Priscilla Shirer – How to Remain Faithful

Shire is a wife and mom first but put a

Bible in her hand and a message in her

heart and you’ll see why thousands meet

God and Powerful personal ways at her

conferences and through her bible study

resources she is the New York Times

best-selling author of more than two

dozen books and has had featured roles

in movies like war room I can only

imagine and overcomer

Priscilla and her husband of 23 years

Jerry Shire leaked going Beyond

Ministries through which they provide

spiritual support and resources to the

body of Christ they counted as a

privilege to serve every denomination

and culture across the spectrum of the

church their greatest joy has been

raising three young adult sons Jackson

Jerry Jr and Jude Concord help us

welcome Priscilla Shire

good morning family

[Applause]

it’s a pleasure to be with you this

morning to have an opportunity to share

with

the Concord church and for those of you

who don’t know I just go to church like

one mile from here just down the street

at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church and

so for all these many decades we’ve just

been in the same community in the same

orbit doing life and community and

church together so it feels like I’m at

home with family

um and so it’s a pleasure to be able to

to serve you today thank you for having

me I can’t um let the opportunity pass

by to celebrate your pastors and leaders

Brian and Stephanie Carter they are

incredible people

they’re incredible people and really the

Lord must love y’all that he let you

have pastors that actually have

integrity like they do Integrity in

their marriage and their family their

ministry that’s a big deal

that’s a big deal

and we’re grateful for them I told the

first service that um Jerry and I are

just just about 24 years into being

married now and the first couple of

years

thank you the first couple of years that

we were married we would go out with

friends but really

it was like my friend like I was friends

with her and then she was married and so

basically I was setting my husband up on

play dates and about two or three years

into our marriage he looked at me and

said stop setting me up on these play

dates

I don’t want to meet your friends

husbands and be set up with them so we

stopped hanging out with people and I

prayed for a long time that the Lord

would give us a couple

where the four of us were really knitted

together in our hearts and the Lord

answered that prayer for us with Brian

and Stephanie Carter

so for a lot of years now a lot of years

now we’ve really just done life together

and that’s been a blessing to us so it

feels like a gift to be able to serve

them in this way on this morning I’m

excited about God’s word and to share

just what I think is a simple yet

important and profound challenge with

you this morning it’s been a challenge

for me so I’m hoping it will encourage

you as well this morning you all ready

let’s pray Lord Jesus I thank you for

your word that it is living and active

and sharper than any two-edged sword

father I pray that you would take the

words of my mouth and the meditations of

my heart make them acceptable to you

father build up your people today

we’re your sons and your daughters and

we’re listening Lord we came for a word

from you

speak

in Jesus name

amen

amen

it was September in 2008 some of you may

remember

when a hurricane named Ike swept through

it caused extensive damage 110 mile per

hour per hour winds ripped through towns

across Texas but there was one that was

the hardest hit it’s a little town

called Gilcrest this little town is a

community that boasts about 200 homes or

so it’s not a big town not a big

Community but it’s where a lot of people

in the latter years of their life

decided that they would go so that they

could have a little respite and peace

during the retirement years of their

life so they went to this little

Beachside Community called Gilchrist so

that they could have peace but y’all

know how life is

the storm came in 2008 I came through

and devastated the community in fact the

aftermath was so devastating that people

that visited the neighborhood 24 hours

after the storm

said that this little Beach town

community was almost completely

unrecognizable what once had been

friendly sidewalks and detailed

landscape Lawns and brightly colored

small homes right there on the shoreline

of the water had been completely wiped

out

there was very little that even gave a

nod to the fact that there had been

history there that there had been a

neighborhood there

of the 200 homes that had been standing

the day before

199 of them had been wiped out by the

storm

it’s a completely odd and devastating

and even shocking sight to look at this

neighborhood because there’s only one

house after the storm that remained

man if I had time this morning I’d tell

you just about the owners of this house

because they really gave Testament to

the fact that the only reason they think

their house still stood is because they

had been through previous storms and as

a result of having been through previous

storms they had called in a master

architect a master builder and had asked

them to help them to retrofit their home

to fortify it more securely so that for

future storms they would be able to

stand

and after Ike they were the only house

that remained

the reality is that if you look closely

at that image you will see and think

about the fact that honestly sadly that

picture mirrors the landscape of a lot

of our own lives

because when you look around you you’ll

notice that there are a whole lot of

people who started with you who you can

realize now actually weren’t building

houses that were meant to last

they talked a good game at the beginning

they meant well maybe they had good

intentions but the storm came and their

houses ain’t still standing

they made the vows to be committed maybe

to the marriage that they were building

the family that they had been entrusted

with the ministry that the Lord was

birthing through them the business that

they were starting maybe as single men

and women you started out together

deciding to walk in Integrity but over

time you realize that everybody’s house

ain’t still standing

and the landscape of Our Lives is dotted

with houses that have been collapsing

one after the other as people have not

been able to weather the storm

I want to talk to you this morning about

remaining about being faithful over the

course of time about having houses that

still stand not just in one season and

not just in the next and not just for

one year or for two not just through one

storm or just a couple but over the

seasons of Life on mountaintops and

through valleys you and I have got to be

committed and making sure that that

which the Lord has entrusted to us the

assignments he’s given us the Endeavors

that he has put in our hearts to build

for his glory that in the end our houses

are still intact

where are the Saints who will remain

where are the Saints who will be

faithful where are the people who’ve

decided that come hell or high water

I’ve made my decision that as for me and

my house what we’re going to do is we’re

going to serve the Lord

the political landscape may change and

the stock market May Clump plummet and

cultural ideals May shift but I’ve

decided that my hope is built on nothing

less

but Christ and his faithfulness to me

and that we will be faithful over the

course of time

y’all so many people are jumping ship

have you noticed

so many people have decided that they

are going to leave their marriage or

give up on the parent the parenting

Endeavor that God has given them with

their children dreamers are throwing in

the towel on dreams God entrusted to

them ministers are quitting what they

said was a calling why is it such a

rarity to find people who’ve just

decided to stay

who’ve just decided to be faithful

and in a room this size and with so many

people I know who are not only in the

room but probably also watching online I

it would be remiss of me to think that

there are so many of us from so many

diverse backgrounds and experiences and

Dynamics different seasons and

generations of life that there are so

many of us probably more than a few who

honestly if the truth be told on this

Sunday morning you are on the brink of

jumping ship

because right now this season of your

life if we were to take this little

microphone and just start right here in

the front and pass it all the way to the

back all of us could give testimony of

hardship maybe that we are currently

facing or have just come out of

and the reality is that all of us in

this room are in one of three places

you’re either right smack dab in the

middle of a storm you’re on your way

into one or you’re on your way out of

one

because it’s the nature of the life we

live and maybe this Sunday Morning has

to make you at a time where honestly you

have said to the Lord if you yourself

don’t tell me to hang on that I’m

throwing in the towel

and I just believe that possibly the

Holy Spirit just sent me over from

Arlington Texas just to tell you in the

name of Jesus Christ stay

remain

be faithful

keep your hand to the plow

keep your eyes fixed on Jesus

have integrity

have character and remain

y’all the older and older I get the less

impressed I am with the with the famous

and the more impressed I am with the

faithful

the people who’ve just gone the distance

they may not be famous but they’ve

remained

they may not be rich but they’ve

remained they may not be applauded by

the masses but they’ve remained

they may not have millions of followers

on Facebook or best-selling books but

they ain’t concerned about that they

just trying to be steadfast

unmoved and always abounding in the work

of the Lord brothers and sisters stay

John writes about staying

over and over throughout his gospel over

40 times in the book of The Gospel of

John he writes the word abide

that’s the word for remain

stay

dwell

dig your roots deep and Be steady

and then in his letters first second and

third John three Epistles Scholars call

those the remaining Trio

the remaining or staying trifecta

because over and over again in first

second and third John he keeps writing

this about this challenge to us to

remain to be faithful to stay in the

good times but also especially in the

bad times to stay over the course of

time

so I want to read a couple of verses to

you from first John chapter 2. I’m going

to read verse 13 and 14 and then verse

28. it says this

I am writing to you fathers because you

know him who has been from the beginning

I have written two young men because you

have overcome the evil one I have

written to you children because you know

the father it’s so important that he

repeats it almost verbatim in verse 14.

I have written to you fathers because

you know him who has been from the

beginning I have written two young men

because you are strong and the word of

God abides in you and you have overcome

the evil one and then verse 28.

and now little children here’s our word

abide in him some of your translations

might say remain in him

so that when he appears we may have

confidence and not shrink away from him

at his coming

John says I’m going to tell you right

now what the catalyst is for the reason

why I’m telling you to remain what the

reason is what your why will be as to

whether or not you will choose I will

choose to be faithful over the course of

time he says abide remain stay be

faithful build a house that will last

over the course of time and he says I’m

going to tell you why verse 28 because

Jesus is coming

right that’s why

because Jesus is on the way

y’all listen I don’t mean in theory

I mean the sky is going to split

I’m telling you the trumpet is going to

sound

I’m telling you Jesus is coming back and

when he returns we’re gonna have to look

our savior in his eyes and give an

account

for what we did with this life that he

entrusted to us

first we’re going to have to answer the

question whether or not we were in

relationship with God by placing faith

in Jesus Christ and then right after we

seal that the next thing will be was

that the Lord will look at our lives to

see whether or not the houses he

entrusted to us are still standing

whether or not we were faithful with the

time the talent and the treasures that

he gave us on this side of Eternity John

says the reason why you want to make

sure your house is still intact over

time is because

eternity is in view

and when eternity is constantly in our

view brothers and sisters when we’re

reminded of the fact that one day Jesus

is going to return and by the way I

think that day is coming sooner than we

think

he says when you keep eternity and view

it changes the way you deal with the

stuff of Earth the decisions that you

make the responses and reactions that

you give to people the words that you

use the steps that you take the forward

motion that you determine in your

businesses and in your Ministries and in

your relationships with your spouses and

with your children and your

grandchildren he says you’re going to

want to build a house that is firm and

solid and that stands over the course of

time because you’re going to have to

give an account

for this house of yours

did you notice that in verse 13 and 14

John actually deals very specifically

with the fact in fact he recognizes that

there are stages and seasons of this

remaining of being faithful he

recognizes the fact that every season of

life isn’t going to be the same he says

I’m writing to you little children then

he says I’m writing to you young men

that’s adolescence then he says I’m

writing to you fathers he acknowledges

that there are stages and seasons of

Life seasons of development progression

maturity that one season will lend

itself to different hardships or

difficulties or Joys or Sorrows than

another there are different storms that

come in different seasons of life but he

says I’m writing to you in each stage so

that you will remain wherever you are in

whatever season or stage you find

yourself in on this Sunday morning he

says I’m challenging you to remain there

until God releases you so that you can

have a sturdy house that will remain

over the course of time I figure that

for just a few moments what you and I

can do is just look at these three

stages of faithfulness so that we can

see where we are in the progression the

bottom of verse 13 the last line of

verse 13 starts us out he says I have

written to you children

and he says here’s why I’m writing to

you when you’re in that phase of your

growth I’m writing to you children

because

you have come to know the father

he says I’m writing to you when you’re

in the infancy stage the word in the

original language that he used that is

translated children refers to an infant

think about what babies do they rest on

the shoulders of the one who loves them

the most they don’t produce they don’t

generate they don’t offer much they just

relax in the Embrace of the one who gave

birth to them they learn to know the

voice of their mother or father they

learn to know that they can be covered

and taken care of and nourished and

provided by the one who gave them life

he says I’m writing to you little

children when you’re in the infancy

stage in any season or any dynamic in

your life maybe you just came to know

Christ just savior you’re just starting

out on this spiritual journey or you

just started putting feet to the dream

God has entrusted to you for that

entrepreneurial Endeavor or you’re just

starting out in the ministry building

the ministry that God has given you or

the two of you just walked down and said

I do you’re just starting this family

you’re in some infancy stage in your

life he says I’m writing to you little

children when you’re in that phase

because the whole goal to build a solid

foundation for this house of yours the

whole goal of your life when you’re in

the infancy stage should be verse 13 to

come to know who your daddy is

there’s no way the foundation of your

house will be firm unless you know your

father

Jerry and I as was mentioned um you saw

a picture of us with our boys

three boys that we got an opportunity to

travel a whole lot with through their

lifetime with Ministry we’ve just been

traveling a lot we homeschool them for a

lot of years so that they could come on

the journey with us and one of the

places we got to take them about five

years ago was to Cape Town South Africa

and because we were homeschooling I

planned what they were learning based on

the fact that I knew they were going to

get to go to Cape Town we knew a year in

advance that we were going to go so we

saved up money for them to go man we

thought this might be a once in a

lifetime thing let’s take the boys with

us and so we saved up the money to go we

plan homeschooling around it so I was

thinking okay we’re going to learn about

the apartheid Museum or the apartheid

movement we’re going to learn about

Nelson Mandela we’re going to look at

the geography of Table Mountain and

lion’s head and maybe even see some

animals in online that are indigenous to

that particular area and my goal was

that six weeks later when we went there

we would actually see those things in

person

so we took the boys and I think that

they thought they were going on vacation

not today you waking up every day and

seeing whatever there is to see over

here in this good Cape Town we’re going

to milk this experience so I was waking

up early in the morning they had

attitudes about having to get up they

thought they were just going to be

relaxing in the hotel and I was like no

you’re gonna see all this and you’re

going to be happy about it and one day

you’re gonna rise up and call me blessed

shucks

so I’m dragging them all around me and

Jerry and making them see Table Mountain

let’s go to the top of Table Mountain

let’s go to the apartheid Museum let’s

take this little ferry over to Robin

Island so we can see where Nelson

Mandela was in prison for all those

years and one of the things that we did

was we woke up before the sun came up

one morning and we traveled two hours

outside of Cape Town so we could do a

little half day Safari I wanted them to

possibly and I wanted to see some

animals that maybe we’d only seen online

so we got to miss open face Jeep there

was a very bubbly guy that was our our

guide he sat at the front of the Jeep

and we began to go around this safari

park we saw lots of animals that we had

never ever seen before in person

and I remember specifically though when

we stopped by a herd of zebra and I can

consciously remember thinking when that

when the dude pulled up to the zebra I

remember thinking I hope he don’t spend

a whole lot of time talking about these

zebra because we can see zebra at the

Dallas Zoo down the street we don’t need

an explanation about the zebra but after

he stopped and explained what was on his

mind to share I was so glad he did

he pointed out a baby a foal that was

with the herd he said y’all see that

baby zebra right there he says I’m

stopping at the zebra to point out that

baby because this is the first time I’ve

seen the baby back with the herd since

the baby was born two or three weeks ago

and he said I want to tell y’all why

he said the stripes on every single

zebra are as unique to each zebra as

thumbprints on human beings

you can’t see it with the naked eye but

particularly the configuration of

Stripes that are right there in the

middle of the forehead of every zebra it

is just as distinct as fingerprints on

human beings

so when a new baby zebra is Born the

mother will take that foal aside from

the herd for the first two or three

weeks of his or her life because her

whole goal is to make sure that her baby

is not distracted by all the

configuration of Stripes that are on the

foreheads of all the other zebra the

mother wants to bait the baby to just

zero in on the stripes that are on her

forehead so that when she brings the

baby back to all the other stripes the

baby will not be confused ever about the

configuration of Stripes that actually

belongs to the one who gave him life

John says the whole reason why you want

to take time to get to know who your

father is is because y’all we live in a

day and age that are trying to present

to us a whole bunch of closely

configured stripes

and if you’re not careful you’re gonna

get played for the fool

you’re gonna have to know that by his

stripes and his stripes alone are the

ones by which you have been healed

[Applause]

you’re gonna have to know who your

father is you’re going to have to know

his character you’re gonna have to know

the sound of his voice you’re going to

have to know the what the way he related

to to Moses and Joshua and Ruth and

Esther in them you don’t have to see him

in the New Testament as the word became

flesh and dwelt among them and they got

to behold his glory the glory of the

only begotten full of grace and full of

truth and the reason why you’re going to

have to know is so that when the culture

presents to you a new modernized version

of this Jesus

the one who is silent against Injustice

and has lowered his standard of Holiness

you need to be able to see that version

and say Ah that’s not who he is because

I know who he was

you need to have taken time to really

get to know who your father is John says

don’t circumvent this part of the

process

infancy is for intimacy it’s for you to

get to know who your daddy is

and those of you on this youth Sunday

that our young people in the house of

God listen don’t circumvent or negate

this part of the process don’t succumb

to the pressure that you need to be

something other than where you are right

now just getting to know who your daddy

is in this hustle grind culture that’s

telling all of us we have to produce

more and do more and be more nope

sometimes we just need to sit down

somewhere and get to know who our daddy

is

pediatricians will tell you not to

bounce babies too early on their legs to

resist the temptation to put too much

pressure on their legs too soon because

even the most minute amount of pressure

too soon because their bones are still

malleable and soft can cause just a

slight Distortion in their spine and you

won’t see it initially it’s over years

it’s as they mature it’s as their body

grows you will see they just have a

little bit the slightest little limp in

their step because there was too much

pressure put on them too soon

and y’all we have a generation of young

people who had too much pressure put on

them too soon

and you don’t see it initially it’s

later on there in their lives when

they’re walking with a spiritual limp

with their morality is off their

conscience is skewed it’s because they

didn’t take time to just get to know who

their daddy is

you need to just know that in Genesis

he’s the Breath of Life

you need to see him in Exodus as the

Passover Lamb you need to come to know

him in Leviticus as your high priest you

need to know that in numbers he’s the

fire by night and a Deuteronomy he is

Israel’s guide you need to see him in

Joshua as salvation’s choice and in

judges as Israel’s guard you need to

know that in Ruth he is the kinsman

redeemer you need to have seen him in

first and second Samuel as our trusted

Prophet you need to know that in Kings

and Chronicles he is Sovereign you need

to have seen him and Ezra as the true

and faithful scribe and in Nehemiah as

the one who rebuilds walls and rebuilds

lives you need to know that an Esther he

is your courage and in job he’s the

Timeless Redeemer you need to have taken

time to see him in Psalms as your

morning song and in Proverbs as your

wisdom you need to have seen that an

easy ecclesiastics he’s a time and he is

a season and the Song of Solomon he’s

The Lover’s Dream in Isaiah he’s the

prince of peace and Jeremiah he’s the

weeping prophet and lamentation he’s the

cry for Israel and Esther he’s the call

from sin and Daniel he’s the stranger in

the fire in Hosea he’s the forever

faithful you need to know that in Joel

he’s the spirit’s power and Amos he’s

the strong arms that carry and Obadiah

he’s the Lord our savior in Jonah he’s

the great missionary and Micah he’s the

promise of peace and name he’s our

strengthened shield in habakkukins

Zephaniah he brings Revival and that guy

you need to know he’s the one who

restores that which was once lost and

kariah he is our Fountain and in Malachi

he’s the son of righteousness Rising

with healing in his wings

and y’all that’s just who he is in the

Old Testament

because the truth is if you wait about

400 years

and you just flip over a couple of pages

you’ll see that in Matthew Mark Luke and

John he’s not just God now he’s your

Messiah

and in the Spirit-filled book of Acts

he’s the reigning fire from heaven in

Romans he’s the grace of God Corinthians

he’s the power of love in Galatians he’s

freedom from the curse of sin in

Ephesians he’s our glorious treasure in

Philippians he’s the servant’s heart in

Colossians he’s God and the trinity in

Thessalonians he’s our calling King in

Timothy Titus and Philemon he shows up

as our mediator and our faithful Pastor

in Hebrews he’s the everlasting courage

in James he’s the one who will still

heal you when you’re sick and first and

second Peter he’s our faithful Shepherd

and in John and Jude he’s the lover

coming for his bride and in the

Revelation in the very end when it’s all

over and said and done he was and is and

will always be the first the last the

beginning and the end

that’s who he is

[Applause]

amen

[Applause]

take time to get to know who your daddy

is

remain here till he releases you

because if you abort this part of the

process you will have no character

your foundation won’t be solid

and let me tell you something at the

spotlight that you’re craving if it hits

you and you have no character it will

burn you to a crisp

John says the reason why you’re going to

need to have a sturdy character in your

fledgling stages is because you are

going to grow up and become young men

young women he’s referring to puberty

here he’s referring to adolescence

he says you’ll know when you’re in this

stage verse 13. I am writing to you

young men because you have overcome the

evil one

he reiterated fit in verse 14 and says

I’m writing to you when you’re in the

Adolescent stage because you are strong

this is the stage where you get some

muscle on you

so our boys are huge y’all they’re huge

they’re Giants

they’ve been Giants somebody come help

me feed these people oh my goodness

when they were 13 years old 12 years old

we could tell they were going to be

powerful boys about that age is when

they would all Sprout up to about six

foot two inch tall they were a size 14

men’s shoe they have been big for a long

time and it’s about the time they’re

about 12 years old that I recognize

their their strength how powerful they

are because that’s about the time they

could toss me on the couch when we were

wrestling and they could pin me down and

I realized oh I’m out

like they got me anybody know what I’m

talking about where you realize your

kids got you

and it was about 11 or 12 with each of

our sons where I realized

oh yeah y’all gonna have to wrestle with

your daddy not gonna be able to do it

anymore

it wasn’t until their latter years of

teenage years that their father allowed

their coaches to add weights to their

training

before then he was like no they’re too

young they can do push-ups and stuff but

don’t put any weight on them until

they’re older

once they started lifting weight

the power that was in them started to

take shape on the outside of them

like there were biceps and triceps their

chests were rounded this is when they

started walking around the house with

their shirts off thinking they had swag

I was like boy that’s nasty put your

shirt on

the power was in them

but now it started to be evident on the

outside of them

John says this is the Adolescent stage

you know you’re in it when life is

weighty

when the heaviness of that particular

Dynamic the heaviness of marriage the

heaviness of parenting the struggle in

your finances the struggle on your

business or in your ministry man this

feels like weight that you do not feel

like you have the power or the strength

to keep on lifting he says I’m writing

to you today to remain through this

season because this is the season where

most people jump ship

this is the season where folks start

throwing in the towel and bailing on the

assignment God has given them because

it’s burdensome and it’s weighty but if

you’ll hang in there this is the stage

where you’ve got spiritual muscle coming

to you where the strength that’s in you

this is the stage where it starts to

show up on the outside of you I’m

talking about where folk can look at you

and see that’s a piece that passes all

understanding

but that’s a joy that’s anchored in

something different that they have hope

when everybody else around them and the

culture is hopeless somehow there’s

still a smile that is on their face why

why does she react like that why does he

speak like that why does he walk like

that how is she able to make choices

like that it’s because of the strength

that’s in you is taking shape on the

outside of you

it’s when our faith is not this

intangible thing anymore it’s spiritual

muscle it’s structural Integrity in the

scaffolding of our house that is going

to keep it standing over the course of

time and through the storms of life

don’t give up in this season

if you’re in this season today on this

Sunday morning and things are hard and

you’re just about to throw in the towel

the holy spirit of God says stay

spiritual fortification is coming to

your house right now in Jesus name

and the reason you’ll need a solid

foundation and the reason why you’re

going to need sturdy scaffolding and

fortification in your house is because

he says I’m writing to you

fathers

you’re going to graduate to mothers

please notice that he does not say

adults

he says I’m writing to some spiritual

parents

these are people who have stood the

course of time

they’ve been through some storms and

they have the scars and the wounds and

the bruises to show you when they went

through this hurricane and this hail

storm and this rainstorm and when the

110 mile per hour winds were beating

against their house and yet here they

are in this season of their life and

their house is still standing and

spiritual parents are the one whose

houses are still standing and they’re

willing to fling open the front door and

tell the people who are coming after

them come on in here and sit in my

living room and let me testify to you

about why serving Jesus is still worth

it John says I’m writing to you fathers

because you have known him who has been

from the beginning

this is the same John at the beginning

of his gospel John chapter 1 verse 1 who

said in the beginning was the word and

the Word was with God and the Word was

God he’s talking about Jesus he says we

need some people who have walked with

Jesus long enough that they are able to

declare unashamedly who Jesus is and

that he is still worth serving

we need some people in a culture and in

a time that seeks to generalize God so

that he is one of many options instead

of an unmatched entity without

comparison and with no counterparts we

need some people who are willing to

declare without shame that Jesus is his

name

and that he is still worth serving not

because they heard about him through the

testimony of somebody else no it’s

because their house is still standing

and he is proven in their lives to be

the Chief Cornerstone

we need some spiritual mothers and

fathers in the house of God y’all we’re

not supposed to come to church and

everybody is a millennial

come on there have to be some mothers

and some fathers who can tell the story

who can testify to the fact that he is

the Chief Cornerstone that he’s the lily

of the valley that he’s the one of whom

the prophet spoke and it’s not just

cliches to them they’re telling you

because they’re a living Witness

that Jesus is worth it

those of you who are here at Concord

church and you’ve gone the distance

you’ve been married for a minute you’ve

raised your children you’ve served God

maybe Faithfully at this church I know

there are so many of you I see your

faces you’ve been here for decades

serving God

we say thank you for having houses that

are still standing

because your stability and your

faithfulness allows those of us who are

looking on to see that Jesus is worth it

and for those of you young people who

are in the house or you’re just starting

out in some season of your life know

that he is faithful

he’s worth serving and he is faithful

and he is able to present you faultless

before the throne with exceeding great

joy He will carry you he will sustain

you he will keep you until you see him

face to face

he’s worth it

so brothers and sisters

be faithful

whatever assignment the Lord has

entrusted to you put your hands to the

plow and don’t look back

many of you know that my mother went

home to be with the lord it’s been three

years ago now unbelievably

and in the last six weeks of her life we

kind of all knew she knew

these would probably be her last days

with us

the four of us kids our kids and then

one of those kids has kids so my

mother’s great-grandchildren crowded

around her room down the street here in

our childhood home where dad still lives

we were just there laying on the bed

hanging out with her all the kids and

grand kids piled together and in those

last days

when she could speak to us

she was basically

passing the Baton of faith

look in us in our eyes and saying

don’t you dare drop this baton

that in the face of death

her house of Faith was still standing

that she refused to let even the biggest

disappointment of Our Lives

y’all with the tears still falling and

the discouragement and the

disappointment and the disillusionment

that God hadn’t answered our prayers and

so many of our friends prayers he hadn’t

answered answered them in the way we

hoped he would and in the way we knew he

could see it’s hard when you know he can

do it but he doesn’t

the discouragement of that the

Heartbreak of that the tears watching

our father SOB those tears of sadness as

he was losing his wife of 49 and a half

years

and even in the face of all that

to have a Mama saying to us

Jesus is worth it

and I decided watching my mama that

whenever my time comes what I want to be

doing is taking whatever baton God has

given me

and passing it to my sons and my sons

sons and daughters and looking my

posterity squarely in the face and

saying you serve Jesus

I want a house that’s still standing

so Concord family whatever God has given

you to do

in your families and your Ministries and

your businesses

be faithful

he’s worth it

Lord I Thank you so much for your word

I thank you that you are coming soon

and I pray father that by your spirit

you will sustain us so that we see you

face to face we can hear

well done

in Jesus name amen