Relate Community Church
Relate Community Church
Doing Right: The Heart Behind Biblical Goodness
Goodness transforms every environment it enters. Just as light immediately changes a dark room, true biblical goodness changes the culture, people, and atmosphere around it. In this final installment of our Fruitful Summer series, guest speaker Talon unpacks the profound meaning of "agathosune" – the Greek word for goodness found in Galatians 5:22.
The essence of biblical goodness can be distilled into a powerful formula: doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. This isn't about feelings or self-perception but active moral excellence that manifests through our actions. When we examine the obstacles to goodness, we discover two categories of sin that battle against it: sins of commission (actively doing wrong) and sins of omission (failing to do right when we should). These sins of omission often flourish in the comfortable, convenient spaces of our lives.
Talon shares a remarkable real-world example of goodness in action through his non-profit organization, Seventh Beacon, which combats child exploitation on the internet. Their work embodies the definition of biblical goodness – sacrificially doing what's right, with ethical methods, motivated purely by the desire to protect vulnerable children. The results are staggering: in just six months, they've helped remove over 52 terabytes of harmful material, impacting an estimated 15,600 children.
As we conclude this series on the fruits of the Spirit, we're called to examine where goodness is evident in our lives and relationships. Are we allowing God's work to produce this fruit not just within us but flowing through us to transform our homes, workplaces, and communities? Next week, we'll shift focus to prayer and worship as we enter a new season of stretching our faith to reach higher levels.
Does your life spread goodness that transforms? When was the last time your presence changed the atmosphere around you? Join us next Sunday as we begin our journey into deeper worship and prayer.
Thank you for listening to the Relate Community Church podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. If today’s message spoke to you, share it with a friend or leave us a review to help spread the word. To learn more about Relate Community Church, visit us at www.relatecommunity.com. You are always welcome here, and remember—you are loved
If you're watching online, it matters. It means the world to us that you chose to click in and worship with us today and hear the good news of the Word of God with us today. There's so many great options out there. We're just thankful that we get to do this today together. And if you're sitting in the room, can we just give it up for everybody watching online. Let them know how much we care For everybody watching online. Let them know how much we care. It means a lot to us, so thrilled that you're here.
Speaker 1:If you're a guest today and maybe you're that one that you're just kicking the tires trying to figure out what this is all about, that's fun for us too. We're happy that you're doing that. There will never be. Sometimes we talk about our no hassle guarantee. You're never gonna be pressured to either give or serve or sign your name to become a member. You can just hang out, figure out where God wants you to be, take your time and relax and hopefully, in the presence of God, you can just find some clarity, find a way to take a step toward him. So our goal is not ever to get you to join the church, but to get you to just get on board with what God has planned for your life, and so I will encourage you today, as we get ready to round out the end of this series on Fruitful Summer, we are coming into the last fruit that we're going to talk about of the nine fruit of the Spirit, and today I'm just going to challenge you a little bit to what we have all done from the beginning of this year. Our word is how many of you remember our word of the year Stretch. We're asking and believing God and allowing God to stretch us, stretch our faith, stretch our vision, stretch all the parts of us that get comfortable and too relaxed to just step out and really just take a step of faith in some different areas of your life to allow God to produce fruit in us. Fruit cannot be something that we just learn to do. It doesn't. It's something that is a, it's a byproduct of who we are and the Holy Spirit living in us, transforming us, starting right here in our mind. He, he, transforms us and the fruit of the spirit comes out, and so that's what we're looking for. We're looking for a harvest of the fruit, not just um.
Speaker 1:I think it was probably week three or four that we talked about this idea that the fruit that comes in my life is not just a thing that comes from me, it doesn't just. God produces it in me and it comes out of me. So all of a sudden I become loving, and then I become joyful and I have peace and I get more patient and I get more kind. All the fruits of the Spirit become prolific in my life. The fruit is evident around me. That, because I'm planting seeds, the Holy Spirit is pouring out of me. That means that my household should be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, good. That means that all of these fruit should be in the relationships that I'm having. Like everywhere I go I'm planting seeds, the Holy Spirit is. We're having an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That means today we're going to talk about goodness. That means that goodness should be evident everywhere I go. So we're looking for a great outpouring of the fruit of the Spirit in all the parts of our life, and so I love that we're going on this journey together.
Speaker 1:I don't want to take up too much more time. Today is the last. For the last few weeks we have had almost a summer sabbatical for me, a time to rest, a time to plan and step into vision and figure out what the next few months and the next season, moving into the fall. So thank you guys for listening to the voices that we have brought. This is the last in this series and next week I'm excited to kick off and start into not just 21 days of prayer, but we're going into a season of prayer and everybody say worship. I believe that God has created us for worship. He's created us to be people of worship. We should walk in an atmosphere and an attitude of worship everywhere we go. So we're going to really grab a hold of that, unpack it and dive into it and look for that kind of fruit as we go into transitioning into the fall and believing God for really a great harvest. So come along next week and I'll kick off that series and we're going to. It will be a change of gears. Even though I've've loved the place and the gear that we've been in, I believe God's calling us to higher levels, so we're going to reach for higher things.
Speaker 1:So bring your Bibles, bring your notes, be prepared. If you, we are a note-taking church. So today, if you've got a pen and paper, phone, tablet, anything, get your notes out and I'm going to invite a very special friend who's in town. First, just let me give a foundation. Talon, you can come on up.
Speaker 1:But every year Angela and I go to Illinois.
Speaker 1:You guys have watched us and prayed for us as we participate in some of the conferences and ministry ordination services and things that happen in the Midwest.
Speaker 1:And Talon, you can come on up and go ahead and get in position, but Talon works with the team there in Illinois at New Life Solomon with Bishop Dave and he also runs an organization. I will let him tell you about that. But we have had a friendship developing over the last few years and just watching the work that you guys are doing and I found out that not only is this is crazy, we travel so far away to find out that we really have a connection right here at home and that his parents they were here in the first service but they live right here in the woodlands and he said I'm going to be actually not too far from you. I said you have to come to relate and share your story and and so into us, because we want to sow into you and I love that you guys get to hear what he's been doing what God has birthed out of him and his team and I want you guys, would you give it up one time for Talon and his wife. Thank you guys for being here.
Speaker 3:I'm sure you guys already know this, but Pastor Sean and Angie are incredible people. Every time that they come up and visit New Life and they're praying over men and women that are going in the ministry, their heart for the Lord and their heart for people is so evident and they are absolutely incredible, and so could we just give a round of applause for them, cause they're guys are awesome, awesome. Thank you so much for for having me. So, uh, so I'm from Sullivan, it's in the Midwest, in the middle of nowhere. So initially, my wife and I are from Texas, so whenever people ask you know, are you Cubs or Cardinals fans? We go Astros. So we got to go to a game Friday night. It was raining, it was a little bit crazy, maybe a little bit disappointing, but that's okay. We still love them. Anyways. We're here on vacation, visiting, and we have three kids, and they're not from Texas. Most of them were born up there, and you can tell they are not used to the heat. Last year last year we came to I'll never forget this my daughter came and we're we're buckling them up in the car we're about to go to the next thing and real tears coming down her eyes and she looks at me and goes daddy, why is it so hot? And we went sweetie, you wanted to come here. Okay, this is. And so but a little bit about me. I've been in ministry for about 20 years, served in a variety of different churches, some of them here in Houston, but also in New Life, as was said. We serve there, we're leaders there in the church, help out in a variety of capacities, but I'm also the founder of a non-profit called Seventh Beacon, and what we do is we combat child exploitation on the internet and specifically on the dark web, and so what we do is we specifically target child sexual abuse sites and safely access them, hand everything over to law enforcement so that way justice can be served.
Speaker 3:So I won't get into too much detail, thank you. I'll tell you a little bit more about that at the very end, but today what we're going to be talking about is what does the Bible teach about goodness? And it's really incredible as I begin to get into it. But let's go ahead and let's pray really quick and let's just dive into what the word of God says. So, father, we just come to you today in the name of Jesus. We thank you that the Holy Spirit teaches us all things, and so, father, lord, I pray that we would understand what your word says about goodness and that we would live it and live it well. And all God's people said amen.
Speaker 3:So, right now, the fruit of the Spirit. Just in case you don't know what is the fruit of the Spirit, it's found in Galatians 5 in your Bible, and so the title of today's message is called the Right Kind of Good. Go ahead and say that One, two, three, very good. And so we're going to go ahead and just dive into Galatians 5. That's going to help us set and understand what the Bible says, what the fruit of the Spirit is, and then we'll go ahead and get into things. So, if you have your Bibles, galatians 5.22. And this is from the Amplified, but the fruit of the Spirit, the result of his presence within us is love, unselfish concern for others, joy, inner peace, patience. Not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. So the Greek word that's used here in Galatians 5 is called you pronounce it Agathysune, and if you want to say that you can, it's a little bit of a tongue twister, but Agathysune.
Speaker 3:And as I began to look, what does the Bible teach about goodness and biblical goodness? It's found. This word, agathysune, is found four times within the New Testament and today we're going to cover three of those verses. But when I looked into the Old Testament the same Greek word I found something really interesting. It pops up multiple times, but specifically every single time Agatha Sune is mentioned. It's in the wisdom books, which is very, very interesting.
Speaker 3:And if you don't know the wisdom books, the foundation of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. It says the wisdom books. The foundation of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. It says you know, the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. It says in Proverbs and what is that? It's not that you're afraid of God. It's that we have a healthy respect and honor for him, that I don't tell God what I'm going to do, that I position my life to do whatever it is that he wants to do. I cater to him, not the other way around. And so that's the foundation.
Speaker 3:But I would like to propose this morning with about goodness, as I begin to think about this is that goodness? To understand it, you have to first value wisdom. It's the foundation. If I don't value goodness, if I'm not in the pursuit of biblical wisdom to live God, to live godly life on his term, his way, then goodness, as I learn more about biblical goodness, is not gonna make sense to me. It won't register. It'll be like well, well, why would you do with that? To understand goodness, you have to first value wisdom.
Speaker 3:So what is the definition of agathosune, this greek word? It's translated a deep, active moral excellence, uprightness of heart in life. So so goodness isn't just a feeling, it's not just something I think about myself. The Bible teaches us that God's work produces in us this lifestyle of moral excellence. And this thing about goodness is not defined in how I think about myself. It's actually defined in action. It's a verb, it's kinetic. I understand it because I see it being done, or I am doing it, or I'm experiencing God's goodness to me. And that makes it distinctly different Now to understand this lifestyle more clearly.
Speaker 3:That that we learn about Paul teaches us in Ephesians, and if you have your Bibles you can turn to Ephesians 5, 8 through 9. It teaches us more about this lifestyle and he uses Paul. This is one of those places. He uses this same Greek word goodness here, and it's in this context of describing us as children of light. So let's go ahead and turn to that now, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. So what is Paul doing here? He's showing that there is this conflict between light and darkness and that we're supposed to walk in the way of light.
Speaker 3:Now what's really interesting, as we begin to think about this verse? For the fruit of light consists in all goodness. What does that mean? Consists in all goodness. What does that mean? Consists in all goodness? Well, think about it. When you go into a room and you turn on the light, there's no competition for the darkness. Right Immediately, the room changes, it becomes visible. Goodness transforms the environment in which it's in, which means that it changes. When goodness shows up, it changes the culture, it changes the people, it impacts the heart, it impacts us, it impacts others. When goodness shows up in the room, it changes the environment.
Speaker 3:So the question is what is the right kind of good? Well, I'm glad you asked. Goodness is doing the right thing, the right way for the right reason. That's biblical goodness. So what about doing the right thing? Have you ever noticed that? And go ahead and raise your hand? Have you ever noticed that when doing the right thing, have you ever noticed that? And go ahead and raise your hand? Have you ever noticed that when doing the right thing often costs you? It's definitely not free, it costs you something.
Speaker 3:One of my favorite characters ever is from Lord of the Rings. Do you have any Lord of the Rings fans in here? Okay, I got a few. Okay, good, all right.
Speaker 3:So in the movies there's this character and I believe that he embodies what biblical goodness is, and his name is King Theoden, one of the most noble people ever.
Speaker 3:And although it's fictional, I believe it teaches us a very biblical truth.
Speaker 3:And King Theoden, if you don't know about him, it's okay, I'll explain. And King Theoden, if you don't know about him, it's okay, I'll explain. King Theoden, he's a king and he's manipulated and betrayed by those closest to him and his kingdom is under battle and under siege and he's fighting and fighting and, in fact, during this time where he's being manipulated and betrayed, his only heir to the throne and son is killed and he has to bury his son. And they're fighting and they're fighting and they have to evacuate their entire land to go to a fortress, and they fight and fight and barely escape with their lives. And then, finally peace, finally peace. It's been years of fighting, years of betrayal and manipulation, and at such a great cost, and they're finally celebrating. And then there's this moment within the movie where the beacons are lit and the city of the high king calls for aid. And in the movie there's this moment where the king sits there and he has a decision. And you can see it. There's this beautifully crafted moment in film where he has a decision.
Speaker 3:He's earned his peace, he's fought for his people, but does he take temporal peace that he deserves? But does he take temporal peace that he deserves or does he sacrifice and ride out to battle one last time to have peace that could last for generations, to help save the city of the high king? And I believe the actor, I think, does a fantastic job, because you look in his face in this moment of decision and I think he knows and captures it so well that if he rides out, he's not going to come back. And what does he do? He rides out anyways. If you haven't seen the movie, anyways, if you haven't seen the movie spoiler alert, I'm sorry but he does pass away and give his life. But because of his sacrifice, the city of the king is saved, the children for generations are saved and have peace. Because of his sacrifice, goodness is doing the right thing. His sacrifice, goodness is doing the right thing, even when it costs you.
Speaker 3:So what battles us doing the right thing? Well, we found out in Ephesians that there is this conflict between light and darkness, and Ecclesiastes even talks about this conflict and specifically about goodness. In ecclesiastes 9, 18 it says but one sinner destroys much goodness. The presence of sin battles goodness. And what are the enemies of goodness? Well, we know it's sin and darkness, but there's different. There's two different types of sin, are categories that you could put them in, and there's the sin of commission. And what is that? That's what most people think about sin. It's that I'm lying, I'm cheating, I'm murdering all those things. It's this active. I'm doing the wrong thing and I'm choosing to do the wrong thing. But on the other side of this, there is a different type of category called the sin of omission, and what that is is that when I should do the right thing, I sit it out. When my hand should extend out, I sit it out. It's closed. When I should open my mouth, but I close it In the sin of omission.
Speaker 3:I think that there are incubators, and there's two incubators that I believe that, if one is not careful, create the atmosphere and the environment for this passivity to thrive. That when I should be doing the right thing, I sit it out, and sometimes I don't even know it. And what are those incubators that create this environment for this sin to flourish? It's comfort and convenience. Whenever I find myself consistently and constantly in comfort and convenience. I will find, or tend to find it consistently and constantly. In comfort and convenience. I will find or tend to find it more and more difficult to reach out, to step up, to give, to love, to live out biblical goodness, if I find myself constantly in that state.
Speaker 3:Romans 12.2 says do not be conformed to this world, to those patterns being caught up in this environment, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God. God's work in you will renew your mind. It will show you where, how and perfect will of God. God's work in you will renew your mind. It will show you where, how and when to bring the goodness of God into the context in which you live. Goodness is doing the right thing, even when it costs you.
Speaker 3:My wife has a garden that we have back in Sullivan and we plant all sorts of different things in there and it's going really well. Not because I've really done anything, let's be honest, I haven't done anything, but my wife has been planting there and we finally had some zucchini plants and she was really excited. We tried last year. None of them wanted to work. Even all the other gardeners we knew they were just like zucchini just would not grow, and so we're really excited about the zucchini this year. So my wife had been picking some things and our kids will help us every now and again and our son there was a big zucchini and it was ripe, it was ready and he wanted to pick it. So we let him go out one morning and pick it and he comes back and he's really excited and pick it. And he comes back and he's really excited and we go out a little bit later and we look at the zucchini plant and we're like it's not in the ground anymore. I don't think that's good and I don't think it was like that earlier and what my son had did while harvesting the zucchini had uprooted the whole plant. We tried to replant it, but it still died. He was doing the right thing. He just to replant it, but it still died. He was doing the right thing, he just didn't do it in the right way.
Speaker 3:It's important in biblical goodness that we do the right thing, but also in the right way. In other words, our methods matter, biblical goodness, the ends don't justify the means, and if we believe that, then we're going to tend to lean and gravitate toward moral compromise. Oh well, we're going to get married anyways to justify sexual impurity. We'll rationalize. We'll say, well, the destination is good, but how I get there, that's. Does God really care? But that's not biblical goodness. He's doing the right thing in the right way.
Speaker 3:I love 2 Thessalonians 1.11. It says so. We keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. You see, goodness doesn't stop at. I don't know how Well I know to do the right thing, I just don't know how to do it.
Speaker 3:The thing is that you have access to the Holy Spirit, who teaches you all things. In 1 Thessalonians he says he's gonna give you the power to accomplish all the good thing that your faith prompts you to do. We have divine solutions available to bring about heaven to earth. That's good news. That's good news. And knowing his spirit will help us to accomplish all those things. And the beautiful thing is is it's not just for us individually that there are divine solutions available for the entire world, for global problems, for national problems, for local government problems, but then also, too, for our families, for that financial situation that I find myself in and I just don't know how to get out with, or I don't know what job to go, or what does God want me to do? There are divine solutions for you right now, because of his spirit within you to produce the fruit of goodness.
Speaker 3:You have the ability to do the right thing in the right way. I'd like to propose that a heart that's aimed to bring goodness is positioned positioned to hear from heaven. If your heart's in the right place, you're in position to receive Amen. When you have Jesus living inside you, you are positioned not only to receive the answers for you, but also the provision to meet your needs and the needs of others. I'm reminded the story of Jesus about the fishes and the loaves. When he broke it and he passed it out, there wasn't just enough food for the disciples, there wasn't just enough food for the crowd. There were baskets left over. There's overflow. When you are after goodness, overflow is coming. Goodness is doing the right thing, the right way.
Speaker 3:I have a big family I'm one of nine kids where we're visiting we're going to go see my huge family after this. But when you have a big family, it's a party. Anytime you get together, like just showing up, whether it's for any reason, it's a party, and a party has to have food. Can I get an amen, amen. And so it was a couple of years ago, I don't remember exactly when, but I had. So I've got many nieces and nephews.
Speaker 3:We have a big crew and I was playing Legos with one of them and we're building something. And I wasn't super hungry at that point, hadn't eaten anything. But I saw this bag of chips that looked pretty good and I was like man, I think I might have some a little bit later. But we continued to do Legos and put some things together and then I was like, okay, I'm getting kind of hungry right now, so I'll go ahead. And I grabbed a chip and I ate it and it was glorious.
Speaker 3:If you have a crispy chip, it's just. If you don't, you're lying. Let's be honest. It's just, it's good, it's good. And so, anyways, I go and I'm like man, that's pretty good, of course you have one, it's good. And so, anyways, I go and I'm like man, that's pretty good. Of course you have one, you have to have another one. So I went ahead and I get another chip and as I put it in my mouth, I instantly knew something was wrong, because instead of a crispy, wonderful salty potato chip was a nasty, soggy, saltless potato chip. And I had found out that my niece not the one that I was playing Legos with she was cool, all right, but a different niece, like a monster, was taking the chip out of the bag, sucking the salt.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's violence y'all. It's violence y'all. And then putting it back in the bag. We got to pray for her. I'm just. I'm like, oh, so gross, so gross, so gross. See, the thing is that bag of chips looked really good on the outside, but what was on the inside didn't match.
Speaker 3:Biblical goodness doesn't just look good on the outside, it's also good on the inside. And what do I mean by that? Is that if I'm doing the right thing, the right way, I also need to do it for the right reasons. And if I don't, what is that? That's called manipulation. I have ulterior motives to achieve the objectives of the goodness I'm bringing to you. And that is not biblical goodness, that's worldly goodness. And if you've ever been the receiver of that type of manipulation, it makes you sick.
Speaker 3:And in fact, proverbs specifically talks about this. In Proverbs 23, 6, it says do not eat the bread of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies, for he's keeping track inwardly, calculating the cost. Eat and drink, he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words. The motivation behind our actions matters. It matters Goodness looks good on the outside and it nourishes on the inside. It's not either or it's both. And Now, without God, without being born again, we're going to be bent to manipulate. How do I get the upper hand? How do I get the best outcome for me? And if it comes at a cost to you, tough. But when we have Jesus, when we've been born again, then our heart is pointed toward goodness, which means that your conscience will check you, that the Holy Spirit will come and will check your motivations. Are you doing this for the right reason? Maybe you should change that, and sometimes it doesn't change. What's given. It's that the heart and motivation behind it does. It matters church Goodness is doing the right thing, the right way for the right reason. Evil prevails when goodness is absent and goodness doesn't turn a blind eye, doesn't deafen its ears and will find a way to expose the darkness.
Speaker 3:I want to take a quick moment to share about Seventh Beacon and what we do. God's been showing up in huge ways in the digital space and exposing deep, deep darkness online and exposing deep, deep darkness online. We founded Seventh Beacon specifically to use technology to be able to uncover hidden websites that exploit children child sexual abuse material and to safely access them and hand over everything to law enforcement to help children and also to help law enforcement bring about justice. And it's tough, let's be honest. This type of evil is difficult to fathom because it offends human decency and it should it should be hard to talk about, to think about, to stomach that somebody would abuse a child and then take that and upload it to the internet to buy and sell sexual scars of children. And we wanted to stop that. We wanted to help bring the light of Jesus to help those children, and so that's what we did.
Speaker 3:If you don't know about this space and a lot of people don't that there is platforms that distribute this material. They're massive marketplaces, in fact expert researchers, it's hard for them to even figure out how many websites there are because of how many pop up every single day, and it's difficult. This type of material, this digital material, has a name. It's called CSAM. It stands for Child Sexual Abuse Material and sadly, the industry is continuing to grow, especially after 2020 and COVID. The amount of revenue in billions, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds of millions and billions is continuing to be exponentially increasing, and some think that it could potentially overtake the drug trade on the dark web as far as revenue generated, and we hope not.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of other great ministries that expose individual predators and they're incredible. But Seventh Beacon, what we do is a little bit different, is that we target the major online platforms that are either too big or too dangerous or too hidden for traditional tools to reach. What we do is we access them and then we hand over everything to law enforcement, and by doing that, it helps to reduce not only the demand, because there's so much of it, but it also helps with the children. You wouldn't want the worst moment of your life turned into a commodity. And what have we done this year? So we calculate on average that each website that is handed over to law enforcement removes over 13 million images and videos of child sexual abuse material from circulation.
Speaker 3:In the past six months of loan, we've helped to remove over 52 terabytes of CSAM from circulation, that's millions and millions of images and videos. And just to put this into perspective because I know, sometimes when you're talking about data, especially if you're not as technical, you're like I don't know what that means. So the Library of Congress it's the biggest library in the United States has about 38 million books. So 52 terabytes would be equal to about 65% of the library. And that's just in six months. Raise your hand if you've ever been to a Barnes Noble before. Barnes Noble, if you went into there, carries between 19,000 to 143,000 titles. We're talking about millions and millions of books that have now been removed from these platforms and turned over to law enforcement. But what about the kids? What about the kids? Every image removed helps prevent that trauma, just to live that scar to live on for eternity. But we estimate that each website that we take, that's taken down and handed to law enforcement impacts over 2,600 individual kids. And that's the conservative estimate. We try to err on the side of the most conservative measurements possible. So if one website is equal to 2,600 kids that have had those images removed and law enforcement to help them. That means our total 2025 impact estimate is 15,600 kids helped. And that's what it's all about. With the tools and the technology, it only takes $200 to fund one team member to remove a website of millions and millions of images Only $200.
Speaker 3:And so I pray that you would partner with us, and I'm not just talking about financially, although that's much needed. There's so much more. We would love to do Everyone's volunteer right now and God's timing. We're trusting his amen, but we would love for your prayer. We would love for you to help us raise awareness of this issue. It's hard to even talk about, but it needs to be exposed.
Speaker 3:I was talking to Pastor Angie at the beginning. God is exposing deep darkness in unprecedented ways, Whether it's in the church, the White House, government officials, communities. God is exposing things and it needs to happen. There should be yeah, I'll say this I think there should be a healthy fear to ever go that far, A healthy fear. We can't erase the past, and we know that. And that's the hardest thing about what we do is we know we can't go back, we can't rewind time and prevent what happened to them, but we can, and with your help and with your prayers, prevent it from being turned into a commodity. So I ask that you pray for us. But just to wrap up and I know it's been- kind of heavy in here.
Speaker 3:We just asked for your prayers, but I want to take us and go back one more time to about the message today about goodness. Regardless of what God's called you to do, our heart is that you would do it well, that you would be positioned to hear from heaven, as your heart is pointed at goodness, to bring about heaven to earth, to fulfill the Lord's prayer, jesus' prayer. To bring heaven to earth. To fulfill the Lord's prayer, jesus's prayer to bring heaven to earth. And you don't have to be doing what we're doing. You need to do what God has called you to do to show up for your family, for your communities, for your church, for your work, to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. And when you do that, it fights back the darkness, it changes the environment.
Speaker 3:And so, if we could this moment, if you could stand with me, I just want to pray over everyone in this room right now. That biblical goodness, that that fruit, would show up in huge ways in your life this week If you just bow your heads with me. Father, we just come to you today. In the name of Jesus, I thank you for this incredible group here at Relate Church who's already living out. Goodness, but Lord, I want to declare the word of God of 2 Thessalonians 1, 11, that may he give you the power to accomplish all the good things that your faith prompts you to do, and may this be done now, throughout your week and through your whole life. Lives marked by the goodness of God. Amen. Bye, pastor Sean.
Speaker 1:Man, I don't know about you, but I feel challenged toward goodness, to let God work in our lives. I also feel challenged that I got to do better with my beard and my mustache, because that's awesome. We got to do better. I want to do something real quick. Talon, miranda, would you guys just come stand right here for a second. Guys, when you go into the darkness, when you challenge darkness, whenever you take on something that dangerous, not just anyone can do that. Right, you have to have a calling and you have to have permission, you have to have access, you have to have a lot of things in the right place at the right time and the right provision. But when you do step out, you become a huge target, and so we want to help empower them, help to get behind them and support and the church is going to sow a seed into the ministry and the nonprofit work that they're doing. But also I want you to just how many of you guys in the room will partner to pray with them? You'll commit to pray for them and we're gonna pray for them right now. Would you just stretch out your hands, and we're gonna believe God to open the way ahead of them so that they're able to do more to make a greater impact, and that God would protect them in a mighty way. God, we just speak life over them as they step out by faith and obedience to do your work, to do a great thing in the earth, to do a good thing, to do a good work. God, we just ask that you would guard them and guide them on every side, that where the enemy would love to attack them and to destroy them and steal and break them and break their ability to do this work, god, we just ask that you would guard them on every side, that they would not have a backdoor attack in their family and in their health and in all the areas that seem unrelated that would prevent them from being able to do what you have put this great calling on them to do. So guard them and guide them. And, lord, we just ask you for provision that every need would be met, that every financial need, that every team member, that every technical thing that they need, that every door that needs to be open would be open. In Jesus' name, we speak a way forward. Wherever there's a roadblock, wherever there's an obstacle, wherever they try to step and can't step, lord, we just ask that you would enable them to have breakthrough in every area so that they can continue to uncover the darkness, uncover the evil works that are being done in this world, to protect these children, to work with law enforcement. God, give them great resources, give them great connections and networking wherever they need it. In Jesus' name, we speak life. Amen. All right, thank you, guys.
Speaker 1:Before we dismiss, I'm going to have you remain standing and I'm just going to invite those in the room, those online, who, if you've never made a decision to follow Jesus, if you've never decided to give your heart to God and invite Him to be your Lord and your Savior, then I just want to ask you to consider doing that today. I'm going to lead us in a prayer in just a moment. I won't embarrass anyone or call anyone forward or call you out, but I would just invite you to say this prayer make a commitment with your life. The Bible says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and all it takes is a confession of faith. We do that through a prayer. We believe in Jesus, we believe that Jesus is God's son and God sent him on a rescue mission to save us, and so we accept him as our savior.
Speaker 1:We're going to say that prayer in just a moment, but if that's you and you've never said that prayer, I want, I just want to encourage you that God wants to take you on a spiritual journey. He has a plan for your life, a purpose for your life, and all it takes is one decision to begin that relationship, to make your relationship with him right, to put things back in order. You can do that right now. So I would invite everybody in the room and those watching online would you just bow your head right where you are, close your eyes, just between you and God. Make this decision. I would invite you to repeat after me and say these words dear heavenly father, today I give you my life. I choose to follow you. So take my old life, breathe new life into me, give me a new heart, give me a new spirit, forgive me of my sin and I will turn toward you. From this day forward, I will follow only you In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 1:Would you put your hands together for everybody who said that prayer today for the first time? I'm proud of you. I'm excited for what God's doing in your life and in this church. We're going to stay in worship for just a moment, but I'm going to invite the prayer team to join me up here at the front. If you'd like to pray with someone before you go, I'll invite you to as we sing. As we sing this next worship song, come on up and take someone by the hand and, for just 30 seconds or a minute, pray a prayer of faith together. Otherwise, I love you guys. God bless you. You're dismissed. In Jesus' name.
Speaker 2:Jesus, we look to you and all we let go of you, cause everything we can see with you To get it, all we look to you. We look to you. Only you, only you, only you, only you can walk upon the walls, only you can call the sinners in, only you can break the power of darkness. Jesus, it's only you, it's only you, only you, jesus. Jesus, it's only you, it's only you, it's only you, it's only you. Jesus, we love to you. Pray for you too, for everything that you've done, pray with me. So still desire Jesus is love to you, knowing that you're called through, cause everything you can get Is still true to me and I'm all I'm waiting to see To be ever known. We are so glad you joined us for this fruitful summer. Show God's goodness this week and we will see you next Sunday. Thank you.