WEBVTT 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:13.359 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.399 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:26.000 Well, my name is Don Minton, and I'm the Spiritual Formation and Missions Pastor here at Grand Parkway. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:35.119 And I will simply say to you, I've been on staff for three years, and I've avoided this for three solid years. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:40.640 But McClendon is persistent. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:43.200 And he said, You've got to preach. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.719 So here I am. 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:54.719 I will say that uh after speaking in the first service and thinking, okay, I have another one still to go after this one, I have a new appreciation for him. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:58.479 And watching that clock is even more of a challenge. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.240 Uh but it's better. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.280 There was a baptism in the first service that wiped me out. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:05.599 So I started out an emotional wreck. 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:09.840 So maybe I will be a little stronger today in that aspect of it. 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:18.799 Neil did ask me to tell me, he really didn't ask me, he told me I had to preach a few weeks ago. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:27.359 And um one of the things he suggested as a topic was that I might preach on what I've learned in 41 years of ministry. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:37.920 And uh I thought at first, I thought, well, that's kind of an odd topic, but um it's really interesting that the Lord has very much confirmed that in me, uh, what I would say today. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:48.400 And so um uh I'll just start by saying June the 1st of 1977, uh I started serving full-time for the first time in my life. 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:57.599 Um and so for 41 years I've been doing this, and um, I will say to you what a blessing God has been to me in allowing me to do that. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:01.120 Uh it's just been a uh just God has just been good. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:07.280 And I've never been in a church that I thought, what in the world are you doing and why am I here? 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:10.400 Um God has just blessed that whole process. 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:12.960 And I did want to start out by asking one question. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:18.400 I'd like to know how many people are here today that are 41 years or younger. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:21.680 If you put your hand up, 41 years or younger. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:22.319 Okay. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:27.039 Well over half of you have been born since I started this. 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:38.159 So um I think the the things that that I came up with to share with you today, um, I don't think I think most of them are very obvious. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:42.159 I don't think you're gonna hear anything today that you think, oh, never heard that before. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:48.719 Um but I also tried to make it something that I didn't think, oh, you're a pastor, so that would apply just for you. 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:53.680 I tried to put down things that I thought uh these this makes sense to everyone, I think. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:03:00.960 Um and a part of the, especially the first part of it will be a kind of reflection on who I am and how I do ministry. 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:07.360 And so the first part of it, and a lot of it, probably you'll think throughout it, deals with relationships. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:12.479 Um we all have different gifts, we have different abilities, and I'll talk about that a little bit later. 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:23.759 But um it's interesting that God very clearly gave me a scripture within two days of when Neil said, Um, I really want you to preach. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:27.919 And so there was no doubt that the, and it's been confirmed to me over and over. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:39.199 And then the second thing that I jotted down as I prepared is my wife came up to me and said, Obviously, you're gonna be talking about relationships when you do that, aren't you? 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.599 Um, because that's how you do ministry. 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:51.759 So the great thing about all of that is to have a definite affirmation in, okay, here's what God wants me to talk about, and here's how God wants me to relate that to the church. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:56.400 So I want to start by reading Mark 12, 28 through 31. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:00.639 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:07.680 Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, Of all the commandments, which is the most important? 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:11.599 The most important one, answered Jesus, is this. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.360 Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:21.920 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:25.279 The second is this love your neighbor as yourself. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:27.920 There is no commandment greater than these. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:33.120 Uh our upset our society is kind of obsessed with who's the greatest. 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:38.639 Um if you're a if you're a baseball fan right now, you would say the Astros are the greatest. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:48.319 Um if you're a football fan, I'm sure you would say, many of us would say, or I wouldn't say it, but many would, the New England Patriots are the greatest football team ever. 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:52.000 Um we look at who's the greatest basketball player. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:55.120 Uh, and everybody debates, is it Michael Jordan or LeBron? 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.720 Um so we're always in our society, who is the greatest? 00:04:58.800 --> 00:04:59.759 What's the greatest country? 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:02.319 Who's our who's the greatest president we've ever had? 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:06.959 Um and if you asked me what the greatest college was, I'd say Auburn University. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:09.519 Um we all have our opinions. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:15.279 But we think about that and we think, well, why would somebody ask Jesus what the greatest commandment was? 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:30.160 And uh it that kind of sounds like a simple question until you realize that rabbinic tradition back in that day had 613 commands in the first five books of the Bible that they said they had found. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:35.600 365 were negative, and 248 were positive. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:42.399 So it's not surprising that that man came up to Jesus and said, Well, what is the greatest commandment? 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:47.600 But Jesus didn't just give him one, he gave him two. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:54.639 And if you look back in the Old Testament, it comes from Meshima, which is in Deuteronomy 6, 4 and 5. 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.160 It says, Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:02.399 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with your soul, and your strength. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:11.360 And that's a pretty powerful statement when we start looking at that, because it says, what that really means in there is our God is God alone. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:13.439 There are no other gods. 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:16.079 And we are meant to worship and love him. 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:18.879 Our devotion is meant to be to God. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:24.000 And if you look at that, it says, first of all, he is our God, our only God. 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:35.040 And then it says he moved right on to say uh four times in uh Mark 12, 30, he says, you're to love God with your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:43.120 And he just doesn't say you're to love him with those, but all of those things, all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your strength, um, all of your mind. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:45.600 So you're to love God completely. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:58.079 Uh Sinclair Ferguson, who is a writer, said, God is never satisfied with anything less than the devotion of our whole life for the duration of our lives. 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:02.160 So both of those commandments are based on love. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:04.720 You're to love God, you're to love your neighbor. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:11.680 And um taking that first thought, then, um, I have a number of points for you today. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.079 I'm not going to tell you a number, you'll get blown away. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:16.879 Um so we'll just start with the first one. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:22.560 Uh, what I've learned in 41 years of ministry, and the first one to me is the most important one. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:24.959 It says you are to love God completely. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:30.000 Um, just to remember, and I'll say this one more time, you are to love God only. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:58.079 And you need to remember that He's our Father, He's our Son, He's the Holy Spirit, He's the only Savior, He is good, He is faithful, He is just, He is all powerful, He's all-knowing, He is ever-present, He is kind, and each one of you, if I ask, would share a word that He specifically maybe means something to you that way. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:00.399 But He's everything. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:10.319 And as I've also mentioned that, um, it talks about Him and not only loving Him completely, but loving your neighbor. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:12.480 I'll talk about that a little bit more in a minute. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:17.839 But as you think about loving God, I jotted out some ideas about uh how you would do that. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:24.480 You need to read your Bible, and maybe that sounds a little flippant, something you've heard, but I mean really read your Bible. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:26.079 Take time to do that. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:28.399 Meditate on what it has to say. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.160 You need to pray. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:33.919 You need to listen, you need to be in constant communication. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.120 Um, and that's the key to your relationship. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:43.039 Um, I learned a long time ago how important it was that I would sit down and take time with God. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:50.399 And and I also learned if I don't do that at a certain time in a certain place every day, it's pretty easy to skip over that. 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.759 So I would say to you, set a time to do that. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:59.600 Another thing I put down is you need to learn to be obedient to God and to follow Him faithfully. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:03.440 You can't set boundaries about what you will do. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:08.639 Um I want to give you two biblical examples and then a couple of personal examples. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:19.440 Uh Genesis 12 1 talks about Abraham, and it says, The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:22.720 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:28.799 And then Jonah 1 verses 1 through 3 says, The Lord gave this message to Jonah. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.840 Announce my judgment against it, because I have seen how wicked its people are. 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:40.879 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:44.799 He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshus. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:51.279 He brought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshus. 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:56.879 Obedience is an interesting thing in our society these days. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:07.600 Um I can say that personally because um I shared with you a story, and Abraham is probably my favorite person in the Bible when I really study and read about his life. 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:13.039 Um, and he was faithful time after time after time when God said, I want you to do this. 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:18.720 Um, if you read about the story of Isaac, he was quick to say, I want you to go and sacrifice your son. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.080 And the next day it says, Abraham got up and left. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:24.799 And so when God told him to do things, he did them. 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:30.399 And then we have a story like Jonah, where it says, He says, I want you to do this, and Jonah went the other way. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:35.200 So the first thing to think about is what do you do when God tells you to do things? 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:40.080 Um a couple of personal illustrations from guys who I know. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:54.159 Uh I served on a staff with a guy a few years ago, and it's been interesting that I talked to him pretty often, and he said, I really think God needs to call me on the I-65 corridor between Pensacola and Nashville. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:01.039 And I thought, now that's really interesting that you're getting to tell God where he needs to call you. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:07.039 And then I had another friend that said, Well, certainly God would call me to Houston. 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:11.279 And I thought, again, am I getting to tell God where he calls me? 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:13.120 Or am I just getting to be faithful? 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:16.639 Because uh I believe it says we're to be obedient to his call. 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:22.080 Um when we came here, um many, maybe you don't know my story. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:32.000 Uh, Neil talked to me a few years ago, and we have been friends a long, long time, and uh he mentioned to me that there was a staff opening and would Debbie and I pray about it. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:36.720 And my first thought was, hey Neil, I'm 62 years old. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:38.720 Uh I live in Pensacola, Florida. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:42.960 My mom lives there, my wife's mom lives there, my daughter lives a couple hours away. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:45.919 It's not really a thing that I want to think about. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:51.279 Um, but I thought, you need to pray about that because he asked you. 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:57.679 And not soon after that, Debbie and I felt pretty strongly this is the place we were supposed to be. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:11:59.279 And it was really interesting. 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:04.080 I remember going in to both of our parents, and they weren't really shocked. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.279 My mom, I will remember her saying, So where are you going? 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:08.639 when I started. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:14.799 The other example I want to give you, and maybe this one is the most personal and hits home the best. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:17.120 Uh, my oldest daughter is named Melissa. 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:21.360 Uh, when she graduated from college, uh, she felt called into missions. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:25.039 Uh, she was gonna do a journeyman program with the International Mission Board. 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:34.399 And if you don't know what that is, it's a two-year thing where you go wherever you they put you, and you serve for two years as a young kid that's just graduated from college. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:41.039 Well, when she did that process, she called us and said, the Lord's leading us to go to Kenya or meet a Kenya. 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:45.600 Now, if you don't know geography really well, I lived in Birmingham, Alabama at that point. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.639 If you go about halfway around the world, that's where Kenya is. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:50.960 And it's a little different part of the world. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:58.320 But I had the most people say to me, How do you feel about your daughter going to Kenya? 00:12:58.559 --> 00:12:59.360 And why? 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:03.440 I had one lady say to me, How would you even let her do that? 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:10.080 And it was really interesting because, not that I'm super spiritual, please don't hear that. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:26.399 But I just had this, when she said this, this calmness in my heart that said, Is God not, is my daughter not much safer in Kenya where he wants her, than she is in Birmingham, Alabama, where I am? 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:28.799 Which place would you like to be? 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:31.279 Where he wants you or where I would want you? 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:36.799 So a question, the last question there is, how obedient are you to Christ? 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:45.519 And questions, and I stole these from a guy named Daniel Aiken, is the Lord the all-consuming passion of my life? 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:51.279 Do I have a deep, intense, and abiding affection for the Lord? 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.159 Am I striving to become like him? 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:56.799 Do you love him? 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:00.480 Do you love anything more than you love Christ? 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:03.360 Do I enjoy spending time with the Lord? 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:05.519 Do I tell the Lord that I love him? 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:08.639 Do I talk with the Lord as much as I can? 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:14.240 I thought those were fairly reflective questions about my relationship with God. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:19.919 Remember that uh these are not things I do to get God to love me. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:23.440 They are things I do because he already loves me. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:27.120 1 John 4 10 says, This is real love. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:34.559 Not that we loved God, but he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:50.000 And in Psalms 139, 23 and 24 it says, Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me to along the path of everlasting life. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:54.480 And so I would simply go back to say, Do you love God completely? 00:14:55.200 --> 00:15:00.000 Nothing I say following is going to be important, I don't think, if you hadn't got that one down. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.559 The second point, you need to love others genuinely. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:14.639 Verse 31 says, uh Verse 31 says the word neighbor is not limited just to the people who live next to us, but to everyone. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:20.879 1 John 4 20 says, If anyone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:26.720 For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:34.320 And so when we talk about a neighbor, Jesus makes it even clearer in the story of the Good Samaritan when somebody says, Who is your neighbor? 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:37.759 And he pretty much says, You know those people you hate? 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:40.000 Oh, yes, they're your neighbors. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:41.759 They're all your neighbors. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:59.440 So I want to talk about neighbors a little bit because I personally can say, uh, I remember so many days uh living in that house with a garage, getting home from work at 5:30 or 6, the garage door goes up, I pull my car in, the garage doors goes down, and I walk in my house. 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:02.559 And I'm not so concerned about my neighbors. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.279 And so I would simply ask you, how concerned are you about your neighbors? 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:10.159 Are you really worried about building a relationship? 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:15.039 And keep in mind, I'm not just talking about the people who live next door to you. 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:18.240 And I'll talk give you some more examples about that in a minute. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.159 But I just want to say to you, do you take time to get to know people? 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:27.600 And especially do we take some time to get to know people sometimes that are a little different than you are? 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:30.559 Or do we want to just know those that are like us? 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:33.840 Um I think I know the answer to that most of the time. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:39.360 Um I had the privilege in Pensacola of living to the same people next door to the same people for 10 years. 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:44.960 Um it was a couple that I'm guessing they were about 25 years older than I was. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.200 Um They were great people. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:48.559 Debbie and I loved them. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:50.320 We spent a lot of time with them. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:17:06.079 Um and um the hard thing about the story is that even in living that 10 years next door to them, um, I was going to, I was actually driving from Pensacola to Montgomery to get my daughter the other day, and uh I ran by the street. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.319 I just called their house to see how they were doing. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:14.799 Uh, didn't get a call back, and about two weeks later I got a call back, and I found out the man's name was Bob had died. 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:17.680 And I think he was 91 or 92. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:22.480 Uh his wife had been in rehab and she said, I'm so sorry I hadn't called you to tell you about it. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:27.200 Um the key thing I want to say to you about that though, I lived there 10 years. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.880 I talked to Bob a lot about what I do, how I live. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:35.519 He was one of my most faithful people to ask me, How was your mission trip? 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:38.160 And I was on mission trips a pretty good bit. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:40.720 He always wanted to know how they were. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:44.799 But the sad thing is that Bob never accepted Christ. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:53.359 Now, the thing I can look at that and say is I think we were faithful to live out a life. 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:55.440 We talked about God to him. 00:17:55.759 --> 00:18:02.480 Um and and he knew where we stood because I'm telling you, he asked me more about my mission trips than anybody I knew. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:14.319 But the thing I would say to all of us is how many of us have neighbors or know people that we would call that are friends that don't know Christ, and we've never taken a minute to say it. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.119 Questions for you to ask Are you seeking to get to know people? 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:21.279 Just flat, are you seeking to know them? 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:22.799 Do you really care about them? 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:24.240 Do you have interest in them? 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:26.720 Are you learning their names? 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:29.359 Are you learning their children's names? 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:31.440 Are you building relationships? 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:36.880 And the thing I would say to you, I don't want you to look at that as it's a to-do list. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.480 I need to do this. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.759 It's because you love them and care about them that you would do it. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:48.799 Uh in ministry, personally, I've always said that 85 to 90% of what I do is working with people. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:52.720 And if I don't know something, I can probably go find it in a book. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:59.119 But I've also said, no matter how much I know, if I can't work with people, I'm gonna be ineffective. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:01.839 It's about peaceful and relationships. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:08.559 There's a quote from Warren Wearsby that says, we have to live not by rules, but by relationships. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.119 And here's some ideas of how to get to know people. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:12.880 Maybe you struggle with that. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:16.400 Uh and these will be one, a couple of them are real practical to me. 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:18.160 Uh join a local gym. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.880 Uh maybe some of you are looking at me saying, I don't look like I've joined the gym, but I have. 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:37.920 Um being a part of a gym, I what I learned pretty early on in ministry was that if I didn't re be really careful, I would not ever be around people who weren't Christians. 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:40.000 So I thought, okay, how can I do this? 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:42.079 So I started to go into gyms. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:47.200 And I'm I have some very, very good friends that I've made in gyms along the way. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:50.799 One young man that I could tell you about, that I get prayer requests from him. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:52.400 He's probably 32 now. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.279 I met him at a gym, strong Christian young man. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:58.319 We talked probably two out of every three days. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:01.759 And anytime anything is going on in his life, I'll get a prayer request from him. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:03.839 And he's a guy that I would have never met. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:10.400 But also I met a guy who was the head of the English department at the University of West Florida who was not a Christian. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:12.720 And we talked regularly about the Bible. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.200 And he invited me to show up in his classes. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.440 He even let me talk in one of his classes. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:25.599 Now he never accepted Christ, but I had a great relationship, and I would have never had an opportunity to talk to him about that if I hadn't been there. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:31.920 Join civic organizations, coach a sports team, and I'm not talking about a Christian sports team. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:38.799 Um one of the things that that I did, uh, and let me just say, I'm gonna give you some personal illustrations. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:40.480 Don't hear me saying I'm a perfect guy. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.279 You'll hear more about that later, but um, I'm not. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:48.079 Um but I just have committed to a few things in my life along the way that I've learned. 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:56.079 And um one of the things I did, my daughter, youngest daughter, is a gymnast, or was a gymnast all from fourth, four-year-old to twelfth grade. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:58.720 Um so we moved to Birmingham from Tampa. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:03.119 I went to the guy in the gym and said, Hey, I'll do one thing in your gym. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:04.400 I'll volunteer. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:06.480 It needs to be one, don't give me a list. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:09.440 You decide how I could be most helpful, and I'll do that. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:14.160 Well, not long after that, he said, it would be really great if you'd be president of the Parents Club. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:27.359 I wasn't looking for quite that big a job, but for the next three and a half years, except for one six meet six-month time, I served as the president of the Parents Club. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:45.920 Uh, it was a unique experience uh because I was running a club uh in a community that was very different uh religiously from what I had been a part of, but it gave me a great opportunity to just lead a life so that people could see that you can do these things as a Christian. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:59.440 And the one thing that happened, and the reason that this one was so meaningful to me is after about a year and a half of doing that, that man who told me this is what I could do came to me and said, Why are you different than I am? 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:06.000 And it gave me a great chance to sit down and say, I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:08.400 And that just makes you live differently. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:13.039 So I want you to say, where is it that I could maybe step in and serve? 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:16.799 And having children gives you an excellent chance to do that. 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:20.079 Invest in your kids or grandkids' school. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.640 Make sure you get to know your unchurch neighbors. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:32.720 I know people who go to study or work at, try to work out of coffee shops, do prayer walks in your neighborhood. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:44.000 And the last one I put, maybe you haven't thought about this one, because I was a student minister for a long time, you can go to local universities, and there are so many guys running Christian ministries. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:51.519 They're working with international students, and international students over holidays and summers a lot of time can't go home. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:57.279 And they need some people just to talk to them and give them a free meal and a place to stay. 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:02.240 Number three on the list your family must be your priority. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:05.920 Ephesians 5.25 says this to husbands. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:11.519 Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:13.680 You need to love your wife. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:19.839 Debbie and I have been married 44 years, and I'll give her a lot of the credit for that marriage working well. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:22.240 She's been an incredible partner. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:25.279 Here's some of the things that I wrote down. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:31.039 You need to make sure you don't get sidetracked with someone else or something else. 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:34.480 You need to treat your mate with love and respect. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:36.319 You need to learn to listen. 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:39.279 You need to agree on major decisions in life. 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:42.960 You need to talk about parenting and your parents. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:44.880 Spend time with each other. 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:46.720 Do special things together. 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:48.720 Have date nights, do trips. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:52.559 You need to find things you enjoy doing together as a couple. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:54.559 Keep working on communication. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.039 That's the one my wife says I need to work on. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:02.960 The thing I have in bull print, marriage is a work in progress. 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:05.359 It's not just going to happen. 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:09.200 And then I put down your the second part is your children. 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:17.200 3 John says in verse 4, I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:19.359 You have to spend time with your children. 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:21.119 I mentioned both my girls. 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:23.119 My oldest girl is pretty verbal. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.119 My youngest daughter is not. 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:33.759 When she was in high school, especially, we were in a carpool for gymnastics that was an hour each way every day. 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:39.920 Some days the carpool would disintegrate, and my wife would be driving my daughter. 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:46.240 And I just said, hey, on those days, call me and I'll see if I can leave work a little early and I'll drive her. 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:49.759 I did that simply because I said she's not verbal. 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:55.599 Usually in either the hour going or the hour coming home, she would talk. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:59.039 And so it gave me a great chance just to spend time with her. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:04.400 And I would say to you, remember that each one of your child are special, but they're each unique. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:07.440 So you need to find out how to work with each one of them. 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:09.839 You need to discipline your children. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:12.319 Set expectations of your children. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:14.240 Attends the stuff they do. 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:17.680 Laugh together, play games, make memories. 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:21.839 And the thing I put down in the making memories is I was very, very fortunate. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:23.920 We lived in Tampa, Florida. 00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:28.319 My girls, my youngest was in preschool, my oldest was in elementary school. 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:33.039 And my next door neighbor, after about a year, said, Hey, I have a cabin in North Carolina. 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:38.880 And if you'd like to go up there with your family anytime, let me know, and you can go spend time up there. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:42.160 A little thing, my girls loved it. 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:50.000 This past Thanksgiving, we spent uh we spent Thanksgiving in North Carolina. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:51.839 They're 40 and 35. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:55.920 So you can make memories with your children. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:01.039 Number four, and this one's been hit on already pretty hard today, but I have to mention it. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:03.680 We're supposed to get involved in missions. 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:12.400 Matthew 28, 18 through 20 says, Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:26.559 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:38.079 In Acts 1.8 says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:44.720 We're very good in our society of focusing on ourselves and looking after our own. 00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:49.119 And I've talked about getting to know your neighbors already and how important that is. 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:55.119 And I just want to give you really opportunities that you'll have at Grand Parkway as much as anything else. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:59.200 We have the first of all, we have a group of men called the Romeos, if you don't know. 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:03.680 Um Retired Old Men Eating Out is how that came about. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:14.000 But the really great thing about that group is after they did that a couple of times, they decided if we're just gonna go eat out, we need to do more than that. 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:16.640 We need to find some projects and do some things. 00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:18.079 And they are so faithful. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:23.119 They do stuff around the church, they work in people's houses, uh, they do all kinds of projects. 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:26.880 Um I'm gonna give you some other things locally that you can do though. 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:35.759 Uh we have a partnership with an organization called the Landing, which works with uh uh young ladies who have in a few young men who are caught in sex trafficking. 00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:37.680 Um that's a great opportunity. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:43.839 This coming Saturday, they're having an open house at the landing, and you should have gotten an email from me about that. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:47.839 It would be a great thing to go and see is this a place I could serve? 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:53.119 There's an organization called Life House who works with pregnant ladies that we're partnered with. 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:57.359 And one that's really close to my heart always is local schools. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:28:01.920 Um three miles down 1464. 00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:09.839 The counselor at Mission West told me as many mentors as your church could furnish, we can use at Mission West. 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:16.640 And then we also have an ESL that meets every Monday night at our church where people are learning English. 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:21.680 And uh Aaron is always needing volunteers for people to participate in ESL. 00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:30.319 Tomorrow night, if you're interested, there is a meeting uh at 7 o'clock, 7 to 7.30, just to let you know about working in ESL. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:37.759 And I will simply say, if you go back and look at that scripture in Acts 1.8, it didn't say, if you want to go, it says you go. 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:39.359 So find your place. 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:41.279 Second place, New York. 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:43.759 Next week you'll see a video about New York. 00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:46.079 We just were in New York about three weeks ago. 00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:48.319 Uh, we're partnering with a church in New York. 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:52.319 A guy went there, they were running nine in a church that's bigger than this one. 00:28:52.480 --> 00:29:01.440 They're now running in the 60s and 70s, and we've partnered with them uh just to help them do church and work on their facilities and meet people there. 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:12.559 And then internationally, uh, you saw a video about Romania already, and then next week on Saturday, a group goes to Costa Rica, and we're always looking for new partnerships. 00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:16.079 Um, missions is just a huge thing to me. 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:25.039 Uh obviously I work in that in the at the church, but uh I started taking kids when I was a youth minister in the late 70s on mission trips. 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:30.799 In the right around the year 99 or 2000, I was in Kenya with a group of kids. 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:34.720 Um It was when my daughter was a journeyman there. 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:37.039 And uh I had an experience though. 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:38.960 We were working in a slum in Kenya. 00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:43.440 Uh that slum in Kenya is one of the largest slums in the world and one of the poorest. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:50.319 Uh it is across the a little creek, basically, from the large one of the largest uh garbage dumps in the world. 00:29:50.480 --> 00:30:01.359 And I was sitting up on a roof of a building putting down tin, and I just looked, and this was a like probably a weak moment in faith because I thought, Lord, this is not right. 00:30:01.680 --> 00:30:04.000 Why are these people living like this? 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:06.799 And not long after that I found this quote. 00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:16.400 It says, Sometimes I want to ask God why he allows poverty, famine, and injustice when he could do something about it. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:22.160 But I'm afraid he might ask me the same question, why don't you do something about it? 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:33.519 And I would simply say to you, are you doing anything about children at Mission West who really don't have good parents or need help and need a mentor? 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:38.720 Or going to an ESL meeting and saying, hey, I can help, or going to the landing. 00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:41.599 Great opportunities all around us. 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:53.440 We are great in our society at coming to a worship service, going to one more Bible study, being a part of community groups, and please don't hear me say you don't need to do that. 00:30:54.480 --> 00:30:58.000 But we need to be out sharing what we're hearing. 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:00.319 And he expects that. 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:08.400 We can't stay in the four walls of Grand Parkway Baptist Church and consider we've done what we're supposed to do. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:17.440 My question I always ask in ministry if my church was not here tomorrow, would anyone in our community notice we were gone? 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:22.960 They're only gonna notice if we're going if we're out in a community, not because we're sitting in here. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:28.160 Number five, um I'm gonna get faster because I'm running out of time. 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:31.440 Um, life is not always going to be easy. 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:42.960 James 1, 2 through 4 says, consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces for perseverance. 00:31:43.359 --> 00:31:46.240 Um life is simply not gonna always be easy. 00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:48.000 All of you have been through difficult times. 00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:50.799 My father died when I was 19 years old. 00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:55.599 Um 10 o'clock one night, 10:30 one night, I heard something fall on the floor. 00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.000 It was my father had died of a heart attack. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:02.720 I will tell you that that was not an easy thing. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:05.599 And I didn't handle it well, I will even say that. 00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:09.039 But God didn't promise me it's always gonna be easy. 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:13.200 And then a year and a half ago, my oldest daughter went through a divorce. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:17.279 Um, that might have been just as difficult to see that happen. 00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:23.680 And I will simply say again, he doesn't tell me it's gonna be easy, he simply says he'll get me through it. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:31.039 And number six, and this was a hard one to follow that with, our lives need to exhibit joy. 00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:37.039 One of the things that I get told to me often is you smile a lot. 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:44.480 Um, my response to that is, how can I not smile when what God has done for me? 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:46.240 He has been so good. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:47.839 He saved me. 00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:49.680 Uh he's allowed me to serve him. 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:52.720 I can look at I have a wonderful wife, wonderful children. 00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:55.200 I've been allowed to serve in great places. 00:32:55.359 --> 00:33:00.400 Uh, how as Christians can we not be joyful if we look at how God has blessed us? 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:04.079 Philippians 4, 4 and 5 says, Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:06.240 I will say it again, rejoice. 00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:08.799 Let your gentleness be evident to all. 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:10.079 The Lord is near. 00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:29.279 And Abakuch 3, 17 and 18 say, even though the fig trees have no blossoms and there are no grapes on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields lie empty and barren, even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. 00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:32.720 I will be joyful in the Lord of all my salvation. 00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:34.640 We need to be joyful. 00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:37.279 We need to give and be generous. 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:43.440 Louisa May Alcott captures this the dangers of greed well, writing. 00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:51.759 If we have money, we want more. 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:54.960