Happy Courageous New Year

My parts done. We had such a good time last week. I started out not so hot, but then I kind of settled into it and everything went well after that and I always think about when you know, like when I was telling during I got my part done it's like when your healer message and your head and you can always set, you know, if he misses you say while he was loose when I got him what happened to you. You know, that kind of thing. I got my part done their worst you got. Okay good. Dollar sure quiet this morning must be the new year. Yeah, we're not going to stay quiet long. Happy New Year y'all. I hope you have a courageous New Year. And that's all we talked about having a courageous Christmas. I hope you have a courageous New Year. And I kind of want to take a Biblical truth 1 verse and I want to elaborate on that biblical truth to help you possibly maybe put some things out there for yourself this new year this for this next year, but also for our church, you know, we've got a lot of goals for our church and and I'm going to talk a little bit about that as we go through this message this morning, we do I think about what maybe we might accomplish this next year. And and I one of the big ones for me. I hope to lead us in a purchase of this building and property. That's one of the big things. I hope we get done this year. I'm praying so hard for it. I don't want to move again. How about you? I don't like moving, you know, so I'd like to stay here. So let's pray pray pray that we get to purchase this place. I've been living in the same house in our same place. Not the same house rubbing live in the same place same. Pizzaland since 1992 so I don't like moving and I don't want to I'd like for us to stay right here as well as the church. So, you know, that's one of our big goals just to hang here. You know, I'd like to see our ruin with me and we got to we got our rain out there and I'd like to see us get some lights up and and I'll start having more events out there. And so we're looking forward to that, you know us as we got Ministry leaders are Childers Apartments going with Anne and we got goals. There. We are we have goes with everything every aspect our worship team. Bubba's got big goals there. We got in all throughout the church. You wouldn't believe the the kind of vision that God's given us to do more here, you know, and of course, I'll tell you one thing on his own me on more than y'all because I believe it starts with a password not I'm not I'm always glad when we see people get saved.

Garcia's baptized at least a hundred next this next year. I would love to see us through that a hundred a hundred new people come to Christ at least a hundred. Hey went up because you know, I learned a long time ago the way you grow churches through telling people about Jesus. I'm telling you, you know, I want you to think about church like a fish pond. All right, you know, my sister's got a pain behind her house that juicy purse off my she bought that place off my parents and my dad he dug that tank out there and I remember going to catching fish. All the peoples tanks and put them in that one, you know. Yeah, I did that, you know, you know, you know anything about church, like a fish pond and so I'm not all about going catching fish on somebody else's pain and put them in ours, right? I just rather get new fish. No, I mean, you know, so I'd like to see more people saved and let's grow our church in that way. Not that I'm opposed to other people coming here from another church you go where God moves you and if you moved in here, that's great. I love that too. But I don't know. I want to see new people come to cry. So that's a big all for me as well. We have a lot of gold as we grow as a church in this this next year, I expect to do a lot of things I expect to I wanted to last year or just one right time yet some elders and pastors appointed. I think this year is our year for that. I have and more leadership of wanted in the church. So those are those are some personal goals in mind. I think we're ready for that. Now we're going to do that. I want to see I want to look at this next year and is a year for us to have a lot of Courage. Okay. And I want to talk about how we can have that as we experience the new year. I want to read 1 verse 2 you found in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 9 and it says this the heart of a man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps. So what you think about that? I don't you think about how you know stuff is snatched out in born in your thinking write in your right. I mean when you when you make plans for yourself for your goals this next year words that begin that begins as a thawed it because I kind of talked about God having the log off the word became flesh when he sent Jesus write it begins with this idea that God loves us so much that he sent his only son. We all everything begins with something in here. Like it's fixed born hats down here, whatever your goals and dreams are that's where they're hatched out. So it's the heart of a man that plans his way but the Lord Establishes his steps now on I want to just to find this go to the little defining here if we could let's read that church this that Top Line right ready the heart of a man plans his way in a person seat up appetites passion and courage. Okay, that's why I'm asking you to have a courageous New Year because of how much courage are you going to have the stuff? You know what I think we need to step out and try new things. Bubba said he's going to finish this year up. He's going to finally fulfill that resolution in this last few days you laying off of sugar right? Then I got you. I'm telling you right now. He going to me this morning. I've been sick all week. I've been flat on my back for 4 days, and I'm finally feeling better and call me Samantha. I need my wife fixed because Bubba and I we hang out. Anyway, he says, but now that we're going to be hanging out this next week. I'm going to be sure that you don't eat any sugar for the next 2 days. No sweet tea for you Bubba. Yeah tomorrow that's going to be bad. Right? Okay, but listen to those those things are hatched inside of us. We got to have the courage to to accomplish those things. And so we won't have courage to ask you this one question who or what drives most breaks my heart. That's a big one you think about courage your appetite your auction who is driving that passed? You know, that's a that's a big deal. You're the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:29. He said to this and labor. Working for that for that power which works in me mightily I want to tell you how you can accomplish the passions and dreams the goals that you have how we can do a message church is if we draw from the one who gives us power who who gives us the strength to do it all so who or what drives your passion of your of your heart if it's you you may fall short, but if it's God, I believe there's no stopping us.

For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. So I don't want you to think about this for a minute, you know, this can all be summed up in something that Jesus said. They asked Jesus. What what's the greatest commandment? And he says the love of the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind strength and love your neighbor as yourself. That's the second was just like it. So so in in in in in in the same chapter and verse 33 know he says seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you see I want to tell you what this means if we kin folks are hard to see God first to put him number one in our number one in everything we do. I mean everything we do if you want to be able to accomplish your goals and our lives putting number one in your family leave number one of your father that you're putting number one of your mother had put him off number one in your marriage. What hymn number one in your charge putting number one of your business where you work what you do? Seek first the kingdom of God, you know what he says if you seek first came God everything is that it to you? You don't we? Okay. So I want to have a great church. I want to lead our church is growing. I want to have a church that that that evangelizes people. We see people saved and baptized I want to have that would have a church somewhere. We have leadership and we have good Bible studies and all the things. You know, what if I want all of those things my first priority is this put God first in at all if I understand that God is number one then everything else is that all these things will be added unto you I want to be a great husband. I know I'm lacking you ask my wife. What if I want to be a great husband in 2019. I can't believe I'm saying that 2019. This is what I've got to do. I got to put God in charge of me so I can be a good husband. How to be a great father I got to put God In Charge Force I want to be a great are you know what I got a little side business that's not a big business a couple days a week. But if I wanted to be sexy and I want you to know what I need to make sure I'm honoring God first in that business. Tell me all these things where your treasure is it and so is this what I'm saying? If if your treasure is in in Christ Jesus your Treasures in your savior. That's where your heart's going to be and that's where that's where your passions your desires. All those things are going to come from him and all those ways and the heart of a man plans his way. But look at this read that last part ready the Lord establishes his steps to make stable. He makes table your steps. Okay, you plan it, right? It comes to me and you singing I believe this with all my heart Holy Spirit living in us, he gives us the plans. We have no matter what those are. I mean he gives them to us and so they're there and then God he establishes our steps. And then this is what I want to ask you about power are my plans care. What do you think about that? Say I want to tell you something church and I'm just being honest. There's a lot of us came in here this morning and we live every day. And listen. I'm in the same category and boat you are. Okay. I'm not excluding myself from this but I forget on a daily basis who's in charge. And so do you I forget who who wear my power for my plants comes from I forget who is doing this thing that we're doing? I forget that sometimes I can drive myself crazy over this church because I can start to think that I'm in charge of it that really I'm the one that's doing all this and if I start to do that then guess what?

It's not going to work. Someone asked me the other day. Someone a pastor friend of my nieces man. How's your church going? I said it's going awesome. And I can honestly say that I mean really is last week in August will start having more kids stuff because last week we were full right here last week and this week nobody shows up for church. Listen, I want to tell you something we start to think that we're doing this and I'll God there's that there's a big problem and I want to tell you this and whatever you do in life this year, whatever you're doing business church family marriage fatherhood mother almost like whatever you do. Don't forget who's in charge. Don't forget who's got it. See that guy asked me that passed Richmond Heights Church one of those going great. I said man, we can have a high speed tomorrow, but it's doing good right now and I really believe that as long as God has just we're going to be all right, I believe that with all my heart. So we got to remember it looking like I got 3 versus 4 here. I want you to see Colossians 1:17 says and he lets read that and he is before all things in other words. He is I want you to think about the presence of God what you think about him in an eternal State because he's always been always will be God wasn't created. He is a Creator nothing sustains God God sustains himself. No one that there is no God is dependent on no one and he was before all of this. He was he was in existence living before all this and all the sudden now we're here because he is before all things must read that next part in him all things hold together. They're held together by Christ. Your life is held together by him all things. They all things all things exist in him all things exist. And in him all things hold together. Whatever you want. Whatever you accomplish this year. It's listen. I don't care what it is. It's going to be because of this reason I hear whatever our church does whatever we accomplish this year's the church will be baptized won a hundred or thousand whether we have an arena event every weekend and it and it goes game Buster's in this incredible our food Ministry, whatever it is, whatever we do. I'm going to tell you something. The reason it's going to happen is because of this. Because in him all things exist, he was before all things in him. All things are held together. Look at this right here Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3. He is the radius is tell my Jesus Radiance of the glory of God the exact imprint of his nature. Let's read that church. He upholds the universe by the word of his power.

That's who our God that's our God. We worship everything that happens in your life this year and that's happened in the past and it's going to happen in the future is going to be because of this because God upholds the whole universe. By the word of his power after making purification for our since you sat down at the right hand of majesty on high. Look at this one right here Proverbs Chapter 19, Verse 21 many are the plans of the Mind of a man. But it is what the purpose of the Lord that will stand God's purposes will always stand. I think about that and I think about what we need to do. I'm sad you're not convinced you that man God's in charge. He's the one sin control. He's the one we need to submit to he's the one we need to focus on. He's the ones going to help us accomplish everything. We have to accomplish. So when we think about this, I want you to ask yourself a couple of questions. First of all this my plans are our plants Church anything about this individual your plans are our plans must be in line with God's Will and purpose. Look at that that verse proverbs 16:3 commit your works of the Lord and your plans will be established commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. Okay, so I'm thinking about our church here. I'm thinking about okay, we're going to you know, what we're going to have to borrow a bunch of money. We've got a bunch of money. We're going to borrow a bunch more because we have a goal will be to buy 20 acres in this building. I'll talk to him about it. That's what we're going to try to do if we can swing that do it. We're going to do it right. This is what I believe. That's what I believe in the end. Also. I'd like to know most Sundays were full in here. We need to be thinking about how we already do. You know, those are things going through my mind. I'm thinking about this and I'm thinking you know, what if this is God's will write this going to happen and I believe this I believe this to commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. You know, I believe that I'll tell you when I believe that cuz it happened to me. And I believe some of you considering testify this happen to you that if you commit your work to the Lord, I want to ask you a question. Okay, can I commit my work to the Lord? You know, I think about our goals as a church. Yeah, we won't know. I think that's committing our work to Lord. We want to own this building morning want to build on I think about seeing people get saved. I believe that God wants that don't y'all sister says in the Bible that he desires everyone to come to repentance. So we believe that we commit our work. I believe I threw the aspects of our Ministries here in our church from Carrie and leading the food Ministry Jack and Ashley and I'm leaving the arena Ministry and and and Sue leading our children's ministry and all those things combined if we commit to our work a commit our work to the Lord. Guess what I believe I believe we're on the right track here cuz we've committed those words to God. We believe he's behind us doing those things. Then our plans will be established. So see we can honestly take that that's scriptural truth in and hold it to us. Here's the next one. if we or I I have to trust God. To see my plans are our plans to become reality. You know, we just do Proverbs 21:5 says the plans the street that the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who who is Hasty comes only to Poverty, you know, I think about this diligence word and I think about how we need to know what we can at least we've got to be diligent and staying to it and trusting God in the middle of it. You know what to ask. You don't want to know what I think being diligent. It's like it's like being in the middle of something and not really realizing that anything's really happening, you know, and just kind of it is really am I really accomplishing my goals because it just doesn't seem like things are happening right now. You know, I work with some people that I thought work real slow. You know what I mean? And I'd holler. I'm so he man, I got to drive out of state to see if you're moving. Come on. It's don't write don't talk about because sometimes we're in the middle of it. We're looking this way and that way her here. It's hard to be diligent because We don't realize that things are happening. So here's some things about diligent. I want diligence. I want you to get first of all when you think about your goals for this year with the first of all, let's look to the Past. Okay, if we're going to be diligent in what God has called us to be induced if we're going to trust God it is in this reality we have and it's going to become a reality then we need to we need to be so first of our first point of diligence. Is this look behind us. Look at where we come from. Look at what God has done up to this point and it's been all him every single bit of it. Cuz I remember when Chisholm Trail church was just simply an idea in my head and my wife and I we we got together we pray together me and her started out with just me and her praying and asking if this is what God wanted us to do in all so now we had a team of group of 12 people that we got together with him just 12 of us and we start and it ain't like that was a magic number. Like I said, I'll tell you I don't think like I don't think that far ahead man. I ain't that I ain't that good. I just had to be 12. I don't know how we said that we start doing Bible study together, you know, one of the first things I learned when we started doing the church plant we started this was most of the people that you start with won't end. You know, they were right. You know, who's that here left on the 12 Jack and Ashley? That's it. Right. Nobody else. Everybody else that would help if that's okay that helps get things going right. So so we see we see that that you know things we can watch the church go I've seen as weak move four times.

The first church service that was 25 others in a barn that can barely hold us. We looked up on Sunday. We had almost like like 50 people in that same Barn in 25 was in and then I'm telling you is about to fall through the floor that thing. And it was raining and water was raining on us and it was wet in there y'all remember to and remember. I mean it was bad and I was like when we come to church on the rainy morning and nobody's going to come to church today and also the only people it's okay we got to do something. So we you know what, I bought a tent and so we put a tent up back behind the bar. And also we had a pretty good amount of people in that tent and we were going along pretty good and by the way above hadn't come along yet. So I was having play guitar and and and Hannah was helping me and Junior start playing drums with us at we baptize my told me to get Safeway play drums.

Anyway, so we start doing that and we kind of Rock Tunnel only a little further and then all the sudden, you know what you know, I'm looking back to the past now and talk about diligence here, Dylan. Just what happened. This Tornado comes through and blue our little tent away what did you look like a cheap lawn chair just Threw it out there in the middle of the pasture. We have church next Sunday. And the pastor with no tint.

You know what we want to say that because sometimes when you're being diligent. Trials of come

You know that was a hard service for me. You know, why because I had a tent last week for each other and how long this week. Got what you do with our can't watch you do that, You know what he's building my character. You're think about when you're trying to be diligent the middle of something. And things start happening and you wonder why God why you know what God has a way of building our character.

It is not so much for us to show him how great we are but him to show us how great he works through us and show us who we are in him. So when you are being diligent and you're going through a trial.

Just remember God showing you his character in you. We had we had Church on that. You know, what happened Southern Baptist of Texas convention called me. And I said pastor white. How you doing? I said I'm doing okay. They said well, we're from the disaster relief team and we're calling around the area churches to see if y'all had any damage and we can help you fix it. And I said, you know what we have had some damage. We had a tent we don't have one no more. Front, you know what them guys did they got together naquan all their different departments and and they they pulled some money together from other departments money. They didn't have and they and they said can you come up with any I said our church has $500 will put every bit of it on the 10th. And I ordered us a tent. And that tent cost $5,000 and it's sitting right out there right now right now. Rim so so we we made us a road trip. We had a family trip. There was our vacation there with your we had to drive to Miami Oklahoma. Miami you say Miami in Miami, Oklahoma. Kick you out of there. I found that out. It's spelled like Miami, but it ain't Miami and they'll tell you this is not Miami is Miami Oklahoma, right and we drove up there. We picked up our tent we drove home and we set it up. We had church back under a tent that next Sunday Rock and so we're there and I'll talk about diligence here. were there and we're watching our church grow and all of a sudden I start getting hot. It's Jen. We got people coming to church on oxygen. You know, I can't breathe and we're in it's a hundred degrees outside and were like, oh gosh we got to do something else. So we went and rented to an event center in Cleveland we moved there. We were there that plane was costing us for 3 hours $500 or Sunday. Oh my God, how we going to pay for this? You know what diligence? He just shows up we needs to and I'll send us there and then we moved from there to the Putt-Putt rock. Some of y'all still. Remember the Putt-Putt, right? I love the old Putt-Putt me and we saw some good memories there. And how that worked out we were in that by the hour and then we were able to get that full-time and moved here. And you know what? I look back on that past and realize I realize what God has done and seen their here we go down that River every week or every year and we baptize people down there the people I've had the privilege to baptize down there the people I've had the other. I bet you know what this is. Another thing we bad. We have baptized people every location. We've been we have seen Christ move and every in the barn and the first hit and the second tip and the other Event Center in the Putt-Putt. We without an animal and now here in on the river we baptize we seen that, you know, I look back in the past now and in the middle of my diligence, I realize God is so good. Right a man in India right now. I look at you and I'll look at it right now where we are and I realize and I'll see how blessed we are as a church in the middle of our diligence. I see we're God's at work right now today and then I look to the Future and I realized that in adversity. And our struggles in our good times in our bad times and all those in between. We've seen God work because the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. We got to stay with it Church. Stay diligent. So we have we got to trust God with the reality of our plans. There's the next one. This is the last one. We must have a clear vision of the desired results. You know on your own life. You've got to have a clear vision of where God is leading you.

The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18 where there is no prophetic Vision the people cast off restraint but blessed. Is he who keeps the law know that saying it's in it men if you don't have a focus on the future. Then there's really nothing to hold us together. There's really nothing to keep us going and what we're to do. You know Hannah and I were talking the other day talking about her future and one of the things I told she's eighteen men. She don't know what she wants to do. Sometimes you want to do this. Sometimes you want to do that, you know, but I do know that she's very driven and she's going to let you know God is going to work in her life and he's going to do amazing things. But this is what I told her I said, you know that the world teaches us to cast off restraint the teachers of it. If you look out in society today, it's coming from every direction for us that that we should not have Vision that we should not have a focus on our own future. Yeah. I'm telling you societies teaching our children this Because if you if you look out there and you watch the news, it's all hair on fire and gloom and doom. Right, it's all these kids do this and you know, what are on fire gloom-and-doom? We're all in trouble. Guess what that does to their desire to go and do things for themselves and have goals in their life. It just seems some but I'm telling you kids. Listen to me every one of you God's in charge. Who's the one that holds the future?

It ain't global warming. How to say throw that in there cuz I can go pull it up on you sometime.

You know what, even if there is global warming and climate change your not significant enough to cause it so quit worrying about it. God's in charge of that charge charge Don't let the devil steal your vision. Tell him that right now quit letting the devil steal your vision. The Bible says Jesus said their sin John 10:10 to steal kill and destroy.

Satan wants to rob you of the incredible future that God has for you. And you know what he do to get robbed our church from the incredible future he has for us to because he wants to steal to kill and destroy the old second part of that verses Jesus says, but I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

You know what? Hey. We have a vision we have the word of God. We have the that we have the restraints we need to focus and to do what God called us to do and I want to see what if all else fails here. Let's listen to me. Listen to me you and I our Future's so bright. Because we have heaven.

It's a what we need to be about the father's business of winning as many Souls as we can. So we decrease the population of Hell by as many Souls as we can and we increase the population of Heaven Weiser. We've got gold Church. You need to have personal goals in your walk with Jesus. Don't let Satan steal the future God has in-store for you. Remember your future is in him?

We got to have Clear Vision of desired results.

I want all my clothes with this last verse in band. Y'all can come on up.

scripture says May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. That's what I'm I'm going to pray for our church this morning as we go into this next year and we look forward to it that God what he's going to do if he's a pastor. I mean, I love having lots of people at church I do but what I want to see God do his work in our church. I want to see God moving people get saved wholesale. I've changed. I want to I want to see things happened here and I pray that God fulfills our plans as a church and we have that Arena Ministry, which is are we have a we have a building in the land that we want. We have all those hundred baptisms that we're Desiring to have this year all that and I pray that God fulfills your plans. I pray that as you have focus and and and and God's giving you dreams and goals in your own life. I pray this for you that he will grant your heart's desires, but you'll put him first And all those heart on all those things that you do that you'll see God his kingdom first Above All Else and everything else is attitude. That's what I pray this morning. You may for the very first time you can trust Jesus as your savior. Never count anybody out. I never ever ever walk into a church and send that everybody that comes in and sits down. I never seen they all know Jesus because I realize that they don't. There's somebody here that's never given their life to Christ. I don't know you are but there's there's somebody here that hasn't there might be three or four five or maybe 10.

Some of you may have been coming to church your whole life. And you've been a member here and here and there another place is nibi been baptized, but you have not had a heart change because Christ is not integer life. There's a difference between between being a member of a church and being saved. I know a lot of people who were members of church that they didn't know Christ.

You might be one of those sitting there. You know what I think about I think about all that I think about why we what position you may be in you know, what's so hard for us to get past. You know, it's hard for us to get past the idea that all you know, what I've been going to church my whole life and that would embarrass me. Can I tell you something this is this lady right here? We were dating and I was dating her I start going to church because of her, right? We were like 60 17 years old. How old are you? I've known her real long time. We came in from church when I drove her home, which is like and she looked at me this way. I'm not saved. Not so we can go talk to your daddy. So we went in there and she trusts the Lord that she been going to church you been baptized. She's been a member, you know, it was very hard for her to come to realize that she had not really trust in Christ. Some of you may be there. I don't know. You know, the Bible says the Holy Spirit Bears witness with our spirit that we're children of God. You know what God tells us we belong him. You may be one of those people. Maybe this morning makes me hear your day to trust Christ as your savior no matter where you come from. Just get out. Just get over this Park Hills Apartment while I'd be embarrassed. I don't want to know that you know what God knows and that's one that's when it counts the most just need to get over that. Let's get honest with God this morning. Let's start out 2019 in the way that God wants you to seek Him First how about that lesser by Valerie yet? And if you'd like to pray receive Christ today for the very first time, I'll Lead You In this prayer. You just simply pray with me dear Lord, Jesus your lord Jesus.

I know that I have sinned against you.

And I believe what the Bible says. That you died on the cross for my sins.

And your blood covers my sin? And it's enough. I had nothing to it.

only trust in your grace

I also believe that you Rose again.

You're saying your your blood covers my sin.

And you also overpowered my sin.

Cuz you Rose again on the third day.

Or Jesus I asked you to save me today.

Come and live in my life. Save my soul. Become my God. It's in your mighty name. In the name of Jesus I Proclaim. I'm saying Lord Jesus. I thank you for those that pray with me for the very first time those entrusted you to save them today ask you this blessed their life today pray that you give them the courage to walk in 2019 in the way that you having to walk as their new Lord and Savior as the one who leads them in Jesus name. I pray. Amen this morning if you prayed that prayer with me, I just wanted to talk to do one thing.