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PASTOR BRYAN L CARTER Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbryanlcar…
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Shire is a wife and mom first but put a
Bible in her hand and a message in her
heart and you’ll see why thousands meet
God and Powerful personal ways at her
conferences and through her bible study
resources she is the New York Times
best-selling author of more than two
dozen books and has had featured roles
in movies like war room I can only
imagine and overcomer
Priscilla and her husband of 23 years
Jerry Shire leaked going Beyond
Ministries through which they provide
spiritual support and resources to the
body of Christ they counted as a
privilege to serve every denomination
and culture across the spectrum of the
church their greatest joy has been
raising three young adult sons Jackson
Jerry Jr and Jude Concord help us
welcome Priscilla Shire
good morning family
[Applause]
it’s a pleasure to be with you this
morning to have an opportunity to share
with
the Concord church and for those of you
who don’t know I just go to church like
one mile from here just down the street
at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church and
so for all these many decades we’ve just
been in the same community in the same
orbit doing life and community and
church together so it feels like I’m at
home with family
um and so it’s a pleasure to be able to
to serve you today thank you for having
me I can’t um let the opportunity pass
by to celebrate your pastors and leaders
Brian and Stephanie Carter they are
incredible people
they’re incredible people and really the
Lord must love y’all that he let you
have pastors that actually have
integrity like they do Integrity in
their marriage and their family their
ministry that’s a big deal
that’s a big deal
and we’re grateful for them I told the
first service that um Jerry and I are
just just about 24 years into being
married now and the first couple of
years
thank you the first couple of years that
we were married we would go out with
friends but really
it was like my friend like I was friends
with her and then she was married and so
basically I was setting my husband up on
play dates and about two or three years
into our marriage he looked at me and
said stop setting me up on these play
dates
I don’t want to meet your friends
husbands and be set up with them so we
stopped hanging out with people and I
prayed for a long time that the Lord
would give us a couple
where the four of us were really knitted
together in our hearts and the Lord
answered that prayer for us with Brian
and Stephanie Carter
so for a lot of years now a lot of years
now we’ve really just done life together
and that’s been a blessing to us so it
feels like a gift to be able to serve
them in this way on this morning I’m
excited about God’s word and to share
just what I think is a simple yet
important and profound challenge with
you this morning it’s been a challenge
for me so I’m hoping it will encourage
you as well this morning you all ready
let’s pray Lord Jesus I thank you for
your word that it is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword
father I pray that you would take the
words of my mouth and the meditations of
my heart make them acceptable to you
father build up your people today
we’re your sons and your daughters and
we’re listening Lord we came for a word
from you
speak
in Jesus name
amen
amen
it was September in 2008 some of you may
remember
when a hurricane named Ike swept through
it caused extensive damage 110 mile per
hour per hour winds ripped through towns
across Texas but there was one that was
the hardest hit it’s a little town
called Gilcrest this little town is a
community that boasts about 200 homes or
so it’s not a big town not a big
Community but it’s where a lot of people
in the latter years of their life
decided that they would go so that they
could have a little respite and peace
during the retirement years of their
life so they went to this little
Beachside Community called Gilchrist so
that they could have peace but y’all
know how life is
the storm came in 2008 I came through
and devastated the community in fact the
aftermath was so devastating that people
that visited the neighborhood 24 hours
after the storm
said that this little Beach town
community was almost completely
unrecognizable what once had been
friendly sidewalks and detailed
landscape Lawns and brightly colored
small homes right there on the shoreline
of the water had been completely wiped
out
there was very little that even gave a
nod to the fact that there had been
history there that there had been a
neighborhood there
of the 200 homes that had been standing
the day before
199 of them had been wiped out by the
storm
it’s a completely odd and devastating
and even shocking sight to look at this
neighborhood because there’s only one
house after the storm that remained
man if I had time this morning I’d tell
you just about the owners of this house
because they really gave Testament to
the fact that the only reason they think
their house still stood is because they
had been through previous storms and as
a result of having been through previous
storms they had called in a master
architect a master builder and had asked
them to help them to retrofit their home
to fortify it more securely so that for
future storms they would be able to
stand
and after Ike they were the only house
that remained
the reality is that if you look closely
at that image you will see and think
about the fact that honestly sadly that
picture mirrors the landscape of a lot
of our own lives
because when you look around you you’ll
notice that there are a whole lot of
people who started with you who you can
realize now actually weren’t building
houses that were meant to last
they talked a good game at the beginning
they meant well maybe they had good
intentions but the storm came and their
houses ain’t still standing
they made the vows to be committed maybe
to the marriage that they were building
the family that they had been entrusted
with the ministry that the Lord was
birthing through them the business that
they were starting maybe as single men
and women you started out together
deciding to walk in Integrity but over
time you realize that everybody’s house
ain’t still standing
and the landscape of Our Lives is dotted
with houses that have been collapsing
one after the other as people have not
been able to weather the storm
I want to talk to you this morning about
remaining about being faithful over the
course of time about having houses that
still stand not just in one season and
not just in the next and not just for
one year or for two not just through one
storm or just a couple but over the
seasons of Life on mountaintops and
through valleys you and I have got to be
committed and making sure that that
which the Lord has entrusted to us the
assignments he’s given us the Endeavors
that he has put in our hearts to build
for his glory that in the end our houses
are still intact
where are the Saints who will remain
where are the Saints who will be
faithful where are the people who’ve
decided that come hell or high water
I’ve made my decision that as for me and
my house what we’re going to do is we’re
going to serve the Lord
the political landscape may change and
the stock market May Clump plummet and
cultural ideals May shift but I’ve
decided that my hope is built on nothing
less
but Christ and his faithfulness to me
and that we will be faithful over the
course of time
y’all so many people are jumping ship
have you noticed
so many people have decided that they
are going to leave their marriage or
give up on the parent the parenting
Endeavor that God has given them with
their children dreamers are throwing in
the towel on dreams God entrusted to
them ministers are quitting what they
said was a calling why is it such a
rarity to find people who’ve just
decided to stay
who’ve just decided to be faithful
and in a room this size and with so many
people I know who are not only in the
room but probably also watching online I
it would be remiss of me to think that
there are so many of us from so many
diverse backgrounds and experiences and
Dynamics different seasons and
generations of life that there are so
many of us probably more than a few who
honestly if the truth be told on this
Sunday morning you are on the brink of
jumping ship
because right now this season of your
life if we were to take this little
microphone and just start right here in
the front and pass it all the way to the
back all of us could give testimony of
hardship maybe that we are currently
facing or have just come out of
and the reality is that all of us in
this room are in one of three places
you’re either right smack dab in the
middle of a storm you’re on your way
into one or you’re on your way out of
one
because it’s the nature of the life we
live and maybe this Sunday Morning has
to make you at a time where honestly you
have said to the Lord if you yourself
don’t tell me to hang on that I’m
throwing in the towel
and I just believe that possibly the
Holy Spirit just sent me over from
Arlington Texas just to tell you in the
name of Jesus Christ stay
remain
be faithful
keep your hand to the plow
keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
have integrity
have character and remain
y’all the older and older I get the less
impressed I am with the with the famous
and the more impressed I am with the
faithful
the people who’ve just gone the distance
they may not be famous but they’ve
remained
they may not be rich but they’ve
remained they may not be applauded by
the masses but they’ve remained
they may not have millions of followers
on Facebook or best-selling books but
they ain’t concerned about that they
just trying to be steadfast
unmoved and always abounding in the work
of the Lord brothers and sisters stay
John writes about staying
over and over throughout his gospel over
40 times in the book of The Gospel of
John he writes the word abide
that’s the word for remain
stay
dwell
dig your roots deep and Be steady
and then in his letters first second and
third John three Epistles Scholars call
those the remaining Trio
the remaining or staying trifecta
because over and over again in first
second and third John he keeps writing
this about this challenge to us to
remain to be faithful to stay in the
good times but also especially in the
bad times to stay over the course of
time
so I want to read a couple of verses to
you from first John chapter 2. I’m going
to read verse 13 and 14 and then verse
28. it says this
I am writing to you fathers because you
know him who has been from the beginning
I have written two young men because you
have overcome the evil one I have
written to you children because you know
the father it’s so important that he
repeats it almost verbatim in verse 14.
I have written to you fathers because
you know him who has been from the
beginning I have written two young men
because you are strong and the word of
God abides in you and you have overcome
the evil one and then verse 28.
and now little children here’s our word
abide in him some of your translations
might say remain in him
so that when he appears we may have
confidence and not shrink away from him
at his coming
John says I’m going to tell you right
now what the catalyst is for the reason
why I’m telling you to remain what the
reason is what your why will be as to
whether or not you will choose I will
choose to be faithful over the course of
time he says abide remain stay be
faithful build a house that will last
over the course of time and he says I’m
going to tell you why verse 28 because
Jesus is coming
right that’s why
because Jesus is on the way
y’all listen I don’t mean in theory
I mean the sky is going to split
I’m telling you the trumpet is going to
sound
I’m telling you Jesus is coming back and
when he returns we’re gonna have to look
our savior in his eyes and give an
account
for what we did with this life that he
entrusted to us
first we’re going to have to answer the
question whether or not we were in
relationship with God by placing faith
in Jesus Christ and then right after we
seal that the next thing will be was
that the Lord will look at our lives to
see whether or not the houses he
entrusted to us are still standing
whether or not we were faithful with the
time the talent and the treasures that
he gave us on this side of Eternity John
says the reason why you want to make
sure your house is still intact over
time is because
eternity is in view
and when eternity is constantly in our
view brothers and sisters when we’re
reminded of the fact that one day Jesus
is going to return and by the way I
think that day is coming sooner than we
think
he says when you keep eternity and view
it changes the way you deal with the
stuff of Earth the decisions that you
make the responses and reactions that
you give to people the words that you
use the steps that you take the forward
motion that you determine in your
businesses and in your Ministries and in
your relationships with your spouses and
with your children and your
grandchildren he says you’re going to
want to build a house that is firm and
solid and that stands over the course of
time because you’re going to have to
give an account
for this house of yours
did you notice that in verse 13 and 14
John actually deals very specifically
with the fact in fact he recognizes that
there are stages and seasons of this
remaining of being faithful he
recognizes the fact that every season of
life isn’t going to be the same he says
I’m writing to you little children then
he says I’m writing to you young men
that’s adolescence then he says I’m
writing to you fathers he acknowledges
that there are stages and seasons of
Life seasons of development progression
maturity that one season will lend
itself to different hardships or
difficulties or Joys or Sorrows than
another there are different storms that
come in different seasons of life but he
says I’m writing to you in each stage so
that you will remain wherever you are in
whatever season or stage you find
yourself in on this Sunday morning he
says I’m challenging you to remain there
until God releases you so that you can
have a sturdy house that will remain
over the course of time I figure that
for just a few moments what you and I
can do is just look at these three
stages of faithfulness so that we can
see where we are in the progression the
bottom of verse 13 the last line of
verse 13 starts us out he says I have
written to you children
and he says here’s why I’m writing to
you when you’re in that phase of your
growth I’m writing to you children
because
you have come to know the father
he says I’m writing to you when you’re
in the infancy stage the word in the
original language that he used that is
translated children refers to an infant
think about what babies do they rest on
the shoulders of the one who loves them
the most they don’t produce they don’t
generate they don’t offer much they just
relax in the Embrace of the one who gave
birth to them they learn to know the
voice of their mother or father they
learn to know that they can be covered
and taken care of and nourished and
provided by the one who gave them life
he says I’m writing to you little
children when you’re in the infancy
stage in any season or any dynamic in
your life maybe you just came to know
Christ just savior you’re just starting
out on this spiritual journey or you
just started putting feet to the dream
God has entrusted to you for that
entrepreneurial Endeavor or you’re just
starting out in the ministry building
the ministry that God has given you or
the two of you just walked down and said
I do you’re just starting this family
you’re in some infancy stage in your
life he says I’m writing to you little
children when you’re in that phase
because the whole goal to build a solid
foundation for this house of yours the
whole goal of your life when you’re in
the infancy stage should be verse 13 to
come to know who your daddy is
there’s no way the foundation of your
house will be firm unless you know your
father
Jerry and I as was mentioned um you saw
a picture of us with our boys
three boys that we got an opportunity to
travel a whole lot with through their
lifetime with Ministry we’ve just been
traveling a lot we homeschool them for a
lot of years so that they could come on
the journey with us and one of the
places we got to take them about five
years ago was to Cape Town South Africa
and because we were homeschooling I
planned what they were learning based on
the fact that I knew they were going to
get to go to Cape Town we knew a year in
advance that we were going to go so we
saved up money for them to go man we
thought this might be a once in a
lifetime thing let’s take the boys with
us and so we saved up the money to go we
plan homeschooling around it so I was
thinking okay we’re going to learn about
the apartheid Museum or the apartheid
movement we’re going to learn about
Nelson Mandela we’re going to look at
the geography of Table Mountain and
lion’s head and maybe even see some
animals in online that are indigenous to
that particular area and my goal was
that six weeks later when we went there
we would actually see those things in
person
so we took the boys and I think that
they thought they were going on vacation
not today you waking up every day and
seeing whatever there is to see over
here in this good Cape Town we’re going
to milk this experience so I was waking
up early in the morning they had
attitudes about having to get up they
thought they were just going to be
relaxing in the hotel and I was like no
you’re gonna see all this and you’re
going to be happy about it and one day
you’re gonna rise up and call me blessed
shucks
so I’m dragging them all around me and
Jerry and making them see Table Mountain
let’s go to the top of Table Mountain
let’s go to the apartheid Museum let’s
take this little ferry over to Robin
Island so we can see where Nelson
Mandela was in prison for all those
years and one of the things that we did
was we woke up before the sun came up
one morning and we traveled two hours
outside of Cape Town so we could do a
little half day Safari I wanted them to
possibly and I wanted to see some
animals that maybe we’d only seen online
so we got to miss open face Jeep there
was a very bubbly guy that was our our
guide he sat at the front of the Jeep
and we began to go around this safari
park we saw lots of animals that we had
never ever seen before in person
and I remember specifically though when
we stopped by a herd of zebra and I can
consciously remember thinking when that
when the dude pulled up to the zebra I
remember thinking I hope he don’t spend
a whole lot of time talking about these
zebra because we can see zebra at the
Dallas Zoo down the street we don’t need
an explanation about the zebra but after
he stopped and explained what was on his
mind to share I was so glad he did
he pointed out a baby a foal that was
with the herd he said y’all see that
baby zebra right there he says I’m
stopping at the zebra to point out that
baby because this is the first time I’ve
seen the baby back with the herd since
the baby was born two or three weeks ago
and he said I want to tell y’all why
he said the stripes on every single
zebra are as unique to each zebra as
thumbprints on human beings
you can’t see it with the naked eye but
particularly the configuration of
Stripes that are right there in the
middle of the forehead of every zebra it
is just as distinct as fingerprints on
human beings
so when a new baby zebra is Born the
mother will take that foal aside from
the herd for the first two or three
weeks of his or her life because her
whole goal is to make sure that her baby
is not distracted by all the
configuration of Stripes that are on the
foreheads of all the other zebra the
mother wants to bait the baby to just
zero in on the stripes that are on her
forehead so that when she brings the
baby back to all the other stripes the
baby will not be confused ever about the
configuration of Stripes that actually
belongs to the one who gave him life
John says the whole reason why you want
to take time to get to know who your
father is is because y’all we live in a
day and age that are trying to present
to us a whole bunch of closely
configured stripes
and if you’re not careful you’re gonna
get played for the fool
you’re gonna have to know that by his
stripes and his stripes alone are the
ones by which you have been healed
[Applause]
you’re gonna have to know who your
father is you’re going to have to know
his character you’re gonna have to know
the sound of his voice you’re going to
have to know the what the way he related
to to Moses and Joshua and Ruth and
Esther in them you don’t have to see him
in the New Testament as the word became
flesh and dwelt among them and they got
to behold his glory the glory of the
only begotten full of grace and full of
truth and the reason why you’re going to
have to know is so that when the culture
presents to you a new modernized version
of this Jesus
the one who is silent against Injustice
and has lowered his standard of Holiness
you need to be able to see that version
and say Ah that’s not who he is because
I know who he was
you need to have taken time to really
get to know who your father is John says
don’t circumvent this part of the
process
infancy is for intimacy it’s for you to
get to know who your daddy is
and those of you on this youth Sunday
that our young people in the house of
God listen don’t circumvent or negate
this part of the process don’t succumb
to the pressure that you need to be
something other than where you are right
now just getting to know who your daddy
is in this hustle grind culture that’s
telling all of us we have to produce
more and do more and be more nope
sometimes we just need to sit down
somewhere and get to know who our daddy
is
pediatricians will tell you not to
bounce babies too early on their legs to
resist the temptation to put too much
pressure on their legs too soon because
even the most minute amount of pressure
too soon because their bones are still
malleable and soft can cause just a
slight Distortion in their spine and you
won’t see it initially it’s over years
it’s as they mature it’s as their body
grows you will see they just have a
little bit the slightest little limp in
their step because there was too much
pressure put on them too soon
and y’all we have a generation of young
people who had too much pressure put on
them too soon
and you don’t see it initially it’s
later on there in their lives when
they’re walking with a spiritual limp
with their morality is off their
conscience is skewed it’s because they
didn’t take time to just get to know who
their daddy is
you need to just know that in Genesis
he’s the Breath of Life
you need to see him in Exodus as the
Passover Lamb you need to come to know
him in Leviticus as your high priest you
need to know that in numbers he’s the
fire by night and a Deuteronomy he is
Israel’s guide you need to see him in
Joshua as salvation’s choice and in
judges as Israel’s guard you need to
know that in Ruth he is the kinsman
redeemer you need to have seen him in
first and second Samuel as our trusted
Prophet you need to know that in Kings
and Chronicles he is Sovereign you need
to have seen him and Ezra as the true
and faithful scribe and in Nehemiah as
the one who rebuilds walls and rebuilds
lives you need to know that an Esther he
is your courage and in job he’s the
Timeless Redeemer you need to have taken
time to see him in Psalms as your
morning song and in Proverbs as your
wisdom you need to have seen that an
easy ecclesiastics he’s a time and he is
a season and the Song of Solomon he’s
The Lover’s Dream in Isaiah he’s the
prince of peace and Jeremiah he’s the
weeping prophet and lamentation he’s the
cry for Israel and Esther he’s the call
from sin and Daniel he’s the stranger in
the fire in Hosea he’s the forever
faithful you need to know that in Joel
he’s the spirit’s power and Amos he’s
the strong arms that carry and Obadiah
he’s the Lord our savior in Jonah he’s
the great missionary and Micah he’s the
promise of peace and name he’s our
strengthened shield in habakkukins
Zephaniah he brings Revival and that guy
you need to know he’s the one who
restores that which was once lost and
kariah he is our Fountain and in Malachi
he’s the son of righteousness Rising
with healing in his wings
and y’all that’s just who he is in the
Old Testament
because the truth is if you wait about
400 years
and you just flip over a couple of pages
you’ll see that in Matthew Mark Luke and
John he’s not just God now he’s your
Messiah
and in the Spirit-filled book of Acts
he’s the reigning fire from heaven in
Romans he’s the grace of God Corinthians
he’s the power of love in Galatians he’s
freedom from the curse of sin in
Ephesians he’s our glorious treasure in
Philippians he’s the servant’s heart in
Colossians he’s God and the trinity in
Thessalonians he’s our calling King in
Timothy Titus and Philemon he shows up
as our mediator and our faithful Pastor
in Hebrews he’s the everlasting courage
in James he’s the one who will still
heal you when you’re sick and first and
second Peter he’s our faithful Shepherd
and in John and Jude he’s the lover
coming for his bride and in the
Revelation in the very end when it’s all
over and said and done he was and is and
will always be the first the last the
beginning and the end
that’s who he is
[Applause]
amen
[Applause]
take time to get to know who your daddy
is
remain here till he releases you
because if you abort this part of the
process you will have no character
your foundation won’t be solid
and let me tell you something at the
spotlight that you’re craving if it hits
you and you have no character it will
burn you to a crisp
John says the reason why you’re going to
need to have a sturdy character in your
fledgling stages is because you are
going to grow up and become young men
young women he’s referring to puberty
here he’s referring to adolescence
he says you’ll know when you’re in this
stage verse 13. I am writing to you
young men because you have overcome the
evil one
he reiterated fit in verse 14 and says
I’m writing to you when you’re in the
Adolescent stage because you are strong
this is the stage where you get some
muscle on you
so our boys are huge y’all they’re huge
they’re Giants
they’ve been Giants somebody come help
me feed these people oh my goodness
when they were 13 years old 12 years old
we could tell they were going to be
powerful boys about that age is when
they would all Sprout up to about six
foot two inch tall they were a size 14
men’s shoe they have been big for a long
time and it’s about the time they’re
about 12 years old that I recognize
their their strength how powerful they
are because that’s about the time they
could toss me on the couch when we were
wrestling and they could pin me down and
I realized oh I’m out
like they got me anybody know what I’m
talking about where you realize your
kids got you
and it was about 11 or 12 with each of
our sons where I realized
oh yeah y’all gonna have to wrestle with
your daddy not gonna be able to do it
anymore
it wasn’t until their latter years of
teenage years that their father allowed
their coaches to add weights to their
training
before then he was like no they’re too
young they can do push-ups and stuff but
don’t put any weight on them until
they’re older
once they started lifting weight
the power that was in them started to
take shape on the outside of them
like there were biceps and triceps their
chests were rounded this is when they
started walking around the house with
their shirts off thinking they had swag
I was like boy that’s nasty put your
shirt on
the power was in them
but now it started to be evident on the
outside of them
John says this is the Adolescent stage
you know you’re in it when life is
weighty
when the heaviness of that particular
Dynamic the heaviness of marriage the
heaviness of parenting the struggle in
your finances the struggle on your
business or in your ministry man this
feels like weight that you do not feel
like you have the power or the strength
to keep on lifting he says I’m writing
to you today to remain through this
season because this is the season where
most people jump ship
this is the season where folks start
throwing in the towel and bailing on the
assignment God has given them because
it’s burdensome and it’s weighty but if
you’ll hang in there this is the stage
where you’ve got spiritual muscle coming
to you where the strength that’s in you
this is the stage where it starts to
show up on the outside of you I’m
talking about where folk can look at you
and see that’s a piece that passes all
understanding
but that’s a joy that’s anchored in
something different that they have hope
when everybody else around them and the
culture is hopeless somehow there’s
still a smile that is on their face why
why does she react like that why does he
speak like that why does he walk like
that how is she able to make choices
like that it’s because of the strength
that’s in you is taking shape on the
outside of you
it’s when our faith is not this
intangible thing anymore it’s spiritual
muscle it’s structural Integrity in the
scaffolding of our house that is going
to keep it standing over the course of
time and through the storms of life
don’t give up in this season
if you’re in this season today on this
Sunday morning and things are hard and
you’re just about to throw in the towel
the holy spirit of God says stay
spiritual fortification is coming to
your house right now in Jesus name
and the reason you’ll need a solid
foundation and the reason why you’re
going to need sturdy scaffolding and
fortification in your house is because
he says I’m writing to you
fathers
you’re going to graduate to mothers
please notice that he does not say
adults
he says I’m writing to some spiritual
parents
these are people who have stood the
course of time
they’ve been through some storms and
they have the scars and the wounds and
the bruises to show you when they went
through this hurricane and this hail
storm and this rainstorm and when the
110 mile per hour winds were beating
against their house and yet here they
are in this season of their life and
their house is still standing and
spiritual parents are the one whose
houses are still standing and they’re
willing to fling open the front door and
tell the people who are coming after
them come on in here and sit in my
living room and let me testify to you
about why serving Jesus is still worth
it John says I’m writing to you fathers
because you have known him who has been
from the beginning
this is the same John at the beginning
of his gospel John chapter 1 verse 1 who
said in the beginning was the word and
the Word was with God and the Word was
God he’s talking about Jesus he says we
need some people who have walked with
Jesus long enough that they are able to
declare unashamedly who Jesus is and
that he is still worth serving
we need some people in a culture and in
a time that seeks to generalize God so
that he is one of many options instead
of an unmatched entity without
comparison and with no counterparts we
need some people who are willing to
declare without shame that Jesus is his
name
and that he is still worth serving not
because they heard about him through the
testimony of somebody else no it’s
because their house is still standing
and he is proven in their lives to be
the Chief Cornerstone
we need some spiritual mothers and
fathers in the house of God y’all we’re
not supposed to come to church and
everybody is a millennial
come on there have to be some mothers
and some fathers who can tell the story
who can testify to the fact that he is
the Chief Cornerstone that he’s the lily
of the valley that he’s the one of whom
the prophet spoke and it’s not just
cliches to them they’re telling you
because they’re a living Witness
that Jesus is worth it
those of you who are here at Concord
church and you’ve gone the distance
you’ve been married for a minute you’ve
raised your children you’ve served God
maybe Faithfully at this church I know
there are so many of you I see your
faces you’ve been here for decades
serving God
we say thank you for having houses that
are still standing
because your stability and your
faithfulness allows those of us who are
looking on to see that Jesus is worth it
and for those of you young people who
are in the house or you’re just starting
out in some season of your life know
that he is faithful
he’s worth serving and he is faithful
and he is able to present you faultless
before the throne with exceeding great
joy He will carry you he will sustain
you he will keep you until you see him
face to face
he’s worth it
so brothers and sisters
be faithful
whatever assignment the Lord has
entrusted to you put your hands to the
plow and don’t look back
many of you know that my mother went
home to be with the lord it’s been three
years ago now unbelievably
and in the last six weeks of her life we
kind of all knew she knew
these would probably be her last days
with us
the four of us kids our kids and then
one of those kids has kids so my
mother’s great-grandchildren crowded
around her room down the street here in
our childhood home where dad still lives
we were just there laying on the bed
hanging out with her all the kids and
grand kids piled together and in those
last days
when she could speak to us
she was basically
passing the Baton of faith
look in us in our eyes and saying
don’t you dare drop this baton
that in the face of death
her house of Faith was still standing
that she refused to let even the biggest
disappointment of Our Lives
y’all with the tears still falling and
the discouragement and the
disappointment and the disillusionment
that God hadn’t answered our prayers and
so many of our friends prayers he hadn’t
answered answered them in the way we
hoped he would and in the way we knew he
could see it’s hard when you know he can
do it but he doesn’t
the discouragement of that the
Heartbreak of that the tears watching
our father SOB those tears of sadness as
he was losing his wife of 49 and a half
years
and even in the face of all that
to have a Mama saying to us
Jesus is worth it
and I decided watching my mama that
whenever my time comes what I want to be
doing is taking whatever baton God has
given me
and passing it to my sons and my sons
sons and daughters and looking my
posterity squarely in the face and
saying you serve Jesus
I want a house that’s still standing
so Concord family whatever God has given
you to do
in your families and your Ministries and
your businesses
be faithful
he’s worth it
Lord I Thank you so much for your word
I thank you that you are coming soon
and I pray father that by your spirit
you will sustain us so that we see you
face to face we can hear
well done
in Jesus name amen