Living Out Love: A Call to Action

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. John 13:1, 12-14, 34-35 (NIV)
> "It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end... When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. 'Do you understand what I have done for you?' he asked them. 'You call me "Teacher" and "Lord," and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet... A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.'"

2. Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)
> "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"

#### Observation Questions
1. What actions did Jesus take to demonstrate His love for His disciples in John 13? [39:41]
2. According to Revelation 7:9-10, who is included in the multitude standing before God's throne?
3. How did the sermon describe the living conditions of children in refugee camps? [01:03:09]
4. What example of love and friendship was highlighted in the story of Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo? [36:12]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is Jesus' act of washing the disciples' feet significant in the context of love and service? [39:41]
2. How does the vision in Revelation 7:9-10 reflect the global scope of God's redemptive plan? [01:05:09]
3. What does the story of Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo teach us about overcoming racial barriers through love and friendship? [36:12]
4. How does the sermon challenge us to express our love openly and practically in our daily lives? [44:05]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on Jesus' example of washing the disciples' feet. How can you serve others in a similar selfless manner this week? [39:41]
2. The vision in Revelation 7:9-10 shows a diverse multitude worshiping God. How can you contribute to making your church community more inclusive and reflective of this vision? [01:05:09]
3. Think about the story of Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Is there someone from a different background or race that you can reach out to and build a meaningful relationship with? [36:12]
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of love and forgiveness in relationships. Is there someone you need to forgive or show more love to in your life? How will you take the first step? [37:22]
5. The pastor encouraged joining life groups to practice love and relational skills. Are you currently part of a life group? If not, what steps can you take to join one and engage more deeply with your church community? [49:01]
6. The sermon mentioned the urgency of responding to the Gospel's call. How can you support God's work, either by going yourself or by enabling others through your resources? [01:03:41]
7. Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us. What specific actions can you take this week to show unconditional love to those around you? [42:19]

Day 1: Urgency in Compassionate Action
The Gospel not only offers salvation but also calls for an active response to the needs of the world. Reflecting on the plight of children in refugee camps, it becomes clear that material possessions are fleeting, while the impact of spiritual actions can resonate eternally. The urgency to act is rooted in the understanding that faith is not passive; it is demonstrated through tangible support and sacrifice. Whether it is by physically going to serve or by providing resources and prayers, the call to action is a personal one, requiring a readiness to follow God's leading with immediacy and generosity. [01:03:41]

James 2:15-17 (ESV)
"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Reflection: How can you tangibly express your faith through compassionate action towards those in need this week?

Day 2: Embracing Global Diversity in Worship
The vision of a diverse multitude before God's throne is a vivid reminder that the Church is not limited by geography, language, or culture. This global community is united in worship and purpose, and every believer has a role in extending the message of salvation to all people groups. The diversity within the Church should mirror the diversity of God's creation, and efforts should be made to ensure that the Church is a place where every tribe and tongue can find a home and a voice. This vision compels believers to pray and work towards a Church that truly reflects the breadth of God's love for humanity. [01:05:09]

Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV)
"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”"

Reflection: What steps can you take to foster a more inclusive and diverse worship experience within your community?

Day 3: Celebrating Diversity as God's Design
The contributions of African American individuals and the importance of diversity within the Church highlight the inclusive nature of God's kingdom. The Church should be a place where every individual, regardless of their background, can find belonging and purpose. Celebrating diversity is not just about recognizing differences but also about valuing the unique perspectives and experiences that each person brings to the body of Christ. By intentionally building a church that represents the full spectrum of God's creation, believers can better reflect the kingdom of God on earth. [20:27]

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV)
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

Reflection: How can you contribute to creating a church environment that celebrates and honors diversity?

Day 4: Selfless Love as Jesus Modeled
Jesus' act of washing His disciples' feet, even in the face of their impending betrayal, denial, and doubt, stands as the ultimate example of selfless love and service. This act teaches believers to love without condition or limit, to serve others humbly, and to build relationships based on genuine care and sacrifice. Love in the Christian context is not merely an emotion but an action, a commitment to the well-being of others, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. This kind of love is transformative, both for the giver and the receiver, and it is this love that believers are called to practice in their daily lives. [39:29]

Philippians 2:3-5 (ESV)
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,"

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate selfless love and service in your relationships today?

Day 5: Love in Action and Expression
Love must be more than an internal sentiment; it must be actively demonstrated through words and deeds. The call to love as Jesus loved is a call to ensure that those around us feel valued and cherished. This means taking the initiative to express love in practical ways, whether through acts of kindness, words of affirmation, or simply being present in the lives of others. By making love visible, believers can create a ripple effect of positivity and grace that can change communities and the world. [44:05]

1 John 3:18 (ESV)
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Reflection: What specific action can you take today to show someone that they are loved and valued?

Wow. It's awesome. You may be seated.

Wow. 74 this week, man. I look good for 74. Look, as long as you're upright, it's good, right? Moving forward. This is a great month. We're in this series. It's so exciting. But also, we take time to pause and to don't forget the legacy of heroes that walk among us. And those, especially those are the African Americans who've invented some unbelievable things, have done so much, many things beyond ourselves.

We intentionally at the Father's House, we intentionally open our arms and reach out to people because we don't want to, we never started wanting a white church. We never wanted a black church. We never wanted a Hispanic church. We wanted the church of the living God of Jesus Christ that is all colors, all colors. And people that are equal.

People say, "I don't see color." Well, you must be colorblind because there is color in this world and it makes the world what it is. And we just thank God. We thank God. And throughout the month, we'll talk about different great people with black history. But today I want to share with you one of my dearest heroes. And he was the second black African American into the Secret Service. And he was assigned to a great president, John F. Kennedy. And he's one of our own here at the Father's House.

But I want you to hear his testimony. This is my friend Conrad. Thank you. Well, we are blessed in this service that Conrad is able to be with us. Conrad is there in the back. If you're able to stand, Conrad, go ahead and stand. We'll also get you on the camera here so we'll see that. But man, we just thank God for Conrad.

Well, man, that just made my day. How about you? That never gets old. We thank you, Conrad, for your service and for being here today on a rainy day.

Hey, if you got your Bibles, turn with me to the book of John. We'll be there in just a moment. And if you have your Bible, in fact, let's hold it up or iPhone, iPad, whatever you have. Let's make our confession today.

Let's say it together. Together, this is today. I received 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. Amen.

Amen. That was my fault. We were supposed to run the intro, but that's OK. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this day. Thank you for your love. Thank you for blessing us. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for, as exactly as Travis said this morning. Lord, we just, if we know somebody's coming over, we clean house. And so, Lord, we just thank you that you help us to clean house, but you never reject us.

And, Lord, we pray today that you would anoint our ears as we look at the scriptures and pray that Holy Spirit that you would anoint me today. And at the end of this service, we pray, Father, that you will be glorified, the saints will be edified, and the devil will be terrified.

And let me take you back 57 years ago. Some of you not even that old, to 1967. It's the time in the sports world where more and more black athletes are breaking into the professional game, especially football. And one of those who broke into football at that time was one of my favorite teams, the Chicago Bears, and that was Gail Sayers. Gail Sayers. He's one of the best running backs, I think, that ever lived to play the game.

And so he came along and he played alongside of Brian Piccolo. Now, Gail was black and Brian was white, and they actually roomed together when they would go out of town on football trips. Now, back in that day, that was difficult because they even had to look around and find a hotel that would allow a black man to come even though he was part of the football team. So they roomed together.

Back then, it was unheard of for somebody of not your own race to be your close friend. In fact, if you ever watch the movie, you probably want to see it, Brian's Song, even the song that was written about him. But at the height of Gail's career and Brian's, Gail did a little bit better. He carried the ball more than Brian, but they were best friends.

Brian was hit by cancer. And so in this video clip, we're going to look at Gail receiving a sports award. But he says that my friend who's fighting cancer right now is way more deserving of this than myself. And I want you to hear the heart of Gail Sayers as he talks about Brian Piccolo.

In their relationship, the beautiful thing about it, when they both talked about their relationship separately, Gail said, "Brian is the only white man that I've ever known and that I've loved." He said, "I knew my coach, but he said, Brian's the first man, not the same color as me that I loved." Brian said the same thing. He said, "I had no black friends. But he said, Gail became my friend."

I wonder who God is going to ask us to reach across the aisle to someone that looks different as we spread the good news of Jesus Christ. The thing I love about that speech, and every time I hear it, it just brings me to tears when he says, "I love Brian Piccolo." And I want you to love him too.

We're talking about great relationships. And I think there are two ingredients that make a great relationship. You can write these down in your notes. It's love and forgiveness, love and forgiveness. I'm going to cover the first one today, love, and we'll cover the next one next week, forgiveness.

And actually, let me ask you, I'd like for you to go on a journey with me because we're going to do a daily devotion from our YouVersion. So you can shoot that QR code there. Take your camera out right now and just shoot that, scan that code. And then it'll come up to a Bible study that we're going to do. And it's this one called Awesome Building Great Relationships by Rick Warren.

So if you sign up and accept that, then every morning we're going to be doing that same devotion talking about building strong relationships. So do that, please. I want to see a comment and see you on there.

So let me give you just a couple of things that help us in our relationship. Be sure I've got the right place today.

Anybody could use a little extra help in some relationship in your life? Yeah, I think if you didn't raise your hand, then you're probably dead. You have no relationships really because life is full of relationships. Some are forced on you that you would have never chosen.

So, number one, here's what we need to do. Learn from Jesus's example. Learn from Jesus's example. Number one, John 13 and one. Look at this. Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. He loved his disciples during his ministry on earth. And now read the last phrase with me. He loved them to the very end.

Let's say it again. He loved them to the very end. That just means that he loved them to the uttermost. He loved them to the max. He loved them to the end. And the amazing thing about Jesus' love, it wasn't fickle. It wasn't he loves you today, tomorrow he doesn't love you. You know, it was not fickle. He chose to love even though he knew that one of his own would deny him, even one of his own would doubt who he is, and even one of his own would betray him.

But look at verses 12 through 14. After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? You call me teacher and Lord, and you're right, because that's what I am. And since I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet," read it with me, "you ought to wash each other's feet."

I look at that and I think, OK, here they are. They're reclining on one elbow as they, you know, on the short table. I was showing you pictures of that before. It wasn't like a sit-down table. It was on their arm. And so they had celebrated communion with the Lord. And I'm sure a bunch of grown men, and somebody burped and probably somebody passed gas. Somebody's laughing about what's going on and all these things.

And then just very quietly in the midst of all their visiting, Jesus gets up. He takes off his outer robe and he goes over towards a wash pan that was by the door where if somebody came into your house, it was customary to be able to wash their feet because wearing sandals or sometimes barefoot. But nobody did it evidently on that night. Jesus went over. He picked up the towel, picked up the basin and the water. And the scripture says he washed the disciples' feet.

Now, I tried to play that scenario over in my mind because when I read the Bible, I try to sort of see that. I mean, men are there. They're close to Jesus. He loves them. They love him. And he gets up and he gets the wash pan and starts coming. Tim, I would imagine if you were there that day, you would have said, "Oh, wait, Jesus, I'll do that. Let me take that," because we would all consider that, you know, that we wouldn't want Jesus to wash our feet. But nobody moves.

And so Jesus washes their feet. And then he says to them, "You've seen what I've done and now you ought to wash." I would think that he would say, "Now you get to wash my feet." And I can imagine that all jump up real quick. "I'll be first. I'll do it," because it'd be such an honor to wash the feet of Jesus.

But Jesus said, "Now you've seen what I've done for you. And I want you to wash one another's feet." In fact, it goes on verse thirty-four of that chapter. Look at this verse thirty-four. "So now I'm giving you a new commandment." It doesn't say suggestion, does it? What's it say? "I'm giving you a new commandment." Say this with me slowly, not fast. "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."

Love each other when somebody betrays you. Love someone when they deny you and walk away. One person said, "You know, I love mankind. It's just people I can't stand." I guess we should start putting on glasses that are not rose-colored glasses, the glasses that are love-tinted that I can love.

This is what I know. The world is changed by your actions, not your opinions. Everybody's got an opinion, right? They love to put it on Facebook. They've got an opinion. But you're not going to change people. You know, we're coming into another election season. People are going to go actually crazy. What we need to do is pray that God put the right people in, right? That's what we always pray.

I pray for my president every day. I pray that he has a Holy Spirit encounter with God. I am not going to judge him, but I'm going to pray for him because the Bible says if I pray that I'm going to live in peace. But I'm praying for the upcoming election. But I'm also not going to post a bunch of my personal opinions that maybe I heard from Uncle Billy Bob or I saw someplace else on the Internet because after all, you can trust the Internet, right? Not.

But people are changed by your actions, by your actions.

Number two, tell them you love them. Love is not supposed to be silent or withheld from others. It's to be heard. When I hear those words from Gail, "I love Brian," I mean, this is publicly. This is just, I mean, he's risking it. Here is a black man saying, "I love this white man" in a time in which a culture is, you just never did that.

I wonder who the Lord is wanting you to reach out and be able to love them. Some men say, "I don't tell anybody I love them. I don't want anybody to think I'm gay." Why would you withhold? It's like the husband who told his wife, "Well, I told you when we were married, I loved you. If I ever changed my mind, I'll let you know." Come on. No wonder you're so miserable.

When we leave out of here today and you go wherever you're going to go, how long does it take for people to recognize that you're a Christ follower? How long does it take for somebody to say, "Oh, you're one of those Christ followers?" On a daily basis, the people that are around you, do they hear you say to them, "I love you?"

Those of you that are parents, grandparents, before you leave of the day or before you send those kids off to school or wherever they are, you need to look at them right in the eyes and say, "I love you. I'm proud of you. I'm glad to be your dad." Because you see, what would happen if you never returned home? And that's the last interaction you had with your kids.

It's not squabbling about how the hair looks or the clothes or the running late, but it's letting them know without a shadow of a doubt that you love them. And if you never come back, the things that will echo through their mind over and over and over. What did my dad say to me for the last thing? What did he say to me? He said he loved me. And I'm telling you, that covers a multitude of emptiness in hearts.

We need to tell people that we love them. Tell your kids. We need to say, "You know what? I love you." When I leave the house in the morning or anytime I leave the house and Anita and I will kiss, we will say, "I love you." I don't want to walk out the door arguing. And if I were to go on and go to heaven, and then the last thing Anita would think about through the whole memorial and everything is that all the last thing is that we just argued.

But what about the last thing being simply saying, "I love you?" In fact, 33 years almost now, I've loved you. And I just want you to know I love you from the bottom of my heart. Love is not supposed to be kept quiet.

Some of you men, the only time you kiss your wife and lover is when you're ready to get a little. It's not your grandma's shirt. We got kids sitting next door. You can put them there. Am I telling the truth? And then we wonder, "Why do I have such a poor relationship? Why is my sex life so bad?" Well, your sex life starts in how you treat your spouse way before you go to the bed, the sofa, or the kitchen sink.

You say, "How did he know that's where we were?" I better move on. I'm ready to say dismiss and go home right now.

Number three, practice your love. Learn from Jesus' example. Tell them you love them and practice your love. You say, "Well, how do I practice my love?" Well, I'm glad you asked because I'm going to recommend to you a laboratory. That's the best laboratory for you to attend and get involved in. And they're called life groups, life groups.

You can't learn to love people unless you're around people to practice love. "Well, I don't want to go near people because people just tick me off." It's probably because you're ticked to start with. And if that's true, then you're a sorry example of a Christ follower. Let's just get honest. You're a sorry example because he said, "I want you to love as I have loved you."

Life groups, that's how they did in the church. They met in home to home in life groups. And it's a laboratory for you to learn relational skills and make a difference with your life. Join a life group. Registration starts February the 18th. Say February 18th. Yeah, these are going to be 10 weeks. This one, 10 weeks. It's not for life. We're going to practice, going to practice.

And maybe somebody will send somebody to your life group that rubs you the wrong way. That's God's assignment to you to learn how to practice with somebody. Know what I'm talking about?

Number four, be willing to pay the price. Be willing to pay the price. Love gets its hands dirty. Love takes a chance. Love gets out of its comfort zone. Somebody said, "You know, I've never been much of a hugger." But I realized that in this thing called the kingdom of God that people hug. And so she said, "I want to practice." So she hugged me real good.

See, sometimes we just might need to practice. Practice saying, "I love you." I hope that before you ever get in your car today to leave, whoever you came with, you just look at them in the eyeball and say, "I just want you to know that I love you. I love you." And never be ashamed of that.

My dad, we were raised in the north. And so I don't ever remember my dad saying, "I love you" until I was a grown man. Never. The friends that I have, the male friends that I have, we sign off most of our talks and most of our conversation with the last words, "Love you." I got a text this morning from Rick Godwin, my pastor. He just said, "Just want you to know, I love you."

So we need to practice that and be willing to pay the price. Jesus said, "Go everywhere in the world." Go where? Everywhere. Tell the good news to everyone. So I would encourage you to live your life that way. But also I would encourage you to go on one of our mission trips. A mission trip is not just about spreading the gospel, but it's about showing the love with your work, whatever you do.

And we got a mission trip coming up in September 15th through the 21st to the Yucatan Peninsula to be with the Mayan people. And there'll be all kinds of opportunities for you to serve. And maybe you're not able to serve right now. But with our legacy offering, as we're all praying about what is our legacy offering, part of that is just upgrading some things here. The majority of that, over 180,000, we're believing for to go strictly to missions, missions locally, missions nationally, and missions internationally.

So those are our legacy seed gifts that we're going to do. So I guess it'd really be good today to sort of end this out in talking about how it costs to love and invite our daughter Kelly to come up and share about her recent trip to Greece. How about give her a hand, okay?

All right. So Kelly, give us a little ballpark thought about the trip to Greece, what you thought about before you got there. And then we'll talk about the realistic part. I think you brought some pictures, right? Awesome. And you went with EME, which is Europe and Middle East Ministries with Gail. Gail's been here to speak with us before. And then also you spent time with Threads, Threads of Hope, Threads of Hope. Yes. And that's another one that we sponsor.

Wow. And I know you are a stylist and you went there and God. It's amazing how God takes what we have and how he can use it to let us just show love. So you want to share this story? I thought that was great.

So, Kelly, what would you say to someone here who's thinking about, "Well, this year, maybe I should go on a mission trip?" You know, what would you say to them?

Well, Kelly, thank you so much. We're so proud of you. I've had the opportunity of being in 74 different nations. And it brings a lot of memories. It brings a lot of memories. It makes you realize that the Church of Jesus Christ is much bigger than Southern Bible Belt U.S.

When I was at the Thailand border, down where the refugees were coming across from Laos, there's just a big old camp full of kids, thousands of kids. I've never seen so many kids. And I went there to do some work and to take some money to help that. And they said, "See all these kids?" I said, "Yes." They said, "Everything they own, they're wearing right now." Because all they've done all their life is run.

And while I was there, there was a mortar fire that came into the camp where we were. They said they know and believe that at any moment they could be attacked again and they don't have time to grab a suitcase. So if they own three pairs of shorts, they're wearing them all. If they have two t-shirts, they're wearing those.

I'm so responsive to the gospel. I don't know where God is calling you, but I ask you to be open. And if you can't go right now, I ask you to be part of our Leave a Legacy and to give financially. Maybe right now you can't climb down the well, but you can hold the rope for somebody.

Because you see, what's going to matter one of these days is that when everything is over and if we've believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we're going to spend eternity with him on a new heaven and a new earth. We're not going to float around somewhere.

But I want to share with you a passage of scripture out of John. John has this vision and he sees into heaven. And this is after, you know, the Lord comes back and sets everything up. And he says, "After this, I saw a vast crowd, too great to count. They were from every nation, tribe, and people and language. Standing in front of the throne and before the lamb, they were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, 'Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the lamb.'"

And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living beings, they fell before the throne, their faces to the ground to worship God. These heavenly beings, I don't know that we'll ever really know till we get there what they're like. But when they saw this vast multitude of people who had been redeemed from every tribe, every nation, and every language.

Several months ago, I challenged you to use the little app that prays for people unreached. Yeah, unreached to the day. I'll bring that back again next week and show you. And every morning we pull it up and they say, "Today we want to pray for such and such a group." Thirty-two thousand Indians, they want to pray from languages. And Anita and I are overwhelmed every day we do that.

And I say, "God, please, whatever you have to send somebody, Lord, minister to these people, reach these people. Don't let it be lost." So when the heavenly beings saw that, they began singing this. Would you read it with me out loud?

Amen. "Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen."

It's going to be an awesome day. Who are you taking with you? Who are you getting out of your comfort zone, inviting to church, inviting them for a meal, getting to know them to show Christ's love?

We're not talking about flippantly throwing around the words. Maybe you don't even know. You know, that word is a big word, but I can love them through the love of Christ, even though I don't know them. Do you hear what I'm saying?

Let me pray for us today. I really feel Holy Spirit speaking to some hearts today. Father, I thank you that you sent your son, Jesus, to die for my sins because somebody has to pay the penalty of sins. The blood has to be shed to pay for the wickedness of sin.

Lord, you sent your son, Jesus, for you so loved this world that you gave the very best that you have because you didn't want to be alone without us. You wanted to bring us to you. The only way we can come to you today is through Jesus, through Jesus.

As you continue to pray today, maybe you're sitting here and you say, "You know what? I have a really tough time loving." Well, you see, if Christ's love is not in your heart, you're never going to be able to fully love. So if Christ has never come into your heart, if you've never invited Jesus, transferred your trust to him, I want to lead you to prayer today in this house or online.

As the church continues to pray, what I'd love for you to do is that if you say, "You know, today I need to make that decision, I need to trust Jesus, invite him into my life. Terry, would you pray with me?" Would you just raise your hand right where you're sitting? Make eye contact with me and say, "Yeah, that's me. That's me. I want that prayer today."

Thank you in the back. Others today. Yeah, that's me. Others today. Thank you, ma'am. Those of you watching online, just raise your hand. Now, I can give you the words today. And maybe you didn't even raise your hand, but you so wanted to, but you're just unsure.

I can give you the words today, but you have to surrender your heart. Becoming a Christ follower is I'm surrendering. I'm surrendering my heart to trust in the Lord. So let me lead you in a prayer. Let's pray this prayer together.

Father God, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for my sins. I'm a sinner in need of a savior. And I'm believing right now that Jesus died for my sins. So as best as I know how for the rest of my life, I want to serve you. Fill me with your spirit in Jesus' name.

Church, would you celebrate with me today those who prayed that prayer? Our ushers are coming at this time. We're going to worship the Lord with our giving, with our giving today. God loves a cheerful giver. And I know that you're a cheerful giver.

Let me remind you about the green envelopes for the Leave a Legacy. We'll turn those in at Easter Sunday, which is just the end of next month. You can also drop your connection card in there if you have a prayer request or a special need.

Father, I just pray today that you'd bless this house full of givers. They're not just takers, but they're givers. And Lord, even those that are watching online, you give them an opportunity to give right there online to sow a seed for a harvest of blessings in your name.

As they pass the buckets today, I just want to say thank you for your faithfulness. Listen, you don't want to miss next week. We're going to talk about forgiveness. And after we get love and forgiveness, then I want to tell you how to deal with difficult people, difficult people. I'm looking forward to that. It's just, it's going to be a great time.

Our prayer team is coming down front if you need prayer. Listen, those of you who signed up for Meet the Pastor lunch, as soon as we stand, if you want to just head out the side doors. And also those of you who prayed that prayer today, raise your hand. We got some help for you. First steps here, first steps here.

Let's stand. Let's worship the Lord. Thank you for coming.

1) "I don't know where God is calling you, but I ask you to be open. And if you can't go right now, I ask you to be part of our leave of legacy and to give financially." [01:03:41] (Download)

2) "Who are you taking with you? Who are you getting out of your comfort zone, inviting to church, inviting them for a meal, getting to know them to show Christ's love?" [01:05:09] (Download)

3) "We intentionally at the Father's House, we intentionally open our arms and reach out to people because we never wanted a white church. We wanted the church of the living God of Jesus Christ that is all colors." [20:27] (Download)

4) "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Love each other when somebody betrays you. Love someone when they deny you and walk away." [42:19] (Download)

5) "The world is changed by your actions, not your opinions. People are changed by your actions, by your actions." [43:22] (Download)

6) "Learn from Jesus's example. He loved his disciples during his ministry on earth. And now he loved them to the very end. That just means that he loved them to the uttermost." [39:29] (Download)

7) "Love gets its hands dirty. Love takes a chance. Love gets out of its comfort zone. Sometimes we just might need to practice." [49:55] (Download)

8) "Love is not supposed to be kept quiet. Some of you men, the only time you kiss your wife and lover is when you're ready to get a little. It's not your grandma's shirt." [46:48] (Download)

9) "I wonder who the Lord is wanting you to reach out and be able to love them. So I'm a man. I don't tell anybody I love him. I don't want anybody think I'm gay. Why would you withhold?" [44:52] (Download)

10) "He said, I knew my coach, but he said, Brian's the first man, not the same color of me that I loved. Brian said the same thing. He said, I had no black friends. But he said, Gail became my friend." [36:22] (Download)