WEBVTT - Beth Jones - Oct 31 - 7:30 pm

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<v Speaker 1>Hi guys, I'm Beth Jones, and welcome to The Basics

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<v Speaker 1>with Beth, where learning God's Word is a joy. In

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<v Speaker 1>every message, we will do our best to teach you

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible basics in such a way that it strengthens

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<v Speaker 1>your faith foundation. In addition, I want to empower and

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<v Speaker 1>equip you so that you have confidence to share these

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<v Speaker 1>Bible basics with others. So lean in and listen with

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<v Speaker 1>your heart. If you'd like to know more about our ministry,

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<v Speaker 1>just go to thebasicswithbeth.com and.

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<v Speaker 2>Get all the scoop.

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<v Speaker 1>With all of that said, now let's jump into today's message.

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<v Speaker 2>We're gonna see here that God has a principle. We'll

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<v Speaker 2>get into it here in just a bit. God has

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<v Speaker 2>a principle. It's just how his economy works. He has

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<v Speaker 2>a principle that whatever we sow, whatever we'll do on

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<v Speaker 2>the behalf of others, God has a way of somehow

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<v Speaker 2>causing it to come back to us multiplied. We'll see

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<v Speaker 2>here in just a bit. It's the law of sowing

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<v Speaker 2>and reaping. And so our focus today is going to

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<v Speaker 2>be on lifting up the down. All right. So if

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<v Speaker 2>you've got your Bibles, go ahead and pull them out.

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<v Speaker 2>And then if you need a Bible, raise your hand.

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<v Speaker 2>And the ushers will get you one. You can look

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<v Speaker 2>on and get into a bunch of verses here. Why

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<v Speaker 2>don't we go ahead and pray as you guys are

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<v Speaker 2>getting your Bibles. And let's pray. Father, thank you so much. Lord,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you for your word. Thank you for your Holy Spirit.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for your presence. And your presence is fullness

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<v Speaker 2>of joy. And Lord, you've given us so many nuggets

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<v Speaker 2>and so many hints and seeds that you have planted

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<v Speaker 2>in our hearts over the past six weeks. Lord, how

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<v Speaker 2>to tap into joy. How to find this joy of

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<v Speaker 2>the Lord that is our strength. And as we wrap

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<v Speaker 2>up our series today, Lord, I thank you that you've

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<v Speaker 2>got many more routes and pathways to show us, ways

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<v Speaker 2>to get to this place of being filled with joy.

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<v Speaker 2>Your joy remains in us. And so, Holy Spirit, we

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<v Speaker 2>pray that you'll be our revealer today and our teacher.

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<v Speaker 2>Because I certainly can't teach anything unless you are the

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<v Speaker 2>one that gives revelation, unless you are the one that

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<v Speaker 2>connects the dots for us, unless you are the one

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<v Speaker 2>that customizes the message. And so, Lord, all of us

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<v Speaker 2>lean on you. Lots of different people here today. Lots

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<v Speaker 2>of different walks of life and seasons and things they're

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<v Speaker 2>going through. But I do believe you have a word

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<v Speaker 2>of encouragement for us. And so, Lord, we thank you

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<v Speaker 2>that you'll customize it. In Jesus' name we pray. And

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<v Speaker 2>everybody that agreed said... Amen. Praise the Lord. So our foundation,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, has been a number of verses, but one

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<v Speaker 2>of them has been in the gospels. Jesus was talking

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<v Speaker 2>to his disciples and he said to them, he said,

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<v Speaker 2>these things I have spoken to you. I've told you

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<v Speaker 2>all of these things so that my joy would be

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<v Speaker 2>in you and remain. And that your joy would be full.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's just, you know, it's a good reminder. I

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<v Speaker 2>hope all of us are getting our minds renewed to

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<v Speaker 2>this idea that the God of the Bible, the Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>of the Bible is not some mean, angry, you know, stern,

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<v Speaker 2>stoic kind of God. In Psalm 2, it says God

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<v Speaker 2>sits in heaven and laughs. God is full of joy.

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<v Speaker 2>Heaven is a joy filled place. And then the Bible

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<v Speaker 2>says about Jesus, it says about him, you know, we

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<v Speaker 2>see pictures of him and he looks kind of like

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<v Speaker 2>a depressed homeless guy. But the Bible Jesus, it says

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<v Speaker 2>of him, that he was anointed with the oil of

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<v Speaker 2>gladness above everybody else. That he was the most joy-filled

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<v Speaker 2>of all the people. There was a gladness, a joy,

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<v Speaker 2>a rejoicing. He radiated joy. If you wanted to know,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you hadn't seen this Jesus, and you wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to know, where's that Jesus? I keep hearing about this Jesus,

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<v Speaker 2>you know? He's doing all these healings and miracles, and

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<v Speaker 2>he's touching people. And you went into a room or

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<v Speaker 2>into some meeting, you know, you were sitting on the

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<v Speaker 2>mountainside going, which one is he? Which one is he?

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<v Speaker 2>He would not be the most religious-looking one. He would

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<v Speaker 2>not be the one that was the most serious and

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<v Speaker 2>stern and stoic, you know? That wouldn't be him because

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<v Speaker 2>he was anointed with the oil of gladness. His countenance

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<v Speaker 2>radiated gladness. You'd look around and go, oh, yeah, that

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<v Speaker 2>guy over there looks really happy. That must be Jesus.

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<v Speaker 2>And so then he says to us, he says, listen,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm telling you all of these things so that my joy,

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<v Speaker 2>the joy that he walked in 24-7, so that his

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<v Speaker 2>joy could remain in us. And to me, for me,

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<v Speaker 2>this series, the key word has been remain. Because how

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<v Speaker 2>many of you have had booster shots of joy? You know,

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<v Speaker 2>you get a little dose, we'll do you. You get

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit of joy here and there, but that's

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<v Speaker 2>really not where the bar is set. Ultimately, what God

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<v Speaker 2>wants for us is for his joy to remain and

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<v Speaker 2>our joy to be full, that it's a lifestyle, that

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<v Speaker 2>it would be the odd thing if we weren't filled

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<v Speaker 2>with joy, that we'd go, oh, wait, it's a weird day.

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<v Speaker 2>Something's not right because I'm not feeling the joy today.

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<v Speaker 2>Something's not right. That it would be the odd thing

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<v Speaker 2>if we weren't filled with joy as opposed to it's

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<v Speaker 2>the odd thing. Wow, I'm so happy today. That's so unusual.

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<v Speaker 2>And how do you know? For a lot of Christians,

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<v Speaker 2>it's that way. But that's not how it's supposed to be.

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<v Speaker 2>And the Lord's given us lots of routes, lots of

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<v Speaker 2>pathways by which to enter into his presence and to

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<v Speaker 2>obtain fullness of joy. And so we're going to look

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<v Speaker 2>at three routes today as we talk about this lifting

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<v Speaker 2>up the down. We're going to look at three specific

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<v Speaker 2>ways to Pathways to to walking in his joy. So

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<v Speaker 2>Galatians 6 verse 7 y'all there Galatians 6 verse 7

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<v Speaker 2>This is a kingdom principle and this is really going

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<v Speaker 2>to you know Help us sort of wrap up in

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<v Speaker 2>a nice little bow our series here and get the

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<v Speaker 2>focus where it needs to be Galatians 6 verse 7

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<v Speaker 2>says do not be deceived God is not mocked for

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<v Speaker 2>whatever a man sows That he will also reap For

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<v Speaker 2>he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh

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<v Speaker 2>reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will

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<v Speaker 2>of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not

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<v Speaker 2>grow weary in well-doing. For in due season, everybody say

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<v Speaker 2>due season. In due season we shall reap if we

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<v Speaker 2>don't lose heart. So he's telling us here, this is

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<v Speaker 2>a principle, it's a Bible principle. He's telling us here

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<v Speaker 2>about a law, a kingdom law. He said God's not

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<v Speaker 2>going to be mocked. Whatever a man sows. That's what

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<v Speaker 2>he's going to reap. Other versions, other verses in the

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<v Speaker 2>Bible tell us that we're going to reap it multiplied.

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<v Speaker 2>In the book of Genesis, you know, in Genesis chapter 8,

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<v Speaker 2>God established a law. He said as long as the

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<v Speaker 2>earth remains, here's some things that will also remain. Here's

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<v Speaker 2>some laws you can take it to the bank. And

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<v Speaker 2>one of the laws he told us about in Genesis 8,

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<v Speaker 2>he said the law of seed time and harvest. And

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<v Speaker 2>we know that. I mean, we know that in the natural, right?

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<v Speaker 2>We know that in the natural, you're going to reap

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<v Speaker 2>what you sow. Like this year, how many of you

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<v Speaker 2>are expecting tulips? To show up in your garden. How

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<v Speaker 2>many of y'all are expecting tulips or daffodils or something?

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<v Speaker 2>Must be not very many gardeners in here Okay, good

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<v Speaker 2>And the reason that you're expecting these things to pop

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<v Speaker 2>up in your garden is because you planted bulbs At

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<v Speaker 2>some point along the way somebody planted some bulbs How

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<v Speaker 2>many of you you have never planted a tulip bulb

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<v Speaker 2>at all ever? How many of you are expecting tulips?

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<v Speaker 2>None of us why because you reap What you sow.

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<v Speaker 2>And so in our lives now, what we're talking about

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<v Speaker 2>here is we want to reap joy.

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<v Speaker 1>Right?

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<v Speaker 2>In our lives. We want to reap joy. And we

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<v Speaker 2>want people to encourage us. And we want to be

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<v Speaker 2>lifted up. And we want to be filled with gladness

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<v Speaker 2>and rejoicing. Then if we want to reap that, if

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<v Speaker 2>we want a garden loaded with that, what do we

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<v Speaker 2>have to sow? We have to sow that into the

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<v Speaker 2>lives of other people. So this is a kingdom law.

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<v Speaker 2>It works. It works in many, many areas of life.

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<v Speaker 2>As long as the earth remains, this is a law.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we're going to talk about it specifically then

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<v Speaker 2>as it relates to this subject, joy, and really do

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<v Speaker 2>our best to get God's perspective on some things, to

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<v Speaker 2>get an eternal perspective on some things, to sow to

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<v Speaker 2>the Spirit joy. In the lives of other people and

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<v Speaker 2>then watch god multiply it back to us. All right.

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<v Speaker 2>So with that in mind Um, let's look at the

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<v Speaker 2>three seeds that we're going to talk about now when

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<v Speaker 2>you came in today You should have received a seed.

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<v Speaker 2>Did y'all receive a little seed? You can eat it

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<v Speaker 2>if you want You can uh, put it in your

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<v Speaker 2>pocket put it in your purse your wallet. It's just

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<v Speaker 2>a reminder It's just a little you know point of

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<v Speaker 2>contact a little reminder That you know, make it your

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<v Speaker 2>goal this year to say i'm going to be a

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<v Speaker 2>seed machine God, I need harvest I need to reap

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of different things that you've promised me in

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<v Speaker 2>your word. But there's this kingdom principle you've set up.

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<v Speaker 2>So I've got to get busy about sowing, sowing, sowing.

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<v Speaker 2>And let that little seed be a reminder that we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to be all about sowing into the lives of

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<v Speaker 2>other people. All right, so three seeds then that we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to sow. Number one, we need to plant forget seeds.

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<v Speaker 2>forget seeds. Number two, we need to plant faith seeds.

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<v Speaker 2>And number three, we need to plant forever seeds. So

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<v Speaker 2>let's talk about these three seeds. Number one, plant forget seeds.

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<v Speaker 2>What is that? If you go over in your Bibles

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<v Speaker 2>to Philippians 2 verse 1, it's a great passage. This

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<v Speaker 2>whole passage is really good. But he begins to talk

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<v Speaker 2>to us about this. And this is from the Message Bible.

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<v Speaker 2>It says, if you've gotten anything at all, out of

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<v Speaker 2>following Christ. How many of you have gotten something out

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<v Speaker 2>of following Christ? I think we all have. He says,

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<v Speaker 2>if you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>if his love has made any difference in your life,

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<v Speaker 2>if being in a community of the Spirit means anything

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<v Speaker 2>to you, if you have a heart, if you care,

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<v Speaker 2>then do me a favor. Agree with each other. Love

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<v Speaker 2>each other. Be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to

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<v Speaker 2>the front. Don't sweet-talk your way to the top. It's

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<v Speaker 2>the way the world does it. There's a way to

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<v Speaker 2>do it. He's saying, but don't do it that way.

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<v Speaker 2>He goes on to say this. Put yourself aside and

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<v Speaker 2>help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your

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<v Speaker 2>own advantage. Forget. These are forget seeds here. Forget yourselves

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<v Speaker 2>long ago. enough to lend a helping hand. He's beginning

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<v Speaker 2>to tell us here about how to plant forget seeds.

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<v Speaker 2>He's saying, listen, if you have any comfort from being

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<v Speaker 2>in Christ, any encouragement from being a Christian, if he's

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<v Speaker 2>made any difference in your life at all, then get

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<v Speaker 2>this mentality, get this paradigm that it's not about you.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not going to be about us anymore. It's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be about helping somebody else, about lifting up the down.

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<v Speaker 2>And he says here, he says, put yourself aside. Forget yourself.

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<v Speaker 2>Put yourself aside and help others get ahead. Yeah, but

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<v Speaker 2>what if they get ahead of me? I'll help you

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<v Speaker 2>get ahead, but not ahead of me. Right? No, put

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<v Speaker 2>yourself aside and help others get ahead. Then he goes

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<v Speaker 2>on to say this, don't be obsessed. With getting your

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<v Speaker 2>own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough. Forget yourselves. It's not

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<v Speaker 2>about you. Get over ourselves long enough to lend a

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<v Speaker 2>helping hand. So a couple of thoughts on this, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>because we live in such a society. How many of

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<v Speaker 2>you know we live in such a self-absorbed society? You know,

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<v Speaker 2>out in the world in which we live, it's a

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<v Speaker 2>self-absorbed society. Most people are concerned with us for no more.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it is amazing. Now, sadly, even in the

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<v Speaker 2>church world, it's that way. In large part. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>it's a sad commentary. In the church world, at times,

0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:25.440
<v Speaker 2>it's very much like that way. It's a consumeristic mentality.

0:11:25.460 --> 0:11:27.820
<v Speaker 2>Do you know what that means? Being a consumer. We

0:11:27.860 --> 0:11:30.959
<v Speaker 2>live in a consumeristic society. And sometimes as Christians, if

0:11:30.980 --> 0:11:33.690
<v Speaker 2>we're not careful, we'll get this idea that it's all

0:11:33.730 --> 0:11:36.990
<v Speaker 2>about us. And that I'm a consumer. And I'll tell

0:11:37.030 --> 0:11:38.790
<v Speaker 2>you what, they better have a great kids ministry at

0:11:38.809 --> 0:11:40.550
<v Speaker 2>that church and they better have a great youth ministry

0:11:40.890 --> 0:11:42.350
<v Speaker 2>and they better park my car and it shouldn't be

0:11:42.450 --> 0:11:46.730
<v Speaker 2>icy and they better have an awesome worship team that

0:11:46.770 --> 0:11:50.030
<v Speaker 2>rocks and everybody ought to cater to my every need

0:11:50.450 --> 0:11:51.590
<v Speaker 2>and I ought to be able to come to that

0:11:51.630 --> 0:11:54.390
<v Speaker 2>buffet table and just consume, consume, consume and be an

0:11:54.630 --> 0:11:58.559
<v Speaker 2>absolute spectator and never expect it to do anything in

0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:03.099
<v Speaker 2>terms of participating. Never do anything in terms of giving back.

0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:11.160
<v Speaker 2>And all the people said... Amen. Preach it, sister. It's sad, y'all.

0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:12.760
<v Speaker 2>It's a sad commentary. Now, we have a lot of

0:12:12.820 --> 0:12:17.280
<v Speaker 2>great-hearted servers here, a lot of generous-hearted, generous-spirited people. So

0:12:17.340 --> 0:12:19.840
<v Speaker 2>praise the Lord. Kudos to you all. But I'm talking

0:12:19.880 --> 0:12:23.000
<v Speaker 2>about the body of Christ at large. And also, it's

0:12:23.020 --> 0:12:25.600
<v Speaker 2>not uncommon here to have consumers. It's just the world

0:12:25.620 --> 0:12:30.240
<v Speaker 2>in which we live, spectators. And so the focus is

0:12:30.340 --> 0:12:32.679
<v Speaker 2>so in the wrong place. The focus is so much

0:12:32.740 --> 0:12:35.000
<v Speaker 2>on what we need, on the benefits we need. And

0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:37.270
<v Speaker 2>thank God there are benefits. Thank God there are perks.

0:12:37.690 --> 0:12:39.809
<v Speaker 2>Thank God he does want to bless our lives. But

0:12:39.850 --> 0:12:43.150
<v Speaker 2>God's economy is so reverse of the world's. The way

0:12:43.410 --> 0:12:46.720
<v Speaker 2>up in God's economy is down. Humble yourself. The way

0:12:46.770 --> 0:12:49.480
<v Speaker 2>to receive in God's economy is the opposite of going

0:12:49.580 --> 0:12:52.400
<v Speaker 2>after it. It is to give. The way for God

0:12:52.420 --> 0:12:55.000
<v Speaker 2>to fill you with great joy is to sow joy.

0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:58.910
<v Speaker 2>God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that's what

0:12:58.929 --> 0:13:01.470
<v Speaker 2>he's going to reap. And so these forget seeds, he's

0:13:01.530 --> 0:13:06.589
<v Speaker 2>telling us forget yourselves long enough to lend somebody else

0:13:06.630 --> 0:13:10.360
<v Speaker 2>a helping hand. For some of you, I'll give you

0:13:10.670 --> 0:13:12.220
<v Speaker 2>a couple thoughts here. Some of you, now I know

0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.680
<v Speaker 2>we've got people in all different places in their spiritual

0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:16.199
<v Speaker 2>walk with the Lord. Some of you are here and

0:13:16.220 --> 0:13:19.020
<v Speaker 2>it's all brand new. And you're still investigating, you know,

0:13:19.059 --> 0:13:21.300
<v Speaker 2>Christianity and the whole God thing and church and all

0:13:21.330 --> 0:13:23.330
<v Speaker 2>of this. And so it's brand new to you. And

0:13:23.370 --> 0:13:25.970
<v Speaker 2>God's just trying to teach you and coach you and

0:13:26.030 --> 0:13:29.270
<v Speaker 2>help you and explain things to you. Others of you,

0:13:29.309 --> 0:13:30.730
<v Speaker 2>you've been at it for a little bit. You're growing

0:13:30.770 --> 0:13:31.929
<v Speaker 2>in your faith and you've been at it for a

0:13:31.950 --> 0:13:34.690
<v Speaker 2>little bit. And things are making sense and you're sensing

0:13:34.730 --> 0:13:37.939
<v Speaker 2>God's joy. And you're so thankful that you're saved and

0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:39.860
<v Speaker 2>that your name is written down in God's reservation book

0:13:39.900 --> 0:13:42.540
<v Speaker 2>in heaven, you know. And then there's some of you here,

0:13:42.559 --> 0:13:44.720
<v Speaker 2>you've been walking with the Lord for a while. You've

0:13:44.740 --> 0:13:46.840
<v Speaker 2>been walking with the Lord for a bit. And let

0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:49.000
<v Speaker 2>me just share this with you because this could fit

0:13:49.020 --> 0:13:51.980
<v Speaker 2>some of you. In that category, you've been walking with

0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:53.680
<v Speaker 2>the Lord for a bit, and you're like, what is

0:13:53.730 --> 0:13:56.130
<v Speaker 2>the deal? You know, I'm supposed to have joy, and

0:13:56.170 --> 0:13:58.330
<v Speaker 2>I know better, and I know that he wants my

0:13:58.370 --> 0:14:00.770
<v Speaker 2>joy to remain and be full. And, you know, and

0:14:00.830 --> 0:14:03.910
<v Speaker 2>I'm just not feeling it and just, you know, just

0:14:03.950 --> 0:14:08.290
<v Speaker 2>not working for me. Listen, for you, this message, maybe

0:14:08.330 --> 0:14:10.670
<v Speaker 2>of all the messages in this series, maybe this is

0:14:10.710 --> 0:14:13.800
<v Speaker 2>the message for you. Because I think sometimes God allows

0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:17.900
<v Speaker 2>us to get a holy discontent. It's like he doesn't

0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:21.700
<v Speaker 2>allow us to experience great joy because our whole perspective

0:14:21.740 --> 0:14:25.200
<v Speaker 2>is wrong. Because it is about us. And he kind

0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.040
<v Speaker 2>of holds back and he says, no, listen, you've got

0:14:27.060 --> 0:14:30.610
<v Speaker 2>to change your paradigm here. You've got to change the paradigm.

0:14:30.630 --> 0:14:32.570
<v Speaker 2>And as soon as you get this idea that you're

0:14:32.590 --> 0:14:34.550
<v Speaker 2>going to forget yourself and it's not going to be

0:14:34.590 --> 0:14:39.040
<v Speaker 2>about you, knowing... Knowing that God's kingdom principles work knowing

0:14:39.060 --> 0:14:41.340
<v Speaker 2>that if you'll make it about others God will make

0:14:41.380 --> 0:14:44.280
<v Speaker 2>it about you if you will forget yourself God will

0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:48.900
<v Speaker 2>remember you if you'll remember others God won't forget you

0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.730
<v Speaker 2>Y'all tracking it's a kingdom principle and some of you

0:14:52.750 --> 0:14:54.810
<v Speaker 2>maybe you're in that place You're thinking I should have

0:14:54.850 --> 0:14:56.790
<v Speaker 2>more joy than that. I've been walking with the Lord

0:14:56.810 --> 0:14:58.290
<v Speaker 2>a little bit longer here I ought to be walking

0:14:58.310 --> 0:15:01.190
<v Speaker 2>in this thing and maybe God's challenge to you is

0:15:01.470 --> 0:15:03.270
<v Speaker 2>you got to plant seed number one here You got

0:15:03.290 --> 0:15:06.210
<v Speaker 2>to plant some forget-me-seeds And make it not about you.

0:15:06.230 --> 0:15:11.830
<v Speaker 2>You guys, this is intentional. This is intentional stuff. Because

0:15:11.890 --> 0:15:13.820
<v Speaker 2>the last thing we feel like doing when we're in

0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:16.940
<v Speaker 2>the molly grubs, you know, when we're discouraged and we're down,

0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:18.240
<v Speaker 2>how many of you know the last thing you feel

0:15:18.260 --> 0:15:21.380
<v Speaker 2>like doing when you're down is blessing somebody else? When

0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:25.000
<v Speaker 2>you're depressed, you're down, you're in a dark room, the

0:15:25.020 --> 0:15:26.740
<v Speaker 2>last thing you feel like doing is helping somebody else.

0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.000
<v Speaker 2>You're thinking, dear Lord, God sent somebody to help me.

0:15:29.020 --> 0:15:32.570
<v Speaker 2>I'm the one that needs some encouragement here. And then

0:15:32.630 --> 0:15:34.650
<v Speaker 2>God's saying, you know what? The way my kingdom operates, though,

0:15:35.290 --> 0:15:38.570
<v Speaker 2>is you need to sow some seeds in helping somebody else.

0:15:38.610 --> 0:15:43.130
<v Speaker 2>Go over to this verse in Philippians 1, verse 21.

0:15:43.130 --> 0:15:45.360
<v Speaker 2>This whole principle of the seed. Now, let me talk

0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:48.740
<v Speaker 2>about this for just a bit. This whole seed principle. Listen,

0:15:48.780 --> 0:15:51.580
<v Speaker 2>it's just how God set it up. If you need

0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:55.400
<v Speaker 2>an apple, where are you going to get a seed

0:15:55.460 --> 0:16:00.369
<v Speaker 2>for an apple? In the apple. If you need... an

0:16:00.510 --> 0:16:03.310
<v Speaker 2>apple seed where are you going to get the apple

0:16:03.350 --> 0:16:09.250
<v Speaker 2>seed in the apple so the principle is this you

0:16:09.410 --> 0:16:14.100
<v Speaker 2>need joy you need something from the lord your seed

0:16:14.780 --> 0:16:19.200
<v Speaker 2>is in your need and when you discover what you

0:16:19.260 --> 0:16:23.900
<v Speaker 2>need then you've also discovered where your seed is and

0:16:23.940 --> 0:16:26.220
<v Speaker 2>then if you'll sow your seed god is not mocked

0:16:26.820 --> 0:16:29.280
<v Speaker 2>whatever you sow you will reap so what does that

0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:31.700
<v Speaker 2>mean in real life Let's say it this way. Let's

0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:35.650
<v Speaker 2>say that you are really discouraged and you are frustrated

0:16:36.310 --> 0:16:38.930
<v Speaker 2>and you are disappointed because whatever you believe in God

0:16:38.950 --> 0:16:42.950
<v Speaker 2>for is taking way too long. I know that probably

0:16:42.970 --> 0:16:46.510
<v Speaker 2>has never happened to anybody here. You know, you've been

0:16:46.530 --> 0:16:48.300
<v Speaker 2>waiting on the Lord to sell your house and it's

0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.440
<v Speaker 2>taken forever. And you're waiting on the Lord to get

0:16:50.460 --> 0:16:52.400
<v Speaker 2>that new job and you're waiting on the Lord for

0:16:52.420 --> 0:16:54.680
<v Speaker 2>this and that. And it's just taken so long and

0:16:54.700 --> 0:16:57.560
<v Speaker 2>you're discouraged and you need some encouragement. You need to

0:16:57.580 --> 0:17:02.940
<v Speaker 2>be encouraged. So your seed is in your need. You

0:17:02.980 --> 0:17:05.880
<v Speaker 2>want to reap encouragement. You want somebody to encourage you

0:17:05.900 --> 0:17:07.600
<v Speaker 2>to lift you up. You want the joy of the

0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:10.770
<v Speaker 2>Lord to lift you up. You have to sow it.

0:17:11.750 --> 0:17:16.450
<v Speaker 2>Your seed is in your need. So you need encouragement

0:17:16.530 --> 0:17:18.989
<v Speaker 2>from being disappointed because it's taken too long. So what

0:17:19.030 --> 0:17:21.990
<v Speaker 2>you do is you find somebody that's in the same

0:17:22.070 --> 0:17:25.300
<v Speaker 2>boat or in a similar boat. You find somebody that's

0:17:25.340 --> 0:17:28.840
<v Speaker 2>also discouraged. They're trying to sell their house. They didn't

0:17:28.859 --> 0:17:31.360
<v Speaker 2>get the job they were believing for. Even though right

0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:34.160
<v Speaker 2>now you need somebody to encourage you, you're making a choice.

0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:37.000
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to forget myself. I'm sowing forget seeds here.

0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:40.060
<v Speaker 2>And I need some encouragement. My seed is in my needs.

0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:41.619
<v Speaker 2>So I'm going to find the person that's got a

0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:43.820
<v Speaker 2>need just like I do or even a greater need.

0:17:44.140 --> 0:17:47.560
<v Speaker 2>And I'm going to be very intentional about encouraging them.

0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:51.700
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to be really intentional about rooting for them

0:17:51.740 --> 0:17:54.580
<v Speaker 2>and about cheering them on and about rejoicing with them

0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:58.159
<v Speaker 2>and lifting them up. All the while, you're crying on

0:17:58.180 --> 0:18:05.140
<v Speaker 2>the inside. Knowing God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows,

0:18:05.180 --> 0:18:08.820
<v Speaker 2>he'll reap it. Multiplied. Let's say you've gone through a loss.

0:18:08.859 --> 0:18:10.870
<v Speaker 2>You've lost a loved one. You've lost a job. You've

0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:14.430
<v Speaker 2>lost a house. You went bankrupt. You're discouraged. You're mad

0:18:14.470 --> 0:18:21.109
<v Speaker 2>at God. Your seed is in your need. You need encouragement.

0:18:21.170 --> 0:18:23.609
<v Speaker 2>Find somebody else that's had a great loss. Find somebody

0:18:23.670 --> 0:18:25.650
<v Speaker 2>else that's going through a rough time. They're going through

0:18:25.670 --> 0:18:28.250
<v Speaker 2>a grief. And even though you're the one that needs

0:18:28.290 --> 0:18:30.470
<v Speaker 2>the big hug, you're the one that needs the encouragement,

0:18:30.530 --> 0:18:33.470
<v Speaker 2>you're going to be intentional to sow forget-me seeds, and

0:18:33.550 --> 0:18:36.869
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to go encourage them like nobody's business. I'm

0:18:36.890 --> 0:18:38.270
<v Speaker 2>going to tell them I'm praying for them, and I

0:18:38.310 --> 0:18:40.290
<v Speaker 2>know they went through a rough time, and I'm lifting

0:18:40.310 --> 0:18:41.909
<v Speaker 2>them up, and if there's anything I can do, can

0:18:41.930 --> 0:18:43.149
<v Speaker 2>I bring you a meal? What can I do to

0:18:43.190 --> 0:18:47.570
<v Speaker 2>help you? It's a principle. It's a kingdom principle. And

0:18:47.710 --> 0:18:51.429
<v Speaker 2>what a joy-filled way to live. It's not about us.

0:18:52.690 --> 0:18:55.290
<v Speaker 2>But see, now, with God, from God's perspective, it is

0:18:55.350 --> 0:18:59.970
<v Speaker 2>about you. We forget ourselves, God remembers us. And all

0:19:00.010 --> 0:19:05.760
<v Speaker 2>the people said, Amen. Okay, go over to Philippians 1.21,

0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:10.399
<v Speaker 2>same seed here. Planting forget seeds. The Apostle Paul said this,

0:19:10.420 --> 0:19:12.399
<v Speaker 2>he said, For me to live is Christ and to

0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:15.870
<v Speaker 2>die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh,

0:19:16.190 --> 0:19:19.629
<v Speaker 2>this will mean fruit, a fruitful life, fruit from my labor.

0:19:20.230 --> 0:19:22.030
<v Speaker 2>So a couple things here. The Apostle Paul went through

0:19:22.070 --> 0:19:25.190
<v Speaker 2>some amazing times of discouragement and persecution. He was beaten.

0:19:25.210 --> 0:19:40.930
<v Speaker 2>He was shipwrecked. He was left for dead. and joy

0:19:40.970 --> 0:19:43.230
<v Speaker 2>of faith so a couple things here the apostle paul

0:19:43.250 --> 0:19:47.389
<v Speaker 2>went through some amazing times of discouragement and persecution he

0:19:47.430 --> 0:19:49.800
<v Speaker 2>was beaten he was shipwrecked he was left for dead

0:19:49.820 --> 0:19:53.060
<v Speaker 2>he could be discouraged you know he's just preaching the

0:19:53.100 --> 0:19:56.619
<v Speaker 2>gospel but he went through some serious troubles and he

0:19:56.700 --> 0:19:59.060
<v Speaker 2>said that he said for me to live is christ

0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:01.560
<v Speaker 2>and to die is gain like it would be better

0:20:01.660 --> 0:20:06.240
<v Speaker 2>for me to die that's what he's saying to depart

0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:10.270
<v Speaker 2>and be with christ for me far better than this.

0:20:11.150 --> 0:20:13.390
<v Speaker 2>And when people are going through a depression or discouragement

0:20:13.410 --> 0:20:16.310
<v Speaker 2>or they're feeling blue or bummed out or heavy hearted, oftentimes,

0:20:16.630 --> 0:20:19.120
<v Speaker 2>maybe they don't feel like dying, you know, technically, although

0:20:19.170 --> 0:20:22.820
<v Speaker 2>some do. Oftentimes, those these kind of things lead to suicide.

0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:26.620
<v Speaker 2>But maybe somebody doesn't feel like dying technically, but they

0:20:26.660 --> 0:20:30.280
<v Speaker 2>do quit living. You know, they're locked away in a

0:20:30.300 --> 0:20:33.399
<v Speaker 2>dark room. They sleep all the time, watch TV all

0:20:33.440 --> 0:20:37.170
<v Speaker 2>the time, no motivation for anything. So in essence, they

0:20:37.290 --> 0:20:40.470
<v Speaker 2>quit living. And so then you have to make a choice,

0:20:40.580 --> 0:20:42.100
<v Speaker 2>just like the Apostle Paul. Then we have to make

0:20:42.130 --> 0:20:44.880
<v Speaker 2>a choice. Then we have to say, okay, God, I'm

0:20:44.900 --> 0:20:48.820
<v Speaker 2>going to intentionally sow forget-me seeds because I could stay

0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:52.020
<v Speaker 2>in this dark room for another year. I'm in a

0:20:52.119 --> 0:20:58.100
<v Speaker 2>straight betwixt two. I'm between two decisions here. What shall

0:20:58.180 --> 0:21:01.780
<v Speaker 2>I choose? I cannot tell. I am hard-pressed between the two.

0:21:03.580 --> 0:21:06.400
<v Speaker 2>to depart and be with christ is far better maybe

0:21:06.440 --> 0:21:08.300
<v Speaker 2>for some of you that are heavy-hearted to stay in

0:21:08.320 --> 0:21:10.980
<v Speaker 2>this dark room is far better for me i don't

0:21:11.030 --> 0:21:12.790
<v Speaker 2>care about anybody else it's all about me right now

0:21:14.670 --> 0:21:19.230
<v Speaker 2>but it is more needful for you that i come

0:21:19.310 --> 0:21:22.530
<v Speaker 2>out the apostle paul said that i stay it's more

0:21:22.570 --> 0:21:25.109
<v Speaker 2>needful for you so the whole perspective is who are

0:21:25.130 --> 0:21:27.800
<v Speaker 2>we going to forget we got to forget us the

0:21:27.840 --> 0:21:29.540
<v Speaker 2>apostle paul said he said listen if i'm going to

0:21:29.560 --> 0:21:33.240
<v Speaker 2>go ahead and If you're going to live on planet Earth,

0:21:33.280 --> 0:21:34.680
<v Speaker 2>you might as well have your life count for something.

0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:39.780
<v Speaker 2>You might as well produce fruit, fruit from your labor.

0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:43.000
<v Speaker 2>What kind of fruit? You're sowing seeds. You're sowing seeds

0:21:43.040 --> 0:21:45.600
<v Speaker 2>in the lives of other people. And only eternity will

0:21:45.640 --> 0:21:50.170
<v Speaker 2>count that fruit. It might be the littlest thing. You've

0:21:50.210 --> 0:21:52.770
<v Speaker 2>chosen to forget about yourself and to sow into somebody else.

0:21:52.830 --> 0:21:56.770
<v Speaker 2>The littlest thing, a word of encouragement. Other things as well,

0:21:56.790 --> 0:21:59.490
<v Speaker 2>you know, acts of service, to be a blessing to people.

0:21:59.890 --> 0:22:02.859
<v Speaker 2>The littlest thing, but you're doing it intentionally. And the

0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:05.919
<v Speaker 2>Apostle Paul said that. He said, to live is Christ,

0:22:05.980 --> 0:22:08.740
<v Speaker 2>to die is gain. It'd be better for me to

0:22:08.780 --> 0:22:11.280
<v Speaker 2>depart and be with Christ. Forget about y'all. But it's

0:22:11.340 --> 0:22:14.379
<v Speaker 2>not about me. It is about y'all. So nevertheless, it's

0:22:14.420 --> 0:22:17.859
<v Speaker 2>more needful for you that I stay. And this is

0:22:17.900 --> 0:22:20.879
<v Speaker 2>a mindset as Christians. And if you've been a Christian

0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:23.040
<v Speaker 2>for longer than a couple of months, six months or

0:22:23.080 --> 0:22:26.659
<v Speaker 2>a year, At some point, you've got to get this mindset.

0:22:26.700 --> 0:22:29.100
<v Speaker 2>At some point, you have to cross over and go, okay, God,

0:22:29.119 --> 0:22:31.139
<v Speaker 2>for the rest of my life, it's about other people.

0:22:31.420 --> 0:22:33.800
<v Speaker 2>For the rest of my life, it's about you. It's

0:22:33.840 --> 0:22:35.780
<v Speaker 2>about the things that are important to you. I'm not

0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:37.500
<v Speaker 2>going to worry about me because I know you well

0:22:37.540 --> 0:22:41.040
<v Speaker 2>enough to know you will take care of me. Maxing

0:22:41.080 --> 0:22:44.109
<v Speaker 2>out for others. You know, the Salvation Army, the ministry

0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:46.310
<v Speaker 2>of the Salvation Army, you know, major ministry, reaching out

0:22:46.330 --> 0:22:49.909
<v Speaker 2>to others, to less fortunate people, hurting people. And the

0:22:49.990 --> 0:22:54.270
<v Speaker 2>founder of that, William Booth, was giving his farewell address

0:22:54.430 --> 0:22:57.690
<v Speaker 2>to all the soldiers, all the officers in the Salvation Army.

0:22:58.109 --> 0:23:02.050
<v Speaker 2>His final farewell address, passing the baton. You know, he's

0:23:02.070 --> 0:23:04.850
<v Speaker 2>got to say something inspirational. I mean, something that will

0:23:04.869 --> 0:23:08.060
<v Speaker 2>just move this organization into the future. And so he

0:23:08.080 --> 0:23:09.700
<v Speaker 2>got up in front of his soldiers, got up in

0:23:09.720 --> 0:23:12.439
<v Speaker 2>front of his officers, and he said one word. He

0:23:12.460 --> 0:23:15.700
<v Speaker 2>got up in front of his people and he said, others.

0:23:17.320 --> 0:23:20.159
<v Speaker 2>And then he sat down. Well, who knows, that would

0:23:20.200 --> 0:23:23.080
<v Speaker 2>be a farewell address you would remember. That would leave

0:23:23.119 --> 0:23:27.139
<v Speaker 2>a mark. The idea that as a Christian, what are

0:23:27.160 --> 0:23:29.420
<v Speaker 2>we talking about? What to do when you feel blue.

0:23:29.440 --> 0:23:32.740
<v Speaker 2>I think sometimes maybe for some of us, the Lord says,

0:23:32.780 --> 0:23:36.100
<v Speaker 2>I can't give you any more fullness of joy because

0:23:36.140 --> 0:23:39.380
<v Speaker 2>it's too consumeristic right now. It's too much about you.

0:23:39.850 --> 0:23:42.690
<v Speaker 2>Make it about others and watch me fill your cup.

0:23:44.270 --> 0:23:51.379
<v Speaker 2>Overflowing with joy. And all the people said, You could

0:23:51.420 --> 0:23:53.280
<v Speaker 2>ask this question. You could say, who's in your life?

0:23:54.400 --> 0:23:58.800
<v Speaker 2>Who's in your life and whose life matters enough for

0:23:58.820 --> 0:24:02.460
<v Speaker 2>you to stay? Whose life matters enough for you to

0:24:02.500 --> 0:24:07.040
<v Speaker 2>forget about yourself? It's more needful for them that you

0:24:07.080 --> 0:24:09.620
<v Speaker 2>come out of that dark place. It's more needful for

0:24:09.720 --> 0:24:11.939
<v Speaker 2>them that you make a decision to come out of

0:24:12.030 --> 0:24:14.830
<v Speaker 2>sleeping 24 hours a day. It's more needful for them

0:24:14.869 --> 0:24:16.429
<v Speaker 2>that you come out of the mully grubs and the

0:24:16.510 --> 0:24:21.739
<v Speaker 2>sad countenance and the heavy heart. It's more needful for them. Now,

0:24:21.760 --> 0:24:24.540
<v Speaker 2>for you, you'd just as soon be sad. But what

0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:27.860
<v Speaker 2>about for your kids? What about for your coworkers? What

0:24:27.900 --> 0:24:30.560
<v Speaker 2>about for people in your world? It's more needful for them.

0:24:30.580 --> 0:24:36.070
<v Speaker 2>But you snap out of it. And you intentionally plant

0:24:36.530 --> 0:24:40.169
<v Speaker 2>forget seeds. All right, number two, what other seeds? Faith seeds.

0:24:40.810 --> 0:24:45.350
<v Speaker 2>Plant faith seeds. The apostle Paul said this. He says,

0:24:45.390 --> 0:24:48.530
<v Speaker 2>we've been greatly comforted, dear brothers and sisters, in all

0:24:48.550 --> 0:24:52.710
<v Speaker 2>of our own crushing troubles and suffering. We've been through it.

0:24:52.770 --> 0:24:56.169
<v Speaker 2>We've been discouraged. We've been depressed. We've been disheartened. But

0:24:56.190 --> 0:24:58.230
<v Speaker 2>we have been greatly comforted in the midst of all

0:24:58.270 --> 0:25:03.879
<v Speaker 2>of that because you have remained strong in your faith.

0:25:05.220 --> 0:25:07.699
<v Speaker 2>It gives us new life knowing you remain strong in

0:25:07.720 --> 0:25:10.600
<v Speaker 2>the Lord. How we thank God for you. Because of you,

0:25:10.619 --> 0:25:14.830
<v Speaker 2>we're going through crushing troubles. But because of you, he says,

0:25:15.410 --> 0:25:17.770
<v Speaker 2>we have great joy in the presence of God. Night

0:25:17.810 --> 0:25:20.649
<v Speaker 2>and day we pray earnestly for you. So the apostle

0:25:20.690 --> 0:25:24.230
<v Speaker 2>Paul said he was going to sow faith seeds. He said, man,

0:25:24.250 --> 0:25:26.130
<v Speaker 2>we've been through all kinds of stuff, but the thing

0:25:26.170 --> 0:25:28.570
<v Speaker 2>that causes us to live, the thing that gives us

0:25:28.670 --> 0:25:31.050
<v Speaker 2>great joy, the thing that gives us great hope, it

0:25:31.090 --> 0:25:33.490
<v Speaker 2>puts wind in our sails. The thing that keeps us

0:25:33.580 --> 0:25:37.240
<v Speaker 2>going when we get weary, it's you. It's seeing your progress.

0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:39.980
<v Speaker 2>It's seeing you stand strong in the faith. It's seeing

0:25:40.040 --> 0:25:42.040
<v Speaker 2>light bulbs go off for you and you begin to

0:25:42.100 --> 0:25:45.340
<v Speaker 2>get it. It's seeing revelation knowledge hit your heart and

0:25:45.359 --> 0:25:47.080
<v Speaker 2>you begin to walk in it and you begin to

0:25:47.119 --> 0:25:49.399
<v Speaker 2>pass it on to your kids. And you begin to

0:25:49.440 --> 0:25:52.140
<v Speaker 2>pass it on to another generation. Yeah, we've been through

0:25:52.180 --> 0:25:54.399
<v Speaker 2>some stuff, but oh, what a great joy it is

0:25:54.440 --> 0:25:59.160
<v Speaker 2>to see you standing strong. The Apostle Paul is talking

0:25:59.180 --> 0:26:03.120
<v Speaker 2>about sowing faith seeds. Man, he sowed faith seeds everywhere.

0:26:03.320 --> 0:26:06.500
<v Speaker 2>You know, he's always sharing the gospel with people, explaining

0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:11.100
<v Speaker 2>the Bible, talking about the Lord, reaching the lost, reaching believers,

0:26:11.200 --> 0:26:13.840
<v Speaker 2>teaching people. And listen, all of us can do that.

0:26:14.220 --> 0:26:16.920
<v Speaker 2>It's not just for preachers. All of us need to

0:26:16.940 --> 0:26:19.409
<v Speaker 2>be a part of doing that. In your world, who

0:26:19.450 --> 0:26:24.290
<v Speaker 2>are you sowing faith seeds in? I know, obviously, our kids, right? Parents.

0:26:24.350 --> 0:26:30.170
<v Speaker 2>Isn't it amazing when your kids show, like, evidence? Like, hallelujah,

0:26:30.890 --> 0:26:34.260
<v Speaker 2>a seed has produced some fruit. You see some really

0:26:34.300 --> 0:26:36.140
<v Speaker 2>neat things happening in your kids, and you go, oh,

0:26:36.420 --> 0:26:38.520
<v Speaker 2>parenting is not always easy, and you're sure sowing a

0:26:38.580 --> 0:26:41.020
<v Speaker 2>lot of faith seeds. But then when you see them

0:26:41.100 --> 0:26:43.960
<v Speaker 2>stand strong in their faith, you go, yes, now I live.

0:26:45.010 --> 0:26:46.810
<v Speaker 2>As a parent, you all know this, as a parent,

0:26:46.830 --> 0:26:50.190
<v Speaker 2>there's no greater thing than to see your kids doing

0:26:50.270 --> 0:26:52.430
<v Speaker 2>good in the Lord. But it took a lot of

0:26:52.450 --> 0:26:55.650
<v Speaker 2>effort on your part to sow faith seeds. It took

0:26:55.690 --> 0:26:57.060
<v Speaker 2>a lot of effort on your part to get them

0:26:57.080 --> 0:26:59.660
<v Speaker 2>to youth group when they kicked and screamed. To check

0:26:59.680 --> 0:27:01.640
<v Speaker 2>them into children's church when they're like clinging to you

0:27:01.680 --> 0:27:05.340
<v Speaker 2>like Velcro. No, honey, this will be really good for you.

0:27:07.160 --> 0:27:09.909
<v Speaker 2>To have conversations in the car about the Lord. To

0:27:09.930 --> 0:27:13.000
<v Speaker 2>give them little devotionals. My husband, Jeff, you know, he's

0:27:13.040 --> 0:27:14.800
<v Speaker 2>gotten up in the morning with our kids since Megan

0:27:14.820 --> 0:27:20.030
<v Speaker 2>was in kindergarten. Kindergarten-ish. Oh, sixth. Well, what'd you do

0:27:20.050 --> 0:27:23.929
<v Speaker 2>in kindergarten? No, you did something. I forget now, but

0:27:24.330 --> 0:27:26.050
<v Speaker 2>with her at the beginning, you did something. But since

0:27:26.070 --> 0:27:28.659
<v Speaker 2>she was in sixth grade. So since Megan's been in

0:27:28.760 --> 0:27:30.879
<v Speaker 2>sixth grade, now she's 19 years old, she's a sophomore

0:27:30.900 --> 0:27:33.340
<v Speaker 2>in college. So then with all of the kids, Jeff

0:27:33.359 --> 0:27:35.260
<v Speaker 2>gets up in the morning. We call it Daddy's Bistro.

0:27:35.280 --> 0:27:42.810
<v Speaker 2>Because Mama don't get up. mama does get up eventually

0:27:42.850 --> 0:27:46.010
<v Speaker 2>but not at that early hour how many of you

0:27:46.050 --> 0:27:50.010
<v Speaker 2>mothers are night people okay so god bless all of

0:27:50.090 --> 0:27:54.580
<v Speaker 2>us so daddy's bistro opens up at 7 a.m and

0:27:54.619 --> 0:27:56.169
<v Speaker 2>all the kids come down in the morning and he

0:27:56.210 --> 0:27:58.520
<v Speaker 2>makes breakfast he's you know he makes a great breakfast

0:27:58.560 --> 0:28:01.500
<v Speaker 2>and waffles and pancakes and eggs and omelets and all

0:28:01.520 --> 0:28:03.820
<v Speaker 2>different kind of things and then they have a devotional

0:28:04.630 --> 0:28:06.530
<v Speaker 2>He's got a devotional they go through. And I usually

0:28:06.550 --> 0:28:08.070
<v Speaker 2>come down at the tail end for the prayer. I'm

0:28:08.090 --> 0:28:10.270
<v Speaker 2>usually there down, you know, for the prayer. I mean,

0:28:10.290 --> 0:28:13.929
<v Speaker 2>for the good stuff. So he does this devotional with

0:28:13.950 --> 0:28:15.770
<v Speaker 2>them and has done it for years and years and years. Well,

0:28:15.790 --> 0:28:17.870
<v Speaker 2>you understand at the breakfast table, the kids are like,

0:28:19.170 --> 0:28:21.780
<v Speaker 2>you know, laying on the table and not always in

0:28:21.820 --> 0:28:24.160
<v Speaker 2>the greatest mood and, you know, those kind of things.

0:28:24.520 --> 0:28:26.540
<v Speaker 2>So you can think, boy, this isn't doing anything. Are

0:28:26.560 --> 0:28:29.239
<v Speaker 2>these seeds even making a difference? But, you know, he's

0:28:29.260 --> 0:28:32.459
<v Speaker 2>sowing faith seeds. Keep on sowing faith seeds. And then

0:28:32.520 --> 0:28:34.930
<v Speaker 2>every now and then you see it. We had parent-teacher

0:28:34.970 --> 0:28:37.389
<v Speaker 2>conferences last week with our youngest son, Eric, and it

0:28:37.410 --> 0:28:40.270
<v Speaker 2>was a student-led conference. And so did you guys do

0:28:40.290 --> 0:28:42.810
<v Speaker 2>it last week too? Yeah. And so the kids did

0:28:42.830 --> 0:28:44.990
<v Speaker 2>the conference, and the teacher didn't say anything. The teacher

0:28:45.030 --> 0:28:46.810
<v Speaker 2>just sat there, and the kid did the whole conference.

0:28:47.250 --> 0:28:49.220
<v Speaker 2>And so it was just so cool because you wonder,

0:28:49.240 --> 0:28:52.239
<v Speaker 2>are these seeds getting in there? And so Eric, he says, well,

0:28:52.280 --> 0:28:55.040
<v Speaker 2>my first-hour class is Bible. He goes to Kalamazoo Christian.

0:28:55.540 --> 0:28:57.400
<v Speaker 2>My first-hour class is Bible, and here's what we're learning

0:28:57.440 --> 0:28:59.440
<v Speaker 2>in Bible. And it was awesome. Of course, it's Bible.

0:28:59.720 --> 0:29:02.950
<v Speaker 2>It should be. Second hour was like social studies. And

0:29:02.990 --> 0:29:05.090
<v Speaker 2>he's like, on social studies, we're learning about having a

0:29:05.150 --> 0:29:08.719
<v Speaker 2>Christian worldview. And he's using all this big vernacular. Like,

0:29:08.760 --> 0:29:13.600
<v Speaker 2>I'm sitting there thinking, Eric, check you out. You're getting it.

0:29:14.580 --> 0:29:17.100
<v Speaker 2>And you're articulating it very well. I mean, it's really articulate.

0:29:17.500 --> 0:29:19.310
<v Speaker 2>It was like one of those moments. You don't get

0:29:19.330 --> 0:29:22.430
<v Speaker 2>them all the time. We were on vacation with our kids,

0:29:22.470 --> 0:29:24.209
<v Speaker 2>and Eric was trying to be smart. And he said

0:29:24.270 --> 0:29:30.310
<v Speaker 2>one time, I am so inevitable. He meant I am invincible.

0:29:31.450 --> 0:29:33.490
<v Speaker 2>So now we tease him about that. So, you know,

0:29:33.510 --> 0:29:35.590
<v Speaker 2>but you get these moments when you see it and

0:29:35.610 --> 0:29:39.350
<v Speaker 2>you go, yes, now we live. If you stand strong. Well,

0:29:39.390 --> 0:29:41.940
<v Speaker 2>it's that same. principle, not just with our kids. Who

0:29:42.000 --> 0:29:44.440
<v Speaker 2>else is in your world? Who's your neighbor? Who's your coworker?

0:29:45.320 --> 0:29:47.160
<v Speaker 2>Who are the people you hang with? And then what

0:29:47.180 --> 0:29:50.920
<v Speaker 2>are you doing intentionally to sow faith seeds? When was

0:29:50.940 --> 0:29:52.810
<v Speaker 2>the last time you gave somebody the awesome book you

0:29:52.830 --> 0:29:56.950
<v Speaker 2>just read? A CD that just ministered to you. A podcast.

0:29:57.570 --> 0:30:01.230
<v Speaker 2>A DVD. A song. What is it? A Bible verse.

0:30:01.540 --> 0:30:04.540
<v Speaker 2>When was the last time intentionally we said, you know what,

0:30:04.650 --> 0:30:06.420
<v Speaker 2>I'm discouraged, but it's not about me. I'm going to

0:30:06.460 --> 0:30:09.140
<v Speaker 2>sow faith seeds in other people because, man, now I live.

0:30:09.880 --> 0:30:12.080
<v Speaker 2>If they are standing strong in their faith. And I

0:30:12.100 --> 0:30:13.700
<v Speaker 2>want to sow seeds. And maybe one of the things

0:30:13.740 --> 0:30:15.800
<v Speaker 2>I give them will take root. Maybe they'll read it.

0:30:15.900 --> 0:30:18.180
<v Speaker 2>Maybe they'll listen to it. Maybe God will use it

0:30:18.220 --> 0:30:21.360
<v Speaker 2>and he'll speak some encouraging words to them. And, man,

0:30:21.400 --> 0:30:30.830
<v Speaker 2>if he does, I live. Go over to 1 Thessalonians 2.

0:30:30.830 --> 0:30:32.510
<v Speaker 2>When I was in college, how many of y'all, when

0:30:32.550 --> 0:30:35.090
<v Speaker 2>you got first saved, maybe you're coming to the Lord

0:30:35.110 --> 0:30:36.910
<v Speaker 2>or you just become a Christian, how many of you

0:30:36.930 --> 0:30:40.060
<v Speaker 2>were a tough nut to crack? You know, like you

0:30:40.120 --> 0:30:44.239
<v Speaker 2>came into the kingdom kicking and screaming. Anybody besides me?

0:30:45.140 --> 0:30:46.920
<v Speaker 2>I was like that. I was a tough nut to crack.

0:30:47.380 --> 0:30:49.340
<v Speaker 2>And when I became a Christian, I knew this. I

0:30:49.380 --> 0:30:51.560
<v Speaker 2>knew that whenever I did become a Christian, I was

0:30:51.580 --> 0:30:53.560
<v Speaker 2>going to be one. So I took a while to

0:30:53.580 --> 0:30:54.920
<v Speaker 2>get there. But when I knew this, I knew I'm

0:30:54.940 --> 0:30:56.400
<v Speaker 2>not going to pray that prayer and do the thing

0:30:56.820 --> 0:30:59.520
<v Speaker 2>until I decide inside that once I become a Christian,

0:30:59.880 --> 0:31:02.740
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to be one. So I did finally do that.

0:31:02.760 --> 0:31:04.760
<v Speaker 2>I accepted the Lord. But, you know, I'm still struggling

0:31:04.780 --> 0:31:07.760
<v Speaker 2>with some questions, and I'm asking questions. And I had

0:31:07.800 --> 0:31:11.420
<v Speaker 2>the sweetest Bible study leader. She was a Campus Crusade

0:31:11.540 --> 0:31:16.090
<v Speaker 2>for Christ staff member at Western. Her name was Debbie Young.

0:31:16.630 --> 0:31:18.490
<v Speaker 2>And Debbie was the sweetest thing. I mean, she was

0:31:18.550 --> 0:31:24.710
<v Speaker 2>like the poster child for sweet things. Christian woman I

0:31:24.730 --> 0:31:27.430
<v Speaker 2>mean she just radiated and she loved the Lord and

0:31:27.510 --> 0:31:29.890
<v Speaker 2>she just you know she was awesome and you know

0:31:29.950 --> 0:31:32.380
<v Speaker 2>I was so rough around the edges I had come

0:31:32.410 --> 0:31:34.980
<v Speaker 2>in kicking and screaming and so she tried to pour

0:31:35.020 --> 0:31:36.780
<v Speaker 2>into me you know and she'd read me Bible verses

0:31:36.840 --> 0:31:38.660
<v Speaker 2>and do a Bible study with me and she was

0:31:38.740 --> 0:31:40.800
<v Speaker 2>coaching me you know and how to share my faith

0:31:40.840 --> 0:31:43.360
<v Speaker 2>and all of those things and and I remember early

0:31:43.460 --> 0:31:45.340
<v Speaker 2>on I didn't I didn't give her any encouragement I

0:31:45.340 --> 0:31:49.610
<v Speaker 2>mean God bless the woman I remember that we got

0:31:49.650 --> 0:31:51.709
<v Speaker 2>together and I was like having one of those days,

0:31:51.970 --> 0:31:53.830
<v Speaker 2>you know. And so I said to her, I said,

0:31:53.850 --> 0:31:55.469
<v Speaker 2>you know, I don't know. I mean, I'm having all

0:31:55.510 --> 0:31:57.310
<v Speaker 2>kinds of questions and doubts. I don't even know if

0:31:57.330 --> 0:31:59.010
<v Speaker 2>I believe all this stuff. And besides that, I just

0:31:59.030 --> 0:32:04.140
<v Speaker 2>want to go party. You know, that's encouraging, isn't it?

0:32:04.670 --> 0:32:08.230
<v Speaker 2>You've been pouring your life into somebody for months, you know,

0:32:08.410 --> 0:32:11.340
<v Speaker 2>and then they don't even throw you a bone to say,

0:32:11.360 --> 0:32:14.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, hey, you're really helping me. Thanks. No, I said,

0:32:14.760 --> 0:32:16.820
<v Speaker 2>I don't even know if I buy all this. Plus,

0:32:16.860 --> 0:32:19.160
<v Speaker 2>I want to go party. Because, you know, when you're

0:32:19.180 --> 0:32:20.500
<v Speaker 2>first a Christian, how many of you know when you're

0:32:20.520 --> 0:32:22.860
<v Speaker 2>first a Christian, you lose some friends? You have to

0:32:22.880 --> 0:32:25.360
<v Speaker 2>make some sacrifices. And I was in that season. It

0:32:25.380 --> 0:32:28.080
<v Speaker 2>was tough. It was discouraging to lose friends. And, you know,

0:32:28.100 --> 0:32:29.360
<v Speaker 2>what are you doing on a Friday night? Well, I

0:32:29.380 --> 0:32:33.160
<v Speaker 2>guess I'm having a Bible study with myself. You know,

0:32:33.200 --> 0:32:35.790
<v Speaker 2>there's that season. And I was kind of in that season,

0:32:35.810 --> 0:32:37.350
<v Speaker 2>and I'm thinking, is it worth it? Is it worth

0:32:37.370 --> 0:32:39.790
<v Speaker 2>the price for all this business? And, you know, so

0:32:39.870 --> 0:32:41.790
<v Speaker 2>I was not, like I said, you know, I was

0:32:41.830 --> 0:32:45.560
<v Speaker 2>not like an A-plus student. But Debbie was so faithful, man.

0:32:45.580 --> 0:32:48.560
<v Speaker 2>She just kept sowing faith seeds. And she began to

0:32:48.640 --> 0:32:50.820
<v Speaker 2>teach me how to lead a Bible study. And, I mean,

0:32:50.860 --> 0:32:53.340
<v Speaker 2>I knew nothing. She gave me a little book. She said,

0:32:53.360 --> 0:32:55.080
<v Speaker 2>here's how you do a Bible study. Invite some girls

0:32:55.140 --> 0:32:56.740
<v Speaker 2>on your floor. Bring them up to your dorm room

0:32:57.100 --> 0:33:00.550
<v Speaker 2>and reach out to them and start sharing Christ. So

0:33:00.810 --> 0:33:02.150
<v Speaker 2>I was like a mimic. I mean, I just did

0:33:02.170 --> 0:33:04.410
<v Speaker 2>what she said. So I had a Bible study with

0:33:04.450 --> 0:33:07.770
<v Speaker 2>about three or four girls. And I don't even know

0:33:07.990 --> 0:33:09.860
<v Speaker 2>what we talked about, to tell you the truth. But

0:33:09.880 --> 0:33:11.860
<v Speaker 2>when we moved to Kalamazoo to start the church, you know,

0:33:11.880 --> 0:33:14.040
<v Speaker 2>years and years ago, I ran into one of the

0:33:14.080 --> 0:33:16.540
<v Speaker 2>girls that I had met at Western that was in

0:33:16.560 --> 0:33:19.040
<v Speaker 2>this Bible study. I ran into her in Kalamazoo, and

0:33:19.280 --> 0:33:20.740
<v Speaker 2>we were like, oh, my gosh, I remember you. And

0:33:20.780 --> 0:33:22.960
<v Speaker 2>she said to me then, she said, do you remember

0:33:23.000 --> 0:33:25.040
<v Speaker 2>the Bible study you had in your dorm room? Well,

0:33:25.060 --> 0:33:27.440
<v Speaker 2>when she said that at that time, I did not

0:33:27.480 --> 0:33:30.870
<v Speaker 2>remember the Bible study. I said, I had a Bible study?

0:33:32.490 --> 0:33:34.760
<v Speaker 2>That's what I said. She said, yeah, my sister and

0:33:34.840 --> 0:33:36.780
<v Speaker 2>I and another girl used to come to it. And

0:33:36.800 --> 0:33:38.800
<v Speaker 2>then she described it, and I was like, yeah, I

0:33:38.860 --> 0:33:41.400
<v Speaker 2>do remember that, you know, kind of. I don't remember

0:33:41.420 --> 0:33:43.580
<v Speaker 2>what we talked about, but I do remember having girls

0:33:43.620 --> 0:33:45.060
<v Speaker 2>in my dorm room, and we were studying the Bible,

0:33:45.100 --> 0:33:47.110
<v Speaker 2>and she was one of them. Well, now here it

0:33:47.140 --> 0:33:50.590
<v Speaker 2>is years and years later. She's in Kalamazoo still, and

0:33:50.650 --> 0:33:52.850
<v Speaker 2>she's involved in leadership in another church in town. She's

0:33:52.910 --> 0:33:57.060
<v Speaker 2>strong in her faith. What was that all about? Debbie Young,

0:33:57.100 --> 0:33:59.440
<v Speaker 2>my little Bible study leader, is pouring faith seeds into me.

0:33:59.700 --> 0:34:02.060
<v Speaker 2>And by faith, I'm planting faith seeds, and I don't

0:34:02.100 --> 0:34:07.700
<v Speaker 2>even remember it. So anyway, so with Debbie. So Debbie,

0:34:07.720 --> 0:34:09.219
<v Speaker 2>you know, you think about, I think about this, Debbie.

0:34:09.530 --> 0:34:11.510
<v Speaker 2>Her and I stayed in touch. I transferred from Western

0:34:11.530 --> 0:34:14.810
<v Speaker 2>Michigan University to Boston University. And I was out in Boston,

0:34:14.830 --> 0:34:16.549
<v Speaker 2>and I stayed in touch with Debbie. And then I

0:34:16.570 --> 0:34:19.250
<v Speaker 2>moved back after I graduated, moved back to Michigan, stayed

0:34:19.270 --> 0:34:22.150
<v Speaker 2>in touch with Debbie. And then Jeff and I got married.

0:34:22.630 --> 0:34:24.210
<v Speaker 2>And Debbie knew that I was going to be getting married.

0:34:28.540 --> 0:34:35.100
<v Speaker 2>Just checking out. So Debbie knew that Jeff and I

0:34:35.120 --> 0:34:37.400
<v Speaker 2>were going to get married. And so we did. And

0:34:37.420 --> 0:34:39.549
<v Speaker 2>then I lost touch with Debbie. She moved to Florida.

0:34:40.510 --> 0:34:43.350
<v Speaker 2>And last I knew, she's in Florida somewhere. So think

0:34:43.390 --> 0:34:45.029
<v Speaker 2>about Debbie. I mean, I can't wait to see Debbie

0:34:45.050 --> 0:34:46.350
<v Speaker 2>in heaven unless, you know, I see her on earth

0:34:46.370 --> 0:34:49.270
<v Speaker 2>sometime before. Because Debbie has no idea that God called

0:34:49.290 --> 0:34:51.279
<v Speaker 2>Jeff and I to start a church. She has no

0:34:51.360 --> 0:34:54.310
<v Speaker 2>idea about VFC, about y'all. We get to heaven. We're

0:34:54.330 --> 0:34:56.090
<v Speaker 2>going to have a big reunion up in heaven, the

0:34:56.110 --> 0:34:59.270
<v Speaker 2>VFC reunion. We'll send you an e-blitz on it. We'll

0:34:59.290 --> 0:35:01.790
<v Speaker 2>let you guys know where to show up. And I

0:35:01.830 --> 0:35:03.870
<v Speaker 2>want Debbie to come because I want Debbie to see

0:35:03.890 --> 0:35:06.529
<v Speaker 2>y'all and say, listen, Debbie, whatever seed you planted in

0:35:06.570 --> 0:35:09.750
<v Speaker 2>me and whatever God did in my life, whatever he

0:35:09.770 --> 0:35:12.050
<v Speaker 2>did through my life, whether it was this church, whatever

0:35:12.090 --> 0:35:13.969
<v Speaker 2>my part is in this church, whatever my part is

0:35:14.010 --> 0:35:16.550
<v Speaker 2>in some books, Debbie has a part in all of that.

0:35:18.370 --> 0:35:21.529
<v Speaker 2>That's great joy. And you don't know who you're investing in.

0:35:22.030 --> 0:35:24.760
<v Speaker 2>You don't know who you're sowing seeds in. You might

0:35:24.800 --> 0:35:26.759
<v Speaker 2>think they're a tough nut to crack. You might think,

0:35:26.800 --> 0:35:33.080
<v Speaker 2>dear Lord, I give up. You take her. You don't know.

0:35:33.100 --> 0:35:36.200
<v Speaker 2>I don't know, but God does. We forget ourselves long enough,

0:35:36.219 --> 0:35:43.230
<v Speaker 2>and then we sow faith seeds. 1 Thessalonians 2, the

0:35:43.250 --> 0:35:45.510
<v Speaker 2>Apostle Paul said this. He said, after all, what gives

0:35:45.610 --> 0:35:49.509
<v Speaker 2>us hope and joy? What is our proud reward and crown?

0:35:49.680 --> 0:35:53.960
<v Speaker 2>It is you. Yes, you will bring us much joy

0:35:53.980 --> 0:35:56.299
<v Speaker 2>as we stand together before our Lord Jesus Christ when

0:35:56.320 --> 0:36:00.420
<v Speaker 2>he comes back again. For you, our pride and joy.

0:36:01.140 --> 0:36:04.140
<v Speaker 2>What gives us great joy? We're talking about pathways to joy.

0:36:04.900 --> 0:36:06.860
<v Speaker 2>We're talking about what to do when you feel blue,

0:36:06.980 --> 0:36:10.640
<v Speaker 2>lifting up the down. What gives us great hope and joy?

0:36:10.660 --> 0:36:14.120
<v Speaker 2>It is you. For Jeff and I, it is you.

0:36:14.760 --> 0:36:18.120
<v Speaker 2>Who is it for you? Who are you planting into?

0:36:18.180 --> 0:36:21.359
<v Speaker 2>Who are you pouring into? You guys know this song.

0:36:21.410 --> 0:36:23.450
<v Speaker 2>This is a classic song. It's an oldie but goodie,

0:36:23.469 --> 0:36:25.489
<v Speaker 2>and it was popular, I think, back in the 80s

0:36:25.530 --> 0:36:28.549
<v Speaker 2>or so, maybe the 90s. Thank you for giving to

0:36:28.570 --> 0:36:31.989
<v Speaker 2>the Lord. Ray Boltz. Anybody remember this song? Well, I

0:36:32.030 --> 0:36:33.660
<v Speaker 2>want to read you the words because it's such a

0:36:33.700 --> 0:36:36.380
<v Speaker 2>picture of this. He said he had a dream that

0:36:36.400 --> 0:36:38.000
<v Speaker 2>he went to heaven, and he went to heaven with

0:36:38.020 --> 0:36:41.080
<v Speaker 2>the person that led him to the Lord. I dreamed

0:36:41.120 --> 0:36:43.000
<v Speaker 2>I went to heaven, and you were there with me.

0:36:43.440 --> 0:36:46.120
<v Speaker 2>We walked along the streets of gold beside the crystal sea.

0:36:46.920 --> 0:36:49.410
<v Speaker 2>We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name.

0:36:50.170 --> 0:36:52.009
<v Speaker 2>You turned and saw this young man, and he was

0:36:52.090 --> 0:36:55.330
<v Speaker 2>smiling as he came. He said, friend, you may not

0:36:55.390 --> 0:36:59.310
<v Speaker 2>know me now. But then he said, but wait. You

0:36:59.430 --> 0:37:01.939
<v Speaker 2>used to teach my Sunday school when I was only eight.

0:37:02.780 --> 0:37:04.680
<v Speaker 2>And every week you would say a prayer before the

0:37:04.700 --> 0:37:07.540
<v Speaker 2>class would start. And one day when you said that prayer,

0:37:07.560 --> 0:37:12.150
<v Speaker 2>I asked Jesus in my heart. Listen, you kids, church workers,

0:37:12.530 --> 0:37:15.930
<v Speaker 2>kids rock. You guys serve in children's church. You're working

0:37:15.950 --> 0:37:19.660
<v Speaker 2>with 8-year-olds, 2-year-olds. And you might think, this doesn't matter.

0:37:19.680 --> 0:37:23.140
<v Speaker 2>This isn't doing anything. These kids are just out of control.

0:37:24.660 --> 0:37:28.779
<v Speaker 2>Not planting, right? Not planting any seeds here. Some of

0:37:28.820 --> 0:37:30.360
<v Speaker 2>you work with middle school kids. I mean, that's a

0:37:30.390 --> 0:37:32.470
<v Speaker 2>special grace right there to work with middle school kids.

0:37:33.989 --> 0:37:35.770
<v Speaker 2>High schoolers, you know, they think they know everything and

0:37:35.790 --> 0:37:38.410
<v Speaker 2>you know nothing. So, you know, it takes a grace

0:37:38.469 --> 0:37:40.029
<v Speaker 2>to do all this. And you might think it's not

0:37:40.070 --> 0:37:42.790
<v Speaker 2>doing anything. But listen, someday in heaven... Somebody is going

0:37:42.810 --> 0:37:43.850
<v Speaker 2>to come up to you and they're going to say,

0:37:43.870 --> 0:37:45.590
<v Speaker 2>you know what, when I was eight years old, I

0:37:45.610 --> 0:37:49.390
<v Speaker 2>was in your vertical edge kids' church thing. And you

0:37:49.430 --> 0:37:53.380
<v Speaker 2>prayed a prayer and I accepted the Lord. Some teenager

0:37:53.400 --> 0:37:54.719
<v Speaker 2>is going to come up to you at some point

0:37:54.739 --> 0:37:57.700
<v Speaker 2>and say, listen, what you did mattered. The song goes on.

0:37:57.739 --> 0:37:59.320
<v Speaker 2>It says, thank you for giving to the Lord. I

0:37:59.380 --> 0:38:01.920
<v Speaker 2>am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving

0:38:01.960 --> 0:38:04.620
<v Speaker 2>to the Lord. I'm so glad you gave. Then another

0:38:04.660 --> 0:38:06.800
<v Speaker 2>man stood before you and he said, remember the time

0:38:07.160 --> 0:38:09.780
<v Speaker 2>that a missionary came to your church and his pictures

0:38:09.820 --> 0:38:12.620
<v Speaker 2>made you cry? You didn't have much money, but you

0:38:12.660 --> 0:38:15.400
<v Speaker 2>gave it anyway. Jesus took the gift you gave, and

0:38:15.460 --> 0:38:18.529
<v Speaker 2>that's why I'm in heaven today. Thank you for giving

0:38:18.570 --> 0:38:21.770
<v Speaker 2>to the Lord. I'm a life that was changed. One

0:38:21.810 --> 0:38:24.410
<v Speaker 2>by one they came, far as your eyes could see,

0:38:25.010 --> 0:38:28.920
<v Speaker 2>each life somehow touched by your generosity. Little things you

0:38:28.960 --> 0:38:32.759
<v Speaker 2>had done, sacrifices made. They were unnoticed on this earth,

0:38:32.800 --> 0:38:35.830
<v Speaker 2>but in heaven now proclaimed. And I know up in

0:38:35.870 --> 0:38:39.290
<v Speaker 2>heaven you're not supposed to cry, but I am almost

0:38:39.350 --> 0:38:42.190
<v Speaker 2>sure there were tears in your eyes as Jesus took

0:38:42.230 --> 0:38:45.549
<v Speaker 2>your hand and you stood before the Lord. And he said,

0:38:45.610 --> 0:38:50.969
<v Speaker 2>my child, look around you. Great is your reward. Plant

0:38:50.989 --> 0:38:55.430
<v Speaker 2>in faith seeds. And God is not mocked. Whatever we reap,

0:38:55.450 --> 0:38:59.370
<v Speaker 2>whatever we sow, that is exactly what we're going to reap.

0:39:00.190 --> 0:39:01.590
<v Speaker 2>Some of you, I want to talk to some of

0:39:01.630 --> 0:39:05.070
<v Speaker 2>you because Because some of you, you made a vow

0:39:05.130 --> 0:39:08.660
<v Speaker 2>to the Lord at one point. You said, you know,

0:39:08.700 --> 0:39:10.660
<v Speaker 2>maybe you were in youth camp or kids church as

0:39:10.700 --> 0:39:13.560
<v Speaker 2>a child or even as an adult. And at some

0:39:13.580 --> 0:39:15.400
<v Speaker 2>point you made a vow to the Lord. You said, God,

0:39:15.520 --> 0:39:18.120
<v Speaker 2>use my life and I submit and I surrender and

0:39:18.480 --> 0:39:20.300
<v Speaker 2>take me and break me and mold me and shape

0:39:20.320 --> 0:39:23.230
<v Speaker 2>me and use me. And you prayed some prayer someday.

0:39:23.250 --> 0:39:26.509
<v Speaker 2>You made a vow to the Lord. But maybe you've

0:39:26.530 --> 0:39:29.210
<v Speaker 2>kind of gotten weak on that and you can't figure

0:39:29.250 --> 0:39:31.330
<v Speaker 2>out why it feels like the light bulb is not

0:39:31.390 --> 0:39:33.860
<v Speaker 2>so bright in you you can't figure out why is

0:39:33.910 --> 0:39:35.569
<v Speaker 2>it i don't have that joy like i ought to

0:39:35.700 --> 0:39:38.719
<v Speaker 2>know i should have what's the deal on that it

0:39:38.800 --> 0:39:40.600
<v Speaker 2>may be that god's just trying to stir you up

0:39:40.640 --> 0:39:45.140
<v Speaker 2>today to say come on fulfill your vow Plant those

0:39:45.180 --> 0:39:48.280
<v Speaker 2>forget seeds. And now get really busy planting faith seeds.

0:39:48.760 --> 0:39:50.589
<v Speaker 2>Who's in your world? They need that book. They need

0:39:50.620 --> 0:39:52.850
<v Speaker 2>that track. They need that song. They need that message.

0:39:52.910 --> 0:39:55.450
<v Speaker 2>They need that scripture. They need that cup of coffee

0:39:55.489 --> 0:39:58.310
<v Speaker 2>with you. They need that phone call. They need that email.

0:39:59.150 --> 0:40:02.630
<v Speaker 2>Who's in your world? And pay your vow. I'll tell

0:40:02.650 --> 0:40:04.969
<v Speaker 2>you what, there's nothing like it. There's nothing like being

0:40:05.130 --> 0:40:10.070
<v Speaker 2>all about the master's business, being intentional, being about kingdom business.

0:40:10.090 --> 0:40:13.380
<v Speaker 2>I mean, this life is a vapor. Boom, we are

0:40:13.469 --> 0:40:16.660
<v Speaker 2>out of here. But the Bible says that for ages

0:40:16.739 --> 0:40:18.460
<v Speaker 2>to come, the little bit of trouble, the little bit

0:40:18.500 --> 0:40:22.219
<v Speaker 2>of challenge we go through here is nothing compared to

0:40:22.239 --> 0:40:25.219
<v Speaker 2>the ages to come and the glories that are to

0:40:25.260 --> 0:40:28.759
<v Speaker 2>be revealed, the great joys that are to be revealed. Well,

0:40:28.780 --> 0:40:30.670
<v Speaker 2>there's great joy here on earth, but I'm telling you what,

0:40:30.710 --> 0:40:33.670
<v Speaker 2>you can invest your earthly life into the lives of

0:40:33.710 --> 0:40:36.410
<v Speaker 2>other people and not only have great joy here on earth,

0:40:36.550 --> 0:40:42.630
<v Speaker 2>but in eternity. Great is your reward. God is not mocked.

0:40:43.780 --> 0:40:45.500
<v Speaker 2>Whatever you sow, you're going to reap it. But I know,

0:40:45.560 --> 0:40:48.400
<v Speaker 2>I know from experience, you've got to be intentional, and

0:40:48.440 --> 0:40:49.700
<v Speaker 2>there's going to be a lot of days you don't

0:40:49.739 --> 0:40:52.460
<v Speaker 2>feel like it. There's going to be a lot of

0:40:52.480 --> 0:40:56.120
<v Speaker 2>days you get weary in well-doing. But you say, God,

0:40:56.200 --> 0:40:59.910
<v Speaker 2>I will pay my vow. God, I will sow seeds.

0:40:59.989 --> 0:41:02.589
<v Speaker 2>It's not about me. It's about you, and it's about people.

0:41:05.030 --> 0:41:11.450
<v Speaker 2>And all the people said. Okay, let's go to our

0:41:11.469 --> 0:41:14.089
<v Speaker 2>last seed. Just a few minutes left. Our last seed.

0:41:14.130 --> 0:41:19.810
<v Speaker 2>Let's plant forever seeds. Luke 15, verse 1. This is

0:41:19.830 --> 0:41:23.210
<v Speaker 2>a great passage, one of my favorites. Luke 15, verse

0:41:23.210 --> 0:41:26.570
<v Speaker 2>1 says, Then all the tax collectors and the sinners

0:41:26.650 --> 0:41:31.010
<v Speaker 2>drew near to him to hear him. And the Pharisees

0:41:31.050 --> 0:41:33.700
<v Speaker 2>and the scribes complained, saying, This man receives sinners and

0:41:33.780 --> 0:41:36.740
<v Speaker 2>eats with them. So he spoke this parable to them, saying,

0:41:36.780 --> 0:41:39.790
<v Speaker 2>What man of you, having a hundred sheep, If he

0:41:39.830 --> 0:41:42.489
<v Speaker 2>loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in

0:41:42.610 --> 0:41:45.610
<v Speaker 2>the wilderness and go after the one which is lost.

0:41:46.170 --> 0:41:49.530
<v Speaker 2>Leave the 99, go after the one which is lost

0:41:50.170 --> 0:41:52.029
<v Speaker 2>until he finds it. We'll look at the rest of

0:41:52.050 --> 0:41:53.630
<v Speaker 2>it here in just a minute. So the beginning of

0:41:53.650 --> 0:41:56.029
<v Speaker 2>this passage tells us this. It says, all of these

0:41:56.150 --> 0:41:59.690
<v Speaker 2>publicans and sinners. I always tell people that's a Bible

0:41:59.730 --> 0:42:04.990
<v Speaker 2>reference to Democrats and Republicans. All the publicans and sinners

0:42:05.610 --> 0:42:08.900
<v Speaker 2>came to hear him. All these ungodly people, all these

0:42:08.940 --> 0:42:17.089
<v Speaker 2>heathen people came to hear him. Came to him. This

0:42:17.300 --> 0:42:22.410
<v Speaker 2>verse always, always challenges me. And hopefully it challenges you.

0:42:23.050 --> 0:42:25.810
<v Speaker 2>Because there must have been something so winsome about Jesus.

0:42:26.030 --> 0:42:29.600
<v Speaker 2>He was so all about sowing forever seeds. And there

0:42:29.620 --> 0:42:31.299
<v Speaker 2>must have been something about him. He must have been

0:42:31.340 --> 0:42:35.470
<v Speaker 2>so comfortable, so winsome, so easy, and yet he never

0:42:35.590 --> 0:42:39.509
<v Speaker 2>once condoned sin, did he? He never once compromised. He

0:42:39.530 --> 0:42:42.150
<v Speaker 2>always told people, go and sin no more. So people

0:42:42.250 --> 0:42:44.050
<v Speaker 2>knew what he was going to say when they came

0:42:44.110 --> 0:42:45.350
<v Speaker 2>to him. I mean, they knew he wasn't going to

0:42:45.370 --> 0:42:48.260
<v Speaker 2>candy coat it. But, yeah, there was something about him.

0:42:49.010 --> 0:42:51.799
<v Speaker 2>There was something about his demeanor. He didn't come across self-righteous.

0:42:51.840 --> 0:42:55.440
<v Speaker 2>He didn't come across condescending or patronizing. He didn't come

0:42:55.480 --> 0:43:00.399
<v Speaker 2>across angry. He just came across it. Well, he was

0:43:00.600 --> 0:43:05.710
<v Speaker 2>anointed with the oil of gladness above everybody else. I

0:43:05.750 --> 0:43:08.150
<v Speaker 2>wonder if it was the joy. I wonder if people said,

0:43:08.170 --> 0:43:11.150
<v Speaker 2>he has got something. I mean, besides words of authority,

0:43:11.650 --> 0:43:14.570
<v Speaker 2>besides the fact he speaks words like we've never heard before,

0:43:14.590 --> 0:43:17.049
<v Speaker 2>I just want to be around the guy. I just

0:43:17.070 --> 0:43:18.900
<v Speaker 2>want to get around him. I want to hear what

0:43:18.920 --> 0:43:23.240
<v Speaker 2>this guy has to say because he exudes joy, calm delight.

0:43:25.320 --> 0:43:27.799
<v Speaker 2>It's a challenge. It's definitely a challenge for all of us.

0:43:28.760 --> 0:43:31.600
<v Speaker 2>Are people running from us or running to us? That

0:43:31.620 --> 0:43:35.640
<v Speaker 2>would be the litmus test. Are people running from us

0:43:35.700 --> 0:43:39.910
<v Speaker 2>or to us? So the Pharisees, you know, the religious people,

0:43:39.930 --> 0:43:42.969
<v Speaker 2>they didn't like it. It's no different today. We're getting

0:43:42.989 --> 0:43:44.770
<v Speaker 2>all kinds of flack now. We have cracked up about

0:43:44.790 --> 0:43:47.190
<v Speaker 2>this one. Used to be back in the day when

0:43:47.250 --> 0:43:49.630
<v Speaker 2>our church first started the first few years, used to

0:43:49.650 --> 0:43:52.129
<v Speaker 2>be that the criticism was, well, I don't know, that's

0:43:52.150 --> 0:43:54.850
<v Speaker 2>that charismatic church over there. They lift their hands over there.

0:43:56.330 --> 0:44:02.989
<v Speaker 2>They're emotional. jeez louise they're full of joy imagine that

0:44:03.450 --> 0:44:05.890
<v Speaker 2>so anyways we get that uh we get that criticism

0:44:05.930 --> 0:44:08.109
<v Speaker 2>back in the day that's a charismatic church and that's

0:44:08.130 --> 0:44:09.450
<v Speaker 2>one of the more to faith churches over there and

0:44:09.469 --> 0:44:13.610
<v Speaker 2>they believe in speaking in tongues and then turn it

0:44:13.610 --> 0:44:17.300
<v Speaker 2>180 degrees today the criticism today oh that's one of

0:44:17.340 --> 0:44:20.580
<v Speaker 2>them seeker friendly churches well what do you want to

0:44:20.620 --> 0:44:26.239
<v Speaker 2>be a seeker repulsive church ah I mean, it's just

0:44:26.280 --> 0:44:29.089
<v Speaker 2>so funny. But it's just like the Bible. They didn't

0:44:29.110 --> 0:44:32.430
<v Speaker 2>like it back then either. Jesus ate and was friends

0:44:32.450 --> 0:44:35.169
<v Speaker 2>with publicans and sinners, and the Pharisees, the religious people,

0:44:35.210 --> 0:44:38.710
<v Speaker 2>didn't like it. We've learned this. When you get criticized,

0:44:38.750 --> 0:44:41.800
<v Speaker 2>it's a good sign. If nobody's criticizing us, that's a

0:44:41.820 --> 0:44:43.860
<v Speaker 2>bad sign. So even though we don't like it, and

0:44:43.900 --> 0:44:45.980
<v Speaker 2>y'all don't like it, it really is a good sign.

0:44:47.000 --> 0:44:49.779
<v Speaker 2>You don't get criticized unless you're doing something. Doing something

0:44:49.820 --> 0:44:52.600
<v Speaker 2>to something. So they did that back in the day,

0:44:52.640 --> 0:44:57.030
<v Speaker 2>and Jesus said, yeah, there's religious people everywhere. They're everywhere.

0:45:00.290 --> 0:45:03.410
<v Speaker 2>So he says here, which one of you, if you

0:45:03.430 --> 0:45:06.529
<v Speaker 2>had 100 sheep and you lose one, you got the

0:45:06.530 --> 0:45:08.859
<v Speaker 2>99 here intact, but you lose one, which of you

0:45:08.900 --> 0:45:11.399
<v Speaker 2>wouldn't go after that one lost sheep? And so there's

0:45:11.420 --> 0:45:13.140
<v Speaker 2>this mindset we need to have as a church, and

0:45:13.160 --> 0:45:14.400
<v Speaker 2>I believe we do have it, but we've got to

0:45:14.440 --> 0:45:17.500
<v Speaker 2>keep y'all and ourselves stirred up on this. We've got

0:45:17.540 --> 0:45:20.300
<v Speaker 2>a whole county, a whole southwest Michigan, not everybody's saved.

0:45:21.410 --> 0:45:23.259
<v Speaker 2>We've got 99 people saved, but there's still a lot

0:45:23.280 --> 0:45:26.120
<v Speaker 2>of lost people. And there's something about it. There's something

0:45:26.160 --> 0:45:29.140
<v Speaker 2>about getting filled with great joy by sowing forever seeds,

0:45:29.660 --> 0:45:32.279
<v Speaker 2>by going after the lost and sharing the gospel with

0:45:32.300 --> 0:45:35.760
<v Speaker 2>people and leading people to Christ. And it's an internal,

0:45:35.820 --> 0:45:39.960
<v Speaker 2>intentional decision kind of thing. Our focus isn't on us.

0:45:40.020 --> 0:45:42.500
<v Speaker 2>Our focus is on other people. And I've shared this

0:45:42.520 --> 0:45:45.600
<v Speaker 2>story before, but with our daughter Annie. Took all the

0:45:45.660 --> 0:45:47.339
<v Speaker 2>kids to Meijer's. This is when they were a little

0:45:47.360 --> 0:45:49.960
<v Speaker 2>bit younger. Took all four kids to Meijer. How many

0:45:49.980 --> 0:45:54.440
<v Speaker 2>of y'all have ever attempted that? Took all four kids

0:45:54.500 --> 0:45:56.719
<v Speaker 2>to Meijer, and we were going to do some grocery shopping. Well,

0:45:56.739 --> 0:45:59.900
<v Speaker 2>I had, you know, some experience. I'd tried taking three

0:45:59.920 --> 0:46:02.920
<v Speaker 2>of the kids. Previously, I was pregnant with Eric. I

0:46:02.960 --> 0:46:05.259
<v Speaker 2>tried taking three of the kids to TJ Maxx once

0:46:05.320 --> 0:46:08.850
<v Speaker 2>for a trip. And I should have learned then, but

0:46:08.910 --> 0:46:11.570
<v Speaker 2>I was, like, hopeful this day. So I went to Meijer,

0:46:11.770 --> 0:46:13.310
<v Speaker 2>and so we're shopping. We get our grocery cart all

0:46:13.330 --> 0:46:14.750
<v Speaker 2>filled up, you know, and you know how it is.

0:46:14.770 --> 0:46:17.529
<v Speaker 2>You preschool moms and elementary-age moms, you know how it is.

0:46:18.170 --> 0:46:21.940
<v Speaker 2>It's like corralling cats, you know. You've got kids on

0:46:21.980 --> 0:46:25.440
<v Speaker 2>and off the cart and under the cart and in

0:46:25.480 --> 0:46:29.400
<v Speaker 2>the clothing rack and throwing stuff down the aisle, and,

0:46:30.000 --> 0:46:33.440
<v Speaker 2>you know, they're missing all the time. So we had

0:46:33.500 --> 0:46:35.950
<v Speaker 2>finally gotten through all the aisles, carts loaded. We're at

0:46:35.969 --> 0:46:40.840
<v Speaker 2>the checkout, and right there, that scene... That is a

0:46:40.860 --> 0:46:43.330
<v Speaker 2>tough one, because now at the checkout, they're touching everything,

0:46:43.350 --> 0:46:45.970
<v Speaker 2>and they're fighting, and, you know. We get to the checkout,

0:46:46.090 --> 0:46:48.210
<v Speaker 2>and so Annie, I don't see Annie in our group.

0:46:49.150 --> 0:46:51.150
<v Speaker 2>And so I say to Megan and Luke and Eric,

0:46:51.170 --> 0:46:53.670
<v Speaker 2>I say, you guys, where's Annie? I'm looking around, you know,

0:46:53.790 --> 0:46:56.089
<v Speaker 2>where's Annie? Where's your sister? And we look all over,

0:46:56.110 --> 0:46:58.720
<v Speaker 2>and there's no Annie. And I looked in the little side,

0:46:58.760 --> 0:47:01.480
<v Speaker 2>you know, aisles in each line for the register and

0:47:01.520 --> 0:47:04.180
<v Speaker 2>so on. I'm looking, no Annie. We know that feeling

0:47:04.219 --> 0:47:06.000
<v Speaker 2>that hits you, and you realize, okay, we are missing

0:47:06.040 --> 0:47:10.259
<v Speaker 2>a child, right? It is for real. That feeling hits you.

0:47:10.320 --> 0:47:16.110
<v Speaker 2>So you go into Banshee Woman. So I'm running up

0:47:16.170 --> 0:47:18.730
<v Speaker 2>and down the aisle in front of the cash registers.

0:47:19.230 --> 0:47:20.660
<v Speaker 2>Fast and the whole length of it.

0:47:21.370 --> 0:47:21.790
<v Speaker 1>Annie!

0:47:22.390 --> 0:47:25.529
<v Speaker 2>Annie! I don't care who's in the store. I don't

0:47:25.570 --> 0:47:28.350
<v Speaker 2>care that we pastor a church and we should be dignified.

0:47:28.750 --> 0:47:30.920
<v Speaker 2>I don't care about any of that. I'm screaming at

0:47:30.960 --> 0:47:32.840
<v Speaker 2>the top of my lungs, Annie!

0:47:33.560 --> 0:47:33.900
<v Speaker 1>Annie!

0:47:34.020 --> 0:47:36.140
<v Speaker 2>And I give the cashier a look like, shut the

0:47:36.180 --> 0:47:40.620
<v Speaker 2>store down! We have a missing child. And so, you know,

0:47:40.800 --> 0:47:44.259
<v Speaker 2>I'm feeling the adrenaline and the whole thing. So I

0:47:44.280 --> 0:47:46.500
<v Speaker 2>start going back over to grocery, and I get around

0:47:46.540 --> 0:47:48.410
<v Speaker 2>the corner into grocery, and here comes Annie out of

0:47:48.430 --> 0:47:51.750
<v Speaker 2>the candy aisle. And she's in tears. Where did you go?

0:47:51.790 --> 0:47:53.990
<v Speaker 2>We give a big hug, and I'm like, great joy.

0:47:54.010 --> 0:47:59.190
<v Speaker 2>Had four children. One was lost. Went after the one.

0:48:00.390 --> 0:48:01.870
<v Speaker 2>Here's what I didn't say. When we got to the

0:48:01.910 --> 0:48:04.340
<v Speaker 2>checkout counter, and we're all standing there loading the groceries

0:48:04.380 --> 0:48:06.620
<v Speaker 2>on the belt, And I looked around and I noticed

0:48:06.640 --> 0:48:09.319
<v Speaker 2>we're missing Annie. Like, hey, Megan, Luke, Eric, where's Annie?

0:48:09.780 --> 0:48:12.940
<v Speaker 2>Here's what I didn't say. I didn't say, well, you guys,

0:48:12.960 --> 0:48:15.180
<v Speaker 2>where's Annie? Well, you know what? I got three out

0:48:15.200 --> 0:48:21.810
<v Speaker 2>of the four of you. It's all good. I got

0:48:21.850 --> 0:48:24.530
<v Speaker 2>the majority. You know what I mean? We got the majority.

0:48:24.550 --> 0:48:27.250
<v Speaker 2>It's good. Listen, this is the heart we're talking about

0:48:27.370 --> 0:48:30.989
<v Speaker 2>as it relates to planting forever seeds. What about your family? Well,

0:48:31.010 --> 0:48:33.460
<v Speaker 2>you know, I mean, most of my family's saved. I mean,

0:48:33.469 --> 0:48:36.660
<v Speaker 2>I got the majority. Well, most of my coworkers are Christians.

0:48:38.180 --> 0:48:39.620
<v Speaker 2>Most of my neighbors, I mean, most of my neighbors

0:48:39.660 --> 0:48:42.500
<v Speaker 2>know the Lord. I got the majority. No, there's something

0:48:42.540 --> 0:48:45.700
<v Speaker 2>about it. There's something about lifting up the down. There's

0:48:45.739 --> 0:48:48.130
<v Speaker 2>something about being really intentional and saying, God, I'm going

0:48:48.150 --> 0:48:50.770
<v Speaker 2>to plant forever seeds. And I'm going to go after

0:48:50.790 --> 0:48:52.950
<v Speaker 2>these lost people in my life, these lost people in

0:48:52.989 --> 0:48:56.250
<v Speaker 2>my sphere. You know, we endeavor here at the church.

0:48:56.270 --> 0:48:59.529
<v Speaker 2>I mean, one tool you guys have, and please take

0:48:59.570 --> 0:49:02.450
<v Speaker 2>us up on it. We are endeavoring every week to

0:49:02.489 --> 0:49:04.890
<v Speaker 2>make church a place where you can invite lost people.

0:49:04.910 --> 0:49:07.490
<v Speaker 2>We're trying to have enough things here that will connect

0:49:07.530 --> 0:49:10.089
<v Speaker 2>with your friends, that will connect with the lost people

0:49:10.130 --> 0:49:11.779
<v Speaker 2>in your life. If you don't do anything else but

0:49:11.800 --> 0:49:16.000
<v Speaker 2>just invite people to church, at least begin to do that. Say, God,

0:49:16.020 --> 0:49:18.600
<v Speaker 2>who are the lost people in my world? Then Jesus

0:49:18.620 --> 0:49:22.760
<v Speaker 2>went on to say this. he went on to say

0:49:22.780 --> 0:49:24.939
<v Speaker 2>in this story and when he has found his lost

0:49:24.980 --> 0:49:27.970
<v Speaker 2>sheep he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing you want

0:49:28.010 --> 0:49:30.609
<v Speaker 2>joy go after the lost and when he comes home

0:49:30.650 --> 0:49:33.609
<v Speaker 2>he calls his friends and neighbors together saying rejoice with

0:49:33.650 --> 0:49:36.029
<v Speaker 2>me i have found my sheep which was lost i

0:49:36.130 --> 0:49:40.300
<v Speaker 2>say to you also that likewise There will be more

0:49:40.540 --> 0:49:44.640
<v Speaker 2>joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over

0:49:44.640 --> 0:49:49.700
<v Speaker 2>99 just persons who need no repentance. Listen, how many

0:49:49.719 --> 0:49:53.210
<v Speaker 2>of you know heaven is already a joyful place? There's

0:49:53.250 --> 0:49:56.770
<v Speaker 2>no lack for joy in heaven. But then isn't it interesting?

0:49:56.830 --> 0:49:58.930
<v Speaker 2>God says this. This is the only place he says this.

0:49:59.469 --> 0:50:03.290
<v Speaker 2>He says heaven is full of joy. Joy unspeakable and

0:50:03.350 --> 0:50:07.570
<v Speaker 2>full of glory. But there is even more joy there.

0:50:08.739 --> 0:50:11.319
<v Speaker 2>There is even more joy than the joy we have

0:50:11.340 --> 0:50:14.500
<v Speaker 2>all the time up here. There is even more joy

0:50:14.800 --> 0:50:19.580
<v Speaker 2>when one sinner repents. So you say to yourself, God

0:50:19.620 --> 0:50:22.359
<v Speaker 2>has not mocked whatever man sows that he will reap.

0:50:22.800 --> 0:50:24.680
<v Speaker 2>How would it be to do this? What would it

0:50:24.700 --> 0:50:26.319
<v Speaker 2>be like to do this? What if you were to

0:50:26.500 --> 0:50:31.900
<v Speaker 2>sow into the joy of heaven? What if you were

0:50:31.920 --> 0:50:34.460
<v Speaker 2>to go after the lost, and by doing so, you

0:50:34.540 --> 0:50:41.580
<v Speaker 2>are sowing more joy? More joy. Into heaven. And you

0:50:41.600 --> 0:50:45.940
<v Speaker 2>will reap exactly what you sow. You sow joy and

0:50:45.980 --> 0:50:51.160
<v Speaker 2>you reap joy. You sow. Think about this. You think

0:50:51.200 --> 0:50:53.629
<v Speaker 2>God's going to let you win that one? You think

0:50:53.650 --> 0:50:55.230
<v Speaker 2>you're going to do better than God on that one?

0:50:55.250 --> 0:50:58.069
<v Speaker 2>You think God's going to come out on the short

0:50:58.130 --> 0:51:01.370
<v Speaker 2>end of the stick on that one? You sow more

0:51:01.530 --> 0:51:03.790
<v Speaker 2>joy into heaven. Do you think God's not going to

0:51:03.850 --> 0:51:06.689
<v Speaker 2>sow more, more, more, more, more joy back into you?

0:51:07.710 --> 0:51:10.650
<v Speaker 2>He's going to win that one. He's going to impart

0:51:10.730 --> 0:51:12.190
<v Speaker 2>more joy to you if you and I will be

0:51:12.250 --> 0:51:15.410
<v Speaker 2>intentional and say, God, I want to sow joy seeds

0:51:15.450 --> 0:51:18.589
<v Speaker 2>into heaven like crazy. I want to sow forever seeds.

0:51:18.610 --> 0:51:20.730
<v Speaker 2>And I know this. You are not a man that

0:51:20.750 --> 0:51:23.660
<v Speaker 2>you should lie. You are not mocked. Whatever I sow,

0:51:24.050 --> 0:51:26.620
<v Speaker 2>I will reap. What to do when you feel blue? God,

0:51:26.660 --> 0:51:30.160
<v Speaker 2>I'm down. I'm discouraged. I'm depressed. I'm heavy. I need

0:51:30.280 --> 0:51:33.460
<v Speaker 2>somebody to fill me with joy. I need some encouragement.

0:51:34.460 --> 0:51:36.140
<v Speaker 2>I need all this stuff. But you know what? I'm

0:51:36.160 --> 0:51:38.759
<v Speaker 2>going to take you up. On your word, I'm going

0:51:38.780 --> 0:51:41.009
<v Speaker 2>to lift up the down. God, I'm going to plant

0:51:41.070 --> 0:51:43.130
<v Speaker 2>forget-me seeds. I'm going to forget about me. It's going

0:51:43.150 --> 0:51:45.469
<v Speaker 2>to be about the progress of others. God, I'm going

0:51:45.489 --> 0:51:48.650
<v Speaker 2>to plant faith seeds. I'm going to start sowing faith

0:51:48.690 --> 0:51:51.379
<v Speaker 2>seeds into the lives of people around me. And who

0:51:51.420 --> 0:51:54.540
<v Speaker 2>knows how you'll use them someday. And God, I am

0:51:54.560 --> 0:51:59.239
<v Speaker 2>going to sow joy seeds into heaven. By going after

0:51:59.260 --> 0:52:02.080
<v Speaker 2>the lost. And you will multiply. I know because I

0:52:02.140 --> 0:52:05.050
<v Speaker 2>know because I know you. You will multiply it back

0:52:05.090 --> 0:52:11.390
<v Speaker 2>to me. Good measure. Press down. Shaken together and running over. Amen.

0:52:12.450 --> 0:52:16.450
<v Speaker 2>Such a simple principle. The law. It's a law. Of

0:52:16.530 --> 0:52:21.029
<v Speaker 2>sowing and reaping. Praise the Lord. Let's pray. Father, thank

0:52:21.070 --> 0:52:24.690
<v Speaker 2>you so much for your word. It's living and active.

0:52:26.060 --> 0:52:27.540
<v Speaker 2>Thank you, Lord, that you've given us a lot of

0:52:27.700 --> 0:52:30.040
<v Speaker 2>routes by which to get to a place called joy,

0:52:30.060 --> 0:52:34.200
<v Speaker 2>a lot of pathways. Lord, you're helping us to see

0:52:34.260 --> 0:52:37.580
<v Speaker 2>things from an eternal perspective. You're helping us to see

0:52:37.620 --> 0:52:42.279
<v Speaker 2>things from your view. And Jesus, we're so thankful that

0:52:42.360 --> 0:52:44.489
<v Speaker 2>you were anointed with the oil of gladness, and that's

0:52:44.510 --> 0:52:46.870
<v Speaker 2>what you want for us. The joy of the Lord

0:52:46.910 --> 0:52:50.180
<v Speaker 2>is our strength. And, Lord, I pray that all of

0:52:50.219 --> 0:52:52.100
<v Speaker 2>the things we've shared in the course of this series,

0:52:52.620 --> 0:52:54.960
<v Speaker 2>all the seeds that have been sown, Lord, I pray

0:52:55.000 --> 0:52:57.859
<v Speaker 2>that you'll keep watering those things. I pray, Lord, that

0:52:57.940 --> 0:53:01.240
<v Speaker 2>everybody that's heard these messages will not just be hearers

0:53:01.320 --> 0:53:03.279
<v Speaker 2>of the word, Lord, but all of us that will

0:53:03.320 --> 0:53:05.560
<v Speaker 2>be doers of the word because you said it's the

0:53:05.620 --> 0:53:09.000
<v Speaker 2>doers that are blessed in their doing. Help us to

0:53:09.040 --> 0:53:13.080
<v Speaker 2>do it and then to experience the benefits of it. And, Lord,

0:53:13.100 --> 0:53:18.450
<v Speaker 2>to be blessed to be a blessing. Pray, Lord, that

0:53:18.469 --> 0:53:20.930
<v Speaker 2>you'll just continue to customize these things for each and

0:53:20.969 --> 0:53:24.469
<v Speaker 2>every person. The result of our time together will be

0:53:24.810 --> 0:53:28.990
<v Speaker 2>much fruit that remains for your kingdom's sake, for your glory.

0:53:29.010 --> 0:53:33.840
<v Speaker 2>In Jesus' name we pray and everybody that agreed, said amen.

0:53:33.880 --> 0:53:36.000
<v Speaker 2>Before you go, let's just do one last thing. Listen,

0:53:36.080 --> 0:53:40.120
<v Speaker 2>forever is a long time. You're going to be somewhere forever.

0:53:40.320 --> 0:53:42.419
<v Speaker 2>You know, we're talking about planting forever seeds and about

0:53:42.440 --> 0:53:44.440
<v Speaker 2>the lost and all of that. And, you know, when

0:53:44.460 --> 0:53:46.000
<v Speaker 2>you stop and think about it for just a minute,

0:53:46.040 --> 0:53:50.759
<v Speaker 2>this life is a blip on the radar screen. You're 60, 70, 80, 90,

0:53:50.760 --> 0:53:53.669
<v Speaker 2>100 years. It's a blip. But the Bible talks about

0:53:53.690 --> 0:53:56.070
<v Speaker 2>this thing called eternity and forever, and we're going to

0:53:56.110 --> 0:54:00.819
<v Speaker 2>be somewhere forever, a place of great joy. And the

0:54:00.880 --> 0:54:03.540
<v Speaker 2>thing is, unless your name is on God's reservation book,

0:54:04.540 --> 0:54:06.460
<v Speaker 2>unless at some point in your life you have made

0:54:06.520 --> 0:54:09.779
<v Speaker 2>Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, unless somewhere along

0:54:09.860 --> 0:54:11.920
<v Speaker 2>the way you have humbled your heart before the Lord...

0:54:12.770 --> 0:54:14.549
<v Speaker 2>And maybe you did it kicking and screaming like some

0:54:14.590 --> 0:54:17.390
<v Speaker 2>of us. But along the way, somewhere along the way,

0:54:17.430 --> 0:54:20.450
<v Speaker 2>if you've never bowed your knee to Jesus Christ and

0:54:20.489 --> 0:54:24.930
<v Speaker 2>humbled yourself and said, God, I surrender. Jesus, come into

0:54:24.989 --> 0:54:27.020
<v Speaker 2>my life. Be the Lord of my life. I'm going

0:54:27.040 --> 0:54:30.779
<v Speaker 2>to be a Christian. If you've never done that, but

0:54:30.800 --> 0:54:32.100
<v Speaker 2>you're ready to do it and you'd like to do

0:54:32.120 --> 0:54:34.200
<v Speaker 2>it today, we're going to close with this prayer. Because

0:54:34.239 --> 0:54:36.580
<v Speaker 2>this is truly where joy begins. There is no joy.

0:54:36.600 --> 0:54:39.399
<v Speaker 2>I mean, honestly, there's no joy apart from the Lord.

0:54:40.320 --> 0:54:43.820
<v Speaker 2>It's the joy of the Lord that's our strength. And

0:54:43.840 --> 0:54:46.399
<v Speaker 2>that's where it begins, a relationship with him. So let's

0:54:46.460 --> 0:54:48.660
<v Speaker 2>pray this closing prayer together. If this fits your heart,

0:54:49.160 --> 0:54:51.560
<v Speaker 2>God will hear from heaven, and Jesus will come into

0:54:51.580 --> 0:54:54.090
<v Speaker 2>your life. And you'll begin this new relationship with him.

0:54:54.130 --> 0:54:56.190
<v Speaker 2>So let's pray this together. Say this. Say, Dear God,

0:54:57.170 --> 0:55:01.630
<v Speaker 2>I do believe that Jesus is your son. And I

0:55:01.690 --> 0:55:05.150
<v Speaker 2>do believe it. He wants me filled with great joy.

0:55:07.170 --> 0:55:11.080
<v Speaker 2>So today I'm making a decision. I am going to

0:55:11.140 --> 0:55:14.980
<v Speaker 2>cross the line of faith. I'm going to bow my

0:55:15.020 --> 0:55:20.430
<v Speaker 2>knee and humble my heart. And Jesus, I invite you

0:55:20.450 --> 0:55:25.810
<v Speaker 2>to come into my life. Be the Lord of my life.

0:55:27.170 --> 0:55:29.450
<v Speaker 2>I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins.

0:55:31.510 --> 0:55:35.089
<v Speaker 2>And Lord, help me to be the person you have

0:55:35.170 --> 0:55:41.160
<v Speaker 2>called me to be. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

0:55:42.300 --> 0:55:44.680
<v Speaker 1>So I want to say once again, thank you so

0:55:44.719 --> 0:55:49.239
<v Speaker 1>much for your generosity. It is your donations and financial

0:55:49.280 --> 0:55:52.530
<v Speaker 1>help that enables us to make this podcast and all

0:55:52.550 --> 0:55:57.030
<v Speaker 1>of our resources available for free, taking the gospel basics

0:55:57.090 --> 0:55:58.030
<v Speaker 1>to the whole world.

0:55:58.510 --> 0:56:00.050
<v Speaker 2>So I hope you enjoyed today's podcast.

0:56:00.130 --> 0:56:02.630
<v Speaker 1>I can't wait to see you next time right here

0:56:03.110 --> 0:56:04.310
<v Speaker 1>on The Basics with Beth.