Prepare

so over the next few weeks not counting tonight we're not going to dive too much into the parable tonight but we will be diving into if you want to read ahead the next three Wednesday nights we're going to be diving into the parable found in Matthew chapter 25 the parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins okay you know the ones that had the oil and those that didn't we're going to be diving a little bit deeper into that Parable in the coming weeks but tonight before we dive into that oh before we dive into that let me remind you Sunday is pastor's Vision casting service it's a vision Sunday please be here if at all possible if you got to work figure out a reason to call out that won't be a lie be here for vision casting Sunday that's where Pastor gives us the direction for the entire church for the year where we want to go what God's laid on his heart and the direction he's taken us uh that God's taking us and and so I encourage you to be here for that but um but before we dive into that that lesson in that next few weeks I want to kind of lay the groundwork if you will for the whole rest of this month for kind of kind of till the ground if you will for just a little while but before we do I want to turn your attention to 1 Chronicles chapter 22 in first Chronicles chapter 22 we pick up the story of a man by the name of David any of y'all know David all right all right cool King love to dance like Love to Worship love to write songs Don's kind of people you know what I'm saying like all right this was like most of us know David right some of us know David from the one that like like we remember him from the bible stories like like he's the one that put a rock in a some kind of piece of leather and slung it hit a big dude in the head knocked him over cut his head off you know all the graphic Gore of the Bible you know but here he comes in the latter stages of his life in 1 Chronicles 22 and we pick up a story and I want to read just a few verses and then we're going to get into this lesson and we're going to come back to this passage here in just a few moments but in 1 Chronicles 22:14 it reads this now behold in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord notice what David starts off by talking about the very first thing David begins to talk to his son Solomon about is the preparations he has made for the house of God he says I have prepared for the house of the Lord and 100,000 talents of gold aund 100 th000 or a thousand th thousand, talents of silver and of brass and of iron without weight for it is in abundance Timber also and stone have I prepared and thou mayest add thero in other words I've prepared this but you can keep preparing moreover verse 15 there are workmen with the in abundance in other words David's telling them hey look I've brought the workers to you as well I've prepared the workers for you hewers and workers of stone and Timber and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work verse 16 of the gold the silver and the brass and the iron there is no number arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee but here's where it gets really really interesting David also verse 17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son saying this is not the Lord your God with you hath he not given you rest on every side for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand and the land is subdued before the Lord and before for his people everything Solomon could possibly need had been prepared for him because David Was preparing for the house of the Lord David had laid it all out every bit of it now I'm just curious over the last few weeks over the last few weeks I wonder if there's anybody in here that spent more more than two hours preparing a meal for family or friends anybody anybody spent more than two hours now now maybe you didn't do it alone maybe there was somebody else helping you but you spent you and somebody else spent more than two hours in the kitchen raise your hand raise your hand man I hope they appreciated it I hope they appreciated it why why why did you do it why go ahead answer because you love them why why did you spend all that time preparing the meal because Mama couldn't do it mama just had surgery right why why did you spend all that time preparing the meal now now let me ask you a question all right how many y'all got up Christmas Eve morning went to the grocery store to buy everything you needed that day now no now Sister Kila we're going to cut sister Kela some slack cuz she cuz she didn't start traveling until right shortly before Christmas Eve so we're g to cut her a little slide okay like she was on the road to Arkansas like the Wednesday before Christmas so Thursday like I mean she she was on the road about the same time we were I'm going cut some slack it but for the most part like you didn't go by everything you needed that morning did you why not why not because you knew if you waited till the last possible minute what was going to happen too many people are GNA be at the store man that's a man after my own heart right there man you get too many people up in that grocery store and all the men that are waiting till the last minute to go to Walmart no I wasn't one of those I'd already bought my Christmas present four tires you know I already paid for mine but why why did why did we do that why did we prepare why did we spend all that time why did we not just start cooking when people showed up was that me our in the house all right why did we not start cooking right when people showed up somebody anybody wh why did first guest shows up at the house why' you not start cooking in cuz it was going to be time to eat and if you waited until it was time it wouldn't be people wouldn't be fed when they were expecting to be fed everything wouldn't be be ready when it needed to be ready can I can I just make a bold statement preparation is necessary for Success it doesn't matter whether we're cooking a meal for Christmas Thanksgiving or just having somebody over to the house I mean if I want to have somebody over to the house at a 5:00 on a Saturday evening to watch a football game I got to start cooking late at night then night before if I'm smoking Meats like a brisket you know late late at night getting up every two hours barely sleeping building myself up in a migraine I'm just messing with somebody right now but the fact of the matter is is preparation is necessary it is necessary for Success did you know some of you probably did but I'm about to I'm about to blow some of your mind because y'all didn't know this did you know that anyone that wishes to obtain the title of virtuoso which means expert level Beyond genius in any category at minimum must be prepared to spend more than 14,600 hours preparing themselves for that goal they must be prepared for that if you want to be the absolute best at something 14,600 hours minimum can you be good at less than that absolutely but if you you want to achieve your fullest potential at minimum that's what it's going to take at minimum how many hours herb have you spent playing the piano in your life do you think are you at 14,600 yet you might be I mean I mean and you're 85 now I mean so I mean but that will take a long time to get there preparation is necessary think about it playing an instrument playing an instrument is not something to be really really really good at is not something that you just pick up now we're not talking about the incredible musicians we have here that we get get to hear every Sunday that can just hear some hear something in their ear and then be like make it sound beautiful I'm not one of those like the only time I've sat behind a keyboard is when I had like knee surgery and the pain medication hadn't quite worn off yet and I thought I could play a piano when I was preaching at a church one time in North Mississippi don't thank goodness it wasn't Facebook live and all that stuff then or YouTube no those are some videos I'm thankful never got out but playing an instrument participating in a sport becoming good at anything requires preparation it requires preparation to be good at your job requires preparation you didn't just wake up one day and all the sudden be the best you are right now at what it is you do you had to prepare you had to learn you had to study you had to grow I find it very interesting that we often grasp the understanding that for secular advancement for secular growth and success we need to prepare ourselves through study and practice and planning and other avenues we we grasp that understanding quite easily we know that if we want to advance our careers especially I know there's a lot of us in education if we want to advance our careers in education we know that advanced degrees is a high possibility of what we have to pursue we we know that if we want to advance our understanding and our knowledge we have to read we have to explore we understand that in the secular realm of things things yet when it comes to things of God we often stand there with our hands outstretched expecting God to just drop it into our hands with little to no effort on our part we we stand there say oh God give me the desires of my heart with little preparation on our part we understand in the secular world in the secular Realm it takes effort and preparation it takes us putting out effort and exerting ourselves but in The Godly realm we stand there say oh God loves me he's my heavenly father he wants to give me everything and it's true he does and I want to give my daughters everything I possibly can but I don't want my daughters to be a drain on society when I'm no longer around I want them to understand the value of working and preparing for the things that make them better just like God expects us to prepare for the things he wants to give us preparation is necessary in second or in 1 Chronicles 22 David wanted to build the house of the Lord can I say it like this David wanted to build the kingdom of God he wanted to build it he poured everything he possibly could into it he wanted to establish a place for God to dwell for so long before David it was the tabernacle that was what the people of Israel had become accustomed to was the tabernacle the Tabernacle this place that they constantly had to move yes they finally had some stationary location but it wasn't that permanent home that David was looking for for the kingdom of God for the house of God that's why in Psalms it was his desire I'm getting ahead of myself but it was his desire going all the way back to the many years that God had had no permanent dwelling place and so in Psalms 1122 when David pinned the words I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord David had an understanding I want to build God's Kingdom in this place I I want people to have an understanding and a knowledge that this is where God can dwell that they can look to this place and know God is Not Invisible but this is a representation of the greatness and the Majesty of God he wanted to build it he poured everything he could into it and when he wanted to start building it the voice of God came to him and said you can't you imagine you can't build it the voice internal turmoil of David but David said this if I can't build it I'm going to prepare for it to be built and so he began to save money he began to store up resources he began to bring people in that would give everything that his next Generation would need to build it he gathered he planned and then in verse 19 of 1 Chronicles chapter 22 he says this to Solomon he says Now set your heart and set your soul to seek the Lord your God arise therefore and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord in essence what he told Solomon was this he said hey now it is your turn to prepare yourself to build the kingdom of God I have prepared a lot of things for you but I can PR prepare everything for you Solomon I can give you every resource you possibly need I can give you everything that I can possibly put at your disposal but if you don't prepare yourself if you don't prepare your heart if you don't prepare your soul and you don't begin to seek the Lord your God not my God the Lord your God it's all for not can can I just pause and say I am so thankful for the generations that have come before me I am so thankful that I have a great grandmother named Katie Lou Walters or Katie Lou Pope y'all don't know that name I know that name because Katie L pop her and her husband Co founded with TC Montgomery the first truth preaching Apostolic Church in metro Atlanta the state of Georgia every on nearly every Apostolic Church in the state of Georgia has its Origins out of the church to my great grandmother co-founded with TC Montgomery y'all may know T some of y'all may know TC Montgomery because he's more well-known for his work with Tupelo Children's Mansion you know where he took in orphans and the the destitute and those broken but Katie Lou Pope great heritage and I am so thankful for that but I'm so thankful though that she looked at my grandmother Doris Walters and she looked in Doris Walters and all other 13 of her kids and said you know what I've set all this stuff for you but now you need to go set your heart and you need to go set your soul to seek the Lord your God and you need begin to prepare yourself don't just look at my walk with God don't just look at the foundation I've laid yes I've given you every resource you could possibly have but I am so thankful that she looked at my grandmother and her her brothers and her sisters and said go prepare yourself and I'm so thankful that my grandmother looked at my mom and said you know what April you go prepare yourself because my mom prepared herself she met met my dad when they were in Middle middle school and she witnessed to my dad and she won my dad to God and the reason I'm here today is because she prepared herself for the work of the kingdom of God it's not enough just to have the generations before and it's not enough that David did everything he did and gave it to Solomon and said here you go but there must be something where every generation says you know what I think I I'm so thankful I can give this to you but you have to prepare yourself prepare the myself because there's something coming that you need to be prepared for I won't always be there and David looked to Solomon and said you know what prepare yourself to build the house of Lord prepare your self to build it's so interesting that God requires us to prepare ourselves he doesn't do it for us it's not just about our Generations before God loves us each and every one of us but he requires us even if we know who he is to prepare ourselves I want to turn your attention to the Book of Mark chapter 10 Mark chapter 10 and verse 17 we read about a God that gets the moniker in the Bible and in Christianity as the Rich Young Ruler even though in Mark he's never called that per se but but in Mark 10:1 17 it says this and when he was gone talking about Jesus into the way there came one running and kneeled to him and ask him good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life and Jesus said unto him Verse 18 why callest thou me good there's none good but one that is God and he tells him look you know the way thou knowest the Commandments do not commit adultery do not kill do not steal do not bear false witness if for all not honor thy father and thy mother and he answered master all these have I observed from my youth then Jesus beholding him loved him and said unto him notice Jesus did not say oh good you've done all these things I'm going to give you what you want that's not what Jesus did Jesus looked at him and said' one thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou Hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come take up the cross and follow me essentially what Jesus told him is this go prepare thyself yeah you know all the buzzword of of Christianity you know all the religious buzzword you you know this and you know this you know you you've got a lot of book knowledge you've got a lot of word knowledge you've got a lot of scriptural knowledge but now on top of that now you have to go prepare yourself you've got to do some things that are going to make you uncomfortable because look look at what the next verse says he was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions what do you think was holding him back from doing everything that he was supposed to do for the kingdom of God what do you think his great possessions he had to do some things things to prepare himself if he truly wanted the blessings that came with following after Christ and he Jesus looked round about and saith unto his disciples notice the principle here how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God the disciples missed the point of what he was saying you know Jesus is kind of pointing to this fact of like look it's hard for people to look at this and understand that they have to prepare themselves they have to prepare themselves they they can't just buy their way into this they can't just walk their way into this they can't just know their way into this if you want the blessings of God and you want the full fruits of being a child of the kingdom of God preparation and sacrifice must be part of it and that's why his disciples are like then who can be saved who how how in the world can this happen and and that's where God was or Jesus was looking at them just saying look you've got to understand the principle if you lose everything I am going to protect you I am going to guide you because if you prepare yourself for the work of the Kingdom you're placing your trust in me and that means you are under my protection more so than you ever would be before and I'm going to look after you but we have to prepare ourselves preparation self preparation 1 Peter 3:15 says this sanctify the Lord God in your hearts sanctify the Lord God in your hearts God wants us to prepare ourselves for what he has for us what better message is there in January than to begin to dig at our our own spirits to begin to look internally at ourselves and say it's time to do a little preparation it's time to begin to prepare a little bit more for what God wants to accomplish in my life what God wants to use me for in his kingdom because God if you haven't seen it I encourage you look around a little bit at what God is doing with CAC look around it when when you when you have a chance to when you walk in the doors on a Sunday and you look around as worship begins and you realize there's somebody here I don't recognize or when you walk around or or as you do the whole family time experience and you begin to shake hands and you see people smiling that have no business smiling because you know what God what's happened in their life and yet God's changing their life God is up to something something God is operating into something that we don't understand and if we want to be a part of that we have to prepare ourselves if we're going to be a part of what God's operating in and what God is doing in his kingdom Acts chapter 2 oh man we know that story right when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all in one Accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing Mighty Wind and filled all the house where they were s how come nobody's shouting when they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit of God gave the utterance this was that that was spoken by the prophet Joel and the Lord added to the church that day I know it's Wednesday y'all can shout a little bit about that that's exciting you know we do often celebrate Acts 2 as well we should the initial outpouring of the power and the presence of God on this Earth God went into heaven and sent his Spirit to fill us but do you know why that happened because we forget often times what happened in Acts one because in Acts one they spent time with Jesus he ascended into heaven and they went into an upper room and they began to pray they began to prepare themselves for what God wanted to do and when they begin to prepare themselves for what God wanted to do that's why when Acts chapter 2 opens up it doesn't tell us what it all happened because we' already been told and that's why they say when the day of Pentecost was fully come all of a sudden all the preparation had led to this sense of unity and mindset where all of a sudden they were all in one Accord in one place and suddenly because of that power of unity and the presence of God begin to fill that house it happened because of the preparation leading up to that moment Matthew Chapter 13 I'm trying to hurry I want I want to talk to you guys about a couple of tools we use to prepare ourselves with couple of tools Matthew Chapter 13 we still have somebody back there okay good deal Matthew 13 and the same day Jesus or same day went Jesus out to the H out of the house and sat by the seaside keep going and a great multitudes were gathered together unto him so that he went into a ship and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore now here's where it gets good keep going and he spake many things unto them by Parable saying Behold a sewer went out to sow and when he sowed some seeds fell by the wayside and the foul came and devoured them up keep going some fell upon Stony places where they had not much Earth and forth with they sprung up because they had no deepness of Earth and when the sun was up they were scorched and become because they had no root they were withered away keep going and some fell among thorns and the thorn sprung up and choked them but other fell into good ground and brought forth fruit some in 100 some 60 and some 30 fold see so often we focus on the ground that that's what we focus on in this Parable I've been guilty of that when studying and reading about this Parable we focus on the ground but here's the problem I think we run into as I began to study for this I I realized there was another problem at play and it was preparation because think about that the first one fell on that Wayside you know it's that Wayside that hadn't really had anything done to it yall know what I'm talking about it's that it's that spot that you don't really do much to it it's like they just took a leaf blower to it you know what I'm talking about it's just like yall know what I'm talking about right so you don't really dig it up at all you don't scrape it up just like you blow the leaves off of you let things stay where they are right you know what I'm talking about whatever whatever stays there stays there y'all y'all ever anybody ever else else been guilty of that it's like that first tool we use to prepare ourselves is that leaf blower it's like we come across things in our life and we're like you know I'm just going to blow it away for a minute I know this is probably messing up the live stream stuff if it's going I if it is I'm sorry but look I mean we we just try to blow it away but here's the thing all right here's the thing about a leaf blower nothing changes I move this I move this nothing changes all I'm doing is moving stuff around with a leaf blower that's the first tool of preparation that we often use is we just kind of blow things around a little bit it's it's superficial we come in we're like oh God I'm gonna I'm gonna do this and we're like okay we make this small change but it doesn't change anything we're not really preparing ourselves in some new way where everything stays the same we're not preparing the ground to receive it it's like the ground that falls by the wayside and therefore when the seed of the word and the direction and the presence and the power of God hits the ground there's nothing there for it to take root there's nothing there nothing has been tilled up nothing has really been prepared we've blown it off a little bit so now it's hitting on the actual CR but it's not taking root anywhere and so when when the birds come by and the things of Life come by even just another wind comes by guess what happens to it it just I remember the time I tried to plant grass I didn't dig it up at all cuz you know first time trying it I thought oh I'll just toss out the seed guess where I found that grass seed the next time I never found it again and it didn't never grow anywhere because there were birds in my backyard right that's what happens the second tool that we often use is this one oh y'all know this one right y'all know this one right I almost feel like I should pose for an American Gothic picture y'all know this one right what y'all use this for all right your South Georgia showing be careful what do we use this for leaves all right this has a little bit more tin and leaves like this is more of a garden rake than a leaf rake okay we do a little scratching of the surface we do a little scratching of the surface see this is like to me this is like that second seed that we we read about right that second one do you mind putting that one back up there again I think Andrew is in the booth Andrew you're in the booth this is that second seed you know we we we kind of scratch the ground a little bit we we scratch the surface we we might cry a little bit in in preparing ourselves it's our small preparation like oh I I felt something go to I think it's verse five go to verse five I think that's the one so we're just doing a little scratching okay Stony places right just a little bit there's not much depth right we don't we don't get much depth with a rake so the seed will get there and it it might take root and they'll spring up and we we feel some good vibes and some good moves of the spirit and God does some cool things and then by March and April all of a sudden all of a sudden it don't matter anymore all of a sudden the preparation we had done is now overtaken by death of the passion that we had seen see this is the second way we try to prepare ourselves it's say I'm going to scratch at the surface of what God wants to do I'm going scratch at it anybody ever get a scratch in your arm if you got cats yeah I used to not have this reference point but now I do and like I don't like having a cat but now I get these random scratches and I'm like where did this come from but like you know they don't really cut deep but they're just annoying enough to bother you right it's it's like this it's like it's just enough to feel good and feel like you're moving in a good direction but when the sun comes out and things get tough what happens well there's no depth there's no depth to our preparation and because there's no depth to our preparation it begins to die and the preparation we've done doesn't have the value anymore it does allow a small growth but it doesn't require a depth of growth all right third tool I'm I'm trying to hurry I think I've got nine minutes nine 10 minutes now I'm going to be very clear in what this is this is a garden hoe okay y'all know what this is used for right no it's not for whacking siblings even though that works really really fun especially if you have brothers that part right there I'm going to get in trouble all right I thought I dusted that off pretty good I'm going to have to vacuum what I'm done do youall know what we do with this right all right go to the next one Andrea I think it's verse six okay the stuff that had grown up in there in your garden where you're trying to prepare this helps you tear it out you get a little depth with this it helps you get rid of those things you don't want it helps you get rid of those things you can't stand it helps you to cut those things away I'm so glad that we prepare sometimes with this Garden ho right and I'm so glad that we do that in our spiritual preparation of what go for what God wants to do in our lives that we're trying to do this and we're trying to prepare because just like the SE here we want this we want this but here's the problem we don't always get everything out that we need to get out with the garden hole because what happens is go to verse seven go to verse seven because what happens is as we dig this out and we're working this out and we're working this out man we're tearing some things out we're preparing ourselves so well but what ends up happening is is we inevitably miss something inevitably we will miss something and there'll be something that grows up and begins to choke out the life of what we wanted there but this thing is cool because this tool allows us to mix things up it allows us to mix the fertilizer into the soil a little bit it it allows us to you know like like the writer wrote in in Timothy where he said stir up the gift we're able to do that in preparation for the working in the kingdom of God we're able to do those things with the garden ho but man inevitably we miss something because we don't get enough depth anybody ever known a weed to grow deep tap rot I mean but that's a rare it's not as common as what you think but it is I know there's some there but they're not as they're not the one like I mean most of the weeds are up near the top Thorns are not a very deep they're not a very deep plan y'all correct me I'm not a garden person if I'm wrong please correct me but I haven't known too many thorns when I've been working in a flower bed or you know cutting out stuff in Brush and stuff in the woods and stuff I don't know too many thorns you know that want to hurt you and tear you apart that are too deep into the soil so we will miss those things we'll miss those things but it does allow us to prepare the soil a little bit more but our fourth tool don't worry we're not burying anybody well I mean this works really good for hitting somebody too though y'all GNA think I'm violent I promise I'm not I just grew up with three or two brothers and I was a middle child y'all knew I just had to defend myself look the shovel the shovel see also Spades kind of work the same the whole premise of these is to dig deep so that you can put the seed deep into the soil and you can plant that so deep that it gets beyond the roots that it gets beyond the wheat that it gets deep into the soil and that it begins to fall into that good ground and that it begins to take root and that it begins to grow forth and it brings forth 100 fold 30 fold 60 fold see this is the this is the tool for which we should be preparing ourselves with this is the tool that we should ultimately be focusing on preparing ourselves with because we've got to be digging deep es tell me guys it is not fun to dig deep internally it is not fun to look deep internally in yourself and say you know what I know I've got to work on this I know I've got to prepare for this but man have you ever seen when you have been successful planting a seed deep in a garden and you look out one day and there all your labor and all your work and all your preparation where you had planted that seed so deep that it got beyond the weeds that it got beyond the Thorns that had gotten that good soil and you look and there's this okra bush is it a bush I don't really this okra plant growing out that is constantly producing okra beyond what you imagined even if you have a kid that loves to go pick it and eat it raw off of the okra Bush and then you look right beside of it and right where you had done the same thing is a green bean bush plant whatever and it's doing the same thing I don't know what they're called I'm not a gardener but the principle Remains the Same when you prepare the soil and you dig it deep and you know don't just go beyond the surface guys if I tried to plant a garden just by blowing the leaves off and putting the seed down it wouldn't stay if I tried to just rake the soil it wouldn't stay it wouldn't grow the birds would eat it and what little bit took root would be dead in a heartbeat but I'm telling you even if I just tried to plant it with a hoe alone I'm going to tell you right now it would not grow it would die because the weeds would overtake it but every seed that I can plant with the shovel that I can dig deep into and I can plant deep and I can allow it to grow and flourish and be watered and to develop every seed I can do that with is going to bring forth the fruit necessary to do what it needs to do to provide nourishment that it needs to bring for my family but all of it begins when I prepare myself with the right have we all been guilty of using the wrong tool to prepare ourselves absolutely maybe it's been the belief blower which doesn't even belong in a garden except in the very fall part or maybe at the very beginning okay I mean you know don't even belong in a garden this this is where I can build the kingdom this is where I prepare myself for everything that God wants to bring into my life this is where I prepare myself for every place God wants to take me to it was this it was this that my great-grandmother Katie Pope buried deep into my grandmother it was this that my grandmother used to bury the seed deep into my mom it was this that my mom when it came time began to dig deep into my dad's heart and my dad's spirit and was able to plant the seed seed of the word of God deep into his heart and it was this and my mom and dad began to dig deep into my brother's and I's heart and that even when things went wrong and my brothers and I made wrong decisions and bad decisions in our life that seed was still growing because we prepared ourselves with the right tool for the purpose of what God wanted to accomplish there is a kingdom that is marching and moving and we have a challenge in this place today we have a challenge going forward this year to grow in the kingdom of God and here's what's awesome when we grow the kingdom of God when we prepare ourselves to grow the kingdom of God and to develop in the kingdom of God it's going to extend into growing our families it's going to extend into growing our relationship with God it's going to extend into all aspects of our life we're going to see our careers blessed we're going to see our families blessed we're going to see our jobs blessed we're going to see those of us that work in schools we're going to see blessings happening in our schools that they can't even fathom how in the world it's happening but we will know it's because we are preparing ourselves for what God is doing through the kingdom of God our families our homes our jobs our careers whatever it is guys we are going to see it when we prepare ourselves I know y'all heard the story before but there was once an ant and a grasshopper y'all know the story there's a lot of Truth to that tonight the anunt worked all summer long preparing storing away building because they knew that winter was coming the grasshopper did everything they could cuz they love of the Summer Winds and they would jump to the top of the plants and jump from flower to flower sniffing the roses and sniffing the daisies and the daffodils summer turned to fall and the first snap of winter came and the grasshopper came knocking on the door of the ant saying please please please please give me some of your food I have nothing to eat the aunt said no because I've prepared myself for what I know is coming down the road and I've got to have what I've prepared because I know something great and challenging coming down the road and we all know the story the grasshopper died and succumbed to Winter and the Ant lived through and came came out again in the spring it's important necessary we that we prepare ourselves prepare ourselves for our job in the kingdom of God because our job in the kingdom of God is going to go beyond just what we're building now we're leaving a legacy that our kids will follow and if we use the right tool in what we're building if we use the right tool in what we're building stand with me we use the right tool in what we're building and how we're preparing ourselves when winter comes and challenges come our way the seed will be buried deep and God will bring forth amazing fruit when the time comes will you bow your heads with me I know we're starting to wrap up here know it's a little bit different tonight but will you bow your heads with me and ask God here's what I want us to pray tonight as we close I want us to pray that God will hope help us to see not that God would prepare us okay because God's not going to perform a magic trick God's not a magician but that God would help us to see the areas we need to prepare to see our shortcomings and see where we need to begin to dig deep what we need to begin to cut away and where we need to begin to bury the seed of the word of the Lord deep in our hearts will you bow your heads and pray with me today Father in the name of the Lord Jesus God I thank you Lord for the challenge of your word God I thank you Lord that you have challenged us Lord Jesus to prepare ourselves God not that you would automatically Lord Jesus do it but God that you would prepare us Lord Jesus that you would lead us God each and every day God that Lord that you would help us to see what it is that we need to do God Not that you would do it for us Lord but that you would help us to prepare ourselves God for what it is you want to accomplish in me this year God what you what it is you want to accomplish through me this year God I want to make myself a vessel Lord Jesus unto you God and I pray Lord Jesus God that you help me to see the changes I need to make God where I need to grow Lord Jesus where I need to dig deep God where I need to prepare myself God I thank you for it Lord Jesus I pray praise you for it oh God Hallelujah Jesus Hallelujah Jesus Hallelujah come on will you lift your hands and just talk to him for a moment right now come on will you Reveal Your Heart and open your heart to him right now and say God show me Lord Jesus show me Lord Jesus show me Lord Jesus where I need to change God how I can grow myself Lord Jesus Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Jesus hallelujah hallelujah Jes Jesus Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Jesus Hallelujah Jesus hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus remember we don't need to prepare ourselves with a leaf blower it'll feel good it will feel good wind on your face it'll feel good all right you know a rake don't a rake don't quite hurt as bad as a shovel I know I've been hit with both I'm going to tell you we got to allow that shovel to work as we prepare ourselves because God has something Destin God has something great for each of us this year and the kingdom of God is going to be revealed to us in new ways throughout the remainder part of this year we're going to be discussing the kingdom as it's revealed through the word of God I'm really excited about the vision and where we're going this year like where God's taking us I I'm really excited like really really like ecstatic about the next few weeks and being able to discuss these these um um these women over the next couple weeks um these these ladies um but uh anyway God bless you um I know we're supposed to be done around 810 but I haven't seen anybody except the young people come in so I don't know if we're quite done in the hallways yet um so if we could just be cautious about moving into uh the area of the conference room for just a few minutes till we know that pastor's class is done I would appreciate that um you know just kind of hang out in here are we are we good okay all right God bless you we'll see you all Sunday for vision Sunday