Our Walk in Relationships 2

If you're still trying to decide if you're coming to the all-in tonight and you're trying to decide what Superman or Batman shirt to wear, let me let you know two things. If you don't have a shirt or you don't have a costume, you can still come as you are. But even if you're like, I'm not sure I want to go. There are rumors that some of the staff that you saw on the stage today will be in full costume tonight. Okay? So, it'd be worth coming just to see and make fun of them tonight in their costume. So, I hope you're coming for that. Listen, I I was reading a story this past week about a gentleman and his wife. They lived in Minnesota in the middle of the winter and they were just sick and tired of just the cold, cold, cold cold. And so they decided to plan a little three or four day trip to Florida just to kind of bask in the warmth. Well, as they made their arrangements, they both couldn't get on the same flight. So they ended up where he flew out that morning and she was scheduled to fly out the next day. And so the the story says this that he he arrived at his location there in Florida and he sent her a quick email and um just to let her know that he made it safely. Well, here's what happened. He put the wrong email in. He transposed a letter in there. And so the email went to someone he didn't even know, a lady in another state. And unfortunately, this lady that received his email that he thought was going to his wife, but it went to this stranger that this lady that he didn't know, um, she had lost her husband the day before. And so she came home from the funeral home that morning from doing all the arrangements and she went and looked at her emails. And this is the email that she received from the gentleman that thought he was sending it to his wife in Minnesota. You follow the story here? Here's the email to my loving wife. Subject: I've arrived. I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and are allowed. You're allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and I have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepare prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then. Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was. P.S. It sure is hot here. So, that was kind of the final email exchange they had between one another. Now, here's the deal. We're not sending emails today, but we are hitting the final of our study of Ephesians. We started the study of Ephesians back when the summer started and we are wrapping up the study. It's been an amazing, amazing study just as we went through verse by verse and passage by passage. And I don't know about you, but I've learned so much in my own life from it. And so as we hit these last few just really sentences, this kind of a sign off that Paul does the church of Ephesians to really understand what he's trying to say in the last few sentences, you have to go back to what he said in the first few sentences of the letter. And here's what you need to remember. It is a letter. So many times we refer to Ephesians as the book of Ephesians because it's one of the 66 books that we find in the Bible. But to really just grasp what was going on here in the correspondence between Paul and the church of Ephesus, we just have to remember it was a letter. In fact, it was a letter sent to people that he had just a deep love for. Little background about that. If you kind of go back 78 years in Paul's life, he had actually spent three years living in amongst and with the church of Ephesus. He was kind of the founding pastor of that church. And so you can imagine if you spend three years with people, you're there when they give birth to babies. You're there when the people get married. You're there when maybe they buried some of their family members. You're there for the ups and downs. For three years, he spent and shared his life with these people at the church of Ephesus. And so, as we wrap up today, he's really wrapping up what I would call more of a heart note that he was writing this book that we call a book, but a letter just saying, "I love you and I just I want the best for you." In fact, here's what he wrote. If you have your Bibles, we'll put it up here on the screen. Here's the last few lines that he wrote in this book of Ephesus, or really the letter to the Ephesians. He said this, "So that you also may know how I how I am and what I am doing. Titicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts." And then he says in verse 23, "Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all of you who love our Lord Jesus with a love incorruptible." Can you imagine what the church felt when all of a sudden Titus shows up and he's got this letter and he's going, "This is from your friend Paul." Remember they didn't have email back like back then like we do now. They couldn't pick up the phone. They couldn't text. So once you left somebody, you traveled someplace else. your correspondence or your connection with them was literally just maybe years and years apart from the next time you might hear or see or have anything to do with them. And so Titka shows up and he has this letter, a letter from Paul. I can imagine when they received that letter, before they ever opened it, one of the ladies there just grabbed and just kind of held on to it tight because the letter was like, "Man, this is my friend. This is my pastor. This is my leader. This is the one who led me to Jesus." And they might have just held on to that letter tight. and they opened up and they discovered everything that we've learned and everything that we've read for the last couple of months together. But then Paul signs off with that really personal just note. I've sent Titicus there to you to encourage you, to help you, to spur you on. In fact, if you're taking notes and if I had to just summarize what Paul was saying there in those last few lines, this is what I would say. that God carries out his purposes through people who connect, encourage, and center each other on Christ. That God carries out his purposes through people who connect, who encourage, and center each other on Christ. That's exactly what Paul did throughout this whole entire letter. That he's going, I'm writing this to you, not just to give you a bunch of details, not just just to give you information, not even just to give you knowledge and theology about Jesus, even though that was included in there. He said, 'I am sending Titicus with you with this letter and my purpose is to connect you with one another, to encourage you with one another and to center you on Christ with one another. And so it leads me to a question as we wrap up this study of Ephesians. How do you and I make sure that's taking place in our life? like it'd be really easy to come here for Sunday for a month of Sundays or two months of Sundays and we're studying the book of Ephesians going, "Wow, I learned so much." Close that folder up and stick it aside. But that wasn't Paul's purpose in it. He wants to motivate just like the church of Ephesus. He wants to motivate us and spur us on to do those three things to connect, to encourage, and to center one another on Jesus Christ. So the question is how do we make sure we continue doing that even when we finish studying the very letter that Paul wrote about that. And so let me just give you three ways this today. Three ways that I think if we focus on these three things we will make sure in our lives today in 2025 that we continue doing those things. And here's the first one. If we're going to make sure that we're carrying out God's purposes through our lives, the first one is this. that we need to prioritize building relationships with one another. That's the word connect. We need to prioritize building relationships with one another. This this guy Titicus that Paul is sending to deliver this letter, Paul referred to him as my beloved brother. He was really Paul's brother from another mother, if you might put it that way in a more modern day to put it, that he had traveled with Paul, that he had been done ministry with Paul. There were several times that Paul would send Titicus off to another church to kind of be Paul's kind of kind of mini me at these other churches. You can sense as you study throughout the New Testament that Paul and Titicus had this relationship with one another that was really really deep. It was more than just kind of hey, how you doing type of relationship. It was a lifeon-life type of a relationship. And here's what I know about relationships. Those kind of relationships don't happen accidentally. Now you might accidentally bump into somebody. You might unintentionally meet somebody. But if that relationship is going to go from more from just surface relationship to an in-depth relationship, there has to be some pouring in with one another. That Titicus was Paul's traveling partner. So you can imagine as they walked and traveled by boat or however they got from place to place, there was lots of conversations taking place. Titicus was there with Paul when he wrote this letter to Ephesus. Remember where he was? He was in jail. He was in house arrest. And so he had to be this amazing source of just support to Paul there. So thick and thin, he was there with him. Paul was with him. Titicus was with him. But here's what we need to understand that Paul is pushing us. He is admonishing us in our lives today that we must be building relationships intentionally with one another if we're going to connect and have those kind of relationships. because it is through those deeper type of relationships that the gospel of Jesus is carried around the world. And so that's the first thing. If you and I are going to live out the letter of of Ephesians, if we're going to live out what Paul is charged in these last six chapters that we've read together, we have to first prioritize building relationships one another and in connecting with one another, that is really how we carry out his purposes of the gospel. Here's the second thing. The second thing if you're taking notes that we also have to find ways to intentionally encourage others. So if we connect and we encourage it has to be intentionally done. Have you ever had someone that you spent lots and lots and lots of time with? I mean quality time is like the mark of your relationship with that person. But yet you can look up sometimes and realize you do a lot of life together. But how intentional are you in encouraging that particular person? How intentional are you in spurring that particular person on? How how intentional are you as in just helping them move to the next stage or steps of their lives? When Paul was writing that, he said this, "I send Titicus to you to encourage your heart." Can you imagine for just a second what a loss it must have been for Paul to send Titicus? Now, it had to be good because he knows what he's going to do once he gets there. But Paul's under house arrest. We have no idea. Maybe Titus was the only individual there with Paul while he was under house arrest. So, can you imagine maybe the heartache, maybe the sadness, the loss that Paul might have experienced by going to? I need you to take this letter to my friends in Ephesus. I haven't seen them for like six or seven years. They are a loving bunch of people. They have this amazing church there. I need you to take this letter to them because it says so much for my heart. Can you take it to them? And I know I won't even see you for three or four months, but I know when you deliver it and you just being there as a representative of me, can you imagine encouragement, Titicus, that you'll bring? Yet in that encouragement, Paul had to give away. And so, one of the things that God calls you and I in our daily life, if we're going to carry the gospel to our neighborhoods, to our workplaces, to the world around us, is that we must intentionally, just as Paul did, we must intentionally try to encourage people. Now, let's understand encouragement for a second. Encouragement is more than at a boy. Okay? Encouragement is more than, "Hey, I like what you're wearing today." Those are all forms of encouragement. But let's think back to the letter that Paul wrote. This is how he encouraged the Ephesians. He grounded them in their identity in Christ. He told them he he reminded them they were adopted and sealed by the Holy Spirit in chapter one. He encouraged them by saying, "I'm always praying and interceding for you." He encouraged them because he called them to love and to unity. He encouraged them by preparing them for spiritual battle. He encouraged them by modeling in his own life faithful endurance. You see, encouragement is more than just pats on the back. Encouragement is oftenimes pushing forward. But Paul was willing to do that because he knew that was the purpose of the gospel in his life. And then there was a third one. The third thing he did is if that Paul mentions in this passage, but we need to incorporate in our life is that he practiced centering your heart on Jesus with others. that we need is practice, put into practice this idea of centering our hearts on Jesus, but we do it with others. That's the center part. Look back with me at Ephesians chapter 6 verse 23. This is what Paul said. Peace be to you to be peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ. And look what he says with love incorruptible. How many times have you seen those two words put together? Love incorruptible. That idea there, it's a love that's unfading or a love that's unending. He said you are the individuals that your love for Jesus, you church of Ephesians, you John and Joe and Sarah and and and Tamara and whoever's there, he's going you guys have a love that's uncorruptible for Jesus Christ. And here's what he says. And don't ever let it stop being that way. Again, just as an encouragement, he was going, I'm not just going to pat you on the back. I'm going to push you to love people and love Jesus more and more and more and more. And this pushing church, can I just kind of put it really frank? That's what we ought to be doing to each other. Like, if we are a church that comes together on a Sunday morning and hi, how are you doing? Good to see you. Good to see you. And um, hey, have a great week. and we don't talk or interact or have anything to do with one another until next week. And then we get back next Sunday. Hey, how are you doing? Good to see you, man. You're looking great. I'm so glad you're at church. Let's sing together. Let's take communion together. Let's read God's word together. Stop that one and then do it again next week. We are missing what the body of Christ should be about. That we should be doing life with one another. That we're sharing life and we're sharing meals and we're sharing just good times and bad times. But we're doing more than encouraging. We are pushing one another to love Jesus with an uncorruptible love. I think back to my own life and where this began in my life was in middle school and high school. As I look back, I've just God has blessed me. There's so many different good seasons of just spiritual growth in my life. But for me personally, back in middle school and high school, there was a group of people. We called it our youth group. And there was our youth group. and we would come together and we would have the best time. But I want you to know in that youth group, there was pushing by the pastor to know who Jesus was. There was pushing by my peers in that group to say, "We got to do more than just talk it. We got to walk it when we go to school." Those middle school and high school years were maybe the most important years of my spiritual formation. In fact, I read a recent study that said this, that most people, twothirds of all people who come to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior, it happens before the age of 18. In other words, if this incorruptible love doesn't occur by the time someone is 18 years old, there's a good chance they may never experience the love of Jesus Christ. And I am thankful for a youth group that laid the foundation. I'm thankful for a youth pastor that laid the foundation

to bring that upon in my own life. And so this morning, I want to introduce you to our new youth director here at the church. Kenan, why don't you make your way up here? We believe in the middle school and high school students at this church. And um several months ago when when Dawson stepped down and we're like, "Oh no." And it shocked and surprised so many of us. We're going, "God, what what are we supposed to do here?" And all of a sudden, a few weeks ago, as we begin just looking and interviewing and and trying to find somebody, God brought Kenan to our um just to us. And so, Kenan, we're not going to make you stand here formal. Have a seat over here with me. We're going to sit down because I want you to do more than just see Kenan. I want you to know who he is. And so, church, would you just please welcome Kenan.

[Applause]

One thing I like about interviewing somebody on stage, I don't have to prepare a long sermon, okay? And in fact, y'all may say, "One of the things we like about you bringing somebody on stage is you don't have to preach such a long sermon." So, this may be kind of a win for both of us here. Yeah. Thank you very much. There. So, Ken, do this. Just tell us who you are. Okay. I know I've the last three or four weeks just had a chance to get to know you and your family, but just tell the church. Introduce yourself to the church. Yeah. Hi, everybody. My name is Ken Dodson. Um, I was born in Houston, but I grew up in Arkansas and then moved here for school. So, we've been here for three years now. I I think there's a picture of my family that we could show. I have my wife Hannah here with me. She's sitting over there. And then my two sons are in uh in the nursery. So, I have a two-year-old and a one-year-old that are down there, Josiah and Malachi. Um I grew up as a pastor's kid, and so I am following in my dad's footsteps as I do this. He is now teaching at Denver Seminary, which is where I studied. Um, and uh, yeah, I was called into ministry as a teenager. I felt God calling me in that, and that was one of the reasons that I'm so passionate about youth ministry. So, what as you think student ministry, I love to hear you say you're passionate about student ministry. What makes you passionate about it? Yeah. So, like I said, I got the opportunity to play in my worship band and even preach a couple times when I was in a teenager when I was in youth ministry. And I think that God called me to that and he gave me my first role in ministry as a teenager in my own youth group. I really feel like God was preparing me in that way and giving me that heart. Um, another big reason that I'm passionate about youth ministry is because um, another statistic is that if someone is going to leave the church and never come back, the most likely age they're going to do it is 18. When they graduate out of their own church and maybe go to a move to a different town for college or whatever, they don't feel connected to the church anymore and so they stop coming. Um, and so I'm very passionate about having a youth ministry that teaches students what's so great about the church, why they should stay, and how the love of God really happens there, even if it's not the church that you were going to when you grew up. Gosh, did you hear that? So, take those two statistics. If a middle school or high school kid doesn't accept Jesus by the time they're 18, there's a good chance, lesser chance that they'll ever meet Jesus. But even those that do, the percentage is high that those that hit 18 years of age and they go off to college, they may set their faith aside for a while. So those years of middle school and high school are critical in the life of a young person growing up. So here's my question. Because that's so critical like like pressure's on you, okay? You just took the job and you you got to make sure they stick and stay, right? So So how do you go about that? I remember back when I did student ministry years ago, they used to refer to middle school students as electric chihuahua, okay? Because they're just everywhere. Right now, high schoolers aren't so bad. But that that just that's a big season. How do you go about really just introducing them to Jesus and more than just them meeting Jesus, grabbing hold of Jesus and a relationship with him? Yeah. Yeah. Uh I like the language that you were using this morning a lot. I think it starts with that connection piece of building these relationships. One thing that I like doing a lot is letting people talk to me about what they're passionate about and, you know, whatever it is, you know, the books, the video games, the sports, whatever. Um, because that really forms that connection, that relational piece. Once I have that relationship, I want to exude both my faith and my joy, show that I'm Christ centered, like Keith was talking about, so that they can have a model of that. And then comes the encouragement piece because I'm not going to encourage them to faith if I don't look like I have faith. I'm not going to encourage them to joy unless they see that within me. Um, and so those two pieces help me to then encourage and help uh in the in the walk of faith. Okay. This is what I just I'm sitting there listening to you and this is what I'm amazed by. The three things that you believe that it takes to really lead students to know Jesus and follow Jesus are the three things that Paul talked about in his letter 2,000 years ago. I don't know how middle school and high schoolers dressed 2,000 years ago. I don't know if they were referred to as electric chihuahua was but here's what I know. There are transferable principles in scripture. And those same principles, the connect, the encourage, and what was the third one you said? Christ centered around Christ. Centered around Christ. That's because I forgot what I just preached. I was testing him to see if he really listened there for a second. But to center on there, those three things are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. And so, here's what I love about that with Kenan coming in. You don't hear him coming in going, "Hey, I've got these newfound ideas that no one's ever tried before." He's going, "There's really ancient." Yeah. And we don't like to use that word with students, but they're real ancient principles that are as timeless today as they were back then. Right. Okay. So, let's let's talk a little bit more current, though. you're coming into this new job. You you've still got to meet the students. He just started Monday. So today's his day he's kind of walked around church going, "Oh, I'm on staff here, but I don't know anybody and I don't know what I'm doing." So if he looks lost, just give him a few weeks on this one. But as you think specifically over the next three months, like we're thinking way beyond three months, but there's this this window of opportunity, right, for three months as he steps in with our students, both the ones that come on Wednesday night and the ones that come on Sunday morning. What's the next three months? What do you hope to obtain and and reach in the next three months? Yeah. Uh I think the first step is going to be forming relationships with the students that we already have who are coming and attending and even leading in the youth group already before I'm even here because it's their youth group even more than it's mine. And so I want to work with them to form the group that they want to have. And so I'm going to be working with the students that we have hopefully. Um, and then the goal will be to create a ministry that's both fun and spiritual. You need both. Um, and kids want both. Sometimes we think that kids only want fun, but it's true that these students, they are starting to develop these hearts for Christ. They're starting to practice the walk of faith and they want to learn about that. They want those spiritual elements. Uh and then finally, you know, we want to start dipping our toes into evangelism, into outreach, into inviting our friends so that we can see that ministry expand and so that we aren't just being served in the youth group, but we are serving and reaching people. one of the ideas that that you shared with me that I just thought was so profound and I also thought I'm so glad it's you and not me. You said one of your goals is just even on Sunday mornings to maybe kind of have a section just for the students to sit together and I thought there goes the Apostle Paul. They connect with one another. The reason I'm glad it's you because I've done that before many years ago and then you're in charge of them. So good luck there on that one. Um but church, can can you imagine with me for a second? Can you imagine we come in on a Sunday morning and um let's just say my dear friends on these first, second, third rows, if those have been your seats for a very, very, very long time and that's where you always go, would you be more than willing to give that up that we would have those three rows filled of middle school and high school students? Wouldn't that just make your heart happy? Um and these folks over here clapping because they're not having to move. They're they're clapping for y'all. Okay, that's what's going on right there. Like, yeah, let them sit over there. So, hey, um I I do have a question. As a church family, um just as you begin your ministry here, how can we best pray and support you? Hannah, you're part of the team. Um you're you're the the the pastor's other half, right? And we don't pay her, so we don't expect her to work like we pay her. But I know as we interviewed and met each other, your heart is just as much to be a part of the lives of these students. How can we pray and support you, your family, and the ministry here? Yeah. Um, first thing I would ask is be patient with um, with me because the thorn in my flesh of my ministry is memory. And so it might take me a couple times of asking your names um, and your occupations and things like that. But I'm really excited to get to know you guys. Um, also be praying that I don't try to do it alone. Um, that's something that is a temptation of mine that I really want to resist. I really want to work with the students we already have, with you guys, with the other staff. Um, and especially most importantly with the Holy Spirit, knowing where he wants me to go and doing those things. Well, here's here's what I'll go ahead and just put an invitation out to everybody. He doesn't want to do it alone. So, here's a couple of needs we have. If you're interested in volunteering with our students, I know a couple of you have come to me over their interim time that we were without a student um director and said, "Hey, I'll be happy to help." If you're interested in helping, if you'll take the connect card, just put your name on there, a number we can that Ken and can reach you, but just let us know. I'd like to help. The second thing is this. Maybe you're like, I'm not sure I can sit in a room with students, or maybe students don't want me to sit in a room with them. One of our first major projects is we have a couple of rooms that we set aside months ago to become the student area. Um, but they don't look like student areas right now. So, we're in the need of just men or women that has a little bit of what I would call um craft ability, fix it up ability, the the type of ability of of working on projects around the house, painting, maybe he's doing some shelving, some different that the type of ability that my wife praise to God that she had a husband that have. That's what I'm trying to say right here. Okay? Just if you have any ability or time like that, we want to put together a group of five or six people in these three rooms downstairs in the next week or so. Just knock them out. kind of like the renovation overnight type of deal. And that way when students start coming back September the 10th is like, "Wow, here's our space." So, if you have that kind of ability or time, if you'll just put your name on the connect card, put a contact number on there, and that way Kenan can reach out to you as we start putting this together to get that space up to date and ready for them in that one. Um, the other thing is just pray, okay? Just pray for them. I know this a as a pastor coming into a new church, you're just overwhelmed and there's so many people to meet and so many things to do and that was hard when Denise and I came, but we had no little ones and so they have two little ones. Maybe your gift is babysitting. Okay, maybe you're just like, "Hey, I'll come take care of your kids if y'all just need to go hang with students." Write your name on there. write that contact number on there and we may just recruit them some built-in grandmas and grandpas here at the church that will help take care of Malachi and Josiah in that as well. So, so many ways that you can help in there. All right, here's my last question. This was the this was the million-dollar question that we asked him at the end of interview and you went through probably four or five different interviews of different people and groups in the church before we got to the point to say, "We'd like you to be our student director." So, here's the million-dollar question. Are you ready, church? He just graduated seminary. Okay. Um, it's like now it's time for like the real job, right? And you've taken a part-time job as a student pastor rather than going out like the big job. Why? Why? Why would you take a part-time job here when you're in this season of life that you are? Yeah. So, um, the reason part of it is that my wife is working for Denver Seminary right now. She's in the registars's office. Um, and so she's working part-time and I'll be working part-time and that will give us more time as a family. Um, I'll be able to spend half of my time with my sons being their, you know, their caretaker. And so I'm really excited about that. And, you know, another big reason is that I'm passionate about youth ministry. Um, I don't see it as a launching point for being head pastor or something like that, but I just really want to work with students. Um, and that's what I'm excited about doing. And the third thing you said as well, y'all love Denver. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. What about um when the football season comes, do you go for the Broncos or Cowboys? Just out of curiosity. Just kidding. Just kidding. Church, would you join me in welcoming Kenan and Hannah? [Applause] Listen, we are very, very excited. Parents, a couple of new things that we're doing. Um student ministry will kick off for all the ones that haven't come on September the 10th. That's a Wednesday night. We're kicking off all of our Wednesday night activities. But we're also beginning on September the 7th a Sunday morning kind of youth gathering just as when the kids leave for their time downstairs once we have worship. Um just so Kennan gets a chance to connect with students that can only come on Sundays. Um he's going to offer time and they'll just march out and they'll have a student time while we're having our sermon time up here. So parents, here's what I would tell you. If you've got a middle school or high school kid that's never been involved in our student group, here's the scariest part. They don't know anybody. Okay? students want to go where they know somebody, this is what they may need from you, a boot. Okay? You may need to look at them and just say, "Listen, for the next five weeks, we're going to give this a try." Just until they can get to know people. And once they start meeting one another, they will want to come to connect, to be encouraged, and to center on Christ. And so, I'm excited about our student ministry. But there's one other thing that's important about all this to understand. Everything we just talked about in the interview, everything that we just talked about the Apostle Paul that he was saying those three words where we should be, that's not a youth group thing. That's an us thing. You've heard us talking about groups for the last couple of weeks. We are kicking off our group season. It all starts the week of September the 7th. And listen to me, church, that you and I, regardless of what season of life we're in, regardless of what age we are, every one of us to be a part of the purposes of the gospel that Paul outlined in the whole book of Ephesians, we need to be connecting with other believers. We need to be encouraging other believers and we need to be centering on Jesus with other believers. I firmly believe with all my heart that in groups, whether it's a Sunday morning class that we have or a weekn night group in someone's home or a Wednesday night group that we have up here or one of our midday groups, groups when you're sitting around with people and you're wrestling through the scripture and you're talking about the trials that you go through and you're praying for one another and you're laughing with one another and sometimes you cry with one another. That is where spiritual transformation best takes place. I love preaching on a Sunday morning. I love listening to good preaching on a Sunday morning. But spiritual formation takes place better in circles than it does rows. It's not either or, but it's both. And and so as your pastor, I want to encourage you if you're not in a group to join a group. this next group session we're gonna all of us every single group in the church we're all going through this material called rooted and it's just a disciplehip and it's the only time we don't usually all do the same thing but for these next 10 weeks when we start this we're all doing the same thing and then Sunday morning I'll come and preach along the same topic so it's just for 10 weeks we're all taking this big step together and so join a group when you leave here today there's tables out there and many of our group leaders if you're like well I don't even know know what group I'd go to there's tables out there and you can go meet the group leaders Or if you don't have time for that, go online. You can put I need to meet a group on Wednesday nights. And you can put Wednesday nights on our on our website and it will take you to what groups we have then or I need a group on Thursday afternoons. It will show you what groups we have whenever we have them. But get in a group. So I'll close this way. I am not patting you on the back to say get in a group. I am pushing your behind to get in a group. Okay? By the words, authority of Apostle Paul, I am pushing every one of us. It's 10 weeks long. If you get in that 10 weeks one, those are the weirdest people I've ever been around. We'll have another group. That's happened to me before. Okay? That's why we do group seasons. When you tried, you're like, "These may not be my people." Then next group season, let's get you another people that's more like your people. But these people connecting, these people encouraging, these people centering is what will make us be equipped to carry out the body of Christ. Would you pray with me? Father, your word is so good and thank you for this letter that we call Ephesians. Thank you that it speaks to us as much today as it did to that group of people that just warmly received Titicus in that letter years and years and years ago. And I pray holy God that the words of your scripture will be more than words on a piece of paper that we nod our head. But God maybe they were may they be words in our heart and our soul and our spirit that will propel us to live our lives on Monday. And so Jesus, may we be people that join with others as we connect, as we encourage, and as we center our lives on Jesus. And we pray this in your name. Amen.