WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:00.882 I tell you what. 00:00:00.882 --> 00:00:04.171 Why don't you stand up to your feet? 00:00:04.171 --> 00:00:08.987 And instead of holding your Bible up and making a confession, just the Holy Spirit showed me this. 00:00:08.987 --> 00:00:09.728 Yesterday morning. 00:00:09.728 --> 00:00:12.986 I was out in the backyard praying. 00:00:12.986 --> 00:00:19.407 Just hold your Bible over your heart and I'm just gonna begin to pray and confess some things over you. 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:22.507 Heavenly Father, we just thank you for tonight. 00:00:22.507 --> 00:00:28.286 Our spiritual ears are open to what you're saying and my spiritual ears are open. 00:00:28.286 --> 00:00:31.708 Lord, help me be a mouthpiece for you. 00:00:31.708 --> 00:00:45.128 Give me supernatural utterance to say what you need me to say, in order for each one in this room, including me, can make the spiritual shift that we need to make in order to go up to the next level in you. 00:00:45.128 --> 00:00:53.206 And so, father, we stand here tonight with our hearts open and, lord, we're grateful for all that. 00:00:53.206 --> 00:00:56.948 We honor the blood tonight, the blood of Jesus that was shed. 00:00:56.948 --> 00:00:58.886 That gives us freedom. 00:00:58.886 --> 00:01:08.227 Lord, the said that happened on just for us, for our benefit, and so, lord, we just thank you that it's a covenant. 00:01:08.227 --> 00:01:10.688 We look to your side of the covenant. 00:01:10.688 --> 00:01:19.885 We know you're fulfilling that, but we have a side, and so tonight we make it on our end a fresh commitment and a fresh. 00:01:19.885 --> 00:01:24.986 We zoom into the covenant that we have and we take it seriously on our side. 00:01:24.986 --> 00:01:31.748 And, father, we just thank you for the revelation that's been preached from this pulpit, that we don't take that revelation for granted, father. 00:01:31.748 --> 00:01:39.049 And so we're using that revelation to grow in you and to change our world around us. 00:01:39.049 --> 00:01:42.069 In Jesus' name, we honor your word. 00:01:42.069 --> 00:01:44.165 We put your word first place. 00:01:44.165 --> 00:01:47.944 In Jesus' name, amen, you can be seated. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:02:04.995 I'm gonna get started tonight reading out of the book of Mark, chapter four, and the title of my message tonight is think about it. 00:02:04.995 --> 00:02:06.462 And I don't know. 00:02:06.462 --> 00:02:10.382 We have a few old Lakewood people in here that you know. 00:02:10.382 --> 00:02:11.927 I was grew up going to Lakewood Church. 00:02:11.927 --> 00:02:22.882 John Osteen was my pastor and Joel Osteen was my boss, so I had a really fun time growing up working kind of behind the scenes at Lakewood and. 00:02:22.882 --> 00:02:32.788 But there was an older gentleman that sat in the audience and I've tried to remember his name today and I couldn't come up with his name, but he wore these really wild socks. 00:02:32.788 --> 00:02:36.704 But instead of saying amen, he would say think about it. 00:02:36.704 --> 00:02:39.963 He would shout out all the time think about it, listen. 00:02:39.963 --> 00:02:45.724 And if he really want, you know, if it was really good, he'd say listen and he'd really yell. 00:02:45.724 --> 00:02:50.748 And I'm telling you it made it on the TV, you know, because of the audience mics picking that up. 00:02:50.748 --> 00:02:54.646 And so I thought about that today and that's my title, think about it. 00:02:54.646 --> 00:03:08.116 But you know, my favorite thing that he would say like you know, I think Pastor Osteen was preaching on David and Bathsheba and the Bible says that she was naked and he shouts out she was naked. 00:03:08.116 --> 00:03:16.568 And so that kind of stuck with me and so every now and then, to this day, I will shout that out every now and then, just to be funny in certain instances. 00:03:16.568 --> 00:03:21.060 So I think I'm gonna turn myself red there for a second. 00:03:21.241 --> 00:03:22.627 All right, mark, chapter four. 00:03:22.627 --> 00:03:24.848 We're gonna start in verse 21. 00:03:24.848 --> 00:03:28.620 And I think I said this the last time I preached. 00:03:28.820 --> 00:03:33.620 But this is John Mark writing the book of Mark. 00:03:33.620 --> 00:03:35.860 The Gospel of Mark is John Mark. 00:03:35.860 --> 00:03:41.925 And remember, in the book of Acts, paul and Barnabas that kind of broke them up. 00:03:41.925 --> 00:03:49.651 They're arguing over whether he should go on a journey with them and Paul says he's not ready yet, he's not profitable. 00:03:49.651 --> 00:03:56.680 But at the end of the book of Acts, or towards the end, he said hey, bring me John Mark, for he is profitable for the ministry. 00:03:56.881 --> 00:04:02.340 How many of you appreciate someone that went back and became profitable and matured a little bit? 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:07.353 Where would we be without Mark 11, 22, 23 and 24? 00:04:07.353 --> 00:04:09.740 Where would we be without the Gospel of Mark? 00:04:09.740 --> 00:04:15.400 Aren't you glad that he matured enough to write and follow and obey the Holy Spirit? 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:19.105 And I don't know where you're at tonight and you're a walk with the Lord. 00:04:19.105 --> 00:04:20.148 But you can too. 00:04:20.148 --> 00:04:23.220 We can all mature in the Lord, amen, and grow up. 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:27.100 So this is Jesus speaking, luke 4, 21. 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:36.353 And it says also, he said to them is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? 00:04:36.353 --> 00:04:46.329 Is it not to be set on a lamp stand, for there is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret, but that it should come to light. 00:04:46.329 --> 00:04:50.050 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. 00:04:50.050 --> 00:04:55.543 And amen, listen, take heed what you hear. 00:04:55.543 --> 00:05:04.141 With the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you, and to you who hear, more will be given. 00:05:04.141 --> 00:05:12.425 For whoever has to him, more will be given, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 00:05:12.425 --> 00:05:15.629 And so I just wanted to encourage you tonight. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:19.988 If have you allowed your light to dim. 00:05:19.988 --> 00:05:31.446 You know, or perhaps maybe you just feel in your heart you can't keep up with where God, you always feel like you're running behind or you really can't see clearly. 00:05:31.446 --> 00:05:41.822 I'm telling you there's probably a deficit in your meditating on the word, I'm telling you. 00:05:41.822 --> 00:05:51.646 And so the amount of time that you spend meditating on God's word, it will be the amount of time or the amount of light produced in your vision. 00:05:51.646 --> 00:05:52.661 You know. 00:05:52.661 --> 00:06:01.370 In other words, well, I'll just say it again the same way, the amount of time you spend meditating on God's word will be the amount of light produced in your vision. 00:06:01.370 --> 00:06:05.089 And so you being able to see is very important, right? 00:06:05.089 --> 00:06:08.048 You know how many of you drive at night. 00:06:08.048 --> 00:06:12.446 We require headlights to see at night, and street lights help as well. 00:06:12.446 --> 00:06:14.466 Unless we're in the country we don't have those. 00:06:14.466 --> 00:06:16.547 We turn the high beams on right. 00:06:16.547 --> 00:06:18.423 Maybe you have fog lights. 00:06:18.423 --> 00:06:22.990 Lighting is so important and I'm telling you, it's the meditation of God's word. 00:06:23.540 --> 00:06:26.048 The entrance of God's word gives light. 00:06:26.048 --> 00:06:28.545 That's Psalm 119, 130,. 00:06:28.545 --> 00:06:31.172 The entrance of God's word gives light. 00:06:31.172 --> 00:06:32.422 Let's read it in. 00:06:32.422 --> 00:06:36.052 It gives understanding to the simple. 00:06:36.052 --> 00:06:44.403 In the Passion translation it says break open your word within me until revelation light shines out. 00:06:44.403 --> 00:06:49.230 Those with open hearts are given insight into your plans. 00:06:49.230 --> 00:06:57.869 So if we have open hearts, we're given supernatural insight into the plans that God has for each and every one of us. 00:06:57.869 --> 00:06:59.886 And that doesn't stop with us. 00:06:59.886 --> 00:07:08.930 Once you meditate on God's word and become strong for yourself, it pours out into all your family around you. 00:07:08.930 --> 00:07:22.610 You're able to lead your family well, you're able to begin good, godly relationships, godly relationships, and I'm telling you, your whole world changes just by meditating on God's word. 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:29.451 And so, real quick, before I go on, I kind of didn't explain Mark four good enough. 00:07:29.451 --> 00:07:31.425 And so Jesus is talking here. 00:07:31.425 --> 00:07:38.928 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear, take heed, pay attention, in other words, to what you hear. 00:07:38.928 --> 00:07:42.528 And so we need to guard what we hear. 00:07:42.528 --> 00:07:44.807 But it's really talking about revelation. 00:07:44.807 --> 00:07:49.608 Jesus is talking about revelation To him who has, more will be given. 00:07:49.608 --> 00:08:00.990 In other words, when you honor what's being preached, what's when you honor what you're listening to, I'm telling you, god gives you more and more and more. 00:08:00.990 --> 00:08:22.343 But if you just if it's just another message to you, if it's just another Sunday here at Glorious Way or just another Wednesday night live stream and you're not really gonna take it to heart, you're really just gonna listen to check off a box, yeah, tune in live stream Wednesday night, and you know, but really you were distracted by a million other things. 00:08:22.343 --> 00:08:26.745 Then it's actually that revelation is gonna be taken away from you. 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:40.085 That's what Jesus is talking about, and so it's real serious that we honor our the meditating on God's word, and so faith begins where the word, where the will of God is known. 00:08:40.085 --> 00:08:45.340 That's where faith begins, where the will of God is known, and his word is his will. 00:08:45.340 --> 00:08:55.799 And so if you're not cracking open this Bible on a near daily basis, then you're running behind, and I don't wanna run behind, but I have run behind. 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:59.799 You know, I wouldn't be preaching this if I didn't know what it felt like to be behind. 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:00.423 I'm telling you. 00:09:00.442 --> 00:09:25.283 I'm telling you, I'm telling you I think God just does it to make me laugh, but when you feel the emptiest is when God puts somebody in my path that needs the most, and so I've got to stir up the gift of God and be instant, in season and out of season, and so that's what we're talking about tonight is just really, what are you thinking on? 00:09:25.283 --> 00:09:28.865 What are you allowing your mind to meditate on? 00:09:28.865 --> 00:09:31.102 So the word meditate means to chew. 00:09:31.102 --> 00:09:33.601 And so what are you chewing on? 00:09:33.601 --> 00:09:40.205 And so you know, think about this for defining actions, for your thoughts. 00:09:40.205 --> 00:09:46.302 And so number one is that they may be pure and pleasing and acceptable to our master. 00:09:46.414 --> 00:10:09.403 And we find that in the book of Psalm 19, verse 14, and it says in the new living I mean sorry, in the new King James version it says let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable or pleasing in your sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. 00:10:09.403 --> 00:10:19.745 And so let the meditation of my heart, let the words of my mouth you know what you're meditating on will come out of your mouth. 00:10:19.745 --> 00:10:25.480 And so you can always tell how much meditating you're on by what comes. 00:10:25.480 --> 00:10:28.799 You know the good things you're meditating on by what comes out of your mouth. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:36.961 So Jesus was constantly measuring the disciples' faith, and he did that by. 00:10:36.961 --> 00:10:49.520 He would give them little questions to answer right, and everywhere he went, even brand new people that were getting you know, that had never heard the gospel before and they're desiring healing. 00:10:49.520 --> 00:10:51.501 Oh, woman, great is thy faith. 00:10:51.501 --> 00:10:57.201 He was always measuring people's faith and measuring people's generosity as well. 00:10:57.201 --> 00:11:09.380 But you know, so we can tell, you can gauge your own spiritual strength, really by the words that are coming out of your mouth and by the meditation of your heart. 00:11:09.380 --> 00:11:20.283 You want everything that you're meditating on to be pleasing and acceptable under the Lord, and so the Passion Translation Bible says that same verse, psalm 1914. 00:11:20.283 --> 00:11:35.662 So may the words of my mouth, my meditation thoughts and every movement of my heart be always pure and pleasing, acceptable before your eyes, yahweh, my only redeemer, my protector. 00:11:35.662 --> 00:11:42.865 So it describes the movement of your heart, and so there are thoughts that move. 00:11:42.865 --> 00:11:48.342 Have you ever been moved like you're emotionally moved, but then like you're spiritually moved in a direction? 00:11:48.342 --> 00:11:49.756 Usually? 00:11:49.756 --> 00:11:56.264 I mean, it better be by the Holy Spirit, is what I'm trying to say, and not be by some emotional response. 00:11:56.264 --> 00:12:01.244 Right, you want to be moved by the Spirit, and so what are you focusing on? 00:12:01.244 --> 00:12:04.225 What are you allowing to come out of your mouth? 00:12:04.225 --> 00:12:08.578 It's really it comes down to your meditation that you're meditating on. 00:12:08.619 --> 00:12:13.586 You know, talking about Lakewood days kind of reminded me. 00:12:13.586 --> 00:12:19.543 When I worked there we had a camera man that ran camera on the stage. 00:12:19.543 --> 00:12:25.606 His name was Don and he would for years like two decades he ran handheld camera on the stage. 00:12:25.606 --> 00:12:28.182 So some of y'all that went to Lakewood back then. 00:12:28.182 --> 00:12:29.466 You probably know who I'm talking about. 00:12:29.466 --> 00:12:33.083 But he was just a professional camera guy. 00:12:33.083 --> 00:12:39.014 That's what his job was and he ran all the most important cameras in sporting events all over Houston. 00:12:39.014 --> 00:12:45.075 So you know baseball, he ran the center field camera that zooms in to the catcher to get the signs and the. 00:12:45.075 --> 00:12:45.735 You know. 00:12:45.735 --> 00:12:47.559 Back then it was the Oilers. 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:53.048 You know 50-yard line camera that's on, you know, 90% of the time. 00:12:53.048 --> 00:12:56.283 And basketball as well did that. 00:12:56.283 --> 00:12:58.880 But just to hear some of the stories that he told. 00:12:58.922 --> 00:13:14.241 But I was most interested in golf and so like, not as a sport but as the camera, because you know they zoom all the way in, Like the guy hits the ball and he zooms all the way into the ball and follows it like hundreds of yards right and then zooms out and gets the shot. 00:13:14.241 --> 00:13:18.024 And how in the world do you keep up with that little ball? 00:13:18.024 --> 00:13:29.288 And just back then you know there was a 4x3, you know black and white monitor and there was just enough contrast for him to see on the monitor the little white ball that he would zoom into. 00:13:29.288 --> 00:13:37.043 But you know he's like Jay, just it just takes practice and the more you do it, the better you're at, and so he was one of the best in the business. 00:13:37.043 --> 00:13:38.719 But it just reminded you. 00:13:38.859 --> 00:13:40.083 What are you zooming into? 00:13:40.083 --> 00:13:41.379 What are you focused on? 00:13:41.379 --> 00:13:41.936 What are you? 00:13:41.936 --> 00:13:48.184 Your thoughts are your vision, and so what are you thinking about so much over and over and over again? 00:13:48.184 --> 00:13:53.202 If you're, you know some of you have made your problem and your mountain. 00:13:53.202 --> 00:13:58.602 You're so expressive with your words and so you're expressing your thoughts. 00:13:58.602 --> 00:14:04.047 That's what you're meditating on is how big your problem is, that it's in 4k for everybody to have. 00:14:04.047 --> 00:14:07.015 Man, have you seen how big this problem is, have you? 00:14:07.015 --> 00:14:22.187 You know, my boss is saying this and this and you're going around making the problem bigger and bigger and bigger with your words and with your thoughts, and we all just need to stop and zoom out and get God's perspective on things. 00:14:22.187 --> 00:14:26.546 You know I was going to talk about this later, but I'll go ahead and mention it now. 00:14:26.914 --> 00:14:29.001 My dad just preached last Wednesday night. 00:14:29.001 --> 00:14:48.900 Maybe you missed it, maybe you weren't able to join our pot our our live stream last Wednesday, but he preached on the heavenly world, and so meditating on on the heavenly world gives us answers for down here, right here, right now, when we think on things above and not on earthly things. 00:14:48.900 --> 00:15:03.256 When we allow you know, to daydream even about God's thoughts, and when you're so plugged in with God, you, you, it changes your whole perspective of what's going on down here, and so it does help. 00:15:03.256 --> 00:15:08.307 You're not, you're never so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good, right? 00:15:08.307 --> 00:15:21.789 You know God wants you to succeed down here, so he's giving you ideas and concepts and insights and ways to boost your revelation of what's going on around you so that you can be successful, right, amen. 00:15:21.789 --> 00:15:24.578 And so so again. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:33.235 Number one we are thoughts need to, and our meditations need to be acceptable and pleasing and pure For our master. 00:15:33.235 --> 00:15:41.985 Number two your thoughts impact wisdom to others In part, your thoughts impart wisdom to others. 00:15:41.985 --> 00:15:47.654 In other words, your thoughts become a blessing to the world around you. 00:15:47.654 --> 00:16:00.235 And so we find that in Psalm 49, verse three, it says my mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. 00:16:00.235 --> 00:16:03.980 And so the meditation of your heart gives. 00:16:03.980 --> 00:16:05.783 That's where you give. 00:16:05.783 --> 00:16:08.268 It gives you understanding. 00:16:08.268 --> 00:16:16.225 But that understanding goes on to around around you, to your world, and it allows you to impact the world around you. 00:16:16.335 --> 00:16:24.195 And so so many people are just leaning on the world's information and their IQ to get them by. 00:16:24.195 --> 00:16:37.466 But, but I don't care how big your IQ is, the Holy Spirit is greater right, and God has more information that he wants to get, not just to you but through you. 00:16:37.466 --> 00:16:49.140 And I'm telling you I was, I was talking with Bryce several weeks ago been actually a few months ago and Bryce works in the oil field. 00:16:49.140 --> 00:16:58.604 But he's had I think he has something like 20 something patents out of inventions that he's invented for basically other people, right For oil companies. 00:16:58.604 --> 00:17:00.235 That's made them a lot of money. 00:17:00.235 --> 00:17:22.963 But and just in the process of asking him about that, he gets this idea that he hadn't thought about in so long and he has like all service, he's getting this download and he's taking notes and God just begins to show him fresh ideas and concepts and insights and he had this whole new, fresh idea to bring back. 00:17:23.965 --> 00:17:25.087 Anyways, and so like. 00:17:25.087 --> 00:17:27.333 That's what God wants you to do. 00:17:27.333 --> 00:17:35.453 He has so much supernatural Wisdom for us and it's multiplied in this place. 00:17:35.453 --> 00:17:39.311 There's an anointing here when you walk in the door. 00:17:39.311 --> 00:17:42.184 There's an anointing here for God to open that up. 00:17:42.184 --> 00:17:51.494 It's called supernatural hearing, right, and so if our hearts are open, man, god's, god's adding to that every time we're together, amen. 00:17:51.555 --> 00:18:02.355 And so, number three, our meditations give us strategy against our enemy, and it makes us more wise, wiser than our enemy, right? 00:18:02.355 --> 00:18:06.388 And then Psalm 119, 97. 00:18:06.388 --> 00:18:08.517 It says oh, how I love your law. 00:18:08.517 --> 00:18:10.644 It is my meditation all the day. 00:18:10.644 --> 00:18:21.133 You, through your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with, for they are ever with me, not the enemies, but your commandments, right? 00:18:21.133 --> 00:18:28.731 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. 00:18:28.731 --> 00:18:34.305 I understand more than the ancients because I keep your precepts. 00:18:34.305 --> 00:18:43.377 And so if we read that with New Testament eyes, we're looking at at the New Covenant, we're gonna keep our side of the Covenant, amen. 00:18:43.377 --> 00:18:48.010 And when we do that, he makes us wiser than our enemies. 00:18:48.010 --> 00:19:06.276 And so he and he gives us strategies that go against their strategies that overcome there that, whatever the devil is throwing at you right now, I'm telling you God has a strategy that's greater, and and, and your meditation is part, as is the key that unlocks that. 00:19:06.435 --> 00:19:14.664 And so if you're not praying, you know, ephesians 6 talks all about the, the armor of God, but it's a prayer armor, right? 00:19:14.664 --> 00:19:22.269 And so if you're not armed up and you're not praying, then you're not, you're not able to receive that strategy. 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:25.484 In fact, let's just turn there real quick. 00:19:25.484 --> 00:19:29.477 I think it's Ephesians 6, 11 or 12. 00:19:29.477 --> 00:19:35.413 We're ficking to find out which verse it is. 00:19:35.413 --> 00:19:44.490 Here we go, but my glasses on verse 12, for we do not wrestle. 00:19:44.490 --> 00:19:45.252 Oh, I'm sorry. 00:19:45.252 --> 00:19:53.838 Verse 11 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles or the strategies of the devil. 00:19:53.838 --> 00:19:57.334 And so it requires us to put on the whole armor of God. 00:19:57.334 --> 00:20:18.213 So that's something that we do, that's on our side, is provided to us and for us, but it's something that we have to do to put on the armor, and so and it's a prayer armor, and then when, when we're covered by the armor, then we were able to stand against every strategy that the devil throws at us. 00:20:18.213 --> 00:20:20.998 Amen, and so that's so important. 00:20:20.998 --> 00:20:28.972 And so, for your testimony, I'm going back to Psalm 119. 00:20:28.972 --> 00:20:33.903 For your, I have, I have more understanding than all my teachers. 00:20:33.903 --> 00:20:46.883 You know you can pray that over your kids because I'm telling you they can supernaturally have more wisdom Than their teachers, and when they share that, when they raise their hand in class, there's an order to that right. 00:20:46.883 --> 00:20:49.874 You don't want to be like mr Know-it-all and Carol says amen. 00:20:53.266 --> 00:20:54.630 We were joking around about Carol. 00:20:54.630 --> 00:20:55.192 The other night. 00:20:55.192 --> 00:21:08.751 We, ethan and I, we had praise and worship practice and before practice Ethan and I went to eat and there was a, a Little boy that you know, he was super, you know, so well behaved. 00:21:08.751 --> 00:21:13.130 He was singing, he blessed his food to a song, he sang the song to bless his food. 00:21:13.130 --> 00:21:24.144 So that kind of got me in, so I was kind of playing with him, messing around with him, but but later on he just goes crazy and he never stopped and the mom did nothing to calm him down. 00:21:24.144 --> 00:21:32.138 I thought the whole, you know, he would break every dish in the restaurant or whatever and Ethan's like I wonder if this is what Carol deals with all day, every day. 00:21:32.138 --> 00:21:40.188 You know, and it was like you know I've told Selena that to, like you know, me dealing with one kid and children's church is like you dealing with the hundred. 00:21:40.188 --> 00:21:44.689 You know, I don't know how Carol does it, but she's supernaturally equipped. 00:21:45.009 --> 00:21:59.516 But you know, back to this, the Psalm, you can have more understanding Than your teachers and I'm telling you that's the wisdom of God, that that is, is birthed out of our Meditating on God's word and spending time in God's word. 00:21:59.576 --> 00:21:59.876 Amen. 00:21:59.876 --> 00:22:08.531 And so number four is we meditate on the gifts of God. 00:22:08.531 --> 00:22:21.464 And so in first Timothy, chapter 4, verse 13 I'm actually gonna start verse 12, first Timothy 4, 12 Let no one despise your youth. 00:22:21.464 --> 00:22:27.829 So this is this is Paul right and include in encouraging His son in the faith Timothy? 00:22:27.829 --> 00:22:39.587 And he says but be an example to the believers in word and conduct, in Love, in spirit, in faith and in purity Till I come. 00:22:39.929 --> 00:22:45.412 Give attention to reading, to Exertation and to doctrine. 00:22:45.412 --> 00:22:54.472 So it's so important that we give, give Attention, all of our attention, to reading, to studying God's word. 00:22:54.472 --> 00:23:06.265 Right, and it's an intake for us, it's our life, it's everything to us to exhortation that's God's word coming out of us and a doctrine. 00:23:06.265 --> 00:23:08.953 Doctrine is why we believe what we believe right. 00:23:08.953 --> 00:23:18.971 And so he says in verse 14, do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of hands. 00:23:18.971 --> 00:23:23.847 And so he says meditate, verse 15, there's that word again. 00:23:23.847 --> 00:23:27.076 Meditate on these things, what things? 00:23:27.076 --> 00:23:42.651 On the gifts, on the gifts that he's not neglecting right, on his ability to paying attention to reading, to exhortation and to doctrine, and in leading and being an example to all the other believers in conduct and love, spirit, faith and purity. 00:23:42.651 --> 00:23:52.732 Right, he's meditating on all those things, and Paul tells them to give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 00:23:52.732 --> 00:23:54.930 So it really is true. 00:23:56.232 --> 00:24:03.313 Those around you, your friends, notice there's a difference when you're meditating on the things of God. 00:24:03.313 --> 00:24:05.912 The people around you know, your kids know. 00:24:05.912 --> 00:24:06.534 I'm telling you. 00:24:06.534 --> 00:24:18.694 If you're a dad just lost, going through life without reading your Bible, your kids can tell, and they really are hungry and thirsty for the truth. 00:24:18.694 --> 00:24:22.594 There is, you know. 00:24:22.594 --> 00:24:26.813 We're living in a society that's without the word of God. 00:24:26.813 --> 00:24:33.396 There's a dearth of the word, as my dad received that word decades ago. 00:24:33.396 --> 00:24:35.549 There's a dearth of the word. 00:24:35.549 --> 00:24:49.011 That means that there's revelation that's missing, and so it's up to us to study and to pull that revelation out, to honor it and to stand on God's word and to lead our families into excellence. 00:24:49.011 --> 00:24:49.354 Amen. 00:24:51.445 --> 00:24:53.633 And so verse 16, real quick, and then we can move on. 00:24:53.633 --> 00:25:03.595 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine, continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 00:25:03.595 --> 00:25:07.894 So again, it's important you're not doing this just for you. 00:25:07.894 --> 00:25:15.990 You're gonna affect other people's lives by the amount of revelation that you contain, and you're containing it, but you're giving it out. 00:25:15.990 --> 00:25:16.372 Amen. 00:25:16.372 --> 00:25:22.192 You're giving it out on a daily basis and you say well, you know, this is Paul. 00:25:22.192 --> 00:25:23.911 He wasn't really talking to the church. 00:25:23.911 --> 00:25:26.311 No, he's talking to you and he's talking to me. 00:25:26.311 --> 00:25:36.876 Right, we have a ministry, it's the believers ministry that we're walking in and it's just as strong on us as it was on Timothy, amen. 00:25:36.876 --> 00:25:42.638 And so we're to meditate on the gifts of God. 00:25:42.638 --> 00:25:46.893 We're not neglecting the gift and we're meditating on the gift. 00:25:46.984 --> 00:26:05.174 And so I just wanted to read out of my dad's message this past Wednesday, talking about the heavenly world, having your mindset locked in the heavenly realm, and so there's so many distractions going on all around us. 00:26:05.174 --> 00:26:09.395 We really do need to zoom in to Jesus. 00:26:09.395 --> 00:26:12.333 Look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. 00:26:12.333 --> 00:26:14.691 Right, but he was reading in Colossians three. 00:26:14.691 --> 00:26:16.290 I'm gonna read it out of the message Bible. 00:26:16.290 --> 00:26:20.968 Nancy, I know you're doing the scriptures back there, I'm kind of going fast. 00:26:21.008 --> 00:26:34.171 But Colossians three, verse one in the message it says so if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. 00:26:34.171 --> 00:26:37.872 Pursue the things over which Christ presides. 00:26:37.872 --> 00:26:47.875 Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you Instead, look up, be alert to what is going on around Christ. 00:26:47.875 --> 00:26:49.849 That's where the action is. 00:26:49.849 --> 00:26:54.326 See things from his perspective, man. 00:26:54.326 --> 00:26:57.327 If we're gonna see things from his perspective, we gotta look up. 00:26:57.327 --> 00:27:03.834 You gotta look up, you've gotta spend time in God's word in order to receive his perspective. 00:27:03.834 --> 00:27:13.150 The way God sees things, and I'm telling you we are in Christ, that means we're seated at the right hand of God, just like Jesus is right. 00:27:13.150 --> 00:27:17.751 So it's so important that we sit down in our place of authority. 00:27:18.305 --> 00:27:22.715 And so verse three and four your old life is dead. 00:27:22.715 --> 00:27:31.210 Your new life, which is your real life, even though invisible to spectators, is with Christ in God. 00:27:31.210 --> 00:27:32.835 He is your life. 00:27:32.835 --> 00:27:40.731 When Christ, your real life, shows up again on this earth, you'll show up too, the real you, the glorious. 00:27:40.731 --> 00:27:44.934 You, meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. 00:27:44.934 --> 00:27:58.772 I love that, and I'm telling you we have our thoughts and our meditations are influenced by heaven, because we're looking up to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. 00:27:58.772 --> 00:28:01.192 Amen, amen, hallelujah. 00:28:01.192 --> 00:28:12.689 Well, I hope this message blessed you and encouraged you, and with the authority and the union we have with him, and I'm telling you we're gonna think about it, this song.