That's A Word - Pastor Greg Hendricks

Teen Challenge men were in the house. Their singing group is called New Creation Choir, and they praised the Lord through their songs and testimonies. Three men shared their experiences with us. The first one was Tyler who left Teen Challenge in January and returned about a month and a half ago after he became homeless. He asked God what to do, and the Lord told him to return to TC. He knew that the Lord was the only One that would save his life. Tyler shared his verse, Matthew 4:4. “It is written: ’Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (NIV)

The next speaker was Miguel who said the Lord “saved me.” He has been at Teen Challenge for 2 1/2 months, and it is like Bible boot camp. His verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

the old is gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who

reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the

ministry of reconciliation.” (NIV)

The third man who spoke was George who is 29 years old. He was born in addiction; his father was an addict. George was a gang member and in jail the first time at fourteen. When he was in jail, he was given an opportunity to go to TC. George said, “When God comes knocking, you better respond.” He “was saved by the power of God and loves the Word of God.” After he graduates, George will continue his TC journey at the TC Castle in Riverside. One verse he

stands on is Luke 1:37. “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (KJV) Praise God for what He is doing in these men’s lives!

Then Pastor Josiah and Ashley introduced Greg Hendricks, FC’s newest staff member, who will lead the men’s ministry. Greg gave a word of prophecy to the TC men-“Storm Survivors.” With that title he explained that 1) they are not to submit to the world. Galations 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.” (NIV); 2) Some of them would be giving life lifting invitations to others

and would be a beacon of hope; 3) God is giving them a “golden pen” to rewrite their stories. They do not have to be yoked to their pasts; 4) God is holding a golden plumb line over their lives so that they can live lives of integrity and righteousness.

“The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true

to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me,

‘What do you see, Amos?’

“A plumb line,’ I replied.

Then the Lord said, ’Look, I am setting a plumb line among my

people Israel; I will spare them no longer.’” Amos 7:7-8 (NIV)

Greg proceeded to share his prepared message which was based on Matthew 14:22-33. After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, twelve baskets of food were left over from the offering of two fish and five loaves. Jesus sent His disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee while He went to spend time with His Father praying. If Jesus sought His Father’s company, how much more

do we need to seek His presence? That is a powerful question and was part of the message of “How to Move Forward in Your Faith.”

What does it look like to move forward? Your faith in obedience moves you to another level. Your personhood’s purpose, peace, pace and practices are revealed in His Word. When you move in faith and obedience, it is tied to His Word. These statements are foundational to your faith journey. Greg gave us five points to consider:

Read God’s word consistently. Jesus spoke to Peter as Jesus was walking on the water. He said,”Come.” Peter stepped out on the word. How can you step out on it if you do not read His Word? We need to step out on God’s Word too. A study from the Bible Engagement Center indicated that if a person was in the Word four times a week that loneliness dropped; anger was down 32%; bitterness declined 40%; alcoholism was reduced 57%; sharing of one’s faith increased 200%; discipling others was up 230%. There is power in the Word. What we see from

these statistics is that “God invests His power in the Word.” “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17

Be real about yourself with God daily. Honesty before God is breeding ground for integrity. Integrity matches faith and action. Faith does not mean that things are easy but possible. Some things God will not level up until you focus up.That means we need to get our eyes off of ourselves and on to God. What is He trying to tell us? If we try to hide our sins in the closets can we really change? No, we need to be honest and candid with our God who loves us beyond measure.That is why Jesus came to die for each of us. "The cracks in life will minister just as

much as Christ in your life,” reminded Greg. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” Proverbs 11:3 Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

Practice small steps of obedience regularly. For the disciples, they obeyed the Lord Jesus and went in the boat. The storm did not occur when they were on shore. They had to be in the middle of the Sea of Galilee before they felt the rocking and rolling of the gigantic waves at the third watch. Push out to the middle of the sea. Count it a blessing when it is storming. I do not usually like to be in a storm or in the middle of trouble, but Greg gave us a different perspective

about stormy times. They do not happen when things are safe. So we need to obey and step out. Faith is most alive when saturated in obedience. It might mean you have to call someone and apologize even if you don’t think she/he deserves it. The people who anger you the most are helping to perfect you. “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” Isaiah 1:19

Remember God’s goodness in your life frequently. I was talking to a couple of friends who shared about keeping a victory record. For 2025 I began a victory record and wrote two entries today about how God answered my prayers even when I did not think He would. He is ever faithful, and when my spiritual amnesia hits me, I can look in my journal and see that on 3/23/25, the Lord blessed me beyond words. My heart smiled today. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” Psalm 77:11

Serve others with no agenda genuinely. In other words do not have a hidden motive when you help someone. Have a deposit mindset instead of a withdrawal mindset. It is a privilege to open up doors for others. Your life is an invitation to see what generosity looks like. I think of when someone has been generous to me and how I learned to be generous in the same way. We are not only talking about money but time, talent, testimony and treasure. “Generosity is not

about how much you give but how much you sacrifice,” reminded Greg. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

Your faith growing deeper is through study of His Word where you get to sit with the Author. His Word changes lives and through this change may we be salt and light in this world.

Calendar:

4/11 LB potluck, worship and Meet to Swap