Chapter 10, A Knowledge of God.
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Hello and welcome,
Today we will be looking at
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how to get to know
God. In a saving confident
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relationship. In John
17:3 it tells us that to know
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God is eternal life.
This means that eternal life
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is wrapped up in an
intimate relationship with God
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But, before we study
such an important topic,
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we should never do so
without first praying.
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And, so I'm gonna
ask Caitlin, if she can
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lead us in a word of prayer.
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Let's bow our heads. Dear
heavenly Father, thank you
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for your creation and
thank you for the lessons
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that you show us through
nature. Jesus you have made
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everything with your own
hands. From the stars and
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the mountains all way
down to the tiny little
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hummingbird. We can
see your perfect design.
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And God, you care for
everything and sustain
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everything that you
have created. Thank you for
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the promise that
although you are the God of the
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whole Universe. That
at the same time you care
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for the wants of the
little brown sparrow.
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And, no matter who I
am or what I've done,
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that you are watching
over me. Thank you for this
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eternal life, in
Jesus' name, Amen. Amen.
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The Bible says in John
17:3 that this is eternal
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life, that they might
know thee, the only true God,
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and Jesus Christ whom thou
has sent. But, you might be
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asking how do I get to
know a God that I can't see.
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The simple quick answer
is that we get to know God,
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through studying what
he has created and through
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reading the Bible. So
it's true, we can't see God
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face-to-face, at least
not right now, but we can
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get to know him through
his written word and his
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created works. In fact
by looking at nature through
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the right glasses, we
can get a pretty good idea of
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what God is like.
The Bible often uses
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illustrations from
nature to help us understand
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God. For example the
universe is a pretty big
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place and God runs it
off, but at the same time
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the Bible says, that not
even a sparrow worth only half
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a penny can fall to
the ground without your
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Father knowing
it. And the very hairs
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you head are all numbered.
So, don't be afraid you
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are more valuable than
a whole flock of sparrows.
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So, Jesus says, that
God becomes visible to us.
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When we examine the way
he cares for the sparrows.
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See God cares about
what happens in your life.
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And he is not going to
let anything happen that
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won't work out
for your eternal good.
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This thought should
relieve most of the daily
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stresses that many of us go
through. And that's just what
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God is like, he wants to
lift our burdens. And believe
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me, He is big enough to do it.
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Why Should I Feel Discouraged,
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Why Should The Shadows Come,
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Why Should My Heart Be Lonely,
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And Long For Heaven And Home,
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When Jesus Is My Portion?
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My Constant Friend Is He:
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His Eye Is On The Sparrow,
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And I Know He Watches Me;
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His Eye Is On The Sparrow,
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And I Know He Watches Me.
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I Sing Because I'm Happy,
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I Sing Because I'm Free,
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For His Eye Is On The Sparrow,
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And I Know He Watches Me.
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Whenever I Am Tempted,
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Whenever Clouds Arise,
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When Songs Give
Place To Sighing,
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When Hope Within me Dies,
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I Draw more Closer To Him,
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From Care He Sets Me Free;
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his Eye Is On The Sparrow,
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And I Know He Watches Me;
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his Eye Is On The Sparrow,
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And I Know He Watches Me.
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I Sing Because I'm Happy,
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I Sing Because I'm Free,
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For His Eye Is On The Sparrow,
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And I Know He Watches Me.
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Caitlin that song
"His eyes on the sparrow"
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I wanna tell you that
God spoke to me directly
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through your voice
singing that song once.
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I was in my office
and the orchestra was
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recording and you were
singing and I was asking
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God, has my life
really made a difference? And
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through that song,
his eyes on the sparrow,
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it was like God was
speaking directly to me
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and I thought if God
has blessed me so much,
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how has he blessed the
one who has been singing
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it, and so I wanted to
ask you how have you been
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blessed by singing that song?
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Well it's just so
encouraging to me to know
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that God is watching
everything, like if he cares
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for the little brown
sparrow, how much more
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valuable am I to him. He
cares about me personally
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and just knowing that he
is control of everything,
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and that He sees what
I'm going through personally,
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frees from all care.
Like, how important is for
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me to remember this I
don't even have to worry.
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Yeah, in that song you
sing those words I sing
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because I'm happy, and
who better to think of,
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then Ceri as someone
who's life is joyful and
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happy. And I hope
you don't mine me saying
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that but what
makes you so happy Ceri?
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Kind of a big question, what
it started when I was younger
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I had to start there anyway.
I, well I guess you can say I
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was a good kid, but
I don't know if I call
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myself a Godly kid, I
did what was right and I
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had high standards.
But, I knew I was missing
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something like I saw
my mom every morning, she
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had to spend about an
hour with God and there was
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a driving force that
made her obey God and really
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be a Christian that I
knew I didn't have and I
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wanted it, there are
many people in my life like
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this and I wanted it and
so at night I'd prayed Lord
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please, I really want
this like I want that whatever
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is that my mom has. I
just want that relationship
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with you, I don't know
how to get it though; I
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just was begging and
begging him more, please
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give us to me. And if
you show me I'll tell other
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people, I just want to
know, yeah, and I had a
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big headboard on my
bed, it was my great
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grandfather's bed and
I felt like my prayers of
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hours bounce off of
that, but I continued to pray
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and I prayed and
prayed no matter how much I
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felt like it wasn't
reaching heaven. It was later
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that year I went to
academy and at academy
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they taught me that
spending that half an hour
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with God is important,
and they set aside time for
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us, and so I started
with a book just that showed
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Christ's life and who
he was. And that's really
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like I saw who he was
and why we should love
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him so much and I, that
love just came out and now
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like it's just like everyday
I get to spend time with
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my best friend, yeah
and it's awesome! Yeah.
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Yeah, so you have a
saving relationship with God
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and it brings joy to your life.
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Yeah, totally, yeah
thanks for sharing that
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I can see that, okay.
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God's been trying
to communicate with us,
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ever since our
forefathers Adam and Eve.
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Shut themselves away
from heaven through sin.
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He wants us to know
him and one of the most
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powerful methods he's used
throughout history has been
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the written word
of God, the Bible.
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In the Bible we see how
God relates to defective
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people like you and
me, and as we behold
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his patience and
forgiveness towards
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characters like King
David and the Apostle Peter.
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We've realized that
he is someone we can
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trust. God described
himself to Moses with
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these words in Exodus
34:6 and 7, the Lord God
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merciful and gracious,
long suffering and abounding
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in goodness and
truth. Keeping mercy for
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thousands, and forgiving
iniquity and transgression,
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and sin. I just
wanna encourage you to take
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time to get to know
God through his word.
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Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
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They resound
with God's own heart
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Oh, let the
Ancient words impart.
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Words of Life, Words of Hope
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Give us strength, help us cope
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In this world, where'er we roam
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Ancient words
will guide us Home.
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Ancient words ever true
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Changing me, and changing you.
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We have come with open hearts
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Oh let the ancient words impart.
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Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age.
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Came to us through sacrifice
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Oh heed the
faithful words of Christ.
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Martyr's blood stains each page
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they have died for
this faith, hear them cry
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through the years oh heed
these words and hold them dear,
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Ancient words ever true
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Changing me, and changing you.
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We have come with open hearts
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Oh let the ancient words impart.
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Ancient words ever true
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Changing me, and changing you.
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Everyday our hearts
renew, oh cleanse and
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change us through and through.
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We have come with open hearts
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Oh let the ancient words impart.
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We have come with open hearts
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Oh let the ancient words impart.
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There has never been a
book so hated and yet so
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so loved as the
Bible. Thousands of people
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have given their whole lives
for a book. Now tell me what
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would possess a man
to do such an unthinkable
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thing, but in this
book are words of comfort,
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words of hope, words of
strength, words of life,
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the very words of Jesus
Christ. Now, if man is to
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find this life, this precious
life, eternal life, he will
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find them in these
ancient words, the Bible,
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which leads us to
our heavenly Father.
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You're right Matthew
those ancient words they
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give us a knowledge
of God. David, I have a
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question for you, how
did you get to know God,
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was it through the
ancient words of the
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Bible or how did
it work in your life?
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Well I grew up as a
Christian. Recalling how
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Ceri said, I was the
good boy but not the Godly
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boy. And, when I would
be talking to a friend or a
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relative it was great
until the conversation
00:17:50.20\00:17:53.60
started to get a
little bit like too preachy
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a little bit about
God and all that and then,
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okay I have to admit it
that I will find it repulsive.
00:17:59.17\00:18:01.58
I just didn't want to
talk about those type of
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conversations, those
were just not my thing.
00:18:03.81\00:18:05.81
And back then, I did
not know that I needed
00:18:06.45\00:18:09.35
a relationship with
God, but then when I came
00:18:09.38\00:18:12.02
to Fountain View, I
could see in the students,
00:18:12.05\00:18:15.92
in the staff and like
this close in a relationship
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.89
with God and that's
when I knew that he was real,
00:18:18.93\00:18:22.70
It wasn't a
fairytale, like it wasn't
00:18:22.73\00:18:24.57
impossible to achieve
and then during my junior
00:18:24.60\00:18:27.77
year, I started to
feel like this is spiritual
00:18:27.90\00:18:30.21
emptiness, like
this hole in my heart.
00:18:30.24\00:18:32.27
And I just didn't know
how to fill it up, and then
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later I started to
realize, you know what?
00:18:36.81\00:18:38.68
I just don't know God
and I haven't had that close
00:18:39.18\00:18:42.08
connection with God and
I really want to do that.
00:18:42.12\00:18:45.12
I really want to
become, to be good friend with
00:18:45.52\00:18:47.36
him. And then I
start asking God you know I
00:18:47.39\00:18:50.16
I want you to make it real
for me, I want you to show me,
00:18:50.19\00:18:53.50
was is to be with,
to be with you. Then one
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morning I was reading the book
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"Steps to Christ' my
devotions, then it says
00:18:58.07\00:19:01.24
many are the ways in
which God is seeking to
00:19:01.27\00:19:03.84
make Himself known
to us and bring us into
00:19:03.87\00:19:06.27
communion with Him.
So, I just thought that God
00:19:06.41\00:19:08.98
is actually leading me
through this, I could go to
00:19:09.01\00:19:12.08
towards him. He really
wants to get to know me
00:19:12.11\00:19:14.62
and I kept reading
and it says, God speaks to
00:19:15.25\00:19:17.29
us through His providential
workings and through
00:19:17.32\00:19:19.79
the influence of His
Spirit upon the heart.
00:19:19.82\00:19:21.69
So I was like, you know
what God, you definitely
00:19:22.29\00:19:24.79
want to get to
know me, you really want
00:19:24.83\00:19:26.16
to get know me, and
that's just amazing, because
00:19:26.19\00:19:29.00
like I still struggle with
this, I still struggle with
00:19:29.70\00:19:32.13
pray before I go to
bed, I still struggle with
00:19:32.40\00:19:35.44
reading my devotions
still. But, the amazing thing
00:19:35.60\00:19:38.44
is that he's still calling
me. And so he still wants
00:19:38.47\00:19:41.78
to get to know me and
that just really blows my
00:19:41.81\00:19:43.68
mind. Amen, okay David
so, would it be safe to
00:19:43.81\00:19:47.75
say the you grew up as
a Christian and you really
00:19:47.78\00:19:53.56
didn't have a hungering
and thirsting. You didn't even
00:19:53.59\00:19:55.76
know that you needed
God and you saw it real
00:19:56.26\00:20:01.36
in the lives of other
Christians. And when you
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.70
saw that it drove you
to the Bible, yeah, yeah.
00:20:04.73\00:20:08.14
Yeah, because of that
points like He actually
00:20:08.34\00:20:11.74
made himself real to
me. Yeah. And so daily you
00:20:11.77\00:20:15.48
started to read the
Bible and it became a real
00:20:15.51\00:20:18.05
relationship that you
needed like breathing,
00:20:18.08\00:20:20.88
like eating every
single day. Thank you,
00:20:20.92\00:20:23.85
David for sharing your
story with us, it's really
00:20:23.89\00:20:27.36
meaningful to see
that God has changed
00:20:27.39\00:20:29.49
you through his word
and through the Holy Spirit
00:20:29.52\00:20:31.99
in our life. Praise the
Lord, Praise the Lord, Amen.
00:20:32.03\00:20:34.56
There is one more
secret to knowing God, and
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.47
that is, we need to
have help interpreting what
00:20:38.50\00:20:41.97
nature and the Bible say
about him. Because of sin
00:20:42.10\00:20:45.91
our perceptions of God
are not always accurate.
00:20:46.07\00:20:48.61
But he is provided a way
for us to see things in their
00:20:49.14\00:20:52.15
true light. In John
16:13 the Apostle says,
00:20:52.18\00:20:56.08
'when he, the spirit
of truth has come he will
00:20:56.58\00:20:59.09
guide you unto all
truth. When acquainting yourself
00:20:59.12\00:21:02.42
with God, either
through nature or the Bible, you
00:21:02.46\00:21:05.16
do well to pray for
God's Holy Spirit to guide
00:21:05.19\00:21:08.20
you into truth. So, make
this your rule, I will never
00:21:08.23\00:21:12.40
attempt to study
about God in the Bible or in
00:21:12.43\00:21:15.17
nature without first praying.
00:21:15.20\00:21:17.24
Spirit of God,
descend upon my heart;
00:21:20.01\00:21:32.22
Wean it from earth;
through all its pulses move;
00:21:33.02\00:21:45.40
Stoop to my
weakness, mighty as Thou art,
00:21:46.10\00:21:58.65
And make me love
Thee as I ought to love.
00:21:59.25\00:22:12.76
Hast Thou not bid us
love thee, God and King?
00:22:14.10\00:22:26.74
All, all Thine own, soul,
heart and strength and mind.
00:22:27.54\00:22:39.75
I see Thy cross; there
teach my heart to cling.
00:22:40.86\00:22:53.27
O let me seek
Thee, and O let me find.
00:22:53.80\00:23:07.12
Teach me to feel
that Thou art always nigh;
00:23:08.05\00:23:20.10
Teach me the
struggles of the soul to bear.
00:23:20.66\00:23:32.84
To check the rising
doubt, the rebel sigh,
00:23:33.34\00:23:45.42
Teach me the
patience of unanswered prayer.
00:23:45.85\00:24:02.90
You know, I was
thinking about what David said,
00:24:05.54\00:24:07.31
and how that he didn't really
know that he needed Christ.
00:24:07.34\00:24:10.65
We are pretty helpless if we
don't know that we need Christ.
00:24:10.68\00:24:13.95
or that we don't even
know what our true needs are.
00:24:13.98\00:24:15.48
That's why when I wake
up in the morning I really
00:24:15.75\00:24:18.85
try to remember, God,
please reveal yourself to me,
00:24:18.89\00:24:21.92
teach me how to love you,
teach me to have a passion
00:24:21.96\00:24:26.90
for what's right
and how to detest evil.
00:24:26.93\00:24:29.10
When I want to learn a skill,
I need a teacher to help me,
00:24:29.13\00:24:33.87
show me how to learn
it. Well, I was thinking
00:24:33.90\00:24:38.04
God should be our ultimate
teacher and ask him every day,
00:24:38.07\00:24:41.41
will you be my teacher. Yes!
00:24:41.44\00:24:43.28
In Mathew chapter 7,
it talks about, Jesus'
00:24:43.31\00:24:47.85
is talking there
about a very sad experience
00:24:47.88\00:24:50.45
he says that when he
comes there will be many,
00:24:50.49\00:24:52.39
many people who will come
to him and say I knew you,
00:24:52.42\00:24:54.82
I knew you, I knew
you, and he replies to them
00:24:54.86\00:24:57.33
I'm sorry but I don't
know you, and looking at
00:24:57.36\00:25:00.26
that and thinking to
myself, now is it possible
00:25:00.30\00:25:04.57
for me to think that
I know someone but they
00:25:04.60\00:25:06.97
actually don't know
me. And in James 2:19
00:25:07.00\00:25:10.61
it says that the devils
they believe in God, they
00:25:10.64\00:25:13.27
know God but
they fear and tremble.
00:25:13.31\00:25:14.84
So they don't have a
saving knowledge of God.
00:25:14.88\00:25:16.88
And we don't want to
get to the end and God
00:25:16.91\00:25:20.98
turn to us and say I
don't know you. To have God
00:25:21.02\00:25:25.12
know us means we have
an intimate relationship
00:25:25.15\00:25:27.56
with him, we let him
into our lives. And I can see
00:25:27.59\00:25:30.46
in your life Matthew
that you have let God into
00:25:30.49\00:25:32.89
your life that you
know him and he knows you,
00:25:32.93\00:25:35.23
how have you gotten that
that's a real relationship.
00:25:35.26\00:25:38.07
Well, boy where to
start, growing up my parents
00:25:38.10\00:25:43.77
always were trying to
lead me to Christ and to
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.64
do what was right. I
just threw it back in their
00:25:46.68\00:25:49.18
face, I just
tried to ignore them
00:25:49.21\00:25:50.85
and I didn't want to have
00:25:50.88\00:25:51.91
anything to do with it.
And I was really involved
00:25:51.95\00:25:54.42
in things that just
really bring me down.
00:25:54.45\00:25:56.69
I was really,
really into video games,
00:25:56.72\00:25:58.75
for example. I played
video games like you wouldn't
00:25:58.79\00:26:01.16
believe and the thing
was I was really, really,
00:26:01.19\00:26:04.03
really good and that
was why I loved it so much,
00:26:04.06\00:26:06.56
because I was so
good I would play like
00:26:06.59\00:26:08.00
10 to 12 hours in one
day. These aren't just
00:26:08.03\00:26:10.90
like little kids
games? No, these are games
00:26:10.93\00:26:12.87
where your, like
shooting or blowing people up
00:26:12.90\00:26:14.77
It's very
violent. It's very violent.
00:26:14.80\00:26:17.04
And then I was
really involved in watching
00:26:17.07\00:26:19.67
movies with lots of you
know language, violence,
00:26:19.71\00:26:22.81
sex and all the stuff
and but over time I just
00:26:22.84\00:26:30.09
these things were
not satisfying. They were
00:26:30.12\00:26:32.59
pleasurable for a time but
really overall they just did
00:26:32.62\00:26:35.39
not satisfy me
completely. And I wanted to have
00:26:35.42\00:26:41.20
something that I saw in
people's life that I didn't
00:26:41.70\00:26:44.97
have, my parents change
people's life and I saw that
00:26:45.00\00:26:47.57
they had a real walk
with God and I'm like God
00:26:47.60\00:26:49.57
is real and if you bring
such a joy into somebody's
00:26:49.60\00:26:53.58
life. I want that, I
really want that, and
00:26:53.61\00:26:55.58
being here at Fountain
View Academy has really
00:26:55.91\00:27:00.28
shown me and
taught so much about,
00:27:00.32\00:27:03.79
who Christ is really
all about, and when I really
00:27:03.82\00:27:06.69
came here to this
school I wanted to really do
00:27:06.72\00:27:09.06
what was right. And God
says, if you really want
00:27:09.09\00:27:11.39
to get to know me, you
need to sacrifice and give
00:27:11.43\00:27:13.83
up these things of
the World. I said Lord no,
00:27:13.86\00:27:15.50
I cant give up these things,
00:27:15.53\00:27:17.37
I'm good at
these things and I love
00:27:17.40\00:27:18.83
these things and
done this so much but,
00:27:18.87\00:27:20.97
he says no you have
to trust me and over just
00:27:21.00\00:27:23.51
fighting this for so
long. I finally just said that's
00:27:23.54\00:27:28.31
enough and I just got
rid of it. And I could
00:27:28.34\00:27:31.18
remember just coming to
a friend of mine in tears
00:27:31.21\00:27:34.35
and I had these
CDs and they were torn
00:27:34.38\00:27:37.12
apart and I just
said you could have them.
00:27:37.15\00:27:38.42
'Cause he was the person that
00:27:38.45\00:27:40.02
was encouraging me
to give these things
00:27:40.06\00:27:41.46
up. And ever since
then my life has never,
00:27:41.49\00:27:43.99
never been the
same, it hasn't and
00:27:44.03\00:27:47.10
it's only by God's grace.
00:27:47.13\00:27:48.30
Amen. Amen. And it
makes me think of freedom is
00:27:48.33\00:27:53.44
not found in the
things that we own, but it is
00:27:53.47\00:27:56.10
in the power to do
what is right. Amen, Amen
00:27:56.14\00:27:58.81
you know in Jeremiah
29:13 it tells us that
00:27:58.84\00:28:02.08
if you seek God you will
find him, if you seek for
00:28:02.11\00:28:05.38
him with all heart and
all of you have told me
00:28:05.41\00:28:08.58
about how you've
been seeking God with all
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.29
your heart and you
have found him and you
00:28:10.32\00:28:13.32
continue to seek him
everyday. Lets close with
00:28:13.36\00:28:15.72
a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, we
00:28:15.76\00:28:18.99
thank you that you
give us a desire to want to
00:28:19.03\00:28:20.90
know you and you give us
that saving relationship.
00:28:20.93\00:28:24.63
Thank you for sending
your Holy Spirit to lead us
00:28:24.67\00:28:26.67
and into all truth, in
Jesus name, Amen, Amen.
00:28:26.70\00:28:30.41
Steps to Christ in
Song is a 13 part series
00:28:33.04\00:28:36.61
from Fountain View
Productions. Designed to be
00:28:36.64\00:28:38.98
easy non-threatening way to
00:28:39.01\00:28:40.95
share the good
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00:28:40.98\00:28:43.08
with friends,
relatives and co-workers.
00:28:43.12\00:28:45.72
Order your copies now by
calling 1-877-490-4141 or
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ABC Christian Book Store.
00:29:02.47\00:29:04.51