1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,960 Welcome to the Illuminate Church podcast. 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,520 We hope today's message is encouraging to you. 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,360 The point of the series, The Seven Habits of Jesus People, if 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,400 you've been with us the last two weeks, is to make you a peculiar 5 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,520 person. I want Illuminate Church to be 6 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,520 known as a bunch of peculiar people. 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,760 Peculiar people are, as we're saying in this series, a Jesus 8 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:32,800 person. The seven habits of Jesus 9 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,880 people, The seven habits of Jesus people help Jesus people 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:41,920 bring the average of any relationship, any situation up. 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,320 If you're here in week one, we said that you are the average of 12 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,840 the five people you hang out with most, so that if people 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,920 hang out with you, then you're bringing their average up 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,040 instead of bringing them down or then bringing you down. 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,160 And when you enter into a situation that seems hopeless 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,840 because you're a Jesus person, you bring with you the hope and 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,040 the power and the infinite wisdom of God so that solutions, 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,760 possibilities come because a Jesus person, you, a peculiar 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,080 person, walked in the room. You are what Jesus said, the 20 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,680 light of the world. You are light in the darkness. 21 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,560 You are the salt of the earth. There's something different 22 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,000 about you that is distinctive in the book of Peter says we shine 23 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,480 like stars when you look up in the night sky. 24 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,960 Oh, oh, oh, right. Pretty cool. 25 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,480 Case in point. Just think I don't want you to 26 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,120 think that where I'm asking you to be a peculiar person in like 27 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,960 the hardest situations only or the most serious situations 28 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:41,640 only. I'm talking about being a Jesus 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,720 person everywhere. There's a lady who was here 2 30 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,480 weeks ago. She's here today, she's sitting 31 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,360 back there. Hi and she texted me after her 32 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,120 service. She's like, hey, I'm boarding a 33 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,680 flight and I was going through TSA. 34 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,760 What an opportunity. You know, everyone's in the 35 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,400 hustle, the bustle, everyone's upset. 36 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,280 The the TSA guards are trained like the Disney's Haunted 37 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,320 Mansion. People are like, you're not 38 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,919 allowed to smile. You must be stern at all times, 39 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:12,080 right? And she said, I got, I thought 40 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,920 to myself, be peculiar. And she determined to walk 41 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:21,200 through the entire process with this gigantic Jesus smile on her 42 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,800 face. You know, taking the shoes off 43 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,320 and you get that thing, like, isn't that awkward? 44 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,600 It always feels awkward, right? Smiling the whole time. 45 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,200 Now, it's a small thing, but it's huge. 46 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:40,840 The execution, the action is the smiling in TSA where no one else 47 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:42,320 is smiling. So you're distinctive. 48 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,160 But what's even more distinctive is that a Jesus person thinks I 49 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,240 need to be different in this. Situation. 50 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:57,440 That's the secret sauce. It's not just talking about 51 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,640 coming to church and learning about. 52 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,960 It's that when you're outside of these walls, you think to 53 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,840 yourself, I'm. Going to be peculiar. 54 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,040 For the sake of the Kingdom and everywhere that I take this 55 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,480 Jesus inside of me out there, people have the opportunity to 56 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,040 run into the things of the Kingdom, not just the things. 57 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,120 The person who is the king of the Kingdom, that's what. 58 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,560 Jesus, people. Do so through the series. 59 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,760 We're trying to train you with 7 habits. 60 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:30,360 That'll help. You to become peculiar, to be 61 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,600 light in the darkness. Pastor Christine started last. 62 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,160 Week with a Siri the first habit, which is called. 63 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,400 A rule of life, Everyone say rule of life. 64 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:43,800 Yeah, the rule of life is your values matched with practices 65 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,520 that produce an outcome. And you have these rules based 66 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,400 on your values that have matching practices. 67 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,000 But what she challenges with is like don't just have any values 68 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,400 in any practices. Have biblical values. 69 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,240 And biblical practices so that the outcome is supernaturally 70 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,760 Kingdom. Based because we. 71 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,160 Can just put in an ill values and I'll practices anyone could 72 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:08,400 go to the gym and work out right This is a good thing but when we 73 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,440 put in biblical. Practices and biblical values. 74 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,520 Biblical Habits. We get supernatural Kingdom 75 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,360 outcomes and that's the desire of a Jesus person say yes. 76 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:21,399 So here's habit number 2. Are you ready? 77 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:23,160 Are you excited? Can you, I mean, can you just 78 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,960 feel the anticipation for habit #2 right? 79 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:27,920 Yeah. I don't know if you're going to 80 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,560 be clapping after number. 2 is Jesus people? 81 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,720 Read. The word of God. 82 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:41,200 Everybody clap your hands. It's a little too much. 83 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,840 I read an article by a guy named Jeff Martin. 84 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:47,760 You may not know this guy. I wouldn't expect you to. 85 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,520 He's one of the executive directors of the Fellowship of 86 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:55,920 Christian Athletes, and in this article he's reviewing and 87 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,680 discussing with his readers the outcomes of a groundbreaking 88 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,960 poll done by the Center for Biblical Engagement. 89 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,280 The Center for Biblical Engagement did this massive 90 00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:08,840 poll. It's not hey or his we we 91 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:11,120 surveyed 100 people. The top 10 answers are on the 92 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,440 board. This is 40,000 people that they 93 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,320 polled and in this study they asked the question how often do 94 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,760 you engage with the word of God, meaning that you. 95 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,520 Go to a. Sunday and you're hearing the 96 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,440 Word of God, or even better, you're personally reading. 97 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,400 The word of God. You're so how many times a week 98 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,480 do you do that? And then the second question is 99 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,040 how are you doing in your life? Let's talk about mental health. 100 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,920 Let's talk about habits. Let's talk about and, and so 101 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,360 they asked how many times and then they're talking about how 102 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,720 you're doing in your life. And here is what they found and 103 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:48,360 what Jeff was sharing in his article. 104 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:55,080 People who read the word 0 times a week changed 0 people who read 105 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,000 the word one time a week. Changed. 106 00:05:58,280 --> 00:06:03,680 Zero people who read 2 * a week. This is 40,000 people. 107 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,720 Aged 8 to 80. Being surveyed two times a week. 108 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:12,840 Very very zero change. Three times a week, a small 109 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:15,800 blip. Of change, people. 110 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,560 Who engage with the Bible four times or more a week. 111 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,640 Saw this sudden spike in life change. 112 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:29,720 You might expect a gradual growth, 1234 days, but it was 113 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:31,360 nothing, nothing. A little bit of something on 114 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,120 three days and then fourth day boom and here are the results. 115 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,560 Feelings of loneliness. Dropped by 30. 116 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,600 Percent for people who engage. The word of God four times or 117 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,760 more. Anger issues dropped 32%. 118 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,720 Bitterness in relationships dropped 40%. 119 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,880 Alcoholism dropped 57%. Sex outside of marriage dropped 120 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,480 68%. Feeling spiritually stagnant 121 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:59,920 dropped 60%. Viewing pornography dropped 61%. 122 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:06,640 Sharing your faith jumped 200%. Disciple in others jumped 230%. 123 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,600 For those people engaging with the Word of God four times or 124 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:16,520 more, definitely we're celebrating. 125 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,720 But let's be smart. Correlation does not mean 126 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,800 causation. Meaning when numbers move 127 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,560 together, that doesn't mean that they caused each other to move. 128 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,680 Case in point, I found this on the Internet. 129 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,240 You can find anything on the Internet. 130 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,120 I found this two things that are correlated, but they don't 131 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,560 'cause one another. The distance between Neptune and 132 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:40,880 the Sun and burglary rates in the United States of America. 133 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,760 There's a guy named Tyler Vigon VIG, and he does these things. 134 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,000 He calls spurious correlations. You can see down here in the 135 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,600 bottom, and you can find a ton of these things that have 136 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,280 nothing to do with each other by causation, but they're 137 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,200 correlated in the way that they're the numbers move 138 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,240 together. Clearly, the distance from 139 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:04,160 Neptune to the Sun has nothing. To do with burglary in the 140 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,640 United States, but they correlate. 141 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:11,040 Together they don't cause one another, So what causes someone 142 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,360 who's engaged with the? Scripture to have life change. 143 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:17,680 What's the causation? Well. 144 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:19,720 Today I want. You to consider the. 145 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,360 Power of the words. Being read. 146 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,520 What I'd love for you to do today is to understand the value 147 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,840 of the words of. God. 148 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,400 Look with me in Luke chapter 12. If you have a Bible, you want to 149 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,360 open that up to Luke chapter 12. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 150 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,240 were in Luke today. If you need a Bible, raise your 151 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,000 hand and these fine ushers will just have one for you. 152 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,240 Just raise your hand nice and high and wave it around. 153 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:48,960 In Luke chapter 12, Jesus is addressing the crowd and He has 154 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:50,960 some familiar words. If you've been around the 155 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:52,400 church, you've probably heard these words. 156 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,560 Before, but they're so. Comforting. 157 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,600 If. You're reading the word of God. 158 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:04,040 You ready Say yes, Yes, all right, we're in verse 3027. 159 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:08,360 Excuse me, Luke chapter 12, verse 27, Jesus speaking, he 160 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,360 says consider how the wildflowers grow. 161 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:15,800 They do not labor or spend. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon 162 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,760 and all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 163 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,440 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which is here 164 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,760 today and tomorrow's thrown into the fire, how much more will He 165 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:29,000 clothe you, you of little faith? And do not set your heart on 166 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,120 what we will eat or drink. Do not worry about it, for the 167 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,280 Pagan world, the United States of America runs after all such 168 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,920 things, and your Father knows that you need them. 169 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:45,320 But seek his. Kingdom and these things will be 170 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:46,560 given you. As well. 171 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,680 Verse 32. Do not be afraid, little flock. 172 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,160 Can you hear Jesus? Don't be afraid, little flock. 173 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,880 My little sheep. For your father has been. 174 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:04,640 Pleased to give you the Kingdom, the purpose. 175 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:10,160 Of this verse. Is for Jesus to teach us that 176 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:15,240 Jesus people are peculiarly peaceful. 177 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,760 When the rest of the world is running itself ragged, wondering 178 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:22,360 what they will. Eat what they will. 179 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,880 Drink what they will wear. I got to have the best clothes. 180 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,320 The best cars I got to. I got to make the Benjamins. 181 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:31,280 We run ourselves ragged day after day. 182 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:36,080 Jesus says not y'all. Be different. 183 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:39,480 Trust me. Don't worry. 184 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,440 Let me take care of you. Seek me. 185 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,040 Earnestly Seek me. And all of this. 186 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,560 Is going to be taken care of. I'll give you what you need to 187 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:58,520 eat and drink, what you need to wear, and I'll give you the 188 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,560 Kingdom. Whoops. 189 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:12,000 It says here that Jesus teaches them to learn this lesson by 190 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,000 having them. Consider the wildflowers. 191 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:18,320 Some of your translations and other. 192 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,760 Parts of the Gospels. That tell this story as well 193 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,760 say. Consider the lilies. 194 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:25,000 Of the field. So I smashed them together and I 195 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:30,080 have a picture of wild lilies. Not you, Lily Crawford. 196 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,920 Where are you? You're not wild. 197 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:34,400 You're a child. Of God in Jesus name. 198 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,040 Is this beautiful? It's a real picture, right? 199 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,240 Those are lilies, Jesus. Says in order for us to learn. 200 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,240 To be peculiarly peaceful. Not worried, Not. 201 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:54,320 Stressed to consider these flowers, Jose. 202 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,680 I want you to leave this on the screen for a little bit. 203 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:58,240 Everyone say hi to. Jose, he's back there. 204 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:00,440 Back there. Hi, Jose. 205 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,640 Jose, can you see? I don't know what just happened? 206 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,720 Have you let me ask you this? Have you ever? 207 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:16,040 Obeyed Jesus to what he's saying in Luke chapter 12. 208 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,240 And you may say, yes, there are many times in my life where I 209 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,920 seek Him so that I don't stress where where I where I put my 210 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,960 eyes upon him and I'm not. Worried about materialism? 211 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:29,560 And what the rest of the world is going out? 212 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:30,960 I know he's going to care for me. 213 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,640 And I would say that's great. But have you obeyed Jesus? 214 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,280 In Luke chapter. 12 and like I just told you, I did yes. 215 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:38,520 Have you? Obeyed him when he. 216 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:45,760 Said, consider the wildflowers. Jesus said it. 217 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:51,360 Has the Church obeyed it? He said in order to learn this 218 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:55,280 lesson, you should spend some time meditating, considering. 219 00:12:55,280 --> 00:13:02,200 Pondering how a wildflower. Grows, not just considering. 220 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:07,040 A wildflower. But he says consider how it 221 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,840 grows. Everyone say how now the process 222 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:15,800 for flower? Production is mind blowing. 223 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:21,040 In both of its design and its. Execution to be. 224 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,080 Clear, I am not a botanist. But I did. 225 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,480 Stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I've learned just 226 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,720 a little bit about botany. If there's any botanist here, 227 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,440 don't fact. Check me because. 228 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:36,840 That's just not nice. We're talking about germination. 229 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:44,360 Germination, not germination. See Germination growth. 230 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,080 Reproduction. If we just. 231 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:47,760 Focus on germination this morning. 232 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:52,160 Because Jesus said consider. How the wildflowers grow 233 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,040 germination. All starts with a seed I. 234 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:58,680 Don't know if you've seen flower seeds? 235 00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:00,960 Before. But they're so tiny, they're 236 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,280 just little itty bitty things, right? 237 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:08,360 And what's fascinating about a seed is that the entire genetic 238 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:12,640 code has been microscopically etched. 239 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:19,800 Into the seed. This tiny little thing, the DNA 240 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:27,080 and each flower this is amazing has different code etched on it. 241 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:34,760 Have you considered this? You got lilies and you got 242 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:42,240 sunflowers, roses, tulips, carnations, hydrangea, you can 243 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,400 name a bunch more. They get that one. 244 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,920 They all have different colors, different aromas, different. 245 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,920 Heights. Some are a single bulb, some 246 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:57,960 have lots of. Bulbs. 247 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,280 Did you know that God made flowers colorful and fragrant? 248 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,920 For the. Express purpose of creating. 249 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:12,160 More flowers because the. Birds, the bees. 250 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,120 Are attracted to the smell and the color. 251 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:21,280 That's why fruit that we eat looks good and tastes good, so 252 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:26,520 we're attracted to eat it. Evolution didn't make that, by 253 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,920 the way. It's precision of design. 254 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,560 It's genius design. So all of that is on this little 255 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,600 tiny seed. Germination begins when the seed 256 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,440 gets water and sunlight and nutrients, and it takes that 257 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:47,280 water into the seed and it bursts the shell of the seed and 258 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,320 the code that's been etched onto the seed begins to give its DNA 259 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:52,200 orders. You go do this. 260 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,880 You could do that. And the seed shoots out and the 261 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,880 roots go down into the soil to make a solid foundation for this 262 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,960 plant to grow. And also they become conductors 263 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,800 of more water and nutrients getting to the plant. 264 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:12,240 And then out the shoot pops, breaking free of the soil and 265 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,360 bursting into the air. Eventually that becomes the. 266 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:17,880 Stem which makes. The leaves which makes the bulb 267 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,200 and then you have the flower on top. 268 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:25,600 Have you ever? Considered this like, wow. 269 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:32,720 And let's not skim over the idea that a plant flower needs water 270 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,760 and sunlight. Jesus said consider how they 271 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:40,600 grow. Where did water come from? 272 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,400 You ever considered that? I know it's. 273 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,800 You may like sound silly, but think. 274 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,720 About it. Some of you may be. 275 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:51,560 Chemists in here and. Praise God for you. 276 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,960 Smarty pantses, but what in the world is hydrogen? 277 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:58,560 Like what? Is it actually? 278 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:00,240 I know it's a gas but. What is it? 279 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:02,840 How would you? Explain that to somebody who 280 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:04,560 never heard of hydrogen. How would you explain it to me? 281 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,000 I don't know what it is. And oxygen, same deal. 282 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,839 Who thought of these things? And then we're going to take two 283 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:15,440 of these HS and put them on one of the most, right? 284 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:18,440 And put them together. Have you? 285 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:19,640 Have you? Considered how the. 286 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,240 Wildflowers grow. And then there's water comes to 287 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,440 the plant and somehow this clear thing that we drink and look at 288 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:31,960 all the time has stuff in it. That's necessary for this plant 289 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,120 to have fuel. To grow, have you considered how 290 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:37,880 the. Wildflowers grows the precision. 291 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,960 The design. The execution it's flawless. 292 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:49,800 What about sunlight? This gassy burning mass? 293 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:51,680 I'm not talking about your uncle. 294 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:06,640 Sorry, not sorry. This thing is precisely distance 295 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,840 from the earth. At some. 93,000,000 miles 93 296 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:16,560 point away from us. And the center of its core burns 297 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:22,920 at 27,000,000°F. Do you know what we call 298 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,920 27,000,000°F in Florida? Tuesday. 299 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:36,560 You knew it Tuesday. Yeah, but precisely distance and 300 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,440 precisely heated so that the time that the light and the. 301 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,000 Heat reach the. Earth, the flower. 302 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,840 Grows. Have you considered this before? 303 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:53,200 Is it amazing? Any further away and the light 304 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,960 and the heat aren't the right temperature, the right 305 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,160 brightness. Any closer to us, any cooler of 306 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,600 the core, the flowers don't grow. 307 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,480 I don't. Think we grow either, right? 308 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,160 But God, in his infinite wisdom and his precision, his design. 309 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,520 Has placed the sun just so now. Here's the point of all this. 310 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,400 This incredible design. That I'm talking about the 311 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,120 magnificent creation and all of its perfection. 312 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,960 The DNA, the hydrogen matched with the oxygen, this sun that 313 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,080 is perfectly placed, perfectly heated. 314 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,840 None of this was created in a lab. 315 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:37,280 None of it was engineered by some supercomputer AI thing. 316 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,880 None of it was a brainchild of a super genius that we've had in 317 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:48,360 generations like Einstein and Edison and Tesla and Musk. 318 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,400 These genius people. Like, how do you all think of 319 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:53,720 these things? And then you do it. 320 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,360 God did it better all of creation. 321 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:06,040 As the Disney movie says. Everything the light touches was 322 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:10,960 created the exact same way. God created everything the same 323 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:15,440 way. With his very words. 324 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:21,960 With his very words, all he did was speak. 325 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:24,760 You know, wave his hands. He doesn't have hands. 326 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:29,720 Got his spirit. He just spoke. 327 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,560 For the monstrosity of burning gas. 328 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:35,960 That we call. Our sun that is the center of 329 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,600 our universe, that lights and warms everything that breathes, 330 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,200 that is faithfully been doing its job since the beginning of 331 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,440 creation. Every morning it rises. 332 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,160 Every evening it sets, it does its job. 333 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,680 For this. Powerhouse that we live by. 334 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:58,120 God only had to use 4 words he said. 335 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:04,400 Let there be light. I get chills thinking about. 336 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,880 Being there, that moment. He says let there be light and 337 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,160 there's like. I can't. 338 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,680 I don't know what happened. All I see is the result. 339 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:25,340 Fantastic. The Bible has 783,137 words in 340 00:21:25,340 --> 00:21:28,900 it depending on which. Translation you're reading. 341 00:21:30,380 --> 00:21:34,400 If you were to begin typing the Bible right now, 60 words per 342 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,960 minute, it would take you. Till next Tuesday working. 343 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,320 All day and night to finish typing. 344 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,320 The Bible. Unless you're a teenager 345 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:44,880 texting. You could do it in three hours. 346 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:54,320 It's a miracle, yeah. One 783,137 words. 347 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,160 God used 4 words to create the sun. 348 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:06,840 I'm wondering what he could do with 783,137 words. 349 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:13,920 Amen. But here's the truth. 350 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,520 All you need is one word from God. 351 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,160 Would you believe with me this morning that one word from God 352 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,520 could restore your marriage? Would you believe? 353 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:28,600 With me today, that one word from God could breathe. 354 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,440 Life into dry bones, would you believe that? 355 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,360 One word from God can take anybody who's wandering in the 356 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,880 wilderness and bring them back into the land of promise. 357 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:43,160 Somebody. Say yes, the power, the 358 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:48,280 precision, the creativity of God's words. 359 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:57,000 And This is why I say to you, Jesus, people read value the 360 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:05,000 words of God. To kill your people, read the 361 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:11,960 word of God. That's habit 2 maybe. 362 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:15,880 Because I. Was writing this. 363 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:20,520 Message and God said. Nope, what you talking about? 364 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,520 Nope, I'm just preaching your word. 365 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,000 He said Jesus, people don't read the word. 366 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:33,520 Then he gave me the actual habit. 367 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:34,200 You're. Going to have. 368 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,680 To edit your notes, go back to the top where you wrote Jesus. 369 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:38,920 People read the word of God. Put a cross X. 370 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:44,520 To the read and now write. This Jesus people apply the word 371 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:52,480 of God. I thought about just starting 372 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,600 over and naming the message this, and I felt like God said 373 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,600 this and I wrote it down. God wants us to understand the 374 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,720 power, the value of reading and then choose the wisdom, the. 375 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,640 Practice of applying God. Wants us to understand the power 376 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,200 of reading and then choose the wisdom of applying. 377 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:16,400 Reading without applying is like chewing your food without 378 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,120 swallowing. If you just read the Word and 379 00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:20,920 don't apply, it is like spitting it out of your mouth. 380 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,960 Many great pastors throughout all generations have exhorted 381 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,600 their congregations. As have we here to read the 382 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,960 Word. But God gave us another sermon 383 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:38,480 from Pastor James that reads like this. 384 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:40,280 Maybe you've heard these words before. 385 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:44,920 James chapter one, verse 22. Do not merely listen to the. 386 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,760 Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 387 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:52,320 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is 388 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,920 like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and after 389 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,000 looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets. 390 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,520 What he looks like. But whoever looks intently into 391 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,120 the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not 392 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,480 forgetting what they have heard, but doing it, they will be 393 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:12,640 blessed in what they do. God gives us this image. 394 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,920 Of how to understand. The word of God. 395 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,600 It's invaluable to us. He says the word of God. 396 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:25,600 Is a mirror and when you look. Intently into the mirror of 397 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,960 God's word, it does what? Mirrors do in your. 398 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,520 Bathroom. It reflects back to you who you 399 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,640 truly are. Because you can have an idea. 400 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,160 Of what you physically. Look like and sometimes when I 401 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:40,680 step up to the mirror, I look and I'm like. 402 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:45,800 That's not me. That's an old guy, right? 403 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:50,720 The word of God. Reflects back to us who we 404 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:57,080 actually are. Most mirrors are neutral. 405 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,960 They don't have an opinion. I have a purpose. 406 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,360 You don't get mad at them when they say hey Yep that is flab. 407 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,560 Everyone's favorite word flab and moist. 408 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,600 Yep, that's acne. That's who you truly are. 409 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,360 Yep, your beard turned Gray long ago. 410 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:30,440 I don't know what happened. Those are wrinkles. 411 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,960 Those are baggy eyes. It's not forming an opinion, 412 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,840 it's just revealing the truth, Right? 413 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:45,280 It's neutral. The Word of God is the only 414 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,920 mirror that's not neutral. It's the only mirror. 415 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:52,720 That has a purpose. We learn about it from a guy 416 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:53,680 named Timothy. Great name. 417 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,000 Second Timothy Chapter 3 says all scripture. 418 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:03,480 Is God Breathed is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting 419 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:08,120 and training this. Mirror has a purpose when you 420 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:09,640 look into it and it. Reveals your true. 421 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,160 Self it is trying to. Reveal to you. 422 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:12,640 There's some things I want to. Teach you. 423 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:16,000 Some things that require rebuke, some things that we're going to. 424 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,200 Have to correct and train these four gifts. 425 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,680 Come from this mirror. Teaching. 426 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,360 Let's talk about these four just real briefly. 427 00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:27,000 Teaching is in the scripture. I got to tell you this, the 428 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,720 Bible is the original. YouTube if you. 429 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:37,120 Don't know what to do. Look it up on YouTube, you don't 430 00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:40,400 know. How to fix the drain pipe from 431 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:44,320 your refrigerator Somebody on YouTube is going to teach. 432 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,560 You how? Don't have to change the O2 433 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,760 sensor in your car, no. YouTube's got you. 434 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,600 Right. If you need relationship advice, 435 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,720 YouTube's got it. I don't recommend it, but it's 436 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,400 there, right? It used to be. 437 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,920 In our country and around the world that when you had an. 438 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,880 Issue The 1st place you asked was here. 439 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,680 Yeah, I don't know what to do, but I'm going to look in your 440 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:17,360 word. I don't know. 441 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:19,240 I don't know what to do about my marriage. 442 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,920 Well, look in the original. YouTube Ask the Bible. 443 00:28:22,360 --> 00:28:23,560 What should I? Do for my marriage. 444 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:25,400 What should I do for my finances? 445 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:26,840 What should I do with my fear and anxiety? 446 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,920 What should I do for my job, my career? 447 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:37,040 How should I raise my kids? All of it is here because the 448 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,680 teacher eliminates. Ignorance. 449 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:42,640 Ignorance doesn't mean dumb, by the way. 450 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,760 Ignorance means without knowledge, and this is where the 451 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,040 knowledge comes in the teaching. Not only that, but the Bible 452 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:49,600 rebukes everybody's favorite word. 453 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,760 I'd love to be rebuked. When we hear the word rebuked, 454 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,360 we feel like there's like this strong hand coming from the 455 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,640 Lord. You have messed up, right? 456 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:01,200 That's not what the word rebuke means. 457 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:06,680 The word rebuke just means to bring about conviction, and this 458 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,280 is the way you can think of it. He used the idea. 459 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,280 Of a mirror when you stand in front of a mirror like there's a 460 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,280 mirror back there that I look at before I come out to make sure 461 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,360 the mic's in the right place and that my fly is up. 462 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:20,960 It has happened before when I've stood before the mirror and the 463 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,960 fly has been down. It has happened and I look at 464 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:29,800 the mirror and say thank you mirror because I would have just 465 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:31,720 walked out and made a fool of myself. 466 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,120 People have been leaving the. Church. 467 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,120 The Word of God is similar when you look at it. 468 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,680 It's not trying to make you. Feel bad, it's trying to say let 469 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,520 me help you out because there's something going. 470 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,960 On that you're not aware of or maybe something you're aware of 471 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:48,600 that you keep walking away from the mirror and. 472 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,880 Forgetting because you haven't. Applied it so now stand in front 473 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,480 of the mirror again and when you look at it, it should be like 474 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:55,760 oh. I'm such a terrible person. 475 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:56,880 It should be. Like oh wow. 476 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,680 Thank you Jesus, I need to fix that. 477 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:04,760 Before I go out in front of the world. 478 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,160 And embarrass myself. Before I go out in front of the 479 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,080 world and embarrass my father. I want to make that right, 480 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:11,720 that's what. The Mirror. 481 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:13,760 Does when it rebukes everyone's favorite word. 482 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:18,960 If it also corrects, corrects biblically in this, this passage 483 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:23,280 means to straighten so useful again, straighten so that it's 484 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,120 useful again. That's what the word correct 485 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:26,680 means. If you think about going to a 486 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:29,200 drawer, taking out a fork in one of the tines is like brink. 487 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,800 You know what I'm talking about seeing that usually when you're 488 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,720 at like a cafeteria or restaurant that happens maybe 489 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,040 not at your house was like, and it's been and the first thing 490 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:38,360 you do is like you got to correct that time. 491 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:42,120 So you can use that fork. If you don't correct the time #1 492 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,600 the thing don't work like it should and #2 it's painful when 493 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,280 you use it. Now apply this to you if 494 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,120 something is out of alignment with the Lord and leaning like 495 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:53,520 this. If you are out of alignment with 496 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:56,640 the Lord and leaning like this, you are not working at your very 497 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:01,160 best and you're painful to others, even yourself. 498 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,720 And so the Lord says, let me. Correct. 499 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:10,680 That so that you feel the fullness of your design and not 500 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,840 that you're not painful now you're actually a blessing and 501 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:18,000 helpful to others because I'm correcting it through the word. 502 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,520 This practice of applying the last one is training and 503 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,240 training actually means applied instruction. 504 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,600 So I haven't just read it. I'm now applying it, and I'm 505 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,720 applying it in the sense that I'm going to. 506 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,720 Practice. This until I have become expert 507 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,720 at it. So God says to you in the word, 508 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,720 be patient. You go through TSA the first 509 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:44,040 time and you're not patient, and the second time you get a little 510 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,160 bit more patient and the third time you're training in 511 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,240 righteousness. Sometimes God says something, we 512 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,040 try it once and we give up because we didn't do it right or 513 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,040 we fail. He says no, my word is to train 514 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:57,640 you. So like anything you go to, any 515 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,000 sport you pick up, you got to do the thing, whatever it is 6000 516 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,200 times before you get pretty good. 517 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,480 At it right, So it is with the word of. 518 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,520 God put it in the training the Bible. 519 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:12,240 Calls us maturity. I'm just doing these reps until 520 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:13,400 I get. Better at this. 521 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,320 I'm more generous, but I wasn't when I started. 522 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:18,960 I'm more patient, but I wasn't when I started. 523 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:20,800 I'm more disciplined, but I wasn't. 524 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,680 I've trained. I've trained in this and become. 525 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:32,240 Proficient at it, James. Also says in verse 25 he says 526 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:36,440 to. Continue in the word To continue 527 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:42,840 means to tarry to remain. To abide, not to read one thing 528 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,760 and then move on to the next thing God has. 529 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,600 Spoken to me. Here, and I'm going to spend 530 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:57,600 time here making it mine. Living it out, digesting this 531 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:02,040 for myself. And maybe I don't know. 532 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,560 Exactly. But maybe that's why it's. 533 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,040 Four days of reading and more that caused the change. 534 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:11,160 More than one or. Two or three days because a 535 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:17,040 Jesus person just keeps abiding in the Word over. 536 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:21,560 And over and over. And James says as you continue 537 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:24,320 in the word, you will be blessed when you do it. 538 00:33:31,490 --> 00:33:36,170 The one who tarries in God's Word, the peculiar person who 539 00:33:36,170 --> 00:33:39,610 daily abides, will soon find the power and. 540 00:33:39,610 --> 00:33:47,440 Liberty of the Word of God. In your veins, we'll be coursing 541 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:53,800 the truth, and that truth will implode the enemy's. 542 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,840 Tactics against you, his distractions and his 543 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:01,480 destruction. But not only that. 544 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:06,560 These word walkers. Will find themselves in. 545 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:11,840 Peculiar places at peculiar times, with God doing the 546 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:17,880 supernatural all around them. Case in point, when summer break 547 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,960 hits. Teenagers are supposed to. 548 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:25,960 Sleep till three, play video games till three, the other 3. 549 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:39,239 Swim Lounge do nothing but 100. And fifty of them decided I'm 550 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:40,960 going to go spend a week with Jesus. 551 00:34:49,820 --> 00:34:51,659 Have you thought about how peculiar that is? 552 00:34:53,340 --> 00:34:55,580 It's summer break and you want. To go to a. 553 00:34:55,699 --> 00:35:02,780 Jesus camp for a week. Yeah, yeah, I do. 554 00:35:03,700 --> 00:35:07,180 But what's even more peculiar? Are the insane nut. 555 00:35:07,180 --> 00:35:11,300 Jobs. Who went as volunteer leaders? 556 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:25,360 What is right? With you people, these are 557 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,520 people. That I would assume based on the 558 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,560 evidence of their lives are engaged with the. 559 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,640 Scriptures, so their life has been impacted. 560 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,800 And they say I'm going to. Take a week off of work to go 561 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,320 into a. Cabin that is filthy and smells 562 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:45,120 like the inside of a locker room, inside of a locker room, 563 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,640 inside of a locker room. Or worse. 564 00:35:55,330 --> 00:35:59,330 And. Watch over these kids as they 565 00:35:59,330 --> 00:36:02,690 pursue Jesus. That's peculiar, you all. 566 00:36:03,370 --> 00:36:09,570 Who does that? Just as peculiar, the six brave 567 00:36:09,570 --> 00:36:22,000 souls that traveled to Ukraine. And Pastor Valdemar is over with 568 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:23,280 our. Baptize. 569 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:30,560 Baptize the baptize. The ones that are going to be 570 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,720 baptized. He was sitting right there right 571 00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:34,360 in front of you. Bob in the first service and 572 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:35,240 his. Face. 573 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:41,680 It's hard to express how deeply impacted this team was by what 574 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,080 they saw and did in Ukraine. You. 575 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:49,920 It took 11 hours. Just on the bus to get to where 576 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:51,520 they went. After they flew to Frankfurt, 577 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:58,600 then to Poland, then 11 hours more cost them each $2500. 578 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:03,960 A person to go. That's a lot. 579 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:08,400 Traveling is hard. And at every single one of them. 580 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,200 Says it's so worth it. The way they impacted. 581 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,000 Widows and orphans. Those who've lost their dads, 582 00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:19,640 husbands. In the war in Ukraine and 583 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:22,840 brought them. Away to a safe shelter to sing 584 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:26,200 in the praise these families worshipping God. 585 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:31,280 In the middle. Of a war zone praise God it's 586 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:37,320 peculiar you all it's it's different this is what happens 587 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:40,240 in the life of a. Word applier a word. 588 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,120 Walker do. What it says now, I'm not 589 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:45,880 calling all of you all to go to youth camp. 590 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:48,840 All we all go to Ukraine. I'm asking you to go to your. 591 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:52,880 Dining room table into your office at work. 592 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:55,800 Into the. Schools which you work and 593 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:59,880 attend and smell different and look different because. 594 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:07,360 You're reading and applying. The powerful words of God. 595 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:11,880 I'll end with this last thought. My time's up. 596 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:16,560 He can hear. Nobody's looking, Cindy. 597 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:28,160 If. The Bible seems boring to you. 598 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:29,520 One of. Two things has happened. 599 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:33,600 Number one, you don't. Have a relationship with Jesus, 600 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:39,640 and Jesus is the Word and so it's boring to you because you 601 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:41,120 don't have a relationship with the Word. 602 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:43,800 This is not condemnation that I'm. 603 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,400 Speaking it's invitation, today could be the day that the Bible 604 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,800 comes alive to you because you enter into a relationship with 605 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,760 Jesus by faith. That could happen for you today. 606 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,320 The second thing is you're forgetting that the only way 607 00:38:58,320 --> 00:38:59,640 that we. Understand, anything in the 608 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,400 Bible is to the power of the Holy Spirit. 609 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,920 He is our teacher and guide. Absent of the Holy Spirit, 610 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:06,160 you're just. Reading a phone book? 611 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:13,000 OK, the word of God was inspired. 612 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:14,880 By the Holy Spirit, God breathed. 613 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:17,360 When you read it, the word of God is. 614 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:19,960 Illuminated to you by the Holy Spirit. 615 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,280 That is why our name is Illuminate Church. 616 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,320 Yes, we are bright light in the darkness, but more than that, we 617 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,160 want the. Word of God to be illuminated to 618 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:31,360 the world so that it would know this. 619 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:36,760 Amen. So when you read. 620 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:44,920 Ask Holy Spirit to lead you as you read, what you read, and 621 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:46,800 what He wants you to see. And more. 622 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:51,760 Importantly, what Holy Spirit wants you to do for that is the 623 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:55,560 reason for the reading. Thanks be to God for His Word. 624 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,840 Amen. Thanks for joining us today. 625 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:02,920 We hope God is speaking to your heart through this message. 626 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:05,920 If you'd like to connect with us, you can text connect to 627 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:12,440 407-588-0115 or visit Illuminate dot church. 628 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:14,120 Have a great week.