WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.839 Well, it is a joy to be here with you guys this morning. 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:09.439 If you have a Bible, we're gonna look at one incredibly simple verse this morning. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:14.000 And if you want to go ahead and turn there, be turning to Psalm chapter 90. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:15.599 Psalm 90. 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:23.760 I don't know maybe you're a classic rock and roll fan, or maybe you were around when there was, I think the group was the Mamas and the Papas. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.440 And they sang a song called In Everything Turn, Turn, Turn, There's a Season, Turn. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:30.640 Do you remember that song? 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:35.200 If you were there when that song came out, then you're what we would call old. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:35.679 Okay? 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:38.960 So yeah. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.359 And uh there's a group for you as well. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:58.960 Um at some point I'll share that later, but it's an incredible small passage in Ecclesiastes, and I don't want you to turn there, but I want you and I to really take a look at this because at the beginning of the year I began to think, okay, God, new year, I'm not really into resolutions as much as I am. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.200 God, am I on the right track? 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:06.879 And what I discovered was is for me to see where I'm going, where I need to go, I need to figure out where I am. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.120 To figure out where I am, I need to really take an honest look at where I've been. 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:18.159 And if I fail to look back, or if I fail to look at where I am, then I'm not really gonna get to where I need to be. 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:28.480 And as I looked at this passage, and if you want to make a note in the margin of Psalm chapter 90, it's Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verses 1 through 8. 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:31.359 And I'm gonna read those and just kind of do an evaluation. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:37.280 And as I read them, I want to encourage you to look back at 2011 and evaluate. 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:40.079 Where was I in all these areas? 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:44.640 Where am I in these different ways, in these different areas? 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:47.920 And maybe they don't all apply, but but a lot of them will. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:54.879 It says this there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.599 A time to be born and a time to die. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.599 Well, you know, even right at the right off the bat, I look at that. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.760 I don't remember being born, but I'm fairly certain I was. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:07.359 As were you. 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:09.680 Chances are we don't have that cognitive memory. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:13.840 But on the other end, when we're really honest with ourselves, we're like, okay, time to die. 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:15.120 When is that gonna be? 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:16.240 When is that time? 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:24.479 Well, if we back up, we see that we'll see in Psalm 90 that it says the average or normal number of days is 70 to 80 years. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:26.719 And where am I in that? 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:40.479 And this past year, I literally had a physical episode, we'll call it, where for the first time in my life, I had to deal face to face with the reality of is this it? 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:46.000 And I'm like, I'm I thought it was around halftime, but in reality, we're not promised tomorrow. 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:50.080 And I had an episode that had many of the effects of a stroke. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:59.680 And and I went and I had brain scans and heart scans and CAT scans and all these different scans, and they finally determined after about 10 days, you know what, you're fine. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:06.400 Here's what it was probably is an allergic reaction to something else, and they determined it was fine. 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:25.199 But I want you to imagine, I want you to imagine for just a second, 10 days, ten days of having effects that you've never experienced that were symptoms of something far serious that would be a precursor to the end for 10 days. 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:26.479 How would that feel? 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:28.000 I felt that. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:31.759 And I was I did a huge evaluation going, well, God, I'm ready to go. 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:33.360 I mean I am, but is this it? 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:37.360 And if this is it, then what would I what do I need to be doing, or what should I have done? 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:40.080 And it was just an amazing process. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:46.719 Because there is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:58.000 Maybe you're in a season of life where you're investing and you're planting and you're seeking and you're driving, or maybe it's time to start harvesting what you've been pouring into. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:00.159 Maybe it was that time of life for you. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:13.280 And I know that as Steve and I were talking this past year, he's like, Ken, you know, I'm in the process of planting a new venture, and and is and he and I just talked, and I'm like, well, I'm in a process and a part where I would love to come alongside. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:16.480 He's like, you know, I'd love to teach more here, and I'm like, well, I would love to do that. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.480 And it's just neat to see God pull that together. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:23.439 So this year I'm gonna be actually here more than I was last year, which I absolutely love. 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:24.240 It's a great place. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:26.639 So it's neat the way God pulls those together. 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.439 Verse 3, a time to kill and a time to heal. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:38.160 As I look back at last year, I didn't realize it until I reflected that it was a year of healing for me. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:45.920 I won't go into the category, I won't go into the details, but it was only in retrospect that I realized this was a year of healing. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:53.040 And the way I realized this was at the end of the year, as I look back, I had lost the desire to kill a few people. 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:57.920 Then I really thought did not need to be here, okay? 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:04.879 And I realized, wow, I have healed from that, and I didn't realize that animosity was even there. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:08.639 But at the end of the year, it's like, wow, I haven't even thought about that. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:10.560 What a great year of healing. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:14.319 It says a time to tear down and a time to build up. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:22.240 Again, maybe that's a category for us where, like, you know what, there's there's some parts of my life I need to just get rid of, and that was the year. 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:23.839 It was a hard year, but I got rid of them. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:30.720 Or maybe it was a time I finally stepped out and I started building, and it wasn't easy, but I'm building towards something else. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:34.000 A time to weep and a time to laugh. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.120 I want you to think like I did as I meditated on this. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:41.040 What was the hardiest laugh you had last year? 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:42.319 Where was it? 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:44.720 Chances are it was with someone. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:46.000 Who was it with? 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:47.759 And have we cried? 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:54.800 I I have got this new appreciation for weeping and how what's the word I'm looking for? 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.920 Um medicinal to the soul, that is. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:06.399 The the opportunity, and I'm not a crier, but I just look at those moments of what was worth weeping over and a time to weep. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:08.879 A time to mourn and a time to dance. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:13.680 A time to mourn, a time to say, you know what, I uh I miss that. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:20.800 And a time to dance, or if you're from a Baptist background, it's related, a time to vertically fellowship while moving. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:22.639 Okay, that's that's what that means. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.360 Verse 5, some of you are gonna get that later. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:28.720 That's awesome. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:33.680 Verse 5, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:37.680 I'll be completely honest, I got nothing on the whole stones thing. 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.560 As I meditated on it, though, as I thought, God, what is what does that mean? 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:44.639 What really came to my mind was rocks. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:48.000 And this past year, where were rocks? 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:56.720 And I thought, oh, I thought back to the mission trip that I took with my family in Costa Rica and skipping rocks and skipping rocks with my kids. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:59.759 I remember the rocks and the waterfalls and jumping off an edge. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.639 It was just an amazing taking me back time. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:09.600 And in this time, scattering and gathering, gathering stones was about boundaries and securities and building walls. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.199 And maybe this was the year that you were building some security. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:18.639 Or maybe it was a year to let go and break down some walls, and you decided to do that. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.639 Don't forget those times. 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:24.800 A time to embrace and a time to refrain. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:30.639 Those are just times where, you know what, I need to really decide this is what I'm gonna grab on to. 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:33.360 And there's times where I need to say, you know what? 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:35.680 This is an area that I need to let go of. 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.920 Maybe that was it for you this year. 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.759 A time to search and a time to give up. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:43.279 Wow. 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:45.360 So much depth to all of these. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.800 A time to keep and a time to throw away. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:51.680 As I thought about that, I could not help but think. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:08:03.279 I got an email from a friend of mine named Linda who runs a clothing store who in this situation had heard about a family whose apartment had burned down, and she said, You know what? 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:04.079 They'll take anything. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:05.839 There's a dad, and she gave all these people. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.480 There were three or four families, and I thought, wow. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:11.199 As I got that email, I said, God, is there anything I need to do there? 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:12.480 And God just kind of pricked my heart. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:14.000 He says, Have you been in your closet lately? 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:15.439 And I'm like, well, let me go see. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:18.160 Because these are people who have lost everything. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.480 And I got plenty of stuff. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.360 So I went through my closet and I began to, I had a simple philosophy. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:28.000 I said, okay, if I have not worn it in the past two years, I'm pulling it out. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:29.519 And I went through my closet. 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:35.279 I had three garbage bags full of clothes. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:38.879 Many of them still had the tags on them, and I'd never worn them. 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:41.360 And I put them in these bags and I took them. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:45.279 And the amazing part is I look at my closet and I'm like, it's still full. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:46.559 How did this happen? 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:48.960 And there's a time to do that where we say, you know what? 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:49.679 It's enough. 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:51.919 I need to take out of what my excess is. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.399 And God, what do you want to do with that excess? 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.240 And whatever area of life, maybe that was it for you this year as well. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:01.840 A time to tear and a time to mend. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:04.879 A time to be silent and a time to speak. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:11.120 In sixteen and a half years of marriage, I find there's a lot more times to be silent than there are to speak. 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:13.360 Those who are laughing understand. 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:15.840 A time to love and a time to hate. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:17.039 There are places. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:22.799 I I find as I get older a clarity of learning that there are some parts of life to hate. 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:26.879 And there are some issues and items to hate. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:34.799 And I find in clarity, those are very few, but it is there, and there is even more opportunities to love and how to love. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:36.720 And we can go into great depth there. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:39.519 There's a time for war and a time for peace. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:45.840 There is a time for peace, and that is most, but there is a time to step up and to defend the defenseless. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:47.279 There is that time. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:00.000 What did it set the stage for? 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:01.120 What did I enjoy? 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:02.559 Where did I go? 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:08.480 And really evaluate that and say, and here's a way to kind of categorize it down to simplicity. 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:12.799 In 2011, at the beginning of the year, what was I worried about? 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:14.879 What was I worried about? 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:17.840 And what was I excited and looking forward to? 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.240 And how did that unfold? 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:25.600 And as I looked at that, I thought, you know what, God, there's really three main areas that I began to evaluate. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:28.480 And I would encourage you, and we're going to jump off here in just a second. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.879 The three main areas were basically time and money and relationships. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:36.000 And I got to thinking, God, how did that pan out? 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:37.440 What was I worried or excited about? 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:43.279 Well, I was a little bit worried about the money side of things because, well, the economy was kind of still questionable. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:52.000 And I remember going into the year and getting to the first quarter, and I was a little bit worried, but we were kind of flat compared to the previous years, and I thought, okay, we're going to be all right. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.000 Second quarter is always the best quarter. 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:57.759 And then second quarter was the worst in 15 years. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.759 And then I began to really go, okay, what does that mean? 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:03.919 And we started kind of fought our way back up. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:09.039 But here's the incredible part, and this is kind of an endorsement if you're not in one of the small groups. 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:12.720 Several years ago, my wife and I have gone through a couple of these financial studies. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.679 One of them was the Dave Ramsey financial peace one. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:20.080 And we just said, God, show us what your perspective on finances is. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:25.840 And we went through that in one of the most tumultuous roller coaster years of our lives. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:35.519 I don't want to say it was a non-issue, but it was just not that important emotionally, spiritually, in reality, because we had adjusted our life. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:39.519 Instead of living for a lifestyle, we were living for a life. 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:48.320 And yeah, we made a few adjustments, we sacrificed a few bits, but in one of the most tumultuous years, it was kind of a non-issue. 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:51.600 And I believe that's what God wants for us in the area of money. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:53.120 The second was people. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:54.639 People. 00:11:54.960 --> 00:12:01.679 Last year was one of the most amazing years of my life from a relational standpoint. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:02.799 My family. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:04.240 We did more as a family. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:06.960 We did some of the coolest things as a family ever. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:14.480 My daughter, having survived cancer, we had another family offer to gift us a cruise as a family. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.879 And now that we're at the point where like spring break, we're going to do it. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:18.159 We surprised the kids. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:20.639 We took them down, didn't even tell them where we're going. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:22.960 Had a day at the beach, and then we said, you know what? 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.639 Let's go look at the cruise ships. 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:25.840 Let's just go and look. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.559 And we drive up and we're like, okay, you got a choice. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:32.320 Do you want to go ahead and drive home now, or do you want to get on that ship right there? 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:35.039 And they were just like, what? 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:42.080 And we just had one of the single best weeks of our lives together on this ship. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:45.279 And I love what Ben was talking about about meals. 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:50.399 We sat at meals together in this amazing, beautiful surrounding. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:52.720 We rode bikes together on a private island. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.960 We did family together. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:13:06.799 I look back at the family this year, and I shared two weeks on it on just the mission trip we went on as a family to another country, and that experience blew my mind that we could go through it as a family. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:17.360 One of the biggest worries of our year, my daughter, because of the side effects of her chemo, has some learning challenges that she's getting better, and we prayed heartily and we were so worried. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.759 Where does she need to be in school this year? 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:23.360 And we went through a huge, extensive process of gathering information. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:24.639 Then we kind of made a decision. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:28.879 We would pass this school every day going, God, please let her have the right teacher. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:30.960 Please let her find a couple good friends. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:32.879 Please let her just fit. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:38.799 And God answered that prayer in a huge way this past year that we greatly rejoice. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.279 And then probably one of the greatest is time. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:42.320 Time. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:44.080 What was my time like? 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:50.320 I made a commitment last year to do something I've shared here before, and that is to honor God with my time. 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:58.799 In other words, to trust Him in one of the most crucial and difficult areas of our society, and that is time. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:00.720 Because we're all limited. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:09.679 And I committed, God, I'm going to start taking a day off, a Sabbath, and I'm just going to spend it with you. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:11.759 And I think I've shared the definition. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:13.679 I gathered all this information. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:15.120 I knew it was the right thing to do. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:20.799 More is said about that day off than any of the other Ten Commandments, and it was just like, okay, Lord, I'm going to do this, I'm going to honor you. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:21.840 And I started taking the day off. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:24.000 It was awkward, and I started working through it. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:29.039 And I actually have a friend in Nebraska who is a brilliant theologian. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.320 And I and she had done her doctoral study on the Sabbath. 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.639 And I said, Okay, give me some information on it. 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:37.279 Can you give me a good definition of Sabbath? 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:39.519 Because I want to do this, but I want to do it right. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.519 And she goes, I got a perfect definition. 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:44.720 Now, this is years of study in a doctoral thesis. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:46.000 And she goes, Are you ready? 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:47.519 Because I'm going to give you, you need to write it down. 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:48.240 And I'm like, okay. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:49.440 And I got my pencil out. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:53.200 She goes, wasting time with God. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:56.960 Really? 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.759 And I found that to be true this year. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.279 I would think, well, what am I supposed to do? 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:02.320 Am I supposed to read away? 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:05.200 Waste time with God. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:07.519 Sometimes that was walking at the mountain. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:10.720 Sometimes it was just sitting with a book at Waffle House. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.200 Sometimes it was just being. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:15.360 Sometimes I would be reading a chapter. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:23.039 I'm like, God, you know, I'm I'm reading this, but you know, sometimes when I'm reading, I get tired and I want to read your word, and it was just like, boom, moron. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:24.799 Rest. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:26.559 Just rest. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:36.240 And here's what I found in that area of life was that the perspective I gained in priority and mentally was amazing. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:38.480 More time with friends. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:46.720 The net result is my priorities so came into clarity, and I'm not perfect, but it so came into clarity that I realized, you know what? 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:50.159 I've got more time for those things that are important. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:53.759 The realization that I am going to disappoint people. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:55.679 I'm just going to do it. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:59.200 All I realize is I need to make sure I'm disappointing the right people. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:02.399 And I'm not disappointing the best people. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:09.600 And realizing that God has this all under control, and I lost the control factor in a way that I haven't before. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:11.279 Incredible. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.720 Which brings us to, okay, we've evaluated where we've been. 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:16.799 So how do we make 2012? 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:23.120 How do we make this a year of great success, significance, and meaning? 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:24.480 How do we do that? 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:32.720 It's a simple prayer that I want you and I to challenge ourselves to pray in Psalm chapter 90, verse 12. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:44.960 Where the psalmist simply simply prays, teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.679 Teach me to number my days. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.200 I want to unpack that very, very simply and briefly. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:56.960 Am I bold enough to say, God, teach me to number my days? 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:58.879 Look at where I've already been. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:01.759 Teach me to number my days today. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:03.039 Where am I now? 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.640 And where do you want to take me? 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:07.279 What are those great concerns and worries of my life? 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.039 And what am I doing about those? 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:10.400 And what do I need to let go of? 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.240 What do I need to build up and tear down? 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:13.279 What do I need to mend? 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:14.160 What do I need to tear? 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:15.839 What do I need to do here? 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:28.799 Because when we sit in his feet and we ask him to teach us, and then we begin to listen to him teach us, it will radically change our feeling, our success, our significance on a day-to-day basis. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:30.559 What does that look like? 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.720 Teach me to number my days. 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.839 I want 2012, and maybe it's my age. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.519 Success has changed in its definition of my life. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:41.119 I want significance. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:48.720 I want to know that my life was for a reason, that there was some significance, and that I can see that. 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:53.039 And I begin to redefine success in every area, even with my family. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.920 I am hyper competitive. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:57.759 Hyper competitive. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:02.160 And I lack talent, which is a bad combination. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:06.880 So I've just started to define success differently. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:09.839 It's not just an outcome, it's really the every situation. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.559 And what is success here in golf. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:16.480 I get to play golf maybe with my kids and where they are in life right now. 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:22.000 My oldest son says he wants to take it up, so now I'm probably going to take it up again, but it's totally changed. 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:24.079 It's not a score, it's not an ability. 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:30.720 It's okay, success in golf to me is spending time with friends when I have those opportunities. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:31.759 And you know what? 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.160 If I get a couple pars, that's great. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:38.400 I'm not unrealistic about you got to practice at these things to get better. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.440 So, you know what? 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:41.279 I'm there to hang out. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:43.279 Success is different. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:49.039 Success in video games, my daughter loves to play Wii, and it's incredible to help her with her coordination. 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:50.880 And I sat there and defined what is success. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.960 I mean, I can I can win at this. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:54.559 But what is success? 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:58.799 Success for me is for her to build her self-esteem and coordination. 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:02.000 So we sit down with the Wii in the Wii Resort, and I'm like, what do you want to play? 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.400 And she's like, Oh, Dad, I'm really good at the sword fighting thing. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:08.400 And so my success was I want her to win. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:09.839 But I'm competitive. 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:12.480 So I want her to barely win. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:21.599 So my success is to have her compete and have to really engage and compete to where she wins. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:25.279 And she's getting better, and I'm seeing great results. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:28.319 So I've gone from just going, okay, I've got to really pay attention. 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:30.240 Oh, oh well, you won that one. 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:32.640 Oh, oh, I made another mistake. 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:36.000 To where, whoa, she, how did she just win that one? 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.880 To where now it's like I try and she's beating me. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:45.920 And she's eight, and I'm just like, okay, now I can really try and I can give the competitiveness back. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.839 And it's about success. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:51.440 What is success in every area of life? 00:19:51.680 --> 00:20:04.319 And to let that be redefined, because if we're gonna have a heart of wisdom, we have to reset our focus, reset our heart's focus on what that is. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:06.240 So teach us to do that. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:12.720 Well, if God teaches us this, I want to just put up a few verses here of how God wants us to find wisdom. 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:23.039 In Proverbs chapter 3, verse 13, it says, Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:25.759 In other words, it's part of our process. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:27.759 We choose to look for it. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.519 Those who look for wisdom and those who gain understanding. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.720 It's a process and it is proactive. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:41.440 In Psalm, I'm sorry, in Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 and 6, we have a choice. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:55.519 If I'm going to succeed, I have to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on what I understand, but in all my ways acknowledge him, and he will make my path straight. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:58.960 Those two words of trust and acknowledge. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:12.880 For you and I to ask ourselves the question, okay, if I if I want God to gain a gain a heart of wisdom, if I want that, first I have to let him teach me, which means I have to trust him and his word. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:20.559 And then I have to not only trust it, but I have to actually acknowledge his truth with my actions. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.000 Because my actions determine what I really believe. 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:26.079 And am I doing that in these areas? 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:38.000 And I would encourage you and I to take the greatest area of frustration or the greatest area of hope and excitement and say, God, am I trusting you here? 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:41.839 And do my actions acknowledge you in this way? 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:47.759 And then experience God's partnership and say, Hey, he's like, This is it. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:55.759 Because when we get to that point where we're saying, I'm trusting you and I want to acknowledge you, here's what we unleash, which is Proverbs 3 34. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:02.240 It says, God mocks the proud mockers, but gives Grace to the humble. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:06.480 We've got to realize that as we try this, we're not going to be perfect at it. 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:08.240 And it is a process. 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:10.319 It's not instantaneous. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:21.440 And we're going to feel like, oh, I'm not good at this, which is a great sign that we are humbling ourselves to let God teach us to have a heart of wisdom. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:23.200 That's part of the process. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:29.359 And once we get to that point, here's the maybe it's an attack from the enemy. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.640 Maybe it's just the selfishness of our flesh. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:38.160 But here's what happens when we begin to change our hearts and our heart focus. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:44.079 We begin to realize who we really are at our core being. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:51.039 And some of the darkest, most negative, most sinful parts of our life start to bubble up. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:53.920 If I could give it to you visually, it would be like this. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:58.559 God uses this illustration through Scripture with fine metals. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:02.960 They heat the metal up until the solid becomes a liquid. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:07.200 And they put the temperature so high that at that it becomes a liquid. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:14.240 And the liquid and the metal itself, the impurities begin to float to the top. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:18.960 And that's the way they purify gold and silver and bronze. 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:21.039 They heat it up to where it becomes a liquid. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.400 The impurities float up, and they just take the impurities off the top. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:27.440 If you and I are to say, God, teach me to have a heart. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:38.799 Teach me to number my days so I can have a heart of wisdom, then at some part of that process, we are going to begin to see the ugliest, grossest parts of ourselves. 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:43.119 And at that point, we've humbled ourselves, we're saying, God, teach me in this way. 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.799 Here's what we cannot miss. 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:45.759 Don't miss this one. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:47.680 Psalm 65, 3. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:53.599 When we are overwhelmed by sin, you forgave our transgressions. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:24:04.079 Because when we come into his presence and his pureness and we begin to let him walk with us, we start to see who we are not, but who we long to be. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:13.039 We start to see with great clarity our sinfulness, and it begins to show the manifestation of that. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:21.279 And then to rest on the fact that God gives grace to the humble and he is purifying us to become who we were meant to be. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:30.000 As we change our focus of our heart, then he also wants us to realize, you know, in that way, let me give you two clear examples. 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:36.160 Don't raise your hands, but I want to just walk through this process of purification. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:46.319 As I've done this, I've noticed that a majority, maybe not all, but a majority of men, I'll do the men first and break protocol because, ladies, I'll get to you second. 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:50.640 Most men at some point in life deal with lust. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:57.440 Maybe it's lust for something or someone, but we've dealt with or struggle with this area of lust. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:02.079 And this refocus of the heart. 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:09.920 Let me put it to you the way that I, and this is very transparent, I got so frustrated with dealing with that. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:21.680 Temptation is not lust, and I'm not going to define where the lines are and all that, but in dealing with it, let's just say that the lust has occurred, and instead of going, just, you know, God, please, please, please forgive me. 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:23.359 He's like, I've already forgiven it all. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:26.240 When you accept me, it's all forgiven. 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:31.039 Then it's to acknowledge that is sin, and I don't want that. 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:35.920 And then it's to accept his forgiveness, which is complete. 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:44.079 But what I've found about this refocus is God's laid on my heart, Ken, from that point forward, reset your heart. 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:45.680 Reset your heart. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:48.240 What should you have thought? 00:25:48.480 --> 00:26:01.200 Well, instead of going down this selfish path of self-gratification and mental sin, I should have gone, you know what, Lord, thank you for creating someone so beautiful or a situation so thank you for making her beautiful. 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:06.720 And God, I pray for her that you would allow her to find the fulfillment that you have in life. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:11.440 If she's married, Lord, I pray that her and her husband would just be drawn together even closer. 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:19.519 If she's not, Lord, I pray that you would just allow her to become the woman you made her to be and find that fulfillment that only you can give. 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:23.599 And God, I thank you for the way you have made life. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:28.960 And I thank you for that the greatest fulfillment in relationships in the way you designed it. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.000 Thank you for that. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:32.000 Thank you for giving me what I have. 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:34.319 And Lord, I wouldn't cash that in for anything. 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:35.200 I really wouldn't. 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:38.240 So, Father, reset my heart and mind. 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:41.599 Not on the things of this world and lust, but on what is pure and right. 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:43.759 God, help me in that way. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:45.680 Now I'm going to be very honest. 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:47.680 That doesn't just, whoo, stop. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:49.359 I've never had another problem. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:51.279 It doesn't work that way. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:53.039 But here's what I've noticed. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:27:00.079 As I pray through that every time, I started to pray through it at the point of temptation and going, you know what? 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:01.599 I don't feel that way. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:02.559 I don't believe that. 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:03.920 I don't want to go through that. 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:06.799 And I began to pray for that process beforehand. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:15.039 And then I started seeing, and preemptively, before even temptation happened, just I see people and I go, God, thank you for creating that person. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:19.279 And it just moves it back, and God purifies our thoughts and hearts. 00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:21.200 I hope that made sense. 00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:25.119 And for some of you here today, maybe God really pricked your heart on that. 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:28.240 Maybe a lot of women are going, yeah, you know, I don't really struggle with that. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:29.599