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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation

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Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank

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Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope

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Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to

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Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message.

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Speaker 1: Holly is going to share our anniversary message. She's never

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Speaker 1: preached on the church anniversary. She always makes me work

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Speaker 1: on the church birthday because here it's her turn. All

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Speaker 1: over the world right now, people are joining us and

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Speaker 1: they're hungry to hear from God. And God has sent

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Speaker 1: us somebody today who lives the Word of God, and

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Speaker 1: that's going to make it so much more powerful. Her

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Speaker 1: authenticity only gets deeper the closer that you come. Matter

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Speaker 1: of fact, she was all this week watching old videos

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Speaker 1: of the church crying, and we were sitting around a

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Speaker 1: table and shall be North Carolina getting ready to get started,

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Speaker 1: even before you were here autumn, and that's how you've

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Speaker 1: been here a long time. But even before that, when

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Speaker 1: we were sitting around the table and shall be North Carolina,

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Speaker 1: and she said, come watch some of these. It'll touch

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Speaker 1: your heart. I said, I don't want to watch it.

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Speaker 1: I don't you know, like there's a there's a fine

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Speaker 1: line between like getting back to your core and then

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Speaker 1: cringing at everything that you know, like my how my

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Speaker 1: voice sounded and everything. But I stuck in and watched

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Speaker 1: one of the clips. I wanted them to show it

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Speaker 1: real quick with mute. I'm not going to let them

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Speaker 1: hear my voice or what I was saying. But what

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Speaker 1: I want you to notice is that that guy in

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Speaker 1: the three size is too big, button down, who didn't

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Speaker 1: deserve this, this woman that God gave him notices on

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Speaker 1: August fourteen, two thousand and five, just about six months

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Speaker 1: before we had our first public service. I believe that

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Speaker 1: in just a moment, here comes somebody in the room.

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Speaker 1: What's he doing? He's he's moving back for the person

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Speaker 1: who's supposed to be sitting beside him. And there's Elijah,

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Speaker 1: who's fifteen now the OG of the Elevation Core team.

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Speaker 1: And what I want you to see is her smile.

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Speaker 1: And I want you to see how she carried Elijah,

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Speaker 1: and how you've carried well. God has put in your

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Speaker 1: heart for our ministry with grace and poise and dignity

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Speaker 1: for fifteen years. You did it. Smiling, and you did

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Speaker 1: it kindly, and we're thankful for the word that God

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Speaker 1: gave you for us today. Last year Bishop Jakes preached

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Speaker 1: my anniversary. There's only one person I'd rather hear from.

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Speaker 1: Let's thank God for Hollyferdick. Happy birthday Church. I wish

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Speaker 1: everybody could have Pastor Stephen Verdick introduced them. That's just

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Speaker 1: the best. Welcome to everyone worship being with us, happy anniversary.

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Speaker 1: I know you're worshiping from your campus, or your living

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Speaker 1: room or your watch party all over the world. I

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Speaker 1: know you may have already typed in the chat where

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Speaker 1: you're joining us from, but let's do it again. Say

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Speaker 1: hi to me, give me a little way. I'm just

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Speaker 1: so excited to be here today and be celebrating the anniversary.

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Speaker 1: It's always one of my favorite weeks in our church.

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Speaker 1: You guys worship team, thank you, You're amazing. And by

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Speaker 1: the way, Maverick City, you guys have led worship the

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Speaker 1: last three times that I have preached, so I just

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Speaker 1: want to say we should. You know, keep going. Can

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Speaker 1: make it a thing, Make it a thing. And by

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Speaker 1: the way, that little collab that he was talking about,

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Speaker 1: can I say collaboration I can't wait for you to

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Speaker 1: hear it. It is unlike anything out there. It is anointed,

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Speaker 1: it is fresh, it is incredible, and I'm so excited

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Speaker 1: for it. On's it coming out soon soon. That's all

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Speaker 1: you need to know. Okay, if you're in the room,

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Speaker 1: you can sit down. It's been fifteen years and earlier

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Speaker 1: this week I got to spend some time with our

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Speaker 1: staff just listening to stories and testimonies of how God

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Speaker 1: has moved in each of our lives to this ministry,

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Speaker 1: and I'm just I'm so grateful that I get to

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Speaker 1: be a part of this church. And as I was

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Speaker 1: personally reflecting this week, I was watching old videos and

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Speaker 1: looking through old pictures, I just I couldn't be more

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Speaker 1: grateful for the faith of our pastor, because he has

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Speaker 1: taught me about what faith actually looks like more than

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Speaker 1: any other person, more than any Bible verse. He has

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Speaker 1: shown me that there are two sides to faith. That

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Speaker 1: there's the faith that has the confidence to speak up

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Speaker 1: in the moment and declare something or decide something like

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Speaker 1: he just said, this is just the foundation. I can't

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Speaker 1: tell you how many things I've heard him say from

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Speaker 1: the front row that I was like whoa like. One

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Speaker 1: time he said that we were going to give the

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Speaker 1: entire weeks offering back into our community, and we didn't

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Speaker 1: have a lot of extra money or any extra money

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Speaker 1: in the bank at that time. One time he declared

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Speaker 1: that we would reach ten thousand people by twenty ten,

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Speaker 1: and I don't remember how many people we had at

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Speaker 1: the time, but it wasn't close to ten thousand people

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Speaker 1: in attendance. Or when he decided that we needed to

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Speaker 1: move all of our online worship experiences to YouTube. There's

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Speaker 1: all these decisions that I've watched him make over the years,

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Speaker 1: and that's one side of faith, and it's the side

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Speaker 1: of faith that's backed by an intimate relationship with God,

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Speaker 1: one that here's an act. But then there's this other

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Speaker 1: side of faith. And you get to see the hear

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Speaker 1: and act side of Pastor Stephen. But there's this other

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Speaker 1: side of faith, and we all experience it, but we

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Speaker 1: don't know that it's normal. And that side of faith

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Speaker 1: is the side that actually looks and feels like fear

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Speaker 1: and doubt. And you don't know how many times I

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Speaker 1: have heard my husband say, do you think we're doing

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Speaker 1: the right thing? Is this irresponsible? Is this going to work?

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Speaker 1: Is this gonna? Is this right? Why did I say that?

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Speaker 1: And you've taught me over the past fifteen years that

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Speaker 1: if there's no fear, it doesn't really require very much faith.

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Speaker 1: And you've taught me that faith requires work, and it

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Speaker 1: requires grit and perseverance even though you're throwing up behind

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Speaker 1: closed doors when no one else knows. You've taught me

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Speaker 1: that it's okay when what you believe you heard from

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Speaker 1: God doesn't necessarily line up with what you feel or

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Speaker 1: see in your current circumstances. I think about our Matthews campus.

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Speaker 1: If you're part of our Matthew's campus and you don't

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Speaker 1: know the story of your campus, you'd better ask Larry Brye,

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Speaker 1: because I don't know. I have so many memories. But

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Speaker 1: I'm also thankful for all the people who have come

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Speaker 1: alongside us over the years and have joined their faith

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Speaker 1: with ours, whether it's people who are on our staff

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Speaker 1: and who have come alongside or people who've just given

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Speaker 1: faithfully and volunteered week after week. And I just know

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Speaker 1: that you would agree with me that as I stand

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Speaker 1: here and say faith, thank you, Pastor Stephen, for letting

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Speaker 1: us ride your spiritual coattails. Your faith has allowed us

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Speaker 1: to see what God can do through us. Type it

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Speaker 1: in the chat. If you're watching, God is just getting started,

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Speaker 1: and I believe that the next fifteen years is going

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Speaker 1: to be just as extraordinary as the last. I love you? Okay?

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Speaker 1: Can I preach today? I cannot wait to share with

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Speaker 1: you the things that God has been teaching me. I

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Speaker 1: knew that I wanted to preach this when I read

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Speaker 1: this story, and literally everything that Steven has been preaching

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Speaker 1: for the last two months just kept leaping off the

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Speaker 1: page at me, like something from every sermon. So I'm

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Speaker 1: so excited. Are you ready? Okay, I got my my

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Speaker 1: preaching pans. I'm gonna tighten my belt. Let's pray. Lord.

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Speaker 1: We thank you for this church. We thank you for

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Speaker 1: your church. Fifteen years seems like a lifetime when we

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Speaker 1: think about all that you have done. Most of all,

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Speaker 1: we thank you that this is the place. I thank

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Speaker 1: you that this is the place where you speak to me.

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Speaker 1: And no matter where we're watching from, whether it's in

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Speaker 1: our living rooms or on our computers, driving in our cars, God,

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Speaker 1: we're here, We're here, We're listening. Would you comfort us,

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Speaker 1: would you encourage us? Would you inspire us? Would you

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Speaker 1: challenge us? Today? We want a touch from you, Lord,

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Speaker 1: We want to hear from you. Speak through me. Now.

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Speaker 1: It's in Jesus name. I pray Amen before I read

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Speaker 1: our scriptures. Judge is six. You can make your way there.

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Speaker 1: It's in the beginning of the Bible. I want to

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Speaker 1: take a poll, so let me know in the chat.

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Speaker 1: Do you put stickers on your car? Just give me

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Speaker 1: a thumbs up or a thumbs down. My dad never

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Speaker 1: ever let us put stickers, you bumper stickers on his

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Speaker 1: car and I so I never put stickers on my

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Speaker 1: car until until this sticker. All, well, that's your folder,

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Speaker 1: this one's mine. Tell this one. By the way, these

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Speaker 1: are free if you ask your campus pastor from one,

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Speaker 1: or you can order one online. I don't know if

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Speaker 1: they're free online, but they're free, I guess. Anyway. Nothing

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Speaker 1: against all other stickers, And sorry dad, but I had

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Speaker 1: to put a sticker on my car, and I started

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Speaker 1: thinking about other stickers that people put on your car,

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Speaker 1: on their cars. It's kind of funny what made you

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Speaker 1: When you see people stickers, you're like, what made you

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Speaker 1: want to put that on your car? So some of

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Speaker 1: them you can understand, you know, like like this, I

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Speaker 1: never put one of these on my car, but let

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Speaker 1: me know in the chat if you ever put one

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Speaker 1: of these on your car. Most of these belonged to

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Speaker 1: first time parents. Then you move up in the world

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Speaker 1: and you get one of these and well, we don't

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Speaker 1: have a dog. But here's the funny thing about these,

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Speaker 1: like these are cute, you know, but then some people

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Speaker 1: get really carried away with these, like the fish, the

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Speaker 1: sound really permanent. You know, this is your car. Okay, sorry,

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Speaker 1: I got a couple more. I'm gonna go a little faster.

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Speaker 1: We have these, no comment, Just here's when I'm never

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Speaker 1: gonna put on my car. If you have one of

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Speaker 1: these on your car, congratulations, we are so proud of you.

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Speaker 1: That ain't happening for me. And then okay, here's here's

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Speaker 1: one more, because you know, you see these statements that

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Speaker 1: people put on their cars and you just wonder, like here,

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna show it to you first, see if you

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Speaker 1: can the standstill, like what happened to this guy? What

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Speaker 1: happened to him that he was like, I'm getting a

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Speaker 1: freaking sticker. So recently though, I joined like a club

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Speaker 1: of sorts and I had to put another sticker on

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Speaker 1: my car next to my elevation one and it's this one.

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Speaker 1: God as my witness. No one could have prepared me

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Speaker 1: for this stage of parenting. I've heard people say that

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Speaker 1: teaching your kids to drive is hard and scary, and

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of yell But guys, to date, fifteen

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Speaker 1: years I've been a mom. To date, this is the

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Speaker 1: hardest thing that I have done. I'm not throwing Elijah

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Speaker 1: under the bus. He's doing a great job, but this

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Speaker 1: is like, it's like getting in a roller coaster, getting

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Speaker 1: on a roller coaster that could actually crash, and we

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Speaker 1: have three kids. Thank god we stopped at three because

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Speaker 1: I have to do this two more times. And I

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Speaker 1: will never forget the day that we walked out of

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Speaker 1: the DMV. I don't know who was more proud of

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Speaker 1: Elijah or me. It was such a great moment, a

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Speaker 1: little bit drama because you know, there's a pandemic going on,

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Speaker 1: and let's just be honest, the DMV was rough before COVID.

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Speaker 1: So this was our second trip to the DMV, and

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Speaker 1: I just I'm not gonna go into deals about why

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Speaker 1: it was a second trip, but it just say I

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Speaker 1: did go back in. The sign said do not come

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Speaker 1: in because you had wait outside, and I did go

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Speaker 1: back in. I was like, I need help because it's

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Speaker 1: just anyway. So Elijah gets his permit and he's completed

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Speaker 1: the states required thirty hours in the classroom, he's done

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Speaker 1: six hours behind the wheel with the instructor. He's passed

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Speaker 1: his test, and he was ready to get behind the wheel.

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Speaker 1: And as we walked to the car, I just confidently said,

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Speaker 1: all right, you're driving us home. And he looked at

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Speaker 1: me and he said, I don't think I'm ready for this.

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Speaker 1: So inside I was not confident at all. But I

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Speaker 1: really I got in my head that I wanted him

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Speaker 1: to have this memory of us, of him driving away

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Speaker 1: from the DMV. So I mustered up all my courage

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Speaker 1: and I said, of course you're ready. This is how

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Speaker 1: you learn to drive. Let's go. So we got in

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Speaker 1: the car and he adjusted his seat and we made

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Speaker 1: sure the mirrors you were right, and he put the

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Speaker 1: car in drive. And I just, seriously, I cannot cannot

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Speaker 1: reiterate enough. Handing your child the keys to your own

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Speaker 1: vehicle you've paid money for and letting them drive you

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Speaker 1: is it's like a loss of control that can only

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Speaker 1: be experienced. But I put on a smile and I

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Speaker 1: was like, you got this. But I didn't really think

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Speaker 1: it all the way through because I don't. That's I

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Speaker 1: don't always think things all the way through. And we

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Speaker 1: had to get on I eighty five to go home,

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Speaker 1: so I'm like, it's okay, it's okay, everything's okay. And

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Speaker 1: so our entrance came up, and I prayed and I

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Speaker 1: stayed calm, and I talked him through it, because that's

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Speaker 1: what you have to do when you're teaching a kid

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Speaker 1: how to drive. You have no idea how much stuff

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Speaker 1: you do without thinking while you're driving. So I'm like,

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Speaker 1: speed up, not that fast, slow down, but don't break.

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Speaker 1: Look to see if anyone's coming, and remerg And so

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Speaker 1: we picked up speed and we're going. And just when

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Speaker 1: I was at a level of threshold of fear and

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Speaker 1: anxiety that I could possibly stand, it started to rain.

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Speaker 1: I promise you, and I said, pull over. I'm not

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Speaker 1: ready for this. That's the title of my message today.

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Speaker 1: I don't think I'm ready for this. Have you ever

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Speaker 1: felt like you had to do something that you were

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Speaker 1: not ready for, but like you're already in it. We

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Speaker 1: encounter situations like this every day. Sometimes it's a season

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Speaker 1: of life that you weren't ready for, but here you are.

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Speaker 1: Sometimes it's a pandemic and you find yourself doing a

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Speaker 1: job that you weren't really hired to do. Sometimes it's

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Speaker 1: things beyond your control that happened. Maybe you're now caring

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Speaker 1: for an elderly parent or fighting an illness that you

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Speaker 1: didn't expect. How many of you would agree that if

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Speaker 1: you waited until you feel ready or qualify to do something,

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Speaker 1: you're never gonna do it. This is life. So today

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Speaker 1: we're gonna look at the life of Gideon, a young

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Speaker 1: man who was minding his own business. He was trying

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Speaker 1: to survive, just like everyone around him. But God came

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Speaker 1: to him and he called him out to lead his nation,

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Speaker 1: even though he didn't think he was ready. Let's look

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Speaker 1: at this Judges, chapter six, verse one. The Israelites did

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Speaker 1: evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord handed them

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Speaker 1: over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were

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Speaker 1: so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves

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Speaker 1: in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted crops.

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Speaker 1: Marauders from Midian Amelek and the people of the East

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Speaker 1: would attack Israel in the land and destroying crops as

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Speaker 1: far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing

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Speaker 1: to eat, taking all of the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.

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Speaker 1: These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were

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Speaker 1: as thick as locusts. They arrived on droves of camels

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Speaker 1: too numerous to count, and they stayed until the land

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Speaker 1: was stripped bear. So Israel was reduced to starvation by

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Speaker 1: the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord

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Speaker 1: for help. Stripped bear, reduced to starvation, they cried out.

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Speaker 1: Sad thing about this is that it's only a few

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Speaker 1: generations after Israel fled slavery in Egypt, and here we

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Speaker 1: find them hungry and hiding in their own land. Have

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Speaker 1: you ever been hungry and hiding when you were supposed

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Speaker 1: to be flourishing and free. Maybe something happened to you

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Speaker 1: and you feel stripped bare. It's funny how unexpected circumstances

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Speaker 1: can just come and knock us off our feet. They

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Speaker 1: just come from nowhere, and it can be a job.

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Speaker 1: It could be an illness. It could be the end

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Speaker 1: of a relationship, or some of us have experienced a

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Speaker 1: sudden onset of anxiety, and it could It could even

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Speaker 1: be a change that you thought was gonna be awesome,

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Speaker 1: like maybe you went away to college, but now you're

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Speaker 1: just struggling to find your place, like you thought this

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Speaker 1: was gonna be amazing, and how you're like lonely and

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Speaker 1: maybe maybe this isn't where I was supposed to be

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Speaker 1: and could be even like Israel, a series of your

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Speaker 1: own poor decisions that led you to this place of

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Speaker 1: confusion and pain. And I think when things like this happen,

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Speaker 1: our natural instant is to withdraw. I don't want to

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Speaker 1: admit to others that I need help. I don't even

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Speaker 1: want to cry out to God because I feel like

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Speaker 1: I should be doing better than this. We feel like

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Speaker 1: it's our own fault that we're suffering. And the thing

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Speaker 1: about hiding is that it feels right at the time,

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Speaker 1: but then it only makes you feel more isolated and alone.

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Speaker 1: And for whatever reason that we find ourselves in this place,

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Speaker 1: we start to convince ourselves that no one understands, no

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Speaker 1: one cares, and so we just pull away even more

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Speaker 1: and we become starved for meaningful interaction with others, in

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Speaker 1: hungri or acceptance, and it makes you kick into scavenger mode.

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Speaker 1: You've ever been in scavenger mode and you're mad at everyone,

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Speaker 1: You're mad at the world, and you're trying to satisfy

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Speaker 1: your soul and all the places that never really fulfill you.

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Speaker 1: And that's where we find Israel at the moment. I

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Speaker 1: just wonder if you can relate, if you've ever experience

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Speaker 1: this feeling. They know they shouldn't be in this place.

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Speaker 1: They know they don't have to continue to live this way,

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Speaker 1: and the Bible tells us that they got to the

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Speaker 1: point where they were so impoverished that they cried out

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Speaker 1: to the Lord for help. And I think it's so

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Speaker 1: interesting that sometimes we have to get so low before

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Speaker 1: we finally cry out to God. Don't worry, this sermon

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Speaker 1: is not depressing, because God hears our Christ. That's what

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Speaker 1: you have to know today. And in my experience, God

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Speaker 1: here is my cries. But usually relief comes in the

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Speaker 1: form of action on my part, something I'm gonna have

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Speaker 1: to do, and that's where I want to spend the

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Speaker 1: bulk of our time today. An angel comes to Gideon,

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Speaker 1: and he's gonna call him to action. Gideon is going

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Speaker 1: to be the one to lead the nation of Israel

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Speaker 1: in a fight against their oppressors. And their oppressors are big,

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Speaker 1: and we're gonna watch Gideon question and doubt, but then

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Speaker 1: we're ultimately going to see him put his faith into

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Speaker 1: action in an incredible way. Spoiler alert, because I'm not

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Speaker 1: going to get to the end of the story. I'm

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Speaker 1: just going to tell you about it now. Gideon and

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Speaker 1: only three hundred men defeat the Midianite army of over

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Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty thousand men, and Gideon lives to

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Speaker 1: be an old man today. I want to talk through

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Speaker 1: the events that led up to this epic victory because

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Speaker 1: you know, we love to sing I'm going to see

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Speaker 1: a victory for the battle. You know, we like the

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Speaker 1: battle does belong to the Lord. But that doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: that you get to sit up in the stands and

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Speaker 1: watch like a spectator. So what do you do when

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Speaker 1: you know your entery into a new season, a new battle,

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Speaker 1: a new calling, a new role. How do you shift

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Speaker 1: from how you're currently surviving to actually living out that

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Speaker 1: faith that's inside of you. God never wants us to

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Speaker 1: live in hiding. He never intended us to live with

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Speaker 1: fear looking around every corner. He doesn't want us scavenging

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Speaker 1: for scraps of encouragement on social media. When you cry

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Speaker 1: out to him, he hears you and he helps you,

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Speaker 1: but he doesn't do it for you. Because it's in

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Speaker 1: that place of crying out and questioning and acting even

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Speaker 1: when we aren't sure, even when we don't feel ready.

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Speaker 1: That's where God does some of his greatest work within us.

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Speaker 1: And as we talk through this story today, I'm going

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Speaker 1: to give you four things to remind yourself about God

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Speaker 1: when you're facing a new situation and you don't feel ready.

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Speaker 1: Not for things to remember about yourself. Yes, you can

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Speaker 1: do all things through Christ's strengthens you, but when it

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Speaker 1: comes time to put your faith into action, we have

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Speaker 1: to remember who is really on our side. That's what

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Speaker 1: I want to talk about today, So let's get down

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Speaker 1: verse eleven. Then the Angel of the Lord came and

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Speaker 1: sat beneath the great tree at Oprah, which belonged to

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Speaker 1: joe Ash of the clan of Abiazar. Gideon, son of

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Speaker 1: joe Ash, was threshing wheat at the bottom of a

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Speaker 1: wine press, to hide the grain from the Midianites. The

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Speaker 1: Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, mighty hero,

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Speaker 1: the Lord is with you. First thing that you must

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Speaker 1: remember is that when God calls you, he calls according

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Speaker 1: to your potential. I don't know much about wheat, I

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Speaker 1: like to eat it or wine presses, but I'm pretty

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Speaker 1: sure that you're not supposed to thresh wheat in a

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Speaker 1: wine press. Gideon was hiding from the enemy, and he

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Speaker 1: was just trying to get enough food, enough wheat to

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Speaker 1: feed his family. He was just trying to get by

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Speaker 1: one more day, just an ordinary day for him in hiding,

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Speaker 1: and an angel comes to him, and some translations say

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Speaker 1: that the angel calls him mighty warrior. There's nothing mighty

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Speaker 1: or warrior about Gideon in this moment. He's hiding, he's starving.

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Speaker 1: Aren't you grateful that God calls us according to the

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Speaker 1: potential He sees in us, not our past decisions, not

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Speaker 1: our present circumstances. Don't you wish you could actually see

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Speaker 1: yourself the way God sees you? And I think back

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Speaker 1: to starting this church. I remember Stephen and I dreaming

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Speaker 1: and planting, planting, dreaming and planning about one day planting

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Speaker 1: a church, and we would say things like, you know,

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Speaker 1: one day when we're older, maybe when we're forty, maybe

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Speaker 1: when we're wiser, when people would actually want to follow us.

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Speaker 1: But very clearly God just spoke to us and he

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Speaker 1: was just we just knew it was time for us

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Speaker 1: to start this church. We were twenty five years old,

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Speaker 1: and we put that into perspective. For some of you,

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Speaker 1: we'd only been out of the college dorm room for

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Speaker 1: three years. We were not pastors, we were not church

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Speaker 1: planning experts. We were children. God doesn't see you as unemployed.

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Speaker 1: He sees you as a provider. God doesn't see you

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Speaker 1: as a stressed out mom. He sees you as a nurturer.

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Speaker 1: He doesn't he you as insecure. He sees you as

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Speaker 1: confident in your own personality, in your own skin. You

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Speaker 1: might be hiding, but that's not who you really are.

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Speaker 1: And God is not looking for perfection, because if he was,

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Speaker 1: he wouldn't have picked us. He wouldn't have picked me,

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Speaker 1: and he wouldn't have picked you. He's looking for potential.

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Speaker 1: He is perfectly okay with the space between who you

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Speaker 1: are right now in this moment and who you're going

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Speaker 1: to become. Because he sees the fighter in you deep inside.

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Speaker 1: He sees a person who will fight for progress. He

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Speaker 1: sees a person who will fight for their family. He

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Speaker 1: sees a person who will fight to keep their integrity

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Speaker 1: and their honesty even when it gets hard in their job.

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Speaker 1: A person who will fight to do the right thing

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Speaker 1: even when it feels like everyone else is doing that's

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Speaker 1: the wrong thing. That's who you are. The thing is

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Speaker 1: in Gideon's current state, he's so bitter about his situation.

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Speaker 1: I don't even think he heard the Mighty Warrior part

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Speaker 1: because he got caught up on the part where the

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Speaker 1: Lord the Lord says, hold on, well, let me get

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Speaker 1: let me bit back to it. He got caught up

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Speaker 1: on the part look at what the Angel says, this

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Speaker 1: is verse thirteen. Sir Gideon replied, if the Lord is

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Speaker 1: with us, why has all this happened to us? And

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Speaker 1: where are the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't

428
00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,000
Speaker 1: they say? The Lord brought us up out of Egypt,

429
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,600
Speaker 1: But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us

430
00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,960
Speaker 1: over to Midian. Gidding got caught up on the Lord

431
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 1: is with you part. He's like, what kind of promised

432
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,840
Speaker 1: land is this that's what he wants to know. This

433
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,200
Speaker 1: is a Bible amazing because don't tell me that you've

434
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,920
Speaker 1: never spoken to God like that. Don't tell me you've

435
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,600
Speaker 1: never prayed? Where are you? And why is this happening

436
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:15,720
Speaker 1: to me? Have you ever thought? Have you ever prayed?

437
00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:21,160
Speaker 1: Have you ever thought? Everyone else is getting a breakthrough

438
00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:25,480
Speaker 1: but me and my family can be honest with you.

439
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:31,040
Speaker 1: I have prayed some prayers to God that I really

440
00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:37,400
Speaker 1: hope he wasn't listening. I've said things like, seriously, God,

441
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:44,000
Speaker 1: you're gonna bless them? God, where have you been? This

442
00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,440
Speaker 1: was supposed to be my dream job. This was supposed

443
00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:52,480
Speaker 1: to be ministry, and it feels like everything's falling apart. God,

444
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,360
Speaker 1: where are you? This is not how I thought it

445
00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,400
Speaker 1: would go. And you say you're with me, but I

446
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:05,120
Speaker 1: can't feel right now. Hey, God is so good because

447
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,360
Speaker 1: he's like that parent that completely ignores his kid's tantrum

448
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:11,960
Speaker 1: and he just moves right on with his instruction. What

449
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,040
Speaker 1: he says to Gideon, the Lord turned to him and said,

450
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,320
Speaker 1: go in the strength that you have and save Israel

451
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,840
Speaker 1: out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you? God

452
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,360
Speaker 1: says to Gideon, Let's go get up. I'm gonna use you.

453
00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:33,320
Speaker 1: Yes you put it in a chat. Yes you, but

454
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,680
Speaker 1: I'm not good enough. Yes you but I'm not old enough.

455
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:41,120
Speaker 1: Yes you but I'm too old. Yes you, I'm not

456
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:50,240
Speaker 1: strong enough. Yes you you wherever you're watching from God

457
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:57,440
Speaker 1: wants to use you. Sit down. My second point is this,

458
00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:07,400
Speaker 1: God prepares you along the way. I'm just gonna tell

459
00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,320
Speaker 1: you right now, Yes you, but you're never gonna feel ready,

460
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,560
Speaker 1: and you're never gonna feel full of faith all the time.

461
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:19,520
Speaker 1: Feeling full only last momentarily, and then the fear sets in,

462
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,400
Speaker 1: and then the doubt, and then the hard stuff like

463
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:29,680
Speaker 1: the people come along, the baby actually comes, you actually

464
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:33,760
Speaker 1: have a roommain in college. Stop waiting to feel ready,

465
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,280
Speaker 1: Stop making excuses for why you can't do the things

466
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,360
Speaker 1: you're called to do, And let me be a little

467
00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,960
Speaker 1: bit more clear. Most of the time, in my experience,

468
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,680
Speaker 1: God doesn't call me to do something new. He calls

469
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,719
Speaker 1: me to do something that I'm already doing with a

470
00:31:52,720 --> 00:32:00,719
Speaker 1: better attitude and a bigger purpose. And the temptation is

471
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 1: to walk away from what you're doing and start something new.

472
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,160
Speaker 1: I think I need a new marriage, a new church,

473
00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:13,000
Speaker 1: a new job. I can't do this anymore. I don't

474
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,040
Speaker 1: have the strength to keep going in this relationship any longer.

475
00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:21,120
Speaker 1: But God told Gideon, let's go. The strength that you

476
00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:26,720
Speaker 1: have is enough for this moment. When God gives you

477
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,080
Speaker 1: an assignment, he makes it big enough for you to

478
00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,600
Speaker 1: question it and small enough for you to take the

479
00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:39,560
Speaker 1: first step. You have the strength that you need for

480
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:44,240
Speaker 1: the task that you've been given today. If your child

481
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:46,800
Speaker 1: is three, you have what you need to raise a

482
00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,640
Speaker 1: three year old. And when they're thirteen, you still won't

483
00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:55,280
Speaker 1: feel ready, but you'll be stronger and you'll be wiser

484
00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,800
Speaker 1: than you were ten years before. God's not going to

485
00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,480
Speaker 1: lay your future out in front of you. If he did,

486
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,040
Speaker 1: you would never come out of hiding. And it's not

487
00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,720
Speaker 1: because there's this big, bad, terrible situation it's gonna happen

488
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,240
Speaker 1: to you. It's because it's more than you could ask

489
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:23,280
Speaker 1: or imagine. We're celebrating our church's fifteenth anniversary today and

490
00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,040
Speaker 1: I've been thinking back on all the amazing things that

491
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,520
Speaker 1: God's done. I can't stop thinking about how we only

492
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:34,480
Speaker 1: had to have enough faith to start, not to finish.

493
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:39,280
Speaker 1: Starting faith type that in the chat Starting faith, that's

494
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:44,080
Speaker 1: all you need the courage to start this week. My husband,

495
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,080
Speaker 1: he already told you this. But I when I am

496
00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:50,880
Speaker 1: preparing for a sermon, I get in these rabbit holes

497
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,760
Speaker 1: and sometimes it's I mean, it can be anything. I think.

498
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,280
Speaker 1: At one point I was looking at camping gear this week.

499
00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:02,200
Speaker 1: I don't like camping CAMPI here and so. But one

500
00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,240
Speaker 1: of the rabbit holes that I went in was watching

501
00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:07,040
Speaker 1: old videos of our court team meetings. I think I

502
00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:11,400
Speaker 1: have a picture for you. Okay, Chunks and Navy, this

503
00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,239
Speaker 1: is your living room. This is a picture that I

504
00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:16,920
Speaker 1: don't think we've ever shown anyone before. Remember that chair

505
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:22,439
Speaker 1: with the fish on it. So here's Stephen preaching. He's

506
00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,799
Speaker 1: preaching his heart out to about fifteen people, and he's

507
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,120
Speaker 1: telling them how we're going to start a church and

508
00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:32,239
Speaker 1: how the worship is going to draw people in and

509
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:37,000
Speaker 1: the sermons are are going to be relevant and people

510
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,000
Speaker 1: are going to want to invite their friends. And then

511
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:44,200
Speaker 1: with all the passion that you can imagine, Pastor Stephen

512
00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:48,040
Speaker 1: Furdick at age twenty five, he says, and I believe

513
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,200
Speaker 1: he has this country accent back then. It's really funny.

514
00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,640
Speaker 1: And I believe with all my heart that we are

515
00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:59,600
Speaker 1: going to impact the city of Charlotte, and I watched

516
00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,640
Speaker 1: that this week and I thought when he was like,

517
00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:05,160
Speaker 1: we are going to impact them, my thinking the world

518
00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:13,880
Speaker 1: and he's just Charlotte. You're telling me God gave this

519
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:17,440
Speaker 1: man a vision to impact a medium sized city in

520
00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:23,319
Speaker 1: the southwestern southwestern southeastern United States. Division. Wasn't that we

521
00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,799
Speaker 1: would be the fastest growing church plant Division. Wasn't that

522
00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,360
Speaker 1: we would write songs that other churches would sing. Division.

523
00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,840
Speaker 1: Wasn't that we would have a global online ministry that

524
00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:38,560
Speaker 1: would impact people all over the world. He didn't proclaim

525
00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:43,719
Speaker 1: passionately that we would have multiple locations. It's easy for

526
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:47,480
Speaker 1: me to look back now and just Charlotte, But at

527
00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:57,040
Speaker 1: the time, Charlotte was massive to us. But today, let's

528
00:35:57,080 --> 00:35:59,840
Speaker 1: just do a little experiment. Let me know in that

529
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:04,680
Speaker 1: where are you watching from, even if you're watching later

530
00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:07,600
Speaker 1: in the archive, type it in the chat. Let me

531
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:10,560
Speaker 1: know if your life has been touched by this ministry.

532
00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:19,120
Speaker 1: Let me know where you were watching from. Phoenix, Nigeria, Singapore, Atlanta, Jamaica,

533
00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:24,200
Speaker 1: New York, Cape Town. Not to mention all the people

534
00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:30,759
Speaker 1: in Charlotte. I hope you're clapping your hands wherever you

535
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:34,480
Speaker 1: are because God wants to do more than you can

536
00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:40,759
Speaker 1: ask or imagine. But for today, he gives you the

537
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:45,200
Speaker 1: strength that you need right now. That's it, because the

538
00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:51,200
Speaker 1: thing about strength is is developed along the way, get

539
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:56,240
Speaker 1: a little bit stronger. That's how faith grows. The point

540
00:36:56,239 --> 00:37:00,760
Speaker 1: of faith is for you to look back and see

541
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,680
Speaker 1: how far you've come, but to look forward and feel

542
00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:08,280
Speaker 1: a little bit afraid. I love that surm this past

543
00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:11,200
Speaker 1: weekend from Pastor Stephens so much. He said, same devils,

544
00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,000
Speaker 1: new levels. But he told us you might be fighting

545
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,040
Speaker 1: the same battles, but it's a stronger you that's fighting

546
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:24,600
Speaker 1: each time, and you're not fighting this battle alone. Over

547
00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:31,400
Speaker 1: and over, God keeps telling Gideon, I will be with

548
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:38,120
Speaker 1: you Verse fifteen. But Lord Gideon replied, how can I

549
00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,040
Speaker 1: rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole

550
00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,680
Speaker 1: tribe of Manassa, and I'm the least in my family.

551
00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:47,520
Speaker 1: Gideon is still not on board with this plan. He's

552
00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,880
Speaker 1: still telling God that he's not the right person for this,

553
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,480
Speaker 1: that he's not good enough, that he doesn't come from

554
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:57,040
Speaker 1: a strong family background. And again God does not answer

555
00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:03,759
Speaker 1: these questions. He simply says, I will be with you,

556
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:07,440
Speaker 1: and you will destroy the Midianites as if you were

557
00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,120
Speaker 1: fighting against one man. See, he doesn't tell him it's

558
00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:12,000
Speaker 1: he's only gonna have three hundred people helping him. He

559
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:16,680
Speaker 1: doesn't need to know that part. Gideon replied, if you're

560
00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:19,600
Speaker 1: truly going to help me, show me a sign to

561
00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:21,840
Speaker 1: prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.

562
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:26,560
Speaker 1: Don't go away until I come back and bring my

563
00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:31,399
Speaker 1: offering to you. And he answered, I will stay here

564
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:36,200
Speaker 1: until you return. You got to remember that God is patient.

565
00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,600
Speaker 1: That's my third thing, and I want to make sure

566
00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:42,640
Speaker 1: you get it. If you only hear me say one

567
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:46,440
Speaker 1: thing today, I want you to hear this. God is

568
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,279
Speaker 1: patient with you. In church, we love to talk about

569
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:53,399
Speaker 1: waiting on God, and we should. We should definitely wait

570
00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:55,279
Speaker 1: on God. The Bible tells us wait on the Lord,

571
00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:57,439
Speaker 1: be of good courage, and he will strengthen your heart.

572
00:38:57,480 --> 00:38:59,839
Speaker 1: And I say a forty thirty one. They will wait

573
00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:02,120
Speaker 1: on the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount

574
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,520
Speaker 1: up on wings like eagles. They will run and not

575
00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,560
Speaker 1: be weary. They will walk and not be faint. But

576
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:12,440
Speaker 1: Gideon wasn't soaring on eagles wings. He was weary, he

577
00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:16,640
Speaker 1: was hungry, he was fainting. He was out of patience

578
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:22,920
Speaker 1: for God. For seven years, Israel was oppressed by Midian.

579
00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:27,480
Speaker 1: Seven years is a long time, and Gideon had given

580
00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,719
Speaker 1: up on God. But aren't you glad that we serve

581
00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:34,680
Speaker 1: a God. He never gives up on us. He's so patient.

582
00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:38,120
Speaker 1: Everyone loves to quote Isaiah forty thirty one. You know

583
00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:40,040
Speaker 1: what Verse twenty eight says, I gotta show it to you.

584
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,760
Speaker 1: It says, do you not know? Have you not heard?

585
00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:48,759
Speaker 1: The Lord is the everlasting God, creator of the ends

586
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:52,120
Speaker 1: of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary,

587
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:58,480
Speaker 1: and his understanding no man can fathom. The Angel told Gideon,

588
00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:02,600
Speaker 1: I al ways here for you to return. And I

589
00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:07,319
Speaker 1: believe that God is waiting for you right where you

590
00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,640
Speaker 1: left off. He's waiting for you to return to him.

591
00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:15,600
Speaker 1: He's patient with your questions, he's patient with your fear,

592
00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:20,360
Speaker 1: he's patient with your poor decisions. He's waiting for you

593
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,840
Speaker 1: to come back to him. I struggled so much with

594
00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:27,040
Speaker 1: this message because I kept asking God, Gideon's he's gonna

595
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,120
Speaker 1: go and he's going to make this sacrifice, and God's

596
00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,279
Speaker 1: calling him to do something, And I kept asking God,

597
00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 1: what does calling mean to us? Right now? Today in

598
00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:39,120
Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, because calling is such a religious word.

599
00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:40,880
Speaker 1: You know, I grew up in a good old Southern

600
00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:45,839
Speaker 1: Baptist church and we love to talk about calling. Like

601
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:48,880
Speaker 1: when you were about to get a new pastor, they

602
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,440
Speaker 1: would come and preach to the congregation and it was

603
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,560
Speaker 1: called in view of a call. I never really knew

604
00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:57,640
Speaker 1: what that meant, but I do not. But then that

605
00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:02,080
Speaker 1: pastor who's preaching in view of a call would give

606
00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:05,720
Speaker 1: an invitation for you to accept God's call. And usually

607
00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:08,360
Speaker 1: this meant things like a call to join our church,

608
00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:11,239
Speaker 1: or a call to the mission field, or a call

609
00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:15,080
Speaker 1: the full time ministry, or it could mean a call

610
00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:21,120
Speaker 1: to simply surrender your life to Jesus. God can call

611
00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:23,919
Speaker 1: you to do a lot of things, but the most

612
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,440
Speaker 1: important call is the one where you decide to surrender

613
00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:32,080
Speaker 1: your life to Him. And that's what I really think

614
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,480
Speaker 1: God was calling Gideon to do. He was calling him

615
00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:39,200
Speaker 1: to a specific task, but he was also calling him

616
00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:43,239
Speaker 1: out of survival mode and into a relationship with him.

617
00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:45,680
Speaker 1: He keeps telling him over and over again, I will

618
00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:50,080
Speaker 1: be with you, Yes, you, I have a lot that

619
00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:53,799
Speaker 1: I want to do through you. And the Bible tells

620
00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,920
Speaker 1: us that. Gideon hurried home and he started to gather

621
00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,160
Speaker 1: up a sacrifice for the Lord, and he could the

622
00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:06,560
Speaker 1: goat and he made some bread without yeast. Gideon had

623
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,040
Speaker 1: that flat bread faith, just like his ancestors a few

624
00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:15,040
Speaker 1: generations back. Gideon didn't have time for the bread to rise.

625
00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:19,319
Speaker 1: God was waiting on him. And more than that, you know,

626
00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:24,920
Speaker 1: unlevined bread. It had a significance. It represented freedom from oppression.

627
00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:27,799
Speaker 1: So that's the gift that he's going to bring to God.

628
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:32,560
Speaker 1: So he gets back to the angel and he brings

629
00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:37,160
Speaker 1: his sacrifice. And I gotta tell you, I thought about this.

630
00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,040
Speaker 1: I was like, God, why did Why did Gideon bring

631
00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:43,839
Speaker 1: a sacrifice? What does this mean? Does God require some

632
00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:46,919
Speaker 1: sort of sacrifice from us when we come to him?

633
00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:51,520
Speaker 1: Does he call us to sacrifice our gifts, our money,

634
00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:58,319
Speaker 1: our time? And then I remembered what Paul said in

635
00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:02,840
Speaker 1: Romans twelfth. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in

636
00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:06,239
Speaker 1: view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a

637
00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:10,839
Speaker 1: living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your

638
00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:17,880
Speaker 1: true and proper worship. What God wants for me is me,

639
00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:27,040
Speaker 1: all of me. He wants my whole life a living sacrifice,

640
00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:32,520
Speaker 1: one that understands that the purpose of my life is

641
00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:36,359
Speaker 1: not what I accomplish, it's who I accomplish it with.

642
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:39,880
Speaker 1: That's why God kept telling Gideon over and over again,

643
00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:43,560
Speaker 1: I will be with you. Yes, he was calling him

644
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:47,399
Speaker 1: to accomplish something, but I think the point was that

645
00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:51,680
Speaker 1: Gideon understood that God wanted him, and that God was

646
00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:55,960
Speaker 1: going to wait patiently for Gideon to accept this calling.

647
00:43:57,080 --> 00:44:01,040
Speaker 1: So Gideon brings this sacrifice. It was costly, though it's

648
00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:03,560
Speaker 1: costly to give God your life. He brought him a

649
00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:07,520
Speaker 1: goat and bread. Remember they were starving. And to me,

650
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:11,520
Speaker 1: I think Gideon's sacrifice was saying, God, here's everything I have,

651
00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:15,359
Speaker 1: because I know that you're the one who truly fills me.

652
00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:20,640
Speaker 1: I gotta tell you again, God is waiting for you

653
00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:30,120
Speaker 1: right now, not future. You, not skinny, you, not married, you,

654
00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:33,520
Speaker 1: certainly not famous you. God doesn't need you to be

655
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,560
Speaker 1: famous to use you. He's waiting for you to come

656
00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:40,080
Speaker 1: to him with everything that you don't like about yourself,

657
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:45,600
Speaker 1: everything that you don't understand about him, and just surrender

658
00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:53,960
Speaker 1: yourself in faith anyway, softly and tenderly. Jesus is calling

659
00:44:55,080 --> 00:45:01,359
Speaker 1: the God of the universe he's waiting for you. He's

660
00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:07,960
Speaker 1: waiting for you. Gideon offers up his sacrifice. I mean

661
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,839
Speaker 1: that's when he finally realizes that it was in fact

662
00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:15,200
Speaker 1: an angel of the Lord all along. And the Bible

663
00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:20,640
Speaker 1: tells us that the Lord says to him, do not

664
00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:26,000
Speaker 1: be afraid, you will not die. And Gideon built an

665
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:32,000
Speaker 1: altar to the Lord, and there he named it Yahweh Shalom,

666
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:37,920
Speaker 1: which means the Lord is Peace. The altar remains in Ophrah,

667
00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:39,719
Speaker 1: in the land of the clan of bias Are to

668
00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:44,440
Speaker 1: this day. When you say yes to God, he gives

669
00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:52,240
Speaker 1: you peace markers. I didn't say peace makers, peace markers.

670
00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:57,040
Speaker 1: God is calling Gideon to fight, but he wants him

671
00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,120
Speaker 1: to mark the peace that he has in that moment.

672
00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:05,440
Speaker 1: Yahweih shalom, the Lord is peace. This piece was not

673
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:09,120
Speaker 1: a call to the end of conflict. The fight hadn't

674
00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:13,919
Speaker 1: even started yet. This is shalom. This is a sense

675
00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:19,359
Speaker 1: of completeness, wholeness, and it points to the presence of

676
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:23,200
Speaker 1: something you can't put your finger on. And when Gideon

677
00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:27,719
Speaker 1: experienced it, God spoke loud and clear to him, do

678
00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:31,879
Speaker 1: not be afraid. You're not gonna die. He made sure

679
00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,560
Speaker 1: he didn't want to forget that, so he built an

680
00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:38,640
Speaker 1: altar right there that he could look back to. Can

681
00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:41,680
Speaker 1: you think of any peace markers along your faith journey?

682
00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:44,399
Speaker 1: You spent some time writing a few of mine out

683
00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:48,759
Speaker 1: this week, moments that I look back to when I

684
00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:52,440
Speaker 1: begin to wonder if God is really with me. Peace

685
00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:56,440
Speaker 1: Markers can be an answer to prayer. They can be

686
00:46:56,680 --> 00:46:59,560
Speaker 1: a timely call or a text from a friend that

687
00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:04,399
Speaker 1: just felt like they must God must have told them.

688
00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:07,680
Speaker 1: It can be a sermon, you know those sermons when

689
00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:10,959
Speaker 1: you feel like your pastor got hijacked your pastor's mouth

690
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:14,240
Speaker 1: and just spoke directly to you when you were about

691
00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:17,000
Speaker 1: to give up. I love all the stories of our

692
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:20,759
Speaker 1: church when people say I was done, and then I

693
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:24,640
Speaker 1: heard God say, and when you get one, you got

694
00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,400
Speaker 1: to make sure you don't forget it. You got to

695
00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:30,480
Speaker 1: write it down, you got to tell someone. A peace

696
00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:34,560
Speaker 1: marker can be a song. Not too long ago, I

697
00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:40,120
Speaker 1: came to church feeling really heavy with doubt over a

698
00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:43,680
Speaker 1: decision that we had made for about one of our kids.

699
00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:46,360
Speaker 1: And at the time when we made the decision, it

700
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:49,680
Speaker 1: felt right in the moment, it felt like, yes, we're

701
00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:52,320
Speaker 1: going to do this. But then a series of events

702
00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:54,919
Speaker 1: had me doubting and I was on the front row

703
00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:58,560
Speaker 1: just trying to hold back tears. So this is why

704
00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:02,840
Speaker 1: you got to come to church, because they sang a song.

705
00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:10,080
Speaker 1: They sang that song, this is how you walk on water.

706
00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:13,279
Speaker 1: And I know God doesn't speak out loud, but he

707
00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:15,720
Speaker 1: was speaking loud and clear to me in that moment.

708
00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:18,680
Speaker 1: He was telling me, one foot in front of the other,

709
00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:25,200
Speaker 1: one day at a time, little by little, I'm gonna

710
00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:27,759
Speaker 1: lead you. I'm gonna give you the strength that you

711
00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:29,800
Speaker 1: need right now in this moment to get you through.

712
00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:32,640
Speaker 1: And you know, that decision turned out to be exactly

713
00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:36,319
Speaker 1: right for that child. But I didn't know it. But

714
00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:38,759
Speaker 1: God spoke to me in that moment and I could

715
00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:40,760
Speaker 1: go back to it. Peace markers can be an event.

716
00:48:41,600 --> 00:48:45,759
Speaker 1: I remember when we emptied the bank account. We when

717
00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:48,000
Speaker 1: we say we emptied the bank account, there wasn't that

718
00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:50,759
Speaker 1: much in it. Did it a couple of times, but

719
00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:53,360
Speaker 1: it wasn't, you know whatever, But we emptied the bank account.

720
00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:56,560
Speaker 1: It was all that we had to drop eggs out

721
00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:01,640
Speaker 1: of a helicopter and we found out the day before

722
00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:05,000
Speaker 1: the event that the mailer wasn't going to make it

723
00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:07,120
Speaker 1: to people's mailboxes in time, and this is how we

724
00:49:07,120 --> 00:49:09,200
Speaker 1: were going to invite people to come back. Then that's

725
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:12,240
Speaker 1: what you did, you put junk mail in people's boxes.

726
00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:15,760
Speaker 1: It was going to be our first Easter at Elevation,

727
00:49:16,400 --> 00:49:18,399
Speaker 1: and we were going to use this event to get

728
00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:21,840
Speaker 1: people to hear about our church and to maybe come

729
00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:24,120
Speaker 1: because more people come to church on Easter, you know.

730
00:49:24,160 --> 00:49:27,719
Speaker 1: And it's a story that we have told a thousand

731
00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:30,040
Speaker 1: times in the history of this church, but it never

732
00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:35,880
Speaker 1: gets old because I was there and I vividly remember thinking,

733
00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:38,799
Speaker 1: no one's going to show up. How are they going

734
00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:42,399
Speaker 1: to know about this event? We wasted all of our money,

735
00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:47,080
Speaker 1: so we had a pity party in our house. I

736
00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:48,920
Speaker 1: don't need to tell you what pity parties like. It's

737
00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:54,400
Speaker 1: pretty quiet. And after a while Stephen came downstairs and

738
00:49:54,440 --> 00:49:56,759
Speaker 1: he said, me and Chunks are going to Kinkos. We're

739
00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:00,520
Speaker 1: going to pronounce some flyers. Because he wasn't gonna just

740
00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:03,680
Speaker 1: sit around while there was still time to do something.

741
00:50:05,840 --> 00:50:09,480
Speaker 1: So we printed off flyers and we went to Walmart

742
00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:13,640
Speaker 1: and we put flyers on people's cars that night before

743
00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:17,759
Speaker 1: the event. Sorry, it was all we had. It was

744
00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:19,719
Speaker 1: all we could do was all we could think of,

745
00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:25,120
Speaker 1: and the next day more people came than we could handle.

746
00:50:25,600 --> 00:50:29,240
Speaker 1: I have no idea where all those people came from.

747
00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:33,319
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know. Maybe thousands, hundreds, I don't know.

748
00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:35,640
Speaker 1: It was a lot at the time, because we had

749
00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,719
Speaker 1: like sixteen people at the time. But the event was

750
00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:42,960
Speaker 1: a huge success. And that night we sat in our

751
00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:46,640
Speaker 1: living room and we watched the story on the local

752
00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:52,520
Speaker 1: news about our church, our little church, and we were

753
00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:57,200
Speaker 1: blown away. We didn't know where all those people had

754
00:50:57,239 --> 00:51:00,000
Speaker 1: come from. We certainly didn't put out that many flyers.

755
00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:02,880
Speaker 1: How did all those people hear about our little event?

756
00:51:04,239 --> 00:51:07,680
Speaker 1: We couldn't stop talking about it, and there was this

757
00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:12,880
Speaker 1: peace God was with us in this. You know how

758
00:51:12,880 --> 00:51:16,520
Speaker 1: many times over the past fifteen years we've wondered if

759
00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:20,200
Speaker 1: people were gonna come. Every time we opened a new campus,

760
00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:22,600
Speaker 1: my husband would asked me, you think people are gonna come?

761
00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:27,719
Speaker 1: If my husband asked me one time, he asked me

762
00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:29,759
Speaker 1: a thousand times, you think people are gonna come? Every

763
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:33,960
Speaker 1: time we started something new, and when our fear felt

764
00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:38,919
Speaker 1: like more than we could handle, we focused on those

765
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:45,600
Speaker 1: peace markers. So the fear never goes away. You just

766
00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:48,440
Speaker 1: get a little bit stronger along the way. And there

767
00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:51,640
Speaker 1: were so many times that we stepped out in faith

768
00:51:51,719 --> 00:51:53,759
Speaker 1: to do something that we thought God was calling us

769
00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:57,200
Speaker 1: to do. We had to look back and remember the

770
00:51:57,239 --> 00:52:02,480
Speaker 1: egg drop and remember all the other things along the way.

771
00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:07,080
Speaker 1: You know, on March fourteenth, twenty twenty, when shelter in

772
00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:12,480
Speaker 1: Place was declared, the fear was back in full force.

773
00:52:13,360 --> 00:52:16,160
Speaker 1: The pity party was back in our house. And you

774
00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:20,120
Speaker 1: can bet as Stephen Verdick was pacing the halls of

775
00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:23,680
Speaker 1: our house because the doors of our church were gonna

776
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:27,400
Speaker 1: close and the people were still gonna need the message

777
00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:31,800
Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ more than ever. And he was afraid

778
00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:35,319
Speaker 1: about preaching in an empty room with a message still translate.

779
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:43,319
Speaker 1: But our people still showed up. You showed up in

780
00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:48,879
Speaker 1: the chat, you kept giving. And you know, over the

781
00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:54,200
Speaker 1: past year, our campus pastors and our staff, we'd had

782
00:52:54,239 --> 00:52:57,480
Speaker 1: to fight to reinvent the way that we do church.

783
00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:00,920
Speaker 1: We'd had to learn how to lead us from zoom.

784
00:53:01,280 --> 00:53:04,759
Speaker 1: We'd had to pastor people over Facebook groups. We'd had

785
00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:08,400
Speaker 1: to figure out how to open up our buildings again safely.

786
00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:14,800
Speaker 1: And it's scary, But if you're not a little bit scary,

787
00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:20,239
Speaker 1: you don't need any faith fifteen years. God has been

788
00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:23,280
Speaker 1: with us every step of the way, because the strength

789
00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:26,680
Speaker 1: that we have is enough for today. It's like manna.

790
00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:31,759
Speaker 1: God gave us all the strength that we needed at

791
00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:34,000
Speaker 1: the time. If He gave us all the strength at once,

792
00:53:34,680 --> 00:53:38,920
Speaker 1: we never need him. You can go and read the

793
00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:41,480
Speaker 1: rest of Gideon's story. He went on to lead Israel

794
00:53:41,760 --> 00:53:46,120
Speaker 1: to freedom. In fact, the Bible says that the Israelites

795
00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:52,080
Speaker 1: never fought Midian again. And I believe that the message

796
00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:58,120
Speaker 1: today it's not about Gideon's battle with Midian. It's about

797
00:53:58,120 --> 00:54:04,000
Speaker 1: his battle to restore his faith than God. It's about

798
00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:09,200
Speaker 1: his fight to become that mighty warrior that God saw

799
00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:14,040
Speaker 1: in him all along. And I believe that God stands

800
00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:20,880
Speaker 1: before us today, patiently waiting for you to come back

801
00:54:20,920 --> 00:54:26,360
Speaker 1: to him. He wants you to experience his presence in

802
00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:31,080
Speaker 1: our day to day lives. He wants you to see

803
00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:36,880
Speaker 1: that He's with you, even when your circumstances suggest otherwise.

804
00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:43,040
Speaker 1: He waits with a great feast for you. You don't

805
00:54:43,080 --> 00:54:48,040
Speaker 1: have to be hungry anymore. And all he wants from

806
00:54:48,040 --> 00:54:55,560
Speaker 1: you is your life. He wants all of it, your pain,

807
00:54:56,480 --> 00:55:02,120
Speaker 1: your fear, your questions, your faults, your secrets. He wants

808
00:55:02,120 --> 00:55:05,160
Speaker 1: your gifts and talents too. Sometimes I think it takes

809
00:55:05,200 --> 00:55:07,680
Speaker 1: more faith for me to give God the ugly places,

810
00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:14,680
Speaker 1: because God would what do you possibly want with those?

811
00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:21,000
Speaker 1: He delights in you. You're his child, all of you.

812
00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:25,840
Speaker 1: Right now, He's going to give you the strength that

813
00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:30,040
Speaker 1: you need for every situation that lies ahead. But most

814
00:55:30,080 --> 00:55:32,640
Speaker 1: of all, He's going to be with you every step

815
00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:45,080
Speaker 1: of the way, every single step. Let's pray. Lord, What

816
00:55:45,160 --> 00:55:51,160
Speaker 1: can we say but thank you? And also God, we're

817
00:55:51,200 --> 00:55:55,319
Speaker 1: coming back to right now in this moment. Some of

818
00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:57,960
Speaker 1: us are coming back for the first time. Some of

819
00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:03,200
Speaker 1: us are coming back for the one thousand time. We're offering,

820
00:56:03,640 --> 00:56:09,440
Speaker 1: we're offering are all to you right now. God, I

821
00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:12,880
Speaker 1: don't know why you want me, but if you want me,

822
00:56:12,920 --> 00:56:16,839
Speaker 1: you've got me. This is all you want. I can

823
00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:21,400
Speaker 1: give you that. God, would you minister to us in

824
00:56:21,520 --> 00:56:28,239
Speaker 1: this moment, help us to maybe just fear your presence,

825
00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:31,880
Speaker 1: to remind us of those peace markers that you've given

826
00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:38,320
Speaker 1: us all along the journey. Thank you for your patience,

827
00:56:40,320 --> 00:56:46,080
Speaker 1: Thank you for your strength. Just take a minute, think

828
00:56:46,120 --> 00:56:48,839
Speaker 1: about it. Think about the times that He's come through

829
00:56:48,840 --> 00:56:58,120
Speaker 1: for you. Think about the moments when you felt so alone.

830
00:56:58,760 --> 00:57:01,719
Speaker 1: But now that you look back, he was with you

831
00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:05,400
Speaker 1: the whole time. There's moments when he spoke to you.

832
00:57:08,920 --> 00:57:20,120
Speaker 1: Do not be afraid, you will not die. Got you,

833
00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:28,200
Speaker 1: here's my life. Thank you that you're going to give

834
00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:30,400
Speaker 1: me the strength to do everything that you're calling me

835
00:57:30,480 --> 00:58:29,840
Speaker 1: to do. O little, she said, She's suicide makes so

836
00:58:34,520 --> 00:59:17,200
Speaker 1: she shows to suicide shore. She shot that figue gee

837
00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:47,800
Speaker 1: yes you, yes you, yes you not me. Couldn't be me.

838
00:59:48,640 --> 00:59:53,000
Speaker 1: He couldn't choose me, he couldn't use me. I'm not

839
00:59:53,160 --> 00:59:57,080
Speaker 1: so smart like other people. I didn't come from a

840
00:59:57,160 --> 01:00:06,840
Speaker 1: good home. Yes you what man rejects God selects. Yes you.

841
01:00:11,640 --> 01:00:14,440
Speaker 1: You might be the littlest, you might be the loneliest,

842
01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:16,600
Speaker 1: You might be in the lowest place of your life.

843
01:00:17,560 --> 01:00:21,960
Speaker 1: But like Holly said, Jesus is calling right now. Would

844
01:00:22,000 --> 01:00:27,240
Speaker 1: you bow your head, close your eyes, put the distractions aside,

845
01:00:28,320 --> 01:00:33,680
Speaker 1: and listen to that voice. It's a whisper. You won't

846
01:00:33,720 --> 01:00:35,880
Speaker 1: hear it with your ears, You'll hear it with your spirit.

847
01:00:37,400 --> 01:00:39,840
Speaker 1: It'll be the voice that's been with you your whole life.

848
01:00:40,040 --> 01:00:45,600
Speaker 1: Before the other voices took over the voice of the Father.

849
01:00:48,040 --> 01:00:52,280
Speaker 1: Welcoming you back home right now. I want to make

850
01:00:52,320 --> 01:00:55,280
Speaker 1: a call all over the world on our church's anniversary

851
01:00:56,800 --> 01:01:00,240
Speaker 1: for everyone who has never made the decision to place

852
01:01:00,320 --> 01:01:04,160
Speaker 1: your faith in Jesus Christ, or you made that decision,

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01:01:04,960 --> 01:01:08,640
Speaker 1: but you've been in hiding. I want to issue a

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01:01:08,720 --> 01:01:13,840
Speaker 1: homecoming invitation and tell you that the table is already spread,

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01:01:14,880 --> 01:01:19,120
Speaker 1: and the dead is already settled, and Christ already died.

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01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:23,760
Speaker 1: It's already covered, it's already done. The only thing left

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01:01:23,800 --> 01:01:27,160
Speaker 1: for you to do is receive it. So right now,

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01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:30,560
Speaker 1: pray with me out loud wherever you are, everyone in

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01:01:30,640 --> 01:01:32,560
Speaker 1: the room, praying out loud for the benefit of those

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01:01:32,600 --> 01:01:35,360
Speaker 1: who are coming to God or coming back to God.

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01:01:35,680 --> 01:01:40,360
Speaker 1: Pray with me right now, Heavenly Father, today is my

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01:01:40,640 --> 01:01:47,600
Speaker 1: day of salvation. I believe that Jesus Christ is the

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01:01:47,720 --> 01:01:51,880
Speaker 1: Son of God and the savior of the world. I

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01:01:52,080 --> 01:01:58,720
Speaker 1: believe Jesus died for my sin and rose again to

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Speaker 1: give me life. I receive this new life, make me

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01:02:05,280 --> 01:02:10,520
Speaker 1: a new creation. I am a child of God on

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Speaker 1: account of three. If you just pray that with me,

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01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:17,200
Speaker 1: say it in the chat. I receive Jesus one, two, three,

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01:02:17,480 --> 01:02:20,120
Speaker 1: I receive Jesus. If you're in the room. Shoot your

870
01:02:20,160 --> 01:02:22,880
Speaker 1: hand up right now, shut your hand up right now.

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01:02:24,400 --> 01:02:29,480
Speaker 1: I'm coming just as I am without one. Please, but

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01:02:29,640 --> 01:02:32,760
Speaker 1: that the blood of Jesus was shit for me. And

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01:02:32,920 --> 01:02:38,600
Speaker 1: he is enough. And you are enough. Yes you, yes, now,

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01:02:39,560 --> 01:02:44,520
Speaker 1: yes here. Today is the day. You're a new creation.

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01:02:45,600 --> 01:02:50,800
Speaker 1: You're a child of God. You are love, you are accepted,

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01:02:51,600 --> 01:02:56,200
Speaker 1: you are Solecians. Come on celebrating with your hands lifted

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01:02:56,280 --> 01:03:29,760
Speaker 1: to heaven. Let's celebrate that homecoming. Thank you did. Listens,

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01:03:35,640 --> 01:03:39,520
Speaker 1: come on, let's thank God for his amazing love, his

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01:03:39,720 --> 01:03:48,000
Speaker 1: amazing grace that saved a wretch like me, a wretch

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01:03:48,280 --> 01:03:52,920
Speaker 1: like you. Yes you. I know you're not perfect, but

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01:03:53,040 --> 01:03:55,680
Speaker 1: there's grace. There's room for you and the family of God.

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01:03:56,520 --> 01:03:58,200
Speaker 1: We want you to be a part of our church.

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01:03:58,960 --> 01:04:02,800
Speaker 1: You're like who me? Yes you? Somebody say, yes you.

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01:04:03,800 --> 01:04:05,640
Speaker 1: But I don't live in Charlotte. You don't have to

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01:04:06,080 --> 01:04:09,240
Speaker 1: look at this miracle. We're all over the world. We

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01:04:09,480 --> 01:04:13,520
Speaker 1: welcome you. We call it EPHAM doesn't stand for extended.

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01:04:13,880 --> 01:04:19,560
Speaker 1: It stands for everyone. Whosoever will let him come. I said,

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Speaker 1: whosoever will let him call. Thank you, Jesus, We love you.

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Speaker 1: Make sure you leave us a comment this week, make

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Speaker 1: sure you say there I received Jesus. If you gave

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01:04:33,400 --> 01:04:36,000
Speaker 1: your life to Christ, make sure you say that was

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01:04:36,120 --> 01:04:38,480
Speaker 1: for me, Holly. If she preached the word that you

893
01:04:38,640 --> 01:04:41,200
Speaker 1: needed to hear, but you're gonna be wrong because it

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01:04:41,360 --> 01:04:43,600
Speaker 1: wasn't for you. It was for me. She preached that

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Speaker 1: to me, But I'm glad you got to hear it.

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Speaker 1: Praise the Lord. How many receive what God gave us

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Speaker 1: today through Holly? Yes you, thank you for joining us.

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01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:00,840
Speaker 1: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to

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01:05:00,920 --> 01:05:04,360
Speaker 1: this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible.

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01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:07,040
Speaker 1: You can click the link in the description to give

901
01:05:07,160 --> 01:05:11,280
Speaker 1: now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more

902
01:05:11,320 --> 01:05:14,920
Speaker 1: information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe.

903
01:05:15,400 --> 01:05:17,439
Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. You can click

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01:05:17,520 --> 01:05:19,720
Speaker 1: the share button, take a screenshot and share it on

905
01:05:19,760 --> 01:05:22,640
Speaker 1: your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks

906
01:05:22,640 --> 01:05:24,000
Speaker 1: again for listening. God bless you.