 So I say this to the to the children that came and to their dads if those were their dads that were with them the Bible says seek the Lord in your youth and There was something special about those young men and Not to be taken lightly or not to be taken for granted but to walk alongside them and encourage them in the faith Angels went crazy in heaven today as a result of what they did and so we thank God for them And then when Brennan was sharing those words about his dad and then your response, but it was kind of a scattered response because Not everybody has a great relationship with their father and So God's word says you know you have many teachers but not many fathers and Then the Bible also says if your father and mother forsake you the Lord himself Will lift you up looks your neighbor say neighbor Do your neighbors the person seated next to you say neighbor Who's your daddy and the great thing is is that Jesus's daddy is our daddy And he delights in that and there and there are no illegitimate children in the family of God that Paul John says Here and now are we the sons of God? Amen? Okay, so for those of you who never heard me speak the person next to you that's your neighbor You'll be talking to that person he fusions 425 says cease them with lying until your neighbor the truth because we're not separate units But intimately united in Christ. Amen. I think that's God's way of saying be real with each other I'm gonna have you raise your hand confess some of the sin that's in your life Okay, look at your neighbor say neighbor. Oh, don't act like you don't have sin in your life Jays 516 says confess your sins one to another and pray for each other that you can be healed Now I know John writes I write these things to you that you don't sin But if you do you have a advocate with the father, but James knows better and he knows we're gonna have some stuff And we need to talk to somebody about that. Amen Say neighbor Don't act like you don't know what that brother's talking about So by the raising of your hands, we won't even have you talk to your neighbor right now How many of you have found out life's a lot more difficult than you thought it would be? How many find that serving Jesus a lot more difficult than you thought it would be? How many of us find ourselves doing stupid stuff every once in a while? How many of us do stupid stuff? We know it's stupid and we do it anyway Look at your neighbor say neighbor What in the ham sandwiches a matter with you? And how many of us have one of these in our lives something that we've done whether in or out of Christ our attitude about it is Oh my god. I hope no one ever finds out. I did that Say neighbor and I won't be telling you about it either Okay, so the reason I asked us to do that though it puts us on a level playing field And a lot of times we go through difficulties and we go through hard things and we think nobody's ever Been through or is going through what I'm going through right now when in essence There's a bunch of us going through stuff and there was a book written I'm okay. You're okay and the problem with that book is I ain't okay, and you ain't okay And that's okay because Jesus came to deal with people that weren't okay. Amen Okay, I don't my word for a minute's a teenage worker that get a chance to minister to kids a lot So my word for a minute's I My son hates it when I do that but he ain't here so I can go there. So amen. I it's gonna be our amen word today And there we go. There you go. We're getting there. All right No, just my way of simple testimony born and raised in New York City grew up in a real dysfunctional family My mom was involved with organized crime the victim. I forgot. We got the signer. I'm gonna drive him crazy Okay, the victim of child abuse Didn't realize that stuff until I became a police officer many years later, but by that time I was very angry joined the military to keep him going to jail finished high school got out became a cop 10 years into my time on the job strung out on drugs and alcoholic very violent and abusive in New York and Watching television one day and I got real and a man asked two questions He said hey are you a sinner and I said yep, you know Jesus. I said nope He said call this 800 number. I called an 800 number that flashed on the screen prayed with that man Received Christ into my life totally set free from drugs and alcohol filled with a joy and peace I never had before and The Lord completely turned my life around my wife came home from shopping. I met her at the door I said Claudia. This is the new me Jesus came into my life. I'm born again by the spirit of God My name is written in the last book of life I'm a new creation in Christ because also stuff that man told me on telephone say neighbor Never say stupid stuff to a black woman And when I said that she went just like this, yeah, right Her and Job's wife had a lot of comment. I'm just saying okay, so And she thought God would kill me but rather than killing me He saved her saved my father at 83 years old saved my my sons and God turned our entire household around and it's been crazy ever since So I want to get into this because you guys have been patient You've been here all morning and I'm very thankful that you've chosen to be here for the Bible says how good and Pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity and I think there is something very powerful about when the men of God come Together I think God kind of sparks out when he sees us come and sit before him and hear the word and pray and make Commitments and desire to follow hard after him But it gets crazy a little bit and I really feel that this is a time and and one of the hard things about when I was asked to Come and speak by pastor. I said, what do you want me to talk about? Okay, so he said something about being a warrior and click that was the end of it And I was going like really you know because sometimes we think with that spiritual that we really go get a message And so my biggest fear is sitting there coming up last Worrying about the three men that spoke before me Sharing maybe what God had put on my heart and I'm listening and pastor He kind of alluded to some of those things and Brennan and then and I was like, oh, I but Lord You gave me that to talk about and so I Was like they stole my notes, you know, so Not really, but you know what today we what we do with today's messages Let it be like a hand grenade You know, you throw that hand grenade out there and it explodes You don't get hit by every fragment But take the fragment that hits you The thing that God speaks into your life about the things that God wants you to do because it's a personal Relationship with the Lord and so I'm going to share some things and I don't give messages titles But today I've chosen to do that and it will start in the book of Ecclesiastes in the third chapter the first verse Here's what it says Matter of fact, look at your neighbor first say neighbor Say what authority say neighbor? What time is it? Okay, I want you to think about that and here's with Solomon rights to everything there is a season a time for every purpose under heaven a time to Be born a time to die a time to plant a time to pluck what has been planted a time to kill, and a time to heal a time to break down a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to cast away stones a time to gather stones a time to embrace and time To reframe from embracing a time to gain and a time to lose a a time to keep, and a time to throw away. A time to tear, and a time to sow. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace. Again, look at your neighbor. Say neighbor. Neighbor. What time is it? The time is it. Say neighbor. Neighbor. It's time to go to war. Time to go to war. And I want us to think about some things as the men of God, that you and I are in a war. And you know, a lot of times, when wars are raging, you know, we just celebrated Memorial Day, and I looked at that man in the 82nd Airborne who was 93 years old, who went up on a plane and jumped out again. I was going like, who is that brother? But I think about him back on June 6th in 1944, when he and thousands and thousands of other men chose to fight for their nation, chose to put themselves in harm's way. Jesus said greater love had no man than this than he would lay down his life for his friends. You know, sometimes you're willing to lay down your life, but you don't necessarily want to lay down your life. You go to war, not with the intent to die, but knowing that you might die. You know, being a police officer with 20 years in New York, you go to work every single day, and there's a possibility that you might not come home, but there was never a time that I didn't want to come home. Talking to Raul in the back, we joined the military in the same year, 1966, when Vietnam was at its height. By God's incredible grace, he went to Nam, and I ended up in Korea up on the DMZ. In harm's way, but nothing like what he went through while he was there, and I lost friends, okay? And so we have been drafted into an army because Jesus says, you didn't choose me, I chose you. Knowing every single thing there is to know about you, every single thing there is to know about me, he chose us in spite of ourselves, that we have been drafted into the army of God. Paul writes these words in 2 Timothy. You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ, and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also, and then he goes on to say this, you, and I believe that transcends down to you and I, you, therefore, mustn't do a hardship as a good soldier of Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has enlisted him as a soldier. Look, your name's a neighbor. If you're in the army, you better get ready to fight. I remember when I was in basic training, and everybody's trying to get out of going to war, and they had this thing, a sign up for the choir. And so I ended up going over there to sing. And I remember Sergeant Turner, who was my drill instructor, who was about the same color as that speaker system over here, and he was Satan in the flesh. And he had found out that I had gotten in the choir. And I'll never forget how he stood me up in front of everybody and how I stood at attention, and how we were almost nose to nose. You could sing all you want, boy. Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep. But your butt's going to Vietnam. And I was convinced that I was going to go to Vietnam. But I was prepared to go, but didn't have to go. But yet and still, I was in a war. Okay, so again, you might not always be fighting, but the war never stops. There's a war raging that comes against you and I. Peter found this out the hard way when on the night that Jesus was betrayed, as Raoul was sharing with us, today, you know, when Jesus says in Luke 22, 31, Simon, Simon, Satan desires to have you to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith doesn't fail. And because it's written in English, it doesn't really portray what it means in the Greek. That word, you, Satan, he desires to have you. That word is plural and it really kind of transcends down to you and I, he desires to have you all to sift you as wheat. He wants to make shipwreck of your life and my life. He doesn't want us to become the men that Pastor Dave was talking about today. He doesn't want us to become the men that would take a stand. He recognizes far more than you and I, the potential that we have if we submit ourselves to the true and living God. Because it can become a but God for our lives. And so, and then, you know, Peter, he doesn't get it. How many of you, first of all, would love to have Jesus say a prayer for you? How many of you believe that Jesus knows how to pray? How many of you believe that God answers Jesus's prayers? But what does he pray? What might he think be the thing that you need the most? But I prayed for you that your faith doesn't fail. I'm not, he didn't pray that he wouldn't fail, but he prayed that his faith wouldn't fail. He prayed that he wouldn't really, in essence, lose focus, that he wouldn't get focused in on himself, that it was not about you, Peter, but it's about you putting your trust and faith in me. Staying focused in on the Lord. Peter doesn't get it, Lord. And then he says this, too, also, and when you're converted, strengthen the brethren. That word converted means you're going in one direction and the word converted means to turn around and go in the opposite direction. At this particular time when Jesus says this about Peter, they're walking in the same direction, but he's letting them know he gonna get turned around. But when you get turned back around, I want you to strengthen the brethren. How many of you have ever gotten turned around in your walks? How many of us have ever gotten turned around so many stinking times it looks as though we're going through a revolving door? Raise your hand straight up in the air, please. Keep your hand up, look around the room. Say neighbor. And I thought I was the only one when you converted. But to strengthen somebody, you gotta have strength. Peter goes, I'm ready to die, Lord. I'm ready to go to prison. And one of the other guys said, even if all the rest of these guys run out on you, I got you, in essence. Say neighbor. Talk comes cheap in the locker room. We could talk all we want. Life takes place on the other side of that exit sign. We come up here, we can make the altar call. Life takes place on the other side. It's easy to make a commitment in here. It's another thing to follow it out when you get outside. And so God wants us to live this thing out. God wants us to live a life that's pleasing to him. I want us to think about that. I pray that your faith doesn't fail. Well, where does faith come from? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And without faith, it is impossible to please the Lord. How many of you feel you don't read God's word enough? Hands straight up, it's not an auction. How many of us feel that we don't pray enough? Say neighbor. Neighbor. No wonder we have so many problems. I want us to think about that. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. We heard Brennan today talk about Romans 1013. For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. In New York when police officers are in help and when they're being overrun, they call 1013 on the radio. There's some incredible 1013 scriptures in the Bible. Joshua 1013 with the Lord stood the sky. The sun still in the sky until the army of Israel won the battle, Daniel 1013. Michael the Archangel said we heard you pray 25 days ago, but now we've come to your rescue. First Corinthians 1013, for there is no temptation taking you but such as common to a man but God. But God is faithful who will never allow you to be tempted above that you are able. And with the temptation he will provide the way of escape, not a way of escape, the way of escape. And I wonder who the Bible says the way is, Jesus, that you may be able to bear it. Romans 1013, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Pastor today talked about it, if a man regards iniquity in his heart the ears of the Lord are far from him. There's a scary 1013, judges 1013. God speaking says and you will call upon me and I will not answer you because you have forsaken me. We can continue to grieve the spirit of God and if somewhere along the line God will step back and he'll let you go through some stuff. He won't ever turn his back on you. He won't ever stop loving you but sometimes we have to be taught a lesson. Anybody here have been taught some lessons? Anybody here get what you felt like a spanking from the Lord? The Bible says the Lord chastens those that he loves and the chastening of the Lord is not joyous but is grievous and he yields peaceable fruits to those who have been exercised by it. Something you will never hear God say when it comes to a spanking, this is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you. You know, we got time out today. What in the ham sandwiches time out? Time out in my home was the time it took you to wake up after you got knocked out. I'm just saying, let's try to keep this in house, okay? Philippians 2.5 in the Phillips translation says it this way, let Jesus Christ be your example as to what your attitude should be. Another translation, therefore let this work, let this mind be in you that's also in Christ. I think God says if you really want us to gotta live life check out my son Jesus. That we pattern our lives after Jesus. Paul said follow me as long as I'm following Jesus. And so Jesus shows up on the scene, okay? He's the ultimate example. You know, remember when he was baptized by John and the Jordan and the spirit of God, God shows up, this is my beloved, I wonder what that was like. This is my beloved son. We always think God got that deep voice. I think, you know what I'm saying? Okay, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. He had never performed a miracle. He had never walked on water. He had never raised anyone from the dead. But if you take a look at his life from 12 years on, he was a person of the word. And seemingly he was so much of the word that he was the word. For in the beginning was the word and the word was with God in the same, that verse. All things were made by him and there was nothing made that wasn't made by him and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father. I think about that. I think about God's word and he goes on. And so when Jesus is now baptized and then he's led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and you're going to be tempted. The Bible says, don't think it's strange. The fiery trials that come upon you. And to know that when you're tempted you're not tempted by God because God doesn't tempt anyone. Neither can he be tempted, the Bible says. But each man is drawn away by his own lusts. And a lot of times every time we hear the word lust we always associate it with sex. Lusts just means strong desire. But strong desire for the wrong things. Has anybody here ever had a strong desire for the wrong things since you've given your life to the Lord? Has anybody here ever wanted to be stupid since you've given your life to the Lord? And so every time, every time he was tempted it is written, it is written, it is written. But Satan knows the scriptures too. And so I want us to think about that. So here's what goes on. In Luke four it says this, and the devil said to him, if you're the son of God, if, if, if you're the son of God, command these stones to become bread, Jesus knew who he was. Do you know who you are? You're the sons of God. If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you're just as much a son of God as Jesus was. Because of the Jesus that lives on the inside of you. Jesus answered him and said, it's written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And the devil taking him high on the mountain showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, all this authority I will give to you and the glory for they has, this has been delivered to me and I will give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours. And Jesus says, get thee behind me Satan, for it is written. You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. Then he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on a high pinnacle in the temple. And he said to him, if you're the son of God throw yourself down from here, for it is written, now Satan talking, he shall give his angels charge over you to keep him. The Bible says, study to show yourselves approved, work men unto God, that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. When I gave my life to the Lord I was in an apostolic Pentecostal church. We were like the Shiites of the Pentecostal world. And it was legalistic and rigid and they made you pray and they made you read the Bible. And I am very thankful for that. But there came a day that I began to struggle. You know, the instant delivery from drugs and alcohol made me think I had arrived. I had yet realized that I brought some baggage with me when I came to Jesus. There were some other things that were kind of sitting dormant. And sooner or later the enemy was waiting for the right opportunity to bring them to the surface. Everybody go like this. This is your spiritual glass. It allows you to look into the spirit realm. Okay, look at your neighbor, say neighbor. Why are some people sitting there with their arms crossed? So everybody put one of these on, put this on. Now look at your neighbor up and down. Say neighbor. Oh, you got more baggage than I thought you had. And so here I was. I remember driving home one day. My wife and I, we were having some drama. How many married people we got in the house? Anybody here have some drama in your marriage sometimes with the missus? And so, you know, I lived a very promiscuous lifestyle and an adulterous lifestyle before I came to the Lord. And so here I'm driving. And I hear a voice in my head. There are not human words that can describe the subtlety of this voice, the slickness. And that voice simply said, he forgave David for the first time now as a Christian, I was being tempted to commit adultery. And then I heard another voice. And the second voice was kind of gruff and kind of gravely. And again, not outward, but in my head. And the second voice said, there must be a better reason not to commit adultery than because the Bible says don't commit adultery. And that was contrary to everything I had learned to that moment. Because the Bible says, thou shalt not commit adultery. That was the law. And I was in law enforcement. And even when I was in the military police, we had a sign on the side of our police cars that said obedience to the law is freedom. But I also knew that second voice was God's voice. And so Jeremiah 33 and three says, call upon the Lord. He'll show you great and mighty things that you did not know. Say neighbor. You don't know everything. So I said, Lord, what does that mean? And the Lord said, the reason you don't commit adultery is because you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and your neighbor and the person of your wife as you love yourself. He said, it's not about a rule. It's about a principle, a principle of love and God is love. And if you and I live our lives by that principle, we'll live out the law. Say neighbor. Do you love him? Do you love your neighbor? Just a thought. Just a thought. But he wants to get you out there. And that day I listened to that voice. I wish I could say I always listened to that voice. I wish I could say that there are some things in my past that I've done since I've known Jesus that I'm not utterly ashamed of. But I can't. But God has taken those things and he's worked them together for good because I love him. And I'm called according to his purpose that when I'm not faithful, he is faithful still because he cannot deny who he is. That no matter how much we kick and squirm, he who has begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. I want you to think about that, men. God wants us to grow. There's a war to be fought. And now I just share these words here. In second Samuel, the 10th chapter, here's what it says in the seventh verse. There was some stuff going on and now David hears of it and he sent Joab in all the army of mighty men, mighty men. I really feel that God is trying to develop mighty men in the body of Christ. Men who are filled with his spirit, men who are filled with his courage, men who are filled with integrity and honesty, who will walk forth, men who will be shining lights in a world of darkness that God wants to put us on display. And he's called us to be his. Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate and the Syrians of Zobah, Beth Rehav and Ishtab and M-A-A-C-A-A-H, however you say that, were by themselves in the field. When Joab saw that the battle line was against them before and behind, he chose some of Israel's best and put them in the battle array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai, his brother. Look at your neighbor say neighbor. We all need some brothers in our lives that he might set them against the people of Ammon. Then he said, if the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me. But if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you. We all need someone to have our back. You and I need men that will walk with us. We, you and I need men in our lives that we can walk with who will speak truth. The Bible says it's iron sharpens iron, so one man's counting and sharpens another. That we need guys in our lives that we could talk to, be real with, confess to, pray for, encourage one another in the faith and to know that they're going to be there for us. Amen? Amen. Okay. Amen. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Okay. Now don't go home trying that on your kids, okay? You just keep that here. Then he goes on to say, be of good courage and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight. In other words, we're gonna fight these guys. I got your back, you got mine, but we're dependent upon the Lord. Jesus says you can do nothing without me, John 15 and five. I believe it is one of the most underscored scriptures in the Bible. I think that there are times that we'll go out, we'll pull up our bootstraps, we'll suck it up and we'll say, I got this, only to walk away. Say neighbor, talk comes cheap in the locker room. These guys were willing to go to war. They were willing to put themselves in harm's way. They came from no one and God made them mighty men. They were in debt, they were in distress. The Bible says they were in descent in 1 Samuel 222 and now they're mighty men. And God wants to make you a mighty man. God wants to make me a mighty man. And a tremendous victory came about, but here's the scary part. 2 Samuel the 11th chapter, and it happened in the spring of the year at the time when the kings go out to battle in the time, in the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joe Ebb and his service talking about that battle we just heard about and all of Israel and they destroyed the people of Amin and Bessai, Bessie's rather, but David remained in Jerusalem. Say neighbor and say this with authority, say neighbor. The day you decide not to fight is the day you lose. Fighting the battle is not optional men. I want you to think, and nobody, no one can fight your battle for you. And even though the battle belongs to the Lord, you have to show up for the fight. David chose not to fight. He chose to be at ease and he took a nap one night and then he woke up and he went up on the rooftop and he looked over the veranda and there she was in her birthday suit. God's inspiration and she was pleasing to look upon. Say neighbor. She was a hottie. And David that night, you know, David who said thy word if I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. David who said your word is like a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. In other words, God's word will show you where you stand and God's word will direct you in how you should go. David wasn't as spiritual as you and I are because if that ever happened to you and I, we would look over, we would have seen her and we would have said, shun the appearance of evil praise the Lord. Say neighbor. Oh, that brother don't know you too well. How many of you have ever looked at something you had no business looking at? How many of you could hear the Holy Spirit saying, you need to turn that off. How many of you ever turned it off? How many of us turned back over there five minutes later to see what else was going on? Sitting up late at night. Seinfeld said the last part of the human body to fall asleep is a finger that operates to remote control. When Jesus said he was going back to be with the Father but the Father was in the comfort of the Holy Spirit who would bring everything to your remembrance that you've learned of him. I believe Satan says I'll bring some stuff to your remembrance too. I remember one time I was watching some stuff I had no business watching and I remember it was having no effect on me and I thought that I had arrived, say neighbor. Uh-oh. I thought I had become so spiritual that this did not have an effect on me. And a couple of days later, I was overwhelmed with lust and the Lord spoke to me and said, these are the seeds you sowed the other night. The Bible says if you sow corruption to your flesh, you will reap corruption. Say neighbor. Neighbor. If that's the case. Neighbor. Let's talk like we got some authority going on here. Say neighbor. Neighbor. If that's the case. Neighbor. Some of us better pray for crop failure. Some of us better pray for crop failure. It's a temptation and it's prevalent in the church today. And I look back on some of the things that I've done. Inappropriateness, stepping over lines, relational lines. Even though this far and no further, this far was too far. And sexual and booty issues aren't the only issues. But what are the things that we're doing that are grieving the Holy Spirit? What are the things that we're doing that God is not pleased with? And we all know he inquired, who is that? And she's the wife of your ride, the Hittitany. One thing leads to another and they commit adultery. And in 1 Samuel, the 11th chapter, the 27th verse. And it says, this is how the Holy Spirit inspired it to be written. And that thing that David did displeased the Lord. That there were things that we can do that God is not pleased with. Ephesians 4 says, don't grieve the Holy Spirit. That nothing is, the Holy Spirit in you and I, it's not taken by, surprised. He wants us to listen to him. He wants us to lead him. He wants us to follow him. One of the things that Jesus has most quoted as saying is follow me. And when Jesus says to you and I, follow me. And he looks over his shoulder, he's expecting us to be there. The one thing the devil didn't tell me on the highway that day. And David suffered horrible consequences. And David brought calamity into his own household. And yet and still, he was the man after God's own heart. Yet and still, he had a fervor and a love for God. The Bible says in Kings and David was faithful in everything that he did, except in the matter of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite. It's time for us to be men of God. It's time to walk in the Spirit that we won't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. It's time to be willing to take a stand for the Lord. That same Lord who took a stand for you and I, that in the economy of God, regardless of what you might think about yourself, regardless of what I think about myself, we were worth dying for. Jesus was sold out to us so that we would not have to be sell out to him. And so today, maybe today is the time that it starts. Maybe some of us have prayed this prayer, Lord, I know I told you I wouldn't do that again, whatever that was, but I've done it again. Please forgive me again. How many of us have prayed that prayer a lot? How many of us have been waiting for God to kill us? Say neighbor, you're still here. You know why? Because the Lord is not slack concerning his promises as some men would count slackness, but he's patient towards us, willing that we would come to repentance and not perish. The Bible says he who was reproved often and hardens his neck is cut off suddenly and that without a remedy. And coming out of this Pentecostal background, the thing I used to focus on, cut off suddenly and that without a remedy. But before you and I ever get it cut off suddenly and without a remedy, God has spoken to us many times. Stop it. Don't do that. Don't say that. Forgive. Shut up. Shut up. How many of you have ever argued with your wife? I'm married a second time. My first wife died after 46 years. My second wife, we've been married four years. We've never had an argument. I don't understand that. Somebody said, Bill, you look for arguments. But in that first marriage, there was never an argument that I had with my wife where I did not hear the Lord say these two words. Shut up. Why I gotta shut up when I'm right? Why I gotta shut up when I got a Bible verse to back up what I'm saying? The last thing your wife needs from you in an argument is a scripture shower. And the attitude usually that comes with that. As Brennan said, it takes two people to argue. Often it is better to be Christ-like than to have to be right. What is he trying to do? Your children are watching. My children have watched. How many of you have ever come? Wow, I don't know why we're going here. How many of you, and I'm gonna close up soon, how many of you have ever had an argument with your wife on the way to church? It gets crazy then, don't it? And you got them squirrels sitting in the back seat and they watching? And then you getting that parking lot? Praise the Lord. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. They see that. They don't say anything, but it registers. And the Bible tells us that we don't wanna discourage our kids. We don't wanna provoke them to wrath. We don't wanna be a stumbling block to them. Even though the Bible says stumbling blocks have to come, but we're one to those that bring them before we'd be better for a millstone to be hung around your neck. And you thrown into the sea, then you offend the least of mine. So important. I really feel a gathering of men like this. I really feel that God is looking for some men who will take a stand. I think God would say it's about time, men. This is the time. Choose today. Lord, I choose to serve you. I choose to follow you. I recognize without you, I cannot do it. I will utterly fail. Enable me and power me to be the man that you want me to be. To be the son that you want me to be. To be the father that you want me to be. To be a light in a world of darkness. To be that city that's set upon a hill that cannot be hidden. It's time, men. So whatever you've heard today, whether it be from any of the four of us, respond to God's word. Be dependent upon God and say, okay, Lord, today, it's time. Redeem the time. We heard from Raul this morning how they fell asleep. You know what the Bible says? Awake, thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead. It's time. Look at your neighbor, say neighbor. Now look at your neighbor. Look him in the eye. Say neighbor. I'm serious. It's time. To do it God's way. Say neighbor. My way. We don't work, but his way will because he is the author and finisher of my faith in Jesus' name. I, thank you.