Mark 12:28

All right, well, we're going to stay standing through the mess; that's just how we do it in Florida. No, you can have a seat. It's a joy to be with you guys, and I've been sharing with a few of you that I've met this morning that I was excited to meet you because I have never been to a 7:30 a.m. church gathering. I wanted to see who shows up at 7:30 a.m. We have an 8 a.m., but for some reason, 7:30 just reads differently. You're like, "Wow, that's powerful." So it's great to be with you.

How many of you have been up since four? I have too. If I had a choice, I'd be right here with you. I love the early morning hours. I just wanted to share a few things by way of introduction since we haven't had the opportunity to connect before. I've known your pastor, Pastor Miles, for 20 years. David Guzik is a family friend. My father actually came to your town back in October 1983. He got saved out of the hippie generation, not so much with the SoCal scene; we're from Northwest Florida.

Surfing and skating are a part of our family dynamic. My uncle actually passed away in 2011 out here, surfing in Malibu near County Line. He had a heart attack, and before his head hit the sand, he was in heaven. My uncle Yancey helped popularize the sport of surfing in our area. So if you ever come to Pensacola Beach and wonder, "Are there waves here?" Well, not like you think of waves, where there are clean sets; it's mainly wind-driven. My family owns some surf shops and skate shops, all that kind of stuff.

Long story short, my dad got saved, started going to Bible colleges, and even seminary, but he just couldn't really find a church family to connect with. He attended an AG Bible college and a Baptist seminary, so he was kind of, you know, Karabaptist, I guess you'd say. Through a surf connection, he met Ray Bentley and had like three hours with Ray. Ray said, "You've got an AG and a Baptist background, and you surf. You are Calvary Chapel." My dad was like, "All right, so what do we do?" Ray said, "Just go back, rent a place, and start teaching the Bible."

He goes, "That's it?" Ray replied, "That's it. There's no Dove, there's no Packet." So my dad started what was the first Calvary in Florida back in the early '80s.

I currently serve that church as its lead pastor. I've helped plant other churches and have lived in Santa Barbara for years, which is how I know David. I was a youth pastor there for a number of years, but I love Miles. About two summers ago, he called me kind of out of the blue. We didn't always stay in touch, and he said, "Hey, I'm in Destin." I responded, "I know Destin; I planted a church there." I asked him what he was doing in Destin, and he explained, "Well, there's this sweet couple in our church; they said we could come and just enjoy their condo." I said, "Oh, that's awesome."

He then asked, "Would you like me to teach on Sunday?" I was surprised and replied, "What?" He said, "I don't know why I just said that. I've never actually invited myself to teach at a place." I told him, "Miles, we've known each other for decades; I'd love to have you." This summer, the same thing happened. He called and said, "Hey, I'm in town; would you like me to teach?" I responded, "Yeah, sure, man." I mentioned that I would actually be in his area the following week for some meetings in Southern California. He replied, "Well, I'm going to be in Israel with David." I said, "Well, let me invite myself first." He said, "No, why don't you come?" So that's why I'm here.

It's just a joy to be with you, as I shared earlier. Thank you, thank you. I serve a church called Coastline Calvary Chapel, located in Gulf Breeze, Florida, right near Pensacola. We're a Navy town, and Gulf Breeze is kind of a bedroom community. My wife and I have six kids. I think I have a photo. Yes, here we are. Our kids are Lily, Lucy, Layla, Liam, Leo, and Laney. Did you get that? Lily, Lucy, Layla, Liam, Leo, and Laney.

When we told my dad, "Hey, Dad, we're pregnant. We're having little Laney," who is our little four-year-old, he said, "OK, are you going to go with the whole L thing?" I replied, "It's kind of where we are, you know? That's what we're doing." He said, "All right, I got a name for you. It starts with L." I said, "OK, cool." He continued, "Name this one last. That will be the name for this sixth child." Oh, thanks, Dad. Sticking with the Ls.

But yes, this is really a family of reds, as you're kind of picking up there. It is truly my joy to serve as a husband, as a father, and as a pastor. This role infuses my passion for the message today. If you have your Bibles, I'd like to ask you to open to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12. We're going to look briefly at what I hope is a very familiar passage of Scripture. I think it is, because your mission statement as a church reflects the heartbeat of this passage. It's in Mark, chapter 12, and I'd like to read to you from verses 28 through 31.

I'm going to read from the English Standard Version. I've also got a New Living Translation here. The word-for-word and thought-for-thought translations seem to always be so helpful, as you're hearing both the verba of Scripture and the vox of Scripture. The dynamic and static elements of translation are beneficial in that capacity.

Let me read this to you from the English Standard Version, Mark, chapter 12, verses 28 through 31. I'd like to pray and then share a very simple message about what it looks like to love God completely and others compassionately. I want to unpack this, and I need you to lean into it. We need to understand ourselves correctly, and I'll explain that further.

Mark, chapter 12, verses 28 through 31. If you're there, let me know by saying "love one another," so I can tell if we're okay. The way I like church is for you to talk to me, not to one another, for the next 30 minutes or so.

Verse 28: One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another. Seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."

Father, I just briefly want to say thank you. Thank you so much that You pursue us. Thank you, Lord, that through Your Son we can be forgiven, set free, brought into a family, and have a future that's forevermore. Today, I'm so thankful that You're faithful and that You speak through Your living Word. Thank You for Your church, where we can gather to sing, to pray, to give, to fellowship, and now to learn from Your Word.

Lord, I would just ask very humbly, would You please give me the ability to serve You by serving Your people well in this next half hour that we have together? I believe Your Word is powerful, but I know that the temperature...

The tenderness of our hearts has a lot to do with much of what we're about to do. I just pray for good soil this morning, Lord—hearts that are open and willing to look into Your Word, to listen and learn from it, so that we can be those who learn how to live, love, and lead like You. Lord, bless this time. I pray that I am helpful to Your people, and I pray that in Jesus' name. Amen.

It's kind of like Jesus answers a simple question. If you have kids, grandkids, or you've ever met a kid, you know they have a lot of questions. I love that He breaks down the simplicity of one of life's biggest questions: What's the point? What's the main thing here? What do we need to be about? If it's about glorifying God, what does that look like? I would submit to you this: His answer is very simple. It's ingrained into the fabric of this fellowship: Love God. Love others like you love yourself.

Now, I would say this. When you hear a phrase or even me share at the beginning, what are you talking about? Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and to take up our cross. How many of you would agree with that? Yes, deny ourselves. Christianity is not egocentric; it's Christ-centered. But I want to share this with you. I want to submit this to you this morning at 7:30 to kind of have your mind sharp. If I don't see myself the way God sees me in Christ, if I don't understand my worth in Christ, I've got to share this with you: my attempts to love others, to live well, or even to lead well fall flat every day and twice on Sunday.

I don't know if you've ever read the book by Henry Blackaby, a popular book back in the '80s and '90s, titled "Experiencing God." Has anyone ever read that or gone through the Bible study program? He mentions this dynamic that you've heard before: that Christianity is not about religion; it's about relationship. I love how he qualifies this, though. It's about a love relationship with God. You can have a formal relationship—"How are you? Nice to meet you. How are you, sir?"—but there's a tension of relation and connection there. What Blackaby would say is that it's about something much deeper.

What I think Jesus is highlighting here for us is that the temperature of the relationship matters. If you can't say, "I know that God loves me," then you need to reflect on that. I know what it's like to be lost. I know what it's like to wake up and feel sad, wondering, "Why am I still here?" I remember those mornings. Now, 25 years later, I wake up and say, "God, you've forgiven me. I'm not guilty. I'm forgiven. I'm free." There are actually people, in Jesus' name, who like me. I'm part of a family. I have a lot of family, but I also have focus because I have a unique function to play in that family of God. The future that lies before me fortifies my heart and soul.

Perhaps you're picking up on my addiction to alliteration; it's part of my dynamic. So, I'm sorry for the next half hour, as that's what you're going to experience. The love relationship is crucial. This is what Blackaby would say, and this is why I referenced it this morning. He said, "Listen, listen, listen." If you can't say, "I know that God loves me," then you need to stop and do whatever you need to do to entreat the Holy Spirit to meet you in a place where you understand that the love of God is shed abroad in your heart. Because that's what changes the world. Loved people change the world. Loved people know who they are in Christ.

I want to share this with you this morning as we get into God's Word. In my life, here's what I've observed: when love gets out of order, life falls out of alignment. I don't know who I am in Christ, and I don't understand that it's about simply loving Him and simply loving others. But when we start with God and allow His love to flow through us, everything else begins to align. That's why Jesus simplifies the whole of life and faith down to this one commandment: love. Love God completely, love others compassionately, and love ourselves correctly.

You know what really helps? It's in black and white and often red. That's what really helps. I love that your church loves the Word of God. I'm so thankful for Pastor David, Miles, Lance, and the whole team at Enduring Word. I love those guys and what they're doing. And here's what I'd like to do today.

In the 26 minutes that we have left, here's what I'd like to do. I want to share with you briefly how these three categories of relationship unpack scripturally. Again, my intention is to offer you 10 T's at the end of our time together—10 T's, things that begin with the letter T, as action items for you to apply in one of these categories. I will give you 10, and I will provide each category, saying, "Hey, listen, there are actually 30 here." I'm not that smart, but I know that 10 times 3 equals 30. If you want 30 items on how to live forward this week, I will give them to you. However, I challenge you to at least take one. One of them will be time, thankfulness, thoughtfulness, tenderness. You see what I'm saying?

This morning, we are called to love God completely, others compassionately, and ourselves correctly. In 25 minutes, I will share with you the 10 ways that I think you can step forward today. So, let's look very quickly at this first one: love God completely.

If you're in Mark chapter 12, please say "love one another" so I know we're still together. You guys are awesome. Mark chapter 12, verse 30. Once again, we've read it, but I also want to read Ephesians 5 to you. Let me read Mark chapter 12: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."

Then in Ephesians, Paul writes to the church in chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. Listen to what he says: "Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself to us as a pleasing aroma to God."

In the 17th century, Blaise Pascal once said that every person has a God-shaped vacuum in their soul. Every person you meet has this sense, in my opinion, which I would call scripture, to be honest with you. God has gone ahead of you in that relationship. He is the one, by the Holy Spirit, who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

And judgment. When you're meeting someone, there is a deep need within them to be reconnected to their Creator. You are the created, and for the created to come alive, you need to be in alignment with the one who created you. I know that's where you are.

Another theologian said it this way: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." Evangelism, conversationally and personally, can be intimidating until you understand the atmosphere you're stepping into. Deep down, there is a heart's cry for eternity in each and every one of us. This cry may be covered in layers of hurt, wounds, and misguided thinking.

Have you ever met people who just think the wrong thoughts? Logic no longer has its place in our culture. However, if you're willing to work with people, have honest conversations, and take it one step at a time, you need to know this: you actually have the high ground. God is working in them.

We can chase distractions, crave approval, run harder, and increase our efforts, but rest will never come. Pastor Greg Laurie puts it this way: "Trying to live without God's love is like trying to drive a car without gas. It just doesn't work." This was before Tesla and the Cybertruck, but you understand the point.

The real issue is this: you need to know that we were designed to be fully known and fully loved. You are never going to find that on the horizontal plane. If you're saying, "For me to be really known and really loved, I'm going to find it in a marriage partner or in a group of people," you're looking in the wrong place. You may see beautiful expressions of love, but if you want that friend who sticks closer than a brother, if you want the satisfaction of your soul, that is found in a personal relationship with God, made possible through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It's encouraged by one another and helped by your marriage partner, but your soulmate is the one who made your soul. That's who it is. If you're looking to anyone else, you will be disappointed.

You're looking to something less, and you're holding them to a standard they can't even fulfill themselves. It's not logical. Listen, you are to love God completely. Why? Because He's the one who pursues. Maybe you know this verse: We love Him because He first loved us. God's love is initiating; He's the one that's pursuing.

I had a pastor who spent a lot of time discipling me named John Corson. I lived in Applegate, Oregon, for a while, and he used to tell me this: "Neil, if you don't sense the love of God in your life, you need to know this. Let me give you a phone illustration. You're the one that hung up. He's still there." So you need to position yourself under the spout where the blessing is pouring out. It's not that He's moved; where are you?

Let me just share this with you. I know this is a lot to say in this moment, but again, the addiction, the alliteration. I'll put it to you this way: salary, status, sex, substance, situation, stuff, and sport. These are all good things. A good salary? How many would say that's a good thing? Yeah, I want a good salary. Nothing wrong with that. A good status? What do I mean by that? That you have a good reputation. You don't know who I am? No, but the reputation's good. That's a good thing.

Sport, in its proper context, is also good. I was talking to a gentleman earlier who's into skateboarding. That's a good thing. Let me share this with you: when you make a good thing a God thing, it robs you of the good thing that God intended it for. See, you're made for the satisfaction of the soul, not mere gratification. Those good things bring gratification. Like watching a football game today? That's going to be great. Do it to the glory of God. Nothing wrong with that.

But if you're like, "Dude, I live for football. It's going to do it for me," I'm telling you, that can't produce what you're hoping it promises. When you take a good thing and make it a God thing, it robs that thing of the good thing that God intended it for. It's meant to bring an element of gratification. Enjoy all things to the glory of God. But where does satisfaction come from? The one who made me. That's where that comes from.

So you can surf or not surf, and you're okay. Most surfers would say, "No, that ain't true, man." I know; I'm from that world. But do you understand what I'm saying? Those things, within their proper context, are meant to be enjoyed.

Enjoyed. But if you want to live well, you need to know that you're loved by God. Stay connected to Him. He's not the one that's moved. See, God's love is initiating.

The second thing, though, is that God's love is intimate. Jeremiah 31:3 says, "I've loved you with an everlasting love." His love is incomparable. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 8:39 tells us that His love is inseparable. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Did you know that? Nothing can separate you from the love of God.

Sin has consequences. You make certain decisions, and there are going to be certain outcomes. That doesn't mean God loves you less. Just get smarter. Read the Bible and obey it. A lot of people would say, "If you just do this, you'll be alright." And hang with God's people.

Warren Wiersbe once said, "Love is not an emotion. It's a decision that leads to devotion." That's what it is. I choose to do this. Another author said, "True spirituality begins with intimacy with God, not activity for God."

Listen, I grew up in church. I'm the son of a church planter. I've planted churches and done different things. It's easy for someone who loves the Lord through service to forget that God is not my employer; He is my Father and my Savior. That's what motivates me to serve Him. You're not God's project; you're His kid.

I don't know if you've had the blessing or opportunity to be around kids or to have children of your own. When they're your kids, nothing's going to change how I feel about you. Now, I might feel a certain way about you if you make some choices, but I still love you. God's love is inseparable. It's inseparable.

What does it look like to love God completely? This is what I would say: I'm not saying perfectly; there's no such thing. I'm saying with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. We'll break that down. Again, I'll just give you some alliteration. Heart and soul represent affections, mind represents attention, and strength represents activity. Your time and your talents reflect this.

What you really treasure is important. This is what I love about it. Some of us are not musically inclined. Some of us are not orators or designers. We may not fit the typical mold of someone in ministry. However, you can choose today to pray, to read your Bible, and to forgive.

What would Escondido look like if those who have the grit to show up at 7:30 AM had that same kind of grit to forgive? What if they had the same determination to simply be believers right where they are? That is how you change the world—one person, one decision, one day at a time. You can do that alongside the best of them.

I want to share this with you: that is the race that God has given you to run. You are not in competition with anyone else other than what is right in front of that mirror. God gives you the grace through His Spirit to run your race well. I don’t care if you are 44 or 104; you have purpose for today. You only get one shot at Sunday, October 12, 2025. It is not coming around again. Your morning is almost done, your afternoon is coming for you, and then it’s over.

Rest well. Connect well. Work well. That is a life well lived. The motivation for that, the heart for that, comes from God. You love me. You love me. That is not something I can give you. I wish it were. I wish we could go out afterwards and find donuts and love in your heart, but it is something that you walk in tandem with God in an open space.

If you have walked with the Lord for a while, you are loving Him through the way you live. I don’t think the will of God is that mysterious. I think it is often pretty simple. Romans 12 says, "Hey, love without hypocrisy." How about this? "As much as it depends on you, be at peace with everyone."

There is a lot to do for today. I am reconnected. Respond not out of guilt or grind, but out of grace. Grace. Chuck used to say, "I am so thankful for Chuck."

Chuck used to say, "Boys, one of the hardest things to do for some is to accept grace gracefully." God, you've been gracious to me; therefore, I will be gracious to them. We start with this reality that God loves us, so we love Him completely.

Now, in the 13 minutes that I have with you, I want to make two more points. First, love others compassionately. I'm going to read Romans chapter 12, verses nine through ten. If you're still there, can you let me know by saying, "Love one another"? You're still awake? Okay, you're here.

Romans chapter 12, verse nine says this: "Do not just pretend to love others." Reading from the New Living Translation, it continues, "Really love them. Hate what is wrong." This means that when there are things that are wrong, you don't just remain silent. That's not love. You speak up. "Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring one another."

There was a season in my life when I served as a kids' pastor and junior high pastor in Santa Barbara. There was a high school pastor there by the name of Gerald; we called him Pastor G. He used to give this fun, silly little high school youth group illustration for this passage that has always stuck with me. He said, "What would it look like to take delight in honoring each other, to almost outdo one another in showing honor?" As it says in 1 Peter, it would look like this: I don't know how many exits are in this building, but I can at least assume that there are three, four, or five. It would look like this: none of us would leave the room from the 7:30 AM service. You know why? Because when it's time to exit, you would go first, and then you would say, "No, no, no, after you." Oh, no, no, no.

Yes, it's a joke, a silly high school youth group illustration. But it's this mindset of excelling at showing honor, showing respect, and showing love. Do you know how far that goes in building connections when you just respect people? Not disrespect them, but simply respect them.

And again, I've got these little silly one-liners, so I'll share another one with you. Everyone is flawed and odd. Everyone. Churches are like cereal, right? Fruits, flakes, and nuts. We all get together. That's what people say. Everyone is flawed and odd—every one of us. But if you can't give them a nod of respect, you're in the wrong. Why? Flawed. Odd. Nod. God. This is what I mean by that: everyone is flawed and odd.

But if you can't give them a nod of respect, you're wrong. Why? Because they're created in the image of God. They have value, dignity, and worth just by being born. I would put it this way: just by being conceived, to be honest with you. If you can't show respect, I understand choices, decisions, and wounds, but if you want to build a bridge, it has to be respect and love. It has to be. Otherwise, maybe you know this book by Dr. Emerson Egerich. You're going to join the crazy cycle if you've ever read that book about marriage. Respect and love.

Paul says in Romans 12 to really love them, even when they frustrate, offend, or drain you. The truth is this: loved people love people. That's how it works. When God fills your heart with love, it overflows. In John 13, Jesus says in verses 34 and 35, "I'm giving you a new commandment. Love each other just as I have loved you." That's huge. So you should love each other. For your love for one another will prove to the world that you're my disciples.

What does the church need? More orators? More musicians? No. It needs love through you. You are God's plan for your specific sphere of influence. There is no other. Every heart is either the mission field or a missionary. There is no other. You have been sent right where you are. I know it's hard to see, especially if you're from here. You might think, "Oh no, this is home." But don't read your Bible that way. Home is coming for you. This is where you're pitching a tent, and it's wearing out. There are distractions; bells are ringing. That's how life is.

But you need to know that, as John records for us in chapter 20, verse 21, Jesus says, "As the Father sent me, so I send you." Did you wake up this morning? No, I've been sent to Escondido to love well with truth and respect, to love others compassionately as I'm sharing this title. What does that mean? It means Jesus, when he didn't cling to a title, wore a towel.

He stooped down. Do you know whose feet he washed? Peter's. What was Peter about to do? I don't know that guy. I don't know that guy. I don't know that guy. And Jesus said, "Hey, come here. Before all that happens, before all that happens, let me take the lowest position of all. Let go of the title and pick up a towel and wash your stinking feet."

What does it look like to love others compassionately? It means you're called to serve. It's one of the freest places to be—to be a servant and to be under authority. It's one of the freest places to be, the right authority, the authority of God. Choosing to stoop, not to stand over; choosing a towel, not a title—it's being present, being patient, not distracted or defensive.

Love is a lot like motor oil. It's kind of in the background, behind the scenes, but you know when it's not there. Why? Because everything kind of grinds. Something's wrong. There's no love there. But with it, even friction is manageable. When things have enough viscosity, like the right level, you're like, "Hey, it's working." Love covers a multitude of sins.

I get it. Trust me, when you hear the word "church hurt," I don't know anyone who carries more church hurt—not the one that leaves, but the one who leads. When you have to lead through stuff that's hard and still show up, trust me, you carry hurts, wounds, and scars just like everybody else. But I get it—what he did or what she said, how can you? But Jesus would say this: "I paid for that. You've got to let me take that. You've got to stop carrying that because it's killing you from the inside out."

Someone once told me, "Neil, if the sins of others can't be washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ in your eyes, what makes you think yours are?" Yeah, well, you got me there, man. Forgiveness is the way forward. That's what it looks like to love others compassionately.

Does anyone here deserve grace? Mercy? Why is it that we want justice for others and mercy and grace for ourselves? Let vengeance belong to God. He'll take care of it.

I'm not talking about approving of things. I'm talking about not holding those things against someone, but trusting it to God. Love others compassionately.

I just want to move quickly to the last point: love ourselves correctly. What do I mean by that? I'm going to read two passages to you: Romans 12, verse 3, and Ephesians 2, verse 10. I want you to hold them in juxtaposition to one another. Don't think you're better than you really are. Don't you love people who think they're better than they really are? Aren't they just the most awesome to hang out with? Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith that God has given us. I get that. Ephesians 2, verse 10 tells us we are God's masterpiece. But also, don't think of yourself more highly than you ought. Hold these in juxtaposition. Hold these in balance.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the things God planned for us long ago. There are like ten sermons in these passages, but I just want to say this: the outside culture would tell you to look within. Pride would say, "The gospel says this." You're not defined by your performance, your past, not even your preferences or your personality. You're defined by the person and the finished work of Jesus Christ. That's how you love yourself correctly.

I want to be extremely clear on this. Someone might say, "Miles, why did you bring that guy who was just preaching pop psychology? He's talking about loving ourselves." I want to say this very clearly: loving ourselves correctly means seeing ourselves as God sees us. That's what I'm saying. I'm giving you a catchy way to remember it, but I'm just basically saying this: know your identity in Christ. Know who you are. Romans 12, verse 3 tells us to know who you are.

But then also, don't you know who you are? You're God's masterpiece. He is working a story in your life. You're just too close to it. If you could just step back a little bit and look through the lens of God's faithfulness over the last 25 years, 10 years, 1 year, and 30 days—not through the lens of shoulda, woulda, coulda, but through the lens of God's faithfulness—it will cause you to dream again of what the next 30 days, 1 year, and 10 and 25 years could look like if the Lord should give. Look at it through the lens of faith, not finance.

One guy that discipled me said this:

Neil, I don't think you have a dream for today. I was like, "Yeah, what are you talking about, man? I'm not some pop psychology dude." Now listen, Neil, when you stop dreaming, that's when you start dying. If you can't see the faithfulness of God in your life, how could you get up today and be thankful, passionate, and just excited about what's in front of you? The better you know your past correctly, the better you'll know how to live today rightly.

God's faithfulness is key. Here's the beautiful thing: loving ourselves correctly is not worm theology. It's not about thinking, "I'm worthless. I'm no good. I never do anything right." If the guy plays bass well, it's okay to tell him that. It's not worm theology. It's also not pride theology, where you think, "I got this. I'm the guy. You guys are lucky to have me." There's balance there. Grace holds dignity and depravity together.

The thing is this: you're more sinful than you realize and more beloved than you could ever imagine. You're God's workmanship. However, we live in a world where culture and family expectations are a little bit like a funhouse mirror. Have you ever been to a funhouse mirror? I took my boys to an air museum the other day. I had some friends from Santa Barbara in town. There are amazing things there—this is the thing that flew over here, and this is the thing that went into outer space. And then there's a funhouse mirror. As a nine-year-old, I get it, but it distorts the image. "Oh, look. I'm this. I'm that."

See, all of us have CBS in common: you were conceived, you were born, and you were shaped immediately. Everyone in this room and on stage has been shaped by the family you were born into, the culture around you, and the stories you were sold. You're not a free thinker like you think you are, and neither am I. Everything around us has contributed to the way, the why, and the how we think.

But then some of us have this in common: ABC. We admit that we're sinners. We believe in Christ and confess Him as Lord. Then we become NBC—Newborn Creations. We're on a path of discovery, right? We discover more of who God is, discern how He's wired and gifted us, and begin to disciple under Him as the King. Then we develop and we deploy, and one day we'll depart.

That's what many of us have in common. Loving ourselves correctly is simply saying, "God, You know me. You know me better than I know me."

But here's the last thing I want to share with you before we close. Did you know that you talk to yourself more than anyone else talks to you? The best thing to talk to yourself about is the truth. You're probably your most prominent counselor, so I would encourage you to tell yourself the truth. It'll help today.

Now, here's where I promised to leave you. I think I'm going to put it up on the screen. I don't know if you guys have it or not, but you're not going to be able to see that. So here's what you should do: take a photo of it or something like that. The guys in the back have a copy of the notes. Everything I just said is word for word written in a manuscript. If you're thinking, "Oh, I liked it, but there were too many alliterations or too many weird statements. I can't even remember everything," it's okay. It's all written down.

I want to challenge you in your time, in your treasure, in your training, in your tools, and in your thoughtfulness. Consider the way that you're tough, the way that you're tender, and the way that you're thankful. Get a napkin real quick and write these down because I think they apply to the way that we can move forward in how we live our lives.

So I want to challenge you with this: love God completely, love others compassionately, and love ourselves correctly. You might be thinking, "Yep, great sermon person. How?" Here's how.

In your time with God, slow down tomorrow and be still in His presence. Try that for six days. Come back on Sunday and give a report to your pastor. Say, "Hey, over the last six days, I just allowed there to be quiet. You know how rare that is? There's always ambient noise. I was just still. I think I know He's God. I think there's a Bible verse for that."

Now, let's apply it to others compassionately. Live generously. Instead of just getting by, think about how you can live generously this week. There are so many ways for you to move forward in your faith.

And here's the last thing I'll say, because I want to respect your time. Today, I'm responsible to you. I'm not responsible for you.

You will stand before God, not in judgment, because of Christ. But there will be an award ceremony. He will ask, "How did you run? How did you do with the talents I gave you? The treasure, the time. What did you do with that Sunday?"

Listen, this is about a marathon, not a sprint. Oh my goodness, I got a chain. No, no, no. One day at a time. That's how things grow in a healthy way. The tortoise always beats the hare. Trust me.

As a responsibility to you, here’s everything I need to do to set the table for you to love God completely, others compassionately, and yourself correctly. I’m going to give you thirty ways. Just take one of them. Don’t go too fast. Who wants to bake a cake and say, "I didn’t put any milk in it, but here you go"? No, take some time.

Here are some ways. What’s another one? Be thankful. Practice gratitude. Mention in the morning the names of the people that God has placed in your life. Gratitude and thanksgiving are some of the best soil for the fruit of the Spirit to actually grow and bear roots and fruit. You can do that today. You can be thankful. It’s not 100 degrees today, Lord. Thank you.

There’s always something to be thankful for, and you always see what you’re looking for. Always. What I want to share with you is simply this: I hope you do well. I mean, I’m busy just like you. I have six kids and a church in Florida. To be here today is a tremendous privilege. It’s not my right. I don’t deserve anything. But I also don’t want to waste our time. I want you to do well.

I’ve done the best I know how to break it down with one-liners, alliteration, or too much information to just say, "Hey, listen. There’s a way you can take a step." I think every gathering should look a little bit like ESPN: Encouragement, Scripture, Prayer, and Next Steps. Hopefully, this has been an encouraging gathering for you. There’s been Scripture, there’s been prayer, but if there’s not a next step, what are we doing?

You’ve got to move forward. This is about a journey with Jesus; we’ve got to move forward.

This is a way. I'm responsible to you, but not for you. It's your life, and I hope you live it well. I'm doing the best I know how to love God well, love others, and see myself rightly. But I'm just like you. Sometimes I need to do this today because I'm wobbling over here.

As we close, I would like to invite you to stand. I want to pray over you and then give you a dismissal. Hopefully and prayerfully, there has been something today from the time with God's people, time in God's presence, time singing to Him, time praying and giving, and now taking in some donuts and learning from His Word. I hope you would be those who were once lost but now saved, saved and now pastored, pastored and then discipled, and now mobilized. I think that's the function of a church. That's why we're here.

I hope and pray that our time today has helped you listen and learn from the Word so that you can love, live, and lead like Jesus—better today than yesterday.

Father, thank You so much for this church. I'm impressed by them. 7:30 is an amazing time to begin a service. Thank You for them. I pray that You would go before them as they step into their week. My approach and my style might be a little much, but I just pray that there is something there, Lord, that they can grab hold of. I want them to know that they are loved. If they heard nothing else today, I hope they would know, God, how much You love them and that Your love is inseparable. Your love is initiating. Lord, Your love is incomprehensible—just how much You love us.

So I pray that they go out today with their heads up towards heaven, filled with the joy of the Lord, and that Your joy would be their strength. Bless them, bless them, bless them, I pray, in the name that I love and respect and am under Your authority. In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. Amen.