1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Hey, don't start clicking off. I promise we're going to 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: get to the preaching in just a moment. But I'm 3 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: excited about this. This is a very special tradition at Elevation, 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: and we want to speak to all of you who 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: call our church home, especially our extended family, our EPAM 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: around the world, because once a year we have a 7 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: special series. It's really more than a collection of teachings. 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: It's a faith experience for all of the people who 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: are part of our ministry at Elevation, and this year 10 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: our theme is game Changer. I think one of the 11 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: most exciting things that God is doing in our ministry 12 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: is to open the doors of our ministry beyond our walls. 13 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: What I mean by that is we are amazed at 14 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: the thousands and thousands and thousands of you who are 15 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: letting us know that you're impacted by this ministry in 16 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: another zip code, in another state, in another country, maybe 17 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: eventually on another planet. But what I wanted to mention 18 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: to you is that you can be a part of 19 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: this beyond just consuming. Many of you have been blessed 20 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: by God to be a blessing, and I wanted to 21 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: ask today would you be willing during this special time 22 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: of year to make a one time donation to the 23 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: ministry or maybe partner with us on a monthly basis 24 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: through recurring giving. I believe God could use your gift 25 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: to enable this ministry to continue to reach, to continue 26 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: to break paradigms, to continue to lift up Jesus. And 27 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you personally to go to Elevationchurch 28 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: dot org and you can see the ways to give there. 29 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: But most importantly, know that we feel a tremendousness of 30 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: responsibility to minister the Word of God, not only to you, 31 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: but to challenge you to partner with us in reaching 32 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: people for the Gospel. I believe your gift today could 33 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: be a game changer, so don't put it off right now. 34 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: Elevationchurch dot org you can find all of the details. 35 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy this message and thank you for 36 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: being a part of the family. Whoo, it feels good 37 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: here Elevation Balatime. I know it does. A Lake Norman 38 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: over at Blaytney, see, I know it feels great up there. Hey, 39 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: my name is Larry Bryan. I get the privilege of 40 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: opening up God's Word with you today and all my 41 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: friends call me LB at least my friends do You 42 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: could call me LB too. You can say hey, LB, 43 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,679 Speaker 1: oh man, thank you, I'm glad to be here. And 44 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: a truism we learned early in our church is people 45 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: may not always remember what you say, but they'll always 46 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: remember the way you make them feel. I want to 47 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: make sure that everybody who's here that's a first time 48 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: guest feels very welcomed today. I'd like you to give 49 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: out at least three displays of affection. You can give 50 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: a hug, a high five, a handshake. I want you 51 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: to welcome at least three people, at least three church 52 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: appropriate displays of affection. Mind you. After you have done that, 53 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: you you may be seated. Thank you, Worship team, thank 54 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: you so much. Hey. Have you enjoyed this season we're 55 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: in right now, Game Changer? Oh oh my goodness, it 56 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: has been absolutely incredible Week one. Let's do a quick 57 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: little review right here. Secret scorecard, My reason determines my reward. 58 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: How many of you are blessed by week one of 59 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: this series? My gosh. Now Week two for all the 60 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: warriors in the house, Pastor Stephen burned the place down. 61 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: He talked about reverse your worry worship is worry and reverse, 62 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: like how many of you were blessed by that? Oh 63 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: my gosh. And so week one, Week two, let's call 64 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: it week three. This is Week three. I get the 65 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 1: privilege of delivering God's word today. Here's the title I 66 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: want to get for today's message. Is this? For the 67 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: note takers in the house, you would write this down 68 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: an ordinary day, an ordinary day, say ordinary. And the 69 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: text I'm going to be in today is going to 70 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: be acts. Chapter three is where I'll be. And I 71 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: remember when I came to faith. It was in my 72 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: late twenties. I just finished graduate school, and I had 73 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: grown up in a home where religion really and faith 74 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: was not really a part of it. If Jesus Christ 75 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: was used in a conversation, it was more for colorful 76 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: language than it was any kind of praise. And that 77 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: was just kind of the world I grew up, and 78 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: I grew up Catholic, so you know, I'd go to 79 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: church a couple times a year, and I remember, like 80 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: in my darkest moments where I'm like in that dark 81 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: place some of you know, that dark place, like that 82 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: place that you don't feel like anybody should ever see, 83 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: that place, that you're like God is so disgusted with 84 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: you can never lean into it. God leaned into that 85 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:29,799 Speaker 1: moment with me, and he met me in that place, 86 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: and he radically, radically saved me. And I remember getting 87 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: my first Bible. I was twenty seven, so I didn't 88 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: own a Bible until I was twenty steven. I remember 89 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: taking the cellophane off of it and like smelling of us, like, oh, 90 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: this is amazing. And then I went to a Bible 91 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: study with some of you Baptists, like you know you. 92 00:04:50,800 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 1: It's like Bibles are like h oh Badiah Stephaniah. But 93 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,720 Speaker 1: I heard about Matthew, Mark, Lucan, John, I can't find out, 94 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: but like and I lean over my buddy's like what 95 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: page is that on? I didn't realize then all the 96 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: Bibles have the same Like what are you doing Christians? 97 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: That makes no sense. So I remember what it's like 98 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: to get in a place that, depending upon the book 99 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 1: you're going to go to, a man may not open 100 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: up my Bible because it didn't want to look stupid, 101 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: because you know what, I felt very ordinary. And if 102 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: you feel ordinary today, if you feel like you're an 103 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: ordinary individual, I want you to know that you are 104 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: positioned to be mightily used by an extraordinary God. He 105 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: is not looking for the brightest, He's not looking for 106 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: the tallest, the prettiest. He's looking for the one that 107 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: makes himself available today. And anybody who says, God, I 108 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: make myself available, he will use you. That is the 109 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: evidence of the story of the Church, and it is 110 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: how he has moved throughout eternity. So I just want 111 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: to give you permission to be ordinary. Look at your 112 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: neighbor right left, which one looks the most ordinary to you? 113 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: I know, don't tell him. But in Acts chapter three 114 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: is where I'm going to be. It says this. This 115 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: is one day Peter and John were going to the 116 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: temple at the time of prayer three in the afternoon. 117 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: No a man was lame from birth, being carried to 118 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,239 Speaker 1: the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every 119 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 120 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he 121 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 1: asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as 122 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: did John. Then Peter said, look at us. So the 123 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 124 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: Then Peter said silver or gold I do not have, 125 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: But what I have I give you in the name 126 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk Taking him by the 127 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: right hand, he helped him up, and instantly his feet 128 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: and ankles became strong. Now, this story out of Acts 129 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: chapter three is really one of my favorite stories in 130 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: the New Testament. I love it. It's really been a 131 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: story that's played a pivotal part in the history of 132 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: our church. But I love it because it has these 133 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: two words that come together one day. Oh, it's kind 134 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: of like dynamite. You put these two in great together 135 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: and something blows up one day, and if you were 136 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: to do a Bible study on it, just do that. 137 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: Google it later one day Bible Verse, and you're gonna 138 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: see story after story of something incredible. It's given me 139 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: like scenes in a movie where you're like what the 140 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: Southern translation, We're like, yo, check this out, Like that's 141 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: it's amazing. It's a place of potential impossibility. When you 142 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: see these two words, it needs to alert your senses 143 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: at Oh, something significant is about to happen, Something is 144 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: about to go down that's gonna change the direction of 145 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: somebody else's life. This is a game changing moment. One 146 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: day is a game changer because when one day happens 147 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: in your life, everything changes after it, and some of 148 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: you are about to encounter one of those moments today. 149 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: Today is that one day it's going to be a 150 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: game changer where whatever you walked in with is going 151 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: to look very different when you walk out, because God's 152 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: about to do something in you. And these one day 153 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: stories have less to do with God's promises being dropped 154 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: into our laps. It has way more to do with people, 155 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: ordinary people like you and me, who believe that with 156 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: God all things are possible, not some things, not a 157 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: couple things, not a conditional faith that says, if it 158 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: ever gets here, God then know all things. Because one 159 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: day is a perspective. It is a perspective where you 160 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: lean in expecting God to move. I don't know if 161 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: it'll be today or tomorrow, or next year or in 162 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: twenty years, but my God will move. His promises are 163 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: yes and amen in Jesus Christ, I believe it. That's 164 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: a one day perspective that's illustrated in the text. The 165 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: other perspective that's illustrated in the text is another day, 166 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: say another day, and what we get to do is 167 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: decide which one we want to live. One day potential impossibility. 168 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: Another day, Hey, honey, how was work today? It was 169 00:08:54,200 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: just another day. Another day becomes another week, and another month, 170 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: and another year and another decade, and now your kids 171 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: are grown and you're looking at each other like, what 172 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: did we just do with the last twenty years? And 173 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: we've just wasted it just one day at a time. 174 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: Another day is a perspective where you give up believing 175 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: that God's promises will come to pass, and you settle 176 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: into autopilot and you are just being taken down the 177 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: rivers of life, feeling like you're at the whims and 178 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: the mercies of God and you're just flowing along. No, no, 179 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: no no. And the reality is one day and another 180 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: day are both perspectives. One is leaning in, one is 181 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: leaning back, And the reality is both of these are ordinary. 182 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: Both of these are ordinary because the life you live 183 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 1: is your ordinary. You get to decide which life you 184 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: want to live. You have the ability through the person 185 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,839 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ living inside of you, the one who 186 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 1: spoke the world into existence, the one who raised Jesus 187 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: from the dead, is living inside of you, and you 188 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: get the ability to make a choice to say, I 189 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: will either live life in a one day mentality. God, 190 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: I believe you're for me and not against me, or 191 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: I can live over here and just be like it's 192 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: just another day. All those other people get blessed just now. 193 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: I mean those are for the extraordinary Christians, not ordinary folk. 194 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: Because most of these one day stories and the scriptures 195 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: are ordinary people believing in an extraordinary God. And so 196 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: when we started this ministry more than twelve years ago, 197 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: we're coming up on our thirteenth birthday Elevation Church. You'll 198 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: look good for a preteen. I remember when we started 199 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: this church, we were living in a little town called Shelby, 200 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: North Carolina. And you all heard of Shelby. It's about 201 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: an hour away from Charlotte. For those of you that 202 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: don't know, it's halfway between Charlotte, North Carolina and Asheville. 203 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 1: It's not a destination location. It's like a stop for 204 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: gas and then you keep going. It's Nazareth, you know. 205 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: But we were living there and pastors seems like, hey, 206 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: we got to get to Charlotte. We got to find 207 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: a place to meet, we got to find a location. 208 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 1: So I believe that God is for us. I believe 209 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: that God is for this ministry. And I just drove 210 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: to Charlotte and my little Ford Ranger expecting God's favor 211 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: to be there when I got there, I've just acted 212 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: like that. You know how you hang out with somebody 213 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: that's bigger and stronger than you, you feel tougher, Like yeah, 214 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: what you've gotten now? Boy? My God is that big 215 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: and my pastor's that strong. I believe it. I'm like, 216 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: if God said it, it's gonna happen. If pastors said 217 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: there's this facility waiting for us in Starngmuck, it's there. 218 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: And so I show up in Charlotte. The first place 219 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:33,679 Speaker 1: to stop is at a community college. I walk in, 220 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: go up to the vice president's office. Meanwhile, we had 221 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: just picked the name for the church like a month before, 222 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: and I walk into the president vice president's office. I'm like, listen, 223 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: my name's Larry Bryan. I'm a part of a church 224 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: called Elevation Church. We haven't even started yet, but we're 225 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: gonna change the world. And you want us meeting at 226 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: your location. And she's like, well, the biggest room we 227 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: got really only holds about one hundred and forty people. 228 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: I said, that's way too small. God's going to do 229 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: something so much bigger than that. And she's said, it's 230 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: funny you showed up here today because this is actually 231 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: my last day working at this location. She said, I 232 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: start a new job on Monday at a place called 233 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: the Levine Senior Center. She said, we're actually going to 234 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: be building a building. And we were meeting with the 235 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: trustees the other day. We haven't even broken ground on it, 236 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: but we were talking about maybe it would be good 237 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,959 Speaker 1: for a church to rent our facility. I said, yes today, Amen, 238 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: God wants us sen in that location. That's how we 239 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: found our first location. We can collap for that. That's 240 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 1: but the one day perspective says, whether it's at the 241 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: first stop, the twelve stop, or the hundred stuff, my 242 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: God is going to say yes. At some point, it's 243 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: going to happen. See one day as a persistence towards 244 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: the promises of God, you get shut down in the 245 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: first response, and now you give up on the promises 246 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: of God? Why are you so easy to push over? 247 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 1: Do you know here, daddy is? Do you know what's 248 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: living inside of you? To know what you're capable of? 249 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: About a week after we found this location, I met 250 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: with a church planting expert who is an expert on 251 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: planting churches and Charlie. He's like, Larry, you know, it's 252 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: virtually impossible for anyone to find a location to meet 253 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: at within Charlotte because every outhouse and doghouse and middle 254 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,319 Speaker 1: school and high school has got a church meeting in it, 255 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: that says expert voice. I looked at him, said, I'm sorry. 256 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: We already found a location. My God already provided before 257 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: you even set it in out. And some of you 258 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: were listening to experts tell you what God cannot do 259 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: in your life. We were just ordinary people that believed 260 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: in an extraordinary God, and it began with eight families 261 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: selling their homes and quitting their jobs. This is my wife, 262 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: Janet here. We were one of those original eight families. 263 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: We just celebrated eighteen years of marriage. Isn't she love me? 264 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: Isn't I can't sing, but my reason determines my reward. 265 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 1: I'm not singing for you. I'm trying to score points 266 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: with my girl. But we got the distinct privilege of 267 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: being one of those original eight families. So if I 268 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: take you back to two thousand and five, this is 269 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: thirteen years ago. We're all living in Shelby, eight families, 270 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: and we had met Pastor Stephen first time I ever 271 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: saw him preach. He was the only white guy in 272 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: an all gospel, Black gospel choir. He was at North 273 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: Greenville College. He was a senior at North Greenville College, 274 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: and that choir he was leading with about sixty people, 275 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: and he knew how to clap on the two and four, 276 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: but nobody at the church I was at knew how 277 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: to really do that right. And he brings the all 278 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: black gospel choir down and he's leading the choir at 279 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: the church we're at in Shelby there in north in 280 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: North Greenville College in South Carolina, and I saw him preach, 281 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 1: first time I ever saw him preach. He preaches serma 282 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: called God is Great, God is Good. I still have 283 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: the VHS tape. Bald head go tea baggy clothes and 284 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: he burned the place down. And I said, this joker 285 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: is going to change the world. And I said, that's 286 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: the church I want to be a part of. So 287 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: when I heard that him and Hollyood getting ready to 288 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: start this thing called Elevation Church, I pulled him in 289 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: my office and I'm coming with I know it's really 290 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: bad grammar. You don't end with a preposition, but it's 291 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: because it was a blank line that says, wherever you go, 292 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: I'm coming. And he said, what it means if you 293 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: want to be a part of this, you need to 294 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: sell your house, quit your job, move to an unnamed 295 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: city in an unnamed part of the country to be 296 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: part of an unnamed church. Are you in? I'm like, 297 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: who wouldn't sign up for that? No, I'm not kidding. 298 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: Who wouldn't sign up for that? It's the greatest thing 299 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: on the face of the earth. Everybody right now says 300 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: I wish I would have done that, and you might 301 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: not have had a chance to be a part of 302 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: the original Eight. But you can get on the original 303 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: eight spirit today because the spirit that launched our ministry 304 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: is the same spirit that's moving here today. And there's 305 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: so many new people coming to Elevation Church that you 306 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: don't know the history, and it's hard to understand the 307 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: story when you haven't read the previous chapters. I just 308 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: want to show you some of those previous chapters about us, 309 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: and all eight families are signed up. But we were 310 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: a part of a church there called Christ Covenant Church 311 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: February of two thousand and five. Through the end of 312 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: the year, we stayed underneath the umbrella of that ministry. 313 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: All of us were tithing to that church. That's ten percent, 314 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: the first ten percent we give to God. When we 315 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: signed up to this thing called Elevation Church, Pastor said, Hey, 316 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: here's what we're going to do. We're going to sow 317 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: seeds of sacrificial generosity that will produce fruit in the future. 318 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: See the blessing you see began to sacrifices that you'll 319 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: never see. Because all eight families gave ten percent to 320 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: the church. Were at because we believed in being faithful 321 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: to church. But this end, this new thing called Elevation Church, 322 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: we're going to go five percent and ten percent above 323 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: and beyond it. So those eight families sowed seeds of generosity. 324 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: It was not a couple of fat cats stroking big checks. 325 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: It was built upon people like Tyler and Amy Ford, 326 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: John and Heather Bishop, ordinary people like Chunks and Amy Corbett. 327 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: None of us were experts in church work, but all 328 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: of us loved God. We were ordinary people that worshiped 329 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: an extraordinary God, and we wanted our lives to count 330 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: because you know, there's a difference between success and significance. 331 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: Success is what you build for yourself. Significance is what 332 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: you give away for God. And you can be extremely 333 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: successful in life and yet have no six significance. But 334 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: I also know the opposite exists. Some of you feel 335 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: like you were not successful in life, but you are 336 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: one of the most significant people on the all walking 337 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,239 Speaker 1: on the face of the earth, because your significance is 338 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: tied to your sacrifice. Now your size, now, your status, 339 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: now your number of followers, simply your sacrifice, and what 340 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,959 Speaker 1: God wants is a sacrifice. And those eight families brought sacrifices. 341 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: If I were to illustrate the church, let me give 342 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: you an illustration this first row, Can you stand up 343 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: right here? And then one, two, three, four, five, six, 344 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 1: you six? Could you stand up right there? That's good. 345 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: So thirteen years ago, this is what we were, eight families, 346 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: sixteen people. You know what we are today? Thirteen years later, 347 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: we actually have seventeen campuses. We've got more campuses today 348 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: than we did people thirteen years ago. Look what God 349 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: won't do? Look what God won't do? You maybe see 350 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: you mean? And I remember there was a game changer 351 00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: for us when we found the vision statement of our 352 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: ch it's this, It's on the screens. This is why 353 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: we started our church. So that people far from God 354 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: will be raised to life in Christ. That's it, say, 355 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: people far from God will be raised to life in Christ. 356 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: Say people far from God will be raised to life 357 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: in Christ. And we were praying for people before we 358 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: ever saw their faces and knew their names. And without 359 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: being melodramatic, we were praying for you before we ever 360 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: met you. I have no idea what you were doing 361 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 1: thirteen years ago, Melbourne. I have no idea what you 362 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 1: were doing thirteen years ago someone watching online from Topeka, Kansas. 363 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: But God knew you. God knew the steps he would 364 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: order in your life to bring you to the moment 365 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 1: you're sitting in today. And we believe so strongly that 366 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: the Gospel is real. We wanted to bring a real 367 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: sacrifice because faith is not just believing for it, it 368 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 1: is sacrificing toward it. There is a language and a 369 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: lifestyle to faith. There is a language that says I 370 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: believe that with God all things are possible. That's the 371 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 1: language of it. But that is just one part of it. 372 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: The other part of is I am going to live 373 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: a lifestyle that will be persistent to see that happen. 374 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,120 Speaker 1: There is a language and a lifestyle, and the lifestyle 375 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: that God brought us eight families to a sacrifice. My 376 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: wife and I we sold our house, we quit our jobs. 377 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: We cast in our stocks or bonds, our savings, put 378 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:21,680 Speaker 1: it all in the center of table. Said God, either 379 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: you get all the glory or we look really stupid. 380 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: I am glad option a worked out. But why were 381 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: we doing it? Because we loved God that much and 382 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: we wanted to see His glory on this earth. We 383 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: believe so strongly in the church. We weren't just going 384 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: to make it a weekend activity. We were going to 385 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: make it an everyday lifestyle. And I remember another game 386 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: changing moment when we're at the ministry we were at 387 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: we were moving into a new sanctuary space, so before 388 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: all the families moved in, we had a chance to 389 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: get on our knees on the cement and write names 390 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 1: on the cement of people we wanted to come to faith. 391 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: This was a game changer for me because I got 392 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: on the cement in the middle of the sanctuary and 393 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: my wife and I we wrote down these names. We 394 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: wrote down the name Luanne, it's my sister. These are 395 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: people we hope who come to faith in Jesus. I 396 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 1: wrote down Dad, that's my dad. Wrote down Lance, that's 397 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: my younger brother. He said, diabetes since he was four 398 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: years old and he's struggling right now to feel his feet. 399 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: My brother Lonnie, my brother Butch his real name is Leslie. Yep, 400 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: you would too, My mom, my niece, Caylin. I started 401 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: to write these names down. This was a game changer 402 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: for me because I started to identify the people in 403 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 1: faith that I wanted to see come to faith in Jesus. 404 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: And from this began what we call our one day teaching, 405 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: which is based upon Act chapter three, And in Act 406 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: chapter three it says one day Peter and John at 407 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: the time of prayer went to the temple gate and 408 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: so one day, and here's the way that we teach 409 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: the one day principle around here at Elevation Church. Because 410 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,159 Speaker 1: her vision statement is people far from God raised to 411 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: life in Christ. That's the vision, people far from God 412 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 1: raise to life in Christ. But if it's about a 413 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,159 Speaker 1: bunch of people and it's not about a person, it 414 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: is not personal. Personal is powerful. So the way that 415 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: I teach the One Day principle is this, who is 416 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: close to you but far from God, who is inside 417 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,920 Speaker 1: your relational networks but outside the love of Jesus Christ, 418 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: who if they died today, we spend eternity separated from Him. 419 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: Get this thing so personal. So whenever I would teach this, 420 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: I would get people to write down in their notes, 421 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 1: And I want you to do this in your notes 422 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: right now or on your phone, is a blank line 423 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: and put a name in it. For me. Every time 424 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: I taught this, and I've taught it over two hundred 425 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: and fifty times, I use my sister's name, Luanne, and 426 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: I write it in the thing. My sister, my oldest sister, 427 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,360 Speaker 1: she's six years older than me. She used to look 428 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: out for me on the nights when dad is doing 429 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: what his father did. See. My sister grew up in 430 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: a world that she looked at her heavenly father and said, 431 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:10,399 Speaker 1: you must be just like my earthly father, because my 432 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: earthly father rejects me, It treats me like this. Why 433 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 1: on earth would my heavenly father want anything to do 434 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: with me. So once she got to the age she 435 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,360 Speaker 1: was old enough to decide I'm out of this, she said, 436 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: peace out, I am done. But you know that when 437 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: you're running from something, you start recreating it in your future. 438 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 1: Because God's vision is never to run from something, it 439 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: is to something. And my sister runs into life recreating 440 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: all of the havoc that she had in her pass 441 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: And I would teach this one day principle like this. 442 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: If this were the one day, Luan or your person 443 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: were to come to church, what would you want him 444 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: to experience? Who would you want them to meet? And 445 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: now it became really really personal to me. You want 446 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: to know the vision of our church so that people 447 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 1: far from God would be really used to life in Christ. 448 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,400 Speaker 1: But it's not just a language, it's a lifestyle. Because 449 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 1: we would teach it like this. If that were to happen, 450 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,639 Speaker 1: I would be up all night praying. See my family 451 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: lives in Minnesota, and if they were to come here, 452 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, it is miracle, and I would be 453 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: up all night praying, and I'd be saying God, please move, 454 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: Please move in their life because life is so chaotic. 455 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: She doesn't know you and she needs you God. And 456 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,360 Speaker 1: I get to this building early and then pray over 457 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,439 Speaker 1: every single seat in the auditorium. I'd annoint it with 458 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: oral I'd be speaking in tongues because I don't know 459 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,880 Speaker 1: which seat she's gonna sit in. I don't know which 460 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: seat's gonna be the place of a miracle. I don't 461 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: know what seat the shame is gonna be washed away at. 462 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: So I'm just gonna pray over every single one of them, 463 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: and then I'm gonna go to go to the parking team. Say, 464 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: parking team, do you get it? My sister's coming. She's 465 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: just like me. She has no patience, and if more 466 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: than three cars get backed up, she's gonna turn around 467 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: and go home. And if she gets in an accident 468 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: on the way home and die, she's going to hell. 469 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: And if that happens, I'm gonna kill you. Then I'm 470 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: gonna go to the greeters. I'm say, greeters, do you 471 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: get it? Because if you're talking to my sister, you're 472 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: making her feel like everybody else thinks about her what 473 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: she feels about herself. Because she works in a job 474 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: where she's had a trucking company and she's the safety 475 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: enforced her. So she gets to talk to truckers all 476 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: day long and tell them to stop driving. And if 477 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 1: you're a trucker and you're not driving, you're expressing your 478 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: displeasure in colorful ways. She gets cussed out all day 479 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: long in the job and then comes home to a 480 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: house where her and her husband look at each other 481 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: and go to opposite ends of the house because the 482 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: reality is, you know how long it's been since she's 483 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: seen somebody say to her, I'm glad to see you, 484 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: Because in her honest moments, she would have tapped out 485 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: long before had it not just been for her little daughter, 486 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: my niece, Caylen. But the greeterers get it, and they 487 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: make her smile, and they make you feel like you 488 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: matter and you're here today and I love you, and 489 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: they bring her in and they take my niece to 490 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: our ekids ministry, And my sister's world is spinning out 491 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 1: of control and the only thing she has is her daughter, 492 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: and she's gonna trust her to your hands. Man, you 493 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: better speak in full sentences, You better have all your teeth. 494 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,399 Speaker 1: You better get down on a knee and look that 495 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: little girl in the eye, say God loves you. You 496 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,719 Speaker 1: are so beautiful. Because if you don't do that, my sister, 497 00:24:57,760 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: whose life is spinning out of control. She's gonna feel like, 498 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: how can I trust her to you? And if she 499 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: brings her into the auditorium, her focus is on her daughter, 500 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: not on the gospel. And we're not gonna let that happen. 501 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: But we're not just baby seating and he kids. No, 502 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: we're hiding the word of God, which will produce a 503 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,400 Speaker 1: harvest one day. And I leave that little girl sitting 504 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 1: in the back seat, preaching the sermon, singing the arms. 505 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 1: Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells 506 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: me so. So she leaves her daughter and he kids, 507 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: and then she meets one of her ushers that gets 508 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: the privilege to walk my sister to a seat where 509 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: her life is going to be changed. And the worship begins, 510 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: and she starts to tear up because I don't even 511 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 1: know what is going on inside of me, but something's happening. 512 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: Because you are created in the image of God. There 513 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,880 Speaker 1: is an indelible mark that He has left on your 514 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: heart that is always pulling you back to the Father. 515 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,679 Speaker 1: She cannot describe it, but she cannot stop it, and 516 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: it's expressing itself through tears, and she's like, oh, could 517 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: it be that there's something better. And then the gospel's preached, 518 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,959 Speaker 1: and Pastor Stephen gets up here and he stands here 519 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: and he declaes declares, where's Jesus Christ, crucified, died, buried 520 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: and resurrected for the forgiveness of sins? And my sister 521 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: at the says, could it be? That's what I've been 522 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: looking for my whole life. And if my sister's coming 523 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: to church, that's what I want her one day experience 524 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: to be. Like my sister Luanne, who is it for 525 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: you in that line? Make it personal? Some of you 526 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: this church, you're treating it too casually because you have 527 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: not made it personal for you. It's a game changer 528 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: today because this is the day you make it personal 529 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: and you make it be about a person. If the 530 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: extent of my faith is only about me and what 531 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: I get, I have got a shallow faith, and shallow 532 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 1: values will lead to empty victories. Today is to day 533 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 1: that we can dig for something deeper and mountain. Make 534 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 1: it be about us. But who is it who's in 535 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 1: your line? Because for some woman here, it's her husband 536 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: who's at home today. For some dabt it's their daughter 537 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 1: that you've got in a fight four years ago, and 538 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: unforgiveness fractured the relationship. Who is it for you? What 539 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: would it look like if you were to dive develop 540 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 1: a persistence its God. I don't know when it's going 541 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: to happen, but I believe it will happen. That's one day. 542 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: That's why we started this ministry for that. And as 543 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: we started going through this ministry, my wife and I 544 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: realized we cannot expect new blessings off of old sacrifices. 545 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: I can't just live off of a house that was 546 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: sold twelve years ago. I've got to bring a present 547 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: day sacrifice today. So my wife and I come to 548 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen end of your Giving series. That year was 549 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: called Banner Years, and my wife and I said, we 550 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: are going to give specifically to my sister Luanne and 551 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: her family. And at the end of year, we wrote 552 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: down the word restoration and we gave the biggest gift 553 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: we have given. See, sacrifice is never about size. It's 554 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: always about significance. Because if I were to tell you 555 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: the size, some of you be like, that's a lot. 556 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: Some of you would say that's a little. It's never 557 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 1: about the amount, It's about the sacrifice. That it represents. 558 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 1: God is not calling us to equal amounts, but He 559 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: is calling us to equal sacrifices. And I want to 560 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: challenge you this year to sacrifice in such a way 561 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: that you show your faith. Now just talk about it. 562 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: I'm talking you live your faith that kind of faith. 563 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: And we saw God move in my sister's family and 564 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: God had restored that marriage and He is restoring that family. 565 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: Look at what God is doing, not just thirteen years ago, 566 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: but today. Then the next year comes along the year 567 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: after that, and our surround was the series we were 568 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: in that year, and then we wrote down the word salvation. 569 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: This is actually the word. This is my handwriting. Because 570 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 1: we were able to convince Lewann and John and Caln 571 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: to come to North Carolina for Carolina Christmas. And the 572 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 1: person I've been teaching about for a decade that I 573 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 1: didn't think would ever come to Elevation Church game whoa. 574 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 1: And in that moment I got a chance to see 575 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: my niece Caaylen give her life to Christ, my brother 576 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 1: in law John give his lafe to Christ, and my 577 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: sister Luanne give her a lafe to Christ. Won't God 578 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: do it? And as I was reading Acts chapter three, 579 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,719 Speaker 1: getting ready for today, said God, sid you don't understand 580 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:15,719 Speaker 1: the whole story because you didn't read the previous chapters. 581 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: And God took me back to Acts chapter two and 582 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 1: Acts chapter two. It said, everyone was filled with awe 583 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 1: at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 584 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: All the believers were together, they had had everything in common. 585 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: They sold their property and possessions and gave to anyone 586 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: who had need. Every day they continued to meet together 587 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes 588 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God 589 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the 590 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 591 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: This is an ordinary day the first century Church, in 592 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: the Book of Acts, an ordinary day is when they're 593 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: gathering together, they're worshiping their sacrificing and their gift, and 594 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: the Lord added to their number daily those who were 595 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: being saved. It was an ordinary day for them to 596 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: see people come to faith in Jesus. And did you 597 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: know that at Melbourne, one of our seventeen locations, on 598 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: an ordinary weekend, at one of our ordinary campuses last 599 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: week Melbourne. You had twenty eight people make decisions for 600 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: Christ last week at an ordinary weekend at an ordinary campus. 601 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: Look what God can do when ordinary people make a 602 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: one day their lifestyle. So I got it, oh, Act 603 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: chapter three. This Beggar being Healed began in Acts chapter 604 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: two cause for Peter and John, this is what we do, 605 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: this is who we are, this is our ordinary faith. 606 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: As they walk into Act chapter three, their ordinary one day, 607 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: God's at move I'm living my life for His glory. 608 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 1: Their ordinary encountered, this beggar's ordinary. The one day encountered 609 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: is just another day which I'm asking which one are you? 610 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: Are you Peter and John? Are you the beggar? And 611 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: when this ordinary collided with that ordinary, an extraordinary God 612 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: showed up on the scene. Because the lesser must submit 613 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: to the greater, and the greater glory that is in 614 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 1: those people caused that to submit, and that man's life 615 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: was changed. It's been the story of our church since 616 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: we started, not just with those original eight families, but 617 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: countless individuals who have jumped in and been a part 618 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,239 Speaker 1: of this, like John and Rodney Mullens right here. They 619 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: showed up in two thousand and sixties to get their 620 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: adult daughter at church. They said this is weird, but 621 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: they said, this is ordinary, and they've been here ever since, 622 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: serving in sacrificing people like Adam and Anita Bright build 623 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: up at a Roanoke location. They started coming to the 624 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: Ronot campus in twenty fourteen. During the Surround series. He 625 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 1: lost his job and they were pregnant. He received a 626 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: severance which they planned to live on for the next 627 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: few months and prepared for the baby to come. But 628 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: they felt God called them to give the whole severance 629 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: at the year end offering, and they weren't. Wrote down 630 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: the word trust. It didn't make sense, but they obeyed. 631 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: Let me read that again. It didn't make sense, but 632 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 1: they obeyed. That's ordinary faith God. I don't have to 633 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: understand it to obey it. I'm just gonna do it. 634 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: Within two weeks, Adam got a phone call and has 635 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: offered a better job, more pay, sustainable job, less travel, 636 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: so we can be ten with his family. Lew and 637 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 1: Kiera Torres at a Raleigh location. The Torres family joined 638 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: the Raleigh campus twenty fifteen. For the past four years, 639 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: they've been trying to have a baby, unable to conceive 640 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: last year during Waymaker, they gave sacrificially and wrote the 641 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: word baby on their card with the belief that God 642 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: was going to bring a baby their way. A little 643 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: over two months ago, baby boy David was born to 644 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: this wonderful family. Won't God do it? Ordinary people having 645 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: an ordinary faith? Bobby and Carla Sweeney at our Winston 646 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: Salem Campus. Bobby and Carla were part of launching the 647 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: Winston Salem Campus in twenty seventeen. Their adult daughter, Stephanie 648 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 1: has spina bifida. Been a long hard journey caring for 649 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: her through the mounting medical struggles through another adult daughter, Tree, 650 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: struggle with crippling postpartum depression over the past couple of years. 651 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 1: They gave sacrificially during Waymaker, and they claimed the word 652 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: trust after trusting God through so many hard times with 653 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: their families. Saw the fruit of their faith when their 654 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: daughter Tree was baptized this past August. Won't God do it? 655 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: Won't God do it? I don't give to get. God's 656 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: not a celestial vending machine that I popped in a 657 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: couple quarters of push a blessing. Heck, no, I give 658 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: because every time I give, it creates more space for 659 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: Him to occupy. God wants to be so consumed in 660 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: your life. He wants to have all of you, the 661 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: good parts, the bad parts, the parts you want and 662 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: the parts you don't. That's why we give, because He 663 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: is worth it and the Gospel commands it. We just 664 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: don't want to have a faith. I believe for it, 665 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 1: we want to live for it. And so when I 666 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: wrote those names down, my brother Lay he's not yet 667 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: come to faith. My dad, he's not yet come to faith. 668 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:12,240 Speaker 1: He's in a retirement home and he's got severe dimension. 669 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: I saw him a couple of weeks ago, and now 670 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 1: I'm like, God, how do I share the faith with him? 671 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: And he doesn't even know who I am. I still 672 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: believe God is sovereign. I don't know how, But I 673 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 1: also believe God is sovereign, and I have a responsibility. 674 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 1: My responsibility is to keep sacrificing. God's responsibility is to 675 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: keep saving, and I'm going to trust that He's going 676 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:35,759 Speaker 1: to do it even when it can make sense. So 677 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: one day isn't just for the stories that have happened. 678 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: One day is for the things that are waiting to 679 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 1: be written. That's why I give, don't give up. Somebody 680 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: needs you. And what I didn't realize is when I 681 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:52,479 Speaker 1: wrote that blank line down, I didn't know what would 682 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: encompass all of you. I didn't know what encompass all 683 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 1: of the people in Raley or Morrisville, Gaston. I also 684 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: didn't know what encompassed my family. This last Easter, I 685 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:10,399 Speaker 1: got a text from one of her e Kids directors saying, 686 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 1: your daughter, Dalen, she wants to give her life to Jesus. 687 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 1: So I sprinted across the building. I huffed and puffed 688 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,440 Speaker 1: the whole way there, but I got there, and my 689 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 1: wife and I got a chance to lead our ten 690 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: year old daughter and a prayer to give her life 691 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: to Jesus this past Easter. I didn't know that when 692 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 1: I signed up, I didn't know that. And so this 693 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,760 Speaker 1: past Easter, when I called my sister Luan and I said, hey, Dalen, 694 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:45,400 Speaker 1: just give her life to Jesus. We're celebrating. She said, Hey, Larry, 695 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: when I come out there in August, I've been thinking 696 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 1: about this for a while now. This is the name 697 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: I wrote down more than thirteen years ago. She said, 698 00:35:55,719 --> 00:36:00,880 Speaker 1: do you think you could baptize me? And then my 699 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,320 Speaker 1: daughter piles on and my daughter says, hey, do you 700 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:08,800 Speaker 1: think I could get baptist with Auntie Lou? And so 701 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: this about these baptisms happened a couple of weeks ago. 702 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 1: Take a look, is this thank you? And it is 703 00:36:29,920 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: my premis to baptize you in the name of the Fathers, 704 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 1: so that people far from God will be raised to 705 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 1: life in Christ, people like my sister, your dad, you, 706 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: your mother, your friends, your co workers, ordinary people. But 707 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:47,759 Speaker 1: you stand your feet at all of our locations. And 708 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: Peter and John stepped out of Acts chapter three an 709 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:53,879 Speaker 1: ordinary day. In the Acts chapter four, the next chapter 710 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 1: that's waiting to be written, they've been arrested at this point, 711 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:01,399 Speaker 1: put on trial for their faith, and they're taking before 712 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: the religious leaders in the Acts four thirteen and says this. 713 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,359 Speaker 1: It says, when they saw the courage of Peter and John, 714 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:14,319 Speaker 1: they realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men. They were 715 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: astonished and took note that these men had been with 716 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:25,840 Speaker 1: Jesus ordinary an ordinary day, ordinary people living an ordinary 717 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 1: life in the hands of an extraordinary God. Because the 718 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:33,840 Speaker 1: word ordinary there if in the original language, it's actually 719 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:44,520 Speaker 1: pronounced idiotas yep. If you feel ordinary, you are perfectly 720 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 1: positioned to be used by God. He's not looking for 721 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,439 Speaker 1: the religious elite. He's not looking for those that prove 722 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:53,799 Speaker 1: their worth by how much biblical acumen they have. He's 723 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: looking for ordinary people to step into ordinary situations and 724 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,520 Speaker 1: declare an extraordinary God. And it says they could tell 725 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 1: that these men had been with Jesus, not just because 726 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:07,480 Speaker 1: of the testimony of their mouth, but the evidence of 727 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:11,239 Speaker 1: their life. Faith is a language towards it, but it's 728 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 1: also a lifestyle that believes towards it. That's what God 729 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 1: wants us to do, is to walk out of here 730 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:19,840 Speaker 1: into the next chapter, but to have a one day mentality, 731 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: says God. With you, all things are possible. And we 732 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 1: serve a savior, a great God who was in heaven glorious. 733 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: But he said, I'm gonna come down as an ordinary man, 734 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:34,279 Speaker 1: take on ordinary flesh, live in an ordinary city, do 735 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 1: ordinary things. As he walked through his life in ordinary flesh, 736 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 1: an ordinary day with Jesus, blind people, seeing the deaf, 737 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:53,480 Speaker 1: hearing an ordinary day with Jesus is miraculous. And then 738 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:57,000 Speaker 1: he crawled upon to an ordinary cross, a cross that 739 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: was killed, used to kill ordinary convicts. And he was 740 00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:06,720 Speaker 1: numbered with us. And if I measure my sacrifice against 741 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 1: what Jesus did on the cross. It looks insignificant, but 742 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 1: God is looking at you, say, whatever you bring me, 743 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:18,360 Speaker 1: that's significant because the significance of my life is always 744 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:23,960 Speaker 1: tied to my sacrifice. When you walk into your job tomorrow, 745 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 1: well they know that you've been with Jesus. You go 746 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:32,840 Speaker 1: back into that classroom, put up with those little blessed souls, 747 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: and you go to work with all those just wonderful people. 748 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:45,760 Speaker 1: Are they going to know that you've been with Jesus. 749 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,080 Speaker 1: Faith doesn't mean you don't doubt. It just means that 750 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:53,759 Speaker 1: there's a game changer you go back to. Well, I 751 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:56,040 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed the podcast today, and if you did, 752 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:58,120 Speaker 1: there are just a couple things I'd love for you 753 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 1: to do. Number One, subscribe to our show. That way, 754 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: the most recent episode will always be in your feed, 755 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:08,480 Speaker 1: waiting for you ready when you are. And Secondly, if 756 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:11,000 Speaker 1: this ministry has impacted you and you'd like to help 757 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:13,440 Speaker 1: us continue to reach others, you can click the link 758 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: in the description and you can give now and I'll 759 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,160 Speaker 1: see you next time on the Elevation Podcast.