WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.399 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 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. 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:20.239 Good morning, Awakening. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:22.000 You can find your seat. 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:24.480 Good morning, good morning. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.480 Oh, I'm so glad to be here with you this morning. 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.719 If we haven't met, my name is Ashley, and I get to serve as one of the pastors here. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:43.280 And I'll introduce my friend to you, and then I'll give you a little glimpse of where we're headed this morning, since you can tell already that our teaching time is going to look a little bit different than normal. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.039 This is Shadi Khalili. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:54.479 She's a longtime family member at Awakening, as you can tell by that cheer. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:58.880 Shadi is a core member of our prayer team, amongst other things. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:05.439 She dedicates significant time and energy to praying for our church and praying for all of us in this room. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:07.359 So thank you for that. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.799 She's also married to Saye, who is going to be up here. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:11.680 Yeah. 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:15.599 He was going to be up here with us this morning, but he fell sick. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:19.760 So we get all of our attention on you and we get to hear your story. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:21.840 Um, just you. 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:28.319 Uh so thank you so much for being here this morning and bringing the gospel to us through your story. 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:30.480 Thank you for this opportunity. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:31.280 Yeah. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:42.400 So to begin the year, we are in a series called Awakening Vision, where we're exploring this question: what would it look like for us to pursue the heart of God? 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:49.840 One way that we're doing this together, we're starting off with this, one way that we're doing this is by having a weekly memory verse. 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:58.000 Now, this was introduced last week, and Ryan was very kind for the first one and gave us two weeks for this weekly memory verse. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:05.040 If you weren't here last week and you missed it, or if maybe you were here and you thought he was kidding, here is the verse. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:07.200 We're memorizing it by next Sunday. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:10.000 So let's read it together and practice it. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.080 We're gonna read it all together. 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:13.599 Ready, go. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:22.159 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.560 The second is this love your neighbor as yourself. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:29.599 There is no commandment greater than these. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.960 Mark 12, 30 through 31. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:34.240 Good job. 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:35.039 Good job. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:35.599 Okay. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:39.439 Our kids' ministry actually has monthly memory verses. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:45.039 Um, they've been doing this for years, so our kids know tons of verses, including this one. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:50.000 Uh, this is part of their weekly flow that they do when they're in their class where they just went. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:59.280 Each week they play a different game to help them remember these verses, um, because that helps it to sink into their hearts and into their minds. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:07.840 So, to help us out a little this morning, we're gonna do a version of something that they do because they're so good at memorizing these verses. 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:14.719 So, this could be a tool that will help you as we continue to memorize verses this year. 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.439 So, we're gonna read this verse two more times. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:20.080 The first time, we're gonna read it as is. 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:24.400 Some of you, that was your first introduction to this idea of a memory verse for this year. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:35.199 So, we're gonna read it one more time as is, and then we're gonna read it again, but some of the words will be missing, and we're gonna have to fill them in as we go. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:36.879 All right, I think we can do it. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:38.719 So, let's read this verse again. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:39.280 Ready? 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:39.840 Go. 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:48.400 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:52.960 The second is this love your neighbor as yourself. 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:56.080 There is no commandment greater than these. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.280 Mark 12, 30 through 31. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.080 All right, now we're gonna take out six words. 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:04.479 I know it sounds like a lot, but it'll be okay. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:09.759 And all of us are gonna do our best to read it all together, filling in those words, okay? 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:13.520 And I'm not gonna say them in the microphone so that you guys have to say them. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:14.240 All right. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:17.600 I am confident that we can do this though, okay? 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.800 See, not too scary, not too scary, right? 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:22.160 All right, here we go. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:23.120 We can do it. 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:24.399 Ready, go. 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:25.439 Love. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:38.319 The second is this love your neighbor as yourself. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:41.279 There's no man greater than peace. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:46.000 Yeah, look at that. 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:46.800 Good job. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:49.199 Ryan's gonna be so proud. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:56.879 So, what we're doing right now is part of this discipleship and walking with God. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:02.000 When we memorize scripture, the Bible calls this hiding the word in our hearts. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:08.959 When we do this, we're actually more attuned to the ways of God because the word lives within us. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:19.279 I actually don't know anyone more devoted to this practice than Saye, who has worked diligently to memorize these long passages of scripture where it just flows out of him. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:25.360 But before I get ahead of myself, before I get to their story, let's center on Jesus and pray. 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:32.079 Jesus, thank you so much for what you have already done this morning. 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:34.879 May you be glorified in our church. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:39.519 Thank you for your word and your direction that guides our path. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:43.600 Lord, thank you for what you have done in Shadi's life. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:54.079 God, I pray that you would speak through her, that you would speak to each of us, and we would encounter you and your gospel and your good news and your salvation through her story. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:55.360 God, thank you. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.839 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:07.600 So each week of this Awakening Vision series, our teaching is centered around one of the pieces of our discipleship pathway that Michaela just walked us through. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:12.319 This week, we're going to focus on growing as a disciple of Jesus. 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:18.079 So the main way that Jesus taught his disciples was through stories called parables. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:24.480 He would encounter someone or some situation, and then he would teach by telling a story. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:26.879 So this morning we're doing something similar. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:34.639 We're going to hear what the Lord has done in someone's life, in Shadi's life, and we're gonna turn our eyes toward Jesus. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:46.160 Shoddy is gonna share her journey, how God pursued her, the pivotal moments that changed everything, and what it looks like now on the other side of obedience. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:57.439 Her story is a reminder that God is still at work, he's still awakening hearts, and he's still inviting ordinary people into extraordinary purpose. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:05.519 And as you listen, think about this question: what might God want to do with my one life? 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:11.759 So, thank you so much for being up here this morning and sharing your story with our church. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:21.680 It's been such an honor to know you for so many years now, and your faith has inspired me personally in this process of growing as a disciple of Jesus. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:28.079 And so I'm so thrilled for our church to get to hear your story and for all of us to learn from you this morning. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:30.560 So let's start at the beginning, okay? 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:34.879 Where did you grow up and how did that culture shape your understanding of God? 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.480 Where did you start? 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:38.639 Where did I start? 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:48.000 Uh I'm from Iran originally, and uh growing up in Iran, uh I remember I believed in God. 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:56.319 I was brought up in a Muslim uh family, non-practicing Muslim family. 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:06.240 And uh I left Iran when I was 18 in 1978, right before revolution. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:17.839 So Iran was a secular country at that time and uh you were not forced to pursue Islam and practice it. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:09:07.759 Uh so that's when I came here, and interestingly, I had a uh acceptance letter from a college in Oakland, California, a Catholic college and uh Holy Names College and uh I started going to school there, and uh I was actually never told about Christ in the school, even though we started every class with a prayer, and uh there was a chapel in the school, and I attended chapel, but interestingly or ironically, I actually never had a curiosity to ask about Christ, to ask about the cross on the wall. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:12.960 Uh I just came and went and never pondered about that. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.960 So, what began to open your heart to Jesus then? 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:22.000 I have a short answer and a little longer answer. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.120 The short answer is my realtor. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:26.320 Okay. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:39.759 And my husband are realtor because I want to give you a little background story there. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:10:02.639 That uh when I came to US at when I was 18, uh, just like any other uh young person, uh, I went about my life and school, and when we were in our early 20s, Saya and I we fell in love and we got married when I was 23 and he was 24. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:06.240 And life was good and interesting. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:23.200 And eventually we both separately got this question in our mind in our mid-30s, late 30s, and we were kind of like asking ourselves so what is the purpose of life? 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:46.639 Is it just us growing up and going to school, graduating, getting a job and getting married, buying a home, having kids, going to a few trips, and just living the life and eventually uh dying. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:51.360 That's that's what we were uh realistically asking ourselves. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:11:04.240 And that question actually came out to be a little bit more pondering upon us as our Sawyer's parents actually came from Iran. 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:15.279 We were in our 30s and they were in early 60s, and we were looking at them and they were getting older, and this question was kind of like more relevant. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.080 What is the purpose of life? 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:30.879 And it was during that time that we were actually selling our home to buy a different home, and that's where our realtor comes into the story. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:40.159 He was also from Iran, and this was during the time that the market of real estate was as hot as it is today. 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:51.200 We sold our home and we couldn't buy another home because we would we were writing offers right after the other, and none of the offers were getting accepted. 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:57.679 And um, so we got to see a lot of this realtor. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:11:59.840 He would stop by a lot. 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:10.960 And one of those days, after filling out the forms and all the transactions, he invited us to go to church, to Iranian church. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:14.480 And uh Say and I thought about it. 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:23.279 I want to mention that I at this point in my life I was kind of agnostic, and Sae was totally an atheist. 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:34.639 He was reading books about cosmos and Carl Sagan and completely thinking about the Big Bang and the creation and all that. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:44.960 So we just thought maybe it's a good idea to go to church, not because of us, because we knew all there is that we needed to know, and there is no God. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:52.240 But for our kids, and we thought, you know, they're gonna just kind of like learn good values. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:52.879 Yeah. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:58.320 And then when they are older, we are gonna tell them the Santa Claus is fake. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:12:59.279 Right. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:00.320 So that's what you do. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:03.679 Yeah, that's what we were thinking about. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:22.639 So, and I was working a lot of weekends, so Saya started going to church, and one Sunday when I came back, he was sitting in the kitchen and he looked really pale, and he told me, You are not gonna believe what happened. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.720 And I said, What happened? 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:36.320 He said, uh the pastor of the church asked who wanted to give their heart to Christ, and he said, I really don't know why, but I raised both of my hands. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:49.120 He said, as I raised both of my hands, there was this sense of peace that went through my fingers, through my hands, and just filled my body. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:14:01.840 And I just walked to the front of the church and prayed with the pastor, and he looked at me seriously and he said, I'm praying that you would experience the same thing. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:02.559 Wow. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:15.519 I was really honestly annoyed because I really thought and I told myself, I said, I didn't say it out loud, but this is what I was thinking. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:28.879 He feels so holy and religious all of a sudden that he wants to pray for me and uh for me to also believe in what he is believing right now. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:39.679 So, but throughout that week and the week after that, I saw a lot of change in Sayah dramatically. 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:44.240 You know, when your husband changes, you know when your wife changes. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:50.320 He was really, really peaceful, and there was something different about him. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:58.639 And I honestly thought that, you know, Saye is very emotional, and he was probably brainwashed. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:04.799 I'm more analytical, and I need to go to church and figure out what's going on. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:05.600 Yeah. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:24.320 At the same time, because of all the questions about the purpose of life, our parents not being here, not having the relatives around us, I was dealing with a lot of anxious thought and a lot of anxiety in that season of my life. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:38.720 So I go to church, and at the end of the service, I just decide to walk to the front of the church and just say, you know, I'm gonna ask the pastor to pray for me to overcome anxiety. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:41.440 And I did that. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:51.440 He prayed for me, and at the end of the prayer, he told me, I want you to meditate on this verse. 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:56.960 That was 2 Corinthians 5, 17. 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:07.120 And it says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:13.039 The old has passed away, behold, all things are become new. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:20.159 And I just wrote it down somewhere, and I came home. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:21.840 Did I answer the question? 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:23.919 Yes, yes, very much. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.840 So we're we're at the point where you're open to this. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:40.960 Um tell us how you accepted Jesus, how you finally went went over that hump for yourself, um, but also what changed when you accepted Jesus as your savior. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:17:00.240 So I remember one day I sat in my bedroom floor and I just started praying, and I said, Lord, I really don't understand what the Son of God means. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:05.119 And I just want to just mention something here. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:24.000 For us from a country that is not a Christian country, uh there were a lot of wording or phrases that were not familiar as uh someone who was brought up in a Christian family might be. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:24.720 Sure. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:35.359 And a lot of things were just kind of like I I even was asking God, what does it mean that Jesus went on a cross for my sins? 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:38.880 And what does it mean that he was resurrected? 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.200 I really don't get any of that. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:54.000 I know Jesus as a prophet, as it was teached in the high school, just like Moses, just like Abraham, and I don't get any of that. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:18:06.559 And I just prayed and I said, God, please show it to me, reveal it to me the way that I would understand and I would get this. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:16.559 And nothing like what happened to Siah happened to me, just the feeling of peace going through the fingers. 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:21.599 But what happened was amazing. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:33.039 What happened was amazing because this verse that it says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:19:14.240 Like in days to come, in weeks to come, in months to come, I realized that I was changing, not because I was doing something, not because I was disciplining myself, but as I was pondering on the new Bible that our realtor gave us, and was just kind of familiarizing myself, reading the book, just remaining in him, just just sitting and just looking at the words of the Bible, just praying and asking. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:36.400 I realized that a lot of the feelings that I was dealing with, like envy, like I was dealing with a lot of comparison traps, a lot of jealousies, a lot of control, a lot of anxious thoughts. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:43.279 I just day by day I felt that they are shifted away. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:49.680 And going back to this verse, it feels that the old was coming off of me. 00:19:50.640 --> 00:20:16.400 And words that I was not familiar with, like forgiveness, humility, words like grace, words like peace, the peace of the Lord, was just kind coming and just sitting in my heart and just touching me in so many different ways that it's really hard to explain. 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:37.839 I was just experiencing a miracle that no one could probably know from outside yet, but I was feeling it from inside of my heart, and that was the change that Jesus was bringing into my life. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:39.359 Yeah, oh that's beautiful. 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:45.759 So he changed everything about you, it sounds like what did it cost you to say yes to Jesus? 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.920 Um Asia and I we gave our heart to Christ. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:58.640 We started serving at Iranian Christian church in Sunnyvale, very close to here. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:07.359 Uh we found that a lot of other people, just like us, Iranians, are giving their hearts to Christ. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:17.359 But at the same time, we knew that Iran is one of the most persecuted churches around the world. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:43.279 Uh we uh started serving and got connected to groups, we started a group at our home, we had prayer times, and uh eventually we were asked to lead some programs that were uh through satellite broadcasted to Iran and Middle East. 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:54.240 These were right uh life uh live programs that people from Middle East or Iran would call and they would ask about Christ. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.960 They would ask questions about the Bible. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.680 You see, it's illegal to have Bible. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.119 In Iran. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:10.480 So it was really touching to see that those people who were calling us were relying on the verses that we were sharing. 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:17.440 And this is like really emotional to me because they would write it down. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:28.160 There was this one person whose refrigerator was his Bible, because he would attach all these verses to his refrigerator. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:40.319 And many people would memorize the verses because if they would be caught with those verses even written anywhere, they would be in huge trouble. 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:10.799 And eventually it's a long story and I don't want to get into it because we don't have time, but eventually Saya's dad gave his heart to Christ. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:22.640 He came here and he had to go back because he was dealing with cancer, and unfortunately, he passed away. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:31.759 Both Saya and I were not able to attend and see his mom and his dad before they pass away. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:43.440 And we knew and we heard from some other people who were taken and put to prison that they had specifically asked about us. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:49.359 They had our names, they wanted even to know our whereabouts, where we live. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.000 And but it's totally worth it. 00:23:54.319 --> 00:24:14.960 When we had the opportunity and the pleasure of praying with people over satellite to give their hearts to Christ and hearing the testimonies of how God is working miraculously in Iran and in so many different parts of the world. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:16.400 It's totally worth it. 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:17.599 That's incredible. 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:18.960 That is incredible. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:20.799 So what are you learning today? 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:23.359 How's God working in your life right now? 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:29.200 God is working in so many different ways. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:39.680 Of course, we live in a broken world, and uh many of you know that I've been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years ago. 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:41.680 It's very challenging. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:25:15.839 It's not easy emotionally, physically, but uh and I'm not saying this in a cliche way, it's just God with the hope every day and just shifting our minds from things that can bring us down to what is more eternal and to even healing here on earth, that we can experience that on a daily basis. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:23.920 And um as I'm getting older, I just feel the call uh so much more. 00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:34.480 I was mentioning it to you earlier, to share Christ with so many other people as my realtor shared it with us. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:53.200 I'm just like anytime I think about him, and Saya and I, we both think about him, our hearts are filled with gratitude of him taking the step of wanting to share with us and inviting us to church. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:59.039 So this I think last week, the new year was last week or two weeks ago. 00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:00.799 Two last week, yeah. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:13.039 So we went to Portland, Oregon, to visit our daughter who pastors, one of the pastors at church that Chris Nye, our dear Chris Nye, is a pastor, senior pastor of. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:22.240 We went there to visit them and the lovely Nye family, and we were doing a lot of shopping there for our daughter. 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:26.160 She wanted different things for her apartment. 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:40.720 So in one of the outings, as we were, yeah, as in one of the outings, we were at Home Goods, and people in Oregon or in Portland, they are absolutely so friendly. 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:53.039 You enter a store and they start talking to you, they are so um conscientious about listening to you and asking follow-up questions. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:27:09.920 So I started talking to this lady at the cash register, and she had mentioned that she used to live in Fremont, and she started having conversations with us, and she said since she moved to Portland, she hasn't had the community that she wanted. 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:15.920 And I I mentioned to her, we are gonna be at Amago Day Church on Sunday. 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:17.599 Do you want to join us? 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:23.359 She just wrote it down on a piece of paper, and she said, Yeah, maybe. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:30.000 And on Sunday, as we were worshiping, someone touched my back. 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:36.160 I turned around, it was Kat, this lady who came to church. 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:43.599 She got introduced to the lady who was sitting next to me, and they found out that they live in the same neighborhood. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:57.279 They started exchanging phone and talked about the group, and she looked at me, this lady, her eyes were filled with tears. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:02.000 And she said, I just want to thank you for inviting me to church. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:09.839 I've been wanting to go to church for five years, but I have never come across it. 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:10.480 Yeah. 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:24.960 So I think I feel in this season in my life I want to be more intentional about sharing Christ the same way that my realtor shared Christ with us. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:27.519 That's beautiful. 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:31.440 It's so simple, but it takes so much courage to do that. 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:32.400 Yes, right? 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:33.759 Absolutely. 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:35.039 Absolutely. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:39.039 Did you have any final words for our church this morning? 00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:42.640 You had mentioned one thing to me, but whatever you would like. 00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:54.799 As I was praying for awakening and for us, I want to invite you, if you are comfortable, just close your eyes for a minute. 00:28:55.839 --> 00:29:01.599 And I want to recite and read 2 Corinthians 5 17 one more time. 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:14.400 And I want us to just listen to it as we are praying this verse over us and our lives. 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:30.960 As it says, therefore, if anyone, if anyone, this anyone was a key word for me in this verse, that I felt like God is talking to me. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:32.799 He cares about me. 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:35.039 I'm important to him. 00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:39.039 I am that anyone in Christ. 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:49.039 In Christ, intimate with him, close to him, hanging out with him. 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:53.920 God says he is a new creation. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:00.640 All things that we all struggle with them. 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:06.400 This is the word of God that he says all things are passed away. 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:14.000 Behold, all things are becoming new. 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:33.200 I want to encourage you, if you have never really invited Christ into your life, maybe today is the day that you want to just ask him to come to your heart and to your life. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:42.319 And if you have already Christ in your life, maybe there is something else in your life that he can renew it. 00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:45.039 He can change it. 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:48.720 This is his promise for each and every one of us. 00:30:49.599 --> 00:31:04.400 God Lord, I want to thank you, Father Lord, for being our Father, for being our God, for loving us, for caring about us, caring about every detail in our life. 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:05.759 God, Lord. 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:17.759 That big thing in my life, or your or anyone who's sitting here in their life, or that small thing, you care about it. 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:23.200 And you're mighty, you're able, you're powerful, you're good. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:26.319 We trust you, God. 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:34.079 And we thank you, God, Lord, for placing us in your body awakening in Jesus' name. 00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:35.039 Amen. 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:36.400 Amen. 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:39.839 Thank you for sharing your life and your story with us this morning. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:41.440 Church, can we thank Shadi? 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:50.799 That was so beautiful and inspiring. 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:55.039 And we're gonna transition back into a time of worship now. 00:31:55.279 --> 00:32:13.839 So as you sing to the Lord, as we sing, or as you're simply sitting in God's presence, reflect on what the Spirit of God might be speaking to you this morning through this testimony of God's faithfulness and the new life that He brings. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:16.720 Where were you encouraged or inspired? 00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:20.400 What's one thing that you want to do this week as a result? 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:32.079 As you heard a story of what God has done and what he's still doing, what might God be showing you that he wants to do with your one life? 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:34.319 I'm gonna pray and we're gonna worship. 00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:38.240 Would you stand with me as we pray and then we will sing? 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:41.920 God, thank you for your faithfulness. 00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:45.519 Thank you for the way that you bring new life. 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:47.359 God, would you guide each of us? 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:53.519 Would you speak to each of us to show us what you have for us this week on this day? 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:54.960 Oh Lord, thank you. 00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:57.839 May our hearts be focused on you. 00:32:58.079 --> 00:33:00.000 May our minds be focused on you. 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:07.920 Lord, teach us how to love you with all of our heart, with all of our strength, with all of our mind, with all of our soul. 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:08.880 Amen. 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:13.920 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:18.559 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:20.799 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:26.799 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection cards at awakeningchurch.com slash card.