What Every Warrior Needs to Hear - Warrior

but also affirmation, especially when it can come from a male voice. There's something different about

hear

ing it from a trusted man, and it doesn't have to be just a father. Some single mothers might say, well, I'm up the river without a paddle. No, that's one of the reasons why church is so important. Because we are the body of Christ and godly men can speak into the lives of children and do so

every

week on Life Kids and Switch. For

every

man who serves, his role is very important and it is possible that he is representing a father figure.

There's something about a man saying, you're ready. You have

what

it takes. You are equipped, you can fight and you can win. You have

what

it takes. Speaking of my dad, I'll tell you another controversial story from Groeschel's fatherhood history book. Now you know where I got my lack of judgment from. My dad did something when I was a kid and whether it was the right thing to do or not is still debated. In second grade I got beat up. I just had my watch cleaned by this big bully who was a year older and 30 pounds heavier, which isn't much if you're 200 pounds, but when you're 50 pounds, that's a giant.

I came home all bloody and bruised and mom took care of me like moms do and I loved her. Dad came home and his strategy was completely different. He didn't take care of me at all. He said, well, go out to the garage. And we went out to the garage and he took an old paint bucket, turned it upside down, sat on it, looked me in the eyes and said, we're going to turn this garage into a gym and I'm going to show you how to do it. struggle. We turned that thing around, it was like Rocky Balboa would have liked to train in that garage.

And over the weekend my dad taught me the tricks of the trade. He didn't teach me how to fight fair, I hate to tell you that. He taught me the basics, how to block, where to duck, where to keep my hands, how to throw a punch, how to throw a punch, where to throw the first one, where to throw the second one, what to do with your knees, what parts of the body were vulnerable when attacking to a man, how to push, how to bite, how to scratch, what you could do with your eyes, what you could do with your ears, what you could do with places that I don't want to describe.

My dad taught me how to fight. And at the end of the weekend training, which I thought was preparing me for anything in the future, he said he, now you go back to school on Monday. (Audience laughs) I told you it was controversial. And he said, go up to that bully and go up to him the first thing you do, look him in the eyes and tell him, don't ever do that to me again. And I'm like uhuhuhuhuhuh. And he said, what he'll do at that moment is look at you and say, or else? And then just look him in the eyes and with all confidence I want you to know that I have prepared you, that you have what it takes.

I promise you, you know a lot more than him. He may be bigger, but you can defend yourself. Tell him that if he starts, you will finish it. I didn't sleep that night. (Audience laughs) The next day, in second grade, I walk in. (Audience laughs) There it is. Scared to death, I approached him, looked into his eyes, trembling. Do you ever know that when you try to say something and you just know when you say it it's like, woaaah, your voice is going to crack and it's going to be horrible? That was me and I looked at him and said, don't ever do that to me again.

As the words started coming out, something happened inside of me and I went from being afraid to almost having this posture of confidence. Don't ever do that to me again. And he looked at me like in the script and said, or else? And I said, if you start it I promise, suddenly there was trust. Everything my dad said I believed. Or else, you start and I'll finish it. He paused and said nothing for about 30 minutes. (Audience laughs) All the children stopped moving. (Audience laughs) The birds stopped singing. (Audience laughs) He looked me in the eyes, as if he was asking me: are you lying?

He wasn't lying. And he said, well, then we might as well be friends. (audience laughing) And we were, and we were. (Audience laughing and applauding) I can't tell you how many times that same scene has played out in countless different contexts in my life. Not hand-to-hand combat with a bully, but sometimes face to face with my own insecurities. The inner voice says: you will not be good enough. You are not holy enough for this. You don't have what it takes, but my mom's care and my dad's affirmation somehow gave me the inner strength to say: I can fight, I can win.

Another voice that tells me, I believe in you. I am proud of you, no matter what happens, I will always love you. You gave me the inner confidence to stay strong and fight my own fears. But it wasn't just the affirmation that mattered so much, but also the affection. It's a mom saying I love you. She is a father, a man, a trusted figure, a man who says: I care about you. The strange thing is that many kids don't know how to say that. We don't know how to express our emotions because maybe we don't receive much verbal or even physical affection so we don't know how to give it and that's why the only time many guys say they love.

It is if you're at a bar and it's 1:30 in the morning and you're drunk and you love the guy you just met. I love you man, I love you, you're my best friend. I love you too, man, I love you too. (Audience laughs) I wouldn't know that firsthand. (audience laughs) At least not in the last three decades, but I love you, man. That's why men usually compliment each other, not with affection, hey, I just want you to know that I really love you like my brother, I love you. No, what they do is cut each other, that's how we show affection to each other as men.

My closest friends tell me all the time: How did a loser like you get a wife like Amy? (laughs) I say thank you, thank you. It's a compliment. (Audience laughs) That's how men do it. No woman comes up to Amy and says, How did a skinny-legged thing like you get a man like Craig? They wouldn't be friends, it doesn't work that way. Men in the church, your role is very important in the lives of the children of this church. To look at someone's life on Switch and say: I believe in you. I believe in you. I know you may have made a mistake somewhere, but you have what it takes.

You have what it takes. I was 40 years old and our church won some award. Something that seemed very significant to me, I don't even remember what it was at the time, but I do remember the card my dad gave me. That on the outside said: you did well, I knew you would. And then I opened it and on the inside he wrote, "Well, Groesch," because he calls me Groesch. Beware the baseball language: "Well, Groesch, you're the No. 1 draft pick made by God himself." "Welcome to the big leagues. "Love, Dad." Ah. Here I am all these years later, as a grown man with six children, deeply moved by the affirmation and affection of a man in my life.

Some of you are like, ah, well Craig, I'm so glad that you and your dad are close. My dad was a jerk, blah, blah, blah, blah, la, la, la. My dad and I are very close today, but No. It was always like that. The good news is that my father has been sober for more than a quarter of a century (audience applauds and applauds). But he wasn't sober when I was a kid. The problem was alcohol, my problem was anger. This is what I want you to know,

warrior

s. We are close today, but we are not because we did not hurt each other because the wound healed (audience applauding) And what I know, every family has something strange, it's just a In fact, if you think yours is not, everyone else knows that you are something strange.

Every family has something hurt. Today I came to talk to some

warrior

s. The warriors of the house, strengthened by the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead. (audience clapping and applauding) As warriors, I hope you understand that you have someone to protect. You have a kingdom to advance. And you have a battle to win. Sometimes the biggest battles you fight are not the battles that everyone sees on the outside, they are the battles that need to be healed on the inside. I came to tell a warrior that you are strong in the Lord. You are mighty in his power.

That by the wounds of Jesus, on his back, you may be healed of every wound that holds you back. As far as it's up to you, warrior, do what's right. You must be strong enough to step in and fight for what matters, but also be strong enough to apologize when you are wrong. Have the faith and courage to receive an apology and forgive others as you yourself have been forgiven by Christ. Have the strength to intervene and say: I love you. I care about you. I'm proud of you. I believe in you. Don't hold that back even for a moment.

Don't you dare feel it and not express it. Release every blessing within to empower another warrior in their

hear

ts. Your children need it. Our children need it. My children, they need it from you and I will give it to them. You have what it takes. No weapon formed against you will prosper. Your spiritual enemy is attacking every warrior to steal, kill and destroy. You just look at the devil and say, not today, devil, you're a liar. Devil, everything you start, I will finish with the power of Christ within me I will overcome it. Arise, men of God, arise, women of faith.

Get ready to fight and fight to win. You have the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the belt of truth, you put on those shoes that are prepared and you walk into battle. And when the enemy rages against you, you stand firm. When you have done everything else, warriors, you remain steadfast, never give up. You never back down, you engage in battle. For some of you, your biggest battle is the addiction before you. If you face it, you are as strong as you are honest. You get into it, you confess it.

You surround yourself with other warriors and say, devil, you won't use this against me. In Christ I will find freedom because whoever the Son has freed, he is truly free. Others of you, it's his marriage. Fight for it, warrior, fight for it. Don't go back, keep loving. Take charge of your part, don't point fingers at others all the time. Intervene and say, this is where I went wrong. Have the courage to own it. Have the courage to apologize. Fight for financial freedom. Don't live paycheck to paycheck damaging your entire life. Let Jesus align your values, so you can be free to be generous on every occasion, representing the goodness of God.

Don't let the devil tell you that you can't win. Devil, you can't have my family, you can't have my faith, you can't have my children, you can't steal my testimony, the risen Christ lives within me. And warriors, you show up and fight again. If anyone has ever told you, you have what it takes. Let this wounded warrior tell you that with Christ you can do everything He calls you to do. Our God believes in you enough to send his son to die for you, to impart his spirit to fill you, to strengthen you to do all that our God has created you to do.

In the end, you will emerge victorious. You may not win every battle, but a warrior is not a warrior because he wins every time. A warrior is a warrior because he never gives up and never backs down. You continue fighting. Continue to let Christ shine. (audience applauding) And in the end, thanks to Christ, you will be victorious. So, Father, today we pray by faith that your Holy Spirit will do what only you can do to raise up godly warriors. Men of God, women of faith, who will not retreat from the attacks of the evil one. And God, wherever there is a wound in your presence today I ask that your Holy Spirit begin to begin the healing process.

God, give us the courage to forgive or apologize. God, give us the faith to impart life. I believe in you. I am so proud of you. No matter what I will always love you. In all of our churches, as you pray today, those of you who would say, there is a wound in my family and I want to believe in healing, forgiveness and restoration, would you raise your hands right now? All our churches, raise your hands. Raise your hands. God, I pray for every hurt and broken relationship. I pray, God, for those who are hearing this message, that to the extent it is up to them, they do the right thing.

Knowing that we cannot control the other person, but we can let our hearts be sensitive to what you would lead us to do. God, give us the strength to fight against the divisive forces of evil so that we can defend truth and love. Those of you who are parents and want to impart life to your children, would you raise your hand today? Parents, raise your hands. God, I pray that, as tempting as it is for us to find fault with our children, you did not, do not and never will. Instead, God, you would enable us to impart life.

Help us see where you are working in their lives. God, help us encourage the work of your spirit. God, I thank you for a church full of women and men working together to guide our children to become fully devoted followers of Christ. God, even today on Life Kids and even this week on Switch, thank you for every person who looks at a teenager and says: I believe in you. Christ is in you, you have what it takes. We thank you, God, that our children will not be conformed to the image of this world, but transformed by the renewing of their minds, God, that they may do your will.

As you continue to pray today, there are some of you who recognize that you are not really involved in the spiritual battle. You might say, I really don't know where I stand with God, and what I want to tell you very clearly is this: there is a battle going on for you right now in this moment.moment. The forces of darkness want to do everything they can to keep you from following Jesus. Who is Jesus? Let me tell you about the goodness of our God. Our God is so good that he sent his son Jesus, who was perfect in everything, he never sinned.

At his baptism God the Father said: this is my son Jesus, the son of God, who became sin for us on the cross. He died in our place for the forgiveness of our sins, but God raised him from the dead. Because? So, anyone and this includes you. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter how dark your life is. Anyone who calls on that name that is above every name, the name of Jesus, anyone who calls on his name would be forgiven, would be transformed, would be saved, would be made new. In all our churches today there are some of you who do not know where you stand with God.

Listen, it's time to let go of the past, turn away from sin, surrender completely. It's not that I'm a member of the church, it's not, yeah, I'm a good person now, no. I am completely giving my life to Christ. I am entering the spiritual battle. I am on Jesus' side. Jesus save me, forgive my sins, I give you my life. That's your prayer, raise your hands up now, everywhere and say, yes, that's my prayer. Here in this section, back there, here too, up here in this section, back there. Gosh, someone should thank our God a little.

Others of you today say: yes Jesus, save me, transform me. Church online, click right below me. I hope there are some warriors in the house who stand up today. All our churches, would you please just stand up? Arise pious warriors, stand up and together we will pray. Pray out loud with those around you. Pray, Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father. Forgive all my sins. Forgive all my sins. Jesus, save me. Jesus save me. Change me. Change me. Make me new. Make me new. Fill me with your spirit. Fill me with your spirit. So that I can do your will.

So that I can do your will. Always follow you. Always follow you. And fight the darkness. And fight the darkness. Jesus, my life. Jesus, my life. He is not mine. It is not mine. I give it to you. I give it to you. Give me someone to protect. Give me someone to protect. A kingdom to advance. A kingdom to advance. And a battle to win. And a battle to win. All for your glory. All for your glory. And for your strength. And for your strength. In the name of Jesus I pray. In the name of Jesus I pray.

And all of God's people let out a battle cry. Warriors, praise our God. (audience cheering and applauding) Hello, thank you for joining us here at Life Church. You know, as a church it is always our heart to see you continue to grow in your relationship with Christ. We have a great resource to help you do that, it's called Life.Church/next. There you can find all kinds of Resources that will help you continue growing in your relationship with Christ. And we'd love for you to subscribe and be part of our online community. Again, thanks for joining us and we'll see you next time.