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[0:00] And we are celebrating Boy Scout Sunday. Will everybody please recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

[0:40] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[0:55] The best may be seated. Scout sign. Scout books. I am my mother. I will do my best. I will do my duty. I will guide my country.

[1:06] I will obey the scout laws. I will hold on with people in all my hands. I will keep myself physically strong and mentally awake and morally straight. Scout books. Scout is a stressor. I will be powerful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, worthy, brave, clean, and her own.

[1:22] I will move. Color guard, close to .

[1:40] Color guard, dismissed. As the frogs come up here, they're going to sing a great song for us this morning.

[2:04] And it is important to note that we are one nation under God. Amen. Amen.

[2:45] Thank you Lord for making me a special part of your plan.

[3:05] You gave the gift of life to me, now you hold me in your hands. When I look all around I see a wonderful world God made for me.

[3:23] So many things to explore and find, I see His great love and it's design. Thank you Lord for making me a special part of your plan.

[3:40] You gave the gift of life to me, now you hold me in your hands. When I look all around I see a wonderful world God made for me.

[3:58] So many things to explore and find, I see His great love and it's design. Thank you Lord for making me a special part of your plan.

[4:15] Thank you Lord for making me a special part of your plan. Now you hold me in your hands.

[4:27] Now you hold me in your hands. I'm thankful for the Boy Scouts.

[4:56] By the way, I'm also thankful for the Boy Scout dinner that they have. I don't know if you've ever attended, but it's absolutely fabulous. And they're going to be selling tickets out in the fellowship hall. Look for any of the Scouts in uniform, and they will have tickets available for you to purchase.

[5:11] I'm also thankful that we have so many people in this congregation that support all the various ministries. And I'd love to hear what you all are thankful for this morning. Yeah. Pat Drexler's going to be a grandma.

[5:25] Yay! Woo! Yay! What else? What else are you thankful for? I can barely see you. Yeah, Judy. Making connections in airports and safe journeys.

[5:42] Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm also thankful, by the way, for the people in our church that know how to fix the heating. You might notice it's a little chilly in here, but we're working. We've got people working on it. I'm thankful for them.

[5:53] What else are you thankful for? Yeah. I'm very thankful for them. The children singing. Isn't it great? Yeah. Yeah. The church supports the Boy Scouts.

[6:07] They meet here, and it's a wonderful cooperating relationship, and we're thankful that the Boy Scouts are here. Yeah. What else? Whoop.

[6:18] Over there. New faces.

[6:32] New children. New. Olders. Lots of new people. We're really thankful and grateful for that. Lynn. Yay.

[6:45] Brian is home from being deployed. Yeah. Nice. We're thankful. Very thankful for your service as well. Yeah. There's so much to be thankful for.

[6:56] We are so blessed. So, as we reflect on just how good God is, let's return our gifts, tithes, and offerings to the Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[7:06] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[7:33] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[7:44] Amen. Above the noise a voice for you. Let my heart sing your praise.

[8:00] Till all that is raised is a voice for you.

[8:15] Let my life be a voice for you.

[8:32] My every choice a voice for you.

[8:45] Let my life match your words. Till all that is heard is a voice for you.

[9:04] I may not speak with tongues of angels.

[9:16] But I long to reflect the love you show.

[9:27] So if I may let you live.

[9:39] May that your love may be known. Let my life be a voice for you.

[10:01] Above the noise a voice for you.

[10:13] Let my life match your words. Till all that is heard is a voice for you.

[10:35] Is a voice. A voice. A voice.

[10:49] A voice. A voice. A voice. A voice. A voice. A voice for you.

[11:03] A voice for you. A voice. A voice for you.

[11:17] A voice for you. A voice for you. A voice.

[11:43] Praise God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

[11:55] Lord, we thank you for your goodness, and we pray that these gifts we give to you will be blessed by you to go out and transform the world in your name. We pray that it will be received with the love and gratitude that we have on our hearts for you, and we pray that your name will always be praised. In Jesus's name we pray, amen. Please be seated.

[12:53] Just a couple of prayer concerns. Betty Gemeinder is at Elderwood on Niagara Falls Boulevard, and she'll be recovering for a good long time. And I'm supposed to be passing out clipboards as well.

[13:06] But for Betty, she's got a long recovery road ahead. She's not quite up to visits and calls yet, but she would love to have some cards. So she wanted to pass on that she loves all of us, but we pray for Betty. The clipboards I'm passing around, by the way, are for the community dinner in Niagara Falls. We're looking for supplies and help for that. So just pass it on back when we get it.

[13:31] What other concerns do we have within our church community? Yeah. Pray for Paul, 40 years old, needs a heart transplant. Yeah, Todd.

[13:46] I have a sister that's trying to do this. Keep her in prayer. What's your sister's name?

[13:56] Becky. Pray for Becky, bone cancer and breast cancer. Yeah. Yeah, Deb. Yeah. Yeah. Alyssa, struggling with cancer.

[14:14] Yeah. Pray for Jan, for the diabetes. Yes. Deb, diagnosed with breast cancer.

[14:29] Anyone else? Yeah, June. Yeah. Yeah. June. February 8th, Betty Gominder. Send her a card for her birthday. Yeah. Just cards in general.

[14:41] Let her know we care. Anyone else? Let's pray. Gracious and loving Lord, we come to you this day with grateful hearts.

[14:53] Hearts full of love. And we know that we can trust you for all things. We pray that you'll take away our fear. Give us your strength to walk with you more firmly, work with you more strongly, walk with you knowing and trusting in you for all things.

[15:12] Lord, help us to lean into your arms and know that you're there, placing the people that we love into your hands. We pray, dear Lord, that you will take the people that we've named and all the people on our hearts who are struggling with any sort of physical issues, cancer, diabetes, needing a heart transplant, all these things, Lord.

[15:34] Lord, there are people that need your healing touch. We pray that your hand will be upon them, that they will experience a miraculous healing, that they will be whole and well in your name and be able to proclaim you in the midst of all of it.

[15:50] Lord, we pray that you'll take away pain and you'll give hope. We pray that you'll surround them with supportive community and help us all to love on the people that are needing you and needing us, Lord, as someone who reflects you.

[16:08] We pray that you will give us your power to reach out to others. We pray that your healing touch will extend to those who are struggling mentally as well as physically, that you'll take away anxiety, you'll take away depression.

[16:24] Give clarity of thought, Lord, and give guidance and discernment. We pray for those who are struggling with direction.

[16:35] We pray for opportunity. Open up opportunities for jobs. Open up opportunities for going in your direction, Lord, that the things that were binding them up, that they will be cast away and they will be free.

[16:52] Set them on your path, Lord. We pray that you will bless those, bless those, Lord, in our families, that you will open up our hearts and our minds to one another and that we will treat one another with respect and love and care, fill our homes with your grace.

[17:16] Lord, we pray. We pray for those who don't know you. It burdens our hearts, Lord, and we know that you are so good and so gracious, and we want to share, Lord.

[17:27] We pray that you'll be with the people who don't know you and make them fertile ground. Open their hearts to receive and give us your wisdom. Give us your power that we may minister to those and be a great witness.

[17:42] The people will be transformed. The people will accept you. The people will draw close. We pray again, Lord, for people who need healing in their body, in their mind, in their soul.

[17:53] We pray that your healing touch will be upon them. Help us to be a community of people that follow you, that are led by you, and that will minister in your name.

[18:09] We trust in you, Lord, and we thank you for your goodness and your love. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now let's hear from the word of the Lord.

[18:19] Amen. Good morning.

[18:38] Today's scripture reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 1 through 12. Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

[18:52] He came to Jesus at night and said, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.

[19:04] Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked.

[19:16] Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born. Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

[19:28] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases.

[19:41] You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. How can this be?

[19:52] Nicodemus asked. You are Israel's teacher, said Jesus, and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

[20:07] I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Thank you so much, Corey.

[20:22] And I am also grateful for the presence of our Boy Scouts, for the ministry of Scouting. It is such a blessing. And I understand that we have a thankful moment, too, that the guys want to say something.

[20:34] Is that true? Who's saying that? Is that Derek? You're up. You're up. All right.

[20:56] Got it? I got it. All right. Right in there. Good morning, everybody. Good morning. My name is Derek Knipple, and I am in Boy Scout Troop 98. I am so fortunate and blessed to be in this troop.

[21:10] One of the reasons that I am blessed to be in this troop is because of my brothers. My brothers have given me experience, even when I'm not in the troop. When I was younger, my brothers were in the troop, and I still did things with the troop.

[21:24] So I'm thankful that they were able to be in Scouting, because then that could be a part of my childhood. I am thankful for PCUMC for giving us a place to meet, a place to store our supplies for camping, and I'm thankful for them for giving up their Thursday nights for us to meet in the gym and take up the fellowship hall and all the other rooms to use for our meetings.

[21:53] I'm thankful for fellowship with my peers and older scouts with us for giving me, for teaching me how to be better at Scouting and for showing me as a model so that when I'm older in the troop and there are younger Scouts, that I can teach them and be a model for them.

[22:19] So I'm thankful for all you older Scouts that helped me. I'm thankful for Scouting for the camping and the outdoor experience that I get to go on.

[22:30] Every month we go on a campout every weekend, and I'm thankful for those, because those teach me, those give me rank, those give me achievements, and I'm thankful for that, that we're able to do that.

[22:44] I'm thankful for Scouting because it teaches me survival tactics and life skills that I could use farther on, and if I'm in the survival, I can, Scouting teaches me how to start a fire or how to build a shelter, so I'm thankful for Scouting because of all those reasons, and there's many more that Scouting provides me with, that Scouting provides for me, that I can be better when I'm an adult, and I can use Scouting to teach others that aren't in Scouts, which I'm thankful for Scouts for.

[23:15] Thank you for giving me your time, and I hope to see you all at our Italian night dinner next week. I hope you have an amazing week. Thank you, Derek.

[23:31] It's just amazing to me how similar the way that the Scouts learn and grow, the way they develop from boys into young men and into adults of purpose and meaning and of worth in our culture.

[23:47] They're an example, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect segue into the beginning of the sermon. Thank you, Derek. Awesome. Awesome. We heard Corey speak to us of the story of Nicodemus and Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus.

[24:03] Nicodemus appears three times in John's Gospel. It's the only book of the Bible where Nicodemus is mentioned, and his experiences with Jesus tell us about the need for those who claim to be Jesus' disciples to follow the Holy Spirit's leading.

[24:22] Nicodemus belonged to the group of Jewish leaders called the Pharisees. These people were interested in preserving the Jewish law that God had given them through Moses many years before by holding Jewish people accountable to the practices and to the traditions that they had always known.

[24:45] Nicodemus' first two encounters with Jesus occur during special worship times in Jerusalem, times the Jews would have been expected to be participating in these traditions as part of their yearly cycle of Sabbaths, repentance for sin, and celebration of God's saving power.

[25:10] The passage that you heard Corey read was read during a Passover. It happened at that time, a celebration in which the Jews remembered how God had delivered them out of slavery in Egypt.

[25:28] Part of this celebration was to sacrifice a perfect, spotless lamb. Now, Nicodemus must have heard about Jesus driving out the money changers and those selling animals out of the Jerusalem temple, and he must also have heard of the miraculous signs that Jesus had been doing that caused the people to believe in him.

[25:54] We know from the passage that Nicodemus also believed Jesus was from God. But he didn't go to Jesus out in the open. He visited Jesus at night to ask his questions.

[26:08] Nicodemus saw that Jesus was doing God's work of bringing a major change to the way of life that he knew. He recognized Jesus was from God because of the miracles.

[26:23] But when he got there, Jesus said that in order to enter God's kingdom, a person had to be born of the Spirit. In saying this, Jesus established that just recognizing who Jesus is and trying to follow the best we can by our own human understanding and actions is not going to get us there.

[26:50] The scripture tells us the Holy Spirit gives birth to our spirits. And the things of the flesh are not capable of doing this.

[27:00] We cannot truly understand the world around us and all that happens here with human reason alone.

[27:12] But when our spirits are reborn by God's grace through the power of the Holy Spirit, we enter in to God's kingdom and we can begin to see, understand, and live our lives according to the Spirit's leading.

[27:29] This is true obedience to God's laws that people cannot do on their own by any kind of effort or any kind of self-discipline.

[27:43] Paul writes of this in his letter to the Corinthian church, So from now on, when we regard no one from a worldly point of view, though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

[28:10] Therefore, if any are in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. Jesus was telling Nicodemus and Paul was telling the church that however gifted, moral, or well-meaning a natural person may be, that person cannot understand spiritual truth or truly obey God unless that one is in Christ, unless they are born of God's Spirit.

[28:51] The next time we see Nicodemus is in John chapter 7. He is defending Jesus' right to a hearing before being condemned for anything he had done.

[29:04] He knew Jesus had been teaching about how God's Spirit would flow in and through people who believe in Jesus and who receive the Spirit. It was a new way of understanding God's relationship to God's people.

[29:21] Friends, this is what sets the Christian faith apart from all other religions in the world. In Christ, by the Holy Spirit, natural people are recreated by God, not only so that we will be saved ourselves, but in order to fulfill our part of Christ's mission in the world.

[29:50] Do you know what Christ's mission in the world is? Somebody shout it out. Huh? What is it? To bring us to God, bringing us back to God, yes?

[30:06] Bringing people back to God, saving the broken world. It's interesting that we see Nicodemus again in Jerusalem at the time of a Jewish festival.

[30:21] This one is not a Passover. It's the Feast of Tabernacles. This is a celebration that has two meanings. It celebrates the way God's people lived in booths, or like little huts, as they traveled together through the wilderness after they had been saved from slavery in Egypt and before they entered the land that God had promised them.

[30:47] But that festival also looks forward to a future time when all Israel and all the other nations of the world will be gathered together and received by God.

[31:01] The Jewish people still look forward to this promise today. it's found among the writings of the Jewish prophets. The Great Commission, found at the end of Matthew's Gospel, tells us how disciples of Jesus Christ are to participate with God in Christ's mission.

[31:22] Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

[31:39] Friends, we cannot do this without the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We cannot resist sin and live according to God's will for our lives without the Spirit's wisdom and power in us.

[31:56] We cannot call ourselves God's children unless we have the Holy Spirit living in us and working through us. Many people don't like to hear that.

[32:10] But according to our scriptures, although everyone is a creation of God, the choice of humanity to sin broke us and separated us from God.

[32:26] John also wrote, Jesus came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet, to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent or of their parents' will, but born of God.

[32:52] Paul instructed the Roman church that it is necessary to have God's Spirit in us and leading us in order to cooperate with God in overcoming sin.

[33:05] For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live because you, those who are led by the Spirit of God, are children of God.

[33:21] For you did not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you receive the Spirit of adoption. And by the Spirit we cry, Abba, Father.

[33:35] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirits that we are God's children. Now, if we are children, we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

[33:46] If indeed we share in Christ's sufferings in order that we may also share in Christ's glory. Being led by God's Spirit begins even before we realize it.

[34:03] John Wesley taught that God's grace is always drawing people toward God. When we realize our need of God and agree to begin following, it is God's Spirit who has led us and created the possibility of receiving the Spirit so we would have a way of responding to God.

[34:27] From that time on, because of God's grace, God's Spirit seeks to lead us, but we must be willing to follow the Spirit rather than our own path.

[34:41] Sometimes, we can feel unsure about where we're going when we follow the Spirit, but if we pay attention and listen for the Spirit's voice, we will be led where we need to be.

[34:55] As God's children, we need to each learn how the Spirit communicates with us. I have found that it's unique for everyone because we are each unique creations of God.

[35:10] God, some of you may have heard me tell this story before. It's the occasion I remember when I first began to hear God's voice in my life.

[35:21] I had been seeking God for some time, saying, Lord, I understand that I'm supposed to be able to hear from you. I understand that you're supposed to speak to me and lead me, but I'm not hearing you.

[35:35] One day, I was in Wegmans in the produce department. I'm standing in front of the peaches, not that I particularly like peaches, but my husband, Romney, really does. So I was buying peaches, hoping to have them for dessert.

[35:49] And you know how you do, you know, the little plastic bag and you look at the peaches, you're picking them up and you're trying to pick the ones that have the least bruises and that aren't too soft and, you know, that look okay and smell okay.

[36:00] And I'm putting peaches in my bag. And I see, right in the center of the display, this great, big, beautiful peach. It was gorgeous.

[36:10] I picked it up and it was just the right firmness. There wasn't a single bruise on the thing. It was absolutely perfect. And I said, oh, good.

[36:21] And I went to put it in my bag and I heard, no. Well, I thought someone was talking to someone else somewhere else in the aisle and I looked around and there didn't seem to be too many people around and, all right, I put it back in the bag and I heard, no.

[36:38] And I looked again and I'm wondering. Looked at the peach. Went to put it in the bag one more time and I heard, no.

[36:49] And without thinking, I looked up and I said, why not, Lord? People looked at me then. And I did have this little back and forth argument with God and ultimately did put the peach in the bag and took it home.

[37:08] When I got there that night, I was preparing dinner and I sliced into that peach, pulled it apart and inside this absolutely perfect peach was a pit that was covered with mold and it was all moldy on the inside.

[37:27] And I said, oh, okay, I get it. I threw the peach out. Now, I tell you this story not because I believe that God wanted me not to take that peach because the peach was moldy inside and I couldn't see it, although that could have been part of the reason.

[37:46] I really think the reason was that God wanted me to start to realize how God was going to be speaking to me, how I would know and recognize God's communication with me by the Spirit.

[38:00] Now, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet and Rabbit one time got lost in the woods and they needed some help. They needed some leading to get out.

[38:11] Hmm. It's a funny thing how everything looks the same in the mist.

[38:24] He's right, Piglet. It's the very same sand pit. I think so too, Pooh. Well, it's lucky I know the forest so well or we might get lost.

[38:35] Well, come on, follow me. Now, Pooh was getting tired of seeing the same sand pit and he suspected it of following them about because whichever direction they started in they always seemed to end up at it.

[38:59] Uh, Rabbit? Yes? Say, Rabbit, how would it be if as soon as we're out of sight of this old pit we just try to find it again? Oh, it's a good of that.

[39:11] Well, you see, we keep looking for home but we keep finding this pit so I just thought that if we look for this pit we might find home. Huh.

[39:21] I don't see much sense in that. If I walked away from this pit and then walked back to her, of course I should find it. I'll prove it to you. Wait here. So Pooh and Piglet waited in the mist for Rabbit.

[39:43] What was that, Pooh? My tummy rumbled. Now then, come on, let's go home. But Pooh, do you know the way? No, Piglet, but there are twelve pots of honey in my cupboard and they have been calling to my tummy.

[40:01] They have? Yes, Piglet. I couldn't hear them before because Rabbit would talk. I think I know where they're calling from so come on, we'll just follow my tummy.

[40:13] Well, they walked off together and for a long time Piglet said nothing so as not to interrupt Pooh's honeypots. Now, Winnie the Pooh was not following the Holy Spirit.

[40:28] I don't think honey jars calling from home will get us anywhere. Peaches maybe, not honey jars. But this story illustrates a few things that are important to understanding how the Spirit leads and how others can block our ability to discern the Spirit's leading.

[40:48] Rabbit was using his own understanding, relying on what he thought he remembered, where he thought he should go, and he kept leading his friends back to the same sand pit.

[41:01] Kind of reminded me of the 40 years that Israel went around and around and around the same mountain on their way to the promised land. You know that journey really should only have taken them about 10 days.

[41:17] Their trouble was that they kept disobeying God on the way, blaming Moses for their troubles and generally distracting themselves from where God was trying to lead them.

[41:29] Rabbit's pride got in his way and in the way of his friends being able to be led home. Pride and wanting to do things our own way can keep us from discerning the Spirit's leading.

[41:45] When Winnie the Pooh and Piglet had time to rest, instead of following the angry, prideful rabbit all over the woods, Pooh was able to center in on that connection between his stomach and the honey jars.

[42:04] That connection let him know which way to go and he was able to lead his little friend Piglet in the right way too. Paul instructed the Corinthian church to follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.

[42:22] And Luke taught that the church at Berea, the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

[42:43] the Spirit, the scriptures and the believers gathered together. These are ways we know when we are being led by God's Spirit rather than by our own human ideas.

[42:57] Paul had the Spirit of Christ in him so he was able to follow Christ's leading by the Holy Spirit. He and the Bereans also had the Hebrew scriptures to rely on for guidance.

[43:10] today we have both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament. These are both inspired by God to help us follow as Jesus' disciples.

[43:25] Along the line of what Paul taught that all scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the child of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

[43:45] Spending time with God through searching and studying the scriptures, praying and worshiping God, connecting with other Christians, and taking time to rest apart from the busyness of the world keeps our connection to God clear so that we are able to discern the Spirit's leading.

[44:07] Still, even Christians are sometimes in too much of a hurry or worried about time constraints or resources or concerned about other people's expectations to hear from God.

[44:25] at the church I attended for many years after making my adult commitment to Christ, there was a ceremony of commitment that I participated in.

[44:36] Many people were going to be part of it so there wasn't time for each of us to say more than our names, how long we'd been a part of the church, and to list one or two ministries we were involved in.

[44:48] I had been in the church for a few years and I was involved in lay leadership quite a lot and I had a testimony to give that night.

[44:59] It had come from God and I knew I was supposed to share it. It was going to take about ten minutes. After the pastor had instructed all of us to comment only very briefly when it was our turn up, I went up and asked him for permission to give the testimony.

[45:20] He was very polite, but he was very firm, when he said, no. I knew in my spirit that his decision was wrong.

[45:35] Because I knew from God that I was to give that testimony that night. He was worried about the time it would take. And I'm sure he was worried about the potential accusation of favoritism or something.

[45:48] I mean, really, why should he give me permission to take up so much time? None of the others could. Did I mention there were about 30 people who were affirming their commitment to Christ that night?

[46:00] It was going to take a long time as it was. I was deeply disappointed, but I accepted what he said and walked away. Then, I felt the spirit leading me into prayer.

[46:11] when it was my turn at the mic, the pastor kind of covered the mic up and pushed it away and he turned to me and he very quietly said, go ahead and take all the time that you need to say whatever it is God's led you to say.

[46:33] That testimony touched people's hearts and some people came to Christ that night. others affirmed that they had been encouraged to move on in their ministries because of my story and three other people that evening affirmed my call to pastoral ministry even before I had even accepted the fact that I had one.

[46:57] The pastor took time before the service began and during the worship time of singing and prayer to seek God about my request.

[47:09] He originally responded out of his own idea of the evening's plan. When he consulted the Holy Spirit, his plan changed just enough to make room for something else that God considered necessary.

[47:27] When we follow the Holy Spirit, we will be nudged, we will be dragged, we will be yanked out of our comfort zones. God will upset our plans and disrupt our way of doing things.

[47:40] I could share many, many more stories about how following the Holy Spirit has impacted my life. Even things like my plans for marriage and family and this most recent career change into pursuing ordained ministry when what I think I should be doing is planning retirement with my husband.

[48:00] But God has a mission. mission. Nicodemus recognized it and he believed. The last time we see him in John's Gospel, he is going with Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus' body, the body of the spotless Lamb of God who died for our sins, to the tomb.

[48:27] After Jesus' resurrection, I will just bet Joseph and Nicodemus were among those in Jerusalem who heard the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

[48:39] Nicodemus wasn't a perfect disciple. None of them were. None of us are. He had to decide whether to pull away from the comfort of the tradition he knew so that he could move on with Jesus according to God's plan.

[48:56] At first, he went secretly under cover of night. Later on, he spoke up and then he went openly to the tomb.

[49:08] What do we have to give over to God today so we can move on with Jesus and better follow the Spirit's leading? I'd like to take a little bit of time to pray with you right now.

[49:23] prayer of confession. So if you would fold your hands and bow your head or take whatever posture it is that you take when you pray, I like to have my hands up so I can receive what God has for me as I'm giving what God needs to take from me.

[49:45] Let's pray. Dear God, I know I'm not perfect yet, but I want to follow you better. There are things in my life that do not glorify you because they're not things you are leading me to do.

[50:09] I don't even know what some of them are, but I want to be able to follow you. I want to be so please right now begin to show me the things in my life that must change.

[50:43] Lord, please bless me. with a fresh filling up of your Holy Spirit. So I may worship you in spirit and truth in all that I do.

[51:02] Teach me to know your Spirit's voice. Give me wisdom. Give me power to live my life and do my part of Christ's mission in this world as your Spirit leads.

[51:24] I receive you now in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen, church. Let's stand as we're able and begin to sing praise to God for all God has done for us.

[51:39] Let's the Lord. Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

[51:59] Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

[52:12] Melt me, hold me, fill me, you speak.

[52:27] Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

[52:41] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[52:51] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[53:11] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Hold on to Is to be heard But to hear What you would say Word of God speak Would you pour down thy grave Washing my eyes to see Your majesty To be still and known When you're in this place Please let me stay and rest In your holiness Word of God speak I am myself

[54:19] In the midst of you Beyond the music Beyond the noise All that I need Is to be with you I am in the quiet Hear your voice When of God speak Would you pour down thy grave Washing my eyes to see Your majesty To be still and known To be still and known You're in this place Please let me stay and rest In your holiness Word of God speak Would you pour down thy grave Washing my eyes to see

[55:22] Washing my eyes to see Your majesty To be still and known You're in this place Please let me stay and rest In your holiness Word of God speak I long for your embrace Every single day To meet you in this place To see you face to face Will you show me

[56:24] Reveal yourself to me Because of your mercy I fall down on my knees And I can feel your presence Dear with me Certainly I'm lost Within your beauty Caught up in the wonder Of your touch Here in this moment I surrender to your love You're everywhere I go I am not alone You call me as your own To know you and be known

[57:25] You are holy And I fall down on my knees And I can feel your presence And I can feel your presence You in me Suddenly I'm lost In your beauty Caught up in the wonder Of your touch Here in this moment I surrender to your love I surrender I surrender to your grace I surrender to your grace I surrender to the one Who took my place I can feel your presence Here with me Suddenly I'm lost Within your beauty Caught up in the wonder Of your touch

[58:25] Here in this moment I surrender to your love We surrender to God's love Christ died for us While we were still sinners And this proves God's love For you and for me So in the name of Jesus Christ Your sins are forgiven In the name of Jesus Christ Your sins are forgiven Glory to God Amen And now as a forgiven body of Christ As we prepare for the table of the Lord We're going to greet one another With the peace of the spirit Whether it be with a hand wave Or a shoulder burn Whatever You know We're going to We're going to Greet one another With the peace of the spirit Peace be with you Peace be with you

[59:54] Lord I come I confess Bowing here I find my rest Without you I fall apart You're the one That guides my heart Lord I need you Oh I need you Every hour I need you

[60:59] My wantiness My righteousness Oh God Oh God How I need you When sin runs deep Your grace is born Your grace is found Is where you are Where you are Where you are Where you are Lord I am free Holiness Is Christ in me Lord I need you Lord I need you Oh I need you Lord I need you Oh I need you Every hour I need you Every hour I need you So 我reas hanız

[62:01] And when I lay you Every hour I need you Oh God How I need you Oh God, how I need you.

[62:14] So teach my song to rise to you. When temptation comes my way.

[62:25] When I can ascend, I'll fall on you. Jesus, you're my hope and stay.

[62:38] Lord, I need you. Oh, I need you. Every hour I need you.

[62:54] My wantonness, my righteousness. Oh God, how I need you.

[63:05] My wantonness, my righteousness. Oh God, how I need you.

[63:18] The table of grace is set for all people. God invites each and every person who wants to be in relationship with him to the table of the Lord.

[63:33] To renew that commitment. And so I invite you, whether this is the first time here or you've been here all along. If you are seeking God in your life, come to the table. The Lord be with you.

[63:44] Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

[64:00] You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.

[64:12] You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God and spoke to us through the prophets. And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn.

[64:27] Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

[64:41] Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ. Hosanna in the highest.

[65:16] And made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

[65:30] On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took the bread. He gave thanks to you. He broke the bread. He gave it to his disciples and he said, He took the bread.

[65:42] Take and eat. this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me and when the supper was over he took the cup he gave thanks and he said this is my blood the blood of the new covenant poured out for you poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins drink of this often remembering me and so in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again pour out your holy spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine make them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood by your spirit make us one with Christ one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet through your son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church all honor and glory is yours almighty father now and forever amen now let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us saying our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever amen there are scouts that are serving this morning so if they could come forward please yeah let me what

[68:17] Jeff should have to what's how you hmm oh you you Amen.

[69:22] Amen. Amen.

[69:58] Come and worship God. Come expecting to receive a new infilling of God's Spirit and all that God would have you know to move on to the next step in your journey.

[70:10] If you want to stop by the altar for prayer, anointing, the prayer rail for anointing and prayers for healing, or if you want to light a candle, please come.

[70:23] God loves you. God wants you here. Amen. Amen.

[70:54] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[71:57] Amen. Amen.

[72:57] Amen. Amen.

[73:57] Amen. Amen.

[74:57] Amen. I'd like to invite you all to stand if you're able as we sing together, He leadeth me.

[75:37] Amen. He leadeth me, He leadeth me, by His own hand He leadeth me.

[76:18] His faithful power I would be, for by His hand He leadeth me.

[76:29] Lord, I would place my hand in Thine, nor ever murmur nor reply. Contents, whatever thought I see, tis my God that leadeth me.

[76:50] He leadeth me, He leadeth me, by His own hand He leadeth me. His faithful power I would be, for by His hand He leadeth me.

[77:12] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Monica vanilla And on it goes.

[78:39] We remember some of these boys from when they were this big and now they're this big. Yes? And so it goes with God and us throughout the scriptures and throughout the history of the church.

[78:52] People have been hearing from God and have been following according to the leading of the Holy Spirit for their lives. It continues today. God still speaks.

[79:02] God still wants to be the one who is leading us in the paths of righteousness. So as you go in his peace, go seeking him so that you will know what God would have you do in all circumstances.

[79:17]  God bless you as you go. Amen. God blessed you. Amen. Amen. It comes together. Amen. Amen. Okay. Amen. Amen. you