¤¤ 00:00:00.20\00:00:03.06 [ "He is Jealous for Me" plays ] 00:00:08.14\00:00:11.04 >> Sing "He is jealous." [ Congregation sings ] 00:00:23.92\00:00:28.72 ¤ Sing "He is jealous" ¤ [ Singing resumes ] 00:01:38.49\00:01:43.30 ¤ One more time ¤ 00:03:03.48\00:03:05.55 The last song that we are going to sing today is 00:04:33.97\00:04:37.17 "Here I Am to Worship." And what I particularly love 00:04:37.17\00:04:40.61 about this song, it's us declaring to God, "Here I am, 00:04:40.61\00:04:44.15 Lord. This is my decision to worship 00:04:44.15\00:04:46.68 and praise Your name." 00:04:46.68\00:04:48.32 So I invite you to come to the front and tell God, "Here I am, 00:04:48.48\00:04:52.49 Lord. Use me for whatever You need me to do, to be Your servant, Lord, whatever mission 00:04:52.49\00:05:01.20 You have for us." This is "Here I Am to Worship." [ Piano playing continues ] 00:05:01.20\00:05:06.60 [ Congregation sings ] 00:05:13.98\00:05:15.88 King of all days. 00:06:20.38\00:06:21.94 ¤ So here I am ¤ 00:06:52.07\00:06:54.21 >> ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ 00:09:03.91\00:09:07.64 ¤ Glory to God in the highest ¤ 00:09:07.64\00:09:11.08 ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God in the highest 00:09:11.25\00:09:20.39 ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God in the 00:09:20.39\00:09:27.86 highest ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God in 00:09:27.86\00:09:36.94 the highest ¤ ¤ Peace, goodwill ¤ ¤ Goodwill to all people on 00:09:36.94\00:09:44.41 Earth ¤ ¤ Peace and goodwill to all people on Earth ¤ ¤ Glory to 00:09:44.41\00:09:55.39 God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God in the highest ¤ ¤ Glory 00:09:55.39\00:10:02.56 to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God in the highest ¤ ¤ 00:10:02.56\00:10:14.18 Oh, mighty God ¤ ¤ Heavenly creator ¤ ¤ We worship You ¤ ¤ We give You thanks ¤ 00:10:14.18\00:10:26.52 ¤ We bless You ¤ ¤ We give You praise for Your glory ¤ 00:10:26.52\00:10:33.76 ¤ Glory to You in the highest ¤ ¤ In the highest ¤ ¤ Glory to 00:10:33.76\00:10:46.51 God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God in the highest ¤ ¤ Glory 00:10:46.51\00:10:53.82 to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ ¤ Glory to God ¤ 00:10:53.82\00:11:03.49 [ Music stops ] 00:11:03.49\00:11:05.93 >> March 2016 was a historical month for Cuba and its people. It wasn't only a special time 00:11:10.17\00:11:15.97 for politics and international relations but also because in the same place where the Castro 00:11:15.97\00:11:21.84 brothers started their communist revolution, a new revolution of 00:11:21.84\00:11:27.28 hope began. Known as the land of the sunrise, Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in the 00:11:27.28\00:11:33.19 country, hosted a group of 31 students and professors from Andrews University for 10 days, 00:11:33.19\00:11:39.56 who came to work with the local people in an evangelistic 00:11:39.56\00:11:44.33 campaign. >> I expected similar to other Hispanic cultures I've been in, but the biggest thing 00:11:44.33\00:11:50.01 is just people's hearts are open to hear the Gospel. >> I've been 00:11:50.01\00:11:53.94 totally blessed to be here. It's really humbling to come to a place like this, where they 00:11:53.94\00:11:57.58 have so little, and just see how happy they are and content, and just how active they are working 00:11:57.58\00:12:03.99 for God. >> Dwight Nelson preached for more than 2,000 00:12:03.99\00:12:08.72 people in Santiago's biggest auditorium. >> Hermanos y hermanas, I want you to notice, 00:12:08.72\00:12:14.36 please, we are now... Cuba's opening up, and we've had free access to the city. 00:12:14.36\00:12:18.23 We were walking all over the town. People are inviting us 00:12:18.23\00:12:22.04 into their homes. But it's humbling because they are so deeply passionate about 00:12:22.04\00:12:28.18 sharing the Gospel of Christ. [ Dog barks ] [ Indistinct 00:12:28.18\00:12:35.35 conversations ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> The group of missionaries also had the 00:12:35.35\00:12:40.82 opportunity to preach and to live and learn with the local people during this project. 00:12:40.82\00:12:45.19 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:12:45.19\00:12:47.00 >> As a result of this effort, more than 277 people were baptized on the last Sabbath of 00:13:12.55\00:13:18.46 the trip. But the real impact of this mission will only be known 00:13:18.46\00:13:22.40 in heaven. 00:13:22.40\00:13:23.43 Preparations for the next series are already in progress. 00:13:58.77\00:14:02.67 The next city to receive a delegation from 00:14:02.67\00:14:05.34 Andrews University will be the city of Holguín. 00:14:05.34\00:14:08.68 >> So, I'm of hope the best days for the Church in Cuba are 00:14:32.00\00:14:37.04 ahead. 00:14:37.04\00:14:38.41 [ Applause ] >> It really was one of those, "Wow, God" 00:14:45.01\00:14:49.55 experiences. Fernando Ortiz, director of the Master of Divinity program at the seminary 00:14:49.55\00:14:55.86 and organizer, leader. Why did you pick a communist nation, 00:14:55.86\00:15:01.23 this island in the Caribbean, as kind of your pasión? >> Cuba has 00:15:01.23\00:15:05.90 been in our hearts for years because when we first started doing these, nobody was going to 00:15:05.90\00:15:10.14 Cuba. No groups, no study tours were going there. So we said, 00:15:10.14\00:15:13.81 "Why not? Let's go there." Secondly, because they have been afflicted by 50 years of 00:15:13.81\00:15:18.38 communism, 50 years of closed doors, 50 years of not being able to hear or teach the 00:15:18.38\00:15:24.09 Gospel, that we said, "Let's go and do this there." And thirdly, 00:15:24.09\00:15:29.49 Dwight, we wanted our seminarians, this and other hundred -- 100 seminaries that 00:15:29.49\00:15:35.73 have gone -- to have the experience and work shoulder to shoulder with pastors, 00:15:35.73\00:15:41.34 evangelists, laypeople, and learn how to do evangelism door to door, friendship evangelism 00:15:41.34\00:15:46.51 and lifestyle evangelism. And fourthly, we wanted to go to Cuba, this country that is one 00:15:46.51\00:15:52.51 of the poorest in the hemisphere and give these folk resources. Give bicycles, give laptop 00:15:52.51\00:15:58.12 computers. There is the bicycles there. This year, we were able to give, because of your help 00:15:58.12\00:16:03.53 and all of these area churches' help, 100 bicycles. >> What was 00:16:03.53\00:16:09.26 very interesting about these bicycles in that convention center -- You have 100 bicycles. 00:16:09.26\00:16:12.80 300 people came forward to get them. >> [ Laughs ] 00:16:12.80\00:16:15.44 100 bicycles. 300 people thought they had earned those bicycles, 00:16:15.44\00:16:19.64 so we had a little problem there. And then 23 laptops, 10 tablets. So, we also want to 00:16:19.64\00:16:26.88 bring resources to them. >> And by the way, just looking at the bicycles, let's be clear. 00:16:26.88\00:16:31.52 We didn't go into this town cold turkey, five series around Santiago de Cuba, and suddenly 00:16:31.52\00:16:37.83 277 are baptized. The genius in your strategy was to hire Bible 00:16:37.83\00:16:42.66 workers the previous six months. It was their hard work we were 00:16:42.66\00:16:45.77 reaping. We did not do that hard work. >> Correct. We did the easy part, which was 00:16:45.77\00:16:49.37 just reaping. But six months prior, we went there. 00:16:49.37\00:16:52.11 We hired a number of Bible workers. Also pastors and 00:16:52.11\00:16:55.88 laypeople were engaged. So when we got there, there was an army of people ready for 00:16:55.88\00:16:59.71 baptism, and we had the privilege of seeing 277 individuals being buried in the 00:16:59.71\00:17:05.82 water for baptism. >> So, let's find out what God did in 00:17:05.82\00:17:10.66 Santiago. Let's go with the husband and wife team, Alejandro, Suranny. Come on up 00:17:10.66\00:17:16.23 here. You guys were -- We were living on the same street, actually, working on the same 00:17:16.23\00:17:21.24 church. Let's talk about the kids first, Suranny. You had 10 00:17:21.24\00:17:26.31 kids. I mean, what was it? >> I had 130 kids... [ Clears throat 00:17:26.31\00:17:32.18 ] Excuse me. ...average every night. These kids are precious. 00:17:32.18\00:17:35.68 I mean, these kids haven't been as bombarded with the media as 00:17:35.68\00:17:40.26 we have been here. They haven't been exposed to cellphones. So their minds are so open and 00:17:40.26\00:17:45.83 so receptive to the Gospel. The most simple thing that you can imagine means so much to 00:17:45.83\00:17:54.27 them, like a coloring pencil, paper. They don't have these 00:17:54.27\00:17:59.31 things. And they were just taking it all in every night and loving Jesus Christ. 00:17:59.31\00:18:05.31 >> And it was full decibels. Sandro and I are preaching. I mentioned this first service. 00:18:05.31\00:18:10.09 It was so loud that the deacons had to go and say, "Could we just be a little more quiet?" 00:18:10.09\00:18:15.26 They're just exuberant. >> Yes, they were. And 10 of them out of 00:18:15.26\00:18:21.23 the 130, 10 of them gave their lives to Jesus because they were receiving Bible studies. 00:18:21.23\00:18:25.63 >> Praise the Lord. >> And three of them -- Alejandro will tell 00:18:25.63\00:18:29.87 you -- three special girls that have a connection with us. >> Now, Suranny, these kids -- 00:18:29.87\00:18:34.51 You started with 60, 70. Of course, more kids came. How did that impact the meetings 00:18:34.51\00:18:40.18 where the adults were attending? >> Well, the kids come, and the parents come behind them, or 00:18:40.18\00:18:45.82 beside them. So, the more kids we have, the more adults we had, 00:18:45.82\00:18:50.06 so praise God for that. >> Praise God. >> Amen. 00:18:50.06\00:18:52.53 Now, Alejandro, you and Suranny were both working with this couple across the street. 00:18:52.53\00:18:57.70 Total desperation. How did you connect with them? And just a word or two about the 00:18:57.70\00:19:04.37 progress during those seven days. >> Well, I mean, before we 00:19:04.37\00:19:08.64 even met the couple, we had heard about them because they were infamously known throughout 00:19:08.64\00:19:14.45 the community because they're known for being drug -- sorry -- 00:19:14.45\00:19:20.79 alcoholics. >> Okay. >> And so, the next day we heard about 00:19:20.79\00:19:26.06 them. We had a huge burden to go and visit them. And when we got 00:19:26.06\00:19:30.50 to their home, the lady had just -- She was cutting her arms because she was crying because 00:19:30.50\00:19:39.51 she wanted to commit suicide. >> Wow. The moment I remember, 00:19:39.51\00:19:43.95 Suranny, you had brought some little toiletries down, nice, little Western materials. 00:19:43.95\00:19:48.92 You gave them to her to try to build this friendship. And what 00:19:48.92\00:19:53.86 did she do? She took them down the street, sold them, and bought more alcohol. 00:19:53.86\00:19:57.53 And I remember you in tears, and I'm just saying, "Oh!" The heartache of God when He 00:19:57.53\00:20:02.03 tries so hard, and people misunderstand. But -- Come on, 00:20:02.03\00:20:07.60 the story's not over. >> So, we developed a friendship with 00:20:07.60\00:20:10.81 them. We started studying the Bible, and they actually -- they started coming, both her husband 00:20:10.81\00:20:16.24 and her, and then the three little girls started coming every night, and they came as 00:20:16.24\00:20:21.85 Pastor Dwight and Sandro preached. They came up, and they 00:20:21.85\00:20:27.06 wanted to give their lives to Jesus. >> So, Alejandro, these people live just across from the 00:20:27.06\00:20:33.80 -- It's right in front, door to door. And they have never set 00:20:33.80\00:20:38.33 foot on this church, never. Dozens of years they have lived 00:20:38.33\00:20:42.54 there. What made the difference? Not only they came to church, to this evangelism, where Dwight 00:20:42.54\00:20:47.11 was preaching. They came at least four times. But on the last night, Dwight, 00:20:47.11\00:20:51.21 they came to your appeal last night to surrender their heart 00:20:51.21\00:20:55.08 to Jesus. Last night. >> Yeah. >> Previous night, they were 00:20:55.08\00:20:57.95 cutting themselves. What made the difference? >> I think what 00:20:57.95\00:21:02.52 really made the big difference is genuine relationship and desire to be their friend. 00:21:02.52\00:21:08.23 And we spent a lot of time with them. We spent a lot of time 00:21:08.23\00:21:11.97 praying with them and wanting to just be real with them and 00:21:11.97\00:21:17.77 become friends. >> Holy Spirit used your relationship just to draw them. Beautiful. 00:21:17.77\00:21:21.64 Hey, thanks, guys. Bless you. Jon, where are you? 00:21:21.64\00:21:24.65 Jon Tillay. Jon was a guy we were a little bit worried about. 00:21:24.65\00:21:28.52 We said, "Will we have to ship him home in an ambulance plane?" But, Jon, you survived. 00:21:28.52\00:21:34.12 >> I did. I did. I got sick, but I got better. >> Yeah, it was 00:21:34.12\00:21:38.39 just the last three or four days. >> Yeah. >> But it really 00:21:38.39\00:21:41.23 knocked the stuffing out of you. So, Jon, English, of course, is 00:21:41.23\00:21:45.43 your language. You speak español? >> Sí. >> Sí? 00:21:45.43\00:21:48.00 >> A little bit. >> So what did you do? You didn't preach in 00:21:48.00\00:21:52.21 español? >> I spoke mostly in English, but I would try and use my Spanish that I remembered 00:21:52.21\00:21:56.38 from high school, and the people seemed to appreciate it. And I even tricked them one 00:21:56.38\00:22:00.32 night. I started speaking in Spanish, and I said, "I have a 00:22:00.32\00:22:03.82 confession to make. I'm pregnant." [ Light laughter ] 00:22:03.82\00:22:07.49 They were very excited by that. But then I said, "Let me explain what I mean," and I told them 00:22:07.49\00:22:12.23 I'm full of joy, I'm full of peace, I'm full of hope because of what Jesus is doing here and 00:22:12.23\00:22:17.43 what he's going to do. >> Yeah. Oh, man. >> Now, Jon, as a 00:22:17.43\00:22:20.97 seminary student, what was it like to go there and -- Most of the time you had a translator. 00:22:20.97\00:22:25.97 What was it like to preach and be translated to, and what's it like to preach in a communist 00:22:25.97\00:22:31.81 country? >> It was a really humbling experience for me. 00:22:31.81\00:22:35.48 The first Sabbath that I was gonna speak, the pastor, before I even preached, said, "By the 00:22:35.48\00:22:40.22 way, those of you who are gonna be baptized, just stand up," and half the congregation literally 00:22:40.22\00:22:44.93 stood to their feet. So I'm thinking, "Well, what am I here 00:22:44.93\00:22:47.86 for?" [ Light laughter ] But I was there to be blessed by their faith and be reminded of 00:22:47.86\00:22:52.30 the simplicity and the beauty of the Gospel. >> Yeah. 00:22:52.30\00:22:55.60 Thank you, Jon. Let's talk about housing arrangements. 00:22:55.60\00:22:59.64 That would be Ray and Sheldon. Come on up, guys. So, they put 00:22:59.64\00:23:05.45 you up in a local motel? >> Well, actually what happened with us was we stayed in one of 00:23:05.45\00:23:10.85 the pastors' houses there. He hosted us. So, five of us were 00:23:10.85\00:23:16.32 living in a part of their house. >> You think about it, Ray. They opened their house up to 00:23:16.32\00:23:21.56 five strangers. Very little space. They kind of stacked the 00:23:21.56\00:23:25.20 rooms on top of each other. That really was a gift from Him. 00:23:25.20\00:23:28.60 Yeah. So how'd you do with the meals? >> Well, it wasn't just five of us who was eating in 00:23:28.60\00:23:35.68 this little table. Pastor Nelson and Pastor Ron and another Cuban 00:23:35.68\00:23:40.48 man was joining us every day, so there's eight of us eating at that little table you see right 00:23:40.48\00:23:45.85 there. Little table. And I can tell you, the food was not 00:23:45.85\00:23:49.92 enough. And so, I mean, eight grown men eating at this -- I mean, it wasn't enough, I can 00:23:49.92\00:23:55.80 say. So, there's some time. Pastor Nelson comes maybe a 00:23:55.80\00:24:01.04 little bit later? And I felt sorry for him because there's no more food left for him. 00:24:01.04\00:24:04.27 [ Laughter ] >> What's up with that? >> So, he catch on very 00:24:04.27\00:24:08.81 quick. So, he comes early. [ Laughter ] >> And he eats all of 00:24:08.81\00:24:12.08 the food. >> Eats all the meal. >> I'm telling you, these guys are like vacuum cleaners, 00:24:12.08\00:24:15.85 man. Just kchhh! If you're not there, you're 00:24:15.85\00:24:19.39 dead. >> But he catch on. He comes early to every meal 00:24:19.39\00:24:23.26 now. >> Yeah, I do. I'm doing that at home now, too. 00:24:23.26\00:24:27.30 Ray, this one-legged man, or no-legged man. Come on. What's 00:24:27.30\00:24:32.27 up? >> Well, I got to share with you this story. This guy's name 00:24:32.27\00:24:35.94 is Miguel. A few years ago, his house was basically ruined by 00:24:35.94\00:24:40.41 Hurricane Sandy. How many of you guys remember that? And he was a veteran, so he lost 00:24:40.41\00:24:45.98 his leg. And look at his house. It was just ruined. 00:24:45.98\00:24:50.29 But this man was so dedicated. He comes to our meeting. I mean, 00:24:50.29\00:24:56.69 with his crutches, coming in with one leg. And he comes there 00:24:56.69\00:25:00.53 night after night. And whenever we would go and visit him, the note that he was taking in the 00:25:00.53\00:25:05.83 seminar, he would read and study this thing over and over again. He was so faithful in taking 00:25:05.83\00:25:10.11 notes. And so, when he would go back, he would study them, and 00:25:10.11\00:25:13.58 we learned that he didn't have a Bible. And the day he got the 00:25:13.58\00:25:17.31 Bible, we would be able to go and see and visit him. This guy would study his Bible. 00:25:17.31\00:25:21.35 He would mark his Bible. He would put paper outside and just mark all of his Bible. 00:25:21.35\00:25:26.62 And so, we were just so blessed, this man. And he had one thing 00:25:26.62\00:25:31.53 to say. He said, "There's one thing I regret in life." He said, "I got to know God a 00:25:31.53\00:25:36.10 little bit later in my life." He said, "I wish I had known God earlier in my life." 00:25:36.10\00:25:41.04 >> Yeah. Bless you, Ray and Sheldon. Hey, guys, would you be 00:25:41.04\00:25:44.74 -- If they contacted us next week and said we're gonna go back for two more weeks to 00:25:44.74\00:25:49.64 Santiago, would you be willing to go? >> Yes. >> Absolutely. 00:25:49.64\00:25:52.25 Yeah. Incredible. Lindsay and Annie. Lindsay and Annie, come 00:25:52.25\00:26:00.22 on up. >> So, tell us a little bit about visitation. Dwight, what we do there is that 00:26:00.22\00:26:04.39 we go boots in the ground. We don't go there just for a weekend series, two, three days. 00:26:04.39\00:26:08.96 We preach on that. We do what we call immersion evangelism. 00:26:08.96\00:26:12.17 We live with them. We eat with them. We go door to door with 00:26:12.17\00:26:15.60 them. Tell us a little bit about going out with Bible workers, pastors, and laypeople about the 00:26:15.60\00:26:21.81 neighborhood and visiting them. >> What I like the most is the relationship that we build very 00:26:21.81\00:26:27.82 quickly with leaders and the people that we're working with. I also enjoyed the fact that 00:26:27.82\00:26:34.26 they had little, but they give everything that they had. And most other people that we 00:26:34.26\00:26:40.13 went to visit, they were waiting for something to be said to them, which means they were 00:26:40.13\00:26:45.10 waiting for that hope and receiving it with a happy heart. 00:26:45.10\00:26:50.41 >> Yeah. >> Lindsay, you went door to door. What did you find 00:26:50.41\00:26:54.38 when you went to those doors? What did you find and what did 00:26:54.38\00:26:58.11 you take away? >> We went door to door. They are very poor. Their houses, very simple. 00:26:58.11\00:27:04.95 Maybe a picture on the wall. They pull everything they have to sit on for you to come in and 00:27:04.95\00:27:10.36 sit, and they invite you into their house openly. They are -- 00:27:10.36\00:27:15.43 You guys were physically hungry at your house. They are so spiritually hungry that they 00:27:15.43\00:27:21.04 just soak in everything. >> Now, Lindsay, the last day, when everything was said and 00:27:21.04\00:27:25.51 done, you approached me and you said, "I'm so sad that we couldn't do something more." 00:27:25.51\00:27:30.45 And I thought you were going to say, "Well, let's spend one more day at the beach or go to the 00:27:30.45\00:27:35.65 shopping center" or something. But you said, "I wish I would have been able to visit more, go 00:27:35.65\00:27:40.66 door to door more." Why? >> I think because door to door 00:27:40.66\00:27:45.86 is so foundational. So, they were there six months ahead of 00:27:45.86\00:27:49.50 time, the Bible workers, going door to door. When we went through the communities, these 00:27:49.50\00:27:53.60 Bible workers knew every single person they came in contact with, and they were inviting 00:27:53.60\00:27:57.71 them to the meetings, and that's why people came to the meetings, because they got to go in the 00:27:57.71\00:28:02.21 houses, we got to go in the houses and to share the love of 00:28:02.21\00:28:05.45 Jesus with them. And they were excited to come learn more when they came out. >> Amen. 00:28:05.45\00:28:08.85 >> Lindsay, Annie, bless you. They really are a people with a 00:28:08.85\00:28:12.39 big heart. Just a big, big heart. Fernando, you and Ron Whitehead go over in October, 00:28:12.39\00:28:19.13 kind of case the city out, got to find that convention center and made the arrangements for 00:28:19.13\00:28:23.63 it. You met a woman playing the piano at a little place, a hotel where you were eating. 00:28:23.63\00:28:29.70 You heard a Christian song and started into that Spanish love song medley, and you knew 00:28:29.70\00:28:36.24 something's up. >> Something was up. So, we were there, and then 00:28:36.24\00:28:40.48 she played the contemporary songs and Cuban songs, popular music. She played one Christian 00:28:40.48\00:28:46.22 song, so immediately I went to the piano, and I said, "Are you 00:28:46.22\00:28:50.29 a Christian?" And she says, "Yes, I am. Are you a Christian?" I said, "Sure, I 00:28:50.29\00:28:54.00 am." And we started a conversation. And I said, "In six months, we're going to come 00:28:54.00\00:28:57.87 here. We're going to have an evangelism. Would you like to 00:28:57.87\00:29:00.57 come?" And then when we went there -- >> When we got there 00:29:00.57\00:29:03.61 six months later. >> When we got there six months later, I call her. And I said, "Would you come 00:29:03.61\00:29:08.54 to the meetings?" She said, "Well, I play the piano every night, but I may go 00:29:08.54\00:29:12.91 a few times. I will go a few times. But this first Sunday, 00:29:12.91\00:29:18.42 would you come to my Pentecostal church to preach?" And then I ask, "Dania, have you 00:29:18.42\00:29:25.36 asked your pastor?" [ Light laughter ] And she says, "No." 00:29:25.36\00:29:29.03 [ Laughter ] And I said, "You better ask your pastor." 00:29:29.03\00:29:32.50 She called the pastor, who was away, out of town, and the pastor says, "Who?" 00:29:32.50\00:29:36.50 She says, "Three Seventh-Day Adventist preachers -- I'm inviting three Seventh-Day 00:29:36.50\00:29:40.78 Adventist preachers to come and preach in our Pentecostal 00:29:40.78\00:29:44.68 church!" And the pastor said, "Well, let me think about it." [ 00:29:44.68\00:29:48.18 Laughter ] Next day, he called her, and he said, "Dania, I don't know what's going on, but 00:29:48.18\00:29:53.82 something tells me we should let them preach." >> Isn't that 00:29:53.82\00:29:57.26 something? >> "And if I'm feeling that in my heart, it must come from God, so please 00:29:57.26\00:30:02.10 call them and tell them come and preach in our Pentecostal church." >> Wow. Yeah. 00:30:02.10\00:30:05.80 And we had the privilege, Sandro and I and you and Ron in that packed, little -- What is it? 00:30:05.80\00:30:12.04 60, 70 people into a living room essentially, yeah. >> And the 00:30:12.04\00:30:17.15 way we introduced ourselves was...? >> And then they come, but they come to our meeting. 00:30:17.15\00:30:21.02 She shows up. She brings her mother, she brings her next-door 00:30:21.02\00:30:24.89 neighbor friend who has two sons, who brings those boys. And they were there for those 00:30:24.89\00:30:29.49 appeals. >> They were there. They came to a few of the 00:30:29.49\00:30:32.29 meetings. They came for the last meeting. By the way, on the last 00:30:32.29\00:30:35.86 weekend, we had all of the five churches gather in one convention center, and they came 00:30:35.86\00:30:40.24 to that, too. >> Yeah. One more story from you. This was one of 00:30:40.24\00:30:44.27 the most moving moments for me, was when you had the three mountain missionaries up front. 00:30:44.27\00:30:48.71 I don't think I need to unpack that story too much before we roll the video, except to say 00:30:48.71\00:30:53.75 you were gonna buy them a special gift for their -- up 00:30:53.75\00:30:58.19 into the hills. >> The special gift is -- They said, "No car will go where we go. 00:30:58.19\00:31:02.59 We need some donkeys or some horses." So we collected money 00:31:02.59\00:31:07.03 around the Berrien Springs area, including PMC. And we got some 00:31:07.03\00:31:11.03 money, so we also -- They also said, "Whenever we go to the mountain, we need a place to 00:31:11.03\00:31:16.40 stay, number one, and a place for us to plant a few churches. Could you collect some money for 00:31:16.40\00:31:20.64 two houses?" And we did. The community rallied around 00:31:20.64\00:31:23.65 this project. We collected money for two houses, so that day, 00:31:23.65\00:31:28.78 Dwight, we presented money for the two houses and the money for the donkeys and horses, and 00:31:28.78\00:31:35.16 something unexpected happened. Let's watch to see what 00:31:35.16\00:31:39.16 happened. [ Applause ] 00:32:43.02\00:32:44.36 [ Applause ] 00:33:27.70\00:33:29.37 [ Applause ] 00:34:01.34\00:34:02.90 >> His tears. That was no playacting. I mean, that was a 00:34:12.48\00:34:16.38 spontaneous moment. He had no idea. You had no idea there'd be 00:34:16.38\00:34:19.55 a computer left because you planned to give them all away, but one mysteriously ended up, 00:34:19.55\00:34:24.26 and on the spot, the Holy Spirit says, "You give it to this young 00:34:24.26\00:34:27.96 man." You did, and then he starts crying. >> One computer 00:34:27.96\00:34:31.50 was left over, and we said, "Well, this is a computer that probably belongs to somebody 00:34:31.50\00:34:35.57 else but didn't come today. Let's give it to them." And they were blessed by it. 00:34:35.57\00:34:38.31 >> Yeah, that was beautiful. One more of our team. Natiéli, come 00:34:38.31\00:34:45.21 on up. Natiéli, you served in a very interesting church that goes by the name Pork Chops. 00:34:45.21\00:34:49.25 >> Pork Chops, yes. Chicharrones in Spanish. >> Chicharrones 00:34:49.25\00:34:52.92 Seventh-Day Adventist Church. >> Yes. And the very first night we 00:34:52.92\00:34:55.96 were there, they taught us their motto. They said, "No, we have 00:34:55.96\00:35:00.96 here a motto, and the motto is 'Chicharrones para Cristo.'" That literally means "pork chops 00:35:00.96\00:35:07.14 for God," yeah. For Christ. So, yeah. 00:35:07.14\00:35:10.27 >> That's vegetarian pork chops. >> Yeah. >> What happened to 00:35:10.27\00:35:14.94 this building that left it in just incredible shape? >> Yes. 00:35:14.94\00:35:18.45 A few years ago, their church was destroyed by Hurricane 00:35:18.45\00:35:23.18 Sandy. >> Sí. >> And what they have now as the "church" is 00:35:23.18\00:35:29.32 literally -- They don't have walls, and it's just some things that they grabbed that was left 00:35:29.32\00:35:34.86 over from the church, and they just pretend there's a roof. >> The roof blew off, and they 00:35:34.86\00:35:38.70 took the sides to make it back into a roof, and then they just propped some stuff up. 00:35:38.70\00:35:42.94 >> Exactly. >> Unbelievable. >> And the passion that this 00:35:42.94\00:35:46.44 congregation has for God. You know, I have to really hold myself or I'm going to start 00:35:46.44\00:35:52.15 crying here because it's impressive. It's really 00:35:52.15\00:35:55.55 touching. The passion that they have for God, even that they have so little, so little, but 00:35:55.55\00:36:00.32 the little that they have, they give it to God. >> Yeah. 00:36:00.32\00:36:04.53 >> Natiéli, is there a possibility that in 100 years, with their own funds, they could 00:36:04.53\00:36:09.40 rebuild that church? >> Maybe in 100 years, yes. But they've been 00:36:09.40\00:36:16.74 praying for a church, for a building, a proper building to worship God. And I feel that is 00:36:16.74\00:36:23.21 not just a project. It's a dream that they have, to have this nice place to worship 00:36:23.21\00:36:28.82 God. And not just because of that, but Chicharrones, the 00:36:28.82\00:36:32.85 neighborhood, it's up in a hill, and the place that the church is, is kind of open. 00:36:32.85\00:36:40.96 So, from far away, you can see the church. >> Perfect 00:36:40.96\00:36:47.90 situation. >> Exactly. If they have a nice place, a nice sign, 00:36:47.90\00:36:51.77 they can be -- >> Church on a hill. >> Yes. They can be like a 00:36:51.77\00:36:55.38 light for all the neighborhood. >> Pastor, what can we do? >> We want to build a new church 00:36:55.38\00:37:00.28 for Pork Chops. Imagine. "PMC" starts with a "P." 00:37:00.28\00:37:03.95 "Pork Chops" starts with a "P." So probably we can adopt this as 00:37:03.95\00:37:08.99 our church. So, we thought, "How about if the Berrien Springs church areas that have so much 00:37:08.99\00:37:15.06 helped us with mission outposts, with 100 bicycles, 23 computers, 10 tablets, how about if we, 00:37:15.06\00:37:20.24 these next six months, says, 'Listen, I'm going to rally and I'm going to help.'" 00:37:20.24\00:37:25.54 We need only $20,000. Usually we need $1 million to build a church here, Dwight. 00:37:25.54\00:37:29.81 We need only $20,000. So, would you today say, "Listen, I'm 00:37:29.81\00:37:35.12 going to give $20, $50, $100 for this project." >> What's that website? >> Careforcuba.org. 00:37:35.12\00:37:41.12 Careforcuba.org. You can go there and donate, or today you can mark your envelope 00:37:41.12\00:37:45.39 "Care for Cuba" and we'll use it for that. >> Yeah. Praise God. 00:37:45.39\00:37:48.83 Thank you for leading us. Thank you for the incredible 00:37:48.83\00:37:52.43 experience. Put your hands together for this team. [ 00:37:52.43\00:37:55.37 Applause ] They represented Andrews. They represented Christ so well. Praise God. 00:37:55.37\00:37:59.14 Thank you, guys. Bless you, bless you, bless you. >> What a wonderful Sabbath day. 00:37:59.14\00:38:08.15 It kind of feels like Christmas. Oh, the other way around. Sorry. 00:38:08.15\00:38:12.32 Buenos días. >> Good morning. >> Hermanos y hermanas... 00:38:12.32\00:38:16.46 >> Brothers and sisters... >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> "Those of 00:38:16.46\00:38:23.10 you that don't speak Spanish do not know what I'm saying." [ 00:38:23.10\00:38:27.07 Laughter ] >> Es la verdad. That is true. [ Both chuckle ] 00:38:27.07\00:38:30.07 [ Speaking Spanish ] >> So, the Latinos -- mother tongue, 00:38:30.07\00:38:37.51 Spanish -- have a proverb. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] Amen? 00:38:37.51\00:38:43.22 [ Audience cheers ] >> "In heaven, in heaven, the language 00:38:43.22\00:38:48.76 is Spanish." >> Amen. >> Pero. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:38:48.76\00:38:54.96 [ Laughter ] >> "But the entrance exam is in English." 00:38:54.96\00:38:57.93 Put your hands together. >> [ Laughs ] [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:38:57.93\00:39:06.11 >> "We've actually traded roles in our preaching this morning." >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:39:06.11\00:39:12.65 >> "Because we want you to have to experience having to wait..." >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:39:12.65\00:39:20.79 >> "...to figure out what the guy up front is actually 00:39:20.79\00:39:23.56 saying." [ Laughter ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> "And the only way the two of 00:39:23.56\00:39:28.90 us can do this..." >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Laughter ] 00:39:28.90\00:39:35.20 >> "...is for Dwight to write the whole thing out." [ Laughter 00:39:35.20\00:39:39.94 ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> "So he can know what in the world Sandro is preaching." 00:39:39.94\00:39:45.31 >> You know what? Why don't you take it from here? >> Okay. 00:39:45.31\00:39:48.55 >> Yeah. >> We wanted to do this little, this little moment to 00:39:48.55\00:39:53.92 drive home two realities. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Reality 00:39:53.92\00:39:59.26 number one. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> How vital is the role of a translator in 00:39:59.26\00:40:03.77 communicating the Gospel. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And reality number two. 00:40:03.77\00:40:10.31 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Número dos. >> Number two, in 00:40:10.31\00:40:14.04 case you didn't know. [ Laughter ] >> How grateful I am for the 00:40:14.04\00:40:18.21 ministry of Sandro. >> Oh. [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:40:18.21\00:40:22.38 >> A fluent bilingual preacher and seminarian. >> [ Speaking 00:40:22.38\00:40:27.72 Spanish ] >> And this little -- this little moment up front gives me the chance to publicly 00:40:27.72\00:40:32.63 thank him for the incredible job he did. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:40:32.63\00:40:36.33 [ Applause ] Thank you very much. Thank you, Dwight. >> Because every -- Because 00:40:36.33\00:40:40.77 every preacher knows... >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> ...that when the Holy Spirit 00:40:40.77\00:40:46.41 hits spiritual pay dirt... >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> ...it's 00:40:46.41\00:40:52.61 through the translator, not the preacher. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> People were responding to 00:40:52.61\00:40:57.55 his altar calls, not mine. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> So it's humbling to partner 00:40:57.55\00:41:03.16 together for the glory -- gloria a Dios. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 00:41:03.16\00:41:10.17 >> Gracias, amigo Sandro. >> Thank you, my friend Sandro. >> 00:41:10.17\00:41:15.30 Thank you. Bless you. [ Applause ] 00:41:15.30\00:41:18.14 I tweeted Sandro the other day. I said, "Listen, any time 00:41:18.31\00:41:21.48 something comes up that's in español anywhere on this planet, 00:41:21.48\00:41:24.85 let's the two of us go, and I hope something does come up." 00:41:24.85\00:41:28.12 He's the best translator I've had working with that particular 00:41:28.12\00:41:30.99 language, and it was a blessing for me. 00:41:30.99\00:41:32.92 Okay, speaking of proverbs, there's one more. 00:41:32.92\00:41:35.39 We're gonna do this in just seconds, but I don't want to leave without you seeing this 00:41:35.56\00:41:39.76 proverb. The Book of Proverbs 13:12. Book of Proverbs 13:12. 00:41:39.76\00:41:46.33 I want this to stick in your minds. See, we have this little 00:41:46.33\00:41:49.07 miniseries going on for springtime, "Chasing Hope." 00:41:49.07\00:41:53.38 That's the series, "Chasing Hope." Last time "From an Empty Tomb," this time "To an Empty 00:41:53.38\00:41:57.61 World." "Chasing Hope." Proverbs 13:12. Solomon, the king, 00:41:57.61\00:42:02.45 writing... Hey, listen, amigos y amigas. 00:42:10.36\00:42:12.86 The fact of the matter is, we are living in a world that is 00:42:13.03\00:42:18.47 heartsick. There is no hope. There is no hope in the civilization in which we live 00:42:18.47\00:42:22.87 today. You want to take that alcoholic that Suranny and 00:42:22.87\00:42:26.81 Alejandro just talked about? Sandro and I didn't know this, but one night when we were 00:42:26.81\00:42:31.01 preaching, he came into the back of the church with a knife, looking for his wife. 00:42:31.01\00:42:36.22 We just kept preaching. That man desperately hopeless. But I will assure you that the 00:42:36.22\00:42:44.39 alcoholic Wall Street executive has not a shred of more hope than that alcoholic Cuban 00:42:44.39\00:42:51.43 husband. Self-medicating desperately, both of them, 00:42:51.43\00:42:57.47 because there's no hope. 00:42:57.47\00:42:58.94 It reminds me of what Craig Barnes wrote in his little 00:42:59.11\00:43:02.21 book, "Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our 00:43:02.21\00:43:05.28 Longings." Put it on the screen for you. 00:43:05.28\00:43:07.65 "Despair is invariably a spiritual issue. 00:43:07.65\00:43:10.19 It is a hopelessness --" there's that word -- "that emerges when 00:43:10.19\00:43:13.92 we believe that there is no mystery left in our lives." 00:43:13.92\00:43:17.19 That, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of the human race. 00:43:17.19\00:43:19.43 No mystery left. We have been told there is no 00:43:19.43\00:43:22.13 future. Grab for all the gusto you can. 00:43:22.13\00:43:24.53 You only go through this life once. 00:43:24.53\00:43:26.74 And we have imbibed on that life world view. 00:43:26.74\00:43:31.87 In fact, the bright among us, like astrophysicist 00:43:31.87\00:43:35.14 Stephen Hawking, paint a rather brutal description of their 00:43:35.14\00:43:38.98 opinion about this planet and their world view. 00:43:38.98\00:43:42.15 Put Hawking's words on the screen for you... 00:43:42.15\00:43:45.25 How many people on this planet value the intellectual acuity of 00:43:58.53\00:44:01.64 that man and say, "Well, if he has no hope, why would I have 00:44:01.64\00:44:04.54 any hope?" We live in a world that is 00:44:04.54\00:44:08.34 heartsick because hope deferred makes the heart sick. 00:44:08.34\00:44:11.81 It's like the postmodern writer Richard Ford describes this 00:44:11.81\00:44:15.92 world -- put his words on the screen as well. 00:44:15.92\00:44:18.52 This is a world "exactly like --" oh, boy, this is 00:44:18.52\00:44:21.49 good -- "exactly like when you were young and dreaming of your 00:44:21.49\00:44:25.06 family's vacation. Only when the trip was over, you 00:44:25.06\00:44:28.00 were left with the empty husks of your dreams and the fear that 00:44:28.00\00:44:31.60 that's mostly what life will be -- the husks of your dreams 00:44:31.60\00:44:34.97 lying around you. I suppose," Richard Ford writes, 00:44:34.97\00:44:38.01 "I will always fear that whatever this is, is it. 00:44:38.01\00:44:42.78 And in the words of that old Peggy Lee song, "Is that all 00:44:42.78\00:44:46.45 there is?" Is that all there is? 00:44:46.45\00:44:51.55 [ Scoffs ] Proverbs 13:12. 00:44:51.55\00:44:53.89 "Hope deferred." That's what's happening on this 00:44:53.89\00:44:56.69 planet. "Hope deferred makes the heart 00:44:56.69\00:44:58.99 sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." 00:44:58.99\00:45:03.90 But the truth is -- and we need the wise king at the jaded 00:45:03.90\00:45:07.60 portion of his life, by the way, when he scribbled down the line, 00:45:07.60\00:45:11.44 Ecclesiastes 3:11. Let's put that on the screen. 00:45:11.44\00:45:15.04 This is a critical reminder. "God has put eternity in their 00:45:15.04\00:45:18.51 hearts." Whose heart? 00:45:18.51\00:45:19.81 The hearts of the human race. Guess what. 00:45:19.81\00:45:22.05 We are all born rebels from the kingdom. 00:45:22.05\00:45:25.75 But, but, but, but, pero. Every human heart is birthed with the flicker of divine hope 00:45:25.92\00:45:32.93 that there is something more. If God did not implant that, we are dead meat, and that's all we 00:45:32.93\00:45:38.57 are, is meat. But God implants in every human heart the realization that what 00:45:38.57\00:45:43.47 I'm touching, what I'm feeling, what I'm sensing, there is more 00:45:43.47\00:45:47.54 than this. He has planted eternity in the human heart so that we dare to believe this 00:45:47.54\00:45:56.12 can't be all. Supernatural infusion, or we'd all be lost. And it is to awaken that 00:45:56.12\00:46:02.59 implanted hope that God now sends forth those who are 00:46:02.59\00:46:07.30 hope-full. And who are the hope-full? They're the people who believe this word. 00:46:07.30\00:46:10.77 They're the people who believe. 00:46:10.77\00:46:12.87 Titus 2:11. What kind of hope is that? 00:46:13.03\00:46:15.47 Let's read it out loud together... 00:46:15.47\00:46:18.07 I want to direct your attention to the rose window high over my 00:46:27.05\00:46:30.85 head right now. You see that picture of Jesus on the cloud? That's the blessed hope. 00:46:30.85\00:46:35.02 That's what ignites a group of people on this planet who call themselves Adventists. 00:46:35.02\00:46:41.33 They believe Christ is coming soon. We have this hope, this 00:46:41.33\00:46:46.60 blessed, blessed hope. Christ for the world we sing, the world of Christ we bring. 00:46:46.60\00:46:52.11 We sing it. Why? Because hope is a person. And that person is our 00:46:52.11\00:46:57.11 savior and our friend. And he says, "Please, for me, take 00:46:57.11\00:47:03.35 this. Take me to the world. I am what they are desperately self-medicating for. 00:47:03.35\00:47:10.46 I am the hope of this civilization." 00:47:10.46\00:47:15.00 Because you see, the mission of the hope-full -- Put that on the 00:47:15.16\00:47:18.17 screen for you. This is your take-home line. 00:47:18.17\00:47:20.37 The mission of the hope-full is always to the hope-less. 00:47:20.37\00:47:25.04 I'm gonna repeat that. The mission of the hope-full -- 00:47:25.04\00:47:28.71 present company -- is always to the hope-less. 00:47:28.71\00:47:32.41 Like that little man. I want to linger on him just a 00:47:32.41\00:47:35.45 little more, this man with one leg. 00:47:35.45\00:47:37.62 Put him on the screen -- Miguel. That's in front of his house. 00:47:37.62\00:47:40.62 Hurricane Sandy, years ago -- What has it been? 00:47:40.62\00:47:42.49 Three years, four years ago? Hurricane Sandy removed the 00:47:42.49\00:47:44.63 roof. He's never been able to replace 00:47:44.63\00:47:46.16 it. That's his home. 00:47:46.16\00:47:47.50 One leg. But he hobbles around Santiago 00:47:47.50\00:47:49.93 because he has found the truth as it is in Jesus, as you and I 00:47:49.93\00:47:53.57 know it. And there's a picture of him in 00:47:53.57\00:47:55.67 one of our meetings, studying his Bible. 00:47:55.67\00:47:57.64 You see how well-marked and tabbed it is. 00:47:57.64\00:47:59.64 The man has hope, and he's trying to tell the world. 00:47:59.64\00:48:02.88 Why? Because the mission of the hope-full is always to the 00:48:02.88\00:48:06.35 hope-less. 00:48:06.35\00:48:07.82 Which is why we went to Cuba. And I'll tell you what. There's no way to describe the 00:48:07.98\00:48:11.65 joy of this picture that you see on the screen. How do you describe the joy of 00:48:11.65\00:48:15.69 witnessing 277 individuals follow Jesus in baptism on a crowded beach where all the 00:48:15.69\00:48:20.93 spectators now are just gawking? "What is going on here?" When you have hope, you go to 00:48:20.93\00:48:29.14 the hopeless. It's why I got an e-mail just a few days ago from 00:48:29.14\00:48:32.31 Robert Folkenberg Jr. He says, "Dwight, I know this is a very short notice, but we've 00:48:32.31\00:48:36.41 just had a city open up in communist China." I'm not gonna 00:48:36.41\00:48:40.15 tell you the name of the city. "The city has opened up, and the government officials say you may 00:48:40.15\00:48:44.02 bring in a foreign preacher for the first time. Would you be 00:48:44.02\00:48:47.86 willing to go?" And in four weeks, I'll be over there. I 00:48:47.86\00:48:50.89 cleared the deck. We're gonna go to that city because it's a city 00:48:50.89\00:48:54.83 without hope. And you and I have the hope, and we must share it. That's why Hope Trending -- 00:48:54.83\00:48:59.63 That's why Hope Trending is coming. A crash course in how to 00:48:59.63\00:49:03.51 live without fear. 27 weeks from this day. Look at the cover of 00:49:03.51\00:49:06.81 your bulletin. Hope Trending. Have you already forgotten about 00:49:06.81\00:49:09.74 Hope Trending? Let's just run that brief little video, please. 00:49:09.74\00:49:13.95 Ever since its birth, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has 00:49:16.99\00:49:19.45 embraced its apocalyptic mission to spread the Everlasting Gospel 00:49:19.45\00:49:22.86 of Christ to the world. We've held sprawling 00:49:22.86\00:49:25.66 evangelistic camp meetings and operated massive literature 00:49:25.66\00:49:28.33 evangelism ministries. 00:49:28.33\00:49:29.96 In the 20th century, we quickly adopted the new technologies of radio and then television, 00:49:30.13\00:49:34.70 culminating in the worldwide satellite events known as the 00:49:34.70\00:49:39.01 net series. Today, in a world captivated by fear, the changing face of society, and the 00:49:39.01\00:49:43.91 relentless march of the Information Age present a new set of challenges to the way we 00:49:43.91\00:49:49.02 approach global evangelism. What sort of challenges? First, in the past, unless you 00:49:49.02\00:49:52.75 had a specially calibrated satellite dish, the only way that people could join the event 00:49:52.75\00:49:57.03 was to visit their local Adventist church. But for many, 00:49:57.03\00:50:00.83 the prospect of visiting a strange, new church or any church at all can be 00:50:00.83\00:50:04.90 intimidating. Second, and perhaps more importantly, many people today do not see a need 00:50:04.90\00:50:09.74 in their life to even attend church. Period. Hi. I'm Dwight 00:50:09.74\00:50:15.18 Nelson coming to you from the beautiful Howard Performing Arts Center here on the campus of 00:50:15.18\00:50:18.65 Andrews University. The truth is, we need new strategies to 00:50:18.65\00:50:22.65 connect with this new generation. Not to replace public evangelism as we've come 00:50:22.65\00:50:26.96 to know it, but to complement it, which is why I'd like to invite you to partner with the 00:50:26.96\00:50:31.16 Pioneer Memorial Church in a first-of-its-kind, live, worldwide event to all 24 time 00:50:31.16\00:50:36.73 zones simultaneously. We're calling it Hope Trending, a crash course on how to live 00:50:36.73\00:50:41.44 without fear. Here's what's new. Instead of only meeting in large halls and churches, 00:50:41.44\00:50:45.47 Hope Trending will also be happening in small groups, as 00:50:45.47\00:50:49.01 friends. We're calling them watch parties. You can turn your 00:50:49.01\00:50:52.48 living room into a small, intimate space. There in the home, the participant can engage 00:50:52.48\00:50:56.85 with the global event while at the same time build strong bonds and enjoy a sense of community. 00:50:56.85\00:51:01.36 And since the host of each small group will be a member of a local church, there's a built-in 00:51:01.36\00:51:06.46 bridge to that church. And as we all know, it's a short walk from the home to the local 00:51:06.46\00:51:11.23 church. Look, the world is changing at an unprecedented 00:51:11.23\00:51:15.77 pace. The Adventist message of hope has never been more relevant or more desperately 00:51:15.77\00:51:21.41 needed. "Behold. I will do a new thing," God once promised. 00:51:21.41\00:51:24.78 Hope Trending, a crash course in how to live without fear, can be a collective global moment in 00:51:24.78\00:51:30.49 which we join forces in our shared mission to proclaim Christ to this generation. 00:51:30.49\00:51:35.72 I really do hope you'll join us in this mission. 00:51:35.89\00:51:38.59 God bless you. October 14th to 22 coming up. 00:51:38.59\00:51:42.76 27 weeks away. How's that verse go again? 00:51:42.76\00:51:45.63 Proverbs 13:12. "Hope deferred makes the heart 00:51:45.63\00:51:48.70 sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." 00:51:48.70\00:51:51.87 So, here's the question. Are you willing to go for God? 00:51:51.87\00:51:55.38 You willing to go to China? Willing to go to Cuba? 00:51:55.38\00:51:58.01 Willing to go somewhere on this planet? 00:51:58.01\00:52:00.22 With all the hope that you have, you're gonna just sit here? 00:52:00.22\00:52:03.32 Willing to cross the dormitory hallway next fall when 00:52:03.32\00:52:06.39 Hope Trending comes to campus. Willing to cross the neighbor's 00:52:06.39\00:52:11.46 fence. Willing to make the invitation 00:52:11.46\00:52:14.36 to come meet my friend of hope. 00:52:14.36\00:52:20.70 I will always remember that young man bursting into tears, and I'm telling you. 00:52:20.87\00:52:26.44 The tears were just trickling down my own cheeks as I listened to the passion of this young 00:52:26.44\00:52:31.05 missionary who said, "If only I had a computer. If I could just 00:52:31.05\00:52:37.09 have this, I could reach these mountains for Christ." And I thought to myself, "I who 00:52:37.09\00:52:43.16 have everything, where is my passion to be just as obedient to the same Jesus and go for 00:52:43.16\00:52:51.23 him?" Will you go? That's the question. 00:52:51.23\00:52:54.27 Will you be willing to go? Dear God, a world hope-less, a people and university hope-full. 00:52:54.27\00:53:06.48 Put the two together, I humbly pray. Dear God, put the two 00:53:06.48\00:53:11.82 together and may the hope implanted here be taken out there for the salvation of men, 00:53:11.82\00:53:19.49 women, and children for eternity. We pray in Jesus' 00:53:19.49\00:53:24.57 name. Amen. [ Organ plays ] 00:53:24.57\00:53:26.67 [ Congregation sings ] 00:53:37.81\00:53:39.71 [ Singing resumes ] 00:55:31.53\00:55:33.43 Amen. And now may the God of hope, who brought back from the 00:56:57.91\00:57:04.09 dead our Lord Jesus Christ, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may 00:57:04.09\00:57:11.56 overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 00:57:11.56\00:57:17.07 >> I wanted to take an extra moment to let you know how grateful I am you joined us 00:57:19.83\00:57:23.14 today. I hear from viewers and listeners like you all across 00:57:23.14\00:57:26.14 this nation and literally around the world, and I'm thankful, because it's through the 00:57:26.14\00:57:30.71 generosity of the members of this congregation and people like you that we're able to 00:57:30.71\00:57:34.55 bring you this program. So, if what we shared today has touched your heart, I'd like to 00:57:34.55\00:57:38.22 invite you to become a financial partner with us. Just give us a 00:57:38.22\00:57:41.59 call. Toll-free number 877, the two words "his will." 00:57:41.76\00:57:45.06 877-HIS-WILL. Or, if you'd rather, go to our 00:57:45.06\00:57:48.30 website, www.pmchurch.tv. Either way, your generosity will 00:57:48.30\00:57:53.80 bless a new generation in cyberspace all over this planet. 00:57:53.80\00:57:57.81 So thank you. Thank you very much for your 00:57:57.81\00:58:01.28 partnership. 00:58:01.28\00:58:02.44 ¤¤ 00:58:03.85\00:58:06.75