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Jun 03 2025

06/01/25- Harrisonburg campus: Carry the Mat – Pastor Kevin Griffin

https://www.cotnaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/250601H.mp3

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 36:18 | Recorded on June 1, 2025

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  • WELCOME- GLAD YOU ARE HERE
  • YOU ALREADY HEARD WE WERE ON RETREAT
  • PURPOSE OF TODAY ISN’T TO RECREATE RETREAT- IT ISN’T TO MAKE MEN WHO DIDN’T GO FEEL BAD- WILD STUFF HAPPENED TO PREVENT MANY FROM GOING

 DEFINITION OF A RETREAT

  • GO EAT A LOT
  • CELEBRATE FREEDOM FOR A FEW DAYS
  • MAKE STRANGE WEIRD NOISES
  • WE WENT FOR PROBABLY MANY REASONS
  • PRAY MAIN GOAL WAS GET CLOSER TO JESUS

FORMAT FOR THE WEEKEND:

   THURSDAY NIGHT MEAL TOGETHER-5:30PM

FOOD ALL WEEKEND WAS TERRIFIC

SESSION 1: MY FRIEND KYLE ROTH FROM PA SPOKE

SESSION 2: FRIDAY AM- SESSION 2- KYLE AGAIN

SESSION 3: PANEL DISCUSSION- 4 MEN WHO WERE ASKED ?’S

FREE TIME FRIDAY AFTERNOON– GOLF

 BEACH/BOARDWALK/WHALE DOLPHIN WATCHING

SESSION 4:

FRIDAY EVENING BROUGHT IN CLOSER- P KERRY

THEME FOR THE WEEKEND- CARRY THE MAT

  • STARTED 7 WEEKS AGO SATURDAY AM BREAKFAST
  • BRIAN CHARETTE LAUNCHED US INTO OUR THEME
  • STORY IS FOUND IN ALL 3 GOSPELS
  • WE USED MARK 2
  • I’M GOING TO USE LUKE 5 (LUKE IS A DR)
  • ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS SAID
  • FIND YOUR FAVORITE GOSPEL AND OWN IT

LUKE 5:17

  17. ONE OF THE DAYS WHILE JESUS WAS TEACHING,  SOME PROUD RELIGIOUS LAW-KEEPERS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW WERE SITTING BY HIM. THEY HAD COME FROM EVERY TOWN IN THE COUNTRIES OF GALILEE AND JUDEA AND FROM JERUSALEM. THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS THERE TO HEAL THEM.

LUKE 5:18

  18. SOME MEN TOOK A MAN WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE HIS BODY. HE WAS CARRIED ON A BED. THEY LOOKED FOR A WAY TO TAKE THE MAN INTO THE HOUSE WHERE JESUS WAS.

 LUKE 5:19

  19. BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND A WAY TO TAKE HIM IN BECAUSE OF SO MANY PEOPLE. THEY MADE A HOLE IN THE ROOF OVER WHERE JESUS STOOD. THEN THEY LET THE BED WITH THE SICK MAN ON IT DOWN BEFORE JESUS.

  • RIGHT NOW- IM SPEAKING- SOUNDS START
  • DEBRIS FALLS- ALL OF YOU WOULD DO WHAT?

Luke 5:20-21

  20. WHEN JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH, HE SAID TO THE MAN, “FRIEND, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. “THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND THE PROUD RELIGIOUS LAW-KEEPERS THOUGHT TO THEMSELVES, “WHO IS THIS MAN WHO SPEAKS AS IF HE IS GOD” WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS BUT GOD ONLY?”

Luke 5:22-23

  22. JESUS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING. HE SAID TO THEM, “WHY DO YOU THINK THIS WAY IN YOUR HEARTS? WHICH IS EASIER TO SAY, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN, OR “GET UP AND WALK?”

THINK ABOUT THAT QUESTION: SO WHAT IN YOUR MIND IS EASIER?

 HEAL  A MAN?

 FORGIVE SINS? – YOU HAVE THE POWER FORGIVE

LUKE 5:24

  “SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW THE SON OF MAN HAS THE RIGHT AND THE POWER ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS, “HE SAID TO THE MAN WHO COULD NOT MOVE HIS BODY, “I SAY TO YOU, GET UP. TAKE YOUR BED AND GO TO YOUR HOME.”

LUKE 5:25-26

  25. AT ONCE THE SICK MAN GOT UP IN FRONT OF THEM. HE TOOK HIS BED AND WENT TO HIS HOME THANKING GOD.” ALL THOSE WHO WERE THERE WERE SURPRISED AND GAVE THANKS TO GOD, SAYING, “WE HAVE SEEN VERY SPECIAL THINGS TODAY.”

  • KYLE IS 32– HES AN ELECTRICIAN BY TRADE
  • KYLE SHARED FROM THIS STORY

WHAT STRUCK HIM IS THAT JESUS FORGIVES MANS SINS FIRST.

  • WE KNOW WHAT THE RELGIOUS GUYS THOUGHT-

IT TELLS US IN VERSE 20-21 JESUS KNOWS

  • DOESN’T JUST KNOW THEIR THOUGHTS
  • THEIR THOUGHTS ARE REFLECTION OF THEIR HEARTS
  • WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MAN THOUGHT?
  • WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GUYS CARRYING HIM THOUGHT? JESUS HUH? THAT’S NOT WHY WE CARRIED HIM ALL THIS WAY- WENT ON TOP OF THE ROOF- TORE A HOLE OPEN

KYLE SAID “JESUS HEALS WHAT HE KNOWS IS NEEDED MOST – WHAT’S HIS GREATEST NEED?”

   ITS OBVIOUS JESUS- THE MAN CAN’T WALK

WE GET EXCITED FOR WHAT IS COMING AND MISS WHAT THE GREATEST NEED IS-

   HE NEEDS HIS SINS FORGIVEN

KYLE THEN SHARED HIS JOURNEY OF GREATEST NEED.

   KYLE WAS DRUMMER ON OUR WORSHIP TEAM

   KYLE LED YOUTH AT CHURCH

   KYLES WIFE WAS ONE OF OUR WORSHIP LEADERS

 KYLE HAD ONE SON (EMMIT) -ANOTHER ON WAY

ALI HIS WIFE HAD A DIFFICULT PREGNANCY

AT 29 YEARS OF AGE- THE DAY THEY CAME HOME WITH THEIR SON OWEN- AFTER A PLANNED C SECTION

GOT A CALL TO MEET THE DR- FOUND OUT WHY

ALI HAD STAGE 4 COLON CANCER (AUGUST)

ALI HAD A ROUGH JOURNEY AND SO DID KYLE

ALI WAS OUT OF IT MUCH OF HER LAST DAYS IN HOSPICE

I WOULD GO AND SIT TO BE WITH KYLE- TALK- JUST BE PRESENT- LISTEN/ PRAY- CRY

I DEDICATED THEIR SON IN HOPSICE- TENDER

FEW DAYS BEFORE ALI WOULD PASS- OUT OF IT

LADY WITH GUITAR CAME IN TO PLAY WORSHIP

  KYLE “I FIGURED THE LORD KNEW THE OBVIOUS NEED”

LORD SAID” KYLE I HAVE FORGIVEN YOUR SINS

THURSDAY MORNING HE SHARED- THE LORDS DESIRE AND INTENT TO RESTORE ALL THINGS

   KYLE WAS HEALING BUT ALSO REELING

   CAME TO MY OFFICE ONE DAY” I’M N OT DOING WELL- TRYING TO RAISE TO BOYS AND GOING TO BED BY MYSELF

   KYLE SHARED “I WAS ON THE MAT- I WAS IN TROUBLE” IF SOME PEOPLE HADN’T CARRIED ME- I WOULDN’T BE HERE

   THE LORD REMINDED ME OF MY GREATEST NEED MET

   THE LORD ALSO HAD ANOTHER PLAN

THE LORD BEGAN TO WORK ON KYLE AND ALSO ANOTHER YOUNG LADIES HEART- TOTAL MIRACLE

GOD WAS RESTORING THINGS FOR KYLE BEYOND WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS HIS GREATEST- MOST OBVIOUS NEED

   HE HEALED HIS FAMILY AGAIN.

  • IN AUGUST SERIES CALLED “FOR 1”
  • WE LOOKED AT STORIES- JESUS PURSUED 1
  • LUKE 15 A STORY ABOUT “UNTIL 1”
  • I ASKED YOU ALL – WHO IS YOUR ONE?

WHO IS THE PERSON YOU REARANGED YOUR LIFE FOR- IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE THEM TO JESUS.

NOT YOUR PROJECT THEY ARE YOUR ONE

   JESUS DID MUCH OF HIS MINISTRY ONE AT A TIME

FINISHED LIFE GROUP SERIES STUDY- 1 AT TIME

SO I’M REVISITING SAME QUESTION IN A DIFFERENT WAY-

   WHO ARE YOU HELPING TO CARRY TO JESUS

THIS IS ANOTHER STORY OF FOR 1- BUT IT’S A GROUP THAT CARRIES THE ONE.

  • OBSTACLES DON’T PREVENT THEM
  • WHAT KIND OF A FRIEND ARE YOU?

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO CARRY WITH OTHERS- A PERSON TO JESUS?

  • HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO BE CARRIED TO JESUS? KYLE WAS
  • KYLE THEN COMES TO CARRY THE MAT WITH US

DESMOND DOSS

  • BORN FEBRUARY 7, 1919 LYNCHBURG VA
  • PRIVATE DOSS- AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN
  • JOINED ARMY BUT WAS A CONSCIOUS OBJECTOR (WOULDN’T CARRY GUN)
  • BECAME MEDIC
  • 2 COMMANDING OFFICERS MISTREATED HIM
  • TRIED TO GET HIM KICKED OUT

 HACKSAW RIDGE

  • HELP ME SAVE ONE MORE- LORD
  • HELP ME SAVE ONE MORE
  • TRUTH IS HE COULDN’T SAVE ONE BY HIMSELF
  • GUYS ON THE OTHER END CARRIED THE MAT

SCENE WHERE COMMANDER IS WALKING THROUGH TRIAGE

   “WHERE ARE ALL THESE SOLDIERS COMING FROM- HOW DID THEY GET HERE?”

DOSS SIR- DOSS IS SAVING ALL THESE GUYS.

TUDOR ELECTRIC FOOTBALL GAME

  • BACK WHEN BRIAN CHARETTE LAUNCHED THE IDEA OF CARRY THE MAT WITH MENS PRAYER BREAKFAST
  • SHOWED PICTURE AND A VIDEO OF THIS GAME
  • THE GAME WOULD GET PLUGGED IN AND JUST VIBRATE AND SHAKE-
  • SOMEONE MIGHT SCORE- SOMEONE MIGHT NOT
  • BUT INVARIABLY- THE PLAYERS WOULD SCATTER TO THE SIDELINE
  • BRIAN CHALLENEGED US- WHEN THINGS START SHAKING- DON’T SCATTER TO THE SIDELINE MEN.

“AND SEEING THEIR FAITH- JESUS FORGIVES HIS SINS AND HEALS THE MAN”

  • WHAT DOES HE SEE IN ME AND WHAT DOES HE SEE IN YOU

TODAY WE HAVE 4 MATS- SPREAD AROUND THE ROOM

IM GONNA INVITE YOU TO PLACE THE NAME OR NAMES OF SOMEONE WHO YOU ARE GONNA NEED TO GET HELP AND CARRY THEM TO JESUS.

YOU ARE JUST GONNA WRITE THEIR NAME AND THEN WE AS A CHURCH AS A STAFF – PLACE THESE IN VARIOUS PLACES AND PRAY OVER THESE NAMES

“AND SEEING THEIR FAITH”

   IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RETREAT ONE OF THE WISER PASTORS ASKED

   “ HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU TOOK THE HAND OF YOUR SPOUSE AND PRAYED AT THE ALTAR?

“HOW LONG MEN HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU PRAYED AT AN ALTAR? WHY? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

MAYBE TODAY YOU NEED TO BRING A NAME OR A REQUEST NOT JUST ON A MAT BUT TO THE ALTAR?

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