Persistence

if you have your Bible tonight shout amen if you forgot your shout out me if you're waiting on the on the screen shout hold on all right we are midst of our uh March Wednesday night sessions this entire year we will talk and discuss through our midweek Services accelerate take your foot off the break and hit the we want to move forward we want we we want to we want to scoot along part of that then is we are going to this month we have been talking about accelerate Church growth we want to put wheels under building the church house and the family of God things of that nature so on Wednesday nights that's the direction we're in first Wednesday night we talked about prayer everybody say prayer prayer changes things prayer Works uh the first building block of church growth in every generation is prayer Lord help us Lord lead us Lord open doors what do you pray about when you pray for Cornerstone somebody shout something out leadership what else favor yeah what else Direction certainly what else people filled with the Holy Ghost what else finances someone else what's wrong or wrong love yeah that's right ooh listen to me now talk all night thank you brother Jerome let me technical what else what do you pray for when you pray for Cornerstone wisdom certainly what else Unity yes what else suffice it to say there's a whole stack of things we can pray for right then last week we continued down the the road of church growth by planning how do you plan for growing organize someone else come on the obvious make plans this is going to be pray about making plans there we go all right I need some help brother vany could you help me uh somebody else come and help me please I mean eight pins thrown out and cards uh and if you got your own pen you probably need to dig it out I only have so many oh everybody please take a card I would appreciate your help on this tonight we are going to continue talking about advancing with church growth and this session tonight is going to be persistence persistence you go ahead and write that on your card front or back the the front would be the one with lines the back would be the one seeing lines without lines um persistence somebody got a definition for persistency or persistence anyone at all don't give up beautiful what else what is it Lauren yeah we used to call her is Miss persistent someone else constant yeah what else what's that unchanged okay we'll take it persistence okay here we are tonight with the card that you have I need your help I mean anybody you guys willing to help me I want you to if you would on the the left side of your card if you've chosen with line or without line um number down the left side one two three please this might prove honestly this might prove very valuable to us tonight so I'm asking for your your help and your input in this one two three down the left side of your card I'd like for you if you would help me I'd like for you to list three things list three things on that card that you have like an idea um a thought a dream a vision anything of that nature that you feel like would help us to grow our church this church can you come up with three if you need more cards I notice there's a stack you're welcome to them come on I'll give you a few minutes here this is this is uh important believe it or not most ideas start this way that's how Microsoft started it's how airplanes started scratched out on scrap paper so please three ideas um thoughts dreams whatever and it could just to give you some fodder it could be past successes you've had or failures or dreams anything like that please right right three for me please I'll watch the clock you you write foreign s for growing the church dreams maybe successes failures something like that that's caused you to say you know what that's be a great idea for starting or for growing the church all right we good need some more time maybe one more minute okay um you can continue riding I'll go ahead and start for the second time um the reason that I'm asking for this particular part tonight in the lesson I feel like that many times it doesn't matter the the job the task the challenge opportunity it doesn't matter what those are if somebody presents to you a situation for an example I have no doubt that most of us have ideas or thoughts or something concerning a particular idea for an example say if you're sitting around your family uh supper table and you're somebody mentions you know are we going to go on family vacation this year and there's a resounding yes that'd be good or there's a resounding no because I don't like you whatever uh how many of you could throw out ideas man you know what I'd like to do and you lay out this plan uh many times at our around our home and we were the kids were younger we would say money is no object what do you want to do a man the most outlandish stuff and I'd say okay money's an object but I wanted to know where you were where your mind was so when it comes to growing a church I have no doubt that you've probably had some very let's call them interesting ideas huh is it safe to say that you've had an idea or to you know what would work at churches this oh you know what would work let's go to your job how many of you like your job yeah or do you ever have to come up with ideas on how to make your job better every day why is your job not good enough no it's just what yeah there's always room for improvement and because you're creative as a human you'd think you know what this will be a lot smarter you know I mean I don't know about you but I'm sorry that years ago I didn't discover that cold coffee would sell in stores I've told you I poured out so many gallons of cold coffee over the years nobody will drink that I'd pour it out and now you go and you pay on purpose for it I'm like wait a minute well I missed that wagon here's the thing boy if I'd have just had that idea right somebody shout out one of your ideas quickly loud as you can come on don't be embarrassed oh it must be a good one the lottery what City Wide nerfel yeah go ahead brings that physically bringing somebody to church great idea someone else open the youth to more of the community very good someone else what is it block party very good someone else yes sir follow up on guests someone else bus bus manager Ministry to pick up children someone else okay better location anyone else come on these are ideas these are dreams thoughts throw them out okay someone else Educational Center very good someone else come on that's all come on out of all these and three on a card that's all we got y'all are on the same vein but they've already said them all anyone else what is it on Bible study certainly what else Hey There You Go creative home Bible say like Zoom or something very good someone else Bible studies in the app somebody else come on good old-fashioned Outriggers that would you it's like what you put on boats what did you say oh sorry didn't mean to go there anyone else come on do what support and grow CR very good someone else marketing or whatever the church in the community very good someone else generate an environment for leaders ready to go someone else did anybody else come up with something else Partnerships with other organizations very good all right on your card that you've just wrote on did did you write your number one great idea just a burner the world's going to be different because I'm this is going to be excellent and you wrote it down you know it's kind of like new math you know like how do you memorize one 1776 you know for an example nobody had that burning idea okay here's the question that I have for you for all of you that spoke up no doubt you have great ideas right you you use some of your creative juices uh you think about Outreach you think about marketing you think about reaching other parts of organizations whatever the idea here's my statement then why don't you go do it is that fair response I mean I I understand that as a church we want to do things collectively we want to do things corporately because it gives us stability and strength of course but there's a lot of these things that was just mentioned that it's an idea and it's probably a real good one and so my question is then go do it it that's the challenge is to know it's an idea but then that's just as far as it gets it's not that you didn't want to or it's not maybe that that you you don't know how to the fact is we can all have ideas but I'll be very honest with you a lot of times human nature says I'll wait for someone else to bring it up and then I'll do what I can to support it because you guys know pastors wreck pre-work requisite for bringing up an idea what is that if you bring it up you go do it and so a lot of you have just and the fact of the matter listen carefully please we talk about growing our church through prayer that's important we talk about making plans that's important but in persistence the fact of the matter is we have to be found simply doing continuously what God is giving us to do let's go to Galatians chapter 6. let's read a verse here before we continue this is to a church a growing Church in the New Testament this church is having an exponential growth at that particular time notice now what the letter to the church says six and nine and let us not be weary in what with good ideas well doing for in due season we shall if we what does it mean to faint somebody demonstrates think no don't do that number 10 verse 10 says as we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the household of faith as we continue talking about church growth and church possibilities the fact of the matter is the one that is the greatest challenge of all the steps that we talk about anybody can pray agreed anybody can plan agreed but to date the hardest one that Human Nature has is persistency just doing what is the right thing to do what God has told you to do no matter what the fact of the matter is as was written to the church it applies to us today if you're doing things well don't become weary in those things why does it say that it will be successful does it say that it will turn the world upside down does it say that it'll change everybody's life and they'll all be driving around in better cars what does it say if you stay after it you'll reap now here's the question anybody ever have a garden you may have a garden any gardeners here brother Rob what do you plant Okay so lots of weeds you're good at that gotcha okay here's here's the point if you want a tomato to come out of your garden had a bad idea whether Rob to plant a tomato plant I mean I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I know how to open the drawer if you don't plant the tomato plant what will happen you will get what you didn't plant now the cool thing about a tomato plant if you grow a tomato plant what happens when season comes along you what you get a tomato it's just one that's all they'll ever get that works if you plant a corn seed when that plant comes up it will produce one corn seed won't it now I'm using very basic explanation here tonight but sometimes the most basic things should be the most profound listen carefully I am convinced that as a church if we will continue it asleep move forward and continuously do what God is telling us to do I am convinced God will bless it and the only way to have true move of God and true Revival is to consistent and persistently do what God is leading us to do the ideas that I asked you guys to write down I I have no doubt that that you thought it through or maybe you've even had a discussion with someone in the family or somebody in leadership you know guys if we would just if we would just for let me use this if we just had a church van we could pick up all these kids to come to be in church with us how many think it's a great idea so here's the question and it's a simple one if we need a 15 passenger Church van or 23 passenger Church van or 10 passengers whatever and we want to raise up the money to do it we can collectively as a church decide we'll go invest 10 15 whatever thousand dollars and we'll buy that church van and then we'll make sure that we have somebody to drive it and then they'll go out and we'll make sure that kids get on the van we bring them here and then after we take them home there's the scenario has anybody ridden in our church van have you anybody because we have church fan listen we do what when you get in your car guess what you just got in the band my wife since we have been at Cornerstone Apostolic church every Sunday she has decided I will not go to church empty and so she picks up shout man up here Dennis got the Holy Ghost this last year but she decides every week I refuse to go to church without somebody else in my van now here's my point I'm bringing to this if you have an idea many times it is so easy to be excited about it be thrilled about it get everybody else on board and then it kind of die down we used to have a church fan we did we ran it every week here at the church we had it years ago we bought it it was used at 15 passenger and we had a man come to the church at that time that was enamored and he just fell in love with going over into Orchard knob area and so forth picking up kids and every Sunday he would pull in the parking lot with a van full he'd throw the kids out do a UE and head out and a lot of times go get 10 or 12 more and bring them back so we could have and Any Sunday am I right we could have upwards to 20 25 kids coming in on the bus how many think that's incredible I do I mean it was something else to see because out of the 20 or 25 kids that came in on the bus we had 15 Saints in the church trying to have church with them there's more of them than us and it got to the point where it was so challenging because when when a 16 year old is laying on the back row sound asleep that rode the bus coming in all of those parents or all those adults are sitting here looking saying well the nerve why did he even come on the bus maybe asleep on the back row man I used to walk by you're like you know I walk up here now over in the old old church I walked in the back because the front was all distracting and there he was sound asleep and I'd walk by him and I'd walk by I'll tell you great idea I was so frustrated after a couple of weeks of watching this guy come and sleep on the back row well one time he got out of his chairs he got onto the floor and climbed under he's 17 years old he's sound asleep under the pews you know all the church people are like oh dude down there doing man he is snoring my wife and I had a conversation about that and we're like man this is not at all successful and so this went on a few months and finally it dawned on me one day the Lord the Lord has always spoken so Grace graciously to me and one day I was walking at the back and again he he would lay down his brother at least was kind enough to sit up and sleep and then the Lord was so gracious to me to Simply say it's because they can't sleep at home because they live in an environment to where they're screaming and yelling and guns going off and Drug deals happening next door they can't rest at home if they can come into the church house and rest give them a minute so I go to this bus driver guy and I say great idea man what are we going to do with them it finally got to the place one day he asked me to ride home with them so he could go drop them off so I climbed in the passenger seat and we're taking these people home and on the way back to their where they live he leans oh he's oh by the way I told him I'd buy a hamburger for them all if they'd come to church awesome that's a great idea he said hey I ain't got no money that's a great idea can you let me out here before you tell them that I'll stand here and let you make the loop and come back and we'll patch up the gunshots right so I said all right pull in here we'll buy so I did buy them a hamburger and they complained because they didn't get hamburger fries and a milkshake but point is this that is an incredible undertaking to take that kind of responsibility to bring people if you're not going to be persistent and consistent at trying to follow that through now I use that one because it's one that we all can identify with to some degree if you've been in church anytime at all you recognize there is a great situation out there not everybody can get to church we lived on a mission field people to own cars was out of the question they didn't make enough money they had one light bulb in their house how could they afford a car the gas the tires and the oil so to have church I had to learn very quickly having service was a great idea and saying that it would start at 11 o'clock on Sunday was a better idea and long about noon or noon 30 when people started showing up I could get upset about it and then I realized that the buses were on strike there's no way they could get there and the majority of them that got there got their how two guys brought them Tom and Jerry here's my point Stay With Me there's a whole lot of great ideas in this room and I have no doubt that if you were bold and brave enough to sit and write it down on a card that I asked you to that God is probably in a position to help you follow it through and you don't have to wait for pastor to tap you on the shoulder and say hey would you go do this you can decide upon yourself a Bible study is a great idea I'm gonna go teach one or um finding new property and paying for it sign me up I'll give the first million yeah Nathan you walked into that one eh here's the thing I am convinced listen Pastor I am convinced that the New Testament Church that started that that's when they were first called Christians when they were first assembled together you know I've I've often asked and when I was in teaching in a Bible School overseas I would ask the students when did we when did when did Humanity decide we're going to mean it 11 o'clock on Sunday we're going to go in and shake hands and hug necks and be kind and then somebody will get behind a keyboard and play and people will sing two songs and then we'll have a announcements and Shake cans and we'll do our prayer and then we'll have another song or two and then we'll come back and we'll preach and people will pray people go home when was that ever format for service I wonder sometimes if at galatia if they did that well I'm glad you're here did you sign in let's go ahead and scan your phone there on that QR code thank you very much get a cup make sure you get one hey guys good to see you we're all in okay now we can I don't know how they did it brother Rob I don't know here's my point we have to do things decent in order correct because I have seen the other side of that coin nobody's in charge and everything just kind of and at the end of six hours everybody's like and I said it's not going to happen here you all know me right if it says seven we're on if it says 11 we're on if it says why because I believe in being persistent being persistent Stay With Me some of us are new to church life and we've not really had a lot of experience some of us we've been born with bread and we're going to die in this we've been in it others have been immersed in leadership some have not been part of leadership others understand Church cultures and for years they've been in this assembly or this one they've done it basically the same with a few differences the fact of the matter is in different cities and different countries and different places it's going to be different agreed but the bottom line to it is this that if you will not grow weary in doing what you're doing in due season there will be a moment to read there will be a time to reap so whatever you do do it as unto the Lord and let God give increase the problem can I be very Frank with you certainly thank you very good is a lot of times when we come up with an idea we are simply standing idly by until we receive the pat on the back and we may not say that but if somebody else gets the glory for it guess what well man that was my idea the nerve the very idea that they would even want to you know I was mad this is how it happened listen and here you go we was having coffee one day and I kind of laid This Out Boy they just took it and ran with it why because most of the time we are very interested in what we're very interested in making sure that we're heard appreciated and that somehow some way we get credit for that let me show you something here the Bible tells us in First Corinthians now again the Church of Corinth was a very interesting church family and this letter came to them by the hand of Paul and this is what he told them chapter 3 verse 6. I have planted you hear this Apollos watered but what's it say God gave the increase so then neither is he that planteth anything neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase now he that planteth and he that watereth or what one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor for we are laborers verse 9 says together with God ye are God's husbandry ye are God's Building again in this letter to the church Paul is establishing with them everybody's got to find their part but the the thing that you need to place more interested and more emphasis on is this be persistent with it come on if you're going to be the prayer Warrior you pray that doesn't mean that you'll be on your A game every day it simply means your mind is made up I will do this I will carry the part of the the the work the weight that I am involved in I will do my very best at that position when when Sunday for an example Sunday church here at Cornerstone we come in 10 30. I gather with with all of those that are here teachers musicians say anybody that's involved I ask them to come at 10 30. why so we can kind of get our mind in a direction right if you're Sunday school teachers want to be effective in your classes I promise you come on four wheels with all flat on the ground and get here enough time to get out of your car and get into church instead of coming on two wheels to where you better screech in and then you wonder why kids aren't interested and I'm not hurting anybody I'm just telling you it takes persistency if they see you on Monday night prayer in the altar then when you talk about prayer in your classroom guess what they're going to say wow if if you talk if you give and you're tithe then you're offering because you believe in the giving and the possibilities that God has blessed you with and you're giving and people people recognize the fact that you're a blessed person they may not know you just dropped a hundred dollars in the plate but they will see the fruits of your commitment to consistently and persistently doing the things of God and God will demonstrate those things in your life when somebody tells me for an example they're blessed they got a new car they got a new job they got a new house whatever it is and I can see fruit from that the only thing that I can say I have no right whatsoever to be jealous or mad or upset I don't I don't you know why because God is faithful to those who are faithful and I would rather say to them bless God that means you figured out how to give that means you figured out the blessing of giving when some of you come to me and say Pastor I made this commitment to Faith promise missions building whatever and man God just keeps coming through the only thing I can say is because God's coming through apparently you're listening to God and you're consistently giving yourself to the plan that God has for your life will a man rob God that's the question that's an interesting question it's almost the end of the Old Testament will a man rob God somebody answer me this how would you rob God what does that planning session look like hey guys you know what we're going to do what does that look like gather around God's a big guy so we have to have a lot of guns that's all I know how does a man rob God what does it say wait a minute but tithe and offerings in your pocket it's not in God's Pocket it's in your account you worked for it all right so when the question poses itself will a man rob God you're like well okay how in tie an offering and bringing that in other words God is identifying robbery with you keeping what's already yours as if you will decide within yourself Lord I will make this commitment you give you bless me I give back to you now again if I may y'all still with me sometimes we set parameters with that and we draw out the calculator and we put the bump on carry the two of ten percentage oh okay well then that'll that I can squeak by with and the Lord's all the while saying the squeak is not in that there's nothing to do with squeak has nothing to do with you being able to add that up since when did your math ever work with God's mind anybody huh explain this to me how can you put a ten dollar bill in the offering plate and God bless it how can you put a ten dollar bill on the offer plate and God not bless it what's the difference you're what your heart your purpose your meaning I mean even Jesus himself says Hey guys come here take us out see that those folk right there shh listen that one right there look at that big pile of money he just dropped in there y'all see him yeah look how well he's dressed look how oh look he he looked around before he released it he looked about him dropping gold coins to one at a time so they Clank louder and Jesus says see that all the humans standing around Jesus said what Jesus says who gave more at that point a little lady walks up she barely drops in two mites pennies if you will in comparison and then she turns and she moves away from the pan and humble with humility and humbleness inside she thinks that the the Lord God that she's even able to come and be there Jesus says who gave the most well that's a crazy question the dude that looked good with a big handful of Clank Clank Clank gave the most that's easy right that's what I'd have said you would too don't act like you know the end of the story no well you know you really got to think of it as spiritual stuff no you wouldn't you be like those other guys don't lie and Jesus says the Widow the lady she gave out of what does it say out of her what she gave out of her but somebody's gonna say it okay how did the rich guy give out of his abundance this is above and beyond this is overage this is an X Street here in the South we say but the little Widow lady with two mice how did she give you say it out of her living out of her substance what she had she understood the principle of I will do this because I want to and it is the very best that I can give the rich fella said I have abundantly above all and I want everybody to notice it now I'll ask you this would you rather have a million dollars in the bank knowing if you died tomorrow you'd go to hell or would you rather have the ability to give of your increase of what you had of what your substance your heart was and you prayed about you considered it and you said consistent persistently I'm going to give and have Jesus say she's more blessed than she gave more than she has more than I would rather hear the master say you handled it correctly the point is this what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth was the planting and the watering and the actual work and the labor putting seed in the ground now we all understand that concept if you if you're going to have a harvest you're going to have to first plant seeds and he's using that in a context to say it takes somebody to do this part and it takes somebody to do this part but God is going to see it all and God is going to give increase now here's the question would you rather be Paul or Apollos team Paul or team Apollos the truth is is you can have all the seed on the ground you want but without water no value you can have all the water you want on the ground but with no seed no value but if we can understand our place and our position hear this and we do what God's called us to do and we allow God to use us and to grow us and to mature us then the time the talent and the treasure that we invest in the things of God with persistency and with consistency and with just doing it because it's the right thing to do God is going to honor that you want to know why Cornerstone is at a position where we are is because God honors people that are consistently just doing the things of God I've said this a million times I I don't want a million Soul Revival I don't know what to do with them but if God can help us with ones and twos and twos and fours and fours and sixes and ones and two and we can learn how to consistently and persistently do what God's called us to do guess what we're going to have at the end of it all a harvest we're going to recognize the growth that God has given us now my wife and I my kids we came here 16 years ago we've been here when there was 12 people and we were thankful for it my wife and I prayed about it you know what there's an opportunity here in Chattanooga God help us if this is what you want we're just going to do it and here we go did we make mistakes yes lots of them one sitting over and I'm joking Josh I'm joking I even said your name oh man that's a mess up sorry that's the mistake I make or I didn't say your name anyway look around you huh I tell brother drawn all the time and he came to us 10 11 years ago 11 years now right 12 10 10 years ago and it was him on a guitar and his second service he went man this is harder than I thought I said then go to the keyboard he said I got a g I said go gee raw Raji he starts playing and almost many multiple times in a year I come over to him and I say Look What the Lord Has Done With Your persistency how many keyboard players are there now in our church it used to just be him it used to be me I'm sorry was that c did you say eat c not what you said see you mean you meant C because that's what you're getting can we change the tempo this is what you get I don't know how many times I tell you this is what you gonna have but it don't go this is what you're gonna get make it work just make it work do the young young if you need something besides that somebody told me one time that you can transpose a keyboard is that true no see I didn't think so so I never did because I didn't know how I was afraid a few times and I try these wise things and then I'd get stuck listen to me and my poor daughter she said daddy she died baby I need you to sing and she's 13 years old going like down like come on hmm Stephen getting the drums like right now okay now and what'd we do all we knew how listen carefully I'm not the best keyboardist I'm still not I'm not the best drummer I'm still not I'm not the best singer I'm still not I don't want to be all those things but I want to be is somebody that will persistently and consistently do what God tells me to do so that somebody like that can do consistently and persistently what they're supposed to do so that somebody in Sunday school can do consistently and persistently what they're going to do so that everybody's working in Harmony and everybody's moving forward with ideas desires and wants listen carefully to grow an Apostolic church it's going to take prayer somebody say prayer it's going to take planning somebody say planning but it's going to take persistency I will be persistent at this if there's going to be church service I'm there if there's going to be Revival I'm there if there's going to be prayer I'm there if there's going to be I'm going to be there why because if you'll continuously do your part in the process of planting the seed God will give increase and at the end of it all guys listen carefully at the end of it all let me ask you something when it's time to cash in your retirement time for you to retire go about your business go live on some other island or whatever what is going to be the fruit of your labor I've told you all before we we lived in South America the banks crashed and the finances crashed from Uruguay and Argentina was terrible and all the retirement money that was put into their retirement plans I was there and I watched the police come and put a chain around the doors of the banks padlock them and watch everybody blowing up oh my my money's in there my money's sorry and I'm standing there going these people have invested their whole lives and they're they've done they've got accounts there they've got savings and checkings and whatever else accounts and they they defaulted it and then the chains came out and there was no money to be had physical money so the bank said y'all gonna give us six months and we'll figure it out and they ultimately did that same time I told you I went down to the exchange House downtown where I used to exchange checks for the bank in the U.S they would cash it for me they had an account with the U.S and I went down there's 200 people in this line outside that bank and I'm standing here going there was no way that out there's going to be enough money from that change house so I walked around missed the line I walked around the side of the bank down the sidewalk headed back to my truck and the guy that was in there behind the counter saw me and tapped on the window and I went over I know we had a gun or he was asking me if I had money kind of check the cash in there or something so you need money I said yeah I said come on so I got inside I'm standing all these lines outside and I'm standing he says how much you need I said carry the two ten thousand dollars I didn't but I wasn't about to walk away from that I needed about three thousand that was for rent that was for a couple of the church projects we were working on that was for Bible school so I added up about three months worth in my mind and I said ten thousand dollars cash he said dude we don't have there's not enough there's not that money is not here in the country I said well what people are going to do bro he said man look at the line I said I know he said give me a second I'm standing in the bank or in the cost of economy on the change house he goes away and a minute later he comes back and he goes write the check be right back come here up the stairs with him I'm up the stairs now he takes me in the back office shuts the door and he sets out hundred dollar bills on the table he said that's all I can come up with ten thousand dollars so now do I touch it Lord if somebody sees me touching this money my mind so I quickly gather it up I lay 100 on the table for him wrap it up I put it in my briefcase I strap it on our both arms around it I chain it duct tape around it nobody will ever know and I hit that side door when I got out I took off down the sidewalk I walked around the building I walked two blocks out of the way made it around the other block came back around climbed in my truck locked the door put the briefcase under my feet as fast as I could start I took off and tell you why they were shooting people down the road throwing them in the ditch taking their money that's how desperate they were got to the Bible school I ran inside I took all the locks and keys off and I had a safe inside of one of the things and I locked it in there and I put it away and I sat down and I began to cry and I said Lord if I'm this desperate what are these poor people doing I'm like Lord thank you for your faithfulness okay now with that cash I went and I helped finish that building we went and I helped finish that Bible did projects with it and somehow someway guess what God did God provided now I'll tell you that story for this I have watched hand of God when it made no sense God would come through because of persistency I could have sat down across my arms and say well it's over but God some The Neighbors in Argentina got beat up I mean it was tough times I'm telling you that because of this you pray about it yes God's involved now you're playing for it God sees your plan but then you persistently stick for the plan you do what you do because God will give increase I challenge our department leaders all the time come on guys if you come up with a plan work that plan put it into action start working on it get it to where people will buy into it why because ultimately you know what we needed a piano player and our church because I was terrible and drawn's brother-in-law I called him and I said man I need a piano player and he says I don't know if Duron plays piano but he's playing good guitar I said I'll take it he was already interning somewhere he was on the road when we first talked weren't you he said let me pray about it Pastor before I give you an answer give me a week and I thought this is the guy I want because he didn't jump on it I mean look come on all this thing I mean and this is well did I paint the wrong picture come on we got thousands in here we need you if you want it but that's what he told me when he came walked in prayed about it and the Lord said you wanted to work not work using that as example because I've used him earlier tonight listen carefully if you will be persistent at it Lord God if I don't have vision and desire help me to get it and then help me to stay after it everything every decision every choice every step you take I want you to know something mom and dad your children are watching you your grandchildren are watching you you teachers these babies are watching you come on young people are watching you what's that mean that means there's a generation coming that's going to have increase from your seeds that you laid in the ground would you stand with me tonight prayer planning and persistency if you're busy at Cornerstone and you're involved thank you pray about it God help me to stay faithful help me stay plugged in if you haven't found your place yet I challenge you pray God help me to find what I need to be doing and Lord let the opportunity come and help me Lord to be successful at it giving you all the honor and Glory at it is that okay so what you wrote down tonight I'll ask it again if those are ideas that God gave you or those are thoughts that you've been mulling around your head I challenge you take that card in your next prayer session and lay it down and pray over it God if I wrote These down is there something here that I need to be doing and that watch God open doors watch God unfold that for crying out loud friend do not wait for God to give somebody else that same desire and vision and want pray with me Lord the only reason we're here tonight God is because somebody somebody Lord sometime in our life reached out to us gave us Lord an invite family neighbor friend whatever God and we started on this road and now here we stand Lord as a church family as a body I pray tonight God that you would lead and guide us as we grow as we mature as a church so much has been accomplished but so much more can be I pray tonight Lord for persistency to settle upon the church folk God our leadership the workers Lord everybody that's involved help us God to consistently be found doing the work of God at whatever time whatever place I pray Lord the vision God would be playing the mission Lord would be plain help us God to follow you the Simplicity of the Gospel is a death burial resurrection of Christ help us Lord to understand that and to share with others I love you Lord I plead your blood over our church let there be protection in this hour Lord You See Jesus the the culture and society in which we live but I'm believing you God for great things even in the midst of the challenge in Jesus name we'll love you through it all I pray God that we would be persistent and consistent in what we do giving honor and glory to you some will plant some will walk you're the one Lord Give Me Love You in Jesus name can you give the Lord hand clap one more time thank you Lord for allowing us to be in the church thank you I love you guys guys thank you so much shake hands be friendly greet one another don't forget this weekend we're back I love you guys have a great day great week in the Lord