Church Nerds United

🌟 Welcome, Geeks & Believers! 🌟
Feeling overwhelmed? Anxious? Busy beyond belief? You're not alone! Dive into this inspiring sermon, "You’re Not Alone In The Struggle," presented by Sam Roberts, part of our "He Promises" series.
🔍 In This Episode:
  • Confronting the endless cycle of busyness and stress
  • The humorous tale of Sam’s treadmill mishap
  • Finding true rest in Jesus, beyond just physical tiredness
  • The transformative power of Matthew 11:28
  • Embracing Jesus’ invitation to rest our souls and join His rhythms
✨ Why Listen? This sermon isn't just a message; it's a lifeline for those drowning in the pressures of modern life. Discover how Jesus offers more than just a break—He offers a complete renewal of your soul. Learn practical steps to align with His divine pace and find peace amidst productivity.

Creators & Guests

Guest
Craig Groeschel
I am no longer active on Twitter. To stay connected, follow @craiggroeschel on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

What is Church Nerds United?

Welcome to Church Nerds United, the ultimate podcast where the sacred and the geeky collide! Dive deep into the Holy Scriptures with us as we explore sermons sprinkled with your favorite gaming quests, cosplay characters, and anime adventures. Whether you're a Paladin of Prayer, a Cosplay Crusader, or an Otaku of the Old Testament, this is your sanctuary.

Join our fellowship as we level up our faith through the lens of epic battles, legendary heroes, and fantastical worlds. From the wisdom of the Proverbs to the valor of the Apostles, we'll draw parallels between biblical narratives and the beloved realms of gaming, cosplay, and anime.

Tune in for:

Sermon Side Quests: Discover the deeper meaning behind Scripture with analogies from your favorite games and anime.
Cosplay Character Spotlight: Unveil the biblical virtues embodied by iconic characters and how they inspire our spiritual journey.
Anime Apologetics: Engage in lively discussions that bridge the gap between faith and fandom, unraveling the spiritual themes in popular series.

So, grab your controller, don your cosplay armor, and get ready to embark on an epic quest of faith and fandom. Church Nerds United is here to guide you on a heroic journey, one episode at a time. May the faith be with you!

Greater Guild Announcer:

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to Church Nerds United, where faith meets fandom in a legendary alliance. We are now in our summer series. This series presents guest speakers giving a deeper insight into God's word. Whether you're tuning in from a distant galaxy, a magical realm, or just your cozy living room, you're in the right place to geek out over the gospel. Before we embark on today's epic quest, I have a special request.

Greater Guild Announcer:

If you love what we're doing here at Church Nerds United, please consider supporting the Greater Guild. By donating at greaterguild.org, you'll ensure the continuation of this podcast and help us fund incredible projects like church gaming events, teen centers, and nerd centric missions, both in the US and around the world. So grab your controller, don your cosplay armor, and prepare for an adventure of faith and fandom. Together, we can make our community stronger, one epic quest at a time. Let's dive into today's episode and level up our spiritual journey.

Craig Groeschel:

I wonder how many of you often feel anxious or overwhelmed with all that you have to do? Would you raise your hands up right now? Anybody else like there? God bless you. You can all be saved.

Craig Groeschel:

I see your hands everywhere. We see it all the time, especially when we ask somebody, how are you doing? It used to be people would say, I'm doing good. But now, anytime you ask someone how they're doing, almost always, what will they say? They'll say, I'm busy.

Craig Groeschel:

I'm busy. I'm busy. How many of you are busy? Raise your hand. You can type

Congregation:

in the comment section, I'm busy.

Craig Groeschel:

You can section, I'm busy. You can even put 3 z's if you're really busy. I'm b u z z z y. I'm busy. Everybody's busy.

Craig Groeschel:

And it's confusing sometimes because often, the harder we work and the more we get done, it seems like the more that we have to do on the other side of our hard work. No matter how much we do, it seems like there's more to do. We run faster, accidentally killed Amy. True story. We were at a hotel, we were working out, and I was throwing down some heavy weights, just in case she liked that.

Craig Groeschel:

And she was on the treadmill, And there were actually a couple other guys in there. And so I just kind of thought, I'll make sure they know that that one's with me. So I walked up, she's on the treadmill. I kind of walked on up there and leaned up against the treadmill. It had the little bar.

Craig Groeschel:

She's walking. I leaned up against her and she's kinda walking. And when I leaned up, I didn't realize that I leaned up against the little speed adjuster. And so I'm just leaning on it, making sure everybody knows I'm kinda talking to her. And she's kinda just walking.

Craig Groeschel:

She starts walking faster and I'm leaning up in there just proud. She's my wife. And the next thing you know, her eyes get really, really big and she's running and she's looking at me like, you're gonna kill me. Thankfully, she grabbed the sides and I realized I did that. I jumped jumped back and I apologize.

Craig Groeschel:

But life feels like that sometimes. You're running and you're running and you're running and you're running and you're running and you're running faster and faster. And one day you feel like, I can't go any faster. I'm exhausted. I feel like I'm on the edge.

Craig Groeschel:

I'm anxious about all that I have to do and I'm really discouraged. And so what you think is you think, well, I'm tired. I'm just tired. And you may be, but many of you, I would suggest, are not just physically tired. Because if you're tired, you can take a break.

Craig Groeschel:

You can take a nap. You can take a vacation. But you tried that and you're still struggling. I would suggest that many of you, you're not just tired, but you're depleted. And there's a big difference.

Craig Groeschel:

Because if you're tired, you can take a nap. But if you're depleted, you actually need to be refilled. Why? Because your body isn't the only thing that needs rest. Your soul actually needs rest as well.

Craig Groeschel:

And I came to preach some good news today. If you're overwhelmed, Jesus made a promise to anyone who's exhausted or on the edge of burnout. Jesus promises to give you rest. And not just rest for your body, but he promises to give you rest for your soul. We're gonna look today at God's word in Matthew chapter 11 starting in verse 28.

Craig Groeschel:

When Jesus said this, he said, come to me, what's the very next word? He said, come to me all you who are weary and burdened. And Jesus says, if you're worn out, if you're exhausted, I'll give you rest. He said, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm gentle and humble in hearts. And when you come to Jesus, what will you find?

Craig Groeschel:

He says, you will find rest, not just for your bodies, but you'll find rest for your souls. Who does Jesus invite to come? Jesus said, come. What's the next word? He said, all.

Craig Groeschel:

I like this. All. It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter how far you may feel from him right now.

Craig Groeschel:

He's not mad at you. He's not disappointed by you. He loves you as you are and tells you to come to him. Jesus says, Come all who are weary and burdened and broken down and discouraged, come to him. He says, if you're weary, I'll give you rest.

Craig Groeschel:

The word weary in the Greek is a very interesting word. It's the word kopos, k o p o s. And this word very literally means exhaustion from intense labor or trouble. It means weary from a physical or emotional beating. Sometimes life can be like that, right?

Craig Groeschel:

I just feel I don't just feel tired. I feel beat down. I feel like after what I've gone through, I barely even have the hope to go on. Kopos, it's emotionally or physically beaten down. I remember, maybe a year and a half ago, Pastor pharaoh and in bondage.

Craig Groeschel:

And he talked about their own pharaoh and in bondage, and he talked about their only value, you may remember, was making bricks. The slaves, their value was in how many bricks they could make. From sunup to sundown, they made bricks. This was not just physically exhausting. It was so much more than this.

Craig Groeschel:

It was kopos. This was soul crushing, mind numbing, spirit draining work. And some of you know that well. Parenting can be copas. Being married to someone without Jesus can be copas.

Craig Groeschel:

Being married to someone with Jesus can at times be copas. The price of a gallon of milk can be kopos. Trying to make ends meet in this world can be kopos. Trying to deal with crazy people. They're everywhere.

Craig Groeschel:

They're in front of you. They're behind you. They are you. And we're just down there making bricks. Just working, working, working, working, working, working, no end, no progress.

Craig Groeschel:

Physically drained, emotionally exhausted. Thank God it's a different day. Not like back then with, I'm so thankful with all of our technological advances and with all of our social progress and with all the wisdom that we've learned from TikTokers. We no longer have to find our self worth by the number of bricks that we make. Right?

Craig Groeschel:

We never try to impress someone with our stack of bricks or the likes we get or the brand of shoes that we wear, or the kind of car that we drive. When we meet someone, we never say, What do you do? Where do you work? How many bricks do you make? Right?

Craig Groeschel:

How many followers do you have? What kind of grades you make? Where do you go to college? It would measure you up. What neighborhood do you live in?

Craig Groeschel:

What kind of job do you have? You got a side hustle? You got a YouTube channel? You even have a podcast bro? And Jesus says, Come to me when you're kopos, when you're tired of the grind, when you're tired of the stress, when you're tired of feeling overwhelmed, when you're tired of battling with anxiety, when you're tired of making bricks, Come to me when you think you should be able to handle it all, but you know that you can't.

Craig Groeschel:

And it's not that you're just physically sinking, but your soul is shrinking. And Jesus says, Come. Come. Come when you can't do any more than you're already doing. Come when you've prayed and prayed and believed for a miracle and don't know if you can pray another prayer of faith.

Congregation:

Come on.

Craig Groeschel:

Come on. You've done everything you know possible to get your child back on the right track. Come when you've worked and worked and worked 2 jobs and still can't make ends meet. Come to me when you're broken, you're hurting, you're discouraged, and you need rest. That's powerful.

Craig Groeschel:

A savior, the son of God, the sinless son of God, he says, Come to me all who are worn out. And he says, I will give you rest. This is beautiful. And then it gets weird. It does.

Craig Groeschel:

Because right after Jesus says, Come to me, I'll give you rest, then he says, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. How many of you know what a yoke is? If you don't, I'll show you pictures. A yoke is a wooden cross piece that's fastened over the neck of 2 different animals, so they can work together, so they can work at the same pace, and then it's attached to a plow or a cart. In other words, a yoke is a work tool.

Craig Groeschel:

So here's how it goes. If you're miserable, if you're tired, if you can't do anymore, and you want a nap, you wanna take a bubble bath, come to me and I'm gonna put a weight around your neck. That's what Jesus is saying. That's like, that's in the Bible. It's right there.

Congregation:

It's in red.

Craig Groeschel:

And when when you talk about a yoke, there's no such thing as a single yoke. There's always the 2 that join 2 animals together so that they can do more together and so that they have to work at the same pace. They can get more done and they work at the same pace. Jesus is inviting us to join Him so that we work with Him, tapping into His power, and we're actually working at a different pace. In other words, he's not just inviting you to believe his truth, which He is, but He's inviting you to live His way, to live like Jesus lived.

Craig Groeschel:

If you're tired, be joined to Him. Do life with His power. Do life with His strength. Do life with his risen. Do life according to his pace.

Craig Groeschel:

And I know what some of you are thinking right now. You're thinking, but Jesus wasn't a single mom with 2 jobs. Fair enough. But Jesus didn't have student loan debt. But Jesus didn't work for my boss.

Craig Groeschel:

True, like, all fair. But there's still a lot we can learn from him, because you have to admit, he had a pretty big assignment. Be perfect, like never sin, and give your life as the perfect sacrifice, the lamb of God. And what did Jesus do the whole time? He was available to his father, and everywhere he went, he always would meet the agenda that his father set for Him.

Craig Groeschel:

If there was someone that was sick, He'd often stop and heal them. If there was someone that was broken, He would stop and listen to them. And when you look at Jesus, you'll notice that He was always busy, but He was never rushed. He always had something else to do, but he would also disconnect from the crowd and spend extended time with his father. Like literally, he's called into ministry, and what does he do?

Craig Groeschel:

He takes a 40 day sabbatical. Like, that's the first thing. Like, I'm gonna go spend some time with dad, because I need his wisdom. I need his strength. So I'm gonna go fast and the devil mess with Moses.

Craig Groeschel:

You can tell him, get behind me and, you know, here's the word of God just to shoot you down. Pop, pop, pop, shoot the word. Oh, no, I'm sorry. I'll use my sword. Quack, quack, quack.

Craig Groeschel:

And sword of spirit, you know. And so I'm gonna beat off the enemy with the word, and I'm just gonna be with my father for a while. And everybody wanted him everywhere he went. All the crowds were fighting to get to see him. They either hated him or wanted him to heal him or sometimes both at the same place.

Craig Groeschel:

And yet He seemed to have like long meals with His disciples. And He'd have deep conversations with a stranger, some woman out getting water, and He just stopped and talked to her about her whole life. He would listen, and he would see people, and he would love the hurting, and the kids would come up to him, and he'd like, you know, talk to him, and they'd clap. The kids loved him. He was always busy, but he was never rushed.

Craig Groeschel:

And Jesus says to you that are overwhelmed, come to me and join my rhythms. Let me be your strength. Let's do life according to my pace. And this is what He said. Let's look at it again.

Craig Groeschel:

Jesus said this. He said, Take my yoke, this work tool, upon you so you can be joined with me. And he says, learn from me. Not just the truth that I say, but the way that I live. Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.

Craig Groeschel:

And then he says something that is more profound than you probably realize if you've read this very meaningful verse before. He says, if you join me and if you learn from me, you will find what? Let's all say it aloud. You will find what? You'll find rest for your souls.

Craig Groeschel:

If you join with me, if you work with me, you will find rest for your souls. This word that's translated as rest is the word anapausein in Greek, a n a p a u s I n. This word only appears 5 times, in scripture. And this word means more than just rest. The translators say rest for your souls, but let me give you a very literal meaning.

Craig Groeschel:

It means inner rest or peace while doing what needs to be done. This word, it means peaceful productivity. It's not rest from work, but it is rest in work. Hey, come to me and be joined together by a work tool, so that you can work at my pace. And when you work at my pace, you're not gonna be weary, but I'm gonna give you rest.

Craig Groeschel:

Not rest from work. Serving God keeps you busy. That's right. Come on.

Congregation:

It's not

Craig Groeschel:

about me time. It's all about he time. And I'm not just gonna give you rest from doing things, but I'm gonna give you rest while you're doing things. And I'm gonna try to explain this to you, and I'll be a little bit transparent. I've talked openly about it.

Craig Groeschel:

About 2019, I hit a wall. And I've been going hard and a little hard and a little hard and a little harder. It was always durable. Never one time ever missed preaching for anything in 33 years, never for a birth, never for sickness, never for loss, never missed a preaching thing ever. And I guess the toll started to wear on me.

Craig Groeschel:

And so I decided to get help, and I went and found counselors that were good for my situation. And I found 2 of the best. And I interviewed both of them. The first one, I said, hey, thing I'm burning out, kinda hitting a wall. And he almost laughed and said, you think I've never seen this before?

Craig Groeschel:

You're like all the rest of them. All the hard pushing ones end up there, and you're no different from the rest. Hurt my feelings. Probably true, but hurt my feelings. Next guy, he stepped back and he goes, wow.

Craig Groeschel:

He said, When I hear about all you're doing, he said, I realize God made you different from the rest. And he said, You know what? We're not gonna try to change you because God made you this way. We're not gonna try to slow you down. He said, We're gonna actually let you run harder, but we're gonna do it in a way that's pleasing to God and helpful to you.

Craig Groeschel:

I said, You're hired. I like that. And he taught me, we're gonna have some different rhythms, different rhythms. And it was all new to me. He said, what you've been taught your whole life is we're gonna work, work, work, work, and then rest.

Craig Groeschel:

And then you're gonna work, work, work, work, and then rest. And I would work, work, work, work, work, and then rest, and the rest was never enough. Because they come back to the same dysfunctional rhythms. And he said, What we wanna do is we wanna get you to where you're working in a way that you're resting consistently and not waiting for some vacation in the future to save you, but you're living according to the power of Jesus, so you're experiencing Him, consistently. And this is a different kind of rest.

Craig Groeschel:

This was a rest I knew nothing of. In many ways, it was a rest from striving. It was a rest from trying to prove myself. It was a rest from me trying to have the strength to get it all done. Some of you are like this.

Craig Groeschel:

How many of you have a checklist? Buddy have a checklist. Okay. I have a checklist. My value comes from my checking things off my checklist.

Craig Groeschel:

When I get to heaven, Jesus will say, well done, my good and checkable servant. Some of you know what I'm talking about. Anybody wanna see my checklist? I'm gonna show you my 2 months worth of content. This is my checklist.

Craig Groeschel:

So these are sermons that I will do in a 2 month period. Those are all different sermons. Those are real ones. You see right there in the middle, that's coming up. Masterpiece, Overcomer, Salt Life, and then at the Those are too much for take those away.

Craig Groeschel:

It's giving me stress. Okay. That's my checklist. Those are different sermons that I'll do over a 2 month period. There were 2 sermons that I already did

Congregation:

that I forgot to put

Craig Groeschel:

on that list, so I wrote them in. You know why? So I could check them off. Some of you had that same sickness in your life, but my value does not come from that list. I believe God sent me to tell someone here that your value does not come from what you produce.

Craig Groeschel:

Your value does not come from what you do. Your value does not come from being the perfect mom. Your value doesn't come from providing for your family. Your value is solely based on who you are in Christ. Come to me, Jesus says.

Craig Groeschel:

Be yoked to me. Join with me. And so, Amy will tell you, it's taken a lot of work for me to get here, but I am resting in work. Meaning I am resting in work. I am not waiting for the vacation to recover.

Craig Groeschel:

I'm working with the rhythms that God created, honoring the Sabbath most weeks, not all of them, I'm not gonna lie to y'all. Strike me down, but most weeks, and letting His power be more of what I need. So what is rest? What is the Jesus kind of rest? I'll define it this way.

Craig Groeschel:

Rest is whatever refocuses you on the grace, the goodness, and the glory of God. That's real rest. That's a different kind of rest. That's a soul rest. It's not just taking a nap.

Craig Groeschel:

It's not just, you know, putting a little umbrella in your drink and holding thing by the beach, you know, taking a picture of your toes in your book and going hashtag blessed. Hope you all hate me because I hated you. Here's my picture. No, Spiritual rest for your souls, it can come while you are reading God's word daily, where it's renewing your mind. It's conforming you to the image of Christ.

Craig Groeschel:

It can be when you're praying, when you're dialoguing with God, or when you're listening to God. It can be when you're worshiping. For me, it's taking walks with my best friend, my bride. It's just holding hands, walking, talking, dreaming, reflecting, just just being with someone that I love. I took up flying 3 years ago, and flying, it takes my mind off of work.

Craig Groeschel:

I get up above things, and guess what? When I'm above you, I'm not worried about you. You can do all that stuff you want, but I'm like above you. And I see the beauty of God's creation from 6000, 8000 feet up. You might focus on the goodness of God when you're with people that you enjoy.

Craig Groeschel:

You might focus on the goodness of God when you're at a prayer walk, just taking 30 minutes during your day, just sneaking out of the office and just walking and talking to God. Maybe it's when you're worshiping in your car, you're at a stoplight and they're laughing and you're worshiping. I got a guy over there. You're just, you don't care, you're just praising God like crazy. And maybe just over a cup of coffee where you're just with someone that you love, maybe God's word is open.

Craig Groeschel:

You might be when you're gardening. This is God's creation and I'm planting and watering and he's That can grow. It could be when you're using your gifts to to paint or you're meeting with your Wednesday prayer group. You're resting in his love. You're resting in his forgiveness, the perfect work of Jesus.

Craig Groeschel:

You're resting in his promises. You're resting in his faithfulness. Whenever you're weak, you're resting in the truth of his word that his power is made perfect in your weakness. So if you're tired of the grind, if you're tired of the stress, if you're tired of being defined by what you do and what you produce, Jesus says, come to me. Come to me and I'll give you rest.

Craig Groeschel:

I'll give you rest for your souls. In fact, I'm gonna invite Pastor Rob just to help me, and I'm gonna give you a moment just to rest in his presence. You may close your eyes if you want. You may pray quietly where you are. If you know the words, you might sing along.

Craig Groeschel:

But I'm gonna tell you right now that the Son of the living God, Jesus, the perfect sinless one who came not for those who were healthy, but he came for those who were sick. He didn't come for the righteous, but he came for the broken sinners like you and like me. He didn't come for those who had it all together, but he came for those who knew that they couldn't do it on their own. And he said, come to me. Come to me, and I will give you rest for your souls.

Craig Groeschel:

It's not just rest from work, but it's spiritual rest in work. And he'll tell you, if you listen, that he'll give it to you. It's a gift, just like salvation. You don't earn it, you don't deserve it, you just have to receive it. So what else do you do?

Craig Groeschel:

What box do you check? Today, nothing. Like nothing. Just come to him. Just come to him.

Craig Groeschel:

Just tell him you need him. Just cry out to him. Jesus says, come to me. All who are weary and heavy laden, come to him today. Come to him by faith.

Craig Groeschel:

Cry out to him, Jesus, I need you. I worship you. Would you be enough? Come to him. Come to him.

Craig Groeschel:

Come to him. Come to him. Rob, help me. Come to him. Come to Jesus.

Congregation:

A place. If you're searching for a place. If you're searching for a place. If you're searching

Craig Groeschel:

for a place. If you're

Congregation:

searching for a place.

Craig Groeschel:

If you're searching for

Congregation:

a place.

Craig Groeschel:

If you're searching

Congregation:

for a place. If you're searching for a place. If you're all.

Craig Groeschel:

Come to Jesus. He loves you as you are. Are. He's waiting.

Congregation:

He's tired and just all the time.

Craig Groeschel:

His arms are open wide.

Congregation:

If you're wishing you could let your guard come down If you feel like you can hold it all together Come just as you are.

Craig Groeschel:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for

Congregation:

you. For any hiding. In the father's house, you're met with open arms.

Craig Groeschel:

We worship you, father. He gives grace.

Congregation:

He gives grace.

Craig Groeschel:

Your grace, your goodness.

Congregation:

As you are, but nothing else just come.

Craig Groeschel:

We need you. We need your grace. We need your power. There's no need

Congregation:

for any harm. Thank you, Jesus. In the father's house, you're met So as you are with nothing else, just come.

Craig Groeschel:

Come to Jesus. Come to him now. He who loves you. He's waiting for you. His arms are open wide.

Craig Groeschel:

Jesus says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, Jesus says, I will come in. Turn from your sin. Turn from your brokenness.

Congregation:

Come to Jesus.

Craig Groeschel:

Just say his name. His name is Jesus. Who is he? He is your redeemer. He is your king.

Craig Groeschel:

He is the sinless son of God, the lamb who was slain. His name is Jesus.

Congregation:

There's no need for any hiding. The father's house you're made with open arms.

Craig Groeschel:

He's inviting you to come.

Congregation:

He gives grace without conditions. So as you are with nothing else, just come And

Craig Groeschel:

so Father, we come to you now. We come to you now humbly. We need you, we need more of you, we need more of you. Today at all of our churches, those of you online, that you are worn out. And it's not just that you're physically tired, but maybe you're spiritually discouraged.

Craig Groeschel:

Maybe you're emotionally depleted. Maybe you've done all that you can do and you can't do anymore. If you need the presence and the grace and the power of Jesus, would you just lift up your hands right now? All around our room today, online, just type in the comment section, I need more of Jesus. Just Just type in, I need more of Jesus.

Craig Groeschel:

Go and leave your hands up if you want to, maybe even an act of worship, and we just say, Jesus, we're coming to you right now. We thank you that you invite us to come, even when we're unworthy, even when we're unclean, and when we've done it all ourselves and we can't do anymore, we're weary, we're burdened, we're heavy laden, we just come to you and we thank you that you are gentle, that you are humble in hearts. We thank you that you invite us to join you, to take your yoke and to be yoked to you, not just to know your truth, but to live your truth. Jesus, I pray today for those who can't do anymore. God, in our weakness, would you be our strength?

Craig Groeschel:

God, I pray for hurting marriages, I pray for hurting parents, that I pray for those who need miraculous provision, I pray for those that need a miracle from heaven, God, that we would come, come, come in the name of Jesus. We come to the name that is above every name, the name of Jesus, and we just come to you. Nothing else, we just come. Would you be enough? We pray this in the name of who?

Craig Groeschel:

Say it with me. We pray in the name of Jesus, Jesus. As you keep praying today, there are, some of you here that you don't know where you stand with God. And I would just invite you at all of our churches, if you could just kinda keep your, you know, posture of prayer, maybe keep your eyes closed. I wanna I wanna talk to any of you today that that don't know where you stand with God.

Craig Groeschel:

If I ask you, hey, are you okay with God? Are you close to God? Are you right with God? If you hesitate for a moment, if there's any hesitation, any explanation, I'm talking to you. If you don't know where you stand, I'm talking to you today.

Craig Groeschel:

And I wanna tell you how good God is. Jesus is the son of God. God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son Jesus, Jesus, the lamb of God, Jesus perfect in every way. And he didn't come for the church people who looked perfect. He came for the sinners who needed a savior.

Craig Groeschel:

He came for the broken, he for the hurting. He came for people like me, he came for people like you. And Jesus gave his life on a cross. He shed innocent blood in our place so we could be forgiven. And God defeated death, hell, and the grave by raising Jesus from the dead so that anyone, and this includes you, anyone, he says come all, anyone who calls on the name that is above every name, anyone who calls on the name of Jesus, that you would be forgiven, all of your sins washed away.

Craig Groeschel:

You wouldn't just be like a better verbatim. You'd be new, you'd be different. The old is gone, the new is here today. At all of our churches, there are those of you, you are here for this moment. You're watching online.

Craig Groeschel:

You know this is you. Jesus loves you as you are. He's telling you to come. You're gonna like, well, I gotta clean this thing up. I gotta stop cussing.

Craig Groeschel:

I gotta stop looking at that stuff. No, you come. You come right now. You come to Jesus as you are. When you do, when you cry out to him, he forgives all of your sins and he makes you brand new today.

Craig Groeschel:

Wherever you're watching from those who say, yes, I need that. Jesus, I need you. I'm coming to you. Jesus, I step away from my sin. I give you my life.

Craig Groeschel:

That's your prayer. Lift your hands high right now all over the place and say yes. Praise God for you right here. Others today say, oh yes, others of you today, all of

Congregation:

our churches, we celebrate today. Lift up your hands and say yes, Jesus I surrender my life completely to you. Those of you online, just type in

Craig Groeschel:

the comments section, I am giving my life to Jesus. I'm giving my life to Jesus. And today, as we have people all over the world surrendering to the goodness and the grace of Jesus, this invitation, Would you all pray aloud? There's nobody that prays alone. As the family of God, we pray together.

Craig Groeschel:

Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father. Forgive my sins. Forgive my sins. Jesus, save me.

Congregation:

Jesus, save me.

Craig Groeschel:

Make me new. Make me new. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. So I could walk in your power.

Craig Groeschel:

So I could walk in your power. And so I could know you. And so I could know you. And I could show your love in all that I do. I'm coming to you as I am, trusting you to save me, to make me new.

Craig Groeschel:

My life is not my own. My life is not my own.

Congregation:

Could somebody give God praise today? Welcome this morning to God's family.

Greater Guild Announcer:

That's it for today's quest fellow adventurers. Thank you for joining us on Church Nerds United where faith and fandom unite in an epic saga. We hope you enjoyed the journey and found inspiration in the intersections of scripture, gaming, cosplay and anime. Before we log off, remember that your support is crucial to keeping our adventures going. Please consider donating to the greater guild@greaterguild.org.

Greater Guild Announcer:

Your contributions help us continue this podcast and fund amazing initiatives like church gaming events, creating teen centers, and launching nerd centric missions both in the US and around the world. Together, we can build a community where faith and fandom flourish. Until next time, keep the faith, stay geeky and may the spirit of adventure guide you always.