WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:01.760 Amen. 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:04.000 That's an anthem, right? 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:05.519 Man, that was awesome. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:07.759 Oh, well, hello again. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:11.519 Hey, I have I have one thing before we jump into the message, what we're gonna talk about today. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:15.279 I have one other thing I want to mention, an announcement that I wanted to say for right now. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:21.760 Because you know, we we said earlier that we exist to help people get God's love, help people grow it, and then help people give it away. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:30.719 The message this morning is actually gonna address how we can how we can grow in that love, how we can help each other as a church grow in our relationship with God, just grow in life in general. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:36.159 But we have an opportunity to give some love to someone through an event that we have from time to time called Canvas. 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:37.359 I want to talk about this for a second. 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:40.159 Uh, one of the things we're passionate about at his hands is art. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:41.840 We we believe that God created. 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:45.119 It's actually the very first thing God does if you read scripture, he just creates. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:49.280 And in fact, until the whole thing kind of gets messed up, all he is is the creator. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:57.520 And so we we love creating and we love giving creative people a chance to create, and you see a lot of art on the walls here, and pretty much all of it's done by people here at his hands. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:04.799 We have this event called Canvas, where we sort of combine our passion for art with a really great cause, and that's to help someone that needs some help. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:10.079 And we have a person that's part of our family at his hands named Lynn Walker, who is really, really special to us. 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:12.480 And if you don't know Lynn, just give you some background. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:16.159 Some of you guys may have been here long enough to know Jimmy, who sings on the worship team from time to time. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:19.439 He moved out to Alpharetta about a year ago, so he used to be pretty much every week. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:21.439 Now he's just, you know, every every other month or so. 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:24.000 It's Jimmy's uh mother-in-law. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:26.159 And so she's an amazing woman. 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:28.079 She led our women's ministry here for a long time. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:29.439 I mean, she's just done some great things. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:31.120 And the last few years have been pretty hard. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:41.280 Her husband David, who was on our prayer team for a long time, a lot of you may have known David, uh, he battled cancer last year, and it was a really hard fight, and he passed away about midway through the year last year. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:45.439 And then uh two months later, a few months later, Lynn was diagnosed with cancer. 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:49.120 And so you can just imagine how rough of a year that is. 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:56.000 You have to, you know, say goodbye temporarily, but still it's hard to your love of your life, your husband. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:00.400 And you go through all the hardship of cancer and all the financial struggles that it takes. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:09.120 You know, they they pretty much used everything they had to treat his cancer, and he was the main provider, and so she works, and now she has cancer and she has to go through chemotherapy, so she can't work. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:11.840 And so we just want to come alongside her as a church and help. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.240 And here's here's the way this works: it's really simple. 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:18.639 Canvas, this event that we have, you you pay$35 to buy a ticket. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.840 And then that$35, 100% of it goes to her. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:31.439 And you get to show up this Friday night at 7 o'clock here at the church, you get a canvas, and our amazing art group will be there to sort of give you a demonstration of how to paint. 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:34.639 If you're a novice you've never painted before, you you may be amazing. 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:35.280 You just don't know. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:38.800 You might be like, I mean, so you need to come just to find out, is this your talent? 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:41.919 And probably five or seven seconds in, you'll be like, nope, it's not. 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:43.039 But that's okay. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:44.560 You can still have a really good time. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.840 And they'll show you little pointers, you get to sort of paint a painting, whatever you want. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:54.080 We we have Marlin show people how to paint his uh his tree of life that you see all throughout the building, so you can kind of do your own version of that. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:55.360 And the goal is really simple. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:59.360 We want to get a couple hundred people to spend$35 to come and have a great night together. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:04.719 Uh, there's gonna be some food and some stuff like that, not dinner, just some some snacks and hors d'oeuvres, that kind of thing. 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:11.039 And then be able to hand all those funds over to Lynn just to use uh as she is going through this stage of life. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:12.879 And so you can buy tickets this morning. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:18.639 Obviously, it's this Friday, so you need to buy tickets today, and you can grab those at the the Connect Desk on your way out. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:20.159 You'll see a sign that says Canvas. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:30.719 But but I just I really want to encourage you to do that because, man, the more people that sign up for it, the more we're able to give to her, and I'm just really excited to do that for someone so important to us, you know. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:32.240 So take advantage of that. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:34.000 Um, let's pray again real quick. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:36.960 Jesus, thank you so much for uh for being in this place. 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.400 We are the sons and the daughters of God. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:43.919 That is who we are, and we're we're that because of you. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:52.560 Because you gave your life, because you gave it all, because you brought us into a family that we could never have claimed to belong to. 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:56.400 You did it all for us, Lord, and we love you and we thank you. 00:03:56.560 --> 00:04:00.240 We're so grateful to you, and we just pray that you bless us throughout the rest of this morning. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:03.520 Open our hearts and our minds to what you want us to learn, and we ask this in your name, Jesus. 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:04.400 Amen. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:05.599 Amen. 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:10.800 Well, if you are just joining us in 2016, if this is your first Sunday, we are in a series called More. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:13.280 And the thought behind this series is very, very simple. 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:15.680 John chapter 10, verse 10. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.079 This is Jesus talking, and I really like it when he talks. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.079 Here's what he says He says, I came so they could have life. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:26.800 He says, more and greater life, better life than they have ever dreamed of. 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:27.600 That's what Jesus says. 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:29.839 I've come to give you real and eternal life. 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:35.040 And not just not just life, but more and better life than you could have ever hoped to have without me. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.839 Jesus came to give us life. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:40.720 He gave his life so you could have life. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:43.839 And so we want as people to desire what God desires. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:47.439 I personally think it's a pretty good idea to want what God wants. 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:54.000 And sometimes I'll sort of self-examine my life and just ask a question: Am I desiring right now what God desires? 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:58.319 And I feel like if I want what God wants, I'm probably in a pretty good place. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:09.279 And sometimes it's hard for us to remember just because we grow up amidst religion and this idea that God is a demanding God that's always telling us that we're not doing enough, that we need to be doing more for him. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:15.120 We forget that the message of Jesus, the message of Scripture, is that we have a God who wants to do more for us. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:20.000 And so you have permission to desire more in your life. 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:31.360 You have permission from God to look at your life and say, God, I believe there's more for me, and I want more, and you can you can do that knowing that God is looking at you saying, Yes, I created you for more. 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.680 Jesus said, I've come to give you more and better. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.199 So you need to you need to desire that for yourself because it's what God wants for you. 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:44.399 So this whole month, this whole first couple months of the year, we're exploring some of the things that God wants us to have more of. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:49.120 And today we're gonna talk about something I think I've been saying we're gonna talk about for a few weeks, but things keep happening. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.600 We're gonna talk about how to have more growth in our lives. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.279 Today I want us to answer a very important question: How do I grow? 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:56.879 How do I grow? 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:00.000 We we say all the time, we're here to get love, grow love, and give love. 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:01.680 And how do I grow in God's love? 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:04.800 How do I take the steps necessary to see growth in my life? 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:09.040 Because I believe this about you, and I might be making an assumption, so forgive me if I am. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:16.879 But I believe that deep down inside you probably not only desire more out of life, but I believe you recognize that there is more within you. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:22.800 I doubt there's anyone in here that believes that you've arrived, that thinks, hey, I'm I'm at my peak. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.279 I have become all that I can be. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:31.040 I am doing more than I ever imagined I could do, and I know there's not a single ounce of more potential within me. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.959 I don't think there's anyone in here that believes that. 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:42.639 I think that deep down inside, we all believe that there is not just more for us outside of us, but there's actually more within us that we're capable of more. 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:44.160 And I believe you are. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:45.759 God believes you are. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:51.680 But the reality is the only way to be able to do more, the only way to be capable of more is to have more growth. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.879 We've got to grow in our lives, and that can be a tricky thing. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:58.959 See, at a certain stage of life, when we're young, growth is just organic, right? 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:06.319 If you have young children, or you have had young children, or at some point in time you were a young child, and that's all of us, that covers everyone in the room. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:08.160 Growth, it just sort of happens. 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:17.759 I know I've told this story before, but I'll never forget when Liam was about a year old, he's he's about to be six, when he was one, I got home one day from work and I could hear Megan crying upstairs in his room. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:19.920 And so as a as a man, I got concerned. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:26.720 I walked up there and I kind of peeked my head in because I've learned that when she's crying, you know, just approach slowly, right? 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:28.800 Needs to be a gentle approach. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.600 So I peeked my head in the room and I said, honey, what's what's wrong? 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:34.959 And she turns around, she's holding a shirt of Liam's. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:37.680 And she goes, This doesn't fit him anymore. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:41.839 And I kind of had this moment of panic because I do the laundry at home, and so I'm like, oh, did I shrink it? 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:45.360 Did I did I use the wrong, I don't know, I just kind of throw it all in there, you know. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:46.720 I hope it all turns out clean. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:48.959 And I said, Well, I'm sorry if I shrunk it. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.560 I there's there's lots of stores close by. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:52.079 I can go get him another shirt, don't worry about it. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:53.839 She says, No, no, no, you don't understand. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.519 He's getting bigger. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:59.920 And again, I'm a guy, so it takes me a little while to process emotional things. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:05.040 I kind of stopped and was like, Yeah, I think, I think babies are supposed to do that. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:09.360 Like, we're feeding him, and I'm pretty sure this is a good thing. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.480 We want him to grow, and she stops and she's like, No, you don't understand. 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:13.519 You don't understand. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:14.079 He's growing. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:15.759 And I'm like, Yes, I understand this. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:24.160 You need to be prepared for a lot more of this happening because he's one year old, and I'm picturing how big he's going to be, and I think this is something we're gonna deal with for a while. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:26.480 So you've got to figure out how to cope with this. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:28.319 And finally, she helped me understand it. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:33.279 Finally, she stops me and she says, No, Justin, what I'm trying to say is that he's never gonna be this big again. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:40.000 That this phase of his life is is over, we're never gonna have him as as a as a baby again. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.960 And that's when as a man I said, Well, I've got great news, honey. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:44.480 I'm willing to make another one with you. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:45.759 I am willing to do that. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:49.120 So, problem solved, you know? 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:50.559 Number three is on the way. 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:51.440 So it's okay. 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:55.039 We've got all these clothes, we'll just we'll save them, we'll use them for someone else. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:58.559 See, at a at a certain age, growth just sort of happens. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:02.240 I I've got a daughter that's almost two, and I'm blown away. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:06.080 Two years ago, she opened her eyes for the first time, she had never seen anything. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.080 She didn't understand language. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:15.360 And now at two years old, she can speak in full sentences, and she has even figured out how to emotionally manipulate me to a T. 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:16.879 She's got me figured out. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:20.639 In two years, she has grown so much in her ability to think and understand. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:21.919 It's it's really unbelievable. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:23.840 But you see, with kids, it just happens. 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:25.840 They don't they don't do that intentionally. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:30.639 No, no toddler wakes up and thinks, you know, today, today I'm gonna work on my fine motor skills. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:35.679 And and after that, I'm really gonna work on pronouncing my R's correctly because I'm really tired of saying wabbit. 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:37.679 I want to say rabbit, and I really gotta work on that. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:40.320 No, no two-year-old has ever done that. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:46.240 They just sort of develop and grow and mature, and it's this very organic, very effortless process. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.399 But at a certain stage of life, it's not like that anymore. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:52.320 And this is where all of us are. 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:55.759 Growth doesn't just sort of happen. 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:04.720 If we want to grow in some area of our lives, it requires us being purposeful, it requires some intention on our part. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:07.840 We have to decide to grow, we have to put effort into it. 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:11.519 It's a lot less organic and it becomes a lot more mechanical, to be honest. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:16.960 It's a lot less like a plant growing and it's more like a building being constructed. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:19.919 We have to do some very intentional things to grow. 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:22.720 And I don't know what it is in your life that you want to grow in. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:23.840 Maybe it's joy this year. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.600 Maybe you're someone that just naturally focuses on the problems. 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:32.240 You get really overworked and overwhelmed by all the bad things happening. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:35.679 It's really hard for you to find the joy in life and just breathe and enjoy things. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:37.200 And you want to grow in joy this year. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:38.080 That's a good thing. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:38.960 You should want that. 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:42.799 But you're not just gonna automatically become more joyful this year. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:50.159 You're not gonna wake up in the mornings and just hear beautiful music and the birds chirping and all these great things and just go, wow, I'm smiling more than ever. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:51.200 That's not how it works. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:53.360 Maybe you're someone that needs to grow in initiative. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:56.559 Maybe you have this big list of things you want to do. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:04.320 You don't lack for dreams, but you have a hard time just finding the gumption to get started, to start crossing those things off your list. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:05.919 And this year you want to have more initiative. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:09.600 You want to wake up in the morning and sort of have the ability to go for it. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.000 But you're not gonna just grow initiative this year. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:13.440 That's not how it's gonna work. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:17.039 You're not just gonna wake up every day having a little bit more and a little bit more. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:18.879 It's not organic, it's mechanical. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:23.919 You have to decide to build initiative into your life. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:26.960 I want more discipline in my life this year. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:28.799 I am not a disciplined person. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.480 Naturally, not at all. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:31.679 In fact, I'm very impulsive. 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:32.399 I always have been. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:39.440 Now, the good thing for me is that the things I want to do, the things that I have an impulse to do, happen to be things that are pretty socially acceptable. 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:42.399 So in in college, I wanted to get really good grades. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:49.519 So when people would come by my room and say, hey Justin, there's this party or there's this event you want to go, and I would say, No, I'm gonna study, that was not me being disciplined. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:51.600 That was not me being like, oh, do I want to? 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:53.519 But no, I gotta, I gotta do the right thing. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.440 I gotta study these books. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:57.919 That was me going, no, I'd rather do this. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:59.279 I want to get good grades. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:00.399 That's what I wanted to do. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:05.759 So I've had impulses to do good things, but the reality is I've always just done what I wanted to do. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:11.840 And the problem with that is there are times when I don't want to do the things that are really necessary for success in life. 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:13.679 And I'm a little too dependent on my mood. 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:15.679 So this year, I want to become more disciplined. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:20.399 I want to become more disciplined in my my health, how I eat, those kind of things, all aspects of life. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.559 But I'm not just gonna grow discipline this year. 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:25.039 I'm not gonna wake up in the morning craving a salad. 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:26.559 That's never gonna happen to me. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.080 Never in life. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.039 I have to build discipline into my life. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:32.799 I have to build it into my life. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:34.240 I have to be intentional. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:39.360 See, for us, growth, it's like building something. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:45.440 It's like it's like an architect saying, This is what I want to see happen, this is what I want to see built, and I'm gonna do the things necessary. 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:48.399 I'm gonna take the steps necessary to grow. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:51.360 See, Jesus recognized that. 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:53.759 Jesus, he understands life. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:13:01.840 If you want evidence, again, of Jesus being more than just a man, of being who he says he is, just read what Jesus says about life and ask yourself this question: Does he get it? 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.039 Does he understand the human condition unlike anyone else ever? 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:05.919 And he does. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:13.840 So we have these words of Jesus speaking to this mechanical building process we have to endure in Matthew chapter 7. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:21.519 Verse 24, Jesus says, Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:36.000 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey, that person is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:42.080 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:46.720 Jesus recognizes something about life that all of us really, we get it. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:48.799 We may not think in these terms, but we understand it. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:55.679 Jesus is saying, hey, look, please recognize that life is weighty, life is is heavy. 00:13:56.399 --> 00:14:06.000 And whether we do it consciously or subconsciously, whether it's intentional or unintentional, we are all building our lives right now, and we're all building our lives on some sort of foundation. 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:11.519 And when it comes to building anything, the foundation is absolutely vital. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:13.600 There's nothing more important than a foundation. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:18.320 A few years ago, right when we found out we were pregnant with Lily, we decided to move into a new house. 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.320 And moving is something my family does really well. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:25.440 In fact, my parents are getting ready to move again, and I think since I've been born, this will be house number like 25. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:26.000 It's crazy. 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:27.039 We move a lot. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:29.440 We're movers, the McTears, we like to move around. 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:37.200 So we're good at boxes and putting boxes into things and taking boxes out of things and then temporarily unpacking those boxes so that we can put them back in boxes shortly thereafter. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:38.480 That is what we do. 00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:49.519 So moving's not a hard process for us, and we were excited to move and we were looking at bigger houses than we'd had before, because now we're gonna have multiple kids, and we really felt like we wanted a house that we could be in for a long time, maybe for the long haul. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:50.960 And so we started searching. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:54.159 And Lisa Wall, who goes to his hand, she was our real estate agent. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:55.360 And Lisa, I know you're here today. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:59.600 I'm sorry for what we put you through because we looked at so many houses. 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:00.720 So many houses. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:08.480 You watch those shows on TV about people finding houses, and it's like a half-hour show, and you don't realize sometimes that no, no, that was like a three-year process or something like that. 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.720 That's how it feels anyway when you're you're actually doing it. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:14.159 So we looked at house after house after house, and finally we found one that we liked. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:15.200 And so we moved in. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:16.639 And we moved in aggressively. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.320 We got everything unpacked because we wanted to have everything set up for the baby. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:21.919 But some weird things happened. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.399 We moved in before we actually closed on the house. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:29.759 Some things happened on the owner's end that pushed back the closing date, but he said, no, go ahead and move in. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:33.120 You know, we'll get it all wrapped up and you guys will already be unpacked, and then we'll close. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:36.480 And then something else happened, and that date got pushed back even more. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.200 We were okay because we were unpacked, we're living there. 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.120 He just had to figure out stuff on his end. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:50.879 And then while we're we're in that limbo process, while we're in the house, living there, unpacked, pictures on the walls, I mean, the whole nine yards, it rained, which is not that uncommon. 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:51.519 Right? 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.120 I mean, Jesus said it very clearly. 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:56.320 When it rains, right, when the storms come, rain happens. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:00.320 But what doesn't tend to happen when it rains is that the rain comes into your house. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:02.720 And it can come into your house a variety of different ways. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:05.360 It could come through the roof, but this is not what happened that day. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:07.759 It was coming up through the basement. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:11.200 Nathan was actually over at our house that night. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:12.320 Nathan's really handy. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.960 He used to be in charge of the facility here before he did all the worship. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:16.559 He's a really multi-talented guy. 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:21.200 And I don't really know much about houses or anything other than moving into them and moving out of them. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:22.480 Other than that, I know nothing. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:26.240 And so I kind of looked at Nathan and looked at the water and I wanted some reassurance. 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.639 I wanted him to look at me and be like, no, no, this is not that big of a deal. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:30.480 We'll we can get this fixed, we can get this taken care of. 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:33.200 And Nathan just looked at me and went, This is really bad. 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:34.080 It's really bad. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:36.799 And I was like, awesome, thank you, thank you, Nathan. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:38.320 And so we had this decision to make. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:44.320 We had a person that came out and looked at our house and examined everything, and he said, Hey, it could be a couple of different things. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.639 Number one, it could be foundation issues. 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:51.279 And then he said it could also be this and this and this, but I didn't hear anything after he said foundation issues. 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:53.039 I can't remember another thing he said. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:56.399 He just said it could be an issue with the foundation. 00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:02.559 And I don't know much about building, but I'm pretty sure that you don't want issues with the foundation. 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:07.119 I mean, honestly, I take any other issue, any other issue with that house, I wouldn't have had a problem. 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:08.319 A roof issue, no big deal. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:11.279 We can patch that or we can we can get a new roof, we can figure that out. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:12.720 Uh, how about a plumbing issue? 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:14.480 That's probably gross, but we can deal with that. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:16.640 We can manage a creepy neighbor issue. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:17.759 I can avoid people. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:19.039 All of us are good at that. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:23.359 There's always at least one person in the neighborhood that you just sort of do this to, and I can handle that. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:28.960 Done that for years, but a foundation issue, that is an issue I do not want to deal with. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.839 I don't want to mess with a faulty foundation. 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:35.920 And we hadn't closed on that house yet, and so we decided not to. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.759 So we packed everything back up and we moved it into a storage facility. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:47.519 And some of my friends who are really good friends helped me out, and then we moved into Megan's parents' house for the last few weeks of her pregnancy, which was an amazing experience. 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:48.559 It was so much fun. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:52.960 And then we moved back into the new house that we found the day before Megan went into labor. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.359 It was a very fun couple of months. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:56.079 It was awesome. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:57.519 And I'll never forget it. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:58.240 I'll never forget it. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:17:59.279 I'll say that. 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:02.400 See, foundations are big deals. 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:07.440 If you have issues with a foundation, you gotta make a major change. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:14.640 And what Jesus is recognizing here, he's saying, look, you are building life, whether you think about it that way or not, you are building a life. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.119 Some of us have have already built quite a bit. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:22.880 But he asks us to stop and consider the foundation that we're building on. 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:30.079 And to think about what we have decided is carrying the weight of our lives. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.079 Because there's a lot of weight. 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:40.160 There's problems, there's issues, there's setbacks, there's storms, but there's good weight too, there's hopes, there's dreams, there's passions. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:42.079 All of it, though, all of it has weight. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.119 So what are we building our lives on? 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:49.519 See, the world will throw all kinds of stuff at us and tell us, hey, build on this. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:54.559 If you build on this the right way, this is gonna hold, this is solid, and it's all a lie. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:57.839 I mean, the classic example is money. 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:11.279 We live in a world that tells us, hey, if you invest money the right way, and if you save up money the right way, and if you do everything right financially, then you'll have a financial foundation, you'll be able to retire, and you'll have plenty left over, and it's all gonna be good. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:17.759 I mean, half the commercials on TV are basically communicating to us money is a foundation you can build on. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:23.920 And some of us, myself included, have had seasons of life, maybe large seasons of life, where we have done that. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.119 We have built our life on a bank account. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.440 But there is a problem with money. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:32.079 It is not solid, it is by nature fluid. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.279 It comes and it goes. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:38.240 In fact, in Proverbs, the Bible says it really clearly: don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:46.160 Be wise enough to know when to quit, because in the blink of an eye, wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:48.079 That's money. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:49.759 It is not solid. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:55.119 It is fluid, and by definition, something that is fluid cannot be a solid foundation. 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:57.279 Sand is fluid, it moves. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.160 It can't be a good foundation. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.599 Money, it just doesn't work. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:03.279 It's not strong enough to carry the weight. 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:04.000 Money's not a bad thing. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:05.119 Having more money, fine. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:11.279 Get a raise, go for it, invest, do the wise things with your money, yes, but do not build your life on a bank account. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.960 It's not gonna work. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:14.319 A lot of us have learned that. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:16.079 Some of us have learned that the hard way. 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:17.519 But there are other things as well. 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:18.960 What about what about having a plan? 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:20.480 We live in a world that values that, right? 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:22.480 Like you've you've got to have a plan. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:24.720 What is your five-year plan? 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:27.680 What is your goal for 10 years from now? 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:28.240 What are you doing? 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.000 What ideas do you have to build on? 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:37.519 And sometimes when we get thinking really well, we we have good ideas, and we might start to build our lives and build our futures on the plans and our minds. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:45.599 I'm gonna go do this, and I'm gonna work this job, and then I'm gonna go here, and I'm gonna build my business like this, and I'm gonna do this and this and this and this, and we have this unbelievable plan. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:50.720 We have really good ideas, but the problem is that I've had a lot of good ideas that did not work. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:52.880 Maybe they weren't good ideas. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:55.279 That's possible, but I felt like they were. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:00.319 They seemed at the time to be really good ideas, they just didn't, they didn't pan out. 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:08.400 And again, Proverbs tells it like it is those who trust in their own insight are foolish. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:14.000 In other words, you may have the best plan that anyone has ever had in life. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.079 And that plan's amazing, and you should be proud of that plan, and you should follow that plan. 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:22.240 Go for it, but do not make that plan the foundation of your life. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:29.039 Don't make any idea that comes from you or a man the foundation of your life because plans change. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:31.839 Plans change. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:34.640 What about what about something really solid? 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:37.759 What about something like the government? 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:38.640 Right? 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.400 Because let's be honest, I mean, that's what the government tells us. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:47.519 The government basically communicates time and time again hey, don't worry, we've got it. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:48.559 We've got it. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:50.640 Your retirement, we've got this thing called Social Security. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:51.519 You're good. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.680 Your health care, we're gonna take care of that. 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:58.960 Now, we do have to borrow from your retirement to pay for your health care, but don't worry, we've got you. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.839 Just trust us. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.480 We've got you. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:02.960 And here's the thing: we are blessed to have the government that we have. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:04.880 We are blessed to have a government. 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:07.440 As much as during election times, we kind of go, no, we're not. 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:08.960 We have a terrible government, it's all awful. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:12.160 We would not trade our government for most of the governments in the world. 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:13.200 So we're blessed. 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:22.799 But do not make a government or an economy or anything like that the foundation of your life because governments come and go, governments rise and fall. 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:27.440 It's not solid enough to be the foundation of your life. 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:30.559 You have to have a foundation that can hold the weight. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.359 And it doesn't matter what you're building in your life. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:38.079 If you're building a marriage, do not build a marriage based on mutual attraction. 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:41.279 It's good to be attracted to your spouse. 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:43.119 That's a very good thing. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:45.359 But the Bible says beauty fades. 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:47.680 I always say this about Megan and I. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:50.319 It really works for our marriage because we're kind of like salsa. 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:51.920 Like I'm chunky and she's hot. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:54.720 So you put the two things together, that's good, right? 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:57.279 So it's worked out really well on my end. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:00.480 I look at Megan and I'm really happy and I'm blessed, and she's gorgeous and it's awesome. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:02.960 But she looks at me and I know, I know. 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:05.440 I mean, I'm doing my best. 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:06.880 I'm doing my best. 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.200 But we don't put cameras on me for a reason. 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:11.359 You need some distance right now, okay? 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:15.680 So here's the thing mutual attraction, wonderful. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:18.000 But you can't build a life on it. 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:19.440 You can't build a marriage on it. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:22.240 You can't even build a marriage on feeling in love. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:28.880