so close to the god, that even if an Earthly King you're seeing in, or the NFL, or some policy said to stop it, maybe maybe it's a district, right? Or a company that we just say, hey, no thanks. I'm just going to continue what I was doing before I got here. Amen. I'm just going to keep pushing into the things of God. Verse 11 says this, these men went as a group Up and found Daniel praying and what they find doing, asking God for help you. This is a secret weapon right here. Being Unleashed all about you but this is their sign. Come on somebody.

50:11 You know they went up to that Tower and that room and the new what time is going to pray and they probably saw him through the window and said, yeah, go in that have walkie-talkies. They're like tapping rocks or something, you know, Morse code or something. And you know, the dudes on the door like well here in praying, he's praying about us. Yes, he's asking God for That was their sign that it was time to sit down and shut up. It really was and Daniel Neal he's praying. And I wondered, like, I'm just like thinking myself, you know, frame like what would I be praying, right? I just I got a theory on this and this is something that God from the heart. I did it. Take your leave it, right. But I'm just thinking, Daniels like this. God just shut the mouths of my accusers that are going to come through that door or shut the mouths.

50:55 Aligned Because I'm not going to shut up. Come on somebody, in the reality is God answered both. He did, it's incredible. It didn't matter who was coming through the door or who's against him, he was going to pray that day. Daniel 6:12 says this. So they went to the king and spoke to him about the Royal Decree. Did you not publish a decree that during the next three days? Anyone who prays to God or any human beings have to you? Your majesty be throwing the line soon. Mmm, well, the tree stairs and of course, for the wall, the medes and Persians. I cannot be replaced, I can't repeal it, read it down, he wrote it down. They said the king. Hope for Daniel we found him like they cared.

51:38 Right? Daniel who's the one of those exiled from Judah who Who will those heathens to our country? He pays no attention to you your majesty or the decree you put in the riding. He still praised three times a day. When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed. He had known. He'd been trapped at that moment came together for he'd been used as a tool in the box and he was determined to rescue Daniel make every effort into until sundown to save him. He loses like this is a trustworthy servant of mine. There's something I want to promote his and take the kingdom. I've been trapped and he was he was hurt by campaign and being In his life and he did everything he could in his own power. But like I said, he's not the king king, right? He's trapped in the law of the medes and Persians.

52:19 Put it in decree that it cannot be changed. And so these men dark, they all day long. They waited they came back as a groups that King again and said to him. He remember, Majesty, the Corn Law, and medes and Persians. No decree to the king issues can be changed. And so, the king gave the order and they brought Daniel and threw him into a lion's den. And the King said to Daniel, I love this, may your God. Whom you helped me out what to do whom you, who you serve continually, don't miss that Daniels character of serving God, stood out to the king that that that's how that's how Faith moves by the way because people are watching us not on the mountain top, that's where they get jealous.

52:59 But in the valley and the hard things and they're gone, is it really real? And they're watching him and this king is being sturdy, seen David service God continually. It says may your God whom you serve continually Squ. So now not only Daniel is praying now you have a heathen God or Heathen King. I mean, praying for Daniel, come on somebody because of his character and a stone was bra and placed over the mouth of the den. And the King sealed it, with his own Signet ring with the rings of his Nobles. I love the So, Daniel situation might not be altered WHO news can take a little more than an Earthly King. Seal not to change the situation. Amen. I'm just telling you guys to encourage you today.

53:41 Not let your situation, determine your faith, but let your faith. Determine your situation like urban place where you've been beat down and you feel like your fate is sealed and you kind of relegate and you kind of quit and you get afraid and you start worrying. You like, man, what's going to happen? Kindness, tell you that the miracle is often marked and reserved for those who battle through prayer through the valley. Amen. Because you want the miracle but But I mean, get it home myself from this bumps into go here. The reality is this is that the god that rescued Daniel from The Lions Den is the same God that put Daniel in the Lion's Den come on somebody.

54:22 And so if you're walking through a hard season and your faithful to God what God is doing, he's preparing you in this season to show off the glory of God. Amen. He's preparing you for a miracle and it may not be something like this, but he's gonna bring you through it. And you're going to go, it's only because of Jesus, and people around, you know, I can't believe you made it through that. How in the world that happened? He's like, is only because of Jesus, and people will grow in their faith because they saw your story. Amen. But if you quit in doing good, if you weary and the hard season, if you're only the god of the mountain top and like have an Instagram life with God, but you don't have to publish the hard things then you're not going to make it through the valley on the side with Jesus, you're going to get bitter and you're going to fall into all these things. You'd be delivered from and you start saying, well, I'm a victim and I can't do it all these things we tell ourselves, but for Daniel, he said, hey Hey, I am bold and faith. I trust God.

55:13 And sometimes the fear, I don't care who's gonna split the Sakura. I'm gonna follow Jesus. I'm like, my faith in God. Even though my fate is sealed, it's not really sealed. So then the king returns to the palace and spent the night without eating, and without any entertainment being brought to him and he could not sleep. Now, I love this. Now, the king is like, praying and fasting for Daniel. Come all somebody right, I'll know if you did, the Daniel faster, probably make it in here, but the reality is this, literally this man who doesn't know anything about the God. Of all gods is praying and not eating and just focusing on his well-being and his health and asking God to save him. This is what / in fact this is a great model of prayer and fasting in the do diamond. Oh God. It's amazing.

55:54 And just because your fate is sealed, doesn't mean that God isn't working or answering your prayers throughout. Is this this wouldn't be the last time that a stone was moved in the place to hold back the power and the presence of God. Amen. It just wouldn't be a just slide it over there, put a seal on it. I was going to take more than a stone. Amen. And Jesus breaks through the Daniel was put in that Den. Math fact, you think about Daniel situation that God of the mountain, top was also the god of the death sentence. Like, literally, you talk about your faith being tested. Like, we gotta get bigger Faith. Amen. We gotta kind of people were like, all odds are stacked against us, we're putting in the chair, the lines.

56:36 Are you in loose? And were like, well, God's got it, something's going to happen. I'm either going to die today and God gets the glory or knocking the dye and this miracle of God is going to point the glory to all Humanity but either way I'm trusting God. Amen. And we walk through the season alive to get so discouraged because the hard things it's like dude that's the best time to shine the light. Item. In the light shines. Brightest in the darkness, the darkness and your faith can't be tested at. Can't be trusted. And so you're in these hard Seasons that this tree is go. Okay, God, what are you teaching me? Well, maybe just want to show off a little bit. Like I'm gonna give you something. You can't handle today, guys, tell you this. That God is the god of the layoffs. God's the god of cancer.

57:19 God is over the dark days of divorce. He's over your tragic loss, he was over the one percent vote. I didn't get in to go to be a passion of my home church. Amen. Praise God. Hallelujah. The I thank God for that one percent every day of my life I'll be real. And so we post this, I hope somebody sees it, they men. I'll stop. The god of Resurrection. Sunday is the god of Good Friday. Come on somebody. I'm going to Jesus being crucified and killed another cross. They had no idea that they planted that on the mountain where they buried the head of Goliath and being and I don't know, Dave's Rocky he just gave me another one today man, Genesis 3:15, he's got something in the protoevangelium, right?

58:01 Like you know saying things going to bite your heel, bruise your heel and you're gonna crush his head, right? And here you have the foot of the cross is driven down on the hill of Golgotha. On the skull of Goliath crushing the skull of Goliath. Come on somebody that this is built on the power of God. The Battle Belongs to him and we're worried about the next president. The finances are all the stuff around us. It's like God's got this. Hallelujah. Amen. Praise God. Like, that's where we're at today. Like I don't care what's going on here because I know what's going on there. And I'm right on his way they men on the words, taking me, but I'm just gonna go with that. But it's always darkest before Dawn and it, but check this out. Verse 19 at the first light of dawn, come on somebody, the first moment, light strikes over the mountain top, the king got up and hurried to the Lions Den. We were he came near the den.

58:49 He called out to Daniel an English voice. Daniel serve a living. God has your God. Whom you serve continually. Has he been able to rescue from the Lions 21? Daniel answered, come. Somebody he answered. I'm here baby. I'm alive, unreal. It, this is where the chooses poop their pants, you know? I mean like, oh dang, I wish I need the fastest. Don't get out of town. You know, I really go May the King live forever, my God sent Angels, they shut the mouths of lions who has so much fun down here. I'm going to place all these kitties all night. It was amazing. All my gosh, it was so cool. Come down and check it out.

59:32 Didn't hurt me because I was found that instance In his sight like I was in this world God like I was my character killed me. Kept me alive nor I had ever done anything wrong before your majesty on the King was overjoyed. When he gave the orders to lift, Daniel out of the den, it would be looked after and then do wounds found on him because he had what he had. He had trusted God, he put his faith in God even as a lion standing across from his. Okay. God, I've been praying about this moment. I pray to shut these mouse. Let's see what's going to happen. If not come on board, a guy. But if so even bigger glory to God, this is gonna be amazing. And at this the king, he gets pulled. All of a sudden, he was kind of weak at the knees. He was, he knew his trap, he would stand up against his own trap, but now he's like, you know, I don't care what the law says. I'm gonna do what I gotta do, and he stands up against people and he battles were things of God. He said, the men had falsely accused Daniel, hey, bring him here and they threw in the Lion's Den along their wives. And the children before they reach the floor, the den, the Lions overpowered them, and crushed all their bones. Those lines were salivating all night. Trying to hold Daniel may they were hungry. Re come on somebody and he said, just throw them in. Dude, these guys are come against me. This got to try to stab me in the back. I'm not trying to get him there, trying to count to be as well and God's silence the mouth literally, of their accusers. Amen.

1:00:47 I'm just telling this is the power of God. So here's the mistake that would have made. This has been probably a fairly easy mistake at the always look. People are trying to gain power in the trying to be big. What's the Bible say? The New Testament, the first shall be last and Hoover's, great among you shall be. Servant. A servant if you only get promoted, you serve. But with these guys that they are self-serving, it is all about them and they were calm, Daniel, they would have called him Daniel. There is a dangerous called a in the Book of Daniel because written by Daniel, listen else wrote a column Balthazar, right? Let's just call him, Jeremy Shack, in Bendigo, they're called him by his Babylonian name.

1:01:28 And so, these are, these are accusers. These other administrators there was a baltazar is gotta gotta gotta get this guy. Filters are He's a heathen, builds his arm and he's praying to other God. Those are he's a problem. We got your belt has are what they forgotten. They had forgotten his Hebrew name. They erased it. They canceled culture that sucker come on somebody that they produced a regulations on it. They say, oh, you can't do that. That they diminished it and erased it, and push it down regulated tonight. An after thought, it was against the law to mention this name. They'd forgotten Daniels name, simply means this and it's amazing. God is my judge.

1:02:12 Come on somebody. They I do not mean prayed to Living God there was a God who is a God of Justice and he wasn't gonna be in that Lion's Den for long because he wasn't allowed some injustice to happen upon Daniel. The villain own that maybe the thought, maybe old, man, I should have gone after this guy because God's team is all on him. Visit me in a prayer, he believes ultimate gods in control throughout is this? They were they were trying to attack a man who wasn't afraid to open his windows and pray. Amen. Made all the difference for Daniel, there's a lot of ways. This could have gone down as thing about this direction of it. What did Daniel not do? I'll tell you what they'll do you didn't do a lot of us have done a lot of us do. He didn't go run to the next person leadership and getting mad.

1:03:01 It caused an uproar drag you to Mutiny, he didn't tear down people's names, he didn't gather an army, he didn't go cry to somebody. He didn't be a he was a victim. He didn't go out and say, poor me, this isn't fair, it just can't happen. I've worked so hard. I can't believe it. He didn't do all these things, there's so many of us so easily. Do he just simply do, did what all this can do and he prayed amen. And you think about the battles you're in who's the first person that you pick up the phone and call? I'm telling you we got to put that speed dial on Jesus. Amen. Like you're walking through a battle. Do nobody else really needs to know? Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't connect him. Have people cheer, you on, and encourage you, but the First Column people.

1:03:50 So, people feel like us so many times, there's not there's Lily and Leadership side. We can goes by that. You don't take a shot Come on and I just go like this. Hey guys. We're gonna hit me right there. It's be marked by prayer. Amen. Because you can cut somebody at the knees. You can stab in the back but the reality is, the power of God is on you. There's nothing that's going to stop. God's will in your life, Matt Factor. Daniel, it was the safest place to be. If you think about where it could have gone. If he said O King. I'm so sorry. And he apologized and he cowered out ladies. Do what killed him. What would have been if he didn't have the faith to stand against all his things? And the route is this, when they came after Daniel and they tried to attack his / life and his faith. They thought they're going to determine Daniels fate. But the reality is, they only determine their own and change their fate.

1:04:48 In fact, I will say, though, we actually did kind of change Daniels Faith because Daniel actually got promoted, he prospered and the glory of God. This is so cool. It went out to all of the World all because this man stood his ground on his knees praying to a living. God verse 25 says this, then King Darius, he wrote to who helped me out all the nations. Do they have the ear of the guy that can put a pen to paper and write to every single country in the world and the peoples of every language he put on every single language that the entire Earth all Earth this way. He says, I mean imagine have the ear of somebody who could send a letter to every single person. What in the world and this way he says, hey may you prosper greatly.

1:05:33 I usually decree that every part of my kingdom. People must fear and reverence the god of Daniel, because a miracle happened, a man of Faith with bold Faith. Had courage to go through the hard season. I recognize, now that was only the Living God that protected him. It says this, I mean, this is my Me Like Jesus wrote itself right here. It says may be he for, he is the Living God and he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed his Dominion. I'll Never End. I'll look at this. He rescues and he saves he performs signs and wonders and Heavens on Earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the Lions. I mean what a testimony. Amen! This letter goes to the entire world.

1:06:16 One man had the courage to stand and so Daniel what to say, Daniel, Prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian because Daniel didn't Babble for people, he stood before God, the entire world heard of the glory of God guys. Encourage you today to be the one for your marriage. Amen. Some of y'all like it's her fault. It's his fault, dude. You follow God, Amen, take responsibility. Take time to follow God with this. I'm gonna love her because God loves me and I love him because God loves me.

1:07:02 I'm not quitting on. This is not dead yet. Amen. God has his here. Can you be the one for your family? The one that point your family? Jesus. He could, you be the one for our church? He'd be the one don't assume. Some of us is doing it. Come on somebody. Just be the one, be the one for our community, be the one for our nation. Be that one guy on ESPN that stood up and prayed on live television, come on, somebody boldness. All he got to remit, I'm sure right here at their be the ones and maybe might be the one for the world. Be the one for the world because you just deal the small stuff.

1:07:43 He had no idea that a lion said we're leads to the whole world knowing the glory and the power of God. And here's how it changed people's hearts are so amazing. The heart of Darius was obviously so changed that he's put his faith in this. God, he's writing a letter to the whole world. He's coming out man. You know, he's like baptism. Like I I follow this. God man, we had these Gods, those gods are real. This is the god that letter officer made to his boss, the boss would have the ear of him. Cyrus the Great, the biggest leader of the known, time of Persia all the nations will be than pretty much subjected this man he ruled. All right, and the Cuban soften Ins by the story. For the things of God, is something very special happens. First Irish degree, he does something.

1:08:25 Remember, I told you these Jewish people in captivity, their March out of their homes and families were slaughtered, and he put in a judgment, you read all costs Old Testament and they marched off to Babylon and Persia comes in all of a sudden, God starts moving because people like gain on Bold faith. It says, in verse 1 of it as r 1, this is the first year of Cyrus King of Persia. This was filled the message of God preached by Thank God, prodded Cyrus, King of Persia, to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom and wrote out as follows. And I just believe this. I believe that the story of Daniel is a lion's den Maybin that thing that God used to prod, Cyrus the Great as he recognized that. He did the Living God with his side of. He won his kingdom terrain and so he issues his decree. He says, from Cyrus King of Persia a proclamation, God, the god of Heavens has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also signed me to build a temple. Of worship that we destroyed will debit can is restored in Jerusalem and we're going to rebuild it in Judah who among you belongs to these people.

1:09:25 These are all the Jewish people go God be with you and go to Jerusalem, which is your Judea or Judah and build the temple of God. The god of Israel Jerusalem's. God, he releases the people of God. Amen. He lets the captives free one man's. Bold Faith. Played a part. Just a small part of this story and those who stayed behind whoever they happen to live. Where Live who will hear a support them? A silver gold and tools of pack animals along with fool offerings for the temple of God. In Jerusalem. We're not going to let you go. We're going to fund this baby. Come on somebody. We're going to bring back the glory of God in Jerusalem. Build that Temple. All because a few men stood up to people they prayed and about you really Church marked by prayer.

1:10:11 Amen. Are you willing to be the one today that goes against the grain of everybody else in your life? Because that's what's going to change? And it's a, I'm gonna get my knees and pray and it's just not going to change because this is the fuel that moves me forward in 2023. This is the mark of my life if you can take me down. But here's the obvious, I'm a man or woman of prayer. Amen. Father. Come before you I spray our church will be marked by prayer. Maybe somebody's here today and say you know, others have drifted from prayer prayer is kind of Relic has been Renegade her relegated to the past or it's just the last resort. I mean I just screwed by different prayers. Got to be in my heart, I've been afraid of praying, the prayer to pray out loud of afraid, leading a prayer, but nobody knows I pray, but today, recognizing God's call me to be the one that's you today. We just lift your hands high to God and say that's me. I'm the one today.

1:11:00 Come on somebody, but those hands up high crosses room. God has called me out. He wants me to live that. Bold prayer has two hands across the space all across the space. God, you see the hand, you know, the hearts, gotta pray that our prayers would shape a nation got to give us our city. Got change our families that we can't change circumstances but God you change situations. You changed circumstances, got your the miracle and God has we get promoted and people come behind us. God, I pray that we'd fall more in love with you and God, we push further into your will and through our valleys God, we trust you to the Lions Den. We trust you even if Our Fate is sealed, we trust you. He got, we pray for you to do, only, you can do we just give the glory trust in the fact that you're going to use our heart situations. And what looks like a defeat For Your Glory today to see lives changed.

1:11:44 So God, we are the one for Our Generation where I can go quiet. We're not gonna sit down and I can be regulated knocking, putting the corner. God really bold with our faith today. I'll pray for one more group of people in the house and that's those, you say, you know what, I'm like, Daniel, I'm the guy that day that he's a cry out to God because I need help on the guys would do my own power. No strength at the Battle of things against gotta realize. I don't have a relationship with God. Who is Jesus, Jesus in the Son of God. He came to die on the cross for you two thousand years ago, the award on Good Friday. What looked like was defeat was actually a set up, the biggest set up in history and God won the Battle of your sin. He paid for your death on the cross. He paid for all of your punishment for your sin and he rose Victorious, to give you freedom in the stone was rolled away.

1:12:32 And so today, if you need freedom in Jesus, you need the power source you to get plugged in the things of God, there's nothing for me to do the call the name of Jesus, it's a day for be forgiving Maiden new set, free today that she was let your hand as place I'm looking around. So I need Jesus. Come on. This is your moment. I see your hand because I need Jesus today, maybe online. This is for you, I'll invite you to pray. This prayer is not the Princess Saves you, but it's your heart towards God. Say, God, thank you so much for giving me an example, like, Daniel to be bold, my faith got in recognize. I've been going the wrong way, but the day I'm like that. King Darius. I see the power and the presence. Eric of God and today I'm turning to you goddamn declared to the world.

1:13:15 Not to buy a letter to everybody and tell them that your power and your presence today. So guys saving for my sin, got to use me. God. I'm a servant of you got make me a vessel that praise in Jesus name and everybody said. Amen. Come on, give us the power of God today. Come on. Amen. If you prayed that prayer today, we are just so excited for you. And I just want you to know that that's not like the end of your journey. The exciting New Beginning, that new chapter for your life and we are just so pumped for you. And hey, if that's you, I'm talking to you today. I have some action steps. I want you to take them the very first one is, don't leave here without telling somebody.

1:13:55 Don't log off, without telling somebody about this, exciting decision. You've made to just lay your life of sin down and just start a new life with Jesus and some other steps you could take. As I just encourage you to get your Out and text our own next to 97,000. And when you do that, some of our team lose reach out to you this week, completely digitally just to check in on you and just see you know, what are some questions you have about? Some next steps you can take now that you've made this awesome awesome decision. We also just want to hook you up with some resources to that way. And another thing you could do, if you're here, live is on the table. In the back of the room, we have some red bags and those bags are Bibles and we just encourage you just take one of those.

1:14:40 Home with you today, start diving in the word and just learning about all God has for you and your life after you just made this awesome decision. And again there's there's more links to more resources and we're just we're just pumped for you. If that's you today. You know, Sean has talked to us today kind of the big theme is about being marked by God through prayer. And one of the best ways we can just kick off this new gear at this new year is Kicking it into high gear. And by telling people about Jesus, giving people some Jesus and all of you on your, on your chairs on your seats, you got these cards and we just humor me for a while.

1:15:22 You just pick those up. I'm not going to make you like hold them up high and they are anything but just get him in your hand. Go ahead, wave them. Like you just don't care. I see you know but just just hold them just get him in your hand and Something cool about these cards, you may not know every week, Pastor Sean prays over these cards and Just Praise about really their ultimate destination where they end up after we take him out of the worship center and out into the community, and these cards are a tool for you. There are tool for us there a way that we can just be equipped to, to share Jesus with the people in our lives with If people that are close to us with strangers leaving and places, really.

1:16:08 It's it kind of just takes a barrier away from from sharing Jesus, with people in a real practical way. So I want you to hold these in your hand and I just, you know, Sean talked about earlier about how it's so easy like, oh yeah, I'll pray for you brother. I'll pray for you but really this is a place that we could praise. We're going to do that. We're gonna do that right now actually. So you just bow your heads and join me in a quick prayer, as we pray over these cards. And we just say, father, we just come You prayer and we just pray father over these cards and we pray over the destination where these cards end up. We pray over the souls that come in contact with with these cards and God I just pray for everybody in this room today and everybody that can hear my voice God that you will give us boldness that you won't let us be scared that you won't let us feel shame that you won't let us just be comfortable sitting on the sidelines.

1:17:04 We pray father that we can just go out into our world this week and share you unashamedly and invite people to Real Life Church that we can. In let them know that we have a seat with their name on it that we have people that will love on them and be here just to walk with them. No matter the season that their income as they are. God just use us as we got not for our Glory but for yours help us to be bold and brave and Jesus name, we all say amen. And I just encourage you to really just take these and run this week and guys, I'm just super pumped for another exciting opportunity. We have coming up this afternoon, we have a big mission in 2023.

1:17:53 We are just excited to see the teams that we currently have grow. And we're excited to bring back the refreshments team and just really just overhaul the kids. Ministry and just keep that movement along, because, man, I love how sean always says is. There's no Junior, Holy Spirit, right? The same God, the same Holy Spirit in US is working through our kids back there and just We Believe big things for them as we lift them up in a courage and we have an awesome team back there that just pours into our kids each week and we just want to capitalize on that and there's so many other teams and just people that keep Real Life Church going and keep We can so we just want to invite you.

1:18:36 If you don't feel like you're currently planted anywhere or if you're not currently serving man today you have an awesome opportunity this afternoon at 2 p.m. is crash course. It's going to be a pastor, Shawna Diane's house and you're going to get to meet with m.e. Gonna get to connect with them really in a in a way that's hard to do on a Sunday morning. Really good to hear their heart and mission for what's going forward. And also what's really cool about Crash courses, you get to really take a moment and discuss Discover how God has gifted and talented you, what's your purpose? What are you good at? And then just really find a way that we can align what you're already good at and just find a team, find a way that you can serve here at real life church and just really drive the mission forward and 2023 couple cool things.

1:19:24 If you show up today, you won't be alone, it won't be awkward. We already got a good group of people and really, the only thing missing is you if you just are feeling that tug right now. So we would Love to have you come out hang out with us 2 p.m. this afternoon all the informations at real life church kc.com. And another thing I wanted to share with you guys is just really Hammer this point home. Your generosity makes a huge difference, a huge difference here, at real life church and your generosity plays a part in stories, just last week. And this first Gathering five, people raise their hand and made that decision for Jesus. Can you give up for that really quick, man? God God is moving at real life church and, and it just doesn't happen without generosity. And, you know, one of the things on our heart is to start a course in these next, coming months for people that are raising their hands or anybody that just needs a good foundation, the faith.

1:20:21 That course is called, no God knnow, no God. And just really, we can't do things like that. We can't offer programming like that without resources and without your generosity. See, your generosity drives the mission for your generosity is directly connected to souls here in our community. I just want to encourage you to keep that going in 2023. Now, I will step back step off the gas here for a second. And say this, if you are brand-new with us, I'm not talking to you in this moment. Okay? I'm not expecting anything from you. In fact, the opposite of that this gift is our, this Gathering is our gift for you. We're not going to ask anything from you.

1:21:02 Today, we're just pumped, you're here. And encourage you to come back and hang out with us again next week. But if you do call real life home, here's some ways that you can be a part of generosity. You go to Real Life Church kc.com. You can text any amount to 8, 4 3, 2 1, there's a giving box in the back. You could drop cash or envelopes and of course our Usher's are going to be handing buckets down the aisles here in just a moment. You could utilize those as well. Finally, if you are finding yourself this week in immediate need of food, clothing or shelter. Alter, we just invite you to reach into those buckets, as they pass by grab any loose cash. You see and take that to meet those immediate needs guys. One more final thing I'm super pumped about is this today and this week starts, life groups and with more info on that. I want you to check out this video We clinking, are we clinking?

1:22:04 You want us to clink? And then I just start talking searching. Are you sure? Hey, guys, life groups start meeting this week. We are so excited and just expect it of all that God is going to do through this semester. But groups, I just know, we are super pumped for another season of Life groups. I just know how much life groups mean to Holly, and I to our whole family. Really, one thing that's always kind of fun is when the last season of Life groups ends our kids are, like, what do you mean? There's no life group this week because they make connections with other real-life kids each week, just hanging out playing kind of doing their own thing while we're doing our thing upstairs.

1:22:48 So it's really just an exciting season just to get the ball rolling again, on life groups. They mean so much for our family. Yeah, I mean, like you said, we've just had such Good experiences and made such deep rich connections with people. Each life group that we've let over these last five years and we want you to experience that and to feel what we feel every semester as we walk through life together, with other people. And so, yeah, here's our Shameless plug, not even Shameless honestly. Hey, no, shame. Today is a day to sign up for a life group, you know, whatever. You've been waiting for, like a Sean has encouraged us even over these last few weeks to make 2023 a breakout year and to make gathering together with the people of God, such a big priority.

1:23:30 Artie, this is the best way to do that, what an awesome easy opportunity for you to make 2023 your breakout year by doing this. So if you're with us in person, you can head out to the life groups. Well, out in the hub and scan, the QR code to sign up, or you can go to Real Life Church kc.com and find all of our groups there. And we're just so excited for you guys to take part in life groups, a semester. Hope to see you in a life group. This week. Have a good one, that was awkward. For Life groups. Awesome. Hey, let's fuel up on some prayer this week and remember the simple recipe to do. So invite God in talk to him, listen to him, through prayer, and say, yes to what he has for you. So, we'll see you back here next week. 9:30, to 11:00 at Kentucky, Trail Elementary, or we live Church online, if you need prayer, that's the theme for today for any reason. Well, the team member here up immediately after the Gathering. And remember, Who fight over find Jesus. Discovers real life and purpose.

1:24:34 See you next week.