Your Best Life in 30 Minutes | Jonathan "JP" Pokluda

[Music] [Music] what are we doing baby hi [Applause] I missed you guys long break everybody have a good Christmas Happy New Year so I want to start with this I was traveling over the break and and so I had went to Las Vegas of all places ok it was a mission trip and and so no it was it was regarding the book because meeting with the publisher there and and coming back I'm on a Southwest flight you know they don't have assigned seating and yeah I love them too but no assigned seating and so I'm walking through the plane with my luggage and I'm trying to find a spot but the only thing that's there is is middle section because I was like group 7 or something and so the only seats available or middle seats and so I go all the way to the end of the plane I put my I make the mistake of putting my luggage up in the place in the back because that's all I was there and then I walked to the front and there was a middle seat in bulkhead you know and I'm 6 foot 7 inches tall and so I'm like bulkhead will work you know but there's two guys they're praying diligently that nobody sits there and I'm like hey I'm sorry guys I got to sit and so I sit down between these two guys one of them's a bigger guy and the other one super cool guy and and so I I sit down I don't want to invade their space you know something okay how you guys doing and I'm just kind of riding like this this dude passes out immediately like he's snoring and this guy like he's got the Chelsea boots the tight jeans shirt tucked in with the blazer hair slicked back little scruff you know he's who I wanna be you know and and it just looks good like he's getting cooled all over me and and so before we leave right like we're on the ground and so dude pulls out his phone and he just starts swiping not her not her yeah her not her not her yeah some of you were doing this before we were worshiping in here we can tract that through the web no we can't it's okay it's okay and so he's he's white I mean dude likes white like I mean he must have gone through 75 girls I'm not even kidding while they're there and then we lift off you know hey put your phone on airplane mode and then we're up in the air and and so I'm still like you know dude snoring and I look over here and now he's looking at his photos and you know I'm trying not to like look at his photos with him but but he's like hold up he's like kind of hold up in front of min and so I'm like you know glandt and it's and like every other one is that a naked girl yeah I know none of you have ever done that don't do that here's just free advice never send someone a naked picture of yourself ever because it lives out there forever what you go on the internet stays in the world forever don't do it under any circumstance I don't care if you're married to them don't do it and so I'm you know of course I'm like okay look away and and now I'm thinking all right I got to share the gospel with him like it's gonna happen how do you want it you know it's coming at you and so I'm praying I'm like Lord what do I do how do I go you know there's a bridge is a chair is it you know what are we gonna go with and and so right then I'm like okay I know I know I'm gonna go and so I like turn to him and he like puts his earphones in and I was okay so now I'm like all right that's okay I'll maybe I'll just ask them in hey do you mind taking those out someone talk to you for a second you know and then and so now I'm thinking all right what I want to do and now we have an hours of flight and I'm just thinking okay I've got to share the guys with the time or grab them in the airport or something you know and so as we're going down you know they come up and they say not not like crashing but landing they come over and they say okay you know we're about to land you know please prepare for landing and he takes them out and he goes you know we'll be in Dallas in 30 minutes I'm like all right I've got 30 minutes I've got 30 minutes with this guy and what you feel like in a moment is you feel like man I've got I've got 30 minutes to save this guy no we know that's not true it's the Holy Spirit but I'm like I've got 30 minutes to give this guy every thing I can all right you guys are in a series self-care you guys have I love the way you started the year I feel like I've got 30 minutes with you to just share the the best advice the best wisdom that I know and really what I want to give you are seven statements that this ministry has been built on so grab a pen and a piece of paper it's gonna be a little bit different tonight like drinking from a fire hydrant but write down as fast as you can these seven things these are seven things that this ministry was actually built on things seven things that God used I can say that humbly because none of these are my things these are things that I've learned from much wiser people than myself some of you whom you're going to hear from later these are just things that I've stolen all right that I'm gonna give back to you but it's the best advice that I can give you in the 30 minutes that I have and so the first one are you ready don't let your preferences rob you of paradise now if you've been running with us long you've heard some of these things they've come up through the years don't let your preferences rob you of paradise he here's what that means if you just do what you want to do you miss out on what God wants you to do that means for the rest of your life don't just do whatever you want to do it life's not just about doing whatever you feel like all right I I've lacked discipline in my life in seasons and so my family and I we went through a forty day fast it's hard I fasted from all sugar all things sweet are all carbohydrates that's funny my six-year-old was in class and they said a cupcake in front of him he told his teacher cuz I can't eat that I'm doing the keto diet and I was like buddy it's a fast not really a debt anyways and and in those forty days just got to experience a closeness with the Lord that I wouldn't have experienced if I hadn't done that and then after the forty days it's so easy to slip back into laziness and whatnot and so tomorrow you might not feel like getting up early and getting in the word you may not feel like eating right you may not feel like working out and you may feel like sleeping with your significant other you may feel like going back to that website or clicking that hashtag but guess what life's not about doing whatever you feel like do hard things it produces godliness discipline yourself for godliness like our generation they're saying about us we change jobs an average of every two years you know what that means you never get great at anything we jump into something and then when it gets difficult we don't feel like doing it anymore we jump into something else then we jump into something else then we jump into something else that we jump into something all of the sudden you find us at 45 years of age we haven't mastered anything because we just tried things every two years don't follow your appetite that's what the scripture tells us is Philippians three is talking about enemies of the cross of Christ enemies of the gospel this is how he describes them their destiny is destruction that's held their God little G God is their stomach than their glory is in their shame their mind is set on earthly things their what does it mean that their God is their stomach what does that mean think about that for a second their God is their stomach it means they eat what they're hungry for with no regard if they want it they take it and who are they enemies of the cross of Christ don't let your preferences rob you of paradise one thing that will help you with this is who you hang around with so number two is change your playmates in your playground change your playmates in your playground this is the number one advice that I have given throughout the years outside of the gospel when someone comes to me and they want to change their life in fact just yesterday I'm talking to a couple who's going through a challenge in their marriage right and they're like what do we do and I'm like you guys keep bumping up against the same things you have terrible influences around you you're going to places that set yourself up for set yourself up for failure change your playmates and your playground the proverbs verse 3 chapter 13 verse 20 says walk with the wise and become wise for a companion a fool suffers harm 1st Corinthians 15 verse 33 says do not be misled bad company corrupts good character as you know this like if you get drunk when you go to the bar stop going to the bar okay if you sleep with him when you go to his apartment or y'all get handsy or you cross lines pizza don't go to his apartment ever ever okay so change your playmates and you playground where you I'll just say this where you go and who you go with that's half the battle in life you want to change your life change where you go and who you go with that's gonna be half the battle it's no secret I've told the story over and over and over that what God has used more than any other thing in my life to take me from perverted porn addict womanizer drug user alcoholic to Pastor as crazy as that is what's community he placed godly people in my life that I didn't even like ya know ya know they know they know I didn't like them some of them are here today I love them as much as any human being because they're brothers they're close to their friends that are closer than family God used them to change my life more anything he's going to do the same so don't find community that you like don't look for people that have the same things in common just find someone who loves Jesus more than you and God will use that number three I would say pay close attention to what you pay attention to pay close attention to what you pay attention to the reality is everything that you do for the rest of your life will start in your mind your thoughts your your mood your sad your mad in a bad mood starts up here it all comes from the thoughts that you feed this is this is so true your mind is a container in that container the contents of that container can be rotten or life-giving and this is an area where I will tell you that science is catching up to theology so just the other day a couple of weeks ago Jimmy Fallon led the country in a 1-minute meditation some of you guys have meditation apps on your phone buzzwords like meditation or headspace or mindfulness these are common ideas in our generation this is something that where we really really really get it right but it's something that God said thousands of years ago that we would start our days by meditating on his word filling our minds with the things of God fixing our minds on the things not of this world but of his world Colossians 3 verse 2 says set your minds on the things above not on earthly things and so you need to pay attention to what you're paying attention to if you're thinking you know man wow she's hot or why don't I have that or I wish I had her boyfriend I don't know why I can't go there my boss or the president right as you as you're saying these things as you're feeding your mind these things you're affecting your entire body your livelihood this is why the scripture says do not conform me it's Romans 12:2 do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed being different beaten be renewed by the renewing of your mind and you want to know God's will is it says then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is he's good pleasing and perfect will the battle's if you look in history over wars that have been fought and battles that have been fought they've been fought over real estate territory nations there is a battle right now being fought over your mind it is a supernatural spiritual battle the enemy Satan he he wants your mind he wants your thoughts and he wants to fill it with envy and wrath and jealousy and judgment so that he can ruin your entire life so he wants he wants your ruined and the scripture commands us over and over and over to renew our minds to think about whatever is true whatever is pure whatever is right whatever is lovely whatever is honorable if anything is admirable excellent or praiseworthy that we would think about these things it's Philippians 4:8 so fix your mind on Jesus set your mind on the things above and just like your mind is a container so is your heart number four don't follow your heart inform your heart don't follow your heart inform your heart this comes from proverbs 4:23 says above all else guard your heart furnish the wellspring of life your version of Bible may say keep your heart with all diligence that work keep there what it means it's like the way you keep food in the refrigerator from going bad from spoiling keep your heart from spoiling the way you keep it from spoiling is you be very careful with what you let in and I know I sound like your mom or your grandma right now when I talk about music and movies and magazines and things you read but there's truth to that and again science is catching up and it's like all of the sudden you're like you know a girl's like man I just don't want I just not attracted to good guys that's because you've gone through a university that has trained you not to be attracted to good guys by what you've used to entertain yourself you start listening like start looking at the words of that song and you're like lot of guys just want to use me to hook up focus on what you're watching think about what you're feeding your heart it's like a bloodhound you've trained it to look for those things and you're like he's awesome and he makes great money and he looks good but should I date him you got to inform your heart right it's in Corinthians 6:14 do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers you want to tell your heart where to go one time my daughter Presley and I we we were traveling I was traveling for a speaking deal I took her with me and we got in the rental car and because I didn't know where I was going we actually in DC and I wanted to go see the monuments and whatnot I got a rental car with the GPS and as I get in it I began to follow the GPS and I'm thinking that we're going to the Abraham I'm sorry the Abraham the Lincoln Memorial and as as we're driving I realized at some point that we've traveled 20 miles the wrong direction because I never put the destination in the GPS it was the person who had the car before me I was still going wherever they wanted to go hey you wouldn't follow a GPS that you haven't entered in the destination you haven't told it where to go likewise don't follow your heart until you've informed it until you told it what to look for hey I want to find this kind of man I I want to find this kind of woman I want to surround myself with these kinds of people a sign of immaturity is when someone's feelings define their reality it's a sign of immaturity a sign of maturity right is when you learn to test your feelings as my friend has said many times feelings are real but not always reliable meaning you can't always trust them you want to make sure you fed that heart before you follow it that you've told it where to go and so if you're telling it where to go with the bachelor or romantic comedies or pornography it's going to lead you to a cliff to a dead end to break up after break up after heartbreak after heartbreak and the reason this all matters it's because who you belong to and that's number five who's you are is more important than who you are whose you are is more important than who you are yesterday my family and I were in heb was a new grocery store to us and it's it's it was huge and my six-year-old I looked up and I couldn't find him I didn't know where he was like my you know Monica's like where's Weston I was like oh she was like you had him was like I'm sorry I lost him and and so I'm going through the grocery store trying to find him and and and I see that this lady had found him you know and she was holding him for us if you were like kinda like hey we'll find your parents when that lady saw that he was lost she noticed he was lost his eyes were filling with tears you know when you're lost in grocery stores like you're never gonna see your parents again I don't know why that is but he's just like I'm done you know I'm going to the orphanage and uh and so I come to him and you know when she found him what she didn't ask is who are you she asked who's your mom and dad who are your parents who do you belong to and friends for the rest of your life there's gonna be seasons where you find yourself lost you're like how did I get here and in that moment don't be focused on who are you you focus on who's are you that's the way to be found who do you belong to and what this means is is you can stop trying so hard to make a name for yourself and to build a kingdom because you're the son and daughter to a king it's who you are you're his that's the most important thing about you is that you are a child of God is first John 1 verse 12 yet all who did receive Jesus to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God you're a prince you're a princess you belong to God you're not just somebody you belong to somebody you're not just somebody you're somebody's with a capital S the creator of the heavens and the earth and can we talk about why this matters for a second because what you do with your life matters what that guy on that plain does with his life matters what he does with God's daughters matter it matters to God it matters to their dad their capital s father it matters 1st Corinthians 6:18 through 20 says flee sexual immorality all other sins a person commits are outside the body but whoever sins sexually sins against their own body it says this do you not know porch do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you've received from God you are not your own let me say it again you are not your own you've been purchased bought by a price therefore honor God with your body so you're his the other day I was staying at a friend's house they were out of town and I stayed at their place and as I was leaving you know I made sure to make the bed just the way that it was and put everything up and do the dishes and put them back in the cabinet in fact I was relieved when I was driving down the road they lived on this long road as it's driving down the long road and I was like man ty you know I'd started a fire like today I turn the gas off I mean I know I did I checked it three times but I'm gonna go back one more time oh I tooked eggs that morning did I turn the stove I know I did but let me go check one more time you know why because it's not my house it belongs to somebody else and I want to leave it better than I found it they're saying your house man st. your house yours this ain't neither by the way but yours yours you got it on loan make sure you leave it better than you found a young men young man you hang out with her you make sure you leave her better than you found her terrifying verses in 1st Thessalonians 4 verse 6 it says that God is the Avenger of these things man a sovereign God is the Avenger of these things and so I don't want you to leave here and just try harder do more grab the bootstraps like that's not we're looking for surrender a really a posturing of I can't but you can may I become less you become greater the way that I've said it through the years here the way that I've heard it said if dependence is the goal then weaknesses the advantage that's number six if dependence is the goal weakness is the advantage see the world is gonna try to tell you that you need to be a bigger better version of you that you need to roar and get out there and get yours and make a name for yourself and hurry hurry hurry and save a bunch of money and retire and count seashells and whatnot it's going to tell you that you don't need anybody else and I want you to know that that's not the gospel the gospel says that you're a sheep in desperate need of a shepherd that you need someone to take care of you and that you don't have to boast in your strength that you can boast in your weakness because when you boast in your weakness it gives glory and points to God when you begin to talk about what he's delivered you from and you're like I'm never going to talk about that abortion you begin to start to talk about that abortion and you see he sees freedom from that abortion you begin to repent from your sins and speak them out he takes your mess and makes it your message and as he makes it your message and you continue to communicate it he makes it your ministry and he grows a ministry around you and all of the sudden what the enemy would you wait to use for evil God the Creator who loves you is using for good it's like he's giving you a key and you're taking that key which is your story and you're unlocking the cells of other people sitting in those prisons that you sat in you have power authority it says in the scripture to help other people find freedom what else are you going to give your life to what else you gonna do with your life why why wouldn't you do that 1st Corinthians 12 verse 9 where Paul is talking about the thorn in his flesh he said but God said to me my grace is sufficient for you my power is made perfect in weakness so Paul says therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me if you want to know how dependent you are there's a really simple test I can give you how much did you pray today how much time and energy and effort did you spend in prayer with the father today and this will directly tell you your dependence level at least today and if you're like man I didn't pray a whole lot today I didn't spend a lot of intentional time in prayer today some of you are like thinking right now like wow man since I woke up to write out and pray one single time today and I would just tell you you're not dependent on God and see Jesus his whole job description his criteria what what he does he's a savior he saves people to save people then there has to be somebody who needs saving and so if you're like I'm gonna get to God because what I've done or because of who I am or because I tried harder by my efforts because I'm good then you don't need saving the gospel you getting saved like you getting into heaven to be with God forever starts with you saying you know what I need saving I can't do it on my own I keep bumping my head up against the same wall making the same mistakes doing the same sins like a dog to his vow I keep going to that which is disgusting and impure and a mockery of who God is I need someone to save me to reach into the miry pit and set me on the cornerstone that is what I need you know what you need to get to heaven need what you need most to come to God is need to be in a place where you need him dependence and how fast you are and how smart you are and how good-looking you are and how gifted you are that's not gonna help you but when you realize your desperate need for a savior that's going to help you and so how do you know if you've done that number seven your behavior follows your belief your behavior follows your belief like some of you you you've said that you trusted in Christ just like me you've said that you believe in Jesus you've said those words but today in your life if you were honest you know you're not trusting in Jesus you know you didn't trust in Jesus today you know what that guy told me on the plane when I engaged him began to share the gospel he said oh no no I believe in Jesus I said well what do you believe about Jesus even the demons believe in shudder what do you but I can say you know I'll look here's a chair I believe there's a chair look there's a chair I believe it's there will it hold you yeah I believe but will hold me why don't you sit down in it yeah no no go ahead and sit down now I don't want to I don't want to no no I mean do you trust it would hold you yeah I trust it would hold me sit down yeah I'm good I'll just stand standing so I can I can see the chair I can acknowledge the chair I can speak the word the chair is there the chair is there I can say that out loud I could even say I'm a chair follower I follow the chair everywhere the chair goes look at me I'm chair follower right but until until I trust the chair to hold me right that is evidence of me believing until I come over here and I put my way and it supports me my life is in it right now this is evidence of the knowledge that I spoke the reality that I said there was a chair here now I'm trusting in the chair my life is in the chair this is what Jesus wants from you this is what he wants from you that you would trust in his death in the resurrection his death sent death and resurrection as a payment for your sins securing you to God's kingdom that you're gonna be there forever and ever and when you know you're going to be there forever and ever then you begin to live this life here as though that's what matters most like every men at every breath every heartbeat here as though you're going to be there with God forever and ever and ever so eternity with you starts right now in the way you have conversations with people the way you date the way you talk the way you buy the things you like your hobbies how you spend your time it's all his James once says therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves but do what it says do what it says don't just say you believe in Jesus do what he says in summary don't let your preferences rob you of paradise change your playmates in your playground and pay close attention to what you pay attention to don't follow your heart and form your heart whose are you is more important than who are you if dependence is the goal weakness is the advantage and your behavior follows your belief when I left that guy on that plane I thought man God gave their brother so many talents and so many gifts in the world is affirming everything he is and what he's all about and the truth is from an eternal perspective he's completely insignificant he has nothing an eternity he is wasting every breath of his life I want to juxtapose that with 11 men who Jesus met on the side of a hill see Jesus when he came here he had one mission to save the world he had a message that he needed to get out there and he could have used anybody he could have used toddlers he could have used geriatrics he could have used the elderly you know who he goes who used he chose to use young adults some people 18 to 35 that was his strategy he walks up to him on the hillsides that's the real Philip I there standing up there hey who do they say I am some say Jeremiah there's Elijah one of the prophets I don't know but what about you who do you say I am Peter speaks up either Christ you're the son of the Living God he's asking you this question right now who do you say I'm insert your name right now Darrell who do you say Michael who do you save Jennifer who do you say Kelly who do you say I am Sarah who do you say I am you the Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus is like that's right man and I'm gonna do something that nothing's gonna be able to stop I'm gonna build my church and the gates of Hades won't be able to overcome it my favorite prophecy in all of the scriptures because then those guys are like what are you talking about you're gonna build it sure what is the church first of all and Jesus I don't know if you notice but people don't like you and you know you're talking about building this unstoppable movement there's only 12 of us and not even so sure about Judas over here every think we play you might be playing for the other team I mean they kept screwing it up right like it like in three verses later or just a few verses later Jesus is talking to the same guy who's that you're the Christ the Son of God he's like get behind me Satan because he's like no you can't do that he's always messing things I've already died denies until twelve-year-old girl like no I don't know him he knows his best friend no who's that I don't know that guy you know and he's like he they they keep messing it up these guys they were cowards complete and total coward but they said that he was the Christ maybe that's you tonight yeah I believe he's the Christ you go back tomorrow you're coward but something happened something awesome happened in Matthew 28 a translator see what's happening they saw Jesus on the cross they saw him die they saw him take his last breath they saw him stabbed in the side the blade the blood run out they saw him to show back up now like they saw the greatest act of all time and those guys they gave their entire life to advancing that message church history tells us that ten of the eleven died martyrs death they were crucified beheaded crucified upside down stabbed to death the one was skinned his head cut off but one was boiled alive and then sent to a prison on a remote island all because they would not deny the resurrection these cowards now became courageous and it's not just their death they gave their life to it why because they believed it and if you're here and you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and God raised him from the dead and His Holy Spirit lives in you then what are you doing with your life because those guys that died that wasn't a tragedy okay they are heroes they told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told you so that you wouldn't know who he is that guy on that plane too cool for school guy that's a tragedy his life is wasted it's a tragedy he's got a lot of girlfriends he's got a lot of naked pictures of those girlfriends and he is a tragedy by tragedy I don't want you to be a tragedy and so here's what we're gonna do it's been amazing to watch this ministry grow beyond these the walls of not just this building or this church or this city but this week I'm gonna get emails from South Africa and Australia and London and people all over the world not to mention the United States Tennessee and Alabama in Florida in California in Seattle because of what God is doing through you and what we're going to do is we're going to grab all of those people from around the world and we're going to bring them here Memorial Day and we're going my friend is leading us in the charge of giving them a vision for what the church can be it's the same vision that captured my heart here 17 years ago and I don't want you to miss it would you watch this you know there's gotta be more more meaning more purpose of life something to do that matters it seems like you're so close to finding it you've looked everywhere you can think of to find it you've done all the good things to achieve it but you still keep missing it in your heart if you know the answers Jesus but you're still trying to make that connection you know there's need you were made for me and there has to be a way to connect your love of Jesus and your god-given desire to do something great to lead to change the world good news is there are others like you those who are ready to stop simply going to church and now ready to be the church some say the church is irrelevant fake and outdated we say it's the movement were made for yeah it is it's what you were made for hello porch how we doing from the very beginning of us pouring in to our friends who were young adults in Dallas Texas and now as JP said around the world and in different locations that every week gathered like you guys do here to stream and talk about this we we've had a something at the very front of our minds and that's something is this that we would raise a generation that God would move in such a way that we would surrender to God and then we would change the world through the lives of young adults it's what Jesus is always done you guys are in this room and gathering right now in this place and meeting other places but specifically the ones that are here with me in Dallas and the ones that are in Fort Worth you guys were gathered in places because when I was your age by the kindness of God I surrendered to God I started to do these principles that JP talked tonight and I was sick and tired to be and underneath a dead feckless human come and listen to me show up shut up and pay up Church like oh there's nothing in this Americanized verse of the church that even remotely looks like this gates of hell won't stand against it we're gonna change the world kind of community of friends and so I quit complaining about what I was underneath and I started just undertake what God had for me and me and a bunch of folks your age just started to pray that God would take more of our hearts and we wouldn't follow our hearts we didn't form our hearts and we wouldn't just say one thing and do another we'd be people who believe that Jesus was alive and he still wanted to rescue people he still want to do something great we said Lord if you're willing why not with us and then 19 years later I'm no longer a young adult but we've used our lives and our fortune and our sacred honor to invest in people a bunch of us moved as much resources we had into into putting together locations and putting on those locations buildings that we could gather people and encourage people to quit people and we pray that one day room would fill up with a generation and that was well behind us that they would surrender their hearts to God and God would use them to change the world and then we started to gather you guys away for two or three days and we could only fit about 1200 into a place that we gathered you and in 15 minutes it was filled up with a third of the folks who were already in the room with us and we just said man this has got to stop because there's a lot of places around the world that don't have something like this and there's a lot of places around the world that don't have what I've been experienced with my friends for the last 19 years and we believe you're the generation who can change that and so we just said you know what we're gonna do we're gonna go and we're gonna take our lives our fortune and we're gonna invest it and in gathering young adults from all around the country all around the world a Memorial Day we're not going to take just 1200 of them that we fill out in 15 minutes away on Labor Day we're gonna we're gonna rent the Convention Center in Dallas we're gonna buy some amazing friends in with us we're gonna have incredible artists we're gonna have an incredible time and we're gonna be able to invite thousands of our friends let me just tell you something that means each of you can invite two people who live somewhere other than right here who don't have what we have every week who don't have great teaching great fellowship who don't go I'm not really sure I believe in God yet maybe for some of you but if there is a God I want to learn about it from these people because they're not playing man they're not just trying to get me to come to some meeting they're telling me there's something worth living for this is your moment this is what the plan has been all along it's time for us to invite other people to the party and Memorial Day weekend we're gonna spend three days together and like I said we're gonna just we're not we're not gonna try and bait you with amazing tantalizing things right now I'm just gonna tell you something you want to be surprised and delighted come on you want to come and you want to expose your friends to what you get every week cuz this is not about you this is about the opportunity in the moment is now and a lot of you guys are surrendered to God let's just say half a yard that means you get to invite four friends folks who went to college with you folks that you work with people you sit next to in planes and it's going to quickly show up and sell out and so now's the time for you to and bring them in so we can build them up so Jesus can get busy watch this planning churches and forming communities like the porch all across the world that's what we want to do the big call come out of our gathering that's gonna happen Memorial Day weekend it's not hey will you go invite four more friends for next year and will will rent out you know American Airlines Center the next year Gerry world will be a hundred thousand of us that will gather because what we want to do is after we gather we want to train equip and scatter and we want to plant communities of Christ followers in other cities than the ones were already in we want to disciple them some are gonna come live with us we give them an opportunity to be trained and live with us and and walk with you and then we're gonna send them back in in smaller clans we're gonna say if you're someplace already where there's a community of Christ followers that are serious about the kind of things we talked about tonight then let's send you back more strengthened and more ready to partner with them to change the world and if there's not one we're gonna help you start one and the vision from the beginning has been that we're gonna surrender our lives to God and God's gonna do something only he can do he's gonna use the likes of us to change the world listen this is what God's up to he's going to do this and if you want to jump in with me to make disciples and be disciples and be people who don't just come to something that's cool but we go hey I want to live for something that's great then let's go but this is something we're doing for you we're not going to throw something that makes us feel good that in 15 minutes it's safe and it's covered no we have risked a lot we're bringing in friends we're bringing in folks that are gonna bless you but you got to go get your friends and say hey man you know the thing I talked to you about that I do every Tuesday night we're gonna do something for you you got to come you got to hang out with me and and it's not gonna be available for long in fact you know next week in fact to gather with us it's gonna get a little bit more expensive next Tuesday when you walk in here it'll be a little bit more expensive if you invite ten people it'll be a little bit more expensive but you got you want to get in on it right now and what I'm asking you to do is to be prayer for me to give you a second just a moment's to pray with me Lord who the people that I've been trying to tell him I think there's something about Jesus I think there's something about really his people not not this thing that we used to be underneath then maybe you know we grew up around or grew up running from but there's something about God in Christ that I'm starting to see some of you guys have had my eyes radically changed you found forgiveness you found healing you found life and this is your moment to invite some friends who will come and not just come to an event but will walk out of there with an opportunity and a clear plan that we're gonna give them to disciple them and to start or strengthen the work of God where they live that's what we want to do but we're doing this for you because we believe that you're surrendered to God we believe you're ready to change the world and we're gonna gather people to scatter them for the glory of God are you ready are you ready all right I'm telling you we can only take about 8,000 this first year that's all we're committed to I hope frankly if you guys you know if I have to write a huge check and say take your place back and we go find a bigger place make that our problem all right but let's just fill the room up there's nothing worse than having an amazing time and seeing five empty seats and go man why wasn't my friend here because this would have been amazing to share with them but we're not doing this this thing every week for you we're doing it because God has invited you to do something that's gonna make your life everything you dream that your life is going to be the way I say that last point is people say what they think they do what they believe you guys say you want to be the generation to change the world well you got a chance to do it and we're gonna equip and we're gonna inspire we're gonna bless we're gonna laugh we're gonna play we're gonna serve we're gonna equip and we're gonna launch and we're gonna awake in the world of the glory of our God in our King let me give you about 30 seconds just to pray just say God man bring to my mind the names of some friends that I work with folks I've been telling about this it's time for me to use and broker my relational capital to say come and see may come hang out with us there's a generation before us and made some decisions that something's happening here that raise up at JP and addy Marv and all the other folks that are serving you here so you can be blessed and it's your turn father would you just bring to mind friends maybe who are just somewhere who know you already who who just need to be encouraged that we need to have relationships with so we can strengthen them and we can help them start which you want for them in your city that we pray without shine anything that we're experiencing in this thing called the porch because we don't care about the porch we care deeply about Jesus and Jesus I thank you that you care deeply about my friends so you will you bring to mind people that don't know you yet that I should invite them to come in here about the kindness of God would you bring to mind people that just need some encouragement to be strengthened they're gonna be the leaders of the not just the next generation but if your work in the world Lord speak to my heart father thank you for this room and thank you for rooms just like it spread out right now in little dots in this little region that we're in but I pray that dots would grow all around the country not porches but communities of authentic transformed spirit empowered surrendered to God free from the bondage to sin and South folks who don't worship their stomach but who have a savior that is delivered us from a way that seems right to us but has led to death would you use us this generation would you use this room and rooms like it would you use this age group Lord to preserve your people and to reach those who right now are staggering to slaughter would you let us take advantage of this resource that's being put together for others to see your kindness your goodness the joy and the fun we have not when we're exploiting each other for momentary sexual pleasure or numbing ourselves with alcohol and drugs from pain but lord may we have a party in this city the Dallas itself notes there's something different about these people there's something better than what Vegas offers here and these people love each other and they serve each other and they say they know a king and we pray that that kingdoms reign would extend throughout all the earth Lord would you bring your people would you use us to be the ones that invite them and I pray Lord as we now stand before you and sing the greatness of your renown would spill out of us and our lives would be the beginning of this next work that you're going to do and may Jesus alone be the one who's glorified in his name amen

Channel: The Porch

Views: 41,412

Rating: 4.897912 out of 5

Keywords: the, porch, dallas, watermark, church, young, adults, christian, christianity, ministry, movement, jp, todd, wagner, david, marvin, jonathan, fort, worth, ft, el, paso, harris, creek, advice, help, self, jesus, god, pokluda, best, life, future, principles

Id: PtoG-OPdZ5A

Length: 49min 57sec (2997 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 01 2019