so I'm Darrell Bailey. Thank you for tuning in as we get into the wonderful Word of God on Halloween night, October the 31st, 2025. It's the ninth of Chesvan, 5786 of the Hebrew calendar. Tonight on Halloween night, we'll be talking about the ghost that returned home. Here on behalf of Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church, we want to invite each and every one of you to come and be with us 10 o'clock for our Sunday school morning worship at 11 at 450 Iron Hill Road. in Taylorsville, Georgia. We'd love to have you come and be with us. If you're looking for a church home, come and visit with us, Amen. We'd love to have you. We'll be talking about helping those haunted by memories and finding peace in Christ. Whether you're a veteran, whether you've been and served on the front lines, whether you're a first responder, a police officer, a firefighter, even men and women that have been either done wrong abused, hurt, and some matter, every one of us, there's a time in our life that as we get ready to try to go through life, that there'll be ghosts that will return home with us. And that's what we'll be focusing on, helping those halted by memories find peace in Christ. Now, before we go any further, we're gonna have a time of prayer as well. and want to ask the Lord to intervene in our area. I've got a lot of prayer requests and I want to remember all of them. And so please bear with me as we get into our prayer for our men and women that we know, our friends and our families that are going through troublesome times. Will you pray along with us as we pray tonight? Pray with us. Heavenly Father, Lord, tonight we lift up every man and woman who has ever walked the battlefield, both abroad and at home, and we remember those who have not returned. Just, Lord, we see that many returned with medals, but they also returned with scars and with memories that never left them. In this message, Lord, I pray we'll go out and find a lodging place in their hearts, oh Lord. I humble before you, Lord, and ask you, Lord, the one that calmed the sea, and Lord, that set the demonic free, calm the storm inside every heart tonight, Father, on this Halloween night. Heal the haunted, free the burden. Let peace reign again in the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, we pray for those, Lord, tonight. Lord, that as we come humbly and boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time of need. Lord, you promised to call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. And so, Lord, I pray tonight, Lord, as you help each and every one of us, I ask you, God, Lord, that you'll lift up those, uh, every name, Lord, that I call out tonight. Gary and Dorothy Wood, Tim Forsythe, Kevin Simmons, oh, Lord, Tammy Lucien, Carolyn Moore, Elsie Minter, Marsha, uh, Bochner, And Lord, I pray, Boatner, excuse me, Lord, Billy Sprayberry, Happy Ferguson, Crystal Womack, Leah Forsyth-Wood, Darren Cantrell, Danielle Williams, Doug Klein, Larry Robinson, Linda Sue Willifer, Lita Bailey, Mary Sue Phipps, Donald Linda Cox, Calvin and Shea Williams, Johnny Williams, Isaiah Bunch, Susan Blanton, Hazel Mason, Joey Wiggins, Greg Holmes, Johnny Garrett, Rusty Lanier, Wayne Agin, James Madden, Thelma Baker, Mark White, Diana Miller, Mary Sue Cantrell, Barbara Capes, Rhea Hammond, Sandra Briscoe, Booty Spencer, Leanne Owens' mother, and all those whose names may not be spoken but are known to thee. Father, I ask you in the mighty name of Jesus, Lord, that you'll help us to restore their strength as thou did for the sick in Galilee. And Lord, we pray to comfort those that are facing surgery and strength each and every day, Father. Lord, I ask that, God, that you'll go with each and every one of them, those that are facing cancer and hospice care, like Lord Wayne Agin and Calvin Williams. And Lord, I pray also for the cancer of Johnny Garrett. We ask that thy presence be near, that they, Lord, that you'll feel that everlasting arm beneath them of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We pray for our government, O God, our president, and all of those in authority that thou hast commanded that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. Grant wisdom from above. Turn their hearts toward righteousness. We remember our veterans and all our military branches and all of our police firefighters and first responders. Bless and protect them in the mighty name of Jesus in their service. Wrap your loving arms around them. Oh, Father, I pray. Remember our schools and our teachers. And Lord, I pray for our children and let truth and righteousness prevail in their classrooms. We pray for all of our pastors and our leaders and those who labor in thy word and doctrine. Strengthen them, oh Lord. Let revival sweep through our churches and across this land. We pray for our missionaries and especially those that are laboring in the 1040 windows, oh God. We pray thy word may run swiftly and may it be glorified in the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. We pray for each and every one that is out there, God. Lord, I pray that you'll remember those who grieve and those who are shut in, those that are in the nursing homes, oh Lord. We pray that thou art near to them that are of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We pray for every lost loved one that they may come to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. Let the Holy Ghost convict and draw them, Lord. Lord, those that are not willing, that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance in the mighty name of Jesus. And for those struggling financially, let them see. Lord, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And Father, we believe thy word that when it says now unto him, that's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask to think according. To the power that worketh in us, we place every need, we place every name, every burden, Father, into thy hands. And Lord, we trust that thou will work all things together for good to them that love thee. Let thy spirit move mightily among thy people at Bethel Cross Rose Baptist Church. Bring healing and revival, restoration, and may we ever give thee all the glory, the honor, the praise, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Oh, I pray. as we look and realize here this Halloween night, amen. And because of it being Halloween night, I want to give glory. I want to praise my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. And so I thank God as we do that, I hope and pray that you'll sing along with me, amen, tonight as we sing this blessed song. He lives! I serve a risen Savior He's in the world today I know that He is living Whatever men may say I see His hand of mercy I hear His voice of cheer And just the time I need Him He's always near He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me, alone lies narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within. In all the world around me I see His loving care And though my heart grows weary I never will despair I know that He is leading Through all the stormy blasts The day of His appearing will come at last. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me, a lone, lost, narrow way. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus is reborn. You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart. Oh, and at last, rejoice, rejoice, O Christian. Lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujah to Jesus Christ, the King, the hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find Him. Another is so loving, so good and kind. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me, alone lies narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart. Amen. I send that out to Booty Spencer and all of those over to nursing home over at Rock Mart. Praise God as a brother Booty is always getting us. Amen. Thank God. He's always getting us, amen, a choir together over there and singing. And praise God, how talented, Brother Booty Spencer. I believe the angels this past Wednesday night gathered around and listened to all of those over there singing. Amen, Brother Booty Spencer. All you gotta do is tell him the page number out of the red Stamps Baxter hymnal, and he can play it. Don't tell him the title, and he can play. it for note for note. What an amazing, gifted man of God. Amen. And so, let's get back into the heart of the message tonight, because as we look and we realize, as we talk about the ghost that returned home, one of the very first things that we'll see tonight is the haunted man who met Jesus, the man of Gadara, haunted, isolated, and wounded. Jesus calmed his torments and gave him peace, and he was clothed and in his right mind in Mark chapter 5 verse 15. Where we see how that this man in the Bible, how that he had been tormented, he was haunted. But I'm glad that when we look at his life, ape man, and we begin to realize what he was going through. we see the Word of God that tells us, amen. And they came over unto the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, it meaneth thou met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no man could bind him, no, not with chains, because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been put asunder by him. And the fetters broke in pieces, neither Could any man tame him? I tell you. We go on in verse 5. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. We see that haunted life. Because here we see a story. in Mark chapter 5 verses 1 through 20 that tells how Jesus crosses the stormy sea to deliver a man who lived among the tombs, a man everyone else had given up upon. But he was alive physically, but he was dead spiritually. He was bound by torment. He was isolated. He was feared. He was, in a sense, a living ghost cut off from his people, from peace and from God. But when Jesus stepped onto the shore Everything changed, and the unclean spirits recognized Jesus as the Son of God. And at His word, they fled, and the man was set free, sitting clothed and in his right mind. The one who had been among the dead was restored to the land of the living, and then Jesus gave him a mission. Go home. This is the heart of the message that we're fixing to get to. He goes on, he said, and when he had saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and he cried with a loud voice and said, what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. And he goes on in verse 8, For he said unto him, Come out of a man, thou unclean spirit. And in verse 9, And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. Here we see that holy encounter. that he's talking about. Amen. And so we go on and he tells us, And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. in verse 13. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave, and the unclean spirits went out, and they entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. And they were about two thousand, and were choked in the sea. " Again, that holy encounter that began to take place. But then it goes on, and they that fed the swine fled and told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done, and verse 15, and they come to Jesus to see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil. and also concerning the swine. Here, the healed witness that we see, because as we get down, it says, and they began to pray to him to depart out of their coast. And when he was coming to the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. This is the heart of the message. And verse 19, how about Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee. And lastly, verse 20, and he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him. And all men did marvel. Wow. You know, The heart of the message, Jesus doesn't just cast out our demons. He restores our identity. He sends us back to the places where shame and pain once ruled. And he turns our haunting past into a living testimony. The ghost returned home, but he was no longer a ghost. He was a witness of grace. And so I'm glad that verse 19 tells the whole story. He was once dead among the tombs, but now he's alive with purpose. He was once a voice of torment, but now he's a voice of testimony. He was once bound and begotten and forgotten. but now he's sent and he's forgiven. And so when Jesus sets us free, he sends us home, not to hide our scars, but to show his mercy. And the ghosts of our past become the messengers of his grace. And you can develop that because I'm glad that when we look. We'll be talking about that same thing in our lives today, because each and every one of us as we go through life today, I remember serving, and one of the things of the three general orders that we were given is the accomplishment of the mission, the health and welfare of the men, and discipline, maintaining order, obedience, and standards in our effectiveness and cohesiveness. But you know what? As a leader, I always put the Second General Order first, because there's no way that you can accomplish the mission if you don't take care of your people. If you don't take care of the men and women under your leadership, that you would have the right things to do to look out for them. As a non-commissioned officer, I firmly believe that the foundation of the mission accomplishment begins with taking care of our soldiers. the first general order that emphasizes the accomplishment of the mission. But in my experience, the mission cannot truly be achieved without prioritizing the welfare and the care for our physical and our mental and our spiritual soldiers, a man, because we build trust. We build commitment and we drive success on every level. And throughout my career, I've been blessed to serve in multiple leadership positions, including as I was in basic training, I was given a squad that I kept all the way through my training in AIT. I'm glad that when I went on to non-commissioned officer academy, I was given the rank of first sergeant, and I began to march an entire company and kept that rank. And so, each and every one of us, as we go through our military and leadership experiences, no matter what you do in leadership, sometimes it'll follow you, and sometimes you have to do the best for your men that are under you. But I believe that we need to fulfill the greater purpose, and that is to guide, to mentor, and to inspire others. And I believe that when we take care of our soldiers and we lead with integrity and faith, we not only accomplish the mission, but we also contribute to a greater commission to reach and positively impact the lives of others. And so I'm glad there's a certain kind of silence that falls when a soldier comes home. The war may be over, But not everything stays behind. But you know what? Some bring back medals. Some bring back stories. But some bring back ghosts. Not the kind you see, but the kind that follow after you. Ghosts of things you saw. Ghosts of things you did. Ghosts of things that you wish you could forget. And you don't have to be a soldier to carry ghosts. Some of us carry ghosts of failure. Some of us carry ghosts of betrayal. Some of us carry ghosts of grief. Some of us carry ghosts of sin. Here on this Halloween night, the many years through the military, one of my favorite authors that I would read from going from traveling on the airplanes with a TA-50 bag would be Louis Lamar. And Louis L'Amour said one time, there will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning, unquote. And that is the message tonight. Jesus wants to begin again. in the lives of those that thinks it's all over. He wants to lay down the rucksack of the past and fill it with peace and not pain. And so before we look and realize that here in the gospel of Mark, it's called the gospel of power. Mark was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. And he presents Jesus, not only as the servant, but as the sovereign son of God who comes in power over disease. demons, nature, death, sin, and ultimately life eternal. And in Mark chapter 5 verses 1 through 20, we encounter one of the most dramatic demonstrations of that power, a man possessed by a legion of demons, dwelling among the tombs, bound by chains, and yet breaking free until he meets the Lord and is transformed. And from that scene flows our message, ghost, haunting memories, spirits of past sins among the tombs, bound by chains and yet breaking free until we meet the Lord and we're transformed. because I'm glad that every one of us, we're living at a crossroads where the crossroads meet. Christ is Lord of all. And you may be standing at the crossroads this morning, haunted by past failure, by guilt, or by chains, and you cannot break those chains. But listen, this message is for you tonight on this Halloween night. Because when the Son of God marches into your tomb field, the ghosts retreat. The past is redeemed and freedom brings forth. It springs forth from you. What are the ghosts in your life and will you allow Christ to send them home? Well, and how can we help those haunted by the past find in healing? When we lead them to Jesus, not judgment, not cliches, but the one who still commands the unclean spirits to flee, that's when it can happen. The very first thing that we talked about, I thank God, as we talked about the haunted man who met Jesus. Here we deal with the healing witnesses, amen. And so I'm glad the first thing was the haunted man who met Jesus, amen, because the ghost in the graveyard, they recognize the haunting. And so, the tombs and the unclean spirit that we looked at. You see, the wound that was there, it wouldn't heal. The man of Gadara lived among the tombs. He was haunted. He was isolated. And he was wounded. And like many soldiers, he couldn't rest because of what was inside him. He wore no clothes because shame stripped him. He lived among the dead because life had lost meaning. You see, this man was a picture of a soul bound by torment, a heart where demons had built strongholds, but a heart still reachable by grace, thank God. And so the man lived out in that area of the tombs, walking, in a graveyard. And so we see a man that was tormented by unclean spirits. And so I remember a story that I, when I was in Korea, one of my friends was an MP that transferred to Colorado, Fort Carson with me, and me and him were together in Korea. But we didn't know each other then. We made friends on our time that we met at Fort Carson, Colorado. And he was a military police. And anyway, he began to talk to me. And I had some pictures that had been declassified that I never knew about. And he was telling me about on August the 18th, 1976, that two U.S. Army officers, Captain Boniface and First Lieutenant Barrett, were performing a routine tree-trimming task on the DMZ between North and South Korea. It was just work that turned out life-threatening as North Koreans suddenly attacked with axes, killing both men. The area, though peaceful on paper, was filled with unseen tension, a constant battle between unseen forces and human plans. These are things that people never heard about, probably because it was kept quiet. Well, like the man in Mark 5, danger and chaos can suddenly appear in life, often from places that we assume are safe. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saved as such as of a contrite spirit. Even when we feel surrounded by hostile spirits or impossible situations, God is near. And so I'm glad that John chapter 14 verse 27 says, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. And just as soldiers need calm and courage in the face of sudden attacks, We need Christ as peace to confront our spiritual chaos. And I tell you, life can feel like a DMZ of spiritual warfare, where suddenly you're attacked. You have fear, anxiety, and oppression that can strike without warning. But like the man delivered in Mark chapter five, we can experience true freedom and restoration. when Jesus steps in, even when we're surrounded by ghosts of our past, our forces beyond our control. God brings us home spiritually, emotionally, and physically, praise God. And so I'm glad that sometimes life hits you with an ax when you're just trying to trim a little tree. But you know what? I tell you, the wounds that wouldn't heal when we look, at how that it was with the haunted man who met Jesus, amen. But secondly, we see that not only the wounds that wouldn't heal, but the cry that reached heaven. Because in verse six, we read, but when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him. Even in torment, something inside him knew the one who could make him whole. Sometimes a single cry from a broken heart can shake heaven's door. And so, I tell you, every one of us as we go through life, Every one of us, when we look for freedom, the human heart that is heavy with all of the things that the world has to offer. So the wounds that wouldn't heal, the cry that reached heaven, but thirdly, the change that can't be denied. Because when Jesus delivered him in verse 15, he was sitting, he was clothed, and he was in his right mind. And that's what Christ can do tonight. He takes the haunted, and he makes them whole. He takes the restless, and he makes them rest. And so, I'm glad. I heard a story of a hunting lodge near, that Hayden, Alabama podcast boys was talking about, out in Christian hunting. podcast and they told this story that one old hunter said that his dog looked like his cheese just fell off his cracker when the dog tried to chase his own tail. And that's what a man does when he's bound and chasing his own sin, his own shame, his own ghost, rounding around, no rest, no progress. Well, listen, brothers and sisters, we must see the graveyard, those places of the past trauma, The mistakes, the regrets, the addictions. The man in Mark didn't live among family or friends. He lived in the tombs. Some of you are living in tombs of yesterday. And so we see the haunted man who met Jesus, praise God. Which or what is one way that we can lighten another person's emotion alone? By offering our presence before them with compassion and correction and prayer. as we pray over them. But secondly, we see the heavy rucksack of memories as well. Not only the haunted man who met Jesus, but the heavy rucksack of memories. Every soldier carries a load of guilt, grief, or pain. And Jesus said, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Healing begins when we help others unpack their burdens. And that's what the church is supposed to do. They reach a hand out to help with the second and the third and the fourth and the fifth chances, praise God. And so, I'm glad that that heavy rucksack of our memories today that we go through, praise God, because the Word of God says, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. And so we see every soldier has a load. And if you've ever worn a rucksack, You know the weight isn't just on your back. It's in your mind. Oh yeah. And some carry guilt. Others carry grief. And some have memories that march with them even when they're home in their chairs. I tell you, the truth for many veterans today, their story hasn't ended even when they get back home. It's just paused under the weight of what they carry. And so, When the man saw Jesus afar off, he ran and he worshiped him. And so even the demons acknowledged the identity of Jesus. Son of the Most High God. It echoes. And so the ghost chains tremble when the Messiah walks in, amen? The man cries, what have I to do with thee? It's a question of separation. You and I have no business together. And yet the Lord enters in. You know what? At the crossroads where the chains meet Christ, bondage meets deliverance. And so every soldier has a load. But secondly, the weight that we can't carry alone. Because he said, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest in Matthew 11, verse 28. He never meant for us to walk home from the battle alone. He bore a cross heavier than any man's rucksack, and He could lift ours from our shoulders whenever. And so, I'm glad when we look, the Lord is nearer to them out of a broken heart. And I'm glad that He gives us that contract spirit. Because in the same way, our marked man was humbled, wild, broken, and chained, yet the Lord came. I'm glad that if your ghost is your broken heart, Take heart, because God is near tonight. Every soldier has a load. Every weight we can't carry alone. And thirdly, the ministry of listening. That's right, church. Get used to this ministry. This is the best ministry that every single born-again Christian can maintain, is the ministry of listening. Sometimes healing begins not with preaching, but listening. listening to soldiers, listening to the saints of God. Need someone that can just walk beside them and listen. God's people are called to help one another unpack that rucksack and find grace inside. And so I'm glad Christian author Joseph Stowell said, once told of entering a haunted house for a ministry event. The lights flickered and the wind howled and it was in their hearts. But when the leader prayed in the name of Jesus, peace began to come into that haunted house. And the wind hushed and the crowd grasped. You see, the ghost wasn't just in the house. It was in their hearts. And when Christ enters, the ghost leaves. You know what? Some of us, as we go through life today, in Mark's narrative, the emphasis is on Jesus's authority. over the unseen, over the tomb haunted. The church at the crossroads must preach. You may have ghosts, but they are under the Lord's command. Let me say that one more time. You may have ghosts in your life, but they're under the Lord's command, praise God. And to the broken, to the bruised, and to the chained, I'm glad that the psalmist of Psalms 34 verse 18 says, he saves. And I'm glad of John chapter 14 verse 27, he says, he gives peace. And so where the crossroads meet, Christ is Lord of all, praise God. And so we see, He tells us, and the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as of a contrite spirit. Thirdly, I'm glad. First, we talked about the haunted man who met Jesus. Secondly, the heavy rucksack of memories. But thirdly, in closing, he says there's the hope that comes home. Praise God, I'm glad that the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. I wonder, how can a church become a refuge for those that are haunted by life's battles? by creating an atmosphere of love and not labels, of prayer and not pretense, of healing and not hiding. Because I'm glad that when we look and realize of what the hope gives each and every one of us, amen, I'm glad Jesus gives a peace that the world can't find. The veterans, the VA can help a body, but only Jesus can heal a soul. No medication can erase a memory, but the blood of Jesus can redeem it. And so I'm glad the man wanted to stay with Jesus that had the demon in him. Deliverance does not always mean relocation. It means testimony. He went back to his region. He went back to his community. And now he's free. And you know what? Deliverance is given, and it's to be declared. And so Jesus gives a peace that the world cannot give. But secondly, the ghosts become testimonies. Because that man in Mark chapter 5 became a missionary to his own hometown. He didn't forget his past. He redeemed it by telling others what Jesus did. Every scar can become a story of victory. And so, I'm glad Jesus gives a peace that the world can't. The ghost becomes testimony, but thirdly and closing, home is where healing begins. Because church, our veterans, and anyone carrying ghosts need a home that welcomes them. not judges them. And I'm glad that our churches can be that home, a place where every honed heart can find hope again. Maybe you were never in the military, but you have ghosts that came home with you and you can't get rid of them. But you can. You may think, just the madman in the tombs. No, you're the vanquished warrior who now stands clothed in his right man because the crossroad is reached. And now you go and you tell what the Lord has done because our society today needs embodied and bold courage testimonies. You know what? Technology, inventions, they cannot replace a broken past that has been set free by Christ. No amount of technology that anyone has today can replace your testimony. Archaeology may unearth ancient bones, but Christ resurrects the living. And I'm glad at the crossroads. Christ is Lord. I was reading in a Daily Guide post a story of a former gang member that said, I thought the city's alleys were my home, and then I met Jesus. He told the story about going home, not to the alleys, but to his family family, to tell them I'm new. I'm no longer the same person that I used to be. That's the story of Mark chapter five here on Halloween night. He goes back, but not to bondages. He goes back to testify. Someone said when the ghost left, the man didn't need a broom, he needed a megaphone, and the Lord gave him one. Well, I'm glad the church must be a sending church, not just a come and sit church, because the man was sent. And at the crossroads, we meet Christ. And we're sent to our neighborhood. We're sent to our workplace. We're sent to our schools. We're sent out to our labs. And so I'm glad that all of the stories, Louis L'Amour told the story that was told around the Cowboys' campfire one time on the trail. where men and women would sit by the campfire and see faces in the flames. But what kept them going was the thought of home. The ranch lights were waiting, the sound of laughter, the smell of supper. Friend, the campfire grace is still burning. Jesus waits with the lights on for you. And every ghost that follows you home must bow to the one who conquered death itself. And so the ghosts that return home don't have to stay. they can leave tonight at the feet of Jesus. And every ghost that follows you home as we look, he who stilled the storm in Gadara still speaks to the storms in us. If you've been haunted by your past, Jesus says, peace, be still. If you've been burdened, he says, lay it down. If you've been lost, he says, come home. And so as I close out, tonight, lay down the rucksack tonight, trade your goats for grace. Jesus still calms the storm and he says, peace, be still. And so as we walk the path of the haunted man from tombs, chains, and legion to the feet of Jesus, his peace, his transformation, and finally his testimony, this is where the crossroads meet. Christ is Lord of all. And that, I thank God, that's the place. What are the ghosts that are in your life tonight? And will you allow Christ to send them home? Will you? Up until now, maybe you've hidden, maybe you've bounded, struggling in the darkness. But Christ enters the tomb, and he meets you and I, and he speaks, and he sends you and me home free, clothed, sane, empowered to testify because that's the good news tonight on Halloween night. We, as we go forth, we need, those ghosts need to go home in your life. A ghost of past sin, a ghost of regret and hurt, a ghost of failure that you've carried in the tomb of your memory and you need to name it. Admit it and release it to Christ. Have you met Jesus in the midst of your haunting? You must encounter Christ personally tonight. It is his authority. It is his compassion. It is his peace, not an abstract idea. You need a worship. You need someone that you can worship and submit to him and allow him to uproot that ghost that is in your life. Will you testify to what the Lord has done in your life? Your deliverance isn't just for you tonight. It's for your friends. It's for your family. It's for your community. And at the crossroads, when I say that, I'm talking about our church, Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. At the crossroads, you go home with a message and you say, look what the Lord has done for me. And yes, I'm glad that every one of us, if you've never accepted Christ tonight as your personal savior, if you're still haunted by ghosts of sins and know that only he can set you free because today, tonight is your night. Today is the day of salvation for you. Would you spiritually come forward tonight on Halloween night and bow your head and confess and ask Jesus to be the keeper of your soul? because I'm glad that every one of us, we can receive the one who is Lord of all tonight. Friend, maybe you didn't serve in a uniform, but you fought your own battles. Maybe you carried ghosts too long, memories that won't let you rest. But tonight, Jesus says, you don't have to carry it another step. Lay it down. Come to this altar, lay the rucksack at his feet. He'll trade it for peace, and that's the kind that never leaves a man. And so I'm glad. that as you accept him as your Lord and Savior tonight, I hope and pray that you can turn everything over to him tonight and all that's said and done. Let's close out in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the moment of truth. We thank you for the power of your word, the authority of Jesus, the nearness of your spirit, and we pray for those who stood or will stand and say, yes, I choose you tonight, Lord, and I choose you to leave all of the hardship and the ghost of my life with you and replace it with grace. Deliver them, Lord. Fill them with peace. Send them out as witnesses for those who still wrestle with the ghost of their life. And Lord, let this altar call be their turning point tonight to restore hope, to mend hearts, and to bind up brokenness. And may the crossroad lead to victory. And Lord, all that we say and do tonight, Lord, I pray God that you will give us exactly what we need, Lord, as we go and strengthen the power of your resurrection, testify of your mercy, that we live in peace and remember where the crossroads meet. Christ is Lord of all. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen. Thank you tonight as we go our separate ways, amen. God bless you. May God bless you tonight as we go.