Chris Hodges - Real Love Is Unconditional
All right, so good to see all of you here today in church. Welcome to week number one of a four-part series that we're calling "Unpopular Opinion". I'll tell you more about that in just a sec. But as always, want to take a moment, look into the camera and say hello to all of our locations, our churches all across Alabama and right into Georgia. Love you guys so, so very much. And to the men and women in the Alabama Department of Corrections, it's the most incredible honor not just to bring a church service to you every week, but also to all that we are, small groups, Growth Track, Dream Team, all that we are as a church into more than 21 facilities around the state of Alabama, God bless you guys. And, of course, there's always people watching online somewhere, and we're so glad that you're watching.
If you're at home, because of health, get healthy, take care of yourself. If you're home out of habit, we're asking you to come back into the room. There's nothing like being in the room, and we love you guys so very much. Come on, Grants Mill, put your hands together and say a big hello. Awesome, thank you for that. Hey, before I jump into the message, you already saw this on the Highlands news video package, and that is that we're launching 4,400, more than 4,400, and they're still registering, small groups for our winter/spring semester. If you're new to our church, we are a church of groups. So, the church is big because souls matter, life matter. The church is also small because you matter. So, this is a place where the big church gets small and gives you the opportunity to do basically our version of Sunday School, discipleship, dig into teachings like around getting out of debt, or getting your marriage better, or how to be single and stay saved, and just whatever. We have workout groups. We have parenting groups. There's all different kinds of groups, and we built a search engine, because I know 4,400 groups can be overwhelming.
And so you start plugging in your parameters, like I want it on this day and this time, this type of group. Does it have childcare? And it'll narrow them down to just a few for you to look at, and then there's a little blurb. Read the blurb, a little paragraph that describes the group. Call the leader. And honestly, I would even take it a step further and say you might have to shop for a group that you go the first time, don't feel obligated like, wow, just because you came once is the one you're committed to. I tell our leaders they're going to shop around. I think by week two or three of this semester, you should have found the group that you want to be a part of for 13 weeks until we get to the first week of May, but they will change your life forever, I promise you. They're a priority. It's very, very important.
One more thing before we get into the message today, and that is I want to tell you about the next series. We're starting one today. But in four weeks, beginning on March 6th, all the way to Easter, April 17th, we're gonna do a six-week study, a seven-week study, sorry, through the last seven days of Jesus's life on earth, the Passion Week. And the little journals and the handout that we gave you during the Beatitudes series was so popular, we're doing that again. So, on this Sunday, we'll have a full journal so that you could follow along every day, and it's going to be spectacular. And we're praying for just a lot of people to get saved on Easter Sunday, too, as we celebrate the resurrection of our King. Can I hear a good amen, everybody? All right, yeah. I'm just excited, and I want you to start planning for that.
Today, we're starting a series on relationships. Every year about this time, as we hang out around Valentine's Day, and as it starts to get a little bit warmer, and spring is right around the corner, I can't hardly wait. I'm not a winter person. Man, give me some flowers. You know what I'm saying? And I'm ready for some warmer weather and excited about it. We always try to make sure we focus every year on something around relationships. And several months ago in our creative meeting, someone spoke up and said, "Hey, you know, there's this new hashtag". And I'm not on social media. My team runs all of mine. But they were saying there's this new hashtag where people are getting bold with their opinions, and the hashtag is Unpopular Opinion. So, they're saying, hey, I know culture is saying this, but I want to throw something out there a bit different.
And I think sometimes they get it right; and obviously, sometimes they don't get it right. But when she said that, I thought, you know, that's really where we are in the area of relationships, that God has a way that is really an unpopular opinion, and the church, I think the world is trying to silence the church and the message of the gospel. I really do. And especially in the area of relationships, sexuality, purity, just family, devotion. Like, those are being challenged right now. I mean, there's an attack against the nuclear family, just a mom and a dad with some kids and a family. And the world is trying to redefine everything. So, we decided we're gonna put a series together that's called Unpopular Opinion, but it really is an opinion of God's that's been around forever, and we're gonna just challenge the world's culture and help all of us grow in Jesus' name. Right, everybody? Doesn't it sound good? For instance, for instance, there's some of the popular opinions like people are writing people off so fast right now, but God says, "No, no, I can put it back together".
In fact, people are bailing on marriage. You know, it's kind of a one and done. And I'm really honestly a bit appalled at how quickly people are breaking their marriage covenant because of whatever might've happened. You say, "Well, PC, you don't know my story". Maybe I don't. Maybe I would change my mind. But I know this. God's in the restoration business. He's in a put things back together business. Here's another unpopular opinion, and that is everybody thinks they have, I can have my truth. I have my truth. I hear that all the time now, especially from young people. Well, this is, I know you see it that way, but I see it this way. But how about we let the one who designed relationships define relationships, even if it's different from ours. And we're gonna talk about that a little bit. And then today's topic again, that I think is an unpopular opinion, is simply the definition of love, the definition of love.
In fact, if I were to give this message a title, I have several different titles, but one of them is, "Just What Is Love"? How would you define what real love is, and the Bible defines real love as without condition. Now, I'm gonna unpack that a little bit, and that already is sending red flags in your mind. And again, "Chris, if you knew my story, you would make a little bit more room for that definition". And maybe I would. But I know this, that the Bible has defined love, and he's calling us to a different level in our love relationship. You ready for this? With everybody. Not just the people you love, not even just the people you're supposed to love. I'm talking about even your enemies. God calls us to love our enemies. Pray for your enemies. Bless, bless your enemies. And you just rarely see anybody really even loving the people they're supposed to love, much less their enemies. Of course, we have this famous chapter.
And even people that aren't Christians have heard it. It's called the Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, and we hear it at weddings all the time. "Love is patient". Really? I mean, love is patient? Are we really allowing God to work that out in our hearts, and is that what our marriage looks like? Is that what it looks like with our kids? Is that what it looks like? "Love is kind". It does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. It's not dishonoring people. The word dishonor literally means to take and it means to remove the value from them. The opposite of to honor someone is to add value to them. God's called us to value everyone. It's not self-seeking. It's not easily angered. And I'm telling you, especially after the last two years, people are on edge. And even Christians, I'm just, I get so grieved when I see even how Christians attack other Christians. There's an onslaught, there's a critical spirit that has hit America. And we can't point the finger at those that are far from God. It's in the church. And the Bible says love doesn't do that.
In fact, love doesn't even keep a record, no records, no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, it always says, "I know you're going through a rough patch, and I know you're treating me like crazy. But you know what? I'm gonna set a bail on you. I'm gonna protect you. I know, son, you've run off, and you don't even believe in God anymore, and you've renounced our family. But, son, I'm going to fight for you the rest of my life". It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And wouldn't it be great if this was more than great poetry and a beautiful thing to say at a wedding with a guitar playing in the background? And somebody in the family who you're just trying to put a place because they didn't have a place in the bridesmaid party to read this. Right, everybody? That's how it works. You ran out. Anyway, but what if? And the Bible even takes it a step further and says, "I know you're not there yet".
And let me just say to you, the one speaking to you is not there yet, but that we're to make it our greatest aim. What if Christianity was supposed to be a journey? What if Christianity was supposed to be this process, not just when we continuously say, "Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. Let me get my fire insurance so I don't go to hell. Forgive me. Okay, I get in heaven. But I'm mean as a snake while I'm here on earth". What if Christianity was supposed to be this transformation of a person where little by little, one translation says from glory to glory, with an ever-increasing glory I'm becoming more and more like Jesus, and my heart is being changed. And even those that are my enemies, I'm learning how to love them. And God is doing something inside of me, and I'm not letting culture affect me, and I'm not gonna become critical with the rest of the world, and I'm not gonna be mean as a snake, and I'm not gonna honk at everybody on 280.
Come on, somebody. Where y'all at? God's changing me. A group of 100 professionals were trying to define love, and they thought probably one of the best places to discover what love really is was to ask those who had not been tainted by the world yet. So, they asked a group of four- to eight-year-old children, "What is love"? And here are some of them. Little Rebecca, age eight, "Love is when my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So, my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's love". Little Billy, age four, says, "When somebody loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know your name is safe in their mouth". Little Carl, age five, "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other". How many of y'all know Carl just needs a little bit more work of the Spirit inside of him?
All right, so okay. Chrissy, age six, "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs". Amen, Chrissy. Terry, age four, "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired". "Out of the mouths of infants and children," Jesus said, "God has perfected praise". Watch, watch, watch, watch little Danny, age seven. "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy, and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure it tastes okay". Come on, Danny. Little Emily, age eight, "Love is when you kiss all the time. And when you get tired of kissing, you actually still want to be together, and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss". Little Bobby, age seven, "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas, if you stop opening presents and just listen". Pooh... Nikka, age six, "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend you hate".
We need a few more Nikkas in the world. Noelle, age seven, "Love is when you tell a guy you like a shirt, and then he wears it every day". Clare, age six, "My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anybody else kissing me to sleep at night". I love that. Mary Ann, age four, "Love is when your puppy licks your face, even after you left him home all day". I mean, honestly, dogs have it better than Christians. Yeah, I heard this. They say if you really want to prove how much your dog loves you more than your spouse, lock both of them in the trunk of your car. Come back an hour later and see which one's happy to see you. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Anyways, don't do that, though, by the way. Don't... erase that. That was not an instruction, okay. Mark, age six, "Love is when your Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet, and she doesn't think it's gross".
That's funny. Jessica, age eight, "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, say it a lot 'cause people forget". There was a contest. They were trying to find out the most caring child in America, and they landed on a little boy who was four years old, and he won because he went next door. The mama told the story of how he went next door to this elderly man who'd just lost his wife of 50-something years. And when he got back, his mom said, "Honey, what did you say to the old man next door"? He said, "Nothing. I just helped him cry".
Now, I gave you all that funny stuff, but I really want to get a little serious. I'm not a serious type, and I honestly don't want to get serious on our anniversary. I'd love to party all day. Look in my eyes, though. This is a big deal to God. And if we call ourselves followers of Jesus, we need to follow how Jesus lived his life. That's what a follower, that's what a believer is. And I know you're not there, and I know I'm not there, but we need to make love our greatest aim. We should still be pointing it in that direction. And I'm just here to tell you this is not a small thing. That's just not who I am, and you don't have that luxury 'cause Jesus himself said, "If you're offering your gift at the altar, you go into church, and there you remember that you have a brother or sister that you have something against, I'd rather you leave church, leave your gift there at the altar, and I want you to first go and reconcile to them, and then come back to church". It's a big deal.
1 John says it this way: "Anyone who claims to be a Christian," I'm in the light, "but you have hate..." And I would say to anybody, I'm talking about the opposite political party from yours, to your next-door neighbor, to your boss, to somebody overseas who just doesn't act the way you'd prefer them to act, you're still in darkness, and you don't know it. "And anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light". And I love this next line. And those kind of people have an added value to what's going on inside of their lives. And as a pastor, I can't think of anything more that I would want from you, but now there's nothing that can make you stumble. Wouldn't it be great to find out this truth, allow this to become our aim. It actually starts taking root on the inside of us, and the net result isn't the people that we loved are happier. No, no, no. You now live a life that has a whole lot less stumbling going on.
I would, there's nothing more I want for you as a pastor, that I gave you a truth, led you through a process, there was a transformation of the heart, and now the stuff that used to rock your world doesn't rock your world anymore. Nothing can make you stumble anymore. I'm passionate about this. I'm passionate about it. Jesus was once asked by a religious person, notice it's a religious person, an expert in the law. And we've got a lot of religious people that love to... right now. Let me, I expect the world to be ugly. I'm embarrassed sometimes by what goes on in the greater body of Christ, the church, the hatred toward different groups, just 'cause you see it a little bit different way. Back off, man. There's this thing called a Holy Spirit; and trust me, he'll convict them, he'll deal with them. It is not your job to do that, sir, ma'am. It's not your job. Got five people back here that think I'm right. I don't know if anybody else does. I know I'm right.
And I get sick of it, man. I get sick of the criticism. I trained a bunch of pastors. I said, "Never let that come out of your mouth". I'm not speaking negative. I'm just not gonna do it. I'll think it. I said I think, wow, mm, mm, but I'm not gonna say it. 'Cause how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity, and it's there that God bestows his blessing on those kinds of people. It's no more than parents, you wanting your kids doing that. You know? Can't y'all just get along? And then we go out there. So, this religious person says, "Hey, help me figure out the Bible. There's all these commandments in the Old Testament, more than 400 of them. Can you help a brother out? Which one's the greatest? Which one"? And basically Jesus said, "I can't give you one. I have to give you two". And they're inseparable. He says, "The first is you need to fall in love with God".
And he actually introduced a concept that was foreign to them. They had heard the concept of, "Love the Lord your God," but what they didn't have is nothing going on in their hearts. Jesus was basically saying, "You need to take your love relationship up with God, to the point where you're so in love with him, you become like him, that because you really understood the love, received the love, you're now transformed by that love". That's what Jesus was saying. "With all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the first". It's why it's really basically the first thing we say around here. "Hey, guys, don't just find freedom, discover purpose, don't jump on a Dream Team. Know God first. Fall in love with God first, and then all the others are the outflow of a life that's been transformed". Are you following me? Yes or no, you hearing that? It's a journey.
And then he says, "And the second now", 'Cause I just can't give you one. I've gotta give you two, "is like the first. Love people, others". And that's not a select group. That's everybody, your neighbors, everybody else. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself". Of course, then he tells the good Samaritan story. See, what Jesus was challenging is people's limited view of the word "love". The Greek language is the language of the original manuscripts of the New Testament. In the Greek language, you hear me refer to a Greek word all the time, because there are literally four times the words in Greek than there are in English. Hebrew is the same way, by the way, your Old Testament. Look at one word in the Hebrew, "praise," there are seven different Hebrew words for the word praise. And when you read the Psalms, it just says, "Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the..."
But one praise means bow, another one means jumping up and down like a wild man. So, if you don't back to the original language, we miss something. Well, in the Greek, there are four different words for the word "love," and most people only understand three and live by three. Like the one Greek word is the word "storge," and it literally means natural affection. It's like the love you have for your brother or sister, the love you would have for your offspring. It's a familial love. There's a second love, "phileo," in the Greek, where we get the word "Philadelphia," the city of brotherly love. It means friendship. It's how you feel about your college, or how you feel about Birmingham, how you feel about, it's that kind of love. There's a word "eros," where we get the word erotic. It's literally a physical attraction. Most translate it as the love of the body. So, it's like if you say, "I love chocolate, man," well, you don't want to marry it. You just like to eat it. Right, everybody? It's just 'cause it makes your body happy when you have chocolate. Can I get a better amen, everybody? Did I mention the fast is over?
Praise God, all right. But there's a fourth kind of love that only God uses this word. Like, people don't use this word. And I would submit to you people don't even live by this word, and that's the word "agape," and it literally means an unconditional love. It's the kind of love that God showed you when he saved you. He never asked anything from you. He doesn't want no performance from you. He just unconditionally loves you. My favorite verse in the entire Bible, Romans 5:8, while we were sinning, while we were still sinners, Christ... wait, wait, wait, wait, don't drive the nail yet. Hang on one second. Are y'all gonna receive me after... look, I'm fixin' to do this. Y'all gonna receive me? 'Cause I ain't gonna do it if you ain't gonna receive me. No. No. While we were still spitting, mocking, hating on, drive them in. I'll still do it for them. That's the word.
Agape is an intentional, unconditional expression of love that chooses to do something caring, or helpful regardless of the cost or consequence to oneself. We have trivialized love. People talk about love like it's a ditch. "Fell in love". No, really? Love's not a feeling. Love has feelings. Love is getting up in the middle of the night with vomit all over the floor from one of your kids. I don't feel like doing that, but I'm gonna put a little wet towel on their head, and hug them, and tell them I'm so sorry they feel bad, and get down there and try to hold my own in after I wipe it up, right? And then just go caress them and stay there and just rub their little forehead until they fall asleep. Love is giving a person what they need, not what they deserve. And that's what I'm calling all of us to. "Oh, PC, nobody can love like that. It's just too much". You know, people all the time ask me, "PC, I like it when you go deep". And when they say deep, they mean confusing. "I'd like to be confused half of the sermon. I want to see all of your biblical knowledge".
Now, I'm not being arrogant right now. I can do that. I took three semesters of Greek, could read the Greek New Testament. I could dwindle this church down to about a few hundred deep people. I could do it, I'm telling you. But deep isn't understanding it. Deep is living it out. And so, Jesus comes along, and he says, "I've got a new command". It's an unpopular opinion. Agape. And he uses the word that no one lived by or understood. "Agape one another as I have agaped you. So you must agape one another. In fact, it's the only way they're really gonna know that you are true believers, my disciples, if you let this agape thing start to flow in your heart". Which begs the question, obviously... okay, sounds hard. How do we do it? How do we get agape in our hearts? And I want to just offer you one thought that I think can make it easier for you. Because what's happening right now is you're thinking of the person.
That's what you're doing. That's what I did. I was thinking, "Oh, I can do that". "Oh, hm, hm, not with her. Mm, not with him". Right? So, you're thinking of the person. So, if you'll allow me to divert your mind from the person that this seems so hard to do, divert your mind from them for a little bit, and I want to make a case for something that I know is the solution 'cause I really want this to happen inside of us, that I don't think it's about them. I think, really, if I'm having trouble with people, I don't think it's really a people issue. I think it's a God issue. "How can you say that"? Because of this verse. Dear friends, let us agape one another. I can't do it, I can't do it. But it doesn't come from how you feel about them. Now track with me. This is huge. This is so powerful. No, no, you can't do it 'cause you're thinking about them. But agape doesn't come from them.
Agape comes from God, that allows you to express it to them. And if you try to express it to them before getting it from God, you're not gonna be able to do it. There's no human on earth can do it. It doesn't come from them. It comes from God. And everyone who loves God or who loves, that what happened is what I've been begging for, for 21 years, is not for you to attend church, even give, or even serve, for you to be born again. Like the old person dies, and then I get my sins forgiven, but I don't stop there. I now go on a process the Bible calls regeneration. It's transformation. And I'm not what I want to be. But thank God, I'm not what I used to be. God's changing my life, and he's changing my heart. Come on I'm preaching a little bit here on 21st anniversary. It doesn't come from you saying, listen to me. There's a good side to them. Or here's how you love your spouse. No, no, no, no. We'll give you all the practics.
Next three weeks, we're gonna get real, I've got a whole message on our relationship to our kids and our, even all of us who don't have kids, our view of this generation. I'm gonna talk about practical stuff, but it has to begin with I got born again. This is not a new and improved Chris, a Chris who got educated in religious things. No, that's not the gospel. That's religion, people. No, I'm born again, and I, here's our phrase, know God. And it's not the word "no". It's the word "know". It's in my heart. And those who say, "Well, I can't do it". The problem is not the person. "I can't do it, they're just too mean". But it's not the person. And the person who says, "I can't do it," does not, doesn't know God. Because if you knew the person, you would experience his entire essence, because God is love.
And so, that's why the Apostle Paul prayed like I'm praying. This is my prayer for you, that Christ isn't just your thought or even your religion, that Christ dwells in your heart. And I pray that a rooting and an establishing takes place as you get in a small group, and go to the Growth Track, and start serving people, and work, and then praying, and we fast, and we worship, and we read our Bible every day, not out of works, out of transformation, that you now have power together with all the saints to now grasp the fact that his love is wide, high, long, deep, and it passes, it surpasses what your brain can do by trying harder to love that person, and now you're filled to a measure of all the fullness of God. If you're new to our church, we call this church, Church of the Highlands, because I was convinced that people are saved and Christians and not satisfied. The starting thought 21 years ago was that there was this nagging thing inside of Christians that basically said this: there has to be more.
And so, we named it Church of the Highlands. You're on the mountain, you're going to heaven, but there's another view from the top we want you to see. And it happens if you go on a spiritual journey. And that's why today if you've never been baptized, don't think about it. Do it. That's a command from Jesus. And come back, and you'll thank all of us. "Thank you for encouraging 'cause it was more than I thought". Well, of course, it was. You just took another dose of the fullness of the full measure of all that God has for you, and there's more. Like, don't hear and watch the announcement. Search for a small group. Pick out six or so. Call the leader. Like, find one. And then let me go ahead and say this: you're welcome. 'Cause you're now going to take another bite of the fullness 'cause they're gonna ask you some hard questions about week eight or nine, when they really feel like they love you and know you and say, "How you doing, man"? "I'm great". "You don't look like it". "Oh, I am". "Come on, man". And the day you say, "I need help," your life is going to change.
It's another measure of the fullness, and that's why I say all the time, "Give us a year". Just see. So, the unpopular opinion of what is love is that I make a decision to do what is best for you, my wife, my kids. Regardless of my emotions or circumstances, I've chosen to passionately love you, and it isn't based on how I feel about you or how you're performing. I will always endeavor to love you and others with God's love and respond to your failures or that of others in a Christ-like and redemptive manner 'cause that's agape. Popular opinion, what everybody else thinks, goes something like this. "I've made a decision to love you, but it's going to be within the limitations of how I feel combined with what circumstances gave me today. I hope to be able to passionately love you, but it's gonna depend mainly on if I can keep a positive feeling about you, if you keep doing well. I commit to loving you, but I want you to know that you're gonna pay if you do something wrong. I'm not gonna let you take advantage of me, and I want to do to you good or bad according to what you deserve based on what you did to me. And I challenge", this is garbage, and this is how people are living today. "PC, how do I do it"?
Last opinion. I want you to know God 'cause God's opinion is, "I've made the decision to love you, to do what's best for you regardless of how you acted, your emotions or circumstances". God has chosen to passionately love you, and it isn't based on how he feels about you or how you're performing. He made the decision to do what is best for you. Regardless of emotions or circumstances, God has chosen to passionately love you, and it isn't based on how he feels about you or how you're performing. He will always love you and respond to your failures with love, grace, redemption, and this will never change, and it's why we love him so much. And all God's people said, this is what love is. Let's bow for prayer. And in all of our campuses, just stay seated for a moment, real quiet. Let's let God move here for a second.
God, I pray that the truth of the Word of God would just permeate our hearts and let us never be the same, Lord. Let us genuinely receive your love, so we can show your love.
If you're here today, and you need to receive the love of God, I'm talking to Christians, people that have walked away from God, people that you don't know what you are, but you feel your heart drawn to the one who loves you regardless of what you did last night. "I fought all week". He still loves you. He's in love with you, and you need to receive that love today. I'm gonna close in prayer at every campus. Turn it back over to your campus pastor in just a minute. But if you're here today, and you need to receive the love of God, can I pray for you? I'm not gonna have you stand or come to the front, but you just know that you need to step into the fullness of God's love for you. You need to grasp the depth of his love for you today. I want to do it a little bit different way today.
If that's you, don't stand up. Don't come to the front. But I want you to make eye contact with me and give me a little wave and say, "Count me in that closing prayer. I'm receiving God's love for me today. I'm giving my life to God". Where are you at? Just wave at me right now. Thank you, thank you. I want to see your eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Anybody else? I just take the time. Thank you. Just give me a little wave. Just say, "PC, count me in". Thank you. Anybody else? I just, I'm gonna take my time. Yes sir, thank you. Anybody? Yes, sir, thank you. Yes, thank you. "I just need the love of God". Thank you. God bless you today. God bless you today. God bless you today. Thank you. Anybody else. "Just count me..." Thank you. Anybody else? "Just count me in". Thank you. I see you, thank you. God bless you. Just love it. I couldn't love you more. So, pray this. If you lifted your hand and you feel God moving in your life, commit to him now. Say these words. Just whisper and say:
Thank you, Jesus. No one's loved me like you. And today I receive your love for me. I give you my life. Change me, transform me. I want to be born again. Forgive me of living my life my own way. Today I surrender to your lordship. I believe you're the Son of God. You rose again, and I put my faith in you. In your name I pray, amen and amen.