Grace
by Raymond Sloan
March 1, 2026 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16, 2 Peter 3:14-18, Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--grace
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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here we are March. Wow. The month of March. Everybody say March. Turn to your neighbor and say, "I can't believe we're already in March." Huh?

Yeah. It won't be long. We'll be spring. We'll be peeking around the corner. I don't know.

Anybody else look at the buttercups coming in this morning? That's a great sign of springtime coming. It does mean though we'll have a cold snap that will probably kill all of those buttercups. That's typically what happens. And then it'll transition.

But for for those that are discouraged and dismayed and disgruntled, I think Wednesday or Thursday is going to top 80 around here. So, it'll be a good day to be out cutting your grass because it's going to need it. Time continues to move on. In fact, in a short blink of an eye, summer heat will be here and we'll all be sweltering. We know the heat works in this building.

Now, we just got to pray hard that the air will work, right? Every day though is a blessing from the Lord. Every segment of time, day in and day out, things change, but yet so much stays stays the same. Anybody notice that people, for an example, people are are odd. Everybody say, "I'm odd." No.

No. I mean, you you're odd. The older I get, find myself scratching my head more and more trying to figure out the why and the what for actions of humanity. Anybody else know what I mean? What did they just do?

How did they just say that? Times they're moving on and everybody's in in a hurry to get someplace to accomplish something. In fact, our world today, 2026, has taken on almost the appearance of things years ago that they only wrote about in Popular Science magazine. Flying cars. I think that's a cool concept.

I don't I'm still not sure how blinkers are going to work. Do you got to hover and wait? I I don't know, Presley. You know, I don't know. Artificial intelligence.

Well, there's one that we got to figure out, right? Everybody's phone right now is vibrating because some kind of something through the algorithm is attacking you because I said that communications, the speed of light. We got principles now that people have taken third grade science class and they began to apply to some of the things that they're learning and things quite honestly are not really that complicated. Now listen to me carefully for just a moment. Do you realize that trees still grow the same way they've always grown?

Who knew? Yeah. Cows still move. They do. They haven't changed their song.

They still move now. We'd be concerned if they flew. Your car would be at least. Um, cats still meow for those interested. Water still flows.

Ice still melts. Clouds never stay in place. I mean, there's some things about basic fundamental life that simply stays the same. And every day we have victories. We have challenges.

We make choices. We see the effects of the choices. We invest in others and it thrills our hearts to see them flourish because of something we've said or done. Is anybody glad when you teach somebody something and it actually sticks? Yeah, I think that's a cool thing.

I think that's pretty neat. I do understand that the seconds and the minutes and the years, all of that stuff just keeps moving forward and forward and forward and forward. Okay, maybe slower sometimes, maybe more intentional at other times, but it seems that time simply falls through the fingers like sand. Again, you young folk, you don't really understand it because in some of you, I I remember vividly when I was a young person, Brother Jeff, I just prayed, "Lord, let me get my driver's license." And I was like 12 and I'm like, "No, Lord." And my dad, no, no, no, you got to be 16. So, man, things I'm in a hurry.

I want to Lord help me to don't come Lord Jesus until I get married. Yeah, I prayed that one and then I got married and now we're in a year or so we'll celebrate 40 years and I'm like wow God's so good. Well, she's not even in here. Look at that. I got I wasted anyway.

All the time I am searching for the hand of God in my life because I enjoy the blessings of the Lord. Does anybody else enjoy the blessings of God? I'll stay with pastor for a moment. In the midst of what we face in our everyday challenges and concerns, I know that there are chapters still to be lived in our lives. Chapters will close and new ones will be written.

One thing that we are certain of is that growth happens. Growing happens. How you grow will be influenced by a whole bunch of things in your life. A whole lot of stuff that influences you. Knowing who you are will make the difference in your growth patterns.

Anybody know what I'm talking about? Listen, if if you're a scaredy-cat and you don't like to do anything challenging or whatever, it's going to rule your life when it comes to the time to take risk. Some of y'all know what I'm talking about. And then some of us don't have any sense and we're always taking risk wondering why we never have anything. Yeah.

Because we're trying to learn and grow as we we move forward. I will say this that when you've got an assurance that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing and things are happening because you are in the will and the purpose of God, there is something about that peace that passes any understanding. >> I come today simply to talk to us for a moment that I am hungry for the good things of God. I thirst for the waters that will live and bring life to my soul. There are some things that I know and some things that I really am trying to still figure out.

The older I get, I figure out the less that I know. That's just one of those things in life. But today, with the help of the Lord, I I'm going to speak to us about knowing him. In fact, Paul wrote to the Philippians in chapter 3 verse one. F.

Now, this is going to be some reading. Y'all okay with me? Y'all all right? Philippians 3 and1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs. What kind of letter is this? Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers.

Beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Verse four, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinkketh that he hath whereof, he might trust in the flesh, I more. Listen to this. This is Paul writing to the church.

circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of Hebrews as touching the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteous, which is in the law, blameless. But verse seven says, "But what things were gained to me? Those I counted lost for Christ." Listen, yay, doubtless. and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Listen to verse nine.

And he found in him and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith. Listen to this verse 10. That I may know him. I want to know Jesus through the things that I travel through in my life. Not only that, I want to know him and the power of his resurrection.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE one day on that great getting up morning. What it's like to ascend up into the heavens with a shout, with a voice of an archangel. I want to understand that what I do on planet earth will get me to heaven ONE DAY. ANYBODY STILL INTERESTED IN STREETS OF GOLD. But not only that, somebody who's really excited would say, "I I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RESURRECTION." And then there's continuence because IT SAYS, "AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS." UM, turn the volume down a little bit right there BECAUSE NOT MANY OF US LIKE SUFFERING.

I I used to like suffering, brother Don, when I ate hot stuff and then I don't like suffering no more. Spicy things were very cool at one time, but not any longer. Brother Seth, I don't care what you say. THAT THING DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT HOT. Come on.

Yeah. Look, he's he get back there eating one right now. One of them tamales. Fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his dead. Listen to this.

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after. If that I may apprehend that, what's he say? That I may apprehend for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth under those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Listen to him.

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall re shall reveal unto you shall reveal this unto you, excuse me. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. Part of this letter here according to the church in Philippians, Paul was telling them, you need to understand something.

I am pressing. I am pushing. Every day I get up, every day I put on my britches, every day I go to work, every day when I make decisions, every moment that I walk, something's happening in my mind, something is transpiring in my spirit. I don't really know how to do a lot of things, but with the glory and the power and presence of God, I can make right choices and good decisions that will lead me down a path that will one day cause me to be resurrected with him, and I can live with him for all of eternity. I believe sometimes in our world in which we live, we can get sideways with what we feel like ought to be.

We can get, hear me, get distracted by the road that we're on and we can lose sight of the fact that if we're going to make heaven our home, it's not going to simply be handed to you. But you're going to have to determine to get up in the morning and say, "God, I want to know you. I want to know who you are. I want to know when you speak in my ear. I want to know when you draw me close to you.

I want to know that there is power in your name. I want to know you as a healer." Come on, somebody. I want to know you as a way maker. I want to know you as a provider. I want to know you as a protector.

I WANT TO KNOW. COME ON. YOU need to know GOD AS HE FULLY IS. UH DON'T JUST KNOW HIM AS SOMEBODY THAT TICKLES your ear once in a while, BUT KNOW WHO HE IS. UH WHEN YOU'RE BLINDED by the life situation you're in, UH YOU CAN SIMPLY BY FAITH REACH OUT AND THE HAND OF THE HAND OF THE MAN FROM GALILEE CAN REACH TO YOU AND PULL YOU UP OUT OF YOUR MER.

I BELIEVE TODAY UH THAT EVERY STEP YOU TAKE UH THE ANOINTING OF THE LORD CAN LEAD YOU INTO A PATH THAT YOU FULLY DID NOT EXPECT TO BE FOUND IN UH BUT IT'S LEADING YOU TO THE PLACE OF THE SWEET BY AND BY. WHY? BECAUSE HE IS TAKING YOU FROM HERE TO THERE. >> I haven't attained it yet. I DON'T HAVE VICTORY OVER 100% OF IT YET.

THIS ONE THING I DO, I PRESS. I PUSH FORWARD. I lean into it. PAUL WAS GIVING, LISTEN, HIS PERSONAL explanation of his walk with Jesus. I've made choices.

I did things that I'm not so sure were the right things, but it led me to the foot of a cross. And when I got to the foot of the cross, I looked UP INTO THE EYES OF A LOVING savior that said, "I love you and I will save you and I will CHANGE YOU." COME ON. WE KNOW HIM AS PAUL THE AUTHOR, BUT THEY KNEW HIM AS SAUL THE ACCUSER. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN when he came in contact with the savior OF THE WORLD, HE REALIZED I'D COUNT IT ALL NOTHING. UH THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE.

BUT IF I CAN WRAP MY HEART AND MIND AROUND HIM AND KNOW HIM, MY LIFE CAN BE CHANGED THAT I MAY KNOW him to have knowledge. Man, that's a good thing. Anybody here got knowledge? Well, one or two. Jaden's got knowledge.

Thank you. Yeah, Aussie, you all knowledged up, huh? Yeah. Yeah. I didn't say, "Are you smart?" I asked if you got knowledge.

Some of you are struggling. Yeah. Yeah. Some of you like some Some of you, some of you ladies say, "Oh, Lord, just let him be saved." Lord, just let him be saved. Knowledge.

knowledge. Knowing things. I I I believe that knowledge is power. >> I believe if you know things, you can understand and you can overcome some things in your life. Any any of you men ever had the engine on a on a lawnmower break and you had no idea how to fix it because you didn't Yeah.

Thank you, Bandy. Because you didn't have knowledge. Oh, come on. I know we live in a world of YouTube. I've used it a million time.

I need to change the headlight to run on my car. Oh, does that experience speaking right there? Yeah, it does. Turn the wheel to the right. YouTube saved us from a lot of things.

Anybody, what was the name of those books you used to have that you owned that was about your car? Which one? >> Not for dummies. Oh, I can't believe she just said that. I can't believe she and every one of us went, "Oh, I I had a That's a great Sorry, guys.

I had a 72 Nova Super Sport and I had to buy that book at the auto parts store because it's got everything in it. had to figure out where how to change something on the back axle. And I'm so I'm smart, right? I I know. I know things.

Presley, hang on. I know things. I knew to go to my grandfather and say, "Can you explain this to me?" Knowledge. Knowledge. Look at your name and say, "Do you know something?" Let's go.

Let's take a Will you take a step with me? Notice that in second Peter, there's something that is stated here. You got Paul. This is a guy that that did not walk with Jesus. Okay, this is Paul.

Saul to become Paul that became the greatest author of most of our New Testament letters. But then you've got Peter now. Peter was the one that was there. Peter's the one that was rebuked. He's the one that was lifted up.

He's the one that has his arms. OKAY. SO, SECOND Peter 3:14. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found in him in peace, of him in peace, without spot, blameless, and account the sufferings of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom giving un given unto him hath written unto you. Verse 16, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, rest as that's wrestle.

That's the root of wrestle. Rest as they do also the other scriptures unto their own destruction. Verse 17. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness. But in verse 18 simply says this, but grow in grace.

The knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to him be glory both now and forever. Somebody say it. >> Amen. So let it be. As you grow, life happens.

As you grow, the good and the bad days will add to your stature, who you are. I I need somebody understand something today. There was a reason that I believe God is a healer. Because I was sick and the Lord healed me. There's a reason that I know he's a way maker.

Because there was time in my life I had no idea where to go, Sister Ununice, and the Lord made a way. I know him as my protector. Because after everything was said and done, I turned around and looked at it and said, "There's no way I should have survived that." But the protection of the Lord was over me. Listen to me carefully. When I understand that the ups, the downs, the things that happen in my everyday life, I am growing in grace.

What Peter was saying basically is is that as we begin the month of March, I'm going to I'm going to emphasize some of these things. We begin this month, I want to repeat the words that Peter was writing to the folk that would read letters then and even now is that we've got to grow. How do we grow? We grow by investing in the things that matter. Listen to me carefully.

When a seed goes into the ground, everything that that seed needs to grow is present. >> An apple tree, you do not have to coax it to be an apple tree. Come on now. You know you could do the apple stuff. You're the appleley kind of guy, but put you in the ground.

No. No have to. You simply take an apple seed and you put it in the ground and any and all things that that thing needs is right there. >> Now, keep in mind, we understand it's got to have soil, it's got to have water, it's got to have sunlight, it's got to have those things, but the nature of the apple seed. Is that okay if I use apple seeds?

Some of y'all wanted me to talk about watermelon trees, but there's no such thing. So, we're going to talk about apple trees. If I put the apple seed in the ground, I can 100% expect that if the right things happen to that seed, apples will come. Pastor, what are you saying? I'm telling you this.

There is something that the Lord God has put within humanity, and it's called his law. He said, I'm going to write it on the tablet of your heart. I'm going to put it down inside of you so that when the law of God begins to express itself, you will know beyond the shadow of a doubt, this is the Lord God speaking to me. Come on. Some of us are arguing with God and God's saying, you know something, this is the nature I put within you.

Why? Because the book of Deuteronomy declares to us that you got to hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. But you got to know that when you teach it to your children, you talk about it. When you rise, when you lay down, when you go out, and when you come in, he said, "I'm going to put this law where?" In your heart, it's going to be there so that when you connect with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, there's a drawing and a wooing that says you don't have to surprise me and try to dump it all in me. It's already here.

See, the problem and the error come so many time. Y'all with me today with humanity is we want our will to be done and not his. We don't want that thing to grow inside of us that's going to make us CHANGE OUR DIRECTION AND GONNA MAKE US GIVE UP OUR SCHOLARSHIP OR GONNA MAKE US DO SOMETHING WE'RE NOT COMFORTABLE DOING. SEE, IF WE DO THE THINGS THE world wants us to do and society tells us TO DO, YOU'LL SIT ON YOUR phone for 20 hours in a day and wonder why you didn't get nothing DONE BECAUSE CULTURE SAYS YOU CAN DO THAT. AND THEN WHEN YOU GRAB YOUR CHILDREN UP BECAUSE THEY'RE WILD AND LOOSE AND YOU TAKE THEM TO A DOCTOR, THEY'RE GOING TO STAND THERE AND DO ALL THESE TESTS AND COME BACK AND SAY, "WELL, THE FACT REMAINS A SCREEN TIME IS NOT GOOD TIME." COME ON.

I'M HEARING SOMEBODY IN THE WORLD TODAY SAYING WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOOD FOR US IS NOT GOOD FOR US. AND WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS PROVINCIAL FOR US IS NOT AT ALL PROVIDING BLESSINGS FOR US. BUT I COME TO DECLARE TO SOMEBODY THAT'LL LISTEN TO A PREACHER ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, THE LORD GOD'S LAW CAN BE PUT IN YOUR HEART AS YOU BEGIN TO SUBMIT YOURSELF TO HIM. LISTEN, AND YOU'LL KNOW HIM AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND HIM. UH WHEN YOU RISE IN THE MORNING, THE BREATH OF GOD WILL COME INTO YOUR LUNGS.

IT WON'T BE AN ACCIDENT. IT WON'T BE SOMETHING YOU CONJURED UP. WHEN YOU COME TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, YOU CAN LIFT YOUR HANDS WITH THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND YOU CAN PUT ON A SHOUT BECAUSE THE GLORY OF THE LORD CAUSES YOU TO WANT TO DANCE AND REACT TO HIM. LISTEN, WHEN YOU'RE AT A FUNERAL HOME AND YOUR HEART'S BROKEN, YOU CAN STILL STAND THERE, WIPE THE TEARS BACK, AND SAY, "BUT BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD MY GOD." WHY? BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE TELLS ME, "I'M GROWING IN GRACE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING TO TRUST HIM TO BE EVERYTHING, >> but you better know that he is everything. >> I'm going to ask Oh, Lord, help me stay on track. We greater growth. Now, some some of us struggle with this topic because to grow means that you're going to have to maybe learn some things you didn't want. You may have to give up a few things that you weren't fully expecting to have to give up.

See, some of us want to have the best of both worlds. And that's fine until you until you know what this world is about. And then you know that I don't want to date myself again, but old-timers Brother Richard did this way. This world is not my home. I'm just passing through.

Anybody know that somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon me from heaven's open door. Y'all young folk don't know about that. But I can't feel at home in this world anymore. Why? Because the more I know about what's going on in this world, I don't want to make this my eternal salvation and my eternal place to live.

But I want to follow the master's words who declared to the church of the hour. I am going to prepare a place for you that where I am, you might be also. If it were not so, I would have told you. But I'm going to make a place for you. It's going to be a PLACE THAT EYE HAS not seen and ear has not heard.

Uh it's going to be a place THAT'S GOT STREETS OF GOLD. UH IT'S GOING TO HAVE GATES OF PEARL. IT'S GOING TO HAVE FOUNDATION WHOSE BUILDER AND MAKER NOT THE HAND OF MAN. I'VE COME TO TELL SOMEBODY WHAT I DO KNOW IS THIS. AS I GROW IN GRACE, I'M FINDING OUT THAT HE LOVED ME BEFORE I EVEN KNEW HIM.

I'M FINDING OUT THAT IN MY BIGGEST MISTAKE, UH, HE IS STILL THE GOD THAT WILL LOVE ME AND TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, UH, THAT WHEN MY HEART IS BROKEN AND MY LIFE IS A MESS, I CAN CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD GOD AND I GROW TO KNOW HIM AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE knows me. >> THE CHALLENGE OF THE HOUR IS THIS. WE WANT TO GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE. BUT NONE OF US WANT THE SUFFERINGS. Anybody really ever suffered?

Oh, I have. Some of y'all like, "Nah." Yeah. They had to pull a wisdom to one time and boy, I suffered a whole bunch. Yeah. I know some of the ladies, the women in the house, you think that men don't know nothing about suffering.

Yeah. You don't know about no suffering. Yeah, you tell me. I gave child. I went to death's door, you know, all that.

You know, I had a broken femur and death's door. That was that's the worst pain. Anyway, suffering. Have you ever suffered because you spoke the name Jesus? Have you ever suffered because you declared the Sunday was a day of rest and a day to love the Lord and people made fun of you for it?

Anybody understand where I'm coming from? Now, we got a restaurant that says, "We're not going to open on Sundays." And all of the media and the press blows up. And you know what the restaurant said? There's crickets. It's a Sunday and we're not going to work.

Anybody ever heard of Chicklet? Okay. Oh, Chick-fil-A. Yeah. Oh, Seth back.

Oh, come on now. You know, we got we got things going on in our world that society and culture is lying to us on every side. Lying, trying their best to trip us up and deceive us and discourage us. I come to tell you that we've just learned in the past 48 hours that the nation of Israel is still God's people and the hand of the Lord is still protecting them. And there are things the promises made, listen to me, generations upon generations ago that are still intact today and God is still watching out over them.

Hear me. When the church, when the Lord said, "This is the church, Peter. This is the rock. This is what you're doing. And upon this rock, this revelation of who I am.

I'm going to build my church." And you know what? The gates of hell will not prevail against that church. You know what? You and I are part of that church. Therefore, if the gates of hell come against you, you got to know something.

They might come and they may lean on you and they may rattle and rumble in your ear. And it might seem like you're about to lose your mind, but the gates of hell will not prevail against you. Uh you don't have to wonder about those gates. Uh you don't have to consider them to drag you into the pit of hell. Listen to me.

You might you might have backsliden family members in a devil's hell today BECAUSE OF THE PATH THAT THEY CHOSE. THEY KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF ANY DOUBT, I KNOW I'M NOT RIGHT WITH GOD, BUT I'M OKAY TO BE IN THIS MESS. YOU LISTEN TO ME. YOU GO UP AND YOU BOMBARD THE GATES OF HELL. THEY WON'T PREVAIL AGAINST YOU.

YOU CAN BY THE FAITH THAT YOU HAVE, LORD. YOU CAN BRING THEM HOME. EVERY DAY, EVERY SUNDAY, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BACKSLIDER TO WALK INTO THIS PLACE AND SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M TIRED OF THE MESS. I'M TIRED OF THE GARBAGE.

I KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT. I KNOW UH HE KEPT ME WHEN I WAS UNKEEPABLE. HE REACHED FOR ME WHEN I WAS UNREACHABLE. HE PICKED ME UP WHEN I WAS BROKEN.

THEREFORE, I KNOW UH THAT HE IS GOD AND I'M GROWING IN GRACE. >> SEE, EVERY ONE OF US HAVE THE MEASURE OF FAITH TO BELIEVE THINGS, but you really can't believe until you know. I said it a few moments ago. You know him to be a way maker when he makes a way. Otherwise, you may not even ever pray that prayer.

God, heal my body cuz I'm sick if you're never sick. Brother Don, can you come help me, please? Greater growth. Growth is the the way God does things. He lets us grow.

He lets us learn. He lets our lives go through ups and downs, valleys, and mountains. But through all of those, he remains God. I I y'all y'all may have met my little my little grandson. His name is Agy.

He about this tall now. He weighs about this much. He finger, man. I tell Lauren and Sam, I said, "Yeah, I remember when y'all brought him home from the hospital nervous." Come on. Some of y'all parents with your first child, you were like, "Oh, hold his head up.

You got to hold his head up." Yeah. My my little sweet daughter was so kind. Daddy, daddy, put your hand behind. You don't You don't know what you mean. I don't know.

Tell me what I'm talking about. Act like you don't know. My mom used to say I raised FIVE OF Y'ALL. TELL ME I DON'T KNOW. SO GIVE ME THAT BABY.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? Like you don't know. I remember he came home in the hospital all just about just brittle and all just fragile. It's going to just fall apart. Sam, my son-in-law was flipping him upside down backwards trying to find a user manual.

There's not one. And can't find a switch or nothing. Daddy got to feed him like this. Come on. I call y'all parents that bounce going on.

What are y'all doing? It just makes it calm him down. No, it don't make him mad. Stay with me. Stay with me.

Stay with me. There's something about the 13-month-old n 30 pounds starting to walk now. You know what I saw, brother Jeff? I saw him grow. He can't drive a car and he'd be a fool to get on a bicycle.

He can barely feed himself. He did learn how to nibble on crackers, which is the cutest thing ever. But somebody taught him to stick the food in my mouth first and then his. And I'm like, "Okay." Anyway, come on, Don. You know what I'm talking about.

Here's the thing, though, that I've noticed about this little fella growing. It amazes me. Justin, you know anything about this? It amazes you, don't it, that they're okay. It's almost as if it's almost as if they're they're human.

Who knew? And it's almost like if you just kind of help them, they figure it out. You know, you you don't believe it. Somebody, okay, who who wants an assignment for after church? Your job is to chase Brand Braxton.

Just get a hold of Braxton. Just chase him. That dude, man, is 148 miles an hour. Whose kid is that anyway? He's one of the Incredibles.

I only had to say that everybody went Am I right? Uh, thank you, Ethan. Yeah, whatever. Or is that Carly's fault? No, here's the thing, though.

Here's the thing. We understand that growth when it comes to children. And we fully expect that sooner or later they will grow. And then, mom and dad, you'll be mad because you got to buy 400 pairs of pants in a year because they have that growth spurt. I didn't have that growth spurt.

I got here went Now, some of y'all, Tim, I I got a shrink spurt in shorter than I was. Brother Jeff, don't laugh at me. You know what I'm talking Listen to me carefully. This is not a comedy hour. Listen to me.

The letters to the New Testament church were very simple. Grow and know. How are we going to do that, preacher? First and foremost, we're going to let grace work in our lives. Unmmerited favor.

I don't deserve this, Lord, but you love me. And I'm growing in the knowledge of that. I'm growing in the knowledge of knowing that it could be my worst day and be your best incredible blessing in my life. Greater growth says, Lord, I'm willing to stretch. I'm willing to learn.

Any of you parents have a 10, 11, 12 year old boy? My mom used to always say when I was that age, I'd have pain in my leg. And mom would say, "What? Growing pain." I don't know if it was true or not, but I still got this pain right here. I'm like, "Lord, let me ask you growing pains.

Phone rang at midnight. My daughter, "Dad, I don't know what's wrong with mom. She's screaming and throwing up everywhere." I could hear her in the background. Josh, I was two and a half hours away at a job. Can you put her on the phone, sweetie?

No, Dad. She's just blowing up. Scared. Dad, put your brother on the phone. Stephen, I need you to call 911, buddy.

When that ambulance gets there, you bring them inside and then you jump in your car and you follow them. As fast as they drive, you drive. I'm giving you permission, buddy. He was 16. Best day of his life, he said.

I jumped in my car and I headed home and got to the hospital and I saw my lovely bride in bed, eyes closed. I said, "Sweetheart, are you okay?" And she opened her eyes and she started this. She said, "I don't know. Doctors think it's a flu. It's a something.

They started to test on and some of y'all a lot of y'all know this. Couple days later, doc calls me in the office where she's laying in the bed and he said, "Mr. Sloan, I need to show you something. Your wife has had five strokes." Dylan, I'm not prepared for that. I was not not prepared for that.

Kind of like laying in a hospital bed, Tim, with your heart. You're not ready for it. I can't. All I could do is it's okay. I go out the parking lot of the hospital, Sister Renee.

And I walked and I called my mom. Mom, I need your prayers cuz my heart's breaking. I don't know what to do. Mama miss that lady. Second Oh, she's speaking in tonesues on the phone.

I'm standing there weeping in the parking lot of the hospital. Mom's speaking in tongues. I pulled the phone back from my ear. Mom's having prayer with me. I don't want to miss if there was something for me.

Sister Sharon about a minute and a half of her speaking in tongues. It's as if the angels of the Lord came and I put the phone in my ear and I said, "Mom, thank you. I just needed to know. Just needed to know. I just needed to know that God was still God.

Mom said, "Baby, I have pushed back every demon in hell that would try to kill her. This is not to death. You love the Lord through it." I left that parking lot, hung up the phone, went into my wife's room. Wife said, "Honey, are the kids okay?" Yeah. Stephen's happy he got to drive 110.

She said, "I bet I scared him." Yeah. Yeah. They were nervous. I was too though. Oh, okay.

Whatever. Yeah. I grab a hold of her. Brother Richard said, "Sweet Pee, I don't know what to say or do here, but I know I grow. God, give us grace.

Give us grace." The journey began. Y'all see her. She comes in. She got a little guy with her. She drives cars.

She works. She works on the computer. It's as if nothing happened. I I know the weak spot and I remind her often of it. She's got a blind spot in her eyes.

And sometimes when I get to this side of her, I'll go, "Hey, stop that." I get people that look at me strange, sister man, because I walk on her left side in traffic. Traffic's coming this way and I'm on this side. There's a reason for that. Why? Cuz she can't see me on that side.

You know, I could walk this way, I guess. Anyway, listen to listen. The power of God sometimes will take us through sufferings. So we know I know him as my healer. I know him as my way maker.

I know that as I grow in grace is working in my life. When I lay down in my head tonight on the pillow, I'm going to say to him, "Lord, you've been good to me today. You've been faithful to me, God. I'm going to love you with my whole heart and my whole life because I don't know what else to do but grow and know you. Just stand with me today.

It's 138 for clock watchers. Some of you today have suffered so many things, challenges and tests and trials and temptations and stuff. for whatever reason, you're still here. You're still here. Could it be that grace worked and now you have the knowledge of him and you're able to say, "Yeah, I got this growing pain in my side, but I'm still going to the house of the Lord because he's great in spite of my suffering.

He's great. Things are happening in my life and I'm not really sure how it's going to turn out, but my God's great and I'm growing in grace and he doesn't leave me nor forsake me, but he's still God. Well, come on, somebody today, you need to declare the goodness of the Lord in your life and it will pull you into another dimension and level of God that you have yet to acquire. All because, listen to me, you've been walking around in the mlly grubs, as the old-timers called it, and you've been trying your best just to find a way out. And the Lord's saying, "I NEED YOU TO GROW IN THIS." How do I grow?

You need to know that I made a way for you. And as you walk through that path, the Lord says, "I know you didn't like it and you didn't understand it and you didn't comprehend it, but notice I'm still here. My love is still sufficient for you. My grace still works for you. The power of the cross still works in your life." And as you grow and you know him, he begins to put things in you.

Come on. Everything needed for you to grow is there. It just has to activate itself. Anybody here want fruit to grow on your vine? COME ON.

YOU want the fruit of the spirit to be seen? The love and the joy and the peace OF YOU GOT. COME ON. YOU GOT TO STRETCH IT THEN a little bit. Come on.

THIS IS THE HOUR FOR GREATER GROWTH. LORD, I am small at this point, but I am certain, God, that I can grow into a mature providing production of a tree or a vine or whatever I am. This altar is open today for somebody who's willing to say, "IN MY SUFFERINGS AND MY TRIALS, I am going to give God honor and glory because somehow someway I'm growing through this. Somehow someway, I am learning about God." Oh, come on, somebody. If you could be destroyed, he would have already done it.

But instead, he's trying for you to GET YOU TO GROW and to to know him, to know him as he is. Come on. He can still be Jehovah God in your life. He can still be Jehovah Gyra in your life. He can still be Jehovah Shalom in your life.

Yes, he can. He can be anything. Come on, somebody. Would you bring it to the altar right now? Lord, Lord, I'm trusting you, Jesus.

I don't know, but I know you. I'm not sure, but I'm sure of you. Oh, come on, somebody. It's prayer time in the house of the Lord.