Now you know me when I'm up, we going to do a little work.

Yes,

I know y'all looking like, man, what's going to happen now, but today it's just phrases and you've heard some of the phrases and I want you to just fill in the blank to see if you know them just so I can see it on the same page. So it's not how you start, but how you finish. Okay, we getting there? It's not what you get out, but it's what you, there we go. One more. I got to do one more. No pain, no game. See, you guys know these phrases and they've been fundamental somewhere in your journey to help you overcome something at that time. No matter what it is, you hold true to these facts to help you advance to the next level or overcome what you are trying to come over because it's going to help you in some time and it's something that's helped you in one season and you remember it back in a previous season to help you through where you are now. See, you've heard these phrases and most of the time it reflects the marriage between recognition and resilience. Whatever you're needing to overcome, there's a blending that you see and you lean on that and say, this is what I need to help me get to where I'm going. See how fitting is it that we're sitting here the last quarter, the first Sunday of the last month of 2024. Isn't it crazy that we're getting ready to cross over but we're not there yet?

See, we're stuck in the tension of the middle and when we're in this tension of the middle, not only is it just us, but it's also the things around us. See, it's a tension of both hope and help. It's a tension of thanksgiving and triumph. It's also a tension of faith and feelings and I don't know about you, but this tension allows me to think back on what's going to help me get to that next place. See, we're in this tension, but I want to tell you this if we're honest, if we're truly, truly honest, we're navigating this space within the context of a chaotic modern world. See, in this context, the question becomes how do we stay emotionally healthy and spiritually sound amid our surroundings? How do we navigate this tension? Well, I'm glad you asked. We have to get back to the fundamental foundational principle to help us through. See, a couple moments ago you just finished all those phrases and somewhere in your mind you went back to you overcoming something and it helps you through. But wasn't it amazing that you get the opportunity to one, be grateful in the moment and to reflect back

As you reflect back, it helps you get to the next phase of what you're trying to overcome, but it's only because you have that fundamental, and today as we get ready to dive into the scripture, we understand that we have to get back to recognize a fundamental invitation. Most of you guys recognize all the phrases and all the things that you need to help you through, but they come from one fundamental invitation, and so here we set the stage and we understand that there is an epidemic. We just talked about a chaotic modern word world, but there's a word that's anchoring the factor in our world. Five letters. Hurry.

Oh, I felt that too. Don't worry about it. Hurry. That is the underlying factor. No matter what we're trying to do, no matter what surround our surroundings, no matter how we're trying to dive into our next overcoming, there's one word that is underlying under all of it and it is somebody's awake, it's hurrying. This phrase seems to be everywhere and it seems to be an epidemic because everything that we do, we're trying to do it at a fast pace. See what happens is when we go to this fast pace, some things start to move, but they don't move in the way we think we would want them to think because hurry leads to a sickness. When was the last time you sat still for five minutes? I'm talking no distraction, no schedule, no kids pulling at you, no answering for your honey-do list. I'm talking just stillness. When was the last time you sat there and said, let my mind release? See, most of us, it's a hard question because I can ask three minutes, five minutes, 12 minutes, 20 minutes, but the farther up we go, the more it's like pulling teeth because we have this underlying factor of hurry and see what happens when we get into a hurry, sickness, some things happen because we start carrying things that we cannot sustain.

Let's do a self-inventory. Don't raise your hand, just think internally. We call this self reflection, right? Some things happen when we get into hurry. Irritation, restlessness, hypersensitivity, disordered priorities, lack of care for your body, isolation, nonstop moving. My good people like to call that being a workaholic, lack of empathy and slippage of spiritual disciplines.

This is what happens when we get into the fundamental factor and let hurry drive some of us like Nafi, anything like me that just happens if I don't have caffeine, but it helps or does it hurt? See, in as long as we are connected to superficiality, to speed and distraction, we will not be the people that God called us to be. But I love this. Even in the script, Jesus calls us to slow. Damn. Aren't you grateful that Jesus was never in a hurry? We can see through the scriptures he was never in a hurry. His friend even died and he said, okay, I'll be there, but I'm not in a hurry. You're not going to rush this thing because when you get into the state of hurry, you miss out on things that are important that need to help carry you to the next level.

When you get into the fast pace of hurry, all the alerts, all the people, all the things, all the things in your surrounding, you miss out on the deep formative work that Christ is trying to do on the inside of you. So I asked the question again, when was the last time you sat still and slowed down your pace? What I love is Jesus invites us to slow down. Can you imagine if Jesus was like, Hey, blind Byron Mays, I know you want to do some work, but I'm in a rush. Come on, hurry up. Could you imagine if Jesus was like, listen, woman with the issue of blood, I know you've been dealing with this for a while, but I got a plane to catch. Could you imagine this? He's looking at Jarvis and says, you know what magazine are you with? I want to help you. I want to help your daughter, but I thank God that Jesus was never in a hurry. More counter-cultural. He did this thing that helps sustain something within us and it's called pace.

See, we have these opportunities, but he invites us to get back to the fundamentals. He invites us to experience the unlearned rhythms of grace. He invites us to rest. Now in this modern culture, it's a little different because everything's fast. I want everything. Now. If you're anything like me, you don't even go to the store anymore, you get curbside pickup, but it's fast. I want it now because I've got something to do. When was the last time you asked, Lord, let me sit still because I know you're doing something on the inside of you. When was the last time you said, Lord, I'm just going to take my time right through here because you're speaking and I don't want to miss what you're trying to tell me. When was the last time you sat still and said, you know what? I need a beat. I love y'all. Go sit down, draw, do something, but I need to hear from the Lord in this moment. When was the last time we evaluated our pace?

Good.

See, n nt Wright says it like this. It is only when we slow our lives down that we can catch up to God. That's good. I know we're in a frantic society. We're moving, we're growing, we're building, we're doing things. I got meetings, I got assignments, I got tasks, I got pressure, I got all these things, but when was the last time I said, no, I'm going to run by faith. I got to walk by faith, right? I got to slow pace. This thing I got to understand in this teachable moment that as I take my time, not only am I getting the fullness of my formation, I'm learning from a master teacher. See, what I love about Matthew is he sets the stage and he lets us know that Jesus is who he is. He's the one that gives us the perspective of being a consummate teacher, a rabbi, the rabbi of rabbis, and in this synoptic gospel, he lets us know that the ity of Jesus includes his lineage, but it also includes distinct titles like Son of God stated over nine times unparalleled to the other gospels.

He gives us these titles to let us know that Jesus is who he is and he's taking his time because he has all the time in the world and he's calling the disciples and said, listen, you're getting ready to go and with this opportunity there's going to be opposition, but before you face this opposition, I've got to set back your internal clock to work on formation and how is it that we read about this and it doesn't slow us down? How is it that we speed past this and we think it'll be all right on the other side because we anchor to those phrases, no pain, no gain, I got to get to it. What I put out, I put in, I got to get to it. I got some movement to do and God is like, wait a minute, will you just slow down?

What I love also is here in Matthew's perspective, Jesus' teaching is different from the pure law, but it brings rest rather than burden. It gives a new empowerment for obedience and it also gives one that's not previously available. It's countercultural. Now, if you're building something, you understand that it will take time. You understand that it will take patience and Jesus demonstrates this and lets his disciples know that we're going to need this for where we're going because I'm building something on the inside of you and I won't be here with you long. I'm building something. That way when I walk away, you have something to anchor to. You have a slowness, you have a pace. You can look back and say, no, my teacher, my master teacher built something on the inside of me so I can adhere to this situation and get passed. I don't have to rely on phrases.

I can rely on the king. I don't have to rely on what grandma and them told me. Although those prayers were great. I can rely on relationship. I can anchor in and know that he is who he says he is, and as long as I'm walking with him, I'll get everything that I need. See, we sing songs like Firm Foundation, chief Cornerstone, but do we live them? In principle, we sing songs that he is the one that is going to sustain me and fulfill me, but am I walking that on Monday morning? Come on now. Or am I running to Starbucks or whatever said coffee place is because I got to get this caffeine to get me going because I don't know about what Christ is going

To do this day, but I got to get this caffeine right? Wow. When do we slow down and say, God do the formative work? And what I love about this season is it a season of both Thanksgiving and triumph and the new living testament. The heading upon this prayer is Jesus's prayer of thanksgiving. But what I love is he lets the disciples know, listen, my father did something, but it's not worried about those who think they know it all the ones who think they can carry it without my presence. I'm giving it and reveal it to the ones who are childlike. Any parents in the room?

Yes.

Hallelujah. I'm praying for you. We take it. We'll take it. I love it because I got two of own and it's always Can I have I won't. Can I have? I won't. Can I have? I won't. Can I have? I won't. But what do we tell them? Sometimes No. What's the second one? We say, wait, maybe or no, but that weight is something different because that still lets me know that I have access to my father who's going to give me everything I need. If only I would just be

Still and let him cook.

Could you imagine if Jesus snapped on Martha and was like, listen, I ain't got time today. I need you to hurry up with it. Could you imagine what happened to the walk that she was trying to get and the formative principle that she was trying to get? It takes time to restore things. Has anyone ever hallelujah? Has anyone taken time to restore anything? Let me tell you this. What happens in restorative nature is you got to strip it down to the foundation. Everything that was on top of it now has to get stained away because you have to pull it back to see if it still has the capacity to do in a new season what it was built to do in the first season. So you got to have a different opportunity when you get into restorative process because it's soul work, right? It's patient. That's why Paul said Jesus and love are patient. Love is patient, love is kind. Love takes time.

Restoration takes time, and walking takes time. See, what I love is before I said yes to full-time ministry, I was a strength and conditioning coach, and I would wrestle in between back and forth between what God was doing and I would love and see all the ministry aspects of athleticism and help them grow and build. But there was always something that stood out to me that was very instrumental as no matter what level they went to, no matter what level they were training for, no matter what opportunity they were training for, you always had to revert back to the fundamentals. Think about it. I can't run a 400 if I've never sprinted.

I can't run if I've never walked. I cannot do arithmetic. Excuse me. I cannot do algebra without arithmetic. The numbers and the letters gets me a little crazy, but the fundamental principle of it helps me advance through levels and it's necessary to understand that these are not just levels just to look back on and keep cruising. It's an opportunity for us to reflect back and say, because I have this, I can still make it through this. That's why I understand when they say, listen, if he did it before he can do it again, same God, because I have a fundamental truth that come whatever may happen, life has taught me to say that it is well and it is well with my soul. That takes restorative work to say you're well with your soul means you're well in wholeness. To say you're well with your soul means that you don't have to compartmentalize areas. You can lay it at the feet of the master to say it as wealth. My soul means that I've given it to somebody who can carry the burden because I cannot. And what I love about Jesus here is he's given the invitation to the disciples to give them a knowledge and B, a new way of carrying things

Because he doesn't say, take my yolk and let's shoulder the burden together. He says, take it. First of all, he says, come to me. That's the invitation. Then he says, take it and learn. I don't know about you and I know we don't live in an agrarian culture, Arian culture for the most part. Some of our farmers still go, but if I'm a farmer and I got to get oxen with a yolk, I'm going to be tied

On a field doing these fields, plowing these fields, getting these ox oxygen to go, I'm going to be tied. And what I love about the yolk is the yolk was a bar that they would hook up a older oxen to a younger oxen to help them plow the field, to mature them, to grow them, to help them get the work done. And here Jesus says, listen, you can take the yolk, but I'm going to flip it up for you. Not only will you take the yolk and learn from me, I'll give you an opportunity for you to have a lighter load.

You mean to tell me that Jesus says the yoke is going to make things lighter that don't make sense? The math ain't math. Help me understand this, but Jesus knew as you're preparing to do something, as you're preparing to go and the disciples, as you're preparing to minister and do these things that millions will read about millennia from now, I have to show you and teach you that it's not about carrying the load, it's about delivering the load to the one who can carry it. Because let's be honest, I can carry a suitcase that's full all day. I may struggle, but I can carry it. But there's a difference between carrying a full suitcase and wheeling a suitcase. In my sanctified imagination, I like to see Jesus saying, I got the suitcase with wheels on it for you. Let's carry this thing together. It doesn't absolve me from burdens, but what it does do is it helps me connect, partner, learn, build with the one who tells me, I'll take the lighter load. I'll take the heavier load for you in exchange for the lighter load so we can still accomplish what you need to accomplish in this season.

See, rich Odious says it like this. He says, A deeply formed life is marked by integration, intersection, intertwining and interweaving. That's a lot of eyes holding together multiple layers of spiritual formation. I'm going to read it one more time. A deeply formed life deep, not wide time, not speed, deep, not wide.

It's formed and it's marked by integration intersection, intertwining and interweaving. I don't know about you, but when I read all four of those I letters, wires just started crossing, and that means if I'm willing to let God do the spiritual formation in my life, the very makeup of my DNA has to intersect and weave at a new capacity. I'm interweaving at a new pace at allowing the one who helped me carry the burden and carry it fulfilling because I cannot do it on my own. And this is the message he was trying to get to the disciples to say, listen, I know we're about to do something, but I got to let you know this. You can find no rest until you find rest in God.

That's good.

No matter what you do, no matter the conversations, no matter the assignments or the task or the pressure, I need you to find true rest in me. And the only prerequisite, rather is those first three words come to me, see, come to me, can get a little different and it can get a little difficult because that means I have to go outside the edge of myself and lay down some things in order for him to pick them up. So that allows me to recognize something when I look back over time and time and time again. If he's carried me, why would I not come to him? If I see that he sustained me time and time again, why would I not give him the opportunity to partner up so he can shoulder a heavier lobe? Sign me up. I don't know about you, but we on this hole getting ready for the new year in the gym on my fitness and I got to carry heavy loads. I look at the coach like, bro, what you want me to do? What now? Once is he saying, don't worry about it. I'm going to carry it for you.

I'm going to hold it while you do the work. Spotting is different. Spiritual formation is another thing.

If going inside and doing the deeper work and allowing Christ to carry the loads that we were not meant to carry, see what happens. What happens is we understand that as we grow, Jesus is introduced in Matthew as Emmanuel, meaning God with us. And also at the end of the gospel, he gives promise saying, I am with you always. We know that as the great commission. So why would I not anchor in with somebody who's given me a Allah of Lord and an opportunity to be with me? That's a win-win situation. That's an invitation I want to understand and keep. That's not an invitation. I want to put on the refrigerator, throw it in my calendar, and then forget it's coming up and be all frantic when it happens. No, that's an invitation I want to hold onto and say, I am at my wits end.

I've looked over my past. I see what's happened. I know you sustained me and I'm still going to lay some things down because you're calling me to do something greater and I can only do it if I know where my capacity ends and where yours begins. This is what he was trying to get the disciples to understand, and in Matthew, he gave clarity to the missional aspect of discipleship. It's also truly apparent why Jesus invites us to slow down. We are taught in the fundamentals. That's what gives us strength. That's what allows us to reflect. That's what allows us to build. That's what allows us to go at a new pace. If we give the time to let the restorative process work, what Jesus relayed to the disciples is this is fundamental and formational, and we have the opportunity to have that same invitation today.

Have you ever been in the grocery store? HEB is my favorite. Don't tell nobody y'all know this. You ever been in the grocery store and here comes that five letter epidemic word again, hurry. And you sitting there, you get up to the aisle and you write where you need to be, and somebody is over there taking their time looking at something. Why are you reading the label I got, excuse me, I got things to do. First of all, how do I get out of this aisle? And the next thing you know, you're trapped. We just experienced thanksgiving, woo in the aisles trying to let me find this nut, man. Sorry, that was my house trapped in the aisle. I can't go nowhere because everybody on every side is looking for the same thing and people are also taking their time. And Holy Spirit asked me this question, when was the last time you stopped trying to get around it and sat in it?

Woo, that wasn't even in my notes. Help us Holy Ghost. When was the last time, and you're so, excuse me, excuse me, I'm trying to get to the Turkey before it's gone. Lemme get to the, and Jesus says, life, when was the last time? I just want you to sit right here and rest. See, what I love about the holiday season is it gets so busy that oftentimes we reflect, we love, but we don't rest. We reflect, we love, we look back, we have joy. We may have some arguments. We're praying for them, but we don't rest. And Jesus has given us a fundamental invitation to rest.

See what happens when you recognize the fundamental aspect of rest, it allows us to get back into his presence. It invites us into his presence. That's why I understand why David, a man after his own heart, after God's own heart, even in his mishaps, could still say, Hey, the Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down right in green pastures. He restores my soul. That's a slow, deep work. First of all, for somebody to make me lay down. I'm not a kid no more, but I wish I would've valued nap time more seriously as a child. Now you don't have to pay me to lay down. I'm out night. Daddy, can I have? I won't. Can I have wait? But he makes us lay down and he restores our souls. That's the goodness about the invitation. In that same presence, that's where we get strength. That's where we understand that no matter what is coming around us and fighting against for our time and attention, we can say, Hey, I don't have to be anxious for nothing. Paul pen it. Be anxious for nothing. Nothing. No thing at all. That's a state of rest.

But in everything by prayer and thanksgiving, that is rest. And what happens when you're rested in his presence and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding God, your heart and minds in Christ Jesus. Have you ever had to get in a heated argument and you just have to take like three seconds to breathe rest? Yes. That's the soul work. That's the work when we're busy on the mundane, nine to five on the hustle, on the grind, I got to get my work in before these gifts start coming in. That's the rest he's asking us to take. And he's sinning there with the open invitation asking, will you come see in his presence? We get strength. Also, another fundamental recognition we get is we get in the aspect to understand that we get power.

I'm not talking about that cute power. I'm talking about real power. That's what happens when you're in his presence. That's what happens. Because what happens is if you think about it, if power is not realized, you will carry what was not intended for you. But if you realize who you are and who you are and what he's called you to do and what's on the inside of you, especially in chaotic world, you can understand that God didn't give me a spirit of fear but of power. Y'all read that too. We hang on and we anchor onto these things because this gives us an opportunity to advance the kingdom of God. But again, we got to go back to, oh, we walking it. See, it's one thing to do it in fast motion to skim past it, read through it to have an experience. Hallelujah. Bless the Lord and we're on to the next. But it's another thing to sit and reflect, to be cognizant of it. We do it with cars. Before you purchase a car, what are you asking for? Test drive, test, drive. And you and that thing slow. Maybe you in there fast, but you're testing it out.

But what they give you is called a Carfax. Do they still do that? I hope so. They give you a Carfax. It gives you the internal history of whatever has happened with that car. And in the same aspect, when I'm in his presence, when I understand the fundamental invitation to get his power, I can look back over my life facts and say, because he's God, he's the same one that kept me. He's the same one that is keeping me. He's the same one that sustains me. He's the same one that helps me build. He's the same one that helps me carry. He's the same one that helped me restore. He's the same one. And I know because if I look back over my life, my soul cries out hallelujah because of what he's been able to sustain me through, and I anchor in on that. Again, I don't need the cute phrases. I don't need that. I just need the recognition of a fundamental invitation because in that invitation, no matter where I am, I told you earlier, even athletes at the highest level have to go back to the fundamentals. Why are we any different? Every person that is building, every person that goes and does something great has tools and resources. Why are we any different? A builder's not going to build a house without tools. If he does run,

A plumber's not going to show up and say, ah, I got this duct tape, and that's going to be it if he does fire him. But what they do do is they come equipped with tools. When was the last time you looked in your toolbox from a rested place? Let me pull out this piece. I'm about to go. Let me pull out this joy because that's flowing from the inside of me. Let me pull out this patience because I'm dealing in this marriage and the Holy Spirit is working, and I got to take the time to sit still and understand what he's trying to do in this marriage. When did we evaluate our tools? Help me with these kids because if I get one more question, I take that rested time and I pick up my toolbox and I see that there's peace, there's joy,

There's love, there's patience, there's gentleness, there's goodness that sounds like fruit to me. Maybe we're not exercising our fruit because we're not an arrested state. This invitation wholeheartedly gives us an opportunity to receive power. Not only that, we can say things when we look back over our life facts like some trusting horses, some trusting chariots, but I will trust in the name of the Lord our God. That's real power. That means no matter what you try to sell me, no matter what you're trying to tell me, I know that. I know that. I know that I know if he's saying it, I can come to him and if he said it, it's going to perform. That's the power that we're looking for when we rest in his presence. Not only that, but we get to say that we are His workmanship. Help us created in Christ Jesus for good works, good work. That's good power. I don't know about you, but I don't try to nail something in with duct tape and a heel.

I need a hammer. I need a hammer because I need something that is going to get the job done, a little extra force, a little extra power, and I can only do that if I'm picking up the right tools. The last thing that happens when we understand and recognize the fundamental invitation is we get a new perspective. Because if your perspective is not shifted, you will expect a complete victory all while investing a contaminated or disordered faith. So I've got to do the internal work to ensure that my perspective shifts. I got to make sure that even in all the busyness, I go back to not being anxious for nothing. I got to shift my perspective. Paul would say it like this, I have to renew my mind.

Yeah, moment by moment. That's the still space. And when my perspective is shifted, then I can walk and say, no matter what's trying to come against me, I know that greater if he that is in me, in me. And if I don't have that revelation yet, I can do like Elijah did, Elijah did for the servant to say open his eyes. So he may see that those around him are not as much a number as those that are with him. And see what happens is when you get that revelation with becomes the misnomer that you walk with, with becomes the standard that you walk with. Because if I'm with somebody, that means I'm 10 toes down as the culture would say, I'm with you. That means no matter what happens, I'm with you. But with takes time, with takes patience, with takes. Walking with is not something that you breathe past. It's formative work. And Jesus gives us that same promise. Lo I am with you.

See, what happens is when we do not understand the recognition of this fundamental invitation, our busyness does not equate to fruitfulness. But when we understand it in the right perspective, especially from a rested place, we turn busyness into margin and we turn margin into capacity. If we don't recognize we have a delight, but it turns to distraction. When we do recognize our distraction turns to delight. When we do recognize our hurry turns into stillness. When we do recognize our isolation turns to deep relationships, no more the superficial. When I recognize the fundamental invitation, my worry turns to trust and my working for love turns to working from love. When I recognize the fundamental invitation, and Jesus gave us the recipe, I like to call it the cheat code. Y'all remember writing down the cheat codes on PlayStation? Maybe not. Yes, writing 'em down, trying to get 'em right, trying to memorize 'em up, left back, circle, square, Nope, didn't work. Try it again. But every time you tried to do that, you had to go back to what was written down and you had to anchor it in your memory and you had to hold onto it with dear life and say, I'm locked into this thing and I'm going to get it right. And the fundamental invitation says this, take up my yoke and learn from me and I will give you rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. We got to go back to being yoked with the lighter load.

We got to go back to getting the tools necessary to be able to make it from moment to moment to cross over into new territory, to make it through the tension of the already, but not yet, but say it's because I'm anchored in this yoke. It's because I'm choosing to pick the suitcase with wheels. Yeah, my baggage is heavy, but God is working to do the formative work. That means my relationships. I got to lay 'em down and pick up the light of load my marriage. I got to lay 'em down and pick up the lighter load, my grief, my feelings, especially in this season, I got to lay 'em down and pick up the lighter load because when I don't understand that I carry something that I'm not meant to carry. Could you imagine walking through life carrying something that you're not meant to carry? It's at this pace we get healing because when I accept the invitation, I'm reminded of a savior, right? Carry it across with my burdens on it, with my mistakes on it, with the sin of the entire world on it, showing us how to be formative, showing us how to love on the cross, saying, father, forgive them, but they don't know what they're doing. Carrying a load has me attached to it. Why would I not accept that invitation? Why would I not walk and learn from a master who laid it all down?

And what I love about Jesus is he gave us that opportunity as he walked through, never in a hurry, walking, teaching, healing, preaching, speaking, delivering, showing, learning, carrying the burdens.

Then he gave us power. And even though the burden seems dark, even though it seems heavy, even though it seems chaotic, even though it seems like it's going to crush you, you've got help. And the only prerequisite is to accept the invitation. Come to me and let me show you. Let me learn you. Let me help you because here in a little while I'm going to ascend and I'm going to send some more power down to help you through. That will embolden you on your everyday walk that will embolden you on your job, that will embolden you with these kids, that will embolden you in your marriage, that will embolden you as your minister, the gospel to others. I'm going to send you some help, and you can look back over your life backs and say, yeah, he's the same God. And all I have to do is have the open invitation to realize it, to accept it, and to lay it down. My question becomes, what do you need to lay down?

What have you tried to carry that God didn't intend for you to carry and you're too wise to try and give it up? Not in this season. I believe that the Lord is asking us to lay it down, whatever that burden is, I'm not strong enough to carry it, so I got to lay it down. I got to partner with the one who knows me better than I know myself who died for me. Prepare the place for me, said when he comes again, I will be where he is. I got to lay it down because there's work that I have to do and I can't do it if I'm burdened, I can't do it. If I'm crushed, I can't do it. If I'm crawling, I got to accept the formative invitation. I've got to accept the fundamental invitation. I've got to lay down even the things that I think I can handle. I've got to be childlike. As it says in Matthew 11, you've revealed it to infants, to children, and I get the opportunity to walk to my father and not say, can I have? I want, but to say, here you go. You can have, what do you need from me?

Where do you want me to go? Who do you want me to bring into restoration? Who do you want me to love? What wayward child do you want me to hug? What relationship do you want to mend? Where do you want to use me? I have margin now because my load is lighter, because I accepted the invitation here in this moment. I just want to take just the next minute to have you reflect. See, what do I need to lay down? What have I been carrying that I need to lay at his feet?

Are you hurting and broken within, overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling. Have you come to the end of yourself? Do you thirst for a drink from the well? Jesus is calling, oh, oh, come to the altar. The father's arms wide forgive was fought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, come to the altar. The fathers arms forgive with the precious blood. Jesus Christ.

John Mark Homer says this, people all over the world outside the church and in are looking for an escape, a way out from under the crushing weight to this life, this side of Eden, but there's no escaping it. The best the world can offer is a temporary distraction to delay the inevitable or deny the inescapable. As we stand to our feet, I want to give you an opportunity to lay it down.

Yes,

Whatever you've been running from, whatever you've been distracted by, whatever has been pulling and tucking at you, I want to give you an opportunity to lay it down. Our prayer teams are coming, my prayer would be and is that in this season, you take the slow road. Good, good. You take a new pace because not only does your future depend on it, but somebody's freedom depends on it. And that freedom that you can pour from is found in Christ. So in a moment, I'm going to pray and our altars will remain open. If you don't know who this Jesus is, come on up.

And if you do know you want to lay some things down, come on up. We're here and we're going to walk this thing together. So Father, we thank you for this time. We thank you for showing us how to move at a new pace, how to slow our lives down so we can catch up to you who has all the time in the world. We thank you for the truth of your scripture. We thank you for giving us power. We thank you for molding us and shaping us, and we thank you for living the perfect life, for dying, for resurrecting, for ascending, and sending us help. Help us to navigate what this next season looks like step by step. We'll be ever so careful to give your name, the glory, the honor, and the praise. It's in Jesus matchless name we pray, and we all said amen.