*** >> We have a unique page dedicated to resources for you during this season. You'll find links to our worship services, Bible study options, online giving, and our new podcast Anchor Point. You can also download our church app. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. Every link is there. The app is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Anchor Point is our new podcast. We are posting a new episode every weekday. In addition to finding our podcast on our website and the church app, you can find it across all podcasting platforms. Our Children's Ministry is posting a weekly online kids Bible lesson. Be sure to check that out. And our Student Ministry is creating lots of daily content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Be sure to follow them. Thank you for joining us online today. We are glad you're here. >> Thank you for joining us online today. We want to let you know about a few item of interest. First, go to our website, firstcolonychurch.org, and go there often. We have a unique page dedicated to resources for you during this season. You'll find links to our worship services, Bible study options, online giving, and our new podcast, Anchor Point. You can also download our church app. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. Every link is there. The App is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Anchor Point is our new podcast. We are posting a new episode every weekday. In addition to finding our podcast on our website and the church app, you can find it across all podcasting platforms. Our Children's Ministry is posting a weekly online kids Bible lesson. Be sure to check that out. And our Student Ministry is creating lots of daily content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Be sure to follow them. Thank you for joining us online today. We are glad you're here. >> Ronnie: Good morning, everyone! And welcome to this live worship experience from the First Colony Church of Christ in Sugarland, Texas. My name is Ronnie. So glad to have you with us today; and, hey, everybody, let's just acknowledge this is not an ideal situation, being exclusively online is not ideal. But just because something is not ideal, that does not mean that it cannot be meaningful. Just because something is not ideal, that doesn't mean that it cannot be both meaningful and memorable. And so here's what I'm asking you to do today. I'm asking you to open up, open up your heart. Open up just with a mustard seed of faith, because the Holy Spirit knows exactly where you are; and the Holy Spirit can touch and nurture your soul today. The Word of God can penetrate your heart. The Word of God with its grace and truth can do a great work in your heart right where you are. Now, we'd love to hear from you. You can live chat and participate with our worship service hosts. You can let us know of a prayer request, and you can even do live prayer with one of our service hosts today. So, again, open up, invite the Lord to touch you. We're SO glad you're with us, and now, everybody, let's worship God together. ("Forever" playing) >> Richard: His love endures! Sing praise! Forever! Our God is faithful! ("Do It Again" playing) >> Richard: Never fail me! Never fail! >> Richard: I would like to introduce Joel to the stage at this time. >> Joel: Hey, everyone, so good to be back here with you. You know, when the service started, Ronnie mentioned that these times are not ideal and yet with the Holy Spirit, these times CAN be ideal. We want to leave a mark. We want to leave something lasting that stays, and that reminds me of a Bible verse, James 1:22. James 1:22 says, don't be merely listeners to the Word, deceiving yourselves, but do what it says. We want to do what it says so let's take a play on words and take not ideal and change it to K-N-O-T ideals. We want to leave a knot. We want to leave an impression. Houston is a town of engineers and scientists, and let me ask you a question: is it possible to tie a knot into a rope without letting go? Is it possible to tie a knot into a rope without letting go? So you can go like so and you can do all these little interesting things, and you can twirl around and sometimes in Christianity we kind of twirl around; but if we're just listeners and we're not doing what it says, it doesn't leave a lasting impression. BUT if we do what with it says, we can leave a knot. Now, you say, "Okay, that's not that impressive. I tell you what, show me something that is impressive." And the cool thing is without letting go of the rope, you can actually leave a knot behind. Do you think this is possible? Okay, I will do it in slow motion. My hand will go down -- da da da -- go behind my back, not letting go of the rope, and tie a knot and then go like that; and you'll say, “Wow, that was really cool!” because with cameras we can do things in slow motion and you can slow it down. All right, so I tell you what: I will plug my nose so you can hear my voice and while I'm plugging my nose, I will tie this in a knot without taking my hand off my nose. So once again, how do you do that? How do you put a knot in a rope? How do you put a knot in your life that leaves an impression? By doing what God's Word says. Let's be doers of the Word. Thank you! >> Richard: I would like to introduce you to a time of communion here. >> Pete: Thank you for joining us for this communion time. I'm Pete Edgmon, and this is Missy Edgmon. Please join us as we bow in prayer. Holy Father in Heaven, how great is Your Name. You Are the Great and Everlasting God, creator of the ends of the earth. How abundant are Your mercies to us. Father, help us to cast aside our daily troubles of this world from our thoughts and prepare our mind to consider the sacrifice that Your Holy One, Jesus, made for all of us. Bless this bread that represents Jesus' broken body on the cross and bless this cup that represents His precious bloodshed. Let us take these emblems in remembrance of Him. In Jesus' Holy and Almighty Name, amen. >> Missy: The Scriptures come from Paul's letter to the Roman Christians. He's just finished telling them to love one another. ("Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone" playing) >> Shane: Good morning, again, everyone, and as we take our offering today, we want to thank you for your continued investment in the ministries of this church. Let's continue to tap into that spirit of faith and generosity and partnership. Let's do God's work. You know, our offerings make a difference for Jesus and His mission in this world, so thank you for participating today. We also want you to know that giving online is safe and secure and simple to set up. You can click the link on your screen now or just text to give. That's available for you. I also want to briefly tell you today about one of our ministries, one of the great ministries your offerings help support, Celebrate Recovery. Sometimes we call it CR. It's a Christ-centered Bible-based ministry that helped so many of us deal with our hurts, habits, and hang-ups and whatever life throws our way. CR provides a safe, confidential community where you can share what you need to share and also provides a place to receive encouragement through any struggle. Let me tell you, at CR, we will not judge you because we don't have our lives all together, either. We're not perfect. Also, we're not going to try to fix you because, honestly, that's not our job. But God CAN bring about great healing and recovery and growth in your life through a ministry like CR. So we provide teaching and support and encouragement and grace and truth, and we provide a safe, accepting community. CR also provides a healthy, proven process of next steps you can take on your journey in recovery and healing. So please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. If you need help or like to get connected with one of our CR men's or women's group, my e-mail and web page is on screen now. Please click and let me hear from you. Let us give more information; let me connect you with resources; let me pray with you, okay? One of the things we recite every week at our CR meetings is the Serenity Prayer; and after this next song, you will see a video of some great CR folks reciting that prayer; and I think it also applies really well to our situation now. It's just good, great, wise truth for all of us right now. So please pray with me now for our offering. We thank You, God, for these offering and we ask You to bless this sacrament of giving. May all that we give to You be given with Your heart of generosity, and may it be used wisely, Lord. God, I also thank You for the church's Celebrate Recovery ministry and pray for those everywhere on the journey of recovery, healing, or in the midst of a struggle right now, God, I especially pray for those who need help. You know them, Father, and I ask Your Spirit to move them now to reach out and take the first step of asking for help. We thank You, God, for Your incredible grace given to ALL of us, and we pray all of this in Jesus' Name. Amen. ("Glorious Day" playing) >> God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom -- >> To know the difference. (In unison) Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. >> Amen. >> Keep coming back. It works if you work it and you're worth it! >> Ronnie: Hello, again, everybody, from the First Colony Church of Christ in Sugarland, Texas. I'm Ronnie, and you just saw our Celebrate Recovery ministry highlighted, and it is a fantastic next step. Also, I am so appreciating our worship team and those who led our worship service today and everybody -- you know, over the last several weeks. You just need to know all of those who have been leading and participating in our worship experiences, these online experiences, they have such a fantastic attitude, and they consider it really an honor and a privilege to serve you, our church family; and our church village from wherever you may be watching. We are in a message series right now called "Timeout: Experiencing God in Life's Disruptions." "Timeout from the Greek Isles" is the title of today's sermon and you'll see why in a moment. Let me remind you of a secret: things are not as they seem -- or more exactly, things are not only as they seem. There's more to reality than what meets your unaided senses. Go ahead and look and listen and smell and touch and taste. Take in ALL the sensory data but realize there is much more to life than what we can only know through our senses, there our intellect, and through our emotions. What the Bible does is the Bible reveals to us, and the Bible OPENS to us unseen realities, realities that, again, we would not be aware of. We would not embrace. Only through our unaided senses. Through the Scriptures, we're given an alternative version of reality, a version of reality that goes beyond the data, that goes beyond what you can sense. And it's so impactful because of this alternative version of reality we find ourselves viewing tension differently, viewing pressure and difficulties differently. We find ourselves making different choices regarding money, regarding time, regarding morals, regarding values. So today's passage of Scripture is fascinating because it reminds us that things are not as they seem. We'll be in the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament; and certainly the Book of Revelation has a number of difficulties to it; but its main message, its big picture, is crystal clear. There's an old story of a young man who was in graduate school. He was in seminary, studying theology. He was speaking with his grandfather, who had not gone to college but was a life-long Christian. His grandfather was asking him about his studies, and he said, "Well, right now, one of my classes is on the book of Revelation." And his grandfather said, "Oh, I love Revelation. It's one of my favorite books." And his grandson said, "Now, Granddad, do you REALLY know that much about the book of Revelation?" He said, "I know the main message. I know the big picture." And that grandfather reached for his personal Bible. He opened it up to the book of Revelation, and there above chapter 1, verse 1, these words were written in big, bold letters: Jesus wins. And He does. Jesus wins. And Team Jesus wins. Reading from Revelation chapter 1, beginning verse 9 -- this is the Apostle John, now an older man. So Apostle John as an older man has been exiled to the island of Patmos in the Greek Isles, a small island, 13 square miles. Let me show you a picture of what it looks like today. You say, "Well, that doesn't look like much of an exile. I mean, that's pretty fine." Well, yes. In fact, you can visit Patmos. I have. You take a Greek Isle cruise out of Athens and you go to Mykonos, Santorini, Turkey, and Patmos. Back in John's day, it was a place of exile where criminals and enemies of the state were banished; and you need to know that right now the Apostle John and early believers are living under intense persecution. The book of Revelation was written in A.D. 96, and in A.D. 92, it was said the Roman Emperor Domitian executed something like 40,000 Christians. So the prominence of emperor worship where you must say "Caesar is lord." Needless to say, that was difficult because we believe Jesus is Lord. So people and groups who refused to make vows and offerings to the emperor were punished and persecuted. So here's John. He says, "I'm on the island of Patmos because of my faith." Here's a map, and you see where Patmos in the Aegean Sea 10 miles off the coast of modern day Turkey -- at that time known as Asia Minor. Verse 10. I believe this is a reference to Sunday, which has been in essence, if you are, set apart in such a beautiful way because of the Resurrection of Jesus that happened on Sunday. "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit." In other words, this is not some inner mystical thing. I heard behind me a voice. These are seven churches located in modern-day Turkey, in Asia Minor. Notice not an inner mystical experience. He will tell us later the lampstands represent seven churches. I want you to get this now. Right in the middle of the contemporary church was someone like a Son of Man -- John knows his Old Testament. The Son of Man is the Old Testament figure from the book of Daniel. It represents to THE central figure in history, Jesus, the One to whom all kingdoms are given; and the One to whom all people of every age owe allegiance. "I saw the Son of Man standing there." Listen. God gives to John a vision, a picture of the wonder, the awesomeness, the majesty of Jesus. Listen -- not just in the future but now, today, in this present moment. All you see is not all there is. And John in the Spirit, Jesus lifts the cover, pulls back the curtain; and there is for the Apostle John that he's relaying so that he might encourage you and me the unseen reality of Jesus in the midst of His people today. Verse 13. He will describe His attire. The Presence of the Risen and Glorified Jesus is THE great unseen reality of the present. John says He is not only risen; He is reigning; and He is reigning in power among us now, just behind the very thin veil. Everything is not as it seems. He has a robe to His feet, a high priestly robe; hair like wool and snow, ageless, infinitely wise, eyes of fire, pure and purifying, feet of glowing bronze, strong, immovable, a voice like rushing water, distinct, drowning out all other voices and lies. In His right hand He holds the stars. The version belongs to Jesus. He's the ruler of the cosmos, like the old song says, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands;" and out of his mouth is a double-edged sword. In other words, truth. He speaks truth that cuts through the nonsense and frees you from the lies. By the way, let me ask you, whose words carry the most weight in your life? Who speaks and you jump? Whose voice carries weight? I hope it's the voice of God, the sacred Scriptures; and His face shining like the sun, overwhelmingly brilliant. And the picture here to these persecuted believers and this picture to any believer in any age going through a disruption and time-out. God doesn't promise us a life of no struggle, not struggle-free or trouble-free but trouble-proof. Rather than being the kind of believer who cowers in the darkness, we push through. We can even push through and even look at some of the darkest moments of our lives and know we have encountered and we have experienced Jesus in a way that will change us forever. Everybody, we don't want to just survive. We want to shine, and we want to shine for the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and with winsomeness; and the way this happens is we got to make sure we have the grand vision of the kind of God we serve. Verse 17. I guess so. (Continues to read) From the very beginning to the very ending and every single day of your life, take a dart, throw it at the calendar; I'm there that day. I am the Living One. (Continuing to read) He says, you need not be afraid of the ultimate fear, the fear of death; and all fear -- the fear of criticism, rejection, loss, pain -- they’re all connected to that ultimate fear of death. Jesus says, "I have walked into the jaws of your ultimate enemy, and I have come forth again victorious. You need not fear the Neros and the Domitians and whatever adversary you face." Let this imagery grab you. "I have the keys. And because of My authority, I can even turn death into gain." Joseph's son was willing to die. He is a Romanian, enduring the brutal communist regime there. He was relentless, threatened, time and time again; but it finally got to the point where they said, "We just need to let him preach the Gospel because if we try to shut him down, his influence only grows." And He said over and over, "As long as I'm free, I'll be preaching the Gospel." They tried to threaten Him, persecuted Him. One secret police officer threatened to kill Him and He said, "Sir, don't you understand that when you kill me you send me to glory? You cannot threaten me with eternal glory." He went on and said, "I told my interrogator, you should know that your supreme weapon may be intimidation. You supreme weapon may be killing. My supreme weapon is dying. And here's how it works. You know that my sermons are on tape all over this country," he said. "You crush me. You only sprinkle all of my messages with blood, and every time somebody sees one of those tapes and passes it along, they'll say, 'Uh-oh, I better listen to this. This guy was willing to die for this,' and my sermons will speak ten times louder through the blood of my martyrdom." Only Jesus can say "Your ultimate fear is in My hand. You trust Me. I was dead; I'm alive; I hold keys to Hades and death." Let me highlight a few points. First of all, you will never be in such isolation where Christ's love cannot find you. You will never be in such isolation where Christ's love cannot find you. Christ's love can find you on Patmos in exile. It can find you in a nursing home, in a funeral home, in a hospital room. It can find you in the place where you've made your worst decision. It can find you in that moment where you think, "Is there any hope for me?" From Revelation 1:5 -- You can't get any stronger or higher than Jesus. His love, you can't be so isolated that His love can't find you. Secondly, you will never be so alone that the Holy Spirit cannot lift your soul. There's John on Patmos. He said, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and the Spirit lifted my soul." You have a problem? Worship. Open your heart to the Lord with a mustard seed of faith. Praise Him for what He's done. Praise Him that right now in the midst and beyond what you can see, beyond that thin veil of reality the Lord lives and reigns and meet you in worship. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. Thirdly, your ultimate future is certain because Jesus writes the end of your story. And this is not just to say your story is only good at the end; but what I'm saying is that Jesus, Who authored the beginning of your faith story, will finish the climax of your faith story, and He's right here THIS day in the middle of your faith story. Jesus knows how to treat members of His family. Number four: you will never face anything that God's power cannot take you through. Right here, this day, in the middle of our time, space, issue, problems -- Jesus is here. Is it time for you to have a newer, grander, bolder, more real, more accurate vision of just exactly who Jesus is? There was a gentleman years ago who was speaking at a Christian school, high school graduation, and he said, "I've got three simple points. Here's the first one: trust other people but not too much. Trust yourself but not too much. But trust Jesus. In Him you can trust completely forever." You know, there's no doubt some terrible catastrophes are occurring right now in these troubling times. However, days, months, or years from now -- perhaps only eternity for some of these stories -- but I anticipate hearing one uplifting story after another of people saved; marriages restored; opportunities seized; addictions conquered; churches reborn and turned around; noble careers fine-tuned; remedies discovered, as a result of what seems to be at the present of terrible tragedy. But we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, to those who were called according to His purpose. You will never face anything that God's power and wisdom and providence cannot see you through. And last of all, Jesus is worthy to be at the center and not at the periphery. You say, "Oh, my. How can we put Jesus at the periphery?" Oh, it can happen. There's not much chance of us losing and forgetting Jesus altogether. Too much has been said or written. There's Easter and Christmas. It's easier than you think to take Jesus from center stage and put Him to the margins; to put Him from the front-and-center to the periphery. It's nearly impossible to forget Him; but it is very possible to fail to make Him center. We get distracted. Other things elbow their way to the front. If you don't think it's easy, just listen to what we tend to complain about. It's usually not a complaint that sounds like this. "I don't think Jesus is getting enough attention. I don't think Jesus is getting enough spotlight." It tends to be, "I'm not getting." "My cause isn't getting." "My style is not getting enough of the spotlight." Nothing wrong with my style and cause, unless it elbows Jesus away from center stage; and there's only one way to be the kind of believer who's -- to use Revelation language -- an overcomer; and that's with a clear vision of the majesty, the wonder, the glory, the awesomeness of the Risen and Reigning Lord Jesus Christ. As we have that vision, oh, my goodness, it engenders within us a desire to live bolder, louder, even more winsome lives for Jesus. Again, we don't want to just survive; we want to shine boldly and clearly for the cause of the Gospel. On your right Now media account, you can watch a little series called "Ed's Story," the story of Ed Dobson, well-known preacher, teacher, pastor, leader, particularly in the Michigan area. Several years ago, he came down with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, and this video story -- it's a multi-part story, many interviews with Ed Dobson. Ed passed away in 2015. When he was first diagnosed, he went to a preacher friend of his and said, "I want you to pray for my healing and anoint me with oil and pray for my healing." "Ed, we're going to do that, but let's make sure the focus of prayers and faith is not just on healing. Let's let the focus of our faith and let's let the aim of our prayers be on Lord God, how wonderful You Are. Let me be Your instrument. Glorify Yourself in me and through me." And Ed said, and I quote, "I needed to shift my focus from myself to my Creator and shouldn't just focus all of God's power just to heal me, heal me. I should focus on the all-around wonder of God. I spend more time with Him each day without the goal of just receiving healing for my good behavior, and I needed to praise Him and honor Him and trust Him, not just because I was sick; but because I should trust Him that way always." Dobson said he learned to fully immerse himself within the wonder of Jesus Christ. That led to trust. That led to assurance. That led to an affirmed identity of being God's beloved child, no matter how much time he was given. Listen, you're created to be loved by God, and you're created to have Jesus Christ front and center of your life. And when He is, you see beyond the visible; and you live each day reminding you're on Team Jesus. And Jesus wins. He wins big time. Now, in just a moment, we're going to show you a fantastic video of a fantastic song called "You Say." Let me remind you we'd love to hear from you and partner with you in prayer. Turn in a prayer request. Engage with us in live prayer and just know that we love you. We care for you. We are praying for you. Before we watch this video -- and it will bless your soul and encourage your heart -- let me pray for you right now. Lord God, would You open our eyes in a fresh way to see the Risen and Reigning Jesus? You Are the Lord Peace, and would You give to every viewer, EVERY listener, peace at all times and in every way? It's in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who wins that we pray. Amen. I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough (Vocalizing) Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know Ooh Oh You say I am loved When I can't feel a thing You say I am strong When I think I am weak And You say I am held When I am falling short And when I don't belong Oh, You say I am Yours And I believe Oh, I believe What You say of me I believe The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me (Vocalizing) In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity Ooh oh You say I am loved When I can't feel a thing You say I am strong When I think I am weak And You say I am held When I am falling short When I don't belong Oh, You say I am Yours And I believe Oh, I believe What You say of me Oh, I believe Taking all I have and now I'm laying it at Your feet (Vocalizing) You'll have every failure, God, You'll have every victory Ooh oh You say I am loved When I can't feel a thing You say I am strong When I think I am weak You say I am held When I am falling short When I don't belong Oh, You say I am Yours And I believe Oh, I believe What You say of me I believe I believe Oh, I believe Yes, I believe What You say of me Oh I believe