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Welcome To The River. 
City Church podcast and a 

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message by our lead. 
Pastor Jason Powers our prayer 

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is that this message would 
Inspire and encourage you, build

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your faith. 
And point you to the 

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life-changing love of Jesus, may
you enjoy the goodness of God as

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You Follow Him Today. 
We Begin every week with our 

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confession and first, John 1:9 
tells that if we confess our 

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sins, he is faithful. 
And just he forgives us, and he 

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purifies us and so sir. 
Certainly, this is a part of the

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thing. 
We just go and say, Lord, what, 

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what do I need to confess? 
Like, what's, what's broken? 

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What's missing? 
And he'll show you. 

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It's not always do just like, 
you know, hey I kicked the cat 

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or whatever, whatever it is 
confession before, Lord, can 

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simply just be Lord, I'm sad 
today, Lord, I'm heavy. 

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Lord, I'm grieving, Lord, I 
don't know that I have the 

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energy in the strength. 
The idea behind confession is 

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that is the acknowledgement of 
the reality. 

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It is practicing the reality of 
our That God is here. 

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You know, worship a god who's 
far away, he is with us and so 

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it is confession is simply the 
practice of being open and 

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available to God. 
And we begin each week with 

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that. 
So, will you take a moment and 

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just quiet your heart before the
Lord and turn your eyes and your

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senses to him? 
Jesus help us believe that 

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you're here with us and that 
changes everything. 

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That means that You're the word 
and so your word is alive. 

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And so as we get ready to open 
your word, I pray that we would 

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come as worshippers but a part 
of that, a part of you dealing 

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with us as you meet us where we 
are. 

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And so, father, I pray today for
those who are afraid or alone or

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grieving or sad. 
I pray for those today who are 

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joyful and exuberant and 
hopeful. 

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And I pray that we would meet 
you. 

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And I pray that we would find 
Our Hope and our place in you 

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and Jesus, we believe that you 
rejoice with us when we rejoice 

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and righteousness and we believe
that you grieve with us when we 

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grieve because you love us. 
And so, father, forgive us when 

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we fail, you forgive us for our 
sins. 

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Restore us. 
We asked Jesus these things in 

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your name and for your glory, 
amen. 

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And because we believe that we 
received Grace because we 

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believe that he loves us, and he
sees us, this is our confession.

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We say we are badly broken. 
Yes, you are Grace and peace to 

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you. 
Today, we finish our 100 weeks 

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have been in 100 weeks on The 
Sermon, on the Mount, is it just

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seems like that something like 
that, right? 

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We've been I think this is 
number 9 or number 10 and we've 

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been going through it and 
there's a lot. 

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There, you know, you could teach
The Sermon on the Mount for like

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for 100 weeks and it just 
continues to unpack and and 

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unfold. 
The Lord kind of draws it and 

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draws it out and applies it to 
our lives. 

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There's this current, there's 
this topic that's theme that 

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runs underneath kind of, all of 
all of the topics in The Sermon,

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on the Mount, that Jesus coming 
to. 

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And it's this idea of 
restoration, restoration is a 

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important and vital topic for 
understanding the scripture and 

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our journey with God. 
Because in the beginning, we're 

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told that God created the 
heavens and the Earth and were 

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told that it was Good in Genesis
1 and 2. 

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There was a garden and man was 
there with God mankind, Adam and

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Eve mankind was there with God 
in the garden. 

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That was perfect. 
It was what it was supposed to 

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be and we were created that and 
then you go to Revelation, 21 

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and 22. 
And again, we find we're told 

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that God's dwelling place is 
with his people among them. 

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And were told that the old Order
of Things has passed away. 

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And so, we find a garden and 
God's good presence in that 

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garden. 
And we find that someday things 

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will be restored to that place. 
And Are currently stuck in the 

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middle. 
And so really as Jesus talks to 

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us about the kingdom, what he's 
talking to us about is 

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restoration about setting 
things, right? 

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And he gets very specific about 
the restoration. 

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He's talking about restoring 
people to the image of God in 

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their vocation he's saying that 
your identity isn't Arrived or 

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established out there somewhere,
but rather in the presence of 

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God, he comes to restore his 
people, he came to restore. 

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The idea of righteousness from 
an external set of behaviors to 

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an internal position of neighbor
and enemy love which flows from 

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our love for God. 
He came to restore our religion,

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to the intimate practice of the 
intimate, presence of God in 

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closets rewards, given and done.
Secret. 

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So, Jesus is pointing us and he 
talks at, you know, and he's 

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talking to these, we call them 
ragamuffins, we call them that, 

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you know, the unloved Lee's and 
they've been around. 

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And what Jesus is pointing to is
a day when it's coming in this 

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time, he says, the Kingdom of 
Heaven is at hand, restoration 

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is coming. 
The problem is, that may have 

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been difficult for many of them 
to believe, difficult times, 

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hard situations, undermine our 
confidence that God is up to 

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something good, or maybe they 
are undermine our confidence 

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that God is at all. 
I told the story of my 

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grandmother, before my dad's 
mom, she was a holocaust 

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Survivor. 
She was in, she was in the 

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Auschwitz concentration camp 
sheer. 

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Her she wasn't being transport 
on a train blew up and whatever 

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and several many years later 
when I, as a teenager was 

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wrestling with my faith and what
it meant and the practical 

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application of remember, sitting
in a room with her and I 

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remember her, I called her gumma
because she was because in her 

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thick broken German You said, 
Grandmother, like, clunk mother,

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and so when I was first called 
her dumb, so my gumma I remember

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sitting across my gumma and her 
looking at me, saying, very as 

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lovingly, but as directly as she
could, if you had seen the 

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things that I have seen, you 
could not believe in God, 

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difficult times, challenged her 
face, she couldn't recognize 

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pain and suffering, and need 
fallenness with the idea of 

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faith. 
When I was at the church, before

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I was a small group pastor. 
And I remember there was this 

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one small group that was 
praying, fervently for a guy 

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named Johnny and Johnny was a 
coach, he coached and the high 

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school he was a wrestling coach.
And Johnny, this, with his wife,

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her name is Triva and she was 
this wonderful lady and she 

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would go to her small group 
every week for a year for more, 

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and she's just praying for her 
husband. 

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I pray that he would come to 
know the Lord. 

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I pray that he would know that 
he would get his life, right? 

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And one week out of nowhere, 
Johnny says, to his wife, I'll 

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go to church. 
I'll go to small group with you 

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tonight, A group of friends that
they knew. 

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And Johnny and tree would go to 
small group and that night at 

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the end of the small group, 
Johnny and tears breaks down and

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says, whatever this is I wanted,
he gave his life to Jesus and 

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that small group. 
And then the very next morning 

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Johnny went to the doctor and 
was diagnosed with cancer. 

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That would take his life within 
six months. 

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What do you do? 
Where is God in that difficult? 

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Times hard moments, hard 
instances. 

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Make us question or doubt? 
Or wonder. 

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Where is God? 
What is God up to in? 

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Life, is certainly uncertain and
I think that's the thing that my

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grandmother was wrestling with 
the deep and ultimate Brokenness

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of And Humanity, that's why we 
need restoration and so brings 

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up this idea that I think is 
relevant to us today, that God 

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is working. 
And when we feel that pain in 

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the hurt, it reveals misplaced 
hope when we have placed Our 

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Hope in something and that hope 
doesn't deliver for us. 

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We get sad, we grieve. 
We get broken. 

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Here's the thing and its 
relevance I wrote it, here's the

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thing. 
If our hope is in an, in a Human

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Institution, you will be 
disappointed. 

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Some are feeling that acutely 
today. 

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And if that's you, my heart 
hurts for you. 

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And I agree with you, it was 
coming the whole time for those 

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today. 
Who are seeing maybe human 

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institutions and they are 
celebrating. 

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Hey we got it right? 
Get Eddie it is coming. 

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Human institutions will always 
fall and fail. 

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They will always leave us 
disappointed precisely because 

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they are human because they are 
in few, they everywhere they go.

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We're there with them. 
And so when we place our hope in

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other places and other things, 
we will be disappointed. 

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And so Jesus, comes and talks 
about a narrow way. 

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He talks about an arrow Engaged.
Yeah there's a big Broad Street 

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last week say there's a big 
Broadway and you can walk down 

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that way, it's wide and it's 
crowded and you can take all of 

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your stuff and he said in that 
leads to destruction. 

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It's the way of hoping and 
believing in outside things or 

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things here that will save all 
of us. 

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Jesus, you be disappointed at 
leads to destruction. 

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So how is it that? 
We choose the narrow way even 

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when it's tough and even if we 
do we find it, okay, so I'm off 

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of than the big Broadway and I 
think, you know, like there's a 

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1950s the guy named, aw Tozer. 
He had this great statement. 

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He said the masses when it comes
to religion, the masses are 

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always wrong. 
So, Jesus calls us down this 

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narrow road and if you were last
week or even, if you're here 

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today and you go, I want that I 
reckon is maybe your heart is 

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broken. 
Your heart is grieving your 

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settings, go. 
I want that. 

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I want the narrow way I want. 
I want to go that way and so 

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you. 
Okay, I choose that then what, 

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then, what do we do? 
When Jesus wraps up and he 

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finishes with a metaphor with An
analogy says this, anyone who 

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hears these words of mine and 
puts them into practice, Jesus. 

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Doesn't say anyone who hears 
these words of mine and agrees 

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to them or a sense to them or 
believes in them or get them 

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tattooed on his arm or put a 
fish on his car. 

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He says, whoever hears, these 
words and practices them is like

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a wise man who built his house 
on a rock. 

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So you can imagine the Middle 
East, you know, it's like they 

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were have deserts, they would be
all of this sand and hard mud 

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and clay. 
Underneath would be the Bedrock.

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And so Jesus saying, is whoever 
hears these words of mine and 

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does the hard work of digging 
out all the garbage, all of the 

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dirt and all the stuff down on 
to bedrock and says, I'll build 

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my house there. 
He says, whoever builds his 

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word, his house on the rock, 
then the rain came down the 

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streams Rose and the winds blew 
and beat against that house yet.

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It did not fall because it had 
its foundation on the rock. 

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But everyone who hears these 
words of mine and does not put 

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them into practice, it doesn't 
say, doesn't believe them. 

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Again, you can believe them, you
can look at them and go. 

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Yes, I agree with that. 
Puts them into practice is like 

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a foolish man who built his 
house on the sand. 

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The rain came down, the streams 
Rose, and the winds blew and 

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beat against that house. 
And it fell with a great crash. 

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So Jesus, after all of these 
difficult teachings, right? 

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It's not enough to just Not kill
people, you're not supposed to. 

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Entertain anger and hatred for 
people. 

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Yeah, you're not supposed to 
cheat on your spouse but you're 

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also not to just cheat with 
fantasies in your brain. 

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You're not supposed. 
You're supposed to practice your

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religion, for Jesus, not for 
others to see. 

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And so, he says, if you walk in 
this energy practice, he says 

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you'll be built like a house on 
a rock. 

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Now, notice what Jesus didn't 
say when Jesus is giving options

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and choices this way, or that 
way, Jesus never presented an 

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option without storms. 
There was Oh path, no Road where

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Jesus says, and if you choose 
this road, nothing bad will ever

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happen. 
He never said that. 

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If you follow me, you'll be 
wealthy. 

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If you follow me, you'll be 
healthy for all of your life. 

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If you follow me, nothing bad 
will ever happen. 

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Jesus never said that. 
In fact, he said the storm is 

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coming. 
The waters will rise and you 

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will be in the middle of it. 
There is no one who doesn't 

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experience storms. 
And the contrast that he gives 

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us is those who think about 
their foundation and those who 

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don't the one that the guy 
didn't come that, the second guy

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didn't come and go. 
You know what? 

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I'm pretty sure I can just build
it on the sand. 

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The guy didn't stop. 
He didn't stop to think about 

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his foundation. 
One person, stood back and said,

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you know what, if I want this to
last, it's got to be able to 

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withstand the storm. 
So I need to get down on the 

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Rock. 
He thought about the foundation 

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and built on the other one, just
wanted his. 

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And you know what? 
He was probably fine for a 

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little while. 
But then the rains come then the

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waters rise. 
And we know all about that. 

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00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:23,300
We live in New Braunfels, we've 
seen that we've seen the floods,

235
00:13:23,300 --> 00:13:25,500
right? 
And so Jesus gives us this 

236
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ideas. 
He's talked about this Kingdom 

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and he's talked about wreck 
about restoration and he's 

238
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talked about all of these ideas 
resent. 

239
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The idea is those, who practice,
obedience experience Restoration

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00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,800
in the Kingdom? 
If you want to know your created

241
00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,200
God, Ended purpose. 
The design that is in you, the 

242
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path. 
The key is obedience. 

243
00:13:49,300 --> 00:13:53,200
Listen, you are not somewhere 
out there to be. 

244
00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:58,100
Discovered, Eat Pray, Love if I 
can just hit, that's dumb. 

245
00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,700
Listen, it's fine as a movie, I 
guess, wherever you go. 

246
00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:05,800
But it's like a life philosophy.
First of all, never mind. 

247
00:14:08,100 --> 00:14:14,300
That's a whole different sermon.
You're not out there somewhere 

248
00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:17,000
to be discovered in an 
experience life, is not 

249
00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,500
something to be grabbed on her 
search, it's not hidden, under a

250
00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:23,500
rock somewhere. 
Life is created and designed by 

251
00:14:23,500 --> 00:14:29,100
God for you on purpose and as he
calls us to walk in life and in 

252
00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:33,900
Purity and in love and in 
forgiveness and in Grace and in 

253
00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:36,100
Redemption. 
And as he calls us to walk in 

254
00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:39,200
that he's calling us to walk in 
the plan in the design that he 

255
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:44,900
created for us. 
He's called us to live a life, 

256
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to build a life suited for 
eternity. 

257
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:55,200
He said, again, he has called us
to live and build a life suited 

258
00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,400
for eternity. 
Now, we have to acknowledge and 

259
00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,300
understand eternity and time are
different. 

260
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So if we're building a life 
suited for eternity, there are 

261
00:15:05,100 --> 00:15:09,100
aspects of that that will be 
fundamentally incompatible with 

262
00:15:09,100 --> 00:15:13,000
things that are built for time. 
You see They're different. 

263
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,900
And so, as Jesus calls us to 
live, there are things that will

264
00:15:15,900 --> 00:15:18,500
look different. 
There are things that will make 

265
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us uncomfortable in this present
world. 

266
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And so the idea is, if our life 
never looks out of step with 

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everyone around us we're doing 
something but we may not be 

268
00:15:30,100 --> 00:15:33,600
walking on that narrow path. 
I don't say this with 

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00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,300
condemnation. 
I say this with urgency and I 

270
00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:39,300
say this with warning and I say 
this hopefully with humility and

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00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:42,500
with an invitation to make sure.
To make sure. 

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00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:45,500
So, Jesus uses this analogy of 
building, right? 

273
00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:48,400
Building a house, building a 
house, that's going to stand, 

274
00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,300
that's going to stand forever, 
that's going to stand the storm.

275
00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:54,800
So what that means our choices, 
we talk about the narrow way. 

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00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,700
The ride was, our choice really 
is. 

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00:15:58,100 --> 00:16:01,100
Are we building our lives for 
now? 

278
00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,700
Or are we building our lives for
forever? 

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00:16:05,300 --> 00:16:09,600
It's one or the other, and it 
can't be both Paul uses this 

280
00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,300
same analogy of Buildings and 
Foundations. 

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00:16:13,300 --> 00:16:15,300
And you go to First Corinthians 
chapter 3. 

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00:16:15,300 --> 00:16:20,200
And listen to what Paul says by 
the grace, God has given me. 

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00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:25,400
I laid a foundation, as a wise 
Builder and someone else is 

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00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,800
building on it. 
So he's Paul went to a city 

285
00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,500
called Corinth and while he was 
there, he planted a church and 

286
00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:33,700
it started to grow and Corinth 
became a thriving growing 

287
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:35,000
church. 
Both of the letters first and 

288
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,200
second Corinthians are letters 
written from Paul to these 

289
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:39,500
people and notice what Paul 
says, right? 

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00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:42,800
He says, I laid a foundation as 
a Wise, build remember what 

291
00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,700
Jesus says, it's wise to 
consider your foundation. 

292
00:16:45,700 --> 00:16:49,400
So Paul says I laid this on and 
she said, now, someone else is 

293
00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,600
building on it in your lives and
in your Gathering. 

294
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:56,200
Something is growing up, but 
each one should build with care.

295
00:16:56,300 --> 00:16:58,400
For no one can lay any 
foundation. 

296
00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,900
Listen, other than the one 
already laid, which is Jesus 

297
00:17:01,900 --> 00:17:04,200
Christ. 
Jesus said, if you build on my 

298
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,000
words and my teachings then 
you'll stand and Paul is 

299
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,400
reiterating this. 
He says, listen, it's not about 

300
00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,700
Paul, it's about Jesus. 
It's about Jesus is live. 

301
00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:14,500
It's about his way. 
It's about where he's going. 

302
00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,300
No one can lay any foundation 
other than Jesus, if anyone 

303
00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:20,300
builds. 
Okay, so now, this is us, right?

304
00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:22,300
And we just go, oh, we need to 
build, right? 

305
00:17:22,300 --> 00:17:27,400
Jesus said build, if anyone 
Builds on this Foundation using 

306
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,600
gold, silver costly Stones. 
That's one kind of algae, right?

307
00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,600
Those are tough. 
They're strong, they're rare but

308
00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:37,600
they'll endure right if anyone 
builds with gold, silver costly,

309
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,200
Stones wood, hay or straw, 
right? 

310
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,500
Ville easily destroyed. 
Right? 

311
00:17:46,700 --> 00:17:49,000
What are straw? 
Their work. 

312
00:17:49,100 --> 00:17:52,900
They're building will be shown 
for what it is. 

313
00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:58,600
It will be shown to be Eternal 
or it will shown to be temporal,

314
00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:03,000
their work will be shown because
the day will Brands like what 

315
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,100
day the day of the storm the day
of the fire. 

316
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,600
If what has been billed, 
survives, the Builder will 

317
00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,600
receive award. 
If it is burned up, the Builder 

318
00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:18,800
will suffer loss, but yet will 
be saved, even though only as 

319
00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,100
one escaping. 
So, Paul is really taking the 

320
00:18:22,108 --> 00:18:24,200
same metaphor in the same 
analogy, that Jesus used of 

321
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:25,700
Outhouse. 
And you've got to build, but he 

322
00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:28,400
goes every says, listen what 
you're building, what you build 

323
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,200
your life with matters. 
Because not everything that you 

324
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,300
do, not everything that you 
build your life on will 

325
00:18:34,300 --> 00:18:37,400
withstand, it will endure. 
And Jesus has shown us that he 

326
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,400
has talked. 
Let us talk to us about his 

327
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,800
instructions and his directions 
and the kingdom. 

328
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,200
The kingdom is like, right? 
It's like a mustard seed and you

329
00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,100
plant it and it grows. 
And then it fills the whole, the

330
00:18:47,100 --> 00:18:49,100
whole earth. 
And he talks about all of these 

331
00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:50,700
ways of knowing and 
understanding the kingdom. 

332
00:18:50,700 --> 00:18:53,200
And what Jesus said is, it's not
what you think about those 

333
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,700
things. 
It's about how you walk them 

334
00:18:55,700 --> 00:18:57,300
out. 
And Paul says the same thing, 

335
00:18:57,300 --> 00:19:02,600
what are you building on? 
And so if we're going to do as 

336
00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,300
Jesus said, if we're going to do
as Paul instruct that, if we're 

337
00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:09,000
going to build a house to last, 
he gives gives us instruction. 

338
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:14,800
The first thing that we need to 
do is check your foundation. 

339
00:19:15,700 --> 00:19:18,600
So, this is the question for you
upon. 

340
00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:23,200
What is your life built? 
Another way of thinking about 

341
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:28,800
is, what is the thing that if it
was taken away, it would cause 

342
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,700
you great distress. 
What thing here's a great 

343
00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:36,400
question, is that here, is that 
for the next time, right? 

344
00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:44,300
Imagine there was a time where 
we weren't able to meet together

345
00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:45,900
like this. 
I know it's a stretch. 

346
00:19:45,900 --> 00:19:52,900
I know you can't possibly fathom
that If this meeting went away, 

347
00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:59,400
would your faith stand? 
If not, then this is your 

348
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,700
foundation. 
And let me just tell you, this 

349
00:20:02,700 --> 00:20:06,800
is changing and this will look 
different tomorrow than it does 

350
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,700
today. 
What are you building? 

351
00:20:08,700 --> 00:20:12,000
A COS here's the thing. 
If someone came to Morrow and 

352
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,700
said you can't do this anymore, 
you can't meet here and you 

353
00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:17,400
can't gather, you know what I 
would do. 

354
00:20:17,500 --> 00:20:21,600
I would be sad and I would 
grieve but here's the deal. 

355
00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:24,800
You can't take the scripture 
away from me because you know 

356
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,000
what? 
You can't pass a law. 

357
00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,000
That says, I can't love my 
neighbor and love my enemy and 

358
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,600
you know, what will happen? 
I will invite this row to my 

359
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,800
house and we will have dinner. 
And you know what we'll do at my

360
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,600
dinner at my house, we will pray
together and we'll sing a song 

361
00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,500
and we will talk about the 
scripture and what if they 

362
00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:46,900
outlaw the Bible and you can't 
have the Bible anymore, it's 

363
00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:50,100
happened before. 
Then then we'll talk about what 

364
00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:53,800
we will remember and we will do 
our best to follow the lord. 

365
00:20:54,900 --> 00:20:59,000
Can Outlaw that remember, talk 
about fruits of the spirit. 

366
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:00,700
Love, joy, peace, patience. 
Kindness famous General, some 

367
00:21:00,700 --> 00:21:02,300
troll against these things. 
There is what? 

368
00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:04,900
There's no law. 
You can't, you can't Outlaw this

369
00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:08,100
thing. 
So upon what is your foundation?

370
00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:12,000
What are you building with? 
What if you lost your house, or 

371
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,200
your cars, or your health, or 
your family? 

372
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,800
What if the unthinkable 
happened, what would it take? 

373
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,000
To shake your confidence and 
your faith in God. 

374
00:21:24,300 --> 00:21:27,400
If it's a Supreme Court 
decision, your faith is in the 

375
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,900
wrong place. 
If it is a presidential 

376
00:21:29,900 --> 00:21:33,100
election, your faith is in the 
wrong place. 

377
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:39,000
If it is a war or a famine, or a
hurricane or Holocaust, your 

378
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,400
faith is in the wrong place. 
Does that mean that we don't get

379
00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,100
sad about those things? 
Absolutely not. 

380
00:21:43,100 --> 00:21:47,300
We grieve as those who grieve 
but we grieve because we know 

381
00:21:47,300 --> 00:21:50,800
that that's not God's best that.
That's not God's design and we 

382
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,500
grieve over the reality, the 
realization and the awareness 

383
00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:58,100
that We still live in a fallen 
world, but we know that God 

384
00:21:58,100 --> 00:22:00,300
builds all things. 
We know that God redeems 

385
00:22:00,300 --> 00:22:02,100
himself. 
So the question for you, is, 

386
00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:05,300
What is your foundation? 
What am I great? 

387
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,500
One of my favorite 21st century 
or 20th century theologians 

388
00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:10,900
Robert Zimmerman. 
You known as Bob Dylan. 

389
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:16,400
He had a great theological quote
and he said Everybody is going 

390
00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:21,800
to serve somebody. 
It may be the devil, it may be 

391
00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:26,900
the Lord but everybody's going 
to serve somebody the second way

392
00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:30,600
that we build our life. 
He's to choose intentionally how

393
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,000
we build to build our lives 
intentionally. 

394
00:22:35,900 --> 00:22:38,500
Moses right, great man, the most
humble man that ever lived. 

395
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:41,100
He called the face down, Pharaoh
led the people through the 

396
00:22:41,100 --> 00:22:43,200
Wilderness for 40 years and then
he died. 

397
00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:46,000
My people of Israel or like dang
it now. 

398
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,800
What? 
And God was like, No, I gave 

399
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:49,100
you. 
Joshua, and Joshua was this 

400
00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:51,700
young man, he was strong and he 
was vibrant, he was among the 

401
00:22:51,700 --> 00:22:55,100
people and he led the people of 
Israel on a conquest of the holy

402
00:22:55,100 --> 00:22:57,400
land and they gathered the whole
in they were and then adds 

403
00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:01,200
Joshua stood and prepared to die
as he stood with his family. 

404
00:23:01,300 --> 00:23:03,800
At the very end of his life. 
He gathered all the people of 

405
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,700
Israel, the people who had seen 
Things that he had said and he 

406
00:23:06,700 --> 00:23:10,400
gathered them around and he said
this if serving the lord seems 

407
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,800
undesirable to you than choose 
for yourselves this day, who you

408
00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,600
will serve, whether the gods, 
our ancestors served beyond the 

409
00:23:16,608 --> 00:23:19,200
Euphrates or the gods of the 
amorites in whose land you are 

410
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,300
living. 
But as for me and my house, we 

411
00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:25,800
will serve the Lord. 
That is a picture of someone who

412
00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,600
has chosen the narrow way. 
You're welcome to do whatever 

413
00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,900
you want. 
When it comes to me and my 

414
00:23:32,900 --> 00:23:35,300
household. 
We will serve. 

415
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,700
And that is what Joshua is 
accountable for. 

416
00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,100
Oh Lord. 
Everybody's phone away from you.

417
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:45,400
What about your house? 
Is your house serving the lord. 

418
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,200
Oh, Lord, every there's so much 
unrighteousness. 

419
00:23:48,300 --> 00:23:52,000
I've had discussions with the 
Lord, he takes my company right?

420
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:53,200
When I call, he'll talk to me, 
right? 

421
00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,400
It doesn't talk audibly, but we 
all the time, then sometimes 

422
00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:56,800
like, I see things, I'm like, 
Lord. 

423
00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,900
How are you? 
Where are you? 

424
00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:02,000
What are you doing? 
Why are people so mean all the 

425
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,800
time, right? 
And the Lord lovingly and 

426
00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:06,400
gracefully, right? 
As I again, not I don't audible 

427
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,000
voices, but just this sense, 
right? 

428
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:14,900
Lords, like Jason, I am so sorry
that you are so shocked that 

429
00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:19,700
people can be mean. 
He said, Jason, I'm not that 

430
00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:23,600
shocked. 
I know and in that moment, I 

431
00:24:23,608 --> 00:24:27,400
realized like, oh yeah, they 
were mean to him to my building.

432
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,200
My life, on the approval of 
others. 

433
00:24:29,500 --> 00:24:31,600
Am I choosing what make me 
popular or what will make me 

434
00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:32,600
comfortable? 
Am I choosing? 

435
00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,100
What will make people like me? 
Or am I choosing the narrow way?

436
00:24:36,300 --> 00:24:38,900
Whatever it might cost, whatever
it might take. 

437
00:24:38,900 --> 00:24:41,200
Here's a question to decide 
whether you're building your 

438
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,400
life intentionally or not. 
Do you pay as much attention to 

439
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:49,300
your spiritual future as you do 
to your retirement account? 

440
00:24:50,700 --> 00:24:55,500
Are you as interested in the 
growth of your spirit as you are

441
00:24:55,500 --> 00:25:00,800
in the growth of your 401k? 
Are you as committed to 

442
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:05,300
developing your children's Walk 
With Jesus? 

443
00:25:05,900 --> 00:25:12,400
As you are to developing their 
curveball or their football? 

444
00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:16,600
What are we committed to? 
What are we building? 

445
00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:21,900
Because nobody will accidentally
find themselves redeemed and 

446
00:25:21,900 --> 00:25:24,800
restored. 
And following Jesus, it must be 

447
00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:29,400
a choice Moment by moment day by
day, where we decide that Path 

448
00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:31,700
and what we build. 
So, we're talking about now 

449
00:25:31,700 --> 00:25:34,100
checking your foundation. 
Okay, the foundation is Jesus, 

450
00:25:34,300 --> 00:25:36,200
but then once we got a 
foundation, right? 

451
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,500
Like the foundation is easy. 
Like we just built our. 

452
00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:41,400
We built a house with six months
ago, or whatever side it got 

453
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,000
foundation for were like, whoa, 
it's no time now false. 

454
00:25:45,100 --> 00:25:49,100
That's the easy part, right? 
So the foundation is but what we

455
00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:50,900
build around, right? 
And so we talked about Billy 

456
00:25:50,900 --> 00:25:52,800
intentionally, but what does 
that mean? 

457
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:54,500
How do I do that? 
Do I just go to church? 

458
00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:56,100
Do I have to give more about to 
serve more to? 

459
00:25:56,100 --> 00:25:58,400
Let's do whatever. 
We'll listen, the idea that 

460
00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,000
here's the Mine's it take, Jesus
talked about the test, right? 

461
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,200
And he talked about water Paul 
talked about fire, but the idea 

462
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,900
is everything that we do, 
everything that we built is 

463
00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:09,700
going to come up, right? 
So we talked about like gold and

464
00:26:09,700 --> 00:26:14,200
silver and stones and wouldn't 
hang the, so what does that mean

465
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,500
in our life? 
How do we, how do we do that? 

466
00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:18,100
Right? 
So as we're intentionally 

467
00:26:18,100 --> 00:26:21,500
Persona and I hope you're like, 
I want that, I want to get 

468
00:26:21,500 --> 00:26:23,400
through the storms. 
It seemed like we got a storm 

469
00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:25,900
every other week, right? 
It seems like every day we turn.

470
00:26:25,900 --> 00:26:28,000
There's a new store. 
I want to not be destroyed. 

471
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,700
I want to not be I'll buy that 
the way that we do that is you 

472
00:26:30,700 --> 00:26:34,800
build your life with Kingdom 
materials? 

473
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,000
You have to be and so this is 
the distinction right? 

474
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,500
Gold silver, precious stones 
wood, hay and stubble, right? 

475
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,300
Some of those things will 
withstand the fire other of 

476
00:26:44,300 --> 00:26:46,500
those things won't withstand the
fire. 

477
00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:51,500
Then, here's the thing. 
The fire's coming fire is coming

478
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,600
say often because it's so 
important to remember and you 

479
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,600
get quoted with me the mortality
rate for the human race. 

480
00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:05,300
He continues to hover right 
around, 100 percent that day 

481
00:27:05,300 --> 00:27:08,900
will show. 
And here's what I mean, if your 

482
00:27:08,900 --> 00:27:15,100
life has been built on and 
around and for you, Then on the 

483
00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:19,300
day that you die, your story is 
over. 

484
00:27:21,100 --> 00:27:25,500
If we build our life on the 
Kingdom on materials, that will 

485
00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:29,900
last materials that will endure 
on people and on life, then what

486
00:27:29,900 --> 00:27:32,100
we have built what we're told in
the scriptural door and listen 

487
00:27:32,300 --> 00:27:34,300
real quick side note, right? 
Like this makes some people 

488
00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:36,500
nervous, right? 
Like are you talking about 

489
00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:38,700
salvation? 
Are you saying that we're going 

490
00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:42,200
to be judged based on our works?
I am not saying you will be 

491
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,900
judged based on your Works. 
Paul said that and Jesus said 

492
00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:52,700
that, take it up with them. 
How It just says it right? 

493
00:27:52,700 --> 00:27:54,700
It says there's gonna be a fire 
in your life is going to end and

494
00:27:54,700 --> 00:27:58,700
then what lasts is going to last
and I don't know what I know is 

495
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,700
Jesus Takes the building of our 
lives very seriously and he 

496
00:28:02,700 --> 00:28:06,200
gives us what we need to do. 
So the question then is what are

497
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,600
those things, right? 
Tell me Pastor, how can we have 

498
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,300
all the things? 
How can we build a life that 

499
00:28:12,300 --> 00:28:13,400
lasts? 
Well, I'm gonna go to First 

500
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,900
Corinthians 13 and you go all 
the time, right? 

501
00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:17,300
No. 
The end of that First 

502
00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:21,600
Corinthians 13, verse 13. 
Listen Paul says, And now these 

503
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:27,000
three remain faith. 
Hope and here it is love. 

504
00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:33,000
But the greatest of these is 
love, Do you want to build a 

505
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,200
life that will endure? 
Do you want to build a life that

506
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,300
is going to withstand the test? 
That's going to stay in the 

507
00:28:38,300 --> 00:28:39,400
flood? 
That's going to withstand the 

508
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:44,900
fire build into your life faith.
Hope and love. 

509
00:28:45,500 --> 00:28:47,500
What about faith? 
These are thing. 

510
00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,300
Here's my deal. 
Here's what I say, every 

511
00:28:50,300 --> 00:28:54,600
opportunity that you have to 
build Faith, take it. 

512
00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,200
And what faith says right here 
has 11 1. 

513
00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,900
Faith is being sure of what we 
Hope for and certain of what we 

514
00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:02,300
do. 
Not see Faith believes that this

515
00:29:02,300 --> 00:29:06,000
moment in time is not the 
culmination of everything and 

516
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:07,400
everything goes downhill from 
here. 

517
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,600
Faith says the story's not over 
yet. 

518
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,100
Faith says, history isn't done 
being written. 

519
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,900
Faith says, Jesus has not yet 
been fully Vindicated through 

520
00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:26,600
what Jesus said in Matthew 5, 
and all of Matthew and Mark 

521
00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:28,400
illegal, I can believe what 
Jesus says. 

522
00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:31,900
Says and I can live like that 
because it's not done yet and 

523
00:29:31,900 --> 00:29:36,700
when it's done, that is what 
reality is going to be like. 

524
00:29:36,700 --> 00:29:41,100
So take every opportunity you 
can to practice Faith. 

525
00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:44,100
Love somebody, that is 
unlovable. 

526
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:48,800
That makes you a little nervous.
Can I love this person? 

527
00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:51,400
They're bad? 
I mean, can I certainly like? 

528
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,500
I mean serve them do it 
publicly, walk down the street, 

529
00:29:54,500 --> 00:29:57,600
having a conversation with 
someone that will make people 

530
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:02,300
go. 
Because you know who's not going

531
00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,800
Jesus. 
Because you know who that person

532
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:10,200
is and that person may be one of
the couple things, right? 

533
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,600
They may say I'm a Christian but
they may just be living like 

534
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,000
hell and they just make just be 
denying everything right that. 

535
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,700
And so we stand back and go, 
you're bad, you're terrible, 

536
00:30:17,700 --> 00:30:18,800
you're a parts on the name, 
right? 

537
00:30:18,900 --> 00:30:21,300
But you know what Jesus is 
saying he's like they haven't 

538
00:30:21,300 --> 00:30:22,500
got it yet and I wanted to get 
it. 

539
00:30:22,500 --> 00:30:23,700
Can you help him? 
Can you love him? 

540
00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:26,000
Like why don't you just go talk 
to him and just show them and 

541
00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,700
just like and just and just love
on you, but they're Sinners. 

542
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:35,600
Jesus like what? 
Is that the criteria because 

543
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,700
you'll be lonely. 
Just because they have a 

544
00:30:38,700 --> 00:30:40,800
different sense set. 
Then you have doesn't mean that 

545
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,300
they are more appropriate. 
Does that mean that they are 

546
00:30:43,300 --> 00:30:44,800
more loved? 
Do you know the people, the 

547
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,000
other people, right? 
Maybe they're following. 

548
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:50,200
Maybe they don't know Jesus at 
all in the church, sometimes we 

549
00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,700
call them lost. 
People, do you know what Jesus 

550
00:30:52,700 --> 00:30:57,200
calls them? 
The people that I miss the most 

551
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:00,100
My kid Jackson my oldest son. 
He works. 

552
00:31:00,100 --> 00:31:03,000
He's got it summer job and 
during the days gone in I miss 

553
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,400
him. 
I miss my kid during the days. 

554
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,100
I want to talk to him like 
finally like that. 

555
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,700
That's how Jesus is. 
He doesn't make fun of them, 

556
00:31:10,700 --> 00:31:13,200
right? 
But maybe he does, you don't 

557
00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:19,700
know, right. 
The people whose lives we find 

558
00:31:19,700 --> 00:31:21,900
intolerable. 
And unacceptable, unacceptable 

559
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,500
are the people that Jesus says, 
if they just had me, it would be

560
00:31:25,500 --> 00:31:28,000
different. 
But that takes faith. 

561
00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,700
It takes Faith to believe that 
Jesus isn't going to judge your 

562
00:31:31,700 --> 00:31:34,700
life based on some moral 
standard. 

563
00:31:34,700 --> 00:31:38,100
That the scripture says you can 
never live up to anyway, that's 

564
00:31:38,100 --> 00:31:40,300
the great thing about the moral 
standard in the scripture, it's 

565
00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:42,300
called the law or will take 
Jesus. 

566
00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:44,300
Matthew chapter five and six and
seven, right. 

567
00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,100
And the point of all that is you
all Short. 

568
00:31:47,100 --> 00:31:49,500
So, if you're dividing and 
separating based on keeping the 

569
00:31:49,500 --> 00:31:52,000
law or not, keeping the law, 
you're excluding yourself. 

570
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,200
So let's not do that. 
Let's take in faith. 

571
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:59,100
That Jesus is Love, is enough to
change us and transform us and 

572
00:31:59,100 --> 00:32:01,400
redeem us. 
So we believe we have faith, 

573
00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,600
that God is active and that God 
is working. 

574
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,000
The second thing is Hope, right?
So faith, is this idea, right? 

575
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,500
God is alive. 
God is real. 

576
00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:10,800
And what he's doing is good, 
what that leads to. 

577
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,800
As we walk out is hope when we 
encounter a situation that seems

578
00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,900
hopeless. 
Hope is man almost choked their 

579
00:32:17,900 --> 00:32:20,700
scuse me. 
This is so exciting. 

580
00:32:20,700 --> 00:32:21,800
Right? 
Hope is so powerful, right? 

581
00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:23,100
Because here's the thing about 
hope. 

582
00:32:23,100 --> 00:32:27,800
Hope says, not, yet does not 
equal not ever. 

583
00:32:28,500 --> 00:32:30,300
Hope says, oh, yeah. 
Well, it's not done yet. 

584
00:32:30,300 --> 00:32:32,100
Well, let's just keep going, 
right? 

585
00:32:32,100 --> 00:32:34,200
I'm a terrible. 
Wow! 

586
00:32:34,300 --> 00:32:36,400
Tara what? 
I'm not a great like, griller 

587
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,600
cooker. 
So I've learned how to eat my 

588
00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,900
meat raw because it's 
undercooked, right. 

589
00:32:43,300 --> 00:32:46,200
Cuz I always pull it off too 
fast, right? 

590
00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,400
Hope says, wait a minute. 
Let it get too nice, a good 

591
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,200
mid-rare and you'll be fine 
then, get it. 

592
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,700
All right, hope says it's still 
cooking. 

593
00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:58,300
Hope says, the story's not done 
yet. 

594
00:32:58,300 --> 00:33:02,100
I read last week, Philippians 4,
6 & 7, right? 

595
00:33:02,100 --> 00:33:03,700
I said it'd be a good one to 
memorize. 

596
00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:05,000
I don't be anxious about 
anything, right? 

597
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,400
But listen here's what hope 
looks like in practice. 

598
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,400
I want to go back to verses 
before that verse 4 Paul says 

599
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:16,700
rejoice. 
In the lord, always, that word. 

600
00:33:16,700 --> 00:33:17,500
Always means. 
Always. 

601
00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:20,400
And so, the problem is for a 
long time, I think Christians 

602
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,900
and churches were like this. 
Ha ha ha. 

603
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:24,200
Everything's fine. 
Everything's fine. 

604
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,900
That's not what it says. 
What it says is, we're able to 

605
00:33:26,900 --> 00:33:31,100
stand here and go, a lot of 
stuff is garbage, but I'm 

606
00:33:31,100 --> 00:33:34,200
surrounded by people who love me
and who care for me. 

607
00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,500
I'm a part of the church and I 
have Jesus and so I can Rejoice 

608
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:42,500
even in this, I can Rejoice that
the story isn't over. 

609
00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:45,700
Over Paul tells us why rejoice 
in the lord always, I'll say it 

610
00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:48,500
again, Rejoice, let your 
gentleness be evident evidence 

611
00:33:48,500 --> 00:33:54,500
to all listen, the Lord is near,
that's our hope that is our hope

612
00:33:54,900 --> 00:33:58,700
and then because the Lord is 
here, because the Lord is near, 

613
00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:02,100
because we Rejoice always don't 
be anxious about anything. 

614
00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:05,300
But in every situation with 
prayer, and petition with 

615
00:34:05,300 --> 00:34:08,800
Thanksgiving, present, your 
requests to God and the peace of

616
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:11,800
God, which transcends all 
understanding will guard your 

617
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,900
hearts. 
Your minds in Christ Jesus. 

618
00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:19,600
What he's saying is don't 
complain about the world Rejoice

619
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,900
rejoice, and destroys complaint.
Do you know what? 

620
00:34:21,900 --> 00:34:25,600
Complaint says, complaint says 
God you're doing it wrong 

621
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,000
complaint. 
Says, if you would just do it 

622
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,100
more like me, Jesus, then 
everything would be better. 

623
00:34:33,300 --> 00:34:36,000
We don't have to look at that 
very long to realize how like 

624
00:34:36,100 --> 00:34:38,600
off that is, right. 
Right. 

625
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:43,500
Hope says, God is at work in 
this, God is working working in 

626
00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:47,300
sinful, people whom I can't see 
it, God is working in people who

627
00:34:47,300 --> 00:34:49,300
aren't trying to follow. 
He is seeking them. 

628
00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,500
God is actively restoring and 
Redeeming the world in 

629
00:34:52,500 --> 00:34:54,699
accordance with his plan and his
will. 

630
00:34:54,699 --> 00:34:58,000
Because he is God. 
And I am just here to tend the 

631
00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,500
soil. 
That's a picture of the garden. 

632
00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:05,200
Adam and Eve Goten the soil, go 
multiply goal of faith, hope and

633
00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,900
love. 
The gospel, the good news and 

634
00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:11,300
the scripture, the good news of 
Jesus life. 

635
00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:14,500
Are you ready? 
The good news of Jesus is life 

636
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,500
is that God loves to save and 
restore Fallen people. 

637
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:26,300
God loves to find people that 
are far away from him and call 

638
00:35:26,300 --> 00:35:29,200
them to himself. 
Do you? 

639
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:37,100
Do we? 
Love to call broken people here,

640
00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:40,300
we began every Sunday with a 
confession. 

641
00:35:40,700 --> 00:35:43,800
We're badly broken. 
What a welcoming place for 

642
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:47,300
broken people, right? 
Should be, I will say, I 

643
00:35:47,300 --> 00:35:52,200
freaking love River City. 
I love our openness. 

644
00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:56,700
I see you in public spaces 
working and practicing and 

645
00:35:56,700 --> 00:35:59,900
praying to be kind and loving 
and gracious, and generous. 

646
00:35:59,900 --> 00:36:02,400
And I want to tell you You blow 
me away. 

647
00:36:02,900 --> 00:36:04,700
You make my pastor's heart 
happy. 

648
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,800
Don't quit. 
Don't give up when people don't 

649
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:09,600
understand when they don't get 
it when they don't know. 

650
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:12,100
Don't quit, don't give up. 
Of course it's the narrow way 

651
00:36:12,100 --> 00:36:14,000
most people won't. 
Most people tell you, you got to

652
00:36:14,008 --> 00:36:15,600
stop, you got to be afraid. 
You got to do this guy that. 

653
00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,500
Don't don't believe it believe, 
Jesus. 

654
00:36:17,500 --> 00:36:20,500
Believe the one who says that, 
all good, things are coming. 

655
00:36:20,500 --> 00:36:23,100
Believe the one who says the 
kingdom is coming, so every sad 

656
00:36:23,100 --> 00:36:26,800
thing is coming and run. 
Be believed the one who called 

657
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:31,100
you by name and love you, build 
your life on Faith and Hope. 

658
00:36:31,300 --> 00:36:33,600
Love when you have an 
opportunity to practice Faith, 

659
00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:36,400
do it when you have an 
opportunity to hope for the best

660
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:40,000
in someone do it, don't give up 
on Hope, don't give up believing

661
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:41,600
that God can do something on a 
person's life. 

662
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:43,700
Don't give up. 
Hoping that God can do something

663
00:36:43,700 --> 00:36:45,600
in your life. 
I don't care about the addiction

664
00:36:45,700 --> 00:36:48,400
that you've given up on the 
you've relapsed 100,000 times. 

665
00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,600
The next one, get up, keep doing
it. 

666
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:53,600
And when you fall next time, 
keep getting up, keep asking for

667
00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,900
help. 
Listen, we're all broken. 

668
00:36:55,900 --> 00:36:58,400
This whole world is broken, but 
it's not done yet. 

669
00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:02,300
We're not done yet. 
And so, Jesus says you can't 

670
00:37:02,300 --> 00:37:05,500
just listen to me. 
You can't just think about what 

671
00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:06,900
I said. 
You can't even just believe me. 

672
00:37:06,900 --> 00:37:10,100
You have to put into practice 
what I said, because building a 

673
00:37:10,108 --> 00:37:15,000
life on faith, hope and love 
becomes Transcendent because the

674
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:18,700
kingdom is Transcendence. 
And so I don't know everybody in

675
00:37:18,700 --> 00:37:21,500
here and maybe you're in here 
and you thought Jesus just 

676
00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:23,700
wanted you to be good. 
Are you thought Jesus? 

677
00:37:23,700 --> 00:37:26,100
Just wanted you to be against 
this person or you just whatever

678
00:37:26,100 --> 00:37:27,300
letter. 
I want to tell you, that's not 

679
00:37:27,300 --> 00:37:29,100
what it's about. 
What Jesus wants to do is give 

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00:37:29,100 --> 00:37:33,600
you an eternal place in a king. 
That never runs out and to live 

681
00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:37,300
out the purpose that he created 
for you, for your marriage, for 

682
00:37:37,300 --> 00:37:41,000
your sexuality, for your 
identity, for your finances, for

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00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,500
every part of you, Jesus has 
abundance and what he says is, 

684
00:37:45,500 --> 00:37:48,300
will you give up your way to 
follow my way? 

685
00:37:48,300 --> 00:37:52,700
That's it. 
Will you give up your way to 

686
00:37:52,700 --> 00:37:57,600
follow my way? 
And if you do, he says he would 

687
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:02,200
save you forever and that begins
now, not someday when you die. 

688
00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,700
And you go sit on a cloud today 
here in just a second. 

689
00:38:05,700 --> 00:38:07,000
I'm going to pray. 
And if that's you, if you've 

690
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,800
never done that before, today's 
the day, will you pray that or 

691
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,300
maybe you are a Christian? 
Maybe you've been with Jesus and

692
00:38:12,300 --> 00:38:14,500
you've followed him. 
The question is, what are you 

693
00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:17,900
giving your life to are giving 
your life to morality? 

694
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:20,200
Are you giving your life to an 
institution? 

695
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:21,800
Are you giving your life to a 
job? 

696
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:23,300
Are you giving your life to 
money? 

697
00:38:23,300 --> 00:38:27,200
What are you getting? 
Life, giving your life to 

698
00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:32,300
because restoration only comes 
through obedience to the way of 

699
00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:34,700
Jesus. 
Let's pray, Jesus. 

700
00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:39,400
I pray that you'll show us where
we fall short. 

701
00:38:39,700 --> 00:38:42,600
I pray that you will show us 
that you'll reveal us as painful

702
00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:46,100
as it may be. 
That you would show us where we 

703
00:38:46,100 --> 00:38:50,100
place our hope. 
And Lord, we right now 

704
00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:53,100
acknowledge, when you show us 
and when you begin to remove 

705
00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:55,100
those things, it will feel 
scary. 

706
00:38:55,300 --> 00:38:59,200
We will feel like death but you 
are building something on a 

707
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,500
rock. 
And so we thank you. 

708
00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:04,000
I pray for those in here who 
have never followed you today, 

709
00:39:04,900 --> 00:39:07,500
who say Jesus, I want to, I want
to follow you. 

710
00:39:08,100 --> 00:39:10,800
I want to stop doing it my way. 
I confess that my way was wrong 

711
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,800
and I want to start doing it 
your way. 

712
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,900
Will you give your spirit to me?
To Lead Me Jesus. 

713
00:39:16,900 --> 00:39:22,200
I pray that you would do that. 
Thank you for your word and your

714
00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:24,500
instruction as difficult as it 
can be. 

715
00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:26,700
Helpless to wrestle in. 
Good faith. 

716
00:39:27,100 --> 00:39:29,900
Trusting you, we ask in your 
name and for your glory. 

717
00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:32,900
Amen, thank you for joining us 
today. 

718
00:39:33,300 --> 00:39:36,100
River City Church is all about 
experiencing and expressing 

719
00:39:36,100 --> 00:39:38,000
God's love in our lives and 
community. 

720
00:39:38,100 --> 00:39:41,600
And we hope that you've been 
able to experience that today as

721
00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:42,400
grateful. 
As I am. 

722
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,000
That you've spent this time, 
listening in this morning, this 

723
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:48,600
podcast is no substitute for 
full participation in a local 

724
00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,000
church aisle. 
Love it, when River City people 

725
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,300
listen to other pastors, but it 
is those who show up week after 

726
00:39:54,300 --> 00:39:57,200
week Faithfully, giving their 
support and time and resources, 

727
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,600
that make all of this possible. 
If we can help you get connected

728
00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:04,100
to a local church, pray for you 
or support you in any way. 

729
00:40:04,300 --> 00:40:06,800
Click the link in the 
description and let us know if 

730
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:08,900
you'd like to financially 
support the ministry of River 

731
00:40:08,900 --> 00:40:10,700
City. 
Click the give link on our 

732
00:40:10,700 --> 00:40:13,800
website in the description. 
Don't forget to subscribe, and 

733
00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:15,600
don't forget to share this with 
your friends. 

734
00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,600
Thanks so much for listening. 
May the Lord bless, and keep you

735
00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,300
in all Grace. 
And And peace.