I think I can
speak for most of us.
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There are times in our lives
whenever we ask God questions,
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but did you know
that He also has questions
00:00:06.00\00:00:08.46
that He ask of us? Stay with us,
00:00:08.47\00:00:11.10
and see how we're
gonna answer these questions.
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As I mentioned a while ago
there are plenty of questions
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that we have to ask of the Lord,
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but He also has
questions that He ask of us.
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Today, I have a special guest,
00:00:47.74\00:00:50.58
Pastor Troy Fitzgerald
from Walla Walla, Washington.
00:00:50.59\00:00:54.35
And he has done a study
on this and I think that
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he can
enlighten us in many ways.
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So I'd like to
welcome Pastor Troy.
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Thank you, J.D. Welcome. Yeah.
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Well, first of all,
people want to know a little bit
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about who you
are, what do you do,
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what are your responsibilities,
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about your family,
et cetera and et cetera?
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Well, the best part
is my family, of course,
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and my wife
Julia and my two boys,
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Cameron and
Morgan, 12, actually 13.
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He says, he's 13.
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He's got a few
days before that happens
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and Morgan's 7 years
old and the love of my life
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and I just
enjoy being with them.
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I live in Walla Walla,
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I pastor at the Walla
Walla University Church.
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And so I spend most of time
with youth and young adults.
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I'm getting them ready
to head out into the world,
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to be missionaries,
to be mission minded,
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and to transform the
culture that they live in
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by the power of
God's grace, so--
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Amen, so did you
have a good youth pastor
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when you were growing up?
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Yeah, I've only
had a youth pastor
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for about six
months, but it was really
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the most transformational
season in my life.
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I thank God regularly
for just having someone
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who could push me forward
and engage me in ministry
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and responsibility of
ministry at a young age.
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Amen, and I know
whenever I was looking
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over your resume that you
have a degree in Theology,
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that you have a
degree, a Masters in Education,
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and then a
Doctorate in Leadership. Yes.
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What is a
Doctorate in Leadership?
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Well, Doctorate in
Leadership expands really
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a whole spectrum of skill
sets that that we need to have
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and of late especially,
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the whole dynamic of leadership,
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organizational development.
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And how to make
change happen is really--
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and has been done throughout
history and through leaders.
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And so I just decided
to study how God can use me
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and how I can just avail
my skills to God to transform
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and to create change.
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In a world that, you
know, and I know, J.D.
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that we need some
serious change to happen, so--
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Amen, amen, now we're
talking about as we mentioned,
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we all have
questions that we ask of God,
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but now you've
brought this back and reverse
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that there are
questions that He ask of us.
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Yeah, I had to, I went
through seasons in my life
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and I'm not
naturally a skeptical person,
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but I'm curious and
I like to have answers.
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And as you go through a life,
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you have these
basic questions about God.
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Did Adam have a belly button,
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and how can God
have always been?
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And those are basic
questions that children always
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throw at pastors and
people to try and stump them,
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but as you, as you get
older and you experience
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more of life, your questions
become much more serious.
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Because you see
tragedy or you see things
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that happen that
shouldn't happen.
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You feel things
and you bump into life
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in such a way
that it breaks you.
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And you wonder, you know, God,
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is this suppose to be this way?
00:04:01.65\00:04:03.08
Or why is this happening?
00:04:03.09\00:04:05.43
Where are you in all of that?
And people throughout history
00:04:05.44\00:04:09.35
have asked those questions.
00:04:09.36\00:04:11.70
And sometimes in the
Bible, we have these scenarios
00:04:11.71\00:04:15.48
where God breaks open
the clouds and speaks,
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or He knocks you on the head
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or He comes into
your fiery furnace
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or He'll speak
through a donkey to you.
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But then there's the vast
multitude of people out there
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that that hear no answer.
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They don't really have a
response to the deep questions
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that burn in their hearts.
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You know about
whether God is real,
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or God is really
working in their lives,
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so when they pray,
does, does God really hear
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and does He really care and
is He answering those things?
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And so you get
these serious questions
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and then you don't
really hear or response
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the way you might have
seen happen in scripture
00:04:50.62\00:04:54.14
time and time again,
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and you begin to
wonder about the things
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that you don't know,
00:04:57.94\00:04:59.59
the things that you
don't hear answers to.
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And so that was
my journey, I just,
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I had all these
unanswered questions and then,
00:05:03.20\00:05:06.71
I just happened on a
few moments in scripture
00:05:06.72\00:05:11.35
where God didn't
answer the questions of humans
00:05:11.36\00:05:15.47
and people who
are inquiring of Him,
00:05:15.48\00:05:17.90
but He certainly had
some things to say to them
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and they came in
the form of a question.
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I've often thought,
oh, maybe my questions
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aren't as
important as the questions
00:05:27.16\00:05:29.54
that God might have for me.
00:05:29.55\00:05:31.51
As I studied those new answers
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and I studied each
story and scripture
00:05:33.90\00:05:35.86
where God actually
opens up and says, look,
00:05:35.87\00:05:38.92
I have something I
want to ask you now.
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At that point,
people's lives shift and change
00:05:41.53\00:05:45.14
as they answer the
questions that God has for them.
00:05:45.18\00:05:48.69
Things happen in a big way.
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In fact, we get this
doorway into God's heart
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just by looking at the nature
of the questions that He asks.
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Where are you? He says to,
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you know, Adam and Eve.
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Well, everybody
knows that God knows
00:06:01.97\00:06:04.06
where Adam and
Eve are in the garden,
00:06:04.07\00:06:06.46
but Adam and Eve need to say it,
00:06:06.47\00:06:07.98
they need to understand
what's truly happened,
00:06:07.99\00:06:12.72
their decision has
caused them to be lost.
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And that is, so those
moments are just huge.
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So answering the questions
seems to be one of the things
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that God wants us to
do, His questions for us.
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When did the -- have you
always been this curious?
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Well, I'm-- I know that,
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if you're dealing with youth,
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if you're dealing
with young adults,
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I think that you were saying 30
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and below was
your audience. Yeah.
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But, so I'm sure that
they ask these questions
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and then whenever
you're put on the spot,
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you probably go do research,
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but have you
always been curious?
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Well, I probably have been.
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I tend to forget the
times when I've caused
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people trouble with
all of my curiosity.
00:06:56.11\00:06:59.22
Oh, I've been
around young people,
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they ask questions
and then you think about
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how to answer them
and then you hear yourself
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answer some of these
questions and you know answers,
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do not satisfy, and so, yeah,
00:07:09.73\00:07:12.13
I've been a little bit curious.
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I think one of the times that
caused me to just look fully
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at the questions that God asks.
00:07:17.69\00:07:20.14
I think what prompted
that was just doing a study
00:07:20.15\00:07:24.31
on Jesus as a teacher.
00:07:24.32\00:07:26.59
For He is in fact the
master teacher of all.
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And so, I loved the Savior
and the way He taught people.
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And as I always doing
just a look through the gospels
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I went through all the
red letters in my Bible
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and I looked for question marks.
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And I counted up 277 questions
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that Jesus asked in
the Four Gospels alone.
00:07:46.18\00:07:48.95
And as I looked at
all those questions
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I just became enamored with
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how penetrating
they are, how perceptive.
00:07:53.90\00:07:57.85
And how if I were to just
dare answer that question,
00:07:57.86\00:08:01.98
it's likely that
my life might change.
00:08:01.99\00:08:05.57
You know, do you believe this,
he asks of Mary and Martha.
00:08:05.58\00:08:10.79
He says, "I'm the
resurrection and the life."
00:08:10.80\00:08:13.89
This is at a critical
moment where they're weeping
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and grieving for the
lost of their brother
00:08:17.06\00:08:19.95
and Jesus comes to them
with a message and says,
00:08:19.96\00:08:21.73
"I'm the
resurrection and the life.
00:08:21.74\00:08:23.90
If you believe in me even
though you die you will live."
00:08:23.91\00:08:27.72
And then He asks the question.
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It was a great sermon Jesus,
00:08:29.71\00:08:31.18
but then He asked the question.
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Do you believe this? Amen.
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Every believer, every
believer on this planet
00:08:36.80\00:08:39.87
needs to answer that question.
00:08:39.88\00:08:41.76
Do you believe that Christ
is the resurrection and life?
00:08:41.77\00:08:45.34
And say it out loud. Amen.
00:08:45.35\00:08:47.28
I do believe that.
And even saying that,
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I mean, there's power in just
responding to that question.
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So I looked at all of them.
00:08:52.80\00:08:54.01
I looked at every single
question that Jesus asked
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and then I thought well,
is it just in the gospels
00:08:57.22\00:08:59.73
that He asked these questions,
or is it throughout the,
00:08:59.74\00:09:03.46
you know, the Old
Testament and the New Testament,
00:09:03.47\00:09:05.29
and sure enough right in the
first few Chapters of Genesis,
00:09:05.30\00:09:08.23
He's asking Adam and Eve,
00:09:08.24\00:09:09.81
where are you? where are you?
00:09:09.82\00:09:11.09
And then Moses, you know,
what's in your hand, Moses?
00:09:11.10\00:09:13.53
And Elijah, what
you're doing in this cave?
00:09:13.54\00:09:15.61
Job, were you there
00:09:15.62\00:09:18.15
when the heavens
and the Earth were made?
00:09:18.16\00:09:19.53
And even afterwards would
you ask Saul on the road aswell,
00:09:19.54\00:09:22.24
why are you persecuting me?
00:09:22.25\00:09:24.72
So, again as God engages
people and He speaks to them,
00:09:24.73\00:09:31.67
it's usually in
the form of a question.
00:09:31.68\00:09:34.37
Amen, amen, so I guess that
00:09:34.38\00:09:37.39
what's really important is
00:09:37.40\00:09:38.72
there is a principle involved
here and that principle is,
00:09:38.73\00:09:41.43
do you know or do you not know?
00:09:41.44\00:09:44.95
True, and that that's
probably the one thing
00:09:44.96\00:09:47.79
that's prompted me
toward a study like this.
00:09:47.80\00:09:53.51
Just watching people
negotiate through tragedy
00:09:53.52\00:09:58.90
and just disheartening moments.
00:09:58.91\00:10:02.76
Sometimes I found
especially with young adults.
00:10:02.77\00:10:05.51
I looked at college
students especially.
00:10:05.52\00:10:08.10
As college students
go through their life,
00:10:08.11\00:10:11.52
they get to the season
00:10:11.53\00:10:13.20
where all the big
decisions are in front of them.
00:10:13.21\00:10:16.67
And they have all of
this education and training
00:10:16.68\00:10:19.88
and life
experience up to this point.
00:10:19.89\00:10:21.98
They have these ambitious
ideas about what to do.
00:10:21.99\00:10:25.45
Who they're gonna marry,
00:10:25.46\00:10:26.75
what they're
gonna do for a career,
00:10:26.76\00:10:28.81
and what their impact
on the world might be like.
00:10:28.82\00:10:32.44
And then there is all this
stuff that they don't know.
00:10:32.45\00:10:37.97
They don't have answers
00:10:37.98\00:10:39.00
to all of their
theological questions,
00:10:39.01\00:10:40.90
but they have questions.
00:10:40.91\00:10:42.35
And so I share
with them a principle
00:10:42.36\00:10:44.84
that I've had to just
integrate into my life
00:10:44.85\00:10:48.82
which like I said,
00:10:48.83\00:10:50.10
fostered just me
looking into this discussion.
00:10:50.11\00:10:54.82
And that is the principle that,
00:10:54.83\00:10:56.43
don't let what you
don't know confuse you
00:10:56.44\00:10:59.24
about what you do know. Amen.
00:10:59.25\00:11:01.46
As you do that, you
take all the things.
00:11:01.47\00:11:03.20
I know God exists, very basic.
00:11:03.21\00:11:05.91
I know God loves me,
reveals it in His word.
00:11:05.92\00:11:08.78
I know the Bible can
speak truth in my life.
00:11:08.79\00:11:11.03
I know Jesus came
and died and rose again,
00:11:11.04\00:11:13.51
and He said, He's coming back.
00:11:13.52\00:11:15.78
So why is it
that sometimes people
00:11:15.79\00:11:18.62
when they experience
tragedy, or they experience
00:11:18.63\00:11:22.34
some part of life
that causes them to wonder,
00:11:22.35\00:11:25.95
well, where is God in all this?
00:11:25.96\00:11:29.01
They erase all that they know.
00:11:29.02\00:11:31.19
Well, you
shouldn't, you make your list
00:11:31.20\00:11:32.58
of the things that you know.
00:11:32.59\00:11:34.61
And then you take the
things that you don't know.
00:11:34.62\00:11:37.39
And instead of
having this list over here
00:11:37.40\00:11:40.22
undermine everything
that you've already discovered
00:11:40.23\00:11:43.34
and you know it to be
good, right, and true.
00:11:43.35\00:11:45.78
Instead just turn it
and look at the things
00:11:45.79\00:11:48.90
that you don't
know through the lens
00:11:48.91\00:11:51.88
of the things that you do know.
00:11:51.89\00:11:53.52
As I studied each
encounter where God asked people
00:11:53.53\00:11:57.42
a question in scripture,
I found a lens by which
00:11:57.43\00:12:00.92
you learn in spite of the
things that you don't know
00:12:00.93\00:12:04.20
what you can know to be true,
and it calls for a response.
00:12:04.21\00:12:08.00
I think that was the key.
00:12:08.01\00:12:09.66
Is that in every scenario
there is some sort of response
00:12:09.67\00:12:13.22
that needs to be
made by the person
00:12:13.23\00:12:14.86
who was asked a question by God.
00:12:14.87\00:12:16.46
And that response is
what's life changing.
00:12:16.47\00:12:19.11
So there is a time in our lives
00:12:19.12\00:12:21.36
that we need to know
that we know that we know,
00:12:21.37\00:12:24.63
and then that
will lead them to being
00:12:24.64\00:12:26.71
intellectually
honest about one self.
00:12:26.72\00:12:29.36
And I think that the
Bible has given us road markers.
00:12:29.37\00:12:32.42
I think that it
says, you know that,
00:12:32.43\00:12:34.43
"I will build an altar
here because I'll know,
00:12:34.44\00:12:36.94
I know that
this is an experience
00:12:36.95\00:12:39.23
that I can build
own." That's right.
00:12:39.24\00:12:41.38
And so that's
basically what you're saying.
00:12:41.39\00:12:43.65
Yeah, and those
markers become critical.
00:12:43.66\00:12:46.27
And sometimes in those moments
00:12:46.28\00:12:49.34
where you respond to
the questions that God asks.
00:12:49.35\00:12:51.75
Sometimes in those moments,
there's not a whole to say,
00:12:51.76\00:12:56.65
sometimes the questions--
and some of the best questions
00:12:56.66\00:12:59.97
are questions that
just make you think
00:12:59.98\00:13:01.66
and arrive at the truth
that you maybe aware of,
00:13:01.67\00:13:05.00
but not sure how that
might be applied in your life.
00:13:05.01\00:13:08.97
Sometimes those
questions prompt a response
00:13:08.98\00:13:11.45
that cause you to just
agree with what everybody
00:13:11.46\00:13:16.18
around you can see and,
you know, are you struggling?
00:13:16.19\00:13:21.12
You know, yes, I'm struggling.
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.61
And so sometimes just
saying those words opens up
00:13:23.62\00:13:27.24
a doorway of freedom
for you to walk through
00:13:27.25\00:13:29.79
and you know where to go.
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.04
Yeah, you know, the
sad thing about it is,
00:13:31.05\00:13:33.36
is I think that the
majority of people out there,
00:13:33.37\00:13:35.76
I don't know if I were
to take it up to 70-75%
00:13:35.77\00:13:39.57
basically base their
beliefs on what their parents.
00:13:39.58\00:13:43.26
If it was good
enough for mom and daddy,
00:13:43.27\00:13:44.85
then it's good enough for me.
00:13:44.86\00:13:46.81
And then because they don't know
00:13:46.82\00:13:49.35
that they know that they know,
00:13:49.36\00:13:50.58
and that they have
not studied it themselves.
00:13:50.59\00:13:53.16
I love it that you're sitting
here looking at the questions.
00:13:53.17\00:13:57.02
And so I think
that whether or not
00:13:57.03\00:13:59.28
you're 15 years old or
you're 85 years old, yeah.
00:13:59.29\00:14:03.15
You need to ask those questions,
00:14:03.16\00:14:05.31
what does God expect of me?
00:14:05.32\00:14:07.64
And if you don't ask
that question, God will.
00:14:07.65\00:14:11.51
And that's the beautiful
part of that that these moments
00:14:11.52\00:14:14.57
that we talk about young people.
00:14:14.58\00:14:16.50
And over the
years we've researched
00:14:16.51\00:14:18.65
our young people
to ask, you know,
00:14:18.66\00:14:21.96
what do they really know.
00:14:21.97\00:14:23.02
And you talked about
an intellectual knowledge,
00:14:23.03\00:14:25.19
but there is also
emotional knowledge.
00:14:25.20\00:14:26.78
Emotional knowledge.
Or experiential knowledge
00:14:26.79\00:14:28.45
where it's, where all those
things are kind of tied in.
00:14:28.46\00:14:30.87
And one of the things
that we know about young people
00:14:30.88\00:14:34.00
is that they struggle with
the assurance of salvation.
00:14:34.01\00:14:37.30
They struggle to know
for sure, without a doubt,
00:14:37.31\00:14:42.34
with this conviction and
deep abiding response to God
00:14:42.35\00:14:46.27
that they're gonna go home
00:14:46.28\00:14:47.55
when Christ comes to get them.
00:14:47.56\00:14:49.93
And so part of it
for them is just this
00:14:49.94\00:14:54.51
experiential understanding
of salvation and one of the,
00:14:54.52\00:15:01.21
you know, one of the topics
that I just love in scripture,
00:15:01.22\00:15:05.82
one of the moments
that really got me thinking
00:15:05.83\00:15:10.71
about this more
was, I mean, the story,
00:15:10.72\00:15:13.17
the famous story of the woman
who was caught in adultery.
00:15:13.18\00:15:16.69
Yes, and we know that she
was set up in John Chapter 8.
00:15:16.70\00:15:22.72
We know that, that she
was, she was not innocent,
00:15:22.73\00:15:28.43
that she was
caught in a dubious act,
00:15:28.44\00:15:33.21
but she was set up
and postured for failure.
00:15:33.22\00:15:37.84
And then, of course, by the time
00:15:37.85\00:15:39.89
they bought her to
Jesus, this was a mob.
00:15:39.90\00:15:43.27
Now when they brought her
there, they were after Jesus,
00:15:43.28\00:15:45.99
they didn't
care about the woman,
00:15:46.00\00:15:47.19
and pretty much
anyone who knows the story
00:15:47.20\00:15:49.20
has talked quite
a bit about that.
00:15:49.21\00:15:51.25
And as they bring her to Jesus,
00:15:51.26\00:15:53.66
He begins to, of
course, you know,
00:15:53.67\00:15:55.97
writing the names and
the things in the sand,
00:15:55.98\00:15:59.19
I don't know
exactly what He wrote,
00:15:59.20\00:16:00.69
but the crowd disperses.
00:16:00.70\00:16:03.11
There is this judgment
scene and she is brought
00:16:03.12\00:16:06.19
before the judge,
Christ, and the whole courtyard
00:16:06.20\00:16:11.20
is dispelled and dismissed.
00:16:11.21\00:16:14.41
Because every one
of them is broken,
00:16:14.42\00:16:16.09
every one of them is
wrong, and every one of them
00:16:16.10\00:16:18.58
has been caught in the bad way,
00:16:18.59\00:16:20.51
either in the sand
or in their conscience.
00:16:20.52\00:16:23.27
And the only two
people that are there
00:16:23.28\00:16:25.33
are Jesus and this woman.
00:16:25.34\00:16:28.62
And yet He still
asked the question,
00:16:28.63\00:16:31.84
"woman, where
are your accusers?"
00:16:31.85\00:16:37.15
I bet, and that's one of
the things that I've always
00:16:37.16\00:16:40.93
I've sought to ask young people,
00:16:40.94\00:16:42.46
who's accusing you?
00:16:42.47\00:16:44.81
Who is the one who
sits there before you
00:16:44.82\00:16:47.05
and points their judgmental
finger at you and says,
00:16:47.06\00:16:50.53
"you're not going home,
that you're not good enough,
00:16:50.54\00:16:54.03
and you can't make
it." That you're lost.
00:16:54.04\00:16:58.17
And the same
respond the woman looks up.
00:16:58.18\00:17:01.45
Now she could have just
noticed the empty courtyard,
00:17:01.46\00:17:05.23
but Jesus said,
"where are your accusers,
00:17:05.24\00:17:09.37
has anyone condemned you."
00:17:09.38\00:17:12.19
The only one, and
Jesus made sure of this,
00:17:12.20\00:17:14.50
the only one who
could condemn her
00:17:14.51\00:17:16.43
was standing right
in front of her, amen.
00:17:16.44\00:17:18.78
And she says,
she says the words,
00:17:18.79\00:17:21.76
"no one, no one
has condemned me."
00:17:21.77\00:17:26.24
He says, "neither do
I, go and sin no more."
00:17:26.25\00:17:30.30
He wanted her to
answer the question
00:17:30.31\00:17:33.44
because something
happens when you say it,
00:17:33.45\00:17:36.36
something happens
when you convey the truth
00:17:36.37\00:17:40.68
that you know to be true.
00:17:40.69\00:17:43.08
And it transformed
her, I know it did.
00:17:43.09\00:17:46.19
And that's what
happens when young people
00:17:46.20\00:17:47.85
when you ask them,
do you believe that
00:17:47.86\00:17:50.09
Christ died for your sins? Yes.
00:17:50.10\00:17:53.94
Is there anything
that stands in your way?
00:17:53.95\00:17:57.01
And they say,
"well, you know, no."
00:17:57.02\00:17:59.93
Is there anything
that stand in your way
00:17:59.94\00:18:01.99
who can condemn you if
Christ has done for you?
00:18:02.00\00:18:05.77
Nothing. "Say it louder,"
00:18:05.78\00:18:07.35
I say to them. Nothing.
00:18:07.36\00:18:10.41
You almost want them
to just get confident
00:18:10.42\00:18:12.93
and say it over and over again.
00:18:12.94\00:18:14.60
I know we've been taught
to say that I'm not saved,
00:18:14.61\00:18:18.08
to be overconfident about that.
00:18:18.09\00:18:19.53
But, and what else
can we be confident
00:18:19.54\00:18:22.62
that Christ is able to save us
00:18:22.63\00:18:24.23
and He want us to say the words.
00:18:24.24\00:18:27.39
I'm going home because
of what Christ did, amen.
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.67
I think that's one thing
that not only young people,
00:18:30.68\00:18:32.73
but those of us who
are just young at heart
00:18:32.74\00:18:34.92
need to say more often.
00:18:34.93\00:18:36.79
And what happens is as we say it
00:18:36.80\00:18:38.37
that confidence
in our heart grows.
00:18:38.38\00:18:40.75
The faith muscle
inside of us grows.
00:18:40.76\00:18:45.51
Now, now there is
something extremely,
00:18:45.52\00:18:47.62
you know, it totally
says it's just part of life
00:18:47.63\00:18:49.63
and death on the tongue. Yeah.
00:18:49.64\00:18:51.94
And so, I mean, I
appreciate this and I mention,
00:18:51.95\00:18:54.65
I think that this
will probably touch
00:18:54.66\00:18:56.42
a lot of
people's heart out there.
00:18:56.43\00:18:58.59
You know, number one is
to go back and, and study,
00:18:58.60\00:19:03.04
I mean, this is a
great example right here.
00:19:03.05\00:19:05.50
Yeah. Are there other examples?
00:19:05.51\00:19:07.35
There are, well, I'll give
you a modern day example 'cause,
00:19:07.36\00:19:11.29
you know, you
talk about getting it
00:19:11.30\00:19:12.76
and to experience that.
00:19:12.77\00:19:15.03
I didn't really
understand how powerful
00:19:15.04\00:19:17.62
God's amazing grace
was, the power to change you,
00:19:17.63\00:19:21.06
and to cover you, and
to transform your life.
00:19:21.07\00:19:25.26
Until I worked at summer camp,
00:19:25.27\00:19:27.34
I know lots of
people go to summer camp,
00:19:27.35\00:19:29.18
they have a great time, but
I was working at a summer camp
00:19:29.19\00:19:32.13
in Yosemite National
Park and it was Camp Wawona.
00:19:32.14\00:19:36.43
And I was going on
a pack trip, you know,
00:19:36.44\00:19:39.46
all the kids load up
their horses within overnight,
00:19:39.47\00:19:42.85
sleeping bag and
a mat, they go out,
00:19:42.86\00:19:45.14
they ride their
horses out in the wilderness
00:19:45.15\00:19:46.88
and they stay
overnight in the woods.
00:19:46.89\00:19:49.13
I drove out, brought my guitar,
00:19:49.14\00:19:50.59
I was gonna do a
little worship for the kids.
00:19:50.60\00:19:53.54
And so I drove out to
the meadow we're at several,
00:19:53.55\00:19:56.56
several minutes away by truck
00:19:56.57\00:19:58.19
and about several
hours by horseback.
00:19:58.20\00:20:01.00
I'm checking on the horses
as they get out of the truck
00:20:01.01\00:20:03.51
and I'm walking by the horses
00:20:03.52\00:20:04.81
and I walked by this one horse.
00:20:04.82\00:20:07.75
And the saddle soaking
wet and it didn't take me long
00:20:07.76\00:20:13.60
to discover what had happened.
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.53
I got close and I
thought, these are teenagers.
00:20:15.54\00:20:20.53
What happened, some, some
young person had an accident?
00:20:20.54\00:20:25.01
They wet the horse.
I thought who would,
00:20:25.02\00:20:31.49
who would do that
and how did that happen.
00:20:31.50\00:20:34.12
So I made my way
out to the meadow,
00:20:34.13\00:20:35.88
as I was making
my way I thought,
00:20:35.89\00:20:37.06
oh, there is one boy
who is not a teenager.
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.90
He is a 10-year-old
boy, who is working,
00:20:39.91\00:20:43.78
his parents were
working at the camp,
00:20:43.79\00:20:45.92
and he was just a young
kid who went on the pack trip.
00:20:45.93\00:20:48.46
Now what, what must
have happened and sure enough
00:20:48.47\00:20:51.43
he's standing in line
with his legs crossed,
00:20:51.44\00:20:54.40
trying to stay out of sight.
00:20:54.41\00:20:56.64
And as I came up to him, I said,
00:20:56.65\00:20:59.13
"hey, you know,
Joshua, we need to go out back
00:20:59.14\00:21:01.64
and, and we need to go
for a walk in the meadow."
00:21:01.65\00:21:05.30
I wanted to get him
away from the teenagers
00:21:05.31\00:21:06.84
'cause I thought, boy,
if the teenagers, yeah,
00:21:06.85\00:21:08.74
if the teenagers
get a hold of him,
00:21:08.75\00:21:10.31
he's gonna be done,
he's gonna be finished.
00:21:10.32\00:21:12.72
Valuable lesson right
here, valuable lesson.
00:21:12.73\00:21:15.57
That's right,
so I pulled him out
00:21:15.58\00:21:17.36
and I walked him out and I said,
00:21:17.37\00:21:18.84
"Joshua, I notice
you, you wet the horse."
00:21:18.85\00:21:22.18
And tears started
streaming down his face,
00:21:22.19\00:21:24.68
the shame and the embarrassment.
00:21:24.69\00:21:26.37
He's started
crying, I don't know the
00:21:26.38\00:21:27.75
bears and the girls."
00:21:27.76\00:21:29.94
Of course, there are two things
00:21:29.95\00:21:31.72
that forced him to do
what he did and that was,
00:21:31.73\00:21:35.46
we told him not to go
in the woods by himself
00:21:35.47\00:21:37.32
because there
are bears out there.
00:21:37.33\00:21:39.06
So we trapped him,
then there are teenage girls
00:21:39.07\00:21:41.36
which are even more
frightening than bears,
00:21:41.37\00:21:43.82
and so he had his accident.
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.32
I walked him out to
the other end of the meadow
00:21:46.33\00:21:48.02
and I heard the
trickling of the creek, amen.
00:21:48.03\00:21:51.41
And I brought
him close and I said,
00:21:51.42\00:21:53.66
"Joshua let's, let's
get your change of clothes."
00:21:53.67\00:21:56.41
He says, "These are
all the clothes I have."
00:21:56.42\00:22:00.70
So I said, "Why
don't you come over here?"
00:22:00.71\00:22:02.85
And the thought came to me,
I know God put it in my mind
00:22:02.86\00:22:05.53
'cause I'd
never think like this.
00:22:05.54\00:22:08.24
I leaned over the
creek, I said, "Come here."
00:22:08.25\00:22:11.29
And when he got close
and I first splashed him
00:22:11.30\00:22:12.76
with a little water on his face.
00:22:12.77\00:22:14.09
And he said, "Hey,
you're gonna get me all wet."
00:22:14.10\00:22:18.33
So I started splashing him
and he started splashing me
00:22:18.34\00:22:21.37
and I put him in the
creek and I wash him back
00:22:21.38\00:22:24.07
and forth in a deeper portion,
kind of do a spins cycle.
00:22:24.08\00:22:26.98
We were soaking wet
up to our shoulders,
00:22:26.99\00:22:30.68
to the shoulders
down we were soaking wet.
00:22:30.69\00:22:34.88
And we walked back to
camp and one of the directors
00:22:34.89\00:22:37.22
and this young person
and kids asked the question,
00:22:37.23\00:22:41.05
"hey, what
happened to you guys."
00:22:41.06\00:22:44.46
No more shame, no more
guilt, completely free.
00:22:44.47\00:22:48.34
The young person answered
he says, "we got wet." Amen.
00:22:48.35\00:22:52.61
And that just reminded me
of that passage in Corinthians
00:22:52.62\00:22:55.28
where it says,
"The Christ who knew
00:22:55.29\00:22:57.31
no sin became sin for us,
00:22:57.32\00:23:01.33
that we might become
the righteousness of God."
00:23:01.34\00:23:06.73
And J.D., I want to walk
around with my head held high,
00:23:06.74\00:23:11.19
my heart humbled by this notion
00:23:11.20\00:23:14.24
that I am the righteousness
of God for what He did for me.
00:23:14.25\00:23:19.52
Amen. And I need to say it,
I need to answer that question
00:23:19.53\00:23:23.01
because even in the end,
00:23:23.02\00:23:24.79
how are we ever going to
stand up against the accusers,
00:23:24.80\00:23:30.60
you know, blame in court to us.
00:23:30.61\00:23:34.04
Revelation 12 talks about that.
00:23:34.05\00:23:36.35
How will they said? The
accuser stands before them
00:23:36.36\00:23:38.62
day and night, how
will we ever answer.
00:23:38.63\00:23:42.07
And they say, they testify,
we have the blood of the Lamb,
00:23:42.08\00:23:46.28
and that they don't love
their own lives even unto death.
00:23:46.29\00:23:48.32
That, that ability
to say that this is what
00:23:48.33\00:23:52.17
Christ has done
for me is powerful.
00:23:52.18\00:23:54.63
Amen. Is powerful, amen.
00:23:54.64\00:23:56.21
And what I also love is the way
00:23:56.22\00:23:57.80
that the Lord
touched your heart, yeah.
00:23:57.81\00:23:59.93
And He instilled
that grace through you,
00:23:59.94\00:24:02.01
you know, His grace.
You were emulating Him.
00:24:02.02\00:24:04.81
That's something
that Christ would do,
00:24:04.82\00:24:06.22
not to sit and
embarrass someone.
00:24:06.23\00:24:08.61
And you give Him the
praise and the glory.
00:24:08.62\00:24:11.68
That's right. And
God put this in my head.
00:24:11.69\00:24:13.78
That's right.
Walking toward a creek.
00:24:13.79\00:24:15.13
You're just
trying to wrap your arm
00:24:15.14\00:24:17.59
around this
precious young man and just,
00:24:17.60\00:24:19.63
where do I go from here and
the Lord gave you the answer.
00:24:19.64\00:24:22.88
Yeah, and that that
connects with what Paul said
00:24:22.89\00:24:25.00
about the
ministry of reconciliation.
00:24:25.01\00:24:26.98
If you have been bought
with that price and you know it,
00:24:26.99\00:24:31.31
you've answered that
question, no one condemns me,
00:24:31.32\00:24:34.45
I stand before God as His child,
00:24:34.46\00:24:37.60
saved and righteous.
00:24:37.61\00:24:40.09
Then what are you doing?
00:24:40.10\00:24:41.99
You have a Ministry of
Reconciliation to the world
00:24:42.00\00:24:46.21
that that your, what you emanate
00:24:46.22\00:24:49.20
and what you
live and how you live
00:24:49.21\00:24:51.59
is one of those grace oriented,
00:24:51.60\00:24:55.03
mercy driven
missions where you want others
00:24:55.04\00:24:59.43
to be covered just like that.
00:24:59.44\00:25:02.05
To, to release the shame of sin
00:25:02.06\00:25:04.74
and to walk in newness of life.
00:25:04.75\00:25:07.20
And like I said, you know,
earlier about the young kids,
00:25:07.21\00:25:11.04
it's an experiential thing
00:25:11.05\00:25:12.39
which you've got to
kind of taste and say
00:25:12.40\00:25:16.04
and see and
touch, and grapple with.
00:25:16.05\00:25:19.61
It's a question
that probably doesn't--
00:25:19.62\00:25:22.39
The first time you answered it,
00:25:22.40\00:25:23.54
it doesn't sound
believable to you,
00:25:23.55\00:25:25.73
but it is as you do it.
00:25:25.74\00:25:27.54
It's, I illustrated
this when I was in England
00:25:27.55\00:25:30.89
speaking there,
teaching the British
00:25:30.90\00:25:33.07
how to make a cup of tea.
00:25:33.08\00:25:34.99
And, of course,
they're the champions of this.
00:25:35.00\00:25:37.42
But I held out a
hot cup of water,
00:25:37.43\00:25:40.71
and a clear mug,
and I took the tea bag
00:25:40.72\00:25:43.03
and I dipped it
in there and I said,
00:25:43.04\00:25:44.95
"This is how you make tea."
And I took it out immediately.
00:25:44.96\00:25:47.16
And they all
looked at me and said,
00:25:47.17\00:25:48.36
"What are you,
what are you doing?
00:25:48.37\00:25:49.63
It's not how you make
tea, leave it in there."
00:25:49.64\00:25:51.97
And I said, "Okay."
00:25:51.98\00:25:53.19
And I left it in there for
three seconds and I pulled out.
00:25:53.20\00:25:56.45
They said, "no,
it's not long enough.
00:25:56.46\00:25:59.49
Leave it in there longer."
00:25:59.50\00:26:00.91
And sure enough as you
leave it in there what happens.
00:26:00.92\00:26:05.59
Well, that hot water
gets in to the bag of tea
00:26:05.60\00:26:09.34
and what's in the bag
tea gets into the hot water
00:26:09.35\00:26:12.28
and you see it's squeezing
out and changing the color
00:26:12.29\00:26:15.69
and the flavor and the richness,
00:26:15.70\00:26:17.88
and that's why I believe
that answering that question
00:26:17.89\00:26:20.72
is just like that little moment.
00:26:20.73\00:26:22.83
It's got to get in.
00:26:22.84\00:26:24.93
And these
questions that God ask,
00:26:24.94\00:26:26.65
they soak into us.
00:26:26.66\00:26:28.09
And the more we answer them,
00:26:28.10\00:26:29.47
squeezes that
flavor out and the more
00:26:29.48\00:26:31.86
we abide in the
richness of those moments
00:26:31.87\00:26:35.50
where we interact
back and forth with God,
00:26:35.51\00:26:39.26
then the flavor
of our lives change,
00:26:39.27\00:26:42.05
becomes rich and
deep, and you know,
00:26:42.06\00:26:44.46
the bottom-line for me is,
00:26:44.47\00:26:47.18
as I think about that is that's
00:26:47.19\00:26:50.79
answering that question.
00:26:50.80\00:26:53.27
It's so much more important
than answering the question
00:26:53.28\00:26:55.97
of how could God have
always been or did Adam
00:26:55.98\00:26:59.25
have a belly button, or
when is this gonna happen,
00:26:59.26\00:27:04.22
how is that gonna look?
00:27:04.23\00:27:06.56
When I look at
all those questions,
00:27:06.57\00:27:07.84
those questions just
they're shortsighted,
00:27:07.85\00:27:10.66
they're lame
questions compared to the ones
00:27:10.67\00:27:14.94
that Christ has for
me and as I answer them,
00:27:14.95\00:27:19.02
I'm different, I'm changed.
00:27:19.03\00:27:22.19
Well, I love about it,
is that we become one, yeah.
00:27:22.20\00:27:25.60
You know the, and the
more that we can verbalize it
00:27:25.61\00:27:29.27
not only to
ourselves internally,
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.01
but we're giving
Him and so then it just,
00:27:31.02\00:27:35.14
man, I can tell a story on that,
00:27:35.15\00:27:36.42
but we're running out of time.
00:27:36.43\00:27:39.32
That's the beauty. Amen.
00:27:39.33\00:27:40.30
We're just running out of time.
00:27:40.31\00:27:42.95
I just want to
appreciate you so much.
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.44
Thank you. Pastor
Troy for being here.
00:27:45.45\00:27:47.61
And I just, I know
that there is people
00:27:47.62\00:27:49.68
that are listening to this,
that that they maybe seeing us
00:27:49.69\00:27:52.66
for the first time.
00:27:52.67\00:27:53.79
God does ask me questions,
00:27:53.80\00:27:55.35
they'll go look in the
red print, Just respond.
00:27:55.36\00:27:58.12
Amen, amen. I
just want to thank you
00:27:58.13\00:28:02.53
each one of you for
being with us today.
00:28:02.54\00:28:04.03
Today is a
wonderful day in the Lord.
00:28:04.04\00:28:06.01
God bless each
and every one of you.
00:28:06.02\00:28:08.01
See you next time.
00:28:08.02\00:28:09.36