← Church of the Highlands - Sunday Messages - Audio
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Honor to be with you. And I love the lights coming on, seeing all the amazing Easter outfits. You look awesome. Hey, happy Easter, everybody. So we're gonna do something today that I did growing up in church. It was a whole lot of fun. My pastor would always say, christ is risen. And the audience would say so at every location. He is risen, indeed. At every location, out loud, as loud as you can, Christ is risen. Put your hands together. Let's celebrate the risen king. Praise go. He is risen. And it's an honor to be with you. And I do officially want to welcome all our locations, campuses across the state of Alabama and over into Georgia as a church family. We welcome the correctional facilities, Alabama and Georgia, all the men and women who are in our correctional facility right now. We want you to know that you are not a project to us. You are part of our church family. Come on, Highlands, let's welcome them. And especially on this Easter weekend, I want to say just hello and just. Just the greatest honor to all our deployed military men and women somewhere around the world watching through that camera. Yeah. Highlands, we love you. We honor you. We're grateful for you. And I know campus pastors did this, but if you're with us for the first time, we welcome you as well. We're so glad that you have joined us. Maybe this is your first time here at Highlands on Easter. Hey, I got really good news for you. This is my first Easter to ever preach at Highlands. So, hey, we're in the same boat. I don't know if that excites you or scares you, but I'm glad that you were here. And I just want to take a moment to honor, right here on the front row, our founding pastor, Pastor Chris, his amazing wife, Tammy. I love you. I honor you, and you made it look easy for 25 years. And I just honor you and just so grateful for honestly what God's doing in our church. And so I'm excited to get in God's word. Got a great message for us today, An Easter message, of course. But before that, we're going to do something that's an annual tradition here at Highlands. It's our annual Easter survey. Just do it one time a year. This is, of course, the Sunday where we, or really the entire church family and many new people join us. And this survey really is all about connection, and we love to connect here at Highlands. This church is built on relationships. We are really a church of small groups. Of course we gather on the weekends, but we're a church of small groups and Bible studies. We love to connect out in the commons before and after services, and we have a chance out there today, of course, to get pictures with your family and just to spend time together. Even at the end of every service, we connect with a prayer team. You'll have the chance, if you need prayer, in any area, to connect. But when we're in services like this, we connect a couple different ways. One, which is the traditional way, is through this connection card. It's in front of all of you there in your seat back. And over the last couple months, we've added another way to connect, which is actually via phone. We all, of course, have phones, either iPhones or Android. I see you Android people out there, and it's called Tap Connect. And before you grab your phone or the card, I do want to just celebrate what this tool has allowed us to do. We launched it about two months ago, and y', all, it has increased our connections over 400% year over year. And that is exciting for me as a pastor, because the heart of all this is to connect with you, to care for you, and honestly, to walk with you on your journey. So I know it's a big ask, and even if you're new with us here today, I promise we will keep anything that you share with us confidential. We take that as a huge honor to have your information. If you'll grab your phone or if you want to grab that card. Would everybody at every location do that for me? And you can actually tap your phone on that icon right in front of you. And when you do, it's gonna bring up a link that looks something like that, and it's gonna give you access to the survey I was just talking about. This survey is a whole lot of fun. Immediately, you'll see there's an opportunity there for some basic information. And once again, we will protect and respect that information, only use it, of course, to serve you. But at the bottom of that, there's a place for prayer requests. And this is something that we are launching this weekend that I'm so excited about. If you share a prayer request via tap at the end of this service, it immediately goes to a trained prayer team. So it's a great promise. Everybody, before you even get home, someone's going to be praying for your prayer request. Isn't that exciting? And even this weekend, we've already had over 4,000 people share prayer requests, which is a massive honor for us. So the information, prayer requests, and then you can hit next, and that's going to bring up the survey. And this is A whole lot of fun. I'm actually going to show you the results so far on this, but I want to know what you want to hear. And so actually, in a few weeks in the month of May, we're going to do a message series at Highlands that is based on the responses you give us in this survey. So you can pick different topics you want to hear from. We gave you a starter list or there's even a place for you to enter your own. And so far up to this service here at Highlands, this is the results. And so you see a lot of people wanting to know about family and parenting. I am one of those. I've clicked that every single service because Jill and I are in that season or living with purpose. Spiritual warfare is high on the list. All those areas are, of course, important. And the top five of those are what we're going to do in the month of May. And we actually have a second survey we'll come to a little bit later in the service. So we are finishing up a series today, and I'm excited about it. We've been for the last six weeks in the book of Romans in one chapter, chapter eight, and it has been amazing. The heart of this series has been to spiritually declutter. You know, we're in the spring season, spring cleaning, and really, even the season of Lent leading up to Easter is a beautiful time just to get anything out of the way that would keep us from seeing God clearly. And what's exciting for me today is even if you've missed the last few weeks, we're finishing up, and today the verses we're going to read really are a summary of the whole series. And in a lot of ways, if you only had these verses, if you didn't have the rest of the Bible, you would have an incredible view, a clear view of who God is. I'm going to make a big promise right now that when we leave this service, in just a few moments from these verses, we are all going to see what is most important, the thing that God wants us most to know about him. The most important thing about God, you're going to know before you walk out of here today. Romans, chapter eight. It'll be on the screen. I'm going to read it from my Bible. Starts out in verse 31. This is the apostle or Pastor Paul, who wrote this in the book of Romans. He says, what then shall we say in response to these things? Here's a good verse, everybody. If God is for us, who. Who can be against us? That needs A little bit better amen on Easter Sunday than that. We'll come back to it in a moment. So powerful, he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for all of us, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those who God has chosen? It is God who justifies, who is the one who condemns no one. Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God. You may wonder, what is Jesus doing right now? Here's the answer. He is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, for your sake, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things, Everybody say all these things. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor nor life, or angels or demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Can we put our hands together for the Word of God today, living and active and truly, These verses are a clear picture for us of what is most important to know about God in a lot of ways. But they're like a billboard or a sign. You know, signs and billboards don't have a lot of space, so they have to clearly communicate what is most important. I'm gonna have some fun with this. I found some extreme examples of signs communicating what is most important. This is an elevator sign. Attention, please. Make sure elevator is there before stepping in. How many? Y' all know that's a really good idea? Always. All right, here's another elevator sign. If elevator does not move, do a small jump and it should move after that. I am not getting on that elevator. Hey, I have a little bit of a fear of getting stuck on elevators. Put your hands up. Every location. Is that you. Now keep your hands up. If you've been stuck on an elevator at some point, that's a lot more than I expected right there. I'm not going to ride an elevator with any of you guys, so this next one is hilarious. It's in polar bear country. If a polar bear attacks, you must fight back. No one else is coming. If you're in the market for a house, do not buy this house right here not haunted, if that's what they're Having to advertise, I don't want to buy that house. And this last one is the funniest one to me. I just barely laughed when I read it. Put it up on the screen. Underwear must be worn with kilts when wind speeds exceed 25 miles an hour. How many of y' all agree? That's a good idea. Put underwear. Hey, how about this? Don't wear kilts. All right, don't wear kilts. I'm just having fun today. But these verses are communicating what is most important. Romans 8, 31. What then shall we say in response to all these things? Paul saying in conclusion, after all has been said for us here at Highlands, after all the decluttering, Paul's going to actually walk us through some questions to bring clarity around what is most important. And we're actually. It's really exciting for me because he's actually going to kind of deal with the three questions that have actually been called the most important questions in human history. This passage deals with these and brings incredible clarity to what's most important. Here's that first question that throughout history people have asked. You may be asking this today. Is there a God? Is there a God? And of course, that can be debated. We can get into the details of that. But I'm willing to bet that deep down all of us already know this and recognize, I mean, we're all here in church on an Easter Sunday or watching online that deep down all of humanity knows there must be a God. Because without God, there's a sense of incompleteness that we all carry. And years ago, I read a quote that stuck with me from Blaise Pascal. He says, there's a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every person and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God made known through Jesus Christ. Isn't that true, everybody? It's like we're a puzzle and we can do pretty good on our own putting that puzzle together. But there's just this one piece that only God fits. It's how he designed us. My wife Jill loves puzzles. If you love puzzles, y' all should all do a small group together. Because I hate puzzles. Because she's the kind of puzzler that's like, hey, let's get a. Not 500 pieces, a thousand pieces. And let's get the really hard puzzles. I love my wife. It's torment, but I love my wife. So I'll sit down with her. But wouldn't you all agree there's nothing worse than. Than getting to the end of a puzzle and missing one piece. I'm the guy that will go buy another one of the same puzzles to find that piece. And that's how it is with God. Until we have God, we are not complete. There's a puzzle piece missing, which really leads to the second question. This is what most of the passage deals with, and that is, what is God like? It's a big question. And interestingly, this Easter in America, this. I think this is exciting. This is the question of our culture right now. Every statistic is telling us that Americans are more spiritually curious than they have been in generations. That's really good news, everybody. People aren't asking, is there a God? People are saying, what is God like? How do I relate to him? Especially the young people of America right now, and the implications of how all of us, we have to all answer these questions for ourselves. How we answer this question is huge. This is what AW Tozer says, what comes into our minds when we think about God, the most important thing about us. So, of course not out loud, but at every location. Just ask yourself right now, when you think about God, right now, in this moment, what comes to mind are your first thoughts? God is loving, God is kind. Or maybe for you, your first thoughts are, I feel like God's mad at me. Or maybe for you, it's, you know, God's disappointed in you. That's what I felt for so many years. I felt like my first thought of God was, of course he's disappointed, frustrated with me. Maybe you feel like God is distant, or maybe you feel like he's apathetic or some mixture of all of those. I am so grateful that our verses today bring extreme clarity. The second half of Romans 8:31 tells us what God is like. Come on, Highlands. If God is for us, who can be against us? What is God like? Our God is for us. And this is the good news of Easter. Hey, everybody. There is a God. And the most important thing he wants you to know this Easter is he is for you. He's for us. But in a personal way, he is for you and our prayer as a team. My prayer for the last few months leading up to this is that we would all leave here today with an assurance, a settled heart, clarity, especially if you walked in curious today. We're so glad that you're here, you're in the right place today, that you would walk out of here today knowing that God is for you. And hey, everybody, this really is the easter story, verse 32, back to Romans 8. He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for all of us. How will he not also along with him, graciously give us all things? Hey, no other faith claims this story. Every other religion is like, get yourself together and reach up to God. Only Christianity says that a God, our God, came down to us. John 3:16. For God, so what loved the world that he gave his one and only son. That whoever, everyone is welcome. Whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. Hey, everybody, look at me. God is for you. And I don't know what you're walking through right now, what your season looks like, but in the middle of the season you're in right now, God is for you. Maybe you walked in disappointed today. God is for you. God is for your marriage. If you're in the single season or single again, God is for you. In the middle of your anxiety field, sleepless nights, God is for you. If you just received a diagnosis, and Jill and I have some friends who are walking through something right now physically. If you're in the middle of that news, or maybe it's a family member or friend. Come on, Highlands. God is for you. In pain, God is for you. In grief, God is for you. Maybe you're a parent out there. And again, Jill and I are in the parenting season. You need to know. We need to know. God is for us. We have four boys. Our oldest is 17. We've never been parents, teenagers. We've never been the parent of a 17 year old. And every single day they're asking questions or we're dealing with situations we've never faced before. Parents, I know you're out there. I need to know. God is for us in that. In the middle of the hectic schedule at school, sports, and for us with four boys, part of that schedule is going to the grocery store because they eat so much food and I don't have daughters and I know daughters are expensive, the whole wedding thing, but I am convinced if you tally up all the food between birth and marriage, it's the same or maybe a little more. God is for you. So I want to just take a few minutes, a short message today. And what does this really mean? If you're curious today or seeking today or just for all of us to take a next step, what does it mean that God is for us? Three things. You can write them down. Number one, no sin is too big. For the love of God. No sin is too big. Back to Romans, chapter 8. Who will bring any charge against those who God has chosen? It is God who justifies. And sin is a big word. Maybe you haven't been in church your whole life. Or even maybe if you have, it can be so misunderstood. Or it can be hard for us to grasp. This is fascinating to me that the word sin actually comes. It's an archery term. It comes from archery. Like, you know, like bow and arrow. Like archery. And it means to miss the target or to miss the mark. It's like when we have in our minds a target like this. Anytime sin is. Anytime we choose our own way over God's way. And miss that bullseye of. This is how he made us to live. This is how he designed marriage to look. Or finances to look. Or relationships to look. Whenever we miss that, that's actually what sin means. And I'll be the first one to raise my hand. I have sinned. I have missed that mark. In fact, the Bible says all of us have. Romans 3, 23. All sin, all fall short of the glory of God. And the result of that is. And we feel this. All of us feel this. Romans 6, 23. The wages of that sin. So whenever we choose our own way, in any area of our life. It brings death, destruction, pain, hurt. We can get through a lot of things on our own. But we always reach a point without God. We miss the mark and we feel that. Maybe you've walked into church today feeling that death. But, hey, everybody, our God is for us. What does it mean? He did not leave us in our sin. We're here on Easter Sunday, but let's not forget Good Friday. He went to that cross and he died a death. We all deserve to die. And he paid for our sins. And the Bible says in Romans 8 we are now justified. I heard it preached this way years ago. Just if I'd never done it. Covered as far as from the east to the west. If we receive his love, our sins are covered. Every sin, past, present, future. And this is just in my heart. I'm speaking maybe just to one person. Maybe in a correctional facility. Or here in this room right here at Grants Mill. Let God forgive you. He's desperate to. Here's number two. What does it mean that God is for us? Number two. No shame is too deep for the love of God. No shame is too deep for the love of God. Back to Romans 8. Who then is the one who condemns? No one? Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. All of us deal with sin. And we all Deal with shame. All of humanity, we. We deal with shame. The shame of what we've done and the shame, for many of us, of what has been done to us. And shame brings condemnation. Shame is really, when we pronounce, this is actually what the word condemnation means. We pronounce a guilty verdict in this case with shame over ourselves. So we end up, because of our mistakes or situations or what's been done to us, we end up wearing labels. But Romans 8 says we don't have to wear these labels anymore. But for some of us, we're wearing them and no one else can see them. In fact, I wrote a few things down, and for many of these are things that I've walked through or have walked with others pastorally. You've walked into church today and you're wearing some labels. Again, no one else sees it. But the label of shame and condemnation maybe you're wearing today is failure. It's this idea that I have messed up so bad that there is no hope for me. And this is a reality. You walked into church. You're watching online with this right now. Maybe for you it is just not enough. This is kind of one that I definitely dealt with, that I just felt like I could never measure up to expectations and many of those I put on myself. But you're wearing this label, and it's affecting every relationship, every part of your life. Maybe for you, you feel like a lost cause. Like why I'm here today at church. Someone invited me. But why? I mean, because of what I've done. I mean, my resume, I'm a lost cause. And you're wearing that. Maybe because of what's been done to you. And this one is so deep in my heart to break this off today, in Jesus name, you just feel like damaged goods, that I'm just worthless. Because again, what's been done to you and this, ultimately, this is the lie of the enemy. That you would be here today on this Easter Sunday with all the love of God available. But yet many of us can feel unworthy. We're pronouncing some verdicts over our life. But I got good news. This is the good news of a Savior who's at the right hand of the Father. We may be pronouncing these verdicts over our life, but in heaven right now, you know what Jesus is declaring over your life? The grace of God, that every sin has been paid for. Come on. That you are covered. You're covered by his blood, past, present and future. That you are forgiven. In Jesus name, receive it. Today, on this Easter 2026, you are set free. And. Oh, come on, somebody. The old is gone, you are made new. This is the new label for your life. I don't know who I'm talking to, but this is the grace. This is the grace of our God, a God who is for you. He's declaring that at the right hand of the Father right now. Just receive my love and let go of those labels. Here's number three. That is no situation is too far gone for the love of God. Oh, this is good news. Back to our text. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, as it is written, for your sake, we face death all day long. We are considered sheep to be slaughtered. And it's interesting there. I love the Bible. It's an ancient text. I've already mentioned this today. What's so cool and what's powerful is it's still living and active for us today. So this guy who wrote this, Paul, the Apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Those are not just random ideas. That's actually a list of situations he faced. He's testifying that in the middle of trouble and hardship and persecution and even famine and nakedness and danger, and ultimately for Paul Sword and every single one of those, God was with him in those situations. That was his list. And Here, you know, 2,000 years later, we all have our list of situations right now that we're walking in. And I'm just telling you, this happens in every situation. But, you know, between us and that situation, the enemy tries to get in there, and instead of us running to God, we try to hit the enemy. And we end up running into our own strength instead of trusting God in his strength. But you just need to know today, in your situation, right now, God is for you. What does that look like? The next verse, verse 37. Know in all these situations, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. That in God's love. And I love what it says here. We're not just what? We're not just conquerors. We're what? We're more than conquerors. In the Greek of the language, the New Testament was written in more than conquerors. That phrase is one word. It's is the word huper nikao. So look at your neighbor today, your family member. Tell them, huper nikao. Come on, say it with some umps, right, Hooper Nikayo, you didn't know you were going to learn Greek today at Church of The Highlands. There's a beautiful Greek word and that, the Hubert part means super and Nikao means victorious. Nikao is actually the word. We get the word Nike from, like, the brand Nike. That we are more than conquerors. I know none of us in Alabama or Georgia like to lose. We are all competitive. These are sports states. How many of y' all out there like to win? You just. You love to win. Wave at me out there. Wouldn't we all agree it's even more fun to be a super victorious? Like, there's winning and there's destroying your opponent. And that's what we really like. A few weeks back, it was spring break for our boys. And so with some other families, we went on a short vacation. And one of the days we were on vacation, all of our sons challenged the dads, plus my wife Jill, in our family, she's really the most athletic one. So they challenged the dads plus Jill to a game of basketball. It was in the morning. We didn't think a lot about it. All the parents went to dinner, y'. All. We come back and this is what the boys are doing right here. They are on the basketball court running drills. They are warming up. They have created plays. And it went from like, oh, casual game to, oh, I didn't know it was going to be like that. We didn't have a lot of time to stretch the dads. You know, we're in our mid-40s. You know, we're getting there. Okay. I didn't know it was going to be like this. And we end up playing that first game. And I'm sad to say, and I'm really. We went in like, hey, these are our sons. They came at us like we were the enemy. And their definition of fouls were not what it was back in the 90s. So anyway, the bottom line is embarrassed to say that first game, 2:11 by ones, the dads plus Jill got beat. If we would have beat them, we were done. Cause we were so exhausted. But now it's two out of three. So we got together. True story. All the dads plus Jill got together in a circle. I'm like, hey, everybody, eye to eye right now. Come to Jesus meeting right now. They may be younger, they got more energy, they may have more skill, but even if we die in the next 30 minutes, we have more life experience and we are going to destroy them. And for the next 30 minutes, that's exactly what the dads plus Jill did. Super victorious. One kid got stitches, and I tore my rotator cuff. I'm pretty sure. But anyway, totally worth it. I'm having fun today. But that's what you have in Christ. You're super victorious. Not just winning, destroying any situation in front of us. It's what we saw in Juan and Moriah and Adam and those testimonies. Addiction. I mean, the weight of religion. Nothing too big for our God. Romans 8:38. This is the phrase that really the whole message came from. For I. I am convinced. And I love that word, I love. It means settled, persuaded that God is for me. No sin, no shame, no situation is too great. I don't have it all figured out, but I'm going from curious, Come on, somebody. To convinced that my God is for me. And I cannot even begin to describe from the depth of our hearts here at Highlands, as a team, for me personally, how much we want this for you this Easter. I already told you, my first Easter. Cards on the table right here. This whole experience today, our prayer, is that you would walk out of here convinced. Why? Because we are convinced. Come on, Highlands. We're convinced that knowing God changes everything. A real relationship with the God of the universe who loves you, who died for you. We're convinced that fighting freedom is real. That no matter what you face, you can find real freedom from your yesterday, just like we saw in the video. Freedom from anything, no matter how big it is. You can find freedom in discovering purpose. God made you on purpose, with a purpose, and it is in there, no matter what that resume has looked like. And from discovering purpose, there's a life of making a difference where, you know, I am. Listen again, I don't have it all figured out, but I am living for God, with God, and. And I'm leaving a legacy here. Come on, Highlands. Wouldn't you encourage anyone out there who's curious? We're convinced and we want nothing from you. This is what the God of the universe and for all of us, this is what we want for you. We love you, we want to walk with you. We know that this changes everything. All right, Pastor, what are you asking here? Y' all ready for it? Here it is. Here's the whole message. Here's the whole ask if you're with us for the first time. You're here checking it out. Here's what I'm asking. Come back. I'm asking you to come back. God has so much for you. If you've been around Highlands for years, I'm asking you, take that next step. Next Sunday, we're starting a brand new series. Now, we've been talking about how God changes everything. Guess what the new series is called. You're Not Ready for this. It's called this Changes Everything. We're going to talk about for the next three weeks the impact that God makes on our life. Next Sunday, we're going to celebrate life change through water baptism, like you saw a video of Adam doing earlier, where you go public with your faith. And we even held the growth track back to start after Easter, to give everyone a chance who's with us for the first time to engage in getting planted here at Highlands. It is life changing. We've been saying it for 25 years. Pastor Chris said this years ago. It changed my life. It's changed so many of our lives. Just give us a year of your life. Keep coming back and you'll go from curious to convinced. I'm telling you, it changes everything. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future or any powers, neither height nor depth or anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What is God like? He's for you. He loves you. And Easter proves it once and for all. Of course, Jesus was arrested on Thursday. We know that he was innocent. He's in the garden, he's praying, and the soldiers come and they arrest him. And he's falsely accused, and he's taken, which was actually illegal, in the middle of the night, he's taken to a trial. A trial. We should have been there. We should have been the defendants. Yet he, perfect and sinless, is the one that was taken into that trial, and he's convicted. And even before he gets to the cross, he is beaten. He takes that cat of nine tails, those whips. He's tied to that post. And ultimately, he takes a crown of thorns on his head. But it was no accident. In fact, it was prophesied. He did that. He allowed that to happen on purpose. Isaiah 53 says, he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. All that punishment, guess what it was doing? It was buying us peace. He was bringing peace to us by his wounds. This is the love of God. By his wounds we are healed. Hey, on Easter, Jesus took your shame. You don't have to live with it anymore. He took it on himself. And on Friday, of course, he was placed on that cross between two criminals. Perfect, sinless, savior of the world. Between two criminals. And he's hung there with nails in his hands and his feet. But make no Mistake. It was not the nails or the Romans that kept him on the cross. Hebrews 12 tells us what kept him on the cross. It was for the joy set before him. And that joy is you. It's you. He saw you in 2026, wherever you are, campus location, online correctional facilities deployed around the world. He saw you and said, you're worth it. So he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and he sat down at the right hand of God. He took our shame. Everybody also took our sin. On Saturday, he laid in the tomb. But come on, somebody. Sunday. And they went to that tomb on the third day. They were expecting to find a dead body. But that stone was rolled away. That grave was empty. He wasn't there. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. And now because of that, the spirit of God, who raised him out of the dead, now can live in all of us, in his love. No situation is too far gone. There is a God. He is for you. He is for you. But if you'll remember, at the beginning of the message, there's also a third question, and this is where we're going to respond today. It's a big moment, this third question. Three most important questions in human history. Is there God? What's he like? He's for us. That really leaves us with one final question that we all have to wrestle with, and that is, will I receive God's love? All that he bought and paid for, that all of us at some point have to make a decision. For some of you, I'm believing for many of you, it's today. Will I keep carrying my own sin and shame and situations? Will I continue to run from God and try to manage all of this on my own. I think we can all look. I know I could. I could look back and say, I recognize I don't have what it takes to do this. I need God. That hole has to be filled. Are we going to carry that all ourselves? Or today, Easter 2026, the best decision ever. Are we going to trust him to save us? Not run from him, Run to him? And I just can't finish today without giving all of us a chance to respond to that question. This is a holy moment. And honestly, what I'm about to ask you is. It's a big request, but I'm asking for all of us here at Highlands to respond. In this moment, I want to hear from everybody, 100% participation. And you have the same two ways that you can respond. There's that card in front of you that has the ABC and D, you can grab that. Even if you didn't do this earlier, you can grab it now, or you can grab your phone and you can actually tap once again. And it's going to bring up a survey with those same four letters. And I'm at, hey, Highlands. Even if you're not going to do the survey, can you grab a card or grab your phone for me right now? This is. Even if you're going to fake it, this is a big moment. Just encourage those around you and just either tap or grab that card. And then with no one moving around in a holy moment, I want to explain what these four letters mean. And all of us, by the way, are one of these. That A means I already know God personally. I already know him. It's not perfect, but I'm on the journey. I know God. I'm in a real, authentic relationship with God. He's the Lord of my life. And if that's you here in a moment, you can check that. But B, oh, my goodness. B is the one. It's the one I've been praying for for months. B just says, I want to begin a real relationship with God. I'm tired of running from God. Today is the day I give my heart to him. I begin a real relationship. I'm trusting him with my sin. I'm trusting him with my shame. I'm trusting him with every situation. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus. It's not about religion. It's about a real relationship with God. Or maybe for you, you knew him at one point. But today, this could be a lot of us. Today, we're coming back home to Him. This is your moment. It is no accident you are here today. Do not miss the moment. We're going to help you on the other side of this with next steps. But in this holy moment, by checking B or pushing that button, you're saying yes to God. And here, in a moment, we're going to pray with you. And honestly, if that's you, you can go and check it right now. You know it. You know it. This is your moment. C is a little different. And I think this is exciting as well. It just means I want to consider what God wants to do in my life. I'm not a yes, but I'm not a no. I just need to check it out a little bit more. And for 25 years, Highlands has been built as a place you do not have to believe to belong. We welcome you to the journey. Keep checking it out. All pressure off. God has great plans for you and D. The final one's a little more serious. It just means I don't ever intend to make that decision. And if this is you, honestly, we've had several dozen that have already checked this over the Easter weekend. If this, you have the guts to check it? Like it or not, we're gonna pray for you. And I do believe you've heard today clearly God is for you. And we're just gonna continue to pray that God does a work in your life. You can check that D. And each year, honestly, we have people who were a D that tell us, hey, I was a D last year or two years ago. Now God's done something in my life. So take a moment, everybody, with it in your hand, still not too late. That card or your phone, reflect on it. Check the one that applies to you. And when you're finished, to help us out, if you would, bow your heads at every location, and our campus pastors are going to come and lead you in prayer. Go for it.
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B
That's awesome. I think most of you are finishing up. And once you get done, just bow your heads and close your eyes. God, we thank you. Thank you, thank you for this moment. Thank you that you're for us. Thank you for that reminder today that you love us and that your presence is here with us right now. For those of you that checked B, I want to lead you in a very simple prayer. It's a prayer of commitment. And from this moment forward, your life will never be the same. You can whisper it, say it out loud. You can just say it in your heart. Most important thing is that you mean it. So just say these words. Say, jesus, today I give you my life. I'm beginning a real relationship with you. I declare that you are my Lord and you are my Savior. I'm asking you to forgive me and make me brand new and to fill me with your holy spirit so that I have that power, the power that got you out of the grave to live my life. For you, Jesus, thank you for giving your life on the cross. Thank you that you rose again. Thank you for changing my life today. In Jesus name, God, I thank you for those. For every person who just made that decision, the best decision that changes everything in their life. Thank you, God, that you are for them and you're for every one of us in this room. Every letter that was checked, you are for us. And I thank you that your presence is faithful and that you are faithful. God, I pray that every single one of us is leaving here today convinced. We are convinced. Convinced that you are for us. We celebrate you today, Jesus, and it's in your name that we pray, and everybody that agreed said amen.