WEBVTT 00:00:00.381 --> 00:00:14.268 in Psalm, chapter 1 this morning, and if you're new here, you picked a great Sunday to come because we're starting a new series entitled Deeper Five Decisions you Must Make to Grow Deeper in your Faith. 00:00:14.268 --> 00:00:17.178 And here's what we're going to do over the next five Sundays. 00:00:17.178 --> 00:00:27.574 We're going to talk about five habits, five rhythms that if you have in your life, I promise something will happen. 00:00:27.574 --> 00:00:36.192 You will grow deeper in your faith for some of us than ever before. 00:00:36.192 --> 00:00:41.634 I don't know if you've ever met somebody that was really, really strong in their faith. 00:00:41.634 --> 00:00:45.005 Maybe you had a growth group leader around here or somebody you serve with, or something. 00:00:45.005 --> 00:00:48.921 In fact, how many of you would say I know somebody, I've met somebody? 00:00:48.921 --> 00:00:50.366 I saw a video on TikTok. 00:00:50.366 --> 00:00:51.930 Well, we're not watching anymore of those anymore. 00:00:52.381 --> 00:00:57.893 You know videos on TikTok, somebody that is really, really strong and mature in their faith? 00:00:57.893 --> 00:01:03.466 If that's, you go and lift up your hand, lift up your, okay, all right, I see two people know somebody strong in their faith. 00:01:03.466 --> 00:01:08.951 You met somebody and maybe you see them go through a trial and they go through a hard time. 00:01:08.951 --> 00:01:21.739 They just have like this stability about them and this grace about them and it's almost like how do they handle that trial that way. 00:01:21.739 --> 00:01:23.682 Maybe they know the word and you're like how in the world can they just know the scripture like that? 00:01:23.682 --> 00:01:25.188 Or maybe you see that person and you're like how in the world can they just know the scripture like that? 00:01:25.188 --> 00:01:31.650 Or maybe you see that person and you're thinking you think I can never be like that person. 00:01:31.650 --> 00:01:41.391 I don't have a past Like their past is not bad, my past woo. 00:01:41.391 --> 00:01:56.969 Or you think, man, if they had the upbringing and the family that I was raised in, there's just no way I can be mature and deep in my faith. 00:01:56.969 --> 00:01:59.153 But here's what I want to do. 00:01:59.153 --> 00:02:23.343 I want to tell you something that's going to bust some paradigms, that's going to change some perspectives in the room, and here it is is you can grow deeper in your faith and you can be like the person that some of you had in your mind if you'll choose to do what these people did, and this is what these people did. 00:02:23.383 --> 00:02:36.111 Now, here's the thing this is a secret Because not a lot of people know it and even fewer people embrace it. 00:02:36.111 --> 00:02:47.491 Here's the secret about those people is they have specific spiritual rhythms in their life that produce spiritual depth. 00:02:47.491 --> 00:02:55.622 The person that you know, the person that came to mind, the person that you think about, that you're like man. 00:02:55.622 --> 00:02:57.147 They're just mature in their faith. 00:02:57.147 --> 00:02:58.305 It's like they know the word. 00:02:58.305 --> 00:03:00.929 It's like they go through difficulties with grace and peace. 00:03:00.929 --> 00:03:02.765 How do they do it, grace and peace? 00:03:02.765 --> 00:03:03.186 How did they do it? 00:03:03.186 --> 00:03:11.854 They just had some rhythms in their life that allowed them to go deeper in their faith. 00:03:12.294 --> 00:03:15.966 And this is what we want to do over the next five weeks is we want to take all the mystery out of this. 00:03:15.966 --> 00:03:21.181 We want to put the cookies on the bottom shelf and we want to show you how you can grow deeper. 00:03:21.181 --> 00:03:29.151 And the reason why this matters so much is because, like we said last week, when you grow deeper, your hope will increase. 00:03:29.151 --> 00:03:40.092 When you grow deeper, your perspective changes, you'll have more peace in your life and you'll be more aware of God's presence. 00:03:40.092 --> 00:03:48.032 And the first rhythm that we're going to see for you to grow deeper is very simple. 00:03:48.032 --> 00:03:52.723 If you're ready for it, would you say amen here? 00:03:52.723 --> 00:04:00.592 It is Consistently taking time to read and meditate on Scripture. 00:04:00.592 --> 00:04:10.013 Consistently taking time to read and meditate on Scripture. 00:04:10.013 --> 00:04:11.437 Consistently taking time to read and meditate on Scripture. 00:04:11.437 --> 00:04:19.416 And this takes us to Psalm 1, where we're going to see the power of meditating on Scriptures. 00:04:19.416 --> 00:04:20.879 Let's pick it up in Psalm chapter 1. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:26.369 If you're ready to learn about the power of Scripture in your life, would you say amen, amen, amen. 00:04:26.408 --> 00:04:30.154 Here it is Psalm chapter 1, verse 1, the first Psalm. 00:04:30.154 --> 00:04:33.982 It says how happy is the one? 00:04:33.982 --> 00:04:34.983 You see how this begins. 00:04:34.983 --> 00:04:37.507 How happy is the one? 00:04:37.507 --> 00:04:39.048 Can we say that together, ready? 00:04:39.048 --> 00:04:41.072 How happy is the one? 00:04:41.072 --> 00:04:42.694 Do you want to be happy, yes or no? 00:04:42.694 --> 00:04:46.620 Of course you do. 00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:47.543 If you don't, you got something wrong with you. 00:04:47.543 --> 00:04:49.807 How happy is going to tell us who does not? 00:04:49.807 --> 00:04:53.314 Look what it says walk in the advice of the what's that word? 00:04:53.314 --> 00:05:11.728 Walk in the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the company of mockers, in the company of mockers, and instead of doing these things, in verse 1, verse 2, it says instead, his delight. 00:05:11.728 --> 00:05:14.091 Everybody say the word delight, ready Delight. 00:05:14.091 --> 00:05:18.995 Everybody say it nice and happy, like you're delighting, ready Delight. 00:05:18.995 --> 00:05:20.156 Yeah, like delight. 00:05:20.156 --> 00:05:36.591 But his delight is in the Lord's instruction and he meditates, meditates on it day and night. 00:05:36.591 --> 00:05:45.028 Now, did you guys see the contrast from verse 1 to verse 2. 00:05:45.028 --> 00:05:48.992 See the contrast. 00:05:48.992 --> 00:05:56.988 Verse 1, the happy one is one who does not do certain things, but it's the one over here who does something. 00:05:56.988 --> 00:05:57.730 What do they do? 00:05:57.730 --> 00:06:01.925 They delight and meditate on the Lord's instruction. 00:06:01.925 --> 00:06:03.709 What's the word delight mean? 00:06:03.709 --> 00:06:07.761 Delight just means to take pleasure in, to enjoy. 00:06:09.144 --> 00:06:16.375 Last week I learned that there are some things that many of you delight in. 00:06:16.375 --> 00:06:18.603 In fact, we all delight in stuff. 00:06:18.603 --> 00:06:26.235 Our friend Donovan, poor Donovan, delights in the Detroit Lions, which is like prayers. 00:06:26.235 --> 00:06:31.100 You know it's tough. 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:36.240 Some of us delight in the San Francisco 49ers, but we're not going to talk about that. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:41.351 After last week's message I learned that some of you really delight in In-N-Out Burger. 00:06:41.351 --> 00:06:44.000 Oh, my goodness, if you were here last week, you know what I'm talking about. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:48.490 I also learned last week that some of you let's just say how do I say this? 00:06:48.490 --> 00:06:50.697 Your palates haven't matured quite as much and some of you delight in McDonald's. 00:06:50.697 --> 00:06:54.642 I've been praying for you all week long. 00:06:57.788 --> 00:07:07.819 We all delight in certain things and the psalmist says certain things. 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:10.625 And the psalmist says that the happy person is somebody who delights and meditates on God's word. 00:07:10.625 --> 00:07:16.975 In fact, if you go back to the verse, it says how often he meditates on it. 00:07:16.975 --> 00:07:19.107 Somebody tell me how often does he meditate on it? 00:07:19.107 --> 00:07:20.711 Day and night. 00:07:20.711 --> 00:07:29.865 So does this mean that the psalmist says take out your iPhone at 8.15 in the morning and then, at 8.15 in the evening, have an alarm go off. 00:07:29.865 --> 00:07:30.824 Do, do, do. 00:07:30.824 --> 00:07:31.750 Meditate on Scripture. 00:07:31.750 --> 00:07:32.473 What does this mean? 00:07:32.473 --> 00:07:40.848 Good, what this really means is that meditation on Scripture is a lifestyle. 00:07:40.848 --> 00:07:52.225 It's not just something that we come in on Sunday morning and I'm teaching the word or somebody's teaching the word, and it's okay. 00:07:52.225 --> 00:07:56.767 I need to meditate on the word Like I need to like for this next 30 minutes. 00:07:56.767 --> 00:08:01.369 I have to focus, but it's really hard because, tiktok, I got shut down yesterday and I'm kind of having withdrawals right now. 00:08:01.689 --> 00:08:08.041 And meditation is a lifestyle, and you know the word meditation here. 00:08:08.041 --> 00:08:11.168 What it really means is it means mumble to yourself. 00:08:11.168 --> 00:08:14.021 Can we say mumble to yourself, freddie? 00:08:14.021 --> 00:08:15.425 Mumble to yourself. 00:08:15.425 --> 00:08:16.348 You know anybody that mumbles. 00:08:16.348 --> 00:08:20.184 When I was a kid, my mom would ask me a question and I'd say something. 00:08:20.184 --> 00:08:21.447 She'd say stop mumbling. 00:08:21.447 --> 00:08:25.374 It really means mumble to yourself. 00:08:26.259 --> 00:08:33.293 And meditation is something where we're reminding ourselves of the truth of God's word. 00:08:33.293 --> 00:08:39.552 It's kind of like this I want to give you guys a beautiful picture on a Sunday morning. 00:08:39.552 --> 00:08:42.788 It's like a cow that's out in the field. 00:08:42.788 --> 00:08:45.667 You ever see a cow out there in the field. 00:08:45.667 --> 00:08:46.229 What are they doing? 00:08:46.229 --> 00:08:50.245 They're chewing the cud. 00:08:50.245 --> 00:09:01.849 And y'all know what those cows do they eat the grass, they eat whatever, and then they regurgitate it back up and they chew on it some more. 00:09:01.849 --> 00:09:10.514 I know beautiful picture for a Sunday morning and they chew on it some more. 00:09:10.514 --> 00:09:12.320 I know beautiful picture for a Sunday morning. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:18.375 This is what they do and really what this is. 00:09:18.375 --> 00:09:19.360 It's a beautiful image of meditation. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:30.644 It's reading scripture, bringing it back up and chewing on its truth. 00:09:30.644 --> 00:09:33.208 And here's why this is so important Because the mind, what the mind repeats, the mind retains. 00:09:33.229 --> 00:09:39.345 Y'all ever have a parent growing up, or maybe a teacher, and they were constantly saying something. 00:09:39.345 --> 00:09:42.412 They were like reminding you of something all the time. 00:09:42.412 --> 00:09:52.230 And even right now in your mind you got something locked in from like 40 years ago Because you heard a teacher say it or you heard a parent say it all the time. 00:09:52.230 --> 00:09:53.886 I had an elementary school teacher. 00:09:53.886 --> 00:10:06.658 She would come up with the most ridiculous songs about things like adverbs and adjectives that honestly like that's when I was like in fourth grade. 00:10:06.658 --> 00:10:15.423 Really I don't care about this stuff, but she knew that if she could get it in a little song and we could sing it, then we would retain it. 00:10:15.423 --> 00:10:31.386 In fact, I remember I was in fourth grade and in fourth grade and in fourth grade I knew all 50 states in the United States of America because she came up with this silly song. 00:10:31.386 --> 00:10:34.653 Here's the thing I can still remember the song today. 00:10:34.653 --> 00:10:38.842 It's crazy why? 00:10:38.842 --> 00:10:42.366 Because I just retained it, I repeated it. 00:10:42.366 --> 00:10:46.852 She repeated it to us again and again, and again. 00:10:47.854 --> 00:10:55.852 And when we repeat things, when we repeat things, what happens is we're able to retain them. 00:10:55.852 --> 00:10:57.160 And here's what the psalmist says. 00:10:57.160 --> 00:11:04.143 The psalmist says meditate on scripture, mumble scripture to yourself, let it become a part of you. 00:11:04.143 --> 00:11:08.352 And when you do this, verse 3 tells us what will happen. 00:11:08.352 --> 00:11:24.529 Verse 3 says he is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruits in its season and whose leaf does not wither and whatever he does prospers. 00:11:24.529 --> 00:11:36.235 Here's the image A strong, rooted, fruit-producing, deeper tree. 00:11:36.235 --> 00:11:41.354 Why? 00:11:41.354 --> 00:11:43.618 Because of scripture meditation. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:46.722 The wicked verse four are not like this. 00:11:46.722 --> 00:11:49.794 Instead, they're like the chaff that the wind blows away. 00:11:49.794 --> 00:11:58.738 So somebody meditating on scripture they're strong, they're rooted, but the chaff is just blowing in the wind. 00:11:58.738 --> 00:12:00.000 Whatever's out there. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:01.462 Oh, this is. 00:12:01.462 --> 00:12:03.418 This is what's politically correct, so I'm gonna blow over here. 00:12:03.418 --> 00:12:04.850 This is what's politically correct, so I'm going to blow over here. 00:12:04.850 --> 00:12:08.918 This is what my favorite celebrity or musician or athlete says. 00:12:08.918 --> 00:12:10.522 I'm going to blow over here. 00:12:10.522 --> 00:12:12.355 I mean, after all, taylor Swift said it. 00:12:12.355 --> 00:12:13.158 It's got to be right. 00:12:13.158 --> 00:12:21.177 He says they're like the chat that's blowing all over the place. 00:12:21.999 --> 00:12:32.846 Therefore, verse 5, the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous Friend. 00:12:32.846 --> 00:12:37.013 This is important and this is very sobering. 00:12:37.013 --> 00:12:44.764 At the end of our life, one day, every single person in this room will stand before God. 00:12:44.764 --> 00:13:16.015 In fact, hebrews chapter 9 tells us this it's appointed for people to die once and after this, the judgment and every one of us will stand before God and we will stand as either forgiven or condemned to a place the scripture calls hell, the very real place that a lot of people don't want to talk about, but it's a very real place, and we will stand condemned or we will stand forgiven, based on what we did with Jesus. 00:13:16.015 --> 00:13:24.679 Did we turn from our sin and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be our Savior, to be our Lord? 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:28.678 Did we do that, or are we trusting in our good works? 00:13:28.678 --> 00:13:31.379 Are we trusting in our religious pedigree? 00:13:31.379 --> 00:13:37.177 Are we trusting in a churchy activity or are we just trusting in our own selves? 00:13:37.177 --> 00:13:47.355 If that's the case, when we stand before God, we will stand before God as condemned and be condemned to a place scripture calls hell, and this is very sobering. 00:13:47.355 --> 00:13:50.302 This is very sobering. 00:13:50.802 --> 00:13:57.331 But this also for those of you that maybe you're new to faith, you're new to Christ or you're just trying to check this thing out. 00:13:57.331 --> 00:14:06.263 I want you to know that Jesus has made a way where you can stand forgiven before God because of what he did on the cross for you. 00:14:06.263 --> 00:14:08.426 He can have forgiven. 00:14:08.426 --> 00:14:15.577 You don't have to have the wrath of God abiding on you Because of what Christ has done for you. 00:14:15.577 --> 00:14:21.782 And can I humbly say, you might be in this room and you might be like this towards God. 00:14:21.782 --> 00:14:24.264 You might be mad, you might be upset, you might say I don't believe I like this towards God. 00:14:24.264 --> 00:14:24.990 You might be mad, you might be upset. 00:14:24.990 --> 00:14:28.174 You might say I don't believe I'm going to do my own thing. 00:14:28.174 --> 00:14:43.011 Okay, I feel that, bro, here's the thing One day you still will stand before God Like you, still will stand before God, and it won't matter what happened to you, it won't matter how strong you were, it won't matter how much to you. 00:14:43.011 --> 00:14:58.625 It won't matter how strong you were, it won't matter how much money you had, it won't matter what you look like, because at the end of the day, when you stand before him, all that will matter is what we did with Jesus, and Jesus' arms are open to everybody that will come to him and those that have come to Jesus by faith. 00:14:58.625 --> 00:15:00.270 Look what it says in verse number six. 00:15:00.270 --> 00:15:10.225 It says the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. 00:15:12.649 --> 00:15:36.774 Here in the text we see a really, really clear picture given by the psalmist is that spiritual strength and vitality comes from scripture, from meditating on scripture, and, for all of us in the room, our spiritual depth is directly related to our time spent meditating on Scripture. 00:15:36.774 --> 00:15:42.284 According to Psalm 1, your spiritual depth is related to your time spent meditating on Scripture. 00:15:42.284 --> 00:15:57.499 And what I want us to do in the few minutes we have together is I want us to look deeper at the power of Scripture and then, honestly, I want to get super practical with us, because I don't know if you're like me, but sometimes it's like this book can be a little overwhelming. 00:15:57.499 --> 00:16:08.899 Sometimes you open it up and you're like I don't know what's going on right here and I want to get really practical and just show you how you can engage with this book, because when you engage with this book, you can grow deeper. 00:16:08.899 --> 00:16:11.775 Every single one of us can do that. 00:16:11.775 --> 00:16:13.039 So I want us to see this. 00:16:13.169 --> 00:16:15.639 Okay, let's check out, first of all, the power of Scripture. 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:17.697 Everybody say the power of Scripture, ready. 00:16:17.697 --> 00:16:20.198 The power of Scripture, it's powerful. 00:16:20.198 --> 00:16:24.990 Scripture, it's powerful. 00:16:24.990 --> 00:16:27.033 We just saw in verse three, it's like a tree planted beside flowing streams. 00:16:27.033 --> 00:16:30.500 But it's also powerful because scripture guides us. 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:33.384 Scripture guides us. 00:16:33.384 --> 00:16:36.335 Can we say that together, ready, scripture guides us. 00:16:36.995 --> 00:16:40.563 It says your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. 00:16:40.563 --> 00:16:49.431 Feet and a light on my path. 00:16:49.431 --> 00:17:03.602 Some of you are here and you're wondering what should I do next in my life and you're overwhelmed and things are difficult. 00:17:03.602 --> 00:17:07.146 You think what am I going to do now? 00:17:07.146 --> 00:17:14.749 I didn't plan for this. 00:17:14.749 --> 00:17:19.477 Scripture is a guide to help you Watch this. 00:17:19.477 --> 00:17:21.682 It's a lamp for my feet. 00:17:21.682 --> 00:17:26.375 Context A lamp would just give a little bit of light here to show you the next step. 00:17:26.375 --> 00:17:30.715 Listen, some of you want to know where you'll be in five years. 00:17:30.715 --> 00:17:33.734 God isn't concerned as much about that as he is concerned about you. 00:17:33.734 --> 00:17:38.656 You just take the next step of obedience to him, with a little bit of light that you can see from God's word. 00:17:38.656 --> 00:17:40.622 And this is what scripture is. 00:17:40.622 --> 00:17:42.755 Scripture guides us. 00:17:42.914 --> 00:17:45.961 Scripture, second of all, it matures us. 00:17:45.961 --> 00:17:48.737 It matures us. 00:17:48.737 --> 00:17:51.176 It says this in 2 Peter 2, verse 2. 00:17:51.176 --> 00:18:01.384 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word so that by it you may what's that word? 00:18:01.384 --> 00:18:09.996 You may grow, grow up into your salvation, reach the maturity of who you are in Christ, of your identity in Christ. 00:18:09.996 --> 00:18:11.914 Here's the picture. 00:18:11.914 --> 00:18:20.000 Here you have a newborn infant, a baby, and they desire the milk to grow. 00:18:21.131 --> 00:18:22.369 You guys have seen little babies. 00:18:22.369 --> 00:18:28.316 They're so cute and cuddly and you take pictures with them and somebody's like oh, I love babies so much. 00:18:28.316 --> 00:18:32.454 Others of us, when it comes to babies, we're like I'm really scared because I don't want to break them. 00:18:32.454 --> 00:18:35.722 And you got a cute little baby. 00:18:35.722 --> 00:18:44.045 And imagine if the baby were to be the same size at one year old as it was at one week old. 00:18:44.045 --> 00:18:48.191 That's bad. 00:18:48.191 --> 00:18:55.243 Imagine if at two years old it was the same size at one month old. 00:18:55.243 --> 00:19:03.201 We'd say there's a problem, let's go to a hospital, let's go somewhere. 00:19:03.201 --> 00:19:05.393 Actually, let's be honest, we're pulling out our phones. 00:19:05.393 --> 00:19:06.477 We're doing WebMD first. 00:19:06.477 --> 00:19:07.118 You know what I'm saying. 00:19:07.118 --> 00:19:07.760 We're Google. 00:19:07.760 --> 00:19:08.872 What's happening here? 00:19:08.872 --> 00:19:12.259 There needs to be growth Now. 00:19:12.259 --> 00:19:14.703 This is why babies born give them milk. 00:19:14.703 --> 00:19:14.824 Why? 00:19:14.824 --> 00:19:16.491 So they can grow. 00:19:16.491 --> 00:19:18.596 And this is what God says. 00:19:18.596 --> 00:19:19.676 This is what Peter says right here. 00:19:19.676 --> 00:19:27.276 He says you need milk so it will grow you the milk of the word. 00:19:27.276 --> 00:19:29.573 And watch this as we're growing. 00:19:29.573 --> 00:19:32.201 We go from milk to meat eventually. 00:19:33.770 --> 00:19:45.298 Now, some of us it's very possible that you could be a Jesus follower for years and years and years and you might know a lot of things, had knowledge about God, you might know the whole churchy thing, but you could still be a spiritual baby. 00:19:45.298 --> 00:19:51.240 And in the world, in real life, we'd be like there's something wrong with this. 00:19:51.240 --> 00:20:02.657 But some of us have just gotten used to being a spiritual baby and it's because we haven't spent time learning and meditating on the Word of God. 00:20:02.657 --> 00:20:07.285 And what scripture does is scripture matures us. 00:20:07.285 --> 00:20:13.058 Scripture also transforms our minds and our lives. 00:20:13.058 --> 00:20:22.090 It says in James, chapter 5, if anybody's a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. 00:20:22.090 --> 00:20:28.057 He looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. 00:20:28.057 --> 00:20:30.586 Let's have a moment of honesty in the room. 00:20:30.586 --> 00:20:33.394 Can we have a moment of honesty in church is the best place to be honest. 00:20:33.875 --> 00:20:41.982 How many of you this morning you woke up, you rolled out of bed, you looked in the mirror and you said something's got to change. 00:20:41.982 --> 00:20:43.996 I need to. 00:20:43.996 --> 00:20:45.220 I need to fix some things up. 00:20:45.220 --> 00:20:47.535 Somebody else saw some little eye boogies. 00:20:47.535 --> 00:20:48.598 Yeah, I get those things out. 00:20:48.598 --> 00:20:54.134 James says what the scripture does. 00:20:54.134 --> 00:20:55.836 It shows us some impurities. 00:20:55.836 --> 00:21:00.204 So we know, oh, I need to change some things in my life. 00:21:00.204 --> 00:21:05.035 It forms us, it transforms us. 00:21:05.035 --> 00:21:06.358 It transforms us. 00:21:06.358 --> 00:21:07.321 It's interesting to me. 00:21:07.321 --> 00:21:20.132 I can kind of nerd out on like studies and data and research and stuff, and it's super interesting to me how they have all these studies that are coming out about how our media consumption is forming us. 00:21:22.719 --> 00:21:32.403 Now, maybe you're a little younger and maybe you get most of your media consumption through your phone, or maybe you get most of your media consumption by watching something on TV. 00:21:32.403 --> 00:21:36.256 But all of us get media. 00:21:36.256 --> 00:21:41.092 All of us consume media and different things from things we scroll and see and whatnot. 00:21:41.092 --> 00:21:46.313 And I've shared this before and this isn't prescriptive for any one of y'all. 00:21:46.313 --> 00:21:47.736 This is descriptive for me. 00:21:47.736 --> 00:21:57.339 But if I watch too much news for me, it causes me to be fearful, anxious and negative. 00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:59.183 Now, here's the thing. 00:21:59.183 --> 00:22:04.780 Here's the thing by nature I'm not fearful, I'm not negative. 00:22:04.780 --> 00:22:09.921 Every now and again I can be a little bit anxious, but by nature I'm really not those three things. 00:22:09.921 --> 00:22:29.165 But if I sit there and just like, intake the news and news and news and news, or I get involved in the doom scroll you know what I'm saying what happens is I start being anxious, negative and fearful. 00:22:29.165 --> 00:22:41.906 What starts to happen is my media content starts to form me and transform me. 00:22:41.906 --> 00:22:43.849 It's kind of like this and transform me. 00:22:43.849 --> 00:22:52.642 It's kind of like this we form our media consumption and then our media consumption forms us. 00:22:56.050 --> 00:23:01.039 So nobody, for the most part, probably tells you who you need to follow on your social media. 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:02.917 Nobody's like you gotta follow that person. 00:23:02.917 --> 00:23:08.759 Probably you don't have a lot of people saying you have to watch the news, this news channel, this, whatever. 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:10.075 No, you choose that. 00:23:10.075 --> 00:23:14.259 You might have suggestions, but by and large you choose that. 00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:20.842 But here's what happens when we choose that and we intake this again and again and again. 00:23:20.842 --> 00:23:23.558 What ends up happening if we're not careful? 00:23:23.558 --> 00:23:26.751 Again and again and again. 00:23:26.751 --> 00:23:29.737 What ends up happening if we're not careful, is what we're intaking starts to form us. 00:23:29.737 --> 00:23:43.242 This is why, if I can be very honest, some of us live very anxious, fearful lives, because we intake content that is constantly promoting anxiety and fear in our lives. 00:23:43.242 --> 00:23:46.628 That is constantly promoting anxiety and fear in our lives. 00:23:46.628 --> 00:24:07.032 This is why some of us fully believe that if something makes you happy in the moment, then that's what you should do, no matter what it's the ultimate trump card, no matter if it hurts somebody, no matter what scripture says, if it makes you happy in the moment, you should do it, no questions asked. 00:24:07.032 --> 00:24:11.241 Where did you come to that place to believe that? 00:24:11.663 --> 00:24:13.836 For many of us, our media has formed us. 00:24:13.836 --> 00:24:17.450 What we watch, the shows we watch, the things we intake. 00:24:17.450 --> 00:24:28.413 It has formed us to believe that, for some of us, we think, man, there's nothing wrong with people having sex and sleeping around outside of marriage. 00:24:28.413 --> 00:24:31.692 In fact, if you think there's something wrong with that, there's something wrong with you. 00:24:31.692 --> 00:24:35.480 We think that how has that happened? 00:24:35.480 --> 00:24:39.173 Because our media has formed us into believing that. 00:24:40.294 --> 00:24:43.838 Now some of you think, pastor Nate, you're offending me. 00:24:43.838 --> 00:24:50.394 Can I say, if I teach God's word, I'm probably going to offend you again. 00:24:50.394 --> 00:24:57.030 Yeah, and here's what happens Our media consumption forms us. 00:24:57.030 --> 00:24:59.156 So we have to ask ourselves an honest question. 00:24:59.156 --> 00:25:02.151 Now, this requires self-awareness, which can be hard sometimes. 00:25:02.151 --> 00:25:06.653 How is my media consumption forming me? 00:25:06.653 --> 00:25:16.487 How does, after this amount of media consumption, how is this forming me? 00:25:16.627 --> 00:25:17.990 What do I actually believe? 00:25:17.990 --> 00:25:19.719 Okay, I say I'm a Jesus follower. 00:25:19.719 --> 00:25:20.520 Awesome, I am. 00:25:20.520 --> 00:25:23.087 What do I actually believe, based on scripture? 00:25:23.087 --> 00:25:34.048 And here's what happens as we immerse ourselves in God's word and God's truth, you're going to find this it's going to form you and transform you to be more like Jesus. 00:25:34.048 --> 00:25:41.539 This, it's going to form you and transform you to be more like Jesus. 00:25:41.539 --> 00:25:42.060 Scripture is powerful. 00:25:42.060 --> 00:25:44.424 It's the first and foundational rhythm to grow deeper. 00:25:44.424 --> 00:25:47.029 But how do we actually engage with Scripture? 00:25:47.029 --> 00:25:50.057 How do we actually get something from this? 00:25:50.057 --> 00:25:59.189 I don't have a ton of time, but I want to be super practical and I want to walk you through how you can engage with God's Word. 00:25:59.189 --> 00:26:00.270 I don't want us to talk about it. 00:26:00.270 --> 00:26:01.499 I want us to be about this. 00:26:01.499 --> 00:26:02.644 Okay, this is how we do it. 00:26:02.644 --> 00:26:05.695 Number one choose a time and place each day to engage with Scripture. 00:26:05.695 --> 00:26:18.901 So, to have this rhythm, there needs to be something in our life where we say at this time in this place, I'm going to engage with scripture. 00:26:18.901 --> 00:26:22.256 I know it can be challenging because some of y'all have like 50 million things going on and kids, I get all that, but you want to have just a rhythm of when do we do this? 00:26:22.204 --> 00:26:27.470 Number two find a good, readable Bible translation for you to read. 00:26:27.470 --> 00:26:34.268 Some of you may say, pastor Nate, what's the best Bible translation for me to read? 00:26:34.268 --> 00:26:35.714 I got it for you. 00:26:35.714 --> 00:26:36.115 You ready. 00:26:36.115 --> 00:26:40.282 The best Bible translation is the one that you read. 00:26:40.282 --> 00:26:42.886 That's the best one. 00:26:42.886 --> 00:26:47.791 Some of you are like me and you have a background in the King James Version. 00:26:47.791 --> 00:26:49.497 How many of you have a background in the King James Version? 00:26:49.497 --> 00:26:52.325 Okay, thou art like me, thou art like me. 00:26:52.325 --> 00:26:55.492 So he still used the King James Version. 00:26:55.492 --> 00:26:56.895 I love that for you. 00:26:56.895 --> 00:27:02.768 I 100% do, but for some of us, the vowels and the these and the old English is tough. 00:27:02.768 --> 00:27:08.344 So here's the thing Read a Bible translation that works for you. 00:27:09.005 --> 00:27:12.923 Number three try to take one thing from your scripture reading and meditate on it. 00:27:12.923 --> 00:27:16.315 Take one thing from your scripture reading and meditate on it. 00:27:16.315 --> 00:27:18.943 Instead of trying to get like 57 things, just try to get one thing. 00:27:18.943 --> 00:27:21.723 When I was in college, there was a professor. 00:27:21.723 --> 00:27:25.905 He said when you read your Bible, make sure you read with your specs on, your spectacles on. 00:27:25.905 --> 00:27:27.693 I said, dude, I'm like 19. 00:27:27.693 --> 00:27:29.739 I don't have classes, man, what do you mean? 00:27:29.739 --> 00:27:31.082 He said no, no, no, no. 00:27:31.082 --> 00:27:43.097 When you read, if you'll put your specs on, it will allow you to get something from scripture. 00:27:43.097 --> 00:27:47.808 And he shared something that literally changed the way I read my Bible when I was like 19, 20 years old. 00:27:47.808 --> 00:27:49.491 He said when you read your scripture. 00:27:49.491 --> 00:27:51.318 He said this is what you need to look for. 00:27:51.318 --> 00:27:56.016 He said you need to look for is there a sin to be forsaken? 00:27:56.016 --> 00:27:59.041 Is there a promise to be claimed? 00:27:59.041 --> 00:28:00.244 Does God make you a promise? 00:28:00.244 --> 00:28:03.317 Is there an example in scripture to be followed? 00:28:03.317 --> 00:28:04.862 Is there a command to be obeyed? 00:28:04.862 --> 00:28:06.586 Is there a stumbling block to be avoided? 00:28:06.586 --> 00:28:10.659 And I wish I had more time to walk y'all through a little bit deeper with this. 00:28:10.659 --> 00:28:16.506 But when you're looking at scripture, try to get something from it and you can use this as a guide. 00:28:16.625 --> 00:28:20.851 Number four use a resource to accompany you as you read. 00:28:20.851 --> 00:28:25.583 Sometimes you'll read something and you're like what does that even mean? 00:28:25.583 --> 00:28:26.486 What's happening here? 00:28:26.486 --> 00:28:26.836 How do I? 00:28:26.836 --> 00:28:29.963 Okay, this is what I've done in our 40 days of growing deeper. 00:28:30.005 --> 00:28:34.621 Reading kind of what I've typically done is I like the old school Bible in my hand. 00:28:34.621 --> 00:28:35.823 I love it. 00:28:35.823 --> 00:28:37.546 Different people use the tablets. 00:28:37.546 --> 00:28:38.327 That's great. 00:28:38.327 --> 00:28:39.249 I love that for you. 00:28:39.249 --> 00:28:41.137 I love holding it in my hand right. 00:28:41.137 --> 00:28:44.044 But I also like to use some resources. 00:28:44.044 --> 00:28:48.500 So I'll have a tablet with like a commentary on it, kind of explaining some things. 00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:57.141 I'll spend time reading through a chapter, thinking through it, and then I'll look in the commentary to kind of shed some light on the passage. 00:28:57.141 --> 00:29:00.938 Sometimes I'll read a word and I'll say, man, what does that word mean? 00:29:00.938 --> 00:29:07.343 And I'll look in the commentary and I'll do some study on it and sometimes if you use a resource, it will help you as you read it. 00:29:07.383 --> 00:29:10.798 Number five ask somebody to help you stay accountable in your reading. 00:29:10.798 --> 00:29:13.145 Ask a family member, ask someone in your growth group. 00:29:13.145 --> 00:29:20.299 Say, hey, can you just like check up on me, not in like a weird judgmental way, like did you read your Bible? 00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:20.961 No, but like hey, how's it going? 00:29:20.961 --> 00:29:24.048 And sometimes that will help you stay accountable. 00:29:24.048 --> 00:29:27.202 That's one of the power of our groups, we are better than me. 00:29:27.202 --> 00:29:29.036 Ask somebody to help you stay accountable. 00:29:29.036 --> 00:29:34.347 And then, number six consider attending a free Bible conference this next week in Sacramento. 00:29:34.347 --> 00:29:42.226 We haven't said a ton about this, but last year I think we had 30, 40 people from FCC go and it's in the evenings this week with incredible sessions and things. 00:29:42.226 --> 00:29:47.867 This is what it's all about growing you deeper in your knowledge and understanding of God's word. 00:29:47.867 --> 00:29:51.144 If you go to SassoonChurchcom, you get more information about it. 00:29:51.144 --> 00:29:52.401 You can scan the QR code. 00:29:52.401 --> 00:29:59.978 I'm telling you. 00:29:59.978 --> 00:30:04.071 What's amazing is it's a free conference with incredible, incredible, world-renowned Bible speakers and teachers, and that's something that might help you as well. 00:30:04.092 --> 00:30:08.786 I want to end with two quick thoughts, and we'll be done when it comes to all of this reading and meditating on Scripture. 00:30:08.786 --> 00:30:15.386 One is this fight to stay consistent in your growing deeper reading, in your scripture reading. 00:30:15.386 --> 00:30:18.138 Some of you I loved it. 00:30:18.138 --> 00:30:26.066 I talked to several people after 845 service Some of you, like you'll miss a day or two, or three or four in your Bible reading, your scripture reading, and you'll beat yourself up. 00:30:26.066 --> 00:30:27.916 Don't do it. 00:30:27.916 --> 00:30:35.963 Don't beat yourself up, because this is what happens Two days turns into two months and it turns into like six months. 00:30:35.963 --> 00:30:38.103 You're like man I don't even know, like, where's my Bible app? 00:30:38.103 --> 00:30:41.001 Or you have to, like, re-download the Bible app. 00:30:41.001 --> 00:30:42.486 You know, don't listen. 00:30:42.486 --> 00:30:46.286 Fight to stay consistent in your Bible reading. 00:30:46.286 --> 00:30:48.784 I know it's a challenge, but try to stick with it and if you get behind, it's okay. 00:30:48.824 --> 00:30:51.546 Number two if you haven't joined Growing Deeper, it's not too late. 00:30:51.546 --> 00:30:53.826 We got 200 people going through this together. 00:30:53.826 --> 00:30:59.750 If you want to say, hey, I kind of want to go along with this with the church, we're reading the gospels together over 40 days. 00:30:59.750 --> 00:31:02.333 Guys, we printed out extra journals for you. 00:31:02.333 --> 00:31:09.637 Like, your name is on a journal out there Not really, but hey, we'll write it on there, but you can be a part of the Growing Deeper reading. 00:31:09.979 --> 00:31:12.262 Get more information at the Next Steps and Information Table. 00:31:12.262 --> 00:31:15.429 And this is what's going to happen over the next five weeks. 00:31:15.429 --> 00:31:30.936 Over the next five weeks, we're going to talk about one rhythm each Sunday, and what's going to happen is, if you will incorporate these rhythms into your life, you will be able to be like that person we talked about earlier, that you thought about and you were like man. 00:31:30.936 --> 00:31:32.461 They're so strong in their faith. 00:31:32.461 --> 00:31:34.886 Today it was the scripture. 00:31:34.886 --> 00:31:39.518 Next Sunday, we're gonna fill out this next bubble, here and together. 00:31:39.518 --> 00:31:40.461 This is what's gonna happen. 00:31:40.461 --> 00:31:42.122 We are going to be spiritually strong. 00:31:42.122 --> 00:31:44.301 You are going to go deeper. 00:31:44.301 --> 00:31:51.363 2025 is gonna be a year of incredible spiritual growth and incredible spiritual victory in your life.