1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 2: I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 2: Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving 6 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: in your life. 7 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: Enjoy the message. 8 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: We're gonna have such an amazing day. 9 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: We're already having an amazing day. 10 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 2: How many feel a little better now that you praise 11 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: God the last thirty minutes. In just a moment, Holly 12 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 2: is gonna come and preach our message today. 13 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: Let's thank God in advance for the world he's going 14 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: to speak. 15 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 2: Let's say hello to our EPAM all over the world. 16 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 2: Come on, Elevation Valentine, lift up your voice and welcome 17 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 2: our EPHAM. Our campus is all over the world. We're 18 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 2: glad you're with us today. At the end of the 19 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 2: message today, there's going to be a year end offering. 20 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 2: And this is a very special opportunity. 21 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 1: For each and every one of us. 22 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: How many know that the Bible says you can praise 23 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 2: God with your lips, but your heart still be far 24 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: from Him. 25 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: That can happen. 26 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 2: But one thing that I've learned that will always help 27 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 2: me to draw near to God is through giving. 28 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: Is through giving. 29 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: So when people say I love to worship God, I 30 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 2: hope they don't just mean I like music about God, 31 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 2: because the greatest act of worship happens. 32 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: When we bring Him our whole lives in full faith. 33 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 2: And today you're going to see thousands of people do that. 34 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: I'll cross all of our locations and online. Holly and 35 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 2: I have our offering ready, and don't get nervous. She's 36 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 2: not going to preach for forty minutes about money. 37 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: I know you're like I invited my relative today. 38 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: I thought there might be a Christmas sermon about a 39 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 2: baby in a blanket and the wise man and the Magi, 40 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 2: and the message today will be applicable to all of 41 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: us around the subject that I know God gave her 42 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: because we both said to each other a month ago. 43 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 2: That's the word that our church needs to hear on 44 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: our offering weekend. And so the Lord has really been 45 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: aligning this and I'm excited for you to hear it. 46 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 2: But I want to tell you that for me as 47 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 2: I bring my offering today for the nineteenth year, remember 48 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 2: when they used to call me a fly by night preacher, Well, 49 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: I've been flying for a long night nineteen years now, 50 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: and I'm just reminded of what we were singing. 51 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: That was a great selection. 52 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: We didn't work that in events, but you know, the 53 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 2: Bible says that the gates of hell will not prevail 54 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: against the Church, and actually the opposite happens when we 55 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 2: proclaim the name of Jesus. The gates of hell start 56 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: shaking when we show up. And I've just seen that 57 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: time and time again, no matter what the enemy has 58 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 2: tried to bring against our family and our church and 59 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 2: all of the wonderful people who make up this church, 60 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 2: that God keeps being faithful again and again. I've seen 61 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: it in seasons of abundance, seasons of plenty, seasons of praise, 62 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: seasons of criticism. I've seen it in seasons where my 63 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: own heart was broken but I was preaching to others. 64 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: I've seen it in seasons when I was on a 65 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: mountaintop with the victory that. 66 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: God is my source. God is my source. And so. 67 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: If you're like me, you probably had to look for 68 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: a check book. I don't write a lot of checks 69 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 2: these days manually, but I always write this one. Of course, 70 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: you can give online, and there will be instructions about 71 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 2: that later. 72 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: But really, I don't want you to get so. 73 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 2: Caught up in the mechanics of what's going to happen 74 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 2: later on that you missed the ministry and the miracle 75 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: of it. Because I get so many testimonies from all 76 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: over the world. Some of them come from people who 77 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: are just living their lives normally and God blesses them 78 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: through the words and the worship and the ministry that 79 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 2: comes forth from this house, and some from life's lowest situations. 80 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: Some write me from prisons, some write me after miscarriages, 81 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: some write me as they're going through divorce. And you know, 82 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 2: whether it's the everyday moments that God uses, how many 83 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: would say that God has used this ministry to reach 84 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 2: your heart at a time where you needed him. 85 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: And notice I've said God did it. 86 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: If you've ever been blessed through this ministry, it was 87 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 2: God blessing you. But the thing I love about Jesus 88 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 2: is that he always involves his disciples. One time, he 89 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: needed to feed a crowd, and he could have probably 90 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: just called down bread from heaven, but he asked them, 91 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 2: what do you have, not because he needed what they had, 92 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 2: but because they needed what he had. And when you 93 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 2: learn this principle, whether today you're beginning to tithe for 94 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: the first time, which is ten percent, or whether you're 95 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 2: giving what Holly and I came prepared to give an 96 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 2: above and beyond offering. 97 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: And by above and beyond, I mean it hurts my 98 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: feelings a little bit when I give it. That's how 99 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: I always test it. 100 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 2: And whatever you're giving today, I want you to understand 101 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 2: what you're hooking into. We don't give to receive from God. 102 00:04:56,279 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 2: We give because everything we have already comes from Him. 103 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: So to all of you who are giving today. 104 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,239 Speaker 2: In just a little while after the sermon, I told Holly, 105 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: before you preach and just absolutely do what only you 106 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 2: can do. 107 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: Let me look at the people, and let. 108 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 2: Me look at the cameras for all the people that 109 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: I can't see at campuses like Roanoke and shout out 110 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 2: Ronoke Elevation, Ronoke Elevation, University City Elevation, Lake Norman, all 111 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 2: the amazing locations, all of our pop ups, all of 112 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 2: our watch parties, everybody here at Valentine, everybody watching this in. 113 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: A hospital room. 114 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: I want to look at all of you who are 115 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: participating in this ministry and say thank you, Holly, and 116 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 2: I thank God for you for another year of amazing 117 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: ministry sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 118 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: And just like you know, you. 119 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 2: Raised your hand and said, this ministry means a lot 120 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: to me and my family. Maybe you were saved through 121 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 2: this ministry, maybe you were brought back to God. Maybe 122 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: it's just been there for you in the times of 123 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 2: your deepest nee. 124 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: Just like you raise that. 125 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 2: Hand, now you get to stretch that hand and give 126 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 2: a gift that will be meaningful to God in you. 127 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 2: And I love it because I don't want to end 128 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 2: Christmas just consumerism. 129 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: And busyness and all of that. 130 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 2: I want to stop and say thank you Jesus for 131 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 2: all You've done for me, and I trust you with 132 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 2: my future. 133 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: So I want to say a prayer. 134 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 2: And after I pray, we'll welcome Holly up real, proper 135 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 2: and strong. We'll clap with cheer, we'll lose our minds, 136 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 2: we'll let her know we're ready for what God spoke. 137 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 2: But would you join hands with the person next to you, 138 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: if that doesn't give you germaphobia on the highest level, 139 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 2: if it doesn't give you a panic attack, to touch 140 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 2: your neighbor. Grab their hand, because I want to pray 141 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 2: not only for Holly as she comes to share, and 142 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: for you as you listen. I want to pray for 143 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 2: the things in your life that you need to trust 144 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 2: God about. And whether you're giving a financial offering today, 145 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: I still want to pray for you. I want to 146 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 2: pray that the Lord would order your steps in the 147 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 2: season to come, that he would bring the right people 148 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 2: everybody say right people, that he would bring people who 149 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 2: can bless you and people you can bless across your path. 150 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: I want to pray that God would give you his 151 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 2: wisdom for all of the difficult decisions that you're facing. 152 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 2: I want to pray that you would hold on to 153 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 2: the gifts that He's given you and not give up 154 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 2: too easily. I want to pray that you would let 155 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 2: go of distress that you're not supposed to carry anyway. 156 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: Squeeze the hand of the person next to you, Let 157 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: them know that there's still life in front of them, 158 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 2: let them know that there's still hope inside of them. 159 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: Let them know that it's Christ in us, the hope 160 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: of glory. 161 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: And let's let the world know that we're preaching this 162 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 2: gospel of Jesus Christ, that we are not a divided church. 163 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: We are a united church. 164 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: We unite under one name, the name that can break chains, 165 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 2: the name that still makes ways, the name that makes 166 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 2: the gates of Hell's shaikh. 167 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: We are the Church of the Living God and Father. 168 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: We give you praise today for the word that you're. 169 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: About to speak through Pastor Holly Speak, Lord. 170 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: We're listening in Jesus' name. Amen, clapt those hands. 171 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 3: Here comes Holly, Here comes the word for your life. 172 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 4: Well, Merry Christmas. I just have to add to that. 173 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 4: I love coming to church at Christmas time. It is 174 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 4: so easy to get caught up in the rush and 175 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 4: the hustle and bustle. But when you set aside time 176 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 4: to come to church and take a breath and worship 177 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 4: God and allow him to recenter your heart and your focus, 178 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 4: God always shows up and he blesses us. And I 179 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 4: just have to add I am so excited about today. 180 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 4: It's a special day at Elevation. We are bringing our 181 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 4: offerings together today, as Steven said, as JJ said, we 182 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 4: want to let you know we're bringing our offerings today. 183 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 4: And I'm so excited because I absolutely love watching people 184 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 4: worship God by giving. There's no greater way to express 185 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 4: your gratitude to Him than giving back a portion of Him. 186 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 4: And like Steven said, we're going to get to that 187 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 4: at the end. But for to have a word that 188 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 4: I'm so excited to share with you today. Are you 189 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 4: ready for the Word? All right, let's read our scripture 190 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 4: together real quick before you sit down. I want to 191 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 4: preach today from Romans chapter twelve, verses one and two, 192 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 4: one of the most iconic passages of Scripture, and I'm 193 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 4: excited that God is allowing me to preach from it today. 194 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 4: It says this, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, 195 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 4: in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as 196 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 4: a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is 197 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 4: your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the 198 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 4: pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing 199 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 4: of your mind. Then you will be able to test 200 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 4: and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and 201 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 4: perfect will. The title of my sermon today is God 202 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 4: wants to show you. Let's pray one more time. Father, 203 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 4: would you bless the reading of your word today? Holy Spirit? 204 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 4: We welcome you in this place. We welcome you in 205 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 4: this room, in all of our campuses, wherever anybody is watching, 206 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 4: Holy Spirit come come into our hearts, speak to us today. 207 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 4: We are listening. Lord in Jesus' name. Amen, you can 208 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 4: have a seat. Earlier this month, I sat down with 209 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 4: a few staff members and we recorded a video where 210 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 4: we were looking back at all the amazing things that 211 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 4: has happened in our church over twenty twenty four. My 212 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 4: favorite part of the conversation, of course, was when we 213 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 4: all went around and we shared one of our favorite 214 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 4: messages from twenty twenty four. And when I was trying 215 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 4: to figure out what my favorite one was, I was 216 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 4: looking at a list of sermons that our pastor preached 217 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 4: only in this year, and I was in awe, partially 218 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 4: because I know how hard it is to prepare one sermon. 219 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 4: Just so you know, I f only preached three times 220 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 4: of this year, and he has preached I don't even 221 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 4: know how many times. But as I looked at each 222 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 4: title and I thought about the things that God has 223 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 4: spoken to me throughout the year through the messages of 224 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 4: our pastor, I was just amazed. I am a church girl, 225 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 4: you know, I'm a pastor's daughter. I grew up in church. 226 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 4: I guarantee you I've heard more sermons than anybody in 227 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 4: this room, and I have heard a lot of bad sermons. 228 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 4: And I do not take it for granted that every 229 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 4: single week our pastor brings us such an incredible beast. 230 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,679 Speaker 4: If you don't get something from one of his sermons, 231 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 4: it is your fault. So the past several weeks have 232 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 4: been really special to me. I'm not sure if any 233 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 4: of you noticed, but Pastor Stephen did this sneaky little 234 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 4: non series series. He never called it anything, but all 235 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 4: of the sermon titles began with God and they were 236 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 4: followed by four words. Do you remember? It's okay if 237 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 4: you don't. I had to look up the titles, but 238 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:32,839 Speaker 4: I want to remind you of them. The first one 239 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 4: he did was God can use this too. The second 240 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 4: one he did was God will work it in. The 241 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 4: third one was God's got the hard part. The fourth 242 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 4: one was God gave it to me. And today I 243 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 4: just want to do a little tag on message with 244 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 4: this sermon that I have called God wants to show you. 245 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 4: I love to share memes and funny videos from social media. 246 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 4: Anybody else like that? I think I have some people 247 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 4: in my life that are like can't keep up with 248 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 4: all the things that they're supposed to watch that I 249 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 4: show them. I love dog videos, I love people falling. 250 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 4: I love anything that will make me laugh. If your 251 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 4: feed is full of like politics and I don't know, 252 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 4: angry people, you would love my feed because it is 253 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 4: so funny. And sometimes I lay in bed at night 254 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 4: when Steven has fallen asleep, and I start scrolling through 255 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 4: my feed and I start giggling because you know, like 256 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 4: when you're supposed to be quiet and someone else is sleeping, 257 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 4: and I just start laughing. And I don't know, I 258 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 4: think things are funnier late at night too, and so 259 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 4: of course, like it's like, you know, twelve thirty, and 260 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 4: I just start sending stuff. And the funny thing about 261 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 4: memes is they show you how what you think is 262 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 4: the most hilarious thing in the world might not even 263 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 4: be remotely funny to someone else. So you have to 264 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 4: be really careful like who you show them to, because 265 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 4: they can make you feel like really dumb. Right, So 266 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 4: in my family, I'm not gonna call anyone out, but 267 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 4: I have learned the hard way. My husband thinks that 268 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 4: everything is fake or re enacted. He is such a skeptic. 269 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 4: My boys do not get me. They don't even open 270 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 4: my memes. I know because I'm like I said, did 271 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 4: you see that it was so funny? They don't even 272 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 4: open them. So Abby is my last shred of hope 273 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 4: in the family. But we haven't let her get Instagram yet. 274 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 4: So I have a saved folder called things to Show Abby, 275 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 4: and a lot of days I'll pick her up from 276 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 4: school and I'll say, oh, I have something so funny 277 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 4: to show you, and we will laugh together at memes. 278 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 4: And currently people dancing to songs from Wicked. So in 279 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 4: our passage today, let me get back to the Bible. Well, 280 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 4: Paul is trying to teach us that God is excited. 281 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 4: He has something he wants to show us, which is 282 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 4: his will. And every person here has something that they 283 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 4: want God to give them direction on, right. I mean, 284 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 4: maybe it is a relationship or a job, or a 285 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 4: change that you think God might be calling you to make. 286 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 4: Maybe you have something that you want to be set 287 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 4: free from, or a habit that you know that isn't 288 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 4: good for you. And we all want God to show 289 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 4: us his will for our lives. And what I want 290 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 4: to show you from this passage today is that God 291 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 4: wants to show you your next steps. He longs to 292 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 4: show He wants to show it to you more than 293 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 4: you want to see it. But God is not Santa Claus, 294 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 4: and you don't get to send him a letter with 295 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 4: all the grown up things that you want for Christmas. 296 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 4: You know, like, Dear God, this year, I would like 297 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 4: to lose twenty pounds, own a home, get married, and 298 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 4: get promoted at my job. And then on December twenty fifth, 299 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 4: you wake up and under the tree is a detailed 300 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 4: plan of all the decisions that you need to make 301 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 4: and all the steps you need to take in twenty 302 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 4: twenty five to accomplish these goals. That is not how 303 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 4: it works, and Paul is giving us instructions on how 304 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 4: to know what God's will is. But there is a 305 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 4: very critical step that we cannot skip. So look at 306 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 4: the verse again. It says, therefore, I urge you, brothers 307 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 4: and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your 308 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 4: bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. 309 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 4: This is your true and proper worship. Second one, next verse, 310 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 4: do not conform to the pattern of this world, but 311 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 4: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then then 312 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 4: you will be able to test and approve what God's 313 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 4: will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. There are 314 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 4: a lot of things that you have to do before 315 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 4: you get to that then, isn't there? And I want 316 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 4: to break that down for us today. Keep the verse 317 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 4: up there one more time. Look at it. Therefore, I 318 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 4: urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy. 319 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 4: You see, if you want to see things from God's 320 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 4: point of view, if you want God to show you 321 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 4: the way, you need to go at his speed. And 322 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 4: I can tell you right now that you're probably going 323 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 4: too fast. So the first thing that you need to 324 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 4: do is slow down. I talk to the ladies at 325 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 4: Reflect about this, and I share with them this story. 326 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 4: It's too good not to share it with the whole church. 327 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 4: I'm going to shorten it though, because the ladies that 328 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 4: Reflect we like long stories, and I've been told that 329 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 4: that's not appropriate for Sunday morning. So anyway, one time, 330 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 4: my family took a trip to Pennsylvania and my mom 331 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 4: had planned for us to go to Gettysburg Military Park 332 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 4: and we were going to do this guided history tour. 333 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 4: And I know that might seem kind of strange, like 334 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 4: my family was really nerdy. We weren't, but for some 335 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 4: reason at the time, my sisters and my mom and 336 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 4: I were really into Civil War history. It probably has 337 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 4: to do it like some I don't know, series of 338 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 4: books that we were reading, or show we were watching 339 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 4: or whatever. So we arrived at Gettysburg, and we stopped 340 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 4: at the visitor center and we picked up our map 341 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 4: and our brochures and our guided cassette tape. I'm not 342 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 4: even gonna make a joke about what a guided cassette 343 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 4: tape is, Abby, I'll show you later. Now, very clearly 344 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 4: though the INDI instructions, it said that the vehicle must 345 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 4: maintain a speed of twenty miles per hour in order 346 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 4: to see the sites that the tour guide on the 347 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 4: cassette tape was going to be telling us about. Okay, 348 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 4: so we pop in the tape and we start out, 349 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 4: and the man starts saying something like, to begin our journey. 350 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 4: Look to your left, and you will see a statue, 351 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,919 Speaker 4: a memorial statue of Abraham Lincoln in the seis place 352 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 4: where he gave the Gettysburg address. And I want you 353 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 4: to know that that was the only historical site of 354 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 4: Gettysburg that we got to see because my dad, who 355 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 4: was not really into Civil War history at the time, 356 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 4: just could not drive twenty miles an hour to save 357 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 4: his life. He had to have been going at least forty, 358 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 4: so every time the guy told us to look at something, 359 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,640 Speaker 4: we'd already passed it five miles back. Now I fact 360 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 4: checked this story with my sister Emily, and she says 361 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 4: that not only was that true, but she remembers crying 362 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 4: because there was a statue of a dog that had 363 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 4: like remained with the injured soldiers or something, and she 364 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 4: really wanted to see it, and we never got to 365 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 4: see it because nothing on the tape matched up with 366 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 4: what we were seeing. And I want you to imagine 367 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 4: my father in a car full of women who were 368 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 4: constantly telling him to slow down. And I want to 369 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 4: tell you today, but if you want God to show 370 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 4: you his will for your life, you're gonna have to 371 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 4: go with the speed that he requires. And if you 372 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 4: want to experience the peace and the presence of Christ 373 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 4: in your family this Christmas season, you're gonna have to 374 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 4: slow down. Now. I know that this time of year, 375 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 4: we all have a million things to do. There's responsibilities 376 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 4: and obligations and programs that we did not ask to 377 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 4: have to attend. And I know that some of you 378 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 4: are working over time because they're gonna be extra bills 379 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 4: that you're gonna have to pay. But I want you 380 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 4: to know that what I am learning in the Christmas 381 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 4: season and really throughout the year, is that the presence 382 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 4: of Christ can be found in every moment of my 383 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 4: day if I will slow down and look for it. 384 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 4: Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is 385 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:58,120 Speaker 4: always present. And God, like that tour guide on the tape, 386 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 4: is trying to show me things along the way throughout 387 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 4: my day. He's trying to guide me. But if I'm 388 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 4: going forty in a twenty, I'm gonna miss the direction 389 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 4: and the instruction that God is trying to give me. 390 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 4: I rush because I'm over committed. I've packed too many 391 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 4: things into one day. I rush because I have things 392 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 4: that have to get done. There's work and appointments and 393 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 4: commitments and activities and errands and dinners and homework and chores. 394 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 4: Anybody with me, And sometimes I feel like I'm rushing 395 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 4: though on purpose because it keeps me from having to 396 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 4: feel and from having to acknowledge the things that I'm feeling. 397 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 4: And I know that if I stay busy, then I 398 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 4: don't have to think about the things that I'm disappointed about. 399 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 4: So I put my shoes on at seven am and 400 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 4: I don't take them off until nine am PM. And 401 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 4: then I lay my head on my pillow at night, 402 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 4: and I'm worried about everything that's going on. And then 403 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 4: I wonder why I'm so anxious and so run down 404 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 4: and so weary, and why I feel so far away 405 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 4: from the presence of God. And I don't want to 406 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,440 Speaker 4: feel that way at the end of the year this year, 407 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 4: and you don't have to feel that way. And Paul's 408 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 4: writing this letter to Christians and Rome so when he 409 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 4: says to them, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, 410 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,479 Speaker 4: they would have automatically understood that a sacrifice was something 411 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 4: that you place on an altar. So in Biblical times, 412 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 4: beginning even with the patriarchs in Genesis with Abraham and 413 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 4: Isaac and Jacob, when something significant was about to happen, 414 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 4: or something important had just happened, often they would stop 415 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 4: and build an altar, Like do you remember when Noah 416 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 4: got off the ark he stopped. He built an altar, 417 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 4: and the God showed him the rainbow of his promise. 418 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 4: So by the time we get to Moses and the 419 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 4: Ten Commandments, God is giving Moses the Ten Commandments. But 420 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 4: right after that he also instructs Moses to tell the 421 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:13,119 Speaker 4: people this. Look at Exodus chapter twenty versus, starting in 422 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 4: verse twenty two, I think, yeah, says this. Then the 423 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 4: Lord said to Moses, tell the Israelites this you have 424 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 4: seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. 425 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 4: He's talking about the Ten Commandments. Do not make any 426 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 4: gods to be alongside me. Do not make for yourselves 427 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 4: gods of silver or gods of gold. Make an altar 428 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 4: of earth for me, and sacrifice on it your burnt 429 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 4: offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. 430 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 4: Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will 431 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 4: come to you, and I will bless you. So the 432 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 4: people that Paul is writing to they understood this idea 433 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 4: that God was giving this direction in Exodus twenty to 434 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 4: his children because they were going to be on the move. 435 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 4: They had just left slavery in Egypt, but their journey 436 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 4: was just beginning, and God knew that there were gonna 437 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 4: be moments of great victory and moments of great fear. 438 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 4: And he knew that they had battles ahead to fight, 439 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 4: and they knew that He knew that they had giants 440 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 4: ahead to face. And these moments could not wait for 441 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 4: a tabernacle to be set up or for a temple 442 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 4: to be built. That these moments called for an altar 443 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 4: right there in the place where they were, right there 444 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 4: in the feelings that they were feeling. And yes, you 445 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 4: should schedule in time to worship God. Please do not 446 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 4: let anything come between you and getting to church every 447 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 4: single week. And you should be in an e group 448 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 4: where you can discuss what God is speaking to you. 449 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 4: And obviously you should set aside time with God in 450 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 4: your house where you pray and you read your Bible. 451 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 4: But if you think that worshiping God is segmented out 452 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 4: like that, you're gonna miss so many things that God 453 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 4: wants to show you in the one thousand moment moments 454 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 4: of your day. And if we want God to show 455 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 4: us where to go, we have to learn how to 456 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 4: slow down in the middle of our day at your desk, 457 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 4: in your car, in your kitchen, and bring God into 458 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 4: the situation, bring him into the feelings that you're feeling. 459 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 4: These are alter moments. God told Moses to make an 460 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 4: earthen alter. That means that it doesn't have to be pretty. 461 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 4: It doesn't have to wait for Sunday. It can be 462 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 4: raw and it can be muddy. You can stop and 463 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 4: you can celebrate a victory right where you are, or 464 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 4: you can cry out to him for help. But you've 465 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 4: got to learn how to slow down and acknowledge your 466 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 4: feelings right there in the moment. Are you grateful? Are 467 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 4: you afraid? Are you anxious? Are you excited? Are you nervous? 468 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 4: Are you angry? Are you disappointed? Are you frustrated? God 469 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 4: can handle all of that. He wants you to bring 470 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 4: him in to the moment, and he wants to meet 471 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:04,239 Speaker 4: you right there. Then the next thing that you have 472 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 4: to do is you have to make a sacrifice. God 473 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 4: wants to show you his will, but you can't rush it, 474 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 4: and you also can't ignore the steps that he wants 475 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 4: you to take along the journey. So in our passage, 476 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 4: Poll is saying to the church that God wants to 477 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 4: show us a new way. He's saying the old law, 478 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 4: the law of Moses, is done away with, and you 479 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 4: no longer have to offer a bull or sheep or 480 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 4: goats to a tone for your sins, because that's what 481 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 4: they were doing. But the new law says that God, 482 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 4: in view of his great mercy, he sent Jesus to 483 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 4: die for our sins. So Jesus is already paid the price. 484 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 4: And all God wants in return for that great price 485 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 4: that he paid when he gave his son on the 486 00:26:55,320 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 4: cross for our sins is our bodies as a living sacrifice. 487 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:05,399 Speaker 4: That means he wants all of you. He didn't just 488 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 4: die for the pretty parts of your life, the church 489 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 4: parts of your life. He died for all of it. 490 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 4: He died for your hopes and your dreams. He died 491 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 4: for your victories and your defeats. He died for your 492 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 4: pride and for your shame. He wants you to bring 493 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 4: it all to him. So what does it look like 494 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 4: to make a sacrifice. A sacrifice is something that has 495 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,439 Speaker 4: value to you. It's a representation of trust. It's a 496 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 4: symbol that expresses that God means more to you than anything, 497 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 4: more than anything that you have, or anything that you 498 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 4: have had, or anything that you want to have. So 499 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 4: when you slow down and you have this moment where 500 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,919 Speaker 4: you bring God into your situation. You mark the moment 501 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 4: by giving something back to God that's valuable to you. 502 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 4: So David was building an altar one time and he 503 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 4: said this statement, and it's so incredible. He said, I 504 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 4: will not offer the Lord something that costs me nothing. 505 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 4: So sacrifice is something that costs you something. Sometimes you 506 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 4: have to sacrifice to God something that you love. I 507 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 4: have had so many moments in my life where I've 508 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 4: had to reluctantly let go of a dream, a dream 509 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:23,879 Speaker 4: or an idea that I had about my life that 510 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 4: maybe just hasn't come to pass. And I've had to 511 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 4: come to a place where I have to release my 512 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 4: idea of what I thought my life would look like 513 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 4: by now. I thought I'd be further along than this, 514 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 4: or maybe I thought I would have a different career 515 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 4: by now. I thought i'd be married by now. I 516 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 4: thought have kids by now. We always all have these 517 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 4: thoughts and dreams and aspirations that maybe haven't come to 518 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 4: pass for us. And it's really hard at Christmas time 519 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 4: because we see everyone's beautiful Christmas cards and I think 520 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,239 Speaker 4: when I look at them, sometimes I think, oh Am, 521 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 4: I falling behind, you know, like we kick ourselves because 522 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 4: we look at this family in this beautiful car and 523 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 4: we think God. And if I had started selling that 524 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 4: protein powder on Facebook to all my friends and family, 525 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 4: I'd be spending Christmas in e'rerop skiing. Right now, you 526 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 4: gotta be careful, you gotta slow down. It's okay, acknowledge 527 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 4: the disappointment. Give it to God. When I'm giving you 528 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 4: this stream, I'm giving it back. I'm laying it down 529 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 4: on the altar. And sometimes when I say, I'm like, 530 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 4: and Lord, if you want to give it back to me, 531 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 4: that's okay, I'll let But right now I'm letting go, 532 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 4: and I'm trusting that you are the God of immeasurably 533 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 4: more than I could ask or imagine, and perhaps you 534 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 4: have a better dream for me. I can't imagine something better, 535 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 4: but God, I'm giving you this one because I want 536 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 4: to sacrifice it to you right now, in this moment. 537 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 4: Sometimes you sacrifice a person that you love. Maybe it's 538 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 4: your spouse or your child, or a parent who you 539 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 4: need to release to God, who you need to stop 540 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 4: trying to control. And I've had so many moments. Sorry 541 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 4: to my kids, but you need to know where I 542 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 4: have come to God, and I have said, Lord, you 543 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 4: love this person more than I do. I know that. 544 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 4: So God, I'm letting go of my hopes and dreams 545 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 4: and expectations for them, knowing God that just like you 546 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 4: have good plans for me, you have good plans for them. 547 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 4: And God, I know that you do not need my help. 548 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 4: I'm available. Sometimes you have to let your disappointments go. 549 00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 4: You have to give them to God. You have to say, God, 550 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 4: this did not turn out the way that I thought, 551 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 4: So I'm surrendering my expectations to you. Remember Pastor Stephen 552 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 4: preached don't let the funeral fool you, and he said, 553 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 4: he said, you have to have a funeral for your expectations. 554 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 4: And sometimes we said that that's a sacrifice that we 555 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 4: give to God because it can be so disappointing when 556 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 4: things and people don't turn out and don't treat us 557 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 4: the way that we thought that they would. Sometimes you 558 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 4: have to lay down a feeling or an emotion like anger. 559 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 4: I just have to say that I'm afraid that we 560 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 4: have become an angry generation of people, and every little 561 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 4: thing that gets on our nerves and we think we 562 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 4: need to tell everybody you know, Like, anything that gets 563 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 4: some matters, I'm gonna let you know about it. It 564 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 4: could be your spouse, or your teenager or a random 565 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 4: person on YouTube, but you're going to void your outrage. 566 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 4: And I just want to let you know you don't 567 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 4: have to tell everyone. If you're angry. You can be 568 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 4: angry and not say anything. And I know that anger 569 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 4: is often an indicator of a deeper feeling that we're feeling, 570 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 4: but I think that most angry people aren't really interested 571 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 4: in figuring out why they're angry, because it feels good 572 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 4: to be angry. Right. As long as you're angry, you 573 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 4: never have to change anything about yourself. You never have 574 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 4: to accept your own behavior because you just are angry 575 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 4: at everybody else's behavior. If they do this, or if 576 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 4: they wouldn't do this, or if they would have done this, 577 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 4: then I wouldn't be so angry. And I'm not saying 578 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 4: that there's never a time when you can't get angry, 579 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 4: but what I am saying is that you can't afford 580 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 4: to stay angry, because if you stay angry, then you 581 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 4: will become bitter, and you will become someone that you yourself 582 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 4: do not even like so put your anger on the altar. 583 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 4: God can handle it. He can take anything. He wants 584 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 4: all of you. He wants the ugly and the beautiful 585 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 4: parts of your life. Sometimes you have to put your 586 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 4: pride on the altar. Recently, I was having one of 587 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 4: these slow moments with God. And it wasn't very pretty. 588 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 4: It wasn't like a, oh, I need to grab my 589 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 4: Bible and a cup of tea and a candle and 590 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 4: have a quiet time. I was talking to God because 591 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 4: I was having a hard time. I was disappointed in 592 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 4: something that was going on and something that had happened, 593 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 4: and I was trying really hard to do all of this, 594 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 4: and I was trying to give it to God. But honestly, 595 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 4: all that I kept thinking about every time that I 596 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 4: was praying about it was these stories that I was 597 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 4: making up in my head about what other people were 598 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 4: saying about me. And I really was just telling God 599 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 4: how unfair I thought that the whole situation was. And 600 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 4: I wasn't making aid progress though, And I realize now 601 00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 4: that I was trying to have an alter moment with 602 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 4: God without sacrificing anything to him. And it was a 603 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 4: few days later that I was talking to Stephen. And 604 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 4: as I was trying to get it out of what 605 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 4: I was so frustrated and angry about, I realized that 606 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 4: the maturity of my frustration wasn't actually in what happened, 607 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 4: like the event, but it was in my pride of 608 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 4: worrying about what other people were thinking about me, and 609 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 4: I was just making it about me. And I don't 610 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 4: want to acknowledge my pride in the situation. I just 611 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 4: wanted to be angry that it had happened. But it 612 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:41,880 Speaker 4: wasn't until I began to surrender my pride that I 613 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 4: began to feel peace about the situation. It wasn't until 614 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,799 Speaker 4: I was really able to be honest with God and say, God, 615 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,080 Speaker 4: you know what, I'm making this about me, and help 616 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 4: me not make it about me. And when I was 617 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 4: praying about it, I began to see it from a 618 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 4: completely different perspective because I offered God the truth of 619 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 4: how I was really feeling. Paul says, Therefore, brothers and sisters, 620 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,359 Speaker 4: in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as a 621 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:17,000 Speaker 4: living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your 622 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 4: true and proper worship. That's the real way you worship God. 623 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 4: When you get honest with him, and he says, do 624 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 4: not conform to the pattern of this world, but be 625 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 4: transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will 626 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 4: be able to test and improve what God's will is. 627 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 4: Then you will be able to test and approve what 628 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,240 Speaker 4: God's will is. You see, we want to fast forward 629 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 4: from verse one to verse two. God show me your will. 630 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 4: Should I move jobs? Should what college? Should I go to? 631 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:49,360 Speaker 4: Should I keep dating this guy? And God says, that's 632 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 4: not how it works. There needs to be a commitment here, 633 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 4: and that commitment is symbolized by my willingness to sacrifice 634 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 4: to God something that costs me, something that hurts sometimes. 635 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 4: And in this verse, this is so interesting. The word 636 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:13,319 Speaker 4: sacrifice is actually translated killing, So if you were to 637 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 4: make a direct translation, it actually is saying make your 638 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 4: life a living killing. And Paul is saying to these people, 639 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 4: he's saying, we're not offering bulls and goats and sheep anymore. 640 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 4: That was actually easier. You bring it, you kill it, 641 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,720 Speaker 4: it stays dead. But this sacrifice, it's a living killing. 642 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 4: That means that this thing is gonna crawl off the 643 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:45,319 Speaker 4: altar every chance it gets. It would be nice if 644 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:48,040 Speaker 4: we could just sacrifice our anger once and for all 645 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 4: and move forward. It would be nice if we could 646 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 4: just surrender our disappointments to God and move on, or 647 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:55,800 Speaker 4: if we could let go of all of the weights 648 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:01,000 Speaker 4: that we're carrying. It doesn't work like that. A living killing. 649 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 4: That means sometimes it's minute by minute, day by day. 650 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:10,800 Speaker 4: You have to keep doing it. One scholar said, it 651 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 4: feels like a death, but on the other side of 652 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 4: it is life, and that's why it's a living sacrifice. 653 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:26,720 Speaker 4: It's a sacrifice that leads to life. There's life when 654 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 4: you let go. There's life when you let go. You 655 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,839 Speaker 4: want direction, you want guidance, you want peace about your decisions. 656 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:42,960 Speaker 4: It begins with a sacrifice. We cannot see God's will 657 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 4: without doing things God's way. We don't get to skip 658 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,399 Speaker 4: the part where we have to give God something that's 659 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:57,720 Speaker 4: valuable to us. So we slow down, we build an altar, 660 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 4: we bring God into our situation, make a sacrifice, and 661 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 4: then we see our situation in a whole new way. 662 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 4: That's my last point. See, the more that you begin 663 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:18,759 Speaker 4: to release your situation to God, the more that your 664 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:23,799 Speaker 4: mind begins to be transformed. That's when you begin to 665 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 4: have a renewed vision of what God is actually trying 666 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:35,120 Speaker 4: to do in your life. Not too long ago, I 667 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:40,319 Speaker 4: was struggling with the same situation over and over and 668 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 4: over again. You ever been there, And I'm telling you, 669 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 4: I built many altars. I kept putting this situation on 670 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 4: the altar, and when I tell you, it kept climbing off. 671 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 4: It kept climbing off. And I was so disappointed because 672 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 4: I felt like God was not listening to me. I mean, 673 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,359 Speaker 4: I had given him so many good ideas about how 674 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 4: to fix this situation. You could do this, you could 675 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 4: do that, God make them, do you know? I get 676 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 4: God lots of ideas, to the point where I got 677 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 4: so frustrated that I stopped talking to God about it, 678 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,359 Speaker 4: and not in a good way. I was just like, well, 679 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,319 Speaker 4: obviously God's not hearing me, and so I'm just I'm 680 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,919 Speaker 4: just not even gonna pray about this anymore. But God 681 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 4: is so patient and he's so kind. And one day 682 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 4: I wasn't looking, I wasn't praying about it, but I 683 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 4: was reading my Bible and I came across this first 684 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 4: and it grabbed me. And I went about my day, 685 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:52,239 Speaker 4: but I kept thinking about it. A couple of days 686 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,040 Speaker 4: went by, I was like, I gotta look that first 687 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,719 Speaker 4: back up. So I went back and I read it again, 688 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:02,719 Speaker 4: and I realized that it was the exact thing that 689 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 4: I needed in that situation. So I printed out the 690 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:10,040 Speaker 4: verse and I put it up everywhere. I mean, it's 691 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,839 Speaker 4: kind of obnoxious that I put it up inside of 692 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:15,439 Speaker 4: the cabinet where our coffee mugs are, so I would 693 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:17,320 Speaker 4: see it first thing in the morning. I put it 694 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 4: up on my mirror, I put it in my car. 695 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:21,120 Speaker 4: I taped it to a plant. 696 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:21,880 Speaker 3: And. 697 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:28,319 Speaker 4: Every time I worried about the situation, God reminded me 698 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,799 Speaker 4: of that verse. Every time I wondered what I was 699 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 4: supposed to do, I remembered that verse. And I have 700 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:40,760 Speaker 4: to tell you something shifted in my heart. But nothing 701 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:46,280 Speaker 4: changed about the situation. The only thing that actually changed 702 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 4: was my perspective and my attitude. And I'm telling you, 703 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 4: it felt like God had given me marching orders, like 704 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,560 Speaker 4: he had given me the exact vision and direction that 705 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:03,399 Speaker 4: I needed for that situation. And I began to have 706 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 4: peace because now I had a promise. I realize now 707 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:15,720 Speaker 4: that I wasted so much of my prayer time trying 708 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:18,920 Speaker 4: to show God what he needed to do God, you 709 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,439 Speaker 4: see this, if you would fix this, if you would 710 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:24,080 Speaker 4: change them, if you would make them understand and listen. 711 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 4: There's nothing wrong with asking God to change your situation. 712 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 4: Sometimes that's the only place where you can start right. 713 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 4: But what I found is that breakthrough happens when I 714 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:40,799 Speaker 4: stop trying to show God what he needs to do, 715 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 4: and I let him show me a way through. I 716 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:51,880 Speaker 4: feel like I need to say that again. Stop trying 717 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 4: to show God. Let him show you. 718 00:41:56,160 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 3: Now. 719 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:58,520 Speaker 4: I'm not going to share my verse with you, because 720 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:02,280 Speaker 4: it's my verse. You got to find your own verse. 721 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 4: But I want to tell you something. The promises in 722 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 4: this book they are for you. This is not just 723 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 4: a book of stories. This book is life. This book 724 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,040 Speaker 4: has power. And when this book says I will never 725 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:24,040 Speaker 4: leave you nor forsake you, that means you. God is 726 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:26,760 Speaker 4: with you. So if you feel lost or you feel lonely, 727 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:29,320 Speaker 4: you put a promise on it. When you read that 728 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,640 Speaker 4: Jesus said peace, I leave with you, that means you. 729 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,319 Speaker 4: So when you feel anxious, you put a promise on it. 730 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 4: The Bible says that if the sun sets you free, 731 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:44,000 Speaker 4: then you are free. Indeed, it's talking about you, So 732 00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:46,880 Speaker 4: put a promise over your addiction. You don't have to 733 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 4: wait for pastor Stephen to tell you about God's promises. 734 00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,640 Speaker 4: They are right here. We got free by If you 735 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 4: don't have a Bible, we got one for you. Pick 736 00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:00,279 Speaker 4: it up and read it, and put a promise over 737 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:04,279 Speaker 4: your marriage, put a promise over your family. God's promises 738 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 4: are generational, and they are ours for the taking. Abraham 739 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 4: built an altar, and he called it the Lord will provide. 740 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:19,840 Speaker 4: Jacob built an altar, and he called it Mighty House 741 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,960 Speaker 4: of God. Moses built an altar, and he called it 742 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:25,840 Speaker 4: the Lord is my Banner. Geton built an altar, and 743 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,960 Speaker 4: he called it the Lord is my Peace. God wants to. 744 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 5: Show you more than you want to see it. It 745 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,840 Speaker 5: starts with a process, Paul says, off of your bodies 746 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:40,359 Speaker 5: as a living sacrifice. Begin to transform and renew your 747 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:43,359 Speaker 5: mind and see your situation in the new light. And 748 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 5: then then and only then will you be able to 749 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:52,479 Speaker 5: test and approve what God's will is. Slow down, put 750 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:55,200 Speaker 5: that thing back on the altar, and then put a 751 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 5: promise over your situation. 752 00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 4: That's where the past. It's right here. But you're going 753 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:08,719 Speaker 4: so fast you don't even have time to open it 754 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:14,440 Speaker 4: up and let God speak to you. Today is a 755 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:18,160 Speaker 4: beautiful day at our church. It's a day when we 756 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 4: cheerfully bring an offering to God. And we've been telling 757 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 4: you for weeks to pray about it and prepare what 758 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:28,080 Speaker 4: God would have you to give, because we want you 759 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 4: to give, because God has given so much to you. 760 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 4: And when we give it, we're saying thank you. We're 761 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:38,160 Speaker 4: acknowledging that this is a place where you speak to 762 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,560 Speaker 4: me God, and so I want to give so that 763 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:44,160 Speaker 4: someone else can hear the messages that I'm hearing at 764 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 4: a new campus or online in a different city, or 765 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,360 Speaker 4: maybe even a different country. And when we give, it 766 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:55,480 Speaker 4: is a beautiful act of worship. But don't forget when 767 00:44:55,520 --> 00:45:01,319 Speaker 4: you give today that is sacrifice is often followed by 768 00:45:01,320 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 4: a promise. Don't forget to put a word on your 769 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:10,080 Speaker 4: offering today. That's just as important. The word is just 770 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:13,439 Speaker 4: as important as the gift, because as you head into 771 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:17,600 Speaker 4: twenty twenty five, you're going to go in strong knowing 772 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,560 Speaker 4: that God has gone before you, that he knows what's 773 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,360 Speaker 4: ahead of you, and He's given you a promise to 774 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:25,759 Speaker 4: cling to in the coming day so that when the 775 00:45:25,840 --> 00:45:30,160 Speaker 4: times get hard, you've got a word from God over 776 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:35,799 Speaker 4: your life. Everyone should have received an envelope when you 777 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:37,880 Speaker 4: came in. If you don't have one, an usher is 778 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 4: going to bring one to you online. There's a link 779 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,760 Speaker 4: in the chat for you to participate, and in a moment, 780 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:46,279 Speaker 4: we're going to bring our offerings. But I want us 781 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:49,480 Speaker 4: to go slow today. I don't want us to just 782 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:53,080 Speaker 4: start singing and come forward and put our offering in 783 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 4: the little thing. I want to make sure that you 784 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 4: get to have a moment with God right here where 785 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 4: you are. Whether you're watching in your home and you're 786 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:07,960 Speaker 4: sitting in a seat at one of our campuses, you 787 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:13,240 Speaker 4: can make the place where you're sitting an altar right now. 788 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:20,279 Speaker 4: I just want you to take a minute. Has God 789 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:23,279 Speaker 4: been grateful? Has God been good to you this year? 790 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:26,160 Speaker 4: Are you grateful for that? What does He brought you through? 791 00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:31,800 Speaker 4: Maybe you need to surrender a disappointment to him. Maybe 792 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:35,520 Speaker 4: you need to let go of a person that you 793 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:39,120 Speaker 4: love and care about so much. I just want you 794 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:42,359 Speaker 4: to take a minute to let God show you your 795 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:47,640 Speaker 4: way forward. Take a minute to think about word your 796 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:50,319 Speaker 4: promise for twenty twenty five that you're going to put 797 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,479 Speaker 4: on the back of that envelope because when we come 798 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:57,319 Speaker 4: forward and we give, even if you're not able to 799 00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:00,839 Speaker 4: participate in the offering today, we want you to bring 800 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:04,160 Speaker 4: your word and we want you to place it in 801 00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:06,920 Speaker 4: the offering. And I want you to know we have 802 00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:11,640 Speaker 4: people who have signed up who are prepared today and 803 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:17,080 Speaker 4: all week to pray over your word, to believe with 804 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:22,040 Speaker 4: you what God is speaking over your life for this year. 805 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:25,400 Speaker 4: So I just want to give you a moment. The 806 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:28,680 Speaker 4: band's going to come and sing, and then your campus 807 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:32,839 Speaker 4: pastor is going to come with instructions specifically on how 808 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:35,920 Speaker 4: we're going to take the offering. But before they do 809 00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:41,920 Speaker 4: all of that, let God speak to you in this moment, 810 00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:53,719 Speaker 4: just pause. Who wants to show you? So let we 811 00:47:53,719 --> 00:47:56,560 Speaker 4: thank you for this word. We just steel it on 812 00:47:56,600 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 4: our hearts today. I love you. It's in Jesus' name. 813 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:05,839 Speaker 1: Amen. Thank you for joining us. 814 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:08,600 Speaker 2: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 815 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 2: this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 816 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:15,160 Speaker 2: You can click the link in the description to give now, 817 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:19,560 Speaker 2: or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information, 818 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:22,880 Speaker 2: and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 819 00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:24,480 Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. 820 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:27,040 Speaker 2: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 821 00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:29,200 Speaker 2: share it on your social stories and tag us at 822 00:48:29,239 --> 00:48:30,080 Speaker 2: Elevation Church. 823 00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:36,759 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. God bless you.