Decide to Live Today (Sermon Only)

Summary

Red Rocks Church Weekend Message: "Decide to Live Today" (Sermon Only)

Date: November 1, 2025
Speaker: Red Rocks Church Pastor (primarily speaker A, with occasional B interjections)
Podcast: Red Rocks Church Weekend Messages
Episode Focus: Encouragement to embrace the present, anchor hope in God’s sovereignty, and overcome anxiety about tomorrow by choosing gratitude and fully living today.

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Overview of the Episode

This powerful sermon invites listeners to reconsider how they approach the challenges, uncertainties, and anxieties surrounding tomorrow. Drawing on Jesus' teaching from Matthew 6 and personal anecdotes, the pastor spotlights the choice to “Decide to Live Today”—underscoring the freedom, peace, and perspective found when we trust God with our tomorrows and fully inhabit the present. The message weaves together biblical wisdom, scientific insights, and real-life stories to inspire gratitude, faith, and purposeful living.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Thoughts: God Knows You’re Here on Purpose

• The pastor welcomes attendees from various campuses, assuring everyone—especially newcomers—that their presence is no accident.

  “God doesn't do coincidence. He did not accidentally make you. Jesus did not accidentally die for you.” (00:35)

2. Scripture Foundation: Jesus on Worry and the Present (Matthew 6)

• Jesus addresses crowds fearful for their future—what they’ll eat, wear, etc.

  “Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously and he will give you everything you need... Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (01:51–02:09)

• The message’s heart: “Decide to Live Today.” (02:23)

3. Clichés & the Speed of Life

• Humorous observations about how quickly children grow and the universal experience of time passing swiftly.

  “The days are long, but the years are short... They grow up so fast.” (05:10–05:24)

• Moment of tender honesty about parenting, aging kids, and life moving too fast.

4. The Root of Our Worry: Fixation on ‘What Ifs’

• The world teaches us to worry about tomorrow—finances, relationships, health, purpose.

  “Worry makes the day so long and it makes the year so fast.” (08:43)

• List of common “what if” fears, from the mundane to the deeply personal:

  “What if I mess up my kids? What if my marriage doesn’t make it... What if I never meet the right person?” (09:28–09:44)

5. Scripture & Science Agree: Energy Follows Awareness

• Our focus (“awareness”) directs our passion, time, and emotions.

  “Whatever gets your attention also gets your energy, if you will.” (10:32)

• The “reticular activating system” in the brain means we find more of whatever we look for, bad or good.
• Challenge to flip the script: “Fear is just faith in the wrong what if.” (11:28, quoting Steven Furtick)
• Practice envisioning positive outcomes:

  “What if you do meet the right person? And what if it’s this week? What if we never get pregnant? What if you do?” (11:56–12:02)

6. Series Context: Kiss the Fire

• The series is about learning to get back up in hardship and live well when life hurts.

  “Every fire comes with a whole set of shiny new what ifs... They steal your peace, joy, and purpose. That’s why you need to decide...to live today.” (12:45–13:23)

7. Jesus Didn’t Forbid Planning—He Forbade Worrying Ahead

• “Don’t worry ahead.” Planning and stewardship are good; obsession is not.
• Obedience today leads to trust for tomorrow:

  “Your obedience today is what leads to trusting God's outcome tomorrow.” (14:30)

8. You’re Not Promised Tomorrow

• James 4:13–14: Life is “like the morning fog...here for a little while and then it’s gone.” (15:20–15:28)
• Anecdote about Pastor Sean’s health diagnosis and his dialogue with his own pastor regarding life’s uncertainties.

  “If I’m not careful, I can spend my whole day focusing on my problem and not actually living life to the full.” (17:00) “Or six months from now, you could get hit by a bus—and then your diagnosis didn’t matter at all.” (17:38)

• The reality that heaven is more real than our tangible world, framing mortality in hope.

9. God Has Already Taken Care of Tomorrow

• Assurance through biblical prophecy: of ~2,500 prophecies, ~2,000 have been fulfilled.

  “He’s taken care of the ending already.” (21:53)

• Allusions to John Lennon:

  “Everything will be okay in the end. So if it’s not okay, then guess what? It’s not the end.” (22:01)

10. Perspective: God’s Bigness & Our Troubles

• Illustration of the universe’s immense scale—the Milky Way, the Earth as a “little blue marble.”

  “Every fire that anybody has ever faced, from every little worry to every world war has taken place on that planet...” (30:31)

• Not to minimize personal pain, but to maximize awareness of God’s power:

  “I’m not trying to minimize what you’re going through. I’m maximizing the God who has overcome the entire world.” (30:48–30:54)

• Scriptural anchoring: God holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). He is already present in our tomorrow.

11. Practical Application: From ‘Someday’ to ‘Today’

• At some point, your “somedays” must become your “todays.” (31:55)
• God’s plans, calling, purpose—they’re not for next week but for today.
• Most effective way to decide to live today: “Get grateful.”

12. The Superpower of Gratitude

• Gratitude helps us see beyond negativity bias and is described as “the fountain of youth for your brain.” (33:44)
• Paul’s exhortation (Philippians 4:8) to fix your thoughts on whatever is true, right, pure, lovely, admirable.

  “Paul’s not telling you to ignore the fire or pretend that it’s not there. He just understands the human proclivity to give our faith to the wrong what ifs. So that’s why he’s trying to shift our attention...” (35:00)

• Practical gratitude exercise: Try listing things for which you’re thankful—“the floodgates of gratitude open.” (36:05)
• Real-life example: Frustration about traffic shifts to gratitude and humility after passing an accident scene, remembering blessings often ignored until they’re at risk of loss.

13. Focus Determines Peace or Fear

• John 16:33: Both “in this world you will have trouble” and “I have overcome the world” are true. It’s about which you choose to focus on.
• Invitation to direct energy, attention, and worship to God and his faithfulness.

14. Living Priorities: “They Aren’t Priorities Until You Prioritize Them”

• A gentle challenge: Our stated priorities only matter if they’re actually lived out.

  “You can say my family's my priority...but if all you think about is work when you're with them...Your priorities aren’t really your priorities until you prioritize them.” (41:21–41:49)

15. Sean’s Story: Fire Refines, Perspective Deepens

• Pastor Sean’s health journey:

  “Life is too short to say no to quality time with the people you love... God is too big and too good for you to worry about tomorrow in a way that causes you to say no to quality time.” (42:00–42:30)

• The challenge: Do you need a crisis to change your perspective, or can you choose today?

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Worry:

  “Every fire is a package deal that comes with the whole set of shiny new what ifs...they steal your peace, joy, and purpose. That’s why you need to decide...to live today.” (12:45–13:23)

• On Heaven’s Reality:

  “Heaven is...not a fairy tale. That is truth. And it’s more real than the chair that you are sitting on right now.” (18:08)

• On God’s Sovereignty:

  “He is outside of space and time...time and space are literally in him. The beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega are anchored. He is so sovereign.” (24:53–25:09)

• On Perspective:

  “I’m not trying to minimize your fires. I’m trying to maximize your God.” (30:48)

• On Gratitude:

  “Nothing will empower you to truly live today like gratitude. It is an absolute superpower...” (33:50)

• On Priorities:

  “Your priorities aren’t really your priorities until you prioritize them.” (41:21)

• On Today:

  “This is the day the Lord has made, so we will rejoice and be glad in it. Not tomorrow. None of us are promised tomorrow. Let Jesus worry about tomorrow. He’s already there.” (44:05)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Welcome & Theme Introduction - 00:03–02:42
• Reading & Reflection on Matthew 6 - 01:14–02:42
• Clichés, Parenting, and How Fast Life Changes - 03:11–08:30
• The Trap of Focusing on What Ifs - 08:30–12:32
• Setting Your Mind: Scripture & Science - 09:52–12:32
• Kiss the Fire Series Context - 12:32–13:23
• Obedience and Trusting God with Tomorrow - 13:27–14:55
• You Are Not Promised Tomorrow - 14:57–18:55
• God’s Track Record & Prophecy - 20:39–22:05
• Perspective: The Universe, God’s Bigness, and Our Problems - 22:09–31:50
• Making Priorities Actionable - 41:21–41:49
• Sean’s Story, Living for Today - 41:49–43:30
• Gratitude as a Superpower - 32:41–38:32
• Closing Challenge and Invitation to Rejoice in Today - 44:05–47:22

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Closing & Invitation

• Final exhortation:

  “So rejoice and be glad in it, regardless of the fire you're facing. You got life to live today. So receive joy and receive peace.” (44:05–44:14)

• Prayer for new faith decisions and for all listeners to find joy and purpose in God’s presence.

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Tone & Style

The sermon is deeply pastoral, alternately warm, humorous, and earnest. The speaker’s transparency, use of personal anecdotes, and hopeful assurance invite the listener to both identify with life’s struggles and rise above them through practical faith and gratitude. The tone is encouraging and filled with conviction, gently challenging listeners to a deeper trust in God and an authentic, present-focused life.

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Summary Takeaway

This message asserts that no matter the anxiety or uncertainty about tomorrow, the act of deciding to fully live today—and do so with gratitude—transforms fires into refining gifts and daily life into an act of worship. God, who exists beyond time, is trustworthy with our tomorrows; our greatest calling is to rejoice, trust, and be truly present today.

Transcript

[A]

Come on, Red Rock Church. Come on. Let's give him the highest praise. He deserves our best. Everything we got to the name of Jesus Christ. There is no other name above that name. Amen, man. You guys ready for church today? Feels good in here. Let's keep this energy going and say hello to every red rocker. Come on, show them some love. Joining us from Denver to Austin to Brussels, all over the world, and of course, the men and women at our correctional facility campuses. We love you so much. Welcome home. And let me just say this to anybody who might be here the first time. You are not crashing this party. You are the guest of honor at this party. We are so grateful that you're here. And what I'm about to say is actually true for every single one of us. God doesn't do coincidence. He did not accidentally make you. Jesus did not accidentally die for you. It's no, no accident that you are here today. So lean in like it's on purpose.

[B]

Like the maker of the heavens and the earth wants to speak directly to you. Amen.

[A]

Because he does. I promise you, if you're able to stay standing with me just for one.

[B]

More moment, I want to read for us the life changing words of Jesus from Matthew chapter 6. This is known as the Sermon on the Mount.

[A]

And Jesus is speaking to his disciples.

[B]

But then a big crowd starts to gather around. And so he addresses the crowd and.

[A]

He starts to talk to everybody in.

[B]

The crowd about all their fears about the future. Anybody have any of those? Okay.

[A]

And all their worries about tomorrow specifically.

[B]

For them around provision and what they're.

[A]

Going to wear and what they're going to eat.

[B]

And then he says this in verse 32. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. That's interesting.

[A]

But your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. So seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously and he.

[B]

Will give you everything you need. I'm going to read that one more time. He will give you everything you need. So live today with a sound mind. Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough. For I want to preach a message based out of my favorite chapter in Pastor Sean's book, Kiss the Fire. This message is called Decide to Live today. Decide to live today.

[A]

Let's pray. God, we love you so much.

[B]

Thank you for your word. Would you help us to let tomorrow worry about itself? Would you guide us to decide in our hearts to live today? Right here in this moment is where you are. We love you in Jesus name. And everybody said, amen.

[A]

Go ahead and take a seat at every location.

[B]

Decide to live today.

[A]

You know that you're officially kind of getting older when you find yourself starting to say all the cliches that your parents said to you when you were growing up. And not only do you say em, but, like, you really mean em. You know, I've learned a thing or two about cliches. The reason they exist is because they're true. For the most part. Cliches are. Cliches are true. I'll just give you a few. We'll do weather. We'll do cliches about the weather. Hey, if you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait five minutes. Am I right? Yes, you are right. A little annoying, but you are right about that. In Austin, we say this one.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

It's not the heat that gets you, it's the humidity. Every dad in Texas has said that at least one time. It's kind of like a rite of passage. I swear, like when people are tourists in Texas and one tourist says, oh, my gosh, it is. It's so hot out here. It's like dads come out of the woodwork. Like they're coming out from behind bushes. It's like our cliched. Our pins. You know what I mean? And we got our megaphones. Like, it's not the heat that gets you, it's the humidity. And then we feel so, so much purpose.

[B]

Let's just do one more. I've learned.

[A]

Regardless of the country or the culture, if it starts downpouring outside, dads everywhere will go outside, take a deep breath.

[B]

And say, we needed this. And you know what? We did. We needed it.

[A]

Oh, is that the applause of my.

[B]

Lawn, or is that the great cloud of witnesses in heaven?

[A]

Or is it both? Man, you guys are just getting gold.

[B]

Content from me today.

[A]

Oh, to be you, Conrad, on the.

[B]

Receiving end of these jokes must be amazing.

[A]

Well, to be honest with you, in my current stage of life, the cliches that hit home the most are the ones about parenting.

[B]

Here's just a few.

[A]

The days are long, but the years are.

[B]

They're short. Or this one.

[A]

Usually it's said to you when your kid is on hour two of screaming.

[B]

On the airplane, you're gonna miss this.

[A]

You're gonna want this back. You're gonna wish that these days hadn't gone by so fast. And it's that last phrase. Those last few words, I think, are some of the truest words to ever be spoken. Help me finish this. They Grow up so fast. And they really do. They grow up so fast. We were heading as a family just last Friday night to a high school football game in Austin.

[B]

Friday Night Lights. I'm just living my best Austin life right now in Kinsley.

[A]

Our four year old going on 14, was in the car seat, and she had her pink bow in her hair.

[B]

And pink cheerleading T shirt on that she got from the one day camp at the high school for the football game we were going to.

[A]

And I'm looking at her and I'm like, did you just age a year overnight? Just like, ugh, it hurts my heart so much. And my wife Sam turns around and says, kinsley, stop growing. And true story. Kinsley says back to her, mommy, I can't. God is controlling me. To which I said, if God were really controlling you, I think you'd be better at listening. All right. Seems like there's a little bit of God and a lot of Kinsley going on. If God were controlling you, I think you'd be able to tie your shoes in under seven minutes. So we could get anywhere on time. Okay, but what do I know?

[B]

I'm just a pastor.

[A]

God is controlling me. But true story, I used to be the pastor in this lobby, Littleton, in between services. I'd be out there and when kind people, when y' all would come up to me to encourage me and say, pastor, we loved. We love the sermon.

[B]

That was so good.

[A]

Thank you for those words. My immediate gut response would be, it's all God. It's all God. Don't try to build me up. Don't try to compliment me, encourage me. It's all God. Until one person told. But one person said this back to me. Well, it wasn't that good. I mean, that's so good. That's so true. It's like, let's be real, okay? This wasn't chapter six from the Book of Matthew. This wasn't the Sermon on the Mount. I mean, God was in it. But there was a lot of Doug in that sermon as well. It's all God. To quote Kinsley, God is controlling me. But in fairness to her, she's growing and there ain't nothing that she can do about it. I think she's kind of right, at least when it comes to that. God is controlling how fast she grows. But my gosh, why does it have to be so fast? Like, she turns five in just a few weeks, guys. It feels like she was born almost in my car. Eleven minutes after we got to the hospital, at one in the Morning in a pouring rainstorm. Like it feels like that was just yesterday to me, My Uber driver from the airport to here a few hours ago. He has a 30 year old daughter. He says it feels like she was.

[B]

Just three years old.

[A]

If the days are so long, then why does it all happen so fast? And I've been thinking about that. I think my best answer is because the longer we live in this world.

[B]

Where we will have trouble, the more the world conditions us to worry about tomorrow. And our worries about tomorrow keep us from truly living today until you start to just worry all of it away. Worry makes the day so long and it makes the year so fast. And I think back to Jesus talking to that crowd in Matthew chapter six about what they're going to wear and what they're going to eat and all the worries and what ifs about tomorrow. Because for us it's more than just like provision and where we're going to get lunch tomorrow. It's the economy, right? It's the diagnosis. It's what if I can't pay my bills next month?

[A]

What if my marriage doesn't make it.

[B]

Through the season I'm in right now, or I just had another birthday?

[A]

What if I never meet the right person? What if I mess up my kids? What if my kids mess me up? What if the doctor's call isn't good news?

[B]

What if I miss my calling?

[A]

Or I make the wrong decision and I go left but I should have gone right and then I ruin all of God's plans for the rest of my life?

[B]

Like, so here's a thought. Scripture and science both weigh in on this. Energy flows towards your awareness. And I know I say the word energy and it's like the. It's like New Age has kind of hijacked that word. But make no mistake about it, God made energy. And it's at the core of literally everything. Energy follows awareness. What do I mean by awareness?

[A]

The things that you notice, the thoughts.

[B]

That you replay, where your mind just.

[A]

Kind of tends to dwell will determine where your passion and your time and your emotions flow to. So whatever gets your attention also gets.

[B]

Your energy, if you will. That's why Paul says this in Colossians 3. 2.

[A]

Set your minds on things above. It matters where you set your mind that's active, not passive, not on earthly things, but on things above. Set your mind. Which by the way, it's not just like a one and done. You set it and forget it. You kind of have to set it and then like 10 minutes later you Reset it and then later that afternoon, you set it again. And then maybe check it and reset it and set it again. It's like the thermostat in your house in Colorado. Because the weather changes every five minutes.

[B]

Your life will move in the direction of wherever it is that you set your mind. So that's scripture. Here's science. The reticular activating system in your brain.

[A]

Will filter the world around you based.

[B]

On whatever it is you are paying attention to.

[A]

So if you are giving your attention to all the bad what ifs, then you will find more of them. But if you give. If you set your mind on the good what ifs, and I once heard Pastor Steven Furtick say it this way, because what if works both ways. And fear is really just faith in the wrong what if. What if I never meet the right person? What if you do? And what if it's this week?

[B]

What if we never get pregnant?

[A]

What if you do? And what if it's this month? And if I'm talking to you, just know I pray for you every single day that before you know it, man. What if one day you get more than what you even bargained for?

[B]

What if this?

[A]

Well, what if that the best way to.

[B]

Not worry about tomorrow is to direct your or set your mind towards the right what ifs today? And in this series, Kiss the Fire, which is based on Pastor Sean's new book, we are talking about how to get back up when everything inside of.

[A]

You wants to just give up.

[B]

And how to live really, really well when life really, really hurts. Because in this world, we're gonna have trouble. And Jesus never shied away from that. Those are actually his words.

[A]

So kiss the fire.

[B]

A fire is a challenge or it's a circumstance that's just not going according to plan. And here's what I've learned. Every fire is a package deal that comes with the whole set of shiny new what ifs. The fires of today are usually followed by the what ifs of tomorrow. And what they do is they steal from you. They steal your peace, they steal your joy, and they steal the purpose from beneath your feet. That's why you need to decide. Decide. God has given you the ability to choose. Decide to live today.

[A]

Easier said than done. Of course it is.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But there's a simplicity to it. So let's break it down. If you're going to decide to live today, then first of all, let's talk about tomorrow. Because Jesus didn't say, don't think about tomorrow. He said, don't worry about tomorrow, he didn't say, don't plan ahead. Jesus said, don't worry ahead. And the best way not to worry about finances tomorrow, for instance, is to handle your finances, God's way today. And I'm not trying to get up in your business today. I'm a pastor who is familiar with God's heart around money, because I've learned it both the easy way and the hard way. But could it be the reason you're so worried about money next month is because you are not being obedient with what he's already given you to steward this month. And until you get that revelation, no amount of money is going to change your worries about tomorrow. Think about it this way. Your obedience today is what leads to.

[B]

Trusting God's outcome tomorrow.

[A]

But until he has your obedience, you.

[B]

Can'T really trust that outcome. When he has your obedience today, that is when you can trust him as a Father and begin to rest in his provision and find peace today, even about your tomorrow, which has enough worries of its own.

[A]

And so, first of all, in regards.

[B]

To your tomorrow, number one is this. You are not promised it.

[A]

And I know we all know that.

[B]

But we forget it really fast. You know, we are not promised tomorrow. James 4, 13, and 14 say this.

[A]

Look here, you who say, hey, today or tomorrow, we're going to go to.

[B]

A certain town and then we'll stay.

[A]

There for maybe a year and we'll do business there and maybe make a profit over there.

[B]

And then James says, okay, how do.

[A]

You know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is kind of like the morning fog.

[B]

It's here for a little while and then it's gone.

[A]

I don't know if you've ever thought about this concept, but Pastor Sean has.

[B]

A pastor because everybody needs a pastor, even pastors, probably especially Red Rocks pastors. But that's not news to you. Anyways, a few years ago, when he.

[A]

Was first diagnosed with his degenerative brain.

[B]

Disease that was described as, quote, unquote.

[A]

Incurable, barring a miracle.

[B]

Quick pause.

[A]

Good news for Sean and good news for all of us.

[B]

We have a waymaking God who's in.

[A]

The business of doing just that. And I'm believing with all my heart, with all the faith that I got, that Sean's miracle is coming in Jesus name. In Jesus name. In fact, while I have all your attention, like thousands of us, will you echo this prayer in your heart with me right now? Jesus, we believe that you are the healer. We believe that you are the way Maker. And I Pray for a miracle of.

[B]

Healing for Sean's brain in your powerful name, the name of Jesus Christ. And everybody said, amen. Amen. Amen.

[A]

But a few years ago, he got that diagnosis and he was talking to.

[B]

His pastor, Pastor Chris, about all the what ifs that come with something like that. What if this progresses faster than the doctors think? And what if I can't be that dad playing football with his sons in the front yard? And what if me and Jill can't go on all of our dream trips one day when we retire? Here's a quote from the book.

[A]

If I'm not careful, I can spend my whole day focusing on my problem.

[B]

And not actually living life to the full.

[A]

All my thoughts, all my energy, and all my attention end up going to the.

[B]

And I'll say it this way, the wrong what ifs. Not to add another word into his.

[A]

Book, the wrong what ifs. What about tomorrow? What about next week? What about next month? Pastor Chris, what about six months from now? And. And Pastor Chris's response to him, he just said back to Sean, he said, yeah, any of those are possible. He said, or six months from now, you could get hit by a bus.

[B]

And then your diagnosis didn't matter at all.

[A]

And, I mean, there's something like, ironically, like freeing about that in a. In a really weird way, let's be honest. If you. If you got hit by a bus a month from now, you won't have any more problems. And it's not because you'll be dead. It's actually because you'll be more alive than you have ever been, ever. And you will no longer be in this world where we have all the trouble. And you will forever be with the one who has overcome the entire world doing better than you have ever been. And I'm telling you, that is not just a crutch. Red rocks. To make you feel better about dying one day. Heaven is. And the new heavens and the new earth and Jesus redeeming and making all things new once and for all for the rest of eternity. That's not a fairy tale. That is truth. And it's more real than the chair.

[B]

That you are sitting on right now.

[A]

To live as Christ and to die is gain. That's not just a cliche. It's truth. And if it's truth and we're not guaranteed tomorrow, then decide to live today. For there is not a better way to give the devil a middle finger.

[B]

Than by deciding to live today. Regardless of the fires that come your way. Go skydiving, Rocky Mountain Climbing. See if you can go 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu.

[A]

Those lyrics are so cheesy, but they're so true. Someday I hope you get the chance.

[B]

To live like you're gonna get hit by a bus next month.

[A]

You probably won't.

[B]

You actually won't.

[A]

In Jesus name.

[B]

However, I hope one day you get a chance to live like you could. Because I bet you'd forgive faster and I bet you'd give more generously. I bet you'd spend more time with God. I bet you'd hug your kids longer. I'd bet you FaceTime your parents more. I bet you'd actually get your priorities in the right order. I bet you'd feel deeper and see when you feel your mortality. Don't be afraid to do that. Don't be afraid to, like David said, number my days. Teach me to number my days. Because as you do that, you will sink deeper into the present moment. There's, like, something so ironically grounding about it, and I don't know what your what ifs are. What if I get sick? What if you don't? What if my marriage fails?

[A]

What if it doesn't?

[B]

And what if the hard patch you're going through right now actually makes you guys better and you're great when before it, you were just good? What if I get laid off?

[A]

What if you do? And then God has a better thing lined up for you after that?

[B]

Like, I don't know your what ifs.

[A]

But let me tell you, Red Rocks.

[B]

About what is one more thing about tomorrow.

[A]

Jesus already took care of it, okay? And here I'm excited to preach because I don't know if you know this, but there's roughly 2,500 prophecies in the Bible. Two thousand of them have already been fulfilled. Three hundred of those 2,000 were about the first coming or the birth of Jesus. The 500 remaining prophecies are about the.

[B]

Second coming of Jesus, which could happen.

[A]

Before church is over. Today it could happen at Red Rocks. At Red Rocks on Tuesday night. That would be kind of dope if that happened. Like, you don't know when he's coming back, but when he does, every knee will bow. I'm talking about that moment when every tongue will confess and Satan and all of his little demon minions and all of evil will be locked up into hell for the rest of forever, never to give any of his kids trouble again for the rest of eternity. And you want to know how you can know that Jesus is coming back a second time?

[B]

Because Jesus Came the first time.

[A]

And 2000 prophecies fulfilled should tell us something about God's track record. He doesn't bluff.

[B]

He doesn't lie. He's taken care of the ending already.

[A]

Like John Lennon once said, everything will be okay in the end. So if it's not okay, then guess what?

[B]

It's not the end. Decide to live today.

[A]

You can trust God with the ending.

[B]

Because he created the beginning. So in 2003, it was proven that the universe is expanding. Don't ask me how, but it was proven the universe is expanding.

[A]

So.

[B]

Imagine this is the universe expanding in every single direction at the speed of light. So you and me, our solar system, every galaxy, every star, are right now somewhere inside of this expanding universe, moving in every direction right now at the speed of light. And if that's true, and it is.

[A]

Then let's pause and press, rewind.

[B]

Back in time to when it was a little bit smaller, a little bit smaller, a little bit smaller. 100 years ago, a thousand years ago, depending on what you believe, a million years ago, millions of years ago. Don't get too hung up on the age of the Earth right now. We don't have time. Don't get distracted by this. Just back, back, back, back, back, back to the warning track. By definition, if the universe is expanding, that means the universe once upon a time, had a beginning. The question though is who or what was around before the beginning in order to begin it? And if everything that began to exist must have a cause for its existence and the universe began to exist, then what caused the universe to begin to exists? Because it can't be energy, because that energy would have to have a cause. And it can't be matter or light, because something would have to be around before the matter and the light to begin the matter and the light.

[A]

Something or someone caused or created the universe and was there in the beginning. By definition, whatever that something or someone is, must be outside of space and outside of time, must be immaterial and must be eternal. Now read Colossians 1:17. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Another translation would say, he is before all things, and in him, somebody say, in Him. In him all things hold together. Which means the very beginning of all of space and time. That's not a place God used to be.

[B]

That's a place he is right now.

[A]

And your tomorrow that you worry so much about. That's not a space and time and place that he'll be 24 hours from now.

[B]

That's a place that God is because.

[A]

He is outside of space and time.

[B]

Or, said another way, time and space are literally in him. The beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega are anchored. He is so sovereign.

[A]

He is so in control. And when you ground yourself in his.

[B]

Bigness, you start to sink into the present with more peace. Let him worry about tomorrow. Why? Because he's there already. You decide to live today. I want to give you one more perspective about the fire that you might be facing right now. This is a composite image of our Milky Way galaxy. Louis Giglio would call this our subdivision in the entire universe, if you will. And it is a barred spiral galaxy, if you care. And for the record, God cares. He loves astronomy. He invented it. Talks about it a lot in the scriptures. So this is the Milky Way galaxy. It is 100,000 light years from end to end to end, which means light traveling at 186,000 miles a second for 100,000 years can get across it from end to end. Like, that's crazy.

[A]

So if you believe we got neighbors out there on the other side of our subdivision in the universe.

[B]

And maybe we do. I don't know.

[A]

I've never been there. Okay, but if you wanted to go visit them, then all you gotta do is hop in your spaceship that goes light speed so you can travel 186,000 miles a second. And all you have to do is go that fast for 100,000 years. And you will get to the other side to find out. That's a long road trip. You better pee before we go. Cause we're not stopping once we get on the road. And all the cliche dad said amen.

[B]

Okay, he kind of left me up here, but whatever. And God made that by talking. Psalm 33.

[A]

6.

[B]

The Lord merely spoke. And the heavens were created. He breathed the Word and all the stars were born. Yet still most of my prayers are me counseling him, drawing diagrams for God. Earth to God. I'm not sure you're really seeing this fire that I'm facing right now. So if I could just get your attention and. But you know what? This is called perspective. Which means to put things in their proper place. And perspective leads to worship. Which, once again, grounds you in the present moment because you cannot worship and worry at the same time. I don't know if you noticed that. Maybe that's why, if you've ever walked out of church, you're like, I just feel good.

[A]

I don't know. I don't know why. It's because as long as you're worshiping, you're not worrying. As long as you are worshiping, you're not worrying.

[B]

So if you, by the way, are.

[A]

Thinking right now, I know this. This is. This is like our solar system. I remember doing the puzzle or the coloring page back in elementary school. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus.

[B]

I'm going to say it that way because I still don't know to this.

[A]

Day how adult named it that. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, RIP Pluto.

[B]

Sorry. No, this is not the solar system.

[A]

This is the Milky Way galaxy.

[B]

Catch this. It is one of 200 billion galaxies in the known expanding universe.

[A]

And within this one Galaxy are 100 billion solar systems, one of which is ours.

[B]

Right about there, snuggled between two of the spiral arms in what we call a galactic habitable zone. And Louis Giglio, Pastor Louie Giglio.

[A]

He says nothing should shout to us.

[B]

Louder that we're not the center and.

[A]

We'Re not the point. More than the fact that we're not even at the center of our own subdivision in the entire universe. Because, guys, this is a big LED wall, all right? And I don't know how many like pixels. If LED walls have pixels, I'm not. This is the same LED wall Jesus.

[B]

Used in the Sermon on the Mount, by the way, and we're really lucky to have it.

[A]

However, one pixel is a thousand times.

[B]

Too big for you to even see our solar system.

[A]

But if you zoom in far enough.

[B]

Eventually you'll find one star. It's not the biggest or the baddest, but it is the most perfectly positioned and strangely consistent star that we have ever found. We call it the Sun. And around that sun, orbiting at 67,000 miles per hour, is Earth, our home. And we have not found any other planet that is quite like it. That was taken from Apollo 17 in 1972. And every. Here's what I want you to hear. Every fire. I want you to feel this. Every fire that anybody has ever faced, from every little worry to every world war has taken place on that planet that the astronomy world affectionately calls the little blue marble. Just think about that for a second. I'm not trying to minimize your fires. I'm trying to maximize your God. You understand that?

[A]

Not trying to minimize what you're going through.

[B]

I'm maximizing the God who has overcome the entire world.

[A]

Because this is the world in which we all will have trouble. All the trouble Jesus talked about is happening on that world. That's real. The pain in this room, the fires that everybody in our church is going through, that is so real. I'm just Trying to get our attention onto something that is even more real. The God who created that and all of its surrounding heavens in the entire universe by just speaking. The God who has overcome that world that he is. He knows every star in the universe and he knows every hair on your head. At the exact same time. He is infinitely powerful red rocks. Yet he is intimately aware of you and the fire that you are going through. He cannot be exaggerated in every way. And if that God is for you, then who can be against you?

[B]

You know the answer to that. It's no one.

[A]

No fire.

[B]

He took care of your tomorrow. So with that said, let's talk about today. Because at some point, your some days must become your two days. That's a quote from Sean's book. I didn't make that up. Cause life is happening today. Your calling is today. God's plans are today. We're always talking about next. What is he doing next? Eventually that must become now. Because the God outside of space and time has entered into time right now to intersect with your life. And I really believe the most effective.

[A]

Way to decide to live today, number.

[B]

One, is this to get grateful. Truly, gratitude will get you through any.

[A]

Fire this world throws at you. You talk to people who have really gone through fires in this life and felt deep pain, yet somehow have come out the other side, like, better for it and stronger and more in love with God.

[B]

With stories to tell and a testimony.

[A]

I'm like, I'll let that person speak into my life any day of the week. Especially when that person's talking about the goodness of God and all they have to be grateful for. Harvard Health Publishing says this gratitude is. Is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal.

[B]

With adversity, and build stronger relationships. Dealing with adversity said another way is this facing fires.

[A]

More studies show how daily amounts of.

[B]

Practice gratitude will lead to massive shifts in the rest of your life. Improving mental health, improving physical health.

[A]

Like the science world is now calling.

[B]

Gratitude the fountain of youth for your brain. It is a superpower.

[A]

I don't know if you've ever thought.

[B]

About what superpower you'd have if you could pick one like super strength or invisibility, perhaps, or maybe shooting webs out of your wrists so you can swing from tall buildings and kiss girls upside down. Or to quote Michael Scott, like Jesus Christ had the superpower of flight and could heal leopards. I don't know which one you'd pick. I preached a message about Gratitude a few years ago and I called the message secret superpower. And to this day, it was the most life changing writing experience I've ever had. Writing about gratitude, talking and thinking about gratitude, because nothing will empower you to truly live today like gratitude. It is an absolute superpower because the human bent is something called negativity bias. We're just kind of like born for survival. So we are experts at finding everything that's wrong and everything that could go wrong and designing the worst case scenarios and then giving all of our awareness and attention to it. We even bond over this about what's wrong. Like, I'm upset, I'm mad. Are you mad? Seems like we're all mad. Let's be mad together at everything that's wrong. Gratitude gives you a new way to see the same fire. Paul writes this from a prison cell in Philippians 4. 8. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts. Focus your mind. Set your eyes. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and think about things that are worthy of praise. I love that because Paul's not telling you to ignore the fire or pretend that it's not there. He just understands the human proclivity to give our faith to the wrong what ifs. So that's why he's trying to shift our attention. Paul says, what is there to be grateful for though?

[A]

Because you start thinking about it and start listing it, all of a sudden.

[B]

It'S like the floodgates of gratitude open and you list more and more and more. You should try it sometime in a journal.

[A]

Just start listing little things that you.

[B]

Have to be grateful for and fix your heart upon it. Fix your heart on God and receive a spirit, spirit of praise for the heaviness of the season that you're walking through or the heat of the fire that you are, you're facing. It is a superpower and you could use that if you're facing a fire. Get grateful. Was driving to the airport in Austin really early this morning and traffic came to a dead stop. And I was so frustrated. I was like, of course, like this always happens to, to me just dead stop. I'm like, at five in the morning on a Saturday, I have a flight to catch. And. And when I finally passed the accident was like three fire trucks and three ambulances and seven police cars. And I. There was a stretcher being loaded into the ambulance and I realized somebody on a motorcycle had been hit by a SUV on the highway going like 75 miles an hour. And all of a sudden I started praying. I was like, got him. Sorry. I made this about me. Be with that man in the ambulance in Jesus name, be with his family, be with the first responders and be with the doctors. And something started to like, change in my spirit because bad traffic when you're trying to catch a flight that's not a fire, it's like a little candle flame. And I was not the one who was having the worst day on the highway in Georgetown, Texas this morning. And I realized something that's always true for me and this is always true for you as well. Like in that moment, I almost feel like unworthy to use this as an example. And I so pray that that man is okay. But it's weird because you start, it changes your spirit. You start praying and all of a sudden I start also being grateful for everything that I do have. Because there's like a hundred things right.

[A]

Now that you do have that are right, that tomorrow if you lost them, you'd be the most grateful person in the world if you got them back. Like that is always true. That will, oh, there will always be.

[B]

Things to be great.

[A]

And all of a sudden I was like filled with gratitude for my life. I was filled with gratitude for my wife and for my kids and, and I, I just like, I was thinking again about those words of Jesus in John 16:33 that says this. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. Here's what I want you to notice. All of that's true. The first half and the second half are equally true. You will have trouble in this world and he has overcome the world. So you can take heart, both are true. The question is, which one do you focus on? Which one is your mind and your heart set on? Because the more that I focus on how much I'll have trouble in this world that is fallen and sinful, the more I start to worry about today, tomorrow, and I start to fear for the future and, and all of my, my energy begins to, to kind of flow there and I start to create worst case scenarios and I think about everything that's wrong or could go wrong. However, when I focus on the latter half that he has overcome the world, all of a sudden it's like I don't have time to worry because my imagination is so busy going in the.

[B]

Direction of, of worship.

[A]

All I'm trying to say is there are plenty of things that are wrong.

[B]

But there are also so many things that are right. And I wanted to finish this message this weekend thinking about those things. There are so many things that are right in your life. Yeah, there's fires, there's challenges, there's.

[A]

There's circumstances not going according to plan. Plan.

[B]

But there are so many things that are beautiful and are true and are right and are noble and are worthy of your praise and worthy of your precious attention. Fix your focus on that. The finances that you do have to steward this month.

[A]

The loved ones that are here that.

[B]

You can hug today, that you can FaceTime today.

[A]

Our loved ones in heaven who we will see again. The legs I have today that do work. The lungs I have right now that are breathing. The heart I have that is beating. The football team we have that is 6 and 2, about to be 7 and 2 in Jesus. Name the weather in Denver that is 71 degrees in November. At least for five more minutes. Think about such things.

[B]

Get grateful so that we can do this. Live the fullest life you can today. I've had front row seat to watch Sean do this better than anybody else I've ever seen over the last three years.

[A]

Because if you think about it, like, think about what your priorities are.

[B]

I'm going to reframe and maybe bother you with this sentence, but your priorities aren't really your priorities until you. You prioritize them. So it doesn't matter what you say they are. Like, you can say my family's my priority, but if all you think about is work when you're with them. Or you can say my friends are my priority, but you'll cancel on your friends for work all the time. But when was the last time you canceled on work to go be with a friend? Right?

[A]

Or you could say, God's my priority.

[B]

But if you only go to him when you're desperate or when it's the last resort, I. I've. I've gotten to watch Sean up close. Really, really do this over the last two and a half years. Really, really live for what is most important. And I want to read one more quote from his book. A few years into this diagnosis, I have learned that life is too short to say no to quality time with the people you love. I would also add one more thing. God is too big and too good for you to worry about tomorrow in a way that causes you to say no to quality time with the people that you love. He is the beginning and he is the end. I'm a better dad than I was before getting this diagnosis. I'm a better husband than I was before getting this diagnosis. And I appreciate each day way more than I did before. And now I take advantage of every opportunity I get. Those are beautiful, beautiful words. And my question, I guess, is, do you need a diagnosis to. To live that way? Do you need the fire to get hot enough before you get that kind of perspective, to decide to live the virtual fullest life you can today, to get as grateful as you can today, to let tomorrow worry about tomorrow, and trust in God's bigness and God's goodness to do that today. I'm not even talking about next week. I'm literally talking about this moment. And as we worship in just a.

[A]

Few and as you walk out of church to live to the full today with gratitude in your heart, because Psalm 118:24 says, this is the day that the Lord has made, so we will rejoice as the only response appropriate enough to this is the day God has made, so we will rejoice. That's the verb form of joy. We will rejoice and we will be glad in it. Not tomorrow. None of us are promised tomorrow. Let Jesus worry about tomorrow. He's already there. This is the day the Lord has made.

[B]

So rejoice. Rejoice and be glad in it, regardless of the fire you're facing.

[A]

You got life to live today.

[B]

So receive joy and receive peace. Not because it makes sense with your current circumstance or situation because, but because God is here. And the Spirit of the Lord where that peace and that joy and that purpose are found, is in this room, is in your room. The ground is holy, holy beneath your feet. So receive joy. Red rocks. Walk in peace and walk in purpose and get grateful. Because God is good and God is big. He has anchored the beginning and the end. He is the Alpha and the Omega who holds the universe in his hand and holds your heart in his very hands as well. You can trust his goodness and lean not on your own understanding. But be glad today, regardless of a fire that you're facing and rejoice. That will be your secret superpower that you didn't have before. So whatever fire you face, you can kiss it and walk away whistling. Amen. Hey, Red rocks.

[A]

At every location will you stand.

[B]

And with every head bowed and every eye closed, One question. If you have never received Jesus into your heart and made him your Lord and Savior once again, you are not guaranteed tomorrow. This is the day the Lord has made. Scripture also says this is the day for salvation, for not just your life, but your eternity to change as well. God is not after religion from you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to know him the way he knows you. He wants to do life with you from here all the way into the rest of forever.

[A]

Heaven, then and there, life to the full, here and now. What's the catch? There's not a catch. It's a little bit of your faith and the amazing grace of this God to say, Jesus, would what you did on the cross 2000 years ago Count for my life as well? I'm done doing this the world's way. Let's do this your way. I repent. I make you, my Lord. I make you my savior. I love you and I want to do life with you. And you're making that decision in your heart right now. Love is a decision.

[B]

And if you are spiritual in your.

[A]

Heart making that decision to say yes to God, I want to invite you in this room, in every single one of our rooms, to raise your hand with boldness and raise your hand with confidence.

[B]

There's hands all over the place. I'm guessing there's hands all over every single room.

[A]

God sees you right now. God's been waiting for this moment since before he formed you in your mother's womb. He loves you so much. Let's go. Let Red rocks. We can do better than that. Heaven just got a lot more crowded. Amen. Amen. Amen. God, we love you so much. So much. Thank you for the miracles that just took place right in front of us, for everybody beneath the sound of this prayer. God, would you bless us? Would you keep us? Would you let your face shine upon us? And would our perspective of you as we worship you get a little bit bigger and cause us to sink a little bit deeper into the present moment, into your presence.

[B]

God, we receive your joy. We receive your peace. We receive purpose and a sound mind.

[A]

Let tomorrow worry about itself. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. In Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. Let's worship.