Today, I began by welcoming everyone warmly to our service, expressing my joy in seeing the congregation's energy and participation. I highlighted some important upcoming events, including a blood drive and a special celebration for graduates, emphasizing the community's ongoing involvement and support for these initiatives.

I then transitioned into a prayer, thanking God for the multitude of ways our church community supports each other and broader missions, like the Residing Hope Children's Home. This set the stage for a deeper reflection on how our offerings—both spiritual and material—impact lives within and beyond our church walls.

The core of today's sermon delved into the concept of boundaries—both human and divine. I revisited our Easter discussion on the freedom Christ offers us from the bondage of stringent laws, as exemplified in Galatians 5:1, and how this freedom should influence our lives today, steering us away from unnecessary legalistic constraints.

Building on this, I explored the importance of wise companionship using insights from Proverbs 13, emphasizing how the company we keep can significantly influence our success across various aspects of life, including our spiritual growth. This segued into a discussion on familial relationships and the need for discernment in dealing with foolish behaviors within our families, drawing from the story of Abigail and the wisdom of Proverbs 10:23.

Technology's dual role as a facilitator and a barrier in maintaining meaningful relationships was also examined. I used Proverbs 25 to illustrate how moderation is key in all things, including our use of technology.

The sermon series "Holy Boundaries" concluded with a focus on understanding and respecting God's boundaries with us, as well as the boundaries we ought to maintain in our lives. I shared how God respects our autonomy and decisions, allowing us to face the consequences of our actions, which is a divine boundary that teaches us responsibility and growth.

As we wrapped up, I invited the congregation to reflect on their personal spiritual journeys and the boundaries they might need to establish or respect more diligently. This reflection aimed to foster a deeper, more authentic relationship with God and with each other, ultimately enhancing our communal and individual spiritual lives.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Freedom in Christ**
Christ's resurrection marks a pivotal moment of liberation from the old law, emphasizing a life led by the Spirit rather than by the letter of the law. This freedom is a gift that requires careful stewardship to prevent falling back into old, enslaving habits. It's crucial to continually reflect on this freedom, ensuring it leads us towards genuine spiritual growth and community building. [22:46]

2. **The Influence of Companionship**
The people we surround ourselves with can significantly impact our spiritual and personal growth. Proverbs 13 teaches us that walking with the wise helps us grow in wisdom, but the opposite is true when we associate with fools. This principle should guide us in choosing our friends and mentors, as these relationships will either draw us closer to God or pull us away. [23:51]

3. **Navigating Family Dynamics with Wisdom**
Family relationships can be complex, especially when they involve unwise or harmful behaviors. Learning from the story of Abigail, we see the importance of loving and honoring family members while also protecting ourselves and our loved ones from negative influences. This balance is crucial for maintaining healthy family dynamics and personal well-being. [24:26]

4. **Technology as a Tool and a Barrier**
While technology can keep us connected with those far away, it can also create distances among those close to us. It's essential to use technology wisely, ensuring it enhances rather than hinders our relationships. The wisdom from Proverbs 25 about moderation can be applied here, reminding us to enjoy the benefits of technology without letting it dominate our lives. [25:26]

5. **Understanding and Respecting Divine Boundaries**
God sets boundaries that are meant for our good, even when they involve saying 'no' to our desires. Understanding that God's boundaries are rooted in divine wisdom and love can help us accept and embrace them, even when they are hard to understand. This acceptance can lead to deeper spiritual maturity and trust in God's plan for our lives. [34:54]

### Chapters
- 0:00 - Welcome
- 0:17:30 - Opening Remarks and Announcements
- 0:19:06 - Prayer and Reflection on Church Missions
- 0:21:28 - Introduction to Sermon Topic: Boundaries
- 0:22:09 - Freedom in Christ Explored
- 0:23:17 - The Importance of Wise Companionship
- 0:24:26 - Navigating Family Dynamics
- 0:25:26 - The Role of Technology in Relationships
- 0:26:04 - Concluding the Holy Boundaries Series
- 0:31:41 - God's Work and Our Responsibility
- 0:34:54 - Respecting Divine Boundaries
- 0:41:55 - Closing Prayer and Reflection

### Bible Reading
1. **Galatians 5:1** - "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
2. **Proverbs 13:20** - "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."
3. **Proverbs 25:16** - "If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit."

### Observation Questions
1. What does Galatians 5:1 say about the freedom Christ offers us? How does this freedom relate to the concept of boundaries discussed in the sermon? [22:09]
2. According to Proverbs 13:20, what are the consequences of walking with the wise versus associating with fools? How was this principle applied in the sermon? [23:17]
3. How does Proverbs 25:16 illustrate the importance of moderation, and how was this applied to the use of technology in the sermon? [25:26]
4. What example from the sermon illustrates how God respects our autonomy and decisions, even when we make mistakes? [36:06]

### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the freedom in Christ described in Galatians 5:1 challenge the way we live our daily lives? What are some "yokes of slavery" that we might need to avoid today? [22:09]
2. In what ways can the company we keep influence our spiritual growth, according to Proverbs 13:20? How can we apply this wisdom in choosing our friends and mentors? [23:17]
3. How can the principle of moderation from Proverbs 25:16 be applied to other areas of our lives beyond technology? What are some practical steps we can take to ensure balance? [25:26]
4. Reflecting on the story of the prodigal son, how does God's respect for our decisions teach us about the importance of setting and respecting boundaries in our own lives? [36:06]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there any "yokes of slavery" that you need to be freed from? How can you stand firm in the freedom Christ offers? [22:09]
2. Think about your current friendships and relationships. Are there any that are pulling you away from God? How can you seek out wise companions who will support your spiritual growth? [23:17]
3. How do you currently use technology in your daily life? Are there ways it might be creating barriers in your relationships? What steps can you take to use technology more wisely? [25:26]
4. In your family dynamics, are there any behaviors or influences that you need to set boundaries against? How can you lovingly honor your family while protecting yourself and others from negative influences? [24:26]
5. Have you ever felt frustrated when God said "no" to your prayers? How can you learn to respect God's boundaries and trust in His wisdom, even when it's difficult? [38:30]
6. Reflect on a time when you made a decision that led to a mistake. How did you experience God's patience and grace in that situation? How can this understanding help you set boundaries with others? [36:06]
7. What specific steps can you take this week to deepen your authentic relationship with God and others? How can you move from head knowledge to heart transformation in your spiritual journey? [41:00]

Day 1: Embracing Spiritual Freedom
Christ's resurrection not only signifies our salvation but also marks a profound liberation from the old law, urging us to lead lives guided by the Spirit rather than by rigid adherence to the letter of the law. This freedom is a precious gift, yet it comes with the responsibility of stewardship to avoid reverting to old, enslaving habits. It's essential to continually reflect on this freedom, ensuring it propels us towards genuine spiritual growth and strengthens our community bonds. This reflection on freedom encourages us to examine how we utilize our liberty in Christ to foster relationships and community initiatives that reflect His love and grace. [22:46]

Galatians 5:1 (ESV): "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Reflection: How can you use your freedom in Christ to serve and uplift your community this week?

Day 2: The Power of Wise Companionship
The influence of those we surround ourselves with cannot be overstated. As Proverbs 13 teaches, walking with the wise helps us grow in wisdom, whereas associating with fools can lead us astray. This principle should guide us in selecting our friends and mentors, ensuring these relationships draw us closer to God and support our spiritual growth. Reflecting on our companionships allows us to evaluate their impact on our faith journey and personal development, encouraging us to seek out and nurture relationships that are enriching and God-honoring. [23:51]

Proverbs 13:20 (ESV): "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."

Reflection: Consider your closest relationships. Are they drawing you closer to God or pulling you away?

Day 3: Wisdom in Family Dynamics
Navigating family dynamics requires wisdom, especially when confronted with unwise or harmful behaviors. Inspired by the story of Abigail, we learn the importance of acting with discernment and love in family relationships, balancing our duty to honor our family while protecting ourselves and our loved ones from negative influences. This balance is crucial for maintaining healthy family dynamics and personal well-being, allowing us to be both loving and wise in our familial interactions. [24:26]

1 Samuel 25:32-33 (ESV): "And David said to Abigail, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand!'"

Reflection: How can you apply wisdom and discretion in a challenging family relationship today?

Day 4: Moderating Our Use of Technology
While technology can significantly enhance our ability to connect with others, it can also become a barrier to meaningful relationships if not used wisely. The wisdom of Proverbs 25 reminds us that moderation is key in all things, including our engagement with technology. Reflecting on our technology use allows us to assess whether it is serving as a tool that enhances our relationships or as a barrier that hinders genuine connection. This evaluation helps us make intentional choices to ensure technology supports rather than dominates our lives. [25:26]

Proverbs 25:27 (ESV): "It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory."

Reflection: What is one way you can reduce your technology use this week to foster deeper connections with those around you?

Day 5: Respecting Divine Boundaries
God sets boundaries that are designed for our good, even when they involve denying our desires. Understanding that these boundaries are rooted in divine wisdom and love helps us accept and embrace them, fostering deeper spiritual maturity and trust in God's plan for our lives. Reflecting on divine boundaries encourages us to consider how respecting these limits can lead to growth and a more profound relationship with God, helping us navigate life's challenges with faith and confidence. [34:54]

Job 1:21 (ESV): "And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.'"

Reflection: What is one divine boundary you need to respect more, and how can it lead to growth in your spiritual life?

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The studies actually show that having the right friends make us successful in our vocation, in our health, in our spiritual life, in our mental health, in our marriages, every aspect of who we are are better supported when we have the right friends behind us." [23:17](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

2. "Anything can be good except when you use it in excess. And then something used too much can become bad for us." [25:26](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

3. "We're going to talk about what it means to have boundaries with God. Now, that may seem odd, but really we're talking about God's boundaries with us and how we respond in God's boundaries." [26:04](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

4. "When we have people that we love as friends or family and they're habitually in trouble and we continually bail them out, that's a lack of boundaries. But we feel bad. We feel guilty for not helping." [26:59](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

5. "We can learn as much as we want about the amazing story of God but the knowledge is not what transforms. God leaves that work for us to do." [33:28](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "But Christ said this. So Christ has truly set us free. Make sure that we stay free and don't get tied up again in the slavery to the law." [22:46](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

2. "When we walk with the wise, we become wise, but if we associate with fools, we get in trouble. The idea there being that if we have two or three wise friends around us who are seeking the same things as us, especially seeking the same spiritual goals as us, then we will be supported in all areas of our life, especially helping us get closer to God." [23:51](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

3. "Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. And that sometimes the things we're attracted to someone when we're young may be a little foolish, but they don't always grow out of it. So, we can love and honor someone without allowing their foolish behavior to cause damage within our life or the life of others." [24:26](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

4. "God sets boundaries that are meant for our good, even when they involve saying 'no' to our desires. Understanding that God's boundaries are rooted in divine wisdom and love can help us accept and embrace them, even when they are hard to understand." [34:54](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

5. "God only wants one thing from us and all these things we've been talking about his example of how to live and good." [39:33](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

Good morning. How is everybody doing today?

Awesome. Man, I love that energy you had this morning. I am Faith, the pastor here at Fleming Island United Methodist, and I just want to say welcome and good morning. I hope you all have a wonderful day in worship with us.

I want to point out two things that are important to note. Next Sunday is our blood drive. What's exciting, right? Y'all aren't very excited. You should be excited. It's the reason you have a complete excuse to come into worship late, and nobody will look at you twice. If you want to sign up for the blood drive, you can do that online. Just note that the bus will be up here, I think, starting at 8.

And then the other thing is on the 19th is our graduation Sunday, so we will be celebrating anyone from kindergarten all the way up through whatever age you are. You can be 50. I don't know, but if you have a graduate, please send us their photo. We'll have a slideshow and a special prayer for all those moving to their next stage of school, and you'll see a form online for that. We don't want to leave anybody out.

All right, would you stand now for the call to worship this morning?

Oh, come let us sing to our God and make a joyful noise to the rock of...

Good morning again, friends. It is a joy to be here. It is a joy to be able to be in worship with all of you this morning.

I want to share with you what I put out in my article this week, and that has to do with the United Methodist Children's Home, which I announced last month changed their name to Residing Hope. Fun fact, that's a Sheldon phrase if you didn't know that. They put in their monthly newsletter, I share that every month, but they put in their newsletter this month that they have changed their name multiple times over the 100 plus years of their existence. I didn't know that.

So if you want to read about their previous name changes, you can find that in my article for this month. I'm not actually, sorry, not mine. The mission article that I posted for this month. There we go, I got it all right.

But I just wanted to share that as we prepare for the offering because this is one of the many things that our church supports, is the children's home. It's not a fifth Sunday month, but I wanted to share this because it is one of the changes that have been happening. And it's an ongoing mission for us.

Just also to point out for everyone, as I said earlier, is that we do have the blood drive next week, and so that is another ongoing mission of ours.

So would you join me now as we go to the Lord in prayer? If you'd like to give a physical offering this morning, you may do so in the baskets up front. Would you pray with me?

Almighty God, I'm so thankful for the many ways our church gives. Not only do we give of tithes and offerings, but we give of our time. We give of, next week with the blood drive, we're going to give of our physical selves. We give for years and years to places like Residing Hope to help children and youth in need, impacting the lives of so many that we don't even know.

So as we prepare now, God, to come and study your word, I just ask that you help us to think about all those that we have impacted as a congregation. But also not those outside the walls, those within our friends, our community, within these walls, within the congregation.

Lord, as we study your word today, help us draw closer to you. Help us to deepen our understanding of you and to learn to love you more. We ask this blessing also for our children as they go to their time to study your word as well. We pray these things in your holy name. Amen.

So my friends that are going to join me, I'm Miss Katie in Kids Club. Now is your time. Have fun.

Well, today is the last in the sermon series, Holy Boundaries. Some of you are really excited about that. It's okay. You can admit it. Others, I hope that you've been able to get some things out. I've had some of you come and share that these messages have been impactful.

The hope when I plan things like this is not only that we study the scripture, but we study them in a way that changes our life. Thank you.

If you would like to follow with the sermon notes, you can do that in the app or by going to the website, and there's a drop down right under the messages tab.

But I would like to start by just recapping where we've been so that we can all be on the same page. We started on Easter looking at the freedom that Christ gave us in the resurrection and how we needed to live into that freedom.

We specifically looked at the scripture of Galatians 5:1 where it says that the early church was arguing. You see, we have not always learned a lesson from the early church. They argued just as we do today. But Christ said this: "So Christ has truly set us free. Make sure that we stay free and don't get tied up again in the slavery to the law."

So the early church was trying to decide, do we have to come under the Jewish law or can we make our own way? And so we talked about the necessary way of saying we are set free in Christ. We don't need to be tied into things that bond us when we're trying to be living into that freedom.

Some of those things the early church argued about were things like dietary laws and circumcision. And I'm not sure about you, but I'm really glad we don't have to follow the dietary laws anymore. Some of you get that, some of you don't. But if you like your pork, then you're happy, right?

All right. So then the next week we talked about how important friendship is for our success in life. The studies actually show that having the right friends makes us successful in our vocation, in our health, in our spiritual life, in our mental health, in our marriages. Every aspect of who we are is better supported when we have the right friends behind us.

And we looked into the Proverbs there on Proverbs chapter 13. And we said that when we walk with the wise, we become wise, but if we associate with fools, we get in trouble. The idea there being that if we have two or three wise friends around us who are seeking the same things as us, especially seeking the same spiritual goals as us, then we will be supported in all areas of our life, especially helping us get closer to God.

But if we're not careful and we don't have people around us seeking the same things, those same friends could pull us from God.

Then the week after that, we looked at our family and we talked about that we have to be careful. There could be fools within our family. Yeah. We looked into the story of Abigail and how she had to guard her household from her fool.

And we used the Proverb of chapter 10, verse 23, which said that doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. And that sometimes the things we're attracted to someone when we're young may be a little foolish, but they don't always grow out of it.

So, we can love and honor someone without allowing their foolish behavior to cause damage within our life or the life of others. There's a difference in honoring and allowing their behaviors to affect us.

Then last week, we talked about how technology can help us or harm us. And those important friendships and family relationships, we want to be enhanced. And technology can sometimes help that. For example, when family live far away, we're thankful for the gift of technology.

Or, it can cause separation when we don't spend time with people face-to-face and allow the technology to be a wall. And we use Proverbs 25 in that instance when we said that anything can be good or it can be harmful.

Do you like honey? Don't eat too much or it will make you sick. And now that's not specifically talking about technology, but there's not a verse anywhere in the Bible that talks about technology. So, you have to work with me on that one.

Anything can be good except when you use it in excess. And then something used too much can become bad for us.

So, this week, as we close it all out, we're going to talk about what it means to have boundaries with God. Now, that may seem odd, but really we're talking about God's boundaries with us and how we respond in God's boundaries.

See, I, for many years, have been a pastor in the church because I've been a pastor in the church. I'm going on 10 years now, so that's hard for me to believe. I'm marking year 10. It makes me feel a little old.

But, moving on, in these years, when I have sat with families and other congregation members talking about this idea of boundaries, I get the same response. But if I love them, I need to help them. They're in a crisis. I need to do what I can to fix it. Why wouldn't I bail them out?

You see, when we have people that we love as friends or family and they're habitually in trouble and we continually bail them out, that's a lack of boundaries. But we feel bad. We feel guilty for not helping.

So we're going to look at what God does in these situations and see if that helps us maybe feel not so bad for putting boundaries in our life.

So let's look at the Proverbs one last time. We're in Proverbs chapter 4, starting in verse 10.

"Listen to me and do as I say and you will have a long, good life. I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. When you walk, you won't be held back. When you run, you won't stumble. Take hold of my instructions. Don't let them go. Guard them, for they are the keys to..."

This one doesn't quite sound like a fortune cookie, does it?

See, Solomon here is saying that we have to teach then let go. It's believed that King Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, and it's important who he is. See, King Solomon was the third king of Israel, but he was the only king to inherit the throne. His father, King David, was the second, but King David took the throne because the first king was not righteous.

So for the first time ever, King Solomon received the throne by an inheritance of his father. So now he is writing down because he asked God for the gift of wisdom, and God gave it to him. He is writing down all of his wisdom into a book to pass it on to his children and his grandchildren and to the people of Israel because it was the custom, as it is for so many today, for a person who's the head of the family to give all their wisdom to the generations.

And he's not only the head of the family, he's the head of Israel, and so he's writing these things to pass on so that they know them and they have them and they understand all these pieces that God has given them. Some are big teachings and some are little nuggets like these fortune cookie pieces we've been talking about that you could just put on stickies around your house.

And then here he's saying, learn what I'm teaching you and hold on to it so that you walk forward well.

But see, this is the same thing of God because realize God has given Solomon the wisdom, so these words of Solomon are inspired by God. And Solomon is trying to pass to his children the same way God has passed to him.

See, God gives us what we need, and he gives us knowledge, and he gives us teachings, but then we are responsible to receive them and to use them. And God lets go in the same way that we teach our children how to walk and how to ride a bike.

Does anyone remember teaching a child how to ride a bike? I did not teach mine how to ride. If you've ever witnessed me and my child trying to do anything like that together, it's a disaster. I'm not being facetious; it's just a mother-daughter thing. Anything that's a hard task, we don't do together. Other people in my family do it.

My father became the closest to teaching her how to ride, but she never got to the point she was comfortable with having the bike let go. And can you learn to ride while someone's still holding on?

It wasn't until she decided on her own that she was going to keep up with her friends. She went out and rode with others with nobody else present, none of the adults, that she decided she could do it. And she rode and allowed us to let go.

God's the same way. He teaches and then lets us go. These are boundaries.

So we're going to talk about a couple boundaries that God gives us. The first piece is specifically he gives work that only we can do.

Now this may sound a little strange because God can do anything, right? We agree on that one? God can do anything. Okay, what does God then leave that only we can do? Well, that would be the work on ourselves because God gives us free will, right?

Say yes. Okay, thank you. We need to be in agreement that God gives us free will. Okay, God gives us free will; therefore, he cannot force us to do the work on ourselves. If he did, we would lose our free will. Therefore, it's only up to us to do the work to transform us.

And we can learn as much as we want about this book, and the Bible has amazing knowledge and it has amazing words of God, and it can transform. But knowing the Bible does not transform.

I know how to build a table. I have never built one. There are two different things. I know how to work a table saw. I have never actually done it. Are y'all following me?

Okay, I know all the steps. I can work. I know how the table saw works. I can use a tape measure. I know how to use all of the power tools because I have observed them being used. I have watched the videos. I have seen and knowledge received of all the things required to build a table, but I have never actually built a table.

Would y'all want to eat at my first table I built? I don't think it would sit very level, just a guess.

We can learn as much as we want about the amazing story of God, but the knowledge is not what transforms. God leaves that work for us to do.

And 2 Peter tells us this. It says that the Lord isn't really being slow about his promise as some people think. He's being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but he wants everyone to repent.

See what Peter is saying here is he's saying when you're sitting here thinking, why aren't other people responding to God? Why aren't they repenting? Why aren't they following Jesus' teachings? Why are people not being transformed and changing?

It's not because God isn't doing the work; it's because he's being patient and he's waiting. And if that's not a boundary, I don't know what is. And man, God must have the patience of a thousand years when it comes to some of us because Lord knows he's the only one who does know how many times he's had to wait for me to make the same mistake over and over and over again.

So that's the first thing: God leaves work for us to do.

The second is God respects our no. Now sometimes the thing is we're not honest with ourselves when we say no. We give a fake yes. We say we might try to do something like say, I'm going to try to start reading my Bible more often every day when really we don't have the time in our schedule. We just say we're going to try to do it.

Or I'm going to try to pray more often, or I'm going to try to make small group a priority, or I'm going to try. I'm going to try because we believe it's what God says we should do or somebody else said it's important or so forth, but we're not actually making it a priority.

Really, we should just say, God, I don't have time for that. When I have time, I'll do it. But we feel like that would be mean or that would be wrong, and we shouldn't. So we don't say it. We would be bad Christians if we said that.

We can't say that out loud. What would people think of us? I mean, what if I told people I didn't have time to go to a small group? What would people say?

Much like the story of the prophet, the prodigal son, some of you may know this story. It was also called the lost son. But you see, when the prodigal came to his father and said, I wish you were dead, give me my money, and he left, the father gave him what he wanted.

Now if we're looking at this story from a boundaries perspective, the father is quite foolish. But we're not looking at it as the father; we're looking at it as the son because the father represents God. And God's boundary is I'm going to let my children make their mistakes.

And God lets the prodigal son make his mistake. He lets him say, I want to go make these foolish decisions, and the father continues to say, go and do it. But yet our loving God never gives up when we come back and say, oh God, we really messed that one up. I figured it out now. I'm not going to do that one again.

And God's like, right, you'll never make that mistake again. I've heard that one before. And he still takes us back and receives us and throws a party and does all the things to take us home.

So think about sometimes whatever you want to do in your spiritual life. Are you actually wanting to do it, or do you think other people want you to do it? Because if you're not in a place to do it, it's okay. Tell God because he is going to respect whatever you say.

Remember, he gives us the free will to say yes or no. Sometimes we have to be honest with ourselves.

And the flip side of that is God also wants us to respect his boundary when he tells us no. He expects us to respond to that with respect. If he's going to be respectful of us when we say we don't want to do something, then he expects the same.

Now, I don't know about you, but I get really frustrated with God when I pray for something and he tells me no. I do. I mean, sometimes I get toddler frustrated. Sometimes I get like teenager frustrated. It's not as often that I get adult frustrated. I'm just being honest.

Sometimes I sit there in my prayer space and go, but God, that's not right. That's not what I wanted. I don't think that's what the scripture says. Why can't you give me this? We have a lot of conversations like that.

But I want y'all to remember that when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane right before he died, he asked God for something, and God said no.

I'm not sure we don't have a whole lot of details about that conversation. Maybe Jesus had a toddler reaction. I don't know. I don't think he did. I think he probably had an adult Jesus reaction because he is the son of God, but he was obviously very upset about it.

So in his soul, he was conflicted, right? So the reaction that he had was really, do I have to? And God said yes, I'm not taking this cup from you. That's a no to a prayer.

Does that mean God loves us any less? No. Does that mean we get everything we want? No.

So on both sides of that boundary, when we tell God we're not ready to do something, he's going to hold until we are. And we have to be respectful when he tells us that we don't get what we want in our prayers.

Friends, God only wants one thing from us, and all these things we've been talking about is an example of how to live in good and right relationship. If I can say all that correctly, good and good and right relationship.

There we go. Living in the freedom that God gives us, it's all for one thing: to have authentic relationship with God and with others.

When we have authentic relationship with God, we can more deeply have authentic relationship with others. When reading the scriptures deepens our understanding of who God is in a way that deepens our spirituality, not just our head knowledge but our heart, it makes us more authentic with God.

When being more present with the people we're close to and helping them in the spiritual space brings us closer to God and brings them closer, we're in a more authentic relationship.

When helping pray for people's struggles and being willing to say, I'm not sure if that's the best thing for you right now, we're helping everyone we know be in a most authentic relationship.

It's hard, but it's also why Jesus did what he did. It's why he died. It's why he created the body of Christ to love one another, to live life together, to celebrate all the good things, and to grow together.

And if all we want to do is smile and pat each other on the back and not grow, then we're not being transformed.

Will you pray with me?

Almighty God, it's my prayer that each of us would journey together to be closer to you. We're all in different places in our spirituality. We're all in different places when it comes to becoming closer to you.

Lord, I ask that wherever we are, whether we are not aware of the times we've told you no and you just need to show that to us so that we can be in full reality of our current relationship, I pray that you bring that to our mind.

Whether we need to create boundaries in our lives because we have relationships that are not fruitful for us, I pray you bring that to our mind.

Where there are spaces that we need to move from head to heart, I pray you bring that to our mind.

In all things, God, you are all that we are as we reflect on who Jesus is and all that he did for us. I am so thankful he respected your no because he had free will just as we did, and he didn't have to respect it.

He could have said, I want to do what I want, but that's not what he did in the garden when he asked to not have to give himself up for such a gruesome death on the cross.

But when you told him that he was going to go anyway, he said okay, and he died, and he was separated from you so that he could rise and free us from the power of sin and death.

Help us to live into that freedom in ways that we can't even in this moment comprehend, to journey as a church in ways that free us from this sin, to transform us into the people you want us to be and be redeemed by the power of Jesus' blood.

God, if there's anyone in my friends listening or watching right now that needs to lay anything at your feet, I pray this is a power, this is the time that we bring all that we have before you.

Anything we've held in our hearts and anything we've kept back and anything we haven't confessed and anything that we've kept as a barrier between our growth and our spirituality and our transformation in you, you want to fill us and feed us and rejuvenate us and enliven us and do all the things that only you can do.

So do not allow us to hold anything back as we come to your table. Give us the strength to lay it all down so we may be a hundred percent who you want us to be.

I pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

I'm thankful that Jesus was willing to do what was necessary for us. He knew that that meant a lot of pain and suffering, but his love for us was greater than his desire to be saved.

So I pray that you, as we take this meal, we're remembering the sacrifice that he gave for us.

So as he sat with his disciples just hours before, he prayed that prayer to God asking to be spared. He took the bread and he broke it. He said, this is my body which has been broken for you. Eat in remembrance of me.

He also took the cup and he said, this is the blood of the new covenant shed for the sins of all people. Drink just as you eat in remembrance of me.

The only thing that God asks of us today is that we confess our sins together, and all people are invited to receive this meal after a confession.

So if you would join me as we say this confession together:

"You have shown yourself to us, oh God, by word and spirit with signs and wonders in flesh and blood. Yet we still struggle to live and believe the good news of Jesus Christ. Have mercy on us. Forgive us. Enter into our lives and cast out our fears so that we may come to trust in you and have life in Jesus' name."

Take a moment to lift anything to God you need a lift in your heart.

Almighty God, hear the prayers of our hearts and our confessions. Receive them into your open hands as we know that you do and forgive us as your beloved children.

We also ask, God, you send your spirit to us upon this bread and this juice and transform it into your body and your blood that we may be redeemed by your spirit and transformed into your redeemed children.

We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As those who are going to help me with communion come forward, just a word of instruction: I'll serve my helpers first, and then after I serve them, I'll invite everyone forward. You'll get a small piece of bread to dip into the cup if you would like gluten-free bread or communion packs that have not been touched by anyone.

We will have pre-packaged communion and gluten-free here in the center after I serve as well. If you would like us to serve you in your seat, if you'll just hold in the back, we will bring communion to you. If you'll just get one of our attention, wait just a moment, and we'll invite everyone forward.

The Lord's table is open and prepared for all. We'll start in the back and come up to the front. You don't have to be a member of the church to come and pray for us and receive. Also, the prayer rails are open and the prayer room if you'd like to stop and pray.

Amen.

All right, friends, I have two quick things to share with you. Next Sunday, directly after worship, we're going to have a brief meeting for anyone who is interested. The United Methodist General Conference is going on right now. For those who have no idea what that means, it is the worldwide United Methodist business meeting, and so it'll be over by next Sunday.

If you would like to know what happened and how that affects us, we will have an info meeting for questions and so forth next Sunday. If you have questions now, please send them to me in advance so I can make sure I have the information that is most relevant to you. That'll be very helpful to me.

The other thing is I told you that this is the last of this sermon series, so this is what we're starting next week. Ready to have fun?

We have a three-week series all about spirituality and fun, so I hope that means you'll come next week ready with your fun hat on. Okay? It is going to be fun. It's going to be light-hearted. We're going to talk. We've been talking about our relationships, and church is the core of that.

But if church isn't fun, then what good are us trying to build the relationship within the church if you don't enjoy it while you're here, right?

All right, so hear this blessing as you leave:

Our mighty God, help us not only grow closer to you but to each other and to do the best we can do so in healthy ways that make us better, but also those we love better.

And in all that betterness that we do so by drawing closer and deeper into the people you want us to be. Send us into the world sharing the light and love of Jesus and that we may come back next week ready to continue to worship you.

We pray this in the powerful name of our Lord. Amen.