1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Well, the Word is coming your way in just a moment. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: But I want to let you know that this is 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,319 Speaker 1: the year of God's favor. I haven't heard many people 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: call twenty twenty the year of God's favor, but Jesus 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: said in Luke four nineteen that he came to proclaim 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: the year of the Lord's favor. And in so many 7 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: ways this year I've seen God be faithful to this 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: ministry like never before. Every year we end our year 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: by giving to God, giving to expand the Gospel through 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: the work of the local church. Well, this year, God 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: has made us a global ministry in ways that we 12 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: could have never imagined. And now you have the opportunity 13 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: to sow into the good ground of this ministry through 14 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: our twenty twenty year end offering. I'm calling it our 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: favor Offering Favor twenty twenty. You can go to Elevation 16 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: Church dot org and find out more about that and 17 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: give or set up your giving your tithing online. I 18 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: want to encourage you. The Kingdom of God does not 19 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: advance when people consume the Gospel. It advances when people 20 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,959 Speaker 1: can tribute. If God God has been good to you, 21 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: if God has made a way for you. I want 22 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: to encourage you between now and December thirteenth to make 23 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: your best gift or your recurring gift into this ministry 24 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: so we can continue to take the gospel and the 25 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: favor of God forward together. Yeah, by God's grace, we've 26 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: grown more this year than ever before, and we are 27 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: going to continue to reach people. And we're able to 28 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: do that because of generous people like you. Like you, 29 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: it's on you, it's on me. Our mission is to 30 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: see what God can do through us, see what God 31 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: can do through you. That's the vision statement. This is 32 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: the opportunity Favor twenty twenty. Let's see what God has 33 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: in front of us. Come on, let's all stand wherever 34 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: you are. I want us to pray. In just a moment, 35 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: we're going to go into the word of God. But 36 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: how many No God has already spoken. If you know, 37 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: He has the final word in your life, and that 38 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: word is favor. Father, declare that you are good God. 39 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: What you started, you will finish what you spoke, You 40 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: will bring it to pass. We declare it over every family, 41 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: every life, every business, every community, every nation. We thank 42 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: you Lord that your word never returns void but accomplishes 43 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: the purpose for what you sent it. And we stand 44 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: in that purpose today, remembering the bigger picture and remembering 45 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: that we have a part Lord. I thank you for 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: everybody today who will be giving, who has given, those 47 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: who want to give but can't. Right now, we all 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: join our faith together, moving forward in the face of 49 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: tremendous uncertainty, confident of your favor. Everybody, say it with 50 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: your own mouth, say favor. May the favor of the 51 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: Lord be upon you a thousand generations in your family, 52 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: your children, their children, and their children. May His presence 53 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: go before you, behind you, beside you, all around you. 54 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: I see the angel armies of God lining up to 55 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: fight for the people of God right now. And I 56 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: thank you for the Holy Spirit within us. In our 57 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: coming and our going moments of sadness, weeping and mourning, 58 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: and in our rejoicing. You've been there this year, You'll 59 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: be there tomorrow. We give you glory, and we thank 60 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: you that if you are for us, you're greater than 61 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: anything against us. And the gates of hell will not prevail, 62 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: cannot prevail. No weapon formed against your people will prosper. 63 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: We stand as a testimony and we give you praise. 64 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: Come on, clap your hands. Somebody put in the chat 65 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: I got name. Come on, let's look up the loudest 66 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: praise we can till the neighbors can hear it, till 67 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: the devil get here. All right, So we're praying for you, 68 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: everybody who's giving online Elevation church dot org slash favor, 69 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: and we're excited to see how God uses your generosity 70 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: He already has. Thank you for being faithful. You're the 71 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: best church in the world. I don't even care if 72 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: that's bragging to say, Lord, forgive me for bragging. Thank 73 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: you for letting me pastor the best church in the world. 74 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: That's how I feel about it. Praise alone. So we're 75 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: believing for you. One scripture for today that God drew 76 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: my attention to and stand for the word. If you're 77 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: not standing right now, then your transmission is going to 78 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: be blown and you go to start your car, all right, 79 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: all right, micaeh five Verse two. But you, Bethlehem Ephra, 80 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: though you are small among the clans of Judo, out 81 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: of you will come for me one who will be 82 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old from ancient times. 83 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: But you, Bethlehem, but you Bethlehem. The title of this 84 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,919 Speaker 1: message is but God said, let's pray thank you for 85 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: what you've spoken. Lord, We agree with it. And all 86 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: your people said together, and all your people said together, Amen, 87 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: you may be seated, but you Bethlehem. But God said, 88 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: So it's kind of a Christmas sermon that I'm preaching today, 89 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,720 Speaker 1: but you know, probably would be good if you if 90 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: you're watching it another time of the year. I don't 91 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: think it's limited to the Christmas season. So, but what 92 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: drew me to the text was the idea that the 93 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: prophet who lived eight centuries before Christ prophesied about him 94 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: in this text. In a time and I want to 95 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: point this out of spiritual declension and compromise, Micah prophesied 96 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:34,799 Speaker 1: a message across the span of three kings about justice 97 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 1: and mercy and humility, and it was amazing what he said. 98 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: What he said was amazing. Who he said it to 99 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: the rebellious nation, especially the Northern Kingdom. They were such 100 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: a mess. And so Micah came preaching to that and 101 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: he spoke about a future promise. And this is one 102 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: of the things that keeps me rooted in God. I 103 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: just saw your shirt, your rooted shirt Shantana. So one 104 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: of the things that can be rooted in God and 105 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: every season of my life is to know that Christ 106 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: was born to take away our sin. But he was 107 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: born in the least likely place. But you, Bethlehem, though 108 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: you are small among the clans of Judah, out of 109 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: you will come from me. I mean in what the 110 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: Christmas story is all about anyway, about God bringing the 111 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: greatest gift out of an impossible situation. So if ever 112 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: we needed the Christmas Story, we need it right now. 113 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: If ever we needed to believe that where you start 114 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: doesn't have to be where you finish, we need it 115 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: this year. If ever we needed a message that helped 116 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: us to believe that what you see is no match 117 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: for what God has spoken, we need it right now. 118 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: So I went to get a sonogram the other day 119 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: for a baby, but for my heart. My forty year 120 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: old check up. Chunks made me go for some insurance 121 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: thing or something, I don't know what, but they were 122 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: showing me all the places that I might be blocked. 123 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: I was thinking, man, this is great, because they did it. 124 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: The last time I went in for a sonogram was 125 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: like ten years ago. To see Abbey and to watch 126 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: her moving around and all of that was cool. But 127 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: I thought, man, they're using this to see about my 128 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: cholesterol and they're checking my arteries, and I thought, this 129 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: would be great. If I had one of these for 130 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: your soul as a preacher, if I could hook up 131 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: some gel, put some gel and some pads. I mean, 132 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: you know, I have to get license and all that. 133 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: I'm not just gonna run around and start doing it. 134 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: But if they made a machine for that where I 135 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: could see the different things. Because the man was saying 136 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: the cardiologists were saying, you look healthy and this, and that. 137 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: He was complimenting that I looked like I worked out. 138 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: I felt great here in that. But then he said, 139 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: we got to check beneath the surface now, see what's 140 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: going on. I thought, I need that. When I preach. 141 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: I need one of these machines to see, you know, 142 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: what pissed you off this week that's keeping you from 143 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: hearing me while I'm preaching. I need one of these 144 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: machines so I can see whether you're still hung up 145 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: on the fact that I said pissed off in the 146 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: pulpit that you can't hear the next thing. I say, 147 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: I need a machine to see where's the block? And 148 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: I thought that would be so helpful if I could 149 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: get one of these machines. Also if I could use 150 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: it to see what God has put inside of you 151 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: that is growing that you don't know about yet. So 152 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: I thought, what we would have for the Christmas story 153 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: is a spiritual sonogram, so we can see what little 154 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: baby thing is growing inside of you, what little small 155 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 1: thing God is doing inside of you right now, and 156 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: so we can see what's blocking it at the same time. 157 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 1: In order to do this, we need to go to 158 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: Luke chapter one for a moment, because us eighth centuries 159 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: after Micah spoke this. What a great thing to remember 160 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: that God does not see our lives from where we are. 161 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: It's said that he spoke these things from old. So 162 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: as we talk about finish with favor, did you'll hear 163 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: the message last week? Finished with favor sounds so sexy, right, 164 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: But unless you understand that your life started in the 165 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: mind of God, you will not have the confidence to 166 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: know that it is going to finish with the favor 167 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: of God. So Micah takes us all the way back 168 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: eight centuries before Christ. He prophesies, Now, Mary, this is 169 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: the Christmas scripture that you're more familiar with, at least 170 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: the one I'm more familiar with. Where the angel came 171 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: to her. Do you remember this? And he does that 172 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: he has that sonogram mismine machine to see Jesus inside 173 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: of her. She's caught off guard. Look in verse twenty eight, 174 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: the angel went to her lukewan and said, greetings, you 175 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Now. 176 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: Mary was greatly troubled at his words. So let me 177 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: talk for a moment about what favor feels like, what 178 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: favor really feels like. Let me give you a few 179 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: words inconvenience interruption. And in Mary's case, I think I 180 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: see a trace of insecurity because when the angel called 181 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: her highly favored, it didn't really match what she felt 182 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: and maybe gets left out a lot of the Christmas 183 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: story right because it says she wondered what kind of 184 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: greeting this might be. But the Angel said to her, 185 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 186 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: Now look at that fear and favor in the same 187 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: sentence from the mouth of the same angel. The relationship 188 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: between fear and favor cannot be overstated because to really 189 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: follow the favor of God in your life, and to 190 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: step out of what's familiar in your thoughts, your pursuits, 191 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: your objectives, your goals, to really be a part of 192 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: the bigger picture of what God is doing and not 193 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: be so seized and sabotaged by what has been and 194 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: what the world says is to really is what I'm 195 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: trying to say. To really know that favor showed up, 196 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: you have to look around and see if fear is 197 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: there too, because until you feel fear, you really haven't 198 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: found favor. The Angel said, I want you to choose 199 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: favor over fear. That felt chatworthy. Put it in a 200 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: chat Favor over fear. Say it out loud, Favor over fear. 201 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: That's the choice. That's the choice. That's the choice. That's 202 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: the choice. Us a choice because he said in verse 203 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: thirty one, the Angel said, you will concede and give 204 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 1: birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 205 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: You are to give him the name Jesus. He will 206 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: be great and will be called the son of the 207 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne 208 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 1: of his father David, and he will reign over Thank you. Lord. 209 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: Jacob's descendant y'all about to find out why I'm lasting. 210 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 1: Right in the middle of my sermon, go to Genesis 211 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: thirty five. He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever. Now, 212 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: if you can get any staff members of a backdoor 213 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: link to the sermon Balded Elevation Church. There was a 214 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: series we did on Jacob years ago, but it's not 215 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: currently available for public consumption because there's statute of limitations 216 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: on everything I say from this pulpit. But some of 217 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,719 Speaker 1: that Jacob's stuff, it was so good when we were 218 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: preaching it that it never really left me. One of 219 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: the things I will never forget, I was telling my 220 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: friend just this past Friday, is when I first saw 221 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: in Genesis thirty five, verse sixteen. Remember when they speak 222 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: of God, they would call him the God of Abraham, Isaac, 223 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: and Jacob. And remember that what people called Jacob wasn't 224 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: necessarily what God called Jacob, because there's the name his 225 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: parents gave him, Jacob trickster heel grabber is the literal translation, 226 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 1: because he was literally trying to beat his brother out 227 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: the wound, but it didn't work, but he was so 228 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: sneaky about it. He cooked him a bowl of beans 229 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: and got them trade to birthright for the boll of 230 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: beans and all this stuff that you do when you 231 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: don't really know that you have your own favor from God. 232 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: And I think part of the reason that he was 233 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: so I guess you could say twisted in his motivations 234 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: was that his brother Esau, was his father's favorite. His 235 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: father got along better with Esau, and it created a 236 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: lot of complications for him. And we can't go into 237 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: all of it because it involves so many different things, 238 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: not just the stealing of a birthright, but actually the 239 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: marrying of his uncle's daughter. His uncle Laban had had 240 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: two daughters. One was called Rachel, who was pretty. The 241 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: other was called Leah, who had a good personality. I'm 242 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: gonna let you do all the translation of what I 243 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: just said and didn't say. And Leah wasn't the one 244 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: Jacob loved, but he's the one that Jacob labored for. 245 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 1: And so Jacob labored for Leah. This was always a 246 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: cool thing to me about this passage. He labored to 247 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: get to get Rachel in marriage, and his uncle Laban 248 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: slipped Leah, the older sister in and Jacob. The Bible 249 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: says something so funny it said that when he woke 250 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: up the next morning after his wedding night, there was Leah. 251 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: And I always thought about that. How when have you 252 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: ever have you ever gone to bed with Rachel and 253 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: woke up with Leah. I don't mean physically, I'm not 254 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: asking that much of your business. We do not know 255 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: each other like that, so you can keep that for 256 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: your therapist. But I mean, like you work for something, 257 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: and work for something, and work for something. He worked 258 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: seven years for Rachel and woke up and it was 259 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: Leah and some of the things that we chase after 260 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: and we strive after, and we go after and we 261 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: set our hearts on and whoops, it's Leah. And now 262 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: it is too late because you got Leah. You got Leah. 263 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 1: And then he worked seven more years and he gets Rachel. 264 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: But there was a contrast because he actually now listen 265 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: to this, this is so cool. He worked seven years 266 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: and he got Leah. Then Laban gave him Rachel and 267 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: he worked seven more It's the difference between working for 268 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: versus working from the law gets you to work for, 269 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: Grace gets you to work from. So we don't just 270 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: finish with favor like we're fighting for it. We start 271 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: with favor, like we're fighting from it, and so many 272 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: things happen in his life that he eventually ends up 273 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: not only Marion, Leah and Rachel, and Rachel's his favorite wife, 274 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: but Leah's the one who can have kids. And there's 275 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: something about loving Leah too. That God saw that she 276 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: was unloved and he opened her womb, and she was 277 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 1: more productive than her sister, who was beautiful on the outside, 278 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: but baron on the inside. There's something about the favor 279 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: of God. Rachel couldn't have a baby until finally, one 280 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 1: day series of events, she gave birth to a son, Joseph, 281 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: and she prayed for one more. And this is what 282 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: the Lord told me to give you. And what triggered 283 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: it for me was seeing that Jesus will reign over 284 00:17:56,080 --> 00:18:00,880 Speaker 1: the throne of Jacob. So go with me to Genesis 285 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 1: thirty five sixteen for a moment, and let's follow Jacob's 286 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 1: caravan he set out. Now he's got many sons. God 287 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: was using all the strife and competition between these two 288 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: wives to birth the nation. Those same children that were 289 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: born out of the frustration of these two women would 290 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: end up becoming the nation of Israel. You know God's 291 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: using everything in your life, don't you. But this incident 292 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 1: is important and is what I wanted to ask you 293 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: about today as we talk about finishing the year with 294 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: God's favor. It says that after building an altar to 295 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: God and Bethel and remembering everything that God did, Jacob 296 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: and his crew moved on from Bethel, the house of God, 297 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: the place where God met with him. And while they 298 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give 299 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: birth and had great difficulty. And as she was having 300 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: great difficulty in childbirth, which I think is a little 301 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: bit redundant, because I watched this happen three times, and 302 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: I think those two. I think every time there's a birthing, 303 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: there's also a breaking. But that's just me as somebody 304 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: who started a church, as somebody who's trying to bear 305 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: fruit in every season of my life. But this is extreme. Now, 306 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: this is not just this is not just a normal difficulty. 307 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 1: This is actually a matter of life and death. And 308 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: in the middle of this, the midwife said to Rachel, 309 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: don't despair, for you have another son. But watch this. 310 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:49,199 Speaker 1: As she breathed her last for she was dying, she 311 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: named her son Ben and I. But his father named 312 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: him Benjamin. Now this is going to require a little 313 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: bit of explanation to to translate ben Oni, which means 314 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: child or son of my trouble. Ben is the park 315 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: that means son Ohnai is the park that means trouble, 316 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 1: or some translators put it sorrow, but either way you 317 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: put it is pain. And as she's breathing her last breath, 318 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: understandably she names the child that she is birthing out 319 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: of the pain that she's experiencing. Her perspective is this 320 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 1: is costing me my life. And in a very poetic record, 321 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: the writer tells us, the writer of Genesis, that as 322 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: she was breathing her last breath, this baby was breathing 323 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: its first breath. And we see here the confluence of 324 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 1: the origin of Benjamin, who would actually represent the kingly 325 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: tribe of Israel. But he wasn't called Benjamin because his 326 00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: mother named him out of her pain been or I, 327 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: but his father named him Benjamin. But his father, who 328 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: just lost the only woman he really ever loved, who 329 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: just lost the thing that he worked fourteen years to obtain, 330 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: that in the middle of his loss, watch this, because 331 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: this is what God is challenging us to do right now, 332 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:37,679 Speaker 1: he decides to label not according to what he's about 333 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: to bury, but about what was birthed out of what 334 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,919 Speaker 1: he buried. Now, many of us, this is not a 335 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: cotton candy Christmas message. Have had to bury a lot 336 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: of things this year, even as a ministry. We had 337 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: to bury every plan that we had for opening new campuses, 338 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: for the waste that we thought we would reach people, 339 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: for every elevation worship tour that we booked in NBA Arenas, 340 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,120 Speaker 1: for everything that we planned this year. There were funerals 341 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: that we had to have and you did too. You 342 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: did too. What inspired me about the text was found 343 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: not in the fact that it was his favorite wife 344 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 1: that he buried, because you know, in that a is 345 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 1: a sermon. In that is a sermon. But what got 346 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: me about it that I never saw when I preached 347 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: it five years ago. You're ready, Christian. It says that 348 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: over her tomb, Jacob set up a pillar, and to 349 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 1: this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb. But back up 350 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: to verse nineteen, because I think this is powerful. So 351 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, 352 00:22:53,520 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: that is Bethlehem. So I read how Rachel, the woman 353 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: that Jacob love, was buried just outside of Bethlehem. And 354 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: then I read how Micah said that out of Bethlehem 355 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: will be born a ruler who will dash the princess 356 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 1: of men into pieces, and whose kingdom will know no end. 357 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 1: And then I read about Mary, who was highly favored, 358 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: who gave birth through a virgin womb, to the world's 359 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: greatest salvation, and it brought to me this question, do 360 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: we know Bethlehem better by what was buried there or 361 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: what was born there? So I want to ask this question. 362 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: I want to ask this question about your Bethlamine. Remember 363 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: we sing o little town of Bethlehem like it's cute. 364 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: Bethlehem was not where Mary's obg yn was located. Did 365 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: you know that they weren't supposed to be in Bethlehem 366 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: when Jesus was born. I know this sounds weird. Jesus 367 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 1: picked a bad time to come into the world. He 368 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: picked the worst time to come into the world. And 369 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: we think everything has to be just right for God 370 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: to do something in our lives, and we think everything 371 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: just has to be just right for God to do it. No, no, no, 372 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: no no, they were only in Bethlehem because Joseph's family 373 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: was from there, and maybe they had some still some 374 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 1: land there. The Bible doesn't say, but they had to 375 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: go back under Caesar Augustus because there was a census 376 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: happening and everybody had to go back to their hometown. 377 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: And while they were on the way, just trying to 378 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 1: get their business done, here comes Jesus. And I found 379 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: out God is a lot like that, just like at 380 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 1: the worst possible moment, he will give you the greatest 381 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: possible opportunity. And it's almost like this year we're being 382 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,120 Speaker 1: presented as a question, are we going to label this 383 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:11,200 Speaker 1: year by what we buried or by what was born? 384 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: Because I promise you I should have done it. I 385 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: messed up, but I should have said at the beginning 386 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: of the sermon, what is Bethlehem? And I guarantee you 387 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:25,920 Speaker 1: none of you would have said the place where Rachel died. 388 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: That's how Jacob would have remembered it, because he buried 389 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: her on the way to Bethlehem, and he renamed his son. Oh. 390 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: By the way, he named his son Benjamin, which doesn't 391 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: mean son of my trouble. It's a play on words, 392 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: because oh, I can either mean trouble or wealth. So 393 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: instead of naming the child after what he lost in 394 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: that moment, he named his son Benjamin. Benjamin does it 395 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: mean son of my trouble or son of my wealth. 396 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 1: It means son of my right hand. The right hand 397 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: is the hand of blessing. The right hand is the 398 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: hand of authority. So the word God gave me for 399 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: you today is don't bury your blessing. What happens to 400 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: us is as we journey along the way, we lose 401 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: a lot of things, and the temptation is for us 402 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: to identify with what we lost, and then we start 403 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: labeling our lives according to those losses. Well, that limits 404 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 1: us to what we can receive. But if you can 405 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,679 Speaker 1: make a decision at this point in the year to 406 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: call his name Jesus. See, Jesus came from Bethlehem. Jesus 407 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,120 Speaker 1: was born in the place where Rachel was buried. Don't 408 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: you see it. That's the same place David came from. 409 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: From Bethlehem, little boy with a little rock who took 410 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 1: down a big giant. That's why Micah said, out of 411 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 1: you Bethlehem will come the salvation of the world. The 412 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: salvation of the world came out of a small, impossible place. 413 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: And that's why I called it the Year of the 414 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: Lord's favor, because God said it was. But God said, 415 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 1: the Father said, she named him ben On. I your 416 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 1: facts are trying to name your your life right now. 417 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: Thank you. Favor over facts, favor over facts. Let me 418 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:03,400 Speaker 1: break this down. Rachel had a baby, she died giving 419 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: birth to him. Mary had a baby, and she never 420 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: even had the experience of sexual intercourse. But God saw 421 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: potential in Mary that was greater than her experience. In 422 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: Luke chapter one, when the Bible says that the angel 423 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,959 Speaker 1: called her highly favored and on a one to ten, 424 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: I want you to know you're a level ten favored 425 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 1: by your Father in heaven. You don't have to clap 426 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: for it. I still believe it about you. I still 427 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: believe it about you. In fact, look at somebody and say, 428 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: I see favor in your future. I see favor in 429 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: your future. I like that kind of stuff. I like 430 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: saying that kind of stuff to people. I see favor 431 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 1: in your future. You remember when you prophesied to that 432 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: girl before we wrote that song in February, and then 433 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: God gave us a song that Yeah, I'm telling you, 434 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: I like to believe things that my eyes can't see 435 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: right now, That's why I need one of those machines 436 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: like that cardiologist, because you're looking at me like, I 437 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: don't feel I don't feel very highly favored. I don't 438 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: feel pregnant. I feel I feel fat, but I don't 439 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: feel pregnant. You know. It's like, let me tell you 440 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: something right now. Out of Bethlehem, King Jacob's greatest pain. 441 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: Out of Bethlehem in God's greatest purpose. So what are 442 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 1: you going to get out of it? This is not 443 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: only a year for us to decide what we're going 444 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: to give to this ministry. Yeah, we're giving an offering 445 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: this weekend. God's going to use that to take the 446 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: gospel all over the world. And it's a privilege to 447 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 1: do it. But what are you going to get out 448 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 1: of it? He said, out of Bethlehem will come for 449 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: me a great king, a great king. And Mary had 450 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: to believe that. And I think this is the tension. 451 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: I think this is why we struggle to believe that. 452 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: I think this is what blocks us from believing that 453 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: the favor of God is on our lives and that 454 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: the purpose of God is working in our lives. Because 455 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: how many struggle to believe that. Sometimes Mary experienced favor 456 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: and fear favor and fear favor over fear. And then 457 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: look at verse thirty four. I didn't read you this verse. 458 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: How will this be? Since I am a virgin? And 459 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: as I read that verse, I realized that we don't 460 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: give birth to Christ in the same way Mary did. 461 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 1: All right, this has only happened once. All right, So 462 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: like if your girl tries to pull this Bible verse 463 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: on you, you probably shouldn't marry her because this is 464 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: just a one time thing. But Christ is being birth 465 00:30:55,720 --> 00:31:01,239 Speaker 1: in all of us, and so is this purpose, and 466 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: so is the fruit of the Spirit. And when Mary said, 467 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: since I am a virgin, I realized that all we 468 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: have to do to really understand the power of choosing 469 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: favor over fear, favor over facts, is to put whatever 470 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: limits us right there where she said a virgin put 471 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: the verse back up. Since I am an addict, since 472 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 1: I am divorced, since I am an orphan, since I 473 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: am you know, little things that we get caught up on, 474 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: like how much money we have in the bank, because 475 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: they call that our net worth, it's not really your worth. 476 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: But since they call it that you start to believe 477 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: that since I am broke, and then you put an 478 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 1: event and make it an identity, since I am a failure. 479 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: That's what happens when you focus too much on what 480 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: you bury to see what is being born. And I 481 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 1: was telling my oldest the other day, I said, isn't 482 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 1: it interesting how she's limited to her experience, but God 483 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: speaks according to her potential. Yeah, if we experience this 484 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: year so much pain, so much fear, so much loss, 485 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,959 Speaker 1: so much uncertainty, so many times where we bumped our 486 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: head right up against the thing that we thought wasn't 487 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: going to happen, and it did happen. We thought it 488 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: was going to happen. When we bump our heads too 489 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: many times, one too many times into disappointment, we begin 490 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: to we begin to call our lives whatever we buried. Oh, Bethlehem, 491 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: that's the place where oh, twenty twenty, y'all, twenty twenty 492 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: got a bad rap, because all we can focus on 493 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: right now is what we buried this year. But we 494 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: don't yet know what is going to be born from 495 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 1: what we've There might be a better job on the 496 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: other side of this for you. You You hear me, There 497 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 1: might be more peace on the other side of this. 498 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: So God shut down some systems and some things to 499 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: get you focused on your father. I love Jacob. Jacob's 500 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: like God changed my name, and I'm gonna change the 501 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: name of this thing that was born in pain, but 502 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: it was born on purpose. Don't bury your blessing. You 503 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: shut it down, and you force it down and you 504 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: got disappointed. So now you just bury that. But the 505 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: problem is you are burying the blessing along with it, said, 506 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: Son of my right hand, I'm naming my I'm naming 507 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: my I'm naming my season according to what God is 508 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: bringing out of it. So I want to say about 509 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, not only did I have to bury a lot, 510 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:08,479 Speaker 1: but I got a lot out of it. I got 511 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,880 Speaker 1: a lot out of it. I learned some things about 512 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,479 Speaker 1: myself that I didn't like. Then I had to confront them. 513 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,439 Speaker 1: And guess what happened when I confront them. God gave 514 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: me grace for them, and he showed me that He 515 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: loves me even through all that, even some of the 516 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 1: stuff that I don't like, that's what he wants to use. 517 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 1: I got a lot out of it. I know that 518 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: sounds funny, to say that, because we did lose a lot, 519 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: and maybe you lost more than me. And I'm not 520 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 1: saying this in some little pretty preacher way princing up 521 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 1: here in the pulpit talking about these little you know, 522 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: these little things that preachers say. But if you have 523 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,800 Speaker 1: faith to know that what is being born is greater 524 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: than what you're burying, then say it right now. I 525 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: got a lot out of it, Hey, twenty twenty. I 526 00:34:56,520 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: appreciate you. You gave me my sight back. You taught 527 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:08,919 Speaker 1: me how to seek the kingdom Lord. Yeah, you taught 528 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,879 Speaker 1: me how to walk by faith. I got a lot 529 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 1: out of it. I got a lot out of it. 530 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:19,400 Speaker 1: Bethlehem isn't the place where I buried Rachel. It's the 531 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:26,360 Speaker 1: place where my Savior was born. And with this bold faith, 532 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: I want us to do what Mary did. And in 533 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: just a moment, our worship team is going to sing 534 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 1: the blessing over you, because I think that's what we 535 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: need to sing as we focus on the favor of 536 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:44,959 Speaker 1: God this year. But my wife's favorite Bible verse comes 537 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:52,279 Speaker 1: from Luke chapter one, and he says that after the 538 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:56,319 Speaker 1: objection rises up in Mary, and she said, how will 539 00:35:56,320 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: this be? Because that's the part we don't know, since 540 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 1: I am a virgin. The Angel answered, the Holy Spirit 541 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 1: will come on you now. I want you to notice 542 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:17,720 Speaker 1: here that Mary asks how, and the Angel answers who. 543 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:26,759 Speaker 1: But God said, it's a blessing. Mary said how, The 544 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 1: Angel said who. If nothing else this year, maybe I'm 545 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:34,839 Speaker 1: not going to get some promotion, or maybe it's been 546 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,839 Speaker 1: the hardest year ever to try to lead people. And yes, 547 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:43,359 Speaker 1: it's been challenging. But I found out who I was 548 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 1: this year. I found out he was enough. I found 549 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: out who I was this year, found out I don't 550 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: preach for crowds. This year, I got a lot out 551 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: of it. I found out a lot of things that 552 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: were just keeping me busy. A lot of the things 553 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:16,240 Speaker 1: that were cluttering up my schedule weren't making me fruitful. 554 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,319 Speaker 1: I got to reorder some things. Oh don't think I'm 555 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: not praying for you. If you lost something significant this year, 556 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 1: we pray for you all the time. That's why I 557 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: come up here and preach, so that you can have 558 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 1: some air to breathe as you try to navigate what 559 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: it's like to live without your Rachel. I don't take 560 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: that for granted, but I know that something greater is 561 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 1: always born in the painful place where something that you 562 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: love was buried. So now I hear Mary saying in 563 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: verse thirty eight, Holly's favorite Bible verse, where she said, 564 00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me 565 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:09,840 Speaker 1: be fulfilled. She said. The first time, I am a virgin. 566 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 1: That's the facts, she said, the second time, I am 567 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: the Lord's servant. That's the favor a church. The facts 568 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:31,200 Speaker 1: are bad, right, the facts are bad, But the favor 569 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 1: is greater. The favor is greater. When I was getting 570 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 1: my offering ready, I went over to one of our 571 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:46,279 Speaker 1: campuses where I used to preach live over there at 572 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: the Blatney Campus. I went over there and I went 573 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,040 Speaker 1: in my old green room, and I remembered how God 574 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: made away for us to get that building. It was 575 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 1: a great memory for me. It's a favor flashback, you know, 576 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 1: for what's out ahead of me, because I've really been 577 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:02,960 Speaker 1: struggling in this season. What is church even going to 578 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 1: look like on the other side of this. And yet 579 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,719 Speaker 1: God keeps making ways and we reach more people than ever, 580 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 1: and I'm grateful for that. But the thing about it 581 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 1: is you're always having a funeral at the same time 582 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 1: that you're receiving favor, Rachel is dying while Benjamin is 583 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:31,719 Speaker 1: being born. And you know, I started thinking about a 584 00:39:31,719 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 1: lot of things. I flashed back so many things through 585 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 1: my life when I was writing my offering check and 586 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,920 Speaker 1: preparing to speak to you today, because I wanted to 587 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:42,640 Speaker 1: tell you to finish with favor, but I don't want 588 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: to tell you that and then not go back to 589 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:48,279 Speaker 1: the beginning and realize how far God has brought us. 590 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:51,720 Speaker 1: And for some reason I ended up in this weird 591 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:56,239 Speaker 1: mental space where in my mind I just closed my 592 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:58,920 Speaker 1: eyes and I was flashing back and God was bringing 593 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,319 Speaker 1: all these different things to my mind, and some of 594 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 1: them were really big moments in my life and all 595 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 1: of that, and then this one little weird thing came 596 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 1: in to this song that I wrote in Shelby, North Carolina, 597 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:21,239 Speaker 1: of all places, that I wrote called I am the 598 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:26,799 Speaker 1: Righteousness of God, made holy by his sacrifice, perfected by 599 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: his blood. I'm a brand new creation, remade by His hand. 600 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:32,920 Speaker 1: And I know who I am now When I tell 601 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:35,520 Speaker 1: you that song was twangy. It was twangy because it 602 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:42,200 Speaker 1: was Shelby. It was twangy. But the flashback I got 603 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:46,480 Speaker 1: was when Molly mccrawl came up to me after I 604 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:48,600 Speaker 1: finished singing it one Sunday, the first Sunday I taught 605 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:50,440 Speaker 1: it to the church. I wrote it, I sang it 606 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 1: same day. And this song was never nominated for a Grammy, 607 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: but I sang it and I was proud of it. 608 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: And the song said I know who I am. Holly 609 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,319 Speaker 1: remembers that. Any remembers it, Chunks remembers that. Eric remembers it. 610 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:05,560 Speaker 1: He said, I know who I am. You know I 611 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: am a child. This is the bridge. I am a 612 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 1: child of my Father most High. I'm a part of 613 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 1: his plan. I will not fall for the enemies lies 614 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 1: because I am who God says I am. Remember it. 615 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:20,800 Speaker 1: He'll be is good. Mulley comes charging the stage after 616 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: I finished the service. I say, the little invitation song, 617 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: you know whatever, and we're singing it, and he comes 618 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: up to the stage and Mully said. Mulley always had 619 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,240 Speaker 1: something to tell me after church, and usually it was positive. 620 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,360 Speaker 1: But he said, I like that new song. But I 621 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 1: got a suggestion. I was like, all right, Molly, let's 622 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:42,320 Speaker 1: let's let's collaborate it. Let's correct what you got. Molly's 623 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:47,640 Speaker 1: not a musician, Molly's a carpenter, but he goes, hey, 624 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 1: Jesus was a carpenter. But Mully goes, when you say 625 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:53,279 Speaker 1: it the last time, you know, you say I know 626 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,440 Speaker 1: who I am? And he says this, He looks at 627 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:00,359 Speaker 1: me so serious. He goes, last time say I know 628 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:04,319 Speaker 1: who's I am? And he walks off, like drops the 629 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:07,360 Speaker 1: mic on me. He just walks off and goes to 630 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,160 Speaker 1: the Chinese buffet. Molly just drops the mic and walks off. 631 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:16,400 Speaker 1: And I'm like, Lord, this is weird. I'm thinking about 632 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:21,160 Speaker 1: Molly and Shelby and Bethlehem and Mary and Mary and 633 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:24,719 Speaker 1: Mully in favor and this weird year we've had. Why 634 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:28,239 Speaker 1: am I thinking about this? And so then I saw 635 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: the verses and I wanted to thank Molly. If you 636 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,720 Speaker 1: ever watched me preach on YouTube, thank you Molly, because 637 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:37,440 Speaker 1: Mary said in verse thirty four, I am a virgin, 638 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:43,360 Speaker 1: and that's who she was according to her experience. But 639 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 1: in verse thirty eight she said, I am the Lord's 640 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: that's whose she was. So we need to remember this 641 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: year that the world can call you binone, and your 642 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:08,239 Speaker 1: emotions can call this year a waste yea. But his 643 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 1: father named him son of my right hand. Now, if 644 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:24,359 Speaker 1: you receive this word, I want you to stand up 645 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:26,279 Speaker 1: on your feet, clap your hands, and give God the 646 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 1: greatest phrase that you gave him since December thirty. First, 647 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:40,799 Speaker 1: let's let's do this, and then they're gonna sing the 648 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 1: blessing and we're gonna we're gonna worship God. But let's 649 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:47,239 Speaker 1: look at let's look at Micah five to two one 650 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:56,319 Speaker 1: more time. But you, Bethlehem, but you small place, but 651 00:43:56,600 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 1: you painful place. But you where Rachel will die. Though 652 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:06,080 Speaker 1: you are small among the clans of Judah, though the 653 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:10,520 Speaker 1: womb is a virgin womb, though Bethlehem is not even 654 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 1: the place you intended to give birth. Out of you 655 00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 1: will call for me, Thank you for your glory, Lord, 656 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:25,360 Speaker 1: And we confess that the sufferings of this present time 657 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,920 Speaker 1: are not even worthy to be compared with the glory 658 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:34,280 Speaker 1: that will be revealed in your people. We are your servants, 659 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:43,360 Speaker 1: your people, your sons, your daughters. May His favor be 660 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,359 Speaker 1: upon you, wherever you are in the world, whatever you're 661 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: going through. Out of Bethlehem, came the Savior of the world. 662 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 1: And I believe God's going to bring some of the 663 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:56,080 Speaker 1: greatest blessings out of the most unexpected places. We believe 664 00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:58,120 Speaker 1: God is working in your life, and I want to 665 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:01,080 Speaker 1: thank all of you who give to this ministry. This is, 666 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 1: as you know, our year end offering for expansion and outreach. 667 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:07,759 Speaker 1: We help a lot of people and this offering is 668 00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 1: one way that we do it as well as to 669 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 1: consist in giving the tithes and offerings of God's people. 670 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:14,800 Speaker 1: You can find all the ways to give it Elevation 671 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,320 Speaker 1: Church dot org slash favor and there you can also 672 00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 1: put your word that you're believing God for in the 673 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:23,480 Speaker 1: coming year. But mostly we just want to be a 674 00:45:23,520 --> 00:45:26,680 Speaker 1: blessing because God has blessed us. And thank you for 675 00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 1: helping us grow this ministry. Every time you share a message, 676 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,480 Speaker 1: every time you give, every time you invest, you need 677 00:45:33,520 --> 00:45:38,040 Speaker 1: to know that this ministry is good ground bearing fruit 678 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 1: all over the world. May His favor be upon you, 679 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:46,240 Speaker 1: May God's presence go before you, and may God's spirit 680 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:49,719 Speaker 1: inside of you be greater than anything that is against you. 681 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:53,359 Speaker 1: We bless you, we love you, and see you so well. 682 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:55,840 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us today for this message. 683 00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:58,280 Speaker 1: We trust that God has spoken to you right where 684 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:01,320 Speaker 1: you are. If you'd like to begin partnering with us financially, 685 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:03,840 Speaker 1: or give to the Year End Favor Offering. I'd invite 686 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 1: you to head over to Elevationchurch dot org slash favor. 687 00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: There you'll see a couple options to be able to 688 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:11,600 Speaker 1: partner with us or give to the year end offering. 689 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: You can see the first option is to begin tithing. 690 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,719 Speaker 1: If you haven't done that, we would certainly encourage you 691 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:19,680 Speaker 1: to start there. Begin by placing God first in the 692 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:22,440 Speaker 1: era of your finances, in trusting what it is that 693 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 1: He's given to you back to Him. Start with tithing. 694 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:28,719 Speaker 1: If you already tithe and are consistent in that, we'd 695 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,000 Speaker 1: encourage you to join us in the Year end offering 696 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:33,799 Speaker 1: going above and beyond to see what God can do 697 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:36,360 Speaker 1: in and through you. You can click on that option, 698 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:38,359 Speaker 1: select the campus that you attend, or if you don't 699 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 1: attend one of our physical locations, select online. As a 700 00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: part of our extended family, our EFAM community, We're excited 701 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:47,040 Speaker 1: to see how God works in and through you as 702 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 1: you open up your life and say God, use me 703 00:46:49,719 --> 00:46:51,880 Speaker 1: right where I am. Thanks for being a part of 704 00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:54,719 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. We're excited to see what God does and 705 00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:56,560 Speaker 1: in through your life right where you are