Yeah, let's give them a hand. Yeah, I mean, wow the least we can do is serve. I mean we need to put that on a t-shirt how incredible cultivating the fact you're going to give your time and you're going to serve that jeffcoats are amazing people. They're just like you they're busy to little kids and they invite people into their home and they're just doing so much and really they're probably doing some things over in Jones County some other people ought to be doing I can say that since I'm not over there right now and you can't get to me but you like today the worship time one of our worship leaders Grace she had homecoming last night. How many of you remember your homecoming?

Yeah, it's because you don't yeah, I know why you don't remember it. Yeah, and here she is leading worship early in the morning for you because she loves to serve we had one of our guys at military guys who was out sweeping the front. I mean there was it was leaves it kind of had fallen and he was I thought you know, he could kill you with that room. I mean he could like different ways, you know, he could kill you and he's at their sweeping and here's the reality for those folks. They understand that when you come to Faith in Jesus Christ, that's not the end.

That's only the beginning. I mean they understand that like when Christ comes into your life and he gives you the gift of the holy spirit in you that you're to cultivate that and one of the ways you do that is by giving your time and you use your spiritual gifts. Now the reason that's important is because you and I are in a cosmic battle. When Lucifer began to bring up all the like the the evil up Jesus began to bring all of Heaven down. And the fact that he is in you he dwells in you he wants to work through you you're a part of that battle.

So today I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles and open it to Romans chapter 8 and I want to tell you that if you don't know a lot about the Bible and it just give you one little word here that before you come to know Jesus personally now now maybe you were baptized maybe you would confirmed maybe you know, you did whatever else and and you said that made me a Christian what makes you a Christian a follower of the way of Jesus is when you say hey, I'm dead in my sins because I'm only flesh flesh and soul and I'm dead in My Flesh and I need Jesus to come into my life and save me because I'm trusting in what he did on the cross that I couldn't do. He lived a perfect life. Not a perfect death Rose from the third day. You can't do that and he comes to Inside of you, and he gives you a brand new life. And the spirit of God is then in you and then there is a battle and you may not know this.

Okay, but but there's still a battle because even though the spirit of God comes to live in you you still have flesh. You still have appetites. You still have desires. And and there's a civil war if you're not careful because you think oh when I come to know Jesus, I'm me and I'm good. Everything's great.

I'll just kind of go and do what I want to do and most believers. They live a life In the Flesh that does not satisfy them. The reason a lot of people give up on church and they give up on God and they give up on the Bible and they give up on everything else is because they've never understood you've got to cultivate the spirit of God In You by reading your Bible and by praying and by serving and being in community because if you don't do those things guess what you're allowing your flesh to grow and grow and grow and you keep thinking. Well, I'm going to keep doing that. I'm gonna keep doing that.

I'm gonna keep doing this and if you're a Believer, you will never know Joy. And so that's what Paul is talking about in chapter 8 verse 5, you'll more information about what I just said look at last week, but he says those who live according to the flesh get this. They have their minds set on what the flesh desires. But those who live in accordance with the spirit have their mindset on what the spirit desires. The Mind governed by the flesh is death.

That's pretty well. That's just right out there. But the Mind governed by the spirit is life and peace the Mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law nor can it do so and those who are in the realm of the flesh. They can't please God.

You however are not in the realm of the flesh, but you're in the realm of the spirit if indeed the spirit of God lives in you and if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, they don't belong to Christ. So in other words, you know, the spirit of God comes in you when you're saved and if you don't have the spirit of God and you you're not a Christian, you're not a follower of Jesus, you're not a part of the way, but if Christ is in you then then even though your body is subject to death because of sin the spirit gives life because of righteousness. If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you therefore brothers and sisters. We have an obligation, but it's not to the flesh to live according to it for if you live according to the flesh. You will die.

He keeps saying that over and over again, but if by the spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live for those who are led by the spirit of God. Their children of God the spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again, rather the spirit you receive brought about your adoption to sonship and by him we cry Abba Father. In the spirit himself testifies for their spirit that we are God's children. Now if we're his children, then we're heirs and Heirs of God and coheirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings and in his serving in order that we may also share in his glory.

You're like, what does all that mean? Well, I hope you'll write some of this down or at least download her out so that you can get this because this this will save you so much pain. This may save your marriage this may save your kids. This may save you from losing your mind. And this was pretty important.

So here's the first point Paul is making he says focusing on your feelings and desires. Will only hurt you. If you go out you go throughout your life and all you ever do is you think of this is how I feel this is how I feel this how I feel that's what I want. That's what I want. That's what I want.

If you keep focusing on that. Guess what whatever you focus on it grows. So if you're ever focused on is what you don't have guess what you keep growing and seeing all the you don't have. If your identity is found in pleasure or in Comfort or you always have to be in control. Are you always have to look good?

Guess what? That's what's gonna that your identity is going to be in and Paul is saying that's going to kill you. He says there is a struggle going on in your life and you need to understand the quality and direction of your life is determined by your faults. Oh my goodness. You have six to eight to 10,000 thoughts a day.

And as you're thinking the way you're thinking that is controlling the direction of your life. Listen to what Paul says he says if your mind is governed by flesh. You need to understand that you are living a life that is hostile to God. Man, I don't know about. You to come into my head.

I'm like, well, where'd that come from? You ever have thoughts like that. I mean like you see somebody. Whoa, I can't believe I thought that or or something happens, you know. Whoa, you just have this bad thought you what about murdered them right now?

Oh where that you might ever had. That besides me. I'm like, well you had this weird thought. Yeah. Thank you your own 98 and somebody pulls in front of you in the moment.

They pull in front of it. Your first thought is I'm gonna gather this card. I'm gonna murder you. I'm the only one said that on. I'm not but I fight it.

Okay, so I know that's the flesh. Okay, and here is the reality you have to ask yourself. What are you thinking about? What's on your search engine? What drives you?

The other day I pushed the thing on Siri. I'm still learning all that stuff and says, where would you like to go? And you know what I said because I thought you know, you're listening to everything I'm saying. I put something the other day about Uber, you know, just checking over now every commercial I get is about over. They are listening to you and I'm thinking well, why don't you know what I did just where would you like to go?

So won't you tell me girlfriend? Ideas, this is where would you like to go? No, you tell me, you know, you sitting all them algorithms trying to point me in a certain direction. You feed my flesh. Where would you like to go here?

Where would you like to go? You go in the direction of your thoughts. You say well, how do I know if I'm if I'm focused on the flesh where you're always angry. Envious selfish jealous always struggling with addiction You know anxiety is ruling your life. All you think about is more.

I'm gonna tell you I don't know if you live in Hattiesburg. I know we got people that live in the coast and then to live in Laurel and living Wiggins and other places but in Hattiesburg, man, we are driven by the flesh. We were driven by what you look like. It doesn't matter. What's inside you like.

What are you God what which Instagram photo look like and the reality is man that is flesh. And if you are driven by that he says that is going to lead to you being hurt. And many of you that's your story. I mean, you know better than to do some of the things you're doing. I mean, you've been taught better the Holy Spirit has been trying to tell you but you keep saying no to the spirit and yes to your flesh.

He said well, what do I do? Focusing on biblical truth will bring life. You aren't what you feel. Your feelings will lie to you. You aren't who others say you are.

You aren't what you've done in the past. You aren't what has been done to you. If the spirit lives in you, you are a child of God. Now you said well, you know right now I'm looking at p*** right now. I'm I'm doing drugs right now.

Okay, if the spirit is in you you're still a child of God. You're just living In the Flesh and it's destroying you. So Paul says in verse 13 put to death the habits and actions of your flesh. He calls it the misdeeds of the flesh. The things that you're doing you're gonna may not know I shouldn't do that.

It's not that big deal and I mean compared to them. I mean, I'm an amazing. I mean, I'm Gandhi. I mean compared to her. I'm Mother Teresa and you got things in your life that you know, we're just sucking the life out of either they're deflecting all the goodness that you can have in your life all the peace that you can have in your heart.

But but no, you're like no. I'm still gonna do that you so I how do I put to death those things? Well you work hard, but you don't let work Define you If you were working 80 hours a week, I don't care what your excuse is. You're letting your work Define you. Now, I know that hurts a lot of people in this room.

But I'm just going to tell you ain't what you do. And you can work identify you can spend money, but you want to be ruled by it. I mean the Amazon people come to my house every single day now at least she's not in here. So I say this I mean like we give each other high five. I said bro, man, you got to stop coming to my house.

He said why don't you call my wife and I'll call yours. I said, all right. That's your true story. I'm not making that up. I said I said bro.

I see you more than I see anybody. I mean if you're not careful man, it is so easy right now to spend and get you. Oh, that's that's on sale. This is this is save Thursday. If it starts with a letter L.

Are y'all crazy? I mean, okay. I'm sorry. I got to hurry. I didn't mean to get caught up on that you enjoy people but you don't use people.

You want me to use people they're just means to an end. When you're Guided by the spirit you can have hobbies. But they're not your God. And I was watching that LSU, Mississippi State game last night. Okay.

I know I never choose Alabama's in illustration. That's bad. I know that but I was watching this game and man. They were freaking out those people had been there all day long. I mean they had spent thousands of dollars.

They were lit up on the spirit. All right, but it wouldn't the right spirit and I began to look at what was going on. They oh, they're not gonna be a flesh tonight. And I said, what do we do this? Why don't you put up like over here a graph of your hobby the time you spend the amount of time.

You you the money you you're spend and the time you spend and the energy you spend and the thoughts you spend and the dreams you spend and the people you're around and compared to what you're doing for the kingdom of God. You tell me which one's more important. You say well, I bet you never played for you. I was all state, bro. I shot from the parking lot.

I know I'm getting way off. But like I'd like I would step do that step back like Kobe. Don't tell me I know I know I hate kids. But if you're not careful, you will make that your God you say well, how do I know that my mind is on the spirit? I'm working the spirit.

You'll have peace and difficulty. You begin to have patience with ignorant people at work. How many of you work with ignorant people don't raise your hand. Thank you and let you know if they're your boss is here. Don't raise your hand.

Yeah, you work with ignorant pay I'm like, there's something I look like what kind of ignorant is a and God gives me patience to love them and know that they're broken, you know, so the real you manage your temper. I got a bad bad bad bad bad bad bad temper and God's kind of helping we work through that you forgive people and move on you quit bringing it up and bringing it up and bringing it up. So how do you do that? You suit up every day. Listen every day you get up it is a war.

You put on the helmet of salvation. You need to know you're saved. Don't leave here today with that knowing you're saved. Well, that's what we do. I know I'm saved.

I know I'm a Child of God. You have to breastplate of righteousness that Jesus Christ gave you he took your sin. You got his righteousness. You have a shield of faith that when the things come at you that are from the enemy. You've got to shield.

No, I got this God's got this God will fight for me. God is good. God will overcome. You're the same God. You're the same God, you know, you get all that go.

You got shoes that the Gospel of peace. You've got to sort of the spirit. Every day's a battle. If that's why you have to cultivate your spirit do you notice on if you notice that the this is growing back here like this plant being by notice that besides me like like the plan is growing like everything. Our team does is amazing because living things grow, you know yesterday like he was just last Sunday was just like, you know, just a little bit.

No, it's growing. You cultivate that how many of you have seen this show alone? I think it's on its own alone be seen that these guys go away they drop women and men out in the middle of nowhere and they leave them for you know, like 100 days and see if they can survive. Yeah, I mean, you know, it gets crazy. They get up every day like they're being hunted.

They're over there. What is that? I mean, I love it when that happened. I got American. Wow, I love that like Have you think it's funny because that's where world is.

That's where life is. That every day you get up and you get yourself prepared. You can't casually grow at anything. Oh, I just go. I'll come once a month church and Jeff's gonna he gonna get it good this time.

I got save me six weeks. I go with that eating for six weeks. You don't do that with school. You don't do that with working out. I see some of you walk in you so swole.

I mean, it's unbelievable. You got that smedium on and I love like dog gone man. I got to get that shirt bro. That is amazing how you look and you didn't just like accidentally Get Swole. No you worked out.

Thank you one Christian is still here. Let's give me a hand on that. That is good swole the one he's back. His arms are so big doing like that right there. No, you grow it stuff that you focus on.

Here's the third thing I got to go quickly because I got me on a timer today focus on what you're letting into your mind. You've got to guard your mind. Careful who you're letting speak into you. Be careful what you're allowing to come into your head because as a person thinks in his heart, so is he stinking thinking leads to rotten living? And if all you ever think so my wife's always tell me I'm terrible.

I'm terrible. I'm terrible. I'm terrible. No you're not. Do like I do when she's doing like that just go don't I'm not listening.

No wonder what's going on that so I know I'm a child. You can do that. Don't tell Alicia. I'm not using it illustration next the next hour. But when she's doing, you know throwing I'm not listening.

That's just not true. I mean, I'm a child of God and he loves me. How do you protect your thoughts you need to write this down if you are tattoo artists and you have your pen just start writing on your arm is this is how good this is number one with regard to your thoughts. And this is where so many of us including me are getting just words. Number one You discover the lie that you're believing.

You discover the lie. You're no good. You'll never be a good you're not enough. You're terrible. You're a victim.

Nobody wants you nobody loves you. Nobody cares about you That's a lot to take that life. That's not true. That is not true. Or this is even worse where you know, where you how you doing?

Oh, I'm great. I'm wonderful. I y'all doing you know, you find all the way to church you kicking the kids in the back and you get oh hey you. We're going to talk about Jesus going talk about Jesus. Gotta be honest with yourself and how you're really doing.

Oh, we don't have any problems. We never fight. We're wondering we have so much money. We're trying to give money away. We have so much money.

No, you don't you broke man. It's okay. Detect the LIE You want to be like other people just just tell yourself that you know, I just I'm just hung up on being them because God they just look like they got it made just be honest. See the enemy is always have you ever heard of the term frogging phrogging? Frogging you've ever heard that term.

There's a there's a like a a whole like series on people that get into people's homes. They come in, of course Uninvited. They're watching your home. Some of you not gonna sleep for a week get that out of your mind. That's a lie, but they get into your house and get into a closet.

They get upstairs while you're gone. They're making a sandwich in your house. It's called frogging and they're there and they live there and they even live there while you're living there and I thought that's what the enemy does. He comes into your mind into your world and he's living there and you got to kick him out. He said well, how do I know if I'm if I'm always believing the LIE where you're trapped in lust and pride and secrets and anxiety and insecurity and you've got cracks in your relationship.

Come to the table. Be honest about your struggles. Change the way you think. Confess it to somebody else. It changes the chemistry of your mind.

Secondly, delete the thought delete the LIE. Paul says in second Corinthians 10:5, we demolish arguments in every life that sets us up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Jesus Christ. I tried this this week. I was having some negative thoughts about things up and I just stopped my I was walking I said, that's just not true. This is the truth.

He's the way I felt I was like no, that's not true. I know that's how I feel. I know that's what they've said, but that's not true. Listen, the Gospel is according to Keller you are more sinful than you ever dared believe but you're more love than you could possibly imagine. The way you delete the lies as you confess them.

James says confess your sins one to another. So that you can be healed. Give someone permission to hunt on your land. Come into your life and say hey man, I'm concerned about you. I love you.

You say well, if I do that, they might not invite me to those you'll be I we'll do another party. We're going we're gonna do blues or something. We'll do something. We'll invite you that. You need somebody you can be honest with.

Point in there and say man, that's something dead over there and hand them a shovel. Because you can't grow past your secrets. You can't they're toxic. And you're hidden self is who you are when no one is looking. Then depart from it get away from it.

Here's the thing. If you find yourself going into the flesh every time you go to a certain place stop going to that place. I know that's deep. But like if you go to this certain place and you run these certain people and you always find yourself like getting broken and hurt and back into it the flesh stop going there. A friend of food suffers harm This ain't correct Bad Company Christ good character.

I mean I'm just quoting about I didn't write all this stuff. Get some margin. Do you remember Joseph in the Bible go back and read Genesis 38 through 45. It's a whole it's more about Joseph than anybody else in the Old Testament. And he's a young man sold into slavery by his brothers has every reason to rebel and be angry with God.

He's in Potter's home. He's the head of the FBI part of his wife. She is not a good woman. And she begins to come on to Joseph. He's 16 years old and she keeps saying hey, come on man.

Come on. It's just come to bed with me. Now you go. Listen about this is better than any Hallmark. I mean, this is a real story.

And he keeps saying no until one day she grabs his pants. And tears him off. He's running out the door. Man every day you got to get up in this three-point stands. Ready to run Forrest run roughly him morality Don't use your freedom to indulge in the flesh.

Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. You say well, well, why are you saying all this because if you live according to the flesh as a Believer, you're never going to have peace. You're never going to have joy. You said how do I turn the corner? It's everything I tell you depend on the Lord to help you get alone with God and say God I give you my life.

Got stir up your spirit in me. I can't but you can because the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead Paul says lives in you focus on the spirit let the Spirit open up the word of God in your life. Cultivate relationships with other believers who can come along and hold your arms up when times are difficult. Because if you don't whether it's unfinished, if you don't you can have a million dollar body and a million dollar house and a million dollar business and have 10 cents worth of joy and peace. Pauses don't indulge your flesh because it leads to death.

But be filled up and cultivate the spirit of God. Because it leads to life. Would you bow your heads fleas and close your eyes? I know that for many of you. This is like a punch in the face.

Because the scary thing about the flesh. Is when you have built it up and you focused on it and you have fed it for years and years. It seems impossible to kill But the cross reminds you. That there is no sin. That the spirit of God cannot heal you from there is no trauma in your life.

That the spirit of God cannot begin to make you whole from. There's no addiction. That when you depend on God. You can't get freedom from Father I thank you today. You said you gave us everything we needed to live a Godly life.

That you gave us your spirit. You didn't leave us as orphans. You gave us the comfort of the parakaleo the one who walks alongside us. You said our body is the temple and you reside in us. It's no longer Building made by hands.

But made by the Creator God. Father their people listening to my voice that God they've been very religious, but they've never invited you to take over their life and save them from their sins. God their people listening to me that they have your your spirit in them, but they just never cultivated it. They didn't know to they've only cultivated their flesh. So father I pray that you would speak clearly.

That in these next few moments would make ourself available to you to listen to you in the Deep resources of our soul. Pray this in Jesus name. Thank you for joining us for the Adventure Church podcast to find a campus near you check out venture church.org.