WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.600 Good morning. 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:06.799 Oh, goodness gracious. 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:08.720 What a weak weather, right? 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:12.480 I mean 80 degrees early in the week, sweating. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:17.199 Yesterday was almost kind of cold, but I was doing yard work, so it was like perfect outside. 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:18.879 That's 60 degrees just right. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.600 You can still wear long pants, but get stuff done and not not uh be too in it. 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:26.879 Uh we get to uh, you know, the north got had all that snow this year. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:30.079 We get to shovel um pollen from our driveways, right? 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:31.359 Scrape it off our car. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:32.799 We've had all that going on. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:38.960 Um it's that time of year where the grocery stores are are fully stocked with marshmallow peeps. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:43.520 Um and Braves games started counting this week, right? 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.159 Yes. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.200 Six to two victory over the Nationals NASA last night. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:51.359 Got to watch my first game of the season um in in entirety. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.359 You we all know what this time of year, right? 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:54.240 It's spring. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:54.880 It's here. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:56.159 Spring is here. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.119 Um I I you know, if you were to like come up to me and say, hey, what's your favorite sport? 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:01.759 What do you enjoy? 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.840 I'd I'd probably off the bat say football. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:04.959 I'm a big football fan. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.719 I go to football games, I'm a big Georgia Tech fan if you didn't know. 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:10.560 Um yeah, thank you. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:10.959 Yeah. 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:15.359 But baseball, there's something nostalgic for me about it. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:17.760 You know, it's it has a big part of my heart. 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:20.719 Um I grew up in a bit of a non-athletic family. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:26.000 Uh my dad uh could be described as kind of a mad scientist type engineer. 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:28.799 Um, those of you who know him know that's true. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:32.799 Uh my mom is an amazingly talented uh musician and vocalist. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:36.719 My sister is an outstanding painter, an artist. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.799 I was the weird one in my family. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:43.840 Um I wanted to uh I collected baseball cards and wanted to play Little League, you know? 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:52.400 And um after several years of just begging and pleading, um, my parents finally caved and let me play ball. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.840 I was 14 years old when I finally got to join a team, a real baseball team. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.079 And I I will always cherish that. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:05.920 It was a awesome experience and something that I uh I totally enjoyed. 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:10.800 And this time of year just kind of always brings back those memories for me. 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:19.280 Um this morning I wanted to talk about another part of spring that that's I'm really passionate about, that I'm really excited about. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:24.879 Um the last several weeks, if you've been here, we've been covering the account of Noah and the flood. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:26.639 Um, it's been really good. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:28.560 Um, but we're kind of redirecting this morning. 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:33.840 Justin wrapped that up last week, and we're gonna start talking about Easter over the next couple weeks. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.199 And um it's kind of a pre-Easter message. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.199 You we might call it a priester message. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:39.919 Yeah. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:40.319 All right. 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:43.120 I couldn't, yeah, that's bad, I know. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:49.439 Um the the events surrounding Easter are some of my favorite things to study. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:52.800 I've actually um taught a lesson here at church several times. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:59.840 I used to teach a Bible study, and we'd spend eight weeks digging into the nitty-gritty details of Easter. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:12.639 Um, there is so much going on with Easter, so much prophecy fulfilled, so much, you know, these unbelievable events intertwining and interweaving to complete this amazing thing that happened. 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:18.479 Um, all leading up with Jesus' uh crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:22.000 Um there's so much to draw from. 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:23.840 There's so much to get from it. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:33.280 And when I was trying to like compile my thoughts, I found out several weeks ago, I was speaking this Sunday, and I was just a little overwhelmed with exactly what to talk about. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:34.960 There's just so much. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:37.520 And I've I've studied so much. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:44.000 And to be blunt, I've really had a hard time focusing on anything in the past month. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:47.840 Um the last time I shared, it was about eight weeks ago. 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:54.240 I was uh I talked about faith and taking action in faith, uh, moving a mountain, if you will. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:04:04.159 And we also talked about healing and how how all healing is from God, and but how all healing in this world on this earth is temporary. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:12.479 Um in that relatively short period of time, it's been an absolute roller coaster ride for me personally. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:14.719 Um, ups and downs. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:19.040 Work for me, I work at a small business, we are just slamming. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:27.279 Um, I've spent about two years just really sowing seed, if you know what I mean, into our small business and into our little industry. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:37.040 And um, just in the last two months, God has just blessed us with this unbelievable freight train of work coming our way. 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:43.040 Um, so much so that I've actually hired two more guys, which is basically increasing our workload by 10%. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:44.240 No, I truly. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:45.439 All right, you know. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.079 Um it's a huge blessing. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:05:00.800 But, but for any of you who have that, it's also a challenge and it brings stress, you know, and it's it's required in a lot of ways more attention than it's ever required from me before. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:06.800 You know, as a as a director in our firm, I have uh several guys, about seven or eight guys that work directly for me. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:14.399 And on our team, as all of this is taking place, we've kind of been throwing that curveball after curveball kind of, you know? 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:23.920 And let's put it this way one of my lead installers, great guy, his father, just in the past 10 days, has probably cheated death three or four times. 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:28.800 In and out of ICU, um, severe cardiac and respiratory problems. 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:33.439 He had to miss 10 days of work just because they didn't know every day if he was going to make it. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:42.319 He's just been transferred to a rehab facility, and they've given him less than a year to make it, best case scenario. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:57.199 Um, my operations manager in the last couple months was visited by Make a Wish because his young son has a genetic condition and is going to need a bone marrow transplant at some point in the future. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:01.759 Um, that's how serious their family situation is right now. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:08.639 Our owner, my boss, my my good friend, has been dealing with a life and death situation with his older son. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:20.720 Um in the set last several weeks, it's it's taken a really dramatic and unexpected turn, uh, which has consumed nearly all of their family's emotional resources. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:32.319 You know, for me personally, it's been one of those periods where you're just you're overwhelmed, where you you can't control anything, but you're forced to manage those things, right? 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:36.160 You can't, you can't ever quite recover before something else gets you. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:45.839 I kind of compared it to being in an ocean, about chest deep, you know, and you get knocked by a wave, and you kind of you stabilize yourself, and just as you stabilize yourself, what happens? 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:47.199 Bam, another wave. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:48.399 Okay, okay. 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.040 And it just, it's it's nonstop. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:52.639 It's non-stop. 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:56.560 It's in it can be exhausting. 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:14.720 And then on top of it all, shortly after I spoke, eight weeks ago, I mean, really shortly, probably within a week or so, um, my wife Christina uh started having some really severe headaches and some other symptoms that that kind of appeared to maybe be a heart attack or a stroke. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:19.279 Um we took her to the ER and they took great care of her. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:29.360 And and they gave her a preliminary dose uh diagnosis of a complex migraine, which was really good news at the time, said to follow up with a regular doctor. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:38.160 Um her doctor then said you should see a specialist, recommended that she go see a neurologist who wanted her to have an MRI. 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:42.079 Um we had to go get two MRIs because of complications. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:47.199 Um she was finally given the phone call with the results of the MRI. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:52.000 Um, she called me at work and told me that she had a brain aneurysm. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:59.120 Um my initial reaction was uh was kind of a controlled panic, if you know what I mean. 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:06.560 Um I got in my car and headed straight home, and it was quickly followed by kind of an uncontrolled fear. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:16.079 I broke down in the car in absolute panic and just just tears, and and desperately started to call out in prayer. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:25.519 Um I didn't really know uh what was going on, and it's been you know a really crazy ride since that day. 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:31.279 I now know way more about vascular brain stuff than I ever thought I would. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:34.159 Um but that's that's life. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:35.759 That is life. 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:43.360 You know, sometimes even me, we are thrown unexpected curveballs. 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:52.559 There's no amount of planning or preparedness that can deal with what might come tomorrow, right? 00:08:52.799 --> 00:09:00.480 We can think we got it all set up, but there's always something out there that can absolutely throw us for a loop. 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:04.159 We live in a broken world. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:08.080 That is a certainty of real life. 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:22.159 You know, not more than a couple days ago, I was I was dealing with all this stuff, the work stuff, the complications with friends at work, our family stuff, and I was trying to prepare for today. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:26.960 And I didn't, honestly, I almost called Justin and said, you know what, can you can you just do it for me? 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:31.440 Um But God sat me down and quietly gave me a revelation. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:38.720 You know, living in this broken world, we hope that there is more to live for. 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:48.720 That with all of our unexpected challenges, we come, we will come to know that there is a bigger purpose. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:50.399 Guess what? 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:52.960 That's what Easter is all about. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:10:01.600 You know, this guy, Jesus, we talk about a lot here, if you've ever been here every Sunday, you know, a lot of Jesus. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:03.440 He was a real person. 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:12.000 He had real feelings, and he dealt with real life in this same broken world as you and I. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:22.639 You know, the last week of Jesus' life is an unbelievable roller coaster of emotions and orchestrated chaos. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:44.480 Just before all these dramatic events of his last week began to kind of compound and unfold, he was talking to his disciples and he was kind of trying to lay it out for them to give them a heads up of what was coming, to advise them of the challenges that they were going to have to personally face. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:47.759 And he summed it up with them like this in John. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:54.240 He said, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:06.000 Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, because I have overcome the world. 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:12.240 He says, On earth you will have many trials and sorrows. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:16.720 Will, as in, it's going to happen, it's a certainty. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:28.799 You know, over the weeks leading up to his death, Jesus would personally deal with one of his closest friends dying. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:34.879 He would be praised by crowds of pilgrims shouting Hosanna to him. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:40.240 He would have an outburst of anger over money in the temple. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:46.000 He would be anointed at dinner with oil and relax with friends. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:51.440 He would teach about God's love to anyone willing to listen. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.279 He would break bread with his best friends. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:59.519 He would wash their feet and recline in their company. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:06.639 Jesus, he would be betrayed by one of those same closest friends. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.399 He would have an anxiety attack in a garden. 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:23.679 He would be put on criminal trial, sentenced, tortured, mocked, humiliated, nailed to a tree, left to die. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:28.080 All of this in the span of about one week. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:41.120 You know, sometimes we we think of Jesus as this kind of superhero, but the reality is Jesus was just as much of a real person as you and I. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:13:00.080 He had the same physical limitations, fragility, he didn't have psychic powers or X-ray vision, you know, but Jesus did have this kind of supernatural ability to kind of have this wisdom and understanding of God's plan and where everything was going. 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:06.080 So it allowed him to be, you know, predictable in where things were headed. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:12.960 But that said, you know, Jesus was also, it tells us in the Bible, surprised and astonished a couple times. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:19.279 So, so he was a real person, just like you can be kind of, you know, caught off guard, so so could Jesus. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:28.240 You know, he laughed, he cried, he felt anger, he felt joy, he he felt peace and stress, pain and pleasure. 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:39.279 God himself came to earth to know you better, to live as you do, to reconnect us with him. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:43.440 All of this happened through Jesus. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:49.360 You know, life happens here in this real world, you know? 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.879 And Jesus is a real world answer. 00:13:54.240 --> 00:14:04.080 Through this broken world, through Jesus' sacrifice, all things are collectively used for an amazing, perfect plan. 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.879 James, Jesus' brother, wrote this and kinds of sums it up. 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:17.519 He says, Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:24.000 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.679 So let it grow. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:33.840 For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect, complete, needing nothing. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.639 Anyone who know who Yogi Berra was? 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:40.879 Yogi Berra is a famous catcher. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:43.519 He played for the United for the New York Yankees. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:46.159 And he's known for kind of off-the-wall quotes. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:49.360 And he said something sort of similar. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:54.080 Um He said, if if life were perfect, it wouldn't be. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.759 I I I love that quote. 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:08.080 And the more I kind of kind of think about that quote, the more I actually think it's better than it, then it, you know, it really, I mean, it just gets better and better and better. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:18.559 We get to certain points in our lives, you know, after going through hard times, especially, where we have this opportunity to kind of look back on them from a new perspective. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.159 You know, we we tend to see them in a bigger picture kind of way. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:29.679 We see that what happened in the moment appeared to be chaotic and unnecessary. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:41.759 But actually, in hindsight, had this perfectly orchestrated resolution, you know, that ultimately brings an outcome far better than we could have ever expected. 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:54.159 You know, for Jesus, he literally carried the weight of mankind's salvation on his human shoulders. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:09.039 We cannot fathom at any point in our life the magnitude of physical, emotional, and spiritual burden he took on. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:11.679 Just even in that last week. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:20.799 We have a God who knows us, who knows us better than any other person that has ever lived. 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:28.879 What if, just just bear with me, what if you could just have a conversation with God, right? 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:40.240 Maybe you pick a local, you know, coffee joint, you sit down, you order your caramel macchiato, you know, he orders a chai latte, right? 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:46.320 You're just sitting there chilling, you know, kind of just like your best friend, right? 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:50.799 What if you could sit down with him and talk about your struggles? 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:52.480 He would always understand. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:54.559 You know, how cool would that be? 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:58.159 To talk to God like your best friend. 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.000 Well, what would that look like? 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:01.519 What would that be like? 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:10.079 Maybe you would be dealing with, maybe you're dealing with a crisis that involves a uh a death of somebody close to you or a health issue. 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:16.319 And God might look at you and say, you know, I remember when my dad, Joseph, died. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.240 It was really difficult for our family. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:30.960 And I I was the oldest son, and um I I remember that I was the one that had to be strong, but inside I was I was really, really heartbroken. 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:35.680 Unbearably heartbroken not having my daddy around anymore. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:39.920 You know, you may be having relationship struggles. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:51.759 God would sit down and say, you know, I had one of my closest friends betray me, turn me in to be murdered. 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:56.799 Um I had to fight personal pain and anger towards him. 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:00.319 But I I I still loved him. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:07.200 And I I can't help but to love him because I put I picked him as one of my friends. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:13.680 You might be dealing with work and you got bosses that you cannot please. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:28.400 You know, God would sit down and say, you know, I I remember being around religious authorities, and and no matter what I did, no matter what I said, they criticized me and and condemned me. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:31.599 They they didn't approve of the way I did anything. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:38.880 You know, he would give you practical advice on how to handle that situation with wisdom and courage. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:45.119 You you might be struggling with selfishness, with personal pride. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:19:00.880 The God who created the universe would look you in the eye, smile gently, and talk to you about the people that he's personally counseled through that very same struggle. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:10.640 He'd give you loving, kind advice on how to live for more, how to live a fulfilled life, serving others in love. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:20.799 You know, there's nothing that we as people can endure or feel that God himself hasn't personally been there done that. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.319 That's what Easter is all about. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:30.480 Well before Jesus' time, there's a guy in the Bible named King David. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:32.079 He was a king of Israel. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.160 And you want to talk about somebody in the Bible who else knew about ups and downs. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:39.759 He was one of the most favored men by God in the Bible. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:43.920 He knew God's blessings more than just about anybody. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:53.519 But David also dealt with some of the most tragic, self-inflicted, chaotic, abusing life moments that can be imagined. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:57.759 You know, one of David's outlets was writing poetry. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:00.319 And we find a lot of those in the book of Psalms. 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:05.920 And in Psalms 34, a section 17 through 20, David lays it out like this. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:11.680 He says, The Lord hears his people when they call him, call to him for help. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:14.720 He rescues them from all their troubles. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:21.599 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:28.640 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:36.240 Not one of them is broken. 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:39.200 So this is the Old Testament God. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:44.559 And, you know, we'd sing the song, Your Love Never Changes. 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.160 It's the exact thing Jesus said. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:21:00.400 Not only those verses reinforce who God is when times are tough, it also prophetically points straight to Jesus' crucifixion. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:06.079 Not one of Jesus' bones were broken when he was crucified. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:09.359 This is what Easter is all about. 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:22.480 You know, when we feel overwhelmed, broken, hurt, downtrodden, abused, oppressed, troubled, God is there and he understands. 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:28.720 He is real and he is always available for you. 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:37.279 Over the last month or a couple months, eight weeks or so, I've really learned something new about Jesus. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:43.680 Um Justin's message last week, he he talked about how Jesus works through us. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:48.720 And that is something that God has been showing me recently and working on me with. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:52.799 Um Jesus works through us. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:05.200 If I had a dollar for every time somebody said, if you need anything at all, You call us, I'd be able to pay our medical deductible that's about to come up. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:12.319 That is the Holy Spirit working. 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:14.000 That is love. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:17.759 That is a little bit of Jesus. 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:20.400 Justin mentioned it. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.920 He stole my thunder a little bit. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:27.920 But if you know Al Manella, he's affectionately referred to as Hippie around here. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:30.240 Al is a fellow jarhead. 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:30.799 Ooh. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:32.400 All right. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.279 He usually meets and greets people at the main doors up here. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:49.200 It is likely, as was established by the hand raising, that you've received a personal, unabashed, overwhelming bear hug from Al. 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:56.880 The truth is, I can't imagine that Jesus gives better hugs than Al. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:58.720 Maybe as good, I'm sure. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:00.720 But I'm not sure they're better. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:07.359 When you get a big hippie hug, you get a little bit of Jesus. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.119 You know, when I see, and I'm just using personal references. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:30.079 When I see Dallas Anthony smile, or I hear Cicely Cohen's laugh, when I need wisdom and I have an opportunity to sit down with Ben, Steve, or Justin, when I need the power of all-out worship-filled prayer, Irene Stout or Cindy Fournier are there. 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:36.480 Jesus is always available, and he is very, very real. 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:43.039 I started this morning, kind of going in a different direction. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:46.240 I started this morning talking about my love for baseball. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:54.559 If you know anything at all about baseball, you know what separates an average hitter from a really good hitter. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:57.759 What separates the pro from the Joe. 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:00.079 Its ability to hit a curveball. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:04.079 A curveball is used to intimidate a hitter. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:09.920 It causes him to pause for just a split second in a moment of indecision. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:15.359 To deceive a hitter from the trajectory of the ball and where it's coming. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:25.519 When used effectively in partnership with a fastball, a curveball is one of the most effective tools used to strike out a hitter. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:31.039 But there's also another effective counter pitch. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:35.200 A pitch that can be leveraged in just the same way. 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:36.960 It's called a changeup. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:38.640 A changeup's a little different. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:45.200 It looks just like a fastball when it leaves a pitcher's hand, but it comes in at just a totally different rate of speed. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:49.680 Not causing indecision, but throwing the opposition's timing off. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:59.759 Jesus' resurrection three days after being crucified, it was the world's greatest change up. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:14.880 It forever altered our ability to personally know and live with God here in this real world. 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:22.720 Jesus' changeup won the game before it was ever even over. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:26.559 Victory seal on delivery. 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:29.119 We've already raised the championship banner. 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:35.759 There's no curveball that can ever be thrown your way that changes that W. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:43.039 There's a pretty famous baseball quote that I found this week. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:48.960 It said, when life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:56.240 The right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases. 00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:00.000 You know, it's similar to Jesus. 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:03.039 He said, troubles will come, right? 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:07.440 Curve balls will come, but so will the right pitch. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:12.880 Sometimes we tend to focus on the whys of our situation, right? 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:14.559 Why is this happening to me? 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:15.519 What did I do? 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:17.920 Why, why, where did I go wrong? 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:19.759 Why, why, why, right? 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.480 Instead of asking why, Jesus wants us. 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:33.039 He wants our focus, he wants our attention focused on our response. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:34.720 What's the next pitch? 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:40.720 Don't focus on why the curveball came, focus on how we respond to the next pitch. 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:49.119 You know, we never expect a professional hitter to step up to a plate unprepared to hit a curveball, right? 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:55.680 You know, likewise, Jesus knows our struggles are coming. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:02.960 But instead of worrying about if they're gonna come, let's be prepared for a response. 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:08.880 Are you ready to move forward in life, in love, with purpose? 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:11.759 Are you ready to run the basis? 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:22.000 If the worship team wants to kind of head up, um, get through this part. 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:30.559 Um, this past Thursday, just three days ago, uh, my beautiful wife Christina had uh a diagnostic angiogram. 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:46.880 Um it was in preparation to kind of develop a treatment path for her brain aneurysm that involved taking a catheter and going up through her femoral artery and navigating it all the way into her brain to kind of get some pictures of what's going on up there. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.400 Um to know exactly what we're up against. 00:27:52.720 --> 00:28:00.160 And um she did not have any additional aneurysms, was a big part of why they looked, which is really good news. 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:09.599 Um before we started, she and I were sitting in the room and and they told us there was virtually no measurable risk for this procedure. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:17.920 And uh at that her age, it was gonna be simple and we'd be out of there by the end of the day, um, which we were. 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:27.440 Um so they took her back, did the procedure, and and when it was over, uh the nurse came and got me, brought me back, told let me know uh how everything had gone. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:29.279 She said it went great. 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:33.039 She said she was a champion, no problems, everything's good. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:44.160 So we we went back to the little recovery room, and um the doctor came in and he he's like, I gotta remove the wire that's inside of her. 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:51.279 Um and uh I was kind of like, I don't want to be here for that because I don't like icky stuff. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:55.039 So I politely excused myself and went back to the lobby. 00:28:55.279 --> 00:29:10.799 Um her dad was in the lobby that and we waited together, and her mom stayed with her in the room as they did what was we were told just this kind of you know simple last step, just to take out the the catheter. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:18.160 So I sat down in the lobby and I picked up my phone and I posted a Facebook update for several a lot of you liked it. 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:25.440 I think I had over 150 likes already, but uh basically saying how well and successful the procedure had gone, just like the nurse told me. 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:36.799 Um little did I know as I was literally typing that update on how well everything went, we were being thrown another curveball. 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:42.880 Um my wife at that very moment was in full cardiac crash. 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:48.000 Um, and her nurse had to perform chest compressions to revive her. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:51.359 Um the awesome news? 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:52.559 She's okay. 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:55.279 In fact, she's here this morning. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:29:59.599 Yep, she's okay. 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:03.519 And they they even released us um that day. 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:13.519 But um, you know, God had a perfect plan, and he had a perfect team of doctors and nurses present to help in the perfect way needed. 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:19.839 I have zero doubt that all the prayers lifted up for us helped in those chaotic moments. 00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:23.599 Never have I been more certain that prayer works. 00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:32.559 After it was all over, and we waited several hours to make sure everything was good and we were ready for discharge. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:37.359 Um, we had a moment to sit down with one of our nurses and uh her attending doctor. 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.240 Both of them are followers of Jesus. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:49.839 You know, um the nurse, uh she was even new to Atlanta, and we got to tell her about his hands, and who knows, she could even be here today. 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:52.960 If you are, Laura, thank you for everything you did. 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:56.720 Um Jesus is real. 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:02.880 And in that room, he was there and he worked through that life-saving team. 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:08.079 This is a this is a broken world. 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:14.720 This life is real, and so are the curved balls it throws at us. 00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:17.759 But Jesus is real too. 00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:27.759 He loves you, and he wants to live this life with you, and he wants to live this life through you to bless others. 00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:35.519 All you have to do is grab a glove and play in the field behind his epic changeup. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:40.640 So I bet most of you didn't realize that um Jesus played baseball, right? 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:42.720 It's true, it's true. 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:46.319 His position is closing pitcher because Jesus saves. 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:50.240 Right? 00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:53.200 All right. 00:31:54.079 --> 00:31:58.720 Why don't we stand and pray and um we're gonna rock out with some more Jesus? 00:31:58.799 --> 00:31:59.759 How about that? 00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:05.359 All right, Father God, thank you for the miracles you do in our lives. 00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:09.039 Thank you for this perfectly broken world. 00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:10.799 God, I'm not all right. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:12.480 I'm broken inside. 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:18.880 But through you and through your son, um, all things work together for an amazing plan. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.240 Uh help us to deal with the curved balls and love. 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:34.000 Help us to uh, God, just know that they're coming and that you're there in every moment walking with us. 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:40.640 Let us know how we can better have you live through us too, God. 00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:46.160 We pray for a great day of safety and um enjoyment. 00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:49.279 We love you, and it's in your son's precious name we play. 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:50.240 Pray. 00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:51.599 Play ball. 00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:52.480 Amen.