Amen, and amen Hey, you can be seated and we're so glad you here today. And let me say to begin with a Happy Father's Day and I really believe that God has an amazing plan for the men. In our churches in our world and for all of us, I think there is a seed of greatness. I think every single man has a seed of greatness. In his life that typically lays dormant Until the right conditions.

Thank you like that. Can happen out of nowhere and then all of a sudden amazing things begin to happen in in their life now. Can I ask you a question? Has it been Hot at your house? Has it been Hot?

Yeah. Yeah, thank you. You know I wanted to I wanted to change the sermon series to to a series on hell because it was just so hot. I thought you know, it'd be what a great way to say Hey, you know, you don't like that do you you know, like hey, you know, there'll be a short sermon like, hey, you think that's hot, you know that kind of thing and and and you know, you'd get that because like everything around you is like dying, you know withering and it is so hot man it's hard to go outside for any length of time. Well, there is a place in America that is hotter than had his work and it's not just hell, it's Death Valley, California.

He might have been there Death Valley California. It's on the edge of California and Nevada and it gets about an inch and a half of rain a year. And it's just dormant. It's dry. I mean you wouldn't want to go there for long other than to see.

Hey, that's Death Valley, but something happened, you know years ago the hottest record on record. The hottest degree on record was recorded in Death Valley in 1913 at 137 degrees. Yeah, yeah, you're going well, that's a dry heat. No, they'll kill you. I mean like you could fry an egg on that.

I said don't go that dry heat stuff like that that will kill you. Okay, and so the you get the fact that it is a place that is a wasteland. It's a desert. But in 2004 something happened that had never happened before at least in recorded time. They had six inches of rain.

Six inches of rain fell in Death Valley and they were like, wow that's amazing. You know, that's incredible. It's never happened before. And in the spring of 2005 the whole area was just like exploded with wildflowers. I mean they said it was unbelievable how beautiful it was to see Death Valley come alive because there was seeds that were laying dormant underneath the ground that just needed the right conditions.

And I think there's so many men listening to my voice man. You've got the seed of greatness in you. And all you need is the right conditions. All you need is for the spirit to fall on you and to begin to work in you and all of a sudden everybody around you is going to be astounded at the beauty and the growth and the change is happening in your life. So the day I want to talk about what those things are.

And because everybody here it's not just special people that can be in the right conditions. It's everybody. And so to do that, I'm going to talk about Elijah. I mean, you know about Elijah his name Eli. The Lord is Jehovah God and God used him in the powerful way.

I love it Elijah. Just when I favorite guys in the whole Bible. I want to talk to you when I get to heaven and and God used him to deconstruct some terrible structures in the country. And so much so that in Mount Carmel get this guys cage match between Elijah and 450 prophets of bail and guess who wins. Elijah You talking about some spiritual swag.

I mean like when he walked in as I had two kids 450 prophets of hell. I got some amazing. And so here's the thing he gets older. And he's in his 80s. And God says, okay.

I want you to go and I want you to call people. I want you to put the right conditions in the people's lives. So that that that seed can Sprout and they can begin to grow and I can use him in a powerful way. And so he goes to Syria, you know, it's a guy there King he goes to Israel. No, it's a guy there and then he goes to a guy named Elisha.

And Elisha, it sounds like Elijah, but it's a different spelling the Sha and and the reason that's like that because his name means the Lord is salvation. And so here's Elijah and he's going to kind of put this guy in a position where he can go to another level and you're gonna see a Elijah if you read the Bible, he multiplies men everywhere. I mean, it's it's a revolution. It's a movement. It's a Revival in Israel where the men stand up and say we're not afraid anymore.

We're not afraid anymore. We want to follow God. One man with God is a majority. And you're like well, how does that happen? Can that happen in my life?

And yes, it can happen in your life and and God's kind of gives me I don't get weird but a vision of how this is going to happen in men's lives everywhere. I don't mean like just Adventure. I mean all of our great churches in our community temple in first prayers and all you keep going you can name all of them that God where the Gospel is being preached. God is going to work a powerful work in the lives of men. So here we are in First Kings chapter 19 verse 19.

And so Elijah went from there and he found Elisha son of Sheffield and he was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen had this huge business. Okay, I mean if you had 12 yoke of oxen this is this is massive you talking about a family business that was rocking. It was it was like the Fortune 500 Club? Okay, and so Elijah went up to him and he threw his cloak his mantle over him has made a campus here. Probably didn't smell good.

And and so he left his oxen Elijah did After you went up and through the cloak around him and he ran after Elijah and he said let me kiss my father and mother. Goodbye. Don't you like that about a son because I don't kiss my mama. You know, I'm about to go I'd realize it's a change in my life. And in Elijah says in Hebrew, it's not a good way to translate he goes he just says hey, you know, that's between you and God God's calling you.

He just sent me to tell you he's calling you you do what you need to do. And so Elijah left him it went back and he took his yoke of ox and he slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat had a barbecue and he gave it to the people and they ate and then he set out to follow Elijah and become his servant now now I love all that because you're like well, what is all that mean? Well, the four things four conditions that can happen in your life men that when you understand this it can cause that seed of greatness in you to begin to explode. And the first is you got to accept your calling.

Now you're like well, wait a minute. I don't have a yeah, you you got every man has a purpose. Every Man Has a calling from God and you're like, well, what is that? Well, let me give you a few that will help you in case you don't like you had zeroed in on it. And the first is God's called you to work.

Now now let that sink because you know, there was a time where you could say then go. Well. Yeah. Oh, that's not that way anymore. You know, I don't like my job.

I don't like that. I don't like them. I'm like what? I mean. No, he's called you to work.

And and he said to Adam in Chapter 2 Genesis. Hey, I'm calling you to take this Garden until it and to make a way in it and to take all the chaos and make things straight. And so that is that is your calling? Like every man is called to work you say but I don't like my job and I'm like my boss. I don't like listen.

I have felt that way in times past. I mean not when I was here, of course because this is a perfect place to work but in other places before this and and Paul says in Colossians, he says whatever you do. Work at it with all of your heart because you're working for God and not for people. So some of you may need to hear that. I mean that's what you needed on Father's Day.

Like like you can't find the right job. Well just find a job and start working in the right job will find you. So the reality is God has a calling on your life and and he wants you to work now. Don't let work become your identity. Now, that's a whole another sermon series because it's men we begin to think we're who we are based on what we do and and I'm still I'm standing working through that.

You know, God has called me to work for him. Not just work Adventure, you know, and so I'm kind of helping other people grow and develop and man. They're just exploding our leaders are but he's called you to work. The second thing is called you to encourage people. Now man, I want you to listen to this because this is huge and you're gonna miss if you're not careful.

God has given you the power to speak life into the people around you. Your words have power now. I don't understand that like like they say around here. Your words have 10,000 pounds of power. Like if you say something one of our staff like I'll say in passing.

I mean, I think you're doing a great job. They go to one guy say, hey, I'm getting a raise. I mean no, I just said I think you're a great person. I mean like, you know, so your words have so much power that when you speak into your family and you speak into your wife and you speak into your kids and you speak into people you work with it elevates them or it brings them down. And so you learn how to bless your family it's hard because if you're married now, this is Father's day, right?

You're gonna give me a little attitude. Or you're not or you just kind of looking at me like I ain't saying no the guys. I know my wife go say that I can only yeah, it's hard to know because you know you get frustrated. Alicia and she's perfect, but she's not in this service and there are times when like I'll be in the kitchen like it late at night 10:30 11. I'm tired.

You know, I'm trying to give you something. She go, you know, we need to rent a bite this kitchen. And I'm like right now you may go get a hammer you mean I mean like that's what I'm thinking. Of course. I don't say that about my lips see right there.

I got lit. I've been biting the fire to my lip trying that say anything but because I'm trying to be positive and encouraging and you know, and it's hard. But but your words have power and when when you just he comes into your head it comes out your mouth man, you're gonna destroy people you're gonna burn people up. I have learned to bless my children and my grandchildren you said well, I didn't get the blessing growing up. Well, God will give to you right now.

God says you're my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. Okay, you got it. I was in a conference with 10,000 men and I was saying I wouldn't listen to the guy talking. I kept thinking man Lisa don't get to the point. He goes home.

I need to stop preaching right now because I have a word for somebody in this room. You're my beloved Son and whom I'm well pleased and I started melting. So powerful the blessing. Yes. I've got five grandkids.

Don't tell you when I'm with different ones. I'm gonna go, you know, you're my favorite. Your bop's favorite. Nice needs you to know that man with another. You're my favorite.

Man, it builds them up and encourages them men were made to work men were made to encourage not old people now. I know we got some older people in here this I'm not talking about you but old people at a lot of like atheists old people that they they're negative. Like everything's negative negative negative the way they show you they love you is they're negative when I played football the coach would grab me by the face mask. Throw me on the ground. Kick me spit on me, and then I was loved.

He about to play for a coach like that. You know, like he said, well, he's boy. He must really think you're good. So I'm not that good. And your words have power.

And God Made You to serve. You know what man you don't like church anymore than you do you're not serving. Because when you serve you come alive, I was at the Hunt Club two weeks ago in a lady drove up because there's something wrong with my car was a single mom and she had a little baby in the back and she said there's something wrong with my car. I see that all these lights are coming I said because you've got a flat tire and the other one is worse. And right as I kind of went around man men came running out of the Hunt Club like the Talladega 500.

They were picking the car up. I'm not kidding. I don't know those tight t-shirts and they were picking the car up and they were changing the tire and I was going wow. Wow, men were made to serve. Listen when you understand, that's God's call on your life to work to God not into men to work hard.

God made you to work to encourage people to serve and to learn. You're the thing that you may not get on in this because I've had that you give me time to read you know, and think and and I was reading this and he puts them mantle on Elisha and you're thinking well, okay Elijah's gone. He went up to heaven in a no no 18 years. 18 years from the time he put the mantle on Elisha until he became the lead guy in Elisha learned to trust him. Elisha learned from him you say well what I want to know what I'm called to do like like what is my calling?

I want to clarify my calling. I know I'm to work. I know I'm to encourage. I know I'm to serve I know I'm to learn but I don't know whatever. Let me tell you how you learn you're calling.

What is burden to you. What is it that is broken your heart when I was 14 or 15 my family. They're amazing. Now. They're incredible people but during that time.

I was so broken. I was like God God if you will help me. I promise you I will help poor people and I will help people that struggling with their marriages. It was something that God put on me was like a mantle he just kind of put around my shoulders and and my parents have apologized and I said don't thank you because of what you did. You know, I'm able to move forward.

I know why I'm here. I know what my purpose is for some of you it's just opportunity. I mean there are things in your life and you see opportunities. You don't have to go the Seminary to learn how to do that. You just meet the need.

You see a need you meeting it you've heard the old story about the starfish that we're swept up on the shore and the the young man who's over here walking. He's throwing starfish in the ocean and the old man who's walking a poodle and you know mad at the world get off my long. You ain't gonna make no difference in all them. And the young man, I love young people. He grabbed one of the starfish and said he made a difference in that one.

Many different. I've been throwing it right over his head just right there came a haircut many difference in that one. If you it's your ability. I mean God has given you the ability to make money. I see so many people and they are so rich and they're not that smart.

I mean, they're not that good looking that God just bless them. Like I'm not talking about any of you. Of course. I'm talking about another States. I'm just saying there are a lot of people like you've been so blessed.

God has given you so much and you didn't do anything to deserve it. He just blessed you man. You ought to be a giver for some of you man. You're a great leader and you ought to be leading for some of you I watch you. It's incredible.

You're going to campfire with all of our children. They many of them who do not have dads at home and you step up and you leave they go. Oh, that's what a dad looks like. Oh, that's what daddies are like. Listen, I learned about fatherhood.

From the church And so if you want to know what you're called to do just start again. I'll give this is real simple. You ready when you get up in the morning. You just say Lord. What are you calling me to do today?

Lord, what is it? You would have me do. And man you tell you It's incredible. So you accept your calling, but the second thing is you got to you. Kiss some things.

Goodbye. Now here's where it gets a little personal because Elijah goes back and says hey Mom and Dad. I'm kissing this business goodbye, and I'm kissing you. Goodbye, and I'm also kissing like my childhood. Goodbye.

Because I'm a man now. Paul said when I was a kid, I acted like a kid. I thought a kid when I came a man I put away childish thing you say what are some things? I need to kiss. Goodbye.

Well, I tell you for me. It was social media. I still struggle with it because how many of you is anybody else you get on Instagram and you're scrolling. You're scrolling. You're scrolling you're scrolling.

You must do that besides me. Okay, two people rest of you are going to burn in hell. Because you know you do that. And yes true. I mean I'm not being ugly.

Just use your line in the house of God. But here's the reality is yellow. Okay? Here's the reality when you're scrolling down Instagram and you get down to that Tick Tock section, you know, where they put in there now, they grab you and and they have their grooming you they're working you the algorithms. Okay, guys, you know that God you sound like you don't know what I'm talking like.

I don't even have a phone. I don't even care. I didn't smoke some girls and but here's the reality you get down and there's like Stephen. It's definitely Curry. I'm like, oh man, look at him and he's not there.

She's not Whoa, man, that guy is he is awesome, man. I wish it had three point line when I play then all of a sudden you got you you're you're going you're going down. You're going down hookers think yoga pants. What? This is a fluke Stephan Curry strike.

Very stalkory yoga beds doing squats. What? What was that? Ladies It's never been more difficult to be a man. You need to accept it.

You need to pray for your husband. You need to encourage your husband. You need to understand that your husband. He's a man. He is real he's living in a world that is grooming him and working him every single day every minute of the day.

This give me a hand. That you're still alive and you're not in prison means you're pretty good guy. I've never seen anything like it. And I've seen a lot. You say well just out not look this ain't Mother's Day.

This is Father's Day. And I'm telling you like it is it was it became such an issue with me? Like I mean, I just kind of scrolling looking and you know dotting, you know heart heart heart heart heart and I wasn't getting young. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, and I'm like, whoa, and I went to leash and I said honey. I'm looking at stuff that I'll be looking at. And she said well tell me about now. I was telling her and I started crying. I'm like I can't believe I can't even believe this.

My wife is so Godly. She put her arm around me and she said, honey. What are we going to do about it? And I said, well I'm gonna get something. To help me be accountable to you so that everything I look at you can know about.

And I got this accountable to you thing. It's seven dollars a month and man. It's about seven dollars I've ever spent like you get a certain amount if you like do it for a whole year, like don't do it the rest of my life and and now Casey she's like hey where you look at I look at this over here. So looking for the church some of this over here, and I'll show you right here right here because I need to kiss some of those things. Goodbye.

You know that one out of three divorces happened because of social media. I think it's more than that. You know, there are 260 million websites landing pages of a pornography that you can get to and two clicks. Did you know that the average age when a young boy sees a picture like that is when he's eight years old Happy Father's Day. I mean we got to work at sin.

Goodbye. I can't do that. Those are people. Those are children. Those are Somebody's Daughter.

Daughters, I I need help. We Kiss It Goodbye For some of us it's activities you man. You got so many activities that are not essential that are optional that you need to kiss. Goodbye. I mean it just think of all the boards you serve on all the Committees your own all the places that you think you have to go.

You know, it's time to kiss some of those. Goodbye. You can you so I don't think so. We yeah, you can. I mean I was looking at our five-year-old t-ball.

I love sports and I'm all into it. Like there's nobody more in the sports than me five year old t-ball teases and Thursdays out at 8:39 clock on a school night putting a ball up there and them hitting and run to Third Base. I'm like, whoa, this is gonna be good. House Church, I wish we could go but it's a school night. The school not Can you give me some can you give me a little margin here?

You still talking about? See if you don't kiss some of those things. Goodbye. You know what you'll kiss. Goodbye discipleship.

You'll kiss goodbye really serving and getting to know the Lord and helping other people because you'll to be be too busy saying yes to everything else number three You Need to Say Goodbye. You need to kiss some friends. Goodbye. Just like tomorrow when you go in like where it is, maybe it's happy hour, whatever and you're you're going in and you're kind of go. It's over.

He said why would you do that? Because listen if you're around friends that their characters right here guess how much your characters gonna be. It's gonna be right there. If you've got people in your life, and they're always bringing you down, and you don't know if they're for you. You don't know if they're against you.

Maybe it's time to kiss them. Goodbye. Because Bad Company corrupts good character the those who walk with a wise will grow wise but the companion of food will suffer harm. Maybe it's time. Maybe it's the thing that's keeping you dormant is the people you run in with you and you may be judgmental.

No, I'm just saying you can't always be with them doing what they're doing because they're taking you down the wrong road. He said what what will I do? You'll sign up for an adventure. Listen to me. Listen to me.

I know you think I'm old. I know you think but that means I've done things I've been places. The most exciting thing I've ever done in my life is be used by God in different situations where I've seen him working. I'm like, whoa. It's unbelievable.

I mean like I missed some amazing places man. I have time to tell you because it's not like I'm bragging and some things I've done that have been amazing. I mean like on Sidelines and and I don't go here's the thing. Nothing has been more exciting than being used of God. And when you say God, I want you to use me.

God I'm get up today God what show me what you want me to do. I'm telling you man everything you good here. Like he may be working here. He may be working here. He may be working here.

I was at Starbucks this past week. I know you think you know there all the time. Well, I do that because I'm witnessing and there was a guy sitting beside me. He had tarot cards out flipping them over to find out his future. I don't say bro, bro.

You not gonna find your future in that. It's everywhere. He said well, what is that look like I mean, give me give me apart. Give me give me an idea. It looks like USM baseball.

Look before USM played Ole Miss and I I know we got a lot of Ole Miss fans in here and I have a hard time. I did reform against Auburn but but you know saying we're going to root for Ole Miss because they're in Mississippi saying like I'm gonna root for the devil because he's in the Bible. I've just play with you. I got to make sure you're I'm just playing. Okay.

I'm playing with you. I want them to win every game because then but I'm just saying, okay, but but see how passage you get. I couldn't find a ticket to the USM game. I called in every chip. I had I call one guy said you know you owe your soul to me and he hung up on me.

I got a little poster at Walmart said we'll work for tickets. I mean I was doing everything I could and I finally got in there finally of God got me in all my buddies man. They were ghosts to me. But this brother he said no, I'm gonna take him and I know you need so we got the ticket where you set out there on the hill and you can't see the batter you just kind of wait and hope that you see where it goes so you don't get hit by the pitch. That's a true story.

There were people ever he was so hot. I was crying. The only thing that saved me as I was sweating more than I was crying. It was unbelievable. I saw a guy in our churches and old guy who sit right back there earlier and it can't walk.

He's about a hundred and fifty years old and I saw him literally he came down here. I'm not kid you he came down the hill and when those Holy Roller things and he was flying down the hill just came right there right to the fence. That's what do you do good, man. I got me a good seat. Why because there would be a part of the glory.

They want to be a part of something big. There would be a part of something that is life it changing. Let me tell you that's a walk with God. But it requires sacrifice. Paul said in Romans chapter 12 verses 2.

He said I urge you. I beseech you I'm begging you. Because of the mercies of God that you continually present your body as a Living Sacrifice. That means all the time every day. Every day so my body is a Living Sacrifice to you every single day.

Not just when you get saved notice when you get baptized every single day and you stop conforming you quit conforming you say no more conforming. I'm kissing that goodbye no more conforming to the world, but I'm going to continue to be transformed by the renewing of my mind so that I may understand what the perfect will of God is. And when you do that, man. Let's roll. I'm you'll have swag.

I'm just telling you I'm not being I'm not bragging. I'm just telling you there are times now. There are times. I don't but there are times when I mean I feel God's so close to me. Like I got a swag.

When I walk in like I know somebody's gonna get somebody gonna get touched. Somebody's gonna get saved. Somebody's gonna get changed. Somebody gonna get lit up. And and I walk through bars and see all y'all and and wave and and you know, but I'm just thinking I'm gonna I'm just God's Gonna use why because I want to leave a legacy.

I don't just leave an inheritance that's just money and things and they fight over it. If you ever done a funeral for rich people and they hate each other. Then you get to the funeral. Can I say this on TV? And they get to the funeral and they're all like hey, you know can't wait to get them in the ground figure who's go.

I got that chair. How about that? How about that? Money and things money and things money and things money and things money and things that's all you got. Because the legacy is character and people When godly people die, there's a sweetness about it.

That's hard to describe. Because people don't remember how you got here, but they remember how you leave. We've got our grandkids. Our kids are in Africa trying to close everything down and we're trying to get to sleep last night. It's made me love all these parents of children.

I'm sorry. I forgot how hard it was. And they won't go to sleep and they're you know, they how to drink a water. You know, like I scared the dark, you know, I I finally I said, you know, you know, that's true. You just don't go to sleep.

And and I said well sing us a song and I said well twinkle twinkle little not that song. You know that song about the Firm Foundation. Am I my five-year-old granddaughter started singing the song the first song We sang got the Firm Foundation The Rock on which and she's singing this out loud. Never Felt I'm about to go to sleep because he won't and it scared me to death it. Literally.

I'm serious. I may not ever sleep again. And I thought well somebody's been working that into their little heart. And and the reality is that's what a legacy looks like. I'm gonna read you one of the story and then I'll be done and and I apologize to our team because I'm doing things that I didn't tell him I was going to do and I'd do that because I am the man.

Second Kings chapter 6 though and this is Elisha and there's so many men like growing in their faith and multiplying which I dream of seeing and there's so many of them. They've got to move they've got like go to another place. I mean, they got multiple sites. Okay, and so so they're getting ready to to build another site in the company of the Prophet said to Elisha look to place where we're meeting is too small for us. I love that because of our guys here and our ladies here.

Like they're sent Jeff. You got to give us more room the space. You've given me is too small and like well, I know but I got oh there's some stuff I want to do they no. No you need to pour into us and let us do it and we know we'll be encouraged by you but you need to move out of the way. You need to get to shade out of the way.

We don't keep having to follow all that and so I'm trying to learn that just like this guy did and so so they invite him to come along with him and the company of the Prophet said to Elisha. Look the place where a meeting with is too small. I said, let us go to the Jordan in each of us will get like some Lumber and we'll build a place for us to meet and he said we'll go ahead and go they said well we want you to come with us. We want you to come with your servants. He said okay, I will and they went along and they came to the Jordan you've never heard this before.

So once you get ready. And they cut down some trees and they were cutting down a tree and an iron accent fell into the water. Oh, no my Lord the servant cried. It was borrowed in the man of God said well here hold on a second. He gets a stick and throws it in the water the stick it goes to the bottom and the accent begins to float.

Said where did it fall and he does cut stick throws it in. He made it float. He said lift it out. And then the man reached out his hand and he took it. What does that mean?

It means that you need an older man in your life. For you lose your ex. I'll let you parse all that. Because I'm going to tell you in the world we live in men. You're gonna lose your ax.

And there needs to be somebody in your life. Who you can cry out to? Otherwise your life will in. You so what he wants to do and you can start the music I was. Done now, but well, that's what I want you to do, man.

This is not a girly sermon. I love garlies. I love my wife. But this is a this is for men. Listen to me.

You need to accept your calling. I don't know what that means to you. You need to accept your calling. You'd be a man. You need to kiss some things goodbye, and I don't know what that is for you.

I know I'm working on it. It's every day kissing a goodbye. You need to sign up for an adventure and quit playing at your faith. I towards your faith like you act towards your your team go all in. It's an adventure.

Why because you're leaving a legacy or an inheritance. Most of you probably gonna leave it inheritance leave it put the church in there since that's all you leaving but with some of it. So men, how about it? You're in a time of response. Are you man enough?

To come down here one of these places crosses. Give to God what you've been withholding from God. So God help me kiss this. Goodbye. Take the Lord's supper and say God fill me and use me and take me on a great adventure.

Put on the table what you want to leave as a legacy? Of course too late all our world needs is one man who is willing to do? What God calls him to do? With his life But you bow your heads. God I feel so responsible.

To live out the message. I've just shared. And God, you know every day. Every day it is a battle. Every day I get up fighting sometimes even in the night with dreams.

And got I pray for our men God. I know how difficult it is. I know how scary it is to get to know someone in them know you I know how hard it is to lead a family. I know how hard it is to be a good dad. I know how difficult it is to have all the pressures of providing for your family.

God bless these men God give them everything they need for the seed of greatness to sprout. God let your spirit fall. Let your spirit fall. On that dry Barren heart so that your seed of greatness the fruit that remains. God will be evident to everyone around them.

Pray this in Jesus name. Amen