1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 2: I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 2: this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it 5 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: gives your perspective to see God is moving in your life. 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: Enjoy the message. 7 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 2: So thankful that you're here today, and I am going 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 2: to go ahead. I normally have you stand to read 9 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: the scripture. It's nineteen versus today, so go ahead and 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 2: sit down and we'll take it slow. God bless you. 11 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: My scripture from today's point of view is Acts chapter eleven. 12 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: This sermon will probably take two weeks to preach. 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,319 Speaker 1: We did it last night. The Lord showed up. 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: I thought he did till nobody said that was here 15 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: last night. Yeah, to me, he showed up. And so 16 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 2: we probably won't get to the entire message today. But 17 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 2: in Acts chapter eleven, it's a very unique and pivotal 18 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: story as the Gospel is going forward through the ministry 19 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 2: of the Early Church, where it says in verse one, 20 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 2: the apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the 21 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 2: Gentiles had also received the Word of God. 22 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: So when Peter went up to Jerusalem. 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: The circumcised believers criticized him and said, you went into 24 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 2: the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them. Starting 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: from the beginning verse four, Peter told them the whole story. 26 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 2: Here it is. I was in the city of Japa praying, 27 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw 28 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: something like a large sheet being let down from heaven 29 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: by its four corners, and it came down to where 30 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: I was. I looked into it. Oh, I touch somebody 31 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 2: and say look into it. Yeah, I looked into it. 32 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: I saw four footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, 33 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 2: and birds. Then I heard a voice telling me get up, Peter, 34 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: kill and eat. I replied, surely not, Lord. How are 35 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 2: you gonna say no and call him Lord in the 36 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: same sentence, that's crazy. Nothing impure or unclean has ever 37 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 2: entered my mouth. 38 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: And the voice spoke from heaven a second time. 39 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: Oh, thank God for second chances, third chances, fourth chances. 40 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: Can I get a fifth chance? Six chance, seven chances, 41 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: eight chance? 42 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 2: Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. 43 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 2: This happened three times, and then it was all pulled 44 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: up to heaven again. Right then three men who had 45 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 2: been sent to me from cesarea, stopped at the house 46 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: where I was staying, and the spirit told me to 47 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers 48 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 2: also went with me, and we entered the man's house, 49 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: and he told us how he had seen an angel 50 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 2: appear in the house and say, send a drop of 51 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 2: for Simon, who is called Peter. He will bring you 52 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: a message through which you and all your households will 53 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 2: be saved. Now I began to speak, the Holy Spirit 54 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 2: came on them, and he had come on us to 55 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: begin in the same way. Then I remembered what the 56 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 2: Lord turned a Paige has said, John baptized with water, 57 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So 58 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: if God gave them the same gift he gave us, 59 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I 60 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: to think that I could stand in God's way if 61 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: you would nudge your neighbor gently and say get out 62 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 2: of God's way. When they heard this, they had no 63 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: further objections your honor and praised God, saying so then, 64 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: even to gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life. 65 00:03:54,080 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: So we've gone from in verse one gone from What 66 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 2: did I write down? I wrote it in my nose 67 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 2: because I was seeing it before I came out. Oh, 68 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 2: we went from protest to praise, from protests to praise. 69 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 2: But that's not the title of my message. The title 70 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: of my message hinges on verse four. Starting from the beginning, 71 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: Peter told them the whole story. Starting from the beginning, 72 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 2: Peter told them the whole story. Now look at your 73 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: neighbor and give them my title. Say I'm not calling 74 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: you a liar. I promise I'm not. But there's a 75 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: hole in your story. Come on, say it like you're 76 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: on CSI and they've been in the interrogation room all 77 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: night and the coffee is cold. Look at them again 78 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 2: and say there's a hole in your story. Look at 79 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 2: your other neighbors, Say there's a hole in your story. 80 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 2: A story within a story. After eleven, it's really about 81 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 2: the purpose of God. But it's told through the perspective 82 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 2: of Peter, through the writing of Luke. For Theophilus to 83 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 2: describe simultaneously both the ministry of Peter and the purpose 84 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 2: of God. Did you know that your story is a 85 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:23,799 Speaker 2: story within a story. There's always a story within the story. 86 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: There's the surface story, and then there is the story 87 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 2: that is beneath the surface, and then. 88 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: There is the story that is overarching. 89 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: And sometimes we don't even realize how how many missing 90 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: pieces there are of the stories that we tell ourselves. 91 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 2: Even worse, we don't even really understand the missing I 92 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: would call. 93 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: It a plot hole. 94 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: You've been watching the show and they just there's just 95 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: a plot hole in the in the in the story. 96 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 2: We were watching this Christian movie called Friday Night Lights 97 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 2: with Saint Tim Riggins, and they had a plot hole 98 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 2: in it. We were talking about this and Lilah Garrity 99 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 2: drove her car into Buddy Garritty's car dealership through the window. 100 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: In the next episode, everything was fine and she had 101 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: her car back. And even in our family we adopted 102 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: that we call it. Can I get a garrity? When 103 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 2: you do something stupid in our family and you want 104 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 2: total immunity and forgiveness and never bring it up again. 105 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 2: As far as the east is from the west, can 106 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 2: you cast us in the sea? 107 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: You have to ask for a garrity? 108 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: How many of you have ever needed God to give 109 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 2: you a garrity? Yeah? I can preach on anything, and 110 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 2: the truth of the matter is in Acts, chapter eleven. 111 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 2: You know, it's a microcosm for what we experienced so 112 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: many times in our lives, where when there is space, 113 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 2: a story fills it. And then the space between what 114 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 2: you know and what you think you know sometimes is 115 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 2: the story that you tell yourself that keeps you stuck 116 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 2: sleepy for me to preach or can I do this 117 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 2: like I want to? When the church was first starting 118 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: and I was an inexperienced pastor, just a whipper snapper 119 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 2: in a Monarchy T shirt with some. 120 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: Antique denim jeans and some Martin Mason. 121 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 2: Boots, I was oblivious about certain things, and I invited 122 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,119 Speaker 2: this man to come share his story with our church. 123 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: The church was only about two years old, and I 124 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 2: had him share with the whole church his story. The 125 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 2: next week, somebody called our church office and requested to 126 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 2: have a phone appointment with me. 127 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,119 Speaker 1: And the person who called was a man of God. 128 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: He had a radio ministry and I had heard his 129 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 2: voice on the radio so many times, so when we 130 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 2: finally talked on the phone, it was surreal to hear 131 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 2: his voice because I'd heard him on the radio and 132 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 2: never talked to him before. Didn't even know that he 133 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: knew who I was, so I felt kind of important 134 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: when they said so and so wants to talk to 135 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 2: you and set up a phone appointment. Oh, phone appointment, 136 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 2: and so when the day came to have the call, 137 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 2: he said, hello, pastor. It's a beautiful, rich baritone voice. 138 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 2: Very soon, Hello pastor. 139 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: I said, hey, it's so good to talk to you, 140 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: and he said, you might want to hear what I 141 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: have to say before you say that. 142 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 2: Now. Now, what he said next was an education. He 143 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: gave me a seminary education and a five minute phone call. 144 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: He said, I watched your interview with so and so, 145 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 2: the person I had brought up. 146 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: Let me do it in his voice. I watched your 147 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: interview and it was very entertaining, but it wasn't very accurate. 148 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: I said, well, all I did was let him share 149 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 1: his story. And he said, well, there's a few holes 150 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: in that story. Then I'd like to fill in. 151 00:08:57,760 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: See the man I was talking to, he was playing 152 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 2: the victim role, and when he told his story, it 153 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: was everybody who didn't help him, everybody who didn't care 154 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 2: about him, everybody. 155 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: Who mistreated him. 156 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: He didn't mention the people who gave him rent payments. 157 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 2: He didn't mention the people who gave him second chances, 158 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 2: third chances, fourth chances. He left a lot of that out. 159 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 2: But I never forgot what the older, more experienced pastor 160 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 2: said because I've been trying to apply it to my life. 161 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: There's a few holes in your story. 162 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 2: Now. 163 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: I don't mean to. 164 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 2: Get all up in your macaroni at this time of 165 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: the day, because I know it's early, but are there 166 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: a few holes in the story that you've been telling 167 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 2: yourself about yourself, about others, about your parents, about your kids, 168 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 2: about God? 169 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: Are there some holes in your story? I want to 170 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: take this text for a moment and interrogate it. 171 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 2: I want to see what Peter said in verse four 172 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 2: that took us from what did I say again? From 173 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 2: protests to praise. It started with this whole group. It 174 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 2: started with a rumor. Now, back in the Bible days 175 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: they spread rumors. Things have changed, we have evolved societally. 176 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: In the Bible, they spread rumors, and they weren't always accurate. 177 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 2: So in verse one, if you revisit it with me 178 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 2: for a moment, they're talking about Peter going to eat 179 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 2: with the gentiles. Did you hear what Peter did already 180 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: he was down there bacon and sausage and poor crimes 181 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 2: with those Gentiles. I already was down there playing poker. 182 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 2: I already he was drinking beer and watching cinemax and HV. 183 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: You know how. 184 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: Stuff. And so by the time one author said, a 185 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 2: lie can make it around the world, by the time 186 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 2: the truth gets shoeslay stuff. And here's what's crazy. The 187 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 2: story about what Peter did got back to Jerusalem before 188 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 2: Peter did. The story beat Peter back to Jerusalem, and 189 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 2: he's seventy miles away sharing the gospel, the gospel of 190 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 2: Jesus Christ has just gone beyond the borders of one 191 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 2: people group, the Jews, to the Gentiles, which was God's 192 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 2: original intention. When he called Abraham, he said, I'm gonna 193 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 2: bless you, but I'm not just gonna bless you to 194 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 2: bless you. I'm gonna bless you to be a blessing, 195 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 2: and through you all the nations of the earth will 196 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 2: be blessed. That's always what he wanted to do, and 197 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 2: now he's doing it. But sometimes we get so lost 198 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 2: in the story, the story that was handed to us, 199 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 2: that we missed the bigger story that God is telling 200 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 2: and the keyword to me in verse one was it 201 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 2: said the apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard the 202 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 2: word was heard, they heard something. Do you hear about? 203 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: What? Do you hear what they did? Do you hear 204 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: what they did? 205 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 2: Did you read the article? No, I've just read the headline. 206 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 2: You go to evolution. What's it called elevation? Elevation of church? 207 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 2: I heard they don't have a cross on the building, 208 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 2: or I heard they don't have I heard that they 209 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 2: have a trampoline on the stage for leap year. I heard, 210 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 2: I heard, I heard, I heard, I heard. You know 211 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: how much trouble there is when when you take the 212 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 2: heart what you heard without checking it out. So the 213 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 2: first thing I want to say, I want to do 214 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 2: a sermon around this. I want to warn you about 215 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 2: four types of stories that will ruin your life if 216 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 2: you let them. 217 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: Four types of stories with some hold in. 218 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 2: And the first one I want to show you is 219 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 2: beware of secondhand stories. Beware of what you believe that 220 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 2: you have not seen. For yourself and for everybody over 221 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 2: the age of twelve, raise your hand. If you're over 222 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: the age of twelve, raise your hand and wave it 223 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: at me. Real good, like, just let me know that 224 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 2: you got all your circulation left. Yeah, wave it at me. 225 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 2: If we are grown ups, can we please make a 226 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 2: quality decision to stop letting our opinions of others be 227 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 2: determined through the filter of the opinions of others. The 228 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 2: contrast is severe. In verse one, it says the apostles 229 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 2: and believers they heard about what Peter was doing, and 230 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 2: they criticized him out of their ignorance. But verse five 231 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 2: says that they heard what Peter did, but watch what 232 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 2: Peter has. Peter has a first person perspective, so he's 233 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,839 Speaker 2: not going off of what he heard. He's going off 234 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: of what he experienced. That's why it doesn't affect me 235 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 2: what you think God is like. You can tell me 236 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 2: God is judgmental and hateful, but I don't believe that 237 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 2: because I have experienced his law, I have seen his goodness, 238 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 2: I have felt his touch, I have experienced his embrace. 239 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 2: And so when you hear something secondhand and take it 240 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 2: as truth, it can be worse than secondhand smoke. Secondhand 241 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 2: smoke can destroy your lungs. Secondhand stories can destroy your life. 242 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 2: Secondhand stories can keep you from getting to know people 243 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 2: that you would actually like if you didn't just meet 244 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 2: them through a screen. Secondhand stories can keep you from 245 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 2: stereotyping genders and races and other denominations. I was riding 246 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 2: around with a pastor one time and we drove by 247 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 2: a church and. 248 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: The parking lot was full. 249 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 2: The parking lot was so full that people were parked 250 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 2: on the side of the road to go to that church. 251 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: And we were driving past it to go to his church. 252 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 2: And I was speaking for him, and we were going 253 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 2: on the way to his church, and he pointed at 254 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 2: the church with the full parking lot and said, that's 255 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 2: a weird church. I sat under my breath and it's 256 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 2: full too. And see, when something else makes you feel insecure, 257 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 2: you shield yourself by calling it weird. So this is 258 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 2: what I want you to get. 259 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: Out of it. 260 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 2: Some of you are holding on to stories that are 261 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 2: not even true about you, that were given to you 262 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: second hand about who you are. Gideon, you know I 263 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 2: am the least in my tribe. This is an Old 264 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 2: Testament story that illustrates it. I am the smallest. My 265 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 2: tribe is the smallest. I'm the smallest in the tribe. 266 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 2: And I want to ask you what God asked Adam 267 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: and Eve in the Garden of Eden? 268 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: Who told you that? Who told you that story? 269 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 2: Sometimes it's even well meaning people. I mean, these were 270 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 2: not pagans. These were observant Jewish Christians who just wanted 271 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 2: to get it right. 272 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: But what happened in their day happens in ours. 273 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 2: Where you know, when God originally blessed his people, he 274 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 2: wanted them to take it beyond just these borders. But 275 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 2: over time, you know, tradition gets in the way of truth, 276 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 2: so then you start thinking that your tradition is the truth. 277 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 2: And if you've ever had a family member say something 278 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 2: to you like, oh, well, you're getting kind of big 279 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 2: for your briches. 280 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: Is that just a monk's corner thing? You know, you 281 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: make a. 282 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 2: Move forward, Oh well, you're getting too big for your briches. 283 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 2: It's a way of trying to keep you stuck in 284 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 2: the tradition of what our family has accomplished and what 285 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 2: we do. And so it's so subconscious for most of us. 286 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 2: It's a story that runs in the background and we 287 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 2: never even know it. But it is a story that 288 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 2: someone else told themselves, and then they passed it on 289 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 2: to us, and we took it as our own, and 290 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 2: we stay stuck in a story for eighty years of 291 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 2: our life that we could have broken out of if 292 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 2: we would have believed the voice of God. I hear 293 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 2: my preaching mentor saying slow down, verdict, So let me 294 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 2: do that for a moment. What stories are you holding 295 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 2: onto that are old, that are keeping you from what's 296 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 2: new and what's now and what's true and what's real. 297 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 2: Secondhand stories, it's a dangerous thing. If you ever played 298 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 2: the game where you pass a thing down the road, 299 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 2: I could start and say milk is on sale, and 300 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 2: by the time it gets to by the time it 301 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 2: passes all the way down this road, you know it 302 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 2: would turn into you know, Donald Trump is the pastor 303 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 2: of Elevation Church by the time it got down that row. 304 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 2: And it's never been worse than it is right now 305 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 2: in our world that we don't. 306 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: Read the whole story, just the headlines. 307 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,479 Speaker 2: So then it becomes, oh, well, you're not this, and 308 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 2: you're only that, and you can't this, and all white 309 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 2: people and all black people and all men and all 310 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 2: women and this community and that community. And it is 311 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 2: a generic way of keeping us from peeling back the labels, 312 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 2: because labels always limit and when you label yourself, you 313 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 2: limit yourself. So all that to say, there might be 314 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 2: a few holes in your story, some things that you 315 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 2: have told yourself that aren't necessarily he said. 316 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 1: It was very entertaining, but it wasn't very accurate. 317 00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 2: And sometimes you tell yourself a story to survive, just 318 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 2: to make it. And what's sad to me about it 319 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 2: is somebody might have rejected you at one point in 320 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 2: your life because of how they felt about themselves, and 321 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 2: then you took it as an indication of your value. 322 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 2: Oh well, they walked out of my life. There must 323 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 2: have been something wrong with me. That's their story, not yours. 324 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: That's their story, not yours. That's their story, not yours. 325 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 2: And you don't have to own it. And I love 326 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 2: Peter because he is so reckless. And so the reckless 327 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 2: Reverend comes in, but he's got himself under control, and 328 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 2: he just told them the whole story. Don't you want 329 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 2: God to show you the whole story of your life? 330 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 2: And when he starts the story, he starts with everybody's 331 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 2: favorite main character in the story. 332 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: Look at verse five. You're ready for this. 333 00:19:54,840 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 2: This is how every story starts. Watches I number two, 334 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 2: Beware of self centered stories. Oh man, when you put 335 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 2: yourself at the center of every story, you're gonna be 336 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 2: stressed out. There's not enough peptobysmal in the world for 337 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 2: you to keep your stomach calm if you put yourself 338 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 2: at the center of every story. And this is for 339 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 2: all of us who are easily offended. 340 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: All right, did you see how they looked at me. 341 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 2: They don't like me, They like you, fine, they're sleepy, 342 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 2: they don't like their husband. It's not you. Oh, look 343 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 2: at somebody and set them for you say, it's not you. 344 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 2: It's not you. They weren't mad at Peter. They were 345 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: stuck in a structure and a system and a way 346 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 2: of thought. When I make myself the center of the story, 347 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 2: I take on unnecessary stress. Sometimes when I'm preaching, I 348 00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 2: think I'm not doing good if everybody's not. 349 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: You know, saying amen or something like that. But what 350 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 1: if you were up. 351 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,120 Speaker 2: Till three thirty in the morning and you didn't get 352 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 2: your sleep. I'm gonna take that as a reflection of 353 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 2: my preaching. 354 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 1: I don't think so. 355 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 2: The devil is a liar. This is good preaching, no 356 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 2: matter whether you're not at it or not. And you know, 357 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 2: what I need to get better about that in my 358 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: life because I really struggle thinking that every story starts 359 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 2: with me. 360 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: How they treated me. 361 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 2: And so I say, like, you know that God has 362 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 2: a reason for everything. And what I mean by that is, okay, 363 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 2: this is my dirty little secret. What I mean is 364 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 2: God has a reason for this that I am going 365 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 2: to like agree with and understand. And that's just not 366 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 2: the way it is. How many know, that's just not 367 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 2: the way it is. A self centered story in parenting 368 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 2: when I make it about myself. Remember these are circumcised believers. 369 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 2: That is an external sign of a covenant. It's something 370 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 2: that you can see. You wouldn't necessarily always see it, 371 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 2: but you could see it. I'm gonna leave that right 372 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 2: there in case your kid didn't go to the kid's 373 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 2: ministry today and you can do that Bible study home. 374 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 2: But you couldn't necessarily see it, but you could see it. 375 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 2: And here's the temptation when we try to go off 376 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 2: of what we can see and tell ourselves a story, 377 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 2: and then we start filling in the space. Remember Peter 378 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 2: is seventy miles away from Jerusalem, and they start telling 379 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:32,719 Speaker 2: the story. Space creates stories. Physical space creates stories. Sometimes 380 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 2: you don't need to text certain things. You need to 381 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 2: pick up the phone and call. Sometimes text doesn't get 382 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:43,360 Speaker 2: the tone across, and you're gonna spend six months fixing 383 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 2: a relational mess because you use your thumbs rather than 384 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 2: your feet to walk over and have a real conversation. 385 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 2: And so when you have space, you create a story. 386 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 2: Even the space of time creates stories. You know, a 387 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 2: lot of time goes by and you're like, you start, 388 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 2: you start remembering things differently, don't you. Yeah, it's hard 389 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 2: for me right now raising kids to remember what it's 390 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 2: like to be a kid. So if one of my 391 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,000 Speaker 2: kids acts up, my immediate thing is to make it 392 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 2: about me. 393 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: They are disrespecting me. I am the man of God. 394 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 2: And uh, one day, the Lord, the Lord really this 395 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 2: was this was like have you ever had one of 396 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 2: those god bombs just go off inside of you where 397 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 2: you just knew that what you were thinking was wrong. 398 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 2: I was. I was thinking about one of my kids. 399 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 2: They are so selfish. They were making certain certain decisions. 400 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 2: I thought, this is so selfish. The Lord said, They're 401 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 2: not selfish, they're scared. Think about what it's like when 402 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 2: you start getting flow with all of those hormones. Think 403 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 2: about what it's like when the rules change on you 404 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 2: all of a sudden. And y'all don't have big kids yet, 405 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 2: but you will remember. You will remember certain times in 406 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 2: your life where you were acting selfish. The reason you 407 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 2: were acting selfish is because. 408 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: You were scared. 409 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 2: And when you get scared, you start acting selfish because 410 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 2: you are in protection mode. So what am I doing? 411 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 2: I'm going from God. They're so selfish, and God is 412 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 2: showing me that the whole story. See, there's a whole 413 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 2: in your story. There's a whole story. And then there's 414 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 2: a whole in your story. And sometimes we tell ourselves 415 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 2: stories about others without realizing that they are going through 416 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 2: things too. Y'all don't want to say amen to this, 417 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 2: because it means we have to have compassion on people, 418 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 2: kind of like God has compassion on us. Like we 419 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 2: want God to forgive us, like we want God to 420 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 2: excuse our gaps. We're gonna have to sometimes say, God, 421 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 2: help me to stop making it about me. God forgive 422 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 2: me for making this about me. I feel the Holy 423 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 2: ghost and fire in my bones right now. It's bigger 424 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 2: than you. It's bigger than you. How could Peter have 425 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 2: known that what he was being criticized for in this 426 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 2: moment would lead to the Gospel penetrating the Roman Empire. 427 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 2: You have no idea what God is doing through this conflict, 428 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 2: this season in your life. There is a bigger story 429 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 2: being told, and there is a hole in your story. 430 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 3: There's a hole in your story. Dear Holly, Dear Holly, 431 00:25:58,080 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 3: there's a hole. 432 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 2: In did you know there's a whole not in your bucket. 433 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: There's a hole in your story. There's a hole in 434 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:07,479 Speaker 1: your story. 435 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 2: And we can't stand not to know how things are 436 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,679 Speaker 2: going to turn out. So what we do We make 437 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 2: up a story. I mean, we make up look sit out. 438 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 2: I gotta tell you about selective stories. Selective stories. This 439 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 2: is when you don't know what's going to happen next 440 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 2: in your life. Like think about the uncertainty that the 441 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 2: early Church was facing under great persecution and yet great 442 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,920 Speaker 2: purpose at the same time of great persecution, and they're 443 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:43,640 Speaker 2: both happening simultaneously. But what story are you going to choose? 444 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 2: Selective stories? You are always choosing your story, and some 445 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 2: of us, for some God forsaken reason, keep choosing horror stories. 446 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 2: We fill in the unknown parts of our future. Sure 447 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 2: you know what, some of us could give Stephen King 448 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 2: a run for his money if we put down the 449 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 2: paper the scary stories we write about what might happen 450 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 2: in our lives. I mean, if Stephen King has nothing 451 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 2: on you, you create boogeymen. You create scenarios out of the 452 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 2: small Have you noticed how the smallest thing can put 453 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 2: a story? Have you you know if your new parent 454 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:31,959 Speaker 2: raise your hand, they're not sleeping through the night. How 455 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 2: many you got a baby that's not sleeping through the 456 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 2: night right now? And how many times have you thought, 457 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 2: what if this is a sign of. 458 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: Things to come? 459 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 2: And now you got them in rehab, and now you 460 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 2: got them on drunk, strung out on, there's got a 461 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 2: needle in their arm, and they're just collicky flat tire. 462 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: Oh god, it's just gonna be one of those days. 463 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: That's a story. It's just gonna be one of those days. 464 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 2: Flat tire. Now, the same person might have got a 465 00:27:58,200 --> 00:27:59,959 Speaker 2: flat tire and said, well, God must have been keep 466 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 2: me from a wreck that was gonna happen two miles 467 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:07,640 Speaker 2: up the street. That's just a story. 468 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: You ready for this. 469 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 2: You don't get to choose every situation, but You get 470 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 2: to choose the story. Oh, the power of God is 471 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 2: in that truth. You choose the story that you tell yourself, 472 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 2: So if something's hard, you can be like, oh, man, 473 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 2: this is hard. 474 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: I thought God told me to do it. But I 475 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: guess the Lord isn't in this. 476 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 2: This is hard. It must not be God. What if 477 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 2: Jesus would have thought about the cross that way? Oh 478 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 2: this is hard. This must not be the will of God. 479 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 2: I must not have heard God on this one. But 480 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 2: this is hard. This is That's a story. Here's another story. 481 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 2: This is so hard. It must be God. 482 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 4: That must be the devil must have got a memo 483 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 4: that I'm on to something good. 484 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 2: I'm on the educator. That's what these giants are here 485 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 2: to signify. It is dangerous when when you select a 486 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 2: certain story, nobody cares about me. 487 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: Give me your phone. 488 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 2: I will show you people who care about you, who 489 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 2: checked on you this week. But you let that devil 490 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 2: in your editing room and gave him your typewriter. 491 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: I'm an old school preacher. 492 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 2: You gave him the seat in the chair to edit 493 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 2: your story. You get to choose your story. 494 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: I didn't always believe this. 495 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 2: I thought, well, you know, well, certain people, they have 496 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 2: certain stories. No, No, those are situations. Life will give 497 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 2: you a lot of suffering. You don't get to choose it. 498 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 2: But if you're gonna have to suffer enough because of 499 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 2: the situations that life brings, why would you choose to 500 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 2: suffer with a story. I don't know who this is for. 501 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 2: It is probably not somebody in this room. You've suffered enough. 502 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 2: You've suffered enough. What you're going through is hard enough. 503 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 2: What you're dealing with this heavy enough without telling yourself 504 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 2: a story about it that reinforces the thought that God 505 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 2: is not with you. I'm still in Acts eleven. Peter 506 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 2: told them the whole story. He saw what God did. 507 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 2: They heard it. He saw it. They heard it. He 508 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 2: saw it, they heard it. He showed up and said, 509 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 2: I heard what you've been saying about me. But there's 510 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 2: a hole in your story. You're telling me what you heard. 511 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 2: Let me tell you what I saw. 512 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: I saw the vision of the whole earth. 513 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 2: Being reached by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I saw it, 514 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 2: I experienced it. I know that God is for me. 515 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 2: How do you know, well? I was there. I was 516 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 2: there when He picked me up. I was there when 517 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 2: nobody else could give me the comfort in the bamb 518 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 2: in the medicine. But God helped me through that night. 519 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 2: I was there, when I was in the middle of 520 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 2: an emotional storm that I saw no way through. But 521 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 2: look at me on the other side, dancing on the shore. 522 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 2: I was there. You can't tell me God's not real. 523 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 2: You can't tell me he didn't choose me. You can't 524 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 2: tell me grace doesn't work. You can't tell me it's over. 525 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 2: You can't tell me the best is behind me. You 526 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 2: can't make me tell him. I know too much. 527 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 4: I saw it. 528 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 2: You tell me what you heard. I'll tell you what 529 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 2: I saw. I feel the spherit of the Lord. You 530 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 2: choose the story. Now. If this is the most difficult 531 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 2: season of your life, right now, you. 532 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: Still get to choose the story. Did you clap because 533 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:03,960 Speaker 1: you're going through hell? 534 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 2: You get to choose what you tell yourself the story 535 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 2: of this season. Okay, because watch this. One person says, 536 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 2: I'm going through the valley of the shadow of death. 537 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 2: Somebody else says, there's a table for me in the 538 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 2: presence of my enemies. It's the same situation, but it's 539 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 2: a different story. Y'all forgot how to shout while I 540 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 2: was gone last week, shout if you know that the. 541 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 4: Devil might take your money, he might. 542 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 2: Rob you up a few years. 543 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 4: But you can't have my story, my joy, my annoyed sing, 544 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 4: my authority, get under my feet, snake. 545 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 2: Now one of my best friends is going through the 546 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 2: most horrible season of their life right now, and he 547 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 2: and his wife lost everything last year, lost everything. I 548 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 2: don't mean that like we say it. You know, your 549 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 2: video game progress got lost. I'm not talking about that. 550 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 2: I'm talking about stripped. I'm talking about it. I felt 551 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 2: like I was watching the Book of Job. I thought 552 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:24,040 Speaker 2: they would lose their faith. I really did. And what 553 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 2: would make me mad. Every time I would call to 554 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 2: encourage them, they would start encouraging me. 555 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:31,719 Speaker 1: And I was like, stop it. 556 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 2: This is your encouraging phone call. You ever been trying 557 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 2: to unlock the door and somebody else is unlocking it 558 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 2: at the same time. Stop it, stop it, stop it, 559 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 2: stop it, stop it. 560 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: And so she said something the wife. 561 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 2: They lost their their ministry had to move to the 562 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 2: other side of the country, and much of it was 563 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 2: his decision, it wasn't her decision. And then at the 564 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 2: consequence of his decision and she ends up having to 565 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 2: leave everything that she's known, the town they grew up in, 566 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 2: the ministry, all of it left, it gone, gone other 567 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 2: side of the country. 568 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: Then she gets diagnosed with cancer. So I'm like, if 569 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:15,879 Speaker 1: for real right now? 570 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:21,839 Speaker 2: Her all right? So I saw her after all her 571 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 2: hair was gone from chemo, and after she was, you know, 572 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 2: thirty three percent smaller than she was when I saw 573 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 2: all the all of the stuff was in full effect. 574 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: She started talking about thank God for the insurance. 575 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 2: No, I don't want you to clap yet, because think 576 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 2: about this, she said, even though we lost everything, if 577 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 2: we hadn't moved across the country, we wouldn't have gotten 578 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 2: put on different insurance, and our old insurance wouldn't have 579 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 2: covered this. 580 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: Hold on, don't clap yet. 581 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 2: So I'm thinking I've got an attitude about it, like, well, 582 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 2: if God can get you to the other side of 583 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 2: the country for better insurance, he should stopped the camp, sir. 584 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: That's how I think I know. 585 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 2: Y'ealler halo's just glowing right now. Y'all trust the Lord 586 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 2: with all your heart, leaning on your own understanding. 587 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 1: Sometimes I lean on my own understanding, and I'm. 588 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 2: Like, this is ridiculous, I said, And I didn't say 589 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 2: it out loud, but I'm sitting over there thinking that, 590 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 2: thinking like, well, did God really have to make you 591 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,280 Speaker 2: lose everything? Gets you across the country, give you insurance. 592 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:30,760 Speaker 2: If he's a healer, I'm thinking that. I called him yesterday. 593 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,359 Speaker 2: I was like, I keep thinking about this insurance thing 594 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 2: y'all keep saying is bugging me. It doesn't make any logical, 595 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 2: tactical sense. The great I am, who can park the 596 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 2: Red Sea, can't stop you from getting cancer. He just 597 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:47,040 Speaker 2: get you on a better insurance policy. I said, I 598 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 2: don't get it. She said, that's not your story. Y'all 599 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 2: better help me shout and we're never gonna get to 600 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 2: the eleven thirty. I want you to look at that 601 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 2: devil and say your story, she said, if I believed, 602 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 2: if I believed that this was the end for me, 603 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 2: I wouldn't survive. But if I believe that I will 604 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 2: see the goodness of the Lord in the land of 605 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:18,720 Speaker 2: the living. 606 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 4: She said, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 607 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,560 Speaker 4: Let the devil know, come hammer, hot water. 608 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:43,760 Speaker 2: I get to choose the story that I tell. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 609 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 2: I feel empowerment in this word. I get to choose 610 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 2: the story that I tell. I get to choose. Be 611 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 2: careful about selective stories. Be careful about self centered stories, 612 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:04,840 Speaker 2: be care full about secondhand stories, and be careful about 613 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 2: short stories. Just sitting down like you want me to 614 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 2: finish now, be careful of short stories. This point is 615 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 2: not for Holly. She has never in her life. I 616 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:29,359 Speaker 2: might have to pay for this when we get home, 617 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:31,880 Speaker 2: but it's gonna be worth it to get the point across. 618 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 2: My wife. When she was growing up, her dad used 619 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 2: to say when because there were three women in the house, well, 620 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,319 Speaker 2: three daughters and a wife, so he was just it 621 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 2: was him versus the estrogen, and the estrogen was just 622 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 2: so powerful, and so when they would start telling a story, 623 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,000 Speaker 2: he go, he go, how long. 624 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 1: Is this story going to be? I just need to 625 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:01,799 Speaker 1: know should I should I? Should I get comfortable in 626 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:02,239 Speaker 1: my chair? 627 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:04,320 Speaker 2: Should I? Should I fluff my pillow? 628 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: Should I get an MRI? How long are we going. 629 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:11,200 Speaker 2: To be here in the story. I thought that was 630 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:15,359 Speaker 2: so rude that he would say that, But I'm kind 631 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,600 Speaker 2: of like, now I know what he was saying, because 632 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 2: it's not I don't want to hear it. I just 633 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,399 Speaker 2: want to pace myself with my attentions. Then make sure 634 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 2: I make take some notes and you know, so I 635 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 2: can refer back to point number three A and and 636 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 2: ask you know. But it's always so eloquent, as you know. 637 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 1: I don't mind. 638 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:44,840 Speaker 2: Anyway. Anyway. She says something all the time to people 639 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:49,279 Speaker 2: that I've never said to anyone. She'll say, somebody be 640 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,600 Speaker 2: telling a story. This happened last week. True story. Okay, 641 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 2: because I said this last night, she knows what I'm 642 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,480 Speaker 2: gonna saying. She said last week to somebody, they were 643 00:38:57,520 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 2: starting to tell a story. I'm yawning. 644 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: I look interested, but I gotta enter yon. 645 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 2: I'm huh. 646 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 1: I'm thinking the more I know, the faster they'll do this. 647 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 1: And she goes, she goes, oh, this. 648 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:21,160 Speaker 2: Is a great story. Please tell me everything and don't 649 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 2: leave out any details. Shop And when it said Peter 650 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:40,399 Speaker 2: told the whole story, I thought about Hollywood. I thought 651 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 2: about the whole story, all the details. And sometimes you 652 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 2: let doubt cut you off in the middle of a sentence. 653 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 2: That God is speaking in your life. 654 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:56,520 Speaker 1: So be careful about the short story. 655 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,879 Speaker 2: Be careful when people try to summarize your life into 656 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 2: it neat little category. Be careful when you tell yourself 657 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 2: a story like that's all there is. That's not all 658 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 2: there is. There's more to the story. There's a hole 659 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,919 Speaker 2: in your story right now, and I wonder what you're 660 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 2: going to fill it with. When Peter went down to 661 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,600 Speaker 2: preach to Cornelius, he went down to tell him the 662 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:24,400 Speaker 2: good news about Jesus Christ. When he recounted it to 663 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:28,399 Speaker 2: the circumcised believers in Jerusalem, he left one part out. 664 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 2: Let me show you what he left out of his story. 665 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 2: He left out the sermon that he preached while he 666 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,719 Speaker 2: was there. I want to show you just one thing 667 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,440 Speaker 2: before I sit down and put this mic up and 668 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 2: send you home happy. I want to show you why 669 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,359 Speaker 2: some of you are stuck in a part of your 670 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 2: story that was never intended to be the end. Because 671 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:50,760 Speaker 2: when Peter got up to preach to Cornelius in Acts, 672 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 2: chapter ten, verse thirty nine, he said something about Jesus 673 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,960 Speaker 2: that we are all witnesses. I saw it. I know 674 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,839 Speaker 2: what you heard. I saw it. I was there. I 675 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 2: saw him save me. I saw him pay the price 676 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,279 Speaker 2: for my sins. I saw him shed his blood. I 677 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,000 Speaker 2: saw him with the lashes on his black back. I 678 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,400 Speaker 2: saw him as a sheep before the sheer, and he 679 00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 2: didn't say a word. I saw it for myself, and 680 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:18,279 Speaker 2: we are witnesses of everything that he did. In the 681 00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 2: country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, they killed him. 682 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:24,280 Speaker 2: They hung him on a cross. 683 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:29,720 Speaker 1: Comma. They hung him on a cross. Comma. 684 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:33,719 Speaker 2: They hung him on a cross Comma. The word of 685 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:37,240 Speaker 2: the Lord for you today, my brother, my sister, don't 686 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 2: stop at the comma. Don't stop at the comma, because 687 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 2: the next verse says, but God, I love those two 688 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 2: words like I love the breath in my lungs. But God, 689 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:57,439 Speaker 2: we were trespassers. We had broken his law. We did 690 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:01,719 Speaker 2: not deserve mercy. Somebody shall but God. Seeing if you 691 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:04,320 Speaker 2: stop at the comma, you never get to see the button. 692 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,800 Speaker 2: God was raising him from the dead by the time 693 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:12,400 Speaker 2: the story started to spread. Resurrection is possible when you 694 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 2: realize he didn't stay on the cross. When they nailed 695 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,360 Speaker 2: him on the tree, they put a nail in his hands. 696 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 2: But early one Sunday he shaw Thomas something. Put your 697 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 2: finger where the nails were. There's a hole in your story. 698 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 2: This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. There's a hole 699 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,720 Speaker 2: in your story. Follow me down to the garden tomb 700 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 2: where they laid his body in a cave. His body 701 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 2: is not there. He is risen. 702 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:51,880 Speaker 5: There's a hole in your story, and the best is 703 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,880 Speaker 5: yet to come. And he who began a good work 704 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 5: in you will be faithful to complete it. 705 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 4: You'll believe it. 706 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,879 Speaker 2: Give the US South right now, Give the US South. 707 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:09,560 Speaker 2: Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 708 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 2: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 709 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 2: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 710 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 2: link in the description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch 711 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:22,719 Speaker 2: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 712 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:26,040 Speaker 2: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 713 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,359 Speaker 2: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 714 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:30,759 Speaker 2: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 715 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 2: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 716 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 2: bless you.