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Come on, Stas. 
I love. 

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There's got to be people here 
who don't know who Jake is. 

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And they're like, why'd you just
talk to that white guy in 

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Spanish? 
Well, Jake has been in Guatemala

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for several months as a 
missionary intern. 

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They fired him. 
I'm just, I'm just kidding. 

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I'm just kidding. 
They take the holidays off, so 

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he's back here, gets to spent, 
got to spend Thanksgiving with 

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the family. 
He's here throughout the whole 

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Christmas season. 
And then in January you'll head 

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back to finish out your 
internship. 

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He is rocking that. 
He's doing a great job down 

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there. 
And we'll get some updates on 

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things that are happening in 
Guatemala while he's here. 

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I'm sure he wouldn't mind. 
And if he does, I just promised 

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it and I won't be a liar. 
So we'll make him so it'll be 

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good. 
Welcome back and thank you for 

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representing us in the Kingdom 
Well in Guatemala. 

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But you can turn to Second 
Timothy Chapter 3, this series 

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that we're going through to 
finish the year. 

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I have this. 
Here's my problem, guys. 

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I have this weird habit when it 
comes to be Christmas time. 

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I'm not good at Christmas 
sermons. 

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At least that's how I view it. 
When Pastor Tom retired several 

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years ago, my first Christmas 
series was called The Myths of 

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Christmas. 
And, and we talked about all the

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ways that like Christmas takes 
over and kind of shoves the 

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actual faith in Jesus out the 
window if you let it. 

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Man, we touched on such 
wonderful sore spots as like the

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war on Christmas. 
Like we get so offended when 

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people won't say Merry Christmas
and Christmas isn't even in the 

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Bible. 
Like the stuff about Christmas 

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is in there, but the word 
Christmas isn't there. 

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But it's OK. 
You know what else is not in the

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Bible? 
The word Bible. 

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So we're going to talk about the
Bible today. 

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We, I, I'm still haunted by 
people with memories of how I 

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explained the origin of 
mistletoe. 

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And if you were here, you 
understand. 

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And if you weren't see me 
afterwards, we'll set up a 

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counseling session in Second 
Timothy 3. 

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We're going to be seeing how 
important adhering to the 

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Scripture is. 
And I want to talk about the 

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pros and yes, the cons of living
your life by the Bible today 

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while you're turning there. 
I want to start with a with a 

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true story. 
And when I say this, I, I mean 

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like a really true story, not 
like a preacher heard a preacher

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say this who heard another 
preacher say it. 

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So we assume it's true. 
This is something that is 

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documented. 
And in the 1800s, there was a 

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man named George Mueller, and 
many of you may know his name 

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and many of you might not, but 
he ran orphanages in England. 

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And over the course of his life,
it is estimated that he cared 

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for more than 10,000 children. 
I don't know how your math is. 

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That's a lot of children. 
And he was known for something 

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unusual. 
Even though he ran these 

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nonprofits and these orphanages 
to help the underprivileged 

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children, he did not fundraise. 
He never said hey, this is 

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Giving Tuesday. 
He never said hey we need to 

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meet our goal. 
He never said hey we have a an 

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anonymous donor who's going to 
match all of our donations up. 

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Isn't it amazing how often those
anonymous donors pop up just at 

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the right time when people are 
fundraising? 

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Right? 
I'm not saying they don't exist.

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I guess what I am saying is they
don't exist as much as people 

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want us to think they exist. 
There was no emotional 

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manipulation to raise money. 
He was just known for asking God

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to provide. 
And so he never sent out letters

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even asking for fundraising or 
to create awareness. 

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These are words that we would 
use today. 

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He would just pray, open his 
Bible, and then he would trust 

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God to provide whatever he 
needed. 

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And this, this is the crazy 
story is that one morning the 

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orphanage had like no food at 
all. 

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They did not have bread. 
They did not have anything for 

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breakfast. 
And the children were already 

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dressed and ready for school and
there was nothing to feed them. 

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And so George told them to sit 
at the dining room table, and 

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they were going to pray and 
thank God for providing when 

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there was no food. 
And while they were praying, 

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there was a knock that came at 
the door. 

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And it was the town Baker who 
said the night before, he said 

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he felt strongly that he needed 
to bake bread for the orphanage.

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And he had been up since 2:00 in
the morning preparing it. 

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That's crazy, right? 
And a few minutes later, there 

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was another knock. 
And the milk cart had broken 

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down in front of the orphanage. 
And so the milkman said the 

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repair is going to take too 
long. 

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Can you guys use this milk so it
doesn't go bad? 

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Now, these are the kind of 
things that we hear modern day. 

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We'll hear stories like this 
from people and we're like, oh, 

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cool, you had a really happy 
coincidence. 

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And I'm sure, I'm sure God 
provided, but I mean, I'm 

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telling you, miracles happen. 
But the point that I want to get

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across, and by the way, if you 
ever want to look it up, there's

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several biographies and and his 
own autobiography that talk 

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about this from his own journal 
entries. 

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What I want to get across is the
only things that he did was 

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pray, which we'll talk about 
next week and get in the Word. 

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And God provided bread and milk.
What I'm afraid is that today 

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it's not that there's Christians
that don't believe these things 

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can happen. 
What I'm afraid of today is that

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if that were to happen to us, we
would look at him and say this 

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is wheat bread, Amen, Amen. 
We would look at him and say, 

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can I at least get some 
chocolate syrup for my milk? 

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We are not grateful for 
everything that He brings to us.

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Besides, that's not my notes. 
But I guess he already did 

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provide some bread, didn't he? 
You'll only get that if you know

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the Scriptures though. 
I know that stories like this 

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can be hard to believe, and they
are for me too, but they're not 

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legends. 
We serve a God who provides 

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miracles to people, and the 
second that we start to explain 

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them away and say that those are
things that used to happen, they

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don't happen anymore. 
We actually uninvite God's power

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from our life. 
He placed human beings on this 

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earth, and He gave us authority 
over the earth, and He does not 

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go against what He promises. 
So how does God's authority 

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often enter back into the earth 
when we allow Him to exercise 

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His own authority? 
Isn't that insane? 

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Would you have done it like 
that? 

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I wouldn't have done it like 
that, but I know that I'm not 

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smarter than God, so I trust His
plan. 

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Just in case you're more 
logical, Recent studies give us 

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a really sad picture. 
The Barna group reports that 

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only about 1/3 of Christians 
open their Bible about once a 

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week. 1/3 So what about 33.3% of
Christians open their Bible once

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a week? 
We might be checking that box 

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today. 
The American Bible Society says 

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about 9% read Scripture 
everyday. 

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And the Centre for Bible 
Engagement, that's a that's a 

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real place. 
They say that almost 40% rarely 

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or never read the Bible outside 
of church. 

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But here's where it really gets 
interesting for me. 

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The Center for Bible Engagement 
also found that when a person 

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does read the Bible at least 
four times a week, this is about

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every other day. 
When they read it about four 

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times a week, something 
different happens. 

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It's said that their odds of 
feeling spiritually stagnant 

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drop. 
Their ability to resist 

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destructive habits that they've 
given into in the past 

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increases, their generosity 
increases, their willingness to 

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share their faith increases, and
their emotional and spiritual 

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health rises. 
Whatever you focus on will 

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always grow in your sight, and 
when this is a once a week thing

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that you dip into, it's going to
be hard to be passionate about 

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it all week long. 
Everything changes when 

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Scripture becomes more than an 
accessory to your faith. 

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Scripture is so important. 
So I want you to think about 

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this. 
We do live in a time you hear 

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every preacher say this at some 
point. 

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Bibles are more available now 
than ever. 

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You have more translations than 
ever. 

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We have apps, audio Bibles, 
reading plans, study guides, 

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devotionals. 
You have access to Scripture in 

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your pocket every moment of the 
day. 

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But statistically, Christians 
have never been more 

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disconnected from the Bible than
2025. 

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Is that a problem? 
Is this just me? 

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Am I? 
Am I freaking out over nothing 

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here? 
I want you see this. 

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Like I just grabbed a handful of
them. 

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I'm counting this as my workout 
today. 

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So here's my Holy Land 
illustrated Bible. 

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It's the Christian standard 
translation. 

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It's got the nice little thumb 
tabs in case you need a quick 

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cheat to get to the books. 
It's got pictures of what things

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look like. 
Don't focus on this one. 

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These are idols. 
OK, We don't worship cows. 

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There's there's a whole thing 
about that in here. 

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This actually shows pictures 
from the Holy Land. 

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It gives you historical context.
That's a pretty cool one. 

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That's a pretty cool one. 
What? 

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What's this? 
10 Jacob, Jacob. 

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This is this is the NIV and the 
Santa Biblia, the Holy Bible in 

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Spanish. 
I'm not going to try to read 

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that one. 
I just purely because I don't 

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want to seem ignorant side by 
side. 

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I can read it in English and 
Spanish. 

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That's probably pretty helpful. 
Here's an English standard 

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version, which is cool because 
that's that's my native 

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language. 
So read through this one one 

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year the ESV. 
That's pretty good one. 

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This is new King James Maxwell 
leadership Bible. 

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So John Maxwell has leadership 
notes in this new King James. 

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And to be honest with you, this 
is one of my very favorite ones 

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because the new King James is a 
pretty solid translation and 

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John Maxwell's pretty solid with
leadership lessons. 

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What's this, 10? 
This is the new International 

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version, the cultural background
study Bible. 

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So here's an article on honour 
shame cultures. 

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If you want to read it later, 
come let me know. 

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No, no takers. 
OK, so, but it'll give you like 

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the whole, the whole background 
in this one. 

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This one belonged to my pastor, 
Pastor Tom, and he passed on one

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of his Bibles to me when he 
retired. 

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I don't use this one a whole 
lot, but it's very special to me

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that I have it because it's got 
his, his notes in there. 

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Oh, this one is the gospel 
according to Gen. 

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Z Don't read that one, but it's 
funny. 

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This, this is another copy of 
the New Living Translation wide 

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margin. 
New Living Translation is what I

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frequently preach from, and 
we'll talk about why in a 

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00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,400
moment. 
This just scratches the surface 

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of what's sitting over in my 
office. 

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And those are physical ones. 
And you may say, well, I'm not 

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going to buy that many Bibles. 
OK, Download the Bible app. 

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00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:19,160
Congrats, you have them all 
today really matters because 

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we're talking about Scripture. 
And my hope is that this will 

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matter to you no matter where 
you are in your faith journey. 

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Paul in Second Timothy chapter 3
is writing to his spiritual son 

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from prison. 
The fact that this is in Second 

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00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:32,480
Timothy means this is the last 
letter that we know of from 

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Paul, and he knows his life is 
almost over. 

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00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,160
And before this moment, he is 
encouraging Timothy to be bold 

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and to stay faithful and to 
guard truth in a culture that is

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trying to tear his faith down. 
And after this moment, Paul is 

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going to say that the time of 
his departure is near and that 

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he's fought the good fight. 
That's famous. 

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But right in the middle, Paul 
tells Timothy one thing that 

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will anchor him for the rest of 
his ministry and the rest of his

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life. 
This one thing that will hold 

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him together when everything 
else tries to pull him apart. 

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This one thing that will help 
Timothy when persecution against

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Christians rises and culture 
shifts and he points them right 

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back to Scripture. 
In second Timothy chapter 3, 

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verse 10, we see this Paul says,
you Timothy, certainly know what

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I teach and how I live and what 
my purpose in life is. 

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You know my faith, my patience, 
my love, and my endurance, And 

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you know how much persecution 
and suffering I have endured. 

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You know all about how I was 
persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, 

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and Lystra, but the Lord rescued
me from all of it. 

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Yes, and everyone who wants to 
live a godly life in Christ 

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Jesus will suffer persecution, 
but evil people and impostors 

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will flourish. 
They'll deceive others and will 

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themselves be deceived. 
I want to pause. 

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This would be an excellent place
for him to say, you know how I 

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lived. 
You followed my example. 

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You know, I practice what I 
preach. 

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Continue to listen to me. 
Continue to do the things I 

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taught you. 
That's what somebody does when 

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they're all about themself. 
But what does he say after that?

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But you must remain faithful to 
the things you have been taught 

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and know they are true. 
For you know you can trust those

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who taught you. 
You have been taught the Holy 

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Scriptures from childhood and 
they've given you the wisdom to 

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receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus. 

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All scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what 

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is true and make us realize what
is wrong in our lives. 

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He says it corrects us when we 
are wrong and teaches us to do 

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what is right. 
God uses it to prepare and equip

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His people to do every good 
work. 

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Does it sound important? 
I think that sounds pretty 

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important. 
And here's the crazy thing about

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this. 
We're reading this in a 

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scripture that wasn't considered
a scripture at that time. 

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He is almost exclusively just 
talking about the Old Testament 

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scriptures and the gospel of 
Jesus. 

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And so he's saying, you can see 
this beautiful new teaching 

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00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:58,320
makes sense because you 
understand the scriptures that 

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you were raised to understand 
and that you were taught. 

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You can understand and see the 
gospel in my life because you 

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understand these scriptures. 
Guys, we have two different 

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testaments. 
They had one and it was enough. 

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But if it wasn't enough, God 
gave us more and now we have 

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access to all of it. 
So Paul's message is basically 

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00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,120
this. 
If you want to stay faithful, 

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you have to stay connected to 
things that are bigger than you.

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If you want to know God's voice,
you have to live in God's word. 

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00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,720
If you want to know God's ways, 
you have to look in his word. 

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00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,880
And if you want to be shaped and
strengthened and equipped, you 

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have to open the Scriptures. 
He says this scripture is not 

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just useful for teaching and for
rebuking us or correcting us. 

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00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,800
He says they're actually useful 
for helping us be equipped to do

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00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,560
the things we want to do. 
And most of us have had some 

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sort of prayer at some point in 
our life where we say, God, I 

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00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,920
just wish you'd show me the 
meaning of my life or what's my 

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00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:52,960
purpose? 
What do you want me to do? 

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Meanwhile, unless we're in the 
9%, we're not even cracking this

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00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:59,560
open. 
We're going to him because we 

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00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:02,800
want the the Cliff notes of our 
faith. 

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00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:05,440
God, just tell me what you want 
me to do. 

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00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:07,480
It's like, well, have you, have 
you read, have you read the book

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00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,600
yet? 
It's a big book. 

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00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,800
You know how big it is. 
Could you just, could you just 

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00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:18,240
tell me the highlights? 
God will test you and every test

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00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,320
is designed to make you elevate 
to the next level. 

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00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,680
It's designed to help you pass 
and go up to another grade. 

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00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:24,840
But he's not going to help you 
cheat on the test. 

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00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,160
So no matter where you are in 
the journey, the same truth 

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00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:31,640
stands. 
If you're a brand new Christian 

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00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,160
trying to figure out what faith 
looks like, this message today 

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00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:35,640
is for you. 
And if you are searching and 

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00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,320
you're skeptical of the gospel, 
this is for you. 

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00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,280
If you have served the Lord for 
decades, if you have read the 

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00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,960
Bible every year for years and 
years, this message is still for

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00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,320
you. 
I want to add this. 

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00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,320
Some people actually swing to 
the other side. 

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00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,200
Some people treat the Bible 
almost like a trophy. 

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00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,120
Some people look at it and 
they're skeptical and they are 

300
00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:58,880
trying to find holes in it 
because they don't want to be 

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00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,920
deceived. 
Other people look at this Bible 

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00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,120
and they idolize it, and that's 
a shock to some people. 

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00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,240
Some people feel like, well, you
can't idolize the Bible, that's 

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00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,400
God's word. 
We'll get to that. 

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00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,840
Neither one is accurate. 
This is the most useful tool 

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00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:19,080
that you have in your arsenal as
a Christian, but it is not 

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00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:20,560
everything. 
And I'll get to that. 

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00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,880
The irony is what I was trying 
to under score earlier is that 

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00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,200
we live in the most privileged 
moment in history. 

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00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,840
Scriptures in your language, 
your phones, multiple 

311
00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,240
translations. 
But if you don't ever open it, 

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00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,960
it'll never change you. 
And so I'm not waiting for the 

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00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,760
new year to try to push you and 
encourage you on it. 

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00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,720
We're starting now. 
The sermon series is called Home

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00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,720
for the Holidays because the 
whole thing about Christmas is 

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00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,880
what it's when God became a man.
That's the spiritual way to say 

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00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,240
it. 
And if you're five years old, 

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00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:54,800
you say it's Jesus's birthday, 
even though it's not. 

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00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,560
He was not born in December, but
that's where we celebrate it. 

320
00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:03,320
But if you want to give a gift 
to him for Christmas, for his 

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00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,000
birthday, maybe just a gratitude
gift, the best thing you can do 

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00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,520
is come home for the holidays 
for the rest of this year. 

323
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,560
We're talking about what this 
really means, and I'm not just 

324
00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,320
trying to rail you on this. 
I'm not trying to make you say 

325
00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:18,880
like, man, I've not been doing 
anything. 

326
00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,800
I'm telling you that this room 
is full of people that will come

327
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,760
alongside you and help you if 
you let us. 

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00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,360
We need to understand why this 
word is important, and we've got

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00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,000
to understand why prayer is 
important. 

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00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,280
Prayer is scary for a lot of 
Christians. 

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00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:34,240
I get it. 
We'll talk about it next week. 

332
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,080
Community is even scarier for 
Christians because most people 

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00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,000
who've been in church for a 
while have been hurt by church 

334
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:46,520
people. 
Not me, but I've heard that that

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00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,560
happens. 
No, it happens. 

336
00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:50,960
But here's the reality. 
You stay anywhere long enough, 

337
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,080
you're going to get hurt by 
people. 

338
00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:54,040
If you work at Walmart for 10 
years, you'll get hurt by 

339
00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,440
somebody at Walmart. 
I got run over my foot on a 

340
00:16:57,440 --> 00:16:59,080
shopping cart just the other 
day, and I don't even work 

341
00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,920
there. 
We're going to talk about why 

342
00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,960
it's important to try to live a 
life of holiness even though it 

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00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,839
feels impossible, and why God 
does have a specific mission for

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00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:11,599
you. 
But none of that matters if you 

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00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,160
don't know God, and this is the 
clearest way to get to know him.

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00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,880
I guess the first thing I would 
teach you is that this story 

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00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,079
inside the Bible is the story 
that leads you home. 

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00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:24,839
You can go to Nehemiah chapter 
8, beautifully centered in the 

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00:17:24,839 --> 00:17:26,960
Old Testament. 
And I want you to know that when

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00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,720
you lose your way, both 
physically or spiritually, you 

351
00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,600
don't guess your way back 
spiritually. 

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00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,960
When you try to guess your way 
back, you end up just going by 

353
00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:39,240
what sounds right to you in your
own eyes. 

354
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,240
That's the book of Judges. 
But we'll preach that one a 

355
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,680
different day when you get lost,
let's say in a forest, and you 

356
00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:51,480
just try to guess your way back.
It's also bad advice. 

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00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,080
You don't guess. 
You need something that will 

358
00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,080
guide you and direct you. 
And I want you to understand 

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00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:58,520
that the spiritual realm is 
real. 

360
00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,360
Demons are real, fallen angels, 
watchers, these things, they are

361
00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:04,560
real. 
And they whisper to you. 

362
00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,680
And a lot of times we get 
worried because we say, well, I 

363
00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,240
don't know if that's God or if 
it's my own will or if it's 

364
00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,440
something else. 
If you learn his word, you'll 

365
00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,840
learn his ways. 
And when you hear something, 

366
00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:21,720
you'll be able to discern who's 
speaking to you or if it's from 

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00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,560
something on on within. 
This is where you start. 

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00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:28,960
Little background. 
Before we read the Scripture, I 

369
00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,440
want you to understand that for 
Israel, this moment in Nehemiah 

370
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:36,080
8 didn't come out of nowhere. 
They'd spent 70 long years in 

371
00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,880
Babylon in captivity, in exile 
from their own country. 

372
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,440
And this is this is a problem 
for them because their temple 

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00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,240
has been destroyed. 
The beautiful temple that 

374
00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,600
Solomon had built has been 
destroyed. 

375
00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,960
And when I say 70 years, I want 
you to think about this. 

376
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:55,880
People have lived, been born, 
died in captivity. 

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00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,680
You're talking about a whole 
generation that grew up knowing 

378
00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,760
well, we are Jewish people. 
We do have a homeland. 

379
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:02,640
We do have this God that is for 
us. 

380
00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,880
But I haven't seen him. 
They went all the way up through

381
00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,720
maybe their bar mitzvahs or bar 
mitzvahs or whatever they had at

382
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,560
that place in history, aging 
into adulthood with no real idea

383
00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,200
of what their homeland looks 
like. 

384
00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,760
They've been in captivity by a 
foreign nation. 

385
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,160
As uncomfortable as it sounds, I
want you to imagine China comes 

386
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,000
in here and picks up all of us 
and moves us all to China. 

387
00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,240
And then in 70 years, some of us
get to go back. 

388
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,000
Look around here. 
I'm not, I'm not saying anything

389
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,080
about China. 
I don't do politics here, but 

390
00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,800
look around. 
Is everybody here going to 

391
00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:42,800
survive 70 years in China? 
Some of us, maybe the youngest 

392
00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,320
ones, the ones that'll have the 
haziest memories of what it is 

393
00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,640
to be in America originally. 
And this is what's happening to 

394
00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,600
them, OK? 
So they understand, OK, we are 

395
00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,360
Jewish people, We are from 
Israel. 

396
00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,200
We have our own homeland. 
God requires things of us. 

397
00:19:56,200 --> 00:20:00,080
And now we get to go home. 
So their national identity is 

398
00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:01,600
stolen. 
But now, when they go home, 

399
00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,000
Nehemiah feels. 
He feels very, very much like 

400
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,720
the Lord has pressed it on his 
heart to rebuild the walls. 

401
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,840
So he wants, first of all, for 
there to be safety there. 

402
00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,200
OK. 
And so even when they return, I 

403
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,400
want you to imagine that the 
spiritual challenges wouldn't 

404
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,120
disappear just because they're 
in Israel. 

405
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,360
The people were rebuilding their
lives, but internally they were 

406
00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:24,000
still carrying the residue of 
being in in exile. 

407
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,840
They had faced opposition from 
different nations around them, 

408
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,080
but they were battling 
discouragement. 

409
00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,160
Their worship rhythms had been 
disrupted for decades. 

410
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,960
Generations had lived without 
regular access to the 

411
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,040
scriptures, without temple 
sacrifices, and without 

412
00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,200
spiritual leadership that they 
once depended on. 

413
00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,880
So their hearts had started to 
become reshaped by loss and 

414
00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,400
subjugation and long seasons 
that probably felt like God 

415
00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,160
wasn't saying anything to them. 
So when Nehemiah finally rebuilt

416
00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:52,800
the walls, it was a massive 
accomplishment. 

417
00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,440
But it didn't solve the real 
problem. 

418
00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:56,800
The walls were standing, but the
people weren't. 

419
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,600
Their physical home was rebuilt,
but their identity and their 

420
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,040
unity and their spiritual 
foundation were still fragile. 

421
00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,640
So Nehemiah 8 tells the moment 
when everything changed because 

422
00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,800
people gather in the square and 
they're not there to celebrate 

423
00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,560
or to be entertained or to hear 
their favorite song, or because 

424
00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,560
their wife dragged them there. 
They gathered there because they

425
00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,920
were hungry for what God had. 
And in Nehemiah 8 it says this. 

426
00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:24,160
All the people assembled with a 
unified purpose at the square 

427
00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,800
just inside the Watergate. 
They asked Ezra the scribe to 

428
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,960
bring out the book of the Law of
Moses, which the Lord had given 

429
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:35,320
for Israel to obey. 
So on October 8th, Ezra the 

430
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,120
priest brought the book of the 
Law before the assembly, which 

431
00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,600
included the men and the women 
and all the children old enough 

432
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,240
to understand it. 
He faced the square just inside 

433
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,720
the Watergate from early morning
until noon and read aloud to 

434
00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:52,600
everyone who could understand it
from early morning until noon. 

435
00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,880
I was joking when I said we're 
going to work our way through 

436
00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,160
all of this. 
He wasn't. 

437
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,080
But these people stayed. 
Why? 

438
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,320
They didn't have this. 
They didn't have their own copy.

439
00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:06,800
They didn't have their scrolls 
at their at home library. 

440
00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,440
This was special for them to be 
reminded of what God had said to

441
00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:14,280
them, to be taught things that 
would correct them, equip them, 

442
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,760
grow them. 
And they wanted to hear it. 

443
00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:20,680
So Ezra the scribe verse 4 stood
on a high wooden platform that 

444
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:25,000
had been made for the occasion. 
And to his right stood a bunch 

445
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,000
of people. 
And in verse 5, it says Ezra 

446
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,720
stood on the platform in full 
view of all the people. 

447
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,800
When they saw him open the book,
they all rose to their feet. 

448
00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,560
What are they doing? 
They're showing proper respect 

449
00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,160
for the Scripture. 
And then Ezra, praise the Lord 

450
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,320
the great God, and all the 
people chanted, Amen, Amen. 

451
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,200
As they lifted their hands and 
they bowed down and worshiped 

452
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:47,840
the Lord with their faces to the
ground. 

453
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:51,320
Look at verse 9. 
It says, then Nehemiah the 

454
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,040
governor, Ezra the priest and 
scribe, and the Levites who were

455
00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,840
interpreting for the people said
to them, don't mourn or weep on 

456
00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:00,200
such a day as this, for today is
a sacred day before the Lord 

457
00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:02,360
your God. 
For the people had all been 

458
00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:04,120
weeping as they listen to the 
words of the law. 

459
00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:05,680
Why do you think they were 
weeping? 

460
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,440
We've missed that one. 
We've not gotten that right. 

461
00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,760
Maybe just the sentimentality of
this is what I've heard as I was

462
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:14,760
raised, but I've never heard it 
read directly. 

463
00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:16,440
It was a beautiful moment for 
them. 

464
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,760
They were overcome with emotion.
And so he says, don't be 

465
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,120
dejected and sad, for the joy of
the Lord is your strength. 

466
00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,040
Well, that part of the scripture
we hear a lot now, you know 

467
00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,560
where it comes from. 
The joy of the Lord is found in 

468
00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,280
his word. 
And the Levites, too, quieted 

469
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,080
the people, telling them hush, 
don't weep, This is a sacred 

470
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,280
day. 
So the people went away to eat 

471
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,600
and drink at a festive meal, to 
share gifts of food and 

472
00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,200
celebrate with great joy because
they had heard God's words and 

473
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,800
understood them. 
And that's the key, one of the 

474
00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:50,640
things that keeps us from 
reading the Scriptures, we don't

475
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:52,760
always understand what we read, 
or we're afraid we won't 

476
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,200
understand it, so we don't even 
try. 

477
00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,560
But this wasn't an emotional 
moment that was driven by 

478
00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,560
atmosphere and the proper 
lighting. 

479
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,880
Their favorite songs. 
There was no band that day, no 

480
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,760
lights, no screen, no smoke 
machines. 

481
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:11,120
Sorry, they're called Hayes 
machines. 

482
00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:12,360
I've been corrected on that 
before. 

483
00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:16,000
The only thing that was 
happening in that square was the

484
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,640
Word of God being read out loud 
and explained to them clearly. 

485
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,840
And as they listened, there was 
something inside of their hearts

486
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,640
that began to wake up. 
The scripture wasn't new to 

487
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:30,400
them, but understanding was. 
You will know the truth, and 

488
00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,200
then the truth will set you 
free. 

489
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,480
When you know it. 
You can own a copy of the truth.

490
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,880
It doesn't set you free, but 
this is what the Word of God 

491
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,000
does in the life of a believer. 
It reaches into places that 

492
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,480
nothing else can reach. 
It reminds you of who God is, 

493
00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:47,120
but it also reminds you of who 
you are. 

494
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:52,360
Beloved, this truth didn't 
change them in a day, but it did

495
00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:55,680
change their direction. 
Most of us will spend a morning 

496
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,240
in the Scripture, or we'll spend
a day feeling very spiritual or 

497
00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,080
very holy, and we'll feel like 
it's going to change us. 

498
00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,920
But one day is not going to do 
it, but it will reorient you and

499
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:07,280
it will give you another 
direction. 

500
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,360
It'll give you a story that's 
pretty close to home. 

501
00:25:10,360 --> 00:25:14,280
For me, when my wife Cassie got 
saved, everything was new to 

502
00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,160
her. 
So Cassie did not grow up 

503
00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:17,960
hearing the scriptures. 
She didn't grow up hearing the 

504
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,320
Bible stories outside of what 
you would hear in Christmas 

505
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,320
specials and things like that 
for the most part. 

506
00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,840
And when she got saved, I was so
excited. 

507
00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,400
We were not, we were not dating 
at the time. 

508
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,240
We were just friends. 
And I had a little hope, but 

509
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,200
just friends. 
And when she got saved, I got 

510
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,000
her a copy of a Bible. 
I got her one of those dual 

511
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,920
translation ones because I 
didn't know which one she would 

512
00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,240
like best. 
And sometimes we would come to 

513
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:43,960
an impasse when it came to 
certain subjects in the 

514
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:45,520
Scriptures. 
And I'd be like, well, here's 

515
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:46,920
the Bible. 
You read it for yourself. 

516
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,000
Let me tell you something. 
That was one of the wisest 

517
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,200
things I could have done, but I 
wasn't doing it out of wisdom. 

518
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,320
I was kind of doing it out of 
ignorance and cowardice. 

519
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,560
But it ended up being wise 
because instead of me trying to 

520
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:00,280
explain to her what she should 
understand about all these 

521
00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,520
Scriptures, I let her go and 
meet with the Lord and read the 

522
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,280
words and see where the Lord 
convicted her. 

523
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,520
And one day we came back 
together and I said, So what do 

524
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:11,960
you think about this, this and 
this? 

525
00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:16,920
And she said this one. 
She said, I don't understand why

526
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:21,760
this is wrong, but God's pretty 
clear about it. 

527
00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:24,240
So I guess he's right and I'm 
not. 

528
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:33,400
And I went, I'm a fall in love 
with her, exaggerating a little 

529
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,480
bit, but I will tell you this. 
That made me feel very safe with

530
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,160
her to talk about faith and 
explore these things because 

531
00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,400
that's where I had been. 
I had given lip service to God 

532
00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,040
for long enough where I did 
genuinely believe in Him, but I 

533
00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,640
also took advantage of His grace
and His mercy. 

534
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,320
Have you been there? 
I know He loves me and I'm sure 

535
00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,400
I can do this and I know it's 
not the right thing, but I will 

536
00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,480
say sorry later. 
We treat him like we would treat

537
00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,720
our earthly parents and He is 
not. 

538
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,920
He's the one true father and He 
cares more for you than your 

539
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,600
earthly parents ever will. 
I say that as an earthly parent 

540
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:11,160
myself. 
But when she said that she was 

541
00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:15,200
willing to let the scripture 
change her, I said OK, we can 

542
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,280
work on this together. 
Once you think of this is like 

543
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,040
an unopened gift. 
Any nerds out here that have 

544
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:25,040
already started your Christmas 
or holiday shopping on the best 

545
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,200
years? 
For me, I start mine in January.

546
00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:29,920
On the best years I have a 
schedule laid out where I buy a 

547
00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:31,960
couple every month and then I'm 
not stressed at the end of the 

548
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:33,040
year. 
This has not been one of the 

549
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,480
best years, but I have done that
before. 

550
00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,800
Could you imagine being given a 
Christmas gift and saying thank 

551
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,280
you so much? 
This means a lot to me. 

552
00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:44,960
And then you take it home, fully
wrapped ribbon around it and you

553
00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,920
place it on a shelf in your 
closet and you close the door. 

554
00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,600
Why would you do that? 
Why would you ever receive a 

555
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:55,760
gift and not even open it to see
what's inside of it? 

556
00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,360
It's what we do all the time. 
These scriptures are gift and I 

557
00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:02,720
will lay out why they're such a 
gift in just a moment. 

558
00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,000
But this is what we do, or maybe
even worse, some of us, we do 

559
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,600
open that package and then we 
look at it and then we still 

560
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,080
don't use it. 
We start to learn what it says, 

561
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,280
we learn how to use it, but we 
just don't. 

562
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:19,560
Now I'll never forget one year I
had a set of my grandparents. 

563
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,000
I was in the 6th grade and they 
gave me a set of weights. 

564
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,640
Why wire? 
Why are you laughing? 

565
00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:31,880
And I remember being so 
disappointed. 

566
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,240
I remember being so upset. 
And I bit my tongue. 

567
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,280
I know how to hold my face at a 
Christmas gathering. 

568
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,440
And when I got home, I looked at
my mom and I said I wish they'd 

569
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:43,080
just got me socks. 
What drives an 11 year old to 

570
00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:44,400
say I would have rather had 
socks? 

571
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,840
For a long time they sat there 
and they did two things. 

572
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,240
They collected dust and they 
left little grooves in my 

573
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:52,840
carpet. 
That's it. 

574
00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,880
And then one day we sold them at
a yard sale and then I spent 

575
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:59,720
that on candy or something. 
A lot of times that's what we 

576
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,720
do. 
An unopened gift doesn't do 

577
00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:03,920
anything. 
You can admire it. 

578
00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,720
You can tell people that you 
have 13 copies of the Bible on 

579
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,800
your shelf. 
You can display it. 

580
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,960
You can have one of those old 
school pulpits in your living 

581
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:12,720
room and have a family Bible set
on it. 

582
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,120
You can have it prominently 
displayed on a shelf. 

583
00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,040
But if you don't open it, it 
doesn't do anything for you. 

584
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,720
I want you to understand that 
the people in Nehemiah's day, 

585
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,960
they weren't changed because the
Bible existed, partially because

586
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,040
it didn't. 
They just had a set of the 

587
00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:29,160
scriptures. 
But they weren't changed even 

588
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:30,560
because those scriptures 
existed. 

589
00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,160
They were changed because they 
opened it, listened to it, and 

590
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,360
understood it. 
And the same is true for us 

591
00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,640
today. 
Psalm 119105 says this. 

592
00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,560
Your word is a lamp to guide my 
feet and a light from my path. 

593
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,040
Have you ever heard that one 
before? 

594
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,840
Very popular in kids 
curriculums, ahwana, Bible 

595
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:50,520
studies and things like that. 
And what do they use it for? 

596
00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,880
They use it to tell you you need
to learn the Bible because your 

597
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,840
word is a light unto my path. 
The problem is that's not what 

598
00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:02,600
word it means when it says word.
David who wrote that Psalm uses 

599
00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,920
the word debar. 
And debar is a word that doesn't

600
00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:08,600
mean written text. 
It means God's speech. 

601
00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,320
God's message has revealed 
truth. 

602
00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,080
It's in the living voice of God 
breaking into your life. 

603
00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:16,760
And so when he says your word is
a lamp, he's saying your voice 

604
00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:20,240
lights my way. 
Do you not think that David 

605
00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:22,360
heard directly from the Lord? 
It's clear in Scriptures that he

606
00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,240
did. 
We're reading a written 

607
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,520
documentation of what he heard 
from the Lord. 

608
00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,160
But we look at this and we say 
David wants me to read the 

609
00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:33,440
Bible. 
David lived hundreds of years 

610
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:34,880
before Jesus ever walked the 
earth. 

611
00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:36,360
He didn't have the full 
scripture. 

612
00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,240
God wants to speak to you, but 
it all begins in true north and 

613
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:42,640
what we know this to be. 
And so that means when you open 

614
00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,240
the Bible, whether you have a 
reading plan or it's just every 

615
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,920
day you take time with it. 
This is not a religious act for 

616
00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:50,760
you. 
This is not even close to like 

617
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:54,440
baptism or communion where those
are spiritual rituals and things

618
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:56,920
that we do. 
These are important cornerstones

619
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,280
of our of our faith. 
This is actually just a 

620
00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,680
relational act. 
It's a navigation act. 

621
00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:04,480
Anybody ever grow up and you had
a compass? 

622
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,840
I was in the Boy Scouts. 
I had compasses and I always 

623
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:10,840
thought they were cool. 
And I always just hoped that I 

624
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:12,960
never found myself in a place 
that I'd have to use it alone. 

625
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,440
But I always had a compass and I
thought it was awesome. 

626
00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:18,360
And then we would try to mess 
with other people's compasses 

627
00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:19,840
and put magnets near them. 
Don't do that. 

628
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,000
That's that's irresponsible. 
But the cool thing about a 

629
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,360
compass is what does it do when 
you get lost? 

630
00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:29,200
Tells you how to go one way. 
It tells you that direction is 

631
00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:30,440
north. 
I don't know that it is. 

632
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,560
I'm, I have GPS, so I'm just 
waving my hand. 

633
00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:35,640
But it'll tell you what 
direction is north. 

634
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,600
And from there you can discern 
what is South. 

635
00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,800
You can discern what is east, 
what is West, as long as you 

636
00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,080
know what true north is. 
But what if you're lost in the 

637
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,440
forest and you have a compass 
and it just sits in your pocket?

638
00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:51,600
Does it help you? 
What if you put your hand in 

639
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,640
your pocket? 
You rub it like a lucky rabbit's

640
00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,960
foot, which wasn't lucky for the
rabbit. 

641
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,200
But what if you just hold it 
like a good luck charm? 

642
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:01,120
Well, I've got a compass. 
I'm sure I'll be fine. 

643
00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:05,640
Not if you don't know how to use
it, not if it's been altered or 

644
00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,040
messed with. 
This is not going to fix all 

645
00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,320
your problems, but it's going to
point you in a direction that 

646
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,480
not only is going to tell you 
what true north is, but because 

647
00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,520
you know what true north is, now
you're going to be able to 

648
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,760
discern what is South, what's 
happening over here, what's 

649
00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:23,040
happening over here. 
So much will fall in line when 

650
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,760
you start to understand what you
need to know about God himself. 

651
00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,320
So if you want God to lead you 
home, you got to start opening 

652
00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,000
this story that leads you. 
And if scripture is not guiding 

653
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,760
your life, please hear me on 
this. 

654
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,000
If Scripture is not guiding your
life, something else is. 

655
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:44,000
You already know what these 
things look like. 

656
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,880
Pressure from other people, your
emotions, your opinions, old 

657
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:48,760
habits. 
God help us. 

658
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:52,640
Reality television, maybe just 
the loudest voices around you. 

659
00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:55,720
But when the word becomes the 
compass of your life, you stop 

660
00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,440
wondering and you start walking 
in the direction that you're 

661
00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,240
supposed to. 
And I want to add this because 

662
00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:02,720
there's a lot of believers that 
get stuck. 

663
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:05,920
You don't have to put your hand 
up here. 

664
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,400
I'll, I won't ask you if this is
you, but do you know of anybody 

665
00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,880
who earlier this year grabbed a 
Bible reading plan but hasn't 

666
00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:17,080
stayed with it, fell out of it? 
Anybody know anybody who's done 

667
00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:21,840
that? 
OK, You can't fall behind on 

668
00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,000
something that is already 
supposed to lead you because 

669
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,640
it's already supposed to be in 
front of you. 

670
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,520
Let me take some pressure off of
you. 

671
00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:33,080
You can't get caught up on 
following the Lord, but you can 

672
00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,320
make a choice today to either be
faithful or unfaithful. 

673
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,840
When somebody gets three months 
behind in a Bible reading plan, 

674
00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:41,840
they normally do one of two 
things. 

675
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,120
They say, Well, I'm going to set
up a game plan where I'm reading

676
00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,160
Scripture for 55 minutes every 
day. 

677
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:52,280
I'll play my audio Bible at 
double speed, and I'll get 

678
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,400
caught up. 
What a beautiful way to show you

679
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,040
really care about what the Lord 
is saying to you. 

680
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:03,160
Or we just say, this wasn't my 
year, but next year, next year 

681
00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:07,120
I'm going to do it. 
So you just cut off talking to 

682
00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,480
him for the last few months of 
the year, last eight months of 

683
00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,480
the year. 
Next year will be my year. 

684
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:14,920
None of those years are your 
years. 

685
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,000
They're his years. 
So scriptures say today's the 

686
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,960
day that the Lord has made you 
rejoice and be glad in it. 

687
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,800
You can't fall behind in your 
relationship with the Lord. 

688
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:26,639
You can only be faithful or 
unfaithful. 

689
00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:30,880
What will you choose today? 
I would tell you this, Don't 

690
00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:32,600
wait until January to start 
reading. 

691
00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:35,920
Don't wait for a New Year's 
resolution for life to calm 

692
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:40,040
down, because it's not going to.
Don't wait for the perfect 

693
00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:41,280
moment. 
They don't exist. 

694
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,320
You don't need a date, you need 
a decision. 

695
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:50,080
Will you be faithful in this or 
will you be unfaithful and start

696
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:51,880
with just one chapter a day? 
If you need to, every time you 

697
00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,120
read it, just ask one question. 
What is God showing me? 

698
00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,920
Not what do I feel about it, not
what do I want this to say, but 

699
00:34:57,920 --> 00:34:59,960
God, what are you saying to me 
through your word right now? 

700
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:03,680
Now that being said, is there 
anybody here, this is where I'm 

701
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,200
really asking for some gut level
honesty. 

702
00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,280
Is there anybody here who has 
ever felt like you had some 

703
00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:18,520
problems with the Bible? 
Is there anybody here who feels 

704
00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,320
like they actively have some 
problems with the Bible that 

705
00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,840
they're wrestling with? 
You're like Pastor Blake, that's

706
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:28,920
how could you? 
You know what Israel means, 

707
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,560
those who wrestle with God, 
those who strive with God. 

708
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:36,560
There are things that I read and
I think that is a hard teaching.

709
00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,680
In fact, Jesus said that 
sometimes this is a hard 

710
00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:40,120
teaching. 
Not everybody can accept it. 

711
00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,320
I want to accept everything he 
says. 

712
00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,200
I know his nature. 
I know he's good, but some 

713
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,240
things are hard. 
So I want to give you a little 

714
00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:48,600
bit of the story behind the 
story of the Bible. 

715
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,480
You could turn to John 5. 
We'll be there in a in a moment.

716
00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:54,560
I want you to understand this. 
The Bible doesn't just guide 

717
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,760
your steps over time. 
It actually shapes who you're 

718
00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:00,640
becoming. 
I've lost track of it and I've 

719
00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:02,520
not gone back and done the math 
in a while. 

720
00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,960
I think I'm somewhere around 17 
or 18 years in a row of reading 

721
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:09,960
the Bible and I've lost track of
it and I'm not going to go back 

722
00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:12,600
and look at it because I don't 
want it to be a different mirror

723
00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,360
badge that I've upgraded every 
year. 

724
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,160
I just know I've read the Bible 
a whole lot and I don't say that

725
00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:19,520
as a brag because I don't always
enjoy it. 

726
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,120
I want to enjoy it and there are
many times I enjoyed a great 

727
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,040
deal, but some days it's a 
grind. 

728
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:30,200
Some days I try to talk myself 
out of it because I'll tell 

729
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,480
myself, well self, I had to 
study and I had to write a 

730
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,240
sermon and I had to already read
scripture because I had to 

731
00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:39,320
prepare this message. 
So but here's the thing, 

732
00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:41,840
studying scripture to prepare a 
message does not count as my 

733
00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,520
alone time with the Lord. 
So I have to have extra time in 

734
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,480
there. 
And there are times and days 

735
00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:51,200
that it is harder for me to 
motivate myself and I've still 

736
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,320
got to do it. 
Now this is my second year in a 

737
00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:54,760
row that I'm reading through it 
with my daughter. 

738
00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:58,800
She's 10 and I've got to be 
motivated to do it because if I 

739
00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:03,240
don't, she loves to call her 
parents accountable. 

740
00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,680
The Bible will shape you the 
more that you read it. 

741
00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,240
But I want you to understand 
what the Bible really is and 

742
00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:10,800
what it's not. 
And so for the next few minutes,

743
00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:12,800
I'm going to take a little bit 
of a historical journey, but 

744
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:14,440
it's not going to be a boring 
academic one. 

745
00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:16,680
Hopefully this will help you. 
Let's start here. 

746
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,760
The Bible did not drop out of 
the sky. 

747
00:37:19,720 --> 00:37:21,440
It didn't appear in a glowing 
beam of light. 

748
00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:24,480
It didn't float down. 
Bound in goat leather with 

749
00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:26,800
golden edges and a ribbon 
bookmark. 

750
00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:29,800
It didn't even have these 
numbers to tell you what the 

751
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:34,760
verses are and the chapters are.
God used people, places, 

752
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,240
cultures, and centuries to form 
this. 

753
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,000
And through all of those 
different voices and moments 

754
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:44,280
throughout history, there was 
always one author breathing 

755
00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:48,760
behind every single word. 
The very name Bible simply means

756
00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,000
books. 
That's all it is. 

757
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,320
It's a collection of books. 
It's a library of writings that 

758
00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:56,960
got inspired over time and then 
preserved through His people. 

759
00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,360
There are somewhere around 40 
different human authors that 

760
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,680
wrote the scriptures. 
We're talking about people that 

761
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:07,000
were shepherds and kings and 
prophets and fishermen and 

762
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:11,640
doctors and poets and religious 
Pharisees and theologians, and 

763
00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:14,760
every single one of them has 
helped tell one unified story. 

764
00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:17,200
You will not find another 
religious text like this 

765
00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,960
anywhere in the world. 
You'll find them all centered 

766
00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,440
around one false Messiah or 
Saviour. 

767
00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:26,000
And these books are not the 
same. 

768
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,280
Have you noticed that when you 
read them, they're not all the 

769
00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:30,200
same? 
Some of them are books of wise 

770
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:31,640
sayings you can apply to your 
life. 

771
00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:34,720
Some of them are historical 
accounts of God's chosen people 

772
00:38:34,720 --> 00:38:36,720
to bring his Word and His light 
to the earth. 

773
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,680
Some of them are prophetic about
things that have yet to come. 

774
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:42,520
Some of them describe the life 
of Jesus. 

775
00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:49,160
But all of them describe one 
story about creation and 

776
00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:51,720
brokenness and redemption and 
hope. 

777
00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:54,800
And most importantly, they all 
tell you about the God who 

778
00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:59,400
refuses to give up on you. 
These writings were put together

779
00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:03,120
over more than 1000 years, but 
the message never contradicts 

780
00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:05,240
itself about who God is or what 
He desires. 

781
00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,520
And I want you to understand 
something that is not 

782
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:12,240
coincidence, that is God. 
A helpful way to picture it is 

783
00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:16,160
like this. 
The Bible isn't a book that God 

784
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:20,280
dictated, it is a book and a 
story that God inspired. 

785
00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:23,000
He breathed through human 
personalities, human 

786
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:27,000
experiences, human cultures, and
still delivered a message that 

787
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,520
is timeless and trustworthy and 
still life changing. 

788
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,760
But it does raise some questions
and I want to address some of 

789
00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:36,320
them today. 
Some Christians don't feel 

790
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:39,200
comfortable talking about it out
loud, so let's get them 

791
00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:42,080
comfortable together. 
If the Bible was written so long

792
00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,320
ago and copied by hand for 
centuries, why do we have so 

793
00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:48,440
many translations today? 
I just read a whole bunch of 

794
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:50,880
them off to you, and that's not 
even an exhaustive one. 

795
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:53,200
If you've ever wondered that 
you're not alone. 

796
00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:56,280
I want you to understand this. 
Different translations exist 

797
00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,400
because different translators 
take different approaches when 

798
00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,920
they bring ancient Hebrew, 
Aramaic, and Greek into modern 

799
00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:05,320
English. 
The goal is not to confuse you 

800
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:06,760
with it. 
The goal is to help you hear God

801
00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:10,040
clearly, is to fully describe 
what's happening from different 

802
00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,840
perspectives. 
For example, when I tell you, 

803
00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:15,800
hey, let's kill two birds with 
one stone today. 

804
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:20,120
What am I saying? 
Let's do two things. 

805
00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:21,960
Let's take care of two things 
with one act. 

806
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,720
But what if in 500 years 
somebody reads the e-mail or the

807
00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:28,800
text that I sent to you and that
is not a saying anymore. 

808
00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:32,080
And they say 500 years ago they 
were very efficient in killing 

809
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:36,480
birds, right? 
So it's a saying. 

810
00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:40,840
So you could still translate it 
word for word and not understand

811
00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:42,720
the meaning. 
Does that make sense? 

812
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:45,920
So some translations, in fact, 
can you just go to the next, the

813
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,200
next slide? 
I've got a slide with a, with a,

814
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:50,760
with a chart. 
There you go. 

815
00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:52,800
You can take a picture of this 
if you want to. 

816
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,720
Here's a list of just some of 
the ones that are word for word.

817
00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:57,600
These are called formal 
equivalents. 

818
00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:01,640
So these are things like the 
ESV, the King James Version, the

819
00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:14,440
new King James Version now. 
Unless you want to read about 

820
00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,200
unicorns, you need to know it's 
not 100% accurate. 

821
00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,600
I'm just going to tell you that 
for what it is, the King James 

822
00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:25,120
Bible was a gift to us and God 
continued to unravel it. 

823
00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:28,680
I love the new King James. 
When they read about this horned

824
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:32,560
animal and they assumed it was a
Unicorn in these medieval times.

825
00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:35,320
I mean that's just something we 
have to take a look at. 

826
00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:40,240
Their word for word. 
OK, now meaning for meaning, I 

827
00:41:40,240 --> 00:41:41,680
don't read that translation, 
don't worry about it. 

828
00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:44,360
Thought for thought, Functional 
equivalence. 

829
00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:46,480
This is why I preach from the 
New Living translation. 

830
00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:48,840
It's my chosen one. 
For years many churches taught 

831
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:52,640
from the NIVI choose it because 
it's thought for thought. 

832
00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,480
So what is? 
What is the author trying to get

833
00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:57,160
across here? 
This is the thought that then 

834
00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,640
gets translated. 
Now some of them are not even 

835
00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:01,480
translation, some of them are 
paraphrases. 

836
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,560
So things like the message or 
the passion translation. 

837
00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:06,440
I don't like that they have 
translation attached to it. 

838
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:08,280
It's not a translation, it's a 
paraphrasing. 

839
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:11,160
And what that means is they're 
really trying to get across the 

840
00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,560
heart of it to you, but they're 
taking a lot of liberties with 

841
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:16,600
it. 
So those can be helpful, but you

842
00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:19,080
need to understand they're not a
pure translation. 

843
00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,280
It's not the core Bible 
translation that you should go 

844
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:24,200
for. 
But can you see the benefits of 

845
00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:26,840
reading something like the 
English Standard Version to see 

846
00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:28,360
what all of these words look 
like? 

847
00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:30,720
Can you see the benefits of 
that? 

848
00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:34,040
You could look at it and see it 
very directly, very black and 

849
00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:35,360
white for what they're trying to
say. 

850
00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:39,240
Can you see the benefit of 
reading it thought for thought 

851
00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:41,240
so that you can fully understand
what they're trying to get 

852
00:42:41,240 --> 00:42:43,640
across? 
So to have these different 

853
00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:46,600
translations is not a confusing 
thing for me. 

854
00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:49,040
It's a gift. 
Change your translation. 

855
00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:51,720
Every year I preach from the New
Living translation. 

856
00:42:52,040 --> 00:42:54,200
I don't always read from the New
Living Translation. 

857
00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:57,720
I try to give it out in a way 
that applies to life, to a wide 

858
00:42:57,720 --> 00:43:00,280
variety of believers in a way 
that fits best. 

859
00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:02,480
But there's a lot of great ones 
that you can read from. 

860
00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:05,480
I'll post this one later. 
We'll send it out and we can 

861
00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:09,640
give you guys these options. 
Some translations are better 

862
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:11,960
than others for different 
people, depending on what you're

863
00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:14,920
trying to read. 
And the point is this, every 

864
00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:17,040
faithful translation aims for 
the same goal. 

865
00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:20,000
They want you to understand what
God has already said. 

866
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:23,040
The variety of translations 
doesn't weaken scripture. 

867
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,040
It doesn't water it down, it 
strengthens it. 

868
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:26,760
What a beautiful gift that we 
have. 

869
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:31,080
One other thing that I want to 
talk about, some people talk 

870
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,760
about mistakes that they've read
in the Bible or what they call 

871
00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,160
mistakes. 
I would call them scribal 

872
00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:37,960
errors. 
Times where you read about 1 

873
00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:41,000
battle and it says 200,000 
people were in that battle and 

874
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:43,320
then you read it somewhere else 
and it says it was a the same 

875
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:46,120
battle but they'll say 175,000 
people were there. 

876
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,440
And I have talked to people 
before who say see the Bible's 

877
00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:54,640
not true. 
You need to know that the Bible 

878
00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:58,680
is true on everything of which 
it speaks, and God's goal was 

879
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:02,160
not to get imparted to you the 
number of people in that battle.

880
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:05,840
And when things were written 
down by hand for a long time, 

881
00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:08,480
they might have missed whatever 
the ancient equivalent of a 

882
00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:11,120
comma is, or they may have 
written down something with bad 

883
00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:13,720
handwriting. 
Nobody has been had writing 

884
00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:16,200
today, which you know, it's 
crazy. 

885
00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:18,680
Nobody has cursive anymore, but 
we still have bad handwriting. 

886
00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,160
I want you to understand that 
these scriptures are all laid 

887
00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:26,400
out for you so that you can 
understand what God needs you to

888
00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:29,640
know. 
And when we nitpick at it, it's 

889
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:33,280
like when I made my mom like 
sign a piece of paper one time 

890
00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:36,000
and I said, I'm just trying to 
collect like as many signatures 

891
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:37,520
and autographs from people as I 
can. 

892
00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:39,000
And she's like, that's weird, 
but OK. 

893
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:44,600
But I had torn a piece of paper 
and it was really like the the 

894
00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:46,760
paper behind it. 
It was like, you will promise to

895
00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:49,320
take me to the mall and the 
comic book store on Saturday. 

896
00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:52,080
And I said, ha, I have you in a 
contract now. 

897
00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,920
It's not how that works. 
We feel like we're so clever 

898
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:57,680
when we look at things and we're
like, well, if the Scripture's 

899
00:44:57,680 --> 00:44:58,920
true, then this wouldn't have 
happened. 

900
00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:02,480
Look into it, question it. 
Truth is not afraid to be found 

901
00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:04,280
out. 
In the same way that sometimes 

902
00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:06,760
you have a misunderstanding with
a friend and you'll say, well, 

903
00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:08,440
I've heard that he said blah, 
blah, blah. 

904
00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:10,880
Why don't you go ask him about 
blah, blah, blah. 

905
00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:14,760
Otherwise, you're just going to 
assume that you know, and it's 

906
00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:16,080
the same thing when it comes to 
the Scripture. 

907
00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:18,960
Now told you, we're going to 
talk about idolatry. 

908
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:22,040
Some people idolize the 
scriptures. 

909
00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:25,120
John chapter 5 verse 31 we see 
this. 

910
00:45:25,720 --> 00:45:29,360
Jesus says if I were to testify 
on my own behalf, my testimony 

911
00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:32,640
would not be valid. 
But someone else is also 

912
00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:35,840
testifying about me and I assure
you that everything He says 

913
00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:38,560
about me is true. 
In fact, you sent investigators 

914
00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:41,520
to listen to John the Baptist 
and his testimony about me was 

915
00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:43,760
true. 
Of course I have no need for a 

916
00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:47,320
human witnesses, but I say these
things to you so that you might 

917
00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:50,640
be saved. 
John was like a burning and 

918
00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,600
shining lamp, and you were 
excited for a while about his 

919
00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:55,720
message. 
But I have a greater witness 

920
00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:58,720
than John, my teachings and my 
miracles. 

921
00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:01,960
The Father gave me these works 
to accomplish, and they prove 

922
00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:04,400
that He sent me. 
And the Father who sent me has 

923
00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:07,840
testified about me himself. 
You've never heard His voice or 

924
00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:10,880
seen him face to face. 
And you do not have His message 

925
00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:13,920
in your hearts because you do 
not believe me, the one he sent 

926
00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:15,360
to you. 
And listen to this. 

927
00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:18,200
Focus in on this. 
You search the Scriptures 

928
00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:21,760
because you think they give you 
eternal life, but the scriptures

929
00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:24,960
point to me. 
Yeah, You refuse to come to me 

930
00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:29,520
to receive this life. 
This is why in Nehemiah's day, 

931
00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:31,400
they were so excited to 
understand the Scriptures, 

932
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:34,160
because understanding this helps
us receive Scripture with the 

933
00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:37,320
right heart. 
The Bible is sacred, and I want 

934
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:40,400
to be clear on that. 
But we do not worship the Bible.

935
00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:43,000
We worship the God that it 
reveals. 

936
00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:46,040
Scripture is sacred because the 
Lord that it speaks of is 

937
00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:49,320
sacred. 
How many of you have seen this 

938
00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:52,400
movie called The Book of Eli? 
Couple people. 

939
00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:56,280
It's pretty cool. 
In the Book of Eli, it's really 

940
00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:58,880
centred around the Bible and 
Scripture and you don't know 

941
00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:00,680
that for a lot of it. 
And it came out a long time ago.

942
00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:03,760
So if you're like, oh, you 
spoiled it for me, We're talking

943
00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:07,120
about more important things. 
It happens in a post apocalyptic

944
00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:10,120
world where almost everything 
has been destroyed, including 

945
00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:13,440
almost every Bible. 
And there's one man, Eli, who's 

946
00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:15,600
carrying the last known copy. 
And there's a villain who wants 

947
00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:17,760
the Bible desperately, but he 
doesn't want it for truth, not 

948
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:20,200
in the way that the Hebrews 
wanted in Nehemiah. 

949
00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:22,040
He wants it because he wants to 
control people. 

950
00:47:22,040 --> 00:47:24,720
As a matter of fact, he has a 
line in the movie where he says 

951
00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:28,480
something along the lines of, 
you know, if you have the 

952
00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:30,200
scriptures, you can control the 
people. 

953
00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,640
And that's why he wants it. 
You know why we have the King 

954
00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:35,080
James Version of the Bible at 
all? 

955
00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:38,000
Because for the longest time, it
was not written in languages 

956
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:40,920
that those people spoke. 
And so they would have to show 

957
00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:44,200
up at a Church of a certain 
denomination where then the 

958
00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:47,080
priest would stand up and tell 
you everything in the language 

959
00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:50,240
you didn't speak and then 
explain it to you because poor 

960
00:47:50,240 --> 00:47:51,400
you, you don't know how to read 
it. 

961
00:47:51,720 --> 00:47:54,240
So when it was placed in the 
English that was modern for the 

962
00:47:54,240 --> 00:47:56,920
day and it was actually placed 
into the hands of believers, it 

963
00:47:56,920 --> 00:48:00,640
changed everything radically. 
This was a big move. 

964
00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:02,120
And that's why it's a blessing 
in history. 

965
00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:05,600
But God continues to to move on.
What I'm talking about with the 

966
00:48:05,600 --> 00:48:07,960
book of Eli is obviously a 
movie, but it still exposes 

967
00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:10,440
something that has happened 
throughout history, people to a 

968
00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:12,520
scripture all the time to 
manipulate people. 

969
00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:17,280
They do this in churches, they 
do this in cults, and they do 

970
00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:21,000
this in politics. 
And if you don't know the word, 

971
00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:24,360
it's going to happen to you. 
So you have to know it for 

972
00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:26,800
yourself. 
And the Bible's important. 

973
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,960
But another illustration I'd 
give you is this. 

974
00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:31,120
Think about it like like a 
picture frame. 

975
00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:34,800
How many of you have really put 
a lot of thought into the 

976
00:48:34,800 --> 00:48:36,600
picture frame that you pick out 
for a picture? 

977
00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:42,320
Ladies, guys, how many of you 
have been there watching them 

978
00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:44,720
pick out between 5 picture 
frames? 

979
00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:49,040
Three of them look the same. 
OK, the picture frame is 

980
00:48:49,040 --> 00:48:52,320
important, but why is it 
important? 

981
00:48:55,240 --> 00:48:59,200
Because it highlights what the 
picture when you put up that 

982
00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:01,800
beautiful family picture, we 
give you like a Resurrection 

983
00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:03,880
Sunday family picture and you 
pick out the picture frame 

984
00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:06,240
that's just right for it. 
And you put it up on the center 

985
00:49:06,240 --> 00:49:08,600
of your family wall and you've 
got your Hobby Lobby stuff that 

986
00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:12,040
says here we gather, live, 
laugh, love or whatever it is. 

987
00:49:12,040 --> 00:49:16,520
OK, Christians, come on, we can 
laugh at ourselves right in this

988
00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:17,680
home. 
We serve the Lord. 

989
00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:20,600
OK, nobody puts quotes up there 
from Job but. 

990
00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:29,320
Your hair is like a flock of 
goats, my love. 

991
00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:34,240
It's in the scripture and you 
know it. 

992
00:49:34,240 --> 00:49:37,800
If you read it. 
Listen, you put that picture 

993
00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,840
frame up, but you are framing 
something so that it will look 

994
00:49:40,840 --> 00:49:43,080
beautiful. 
When somebody looks at your 

995
00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:46,520
picture of your family or the 
event, you don't pick out the 

996
00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:49,760
frame so that people show up and
they're like, gosh, that's a 

997
00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:52,240
beautiful picture frame. 
And then you say, yeah, that's 

998
00:49:52,240 --> 00:49:54,560
that's us with my grandma. 
And you're like, wait, there's a

999
00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:57,320
picture in there. 
Nobody is distracted by it. 

1000
00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:01,640
OK, Jesus is telling you that 
these scriptures frame him in a 

1001
00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:03,920
way so that you can see him 
clearly. 

1002
00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:07,240
What a good picture frame does, 
It tells you where the picture 

1003
00:50:07,240 --> 00:50:11,160
ends and where it's contained 
within so that it's not just one

1004
00:50:11,160 --> 00:50:13,200
big collage of a bunch of other 
things. 

1005
00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:16,440
So the scriptures that you have 
frame what you need to know. 

1006
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:21,920
It's a beautiful gift, but if 
you learn all of these words and

1007
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:27,480
you never meet God himself, it's
dangerous, right? 

1008
00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:31,000
So we don't idolize it. 
When people use the Bible to 

1009
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:33,800
control other people or elevate 
themselves, they turn the frame 

1010
00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:35,640
into the focus and they hide the
picture. 

1011
00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:38,880
But when you open Scripture with
humility and hunger, it will 

1012
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:41,160
change everything. 
So I'm going to bring this into 

1013
00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:43,360
the right context for the world 
that we live in today. 

1014
00:50:43,360 --> 00:50:44,640
It's one thing to respect the 
Bible. 

1015
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:46,640
It's another thing to entirely 
respond to it. 

1016
00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:49,640
And James in James chapter 1 
tells us exactly why this 

1017
00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:52,320
matters so much. 
We did a whole Bible study on 

1018
00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:56,760
James earlier this year, but in 
James chapter 1, he says in 

1019
00:50:56,760 --> 00:51:01,280
verse 19, understand this, my 
dear brothers and sisters, you 

1020
00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:04,520
must all be quick to listen, 
slow to speak and slow to get 

1021
00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:05,880
angry. 
How many of us are like, well, 

1022
00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:10,520
I've already failed, That's the 
point Now you know, I can't do 

1023
00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:12,000
that. 
I need to change that. 

1024
00:51:12,200 --> 00:51:15,160
Maybe I'm not quick to listen. 
Maybe I'm fast to get angry. 

1025
00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:18,160
You don't get to go to the Lord 
and say, I know you said that I 

1026
00:51:18,160 --> 00:51:21,000
should have a slow temper, but 
you know my lineage. 

1027
00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:22,480
We're all hot heads in this 
family. 

1028
00:51:24,280 --> 00:51:26,240
And then God would say, did I 
stutter? 

1029
00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:30,560
That's that's what I'm talking 
about. 

1030
00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:34,000
Paraphrases aren't direct 
translations, but listen to this

1031
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:36,160
verse 20. 
Human anger does not produce the

1032
00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:39,200
righteousness God desires. 
Oh, so there's a reason behind 

1033
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:41,760
it. 
Get rid of all the filth and 

1034
00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:45,240
evil in your lives and humbly 
accept the word God has planted 

1035
00:51:45,240 --> 00:51:48,680
in your hearts for as the power 
to save your souls. 

1036
00:51:49,080 --> 00:51:51,400
Why would we not want to accept 
what a beautiful gift he's given

1037
00:51:51,400 --> 00:51:53,640
us? 
And then he says in verse 22, 

1038
00:51:53,640 --> 00:51:55,080
But don't just listen to God's 
word. 

1039
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:57,880
You must do what it says. 
Otherwise you are only fooling 

1040
00:51:57,880 --> 00:52:00,360
yourselves. 
For if you listen to the word 

1041
00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:02,920
and don't obey, it's like 
glancing at your face in a 

1042
00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:05,400
mirror. 
You see yourself, you walk away 

1043
00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:08,440
and forget what you look like. 
But if you look carefully into 

1044
00:52:08,440 --> 00:52:11,200
the perfect law that sets you 
free, and if you do what it says

1045
00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:13,720
and don't forget what you heard,
then God will bless you for 

1046
00:52:13,720 --> 00:52:16,080
doing it. 
This is a man who most 

1047
00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:18,160
theologians believe is the older
brother of Jesus. 

1048
00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:20,360
Now, let me just share this with
you. 

1049
00:52:20,360 --> 00:52:23,440
My my son had long hair for a 
long time. 

1050
00:52:23,440 --> 00:52:25,400
And when he wanted to cut it 
short, he said because I want to

1051
00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:28,040
spike it kind of like you, Dad. 
I have to remind him every 

1052
00:52:28,040 --> 00:52:29,760
single Yeah, that's cute. 
But he doesn't do it. 

1053
00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:33,040
I have to remind him every day. 
Go put some product in your 

1054
00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,320
hair. 
Because that brother would get 

1055
00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:37,960
out of bed. 
He would look in the mirror and 

1056
00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:41,120
he would see his hair looking 
like, let me give an old, old 

1057
00:52:41,120 --> 00:52:42,560
reference. 
Y'all remember Bullwinkle the 

1058
00:52:42,560 --> 00:52:45,120
Moose or something? 
Like his hair's like this. 

1059
00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:47,000
You think you look ready to go, 
buddy? 

1060
00:52:47,680 --> 00:52:51,560
Looks good, Dad. 
Let's go look in the mirror 

1061
00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:53,720
again. 
Why do I share that with you? 

1062
00:52:53,720 --> 00:52:55,240
Because this is what James is 
saying. 

1063
00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,480
He's saying this scripture is a 
mirror for you. 

1064
00:52:59,400 --> 00:53:02,880
But if you don't listen to it 
and do what it says, it is like 

1065
00:53:02,880 --> 00:53:07,440
looking into a mirror, seeing 
that your hair is atrocious, and

1066
00:53:07,440 --> 00:53:11,160
then saying everything looks 
great in my life and you walk 

1067
00:53:11,160 --> 00:53:14,480
away. 
Maybe you look in the mirror and

1068
00:53:14,480 --> 00:53:16,640
you see a dribble of that gravy 
from Thanksgiving the night 

1069
00:53:16,640 --> 00:53:19,440
before. 
Maybe you got some food caught 

1070
00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:21,960
in your beard. 
Looks good to me. 

1071
00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:25,160
You walk out the door to go 
interact with people. 

1072
00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:29,760
This is my point. 
When you read this mirror, it 

1073
00:53:29,760 --> 00:53:32,360
will show you things in your 
life that have to get changed, 

1074
00:53:32,640 --> 00:53:35,760
things that are holding you 
back, and it gives you the whys 

1075
00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:38,120
in all the places that matter. 
When you read something like 

1076
00:53:38,240 --> 00:53:41,320
human anger doesn't produce the 
righteousness that God desires. 

1077
00:53:41,480 --> 00:53:43,840
Now you understand why you have 
to be slow to get angry. 

1078
00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:45,400
It's not that you can't be 
angry. 

1079
00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:48,440
God's been angry and he made you
in his image, but now you get 

1080
00:53:48,440 --> 00:53:50,680
why? 
So when you read that scripture 

1081
00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:53,040
and you walk away and you start 
to get angry, and then the Holy 

1082
00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:56,240
Spirit brings it to your mind 
and says, ah, slow to get angry.

1083
00:53:56,280 --> 00:53:58,000
And you push that word to the 
side. 

1084
00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:01,400
You're fooling yourself. 
And he's given you the tool to 

1085
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:04,240
change. 
Will we pick up that tool and 

1086
00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:07,520
will we put it to work? 
So here's the challenge. 

1087
00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:09,640
The Bible shapes you only when 
you read it and you respond to 

1088
00:54:09,640 --> 00:54:10,680
it. 
It's not when you skim it. 

1089
00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:13,560
It's not when you treat it like 
a spiritual chore or a check box

1090
00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:16,400
or you're trying to impress 
other people or feel like a good

1091
00:54:16,400 --> 00:54:20,440
Christian, whatever that is. 
God didn't give you His Word so 

1092
00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:22,680
that you could complete a task. 
He gave it to you so you could 

1093
00:54:22,680 --> 00:54:25,280
hear His heart. 
So if you're going to do this, 

1094
00:54:25,280 --> 00:54:28,280
this is where the real hard work
begins and today's the perfect 

1095
00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:30,920
day to come home for it. 
The first thing is give Him your

1096
00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:32,840
time. 
One of the number one things I 

1097
00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:35,440
hear when I talk to people about
reading the Scripture is man, I 

1098
00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:37,120
got to go to work so early in 
the morning. 

1099
00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:41,440
You are willing to get up at 
4:00 AM so you can get a 

1100
00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:48,440
paycheck, but you are not 
willing to get up at 3:15 AM so 

1101
00:54:48,440 --> 00:54:50,800
you can feed your soul and then 
go get a paycheck. 

1102
00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:56,960
That's what happens. 
You are willing to find time to 

1103
00:54:56,960 --> 00:55:01,040
work on the car or go out to the
shop or go golf or do all these 

1104
00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:04,280
other things, but not to set 
aside time for something that 

1105
00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:07,440
will literally change the 
innermost parts of you, your 

1106
00:55:07,440 --> 00:55:10,120
soul. 
How do I know this? 

1107
00:55:11,600 --> 00:55:12,960
Because it's been a struggle for
me. 

1108
00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:16,200
Let me tell you, when you work 
in ministry, it's easy to feel 

1109
00:55:16,200 --> 00:55:18,160
entitled with that. 
You're surrounded by scripture 

1110
00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:21,240
and sermons and podcasts and 
Bible studies and it's easy to 

1111
00:55:21,240 --> 00:55:23,280
say I'm in it enough. 
I don't need to. 

1112
00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:25,280
I watch the chosen. 
I know all the scripture I need.

1113
00:55:27,120 --> 00:55:30,560
I'm not anti the chosen. 
I am anti replacing the Bible 

1114
00:55:30,560 --> 00:55:33,440
with the chosen. 
Give him your time. 

1115
00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:36,240
He deserves it more than anybody
else in your life. 

1116
00:55:37,360 --> 00:55:39,440
And this is my advice. 
I know some people, they say I 

1117
00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:40,840
just do better when I read at 
night. 

1118
00:55:41,920 --> 00:55:45,680
My advice? 
Make scripture the first voice 

1119
00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:49,360
that you hear. 
I'm not saying you can't wake up

1120
00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:52,280
and say good morning honey. 
I'm not saying you can't go get 

1121
00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:55,920
your coffee so you can wake up. 
So little freedom there. 

1122
00:55:57,240 --> 00:55:59,480
But if the first voices you're 
hearing are social media 

1123
00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:03,920
scrolling so you can wake up, 
why don't you scroll on your 

1124
00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:06,240
Bible app? 
Make it the first voice. 

1125
00:56:06,240 --> 00:56:08,600
Make it the filter that you see 
the rest of the day through. 

1126
00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:10,800
There are times I've had to read
towards the end of the day just 

1127
00:56:10,800 --> 00:56:12,600
before I go to bed. 
But I'm telling you that when I 

1128
00:56:12,600 --> 00:56:16,000
open my Bible and I read it, it 
filters the rest of my day. 

1129
00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:18,840
And I am able to take the rest 
of the things that happen and 

1130
00:56:18,840 --> 00:56:21,120
put them through the Scripture 
that God has spoken to my heart 

1131
00:56:22,080 --> 00:56:23,840
#3 Pick a plan that fits your 
season. 

1132
00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:27,920
Pretty excited about this. 
In the new year, we're going to 

1133
00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:30,160
put out a brand new Bible 
reading plan from this church. 

1134
00:56:30,640 --> 00:56:33,880
And it's a chronological Bible 
reading, unlike one that I've 

1135
00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:37,360
ever read before, breaks up 
pieces of scriptures to show you

1136
00:56:37,360 --> 00:56:39,040
how they all fit in the right 
order. 

1137
00:56:39,480 --> 00:56:41,920
You do not have to do it, but 
I'm excited to go on that 

1138
00:56:41,920 --> 00:56:43,240
journey. 
And if you're up for it, I 

1139
00:56:43,240 --> 00:56:45,120
challenge you to go along with 
us when we hand it out. 

1140
00:56:45,120 --> 00:56:47,080
We'll start handing it out at 
our Christmas Eve service. 

1141
00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:50,920
So you've got it in advance. 
That being said, maybe that 

1142
00:56:50,920 --> 00:56:53,160
doesn't work for you. 
Maybe the Bible reading that 

1143
00:56:53,160 --> 00:56:54,600
we've had this year doesn't work
for you. 

1144
00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:58,040
Find something that does work. 
Get in a chapter, 2 chapters, 

1145
00:56:58,040 --> 00:57:01,000
something like that a day. 
Find what will work, but be 

1146
00:57:01,000 --> 00:57:03,200
consistent about meeting with 
the Lord because your 

1147
00:57:03,200 --> 00:57:08,880
consistency is your obedience to
meet with him #4 remove the 

1148
00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:12,360
pressure to feel something. 
I've also talked to people 

1149
00:57:12,360 --> 00:57:13,360
before. 
I've said, well, I've gone 

1150
00:57:13,360 --> 00:57:15,080
through the Bible reading. 
I don't really always feel like 

1151
00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:17,480
God gives me something. 
Is that why you're spending time

1152
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:19,760
with them? 
Apply that to any other 

1153
00:57:19,760 --> 00:57:24,120
relationship in your life. 
Well, I used to tell my wife I 

1154
00:57:24,120 --> 00:57:28,440
love her, but I used to like her
a lot more than I do now. 

1155
00:57:30,560 --> 00:57:32,960
She doesn't always build me up 
the way I want her to, so I'm 

1156
00:57:32,960 --> 00:57:36,560
not going to put in the work. 
Let me know how that works for 

1157
00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:39,600
you. 
Pastor Anna will do counselling 

1158
00:57:39,600 --> 00:57:42,760
with you so she gets for not 
being here today. 

1159
00:57:44,400 --> 00:57:46,840
You don't always have to feel 
something, but you got to be 

1160
00:57:46,840 --> 00:57:50,520
consistent to me with Him. 
But when you do read it, ask one

1161
00:57:50,520 --> 00:57:52,160
question. 
God, what are you showing me? 

1162
00:57:54,040 --> 00:57:56,080
If He doesn't give you something
that stands out, it doesn't mean

1163
00:57:56,080 --> 00:57:58,840
He didn't show you something. 
He's still sinking it into your 

1164
00:57:58,840 --> 00:58:00,960
heart. 
And the last two is this, 

1165
00:58:01,040 --> 00:58:04,280
replace fear with curiosity. 
Don't be afraid that you're not 

1166
00:58:04,280 --> 00:58:06,120
going to understand it. 
Don't be afraid you're going to 

1167
00:58:06,120 --> 00:58:07,320
get challenged to change 
something. 

1168
00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:09,320
Don't be afraid of falling 
behind. 

1169
00:58:09,520 --> 00:58:11,440
Just get in there. 
Be curious about it. 

1170
00:58:11,440 --> 00:58:13,000
I wonder what God's going to 
show me today. 

1171
00:58:13,360 --> 00:58:16,000
I have read the Bible a lot and 
there are still scriptures. 

1172
00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:18,400
When I read it, I'm like, I 
can't believe I've read over 

1173
00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:21,600
that 16 times or whatever. 
Why does that mean something 

1174
00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:24,120
different now? 
Well, glad you asked. 

1175
00:58:24,120 --> 00:58:26,400
We'll get there. 
And the last thing is reading 

1176
00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:28,000
community. 
One of the things I do love 

1177
00:58:28,000 --> 00:58:30,520
about having a Bible reading 
plan at the church is this. 

1178
00:58:31,840 --> 00:58:34,840
It's a good way to tag team with
another person, hold each other 

1179
00:58:34,840 --> 00:58:36,800
accountable. 
And that's not just to call and 

1180
00:58:36,800 --> 00:58:37,960
say, did you do your Bible 
reading? 

1181
00:58:38,000 --> 00:58:40,680
OK, cool. 
Me too, by the way. 

1182
00:58:40,680 --> 00:58:44,000
Real easy to fake that. 
Discuss it. 

1183
00:58:45,400 --> 00:58:47,040
Did you read today? 
Yeah, me too. 

1184
00:58:47,520 --> 00:58:48,880
Wasn't that crazy? 
Yeah. 

1185
00:58:48,880 --> 00:58:50,400
I hate that story in the Old 
Testament. 

1186
00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:54,600
It makes me uncomfortable. 
Talk about it with somebody else

1187
00:58:54,600 --> 00:58:55,920
who's trying to grow in the 
Lord. 

1188
00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:58,360
It really does change you. 
I used to pick out one or two 

1189
00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:01,080
students every year when I was a
youth pastor, and we would read 

1190
00:59:01,080 --> 00:59:02,800
through the scripture and they 
would check in and tell me 

1191
00:59:02,800 --> 00:59:05,200
something that they learned. 
It will change you. 

1192
00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:08,120
Reading community if you can. 
It doesn't have to be with 

1193
00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:12,600
everybody, but find some. 
OK, I want to wrap this up, but 

1194
00:59:12,680 --> 00:59:15,080
we talked today about the story 
that leads you home and the 

1195
00:59:15,080 --> 00:59:17,200
story behind the story that will
end up forming you. 

1196
00:59:17,200 --> 00:59:19,520
I just want you to understand 
that we have a God who speaks 

1197
00:59:19,520 --> 00:59:21,800
through His Word, and we've got 
to be a people that are willing 

1198
00:59:21,800 --> 00:59:24,320
to recognize His voice and 
change. 

1199
00:59:24,920 --> 00:59:27,960
And so in January when we do a 
Bible reading, I hope that we 

1200
00:59:27,960 --> 00:59:30,880
will jump into that together. 
But I'm just also encouraging 

1201
00:59:30,880 --> 00:59:33,280
you not to wait until January. 
That'll be my year. 

1202
00:59:33,680 --> 00:59:36,720
You will lose the passion that 
you have today for it by January

1203
00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:39,040
1. 
And January 1 is not a magic 

1204
00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:42,520
day. 
But for those who have ears to 

1205
00:59:42,520 --> 00:59:44,480
hear, I want you to understand 
this next week we're talking 

1206
00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:47,240
about prayer, hearing the voice 
of God, and knowing how to 

1207
00:59:47,240 --> 00:59:49,560
listen and how to discern and 
how to respond when the Holy 

1208
00:59:49,560 --> 00:59:51,920
Spirit speaks. 
But like I was saying earlier, 

1209
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:53,960
you're not always going to know 
that it's Him unless you've 

1210
00:59:53,960 --> 00:59:56,960
already learned His voice. 
So before we can talk about 

1211
00:59:56,960 --> 00:59:58,800
hearing His voice, we have to 
establish what His voice 

1212
00:59:58,880 --> 01:00:01,640
actually sounds like. 
This is the standard. 

1213
01:00:02,320 --> 01:00:05,920
It is the compass, it is the 
filter, it is the frame for your

1214
01:00:05,920 --> 01:00:08,960
faith. 
And in Hebrews 4, this is the 

1215
01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:14,440
final scripture I want to share 
with you at the beginning of 

1216
01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:17,000
Hebrews 4. 
Tell me how much you'd love to 

1217
01:00:17,000 --> 01:00:20,040
have this promise. 
It says God's promised rest for 

1218
01:00:20,040 --> 01:00:23,280
His people. 
God's promise of entering His 

1219
01:00:23,280 --> 01:00:26,760
rest still stands, so we ought 
to tremble with fear that some 

1220
01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:28,360
of you might fail to experience 
it. 

1221
01:00:28,640 --> 01:00:31,280
How many of y'all would like to 
grab a hold of God's rest today?

1222
01:00:31,880 --> 01:00:33,800
I could use it. 
I bet that's better than a 

1223
01:00:33,800 --> 01:00:38,560
Sunday nap for this good news 
that God has prepared. 

1224
01:00:38,560 --> 01:00:41,880
This rest has been announced to 
us just as it was to them. 

1225
01:00:42,280 --> 01:00:44,720
But it did them no good because 
they didn't share the faith of 

1226
01:00:44,720 --> 01:00:48,280
those who listen to God. 
For only we who can believe can 

1227
01:00:48,280 --> 01:00:51,080
enter His rest. 
As for others, God said in my 

1228
01:00:51,080 --> 01:00:53,600
anger I took an oath that they 
will never enter my place of 

1229
01:00:53,600 --> 01:00:56,480
rest. 
So he says this, even though 

1230
01:00:56,480 --> 01:00:59,960
this rest has been ready since 
He made the world, we know it's 

1231
01:00:59,960 --> 01:01:02,680
ready because of the place in 
the scriptures where it mentions

1232
01:01:02,680 --> 01:01:05,880
on the 7th day that God rested 
from all of his work. 

1233
01:01:06,200 --> 01:01:08,360
But in the other passage, God 
said they'll never enter my 

1234
01:01:08,360 --> 01:01:09,960
place of rest. 
Well, what is he talking about 

1235
01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:12,360
here? 
God's rest. 

1236
01:01:12,360 --> 01:01:14,800
This is verse 6. 
God's rest is there for people 

1237
01:01:14,800 --> 01:01:18,040
to enter, but those who first 
heard this good news failed to 

1238
01:01:18,040 --> 01:01:20,080
enter because they disobeyed 
God. 

1239
01:01:21,000 --> 01:01:24,600
So God said another time for 
entering His rest, and that time

1240
01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:28,640
is today. 
God announced this through David

1241
01:01:28,640 --> 01:01:32,280
much later in the words that 
were already quoted today. 

1242
01:01:32,280 --> 01:01:35,120
When you hear His voice, don't 
harden your hearts. 

1243
01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:38,560
And it says in verse 8, if 
Joshua had succeeded in giving 

1244
01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:41,520
them this rest, God would not 
have spoken about another day of

1245
01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:44,640
rest still to come. 
And there's a special rest still

1246
01:01:44,640 --> 01:01:47,560
waiting for the people of God. 
For all who have entered into 

1247
01:01:47,560 --> 01:01:50,400
God's rest have rested from 
their laborers, just as God did 

1248
01:01:50,400 --> 01:01:53,200
after creating the world. 
So let us do our best to enter 

1249
01:01:53,200 --> 01:01:55,840
that rest. 
But if we disobey God as the 

1250
01:01:55,840 --> 01:01:57,600
people of Israel did, we will 
fail. 

1251
01:01:58,280 --> 01:02:00,920
How will you know if you're 
obeying Him or disobeying Him if

1252
01:02:00,920 --> 01:02:04,720
you don't know His instructions?
Disobedience is what blocks you 

1253
01:02:04,720 --> 01:02:07,520
from that rest. 
And listen verses 12 and 13. 

1254
01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:11,200
For the Word of God is alive and
powerful. 

1255
01:02:11,400 --> 01:02:14,680
It is sharper than the sharpest 
2 edged sword, cutting between 

1256
01:02:14,680 --> 01:02:17,040
soul and spirit, between joint 
and marrow. 

1257
01:02:17,280 --> 01:02:19,800
It exposes our innermost 
thoughts and desires. 

1258
01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:22,440
Nothing in all creation is 
hidden from God. 

1259
01:02:22,760 --> 01:02:26,280
Everything is naked and exposed 
before His eyes, and He is the 

1260
01:02:26,280 --> 01:02:30,960
one to whom we are accountable. 
Lot of times we'll preach that. 

1261
01:02:30,960 --> 01:02:33,440
We'll hear that the Word of God 
is sharper than any double edged

1262
01:02:33,440 --> 01:02:36,360
sword. 
Everything becomes exposed 

1263
01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:40,720
before Him, so you might as well
find out what he sees too. 

1264
01:02:40,840 --> 01:02:43,920
And this mirror will show you, 
And I want you to know this, 

1265
01:02:43,920 --> 01:02:45,920
that the word that is used there
when it talks about the word of 

1266
01:02:45,920 --> 01:02:49,360
God is logos. 
That is the word that is far 

1267
01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:52,240
bigger than speech or sentences.
It is a written form, but it is 

1268
01:02:52,240 --> 01:02:56,040
the message of God that changes 
the way we approach this. 

1269
01:02:56,040 --> 01:02:57,440
You are not just reading ancient
writings. 

1270
01:02:57,440 --> 01:02:58,920
You're not just being a good 
Christian. 

1271
01:02:59,920 --> 01:03:02,520
I want you to know that when 
Hebrews 4 says the Logos of God 

1272
01:03:02,520 --> 01:03:05,920
cuts between soul and spirit, it
means the written word and the 

1273
01:03:05,920 --> 01:03:08,640
living Word work together to 
reveal what nothing else in your

1274
01:03:08,640 --> 01:03:11,480
life can. 
So that's why sometimes 

1275
01:03:11,480 --> 01:03:13,440
scripture feels personal. 
Have you ever read through a 

1276
01:03:13,440 --> 01:03:16,000
scripture and been like that? 
Feels like you made me read that

1277
01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:18,120
today. 
God, that felt like you were 

1278
01:03:18,120 --> 01:03:21,440
checking my mail. 
That's why that works. 

1279
01:03:21,440 --> 01:03:26,040
I've never had that happen when 
I read Peter Pan, and I do read 

1280
01:03:26,040 --> 01:03:29,560
it about once a year. 
I've never had that happen when 

1281
01:03:29,560 --> 01:03:32,160
I read The Hunger Games. 
I've never had that happen when 

1282
01:03:32,160 --> 01:03:35,560
I've read anything except this 
word that is alive. 

1283
01:03:37,600 --> 01:03:41,440
So when Hebrew says that and 
that everything is exposed to 

1284
01:03:41,440 --> 01:03:43,600
God and nothing's hidden from 
his sight, it's not meant to 

1285
01:03:43,600 --> 01:03:45,520
intimidate you. 
It's meant to encourage you. 

1286
01:03:45,960 --> 01:03:49,120
The God who sees everything is 
still the God who loves you more

1287
01:03:49,240 --> 01:03:52,680
than you will ever understand. 
He discerns your thoughts, and 

1288
01:03:52,680 --> 01:03:54,560
he's the one who wants to 
transform your heart. 

1289
01:03:56,400 --> 01:04:00,280
And the God of this word is 
calling us home this season. 

1290
01:04:00,280 --> 01:04:02,320
Amen. 
So would you all stand up, 

1291
01:04:03,480 --> 01:04:09,480
beloved of the Lord, let's come 
home to his voice, let's come 

1292
01:04:09,480 --> 01:04:12,720
home to His word, and let's come
home to the One who still speaks

1293
01:04:12,960 --> 01:04:14,960
and still leads and still 
changes our hearts. 

1294
01:04:14,960 --> 01:04:17,040
Today and next year we'll talk 
about. 

1295
01:04:17,040 --> 01:04:19,040
Next week we'll talk about how 
to hear them. 

1296
01:04:19,040 --> 01:04:19,400
Amen.