Hey everybody at all of our life churches and our network churches. I want to tell you about a brand new series

starting three weeks from this week and called Friending. It's the biggest series we're going to do this fall and one of the most important

series we do all year long. Why? Because you show me your friends, I'll show you your future. It's almost impossible to live the right life

when you have the wrong friends. The Bible is full of incredible advice about choosing our friends, about developing friendships. You may be one friend away from changing a course of your destiny.

It all starts in three weeks, a brand new series called Friending. Today let's go to week number three of the series, Alisha.

A widow about to lose her sons to a debtor was desperate for the profits help. Her last possession was a jar of olive oil.

Alisha told her to collect as many jars as she could. Then God did more than she could imagine. Get ready to be blessed as we see God's ridiculous provision.

Well, it's awesome to have all of you with us today at all of our life churches. Those of you on the other side of computers and coffee shops or hotel rooms or in your houses around the world at church online.

Thank you for being a part of our family and of course our extended family and hundreds of network churches. We love you all and we're very, very honored to partner with you.

Today we're in the third week of a message series on Alisha. If you were here the first week we burned some plows last week we were digging ditches.

Today we're going to grab some jars. Next week we're going to grab our edge back as we look at an axe head that actually fell into a body of water.

And by the power of God he used Alisha to get the edge back. We're going to apply it metaphorically into our lives for those of you that maybe have lost your spiritual edge.

There was a time when you were closer to God than you are today. There was a time when the fire burned brighter. I believe next week we'll speak to you in a very, very strong way.

Today though I hope this message ministers to everybody but especially I believe it'll speak to those of you who feel overwhelmed.

If you feel like there's too much going on like you're in need right now. If you feel like you don't have enough energy maybe enough time some of you may even feel like you're really low on faith.

I'm praying that this message would build your faith and minister to you in your time of need. In fact just this last week I had three different conversations that just it reminded me of how common this type of pain can be.

I was talking to a guy who just looked desperate as he explained to me his financial dilemma and he just said I am so far in a financial hole.

He said I can never ever dig myself out of it and you could just feel the pain and see it in this guy's eyes because of the financial pressure that he was experiencing.

Then I talked to a single mom who works a full time job and she cleans two homes on the side just trying to make ends meet for her and her three children and she said Craig there's just too much.

I just I don't have any help. I can't raise these kids. I don't know how I can possibly continue to do all this and to make it.

Then the third conversation just ripped my heart out there's a 14 year old boy and he was just he was an agony because his mom and dad are divorcing and you could tell there was kind of this tension which side you're going to choose you on her side or his side.

And he looked up to me and he just said pastor Craig the emotional stress is simply too much for me to handle.

...