Like Jesus IV // Pastor Chuck Colegrove // August 31, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up Free Church ?
Well, happy holiday weekend toyou.
This is the weekend that meanslife can get back to normal.
Kids can be back in school.
Come on, don't shout me down.
Parents, we act like we lovesummer because our kids are home

(00:21):
.
We love summer because theweather's nice.
We're thankful for fall becauseour kids go back to school.
Amen, love our kids are home.
We love summer because theweather's nice.
We're thankful for fall becauseour kids go back to school.
Amen, love our kids.
We love our kids, but we lovethem in school.
And if you're not a parent, youdon't know what I just said.
It doesn't make sense to you,but someday, by the grace of God

(00:41):
, you will understand it.
Well, welcome to Free Churcheverybody.
Great to see you.
To all of our guests we welcomeyou.
We realize you could beanywhere this morning and we're
so thankful that you've chosento worship with us.
We like to say at Free Church,there is no place like this
place near this place, so thismust be the place and we're so
thankful that you're here.

(01:12):
Church family.
Welcome our guests today thatare here with us maybe first
time or first time in a longtime, and for those of you
watching online.
Welcome Hope that you haveexperienced the presence of the
Lord as richly as we have inthis house, and I would
certainly say something powerfulis happening in this assembly,
in our community, and it's thekind of thing that you need to
like.
Let others know about Amen.
And I would just encourageeveryone, as we get ready to go
to two services next week,starting on birthday weekend,

(01:36):
we'll go to two services a nineo'clock and 11 o'clock service,
identical services for you toattend and bring your friends
and family, and I know thatgoing to two services is an
opportunity for us to make roomfor what God is doing in this
house and all summer long.

(01:56):
Some of you might not notice itbecause you just you think you
look around and you see somebodyhere one week and maybe they're
out of town the next week andyou're like, oh, okay, so but we
have been growing this summer,so many new families, so many
new people that are stepping inand excited about serving and
wanting to be a part of freechurch, and so as we go into two

(02:17):
services, it's going to changethe momentum a little bit.
It puts my dad used to say itputs the pedal to the metal or
the metal to the pedal pedal, tothe metal, metal to the pedal
pedal.
I said it right the first time.
It just sounded wrong and um,and it really just is going to,
um, create opportunity.
I've always felt like in churchlife.

(02:38):
When you have a 10 o'clockservice on a weekend, you say
like we want everybody to cometo our church and then we only
give you one choice to come to.
Now we're saying you got acouple of choices.
You can wake up early and gohave brunch and then come to the
11 o'clock service.
Or you can wake up early andcome to the 9 o'clock service
and then go have brunch.
It's like, how great is that?

(02:58):
And then you can worship oneand you can serve one.
You can help us expand thereach of our church as we grow.
You could serve one.
You can help us expand thereach of our church as we grow.
And I am excited about the fallseason coming up.
Amen.
Well, I am excited and ready topreach God's word.
Are you ready to receive it?
The year was 1988.

(03:22):
And I was, yeah, the wonderyears.
It was 1988.
I was a senior in high schooland I've told this story before,
so if you've heard it, you haveto laugh like you've never
heard it before.
But if you haven't, then youcan appreciate this.
I was always the one in class.
How many of you in class had ateacher that would tell your
parents or tell you you'd be agreat student if you didn't talk

(03:45):
so much?
Students you get that a littlebit Like wow, you'd be so good
if you would just focus, payattention in class instead of
talking so much.
And so obviously I make aliving by speaking now, and so
it worked out for me.
But I had, I had what theycalled a motor mouth and always

(04:06):
just chatterbox, chattering, andI would often I think the line
in the movie is like my mouthwould write checks that my body
couldn't keep.
I would say things that wouldpotentially get me in trouble,
and even though I had thebiggest mouth in the class, I
was not the biggest person inthe class, and I by big I mean

(04:30):
like I didn't have the musclesupport to back up what my mouth
was saying many times and so.
But I learned that I built thiscircle of friends that could be
the muscle to my mouth, and soI remember this year, 1988,
senior year I was talking somesmack about some stuff and I was

(04:51):
bragging on the small group offriends that I had accumulated
over the years and theirwillingness and their potential
to stand with me and support meand even, if necessary, go to
battle with me.
And so I was just jabber,jabber, jabber, jabber, jab, jab
, jab.
And I'm sure people were tiredof it and we had an open campus

(05:13):
so we could leave campus and goto lunch or go hang out and for
lunchtime for lunchtime wesometimes would extend it past
lunch.
But we came back from lunch oneday, pulled into my parking spot
, got up, my friend and I gotout of our car and we were
immediately surrounded by alarge crowd of people and the

(05:35):
leader of that crowd of peoplewas like rolling up his sleeves,
like something about to go down, and I was watching what I was
thinking, like what is happening?
I'm surrounded by this biggroup of people and they seem
angry.
I don't remember what I've saidand so I'm like what's going on
?
And he starts barking at myfriend, like what would you be

(05:58):
doing this for?
Why would you be saying thesethings?
And I'm the one that said itall.
But he was yelling at my friendand I was like, oh man, we're
in big trouble and I wasthinking like, where's the rest
of my friends?
I was looking around andsuddenly I felt a presence
behind me and I looked back andit was about four of my other

(06:22):
friends who were standing behindme Some of the bigger guys in
my class and they were standingthere and I said listen, he
didn't say a word, it was me.
But unless you want to gothrough these guys, you're not
getting to me.
And then I was able to use alittle bit more of not such

(06:42):
tough talk to kind of calm thesituation down.
But it's the year that Ilearned the group that's with
you and the group that is foryou is the group that will take
you forward and keep you out oftrouble.
It's the year that a smallgroup literally saved my life.
Turn to your neighbor and saysmall groups can save your life,

(07:04):
and turn to the one you've beenignoring all service, for some
reason you've ignored them andjust say, man, you look so good
today.
Today is small group Sunday andin the next 20 minutes that I

(07:25):
have to share today's messageman, what powerful worship, amen
, powerful moment of worship.
Many times when worship's going, I'm like we could just keep
going, but the word has to bepreached because we have to be
moved to a next step.

(07:46):
And many times the emotion ofwhat happens in worship.
We need to have an action pointto take it to the next thing
that God has in our life.
So powerful worship today, butlet's settle it with a point of
action.
Let's not just be hearers ofthe word but let's be doers of

(08:07):
the word.
Let us not just love theatmosphere and the flow of
what's happening.
Let us lean in and becomeobedient to what God is calling
us to do.
And so today is small groupSunday, and it's really one of
our favorite Sundays of the fallseason as we launch another
season of small groups.

(08:29):
And part of the vision of FreeChurch is Pastor Matthew said it
earlier in his flow time thatwe get to know God on Sunday.
That's where we get toexperience God.
Some of you get to meet God forthe very first time or
recognize that God is close toyou or it wants to be close to
you.
He's drawing you by the powerof his presence.
So we get to know God on Sunday.

(08:49):
But we want to find freedom,and we want to find freedom from
our past hurts and our pasthabits, and we do that in the
context of relationship in asmall group.
So the vision of free church,it actually has four components
of it.
We want to know God, and we dothat on the weekend service.
We want to find freedom, and wedo that through small groups.
We want to discover purpose wedo that through the freeway and

(09:11):
then we want to make adifference and we do that
through the dream team.
And so I'm going to lean intothis moment of small group
season and just really encourageyou, because it is a part of
our vision that we find freedomthrough small groups.
What do you mean PC?
What do you mean from freedom?
Well, I mean, maybe you have ahabit that just can't seem to
get over by yourself, or youhave a hurt from your past that
you can't seem to be healed in.

(09:31):
And I want to tell you, in thecontext of relationship and
small group community, as yougrow together, you find freedom
and healing from that past hurtor that past habit.
It'll help you, because in thecontext of Sunday, in the big
moments, it's hard to be realwith people, but in the reality
of a small group you get to knowsomebody, and I always say you
need to know somebody.

(09:52):
You have somebody that knows youand somebody that knows you
they need to K-N-O-W know you,and then there's need to be
people in your life that N-O-Uknow you, so they need to know
you.
You need to be real andvulnerable, and then there's
need to be people in your lifethat N O you know you, so they
need to know you.
You need to be real andvulnerable, and then they need
to know you saying hey, that'snot a great idea.
Only if in high school I wouldhave had somebody that'd say

(10:15):
just shut your mouth, be quiet,you don't have to say those
things.
It might be true, you mighthave a good support system, but
you don't have to keep puttingthe pressure on them to stand up
for you.
Just be quiet, man.
I think my life would have beena little easier Maybe not as
much fun, but a little easier.
I wouldn't always be runningand ducking and looking for my

(10:36):
group to save me, and let thatbe a lesson for somebody today.
Life doesn't have to be thisconstant battle if you find the
group of people that you canmove forward with, and so it's
small group season and it's partof the vision of our church
that we find freedom in a smallgroup.
And this season I would like tojust set a goal.
I want to just say a vision forsmall group season.

(10:58):
I'd love to see, this season,185 people sign up for a small
group this season 185,.
Get involved in a small groupthis season 185.
Get involved in a small group,grow, build community, care for
one another, connect over thingsthat are meaningful for life,
age and life stage.
And so, immediately followingservice and following my message
time, in the next 16 minutes,you're going to get to go

(11:20):
downstairs and you're going toget a chance to meet the small
group leaders, connect with them.
They've done an outstanding jobof really presenting their
group at a table and you'regoing to meet them, meet the
leaders, find a group that fitsyour life age and your life
stage, a group that's just foryou, and register through Renee
for that group.
And if you can't figure outRenee, we got a Renee help desk

(11:42):
down there to help you.
But all you're gonna do at theend of service is you're gonna
send a message to Renee, dmreneeforward slash groups and that
will give you the list of groupsthat you can sign up for and
some of you are doing thatalready, but I'm thankful for
that.
185 of you today and throughthis fall season how incredible
would that be if 185 of us buildcommunity and connect and care

(12:05):
for one another in a new way?
We've been in this seriestitled Like Jesus and we spent a
bunch of weeks in the idea ofwe need to think like Jesus,
that if we think like Jesusremember I went through like 10
things that will happen in ourlife if we think like Jesus.
And then Pastor Robbie, when hewas with us in August, he

(12:26):
preached that we can lead likeJesus.
And today I want to justencourage you and challenge you
that we can love like Jesus.
Everybody say love like Jesus,love like Jesus.
When I read through the gospels,I read and you can recognize
this that we find the reason whyJesus came to this earth.

(12:48):
And we know the reason why hecame to the earth.
It says in the scripture thathe came to save.
Oh no, not yet.
Don't give away the good stuff.
Jesus came to seek and savethat which was lost.
And what was lost when man fellback in the garden was this

(13:08):
relationship, this closeness,this friendship with God.
And sin has a way of creatingspace.
Sin isn't always what you do,but it is the space between you
and your heavenly father, theGod who made you, the God who
loves you and the God who longsto have a relationship with you.
And sin places a wedge or a gapbetween us and our heavenly

(13:33):
father.
And so Jesus Christ came tothis earth and he died on a
cross.
He literally spread his armsout this wide to bridge the gap
between us and our heavenlyfather.
He died for our sins.
So the Bible says he came toseek and to save that which was
lost.
That's why he came.

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But sometimes we don't reallylook at and consider how he came
.
So he came to save us, to savethat which was lost the
authority, the dominion, therelationship.
But how did he come?
Well, look at this in Luke,chapter 7 and 34.
It says this the son of mancame eating and drinking.

(14:16):
That's why I love Jesus so much.
He came eating and drinking.
Some of you just realize you'remore like Jesus than you thought
he came eating and drinking.
Why do you think?
Everything we do around churchlife typically surrounds itself

(14:38):
around a table and around goodfood.
Oh, we're going gonna have asmall group.
What kind of food's gonna bethere?
Oh, we're gonna have the DreamTeam Gala to recognize and
celebrate and support and justcheer on our Dream Team.
Who make a difference?
What kind of food you having?

(14:59):
Oh man, we got an email acouple weeks ago.
Herschana and I had a littlemessage in Renee and it was Bert
who helps lead the prayer teamand Bert was like hey, pc and
Pastor Hirsch, we're having alittle get-together for our
prayer team and we'd love you tocome and it's on a Friday night

(15:22):
.
I'm like, well, typicallyFriday's my day off and on my
day off I wanna play golf andtake my wife out for a nice
dinner on a date somewhere.
So I was like I was justthinking I don't know it's a
Friday night and he says let metell you what's on the menu.
So I read what was on the menu.
I'm like we're coming.

(15:42):
I went home and I said, babe, Igot to tell you about Friday
night.
She said, oh, we're going toBert's house.
Did you see that menu?
It's one of the ways we're likeJesus.
Jesus came eating and drinking,in fact, so much in the way that

(16:03):
Jesus came, how he came eatingand drinking.
If you see, in the scripturethey literally called him a
glutton and a drunkard becausehe ate and he drank so much with
all of the people who they werelike you should never be around
.
But that's how Jesus came,because the important theme and

(16:23):
the central theme of Jesuscoming not just why, but how was
.
He came to build a relationshipwith his people.
He came to be in relationshipand when we read scripture all
the way through, we read thingslike the breaking of bread.
In fact we broke bread thismorning together as we took up
the blessed sacrament of hisbroken body.

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That's called the communion.
My dad used to say it's themeal that heals.
It's the body of Jesus wasbroken so I could be made whole.
His blood was shed so that Icould be washed clean.
We just sang about it and thatis the Passover meal.

(17:08):
When we read about all of thegreat banquets in the New
Testament and in the book ofRevelation it says the last
supper, like literally part ofheaven, is us gonna be around a
great big banquet table andthere's gonna be an incredible
meal.
I hope you like to eat anddrink Because it's going to be a

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part of our experience inheaven.
And so this idea of breakingbread has another word for it,
called fellowship.
And in studying through historyand theology in Old Testament
and New Testament, man, thetable is very important.

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Meals are very important, infact, meals had.
It was more than just about thefood.
It was the opportunity to sitwith the people you love and the
people that you're getting tolearn about and have deep
conversation.
And so the breaking of breadwas more than just the food
component.
It was the interaction of thepeople at the table, and Jesus

(18:20):
came showing us the importanceof fellowship and community.
I read a book one time.
It was called Never Eat Alone,and it's one of the things I
hate the most.
If I'm out and I'm hungry, Ihate to go into a restaurant and
sit at a table by myself.
It's the worst, I think.

(18:41):
Well, it seems practicalbecause I'm by myself and I'll
just grab a quick bite to eat,but I'm like is there anybody I
can find around me that I canhave lunch with?
If I'm around here in theoffice, I'll come into the room
and say guys, does anybody wannaeat?
Anybody eating?
Let me get some Jimmy John's orhey, walk with me down to
Mulatta and we'll grab anempanada together.
Ooh, I felt the Holy Spirit onthat one.
Closed on Sunday.

(19:04):
God bless them.
But Jesus was showing us theexample of building community,
relationship, fellowship aroundthe table.

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And Jesus met if you readthrough scripture how he came
eating and drinking.
He met with every person atevery life age and every life
stage.
The Bible says he always, hewas always at the table with
people that the religious worlddid not think he should be at
the table with, that thereligious world did not think he

(19:52):
should be at the table with,and he would sit with sinners
and tax collectors and thepeople that were marginalized in
society.
Jesus pulled them in tocommunity and relationship.
So I want to just lean into thisspace and talk to you about the
power of a small group and how,in a small group, it helps us

(20:13):
learn to love like Jesus.
Are you ready?
So the most famous passage ofscripture in the book of Acts
that talks about small group isthe book of Acts, chapter two,
and let's read this.
You can read through it and Iwant you, if you have a real
Bible, if you have your Biblewith you, I want you to take

(20:37):
some notes today and I want youto circle the words as I read
them that stand out to you and,if you're just taking notes in
your phone with the Bible app,highlight the passage of
scripture and then, or take aphoto of it and circle like,
mark it up like let's interactwith this scripture, because I
think it's so powerful for us.
Acts, chapter two, verse 42.

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They who's they?
It's the early church, it's thedisciples, it's the people that
were waiting for the promise ofthe Holy Spirit.
So, just a few verses beforethis, the Holy Spirit is poured
out upon 120 in the upper room,peter preaches this
life-changing message about thegospel of Jesus Christ and the

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Holy Spirit blows in like afresh wind.
Fire of tongues.
Sit on people to demonstratethe infilling of the Holy Ghost
and it spills out into themarketplace and people are being
saved and people are beingfilled with the Holy Spirit and
the church is born in one day3,000 people saved.
And this is what happens.

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It says they devoted themselvesto the apostles teaching and to
fellowship.
They devoted themselves, man.
I'm so thankful for a churchthat will stand on the word of
God, but devoted to the word ofGod, for making decisions in
their life for recognizing thatthis is the book of God.

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And it's just not a good book.
It is God's word, it is spiritinspired, it provides the
answers for my life.
The Bible says it is a lamp tomy feet and a light to my path.
The Bible says that it is goingto order my steps, righteously
moving forward, and it's goingto help me know when I'm in the
right or when I'm in the wrong.

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It's going to help me know andfeed me.
It's the word of God, it's thebread of life and literally we
are devoted to this book and wedon't just love the good stuff
that's in it, we read the wholething and sometimes it
challenges us.
And the Bible says the word ofGod is a two-edged sword that

(22:47):
cuts asunder the things in ourlife that might not be right.
And listen, I'm not ashamed ofthe gospel of Jesus Christ, for
it is the power of God andsalvation into my life and when
I read it it comes alive.
It's not just a few words, butit literally is God breathed,

(23:08):
igniting my life, filling me.
The Bible also says within itspages that it is the washing of
the word.
So even when I don't feel right, I can read the word of God and
it's washing me clean.
And this is what they weredevoted to the apostles'
teaching.
And then it says they weredevoted to the apostles'

(23:31):
teaching.
And then it says they weredevoted not only to the teaching
and the fellowship, but thebreaking of bread.
There it is.
Thank God for a church that'sdevoted to eating and drinking.
Come on, it's gonna be birthdaySunday next Sunday and what's
gonna be in the lobby?
Something good to eat, eatingand drinking.

(24:02):
Come on, some good coffee inthe house, iced coffee like no
other.
Every church wishes they hadcoffee like free church.
They were devoted to theapostles teaching, to fellowship
I'm never going to get throughthis and the breaking of bread.
And look, and they were devotedto prayer.

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Devoted to prayer.
I'm so thankful for a churchthat loves to pray.
Listen, before you walked intothis space today, our prayer
team gathered and they werepraying over this service.
They anointed every seat thatyou're sitting in.
They prayed over your life.
You didn't even know it.
You don't even lift up, youdidn't have to ask God to do

(24:43):
anything.
They were praying for you onyour behalf already that the
Holy Spirit knows exactly whatyou need before you got here and
is meeting your need right now.
In fact, we start prayer back onfirst Saturday Prayer coming up
this Saturday, first Saturdayof September, nine o'clock.
Listen, I encourage you to come.
I have a vision that someday,saturday prayer will outpace

(25:06):
Sunday morning worship.
Sunday Saturday prayer willoutpace Sunday morning worship
Because we're devoted to theapostles teaching, we're devoted
to the fellowship, we'redevoted to the breaking of bread
and we're devoted to prayer.
If we're ever anything as achurch, it's because we're a

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praying church and prayer can besimple, as simple as asking God
, seeking God, talking to God.
Prayer can be complex andinterceding for other people,
but let it just be prayer first.
Let it be our first responseand not our last resort.
So that's what they are devotedto.

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Everyone was filled with awe,filled with awe.
I don't ever want us to losethe awe and the wonder of what
is happening in this place, ofwhat God has done in our lives.
Like, I don't know about you,but if I could just take a

(26:14):
minute just to thank God forwhat he's done for me this
morning, chris Pender, whostarted the service, taught in
our team rally and he shared histestimony.
And Chris, I want to tell youdon't ever be ashamed of sharing
that testimony.
You share it as often and asmany times as you can.

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And when people seem to getlike, oh, we've heard this,
remind them again Because,listen, I don't want to ever
lose the awe of the miracleworking power of my God.
And for those of you that don'tknow, chris and Jayla, a few
years ago, back in 2021, theycalled us on a Saturday morning,

(26:55):
raya.
Their daughter was about toturn one and she had lost all
movement and feeling in her leftside, could not stand, could
not move, could not raise herhand, her whole face, everything
was on her left side, wasparalyzed.
And they called us and saidwe're headed to the emergency
room.
Urshana and I and PastorMatthew, we met them at the

(27:17):
emergency room.
I literally Now recognize thisis 2020.
When, like you, have to have a2021.
We're still not really out ofwearing masks.
They don't want people in thehospital.
And I remember looking at Chrisand saying I got to get back
there and pray with them.
And so Chris came out and wastalking to Shana and I went in
with Jayla and the nurses areworking on rye and there's codes

(27:37):
they're calling off and I hadthe anointing oil.
I want you to know it was notme, but I walked in there with
the confidence to pray over herand to anoint that bed with oil
that every nurse and everydoctor would have the wisdom and
the understanding to treat Rayain a way that she would be

(28:00):
healed.
We prayed for them at church.
I met them that morning.
That was Saturday evening.
I met them Sunday morning atthe hospital again.
They would not let me go thistime back into the room, but I
prayed with him.
I said, chris, the whole churchis praying.
We took a moment in service andprayed.
They later transferred her downto the children's hospital.

(28:22):
When she got there, one of ourfamily members of the church her
sister is a doctor down thererushed them, said oh, I know you
guys from Free Church, come on,come this way Right back into
the emergency room.
Got them set Listen.
All that to say the word of thedoctor originally was not good,
the report was not great.

(28:42):
But somebody inside of thischurch Chris and Jayla standing
with a body of people sayinglisten.
The report may not be great,but we'll believe the report of
the Lord.
And the report of the Lord saysshe's healed.
The report of the Lord saysshe's filled and that she's
freed.
And listen, it was just a fewweeks later.

(29:02):
Raya came home from thehospital and now and now, at
just a little over three yearsold, she's running.
She's downstairs, runningthrough those classrooms.
To God be the glory.

(29:23):
May I never lose the awe of mywonder-working God that he is
able to do exceeding andabundantly more than we could
ever ask or imagine.
The wonder-working power of ourGod.
They were in awe at the manywonders and signs performed by

(29:44):
the apostles.
And let me just tell you, ifGod's not moved in your life in
a way that powerful yet youdon't always want to sometimes
we're like, oh God, move in amiracle way, but sometimes the
miracle mentality means I'mgoing to have to go through
something terrible.
So I love the wonder workingpower of my God.
I would rather be safe andprotected, but if something

(30:09):
happens that seemed impossible,the God I serve says all things
are possible.
Ora, you better turn that clockoff right now.
I am not watching that thing.

(30:40):
And then it says all thebelievers were together and had
everything in common.
They sold property andpossessions to give to anyone
who had need Every day.
Well, let me just stop.
They sold property andpossessions to give to everybody
in need what they had.

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Developed such relationshipwith one another that if there
was a need, they were like, hey,let's meet that need, let's
meet that need if there was aneed.

(31:25):
A few weeks ago one of our dreamteam members came up to me and
said hey, pc, I've heard thatone of our team members, one of
our family members, has a need.
Team members, one of our familymembers has a need.
Her car has been broke down andis not running any longer.

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The other car in the familythere was an accident and it
totaled the car.
She just has a need.
And they were like, because ofthe relationship, we just feel
like the Lord's impressed us togive towards that need.
And I was like, well, let'sfind a way to help meet that

(32:08):
need.
And so they wrote a check to thechurch and said will you help
us give this to this person?
And so, terry, I want you to,ethan, show Terry how to get

(32:36):
around the back real quick.
Serves, serves, serves thishouse.
I love Terry because everySunday she's like Pastor.
That was a great message.
It really moved me.
Today I'm like we all need aTerry in our life, to build us
up like I can leave this placethinking, man, that is a

(32:58):
terrible message I preachedtoday.
Terry's just so encouraging.
But listen, this is, um, this isjust a start.
This is $3,000 to start tostart a car for Terry Hunt.
Do you want me to tithe off ofthis?

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Well, I mean, that is sweet ofyou to say do you want to tithe
off of it?
How about this?
We'll tithe for you and you putthat towards a car.
Why do you accept this?
Well, you accept it because welove you and you're a part of
this family and if you want tohelp Terry, you can give her.

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She's good ground, her life isgood ground.
If you want to help her, youcan give her directly to her,
give it to me, give it to thechurch, not to me, but give it
through the church and we'llextend that $3,000.
I think we can do that today.
You can give towards that, justas a way to help you.
Just take, move forward, moveforward.

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We love you, ethan, come meether on the side.
Just Just, the New Testamentchurch in action.
They saw a need and they metthe needs and then it says every

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day they continue to meettogether in temple courts.
There it is again.
They broke bread in their homes.
Man, I hope some of you willleave this place after signing
up for a small group and gathera group of people and just go
take over a restaurant.
Last week we got a picturewhich, by the way, last week's
student takeover how incredibleit's reasons why we say there is

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no place like this place nearthis place, because literally to
watch our students, the nowgeneration, lead from the
youngest, little allegra,leading in worship, just hands
raised, singing, she's got themost beautiful voice to our
students and them preaching theword of God and the energy in

(35:16):
the room.
Pastor Matthew, thank you forwhat you're doing for our
students, thank you for howyou're leading them, literally,
our students and our youngadults.
They are a representation ofthis passage of scripture.
So they broke bread and anyways, I said I'll say that they sent

(35:37):
us a picture of them takingover the restaurant, uh, echo,
here in Oak Park having tacosand just like took over the
whole place.
Come on church, gather a groupof people and go eat together
today, like it is, it is part ofwhat makes us the church is
when we break bread together.
Anyways.

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They broke bread in their homesand they ate together with glad
and sincere hearts, praisingGod and enjoying the favor of
all the people, and the Lordadded to their number daily,
those who are being saved.
My question for you is and I'llnever get through this message
I'm done Because they're playingme out Like what am I going to
preach?
Preach another hour with youguys, tell me I'm done with my

(36:25):
message without telling me I'mdone with my message.
Listen, is that the kind ofcommunity you're experiencing?
And if it's not, it can be.

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Attending on a Sunday serviceshould not be the full
experience of your church lifeexperience.
I mean, it's great, who's gotit better than us?
I mean, this amazing band,great's got it better than us?
I mean, it's amazing band,great worship, sounds good,
beautiful building in the heartof Oak Park, most desired

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neighborhood in Chicago.
Like, oh, who's got it betterthan us?
But it doesn't just have to bethis.
So if your community thatyou're experiencing is not what
we've just demonstrated today,what do you do?
I'll tell you what you do.
You get in a small group andyou get to know people around

(37:27):
you that want to know you andknow you, and and get around
people that will help you growin your relationship with the
Lord, because great preaching isgoing to inspire you, I hope.
I hope this message inspiresyou, but great relationship is

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what grows you, and I just thinksmall groups saved my life.
I might have been an18-year-old loud mouth, always
in trouble, but you know what?
The small group saved my lifeand there's a small group for
you that will save your life.
Last year, first gathering of mysmall group last fall, I've

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shared this testimony before.
Christian is back there,sitting back there.
By the way, you're gonna startsitting up front with me,
christian.
I just decided I don't like youback there.
It's gonna be right here.
Christian comes into our smallgroup and as we close the first
Monday night football group, athalftime we're gonna do prayer

(38:36):
and I say a few words about themessage or about the church and
I was like I open up for prayerrequests and typically the first
time the guys are like I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, like the
women's small group.
They're all crying and likethey fix the entire world in the
first 45 minutes of their smallgroup fix the entire world in

(38:59):
the first 45 minutes of theirsmall group.
And the guys were just having acheeseburger, like I barely
finished my fries.
And Christian's like listen, Ididn't even want to come today
because, honestly, I've beenhaving I've shared this
testimony before and he's likeI've been having thoughts of
self-harm Do I really, is mylife really worth it?

(39:28):
Do I really matter?
And in that restaurant, thatlittle pub, out on the patio
watching Monday night football,a group of guys got up out of
their seat and stood next to andaround encircled Christian, and
we put holy hands on him and weprayed for him in the middle of
the entire deal and just prayedover his life.
And I watched the men of God inthat group, some men just

(39:50):
beginning their relationshipwith God, some strong and sure
in their foundation of faith,begin to speak to Christian and
encourage him.
And through the week, throughthat Slack channel, I watched as
they would text him and say,man, you're going to be all
right, you're going to make it.
And Christian would say I'mpraying about this for my life
and my career.
And they would say you got this, you got this.
And, man, two or three weeksago Christian got engaged to be

(40:13):
married because God is goodLiterally went from a space of
does my life matter to lovingJesus, serving in the church,

(40:37):
filling the house with praiseand taking the girl of his
dreams with him for the rest ofhis life.
God is so good.
I could keep going, but I needto stop.
Our small group leaders aregonna get up right now and I
want you guys to go down thefront stairs right here, so you

(40:57):
have to walk like towards thefront if you're sitting further
back.
But our small group leaders aregoing to go down and take their
spot in the lobby and our Reneehelp team, the help desk, is
going to go down there and getthem a chance to get set up and
be ready.
Give them a chance to get setup and be ready.

(41:20):
Listen, it's very clear inscripture two things.
I'm closing right here.
I didn't even get to love likeJesus.
Let me just tell you it's inyour notes you gotta love
unconditionally, you gotta lovesacrificially and you gotta love
transformationally.
You read those scriptures.
Read those scriptures.
Maybe I'll come back and preacha message about it later and

(41:43):
pick this back up, but theBible's very clear.
We go to God for salvation andwe go to one another for healing
.
The Bible says confess yourfaults to one another and you'll
be healed.
If you've never begun arelationship with Jesus, I hope
today's service has showed youthere is a God who loves you so

(42:05):
much he sent his son to die on across for you that if you'll
just believe that and, like Paulsaid in Romans 10, nine,
confess it with your mouth,you'll'll be saved.
We go to God for salvation, butthen I want to.
So there's two parts of thisclose number one if you've never
made that decision, would youjust raise your hand and say, pc

(42:25):
, I want to make that decisionright now, all over this room.
I'm not even going to haveanybody close their eyes or look
away, because this is nothingto be ashamed of, but I'm going
to make a decision to followJesus today.
Let me see your hands all overthis room.
Let me see I see hands backthere.
I see hands.
I see hands.
I see hands.
Come on, all right, good.
We go to God for salvation.

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We're going to pray a prayer ina minute over that.
But the next thing is we go toone another for healing and one
another going to one another isthe context of a small group,
and I'm going to tell you whatit is a commitment.
It's about eight weeks ofcommitment.
It will change your life andyou could be the next Christian,

(43:07):
going from a place of feelingalone to having your whole
family surrounding you on themost exciting day of your life.
And your family, your smallgroup family.
They're going to love you, carefor you.
They might buy you a car, Idon't know, but you never know.