1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. Look, 6 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: I want to preach about joy today and I want 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: to get there from a story and then share several 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: scriptures with you can't tell your story. I just got 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: a new car last year. I drove a Nissan Maxima 10 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: for ten years before I bought this new car. I 11 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: loved my Nissan Maxima. My car before this Nissan Maxima 12 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: was a Nissan Maxima. That's how much I liked my 13 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: Nissan Maxima. I maximized the Maxima and it was very 14 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: good to me. Only thing that I ever remember happening, 15 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: other than the time it cut off in an intersection, 16 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: was that one day I was driving down the road 17 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: a few years ago and my stereo system started doing 18 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: strange things. It started skipping around to different tracks without 19 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: me telling it too, and the volume kept increasing and decreasing, 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: and so then I would put it back on the song. 21 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to listen to, and I would turn down 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: the volume or turn up the volume, depending on it 23 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: would go both ways without me telling it too, without 24 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: me turning the knob, and it happened for about ten 25 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: to fifteen minutes straight one day that I was driving, 26 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: and it seemed like my speakers in my car had 27 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: a mind of their own. So I thought maybe my 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: Maxima got a demon, and then I looked in the 29 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: backseat and realized it wasn't a demon. It was my 30 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: daughter that she had the center console down and I 31 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: never rode back there, so I didn't realize that all 32 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: the years that I've had this car, you can control 33 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: the volume and skip tracks from back there. And she 34 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: was laughing, and Graham was back there and he was laughing, 35 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: and they were controlling something from the back that I 36 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: was trying to deal with in the front, and they 37 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: thought it was so funny, and I told him stop 38 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: that it's annoying. When I figured out what they were doing, 39 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: two or three minutes later, there goes the volume up 40 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: and down again. There goes track two, track three, track four. Again, 41 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: it's on shuffle. And I turned around and said, I'm 42 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,959 Speaker 1: telling y'all stop, I don't like it. It was maybe 43 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: cute the first time for you, but it's really driving 44 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: me crazy up here. Stop and a few minutes go 45 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: by and it starts happening again. I pulled the car 46 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: over the third time. I pulled the car over the 47 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: third time. I'm Providence Road. I said, let me explain 48 00:02:52,680 --> 00:03:03,839 Speaker 1: something to you, I said, Passengers, in this maximum, I'm 49 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: the driver. That means I'm the DJ. I get to 50 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: choose what comes on this stereo and how loud it 51 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: is because the driver gets to be the DJ. I 52 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: want to preach to you for about thirty seven minutes 53 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: today about back seat DJs, because I suspect that there 54 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: are some things in your life that are being controlled 55 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: from the back seat, that are being controlled at a 56 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: level that you're not realizing that they're being controlled. And 57 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: I believe that today God is going to use me 58 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: and trust me. I've studied joy has become more important 59 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: to me every year that I've been alive. I feel 60 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: like in my twenties I just cared about accomplishing. In 61 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: my thirties, I've been figuring out, what's the point if 62 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: you don't enjoy it? What's the point in doing something 63 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: awesome if you are not in a position to appreciate 64 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: the accomplishment because you constantly need more. And I spent 65 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: my twenties and maybe the beginning of my thirties just 66 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: trying to get more, more, more. Sometimes that meant more popularity. 67 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes that meant more impact. Sometimes that meant more influenced. 68 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: Sometimes that meant more money, more resources, more friends, more 69 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: phone numbers, more connections. But lately I've been asking the 70 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: Lord for more joy, and it sent me on a 71 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: scriptural trajectory, and I want to bring you into it today. 72 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: Would it be all right if we talked for a 73 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: little while today about what's controlling your joy? Amen? I'm excited. 74 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: Do you feel my enthusiasm? James? Chapter one, Verses two 75 00:04:54,000 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: through four. We'll start here. I believe there are some 76 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: things that are destroying your joy that you were unaware of, 77 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 1: and James is going to teach us how to develop joy. 78 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: Very different than discovering joy. Discovering joy means it's waiting 79 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: somewhere and you got to find it. It's waiting in 80 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: your next career move, it's waiting in your next relationship. 81 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: It's waiting somewhere. You're not right now, But James is 82 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: going to show us something that may be familiar to 83 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: a few of you, but it is very strange if 84 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: you consider what he's actually saying. And I'm going to 85 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: just read those verses, those three verses to you, he says, James, 86 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,799 Speaker 1: Chapter one, verus to consider it pure joy, my brothers 87 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. That's 88 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: not where I was looking for joy. By the way, 89 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: that's not what I was praying for, hoping for, asking for. Anyway, 90 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: this is what the Bible says. He said, consider it 91 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials 92 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: of many kinds. Because you know that the testing of 93 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: your faith produces perseverance, Let perseverance finish its work so 94 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 95 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: I'm glad he's specified because the first thing I want 96 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: to mention to you today, all of these points they 97 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: kind of follow the theme of DJ. So the first 98 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: one is the distinction of joy, the distinction of joy 99 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: knowing what it really is, understanding the nature of it. 100 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: And James helps us to do that first bite, helping 101 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: us to understand that there are trials of many kinds. 102 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: That's what verse two said the old King James Pastor 103 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: Mickey preached from said divers trials because I have learned 104 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: that we're not all going through the same thing, but 105 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: we are all going through something. And how many know 106 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: that there are as many different kinds of trials as 107 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: there are different drinks at Starbucks, as there are different 108 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: colors of paint at home depot. I found out that 109 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: there are trials that are associated with plenty. There are 110 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: trials that are associated with poverty. I always understood the 111 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: first one because everybody understands that being broke is a battle. 112 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: But management of resources can, in its own way, test 113 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: a part of your character that if you're not prepared 114 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: to have it tested, it can create a lot more 115 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: problems than financial poverty. In fact, financial riches can create 116 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: relational poverty if there is not the emotional maturity to 117 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: help us to steward with understanding what we've been given. 118 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: I'm appreached today. If y'all come along with you, it's truly. 119 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: There's single people trials, there's married people trials. There are 120 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: trials that are associated with loneliness, and there are trials 121 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: that are associated with companionship. There are many kinds of trials. 122 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: There are many different That's what James is saying. He's 123 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: making a distinction, that there's different kinds of trials, And 124 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: some of us are like, well, can I try a 125 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: different kind of trial? Like can I trade trials? Like 126 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: you're talking about rich people trials, I'd like to try 127 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: those for a little while you're talking about married people trials. 128 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: I'd like to try. I think I'd be good at 129 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: those trials. I think I'd be better prepared for those trials. 130 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: But we never again, after the year that we had 131 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: last year, get to associate joy with status or success, 132 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: because we have now seen it. No matter or how 133 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: great your name is in the eyes of people, you 134 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: can still want to take your very own life because 135 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: joy is not a product of what people say about you. 136 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: Joy is not a product of how people hold you 137 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: in esteem or in disregard. And so there's different kinds 138 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: of trials. Added to that, most of us don't understand 139 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: the distinction between a temptation and a trial. The language 140 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: that James uses in this biblical writing, the common Greek 141 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: of his day, allows for both. When he says trials 142 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: of many kinds, he could just as easily be referring 143 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: to economic hardship or persecution that many of this diaspora 144 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: of tribes scattered abroad who were believers in Jesus were experiencing, 145 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: or he could be talking about temptation. And it is 146 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: important to know the distinction between the kind of trials 147 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: that you will experience in your life, Otherwise you might 148 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: spend years blaming the devil for your bad decisions. There 149 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: are different kinds of trials. Some of our trials are 150 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: the result of evil in the world, and that results 151 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: in all kinds of different warfare that we could study 152 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: for weeks about. Some of our trials are the results 153 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: of things that we did contrary to our inner wisdom. 154 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: There are many different kinds of trials, and if you 155 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: don't know the difference between a temptation and a trial, 156 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: you will try to use the wrong tool on the trial. 157 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: Because when tempted, the Bible teaches resistance. When you are 158 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: tempted to step outside of the God given means by 159 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: which you've been empowered to meet your God given desires, 160 00:10:55,280 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: the strategy, the tool, the technique is resistance. When you 161 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: face a trial, however, not a temptation, but a trial, 162 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 1: often the key is not resistance but acceptance. And this 163 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: was important for me to see the distinction because a 164 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: lot of times I'm accepting what I should resist and 165 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: resisting what I should accept. It is taking me time 166 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: to learn the difference, is taking me prayer to learn 167 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: the difference. It's taking the other's community to learn the difference. 168 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: I'm having to get into the Word of God to 169 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: know the difference so that I can approach my trials 170 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: with wisdom. In fact, that's what James one to five says, 171 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: and it's connected to this passage, even though I never 172 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: thought it was. It says, if any of you lacks wisdom, 173 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: you should ask God, who gives generously to all without 174 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: finding fault, and it will be given to you. Now, 175 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: if you want to flip the flow this year, just 176 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: to James one to five. Instead of asking everybody around 177 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: you what you should do, start with the source, Start 178 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: with the solution. We're talking about your problems with people 179 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 1: who are powerless to fix them. It's making you feel worse, 180 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: it's making them feel worse, and everybody's frustrated. So I 181 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: need the wisdom to make the distinction, to know the 182 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: trial that I'm in. God is this one that you 183 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: want me to fight or do you want me to 184 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: do what the Parables said to do one time with 185 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: the weeds that were growing up alongside the terars, and 186 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: leave it alone and let you deal with it. There's 187 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: a distinction. There's different kinds of trials. Some of the 188 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: stuff that I'm dealing with as a parent right now 189 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: is just called puberty. You can't cast it out, you 190 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: can't annoy it, you can't instruct it. It's a different 191 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: kind of trial. It's just life. Some of the stuff 192 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,200 Speaker 1: I'm dealing with right now is a temptation. Some of 193 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: it is, actually, I believe, from the pit of hell. 194 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: Not that the devil is like personally a sign to me, 195 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: but just some stuff is evil against my purpose. And 196 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: don't give yourself too much credit, because a lot of 197 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: us like to think that the devil had nothing better 198 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: to do than give us, you know, a flat tire, 199 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: and I think the devil is much busier than that. 200 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: I think a lot of it comes down to distinguishing 201 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: the type of trial that I'm in, which helps me 202 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: to understand the distinctions between joy and pleasure. Oh, you 203 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: know those little church signs that they do. I think 204 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: we should get one. By the way, at elevation the 205 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 1: church signs where they change the letters and they put 206 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 1: up the little quotes. Yeah, I like this. I think 207 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: we should get one. How many vote we get a 208 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: church signed. Let's have our first ever church voted elevation 209 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: church vote. We should get a church sign and we 210 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: could put stuff up there like this. I saw this 211 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: one day. It said no Jesus, no Joy, but it 212 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: was felt k n ow Jesus. So the first one 213 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: was no Jesus, you don't have Jesus, you don't have joy. 214 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: K and oh Jesus, k and ow Jesus, kN ow joy. 215 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: And I thought it's cute, but it's it's not true. 216 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: No Jesus, no joy. There's a lot of things you 217 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: can enjoy without Jesus. Christy Kreme tastes good whether you're 218 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: saved or not. My taste bloods didn't get saved. It's 219 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: fun to talk bad about people whether you're saved or not. 220 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: Only differences. And this is important is that the quality 221 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: of the joy becomes more important than the quantity of 222 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: the joy. You also hear preachers say stuff like this, 223 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: God doesn't care if you're happy. He just wants to 224 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: make you holy. And I can't believe how many people 225 00:14:56,080 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: will say amen to some business like that that you 226 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: would never feel about your own kid. How many parents 227 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: do we have in the house, and how many of 228 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: you don't care if your kid is ever happy in 229 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: life at all. I'm gonna call child Protective Services on y'all. 230 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: I ain't no good good father. No, he's a good father, 231 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: good gift. So I never got that. And I never 232 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: really understood the distinction between joy and happiness, because like, 233 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: there's not a difference in the Biblical language. It's not 234 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: difference like in English we have like phar real happy, 235 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: which is like dancing happy, and then in Hebrew they 236 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: had happy. It's the same word, it's blessed. It's the 237 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: same word as joy. When James says counted joy, he 238 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: means consider yourself supremely happy literal translation. So we need 239 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: to make the distinction, I guess between generic joy and 240 00:15:55,160 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: Jesus joy because he said verse two, consider it pure joy. 241 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: The way my mind works, if there's such a thing 242 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: as pure joy, there must be another kind of joy. 243 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: I kind of cheated that a little bit. It's more 244 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: a grammar issue because the literal translation is count at 245 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: all joy, so he doesn't say pure joy. I got 246 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: a verse for this, though, Let me do it from 247 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: a Let me do it from Hebrews chapter twelve. I've 248 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: always loved this picture of joy because it helps me 249 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: to make a distinction between joy and pleasure. Okay, pleasure 250 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: can be associated with joy, but joy is not dependent 251 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: on pleasure. This is the second thing I want to 252 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: talk about. I want to talk about the direction of joy. 253 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: The direction of joy. We're talking about backseat DJs, right, 254 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: We're talking about how sometimes we find our joy controlled 255 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: by circumstances and situations. But Jesus gives us a picture 256 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: that stands contrary to the cultural expectation of joy. And 257 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: I promise I'll read the scripture in a minute. But 258 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: I just want to tell you so much and don't 259 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: know where to start, where to stop. It's just it's 260 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: all in me today. There seems to be right now 261 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: more than there was like when my grandparents. We're thirty 262 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: and forty, there seems to be a pressure for us 263 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: to always feel pleasure. It's no longer just a desire 264 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: that we have that we want to feel good. It's 265 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 1: almost like the way that social media has constructed our 266 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: viewing experiences of other people's lives through the filters of 267 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: their most desirable moments. There is something wrong with me 268 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: If I am not constantly happy all the time. That's 269 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,959 Speaker 1: a problem with me because I am not genetically predisposed 270 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: to be happy. I'm just not. I've found that out 271 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: about myself early in life. I am not like one 272 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: of you who just finds reasons to smell roses, who 273 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: just finds reasons to be happy. Some of y'all appreciate 274 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: the rain, appreciate the sunshine. The rain makes you feel relaxed. 275 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: The sunshine makes you feel active. You can find the 276 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,479 Speaker 1: joy in everything. I am not of your species, and 277 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 1: frankly you make me sick. But joy is something different, 278 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: because the pressure to feel pleasure is part of the 279 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: reason why we feel so miserable. And now we are 280 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: living in the midst of a generation that thinks that 281 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,239 Speaker 1: joy is associated with a feeling in your flesh. And 282 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: it can be, but it doesn't have to be. It's 283 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: important that I say it can bring a feeling, but 284 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: it doesn't start with the feeling. This is where we 285 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: flip the flow. Can we flip the flow if anybody 286 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: flipped the flow, it was Jesus. Here he is up 287 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: on a cross. Here he is mocked, and his reputation 288 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: is beyond repair. Here he is being spat on and 289 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: condescended to by the ones that he created. And the 290 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,439 Speaker 1: writer of Hebrews, whoever he was, says, we need to 291 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:21,239 Speaker 1: fix Hebrews twelve to two. Our eyes on Jesus, the 292 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: pioneer and perfector, or the author and finisher. Either translation 293 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:35,120 Speaker 1: is acceptable of our faith. H for the joy set 294 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: before him, he endured the cross. Now this is where 295 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: my message really happens. Okay, what have you set before you? 296 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: That is what your joy is connected to what you 297 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,239 Speaker 1: have set before you. And I'll break that down the 298 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: best that I can. Joy is a point of view. 299 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: Joy is a way of looking at things. This helps me. 300 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, but it sets me free 301 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: from feeling the need to feel a certain way. We 302 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 1: got so many people quitting their jobs because they're unhappy 303 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: and not really understanding that sometimes joy is not the 304 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:40,199 Speaker 1: absence of sadness or the presence of the spectacular. And 305 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: all we need to look at is that one verse 306 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: where it says that Jesus for the joy that was 307 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 1: set before him. I want to use that as a 308 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,959 Speaker 1: picture for a moment. He set joy before him, so 309 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: in order to endure the cross, that's the next part, 310 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: enduring the cross scorning as Shane, he didn't find joy 311 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:12,400 Speaker 1: in the event. He found joy in the guaranteed outcome 312 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: of the event. He did not find joy in the 313 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: feeling of hanging on the cross. It wasn't like because 314 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 1: he was the son of God that the nails, you know, 315 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: transcended the laws of pain and the material laws of 316 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: the universe. It was just as painful, but because of purpose. 317 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 1: You understand, it's very different to go through pain with 318 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: purpose than pain without purpose. It's the difference between Graham 319 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: jumping on my back he's only ninety pounds and me 320 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,719 Speaker 1: not knowing that he's gonna jump on my back and 321 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: me feeling like every disc just slipped like I'm seventy 322 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: three years old in my lower back. And the difference 323 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: between me putting ninety pounds on the bar to squat it. 324 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 1: If I do it on purpose, it's a warm up weight. 325 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: If I don't expect it, it might take me down 326 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:13,719 Speaker 1: to the ground. Same weight. But what I was ready 327 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: for when Jesus hung on the cross. He wasn't surprised 328 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: by the shame. He wasn't surprised by the suffering. He 329 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: wasn't surprised by the pain. He wasn't surprised by the jeering. 330 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: He wasn't surprised by their saliva. He wasn't surprised by 331 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: the blood. Joy is a focus before it's a feeling. 332 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,399 Speaker 1: If you came to church just to hear that, I 333 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: promise you got your gas money's worth. Joy is a 334 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: focus before it's a feeling. And so while we're chasing 335 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: a feeling called joy, God has given us the ability 336 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:09,120 Speaker 1: to choose not our feelings. You ever tried to choose joy? 337 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: I saw it on Pinterest. I tried it. It sucked, 338 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: it didn't work. Then I felt guilty because I couldn't 339 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: find joy, and it made me feel less joy. So 340 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 1: now I'm in a joyless pit of joylessness. It is 341 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: cyclical joylessness and shame is the difference between choice and consequence. 342 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: Joy is a choice, really because some of the trials 343 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: that people go through are actual mental illness, and it's 344 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: kind of hard for them to just feel happy because 345 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,679 Speaker 1: they got a good parking space and no matter how 346 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 1: much you tell them to feel happy, be happy, you know, 347 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: be happy, feel happy, counter blessings. James doesn't say counter blessings. 348 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 1: This is in a nursery rhyme. It's a Bible scripture. 349 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: He said, count it all joy. He said, learn how 350 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: to flip. You might not know this statement, but there's 351 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: a there's a statement in financial terms, it's an income statements. 352 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: It's got your your income on one side, your expenses 353 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: on another. James says, if you can learn to put 354 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: some of the stuff in the income column that you 355 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: thought was an expense, some of the stuff in the 356 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 1: blessing column that you thought was a burden. If you 357 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: can flip the flow, you actually have more joy than 358 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: you're aware of. But you're not gonna get it by 359 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: praying for a feeling. You're going to get it by 360 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: making choices. Joy is not a choice. In fact, the 361 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: worst way that I can get more joy is to 362 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: focus on getting more joy. The best way to st 363 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: being happy is to ask yourself the question am I happy? 364 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: And see? I don't remember my grandparents ever talking about this. 365 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: If they did, I don't remember it. I never remember 366 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: my grandmother my grandfather talking about are we really happy. 367 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 1: They didn't think like that. There wasn't feeds and scrolling. 368 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: There wasn't. There wasn't all this other stuff to make 369 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 1: them feel unhappy at a moment's notice. There wasn't. There 370 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: wasn't an infinite supply of unhappiness in their pocket in 371 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: the form of a device. They didn't have that, So 372 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: they focused on something else. What was it? What is 373 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: it that brings joy? If I focus on it, I 374 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: know it is not. It's not looking around, how are 375 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: they doing? What do they think? Where'd they go on vacation? 376 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: Where's your thinking? Where's he going on? What's she wearing 377 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 1: when she is? What do they think about me? That's 378 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: not gonna do it, he said for the joy set 379 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: before him. So I can't be looking all around and 380 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: expecting to have joy. I can't be judging my situation 381 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 1: according to other people's calling and expect to have joy. 382 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,959 Speaker 1: I can't be judging my gift compared to other people's 383 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 1: talent and expect to have joy. I know is so 384 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,679 Speaker 1: cliche because we say it every week, but nothing destroys 385 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,399 Speaker 1: joy like comparison. The life you've got some of you 386 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: would be so enjoyable if only you didn't do this 387 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: while you were living it. If only you didn't do this. 388 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it's hurting my neck just to do it. 389 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: To illustrate to you, imagine what is doing to your soul. 390 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: You can't have joy that way. It is destroying your joy. 391 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: You're praying for more joy, and yet you are destroying 392 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: the joy God has given you, the joy of your salvation, 393 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,120 Speaker 1: the joy of your calling, the joy of your assignment. 394 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: God give me more joy. Well, it's a decision not 395 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: to have joy. That's the worst way to get joy, 396 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: the decision of what I'm going to focus on. And 397 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: I can't get it like this. And I definitely can't 398 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: get it like this looking at what's behind me. I 399 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: can't look back. Remember when God called Moses at the 400 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:27,679 Speaker 1: burning bush and he said his name, he said, I 401 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: am not I was. Remember he said, I am not, 402 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: I will be. There's something to that. There's something to that. 403 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: It's echoed by David in Psalm sixteen. He says, in 404 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: your presence is the fullness of joy. Presence. Everybody say 405 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: that word presence. The gift of joy is found in presence, 406 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,639 Speaker 1: But that doesn't mean in church. That's not what it 407 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 1: means to say, in God's presence is the fullness of joy, 408 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 1: because God would never limit his presence to a building. 409 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,199 Speaker 1: It doesn't mean when you're doing everything right, then you're 410 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: gonna feel happy, because God is not going to reward 411 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: you based on behavior. That's not the good news of 412 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: the Gospel. The Gospel is for sinners. The Gospel is 413 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: for the weak. The Gospel is for the lame, The 414 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: gospel is for the broken, The Gospel is for those 415 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: who feel ashamed. That's not what it means. In your 416 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: presence is fullness of joy. That means joy can only 417 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:29,239 Speaker 1: really come to my life when I am focused on 418 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: what God is doing in this moment. And I cannot 419 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,959 Speaker 1: focus on what God is doing in this moment in 420 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: my life if I'm consumed with what He's doing in 421 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: somebody else's or if I'm still in regret and bitterness 422 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: about what happened three years ago, or three months ago, 423 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: or even three minutes ago. A lot of our lack 424 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: of joy is really not about possession. It's about position. 425 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: What I mean is this, He set joy before him. 426 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: It's not a question of God's presence. His presence is everywhere. 427 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: It's not a question of God's presence. You don't have 428 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: to ask him to be with you. He already is. 429 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: It's not about God's presence, It's about yours. Are you 430 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: present in this moment? Are you present in this trial? 431 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: Are you present in this worship service? Well, if you 432 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: are giving praise for a second, we need this lesson friends, family, brothers, sisters, brethren, sister, 433 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: and mother's, father's children. We can't go to a concert 434 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: anymore without trying to capture it, and I can't enjoy 435 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: it because I'm too busy trying to post it. Kids 436 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: do something cute? Capture it? Well, you can't, but you're 437 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: also gonna kill it. There is no quicker way to 438 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: kill your kid's cuteness than trying to capture it. I 439 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: swear demons come out when you start trying to capture 440 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: stuff to post it. God knows your heart and he 441 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: sends something to your iPhone I don't know, and it 442 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: shoots beams into your children and they start. Can I 443 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 1: show you a picture real quick. I don't like to 444 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: be too indulgent in these sermons, but show my family off. 445 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: But this is just a quick picture of us on 446 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 1: vacation before Christmas. Look at that here's another picture. I'll 447 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: show you a couple just so you can see. I'm 448 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: gonna tell you something that you wouldn't see if I 449 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: put those on Instagram. Go back to the first one again. Please, 450 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: that one looks happy, right, and go to the other one. 451 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: Can go to the other one. That one looks sad. 452 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: Let me take something that's not my sad face. M hm. 453 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: That's my RBF. That's my resting Bible face. That's my 454 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: really blessed face. That's my focus face. That's when I 455 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: was getting the sermon flip the flow at TGI Friday's 456 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 1: in the Miami International Airport in the d concourse. I'm 457 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: happy the other one put the other one out. I 458 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: was so mad at Abby. That was the seventeenth time 459 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: I've tried to take a selfie of us, and I 460 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: wanted to throw her in the ocean by the time 461 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: it was over. Not in a playful way. Let's see. 462 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to get us in this series to 463 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: start take it down, start looking beneath the surface and stuff, 464 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: to stop looking at the surface of stuff, and to stop, 465 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: you know, discerning. I found out that you can miss 466 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: joy because you're looking all around you can misjoy because 467 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: you're looking behind you. But here's the thing, you can 468 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: also miss joy because you're trying to look too far ahead. 469 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: It's an equal danger. And some of you, while I 470 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: was preaching the part about looking around, you're like, nah, 471 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: I'm good, bro, I'm like fifty three. I don't do 472 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: that anymore. And when I was telling my looking back, 473 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: you're like, yeah, I already dealt with my stuff back there. 474 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: It's fine. But what you do is you look so 475 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: far forward like I was doing the other day driving 476 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: that new car I told you about, and I can't 477 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: get anywhere without a GPS. What it embarrass you for me? 478 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: If I told you I was going to my mom's 479 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: house in town and was following the GPS, that's how 480 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: bad my son of direction is. This true story. And 481 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: I slammed into the back of another car because I 482 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 1: was looking three turns ahead and not looking three feet ahead. 483 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 1: And it might be destroying your joy. Not that you're 484 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: like comparing, or not that you're regretting, but maybe you're 485 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: just trying to get so far out there, you know, 486 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: like my retirement is down, you're twenty four, it'll catch 487 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: back up. It's a lot of time, you know, But 488 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: for those of us who need to plan, he didn't 489 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: say in your plans this fullness of joy. And you 490 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: can't even really affect the future from anywhere but the present, 491 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: and it's alwayted energy. So this is my year of presence, 492 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: trying to figure out what it means to find fullness 493 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: of joy in God's presence. And in order to find 494 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,279 Speaker 1: fullness of joy in his presence, I have to bring 495 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: my presence to my real life, not my presence to 496 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: some imaginary scenario, but the real life that God has 497 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: given me right now. And you know what's great about it. 498 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: Let's go to Psalm sixteen for just a moment, and 499 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: I promise I'll start closing this. Are you enjoying this 500 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: teaching today? Is this blessing your life? Touch somebody and 501 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:44,320 Speaker 1: say this is my happy face? Because I was focused. 502 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 1: I was happy because I was focused. The other one, 503 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: I was trying to show something to the world that 504 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: wasn't real. I was thinking maybe I could get some 505 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: likes on this, and so I wasn't focused on what 506 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: was right in front of me. But Jesus, for the 507 00:34:55,120 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: joy set before him, endured. He didn't enjoy the cross 508 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 1: us he endured the cross because of joy set before him. 509 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,240 Speaker 1: And now I want to give you the whole sermon. Okay, 510 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: here's the sermon in a sentence. Hadn't you been preaching 511 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 1: for thirty five minutes? Yeah, but I hadn't said anything yet. 512 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:16,879 Speaker 1: Here's the sermon in a sentence. You cannot choose joy. 513 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:23,399 Speaker 1: You can only choose your priorities, and your priorities control 514 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 1: your joy. You can't choose joy anymore than you can 515 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 1: just you think you can choose joy. It's like trying 516 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:38,160 Speaker 1: to choose the weather. What you can choose is your priority, 517 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:45,280 Speaker 1: and your priorities will ultimately control your joy. Psalm sixteen. 518 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: Put it on the screen for me verse when I 519 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,760 Speaker 1: started verse five, Please, the Lord is my chosen portion. 520 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 1: See the word chosen. It means I have decided to 521 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 1: make God the most important thing in my life. I 522 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,200 Speaker 1: don't want to leave that to abstract because what does 523 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: that mean? Read the Bible first thing every morning? Maybe, 524 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: but it means more than that His will is what 525 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 1: I want. His ways are higher than my waves. So 526 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 1: the Lord Yahweh, the Great, I am the ever present 527 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: help in time of trouble. He is my chosen portion. 528 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 1: I've looked at everything else that this world offers me 529 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 1: to enjoy, and yes, I can enjoy things that aren't 530 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: necessarily spiritual, but I do not need them to survive. 531 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: And I will not attach my joy to a temporal 532 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 1: pleasure anymore because I tried that. I tried that. I 533 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,919 Speaker 1: cheered for the Clemson Tigers when they were three and eight, 534 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 1: and when they won the second national championship in the 535 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: last few years, people were coming up to me saying congratulations. 536 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:59,239 Speaker 1: I was like, for what, I enjoyed the game. I 537 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: watched the game. I mean I liked it. I enjoyed 538 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: the forty four to sixteen victory. But I didn't need 539 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:16,399 Speaker 1: college boys in Spandex to give me a reason to live. 540 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: That is not my priority. I can't invest my joy 541 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: in what people I don't know do with an oblong 542 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:28,359 Speaker 1: object made out of pigskin converted into leather with some 543 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: stitches for four fifteen minute increments, It's the wrong priority. 544 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:37,160 Speaker 1: I enjoyed it, but my joy is not in it. 545 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,959 Speaker 1: Last week, I told you something very powerful about your heart. 546 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: I said, when you know where it comes from, you 547 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: know how it comes out. When you know where it 548 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: comes from, you know how it comes out. This is 549 00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,319 Speaker 1: what I want to tell you this week. Where it 550 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 1: comes from determines when it runs out. This is the 551 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: source of your joy. The way you can know that 552 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: is what are my priorities. Psalma said, The Lord is 553 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 1: my chosen portion. And here's something Jesus said that I've 554 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: been thinking about all week. I've been meditating on this. 555 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,919 Speaker 1: He said, Abide in me my words. Abide in you. 556 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:31,759 Speaker 1: You bear much fruit. Sometimes you're going to get cut on, 557 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:34,719 Speaker 1: but you'll never be cut off. If you abide in 558 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 1: me and my words, abide in you, there will be 559 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: a constant flow of joy. Like the vine and the branches. 560 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 1: You're going to have what you need. The joy is 561 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: going to flow from a place of your rest and 562 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 1: trust in me, not in your own effort, and not 563 00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: in just certain things that happen. If they happen, is fine, 564 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 1: But don't confuse the icon with the cake. Abide in 565 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: me my words, Abide in you. Many says something in 566 00:38:55,080 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: John fifteen eleven. Please I have told you this so 567 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: that my joy may be in you, and that your 568 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: joy may be complete. The Lord said, a lot of 569 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:17,440 Speaker 1: us are settling for partial joy, partial joy, and we 570 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: equate joy with the absence of sadness. Joy is not 571 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: the absence of sadness. If it was, Jesus couldn't have 572 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 1: had it on the cross. He said, I want my 573 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,239 Speaker 1: joy to be in you, but you've got to own 574 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 1: it because to just say, well, Jesus is my joy, 575 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:38,319 Speaker 1: it doesn't really get to the heart of why we 576 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:44,120 Speaker 1: could know Jesus and still not no joy, because it's 577 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: a decision. When I give the wrong things too much 578 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 1: priority in my life, then those priorities control my joy. 579 00:39:55,560 --> 00:40:02,040 Speaker 1: If my priority is recognition, then RECOGNI mission controls my joy. 580 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 1: When people recognize me, I will feel happy about it. 581 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: If my priority is recognition. If my priority is convenience, 582 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:21,000 Speaker 1: then when something is inconvenient, the inconvenience will steal my joy. 583 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 1: But it really didn't steal my joy, did it? Because 584 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 1: I let it drive and whatever is driving the car 585 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 1: gets to DJ. So the Lord told me in preparing 586 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: this message that we've got some back seat DJs that 587 00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: have been controlling our joy, our feelings, our finances, our 588 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:53,320 Speaker 1: bank accounts, our status, our standing, our situations. And today 589 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:55,880 Speaker 1: God wants you to tell some of the things in 590 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:57,840 Speaker 1: your life that have been controlling your joy from the 591 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,840 Speaker 1: back seat. You are not my God, you are not 592 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:06,080 Speaker 1: my vine, you are not my source, and you don't 593 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:09,759 Speaker 1: hold my joy. Joy is something deeper than how I 594 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 1: feel about it. Joy is something deeper than what I 595 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:16,359 Speaker 1: post about. Joy is something deeper than the way it 596 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: feels right now, I am setting joy before me. I'm 597 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 1: resetting my warnings. Now. When I do that, my joy 598 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 1: flows not from what it is, but from who God is. 599 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:36,960 Speaker 1: To me. This is the duration of joy. And when 600 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: my joy is running out, give me my point, my 601 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:43,520 Speaker 1: last point. The duration of joy is because it's coming 602 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:49,759 Speaker 1: from the wrong place. Where it comes from determines when 603 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 1: it runs out. And I wonder, where's your joy today. 604 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,080 Speaker 1: I had to study this hard because I struggle to 605 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:08,479 Speaker 1: enjoy my life. I really love my family, I really 606 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 1: love my church. I love what I get to do. 607 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: It's a blessing and a privilege. But I have to 608 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,279 Speaker 1: admit to you that sometimes I have been guilty of 609 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 1: enduring something that God has given me to enjoy, and 610 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:28,160 Speaker 1: every time it happened, it was because of my priorities. 611 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:32,480 Speaker 1: Your priorities control your joy. You can try all you 612 00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:36,800 Speaker 1: want to be happy, happy, happy, and the quick hit stuff, 613 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 1: the quick fixed stuff. It'll get you through the next 614 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:47,319 Speaker 1: few hours, but where it comes from determines when it 615 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 1: runs out. There is a well that never runs dry. 616 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:55,920 Speaker 1: There is a joy. There is a deep, abiding sense 617 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:58,040 Speaker 1: of joy that is available to us that we have 618 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 1: not been accessing. And what we're praying for more of 619 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:05,320 Speaker 1: God is waiting for us to order our lives around. 620 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 1: My joy is too important for me to leave it 621 00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:12,680 Speaker 1: up to whether or not today goes well, or whether 622 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,200 Speaker 1: or not they speak to me, or whether or not 623 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:18,760 Speaker 1: it turns out well. Is too important. I can't afford. 624 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:22,279 Speaker 1: I'm getting older now. I'm not a twenty five year 625 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:26,520 Speaker 1: old anymore. I'm a distinguished thirty eight year old full 626 00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 1: of wisdom, and I can't afford to just give my 627 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:34,279 Speaker 1: joy away just any time. I can't afford to have 628 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:38,360 Speaker 1: these back seat DJs just change in the temperature of 629 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 1: my life. I can't. I can't afford to just let 630 00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:44,680 Speaker 1: my emotions control my joy. So I want to pray 631 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:46,960 Speaker 1: for people today. Play something more interesting, that's boring. I 632 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:49,160 Speaker 1: want to pray for people today is just one chord. 633 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,440 Speaker 1: Pray for people today who have allowed your joy to 634 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:57,840 Speaker 1: be controlled by something other than the priority of God's 635 00:43:57,880 --> 00:43:59,959 Speaker 1: presence in your life, and you want me to pray 636 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 1: for you to experience a vital connection to God in 637 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,080 Speaker 1: the coming six days until we meet again. Please stand 638 00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 1: if you want me to pray for you about that. 639 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:12,800 Speaker 1: I've been allowing my joy to be connected to things 640 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: that can't sustain me. There's so much more that I 641 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 1: wanted to share with you, but I feel like I 642 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:20,800 Speaker 1: was able to present this word to you on a 643 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:32,400 Speaker 1: level that if you can just receive that much of it, 644 00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 1: So flip it instead of going, Lord, I need more joy, 645 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,040 Speaker 1: like it's gonna come raining down in the form of 646 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 1: candy pellets. Instead of praying, God, give me the wisdom 647 00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:56,680 Speaker 1: to when things come in my life to count it joy, 648 00:44:57,040 --> 00:45:00,440 Speaker 1: to consider it joy because I know that the testing 649 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:05,560 Speaker 1: of my faith produces patience. Teach me God to set 650 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:09,480 Speaker 1: joy before me like Jesus did, like the Psalmist did. 651 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:11,080 Speaker 1: He said, the Lord is ever before me. He is 652 00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:12,879 Speaker 1: on my right hand. I will not be shaken in 653 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 1: your presence. Is the fullness of joy. And watch this 654 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:22,719 Speaker 1: at your right hand, pleasures forevermore, not the kind to 655 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:24,600 Speaker 1: come and go, not the kind that leave you feeling 656 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:27,239 Speaker 1: worse afterwards. Not the kind that leave you sick afterwards, 657 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 1: not the kind that make you feel bad about it, 658 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:35,760 Speaker 1: shameful about it afterwards, perpetual pleasantness in the presence of God, Father. 659 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:39,320 Speaker 1: I thank you for each person who you brought here today. 660 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:46,560 Speaker 1: Maybe they've been in that season of mourning you are in. 661 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:50,080 Speaker 1: I in mourning. Thank you that your word says that 662 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:54,279 Speaker 1: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes with 663 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:58,000 Speaker 1: the morning. And we bless you because what that means 664 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:00,360 Speaker 1: to us today is that in everything that is happening 665 00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: in our life right now, there is an opportunity for joy. 666 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:06,680 Speaker 1: I confess to you before these people, God that I 667 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:10,120 Speaker 1: need this message more than anybody who heard it. I'm 668 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:13,880 Speaker 1: preaching this today God because sometimes in my life I 669 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:17,719 Speaker 1: have set things before me that had no place being 670 00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:21,239 Speaker 1: my priority, and every time I did, I was disappointed. 671 00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: And every time I did, I got a hit, but 672 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 1: it didn't fix anything. So this week, would you show 673 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:34,640 Speaker 1: us what's truly important. Would you help us to see 674 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 1: our lives with the wisdom that only you provide. Help 675 00:46:40,239 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 1: us to understand that joy does not come from better circumstances. 676 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:50,160 Speaker 1: Joy does not come from human acclaim. Joy comes from 677 00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:55,239 Speaker 1: ordered priorities. We want to seek first your kingdom. We 678 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,000 Speaker 1: want to know what matters to you, and we thank 679 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 1: you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I hope 680 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:04,440 Speaker 1: you enjoyed the podcast today. If you did, there are 681 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:06,560 Speaker 1: just a couple things I'd love for you to do. 682 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:10,320 Speaker 1: Number One, subscribe to our show. That way, the most 683 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,719 Speaker 1: recent episode will always be in your feed, waiting for you, 684 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:17,279 Speaker 1: ready when you are. And Secondly, if this ministry has 685 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:19,680 Speaker 1: impacted you and you'd like to help us continue to 686 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:22,160 Speaker 1: reach others, you can click the link in the description 687 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:25,040 Speaker 1: and you can give now and I'll see you next 688 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:27,239 Speaker 1: time on the Elevation Podcast