Thank you. That's the truth, isn't it? Oh, it is easy to talk about how much you trust God when things are going good. We'll see if what you say you got's real when things don't go well, right? And so, appreciate that good song. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter four this morning. Hebrews chapter four. I want to read one verse. Now our study, our theme this year is deeper. And as we mentioned, I know this as I'm 53 years old. I've been in church my whole life. Many of you have. What we're seeing today in church, Christianity is an anemic Christianity. because people have absolutely no concept of what they believe and why they believe it. They don't have a real relationship with Christ. We were talking in the teen room this morning, teaching the teen class about prayer. And I said, why is it we have such a difficult time praying? And I said, not that we go through the motions, right? We teach kids from an early age, now lay me down to sleep. We teach them to pray before their meal. And it's a ritual that they go through instead of an activity of relationship and fellowship with the holy God. And I said, you know, the fact is we all struggle with that. If we were honest, I mean, if, if, uh, you were, if I told you, I said, go out there in the, in the, uh, uh, grass and pray verbally to God. Some of you go, that's crazy. But if I said, come to the altar, come out in the pulpit and pray over the offering, we're like, okay, well, that makes sense. So a lot of what we're seeing in Christianity is a couple of things. It's ritual. It's entertainment, right? I mean, if you, you're not, I love good music, right? I'm glad we have good music, but if you came for the music and that's it, what you're really saying is I really came to be entertained. Right? A lot of folks, we've made the worship hour the main service, right? Sunday morning we pull out all the stops and the choir sings their best songs and preachers preach their best message and we sing all the best songs we sing and, you know, Sunday night, well, that's, you know, we wear our Sunday best on Sunday morning. By Wednesday night, not careful, we'll look like a bunch of hobos going to church. Right? Because we put the emphasis on one thing and that is Sunday morning church service. We want to be fed and entertained and then we go out in the world and we get hit in the face with all the world throws at us. We don't know how to handle it. And so then we start seeking advice and we usually seek it from places we shouldn't. And we'll seek it from worldly things. And a lot of it comes down to this. I'm going to say it. We don't know this book. And if you will not let your life be governed by this book, listen to what I'm saying, 100%, you can disagree with me if you want to, but you'd be wrong. You cannot live a successful Christian life if you're not guided by this book. It's too difficult. God designed the Christian life that you cannot live it without the power of the Holy Spirit of God. You may live a good life, you may do some moral things, but there are things in this book that you absolutely cannot do without the Spirit of God directing you. So tell her what we do, we do the best we can and then we'll start cherry picking stuff out of this book. So well I agree with that but I don't agree with that. Well just as she sang that song about faith, you're like well that's easy for you to say, you're not going through what I'm going through. Let me say this, either God is true in every scenario or he's not. You can't pick certain areas of life and say, well, God's true in this one, but He's not in this one. You can't look at yourself and say, God will do things for this person that He won't do for me. Can't do it. So if God's true, then His Word's true. So here's the second spiritual test. I want you to give yourself to see where you are. Brother Matt, nobody you talk to say, are you spiritually mature? Probably everybody in here say, sure I am. So we look at Hebrews chapter 4 verse number 12. The Bible said for the word of God, not Dr. Phil, not Oprah, not Dr. Laura, not Dave Ramsey, not your pastor, not Joel Osteen, Right? Not Barack, not Donald. Getting quieter already. For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Notice what it says, piercing. Now that doesn't sound like modern day Christianity. We want the word of God to just bring comfort. Piercing does not sound like comfort unless I look at it from the aspect that God looks at it, right? Hey, piercing is very comforting if you've got cancer in your body and the doctor said I can get it out with surgery. He's saying I'm going to have to pierce your flesh to get to the cancer. Amen. On the other hand, somebody sticking a knife in my gut because they want $10 doesn't sound too comforting. So the Bible said, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and to the joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Now that's important. You better mark that down. The Bible said, is a discerner of the thoughts. This book, if you'll match what you think against this book, it'll tell you what you think and why you think it. And it goes deeper all the way to the intent of the heart. You say, well, I know why I'm doing things. We're not according to the Bible. The Bible said the heart is deceitful. It'll deceive you. So I want to ask you this question, the second question in diagnosing our spiritual health, and everybody has to answer it for themselves, what is your life guide? What guides your life? So Thomas Chalmers said this, he said, the sum and substance of the preparation needed for a coming eternity. is that you believe what the Bible bids you. In other words, if you're preparing for eternity, as we sang about that day, we're going to see Jesus. If it's not based around the word of God, then you're not prepared for it. I've heard things about heaven that I've never heard in my life, and it's because people think, I know what heaven means to me, right? It's gonna be a fishing pond, it's gonna be a golf course, it's gonna be... See, we're trying to dictate in our mind what heaven's gonna be because we think that's what would bring us pleasure. And so, if I were to ask you this morning, if I'd say, what is the most valuable thing in the world? The most valuable thing in the world. Some of you'd say, well, it'd be gold. Some would say, well, it'd be silver, it'd be jewels or works of art. But someone stranded on a desert island that's starving to death, they don't care about gold, silver, or rubies. They need food. For someone who is dehydrated, dying of thirst, they care less about gold, silver, they want water. Amen? So the most valuable thing are simply the basics of life. I mean, if you're laid up in the hospital on your deathbed and they're saying you've got three months to live, man, you don't care about having a work of art in your living room and how valuable that thing is, right? If you're gasping for air, how much gold you've got in the bank, it doesn't matter to you. What you need is air. So we have to understand that simply the basics of life are valuable. And when it comes to our Christian life, we need the Bible to live. We've gotten so far, Brother Jeremiah, away from the Word of God among Christians. We're trying to learn to live a life outside of Christ. It's interesting that we were thinking about this song the choir sang, He took my whole life. And turned it around. See friend, may I say if God has not turned your whole life around, you don't know Him. Because He doesn't work in partial things. In other words, He didn't take part of your life and turn it around. He took the whole thing. If you're truly born again, old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Not some things, everything's new. So we need the Bible to live. And I really believe brother Eddie, that's why we have so many anemic part-time Christians. I'm going to say it again, part-time. You can't find them in church. They won't give. They won't hand out a tract. They want Christianity when it benefits them and brings something to the table to make them feel better. And so they will not spend time in this Word because they know there's portions that God said, I'm going to take that book right there and I'm going to dig down in there. And so when I look at this scripture, man, I was going back over it this morning, I thought, man, I just came up with a whole other message. This is going to be an introduction. But when you look at this one verse, The word quick means living and alive. The Word of God is alive. Amen. And that word powerful means energy. And that word sharper means more cutting. It's more cutting than a two-edged sword. And when it says here, dividing asunder a soul and spirit of the joints and marrow, It's saying that it is reaching the most intimate hidden parts. The marrow is contained in the bone. I mean, you've got to get deep to get into where that marrow's at, right? And the Bible's saying that's what the Word of God will do for you. It will show you who you are, but it will also show you how to get better. And so this scripture, when I think of the word of God, I think, Brother Shane, about four things. First of all, it is, according to this scripture, it is quick and powerful. It's convicting. If you don't read this book and you're convicted, may I say this, you're probably not reading the whole counsel of God. The word of God, the Bible said faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. You can't be saved without the convicting power of the word. You say, well I don't agree with that, I heard a song. You study it back, the Word, John chapter 1 verse 1, in the beginning was the Word. The Word is Jesus Christ. The Word is not just simply the printed page, it is Jesus Christ. So the Word is convicting, but it's also converting. It is also condemning. Now we don't like that word, do we? We don't like when the Bible condemns us, but may I say this morning, and this world hates it. Listen, people are all up in the air about all the stuff coming down the pike with the new administration, right? And they're saying, well, it's just not showing mercy and grace. Well, you didn't have any mercy and grace before that. You had this, whatever she was, get up at the National Cathedral and basically talk about the LGBTQ and all this stuff and she was just making much of it. Well, that's a personal fault. She didn't get that from the Word of God. We don't want to be convicted, right? We don't want to be condemned. But may I say this? If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ, you're already condemned according to the Word of God. Sin condemns us. And then not only that, it also comforts us. I'm glad there's a portion of the scripture that brings comfort. Till he said, the last prayer in the Bible, even so come. Right? Aren't you glad Jesus is coming? Well, you're not going to get that in your emotion. You're not going to get that on CNN or Fox News. You're going to get that in the word of God. My friend, if you don't know this word, you cannot live a Christian life in this world. So let me give you these three things, and I'm aware of the time. We'll be quick. Number one, when I think of the Word of God, I see the sustenance in the Word of God. Now, I want to give you this. First of all, it's a staple. There are staples in your physical diet and the word of God is a staple in your diet. I'm going to give you some scripture and I want you to write them down. We're going to go through them quickly for sake of time. Jeremiah 15, 16 says, Thy words were found and I did eat them and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Hebrews 5, 12-14, For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a bait. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So in Jeremiah he's saying we're to eat the word and we're to consume it. Not just have some little, you know, I got this neat little devotional. If you're not consuming the Word of God, you're not growing spiritually. You can't live this life for Christ by reading a little devotional book that always is encouraging you. You've got to read the whole thing. Amen. And then he goes on to say, for the babe, the Word of God is milk. For the more mature the word of God is meat. We go on in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4. But he answered and said it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceed out of the mouth of God. He's saying it's bread. See that's why all these health nuts today are talking about you shouldn't eat bread. I don't agree with them. Well the Bible said to eat bread. Amen. I'm not sure they had in mind maybe some of the bread we have today, but I'm going with that. I mean, that's scriptural, brother Matt. So he answered, you can't live by bread alone. Every word of this book should dictate your life. So it's a staple. They're staples for you to live a healthy life physically. And to live a healthy life spiritually, you've got to have the Word of God. Well, not only that, it's not only a staple, the Bible is a source. Psalms 119, 105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, light unto my path. Well, I need the Word of God for light. I need it for light in my life. This world is dark. And people say, well this will fix your problem. Well, no, no. If it does not line up with the Word of God, I have to let the Word of God bring light to me. I don't care what Joe Rogan says. I don't care what your favorite podcaster says. I've got to have more confidence in the Word of God to bring light. I don't even care what the doctors say. If he goes against the Word of God, then I've got to go with the Bible. So understand that it is a source of light. Let me say this, you ready for this? People will lie to you. Yeah, because here's what, now I'm going to take another angle on this, you won't like this. Because we're so stinking sensitive, people won't be honest with you. when you ask them stuff. Right? Somebody will go to your friend and say, do you think I'm that way? And they'll say, oh no. No, no, I think you're one of the finest, sweetest people I ever met. You're mean as a junkyard dog. But they'll lie to your face because they don't want to hurt your feelings. So, you know what we've done? Ready for this? We want to go to churches that do the same thing. You're shacked up with some dude and you want some guy to go, hey, it's alright, God. Listen, as long as you love Jesus, that's the only thing that matters. No, you're living in sin. That's not right, right? You're mean. That's sin, right? You lie, you cheat, you steal, that's all sin. See, so it's like, well, I just want to go to church where I'm uplifted. Sometimes we don't need to be uplifted. Sometimes the Bible condemns. And if you're preaching the whole counsel of God, there's going to be some times you're going to walk out of here and feel like the lowest dirty dog that's ever walked the face of the earth. And that's when you ought to come to the altar and get things right. And then you can walk out feeling better. Amen. So it's a source of light. It's the only truth. Let God be true and every man a liar. it's not only a source of light Jeremiah chapter 23 verse 29 he said it's not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that break the rocks in pieces man this you get in this Bible you know what it'll do listen to this time out what look up here it'll it'll destroy your pride that's why we don't get in this book see the world says You ought to think, love yourself. You won't find that in that book anywhere. Love yourself before you love others. Do all these things for you to make you better. You won't find that in that book. What was the first command? When they asked Jesus, what's the first and greatest? He said, love the Lord your God. With what? All. Then he said, then the guys, he just asked one, he said, I'll tell you what, you ask one, I'll give you two. The second is love thy neighbor. The third is not love yourself. Amen. This world says love yourself. This world says don't give demissions, buy, you know, fancy cars and new pocketbooks and golf clubs and hunt and ride. That's what the world says. But what does God say? So Ephesians 6, 17, take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 1 Peter 1, verse 23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God. You can't be saved without the Word of God. The incorruptible Word of God. Well, I got baptized. Corruptible. Good outweighs bad. Corruptible. Joined the church. Corruptible. Give, hey, give to the United Way. Corruptible. I helped a little old lady across the street. Oh, that's corruptible. The only thing that's not corruptible is the word of God. So it's a source. It's a source of salvation. It's a source of light. It's a source of fire. It's a source of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in my life. And so we don't want to get near it, Brother Tilly, because if I read that book, it destroys my pride. So it's like, well, I have to have self-worth. You do have, but see it's tied up in Jesus. He's the one that thinks you're valuable. Let Him minister to you. You minister to others, you help others, let Him help you. So it's a staple, it's a source, but then when we look at the Word of God as substance, it's sweetness. The Bible's described as being perfect, and sure, and right, and pure, and true, and righteous, sweeter than honey, better than gold and silver, revives the soul, makes the simple wise, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eye. All those things that we need, the Word of God gives us. So first of all, we see that it's sustenance of God's Word. Number two is submission to God's Word. If I were to ask you this morning how many of you are Christian, most if not all would raise your hand. But by definition, the word Christian means Christ-like. As a matter of fact, it means more than that, it means little Christ. The Bible said they were first called Christians at Antioch. And so I would dare say there's some people that would say they're born-again believers, they've trusted Christ as their Savior, but they're not really Christians because their character is not matching up to Christ. Now, automatically, you know what we'll do? We'll say, yeah, I know a bunch of people like that. Here's the problem. What you ought to do is look in the mirror and say, am I? Am I? matching up to what I say I am. I'll say it again, the Bible is a mirror, not a whipping stick. Use that book to get you more like Christ. Don't turn it on other people and beat them with it. Amen. Amen. Hey, it's a whole lot easier, the Bible even says this, a whole lot easier to see the speck in that dude's eye than to see the beam in yours. Right? He's got a speck of dust. You've got a big log out of yours. You're like, hey, buddy, you need to fix that. Amen. You better quit. Stop taking that book and beating everybody up with it. Start taking it and using it as a mirror to say, what about me? So, submission to God's Word It brings about Christ-likeness. Well, how do you mean? Well, Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, according to John 1, verse 1, was continually governed by God's Word. He never contradicted God's Word. As a matter of fact, He said He didn't come to destroy the law. He came to fulfill the law. In other words, you'll never find Jesus who is perfect. could contradict the word it would be him because he could just say well you know what I'm the word I'm just gonna change it up on you but he obligated himself brother Jeremiah by the word of God he's obligated himself when when God you say God can do anything no he cannot when he is obligated himself by his word he cannot go against his word God cannot lie. You say, well sure he can, he can do anything. No, he cannot. A lie is the absence of truth. He is truth, so therefore there's no absence of truth which makes it impossible for him to lie. That's why he said, let God be true and every man a liar. Even if you try to tell the truth, there's this corruption in you that you may get it wrong. So that's the reason the Bible's the only thing we can truly trust. You say, well, how do we know that preachers are interpreting right? Sometimes you don't. That's why you ought to read it. That's why you ought to study to show yourself approved. So Jesus, the incarnate Word, governed himself by the Word. He fought off the temptation of Satan with it. It is written. It is written. It is written. It is written, right? So when you're going through stuff, you better stop trying to find all this stuff that's going to make you feel better and just start fighting it off with the Word of God. Because here's the thing, Brother Bart, here's what we want. We want to go places. This is going to rub some people wrong, so if this rubs you wrong, switch around and it'll get your fur back down. We just want to feel good. That's it. We just want to feel good. I just don't want to feel bad, I just want to be happy. I'm alright, I want to be happy. I don't know anybody, well there are some people that want to be miserable. Let's be honest. Brother Ian, there's some folks that they're not happy unless they're miserable. Y'all remember that episode of Andy Griffith? Andy's coming there trying to break up that couple and they're arguing all the time and he's like, tell him, hello honey. And they were miserable and finally he was like, yeah, they're better off just arguing because that makes them happy or whatever, right? A lot of folks just, they don't care what God says, they just, they'll find somebody to tell them what they need to hear to make them feel better. You ever thought maybe God has you feeling a certain way because you're not exactly where you need to be with Him and what you need to do is find out when that temptation and trial comes in your life Maybe God's trying to run you back to Him and you're running away from Him, trying to find help everywhere else. You ever thought about that? Oh no, preacher. My Bible says He's a heavenly Father just with open arms. Yeah, but you can't go in the arms if you're going the other way. So Jesus fought off temptation. Jesus knew scripture, quoted scripture, and lived according to scripture. If I'm going to be like Christ, that's what I've got to do. I've got to know scripture, quote scripture, and live according to scripture. Not only Christ-likeness, but constraint. To grow in our walk with God is to be constrained by God's word. There's some things, listen to what I'm saying. You know why people, let's be honest, why we're in such a mess? Because we cannot delay immediate gratification. Right? Just can't. like well whatever feels good right now that's why listen that's why some people it's like you know it but Jerry it is an obligation for them to come to church Sunday morning but they'll not be back any other time we it's like well I don't want to I don't feel like it right I don't feel like reading my Bible I don't feel like praying okay you feel like going to work Man, if I was going to use that, I wouldn't go to work. I'd get up in the morning and say, you know what, boss man? I just don't feel like going to work today, so I won't be there. You do that long enough, you know what they're going to do? I don't feel like paying you anymore. Here's your pink slip. When it comes to spiritual things, I just don't feel it. I just don't fit. Who cares? There's a lot of days I get, I don't feel like going to the gym, but I'm like, all right, fatty, you got to go, and I just go. Right? There's things you don't feel like doing that you do. Because you need it. Right? I need it. So there's got to be some constraint in your life. Well, what is sin? It's the opposite. Sin's like instant gratification. You're attracted to that girl and, you know, well, you ought to sleep with her. Well, the Bible calls that fornication, that sin. Well, what if we're going to get married one day? It's still fornication. See, God said it's okay after marriage, but before it's a sin. So why do we not do it? Because of the flesh. So what's the world do? Well, you know, it's okay, it's not that bad. It's that you're thinking the old way. Yeah, the way the Bible said. Constraint. Okay? Guided by his word, not my flesh. I can't even trust my own thoughts. I mean, there's times the devil beats up me and says, God doesn't love you. And I'm like, maybe you're right. And the Bible says, no, he does. He loves me. And I've got to go, there it is. There's times, Brother Matt, I don't feel saved. My flesh saying, if you were saved, you wouldn't have thought that. You wouldn't have said that. And I'm going, yeah, but the Bible said I am because I did it God's way. Then there's consultation. Listen to this, time out. You better hold on. Write this down. Every decision you and I make, should be run through this. What does the Bible say? Well, it just makes sense, right? I mean, common sense would tell you, but what's the Bible say? Right? Should you marry that person? Well, you know, we're in love. Well, are they a Christian? Well, no, but what the Bible says, be not unequally yoked unbelievers. You shouldn't marry them. Yeah, but what if they get saved? But what if they don't? You don't think God looked down the road and said, there's probably a better chance if you marry somebody that's not saved, they're going to get you out of church, then you're going to get them in church. You say, well, I don't agree with that. Well, I do. You know why? Because in 23 years of pastoring, I've seen it a lot. But you know, hey, I know better. Consultation. As we grow in our knowledge and submission to scripture, this should be our question in every single matter. What does the Bible say? Big issues and common issues. What does the Bible say? Then, consistency. Only as we're governed by His word will we have the consistency of life we desire. I like consistency. I like to get up at the same time. I like to eat. You can ask my wife. There's not a lot of variety in my life. There is not. I get up, do my routine in the morning. I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast. I used to eat scrambled eggs every single morning. Not poached, not sunny sides. I don't know anything about sunny sides. I know you scramble them until they're, throw some cheese on them. I'm making you hungry. Amen. I like red meat. I could eat red meat every single day if I had the money to do it. I don't need variety. I don't need variety in the music I listen to. I sure don't need variety in the Bible that I read. I don't need variety in the church I go to. Somebody said, well the choir sings the same old songs and I hope they sing for 50 more years. Brother Eddie leads the same old songs and I hope he leads them till I die. I don't need variety. If it's not broke, don't fix it. You can't live a consistent Christian life outside the Word of God. Why? Because it's governed by our thoughts and emotions. And all that stuff changes. Right? My wife and I made a covenant, a commitment when we got married 31 years ago. We're staying together till we're dead. Sometimes, to be honest, she'll tell you, there were times we wasn't sure one of us wasn't going to die early at the hands of the other. But we're at a stage now where, you know, we're just like, we've been together longer than we've been apart. She's part of my life. I was telling the teen class Friday night, I guess it was, was it Friday? Yeah, Friday. Abigail and Leah went to spend the night with Hannah, me and Miss Ellen by ourselves. I was like, what do you want to do? She said, let's watch a movie. And I'm like, I don't want to watch no movie. That takes too long. I'm going to watch a show. Let's watch a show. We can go to bed. I'm ready to go. I'm tired. So we found a movie, right? Found one on Angel Network or something. And so we're watching the movie. We're getting ready to watch it. I said, I want some popcorn. She said, me too. We go in the kitchen, put the microwave popcorn in. It's popping. Mine's popping. She's got hers ready. I'm sitting there. I'm looking at that microwave. Like, come on, baby. And I looked at her, and she had her bag looking at my popcorn, too. Like, if you'll hurry up and get your popcorn out, I'll put mine in. And I said, is this what our life's going to be when our kids are gone? She said, yep. I said, sounds good to me. I'm good with it. I don't need all that. I like the house I live in. I don't want a new house. But Jimmy, I like consistency. Well, you can't have anything with God unless you base it all around the Word of God. See, only as we're governed by His Word will we have consistency in our life and our goal will be to honor God. I'm going to give you this, I'm not even going to really expand on number three. Number three, so how do we get there? I'm going to give you steps to be guided by God's Word. How do we get there? First of all, develop a desire. Hunger for the things of God. The more you get the things of God and the better you see they taste, the more you'll desire them. Right? Study the Word of God. Pray and be at church. I'll say this. I say it often. You don't have to come back tonight. You don't have to come back Wednesday night. You don't have to. I'm not a preacher. I used to be this way, Brother Tilly. I used to get up, man, I'd lay them out on the sun. Bless God, you hate Jesus if you don't come back Sunday night. But you know what? You can't manipulate people. But here's the thing. If you want the best Christian life that you can have, Sunday night and Wednesday night are another opportunity, another tool to help you get there. It's available for you. If you choose not to, here's the other thing. You ready for this? You're going to say, that's so mean and cold, preacher. Don't come to me and say, preacher, I need you to counsel with me when you won't come to church. You'll get enough counseling in a lot of the preaching where you won't have to come to me and say, what do you think about this? But if you come three times a week and you say, listen, I still need help, I'm going to be, hey, let's set up an appointment. But if you never show up for church because you've got other stuff to do and your life's a mess, well, why are you coming and taking up my time when I could be with my family or doing other stuff when you won't allow yourself to take part of your time to be at church? See? You've got to develop a desire for the things of God. They're not natural in this flesh, and the more you're around the things of God, the more you'll desire. So there's the first thing. The second is deepen your understanding. What do you mean by that? When you read your Bible, read it to understand God. He tells you who He is in here. He gives you an autobiography of who He is. Read your Bible to understand God. Read your Bible to understand you. Well, if I don't know myself, who knows me? God does. Right? Read the book to understand others. We think we understand people. You ever thought maybe sometimes, listen to what I'm saying. I know what I'm doing. Stop putting your stuff up. I'm going to help you if you'll listen. You ever thought maybe people do some of the dumb stuff they do, not because they're just bad people, but because stuff's going on in their life? I'm not condoning it. I think, listen, when people commit sin and do it, it's still wrong. But a lot of times there's a reason why they do it. But we never, oh, that's wrong, that's sin. Well, maybe you could help them. Well, that book will show you how to help them. Right? Instead of beating them up with it, you could help them to see that it's a mirror into their life too. And then don't simply read the fine, uplifting scriptures that make me feel better. Right? I went to the ear doctor this week. They did a hearing test. Anybody ever had one of those? Most stressful thing I've ever been through in my life. Because they sit you in this room and they're basically what they're saying to you is we're going to determine whether or not you can hear by a bunch of stinking beeps. So I go through the test, right, first thing she said, I'm going to say some words, repeat them. I made a hundred on that. Well then she said, now you're going to have to hear a series of beeps. And you just say yes or raise your hand when you hear it. I said, okay. So then they put them headphones on you and then you hear your heart beating. Then you hear yourself breathing. And I'm trying not to breathe so I can hear better. And so I hear beeps, and I'm like, yes, yes. And then I don't hear anything, and they get fainter and fainter. And then I'm like, I'm hearing phantom beeps now. I felt like my whole life was depending on whether or not I could hear a beep. And so I get out and meet this doctor. I've never met him before in my life. He said, well, your hearing is not as good as it used to be. I'm like, OK, well, I've never met you, sir. He said, your voice recognition's great. He said, but those beeps, your hearing's deteriorated. I said, OK. He said, if you want to fix it, we can go ahead and do hearing aids. I said, no. No, no, we're not doing that. I said, it's your time. I can understand people. He said, yes, but I can't understand beeps. Yes. I said, so if I'm not working in a train yard, I should be fine for a while. But my point of that is that the fact that He's telling me this about myself and he's being honest with me saying you got some hearing issues. He gave me some good news as in you don't have to have hearing aids and you don't have to have surgery right now but you still got some issues. Well, if all I wanted to hear was you're great, I wouldn't even pay the money. It cost me $200 to go let this guy tell me that I don't hear good. And my wife would probably tell you it for free. So my point is, if all you read this book is Lord make me feel good with it, you're not getting the whole counsel of God. Sometimes God's got to show us where we're wrong so we can get better. My question is this, what is your life guide? If it's not this book, it needs to be. If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, you read this book and you're going, I have no idea what he's even talking about. Well, that's because you don't know the author. See, when you get born again and the Holy Spirit of God comes, then he starts illuminating things. Now, you won't understand it all. If you don't understand all of it, don't feel bad. But Jeremiah, do you know everything about this book? But Tilly, but Jimmy, these preachers, they're old. They don't know it. Don't feel bad, but let it start searching you out. If you're here today and you're not a Christian, that's okay. But today is the day you need to be one. Today is the day you need to call on Christ. If you're here today and your life isn't what it should be for Christ, what's governing your life? It's never going to be what you want it to be until you let this be the governor of your life. Let's stand together. Let's stand together by our heads. Thank you, thank you for your attention. No one's looking around this morning. People come to the altar. If you're here today and you've never trusted Jesus as your Savior, please don't be embarrassed. Let me say first of all, don't be embarrassed. I just want to pray for you. I will not come to you, but I want to pray for you. No one's looking around but me. You'd raise your hand and say, Preacher, if I died today, I'm not sure I'd go to heaven. I want you to pray for me. Would you raise your hand? Is there one? Is there one? Come on. If I died today, I'm not sure I'd go to heaven. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Let me ask you question number two. Is your life what it needs to be for Christ? Well, not exactly, but don't put a but in there. Either it is or it isn't. If it's not, can I ask you something? Is this Bible, is that really your guide? Or is it your feelings, your thoughts, your emotions, what you feel, think, what somebody else told you, or is it the word of God? This has got to be the governor of your life. It's not easy always, but it'll help you. You come, the altar's open. If you're not saved, you'll come. We'll show you, not from Baptist doctrine, not from Baptist playbook, but from God's Word. God's eternal Word will tell you how to get saved. Mind the Lord. Yes, Lord. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for its power, saving power, sustaining power. May we be students of it. So we'll know you, and we'll know us. We can honor you with our life in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.