WEBVTT - Better Than Ever: 2021 Year In Review 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.880 All right, we're going to get into the message very soon, 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:07.240 but first an important message for you. This is our 0:00:07.320 --> 0:00:11.440 twenty twenty one year end offering. I love this time 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:14.440 of year, an amazing time of year because every year 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:18.520 we end with appreciation for what God has done, expectation 0:00:18.680 --> 0:00:20.759 for what He's going to do. This has been a tradition. 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:22.880 Like right now, they're going to put up a few 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:25.959 graphics of all the offerings we've had through the years. 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:30.120 I can't even remember them, all Game Change or Waymaker beyond. 0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:33.600 But this year, you don't even know the word that 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:36.159 God gave me. I don't. This is not stage. I 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:38.559 should reveal it to you. Yeah, this is not scripted, 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:40.640 and we're doing our own camera work, so I apologize 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:43.680 at the angle is off. But this year the Lord 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:49.000 led me to the word better. Everybody say better, better, 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:52.239 like put it in the chat. And we don't mean 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:56.040 better than another person, or we don't necessarily mean that. 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:59.600 You know, we're never content, And what we mean by 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:02.520 that is is Hag II two nine says that the 0:01:02.560 --> 0:01:06.119 glory of this present house, what God is doing, will 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:09.959 be greater than the glory of the former house. We 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:12.800 believe God is always doing something greater. We just have 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:14.600 to see it. So I want to thank you in 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.040 advance for your gifts. Those of you who already support 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:20.319 this ministry, you're the reason. You're the reason we get 0:01:20.319 --> 0:01:23.160 to preach the gospel. You're the reason that thousands of 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:26.600 testimonies that we hear in this ministry are made possible. 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:28.800 And for those of you who are beginning to give, 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:31.759 either through a one time year end donation to help 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:34.600 us with our expansion, or the best way really through 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:37.600 recurring giving, through putting God first with the tide, or 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:40.080 maybe an above and beyond offering to say thank you 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:43.119 to Him and believe Him for better things in faith, 0:01:43.520 --> 0:01:45.959 we want to say thank you, and we're standing with 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:49.160 you right now as we begin this season of giving 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:51.720 called Better Now through the end of the year. Yeah, 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:54.240 thank you so much. Every time you give, it helps 0:01:54.360 --> 0:01:57.880 us to spread the Gospel to the world and beyond, 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.160 and we are so thankful for your partnership with us 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:05.160 in the gospel. It's going to be an amazing holiday 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:07.480 season and I can't wait to hear more about better. 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:09.280 It's going to be better. Better than you ask her 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:11.440 a match if he's just three twenty, We're believing God 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:15.200 for you. Now let's go well, thank you for being 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:18.080 here with us at Elevation Church. I mean, what a 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:21.520 year that it has been. We're so thankful that you 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:24.120 decided to be a part today, that you've been worshiping 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:25.640 with us. I know the room looks a little bit 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:30.080 different right now because we wanted to get together and 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:33.000 just talk about some of our favorite moments from the year. 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:35.919 My name is Chazolo, I'm the online pastor. I'm here 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:37.959 with some friends. That's right. I'm Colleen Tunas, I'm on 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:40.240 the programming team. I'm a name Chid, I'm the pastor 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:42.760 of our University City campus. And I'm Brittany at Cantilla, 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:45.800 I'm our Egret's pastor. And like I said, we're just 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.840 thankful that you're here in a part of Elevation Church. 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:51.480 And as we look back and think about all that 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:55.280 God has done this year, I think about messages. I 0:02:55.320 --> 0:03:00.520 think about significant moments and the the events that we've had. Okay, 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.600 so I think about the beginning of the year, back 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:05.680 to when Pastor pre beta blessings at the beginning of 0:03:05.720 --> 0:03:10.520 the year and he talked about boat sinking blessings in 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:14.600 your life. We talked about being built different and sometimes 0:03:14.600 --> 0:03:17.840 we use that time lapse testimony and these are like 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:20.440 isn't it Like you hear some of these, you're like, wait, 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:25.200 was that this year? There's unreal that the year reaching 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.399 kept in the dark, it's like one of my top 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:33.079 five ever like ever or yes you yes, yes, yes, yes, Okay, 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:36.440 in the chat, let us know what your favorite sermon 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:38.720 was this year, or maybe it was your favorite moment 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:41.600 Holly with I don't think I'm ready for this and 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:43.760 Pastor wrapped up there like kept in the dark. These 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:47.840 phenomenal messages, but yeah, let us know because there were 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:51.640 so many moments that probably marked very specific times for you. 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:53.880 When you hear some of these messages, you think back 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:55.600 and think, man, that was a that was a big 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:58.400 moment in my life when that reminded me that God 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:01.600 had everything in control. Or man, that's when this happened. 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:05.200 Who remembers copy that copy that? Do you remember when 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:08.920 Pastor brought Graham up on stage and I because I 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:15.360 was weeping stop crying them green light at the Red 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:19.400 Sea or this one the god not I think that one? 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:21.960 I think might be my favorite God who walked around 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:25.480 doing that? Okay, the last message of the pastor Stephen 0:04:25.600 --> 0:04:29.040 preached this year. I think you've probably been doing this 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:32.760 when Pastor did this, everybody do this. Something good is 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:37.000 coming from this. How many times did you do that 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:40.600 in your life these past couple of weeks? Many it's 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:42.920 has been a staple in my week. Something good God, 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:46.560 I know it. I'm belie But really it's not just 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:50.400 the messages from our pastors that were so thankful for 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:52.960 this year. We really believe God did so much through 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:57.279 you through this church, through elevation in our campuses. We 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:01.480 just know God showed up in home, in workout rooms 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:06.960 and workplaces and egres spread in rhythm nights with our 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:09.560 youth and e kids watch parties. I mean, we could 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:11.760 go on and on about all that we saw God do, 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:16.240 but really just being the church together, yeah, every single 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:19.280 week and seeing people join from all over the world 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:22.560 each and every week, and how God is moving through 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:25.039 this place is pretty incredible. So let us know where 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:27.560 you're joining from. We always love to see how this 0:05:27.680 --> 0:05:30.760 family isn't just limited to a building here in Charlotte, 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:33.680 North Carolina, but it's a global family. And today we're 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:36.200 going to take a few moments and just share some 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.640 of our favorite sermons, our favorite moments, some clips from 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:43.640 some amazing messages from this year. Because this year wasn't 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:46.240 just a better year. You know, we're believing for better, 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:51.839 but better. It was better than ever ever. Okay, so 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:53.960 we're gonna kick it off. This was one of my 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:56.320 favorite sermons from this year, and it was right at 0:05:56.320 --> 0:05:59.680 the beginning of the year. This one has helped me 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:01.440 a lot, not just at the beginning of the year, 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:04.520 but it's helped shape a out of my perspective throughout 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.239 the year. This one is from Same Devil's New Levels. 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:13.440 Take a look where in your life are you using 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:17.960 an old strategy in a new season? Where does that 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:20.400 need to be upgraded? You know, like when you do 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.520 go through the Legend of Zelda. This is a current 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:26.159 pop culture reference here, Okay for all the young people. 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.880 When you do go through a video game, you got 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:32.280 to pick up all the weapons along the way. And 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:34.719 now the shame of it is when you're fighting with 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:45.560 an inferior weapon because it reminds you of Gowiith. You know, 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:50.960 when you're defensive but nobody's attacking you. That's bad. The 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:53.719 whole thing of whether David lives or die, the whole 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:55.960 thing on whether your join lives or die, the whole 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.080 thing on whether or not you make it, the whole 0:06:58.080 --> 0:06:59.760 thing on whether or not you live to show your 0:06:59.839 --> 0:07:02.560 kid something different. See, I feel sorry for David. He 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:06.000 doesn't know how to be a king in this way. 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:10.920 He had a bad example in Saul. He was only 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:14.920 the second king that Israel ever had. The whole reason 0:07:15.080 --> 0:07:19.000 Israel wanted a king was because the Philistines were oppressing them. 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:22.000 The whole reason the Philistines were oppressing them is because 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:26.520 the Philistines were metalworkers, so they had more weapons. The 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:29.240 Israelites didn't have the weapons, so they wanted a king. 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:32.520 But they got a bad king because they selected on 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:35.840 the basis of hike, not heart. When David came into 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:38.480 the throne, he had the heart for it, but he 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.720 didn't know how. And that's the thing about the people 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.080 I passed her. I have the heart to be a 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:46.480 good dad. I have the heart to be a good woman. 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:48.840 I have the heart to be a good employee. I 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:50.800 have the heart to make it. I have the heart 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:53.120 to break these changs. I want to get free, but 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:59.520 I never saw how. So now I'm out here fighting 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:05.560 year old giants with fifteen year old tactics, and you 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:10.200 can't fight grown up battles with teenage tactics. You've got 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:13.280 to grow into this season. You've got to grow into 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:16.960 this challenge. You've got to grow into this assignment. You've 0:08:17.000 --> 0:08:19.480 got to grow into the annoying thing that you've had 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:27.080 all along. It's not automatic. It's not automatic. And whenever 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:30.080 I face something that scares me, you know what I do? 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:34.280 They say, say, what is it? New levels, new devils? No, 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:36.840 when I hit a new devil, I sink back to 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:42.240 the same level. I go back to the sewer, you know. 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:47.640 I go back to the dumpster, back when I was 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.280 emotionally homeless and had nothing to eat. I go back 0:08:50.320 --> 0:08:53.520 inside myself and keep counsel with the most unreliable person 0:08:53.559 --> 0:09:02.200 that I know, me unchecked. How does it go? See 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:06.520 all these crazy things preachers say, new levels, new devils. 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:09.680 So I wanted to show you, on one hand, how 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:14.800 this is not Goliath. It just reminds you of him 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:19.199 and that you have grown. But really, what I want 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:22.800 to show you is what God did for David when 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:24.360 he was cornered, and I believe He's going to do 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:27.560 it for you. I know what we want to happen. 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.920 That is not going to be what happens we want. 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:34.880 When David's got a sword to his throat. Remember this guy, 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:38.280 this Ish. I like how his name starts with ish 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:42.880 because we're all dealing with some Ish, aren't we. That's 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:48.480 the part of his name. I can't say. Somebody put 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:53.480 in the chat new Ish, same God, all right, stop 0:09:54.800 --> 0:10:00.760 stop it. He had a sword three hundreds Can you 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:06.280 believe that that's seven pounds? Can you believe that Golias 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:10.920 was fifteen pounds six hundred shekels? It was only half 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:17.840 the size of Golias? Sort? So why couldn't David beat him? 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:20.280 I should be able to do this. I should be 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:22.840 able to movement. I always did it this way before. 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:25.040 And I got up, and you know, my get up 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:27.360 and go, got up and went. While we're doing cliches, 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:30.040 you know what's happening right now? Why isn't this working? 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:33.480 Because it sucks because the moment you mastered the strategy 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:38.880 of chefs. So like when my oldest became a teenager, 0:10:38.920 --> 0:10:40.240 I'm so proud of him, but I didn't know how 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:42.000 to raise a teenager. And you know, everybody start telling 0:10:42.040 --> 0:10:48.320 me just give him his space. I says space. So 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:51.400 let me get this right. This human being that gave 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:55.320 me no space or sleep for the first two years 0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:59.800 of his life, now I'm Sill's just back afe. That's 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:03.800 hard to do. Why are y'all looking at me crazy? 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.800 You can't parent a fifteen year old the way you 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:10.200 parent a two year old. I see people try to 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:14.199 do it, and then I see the kid explode when 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:17.160 they get out from under that supervision because you did 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:23.360 not shift the strategy to match the season. Do you 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:26.120 think pastoring this church now is like how it was 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:32.800 pastoring when we had nineteen people. Imagine if we imagine 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:34.760 if we tried to have the cookout on my grill 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.800 after this sermon like we did back then. There's not 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:42.880 enough propane in North Carolina. Uh huh uh huh huh 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:48.120 huh huh. So what you have to do is what abashi? 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:50.880 I want somebody to name their baby that I wish 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:52.760 I wouldn't name one of my kids. Abashi. It's a 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.720 good name. No, it's a good name. It means father 0:11:55.840 --> 0:12:02.120 of a gift. And what I wanted for the Bible 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.640 to say, because when I feel like the enemy is 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:10.720 closing in on me and I'm tired, and I'm spent, 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:15.960 and I'm out of ideas, and I'm sick of people. 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:23.520 I wanted to send me an angel. God did not 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:28.680 send an angel to rescue David. My goodness, I see 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.280 why that's one of your favorites. I just wanted to 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:36.120 keep going. I wanted to sitting on this front road. 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:44.200 It's just over and over that it's God, and like 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:46.000 that's how we started out the year. We started out 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:48.440 the year so strong, and I know the sermons have 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:50.600 been speaking to us all year. And there's one other 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.000 thing that I have to say started out real strong, y'all, 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:57.840 and that is worship them recorded this year called Old 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:01.679 Church Bases. Yes, good, you know, just a few weeks ago, 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:04.120 it's been nominated for a couple of Grammys. I'm saying, 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.080 we have Album of the Year, that's right. And then 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:09.000 we also have two songs Zirah wait on You that 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:12.400 are also nominated for Grammys. Of course, you remember when 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:16.199 we got to hear wait on You the preview. I 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:20.640 was right here, yeah, right there, first time we heard 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:22.920 that song. Yeah, we got a little exclusive look as 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.520 a staff. And if you are not familiar with it, 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:27.400 or maybe you just want to relive it for a moment. 0:13:27.480 --> 0:14:29.440 Take a look at this. Okay, so this is one 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:33.200 of admittedly one of my YouTube repeats. Yes, oh of course, 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:38.520 and I want that to keep going. We can't do that, 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.560 just keep playing. And speaking of YouTube, can we talk 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:44.200 about how YouTube has been ministering. It's the year of 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:47.320 twenty one playing back all the sermons and we've haven't 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:50.040 seen two new YouTube channels launched, right, So we had 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:52.960 Elevation plus plus launch this year and that's where you 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:54.800 can watch back some of the stories that we're able 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:57.160 to share in church. We actually go live every Wednesday 0:14:57.200 --> 0:14:59.640 and we're able to dive deeper and talk about the sermons. 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:03.200 But then we also launched Holly's soup channel this year 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:06.040 and it's been super fun. It's honestly a really fun channel. 0:15:06.200 --> 0:15:09.120 It really is recipes, there's clips of sermons, all types 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.840 of things. It's also inspirational. She's got devotionals on there. 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:15.080 It's got everything you could possibly want. That's right. But 0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:18.680 the woman of God, Holly Fredick, has been bringing words 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:22.120 this year that have been ministering to my soul. Can 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:26.440 we talk about that for a second. Different she's been 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:30.560 on another level and she preached one of my favorite 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:33.240 sermons called running on Empty this year, and Colin, you 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:36.240 probably remember these. We got these after she preached it. Yes, 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.440 it was awesome. It's literally just like a graphic that 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:41.240 she made to help us remember, and it says cry out, 0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:43.560 reach out, and pour out. These were the points that 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.880 she preached about, and a little bonus point called live 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:49.080 on what is left. And so take a look at 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:53.840 this clip. And you know, sometimes we go through seasons 0:15:54.400 --> 0:16:00.680 with the emptiness. So it's more than just it's more 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:04.680 than just the feeling that we don't have purpose. Sometimes 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.680 it's the feeling that you don't have enough to make it. 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.000 And I know that some of you under the sound 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:16.440 of my voice, you're like my friend, and you're going 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:21.200 through the hardest thing you've ever been through. You're fighting 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:24.440 for your life and the word of the Lord for 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:31.880 you today. Just keep pouring. You have to keep pouring, 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:40.480 because the miracle only happens when you move, because it's 0:16:40.680 --> 0:16:43.520 while you pour. Oh, I'm out of dargs. It's while 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:47.360 you poor that you experience God's strength and his grace 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:53.720 and the joy that only comes while you pour. Because 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:59.680 now you're pouring with a purpose. She was pouring for 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:04.119 those voice. But she was never pouring from a full jar. 0:17:05.480 --> 0:17:08.800 She was pouring from a jar that only had a 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:14.399 little bit of oil. And if you wait, thanks guys, 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:20.800 if you wait until you feel full to pour, you 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:24.600 will never experience the power of God in your life, 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:30.359 and you'll never experience the miracle a feeling. My God 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:34.919 is just pouring through you. Sometimes when you pour, it 0:17:34.960 --> 0:17:39.520 does feel like a sacrifice, a sacrifice, and no one 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:44.080 will ever see. You know what Jesus said, Luke six 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:47.439 point thirty eight. He said, give and it will be 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:53.679 given unto you a good measure. Press it down, shaken together, 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:57.080 Get that jar full, because it will be running over 0:17:57.240 --> 0:18:04.000 into your lap. Jesus said, you just keep giving and 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:08.359 I will pour into you. Our instinct says, hold on 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:12.600 tightly to everything you have, but Jesus says, just keep giving. 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.720 Be generous with your love, be generous with your time, 0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:23.800 be generous with your encouragement. When you feel empty, just 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:38.160 keep pouring. So here's how the story ends. When all 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:42.400 the jars were full, she said to her sons, bring 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:47.280 me another one, but he replied, there's not a jar left. 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:51.800 Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:55.199 Man of God, and he said, go and sell the 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:58.560 oil and pay off your debts. You and your sons 0:18:59.400 --> 0:19:01.240 can live on what's left. Can I give you a 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:06.720 bonus point, Live on what's left? See when you're in 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:10.360 a pouring season, that season where you're fighting for your 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:15.639 life and you just keep your head down and you 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:20.439 keep pouring. You pour when you're tired. You pour when 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:24.520 you feel like no one notices. You pour when everyone 0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:28.400 else's kids are acting right but yours. You poor when 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:31.000 your friend gets pregnant by accident but you still can't 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.280 get pregnant on purpose. You pour when someone else gets 0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:37.480 the promotions. You pour when you need a healing in 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:43.119 your own body. And the next thing you know, you 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:45.000 made it through another day. You don't know how, but 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:51.960 you did. And one day you turn around and you've 0:19:52.000 --> 0:20:02.520 got a pantry full of oil to live on. Live 0:20:02.560 --> 0:20:08.600 on what's left. Remember Remember that Bible study that I 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:12.640 wrote for the women of our church when we were 0:20:12.680 --> 0:20:16.359 in the pandemic. My husband and I were just praying 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:18.960 about how we could help people during this time, Like 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:22.600 what else could we do? I said, well, I have 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:27.640 this little Bible study. So we sent out a message 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:35.480 on Facebook, and thousands of women from all over the 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:44.040 world responded, and for eight weeks, every Tuesday night they 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:48.639 joined me live and we studied how to be a 0:20:48.680 --> 0:20:55.680 godly wife. Somehow you made it through those dark days. 0:20:57.960 --> 0:21:03.679 But now you see, all along, through the pain and 0:21:03.720 --> 0:21:12.399 the confusion and the heartache you've been stockpiling. She lost 0:21:12.440 --> 0:21:15.040 her husband. She's not gonna get her husband back, but 0:21:15.119 --> 0:21:19.120 she had something left to live on. Oh oh, here's 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:23.000 that friendship that I made sitting in chemo treatments. And 0:21:24.880 --> 0:21:27.280 here's the verse that God gave me when I was 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:33.280 crying on the couch. And here's the song that I 0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:38.080 listened to every single day for months. And every time 0:21:38.119 --> 0:21:40.600 I hear that song, it just reminds me of the 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:46.280 faithfulness of God. And oh oh, here's that gratitude journal 0:21:46.800 --> 0:21:49.919 where I learned how to look for the little blessings. 0:21:54.440 --> 0:22:04.399 Now I get to live on what's left miracles. Don't 0:22:05.400 --> 0:22:13.399 be afraid of the empty spaces, because empty is where 0:22:13.480 --> 0:22:21.000 God does his best work. Empty is where God does 0:22:21.400 --> 0:22:24.120 his best work. Now you see why this was Yes 0:22:24.280 --> 0:22:26.640 my favorites, and I get it. That's why I keep 0:22:26.680 --> 0:22:29.600 this reminder in my Bible. Right at second King score 0:22:29.720 --> 0:22:32.159 verses one through seven. Ye, there's a reminder of what 0:22:32.200 --> 0:22:34.480 Holly shared with us, and I remember she wrote, just 0:22:34.560 --> 0:22:37.280 keep pouring, right, and so that's the anthem that I've 0:22:37.280 --> 0:22:40.600 been living through twenty twenty one is just keep That's 0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:42.520 so good. It's such a powerful visual. I think of 0:22:42.560 --> 0:22:44.199 that all the time, of her just holding all of 0:22:44.200 --> 0:22:46.040 their dispers and I actually remember watching that sermon. I 0:22:46.080 --> 0:22:48.000 was like, she's definitely gonna drop on this. She gave 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:50.120 us a jar, he does. I have it on my desk, 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:51.560 Alli look at it all the time, and it reminds 0:22:51.560 --> 0:22:54.200 me of that exact thing that you just said is 0:22:54.240 --> 0:22:56.600 gone to a whole nother level. That's right, whole nother level. 0:22:56.680 --> 0:22:58.760 And I'm just so thankful for our pasty way that 0:22:58.840 --> 0:23:03.320 they continue to poor, poor and poor weekend and week out. 0:23:03.400 --> 0:23:05.720 And one of the other things that I've loved about 0:23:05.720 --> 0:23:07.159 this year is that we were able to sync up 0:23:07.160 --> 0:23:10.439 across all of our campuses and online this year, and 0:23:10.600 --> 0:23:14.320 one of those moments was with Race Like Baptism. It 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:16.600 was amazing to be able to be in these rooms 0:23:16.640 --> 0:23:19.000 again where we've been shut down for so long and 0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:22.159 doing everything we can to build again, and to have 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:24.200 this moment. To see people go public with their faith 0:23:24.440 --> 0:23:27.040 in these massive numbers was amazing. You guys got to 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:29.920 go on the road. Our online team got to go 0:23:29.960 --> 0:23:33.040 to nine different states to baptize people, and you got 0:23:33.080 --> 0:23:35.760 to go to tost I got to go to Colorado. 0:23:35.880 --> 0:23:38.399 Chad was your baptizing people at Valentine and it was 0:23:38.480 --> 0:23:40.720 just so it was really special to be a part of. 0:23:40.680 --> 0:23:43.320 It's amazing to see people that have been waiting for 0:23:43.400 --> 0:23:46.280 an opportunity to be able to go public in faith 0:23:46.320 --> 0:23:50.119 and this moment representing them leaving pain in this water, 0:23:50.240 --> 0:23:53.920 leaving shame in this water, sin, and so many things 0:23:53.960 --> 0:23:56.359 that I feel like Pastor has been used. God's been 0:23:56.440 --> 0:23:59.600 using Pastor to really preach to throughout. That's one of 0:23:59.640 --> 0:24:02.000 my favorite sermons this year was a troubled Mind in 0:24:02.040 --> 0:24:05.520 an open door where Pastor got real practical around what 0:24:05.560 --> 0:24:07.000 does it mean for us to be able to step 0:24:07.040 --> 0:24:08.679 into some of the things that God has called us 0:24:08.720 --> 0:24:11.320 to do. How about we check this clip out now. 0:24:11.359 --> 0:24:13.800 Listen to this what God says to the church at Philadelphia, 0:24:13.840 --> 0:24:15.240 and I believe he might say it to the church 0:24:15.240 --> 0:24:23.400 at Elevation too. I know you have little strength, It's 0:24:23.400 --> 0:24:28.919 not about strength. Can I show you something? This is 0:24:29.040 --> 0:24:34.359 really cool. Everybody says strength, now everybody says scheme. Go 0:24:34.440 --> 0:24:40.040 back to Second Corinthians, Chapter two. Verse eleven is one 0:24:40.080 --> 0:24:42.360 of those that I've read out of context for years. 0:24:42.840 --> 0:24:44.640 I didn't even really know what it meant. I never 0:24:44.680 --> 0:24:47.960 really read it in the context of Paul's conflict. But 0:24:48.040 --> 0:24:51.120 now have and I saw something. He said in verse eleven. 0:24:51.560 --> 0:24:54.520 We got to forgive and get through this in order 0:24:54.560 --> 0:24:57.879 that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not 0:24:57.960 --> 0:24:59.560 aware of his schemes. Now, what was interesting to me 0:24:59.680 --> 0:25:03.760 is he didn't say in order that Satan put the 0:25:03.800 --> 0:25:07.159 verse back up. He didn't say in order that Satan 0:25:07.600 --> 0:25:15.879 might not overpower us. He said outwit us. Because the 0:25:15.920 --> 0:25:26.119 battle is not about strength, it's about strategy. Put this 0:25:26.200 --> 0:25:27.760 in the chat. Say it out loud if you're with 0:25:27.800 --> 0:25:34.359 me in the room. It's about the strategy. And Satan 0:25:34.440 --> 0:25:38.560 is not stronger than you. We just read this. If 0:25:38.600 --> 0:25:41.679 God opens the door, nobody can shut it. No devil, 0:25:42.480 --> 0:25:49.480 no depression, no trauma, no abuse, nothing, nothing can stop 0:25:49.520 --> 0:25:52.760 the Gospel of Jesus Christ from going forth in your life, 0:25:53.080 --> 0:25:56.040 in your heart, in your marriage. We give the devil 0:25:56.080 --> 0:25:59.760 too much credit sometimes because we'll say, oh, well, the 0:26:00.040 --> 0:26:04.399 devil is attacking my marriage, the devil is attacking my finances. 0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:06.879