1 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Hi everybody. 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for subscribing to our video podcast here 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: at Elevation Church. We trust that these messages are speaking 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 2: directly to your heart. Beginning January seventh, we're moving to 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: audio only podcast. We'd love for you to still participate 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 2: in it. All you have to do is search for 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 2: Elevation with Stephen Ferdick. If you'd still like the video, 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: that's great. You can subscribe to Elevation Church on YouTube 9 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: and be a part of these sermons anywhere you are. 10 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 2: Thanks again for being a part of the family. 11 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: We'll see you soon. Well, welcome to Elevation. 12 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:43,639 Speaker 3: Hasn't this been an amazing time of worship already at 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 3: all of our locations. 14 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Those of you joining us online, Merry Christmas. You did it, 15 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: you're here, you made it. 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 3: What a beautiful time we've had together this morning. And 17 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 3: I love coming to church, but I love coming especially 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 3: this time of year, because it forces me to stop 19 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 3: thinking about all the things that I have left to 20 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 3: do this week and just spend an hour focusing on 21 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 3: why we really celebrate Christmas. That Jesus came, he was 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 3: born in a manger, and we worship him. And so 23 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 3: today I'm really excited about the word that God has 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 3: given me to say to you. Stand on your feet. 25 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 3: I'm going to share our scripture and we will jump 26 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 3: right in. All right, turn in your bible if you 27 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 3: have one, to mark chapter eight, and we're going to 28 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 3: start in verse one. During those days, another large crowd gathered. 29 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: Since they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples to. 30 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 3: Him and said, I have compassion for these people. They 31 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 3: have already been with me three days had and have 32 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they 33 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 3: will collapse along the way, because some of them have 34 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 3: come a long distance. His disciples answered, but where in 35 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 3: this remote place we can anyone get enough bread to 36 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 3: feed them? 37 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: How many loaves do. 38 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 3: You have, Jesus asked, seven, they replied, and he told 39 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 3: the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he 40 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 3: had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke 41 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 3: them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to 42 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 3: the people, and they did so. They had a few 43 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 3: small fish as well, and he gave thanks for them also, 44 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 3: and told the disciples to distribute them. 45 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: The people ate and were satisfied. 46 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 3: Afterwards, the disciples picked up seven baskets full of broken 47 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 3: pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. God, 48 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 3: would you've blessed this word today? We love you Jesus name, 49 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 3: We pray Amma. All right, give a couple of good 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 3: Christmas hugs before you. 51 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: Take your seat. Thank you worship team. That was amazing. 52 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 3: I think Jenna and John sou should do more duets. Hey, 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 3: I was really beautiful. 54 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: Okay? Is it okay? 55 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 3: If I give you a Christmas sermon that's not from 56 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 3: a Christmas Bible passage? 57 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: Good because I already am. First, I want to tell 58 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: you of a short story. 59 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 3: Don't for all those of you don't like long stories. 60 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 3: I like long stories, but have a short. 61 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: One for you today. 62 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 3: Many of you know that Stephen and I we got 63 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 3: married when we were practically babies. Right three weeks after 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 3: our college graduation, at twenty two years of old, twenty 65 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 3: two years of age, we got married and we basically 66 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 3: moved out of our dorms and into our first apartment. 67 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: So during our first year of marriage, we were figuring 68 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 3: out everything together. 69 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: We were figuring out how to get along. 70 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 3: How to budget, what we did after work, how to 71 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 3: celebrate holidays. 72 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: What we did on weekends, And we had so many any. 73 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 3: Conversations about how his family did this and my family 74 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 3: did that, And little by little I began to realize 75 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 3: that there were things in my childhood that I thought 76 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 3: were common place. 77 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: And they were actually weird. So here's an example. 78 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 3: One night, after I got home from teaching school, I 79 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 3: said to Stephen, I said, hey, I need to get 80 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 3: groceries for the week. 81 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: Let's just go eat dinner at the grocery store. I 82 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: need to look back at. 83 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 3: Me, and he said, you mean go out to eat 84 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 3: after we get groceries. 85 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: I said, no, we'll just eat while we shop. 86 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 3: And like by the look on his face, I had 87 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 3: one of those moments where I realized my family was 88 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 3: not normal. So you see, my family occasionally, not like 89 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 3: once a week or anything, but occasionally we would eat 90 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 3: dinner at the grocery store. 91 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: And I'm not talking about go to Costco and eat 92 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: the samples. We did that too. I'm talking like sometimes 93 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: when my. 94 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 3: Mom had a busy week and long list of groceries 95 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 3: for our family of five, we would all go to Public's. 96 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 3: We're shopping is a pleasure, and while my parents put 97 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 3: items in the cart, we would open things up and 98 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 3: eat them as we walked along, so a deli meat 99 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 3: and cheese slices. You know, you roll it together and 100 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 3: Dorito's straight out of the family sized bag, and you're 101 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 3: helping me know that this was not normal. I didn't 102 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 3: know you were going to laugh that much. And then 103 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 3: when it came time to check out, they would just 104 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 3: pay for the open items along with the other things 105 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 3: in the cart. And I specifically remember complaining to my 106 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 3: mom one night because I didn't want to eat dinner. 107 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: At the grocery store and she. 108 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: Was like, well why, And I said, I want a sandwich. 109 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: I don't want to just eat meat and cheese from 110 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: the deli. 111 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 3: And she said, well, just open the bread and make 112 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 3: yourself a sandwich, and I did, and a decade later 113 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 3: I realized that other families didn't eat. 114 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:10,799 Speaker 1: Dinner at the grocery store. 115 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 3: The title of my sermon today is the Bread is 116 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 3: in your hands. 117 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: Let's go back to the disciples for a minute. I 118 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: shouldn't need to give you too. 119 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 3: Much backstory on this because Pastor Stephen preached on this 120 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 3: story just a few months ago and the sermon was 121 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 3: called Navigating not Enough. 122 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: Does anybody remember that one? It's the one where he. 123 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 3: Talked about girl math and God math and how. 124 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: And yeah you remember that one, and how enough is 125 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: not a feeling, it's a place of faith. It was 126 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: so good. 127 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 3: If you missed it, you got to go back because 128 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 3: this is part two of that message. 129 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: And today I want to open. 130 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 3: Up that phrase. Enough is not a feeling, it's a 131 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 3: place of faith. So what is a feeling? A feeling, 132 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 3: especially this time of year, is tired and irritated, overwhelmed. 133 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 3: And we feel these feelings when we're faced with a 134 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 3: situation or a season where we wonder. 135 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: If we have enough. 136 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: And when I find myself in a place of not enough, 137 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:18,119 Speaker 3: I automatically think that the solution is more right, more time, 138 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 3: more money, if I had more help. 139 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: But the problem is in the moment, more is outside. 140 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 3: Of your control. You don't have more. If you could 141 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 3: get more, you would get more. So sometimes the solution 142 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 3: is right there in your hands. And what you need 143 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 3: is the faith to see what you actually have. You 144 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 3: don't actually need more. You need the faith to see 145 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 3: what you already have and the courage to turn. 146 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: It over to Jesus. Now, I don't want to be 147 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: too hard on the. 148 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 3: Disciples, because I do think that following Jesus would have 149 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 3: been simultaneously the coolest thing ever and the hardest thing ever. 150 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 3: But I do have some questions for the disciples, particularly 151 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 3: about this story. 152 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: Now, you might have noticed in your Bible that this. 153 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 3: Story is called the Feeding of the four thousand, and 154 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 3: that's because just two chapters back, we have almost the 155 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: same story, but it's called the Feeding of the five thousand, 156 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 3: and the two stories are almost identical, so much so 157 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 3: that if both if both Matthew and Mark, they tell 158 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 3: both stories, so they both tell the Feeding of the 159 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 3: five thousand feeding in the four thousand. Some people would 160 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 3: argue that maybe they were the same thing and people 161 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,079 Speaker 3: got mixed up, but they're not so. In the Feeding 162 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 3: of the five thousand, the crowds gathered around Jesus and 163 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 3: he healed people, and he taught them, and they were 164 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 3: hearing and understanding the good news for the first time, 165 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 3: and all of a sudden, so much time had passed 166 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 3: that there was not enough food for the people to 167 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 3: journey back home, because obviously, for a crowd that size together, 168 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 3: they would have had to go out to a remote place, 169 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 3: and many of them had come from several towns away. 170 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: And Jesus felt compassion for the people. He wanted to 171 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: give them something to eat. 172 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 3: Now I get it this time why the disciples were 173 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 3: baffled when Jesus told them to feed the crowd. 174 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: And in this particular passage, Jesus just looks. 175 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 3: At them and he says, you feed them, and they're like, Jesus, 176 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 3: it would take more than half a year's wages to 177 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 3: feed all of these people. 178 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: And Jesus said, go see what you have. 179 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 3: And then the disciple Andrew, does anybody remember this story? 180 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 3: He finds a kid with five loaves and two fish, 181 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 3: and they bring that to Jesus and he takes it 182 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 3: and he blesses it, and they all eat and they're satisfied. 183 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 3: The Bible tells us it wasn't just five thousand men, 184 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 3: but it was five thousand men plus the women and children, 185 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 3: and they had twelve baskets full leftover. 186 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: A miracle. I mean, the. 187 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 3: Disciples must have been flying high to be a part 188 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 3: of feeding that many people, right. So two chapters later, 189 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 3: Mark gives us the account of Jesus feeding the four thousand, 190 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 3: and I'm like, how much time could there have been 191 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 3: between these two stories? 192 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: So I googled it. 193 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 3: Most scholars think, of course, you think I looked it 194 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 3: up in like a commentary or something. 195 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: I googled it. Most scholars think that it was about. 196 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 3: Six months, so only six months after the disciples found 197 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 3: themselves in almost the same exact place. 198 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: Crowds gather so large they have to go out to 199 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: a remote place. 200 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 3: Jesus teaches and heals, and so much time passes, they 201 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 3: run out of food and they won't be able to 202 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 3: make the journey back home. 203 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: Okay, look at the passage again. 204 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 3: Jesus says, I have compassion for these people. They've already 205 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 3: been with me three days and have had nothing to eat, 206 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 3: have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, 207 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 3: they will collapse along the way, because some of them 208 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 3: have come a long distance. His disciples answered, but where 209 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 3: in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to 210 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 3: feed them? 211 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: Seriously, not one out of the twelve. 212 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 3: Things to say, Jesus, let's go, We got seven loaves. 213 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: Do that thing again, will multiply the bread. And then 214 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: another disciple maybe starts singing. 215 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 3: Dun dun dun, dun, dun, dun dun dun, And then 216 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 3: they're like, and I believe I. 217 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 1: See wo there's twelve of them and not one of them. Now, 218 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:40,479 Speaker 1: maybe they really. 219 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 3: Did forget about the feeding of the five thousand just 220 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 3: six months before. Maybe they had seen Jesus do that 221 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 3: many miracles and they weren't thinking about that one. And 222 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 3: I do know that in my life there are many 223 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 3: times where I forget the things. 224 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: That God has done for me. Right like when I 225 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 1: think of. 226 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 3: The miracles that God has done in my life and 227 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 3: the things that I have seen God in the life 228 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 3: of this church, it's insane. I still to this day 229 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 3: can smell the smell of the Providence High School drama 230 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 3: dressing rooms. 231 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: That's where we first started. 232 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,559 Speaker 3: And I remember peeking out from behind the curtain because 233 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 3: back then I was one of the background vocalists. 234 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: You didn't know that about me, did you. 235 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 3: Because we didn't have anyone who could really sing yet, 236 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 3: and so I was getting the job done. And I 237 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 3: remember peeking out from behind the curtain and wondering if 238 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 3: people were going to show up because we'd added a 239 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 3: second service, and every week they did. And I remember 240 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 3: during COVID wondering if people were really going to watch 241 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 3: church online from their homes, and they did. And I've 242 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 3: seen so many miracles in my own life and in 243 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 3: my own family, and yet sometimes when a tough situation arises, 244 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 3: I get this like sudden onset of spiritual amnesia, and I. 245 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 1: Completely forget all that I have seen. 246 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 3: God do with my seven loaves of bread. So maybe 247 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 3: they did forget. That's still a possibility. But just go 248 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 3: with me here, because my December imagination was going, and 249 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 3: I started thinking, what if they didn't forget about the 250 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 3: feeding of the five thousand? What if they actually remembered 251 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 3: how much work it took to feed five thousand men 252 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 3: plus women and children. Because look, in my house, I 253 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 3: am in charge of feeding five people. I always planned 254 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 3: for a straight teenager or two as well. 255 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: And some nights I cook a lot. I like to cook, 256 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: so some nights I cook, some nights we order food. 257 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 3: And my strategy is always never throw food away, because 258 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 3: unless it's bad, which in my house my kids know, 259 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 3: it has to look bad or smell bad, otherwise you 260 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,839 Speaker 3: can eat it, or if it tastes bad, spit it out. 261 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 3: It's fine because I don't throw it for it away 262 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 3: because there's somebody who's always hungry in my house, and 263 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 3: so I always make sure that there's enough food in 264 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 3: our fridge and in our pantry. And so some nights 265 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 3: when I'm too tired to feed people and I don't 266 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 3: want to go to the effort of cooking, and I 267 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 3: don't want to go to the effort of ordering and 268 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 3: spending the money to order food, I'm just gonna be 269 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 3: honest with you. When a teenager looks at me and 270 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 3: asks me, where in this remote place can we get 271 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 3: enough food, I have a hard time mustering up the 272 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 3: compassion of Jesus. So we don't break bread, We eat cereal. 273 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 3: Feeding people is a lot of work. And I just 274 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 3: wonder if the Disciples remembered how much work it was 275 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 3: to distribute food to thousands and thousands of people. Remember, 276 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 3: they had been there for three days too, and they 277 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 3: were tired too, and they had just enough left to 278 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 3: split between the lot of them and go home. 279 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: And so as I was. 280 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 3: Feeling like I did not have enough during this busy 281 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 3: Christmas season, it made me wonder if in this moment, 282 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 3: the disciples problem was not enough bread, but if their 283 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 3: problem was not enough compassion. 284 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: Stephen told us in his message. 285 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 3: That the disciples saw crowds. When Jesus saw people, he 286 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 3: had compassion for the people. 287 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: He said, they've been here three days. 288 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 3: They won't make it home if you don't give them 289 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 3: something to eat. And when we're faced with a not 290 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 3: enough moment, our first prayer should be, Lord. 291 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: Change what I see. 292 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 3: I think the disciples wanted to eat their seven loaves 293 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 3: and go home and get a shot and get some sleep. 294 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 1: But Jesus had compassion on the hungry people, and he 295 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: knew that he had more to give them. 296 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 3: Jesus wanted this crowd to go home full physically and spiritually, 297 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 3: because he knew that often our physical needs are directly 298 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 3: connected with our spiritual needs, and he wanted to feed 299 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 3: the people through the hands of the disciples. 300 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: Lord, change what I see. I want to see people, 301 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: not problems. 302 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 3: I want to have compassion for the hungry people around me. 303 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 3: Every day, sometimes all day long. We're all dealing with 304 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 3: hungry people. The person you work with, the lady bringing 305 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 3: you up at target, your kids, your kid's teacher, your 306 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 3: mother in law, your neighbor, your spouse, the person standing 307 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 3: too close to you on the subway. And it's complicated, 308 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 3: and I know it's not easy, But each moment we 309 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 3: have the opportunity to choose to see faceless crowds or 310 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 3: hungry people. 311 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: When you see hungry people, you will. 312 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 3: Feel empathy and you will be moved to compassion. Something 313 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 3: inside of you, somehow sees someone's pain and responds to it. 314 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 3: When you see faceless crowds, you're thinking about yourself. And 315 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 3: this time of year, it is so easy to just 316 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 3: get through. You're tired, you're worried, you're running out of time. 317 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 1: But here is what I want to say to you today. 318 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 3: The level to which you are able to feel the 319 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:44,400 Speaker 3: presence of Christ this Christmas is directly related to how 320 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 3: you treat the people in your every day life. 321 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: This is not an easy message. 322 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 3: I don't think a lot of people are going to 323 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,439 Speaker 3: be like aymen, this is a hard one for me. 324 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: But what I want to he's about how I want 325 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: to say it. 326 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 3: I am learning that I feel closer to God when 327 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 3: I am kinder to others. Write that down, because that's 328 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 3: the main thing I want you to remember from this sermon. 329 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 3: I feel closer to God when I am kinder to others. 330 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: Now, I was raised in church, and I was taught. 331 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 3: So many wonderful things about the Bible, and I was 332 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 3: raised to understand the importance of reading my Bible and 333 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 3: praying every day. And I was taught how important it 334 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 3: is to attend church and serve and tithe and give, 335 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 3: and all of these things help us to hear God 336 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 3: and to know God and to grow in our faith. 337 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 3: Those things are the essentials of our faith and elevation. 338 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 3: Church would not be what it is today, reaching people 339 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 3: around the globe without the amazing people here who serve 340 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 3: and lead and give and tithe. 341 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: And if you're one of those people, thank you. 342 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 3: We're still in the process of receiving our year end offering, 343 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 3: and last week many of you came forward and you gave, 344 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,639 Speaker 3: and that money enables us not only to spread the 345 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 3: gospel further with the messages of this church and the 346 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 3: amazing messages from our pastor and the songs and all, 347 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 3: but it also helps us to truly be able to 348 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:24,360 Speaker 3: show the compassion of Jesus to people who are actually 349 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 3: hungry and living in poverty. 350 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 1: It enables us to provide disaster. 351 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 3: Relief where it's needed, and fund education programs and so 352 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 3: much more. It's amazing what God can do when we 353 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 3: give him our loves. Right, however, you can do all 354 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 3: of those things and miss the point. I heard a 355 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 3: preacher once say that the greatest indication of your relationship 356 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:57,479 Speaker 3: with God is how you treat others, and not just 357 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 3: how you treat the people that you love, although some 358 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 3: of us treat the people we love the worst. 359 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: But it's how you treat the people you don't understand. 360 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: It's how you treat the people you don't agree with. 361 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 3: It's how you treat people who have perhaps treated you poorly. 362 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: In Luke six. In Luke six, Jesus. 363 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 3: Says, if you love only those who love you, why 364 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 3: should you get credit for that? 365 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: Even sinners love those who love them. 366 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 3: Love your enemies, do good to them, lend to them 367 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 3: without expecting to be repaid. 368 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and. 369 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 3: You will truly be acting as children of the most High, 370 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 3: For He is kind to those who. 371 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: Are unthankful and wicked. 372 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 3: You must be compassionate, just as your father is compassionate. 373 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 3: Because the scary thing is that the people that Jesus 374 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 3: was the most harsh with in the Bible were the 375 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 3: religious people, people who followed all the rules and attended 376 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 3: church and prayed the prayers and made the sacrifices because 377 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 3: these people have begun to think that doing those things 378 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 3: made them closer to God and also. 379 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:15,439 Speaker 1: Better than everyone else. 380 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,159 Speaker 3: And there have been times in my life when I 381 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 3: thought memorizing scripture and participating in Bible studies and abstaining 382 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 3: from certain substances would make me feel closer to God. 383 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 3: And don't get me wrong, because all of those things 384 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 3: play a huge role in my growth as a Christian. 385 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:36,239 Speaker 3: But the actual growth comes when I apply all of 386 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 3: those things that I'm learning to my relationships and my 387 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 3: interactions with others. And the longer I walk with God 388 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 3: here it is again, the more I realize that I 389 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 3: feel the closest to God. 390 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: When I'm kind to others. 391 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 3: Jesus says later in the Book of John a new commandment. 392 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 3: I give you love one another as I have loved you, 393 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 3: So you must love one another. By this, everyone will 394 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 3: know that you are my disciples if you love one another. 395 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 3: The way we treat others is what sets us apart 396 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 3: as believers in Christ. 397 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: So let me ask you this, if the. 398 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 3: Only way for people in your life to know that 399 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 3: you are a Christian was not by how often you 400 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 3: went to church or how many Bible verses you knew, 401 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 3: but was by how you. 402 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: Treated other people? What would they say about you? Now? 403 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 3: Listen, Our outward actions do not change our status with God. 404 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 3: The way I treat others makes me feel closer to God. 405 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,159 Speaker 3: But we're all covered by his grace, Thank God, because 406 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 3: we all have moments. Right, not too long ago, I 407 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 3: went to home Goods and I think it was a 408 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 3: Saturday because God and everybody was there. 409 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 1: And I drove around and there was only one parking 410 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:02,959 Speaker 1: space available. 411 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 3: And I drive a really big mom Suv, but I'm 412 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 3: really good at parking it, and so I whip. 413 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: Into this space and it was close, but it's a 414 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: big car. That's how you drive it. And and so 415 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, I whip into this place. 416 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 3: And the owner of the car that I got really 417 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 3: really close to, like probably inches, she happened to be 418 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 3: sitting in her vehicle and she watched the whole thing, 419 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 3: and she looked at me and she was like, you 420 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 3: almost get my car, And I'm you know, I've been 421 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 3: driving around looking for this space for a while. 422 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: And so I looked back at her and I was 423 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: like what, because. 424 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 4: What was the best word I could think to say 425 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 4: in the moment, you know, the best thing that could. 426 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 4: We all have moments, moments we wish we could take back, 427 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 4: moments I'm not even. 428 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 3: Gonna share with you here that are a lot worse 429 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 3: than what happened at Home Goods. We all have moments 430 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 3: that we know are covered by God's grace, but we 431 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 3: hope that they're covered by people's grace too. And there's 432 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 3: always forgiveness to be found in Christ. But we have 433 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 3: to realize that our outward actions and our responses to 434 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 3: others can affect our ability to sense the presence and 435 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 3: the peace of. 436 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: God in our lives. 437 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 3: And if you're wondering this Christmas why you don't feel 438 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 3: close to Christ, why you don't feel peace in your heart, 439 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 3: maybe you should check how you're treating other people. Unfortunately, 440 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 3: we don't get to choose the people that God has 441 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 3: placed in our lives and on our paths. 442 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: We don't get to. 443 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 3: Choose the family that we're born into. Maybe you didn't 444 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 3: have to eat dinner at the grocery store. Married didn 445 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 3: get to choose those who came to worship Jesus that 446 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 3: night in the stable. But we do get to choose 447 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 3: how we see the people in our lives, and I 448 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 3: know that the people in your life are messy. It's 449 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 3: messy and loving them is complicated. It's like the farthest 450 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 3: thing from simple what I'm asking you to do today, 451 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 3: Because I know there's history, and there's pain, and there's 452 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 3: things that have been said, and there's the way people 453 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 3: always have acted. 454 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 1: I get it. 455 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 3: I'm just asking you to think, if you feel far 456 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 3: from God this Christmas, you might need to ask God 457 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 3: to help you change the way you see His sons 458 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 3: and daughters, because you can have boundaries and be kind 459 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 3: at the same time. You know that phrase hurting people 460 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 3: hurt people. I want to change it a little bit 461 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 3: today and tell you hungry people hurt people. Have you 462 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 3: ever been angry in the worst mood because you haven't 463 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 3: eaten anything, And if you would just eat something, everything 464 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 3: would change. What if you could change someone's day by 465 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 3: sharing some of your bread with them. 466 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: The people that. 467 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 3: You encounter this Christmas, your family workers, your co worker, 468 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 3: your family workers, your family members. 469 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: Your co workers, the person. 470 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 3: In front of you in mine at the grocery store. 471 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 3: They're all hungry. And I know you're hungry too. But 472 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 3: I believe that God sent me here today to tell 473 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 3: you that there is bread in your hands. Look back 474 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 3: at the scripture. I have compassion for these people. They've 475 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 3: already been with me for three days and have nothing 476 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 3: to eat. If they send them home hungry, they will 477 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 3: collapse on the way, because some of them have come 478 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 3: a long distance. 479 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: The disciples answered, but where in this remote place could 480 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 1: we get enough food to feed them? 481 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 3: How many loaves do you have, Jesus asked seven. 482 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: They replied seven was not much. They would have needed 483 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 1: thirteen for each of. 484 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,359 Speaker 3: Them to have one, but they had seven, and so 485 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 3: they gave their seven loaves to Jesus. 486 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: You know that you. 487 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 3: Don't have to give everyone a feast. You don't have 488 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 3: to stop and pray with the waitress at lunch today, 489 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 3: but you can smile and say thank you and give 490 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 3: her a nice tip whether she got your order perfectly 491 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 3: right or not. You don't have to be an annoying 492 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 3: Christian to have compassion on the people around you. You 493 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 3: can be kind within your own giftings and within your 494 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 3: own personality. And I just want to say that extroverts 495 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,920 Speaker 3: aren't better Christians. They just like talking to people in 496 00:27:54,960 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 3: line at target times. Kindness is listening, not talking listening 497 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 3: to a story you've heard before, listening to an opinion 498 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 3: that you don't agree with. Sometimes compassion is just walking away. 499 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 3: Sometimes the gift of compassion is biting your tongue. Sometimes 500 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 3: kindness is making eye contact. I'm telling you it's it's 501 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 3: way simpler than you're making it out to me. Stephen 502 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,880 Speaker 3: says that I am a no eye contact person in public, 503 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 3: and it's true. I don't know why I'm in Harristeter. 504 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: I have a job to do. I have hungry teenagers 505 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: to feed. 506 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 3: And sometimes I have my audio book in and I'm 507 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 3: playing candy Crush. 508 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: At the checkout. 509 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 3: Okay, like I'm that, But sometimes I do that at 510 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 3: home too, and I'm checked out. How can you even 511 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 3: begin to. 512 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: See the people in your life? 513 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 3: How can I even begin to see the people in 514 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 3: my life when I'm instantly staring at my phone? And 515 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 3: so while I'm up here preaching to myself, I feel 516 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 3: like I should say to some of the people in 517 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 3: this room that are running around and trying to make 518 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 3: everything perfect and getting the gifts under the tree and 519 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 3: wrapped and beautiful, and the holiday meals and the class 520 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 3: parties and the Secretsanda and the family Christmas card and 521 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,719 Speaker 3: all of those wonderful, beautiful things. But you know what 522 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 3: your family wants from you for Christmas this year. They 523 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 3: want you to not freak out about the trash on 524 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 3: the floor at eight thirty am on Christmas morning. I'm 525 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:42,960 Speaker 3: saying that to myself. I know you're hungry too, but 526 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 3: don't put kindness. 527 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: On your to do list. Be like my mom. She said, 528 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: you want bread, there's bread right here in the cart. 529 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: God didn't ask the disciples to prepare a five course meal, 530 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: He said, how much bread do you you have? What's 531 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: in your car? How can you see the people around you? 532 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 3: Sometimes compassion is simply stopping to encourage someone that you 533 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 3: know is going through. 534 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: A difficult season. It's that simple. Two weeks ago, on 535 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: a Saturday night, I was really stressed. 536 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 3: I had a list a mile long to take care of, 537 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 3: and I was also trying to prepare a sermon for 538 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 3: you know, a lot of people, and I was trying 539 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 3: my best just to you know, tackle one thing at 540 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 3: a time. And I think I did a pretty okay 541 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 3: job not taking it out on my kids and my family. 542 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 3: But by the time that I went to bed, my 543 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 3: stomach was in naughts. And I don't know if any 544 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 3: of you ever go to bed and you're just praying. 545 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: You're like, God, just help me not forget anything that 546 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: I've committed to do. 547 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 3: And I woke up the next morning to a text 548 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 3: from a staff member and a friend. Her name is Daytona, 549 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 3: and she texted me and she said that she had 550 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 3: woken up in the middle of the night and felt 551 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 3: led to pray peace over us, and she just typed 552 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 3: out a prayer about the peace of God having authority 553 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 3: over me. 554 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: That was bread. 555 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 3: I woke up to bread right there on my phone 556 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 3: because someone else stopped for a second to think about 557 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 3: someone other than herself. You don't have to be a 558 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 3: preacher or a Bible scholar or you know, Mother Teresa 559 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:37,479 Speaker 3: to feed the hungry this Christmas. And if you're listening 560 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 3: to this message and you're thinking, great, now I have 561 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 3: to add more to my list. I need to find 562 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 3: a soup kitchen for my family to serve out. 563 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: You're totally missing the point. 564 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 3: Obviously, if the opportunity arises for you to serve at 565 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 3: an organization like that, you should do it. But the 566 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 3: point is having compassion is less about signing up to 567 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 3: serve and is more about what is right in front 568 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 3: of who is right in front of you. A good 569 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 3: friend of mine has been letting a teenage girl in 570 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 3: her neighborhood live with her for weeks this Christmas because 571 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 3: she has nowhere else to go except the foster care system. 572 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 3: That is the compassion of Christ. 573 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: When you have the faith to pray, Lord, here is 574 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: my bread. Use what I have. 575 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 3: God will always present you with an opportunity. And Mary's 576 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 3: prayer the one that she prayed after the angel came 577 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 3: to her and told her that she was going to 578 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 3: carry the son of God. She starts off by saying, 579 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 3: my soul magnifies the Lord. My heart rejoices in God, 580 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 3: my savior, for he lifts the lowly. And then she 581 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 3: goes on to say this beautiful thing she says, for 582 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:52,240 Speaker 3: he has filled the. 583 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 1: Hungry with good things. 584 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 3: God has compassion for the hungry, and the good news 585 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 3: is he wants to feed them through you. 586 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: The power came from Jesus, but the bread was in 587 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 1: their hands. Here's the funny thing. Look at verse six. 588 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,479 Speaker 3: He told the crowds to sit down on the ground 589 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 3: when he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks 590 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 3: he broke them and gave them to his disciples to 591 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 3: distribute to the people, and they did so. They had 592 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 3: a few small fish as well. He gave thanks for 593 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 3: them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 594 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: Where did the fish come from? The disciples never mentioned 595 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: any fish. 596 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 3: But maybe someone saw the bread going around and they 597 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 3: just threw their fish into the lot. When you give 598 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 3: God what you have, when you give him what time 599 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 3: you have, when you give him the ability you have, 600 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 3: the resources that you have, you will always have more 601 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 3: than enough. 602 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,520 Speaker 1: Someone's gonna throw some fish into the pile. He always enough. 603 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: The key is to see what you have, count your 604 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: loaves this morning and thank God for them, ask him 605 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: to bless them. So this looks like you wake up 606 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 1: in the morning and you say, God, here's my bread today. 607 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 3: Thank you for my health, thank you for my job, 608 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 3: thank you for my family, thank you for the home 609 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:26,359 Speaker 3: that we have to host people in. Thank you for 610 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 3: the car that I have to go Christmas shopping in. 611 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 3: Here's my time, God, here's my day. Change how I 612 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 3: see and interact with people today. 613 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:38,319 Speaker 1: Show me what I have in my hands. We're not 614 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:39,800 Speaker 1: going to get it right every time. 615 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 3: We're human beings with feelings and emotions, and we're navigating 616 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 3: our own hunger while simultaneously trying to feed others. But 617 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 3: the faith to feed is directly connected to your proximity 618 00:34:52,960 --> 00:35:00,440 Speaker 3: to Jesus. Think about the order the disciples gave Jesus 619 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,919 Speaker 3: the bread. Jesus blessed it, gave it back to them, 620 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 3: They passed it out over and over again until four 621 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 3: thousand people were fed. Last Christmas, I was making a 622 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 3: big meal for our family, and you know, first I 623 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:19,600 Speaker 3: made a cake. We have this chocolate chip pound cake 624 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 3: that everybody likes, and so I was making that, and 625 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 3: of course I licked the batter, because that's the privilege 626 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:26,720 Speaker 3: of being the cook. 627 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 1: And then I made a. 628 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 3: Cheeseboard because I wanted us to have, you know, appetizers, 629 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 3: and so I was snacking on the grapes and the cheese, 630 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 3: and I had to make sure the. 631 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: Crackers weren't stale. 632 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 3: And then I sliced the bread and that we were 633 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 3: gonna I was gonna warm in the oven, and so 634 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,840 Speaker 3: you know, I ate the little in piece. And I 635 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 3: was making mashed potatoes and I had to taste those 636 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 3: to make sure that they had enough salt. 637 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:50,839 Speaker 1: And you know what. 638 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,360 Speaker 3: By the time I sat down to that meal with 639 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:56,719 Speaker 3: my family, I don't know if this is ever having you. 640 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 3: I wasn't really hungry at all because the people in 641 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 3: the kitchen have the most access to the food. 642 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: And don't you think that the. 643 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 3: Disciples were eating the bread and the fish as they 644 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:11,879 Speaker 3: passed it out? 645 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,439 Speaker 1: Of course they were. They got to it first. As 646 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,640 Speaker 1: long as they stayed close to Jesus. There was plenty 647 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: for everyone. And when you're feeding others, it's an act 648 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: of service, of course it is, but you benefit from it. 649 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 3: And I'm giving you permission this Christmas to lick the bowl. 650 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 3: Watch God do something through your hands. He will supply 651 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:39,439 Speaker 3: you with everything you need. He will not only give 652 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:42,840 Speaker 3: you the compassion for the people you interact with, but 653 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 3: He's also going to give you the energy to distribute. 654 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: It if you remain close to him. 655 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:52,480 Speaker 3: Stay in the kitchen this Christmas and experience the feeling 656 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:56,360 Speaker 3: of being full while you serve. Watch the energy shift 657 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,320 Speaker 3: in your heart and in your home, while you see 658 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,399 Speaker 3: the people, and you watch God do what he does with. 659 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: The bread that you have. 660 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,879 Speaker 3: Before Jesus, they had seven loaves after they gave what. 661 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: They had to Jesus. They had so much left over 662 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: they couldn't even eat it all. 663 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 3: They no longer had seven loaves, they had seven baskets full. 664 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 3: And the basket was the Hebrew word for the basket 665 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 3: meant it was like the basket that Paul hid in. 666 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 1: It was a basket big enough for a man to 667 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: fit in. They had seven basketfuls left over. 668 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 3: And I want to tell you that joy and peace 669 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 3: and contentment is what's going to be in your baskets 670 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 3: this Christmas, and you won't even know where it came from. 671 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:45,560 Speaker 3: To stay close, the prophet Isaiah said, the Virgin will 672 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 3: give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, 673 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:54,640 Speaker 3: which means God with us. Don't miss out on the 674 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 3: nearness of Christ this Christmas. 675 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 1: Fight for it with everything you have. 676 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 3: Let the pain and the disappointments that you face this 677 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 3: season draw you closer to Christ. Let the hardship and 678 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 3: the questions that you have draw you closer to Jesus, 679 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 3: because everything flows from that close relationship with Him. 680 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,240 Speaker 1: Before I close, I want. 681 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 3: To remind you also today that God's kindness and compassion 682 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 3: is for you too, And maybe you should try being 683 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 3: a little kinder to yourself this Christmas as well. Sometimes 684 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:40,879 Speaker 3: the person that you're the least kind to is yourself. 685 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 3: You can't stop thinking about all the ways that you 686 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 3: have messed up, and the enemy wants nothing more than 687 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:55,400 Speaker 3: to get in between you and Emmanuel. So the enemy's 688 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 3: going to say to you you should be farther along 689 00:38:58,680 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 3: than you are now. 690 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 1: When he does, you press in to Emmanuel and you 691 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: remind him how far God has brought you. 692 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 3: When the enemy says to you, your kids deserve better 693 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,240 Speaker 3: than you, you remember that just like God placed Jesus 694 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:20,760 Speaker 3: in Mary's hands, God sovereignly placed your child, your children 695 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:23,320 Speaker 3: in your lap. And the breadth that's in your hands 696 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 3: is enough for you and for them. When the enemy 697 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:30,919 Speaker 3: tells you that you've made too many mistakes, you tell 698 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 3: yourself that Jesus came to earth and died so that 699 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 3: his grace would not only cover all of your sins. 700 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,279 Speaker 1: But empower you to live for him. 701 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:42,880 Speaker 3: John ten ten Jesus said, the thief comes to steal, 702 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,399 Speaker 3: kill and destroy, But I have come that they may 703 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 3: have life and have it to the full. The message 704 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 3: of Christmas, this of Christmas is that Jesus humbled himself 705 00:39:56,320 --> 00:40:00,839 Speaker 3: by becoming flash and coming to earth, the word became flesh. 706 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:04,319 Speaker 1: And it dwelt among us. His love for you is 707 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:06,040 Speaker 1: that great. 708 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:10,800 Speaker 3: Em Manuel, God with us, looks at you with the love. 709 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:15,439 Speaker 1: And compassion and patience of a father. Today. He paid 710 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:18,439 Speaker 1: a great price for you. He took our guilt. 711 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:20,600 Speaker 3: And our sin and our shame so that we could 712 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 3: have life to the full, not running on empty, running 713 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:25,800 Speaker 3: on full. 714 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:29,480 Speaker 1: Let him satisfy your soul today. 715 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:33,720 Speaker 3: As I close, I thought I could take the remaining 716 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 3: moments that we have to just reflect on what we've 717 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:42,040 Speaker 3: heard today and on the wonder of Christmas and the 718 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 3: Holy night when God became flesh came to earth that 719 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 3: we might experience his love and compassion for us. Lev 720 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 3: Thank you for your word to us today. Would you 721 00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 3: seal it on our hearts. Thank you for your kindness 722 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:05,839 Speaker 3: to us. Lord, Thank you for your nearness to us 723 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 3: in this moment. Maybe go out of here today full 724 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:17,839 Speaker 3: of the love and compassion of Christ for ourselves, and 725 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:21,359 Speaker 3: may it overflow to all those around us. 726 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: We love you, Lord. 727 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 3: Thank you for your love and your kindness and your 728 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 3: patience with us. Thank you for your grace that covers us, 729 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 3: and most of all, we thank you for Jesus that 730 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:38,399 Speaker 3: he came to earth as a baby so. 731 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,759 Speaker 1: That we might know you and Jesus name. 732 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:50,839 Speaker 5: I pray Amen, thanks for joining us today. We pray 733 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:52,600 Speaker 5: that God has spoken to you in a unique and 734 00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:55,279 Speaker 5: powerful way through the message. Well, we are in our 735 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:57,640 Speaker 5: year in Offering season as a church where we get 736 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:00,440 Speaker 5: the opportunity to reflect back on all the ways that 737 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:02,880 Speaker 5: God has been faithful to our ministry this year, but 738 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 5: also to look ahead at what we're believing God for 739 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 5: in the upcoming year. And each year as a church, 740 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,960 Speaker 5: we get to come around a special offering and offering 741 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,880 Speaker 5: that contributes to both outreach efforts in local and global 742 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,759 Speaker 5: cities and as well as the expansion of our ministry 743 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 5: continuing to reach people all over with the hope of 744 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:21,719 Speaker 5: the Gospel. And we'd invite you to take part and 745 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:24,239 Speaker 5: participate in our year end offering. To do so, you 746 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 5: can go to Elevationchurch dot org. Just click the banner 747 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 5: there at the top and then you'll be able to 748 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,400 Speaker 5: see everything that you need to be a part of 749 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:33,120 Speaker 5: our year end offering. You'll see two options. The first 750 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:36,359 Speaker 5: is to begin tithing. Maybe you've been wanting to prioritize 751 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 5: God in your finances, but you haven't taken that step 752 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 5: to make a commitment to doing so. This is a 753 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,239 Speaker 5: great place to begin. Or perhaps you've been giving consistently 754 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 5: in this season, God may be challenging you to stretch 755 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:49,960 Speaker 5: above and beyond the tithe to give a sacrificial gift 756 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:52,200 Speaker 5: to our year end offering. If you're part of one 757 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:54,719 Speaker 5: of our physical locations, you can choose your campus there, 758 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:56,839 Speaker 5: or if you're part of our online ministry, of course, 759 00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,920 Speaker 5: you'll choose Epham or online and then enter the amount 760 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 5: that you'd like to give. We are believing for all 761 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:04,320 Speaker 5: the ways that God is going to stretch our faith 762 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:06,440 Speaker 5: in this season through our year end offering, and we 763 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,080 Speaker 5: can't wait to see what God does through you. 764 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:09,919 Speaker 1: God bless and we'll see you soon.