Why We Grow

well did y'all notice the miracle of transformation that occurred tonight like Seth all of a sudden grew hair got younger and better looking all at the same time Israel tearing it up on the drums tonight amen well you know in case you don't know I'm not pastor I know I expected more shock to come from that but y'all got to do something for me okay I'm not used to talking to adults so you have to like somebody randomly like have your phone out trying to take a selfie all right do things that make me feel a little more comfortable while I'm teaching today I mean if somebody could have an emotional like 13 14 year old mood swing during during the lesson tonight that would be great it would definitely put me at ease and I'd appreciate that amen well I'm y'all think I'm joking I started getting nervous man when everybody looks at me it's like oh what's the clown gonna do next right but uh you know this this month we're talking about expand and uh in preparation for that on Monday you can be seated on Monday in preparation for this lesson I was so dedicated to expansion that um I told Andrea when we woke up and got going for the day I said I'm going to run to Hugo over here and I'm gonna buy a pork loin I'm gonna smoke it because you know I want to make sure we're fully expanding in preparation for Wednesday night so you know we we did our part you know I even went above and beyond the Call of Duty there and threw some racks of ribs on the smoke or two that everybody that wasn't at our house for dinner Monday night um that was nobody except my family uh just making you feel a little jealous right now but I'm excited I appreciate the opportunity that Pastor has given to open up and talk about an area of extreme interest to me um I am 42 years old I teach freshmen in high school and I know like somebody over here go I don't know if that was ooh like you feel sorry for me or if that was a woo like man good for you and better you than me kind of scenario but I have a two-year-old a nine-year-old and a 14 year old because God has a sense of humor and I am still very much involved constantly and consistently doing everything I can to grow myself because there's an ultimate purpose and I don't want to dive too deep into where I'm going to be going tonight but there is a tremendous power in the ability to grow yourself for the right reason because we can grow ourselves for selfish reasons we can grow ourselves with the purpose of making ourselves look good and sound good and all that kind of thing but I love the Maxwell John Maxwell leadership organization I love the philosophy I listen to one of their podcasts every week and you know they say this at the beginning of every episode and I want this if nothing else I would love for this to become our Mantra and become part of who we are as individuals is that the entire purpose of their podcast is in order to add value to P to themselves so that they can in turn add value to others so the purpose of growth is not just for ourselves the purpose of growth is so that we can add value to the other people we come in contact with on a daily consistent basis if we're growing just for our own benefit guys we're not fulfilling the purpose and the promises of God like I said I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself um but this is an area like I said this is an area that I'm very passionate about and so trying to condense everything and all the books that I've read and all this classes I've taken and all the experience I've had trying to convince condense that down into three weeks of a lesson it's tough I don't think anybody wants me to take as long as I normally take in my hour and a half classes to try to teach you every week so um we're going to get right into it tonight and and get into the scripture and I want to deny just kind of introduce to you the concepts of why we need to grow and what growth is that's going to be the primary goal of where we're getting to with an ultimate Challenge as we get to the end but I want to turn your attention to begin with this evening to Second Peter chapter 3. in second Peter chapter 3 and verse 17 and it reads like this ye therefore beloved seeing you know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness verse 18. but grow in Grace grow in grace and the mercy I'm sorry I'm getting ahead of myself sorry grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and forever amen we are given a scriptural mandate to grow and not just to grow for selfish purposes and selfish reasons but we're given a scriptural mandate to grow in the grace and the mercy of God there's a reason why we're challenged to grow in the mercies and the grace of God and further on as we're challenged to grow by the word of God expanding ourselves through the grace and mercy of God is of utmost importance if we are going to accelerate into everything God has ordained purposed and planned for our lives growing in the grace of God is the only way to accelerate God's plan and purpose for our lives I'm going to say that a third time growing in the grace and the mercy of God is the only way we will accelerate the plan of God in our life I want you to think about a question tonight and that's this if God told you that he would miraculously change one thing in you or about you right now in this moment what would it be think about that for just a second if God said you know what from this point forward you're not going to have to worry about those pimples that keep popping up on your face from this moment on I'm going to miraculously change one thing about you is there anybody to be willing to admit you would change something physically about yourself miraculously yeah you're not going to be able to grow more hair I mean that's that's difficult even for god brother Daryl all right so physical how many all would change something emotionally about yourself whether like you know maybe it's a a hereditary issue some kind of struggle anybody be willing to admit that okay I know what it is everybody would change the amount of money in your bank accounts that's what it is miraculously God give me that 15 million dollars I've been wanting my whole life I'm sorry well if we're asking God in Iraq let's go ahead and go 100 million let's be real about it there are many aspects of what we see in the mirror what we experience in our own lives and what we struggle with on a daily basis that would easily feel and become our answer to that question there are many things that would be there are often many other internal battles that we face and and we fight when addressing growth in ourselves that Center upon the premise of a passage in Hebrews chapter five I want to read that to you you can have it on the screen follow along but Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12 says this for when for the time ye ought to be teachers you know that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracle of God and become and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe verse 14 of Hebrews 5. but strong meat belongeth to them that are a full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised excuse me to discern both good and evil so what does all that mean because there's a lot of words here and we struggle with this consistently most people would be willing to consistently or admit to themselves at least that this is a constant battle internally with themselves when we start talking about growth I'd like to read those same scriptures if you would indulge me for just a moment from the New Living Translation and maybe this will bring a little more clarity to what's being said verse 12 of Hebrews chapter 5 it reads you have been Believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others instead you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word you are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food for someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what's right solid food is for those who are mature who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong so when we look at this passage of scripture it is a challenge to most of us if we're being reflective I have felt this many times that I feel like I'm not growing at the pace I should I look back and I say I ought to be doing something more powerful than what I'm doing now I ought to be making a greater impact than I have been to this point I ought to be teaching other people instead of needing to be fed all the time myself and we find ourselves often battling with growth and the process of growth because we expect ourselves to be further along than where we are right now we expect ourselves to be doing this because we think to ourselves I've been doing this so long that I shouldn't still be having to deal with the milk I should be able to take the meat of God's word and the meat of God's plan and the meat of God's purpose yet I find myself often struggling because I have these moments of growth that are immediately followed by moments of sliding it is important that we notice tonight that everyone grows at a different pace everyone grows at a different pace guys I taught eighth grade one year okay downtown Chattanooga Orchard knob area if you're from around here spending time here you may know where I'm talking about and I had this group of students there were three of them actually four of them these guys were huge like in eighth grade they were about as tall as Sam in eighth grade needless to say they dominated the Middle School league that year for for basketball they were undefeated two of them were twins and then their point guard for this basketball team and these guys are gigantors and their point guard for this basketball team about that tall next to Sam I would say that they grow they're growing at different paces all right everyone grows at a different pace and as what happens in the physical the physical is often a representation of things that happen in the spiritual and a lot of times even things that are going on inside of our minds everyone grows spiritually physically mentally at a different pace there are no cookie cutter human beings there is no one person that is the epitome of perfection that is not named Jesus Christ there is not one everyone grows at a different pace they every individual has their own struggles and their own challenges when I start talking about growth I always go back to my high school years you know the time I wish I could forget you know the time that somehow I got locked in a bathroom and about 20 other guys decided it was time to kick the short guy now great in my own mouth probably got me in trouble I know right brother Nathan is surprisingly I can't believe those individuals would do that but when I was in high school I was a really really short guy I mean when I started driving okay I got pulled over for the first two years I had my license because the officers thought I had stolen my parents car and I was only 11 or 12. okay my best friend my Junior and Senior year was huge I mean this guy was massive and here I am in my senior year of high school especially I'm four foot 11 inches tall four foot 11 inches tall I am growing at a much slower Pace than everybody else in the room like even the short kid in middle school was beginning to look down at me and say hey what's up buddy my best friend in high school he was six five six four or something like that now granted to somebody's four nine he seems huge and he had been that way ever since we'd started high school and he had moved from Texas I guess what they say is everything's bigger in Texas right when I graduated though everybody else has stopped growing and in the course of about one year I grew nine ten inches let's just say I grew enough that I could finally ride every roller coaster at Six Flags without having to have a parental escort I mean seriously they've gotten to the point where they were starting to look at me and be like dude we can't even let you on the bumper cars man where's your mom like I'm 18. believe me when I say that I wish I could have been like the others in my high school class instead I was the one that looked like a kindergartner at graduation day who had stolen the graduation robe of my really really big brother I was small I was short but everyone grows at their own pace and there is no cookie cutter process by which we can say okay this one has reached maturity and this one has not or this one is there is no one defining line because everybody grows differently and a lot of times guys part of the reason we run into those issues that are connected with that scripture is we feel when we look at somebody that's growing at a much faster Pace we feel like we should be there too but in order for growth to be effective growth it has to happen at the natural process rate I can't all of a sudden shoot a piece of a fruit or a tomato full of hormones and expect it to be healthy when I go and pluck it off the vine and it's this big well I'll snatch it off the vine I don't think I'm plucking something this big Everything grows at its own pace But First Peter chapter 2 verse 2 says this as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby this is the sustenance for all fear spiritual growth and can I even extend it a step further this is the sustenance for mental growth as well that if I keep my mind and my heart buried in this I will grow at a rate and a pace that is exactly where God wants me to be I have seen time and time again where people that have had conversation and conversation and conversation about the truths of God's word conversation after conversation and it felt like it was falling on deaf ears that the soil was so hard I might as well have been trying to plant a seed on Stone Mountain and then they begin to get into the word and all of a sudden the growth that comes from the word of God the milk of the word begins to sustain them begins to grow them and they find I I found them coming to me and asking questions about things I didn't even share with them but they began to read the word and the word began to reveal the truth the word began to show them how to grow at the pace God needed them to grow that's what happens with growth we have to grow at the pace God desires but then when it is time to grow and we have reached levels of growth First Corinthians 13 11 says this so clearly when I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I even thought as a child but when I became a man I began to put away the childish things interesting to know here guys this is near the very end if you didn't know its placement does anybody know what happens what what the first few verses of First Corinthians chapter 13 is all about it says though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and hath not charity or love it profited nothing growth only happens when we allow people to be loved to the point oh I know this is like not necessarily Church growth that we're talking about but it's important to allow people to grow at their pace and when we love people when we love people it's not coincidence that that is exactly where this Falls that he begins to acknowledge hey look all of this love all of this compassion everything that is about love it is love that is the foundation for growth in individuals that we care about God made each and every one of us and designed us to grow he designed us with that mindset in place that we are to grow we need God though to change us we need God to change us but we are ordained by God to grow we're even given an example in Luke in Luke Chapter 2 verses 40 and 52 we read where Jesus is this perfect example Jesus this perfect creature this example to which we epitomize everything and it's the high water mark to where we're supposed to be measured is striving to be like Christ but it says that the child grew whacks strong his Spirit basically he began to grow he began to develop he increased in wisdom he increased in stature he increased in favor with God and with man Jesus himself grew and when he grew God began to open up the doors that were time that it was needing to be open at the appointed time that they were needing to be open God did all of this Samuel in the Old Testament also the Bible says begin to grow and as he grew he grew into this understanding and he grew to become exactly who God had ordained for him to be because he was willing to grow at the pace God wanted him to grow we must grow that is the why why is growth so important it's because it's our mandate from God grow grow grow grow grow and I'm even going to take a step from the Science World and just let you know if something's not growing it's dying so you only have two choices in life you can either keep growing or you can start dying it's your choice on where you want to be you know what but the minute you stop pushing yourself to grow and the minute you start dwelling on on issues and problems and why you're not growing at this pace or that pace and you begin to look longingly at the field across a way that a shot full of hormones and other kinds of unnatural things you begin to look at those things and say why am I not growing like that you begin to focus on those things and you lose focus on the plan and the purpose and the process God is taking you through to be human means growth is required not just spiritually should we grow but we should grow in all that we are in order to understand tonight what growth is we must first grasp grass excuse me what is not part of growth because there's some confusion about what growth consists of because we put things into the growth concept but it's not what it is the first thing growth is not self-help growth is not self-help because our problems one run way too deep for us to help ourselves out of them you know the only grave we were supposed to dig for ourselves was the old man and yet somehow we're digging a tunnel to China A lot of times because our problems run that deep and the only person that can get us out of that is God God is the only way that we get out of this there is no self-help when we're talking about growth growth is not just Gathering knowledge and I know like as somebody that loves to learn this was a hard one for me to understand because every time I read a book and every time I take a course and all these kinds of things or I watch a YouTube video about how to do this I feel so accomplished like I learned how to fix a dryer washer by watching a YouTube video who's the man you know it says a lot though when you finally do something like that and your wife goes I am so proud of you I learned how to change the headlights in my truck by watching a YouTube but guess what growth is not just knowledge Gathering just because you know more does not mean you're growing I have known some very intellectual and knowledgeable people I've known a lot of them but they're very immature on the growth scale or the people that say you know what I'm growing because I know all this and I'm going to show how much better I am than you because of all the stuff I know like whoever made some of these books that you can buy that are just like random facts and such I really think they're one of those individuals growth is not just the latest program either it's not just the latest sequence of things that we can try to be a better you it's not just a program it's not behavior modification that's not growth growth is not just about changing our Behavior or stopping ourselves when we're tempted to do things we know are not right but growth goes so much deeper to the core of who we are growth is more of a renovation of our heart it's more of a renovation of our heart than behavior modification I've been reading Craig groeschel's book and I know Brother Sam and a couple others have heard me talking about it but the first chapter is so awesome because it builds on this concept of this you do what you do because of what you think of you that we act and we behave but our actions in the majority of cases are are a demonstration or an exhibition of what's going on in our mental state of things I mean all it takes is any of the married men to acknowledge what's going on with that right yeah I know none of the men are like no no no no it's like no no she may never tell us what's going wrong but we know something's going on because of the actions that follow okay thanks guys for leaving me on the island I appreciate that if y'all don't hear from me Sunday just know I'm paying the price for this now I don't know how Pastor Sloan gets away with it it's maybe he doesn't the challenge that we have for growth in ourselves the challenge we have is that we have to go beyond self-help we have to not be satisfied with knowledge because the reality is even the devil knows scripture even the devil knows so knowledge does nothing for us in the grand scheme of things now this is coming from somebody that's an educator that believes in the power and the strength of knowledge okay but if that becomes our primary measurement and barometer of growth we're not growing the challenge for growth is go beyond self-help not being satisfied just with knowledge or even looking to a new approach or a new program for growth treatment is not going to bring growth treatment of these issues treatment of these problems treatment of the situation treatment of the poor behaviors is not going to bring about growth growth goes so beyond it see our goal in growth has to be and must be nothing less than what God intends for us growth has to be centered growth has to be centered I'm sorry my 80d kicked in growth has to be centered on what God has designed for our lives that is the only growth that is really worth measuring because guys if our mission I keep saying guys this is kind of my teacher coming out if our mission is to be everything that God has ordained for us to be I may never step behind a lectern and teach I may never step behind an instrument I may never step into one of these positions or opportunities of being in the Forefront but if I'm growing in what God intends for me I may be behind a camera I may be sitting down with some friends at work in our in our cafeteria or whatever and having a Bible study if I'm growing and I'm looking for what God intends for me that is the growth that is truly uh or truly matters above and beyond everything growth has to be nothing less than what God has intended for our lives and if God has never intended for you to be a singer please don't get in the microphone if God has never intended for you to be a Somebody That Gets behind the camera please don't do it we don't need blurred visions and all that kind of stuff it's shaky cameras and everything else what our purpose is needs to be 100 and we need to grow into what God intended for us so here's what growth is we've talked about what growth is not so here's what growth is or what we can understand about growth growth can only happen going back to Second Peter chapter three when we submit to God's grace we cannot do this on our own I will never overcome issues in my life I will never become overcome my Humanity if I'm not submitted to God's grace it'll never happen pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps is not only an unreasonable expectation it is an impossibility I will never be able to pull myself up to the level God wants me but if I'm growing then God will Elevate me when the time comes in the process in Matthew chapter 9 verses 23 and 24. the story tells us of this individual and and and this child the father of this child that was Ill and and possessed and had these problems he could not save this child on his own he didn't have the power he didn't have authority he didn't have the wisdom he didn't have anything that would allow him to save that child but in Matthew 9 23 and 24 Jesus looked at him and said if you can't but believe all things are possible to him that believes and straightway verse 24 the father of the child cried out and said with tears Lord I believe now here's where I need you to step in help my unbelief in other words God I know you're doing something in my life I know you're helping me to grow I know you want me to become everything you have designed and orchestrated and planned for me to become I know this but God I need your help to make sure your word comes to fruition in my life I need to make sure that my life becomes everything God that you have ordained for it to become and I'm not talking about just my spiritual life and I'm not talking about just my the mental capacities but I'm talking about all aspects of my life have to be submitted and surrendered to God if I want to grow into God's divine plan and purpose for my life because here's a reality there's an assignment each and every one of us have been given and if we don't allow God to do what God wants us to do then nobody's going to step into that role or words he's going to find somebody that he can put into a role that he didn't originally orchestrate for their life I don't want somebody taking my place but growth is for all of my life when we are growing spiritually God will change every single part of us every single part and here's what's even better the gospel is applicable to every part of our life it is not just something we do on Sunday or Wednesday or an occasional Revival service or prayer meeting but the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his plan and purpose for us as applicable and applies to every part of our life growth and spiritual growth is just as important in Leisure and in relationships Etc as it is in devotional in our church lives it is just as important we must apply that to understand and if we do we'll understand that growth isn't about us it's not about us it changes us but it is not about us it will transform us it will increase our joy but growth is about a love for God and a love for others if I'm growing guys I begin to look at people differently if I'm growing in what God has ordained for me to be and to become I began to look at other people with a lot more compassion I began to look on circumstances as somebody else is facing with a little less disdain and a little more compassion and in this process when we realize that it isn't about us growth then transforms us into the image of Christ when we realize it's not about us no part of Jesus's life no part of it I I challenge anyone to prove me wrong but I can't find a single part of Jesus's life on this planet that was about anybody else or it was about himself but was about everybody else instead it was about others primarily that's why Luke 19 10 is exactly you know we've read it a couple of weeks in a row here at this church I remember on our Sundays the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost in other words the whole premise of this the whole premise of his life and his gr and the growth that comes from that was to be compassionate about others and here's the other thing growth as we learn these things and we begin to be transformed growth then is about habits and desires it is revealed in the choices made and the investment of our resources the level of our growth toward the mission of God's law God's purpose in our life is revealed in how we spend our time our money our Focus how we spend any additional resources that may come our way is revealed it reveals where we're at in the growth process be confident again this evening you were made to grow you are not destined to be someone that would Bloom for a period and then fade away God has given means by which we can experience Grace and be transformed he has not left us alone and said okay go grow on your own God has not been a parent that says you know what bye best of luck to someone that's in desperate need a child that would be in desperate need of milk God doesn't do that he's there with us to guide us through the growth process and everything he purposes for us and everything he's planned for us is accessible when we begin to realize these things I want to address two big myths and I'm I know for the clock Watchers this pastor says it's 7 55 I'm gonna get there I promise two myths that I want to address and call out about growth especially spiritual growth spiritual growth is not or I'm sorry here's the myth that spiritual growth is about becoming less human y'all know the people I'm talking about that getting that mindset of they become like robotic you almost expected any moment to look over during worship service and are doing this number guys we are made to be human beings God orchestrated that he designed that when growth is happening that does not mean we will completely morph into some robotic thing all right that has to call us for spare parts when we break down although I know some of us have metallic bones and joints and all that kind of stuff but human desires will always remain if we're growing God's not going to change us from being humans we're going to always have these human desires and within human desires become these desires of the flesh that we have to constantly look to and and allow God to help us through the second myth is that spiritual growth involves becoming more serious I can't even keep a straight face right now I was trying to do the mean look like I do my students like I wish a heifer would you know it didn't work but but I remember growing up and seeing a lot of these sour looks that old people get you know let me let me rephrase that sorry I'm not trying to be offensive when I say let me rephrase it to the veteran Saints there we go that's that's what I mean not just not old people but I remember the people growing up I mean I grew up old school Pentecost guys I mean like I went like day three of being born right my parents made me start picking up bobby pins the minute I could crawl okay that kind of thing I discovered that hairspray also doubles as a protective film on my face and avoids cuts and scratches and things um not on my own spraying it but just as Mom sprayed in the car on the way to church let's hear it for the Aqua Net let's take it back a little bit but I remember growing up and seeing those people that when they would get saved and they would begin to grow and God would begin to do something in a life all of a sudden there after those first couple of weeks where they had that condition we call Perma smile when someone has an amazing encounter with the presence of God y'all know the smile I'm talking about it's like it's like they walk by somebody on the street that doesn't know what's going on they're like wow somebody just came from a clown convention right I mean they got that Perma smile but then within three to four weeks somebody has gotten in their ear and convinced them that they have to walk around with this serious look they're walking with God is no joke I'm sitting there going did you not read about Peter in the New Testament man tell me that dude wasn't a crazy individual like seriously he had to be the person that was the prankster of the of the disciples he had to be I mean so much so that even Jesus looks at himself come on Peter you know and I look at it like living for God and growing in God does not mean you're becoming more serious spiritual growth is not determined by the serious nature and the look you have on your face spiritual growth is definitely not determined by looking like you just gargled with some concoction of bleach and vinegar smile little show the growth that God is doing in your life and God is doing inside of you God intended for growth to be present in all aspects of life growth is not an escape pod from this world if anybody's taking notes I think you might want to write this this statement down growth isn't an escape pod from the world but is instead about becoming who and what we were meant to be in this world growth is not going to take us out of it growth is going to help us to be everything we have Desi that God has a ordained and designed for us to become on this Earth it is not an escape pod if anything if anything it's like that seed spreader where we begin to spread that y'all know what I'm talking about all right no farmer people in here all the all the urban folks let me show you so you put seed inside of this thing you know if you got really really fancy stuff you have something to pull it behind but you put it in there and as you push it along it shoots the seed all out all over the place instead of being an escape pod it's more like a seed spreader growth is supposed to be the thing to which allows us to grow into everything God has ordained for us to become anybody play games growing up on brother Duran if you could come let's give everybody hope anybody play games at your house growing up like board games what's your favorite game brother Rob shoot the moon was that marbles dominoes man that's all I don't even know I've heard that one but I've never played that one like the only dominoes I played were the real ones or like knock them all down all right what other games did you guys play somebody over here tell me what's a game y'all play growing up rummy oh you playing cards somebody get the oil we need to take care of this problem playing cards all right somebody right here tell me what's a game you guys played Yahtzee that's just fun to say everybody say it with Me Yahtzee tell me that ain't fun to say Yahtzee it's like my cousin got really really weird for a while my one my cousin lives in Murfreesboro now he would always just randomly scream right all right I won't say Yahtzee again but he had just randomly screamed out yeah see I'm like granny used to get so mad about that what about over here somebody tell me a game you play Monopoly oh oh let's talk about Monopoly you talk about something that tries the Holy Ghost of people man I watched my brothers and I man my cousins we'd get together and we'd play Monopoly bro I'm gonna tell you what they were like capitalism like that I mean like they're forming mergers and conglomerates and I'm like hey guys what about the small business guy over here all I got is Marvin Gardens that I just go to jail but all these games all these games that we've played has such a significant relevance in our life they taught us lessons maybe taught us how to count money maybe taught us how to go to Las Vegas and win money or you know maybe the plan for astronaut time and you know your Voyage into NASA shooting the Moon but all of these games taught us incredible lessons you know whether it was not to trust people whether it was get there first and choose the car and Monopoly because everybody else wanted it and let's be real nobody wanted the stinky shoe the top hat was cool but we played all of these games in our house and we began to look at every one of them was a competition see I'm the middle of three boys and I didn't talk about playing spoons at our house there was at least one ER visit every time we played I mean you know it got vicious but every one of these was a competition of sorts and growth contrary to what we're told and what we're taught because of the fact everybody grows at their own pace growth is a competition growth is a very important competition it's a competition that will determine success it's a competition that will determine failure but it's not competition in the sense we would believe competition that has here in growth it's competition with the man I was yesterday because the only person I have to be better than today is who I was yesterday and if I am doing those things and I'm growing and I'm better today than I was even a week ago that I'm on the track and the process God has ordained from my life see I've had this up here the whole time anybody notice it anybody know what the premise of this game is what's what's the premise like how does this game get played all right so there's shoots and there's ladders okay maybe it'll make sense if I do it like this hold on sorry I didn't have anybody like churning water turning butter all all time today I don't know whatever it was Sam had him doing last week or two weeks ago so you see how this board is shaped right for those I know I know I'm really taking it back for some of y'all that hadn't seen one of these boards since they didn't have color but it's a process there's UPS and there's Downs there's days that I take three steps forward and all of a sudden I hit a slide of some sort or worse I get all the way to the top where's that one at oh yeah number 87 anybody ever hit that when you were playing game like land on that oh you talk about you get the trash talk from your siblings in your ear I can't believe you hit that you failed you're a miserable failure like trash talk just exudes like crazy and we end up all the way back here but the competition of growth says what even though I may fall and even though I may slide if I get up the next day and I take one more step if I get up the next day and yes I make mistakes and yes I fail but the competition of growth for me is that I've got to be better today than I was yesterday and if I messed up today I'm not gonna mess up tomorrow growth is about a step-by-step process through which we obtain and reach the prize but it only happens when we refuse to allow today to determine our tomorrow can you stand with me tonight everything about growth is working towards what God intends for me and the purpose God has for my life and their steps and there's things I need to do along the journey but the most important thing we have to learn tonight is that yes God has a plan God has a purpose God has a design but I'm in a competition and that competition is I'm going to take one more step today than I did yesterday I'm going to keep moving forward today and by doing so I'm choosing to grow and not die I'm choosing to become everything God has orchestrated and designed for me to become and even though I may hit hiccups occasionally there's going to come that ladder and God's Gonna Elevate me to where I need to be but I've got to keep taking the step I've got to be better today and a better version of myself today than I was yesterday as we close tonight I want to invite you I want to challenge you today I'm not going to say come to the front that's an option if you want to but what I'm going to challenge you to do today is a representative gesture that I am going to be better tomorrow than I was today and guess what on Friday I'm gonna be better on Friday than I was on Thursday so what I want us to do tonight as we wrap up as we begin to close is I want us to take a step out of our seats and take one step forward if you want to take more I challenge and encourage you to do so but would you just find I don't care if we feel every aisle in this place but would you just take a step out of your seat and take one step forward that says and symbolizes the fact and as you do just begin to thank God that he's provided an opportunity for us to grow into everything he's ordained and designed for us to become come on would you lift your hands and begin to talk to him right now begin to thank him that he's provided this opportunity thank you for the times he's allowed you to climb the ladder thank him for the times that he's allowed you the strength and the courage to step on and become a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday father I Praise You Lord Jesus God I thank you God father I thank you Lord that we have the opportunity to become more and stronger in you Jesus God I thank you that I have the opportunity Lord Jesus to be better today than I was yesterday God and when I come up against trials and tribulations when I come up against things in my life and my human nature Lord Jesus they want me to stop help me to remember oh Lord God that I just have to take one more step today that's all it takes I'm not going to achieve everything in a day but just one more step one more step one more step when the world is crashing down around you and it feels like you can't survive and you can't make it just one more step because you'll be better today than you were yesterday you'll be better today than you were yesterday Hallelujah Jesus one more time can we lift our hands and thank him for his word and his challenge today Lord Jesus I thank you God I pray Lord Jesus that you would allow this to take root in my heart and in my life oh God that when things get tough and I feel the pressures of this world God that I can take one more step father I praise you I magnify you Jesus in Jesus name Jesus I'm kind of weird sometimes I know this is surprising to you kind of weird sometimes foreign myself at times when I feel challenged by the word of God to grab a dry erase marker us teachers we have them laying around everywhere and write a note on my mirror that I go to first thing in the morning this is one of those things I'm going to write on my mirror brother Rob is today I need to take one more step just one more step it's easy to get overwhelmed when you think about the whole and totality of everything that's going on in our lives but if I'll take just one more step something new is going to be open to me today that I didn't see yesterday amen I want to uh just let you guys know next week we'll be talking about stops starts and habits um not really sure what kind of craziness I might pretty I don't know I can't make this work so I'll have to figure out something else but keep Pastor in prayer I know he's traveling the district conference or he's already there but we're traveling back remember everything and you know I would be remiss if I didn't let everybody know connect weekend is coming soon and we're getting past hyphen and all that stuff but I'm gonna tell you what be on the lookout there's no telling what kind of Nerf wars and tomfoolery and shenanigans may be happening this month or this time but be on the look of that it's first week of May we're the first weekend of May we're gonna be having a time together amen God bless you greet each other let's come back Sunday ready to worship God some more