WEBVTT 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:08.720 This podcast is a ministry of Grant Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:14.400 For more information about Grant Parkway, visit Grantparquay.org. 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:22.480 And so, Lord, let us better understand the freedom you came for us to have today as we think about this season of faith called summer. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:23.440 Speak, God. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:25.039 Your children are listening. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:27.199 And so we pray and we listen in Jesus' name. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:29.039 And everyone said, Amen. 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:29.839 You can have a seat. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.799 If you have a Bible, I invite you to take it and open it up to Psalm 19. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:34.960 And if you don't have a Bible, there's one on your row. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.359 I'm on page 456. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:46.799 As I said earlier when I first uh uh earlier in the service, we're in a series called Seasons of Faith, and we're just kind of looking at different seasons uh uh of Christianity. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:51.119 As a Christian, uh uh you're gonna go, not every day is gonna be a journal entry. 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:53.759 Some days are just gonna be like, okay, that was okay. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:55.439 Uh but you're gonna go through seasons. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:57.679 We started a couple weeks ago uh with winter. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:00:59.520 Somebody asked me, what order are you doing them in? 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:00.719 I said, James Taylor. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:01.920 And so we did winter. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:03.359 Last week we did spring. 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.159 Today we'll do summer, and next Sunday I'll do fall. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:08.000 Uh winter is a time of dormancy. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:15.439 Winter is when it's really cold and and God just doesn't feel like he's real close, and you just kind of bundle up and just kind of survive. 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:16.560 That's what winter's like. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:24.560 Things go dormant in the winter, but every season is not a fruit-bearing season, but every season is necessary for the production of fruit. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:26.079 And so God does things in our life. 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:30.000 We're in a season when we're in a season of winter that He doesn't do any other time of the year. 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:34.000 So there's winter, spring's the time of renewal, of starting over again. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:36.079 Today I'm gonna talk to you about summer. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:37.599 Here's what I want to do. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:44.000 I want to read from the Bible and Psalm 19 because it kind of describes, it talks about creation and and God's word. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:46.239 There's two testaments of God. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:51.040 God says, hey, if you want to understand me, look at creation and and and look at my word. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:55.920 When you're in the summer of your faith, this is what it kind of feels like, okay? 00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:57.280 This is what the Bible says. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:59.200 Psalm 19, verse 1. 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:03.840 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:08.240 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:12.240 There is no speech, nor their words, whose voice is not heard. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:17.680 Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and the word and their word to the end of the world. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:27.680 In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:33.680 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of them, and there's nothing hidden from its heat. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.879 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.560 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.919 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:50.719 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:54.240 The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:01.680 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold, sweeter also than the honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:03.919 Moreover, by them is your servant warned. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.080 In keeping them there's great reward. 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:07.759 Who can discern his errors? 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:10.319 Declare me innocent from my hidden faults. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.680 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:15.919 Let them not have dominion over me. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:19.759 Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:26.560 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:31.280 Psalm 19 is a great descriptor of what it feels like to be in summer. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:32.879 You say, What do you mean in summer? 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:35.919 Here's the way I I apologize, ladies, because I'm a guy. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.639 Here's the only way I know to describe what summer feels like. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:41.039 Remember the basketball player Michael Jordan? 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:42.319 Anybody remember Michael Jordan? 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.879 Not when he played for the Washington Bullets, okay? 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:49.120 But Michael Jordan, number 23, when he played for the Chicago Bulls. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:53.199 I I watched him drop 63 on the Boston Celtics in a playoff game. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.599 And afterwards they asked him, they said, Michael, what was that like? 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:59.360 And he said, it was like the hoop was that big and I was always open. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.240 And I was just like, that's what summer feels like. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:06.639 And you're always open. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:08.000 He said, I just couldn't miss. 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:13.120 I would know coming down the floor what I was gonna do and how who I was gonna score on. 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:15.520 And I just I I never thought about missing. 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.759 I just thought, okay, I can't miss. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:18.879 I'm in the zone. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.879 That's what summer, when you're in summer in your faith, that's what it feels like. 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:25.519 You say, Well, why why'd you pick the 19th Psalm? 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.639 Because he starts off and says, The heavens declare the glory of God. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:31.120 The sky above proclaims his handiwork. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:34.720 Day to day pours out speech and night reveals knowledge. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:38.319 There is no speech, nor are there words whose voice is not heard. 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:42.079 When you're in summer, everything, you get something out of everything. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:44.000 You read the Bible and it just pops. 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:45.360 The words come off the pages. 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:48.399 You're in conversations and you walk away with spiritual insight. 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:52.879 You read something you've read 20 times before in the Bible, and you see something new in it. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.079 You hear a song and it makes you think thoughts you've never thought before. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:57.920 Everything just kind of clicks. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:04.639 And then you get to the verse 7, to about verse 10 of the psalm, and he says, he's talking about the word, the law of God. 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:07.199 He says it's perfect, reviving the soul. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:09.360 It's sure, making wise the simple. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:12.240 It's right, and my heart rejoices because of that. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:14.639 It's pure, enlightening the eyes. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.560 The fear of the Lord, he says it's clean, enduring forever, and it's true. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:20.079 That's what summer feels like. 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:21.759 It's enlightening to the eyes. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:23.839 You the place of your soul is big. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:27.600 It's so good when you're in summer, you almost feel guilty about it. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.279 Because here's the thought that goes through your mind at some point when you find yourself in summer. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:33.519 When's the other shoe gonna drop? 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:36.560 This is good, but this can't go on forever. 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:39.040 You're exactly right, and I'll show you in just a minute. 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:41.600 It it's that way on purpose. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:44.399 God designed it that way. 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:47.839 And so that's what summer sounds like from the Bible. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:50.879 Now, let me just kind of give you some of the characteristics of summer. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.000 Let me give you four of them. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.399 Number one, summer is a time of abundance. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:06:01.839 It's a time of abundance, it's when rest and wonder and time and curiosity and pleasures are all in abundance. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:05.519 It's a time when the kingdom kind of comes easily and in fullness. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:08.079 And uh, let me say something that's not gonna make sense. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:13.519 Don't you wish preachers would tell you, I'm fixing to say something that doesn't make sense, so you could not feel dumb when they said it? 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:15.360 Like, I should understand that. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.160 You won't understand this, and it's my fault. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:23.680 Y'all are looking at me like, you don't know how to do this, do you? 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:26.160 You're not supposed to be that honest about this. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:27.600 No, you know, yes, you are. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.480 Summer's a time when the kingdom comes and your of course is in full. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.240 How many of you understand what I just said when I said your of course is in full? 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:39.519 Yes. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:40.639 Three of you. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:44.399 The rest of you are like, pinch the baby, let's go. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.199 No, your of course is in full. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:52.639 When you're in summer, you read things in the Bible and you don't get defensive, you're not like, oh, that's not what that means. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:53.759 That was written by men. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:55.120 That was written a long time ago. 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:57.680 You find fault with everything when you're in winter. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:01.199 When you're in summer, you read something in the Bible and you go, of course. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:02.560 Absolutely. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:06.879 Your wife says, Hey, you've been telling me for three months you're gonna clean out the garage. 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:09.279 Can you clean out the garage this Saturday? 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:10.959 Of course. 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.639 You women are like, Yeah, my husband doesn't have one, of course. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:18.399 He's got a bunch of explanation. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:19.439 That's the thing. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:22.560 When you're in summer, you have this big, your of course is in full. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:24.639 I mean, your kids like, hey dad, can we get ice cream? 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.160 Of course we can get ice cream. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:27.120 Are you kidding me? 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:29.199 You don't go, hey dad, can we get ice cream? 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:30.879 Ice cream, that costs money. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:32.560 We're trying to save money for college. 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:34.879 You want to go to college or you want to eat ice cream? 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.160 Make up your mind. 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:40.720 Yeah. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.079 I'll take the ice cream for a hundred, Alex. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:48.399 By you yelling at me, Dad, it's just ice cream, okay? 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:52.079 I mean, we just but when you're in summer, you just have this big of course. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:54.319 Let me give you a question for your small groups tonight. 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:56.639 Where is your of course these days? 00:07:57.040 --> 00:07:58.399 Where is your of course? 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:01.600 What what where is your what where's your of course? 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:04.560 What just oh, of course, absolutely. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:09.120 See, most people experience summer right after they become a Christian, right after conversion. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:11.279 It's this sense, remember when you first became a Christian? 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:18.560 That sense of euphoria, colors were brighter, music sounded better, food tasted better before you became jaded and cynical. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:21.839 I remember me and Mark Roundtree became Christians about the same time. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:27.199 I didn't come a Christian until after I got out of high school, and we were at the country club because his family's members of the country club. 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:31.839 We went out to the country club, went swimming, and we practiced baptizing each other in the swimming pool. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:34.799 Is that nerdy or what? 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:39.679 I don't mean like six-year-old, but I mean two 18-year-olds out there baptizing each other. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:40.960 We were in summer. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:43.759 We were just had this sense of, oh, this is awesome. 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:45.200 And not only that, it gets worse. 00:08:45.440 --> 00:09:01.279 We would make appointments with our pastor about every 10 days to tell him we were concerned that the church was cooling down because we'd had this big spiritual movement and people were kind of easing back into the rut, and they would see us coming, and he would just kind of smile and go, Okay, boys, why are you here today? 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:03.120 Well, Brother Sam, we're concerned. 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:10.799 Church kind of seems to be cooling off, and he would just kind of patronize us and pat us on the head, and it kind of bugged me because I thought, should we just get over this? 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:15.519 Should we just kind of be like, okay, let's just kind of sing like this? 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:19.519 Like, hey, I'm saying these words, but this is not enjoyable. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:24.480 And he said, Well, son, the longer you're a Christian, the harder it is to hold on to your joy. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:33.919 I remember the first time the Holy Spirit spoke to me, and it was then. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.200 The Holy Spirit just said, No, let's close ourselves off to that. 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:39.039 And I remember thinking, Am I hearing voices? 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:40.399 Am I going crazy? 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:41.919 Uh he said, What do you mean? 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:52.080 Don't turn there, but it the the the stories in John chapter 8, where these these religious people, the Pharisees, come to stone this woman, and Jesus just kind of just just just fillets them. 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:55.039 I mean, just, I mean, mmm, mmm. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.639 It's it's it's like the great line from the House of Pain song, jump around. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.519 Uh, because when I shoot the gift, I shoot to kill. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:06.720 And Jesus gets up and just kind of tells him, Hey, I'll tell you what, whoever's without sin, be the first to cast a stone at her. 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:10.559 And the Bible says, and they dropped their rocks and left, beginning with the older ones. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:14.559 And so I'd read in the Bible, the older you become, the more gracious you should be. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:19.840 And he was like, Well, you just, you know, you just basically he patronized and tells you you'll outgrow this one day. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:24.080 And I just kind of walk away like, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, okay, maybe. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:26.799 But that was summer, right after I was converted. 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:28.879 I mean, I just I looked forward to going to church. 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:31.039 We went Sunday morning and Sunday night. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:32.960 I was like, awesome, this is great. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.440 I wish we had church another night of the week. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:38.559 Now, I that's a thought I've not had in a while. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:40.320 So don't relax. 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:42.000 You're like, where are you where are you going with this? 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.200 Summer's a time where you're made to believe Bible verses like this. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:48.320 This is 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 17. 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:54.720 He says, As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:58.240 By the way, when he says the rich in this in this age, that's you and me. 00:10:58.320 --> 00:10:59.360 You know that, right? 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:01.679 Okay, let's don't let's don't kid ourselves. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:07.600 Stop underselling how good God's been to you for fear that somebody may ask you to borrow something. 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:11.279 Stop looking around like, hey, hey, let's hide it in the mattress. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.320 We don't want anybody to know. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:13.600 You know, you you never can't. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:14.799 Oh, here comes the pastor. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:16.159 They're building a children's building. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:18.320 You know, he he may ask us for a donation. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:21.120 Quick, honey, cover up the furniture. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:25.519 I I really there's no furniture here. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:26.960 We're barely making the bills. 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:28.080 Well, whatever, man. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:29.279 Come on, are you kidding me? 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:38.720 He says, as for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:45.600 He says, Hey, to rich people like you and me, don't set your hope on riches, which is so uncertain, but set your hope on God. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:46.080 Why? 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:53.279 Because he's certain, number one, and number two, because he freely provides, richly provides us with everything. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:54.399 That's what he does. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:12:00.960 He after the first service, I went berserk in the first service, and a man came up to me and he goes, Man, come outside, I gotta show you something. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.120 I was like, All right, remind me of high school. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:04.639 My friends go, here, hold my beer. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:06.559 Something's fixing to happen right here. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:08.639 He's like, Come outside, come outside. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:13.840 He had a brand new truck parked right there, fully loaded Texas edition, Chevy Silverado. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:15.759 And he I was like, Man, that's awesome. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:18.720 And what I loved about that, he didn't feel guilty. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:23.279 And he didn't say, and I'm gonna I'm gonna make a donation to the children's building, too. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.639 He just said, Check out my sweet truck, Pastor. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.240 And I was like, that is awesome. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:31.440 You should come and ride me around in that this week. 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.320 I sit on the hood like the prom queen. 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:40.240 We just drive through Charlotte Estates over here, and I'll sit up on top. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:43.039 Play some music. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:47.519 No, the Bible says he's freely, he richly provides us with everything. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.120 That's what he does, and here's why. 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:50.159 Look at me. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.039 That's what he richly provides us with everything. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:53.840 Why? 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:55.600 To enjoy. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:57.440 To enjoy. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:03.440 The issue is not that you have too much, the issue is that you don't know how to enjoy what you have. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:05.120 That's the issue. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:12.480 It's not the issue, oh, I have too much and I need to somehow keep it on the down low or put it in a bank account out in a Cayman so the government can't find it. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:13.279 No, no, no. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.480 God is the God of Lamberts, is what I want to say to you. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:18.399 Anybody know what Lambert's is? 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:19.279 Anybody? 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:20.159 Anybody? 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.080 Yes, I see two hands over there. 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:25.039 They'd go to Pensacola and you drive down I-10. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:31.440 We go every year at Christmas, I go to my in-laws, I fix stuff for my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and I just stay out of the way. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:32.559 I don't even exist. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:38.480 As I get my wife and those two girls there, they just look like, hey, handyman, here's the list of stuff you should fix. 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:49.519 Uh but if you drive down I-10, about a mile, about an hour and a half, or a little bit, maybe not this side of Pensacola, you see a big sign on the side of the road that says Lambert's, home of throwed rolls. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:51.200 And you just kind of, what is it? 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:52.720 It's this country cafe. 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.879 You get there, it's a huge restaurant, it's close to a big ginormous outlet mall. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:58.799 You get there, there's buses in the parking lot. 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:00.080 You think that's a bad sign. 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:01.360 No, that's a good sign. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:03.279 Because it is like an experience. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:05.600 You go there and they say throwed rolls, they mean it. 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:18.320 They have pans, big industrial cooking sheet pans, and guys, men and women walking around, and they take a paintbrush and butter these rolls down, and they come out and they'll just grab them and you raise your hand, they'll throw them across the restaurant to you. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.440 And my kids are like, roll, and rolls are flying everywhere. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:27.120 But here's why God, when God the Bible says, hey, in summer, you you've got to believe this. 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:29.919 You because when you're in winter, you're like, well, that can't mean that. 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:32.559 God doesn't richly provide us with everything for us to enjoy. 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:35.679 God doesn't want us to enjoy ourselves, He wants us to be miserable. 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:37.600 Where's that in the Bible? 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:40.879 I've not found that yet. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:50.320 Here's why God is like Lamberts, because all there are rolls flying around, there's people walk around these big bowls and kettles and pots full of vegetables. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:53.440 And they're called pass-arounds, and they're free. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:57.120 Like they came to our table and they had a big kettle full of fried okra and a spoon. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:58.799 They said, Would you girls like some okra? 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.240 Sophie's just kind of like just cleared her plate, just put it all right there. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.360 I mean, she was stuffing it in her pockets, and we got in the car. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:07.039 I was like, What do I smell? 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:08.639 She's in the backseat, nothing. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:11.440 You just drive. 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:13.519 And I was just kind of like, What? 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.919 She ate two plates of okra in three rolls. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:16.399 That was it. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:17.360 And I didn't care. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:19.440 My wife's like, are you gonna do something? 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:21.840 She needs to have a protein and a blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:23.679 You need to have a hot cup of shut up. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:25.200 That's what you need to have. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.480 Now, just for the record, I thought that, but I didn't say that. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:34.480 Just wanna be transparent up in here, okay? 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:35.759 I don't care. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:36.960 We're at Lambert's. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:38.960 People are coming around just, oh, you like some. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:40.320 Oh, how about some sweet potatoes? 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:41.679 How about some, how about some corn? 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:42.720 Did you get some corn? 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:44.000 See, here's the problem. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:49.759 When the Bible says that he richly provides us with everything to enjoy, you're like, well, I don't believe that. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:55.200 But when you're in summer, that makes your eyes get wet and your heart get big. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.759 And you're just kind of like, yeah, he does. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:58.639 Absolutely. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.039 Man, I need to ramp up my enjoyment. 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:05.279 You say, What do you mean? 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:10.879 Because some of you that's hard to believe because you picture God coming around with a big kettle of okra and some tweezers. 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:17.120 And he reaches in there and he gets one and puts it on your plate, and he puts another on your plate and says, That'll be 50 cents. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:18.320 Where's your check? 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:19.679 I didn't put it on your check. 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:22.000 It's not the God of the Bible. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:27.039 So summer is a time of abundance, okay? 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:29.360 Secondly, summer is a foretaste of heaven. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:37.919 Here's why you gotta, it's so good you almost feel guilty, but you gotta push through that unnecessary feeling of guilt, okay? 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:39.440 You gotta push through. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:43.759 Just because you go to church, just because you're a Christian, doesn't mean it's always gotta be hard. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.679 Matter of fact, the Bible says the more you walk with God, the easier it gets. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:56.559 Let's stop baptizing dissatisfaction and and cynicism like those are fruits of the Spirit. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.399 Summer's a foretaste of heaven. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.519 Oh, you say, what do you mean? 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:06.000 Unless you embrace what the season of faith called summer, you'll have a flawed eschatology. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:08.000 Yeah. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:09.359 Bam! Did you hear that? 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.440 I dropped a big word on you right there. 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:15.839 Eschatology is your theology, your understanding of the end times. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:28.559 See, every once in a while, like when summer, when you find yourself in that, you you you kind of get this, you need to embrace it, not feel guilty about it, because we start thinking, well, you know, when's the other shoe gonna drop? 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:30.079 I know this can't last forever. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:31.440 Not here it can't. 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:38.480 But when you're in that season of summer where it's just going good, let summer remind you of heaven. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:43.519 Let it just remind you, you know what, this is just a little foretaste what heaven is gonna do. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:46.559 It's like being at the ice cream store and you got you're between six flavors. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:49.200 I I go in there, I'm between eight, I get eight samples. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:51.279 I'm I'm good, never mindful, thank you. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:54.000 Because they give you those little video spoons. 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:54.799 You ever seen those? 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:56.880 About as big as your pinky fingernail? 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:00.880 And they get you little, they just give you enough to help you make your mind up. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:07.200 What if during summer what God is doing is giving us a little foretaste, quote the hymn of glory divine? 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:11.839 It's just saying, Hey, just sweat your whistle with this, because I got more where this came from. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.640 That's what summer is like. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:19.440 And so in summer, you should think about heaven, because thinking about heaven affects how you live on earth. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:25.599 For example, my wife and I have been talking and praying about what do we feel like we're gonna give to this matching gift opportunity of the children's building? 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:27.680 She always gets a bigger number than I do. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:29.839 She's just crazy talking. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.359 I'm like, shh, woman, shut it down, okay? 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:33.839 B. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.319 And so we're talking this week. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:37.279 I said, Have you heard anything? 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:38.480 And she said, Yeah, I got a number. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:42.880 And she said something, and my first thought was I said, What? 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.160 And then I thought about heaven. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:57.839 And I thought, man, I I I don't want to get the Bible says, lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven where where thieves don't break in and steal, moth doesn't corrupt, and rust doesn't corrode it. 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:01.440 And I just thought, I don't want to get to heaven and have no treasure there. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:06.079 Hey, we got nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing with your name on it, you stingy weasel. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.440 And here's the here's the crazy thing. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:08.640 I'm not stingy. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.240 I'm wildly generous. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:12.319 My friends love to go to lunch with me. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:14.799 The check comes, they all become astronomers. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.240 Or they have to go to the bathroom. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:24.799 Awesome. 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:28.640 Yeah, I'm like, all right, I got it, guys. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:29.119 I got it. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:29.599 Yeah. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.640 All right, we've got the staff goes out, they're all like, hey dad, you got this? 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:33.759 Ain't you dad? 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:36.559 Let's don't even go there. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.680 Summer is a forte. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:39.680 Let me ask you another question for your small group. 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:44.000 How is thinking about heaven affect the way that you live here on this earth? 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:45.359 Because, see, here's the thing. 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:53.359 Unless we learn to recognize heaven and excuse me, recognize summer for what it is, and when it is, we we miss out. 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:58.720 We miss the opportunity to let the kingdom of heaven kind of invade the kingdom of earth. 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:04.720 Uh, this past week, I would I I was talking to a friend of mine that lives up in the Fort Worth area, and and it dawned on me. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:05.440 This hooked me. 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:11.359 You ever have you I I meet I keep meeting people that are kind of always in transition or in transit. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:13.119 They're always kind of moving to the next thing. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:17.359 They want to move to the country and and raise goats, or they want to do this. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:19.039 My buddy, his thing was emoose. 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:20.960 Anybody remember when Emuz was the big thing? 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.240 Yeah, he did Emu. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:28.880 He's gonna escape civilization and get off the grid, not be on the power, and the church is a bunch of sellouts and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.559 So he's always been on transition. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.559 Well, now he's getting towards the end of his life. 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:35.279 He lives way out in the country and has no friends. 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:39.519 One of the loneliest people I know, and I just kind of like, I meet so many people. 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:40.640 We're gonna move to the country. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:41.519 We hate the city. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:46.000 Okay, we'll move to the country, but don't be so bitter, you're no fun to be around. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:48.000 My friend is so inconsolable. 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:49.200 I said this on the phone. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:50.880 I'm out of words. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:53.200 I don't know what to say to you. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.000 And be careful, you're not that person. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:58.880 That person that it's always gonna be better when you go there. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:07.119 When I go back to school, when we move down inside the loop, when we move to the country, when we move from the country, back into the city, when I lose 20 pounds, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:08.160 Let me just tell you this. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:12.319 I got no plans for losing 20 pounds about the next two months. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.400 I'm gonna get after it up in here for the next two months. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:24.720 And then come about January the 5th, I'll get me some running shoes and take my fat self around my neighborhood and frighten small children. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:28.079 Look, the fat guy whistles when he runs. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:32.559 You know why that is? 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:34.160 Because I'm in summer. 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:36.960 And I'm gonna get my grub on in summer. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:42.480 So if you want to have lunch sometime between now and Christmas, ring me up. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:46.559 Here's my thing. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:53.519 You you I was thinking about that this week and just kind of, why is everybody just kind of and clear as a bell, the Holy Spirit, God said, It's my fault. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:55.920 It's like, yes, finally, someone to blame. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:56.880