All right, give somebody a little fist pump and you may find your seats, everybody. And I wanna welcome you to week number one of a brand new series that we're beginning today called It's Time. And I'll tell you more about where that came from in just a moment. I always like to start the message off by looking into the camera and just saying hello to all of our locations. We are one church that meets in 19 campuses, we call them, all across the great state of Alabama. and also in 19 of Alabama's Department of Corrections facilities. So in 38 auditoriums all across the state of Alabama, we are one church and in worshiping God together. Just know that I love you. You're not in my eyesight, but you're in my heart every single day, and I pray for you and love you very, very much, and we're so glad you've joined us. I also want to give a special welcome to every person who's kind of new to our church. Over the past, two kinda big events of At The Movies, this four-week series we do, and our Christmas services, we had literally tens of thousands of first-time guests, and hopefully first-time members of our church that have come to check us out, and if you're one of them, we're so glad you're along for the ride. We have a very clear agenda, we've actually put it in your worship guide, a very clear goal, a journey, if you will, that we have as a church, that we believe, that we didn't write, we believe, God wrote it, we find it in the Bible as early as the book of Exodus, all the way through the very end of the Bible, at least 20 places, Old and New Testament, God has always wanted a spiritual journey for you. We simply call it know God, meaning that God is not your religion, and God's not even your church, God is someone that you can personally relate to and get to know in a very personal way. You need to know God, amen, everybody? And second thing is is to find freedom that all of us have issues that keep us from the best version of ourselves. And I don't know that I'm the best version of me yet. And so what I do is I let God take me on a journey of settling some of my issues, some of the things that hold me back from the best version of myself. and we wanna take you on that journey. We have programming, we have events, we have things we wanna show you and give you that'll help you find freedom. Then we think the third thing that God wants you to know and do is discover your purpose. I know some of you think you're an accident, and you might even think that this world would be okay without you. It cannot, and you are no accident. And I don't even care what your parents' version of how you came about was. I want you to know God always had you on his mind, and God has a purpose for your life. It's just true. And I'm gonna tell you something, you're never gonna be satisfied, happy. Go pursue anything you want on your own without God, and you will always be empty. It'll never give you the joy that you know you could've had because you have a God-given, divine design, a purpose from God himself. Lastly, so that we can do what we believe the church exists to do, and that is make a difference. In fact, I think the condition that our world is in right now, the church better wake up and start doing what we're called to do so we can help a very broken world. And I believe that with all my heart, and we'll help you. We wanna take the journey of knowing God, finding freedom, discovering purpose, and make a difference. Now here's what you need to know, and that is you're somewhere. You're somewhere on that, I call it the spiritual continuum. You're somewhere in the process, and because you are somewhere, it doesn't matter if you've been in church your whole life, listen to me, big idea of the day, you have another step. So you have a step, and most of you, because we try so hard to make the steps, Clear? A lot of you even know what they are. The problem is getting us moving. It's like, okay, we just need something or someone to kind of push us toward the life, look in my eyes and hear it, the life you know you're supposed to be living. The life that you know that you've always kind of wanted to try and you just needed the impetus, you just needed the catalyst to get moving. And that's why we call this message It's Time. We've got a brand new year, and it's time. Turn to the person next to you and say, it's time. Come on, just tell them, tell them. Now tell the person who's your second choice, it's really time for you. I wasn't gonna say it, I went to them first, but all right. I don't know if you guys have ever experienced this. I'm sure you have, where you're traveling down a busy highway, and I don't know what it is about me. I need some healing. Here's one of the areas I need healing. I'm always in a hurry, even when I'm not in a hurry, you know what I'm saying? But I get behind the car, and I'm always like, bro, y'all, let, You ain't got nothing to do today, let's go. And y'all, I'm a Christian, but I'm barely a Christian on the highway, y'all. Listen, I'm just confessing my sins at church. And so anyway, if you've ever had this experience where you're in a turn lane, especially on Highway 280, they got those dudes, they got them tying. And I know how deep, I know how deep the cars are, and I know certain depth that I'm gonna make it on this light cycle. I know if, if all them knuckleheads in front of me, can I say knucklehead in church, is that all right? If them knuckleheads will just pay attention and let's go. So like I said, I'm barely Christian in the car, and Tammy's always like, Chris, Chris, Chris, you're a pastor, you're a pastor in town. And she'll say, Chris, they're probably members of our church. And I'm like, and I need to teach them something. I'm a teacher, that's what I'm supposed to be doing. I know you've had this experience, I know you've had it, where the light turned green and the person in front of you doesn't go. Right? And you see, you know it's up, because they got their hands up close to their chest and their heads down. And they have chosen to use that light cycle to dabble on social media or to text somebody. And like I said, I try to be Christian, you know what I'm saying? So what I do is, what you're supposed to do is like. Beep beep. Just give them a little, like hey, I'm your friend, but. Now, that's not what I wanna do. Come on, where y'all at, everybody? What you wanna do is, ah! Okay, all right. I'm gonna be very honest with you, okay? I'm a pastor. I eat, sleep, and breathe your spiritual journey. I have such a heart to see you guys get moving to a life that I know you could have. And in my heart, I just need you to know, Let's go. Now, I'm not gonna do that, all right? For the next four weeks, I'm gonna give you a little. It's green, but I need you to hear this. The light's green. The light's green, and it's time for some of us to get moving. It's time for us to get going with our lives. And if you'll let me, I'm gonna let these services be the catalyst. This Sunday service cannot change your life. It can give you the desire and the energy and the motion for your life to be changed. You have to step into the other things that we have as a church for life change to take place. God wants to take you on that process. But my desire over the next four weeks, and I don't want you to miss, I want you to come to all four weeks of this series and let me just bee-beep you a little bit. I just wanna, I'm gonna show you some areas where it's time for you to leave that and move on. because the light's green. Now I'm gonna show you a verse out of Luke chapter nine, and you have a little handout sheet in your worship guide. Some of you guys haven't seen it. You're like, what is this paper in my worship guide? I haven't given you a handout sheet in about three months. How many of you guys glad the handout sheet is back, anybody? That's all the melancholies. The sanguines are like, what's a handout sheet? Hi, what you doing for lunch? You're like, so, all right, so. But if you wanna follow along and fill in the blanks, we do this through most of the series, I very much encourage you, you'll retain more. And then out in the foyer at every location, there are little three ring binders and you can collect your message notes and just grab one, you've already paid for them with your tithes and offerings. But it'd do you good just to kind of follow along and fill in the blanks. And I wanna show you this verse, and this is not the Bible really, this is a book that someone wrote to paraphrase the Bible called The Message. And this is how this man paraphrased this scripture. He said, on the road, someone asked Jesus, hey, I think I'm ready. I got this brand new year, and I think I'm ready for my life to be different. I'm ready to go, and even through in the work, wherever. I'm that gung ho right now. And Jesus didn't give him the beep beep. Jesus gave him the full-on honk. He was curt. He actually gave a very strong message, and he said, are you ready? Are you really ready? Are you ready to rough it? Because actually, if you're gonna come with me, we don't stay in the best hotels and inns. And for some of you, the reason why you've not really seen the life, the best version of you, is because you keep looking for the easy route. Listen to me. If it were easy, you would have already been doing it. And really, if it was easy, everybody would be doing it. But if you want the life you could have, I'm gonna tell ya, it's like, come on now, if you wanna do this, we'll make the path clear, but you gotta buckle up. Let's go, let's go. Push the accelerator, grab hold of the wheel, pay attention, let's go. We can make some progress. Are y'all with me today, everybody? Listen now. So Jesus said to another, hey, why don't you come along? Don't you think it's time for you to go? And the guy's like, yeah, I really want to, but first, this was a person that just really, they wanted to, but they felt like they had viable excuses why they couldn't, and I'm gonna dispel those in just a moment. He says, I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral, which sounds like a great cause, and Jesus is like, oh, no, you're missing it. Then yet another, he said, first things first, your business is your life, not death, and life is urgent. Announce God's kingdom. Come on, I've got something I want you to be involved in. And then another said, I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first I need you to excuse me too while I get things straightened out. I would so totally do that dream team. I would so totally be, I don't think I'd even lead a group one day as soon as I can get these kids of mine figured out. It's always something that keeps you from the best version of yourself, and Jesus said, no, no procrastination, no backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Be beep. Let's go. Seize the day. We've got a brand new year and a brand new opportunity for us to move on. I think the new year gives us, really it's no different than any other month, but in our minds, it kind of gives us this fresh start, and I want to take advantage of it. I think it's time for us to move on. If you've ever celebrated the New Year Eve or the New Year's Day, you've heard the song, ♪ Should old acquaintance be forgot ♪ We sing this song, even say the words, have no idea what we're saying. and never brought to mind, it goes on to say. And what the penman of this song, Robert Burns, in Old Scottish was basically saying, he said, Old Lang Syne. In Old Scottish means days gone by. And basically what the song is challenging all of us to do is, is to think about what should stay in 2018 and never come into our new year, and what should we bring with us? So he asks the question, should old acquaintance, should the hurts, the history, the pain, the past, should all the things of the past, what should come, what should stay? And I wanna encourage you today, the Bible has a lot of messages and scriptures around the idea of old and new. I want you to move on from three old things, and I wanna show you how, and then we'll take you on the journey this year if you're willing to take the ride. I think we all need to move on from old history. You need to go to that spot and just click clear history. It doesn't even need to be on the hard drive anymore. I'm talking about the divorces, the bankruptcies, the health issues, that event, and you know what event I'm talking about, that event that still defines you. It's how you view yourself through the lens of something that was tragic or painful or hard, and that's like who you are. No, no, no, it doesn't have to be. In fact, the Bible goes on and says forget. You say, Chris, come on, that's the problem with the Bible. That makes it sound so easy. Yeah, but you can actually. God gives you the power. Try on your own and you'll be in trouble, but you can forget the former things and do not dwell on the past. And God comes along and says, hey, if you'll let me, I'll bring you into a new year I'll take you on this journey. See, I'm doing a new thing. It springs up right now. Actually, it's right now. And then the Bible asks a question. I feel it as a pastor. Don't you see it? Don't you see it? And I think that's the role I'm supposed to play in your life, is help you see it and then be-beep you. And for some of you, I hope you hear it as a... Come on, let's go. We're gonna miss, both of us gonna miss the light unless you go, right? I'm making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Second thing, many of you need to walk away from, be healed from, let God make, it just needs to be a part of the past and stay in the previous year. And it's time for a bunch of us to move on from our old habits, our habits. I'm talking about our addictions. Some of you have allowed too much stuff in your life. You've got addicted to your phones. You've gotten addicted to your computers. You've gotten addicted to certain foods perhaps. You've gotten addicted to a certain language. It's all of a sudden little swearing showing up in your language. Now it's becoming routine. You're saying it on accident now. You picked up some... some bad habits. Say, Chris, what do you do with a bad habit? I'm gonna tell you one of the most powerful things about these 21 days of prayer and fasting that we're entering into is the fasting part. And you ought not get real legalistic with it, and it doesn't always need to be around the idea of food. I'm talking about anything in your life that, you know what, I'm just not gonna let that master me. I mean, I am for sweets. Can I get a good amen, everybody? But sweets ain't gonna master me. Now, for the past two months, they have mastered me, right? But I'm gonna tell you over this next month, I'm not having any. Why, because I don't want it? No, I want it really badly, actually. But I can't let it master my life. It's okay for it to be in my life, but not at the level it is right now. And some of you guys have that. Some of you guys need to lay your phones down or lay your social media down for 21 days. Some of you, whatever it is, you know what? I need to fast. It's powerful, fasting is a powerful. People ask me, what's fasting? Are you punishing yourself to get God's attention? No, that's bad religious teaching. It's not even in the Bible. Fasting is just where I do the best I can to separate from the world while I focus on God. So for me, I'm gonna be off of media, I'm gonna be off of sweets, I've got some other food things that I'm laying aside for. for a number of weeks just to focus on God. And I'll tell you, the Bible talks about it. It's not just the kind of fasting that I've chosen to loose your chains, to untie the cords of the yoke of bondage of your life, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke. I'm gonna tell you, if you'll let it, these 21 days could be a powerful, powerful time. breaking from old habits. And the third is a bunch of us need to just need to move on from old hurts. So like you're wounded and it hurts. And it's again defining your life, that person, what they said they did. Said, Pastor Chris, what you gonna do about that? You ready for the answer? Nothing. It happened. The eggs are scrambled. What do you do? You move on. It's time, can I change it? I look back over my life, I was doing some reflecting in the last week of December, and there were just things, I thought, Lord, if I could just had a do over on that, I would have not messed that up. I've disappointed that person here, I did this here. Oh Lord, if I could just have a second, I can't though. So what do you do? You make the page clean. In fact, here's how the Bible says it, if anyone is a Christian, any Christians in the room today, anybody? If you're a Christian, this is what your life should be marked by, that when you're in Christ, the new creation has come. You're a brand new creation. The old has gone, the new is here, and all of this is from God, who, notice the word that I highlighted here, who, Reconciled, our word for the year last year. Reconciled us to himself through Christ. What does reconciled mean? Reconciled means to bring the balance to zero. So for the balance to be brought to a zero means there was a balance. Sorry, there's a balance in my life. There was sin and things that I did, others did to me, it's there. But what God does, he comes along, come on somebody, and he'll just bring your balance to zero. Why not, why not? Beep, beep. Beep, beep, let's go. Let him clean you from that once and for all. In fact, in your notes there, I can't start the next chapter if I keep rereading the last one. And a bunch of it's just, we're still defined by history, habits, and hurts. So what do we do? What do we do? Well, the beautiful thing about my job is this is not a motivational speech. And there's power available for your life to be changed. In fact, I was reading, I really never even taught this verse this way. That when Jesus, I was reading in the one-year Bible, and it just, it's funny how you can read the same scriptures year after year, and something will come alive to you afresh, and it happened as I was reading in Matthew four. In fact, both John the Baptist and Jesus had the exact same message. that when Jesus, of course, lived his life, 30 years, we don't really get much from him at all. We get his birth, and then nothing for 30 years. He's preparing himself for ministry, to live three years of ministry. Of course, he arrives on the scene being baptized, and we offer water baptism so you can follow your Lord in the example he set for us in water baptism that happens at every campus today. and then he prayed and fasted, and then he went on doing his ministry, but he had a message. In fact, the Bible says it this way, from that time on, Jesus began to preach. Metaneo, metaneo, it's a Greek word. Meta, of course, means change. Change what? Change my mind. He looked at people and he says, repent. Change your mind, your thinking's bad. Change your mind, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. Change your mind. So we've made this such a negative word. This is, people that's hearing the word repent, they think you're a mean Christian, because they've seen the guy on the park bench or at the football game, standing at the corner yelling at you, repent, you're going to, And in Alabama, you go into hail, two syllables, hail, hail, you're just gonna turn or burn, that's where you're going. No, that's not the word. It's actually one of the most positive words in the Bible, that you can change your mind. Does that fix it all? Watch what he does if you'll just take that first step. Repent, and repent for what? For the kingdom of heaven. This jumped out at me. I've never taught this before. The kingdom of heaven. And when I read that, I thought, that's it. The problem with a lot of us is, we the king of our own kingdom. And some of y'all need a new king. Like, you've been the worst king of your kingdom. And that's all you need to do is change your mind, say, you know, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm not gonna call the shots from my life anymore. I'm getting me a new king. I'm gonna step out of the kingdom of Chris Hodges and in the kingdom of heaven. And I'm gonna follow God's way, whether I like it, agree with it, or what. I'm just gonna follow knowing he knows the right way. Come on, say amen right there. This is what you do. And here's the last thing that I saw. I mean, it's funny how in one little sentence, I saw three little points. Because not only do we repent, change our mind, and not only do we get a new king, But I want you to see this last word, and that is that it's near. The kingdom of heaven, when Jesus stepped on the scene, he says, hey, and it's not as far as you thought it was, and it's not as hard as you thought it was. Somebody needs to hear this, look in my eyes, I want you to hear this. It's not as hard as you think it is. You have made it in your mind, boy, if I go all in with God, if I really, no, no, no, it's not as hard as you think it is, and he's a lot close, he's close. He's closer than you think he is. He's closer than you think He is if you'll just go after Him. I think it's time. And I wanna encourage you to start this series, I think it's time to make a change in four areas. And here's the first one, I think it's time, I think it's time for you to just go ahead and get closer to God. Well, pastor, I already love Jesus. Yeah, get closer though, get closer. I love God. I don't know that I've ever loved him more than I love him right now, but it's time for the pastor who's speaking to you right now to get closer to God. In fact, during these 21 days, you're gonna see me leading a lot, and that's not because our other pastors and campus pastors aren't qualified. They're more than qualified to do it. I just wanna do it. I wanna do it for you, and I wanna do it for me. I am gonna jump in, and I've determined I am going after God in these 21 days harder than I ever have in my entire life, and you're gonna see it. And I think, honestly, I think I'm supposed to set that example. Here's somebody who's been in ministry 35 years, been a Christian 40 years, and you're gonna see me running after him like I got saved last night. And you need to do the same thing. I know this is pretty confrontational, and if you're new, just relax, but I felt emboldened. Be beep. Let's go. You're gonna miss the light, and it's green. and it's time for you to get close to God. The Bible says, come close to God, notice you have the first step. Come close to God, and God just, all right, all right, all right, okay, okay, okay. Wash your hands, go through a process, and we're gonna do that in the first two weeks. First week of our 21 days, all about Jesus. Second week, all about God's doing this purifying work inside of us. Third week, all about intercession. We're gonna pray for everything we know of on the planet Earth. but wash your hands, purify your hearts, watch this, for your loyalty has become divided between God and the world. Man, that convicted me when I read that. Yeah, God, I've let my loyalties go to some other places, other things, but not for the next 21. And I'm telling you, Chris, this sounds so radical. It takes that. I think one of the problems for us seeing the change in our life that we want, or getting the best version of us, is we keep thinking it's supposed to be just so easy. Y'all, 19 years ago, I found myself in the year January 2000, so depressed. You know this story. So far, just messed up in a lot of ways. And our church had always done 21 days of prayer and fasting. I just decided this time, and I'm not putting this on anybody and not even suggesting it, but I was supposed to do a total fast, just literally a water-only fast. I was scared to death. I did check with medical stuff. I even talked to my parents, and I was a grown man, but I wanted to get accountability in this area. And I did this total fast, and it was very hard and very rewarding. at the same time. But I remember, of course, day 17, I saw what I'm looking at right now. Didn't know what city it was in. I saw this auditorium, exactly shaped, exactly what I'm seeing right now. And of course, the rest is what they call history, right? I mean, because God moved in a great way. But I think it happened because I didn't just do what I'd always done. And I want to say this to somebody today. If you want something you've never had, then you've got to do something you've never done before. So I don't know what that means for you. And take all the precautions, whatever type of fasting you do, but listen to me. Some of you never even showed up at church all year long. Show up. What would it look like if you went to 52 Sundays? Can I answer the question? Your life would be better. Is this okay if I'm a little strong today? What would happen if you came to all 21 days? I'm gonna tell you, your life would be better. If you want something you ever had, you've gotta do something you never done. Here's the second thing. It's time, it's just time. It's time for some of you to really get honest with a friend. It's time for you to share your secrets with at least one other person. Because I've got news for you. You're not gonna be able to get to where you wanna go, just you and even just you and God. Because God didn't design it that way. God designed how we respond so much better with the word, put in your notes you note takers, accountability. You need a partner. You need someone taking the journey with you. As you can probably notice, I love to eat. Actually, I think it's one of my spiritual gifts. I'm so good at it, right? I'm from South Louisiana, and I just, I love it, right? And I work out. I know it's surprising to you, but I do work out. But I just do not like it. I have never liked a workout in my entire life. Those people who had those runners high, I like, I want to punch them in the face. Like, how'd you get that? How did you? I've never. The only time I'm happy is when it's over. Can I get an amen? Right? So I struggle with it, I do work out some, but honestly, I talk myself out of most of it. Well, I decided, I told Tammy, I said, it's time for me to get some accountability in this area, and I found me this little personal trainer class deal, and I went in there, and what they offer is you just pay them session by session, right? Like if you come here, you pay whatever the class session is. And I said, no, we can't do it that way. I need to pay you for two months. And I wrote him a check for two months of classes, because I know. See, some of y'all don't know me. I am probably frugal to a fault. I mean, like, I'm so tight. And now that brother's got my money, right? Y'all hearing me, everybody? And I'm gonna go just because he got my money. And I've been four times already, I've already got a little head start, and I'm driving over there, I'm driving there fussing the whole way, like, ah, it's not, it's not. But the brother got my money. Come on, somebody, are y'all hearing me? And it's only been four sessions, but it's been so good. Hopefully you're gonna see a little bit better version of me physically, you know, because it's important. But I knew I was never gonna be able to get there alone, and I wasn't. And for some of you, you're never gonna be able to get there alone. That's why we are a church of groups. That's why groups matter to us so much. And by the way, in four Sundays, on February 3rd, our anniversary Sunday, where we turn, how old will we be now? We'll be old. Anyway, so 18 years old as a church, we're gonna launch groups. And you need to be in a group. And a bunch of you need to lead a group. In fact, some of you need to lead a group just for the accountability that you're gonna get by leading. Because I'm promising you, you're gonna pray harder knowing them people are getting ready to come over to your house. Hello, are y'all listening to me? Some of you need to do it, like I don't even have a heart for others, I'm just doing this for me, I'm leading, you know, right? You need to set something in motion and get honest with somebody. The Bible says confess your sins not to God. I mean, you do to God, but you also, but the Bible says confess your sins to each other and pray for each other and that's how you're gonna find the healing. and you need a partner, you need a friend, and you need to go ahead and set your mind to it that that's what's gonna make 2019 better. In fact, if you wanna go fast, go alone, but if you wanna go far, you need to go with somebody else. Here's the third thing, and that is I think it's time, it's just time for you to get in tune with your real purpose and your real passions. Now some of you pursued purpose and passions and it hadn't scratched the itch. You know why? It's not your real purpose and it's not your real passion. In fact, Galatians, I've never taught this verse before. This is brand new. I've never really, I've never dug into the truth of this scripture that if anyone thinks they're something, but they're not that thing, they're something else, they deceive themselves. So then that's where frustration comes from. That each one should test Our actions, what that literally means is look deep inside of how God made you to see who you really are. And then, and only then, can you take pride, and that's a good kind of pride, in yourself. Without comparing yourself to how somebody else is living their life. Some of you would be so much better off if you just walked through life knowing I know who I am. And that's why I would love to take you on the journey. We have worked very, very hard for the past two months to lay out programming for this year that will help you grow and help you become the best version of yourself. And we don't include one event that's not necessary. So like next month, during the Valentine's season, we're gonna have a marriage conference. Every married couple, you need to come. Register, let's go. Come on, we're gonna be at 10. 10 of our campuses are gonna host it. Let's go. We're not gonna take the easy route. We're gonna find out who we are. In fact, the way I like to say this, you don't wanna go through life, you wanna grow through life. Don't go through life. It's just gonna be another year, you'll be back here next year, right? No. Because I'm gonna grow through it, I'm gonna follow the program, I'm gonna get involved. And that's why today is the best day to start. You can get on step one of our growth track today, today, just do it today. And it's our membership class, and then next week we'll be getting into your actions and how God made you. I just need four Sundays. Your campus pastor will tell you when it is at your location, but just, let's go, it's time, let's go, let's go. Here's the last one. And that is, I believe it's time to get on doing something that actually matters. Now, I've declared 2019 as a year of joy. And some of you, I know you've wondered, how in the world can you make such a claim? And I wanna tell you how. Because joy does not come in making money, sunny days, great politics, nice neighbors. No, no, no. Real joy comes from its inner. It's when you know you're on a God-driven adventure. It's when you do something with your life that you know that actually mattered. I promise you, real joy comes in purpose and passion. That's where it comes from. And I wanna show it to you, just a different translation. God creates each one of us by Christ Jesus to join Him. in a work, so don't look for the easy route again. There it is again. It's work. I think sometimes I've actually failed you in making things sound so easy. Oh, just give them Dream Team, you'll love it. Like, no, Pastor, this is work. But actually, it is work. But it's a good work. It's the kind of work where you lay your head down at night thinking, okay, that's how that's done. He's gotten us ready for it to do the work we actually better get to doing. The way I like to say it is, if I'll dedicate my life to something greater than myself, God will fill my life with passion and adventure. And that's where real joy comes from. But as I was kind of finishing this message, and I was so fired up, man, I could go bear hunting with a switch. I was so fired up just thinking about this for you. As I was praying, I actually had this moment in my prayer time where I had a grieving moment. And I was grieving for people who are still grieving. You're grieving for something to happen that you wish would have never happened, or a mistake that you wish you'd have never done. But you're just in a place, and you're looking in the rear view mirror, and you don't know the light screen. Beep, beep. And I wanna just say something to you, I want you to take it to heart, and then I really feel led to take just a moment and pray for every one of you who are trapped by something in your 2018 and before. That I cannot, write it down if you're taking notes, I cannot go back and change the beginning, I cannot. I wish I could, but I can't. But I can start where I am and change the ending. That you need to know you serve a God who is the only one who has the ability to do this. And my prayer is that today you decide that it's time. Father, I thank you for every person who's at one of our locations today. And I pray for them, and I pray in this moment, these closing moments that we have together, that you would begin a process of healing them and letting them really step out of the things of the past and step into the best version of themselves. And just close your eyes, forget the people around you, and just receive this. So, Father, bring healing for the person who's grieving, for the person you put on my heart, God, who is really just literally in tears over what has happened. God, I pray that you set them free. God, give them just the power, the grace, the strength to step out, to let the auld lang syne, the days of the past be the days of the past. God, I pray for hope in life. You're doing a new thing. Thank you for reconciliation. Thank you, God, that you really had the only ability to not only forgive our sins, but to cleanse us from them. Heads bowed, eyes are closed at every location. You're here today at one of our campuses, and you've been the king of your own kingdom. You might even be a Christian, but you know God's not running your life. You're running your own life, and you're ready. You're ready to let this first Sunday of a brand new year be the day. It's like you're putting a stake in the ground that I'm turning my life toward God. I'm gonna change my mind. I'm getting me a new king today. Because God is here and he's near. Now I'm not gonna make you stand up and I'm not gonna have you come to the front. This is between you and God. But I think you need to do some action. I think you need to let, I think you need to be, I think this requires boldness. And if you're here today at any one of our campuses, and you wanna be included in this prayer, say, I'm ready. Without hesitation, are you ready? Come on, without hesitation, slip your hand up and say, count me in that closing prayer. Come on, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, good, good. All over this room, literally, looks like 100 hands that lifted it here at Grant's Mill, just all over this room. Thank you, come on, be bold. It's time, it's time, it's time for a new king. You lifted your hand, pray this prayer with me right there where you are, see? Say, Jesus, be my king. Forgive me for my attempt to be my own king. Be the Lord of my life. Come live inside of me and begin the work, your work, of the best version of me. Today I repent, I change my mind, and I change my king. and I'm following your plan and your way, because I believe you are God. Today, I put my faith in you. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Grant Smith, I want you to say congratulations to a bunch of people who just prayed an amazing prayer.