Three times in the gospels Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer…” We know that even though things seem out of control in our world God is still working. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray…” What if… the church was UNITED in prayer? Would the church experience an even greater move of the spirit of God?

This week, we start a three-week series called One: The Church United, and over the next three weeks, you will get to see how much we believe in the work of “The Church” and not just one Church. Today, you will hear from me, and in the next two weeks, you will hear from two of my closest friends and pastors. We decided on The Church United because, in our current culture, you see more disunity than unity in the local Church. I think Leland is a little above average in terms of the willingness of local churches to work together. At least, that has been my experience. I decided to talk about the one thing that binds us together. The one thing that tells us how to know God, his purposes, and plans for the Church and us individually. My question today is how important the Word of God is to you. Does that importance show itself in your time spent in it?  Are you allowing it to change you?

Throughout time, people have asked the question…why am I here? For us as believers in Jesus Christ, it’s really a simple answer…TO KNOW GOD, AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!

We read our bibles, go to church, listen to Christian podcasts, pray, and spend a lot of effort in getting to know God, but what about making Him known? How often do we share about Jesus with those that don’t know Him? How do we do that? We will dive into Acts 17 this Sunday and see how the Apostle Paul made Jesus known and turned the world around him right side up.

Happy Father's Day!! As we celebrate Father's Day, I want to talk about the opportunity we are given to invest in something that will outlive us, and I am not talking about our careers. The truth about those is we will quickly be replaced and soon forgotten about. Sorry if that hurts!! If you want to leave a legacy, investing in people is the best way to do that. People are the one thing that survives us. The choice you have to make is what you want your legacy to be. For fathers in the room, the first people you need to think about are those God has given you. As a father, God has given you the role and responsibility of discipling your children. They are looking to you. Now is the time to make sure that you see the right things. We have all fallen short, and you will again. This is why we need a personal, intimate, and intentional relationship with our Father in Heaven. Today's message started with something that has always stood out to me about the Kings after David.

You were not made to muscle through this world; you were not made to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. No matter how much our culture tells you otherwise. We were made for community. We were made to help each other along the way. If you are here this morning, I hope you see the need for others to help encourage you to take the next step in your faith. When everything is working correctly, this is a shared experience. You, at times, get the opportunity to encourage others; on the other side, you get to be encouraged by others. I know this isn’t a perfect world, and we don’t always get it right, but this is why we look for the truth in the word of God. This morning, we get to see how a minor player in the story gets to leave a significant legacy.

How awesome would it be to walk with Jesus in person? Life would be easier if he were always with me. I would make much better decisions and choices. He would be there when I had a question or concern to bring me understanding and clarity. Jesus told his disciples that he was leaving, but in that same breath, he told them that it was to their benefit because he would send another helper/comforter/counselor to stay by their side when he was gone. Another of the same kind of Jesus. What if I told you that you have something better than the physical presence of Jesus afforded to you right now? The question is, what will you do with HIM?

How do you make it through a typical day? How do you make it through your worst day? How you answer these question will determine the outcome. Let me confess here that I am a work in progress. I am still figuring out how to live completely in the trust of the Lord and handle every overwhelming situation with grace and mercy through the Holy Spirit. Today, we will learn from a man who faced many impossible situations. Some he navigated well, and others could have done better.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. That statement offers us so much hope. Today's text comes from John 10. Jesus will continue to open our understanding of his divinity, leadership, and the world's desire to call you another way. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He calls for us to trust, believe, and obey him. That path will be challenging, but it is the only one that will produce the fruit from the Father. His voice is calling you to come. What are you going to do?

Moms know us better than anyone else. They aren't fooled like others. They know a fake cry from a real one. They also see our potential better than anyone else. And their mission in life is to see their children succeed. They have a way of seeing the truth that is hidden. So, what does this have to do with Jesus's first miracle? A few things. First, we see a mother who knows what is hidden from everyone about her son. Second, we glimpse who Jesus is and what He came to do. Jesus is always working his Father's will to open his children's eyes.

Disciples Follow Jesus!! That is the plain and simple truth. If you are not following Jesus, are you his Disciple? Look what Jesus says in Matthew 16:24 ….“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Today, we will look at the invitation Jesus gave us to follow. We are all following something; let us intentionally follow Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our Faith. If you need Faith, it will be found and experienced as you follow.