Amen. It is the greatest honor to stand here in front of you and to preach God's word.

And so I am so fired up to preach the word, but also know that everything I'm about to say is out

of love and belief that the power of God

is available to us in the church this morning. So if you need a title for this series or the next

talk in this series, it's going to be goodness in a godless age. Goodness in a godless age. If you missed last week, we opened up

the book of Titus into chapter one. And Paul is writing to a young Greek gentile named Titus to put

in order the church. Now, the island of Crete is where he is sent. This is the center of where the birthplace where Zeus was born, and this is also a place

where the Romans would send their exiles.

This is a place of former mercenaries.

In fact, in the scriptures, it even says that Cretans are liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.

It is in that godless society that Paul makes an argument.

Here is how you transform the culture through goodness.

It's crazy.

You would think it's going to be laws.

You would think it would be overthrowing the politicians.

You would think it would be correcting the unjust systems.

And he argues for the revolutionary power of goodness.

So in thinking about this sermon, I want you to picture, what is the most godless, hostile environment

you can think of? And for me, being with middle schoolers and high schoolers all week,

I thought about my middle school experience. Okay, so just go with me

here. Picture little fifth grade gauge. There I am, a little Baptist kid, sheltered, Sunday school.

I go to the public middle school in South Cobb, Georgia, and I walk into public school for the very

...