Christ Church at Grove Farm

Guest (Male): I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord. No tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee, oh, I need thee. Every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to thee.

I need thee every hour, stay thou nearby. Temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee, oh, I need thee. Every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to thee.

I need thee every hour, in joy or pain. Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. I need thee, oh, I need thee. Every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to thee.

I need thee, oh, I need thee. Every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to thee. Oh, I need thee. Yes, I need thee. Every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to thee.

Oh, how we do need the Lord. That is why we are here this morning to seek His face and to come to know Him. For He is a holy God. He is above all things, above all creation. He is deserving of our worship this morning. So let us stand and let us sing "Holy, Holy, Holy" with all the angels and the saints to our Lord God Almighty.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee. Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea. Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see. Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love, and purity.

God, you are perfect in power and purity. So we lift our voices to you, the one who deserves all glory.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea. Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity! You are God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: Welcome to Christ Church at Grove Farm. Happy New Year. If you are visiting with us, you can find out ways to get connected to Christ Church or submit a prayer request on the connect card when you came in. You can have a seat.

If you also want to get a first-time visitor's gift, you can stop by the welcome center after the service to do so. If you want to know what is happening at Christ Church, you can follow us on social media, subscribe to our weekly email, check out our website, and read your connect card.

One thing I want to point out is you got a brochure when you first came in. That is our "Adventure Together" series on Wednesdays at 6:30. Starting January 14th, we have three excellent teachers that are going to help teach us how to study our Bibles more deeply and integrate that into our lives. After those three weeks, we are going to have the choice to continue in large-group worship or to join a small group instead.

This new year, we have also been reading the "Life-Focused New Testament." This morning, we read that Jesus was tested by Satan, and one of his replies was, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Praise God that He has not only given us His Son, but He has given us His Word to sustain us.

So for that gift and all gifts He has given us, we joyfully declare: God is good. All the time. May the peace of the Lord be with you always. Would you please rise and greet one another in the name of the Lord?

Guest (Male): In this new year, it is my prayer that all of you, and for myself too, that we would learn to abide in the Lord more. That we would learn to stick close by Him, obey Him, and love Him more. We are going to sing about that in a second here.

Lord, we just ask that we would abide in you this new year. That you would be our strength, our hope, and our everything to us, Lord. And that anything that is not of you would fall away, Lord, but that we would cling to you, cling to your Word, and cling to our relationship with you. Let it grow, Lord, for every person here. God, we need you and we declare we want to abide in you. In Jesus' name.

For my waking breath, for my daily bread, I depend on you. I depend on you. I depend on you. For the sunrise, for my sleep at night, I depend on you. I depend on you. I depend on you.

You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide.

Teach us, Lord. Where the Spirit leads, as I'm following, oh, I depend on you. Jesus, I depend on you. For the victories still in front of me, Jesus, I depend on you. I depend on you.

You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide.

Be my strength, my song in the night. Be my all, my treasure, my prize. I am yours, forever you're mine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. Every moment to abide in thee.

When I pass through death, as I enter rest, I depend on you. I depend on you. I depend on you. For eternal life, to be raised with Christ, Jesus, I depend on you. I depend on you.

You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide.

Be my strength, my song in the night. Be my all, my treasure, my prize. I am yours, forever you're mine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. Oh, would you teach us to abide, Lord? Would you teach me? Would you teach me to abide? Oh, how we need you.

I depend on you. I depend on you. I depend on you. Jesus, I depend on you. I depend on you. I depend on you. I depend on you. One last time. I depend on you. I depend on you.

Please join me, either sitting or kneeling, as you're able, to enter into a time of prayer. Take a moment just with you and God. Would you now pray with me the prayer of confession? The words are on the screen.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us and forgive us for all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep us in eternal life.

Dear God, please pray for the family of Janet Helms. Janet was received into the loving arms of Jesus after several years of illness and after a lifetime of witness and service to her Lord. Pray for her brother John, her sister Nancy, and her family members, that they may be comforted by the Word and by your Spirit, in the promise of God and His assurance of the resurrection to eternal life. Amen. Please be seated.

Today kicks off a special month. It is "Choose Life Month." We as Christ Church at Grove Farm are unabashedly supportive of life and believe that every person, every life, has an infinite value in the eyes of God. So during this whole month, every Sunday, we will highlight a different organization that supports and stands with us on behalf of life.

This Sunday, we are highlighting Choices Pregnancy Services. They provide evidence-based medical information and services to women and to families who are facing unexpected and unsupported pregnancies. As a church staff, we recently were able to take a tour of their main office building, and it was amazing at all the things they provide. From sonograms so that mothers could see their babies for the first time to parenting classes, to even post-abortive care as well. And it is all for free. Would you watch the video with me and get a better glimpse at the heart of Choices?

Guest (Female): Our mission started 38 years ago by some beautiful church ladies that had a concern for parents facing an unexpected pregnancy. They decided they needed to create a safe place for them to go where they could get help and resources and true hope. We can't do any of the stuff we do without our local partners.

I just met with a young woman yesterday that just celebrated her son's first birthday. She first came to us just terrified. The father of the baby was also terrified because he was in the army. Working with Choices, they have really stepped into parenting because they've had a great deal of support: diapers and all the things they need for their baby, medical connections, and other community supports. We continue to walk alongside those parents so that they're never alone.

We have seen over a 300% increase in fathers coming in. That's been a huge blessing so that the men involved in these pregnancies get the same resources available to them. We need to just get the word out that we are here for every single person involved in a pregnancy, no matter what the initial intention of that pregnancy is. You have a place here. You have a place to belong and get help and true hope. Most of our clients that come in are in a really dark place. Our only desire and what gets us up in the morning and keeps us going through even the hardest days is meeting that next person that needs the light of Christ in their life.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: Well, welcome, Siobhan. Siobhan is the executive director of Choices. I just wanted to ask you a couple questions. First, can you tell us about a way that God has worked through someone who has participated in your ministry this past year?

Siobhan (Guest Female): There's a million stories, but I'll give you one. When I was thinking about this, I thought of one particular client that came to us, reached out through digital technology that we're able to share. She came to us in her fifth month, very distraught but very decisive. She had her abortion scheduled just 48 hours from when she first reached out.

As she allowed us, we continued a conversation with her, inviting her to come in, and eventually, she did come in just about a day before that. Then what happened is, like you just shared, she was able to meet her baby for the first time on sonogram, and she chose life.

What's amazing too is that father of the baby that was with her, he didn't want her to have one, but he didn't know what to do, so he was just being supportive as he thought he should. Now they both—all three of them—have celebrated their first Christmas, their first New Year's, and I guarantee Mother's Day and Father's Day is going to look much different this year for them.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: Praise God. That is awesome. What physical or tangible needs do you have right now?

Siobhan (Guest Female): Oh boy, there's a lot. We are hiring. So if you have that mission mindset of pouring into the lives of others to save more lives, just come see us. Come take a tour. Our mobile medical unit is out today with Michelle and Betsy; they're part of our amazing medical team. Come tour the center like the leadership here did. There's so much that you just don't know until you come and see for yourself.

We obviously have huge financial needs because it costs a lot to operate five medical centers. Donate generously as you can and as you're led. Also, pray. Get on our prayer email because we do truly believe in the power of prayer, and we know that's why any life is saved is because of God.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: That is great. Can I pray for you now? Dear God, I pray for Siobhan and the whole staff at Choices Pregnancy Services. Lord, I even pray that this week as they welcome new families into their clinic, into the mobile clinics, that they would be able to share the love of Christ with them. That they would not only save lives but change lives. Would you bless them and be with them as they continue this important work? In the name we pray, Jesus, amen.

We will now continue our worship through the giving of our tithes and offerings. As the ushers come forward, please take the baskets and pass them down the rows so that everyone can participate either in giving or in blessing the gifts as they pass by. As the ushers come forward, let us pray.

Dear God, we thank you that we can worship you in all ways. That we can worship you in our words, with our hearts, and with our minds. Lord, we can also worship you with our talents and with what you've given us to steward financially. Lord, we thank you that we can use these gifts for your mission and your glory. We know that a portion of these gifts goes towards our mission partners like Choices. So would you bless all these in changing the lives around the world? In the name we pray, Jesus, amen.

Guest (Male): The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.

If you're a believer this morning, those words are for you. We're going to teach you the simple chorus that goes along with that song. We're going to sing it together. As it comes up in the song, you're going to lift your voice and sing it with us. Amen. It simply goes like this: Hallelujah, I am not alone. He's my comfort, always holds me close. Hallelujah, I am not alone. Hallelujah, I am not alone. For the Lord, He's my comfort. He's my comfort, always holds me close. The Lord is my shepherd. Let's stand and sing.

The Lord is my shepherd, He goes before me. He goes before me, defender behind me. Defender behind me, I won't fear. I won't fear. I'm filled with anointing. I'm filled with anointing, my cup's overflowing. My cup's overflowing, no weapon can harm me. No weapon can harm me, I won't fear. I won't fear. Now here's your part, lift your voice up and sing hallelujah.

Hallelujah, I am not alone. Oh, not alone. Make it personal. He's my comfort. He's my comfort, always holds me close. Another thing He does, He always leads me. He always guides me through mountains and valleys. Through mountains and valleys, His joy is refreshing. His joy is refreshing, restores my soul. Restores my soul.

Oh, mercy and goodness. Mercy and goodness, gives me assurance. It gives me assurance, oh that one day I'll see His glory. I'll see His glory. That's a promise for us, one day we're going to see Him face to face. Oh, that's good news this morning. Lift your voice and say, say hallelujah.

Hallelujah, I am not alone. If you know that, pick it up. He's my comfort. He's my comfort, He always holds me close. Lift your voice up, proclaim it loudly. Hallelujah, say. Hallelujah, I am not alone. Oh, He's our comfort. He's my comfort, always holds me close.

So listen to this. As believers, the Bible tells us that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power might be of God and not of us. Amen. He's filled us with His Holy Spirit. And this overcoming God that we have has overcome death, hell, and the grave.

As a matter of fact, the Bible asks this question: Oh death, where is thy sting? And oh grave, where is thy victory? It goes on to say that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But then it says, "But praise be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen. Come on, give Him praise this morning for that.

So in light of that, we're going to lead you in this little chorus here. If you're a believer, sing it with me. Your Spirit lives within me, so I will walk in your peace. Your Spirit lives within me, my victory, my victory. Your Spirit lives within me, so I will walk in your peace. Your Spirit lives within me, my victory, my victory.

The Spirit lives. Your Spirit lives within me, so I will walk, so I will walk. Your Spirit lives within me, my victory, my victory. Your Spirit lives within me, so I will walk, so I will walk. Your Spirit lives within me, my victory, my victory. Say hallelujah.

Hallelujah, I am not alone. In prayer today, He's my comfort. He's my comfort, always holds me close. Hallelujah, just the voices. Hallelujah, here we go. Hallelujah, I am not alone. If you believe that today, sing about how He's my comfort. He's my comfort, always holds me close. One more time with a loud voice. Praise Him as only believers can.

Hallelujah, I am not alone. He's such a loving God. Hallelujah, He's our comfort. He's my comfort, always holds me close. Oh hallelujah. If you believe that this morning, give Him a handclap of praise or something. Because you have no reason to feel alone, because the Bible tells us and Jesus told us that He'll never leave us nor forsake us. Amen.

No matter how you feel, this is truth. This is truth from God's Word. Hallelujah, we are not alone. Just rest in that today, walk in that in 2026 and through eternity. Amen. He's got you right in the palm of His hand. Amen. Please remain standing for the reading of the Word.

John Poister (Guest Male): Good morning, my name is John Poister, and this morning our reading comes from Psalm 139, beginning with the first verse.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in, behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you. The night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you. This is the Word of the Lord.

Ed Glover (Guest Male): Happy New Year, Christ Church. Happy New Year to you all. Isn't it great, 2026? I'm excited about it. I know you are as well. We come every year here, we gather together. This is a new year, a new beginning, a fresh new start. Pretty exciting.

I'm very grateful and thankful that I get the opportunity to present to you the very first sermon of 2026. So, Pastor Craig, thanks for the privilege and honor to do that. And also, I'm very excited because this is Communion Sunday, so we get to hear God's Word, we get to celebrate all that Jesus Christ has done for us. This is a powerful Sunday, folks. We get to be in the presence of God, get to hear His Word, we get to worship together. I'm very grateful for it.

I'm filled with a lot of expectation and anticipation about what God is going to do in and through all of you and also this morning. Our passage this morning is Psalm 139, verses 1 through 18. The title of our sermon is this: "God is Intimately Involved in Your Life."

Now, some of you are saying, "Pastor Ed, couldn't you come up with a different title? Something that has a little bit more pizzazz to it? It rhymes, like 'God is going to do it for you in 2022' or '2023, God is going to give you the victory' or '2024, you're going to get more' or '2025, you're going to come alive' or '2026, everything's going to be fixed.'" I get it, I understand it. But you know what? That's not the deal. The deal is that the Lord has told me to talk to you about Psalm 139. And Psalm 139, I believe if we will trust and obey what God is saying today, that 2026 will be not bitter, but it will be better. It will not be bitter; it will be better.

Heavenly Father, I want to thank you and praise you for who you are. And I would ask today that this first Sunday of the year, that Lord, that you are here with us. And we're so grateful and thankful for that and all that you've done for us in the past, and we're looking forward to the future. And we would ask that you would forgive me and cleanse me of any sin and fill me with your Spirit, and you would speak through me to your people. And we as your people, we wouldn't just be hearers of your Word, we would be doers of it. And you wouldn't just stir us, but that you would change us. For Lord, we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

Listen, God is intimately involved in your life. King David, moved and overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, wrote Psalm 139. And in this Psalm, David becomes acutely aware that God is intimately involved in his life. Look at what he says in verse one: "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me."

The word "searched" here means that God is not just looking at the surface, but looking deeply at every detail of David's life. Every detail. David realizes that he's been living under God's microscope. That God has searched him and knows him in every detail of his life. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. And that's not only true about David, that's true about every one of us in this room. Every one of us is living our lives under God's microscope.

Then David goes on to say that not only has God searched me, but He knows me. The word "know" is only translated one other time in the Old Testament. It's found in Genesis chapter 4, verse 1, which says this: "Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived." The word "knew" in that verse is the same word used in our verse, "God searched me and he knows me."

The word in Genesis chapter 4 is referring to the most intimate relationship two human beings can have. And that's between a husband and wife when they have union together. What David discovers here is that Adam and Eve's relationship pales in comparison to God's relationship to him. Why? Because God knows everything about David. Every detail of his life. Knows it all—his past, his present, his future. Knows the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What David discovers is that God is intimately involved in every aspect of his life. David understands that God knows him better than he knows himself. And what blows David's mind is this: that God knows everything about David but still desires a relationship with him. And David, being moved by the Holy Spirit, backs up this truth by emphasizing three major characteristics about God.

God is all-knowing in verses 2 through 6. God is all-present in verses 7 through 12. God is all-powerful in verses 13 through 18. And because of these three attributes of God, God is intimately involved in our lives because He knows us, He's with us, and He created us.

But before we look at those, let me just say two more things about God. God is also transcendent and immanent. What does it mean when I say "transcendent"? Transcendent is God is above what He created. He's greater than what He created. "Immanent" means that He is near, close to, and dwells with His creation. Some people take this much further than they should. They say that God is not only with, but He's in all of His creation. He's in the trees, the stars, the birds, the rocks. He's in all of His creation. But that's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible does not teach that.

The Bible teaches that there's only one creation that He created that He can have a personal relationship with, that He dwells within, and that's us, mankind. Because you see, we've been created in God's image. Nothing else has been created in His image. Listen, the rocks, the trees, the birds, the stars, they are God's creation, but they cannot have a personal relationship with God. We are the only creation that God created that you can have a personal relationship with God because we're made in His image. We're made of mind, body, and spirit. The moment we came to know Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Bible says that we are born again of the Spirit. In other words, Jesus Christ comes and dwells within us. Remember what it says in Colossians chapter 1, verse 27: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." And that cannot happen with any other creation other than us.

David is saying that this is intimate God that knows you, knows everything about you, and is with you and created you for the purpose of having a relationship with you. Look what he says as we look at God who is all-knowing and knows us. Look what he says in verse 2: "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." Verse 3: "You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." This is a Hebrew way of saying that whatever you're doing, whatever activity you are engaged in, whether it's public or private, God is fully aware of what you're doing.

Verse 4: "Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely." In other words, God knows every thought and every word before you think it or before you say it. Verse 5: "You hem me in, behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me." Verse 6: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." What David is saying is that God is all-knowing. That means He does not have to learn.

That helps us understand that we can never, ever surprise God. He can never be surprised. He is all-knowing. Doesn't matter what you do privately, publicly, what you say, what you think, where you go, who you go with—God knows it completely. I remember a time when I was in seminary. I was studying actually this passage. And I was at a diner, and a waitress came to me, and she was serving, and her name was Mary. And she finally asked me, "What are you studying?" And I gave her the Cliff Notes of what I've just taught you. She backed away from the table and she said, "I don't want to know a God like that." I said, "Why?" She said, "Because I don't want to know a God that knows everything about me, knows what I do when I'm alone, what I do with my boyfriend. I don't want to know a God like that."

I said, "Before you run away, let me just ask you a question. Who do you know, or who will you ever know, that knows everything about you—I mean everything—and still would want a relationship with you?" And she said, "I don't think I know anybody like that." I said, "Oh, there is somebody. For God said this in His Word: 'God so loved you that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' You see, Jesus Christ came so that you could have a relationship with Him. And He knows everything about you, and He went to the cross and He died on that cross for your sin and mine. He walked out of that grave so that you could know Him. See, He's not dead; He's alive. Not talking about religion; we're talking about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. All you got to do is make a commitment to Him because He's already committed to you. And you can know God, and God, who already knows you, wants and desires that." She said, "I can't make that commitment," and she walked away.

I met another Mary when I was in seminary. I met her in New York City. I was doing ministry in New York, and she was a woman from the streets. And I went to her and I said the same thing to her as I said to the waitress. Mary looked at me and said, "I don't think God would want a relationship with me." I said, "No, Mary, what you just said isn't true. I am absolutely convinced that God wants a relationship with you. Matter of fact, in the Bible, there's a woman named Mary." She goes, "Oh yeah, the Virgin." I said, "Yes, there's a Virgin, her name's Mary, but there's another Mary: Mary Magdalene." And Mary Magdalene understood that God didn't just come to the earth to kick her to the curb. He came to have a relationship with her. That He went to the cross on her behalf, died on that cross for her sin, walked out of the grave. And Mary came to understand that, and she gave her life to Jesus Christ, and Jesus transformed her. And Mary, He can transform you.

She gave her life to Christ that day on that street. A few weeks later, she left the street and she went home. Listen, doesn't matter who you are, where you've been, or what you've done. God knows all about it, loves you, and wants a relationship with you. He is an all-knowing God and He knows us. He knows us intimately. And He loves you and wants you to know Him as He knows you.

Second thing that we learn from this passage is that God is intimately involved in our lives because of His presence with us. Look what it says in verse 7: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up into the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me,' even the darkness would not be dark to you. The night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."

Just talking for a minute that what he's saying here is that no matter if you go into the darkness or into the light, into the evening or into the day, God's there. It reminds me of a story I heard about two young boys. They were being chased by a bear. One of them went up a tree, the other one went into a cave. The bear sat right in between the cave and the tree and kept these boys hostage. The one in the cave kept running in and out, in and out, in and out. Finally, the friend up the tree says, "Hey, brother, stay in the cave. Can't you see that there's a bear out here?" And he came running out again. He said, "Yeah, I know there's a bear out here, but there's a bear in there as well."

I'm not saying that God's a bear. He's not. Point is that no matter where you go, God's going to be with you in the dark or in the light. But also, David is saying whether you go to the east, the west, the north, the south, whether you go into the heavens or you go into the grave, doesn't matter where you go, God is there all the time. And what that means is that God is there all the time, means that all of God is there all the time. Can you say that with me? All of God is there all the time. Say it again. All of God is there all the time. Very good.

What that means is you see, God isn't like peanut butter spread across a piece of toast. It isn't like some of God is in Calcutta or some of God is in Chicago or some of God is in Pittsburgh. No, what it means is that all of God is in Calcutta, all of God is in Chicago, all of God is in Pittsburgh, and all of God is in this room.

Billy Graham tells a story about a doctor who lost everything because he was an alcoholic. He lost his wife, his family, his practice. He ended up on the streets of Chicago, homeless. Billy Graham came in to do a crusade. He walked in one night, this homeless doctor. He heard about how Jesus Christ loved him, how Jesus wanted a relationship with him, how Jesus died on the cross for his sin, how He walked out of the grave, and if he calls upon His name, he could be saved. And that man gave his life to Jesus Christ and Jesus transformed him.

But He also did a miracle. That doctor got his wife back, his family back, and his practice. He ended up being a doctor at a local hospital in Chicago. One day, the doctor is sitting in his office, and one of his friends from the street came to see him. Walked into the office, sat down in the chair, and looked at the doctor and said, "What happened to you, Doc?" He said, "Well, I came to know Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ transformed me and I don't drink anymore." And his friend looked at him and with very sarcastically and very skeptically and said, "Doc, come on, man. You and I, we drank a lot together, okay? We—I'm talking to you now."

He said, "You're telling me that if there was a bottle of Scotch up on that shelf behind you, that bookshelf, nobody was in the room, you wouldn't drink it?" The doctor leaned over the table, over his desk, and looked at that young man in the eyes and said, "No, I wouldn't drink the bottle of Scotch. Because you see, I'm not alone anymore. I'm never alone anymore." Look, I don't know what's going on in your life, but Jesus Christ does. And He will never, ever abandon you. He's there.

I want to go back to verse—well, let me say it this way. Some of you here today might be thinking, "Pastor Ed, I don't see God. Where is He?" Well, there's a lot of things by the way we believe in that we don't see. We can't see the oxygen in the room, but we know it's here because we're still breathing. We can't see the gravity in the room, but we believe it's here because we're not floating around the sanctuary. We believe in technology even though we can't see the technology waves flying through this room, but all you got to do is get a phone call on your cell phone and you know they're here. There's a lot of things we believe in that we don't see.

Matter of fact, in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1, it says this: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." And by the way, 2,000-plus years ago, they saw God. Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ. And just because you can't see Jesus, it doesn't make Him any less present. For He's the faithful promiser and He promised this: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." You know in the Greek, you know how that's said? Let me explain it to you. This is how that's said in the Greek—we don't do very good with the English. It says it like this: "I will never, no never, never, ever leave you nor forsake you." And that's a promise from the faithful promiser.

I want to jump back to verses 9 and 10 for a minute. "If I rise on the wings of the dawn"—in other words, sunrise—"if I settle on the far side of the sea"—sunset—"even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." When David refers to the "right hand of God," he's referring to God's protection. David is saying in the morning, at night, and every moment in between, God's right hand is upon you.

When Tammy and I started Urban Impact, we came to live there in 1986, so we've been there almost 40 years. And you've heard the story where I walk out of my house and my car was missing for the third time, and I'm standing there and I say, "Lord, am I wasting my time?" And the Lord gives me this thought: "How do you eat an elephant?" I respond, "One bite at a time." He starts to tell me about how I can impact one person, then one family, then one block, and we can transform the North Side. And that's when Urban Impact, the vision of it, was born. And I'm grateful today that there are no more homes boarded up in our neighborhood and we're reaching all 18 neighborhoods on the North Side, and I'm thankful for the partnership that we have in the gospel, that we've been doing that for now 25 years.

But in the very beginning years, it was very difficult. Very, very high-risk community. And my wife and I would pray every day before we'd leave the house for God's protection. We would pray for God's will: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." One day, my wife walked out with my two sons, Nathan and Joshua, just babies. My son Jonathan and Abby hadn't been born yet. And Tammy was taking them to the car. She took them to the car, putting them in the car seats, and she looked down the street and she sees these two men beating up the woman who's delivering the mail to our neighborhood. Now, that's a federal offense.

And they see that Tammy has saw them. So they leave her and they're walking towards my wife Tammy with every intention of beating her up. She quickly put the kids in the car, locked the car doors, took the keys, and threw them into the bushes. Why? She was hoping to God that they wouldn't find the keys and then do something to our kids or steal the car. And she looked at those men and gave them the meanest look she could possibly give them. And they stopped in their tracks. Their eyes got as big as saucers. They turned white as ghost and they bolted as fast as they could away from my wife. My wife thought, "Man, that look was that mean." Then she thought, "Wait a minute, maybe there's..." She turned around thinking there's police officers or maybe a SWAT team showed up. There's nothing there.

Oh, there was something there. We don't know if it was Michael, Gabriel, Jesus Himself, we don't know. But someone showed up, and God pulled back the curtain of heaven and those two boys saw and they turned white as ghost and they bolted away from my wife. The only thing I would like to do is I would love to have sat down with those two boys and find out what they really saw. Didn't happen. But the point is this: God not only will never abandon you, but His right hand is always upon you. Always.

So God is a God who knows us and He is with us, but He's also an all-powerful God. And He's a God who has created us. He created us. And by the way, before I move on here, let me just say this. You know, we have God's full attention all the time? He never blinks. He's got your back.

But here we're looking at how God has created us. Look what it says in verse 13: "For you created my inmost being." "Inmost being" is referring to your liver, your lungs, your kidneys, your heart, your organs. God created them. Then the verse goes on: "You knit me together in my mother's womb." David is saying that he was woven in the womb of his mother. In other words, he's talking about like you weave cloth or you weave a basket. David is saying, "God, you took my veins and my arteries and you wove, you knitted my organs together."

Verse 15: "My frame was not hidden from you." "Frame" is referring to your bone structure, your skeleton. Verse 16: "Your eyes saw my unformed body." That word "unformed" literally means "embryo." So the moment you were conceived, it was God who was creating you. Not mother nature, not even your mom and dad. God used your mom and dad to make you, but God created you in your mother's womb. You know what that means? That means that not one of you in this room is a mistake, an accident, or here by chance. No, God created you. And He created you for a purpose, and ultimately that purpose is to have a relationship with Him.

But you know, I want to stop for a moment and look at that word again. It says "unformed." "Unformed," remember, means "embryo." So the Bible is teaching from the moment you were conceived, God was creating you. God gave you life. You see, Christ Church believes in life, not because it's political—not because Democrat, Republicans, had nothing to do with it—it's biblical. The Bible teaches that God is the Creator and we are His creation. And from the moment you were conceived, God was creating you. God gave you life. That's why we believe in life, because God's given it and He is our Creator. And we are His creation, and we're the only creation that has ever been created in His image.

You know, there's a time in my life, again, when I was in seminary. A lot of seminary talk today. When I was in seminary, I was really moved to call a girl that I knew back in my hometown. And I called her. And when she picked up the phone, man, she was angry. Really angry. She said, "Never call me again," and hung the phone up. I thought, "Man, was that something I ate or what?" I didn't know what that was. A week later, still moved on me to call again that girl. I didn't want to, but I did it. And when I called this time, she was sweet as can be. She said, "Ed, I'm so glad that you called me." She goes, "I got some good news and some bad news." I said, "What's that?" "The bad news is I'm pregnant. The good news is that you called me the night, that night. The next morning I was going to abort the child. But I'm not going to abort this child. I'm going to raise this child because I know that God used you to warn me."

You know, I've had the privilege to see that little guy. That guy has grown up now to be a great young man. See, we believe in life because it's biblical. God is the Creator, and He created you, like that young boy, in His image.

But you know, there's a word here in this passage in verse 16. It's very interesting. It says, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." What that means is that God ordained. In other words, notice it says "all the days." God knew about you before He ever created the heavens and the earth. This all-knowing God knew about you and everything that you would do before there was ever a you. Again, before He ever created the heavens and the earth, He knew about you. Someone said it this way: if God would have had a wallet before He ever created the heaven and the earth, your picture would have been in it. He knows you, He knew you.

And God not only created you, but He chose you for such a time as this, to be alive in this generation. Listen, you could have been born in the 1400s, the 1800s, but you're sitting in that pew looking up at me because God not only created you, He chose you for such a time as this to be alive in this generation.

And when you look at that word "ordained," it literally is a picture word. It's describing a potter that's molding and shaping clay. And what David discovers here is this: before God formed us, shaped us, or brought us into existence, God had each one of us in mind. He poured us into a certain mold and then He broke the mold. What does that mean? You've heard this old saying: "When God made you, he broke the mold." That's true about every one of you in this room. You're an original. Never be another one like you on the planet. No one else will ever have your fingerprint, your voiceprint, your footprint, your DNA. You're an original. Never be another one like you. And this all-powerful God created you for a purpose, and that purpose is to have a relationship with Him.

Look what it says in verse 17: "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" Verse 18: "Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you." Now think about that verse. David is saying God's thoughts about you outnumber the sands of the sea. Now, have you ever put your hand through sand? You know all those little grains? God's thoughts—that's what this—this is true or not? His thoughts about you outnumber the sands of the sea, and every one of them is precious. Every one of them.

See, David is realizing that he is God's crowning creation. Why? Because he's been created in the image of God. And he's unique. And so are you. But you know what the problem is? We have a tape playing in our brains that tells us something totally different: that we're not precious, we're not valuable, we're not worthy, we're not special, we're not any of that. And it tells us that all the time. But those thoughts that you have and I have are lies. The truth is that God sees you totally different than the way you see yourself and the way this world sees you. He sees you as a precious, something He created: special, unique. Have a relationship with Him. And those thoughts outnumber the sands of the sea.

David realized this. He understood it. It's amazing to me. You know, because some of you don't believe because you think, "I don't know if God really thinks that way about me, Pastor Ed. If you knew how many times I screwed up, how many times I've made a mess of things, I don't know." Well, let me give you an illustration of why you have value, and who—and why you are significant, and why you have purpose and meaning.

I have a $50 bill here. I tried to get a $100 bill, but I couldn't afford it. But here's $50. Here's a $50 bill. And if I said to you, "Here, you can have this," you'd take it because it's worth 50 bucks. But if I threw it down on the ground, stomped on it, or ripped it, or drug it through the mud, would you still take it? Yeah, because it's worth what? Worth 50 bucks. But I'd say to you, "It's just a piece of paper, and it's been torn, it's been ripped, it's got mud all over it." You said, "Because it's worth $50." Why is it worth $50? Because the United States of America that made this says it's worth $50, and they stand behind it.

Listen, God created you. Your worth, your value, your meaning, your purpose comes from the Creator, and He created you and you're worthy. You know, the moment you take God out of the equation, all of a sudden we have no value. That's why at Christ Church we value life. This teaching is contrary to the teaching that's out there. We live in a world that has less and less regard for human life. And I believe the reason for that is because a lot of our society has gone godless. For over a hundred years now, our schools, our colleges are teaching us that human beings are nothing more than cosmic accidents. Nothing more than time plus chance plus matter. And this teaching has taught that there is no God and therefore there's no Creator. And when you take it to its logical conclusion, human beings become just one more animal among many.

Matter of fact, in parts of society today, we're even less special than some animals because we're not endangered; there's too many of us. It's now against the law to kill a baby eagle or damage its egg, but aborting a human child is endorsed and encouraged, and two years ago was federally funded. In other words, an unborn eagle has more value than an unborn child.

I know a lot of men and women who have bought into this lie that we're nothing more than animals, cosmic accidents. And because of that, when they got angry, filled with hate, stuff happens. And when I talk to them, I ask them like, "Why did you abort your child?" or "Why did you murder this person?" They said, "Because I was filled with hate, I was filled with anger, I was selfish, I was ignorant." But then I say, "How do you feel now?" "Well, I feel filled with guilt and shame and condemnation and depression and anxiety."

But hear me. Once they understand that God is all-knowing, all-present, and created them—knows them, is with them, and created them—and Jesus Christ went to a cross and died for their sin, and they receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are set free. Literally, set free.

I had a young man in my ministry who was filled with hate and anger. I sat him aside and I said, "Listen, son. If you keep living this way, that anger is either going to get you killed or you're going to kill somebody." He didn't listen. Good kid, graduated from high school, went on to college, played some football, but got involved in drugs. A drug deal went bad. He killed two guys, put them in a car, and set the car on fire. He was convicted of that and was sentenced to life in prison. I got a letter from him. The letter came and this is what it said: "Pastor Ed, I wish I would have listened to you about my anger, but I didn't. But I did hear you when you talked about Jesus Christ, and I gave my life to Jesus Christ. And even though I am in a 6x6 cell, I am more free today than I've been my whole life. I have been set free. I am forgiven because of what Jesus Christ has done for me."

We believe in life because God created. And human beings are uniquely special. They're created in the image of God, and they're the only creation that can have a personal relationship with God. And it doesn't matter who you are or what you've done or where you've been. The Lord Jesus Christ who went to that cross, went for you, and He died on that cross so that you could be forgiven and so that you could be brought into a right relationship with God.

This morning, if you're here today and you're saying, "Pastor Ed, man, I have been living totally separate. God feels very distant from me." You can come to Him today as we come to Communion. But I want to say this to us as believers. Because Christianity isn't a religion. It's not a set of doctrines that we believe in. It's not the sins that we avoid. It isn't just a set of prayers that we say. Matter of fact, you can possibly come and pray and be part of the service and worship and give an offering and still never really experience the presence of God. Because you take this great relationship that we have and it becomes ritual, it becomes very much transactional.

And if you're here today and you feel like God's really distant to you, it's not that He moved. He hasn't moved. Matter of fact, He dwells within you. In you, He lives there. There's something going on with you, and you have to say, "Wait a minute. In 2026, I've got to back up. I've got to get back to the true worship. I've got to come to that place again, Lord, where I'm really talking..." You see, we pray when we pray, guys, we're not saying prayers. We're talking to a living God. He hears you. And when you hear the Word, it's not me preaching, it's Jesus Christ speaking to you.

He's here today. If you need help, hope, and healing, my friend, don't walk out of here today like you came in. Are you out of your mind? Do you really think you're going to get that good, that better, on your own? Really, honestly? You think your marriage is going to get better? You think that business is going to turn around on your own? You think you're going to be able to pay those bills just sitting on your own? Not going to happen. You need the one who loves you intimately. Who knows you, who's with you, created you, and wants to help you.

I've asked Brad to lead us in a chorus as we come to Communion. And just let this be a prayer as you're worshipping. But before he does that, I want to read from what David says at the end of this Psalm. It's a great response. This is what it says. David says in verse 23: "Search me, God, search me, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting." Brad, lead us, please.

Guest (Male): Let's sing this together, coming back to the heart of worship.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it, when it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it, when it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: You know there's a great privilege to know Christ. To be in Christ. To have your sins forgiven, to be made new and clean and righteous. And as we come to the communion table, it's part of it. I love in our Life-Focused New Testament, Matthew Henry put it this way. He says, "Jesus is God's beloved Son. Not only with him, but in whom God is well pleased. God is pleased with all who are in Christ and are united to him by faith."

Get that, my friends. He is pleased with all of us who are in Christ because of Christ. God has been displeased with the children of men, but now His anger is turned away. He has made us accepted in the beloved. Outside of Christ, God is a consuming fire. But in Christ, He is a reconciling Father.

And let me know this morning—let you know this morning, He reconciles. He is a reconciling Father to you. His anger has been turned away because of Jesus. And we get to celebrate that this morning. His anger turned away because of His body and because of His blood shed. Oh, He brings us forgiveness, love. He draws us near.

So you may remember this as we come to the table. Let's take a moment to prepare our hearts to receive these gifts. There are instructions if for you on the screen, if you're visiting with us, of how we receive communion. But let us prepare our hearts to receive these gifts. Oh Lord, we come to you. Repenting of our sins. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near, what John the Baptist said. And Lord, that's what we want to do. We want to turn from our wicked ways and receive you.

We want to be in you. Walk with you, talk with you. Oh Jesus, have mercy and grace once again. We thank you that you never change; you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. And your kindness that leads us towards repentance is true today. It's for me, it's for each of us. Your grace extended, your love, your forgiveness, fresh and anew each and every single day. You are the loving Father. Forgive our sins, oh Lord, forgive our wicked ways. Pray this in your name. Amen, amen.

I take you to that night that Jesus gathered His disciples, His friends. And they're sitting around having that meal together. And I imagine as Jesus speaks, He looks into the eyes of each of those disciples. He's scanning the room. And He begins to tell them something they never had realized at the time. He takes the bread, and after giving thanks, He breaks it.

And He tells them to eat this. Remember my body, broken for you. He then takes the cup. He lifts it and gives thanks to the Father. But He also begins to declare to them, declare to them something beautiful and wonderful. That this is my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of our sins. I want you to drink this, and remember what I've done. Remember the cost that's been paid. What's been done for you and done for us. Come and drink, receive this. Therefore, church, we proclaim the mystery of faith: that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

So let's pray. Father, we do not presume to come to your table this morning—we're not going to trust in our own righteousness, our own works, our own efforts. We're not trusting in our own good deeds, but rather we trust in His great and wonderful mercy. Father, we admit we're not worthy to even gather up the crumbs under your table. But we're thankful that you are the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.

Thank you, Jesus. So therefore, gracious, grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ, to drink His blood, that we may evermore dwell, listen, in Him. In Him. And because of—if you're in Him, we—He is well pleased with us. He in us. Amen.

And now, just as Jesus taught us to pray, let us pray the prayer that Jesus said. His words, praying, "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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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."

My friends, my brothers and sisters in the Lord, these are the gifts of God. His body, His blood, shed for you. May you feed on Him in your hearts with faith, and my friends, with thanksgiving. Won't you come and receive? Won't you come celebrate Him this glorious Sunday?

Guest (Male): Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand.

Church, would you stand and let's sing this together. In Christ alone.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones he came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on him was laid; here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground his body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave he rose again! And as he stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me, for I am his and he is mine—bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand! No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand. Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Let me speak those words over you again. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck you if you're in Jesus Christ from the hand of God. Is that not something to be celebrated? Standing in Christ alone. You know, it's such a good thing to gather together and have these moments to encourage ourselves. To be encouraged by God and by His Spirit here with us. We're a family and it's great to be gathered as a family of families.

Speaking of which, I got a couple things. Where is Ed? Ed, come on out here. Not Ed Glover, you stay there, Ed Glover, for right now at least. Two Eds are better than one, right? And we have another Ed here we're going to talk about in a moment. We are a family and I got a bittersweet moment here for this morning. Ed Shuly, who has been with us serving behind the scenes. Some of you have never had a chance to meet Ed, maybe, because he is literally behind the scenes working on our production. He has served faithfully for 15 years at Christ Church at Grove Farm. Let's celebrate that.

And you know, Ed is staying in the family in a certain way because he's going to be working with a guy who's a part of our church in a new capacity and no longer on our staff. And so we want to celebrate his ministry to us and his faithfulness and bless him as he goes. Would you one more time celebrate Ed Shuly? Thank you, Ed. Grateful for you. You don't know all the stuff that this guy has touched. You don't get to see it; you see us up here, but Ed has done so much.

Ed, before you go, I want to pray for you. Join me in blessing Ed. Lord, thank you for Ed Shuly. We're grateful for his presence at Christ Church for 15 years, serving faithfully, Lord. And we're grateful for the many ways in which Ed has been a part, Lord, of of what our worship has become and, Lord, where we've been and where we're going. And so we bless him and his family, Lord, and we ask that he would continue, Lord, to be strengthened to follow your purposes in his life. And I pray, Lord, that the power of Christ would be strong in him and that it would continue to transform him, just as we all seek to be transformed, Lord, in your glorious light. So bless Ed, Lord; we commit him to you in Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you, Ed. Appreciate it, brother.

Another thing to celebrate before I walk away here, we have a great moment that I love these moments. One of our founding members, Jim Hamilton, has turned 90 years old today! Jim is in his usual spot. You know, hey, if you saw Jim, you wouldn't think he was 90 years old; you'd think he's much younger. Jim, God bless you, and we pray for much health and strength in the faith, Lord, in you and in the next year.

So listen, we are celebrating "Choose Life Month." We're excited about this. And as we do, you know, I'm thinking about what Pastor Ed said, and I want to make sure this is spoken over you because I sense that there's someone in this room who's wrestling with this matter and maybe in a personal way. You know, maybe you once had an abortion. Or maybe you drove someone to have an abortion. And it's something that you can't lose the memory of.

What Pastor Ed preached today about the God who knows you, knows every bit of your life, knows not just the highlight reel, but the deep dive, all the details. He sees you, He knows the hairs on your head, and He loves you. And He sent His Son Jesus for you. And the reason we celebrate "Choose Life Month" is this: we serve such a wonderful God who, despite our brokenness and our sin and our great regrets, has cared for us because we're His creation and He's given us life. Real life in Jesus Christ.

And so we speak grace over every person in this room, and we speak life. Real life in Jesus Christ over each of you. So as you go from here today, I pray that you would go in the strong presence of Jesus who lives and reigns and is personal, intimate with you. Not only does He know you, He loves you, and He wants to be with you. He desires you. You are His creation. And so walk in the abundant life of Jesus Christ. Do it now and forever in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Have a great Sunday, everyone. We love you.

No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand. Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand. Amen. Go in peace.