4 Ways to Live for Jesus in the End Times | Living in the Last Days: Part 2

Summary

Life.Church with Craig Groeschel

Episode: "4 Ways to Live for Jesus in the End Times"

Living in the Last Days: Part 2 | October 12, 2025

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Overview

In this impactful episode, Lead Pastor Craig Groeschel and his team explore how Christians can live out their faith with urgency and impact during what the Bible calls "the last days." Drawing from Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, the message unpacks four biblical ways to stand strong for Jesus as the world grows darker: speaking boldly, living purely, loving deeply, and enduring faithfully. The episode is both practical and motivational, urging listeners not to retreat or panic, but to press into an active, missional life that makes every moment count.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Tension of the End Times (00:28–03:32)

• The Biblical Landscape: In the last days, people will grow colder, truth will be twisted, and faith will be tested.
  • "How do we live for Jesus when the darkness gets darker? How do we stay faithful to God when we're one day closer to his return than ever before?" — Lead Pastor (00:56)
• Historical Context: The Thessalonian church lived with the expectation of Christ’s imminent return, a perspective the episode encourages modern believers to share.

Four Ways to Live for Jesus in the End Times

1. Speak Boldly (05:11–10:02)

• Summary: Christians are called to declare Christ courageously, even when it’s costly. This boldness is not self-made, but empowered by God.
  • "We dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition." — Quoting Paul, 1 Thessalonians 2:2 (06:22)
  • Example: Paul and Silas shared the gospel after being beaten and imprisoned, underscoring their reliance on God’s help to overcome fear.
  • "It means your conviction is bigger than your fear. Jesus is coming back. And that makes me bold." — Lead Pastor (09:47)
  • Memorable Quote: "You can speak boldly. And how will you do it? You'll do it with the help of our God." — Assistant Pastor (07:59)

2. Live Purely (10:07–13:43)

• Summary: Authentic Christianity seeks God’s approval above people’s approval. In end times, the temptation to compromise grows, but believers are urged to live with integrity.
  • "We're not here trying to please people. We're here to serve God." — Lead Pastor (11:04)
  • Danger: In a culture obsessed with 'likes' and acceptance, it's easy to drift toward people-pleasing and away from God’s call.
  • "The closest we get to the return of Christ, the stronger the resistance is going to be." — Assistant Pastor (12:36)
  • Memorable Analogy: Lifting hands in worship as performance vs. authentic devotion (12:13)

3. Love Deeply (13:48–18:17)

• Summary: The Church is called to more than words—believers are to share their lives and love sacrificially, like a mother caring for her child.
  • "We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well." — Quoting Paul, 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (14:36)
  • Contrasting modern isolation with Paul's model of involved, invested love.
  • Candid reflection on pastoral struggle with emotional boundaries: "Now all of the difficult stuff, it just gets stuck in my heart... It’s not easy, but it’s right." — Lead Pastor (17:12)

4. Endure Faithfully (18:31–22:32)

• Summary: Faithfulness means standing firm under pressure and enduring trials, knowing God equips and sustains believers in every challenge.
  • "For now, we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord." — Quoting Paul, 1 Thessalonians 3:8 (19:03)
  • "When other people compromise, what do you do? You stay consistent." — Assistant Pastor (20:19)
  • Emphasis on ‘battle language’—putting on the armor of God, standing ground despite opposition (Ephesians 6, 21:07).
  • "When the pressure is the greatest, God's presence is the closest." — Assistant Pastor (22:32)

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Application: Four Reflection Questions (23:51–25:34)

Pastor Craig urges listeners to discuss and reflect:

1. Where is God calling me to share my faith, even if it costs me?
2. When do I care more about pleasing people than pleasing God?
3. Who have I kept at a distance God is calling me to love?
4. What trial is God using to strengthen my faith?

"You might ask yourself, who have I kept at a distance that God is calling me to love? … We lose our life, we find it when we serve others. That's when we're greatest." — Lead Pastor (25:03)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If time is short, then every conversation matters and every choice matters and every moment matters. And the good news is that we don’t have to face the last days alone. Jesus is always with us.” — Lead Pastor (02:44)
• “It’s not your wisdom, it’s his wisdom. It’s not you defining truth, it’s his truth. And his truth sets people free.” — Lead Pastor (08:01)
• “The quickest way to forget about what God thinks about you is to obsess about what people think about you.” — Assistant Pastor (12:26)
• “When the world grows colder, our hearts grow warmer. And when other people close their doors, hey, we’re going to open our lives.” — Lead Pastor (18:17)
• “You can’t please everybody, but you can please God. You can’t please them all, but you can please the one who gave it all for you.” — Lead Pastor (12:55)

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Powerful Prayer & Closing Encouragement (25:50–28:23)

• Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonian church: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow… May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy.” — (25:56–26:36)

• The call to action:

  • “What are we going to do in the last days? We’re going to speak boldly, live purely, love deeply, and endure faithfully... Because the time is short and eternity is real and Jesus is coming soon.” — Lead Pastor (27:32–27:40)

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Final Exhortation (28:03–34:07)

• Personal Commitment:

  • Pastor leads in prayer challenging listeners to let go of complacency and invite God to “have your way in me.”
  • An invitation to salvation for those not sure where they stand with God, emphasizing the urgency and hope of giving one’s life to Christ.

• Celebration:

  • "Our king is coming soon and we worship him, give him praise." — Lead Pastor (34:07)

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Summary Table: Four Ways to Live for Jesus in the End Times

| Principle | Scriptural Basis | Application | |-------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | Speak Boldly | 1 Thess. 2:1-2 | Share faith, rely on God’s help, withstand fear | | Live Purely | 1 Thess. 2:4 | Seek God’s approval, resist people-pleasing | | Love Deeply | 1 Thess. 2:7-8, 3:12 | Invest in others, practice selfless love | | Endure Faithfully | 1 Thess. 3:7-8, Eph 6:13 | Stand firm, trust God in trials, put on spiritual armor |

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Practical Takeaway

Now is the time for authentic, all-in, Spirit-empowered faith. As the world darkens, the church’s countercultural love and courage shine brighter.

“When the world grows darker, guess what? The church shines brighter.” — Assistant Pastor (28:03)

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For full connection and community, join a Life Group and dig deeper into these questions with others at Life.Church.

Transcript

[Life Church Host]

Welcome to Life Church. We're so glad you're here. Life Church isn't just something you listen to. It's a place where you can grow and connect. And we want to help you do just that. Visit Life Church PodcastConnect for a quick survey that will let us know more about you and the resources that would help you on your faith journey. Now, here's the message.

[Lead Pastor]

Well, the Bible teaches us that in the last days, three things will happen. Scripture teaches us that people will grow colder. The Bible teaches us that truth will be twisted.

[Assistant Pastor]

And God's word tells us that faith will be tested.

[Lead Pastor]

In the last days. We're going to see that people will grow colder and truth will be twisted.

[Assistant Pastor]

And faith will be tested.

[Lead Pastor]

So it raises the question, how do we live for Jesus when the darkness gets darker? How do we stay faithful to God when we're one day closer to his.

[Assistant Pastor]

Return now than ever before?

[Lead Pastor]

Well, this was the exact tension that.

[Assistant Pastor]

The first century Christians felt in a place called Thessalonica.

[Lead Pastor]

They were a brand new church.

[Assistant Pastor]

They were some believers that had just.

[Lead Pastor]

Come to faith in Jesus and they were meeting together for the first time.

[Assistant Pastor]

And they were completely convinced that they.

[Lead Pastor]

Were living in the last days. And they weren't wrong. Because the Bible teaches us that the last days began at the ascension of Jesus. If you remember, Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. And three days later, by the power of God, God raised Jesus from the dead. And 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. And then God poured out his spirit at Pentecost. And that, the Bible teaches, was the beginning of the last days, which will continue all the way until the time when Jesus returns for the bride, which is his church.

[Assistant Pastor]

So the Thessalonians, they were living like Jesus was coming soon. And so should we. Because every day we are one day closer to his return. So that raises the question, how should we live if we're living in the last?

[Lead Pastor]

Should we panic?

[Assistant Pastor]

Should we hide?

[Lead Pastor]

Should we pull back? Should we travel and live big and eat as much as you possibly can? Because surely the rapture will cancel out calories. Paul answers, and he shows us that in the last days we shouldn't be fearful and we shouldn't be foolish. But God actually calls us to be faithful. Because if time is short, then every conversation matters and every choice matters and every moment matters. And the good news is that we don't have to face the last days alone. Jesus is always with us. And so today we're going to let God's word answer the Question. How will we live for Jesus until he.

[Assistant Pastor]

He returns all of our churches.

[Lead Pastor]

Would you pray with me, God?

[Assistant Pastor]

We ask that you would show us.

[Lead Pastor]

In your word truth that would guide.

[Assistant Pastor]

Us to live for you with a spiritual urgency, believing that our king may return soon. Make us ready and teach us to honor you, God, in all that we do. And all God's people said amen and amen.

[Lead Pastor]

Let's review.

[Assistant Pastor]

In case you missed the previous week, just for context.

[Lead Pastor]

According to Acts chapter 17, we see.

[Assistant Pastor]

How Paul actually visited Thessalonica.

[Lead Pastor]

The Bible teaches us that he preached.

[Assistant Pastor]

There for three Sabbaths. So he was only there for less than a month. And there were some Jews and Greeks.

[Lead Pastor]

That came to faith in Jesus. They were saved.

[Assistant Pastor]

They were born again.

[Lead Pastor]

And there's this brand new baby church. Well, some of the Jewish people that were not converted didn't like Paul and they came after him. They were attacking him.

[Assistant Pastor]

And so Paul escaped by night just to get away.

[Lead Pastor]

He's running out of town. And he left behind these baby Christians and this brand new church. And so his critics started to lie.

[Assistant Pastor]

About Paul and they said, he's not the real deal. He's here for selfish motives.

[Lead Pastor]

You can't trust him.

[Assistant Pastor]

His gospel's not true.

[Lead Pastor]

And Paul was going to remind them. He's kind of defending himself a little bit. He's saying, hey, no, no, I live with integrity. And then he shows them how to live when time is short. And he's gonna teach them four specific things about how they should live and.

[Assistant Pastor]

How we should live if time is short.

[Lead Pastor]

And Paul teaches them four things. He says, you're gonna speak boldly, you're gonna live purely, you're gonna love deeply, and you're gonna endure faithfully. All of our churches, let's say it together online. You can type it in the comment section. How are we gonna live if time is short? We're gonna speak boldly. We're gonna live purely. We're gonna love deeply, we're gonna endure faithfully one more time to make sure everybody's with us, all of our churches together, we're going to speak boldly, live purely, love deeply, and endure faithfully. The first thing Paul teaches us is because time is short, we're gonna speak boldly. We're going to declare Christ even when it costs you. And this is what he said in 1st Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 1. He said, you know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We saw God work. We saw lives change. He said, we had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi. We're going to come back to that. We'd been, we've been mistreated and abused in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God.

[Assistant Pastor]

Now how do they do it?

[Lead Pastor]

Not on their own, but with the help of our God. We dare to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. Paul said, hey, we had previously suffered. When he said that, he was referring to what had happened to them before they visited Thessalonica, back when they were in physical Philippi. And the Bible shows us they weren't coming in refreshed and rested, they were coming in bruised and beaten. Because if you read Acts 16, which is before them reaching Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were arrested. They were stripped, they were beaten with.

[Assistant Pastor]

Rods and they were thrown in prison.

[Lead Pastor]

And so when they say hate, we dare to share the gospel with you.

[Assistant Pastor]

In the middle of strong opposition, they.

[Lead Pastor]

Weren'T talking about their friends, criticizing them.

[Assistant Pastor]

With negative comments on Facebook. Right?

[Lead Pastor]

They weren't talking about someone rolled their.

[Assistant Pastor]

Eyes when I prayed over lunch. They were talking about violent mob rage, life threatening persecution. And so Paul said, we spoke boldly. Now how did we speak boldly? Do you remember what he said? He said, we did it with the help of our God. We spoke boldly.

[Lead Pastor]

How did we do it?

[Assistant Pastor]

We did it with the help of our God.

[Lead Pastor]

And if you don't feel like you're bold for Jesus and you start to realize we're living in the last days, you can speak boldly. And how will you do it?

[Assistant Pastor]

You'll do it with the help of our God.

[Lead Pastor]

It's not going to be in your power. It's his power. It's not your wisdom, it's his wisdom. It's not you defining truth, it's his truth. And his truth sets people free. And some of you, you know what I'm talking about, right? You'll realize you're in front of someone who needs hope and needs help and needs healing through Christ. And so you start to share something or they ask you a question and you, you don't really know what to say.

[Assistant Pastor]

You're like.

[Lead Pastor]

I didn't learn that in.

[Assistant Pastor]

My Bible study today.

[Lead Pastor]

And then you just start talking and all of a sudden it's like a holy spirit missile comes into your brain and you just suddenly have the words to say and they just come out and they're like, wow, that was good. You're like, I know. Where'd that come from? It didn't come from you. You were Bold with the help of our God. And you'll see it sometimes when you pray. You're in. And you're prompted to pray for someone and you say, can I pray for you? And then you realize I'm not very good at praying. I'm not very comfortable. And the next thing you know, you're just praying and God's giving you the words. And then like, you're quoting the Bible and you're like, going, I didn't even know I knew that verse. How'd you do that? Well, you did it with the help of our God. Now remember, when you're bold, in the last days, God's truth is not always popular.

[Assistant Pastor]

But like Paul, we speak boldly for Jesus.

[Lead Pastor]

Even if it costs you friends, even if it costs you your comfort.

[Assistant Pastor]

Now, you're gonna be bold.

[Lead Pastor]

We're gonna be bold for Jesus. But let me be clear.

[Assistant Pastor]

Boldness doesn't mean that you're never afraid. You might be afraid.

[Lead Pastor]

It doesn't mean you're never afraid. It means your conviction is bigger than your fear. Jesus is coming back. And that makes me bold. And how am I bold?

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm bold with the help of our God.

[Lead Pastor]

So in the last days, Paul teaches.

[Assistant Pastor]

Us we're going to speak boldly.

[Lead Pastor]

The second thing we're going to do is he teaches us that we're going to live purely. We're going to live to honor God and not to please people. We're going to live for the approval of God and not for the approval of man. In fact, this is what Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 2, verse 4. He says, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. Now watch what he says. We are not trying to please people, but instead we're trying to please God who tests our heart. You know, we never used flattery.

[Assistant Pastor]

Here's where he's kind of defending himself.

[Lead Pastor]

Because they were criticizing. He said, hey, we never used flattery. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else he's driving at home. We're not here trying to please people. We're here to serve God. Why was he saying this? Because he knew that in the end times, the biggest danger to your faith is, is living for the approval of people. It's so easy. It's easy for me to get sucked into it. Why? Because we want to be liked and we want to be accepted. And so without even knowing it, sometimes we'll know what the right thing to do is according to God's word. But we may go along with the crowd because we don't want them to laugh at us and we don't want to be left out. Or we may know that we should share our faith at work or with our friends at school. And we want to share our faith, but then we don't do it. Why? Because we don't want to make them feel uncomfortable. We don't want them to not like us. We're obsessed sometimes with, what do they think about us? I mean, we'll even, like, go and stage the perfect photo. Not because we're trying to remember the moment, but because we're trying to post something to get likes from people that we don't even know. We're so concerned with what people think. No one would ever do this here, but I've heard about churches where someone might even lift their hands in church. Not because they're actually worshiping, because someone.

[Assistant Pastor]

Else is watching and they want to look like they're worshiping.

[Lead Pastor]

And Paul knew that the quickest way to forget about what God thinks about.

[Assistant Pastor]

You is to obsess about what people think about you.

[Lead Pastor]

Not trying to live for the approval of people, we're trying to live for God. And Jesus tells us that the closer.

[Assistant Pastor]

We get to the return of Christ, the stronger the resistance is going to be.

[Lead Pastor]

Just mark it down.

[Assistant Pastor]

When you step out in faith, the opposition steps in.

[Lead Pastor]

The devil doesn't resist those who aren't moving forward. And when you start getting bold and we start living purely, your spiritual enemy will try to push back. And when he does, I tell myself over and over again, you can't please everybody. You can't please them. I mean, you could please that one, that one, and not that one, and not that one. You can't please everyone. But guess what? You can please God. You can't please everybody, but you can please God. You can't please them all, but you can please the one who gave it all for you. So what do we do? We speak boldly and we live purely. We don't make it.

[Assistant Pastor]

And we.

[Lead Pastor]

We're not playing for likes and we're not chasing applause.

[Assistant Pastor]

The time is short.

[Lead Pastor]

Just like the Thessalonians 2,000 years ago, who were living in the final chapter, living in the last days. We're living in the last days today.

[Assistant Pastor]

The final chapter of God's redemptive plan. So we're going to speak boldly and.

[Lead Pastor]

We'Re going to live purely and we're going to love deeply. We're going to show the love of Jesus and be invested in the Lives of people. Paul says, love deeply. We don't just share the gospel, but we share our lives. We don't just preach on the street corner, but we go into your home.

[Assistant Pastor]

And we show the love of Jesus.

[Lead Pastor]

Paul uses this interesting metaphor in chapter two, verse seven. He says, just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much. We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but.

[Assistant Pastor]

Our lives as well.

[Lead Pastor]

We didn't just preach to you, but we lived with you, we cared for.

[Assistant Pastor]

You, we showed love to you in intimate and deep way, which is kind of opposite of what culture shows us today.

[Lead Pastor]

Because I don't know about where you live, but you can live next to someone, next door to someone, and not.

[Assistant Pastor]

Even know their name.

[Lead Pastor]

And to talk to people, if they call you on the phone, some of you, you'll send it straight to voicemail. Listen to the voicemail and then text them back.

[Assistant Pastor]

Why?

[Lead Pastor]

Keeps you in control. We'll scroll and look at what people.

[Assistant Pastor]

Post, but we may not share our dinner with them. And if we see a post and someone's struggling, we'll stop long enough to give them a prayer emoji.

[Lead Pastor]

There you go, prayer emoji.

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm a Christian. I just loved you, but I don't want to be bothered to step into your pain. And that is not how followers of Jesus live. Certainly not in the last days when time is short. So Paul uses this metaphor of a nursing mother. And I think that's very appropriate because a mom doesn't just, like, feed the baby, here's a bottle or here's a whatever she's nursing, whatever. I'm not even gonna do anything with my hands at this point.

[Lead Pastor]

See? But she gives herself to that baby, right?

[Assistant Pastor]

Her body, her time, her heart, her soul. It's like I'm fully invested.

[Lead Pastor]

Everything I have.

[Assistant Pastor]

The mom says, I give my love to a baby like that, and that's how we're to love people. And I'll tell you a big change that God's done in me in recent years. I had a mentor just when I was starting out as a very young pastor. And he told me, you're gonna come across so much pain in ministry. And it's so true. Someone loses a baby. Someone teenager takes their life. Someone has. I mean, it's like we are only there for the highs and the lows. It's the marriage and the bears. It's the best and the worst. And so there's so many of the worst things My mentor said, you've gotta.

[Lead Pastor]

Learn to feel the pain of the moment.

[Assistant Pastor]

Then you've gotta put it aside in order just to stay healthy. And I took that advice. They'd say, you know, we lost our pregnancy, and I would pray with them.

[Lead Pastor]

And I'd feel it and I'd cry, and then I'd get in the car.

[Assistant Pastor]

And I'd say, okay, put that aside. Now we gotta go home and be a dad. And so I'd learned to kind of put it in a compartment. I don't know how else to describe it, but the longer I've done this, my compartment's just full. There's no more room. And so now all of the difficult stuff, it just gets stuck in my heart. And I recognize that advice I got years ago probably was practically okay. But spiritually, there's actually a better way, and that is just to mourn with people that mourn and rejoice with people that rejoice. And so right now, if I'm talking to you and I tear up in the moment, it's because I feel it. And I still may tear up when I go home. And I'm praying for you at 10:30 that night, because there's no more room in that compartment. It just is all in my heart. And it's not easy, but it's right. Because in the end times, the love of many people will grow cold. And let me just declare for us, for God's people in this church, in his church, not us, not here and not now, not for the people of Jesus.

[Lead Pastor]

When the world grows colder, our hearts for grow warmer. And when other people close their doors, hey, we're going to open our lives and we're going to say, we're just not sharing the gospel.

[Assistant Pastor]

But it's our lives with you.

[Lead Pastor]

We don't just give empty words, but we share our hearts because that's what Jesus did for us. And so in the last days, whenever the world is darker and the world is hurting more, we do. We speak boldly, don't we? And we live purely and we love deeply. And the fourth thing Paul tells us is that we're going to endure faithfully. We're going to endure faithfully and stand firm when the pressure is greatest. We see this in chapter three, verses seven and eight. Paul said, therefore, brothers and sisters, in all of our distress and persecution, remember.

[Assistant Pastor]

What's he talking about?

[Lead Pastor]

They beat us with rods.

[Assistant Pastor]

They left us for dead. They put us in prison. They stripped us down naked. In that kind of persecution, and all.

[Lead Pastor]

Of the physical Pain that we endured. He said, watch this. We were encouraged about you while we were getting beaten and we heard that you're still living for Jesus. That brought us joy. We were encouraged. Why watch? Because of your faith. This is so powerful. He says, for now we really live. Why do we really live? He said, since you are standing firm in the Lord, now we live. Not because you, this baby church that we love, are comfortable. Not because you're successful in the things of this world, not because you little Thessalonica believers, because you're problem free. No, now we live because you, who've been saved by Jesus are standing firm in your faith.

[Assistant Pastor]

And it's not gonna be easy in the last days because we live in a time where what used to be called sin is now celebrated and what used to be honored is now mocked. And so when other people compromise, what do you do? You stay consistent.

[Lead Pastor]

And when culture makes fun of you.

[Assistant Pastor]

You just keep living for Jesus.

[Lead Pastor]

And when the enemy.

[Assistant Pastor]

Attacks, because our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities of this dark world, when your spiritual enemy attacks, you stand firm. You do what Paul said in Ephesians 6:13 when he said, therefore, put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you.

[Lead Pastor]

May be able to do what? You may be able to stand your ground. And after you've done everything else, what do you do? You stand. You put on the full armor of God. You put on the helmet of salvation, you put on the breastplate of righteousness. You put on the shield of faith, you put on the belt of truth. You take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, the living, active, powerful word of God that never, ever returns. Boy, you. You put on the shoes of the gospelness of peace, and you stand your ground. This is battle language. This isn't like I'm just standing in line. No, this is like a soldier braced for battle. Your feet are planted, your shield is raised. You refuse to move. You don't back down. These are the last days. Time is short, and so you're engaged.

[Assistant Pastor]

Fully to make a difference.

[Lead Pastor]

And the good news is, when you stand and you do stand, the good news is you don't stand on your own. Whenever you're weak, Jesus is your strength. Whenever temptation feels strong, what does Jesus do? Jesus gives you a way out. And whenever your enemy attacks, he gives you the faith that is your shield.

[Assistant Pastor]

To quench the fiery darts of the evil one.

[Lead Pastor]

And the good news is when the pressure is greatest.

[Assistant Pastor]

And for many of you, it is right now. In your marriage, it's great. In your house, it's great. In your finances, the pressure's great. In your battle for mental health, your anxiety is out. It's difficult. When the pressure is the greatest, God's presence is the closest. He is a good God that will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He's working in all things to bring about good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Time is short. You guys are making me preach hard. I'm gonna take a drink of water. Is that okay? Anytime you bring your front row friends, you make me preach hard. What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take what we've covered and I'm gonna give you four questions to ask in your life trip. I can't remember, have I told you recently just how important it is to be in a life group? In case I haven't, let me just tell you again that as believers, we are better together.

[Lead Pastor]

Two are better than one.

[Assistant Pastor]

If one falls down, he can't get above it by himself. But another brother comes along and says.

[Lead Pastor]

Hey, I'll help you get up.

[Assistant Pastor]

Two can fight better than one.

[Lead Pastor]

Whenever two or three gather together in.

[Assistant Pastor]

His name, he is there in the midst of them. Iron sharpens iron.

[Lead Pastor]

We do not do battle alone.

[Assistant Pastor]

We come together as the family of.

[Lead Pastor]

God and in the community of God.

[Assistant Pastor]

To seek God, to encourage one another, to serve one another, to sharpen one another, and to pray for one another. In our life groups, we're gonna ask and answer these four questions. These are serious questions. If you go before God prayerfully and answer these questions, think what God might do in you. A reflection of our four points here, four application questions. The first one is, where is God calling me to share my faith, even if it cost me? Let's stop there for a moment. You're working in a place right now and you don't want to make anybody upset. Is God calling you to share your faith there? Family members that you know if today was their last day, they would not spend eternity in heaven. Is God calling you to share your faith there? Question 1. Where is God calling you to share your faith even if it cost you?

[Lead Pastor]

Second question, when do I care more about pleasing people than pleasing God?

[Assistant Pastor]

Is it when you're with your friends, a certain group of people? Is it that you're not standing up for something, you're hiding a truth? What is it? When do I care more about pleasing people than pleasing God? Third question.

[Lead Pastor]

Who have I kept at a distance.

[Assistant Pastor]

That God is calling me to love.

[Lead Pastor]

I want you to just be open.

[Assistant Pastor]

To this because we're in a culture now today that says, protect my time, protect my health. Jesus says, die to yourself and love others. And we're in this whole protect me thing. Actually, we lose our life. We find it when we serve others. That's when we're greatest. You might ask yourself the question, who have I kept at a distance that God is calling me to love? And then finally, we're gonna endure. We're gonna stand strong. What trial is God using to strengthen my faith? The very thing that you think may.

[Lead Pastor]

Be so difficult that you don't want.

[Assistant Pastor]

Maybe the thing that God's using to do something deep to draw you closer to Jesus, to make even a bigger difference in this world. Paul closes out chapter three with a very, very powerful prayer.

[Lead Pastor]

I want to show you this prayer. I want you to feel the love in the prayer, and I want you to feel the power of the Holy.

[Assistant Pastor]

Spirit speaking through his words in this prayer. Verse 12. This is what he says. He says, mate, the Lord, make your love increase. In other words, like. You don't have to, like, stir it up, but the Lord will do it. The Lord will do it. You ask him for it. The Lord will increase your love.

[Lead Pastor]

May the Lord make your love increase.

[Assistant Pastor]

And overflow for each other. In other words, the compartment's too big.

[Lead Pastor]

Now, my heart, it's all in my heart. It's overflowing.

[Assistant Pastor]

May the Lord make your love increase.

[Lead Pastor]

And overflow for each other. May he. May the Lord strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and.

[Assistant Pastor]

Father when our Lord Jesus comes. Time is short, and we don't know the day or the hour that Jesus will return. But we do know that at the.

[Lead Pastor]

Beginning of the ascension of Jesus, from that moment until Jesus comes back, we.

[Assistant Pastor]

Are living in the last days. And the world is darker and getting darker and darker. And the cost is higher and the pressure, it's greater. So now is not the time to play games with your faith. Now is the time to stand strong for Jesus. What are we gonna do in the last days? What are we gonna do? Say it with me. What are we gonna do in the last days? We're going to speak boldly. We're going to live purely.

[Lead Pastor]

We're going to love deeply. We're going to.

[Assistant Pastor]

One more time in the last days?

[Lead Pastor]

We're going to speak boldly for Jesus. We're going to live purely for holiness. We're going to love deeply. And we're going to endure faithfully.

[Assistant Pastor]

Why?

[Lead Pastor]

Because the time is short and eternity is real and Jesus is coming soon. And that's why it's time to live for Jesus now. Not tomorrow, not later, not when you get around to it, but now. This is the moment. This is the moment. So church, be the church.

[Assistant Pastor]

Sharing the good news for the world. And when the world grows darker, guess what? The church shines brighter. Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would do a work in your church, God, to strengthen us.

[Lead Pastor]

To share your.

[Assistant Pastor]

Word, to share our lives, to make a difference in this world.

[Lead Pastor]

Let's pray today.

[Assistant Pastor]

Nobody looking around. I want to talk to those of you that you are a Christian. You know it, you're baptized, you've been in the Word, you're a Christian, but you might find that you're a little bit more complacent. And as we're, as you're listening to this, God is he's building your faith. He may be storing a little bit of boldness in you and you recognize.

[Lead Pastor]

Hey, I want to be on my game.

[Assistant Pastor]

I want to be walking in faith.

[Lead Pastor]

And not by sight.

[Assistant Pastor]

I want to be bold. I want God's words to direct my steps.

[Lead Pastor]

And God is maybe just stirring in you.

[Assistant Pastor]

Maybe he's showing you something that he wants to change. If you would just pray today. Have your way, God, just pray. Have your way, God, have your way in me. Today you are a believer, but you say, God, just have your way in me. Whatever you're doing, do more of it.

[Lead Pastor]

If you pray that today, have your.

[Assistant Pastor]

Way in me, your will, God, in my life. If you pray that today at all of our churches, would you just lift your hand right now, just around the room, say, yes, have your way in me.

[Lead Pastor]

Pray that right now, just where you are.

[Assistant Pastor]

You can type it in the comment section online. You just say, have your way in me. Just take a moment at all of our churches and just pray that God have your way in me. Tell him you want his will in your life. Tell him that you don't want to live for people. You want to live purely for him. Ask him, say, help me be bold. Help me live purely. Help me to share your love. Help me to endure faithfully. And now, God, as your children are praying, we know that you hear every single prayer and your Holy Spirit's working. Do a work in all of our hearts, God, individually and then collectively, that we, your church, would be preparing for your soon coming. Do a work in us. Have your way. Everybody say, have your way. God, have your way in me. We pray. As you keep praying today, I talk to those of you that know that you know that you know that you're a Christian. I want to talk to those of you today that say, yeah, I mean, I might believe in God, and I don't mind coming to church some, but, like, I don't really know that I belong to God. Like, let's just. Let's just assume that tomorrow is your last day. Something happened, Jesus comes back. You get in a car wreck, you have a heart attack. Something, something. Something horrific happens. Tomorrow's your last day. Do you feel ready? And this isn't like a. I'm not trying to manipulate. I'm just asking, like, because it's possible. Tomorrow's not a guarantee for any of us. What would happen if you met God? Would you be ready if you're not sure? I'm gonna tell you right now. I was a churchgoer who wasn't sure. And in my mind, I always thought I needed to do better, try harder, not be so bad and be better. I didn't realize just how clear the Bible was. And the Bible just is very clear, saying that I had sinned against God, that all of us, every single one of us. You've sinned. I've sinned. That means we miss God's mark. And that's why you might worry about where you stand and why you feel guilty. And the truth is, the Bible says we can never be holy enough for God on our own. And that's why the gospel means good news. That God loved you so much that he sent his son, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who was without sin, who died in our place on a cross. He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He took our sins, our shame. He died in our place, and God raised him from the dead. He defeated death, hell, and the grave. Now, so that anyone. And this includes you, it doesn't matter how dark your life is, anyone who calls on the name of Jesus, your sins would be forgiven and you would be saved. You don't have to wonder, where do I stand with God. Because Jesus paid the penalty for your sins. So you could be made right with God today at all of our churches. Those of you online say I don't really know where I stand. Hey, you're not here by accident. Today is the day of your salvation. What are we gonna do? We're gonna step away from our sins. The Bible calls it repent. We repent of our sins, and we surrender to Jesus. And this isn't just Like a get outta hell free card. Like, hey, send me to heaven. No, no, this is a full on. I'm giving you my life. You're not just my savior, you're my Lord. I want to live for you. I want to be empowered by you.

[Lead Pastor]

You have your way in me. I give my life to you.

[Assistant Pastor]

Today you don't know where you stand.

[Lead Pastor]

Guess what?

[Assistant Pastor]

Today is the day that changes. Turn from your sins. Call on Jesus, he'll hear your prayer. He'll make you brand new.

[Lead Pastor]

Today is the day of your salvation.

[Assistant Pastor]

All of our churches online, those who.

[Lead Pastor]

Say, that's me, I'm ready to give my life to him. Yes, Jesus, save me. I give my life to you.

[Assistant Pastor]

Lift your hands high right now. All over the place. Lift them up.

[Lead Pastor]

Praise God for you and you over there. God bless you guys today and all. Oh, come on. Praise God. Today in all of our churches, people saying yes, oh yes, saying Jesus, I call on you. Type in the comment section. I'm surrendering my life to Jesus. Just type that in. I'm surrendering my life to Jesus. And then today, all of you at all of our churches, would you just join your faith and pray with those around you. Nobody prays alone. Pray. Heavenly Father, I give you my life. Jesus, save me.

[Assistant Pastor]

Forgive all my sins. Make me brand new. Fill me with your spirit so I could know you, so I could live your word. So I could show your love. Have your way in me. Your will, not mine. I give you my life. In Jesus name I pray.

[Lead Pastor]

Hey, church, could somebody celebrate big? Our king is coming soon and we worship him, give him praise. Today.

[Life Church Host]

We'Re celebrating with those of you who just made the decision to follow Jesus. Check out the show notes for helpful resources and next steps. Don't forget to take the short survey at Life Church podcast. Connect to tell us more about yourself. We'll see you next time for another encouraging message.