1 00:00:08,165 --> 00:00:15,425 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 25 years. That's how long it's been since 2 00:00:15,465 --> 00:00:19,995 Speaker 1: the United States of America was attacked by Islamic terrorists 3 00:00:20,545 --> 00:00:24,015 Speaker 1: on 9-11. And the Twin Towers of the World Trade 4 00:00:24,075 --> 00:00:28,055 Speaker 1: Center collapsed in a heap of rubble. 2,977 people lost 5 00:00:28,075 --> 00:00:34,535 Speaker 1: their lives on that day. Over 400 of them were 6 00:00:34,615 --> 00:00:38,655 Speaker 1: first responders who ran in while everyone else was running out. 7 00:00:39,115 --> 00:00:42,625 Speaker 1: The images of people jumping to their deaths as the 8 00:00:42,745 --> 00:00:48,305 Speaker 1: building was burning behind them are etched permanently and indelibly 9 00:00:48,765 --> 00:00:51,385 Speaker 1: in our minds. It took us nearly 10 years to 10 00:00:51,485 --> 00:00:56,675 Speaker 1: finally find Osama bin Laden, the architect of 9-11, and 11 00:00:56,725 --> 00:01:00,335 Speaker 1: bring justice to him. Not only did the twin towers 12 00:01:00,535 --> 00:01:04,515 Speaker 1: of the World Trade Center get hit, But also the 13 00:01:04,555 --> 00:01:10,395 Speaker 1: Pentagon was targeted, where another 184 people lost their lives. 14 00:01:10,595 --> 00:01:14,855 Speaker 1: It was a dark day in American history. I was 15 00:01:14,955 --> 00:01:17,725 Speaker 1: on site at the World Trade Center two days after 16 00:01:17,765 --> 00:01:22,565 Speaker 1: the attack, actually walking the grounds. And I remember so 17 00:01:22,605 --> 00:01:26,244 Speaker 1: clearly the smoke was still rising from the smoldering ruins. 18 00:01:26,905 --> 00:01:29,895 Speaker 1: A makeshift cross had been erected in the midst of it. 19 00:01:30,475 --> 00:01:33,244 Speaker 1: It was such a tragic thing to see. You don't 20 00:01:33,285 --> 00:01:37,425 Speaker 1: realize the massive footprint of the World Trade Center until 21 00:01:37,485 --> 00:01:41,334 Speaker 1: you walk that site. There was literally shrapnel in the 22 00:01:41,395 --> 00:01:46,395 Speaker 1: buildings around it. And there were posters and images of 23 00:01:46,475 --> 00:01:53,295 Speaker 1: missing people wherever you turned. Sadness literally permeated everything. Well, 24 00:01:53,965 --> 00:01:56,905 Speaker 1: we did what we could as followers of Jesus Christ. 25 00:01:57,425 --> 00:02:01,205 Speaker 1: We worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, who supplied 26 00:02:01,325 --> 00:02:04,825 Speaker 1: chaplains all around the city, and they set up booths 27 00:02:04,965 --> 00:02:10,085 Speaker 1: and offered counseling to the traumatized people of New York. 28 00:02:10,665 --> 00:02:13,165 Speaker 1: The city was shaken, and I have to say, it 29 00:02:13,205 --> 00:02:16,545 Speaker 1: was a unique moment spiritually, not only for New York, 30 00:02:16,825 --> 00:02:19,625 Speaker 1: but for our nation, and even for the world. I 31 00:02:19,665 --> 00:02:23,065 Speaker 1: gave a message there at a church in Brooklyn, and 32 00:02:23,105 --> 00:02:27,085 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. that many firefighters who had actually been 33 00:02:27,165 --> 00:02:31,045 Speaker 1: serving at the World Trade Center walked forward and made 34 00:02:31,085 --> 00:02:34,295 Speaker 1: a profession of faith to follow Christ, still wearing their 35 00:02:34,335 --> 00:02:38,245 Speaker 1: gear that they'd been in for hours. There were also 36 00:02:38,355 --> 00:02:42,075 Speaker 1: packed churches and prayer vigils on street corners and neighborhoods 37 00:02:42,395 --> 00:02:47,235 Speaker 1: across America. There was one moment where members of Congress 38 00:02:47,255 --> 00:02:50,775 Speaker 1: standing at the steps of the Capitol, one of the 39 00:02:50,875 --> 00:02:56,155 Speaker 1: targets of the terrorists, and spontaneously saying, God bless America. 40 00:02:56,175 --> 00:03:08,795 Speaker 2: God bless America, my home sweet home. God bless America, 41 00:03:09,435 --> 00:03:10,495 Speaker 2: my home. 42 00:03:11,615 --> 00:03:15,514 Speaker 1: There were many acts of heroism on that day, including 43 00:03:15,695 --> 00:03:19,635 Speaker 1: a plane that was taken over by terrorists and was 44 00:03:19,715 --> 00:03:23,635 Speaker 1: targeting a building in Washington, D.C., and a man named 45 00:03:23,795 --> 00:03:27,675 Speaker 1: Todd Beamer decided to take action. Beamer spoke by phone 46 00:03:27,695 --> 00:03:32,525 Speaker 1: with the GT operator named Lisa Jefferson, and together they 47 00:03:32,605 --> 00:03:35,725 Speaker 1: prayed the Lord's Prayer. And the last words that Lisa 48 00:03:35,905 --> 00:03:40,145 Speaker 1: heard Todd say were, let's roll. He and other courageous 49 00:03:40,225 --> 00:03:45,125 Speaker 1: passengers stormed the cockpit, overpowered the hijackers, and the plane 50 00:03:45,165 --> 00:03:49,175 Speaker 1: never reached its intended target, but instead crashed in a 51 00:03:49,245 --> 00:03:54,355 Speaker 1: field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. So as we reflect back now 52 00:03:54,395 --> 00:03:59,295 Speaker 1: on 9-11, 25 years later, let's not forget the sacrifices 53 00:03:59,355 --> 00:04:02,635 Speaker 1: that people like Todd Beamer or the first responders made 54 00:04:03,205 --> 00:04:06,315 Speaker 1: And of course, the members of our military who hunted 55 00:04:06,435 --> 00:04:12,015 Speaker 1: down these wicked terrorists around the world. These courageous Americans 56 00:04:12,295 --> 00:04:16,555 Speaker 1: made the ultimate sacrifice. And Jesus said, greater love has 57 00:04:16,615 --> 00:04:19,065 Speaker 1: no man than this. And he laid down his life 58 00:04:19,385 --> 00:04:22,945 Speaker 1: for his friends. But here's the reality. A whole generation 59 00:04:22,985 --> 00:04:25,845 Speaker 1: was not even alive when this happened. For them, 9-11 60 00:04:26,625 --> 00:04:29,965 Speaker 1: isn't a memory. It's a paragraph in a history book 61 00:04:30,245 --> 00:04:33,805 Speaker 1: filed away next to Pearl Harbor or the assassination of 62 00:04:33,865 --> 00:04:37,725 Speaker 1: President Kennedy. They never felt the ground shake. They never 63 00:04:37,825 --> 00:04:42,925 Speaker 1: watched the Twin Towers collapse on their television screens in 64 00:04:42,985 --> 00:04:46,185 Speaker 1: real time. They never stood in a packed church that 65 00:04:46,295 --> 00:04:51,075 Speaker 1: Sunday alongside strangers who suddenly wanted to talk about God. 66 00:04:51,135 --> 00:04:54,835 Speaker 1: So it's important for us to remember because we forget 67 00:04:55,195 --> 00:04:58,735 Speaker 1: so quickly. Here's something to think about. Life is short, 68 00:04:59,475 --> 00:05:03,895 Speaker 1: God is real, and eternity is close. Todd Beamer didn't 69 00:05:03,935 --> 00:05:07,155 Speaker 1: know that morning would be his last. None of those 70 00:05:07,315 --> 00:05:11,915 Speaker 1: almost 3,000 people who died knew either. And that's the 71 00:05:11,975 --> 00:05:15,625 Speaker 1: truth 9-11 forced our whole country to confront for a 72 00:05:15,665 --> 00:05:18,585 Speaker 1: while that life is fragile and none of us are 73 00:05:18,645 --> 00:05:23,995 Speaker 1: promised tomorrow. But listen, truth doesn't expire after 25 years. 74 00:05:24,575 --> 00:05:27,835 Speaker 1: It's just as true today as it was that Tuesday morning. 75 00:05:28,295 --> 00:05:31,135 Speaker 1: You and I, well, we don't know how many days 76 00:05:31,635 --> 00:05:35,335 Speaker 1: we have left to live. The Bible says, teach us 77 00:05:35,395 --> 00:05:39,085 Speaker 1: to number our days that we may apply our hearts 78 00:05:39,425 --> 00:05:43,285 Speaker 1: to wisdom. Our country turned to God for a season 79 00:05:43,365 --> 00:05:46,865 Speaker 1: after 9-11. There was a brief moment in our history 80 00:05:46,925 --> 00:05:49,365 Speaker 1: as a nation where it looked like we might be 81 00:05:49,405 --> 00:05:54,425 Speaker 1: having another spiritual awakening. Our country turned to God for 82 00:05:54,465 --> 00:05:58,485 Speaker 1: a season after 9-11. Churches were filled to capacity, but 83 00:05:58,925 --> 00:06:03,385 Speaker 1: as time passed, many of those people disappeared. See, that's 84 00:06:03,405 --> 00:06:06,425 Speaker 1: the problem with anniversaries. We can light a candle or 85 00:06:06,865 --> 00:06:10,405 Speaker 1: observe a moment of silence, feel something for an afternoon, 86 00:06:10,465 --> 00:06:13,125 Speaker 1: but then we go right back to living like we'll 87 00:06:13,145 --> 00:06:15,625 Speaker 1: live forever. forever. You know, it's interesting. You read the 88 00:06:15,665 --> 00:06:19,665 Speaker 1: book of Judges, and it's like God would raise up 89 00:06:19,725 --> 00:06:22,365 Speaker 1: a godly leader. The people would turn to the Lord. 90 00:06:22,915 --> 00:06:26,035 Speaker 1: They would have something like a spiritual awakening. Then they 91 00:06:26,055 --> 00:06:31,495 Speaker 1: would go back to their own ways, like wash, rinse, repeat, repent, 92 00:06:32,315 --> 00:06:36,605 Speaker 1: live godly, sin again. That's a pattern of our life 93 00:06:36,645 --> 00:06:40,145 Speaker 1: so often. So the question for us in America right 94 00:06:40,185 --> 00:06:43,525 Speaker 1: now is not, will we remember what happened on 9-11? 95 00:06:44,185 --> 00:06:46,825 Speaker 1: It's whether we'll do something with the time that we 96 00:06:46,925 --> 00:06:51,015 Speaker 1: have left. The question is, will we live our lives 97 00:06:51,215 --> 00:06:57,575 Speaker 1: with meaning and putting God first and being prepared for eternity? 98 00:06:58,315 --> 00:07:00,595 Speaker 1: So as we reflect back on that horrible day in 99 00:07:00,655 --> 00:07:04,815 Speaker 1: American history, let's pray for the protection of our nation. 100 00:07:05,615 --> 00:07:09,195 Speaker 1: But let's also pray for a true understanding and lasting 101 00:07:09,535 --> 00:07:14,005 Speaker 1: spiritual awakening that will turn America back to God.