WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:21.280 Hey, great to be with you. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:22.239 This is amazing. 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:23.440 This is exciting. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:28.559 I woke up this morning and my daughter had left encouragement posts. 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:30.719 It's all around the house. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.039 So if you're wondering what this is, I had to take it down. 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:35.840 I wanted this in front of me as I'm preaching today. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:37.119 Amazing. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:46.560 Just uh full disclosure, like I've been on the verge of just flat out weeping uh all morning long, like right there. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:47.039 Whew. 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:49.679 Uh pull it back, pull it back, get through it. 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.640 Uh, but I mean, it's just unbelievable. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:54.000 Thank you for coming. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:01:02.240 Uh, thank you uh for those of you who traveled uh to be here and just gotten to give a bunch of hugs this morning. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:05.120 It means the world uh to us. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.879 I want to take a moment and just really thank uh our staff and team. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:10.640 They've worked tirelessly. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.840 Can we just thank them and for what they have done? 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:21.280 Um and I wanted to just uh real here's something amazing. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.640 Ten years ago, who knew we'd be here 10 years later? 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:25.359 I didn't. 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:27.359 I hoped it, didn't know it. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:35.680 Um, but can I just if I want to do something, if you have been with us since the very first uh year, would you mind standing up? 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.000 There's a handful of us that have been a part of this. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.879 Go ahead, stand on up from the very beginning. 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:44.799 It's amazing. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:47.840 Thank you guys. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:50.799 Thank you for being a part of that. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:52.159 It means a ton. 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:55.599 When we started out, we're like, we don't know if anybody's gonna join us. 00:01:55.680 --> 00:02:02.400 And to not only see all of you join us, but then those who stuck with us too means the world uh to us. 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.680 Uh you might be wondering why in the world does a church have a birthday? 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:07.599 That's kind of weird, that's odd. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:16.000 Um, and here's the reason why is uh we believe that not just an event happened two years ago, but a movement happened two years ago. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:20.960 And God birthed a movement to awaken this generation to new life in Jesus. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:25.120 And by the way, we just think birthdays are funner to celebrate than anniversaries. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:29.039 Uh and we love to party as a church. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:39.680 Um and yet we wouldn't be gathering today if it wasn't for uh actually, I was just rummaging through my wife's purse looking for Kleenex. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.240 Um, if anybody's got some, you can bring it to me. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:46.960 I'm literally, I'm not no lie, I'm like on the verge uh of it. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:47.680 Uh there. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:48.719 I didn't find them. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:49.439 That's what I'm saying. 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:50.800 I didn't find Queenex. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:52.400 Thank you. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:59.360 Apropos um and actually, Steve, this is a perfect segue. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:00.800 Could you stay standing up? 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:09.280 Uh this is Steve Clifford, he's been the lead pastor at Westgate Church forever. 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.560 Maybe not forever, but it felt like it. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:20.960 Uh and uh we wouldn't be gathered in existing today if it wasn't for you. 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:24.240 And Dana, like I said. 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:27.120 Oey. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.520 Um many of you know this. 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:37.759 Uh Jenny and I never wanted to plan a church, we never wanted to lead a church. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:41.680 And 12 years ago, Steve asked, Hey, would you plan a church for awakening? 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.680 And I said, uh, let me pray about it. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:45.919 I didn't, let's full disclosure. 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:50.479 And I came back to him and said, No. 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:56.719 A year later, God had shifted our hearts that we knew something was happening next. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:57.840 We didn't know what it was. 00:03:57.919 --> 00:03:59.520 We've been praying, seeking. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:04.080 Uh, by the that time, I finally brought it to Steve and I said, Steve, we don't know what's next. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.400 We love you, we love Westgate, we love everything. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:07.840 In fact, everything's going really good. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:11.599 We just know there's a shift and something's next. 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:12.719 And he's a texting. 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:15.759 So he said, Well, shoot! Why don't you plan awakening as a church? 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:16.959 That's my best Clifford. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:17.839 Uh, there. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:27.279 Um, and by that time, we were open to the I never's that God often has for us. 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:29.120 Isn't it true? 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.399 And we look back and so glad we did. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:33.920 So glad in that moment. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:39.680 And so, Steve, as you step into the next season of ministry, you have so much legacy. 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:46.399 And Dana, you have so much legacy with Westgate and other pastors and what you've done in the bay. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.000 And awakening is a part of that legacy. 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:53.759 And so, can we honor their leadership? 00:04:58.399 --> 00:04:58.720 Oh. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:06.319 Hope to not get too snotty this morning on you. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:13.519 Ten years ago, um Jay Kim, who is now the lead pastor at uh Westgate, he started out with me at Awakening. 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:25.600 He and I, uh, on this day 10 years ago, we're underneath the stage in the theater, sweaty and grimy, trying to desperately to lower that stage to like make it just right. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:35.120 I mean, we came sprinting into the very first service of Awakening Church, sweaty and grimy and stinky. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:40.639 Uh, and so I began to ask, well, how do we want to begin the next 10 as awakening? 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:44.560 How do we step into the next 10 of awakening? 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:46.879 Uh, or maybe I this is clever. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:48.480 I don't know if it's funny or not. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:49.759 It could be good. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:52.480 Like, how do we bring heaven in year 11? 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:57.759 You know, like how do we I know, dad joke and terrible? 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:07.439 But what I've really been wrestling with as we step into a new decade, and we we judge kind of our lives by decades, don't we? 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:18.160 Our 20s, our thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, and so on, as a church, as we step into a new decade, how do we confidently step into an uncertain future? 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:28.399 How do we actually have confidence, not just wishing, hoping, wondering, maybe, but how do we have confidence as we step into this new decade? 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:45.439 That what we know is an uncertain future, whether we look at, you know, inflation and what is a recession on the horizon and the war in Ukraine, and then that's just the macro, not just the micro, and what we know over the last few years, right, is that we know a couple things. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.680 Life's really fragile, isn't it? 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:55.279 Life's really fragile, and the future's way more uncertain than we ever cared believe. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:00.240 And can you actually have confidence? 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:08.879 Move forward in life with confidence in the face of an uncertain future. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:13.839 You know what's amazing is an uncertain future is nothing new to the people of God. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:28.000 And there's this passage, it's actually 2 Chronicles chapter 20, it's kind of this obscure passage, but um there's been a few anchor texts throughout our first decade, and this has been one that God has just been working in my life. 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:43.279 And in it, we're gonna discover how do we step into this next season, how do you step into whatever season you're in with confidence, regardless of the circumstances, and without even knowing the certainty of what the future may hold. 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:47.839 So if you got your Bibles, would you open up to 2 Chronicles chapter 20? 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.399 If you got your phones, it might be easier to find 2 Chronicles chapter 20. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:53.839 Let me give you a little context. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:08:03.439 Originally, uh the Jewish people were a united kingdom of twelve different tribes under one king, started with Saul, then David, then Solomon. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.560 Then there was a civil war during King Reboam's rule. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:10.720 He was the son of Solomon over taxation, and the nation divided. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:16.800 Ten tribes to the north called Israel, two tribes to the south called Judah. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:19.920 Now the southern tribes had the city of Jerusalem. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.560 That's where the temple of God was. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:37.440 And the book of Chronicles, namely 2 Chronicles, really tells in detail uh the life and the legacy of the different kings, both in the northern and in the southern uh of Israel and of Judah. 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:53.360 And in 2 Chronicles 20, we get this picture of one part of the story of a guy named uh King Jehoshaphat, who was Solomon's great-great grandson, and he's a king of the southern uh tribes, the two southern tribes called Judah. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:09:00.399 And fun fact, by the way, uh when we got our dog six years ago, my vote was to name her Jehosaphat. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:04.320 I got vetoed. 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:05.360 I got vetoed. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:11.840 And we named her Finley, and a girl named for Jehoshaphat may not fly anyways, whatever. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:17.120 And so uh we pick up the story of Jehoshaphat 20. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:20.080 He's a good king, had a long and flourishing rule. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.879 It looked like the future was on lock. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:25.840 Only good on the horizon. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:28.639 And that's exactly where we pick up the story. 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:34.559 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 1. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:42.000 After this, the Moabites, the Amamites, and some of the Munites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:49.840 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, a vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:51.679 It's already to Hezazam. 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:52.960 Yeah, I said that too fast. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:55.200 Tamar, that is Engedi. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:04.240 Jehoshaphat overnight gets news that he's got three nations coming against one nation. 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.440 They're teaming up, and the odds are against him. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:12.720 A vast, numerable army is on the way, and he gets this news. 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:17.519 They're already at Engedi, which is about a two-day journey from Jerusalem. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:23.519 He's just getting his intel now, and all of a sudden, his world was flipped upside down. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.559 And the future is absolutely uncertain. 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:35.039 Has no idea what to do and what's gonna happen, and if their way of life is going to stay the same. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:38.159 And here's what I do know about the next decade. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:41.279 This may not be as encouraging to you, but it is helpful. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:46.960 In the next decade, we will face impossible circumstances beyond our strength and ability. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:55.279 In the next decade, in the next 10 years, you will face impossible circumstances beyond your strength and ability. 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:56.480 You can count on it. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:03.759 In fact, if you just kind of chart in America or globally, we have some global crisis just about every decade. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:18.559 And then you know personally, chances are in the next decade you'll face impossible circumstances beyond your strength and your ability. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:21.600 And so what do we do when we face those? 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:24.080 Well, look at Jehoshaphat's uh response. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:26.000 I love this, this is incredible. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:28.320 Alarmed, yeah, understatements. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:30.879 In fact, in fact, it's afraid. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:32.399 I'm afraid. 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:33.519 Yeah. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:41.919 Jehoshaphat then resolved or set his face to inquire of the Lord Yahweh. 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:44.480 He proclaimed a fast for all of Judah. 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:47.600 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:51.919 Indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:57.519 So these two tribes are gathering as one in the city of Jerusalem. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:11:58.559 Here's what I love. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:05.279 In the Hebrew, the way this is constructed, that alarmed and resolved, uh, is actually afraid or alarmed set. 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.840 It's these two verbs right next to each other. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.320 It's afraid set, afraid set. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:15.519 Uh it's it's uh constructed such that this ver these two verbs are acting as one. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:17.759 It's like this one response. 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:19.759 And I love that. 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:26.799 Because one, he was afraid, and I think that's where we start. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:28.879 And that's what goes on. 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:30.720 It's like, man, I'm afraid. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.559 He was it wasn't the guy that just tried to put on a good face. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.080 Tried to go, no, no, I'm the leader, I got all the answers. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:39.519 No afraid. 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:44.639 But it's what you do with what with that fear that makes all the difference. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:46.639 Afraid, set. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:52.399 Set means to fix conclusively or authoritatively. 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:57.519 I'm afraid, and so I'm gonna set conclusively or authoritatively. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:58.639 What are you gonna set? 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:02.720 And I love how um the ESV um translates this. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:10.240 He says, Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, that he was afraid of what was in front of him. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:15.600 He was afraid that in two days his way of life, his kingdom, his very life might be taken. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.759 And so he set his face, not on the enemy, but on the Lord. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:24.320 He said, I can there's only one person I can call to and go to. 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:28.480 I'm gonna set my face to the Lord. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:35.360 See, how in the world do we step confidently into an uncertain future? 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:44.320 We do it simply by this resolve to make prayer the first response instead of a last resort. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:46.240 The first response. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.919 So I'm a pastor, I guess we already knew that. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:59.840 I would love to say that prayer is often my first response, and it's not. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:06.399 I love to fix problems, and I think I'm pretty capable. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:13.679 And so the minute you hit a problem, the minute you hit a crisis, the leader in me goes into overdrive, and I'm like, okay, what do we need to do? 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:15.120 Gather the best and brightest. 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:16.480 How do we solve this problem? 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.399 And you get after the problem and eyes and gaze and fix on the issue. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:21.360 And isn't it true? 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:27.679 Those are the things that keep you up at night and wake you up early in the morning and that are running through your mind all day long. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:28.960 And he says, no, no, no. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.240 Resolve to make prayer the first response. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:38.559 Like right at the front end that I'm going to set my face on the Lord. 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:41.600 I mean, think about this. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:50.480 Two days out, he's got an army, three against one, coming to demolish him. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:15:08.159 He doesn't gather the commanders, he doesn't get the war room, doesn't call people from all of Judah, or try to rally other nations to come alongside, let's try to even the odds. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.960 In fact, when he gathers the people, what does he do? 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:19.919 He says, let's fast, let's pray, let's go to the one who controls it all. 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:29.360 Resolve to make prayer your first response instead of your last resort. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:30.799 I just wonder. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:42.879 I wonder the anxiety we would lose and the power we would experience in our daily life if we just flip the script. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:45.919 Because often, isn't it true? 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:52.799 And I I'm con guilty of this, is prayer is like the finally, okay, I'm gonna hail Mary, throw it up to God. 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:56.559 I've exhausted all of my literally hail Mary, okay? 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:00.399 Um throw it up to God. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:10.960 I just wonder the anxiety we would lose, like would dissipate from our entire body and the power we would experience. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:13.759 I like how Corey Timboon said it. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:16.000 Uh, she wrote, is it she asked this question? 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:20.639 She said, Is prayer the steering wheel of your life or the spare tire? 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:27.919 And so when we pray, what do we pray? 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:32.799 How do we pray in a way that we can step confidently into an uncertain future? 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:34.879 Listen to Jehoshaphat's prayer. 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:36.559 It's amazing. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:53.120 He goes on to say, that then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said, Lord or Yahweh, I am eternal one, the God of our ancestors. 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.360 Are you not the God who's in heaven? 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:59.039 We're dealing with earthly things, and I need a heavenly solution. 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.840 Are you not the God in heaven? 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:06.400 You, you rule over all the kingdoms of the nation. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.200 I got three nations, and yet last time I checked, you're in charge of all of them. 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:15.440 Last time I checked, you're in control of all of them. 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:26.319 Last time I checked, my great-great-grandfather wrote in uh Proverbs that the heart of the king is like channels of water in the heart, in the hand of the Lord. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.160 Like you can move them whatever way. 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:29.519 You're in control. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:40.799 Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:42.960 Here's Jehoshaphat. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:47.599 I I know we can't withstand them, but I know no one can withstand you. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.599 What do we pray when we pray? 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:54.319 How do we pray in such a way to step confidently? 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.519 First, refocus on the power of God. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:04.319 Refocus on the power, the sovereignty, the grandness, the greatness of God. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:13.359 Like you have an incredible God who spoke and all that came into being just with word. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:18.079 Like you begin to focus on the power of God. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.480 That you're actually in control, even though my life feels out of control. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:25.279 Like there is no chaos in you. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:27.519 You're actually seated on the throne. 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:31.839 You're not uncertain, even though this future feels uncertain to me. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:36.000 You actually are ordaining and navigating my very steps. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:40.559 And so I'm going to focus on the power of God. 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:41.519 I love that. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:44.720 Power and might are in your hand. 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:54.000 See, I think the question is, will we take matters into our hands or entrust them into the hands of God? 00:18:55.359 --> 00:19:03.599 I mean, the logical response in all of us who would go, yes, there is a God who created all that there is, who loves us, who's good and for us, absolutely. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:07.200 And yet it takes that resolve, doesn't it? 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:08.480 I resolve. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:09.920 I'm afraid, but I resolve. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:13.039 I'm going to set conclusively and authoritatively. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:19.039 I'm going to what I'm holding tightly into my hands, I am going to entrust into your hands. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:19.359 Why? 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.960 Because all power and authority you have. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:29.759 I want to tell you just a little story from our history about God's power. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.160 And I want to show you a picture that doesn't look all that great. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:42.000 That picture, like when I see it, I'm overwhelmed with like God's power. 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:46.079 And you're like, Brian, that's just kind of like a dinky office with a blank wall. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:48.319 Like you could have decorated it better, right? 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:53.200 Um that moment was that that's precious to me. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:55.519 So we started awakening 10 years ago. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:01.599 And it was full on blitz because we never wanted to be uh do this. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:06.480 We didn't we weren't really trained so much, and so we learned on the fly uh in so many ways. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:09.920 It was trained to be a pastor, but not to start a church. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:16.400 Two years in, we were absolutely exhausted, went through some really incredibly difficult times. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:24.640 Uh we planted uh two services at night, realized we couldn't reach any families, and if we're going to reach this next generation, we needed every generation to be a part of it. 00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:29.920 Moved to Sunday morning, saw a lot of people who love the college thing at night leave. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:35.119 We're a smaller church, had a difficult kind of staff transition that was really hard. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:38.960 And by the, you know, everything happened in our house in those early days. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:48.160 So our garage was storage, our dining room table was staff meetings, seriously, officed out of it. 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:53.119 Every leadership happened meeting happened in our backyard, everything happened there. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:21:02.640 We would back the truck in to organize it because we would drive trucks here every week, and our neighbors always thought uh we were moving. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:07.680 Thankfully, they weren't mad or glad about it, I guess. 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:09.200 They're like, hey, are you moving? 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:21.440 Uh it wasn't that, but because we'd be have everything spread out, everything happened, and so two years into this, we're completely weary, we're burned out, there's nothing left in the tank. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:24.960 And honestly, I'm two years in and thinking, like, this is it. 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:26.720 We're done. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:29.200 I don't think I can continue on. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:32.960 I remember one time being so discouraged and so depressed. 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:39.920 I was going on a run, and it was this long uphill run, steep incline, and I was just angry and wrestling with God. 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:41.039 You ever do that? 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:44.400 And I'm just up this incline and said, God, this is what it feels like. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:48.400 You called us, we obeyed you, and it's only been an uphill climb. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:51.200 There's not even been a plateau, let alone a downhill. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:54.160 It's just been an uphill grind the whole time. 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:55.599 Where are you? 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.759 Right around that time, started preaching. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:19.519 In a sermon series called Between Two Storms out of the Gospel of Mark, and really this text between two storms, literally, uh, it began with where Jesus, for those of you know, he was asleep in the boat and the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and this great storm comes up, and the disciples um are afraid. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:21.440 They're afraid they're gonna die. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:27.279 They're professional, you know, fishermen, and it's such a fierce storm, they think all is lost. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:32.400 And Jesus is asleep through all of it, and they wake him up. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:35.359 And when they wake him up, they say, Don't you care? 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:40.400 And when we work walk through those improssible circumstances, isn't that how we feel about God? 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.279 Like you've been apathetic, don't you care? 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:52.799 So I'm studying this passage, and I saw something, and I've read it a hundred times that I'd never seen before. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:59.519 The disciples didn't wake up Jesus to calm the storm. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:01.680 I was like, what? 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:04.480 Why would you wake up Jesus then? 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:09.839 The reason they didn't wake up Jesus to calm the storm because they were scared spitless when he did. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:14.960 They were like, who is this man that even the wave and the winds obey his voice? 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:16.240 They're freaked out. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:20.559 They didn't wake up Jesus to calm the storm, they woke up Jesus to bail water. 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:22.720 Hey, there's 12 of us. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:23.440 Don't you care? 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:25.759 We're belling water, we're getting it out. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:32.640 And the God of the universe who spoke all things into existence is at peace in the middle of the storm. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:36.319 You can have peace and confidence if he's in the boat with you. 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:47.519 And I just was wondering all of a sudden, this thing in me was like, where have I been asking God to bell waters when he wants to calm storms in my life? 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:51.920 It changed the way I pray because he's a powerful God. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:57.920 And in this moment of about to give up, I said, Okay, God, I'm gonna pray for an office space. 00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:58.880 We don't have any money. 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:00.960 In fact, we're behind on our budget. 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:03.839 I don't know if we're gonna financially be able to do this. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:05.680 Would you provide an office space? 00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:14.240 And oh yeah, we need a space where we can park our trucks and God, we need some core people and I need a new staff person. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:22.640 Like, like these are prayers that, like, if you answer, we're gonna be able to continue on as a church and accomplish the vision that you called for us. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:34.400 Well, I remember on uh one Sunday, it was in August, a couple families that became anchor families in our church walked into our second service. 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:36.960 Our second service had like 20 people at that time. 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:41.839 It was depressing for me to preach, it was probably more depressing for people to sit through it. 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:48.640 I saw, I saw this couple families walk in, and I'm like, there's no way they're staying. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:51.839 And they stayed and they became anchor families. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:25:08.160 Like God brought anchor and pillar people, and then like he opened up the door for us to have office space at a church called Dwell Church, now called Will Glenn Baptist, and he opened up the space at a rent that we could actually afford. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.680 It was dirt cheap. 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:16.240 Now it didn't have AC, which summertime we couldn't really use afternoon. 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:21.440 And anytime you turned on the uh heat, it took about four hours to heat the whole place up. 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:27.119 So I'd show up early, you know, before my team would show up and turn it on, and it sounded like a dragon. 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:27.839 I was going. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:37.759 And he provided the space that was close to our house where we could park the trucks and close to Del Mar. 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:41.920 And financially, you're like, okay, how are we gonna do this? 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:48.400 And I got a call from a guy, and he says, Hey, I want to give you uh some uh I have a gift I need to give you. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.279 I said, Fantastic. 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:52.000 This is the first time I've ever gotten a call from someone that had a gift to give. 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:52.799 Wonderful. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:55.920 And I check and I'm like, I you're gonna give a check? 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:56.640 Fantastic. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:03.039 The biggest thing I could ever imagine was he would someone could give like$10,000, maybe$15,000 at the time. 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:09.119 We were trailing our budget about$36,000, which was a really scary moment for us. 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:19.279 And he hands me a check, and by the way, I don't know what people give, it's just he had handed it to me for$67,000. 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:29.759 And then later he gave me a phone call, and he's like, hey, I'm actually closing down my office in San Francisco. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:36.720 And if if you need office furniture, you can you can have it all. 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.799 All you have to do is go up there and get it. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:47.200 So Joshua Zada, who was playing bass, and Marshall Sandoval and I hopped in a 26-footer, we were driving that thing downtown San Francisco, it's super dangerous. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:27:00.640 Um you know the thing I forgot to pray was for office furniture, and God answered that. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:06.319 And what we saw was when we put it in the office, and I know it doesn't look all that grand to you, it's beautiful to me. 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:07.440 It's beautiful. 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:10.880 It's like God answered the prayer before I even knew to pray it. 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:12.880 I was just so locked on that we could get space. 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:18.480 Then we couldn't even afford furniture, and God said, Gotcha, I got you taken care of. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:23.119 I've got you financially, I got you people-wise, I got you uh office-wise. 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:39.519 He is the God who is so powerful and in control and can move mountains, and he can move in people's hearts to give you office furniture that you didn't even know to pray about. 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:43.519 What do we pray about when we pray? 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:50.640 Refocus on the power of God, his ability, but not your ability. 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:55.440 Secondly, recall the faithfulness of God. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.720 Recall the faithfulness of God. 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:12.400 Jehoshaphat goes on, he says, Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham, your friends? 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:19.359 He's recalling what God had done and the people of God, his people, over time. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:27.200 It is so important that we take time to recall the faithfulness of God and how he worked. 00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:36.640 By the way, God's past faithfulness in your life is what gives you confidence to step out in faith in the future. 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:44.640 The things that we have confidence moving forward is because we've seen how faithful God has been to us the last decade. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:49.039 You know, when we started, we started with this commitment. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:54.960 We said, we're gonna give at least 10% of what comes in outside the doors of our walls. 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.599 And we didn't have walls, but you know what I mean. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:06.799 And I remember the person who was helping us with finance who was an incredible, amazing woman, had a tech background, and she said, You can't do that. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:07.599 You won't survive. 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:09.839 And by the way, all you have is a bunch of college kids. 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:11.519 They don't give, anyways. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:14.960 I have a couple core beliefs. 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:16.720 One, you can't outgive God. 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:27.920 Two, the church should lead the way in unleashing extravagant generosity to a hurting and broken world because we have an extravagantly generous God. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:37.359 And if we're gonna ask people to tithe, to give biblically, then we're gonna model it not only as a leadership, but as a church. 00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:50.319 Here's what's amazing over the course of the last decade, we have met our budget every year, which is incredible, and given at minimum 10%, often more. 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:54.960 This last year, we gave over 20% of our budget away. 00:29:55.279 --> 00:30:01.599 $369,000 this last year alone. 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.240 Isn't that great? 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:13.440 Ukraine, Afghanistan, Haiti, foster the city, called up, Del Mar. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:20.240 I mean, I could go on and on about the ways we've been able to serve and be a part. 00:30:20.559 --> 00:30:22.319 And over COVID, I mean, it's amazing. 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:28.799 Our leadership council, which are our elders, we said, we're gonna err on the side of generosity. 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:32.400 In a time that's uncertain, we're gonna err on the side of generosity. 00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:38.319 We may not know what's around the corner, and we don't know if giving's gonna continue or not, but we're gonna err on the side of generosity. 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:43.839 We even completed a capital campaign over COVID, which was crazy of$1.5 million. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:49.599 It's just incredible how faithful and it gives us confidence to step in faith. 00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:54.160 I want to show you one more, uh, another picture real quick uh of faithfulness. 00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:56.319 Um, you see that tent over there? 00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:58.400 It's right out there. 00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:06.160 You know one of my I never wanted to be in a school. 00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:11.279 Ten years later, God's funny. 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:18.880 Number one question people were asking us when we planted Awakening Church is where will we meet? 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:22.480 July of 2012, we still didn't know. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:33.359 Got two months, and so we began to get serious and pray, and I get a little extreme at times, and so I said, Okay, God, I'm gonna fast and pray until you give us a space. 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:35.119 Thankfully, it wasn't that long. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:38.240 Because I get grouchy and hangry. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:43.599 I drove down Bascombe and there's a uh community center that was just being built. 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:59.680 It wasn't available because it was still under construction, but then I popped out the back of the parking lot and a road that I've never driven on called Del Mar Road, uh, and I see this high school with a um a brand new theater that was just built. 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:02.960 I go, huh, maybe that could be our place. 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:12.160 Here's what's amazing when we're talking about recalling the faithfulness of God and when he works in specific ways in your life, write down the specific details. 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:14.880 You think you'll never forget it, and you will. 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:18.400 God works in the specifics of our lives. 00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:23.680 Had we asked this school a month earlier, they would have said no. 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:29.039 There's a principal that was not real, probably friendly, is what we're told to maybe churches. 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:35.200 They had a principal change, a brand new principal came in that July, was willing to let us come in and be here. 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:36.000 Amazing. 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:43.279 The activities director just so happened to have served on a youth staff team that I used to served at at Westgate. 00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:44.480 Her name was Marcine. 00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:47.680 So all of a sudden, God opened these doors for us to meet here. 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:57.200 When we got here, we said this is going to be more than a place to meet, but a people to love, that our first ministry is this school, that the place we meet is also gonna be the place we minister to. 00:32:57.279 --> 00:33:01.440 And so over the last you know decade, we have served this school. 00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:08.160 We just simply said, How can we love this faculty, these students, the way Jesus would love this faculty, these students? 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:10.480 And he's allowed us to open doors. 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:13.440 Then there was a principal change, and that was a little nerve-wracking. 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:17.279 I'm like, is the principal gonna change, and then we no longer have a space to meet? 00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:24.240 The principal they hired was at one point the activities director here under our tenure and knew what we did. 00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:26.000 Isn't that amazing? 00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:33.359 And then God moved like people from this office here into the district level, and so we had favor at the district level. 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:35.759 I mean, come on, I can't make this up. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:37.279 God is so good. 00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:49.200 And then COVID hit, which was a not, we didn't have to pay any rent here, which was amazing. 00:33:49.519 --> 00:33:54.559 But then trying to um regather was difficult when you don't have a building. 00:33:54.799 --> 00:34:04.799 And we tried some different spaces, and I remember calling Larry, who, if he I don't think he's here, but if he's here, he deserves he's the principal here, deserves a lot of honor. 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:07.759 I said, Is there any chance we could uh meet here? 00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:11.039 He said, I'm great with it if you can get the district to be okay with it. 00:34:11.440 --> 00:34:17.440 And so I called the district, and I remember getting the phone call back and like nervous as all get out. 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:18.719 What are they gonna say? 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:29.679 And and this guy gets on the phone, and I've gotten to know him over the years, and he says, Ryan, your reputation precedes you. 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:39.840 We won't do this for anybody else, but because of the way your church has served this community, uh, you can meet here. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:42.480 I said, Oh, could I build a tent too? 00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:50.400 He said, talk to our facilities guy, whatever he says is great. 00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:55.119 And they worked to make a massive tent installed. 00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:57.519 This is our tent, and then it was a blessing to the school. 00:34:57.679 --> 00:35:01.519 They hosted homecoming and proms under that over the COVID area. 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:09.199 We won't see it in the next month, but it's gonna finally come down, but it's like a sign of God's faithfulness and his provision. 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:11.599 One last one. 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:17.760 I've been praying that God would build a kingdom dream team. 00:35:18.400 --> 00:35:25.360 And and what's amazing over a decade is you get to see how God brought just the right people in just the right season for that time. 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:31.760 And you know, I get to see some former staff members that are celebrating with us, and it's amazing. 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:33.280 Thank you for being here. 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:50.559 Um, over this COVID season, uh, the last year, we just honored Chris Nye, who is actually moving up to Portland, and he made it a point to be here on our birthday, even though his wife already flew up to be up there, and we're so grateful uh to have you, buddy, here. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:59.280 And and one of our prayers, knowing this long runway, was that God, we really need an executive pastor. 00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:02.159 We've been praying for an executive pastor for years. 00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:04.800 We had a search firm working on it, a year and a half. 00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:10.480 And Chris is like, Ryan, I really want an executive pastor before I leave. 00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:13.360 And here's like the irony of God and the way he works. 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:16.239 It was like Chris's last day on staff. 00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:21.760 Um, this guy said yes to being our new executive pastor. 00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:27.840 His name Dave Smith. 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:29.679 He's here, his family's moving out here. 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:34.880 You'll get to meet him, and I'll share more about him in future days ahead. 00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:40.800 But amazing, like God bringing just the right people at just the right time, answering prayers. 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:50.960 How do we step confidently into an uncertain future, refocus on the power of God, recall the faithfulness of God, and then finally return to the promises of God. 00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:53.599 Return to the promises of God. 00:36:54.400 --> 00:37:02.960 Uh he goes on, Jehoshaphat goes on to say, they have lived in it, speaking of uh the people of Israel, uh in the promised land. 00:37:03.039 --> 00:37:08.800 They've built in it a sanctuary, temple to your name, and then he quotes his great great grandfather Solomon. 00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:20.880 If calamity comes upon us, whether sword or judgment or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your name, and we will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us. 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:23.360 Here's what I love. 00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:30.480 He's claiming God's promise to his great great grandfather as his promise. 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:33.519 Return to the promises of God. 00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:37.360 And unfortunately, so many people don't know the promises of God. 00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:44.719 Friends, the reason I'm confident about the next decade isn't because we have the most skilled, the most talented. 00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:46.400 We have wonderful people here. 00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:49.519 But Jesus promised something. 00:37:50.239 --> 00:37:58.000 He said, I will build my church, Jesus, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. 00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:06.320 I'm confident about the next decade of the church because of the promise of Jesus, that we can build upon that. 00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:24.639 I'm confident about your relationship with Jesus, my relationship with Jesus, not because you're gonna be amazing or I'm gonna be amazing, but because of the promise of Jesus that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of redemption day of Jesus Christ. 00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:26.719 What you begin, you will finish. 00:38:26.800 --> 00:38:34.480 And I'm in this, and so I'm confident that you're gonna be in it with me, and you're not gonna leave me until it's done. 00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:42.239 The promises of Jesus, friends, you gotta know that nothing will ever separate you from the love of God. 00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:46.719 Neither height nor depth, nor angels, nor demons, nothing at all created. 00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:49.920 Like you gotta know the promises of God. 00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:57.679 That every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm is yours, accessible right now in Christ. 00:38:57.840 --> 00:38:59.679 It's a promise of God. 00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:01.440 It is yours. 00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:03.920 Return to the promises of God. 00:39:04.159 --> 00:39:11.119 And I think one of the ways in my life that has been so helpful to return to the promises God is worship. 00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:20.320 Because when we sing them and we declare them and remind ourselves, we're praying and we're preaching to ourselves the promises of God. 00:39:21.840 --> 00:39:31.920 And you know, you have personal promises that God does in your life, and some things that He says to you, and they align with God's word. 00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:44.159 One of those was early on, I just had a promise maybe be too strong, but like I literally got the um URL, awakeningworship.org. 00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:46.960 And then awakeningworship.com and.net. 00:39:47.360 --> 00:39:49.119 I don't know, I was on a kick. 00:39:50.480 --> 00:39:55.360 But it's like if we're gonna reach a generation, it's gonna happen through worship. 00:39:56.320 --> 00:40:00.320 Music is the language of the soul, it's the language of a generation. 00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:09.360 And for us to really reach this generation, man, we we gotta be a church that's creating new sounds and new music for a generation. 00:40:10.639 --> 00:40:12.000 A decade went by. 00:40:12.159 --> 00:40:15.360 And we've had excellent worship, by the way, over the decade. 00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:21.280 And I just checked this morning, I no longer own awakeningworship.org. 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:23.920 I kind of let that dream die. 00:40:24.320 --> 00:40:30.159 And then God brought Robbie on staff, and he called it Awakening Praise Anyway, so whatever. 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:39.119 And today dropped our first EP called Coming Back to the Basics Three Songs. 00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:51.920 Art done by uh someone in our church, and just this picture of uh this sermon. 00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:57.280 And encourage you, return to the promises of God. 00:40:57.360 --> 00:41:04.079 These songs are all hymns that are done to return us to the promises of God. 00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:15.519 I love how uh Jehosaphat concludes the end of his prayer, and by the way, we're not gonna get to the end of the story. 00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:17.360 Some of you are like, is he gonna finish the story? 00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:19.119 No, you can read it on your own. 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:24.000 God goes ahead of them. 00:41:24.159 --> 00:41:26.960 What should have been the valley of destruction becomes the valley of praise. 00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:28.480 Go find out how. 00:41:30.639 --> 00:41:32.239 He responds this way. 00:41:32.800 --> 00:41:38.960 He closes this prayer, and this is our prayer, and this is our anthem as a church as we step into the next decade, friends. 00:41:39.920 --> 00:41:42.320 We don't know what to do. 00:41:43.119 --> 00:41:45.440 Isn't that amazing when a leader says that? 00:41:46.880 --> 00:41:47.440 Maybe not. 00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:49.840 You're like, no, I want you to know what to do. 00:41:51.199 --> 00:41:52.639 But our eyes are on you. 00:41:53.760 --> 00:41:54.639 Sermon title. 00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:56.159 Today. 00:41:56.800 --> 00:41:57.760 Eyes on you. 00:41:59.119 --> 00:42:00.880 We don't know what to do. 00:42:01.440 --> 00:42:04.239 And we don't know what the next decade holds. 00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:06.960 In fact, we don't even know what tomorrow holds. 00:42:08.400 --> 00:42:15.119 Yet we resolve to make prayer our first response and not our last resort. 00:42:15.360 --> 00:42:29.760 We've resolved to be a church that our eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning his shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Father. 00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:34.239 And our eyes as a church is just simply gonna be fixed on him. 00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:42.320 And I just wonder, I wonder what would happen as we step into the next decade. 00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:49.039 If we actually said we're gonna be the church with the first response of prayer. 00:42:49.360 --> 00:42:51.119 What God might want to do. 00:42:51.360 --> 00:42:53.599 In fact, that's what we're gonna do. 00:42:54.079 --> 00:42:55.679 We're gonna find out. 00:42:56.400 --> 00:43:00.079 We're gonna get back to the basics, we're gonna do 40 days of prayer. 00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:04.559 We're gonna do a whole series, we'll build a whole booklet over the next several weeks. 00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:13.920 Can't wait for that because we believe that if our eyes are on Jesus, we can step forward into whatever is coming next. 00:43:14.079 --> 00:43:27.760 And he is with us and he is for us, his power will strengthen us, his faithfulness will underkurt us, and his promises will sustain us because the one who promised is faithful and true. 00:43:28.400 --> 00:43:29.679 Our eyes. 00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:32.960 Our eyes on you. 00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:36.079 So can we start the next decade this way? 00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:44.639 I know there's a lot of us, and it might be a little awkward, but when we started awakening, I had this kind of um this nice idea. 00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:46.880 It was that came this way. 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:49.599 I want to lead this church from my knees. 00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:53.119 But it's something I said, it wasn't something I lived. 00:43:53.679 --> 00:44:02.960 And that really difficult patch when I thought awakening wasn't gonna, you know, make it, I started living it. 00:44:04.239 --> 00:44:07.840 And then began to see God do what only God can do. 00:44:08.719 --> 00:44:11.280 What if we lead from our knees, church? 00:44:11.519 --> 00:44:16.800 What if we move forward from our knees and see what God's gonna do? 00:44:16.880 --> 00:44:19.679 And so let's begin this next decade, if you will. 00:44:19.840 --> 00:44:22.480 Can you just get on your knees if you're physically able? 00:44:38.719 --> 00:44:52.639 Heavenly Father, we are so humble that your strength and your power has led us through these ten years. 00:44:52.800 --> 00:44:56.320 You have been so faithful, you've been so good to us. 00:44:59.840 --> 00:45:03.519 And we confess we don't know what to do. 00:45:03.760 --> 00:45:05.280 I don't know what to do. 00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:08.159 But my eyes are on you. 00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:09.760 Our eyes are on you. 00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:14.639 We resolve, we set our hearts conclusively and authoritatively. 00:45:14.880 --> 00:45:22.159 We're afraid, certainly anxious, yeah, absolutely, but we're set, our face is set towards you. 00:45:23.280 --> 00:45:25.840 It's all because of you, it's all for you. 00:45:26.079 --> 00:45:27.280 Where else can we go? 00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:29.760 You alone have the words of life. 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:36.960 So we start this decade on our knees before you.