WEBVTT 00:00:00.361 --> 00:00:05.687 All right, good morning, we will go ahead and get started. 00:00:05.687 --> 00:00:07.144 We start at 9.30,. 00:00:07.144 --> 00:00:09.371 All right, I should know, right. 00:00:09.371 --> 00:00:12.186 All right, we'll go ahead and get started. 00:00:12.186 --> 00:00:37.469 We titled this class Heart of the Hymn and the idea is that we are going to each week look at a hymn or a song that we sing here at church and we're going to sing it once at the beginning of class and then we'll kind of break down the song and look at some of the Scripture meaning behind it, some of the things that we can learn in our spiritual walk throughout the song, maybe some history of the person that wrote the song. 00:00:37.469 --> 00:00:42.392 Today there's an interesting story that goes along with the song that we're going to look at. 00:00:42.392 --> 00:00:45.630 This is going to be taught by Bryce and I together. 00:00:45.630 --> 00:00:57.070 Bryce is not here though week one, so he's off singing somewhere else, so Tim is actually going to lead us this morning through the song. 00:00:57.140 --> 00:00:58.445 The song is a song that you'll know. 00:00:58.445 --> 00:01:00.445 I feel like I've said songs a bunch. 00:01:00.445 --> 00:01:02.683 I'm not going to lead it. 00:01:02.683 --> 00:01:04.384 No, I'll sing, I will sing, but I'm not going to lead it. 00:01:04.384 --> 00:01:05.201 No, I'll sing, I will sing, but I'm not going to lead it. 00:01:05.201 --> 00:01:06.402 Jesus loves me. 00:01:06.402 --> 00:01:13.364 It's about the best I got, and maybe one week we'll do that if Bryce isn't here again. 00:01:13.364 --> 00:01:18.221 But we thought this would be an interesting class to kind of look at some of the meanings behind some of the songs that we sing. 00:01:18.221 --> 00:01:21.888 And today will be a trial run. 00:01:21.888 --> 00:01:31.927 I was just I dropped off one of the kids to class and Debbie Silvis was in there and she said we're just going to kind of wing it this morning here in class, but that doesn't mean Jesus can't work. 00:01:31.927 --> 00:01:34.748 And so I said well, that's exactly what I'm doing in my class too. 00:01:34.748 --> 00:01:37.228 We're just going to wing it, and that doesn't mean Jesus won't work. 00:01:37.228 --> 00:01:39.408 So that's what we're going to do this morning. 00:01:39.408 --> 00:01:44.712 We'll go ahead and get started with a prayer and then I'll ask Tim to lead us in our song this morning. 00:01:45.795 --> 00:01:47.936 God, we thank you so much for the way that you work in our life. 00:01:47.936 --> 00:02:00.733 God, we're thankful that we have an opportunity each and every week to gather as believers and as family to hopefully understand and learn and to grow in our wisdom of you and the things that you've done in our lives. 00:02:00.733 --> 00:02:19.264 We're thankful for Jesus and his example of how to love and interact with people, and we're thankful for the way that you worked to give us these hymns and these songs that we love to sing and we pray that, as we sing them to you, that there'll be praises to you for all the wonderful things that you've done in our life. 00:02:19.264 --> 00:02:26.530 Be with us as we study your word this morning and just try to understand the things that you've done in our life. 00:02:26.530 --> 00:02:30.586 We pray for opportunities to see your love and to show your love to the people around. 00:02:30.586 --> 00:02:31.543 It's in Jesus' name. 00:02:31.543 --> 00:02:31.943 We pray. 00:02:31.943 --> 00:02:32.707 Amen. 00:02:32.707 --> 00:02:35.623 All right, tim, you got your mic. 00:02:35.623 --> 00:02:37.045 Awesome, I got a mic. 00:02:37.045 --> 00:02:38.268 I'm going to mute. 00:02:42.634 --> 00:02:45.364 Okay, all right, everybody spread out. 00:02:45.364 --> 00:02:47.750 So you're going to have to sing it out. 00:02:47.750 --> 00:02:48.191 Are we ready? 00:02:48.191 --> 00:02:59.074 Come Thou, fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace. 00:02:59.074 --> 00:03:08.991 Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise. 00:03:08.991 --> 00:03:20.043 Teach me new Melonia's sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above Praise. 00:03:20.043 --> 00:03:34.550 The mount, I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love, here I raise my thy good pleasure. 00:03:34.550 --> 00:03:38.012 Safely to arrive at home. 00:03:38.012 --> 00:04:11.217 Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God, he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. 00:04:11.217 --> 00:04:54.360 Oh to grace, how great a debtor, daily, I'm constrained to be. 00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:57.524 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. 00:04:57.545 --> 00:05:01.348 Pr's my heart. 00:05:01.348 --> 00:05:02.170 Oh, take and seal it. 00:05:02.170 --> 00:05:03.291 Seal it for thy courts above All. 00:05:03.291 --> 00:05:05.213 Right, I meant to do that before we sang. 00:05:05.213 --> 00:05:11.545 I was going to ask you this question what is your favorite hymn In the Garden? 00:05:11.545 --> 00:05:14.733 Okay, actually, I brought a notebook. 00:05:14.733 --> 00:05:18.185 I was going to write these down. 00:05:18.185 --> 00:05:27.310 Gives me an easy class In the Garden, all right, who else? 00:05:27.310 --> 00:05:40.824 Amazing Grace, the Old Rugged Cross? 00:05:40.824 --> 00:05:42.687 Okay, you three that have answered so far. 00:05:42.927 --> 00:05:48.112 Looking at you, ladies, are those songs your favorite because you like the way it sounds? 00:05:48.112 --> 00:05:51.435 Or is it maybe because you relate to the words? 00:05:51.435 --> 00:05:54.723 What do you think? 00:05:54.723 --> 00:05:59.593 You sang it with your mom when she was passing, so there's a sentimental absolutely value to it as well. 00:05:59.593 --> 00:06:03.144 The words okay, okay, very good, sing it with your mom. 00:06:03.144 --> 00:06:03.785 Sing it with your grandmother. 00:06:03.785 --> 00:06:04.767 Who else Favorite hymns that we sing or songs? 00:06:04.767 --> 00:06:07.014 The words Okay, okay, very good, sing it with her grandmother. 00:06:07.014 --> 00:06:11.959 Who else Favorite hymns that we sing or songs? 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:16.494 What was it? 00:06:16.494 --> 00:06:19.142 I believe in, the one they call Jesus. 00:06:19.142 --> 00:06:20.105 Like the way it sounds? 00:06:20.105 --> 00:06:21.747 Or do the words you connect? 00:06:21.747 --> 00:06:23.872 You love the words Very good. 00:06:23.872 --> 00:06:26.665 Anybody else Favorite hymn or song that we sing? 00:06:26.665 --> 00:06:30.964 I'll Fly Away, like the way it sounds? 00:06:30.964 --> 00:06:35.487 Or the words here's your mom's favorite song Very good. 00:06:35.487 --> 00:06:37.947 What other hymns or songs Favorites? 00:06:37.947 --> 00:06:40.887 The right side is very active today. 00:06:40.887 --> 00:06:44.925 Guys, come Taste and See. 00:06:44.925 --> 00:06:49.980 Is that what you said? 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:51.343 Days of Elijah? 00:06:51.343 --> 00:06:52.504 The way it sounds or the words? 00:06:52.504 --> 00:06:53.065 A little bit of both. 00:06:53.065 --> 00:06:55.529 Okay, days of Elijah, taste and see. 00:06:55.529 --> 00:06:58.295 Yes, how great thou art. 00:06:58.295 --> 00:07:00.101 The way it sounds, or the words. 00:07:00.101 --> 00:07:01.745 The words Very good. 00:07:01.745 --> 00:07:02.766 Anybody else? 00:07:02.766 --> 00:07:05.471 Favorite song my God and I. 00:07:05.471 --> 00:07:09.459 Words or the way it sounds Both. 00:07:09.459 --> 00:07:16.146 What was it In Gethsemane? 00:07:16.146 --> 00:07:18.267 Alone the words or the way it sounds. 00:07:18.267 --> 00:07:20.910 All of it Very good, I love it. 00:07:20.910 --> 00:07:22.411 What else? 00:07:22.411 --> 00:07:29.076 Yes, okay, words are the way it sounds, the words Very good. 00:07:29.076 --> 00:07:30.261 Anybody else? 00:07:30.261 --> 00:07:43.673 Favorite song Brooklyn Tanner, when I survey the wondrous cross, words are the way it sounds, the words okay. 00:07:43.673 --> 00:07:45.115 Anybody else? 00:07:45.115 --> 00:07:47.216 Favorite song that we sing or you sing? 00:07:47.216 --> 00:07:53.529 My Jesus knows you like the way it sounds or the words? 00:07:53.529 --> 00:07:56.875 The words, absolutely anybody else. 00:07:56.875 --> 00:08:00.324 Yes, the greatest commands. 00:08:00.324 --> 00:08:02.528 The words are the way it sounds. 00:08:02.528 --> 00:08:05.911 Fans the words or the way it sounds Both. 00:08:05.911 --> 00:08:16.040 Yeah, that is one of my favorite songs to hear, especially here, specifically at Stop Nine. 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:16.982 I just I remember that song as a kid. 00:08:16.982 --> 00:08:20.387 That's one of the songs I remember singing and just thinking man, that sounds so good, very good. 00:08:20.387 --> 00:08:21.769 Anybody else Favorite song? 00:08:21.769 --> 00:08:31.807 You are right, I won't tell you what Gary just said. 00:08:31.807 --> 00:08:36.086 Hear me say this. 00:08:36.086 --> 00:08:40.692 I'm repeating the words that your elder said. 00:08:40.692 --> 00:08:42.986 Most of you are old people. 00:08:42.986 --> 00:08:49.706 I did not say that He'll be there one day. 00:08:49.706 --> 00:08:52.822 You give him cold mashed potatoes that day. 00:08:52.822 --> 00:08:57.462 Light the fire From church camp. 00:08:57.462 --> 00:09:00.171 Yeah, that's true too. 00:09:00.171 --> 00:09:02.827 There's certain songs that you relate to because of the place. 00:09:02.827 --> 00:09:20.158 There you go Olive's Brow, okay. 00:09:20.158 --> 00:09:27.828 So he throws that comment out and then he picks an old, old song. 00:09:27.828 --> 00:09:32.705 It's not in the book. 00:09:32.705 --> 00:09:33.725 Yeah, it's on the scrolls. 00:09:33.725 --> 00:09:40.288 It's on the tablet, not the iPad. 00:09:40.288 --> 00:09:43.900 In Christ Alone. 00:09:43.900 --> 00:09:52.312 Yes, very good. 00:09:52.312 --> 00:09:54.094 See, we just keep doing this. 00:09:54.094 --> 00:09:55.900 I'll say class is over and we'll be done. 00:09:55.900 --> 00:09:57.605 This is good, this is great. 00:09:57.605 --> 00:09:58.486 What else? 00:09:58.486 --> 00:10:05.914 Any other songs you relate to or really like to, or really like? 00:10:05.914 --> 00:10:07.302 What was it? 00:10:07.302 --> 00:10:11.913 Hilltops of Glory, All right, you like the way it sounds, or the words, or the words. 00:10:11.913 --> 00:10:17.811 There you go, come to the garden alone. 00:10:17.811 --> 00:10:20.206 You like the words, or the Phil? 00:10:20.206 --> 00:10:20.990 What's your favorite song? 00:10:20.990 --> 00:10:25.788 I'm putting you on the spot. 00:10:25.788 --> 00:10:26.971 Yeah, why? 00:10:26.971 --> 00:10:33.373 You like the words? 00:10:33.373 --> 00:10:34.075 Or you like the way it sounds? 00:10:34.075 --> 00:10:34.777 Yeah, that's good. 00:10:34.777 --> 00:10:43.791 Yeah, as the deer, that's a good one. 00:10:43.791 --> 00:10:45.201 I like Build your Kingdom. 00:10:45.201 --> 00:10:46.364 Here the kids have been singing that one. 00:10:46.364 --> 00:10:48.809 Last week when just the kids sang Ugh. 00:10:48.809 --> 00:10:54.184 Yeah, that's one of my favorites. 00:10:54.184 --> 00:10:55.830 Now Anybody else? 00:10:55.830 --> 00:10:59.744 Okay, we'll dive into. 00:10:59.744 --> 00:11:03.633 Come Thou, fount of Every Blessing. 00:11:03.633 --> 00:11:08.111 It is a Christian hymn written by Robert Robinson. 00:11:08.111 --> 00:11:11.830 It was written in 1757, and I share that with you. 00:11:11.830 --> 00:11:18.029 I'll relate to that at the end of the class, but it was written by Robert Robinson in 1757. 00:11:18.029 --> 00:11:35.086 It expresses deep gratitude to God for his grace and his mercy and his blessings of God, or to God for his grace and his mercy and his blessings, and it emphasizes, as you read through and sing the song, the need for God's guidance in our life and our desire, hopefully, to have a closer relationship with him. 00:11:35.086 --> 00:11:43.368 One of the first things that we read about or we discover as we sing the song is that God is our source of blessings. 00:11:43.368 --> 00:11:56.320 The title and the opening line is Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, acknowledging that God is the source, the ultimate source for good things, of blessings, of love and of grace. 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:08.135 And of course, a fount refers to a spring or a source of water, symbolizing God's unending provision for living, life-giving greats. 00:12:08.135 --> 00:12:14.273 And so I thought what we would do is we just kind of talk about each topic that the song kind of addresses. 00:12:14.273 --> 00:12:16.749 I thought we would open it up for some discussion as well. 00:12:16.749 --> 00:12:25.350 And so, as we talk about the idea of a blessing, what is a blessing that you are thankful for this morning, in this moment? 00:12:25.350 --> 00:12:26.567 What is a blessing that you are thankful for this morning, in this moment? 00:12:26.567 --> 00:12:33.592 What is a blessing from God, as we sing about God's blessings, what is a blessing that, as you sit here this morning, you're thankful for? 00:12:33.592 --> 00:12:37.644 Chuck says another day of life, very good. 00:12:37.644 --> 00:12:40.768 Your children, very good. 00:12:40.768 --> 00:12:41.249 Anybody else A blessing? 00:12:41.249 --> 00:12:42.591 Yes, very good. 00:12:42.591 --> 00:12:46.496 Anybody else A blessing yes, very good. 00:12:46.496 --> 00:12:47.738 What else? 00:12:47.738 --> 00:12:50.863 Any other blessings as we sit here this morning that we're thankful for? 00:12:50.863 --> 00:13:02.054 Forgiveness, family, anything else Blessings? 00:13:02.054 --> 00:13:03.277 What was it? 00:13:03.277 --> 00:13:06.504 The love that he has for us, very good. 00:13:06.504 --> 00:13:10.870 What was it? 00:13:10.870 --> 00:13:12.352 Your wife? 00:13:12.352 --> 00:13:13.634 Good answer. 00:13:13.634 --> 00:13:18.969 I'm going to say my wife too I'm going to just cheat right off of you today. 00:13:18.969 --> 00:13:21.379 Good answer, very good. 00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:25.014 What other blessings are we thankful for as we sit here this morning? 00:13:25.014 --> 00:13:31.586 Because hopefully, as we sing that song and you say those words, come thou fount of every blessing. 00:13:31.586 --> 00:13:38.753 Hopefully you're not just singing those words but you're being reminded of some of the things that God is doing in your life, and so we'll keep going. 00:13:38.753 --> 00:13:40.799 We'll kind of go through this a little bit farther. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:44.850 The second thing we kind of sing about is gratitude and worship. 00:13:44.850 --> 00:13:58.753 The hymn expresses heartfelt gratitude for God's blessings and grace, offer praises to God and declares that they are thankful for all the good things that have come from him. 00:13:58.753 --> 00:14:16.495 They're expressing, as we sing through this song, we're expressing and acknowledging God's goodness and his generosity and his generosity, and so this question very much sounds like the question I just asked, but I'm going to ask it and see if we get different answers. 00:14:16.495 --> 00:14:26.360 What is something that you have to worship God about? 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:27.101 Today Mom's still being here. 00:14:27.101 --> 00:14:29.347 Justin says Our mother has had a week. 00:14:29.347 --> 00:14:38.504 If you haven't heard, she had a minor stroke this week and so we're thankful that she's doing better, she's on the mend, she's getting stronger. 00:14:38.504 --> 00:14:46.809 Hopefully she's going to go to a rehab facility early this week and be there for a couple weeks and hopefully she'll get back to full strength. 00:14:46.809 --> 00:15:14.246 So I say all that to say she's doing better and we're thankful Any other things as we sing that song this morning that you are worshiping God for yes, sir, I think we're very thankful as a congregation that we would retire from this ministry. 00:15:14.326 --> 00:15:20.472 This went very smoothly. 00:15:22.554 --> 00:15:23.076 Absolutely. 00:15:23.076 --> 00:15:23.917 Thank you. 00:15:23.917 --> 00:15:26.745 Anybody else? 00:15:26.745 --> 00:15:34.549 People all together, all of us together, absolutely. 00:15:34.549 --> 00:15:35.552 What was the one in the back? 00:15:35.552 --> 00:15:37.221 Salvation? 00:15:37.221 --> 00:15:38.462 Absolutely Very good. 00:15:38.462 --> 00:15:39.705 Anything else? 00:15:39.705 --> 00:16:04.511 Our children's ministry yeah, it is amazing each and every week how loud they can be, but it's truly amazing how many kids we do have here and it is a great, wonderful thing, very thankful for that ministry that we have absolutely Anything else, things that we identify, that we can worship God for this morning. 00:16:04.511 --> 00:16:10.109 All right, we'll keep diving through this song. 00:16:12.341 --> 00:16:15.791 The human need for divine help is something else that we learn from the song. 00:16:15.791 --> 00:16:22.330 The lyric expresses the singer's recognition of human's weakness and the need for God's help to remain faithful. 00:16:22.330 --> 00:16:36.168 We hear phrases like tune my heart to sing thy grace Shows that the songwriter understands their need for God's help in cultivating a heart that praises him and lives according to his will. 00:16:36.168 --> 00:16:51.527 And so I thought what we could do here as we think about that tune thy heart to sing thy grace, with an understanding of we need God, we are dependent on God, we need God's love, we need his grace, we need his mercy, and as we sing that song, we're reminded of those things. 00:16:51.527 --> 00:16:51.893 That's what we need. 00:16:51.854 --> 00:16:52.118 We need God. 00:16:52.118 --> 00:16:52.259 We cannot. 00:16:52.259 --> 00:16:53.528 We need his grace, we need his mercy, and as we sing that song, we're reminded of those things. 00:16:53.528 --> 00:16:53.774 That's what we need. 00:16:53.774 --> 00:16:54.019 We need God. 00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:55.304 We cannot do this on our own. 00:16:55.304 --> 00:16:57.364 We, in fact do need God. 00:16:57.364 --> 00:17:00.111 We need the Father, we need the Son and we need the Holy Spirit. 00:17:00.111 --> 00:17:11.112 And so I thought what we could do at into our class Any prayer requests this morning. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:23.590 One is this one which would be Holly's brother's wife Thanksgiving Day wasn't feeling she's expecting. 00:17:23.590 --> 00:17:33.269 She wasn't feeling good on Thanksgiving Day and she went to the bathroom and passed stuff and she's only 26 weeks. 00:17:33.309 --> 00:17:34.882 They had to rush her to OSU. 00:17:34.882 --> 00:17:36.526 She's there now. 00:17:37.829 --> 00:17:45.071 They have got some of the contractions stopped, but she's completely abased and her cervix has softened. 00:17:45.093 --> 00:17:53.051 She's in for a month If the baby can stay for a month, then they'll be there for a lot longer. 00:17:53.051 --> 00:17:58.904 Yes, okay, we'll be praying for her Children and grandchildren. 00:17:58.904 --> 00:18:00.130 Absolutely. 00:18:00.130 --> 00:18:11.570 Any other prayer requests, kenneth? 00:18:11.570 --> 00:18:19.522 Thank you, carol. 00:18:19.522 --> 00:18:20.025 Did you have one? 00:18:20.025 --> 00:18:27.762 There you go? 00:18:27.762 --> 00:18:29.627 Anybody else Prayer requests? 00:18:29.627 --> 00:18:35.981 Yes, what was it? 00:18:35.981 --> 00:18:41.590 Yes, who was it? 00:18:41.590 --> 00:18:59.320 Do you have a name, jennifer, for the sister-in-law, sophia Hutchinson, sophia Hutchinson, what else was it? 00:18:59.320 --> 00:19:03.268 Yeah, any other prayer requests? 00:19:03.268 --> 00:19:04.029 Good deal, let's pray. 00:19:04.049 --> 00:19:06.653 Father, we thank you so much for the way that you work in our life. 00:19:06.653 --> 00:19:20.250 God, we, we are dependent on you and, god, I pray that as we sing and as we worship you, and as we worship you and as we live our daily life, that we will be a group of people, a family, that focuses and has a desire to lean on you. 00:19:20.250 --> 00:19:23.741 God, we're thankful for the way that you work in our life, god, we're thankful for the way that you love us. 00:19:23.741 --> 00:19:30.753 God, we're thankful for the way that you are always there, even when we don't recognize it, even when we don't understand. 00:19:30.753 --> 00:19:39.523 We're thankful for just the way that you are consistent. 00:19:39.523 --> 00:19:42.712 And, father, there's so many different things going on right now around the world, in our families, in our community. 00:19:42.712 --> 00:19:47.728 God, we ask for prayers for those we pray for Troy's sister-in-law. 00:19:47.728 --> 00:19:54.522 Just continue to be with her and her family and be with the doctors and those who are working with her. 00:19:54.522 --> 00:20:02.910 And, god, we just pray that you'll continue to be with them and that there'll be a safe delivery there and just be with that whole process. 00:20:02.910 --> 00:20:09.971 We do pray for our children and our grandchildren many different families represented here and we pray for each and every one of them. 00:20:09.971 --> 00:20:11.913 We pray for Kenneth Wiley. 00:20:11.913 --> 00:20:15.901 We pray for Danielle as well, god. 00:20:15.901 --> 00:20:17.667 We pray for my mother as well. 00:20:17.667 --> 00:20:20.409 We pray for Angie and the Barris family. 00:20:20.409 --> 00:20:24.049 Continue to be with them as they start this process and be with them. 00:20:24.049 --> 00:20:26.922 Give them peace and comfort, father. 00:20:26.922 --> 00:20:28.067 We pray for Woody as well. 00:20:28.067 --> 00:20:31.148 Continue to be with him and his health and his upcoming stuff. 00:20:31.148 --> 00:20:43.751 God, we just thank you for the way that you love us and we can recognize that and we can understand that and hopefully, as we sing praises to you, that we can depend on that. 00:20:43.751 --> 00:20:46.728 Be with each and every one of those prayer requests. 00:20:46.728 --> 00:20:49.509 It's in Jesus' name that we pray, amen. 00:20:51.520 --> 00:20:52.785 There's a part of the song. 00:20:52.785 --> 00:20:59.491 It's my favorite part of the song and up to this week I couldn't tell you what it meant, but I do enjoy it. 00:20:59.491 --> 00:21:00.840 I think I just like singing it. 00:21:00.840 --> 00:21:01.642 It's the kid in me. 00:21:01.642 --> 00:21:03.703 We'll go to that part. 00:21:04.566 --> 00:21:07.788 Here I raise my Ebenezer. 00:21:07.788 --> 00:21:13.695 I just think it's a fun word to say here I raise my Ebenezer. 00:21:13.695 --> 00:21:18.666 Does anybody know what that means or what an Ebenezer is? 00:21:18.666 --> 00:21:23.307 I heard a bunch of mumbles, I don't know. 00:21:23.307 --> 00:21:27.667 Here I raise my Ebenezer. 00:21:27.667 --> 00:21:30.342 It's a stone, yeah, a stone of help. 00:21:30.342 --> 00:21:31.286 Can you quote what passage that comes from? 00:21:31.286 --> 00:21:31.847 Okay, I raise my Ebenezer. 00:21:31.847 --> 00:21:32.510 It's a stone, yeah, stone of help. 00:21:32.510 --> 00:21:33.957 Can you quote what passage that comes from? 00:21:33.957 --> 00:21:40.365 Okay, stone of help, help. 00:21:40.365 --> 00:21:42.872 It actually comes from 1 Samuel, chapter 7. 00:21:42.872 --> 00:21:46.859 And we'll read through that in just a minute. 00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:48.259 But yeah, it's a stone. 00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:49.260 I don't know why. 00:21:49.260 --> 00:21:50.769 I always thought of like a feather or something. 00:21:50.769 --> 00:21:51.211 I don't know. 00:21:51.211 --> 00:21:55.731 I didn't have a clue what an Ebenezer was, but I was raising it. 00:21:57.740 --> 00:21:59.888 So we jump to 1 Samuel 7. 00:21:59.888 --> 00:22:01.527 I think it's verse 3. 00:22:01.527 --> 00:22:03.948 Let me make sure we're in the right place. 00:22:03.948 --> 00:22:14.392 Yes, 1 Samuel 7, verse 3. 00:22:14.392 --> 00:22:19.511 We'll read through this just a little bit because hopefully it gives you a better understanding. 00:22:19.511 --> 00:22:29.874 Then it says Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:32.528 Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone. 00:22:32.528 --> 00:22:35.248 Then he will rescue you from the Philistines. 00:22:35.248 --> 00:22:41.488 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and of Ashtoreth and worshiped only God. 00:22:41.488 --> 00:22:51.505 So this is one of those cycles where God's people is not being faithful, and so when they're not faithful, we know as we read through Scripture, they often fell into hard times, and so this is one of those moments. 00:22:51.505 --> 00:22:51.926 They're not faithful. 00:22:51.926 --> 00:22:54.135 We know that, as we read through scripture, they often fell into hard times, and so this is one of those moments. 00:22:54.135 --> 00:22:57.926 They're not worshiping God, they're worshiping idols, they're worshiping images and things like that. 00:22:57.926 --> 00:23:04.051 And so Samuel's telling them if you, if you want the Lord to return to you, you need to to get rid of the idols. 00:23:04.051 --> 00:23:06.440 So they do that verse 5 says. 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:12.854 Then Samuel told them gather all of the all of Israel topah, and I will pray to the Lord for you. 00:23:12.854 --> 00:23:18.913 So they gathered at Mizpah and in a great ceremony, they drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. 00:23:18.913 --> 00:23:24.071 They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:31.516 When the Philistines' rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. 00:23:31.516 --> 00:23:36.428 The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. 00:23:36.428 --> 00:23:42.631 So they go and they gather together and they start basically just in a sense worshiping God. 00:23:42.631 --> 00:23:44.020 They're only depending on him. 00:23:44.020 --> 00:23:47.388 They're fasting, they're not eating, they're depending on God. 00:23:47.388 --> 00:23:49.080 They're no longer worshiping the idols. 00:23:49.080 --> 00:23:57.474 But when they do that, the word kind of gets out to the Philistines that hey, all of our enemies, the Israelites, are all in one location. 00:23:57.474 --> 00:24:04.594 And so if you're an enemy, that makes a lot of sense to, let's go attack them, especially if you learn what they're doing. 00:24:04.594 --> 00:24:06.767 They're worshiping God and they're not eating. 00:24:06.767 --> 00:24:10.040 When you don't eat, you get what Weak, you lose your strength. 00:24:10.040 --> 00:24:20.066 And so it's a really great opportunity for the Philistines to take out the Israelites, and so that's what they decide to do. 00:24:20.728 --> 00:24:25.204 When the Philistine rulers had heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their armies in advance. 00:24:25.204 --> 00:24:26.048 That's verse 7. 00:24:26.048 --> 00:24:29.583 The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. 00:24:29.583 --> 00:24:34.832 Don't stop pleading with the Lord, our God, to save us from the Philistines. 00:24:34.832 --> 00:24:35.933 They begged Samuel. 00:24:35.933 --> 00:24:40.270 So now who is their attention on and their trust? 00:24:40.270 --> 00:24:41.775 It's fully on God. 00:24:41.775 --> 00:24:42.999 Please don't. 00:24:42.999 --> 00:24:44.000 They're begging and pleading. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:46.509 Please don't give up on us. 00:24:46.509 --> 00:24:47.512 Keep praying for us. 00:24:47.512 --> 00:24:49.198 They're begging Samuel. 00:24:49.198 --> 00:24:52.843 So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a burnt offering. 00:24:52.843 --> 00:24:57.133 He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel and the Lord answered him. 00:24:58.180 --> 00:25:15.986 Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel, but the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from the heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such a confusion that the Israelites defeated them. 00:25:15.986 --> 00:25:19.772 I want you to think about that. 00:25:19.772 --> 00:25:26.290 The Israelites did not go to Mizpah with the idea of going into a war, a battle. 00:25:26.290 --> 00:25:28.153 They went with the idea of worshiping. 00:25:28.153 --> 00:25:33.988 And so, if my understanding is correct and I'm thinking through this they probably were not prepared for battle. 00:25:33.988 --> 00:25:35.586 They were prepared to worship. 00:25:35.586 --> 00:25:44.612 And so when they hear that the Philistines are coming, it makes total sense that they're scared, that they know they're kind of outmatched, outnumbered and unprepared. 00:25:44.612 --> 00:25:51.866 So Samuel starts praying to God that God would be with the Israelites, and he offers the sacrifice. 00:25:52.299 --> 00:26:05.567 And we read there that a loud thunder of a voice spoke, and it caused the Philistines to go into a confusion and the Israelites defeated them. 00:26:05.567 --> 00:26:12.904 The men of Israel chased them down from Mizpah to a place below Bethkar, slaughtering them all along the way. 00:26:12.904 --> 00:26:15.231 Here we go. 00:26:15.231 --> 00:26:29.693 Then Samuel took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshunah and he named it Ebenezer, which means the stone of help. 00:26:29.693 --> 00:26:32.006 You get a gold star today. 00:26:32.006 --> 00:26:37.671 And he said up to this point, the Lord has helped us. 00:26:37.671 --> 00:26:46.492 So there's a full recognition that they couldn't do that without God. 00:26:46.492 --> 00:27:01.082 And so they literally make a memorial, a stone, and say say the lord has helped us up into this point, and hopefully that's a reminder for them that the lord was with them then, that he'll continue to be with them. 00:27:01.082 --> 00:27:06.741 But also it's a moment where they can sit back and reflect and say, oh, god has really been with me. 00:27:08.464 --> 00:27:12.211 And so when we sing this song, come thou, fount of every blessing. 00:27:12.211 --> 00:27:15.041 Here I raise my ebonies. 00:27:15.041 --> 00:27:27.942 Here I'm recognizing of everything that you've done for me, I'm recognizing the work that you've done, I'm recognizing how you've gotten me through situations, changes, kind of the idea of the song, at least for me. 00:27:27.942 --> 00:27:31.451 I no longer think of a feather for some random reason. 00:27:31.451 --> 00:27:35.749 It's the complete opposite really. 00:27:35.749 --> 00:27:44.039 But this is what God has done for us and for you and I. 00:27:49.050 --> 00:27:51.958 But then you keep reading and you get to the third verse. 00:27:51.958 --> 00:27:52.839 Actually I want to go to this point. 00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:55.608 Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God. 00:27:55.608 --> 00:28:09.406 So, even though God has done many different things for us and we recognize that, we have a tendency to what Wander away, to see what else life could have if it wasn't filled with God. 00:28:09.406 --> 00:28:20.624 It's kind of that struggle with sin and temptation, prone to wonder, prone to leave the God I love Reflects of the struggle with sin and the human tendency to turn away from God. 00:28:21.045 --> 00:28:25.041 The more I thought about this verse of the song, the more I thought about the prodigal son. 00:28:25.041 --> 00:28:35.928 Most of the time we look at the story of the prodigal son, we focus at the end oh, god loved him and he gave him a hug, he gave him a kiss, he gave him the sandals, he gave him the robe, the crown, everything else. 00:28:35.928 --> 00:28:44.226 The son was living a good life on the farm and wanted to see what else was out there. 00:28:44.226 --> 00:28:47.722 And we oftentimes do the same thing. 00:28:47.722 --> 00:28:56.974 We recognize God and we recognize the things that he's done in our life, but we are prone to wander, we are prone to want to do our own thing. 00:28:56.974 --> 00:28:59.523 We are stubborn people aren't we? 00:28:59.523 --> 00:29:13.015 We all are stubborn about something and we get frustrated, we get upset. 00:29:13.015 --> 00:29:13.756 We don't think we're in the wrong. 00:29:13.756 --> 00:29:14.737 We do that Overall as we kind of wrap up. 00:29:14.737 --> 00:29:23.428 I don't know where we are time-wise, but as we wrap up there's an overall emphasis on the idea of grace and salvation. 00:29:24.650 --> 00:29:35.390 I found this article about the author, robert, and it tells a story towards the middle of his life. 00:29:35.390 --> 00:29:40.727 It says years later, after Robert wrote this song, he wandered away from God. 00:29:40.727 --> 00:29:46.797 He had a spiritual backslide and he was traveling on a stagecoach. 00:29:46.797 --> 00:29:57.122 One day His only companion on the stagecoach with him was a young woman that he didn't know and only the way that God could do it. 00:29:57.122 --> 00:30:08.125 Not realizing who she was sitting with or who she had been speaking to, she started to sing Come Thou, fount of Every Blessing. 00:30:09.836 --> 00:30:15.523 And as she started to sing it, robert kind of looked at her, knowing the song, knowing the tune and knowing the words. 00:30:15.523 --> 00:30:22.969 He looked at her and he wondered why is she singing that? 00:30:22.969 --> 00:30:31.022 He tried to change the subject and she asked him what do you think of this hymn that I am humming? 00:30:31.022 --> 00:30:47.296 And he responded Madam, I am a poor, unhappy man who wrote that hymn years ago, him years ago. 00:30:47.296 --> 00:30:55.829 I would give a thousand worlds if I had them to enjoy that feeling I had when I wrote that song and she responded with sir, the streams of mercy are still flowing. 00:30:55.829 --> 00:31:07.165 He was deeply touched by that and, as a result, he had an encounter with God and his fellowship with the Lord was restored and he restored his faith. 00:31:07.165 --> 00:31:12.962 But, sir, your streams of mercy are still flowing. 00:31:12.962 --> 00:31:15.228 The streams of mercy are still. 00:31:15.228 --> 00:31:19.419 I hope that story is true. 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:21.421 I found it a couple different places. 00:31:21.421 --> 00:31:29.148 It's a neat story and a great reminder that his mercies are still flowing for you and I and for the world. 00:31:29.148 --> 00:31:32.051 So hopefully you learned something about the song. 00:31:32.051 --> 00:31:49.248 If nothing else, hopefully you learned about a rock All right, and I was encouraged to hear how God's working in your life and some of the things that we have to praise him about and what we're thankful for, and we'll certainly keep praying for those prayer requests as well. 00:31:49.248 --> 00:31:53.138 But I'm going to ask Tim if you would, if we could sing this song one more time and we'll kind of wrap up for this morning. 00:31:53.138 --> 00:31:57.895 I believe Bryce will be here next week, so he'll help us out next week too. 00:31:57.895 --> 00:32:01.463 We'll go back to the beginning and, tim, whenever you're ready. 00:32:03.208 --> 00:32:07.715 Come now, fount of every blessing. 00:32:07.715 --> 00:32:12.520 Tune my heart to sing thy grace. 00:32:12.520 --> 00:32:22.531 Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise. 00:32:22.531 --> 00:32:32.627 Teach me some melodious sonnet Song of faming tongues above. 00:32:32.627 --> 00:32:34.979 Praise the mount. 00:32:34.979 --> 00:32:43.027 I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. 00:32:43.027 --> 00:32:49.596 Here I raise my Ebenezer Hither. 00:32:49.596 --> 00:33:03.817 By thy help I've come, and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. 00:33:03.817 --> 00:33:24.824 Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God, from danger, interpose his precious blood. 00:33:24.824 --> 00:33:30.046 O to grace, how great a debtor. 00:33:30.046 --> 00:33:40.470 Daily I'm constrained like a fetter. 00:33:40.470 --> 00:33:45.571 Bind my wandering heart to thee. 00:33:45.571 --> 00:33:56.117 Prone to wander, lord, I feel it prone to leave the god I love. 00:33:56.117 --> 00:33:58.441 Here's my heart. 00:33:58.441 --> 00:34:01.423 Oh, take and seal. 00:34:01.423 --> 00:34:07.810 Seal it for thy courts above. 00:34:07.830 --> 00:34:10.233 Very good, let's pray. 00:34:10.233 --> 00:34:11.956 Father, we thank you so much for your love. 00:34:11.956 --> 00:34:13.822 God, we thank you for your grace and your mercy. 00:34:13.822 --> 00:34:21.117 God, we're thankful for the way that you work in our life and that we can recognize it and that we can understand the ways that you work. 00:34:21.117 --> 00:34:28.288 And, god, I pray that this week that we can focus on the way that you've blessed us and the many things that we have to be thankful for. 00:34:28.288 --> 00:34:34.606 Father, we thank you for the opportunity to pray to you and to pray for others. 00:34:34.606 --> 00:34:53.347 And God, there's many different situations going on right now and we just pray that you would give peace and comfort to them, to those families, allow them to feel your presence and to understand that you're with them, be with the many different medical teams and doctors and nurses working with those people and just continue to be with them. 00:34:53.347 --> 00:35:04.362 Lord, I ask that you give us a week this week that we can go out into the world and that we can be a light to the community, that we can understand and experience your love and that we can share that with the world that we live in. 00:35:04.362 --> 00:35:07.965 Thank you for Jesus, and it's in his name that we pray, amen. 00:35:08.695 --> 00:35:10.081 A couple things as we dismiss. 00:35:10.081 --> 00:35:13.862 We will have on the 15th. 00:35:13.862 --> 00:35:33.556 So we'll have one more class in here next week and then on the 15th we're having family breakfast at the youth center and so instead of Bible class, the elders and the staff are going to be serving breakfast across the street and we encourage you to wear your Christmas sweaters, your ugly Christmas sweaters, your Christmas stuff and things like that, and we'll have breakfast. 00:35:33.556 --> 00:35:42.547 I think we're going to do French toast sticks and eggs and sausage and just cereal and things like that, and so we like to do that at least a couple times a year. 00:35:42.547 --> 00:35:44.543