[0:55]Hey friends, welcome to the Snowpocalypse. I'm Pastor Tim and I'm guessing you may be sitting on your couch at home right now, maybe you're curled up under some blankets because of the snow outside or there's snow on the way. Hey, whether you're watching on YouTube or church online, thank you. Thanks for having me in your home today. I've got a special message just for you from Joshua chapter 3 that I think's going to encourage you. especially if you feel a little stuck in your faith. Like maybe you love Jesus. Yes, you're saved, but if you're honest, maybe you feel stuck in some areas. Today is about discovering that there's a a brand new life available to you, a life of power and victory through walking with the Holy Spirit. Understand, this ain't you trying harder, but it's trusting deeper. This is not self-effort, but the resurrection life of Jesus flowing through you. Now, let me give you a quick heads up for all our family watching online, at the end of this message, we're going to share communion together, okay? So, if you're at home right now, you may want to just hit pause for a moment and go grab some grape juice from the kitchen or whatever you've got. Some simple crackers or bread will do, and that way when we come to the Lord's table in a few minutes, you're ready to participate with us. I think it's going to be a powerful experience. All right, let's jump in. If you have your Bible, you can turn to Joshua chapter 3, and when we're in church, we like to stand for the reading of God's Word. So, even if you're sitting in your living room, would you just stand with me? Go ahead, if you're able, stand with me, Joshua chapter 3, let's read God's Word and then we'll dig in. Early in the morning, Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before... Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." Skip down to verse 15. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the Covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. We've heard the Word of the Lord. Would you pray with me? Lord, we come to you now with open hearts and open hands, and Lord, I just thank you that your Word, Lord, it's living and it's active. So Holy Spirit, as we open your scriptures, would you just open our hearts right now? Speak, Lord, your people are listening. Where we feel stuck, would you bring freedom? Where we feel tired, Lord, just bring us rest, I pray. And where we're striving, Lord, just teach us how to fully surrender. Lord, would you make this ancient story, make it present and powerful today? Help us not just hear about crossing Jordan, but to see Jesus has gone ahead of us. And He's inviting us to step forward into a life of victory and freedom in His name. I pray that in the name of Christ and everybody said, amen and amen. Please be seated. Go ahead, make yourself comfy on your couch, your futon, your beanbag in the kitchen, wherever you are at home. So Joshua 3, um, we've all kind of heard about the crossing of the Jordan. It's often taught about like a miracle story. The people of God are trying to enter the Promised Land. And all that stands between them and God's promise is this raging river, the Jordan River. Now you know the rest. Israel's priests carry this ark to the water's edge, and as they take their first step, God does something supernatural. The waters part. It's a miracle. And all of Israel. This is about two and a half million people at this point. They cross over on dry ground into the Promised Land. And here's the facts. All of this is historically accurate. It literally happened in Israel's history, but if we stop there, you and I miss something much deeper. See, the crossing of the Jordan is not only historical, it is typological. Typology is when God uses real events in the Old Testament to point forward to a deeper spiritual reality fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In other words, it's like a a preview or a foreshadowing, a coming attraction of something greater that's going to be fulfilled in Jesus. Typology means God tells the Gospel in advance through real stories before Jesus even shows up. So by crossing Jordan, God's showing us something. He's showing us that what He did for Israel physically, He now does for you and for me spiritually through Christ. See, this crossing isn't just about getting Israel into a new land. It's about getting Israel into a new life, a new kind of living. Which I think is similar to a lot of Christians today. What I have noticed is that many believers have crossed the Red Sea. Yes, they're saved. Yes, they're forgiven. Yes, they're redeemed by God. But far too many Christians today remain stuck, just kind of wandering in the wilderness, struggling with nasty habits, recurring sins. Feeling anxiety despite praying, trying harder but failing over and over, it's like religious peloton. Yes, they're forgiven, but they're not going anywhere. They're not free. Yes, they're saved, but they're still struggling day after day, week after week. Caught in those cycles of defeat and guilt and shame, followed by, I remember I spent a lot of my early twenties, my Christian life, repeated promises, God, I'm going to do better, I'm going to try harder. What I'm describing is what I call the self-life. The self-life is a life where Christ is your savior, but He's not your source. That is Jesus forgives your sin, but now you try to manage it. Joshua 3 shows us the moment God calls us people to cross over from the self-life to the Christ life, a spirit-filled life. See, right now, whether you know it or not, there is this war being waged within you, right? Who's going to be the ruler of your life? Is it God or is it me? And for most of my life, me would always win. This this tug of war battle is all about who sits on the throne of your life. Is it my flesh, myself, who wants to rule? That's our default sin nature. But the way if you're going to really possess more freedom, more of God's power, watch, is you have to crucify your flesh. That's why Paul says I've been crucified with Christ, and I don't live anymore. Christ lives in me and through me. So, understand, the Christ life, it's like coming into daily union with Jesus, where His life actually replaces yours. And it's the stories of obedience, increasing holiness and spiritual power. It is literally crossing over from a life of striving to a life of surrender. I don't know what you've heard Christianity is about. A lot of people saying different things online. Let me tell you what real Christianity is. Authentic faith is not about trying harder. It's about trusting deeper. And inviting Jesus to live His life through you. That's the Promised Land for Christians. It is the life that God has promised to every man and woman who trust Jesus as your savior and living Lord. See, crossing Jordan, I guess is what I'm saying is, it's it ain't just Israel's story. It's your story. It's my story. I mean, from the opening pages of the Bible, God has been telling one long story of salvation. Again, the Bible calls it typology. It means there are real places and people in the Old Testament designed to point forward to deeper spiritual realities fulfilled in Christ that you can experience today. Think of it this way. Remember how Israel was enslaved in Egypt, yeah? Represents our slavery to sin. Before Christ, it's a picture of your life. Every human born into bondage. We can't free ourselves. There's no way out. God's going to intervene, which happens at the Passover. On the night of the Passover, God tells his people to kill a lamb and place its blood over the doorpost of their homes. And that night, judgment passes over every home covered by the blood. What is that? It's a type that foreshadows our salvation through Jesus Christ. The lamb of God whose blood was shed to cover our sins, Amen? Spared us judgment. What happens next? Israel is delivered from Egypt, and Moses leads them through the Red Sea, which is a type of baptism. God miraculously parts the waters, allowing his people to walk through on dry ground. And it marks the moment Israel's saved, they're delivered from Egypt, the power of sin is broken, just like believers are saved through faith and grace. You believe, then you're baptized in the family of God. But here's the question. Does Israel go, they're saved. Do they go straight into the Promised Land? No! They're saved, but they get stuck, bro. Stuck in the wilderness for 40 years. Instead of walking by faith, they live in fear. See, they were free, but not transformed. They still struggled with complaining and grumbling and fear and unbelief. So they're saved, but they're stalled for 40 years doing donuts in the desert, which teaches you something, doesn't it? God can take you out of Egypt in a moment, but takes a lot longer to get the Egypt out of you. See, it's the difference between salvation and sanctification. Fancy words, right? Fancy, fancy words. I'll just break it down. Salvation happens in an instant, the moment you trust Christ. You are saved, you move from death to life. But sanctification, living a holy life, a life of spiritual power where you look more and more like Jesus. Oh, that takes a lifetime. I still got miles to go, don't you? But I tell you something, I want to cross the Jordan. Crossing Jordan represents death to the self-life. The self-life is junior varsity Christianity. Powered by human effort, instead of the resurrection power of Jesus. And crossing Jordan is this moment where Christians finally, we stop trying harder and we start trusting deeper, taking God at His Word. We stop wandering around in fear and weakness and walking in faith and victory. See, the Jordan, it turns out, is a type of second baptism. It is literally a baptism into a life lived through and by the power of the Holy Spirit. I think for some of you, you crossed the Red Sea years ago, but maybe you've been doing donuts in the desert ever since. Just kind of wandering in the wilderness, a life of constant defeat and struggle. Lean in, make sure you hear me. I believe today, God's not asking you to try harder. He's inviting you to cross over. Cross over to the Promised Land. Understand, that is not heaven. It is life on the other side of total surrender to God. It's a life where you fully surrender Jesus every day and allows resurrection power to flow through you and actually experience His victory. Not a perfect life, a lot of battles, but an empowered life. Understand the difference? Where are you living? Wilderness is where saved people wander. The Promised Land is where surrendered people walk. They walk in faith and power. And that's the secret to living a victorious Christian life. Lean in, you don't cross the Jordan by being brave. You cross it by dying to the self-life, being buried with Christ, which is scary. But you understand, you're looking more and more like Jesus. On the other side of death is the Christ life. It's not me trying to live for Jesus. It's Jesus Christ living His life through mine. As Paul says, I've been crucified with Christ. I'm dead, bro. I don't live any longer, but Christ lives in me and through me. Guys, I don't know what you've heard. The turns out the goal of Christianity isn't a better version of you. It's the death of you and Jesus living His life through you. Amen? Who doesn't want that? You don't need a better life, you need a new life, bro. So, how do you get there? Well, look at this. Joshua 3 shows us step by step, how frustrated Christians can cross over to a deeper life in Christ. Look with me. Look what verse one says. It said, early in the morning, Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. Now, has anybody ever been to the Jordan River in Israel? I have multiple times. In fact, I think I baptized some of you in it. The Jordan River, I'll show you a map. It runs north to south in Israel. You can see here Capernaum, Jesus hometown, in the north. There's the Sea of Galilee. The Jordan River runs all the way down to the Dead Sea here in the South. That's where Jericho is. So this is where they're crossing, from the wilderness over to the Promised Land, and they got Jericho in their sights. The Dead Sea, by the way, this is the lowest place on the planet. And what's funny when people get to Israel, they're always like, that's the Jordan? Because you're expecting this like majestic river like the Mighty Mississippi. No, no, bro. It's actually not impressive. It's very narrow, it's winding and unimpressive.
[15:38]It's fed by run-off and sediment. It's a lot different from how it looked in Joshua's day. Verse 1 tells us that Israel camped next to the Jordan for how many days? Three days before crossing. That detail matters. Notice God didn't rush them straight into the miracle. He made them sit with a painful obstacle. For three days, they woke up looking at that river, going to bed staring at the same problem. Here's the principle. I believe there comes a point in the life of every Christian, when God will allow a painful obstacle you can't get around. It it could be just a disappointment. Maybe you are single and and you hope to be married by this point. And now you're losing hope. Or maybe you you endured an injury or an illness and there's not a clear treatment. It could be you you're struggling with anxiety and chronic worry. Or maybe there's just an addiction you have. Nobody else sees it. And you've tried, but you can't seem to overcome it. Sometimes, God will allow an obstacle to block our path, not to frustrate us. It's to prepare us for something greater. Sometimes, God lets the tension build for three days, three weeks, three years, 13 years, until we stop. Stop looking for quick fixes. And start looking to Him. Notice verse 15 adds a important detail. Now the Jordan is at what? Flood stage all during harvest. In other words, this was not the best time to cross the Jordan. In fact, it was the worst. At its lowest point, the Jordan would have been very difficult for two and a half million people to cross. At flood stage? Impossible, humanly speaking. To this day, the Jordan still floods. Can I show you a real-life video? Check it out. That's the real life Jordan River in Israel, during a flash flood in spring. You can see how quickly it just kind of overflows the banks, becomes these fast-moving rapids, strong currents, carries debris. What's the point? God deliberately brought his people to the river when it was at its worst. There were no boats, there's no bridges, there's no wakeboards, there's no plan B. What's weirder is He didn't lower the water for three days. He could have, but He didn't snap His fingers and calm the water before saying, now move. Why? Because God will often wait until your self-effort is fully exhausted. He ain't going to remove the obstacle until it's done its job, which is teaching us, we can't cross in our own strength. So, I don't know what obstacle you are facing today or in this season, but as long as you think that, you know, we can manage it or can control it or I can fix it or try, you won't truly depend on God. It's just human nature, take it from someone who's very stubborn and driven. See, typologically, the Jordan represents the death of the self-life. This is the place where human strength and willpower finally fails. It's where striving ends, watch, and surrender begins. To put it more simply, Jordan is where God ends what you can do, so He can start what only He can do. So, here's the question: If we can't cross the Jordan in our own strength, well, how do we cross at all? Like if our self-effort is exhausted, where's the power come from, Tim? Go ahead, look at your Bible. Look at verses 2 and 4. Notice how God shifts their focus from the problem in front of them to the presence leading them. It says, after three days, the officers go through the camp giving orders to the people, when you see the what's it say here, church, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out now from your positions, follow it, follow the leader. Then you'll know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. Notice God doesn't say, watch the water, He says, eyes on the ark. Don't look at your problem. Fix your eyes on my presence. Because the secret to crossing Jordan isn't about drinking a Red Bull or a Celsius and mustering up more muscle and courage. It's about playing follow the leader. It's about letting Christ go first. Where do you get that, Tim? What's the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant was the most sacred object in Israel's history. If you've ever seen Indiana Jones, you probably have a mental picture of what the Ark looked like. It was this gold-covered chest, like the God box, that God told Moses to build during Israel's journey in the wilderness. They kept it in the Tabernacle, later in the Temple. So it was the visible symbol of God's manifest presence among His people. And whenever the Ark moved, people knew God's on the move. When the Ark stopped, they stopped. Understand something here. Israel as a nation didn't follow ideas, strategies, leaders, or presidents. They followed the presence of the living God. Because inside that ark were three sacred items, and each had deep meaning. You had the stone tablets of the law, the 10 Commandments, which represented God's standard. This is His holiness, His commands. The second was a jar of manna, the miracle bread that God provided in the wilderness. It symbolized God's provision. I'm going to give you daily sustenance, not self-sufficiency, I'm going to feed you. And the third was Aaron's rod that butted, representing God's authority. It was a reminder that spiritual leadership and power come from God alone, not human effort. And together, that Ark reminded Israel, God sets the standard, God supplies their needs, and God holds all the power, all the authority. Now, here's where it gets powerful. This Ark of the Covenant doesn't just point backward. It points forward to Jesus Christ. I want you to think about this. Everything the Ark represented was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus perfectly fulfilled God's law. Christ is the true bread from Heaven. He carries all authority in Heaven and on Earth. And just like the Ark went ahead of Israel into the Jordan, Jesus, our greater Joshua has gone ahead of you. Jesus does not stand on the river bank, shouting instructions. Come, He steps into the water first. That's the good news of the Gospel, my friends. You don't cross the Jordan in your own power. You only dare step foot because Christ has gone ahead of you. Christians are called Christ followers. By definition, means you don't blaze your own trail. We actually only step in life where Christ has already gone ahead of us. Because where God's presence leads, His power follows. Can you say that with me? Where God's presence lead, His power follows, Amen? Now, this is where the story gets uncomfortable in the best possible way. Look at verse 15. It says, yet as soon as the priests who carried the Ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. Did you catch this? When does the water part? It's not after they pray. It did not part after they planned and got an Excel sheet and ran through ChatGPT. It did not part when they believed really, really hard. The miracle didn't happen until their foot touched the water. Which is very different from the Red Sea crossing, isn't it? I mean, back in Exodus, what happens? Moses raises his staff, the waters part, the people go through on dry ground. But here in the Jordan, God flips the script. This time, He says, Joshua, you go first. You take the first step. I want you to get your feet wet before I show you the miracle. Here's the insight. And I think this is where the book of Joshua cooks. Faith is taking the first step before God reveals the second. In other words, faith obeys before it fully understands. Because true faith says, Jesus, you're alive. You're living in me and I know you have gone ahead of me. And so I can trust you enough to take one step forward, even when the water is still moving. You see, who has to step first? By the way, notice, it's not the people, it's not the congregation. It's not the army. It's not the military men. It's the Levitical priests carrying the ark. The ones closest to God's presence, they're the ones who have to actually feel the the cold, frigid water on their ankles. Leaders, listen up. Sometimes the people with the greatest responsibility to lead others are the ones who have to take that daring first step forward. I remember when Colleen and I first stepped out to actually start this church. Some of you know, I was a high school English teacher at the time. I did that for eight years, and I felt God calling me to actually leave my career for full-time ministry. But I wasn't trained as a pastor, man. I was an English major. And but Colleen and I, we felt like God was calling us to step out and start this ministry to reach the exotic next generation known as Gen X. We're all my Gen X at. You're like falling asleep right now. You can't even stay awake. That was a that was a leap of faith. Can I just tell you? Because I was a tenured teacher at the time in the state of New Jersey. And my family said, Tim, are you sure that's a good idea? Like I'm glad you heard from God, from you heard you heard God, but um, can I just remind you, you have benefits. You have a pension, man, you're tenured. You're going to leave that behind for what? To step out in faith and start a a church? Guys, that was twenty-five years ago. At the time, I wasn't a hundred percent certain. And I looked back, I think I was maybe 60%, 70% sure the Lord was leading me, but Colleen and I had faith. We just had this feeling that if Jesus went before us, we could take that next step, the first one, and trust Him with the second. And so I actually left teaching and I became a pastor. And you know what I found on the other side? Jesus was already there waiting. He's like, what took you so long? And then we took another step and launched Liquid as a church, and Jesus was there waiting, and over and over, and here we are twenty-five years later. I'm in your living room, we're talking together, opening God's word. Look what the Lord's done. Here's the application. I hear a lot of Christians pray, these half-baked prayers, I was going to say something else, they're half-baked prayers. And the prayer goes like this, God, if you'll just remove the obstacle, then I'll obey you. Half-baked. Or, God, if you'll show me the whole plan, I'll step out in faith. Bro, ain't how faith works. God says, no, no, no. I want you to take the first step. I want you to trust me. I want you to follow my presence because obedience comes before clarity. Feet in the water means you put your faith, watch, before your feelings. That's going to be hard for some of you. Some of you are very emotionally in touch. But it means you may have to step forward, even when you got fear ringing in your ears. It means trusting that if Christ went ahead of you, the pathway will appear even if you can't see it yet. And Joshua, the moment their toes touch the water, God did what God does. The river stopped, the path opened, and what looked impossible seconds earlier became passable. And two and a half million people crossed over into their divine destiny. Here's the takeaway. God's miracle is on the other side of your obedience. God's miracle is on the other side of your obedience. See, the Christ life begins where self-protection ends. And for some of you, I think your next breakthrough is not waiting for God to move. I think God's waiting for you to move and take a step of faith. Actually, take your hands off the wheel and surrender control. Like surrender the striving, surrender the self-life. The self-life manages sin. The Christ life kills it at its source. The self-life, it's exhausting. Hello, anybody? The Christ life is empowering. It's not, don't fall for self-help Christianity that you watch on Instagram. It's just moralism dressed up in a tuxedo. Try harder. Do more. Give more. White knuckle holiness. Fake it till you make it. You go to church, you better put a mask on. It's not the Gospel of Grace. It's religious peloton. You pedal harder and harder. You don't go anywhere. What's Jesus say? He says, hey, come to me. All you are weary and worn out, and abide in me, abide in me. Vine and branch. My yoke is easy. My burden's light. My power is made perfect in your weakness. Do you see it? One is self-powered. It's all about you. The other is spirit-filled. It's all about Jesus. Some of you, I'm guessing know exactly what this feels like, right? We've all done it. I spent most of my twenties repenting and making promises. In fact, my friends and I, before we'd go out on Friday, we wouldn't repent. We would prepent. Lord, forgive us for what we're about to do.
[29:35]You've tried willpower, right? Come on. We tried, you know, accountability. And nothing's changed. The Jordan's still there. And that's because victory doesn't come from trying harder. It comes from trusting deeper. It's being buried and raised to newness of life with Christ every day. It's like Paul says in Romans 6, I love Paul. He says, we were therefore what, church, buried with Christ through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may live a what? New life. Everyone say, new life. You don't need a better life. You need a brand new one, bro. You need the life of Jesus lived through you. I want you to think about this. Right now, you've got dynamite inside of you. The Bible says the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. Think about that. This is how you finally find freedom from defeat after defeat in the wilderness. And begin walking in the victory and joy into the Promised Land. The cross of Christ is how you cross over. Amen? Jesus, he's your new Joshua. He's a better Joshua. He's the perfect Joshua. He went ahead of you, and He's waiting for you and me on the other side, Christians. He's saying stop it. Stop settling for self-help Christianity. Religious peloton. Keep your eyes on me. Don't fix them on your problem. Fix your eyes on my presence and take that step of faith.
[31:27]And that's what I want to do right now with communion. I want to clear a moment for you to come into union with Christ, because He's alive, you know. The only way you experience an eternal kind of life here on Earth, is if your life is literally mingled, intertwined with Jesus' life. You actually have to reckon yourself dead to sin and say, I am alive in Christ. Say that with me, say, Christ is alive in me. Say, I am in Christ. Christ is in me, and together we're in the Father. That's communion. That's where the power is. It's coming into union with Jesus, the vine giving life to the branch. And here in Joshua, we have a beautiful picture of this. Yeah, I don't know if you saw this, but before the waters part, before the miracle happens, Joshua gives one key command. And it's not about strategy. It's not about strength. It's about surrender. Verse 5 says this. Joshua told the people, what's it say? Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow. Woo! The Lord will do amazing things among you. What's the key to crossing Jordan? Keyword is consecrate. Can you say that? Consecrate. It means to be set apart for God's special purposes. It's to be made holy so that He can use you and work in you and live in you. And it's interesting to me that Joshua commands consecration before the miracle happens. It's not after. It's the day before. Consecrate yourselves today for tomorrow, Woo! The Lord is going to do amazing things. Among you. We're going to consecrate ourselves today, and I want you to watch God work tomorrow. And that's why I want to take communion right now together. So let's just prepare our hearts.
[33:23]In the quiet of your space, you don't have to be aware of other people watching. Just close your eyes and understand. This isn't some ancient ritual.
[33:49]It's active identification with the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord. That bread in your hand represents His body. It was broken so the power of sin would be broken, and your self-life would end.
[34:13]That cup represents His blood. It's poured out so that His life can now flow through you. So as we prepare our hearts, let this be a moment of consecration. God does not need your promises to try harder, to do better, but to trust deeper.
[34:36]So let's do that now. For those of you watching at home, I'm going to invite you to join me on your knees. If you're able, I'm going to invite you to actually just to kneel down wherever you are, maybe you're in your living room or kitchen, or the gym. And this is just a, I don't know, it's just a humble posture of worship. If you have your grape juice in one hand and cracker in the other, this is just a sacred moment for you to talk to the Lord. Just take a moment, close your eyes, be quiet. We don't need to rush this. Silence is our friend. And I believe the Holy Spirit is asking you one question. What do you need to leave behind in that river? Is it your anger? Critical spirit? Is it your pride? The rotten fruit of the self-life are all over us. Jealousy over the success of other people. What do you need to leave behind in that river today? Give it a name. Name it to God. Tell Him. Is it unforgiveness? Maybe you've been hurt by somebody. You have struggled for years to forgive them. And you want to move on, but you just can't seem to get past that hurt. This is where you get strength to forgive.
[36:16]On the cross, Jesus looked down on His enemies. And He prayed, Father, forgive them. So ask Him, say, Jesus, I don't have the strength to forgive. I need yours. Maybe there's a sinful habit you can't just seem to break. Don't be disgusted with yourself. Bring it right now to Christ. Take your eyes off your problem and fix them on Christ. Look in the eyes of Jesus. They are filled with power and love for you. When you were at your worst, Christ loved you. He gave Himself for you. Now receiving His body and His blood, you're coming into union. Say it with me, say, I am crucified with Christ. So I no longer live. But Christ lives in me. Let's partake together.
[37:28]Thank you, Lord. We're still praying. Jesus, we thank you. We die to ourselves, we come alive now to you. We consecrate ourselves. I'm going to invite you to just put your hands out, wherever you are. Just put your hands out, palms facing up, it's just a posture of surrender. I'm going to invite you to pray a prayer of consecration with me. All right? Again, this is a holy moment in your home. Your living room is your sanctuary right now. The spirit of Jesus is there. So just pray to Him, just say, Lord Jesus, I come to you now, not trusting in myself, but trusting fully in you. I surrender my self-life. My striving. My control. I confess, I can't change myself. I can't defeat sin on my own. I need your life in me. And so, Jesus, I identify with your death on the cross. I declare my old life is dead. I declare the power of sin is now broken. And by faith, I come into union with you. I am in you. Say, you are in me. And we are in the Father. Cleanse me by your blood. Rule over my whole life, and live your life through mine. I consecrate myself today, trusting you'll do amazing things tomorrow. I pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. And amen.
