1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,720 Well, who's ready for the Word of God today? 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,320 Yes, me too. And I'm so pumped because we are 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,600 launching a brand new series for the next 5 weeks really from now 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,320 about Father's Day and we're going to be talking about 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,360 something that impacts and matters to all of us and that is 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:17,640 relationships. Everyone say relationships. 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,960 So as we got together as a creative team to start to to 8 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,040 figure out what the title of this relationship series could 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,400 be we we wanted to land on something that we thought was, 10 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,960 you know, fun and practical, but also intuitive and so we landed 11 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,520 on this title. Take a look help relationships 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,760 are hard. Anybody else feel like that just 13 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,920 applies to what we're doing? Come on, somebody say help. 14 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,200 OK. And all of our safety team are 15 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,960 like, we got you, we got you, right? 16 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,240 Relationships are hard. Say that with me. 17 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,240 Relationships are hard. Relationships are hard. 18 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,400 And so that's why we're doing this series. 19 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,000 And and actually where I want to start today for a few minutes is 20 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,640 I want to give us a relationship pop quiz. 21 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,160 Everybody say pop quiz relationship member in math 22 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,000 class member member in high school, middle school, your 23 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,200 teacher would show up and she would say, we're having a pop 24 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,120 quiz. And you were like, Oh, no, OK, 25 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,120 well, this isn't like that. This is better. 26 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:17,920 So everybody raise your hands like this, OK? 27 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:18,800 Because we're going to keep score. 28 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:19,680 We're going to count. All right? 29 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,360 So, so you're going to use your two hands as your counters. 30 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:23,440 OK? So we're going to look at some 31 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,920 questions. And if this has ever happened to 32 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,360 you or you've ever done this, give yourself a point, OK? 33 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,080 And then we're going to grade this at the end. 34 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,280 So all right, here you go. Question #1 ready. 35 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,120 Have you ever rehearsed an argument in the shower or the 36 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:38,880 car? Give yourself a point. 37 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,160 Next question. Have you ever said, I'm fine? 38 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:43,720 And you absolutely. We're not fine. 39 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,280 Give yourself a point. Next question. 40 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,080 Have you ever started a sentence with I'm not trying to be rude, 41 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,560 but and then we're definitely rude or a little bonus question, 42 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:55,720 right? Let me flip it around. 43 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,240 Someone said to you, no offense and then totally offended you. 44 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:01,920 Yep, Yep. Next question. 45 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,080 Go ahead. Have you ever reread a text 46 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,200 multiple times trying to figure out someone's tone? 47 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:08,919 Right? Like did they did I just get 48 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,640 promoted or fired? Like what were they hugging me 49 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:15,720 or are we fighting about that? I don't know. 50 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,280 Next question, go ahead. All right, you ready? 51 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,560 Have you ever typed out a long message and then deleted it 52 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,480 because you chose peace instead? Some of you did not give 53 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,840 yourself a point. We kind of need you to. 54 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,080 Your friends are thanking me right now. 55 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,480 We need you to just actually just don't send it. 56 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,600 Just delete it. Next question, go ahead. 57 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,600 Have you ever said sorry, but in your heart you were like, no, 58 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,760 I'm totally right on this. We've all done that, haven't we? 59 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:49,160 Next one, Have you ever gotten in the car after conversation 60 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,080 and thought of all the things you should have said or wished 61 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,960 you had said? Oh, I wish I would have said oh, 62 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,200 when they said, oh, I should have said right, we've all done 63 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:58,240 that. OK, Next one. 64 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:05,680 Have you ever hid from someone in a store this week? 65 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,560 I feel like we just bring the band. 66 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,080 Let's just we're just going to altars are open. 67 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,680 Just come and repent. Just come. 68 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,360 Gosh, relationships are hard. Somebody say relationships are 69 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:19,800 hard. Couple more. 70 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:20,960 Go ahead. Have you ever been in an 71 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,640 argument and eventually couldn't even remember what you were 72 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:25,680 arguing about? Oh my goodness. 73 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,600 So many times over 30 years of marriage, we just are like, what 74 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,120 are we even argue? Like I don't even know what 75 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,080 we're fighting about anymore. Next one, have you ever said 76 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,200 it's not a big deal while internally kept her detailed 77 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,400 record of everything? It's like it, it totally was a 78 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:40,640 big deal. Next one, go ahead. 79 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,600 Have you ever tried to hint at what you want instead of just 80 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,960 saying it, come on, wives or husbands and I played it both 81 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:50,560 ways. There's you see that and then 82 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:55,360 got frustrated when they didn't pick up your obvious cues. 83 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,640 Somebody say relationships are hard. 84 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,120 All right, so how'd your score go? 85 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,120 How'd your score go? OK, ready. 86 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,720 Here's here's OK ready. If your score was 6 or higher, 87 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:14,360 this series is for you. If your score was 5 or lower, 88 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:19,480 we're going to do a series on self-awareness later in the 89 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:21,480 year. Somebody say relationships are 90 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,800 hard. OK, so which brings the quest. 91 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,280 Thank you for clapping, that was fun. 92 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:29,040 I appreciate that. So, so which begs the question, 93 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,080 where do we start? Somebody say where do we start? 94 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:33,800 So relationships are hard, where do we start? 95 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,880 So what I want to do today for the next two minutes is I want 96 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:40,440 to, I want to give us a starting .4 things in particular 4 ideas 97 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,440 in particular of us that are a starting point for us as we 98 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,840 launch into this series. And as you saw in the graphic 99 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:47,800 few minutes ago, we're going to talk in a lot of different 100 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,680 specific directions from parenting to marriage, to 101 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,880 dating, to to to, to mental health and all all of the things 102 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:55,160 in between over the next few weeks. 103 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,360 But today I just want to I just want to get us started. 104 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,840 So maybe we'll write these down. Here's the first thing I want to 105 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:01,720 share with you. Four thoughts. 106 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,160 Number one is this life has lived in the context of 107 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,360 relationship. Life is lived in the context of 108 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:09,880 relations. Like we know this is true. 109 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,080 Our boys growing up, we, we said this in our home constantly. 110 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,960 Like life is lived in the context of relationship. 111 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,400 And then we would go on to say, so the relationships in our home 112 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,840 are the practice field. Like we got to practice here. 113 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:25,440 We got to figure this out. And this really goes all the way 114 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,240 back to, let's go back to the beginning of the story, the book 115 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,680 of Genesis. Because in the book of Genesis, 116 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,240 the creation story, we see that God created, right, the heavens 117 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,400 and the earth. He created the land and the sea. 118 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,280 He separated the water from the land. 119 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:40,880 He created the animals. Then he created Adam, the first 120 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:42,680 man. And then God. 121 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,840 The Bible says he looked around and to try and find a suitable 122 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,840 helper for Adam because he was all alone. 123 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:54,920 And in Genesis 218, God says this, it is not good for the man 124 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,600 to be alone. I will make a helper suitable 125 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,040 for him. Now on Father's Day, I'm 126 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,920 actually going to break this down at other points of the 127 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:04,600 series. We're going to break this down 128 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,520 in terms of the marriage that the husband wife thing. 129 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:12,200 But this is not just a marriage idea because God, right, took a 130 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:17,440 rib from Adam, created Eve to be a suitable helper for him. 131 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,960 But the greater context is God looks over the world and he goes 132 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,280 of all of the beings, of all the creativity, of all the animals, 133 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:25,880 of everything that we've created. 134 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,640 It's not good for man to be alone. 135 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,040 In other words, we need other human beings. 136 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,960 We need each other. So relationships in their purest 137 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,320 form, in the Garden of Eden, we're good. 138 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,720 Like good. Like a milkshake good. 139 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:46,920 Come on. Anybody else like milkshakes? 140 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,280 Good. So what happened? 141 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:53,800 What happened is the next chapter, the devil comes and 142 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,480 tempts them, and sin enters the human race. 143 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,880 And when sin entered the world, when sin enters the human race, 144 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:08,920 relationships got messed up. Our beautiful, perfect 145 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,640 strawberry milkshake with whipped cream from Chick-fil-A. 146 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:21,120 Come on, somebody. When sin entered the human race, 147 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,920 it's as if somebody poured vinegar in the milkshake. 148 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,200 Terrible. That's what happened. 149 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,880 Then all of a sudden, if we poured vinegar into a perfectly 150 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,360 beautiful and wonderful milkshake, it we all of a sudden 151 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,400 every every bite, every drink, would it would every, would have 152 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,800 bitterness in it. And see, when it comes to our 153 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,200 relationships, we've been trying to figure out how to navigate 154 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,320 the vinegar. Why does this thing doesn't 155 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:50,800 taste right? What's going on? 156 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,040 And here's the tension. The tension is the messaging of 157 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:58,200 the world around us that we see all day every day online, in 158 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:01,000 every format online and from Hollywood, so to speak. 159 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,320 The messaging of our world is this. 160 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:05,720 Well, if you're doing relationships right, then you'll 161 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,640 never have any problems. You'll never taste bitterness. 162 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,240 Or, let me flip it over, if you're experiencing problems or 163 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,920 struggles in your relationship, then you must be doing something 164 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,200 wrong. Hey, church, No, somebody poured 165 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,600 vinegar. Vinegar in our milkshake. 166 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,160 That's the problem with relationships. 167 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,600 But life is lived in the context of relationships. 168 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,360 So what do we do? Glad you asked #2 That means we 169 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,880 need a solid foundation for our relationships. 170 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,679 Then we got to figure out how to navigate the the bitterness. 171 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,760 We got to figure out how to navigate the imperfection that 172 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,840 sin has caused in our relationships. 173 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,600 And that means we need a solid foundation. 174 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:54,920 And can I tell you most everything that is online is not 175 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:59,200 a solid foundation. How many know there is all kinds 176 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,320 of advice. There's gurus, there's 177 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,960 influencers right on TikTok and Facebook, and everybody's got 178 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,520 their opinion, right? YouTube, Can I tell you 179 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,200 something? The vast majority of that advice 180 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:17,520 is not good. Jesus actually encountered a 181 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,240 situation like this in Matthew chapter 15. 182 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,680 He's at the height of his ministry and the Pharisees 183 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:26,040 basically kind of the, the religious leaders of the day, 184 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,200 they, they, they were the influencers of the day. 185 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,880 Like they had the power they had, like they had the big, the 186 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:33,880 biggest voice in town, so to speak. 187 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,360 Well, they start giving their advice and the disciples are a 188 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,080 little confused and they're like Jesus, like they're saying one 189 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,280 thing, but it sounds like you're saying something else. 190 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,320 And in Matthew 15, look at verse 14, Jesus looks at his disciples 191 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,040 and he says, let me tell you what to do with with all of the 192 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,760 big voices out there, leave them. 193 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,400 Then he says they're blind guides. 194 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,200 If the blind lead the blind, everybody's going to fall into 195 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,320 the pit. And sadly, as we look across our 196 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,520 world today, that's what we see, isn't it? 197 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,560 We see the blind leading the blind that that the blind guides 198 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:14,240 of the world. Just because it just because 199 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,680 they have millions of followers, just because they have millions 200 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:24,840 of likes doesn't mean that what they're telling you is right or 201 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,720 going to work or is a solid foundation for you to build your 202 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:30,560 life and relationships on. Amen. 203 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,600 Jesus spoke to this in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 204 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,600 Chapter 7. Look what Jesus said he said. 205 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,200 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine Speaking of 206 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,080 the words of truth, the Bible, everyone who hears these words 207 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,280 of mine, the teachings of Jesus and puts them into practice. 208 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,960 Look, what he says is like a wise man who built his house on 209 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:55,040 the rock and when the rains came come on that inevitably the 210 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,880 rains will come on our relationship and the streams 211 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,360 rose all of a sudden things the wind started to blow beat 212 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,880 against the house. Look, yet it did not fall. 213 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:06,880 Why? Because it had the foundation 214 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:12,560 its foundation on the rock. Then he flips it over though, 215 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,560 and he says, but everyone who hears these words of mine, the 216 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:19,600 teachings of Jesus and does not put them into practice is like 217 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:24,560 a, what's it say, foolish man who built this house on the 218 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:27,360 sand. So now when the rain comes and 219 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:29,800 the streams rise and the wind starts to blow and beat against 220 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,840 the house, look what he says. It fell with a great crash. 221 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:38,600 Some of us, we can't figure out why our relationships are 222 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,880 stripped. Like what is it possible that 223 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:48,520 we're not building on the rock? Instead we're building on sand? 224 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,080 I love what Proverbs chapter 4 says. 225 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:53,880 Proverbs chapter 4 verse 7 says this. 226 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,040 The beginning of wisdom is this. Get wisdom. 227 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,680 What's the beginning of wisdom? Get wisdom. 228 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:06,600 But then look what it says though it cost you all you have. 229 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,200 Get understanding. Hey, listen, there's a cost to 230 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:13,920 doing relationships God's way. You know that there's a cost to 231 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:19,440 do to to not living how the world says is acceptable for us 232 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:23,040 to live. There's a cost to not not having 233 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,480 sex before you're married. There's a cost to that it 234 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,200 culturally, there's a cost to not moving in with your 235 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,600 boyfriend or girlfriend to save money because it's the frugal 236 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,000 thing to do. Like the wisdom of the world 237 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,800 says, no, no, no, there's a cost to that. 238 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,400 There's a cost to being married to one woman or one man in a 239 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,960 marriage for 30 years of marriage and forsaking all 240 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:43,720 others. There's a cost to doing 241 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,080 relationships, but it's a rock. God's Word is a rock. 242 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,360 So that means we got to know what God's Word says. 243 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,520 God's Word offers us a firm and wise foundation for our 244 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,160 relationships. That's why these weeks of the 245 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,400 series matter. That's why spending time in 246 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,680 God's Word every day and while we read our Bibles together 247 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:07,120 throughout what we call our SOAP method, that's why it matters. 248 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,720 That's why. That's why being in a group over 249 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,640 the summer semester here at the church, that's why it matters, 250 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,720 because we need each other. That's where we can see healthy 251 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,720 relationships, not perfect healthy relationships modeled 252 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,760 for us. That's why we have to know God's 253 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,160 Word, so we can build our relationships on solid ground, 254 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:30,200 not shifting sand. So life has lived in the context 255 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,920 of relationships. The world's coming at us. 256 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,400 The devil put vinegar in the milkshake. 257 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:41,000 We need a solid foundation. That's what God's Word is all 258 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:42,920 about. Here's the third thought #3 our 259 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,960 relationship with God is the source for all of our other 260 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,280 relationships. Our relationship with God is the 261 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,520 source for all other relationships. 262 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,600 Probably 12, maybe more than that. 263 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:02,240 Years ago, I was, I was turned onto a book by John Ortberg, a 264 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:05,680 great author. And and he wrote this book 265 00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:08,040 called Soul Keeping, Soul Keeping. 266 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:10,760 And man, the first time I read it was probably, yeah, probably 267 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,240 12, maybe 15 years ago. It's been around a while. 268 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,200 And right at the beginning of the book, he, he tells this 269 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,600 story. And as I was working on this 270 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:23,760 message over the last several weeks for today, I kept coming 271 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,880 back in my heart and my spirit to that story. 272 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,080 So I looked it up. So, so I want to read you this 273 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,680 story in light of this idea that that our relationship with God 274 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,160 is the source of all of our other relationships. 275 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,080 Here's what Ortberg says. There was a beautiful village 276 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:44,440 high in the mountains built around a crystal clear stream. 277 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,960 The water was pure. Children played in it. 278 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,600 Swans and ducks floated on it. You could see all the way to the 279 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,520 bottom. Rock, sand, even fish. 280 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,200 The entire life of the village depended on that stream. 281 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,560 Now, high up in the mountains, out of sight, there was an old 282 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,080 man. He was called the Keeper of the 283 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,520 Springs. His job was simple but 284 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,120 important. He would go from spring to 285 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,720 spring to spring, clearing out branches and leaves and debris 286 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,200 so that nothing would pollute the water. 287 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,400 No one really saw him. No one thought much about him. 288 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:28,120 Until one year the village council decided, why are we 289 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,840 paying this guy? We never see him work. 290 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,120 This seems unnecessary. So they let him go. 291 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:42,000 At first nothing changed. But slowly over time, things 292 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:48,600 started to shift. The water became cloudy. 293 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:54,000 The Swans left, children stopped playing in the stream, people in 294 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,960 the village even started getting getting sick. 295 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:00,360 And eventually the village realized the problem wasn't in 296 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,040 the village, the problem was upstream. 297 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:08,920 So they rehired the keeper. Over time, the springs were 298 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,160 cleared, the water became clear again, the return, the children 299 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,640 came back, and the village came back to life. 300 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,640 And then Ortberg ends with this line. 301 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:26,480 The life of the village depended on the health of the stream. 302 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:34,800 Then he says this. The stream is your soul and you 303 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:43,880 are the keeper. The stream is your soul and you, 304 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:52,280 you and I are the keeper. The life of the village depends 305 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:57,840 on the health of the stream. Do you see it? 306 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:06,839 Our relationship with God is the source for all of our other 307 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,839 relationships. Let me see if I can visually 308 00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:14,560 illustrate this. So let's I think of it in terms 309 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,839 of concentric circles like this. So God is at the very center of 310 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:21,599 our life, our relationship with him. 311 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:26,359 And from that flows the health and vitality of our marriage, 312 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,320 our family relationships, eventually our friendships right 313 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,440 until all the way out to to the world around us, including our 314 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,880 relationship, our interactions with unbelievers, that it all 315 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,400 starts with our relationship with God. 316 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,120 So watch this. If our relationship with God is 317 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:50,240 not healthy, is not strong, is not vibrant, then over time our 318 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,040 marriage will start to be affected by that. 319 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,760 Our relationship with our children and our family will 320 00:17:55,760 --> 00:18:00,240 start to be related, affected by that, our relationships with our 321 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,200 friendships, all the way to our relationship with the outside 322 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,960 world around us. We'll all be affected by the 323 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:16,720 stream, our soul, our connection with God and see watch this if 324 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,720 we start to feel things breaking down in one of these other 325 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,560 categories. Is it possible? 326 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:27,320 The place we need to start in terms of helping our 327 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:34,280 relationships is here with our relationship with God because it 328 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:38,040 affects all of our other relationships. 329 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,480 Jesus talked about this. I love how plain he says it in 330 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,880 Luke chapter 6. He says in verse 35, a good man 331 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:50,840 brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and 332 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:55,280 an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his 333 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,200 heart. And then Jesus kind of breaks 334 00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:59,120 the whole thing down. In other words, if there's good 335 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:00,600 in here, they'll be good out there. 336 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,640 If there's evil in here, they'll be evil out there. 337 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:04,880 Then he just breaks the whole thing down by saying this. 338 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,720 For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 339 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:14,000 Can it get any plainer? Now, some of you, you've told 340 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:19,680 somebody that they're full of things, but Jesus says a little 341 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:23,280 different than you've said it. The mouth speaks. 342 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:29,800 In other words, our outside is affected by our inside, which 343 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:34,480 means Proverbs 423. Above all else, we must guard 344 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,680 our heart. You're the keeper of your soul, 345 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:43,720 for everything we do flows from here. 346 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,800 So life is lived in the context of relationship. 347 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:53,040 Sin has messed that up. We need a more firm foundation 348 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,640 than what the world's given us, which is the word God. 349 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:58,760 Our relationship with God effects all our other 350 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:00,720 relationships. And then here's the last thing I 351 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:05,680 want to leave us with #4 love must be the motivation for all 352 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:09,320 of our relationships. Then what that means is where do 353 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:11,280 we start it? We start with love. 354 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,520 Love must be the motivation for all of our relationships. 355 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,600 The apostle John wrote in first John chapter 4 verses 7 and 356 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,360 eight. He said, beloved, let us love 357 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:25,560 one another because love comes from God. 358 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,840 Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 359 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:33,000 And then He says this. Whoever does not love does not 360 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:33,880 know God. Why? 361 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,280 Because God is love. And then He kind of brings the 362 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,280 whole thing together in verse 19 when He says we love because He 363 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:46,320 first loved us. At the end of the day, God's 364 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,800 command is that we love one another. 365 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:54,800 Why? Because He first loved us. 366 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,800 Love is the motivation for all of our relationships. 367 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,800 Now, for some of you who've been around Bible study for a long 368 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,880 time, as soon as I start talking about love, your mind runs to 369 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:11,360 where my mind went to, which is what is famously known in First 370 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:13,360 Corinthians chapter 13. We just read it in our soap 371 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:15,200 guide this week. If you're reading along a 372 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,440 chapter a day with us, we literally just read this chapter 373 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,440 a few days ago. First Corinthians 13 is known as 374 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:26,080 the Love chapter. OK, Now most of the time when we 375 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,160 think about First Corinthians 13, which I want us to look at 376 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:33,880 in just a second, where our mind goes is we go to verses 4 to 7, 377 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,880 which is kind of like the one you read at the wedding. 378 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:37,720 Love is patient, love is not right. 379 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:45,760 And you're like, right, OK, but I want us to see where it 380 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,920 starts. OK, so, So look. 381 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,440 So the apostle Paul is writing to believers at a city called 382 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:54,520 Corinth. So people like us in the church, 383 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,040 like ours. And look what he says, verse 1. 384 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:01,240 He says if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but 385 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:06,800 do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clanging 386 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:11,880 cymbal, right? Like OK if I have to give the 387 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:16,000 prophecy that's awesome. Can fathom all mysteries and all 388 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,680 knowledge. If I if I have a faith it can 389 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,400 move mountains. So he's describing big stuff 390 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,560 here. But do not have love, look what 391 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,800 he says. I'm nothing If I give all my all 392 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:34,480 I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I 393 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,400 may boast. But do not have love. 394 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,000 Look what he says. It's worthless. 395 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:44,240 I gain nothing. See, what Paul is saying here is 396 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:49,240 the danger for those of us who are followers of Jesus is that 397 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,160 we can actually think that if we're doing a bunch of really 398 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,320 good stuff. He says, I speak in tongues. 399 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,360 We believe in that. I preach and prophecy, we 400 00:22:58,360 --> 00:23:00,920 believe in that. I can fathom biblical insights 401 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,640 and mysteries and knowledge of the Bible. 402 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,400 We believe that we have faith to move mountains. 403 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,400 We believe that we give generously. 404 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,440 That's us. We believe that we serve like 405 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:10,600 crazy. We have orange shirts. 406 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:15,280 We believe that Paul says I can do all of this amazing stuff, 407 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:20,920 but if I don't have love, I am nothing. 408 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,680 Love is the motivation for all of our relationships. 409 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:32,120 And then Paul writes what you and I know to be one of the most 410 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:35,480 famous passages right in all of Scripture. 411 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,760 But here's what I want you to do before I read for verses 47. 412 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,720 I don't want you to get a picture in your head of the last 413 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,520 wedding you attended, which is really beautiful. 414 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,880 Here's what I want. I want, I want you to get up the 415 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,280 face of the person you love the least right now in your mind. 416 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:02,520 Let me help you. Maybe a neighbor who's been a 417 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,160 jerk and reported you to the HOA. 418 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:11,160 OK, Maybe an ex business partner, an ex-spouse, an 419 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,800 ex-boyfriend. Maybe a friend who betrayed you. 420 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,760 I'll get that face in my mind. Maybe someone who doesn't vote 421 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,360 like you. Maybe someone who doesn't look 422 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:22,680 like you. Maybe someone from a different 423 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,400 race than you. Maybe someone who's hurt you. 424 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,280 Maybe an maybe an authority figure who did you wrong. 425 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:28,840 Kay. I want you. 426 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:30,080 Do you have that face? OK. 427 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:31,720 Have I provoked you to anger yet? 428 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:33,520 OK. You got that face. 429 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:34,440 Ready. Get that face. 430 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,040 Not that. Not the happy couple on their 431 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:37,040 wedding day. No, no, no. 432 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,320 Get the face of the person you love the least right now. 433 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,920 Ready. Love is patient. 434 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,200 Love is kind. It does not envy. 435 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,560 It does not boast. It is not proud. 436 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:01,280 It does not dishonor others. Do you have their face in your 437 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,440 mind? Love is not self seeking. 438 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:11,560 It's not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. 439 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,480 Love does not delight in the evil, but rejoices with the 440 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,720 truth. Love always protects, it always 441 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:22,480 trusts. It always hopes. 442 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:30,040 It always perseveres. Love never fails when it comes 443 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:36,240 to our relationships. Love must be the motivation of 444 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:42,800 every relationship in our lives, from our marriage to our kids to 445 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:48,240 our friends to our enemies, Jesus said. 446 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,040 Love your neighbor as yourself. Love your enemies. 447 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,360 Love those who persecute you, love those who hate you, Love 448 00:25:56,360 --> 00:26:07,720 those who don't vote like you. Love them love Why first John 449 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:18,840 419 again, we love because he first loved us. 450 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:34,360 Relationships are hard, but love conquers all. 451 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:40,040 That's who we're called to be. We're called to be a people, a 452 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:46,160 royal priesthood, A chosen generation, those of us who 453 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:53,400 named the name of Jesus. We are called to love in our 454 00:26:53,400 --> 00:27:05,720 home, in our HOA, in our workplace, on Daniels Parkway, 455 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:17,840 on Veterans Blvd. We're called to love. 456 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:26,880 So God, I thank you that right now you're speaking Holy Spirit. 457 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:33,120 We just want to pause, though. We're not in a hurry, God. 458 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:38,960 We just pause in this moment. Spirit, I pray that you would 459 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:40,600 speak. Lord, you're speaking to some of 460 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:45,360 us, God, some of us, we need to forgive because what someone has 461 00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:49,160 done to us in this last season or seasons past has been it's 462 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,160 offensive. It's vinegar in the milkshake, 463 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,120 but you're calling us to love. You're calling us to forgive. 464 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,520 God, I, I pray Father, some of us, we need to start to, to view 465 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,360 our marriages through a different lens, view our, our, 466 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:11,920 our friendships through a different lens, view those who 467 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:16,080 are politically opposite of us through a different lens. 468 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:24,560 Jesus, you've called us to love. So God, I thank you that right 469 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:28,320 now you're speaking. You're speaking to hearts. 470 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,840 God, life has lived in the context of relationships, but 471 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:37,080 that doesn't mean it's easy. So Lord, would you help us? 472 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:45,040 We want to love like you. We love because you first loved 473 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,440 us. I just want to stay in this 474 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:53,000 atmosphere right now, just as many of you just see you seated 475 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,480 right where you are. God's speaking to you. 476 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,920 I believe God's convicting you, speaking to hearts about 477 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:03,600 relational things that are going on, giving you a next step. 478 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:04,840 Hey, you need to text that person. 479 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,200 You need to apologize that person. 480 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,400 You need to lay down your pride with that person. 481 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:15,880 You need to stop holding them to some whatever thing. 482 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:22,520 Release that love like Jesus loved love because He first 483 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,560 loved you. So I want you to just across 484 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,760 every room just stay. Stay in that moment with you and 485 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:32,600 the Lord like the Spirit speak. But I also recognize that there 486 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,840 are some who have come in today or you're online with us and 487 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,240 you're not in relationship. Speaking of relationship, you're 488 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:44,480 not in relationship with God. That's why Jesus came. 489 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,400 He came. He saw us in our sinfulness and 490 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:55,640 our brokenness and our vinegar ridden state and He said, I love 491 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,360 you too much to let you just die in your sin. 492 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:04,840 So God sent Jesus to step out of heaven, come to this earth, live 493 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,320 a perfect sinless life, and then die on a cross as payment for 494 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,480 sin. Not his sin, but for yours and 495 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,840 mine. Jesus paid the price so you and 496 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,680 I could be in relationship with God. 497 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:24,960 So if you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, I want to 498 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:26,440 give you an opportunity to do that. 499 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,200 Now here's the deal. It's not our style to embarrass 500 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,520 you or call you down front, but we do want to give you an 501 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,560 opportunity to express on the outside what you're feeling on 502 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,440 the inside. So at every one of our 503 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,480 locations, E location on Gateway Blvd. downtown Cape Coral here 504 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,320 in Fort Myers. If you're an additional seating 505 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:45,840 online family, you can mention it in the chat. 506 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:48,400 Just say I want to. I say I want to say yes. 507 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,200 I want to give you an opportunity to express on the 508 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:52,720 outside what you're feeling on the inside. 509 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:54,600 So I'm going to count to 3 in just a moment. 510 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:59,040 When I hit 3 every room, would you just throw your hand up 511 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,560 wherever you're at? Just bold and strong. 512 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:03,240 Throw your hand up. Is it Pastor Matt? 513 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,680 That's me. I want to surrender my life to 514 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,520 Jesus. I need him to come in and be my 515 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,480 Savior and Lord. If you want to do that, would 516 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:12,440 you throw your hand up right now? 517 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,440 Come on, let's do it, 123. Yeah. 518 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:16,680 Awesome. Pastor Matt, that's me. 519 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:17,840 Yes. Thank you. 520 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:18,960 Amen. Amen. 521 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,080 The east location. Just throw your hand up 522 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:22,480 downtown. Yep. 523 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:23,680 Cape Coral. Amen. 524 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:24,480 Pastor Matt. That's me. 525 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:25,760 Pastor Matt. That's me. 526 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:27,440 Amen. Pastor Matt. 527 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:28,920 I want to surrender my life to Jesus. 528 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,240 I want to go all in. I want to go all in. 529 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,080 Awesome. Yeah. 530 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,080 You can put your hands down. Hey, listen, I want to lead us 531 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,120 in prayer. So I'm going to invite all of us 532 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,600 to repeat this prayer after me. And if you just lifted your 533 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,160 hand, I want you to pray this from your heart. 534 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,400 And the God of the universe who loves you more than you can 535 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:48,640 fathom or understand is going to hear your prayer. 536 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,960 He's going to come in, forgive you, and begin a relationship 537 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:53,440 with you. Come on, let's pray together. 538 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,000 Everybody say, dear Lord Jesus, thanks for loving me and 539 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,920 bringing me here today. I acknowledge that I'm a Sinner 540 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,320 and I need a Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on 541 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:12,520 the cross as payment for my sin. Right now I surrender my life to 542 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:17,760 you. Will you help me from this day 543 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:23,800 forward to go your way because it is the best way for the rest 544 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,800 of my days? In Jesus name I pray. 545 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:29,880 Amen. Amen. 546 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:31,080 Wow. Yeah. 547 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:40,760 Come on. Listen, if you just raised your 548 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:47,960 hand, wherever you are, I want you to know we're fired up 549 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,760 because that is the best decision you can ever make. 550 00:32:51,800 --> 00:33:01,520 And OK, and we want to, we want to help you understand what 551 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,560 happened. So at all of our locations, we 552 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:04,800 have a free gift for you, a Bible. 553 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:06,120 We have it in English and Spanish. 554 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,720 So on your way out of the room today, stop by our next steps 555 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,880 area at your location and tell them I just said yes and they 556 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:15,200 want to put this Bible in your hands. 557 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,000 There's AQR code right here. My wife and I recorded some 558 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,040 videos to help you understand and, and what your next steps 559 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,200 are and what this means for you. So don't leave the building, the 560 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,680 property today without getting this Bible. 561 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,320 Amen, Amen. Hey, let me pray first one more 562 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,200 time and then we're going to continue on together. 563 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,720 Heavenly Father, I thank you for what you're doing. 564 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,080 Lord, relationships are hard, but you are good. 565 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,640 And so Lord, today I pray, blessing God, would you increase 566 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:44,480 our self-awareness this week? Give us eyes to see where you 567 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:48,480 are calling us to love and not loathe where you're calling us 568 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:52,480 to love and step into relationships like you would 569 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,840 with love. God I bless each one in Jesus 570 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,960 name and everyone who agreed at every location said Amen. 571 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,520 Come on, let's give Jesus praise.