1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,120 Hey, good morning. Real life church welcome you 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,320 excited to be here today, man, we're excited to have you here 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:07,280 today. It's going to be a great 4 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:08,680 morning. I know God's got something big 5 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:10,880 for us today. I just invite you to stand to 6 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:12,680 your feet. We're going to kick off with 7 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,600 some worship this morning. And I just invite you just to 8 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,600 lift hands, sing out, clap along with us. 9 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,280 Really just how do the Spirit leads? 10 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,120 I just invite you just to lean into that this morning and 11 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,400 really just give all of our worship to Him today. 12 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,840 Give them some glory. So just sing out with us. 13 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:39,480 Give you glory for all you've brought me through. 14 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:47,160 And now I'm ready for whatever you want to do. 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:54,760 I'm moving forward to follow after you. 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:02,840 Now I'm ready for whatever you want to do. 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:26,330 Your presence is an open door. Your presence is an open door. 18 00:01:26,330 --> 00:01:33,890 So come now though, like never before. 19 00:01:34,050 --> 00:01:37,680 Amen. If you want to join us as a 20 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:44,680 Clapper, keep singing. In every season the grace has 21 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:53,400 been eater and I believe it. The best is yet to come. 22 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,640 Do you believe that This morning the cross before me. 23 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:08,240 I hope all things are above. And did you, Jesus, The best is 24 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:17,480 yet to come. Your presence is an open door. 25 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:29,040 We want you though, like never before. 26 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:40,560 Your presence is an open door. S Come now, Lord, I've never 27 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:46,240 before. It's a bold prayer to pray, 28 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,360 isn't it? That we want your presence here 29 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,360 more than ever before? But man, we believe that when we 30 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,600 pray that prayer, God breaks down some strongholds. 31 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,680 Amen. You ready for a breakthrough? 32 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,080 Let's sing it. I know breakthrough is coming 33 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:12,520 and by faith I see a miracle. My God made me a promise and it 34 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:19,840 won't stop now. I know breakthrough is coming. 35 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:28,280 By faith I see a miracle. My God made me a promise and it 36 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,320 won't stop now. Come on, Church, declare this 37 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,480 this morning. I know breakthrough is coming. 38 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:45,040 I see a miracle, my God, maybe a promise, and it won't stop now. 39 00:03:51,820 --> 00:03:55,460 Why settle for the status quo when he's ready to give us a 40 00:03:55,460 --> 00:03:56,700 breakthrough? Amen. 41 00:03:57,860 --> 00:04:00,340 Amen. I invite you just to keep 42 00:04:00,340 --> 00:04:02,540 worshiping this morning as we continue to sing. 43 00:04:03,620 --> 00:04:06,680 Feel free to lift your hands. Just sing this to him. 44 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:07,920 It's just you and him this morning. 45 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:16,640 Come on, Your presence is an open door. 46 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:23,200 We want you, Lord, like never before. 47 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:37,080 Your presence is an open door. So come now, Lord, Lord, like 48 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:42,680 never before. Amen. 49 00:04:57,470 --> 00:05:03,470 Let's say. I know breakthrough is coming by 50 00:05:03,750 --> 00:05:09,470 faith. I see a miracle, my God maybe a 51 00:05:09,470 --> 00:05:19,160 promise, and it won't stop now. I know breakthrough is coming by 52 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:25,200 faith. I see a miracle my God made me a 53 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:26,960 promise that it won't stop now. Breakthrough. 54 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:42,010 Is coming by made me a. Promise that it. 55 00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:47,970 Won't stop now. Do you believe that is for the 56 00:05:47,970 --> 00:05:50,400 church? Do you believe he's a God of 57 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,000 breakthrough? Do you believe that he won't 58 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,520 stop? And then come on, let him hear 59 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,320 you this morning. All the praise, all the glory 60 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:58,840 from you to him. Amen. 61 00:05:58,880 --> 00:05:59,320 Amen. Give. 62 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,640 Him some praise this morning. Amen. 63 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,960 And in the darkness we were waiting. 64 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:43,040 Without hope, without light. From heaven you came running. 65 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:50,240 There was mercy in your eyes to fulfil the law and prophets. 66 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:57,240 To a virgin came the world, my throne of endless glory. 67 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:11,080 To a cradle in the dirt. And praise the Father, praise 68 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:26,960 the Son, praise the Spirit. 3 In one God of the glory, majesty, 69 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:42,240 praise forever to the King of peace, to reveal the Kingdom 70 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:48,960 coming, and to reconcile the lost, to redeem the whole 71 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,840 creation. You did not God despise the 72 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:59,960 cross, for even in your suffering gives all to the other 73 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:04,320 side, knowing this was our salvation. 74 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:14,000 Jesus, for our sake you die. Lift it up to Him today, say. 75 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,040 Praise. The Father praise the Son. 76 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:38,280 Raise must be red. 3IN the wild God of the rain, Manchester, 77 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:49,800 Raise whatever to the king. Of king, in the morning that you 78 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:56,040 rose, all of heaven held its breath till that stone was moved 79 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,960 for good. For the Lamb it conquered. 80 00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:06,680 Death in the dead rose from their tombs, And the Angel stood 81 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:11,280 in arm. For the souls of all who'd come. 82 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:18,040 To the Father our restored, and the Church of Christ was born. 83 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:22,920 Then the spirit. With the flame and now this 84 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:29,920 gospel true love shall not be, shall not faint, and by his 85 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:36,640 blood in his name and in. His freedom I have free, for the 86 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:41,360 love of Jesus Christ, who has rested me. 87 00:09:49,160 --> 00:10:00,440 Sing praise, our Father, praise. The sun praise the Spirit free 88 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:09,280 in one God of the glory that shall see. 89 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:18,040 Praise forever to the King of Kings, we pray. 90 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:29,600 Forever to the King of Kings. Father, we sing your praise. 91 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,880 Father. Praise forever to the King of 92 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,960 Kings, to the only one who's worthy of our praise this 93 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,360 morning. Father, we lift you up in this 94 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,480 place. Father, we love you. 95 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,760 We have to sing of your name. We thank you God for who you 96 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:47,200 are. Jesus name. 97 00:11:02,110 --> 00:11:07,670 I was rich. I remember who I was. 98 00:11:09,350 --> 00:11:12,510 I was lost. I was blind. 99 00:11:13,310 --> 00:11:20,390 I was running out of time. Sin separated. 100 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:27,960 The breach was far too high, but from the far side of the chasm 101 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:38,440 you had me in your side, so you made away across the crate. 102 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:50,000 Divide left behind Heaven's room to build it here, inside there 103 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:58,960 at the cross, you pay the debt I owed, broke my chains, freed my 104 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:06,840 soul. For the first time I had heard 105 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,200 you, Jesus boy, the blood of the plight. 106 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:25,240 You, Jesus, as you wash me away, thank you Jesus, You have saved 107 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:33,440 my life, brought me from the darkness into glorious 108 00:12:43,580 --> 00:12:50,140 You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin, and you were 109 00:12:50,140 --> 00:12:56,000 buried for three days, but then you walked right out of it. 110 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:03,680 And now Ted has no steal and life has no it. 111 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:10,080 For I have been transformed by the blood of you, and she's a 112 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:27,600 spoken word of God. When Jesus has washed me wild, 113 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:38,920 thank you Jesus, You have saved my life, brought me from the 114 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:51,040 darkest into glorious life. There's nothing stronger in the 115 00:13:51,520 --> 00:14:04,760 wonder working power up the world because the sons and 116 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:15,740 daughters we are handsome by our father through the world. 117 00:14:19,050 --> 00:14:24,640 There is nothing stronger then the wonder working Power up the 118 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:38,440 below, the below, because the Suns and tortoises be your 119 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,120 ransom. Power farther through the below, 120 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:54,240 the below. Jesus, come along. 121 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:04,440 Thank you Jesus. Jesus, wash me away. 122 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,600 Thank you Jesus, you have saved my life. 123 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:24,960 Brought me from the tortoise into glorious light. 124 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:44,240 Glory to his word, glory to His name. 125 00:15:51,080 --> 00:16:04,520 There to my heart, was the blood of glory to His. 126 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:12,720 Near man Amen. Amen. 127 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,240 Man who's thankful for Jesus. Can we give it up this morning? 128 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,160 Man, I love that song. And just think about what God's 129 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,360 done and God's given and God's sacrifice for you and for me. 130 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,200 Man, what an opportunity. Just come in and worship him 131 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:26,920 today. Man, we're so excited that you 132 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,880 chose to worship with us here in real life. 133 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,880 Want to take this opportunity to let you guys know that we have 134 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,080 some new people with us today. They are online with this in 135 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,640 person. Can we show those guys some 136 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:37,720 love? Just give them a round of 137 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,440 applause. Amen. 138 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:40,800 Amen. Hey, won't you guys take 30 139 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,480 seconds, find somebody around you and greet them? 140 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:15,400 all right, you The guys can go ahead and be seated. 141 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,119 Hey, what you guys know about something awesome that you are 142 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:20,760 sitting on or it's in a chair next to you and that is our 143 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,119 awesome connection card. If you call real life home, we 144 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:25,920 would love it when you guys fill these out. 145 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:27,400 Let us know what's going on in your life. 146 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:29,000 Maybe you've got a prayer request. 147 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,640 Something is going on in your life, something you need prayer 148 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,880 for or maybe God has just showed up in your life in a miraculous 149 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,920 this way this week and you've got to praise. 150 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,720 If you guys write those down. We look at these week in week 151 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,280 out, we pray over them. We love to stay connected with 152 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,600 knowing what's going on in your life. 153 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,360 Don't have to pin just on Facebook. 154 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:46,240 So if you guys send those in, man, we love it. 155 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,720 If you call real life home, if you're neuter or newer to real 156 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,240 life, this is a great opportunity for you guys as 157 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:52,800 well. And I'm going to make you guys a 158 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,280 simple promise. We're not going to ask one other 159 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,680 thing from you today except for this one simple thing. 160 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,800 Just introduce yourself when we want to know who you are. 161 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,120 And we just want to just thank so thankful that you're here 162 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:05,560 with us. And if you feel that out to the 163 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,680 level that you're comfortable with, we're not going to do 164 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,720 anything weird. We won't show up your door, but 165 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:11,960 we'd love to send you some information this week about real 166 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,640 life, let you know a little bit about who we are. 167 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,920 And so again, we're so excited that you chose to worship with 168 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,240 us today here in real life. We like to say that we're a 169 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:21,920 church on a mission here. And that mission is, is to see 170 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,360 people far from God discover the real life and purpose in Jesus. 171 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,040 That's why we do what we do. That's why we make our 172 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:29,760 decisions. That's how we move throughout 173 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,960 our week because we know that lives get messy sometimes, 174 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,480 right? They get broken, they get jacked 175 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,960 up, but we believe that we have and know the person that has the 176 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,720 answer for you to get connected and be back on mission and 177 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:44,320 that's Jesus. So we love the living community 178 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,960 here and we live as a body as, as a fellow believers and, and 179 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,440 disciples and we are reaching out in our community and across 180 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:53,400 the world to get people on mission with God. 181 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,320 So I have something awesome before we get into, into the 182 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,120 message today. So this is calling all 6th 183 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:02,480 graders through 12th. We are going back to Sporting KC 184 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,520 for our second annual sporting event. 185 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:06,680 Man, you guys heard about it last year. 186 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,880 The kids loved it. So parents, teens, don't miss 187 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,640 this opportunity. This is a free event. 188 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:17,160 This is for leaders and youth that are in that age group and 189 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:18,960 part of real life youth. So don't miss out. 190 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,040 Get signed up early. I think they're playing Austin. 191 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,320 This is on September the 7th and they'll be sitting in the South 192 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,760 stands. So your, your kid does not want 193 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,640 to miss this. So get signed up early. 194 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:32,880 So we are launching into a new four part series called Elephant 195 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,520 in the Room, right? So do you guys love the elephant 196 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,680 in the room? It's the question nobody wants 197 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,840 to ask, but everybody's thinking about, right? 198 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,600 And so today we're going to dive into what the word of God says 199 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,960 about some of the biggest questions you guys have in your 200 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:46,280 life. And maybe it's a question about 201 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,320 faith, eternity, pain. And it's the thing that you're 202 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,640 thinking about that you think you're the only person dealing 203 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,000 with and that's not true. And today we're not going to go 204 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,400 into a bunch of church cliches try answers, but we're going to 205 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,120 give some honest answers from God's word about what God and 206 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:03,320 Jesus have for you to answer these questions. 207 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,720 So once you guys take. This opportunity give a big 208 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,360 round of applause to Pastor Sean as he comes up and he brings the 209 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:15,640 word. He gave me that a boy. 210 00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:20,000 Go get him, pastor. Well, welcome today I want to 211 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,920 say first of all, was that worship awesome today? 212 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,040 Come on, give it for Jesus one more time. 213 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,720 Love him that you love him. It's always such a reminder of 214 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,800 who we are and who God is. And so in that line that Jesus 215 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,760 did God set aside on us and that that song was just fantastic. 216 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:36,960 If you're new with us, I want to welcome you guys one more time. 217 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:38,880 Or new where I know a lot of guys have been coming out 218 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:40,360 recently. I know we have some new faces 219 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:41,320 today. Will you guys make everybody 220 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:42,880 feel welcome one more time? Come on. 221 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,680 So there's two families you got to congratulate. 222 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,400 This is pretty cool. So last week we did the 223 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,080 celebration Sunday to the youth camp, kids camp, kind of just 224 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,680 celebrate the stories, impact and just all that God's doing 225 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,200 and it's really cool. We had two families that said 226 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,240 yes, God just speaking to them to serve and our kids program. 227 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:04,240 So you can congratulate them, let them know we love them for 228 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,800 jumping on the team. Come on, we love that some 229 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,800 you're like, it wasn't me, but it could be right? 230 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:14,640 Oh man. So just just amazing stuff. 231 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:16,920 So one last thing before we jump into the message. 232 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:18,680 I just want to encourage you guys, if you have a star 233 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,320 relationship with Jesus, if you commit your life to Christ 234 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,520 recently or you have in the past but not been baptized, I'd 235 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:25,760 encourage you guys to get baptized. 236 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,640 We were baptizing on our, I can't believe it said 8th 237 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,040 birthday. Come on somebody, and I'll 238 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:31,320 invite you guys to be a part of this. 239 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,440 And so if you called on Jesus, maybe I baptized as a baby or 240 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,440 something, but I would encourage you to take that step. 241 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,720 It's really going public through faith, just telling the whole 242 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:39,880 world, you're unashamed of Jesus. 243 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:40,960 You're just confessing to the world. 244 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,680 Man, I love Jesus. Jesus did something in me I want 245 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:45,600 to show you. And so really that we're dead 246 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:47,160 and sin and now we're alive to Jesus. 247 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,960 And we have so many stories of people doing this. 248 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,440 This is amazing. This picture, you guys who this 249 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,080 is Jerry. Jerry, I knew it was going to 250 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:57,840 happen. This is this is my 251 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,200 father-in-law, Jerry. He came to Christ a few years 252 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,080 ago here at real life. Thank you Jesus, Amen. 253 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,560 And he got baptized. This was Easter this year, so 254 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,240 about 5 months ago. And I see this picture and it's 255 00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:09,440 it's very special because This is why we launched a church. 256 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,160 Really something special about somebody close to you but far 257 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,320 from God. You see God moving their life 258 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,320 and take those steps of faith. And this is just a significant 259 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,800 moment for me. This makes every moment worth 260 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,720 it. There's a lot of like things we 261 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,280 do behind the scenes and a lot of energy and effort, activity 262 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,160 things. But this is the stories of 263 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,880 impacting people, Amen. And they see families change, 264 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:30,600 lives change. This is this is personal, Amen. 265 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:32,360 And this can be personal for you too. 266 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:35,680 And I'm encouraging if you have not been baptized, this is the 267 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:36,920 impact. Like somebody's gonna be 268 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:38,520 excited. We'll be excited, we'll be 269 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:39,160 excited. Church. 270 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,240 Amen. I mean, just I'll encourage you 271 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,240 guys if you're like on the fence, they can baptize. 272 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:44,880 It is exciting. It's a great day. 273 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:46,440 And I'll encourage you a part of that. 274 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,280 We would just love to be a part of your story. 275 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:51,040 And if you're unsure what that looks like, if you sign up on 276 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,040 there, it's not like you sign up and just like you get thrown the 277 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:55,280 deep end, all that be kind of fun. 278 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,200 But we're gonna actually walk you through this like help you 279 00:22:58,200 --> 00:22:59,960 understand, make sure it's the right fit for you. 280 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,080 And so don't feel like you sign up and just like you're just 281 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,080 gonna not know anything, we're gonna walk you the whole 282 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,400 process. So today we're jumping to a new 283 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:07,600 series, the Elephant in the room. 284 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,280 I don't know what I was thinking when I started this series. 285 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:13,400 So this elephant's getting, I'm going to have to obviously 286 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,440 preach some interesting messages to talk about the elephant in 287 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,400 the room. We all have questions. 288 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,000 Sometimes we don't even tell anybody these questions. 289 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,160 Maybe you tell your best friend, maybe your spouse. 290 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,440 Maybe you have questions that you feel guilty about even 291 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:27,960 having the question. Like I don't know if I'd seem 292 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:29,320 appropriate even thinking this question. 293 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,920 And sometimes we just don't say anything to anybody and we walk 294 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,760 around this these taboo thoughts and we don't want to interact. 295 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,840 And I also encourage the church that God can handle your 296 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:37,600 questions. Amen. 297 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,040 God, contend your hard questions, your weird questions, 298 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,160 all these different questions. And some of the questions might 299 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:43,480 be why? Where is God? 300 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:45,560 Why would God allow bad things to happen? 301 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,120 And is the Bible really true? And no one's ever struggled that 302 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,640 one, right? Like, can he be trusted? 303 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,320 I mean, I've asked all these questions too. 304 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,400 Amen. Some of the questions are just 305 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,120 like, maybe more personal, like, you know, what's wrong with 306 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:00,240 having sex outside of marriage or sex before marriage? 307 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,360 Like, you know, there's the world, like just teaches a lot 308 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:04,200 of stuff, right? And I would encourage you guys 309 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,760 as you walk through this to really be open handed. 310 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,240 I was at a church when I, when I grew up that you couldn't ask 311 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,840 these questions. Like it was almost like if you 312 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,280 confess Jesus, like if you called on Jesus that you were 313 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,000 perfect immediately. You've been in this type of 314 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,120 church before. Like there's no room for saying 315 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:20,840 like we trust you for salvation, but but not for sanctification, 316 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:22,600 not for growth. And you just everybody's just 317 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,920 perfect and you can never ask the question. 318 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:26,720 And so I would encourage you guys that we're we're on a 319 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,200 journey together, Amen. Like the words discovery, like, 320 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,120 like wandering, like just seeking out God, like we're all 321 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:35,000 coming from different faith journeys and points. 322 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,560 And these questions may you might have like solved the 323 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,560 question for yourself. And it might be something next 324 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,920 to you that like is just blown out the water by that question. 325 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,280 And some people maybe have gone to church today and you've not 326 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,920 been in church or followed God because of these hard questions. 327 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,160 And we're going to dive into, I mean, definitely the easiest 328 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,160 question, right? Where is God? 329 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,000 When I heard the questions of pain and suffering, this might 330 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,920 be one of the the heavier questions and just going to go 331 00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,920 in the deep end and walk through what God has for us. 332 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:02,280 I would encourage him and praying that you have an aha 333 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,400 moment about your suffering, like an aha moment about pain, 334 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:06,840 like where is God? Why God? 335 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:08,280 That God would just show you things. 336 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:10,520 Holy Spirit would just come on you and you maybe see things 337 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,920 differently and actually worship God for your suffering. 338 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:15,400 So it's been a big prayer. Amen. 339 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:17,400 It's a big prayer. So this is one of the main 340 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,760 reasons people don't follow God to go to church because of the 341 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,920 pain that happens in their life. And so where is God when life 342 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:25,400 hurts? A few weeks ago had the 343 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,600 privilege and honor of speaking and sharing God's word at my 344 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:30,720 step brothers celebration of life. 345 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:34,200 My stepbrother Chad, he is 4 years older than me, so it makes 346 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,760 him 44 and he passed away unexpectedly. 347 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,440 He was at work working at Walmart and they found him in 348 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:43,840 the backroom, in the storeroom and he had passed away and it 349 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,720 was a brain aneurysm, a heart attack. 350 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,000 Like, you know, people are they're figuring things out, but 351 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,480 it's just one of those things like so unexpected, right? 352 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,240 And so much pain, so many things around it. 353 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:54,800 And you know, it's just weird for me. 354 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:56,960 Like I've done a lot of funerals and been in church for a long 355 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,560 time, done a lot of ministry stuff, but it's just different 356 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,040 when it's like your sibling. Like that was a different level 357 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,000 for me. Like I've never, you know, I 358 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,800 thought a million years, like I am going to be doing my 359 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:09,640 stepbrothers funeral like this year. 360 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:11,920 I mean, it's just I just kept thinking it's just too young, 361 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:13,600 right? This is he's just young, but 362 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:14,600 anyway, I want to show you a picture. 363 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,560 I met Chad when I was 6. My mom got married by step dad 364 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:18,800 when I was 7, became part of family. 365 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,000 So this is my family. Come on, somebody, this is 366 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,640 awesome. This is a great picture of the 367 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,480 90s. Come on on the right, the 368 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:26,800 redhead. That's my that's my brother 369 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:27,640 Adam. Come on. 370 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,840 I met other Adam today. The visitor guy down the corner 371 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:32,600 there. That's Alana. 372 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:33,880 Where you at? Alana? 373 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:35,360 She in there. Oh, she's back there. 374 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:39,000 Everybody say oh, oh, that's so cute. 375 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:40,600 Yeah. And then Tricia is my step 376 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,280 sister in the middle, Chad. So there's Chad he he he's the 377 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:45,200 big guy in the front there. He's always big. 378 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,320 He's bigger than everybody just larger than life down here at 379 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,880 the glasses on the on the lower level, that's the lower level 380 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,200 that that's Gabe that's that's my stepbrother Gabe. 381 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,080 He he's six months younger man the life of the party. 382 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,320 This is my step. My stepdad Alan, he passed away 383 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:03,800 a couple years ago. And then you'll words can't 384 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:08,280 describe that picture of me that that my mom's here. 385 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:12,480 Where are you, Mom? Thank you. 386 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,200 I think you're trying to keep me single as long as possible. 387 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,240 Alan Jackson was not very proud of that. 388 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,560 It used to be really flowy and amazing bullet and that turned 389 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:23,160 like I was some kind of French person there. 390 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,480 It's really cool. I think Dumb and Dumber found 391 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,000 this picture and they bottled the movie kind of after that a 392 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,360 little bit there. Oh, man, God can use anybody. 393 00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:35,240 Amen. You never like that picture. 394 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:36,840 You'd be like, that's the man's going to play at the church. 395 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,720 And I was a Chiefs fan proof right here before they were 396 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,560 good. Amen. 397 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:43,440 Praise the Lord. All right, enough of that 398 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:44,560 picture. You can keep looking at that. 399 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,960 That's awesome, man. Oh, that's good. 400 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,520 I'm going back in here. We're in the I'm in a generation 401 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,560 now where it's like it's going to be like after maybe like 402 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,600 1518, the pictures can be like, man, that's really cool. 403 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,240 And before 18 like you're so old, you know, like I was going 404 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:03,600 through the pictures of my stepbrother, you know, and it's 405 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,720 just like it's either you're scanning it, it's old school or 406 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,560 it's like a digital awesome picture and there's like nothing 407 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,160 between. So anyway, this thoughts for 408 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,480 you, but the thought about my family, like where's God in the 409 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,440 midst of suffering and hurt? And there's verses I've been 410 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,840 traveling through Psalms this last year and there's been 411 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:21,960 verses that just stick out to me and speak to me. 412 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:24,160 And this just was easy to go back to as I walk through the 413 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,840 Lord, like some verses that remind me where God is and 414 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,160 suffering. And so this is Psalm 3418. 415 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:30,800 This is what something has been on my heart. 416 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,840 It says this is the Lord is close to The Who. 417 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,480 What's it say? Yeah, broken hearted. 418 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:37,600 Yeah. Where is he? 419 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,640 He's right there. He he's with you. 420 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:41,920 It says that he saves those who are what? 421 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:44,040 Yeah. Crush the spirit. 422 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:45,000 This is good news. Amen. 423 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:47,320 Here's what about the Bible. It's what makes it not a fable 424 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,560 makes it real because you have people that are struggling with 425 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,760 real humanity, struggling to follow God and they're being 426 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,720 pressed down and and hurt and they're emotionally broken. 427 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,280 But the Bible says clear that God is with us. 428 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:58,600 I love it as a personal God. Amen. 429 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:00,520 I love it's not like, oh, he's out there. 430 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,720 Hope you hope you, you know, do good enough and he loves, you 431 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,840 know, God's a personal God and he wants relationship with and 432 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:07,960 he's close enough to us. And I could have bridged the 433 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,160 sermon down about, I don't know, about 5 minutes and just answer 434 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:13,680 the question, where is God when you're hurting with you? 435 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:16,480 Amen. And we could just pray and be 436 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:20,040 gone. You're like, yes, not quite 437 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,120 chiefs in the game today, but one day you'll say Amen to that, 438 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,320 right? But Psalm 6, this is another 439 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:26,760 Psalm that just sticks out to me. 440 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,960 This is one of the Psalms I Amelium. 441 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,080 I've read it and I just put it in my heart, my mind, and I go 442 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,200 back to the Psalm very often. And this is something that I 443 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,160 thought through with my family. This is David Rice says have 444 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:41,280 mercy on me, Lord, for I am what even those seasons where you're 445 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,760 just you're just overwhelmed, you're weary like you're feeble 446 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,560 minded, like you just have no more energy to go forward. 447 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:49,040 And this is this what I love about the Bible. 448 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:50,960 It's just so real because I can relate to this, right? 449 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:54,600 I lack the ability to move. I'm uncertain, I'm unsettled. 450 00:29:54,920 --> 00:30:00,080 He says heal me, Lord, for my bones are and what in agony? 451 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:04,040 I mean, that's the emotional pain that he's walking through 452 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,400 that even to your core, you're hurt. 453 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,360 And there's moments of life where the unexpected happens or 454 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:13,040 the tragic happens or the things around you are so broken that it 455 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,400 actually bothers you to the to your bones. 456 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:18,160 You guys been here before. You know, you're in that season 457 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,680 when you wake up and then you feel like man, God's good and 458 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,880 everything is perfect and they're not 20 or 30 seconds And 459 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,480 after waking up, you just remember what you're going 460 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:28,360 through. Like, you know, you forget the 461 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:29,880 season went right at that moment. 462 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:31,320 That's how you know you're in agony. 463 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,680 And for some of us are walking that season right now. 464 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,200 For some of us, it's usually a broken relationship. 465 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,800 There's like a powerful loss and we walk that season emotional 466 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:41,240 pain. And this is what David's doing 467 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,000 is walking through there through this agony. 468 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,240 He says this in verse 3 says my soul is in deep anguish. 469 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,160 Just how long, Lord, How long says turn, Lord, deliver me, 470 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,360 save me because of your what what to say? 471 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,320 There's failing love. Who knows, God is full of 472 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:58,680 failing love. You can call on God's life. 473 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,880 It's just motivation for save me because of your character, God, 474 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,320 because you love me. God speak to me, changed me, he 475 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,080 said, worn out from my groanings. 476 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,760 I mean, there's this is like pain without words, right? 477 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,000 I just don't know what. It just hurts. 478 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,440 So all night long I flood my bed with what? 479 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,320 Yeah, weeping. We've all been there in seasons. 480 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,000 You just there's no comfort. There's no solace. 481 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,880 You're just beyond yourself. He said drench my couch with 482 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,000 tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow. 483 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,080 They fail because of my foes. In this situation, David is 484 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,440 surrounded by his enemies. He thinks he's being overtaken. 485 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,240 He's tired of seeing his friends die, his commanders die, the 486 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:37,600 people around him being persecuted, and he feels like 487 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,600 he's up against the wall that he's being buried and there's no 488 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,000 way out. Verse A says away from me all 489 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,440 you do evil and I love this. So it says for the Lord has 490 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,040 what? How many guys knew that the Lord 491 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,280 hears your weeping. It's pretty good, Amen that the 492 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,520 Lord isn't isn't absent like he's not gone. 493 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,600 We can make the mistake of thinking and mistaking silence 494 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,920 for God's absence, but God's not absent, Amen. 495 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,640 Just because he's not speaking doesn't mean he doesn't hear. 496 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,360 Just because he's not speaking doesn't mean he is not hearing. 497 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:11,720 You're weeping. So the Lord has heard my cry for 498 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:16,160 mercy and the Lord accepts my prayer that in my pain God is 499 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,040 close. I'll give you some some stories, 500 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,160 some guys to talk about these, the scripture and the pain to 501 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,760 walk through This man who wrote second most, second most famous 502 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,080 book in history, John Bunyan, pilgrims progress and he writes 503 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,840 this about tears. He says it's not the mouth that 504 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:31,440 is the main thing in prayer, but the heart. 505 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:35,240 And if it is the heart that prays, it matters not what the 506 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,480 mouth if the mouth is silent. So the prayer is the cry of the 507 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,640 heart, sometimes with words and sometimes without words. 508 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,880 Amen. I mean, God knows exactly what 509 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,160 you're feeling, what you're what's, what's inside of you, 510 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,760 and you don't have to maybe even mature even to express it or 511 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,280 even figure out why it's happening, but the Lord knows 512 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,040 exactly the language of your heart. 513 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,640 Others say about this scripture, it says that these prayer, these 514 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,760 tears are the tears or liquid prayers, Amen. 515 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:05,040 That God had actually hear your tears. 516 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,800 He's listening to your weeping. They're silent prayer requests. 517 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:10,840 God knows exactly why you're crying. 518 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:13,600 He knows exactly what you're walking through In that season. 519 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,000 Spurgeon said this. He said tears are the diamonds 520 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,560 of heaven. Sighs are part of prayer, and 521 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:20,200 tears are the blood of the heart. 522 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,880 They're the essence of prayer and the substance of devotion. 523 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,320 Tears are almost paved the way for God's will and our broken. 524 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,840 This guy is going to speak to us and this what it says about 525 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:33,520 suffering and tears in the Bible. 526 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:37,960 Psalm 56, eight says this. It says you being God have kept 527 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:42,720 count of my what tossings Anybody been in the season where 528 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:46,600 they can't sleep through the night right and you tried new 529 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:47,880 pillows and it's still not working right. 530 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,760 Like you just there's anxiety and there's worry and there's it 531 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,360 catch you off guard. Every season has a temptation 532 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:55,080 like don't ever think you get mature enough. 533 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,640 We're like your life isn't going to have some arrows and some 534 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,120 attacks like God is always showing us things about 535 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,280 ourselves. I actually bought 4 pillows 536 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:03,520 yesterday. I slept through the night, 537 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,920 praise God, Hallelujah, but it wasn't because of these kind of 538 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,639 season, but my pillows were dying's like I picked the $6 539 00:34:09,639 --> 00:34:11,239 pillows up all the time. I'm like, let's just not do that 540 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,360 anymore. Let's get a $10 pillow. 541 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,280 Let's move up, you know, but it says this is amazing. 542 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:21,400 He said, he says he puts my tears in your bottle and they're 543 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,639 not or they're not in your book. He's not absent. 544 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:26,960 Amen. Like like your your pain isn't 545 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,320 wasted with God to think that God knows exactly what you're 546 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,320 going through, exactly what you're walking through, 547 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,480 understands the situation and it's collecting your tears. 548 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:38,639 He's listening to your weeping. He knows and he's close. 549 00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:41,400 Amen. He's not distant, he's not gone, 550 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,280 he's not absent, he's not apathetic. 551 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,840 He is there. Romans 826 says this says the 552 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:51,239 spirit Spirit of God intercedes for us with what to say with 553 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:56,480 groanings too deep for words that even when we our words 554 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:00,240 fail, our logic fails, our emotions are heavy. 555 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,080 The Holy Spirit is groaning and having prayer requests for us 556 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,760 and over us to the Father in heaven, Amen. 557 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,800 That's good news that that we're not alone that that that the 558 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:14,640 Holy Spirit is also called the comforter. 559 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,360 He is comforting us. He's he's he's giving us what we 560 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:20,040 really need to have. He's praying prayer requests 561 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,840 that we not even ever mutter. These lead us to places that we 562 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,080 don't even need that we know don't need to go yet. 563 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,320 We don't know we need to go there yet And so we can find 564 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,560 solace that got us close enough to whisper that he, he knows us 565 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:31,480 better. We know ourselves. 566 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:33,400 Amen. But there are times, if you're 567 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,520 real honest, that we we don't feel God. 568 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:37,840 There are times where it feels distant. 569 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:39,440 It feels cold. Your prayers feel like they're 570 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:41,200 hitting the ceiling. You're wondering what's going 571 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:42,000 on. You're kind of getting 572 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,680 aggravated like I, why'd you leave me this far to, to kind of 573 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,200 feel like you're not in this season, like why am I feel like 574 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:49,920 I'm a little abandoned? Have you guys been that season 575 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:51,200 before? Real honest, show hands. 576 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:52,840 Real honest. Yeah. 577 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:55,360 I think most of us have been that season maybe more than 578 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,640 once, right. I feel like it just kind of 579 00:35:57,640 --> 00:35:59,880 comes with the journey. And I think God wants us to 580 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:03,200 teach us something like in the deserts and the valleys where we 581 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:04,560 don't have this awestruck moment. 582 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:07,800 He wants to show us a few things about prayer, about our lives. 583 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:12,040 What's interesting about prayer is that when you pray, God does 584 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,720 not often download the answer that you're praying to your 585 00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:19,280 life. It doesn't usually come if I can 586 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:20,680 use this Good. Met a guy that's in charge of 587 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:24,600 this right now. He doesn't fly the package of 588 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,320 your prayer request with a blue bow on it and drop it at your 589 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:31,000 front porch, Amen. It doesn't usually work that 590 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:32,880 way. God does usually answer your 591 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:34,680 prayer with this an immediate thing. 592 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:36,560 Now there's two things the Bible he'll do that for. 593 00:36:36,720 --> 00:36:40,040 But most of the time God gives you the gift of an opportunity 594 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,400 to become what you're praying for. 595 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,000 Like think about this when you pray for patience, God doesn't 596 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,120 download patience into your soul typically, but God gives the 597 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:52,760 opportunity to be patient, Amen. God gives you circumstances and 598 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,280 people and relationships and you give those moments where you can 599 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,560 trust in him and rely on him, but very few times you can say, 600 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:00,960 OK, now you're a patient person that that's not typical works. 601 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:02,400 He wants to develop your character. 602 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,240 Matter of fact, God is more interested in developing 603 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:07,280 character than for you to download your wish list. 604 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,760 Amen. Because it doesn't doesn't 605 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:12,400 change anything because gives you the answer. 606 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:15,240 He wants you to become something that you're not. 607 00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:17,200 Think about this. We pray for strength. 608 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:20,520 He put you in seasons where you feel weak, you feel like, oh 609 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:21,920 Lord, I'll be strong. What He's going to give you 610 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,800 circumstance with your family or your friends or whatever it is 611 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,480 where you have to rely on Him and His power and His strength 612 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,440 made perfect in your weakness and lean on Him. 613 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:32,800 You pray for faith. Typically it's because He's 614 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,400 walking through a circumstance where you don't have sight, like 615 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,000 you have to walk by faith. You have to hold His hand, lean 616 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,840 His direction to seek His will, and you're asking for faith, but 617 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:45,040 He's given the circumstance. If you pray for love, God often 618 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:46,800 brings people in your life that's hard to love. 619 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:54,080 Amen because now a good time to point, but often times it's just 620 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,480 how it works, right. And so in other words, God 621 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:58,440 answer a purse, but it's always the way we expect. 622 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,960 Like instead of shortcuts, he gives us soil, right? 623 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:04,400 He gives you a place to grow. He doesn't give you the the 624 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:06,520 quick easy path. Now sometimes God can do that, 625 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,600 but often times he doesn't. He takes a long way around the 626 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,920 barn instead of comfort, he he wants to develop our character. 627 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,400 There's a couple things Bobby can pray for though and get 628 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:19,080 wisdom. You can pray for wisdom and God 629 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:21,040 will give it to you liberally as long as you're asking faith. 630 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,000 If you don't ask in faith, don't expect anything. 631 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,520 That's exactly what it says in James one verse 5 and 6. 632 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:27,720 And so you can ask for wisdom, but by faith that God, I want 633 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:28,880 wisdom. I trust you. 634 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:30,000 You know everything. I'm gonna follow. 635 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,240 You gotta give me divine wisdom. And he will download it. 636 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,360 Amen. Amen. 637 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,200 That's a daily prayer by the way, like I'm not very smart, 638 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,720 but God right. He gives you peace beyond 639 00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:42,520 understanding is the Philippians 4. 640 00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:44,360 If you if you continue in prayer. 641 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:46,840 That was those who give you peace by understanding of guard 642 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:48,240 your hearts and mind Christ Jesus. 643 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,520 Those are two things you can have, but everything else it's 644 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,440 almost like God is giving the opportunity to develop your 645 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:55,720 character. He's giving you the opportunity, 646 00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:58,920 the gift of growth to be the kind of person that you're 647 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:02,240 praying God to turn you into. He's given opportunities to 648 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:03,880 shape you. And often times we walk through 649 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:07,040 suffering and hardship and we kind of get mad at God or we're 650 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,960 upset about God's character and God's timing and we don't like 651 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:12,440 it. Instead of send back to God, I 652 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:14,800 know you're using this to develop me, God. 653 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:16,960 You're putting this in my life to show me things about myself I 654 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:18,960 need to develop. God, I trust you in this season. 655 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:22,440 God, I'll walk with you even closer in this season. 656 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:24,440 It's very easy though, to get jaded. 657 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:27,320 It's very easy to, to step back and, and to get upset. 658 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:29,720 And honestly, there's times where you feel like you're, 659 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:32,240 you're just, you're irritated. God, things are broken. 660 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:34,880 There's things in our past. I see this quite often. 661 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,680 I've seen this with my own foster kids and different things 662 00:39:38,240 --> 00:39:41,800 where it's the heavy question like elephants in the room. 663 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:43,760 But now we can kind of put on the table. 664 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,680 It's fun as a leader, by the way, put an elephant on the 665 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:47,320 table. Don't you like doing that? 666 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,080 There's problems and people are upset and you're like, hey, you 667 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:52,080 know, let's just let's go on. Just take that. 668 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:54,320 It's over here. It's actually pretty big and 669 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:55,360 we're going to go put that right here. 670 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:59,240 We're going to talk about Amen. That's what leaders do, Amen. 671 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:02,600 That's kind of culture I love to be in like families get real 672 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,440 sideways when the elephant Duggan talked about in a healthy 673 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:07,480 God honoring way. Amen. 674 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,160 And just be real honest with you. 675 00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:13,280 There's there's a lot of pain that same causes that sin causes 676 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:16,520 that the world causes that's affected so many of our lives. 677 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:19,240 Ever been in this room? People, you know, could be watch 678 00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:22,840 things all the time and they're they're the question like, why 679 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,480 would God allow me to be abused as a child? 680 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:29,440 Why would God allow my dad to hit me? 681 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:33,960 Why, why would God allow my parents to be Alcoholics and to 682 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:36,720 be in the foster system? Like, why would God put me 683 00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:39,240 through all this? And those are the questions that 684 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:41,640 we're not going to ask. Typically we're going to ask God 685 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:44,640 will you mad about it may tell a friend, but then a day like the 686 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:46,960 wrestle that I want to wrestle through the hard elephant. 687 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:48,680 Amen. Yeah, I did that today. 688 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:51,480 I told you to keep it real. It's on the sign, you know? 689 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,440 So I'm gonna put it on the table and it's gonna talk through the 690 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:55,440 through the. Yeah, you know what you're 691 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,120 getting into there, right? About to talk through that hard 692 00:40:58,120 --> 00:40:59,400 question. What does it look like? 693 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:02,280 Like, why would God allow this? Like, where is God and all his 694 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:03,520 hurt and his suffering, this pain? 695 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:06,360 And I'm gonna do is just walk through really a conversation. 696 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:09,200 I saw it. It's really a video I watched 697 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,440 and I just turned into, I can't play it, so I'm just gonna read 698 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:12,720 it. And it's very powerful. 699 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:15,280 And there's this this lady that's been through a ton and 700 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:19,440 she's probably in her 60s and she's asking this this preacher 701 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:21,720 what where was God when? And so I'm just going to read it 702 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:24,560 for you guys ready. Don't act too excited. 703 00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:29,000 Well, I'll just hear this is what she said says where was 704 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,240 your Jesus when young kids were in institutions and being raped? 705 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:34,360 Just I'm a survivor of being raped. 706 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:36,480 So you tell me where Jesus really was. 707 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,720 I love this guy's answer. It's profound. 708 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,320 He said the reasons why, the reason why you went through what 709 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,600 you went through is because of the human heart of sinful 710 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,200 actions of people. Your parents, your community has 711 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:50,440 opened the door, has affected everybody else. 712 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,640 It's sad. You want to know where Jesus 713 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:54,040 was? I love this. 714 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:56,920 He said Jesus was on the cross dying for our sins. 715 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:00,080 Before that he was calling people to repent of their sins. 716 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:04,360 But your family, your ancestors, those around you have decided 717 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:06,760 not to repent of their sins, and it affected your life. 718 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:10,680 And all those who harmed you and did that will have their day 719 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:12,520 before God. And if they don't repent, 720 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:15,200 they'll be sent to hell. They'll face the wrath of God 721 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:17,000 for what they did. And God is going to bring 722 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:19,680 justice to every person. So in the meantime, don't let 723 00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:21,720 your past become your burden forever. 724 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:24,600 But because of the one man's decision, Jesus Christ, you can 725 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,560 now be delivered from your sin, set free from your bondage, and 726 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:30,400 you can be brought back to into God's Kingdom. 727 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:33,880 That was straight truth. Amen. 728 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,360 Now that that's pretty trite when you're talking to somebody 729 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,240 in the season, but if you think about why the suffering happened 730 00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:42,600 and he put it on to the, to the sin, to the human condition of 731 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:47,280 sin, to to community, to family, to those around you, we, we get, 732 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:50,520 we get into some big issues when we start to blame God for sin. 733 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:54,680 Amen. When we say God authored this 734 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,360 God, why would you? And we get mad at God, you know 735 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:00,960 who she's mad at? And he lays out your family, 736 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,200 your community, the world. Sin itself saved himself. 737 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:07,400 That's to blame, Amen. God is not to blame. 738 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,640 And he said it so, so perfectly. And I love how he gave the 739 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:12,520 justice side of it too, because we often think, well, they're 740 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:13,160 getting away. They're not. 741 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:14,120 Nobody's getting away with nothing. 742 00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:16,040 God's tails are just. Amen. 743 00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:18,840 And when you stand before him, which I mean face down on the 744 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:23,120 ground, prostate on the ground, right, you're prone and you're 745 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:25,800 just like, there's no friends there, there's no family, 746 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:27,760 there's no, it's you and the Lord. 747 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:31,200 His skills are just Amen. The Bible says you can account 748 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:33,080 for every other word, for every deed. 749 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:35,920 Everything will go through the fire in the judgment of God. 750 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:39,280 There's wood, hay and stubble and there's the things of God. 751 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:42,280 And, and, and so I trust deeply in God's justice. 752 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:44,760 And it reminds me of like, well, why do we, why would God allow 753 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,760 this to even happen in this season? 754 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:47,960 I keep coming back to this thought. 755 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:52,040 How much God must love us to endure such depravity in sin? 756 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:57,960 Like how much must God love us to tolerate all this junk? 757 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:00,360 It's just just hear me out. Just think about this. 758 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:02,600 Second, Peter 39 says this. This is Peter. 759 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:05,080 He's he's speaking to one of the most persecuted group of people 760 00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:06,960 in history. There's a church that was 761 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:10,280 started in a Rome and it was persecuted by the emperor Nero, 762 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,720 who blamed the Christians. Nero burned down his own city of 763 00:44:12,720 --> 00:44:14,040 Rome and then blamed the Christians. 764 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,760 And now being arrested, persecuted and they're being put 765 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,240 on trial. Peter will be crucified by Nero 766 00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:21,440 under his orders. His wife would be crucified 767 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:23,200 right before him. Peter be crucified upside down. 768 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:26,120 This is the kind of suffering we don't even see right now. 769 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:28,840 This is one of those wicked leaders in all of history as 770 00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:31,560 Emperor Nero and he writes this these people that are suffering 771 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,360 greatly. He says the Lord verse 9 says 772 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:37,680 the Lord is not slow and keeping his what his promise. 773 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:39,680 He's not he's not slow in keeping it but as some 774 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:41,920 understand slowness that what they're saying is where's God 775 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:44,680 and all this Why is this happening? 776 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:48,400 I thought I prayed for Jesus my life would get easier like any 777 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:49,960 remember Jesus on the cross right. 778 00:44:50,240 --> 00:44:52,560 This guy mentioned so so eloquently like where was Jesus? 779 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:55,800 He was suffering for us and to think just as a holistic picture 780 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:59,960 that if Jesus were to suffer at the hands of sinful people, why 781 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:03,240 would we be any different? Like why would our lives be any 782 00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:06,240 more innocent or easy than Jesus's life? 783 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:08,880 Like to think that we prayed a prayer that it was our life is 784 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,360 going to be perfect is the complete opposite of the gospel. 785 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:15,240 And that Jesus would suffer and die for us and we still have 786 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:18,480 this brokenness and this humane has fallen that we wouldn't 787 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,200 somehow like partake in some suffering as well. 788 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:23,080 And this is what Peter's telling him. 789 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:24,520 He's not slow. He knows exactly what he's 790 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:26,920 doing, his promise. God is seldom early, but never 791 00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:29,600 late. I've learned this about people 792 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,120 sometimes Satan. He uses things in your life, 793 00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:37,000 voices and people, circumstances to bury you to, to, to get you 794 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:40,760 off of God's journey off of God's path to keep you quiet, 795 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:44,160 silent, to to be non active, for the gospel, to not to share his 796 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:47,560 goodness, to think less of God and to bury under guilt, shame 797 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:50,680 and all these things to stop you from doing things of God. 798 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:52,880 And I remember when I was planting this church, it came 799 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:54,480 out of season. It was one of those seasons, you 800 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:57,720 know, it was a hard season. It was all I don't have time to 801 00:45:57,720 --> 00:46:00,440 go through it and I'd probably I just came to say all the things 802 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:02,640 I want to say about it. It was a difficult season. 803 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:05,240 And I just this, somebody said this in that season and it 804 00:46:05,240 --> 00:46:08,320 always stuck with me is that Satan didn't know when he when 805 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:10,960 he buried you that you're a seed being planted. 806 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:14,280 He didn't know that you were being planted in the things of 807 00:46:14,280 --> 00:46:15,920 God. And oftentimes we don't 808 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:18,200 understand that. Like Satan has a agenda and God 809 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,760 has an agenda. We kind of forget that, that God 810 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:22,560 is who he is. He loves us and cares for us. 811 00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:24,400 And this is exactly what Peter is saying. 812 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:25,920 He's not. He's not slow. 813 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:27,360 He'll be on time when he wants to be. 814 00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:31,720 Instead, he is What? What's to say he is patient. 815 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:33,600 I think that's the lost verse. Yeah, we're still on the verse. 816 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:34,960 Sorry, guys. I'm preaching forever here. 817 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:39,720 He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but 818 00:46:39,720 --> 00:46:43,200 everyone to come to repentance. He's patient. 819 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:46,440 What's that mean? He's patient with you like he's 820 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:48,600 patient letting us to grow towards Christ. 821 00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:49,960 We didn't pray a prayer of perfection. 822 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:51,280 We prayed a prayer of confession. 823 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:54,360 We said to Jesus, I talked to a man yesterday who who's 824 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:57,600 struggling, He's defeated. He's walking through a valley, a 825 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:01,040 very difficult season that's going to cost him a lot and he 826 00:47:01,040 --> 00:47:03,240 just can't get his head up. And I'm like, listen, it's a set 827 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:05,840 back. It's not the future, right? 828 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:08,640 And and we think we're defeated, not defeated. 829 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:12,120 Like what is God trying to teach you is the lesson you can learn 830 00:47:12,600 --> 00:47:15,320 when you look at this God as an intention to the suffering? 831 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:17,560 He's patient with us. He's patient with humanity. 832 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:21,440 But like, ultimately God could come back any second he wanted 833 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:25,160 to and he could wipe away all sin from the earth, all 834 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,040 suffering from the earth. Do you guys believe you could do 835 00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:29,800 that right now if you want to? He could do it right this 836 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:31,320 second. And one day he will. 837 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:33,520 Amen. The first time he came as a 838 00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:34,520 child. The next time he comes as a 839 00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:37,720 warrior, he rides a horse. Next time, first time he was a 840 00:47:37,720 --> 00:47:39,040 donkey. You know what I mean? 841 00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:40,680 Like he could do what he wants to. 842 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:42,600 He wants to. So why is God waiting like he's 843 00:47:42,600 --> 00:47:43,800 suffering? He's watching the suffering, 844 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:47,600 watch the genocides and and the wars and the, and all the sex 845 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:49,680 trafficking and all these difficulties. 846 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:53,400 Why he says right here, he's patiently waiting through all 847 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:58,160 the sin and depravity and the pain with the with intention 848 00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:00,960 that no one perish. But everyone comes repents to 849 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:04,640 him like God's longing is for people to know him, and by his 850 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:08,600 mercy he allows suffering because he's delaying his 851 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:11,640 judgment so more people can repent. 852 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,000 So to think about if you wish suffering away, you wish every 853 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:17,560 person who doesn't know Jesus to hell. 854 00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:20,040 That's what you're wishing for right this second. 855 00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:23,280 You're saying my suffering is so significant that nobody else has 856 00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:26,000 a chance of finding the good news of Jesus. 857 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:29,120 Am I preaching today? Just keep it real. 858 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:32,640 That's what we idolize ourself. All this pain. 859 00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:35,600 I'm so mad. What about other people I need 860 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:37,160 Jesus. There's a man I met today that 861 00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:39,600 spent a year in a wheelchair. I'm about to get surgery on my 862 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:41,320 shoulder. You might not know that yet and 863 00:48:41,720 --> 00:48:43,440 and I'm like, it's going to kind of like, oh man, this is going 864 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:44,440 to suck. Take forever. 865 00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:47,080 It's six months and that it's like, brother, it could be 866 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:48,680 worse. Amen. 867 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:51,760 It's not about me, it's about Jesus. 868 00:48:52,080 --> 00:48:55,120 And so in my mind, suffering is not the proof of God being evil. 869 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:57,600 Suffering is the proof of actually God being loving 870 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:00,880 suffering actually a proof of God's love. 871 00:49:01,240 --> 00:49:05,280 Paul says even better in Romans 2, four he says or do or do I 872 00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:09,680 show or do you show contempt for the riches of listeners of God's 873 00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:13,680 kindness, usual contempt for God's forbearance and God's 874 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:16,640 patience loses us not realizing like you're not smart, you don't 875 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:18,200 know yet. Not realizing, understanding 876 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:23,120 that God's kindness is intended to what, Yeah, lead us to 877 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:26,720 repentance, like God's kindness, intend to lead us to things of 878 00:49:26,720 --> 00:49:29,040 God like. And what's God's kindness? 879 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:30,960 And you know, we like the second part of the verse. 880 00:49:31,240 --> 00:49:33,120 I've always thought of the second part of the verse. 881 00:49:33,720 --> 00:49:35,840 So the first part of the verse is, is God's forbearance. 882 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:37,240 You know what it means to forbear? 883 00:49:37,240 --> 00:49:43,880 Yeah, it means to put up with forbear is just like, OK, this 884 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,760 is the verse for all the teenage parents in the house, right? 885 00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:49,840 Just put up with some things. If you're married, you forbear. 886 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:51,920 It's actually in the Bible. You know, it says right there, 887 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:53,720 there's forbearance. There's things you just put up 888 00:49:53,720 --> 00:49:55,360 with, but there's patience as well. 889 00:49:55,600 --> 00:49:58,120 And then there's God's kindness and the reason that we have 890 00:49:58,120 --> 00:49:59,240 this. You show contempt. 891 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:03,280 God, why you so patient? Yeah, why you put up all this 892 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:06,200 stuff right now? Should we be mad at God for 893 00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:09,120 being patient and forbearing and having kindness? 894 00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:11,120 And he said, what's the intention of all those things? 895 00:50:11,120 --> 00:50:12,400 What's it? What does allow this, allow 896 00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:14,120 suffering? What's the intention of 897 00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:19,400 suffering to lead you to repentance? 898 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,040 God's kindness, forbearance and patience. 899 00:50:22,080 --> 00:50:25,440 The suffering has a purpose to lead us to repentance. 900 00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:28,200 Amen. These are hard truths, but 901 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:28,960 they're real. Amen. 902 00:50:29,720 --> 00:50:31,880 So one final word about the elephant in the room, because we 903 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:33,480 there's a lot of different truths on this, right? 904 00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:35,840 This isn't like a touchy feely certainly at the moment, right? 905 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:38,400 But there's a lot of different things you can talk about. 906 00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,080 I would just encourage you to do this. 907 00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:43,360 Don't waste your pain. Don't waste your pain. 908 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:46,800 Don't waste it. I think it's Charles Spurgeon. 909 00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,400 He said something like this. He talked about the soul. 910 00:50:49,720 --> 00:50:54,760 He said how precious must the soul be that both God and the 911 00:50:54,760 --> 00:51:00,680 devil are after it. How precious must a soul be that 912 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:05,880 wars are fought in heaven and hell for a soul like how 913 00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:09,280 precious must it be and you're going to war and sometimes at 914 00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:13,280 war you get you get hurt and you suffer and Satan has a season 915 00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:16,480 and uses people they do evil things that they hurt you like 916 00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:18,840 Joseph and his brothers and they throw them in a pit to die and 917 00:51:18,840 --> 00:51:22,280 it's all I have some compassion some the slavery and when all 918 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:24,280 these things happen, but God redeems Amen. 919 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:29,320 And if you write this story where Satan gets the glory of 920 00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:31,360 your story, you miss the point of the story. 921 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:34,680 Like if you don't purpose your pain for God, your pain is 922 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:37,280 wasted. If your story doesn't end with 923 00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:40,400 but Jesus changed my life, I'm here to share my story with 924 00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:43,400 somebody else. Then we're missing the point of 925 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:47,120 what God is asking us to do 7 Corinthians 214 says this. 926 00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:52,240 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession 927 00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:55,560 in Christ. It always leads us in this 928 00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:59,440 procession, this parade for Christ, and who makes known. 929 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:03,880 Listen to this through us the fragrance that consists of the 930 00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:09,760 knowledge of him in every place that God has lead us this pray 931 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:14,760 to victory so that through us the fragrance of God's victory 932 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:18,120 goes out to every place. Now think about this. 933 00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:20,720 In Jesus's time, there's something very famous. 934 00:52:20,720 --> 00:52:23,440 It was actually called the triumph, which is why this is 935 00:52:23,440 --> 00:52:25,840 written this way. Paul knew this. 936 00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:29,080 The triumph is where a Roman general will go to war, and 937 00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:31,280 they're pretty good at that. And they come back after a 938 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:33,440 victory and the whole city of Rome will come out of the 939 00:52:33,440 --> 00:52:38,040 streets and they cheer maximus maximus maximus. 940 00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:41,880 They would just go on in a triumph of victory. 941 00:52:42,240 --> 00:52:44,960 There's a victory prey that was well known in the Roman culture. 942 00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:49,200 And So what Paul is saying here is that we are in the triumph of 943 00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:51,000 Christ. Amen. 944 00:52:52,080 --> 00:52:54,480 Amen. The victory parade of Christ. 945 00:52:54,640 --> 00:52:57,640 We're not on the sidelines. We're not the ones cheering. 946 00:52:58,200 --> 00:53:02,480 We're the ones in the parade. We're the victors in Christ. 947 00:53:02,480 --> 00:53:05,640 Amen, That He's given us the victory to defeat sin. 948 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:07,840 He's given the heart and the mindset of the Holy Spirit of 949 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:11,160 God inside of us to reconcile and put those things in our 950 00:53:11,160 --> 00:53:13,840 lives that were broken on suffering and bring it back to 951 00:53:13,840 --> 00:53:16,240 God. And we can be in that parade and 952 00:53:16,240 --> 00:53:22,240 we can shout and share the fragrance and the aroma of God's 953 00:53:22,240 --> 00:53:24,840 victory to all people everywhere. 954 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:27,040 It's not an accident what you've been through. 955 00:53:28,200 --> 00:53:29,840 God could have. He could have, in His 956 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:33,040 sovereignty, stopped it. But he wants to redeem it. 957 00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:37,000 Amen. He wants to redeem your pain and 958 00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:39,960 now you get the opportunity and it's a blessing that when you 959 00:53:39,960 --> 00:53:43,760 serve Jesus, God will bring you into relationships with people 960 00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:47,680 where you can share your brokenness and God's goodness 961 00:53:47,680 --> 00:53:52,040 together and be an aroma to people who need saving knowledge 962 00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:54,280 of God. There are so many people I get 963 00:53:54,280 --> 00:53:58,160 to talk to and share about the hardships and the pain or this 964 00:53:58,160 --> 00:54:01,120 alcoholism or a loss in the family or there's been sexual 965 00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:04,400 abuse in somebody's life. And I get to share, like through 966 00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:07,600 my personal journey or through experiences I see, I get to 967 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:09,520 point people back to the goodness of God, Amen. 968 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:13,480 And if you take your story and you're willing and you say, God, 969 00:54:13,480 --> 00:54:17,000 I want to purpose my pain. I don't want to waste one tear 970 00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:20,280 or one moment of shame. I want to use it for your glory. 971 00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:21,880 God will allow you to do that, Amen. 972 00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:24,880 He will bring stories and relationships and people into 973 00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:26,840 your life. I can tell you this, you cannot 974 00:54:26,840 --> 00:54:29,520 change your past, but you can change where you place the 975 00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:32,400 blame. You can change what you learn 976 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:36,040 from it, and you can change who gets the glory. 977 00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:41,240 Who is getting the glory for the story that God has put in your 978 00:54:41,240 --> 00:54:42,360 life. Who? 979 00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:45,680 Who's the one, the only one? And we look down and we're full 980 00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:49,000 of shame and pain and regret and anger. 981 00:54:49,120 --> 00:54:50,560 There's only two people going to glory. 982 00:54:50,880 --> 00:54:55,600 That's you and the devil. Satan wants to rob you from 983 00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:58,960 God's goodness and his power. If you can look at your pain and 984 00:54:58,960 --> 00:55:02,200 say God, I don't understand why, but I trust you because you 985 00:55:02,200 --> 00:55:04,360 could do anything you want. There is somebody in this world 986 00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:06,720 that needs your story. You don't have to go very far to 987 00:55:06,720 --> 00:55:08,600 tell it. I've had so many conversations 988 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:11,000 with people, encourage them to share their story. 989 00:55:11,120 --> 00:55:13,160 And I'm not saying go up here and spill the beans about all 990 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:15,360 this stuff. Maybe that's what it is. 991 00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:18,000 As a preacher, I get to do some of that and share some some 992 00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:19,360 wounds. Sometimes people are still 993 00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:22,720 alive. You can't share stories, Amen? 994 00:55:23,480 --> 00:55:25,000 But sometimes you can. And there's sometimes there's 995 00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:27,560 people that you get in a relationship with your life grip 996 00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:31,080 with, you're sitting next to or you see somebody's upset, you 997 00:55:31,080 --> 00:55:32,840 see somebody hurting. I was on the phone yesterday for 998 00:55:32,840 --> 00:55:34,520 an hour with a man. He kept apologizing for taking 999 00:55:34,520 --> 00:55:35,880 my time up and he's really struggling. 1000 00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:37,880 I said, stop apologizing. I don't hear about that. 1001 00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:39,960 God put me here to talk to you, Amen. 1002 00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:42,360 Like there's a reason on the phone today. 1003 00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:44,280 I could be doing a lot of stuff, but I'm here because God, I 1004 00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:47,280 picked the phone up. You called like use that story, 1005 00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:49,040 weaponize it for the things of Christ. 1006 00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:53,120 Let Christ purpose your pain. Don't mistake God's patience for 1007 00:55:53,120 --> 00:55:55,600 his absence. Don't confuse his silence for 1008 00:55:55,600 --> 00:55:58,080 apathy. God wants to use your pain. 1009 00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:01,560 God wants to weaponize your pain for his Kingdom. 1010 00:56:01,880 --> 00:56:03,880 We'll have scars, We'll have skeletons. 1011 00:56:04,160 --> 00:56:05,960 We've all shed blood. Amen. 1012 00:56:06,840 --> 00:56:11,240 And what if we said, Lord, I can use this like you give me a 1013 00:56:11,240 --> 00:56:14,360 gift, like I can connect with these people I can never connect 1014 00:56:14,360 --> 00:56:17,400 with before God, you didn't write the story, but God in your 1015 00:56:17,400 --> 00:56:20,480 sovereignty and with this brokenness we live in, I expect 1016 00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:22,800 to take some shots. I expect people to come after 1017 00:56:22,800 --> 00:56:25,040 me. I expect Satan to come after the 1018 00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:28,640 all the force of hell to stop me from speaking up and sharing and 1019 00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:31,480 living out the love of God and to keep my head down and step my 1020 00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:34,680 head up like I'm not a victim, I'm a victor. 1021 00:56:35,080 --> 00:56:37,760 This isn't the victim parade, it's the victory parade, Amen? 1022 00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:41,080 And I can just point to Jesus. I like if he can help me, he can 1023 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,240 help you, Amen. This is the kind of people we 1024 00:56:43,240 --> 00:56:46,960 got to become and we got to stop holding on to the past and 1025 00:56:46,960 --> 00:56:50,880 letting it dictate our life. Like the past is over, like it's 1026 00:56:50,880 --> 00:56:53,160 gone. You don't get it back, Amen. 1027 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:55,600 But what does God wants to do? Stand up. 1028 00:56:55,600 --> 00:56:58,280 Like be bold, be courageous. He, he knows exactly what he's 1029 00:56:58,280 --> 00:57:01,280 doing and his perfect timing. I trust when he comes back, 1030 00:57:01,520 --> 00:57:04,200 revenge is the Lords. Like I'll have to get even, 1031 00:57:04,200 --> 00:57:06,720 Amen. I don't, I don't have to like do 1032 00:57:06,720 --> 00:57:09,800 all this stuff and be angry. Like do that, change it, dude. 1033 00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:10,960 That's not changing anybody else. 1034 00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:14,600 Like let God work through your life and be a be a picture of 1035 00:57:14,600 --> 00:57:16,960 God's grace and God's mercy and God's love. 1036 00:57:17,240 --> 00:57:20,160 Speak up when you have the opportunity and weaponize that 1037 00:57:20,160 --> 00:57:22,520 story. Don't let Satan take it. 1038 00:57:23,240 --> 00:57:24,640 Use it. Amen. 1039 00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:28,960 So Father, come before you. I pray God, as we search out 1040 00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:31,720 where are you and we're hurting, God, we have the aha moment 1041 00:57:31,720 --> 00:57:34,080 today, like some of us have maybe seen through Scripture and 1042 00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:37,080 just reminded that man that brokenness is used for God as we 1043 00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:38,320 struggle and walk through the season. 1044 00:57:38,320 --> 00:57:40,400 God, I pray for somebody there that say, no, I'm not wasting 1045 00:57:40,400 --> 00:57:43,200 one ounce of my pain. Like Lord, I'm using it for your 1046 00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:45,080 Kingdom. God, it's going to drive my 1047 00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:47,080 purpose. It's going to drive my calling. 1048 00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:48,760 I'm not going to keep my head down. 1049 00:57:48,760 --> 00:57:50,880 I'm going to put the head up exactly where God wants it. 1050 00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:54,080 I trust you, Lord, with my pain. I'm in your procession of 1051 00:57:54,080 --> 00:57:56,360 victory. It's not my story that I'm 1052 00:57:56,360 --> 00:57:58,880 writing God, it's your story. And so God, I trust you even 1053 00:57:58,880 --> 00:58:01,720 though I have all the answers, God, I know right now I'm 1054 00:58:01,720 --> 00:58:03,520 waiting patiently for you because you're being patient 1055 00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:05,320 with me. So you got to trust you in this 1056 00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:06,880 season. I'm going to say the day that 1057 00:58:06,880 --> 00:58:08,400 today you're not going to waste your pain. 1058 00:58:08,400 --> 00:58:09,560 We just put your hand there today. 1059 00:58:09,840 --> 00:58:11,720 Let the Lord see it. Not going to waste your pain 1060 00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:13,640 today. Are you going to use it? 1061 00:58:14,240 --> 00:58:16,600 That pain will drive our purpose, will drive our 1062 00:58:16,600 --> 00:58:19,480 direction, will show us the things of God. 1063 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:22,360 So Lord, teach us through our pain, teach us through our 1064 00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:23,600 suffering. God, thank you. 1065 00:58:24,320 --> 00:58:28,920 Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to grow in patience 1066 00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:33,360 and grace and forgiveness and love to be more like Jesus. 1067 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:37,720 Thank you the opportunity to do the hard things, not the easy 1068 00:58:37,720 --> 00:58:39,680 things. Thank you God, that I can live 1069 00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:42,880 out a path that is maybe wronged or maybe I'm persecuted or hurt 1070 00:58:42,880 --> 00:58:45,120 or offended. But God, I still trust you. 1071 00:58:45,120 --> 00:58:47,680 And while other people would have been angry and upset and 1072 00:58:47,680 --> 00:58:50,880 small, I don't have to do all these things because of you. 1073 00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:52,840 And so God teach me to walk like you. 1074 00:58:53,080 --> 00:58:54,560 God, forgive me when I've fallen short. 1075 00:58:54,800 --> 00:58:57,400 Forgive me for being upset. Forgive me for holding on to my 1076 00:58:57,400 --> 00:58:59,520 past so much. And God free me today. 1077 00:58:59,520 --> 00:59:02,760 God set me free in your name through your spirit. 1078 00:59:02,760 --> 00:59:04,480 God, you're groaning. You've been praying for this 1079 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:06,960 moment. So God, we trust you. 1080 00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:08,880 I'll pray for a more group of people in the room. 1081 00:59:08,880 --> 00:59:10,840 That's those you say, you know what, I need to join the 1082 00:59:10,840 --> 00:59:14,120 procession of victory. I need to be in the triumph of 1083 00:59:14,120 --> 00:59:17,040 Christ. I have maybe been upset with God 1084 00:59:17,040 --> 00:59:20,040 because my past that you walked in today and you have all these 1085 00:59:20,040 --> 00:59:22,800 wounds and these things have happened and not recognizing 1086 00:59:22,800 --> 00:59:26,680 until today that's actually God's grace that the kindness 1087 00:59:26,680 --> 00:59:28,400 and the goodness and the forbearance and the patience of 1088 00:59:28,400 --> 00:59:31,880 the Lord is intended to lead you to repentance today. 1089 00:59:32,200 --> 00:59:35,000 The greatest thing you could do today is turn the Lord Jesus and 1090 00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:37,440 turn from your sin and say Jesus, thank you for down a 1091 00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:40,360 cross for me. Thank you for loving me, even 1092 00:59:40,360 --> 00:59:42,320 those unlovable God. Thank you for loving me and 1093 00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:45,040 those around me. God, in this season, I know I 1094 00:59:45,040 --> 00:59:48,080 was wronged and it wasn't from you, but you will use it. 1095 00:59:48,720 --> 00:59:50,720 You'll turn to Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus came 1096 00:59:50,720 --> 00:59:52,480 2000 years ago down a cross for us. 1097 00:59:53,000 --> 00:59:55,880 He was on that cross while the world was at its worst. 1098 00:59:55,880 --> 00:59:58,960 God was at his best, He was allowing sinful humanity to 1099 00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:02,280 crucify himself so he could become a substitute as a 1100 01:00:02,480 --> 01:00:07,080 sacrifice for our sin and make the full payment, the permanent 1101 01:00:07,080 --> 01:00:10,840 perfect sacrifice for our sin. The Bible says we call name of 1102 01:00:10,840 --> 01:00:13,400 Jesus to be saved, forgiven and made new today for you Jesus. 1103 01:00:13,400 --> 01:00:15,720 That's a promise of God. It will come true in this very 1104 01:00:15,720 --> 01:00:16,800 instant. The Holy Spirit come in your 1105 01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:20,320 life and give you a name, a new purpose, the purpose, your pain. 1106 01:00:20,480 --> 01:00:23,040 He'll be with you, His presence be inside of you. 1107 01:00:23,720 --> 01:00:25,600 He made new from Christ to be forgiven. 1108 01:00:26,200 --> 01:00:28,520 So if you need Jesus, I'm looking around, you'll call on 1109 01:00:28,520 --> 01:00:30,760 Jesus. You recognize who he is today. 1110 01:00:30,760 --> 01:00:31,840 Will you put your hand high in this place? 1111 01:00:31,840 --> 01:00:34,000 I need Jesus all across this room. 1112 01:00:34,480 --> 01:00:36,800 That's you Holy Spirit, just pull my heart. 1113 01:00:37,600 --> 01:00:39,080 It's the Holy Spirit calling you to himself. 1114 01:00:40,480 --> 01:00:42,040 Just pray this prayer. The prayers not save you. 1115 01:00:42,520 --> 01:00:46,280 Is your heart towards Christ. It's hard to believe to say, 1116 01:00:46,280 --> 01:00:47,520 Lord, thank you so much for loving me. 1117 01:00:47,520 --> 01:00:50,520 Thanks for down the cross. Thank you for doing what I could 1118 01:00:50,520 --> 01:00:53,200 ever do in a million lifetimes. God, it's beginning to make 1119 01:00:53,200 --> 01:00:55,040 sense the story been writing God. 1120 01:00:55,040 --> 01:00:57,560 I can't change my past God, but I can change my future God, I 1121 01:00:57,560 --> 01:01:00,120 trust you. I see the day God from your word 1122 01:01:00,360 --> 01:01:02,800 who you are is true that you love me. 1123 01:01:03,120 --> 01:01:06,720 I'm being a procession of victory, no longer a victim of 1124 01:01:06,720 --> 01:01:10,040 sin, a victim of humanity, a victim of Satan, no longer in 1125 01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:12,280 that Kingdom God, I'm a Kingdom, I'm your son, I'm your daughter 1126 01:01:12,280 --> 01:01:16,200 today and I pray that in Jesus name and the church said Amen. 1127 01:01:16,200 --> 01:01:17,520 Come on, give it for Jesus. Amen. 1128 01:01:21,040 --> 01:01:24,920 And such a word today, just a reminder that God doesn't waste 1129 01:01:24,920 --> 01:01:27,080 our pain, but that he redeems it. 1130 01:01:27,080 --> 01:01:30,520 That even the hard stuff, even the, the shame and the sorrow 1131 01:01:30,520 --> 01:01:32,800 and all the things that we walk through in our life, even that 1132 01:01:33,200 --> 01:01:35,560 can be used to point people to the gospel. 1133 01:01:36,000 --> 01:01:38,560 And that we don't have to walk in that, but that we can walk in 1134 01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:40,760 the parade of victory. So what a word today and 1135 01:01:40,760 --> 01:01:43,360 encouragement today. Some of you are walking in that 1136 01:01:43,360 --> 01:01:46,200 parade of victory today. For the very first time you 1137 01:01:46,200 --> 01:01:48,480 accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. 1138 01:01:48,640 --> 01:01:51,440 Congratulations, we are so excited for you. 1139 01:01:51,440 --> 01:01:53,920 We have a couple things for you. If you would grab that 1140 01:01:53,920 --> 01:01:56,480 connection card, fill out your information and just check that 1141 01:01:56,480 --> 01:01:59,360 box that says I committed my life to Jesus. 1142 01:01:59,360 --> 01:02:01,320 You can drop it in the giving buckets here in just a few 1143 01:02:01,320 --> 01:02:03,280 minutes. But by doing that allows us to 1144 01:02:03,280 --> 01:02:05,760 get you a few things. The first one is a free resource 1145 01:02:05,760 --> 01:02:06,600 for you. It's a book. 1146 01:02:06,920 --> 01:02:08,680 It's called begin. We'll drop it in the mail 1147 01:02:08,680 --> 01:02:10,520 tomorrow. We would love to get that to 1148 01:02:10,520 --> 01:02:11,880 you. Really will be a blessing to you 1149 01:02:11,880 --> 01:02:13,680 as you take these next steps with Jesus. 1150 01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:15,920 And if you pray that prayer, you're right here in the house 1151 01:02:15,920 --> 01:02:18,840 today as you exit the worship center, there is a table with 1152 01:02:18,840 --> 01:02:21,520 some red bags as you leave. Please grab one of those as 1153 01:02:21,520 --> 01:02:23,000 well. There's a free Bible for you in 1154 01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:25,120 there and a list with some other resources. 1155 01:02:25,120 --> 01:02:26,960 But we would love to get that to you today. 1156 01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:30,360 And once again, congratulations if that's you for accepting 1157 01:02:30,440 --> 01:02:33,800 Jesus at today. Hey, I've got something exciting 1158 01:02:33,800 --> 01:02:36,640 today as well that's happening. That's fall life groups. 1159 01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:39,360 They are live online today for signups. 1160 01:02:39,600 --> 01:02:41,640 You can check them online. You can check them out in the 1161 01:02:41,640 --> 01:02:43,440 hub. We have groups meeting almost 1162 01:02:43,440 --> 01:02:46,120 every night of the week in both Raymour and Belton. 1163 01:02:46,560 --> 01:02:48,920 They actually don't start meeting until September 7th. 1164 01:02:49,240 --> 01:02:51,040 They're Live Today for you to sign up. 1165 01:02:51,480 --> 01:02:54,920 And I could tell you story after story of a life change that's 1166 01:02:54,920 --> 01:02:56,680 happened throughout these semesters. 1167 01:02:56,680 --> 01:02:59,200 But what's better than me telling you is for you to hear 1168 01:02:59,200 --> 01:03:01,120 it first hand from somebody who's experienced that 1169 01:03:01,120 --> 01:03:02,720 themselves. So I'm going to invite right 1170 01:03:02,720 --> 01:03:05,000 Megan Duvall to the stage, give her some encouragement. 1171 01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:09,240 There we go. But I've had the joy of 1172 01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:13,120 attending Life Group with Megan this last semester and I just 1173 01:03:13,120 --> 01:03:16,160 wanted her to share with you guys the impact that Life Groups 1174 01:03:16,160 --> 01:03:18,480 has made in her life. So here's Megan. 1175 01:03:21,360 --> 01:03:25,400 So I've actually done 2 life groups and I started right after 1176 01:03:25,400 --> 01:03:30,600 I started church here And I will say that doing that, I have 1177 01:03:30,600 --> 01:03:33,720 found a community of multiple different people that have made 1178 01:03:33,720 --> 01:03:37,920 me feel completely welcome along with myself and my daughter. 1179 01:03:37,920 --> 01:03:40,680 And it has been an amazing experience and I recommend it 1180 01:03:40,680 --> 01:03:44,440 for anybody that is looking for people to make them feel welcome 1181 01:03:44,440 --> 01:03:46,120 in the church and in the community. 1182 01:03:47,400 --> 01:03:49,120 I love that. Okay, that's right, give it up 1183 01:03:49,120 --> 01:03:50,880 for her. And that's what it's all about. 1184 01:03:50,880 --> 01:03:55,720 It's it's real people, it's real growth, it's real community and 1185 01:03:55,720 --> 01:03:57,520 real relationships. That's what you're signing up 1186 01:03:57,520 --> 01:03:59,320 for when you sign up for a life group. 1187 01:03:59,320 --> 01:04:00,440 So we'd love for you guys to sign up. 1188 01:04:00,440 --> 01:04:02,120 You can check them out on the hub or online. 1189 01:04:02,120 --> 01:04:03,840 Give it up for Megan one more time. 1190 01:04:04,560 --> 01:04:07,000 Thank you. Well, if you're newer in the 1191 01:04:07,000 --> 01:04:09,400 house with us today, thank you so much for being here. 1192 01:04:09,400 --> 01:04:11,880 You really are honored guests. We have thought about you this 1193 01:04:11,880 --> 01:04:13,200 week. We have prayed for you this 1194 01:04:13,200 --> 01:04:15,680 week, and we're just so glad that you're here with us this 1195 01:04:15,680 --> 01:04:17,440 morning. We really don't want anything 1196 01:04:17,440 --> 01:04:20,240 from you except for this. And that's just to introduce 1197 01:04:20,240 --> 01:04:22,720 yourself to us. If you can do that by grabbing 1198 01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:25,200 that same connection card, fill out your information on the top 1199 01:04:25,200 --> 01:04:28,440 there and just check that box that says it's your first time 1200 01:04:28,440 --> 01:04:30,320 here. You can take that to the new 1201 01:04:30,320 --> 01:04:32,760 here booth as you exit. We have a free gift for you. 1202 01:04:33,000 --> 01:04:35,320 Just our way of saying thank you so much much for spending your 1203 01:04:35,320 --> 01:04:38,720 day here with us and we would love to see you back next Sunday 1204 01:04:38,960 --> 01:04:43,120 right here at Kentucky Trail. And hey, I get to share a really 1205 01:04:43,280 --> 01:04:45,960 super cool story with you guys about generosity. 1206 01:04:46,440 --> 01:04:49,400 We have a lady in our church who's really walking through 1207 01:04:49,560 --> 01:04:52,720 just a hard season. She's had to move and relocate, 1208 01:04:52,720 --> 01:04:54,200 make some adjustments in her life. 1209 01:04:54,480 --> 01:04:57,640 She actually was renting a car to make it to to church on 1210 01:04:57,640 --> 01:04:59,240 Sundays and to run all of her errands. 1211 01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:01,640 And she just found herself in a difficult season. 1212 01:05:02,000 --> 01:05:04,920 And we had the opportunity this week because of somebody's 1213 01:05:05,000 --> 01:05:08,640 generosity in our Church of donating car, we had the 1214 01:05:08,640 --> 01:05:10,760 opportunity to gift this car back to her. 1215 01:05:10,760 --> 01:05:13,520 So check out this picture. Go God. 1216 01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:18,680 That's right. So cool and the Bible calls us 1217 01:05:18,680 --> 01:05:21,440 to take care of the widows and the orphans and those who are in 1218 01:05:21,720 --> 01:05:23,840 a tough season. We had the opportunity to do 1219 01:05:23,840 --> 01:05:25,600 that. And as somebody who was there 1220 01:05:25,600 --> 01:05:29,440 first hand to watch her get those keys, I can tell you that 1221 01:05:29,440 --> 01:05:32,320 it is more blessed to give than to receive. 1222 01:05:32,760 --> 01:05:35,520 To see the tears in her eyes and her heartfelt gratitude. 1223 01:05:36,040 --> 01:05:39,440 It really is a blessing to be a blessing. 1224 01:05:39,680 --> 01:05:42,760 And so we really did just get to be conduits of that wasn't 1225 01:05:42,760 --> 01:05:44,560 anything we did. We just got to be a conduit of 1226 01:05:44,560 --> 01:05:47,000 God's blessing through our church and to her. 1227 01:05:47,000 --> 01:05:50,000 And so I you to be a blessing to others as well. 1228 01:05:50,000 --> 01:05:53,040 And so if you call real life church home, you can do that 1229 01:05:53,040 --> 01:05:54,400 too. You can head on over to our 1230 01:05:54,400 --> 01:05:59,240 website reallifechurchkc.com. You can click give on the 1231 01:05:59,240 --> 01:06:02,120 website there, you can scan the QR, you can text, you can drop 1232 01:06:02,120 --> 01:06:04,360 it in the giving buckets in the box in the back. 1233 01:06:04,360 --> 01:06:07,480 So many ways that you can take part in that at today. 1234 01:06:07,760 --> 01:06:10,560 And hey, if you find yourself in immediate need of food, of 1235 01:06:10,560 --> 01:06:13,080 clothing, of shelter this week, whatever that looks like that 1236 01:06:13,080 --> 01:06:16,120 you need, please reach into the giving buckets as they pass here 1237 01:06:16,120 --> 01:06:18,720 in just a few minutes. Grab any loose cash in there. 1238 01:06:18,720 --> 01:06:20,520 We really do want to be a blessing. 1239 01:06:20,520 --> 01:06:22,520 We want to help you in your time of need. 1240 01:06:25,200 --> 01:06:27,360 Man, what an awesome day man, if you guys were blessed by God 1241 01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:31,400 today, can you give it up for God man those elephants in the 1242 01:06:31,400 --> 01:06:34,160 room, they're the questions we all ask but I guarantee you guys 1243 01:06:34,160 --> 01:06:37,320 got an answer for you. Hey so before we get out of here 1244 01:06:37,320 --> 01:06:41,160 one last awesome thing. So we are getting ready to throw 1245 01:06:41,160 --> 01:06:43,760 a party here real life. You guys ready party people 1246 01:06:44,040 --> 01:06:48,080 there we go Hey our 8th birthday party September 21st be looking 1247 01:06:48,080 --> 01:06:50,400 for information on it. We're going to do baptism we're 1248 01:06:50,400 --> 01:06:53,000 going to pull out all the steps. One of the other awesome things, 1249 01:06:53,000 --> 01:06:55,120 once you guys mark your calendars for anybody on the 1250 01:06:55,200 --> 01:06:57,720 Dream team or interested in the dream team, on September the 1251 01:06:57,720 --> 01:06:59,760 16th, we are going to do a pig roast. 1252 01:06:59,760 --> 01:07:02,000 I've never been a part of one. I've heard they're awesome. 1253 01:07:02,000 --> 01:07:05,000 But we're going to do, we're going to do a pig roast. 1254 01:07:05,000 --> 01:07:07,320 S'mores yard games, man. You guys are invited to mark 1255 01:07:07,320 --> 01:07:09,280 your calendars and get ready for that. 1256 01:07:09,600 --> 01:07:12,360 So hey, if you guys need prayer for any reason, somebody will be 1257 01:07:12,360 --> 01:07:14,480 up here to pray with you, whether it's individuals or as 1258 01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:16,400 families. And we would love to pray with 1259 01:07:16,400 --> 01:07:17,680 you. I can't wait to see you guys 1260 01:07:17,680 --> 01:07:19,920 again next week at 9:15 or 10:45. 1261 01:07:19,920 --> 01:07:22,840 And as always, remember, whoever finds Jesus discovers real life 1262 01:07:23,080 --> 01:07:29,720 and purpose. This is the end of this podcast. 1263 01:07:29,720 --> 01:07:32,400 We hope you've enjoyed it. If you have, be sure to hit the 1264 01:07:32,400 --> 01:07:34,800 subscribe button so you don't miss another inspirational 1265 01:07:34,800 --> 01:07:36,800 podcast. For more great content and 1266 01:07:36,800 --> 01:07:39,680 updates, visit reallifechurchkc.com.