Self-Control: The Wall Against the Enemy

Hardships, he still wants to be praised. Through the good times, he wants to be praised. He wants to be praised all the time, because there's something good that we can praise him for. And it's especially hard to praise God when it's. A battle that we are fighting, and over here the psalmist David—he was fighting battles left and right. He was running away from his enemies, but he said, "I will shout with joy," because David found something good that he could praise God about. Friends, our battle is not against flesh and blood; it's against. Our enemy, and when the enemy attacks us, he wants us to be down. He wants us to be sad. He wants to to take us into a corner and be afraid. Oh, but he hates when we give praise to God. He hates it. And this morning, like I said, I don't know what you're going through in the battles you are facing, but praise God because He is worthy. Find something that you can praise Him for. Let's pray, Lord God. We thank you for this morning that you have brought us here together, Lord God. Lord, we give all praise and honor to you, Lord Jesus, because you saved us from our sins, Lord. You saved us from our sinful nature, Lord God, and you gave us new life and got eternal life, an abundant life in you, Christ Jesus. Oh Lord God, I pray for each person here. Lord God, may you comfort them with the power of your Holy Spirit. Lord God, may you bless them. Lord God, that they could turn to you, Lord God, and look to you, Lord, and say, Lord, I love you. Thank you for saving me, Lord God. This world is passing away, and our pains are going to be passing away, Lord God. But with you, we we are for eternity saved and will dwell with you, Lord God. No more pain, no more suffering. In Jesus' name. We pray, Amen. And for our first song, we'll be singing, "Great is Thy faithfulness." Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not; Thy compassions they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness. Greatest thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above, joined with all nature in manifold witness. To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love, great is Thy faithfulness. Great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Pardoned for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide. Straight for today and bright o'er for tomorrow, blessings all mine and ten thousands beside. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided. Greatest Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Praise God! And for our second song, we'll be singing, "There is power, power in the blood." Would you be free from the burdens of sin? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you overcome evil? A victory to win. There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. And would you be free from your passion and pride? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide. There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood. Of the Lamb, there is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. And would you do service for Jesus, your King? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you live daily as praises to sing? There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood. In the blood of the Lamb, of the Lamb, there is power, power, wonder-working power. In the precious blood of the Lamb, there is power, power, wonder-working power. In the blood of the Lamb, of the Lamb, there is power, power, wonder-working power. In the precious blood of the Lamb, praise God. Praise the Lord, my dear friends, for this morning that we can all come here together today to worship God's name, to praise His name. And to hear his word for today, and I want to be doing our Bible reading for this morning, which is going to be in Psalms 56. And for the Bibles in the pews, it's going to be page 820, Psalms 56, page 820. And I want to kind of talk about the psalm and pretty much David. He was surrounded by his enemies. He had a lot of enemies all around him. There was a lot of danger all around him, and he was genuinely afraid. He had a lot of fear in him. And in these moments, even though his enemies were all around him and there was a lot of danger, he still chose to trust in God. He still chose to trust in Him, and we can begin reading the Psalm. And it says here, "Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up. Fighting all day, he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I will praise His Word. In God I have put my trust. I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" All day they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather together. They hide. They mark my steps when they lie in wait for my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples. O God, you number my wanderings. Put my tears into your bottle. Are they not in your book? When I cry out to you, then my enemies will turn back. This I know because God is for me. In God I will praise his word. In the Lord I will praise his word. In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Vows made to you are binding upon me, O God. I will render praises to you, for you have delivered my soul from death. Have you not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Praise God! And now we'll have a couple announcements from Tim this morning, and then right after that we'll have a topic. God bless. So praise God, Church. Hey Ben, for some reason it's not showing up here. Do you know why? Okay. So I wanted to go over next week. It's going to be a little bit different. We're actually going to have service now in the gym. So for those who are watching us online, those who are here this morning, I wanted to go over the church schedule so we have an idea of some changes and how it's going to. Run, but so the church schedule is like this. It's kind of small, but right now we're having service from nine to ten, and then from ten to ten thirty we have breakfast and coffee. We're gonna switch that up. We're gonna have breakfast and coffee from nine to nine thirty, and then service from nine thirty to ten thirty, and then after service, there's. No breakfast, no coffee. So from nine to nine thirty, it's going to be fellowship, breakfast, and coffee, and then services from nine to nine, from nine thirty to ten thirty. So just a couple things with that. Like we have a lot of people who serve in the eleven a.m. service. So we're going to. Try to finish around 10:25 ish, and but if we do go all the way to 10:30 or maybe even a little bit longer, then those who do serve at the 11:00 a.m. service, you guys will just be able to to walk out of the back doors quietly to to prepare. For worship or choir and stuff like that. So from nine to nine twenty-five, that's going to be the time where we actually have the fellowship. The five minutes, like at nine twenty-five, we're going to have the worship team come out and start singing a song. Yes. Okay. Okay. We'll pray for you. Remind me your name again. Rebecca. Rebecca. Okay. Thank you, Rebecca. And so from nine to nine twenty-five, we're gonna have our fellowship. Five minutes. We're going to do like a buffer time to where everybody can take their seats. The worship team is gonna start a song. That's a cue for us to take our seats. Seats and the greeters and the ushers. They'll start cleaning the the food up at 9:25. But it's a cue for us to start taking our seats. Then from 9:30, like I said already, to 10:30, it's going to be our service. So we are starting back our Sunday school. Our Sunday school is going to be ages from 4 to 10. So, if you do have families with kids, we do offer Sunday school, and we also do offer childcare. So that will be from ages, just like infant to three, to three years old. There's going to be childcare also available. Then Tuesdays, Tuesdays where we have our Bible reading and discussion. It's at the Disciples Coffee. I mean, we've already been having that. For some time already, so that stays the same. What the changes are going to be is we used to have Bible study on Thursdays from six to seven, but we are actually switching our Bible studies to Tuesdays from seven to eight thirty. And over here is going to be more of a home group style. It's going to be a home group style, forty-five minutes of Bible study and forty-five minutes of fellowship. So it's going to be in different. Places, and we are automatically going to enroll everyone. But if you can't make it, you just you just say I can't make it this Tuesday, and this will give us an idea of how many people are going to come, so the host of the house can prepare for that. Also, for for home groups, we're going to ask for people to also bring something, so it's not a big burden on the host. And if you guys can bring something, you guys will be able to. There will be a message, a text message, a reminder sent out. A Bible study, and then you can click on the link and and write. Well, I'm gonna bring this. So then the host knows I'm not gonna make this. I'm gonna do something else or stuff like that. Also, I forgot to mention at the 9 a.m. Sunday fellowship. If anybody wants to bring food, dessert, you guys are more than welcome. I say that because some people want to bring dessert, but they don't know if they can. If they can bring homemade dessert, but this, I'm saying that on Sundays at 9 a.m. if you guys want to bring something, it's not mandatory. Our church does buy the food. That you guys are more than welcome to bring stuff. So Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30. Not this week. It's gonna all start after we we entered. The gym, which is going to be October fourth, and and on. Okay, Wednesdays, another service. We are opening up. This is a new thing. We do have a beautiful gym that we are not fully utilizing. And I myself love sports, and I've organized before sports, and people loved it. And right now, a lot of these people already much older. And they still remember how we played basketball or soccer and stuff like that. So this is on Wednesdays. We're going to have open gym, and this is open for everyone, the community. We're going on. We're going to advertise to our church community, to our members as well that there is open gym. And the first from 6:30 to 7:30, that's going to be open gym. For the kids, so parents can bring their kids, and sports will be organized. And then from seven thirty to nine, it's where adults play. It's kind of funny, like adults play. Kind of sounds a little childish, but I love sports, so I guess it brings out the child in me. But from seven thirty to nine, we're going to have that, and it's also going to be organized. Sports. So, if you guys know anybody that is seeking to get involved to build relationships with the church, with the people of the church, you guys are well more than welcome to invite these people, and we can have fellowship through sports as well. And just the usual schedule: Thursdays from seven to eight. There's teen service. So, if you have sons or Daughters who are ages eleven to fourteen, they can come to the teen service, as well as our Friday service, which is our youth service. That's from seven to eight PM. That's youth fifteen and up. Okay, just a quick. Okay, already said that. Okay, so we're going to do a spiritual preparation for the new opening of our service. Next week we will be doing a three-day fast. So whoever wants to join us, you guys are. More than welcome to, but it's going to be from Wednesday to Friday, from sun up to sun down, and that's of course the need is for God's blessing, God's blessing on our church, God's blessing on our outreach programs, God's blessing on all who serve and help in the church, expanding God's kingdom, God's blessing in all our ministries that we do, from widows to orphans to. Those in need, God's blessing on our local evangelism. We have kind of started that, but it requires a lot of boldness, which we all need, especially me. I need that. I like to talk a lot, but for some reason, when it comes to evangelizing, it's like that word scares me. And yes, and so God's blessing for future programs that we do. For widows, orphans, and those in need. Do you guys have any questions for me? So next week is the new service schedule. We're going to be picking up at the Phoenix Shelter as usual at eight twenty, but then we're going to take that same bus to Inner Faith, and we're gonna be at the Inner Faith at eight forty. So then at eight forty-five we're gonna leave Inner Faith, and we're gonna come here by nine. And from nine to nine twenty. Five is our fellowship time. Okay, well, let's meet and greet, and then we'll get into our topic. Reuben. Okay, everyone. We are on our ninth and last fruit of the Spirit, and let's open up to Galatians chapter five, just so we can recap what we. We've already talked about, and in Galatians chapter five, verse twenty-two, it says this: "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness." And self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, and being one another. And over here, Paul, he's mentioning these fruits that we've already gone through. And these fruits show a life of a true Christian. So, if a person calls himself a believer in Jesus Christ, he ought to grow in these qualities. And the first one we talked about was love. Love your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do you guys remember the other two loves, Robert? So that's the first one: love your neighbor as yourself. But there's also love your enemies, right? That's a hard one. That's not easy. Yeah. Gotta love them. Gotta pray for them. Gotta pray for them that God opens up their their eyes. And then the other one is love one another. Love one another, because sometimes in a in a fellowship in a congregation, people don't have love and there's no unity. So the vision of the body of Christ cannot move forward because people are just fighting each other. And then obviously we talked about joy, and peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness. So these are all qualities that a Christian should strive for. And the last one is self control. Self control. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Self-control, and we're going to talk about that because that is not an easy one, right? That is not an easy one. And I'm going to be reading from Second Corinthians five twenty. See, over here. Paul tells the Corinthian church this. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. So over here, Paul is telling the Corinthian church, "Listen, guys, you guys are representing God's kingdom on earth." So, how are you representing his kingdom? Are you being that ambassador, that messenger, that like ambassador? I put a definition. Ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomatic official who represents their home country's government. Look at this, their home country's government while living and working in a foreign nation. And so Paul is telling his people, you guys are living on, on foreign land, because your citizenship now is in heaven. How are you representing heaven on earth? And that's the quality of the spirit that a Christian should carry, should grow in, because this is how we represent the. Kingdom of Heaven to those around us that don't know Christ yet. You guys can jump in. Oh yeah! By the way, for those who are new, this is a discussion. So if you guys have a question, if you guys have a comment, if you guys have an answer, you just raise your hand. You'll get the mic. And because we do have people who watch us online, and they also want to hear your questions, your comments. So, so this is a discussion for everyone. So while, pastor team actually looking into the scripture, I do want to ask a question: Why do we need self-control in our life? Especially right here, it says this is the fruit of the spirit. So, what is the reason and purpose for a self-control in our life? Okay. And Dima, it could be towards sin. When there's temptation that comes in, then a lot of times your self control comes in to play. That's really good. So do you know that Satan? He loves chaos. When people just actually have no self control, they just go the way it comes. That's the environment of a Satan. That's when he start taking over things that God gives us. He start robbing us because that's his territory. We're talking about the spiritual life, and in spiritual life, where there is a chaos, that's where the Satan is. God loves order. So now, when we start living in self-control, we actually prohibit. Habit Satan to come in our area because he hates where there is an order. He hates where there is a self-control. So this is very important for us as Christians. And self-control can manifest itself in in many different ways. Like Brother Dimitri said, against sin, it could be just something basic. It's actually where I try to be in time, where I'm. Diligent in what I do, I put my effort. I put my effort. And so, when we start living in self-control, the Satan have no room in our territory. So now it becomes very important. If I don't want to live where Satan. Is residing, then I start having those fruits of the spirit: self-control. Satan also hates love. If I start loving my enemies, he's like, oh, I cannot be in here. So that's today we're talking about self-control and the biggest purpose. It's that Satan hates self-control in us. Actually, when it's when I'm saying hates, he cannot be there. So when we thinking, okay, somehow I need to stop Satan. Actually, to take control over me, it's when you start taking control over yourself and you let Jesus Christ to give you help to do that. Then the Satan goes, I gotta get out from here. So that there is a big importance of a self-control in our life. And we're going to read Proverbs twenty five twenty eight. A man without self control is like a city broken into and left without walls. And I put over here that self control is the wall between you and your enemy. And Pastor Henry he just explained this verse without. Without knowing, but it's the wall between you and your enemy. If the wall is broken down, then the enemy has access to all your emotions, desires, your pride, your gluttony, and your tongue. What's the opposite word of self-control? No, no control, or how they say, you're out of control. Out of control, right? This person, he's he's not tamed. He's acting foolish. He's acting ignorant. He's acting even, I would say, chaotic. Chaotic, dangerous. Right? A person that doesn't have self-control, he's a dangerous person. And over here, that when the wall is broken and the axis is given to the devil, like we just heard, then the devil reigns all of your life—from your emotional state to your desires, to to your eating habits, and to what you say. What you speak, what comes out of your mouth, and if if we can't control our emotions, what does that do? It can lead us to to what to say things, to do things that we later regret. And how many of us? I've done that a little too many. We say things and we're like, man, why did I say that? And then you have to call and apologize, and and you know, and the and the other person, he's always like, oh no no no, you didn't, like it was nothing. But you know, that person didn't sleep a few days or two or three. Oh no, it was nothing. But a at least, at least you know, it's the Holy Spirit that convicted us. Like you shouldn't have said what you said. Go and make it right. Well, let's ask someone. Are you able to share a story where maybe you did not have. Self, self-control, and it brought problems in your life. Yes, there is. Yeah. Yeah. They'll give you a microphone so people can hear online. In my life, before I found Christ, I used to be roaming in the dark, running around in the wrong places. And when God, when you're in the wrong place in the dark world, I've been around a lot of and many sins, demons. When I was around them and things, God says He talks to you. Even though you're in your sinful world, He talks to you and tell you you shouldn't do. You shouldn't be here. You should not say nothing to that. When a demon person go to talking to you, if you don't understand, like you were speaking early, if you don't understand on how Christ in you to see it, Christ speaking when He see, you know what to say and how to. Protect yourself from that, from getting killed or hurt. Because if you don't have a mentality like you say, try say love. Because the greatest gift is love, and it comes back to you and try and speak to you and say, I know that you're not with me, but I'm telling you, he tells you to leave. Hear me? Me, darkness, leave. If you don't leave, two, three things you get in. You get in jail, you get beat up. I've been through all that. A shot. You hear me? If you listen to Christ when He speaks and go to where He tell you, and He do speaks to him, we wouldn't be in that situation. See, sometimes we can be hardheaded and try to speak, and we hold ourselves into danger where the devil is, and that's when they attack you. When you don't go when Christ speaks to you to leave, that's when self control come in to understand. See, God speaks to him before things happen. You don't believe? That's why. Now the greatest gift in my heart. Now, as yells and things, I've been traveling things with God. He brought me into light. And the greatest gift is love. He taught me how to love, respect. Don't get around unnegative people. That ain't right. When you get around them, he. Show me how to see right through them. Light shine when God is with you. He helps us. I thank God for that. Y'all give me a chance. And as as brother mentioned right here, so when we know that something is wrong, how the self control works is that well, number one, God tells us this is not correct. That's true. You should be out of here. That's true. Now I do what I know it's right. I, I'm getting out from that place. That's true. Because he gives me strength to have self-control. Or, or when there is a lust, or maybe I want to take something that is not mine. That's true. You know that it's not right. That's true. So now the Bible teaches us have a self-control. When we start having self-control over our lives, the Satan goes, well, this guy is not fallen for my temptation. He leaves us. If we always fall into temptation, then he goes. Oh, that's an easy prey. He keeps on sending more and more temptation because he knows we we're weak. When we show self control, we show to the spiritual world, to that evil world, that we are strong in God, and they give up on us because it's not working. Excuse me. No temptation. Excuse me. I'm going to interrupt before God. I ask God for respect. Also, you should learn when God. No, it's in the Bible. If you're around evil. People's tour that you know that you're around and they know and they and they dead dead walking dead. Call the blood of Jesus. Yeah. Call the blood of Jesus and they'll flee. There you go. Because they can't stand the blood of Jesus. Yeah. You know, God give you power. God is power, and and weak of the devil and darkness, Prince of darkness can't stand the blood of Jesus. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Yes. Thank you. Yeah. And uh, kind of how we just mentioned, we'll. Went into the second point is the desires. If the the wall of our desires are broken, then it could lead us into lust, into sexual sins. But also, I would like to mention, which a lot of people don't see this as an issue, is uncontrollable debt. Uncontrollable debt. People get themselves into so much debt, and that's Christians that now they have to skip all, like all their prayer times or all their Bible reading times, all their church services, just to pay off that debt. So they work in overtime, and that's also the trick of Satan: is uncontrollable debt. My desire, I want, I want, I want. Well, control that. Control that. Yeah, we want. I want things, but we have to put a cap on our want. And have to see what is it? What I need right here? This is where self-control steps in. Is that what I need? And of course, we talked about sexual sin that defiles your heart and also defiles your life. And over here, you know, the Jesus says, "Friend, if you fell to an uncontrollable life." As God for help, as God for help. Like you're not doing it on your own. You're not doing it on your own. You're failing, but God will give you strength to self-control your thoughts, your desires, your emotions, your eating habits. You know, good thing there's there's nobody overweight here or obese. I would say, but like I. Kind of heard some people tell me in the past. They say that when they see somebody preaching God's word and they're like three people in one, they can't listen to them because these people can't even control their own, you know, eating habits. And I went on the scale to make sure I'm still two in one, not three. Yeah, but I'm trying to be one in one. But, but that's the thing, you know. This this self control. It's not just in our spiritual day of life, but it's also in our physical day of life. A true believer, he has control in all aspects of their life. We have just a few minutes left, but like stability and boundaries. Proverbs twenty five twenty twenty eight. A man without self control is like a city broken into and left. Without walls, and we just talked about that. When our walls are broken, when we give access to the devil, he takes over our emotions. But when we give access to the Lord, when we say, "Lord, I I cannot control myself in this. Please help me," God puts that wall in our life, and then He starts working through us. To fulfill those those shortcomings or fall by the Holy Spirit. That's why it's the fruit of the Spirit. Strong relationships. Proverbs sixteen thirty two. Whoever is slow to anger is better than the the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. So, like sometimes we cannot control our emotions. What happens? We have a lot of enemies now, right? Now all of a sudden, I said things, I done things. Now somebody hates me. Now somebody's like, and it spreads like wildfire. But when we are slow to anger, we have no enemies because we kept ourselves from creating enemies. Like you guys can jump in. Yeah. So, so what's interesting when it comes to our physical strength and abilities, we understand that we need the self-control. Yeah. And Apostle Paul, actually, in First Corinthians chapter nine, he says everyone. Who competes in the games exercises self control in all things, and we understand it's natural. But when it comes to spiritual life, all of a sudden we think it should comes natural to us. And when we actually been tempted, we're like, maybe something wrong with me. No, actually, apostle Paul explained like it's not natural if you want to be an athlete. It's not natural for you to. Want to have the self-control? It's the same thing in the spiritual life. We all want to fall for temptation. We all we see something we're thinking, oh, I want this, I want this, I want this. And Paul explains that this is natural for a carnal man. But like we, when we're trying to be strong physically, we have self-control. He say, then do the same things in your spiritual life. If you're not gonna put effort to have self-control in the spiritual life, you're not gonna be strong. You're gonna be weak. So that's why we actually have to understand that, like we are trying to have self-control in our physical life, it's exactly same thing in the spiritual life as well. And self-control also brings prosperity. I'm not a prosperity preacher, but Proverbs 21. A little bit of prosperity will not hurt. Yeah, yeah. Everybody needs a little more. the The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty. Comes only to poverty, meaning that, like when we make sudden decisions, we can make a lot of mistakes. But but we if we are diligent, watchful, maybe patient, self controlled, our emotions, our desires, we make better outcomes. Then we don't have to worry about the mountain of debt over my head that I need to pay off, because I bought. A bunch of things that I didn't need. Self-control also, how we heard from Dimitri protects us from sin. First Peter five, eight and nine. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him. Over here, it says, "Don't wrestle with him. Don't try to negotiate with him. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering. You're not the only one suffering, as like Peter is saying. You're not the only one being tempted. There's other believers around the world that are having the same battles, just like you." Resist him, and how we talked. I talked to a brother just on the way here, and I said, you know, like resisting or fleeing from temptation is when you know something is tempting you. Don't go there. Don't go there. If if alcohol is tempting you, and you're in a store, don't even go to that aisle. If if drugs are tempting you, you're trying to stay clean. Don't even delete the phone number of those people. Get a new phone number. Resist. Don't negotiate. Don't try to say, "Hey, I don't do this." No. Resist. Turn away. Delete. Run away. If if you're struggling in whatever it is, maybe like you're sinning with the opposite sex, make it right. Resist that temptation. Don't be around that person until you're ready to do things right. Get married and do things right. So, final words, Pastor Henry. Yeah. So, final, like Apostle Peter, actually in Second Peter, saying now for this every reason also apply. So, how do we have self-control? He's saying, apply all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellency, in your moral excellency knowledge, and in your knowledge self-control. In order for us to have self-control. It doesn't come easy. Apply all diligence. It is a hard work. And you know when we ask in Jesus, Jesus, give me a strength to overcome those things. You know how He, Jesus Christ, knows that you really want to defeat it. It's by you being very diligent. And Jesus Christ goes, oh, this person truly wants to be free from it. I'm gonna give him strength. But if we just say, in Jesus Christ, free me from it, but He goes in your heart, this person doesn't want to to be free. Because he doesn't care, he even doesn't put any effort. Christ actually then does not deliver you if you if you don't show your true desire, your true want to be free from those things. So that's why a diligence shows to Christ that this person really want to have self-control. I'll give him strength to overcome those temptations. In problems in his life, so friend. You know, which parts in life that that you might be struggling with. Ask God, ask the Spirit to help you and to give you self-control, that you can defeat those sins, those addictions, that debt, that like the Bible. Bible says, some have their belly as their God, the gluttony. And you know what you're struggling with, but God can help you, and He can set you free, and He can give you self-control over that issue. Let's pray. Lord God, we thank you, Lord, for this message, Lord God, and for the words that that are in your scriptures, Lord God, to to better our spiritual life, to better our physical life, Lord God, to to become more like you, Jesus. God, you were self-controlled like in everything, God. Like you were obedient, Jesus, to the Father, all the way unto death, Lord. You were able to to control your emotions, your desires, your needs, your wants, Lord God. You were able to control everything, Lord, for the glory of God. And help us, Lord, help us in our weaknesses to have self control, to to overcome, to be victorious in those things that the devil wants us to defeat. In Lord God, may we be victorious over them. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. And for our last song, we'll be singing, "You Deserve the Glory." You deserve the glory and the honor, Lord. We lift our hands in worship as we lift Your holy name. You deserve the glory and the honor, Lord. We lift our hands in worship as we lift. Lift your holy name, for You are great. You do miracles so great. There is no one else like You. There is no one else like You, for You are great. You do miracles so great. There is no one else like You. There is. Is no one else like You? You deserve the glory and the honor. Lord, we lift our hands and worship as we lift Your holy name. You deserve the glory and the honor. Lord, we lift our hands in worship as we lift Your holy name. For You are great; You do miracles so great. There is no one else like You. There is no one else like You. For You are great; You do miracles so great. There is no. No one else like you. There is no one else like you. Praise Christ, God. Well, Church, our service has come to the end. And just a few little announcements. Those who serve at the 9 a.m. service, I would ask that we meet up this Saturday at 10 a.m. So from worship to pastors to ushers to greeters to cooks, everyone to to go over everything, and also to test all the new stuff that we got. So Saturday at 10 a.m. If we Can come here. That would be great. So we're gonna pray for Rebecca. She is sick, and we're gonna ask for God to heal her. Does anybody have any other needs? We're gonna also pray for all those who are coming back from from Oregon. That God protects them on the way as well. Yes. There's not no place for him to place to stay on. But I like to try to ask God to help me control the gas to get to Las Vegas. And they give me a burial. I come. I got that. God bless my burial. So I can be able to get over there and get us a place to live. He can't be. He should be on the doctor. They called me last week from Vegas to get him back over. They know him. Come over there. And they would give him a place to live, and put him under some doctors. You know they know him. Okay. And what we have, we don't have funds to go back over. But you know, I wish I did it because he had medicine stuff for the last two weeks when I left prison. Okay. And my problem is to want to get back to prison if I can have my kids. You know, when you got a child, if you're a real father, what you do? You ask God to help you, and you don't have. But you want to make sure he's in a place, and he does have, of course, can pay for his place. And me too. I got A and B. I'm working, but I'm saying we get over there. At least we won't be sitting on the floor. Okay. Okay. And remind me your name again. Willie Jones. Willie Jones. Okay. Okay. Okay, okay. Let's pray, Lord God. We know that God, you hear us, God, you see us, Lord God, and everything, God, that we give to you, Lord. We know you answer, Lord God. Maybe sometimes the answer is not what we are looking for, but whatever it is, Lord God, we know that it is what is good for us, Lord God. God, I pray for your blessings upon our church, Lord God. May we walk out of here, God, seeking self-control in our life, Lord, to control our minds, to control our hearts, God, from being defiled, Lord God, but to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Lord God, guiding us in truth, in holiness, and in righteousness, Lord God. God, we also pray for Rebecca, Lord. We ask for. God, for healing upon her, Lord God, and may you protect all the kids at the shelter, Lord, that they don't get sick as well. We pray for full healing upon her, Lord God. We also pray for William Jones, Lord God, that you bless him, Lord God, and the the place, God. Like God, you see, they need a place. You see, Lord. They are looking for shelter, Lord God. May you provide, may you provide all the benefits, God, that this country gives to His Son, Lord God. And may you bless this family, Lord God. We also pray for all those who are coming back from the trip. May your blessings and your protection be upon them as well. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For your kingdom, your power, and glory, forever yours. Amen. Amen. So next week we're going to have our podcast series, and it's going to be on the end times, the six six six AI.