Trusting God's Guidance Through Life's Challenges

We thank you, Jesus, for today, and we pray that you have your way in this house, in this place, and in our hearts. Lord God, we give you the glory and honor. Jesus, you set me free; Christ, my Savior, you rescued me. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God.

I want to say Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers in this house. We serve an amazing Father, one that will never leave us nor forsake us, who is our strength and our healer, and we give Him all the glory. Thank you, Jesus.

I've heard a thousand stories of what they think you're like, but I've heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night. You tell me that you satisfy me; you're satisfied, you satisfy enough for me.

Good morning, church! Let's stand to our feet. Lord God, we thank you. We thank you, Jesus. You've given me life; you've opened my eyes; you set me apart. I love you, Lord. Oh, you've given me life. To the Lord, I love you; you've entered my heart; you set me apart. I love you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.

You set me free; Christ, my Savior, you rescued me. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. I've seen many searching for answers; only you provide, because you know just what we need before we say a word.

It's who I am, it's who I am. You're a good, good Father; it's who you are, and I'm loved by you; it's who I am, it's who I am. You are perfect in all of your ways; you are perfect in all of your ways. You're a good, good Father; it's who you are, and I'm loved by you; it's who I am, it's who I am.

Your presence is good, Jesus. The Rock on which I stand when everything around me is shaking. I've never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus, 'cause He's never let me down. He's faithful through generations, so why would He fail now? He won't, He won't.

I've still got joy in chaos; I've got peace that makes no sense, so I won't be going under. I'm not held by my own strength, 'cause I've built my life on Jesus. He's never let me down; He's faithful in every season, so why would He fail now? Come on, He won't, He won't.

Rain came, and wind blew, but my house was built on you, and I'm safe with you. I'm gonna make it. Christ is my firm foundation, 'cause He's never let me down. Come on, He won't, He won't.

I was standing at a construction site; they're building a bank near our house, and I looked over and thought, "Boy, that looks so ugly. That looks really messy; that looks really dirty. I can't even see what could come of that."

But I know the end product will look good. How many of you guys know that when you're in construction, things can look a little messy, a little dirty? I think in our lives sometimes we get discouraged when our lives look a little messy, when things are just a little bit out of place.

I believe that it is in those moments that God gives us an opportunity to build our foundation. You see, you don't just move into a house and start decorating; you put things into place. There has to be a foundation that is put first. A house has to be built first before you can go in and put things in order.

And I believe that when your life feels a little bit out of order, God has given you an opportunity to build a strong foundation. Sometimes things have to fall apart before you can put them back together.

So this morning, if your life looks a little bit out of order, if things feel a little messy, if things don't look like you're just crossing all your t's and dotting all your i's, God has given you an opportunity to build your house on a firm foundation.

Because let me tell you, when you build your house upon the rock that is Jesus, the wind can come, the rain can fall down, the wind can blow; it won't fall apart because your life is built on something that is secure. Christ is our foundation, and we can't fail. When Christ is our foundation, He won't let us down.

So, whatever may come, whatever trials may come our way, we are standing secure on our Rock, Jesus. This morning, we call upon His name and declare that we want to build our house on Him. He is our firm foundation, and we are safe in His arms.

God, help us build our house upon the rock and help us build our lives upon Jesus. We give ourselves to Him this morning and say, "Have Your way, God. Have Your way in our lives, Jesus." Help us to focus on what matters so that when life comes our way and when things get messy, our foundation is secure.

This morning, God, we come into Your house to worship the Name that is above every other name. We say that You, God, are a good Father, and You have never let us down, and You're not about to start. We call upon Your Name this morning, God.

I just pray that You would fill every heart that is under the sound of my voice with Your peace, with Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Would You fill us with joy till we overflow, and would You fill us with Your Spirit? In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen, amen, and amen.

Turn to your neighbor and say, "My life is built upon the Rock, the Rock that is Jesus. He is our firm foundation, and we are secure in His hands." Welcome to church; welcome to Ambassadors. I'm so glad that you have joined us this morning. If you are a father, Happy Father's Day to you this morning. Happy Father's Day to our fathers that are in heaven, and to our father figures, we say Happy Father's Day. We acknowledge you, and we see you this morning.

If it's your first time here, I want to invite you to stop at the welcome desk on your way out. We have a little gift from us to you. So, if it is your first time, welcome, welcome to church, welcome home this morning.

I remind you there are three ways to give. You can give on the Dropbox in the back, you can give at the welcome desk, or you can text any amount to the number on the screen.

Are you glad you came to church this morning? It's a beautiful day; the sun is shining, and we are building our life upon the Rock. If you're excited for church this morning, can you just give a clap for Father's Day? [Applause]

She made me a first father, so I'm grateful for her. You can't have a good dad without a mom. Grateful to be celebrated on my first Father's Day, and God is so faithful. Can you give me the bridge? Rain came, wind blew. Come on, sing with me; I'm safe with you. Come on, rain came, rain came, wind blew. I'm safe with you. Come on, confess that over your life: rain came, wind blew. My house was built; oh, I'm safe with you.

Are you safe this morning? I know you needed this word last Sunday; you felt safe. We feel safe today. Rain came, wind blew; my house, I'm safe with you. With you, I'm gonna make it through. I'm standing. Christ is my firm foundation, the Rock on which, when everything around me is shaking, I've never been more glad. I put my faith in Jesus; why? He's never failed, so why would He fall now? Answer your own question and say He won't; no, He won't. He won't fail; He never did; He never will; He won't fail.

This morning, we stand on a solid foundation that can't be shaken. So, Holy Spirit, we just thank You, Lord, for the beauty of being Sons and Daughters of God. That today I'm not desperate; I'm not abandoned; I'm not an orphan. This morning, I'm so loved, and we're so loved by a Father who sits on a throne that is eternal.

So, Jesus, I just pray, God, for my brothers and my sisters that are here this morning. God, we all came in here carrying something, but Lord Jesus, we're going to leave here carrying the peace of God that surpasses all understanding because we have built our life on a foundation that cannot be shaken.

I've never been more glad; I've never been more grateful that I've chosen Jesus as my foundation. And so, Lord God, we love You this morning; we bless You. In the name of Jesus, we pray, and all God's Church said, Amen and Amen and Amen.

Have you said hi to the person behind you this morning? Come on, go ahead, the one behind, not just in front of you, beside you, behind you, behind you. Don't miss them, don't miss them, that's right. Praise the Lord this morning; we're gathered together in God's presence to celebrate Jesus and to receive His word for our lives.

But we've also gathered together today to dedicate another baby to Jesus. We're going to continue dedicating these babies as they come, and so I want to welcome the family of baby Gian Camille Diaz to the front. Where is baby Cheon Kenny Ashley's family and friends? We're gonna bring the baby right here to the middle, and the family will be around them with a handsome boy. Welcome, family. A few of you can stand on this side; a few of you can stand on this side. We're going to keep Kenny Ashley and the baby right here in the middle. A couple on this side; here we go. Don't all go because then you'll all be there. You all can stop there; there you go. Welcome, family; so good to have you guys in God's presence.

I want to welcome you as a church. One of our core values is that we love the word of God. When we say this, we're speaking to the strength and the permanence of the foundation we stand on: the word of God. The Bible is the final authority on every matter of faith and Christian living. It is through this value that we find our deep conviction that every human being, even before conception and birth, is fully known and fully loved by our loving God who created each and every one of us in His image. Can we say Amen to that?

This value establishes our belief that life begins at conception. Before a child is even fully formed in the womb, they are eternally loved by our creating God. When Christians are entrusted with the miracle of a baby and they value the word of God, it leads them to make a very important decision to raise that child according to the principles of the Bible and to dedicate that child to the Lord.

We believe that when a person reaches the age of moral responsibility, they will make their own decisions and live with the consequences and the results of those choices.

Today, we gather to dedicate Gian Camille Diaz to the Lord, and in doing so, we pray that he would come to know and serve Jesus for himself, becoming a man after the heart of God. Kenny and Ashley's story is unique because they walked into this church for the very first time just a couple of weeks before their wedding day. They found a community here, and since then, they've never left. They have now built a family with Jesus at the center of it all.

Gian means God is gracious, and indeed, as you look at the face of your firstborn son, all you see is the grace of God on full display. God is gracious to pursue us, to save us, and to sustain us. That is my prayer for your son, that at a very young age, he would fall into the grace that has been pursuing him before he was ever born, that at a very young age, he would be saved by the saving grace of God, and that he would be sustained by an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Family and parents, I charge you before God to love Gian, guide him, answer his questions, affirm his identity as a Son of God, and be graceful in your speech toward him and your speech about him. I pray that he would find everything he needs at home. May there never be bread lacking on your table, physical bread.

Today, I come into God's sweet presence bringing to Him this child, Gian Camille Diaz. God is gracious, and I pray that at a very young age, Gian would fall into the grace that has been pursuing him before he was ever conceived in Ashley's womb. I pray that at a young age, he would be saved by the grace that comes with a relationship with Jesus and that he would be sustained by the grace of an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Father, I pray a blessing upon his mind; give him the ability to make wise decisions and the right friendships and social circle. Father, I pray that you would guard his heart above all else, that he would be sensitive to the spirit of God. Lord, that as he's raised in the fellowship of his brothers and sisters, the babies and toddlers of this house, that together they would become the community of Christ followers that you have called them to be.

Father, I pray for Kenny as a father, that you would anoint him as the spiritual head of this household, that he would lead Ashley and his son into all the plans and the purposes that you have for them. Father, I pray that if you add unto their family in the years to come, that you would continue to bless them and keep them in the center of your will. God, I pray that their foundation would always be Christ in Christ alone.

So, Lord, with all authority that exists in the name of Jesus, I dedicate Gian Camille Diaz to you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We extend our arms in the direction of this beautiful family, affirming this prayer and saying that Gian belongs to Jesus. We agree and affirm that it is our joy and our privilege to surround the Diaz family as they become the family that God has called them to be. We feed Gian more than physically, but spiritually, so that he would never have to find anything outside because he's found everything he needs at home.

We tell him countless times that it is our job to be the church, the community of Christ followers that shows this young boy what it means to be raised in the holy way of Jesus. When he becomes a man, he will act in wisdom, in faith, and in integrity. Heavenly bread will feed him, so that he will never have to find anything outside because he's found everything he needs at home.

We thank God for all the fathers in our lives, both present and absent. We thank God for their diligence in raising their children and for the love of the Father that is upon their hearts. We pray for wisdom and blessing upon them when they are faced with tough decisions for their families.

We want to acknowledge that sometimes Father's Day can slip by without much attention, so we pray that these fathers would feel seen and loved today. We thank God for all the prayers, love, support, encouragement, cards, gifts, donations, time, presence, and faithfulness that have been given to our family during this difficult time.

We are approaching the end of Apple's life, and he is in hospice care. We pray for peace and comfort for him and for our family during this transition. My parents and I have been with my grandfather around the clock all week long as we approach the end of his life and face the reality of earthly death.

We have honored him in life, and there are no regrets. He has been a part of not only our family physically but our church family as well. We would not have imagined it this way, but God gave a miracle to a 97-year-old by giving us these extra days to be with him.

These days have been filled with many emotions, but as a family whose foundation is Christ, we are not like those who grieve without hope. I asked my grandfather this week in his weakened state if he was at peace with everyone and at peace with God, and he said, "Of course." He has lived a full, joyful, obedient, and surrendered life.

We don't know when the moment will come that God decides to take him home, but he is at peace. Our family has been filled and sustained by the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. We are grateful for the mighty hand of God that has been with us through this journey, and we continue to need your prayers in these coming days.

We are not receiving visitors at the hospice so that he is kept in the most comfortable and quiet environment possible. I thank God for the strength He gives me in this moment and pray that if anyone else feels as heavy as I do, that the joy of the Lord is their strength. It is a joy and privilege to be able to serve God and to be surrounded by love.

We thank you for this word, and we thank you for the book of Psalms, and we thank you for the way that you meet us where we are, and we thank you for the way that you speak to us through these ancient words.

So we pray that you would take this word and breathe fresh breath into us, and that you would take this word and make it alive and active in our lives, and that you would take this word and that it would be a source of comfort and strength and hope and joy and peace.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul and leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This morning, we are in a new series of messages called "Summer in the Psalms." Last Sunday, we talked through Psalm chapter one, and today we are in Psalm 23. This Psalm is so timely and appropriate for where I'm at personally this morning, but I believe this word is for all of us that have come this morning needing a word.

Psalm 23 is the most well-recognized, well-memorized, and most beloved Psalm in all of the book of Psalms. It is quoted and re-quoted and is on mugs and calendars. No matter what season of life we're in, I believe there is a Psalm that meets us where we are.

I pray that this word would take on new life and breathe fresh breath into all of us. I pray that we would look at this familiar passage through a new set of eyes. I pray that this word would be a source of comfort, strength, hope, joy, and peace. I pray that this word would be a source of life and life more abundantly.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. We bless the reading of Your Word, and now we pray that You would anoint the proclamation of Your Word. Father, focus our minds and our hearts not around what I have to say but around what Your Spirit will say to the church.

Oh God, Father, breathe fresh breath into these words that are written on a page. God, that we would leave here not remembering what the pastor said but what the Spirit has spoken to the church. We pray Your blessing over this moment in Jesus' name, and everybody said amen and amen.

So, one of the things that if you know me well, you know that one of my self-care things that I really prioritize is that I love going to the barbershop. I've always loved the barber and always enjoy going to the barber. I've been going since I was a kid. I went to a barbershop that really didn't count as a barbershop. Once I started driving myself and I went to a proper barbershop, I never turned back.

How many fellas in the house enjoy the barbershop? How many of you cut your own hair or your wife cuts your hair? I get you; it's okay; this message is still for you. But I'm talking to the guys that have a religious devoted relationship with a specific barber.

Sometimes the ladies will be like, "You can't just go to any nail tech or whatever." Men feel the same about barbers. My barber was out of town this week, but despite that, there was coverage from another guy in that same barbershop that I've seen his work. I made an appointment with this other guy for this one week until my barber comes back.

I sat down in his chair, and we were chit-chatting. He's a believer, and we were talking about different things. I was asking him questions about his kids and his family. I noticed he has a really good haircut. The lineup was done right, the beard looked good, and the hairline wasn't pushed all the way back to the back of his head.

So I asked him the question, "Who cuts your hair?" He replied, "No, I don't cut my own hair. I've been going to this Cape Verdean guy." I'm not going to the barber; I'm not going to the barber; I'm not going to the barber. And she's like, "Why?" And I said, "Because I don't trust the barber." And she's like, "Why?" And I said, "Because I don't trust the barber."

I recently had a conversation with a Cape Verdean guy who cuts hair at his own house. This got me thinking about how difficult it must be for a barber who has the skills to cut hair to go sit in another barber's chair. It made me think of my own dad, who has been a dentist for many years. Dentists need dentists, and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for a person who went to dental school to not be able to fill their own cavities.

I asked the barber if he cuts his own hair, and he said no. I said I would find it very difficult, as I can barely do my own beard looking at it in a mirror. I can't imagine doing the back of my head with clippers or a fade. I realized that there are some things that you can't do for yourself.

For a barber to sit in another barber's chair, it requires surrender of their skills, ability, will, vision, and literal body. It also requires trust, as a barber is not just going to sit in any barber's chair. I like to go on Google for reviews of literally everything, and I remember going on a vacation and not trusting the barber.

For a dentist to go to another dentist, it requires surrender of their vulnerability and ability to care for themselves. To get a proper haircut from another barber requires that you say you can't do this yourself. I can imagine how challenging it must be for a barber to sit in the chair of another barber.

I recently checked out some photos from this barbershop, and I could tell it was not a good barber. I showed her a look at that fade, and that thing was more like a chop-off than a fade. There was nothing fading there; it was just clear. I wanted to see photographic evidence that proves to me that what you say you can do, you can actually do.

It requires trust for a barber to send another barber. I trust your skills and your ability to cut my hair. For a dentist to get his cavities filled by another dentist requires trust not only in that dentist's credentials but in their ability to do what they say they're going to do. It requires surrender, trust, and confidence. I need to have confidence that the results of this process will be good.

David, King David, the man of the Old Testament, was a shepherd. The first time we ever meet him in the Scriptures is in First Samuel chapter 16. The prophet Samuel is coming to the house of Jesse to anoint a new king for Israel. As soon as David walked in, God told Samuel to rise up and anoint him as the next king of Israel.

Historians, theologians, and biblical scholars say that Psalm 23 was written in David's adulthood, when he was likely already the king of Israel. The first words out of David's mouth for this song are, "The Lord is my shepherd." David shows us that shepherds need shepherds. Barbers need barbers, and dentists need dentists. According to David, shepherds need shepherds.

The Lord is my Shepherd. Shepherds need shepherds; barbers need barbers; dentists need dentists; and pastors need pastors. David said, although I'm already King, anointed, and have the experience of a shepherd, and was raised in the field, leading thousands of sheep over the course of my life, the Lord is still my Shepherd.

What I see in Psalm 23 is the same layout of what I see in the barbershop. It requires three things, and Psalm 23 shows us the three elements of what it means to live a meaningful relationship with God. Number one is surrender. The Lord is my Shepherd, and surrendering our will, abilities, and skills goes against everything in our self-sufficient culture that thinks we can handle everything. We can't handle nothing, and surrender is the key.

My son is about to be 10 months old, and he is really exercising his will more and more. We have a nice high chair in our kitchen, and at first, he had no problem slipping his legs in, and we didn't even buckle him because it was high up. Then he started learning he has legs, and it scared us to death. He refused to sit in the high chair, but then we found out a trick. We put puffs on the tray, and he sits right down.

That's not real surrender, though; real surrender is when you don't have anything to offer, and you still surrender. That's what Psalm 23 is all about. I have to give you something to surrender that is not surrender. Surrender says to give up your will to sit in the barber's chair and to lean back and to know that He knows best.

The Lord is my shepherd, and I lack nothing. This means that whatever God gives me is exactly what I need, even if there's no puffs on the tray. Christians need to get it right that he's blessed to have parents and not puffs. Parents are the blessing, not puffs. Don't delight over puffs and miss the parent who bought the puffs.

God, who loves us passionately and unconditionally, gave His only Son for us. We don't need puffs; He is here. Surrender says that you are enough; surrender says I don't need answers; I need You. The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. Even if no prayer is answered, God is still worthy of my praise.

Even if I fast and pray and it doesn't happen the way I want it to, He is still worthy of my praise. God gives and God takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Job said it best: even if He slays me, yet I will trust in Him. The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. Can you say this?

The point is God has you right where you need to be, and if you trust Him, He will lead you to the right place at the right time. This morning, I have been given what I need, and I don't need anything other than what the Shepherd has given me. That is true surrender.

Surrender does not yearn for our will or our way, but yields to the will of God and allows Him to do what only He can do. The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul; and He guides me along paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Element number one is surrender, and element number two is trust. I love that scripture that I never noticed before: He makes me lie down. He asks me to lie down; He encourages me to lie down; He gives me puffs to lie down. God knows when you need to chill, and He makes you lie down.

Trust allows God to determine the timing of when it's time to rest, when it's time to take your hands off of a matter and allow God's hands to be on the matter. He leads me in green pastures, and He leads me beside still waters. He leads me in paths of righteousness because God knows when to take you to a certain place and why you need to be there.

Wherever God has you is where you need to be. It's not our job to determine the outcome; it's our job to trust that if He leads us to the ER, He's with us in the ER. If He leads us to Dunkin' for a Coolatta, He's with us at Dunkin' with a Coolatta. Whether it's a Coolatta or an ICU, God is with us, and we trust Him and take Him at His word.

We have lost the art of being present. We're always on our phones, talking to people that are not at the table that we're eating at. We're missing out on precious moments with our children because we've become so consumed by work. We're always itching for a new place, but where you are is where you need to be.

Someone needs to hear this this morning: the person who has a dead-end job that feels like there's no promotion, but where God has you for right now is where He has a purpose for you right now. It does not mean it is the end of your road, but as long as you are there, God has a reason for why you are.

He leads me to the right places at the right times. I held some jobs that I didn't like; I had some days where I'm like, "Lord, but I'm called to the ministry; what am I doing here? Why am I doing this?" But in order for me to get to where God would have me to be, I needed to be present in the season that God had me in at that point, because obedience in the small yields to fruitfulness in the big.

And you will never learn trust until things don't go your way, and you still allow God to guide every single step. We are not entitled to anything, and so when we say, "The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing," He leads me beside still waters; He guides me in paths of righteousness.

That paths of righteousness is something that we often miss. What is the path of righteousness? It is the path of obedience to the principles of God's word. There will be times of rest where you go by green pastures, and there will be times of still waters, but many of us need to get off of the still waters and the green pastures and get onto the paths of righteousness because we get addicted to the still waters and the green pastures and we miss out on the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

That makes us obedient disciples of Jesus. Green pastures don't disciple you, and still waters don't make you better. Paths of righteousness disciple you to become more like Christ. There will be times of green pastures; there will be times of still waters, but then there is a time where you got to get onto the path of righteousness for the sake of His name. Can you say Amen to that?

Lord, I trust you; I trust you; I trust you. So, surrender, trust, confidence. The barber sits in the barber's chair; they put the cape on, the little paper around the neck, get out the clippers, and we're like, "What do you want today?" "Uh, the usual." "All right."

And if it were me and any of the guys in here sat in my barber chair and I asked you what you want and I get out the clippers, you should run as far as you can because you are going to come out looking jacked up, hideous. The way we all looked during COVID, do you remember that? That's how you looked.

Except I remember one time in COVID, because you know my love for the barbershop, it was closed for a bunch of months, and I went on my phone because so much of it is face ID now where it's like the face recognizes. I had been trying to get on my online banking during COVID, and it had been a while since I had a haircut.

I went to Citizens Bank to get into my account with my face ID, but they didn't recognize me. It was a true story, and I was hurt that not even Citizens Bank recognized my face. But I had confidence in the results, and I knew that whatever clippers God put on this machine, I was going to come out looking better than I came in.

Have you ever seen a man walk out of a barbershop after a good haircut? The boy's confidence is through the roof. You walk into a barbershop looking all the same, same man, same outfit, same everything, but the way he walks out is different than he walks in.

Oh man, those shoulders, that chest, that strut, that look! You're walking in Pawtucket acting like you were on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A man with a haircut walks different, and I'm telling you, a person that has surrendered and trusted and has confidence in the Lord's work, you walk out of that process different.

Where do I see it in Psalm 23? Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. Look at David's tone there at the end of the psalm. The Lord is my shepherd. He just got finished talking about the valley of the shadow of death, and then at the end, he's like, "But I came through the barber chair. God put on the clippers; He anointed my head with oil; He set up a table in the presence of my enemies, and now I'm walking out of this knowing that surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life."

I just see David's shoulders thrown back, his chest puffed up, and I just see his confidence in the process of being surrendered to the shepherding of the presence of God. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, which means that I'm always going to come back to this same barbershop because the good work that God began in me, He will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In the summer of 2019, a group of about 12-13 of us went on a mission trip to Honduras. It was the time of our life. Oh my goodness, it was amazing, so much fun, so much work. This mission trip was not just hanging out; we were laboring and working. But they had one day for us to spend some time enjoying ourselves, and we went on this crazy adventure to this waterfall in Honduras.

It was wilder than I can explain to you. We put on life jackets and we set out. It was like a trip under this waterfall, and you had to swim. It was a lot of water for those of you that don't like water; this was a nightmare for you. Waters, He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I'm not the most adventurous person you've ever met, but I've told you many times before that I like my two feet on the floor. This is my happy place, and I've never been more happy than I am right here, right now. We went under this waterfall and had the time of our life. Ralph had his GoPro, and it was the best summer ever, and it was amazing.

We got to this cliff, and our tour guide showed us this cliff, and he said, "Let's jump!" I said, "Let's what?" and he said, "Yeah, you're gonna jump, and it must have been maybe 20 feet or so into this water down below." Stones everywhere, rocks, hot chips, hacha. It's not just stone; it's not like American stones; this is like jagged, deathly cliffs.

He said, "Okay, I'm gonna jump first. I'm going to show you where to jump; make sure you jump where I jump." He jumped, and then Ralph jumped right behind him. The rest of the group was like, "Yeah, now I'm good. I'll wait up here." I thought, "Chances are, if I'm gonna, chances are I'll never be back in the same spot."

So I asked the tour guide to show me one more time where to jump. He jumped again in the same spot, and then he was down there. I said, "Can you just with your arm show me again where the spot is?" Elena said, "No, sweetheart, don't do it. You don't have to. I love you no matter what. You don't have to prove your manhood. You're man enough for me."

Adrenaline was pumping, and testosterone was going. I knew these moments don't come back. So I stood there at the edge, and I threw my body out there. It hurt, but my spirit was so enlightened. I felt like saying, "Let's do it again!" What was required there was surrender.

Surrender is the jump; trust is the fall; and confidence is the landing. The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I have put my faith in Jesus, and I will never be afraid. He is my firm foundation, and He has been faithful through generations. He won't fail me now, even when everything around me is chaotic. He gives me joy and peace that makes no sense. I am not held by my own strength, but by His. He has never let me down, and I know He won't start now.

This morning, I invite you to join me in worship. I'm the tour guide, showing you the spot to jump from. Maybe some of you don't want to surrender or trust, but this is the word you need to just jump. Our family has jumped into the unknown, and now we're falling in trust.

If you want to build a firm foundation, if you need Jesus, come to the altar. I want to pray for you. If this word spoke to you in any way, be obedient to the spirit leading you. Don't be afraid; just come forward. I'm glad I put my faith in Jesus, and I know He won't fail me. He is my firm foundation, and He will be with me all the days of my life.

Come on, let's get out! Rain came and went blue, but my house was built on you. Safe with you, I'm gonna make it through. Rain came with blue, but my house was built on you. Today, oh oh, I'm gonna make it through. Christ is my firm foundation; when everything around me fails, I put my faith in Jesus.

Please, here you are; Christ is my firm foundation. Come on, sit with me, whom Christ says. Come on, make this confession. For this week, I put my faith in Jesus. You are faith; He won't fail; He won't fail; He won't fail; He won't fail.

So receive this blessing: May the Lord be your Shepherd, and may you lack nothing. May He make you lie down in green pastures, and may He lead you beside still waters, and may the Lord restore your soul. May He lead you in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

And even though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil because the Lord is with you. His rod and His staff will comfort you. God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He will anoint your head with oil, and your cup will overflow.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He shine the light of His face on you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and may He give you His peace.

I send you, church, out to be a blessing, to be ambassadors of the kingdom of God. Set your life on the solid foundation of Christ as the Chief Cornerstone. Go and be a blessing, and may Christ, through His grace, sustain you in the name of Jesus, to the glory of God and by the power of His Holy Spirit. Go with God and be a blessing. Come on, sing with me, rain came, rain blew.