WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.600 Well, guys, welcome Ken. 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:03.120 Awesome. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:05.759 Awesome. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:07.679 Wow. 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:15.119 I gotta tell you, um, as Justin was sharing those days and those travels and those long rides and those late nights. 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:20.000 I have three children and I remember those, and I am thankful I am not there right now. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:21.760 Um wow. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:26.879 Uh my boys instead now they're both right for one month, they're 16, the same age. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:28.079 They're 11 months apart. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:33.679 They sleep, they're up at the crack of noon, and uh that's so much better. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:35.920 Uh, but it's a different set of challenges. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.079 They're now up past my bedtime, so we're dealing with that right now. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:42.079 Life is just full of a process. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:45.520 When you lose one set of issues, you get another set of issues to deal with. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:50.320 And I love this theme that we're going into this year: changing lives, changing lives. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:53.280 This morning we're gonna look at how how lives change. 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:54.799 How does my life change? 00:00:55.039 --> 00:01:01.679 And I gotta tell you, as a dad and a husband, a father, and a friend, I don't want to miss the opportunities that pop up. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:04.400 And I'm driven by those priorities. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:11.599 And thankfully, I think God is discerning, giving me discernment uh in those priorities, and and what I don't want to miss. 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:20.159 Um, my daughter and I have this thing where we love movies together, and and my wife doesn't really go for a lot of the movies that she likes. 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:21.280 And she's like, Oh, will you take it? 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:22.560 I'm like, Yeah, I love this. 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:28.560 And this time of year, we watch Elf at least like eight times because it's just we're quoting lines out of Elf. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:30.879 And my new favorite, we went to see it a couple weeks ago. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:32.879 How many of y'all have seen Big Hero Six? 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:33.599 Anyone else? 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:34.239 Yes. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:36.239 So our thing now, my wife doesn't get it. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.480 Kennedy will walk up and dad, let's do it. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:39.760 Ba-da-da-da-da. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:43.439 You know, and it's and if you haven't seen the movie, you have no idea what that means. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:44.799 And it's just awesome. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:49.439 So that's our thing right now, and I don't want to miss I don't want to miss the opportunities. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.359 Um, we did Thanksgiving down in Daytona, Daytona Beach. 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:57.840 None of my family's from there, but it's kind of a meeting place for our family. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:06.719 My sister from South Florida, we're from it here, my brother from Savannah, so we met there, got a couple condos down there, and it was right on the beach, and it was awesome. 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:12.159 It was it rained for a couple days, but it was in the 60s, so it was like, okay, it's better, but not great. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:19.759 And and then the last day we're there, the sun came out, so it's in the low 60s, and my my middle son, he's like, Dad, can we go boogie boarding? 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:28.240 And I'm just like, now, if unless it's illegal or immoral, when my children go, Dad, can we? 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:32.719 I try to say yes to anything that they say, dad, can we? 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:35.439 So I'm like, boogie board, oh, okay. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:41.759 And so we ran a couple boogie boards, the good ones, the big ones, we go out there, and and the Atlantic Ocean this time of year. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:43.919 I came up and Heather's like, was the water cold? 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.319 I'm like, no, it's like a jacuzzi out there. 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:47.599 And she's like, Really? 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:49.919 And I'm like, no, no. 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.719 It's like in the 40s. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.039 And she goes, Wasn't it cold? 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:56.319 I'm like, yes. 00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:03.039 I said, but you know, once your body goes numb and you hit hypothermia, you just you don't really care anymore. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:11.599 And so I literally we go out there, we were like an hour out in the surf, and I'm just kind of chattering and shaking, and we came back in, but I don't want to miss those moments. 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:28.080 I love those moments, and even this the moment of deciding, okay, after dinner, Thanksgiving Day, we pack it up and we're gonna avoid the traffic because my wife is like, gosh, you know, I've missed Black Friday for the last five years because we've been on families over there. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:32.080 So we drive, I mean, eight hours. 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:41.759 We get in around one in the morning, and we get up early on Black Friday, and and uh went shopping on Black Friday, and that was awesome, and I learned a lot. 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:43.039 I learned a lot about it. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:44.159 Uh, I did get points. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:45.599 I got a lot of points for doing that. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:46.719 I don't understand to this day. 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:48.080 I don't understand Black Friday. 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:50.319 She goes, hey, I want to go to go to Belk first. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:51.360 So we pull into Belk. 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:52.879 I'm like, awesome, there's not a crowd. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.599 She goes, Oh, bummer, there's not a crowd. 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:58.319 I'm like, what do you mean? 00:03:58.879 --> 00:03:59.680 This is awesome. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:03.759 She goes, no, that means there's no good deals here. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:08.000 I'm like, so we gotta find the crowd. 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:09.840 She's like, exactly. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.159 And I'm like, oh wow. 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:16.639 So we go to the mall and we're kind of jammed in there, and I'm just like, oh, this is great. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.079 She goes, This is awesome. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:19.680 And I'm like, really? 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:24.480 And and I gotta, I'll confess to you right now, I still to this day I don't get it. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:31.600 I'd rather pay$2.99 more and not deal with that, but it's the thrill of Black Friday. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:35.439 So we did Black Friday, and that was awesome. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:36.399 And you know what? 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:42.639 I I gotta say, I I really got into it not because now I'm gonna love Black Friday, because I gotta do it with her. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:44.079 I just love being with her. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:49.759 And we went to Dunkin' Donuts, and then we go there and we do that, and we did lunch, and I'm like, this is awesome. 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:50.720 She goes, You like it? 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:58.000 And and when she said it, she was referring to Black Friday, but I was referring to us being together, and I'm like, yeah, I love it. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:04.240 And the truth is that's kind of the way God is in our lives, going, hey, I don't understand why you don't trust me more. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.839 I don't understand all that you're doing, but I just want to be with you. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:08.959 I just want to be with you. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:13.680 And the more God is with us, the more we are going to experience who He is. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:18.720 And this morning we got, I want to just point out two opportunities that I've I've begun to notice. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.519 I was sitting in church a couple weeks ago. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.160 I got to give you like a 15-second background. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:29.120 Last year, I had actually last year and a half, I helped this little church that was about to shut their doors. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:33.680 Uh, we brought in some leadership, taught, got it big enough now to where it's got its own pastor. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:35.759 And so it's really cool to get to be a part of that. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.759 So I go and I listen to this pastor at this little church and had a great time. 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:42.000 And and what he was sharing was very true. 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:46.160 He's sharing out of Romans how God has already given us his riches. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:48.560 It's not something we have to earn, it's something he just gives. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:55.199 Once we accept Christ, we have his riches, and we have his acceptance, and we have his love. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:57.680 In the fullest measure, we have it. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:04.079 And as I sat there and I listened, I just went, Lord, I know that's true. 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:09.279 I I read your word, I know it's true, but sometimes I just don't feel it. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:17.759 So Lord, will you show me, will you show me how to experience your riches and acceptance and love? 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:26.480 I I want to experience that so you can change me, change my life to where I can be experiencing not what I feel, but what your truth says. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:37.360 And so this morning, as I weave through, let me go ahead and warn you, uh, there's no rhyme or reason necessarily, other than the main experiences here, to how these verses fit together. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.519 But you're gonna see the themes as we go through them. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:45.279 And I don't want you to really realistically follow along to all of them, but here's what I would encourage you to do. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:55.519 When these verses come up and you hear them, the one that hits your heart of, oh yeah, oh yeah, mark that one down and let God wash over you this week through that one. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:56.720 Does that make sense? 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:59.199 Uh, because we're gonna hit a bunch of different ones. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:06.079 But the first experience, the first opportunity to experience God's presence is in one word. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:11.519 And as I started to pray through this, your riches, your acceptance, your love, Lord, where do I experience that? 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.800 This word kept coming up over and over and over. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:30.160 And I found this thread through the New Testament, through Scripture, and through the stories of the Old Testament, where God and people experience Him more clearly and more tangibly in the midst of perseverance. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:31.759 Perseverance. 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:37.279 Now, in our society, we run away from anything that causes us pain or troubles or trials. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:38.399 We run away from it. 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:39.360 Get rid of it. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:44.079 All the movies end in an hour and everything's perfect, everything's wonderful. 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:46.959 And then if you've ever seen a romantic comedy, that's the way it worked. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:48.319 Oh, he's a jerk, he's horrible. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:49.759 Oh, he's changed, oh, we're in love. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:50.399 Can you believe that? 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:56.000 If I hear that one more time, I go to these movies with my wife, and at the end it's always the same comedy. 00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:57.040 Can you believe it? 00:07:57.199 --> 00:07:59.360 He changed and he came and he loves her now. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:01.839 Can you believe that? 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.360 Yes, it happens every time. 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:14.959 But you haven't noticed there's never a sequel to a romantic comedy because he reverts back to the jerk he was three weeks later, and it just doesn't work out. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:24.079 But see, God is saying, hey, if we persevere in the midst of perseverance, that's where we experience God. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:35.360 And I started seeing this through scripture, and in Hebrews 12, 1, it says, let us cast off the sin and what so easily entangles us and run with perseverance, the race that's set before us. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:40.559 See, because whether we're a Christian or not, trials are gonna happen. 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.360 Life is gonna happen, it's part of life. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:53.679 If you need the biblical proof of this, you can write down Matthew 5, 45, where he just says, When it rains, it rains on the righteous and the unrighteous, the just and the unjust. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:58.080 If it rains, it doesn't matter who you are, you walk outside, you get wet. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:08:59.279 That's the way it works. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:01.440 Trials are gonna happen no matter who we are. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:05.759 God is not throwing things at us so that we will have to endure them. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:07.440 It's just part of life. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:15.440 And what he's saying is, is in the midst of perseverance is where you experience me, our senses become heightened. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:22.960 Our desire to connect with God become exaggerated because we want God to be real, and he is, and we become more real. 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:24.320 Let me share a couple other verses. 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:34.960 In Romans 5, verses 3 and 4, it says, not only so, but we also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.039 Perseverance, character, and character, hope. 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:44.960 True hope, peace, joy, all the good pieces of life come from God. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:48.639 Let me just get a little bit of reality check here right now. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:50.879 I don't care who you pull for politically. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:59.519 If your guy's in office or your party's in the majority and all that, let me just tell you this right now: the government will never provide hope. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:00.320 Ever. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:04.799 Doesn't matter if your guy's in or out or in or in about or a majority, it doesn't matter. 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:06.720 The government does not provide hope. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.679 God and God alone provides hope. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:13.840 Lasting hope, meaningful hope, individual hope. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.200 Only God does that. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:18.000 And it comes through the process. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:19.759 Perseverance is a process. 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:33.759 It's not just to get to the end, but if you're going through something right now, pick the area that you're frustrated or that you're overwhelmed or that you're just in misery or pain, and say, Okay, God, I'm just trying to get through this. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:38.799 That is the area where God says, I want to get real personal with you. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:40.559 This is where we experience God. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:53.919 In James chapter one, it says this consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:11:01.840 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:06.320 Joy comes out of perseverance. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:14.000 Joy, not circumstantial, okay, happy, but joy, meaningful joy that understands that I can get through anything. 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:15.200 That comes out of that. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:22.960 So as I'm reading through this, and I'm finding this thread of perseverance, that it's a process, and I always looked at getting past it. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:25.120 But God is saying, I'm in the midst of it. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:34.879 If you want to experience me, then you're gonna understand and you're gonna connect with me better in the midst of perseverance, whatever it is, whenever it is, whatever area it is. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.960 And I started thinking, okay, joy, and and my son, my oldest son, he said, Dad, what are you speaking on Sunday? 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:41.600 I said, you know what? 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:46.879 God's really just, I think He's trying to teach me this concept of perseverance as part of the process. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:49.440 And I'm I'm really just kind of praying through that. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:52.639 And what does it mean to have joy in the midst of perseverance? 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:57.759 And and he says, Oh man, you gotta watch the Apollo Hester clip. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.639 I'm like, who's Apollo Hester? 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:02.399 Well, he's a high school student. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:08.639 I don't know if there's high school students in here right now, but let me just tell you, I've learned more from my son and this this high school student. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:09.919 He says, Apollo Hester. 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:12.879 I love technology because I'm like, who's Apollo Hester? 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:15.840 Oh, he's this football player out in Texas, he's a high school student here. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:17.440 Watch that. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:19.039 And that's all it takes. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:22.000 And so I'm looking at him like, get out of town. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:23.919 And this is the perfect. 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:33.519 This interview, this less than two minutes interview, is probably one of the most pure examples of joy, perspective, and perseverance. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.279 Watch this interview. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:41.039 I'm out here with Apollos Hester, wide receiver for the Patriots. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:42.879 You guys had one heck of a game tonight. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:44.000 Uh, how'd it go? 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:45.519 I mean, it was going a little back and forth. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:48.639 You guys knew it was gonna be a tough dogfight out there, and it was. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.960 So, what were you guys able to do to come back and win this thing? 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:53.519 All right, well, at first we started slow, we started real slow. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:57.360 And you know, that's all right, that's okay, because sometimes in life you're gonna start slow. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:58.240 That's okay. 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:04.559 We we we told ourselves, hey, we're gonna start slow, we're gonna keep going fast, we're gonna start slow, but we're always, always gonna finish fast. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.919 No matter what the score was, we're gonna finish hard, we're gonna finish fast. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:10.080 Yeah, they had us the first half, I'm not gonna lie. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:10.639 They had us. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.399 We weren't defeated, but they had us. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:14.320 But it took guts, it took an attitude. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:15.279 That's all it takes. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.679 That's all it takes to be successful, is an attitude. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:19.039 And that's what our coach told us. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:20.960 He said, he said, hey, it's gonna be tough. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:21.600 It's gonna be hard. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.919 You're gonna go out there, you're gonna battle, you're gonna fight, you're gonna do it for one, you're gonna do it for one another. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:30.639 Do it for each other, you're gonna do it for yourself, you're gonna do it for us, and you're gonna go out with this win. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:31.440 And we believe that. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:32.240 We truly did. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:33.519 And it's it's an awesome feeling. 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:47.039 It's an awesome feeling when you truly believe that you're going to be successful, regardless of the situation, regardless of the scoreboard, you're going to be successful because you put in all the time, all the effort, all the hard work, and you know that it's going to pay off. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.440 And if it doesn't pay off, you continue to give God the glory. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.720 If you still lose the game, you continue to get each other's back. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:54.240 And that and that's what we realized. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:57.279 Regard when or lose, we realized that we were gonna be alright. 00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:58.480 It was gonna be okay. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:00.240 We're gonna we're gonna keep smiling. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:01.360 It was awesome. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:02.080 Awesome. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:04.080 Paul's always got a smile on his face. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:05.120 Talk about attitudes. 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:07.360 This guy's got attitude, if you guys can't tell. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.960 Uh, we met earlier this week, and uh this was the enthusiasm I saw. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:12.639 Yes, ma'am. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:14.639 Hey, you can do anything you put your mind to. 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:16.000 Never give up on your dreams. 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:19.360 Keep smiling, no matter what you're going to, if you fall down, just get up. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:22.000 If you can't get up, your friends are there to help you up. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:25.679 Your mama's there, your daddy's there, God's there, and I'm there to help you up. 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:26.559 You're there, man. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:27.360 It's gonna be alright. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:28.480 Just keep smiling. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:44.320 You gotta go back and watch that clip on YouTube because right after that they kick you back to the studio, and there's these two anchors, and literally they're like. 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:52.320 And one of them goes, Man, I I don't know if he's ever gonna make it a football, but I want to go run through a wall right now. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:53.759 Where's that? 00:14:54.320 --> 00:15:01.200 And what I love about this attitude is it wasn't about we won, thank you, Jesus, for letting us win. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:04.000 It was, it doesn't matter what happens. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:06.399 That I'm we're gonna persevere. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:14.879 And the joy that he just exudes of, you know what, it doesn't matter what the scoreboard says, it doesn't matter if we win or lose because we've got each other, and God's gonna help us get back up. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:20.080 There's a bigger purpose than this, and this is just what it's about is perseverance. 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:23.039 It's part of the process, not an ending point. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:29.279 Now, I share that with us to see a visual of what that's like, but I'm not here to just make this a pep rally. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:32.480 It's not about going, okay, all right, I'm ready to go. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:34.240 Let's go run through a wall, let's do this. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:42.799 Because the point of this area, this opportunity of perseverance is to experience God in the midst. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:47.279 I want us to get very honest for a second, very honest with ourselves. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:48.960 What am I going through right now? 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:50.240 What is my frustration? 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.200 Am I overwhelmed, my trial, whatever it is. 00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:55.919 And if I'm honest with God to say, you know what? 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:01.120 I know I need to persevere and I'm trying my best, but I'm worn out. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:02.960 And God, I don't know what's going to happen. 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:04.159 I don't know what's there. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:08.399 I want you to listen to what Jesus says about in the midst of perseverance. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:12.480 In the midst of it, what he wants us to do in the midst of it. 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:15.759 In Matthew chapter 11, verses 28 through 30. 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:17.039 This is Jesus speaking. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:23.519 This is come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:25.600 Take my yoke upon you. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:27.039 See, it's our choice. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.399 He's saying, Choose me. 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:30.320 And he says, Learn from me. 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:33.360 I've got the answer for whatever you're going through. 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:39.600 Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:43.600 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:53.039 And I would say this if you're going through it right now, if you would say, I am weary, I'm I'm burdened, then Jesus says, You qualify. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:54.639 You qualify. 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.639 But you have a choice to make. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:58.159 I have a choice to make. 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:01.840 Do you want to experience me in the midst of where you are right now? 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.039 Do you want to experience me? 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:05.119 Because I'm here, but it's your choice. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:09.039 Take my yoke upon me, upon you, learn from me. 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:11.759 Because I've got the answers, I've got the wisdom for this. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:20.400 I'd shared uh last time I was here kind of the ABCs of dealing with sin, and it talks about sin and cast off the entanglements to us. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.720 And that ABC was elementary. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:27.119 It was simply admit, admit that it's sin. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:41.839 And for those of us who are believers that struggle, admit, I don't know, admit that it's sin, believe what Jesus did, that he died on a cross, he paid the price in full, and then cling to Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit, cling to him in the midst of that. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:45.519 Well, this is the advanced elementary version of that. 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:58.880 If we will be so honest to take where we're struggling right now, and be honest too, admit the temptation, admit the frustration, admit the overwhelmingness. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:04.559 If we will admit that, and then the B is believe his power. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:11.359 Believe the power that raised Christ from the dead really does live in me once I've accepted Christ. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:14.079 I really do believe that that power is within me. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:23.359 When we take communion each week, that blood that was spilled, that blood is the power that raised Christ from the dead, lives in me, and then cling to that power. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.279 Cling to that power. 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:32.000 Now, to get to that, I've got to give a very simple illustration here, real quickly, of what that really looks like and that means. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.720 Um, this ball is gonna represent you and me. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:37.039 We're this we're just a ball, all right? 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.599 There's nothing special about it, we're just here. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:45.359 This is an inanimate object, and this is our soul's condition before we meet Christ. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:46.480 We're just here. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:49.680 If we're in a church, it doesn't make it a Christian ball. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:53.920 If I put it in my Bible and rub it, it doesn't make it a Christian ball. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:58.079 There has to be a decision that's made to have life. 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:02.559 If we turn off the lights, and we will in a second, but if uh if we turn off the lights, I can hold this up. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:05.119 You couldn't see it because it's inanimate. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:06.640 There's nothing in this. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:24.640 But here's what God says, and I want you to read a couple verses, because this Jesus says, Truly or verily I tell you, if it is for your good that I'm going away, just as Jesus is about to ascend, he says, unless I go away, the advocate, the Holy Spirit, will not come to you. 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:27.759 But if I go, I will send him to you. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:34.319 When he comes, he will prove to the world to be wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:43.519 And to put it in a positive way, that as I've read through this, he says, I'm gonna show you what is sin, what's going to kill you and destroy you and ruin your life. 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.799 I'm gonna show you what that is. 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:47.440 That's what the Holy Spirit, God within me does. 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:54.160 He says, I'm gonna show you what's righteousness and what's gonna be right and wrong, what's gonna allow you to have the best life possible. 00:19:54.319 --> 00:20:01.680 And I'm gonna show you judgment, I'm gonna give you wisdom to know how to discern every situation, but it's your choice to depend on that. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.720 Now, here's where the transformation takes place. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:13.519 When we get to the point where we say, Okay, God, I've heard about you, I've been around your people, I've been through your word, I've started to read and I see it. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:15.440 I believe you are who you say you are. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:17.119 We have a choice to make. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:21.279 In 1 John it says that he who has the Son has life. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:24.559 He who does not have the Son of God, Jesus, does not have life. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:25.680 We're inanimate. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:32.000 He says, I write these things to you, believe in the name of the Son of God so that you can know that you have eternal life. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:35.200 In other words, his word saying, if you want that, here it is. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:42.319 In the book of John, chapter one, it says, To as many as receive him, those he gave the right to be called the children of God. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:44.640 Receive him, accept that. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.160 You'll see if you start reading through the New Testament, you'll see this phrase a lot. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:49.680 Repent and be baptized. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:51.119 Repent, be baptized. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:54.400 Repent simply means, okay, I'm inanimate. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:56.720 I understand I've been in control. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:04.079 God, I want to accept your love, accept your wisdom, accept all that's within me, and I want to accept your forgiveness. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:05.200 And baptize. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:06.000 You'll see it up here. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:08.880 If you come here more than once, you'll see that we have a little baptism over here. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:10.559 And here's what happens in baptism. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:16.640 We literally, we, it's a visual of dying to ourself and becoming something different. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:18.240 Becoming something different. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:21.839 Now that wasn't a magic trick, there's another ball in there, but it was. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:24.559 But this ball is different. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:26.240 This ball is different. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:41.359 Now, I've often thought, and I was literally, as I was praying through the perseverance part and all that, I'm like, God, I I get the overall idea, but there's God the Father, you'll hear God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and you hear them all mixed up. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:45.440 I'm like, God, I kind of get the idea, and this is what kind of God brought to my mind. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.519 If I were to say, in one word, describe what is this? 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:50.400 This is a what? 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:51.599 A light. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:52.319 It's a light. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.799 Well, then here's my question This beam that comes out, what is that? 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.839 It's light, it's a manifestation. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.039 Manifestation of the light. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:02.000 Let me read a verse. 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:03.279 I love this in Hebrews 1. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:12.160 It says, the sun is the radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:17.599 In other words, this God the Creator, this Jesus the light. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:18.160 Okay? 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.039 That's it. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:20.480 Now here's the cool part. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:23.119 I want you to, I'm gonna hold this ball up, and here's the deal. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:24.960 Okay, go ahead and turn the lights off. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.559 This is us, this ball here. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:32.079 Now, as it goes dim, you can turn the ones off up here too. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:34.640 Okay, can you see that? 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:39.839 Okay, even if it's around it, there's it's just it's dead. 00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:41.039 But here's the cool part. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:42.240 Look at this one. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:43.519 There's a glow. 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:45.279 There's something about that in there. 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:46.400 Now, here's the cool part. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:56.319 What happens is God the Father shone his light, and when we receive Christ, what happens is that he begins to invade. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:15.119 And the more that we encounter the Holy Spirit within us, the more that we seek God, the more it illuminates what's already there, His Spirit within us. 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:18.960 To where the more we're there, now look how bright that is. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.519 That is the Spirit within us. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:23.039 So go ahead and turn on the lights. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:24.559 I want to show something really, really cool. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:28.880 So the first is the idea of perseverance. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:29.839 Perseverance. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:36.720 There's another experiential way to experience God, another opportunity, if you will, to experience God. 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:38.799 And that is through pause. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:43.359 The pause of honesty, the pause of obedience. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:46.319 And let me give some very specifics in that area. 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:51.440 As a Christian, once we accept Christ, we become alive in Him. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:53.039 We become alive in Him. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:54.480 But then we have more choices. 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:58.000 Do I want to experience, expose myself to God? 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:03.599 The level I expose myself to God is the level that I experience His fullness. 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:06.000 It's in there, but it's got to come out. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:07.279 I'll give you a couple examples. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:11.599 I sat back a couple weeks ago at another church and they talked about giving and tithing. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:14.720 And I've probably heard this verse a thousand times. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:17.359 But I'd never heard this particular word. 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:22.079 It says, God is saying in, I think it's Malachi, where he says, Why do you, why do you steal from me? 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:23.039 How are we stealing from you? 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:24.960 He says, in tithes. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:27.119 And as believers, it's like, okay, what does that mean? 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:32.880 And then he said this: he said, bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:34.480 And the pastor made the note. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:39.279 He says, when he says bring, we're not asking for a gift. 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:41.279 It's not saying give a whole tithe. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:42.640 It says bring the tithe. 00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:44.000 It's already mine. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:45.279 It's all mine. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:50.400 But I want you to bring the tithe to acknowledge me as being in control of everything. 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:51.599 And I was like, wow. 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:55.839 And he made the differentiation, and it's something that's part of our culture here. 00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:01.519 We do not take, if you're here for the first time or the first few times, we don't take an offering. 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:02.400 We don't. 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:04.319 We receive an offering. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:10.160 We receive the tithe and offering at these different posts, those are the giving stations, and we receive that. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:16.160 And it's an issue between you and God if you're a believer to go, hey, am I bringing my tithe to God? 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:20.240 And here's the deal: we struggle and we grapple and we go, God, I don't know if I can live off of that. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:23.200 And you heard this beautiful story today already. 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:25.920 And that was, we didn't even know each other was going to go that way. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:28.240