[00:00:00] Good morning, central. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. So glad to have you here. Thank you for being in this room and whichever campus you are watching this from. We are acknowledging that we know you're there. You matter to us. You're a part of us and you might be watching this online and we wanna welcome you as well. 
 Uh, why don't we go ahead right now and just open your Bibles to acts chapter five. Uh, we'll be there and in just a few moments. And, uh, I, I, I told you at the end of the message last week that I was gonna tell you about one of the worst things I ever did to my son. And I'm gonna keep that promise now, before I tell you what I did, you're gonna ask me, what was I thinking? 
 And the correct answer to that question is what I wasn't, I wasn't, I absolutely was not think. Hey, here's how here's what happened. Okay. This goes way back. I, I wanna say that Jeremy was in about the fifth grade. Um, that's where I remember that's where he remembers it. Um, [00:01:00] uh, this is before, uh, Diamondback's baseball came to Arizona. 
 All right. And my son, Jeremy is a, uh, just an, a crazy, crazy, crazy, uh, Yankees fan these days. But in that day it was, uh, the Dodgers. He was a Dodgers. And if you know him, it's hard to believe. How did he convert? I don't know you met somebody. I don't know. Uh, but, but he was a big, he was this crazy fan of the Dodgers, but there was one player on the Dodgers that he was most crazy about. 
 All right. Now you might or might not have heard of this guy. Uh, he is a big deal in his day. His name was Orel Hershiser. Okay. We have pictures. This is Orel Hershiser, and Jeremy was smitten with Orel Hershiser. And so, um, one day I don't remember where we were. But we were somewhere and Orel, uh, had been injured. 
 He was rehabbing and there was a game where he was gonna pitch. And so Jeremy and I think my family went, we went to watch this game and, uh, I'm just telling you, he was over the [00:02:00] top. It was, everything was Orel Hershiser. So now with that all said, um, he went to Highland elementary school Highland is right next to our Mesa campus. 
 So those of you in Mesa, Uh, where that is. Uh, I was a youth pastor at the time. I had a couple of my friends who were U on our youth staff were sitting in my office and Jeremy was at school and I had a baseball, just a regular beat up baseball, just like this one, uh, that was on my desk. And I don't know why this thought crossed my mind, but I picked up a pen and I autographed it with Orel Hershiser's autograph and Jeremy, uh, after school would come hang out with us. 
 And so he walks over and this ball is sitting on my desk and he sees it and he sees a name and he recognizes it as Orel Hershiser. And he goes nutso. I don't know how to explain it, but it was like, dad, where the, how did you get that? And then it was like, guys, I, I knew I was doomed. [00:03:00] It was like, this is gonna go really bad. 
 There is no easy way out of this. And he was just like jumping up and down and he can, I have it. Can I have it? Of course you can have it son. Of course you can. It's very valuable. and so he is so excited and then I realized I've got a real, huge dilemma, cuz I've just totally lied to him. I, it was meant to be a prank. 
 It was just meant to be even fun, but it went really bad. Okay. So, um, at some point I have to break the news to. Um, he was in college. no, that's not true. That's not true. I don't know how long it was a day or two. I had to, I had to say to him, son, I need to tell you. And he looked at me disappointed, as you can imagine. 
 And he lit literally it's like, dad, how could you, how could you do that to me son? Cuz I'm an idiot. And I had no idea if that's where the story ended. That would be awesome. Just forget about it and let's grow up and move. But Jeremy, I don't know [00:04:00] if you know this, but he became a preacher. , he's a preacher preachers like to tell stories. 
 And one of the stories Jeremy likes to tell is why he has dad issues. and this story always comes out when he's gonna talk about, you know, just the fun of growing up in our house. And so he was preaching one day in our church and, uh, he told that story. This is years later. You know, way beyond college and he preaches, he tells this story about this autograph of Orel Hershiser people in the church go, your dad. 
 I can't believe him. What would make him do that? I don't know. I'm an idiot. He tells that story. Well, there's a guy in the audience named mark Rita, who was, uh, a, uh, and I'm probably don't remember this exactly right. Executive producer, broadcast producer or something for Diamondback's baseball and also Fox sports. 
 And he hears this story and he goes, I cannot believe your dad did that. And that's all I needed. Right? I, where you feel horrible. And so he's listening and he's going, that's just wrong. That's wrong on every [00:05:00] level, it's just wrong. Well, he runs in the circles where he, uh, visits with other announcers and Orel. 
 Hershiser is an announcer. So he's sitting somewhere where Orel and he goes, can I tell you a story? My preacher did. He tells Orel Hershiser what I did. And Orel Hershiser goes, that's the saddest thing. I think I've ever heard a dad ever do. And so Orel, uh, said, look, let's make this right. So Orel, um, Orel autograph, the baseball, I wanna read this. 
 It says two, Jeremy, this is the real deal. Orel Hershiser. So Jeremy gets up and says, you know, wow, that guy told you a story about what my dad did. And he goes, can I tell you the rest, as he tells this whole story about how he's got this ball now from Orel Hershiser, and then he, he caps the story off. He says, this what dad, what you meant for harm. 
 God meant for good [00:06:00] comes straight from the book of Genesis. And then I had to get up and say, son, I got your Orel Hershiser signature one way or the other, you got it. And I took credit for it. No, that's good. okay. I, I, I want to use that as an explanation for something that is very real and relevant to us today, we are living in a world of counterfeits. 
 That's that's what that was. That was a counterfeit. And. We live in this world all the time. We could spend hours talking about this. I'm not going to do that just for the sake of the fact that I think we all understand this, but this is the dilemma of which we are all facing. I have here two pairs of shoes. 
 These are both air Jordans. All right. One of these cost, $120 when they were purchased. One of them cost $20 when they were purchased. One of them is real and one of them is, is a Chinese knockoff. [00:07:00] Now I don't know how sharp of an I you have for shoes. But if you had to pick, you know, this has detailing on it, this does not have, it's got, uh, the 23 is on the back. 
 It's not on these, it's got air Jordan stitched into it on the back and on the side, this has a, looks like a molded label. And, and so if you were to just judge, you would just go, I don't know. It looks like, and I don't know which one you choose. These are the frauds. These are the genuine. now somebody who knows shoes would be able to figure that out really quickly. 
 But the rest of us, like, I don't know, I, I don't know which would be real. I don't know, but we live in a world in which we're constantly having to assess. What's true. What's fake. And, and, and this, it, it becomes very, very, very much a part, uh, of what we're gonna talk about today. Um, the opposite of a counterfeit would be what we would call genuine. 
 It would be genuine. [00:08:00] Let me make sure we understand a definition of genuine. I'm just gonna read this from dictionary.com. All right. Genuine two definitions, possessing, the claimed or attributed character quality or origin, not counterfeit, authentic real three from pretense. Uh, a affectation or hypocrisy sincere, sincere. 
 See, see my Bible. Which I've had for 15 years, probably. I don't know how long I've had this Bible, but it's held up really, really well, because right there, it says genuine leather, genuine leather, you know, it it's D it's real. It's gonna LA it's not bonded leather. If you have a bonded leather Bible, you might see the cover coming off. 
 So it says it's genuine, but how do I know it's genuine when you buy it? You, you have to trust somebody who's telling you something and then you, you know, use your own eyes to see it. Now I, I wanna just give you a simple kind of contrast between genuine, all right. If something counterfeit is not what it [00:09:00] appears to be something genuine is exactly what it appears to be. 
 It's just a simple little framework that we're gonna work from it counter. If it is not what it appears to be genuine, it is what it appears to be genuine is real, authentic, sincere. And I guess you could say it this way, that, which is counterfeit will always be cheap. That, which is genuine will always be valuable. 
 Now here's the point I wanna make no one ever counterfeits cheap things, no one ever counterfeits, something that's not valuable. You only counterfeits something that has value. So we live in a world where you, you, you, you might come across a counterfeit, a hundred dollars. Because a hundred dollars bill is valuable. 
 So if we can counterfeit it, you, you might come across a counterfeit Rolex watch you, you might run across a counterfeit diamond. It's cubic zirconium, but you didn't know that. And you thought, and that a jeweler [00:10:00] goes, you gotta be kidding. This is fake. We live in a world of this kind of deception. All deception is. 
 It's counterfeit truth. That's all it is. It's just counterfeiting truth. And, and we live in a world where all kinds of things are pedal also kinds of things. You, I could look at my Louis Viton purse. That's not Louis. Viton look, look at this. Whoa was 100% silk. Look at this 100%. Whoa. That's not silk. 
 That's not wool. All right. Now talking about things that get counterfeited. Now I'm gonna take a, I'm gonna take a turn here. Listen. Careful. there is nothing you possess in your life. More valuable, whether you understand this or not than your faith, there's nothing worth more. There is nothing that's gonna carry you further float you higher sustain you longer than your faith in God. 
 There is nothing more [00:11:00] valuable and there is nothing more often counterfeited than faith in God. People fake it. All the. It's cuz it's valuable and we know it's valuable. Um, when, when somebody does this, we have a word that we use, the word is, well, we call it hypocrisy, hypocrisy. You know, the, the whole idea of pretending to be something that you're not, it's very, very real. 
 It's very, very prevalent. I, I don't think there's very many things that are more repulsive to God than counterfeiting his faith, genuine faith. I don't, I just think I, how, why do I think. Let me just walk you quickly through a couple of passages. Now you might be going, Hey pastor. I thought we were gonna start the book of James. 
 Why do we do it in Acts Orel Hershiser curve ball coming at you? Okay. Uh, we're gonna get to James. We're only gonna look at one verse in James. I'm gonna do at the very end. I need to make sure you understand why we're studying the book of James. So let me just take you [00:12:00] to acts chapter five. This is, uh, this was a day in church. 
 One time I, there was not many days in church like this. So acts chapter five, gonna begin reading verse one, I'll just tell you what happened. You might be familiar with this story. It's an interesting story. It's a word, uh, from God that might want to cause us to pause a little bit here. Here's what it says. 
 Now, a man named Ananias together with his wife. Safara also sold a piece of property. Let me put the word also in there to explain it because in the end of the last chapter, you started to realize that church was boom. And people are going, I wanna give to this, I wanna help resource this. I wanna make sure this last and it gets spread. 
 And so they were sacrificing, they were selling all kinds of things. One of the most valuable things, people were selling were pieces of property. And they were saying, Hey, I wanna give this to the church. That's what's happening. So Anais, they also sold a piece of property. That's what that told you. All right now with his wife's full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles. 
 now right now you [00:13:00] should be going uhoh something's going on here. What's he doing now? Yeah. See, he's gonna try to fake sincerity here. He's gonna try to fake the, the, the spirit of God. He's gonna try to ju Peter. Okay. Then Peter has said, because God pinged Peter in his heart. The Peter said, Anan, how is it that Satan? 
 Has so filled your heart, that you have lied to the holy spirit and have kept yourself some of the money you receive for the land. Now, listen, what he says, listen, it's important. Didn't it belong to you before it was sold and after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? 
 You have not lied just to human beings, but to God. Yeah. See the point is, and an is you could have brought half of the proceeds. And so we sold a piece of property. We're gonna use half or another thing we're interested in, but we want to give this half to the. That's not what he did. He gave it. And he said, he kept happy. 
 He said, this is all we got, we're giving everything because he wanted to be in on the [00:14:00] praise that was going around about those people sacrifice. And you know what they did, you know, those, that family, you know, what this family did and they wanted to be counted among the donors, the charitable, you know, generous, uh, God minded and Peter. 
 Nope. When Anne and I has heard this get ready, get ready. He fell down and died. 
 Whoa. It kind of gives you cops to pause, right? I think tries before I go to church. All right. Listen, what happens? Um, and great fear ceased all who heard why it happened. I love that you think you suppose. I I'm, I'm guessing it would. Okay. Then some young men came forward and wrapped up his body and carried him out and buried him. 
 Now. Now about three hours later, his wife came in not knowing what had happened. See, there was a buzz going on about what happened to Anais, but it never got Toshi. So his wife is [00:15:00] brought in and, uh, no idea. Um, Peter, as her tell me, is this the price you and Ann and IAS got for the land? And she said, uh, yes, that is the price. 
 which it's not. All right. Peter said to her, how could you conspire to test the spirit of the Lord? Listen, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out. Also at, at that moment, she fell down at his feet and died. And then the young men came in, finding her dead, carried her out and buried herbicide, her husband. 
 And then I think one of the most understated verses in the. Follow. I just love this. It's kind of part two of what happened after an Anais. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. I imagine the offering the next week was probably the biggest in the church's history. How could you lie? 
 What made you think you could get away with this? You see, we tend to bring into the church, the mindsets that we have in [00:16:00] the world, we tend to think this is how it operates. This is how the world works. This is. How the world works in the church. The church is not emulating the world. Let me, I gotta show you something else though. 
 Um, just talking about how, how this repulses, God, you just go quickly over turn to the left here, go over to Matthew chapter 23, go to Matthew 23. I just gotta show you this fast. I, I think it's fair to say that there is nothing more repulsive to God than counterfeiting. and, and, uh, there is nothing more repulsive to God than plastic. 
 Well, you know, Christianity, plastic belief, you know, fake. All right. So in Matthews, chapter 23, You get this warning, uh, that Jesus is gonna give us about being phony. All right. So this is what it says. Let me, lemme show you Matthew 23, let's start with verse one. Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, the teachers of the law and the PISE, he sit in [00:17:00] Moses' seat, meaning from the authority of Moses. 
 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you, because what they told you is true, but do not do what they do for, they do not practice what they preach. This is Jesus calling out the most religious people, the ones that everyone will look at and go, oh, if I could only be spiritual, like them, Jesus goes, Hey, do what they say, but don't do what they do because they don't do what they say they do now. 
 That's pretty, pretty sharp. That's pretty stark. And, and then if you just keep working your way down, just real fast, just look down in your Bible. Look at verse 13, 13, 13 begins. What do you teachers of the law Pharisees, you hypocrites. He calls 'em out on that point. Verse 15. What do you teachers of the law Pharisees, you hypocrites go down to verse 16. 
 What do you blind guides. And then he lays into them. Look down at verse 23. What do you teachers of the law and Pharisees you hypocrites. And he's just nailing them a point after point after point, but thus the most severe thing he says, look down, look down here at verses [00:18:00] 25 and 26. What do you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites, you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence blind Pharisee first clean the inside of the cup and dish. 
 And then the outside will be clean. He just calls him out. He goes, you're filthy. I know what's going on, but nothing is stronger than I think versus 23 down, uh, 27. Down to 28 of chapter 23. What are you teachers of the law? You Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean in the same way on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 
 Wow. That is scathing. Jesus goes right on. Just goes. Who do you think you're fooling to say? Here's the deal? they're fooling everybody, but God cuz everybody, but God [00:19:00] knows what's actually going on. Let me paraphrase. If you didn't get what Jesus was saying is you are not what you are appearing to be. You are not who you are presenting yourself to be. 
 And it's a strong indictment. You kind of get the sense that God despised his deception. Well, why, why would that be? Why would God despise deception? Well, deception is the counterfeit of truth. here's why God, okay, listen, this is really simple, but it's real important. Why does God despise deception? 
 Because God is truth. His nature is true. E everything he touches is true. His world is true. It's real, it's authentic. It's genuine. And so when anyone comes along and tries to pose office, something that he knows is not true. he immediately immediately recognizes that's fake. That's not real. That's not genuine. 
 Um, [00:20:00] in, uh, John 17, 17, Jesus said this prayer. He said, sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. Now, now listen, look at me. Look at me. Okay. Where we are. God never will lie to. I, I, I know you have to take that on faith and you have to wrestle with it, but he'll never lie to you. He's never gonna intentionally deceive you. 
 And, and, and we, we say you can't handle the truth, but the only thing God handles is the truth. All deception is a counterfeit and he is aware of it and he sees it. Now, let me just put a little par kind of parentheses. folks we're living in an incredibly deceptive age and you didn't need to come to church to hear that discovered. 
 I mean, we live in a, we live in a, a world where, you know, depending on what you watch in, in terms of news is gonna give you an idea what they [00:21:00] say is happening. And I I'm, I'm gonna take any side on anything. I'm gonna be. Yeah, your, your day to day life now is trying to discern, is this real? Is this real? 
 Is this for, did this really happen? What did the, and we, we live in an age of fake news and spin and deflection and intentional deception. And, and I, I just wanna make a pastoral comment on our country. All right. If you were ever inclined to want to pray for the welfare of this country now would be a great time because. 
 Matters and deception destroys and we're in trouble folks because we have grown accustomed to deception and I'm not making any political statement about any political thing. I'm talking about the system, which, which we live in, pray for your country, cuz truth matters. Whatever is true matters. What's what's deception. 
 It's counterfeiting. [00:22:00] Now leave that let's go to the book of James. Okay. I told you we're gonna get to the book of James. I'm almost done here. So just jump over to the book of James. Now you got some idea of what we're gonna talk about in the book of James. We're gonna talk about authentic Christianity. 
 We're gonna talk about real Christianity. We're gonna talk about what faith ought to do to you in the way you live your life. It, it, it's kind of how you can sniff out. What's, you know, what's authentic and what's counter. Wh when somebody's pulling one over on you, James is gonna help us discern that. But again, today, all we gotta do is just look at one, one, uh, one verse. 
 See the theme of the book of James that we're gonna look at is living the, a genuine life, living a genuine life. And that you'll hear that over and over again. But the book of James just begins with a simple verse. This is what it says, but I just wanna make sure that we understand who we're listening to and what's happening here. 
 So it says this in James, one, one James, a servant of God and of the Lord. Jesus. To the 12 tribes scattered [00:23:00] among the nations greetings. That's it. That's our verse for today. Okay. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes scattered among the nations greetings. Now who's James. 
 Now the James is a very popular name in the Bible. There's a number of James. I don't have time to show you each one, but, but I wanna just say this just let's just go with this. This is the common understanding, James. The brother of Jesus. Okay. And you've been going brother of Jesus. I didn't know Jesus had any brothers. 
 Yeah. He's identified a number of times. That's the brother of Jesus. Okay. Now let me go. No, no, no, no. Don't no, listen. Okay. I, I know we get this idea, you know, Mary, you know, immaculate, you know, all of this perpetual. Okay. I get all that. All right. But if you just read it, can't quite be like that. Okay. 
 Here's. Like now mark six three [00:24:00] says, isn't this the carpenter they're talking about Jesus, isn't this the carpenter Jesus, isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon. Aren't his sisters here with us and they took offense at him. This is J this is Mary's son. You know, Mary, they, they live down the lane. 
 You know, the, the white house with the picket fence them. And, uh, look, we know his brothers, this can't, you see, you see the word was building that he was more than he appeared to be. And, and people were catching on going, who is this guy? I wanna show you something. Uh, James, the brother of, one of the brothers of Jesus. 
 He wasn't a believer. I need you to know that he didn't buy it. He didn't drink it. Okay. He's like Uhuh. And, and, and in all fairness to James, I've laugh about this many times. If you had a brother who said, [00:25:00] Hey, just so you know, I'm the son of God, , you'd be skeptical fair. So it's not like he's out there. 
 He's just like, yeah, bro, whatever. But, but James, the, you know, he's got, got questions. Let, let me just show you. He's not a fan of his. It much less. Is he a believer in his brother mark? 3 21. It says when his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him for, they said he's out of his mind. So the family shows up to kind of go, Jesus, we gotta get you. 
 We gotta get you help, man. You got this Messiah thing going on and we gotta, he can help himself. Let's take charge of him. Okay. I just need you to see. Uh, John seven, I think it's so sarcastic. It's funny to me, John seven three says Jesus' brother said to him, this pure sarcasm, Hey Mr. Messiah in the making, what are you doing back here in the Hills of Galilee? 
 Why don't you hit the strip in Vegas? So you can get your name in lights and getting on. That's not [00:26:00] exactly how it reads, but that's the point Jesus' brother said to him, leave Galilee and go to Judea. That's where Jerusalem is. So that your disciples may see all the works you do. Now. No one who wants to become a public figure action secret. 
 Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world. Come on, hit the big time, bro. Put your name up in lights and Jerusalem for even his own brothers did not believe in him. So, Hey man, you've got some questions about Jesus. You're a little skeptical, little cynical, just like the family of Jesus. 
 Except something changed, something changed, and I need to make sure you see what changed. Something clicked inside of James and his brothers, by the way. But you know what happened be because let me show you all right. Let me just show you, um, this thing happened that we celebrate [00:27:00] every springtime called the resurrection. 
 You know, the resurrection would change your mind if your brother. You thought he was a Messiah and, and then, and then they killed them. They crucified him, they buried him. And then you had a conversation with him a day or two later you would go, okay. Maybe I missed J may I was a little quick, uh, first Corinthians 15, six says after that he, Jesus appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time. 
 Most of whom are still living though. Some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James. His own brother appeared to James then to all the apostles. And last of all, he appeared to me. Also, Paul says as to when I'm normally born on the road to Damascus, here's what you need to understand about James. We picked this up in the book of Galatians when we were there in the springtime, James becomes the head of the church in Jerusalem, years after Jesus rose from the dead, he changed his [00:28:00] whole life. 
 He changed his whole orientation. He became a. he quit the, the, the sarcasm and the cynicism about his brother. And he became a believer. He became a follower of his own brother. He becomes head of the church and in Jerusalem, he's the man. He is the man. And I disappointed I wanna make here. So stay with me. 
 Uh, acts 15, 12, and 13. The whole assembly became silent as this is what's called the Jerusalem council. This. that issue of Judaism that we were talking about in the book of Galatians when Paul and Barnabas had to go get, get a hearing from the leaders of the church of the leaders of the church led by James, the brother of Jesus. 
 All right. The whole simply became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them when they finished James spoke up. Why, why does that matter? Cuz he's the voice that matters. He's the one also, just so you know, whenever you come across in the Bible, uh, [00:29:00] James, this James, he, he, he was nicknamed James. 
 The, just, if you ever see that James, the J not biblical, but it was the, the moniker, this guy, you count on him. He's just, he was also, by the way, they called him old camel niece. He, he, he, they say he spent so much time on his knees in prayer. He developed callouses on his knees, so they nicknamed them old camel knee. 
 That's this guy now, why am I telling you all that? I just want you to see James one, one, James, a servant of God and of the Lord. Jesus Christ. Here's my question. Wouldn't you drop in there, James, a servant of God and of the Lord. Jesus Christ, who is my personal brother, right? When you drop that in there. 
 Hey, uh, just so you know, I'm not just any James. I am the brother of Jesus, James. You, you see, he's got credentials. He can just drop and everyone go, oh, back out [00:30:00] that's brother, Jesus. He can easily be revered for his family. He didn't drop any of that. He's not leading into the conversation we're gonna have with, you know, who I am. 
 I'm kind of a big deal. I'm the brother of Jesus. Okay. Just so you know, he doesn't do. Yeah, I'm just a servant, the Lord of God and of the Lord. Jesus. That's all. In other words, I'm not gonna lead with my identity. I'm gonna lead with my integrity. Huge difference with what he's gonna talk about. And by the way, he just says to the 12 tribe scattered abroad, just so you understand the 12 tribe scattered abroad are not the 12 tribes of the old Testament. 
 He's not writing to old Testament audience. He's writing to us. The Israel of God as James con, as, uh, Paul concluded the book of the Israel of God. This is the fulfillment of that, which God established in the old and brought the fulfillment in Jesus. So 12 tribes abroad of which you're part, this is called the [00:31:00] church. 
 So I'm right into the church. All right. All right. Now we'll pick this up next. And, uh, you're gonna see why all this matters, but, uh, before I close, I gotta read one more. Ver I'm just gonna read it. We won't study it, James, five 16, therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. 
 We're gonna talk about the confession. And so I just thought I'd in this message with the same way I began. I began by telling you it's a really stupid thing I did with a baseball. I wish that were the only really stupid thing I did with a baseball or with my son, but it's not the only stupid thing I've ever. 
 I just gotta tell you about one more. I'll tell it really quick. All right. Uh, so when Jeremy was probably about two years old, uh, I think we're getting ready to move. And, um, I was in the attic pulling boxes and he was in the garage helping me kind of go through the boxes. We were trying to figure out what, you know, we're gonna get rid of whatever. 
 And we opened up a box and again, he's two years old and right out the top of the box are these pair of ski, mittens, uh, leather [00:32:00] ski mitten. Okay. And he goes, dad, what are those? And I explained to him, I said, they're they're to keep your hands warm when you're out in the cold. And when you go skiing, he goes, can I wear 'em? 
 So I put these mittens on and they took up his whole arm. He's just a little kid. He, he goes, look down, he look, look at me. And he was just as cute and as adorable as you could be. And I said, you gotta go show your. Yeah. And, and so, um, I opened the door. He goes, and I, I I'm in the garage, but this is what I picture, you know, he's just running down the hallway with his mittens. 
 Oh. And my wife, Lisa was in the back bedroom. She, uh, was talking on the phone and by the way, phones used to have cords. You're kind of stuck. And so she's sitting on the side of the bed and she's talking to someone and Jeremy comes around the corner and he's just all excited. Look at me, look at me, look at me. 
 And so he, he goes and. And she, uh, apparently didn't really, uh, see him or notice him or whatever she's on in a conversation don't fall [00:33:00] her. But, um, meanwhile, while all this is going on and he's trying to get her attention, I stay looking in that box and I find it. I find it. I've been looking for this thing forever. 
 It was a mask that I had bought a year or two before a Halloween mask. I was a youth pastor. This was an important tool. And I saw this thing. I don't know how to describe it, had this, all this really disheveled hair and gore and all this messed up face. And it had this eyeball hanging out on the cheek and socket and it was awesome. 
 It was a genuine, real Halloween mask and I couldn't find it. And now I found it. And I couldn't help myself. I put it on and I'm tugging and trying to get it, cuz it's a real mask. And then I open the door and I start down the hallway and I'm growling and I'm walking down the hallway and I just gotta find the little guy and I come around the corner and he's just like, [00:34:00] and I growl. 
 He, he screamed. He screamed really loud. He, he was terrified. He was so loud immediately. My wife turns from the phone, looks at him, tries to figure out what just happened. She turns and looks at me and she gives me that look that only a wife can give you, you know, that you are the biggest idiot. What have you. 
 And she's then hang on, hang on, hang on. And she's trying to comfort Jeremy, you know, it's okay. It's okay. And I'm just going get the mask off and I am trying my, have you ever tried to pull a Halloween mask off when you're in a panic? It's really hard and I'm trying, it's just, it's your, it's just your, it's your dad. 
 It's just your dad. He's an idiot. I'm sorry. And, and I finally get, and then if he, uh, he didn't say this. When finally he sees this me, I know what he's thinking. And [00:35:00] this is what he's thinking, dad, how could you, how could you, this is the same thing, dad. How could you, nobody likes to be deceived. Nobody likes to experience a counterfeit. 
 What would church look like? If we all just committed all masks, come off before we come. all masks come off. Church could be one of the most dishonest places you'll ever spend time. How about we commit not to, we're not gonna do that. We just take the mask off and say, Hey, yeah, this is the real, this is my real struggle. 
 This is my real issue. This is the thing I'm being kicked in the butt by. This is the thing that's hurting my marriage right now. What if we formed communities of people that could just be that genuine, because if we don't, I think God would look at us and. what were you thinking? I don't know, man. I really wasn't. 
 What if we did, let me pray. [00:36:00] So God, uh, thanks for your word. And just kind of helping us to realize that we can fool one another, but we'll never fool you and I will never fool you and God keep that, but very much in front of me, but not just me. Every one of us, God, I don't want to play church. I don't want play a faith. 
 I don't want to counterfeit that, which is real with something cheap. God. So help me to sort this out in my day to day life. As I ask you, help every single person sort it out. Thank you God. For who you are. We love you in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you guys, John.