Welcome today to Church of the Highlands and week number two of a series that we're in called Choose Joy, and I'll tell you more about that in just a few minutes, but I always like to not only say hello to all of our locations.

We are one church that meets in locations all across the great state of Alabama, and now just across the border in Columbus and the Phoenix City, Alabama area, we're so glad

that you are part of our church family now.

But I had to pause for a moment and also say hello to the men and women in the Alabama

Department of Corrections, who, by the way, we're not just streaming preaching into them.

We have hundreds of dream teamers who go there.

There are small groups there. There's a growth track there. They can get on the dream team there.

You are not a project to us. You are our church family. Isn't that true, everybody? Don't you believe that?

So we love you very, very much. And of course, we have people that are watching somewhere around the world through the

miracle of technology online.

And we're glad you're along for the ride as well.

We are in a series called Choose Joy, but we're also in a season right now that we do twice

a year that we just simply call 21 days of prayer.

And before I bring God's word to you, I just want to encourage you to be a part of this. By the way, you already really are.

Last year during the August season, we actually were breaking attendance records for your

participation in prayer. And this year, we're up 40% above that. And so you guys have really responded to our,

come on, give God praise for that.

I kind of feel like you want to.

And honestly, I was telling our team,

it just kind of shows the spiritual hunger

that is out there.

People are looking for something real

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