WEBVTT 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:04.240 Thanks for listening to the His Hands Church podcast. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:12.800 If you're using the His Hands Church mobile app, please turn off the auto lock on your phone's general settings so that you can listen to the message uninterrupted. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:15.919 And thank you for being part of what God is doing at His Hands. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:19.120 Good morning. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:25.600 Wow, I never get applause when I come out before, so that's uh appreciate that. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:33.359 Well, like uh Dallas said, it's a big day. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:38.960 It's baptism uh Sunday, and uh about 50 of us are getting baptized this morning. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:53.039 And um it's such a uh exciting thing, you know, and it's not one big event, it's really you know, 50 or more uh big events all wrapped uh into one. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:01:03.119 And so uh, you know, I know some of us are are here for the first time with your uh family and friends and and loved ones, so glad you're here. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.040 Hope you can tell you can just relax and um be yourself. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:17.120 Uh baptism's not, I guess when I grew up, baptism seemed like a kind of a ritual, you know, something you check off the Christian to-do list. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:18.719 And it is so different. 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:21.280 It's an exciting statement. 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.359 You know, it's it's I'm all in. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:25.040 You know, Jesus, it's you and me. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:28.959 We're we're living our life together. 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.799 Romans 6, it says, this is what that is what happened in baptism. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.640 When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:43.280 When we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace, a new life in a new land. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:46.400 That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:50.079 When we are lower into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:54.159 When we're raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:02:02.640 Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace sovereign country. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:10.719 And so after we're we're finished here, um we're gonna take about 15 minutes to uh to change and and get ready. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.439 Um we'll meet back back over here. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:24.639 And uh every baptism Sunday, there's uh usually a few people that come with uh um not planning to get baptized, but God kind of nudges us. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:27.520 And um and today's the day. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:41.680 And so uh if that's you, we've got extra uh shorts and t-shirts and towels, and um you can uh just uh jump right in uh literally and uh figuratively. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:50.319 Um, I was thinking about that this morning, and and even here in Dallas talk so so beautifully about uh baptism. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:03:05.039 It was only a few years ago that we were just getting finished, and it was uh um, you know, wait, there's there's someone coming, wait, you know, and so we we waited, and uh I didn't know this person, but I knew the family and friends were really excited. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:07.919 Uh and uh and it was Dallas. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:20.000 And uh he had had a uh near-death uh but uh life-giving experience with God, and uh it was a big day for for him and and uh and for all of us. 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:31.280 And it's such a uh you know, baptism is you know part of God's transformation transforming uh process, but it's also uh a statement of what he's already done, you know. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:35.840 And um and so anyway, it's just uh exciting day today. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.639 Next Sunday is Mother's Day, that's always a big day. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:44.319 Um you know, we're doing uh the moms definitely deserve the applause. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:55.599 Um so we're doing uh 40 days to joyful life uh together. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:09.120 And uh Tommy Newberry will also be back uh next uh next Sunday to uh to kind of uh finish that off and also give us a great track to run on to make that uh an ongoing uh part of our life. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:12.159 And then the following Sunday is uh Bless the Bikes. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:22.319 And uh we got a lot of uh guys and gals to ride, and so uh we'll ride in that day and and along with uh friends and and family. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:27.360 We'll have kind of a regular Sunday, as regular as our Sundays are anyway. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:41.600 And um and then we'll uh hang out, we'll we'll pray for for everyone and bless everyone, and we'll pray for safety, but just you know, uh blessings in in general, and then we'll uh listen to some tunes and and eat some great food. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:45.279 And uh so that's two weeks from today. 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:56.319 Well, I've got what I'm sharing this morning is actually pretty simple and uh possibly even short if I don't get off uh off track. 00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:02.160 Um but uh let's just pray and ask ask God to speak to each of us uh through his word. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:09.120 So, Father, we just thank you for being such a great Father, for for adopting us each as your own children. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.000 We just praise you and and uh and thank you for that. 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.199 Holy Spirit, we just praise you for being our counselor and teacher. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:23.839 And just ask this morning that you would speak to each of us, that we would all leave with uh something that we know was uh just for us uh from you. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:27.600 And Jesus, we just praise you and and uh we love you. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:30.480 It's such an honor and joy to follow you. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.160 We just thank you for saving us, and it's in your name we pray. 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:34.959 Amen. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:47.920 In Matthew 3, it says, Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.480 But John tried to talk him out of it. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:53.839 I am the one who needs to be baptized by you, he said. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:55.600 So why are you coming to me? 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:00.639 But Jesus said it should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:02.639 So John agreed to baptize him. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:11.600 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:18.160 And a voice from heaven said, This is my dearly loved son who brings me great joy. 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:21.839 And this is the moment we think of as Jesus kind of starting his ministry. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:24.160 He's roughly 30 years old. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:26.720 Um, and it's kind of interesting. 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:29.120 John tries to talk him out of being baptized. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:32.959 And when we think about it, why would Jesus need to be baptized? 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:40.399 Um, you know, Jesus said it was to uh to do what God the Father had asked him to do. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.079 You know, he hadn't sinned. 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:45.279 There was no um symbolism there. 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:52.000 It was a little foreshadowing of uh of uh his crucifixion and being raised from the dead. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:58.959 But uh but really what Jesus did, if we think about it, was purely an example for us. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:06.000 You know, and and following Jesus, uh then one of the very cool things is that Jesus always goes first. 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:08.160 And so we're literally just following Jesus. 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:12.800 And and baptism is such a great uh example of that. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:16.800 Uh something we get to do uh just like Jesus did. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:20.399 Um and it's uh it's such a cool thing. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:37.439 And uh something supernatural happens, talks about the Holy, uh, you know, we think of the Holy Spirit sometimes like physically like a dove, but it was really the the manner, the the softness, if you will, the gentleness of the Holy Spirit descending on um on Jesus. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:42.720 And when we think of Jesus, we usually think of Jesus as as God, which is which is true. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:46.879 Um Jesus went out of his way to make a specific point. 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:48.639 He gave himself a title. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:08:08.959 The title he gave himself was Son of Man because he wanted us to know that although he was God, that he came as a man, not as a Christian superhero, but but but as a real person who lived life and gets us and understands um what we go through, understands everything. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:16.399 He really experienced uh all of the same things that uh that we experience. 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:20.959 And he also uh talked to God in a specific way. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:26.480 You know, he refers to God the Father 160 plus times, and every time it's the same way. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:31.600 It's always Abba Father, um, which was the common word for daddy. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.279 You know, and so he talked to God, it was daddy father. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:47.600 And so Jesus gets baptized, and God says to Jesus, Son, I love you. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:53.759 Son, you bring me great joy. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:09:01.840 And so we're doing 40 days to a joyful life together, and and uh I guess it was a few weeks ago now. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:06.720 Um Tommy and I sat down and we kind of talked about what we wanted to talk about over these six weeks. 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:10.080 The first couple weeks he did have an overview. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:24.240 Um I spoke two Sundays ago and we talked about uh an easy uh return policy, taking our negative thoughts and not just you know catching them, but exchanging them for the truth, for God's truth. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:35.360 Uh Justin last uh Sunday um talked about his grandmother and uh and talked about the importance of gratitude and and um thankfulness. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:54.240 And one of the things that Tommy wanted to make sure that we spoke about um over the six way six weeks is speaking life, speaking words of life, just like God the Father did to Jesus the day that he was baptized. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:59.840 Um the maybe I should back up, particularly if you're visiting for the first time. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.840 Um Tommy Newberry wrote a book that was really impactful to Susan and I. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.799 It's called Um The 4-8 Principle, and it's from Philippians 4.8. 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.000 And it says, summon it all up, friends. 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:16.960 I'd say you do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:21.279 Wow, I just got baptized, sprinkled this time. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:22.559 Thank you. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:23.600 Thank you. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:30.159 Um was I? 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:38.159 Uh minds and meditate on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious, the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:40.879 Things to praise, not things to curse. 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:45.120 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:50.720 Do that, and God who makes everything work together will work you into his most excellent harmonies. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:52.399 And so that's the 4-8 principle. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:11:02.080 You know, it's thinking 4-8, seeing the best, thinking the best, um, the beautiful, finding things to praise, uh, not things to uh to curse. 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:05.519 And that book became a New York Times bestseller. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:13.200 And he wrote a follow-up of 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life, which just uh allows us to kind of get that in us. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:28.000 You know, it sometimes we can come and we can hear something, and it's hard to apply, but every day for 40 days we're we're thinking about that and thinking about things that uh we're grateful for and kind of letting that become part of our souls, if you will. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.519 And so over a thousand of us are doing it together. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:33.039 And I think we've got more books. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:35.840 Uh if you'd like to do it, it really you can start anytime. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:40.639 We got to start on April 8th, you know, which was 4.8, so that was kind of cool. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:46.559 But uh we've got books uh uh in the lobby, and so you could get one and you could start anytime. 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:48.879 It's really just uh uh a tremendous thing. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.240 It's been fantastic for me. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:57.840 I mean, every uh every morning I uh look forward to uh to the next uh day. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.320 And one of the days, day 28, is words of mass destruction. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:14.799 And it's uh it's kind of the opposite, uh, you know, it's kind of an eight-four type thing, you know, but it's the importance of speaking life and how our words um really matter. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:19.120 Our thoughts sometimes are are hard to get a handle on. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:25.360 You know, we have somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000 thoughts every day. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:33.759 Um and one way to know what we're thinking, you know, uh how we're thinking, is pretty simple. 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:36.080 It's listening to what we say. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:40.480 You know, we think a lot of thoughts, we say a lot fewer words. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:47.039 And Jesus said it this way a good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:49.440 A tree is identified by its fruit. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:53.840 Figs are never gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:57.919 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.919 An evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:06.480 What you say flows from what is in your heart. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:10.720 You know, it was almost uh exactly a year ago. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:18.879 We were going through Proverbs uh together, and we called that the choice because there's so many different things that we can choose, and we feel like life just happens to us sometimes. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:25.840 But but actually, uh life in part is a combination of uh of all of our choices. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:36.080 And so almost a year ago to the day, we looked at Proverbs 18, 21, which said, Words kill, words give life. 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:38.559 They're either poison or fruit. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:39.840 You choose. 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:46.799 Jesus said it this way the words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:53.519 So Susan and I are coming up on uh August 25th is our 30-year anniversary. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:03.919 And Susan's out of town, but she would want you to know the first 29 and a half are the hardest. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:07.360 And uh, but after that it's pure bliss. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:20.159 Um but um and so I grew up in Oregon, uh, went to Florida to go to uh a Bible college, and it was there that I met Susan. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:33.600 We met in church, and uh she was a senior in high school, and um it was a small uh small church, probably about a hundred uh people were part of it. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:50.960 And um and so we ended up uh getting pregnant, and um I say we because it was certainly more my uh responsibility, even though she was the one that was uh pregnant. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:15:00.399 And um and so we uh told her family, and that went okay. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:02.799 You know, they weren't thrilled. 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:14.639 I called um my parents, we decided to get married, um, and I called uh my parents and they were uh less than thrilled. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:24.000 In fact, they said that they didn't think they could come to the wedding under the circumstances, um, even though they did end up um coming. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:35.519 Um and in our church we had uh a practice, you know, where if you sinned publicly, you you came forward and and shared that. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:46.480 And so the next Sunday morning, um after uh the there's an invitation song, and uh, you know, just as I am, or something like that. 00:15:46.639 --> 00:16:11.120 And uh and Susan and I walk down to the front, and and so I get up and tell everybody the situation, you know, that uh that Susan was pregnant, that we're gonna get married, that I didn't look at, you know, I mean, certainly we were ashamed of the situation, but I loved her and I was excited about um us getting married. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:17.120 And so um so then the preacher says a prayer and we get done. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:26.639 And and one by one, people came up to us and said, Um, wow, I'm really disappointed in you guys. 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:31.919 Um one lady came and said, Boy, I'm not surprised, I could see this coming. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:36.399 Um, you know, I don't know what that says. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:17:09.519 Um but uh and so we leave, you know, we're going out to uh to the car, and uh Jonathan Sinclair comes up to me and he says, Steve, I just want you to know that Sandy and I um got married in the exact same situation, and uh you're doing uh God's gonna bless you for uh for doing the right thing, and uh and you guys will have a great life together. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:23.680 And that was what I held on to because it was uh it was difficult and we were um ashamed and and you know things changed uh really uh really quickly uh for us. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:27.039 And we had I wouldn't recommend it for sure, you know. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:31.359 Like doing things God's way is always the easier way. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:35.519 Um and so we had a tough uh a tough few years. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:49.200 But you know, from all the condemnation and all that that stuff, the thing that I remembered was Jonathan Sinclair coming to me and telling me it was gonna be okay, that you guys are gonna have a have a good life. 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:52.240 And um and and he was right. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:10.079 And it's just one example of how speaking life can change someone's life, and how important it is for us to speak words of life over each other. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:17.680 In Proverbs 15 23, it says, It is a wonderful it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:22.240 Proverbs 15, 4 says, Gentle words are a tree of life. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:28.559 Proverbs 12 says, Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:35.279 Proverbs 16 says, Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:44.240 Now Benjamin Franklin wasn't Solomon, but uh he said, I'll speak ill of no man and all the good I know of everybody. 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:52.000 Um Solomon said, Worry weighs a person down, an encouraging word cheers a person up. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:55.680 He said, Wise words satisfy like a good mill. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:00.000 The right words bring satisfaction. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:10.559 And that's really just the all I really wanted to share this morning, and uh is the importance of speaking life. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:12.319 You know, words matter. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:19.599 You know, we talk about actions speaking louder than words, which is it's true if if it's you know we have an intent to do something, and actions matter. 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.200 But uh but words matter too. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.759 You know, it's just such an important choice. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:36.319 There's a passage that uh has meant so much to us as a church, and uh it's from uh Ezekiel, and I've read it two or three times. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:39.920 And Ezekiel, like all people in the Bible, is just a person. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:49.359 I mean, just like us, um, God gave him uh a vision, and uh and he showed him a valley. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:58.079 And uh in this valley there was uh nothing but bones, you know, and they were uh dried bones. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:04.319 You can imagine just looking out over a valley, and there's like a foot deep with nothing but just dried up bones. 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.880 And that was the um the vision that God gave Ezekiel. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:18.240 And um he told Ezekiel to speak life over the bones, and so he did. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:25.599 And it says in Ezekiel 37, starting at verse 8 I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:30.480 As I prophesied, there was a sound, and oh, rustling. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:34.480 The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:42.319 I kept watching, sinews formed, the muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them, but they had no breath in them. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:54.079 He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, tell the breath, God the Master says, Come from the four winds, come breathe, breathe on these slain bodies, breathe life. 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:56.960 And so I prophesied just as he commanded me. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.039 The breath entered them and they came alive. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:02.400 They stood up on their feet, a huge army. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:07.759 Then God said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.599 Listen to what they're saying. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:15.839 Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left of us. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:17.920 Therefore prophesy. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:23.759 Tell them, God the Master says, I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive, O my people. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:26.000 Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:29.920 When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I'm God. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:32.799 I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.319 Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I'm God. 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:40.240 I've said it and I'll do it, God's decree. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:52.880 And the importance of that passage in Ezekiel is that we live, all of us, in a valley of dry bones. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:59.759 And we can speak life, we can breathe life, we can prophesy life. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:01.839 Over people. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:17.200 That's why it's such a shame to go to church on Sunday and leave feeling worse, leave feeling condemned, leave feeling beaten down. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:19.279 You know, the world does that to us. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:21.440 We don't need to do that to each other. 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:28.880 You know, the and that's one of the um, I guess, key passages God gave us is that we should speak life. 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:30.160 Speak life. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:44.160 And it's true uh with our spouses, it's true with our kids, it's true with our friends, it's true uh with our classmates, it's true at work. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:51.440 Um we have an opportunity to speak life, God's life. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:23:05.200 You know, and when we do that, pretty soon there's a rustling sound, and then pretty soon there's sinu, and then there's muscles, and then the bones kind of get together. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:14.240 And then next thing you know, it's a whole army, an army of strong people full of life. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:25.119 And it's our opportunity, it's our choice, it's it's our um responsibility to speak life, to prophesy life. 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:32.400 Um, you know, the New Testament was never intended as a legal document. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:48.559 You know, I would have said I went to Bible college, um, and uh and I learned to be a uh Bible attorney, if you will, you know, where you you learn Greek and hermeneutics and and you figure out what all the rules are. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:53.839 And to a certain degree, the Old Testament is that way because that was a choice we made in the Garden of Eden. 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:59.440 You know, we said, okay, what do we want, life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:02.799 And so with the tree of knowledge of good and evil came the law. 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:07.519 And uh, but the whole point was to get us back to the tree of life. 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:11.680 And the New Testament isn't a legal document, it's a love letter. 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:36.880 You know, it is God speaking life to us, that he loves us, that he's not given up on us, that uh he's not mad at us, that he's adopted us as uh his very own children, really speaking the same thing to each of us that he spoke to Jesus, that we give him joy, that uh that he loves us. 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:45.200 You know, in Ephesians 2 is one of the great verses, it says, For we are God's masterpiece. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:53.920 He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he's planned for us long ago. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:25:07.759 And so we're gonna stop there, and if worship team um wants uh to come up, it's just part of the the uh um I guess the 4-8 principle, Philippians 4-8. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:18.160 Not just seeing the good, not just thinking the good, but uh but speaking the good, things uh to praise, not things to condemn. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:23.519 And it makes such a difference in our um in our families, you know. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:34.640 I mean, I uh I think that if I could go back and and and do one thing different with my kids, I'd do actually a lot of things different. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:48.160 But I would definitely speak more life, I would definitely be less harsh, I would definitely uh find fewer things to criticize and more things um to praise. 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:53.920 And so God would tell us just to speak life, speak life, speak life. 00:25:54.480 --> 00:26:05.279 You know, the uh one of the great things about uh God is just the simplicity, his does his desire um for us to be his children. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:09.039 And it and we make it difficult sometimes on ourselves. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:13.680 We might think we need to get scrubbed up or we need to change to come to God. 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:16.079 Uh nothing could be further than the truth. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:20.799 You know, we get connected with God in our own words, in our own way. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:25.039 You know, we don't have to walk an aisle, you know, nothing needs to get notarized. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.440 Um we just say in our own way, Jesus, you know, I need you. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:31.039 Jesus, uh save me. 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:37.519 Wherever, whatever we're out, Jesus, help me, Jesus, um, I want to live my life with you. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:47.279 And speaking of speaking life, one of the greatest things God tells us is that each of us is created in his image. 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:49.920 You know, in the image of God, we're created. 00:26:50.079 --> 00:26:52.559 And so we have a spirit, just like God has a spirit. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:27:01.759 And so when we put our trust in Jesus, that spirit comes alive, connects with God's spirit, and then he does the heavy lifting. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:03.519 You know, he starts changing us. 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:11.920 And he uses people, he uses his word, he does things supernatural, but he transforms us and changes us uh from the inside out. 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:14.960 And so if you haven't done that, I mean today would be a wonderful time. 00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:22.079 You could do it and get baptized uh this morning, uh, which would be uh fantastic as well. 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:37.519 But uh 40 days to a joy-filled life, you know, one thing that Tommy says that I had never really thought about, but I thought about quite a bit, is that you cannot experience joy and have a negative thought at the same time. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:45.599 Um, and certainly we can't experience joy and have negative speech, you know, at the same time. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:57.680 And one of the really cool things is when we live God's way and do things God's way and we speak life, God's truth, over people, it actually uh gives us joy. 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:03.839 And so let's uh let's stand and pray, then we'll uh sing one last song together. 00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:08.160 And then a bunch of us will get baptized. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:13.279 So, Father, we just thank you for being such a great Abba Father, Daddy Father. 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:14.720 We just thank you for loving us. 00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:20.799 We thank you for for you speaking your life and your love over us. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:22.880 And we just praise you for that. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:38.799 And we just ask you to help us, to change us from the inside out, help us to see uh the good in people, the good in situations, the good in our country, the good in our our marriages and our families, and help us, God, to speak that good. 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:40.079 In Jesus' name. 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:41.039 Amen.