Your Best Summer with Jesus | Matthew 13:44-46

On Tuesday morning, the entire Watermark staff gathered together, like we always do, and Blake Holmes, the lead pastor, was giving some encouragement for the summer, and he kind of made this comment in passing. He was quoting Bobby Crotty, who's the men's equipping director here at Watermark. Blake just kind of, in passing, said, "Hey, don't give the Devil your summer." I was like, "Okay. You're going to just throw that at us. 'Don't give the Devil your summer.'"

As a follower of Jesus, something in me was like, "Of course I'm not going to give the Devil my summer." Who would be like, "Here you go. Yeah. I've been deciding who to give it to, and I've picked the Devil." No one makes that choice, yet that phrase has rattled around in my mind the rest of the week, because I can look back at my past, and there were times I did give the Devil my summer…in obvious ways.

There are some summers from my youth that I can look back and slap on the label "What was I thinking?" I don't know if you have any of those. Yet I can look and see there were more subtle ways I gave the Devil at least parts of my summer. Even as a parent now, here's what I've realized. With kids, you don't want a lot of downtime during the summer. If you have it, there's going to be a mutiny on your hands, so the best thing you can do is pack your summer full to keep the kids busy.

But the times that we have packed the summer full, it throws me out of routine, so there are mornings where my time with the Lord gets squeezed out. Then on the times where we haven't planned and there's more time than we want on our hands where our kids are at home all day, every day… Which is a beautiful thing. We love our kids, but when you have nothing to do and you're all together at the same time all day, every day, nobody lives their best life.

So, it has been rattling around in my mind. "Don't give the Devil my summer." Even more so, one of the reasons that phrase has stuck out to me is I know what it is like to give Jesus my summer. My life was actually changed during the summer. You might think I'm talking about conversion when I put my trust in Christ. No. I'm talking about two summers ago, 2021. Jesus changed my life during the summer because I really gave my summer to him.

It was a summer where I went into it saying, "My greatest goal this summer is to know Jesus more." So I created more space for him than I ever had before, and I began to experience the joy of his presence in ways I had never experienced before. I began to hear from God in deeper, more intimate ways than ever before.

I want the same for this summer. Whatever I have missed out on over the last two years since that summer, I want to reclaim it. I want the best summer I've ever had with Jesus to be this summer, 2023, and I want that for you too. What if this summer could be your best summer yet with Jesus? That's my hope for you.

Where it starts is with you becoming convinced of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ, and that's going to become more clear as I talk this morning. The key to having your best summer with Jesus is becoming convinced of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. When I talk about the surpassing value, I'm just saying there is nothing more valuable in this world. There's nothing you could get your hands around, nothing that could come into your possession, that would be more valuable than knowing Jesus Christ.

So, how do we get there? This summer, how do we have our best summer yet with Jesus? How do we become convinced of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ? Well, as we look into Matthew, chapter 13, today, I'm going to show you there's a progression that's necessary to having your best summer with Jesus. Here's the progression. There's sight, and sight leads to satisfaction, and satisfaction leads to sacrifice.

That's how you become convinced of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. That's how you have your best summer yet with Jesus. You first have to see Jesus clearly, because when you begin to see Jesus, you begin to be satisfied in Jesus. When you are satisfied in Jesus, you are way more willing to sacrifice to get more of Jesus. That's the progression, and we're going to see it in Matthew, chapter 13. So, if you have a Bible, turn with me this morning to Matthew, chapter 13. We're looking at verse 44 as we seek to have our best summer yet with Jesus.

We're starting a new series today where we are going through the parables of Jesus. If you're new to the Bible and are not familiar with the parables of Jesus, they were simply stories Jesus told. Jesus was a master storyteller. Stories are really powerful. If I were to ask you to name all of the points I've made in my sermons over the last year, good luck. I get it. Nobody walks out of here like, "I have all of your points you've ever given memorized."

But if I were to ask, "Hey, what are some of the stories I've told over the last year?" I guarantee you might be able to remember some of them, because stories grip us in a way, sometimes, that just information can't. Jesus taught in stories. That's why 35 percent of Jesus' teachings were in the form of these stories, or these extended analogies, known as parables. Jesus told somewhere between 37 and 65 parables, depending on who you're asking.

I love how his parables have been described. One source describes them as earthly stories with heavenly meanings. Another described them as works of art and weapons at the same exact time. They were works of art and they were weapons in conversation with his opponents. One source described them as imaginary gardens with real toads in them. I don't even know what that means, but I thought it was cool. Another source described them as a back window through which Jesus comes in to confront what one thinks is reality.

Warren Wiersbe puts it this way: "Parables start off like pictures, then become mirrors, and then become windows. First, there's sight as we see a slice of life in a picture; then there's insight as we see ourselves in the mirror; and then there's vision as we look through the window of revelation and see the Lord." Klyne Snodgrass, who wrote Stories with Intent, which is a great book on the parables, said this: "A parable's ultimate aim is to…awaken insight, to stimulate the conscience, and move to action."

The parables we're going to look at this morning are most certainly going to do that as we seek to have our best summer yet with Jesus. We are only looking at three verses this morning, yet in three verses, we are going to unpack two parables, two of Jesus' stories. Listen to what he says in Matthew 13:44-46.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

I don't know if you noticed, but these two parables are a pair. They go together. These two parables are concerning the kingdom of heaven. In the book of Matthew, the kingdom of heaven is referenced 32 different times. The kingdom of heaven was the subject of all of Jesus' teaching. All of Jesus' parables are about the kingdom.

What is the kingdom of heaven? I mean, we just sang that Jesus is King. What are we talking about when we are talking about the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven? If I were to boil the kingdom of heaven down to one phrase, it is the reign of God. That's what the kingdom of heaven is. It's the reign of God in the hearts of his people and throughout the earth. The kingdom of heaven has an "already but not yet" component.

We are waiting for a day where the kingdom of heaven will ripple throughout the earth, that heaven will come to earth and the reign of God will permeate the globe and it will be realized throughout the earth. That is coming one day, yet at the same time, it's not just that the kingdom of heaven will come. In some way, the kingdom of heaven has already come. The kingdom of heaven broke into history in the person of Jesus Christ who is the King.

Now, Jesus is speaking in Matthew 13 about the kingdom of heaven. What you need to understand… (I'm giving you a lot of background here, but the background is so important, so make sure you tune in to what I'm telling you.) The book of Matthew is written to a Jewish audience. You have to understand that the Jewish audience had been living under oppression to Rome.

The Jewish people had been living under bondage for hundreds of years, so they were longing for a messiah to come. They were longing for God's kingdom to come and for a king to come and establish his reign throughout the earth. At the time of Jesus, many different scenarios had developed in the Jewish thought about what that would look like.

Primarily, the Jewish people were expecting a political figure, a political king, who would come from heaven and establish his reign throughout the earth. He would overthrow Rome, deliver the Jewish people from oppression, establish their freedom, and establish the nation of Israel as the preeminent nation that is above any other nation. That's what they were waiting for. They were waiting for a king.

Jesus shows up, and what does he say in Matthew 4:17? "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus is saying, "You've been waiting for a king. Well, the kingdom of heaven is here. The King is here." Yet he's calling Jews to repent of their sins as if their greatest need is freedom from their sins instead of freedom from Rome.

Then, if you were to go and read the Sermon on the Mount, which is Matthew 5-7, Jesus is unpacking what the people of the kingdom look like. They are people who are poor in spirit, they're peacemakers, they endure persecution, and they love their enemies. So, what we see in the person of Jesus is God's reign is breaking into history in King Jesus, yet his crown is a crown of thorns. His royal robe is put onto him to cover his back, which has been scourged with a cat-o'-nine-tails. He is exalted to a cross instead of a throne.

So, his reign and his authority are displayed in his ability to conquer sin and death instead of overthrowing Rome. We're talking about the kingdom of heaven, which has come in the person of Jesus Christ who is the King. The kingdom of heaven has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. When Jesus talks in these parables about the kingdom of heaven, most notably we need to see the King.

Jesus says these words, again, in Matthew 13:44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." I want you to understand the picture that is presented in this parable. There is a man working in the field, and it says he stumbles upon treasure.

Now, in this day and time, people didn't have bank accounts or safes to store their stuff, so some people would bury their valuables in a field. In case they went to war and there were soldiers who came to try to plunder their land, their valuables would be hidden. Well, this worker stumbles upon treasure hidden in a field. Commentators equate it to winning the lottery.

It's interesting, because he sees the treasure, but he doesn't touch the treasure. As I've read on this situation, there was a rule at play here. If you were to find treasure in the ground and you were to lift that treasure out of the ground… If that worker were to lift it out of the ground, then that treasure would belong to the master, the person who owned the field. So, what does the worker do? The worker leaves the treasure in the ground, goes and sells everything he has, and buys the field so he can have the treasure.

We're not supposed to read into the legality or the morality here. That's not the point of the parable. The point of the parable is the surpassing value of the treasure that was hidden in the field. It far surpassed anything he owned in his life. Jesus is teaching this parable so we will understand the surpassing value of the kingdom, which has come in the person of Jesus Christ who is the King. The point of the parable is the surpassing value of Jesus Christ.

He goes on in verse 45 and tells another parable. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." It's very similar. The difference between the two parables is in the first one, the guy just stumbles onto the treasure. In the second one, you have a guy who is in hot pursuit of it. There's a guy who's an expert in pearls, and when he finds one pearl, he realizes it is worth him leveraging every pearl he has in his possession to grasp that one pearl.

What's the point of the parable? The point of the parable is the surpassing value of Jesus Christ. So, it begs the question… Here's the question I want to ask: Are you convinced of the surpassing value of Jesus? That's a good question to evaluate right here at the beginning of the summer. If you want to have your best summer with Jesus, you have to start with this question…Are you convinced of the surpassing value of Jesus?

The wording to the question is very important. What I didn't ask was "Are you convinced of the value of Jesus?" You're here on a three-day weekend. You value Jesus. That's not the question. The question isn't if you are convinced of the value of Jesus. The question is if you are convinced of the surpassing value of Jesus.

I'll put it two different ways. There is a difference between Jesus being a part of your life and Jesus being the point and passion of your life. Which one is he? There is a difference between Jesus being significant to you and Jesus being preeminent to you. What does preeminent mean? It means supreme. It means taking first place. Is Jesus the treasure in the field for you? Is Jesus the pearl of great value for you?

This is the life Scripture calls us to. It calls us to a life where Jesus Christ is preeminent, that we see him as the one with surpassing value. My favorite story in the Scriptures that displays this is found in Mark 14 where a woman brings a costly bottle of ointment, breaks it open, and anoints Jesus with it. We find out that bottle of ointment was the equivalent of about a year's worth of wages. It was considered an heirloom.

I just want you to think. What do you have in your possession besides your house that is equivalent to a year's worth of your salary? Whatever that is… The closest most of us will get to it will be our vehicle. This woman finds the most costly thing she can find, and she breaks it open as a display that she has no intention of taking it back. She breaks it open and takes that costly ointment and anoints Jesus with it as a display that Jesus' value surpasses the value of the most expensive and costly thing in her possession.

What's interesting and haunting about that story is there are some people there who get onto the woman for wasting the ointment. Do you know who those people were? Jesus' disciples, and one in particular. Do you know which one? Judas. In the very next verse, Judas goes and seeks out an opportunity to betray Jesus. And what is the question he asks to the chief priests? "What will you give me?" He makes a deal for 30 pieces of silver. What was Judas declaring in that moment? "Thirty pieces of silver are more valuable to me than Jesus."

The reason that's haunting is I can identify with Judas far more than I'd like to admit. There are times in my life where I'm declaring that comfort or food or the approval of man or significance is more valuable than Jesus. So, what we want to do is navigate our way to Jesus and his surpassing value. We want to find a place in life where Jesus is the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great value.

So, if you want to have your best summer yet with Jesus, there are really three things that need to happen, and they are a progression. You can't take one before the other. It's a progression. We're going to see it from these parables. If you want to have your best summer yet with Jesus, then you need sight, and that sight will lead to satisfaction, and that satisfaction will lead to sacrifice.

The first step is sight. When I talk about sight, I am talking about spiritual sight. Ephesians 1 says, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened." I'm talking about spiritual sight. I'm talking about having eyes that see Jesus in a way that you become convinced of his surpassing value, that there's nothing you could possess that would be more valuable than Jesus.

Think about the two different parables. You have two different men who each see their treasure. One sees the treasure in a field. The other sees the pearl of great value. They see them in such a way that they are prompted to take everything they own and sell it so they can have that treasure. Do you know what spiritual blindness is? Don't miss it. Spiritual blindness is seeing Jesus without seeing Jesus. It's finding treasure and not realizing it's treasure.

It's the Jews seeing Jesus and ascribing his works to Satan. It's Judas seeing money as more valuable than Jesus. It is seeing Jesus without truly seeing Jesus. Something miraculous has to take place. I'll explain it this way. Believe it or not, there was a time where my wife Kathryn was just not that into this. I know. It's shocking. I don't get it. I've asked the Lord about it a lot.

We started dating in September of 2005. I had tried to date her about a year earlier. I had taken her on some dates, and on the dates she called me "Buddy" and "Friend," and I was like, "I get it." She friend-zoned me. Then a year later, we started going out, and everything was different. Why? I wore the same clothes. I looked the same. I still had the amazing personality I had the year before. I was delightful. What had happened? A miracle. Yeah. There's no other way to describe it.

God had given her the gift of sight. Or I just wore her down. Either one. I don't know. But something happened where she looked at me differently and was like, "Actually, I don't want this guy to just be 'Buddy' or 'Friend.' I want him to be my husband." Praise God for that. What had happened… There was a shift. There was sight.

The same thing has to happen with Jesus. People see Jesus all the time without actually seeing Jesus. So, how do you get spiritual sight? If you want to have your best summer with Jesus and I'm telling you step one is sight, how do you get spiritual sight? Well, a miracle needs to happen. You're like, "I don't have any control over that." You're exactly right. It's a work of the Spirit of God.

So, the best thing you can do, whether you're a Christian or not a Christian, is to begin to pray and say, "Spirit of God, Holy Spirit, would you go to work in my life? Would you allow me to see Jesus in a new way? I want to behold the beauty and the glory of Jesus. I want to taste and see that Jesus Christ is good. Spirit of God, go to work in my life." That's the first thing. The second thing, though, is to get where you can see.

I might have shared this before, but when I officiate weddings, right before the groomsmen and I walk out, I look at the groom and say, "Hey, here's the deal. When those doors open, it's going to be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. You need to take a picture. But here's the reality. When those doors open, everyone is going to stand up and try to get in the way of you seeing your bride, so get where you can see. If you need to get on my shoulders, they are yours to use."

I remember one wedding, everyone stood up, and this guy climbed up on this wall just so he could see above everyone to his bride. He got where he could see. Hey, if you don't get where you can see and you're the groom, Uncle Bill is going to stand up, and you're going to be looking at his bald head instead of at your bride. The same is true with Jesus. You know what? Get where you can see. There are going to be all sorts of things that are going to pop up to try to get in the way of you seeing Jesus.

Do you want to know why many of us don't truly see Jesus? Because we're not in a place to see Jesus. I shared this with the young adults last Tuesday night. Often, we want to connect with God, but do you know when we try to connect with God? We're driving to work. We're listening to the Bible app. We're also, at the same time, trying to check Instagram and respond to texts.

We're like, "God, I'm here. I'm listening, and I'm also listening to this person on Instagram or this person who's texting me. God, I don't know why you're not speaking, but I want to hear from you, but I don't feel like you're speaking." I wonder if God is like, "I'm not speaking because you're really not listening. I'm going to wait to show myself until you're ready to see." So, get where you can see him.

Do you want to know why summer 2021 was so life changing for me? It's because I began to put myself in places where I had undistracted time of just sitting and being with Jesus, and he was faithful to show himself to me. Now, look. I'm in a Community Group with families that have really young kids, so I can already hear them saying, "That's nice for you to be able to go away and meet with Jesus. I have kids connected to me in some way, shape, or form 20 hours of the day."

I would just say that God gives us different seasons that look different in connecting with him. My encouragement to you… It doesn't have to look the same for everyone, but sit with the Lord and just say, "God, what does it look like this summer for me to meet with you and to see you?" Get where you can see.

Do you know what spiritual sight does? Sight leads to satisfaction. Look back at the parable in verse 44. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up." Watch the wording. "Then in his joy…" Not in his obligation, not in his unwilling spirit, but in his joy. See, sight led to satisfaction. He found satisfaction in the treasure, and the thought of having that treasure, possessing it, was the key to his greatest satisfaction.

If you think about it, Jesus was dealing with a Jewish audience who believed the key to their happiness was deliverance from the oppression of Rome. It would be a king, a political figure, coming in and bringing prosperity and power to the Jews. That's what they believed they needed most. That's what they believed was the key to their happiness, but Jesus wasn't that type of king. He was a king who would reign over their hearts and lives, bringing freedom from sin and peace with God and happiness in God.

What did the Jews do? They rejected Jesus because they believed something else was truly the key to their happiness. So, let me just ask you…What's the key to your happiness? Truly. Fill in the blank. "I would be happy if…" What is it? What would you put there? What are you chasing? What is the answer to all of your problems? Is it more money? Is it a spouse? Is it a different spouse, a better spouse, better kids, a better job, security, more or better sex, more sugar, more alcohol, more respect, more success? What's the key to your happiness?

Let me illustrate for you what it is like when you believe those things are the key to your happiness. I used this illustration at the IF:Gathering earlier this spring. My favorite two restaurants in Dallas are Hillstone and Uchi. We love good food. On the occasions we get to go to those places, we love going to those places because we love good food. I don't know what your favorite restaurant is in Dallas. I want you to picture it right now. Put it in your mind.

Now imagine this. What if I invited you over to my house and said, "Whatever your favorite restaurant is… If it's Hillstone, hey, come over and I'm going to have the knife-and-fork ribs or whatever your dish of choice is from Hillstone. I'm going to have it there. I'm going to serve it to you." Now imagine if you came, and you had your favorite meal spread before you. How weird would it be if you excused yourself from the table and went into my alley and started digging through my trash looking for something to eat?

You're sitting there like, "I would never do that." Yet we do it every day in the spiritual realm. Everything we are longing for and looking for is found in the person of Jesus Christ…all of the security, all of the affirmation, approval, and significance… All of the insecurities we have find their end in Jesus Christ. We are running to the world looking for things we already freely have in Jesus Christ.

What you have to understand is Jesus Christ is the King who wants to reign in your life. The more you see Jesus as King, the more you willingly invite his reign into your life. You begin to experience that his reign over your failures allows you to experience the forgiveness of God. Jesus comes in and reigns over our deepest hurts so we may forgive others and not be eaten away by bitterness.

Jesus comes in and reigns over our lust so we can experience peace, purity, and even love. He comes and reigns over our anxiety so we may experience the peace and provision of God. He reigns over our money so we can know the joy of generosity. He reigns over our deepest insecurities so we can know the joy and security of calling God "Father" and him calling us his children. See, the more you see Jesus, the more you will be satisfied by Jesus.

That's what happened for me in the summer of '21. I began to see Jesus, and I began to be satisfied in him. I began to find the affections of my heart stirred so deeply I was brought to tears just thinking about the joy I was experiencing simply in the person of Jesus. Never had I experienced that deep of an affection for Jesus at any point in my life, and it came through sight. Seeing Jesus leads to being satisfied in Jesus.

So, there's the progression: sight, satisfaction, and then sacrifice. You can't start with sacrifice. Sacrifice comes after sight and satisfaction. When I say "sacrifice," that's the scary one, because you're like, "Oh, okay. Now you're going to ask me to give something up." Well, look at the parables. What happens in the parables is you have two different people who find two different things that are so incomparably valuable they gladly, with joy, go and trade everything they own to have the treasure.

There's a reason Charles Spurgeon, when he was commenting on the parable of the pearl of great value, referred to it as a "great bargain." Why is it a great bargain? Because each individual in each parable knows what they are going to get far surpasses in value that which they would need to give up. Here is the reality. When you look at both parables, neither person could keep everything they had and still get the treasure or the pearl. It wasn't possible for them to embrace everything they currently owned and at the same time embrace the treasure or the pearl. It's not possible.

See, here's the thing. When you begin to see Jesus and begin to be satisfied in Jesus, you begin to see there are things in your life you will need to release in order to embrace more of Jesus. Things will begin to be clarified. There are things in your life you cannot continue to embrace if you want to embrace more of Jesus.

I'm looking down here. My wife is down front, but also Alex Hockett is down front. I cannot hug Alex Hockett and my wife at the same time. I could try, but it would get awkward for everyone involved. If I want to hug my wife, I'm going to have to release Alex Hockett. That's just the way it goes. (My wife is going to be like, "Why? Why did you need to say that? It just wasn't necessary." We'll scrap that from the 11:00.)

There are certain things you just cannot embrace if you want to embrace more of Jesus. I could not continue to embrace pornography in my early 20s and embrace Jesus at the same time. Even today, because of that past struggle, there are certain shows I cannot embrace and embrace Jesus at the same time. It just won't work for me. There are certain ways of joking with my friends I cannot embrace and embrace Jesus at the same time.

I cannot embrace every craving for sugar or junk food and embrace Jesus at the same time. That's my own journey through life. What is it for you? What I've had to realize is that a "Yes" to certain things in life is, at the same time, a "No" to Jesus. So, what is it for you? Is it a "Yes" to workaholism; therefore a "No" to Jesus? Is it a "Yes" to alcohol; therefore a "No" to Jesus? Is it a "Yes" to overspending; therefore a "No" to Jesus?

You have to figure out what it is for you, because there are certain things in this world that are gifts from God that we take and turn from a gift into a god. Instead of it being something that points you to worship him, you worship it. What is it for you? What was it for the Jews? Well, if the Jews were going to embrace Jesus, they were going to have to give up self-righteousness. They were going to have to give up the belief they earned God's favor and approval by being related to Abraham and having strict adherence to the law.

Maybe that's your deal. Maybe you still somehow believe you earn God's approval, that you are somehow good enough for him, and you're going to have to let that go if you're truly going to embrace the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. I just want to ask you right now to think. Is there anything in your life you are unwilling to give up in order to have more of Jesus? Is there anything that comes to mind? Is there anything you are unwilling to give up in order to have more of Jesus?

You might hear that and be like, "You're trying to shame me now." I'm not trying to shame you. I'm trying to help you, because the answer isn't to just go and give it up. No, that leads to legalism, because it'll be joyless obedience. You will be doing it because you think that's what God wants you to do to get his approval. No. The first step is sight. Sit where you can see Jesus. Get where you can see Jesus. Ask the Spirit of God to move in your life. Let that lead to satisfaction, and let satisfaction lead to sacrifice.

I'll close by saying this. If you're here this morning and don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ… Maybe you're like one of the two men in the parables. Maybe you're like the guy in the first parable where you haven't been looking for treasure, yet you walked in here this morning and have stumbled upon treasure. Or maybe you're like the man in the second parable where you have been on a relentless pursuit for truth, and you have been looking for God. You have been wanting to find Jesus, and this morning you have found Jesus.

You're in a place where you are seeing the satisfaction that awaits you in knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior and as your King, and you're in a place where you're saying, "I will gladly sacrifice my life without God and the sin that comes with it because I want to embrace life with God," and the joy that will come with knowing Jesus Christ, the King who was crowned with thorns, who had a royal robe put on his scourged back and was raised up on the cross so he could reign through his death and through his resurrection, exercising his authority over your sin and mine so you could be free.

If that is you, then the invitation to you this morning is to come and to know Jesus Christ as your King. If you're here this morning and you already know Jesus Christ, you already know the King of the kingdom, then here's my encouragement: don't give the Devil your summer. Would you see Jesus, and would you allow sight to lead to satisfaction in Jesus, and would you allow that satisfaction in Jesus to lead to sacrificing to get more of Jesus? Let's pray together.

Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are, in fact, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Thank you that the kingdom of heaven has broken into history in the person of Jesus. I ask and pray that you would rule and reign in the hearts of every person in this room. If there's anything we are unwilling to give up to have you, God, then I first pray that you would allow us to see you this summer, and I pray that sight would lead to satisfaction, which would lead to sacrifice. I pray that many people in this room would get to August, saying, "This is my best summer yet with Jesus." We need you. We love you. In Jesus' name, amen.