okay okay stand right here so they can
see it all right good morning we are
going to be reading from John chapter 3
verse 16 and Josh is going to be reading
our scripture today
for God so loved the world that he gave
he
his one only son that who believed in
him shall not perish but have eternal
life
or God
through
[Music]
him
all right
awesome job buddy
that was awesome
all right Josh is always reading the
Bible on Wednesday nights and he comes
to church he loves to read the Bible so
we wanted him to share with you some of
that Bible reading
all right if any other kids want to ever
read the Bible just let me know and I'll
let you up here welcome to Albert Lee
Assembly of God and we're so glad to
have you here this morning
um it's a beautiful day beautiful
Revival this week we're so excited to
see what the Lord is going to do if you
are new here if you're visiting welcome
we want to get to know you uh there's a
card in the seat in front of you you can
fill that out and we can get to know you
a little bit better and stick around
after we're having a picnic which I'll
talk about here in a minute but that way
we can get to know you we do have
our nursery for three and under most of
them are going to be going to big kids
church today we're trying to transition
our little ones to big kids church but
there is Nursery if you have three and
under you're welcome to take them
upstairs to our Nursery
um
we also have kids church right after
tithe and offering and kids you're
welcome to go to kids church but if you
want to stay here in Revival you're
welcome to do that too because I heard
some of them are ready for more Revival
brother Dan
they didn't even want to go to kids
church they just want more Revival
um which I love to hear yeah
whew yup
so tonight there is not our normal
prayer but there's Revival at six
o'clock so please come out because it
has been fabulous and we have gotten
with the Lord every single night uh
today we have a picnic after church the
food is going to be in the fellowship
hall so that the bugs don't get into it
um and so you can fill up your plate
here in the fellowship hall and then
head out to picnic we've got uh we're
amending that oh we're amending that
we're amending that if you want to eat
inside you can the air quality is really
tough what with our regular smoke and
stuff going on so if you want to eat in
the fellowshipal you're more than
welcome to yes yes I was going to
suggest that as well thank you
um so yes you are welcome to eat outside
or inside wherever you would like
um you are welcome to take a plate to go
and eat at home but we would really
rather that you sit here with us and
fellowship and have a good time with
each other
um so picnic altered picnic after church
and uh so stick around we'll have lots
of food it'll be lots of fun and
family night Wednesday we have 6 30
classes
children's classes
and adult classes youth classes and
we've been having a really good time in
kids Wednesday night bible study some
kids have been saved and asked Jesus
into their heart on Wednesday nights and
just learning a lot about truth yeah
so God is good if you want them to learn
about truth that is the place to be on
Wednesday night
so we have a childhood memories coming
up Pastor Lauren is back at his ministry
in the nursing homes so he's doing
childhood memories which works with
Alzheimer's and and just gives them a
fun time and so if you're interested in
helping with that Wednesday the 19th at
7 45 so right after our Wednesday night
bible study he's going to do a little
training
if you're interested in being involved
in childhood memories they're going to
be going to Oak Place park on the 22nd
so get with Pastor Lauren if you're
wanting to be involved with that I know
he can always use help
also the 22nd there is a youth cookout
at the birdhouse
and uh if you don't know what the
birdhouse is it's our youth Pastor's
house
and their last name is the birds Patrick
bird so kids will be going over to
Patrick uh and Krista's house
on the 22nd for a cookout at 6 30 and uh
just bring some fun games and Frisbees
and all the stuff kids and adults if you
can bring some sides if you even if
you're not you know a youth if you want
to hand them off something to help them
with some food that would be great
um
oh yeah if she could know ahead of time
yeah yeah so let Kristen know that way
she's not like oh there's no food what
do I do
um so talk to Krista about the food for
that that's the 22nd at The Birdhouse 6
30 6 30. uh 6 30 o'clock that's what I
said all right kitchen update if you
want to check
um on in the back we have um what's
going on with our new kitchen and we
have a thermometer to show you where the
funds are and they just Rose this
morning
um sumoleen just uh put some more on
there so super exciting so you can look
at that thermometer and see how our
funds are going up and we want to keep
it going up because we want to get all
the way to the top so that we can have a
new kitchen which means more food I mean
who doesn't want more food so check that
thermometer out in the back we're
excited about that all right I think
that does it so
I am gonna switch
to up here and I'm gonna leave your mic
[Music]
oh yeah praise the Lord
we are so excited to be in the house of
the Lord this morning we are expecting
great things just as Pastor Dan Parker
has been talking about we are expecting
the Lord to move
this morning tonight all day long so
let's come with our arms open wide
expecting Jesus let's worship him with
all that we are in Jesus name Hallelujah
[Music]
there is
[Music]
would you be free from your passion and
pride there's power
[Music]
there's wonderful
there is
[Music]
would you be wider much
[Music]
there is
all the way
[Music]
would you deserve us for Jesus
[Music]
there is salvation in Jesus Christ
Hallelujah if that doesn't get you
excited I don't know what can because
we are saved by his grace we are saved
even in all of our filth even in all of
our sin he saved us and he loves us that
should be something we're shouting about
this morning amen
[Music]
come on
[Music]
bring all your failures bring your
addictions
[Music]
to save us
power of Hell forever defeated
the power of Hell
forever defeated now it is
[Music]
praise God
foreign
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
for the Wonder
foreign
[Music]
the power of Hell
forever defeated now it is
[Music]
Jesus Jesus is waiting
[Music]
Jesus
Christ
[Music]
I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
[Music]
over every heart in every mind
[Music]
cause I know there is peace within your
presence
I speak Jesus
I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
[Music]
declaring there is hope and there is
[Music]
your name is power
your name is
[Music]
I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
[Music]
[Laughter]
your name is
[Music]
shout Jesus from the mountains
shout Jesus from the mountains and Jesus
and the streets
Jesus in the darkness over every enemy
Jesus for my family
[Music]
name of Jesus
shout Jesus from the mountains and Jesus
in the streets
Jesus in the darkness over every enemy
Jesus for my
I speak the Holy Name of Jesus
your name is
[Music]
healing
your name is
[Music]
power
your name is
your name is healing
your name is
[Music]
Jesus
[Music]
I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
over every heart and every mind
cause I know there is peace within your
presence
[Music]
thank you
[Music]
There's Something Beautiful
and I want to point out something
when it comes to the debate surrounding
Jesus
many scholars will there's there's
certain categories
[Music]
some will say that he
he could have been a liar
he could have been a lunatic
or he could have been Lord
liar lunatic or Lord
no one has ever died for a lie
yet surrounding this globe there are men
and women who believe in Jesus who have
given up their last breath for the cause
of Jesus
if he is crazy
why did he go to the cross
why did he do what he did and the
evidence and the Miracles that
surrounded him
however the third option if he was not a
liar if he's not a lunatic
then he really was who he says he was
the evidence supports his claim
that he is Lord
and if he is truly Lord
what does that imply for all of us
how does that impact how we raise our
kids how does that impact how we treat
our spouses how does it impact our
employees how does it impact our
employers how does it impact this church
how does it impact when we need to go to
him in prayer how does that impact with
our needs and
our daily life
he is really Lord
the possibilities of Our Endless
and the responsibility is key if he is
Lord then he's the one we go to
he is Lord he means he is Lord over your
health
he is Lord over your relationships
he is Lord over your resources if he is
really God
let's lift our hands and let's pray
to the Lord Heavenly Father we come
before you right now mighty God we
worship you
Lord Jesus
worthy are you
you are so great father in that where I
was and who I once was you
you came
and you took on flesh and you dwelt on
this Earth
and you died on a cross
a criminal's punishment for me
and Lord not only did you do that for me
but you showed your power over death by
Rising back to life on the third day
Lord the people who saw in the evidence
that was recorded on such a miraculous
event is just insurmountable and so Lord
we praise you and we exalt and we lift
up your name for you are higher you are
greater than all other things
father we ask right now that you would
just do a work in our lives as we come
to you may you do a work in us may you
touch our physical bodies you are the
Lord God who heals you are the Lord God
who makes us well and so we ask right
now father that you would touch
everybody in this room
and that your healing hand would rest
upon us and restore us and do a work in
our lives right now Mighty God
Lord you are our provider
we know that you own all things that you
are the creator of all things which
means Lord Jesus
there is nothing too small or too great
for you
so father we ask right now that you just
provide for your people Lord we come
with our responsibilities we come with
the things that we have to take care of
and we just need your provision so I ask
right now Lord God that you would meet
the needs of your people in this place
father I ask right now that you would do
a work in our lives
that you would touch homes right now you
see every single household that is
represented you see every single
relationship that is represented in this
room and even those who are listening
via the live stream
we ask right now my God that you would
begin to minister in those homes yes
that you would do a work in the hearts
of parents and children that you would
do a work in the hearts of husbands and
wives
Lord that you would begin to do a great
work and that you would restore what's
been broken and lost and that you would
make us new
father as we exalt you in this place
for you are the Lord God who is
and we worship you
in the mighty name of Jesus everyone
says
amen amen praise God hallelujah you may
be seated across the sanctuary this
morning
as my wife has said I want to say thank
you so much for being with us for
worship today we just are so wonderful
and just blessed by that I will we're
going to go into a time of worship with
our giving and we're going to receive
our our normal tithes and offerings this
morning if you've been blessed by the
service of our evangelist and you would
like to give towards our evangelist
um just on the offering envelope just
put uh in the other just right
evangelist or Parker or draw a picture
of a car we know it means travel and we
will make sure that that goes to honor
our evangelist as we also receive
offerings for him on top of our normal
tithes and offerings and so we just want
to Worship the Lord with our giving amen
the Bible says that the lord loves a
cheerful Giver
I'm going to Echo the words of One
Pastor a friend of mine he says if you
ain't going to give cheerfully don't
give it
God wants a cheerful giver and there's
something expressed in the offering
about coming with a cheerful heart
because the Bible says our generosity is
an expression of thanks
do you know that that's a couple weeks
back a week was it last week two weeks
ago I preached on the uh the the the the
the possibility of our worship
and how when it comes to being generous
in our worship
and being generous with the resources
that belong to God already
it's an opportunity and the Bible says
that when we give in our generosity
towards the missions and we give our
generosity unto the Lord the Bible says
that God receives that as a thank
offering
so how many of you are thankful that you
woke up this morning with fresh breath
in your lungs how many of you are
thankful that you're able to walk and
you're able to come into the house of
the Lord this morning how many of you
are thankful that you have you you get a
meal today after the service praise God
you don't have to go and spend 50 bucks
at McDonald's for for a meal for two
people anymore
we get to thank the Lord and to give him
glory and we get to honor him with all
the resources under Heaven amen
amen so let's just get Ready To Worship
the Lord with our giving and to honor
him and to worship him in this time of
worship let us pray Heavenly Father we
come before you in this time of
wonderful worship Lord may this be a
wonderful thank offering to you may you
be glorified father as we cheerfully
give the resources that you have blessed
us with and so father we turn them back
to you asking for to use them to to
further your purpose to further your
kingdom that other people might hear the
good news of Jesus that other people
might hear of how great you are
and Lord that you would just increase
our ability as a local church to to work
in this community and to spread the good
news in this community and to minister
to this place father may you also equip
us to better bless our evangelists and
our missionaries Lord to to equip them
to walk in obedience to you and to
spread the word wherever you send them
we thank you for this opportunity and we
give you the glory for it all in Jesus
name and everyone says amen
[Music]
there's nothing worth more that will
ever come close
[Music]
and my shame is on
holy
[Music]
Holy Spirit you are welcome here
comes
[Music]
your presence
there's nothing worth more
that will ever come close
[Music]
you're our living home
your presence
of the sweetest of us
[Music]
and my dream is
[Music]
invite the Holy Spirit to be here
present with us
[Music]
God is
[Music]
your presence
[Music]
Hallelujah
praise God how many of you are ready for
the ministry of the word this morning
how many are ready to hear from God Amen
praise God thank you worship team
under normal circumstances you would
hear from me for those who are visiting
my name is Pastor Ryan I'm the lead
pastor of this church and normally you
would hear from me but you are blessed
not to hear from me today amen
amen thank you yeah see we can have fun
um I jokingly I would tell people I'm My
Own Worst critic and so you will hear me
dig myself low and that's me now that's
me I I can dig myself low
but uh and I I make fun of myself I you
ask my wife and she will tell you that
I'm the biggest critic of my own
preaching and so
um I don't know if that's common for
many ministers but it's common for this
one but you are blessed nonetheless to
have a wonderful dear friend and I
introduced to him the first night of the
Revival services and I'm introducing him
again tonight a dear friend a fellow
laborer in the Lord and He a wonderful I
I do consider you a mentor brother you
give me a lot of insight and I
appreciate all of that and so can we
just give brother Dan Parker a warm
albertly welcome as he brings the word
Jesus a handclap of Praise would you do
that
God is so good
to allow us this privilege and
opportunity each of us in this building
today to worship and give him glory and
honor
and
you can sense his presence in this place
in a mighty way
I want to do a little deal that I've
done for many years in congregations
around this nation Coast to Coast
and you I'm going to need audience
participation if you would
ten little Christians were never on time
one got mad at the pastor so that left
nine little Christians stayed up too
late one was too sleepy so that left
eight little Christians on the road to
Heaven one took the Lower Road and that
left
seven little Christians is happiest
chirping chicks one didn't like the
music so that left
six little Christians very much alive
one had a disease called travelitis so
that left
five little Christians pulling for
heaven's sure
one set down to rest so that left
four little Christians just as busy as
bees one couldn't be a deacon so that
left
three little Christians didn't know what
to do one just backslids so that left
two little Christians in my story is
almost done one found another church so
that left
one little Christian can't do much is
true
but if he brings another another next
week that makes
two little Christians if they each bring
one more next Sunday that will make it
four little Christians worked early and
late each of them brought another and
that made
eight little Christians doing just as
before at the end of 11 weeks that makes
a thousand and twenty four
now the moral of my little jingle is
true you're either a part of the church
or The Wrecking Crew
amen
Joy
ing these services
we praise the Lord for
the opportunity to come back we were
here for about four and a half years ago
and uh we didn't schedule anything back
with Pastor because you know
he has like everybody else every other
Pastor they have friends that they you
know you can't just have the same person
over and over and over again you've got
to have a variety and so
now four years four and a half years
later
we're back
and so it's a blessing for us to be here
at Albert Lee and we love your pastors
and thank the Lord for them and got to
meet uh Amanda's parents and and enjoy
fellowship with them and it's just a
blessing to get acquainted with them
there's never been a time
and Ministry
that is more difficult than today I
wanna I'm saying this to each of you
that are members of this church and
those of you that are guests here today
there's never been a time that's more
difficult
than today when it comes to Ministry
pastors don't know
how to accommodate people today
and you you seek to find the will of God
and do the will of God but covid has
changed everything
you would think three years past we
would be Beyond it but it seems to
linger and tarry and just continue to
give issue
uh there are people who say Shut It Down
there are people that say open it up
you shut it down folks get mad and quit
you open it up folks get mad and quit
then people say close it again
somebody's sneezing
and I'm not making a lot of Kobe because
in in
two weeks period I lost 11 Preacher
friends
11. I'm not talking about acquaintances
I'm talking about dear friends of mine
that I could not attend their memorial
service because our government said you
can't have but 10 people in that service
and so friends couldn't come and be a
part of their memorial service
and that was tragic
and so there's according to Barna
some people are never going to come back
to the church
since Kobe they've quit
and they're not coming back
and please don't be offended at me when
I say this
social media is a blessing in some ways
and being able to put our services out
online is a blessing and you know we've
had people saved in Services where we
were preaching in in Arizona or or in
New Mexico or Florida or wherever the
case and they were all over the United
States somewhere watching and they
notified the pastor that we were they
were saved that day
we were in Odessa Texas preaching a
meeting last spring and
one of the uh let's see one of the
Gatlin Brothers from the the some of you
are old enough to remember Larry Gatlin
and The Gatlin Brothers those Bulls were
raised in Assembly of God Church and so
that one of them tuned in was watching
and said be sure and tell the pastor and
the evangelists how much it blessed him
to watch the service but
there are a lot of people who have
gotten accustomed now to sitting at home
in their pajamas drinking coffee and
watching the service that no longer will
come back to the house of God y'all know
I'm telling the truth
and there are people who make excuse for
not being in the house of God well now
here's the deal that the Bible said in
the book of Hebrews
he said not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together as the manner of some
is but exhorting one another and so much
the more as you say that see the day of
the coming of the Lord draw near he's
saying the the closer the coming of the
Lord gets the more you need to get
together
but instead in America we're getting
together less and less and less
and that's that tells you why there's so
much Darkness spreading all over our
nation
and so uh our missionaries they're
struggling to raise their budgets to get
out on the field because churches are
shut down
and then um I've had missionaries tell
me what are you doing as an evangelist
there I have evangelist friends that
have have to leave the field because
they or a big mortgage payment they have
car payments they have a life like
everybody else does maybe they've got a
jet ski maybe they've got a side by side
or a uh they've got a motorcycle or
whatever else they do they want to take
vacations like everybody else but they
had to leave the field because they were
not there was not enough churches open
for them to go and preach that because
when you're an evangelist it's dependent
upon the Lord speaking the hearts of
people like Pastor shared with you today
where you go and preach and you don't
you don't become an evangelist and sit
at the house and make a living you've
got to get out there where the people
are at and try to reach people for God
get people saved and get people ready
for heaven and so so many I have
evangelist friends that are selling real
estate today these guys have got great
Ministries but they couldn't stay busy
guys are working in funeral homes
selling cars because they just could not
make a living
on the field
there's too many churches shut down so I
said all out to say this you need to be
praying for Ministry today if you don't
pray for your pastors you need to pray
you don't pray for evangelists and
missionaries you need to get to praying
for them put them on your prayer list
and pray because they're all facing new
ground that they've never faced before
and it's ever changing everything's
changing all around the spiritual
climate and so uh I hope that you'll
remember those things and keep your
Pastors in prayer keep us in prayer as
we travel this nation reaching out for
others I want you and I hope that you'll
uh hang around with us you guessed
especially now the regular customers if
you you need to go home that's between
you and God but we need to meet all
these new folks here today don't we
come on we need to meet the new folks so
we want you to hang around I mean these
ladies can cook I've I've ate their food
before four years ago they know how to
lay out a spread and so they're going to
have food back there for everybody
plenty and then we'll just get to talk
and get acquainted you're wondering
right now where in the world is that
dude from you're gonna get to talk to me
if you'll hang around and visit if
you're interested and I can tell you
some wonderful stories about what God's
done in the last just few weeks of
ministry the wonderful things that's
happened in people's lives the Miracles
that God has done in people's bodies and
wonderful things like that
but today and and look if you're not
used to coming on Sunday night here's
what I want to challenge you to do just
shock everybody and come back
just make everybody think their jaws
drop look who just walked in the door
they don't ever come on Sunday night
I've always believed if we were in
leadership
if we were a teacher
a greeter an usher
a teacher a minister uh
we were in the worship team
we were in children's ministry
a missionary Ministry
a Royal Ranger Ministry
we should be at every service that the
church has available that Sunday morning
Sunday night and Wednesday night we
should be at all of those Services we
should support our local church with our
presence what would happen to you if you
worked at McDonald's and you only showed
up one time a week
they'd fire you
oh I'll be there in spirit
will you come on up here we're going to
fire your ghost
you know as it'd be that way it'd be
that way so look here I want you to come
back tonight
and uh and help me I need you to be here
tonight's my last service I'm going to
hit the road and head to South Dakota so
I need you to be here tonight nothing's
going on in Albert Lee more important
than what's going on here tonight
come on and help me Hallelujah
[Applause]
I want you to look at Luke chapter 15.
Luke chapter 15 and I'm going to share a
message with you
how many of you like answers
don't you just wish you could hear a
politician open his mouth once and just
give you answers and not beat around the
bush
people are gifted at the art of almost
saying something
who didn't eat wasn't that good well he
didn't say nothing
oh but didn't he infer so much
you know what I mean
oh brother I like answers and I've got
some answers today there maybe there may
be a lot of other answers
to what I'm going to talk about today
but I want you to write them down
because there are people sitting right
here in front of me
who have children
that are not saved that are not living
for Jesus now listen to me close
all of you know this but but well most
of you do I'm sure but there's a
difference in believing in God and being
saved
there's all kinds of people that believe
in God the Book of James said that
demons believe in God and tremble but
demons are in hell they're not they're
not gonna
be in heaven
good people don't go to heaven
saved people go to heaven
people had to accept Jesus as their
savior to get to go to heaven
that's the way it is Jesus said I am the
way the truth and the life no man comes
to the father but by me the only way he
said is through him so he came to this
earth and died so that you and I could
be saved and give our heart to him
but there are people sitting right here
today whose son and daughter are not
serving the lord they're not living for
God they they may believe in God and
they may not believe in God
there are people here whose grandson and
granddaughter they're not serving God
they're not living for Jesus and I know
that may sound harsh to you I don't mean
it to sound harsh I'm not judging
anybody I'm just saying their children
and grandchildren are not making an
attempt at a relationship with the lord
they're not attending church somewhere
they're not having Bible studies they're
not having prayer meetings they're
addicted to drugs they're addicted to
alcohol
they're addicted to pornography they're
suicidal they're cutting themselves they
have all kinds of addictions going on in
their life and they need God's help he's
the only answer for that
and so I'm going to give you some
answers today you can put yours with it
and and and make it enhanced but let's
look at what the scripture said in Luke
chapter 15. verse 11. Luke chapter 15
these are the words of the Lord Jesus
himself and read in your Bible
Luke 15 verse 11 and a certain man had
two sons
and the younger of them said to his
father father give me say that with me
Father give me
that's important that you remember that
phrase give me the portion of goods that
followeth to me and he divided unto them
his living and not many days after the
younger son gathered all together and
took his journey into a far country and
there wasted his substance with
righteous living and when he had spent
all their rows of Mighty famine in that
land and he began to be in want and he
went and joined himself to a citizen of
that country and he sent him into the
fields to feed swine
and he would feign to fill his belly
with the husk that the swine did eat and
no man gave unto him say that with me no
man gave unto him
and when he came to himself he said how
many hired Servants of my fathers have
bread enough and despair and I perish
with Hunger I will arise and go to my
father and will say unto him father I
have sinned against heaven and and
before thee and I'm no more worthy to be
called thy son make me say it with me
make me make me is one of thy hired
servants
and he arose and came to his father but
when he was yet a great way off his
father saw him and had compassion and
ran and fell on his neck and kissed him
and the son said unto his father I have
sinned against heaven and in thy sight
and I'm no more worthy to be called thy
son but the father said to his servants
bring forth the best robe and put it on
him and put a ring on his hand and shoes
on his feet and bring hither the fatted
calf and kill it and let us eat and be
merry for this my son was dead and is
alive again and he was lost and is found
and they began to be merry I'm going to
stop there and I want to share a message
with you from the the 20th verse
said he arose and came to his father
now Lord in the name of Jesus I've come
here today to deliver a message to these
people
I've come here Lord to seek to be
obedient to you and your voice
there are people here today who need
answers there are people here today who
are frustrated and hurt and wounded and
need encouragement who need to be lifted
and blessed and there's been such hurt
and pain in situations that have gone on
in their family that is so divided the
family
and I pray that the presence of God
would give us hope and the word of the
Lord would strengthen our faith and that
oh Lord you would touch every heart in
this building and if there's one in this
audience today who is uncertain of their
Eternal Destiny there's one in this
building today who is not seeking a
current relationship with the Lord that
God you would speak to their heart deal
with their soul and help them not to
leave this building until they've made
sure they're ready to meet Jesus Lord I
Praise You In the mighty name of the
Lord and everybody said amen
I have dear friends who live in the
state of Florida Sharon and I were just
there in Revival on the east coast in
Jacksonville Florida
and these are wonderful Christian people
they've been in the church ever since
they were children her daddy was a
pastor
she helps lead worship he's a guitar
picker Deluxe
um
wonderful people
and we've known them for many years I've
held a lot of Revival meetings in this
church over the years I've known these
people a long time they
they started dating when they were
teenagers after they graduated high
school they were married
and over time they began to have
children
and they had four altogether three sons
and one daughter
and in the last few months of time
they have lost all three of their sons
now see there are folks here today who
Maybe
having a bad hair day
and it ruins your day already it's
already got you on edge
I mean y'all I know people who if the
coffee is just not perfect they're ready
to go postal on people
all you got to do guys just wait till
you get to be my age
and you get gray hair
brother gray hair has a mind of its own
it does whatever it wants to do every
day if you've been here since Friday
night I've had a different hairstyle
every night
because it's just going to do what it's
going to do
but not only did they lose one child or
two children but they lost all three of
their sons in just a couple of months
one died with cancer
the other died while I was there in
Revival
due to renal failure
kidney failure
and one died to suicide
this son he said standing right here
where I'm at about right here
he came to the altar
and was weeping uncontrollably this Dad
of probably 75 years of age and his wife
standing by almost at a nervous
breakdown
anxiety panic attack
fear
such grief gripping their souls oh I'll
tell you I've seen a lot of stuff I've
buried children I've buried babies as a
minister
and watch the parents as they wept but
all the sorrow and sadness I saw and
this men and women this man and woman's
eyes as they stood before me
he said to me in front of the pastor and
some of the deacons that gathered to
pray
he said my son
my youngest son
that committed suicide brought such
great stress and worry and anxiety and
sleepless nights
on the family and on the entire family
he borrowed money from his brothers he
borrowed money from his sister he
borrowed money from us he would go to
anybody on the street and ask for money
because he needed to feed his addiction
of drugs
and he said he was constantly begging
for more
we raised him in the house of God
right along beside his sister and two
brothers
he was raised on the same Pew taught in
the same Sunday school class had the
same youth pastor had the same pastor
had the same opportunities to serve the
Lord and live for God
while all of the other children accepted
Jesus as their savior and came to an
understanding of their Eternal Soul and
that one day they're either going to
heaven to be with the Lord or they're
going to shriek with demons in the Lake
of Fire
this one child said no he sat in the
services because his parents told him
they wanted him to go
and he was because in those days people
expected their children to go with them
they didn't give them an option to sit
at home
and as a consequence he just said I
don't believe it I don't believe in God
I don't believe in Salvation I don't
believe in Jesus I don't believe in any
of that and so he rejected it
he stood there telling me how his
addiction cost the entire family a small
fortune
he was in rehab after rehab jail many
times living in filth and sometimes on
the street always begging for more
that's exactly what the devil does the
thief came to steal kill and destroy
and he said it was never ending he
called for more money just a couple of
weeks ago he said
and he said no son I've reached my limit
I've sold almost everything that your
mother and I have
I've depleted our entire retirement
funds
we have nothing but Social Security left
our house and not one penny in our
savings in an IRA or any other thing we
have nothing left and they finally he
said
told me standing there they had
a Corvette
now if you wanted to impress my
generation
you know I've got uh
someone that's very dear to me and they
wanted to impress the family and so they
went and bought two Teslas
well my family don't even know what
Teslas are
now if you'd have showed up in a big
four-wheel drive Chevy pickup
they'd have known what that was
or Dodge or Ford or whatever the case
but if you want to impress my family or
my generation you drove up in the
Oldsmobile 442.
or uh a Ford Mustang with pony interior
kind of get a witness
you showed up in a GTO
oh my
you came up in a challenger or a charger
brother I mean you get some attention
from guys my age driving one of them I
had a guy and this was a little bit
older this came along in 73 or four but
I remember not just a few weeks ago I
was driving down through a city and one
of those red and white starskinned Hutch
Torinos went by and almost got whiplash
looking back watching it Go by
I used to want one of them man that show
would come on oh you could hear that
engine revving man I wanted one of those
cars
I just I thought the paint job was cool
I just loved it
but that's what they did they bought
them a
um a Corvette and they'd take the top
down and they'd get in the thing they'd
just ride around through the countryside
and uh you know enjoy the country and
they'd go out somewhere to some little
uh hole in the wall place and they'd eat
a burger and fries and drink a shake and
then go back home
that's that's fun when you get old
that's fun
you don't have to do nothing just sit in
the car and ride
and so he said brother Parker we sold
that Corvette and gave him that money
now we don't have anything else to do we
don't like bowling we don't like pool we
don't swim we we're here at the ocean we
want to go watch the water we go to the
beach
but that was really the last thing that
we had and we gave all of it a fortune
to our son and it was never enough and
finally when I told him son I've reached
my limit I can't do any more for you
that's it it's over with it's done for
you know what he said dad I hate you
isn't that the word that's told the
phrase It's told so often today I hate
you dad you don't love me dad if you
love me you would give me that money
and he said son I can't do anything else
for you it's over I mean I'm that's it
we don't have anything left we can do
for you
I'm standing there weeping listening to
him tell this story
he said dad you're mistreating me and he
said you don't love me
that's the phrase that so many children
use today with their parents when they
don't have what they want and the dad
told me with tears running down his face
and I quote I tried tough love one time
and I killed my son
he feels responsible after giving
everything to his son
that he's responsible for his son taking
his own life
Now ladies and gentlemen the sad fact is
that their story is the story of many
Christian families all over this nation
from coast to coast from top to bottom I
travel and I see it every week
somebody comes to me and says will you
please pray my children are driving us
insane they're not trying to even think
about living for Jesus that our family
is broken apart we can't get together at
Christmas or Thanksgiving or Mother's
Day or Father's Day or the Fourth of
July nothing seems to work no matter
what we do we can't get our children to
just get together with us they they
despise what we believe in they despise
that we believe in God they despise that
we believe the Bible
and they don't want anything to do with
us
well I want to share with you some
things about the prodigal son that I
learned and after 46 years of preaching
the gospel and and listening to people's
stories and praying with people and
conducting funerals and all of the many
hundreds of hours of counseling I've
done with couples parents with their
children and children
listening to Children talk to me about
their parents
I hope you have something to write down
just as quickly as I can get this the
rest of this to you I'll do it number
one
learn to live guilt-free learn to live
guilt free
in Romans chapter 8 and verse 1 the
Bible said there is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus who walk not after the flesh but
after the spirit you see the enemy tries
to put condemnation on you the Holy
Spirit Will convict us and speak to us
that's a whole different thing than
condemnation
condemnation is when somebody keeps
beating you over the head over something
that happened years ago just keep them
angry and just will not drop it and just
keep on and on and on that's the work of
the devil he always reminds you of your
failures don't he
and what happens is is we people ask
you know people that come to me and
they'll say they'll ask what did I do
wrong
and they're really saying I feel guilty
what they're saying is I feel guilty
well they say I they're saying I failed
as a parent
my decision affected my child in a
negative way so it's my fault
what we do is we go back to the moment
our child was born up to the present
time and we analyze every detail of
their life and try to figure out where
we as their parents failed am I telling
the truth you know I am
we're searching for the reason of our
children's sinfulness
we reason if we had put them in a
different school if we'd moved to a
different city we reason if we had
stayed in a certain place we should have
attended a different church or we should
have taken a different job or we should
have prevented them from hanging out
with that friend
on and on and on and on it goes but
here's a valid question ladies and
gentlemen why do we feel guilty as a
parent for the decisions our children
make after they are grown
here's the truth all of us are in a Nick
were born in iniquity and need a savior
everybody needs a savior
sin comes naturally to a human
it's not natural to be a Christian and
live for God and not sin
it's natural for people to use profanity
in the world it's not natural to not use
it it's supernatural
oh I wish y'all heard me preaching today
in Romans chapter 3 verse 23 the
scripture says for all have sinned
everybody
all of us need a savior in Jeremiah 17 9
the heart is deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked who can know it
sin is natural to a human but it's
supernatural for a Christian to be able
to live for God and overcome it so what
did you do wrong what did I do wrong
probably nothing
let me ask you this what did God do
wrong with Adam and Eve
he was a perfect father
he had perfect kids there was no sin
living in a perfect environment called
Eden it was Heaven on Earth
what did God do wrong with them our own
father in Heaven what did he do wrong
what did his two children do
they rebelled against him and they said
no and they sinned
against God and they walked away
that's what Adam and Eve did
and you and I are not perfect parents
our children are not perfect though we
think they are
and this is an imperfect world so why
would we think we can do something that
God himself couldn't do
think about that for a minute
the devil tries to lie to us and say
it's your fault
you're the blame and you should feel
guilty in turn it makes us want to quit
Church ourselves how many people have I
heard say I just don't feel like I
belong in church anymore because my
children are not serving the lord
they're out here and they've got those
attitudes going on there's kids that
their kids are out doing stuff they're
using drugs they're out drunk all hours
of the night they're doing stuff I feel
guilty I'm a teacher in the church I'm a
deacon in the church and I don't feel
like I I qualify to even be there
anymore
well the blood of Jesus is what cleanses
us from our sin and you know you cannot
you cannot
blame yourself for what an adult child
chooses to do
until God tells you differently just
live for God and trust that you did the
best you could
number two
if you have done something wrong ask for
forgiveness if you have done something
wrong ask for forgiveness
you need to acknowledge it they may not
accept your apology but forgive
ask them to forgive you anyway
they may get angry and they may use it
as a chance to hurt you even worse
so be prepared
for what they might say and how they
might Act
but by asking for their forgiveness you
have removed the barrier between you and
them
you've taken the first step and maybe
they'll take the second step towards
reconciliation
Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 5 and
verse 23 and 24 if you go to the altar
to pray and you remember that there's
alt between you and somebody
something between you and somebody he
said go and make that right and then
come back and offer that gift and then
I'll accept it and that's it's that way
with our own children even though even
though they may be acting like
just terrible
go to them still and say look I'm sorry
I I don't know what why this has
happened I don't know what's going on I
I'm trying to be a listener I'm trying
to be here for you I love you
unconditionally I'm here but
I want you to know that whatever I have
done or said I'm sorry
and I pray that you can forgive me
if they accept it they accept it if they
don't you have done the biblical thing
yourself
number three love your children I've
touched on it just then love your
children unconditionally
in Romans chapter 5 and verse 8 while we
were yet sinners Christ died for us did
you know Jesus died for us when we were
in sin
when we were not doing right
and folks do you love your child
unconditionally let me ask you this do
you have a child that you hope nobody
ever finds out that belongs to you
I've had people come up to me in the
last year or two and said brother Parker
pray for me I said why because I you
know I'm on Instagram and Facebook and
Etc and I I've asked my mama to be my
friend and she won't be my friend
and that I've had to I've almost bit my
tongue off and my lips to keep from
laughing so because I'm trying to be
serious and I'm looking at
mm-hmm
yeah
your mama won't be your friend
your Daddy won't be your friend he's
your daddy that's your mama
yeah but they won't be my friend well
why
I don't know
I know I know why because your mama
don't want her friends to see you
with your friends
they don't want to that your mama don't
want she's going to church and living
for the Lord and trying to serve the
Lord and she don't want her friends to
see you sitting around with liquor in
your hands in a club in a strip club
thank you for those three grunts
Hallelujah
and so as a consequence they they don't
they won't even let their own mother or
father be their friend because it's
embarrassing
but unconditional love hear me folks
unconditional love is not based on
performance it's based on who you are
you love them in whatever situation
they're in our daughter was running from
God our little grandson is here with us
his his mother she's running from God
he was uh in uh Texas A M University
studying to be a lawyer
and Holy Ghost woke me up one night two
in the morning get up and pray for for
April I got up I went to the living room
sat in my chair and started to pray
and as I sat there praying
uh after about 10 minutes
Sharon came in the room said what's
going on and I said I'm in here praying
for April she said why I said I don't
know the Lord just dealing with me to
pray for her I don't know what she's up
to but let's pray we was praying and
seeking the Lord and suddenly
I heard the voice of the Lord speak to
me again I don't know where that lands
in your theological world but that's
what happened and I I picked I heard the
voice of the Lord say pick up the phone
and call her I picked up the phone and
and to call her and and I'm sitting
there Lord is this you
and I I believe I heard the Lord say to
me she's about to make a decision that
could alter her life
so I called her and how many remember
flip phones
you know it would ring in order to
answer it you had to flip it open
so she's flipped it open you can hear
this huge crowd noise and then she
closed it up real quick
five minutes later she calls and she
said what's going on something wrong
with Mama what's wrong with with my
brothers Grandma Lee Grandpa Lee
popping Mimi who is it what's wrong
nothing's wrong with us well why are you
calling me Dad I said there's something
wrong with you she said what I said
because you're about to make a decision
that's going to alter your life
and while I'm talking to her the Lord
keeps telling me more and more stuff and
she said oh what does that mean I said
well the Lord woke me up and told me to
come in here and pray for you no he
didn't he didn't tell you that I don't
believe that he didn't wake you up to
tell you to go pray for me well he did
what'd he tell you
and all this time I'm listening to her
all of this is coming together I said he
told me you are in a club in Dallas
Texas
and you're sitting at a table
with two of your classmates
two two guys in a sorority and you're in
you're sitting there with with two other
of your sorority sisters
so it's five of you guys at this table
and I said
one of them just said before I called
hey why don't we just leave here and go
to my apartment
total silence
I hate being a Pentecostal Preacher's
Daughter boom she hung the phone up
I got back on my knees and went to
praying
about 30 minutes later she called she's
bawling it's crawling
she said Daddy I'm on my way back to the
university just pray for me I have been
drinking I was at a table with five as
five people there with us she said I
that's one of the guys she didn't say
his name just said let's go to my
apartment and she said when you called I
knew I knew and I saw I knew I wasn't
supposed to be there I knew I wasn't
supposed to be I'm a grown woman but
still I just knew I wasn't supposed to
be there and she said Daddy I didn't
mean I I'm so sorry for what I said to
you I thank God I'm a Pentecostal
Preacher's Daughter
Hallelujah
one night the Lord woke me up again as
this was three or four months later
and and said get up and go pray for her
I said oh man when somebody's not living
for the Lord you got to pray all the
time come on now
I went and I started praying
I had sat there alone and and that voice
spoke to me and I said a guy is coming
and he and it was like one in the
morning and he's going to come around
the back of the house and come up here
to the front try to sneak up and take
your daughter out
and so they were going had this plan to
sneak out
so I'm just sitting over there in the
dark
and I got up and I opened the door
walked outside and there's a big shrub
here a big shrub here and I just walked
out here between them and I just kind of
leaned up against the brick wall there
and I'm just standing there
in the dark
and it wasn't 10 minutes I heard the
leaves heard this guy sneaking around
coming around and when he got right
there by me I reached out and I said
what are you doing here he jumped like
somebody shot him with a 12-gauge
shotgun with double locked Buck he ran
as fast as he could using words that
would turn a sailor's face blue he ran
around there he hit the he forgot about
that barbed wire fence he crawled
through he hit that thing he had points
all over him when he got through
he took off down the road gravel flying
and
it wasn't 10 15 minutes later here come
my daughter dressed to the nine
and I'm sitting in my chair it's dark
she reaches out to grab the doorknob
where are you going
[Music]
well with I hate being a Pentecostal
Preacher's Daughter
she was 21 years old
she went in there took all of her
for all off
put her pajamas on come in there and
climbed in my lap leaned up against me
and you know what she said Daddy I
apologize
let's watch something on TV
oh are you not knowing but Gunsmoke put
it on
or something like that Andy Griffith or
whatever the case
so ladies and gentlemen here remember
you've got to love your children
unconditionally
and if you don't love them
unconditionally they know it
you got to love your children
number four
let them face their choices let them
face their choices now this is not easy
to do
it's hard to do but we must let our
children face the consequences of their
decision Pete we have raised our
children to believe there's no
consequence to what they do they can do
whatever they want to do blow up act
crazy do anything and nobody's going
there's not going to be anything to pay
for it but the Bible tells us otherwise
in Romans chapter 6 verse 23 for the way
Jesus of sin is death
there is a result there's consequence to
sin
see we can do anything we're big enough
to do but we're going to have problems
later there's going to be problems we're
going to be issues later
we cannot run to their rescue every time
they mess up
we must let them see that their
decisions have repercussions to them
like bailing them out of jail every time
they go to jail over and over again
paying their gambling debts
I had a man came to me and said brother
Parker we've sold everything we've got
and our son keeps gambling and he will
not quit gambling and he said this last
time we found out he owed the the mafia
and he'd borrowed like 50 Grand to stay
in this game this game he was playing
and they loaned him the money but he
said now I he said I don't have the
money to pay fifty thousand dollars what
am I going to do the man went and took a
second mortgage on his house to pay his
sons more and then as soon as he gave
him the 50 Grand he went and paid the
mafia off turned around and went right
back to gambling
we can't pay for our child's drug and
alcohol and other addictions
in the scripture the father never once
sent a servant to give his son money to
get him out of the pig pen the Bible
said no man gave unto him
when he left he left
he let him stay there until he came to
himself number five watch your words
watch your words one prodigal said I
said I I
I can't figure my mother out we have
fried preacher we have fried pasta for
dinner every Sunday
that means she criticizes the pastor
every Sunday
he said she fusses about the music she
complains about the temperature she
gripes about the length of services
she's mad because they take up offerings
every service then she jumps on me
because I don't want to go to church
if you don't want your loved ones to go
to church just criticize it all the time
find fault with it because there's fault
to be found in anything and anybody only
Jesus was perfect
the scripture said in Proverbs chapter
18 verse 21 death and life are in the
power of the tongue
James chapter 3 and verse 6 the tongue
is a world of iniquity it's setteth on
fire of Hell the course of Nature and
it's it's set on fire of Hell itself
folks we've got to watch what we say if
you're going to fight can't find
anything good to say don't say anything
how would you agree with that
number six
pray earnestly for your prodigal James
chapter 5 verse 17 said Elijah prayed
earnestly
pray for your child yourself there's a
lot of people want somebody else to pray
but they won't pray themselves I mean
you've got to pray you can't just Lord
save my child you've got to get in
Earnest with it every day Lord save my
child
pray that the Lord will remove the
scales from their eyes that they may see
as he did in Paul's life in Acts chapter
9 verse 18. Paul was a mass murderer of
men women and children
and now the now that ananias has prayed
for him and there's scales have fallen
from his eyes he can see he was
persecuting the church and he said I did
it in ignorance I didn't know what I was
doing
pray for someone to come into their life
to help them turn back to the Lord isn't
an amazing thing that your own child
won't listen to you but they'll listen
to somebody else
and you're the one that's raised them
paid for their food their clothes their
shoes gave them everything I saw I
posted not long ago on my Facebook page
where I said this famous guy he said you
know I never did without as a kid going
to all the ball games I was in all the
sports I always wore new Nike shoes
always had the nice uniforms I always
had everything that I needed a nice
glove everything I had to have and he
said I never did never dawned on me when
I was a kid finally it dawned on me now
that I've gotten grown dad wore the same
old pair of shoes for years and years
and years the same old pair of tennis
shoes so that I could have Nikes and
have the things that I had in life you
know we need to thank God for the
sacrifices our parents have made for us
amen amen
pray whatever it takes and this is hard
to do but pray whatever it takes for the
Lord to get their attention
anything to shake them up and make them
realize that they need to get saved and
do it now it's interesting it's
interesting to note that in verse 12 the
son never said the son first said give
me my inheritance and then in verse 19
he said make me as one of your hired
servants now he's coming in humility
his pride was gone and he was coming to
his father saying just if you'll accept
me as a servant
the title verse said he arose and came
to his father but when he was yet a
great way off his father saw him and had
compassion and ran and fell on his neck
and kissed him
he saw his son listen to it
afar off that means that way before his
son ever came home his daddy was looking
for him his daddy was watching the road
by faith his daddy was believing he was
going to come back
his father saw him a great way off and
that's what each of us in this building
have to do we have to see our children
come into the Lord even if it's a great
way off even if it seems like it's way
off out there we've got to believe that
those children are coming to Jesus and
they're going to be saved you've got to
exercise your faith and trust the Lord
God I believe you for my child I pray in
Jesus name for my child to be saved and
when his son came up and he said Dad I'm
not I've sinned against heaven and
against you I'm not worthy to be called
your son he said just put me in there
with a hired servants his father never
once said you heathen
he never once said why did you do all
you did
the Bible said he fell on his neck and
kissed him
and welcomed him home brought him in put
the best role we've got on put a the
ring on his hand shoes on his feet then
the elder brother saw what he would do
and got mad and jealous over it
and that's something
oh friend of mine the most important
thing you can do is pray earnestly for
your child
and ask the Lord to save them
get serious before the Lord
is your child worth it
you better believe it and Eternity is
real folks
now father in the name of Jesus I've
delivered this message
there are people here today who
desperately needed to hear it
for their children's sake and their
grandchildren's sake they needed to hear
it
Lord I pray for hope to be renewed in
their hearts
I pray that Lord the the message of
Salvation would ring truer today than
ever as they realize that Jesus still
saves and heals and delivers and sets
free
wherever their child is and whatever
they're doing
they haven't gone too far that God can't
reach them
the psalmist said though I make my bed
in hell
though I go so far away from you
the Lord will still find me
Lord wherever our children are at
wherever our grandchildren are at
wherever they're doing whatever they're
at doing whatever is going on right now
in their life I pray the presence of the
Lord would come upon them
and that the spirit of the Lord would
deal with them and they would come to
Jesus
and accept you as their lord and savior
God I pray for their children and their
grandchildren in the name of Jesus
Christ amen stand with me
Hallelujah
[Music]
Hallelujah
I know we're about to go in there in a
few minutes and and
partake of a meal and and if you don't
have to go back there for the next few
moments stay with me just a moment or
two and let's pray together
the fact remains y'all look this way
please the fact remains
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that we're gathered here together today
to Worship the Lord
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but if God doesn't intervene
we're going to be collected together
again
but it's going to be for a funeral
because somebody's
child or grandchild
ran too far
did too much
and went beyond their day of Grace
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in Oklahoma you folks may have noticed
in the news a year or two ago I was in
this church in Revival
just
a few days after this incident happened
where these four high school girls went
through an intersection
and a dump truck hit their car and
killed all four of those girls
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if we're looking at their phones while
they were driving through
this intersection
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all four of them lost their life
there are boating accidents there are
motorcycle accidents
there are
people that are making choices every day
there are children and I mean children
in their teenage years
that they're not going to tell you but
they're suicidal
I mean they're
they've already attempted it and
survived and maybe you don't even know
it because they were with a friend and a
friend turned them over so they didn't
aspirate on their own vomit
I know what I'm talking about
I know what I'm talking about the
camera's off Pastor is the camera's off
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could be forgiven as prodigals and
brought back home
what a great love does God have for his
church amen
God is so good he is so wonderful and we
get to celebrate that today Hallelujah
Heavenly Father we just praise you and
we glorify you in this house
we magnify you and we thank you what
you're doing Lord as you're doing work
in our families
Lord we lift up those
who we know of who are
here maybe not here not able to hear the
word not to be able to receive it and
father that they are still looking for
the truth may you give your children
your Holy Spirit to be your Witnesses
may you equip us and give us the words
and the discernment to use in every
encounter
that we might walk with love and grace
and forgiveness to show and give them
the good news of what your son has done
for us
father we love you and we Praise You In
This Place in Jesus name and everyone
says
amen amen how many of you are glad to be
in the house of the Lord this morning
amen
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[Applause]
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I'm going to pass it over to my wife and
she can give the closing and if however
you feel that dear also when you pray
don't forget the yummies okay well we're
gonna see let's just sing us chorus
thank you Jesus
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one more time
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[Applause]
[Music]
hallelujah thank you Jesus thank you
Jesus for saving us today Lord thank you
for caring