Good morning. It's good to see everybody, everyone doing all right? Yes. That almost sounded convincing. Let's try one more time. Everyone doing all right? Yes. Wonderful. It's so great to see you. Hey, if you're new to the Crossing, uh, welcome. Uh, we really do believe that the resurrected Jesus is here. He's at work in this place. We really do believe that He speaks to us through this book, through, through His word, which I know, I know, is a big claim to start off with, especially if you're new or on the fence when it comes to faith. But in my experience, as we flip through the pages of scripture, as we read through this book, God, he shows up and he begins to encourage us. He begins to challenge us. He invites us into this life with him. And scripture says that when we turn to him, that same God adopts us into his family. You see, that's where our hope comes from. It's the same hope that Jesus has followed. John talks about when he writes, see what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And see, that's a promise that all of us need, no matter where you are with Jesus. That is a promise that can change things. It can change the way we live in this world. Like, I don't know about you, but does anyone else look around at this world? And you just feel a little bit unsettled, just a little bit restless, maybe a little bit uneasy. Uh, maybe, maybe you're going through your life. Uh, it's just your nine to five day to day thing, and, and you just think, is there more? Is this it? Am I am? Am I? Am am am I missing something you see, following Jesus? It doesn't mean that all of our problems go away, but what it does mean is that we can face all things with a resilient hope, with a confidence that endures. Now, it's not a naive confidence, but it is open-handed. It involves trusting that your heavenly Father knows what's best. You see, I wanna experience him. I wanna experience his peace. It's the, it's the same peace, the same shalom, the same at Homeness that we talked about the very, very first week of this peak experience, this series. And that's what I want. And in this world that can be chaotic, and this world that is unpredictable, I want peace. I wanna experience this love that I was made for. Are you picking up on a theme so far? Love, peace. There is a God who wants to be with us, A God who wants us to experience his presence now and into eternity. It's another wild thought, but it's true. And I believe it's gonna take us to another mountain, to another story that will teach us just a little bit more about this hope that our world so desperately needs. But before we get there, why don't we pray? Why don't we ask Jesus to speak to us? He's already here. So let's thank him for his presence. Will you pray with me? God, I am thankful. Jesus, I'm so thankful for what you're doing in our midst. I'm so thankful for what you're doing here and online in Grands Trail and Fenton and Mid Rivers. So God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, show up, speak to us. God, we want to hear from you. We want to leave here changed. So God, uh, to you be the glory. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus, my Savior, my king. Amen. All right. So if you've been with us in this series, we've been looking at different encounters that people have had with God on mountaintops. So we started in Eden, uh, this paradise that God made for humanity, which a lot of scholars think might have existed on a mountain. Uh, from there we went to Mariah with the story of Abraham and Isaac, such a difficult story, but also just a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness that he will provide a substitute, which foreshadows the lengths. He'll go to have a relationship with us. Now, Abraham's family, it grew and it became the people of Israel. Now, eventually, they ended up as slaves in Egypt, but God, he wasn't far away. He heard their cry, and he sent Moses to deliver them. And, and, and, and by God's power, that's what happened. Moses, he brought the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness and up to another mountain. And key moment in scripture, Sinai or rb, you can use those words interchangeably. Uh, they're talking about the same mountain of God. But this mountain, it's so important and so many things happen here. Uh, last week, will He talked about how on this mountain, the Lord began to give his people the law, beginning with those 10 commandments. And if you re, if you remember, the whole point of all of that is to, uh, show his people what it looks like to live in relationship with him. So that's where we left off Moses. He's on top of the mountain. He's experiencing God in this close personal way. He is learning about life with him. What could go wrong? When the people saw that Moses was so long and coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, come make us Gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him. Aaron answered, take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing and bring them to me. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him, and he made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. And they said, uh, then they said, these are your god's Israel who brought you up out of Egypt. When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord. It turns out a lot can go wrong. Like, just, just imagine like that You're Moses and you're having this mountaintop experience. You're encountering the one true God, and what's happening all the way down at the bottom of the mountain, the very same people that God is calling you to lead. They are demanding that, that, that Aaron make a human made object to worship. Now, Aaron, he was Moses' brother. He was his right hand man. We don't know exactly why Aaron did this. Uh, maybe he started to doubt God's faithfulness. Uh, maybe, maybe he was afraid of the mob. It was sort of a peer pressure thing. Either way, this is bad leadership because he gives in and they create Gods who will go before them. Now, all that is, is just ancient slang for look after and care for them. And when we read stories like this, it's, it's easy to wonder, how could this happen? I know that was one of my first questions when reading this story. And don't get me wrong, I, I appreciate, uh, the Israelites desire. I too wanna know that God is with me. I too wanna know that God cares for me, that he's looking after me. But didn't they just see the Lord work in powerful ways? We haven't had time to go through it in the series, but, but, but the Lord, the one true God, he just went toe to toe with the false gods of Egypt. And he won in a landslide. He parted the waters of the Red Sea. He brought them out on dry ground into the wilderness, and then there and will, he talked about this last week briefly, but it was there. He gave them water. He fed them with bread from heaven. How could they doubt that God was with them? Here's something. Moses was all the way up the top of the mountain and the people were all the way down at the bottom. If you have your notebooks, here's something to write down. The further you get away from God's presence, the easier it is to worship something that isn't him. So we need to prioritize being in God's presence. However that looks like for you, whether it's, uh, journaling or prayers, singing worship songs, maybe it's getting out into nature and experiencing the beauty of God's good creation. Whatever it is for you, we need to prioritize experiencing him. But that can be difficult, right? There are things that get in the way of experiencing the presence of God. So why is that? Why, why don't we talk about that for a little bit? If you're, if you're new to the crossing, we do this for lots of reasons, but one of those reasons is it's best to chew on the truth of God's word together. So talk to each other. Pull each other in. Oh, and if you are new, maybe you're skeptical, maybe you're doubting. A perfect answer is, I'm not sure God exists. We love that kind of honesty. We love having those conversations. But talk to each other. What keeps you from experiencing God's presence? All right. What, what gets in the way of experiencing the presence of God? Who's got something? Shame. Shame, right? The enemy can use shame, maybe mistakes of the past to kind of get in the way and keep us from acknowledging that he's with us. Yeah. David? Schoolwork. What? Schoolwork. Schoolwork. Oh my gosh, that's so, so true there. So there's actually a, a high schooler from Fenton who says peer pressure. So whether it's school or the friends at school, or even outside of school, that can be a thing. Um, mid rivers, grief, uh, grants trail. News headlines. You just look around to the world. You read the news. It's easy to think like, where's God? What's he up to? Anyone else have something? Anyone? Sports. Sports Say more. What? My Seattle Mariners. You know Seattle Mariners? Okay, brother, I don't know, but I feel for you. What about what about what about technology or just distractions, right? Like, I'm grateful for technology. I love this thing. I love my phone. I'm telling you, I wouldn't be able to get anywhere without my phone and that little map thing. But it feels like we're carrying an infinite number of distractions in our pockets. And all of those things, all of those things that keep us from experiencing the presence of God, they get heightened when it feels like God is absent. And, and I think that's what's going on here in the story. I think the Israelites thought that God was absent. And there are some clues here, like from their vantage point, Moses was missing, which by their logic meant that God was missing. So the people felt lost. And you can't really blame 'em. Like they're fresh out of Egypt. They're new to all this. They don't know what the day-to-day looks like. They're still figuring out what tomorrow would bring. So this is just me talking, but I bet at that moment, anxiety began to creep in again, just me. But I think the question underlying all of this for the Israelites is, God, where'd you go? So my, my sweet little Hailey, who's not so little anymore, she is almost three years old people, I can't believe it. But also, she is almost three years old. People pray for my wife and me. We are in the thick of toddler dump. But this season, uh, with all of its challenges, it's also just a wonderful time of joy and excitement. Every day. My little girl, she learns something new every day. My heart just grows. As I watch her explore the world, I, I love hearing her little voice, learn how to speak and start stringing words together. And, and for me, there's one word that shines above all else. Daddy, daddy, daddy. That's actually a common occurrence in the Horseman household. I'll just be like downstairs in the basement. I'll be in my room folding laundry, and I'll just hear that little voice, daddy, where are you? And, and then like, let's say I don't hear her. Maybe I don't respond right away. Then she gets louder. Daddy, eventually I hear her, sweetheart, I'm right here. I'm right here. And then, then I just hear the pitter-patter of little feet running towards me. Most of the time, she jumps in my arms, we play together. It's great. We are together. Her, but were we ever not together. I was home. I knew where she was. I knew where she, I I knew she was safe. But when she couldn't see me, something in her little mind began to wander. Where's my dad? Where did he go? If I can't see him, how do I know he's there? You see, the Israelites are asking a version of that question. And honestly, at some point in the faith journey, all of us will ask a version of that question. Because there are moments, maybe even seasons, where God, he isn't showing up how we want. Maybe, maybe it's a conflict at work. Maybe it is just the stress of school and trying to make all the right grades. Maybe, maybe it's something with your family. There's just resentment, conflict, something bubble in beneath the surface. Maybe it's a health issue. Maybe it's grief. Maybe you're grieving the loss of a, of a relationship, whether it's a broken relationship, maybe someone who's passed away. We just spent time celebrating and singing that God is our shepherd and our anchor and our protector. So we can sing those things. But what do we do when we don't see it? Like, like something happens in our hearts, when it feels like God is distant, when it feels like he isn't showing up how or when we want. And this question of God, where did you go? It can quickly become God. Do you care? Can I trust you? Are you faithful? And sometimes, sometimes we ask these questions, even after God does come through, whether it is an answered prayer. Uh, maybe it's a calm storm, or just the steady assurance of his peace in the midst of the storm. Maybe for you, God's come through in a way that's undeniable. You've been struggling with an, with an addiction, maybe a thought pattern, maybe a behavior. And for you, freedom, it's not just something we sing about. It's not just something we read about in scripture, uh, for you. Like Jesus has set you free indeed. That's something to remember. That's something to celebrate. But listen, never underestimate the enemy's ability to twist what God has done. Another thing you can write down in your notebooks, often it's after our moments of greatest spiritual victory that the evil one gets ready to attack and he'll whisper, did God really say that? Did God really come through in that way? Did he, did he really answer that prayer? That might have been a coincidence. Oh, and regardless, things are going well now, right? Like, everything's good now. Right? So you know what? You should just take matters into your own hands. You should just take control of your own life and be like God, because you have it all figured out. We're not too far removed from the serpent. And, and, and, and the Garden of Eden, he's still speaking lies. He's still pulling us away from God. And the Israelites are at one of those moments, something, something's pulling them away from God. Moses, he's on the top of the mountain, and they begin to doubt that God was with them. And then, then they take matters into their own hands. They create this idol. They eat and they drink in celebration, which all of those acts, uh, in the context are acts of worship. Uh, food and worship went together in the ancient world. Most of the time, a priest would bring an animal to be sacrificed. They put it on an altar. They, they, they, they, they, they'd kill it as an act of worship. And then they would feast. They would celebrate. They would throw a big party. There's just something about food that brings us together for better or worse. Uh, just food. Something that tends to come up when there are big things that happen. Have you ever like had a, something delicious yesterday was national mashed potatoes and gravy day. You're welcome. Uh, that's a great food combination. But have you ever had like a bad food combination, something that was disgusting? Uh, maybe, maybe it was something you ate as a kid. Maybe it wa was a, like a pregnancy craving or something like that. Talk to each other. What is the most bizarre food combination you've ever seen someone eat? This is a quick over the shoulder conversation, but talk to each other. Okay? It's okay. It's okay. Everything's fine. You are right. Okay, good. I I'm gonna hang up now. I love you. I'll call you in five minutes. No, no, but buddy, don't, uh, you don't have to call me. Okay? Good idea. You call me, Okay? I'm gonna hang up now. I painted a picture of a Good, I'm gonna hang up now. I drew the piano. Okay? I love you. Bye. So our friend buddy, the elf is the king of strange food combinations. Uh, spaghetti and syrup, anyone, but it's not just buddy. Uh, pregnant moms. They've actually gone on record with their most bizarre food cravings and things like that. Stuff like, I don't know, ice cream and salsa. Ooh, hey. But if the salsa is a little bit too spicy, don't worry. You can wash that down with a warm cup of hot cocoa. And, oh, you can't forget the pizza that you dump into the, into the hot chocolate. Delicious, right? Or if, if, uh, that's not doing it for you. How about this classic, Hmm. Tuna fish and grape jelly. Uh, there's something about those foods, right? They don't go together. And when you put them together, you end up with something disgusting, something that honestly, it doesn't taste very good. Now, hang with me because I think something's going on here with the golden calf. While the Bible, uh, rightfully condemns this as an act of idolatry in places like Deuteronomy and then, and Hebrews and the Psalms, we have to remember where we're at in this story. When it happens in Exodus, this young fledgling nation, they're still learning how to worship and follow God. Now, they know enough. They know that he's the God of their ancestors, Yahweh, the great I am, but they're still putting the pieces together. And, and here's their mistake. I think they, they, uh, took the eye, their, their eyes off the Lord, and then looked around at the culture and let the culture dictate how they worship God. They, they remembered the false gods of Egypt and the little statues that were used in worship. There's a biblical archeologist named Amanda Hope Halle. And she suggests that a physical statue or a representation of your God, it would've been expected in the ancient world. It was, it was as common as singing songs in church. And they, they couldn't imagine worshiping without, uh, without an idol to signify the presence of their God, because they wanted tangible assurance that he was there. They wanted to look and see and know that God was with them. And Halle and others, they suggest something similar is going on here with the golden calf. She even takes it farther to say that the Israelites might've thought they were making a mount for their unseen God, a a place for his presence to come and dwell. So if that's true, the Israelites, they may have mistakenly thought they were still worshiping Yahweh when they made this calf. There were even hints in the story after creating calf. The people declare this, this is what brought them up out of Egypt. Well, there's no question Yahweh did that, right? Or, or how about this? Uh, so Aaron makes an altar, and then he says that they're gonna have a festival, not to the calf, but to the Lord. So I'm not sure at this point in the story, uh, it's, it's, uh, we should look at this as an act of blatant idolatry in which the Israelites knowingly exchange worship of the true God for a false God. No, that story's coming up in a couple weeks on a different mountain. But I think their biggest mistake was instead of looking up at the one true God, instead of looking up at him and letting him teach them how to worship and follow him, they looked around, they looked around at the world around them, and then in the process, they started borrowing assumptions and ideas from the culture. And actually, they ended up making a false God in their own image. This whole, this whole borrowing from culture, it can be so subtle and seductive. But just so we're clear, this isn't like worshiping with new music. It's not, uh, using better technology in church. It's what it is, is it's smuggling other ideas, other beliefs that are incompatible with Christianity, incompatible with the way of Jesus, that, that, that, that they're just not biblical at all. And I wonder if one of the reasons why we do this is we think that we're more in control than we really are. And we might not be worshiping an actual golden calf, but if we're not careful, we make the mistake of worshiping the one true God plus other things. You see, that's why I think we're not so different from the Israelites. Our world is full of all of these different ideas and assumptions, all of these isms that are trying to sneak their way into Christianity. Uh, our culture is always forming us. And, and, and if we're not careful, we can begin to treat our, our beliefs truth like a buffet line. So we have our plate, right? We have our worldview. This is what we think, but we just start moving through the line. Um, this looks good. I'm gonna take some half truths from over here. Um, I, I like this. I'm gonna put that belief on my plate. Uh, don't like that. So I'm gonna skip that. Uh, I like this one here and this one here. Before you know it, we're probably left with just a bunch of slop that doesn't taste good. We might as well have spaghetti and syrup and candy and Pop-Tarts on our plates because these beliefs don't go together. And when that happens, what we're really saying is, Jesus, I'll follow you, but I'm gonna do it on my terms. You know, based on what feels right to me, what feels comfortable for me, regardless of what the Bible clearly teaches. And before you know it, it's the gospel plus it's Christianity plus a bunch of other stuff that God never said. Like, I don't know. God helps those who help themselves. So, you know what? I am just gonna help myself. I don't need anyone. I don't want anyone. Uh, I got this, I got this, I got this. I'm in control. Nevermind that word surrender that keeps on coming up. I got this. I am going to help my self. Well, what do we do with Psalm 72, 12? For he will deliver who the needy, who cry out the afflicted, who have no one to help. It turns out that needing God is the point. God helps us because we can't help ourselves. Or this one, I know God wants me to be happy. So there are a lot of different ways we can finish the end of that sentence, right? God wants me to be happy, so I'm gonna leave my spouse because it's too much work. God wants me to be happy. So you know what? I'm gonna blur the lines on my sexual ethics and behavior. Uh, God wants me to be happy. So all my resources, I'm just gonna keep them to myself. Nevermind. Jesus calls me to love my neighbor. Nevermind that Jesus calls me to serve the least of these. I'm gonna hang on and I'm gonna wait until I get more comfortable because God wants me to be happy. Do you see how things that aren't compatible with the Christian message, things that God never intended, like sneak their way into biblical Christianity? And we could even try to spiritualize it or christianize it? And I just gotta wonder if God, he's saying to us, Hey, that's not me. I never said that. And I've been there. And listen, there's nothing wrong with pursuing individual happiness. God, he wants us to flourish in this life, but he's the one who knows best how life works. He's the one who decides what it looks like to flourish. So all that talk of surrender and denying ourselves, it can seem so counter-cultural. And it is. But this is what begins to peel off the self-absorption and the anxiety and the flat out fear that the world is pushing at us from every direction. I mean, I, I if, if, if life is really about us, if we're the end all be all, that's not freedom. That's a lot to live up to. And again, again, I've been there, and we might not create golden calves, but we can still make the mistake of creating God in our own image. We can try and squeeze God into a box of our own making. We can pick and we can choose how to follow him. This can happen in our careers. This can happen in our relationships, in our dating lives, our marriages, the way we treat our kids, the way we, uh, treat other people who disagree with us on a whole bunch of issues that I imagine are coming to mind right about now. See, we, and again, this is me too. We fall into the trap that we know better how things work than God. That us being in that, us being in control, that's not such a bad thing. And before you know it, we're trying to fit the holy sovereign God of the universe into a pocket-sized God, a God that's more comfortable for us. And that's not Jesus. Jesus is the God who first and foremost talks about sin as a matter of a heart. He says that it's not just your actions but your thought life, because everything else flows from there. Jesus, he talks about anger that festers in the heart and sexual fantasies that do the same. He's the God who talks an awful lot about loving those and serving those and going after those that everyone else has forgotten and everyone else is left behind. He's the one who tells us the church to love each other in radical ways. That somehow, somehow that will be enough. And he's the one who kept telling the very religious, who were so sure that they had it all figured out, that they too needed to get to the end of themselves and admit their need for grace. Listen, there is one Lord and ruler of all one savior, one answer, one hope for this world. And it's Jesus, the antidote to the poison that entered the story with our parents' first rebellion, the very same poison that the Israelites drank on the foot of Mount Sinai. The antidote to all of that is not our successes or our failures. It's not landing the dream job or accomplishing our goals. It's not the perfect relationship or family or marriage. It's not a self-help book. It's not a speaker, it's not a political party. It is Jesus. It's him. He alone can satisfy the longings of our hearts. Amen? Amen. And anything we add to Jesus, it's not only unnecessary, it actually gets in the way of us experiencing the presence of our king and the life that I'm describing. It's not always easy. It certainly isn't convenient. Like if God agrees with everything I agree with, there's not much need for repentance or, or, or, or, or, or, or conviction or surrender or growth. So the way it works for me, and so many of us here is we found that that's precisely where the abundant life with Jesus starts. When we admit our need, when we turn to him, when we surrender and we let go of our plans and our dreams for their future. And we say, Jesus, it's your way. It's your direction, your who we're gonna follow. And when we do that, that's when we experience peace and purpose and joy and hope in this chaotic world. That's what I long for. That's what we need. What if we allowed ourselves to come up close to this God who cannot be contained or tamed or controlled? The one about whom scripture says yours, Lord, yours is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor. Yours Lord, is the kingdom. You are exalted his head overall. Here's one last way to think about this. One last thing to write in your notebooks. It's Jesus's kingdom, not ours. It's his crown, not ours. We, we follow Jesus on his terms. And why wouldn't we? Why would we settle for anything less than the real powerful mighty Jesus? Because I'm telling you, anything less is a God of our own making. We might as well be the Israelites on the foot of Mount Sinai worshiping a golden calf, because a God of our own making is no God at all. And there were consequences to this act that God, uh, he was faithful. He kept leading his people. The rest of Exodus is God teaching his people how to keep looking up, how to keep their eyes on him. So how do we keep looking up? Lots of ways. Our explorations class that you've been hearing about that class is all about keeping our eyes on Jesus. We, we cover the foundations of the faith. You do it around tables so you can meet other people, whether you're new to the crossing or a seasoned veteran. It is a great step to keep growing, keep learning, keep drawing near to Jesus, and keep stepping in the community around here. Oh, and if you are new, if you're unsure, if anything I said today was true, it's the perfect next step for you. So that's one way. Um, another way we keep our eyes on Jesus is we gather here on the weekends and worship. I was talking to another pastor at a different church and he calls the worship service what we're doing right now, gospel sanity hour. I love that we're getting all these messages in our world and all these half truths that are being fed to us. Well, we come together in this church, in this place to remind each other that we're not crazy. We remind each other of truth. We sing God's truth in the songs that we sing. We explore God's truth in His word. We, we learn about the biblical Jesus together. And we're gonna keep doing that. We're gonna keep opening up His word. Come back next week. We're gonna finish Moses' story. And it might not end how you expect, but let's keep showing up either in person or online. And if you are online, just let me invite you. If you're, if you're able come join us at one of our physical buildings. You were made for in-person community. But no matter where you are, let's not neglect experiencing and resting in God's presence. God continued to pursue the Israelites, and he continues to pursue us. So look up and as you do, you will see a God who moves towards you, who is sprinting towards you. It is his presence. We need, it is His presence. We long for. That's what all of this is about. There is a God who wants to be with us. That's the irony of the golden calf story. At the very moment, he was giving Moses the law, teaching his people how to follow him and how to be in relationship. They created a God of their own making that got in the way. But praise God that he didn't leave them there. You see, he was always gonna be with them. He was always gonna give them a physical representation of his presence. That's how the Book of Exodus ends with the creation of the tabernacle. This place where God's presence would come and dwell. That is how Israel will know that he goes before them, that he cares for them, that he's looking after them. So there was never a question that God would dwell with his people, but they almost missed it. They almost missed out on this God who loved them like a parent. What did God say through one of his prophets long ago? He called Israel his son, his beloved child. He led them with kindness and love. He is a good father, and he is still building his family today. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. Sure. There are times where we'll be moving through life and we'll ask ourselves, dad, where are you? I can't see you. Are you here? Do you care about me? Well, the good news of the gospel is not only does God welcome those questions, but he's quick to say, I'm here. I love you, my child. I got you. Let's live in relationship. Let's keep doing this together. That's the relationship I want to be a part of. I mean, if that's true, let's not settle for a cheap God of our own making. Let's not settle for anything less than the all powerful everlasting One, true God, Jesus, the faithful one, the lamb of God who paid our penalty, a a rock and firm foundation, the king of kings who still sits on his throne and still has the last word in this universe. Who am I that the highest king would welcome me? Who am I that the eternal son of God is mindful of me, of you, of us. It's his kingdom, not ours. So why would I try to hang onto the crown of my life when it's his to begin with? You see, eternal life begins with open-handed lives where we lay down our crowns and we trust Jesus with the rest. So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna read some promises from scripture. I'm gonna pray over us, and then we're gonna move into a time of worship across all sites, uh, where pastors, they too will get up and they'll, they'll read promises. They'll pray over you. Feel free to respond however you want. You can sit, you can kneel, you can sing, you can reflect. You can let these words wash over you. All of those are acts of worship. But my prayer is that as we do this, these truths sink down deep into the core of who we are, that we remember them not just today or tomorrow or the day after that, but all the days and weeks and months to come. And as they take root in our hearts, let's keep looking up. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus. He is for you. He's mindful of you. May we never settle for anything less than the real Jesus. It's His kingdom. To him be the glory. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God. And that is what we are. So let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, or Jesus, I'm so grateful for your presence. I'm so grateful for what your church, what you're doing in your church, in our nation, and around the world. But God, I'm also grateful for this church, for this local body of believers, what you're doing here. So keep doing what you've been doing. Keep showing up. God, I ask that your presence fill this room in a mighty way. God, I'm asking that these truths settle in and you give us just a glimpse of your goodness and your beauty and your love and your hope. God, that's what we need. We need hope. Forgive us for trying to fit you into a box of our own making. Forget, uh, forgive us for taking our eyes off you. It's your kingdom, Lord. It's your kingdom.