A (7:59)

And.

B (8:00)

And we keep them there in our minds for the rest of their lives. But they're changing just like you're changing. Like the Tim Newton that sits on the front row today is not the Tim Newton that sat on the front row 20 years ago. And like this last week, my youth pastor was in town who now pastors a church in Duluth, Minnesota. And he was like, paul, I remember when you were 14 years old, I got some stories I can tell about you. And I was like, oh gosh. He started telling me these stories. He was like, bro, one time you showed up at my apartment in the early hours of the morning to point your finger in my face to say that you had told your dad that I was playing poker the night before and I got busted because you were a little Pharisee. And I was like, yeah, I was a little. I did like to tattletale on people. I did like to catch people in sin and then go tell my daddy on them. And he was like, bro, I'm so glad you grew out of who that old version was. He said, I loved you as that version. But he said, I, I see you now ministering in the prisons. And I never would have expected little Pharisee Paul as a 14 year old now leading Billy Joe the prisoner ex murderer to Christ. Aren't you thankful God changes you over the years? And the things you thought you would never be doing, you're doing today by you may not be who you want to be, but you're not who you used to be. You're not who. Who people used to see you as, but some people still keep you in that place. So they would put him. I just think these words are so like I was reading that and I was like, who am I putting in a place that God is saying that's not who they are anymore? Some people keep you in a place. Other people take you to a better place. Like the people that are about to meet this guy next. Peter and John are about to meet him in a spot that his friends keep putting him in, but they're about to take him to a better place. You either put people in their old place or. Or you take people to a better place. What kind of Christian are you? Are you the Christian that puts people where they used to be or takes people where they need to be? Peter and John are about to collide with this man who's been put in the same place. And by the way, he's over 40 years old. We know this because in Acts 4, verse 22. It says, the man who got healed. By the way. Spoiler alert. This man's story is about to change. By the way, your story's about to change. Tell that person next to you your story's about to change. It's about to get better. You ain't seen nothing yet. You ain't seen nothing. You might think you got a good story, but I'm telling you, your story's just getting started. So the man who was miraculously healed was over 40 years old. So back up to verse 2. Back up Acts 3, verse 2. Over 40 years old. Which means that Jesus walked past this man. All right, so Peter and John have only been doing ministry at this point now for a year. Since Jesus had ascended to heaven in Acts, chapter three, it had actually been less than a year. It had only been, like, a couple months. You're telling me Jesus walked past this man? Because Jesus walked into this temple, and he flipped tables in this temple. Jesus walked into this temple, and he called it a house of prayer. Jesus walked past this man didn't do anything about his story. Why didn't Jesus heal him? Maybe Jesus knew this story is going to. He was saving some stories for his disciples. He was saving some miracles. In fact, even people didn't understand. When he was late to heal Lazarus, Jesus said, this one's for the glory of God. Jesus is never late, and he's never early. He's right on time. This man's story was all about to change. For over 40 years, he had been sitting and he had been begging. So I just imagine this guy out on the streets begging. Can I borrow that cardboard for a second? I just imagine this guy sitting in the middle of the street, right between, like, the stoplight and the casino with his cardboard. Y' all know what I'm talking about. Can you imagine this for a moment? Have you guys ever seen this before? You know what I'm talking about? Could you spare some change to help me? Alms. Alms for the poor. And when Peter and John in verse three were about to enter into that beautiful gate, he looked up at them and he asked them for money. He asked them for money. He actually didn't look up for them. He just asked them for money. Can you spare some change to help me? Can you spare some change? By the way, never judge a person's life when you don't know their whole story. Too many times we look at someone and we go, oh, my gosh. Why are we. I'm working hard, and I'm taking care of this person and why are they just benefiting off the system? Never judge a man's life when you've never lived a day in his shoes. Why does that girl keep going to the bar? Why is she a stripper? Why did you never judge a woman's life when you don't know her whole story? We don't have room to love people when we judge people. And never judge a book by its cover. Too many times we judge people's stories based on what we see right here and now. When I was in college, I remember I had this class and this professor was talking to me about the power of understanding what it means to walk in a day in another person's shoes. And he said, I want to tell you a story about a man named Chris Gardner. I was like, chris Gardner? Who's Chris Gardner? He said, true story. This man was homeless for over a year with his son. Many times people would walk past him, he spent the night in a bathroom one night and he would line up at the soup kitchen every day. But what people didn't realize who knew that he was homeless, was that he also had an internship. He had an internship at a stock firm in San Francisco. And he would show up at 6:30 in the morning to work as an intern that didn't get paid. As a 32 year old man surrounded by 20 year old guys who grew up as stockbroker kids that were automatically gonna get the job. Some of them were already hired at 20 years old. And Chris Gardner, who was 32 was just trying to make ends meet, take care of a little three year old son who was still in diapers. And he was homeless because his girlfriend left him because she said, you're worthless, you're a piece of trash, Chris. You can't keep a job, you can't do anything. What that girlfriend didn't know and what I didn't know is what my professor began to tell me. Chris Gardner grew up with a biological dad that left before he was even born. And then his mom married a stepdad that was abusive, would physically punch Chris as a little kid and punch his two sisters. And then that same stepdad punched his mom and kept beating her and would get crazy drunk every single night. And Chris remembers when he was 8 years old that his mom tried to burn the house down to try to kill her husband, which was his stepdad, and she was going to kill the kids too. When she burned the house down. They got out of the house and she got arrested, thrown in prison for life and Chris was thrown into the foster care system. Never judge a person's life when you don't know their story. We look at signs, we look at cardboards, and we just write a sentence over somebody's life, but you don't know what led them there. So Chris grew up in the foster care system, and the first person that watched him was his uncle, and his uncle was watching him. And then his uncle drowned in the Mississippi river, and then he was thrown back into the foster care system and was bounced around and moved around till he was a teenager. He went to the Navy, and then after the Navy, he tried to get a job in medical sales, and he was trying to sell stuff, and. And then he starts dating this girl, gets this girl pregnant, has a baby, and now he's 30, and he's not making enough money. She leaves him, and he meets this guy who gives him one break. Sometimes people just need one break. Sometimes people just need one person to notice them, to say, hey, there's more to your story than you think. There's more to your life than it looks like right now. Things are not gonna look like this forever. This is not permanent. Chris, you can get out of this.

A (15:49)

This.

B (15:50)

This one guy gave him a break. Chris said, I see you driving a Ferrari. My professor tells me, he's like, if you want to know more about this story, you can watch the movie. It's called the Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith, who also has a story within a story within a story. Tell the person next to you. We all got stories. And so I went and watched the movie Pursuit of Happiness, and my professor was asking us to write paper about what it looks like to think about walking in someone else's shoes. And so Chris Gardner, the real story, not the pursuit of happiness, the real story is that for over a year, he was homeless, trying to raise this son. And there's this one time where his son was shooting hoops, and he says, dad, I'm going into the NBA someday. Thunder up. Let's go. His dad goes, no, no, son. Your dad, your pops was below average as a basketball player. So that's all you're gonna be, because that's what I was. See, some people put you in a place because they're still in a place. Some people don't want you to change because they haven't changed. They don't see you ever becoming something greater because they haven't become what they wanted to be when they were younger and they gave up trying. And so Chris tells his son, you're gonna be below average, just like Me. And he watches his son. You see this in the movie. Watch his son take the basketball. And Chris says, don't spend a lot of time shooting hoops because you're not going anywhere. Like, this isn't going to be a career for you. You're going to have to find a job. You're going to have to do something else. His son takes the basketball and puts it in the trash can. He's like three years old. And his dad gets this tear in his eye, and he goes, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, son. He comes over, he breaks down in front of his son, and he just starts to crack. I mean, it's like Superman was cracking. He said, your dad was wrong. Son, I want you to know you could become anything you want to be. Don't let anyone put a limit on who you can become. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something, even your own dad. You can do it if you believe in yourself. Well, the. The story goes that finally Chris had this breakthrough at this firm, and he ends up getting hired today. He's a multimillionaire, and he speaks at colleges and high schools and tells people, no matter how dark it looks, you can change. You can get out of it. So this man is asking Peter and John for some spare change. And when Peter and John were about to enter, he asked them for money. And in verse four, Peter looks straight at him, as did John, and he says, look at us. Now, he wasn't saying, look at us like, does it look like we have any money? Because that's what I was thinking. I was like, maybe Peter was like, we're college students. Does it look like we have any money? Look at us. You know, and I've been there before. I just didn't have any money to give people. You know, like, whatever little bit I had was to get a cheesy gordita crunch from my dinner that night at Taco Bell. Let's go look at us. But that's not what Peter meant when Peter said, look at us. This was the kind of man that would always hide behind his sign. He would hide behind his labels. People call you what you've done, but God calls you who you are. People label you based on, oh, she's a stripper. Oh, he's a drug addict. Oh, yeah. She's a dysfunctional woman. Oh, yeah, she's a cheater. Oh, yeah, he's a liar. He's a narcissist. He's a. He's a manipulator. Oh, she's a. And people always love to put labels on us, but God sees past the cardboard labels. God says, look at me. And the man doesn't even want to look at him, because looking at someone in the eyes is a scary thing for someone who's used to hiding behind a sign. But he looks at Peter, and Peter looks him right in the eyes. Not with judgment, not with condemnation, not, I'm better than you. I'm richer than you. You're a fool. You're a loser for ending up on the streets. But Peter looks at him with love and compassion. I almost think Peter wanted to change the sign. Can you hold this for a second, Jordan? I think Peter was looking at that sign and he was saying, nah, not this. Not this. There's temporary things I could do to try to help your problem, but what you really need is for someone to change you. I. I know you're asking for spare change, but what you really need is life change. You've been asking for quick fixes for all your addictions and your problems and your sins and your habits and your paralyzation and your dysfunctions in marriage. But I don't have quick fixes. I don't have silver or gold. Peter says, I don't have the temporary fixes, but I do have something that can change you for good. I have something that can change not just your physical condition, but the more important part. I have something that can change your spiritual condition. I have something that can change you. And so Peter says, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk. And when Peter, can I tell you there is power in the name of Jesus, I'm telling you right now, it's the most powerful name on the planet, in the universe. In the name of Jesus, there is healing, there is hope, there is salvation, there is forgiveness, there is reconciliation, there is restoration. When Peter said, in the name of Jesus, power was released from Peter's words. But I need you to see this for a second. Maritab, can I borrow you for a moment? Maritab is one of the mighty men of God in our church. I need you to play the crippled man for a second. So lay down where they kept you. That's where they put him every single day at the gate. When Peter said these words, I think something inside this man was breaking on him. Something was changing in him, but he didn't know how to activate it. And I love what happens Next in verse 7. This is probably the most important part of this story here, Peter takes him by the hand he doesn't give him a hand out, he gives him a hand up. And he says, get up, my friend, and walk. And when he helped him up. Look at those words. He helped him up. Everybody say he helped him up. Here's what this looks like. When I was battling a moment in my own life where my dad had died and I felt very depressed and discouraged and I almost threw away my life, I needed someone not just to speak a good sermon to me, not just to say, in the name of Jesus, Paul, be free of depression. I needed somebody to walk me into a better mindset. I needed someone to help me up. And I had someone who helped me. And sometimes you help people through discipleship class. Sometimes you help people by sitting with them at the restore class. Sometimes it's helping them by just giving them a job. Giving someone a chance given. Sometimes all people need is just one break in life. Just one moment where somebody says, hey, let me help you change your story. When Peter lifted him up, he helped him to his feet. And when he helped him to his feet, in verse eight, it says all of a sudden. Now, wait, wait, wait. Go to verse 7, verse 7. When he helped him to his feet, instantly the man's feet and his ankles, all it takes is a little bit of help for somebody to get stronger. His feet started getting stronger. I speak this over someone today. Your. Your spirit is getting stronger in this church. Your family's getting stronger in this church. It may not look like it yet, but your story is changing for the better. Your kids are getting stronger. Just getting yourself to church, just bringing your kids to somebody. Say, I'm getting stronger today. When he started getting Stronger in verse 8, by the time the strength reached, he jumped to his feet. Go ahead, maritime, give it a jump. Yeah, he jumped to his feet. Come on. He collect his heels. Go ahead. Yeah. Boom, right there. Get married to have a big hand. And then. And then the whole temple was watching it. He went with them into the temple courts. He wanted to show his story. He didn't just want to share his story. He wanted to show. I once was lost. I once was lame. I once was blind. I want you to just write this in your notes for a second. I once was fill in the blank, but now I'm filling the blank. All of us have this in our life and maybe it's still being written for you. Maybe you. Maybe your words would be, I am fill in the blank, but I'm about to be fill in the blank. I am battling some fear and some worry, but I'm about to be walking in the peace that passes all understanding. I am dealing with some things in my life, but God is changing me. But God is changing my story. I once was filling the blank. See, all of us have. I'm gonna give you some points today. Number one, we all have a God story. Tell the person next to you, you have a God story. Not just a good story, but a God story. There's good stories and then there's God stories. My kids like to ask me at night, dad, will you tell us a good story? Tell us a good story. Tell us one of your crazy stories. Tell us one of those teenager stories, y'. All. I was telling them a story not too long ago about when I was 16 years old. All I wanted to do was I was going on a missions trip to Peru. We went to the Amazon jungle, and I wanted to reach people. But I wrote down on my bucket list for that mission trip, I just want to get a monkey. I want to buy a monkey and smuggle it back home and grow a monkey in the United States. And y', all, I bought a monkey on that missions trip. It's a crazy story. I don't have time to unpack it today. It's a good story, but it's not a God story. I'll tell you what is a God story, though, from that same trip. On that trip, I was kind of a scoundrel. I was like, I was a punk. I bought a monkey in the marketplace of aquitos in the jungle. My team leaders didn't know I stuck a miniature chimpanzee in my backpack. There was a guy with a trench coat selling fake Rolexes and fake Oakleys. And I was like, yo, you got a monkey. He's like, cinco minutos. He comes back with a live, real monkey. I go, how much? Cuanto cuesta? He goes, vente dinero. I was like, that's a good deal. 20 bucks for a monkey. Done. So I paid 20 bucks, bought a monkey. Anyways, I got in big trouble, almost got kicked off the trip, sent home. There was a person that we reached who reached another person who reached another person. And this last week, I was in Bible College class at Victory Bible College, Victory College. And I'm teaching the second year leadership class in this guy starts laughing. He goes, hey, you remember when you went to Peru? I was like, yeah, I remember going there and buying a monkey. He was like, I was reached on the other side of someone else that you reached. And today I'm a second year student graduated from Victory College. He was at the prison on Friday. Reaching men for Jesus. Come on. That's a God story. Even though the monkey story was kind of a weird story. Tell the person next to you, you have a God story. What is a God story? I remember hearing this song on the radio by Ann Wilson. God story. My whole life is a God story. I looked up her story. I was like, why is Ann Wilson's whole life a God story? And she said, I lost my brother and it almost killed my faith because he was really young and it hurt our family and it pulled us out of church for a little bit. But by the mercy and grace of God, we. We found our way through the grief, through the hurt, through the depression, through the loneliness, through the. The sadness of losing my brother at a young age. And she sings this song, this testimony. My whole life is a God story. Which leads me to number two. Number two, your story is significant. Her whole life is a God story because she understands her story is significant. Her story matters not because it's better than someone else's story, but because it's her story. Your story is significant because it's your. Your story. It may not be the same as Ginger's. Maybe you didn't come out of drugs. Maybe you didn't come out of alcohol. Maybe you weren't the bartender in Tulsa that got set free. Maybe you weren't, you know, the guy that we reached in prison this last week, Billy Joe. But you're so. Maybe you grew up in church your whole life and maybe your mom was the. The Sunday school teacher and your dad was the pastor. And maybe you knew Jesus as a little kid, but as you got older, you didn't have a personal relationship relationship with Jesus. You were riding on the coattails of your parents relationship until you were 16 or 17 or 18. And at some moment in your life, you called on Jesus and you met him for yourself. Your story is significant not because it has all the crazy details of someone else's story. It's significant because it points to Jesus. It's significant because it can bring glory to God. It's significant because it reveals God's character. Number three, your story story is better than you think. You know what I love about this man's story? He can't stop talking about it. Literally. He's running through the temple. He's like, look. Look at what God's done. You know, he's dancing, he's hopping, and I think he's hopping and skipping and dancing because he's doing the thing he always wanted to do when he was a kid. I think he's finding the kid that he never got to be because he couldn't walk as a kid, he couldn't skip as a kid. He was watching his friends skip and hop and jump and play sports. He was watching his friends find jobs and get married and have kids. And here he is as a teenager, can't run as a kid, can't even get on a swing set, can't play four square, can't do the hacky sack with his friends. And then as a young adult, his friends are getting jobs. And here he is, homeless, sitting outside of the gate, beautiful. And then as a 30 year old, he's watching some of his friends get married and, and have their second kid and their third kid and buy a house. And for the first time as a 43, 44 year old man, he can run. And he just can't stop talking about it because his story is so good. And let me tell you, today, your story is better than you think. Someone came up to me and they said, how come you don't tell that Master key story that much? I said, well, I told it a lot in the past. I just figured people were bored with it. And they said, well, Joel Osteen's been telling that story for like five different times in the last couple years. I was like, what? They're like, joel heard your story about the master key and he's been preaching it at his church more than you're preaching it. And I was like, he's preaching my story. And they were like, yeah, I've heard it like five times on his radio podcast. And they're like, paul, your story's better than you think it is. Stop downplaying what God did for you. I was like, well, it's just a master key story. It's a good story. Tell the person next to you, it's a good story. A God story. Number four. Your story redeems your pain. Your story redeems your pain. Why should you share your story? Why does, why, why does it matter to talk about? Because when you share that story, Joseph, of when your brothers betrayed you, sold you as a slave, you went down to Egypt, you worked in Potiphar's house, you were accused by Potiphar's wife as a rapist. Then you spent the next 12 years in prison for a crime you didn't commit, labeled someone that you weren't, that wasn't who you were. But then you got promoted on the other side of all of that pain, Joseph you got promoted, and God fulfilled the dream in your life. So, Joseph, when you tell this story of what God's done for you, there is redemption. Count them on a Cristo. There's redemption for all the pain you've been through. Shawshank. Redemption. A beautiful story. I mean, some of my favorite movies, the beautiful stories in movies that I've seen, they have an arc of, like, a lot of pain, a lot of difficulty, a lot of tension, a lot of, like, looks like this character's not going to make it out. But somehow, Gladiator, somehow he faces in the arena. Somehow, through all of the pain, there is something redemptive about telling your story. Number five. Your story is a weapon against the enemy. Joseph said this. He said what? What you meant for harm, brothers. What the devil meant to destroy me, God did it for. God turned it around for good. Romans 8:28 says, God works all things together for good. Your story is powerful. It redeems the pain you've gone through. Doesn't change the pain you've gone through, but it changes the narrative of the pain. You're no longer the victim. You're no longer saying, I once was the. I once was the victim, but now I'm the victor. Now I'm the overcomer. Now, I've come through some stuff. And revelation, chapter 12 says, we overcome by the blood. Blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony. Your testimony has power against the devil. So here's what the devil does. I need some help for a second. Daniel and Pastor Tim, come over here. These. These are two mighty men of God. Pastor Tim Newton of the Tulsa Dream Center. Pastor Daniel Hinshaw. Daniel worked really hard on the Victory Park. Y' all gotta go enjoy it. In just about 15 minutes, we're going out there. But here's what the. The devil tries to do. Daniel, can you play the devil for a second? You're a nice guy, but the devil will come at you and he'll write all kinds of labels on you. Liar, loser. Cheater. You know you got a bad past. And he'll try to hit you with these accusations. He'll try to remind you you aren't changed. I know the real you. I know the old you, Tim. I remember what you did when you were 16. I got receipts on you, Tim. I got all kinds of receipts on your past. Mistakes. Mistakes. But here's what the blood of the lamb does. The blood of the lamb flips the script. I don't know what's on the back. Just throw it down the Blood of the Lamb flips the script and says, I hear you. I hear your accusations, but let me tell you what Jesus has done for me because he died on the cross. See, the blood of Jesus stands between you and the accuser. So the accuser can keep on trying to circle you, but here's where Jesus just sits, stands in the way. And. And the blood of the lamb and the word of the testimony stops the enemy from trying to get near you. Come on, give these guys a big hand. We're gonna do all kinds of illustrations in this series. Everybody say, your story has power. Your story is a weapon against the enemy. Number six, someone needs your story. Someone needs your story. Someone needs your story. In verse 8, he jumped to his feet. He began to walk. He went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God. The people recognized him as the same man. Hey, hey, hey. You're the same man that we put outside the gate called Beautiful. We put you there because that's where we found you and we've kept you there. So why aren't you there? Why aren't you going back to the drugs and the women and the men? Why aren't you sleeping around? Why aren't you cheating? Why aren't you doing what you used to do? You're the same man, but you got a new story. You're the same person, but you got a fresh testimony. You used to be there. You once were there, but now you're not begging anymore. You're not sitting anymore. You're not. You're not laying there anymore. They were filled with amazement that they saw the same man. Now with a fresh story, people are going to be amazed at what God has done. I remember hearing this song by Brandon Heath back in the day, and the song was I'm not who I was. And I looked up the story behind the song. I always like to know the stories behind the songs. And he said. He tells the story on this YouTube video. He says, my dad. I wish I could show my dad that I'm not who I used to be. And there's this line in the song where he says, I used to be mad at you. I used to be mad at you. I used to blame you. I used to hate you, but I forgive you. I just hope one day you can see that I'm not who I used to be. I'm not who I used to be. When they saw that he had changed verse 11, the man was holding on to Peter and John. He was holding on to them because they were the Ones that introduced him to the power of God. But I love how Peter says, it's not us. Don't hold on to us. All the people were drawn together after this at Solomon's Colonnade. So this brought people together. This brought a whole lot of people together. Number seven, your story strengthens your own faith. Your story doesn't help, just help other people. People. Your story helps you. Your story strengthens your faith. You're reminded, oh, yeah. This ain't my first rodeo. I've been through some stuff God's taken me through. God got me through 10 years ago. He could get me through again. Every time I am facing a difficult moment, I remind myself of the stories of God's faithfulness, God's provision, God's direction, God's protection. And number eight, your story builds. Community builds. Community builds. Look at this. The whole town showed up because of this man's story. All these people started gathering together. Your story connects people to each other and to God. I'll never forget during a season in my life where I was walking through some discouragement, and it wasn't because I'd done anything bad or people had done anything bad to me. I was just feeling very discouraged. And I was invited to a group with men, and it was a circle of men. And I didn't know these men. They didn't know me. It was kind of like this, like, anonymous group. You're like, was this Alcoholics Anonymous? No, it wasn't. You're like, what kind of anonymous group was. Doesn't matter. It's none of your business. Okay, I'm telling you my story. It wasn't anything. It was just anonymous. And so I was in this circle with men, and it was all different ages, all different ethnicities, all different backgrounds. And the leader of the group, this older man named John, he was. Was like, all right, I want each man to share whatever's on your heart to share. No one said a word. It was quiet. It was very cold. Nobody felt connected at all. We didn't know each other. So the leader was like, fine, I'll go first. So he shares a little bit. And then it kind of opens the men's hearts, because stories can open someone's heart. You know, we. We. We might impress people with our strengths, but we connect People connect with people through our weaknesses. Our pain, our. Our struggles, our stories is what opens someone's heart. So then another guy opens up and he starts sharing. He's like, yeah. I remember when I was little, my dad hit me, and he got really Angry and he hit my mom. And then he starts talking about how that affected him as a teenager and then what that led to later on in his life and then where he is today. And men just start crying in this circle. Then another man shares it. And the man, men are like, you went through that. Me too. You went through that. Me, me too. I, I had that same kind of. What? Me too. And all these men who didn't know each other, who didn't have any connection to each other, when one man opened with his story, all of a sudden the words me too started spreading across this circle. This is the beauty and the power of a story that points towards God. Now the world wants to use this story to try to weaponize against all kinds of people, destroying people. But when you use your story to say, can I tell you what God's done in my life, what he's brought me through, what I've faced, and when I almost threw in the towel, it's there that people find hope. They don't just affirm your story, they find freedom through your story. They find strength in your story, they find Jesus through your story. Your story builds community and connection to God. And then here's my last point right here, number nine, final point. Your story, story isn't finished. When Peter saw all the people gathering together, he said, fellow Israelites, why does this story surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if it was our power or our godliness that made this man walk? We are not the reason that this man is walking. Peter starts thinking about his own story. Because this story is a story within a story within a story within a story within a story. All of us are stories within a story. Even the story you have right now is just a story within your whole life story. And the story of victory is a story within a story. And so. And there's stories that make up this church and stories that are in this church that are stories within stories within stories. And Peter backs it up. He goes, let me start talking about some of the early stories that led to this story. The God of Abraham, that's a story. That's a whole series of stories. The God of Isaac, that's another story. The God of Jacob, that was a seven week series, that could have been 70 weeks series. Victory, the God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus. That's the main story. That's the main story. Jesus, you handed Jesus over to be killed. You disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the holy and righteous one and asked that a murderer be released. You. So now Peter's telling another story about Barabbas. That's a whole nother story. We should have got what Barabbas got. But by the grace of God, Jesus took our punishment for our sin. I love what he says in verse 15 right here. This is where I want to end. You killed the author. Every story has an author. And if you're the author of your story, you're in trouble because you got to figure out a way to fix it. But if God is the author of your story, even when they tried to kill the author, you killed the author of life. And this is where a lot of people stop. But I love this part right here because one of the best parts of a story is the comma. Everybody say, don't stop at the comma. The comma is meaning that the sentence isn't over. When a sentence is over, there's a period. But Peter was saying, you tried to kill the author of a really good story. In fact, it was a beautiful story. And you did kill him, comma, comma, everybody say, comma, you did kill him. You didn't just try, you killed him, comma, but. And I love this right here. Don't you love a good but? In the Bible, I'm talking about those moments where the sentence was going one direction and the author changes the direction where he says, but God. Every one of us in this room has a but God, comma, in our life. I speak it over you right now in 2026. There is a comma happening even in your story, in your kids story, in your family story, in the finances of your life, in the career of your life. If you're watching online, I'm speaking to a family specifically for this 9am service. There is a comma, but God moment happen. Stand to your feet all over this place. Because what Peter was trying to say is you tried to do something that was going to end the story. But a beautiful story, a beautiful story always has pain in one moment, conflict in one moment, the pursuit of happiness, all kinds of turmoil. And you're waiting for, like, the. The turnaround in the movie. You're like, count them on A Christian Shawshank redemption, pursuit of happiness. You name the story, the movie. If you go, man, if it's a beautiful movie. There was something in that movie that led you to a place of what's going to happen? What's. Like the. What's. What's the turning point? And it's in that comma where Peter says but God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses to this story. How many? All are witnesses to the grace and the resurrection, life and the comeback power of Jesus Christ. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, Lord, I just pray right now, this week you would help us, God, to recognize we have a story and someone needs to hear it. Lord, I pray that you would help us this week to find people that we can lift up. I pray, God, that you would stir our church up, Lord, to share our story, our testimony. I pray for people in the room that need a but God moment right now in their life. They're facing some stories, they're Christians, they're both believers. But they're facing some chapters in their story where they need a comma, they need a but God moment in their health, in their relationships, in their finances, in their kids and their kids kids. And I pray in Jesus name right now, God, that you would change the outcome, change the direction. God, I want to pray for a few groups of people today. If you're here right now and you need God to write the end of a story, at least the end of a chapter within your story, you need God to change some things. You're handing him the pen and you're saying, God, I need your help. I need your grace, I need your strength, I need your miraculous power to intervene. I need your provision. God, I'm counting on you. I'm believing that you can do anything, that nothing is too difficult for you. If that's you today and you need God's help in your story, I want you to just raise your hand up. I want to pray for people. You're in the middle of a story and you need God's help to write the rest of this story. Secondly, you're here and you have a story, a testimony, but maybe you've not seen the significance of it, the power of it. You've not been sharing it. You've not had the courage to sit down and open up in a connect group or even start a connect group or walk out to Victory park and witness to somebody and tell them what you've walked through. Maybe you've walked through some things that are really hard. You've never told anybody about them. But maybe God's stirring you to have courage to share your story that could help someone else find healing and find reconciliation and find Jesus. And if you're here today and you just need courage to start sharing your story, being a witness more, I want you to raise your hand. I Want to pray for boldness for believers that have a story but you've not been sharing it, you've not been using it as a weapon. You've not been using it to bring other people to Christ. Yeah. Lastly, you're here today and you're saying, paul, I just need Jesus. I need God right now. I need salvation, I need restoration, I need the Holy Ghost. I want everything that God can do in my life. Right now. I am crying out for Jesus. If that's you, just raise your hand. Today is your day. If you raised your hand for any of those, I want you to leave your seat, come and meet us at this altar. We want to pray for miracles, salvations, breakthroughs for God to show up, whatever it is that you need. And we're going to cheer you on. Brave men, brave women, brave moms and dads, sons and daughters. And we're going to stand with you. Come on, this is a new day that you are saying, God, I give you my story. God, I ask you to change my story for your glory. God, I ask you to intervene in this area of my life. If you need help in your finances, if you need help in your health, maybe you've been given a diagnosis by a doctor, maybe you've been told by someone, this is how it's going to end. But today you are believing by faith. God can change it. In Jesus name. Let's just sing for a little bit. Let's worship for a little bit. In Jesus name. God, I just pray, Lord, for your mercy and your grace today. God, I pray, Lord, for your healing. God, I pray, Lord, for your freedom today. God, I thank you that you can turn things around. I thank you, God that you're not finished yet. Lord, I thank you that someone's story today, God, is changing for the better. Lord, I thank you that you're going to get the glory in someone's life that you would change it for your glory. God, I thank you that you're turning things around.

A (46:58)

God, I pray, Lord, for grace. Of me the hour I first believe Come on. See my chains are gone My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior has the ransom me and like a blood his mercy Grace Unending love Amazing grace. Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like before I once was lost but now I found Was blind but now I see Come on. Twas grace Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears really how precious did the grace appear the hour I first believe My chains are gone. I've been set free By God, my Savior has the rent of mercy. Rain. My chains are gone. My chains are gone. I've been set set free. My God, my Savior has raised. His mercy. Raing. Oh, Amazing grace. Oh,

B (49:56)

Jesus.

A (49:56)

You're not done with me yet. Yeah, you're not done with me yet. There's so much more to this story. You're not done with me yet. You're not done with me yet. I know you're not done with me yet.

B (50:21)

I believe it, Lord.

A (50:23)

There's so much more to this story.

B (50:28)

You're not done with me. Just pray this with me. Say Jesus, thank you that you are writing my story. And you're not done with me yet. My best days are right in front of me. I believe in you, Jesus. You died on the cross. You rose from the grave. I repent of my sins. I receive your forgiveness. I confess you as my Lord, my Savior. I'm all yours, God. You're the author and I believe you're writing the story for your glory in my life. In Jesus name, amen. And amen. Come on, give him praise. I love you. God loves you.