¤¤
00:00:00.86\00:00:02.73
>> ¤ Oh come, let
us sing to the Lord ¤
00:00:09.64\00:00:14.71
>> ¤ Come, let us everyone ¤
00:00:14.71\00:00:19.28
¤ A joyful noise make to the
rock of our salvation ¤ ¤ Let us
before his presence
00:00:19.45\00:00:33.53
come with praise and thankful
voice ¤ ¤ Let us sing songs of
00:00:33.53\00:00:43.47
grace to him and make a joyful
noise ¤ >> Please stand for the
responsive reading, which is
00:00:43.47\00:00:56.95
found on page 8 of your
bulletins. "The Call to Joy,"
00:00:56.95\00:01:02.62
taken from Psalm 100. Make a
joyful shout to the Lord, all
00:01:02.62\00:01:11.40
you lands. Serve the Lord with
gladness. Come before his
presence with singing.
00:01:11.40\00:01:17.61
Know that the Lord -- he is God.
It is he who has made us and not
00:01:17.61\00:01:24.78
we ourselves. We are his people
and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with
00:01:24.78\00:01:30.62
thanksgiving and enter his
courts with praise. Be thankful
to him and bless his
00:01:30.62\00:01:36.73
name, for the Lord is good, his
mercy is everlasting, and his
truth endures to all
00:01:36.73\00:01:44.50
generations.
00:01:44.50\00:01:46.23
>> ¤ Dear Christians, one and
all, rejoice ¤ ¤ With exultation
00:14:30.20\00:14:40.48
springing ¤ ¤ And with united
heart and voice ¤ ¤ And holy
00:14:40.48\00:14:50.72
rapture singing ¤ ¤ Proclaim the
wonders God has done ¤ ¤ How His
right arm the victory
00:14:50.72\00:15:00.16
won ¤ ¤ What price
the ransom cost Him ¤
00:15:00.16\00:15:09.97
¤ But God had seen my wretched
state ¤ ¤ Before the world's
00:15:09.97\00:15:17.45
foundation ¤ ¤ And
mindful of His mercies great ¤
00:15:17.45\00:15:25.72
¤ He planned for my salvation
¤ ¤ He turned to me our Father's
00:15:25.72\00:15:36.26
heart ¤ ¤ He did not choose
the easy part ¤ ¤ But gave his
00:15:36.26\00:15:44.64
dearest treasure ¤
00:15:44.64\00:15:54.45
¤ Grant peace, we pray, in
mercy, Lord ¤ ¤ Peace in our
00:15:56.42\00:16:10.63
time, oh, send us ¤ ¤ For
there is none on Earth but you ¤
00:16:10.63\00:16:24.35
¤ None other to defend us ¤
00:16:24.35\00:16:38.06
¤ You only, Lord, can
fight for us ¤ ¤ Amen ¤
00:16:38.79\00:17:00.78
¤ Grant peace, we pray, in
mercy, Lord ¤ ¤ Peace in our
00:17:03.72\00:17:18.77
time, oh, send us ¤ ¤ For
there is none on Earth but you ¤
00:17:18.77\00:17:33.78
¤ None other to defend us ¤
00:17:33.78\00:17:47.73
¤ You only, Lord, can
fight for us ¤ ¤ Amen ¤
00:17:50.33\00:18:15.56
¤ O Lord, we praise Thee, bless
Thee, and adore Thee ¤ ¤ In
00:18:32.07\00:18:40.32
thanksgiving, bow before Thee ¤
¤ Thou with Thy body and Thy
blood didst nourish ¤
00:18:40.32\00:18:50.63
¤ Our weak souls that they may
flourish ¤ ¤ O Lord, have mercy
00:18:50.63\00:19:05.77
¤ ¤ May Thy body, Lord, born
of Mary ¤ ¤ That our sins and
00:19:05.77\00:19:17.05
sorrows did carry ¤ ¤ And Thy
blood for us plead ¤ ¤ In all
trial, fear, and need ¤
00:19:17.05\00:19:36.20
¤ O Lord, have mercy ¤
00:19:36.20\00:19:43.91
>> Thank you, Choir. Beautiful.
We needed that. 500 years old,
00:19:49.82\00:19:54.49
those hymns. 500 years old. So,
the title of our Thanksgiving
00:19:54.49\00:19:59.63
homily today, "You Turned My
Mourning Into Dancing: The
Habitude of Gratitude."
00:19:59.63\00:20:05.30
You know what the
habitude of gratitude is?
00:20:05.47\00:20:07.80
Let me read to you a
first-person account from a
00:20:07.80\00:20:12.27
gentleman named
Scott Macaulay. Here it is.
00:20:12.27\00:20:16.71
"When I was 24, my
folks decided to get divorced.
00:20:16.71\00:20:20.58
I was taught that, to be a good
son, I needed to be supportive
00:20:20.58\00:20:23.65
and loving to each parent and
to my siblings, but nobody was
00:20:23.65\00:20:26.65
talking to anybody.
00:20:26.65\00:20:28.29
If you were nice to one parent,
the other one would get mad at
00:20:28.46\00:20:31.39
you. And, so, when October came,
I thought, 'What's going to
happen at Thanksgiving?'
00:20:31.39\00:20:36.60
And I just did not like the
thought of being home alone --
or anywhere alone -- on
00:20:36.60\00:20:40.40
Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is
not about gifts or fireworks or
00:20:40.40\00:20:43.71
hoopla. It's a meal around a
table where you give thanks for
the blessings you have.
00:20:43.71\00:20:47.28
And you really can't do that by
yourself and have much fun. So I
decided to put an ad in the
00:20:47.28\00:20:51.88
local paper. If people thought
they would find themselves
00:20:51.88\00:20:55.82
alone, they could give me a
call, and I would make a
Thanksgiving dinner.
00:20:55.82\00:20:59.22
That first year, a few people
came, and they had a good time.
I was nervous about making a
00:20:59.22\00:21:03.93
mess out of the food and
disappointing the people, but
the food was okay, and I didn't
00:21:03.93\00:21:07.83
burn anything. I've held the
dinner every year since 1985.
00:21:07.83\00:21:17.31
Last Thanksgiving, 84 people
showed up. Sometimes, they're
00:21:17.31\00:21:23.01
new to town. Sometimes, they're
recently divorced or widowed.
I've had people who were new to
00:21:23.01\00:21:26.58
the country and didn't speak any
English, but they enjoyed my
Thanksgiving dinner.
00:21:26.58\00:21:30.49
I've had poor people, people who
come from AA, old people. Also
not counted within that
00:21:30.49\00:21:35.92
number -- I always feed the
police. The firefighters and
00:21:35.92\00:21:39.89
EMTs are in buildings with
kitchens and can have their own
Thanksgiving dinner among
00:21:39.89\00:21:44.33
themselves, but the police
officers are in their cars,
driving around town on call.
00:21:44.33\00:21:48.37
Two years ago, a woman with
Parkinson's disease came, and
she was not good on her feet.
00:21:48.37\00:21:53.94
She had been in a nursing home
for seven years and had never
00:21:53.94\00:22:01.95
been out. Somebody told her
about the dinner, and she hired
an ambulance to bring her, at
00:22:01.95\00:22:08.86
$200, plus mileage. She had
a great time and she cried when
00:22:08.86\00:22:14.96
the ambulance returned to get
her. She didn't want to go home.
Most of the people who come
00:22:14.96\00:22:22.24
don't know who I am. They know
there's some skinny guy in the
00:22:22.24\00:22:26.31
kitchen, but they don't know my
name. I think the theme of my
life and everything I do could
00:22:26.31\00:22:30.75
be summed up with the name of an
old hymn called 'Brighten the
Corner Where You Are.'
00:22:30.75\00:22:37.35
>> ¤ Brighten the corner where
you are ¤ ¤ Brighten the corner
00:22:37.35\00:22:44.46
where you are ¤ >> Beautiful.
Beautiful. >> ¤ Someone far from
00:22:44.46\00:22:48.86
harbor You may guide across
the bar ¤ ¤ Brighten the corner
00:22:48.86\00:22:57.27
where you are ¤ >> Bravo! They
got me by surprise. They got me.
00:22:57.27\00:23:02.88
That's beautiful. Yeah, it's
just a glorious, glorious hymn.
"So, I hope my legacy will be
00:23:02.88\00:23:08.78
that I came into the world, I
brightened a corner, and then I
quietly left the world
00:23:08.78\00:23:15.02
unnoticed." Isn't that
beautiful? That's the habitude
00:23:15.02\00:23:19.06
of gratitude. That word
"habitude" -- that's not a new
00:23:19.06\00:23:22.16
word. That goes back to the old
Middle English. That would be
00:23:22.16\00:23:26.47
the mid-1500s. And it meant and
means "an act or an attitude
that becomes a habit."
00:23:26.47\00:23:31.64
So, we have Scott, who takes
this attitude of gratitude and
00:23:31.64\00:23:37.31
says, "1985." It's become a
habit for him. Question is -- is
it a habit for you?
00:23:37.31\00:23:42.02
Is it a habit for me? Let's
make it one. Let's go. Come on.
00:23:42.02\00:23:47.49
Blow the dust off of that
ancient chapter in your Bible,
00:23:47.49\00:23:51.16
Jeremiah 31. When was the last
time you've even been to
Jeremiah, let alone Jeremiah 31?
00:23:51.16\00:23:55.30
But let's go. Let's go. The
habitude of gratitude. See if
you can spot it right
00:23:55.30\00:24:01.40
here. Jeremiah 31. All
right? Pick it up from Verse 3.
00:24:01.40\00:24:06.84
"And the Lord appeared to us in
the past, saying, 'I have loved
you with an everlasting love.
00:24:06.84\00:24:13.25
I have drawn you with unfailing
kindness.'" Ooh, I love that.
00:24:13.25\00:24:17.22
That's the language of
the cross. It's beautiful.
00:24:17.22\00:24:21.36
"'I loved you forever.'" Verse
4. "'I will build you up again,
00:24:21.36\00:24:26.76
and you, virgin Israel, will be
rebuilt. Again, you will take up
00:24:26.76\00:24:31.53
your timbrels and go out to
dance with the joyful.'" Do you
know what a timbrel is?
00:24:31.53\00:24:38.77
A timbrel -- This is my
surprise to you. [ Laughter ]
00:24:38.77\00:24:43.91
A timbrel is this. This is
what? This is a tambourine.
00:24:43.91\00:24:49.55
In fact, I love the way the
New Revised Standard renders
00:24:49.72\00:24:52.05
this line. Let's
put it on the screen.
00:24:52.05\00:24:53.76
"You shall take your tambourines
and go forth in the dance of the
00:24:53.76\00:24:58.23
merrymakers."
00:24:58.23\00:25:01.13
And, by the way, you can't play
the tambourine when you're sad.
00:25:01.30\00:25:10.71
"Oh, I'm so sad." Are you
kidding? When Miriam and the
women on the other side of the
00:25:10.71\00:25:14.58
Red Sea -- when they break out
into song, what did they pull
out? They started dancing. Oops.
00:25:14.58\00:25:20.58
[ Laughter ] And that's just
what we read. "The Dance of the
00:25:20.58\00:25:26.09
Merrymakers." Now, it's
not over. Go to Verse 13.
00:25:26.09\00:25:28.62
"'Then young women
will dance and be glad.
00:25:28.79\00:25:33.26
Young men and old, as
well --" NRSV says -- "shall be
00:25:33.26\00:25:37.77
merrymakers. And I
--" Here it comes again.
00:25:37.77\00:25:41.17
"I will turn their
mourning into gladness."
00:25:41.17\00:25:44.17
But does that sound familiar?
We were just on Psalm 30 last
00:25:44.17\00:25:47.34
week. It's almost a verbatim.
00:25:47.34\00:25:49.21
"I will turn their mourning into
gladness and I will give them
00:25:49.21\00:25:52.78
comfort and joy,
instead of sorrow."
00:25:52.78\00:25:56.48
¤ You turned my mourning into
dancing again ¤ ¤ You lifted my
00:25:56.65\00:26:03.63
sorr...¤ I guess I'm the only
one that knows that one. All
00:26:03.63\00:26:06.43
right. [ Laughter ] Anyway,
could it be, though, that our
problem is -- we've
00:26:06.43\00:26:13.64
learned the wrong song? We're
singing the wrong song. You say,
"What are you talking
00:26:13.64\00:26:19.87
about, Dwight?" Okay. Ever
heard of a group called the
00:26:19.87\00:26:22.94
Twenty One Pilots? Yeah. If
you're young, you have. They
released a song back in
00:26:22.94\00:26:30.39
2015. That year, it climbed up
to number 2 in Billboard's Top
00:26:30.39\00:26:36.06
100, all right? That
song is titled "Stressed Out."
00:26:36.06\00:26:43.13
It is a YouTube video. I'm not
gonna tell you if I've watched
00:26:43.13\00:26:46.60
it. It is a YouTube music-video
hit that has now accumulated
1.134 billion views.
00:26:46.60\00:26:57.75
Apparently, people around the
world are identifying with their
00:26:57.75\00:27:03.18
words. It's the story of two
brothers who grow up. They're in
their 20s, but they
00:27:03.18\00:27:07.06
wish they were kids again.
They're riding these big wheels
down a suburban street in
00:27:07.06\00:27:14.00
Columbus, Ohio. They're
sipping Capri Suns with straws.
00:27:14.00\00:27:18.53
And then they start singing. ¤
We used to play pretend, give
each other different names ¤
00:27:18.53\00:27:23.34
¤ We used to build a rocket ship
and then we'd fly it far away ¤
¤ Used to dream of outer space,
00:27:23.34\00:27:26.94
but now they're laughin' at our
face ¤ ¤ Saying, "Wake up, you
00:27:26.94\00:27:29.41
need to make money!", yeah ¤ ¤
We wish we could turn back time
to the good old days ¤
00:27:29.41\00:27:35.48
¤ When our mama sang us to
sleep, but now we're stressed
00:27:35.48\00:27:38.85
out ¤ ¤ We're stressed out ¤ And
that goes on for 5 minutes. [
00:27:38.85\00:27:46.09
Laughter ] The psychologist and
writer Jean Twenge, in her new
book, "iGen" -- And we
00:27:46.09\00:27:51.73
referenced that book last week.
"iGen" -- a very careful
analysis of a new generation now
00:27:51.73\00:27:56.64
being born between 1995
and 2012. You just do the
00:27:56.64\00:28:02.28
arithmetic. It's the average
college student, because it
starts at 22 and then it goes to
00:28:02.28\00:28:08.82
21, then to 20, 19, and 18.
It's the slice called "college
00:28:08.82\00:28:12.85
students." And she's calling
them iGenners. And I think the
moniker's gonna stick.
00:28:12.85\00:28:16.86
She writes about this song.
The words are on the screen.
00:28:16.86\00:28:20.20
"The song 'Stressed Out'
captures this possible link
00:28:20.36\00:28:23.30
between growing up slowly
and mental-health issues."
00:28:23.30\00:28:26.63
IGenners don't get their
driver's licenses as soon as
00:28:26.63\00:28:30.01
Millennials did.
They're not leaving the house as
00:28:30.01\00:28:32.07
soon as Millennials.
They're not dating as soon as
00:28:32.07\00:28:34.21
Millennials. She's
saying, "Is there a
00:28:34.21\00:28:35.88
connection between this slow
maturation and mental-health
00:28:35.88\00:28:38.95
issues. Now, she goes on.
00:28:38.95\00:28:40.85
"As Asbury University student
Alyssa Driscoll wrote, "The song
00:28:40.85\00:28:45.35
'Stressed Out' has exactly what
we're thinking written in it.
00:28:45.35\00:28:50.16
It really GETS
US.'" Those are her caps.
00:28:50.16\00:28:53.09
And what is it about
iGenners that sets them apart?
00:28:53.09\00:28:56.16
Twenge again on the screen.
"IGen is on the verge of the
00:28:56.16\00:28:59.63
most severe mental-health crisis
for young people in decades.
00:28:59.63\00:29:03.20
On the surface,
though, everything is fine."
00:29:03.20\00:29:06.47
Take Laura. She
looked at Laura's
00:29:06.47\00:29:09.34
social-media account
photos. Try to guess her age.
00:29:09.34\00:29:14.75
Twenge on the screen
again, quoting Laura.
00:29:14.75\00:29:17.29
"In Laura's profile picture,
she's a girl with wavy brown
00:29:17.29\00:29:20.56
hair who looks no more
than 16." Probably 20, 21.
00:29:20.56\00:29:23.63
"Her site is titled 'A
Depressed-Person life.'
00:29:23.63\00:29:26.73
Her pain is starkly evident
in her posts, which include --"
00:29:26.73\00:29:30.40
Here's one post.
"'That's how depression hits.
00:29:30.40\00:29:33.07
You wake up one morning
afraid that you're gonna live."
00:29:33.07\00:29:37.81
Here's another one. "I
don't know why I'm so stupid.
00:29:37.81\00:29:40.91
I don't know why I'm so sad."
And here comes the third one.
00:29:40.91\00:29:44.35
"They all look so
expletive happy to me.
00:29:44.35\00:29:46.85
Why couldn't I look
like that?" Twenge goes on.
00:29:46.85\00:29:49.45
"The web page's title appeared
as one apt word -- 'broken.'"
00:29:49.45\00:29:56.96
"Wish we could turn back time to
the good old days," but, of
course, none of us can -- not
00:29:57.13\00:30:01.60
iGenners, not Millennials,
not Gen Xers, not Boomers, not
00:30:01.60\00:30:07.44
senior citizens. Nobody can turn
time back. "We're stressed out,"
the Twenty One Pilots sang.
00:30:07.44\00:30:14.44
"We're broken," as Laura
recorded in her web page. So,
here's the question.
00:30:14.44\00:30:21.08
What's the antidote for this
generational darkness that seems
00:30:21.08\00:30:25.92
to hold us? I've got to read
those words again. "I have loved
00:30:25.92\00:30:31.69
you with an everlasting love.
I've loved you forever. I have
drawn you with unfailing
00:30:31.69\00:30:35.93
kindness. I'll build you
up again, you, virgin Israel.
00:30:35.93\00:30:39.23
You'll be rebuilt. Again, you
will take up your tambourines
and go forth in the
00:30:39.23\00:30:45.47
dance of the merrymakers. The
young women will dance and be
00:30:45.47\00:30:49.44
glad. The young men and old, as
well, shall be merry, for I will
turn your mourning into
00:30:49.44\00:30:56.28
gladness. I will give you
comfort and joy, instead of
00:30:56.28\00:31:02.49
sorrow." Wow. A friend of mine
gave me a book a few weeks ago.
00:31:02.49\00:31:08.66
I read it. One line -- there's
only one line that I've
memorized. And I have to share
00:31:08.66\00:31:12.83
this line with you. The book is
written by the well-known author
00:31:12.83\00:31:17.57
and pastor and theologian
Gregory Boyd, up in Minneapolis.
The title of the book --
00:31:17.57\00:31:21.98
"Present Perfect: Finding God in
the Now." There's a fascinating
00:31:21.98\00:31:25.25
premise that he develops. Kind
of like a philosopher, just kind
of develops this all the
00:31:25.25\00:31:28.78
way through the book. And here's
the premise. I need you to get
00:31:28.78\00:31:32.19
it. The premise is this. "Now --
now -- is the only moment of
reality you possess.
00:31:32.19\00:31:39.89
Just now. The past is gone."
Right? The past is gone. The
00:31:39.89\00:31:44.83
future's not here. "You only
have now." This is the only
moment God has to interface with
00:31:44.83\00:31:51.87
you and connect. He only
has this moment right now, right
00:31:51.87\00:31:55.74
now. That's why he's called "The
Great I Am." He's not "The Great
00:31:55.74\00:31:59.68
I Was." He's not "The Great I
Will Be." He's "The Great I Am."
"I'm in this moment with you.
00:31:59.68\00:32:04.19
I love you right now. I love you
with an everlasting love, a
forever kind of love.
00:32:04.19\00:32:08.86
I am drawing you. Forever,
I'm drawing you, with unfailing
00:32:08.86\00:32:13.26
kindness, to me. I just want --
This is the only moment you and
I have. I just want to connect
00:32:13.26\00:32:18.10
with you right now. I want to
hear you talk, and I'll listen.
00:32:18.10\00:32:20.90
And then I want you to hear me
talk, and you listen. I don't
care where you are.
00:32:20.90\00:32:24.77
I don't care when it is. It
doesn't matter to me who you may
00:32:24.77\00:32:29.84
be. I need this moment.
This is the only moment we have
00:32:29.84\00:32:34.22
together. Look, look. When your
depression hurts so bad, it
feels like dying, let me
00:32:34.22\00:32:45.16
have that moment with you. I can
turn your mourning into dancing
00:32:45.16\00:32:49.23
again. Let me feel your pain.
When it seems your body cannot
survive another day because of
00:32:49.23\00:32:58.17
all that nature has inflicted on
you, I am with you. Let me have
00:32:58.17\00:33:05.98
that moment. Connect with me.
Let me connect with you. Let me
feel your fear and let me
00:33:05.98\00:33:12.02
turn your mourning into
dancing." And then, to help us
00:33:12.02\00:33:17.99
understand that we can connect
with God in the only moment we
have, which is right now,
00:33:17.99\00:33:23.90
Gregory Boyd writes a line --
And this is the only line I
remember from the book.
00:33:23.90\00:33:27.14
And the line has been so
profound for me, I've been
saying it again and again and
00:33:27.14\00:33:32.94
again.
00:33:32.94\00:33:34.04
And lookit -- they've already
put it on the screen for us.
00:33:34.21\00:33:37.85
That's the line right
there. "My life is Christ.
00:33:37.85\00:33:42.65
Nothing else really matters."
00:33:42.65\00:33:45.72
I have one moment to live, and
it's right now. You say,
"Dwight, how could I
00:33:45.89\00:33:50.03
live this moment right now, and
God is talking to me?" I don't
know, but it works.
00:33:50.03\00:33:54.10
He's talking to me right now
while I'm talking to you. I have
to just keep talking.
00:33:54.10\00:33:57.63
I can't stop to think of what
he's saying. He's just saying,
00:33:57.63\00:34:01.64
"Dwight, I'm here. I'm here,
boy. I'm with you. You're with
00:34:01.64\00:34:07.91
me." You may be driving down
the road. He's talking to you.
00:34:07.91\00:34:10.08
You may be taking a final exam.
He's talking to you. He won't be
00:34:10.08\00:34:13.05
giving you the answers, but he's
talking to you. You may be in
00:34:13.05\00:34:17.55
the middle of performing
surgery. He's talking to you.
"That's the only moment, Doc.
00:34:17.55\00:34:20.69
That's the only moment you
and I have. That's it -- now.
00:34:20.69\00:34:25.29
Let me have this moment
with you." "My life is Christ."
00:34:25.29\00:34:28.30
Ooh, I love that. "Nothing else
really matters." You say, "Oh,
00:34:28.30\00:34:33.27
come on, Dwight. How will that
turn my mourning into dancing?
How does that get me out of my
00:34:33.27\00:34:38.17
depression? What's that
have to do with the habitude of
00:34:38.17\00:34:42.48
gratitude?" Everything. Watch
this. I want to end with three
00:34:42.48\00:34:45.48
emotional nuggets. I'm going to
share with you three
emotional-health nuggets. Last
00:34:45.48\00:34:50.65
week, we shared three
mental-health nuggets. These are
three ways for you to connect
00:34:50.65\00:34:56.56
with God immediately, right now,
so that Gregory Boyd's line can
remain your line, as it is mine.
00:34:56.56\00:35:01.96
"My life is Christ. Nothing else
really matters." So, here they
00:35:01.96\00:35:06.10
are, from that little classic,
"Ministry of Healing." Boy, to
just read the chapter
00:35:06.10\00:35:09.27
"Mind Cure," oh, there is so
much that I have left out from
00:35:09.27\00:35:12.54
that chapter. But let's go.
Emotional health -- And, by the
way, you have a study guide, and
00:35:12.54\00:35:16.01
this is all in your study guide.
You will have to fill a few
words in, if the quotation means
00:35:16.01\00:35:19.95
anything to you. Here we
go. Emotional-health nugget
00:35:19.95\00:35:22.25
number 1.
00:35:22.25\00:35:23.42
"When you open your eyes in the
morning, thank God that he has
00:35:23.59\00:35:28.99
kept you through the
night." Isn't that beautiful?
00:35:28.99\00:35:31.33
First thing you
think of, you thank God.
00:35:31.33\00:35:33.26
"Thank him for his
peace in your heart.
00:35:33.26\00:35:35.13
Morning, noon, and night,
let gratitude --" There's your
00:35:35.13\00:35:39.03
habitude of gratitude.
"Let gratitude, as a sweet
00:35:39.03\00:35:42.10
perfume, ascend to heaven."
Hey, listen, guys, when we wake
00:35:42.10\00:35:45.37
up in the morning, if the first
thought is, "God, thank you.
00:35:45.37\00:35:49.41
I'm here." That
starts "My life is Christ.
00:35:49.41\00:35:54.15
Nothing else really
matters. The day starts.
00:35:54.15\00:35:58.02
Here comes emotional-health
nugget number 2.
00:35:58.02\00:36:00.89
Also from "Ministry of Healing."
"One of the surest --" This is
00:36:00.89\00:36:04.43
vital for some of you.
"One of the surest hindrances to
00:36:04.43\00:36:07.20
the recovery of the sick --" And
that would be physically sick or
00:36:07.20\00:36:10.37
emotionally sick. "One
of the surest hindrances is
00:36:10.37\00:36:13.57
the centering of attention
upon themselves," upon yourself.
00:36:13.57\00:36:18.07
"Many invalids feel that
everyone should give them
00:36:18.07\00:36:21.44
sympathy and help when what
the sick person -- mentally or
00:36:21.44\00:36:24.95
emotionally or physically --
"what that individual needs is
00:36:24.95\00:36:28.88
to have her attention turned
away from herself, to thank of
00:36:28.88\00:36:33.15
and care for
others." That's a big deal.
00:36:33.15\00:36:36.56
Look at Scott. Remember Scott?
His parents divorce, blue funk.
00:36:36.56\00:36:40.50
"What am I gonna do?
I'll open my home up."
00:36:40.50\00:36:44.03
He seized the moment and said,
"I've got to take the spotlight
00:36:44.03\00:36:48.84
off of me. I want
to think of others."
00:36:48.84\00:36:52.91
Habitude of
gratitude -- he found it.
00:36:52.91\00:36:55.18
And -- oh, by the way -- when
you do that -- whew! -- there's
00:36:55.18\00:36:58.51
a bonus in it for you.
Just a few sentences later.
00:36:58.51\00:37:01.22
Put it on the screen for you.
"Good deeds --" that you do --
00:37:01.22\00:37:04.82
"are twice a blessing,
benefiting both the giver and
00:37:04.82\00:37:08.42
the receiver of the
kindness." A double blessing.
00:37:08.42\00:37:11.99
You're blessing them and
you're blessing yourself.
00:37:11.99\00:37:14.20
Keep reading.
"The consciousness of
00:37:14.20\00:37:15.80
right-doing is one of the best
medicines for diseased bodies
00:37:15.80\00:37:18.77
and minds." Keep reading.
00:37:18.77\00:37:20.47
"When the mind is free and
happy, from a sense of duty well
00:37:20.47\00:37:23.81
done and the satisfaction of
giving happiness --" to whom?
00:37:23.81\00:37:27.11
To whom? To
others, not to yourself.
00:37:27.11\00:37:29.34
It's not about
me. It's about you.
00:37:29.34\00:37:31.45
"Giving happiness to others, the
cheering, uplifting influence
00:37:31.45\00:37:36.35
brings new life
to your whole being."
00:37:36.35\00:37:40.29
"My life is Christ. Nothing else
really matters." And, Jesus, you
00:37:40.46\00:37:46.90
just love people, 'cause you
love me. So I'm gonna love
people just like you.
00:37:46.90\00:37:51.50
Yep. You and me. We'll just move
through this space, this campus,
00:37:51.50\00:37:55.47
this community, this world.
We'll just move through, looking
for people to love.
00:37:55.47\00:37:59.44
And I'll love them for you. Wow.
You know what you've got to do,
00:37:59.44\00:38:08.98
don't you? Well, you're gonna
need emotional-health nugget
00:38:08.98\00:38:14.46
number 3.
Here's what you can do.
00:38:14.46\00:38:16.06
"Let praise and thanksgiving
be expressed in song.
00:38:16.22\00:38:21.43
When tempted, instead of giving
utterance to our feelings, let
00:38:21.43\00:38:24.40
us, by faith, lift
up a song of --" What?
00:38:24.40\00:38:26.53
A song of what? A
song of thanksgiving.
00:38:26.53\00:38:28.54
It's not a one day of the year.
It's not a one week of the year.
00:38:28.54\00:38:31.54
It's not a one
month of the year.
00:38:31.54\00:38:33.27
It's 24/7, a
song of thanksgiving.
00:38:33.27\00:38:39.01
The habitude of gratitude.
Don't let your feelings let you
00:38:39.01\00:38:41.48
down. Don't let
your feelings put you
00:38:41.48\00:38:43.15
down. Push those
feelings -- Remember
00:38:43.15\00:38:45.09
last week -- feelings have to
follow behavior, and singing is
00:38:45.09\00:38:48.16
a behavior. If you
start singing, I don't
00:38:48.16\00:38:50.29
care how you sing or whether you
can carry a tune in a bucket,
00:38:50.29\00:38:53.23
nobody cares. You
just start singing to
00:38:53.23\00:38:55.20
yourself, and that will
push those feelings back.
00:38:55.20\00:38:57.63
And now you
assert, "My life is Christ.
00:38:57.63\00:39:02.24
Nothing else matters, not even
this that I'm going through." It
does not ultimately matter,
00:39:02.40\00:39:08.04
because I have Jesus. I have
Jesus." So, when we were with
00:39:08.04\00:39:13.21
our kids and our granddaughter
Ella this summer, out in Oregon,
I did something I didn't tell
00:39:13.21\00:39:21.52
anybody in the family about. One
day, when I was alone -- Papa
was alone with Ella.
00:39:21.52\00:39:24.89
She just turned 4 a couple weeks
ago. I taught her a song that
00:39:24.89\00:39:29.16
she had never learned before. I
said, "Elle, Papa's gonna teach
00:39:29.16\00:39:34.94
you a song." ¤ I have decided to
follow Jesus ¤ ¤ I have decided
00:39:34.94\00:39:41.71
¤ Yeah, you know the song. It's
a beautiful song. And Elle --
00:39:41.71\00:39:46.25
she picked it up. She just
picked -- ¤ No turning back ¤ ¤
00:39:46.25\00:39:49.12
No turning back ¤ She got it
down. So, we went to watch
Fourth of July fireworks.
00:39:49.12\00:39:51.69
So, we're coming back late at
night. Kirk and Chelsea are up
00:39:51.69\00:39:54.42
front. Kirk's driving. And Karen
and I are packed in the back
with Ella's car seat
00:39:54.42\00:39:57.69
between us. And I thought, "Man,
it's dark. I'm just gonna try to
00:39:57.69\00:40:01.00
--" So, I leaned over to Ella
and I said, "Ella... ¤ I have
00:40:01.00\00:40:08.10
decided...¤ And God bless her
little heart. She picked up on
that cue at the top of her
00:40:08.10\00:40:13.14
lungs. I tell you the truth. She
starts singing out... ¤ I have
00:40:13.14\00:40:20.08
decided to follow Jesus! ¤
That's how she calls Jesus. I
hope he doesn't mind.
00:40:20.08\00:40:24.75
"Jeeesus!" Her mother is so
startled. Chelsea whirls around.
00:40:24.75\00:40:29.99
"What is happening?" And
then she realizes. Ella's just
00:40:29.99\00:40:35.23
singing away. So, stifling a
smile, she grabs her cellphone
and she's taking a picture of
00:40:35.23\00:40:40.14
the whole thing. By the time
little Ella -- No kidding. By
the time little Ella was
00:40:40.14\00:40:43.71
through, the whole car is
smiling. "I have decided to
00:40:43.71\00:40:49.34
follow Jesus. No turning back.
No turning back." You know what?
00:40:49.34\00:40:52.51
I have a feeling that's the way
it is with our Father in Heaven.
When you and I, in spite of the
00:40:52.51\00:40:58.69
depression we are mourning our
way through, in spite of the joy
we are dancing our way through,
00:40:58.69\00:41:04.89
when you and I throw back our
little shoulders, raise our
little heads to him, and, in our
00:41:04.89\00:41:10.80
little voices, we sing out the
praise of Jesus, I have a
feeling the Father's face just
00:41:10.80\00:41:17.17
beams in a smile. You can't hear
that kind of singing and not
00:41:17.17\00:41:21.58
everybody in the car will be
smiling. Everybody in Heaven,
yeah. "My life is Christ."
00:41:21.58\00:41:27.45
I wish he'd put this one
to song. "My life is Christ.
00:41:27.45\00:41:32.22
Nothing else really matters."
Ladies and gentlemen, put that
to song, just your own little
00:41:32.22\00:41:39.56
song, and it will be this
new habitude of gratitude.
00:41:39.56\00:41:44.93
It will make all the difference
in this frenetic holiday season
00:41:45.10\00:41:51.61
that begins right now
-- "My life is Christ.
00:41:51.61\00:41:56.38
Nothing else
really matters." Amen.
00:41:56.38\00:42:01.48
>> All: Amen. >> Amen.
00:42:01.48\00:42:03.75
>> And now may the God of Grace,
who has granted you every
blessing through the love of
00:56:25.05\00:56:29.32
Christ, his son, in the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
empower you to live with the
00:56:29.32\00:56:35.76
habitude of gratitude -- not
only for a day or for a week,
but for a lifetime of
00:56:35.76\00:56:41.76
thanksgiving. Now to Him be the
glory, to all generations, world
00:56:41.76\00:56:48.50
without end. Let all God's
people say... >> All: Amen. >>
00:56:48.50\00:56:53.64
Amen. ¤¤ >> ¤ Now
thank, we all, our God ¤
00:56:53.64\00:57:01.72
>> We've been really blessed by
the financial support that comes
00:57:18.33\00:57:20.80
from our viewers, and we've
made a conscious decision not to
00:57:20.80\00:57:23.10
continually appeal
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00:57:23.10\00:57:25.84
The fact is, as everyone in the
industry will tell you, we're
00:57:25.84\00:57:29.04
needing to make constant
upgrades to our technology.
00:57:29.04\00:57:31.65
So if God has blessed you and
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00:57:31.65\00:57:34.88
of this ministry, we
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Not a single penny of
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00:57:37.69\00:57:40.46
Every bit of your gift goes
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00:57:40.46\00:57:43.89
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You can donate on our website,
00:57:43.89\00:57:46.56
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00:57:46.56\00:57:49.93
You know the
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00:57:49.93\00:57:51.83
Again, that
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00:57:51.83\00:57:56.60
And may the God who has blessed
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00:57:56.60\00:58:00.08
life the gifts of
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00:58:00.08\00:58:02.41
Thank you. And
I'm looking forward to
00:58:02.41\00:58:04.68
seeing you right
here again next time.
00:58:04.68\00:58:08.62
¤¤
00:58:09.98\00:58:11.89