All right, if you would take the Word of God with me and turn to Matthew chapter 6.
Matthew chapter 6. We've heard a word quite a bit today in songs that we have sung today.
It's tied closely to the events that we celebrate on Palm Sunday.
Can anybody tell me what that word is?
Thank you. I heard it down here. Hosanna. Hosanna.
What do we mean by Hosanna? What does that word mean?
Sometimes it's easy to come to church, and if you didn't maybe grow up in church,
or you're not used to some of the words you hear, there's a church lingo that you kind of have to learn.
And we want to try to avoid making it difficult, if possible, for those who maybe aren't familiar with all the terminology.
But along the way, it's helpful to pick up some of those terms.
And what we mean by Hosanna is, Lord, save us.
It's a term of praise.
And when Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem shortly before his crucifixion, Passion Week,
they shouted out the word Hosanna.
Crowds thronged the streets as he's riding in on the donkey accompanied by his disciples.
And the crowd thronged the streets because his reputation had preceded him.
And they saw him as their Messiah, as their deliverer, many of those people.
And so they were calling on him to deliver them.
Likely what those people were calling on him to do was deliver them from Rome.
Deliver them from Roman oppression.
Restore to them their great and mighty kingdom.
And that's what they were hoping their Messiah would do.
But Jesus came not to set up a kingdom on this earth, to set up a heavenly kingdom.
And to populate it with the souls of men.
Forgive them for their transgressions.
And that is what Jesus came to do.
But everyone saw him as the deliverer.
So they were asking him, Lord, save us.
Deliver us.
And that's what they meant by Hosanna.
If you're in Matthew chapter 6, and you're able and willing, would you join me in standing?
And let's read one verse today.
Verse 13.
Matthew chapter 6.
Do not bring us into temptation.
But deliver us from the evil one.
Would you say those two words with me?
Deliver us.
Ready?
Deliver us.
Isn't that interesting that on Palm Sunday, as we say the word Hosanna over and over,
and we've got it up here on our banners, Hosanna, God deliver us.
That coincides with the last verse of what we call the Lord's Prayer that we've been studying
for the last several weeks.
Lord, deliver us from evil.
Would you pray with me?
God, I pray that you would speak to us from your word this morning.
I pray that there's nothing that you have for someone that they would miss from your word.
I pray that it would be not my thinking, my words, but it would be your will that is imparted
unto every heart today.
For someone who does not know you, let them start that relationship with you today.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
You may be seated.
We've been in our series on the Lord's Prayer.
Carson, would you advance this for me?
It's not, there we go.
Got it.
I think we got it back.
I always want to remind you, some of the things you hear came from my mind.
Some of them came from different authors, and my kind of primary source is this Bible
exposition commentary by Warren Wiersbe.
We've been in Matthew chapter 6, verses 5 through 13.
We've been talking about the Lord's Prayer.
Again, this is not a you must pray these words.
It's less of a prescription and more of a pattern.
The first section of the Lord's Prayer was God-focused petitions, and then this second section,
that we're concluding today, has been life-focused petitions.
So, as we read in Matthew 6, 13, Lord, deliver us from evil.
The theme for today is talking about temptation and deliverance.
Now, why are you looking at a picture of Hot Wheels cars right now?
To be fair, there's a matchbox in there, too.
All right?
Why are you looking at toy cars?
In case you couldn't tell, that's what that is.
Anybody want to take a guess what that store is?
Not my two boys up front.
Cadran, what do you think?
Oh, so close.
So close.
Aubrey?
There you go.
Dollar Tree.
You got the dollar right.
That is a Dollar Tree.
Now, boys, why did I show a picture of Dollar Tree Hot Wheels?
Yes, right down front.
Tell me why.
Yeah, I did say that I would do that.
That's true.
I told you I was going to do this.
You're right.
It's because every time we go in a Dollar Tree, me and my boys, we are each going to buy at least one Hot Wheels car.
They used to be a dollar.
Now they're $1.25.
Stinking inflation.
Anyway.
But it's still the best price you can get on these Hot Wheels cars.
Unless maybe you can find a bulk price somewhere, but then you don't know what you're getting.
And, you know.
We have probably compiled just about every Batman-themed Hot Wheels car that they ever made.
And at least recently.
And every time we go in there, we cannot resist the temptation to buy these cars.
Okay?
Now, I've shut down other things usually.
Like we're not just going to go buy a bunch of random stuff for them to take home and use once and then it breaks and throw away.
But these cars, we cannot resist them.
And if you go to our house right now, you walk in the living room, there are three piles of cars waiting on us to play with when we get home.
Because you don't understand how many cars we have and how long this process takes.
Okay?
We've got to, like, play rock, paper, scissors to see who picks first and then who picks second.
And we go through and each select our favorite car.
And compile your armies and then you've got to create a whole scenario.
Anyway, it's a lot of fun.
All right?
If anybody wants to play cars, come to our house this afternoon.
We'll have a good time.
Don't take me up on that, please.
I'm a little under the weather.
You're not going to want to get sick.
All right.
So, we can't resist this particular temptation.
Now, I've never prayed for God to deliver me from this temptation, okay?
I'm perfectly fine with it.
As long as it doesn't completely get out of hand, I guess.
But how about this one?
Anybody ever been down this aisle in the store with little kids?
How many of y'all have purposefully avoided going down this aisle in the store with little kids?
I think that right there, parents avoiding taking their children down this aisle, I think it's biblical, okay?
It is.
It lines up with scripture.
Somehow, someway.
No, Psalm 131.
Watch this.
Lord, set up a guard for my mouth.
Keep watch at the door of my lips.
Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing or perform wicked acts with evildoers.
Wow, that just got dark really fast, didn't it?
Here's the tie-in.
Here's the application.
God, deliver us from evil.
Deliver us from the evil one.
Set a guard for my mouth.
Keep watch at the door of my lips.
In other words, don't take me down the candy aisle because I can't handle it.
Don't take me down the Hot Wheels section at Dollar Tree because I'm going to buy whatever I want there, okay?
There are certain things that tempt us more than we can handle.
And I believe that is why Jesus is teaching us to pray,
Lord, do not bring us into temptation.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Why would God lead us into temptation?
Why are we even asking that?
Why is Jesus telling us, teaching us, to pray in this way to God,
not to lead us into temptation?
Does God tempt people?
We're going to see in a few passages that he does not.
God absolutely does not bring temptation into our lives.
Does he allow us sometimes to experience temptation?
Yes.
But God is not the author of temptation.
So I really believe what he's teaching us here is that very simple principle that we exercise with our own kids and sometimes ourselves.
We know, you know, maybe you're trying to cut off caffeine or something and so you're not going to go to Starbucks.
Well, I swear I'll just get a hot tea that doesn't have caffeine in it.
No, you won't.
You'll get your favorite coffee drink.
There are certain things that we know are going to be too much for us to handle.
So we're praying, God, keep us from those things.
Don't lead us down the candy aisle.
I love this quote from the author of that commentary series I told you about earlier.
Temptation is Satan's weapon to defeat us.
But it can become God's tool to build us.
That's what the theme is about today.
Temptation and deliverance.
And temptation is going to be something that every single one of us experiences.
God does allow us to repeatedly experience temptation, sometimes in the same area.
And we can either see that as a negative or a positive.
It can be Satan's weapon to defeat us.
It is.
And sometimes he wins that battle.
But it can also become God's tool to build us, to form us, to shape us into his likeness.
So number one, temptation comes from the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Temptation comes from the world, the culture around us.
Remember when Preston up here said a little bit ago,
why do we continue to sin even though we're trying to be like Jesus?
Because, anybody remember?
Because we're used to it.
Yeah.
Because we're born into sin.
Because of our sin nature.
The culture around us is very sinful.
And then our own flesh, that sin nature within us,
undermines the Holy Spirit's working in our lives.
And then the devil, spiritual warfare is very real around us.
And sometimes he will shoot his arrows directly at us.
And so temptation can come from the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Let's look at James chapter 1.
James chapter 1.
You're going to be turning in your Bibles a little bit today.
So if you wouldn't mind heading toward the back of the book,
toward Revelation, and then turn a few pages back until you find James.
There's five chapters, and we're going to be in chapter 1, verses 12 through 16.
For sake of time, I'm going to go ahead and read while you catch up.
Blessed is the one who endures trials,
because when he has stood the test of time,
when he has stood that test,
he will receive the crown of life
that God has promised to those who love him.
Do you see that?
Blessed is the one who endures trials.
Verse 13.
No one undergoing a trial should say,
I am being tempted by God.
Since God is not tempted by evil,
here we go, ready?
And he himself doesn't tempt anyone.
God is not the one tempting you.
That's the world, the flesh, and the devil.
But each person is tempted when he is drawn away
and enticed by his own evil desire.
Then, after desire has conceived,
it gives birth to sin.
And when sin is fully grown,
it gives birth to death.
Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
So that's what I hope we can take away from today.
Don't be deceived by temptation.
Don't be deceived into thinking
you are strong enough
to resist temptation on your own.
You might have resisted it in your mind,
but in reality, it took root in you,
and it will grow up into a kind of fruit
that you never wanted in your life.
So, temptation comes not from God,
but from the world, the flesh, and the devil,
and their goal is to trick you, to deceive you.
How does temptation deceive us?
I love this quote from Rick Warren.
Every temptation is an offer
to doubt God's love and wisdom.
Every kind of temptation that comes into your life,
whether it is sexual, whether it is power,
whether it is money,
whatever kind of temptation comes after you,
that is an offer to doubt God's love and wisdom for you,
saying, God is not enough.
You also need this.
God's word is not true in this area.
It is an offer to doubt God's love and wisdom.
What are the different types of temptation?
How are we tempted?
1 John 2 and verse 16 tells us everything in the world.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life.
We've got three different types right there.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life comes not from the Father,
but from the world.
Once again, God does not tempt us.
The world, the flesh, and the devil,
it appeals to our sin nature,
and we respond.
So the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life.
I found this handy Venn diagram on the internet.
Anybody love a good Venn diagram?
It's awesome, right?
You can see it all kind of come together.
I don't know if this is completely comprehensive,
if this covers every area,
but I thought it was helpful to look at
and kind of get an idea of how this works.
So the lust of the eyes,
they're on the left.
What are we talking about?
What?
Envy, greed, wrath.
These are the things that appeal to our eyes.
We want what somebody else has.
What somebody else has.
We see something that makes us angry.
The lust of the flesh.
Laziness.
Kind of crosses over into that greed.
I want what appeals to me.
Gluttony.
How many of us struggle with gluttony?
Yeah, you and me both.
And then pride of life.
Pride.
Man, that gets every one of us, I think, in this room.
At some point, pride has led you down the wrong path.
Again, gluttony.
Getting everything that I have for myself.
Everything I want.
And then wrath.
And all of it combines into lust.
Lust of the flesh.
Lust of the eyes.
And pride of life.
It is elevating man above God.
That is the sin here.
You understand that God does not, and young people, I want to make sure y'all hear this.
God does not set up a bunch of rules just to have rules.
God is not trying to cramp our style.
Okay?
God's not trying to just make life as unenjoyable as possible for us.
God is making sure that we do not lift ourselves up above him.
And he knows that there is sin in the world.
Because Satan lifted himself up above God.
And he was cast out of heaven.
And so then, in the original sin in the Garden of Eden, that the kids talked about earlier,
that sin was lifting themselves up above God.
It was saying, I know this is what God told us,
but Lucifer appealed to their pride,
and they responded to that.
Because God gave us a choice.
Because he did not make us robots.
Because he gave us that free will,
then we could choose to lift ourselves up above God.
And that ultimately is the root of every sin.
It's saying, I know this is what God says,
but I'm going to go a different way.
There is a conscience in each one of us.
And so often, we resist that conscience.
We go against it.
Even if you haven't heard a teaching on the Word of God,
every man is responsible to obey his Creator.
And every man is born into sin.
And every man has resisted God.
At some point in his life.
Usually many times.
So that lust for life, for power, for pride,
for gaining everything we can possibly compile,
to get ahead, to lift ourselves up,
that does not come from God.
God can lift you up as high as he wants you to go.
But when you scrap and fight to get ahead,
often that comes from a place of pride.
I'm not saying don't work hard in your job.
I'm not saying don't try to do well in school.
I'm not saying don't try to be the best if you're an athlete, etc.
I'm not saying those things.
Certainly, everything that you find to do,
do it with all your might, do it with all your strength.
But what does the Bible teach us?
Do those things to bring glory to God, not yourself.
And that goes completely against the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Matthew, back in Matthew, but toward the end of the book,
Matthew 26, 41,
stay awake and pray so that you don't enter into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
You see the setting here?
This is the Garden of Gethsemane,
right before Jesus is crucified,
and he's been praying all night,
and he goes to check on his disciples,
and they've all fallen asleep.
And this happens multiple times.
And Jesus tells Peter,
kind of the leader, so to speak, of the group,
he says, Peter, I'm disappointed in you.
Stay awake and pray so that you don't enter into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
I love the last part of that.
And can I just make this application today?
Can I make this application for you?
There's one interpretation of Scripture.
Every passage, there's one incorrect interpretation of Scripture.
As you read through the original manuscript,
and you look at it, what is the Bible teaching here?
But there can be multiple applications
that you take away from a certain passage.
Because we're all different.
The Holy Spirit is working with us differently in every life.
So I want to make this particular application from this passage.
Some of us need to wake up.
Some of us are sleeping through our life with Jesus.
And the devil wants nothing more
than for a Christian to fall asleep.
And just go through life like everybody else.
The Bible tells us, wake up.
Now is the appointed time.
Now it is high time to awake out of sleep,
we read in the book of Romans.
For now, your redemption is nearer than when you first believed.
Jesus is coming back.
We are not promised forever on this earth.
We are promised a wonderful eternity in heaven with God.
But until that time comes,
you and I have a job to do,
and we can't do it if we're asleep.
I'm not talking about not getting your eight hours of sleep at night.
I'm talking about sleeping through your life,
not listening to the Holy Spirit of God,
not ever sharing the gospel with somebody else,
not ever resisting temptation,
just giving in to the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the bride of life.
The Bible says, wake up!
Because it's time to listen to God
and let God change your life.
Let God change your thinking.
The Holy Spirit is not the problem.
The Spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.
But Jesus had to teach those guys
that walked with Him every day
on the most important night of His time on earth.
When He could not sleep,
He knew what was coming.
He had even given them clues of what was coming.
But they fell asleep.
How many of us fall asleep
when God needs us to pray?
How many of us fall asleep
when God needs us to stand strong?
How many of us fall asleep
when God needs us to resist?
How many of us fall asleep
when God needs us to help someone else?
So that's just an application there
that I hope we can take.
Now,
y'all, I think I took out,
I think I messed up one of my slides here
and I apologize for that.
So I'm just going to focus
on the latter part of this verse right here.
Jesus was praying for us
and He said,
I'm not praying that you would take us
out of this world,
but I'm praying that you would protect us,
you and I,
from the evil one.
So that's God's goal,
that's Jesus' goal for you and for me
is to protect us from the evil one.
That's, I think,
why God was,
Jesus was teaching us
in Matthew 6,
Lord,
don't lead us into temptation,
deliver us from the evil one.
Right here He says,
protect them,
Father,
from the evil one.
So that's God's goal for us.
Now,
that leads us into point number two.
Obedience to God's Spirit
can rescue us from temptation.
So that's the theme,
right?
We have temptation first
and then we have deliverance.
So this is the deliverance part.
This is the good part.
We're excited about this.
Obedience to God's Spirit
can rescue us
from temptation.
Let's go to 2 Peter.
2 Peter 2,
verse 7.
2 Peter 2, 7.
If He rescued righteous Lot,
Y'all remember the story of Lot?
He was a righteous man,
truly a righteous man,
followed God,
but he couldn't resist the flesh.
He couldn't resist
the pride of life,
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes.
So he kept going to places
where he shouldn't have gone
to set up his domain,
domain to set up
his little mini kingdom there
and eventually it culminated
in him finally begrudgingly
leaving Sodom and Gomorrah,
but his wife stopped
and looked back,
missing that life
she was leaving behind
to follow God
at God's command
and what happened?
Old Testament man,
there's nothing like it.
She was turned into
a pillar of salt.
I mean, just wild things
you can read about
in the Old Testament.
God's way of dealing
with his people back then
was incredible to watch.
So we read about this
reference to Lot
right here all the way
toward the end of the book
in 2 Peter 2,
verse 7.
If God rescued righteous Lot,
distressed by the depraved
behavior of the immoral.
Oh, he was distressed,
all right,
but he couldn't walk away from it.
Verse 8,
for as that righteous man
lived among them
day by day,
his righteous soul
was tormented
or vexed
by the lawless deeds
he saw and heard.
Verse 9,
so if he could do that
for Lot,
he could rescue Lot
almost against Lot's will,
then the Lord knows how
to rescue the godly
from trials
and to keep the unrighteous
under punishment
for the day of judgment.
God knows how to rescue us.
So that's the good news.
Obedience to God
can deliver us.
Obedience to God
can rescue us.
1 Corinthians 10, 13.
No temptation
has overtaken you
that's not common to man.
Remember that Jesus
was tempted?
Jesus was tempted
just like we are
in all three areas,
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life.
When Satan
led him up on that mountain,
he tempted him.
When Jesus was at
his weakest point
after starving
in the wilderness
for 40 days,
then Satan
pounced on him.
Of course,
he wasn't going to
get anywhere with Jesus,
but Jesus wanted to show us,
give us the template
for resisting temptation.
It's by the word of God.
Every time Satan
came at him
with temptation,
he quoted scripture
back to Satan.
The power is in
the word of God.
Jesus was the living
word of God.
But he quoted that word
right back to Satan,
and that's the word
that we have.
The power that Jesus
used to resist temptation
was the very same power
that you and I
have access to.
So no temptation
has overtaken you
or me
that is not already
common to man,
but God is faithful.
And he will not allow you
to be tempted
beyond your ability,
but with the temptation,
he will also provide
the way of escape.
Man, some of the
most reassuring words
in the Bible
that you can read
is this way of escape.
God will provide
a way of escape.
So every time
we are tempted,
number one,
we know it is not
coming from God.
Number two,
we know that God
has provided a way
of escape
so that you and I
can endure
that temptation.
2 Timothy 4.18,
the Lord will rescue me
from every evil work
and will bring me
safely into his
heavenly kingdom.
Amen.
What a powerful prayer.
I don't think it's wrong
to pray scripture.
I don't think it's
inappropriate to read
things in the word of God
and pray them word for word.
I think that's just fine
if you in your quiet time
want to pray that to God.
God, rescue me
from every evil work
and bring me safely
into your heavenly kingdom.
Amen.
We know that he's
promised to do that.
He will do that.
So how do we resist?
It's through the power
of his word.
2 Thessalonians 3.3,
kind of the same thing.
I love how many times
he put this in the scriptures
so he can drive
that point home with us.
The Lord is faithful.
He will strengthen you
and guard you
from the evil one.
That's God's desire.
He prayed it to his
father in heaven.
And he wants us
to do that now.
John 17.
This is the passage
we quoted just a minute ago.
And I had these slides
out of order
and I apologize.
This should have been
back there
to kind of help us
transition in
but that's okay.
John 17.
Let's turn there anyway
real quick.
John 17 in verse 6.
Jesus is praying
for his disciples.
We can jump in
and be included
on this prayer.
I have revealed your name,
Jesus says.
I have revealed your name,
Father,
to the people you gave me
from the world.
They were yours
and you gave them to me.
They have kept your word.
Now they know
that everything you have
given is from you
because I have given them
the words you gave me.
They have received them
and they know for certain
that I came from you.
They believe that you sent me.
I pray for them.
And what a powerful thought
that Jesus is praying for us.
This isn't the only time
in scripture
that Jesus assures us
that he is praying for us.
He says,
I pray for them.
I'm not praying for the world
but for those
that you have given me
because they are yours.
Everything I have is yours.
Everything you have is mine
and I am glorified in them.
I am no longer in the world
but they are in the world
and I am coming to you.
By the way,
you want a little clue
as to why we believe
in the Trinity?
A three-part God,
Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit?
Right here we believe
that the Father and Son
are co-equal
because right here
did you see in verse 10?
Everything I have is yours.
Everything you have is mine.
They are on equal footing
with one another.
Equally God,
all three parts.
Different roles,
different personalities sometimes
as they express themselves
but they are all one God.
All co-equal with one another.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
So, let's jump back in.
Verse 11.
I'm no longer in the world
but they are in the world
and I am coming to you.
Holy Father,
protect them by your name
that you have given me
so that they may be one
as we are one.
Just as the Father and Son
are united,
are one,
God wants his people
to be united
and one
and he wants to protect us
from Satan trying to mess that up.
Satan trying to get in between us
and drive us apart.
So, he's praying for us
that God would protect us.
Jump down, if you would,
to verse 15.
I'm not praying
that you take them out of the world.
We read it just a moment ago.
But that you protect them
from the evil one.
They're not of the world
just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by the truth.
Your truth,
your word,
is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I also have sent them into the world.
That's us, y'all.
He sent us into this world.
I sanctify myself for them
so that they also
may be sanctified
by the truth.
God wants to protect us
from the evil one
because we are here
for a great purpose.
He has sent us
into the world
as his light.
If the light
is extinguished
by the power of darkness,
if the light is hidden
by the power of darkness
and us giving in
to temptation,
it extinguishes that light.
It hides that light
and nobody can see
that light anymore
because all they see
is us giving in
repeatedly,
continually
to the same temptations
that they give in to.
And there's no difference.
There's no change.
There's nothing special
about the power of God
in our lives.
So there's much at stake.
There's much at stake.
That's why, once again,
we're going back to it.
Can we read this together, please?
Don't copy the behavior
and customs of this world.
Here we go.
Ready?
But let God transform you
into a new person
by changing the way you think.
This is my prayer for you.
It's my prayer for me
and my family
on a daily basis
that God would change
the way we think
so that we would not
so easily give in
to the sins
that easily
pull us off track,
the sins that easily
beset us,
that we wouldn't give in
to temptation.
So that's the takeaway.
Do I resist temptation
through prayer
or through my own strength?
Do I resist temptation
on my knees?
You don't always have to be
on your knees.
You could be driving
in your car,
you could be at work,
you could be engaged
in another activity,
but God
is just a moment away.
He's always there.
Do I resist temptation
through His power
or through my power?
I want to leave you
with the words
to this song
by Phil Wickham,
great Christian songwriter
out there.
He said,
so when I fight,
I'll fight on my knees
with my hands lifted high.
Oh God,
the battle belongs to you.
Whether you're fighting
against someone else
trying to hurt you
or you're fighting
against temptation
trying to pull you off track,
fight that battle
on your knees.
I can personally testify,
when I try to resist temptation
with my own strength,
I don't win.
Now you can put your name
in the middle of that too.
When you resist temptation
on your own,
you don't win,
do you?
But when we fight
through the power of God,
He wins.
He always wins.
So if we want
to defeat temptation,
let's go to the book.
Let's go to our knees
in prayer.
And let's ask
for God's help
He wants to help us.
And He says
to come to Him
and ask Him for help.
God, deliver us from this.
Would you pray with me?
God, I pray that
You would deliver us
from sin.
I know beyond
a shadow of doubt
there is sin
in our church, God.
Because any time
you get a group of people
together in this world,
there's going to be
plenty of sin
represented there.
We are all sinners.
We all have our
pet sins
that we can't seem
to shake.
Whether it's pride,
whether it's lust
of the flesh,
whether it's lust
of the eyes,
the pride of life,
whatever category
really trips us up
the most,
there's something
in there that just
maybe multiple things
that we just can't seem
to get victory over.
God, reveal to us
how much
You want to give us
the victory.
Change the way
we think
by submitting
to Your Spirit,
by actually
spending time
in Your Word,
by actually
going to You
in prayer
and not just
talking about it,
but actually
taking the time
to re-center
ourselves
on You.
We'll give You
all the glory, God.
We're not going to say,
man, I finally
kicked this habit
that I've been
trying to kick.
No, it was Jesus.
It was Your power.
You did a transforming
work in us.
Let that be
our testimony here.
God, if there's
someone who needs
You to deliver
them from sin,
someone needs
to put their faith
in You
for the first time.
Just last week,
we had someone
raise their hand
and You've been
working on them,
You've been drawing
them, and they've
placed their faith
in You
for the first time.
We want to see
that happen
as often as
you're willing
to let us
see that.
So right now,
I'll ask again
with our heads
bowed,
if there's
somebody else
who'd like
to slip
your hand
up and say,
I want to
place my faith
in Jesus.
I want to
turn from my
sin and turn
to Jesus.
Thank You.
I want to
pray for that one,
God, that You
would give them
understanding
to how much
they need You.
Give them
full understanding
of what it means
to be a child
of God.
For the rest
of us, God,
I pray that You
would continue
to work in our
hearts.
How many of you
would slip your
hand up and just
say, pray for me?
I'm working on
something, God's
convicted me of
something, and I
just need prayer.
I'll pray for You.
Thank you.
All over.
God, You see the
hands.
You know what's
going on, Lord.
You know what's
going on in every
heart.
You've been with
us every step of
this journey.
I pray that we
would fight this
battle on our
knees, not in
our own strength.
It's in Jesus' name
I pray.
Amen.
Brother Greg's
going to lead us
through a song.
I'm going to be
down front if you'd
like to meet me
down here for
prayer, if you'd
like to come pray
quietly by yourself,
that's what these
steps are for.
If you'd like to go
to the back and
find a quiet room,
our campus is here
for you to pray.
Stay out of the
children's area because
that's where they're
going, but y'all just
use a few minutes to
pray here.
Whatever's going on in
your heart, why
don't you keep your
seat for now?
Just remain
comfortable.
Just stay sitting
down and let's all
spend this time with
our heads bowed.
You can sing along
to the song if you'd
like, but let's spend
just a couple of
minutes dedicated to
prayer.