WEBVTT 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:05.280 Thank you for joining us on the CCW podcast. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:11.119 Make sure you connect with us on social media to stay up to date on ministries and events happening at CCW. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:15.039 We hope you're encouraged, inspired, and motivated by today's message. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:19.120 To find out how to connect with us, keep listening after the message ends. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:29.440 Good morning, CCW. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:36.960 Today is a very momentous and special day for us. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:51.759 And um as uh Amanda was sharing in 19 years of full-time ministry, for the first 16, we in the churches that we've been in, we ordained two people, and one of them was me. 00:00:52.320 --> 00:01:01.600 And so in the last three years, God uh calling and doing the work of the life of men and women in our church has been an exciting thing. 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:05.599 And it's a dream that we would love to see God continue. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:16.879 We want to see people called to all types of ministry, pastors, uh, missionaries, and however God would call, but it's an exciting thing uh to be a part of. 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:25.359 And I think there may be yet a few other people in this group that God is working on yet, so we may see more still. 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:31.280 Um, but it is an honor, Barry and Tracy, today to be here with y'all. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:44.159 And um, I remember 2017 when Barry and Tracy Key walked through the doors of, if y'all are are new with us, the doors of what look like a ServePro building. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:47.439 We called that church for 10 years. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:50.959 And um, man, I fell in love with this family. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.000 It was hard not to, very quickly. 00:01:54.079 --> 00:02:00.079 And uh Barry, this I know that uh Tracy is a wonderful woman. 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:03.599 And Tracy, you are you're a godly woman. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:06.000 You've pushed us, we've been in groups together. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:14.080 I think you've served in about every area of the ministry here, and uh, we love you, and I'm so thankful for you and your smile. 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:34.240 Tracy used to work out with me just a little bit, so I seen her drive even in the gym, and uh, many of y'all that know, maybe you don't, Tracy had a battle with cancer, and God overcame that and has been a testimony to us, and also had a testimony that you need to hear about about her dog. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:40.639 That dog was lost, and she was not giving up for how many days was it? 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.280 Nineteen days, and the dog came home. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:47.919 It is a lifetime movie, so you let me know when the script gets done. 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:50.960 But Clay, man, I'm so thankful for you. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:03:03.280 And uh Clay was uh one of our members when we were in youth ministry, and uh man, I love your spirit, and I'm thankful for you as well, Clay, and uh being a part of this family. 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:07.120 Barry, man, here we are. 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.360 Barry is such a good man. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:17.759 He's a father, he's a husband, and he has served as a council member in this church and been a part of CCW. 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:23.120 I tell people a lot of times you can get as involved in a church as you decide. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:25.919 And you don't need a name, title, anything. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:34.879 Well, Barry has been one of those people who got involved early on and has been influential in many things that have happened at CCW. 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:43.039 But some of the things you may not know about him, I almost wanted to talk to Barry the firefighter because he's becoming a pastor. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:44.080 You know what I'm saying? 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:45.280 Firefighter. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:46.000 Right? 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:46.879 It works. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:49.199 But I decided instead of that, let me talk to. 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:54.960 I'm tasked this morning to charge Barry with this new calling in his life. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:57.199 So I want to talk to Barry the runner. 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:05.280 Maybe you don't know this, but Barry has run almost 24, 5Ks or maybe more, and is a triathlet. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:11.360 Y'all, the man has got a drive that I don't understand, but he's got it. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:15.759 And so I wanted to share to Barry the runner this morning when it comes to this call. 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:23.839 So if you turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3, I promise I'm only gonna take five minutes and then it's Barry's, but just want to charge him. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.199 Philippians chapter 3, verse 12 and 13. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:31.040 Talking about that runner. 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:42.800 It says, not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:45.199 And that has happened in his life right now. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:56.319 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forward to those which are ahead. 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:59.839 Number one, I want you to see the focus of the call, Barry. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:05.439 And church, by the way, I'm charging Barry, but I think all of this is applicable. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:16.319 You may not have a call to become a pastor, but you do have a call, and you have a ministry with what you're doing in life if you're following God and you're surrendering to what he's called. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.240 But Paul said, I've not arrived. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.120 Or in other words, we have a lot to learn. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.879 And previously in that chapter, he listed all of his credentials. 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:32.079 So it wasn't like he wasn't somebody in his world, but he's saying, when it comes to this call, I've got a lot to learn. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:35.360 So, Barry, I want to tell you, a pastor has to be teachable. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:39.360 And Paul said, I'm not there, but I press. 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:41.360 He said, But I press. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:44.399 He said, I'm pressing for this one thing. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:46.079 And I want you to think about that. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:48.399 That call is that one thing. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.680 This thing that Christ has laid hold of you. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:06:02.639 And I sat with Barry at La Mesa's a few weeks ago, and he said, Pastor, I just can't shake this thing that God's laid on my heart. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:07.759 I can't get away from this thing that He's got in my mind. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:09.839 And I said, That's good. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:13.120 Because if you can shake it, you shouldn't do it. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:18.879 Church, with your job, it should be a ministry. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:20.160 What you're doing in life. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.160 If you can shake it, you probably should. 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:26.240 But if you can't, then you know you're right where God has you. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:32.000 Everyone here, no matter age or standing, God has a handcrafted plan for your life. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:35.920 And I want you to hear today, there's not a too late. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:39.279 If you think, well, I've kind of passed that point. 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:41.040 There's not a past that point. 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:43.519 There's not a too late to answer him right now. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.439 God calls us a few different ways. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.360 Number one, God calls us to belong to him. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:48.800 So maybe you're here today. 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:50.560 You don't have a relationship with him. 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:52.800 I want to tell you, God is calling. 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:55.600 He says he's not willing that any should perish. 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:58.079 But then he calls us to our families. 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.680 And Barry is a great father and a great husband. 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:03.600 And God calls us to that. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:05.360 So, what is your ministry to your family? 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:08.879 And then God calls us to a work. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:12.079 God gifts us to do the work that we do. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.000 And that includes job and ministry. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:18.079 So the focus of the call, Paul said, I'm not arrived, but I'm pressing. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.079 And number two, the forward pursuit. 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:22.000 Look at verse 13 and 14. 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:24.480 Again. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:33.040 He says, I've this thing that I do, I'm forgetting those things which are behind, and I'm reaching forward to those things which are ahead, and I press. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:38.480 I like that word toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.079 The forward pursuit. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.480 That word press, it means diacko. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:47.680 And it the word diacko, that press there means to harass the goal. 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.920 Any of y'all got a little dog? 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:53.120 I got a little yippie dog, right? 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:54.480 Good. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:55.120 I'm glad. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:56.959 I'm glad there's some people like me. 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:01.360 Well, my dog is sweet and she is a cuddler. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:07.120 She could, if she's inside, she is happy all day just to lay on you. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:11.839 She sits herself up, if Heather's in the bed, she lays right up in Heather's neck. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:13.439 I mean, all day long. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:16.560 Cuddle, hug, love, hold. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:28.639 But when you open the door to the house, if there is another beast outside of any type, she loses all that she is, and she will rip the leash. 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:32.559 We're talking two and a half pounds or whatever she is, maybe four. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:36.639 Rip the leash right out of your hands to run after another dog. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.120 Why is she like that? 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.919 She harasses other things. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:50.080 Well, Paul said, Mary, like Charlotte, harass the goal. 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:55.519 Go after the goal in order to go after that one thing, the way you need. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:01.279 Paul said, Forget the things which are behind me and harass the goal. 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.200 Move forward with what God has impressed in your heart. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:08.159 And I thought about that, that no looking behind. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:19.679 He says, you know, in races and running, I doubt you've ever ran in a race where the race said, at this point, we want everyone to stop and we want you to go backwards. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:25.759 He says, forget those things that are behind. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:31.759 Luke 9, 62 says, No man having his hand to the plow, looking back, is fit for the kingdom. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:36.320 Listen, Barry, we all here feel unworthy. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:39.360 But Jesus took care of your yesterday. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:44.159 And this right here, church, is what makes any of it worthy. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:46.720 It's not a man standing before you. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:49.440 Jesus took care of everything behind. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:54.000 And so, Barry, take this one thing and harass the goal. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:55.120 To press like that. 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:57.600 And I thought about, well, how can I help you? 00:09:57.840 --> 00:09:59.120 How do you press like that? 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:03.840 How do you harass like my dog going after something? 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:06.080 There's only one secret. 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:10.639 You have to feed faithfully on the word of God. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.279 You have to feed yourself faithfully. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:19.360 Jack Wertzon said, you cannot do the will of God if you do not know the word of God. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:20.799 You have to feed yourself. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:30.240 And Charles Fuller said, to know the word of God, to live the word of God, to preach the word of God, to teach the word of God, all is the heart of Christian service. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:33.200 And so this book has got to be what you feed on. 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:34.799 Lastly, the final prize. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:36.960 Look at verse 14, the last part. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:44.879 It says, Toward, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:49.279 This that we do isn't about a temporary thing. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:51.919 This is an eternity thing. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:56.639 And I thought about the story of Eric Liddell, and I'll finish up. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:04.720 Eric Liddell was a hundred-meter specialist, one of the best that had ever come along in a long time. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:19.360 And Eric Lydell was getting set for the 1924 Olympics, and they found out the schedule of the Olympics, and Eric Lydell said, There is not one chance that I'm going to run on that day. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:26.399 They scheduled the Olympics, the hundred meter, which he people were all believing that he was going to win. 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:28.720 He was going to take the medal that year. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:31.919 And they scheduled it on the Lord's Day. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:39.360 And Eric Lydell had a commitment, his Christian commitment, his commitment to his God was that he was not going to miss a Lord's Day. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:43.679 So when he found out that it was on the Lord's Day, he made up his mind. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.240 God had told him to go and worship. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:47.679 So he went off and worshiped. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:57.679 Well, as times changed, as somebody uh, I believe had checked out of one of the races, he actually qualified for the 400-meter. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:58.879 So different. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:00.879 I found this out in the last three or four years. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:05.519 Didn't know nothing about tracker running until my daughter was deep in it. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:17.039 And uh 100-meter runners and 400-meter runners, totally different people, totally different processes, totally different practices, but he qualified. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:22.799 And Eric Lydell listened to what God said and did not run on Sunday, but he ran on Monday. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:28.799 And when he ran the 400 meter on Monday, he broke the world record getting a gold medal. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:32.639 He went off in that Olympics. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.960 Well, you know, it'd be something to talk about if it ended there. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:48.399 But Eric Lydell, who could have lived his life for the fame of being an Olympic gold medalist for the notoriety that came with that, he could have run, he could have lived, and all of that. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:59.600 But in 1925, Eric Lydell left running that race and went to China as a missionary, leading many to Jesus Christ. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:14.480 He spent his life serving, and a fellow Scottish missionary was there, Annie Buchanan, when Lydell was on his deathbed, and his final words were this he said to her, It's complete surrender. 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:19.679 You see, he was running for something more than a temporary gain. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:27.519 It wasn't for a bank account high, it wasn't for a vacation, it wasn't for a trophy or a gold medal, even which he had. 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:29.919 It was for that final prize. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.240 And I want to leave you with this verse. 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:35.600 We'll continue on to the racer. 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:38.320 Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:56.559 It says, Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:12.399 Hear this, Pastor Barry, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised and the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:18.080 So in this last piece of running advice, it's looking at Jesus. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.960 Barry, it's not looking at CCW. 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:26.799 It's not looking at that you're a pastor, not looking at your ministry, it's looking at Jesus. 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:29.679 Not looking unto the government, it's looking at Jesus. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:32.000 When you're in doubt, look at Jesus. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:34.240 When you're afraid, look unto Jesus. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.240 When you're tempted, look at Jesus. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:38.240 When you're frustrated, look at Jesus. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:40.399 When the work is hard, look at Jesus. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:42.240 When you're tired, look at Jesus. 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:46.159 When you feel like quitting and your feelings are hurt, look at Jesus. 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:49.360 Keep looking at Jesus. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:57.440 It's my honor today, church family, to introduce to you for the first time, Pastor Barry Key. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:11.039 Love you, brother. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:15.279 Good morning, CCW. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:18.399 This is my first time. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:20.000 Good morning, CCW. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:22.799 Thank you. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:30.000 Um before I get started, um, there's a couple of things I need to let you know. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:33.200 First, I have a medical condition. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.519 Uh, it's called essential tremors. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:41.919 Not really Parkinson's, but it causes me to shake the same way Parkinson's does. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:44.559 So if you see me up here, I'm nervous. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.000 It gets worse when I'm nervous. 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:51.840 If you see me shaking, it's my tremors, it's not a Pastor Danny spell coming up on me. 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:53.759 Some of you get that. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:59.600 And I spoke to Pastor Danny a couple of weeks ago when he was here, and he gave me permission to say that. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.360 So love you, Pastor D. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:07.200 Um also at some point during this, I'm gonna get emotional. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:12.799 I apologize for that, but uh I actually brought a handkerchief for the first time. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.960 I've not carried one probably in 20 years, but I knew I'd need it today. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.360 Um I want to thank the pastors at our church. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:25.279 Don't we have some great pastors here at the church, the CCW? 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:37.679 They've seen something in me that uh I was scared to see, and I want to thank them for leading me to this point. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:43.200 And of course, no pastor is ever a great pastor without a pastor's wife. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:47.919 So, our pastor's wives, if everybody would applaud for them, they are fantastic. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:58.000 Um, my CCW family and my family for being here today. 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:04.240 It's an honor to come before you, and uh I'm looking forward to it, but I'm nervous. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:18.079 And then finally, I was listening to a comedian a couple of weeks ago, and he said, Have you ever noticed that you've never heard a preacher say, you know, I am married to the most mediocre woman in the world? 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:20.079 You've never heard that. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:24.079 Well, you're not gonna hear that today. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:39.200 I am married to the most fantastic woman in the world for me, and without her prayers and without her being behind me and beside me and sometimes dragging me, I would not be here this morning. 00:17:39.359 --> 00:17:42.319 So if y'all would, we would just go. 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:49.920 So I would not be here today. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:18:00.720 When um when I start started to feel this calling coming on me, um the word pastor never crossed my mind. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:11.920 Teacher, minister, the word pastor just never even came to my mind until the day I was licensed. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:23.759 That day, at the end of the service, Miss Amanda was giving the announcements, telling about what had gone on in the church, and she said, in this morning, we've licensed a new pastor. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:29.039 The first time I heard that word. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:35.680 Then a few days later, I get a text message from Pastor Dave. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:40.480 This is the actual test text message with my response. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:54.880 Scared me to death. 00:18:56.160 --> 00:19:01.039 So I got home and was sitting on the couch talking to Miss Tracy about it. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:08.960 And I said, Standing on the stage at CCW preaching never even crossed my mind. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:12.240 And gentlemen, you know how wives can be. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:16.640 She looked me square in the face and went, what'd you expect? 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:21.519 Not this, but I'm here today. 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:37.759 So after speaking with Rick a couple of times and coming to the realization I was gonna have to speak today, I pulled out an old sermon or whatever you want to call it that I thought I was gonna use one time on a mission trip. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:42.240 And it never got used, and so I pulled it out and started working on it. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:49.200 And about halfway through, I started noticing our church. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:54.240 And if you haven't noticed over the past few weeks, we've been hearing stories. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:20:10.240 Uh we've heard Pastor Dave's story, we've heard Rick and Heather's story, we've heard um Benji's mother and father, their story, um, Pastor Danny and their story of coming here and the church's story. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:15.680 And so I started feeling that maybe today I needed to tell my story. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:23.599 And then talking with uh some people, they were like, never disregard your testimony. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.559 That that's a powerful thing to teach. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.759 And started on what you're gonna hear today. 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:42.960 So if you wouldn't mind, I've got my notes backwards, but that's okay. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:51.279 Um open your scriptures if you've got them today and turn to Matthew 7. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:04.559 I love when you do things like that. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.160 Satan loves it. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:08.319 But that's okay. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:14.799 Matthew 7 can be some hard verses. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:21.440 Um if you've been in my Sunday school class, you know I don't mind teaching the hard verses. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:26.640 As a matter of fact, sometimes I like teaching the hard verses because it makes me study and dig harder. 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:31.440 Um hard verses can be for one of two reasons. 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:34.400 Either they're just hard to understand. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:41.839 If you've ever read through 2 Peter, in 2 Peter 3.16, Peter is talking about Paul's writings. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:46.559 And he says some of those things are just very difficult to understand. 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:49.359 So there's those kind of verses. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:55.359 Then there's the type of verses that they're very easy to understand what they say. 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:57.200 We just don't like what they say. 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:03.440 Those are the kind of verses we're Going to talk about today and in my testimony. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:08.559 So if you would, if you wouldn't mind, please stand with me. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.480 We're going to read from Matthew 7. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:15.519 We're going to start in verse 21 and go through verse 23. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:20.559 It should be on the board if you wouldn't mind reading along with me. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:23.839 So Matthew 7, 21. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:26.880 Oh, it's up there? 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:27.359 Okay. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:38.079 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:50.799 Many will say to me, In that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:54.000 And I will declare to them, I never knew you. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:57.200 Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.039 If you would pray with me. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:06.400 Father, I want to thank you for today and the privilege to come into your house and teach your people. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:12.079 Let me never take that for granted, and let me always see it as an honor. 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:19.839 Please use me today to teach your word in a manner that will bring you the glory and bring someone to a knowledge of your Son. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:24.480 I ask these things in your holy son's name, Jesus Christ. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:25.279 Amen. 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:26.880 You can be seated. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:31.599 So what is a testimony? 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:45.680 Well, Webster divines a testimony as a solemn declaration usually made orally between a witness under oath in response to interrogation by a lawyer or authorized public official. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:57.680 And then it goes on, it's a firsthand authentication of a fact, an outward sign, an open acknowledgement, or a public profession of a religious experience. 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:10.160 So if we combine all that together, we get a solemn oral declaration of a firsthand fact, of an outward sign and an open acknowledgement of what God has done for me. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:17.759 So basically, that is fancy talk for tell somebody what God's done for you. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:20.880 So what am I going to do this morning? 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:23.519 I'm going to tell you what God's done for me. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:33.119 I was born and raised in a normal middle class family. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:38.640 We had good houses, good neighborhood, nice neighborhoods, good friends. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:40.720 My mom and dad were never divorced. 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:46.240 As a matter of fact, my mom and dad are here, 60 plus years of marriage and still going strong. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:58.880 He liked to pick on me a lot, but uh I got over. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:02.400 He'll tell you differently, but it was him picking on me. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:12.960 So I remember growing up, and it was the American dream. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:18.559 And sometimes I think the American dream are the hardest people to reach. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:34.000 From my memory, we would go usually to a Methodist church. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:45.920 Um and then as I grew, it was usually a Methodist church because I was in the Boy Scouts, and both of the troops that I was involved with were affiliated with Methodist churches. 00:25:49.039 --> 00:26:02.559 So I grew and we moved to Birmingham and had met some friends here, mid-teens, and occasionally I would go to a church with a friend of mine that was a Baptist church over on 119. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:06.079 I would spend the night with him on Saturday morning night. 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:18.319 We would get up Sunday morning, quickly open our Bible, find a little short verse, Jesus wept, and then go to Sunday school, and then that way when we could repeat that verse, we got a candy bar. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:25.039 It was either Jesus wept, pray always, or something out of the Proverbs. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:33.440 Well, we were there one Sunday morning, and the discussion came up of music. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:42.160 And I admitted that when I was growing up, one of my favorite bands was the group Kiss. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:48.640 As a matter of fact, I had their first seven albums, and I've still got them on vinyl at home somewhere. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:51.039 I just don't have a record player anymore. 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:55.200 Have you heard the word church hurt? 00:26:56.480 --> 00:26:58.160 It's a real thing. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:08.480 Sitting in that circle of teenagers with a leader, and I don't even remember if it was a man or a woman or who, but I remember what they said to me. 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:16.000 They looked me straight in the face and said, if you listen to that music, you're going to hell. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:21.039 And I looked around that circle, and there were teenagers doing this. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:26.480 I graduated from Pelham High School in 1982. 00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:28.240 It was not that big. 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:31.759 I knew every one of the kids in that room. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.799 I knew where they had been and what they had done Friday night. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:37.680 I knew where they had been and what they did Saturday night. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:42.960 And I knew what they were probably going to do after church that morning, but yet I was the bad guy. 00:27:49.839 --> 00:28:09.759 I did not, I did not voluntarily enter church again on my own until the year 2006, with the exception of the occasional wedding, funeral, or the day my daughter was baptized. 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:18.640 Twenty-something years for what somebody said to me in a Sunday school class. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:24.079 But the trick to that was I didn't need church. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:25.839 I didn't need Sunday school. 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:29.440 Because I would have told you, I believe there's a God. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:32.400 I believe there's a Jesus. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:47.680 And like I told you, I was a member of the Scouts, and we went, the scout troop I was involved here, we went somewhere every weekend or once a month hiking, and I told everybody, I find God in nature. 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:55.440 When I'm on top of a mountain, I'm closer to God than I ever will be in any church. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:58.720 So what changed that? 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:04.319 Well, in 2002-ish, I was a single dad. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:09.920 I had a teenage daughter living at home, and I worked as a full-time firefighter. 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:18.240 Well, I don't know if y'all know much about firefighters, but you don't meet many eligible ladies on duty at the fire department. 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:26.559 And I couldn't go out on Friday or Saturday nights because I had a teenage daughter at home that I had to take care of. 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:30.480 And so I found a website called Match.com. 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:37.359 And I joined Match.com and started meeting people. 00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:51.359 Gentlemen, if you're going to meet somebody like that, do it in a public place. 00:29:51.920 --> 00:30:02.240 Because I could tell you some stories that you wouldn't believe, and I'm not going to go into them today, but if we're ever having coffee or something, ask me and I'll tell you some of the stories. 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:09.359 So after probably six months, seven months of this, I'd had enough. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:16.240 The people weren't what I thought, and it was not what I was looking for at the time, and so I canceled my subscription. 00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:22.079 Well, when you cancel your subscription, they let you continue on until the end of it. 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:30.480 Well, I had one week left, and I received an email from somebody named RubySlippers1215. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:35.920 Guess who Ruby Slippers1215 was? 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:42.319 And believe it or not, I still have the first two emails that she ever sent me. 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:46.400 And every now and then on our anniversary, I'll send them back to her. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:52.880 Well, we decided to meet for coffee at the old Barnes and Noble in Hoover because it was a public place. 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:58.319 We could walk in, and on the way out the door, I told my daughter, I'll be back in about an hour. 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:00.480 This is not going to take long. 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:02.799 I knew how it was going to go. 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:08.079 Eight hours later, nine hours later, I got home. 00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:19.039 We had coffee, we talked, we hit it off, we decided to keep on going and go out to dinner, and everything went great from there. 00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:27.279 As Forrest Gump says, I'm not the smartest man, but I know when I have a good thing. 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:29.920 And I found a good thing. 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:43.599 So as we started talking and dating, and the subject of marriage came up, she told me that when we found a house and settled in, that she wanted to find a local church that we could attend. 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:49.920 Not wanting to lose the good thing I had, I agreed with that. 00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:58.400 And so we got married, living in a house in Pelham, and we built a house here in Chelsea in 2005. 00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:02.400 And that was the year that, if you'll remember, Katrina hit that summer. 00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:07.759 And I can remember building the house, talking to the builder about what was going on in Katrina. 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:10.480 Well, we finished the house and moved in. 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:15.119 Well, after we moved in, the subject of church came back up again. 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:19.200 And so we started church hunting. 00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:22.880 And we ended up at Brook Hills one Sunday. 00:32:23.119 --> 00:32:30.640 Well, it just so happens that Sunday morning was David Platt's first morning to guest preach at Brook Hills. 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:34.640 He and his wife had been living in New Orleans. 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:40.480 He was teaching down there, and they had lost their house, and they had moved to Atlanta. 00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:43.039 Well, Brook Hills was searching for a pastor. 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:46.880 They were using guest pastors, and they invited him to come speak. 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:50.160 And we loved his preaching. 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:53.359 So we continued to attend Brook Hills. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:33:04.000 He would come back on occasionally, and then finally we found out that Brook Hills was going to offer him to come as the senior pastor and take over Brook Hills. 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:12.160 Well, when we learned that, we joined Brook Hills so that we could be present to vote for David Platt to come to Brook Hills. 00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:18.079 So we joined Brook Hills and began attending under David Platt. 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:26.319 Well, this went on for probably a year, a little over a year maybe. 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:34.240 And David was doing a sermon one morning on donating your time, giving of your time to the church. 00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:39.920 And he said, all we would ever ask for is 2% of your time. 00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:43.359 You'll never miss 2% of your time. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:50.799 He said, this morning we've dimmed the lights by 2%, and nobody in here has even noticed it. 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:56.400 He said, we've turned the music down 2%, nobody even noticed it. 00:33:56.640 --> 00:34:02.640 So you can give 2% of your life to God and you'll never notice it. 00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:07.440 Well, if you figure up 2% of a year, it works out to be almost seven days. 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:09.920 So he was speaking of a week. 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:18.639 He said, What I would like everybody to do is make a commitment to go on an overseas short-term mission trip of one week. 00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:29.119 He had everybody stand up and he said, if you're willing to commit to one week of a mission trip, please come down front. 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:35.920 If you've ever been to Brook Hills, there's over a thousand people in there. 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:41.360 And probably 95% of them went down front. 00:34:41.840 --> 00:34:48.800 Well, I wasn't ready to make that commitment, and so I'm standing there looking around, and there goes Tracy. 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:53.199 Right down front. 00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:56.960 And I was basically left standing there by myself. 00:34:57.199 --> 00:34:59.679 A person over here, maybe one back here. 00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:04.960 And I felt bad because I was not ready to commit. 00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:12.880 And as a matter of fact, yes, Miss Tracy, I was mad at David for doing that to me, leaving me standing out like that. 00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:17.039 So after the service was over, I thought, okay, that's it. 00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:19.920 I'll not hear anything more about this. 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:32.239 Well, a week or so later, she went to some meeting and she came home and announced, I'm going to Maracaibo, Venezuela at the end of the year on a mission trip. 00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:52.159 Gentlemen, if you're like me, I'm not going to let my beautiful bride leave this country, especially to a place like Venezuela, where Hugo Chavez was the leader at the time, without me there to protect her. 00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:57.920 Have no idea what I would have done to protect her, but I wasn't going to let it happen. 00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:01.039 So I threw my hand up and volunteered also. 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:10.159 And so we went through some classes over the months, getting ready to go on this mission trip. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:14.159 And what it turns out is the mission trip was twofold. 00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:21.039 It was a medical mission trip, but then they had the entertainment to go with the medical part. 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:24.000 So the medical part was done by somebody else. 00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:25.840 We were the entertainment. 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:32.079 So while the kids were waiting to see the doctors, we would put on a carnival for them. 00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:39.519 We would face paint, tie balloons, do different things to keep the children occupied. 00:36:40.639 --> 00:36:47.840 As a matter of fact, your new pastor learned how to tie balloon animals to give to kids. 00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:51.440 If we've got image number two. 00:36:57.519 --> 00:36:59.280 Image number three. 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:04.239 And image number four. 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:10.559 So that was our trip. 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:13.199 That was what we were going down there to do. 00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:19.280 So this trip was at the end of December of 2007. 00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:21.119 It was chilly here. 00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:28.559 I can't stand behind this and tell y'all this next story. 00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:32.880