Living with Grace: Legacy, Character, and Faith

Bible Reading:
1. Psalm 39:4-5: "Lord, tell me what will happen to me now. Tell me how long will I live. Let me know how short my life really is. You gave me only a short life compared to you. My whole life is nothing. The life of every human is like a cloud that quickly disappears."
2. John 12:24: "Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and die, it abides alone."
3. 2 Corinthians 9:6: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
4. Ephesians 2:8-10: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Observation Questions:
1. What is the significance of the imagery used in Psalm 39:4-5 and John 12:24?
2. How does 2 Corinthians 9:6 relate to the concept of sowing and reaping?
3. What does Ephesians 2:8-10 say about the role of grace and works in salvation?

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the imagery in Psalm 39:4-5 and John 12:24 reflect on the transient nature of life and the importance of sacrifice?
2. How does the principle of sowing and reaping, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 9:6, apply to our spiritual lives and our relationship with God?
3. How does Ephesians 2:8-10 challenge the common understanding of salvation and good works?

Application Questions:
1. Reflecting on Psalm 39:4-5, how does the brevity of life influence your daily decisions and priorities?
2. Considering John 12:24, what is one area in your life where you need to 'die to self' in order to bear fruit?
3. In light of 2 Corinthians 9:6, what is one specific way you can sow generously in your life this week?
4. Reflecting on Ephesians 2:8-10, how does understanding salvation by grace through faith impact your view of your past mistakes and your future potential?
5. How can you demonstrate the principle of being God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, in a practical way in your life this week?

Day 1: The Battle Between Sin and Sanctification

Each person grapples with the constant struggle between sin and sanctification. However, hope and redemption are found in God's grace and mercy, which play a crucial role in this process. This grace is not earned but freely given to those who seek it. ([12:45])

Romans 7:15-17 - "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent struggle you've had between sin and sanctification. How can you lean into God's grace and mercy in this situation?

Day 2: Planning with the End in Mind

Imagining what people will say at our funerals can serve as a powerful motivator to live a life that aligns with our faith and leaves a positive legacy. Death is inevitable for all, and reflecting on the legacy we want to leave behind is of utmost importance. ([22:30])

Proverbs 13:22 - "A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous."

Reflection: What legacy do you want to leave behind? How can you start living today to ensure that legacy?

Day 3: Defined by Grace, Not Mistakes

Despite our past mistakes or actions, we are not defined by them. Salvation is by God's grace and not by our own works, offering hope and a fresh start to those who accept it. ([34:15])

Isaiah 43:18-19 - "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

Reflection: What past mistake or action are you allowing to define you? How can you accept God's grace and start anew?

Day 4: Unity and Avoidance of Division

Unity within the church is crucial, and those who cause division and disrupt people's faith should be avoided. The hard work and dedication of women in the church are also acknowledged, emphasizing their valuable contributions to the ministry. ([45:50])

1 Corinthians 1:10 - "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."

Reflection: How can you contribute to unity within your church community? Are there any divisions you need to address or avoid?

Day 5: Character Over Material Possessions

Character and legacy are more important than achievements and material possessions. When people attend a funeral, they discuss the person's character and the impact they had on others, not their accomplishments or net worth. ([58:20])

Proverbs 22:1 - "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold."

Reflection: How are you cultivating your character to leave a lasting, positive impact on others? What changes can you make today to prioritize character over material possessions?

Again, it's so good to see you this morning. Man, I love that worship this morning. It was great to see that team expanding, and we are just so grateful today. If you have a talent and you love to sing, we have a place for you.

We have a lot of people watching online from North Carolina, Tennessee, all around, even here in this local area. Father's House, would you welcome those that are watching online? We are so glad that you joined with us today. Thank you so much. Thank you for being with us. Amen.

Well, it's my privilege to be here today and share with you, but I'm also excited about this week because this week marks Anita and I's 32nd wedding anniversary, and we are so excited. Wow, 32 years! It seems like it's been a lifetime, but then again, I can still remember when the doors opened in the back and she came in with that long, sleek, white tight dress walking down the aisle. I can see it just now. How many of you men can still, in your mind, see your wife walking down the aisle? Raise your hand proudly. You better raise your hand because she's sitting beside you, right?

I have several things I just got to say today before we begin. Yesterday was one of the most monumental days, I think, in the history of the Father's House and in my life. We hosted the A21 Walk, and then also Friday, we participated in a serve day down in Claremont. So I would love for Tanya and Maggie to come and join me, and we're going to talk a little bit about that.

We'll talk first of all about A21. Yeah, come on up, girls. So what was happening at the college yesterday?

So we did our third annual Walk for Freedom, and that was the first year we got to host it at the college because we kind of outgrew the Venetian. I'm glad we did move it because we wound up having over 7,700 people participating this year.

And what was it for?

I mean, somebody said, "What is going on here?" So what was it for? It was funny to read those comments in the "What's Up in Leesburg," whatever, but it was to bring awareness to our community about human trafficking and also to support the survivors of human trafficking, to show that they are not alone, that we're in this fight with them. We raised a lot of money last year, and this year we hope later we'll be able to know that number, right?

Yes, I have a big goal. I have a big number: $150,000. I feel like that could happen. Why not?

Hey, let me just ask this because I'm so overwhelmed at the organization you did yesterday. I mean, I'm just beyond me how you organized this. We had the UCF Knights there. I mean, we had so many people. How many of you, how many of the people that are here today, by standing, were on Tanya's team to organize this event? Would you stand? If you were on her team, all right, we have several people in this service. That's awesome!

Yeah, and how many of you, how many of us actually walked yesterday? Would you stand? Just go ahead and stand. Wow! Oh wow! Yeah, and I think we had a video running, right? And seeing all of that, you'll see more on Facebook.

And then Friday, Maggie, tell us about what some of you ladies did on Serve Day.

Well, Friday was part of our mission: bringing hope and impacting our community. So we joined Unforsaken Women's Ministry, and they have an annual project called Restore Hope. That is basically an extreme home makeover. So they start on Friday, they work all day Friday, all day Saturday, part of Sunday, and then tonight they're going to reveal. But it's either for a single mom or a widow.

We had the privilege of going into this home, stripping everything out of the home, and our particular team was over the kitchen. So we had to pack up everything, move it out, and as soon as we did that, then the painters were in. I mean, there were paint that was donated. We were, actually, the Father's House, because of your giving, we were able to be one of the sponsors for this event, and so we thank you for allowing that.

One of the greatest things was not only we got to serve with so many different people—there were different churches, different youth ministry groups, just community that came out—but the single mom and her three kids that were part of last year's Restore Hope, she came to help and pay it forward for the widow. So we're hoping to be able to do more of that for our community later on.

Yeah, amen! Thank you, ladies. Hey, next year we're going to do a serve week, and we'll be serving our community in a lot of different ways, so I want you to be part of that.

Hey, listen, if you have your phone out or whatever you're taking notes with, would you write down October 24th? That's coming up at the end of this month. October 24th is what we call our Team Night, in which we feed our people who serve on any of our serving teams, but we're also opening this one up to anyone who's interested in finding a place to serve here at the Father's House.

Now, you have to register because we feed you good food. We have filet mignon and salad. No, we don't have that yet, but we do have good food. And how you sign up is text "TEAM" to 352-329-2301. Nick Bevens will be with us, who wrote this great book on the Volunteer Playbook. He wants to help churches find their full potential, so we're honored he's going to be here speaking to our staff, and then he'll also be here on that night. So sign up if you serve, and if you're interested, sign up, okay? And you can also do that on our website if you go to thefathershouse.com.

Okay, hey, if you got your Bible with you, let's hold it up—your iPhone, your iPad, whatever you use. Let's say it together: This is my Bible. It is the Word of God. It is life to me today. I receive the Word. I confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I am obedient, and I will never be the same again in Jesus' name.

Father, we just approach you again today because we confess that we can do nothing without you. Holy Spirit, I need your anointing because I just have words unless you put the super to it and you make it super words that come from you. So I pray you'd help me to say what you want me to say. Don't let me say things I shouldn't say. At the end of today, I pray, Father, that you would be glorified. That's so important—that you be glorified and the saints be edified, built up, instructed, understanding things. And Lord, we just terrify the enemy in your name. Amen.

If you believe that, give the Lord a hand clap and say, "Yeah! Amen!"

There's a scene, and I love the writings of Mark Twain. There's a scene in his book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, of a funeral service. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are presumed drowned; they fake their own death, and the townspeople are gathering at the church to mourn the loss of the boys. All of a sudden, they forget about all the troublesome shenanigans these boys have been doing for the last weeks, and Twain writes this in his book:

"As the service proceeded, the clergyman drew such pictures of the graces, the winning ways, the rare promise of the lost lads that every soul there had focused only on the faults and failures. The congregation became more and more moved till at last the whole company of the church broke down weeping, and even the preacher himself was weeping in the pulpit."

But listen, moments later, the dead boys come marching up the aisle. They had been hiding in an unused room, listening to their own funeral sermon.

Now, I've got to be honest with you, that thought intrigues me. I mean, am I the only weird person that's ever thought about what it would be like to be at my own funeral and see who's coming and what they say? Anyone else ever thought about that? Okay, a few of us that are weird.

But I mean, wouldn't that be awesome to hear what people say and think about? In fact, AJ, one of our armor bearers here, he's already prepared and written out his teaching from his own sermon. In other words, he's going to record it and say, "Welcome to my funeral. I'm glad you came today." Only AJ could do that.

I read a story about three guys that were talking together, and one guy said, "Hey, when you're laying there in your casket at your funeral with all your friends gathered there, what would you like for them to say about you?"

The first guy said, "Well, I'd like for them to say he was a brilliant doctor and a loving family man."

The second one said, "I would want them to say I was an outstanding school teacher and I helped the less fortunate."

The last guy said, "I'd love for them to look in the casket and say, 'Look, he's moving!'"

In Steven Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which I recommend for you to read, he does what he calls the funeral exercise. In other words, begin your strategy and planning with the end in mind. Imagine your funeral and imagine what people will say at your funeral because the reality is one day that's going to happen to you.

We're all glad you came today, right? We're all headed towards death. That's encouraging, right?

60 minutes an hour, 1,440 minutes a day, 525,600 minutes a year. Today, over 150,000 people will die. So far, we're still alive. So far, we've got a chance to be sure that we're working on our life.

I love this verse, Psalm 39, verse 4 and 5. Would you read it with me from the Sky Bible?

"Lord, tell me what will happen to me now. Tell me how long will I live. Let me know how short my life really is. You gave me only a short life compared to you; my whole life is nothing. The life of every human is like a cloud that quickly disappears."

CA—the word CA simply means there—stop what you're doing, pause, don't go any further till you give that great thought. And here's what he's saying: one day you're not going to wake up. Look at your neighbor and tell them that. One day you're not going to wake up.

I told you it's an encouraging day! Aren't you glad you came?

People will gather at your funeral or your memorial. In fact, we don't call them funerals anymore; we call them names like celebrations of life or memorials.

Here's one thing I know that's very true: dead people can't talk, but people will talk about the dead. The question is, what will they say about you? What would they say about you?

Truthfully, I'll tell you what will not be said. I've never conducted a funeral where a son or a daughter pulls out their dad's resume and says, "Look at where my dad graduated from. Look at all the jobs he held." No, they don't discuss the net worth when you're in the casket. They talk about your character.

"I remember Dad had time for me. I remember Mom was kind." And they'll tell stories about that. Sadly, some people know the truth, and they'll say in their mind, "My dad was selfish. He drank a lot. He had a bad temper. He never was close. I never knew him."

We have eulogies. Sometimes eulogies are very short for that very reason because there's nothing really good that you can say. I saw a bumper sticker once that said, "Live a good life so the pastor doesn't have to lie at your funeral."

You can build a million-dollar company, and when you pass away, nobody's going to be impressed by that. They'll remember not what you did, but they'll remember who you are.

As we ponder that question of what will people say at your funeral, let us remember this: this is so important. Legacy is not solely defined by our achievements or material possessions; it is the impact that we have on others, the love we share, and the values we uphold that truly matter.

When you die, people will talk about you all day long. They'll go maybe to dinner afterwards or whatever, and they'll talk all day long about you—the good, the bad. Eventually, talking about you all day long will become a paragraph, a small paragraph. But after weeks and months, that paragraph will become one sentence. One sentence.

"Yeah, I remember Terry. He..."

"Hey, would you pass the salt?"

So here's the question: what would be the sentence of your life if you were to die right now today? What would people say about you?

Now, what one sentence will they use to summarize your life? You know, we see that dash: born 1950, died 3000, whatever it is—long life. And that whole life is summarized by that dash. And that dash is the sentence.

What would they say about your life?

At the end of Romans chapter 16, would you turn there with me? At the end of Romans chapter 16, Paul writes a series of one sentences about people's lives who made a difference. Paul wrote letters; he planted churches, and one of them is Rome. And so he summarizes the lives of people that are in Rome with one sentence.

Look with me in Romans chapter 16. I'll be reading from the New Living Translation.

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church at Centura. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God's people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many."

Look, she's only mentioned once in the Bible. She's an ordinary person who lived an ordinary life. She is, however, the one who carried this letter of Paul that he wrote. She's the one who carried the letter to Rome.

And so when Paul says she's been helpful, in Greek, the word could be translated she's a political sponsor, she's a political protector. It suggests that Phoebe had very much wealth, independence, and was very prominent in the church.

Now, I know for some of you that hit you pretty hard when you read she was a deacon because some of you come from backgrounds of churches where you were taught that women could not hold an office in the church.

Now, that's what happened a lot of time when I say, "Would you give me a blank sheet of paper and let's talk about that?" But because some of you were raised in a church and you heard that the baptism in the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues was dead, it wasn't for today, and you were taught that miracles no longer happen.

And since you've been here, we've taught and we said, "Look, we have to renew our mind to what the scripture says, not to what somebody said, but let's dig into that."

So we found, well, the Holy Spirit is for me. So I know that one of the big issues that happen to a lot of people is that they come from different church backgrounds regarding women holding an office in a church—women that are pastors, women that are deacons, women that are leaders.

Look at this: the first person Paul mentioned—it's always important when we read. You see, most of you skipped over Acts 16. Most of you have never thought about Acts 16. He's just finished some of the greatest detail of theology that there is, and then he comes and he says, "I want to tell you about people who've really been helpful." And the first person he mentions is a woman.

Now, when you understand biblical theology, by putting her first, he's giving her a prominent position. And I believe he sort of did it to make some of you nervous this morning.

And he says, "She has been very helpful."

Now listen, the role of women in the church has been argued for years because most people take two verses in the New Testament and they use those two verses to develop a theology of women in ministry. Those verses are used as a case against women being on the stage, teaching, being an evangelist, being a pastor, being an elder.

But when you look at those verses in context, there's more to that. Paul is dealing specifically with a lack of order that's happening in the church, and he's not teaching against women in leadership in the church.

Now, I know some of you want to think about that and pray about that, so we have a little book for you that you can pick up as you leave today, and it talks about the Father's House's stand on women in ministry.

I say that simply because sometimes men are critical of women, but they don't really understand what they're doing. The scripture says we will be responsible for every word we speak. So if we speak out of our mouth and not out of a biblical understanding about women in leadership, one day, listen to me, get real close to me right now—you'll answer to God because the callings of God are without repentance and without gender.

Notice, I actually heard about somebody who attended the Father's House and made a comment to somebody else loud enough that other people heard around them, "Well, I don't believe women should be up teaching." And Andrea did okay when she was up there, and I'm thinking, "God forgive them for they have no understanding of what they're saying in context of you."

Now listen, we believe that gifts and calling are not gender-based. However, we believe that a woman in ministry—listen to me very clearly—that a woman in ministry does not rule over men, but they rule through a man that is their biblical covering.

Let me explain that. If Pastor Simone gets up and teaches, if Pastor Andrea gets up and teaches, if Pastor Anita gets up and teaches, if Pastor Roberta gets up and teaches, they're not teaching without a covering. They're teaching because I have simply said I acknowledge, and the elders of this church acknowledge their call of God.

Now, if you have an issue with God calling women into ministry, you need to deal with God. And if that's a point of contention with you, it's not debatable here at the Father's House. Our stand is in that little book, but it's very clear that we know that some—

Even though callings are not gender-based, we also know that there are some offices in the Bible that there should be a covering over a woman when she speaks, which is an apostolic authority.

So that just simply means if I'm away, if I'm in Europe or going to the Holy Land—we're supposed to go in December, we'll see—and if a woman that I have given authority to teaches, she's not teaching and ruling over men; she's teaching through a man, and that's me.

And so basically, I have acknowledged their call of God, and I've released them.

So now, if you'll watch the rest of this chapter 16, Paul is very clear in what he does. In fact, in verse 17, after he talks about all these women in leadership, in verse 17, listen to what he says:

"Watch out for people who cause division and upset people's faith and teachings that have been contrary to what I've just taught you."

So if you hear somebody stirring up something, then you just got to sort of dismiss yourself from them because you don't want to be attached to their attacking what God has already ordained.

Now look, watch—you got to watch. Don't get upset. Watch this:

"Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I’m thankful for them, so are all the Gentile churches. Also, give my greeting to the church that meets in their home."

Priscilla is the woman. Now, in biblical writings, you always address the men first. It should have been Aquila, who was the man, and Priscilla, who's the woman. But Paul notes Priscilla first, so he gives her some sort of authority—not over her husband, but authority that she held a greater office in the church than her husband.

And they were also small group leaders. Look at that! They opened their church, they opened their home to the church.

And then he says in verse 5a, "Greet my dear friend Epenetus." Look at his sentence: "He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ."

Here’s his sentence: "He was the first one to become a follower of Christ." What a sentence in your life!

Verse 6: "There it is again, men. Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit."

Notice one thing that doesn't happen in this passage: there's no selfishness.

Verse 7: "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did."

This is going to blow you away. Most of the early church fathers believe that Junia was a woman.

So here it says that she and her husband were both apostles—not the 12 apostles, but those that were sent out.

Now, if you have a Spirit-Filled Study Bible, it would tell you that. If you don't have a Spirit-Filled Study Bible, you need to get one. The footnotes are awesome because they give you either choice of a lot of things, but there's a lot of scripture passages that will point in different directions.

But Junia here, it was, as most early church fathers believe, was an apostle.

And then he says, "Greet Aelis, a good man whom Christ approves."

And then give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord's workers in Persis. They worked so hard for me. Again, women who worked in the church.

"Greet Rufus. In fact, there'll be 10 of the 26 people here that he addresses as women. Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own, and also his dear mother, who's been like a mother to me."

See, some of you have been like a mother to a lot of people, and that's what Paul is doing. Look, ordinary lives.

I love this: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Look, take a good look, friends, at who you are when you got called into this life.

"I didn't see many of the brightest and the best." Thank you! That actually makes me feel pretty good.

"I don't see many of the brightest and the best among you. Not many influential, not many from high society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses? He chose those nobodies to expose the hollow pretensions of the somebodies."

Isn't that awesome? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by by blowing your own horn before God.

Look at how great I am!

No, read this last sentence with me: "Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate, a fresh start—comes from God by the way of Jesus Christ."

I would say to you, where are you serving? Where are you serving? Where are you serving?

You can use that connection card that's on the chair in front of you, and you can say, "You know what? I'm really interested in serving." And you can also go to Growth Track and find out more.

More important than what people say about you is what's true about you.

What would people say at your funeral? That question helped one man refocus his life. His name was Alfred Nobel. He invented dynamite in 1866 and made him extraordinarily rich.

A little over 20 years later, a French newspaper mistakenly published his obituary. The obituary read, "Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever, died yesterday."

When Alfred read that, he decided in his life he would change the sentence of his life—not being someone who invented dynamite that kills more people.

Eight years later, after that obituary, he died. People were stunned when they read he willed all of his fortune to establish prizes for extraordinary achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace, which is now known as the Nobel Peace Prize.

Since that time, 560 people have been awarded the Nobel Prize, the most prestigious honor a person can receive. He saw the sentence of his life as a killer, and he said, "Nope, that's not going to be me. I'm going to change it."

So what if you could rewrite your sentence?

Let's think about it like this: if you were to die right now—boom! You died. We have to call a medical team, so they'd come around you and try to help you. Okay, thank God for our medical team! Would you give a hand for our medical team? They step back there in those beautiful red seats.

Okay, so don't step back there if you're not a medical person.

So if you were to die and somebody had to do your memorial tomorrow, what would your sentence be? What is your sentence?

But what would you like for it to say?

So I'm thinking, "Well, how do I get from what they would say to what I would like to be said?" That's a pretty big gap.

Well, I've got hope for you today. Would you like hope? Let me give you some hope today. Here it is:

You—let me tell you this. This is so important. You've got to hear this. Whatever you did in your past, that one sentence does not have to be the one-liner that describes or defines you.

I've got to read that again: whatever you did in the past, that one sentence doesn't have to be the line that describes or defines you.

Paul said this in Ephesians 2:8-10: "God saved you by his grace when you believed, and you can't take credit for it. It's a gift of God."

Salvation—read it with me—"Salvation is not a reward for good things you've done, so none of us can boast."

You know, in funerals, we hear people say, "Well, he was a good man, and now I know he's got angel wings."

Look, let me just share this—a pet peeve. When you die, you do not become an angel!

Oh, give me a gracious break! When I hear that, there's a lot of other words, but that came to me. Good!

All right, because I'm working on my sentence.

Look, he says here, "We've all fallen short of being able to please God, so God sent his son Jesus."

And by grace, I can trust him. Becoming a Christian is when you transfer your trust over to Jesus. In other words, I no longer trust in myself. I don't take credit in what I'm doing, but I know that he gives me new life.

Verse 10: "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do good things that he planned for us long ago."

That word there, "masterpiece," is the word "poema," which sounds like from what we get the word "poem," right?

So think about this: when I transfer my trust to Jesus and ask him to forgive me of my sins, then God begins to write a poem. It can also be used as creating a painting. God actually begins to create the one sentence of your life that will happen through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther described it in a Latin phrase, "Simul Justus et Peccator," and he basically says as we're living today, we are simultaneously a sinner and a saint, simultaneously justified and sinful.

In other words, there's that struggle within us to be who God wants us to be, but with God's grace and his mercy, we know that one of these days when people stand and give the memorial for you, they have a sentence like those in Romans chapter 16 said: they served, they gave, they lived.

I guess I should ask this question: would somebody be surprised at your memorial to find out that you were a Christian?

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you today for your love. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you, Lord, for teaching us today. I know some of us, we have a background of things, and because we've never taken the time to really study it for ourselves, we've just taken it for granted that's the way it is.

But today, Lord, we ask you to give us grace to continue to be learners. But Lord, we also ask for anyone here today that's never transferred their trust over to you. We pray today, Lord, that they will transfer that trust to you in Jesus' name.

If you're here today and you've never transferred your trust over to Jesus, ask him into your life. I'd love to lead you in a prayer today. I can give you the words, but you have to surrender the heart.

If that's you, would you just raise your hand and make eye contact with me and say, "Yeah, that's me. I need to be included in that prayer today. I need to change my sentence. My sentence right now is not that I live for the Lord, but I live for myself."

Would you just raise your hand and let me pray for you today? I want to believe that the Lord is going to touch your life today.

Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Others today? Thank you. Those of you watching online, just raise your hand and say, "Yes, that's me."

Let me lead you in a prayer. Pray this prayer with me:

"Father God, thank you today for sending your son Jesus to die for my sins. I believe that Jesus is Lord, and on the third day, he rose from the grave to give me a new start, a fresh start, a beginning again in Jesus' name."

Church, would you celebrate with those who prayed that prayer with me today?

Now listen, we have a new culture that way we're doing things here today. We're now going to receive our tithe and offering because it's worship unto the Lord.

Now, as you get ready, the envelope is in front of you or however you want to do that today. Let me just remind you what is called the law of the harvest. If you're going to receive a harvest, the seed has to be planted.

Listen to this: John 12:24—"Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone."

So you can have your finances, but if you never sow it, if you never give it, you can never expect a harvest. And your harvest is established by the size of the seed that you sow.

Look, 2 Corinthians 9:6—"A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much."

I want to see for a big harvest. How about you?

Look at this verse, 2 Corinthians 9:6—"Remember this: if you give little, you get little, but if you plant much, you will reap much."

So we're going to do that right now. We're going to receive the tithe, and we're going to receive the offering. As the ushers begin just now, I want you to watch this video that shows where some of your money goes because you're so faithful in giving.

And you can drop your connection card in there if you want, if you have a prayer request or need. Watch this video.

Hello, my name is Mike Blackhall. I am the missions coordinator here at the Father's House, and I have the honor of spending some time today with Lyla and Richard Bain, the founders of Follow the Need International.

Lyla and Richard, thank you very much for being here with us today. If you would share with us a little bit about what Follow the Need is.

First of all, Follow the Need is a Christ-centered ministry. We are also a 501(c)(3), and we are nonprofit and we are accountable for everything that we do. Our name is exactly what we do: we follow the need.

And our philosophy is that whatever we get, we give. We hold on to nothing. We always pray that the children will be our focus, that they are not in need, and we can't fill whatever it is they need, whether it be supplies for school, whether it be food.

And our biggest drive is the bicycle drive for the children. And we've done a lot to make many children have joyful memories, I guess, for the future of their life.

Share with us how God has expanded your territory since the start of the ministry.

Well, initially, we first started in the community, and basically we were in South Florida, and we helped out a lot of pantries and homeless shelters. Then when we moved here, we continued to do that, and we got invited to Africa, to Uganda.

And once we got to Uganda, everything changed for us. When we first came here to the villages, we did not have a support team. We had no team; we were alone. We gained supporters, and we would continue to support, I guess, five food pantries at this point.

We stood with them; we supplied them with food, everything they needed. We gave them food every time. Through COVID, there was no food, and we still went shopping more and more and more. More was asked of us, and then we gave, and the supporters kept giving. So the team came together.

That's wonderful! That leads right into the next question: how has the support of the Father's House impacted the Follow the Need ministry?

Well, one of the big things that we did was the shoe drive, right? And altogether, so far, we've been able to send about 18,000 pairs of shoes.

Wow!

To Haiti. So what we do with these shoes is we go to women who then open up a business in Haiti so they can support their family. So far, with the 18,000 shoes, we've been able to do 32 women.

Wow!

We're now in business.

If you could choose one really amazing miraculous story, God story, of something that the Lord has done through the ministry, what comes to your heart? Would you share that with us?

In Ukraine, since the war began, since evil came to invade a country, we stood with this country. But many soldiers and civilians were really wounded badly, and if not for the supplies we gave, which were the catheters, it was the chest seals, it was the Israeli bandages, it was hemoconcentrates—everything to cut the bleeding to save them before they go into shock.

One of the things we needed is ambulances, and because of the help of the Father's House, we were able to buy an ambulance.

Yeah!

Within five days!

Within five days!

You would share with me a little bit about the future plans to continue on with Follow the Need, some of the areas that you want to get into.

We partnered with another ministry in Uganda, and what they bought was 22 acres of land, and they're building a community park center. And this is for the children, so thousands of children will be helped. This will be a way for them to finally dream about their future and also help them get out of poverty.

Lyla and Richard, thank you very much for spending some time with us today. It was wonderful to learn a little bit more about your ministry and all that God is doing through it. So thank you very much.

We want to thank everyone for allowing us to show the world the Follow the Need, and we are praying that those who want to step up and share more with us and maybe just help us support some of the projects and the people and the children, giving them hope and a future, and just giving them joy in the world knowing Jesus.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! That's one of the many ministries that we'll share with you, and you'll see Richard and Lyla around, and you can ask them questions.

Hey, let's stand. Thank you for being patient with us as we set this new culture of receiving our tithe. Also, those of you who prayed the prayer to give your heart to the Lord, first step here—we've got some books and resources for you. Our prayer team will be down front to pray if you need prayer.

And don't forget to grab one of the role of women in ministry.

"Legacy is not solely defined by our achievements or material possessions, it is the impact that we have on others, the love we share, and the values we uphold that truly matter."

"Begin with your strategy and planning with the end in mind, imagine your funeral and imagine what people will say at your funeral."

"Whatever you did in your past, that one sentence does not have to be the one liner that describes or defines you."

"Salvation is not a reward for good things you've done, so none of us can boast."

"There's that struggle within us to be who God wants us to be but with God's grace and his Mercy we know that one of these days when people stand and give the memorial for you they have a sentence like those in Romans chapter 16 said they served they gave they lived."

"Everything that we have, right thinking and right living, a clean slate, a fresh start, comes from God by the way of Jesus Christ."

"Watch out for people who cause division and upset people's faith and teachings that have been contrary to what I've just taught you."

"Priscilla is the woman now in biblical writings you always address the men first...but Paul notes Priscilla first, so he gives her some sort of authority...in the church."

"Most of the early church fathers believe that Junia was a woman...she and her husband were both Apostles...those that were sent out."

"We believe that gifts and calling are not gender based, however, we believe that a woman in Ministry does not rule over men but they rule through a man that is their biblical covering."