I want to spend my life
00:00:02.20\00:00:08.17
Mending broken people
00:00:08.20\00:00:13.11
I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, Let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
00:00:40.87\00:00:46.41
I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, friends, and welcome
to Friday Night Family Worship,
00:01:09.46\00:01:13.03
and the first one for 2022.
00:01:13.07\00:01:16.20
Wow. Can you imagine,
Honey, we're in the New Year?
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I'm excited
00:01:18.27\00:01:19.61
because it's bringing us one
year closer to seeing our Lord.
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That's right, and
also happy Sabbath.
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This is a time that we look
forward to come into your home
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in a casual but spiritual way.
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And we're going to be
talking about new beginnings
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'cause right now
people are talking about,
00:01:33.32\00:01:35.06
I think,
discussing and thinking about
00:01:35.09\00:01:36.76
what to do
differently for the New Year.
00:01:36.79\00:01:38.73
I know.
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People are
exercising, they're in the gym,
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trying to lose weight
and but you know what?
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New beginnings are
not just for the young.
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It's for the old,
it's for everyone.
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Every day above the
ground is a good day.
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I like that. Amen.
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If you can wake
up in the morning,
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and get a chance to take a new
breath, that's a new beginning.
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Amen. Wow.
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Well, who do we
have on our panel today?
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Oh, I'm so
excited about our panel.
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We have Jasmine Carter,
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and it's her first time
being on our family worship.
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Welcome, Jasmine. Thank you.
00:02:10.33\00:02:11.86
I'm excited to be here.
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I'm not a part, I
don't work at 3ABN,
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but I'm a part of the family.
00:02:15.26\00:02:16.90
I'm a residential
mortgage underwriter
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and from the
beautiful island of Jamaica.
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I've been married
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to this
wonderful man for 18 years.
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Oh, for 18 years. Amen.
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And you are our neighbors.
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You live across
the street from us.
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And when she
said she's Jamaican,
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my family is Jamaican also.
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So hello, Jamaica.
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And next to you is Ricky Carter,
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your husband, who's
half Jamaican, right?
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Yes.
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My father is
Jamaican, my mom is Cuban,
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and I work here at 3ABN.
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I work for the
Dare to Dream Channel.
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I mostly do video editing
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and I do a lot of
computer animation
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for the channel as well.
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Oh, well, welcome.
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Good to have you. Happy Sabbath.
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That's right. Happy Sabbath.
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That's right.
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And across the table
from me is Janelle Owen.
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Welcome, Janelle. Thank you.
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Thank you for having
me. Tell us what you do?
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I'm in the
Publishing Department. Okay.
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And I work on a lot
of different things,
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print and web,
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I guess you could summarize
it and say print and web.
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And the main thing I
work on is the World Magazine.
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But there's so many projects
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that come through our department
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that I can't even think
of all the different things,
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but it's a blessing to use
what God's given me there...
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You are a busy woman.
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You have
deadlines and all of that.
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Yes, deadlines.
We live by deadlines.
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Unfortunately,
that's just part of it.
00:03:40.42\00:03:42.35
It's good to have
somebody that knows
00:03:42.38\00:03:43.72
how to use the
right text and fonts.
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Yeah.
00:03:45.75\00:03:47.09
That's make all the
difference when I look at print.
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You do a great job.
Praise the Lord. Thank you.
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And you're also,
you and your husband,
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this is Donald Owen,
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and you work in
Pastoral Department?
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Yeah, I'm just
very, how can we say this,
00:03:57.73\00:03:59.60
very humbled that
God would choose me
00:03:59.63\00:04:02.70
to be able to pray
with people on the phone.
00:04:02.74\00:04:04.71
It's incredible and
the stories you get to hear
00:04:04.74\00:04:06.51
and just the brokenness,
00:04:06.54\00:04:08.08
but to encourage
folks to the Word,
00:04:08.11\00:04:09.78
that's what really
speaks to me a lot.
00:04:09.81\00:04:11.58
So I've been very blessed,
00:04:11.61\00:04:13.11
and I'm just so
thankful to be invited
00:04:13.15\00:04:14.78
and to be on this
group today, this panel.
00:04:14.82\00:04:16.79
And the good thing is,
00:04:16.82\00:04:18.65
everyone here is busy at church.
00:04:18.69\00:04:20.62
That's right.
00:04:20.66\00:04:21.99
Everybody on this panel
has something to do at church
00:04:22.02\00:04:23.83
and does an amazing job too.
00:04:23.86\00:04:25.66
Personal ministries...
00:04:25.69\00:04:27.03
Personal ministries
and all different facets.
00:04:27.06\00:04:29.26
But there's something we
need to say to our viewing
00:04:29.30\00:04:30.97
and our listening audience.
00:04:31.00\00:04:32.33
Oh, yeah. Let me just count
to three, one, two, three...
00:04:32.37\00:04:34.47
There we go. Happy New Year.
00:04:34.50\00:04:37.91
Happy 2022. Wow!
00:04:37.94\00:04:40.14
When I was growing
up, I used, you know,
00:04:40.18\00:04:42.08
in high school in New
York or in elementary school,
00:04:42.11\00:04:44.05
there was a spatial
came out space isle,
00:04:44.08\00:04:47.32
you know, 2001 Space
Odyssey And I thought,
00:04:47.35\00:04:50.99
"Man, I wanna be in
heaven way before that."
00:04:51.02\00:04:53.99
Here we are 21 years past 2001,
00:04:54.02\00:04:58.56
it is just hard to
wrap our head around that.
00:04:58.59\00:05:01.46
I was listening to
somebody just the other day
00:05:01.50\00:05:03.06
and one of our
teachers at our school actually,
00:05:03.10\00:05:06.13
she said, "That
was in the olden days
00:05:06.17\00:05:07.87
that was in the '90s."
00:05:07.90\00:05:09.24
And I thought, "What?
00:05:09.27\00:05:11.34
The olden days, the '90s..."
It's just the other day.
00:05:11.37\00:05:14.71
That was just the other
day as far as I'm concerned.
00:05:14.74\00:05:17.78
Imagine to the
Lord a day is a year.
00:05:17.81\00:05:20.32
Yeah.
00:05:20.35\00:05:21.68
Oh, man, I tell
you, time doesn't matter.
00:05:21.72\00:05:23.05
But we have a great
program that we want to go ahead
00:05:23.08\00:05:25.59
and dive into.
00:05:25.62\00:05:26.96
Once again, it's new beginnings.
00:05:26.99\00:05:29.22
So while you're
planning your new beginnings,
00:05:29.26\00:05:31.76
pause for a moment
and begin to look at it
00:05:31.79\00:05:34.20
from a scriptural perspective.
00:05:34.23\00:05:35.56
Honey, would you
begin with prayer?
00:05:35.60\00:05:37.20
Let's bow our heads.
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Our precious
Gracious Heavenly Father,
00:05:39.83\00:05:41.77
we come to You
in the name of Jesus
00:05:41.80\00:05:43.54
giving You all praise,
00:05:43.57\00:05:44.91
honor and glory
for You are worthy.
00:05:44.94\00:05:47.71
Lord, it's a new year,
new beginnings for so many.
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And, Father, every
day is a new beginning.
00:05:51.21\00:05:54.22
We don't have to wait
till January 1 to start.
00:05:54.25\00:05:58.09
Every day when You give us life,
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health and strength, we
can open our eyes and say,
00:06:00.29\00:06:03.16
"Lord, we dedicate
our hearts to You."
00:06:03.19\00:06:05.63
And right now we do that.
00:06:05.66\00:06:07.00
We ask that You'll
guide in this family worship,
00:06:07.03\00:06:09.86
give us wisdom, we
ask that Your Holy Spirit
00:06:09.90\00:06:11.90
will abide in our hearts
and minds in Jesus' name.
00:06:11.93\00:06:15.14
Amen. Amen.
00:06:15.17\00:06:16.60
Amen.
00:06:16.64\00:06:18.11
You know, let's talk
about what we just came out of,
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the Christmas season.
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I just, you know,
that I think differently.
00:06:23.08\00:06:25.55
And I thought rather
than just the amount of money
00:06:25.58\00:06:27.78
spent on gifts,
00:06:27.82\00:06:29.48
how much wrapping
paper was just throwing away?
00:06:29.52\00:06:32.85
Tons, thousands of tons.
00:06:32.89\00:06:34.79
And they look so pretty.
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They look so pretty.
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How long does it
last? Few seconds burst.
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Well, any kid I guess,
but you know how it is.
00:06:41.16\00:06:42.86
You just rip them off...
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If you get a gift bag
you can recycle though.
00:06:44.27\00:06:45.60
Yeah. I'll do that.
00:06:45.63\00:06:47.97
And I've done that.
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I still do it. I know it.
00:06:49.94\00:06:51.57
Listen, when we get
stuff in gift bags and she say,
00:06:51.61\00:06:54.18
keep, don't throw it away.
00:06:54.21\00:06:55.54
Yeah.
00:06:55.58\00:06:57.85
But rip wrapping
paper, I know growing up
00:06:57.88\00:06:59.61
and we go to the
Christmas season.
00:06:59.65\00:07:02.48
There are those
families that are OCD,
00:07:02.52\00:07:03.89
just take the tape off,
it was like kids rip it open.
00:07:03.92\00:07:08.42
Yeah.
00:07:08.46\00:07:09.79
And here we took all
that time that five minutes
00:07:09.82\00:07:11.16
they spit open
and it was destroyed
00:07:11.19\00:07:12.53
in three seconds.
00:07:12.56\00:07:13.90
Yeah. My mother would
say, "Fold it back up.
00:07:13.93\00:07:17.77
Put it away."
00:07:17.80\00:07:19.13
You know Jamaican
accent, "Put it away."
00:07:19.17\00:07:21.87
And you see that wrapping paper
00:07:21.90\00:07:23.24
like on three
separate occasions.
00:07:23.27\00:07:26.04
Oh, dear.
00:07:26.07\00:07:27.48
But the funny thing
about that is we all go through
00:07:27.51\00:07:30.58
new cycles in our lives.
00:07:30.61\00:07:32.08
So let's talk about some
of the things that are new,
00:07:32.11\00:07:34.68
not only just gifts,
but some of the things
00:07:34.72\00:07:36.52
that people like
that are often bring joy
00:07:36.55\00:07:39.25
and sparks to our
lives that are new.
00:07:39.29\00:07:41.39
What are some of those
things that come to mind
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that people like
to get excited about?
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I want to new what?
00:07:44.86\00:07:46.46
Think about it.
I think about food.
00:07:46.49\00:07:49.70
And for me, being
an artist, I love...
00:07:49.73\00:07:53.67
And a chef. And a chef.
00:07:53.70\00:07:55.97
I love creating a new recipe.
00:07:56.00\00:07:58.47
So I get excited
about if I'm thinking about,
00:07:58.51\00:08:02.01
"Oh, have had
potatoes yesterday.
00:08:02.04\00:08:03.48
Oh, how can I make
it new and different?"
00:08:03.51\00:08:07.28
So I'll find a
little recipe for that
00:08:07.32\00:08:10.29
and make a
little new curry potato
00:08:10.32\00:08:13.02
or some new
flavor for the potatoes,
00:08:13.05\00:08:15.36
but that's what I'm gonna do.
00:08:15.39\00:08:16.73
Okay, new food.
00:08:16.76\00:08:18.09
I get excited about new
books and new goals as well.
00:08:18.13\00:08:21.03
I like that. Yes.
00:08:21.06\00:08:22.60
You're goal
oriented. That's right.
00:08:22.63\00:08:24.83
I like to do the same thing.
00:08:24.87\00:08:26.20
Every year, I challenge
myself and my wife knows this.
00:08:26.23\00:08:27.97
I try to say,
"What don't I know yet?
00:08:28.00\00:08:30.71
"And Janelle
just to kind of appeal
00:08:30.74\00:08:32.07
to that's how I
learned to do websites and...
00:08:32.11\00:08:34.18
Oh, yeah. He's always
learning something new.
00:08:34.21\00:08:36.71
He says, "Angie, your
mind can't be stagnant."
00:08:36.75\00:08:38.85
Right And he's always
telling me to read more,
00:08:38.88\00:08:41.42
and I need to listen more.
00:08:41.45\00:08:42.98
That's true.
00:08:43.02\00:08:44.35
Yeah, do that for the
New Year, a little more.
00:08:44.39\00:08:46.96
Wait a minute, you
guys didn't hear that.
00:08:46.99\00:08:50.73
But, so what about you guys?
00:08:50.76\00:08:52.83
Well, I mean, it's not
like, I guess anything tangible,
00:08:52.86\00:08:56.36
but just like, you
know, in the New Year,
00:08:56.40\00:08:58.53
it's kind of clich, I guess,
that everyone wants to exercise
00:08:58.57\00:09:01.17
and whether or not we
stick with those goals,
00:09:01.20\00:09:03.10
it's you know, not always
that doesn't always happen.
00:09:03.14\00:09:05.61
But I like finding
new exercises because,
00:09:05.64\00:09:08.38
you know, like you're talking
about challenging your mind.
00:09:08.41\00:09:10.41
It's good to
challenge your body too,
00:09:10.45\00:09:11.78
because we do the same
exercises all the time,
00:09:11.81\00:09:14.05
your muscles get used to it.
00:09:14.08\00:09:15.58
So just to challenge physically,
00:09:15.62\00:09:18.52
you know, new exercises.
00:09:18.55\00:09:19.89
Is that what they
mean by muscle memory?
00:09:19.92\00:09:22.12
Probably, yeah.
00:09:22.16\00:09:23.49
Kind of get you. Yeah,
they say confuse your muscles.
00:09:23.53\00:09:25.76
Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:25.79\00:09:27.13
I didn't think about that.
00:09:27.16\00:09:28.50
Maybe there's still help for
me to look like Mr. Universe.
00:09:28.53\00:09:31.43
I love you just the way you are.
00:09:31.47\00:09:33.03
It's okay.
00:09:33.07\00:09:34.40
I love you just
the way you are too.
00:09:34.44\00:09:35.77
It's all right. Just
maintain that cuteness.
00:09:35.80\00:09:37.67
Okay, now.
00:09:37.71\00:09:39.27
Let's stop it. Donald?
00:09:39.31\00:09:40.64
I think for me, I'm a
person and when I was young,
00:09:40.68\00:09:43.21
I never made
relationships very well.
00:09:43.24\00:09:45.48
So I think for me,
it's new relationships.
00:09:45.51\00:09:47.25
And the second thing is
new ways to get the gospel out.
00:09:47.28\00:09:50.05
Amen.
00:09:50.09\00:09:51.42
I love to find new
ways to get the gospel out.
00:09:51.45\00:09:52.85
Just incredible,
God will open up doors
00:09:52.89\00:09:54.62
and just, watch what He does.
00:09:54.66\00:09:56.42
You're the tract guy.
You always have a tract.
00:09:56.46\00:09:57.79
Oh, yeah, we have
fun. You're always ready.
00:09:57.83\00:09:59.36
We have some new tracts
we just got in a while back.
00:09:59.39\00:10:01.70
It was really neat, Black
Friday tracts we had last year.
00:10:01.73\00:10:04.03
People like, "Oh."
00:10:04.07\00:10:05.40
They get
excited, 'cause they think
00:10:05.43\00:10:06.77
we're giving them a coupon.
00:10:06.80\00:10:08.14
Right. Tracts of salvation,
full tracts of salvation.
00:10:08.17\00:10:09.50
Oh, you have
tracts of salvation.
00:10:09.54\00:10:10.94
I love it.
00:10:10.97\00:10:13.44
You think of these
tracts, this is Black Friday
00:10:13.48\00:10:15.41
and it's about salvation.
00:10:15.44\00:10:17.58
You know what's nice
about that it's a gift
00:10:17.61\00:10:19.18
that never stops giving.
00:10:19.21\00:10:20.55
Right.
00:10:20.58\00:10:21.92
Salvation is not like something
that happens once a year
00:10:21.95\00:10:23.79
at a discount price.
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.22
It's free every day. Right.
00:10:25.25\00:10:26.59
Praise God.
00:10:26.62\00:10:27.96
He paid for it, but
it's not free for Him,
00:10:27.99\00:10:29.56
but it's free through Jesus.
00:10:29.59\00:10:31.69
So let's talk about what we
can find in Christ that's new.
00:10:31.73\00:10:37.07
I'd like to begin with
one of my favorite passages.
00:10:37.10\00:10:39.03
And I'll start with Donald,
you know, 2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:10:39.07\00:10:43.20
We'd like to
think of new things.
00:10:43.24\00:10:45.67
But the one thing that
I believe is an every day,
00:10:45.71\00:10:50.05
every moment opportunity
00:10:50.08\00:10:52.31
is what the Lord
wants to do in your life.
00:10:52.35\00:10:55.18
Now, you might be
sitting there with a new gadget,
00:10:55.22\00:10:57.65
trying to figure out
how to turn the volume up
00:10:57.69\00:11:00.29
or you maybe have
your new phone isolated,
00:11:00.32\00:11:03.73
so nobody could knock it
over or you might be looking
00:11:03.76\00:11:06.53
through a new television.
00:11:06.56\00:11:07.90
But look at this
passage with new eyes
00:11:07.93\00:11:10.53
if you've not seen it before.
00:11:10.57\00:11:12.23
2 Corinthians 5:17, Donald?
00:11:12.27\00:11:14.14
Sure, no, I wanna
actually share 15,
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.84
you all go back
there when we're done.
00:11:15.87\00:11:17.21
Sure.
00:11:17.24\00:11:18.57
Seventeen says, "Therefore,
if any man be in Christ,
00:11:18.61\00:11:21.78
he is a new creature,
old things are passed away.
00:11:21.81\00:11:25.78
They're done away with.
00:11:25.81\00:11:27.15
Behold, all things
are become new." Wow.
00:11:27.18\00:11:31.39
And I think that verse
15, and I was reading this,
00:11:31.42\00:11:33.66
I kind of
backtrack a little bit. Sure.
00:11:33.69\00:11:35.56
And I thought about
this, it says in verse 15,
00:11:35.59\00:11:37.33
that He died for all,
obviously, we know it's Jesus,
00:11:37.36\00:11:40.70
"That He died for
all that they which live
00:11:40.73\00:11:42.90
should not
henceforth live unto themselves,
00:11:42.93\00:11:45.93
but unto Him,
again, being Jesus,
00:11:45.97\00:11:47.77
which died for
them and rose again."
00:11:47.80\00:11:49.44
So that new life
should be really,
00:11:49.47\00:11:51.61
as it says here
should be living for Him.
00:11:51.64\00:11:53.68
That's right. Amen.
00:11:53.71\00:11:55.04
I think that's
really powerful mission
00:11:55.08\00:11:56.41
A new life living for Him,
00:11:56.44\00:11:57.78
but the new life
also living in Him,
00:11:57.81\00:12:00.25
if anyone is in Christ.
00:12:00.28\00:12:02.35
So when we
consider the New Year,
00:12:02.38\00:12:03.99
what does it mean,
in the context of 2022,
00:12:04.02\00:12:07.16
all things new?
00:12:07.19\00:12:08.56
Let's just talk
about that for a moment.
00:12:08.59\00:12:09.92
Yeah, what I think
about is that we should strive
00:12:09.96\00:12:13.66
to no longer live life,
00:12:13.70\00:12:17.20
live a sinful life,
00:12:17.23\00:12:19.77
we should strive
to, by God's grace,
00:12:19.80\00:12:23.81
live lives that
are rooted in Christ.
00:12:23.84\00:12:28.84
Christ lives.
00:12:28.88\00:12:30.65
If He's living out
His life within me,
00:12:30.68\00:12:33.88
He can cause me to
walk in newness of life
00:12:33.92\00:12:38.25
and causing me to reflect
00:12:38.29\00:12:41.89
on a daily basis more on Him.
00:12:41.92\00:12:44.23
So, that's what
I'm thinking about for,
00:12:44.26\00:12:46.90
to answering your question.
00:12:46.93\00:12:48.26
Okay. Jasmine?
00:12:48.30\00:12:49.63
I feel that if we
surrender our lives to Jesus,
00:12:49.66\00:12:52.00
the reality we
can find in Him is
00:12:52.03\00:12:53.74
that we can have victory over
habits that no longer serve us.
00:12:53.77\00:12:58.44
For example, most
people make resolutions
00:12:58.47\00:13:00.41
to start eating healthier,
00:13:00.44\00:13:01.81
to exercise at the
beginning of the year.
00:13:01.84\00:13:03.91
How long does it last?
00:13:03.95\00:13:05.28
Most people fail, a
very high percentage.
00:13:05.31\00:13:07.75
By February, I think it's 96%.
00:13:07.78\00:13:11.29
And it's because we are
depending on our own selves,
00:13:11.32\00:13:14.19
we have to rely on God.
00:13:14.22\00:13:15.56
Amen. Yeah.
00:13:15.59\00:13:16.93
That is so true.
00:13:16.96\00:13:18.29
In the advertising companies,
they start pumping that brake,
00:13:18.33\00:13:21.96
the gas pedal from November,
December, 10% off, 25% off,
00:13:22.00\00:13:27.20
$1 a month
until next month 1995.
00:13:27.24\00:13:30.84
And they really get you
going and people start trying
00:13:30.87\00:13:33.44
to put their umpth into it
when in fact human resolution
00:13:33.48\00:13:36.85
so often fail.
00:13:36.88\00:13:38.21
Yeah.
00:13:38.25\00:13:39.58
And they appeal to
the mindset as well,
00:13:39.61\00:13:40.95
you know, the
emotions get you...
00:13:40.98\00:13:42.58
And you find
stuff in your email,
00:13:42.62\00:13:45.75
stuff in the mail
just the manufacturers
00:13:45.79\00:13:48.29
in the retail department.
00:13:48.32\00:13:50.39
I've fallen for that,
gotten treadmill, remember?
00:13:50.43\00:13:53.26
No payments, next year
I'm paying for two years.
00:13:53.29\00:13:58.23
How long did I use
it for? Have mercy.
00:13:58.27\00:14:00.67
Some people have the best gym
in the world in their basement,
00:14:05.91\00:14:09.44
but has spider webs on it.
00:14:09.48\00:14:11.01
Right. Yeah.
00:14:11.05\00:14:12.51
Are you talking about me?
00:14:12.55\00:14:14.38
No. No, my gym?
00:14:14.42\00:14:16.05
Do you identify
with that comment?
00:14:16.08\00:14:19.65
This is a fun
family worship. It is.
00:14:19.69\00:14:22.12
You're revealing
too much you guys.
00:14:22.16\00:14:23.63
I'm sure a lot of
people can relate to that.
00:14:26.63\00:14:28.13
Oh, yeah.
00:14:28.16\00:14:29.50
You know, it's just
life, they just happen and go.
00:14:29.53\00:14:31.30
You put your
clothes on your treadmill.
00:14:31.33\00:14:35.04
You brush your spider
webs off your barbell.
00:14:35.07\00:14:36.74
So you wonder, "When am
I going to gain weight?"
00:14:36.77\00:14:39.37
And they are
right in front of you.
00:14:39.41\00:14:41.01
And... But the
Word of God is all.
00:14:41.04\00:14:43.45
But that's the
past... New beginnings.
00:14:43.48\00:14:46.25
There you go.
00:14:46.28\00:14:48.12
The Word of God is what we need
every day and prayer, right?
00:14:48.15\00:14:52.45
Communication. Oh, yes.
00:14:52.49\00:14:54.82
Think about that.
00:14:54.86\00:14:56.19
I like that verse
that we read is a promise.
00:14:56.22\00:14:59.59
It says if anyone is in
Christ, he's a new creation.
00:14:59.63\00:15:03.60
It's a promise.
00:15:03.63\00:15:05.13
You know, if we
choose Him, if He's in us,
00:15:05.17\00:15:08.34
He will make us new.
00:15:08.37\00:15:09.70
We don't have to, I
mean, there, of course,
00:15:09.74\00:15:11.21
there's always a, you
know, something that we,
00:15:11.24\00:15:14.24
role that we play,
but He's the one that
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.01
renews us and creates
that new desire in us.
00:15:17.05\00:15:21.62
I wanna piggyback
off of what you said.
00:15:21.65\00:15:23.22
And when you read that
it's actually a marriage.
00:15:23.25\00:15:25.42
Yeah.
00:15:25.45\00:15:26.79
It's a marriage, it's a
covenant between two people.
00:15:26.82\00:15:28.62
So it's beautiful.
00:15:28.66\00:15:29.99
You know, it's like that idea
00:15:30.03\00:15:31.36
that renewing our
vows with each other.
00:15:31.39\00:15:32.99
Sometimes we get
kind of complacent
00:15:33.03\00:15:34.53
and we just take
each other for granted.
00:15:34.56\00:15:36.67
You know, we do that often.
00:15:36.70\00:15:38.03
It's like being excited
and content with what you have.
00:15:38.07\00:15:42.47
There's a lot of people
that want more and more,
00:15:42.50\00:15:44.24
something
different, or something better,
00:15:44.27\00:15:45.84
what they think is better.
00:15:45.87\00:15:47.28
But really, you
already have it right here.
00:15:47.31\00:15:48.81
It's next to you. Right.
00:15:48.84\00:15:50.21
I'm glad you
brought that topic up
00:15:50.25\00:15:52.18
because we have
three couples here.
00:15:52.21\00:15:53.65
Yeah. We're all married.
00:15:53.68\00:15:55.15
That's a very good approach
00:15:55.18\00:15:56.65
because you have to be
in the right relationship
00:15:56.69\00:16:01.12
to experience the newness that
comes in her heart every day.
00:16:01.16\00:16:04.56
I want to appreciate
the new things in her life
00:16:04.59\00:16:07.13
and the new things in my life.
00:16:07.16\00:16:08.60
And I often ask her when
she comes home from work,
00:16:08.63\00:16:12.63
"How was your day?"
00:16:12.67\00:16:14.00
You too. "And what was
different for your day?"
00:16:14.04\00:16:16.44
And a lot of times I
want to encourage couples,
00:16:16.47\00:16:19.31
you know, become interested
in what your spouse does,
00:16:19.34\00:16:22.41
and your husband does.
00:16:22.44\00:16:23.95
'Cause sometimes
some people think, well,
00:16:23.98\00:16:25.31
I don't have as
many gifts as you have.
00:16:25.35\00:16:27.88
But that's why the
Lord put us together.
00:16:27.92\00:16:31.25
He didn't want to put two
people that are exactly alike,
00:16:31.29\00:16:33.56
because one of us
will be unnecessary.
00:16:33.59\00:16:34.92
Right. It's true.
00:16:34.96\00:16:37.43
So, yeah, I appreciate
that about my sweetheart.
00:16:37.46\00:16:40.30
And there're lot of things that
are happening new in her life,
00:16:40.33\00:16:43.20
which I just get excited about.
00:16:43.23\00:16:44.57
Yeah.
00:16:44.60\00:16:45.93
And it's good as couples to
love and appreciate each other.
00:16:45.97\00:16:48.27
You know, and you said it,
00:16:48.30\00:16:50.11
don't take each
other for granted.
00:16:50.14\00:16:52.34
You know, so many people
have lost their loved ones
00:16:52.37\00:16:54.84
last year, and it's a new year,
00:16:54.88\00:16:57.21
they don't have
that spouse with them.
00:16:57.25\00:17:00.22
And it's so sad,
there's a hole in their hearts.
00:17:00.25\00:17:03.28
And it's when you have
the Lord, that's all you have.
00:17:03.32\00:17:07.22
You have to hold on
till the resurrection,
00:17:07.26\00:17:09.92
because you will see
that loved one again.
00:17:09.96\00:17:12.29
That's a promise. Amen.
00:17:12.33\00:17:13.86
That's a good point.
00:17:13.90\00:17:15.23
If we look at
the 2 Isaiah 43:19,
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.83
you know, we talk about
the past and light of the past.
00:17:18.87\00:17:21.70
But how can we look to
the future with confidence?
00:17:21.74\00:17:25.84
Because right now
we live in a world
00:17:25.87\00:17:27.21
that just is so unpredictable.
00:17:27.24\00:17:29.94
Let's not even
talk about politics,
00:17:29.98\00:17:31.85
that's just a
whole new ball of ground.
00:17:31.88\00:17:34.82
But the world is so
different than it used to be.
00:17:34.85\00:17:37.09
And it's changing every day,
00:17:37.12\00:17:38.45
because that's the
way the cycle of humanity.
00:17:38.49\00:17:40.99
Isaiah 43:19, how can we look
to the future with confidence?
00:17:41.02\00:17:45.99
Go ahead, Janelle. Okay.
00:17:46.03\00:17:48.83
"Behold, I will do a new thing.
00:17:48.86\00:17:51.13
Now it shall spring
forth, shall you not know it?
00:17:51.17\00:17:55.04
I will even make a
road in the wilderness
00:17:55.07\00:17:56.97
and rivers in the desert."
00:17:57.01\00:17:59.87
I thought about those two roads,
00:17:59.91\00:18:01.58
those two phrases, a
road in the wilderness.
00:18:01.61\00:18:04.48
Now the Lord is, I
want you to listen to this.
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.21
He wants to do a new thing.
00:18:06.25\00:18:07.95
What do you think
it means to make a road
00:18:07.98\00:18:10.02
in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert?
00:18:10.05\00:18:13.89
Let's talk
about those two words.
00:18:13.92\00:18:15.36
I think when I
thought about that,
00:18:15.39\00:18:17.03
both these things are
cutting through something.
00:18:17.06\00:18:19.89
They're cutting
through like if you think
00:18:19.93\00:18:21.26
about the wilderness
than the world we're in today,
00:18:21.30\00:18:23.06
and you mentioned as we
talked about this last night,
00:18:23.10\00:18:25.53
it's just, there's so
many things to boggle the mind,
00:18:25.57\00:18:27.40
talk about cell phones,
TVs, all this distraction.
00:18:27.44\00:18:30.11
So it's like a
wilderness, but God wants us
00:18:30.14\00:18:32.07
to be able to cut
a road through that.
00:18:32.11\00:18:34.81
It's almost like a
neurological type of response.
00:18:34.84\00:18:37.28
We've got, you
know, like a neurological,
00:18:37.31\00:18:39.31
get so stimulated,
00:18:39.35\00:18:40.68
we're over stimulated
with all these wilderness,
00:18:40.72\00:18:42.05
but God wants to get
us kind of still with Him,
00:18:42.08\00:18:45.22
so we can hear Him.
00:18:45.25\00:18:46.65
I think that
same with the river.
00:18:46.69\00:18:48.16
Rivers bend and cut, some
are, you know, they're new,
00:18:48.19\00:18:50.69
and they're
little, they kind of move,
00:18:50.73\00:18:52.06
but if they get older,
they start really cutting
00:18:52.09\00:18:53.53
through your deepness.
00:18:53.56\00:18:54.90
I could see a
imagery of cutting through
00:18:54.93\00:18:56.30
and God wants it to
cut through to get to us.
00:18:56.33\00:18:57.83
Okay. In the
wilderness too, I was...
00:18:57.87\00:19:00.57
I looked up the
definition of wilderness
00:19:00.60\00:19:02.57
and it talks about
how it goes into an area
00:19:02.60\00:19:05.54
that's
uninhabited and wilderness,
00:19:05.57\00:19:09.74
you know, like we
were talking about,
00:19:09.78\00:19:11.11
like, how wilderness like
what I picture to look like
00:19:11.15\00:19:14.95
would be something like you
don't even know where to start,
00:19:14.98\00:19:17.39
like where to go in
because everything's like
00:19:17.42\00:19:19.59
so overgrown, or there's
just like stuff everywhere.
00:19:19.62\00:19:22.59
But God just like
He makes the path,
00:19:22.62\00:19:24.99
the road and He
just smoothes it out
00:19:25.03\00:19:28.70
and gets
everything out of the way.
00:19:28.73\00:19:30.37
And like Don's talking
about these, like in our brains,
00:19:30.40\00:19:33.34
you know, the neuro pathways
00:19:33.37\00:19:35.84
that over the
years that you know,
00:19:35.87\00:19:37.44
become cut into there
00:19:37.47\00:19:38.94
and they just
become like our habits,
00:19:38.97\00:19:41.08
you know, but God
makes those new roads
00:19:41.11\00:19:43.71
and it's just an awesome thing.
00:19:43.75\00:19:45.21
Amen. Yeah.
00:19:45.25\00:19:46.58
Okay. What do
you think about that?
00:19:46.61\00:19:47.95
Beautiful. Let's
keep bouncing that around.
00:19:47.98\00:19:49.35
Go ahead.
00:19:49.38\00:19:50.72
When I think of a
road in the wilderness,
00:19:50.75\00:19:52.99
what song comes to mind?
00:19:53.02\00:19:54.49
God will make a way when
there seems to be no way.
00:19:54.52\00:19:57.13
That's right.
00:19:57.16\00:19:58.69
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me. Yes.
00:19:58.73\00:20:02.40
So God will create
amazing opportunities for us.
00:20:02.43\00:20:05.07
And I recall when
we were moving here,
00:20:05.10\00:20:07.67
and we had to leave our home
because we hadn't sold it yet,
00:20:07.70\00:20:11.34
I was concerned about it,
00:20:11.37\00:20:12.74
you know, someone breaking
in because we were like,
00:20:12.77\00:20:14.68
the house is nestled
among trees far off the road,
00:20:14.71\00:20:18.61
perfect place for
someone to break in.
00:20:18.65\00:20:21.28
And then later we got an offer,
00:20:21.32\00:20:23.79
we had a closing
scheduled on a house there,
00:20:23.82\00:20:26.86
and we were going to purchase
one simultaneously here,
00:20:26.89\00:20:30.03
closing fell
through a week before.
00:20:30.06\00:20:32.69
And I'm thinking,
"Okay, there's no way we can,
00:20:32.73\00:20:34.70
you know, just can't own
two homes at the same time."
00:20:34.73\00:20:37.73
But then God made a way.
00:20:37.77\00:20:40.34
He came through
in a miraculous way.
00:20:40.37\00:20:41.70
And we were able to
close on our home here.
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.41
And then later,
maybe a month or so later,
00:20:44.44\00:20:46.91
we sold our home in Michigan,
00:20:46.94\00:20:48.54
and it was so much
better than the first offer.
00:20:48.58\00:20:51.15
Wow.
00:20:51.18\00:20:52.51
So we just got to trust God,
00:20:52.55\00:20:54.38
and know that He will
create opportunities for us,
00:20:54.42\00:20:56.52
He will do what's best for us.
00:20:56.55\00:20:57.89
We may not see it
now, but later we will.
00:20:57.92\00:21:00.19
Or maybe sometimes
when we get to heaven,
00:21:00.22\00:21:02.52
we'll see what
that was all about.
00:21:02.56\00:21:05.09
My mother used to
say every disappointment
00:21:05.13\00:21:06.46
is God's appointment.
00:21:06.49\00:21:07.96
You seem disappointed, but like
you said, the Lord made a way.
00:21:08.00\00:21:11.70
Yes. And what about
rivers in the desert?
00:21:11.73\00:21:16.44
What does that mean?
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.11
Okay, should you find
a river in the desert?
00:21:18.14\00:21:20.48
No, it's hard.
00:21:20.51\00:21:21.84
But I think that when I think
about rivers in the desert,
00:21:21.88\00:21:25.85
the rivers bring
water, water is life.
00:21:25.88\00:21:30.19
And I think of the
desert being death.
00:21:30.22\00:21:34.89
And so God is bringing
life into an area that's death.
00:21:34.92\00:21:39.73
So if we look at
our life, and the past,
00:21:39.76\00:21:44.43
and if it looks
like a wilderness,
00:21:44.47\00:21:46.17
like what you're
mentioning, God has a way,
00:21:46.20\00:21:49.77
He's got the power to
make, not just a road,
00:21:49.80\00:21:55.04
but a broad highway,
00:21:55.08\00:21:57.71
to help you get from
point A to point B with easily.
00:21:57.75\00:22:03.28
That's right. Okay, anything?
00:22:03.32\00:22:06.29
'Cause when you're in the
desert, you're thirsty, right?
00:22:06.32\00:22:08.86
He makes a road, He brings
water to those who are thirsty,
00:22:08.89\00:22:13.03
and well,
00:22:13.06\00:22:14.96
I look at this
thirsty for the Word of God,
00:22:15.00\00:22:18.10
a relationship with the Lord.
00:22:18.13\00:22:20.10
That's right.
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.37
Just what you said,
made me think about like
00:22:22.40\00:22:24.81
how both of those are
ways of transportation,
00:22:24.84\00:22:27.48
you mentioned that, and
how God can flow through,
00:22:27.51\00:22:31.71
go through a
road, go through water,
00:22:31.75\00:22:34.22
I mean, He can go
through anything but,
00:22:34.25\00:22:35.95
you know, we
think in human terms,
00:22:35.98\00:22:38.02
how we get
somewhere by land or by water.
00:22:38.05\00:22:41.19
And you know those ways,
00:22:41.22\00:22:42.79
like you have to
have a road or a way,
00:22:42.82\00:22:45.19
you know, to get
through, so it's transportation.
00:22:45.23\00:22:48.83
And the practical thing
I saw was there're a lot
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.97
of people that are
watching the program
00:22:51.00\00:22:52.33
that will say, you know,
00:22:52.37\00:22:53.74
"Look at me, I
have nothing to offer.
00:22:53.77\00:22:57.34
My life is barren.
00:22:57.37\00:22:59.11
I have, this seems
to be no life at all,
00:22:59.14\00:23:01.71
that I could even
look at and boast about
00:23:01.74\00:23:03.48
because in the wilderness
the stuff that grows out there
00:23:03.51\00:23:06.78
is not planted,
it just grows wild."
00:23:06.82\00:23:09.42
You know, you got the bushes
that will cut you the thorns,
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.42
the cacti.
00:23:12.45\00:23:13.79
And it just,
nature just takes over.
00:23:13.82\00:23:16.16
And God says when
your life looks barren,
00:23:16.19\00:23:18.46
when your life
looks like there's nothing
00:23:18.49\00:23:20.46
that could happen with it,
00:23:20.50\00:23:21.96
when you think that
before you for the new year
00:23:22.00\00:23:24.30
is going to be
just like the last year,
00:23:24.33\00:23:26.37
the Lord says, "Wait
a minute, wait a minute,
00:23:26.40\00:23:28.44
I'm going to open up
a way into your life.
00:23:28.47\00:23:30.87
I'm going to show
you that in your life,
00:23:30.91\00:23:33.01
there are things in your
life that people need access to,
00:23:33.04\00:23:36.18
but how they're going to get it?
00:23:36.21\00:23:37.95
I'm going to make a road
in the wilderness of your life
00:23:37.98\00:23:40.98
and people are going to find
that in you there's life also."
00:23:41.02\00:23:44.29
Then also the dry
places, some people say,
00:23:44.32\00:23:46.32
"I had you know
my life is dried up.
00:23:46.35\00:23:48.49
I don't just have any spark,
00:23:48.52\00:23:50.06
I just seem to have
lost my flavor for the Lord."
00:23:50.09\00:23:53.73
Last year dealing
with COVID and the variance
00:23:53.76\00:23:57.83
and not being
able to go to church,
00:23:57.87\00:23:59.60
many people still
don't go as much as we do.
00:23:59.63\00:24:02.47
But the Lord is
saying, this year,
00:24:02.50\00:24:04.21
I'm going to bring a
new life into your life.
00:24:04.24\00:24:07.04
I'm going to pour water into
the dry places of your life.
00:24:07.08\00:24:11.88
And so I'm looking
forward, I don't know
00:24:11.91\00:24:13.25
what God has in
store for me in 2022,
00:24:13.28\00:24:16.32
but I'm just excited about it.
00:24:16.35\00:24:17.69
Amen. Me too.
00:24:17.72\00:24:19.05
You know another
thing that came to my mind
00:24:19.09\00:24:20.59
what I just
really liked that verse,
00:24:20.62\00:24:22.62
and so we talked
about it quite a bit,
00:24:22.66\00:24:24.63
Don and I, but just
thinking of the contrast
00:24:24.66\00:24:27.00
between the two,
there's everything
00:24:27.03\00:24:28.73
or there's nothing.
00:24:28.76\00:24:30.10
Like you've got
everything in the wilderness,
00:24:30.13\00:24:31.63
like you're talking
about the things that,
00:24:31.67\00:24:33.23
you know, can cut you
00:24:33.27\00:24:34.77
and then there's
nothing in the desert.
00:24:34.80\00:24:36.27
So God can work
through everything or nothing.
00:24:36.30\00:24:39.87
Amen.
00:24:39.91\00:24:42.04
He can work with
anything or nothing.
00:24:42.08\00:24:44.98
I like that. That's good.
00:24:45.01\00:24:46.35
So when you... It
seems impossible to us.
00:24:46.38\00:24:48.25
So we need to
say, when you think
00:24:48.28\00:24:49.62
that there's
nothing in your life
00:24:49.65\00:24:50.99
where everything is gone wrong,
00:24:51.02\00:24:52.35
God can work with everything
and God can work with nothing.
00:24:52.39\00:24:54.76
With God all
things are possible.
00:24:54.79\00:24:56.12
With God all
things are possible.
00:24:56.16\00:24:57.66
Let's go to the third one. Okay.
00:24:57.69\00:24:59.66
Psalm 40:3.
00:24:59.69\00:25:01.60
Ricky, the question is,
how has the Lord promised
00:25:01.63\00:25:04.30
to change the repeating
tunes of our past failures?
00:25:04.33\00:25:08.80
That's the way I
like to look at that.
00:25:08.84\00:25:10.34
All right, Psalms 40:3 says,
00:25:10.37\00:25:14.84
"He has put a
new song in my mouth,
00:25:14.88\00:25:17.91
praise to our God.
00:25:17.95\00:25:20.45
Many will see it and fear
and will trust in the Lord."
00:25:20.48\00:25:26.05
Yeah.
00:25:26.09\00:25:27.49
I think about how
encouraging God is.
00:25:27.52\00:25:31.69
He has given us many
promises to let us know
00:25:31.73\00:25:35.83
that He will help us no
matter what the circumstances.
00:25:35.86\00:25:40.50
I think about Joshua 1:9,
00:25:40.54\00:25:42.60
"Be strong and of good courage.
00:25:42.64\00:25:44.71
Do not be
afraid nor be dismayed,
00:25:44.74\00:25:47.08
for the Lord, your God is
with you wherever you go."
00:25:47.11\00:25:50.25
Our goal in life should
be to make it to heaven.
00:25:50.28\00:25:54.05
That's right.
00:25:54.08\00:25:55.42
And God is willing to give
us all the resources of heaven
00:25:55.45\00:26:00.19
to help us to make it there.
00:26:00.22\00:26:02.66
And you think
about all the angels,
00:26:02.69\00:26:05.19
you know, what was the
job that they did before sin?
00:26:05.23\00:26:08.63
Well, now they're in
full time work for us.
00:26:08.66\00:26:12.70
So I mean, that's,
and that's and also I like
00:26:12.73\00:26:15.14
that promise that we read there,
00:26:15.17\00:26:17.71
because
regarding God's promises,
00:26:17.74\00:26:20.74
there's power in God's Word.
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.51
The same power
that was in His Word
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.55
that created
everything, is the same power
00:26:25.58\00:26:28.98
that's in every
one of those promises.
00:26:29.02\00:26:30.69
Amen. I'd like
to jump on that too.
00:26:30.72\00:26:32.65
Because it says there
many shall see and fear
00:26:32.69\00:26:34.66
and shall trust in the Lord.
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.22
You know, Moses
was, and the Israelites
00:26:36.26\00:26:39.26
were erected in the
sense to be a blessing.
00:26:39.29\00:26:41.26
Abraham has to be a blessing.
00:26:41.30\00:26:43.13
And I think when
we have a new step,
00:26:43.16\00:26:44.77
and we're excited, and
we have this new passion,
00:26:44.80\00:26:46.87
this new drive,
has got Christ in us,
00:26:46.90\00:26:48.94
people are going to
want that same peace we have.
00:26:48.97\00:26:50.71
We were at a restaurant
I helped the other day
00:26:50.74\00:26:53.48
a while back and
this guy is from Trinidad.
00:26:53.51\00:26:56.01
We started talking to him.
00:26:56.04\00:26:57.38
And you could tell he's
this, he lit up, "Oh, yeah,
00:26:57.41\00:26:58.75
I remember talking to guys last
time, it's good to see you."
00:26:58.78\00:27:01.08
You know, he's like,
and he just wouldn't leave
00:27:01.12\00:27:02.48
our table 'cause he
was like, just drawn there.
00:27:02.52\00:27:05.09
He wouldn't leave like,
we might want to get back
00:27:05.12\00:27:06.65
to work or I
would get in trouble.
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.02
But, just people
are just drawn naturally
00:27:08.06\00:27:10.46
when you have some type of a joy
00:27:10.49\00:27:11.83
or something different
they want for themselves.
00:27:11.86\00:27:13.19
Yes. I like that.
00:27:13.23\00:27:14.76
And the other
thing is when He says
00:27:14.80\00:27:16.73
I will put a new song,
00:27:16.77\00:27:18.93
He will put a
new song in my mouth.
00:27:18.97\00:27:20.94
Some people and I'm
just intentionally trying
00:27:20.97\00:27:23.94
to zero this in on how
some people may look at life.
00:27:23.97\00:27:27.21
Some people may say,
and I heard somebody,
00:27:27.24\00:27:29.34
a pastor actually
told me, somebody said,
00:27:29.38\00:27:31.95
"You don't have
any more sermons left."
00:27:31.98\00:27:34.72
A pastor told me
that, he said, he was,
00:27:34.75\00:27:36.38
has been in
ministry for 40 years.
00:27:36.42\00:27:37.92
Somebody said to him,
00:27:37.95\00:27:39.32
"You don't have
any more sermons left."
00:27:39.35\00:27:40.79
And as we were
having a Bible study,
00:27:40.82\00:27:43.09
this pastor, he said to
me, "I know why they said that,
00:27:43.12\00:27:45.69
because I didn't really
fully understand the message
00:27:45.73\00:27:48.16
that the Lord want for peace,
00:27:48.20\00:27:49.53
but now I have
some new sermons."
00:27:49.56\00:27:51.53
And what is in
essence being said here,
00:27:51.57\00:27:53.44
because when the new song,
00:27:53.47\00:27:54.94
when people hear the new song,
00:27:54.97\00:27:56.77
when people hear the new things
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.14
that Christ is
doing in your life,
00:27:58.17\00:28:00.08
they're going to say, "If
He could do that for them,
00:28:00.11\00:28:03.61
that's why I need to trust.
00:28:03.65\00:28:05.38
If the Lord could give
that person a new vision,
00:28:05.41\00:28:07.88
new ideas, new goals, new plans,
00:28:07.92\00:28:10.59
and begin to work it
out in his or her life,
00:28:10.62\00:28:13.15
that's why I need to trust."
00:28:13.19\00:28:14.52
Because that when it says
many will see it and fear,
00:28:14.56\00:28:16.99
it doesn't mean
they'll be afraid,
00:28:17.03\00:28:18.36
they'll be astonished.
00:28:18.39\00:28:19.76
The word there
fear is astonished.
00:28:19.79\00:28:22.26
I'm shocked, I
thought he was washed up.
00:28:22.30\00:28:24.90
I thought there was
nothing in that boy.
00:28:24.93\00:28:26.50
You know, some parents say,
00:28:26.53\00:28:27.87
"I never expect my
kid to do anything."
00:28:27.90\00:28:29.67
The way you saw him last year,
that's how you mean next year.
00:28:29.70\00:28:31.71
And all of a sudden,
January he got a suit on.
00:28:31.74\00:28:36.31
You expect them to be in
the bed, the bed is empty.
00:28:36.34\00:28:38.18
He comes back two
o'clock in the afternoon.
00:28:38.21\00:28:40.32
"Where were you?"
"Mom, I found a job."
00:28:40.35\00:28:42.98
"You found a job."
00:28:43.02\00:28:45.15
"I've determined not to
be the way I was in 2021."
00:28:45.19\00:28:48.49
And what will happen?
00:28:48.52\00:28:50.26
His mother would say,
"If the Lord could do that
00:28:50.29\00:28:52.53
to this lazy boy, what
could He do for my life?
00:28:52.56\00:28:56.23
I could trust that person."
00:28:56.26\00:28:57.87
Amen. Yeah.
00:28:57.90\00:28:59.23
And going back to the question,
how is the Lord promised
00:28:59.27\00:29:01.27
to change the repeating
tune of our past failures?
00:29:01.30\00:29:04.01
When we think of past failures,
00:29:04.04\00:29:05.41
we have to pay
attention to our thoughts.
00:29:05.44\00:29:08.41
You know, where's
the thought coming from?
00:29:08.44\00:29:11.01
Is the devil trying
to remind me of my past?
00:29:11.05\00:29:13.68
What's
triggering those thoughts?
00:29:13.72\00:29:15.88
What can we do to dismiss them?
00:29:15.92\00:29:18.12
Claim Bible promises, pray.
00:29:18.15\00:29:20.99
The woman at the
well is a great example
00:29:21.02\00:29:23.06
of what Christ can do to
change the tune of our hearts.
00:29:23.09\00:29:26.09
Amen. Wonderful.
00:29:26.13\00:29:27.76
I like that, isn't that nice?
00:29:27.80\00:29:29.33
Yeah, she had a new beginning.
00:29:29.36\00:29:31.83
And she left her water pot. Yes.
00:29:31.87\00:29:35.20
Everybody's got a
water pot they carry around
00:29:35.24\00:29:37.04
with them every day.
00:29:37.07\00:29:38.57
You know, what
is your water pot?
00:29:38.61\00:29:40.64
She didn't just tell one person.
00:29:40.68\00:29:42.01
No. She told
more than one person.
00:29:42.04\00:29:43.81
That's right. She
told the whole town.
00:29:43.85\00:29:46.51
Who is this Messiah?
00:29:46.55\00:29:47.88
Amen. Wow, that's very good.
00:29:47.92\00:29:49.92
That's awesome. What about...
00:29:49.95\00:29:51.45
So why is it
imperative then not to live
00:29:51.49\00:29:54.92
the old life
expecting new results?
00:29:54.96\00:29:57.46
Jasmine, let's
look at Matthew 9:17,
00:29:57.49\00:30:00.50
and that's the
question, why is it so necessary
00:30:00.53\00:30:02.66
not to try to live the old
life expecting new results?
00:30:02.70\00:30:07.50
You know that years ago, there
was a lady named Susan Powter.
00:30:07.54\00:30:11.71
And remember the
definition of insanity?
00:30:11.74\00:30:13.44
Do you remember what that is?
00:30:13.48\00:30:14.81
Yes, you're doing the
same thing expecting...
00:30:14.84\00:30:17.58
Expecting different results.
00:30:17.61\00:30:18.95
She had an amazing story.
00:30:18.98\00:30:20.32
I'm going way back some of
you young folk could handle.
00:30:20.35\00:30:22.32
But it was a lady
whose husband left her,
00:30:22.35\00:30:25.59
she was
overweight, she had no money,
00:30:25.62\00:30:27.26
she had no job, he
left her, just her life.
00:30:27.29\00:30:31.09
She said when he
left, he took everything.
00:30:31.13\00:30:33.76
And she says, I, once she
said one day something clicked,
00:30:33.80\00:30:39.60
and she became an
international name.
00:30:39.63\00:30:42.40
She lost her weight.
00:30:42.44\00:30:43.77
Susan Powter lost her weight,
got in fitness, she was like,
00:30:43.81\00:30:46.84
her husband probably saying...
00:30:46.88\00:30:48.21
Fitness guru. She was,
that's right, that's right.
00:30:48.24\00:30:49.61
She was, and I'm sure after
he saw what happened to her.
00:30:49.64\00:30:54.25
He said, "And I left her.
00:30:54.28\00:30:57.22
Nobody knows who I am,
00:30:57.25\00:30:58.59
but my wife is on every magazine
00:30:58.62\00:30:59.99
and on the fitness covers of,
00:31:00.02\00:31:01.59
and she's on television weekly."
00:31:01.62\00:31:04.06
And that was the quote
that she says the definition
00:31:04.09\00:31:06.49
of insanity is doing
the same thing expecting
00:31:06.53\00:31:09.26
different results.
00:31:09.30\00:31:10.73
So why is it that we should
not try to live the old life
00:31:10.77\00:31:13.90
expecting new results?
00:31:13.94\00:31:15.27
Matthew 9:17.
00:31:15.30\00:31:16.64
"Nor do they put new
wine into old wineskins
00:31:16.67\00:31:19.57
or else the wineskins break.
00:31:19.61\00:31:21.84
The wine is spilt and
the wineskins are ruined.
00:31:21.88\00:31:25.51
But they put new
wine into new wineskins
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.45
and both are preserved."
00:31:28.48\00:31:30.59
So what do you think that means?
00:31:30.62\00:31:33.56
Wineskins represents,
I believe, our lives.
00:31:33.59\00:31:37.86
Wine represents teachings,
00:31:37.89\00:31:41.43
and new wine or
fresh grape juice
00:31:41.46\00:31:44.93
represents God's truth.
00:31:44.97\00:31:47.74
Fermented wine or
fermented grape juice
00:31:47.77\00:31:50.41
represents false teachings.
00:31:50.44\00:31:52.67
That's right.
00:31:52.71\00:31:54.04
Skin, the skin bottles
were used back in this time
00:31:54.08\00:31:58.58
as vessels to
contain the new wine
00:31:58.61\00:32:01.55
or the fresh grape
juice. And after time,
00:32:01.58\00:32:04.69
though, these skins would...
00:32:04.72\00:32:07.29
The skin bottles
would become dry and brittle
00:32:07.32\00:32:11.46
and then they would burst
00:32:11.49\00:32:13.40
and pouring all the
grape juice to the ground.
00:32:13.43\00:32:16.87
So the old skin would
be worthless to be able
00:32:16.90\00:32:20.34
to hold fresh grape juice again.
00:32:20.37\00:32:23.27
So, the old life of sin
00:32:23.30\00:32:27.61
is not going to be receptive
00:32:27.64\00:32:30.31
to holding on to
Christ's centered teachings.
00:32:30.35\00:32:35.18
I'm going to share too,
00:32:35.22\00:32:36.55
the Lord opened to
me this really big.
00:32:36.58\00:32:37.92
So if we go in
verse 14, it says,
00:32:37.95\00:32:41.16
and then came to Him the
disciples of John saying,
00:32:41.19\00:32:44.49
"Why do we and
the Pharisees fast off
00:32:44.53\00:32:46.59
but thy disciples fast not?"
00:32:46.63\00:32:49.16
We're actually talking
about and Jesus goes on to talk
00:32:49.20\00:32:51.13
about this wineskins
with this fasting idea.
00:32:51.17\00:32:54.04
And so I started
thinking about verse 15.
00:32:54.07\00:32:56.71
It says, "And
Jesus said unto them,
00:32:56.74\00:32:58.14
'Can the children of
the bride chamber mourn
00:32:58.17\00:33:00.14
as long as the
bridegroom is with them?'"
00:33:00.18\00:33:02.44
So we realize that Jesus
is talking about Himself.
00:33:02.48\00:33:04.88
But the days will
come when the bridegroom
00:33:04.91\00:33:06.41
shall be taken away from
him, and then they shall fast.
00:33:06.45\00:33:09.92
I was like, I
started thinking about that
00:33:09.95\00:33:11.42
and my mind went to John 16:7,
00:33:11.45\00:33:14.99
it talks about
in there how he's,
00:33:15.02\00:33:16.93
it's expected that he goes away.
00:33:16.96\00:33:19.09
If it's expected, he
comes and sends the comforter.
00:33:19.13\00:33:21.40
So He poured out
this Holy Spirit.
00:33:21.43\00:33:24.70
And then the Lord
brought me into Isaiah 58.
00:33:24.73\00:33:27.37
And it talked about how
Israel was fasting in the first,
00:33:27.40\00:33:30.21
I think it's Chapter
3, verses 3 through 5.
00:33:30.24\00:33:33.21
To me, it
represented the old wineskin
00:33:33.24\00:33:34.91
because they're just
beating each other up,
00:33:34.94\00:33:36.34
debating,
striving with one another.
00:33:36.38\00:33:38.45
And then if you look
in verses 6 through 8,
00:33:38.48\00:33:40.42
it was actually
talking about how God was,
00:33:40.45\00:33:42.45
Jesus saying, "This is
the fast that I've chosen:
00:33:42.48\00:33:44.59
to loose the bands of wickedness
00:33:44.62\00:33:45.95
under the heavy burdens,
let the oppressed go free,
00:33:45.99\00:33:48.06
break every enslaving yoke."
00:33:48.09\00:33:49.66
And so we see all these
things that they're doing,
00:33:49.69\00:33:51.29
and then we see
they're fulfilled in Acts,
00:33:51.33\00:33:53.80
when the disciples were just
filled with the Holy Spirit.
00:33:53.83\00:33:57.03
So when I see this, I
just see that these wineskins,
00:33:57.07\00:33:59.13
the old
wineskins, the old traditions
00:33:59.17\00:34:00.94
of the Pharisees,
and the teachings,
00:34:00.97\00:34:03.30
the Pharisees and all
that, and the new wineskins
00:34:03.34\00:34:05.17
as Jesus said,
"No, this is going
00:34:05.21\00:34:06.54
to be the new way
I'm gonna do this."
00:34:06.57\00:34:07.91
Amen. This is the
new gospels with Me, Don.
00:34:07.94\00:34:09.68
Yes.
00:34:09.71\00:34:11.05
And those who refuse
to accept the new gospel
00:34:11.08\00:34:12.58
represented the old wines.
00:34:12.61\00:34:13.98
Right. Yep. They
were not pliable.
00:34:14.02\00:34:17.59
They were not, 'cause
you know, one of the things
00:34:17.62\00:34:19.55
I want to talk about
the wineskin will break,
00:34:19.59\00:34:22.46
because even new grape juice,
00:34:22.49\00:34:24.29
it has a process where it still
is starting a new fermentation
00:34:24.33\00:34:28.36
and the gas is
expand when you seal it.
00:34:28.40\00:34:31.50
Well, what will
happen if the gospel starts
00:34:31.53\00:34:33.40
expanding in your life,
00:34:33.44\00:34:34.90
and your old is
going to break you.
00:34:34.94\00:34:37.37
It's going to break you.
00:34:37.41\00:34:38.74
I've told people one
of the greatest dangers
00:34:38.77\00:34:40.24
of Christianity is trying
to live the Christian life
00:34:40.28\00:34:42.11
without Christ,
because it will break you.
00:34:42.14\00:34:45.95
Because you've just been
living by rules and regulations,
00:34:45.98\00:34:48.28
I can't do this, can't do that,
can't do this, don't wear that,
00:34:48.32\00:34:50.69
don't eat that.
00:34:50.72\00:34:52.05
And that'll be frustrating.
00:34:52.09\00:34:53.82
But if the new wine is in there,
00:34:53.86\00:34:55.82
you could expand with
the growing understanding
00:34:55.86\00:34:58.16
of God's Word, but on
a more practical level.
00:34:58.19\00:35:01.50
Think about it, how
many people are saying,
00:35:01.53\00:35:04.67
"I want a new life,
00:35:04.70\00:35:07.54
but I don't want to
change the way I used to live?"
00:35:07.57\00:35:10.34
That's what I
want to bring this out.
00:35:10.37\00:35:13.11
I would say that what people
maybe can relate to is again,
00:35:13.14\00:35:16.88
in the New Year,
they have new goals.
00:35:16.91\00:35:18.91
And to get those new results,
00:35:18.95\00:35:20.38
it's really a two
part principle, our part,
00:35:20.42\00:35:23.02
God's part.
00:35:23.05\00:35:24.62
So let's say someone
wants to lose weight,
00:35:24.65\00:35:28.52
I would say they
have to be intentional
00:35:28.56\00:35:30.56
about the weight,
and they have to ask God
00:35:30.59\00:35:32.46
to empower them.
00:35:32.49\00:35:34.30
I find it helpful to
ask yourself questions like,
00:35:34.33\00:35:37.07
"Who do I want to become?"
00:35:37.10\00:35:39.83
And through God's
grace, assume that identity.
00:35:39.87\00:35:43.07
Let's say, I want to
become healthier person.
00:35:43.10\00:35:46.27
You could ask yourself,
00:35:46.31\00:35:47.64
what would a healthier
person eat for breakfast?
00:35:47.68\00:35:49.91
Cake? Oatmeal, but berries.
00:35:49.94\00:35:53.78
What would a healthy person do?
00:35:53.82\00:35:55.15
Sit on the
couch, or go for a walk?
00:35:55.18\00:35:59.52
And so just keep assuming
the identity of the person
00:35:59.55\00:36:02.16
you want to become.
00:36:02.19\00:36:03.53
Could be I want
to be a godly woman.
00:36:03.56\00:36:05.03
What does that look like?
00:36:05.06\00:36:06.39
What does a godly woman do?
00:36:06.43\00:36:07.76
And start assuming
that role with God's help.
00:36:07.80\00:36:10.50
That's really, I
love that. Action plan.
00:36:10.53\00:36:13.10
Yeah, action plan,
because you're talking about,
00:36:13.13\00:36:15.34
you know, what if
someone wants a new life,
00:36:15.37\00:36:17.31
but they don't want to
change the way they're living?
00:36:17.34\00:36:20.11
So really, it's kind of like,
do they really even want it?
00:36:20.14\00:36:24.05
'Cause like if you don't,
you know, if you don't know
00:36:24.08\00:36:26.01
what you want to
be, what your goal is,
00:36:26.05\00:36:28.25
and you don't want to
take those steps to get
00:36:28.28\00:36:30.22
to where it's just,
00:36:30.25\00:36:31.59
there's really
no motivation there.
00:36:31.62\00:36:34.09
And, you know, as Christians,
00:36:34.12\00:36:35.79
our motivation should
be to be more like Jesus.
00:36:35.82\00:36:39.23
And what does that look like?
00:36:39.26\00:36:40.60
You know, like you're
talking about, you know,
00:36:40.63\00:36:41.96
what does it look
like to be like Jesus?
00:36:42.00\00:36:43.33
I was thinking too,
this is always what I say,
00:36:43.37\00:36:45.00
misery loves company.
00:36:45.03\00:36:47.94
Do you really want to just
stay miserable all the time?
00:36:47.97\00:36:50.21
I think about that,
00:36:50.24\00:36:51.64
especially when
dealing people on prayer line.
00:36:51.67\00:36:53.71
And I may get the same repeat
call or saying the same thing
00:36:53.74\00:36:56.31
over and over.
00:36:56.34\00:36:57.68
And just...
00:36:57.71\00:36:59.05
Well, just like what JD
says all the time, he says,
00:36:59.08\00:37:00.42
"Are you sick and tired
of being sick and tired?"
00:37:00.45\00:37:01.78
Yeah, like are you
going to keep doing
00:37:01.82\00:37:04.79
the same thing over and
over, it's not going anywhere,
00:37:04.82\00:37:06.52
you talked about insanity
is expecting different results.
00:37:06.55\00:37:09.36
It doesn't work.
00:37:09.39\00:37:10.83
But if you want to
make just that little change
00:37:10.86\00:37:12.19
in your life, and
I think it helps too
00:37:12.23\00:37:13.56
to have support group.
00:37:13.60\00:37:14.93
Yes.
00:37:14.96\00:37:16.30
I really think you
need a support group,
00:37:16.33\00:37:17.67
somebody can
hold you accountable.
00:37:17.70\00:37:19.03
You know, we did that
Conquer series in the church
00:37:19.07\00:37:20.40
and we had a lot of
interesting feedback,
00:37:20.44\00:37:22.50
a lot of negativity,
some things we heard,
00:37:22.54\00:37:24.41
but some people like,
"Well, I just got God,
00:37:24.44\00:37:26.51
I got God and its good."
00:37:26.54\00:37:27.88
But you have to...
00:37:27.91\00:37:29.24
God also says you need earthly
people to support you as well.
00:37:29.28\00:37:32.51
So I think you really
need support to be encouraged
00:37:32.55\00:37:34.75
to follow with your plans.
00:37:34.78\00:37:36.12
I think another
key question is why?
00:37:36.15\00:37:38.05
Why do you want to be healthy?
00:37:38.09\00:37:39.49
Just keep answering and keep
going to the deep root because,
00:37:39.52\00:37:42.29
"Oh, I want to get help.
00:37:42.32\00:37:44.09
I want to lose 10 pounds,
00:37:44.13\00:37:45.46
so I can fit in
my clothes better."
00:37:45.49\00:37:46.83
That's not a good reason.
00:37:46.86\00:37:48.20
You're going to fall
off when you see the cake.
00:37:48.23\00:37:50.13
Just keep asking
and get to the real root
00:37:50.17\00:37:52.93
cause of why you
want to be healthy.
00:37:52.97\00:37:55.10
Maybe you want to be
around for your grandchildren.
00:37:55.14\00:37:57.37
Right. That's a good reason.
00:37:57.41\00:38:00.18
One of the exercise videos,
the series that I watched,
00:38:00.21\00:38:04.51
sometimes he always says,
like halfway into the workout,
00:38:04.55\00:38:07.28
"Remember why you came here.
00:38:07.32\00:38:08.98
Remember why you came here."
00:38:09.02\00:38:11.02
So, it's helpful
to remember that. Yes.
00:38:11.05\00:38:14.66
We're going to go to Mark 2:21.
00:38:14.69\00:38:16.86
And what happens if we
try to live the new life
00:38:16.89\00:38:20.06
without a new walk?
00:38:20.10\00:38:21.66
This is really good.
00:38:21.70\00:38:23.03
But why do we, what
happens if we try to live
00:38:23.06\00:38:24.77
the new life without a new walk?
00:38:24.80\00:38:26.74
Like you're saying, Jasmine,
00:38:26.77\00:38:28.54
we have to ask
ourselves these deep questions.
00:38:28.57\00:38:31.14
Why am I finding
myself in the same place over
00:38:31.17\00:38:35.54
and over asking
for the same results?
00:38:35.58\00:38:37.71
And just before
Angie reads that,
00:38:37.75\00:38:39.41
people have to be intentional,
not only intentional,
00:38:39.45\00:38:41.85
but you have to
hold yourself responsible
00:38:41.88\00:38:43.72
for what am I going to
do to make this happen?
00:38:43.75\00:38:45.69
Right. Don't just say I want to.
00:38:45.72\00:38:47.89
What are you doing?
What's your action plan?
00:38:47.92\00:38:49.62
Right.
00:38:49.66\00:38:50.99
Because I always say a goal
without a date is not a goal.
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.59
Right. Yeah.
00:38:52.63\00:38:54.00
So why is it ridiculous
trying to live a new life
00:38:54.03\00:38:57.67
without a new walk?
00:38:57.70\00:38:59.03
Look at Mark 2:21.
00:38:59.07\00:39:00.67
Action speaks louder than words.
00:39:00.70\00:39:02.37
That's for sure.
00:39:02.40\00:39:03.74
And that same text in Mark
00:39:03.77\00:39:05.41
is also in Matthew 9:16.
00:39:05.44\00:39:10.91
But in Mark 2:21, it says,
00:39:10.95\00:39:12.78
"No one sews a
piece of unshrunk cloth
00:39:12.81\00:39:16.08
on an old garment,
00:39:16.12\00:39:17.69
or else a new piece
pulls away from the old
00:39:17.72\00:39:21.06
and the tear is made worse."
00:39:21.09\00:39:23.32
I want you to grab that.
00:39:23.36\00:39:25.16
Okay, let's break that down.
00:39:25.19\00:39:26.83
What do we think the
new piece of the garment
00:39:26.86\00:39:29.00
would represent
in a spiritual sense?
00:39:29.03\00:39:31.63
I think, kind of, for
some reasons came to me
00:39:31.67\00:39:33.30
the seed falls on
certain ground, it's like,
00:39:33.34\00:39:36.30
it kind of gets there,
but it's like, I don't know,
00:39:36.34\00:39:39.87
just that new garments.
00:39:39.91\00:39:41.24
It's yeah, it's fresh, shrunk
as it says, smaller but...
00:39:41.28\00:39:44.71
Yeah. I like what you said.
00:39:44.75\00:39:46.31
Does he get a new walk?
00:39:46.35\00:39:47.68
Okay. New ways?
00:39:47.72\00:39:49.05
Okay. New relationship?
00:39:49.08\00:39:50.79
The new piece, if you say,
00:39:50.82\00:39:55.02
what's the most important
piece people should add
00:39:55.06\00:39:57.03
to their lives for the New Year,
00:39:57.06\00:39:58.39
what would you say?
00:39:58.43\00:39:59.96
I'm using that word
piece intentionally try
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.66
to throw you
off, in Christ, right?
00:40:01.70\00:40:04.17
Yes.
00:40:04.20\00:40:06.00
But what happens if you
try to add Christ to a person
00:40:06.03\00:40:09.94
who just wants to
live the old ways?
00:40:09.97\00:40:11.84
It won't work.
00:40:11.87\00:40:13.21
Read the last part
of that what happens?
00:40:13.24\00:40:14.78
Just the middle
to the last part,
00:40:14.81\00:40:16.14
or else that part as well...
00:40:16.18\00:40:17.65
Or else, the new piece
pulls away from the old
00:40:17.68\00:40:21.38
and the tear is made worse.
00:40:21.42\00:40:23.82
Wow. Have mercy.
00:40:23.85\00:40:25.19
So what happens if somebody
says I want Christ in my life,
00:40:25.22\00:40:29.12
but I don't want to
change the way I'm living?
00:40:29.16\00:40:31.73
You just going to keep
going back to your old habits.
00:40:31.76\00:40:33.53
Yeah.
00:40:33.56\00:40:34.90
But not only that
it gets harder, yeah.
00:40:34.93\00:40:36.30
Harder. Your heart, it's harder.
00:40:36.33\00:40:39.87
You don't want to return
00:40:39.90\00:40:43.87
to that life of
living in Christ.
00:40:43.91\00:40:46.61
And it's harder to
accept it if you come back,
00:40:46.64\00:40:50.21
try and come back to it again.
00:40:50.25\00:40:51.58
So think about the tear now,
00:40:51.61\00:40:53.05
because the text
says the tear gets worse.
00:40:53.08\00:40:55.98
So somebody might come
to Christ with just a tear,
00:40:56.02\00:40:58.99
I'm just using an example,
the tear is about that big.
00:40:59.02\00:41:02.26
And they say, I need to
fix that tear in my life,
00:41:02.29\00:41:05.26
whatever that may be.
00:41:05.29\00:41:07.16
So I need to add Bible readings,
00:41:07.20\00:41:09.63
I need to do this, do that too.
00:41:09.66\00:41:11.87
They get involved in the things
of Christianity without Christ.
00:41:11.90\00:41:16.34
So they start
adding all these things
00:41:16.37\00:41:17.71
of Christianity in
their lives that new diet,
00:41:17.74\00:41:20.11
I want to be a
vegan, because you know,
00:41:20.14\00:41:22.28
I like the Adventist lifestyle,
00:41:22.31\00:41:23.71
I want to have a
day of worship off.
00:41:23.75\00:41:25.08
So I'll pick the day
because Saturday seems
00:41:25.11\00:41:26.75
to be good, it
fits into my schedule.
00:41:26.78\00:41:28.42
They're doing all the
things without Christ.
00:41:28.45\00:41:30.59
They're adding this new piece
00:41:30.62\00:41:31.95
of unshrunk
cloth to an old life.
00:41:31.99\00:41:37.23
And all of a sudden,
00:41:37.26\00:41:38.59
that new piece
starts pulling away
00:41:38.63\00:41:41.63
because it didn't find
a new life to connect to.
00:41:41.66\00:41:44.13
And what
happens? The tear gets...
00:41:44.17\00:41:45.60
The tear gets worse. Yes.
00:41:45.63\00:41:47.47
It's kind of like
my dad, when my dad got
00:41:47.50\00:41:49.57
some major health problems.
00:41:49.60\00:41:50.94
He said, "That's it.
I'm done smoking cigarettes.
00:41:50.97\00:41:52.97
I'm not going to
do that anymore."
00:41:53.01\00:41:54.64
My mom was, "Oh, don't do that."
00:41:54.68\00:41:56.21
You know, my mom
kind of encouraged him
00:41:56.24\00:41:57.65
to go the opposite way.
00:41:57.68\00:41:59.01
It was just, yeah, I
really felt I was like, oh, man.
00:41:59.05\00:42:02.15
Anyways, just the fact
that you know, when we do that,
00:42:02.18\00:42:03.79
then like you said,
it gets worse because now
00:42:03.82\00:42:05.35
you go further into it.
00:42:05.39\00:42:06.86
And you have even
more of a struggle to quit.
00:42:06.89\00:42:08.62
You know,
there's a huge, hard end.
00:42:08.66\00:42:10.59
Okay, you just
whispered something.
00:42:10.63\00:42:12.26
I want you to say that.
00:42:12.29\00:42:13.63
It's like seven
demons coming back.
00:42:13.66\00:42:15.86
Yeah. That's what
I was going to say.
00:42:15.90\00:42:17.23
Yeah, that's a good one.
00:42:17.27\00:42:18.77
Yeah, if you try to,
you want to expound on that?
00:42:18.80\00:42:20.34
No, go ahead.
00:42:20.37\00:42:21.70
If you try to live your
life with Christian things
00:42:21.74\00:42:24.81
without Christ,
00:42:24.84\00:42:26.34
it's going to get worse for you.
00:42:26.37\00:42:30.65
Oh, see, honey, you
bring all these gems,
00:42:30.68\00:42:33.25
because what she's talking
about is storing the Bible
00:42:33.28\00:42:35.38
where the demons, the
man no longer had demons.
00:42:35.42\00:42:39.32
It's like the
house was swept clean
00:42:39.35\00:42:42.72
and empty.
00:42:42.76\00:42:45.29
That's a good life.
00:42:45.33\00:42:46.83
I've swept all the
old things out of my life,
00:42:46.86\00:42:49.93
my life is clean,
00:42:49.96\00:42:51.73
but the demons
say, "But it's empty."
00:42:51.77\00:42:54.97
You got rid of all that stuff,
00:42:55.00\00:42:56.40
but did you
replace it with Jesus?
00:42:56.44\00:42:58.74
That's the danger.
00:42:58.77\00:43:00.11
Some people get rid of
things they don't, they say,
00:43:00.14\00:43:02.08
"I conquered smoke
00:43:02.11\00:43:03.75
and I'm not
smoking anymore in 2022.
00:43:03.78\00:43:05.78
I finally kicked the bottle.
00:43:05.81\00:43:07.15
I'm not going to
drink anymore in '22.
00:43:07.18\00:43:08.52
I got rid of this that,
I put all this stuff away,
00:43:08.55\00:43:10.89
and I'm going to be in church."
00:43:10.92\00:43:12.25
And like two weeks
later, they're gone.
00:43:12.29\00:43:13.86
The demons come in, take over.
00:43:13.89\00:43:15.22
Because they
never do it with Christ.
00:43:15.26\00:43:16.86
There's a scripture
in Romans 12:2, it says,
00:43:16.89\00:43:19.03
"Be not conformed to this world,
00:43:19.06\00:43:20.40
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind."
00:43:20.43\00:43:22.40
So... And you do it daily.
00:43:22.43\00:43:24.03
Yeah. It's not just, you
know, once a year, every day.
00:43:24.07\00:43:28.60
And that visual of the
rooms, sweeping the room clean,
00:43:28.64\00:43:31.21
it's like they're just
putting it in the side closets
00:43:31.24\00:43:33.54
and the side
closets are getting full
00:43:33.58\00:43:34.94
and eventually burst open.
00:43:34.98\00:43:36.31
It's like everything
comes back into the room worse
00:43:36.34\00:43:40.75
This reminds me of Judas's life.
00:43:40.78\00:43:42.98
Oh, yes.
00:43:43.02\00:43:44.35
So he had a new life
as one of the disciples.
00:43:44.39\00:43:47.86
But did he have a new walk?
00:43:47.89\00:43:49.36
No, he did not
surrender his life to Jesus.
00:43:49.39\00:43:51.33
No, he didn't. Correct.
00:43:51.36\00:43:53.09
He didn't, he sure didn't.
00:43:53.13\00:43:55.56
And so what I want
you to think about now,
00:43:55.60\00:43:57.57
which is the next question,
00:43:57.60\00:43:58.93
I want you to read the next one,
00:43:58.97\00:44:00.30
also Ezekiel 36:26
under our sixth point,
00:44:00.34\00:44:03.24
because the question
is then so what do you do?
00:44:03.27\00:44:05.54
How do you gain access
00:44:05.57\00:44:08.74
to the spiritual
possibilities before you?
00:44:08.78\00:44:12.05
Not just, I don't want you
just to hear that question.
00:44:12.08\00:44:14.95
But in other
words, what empowerment
00:44:14.98\00:44:16.72
are you going to
get for this 2022 year?
00:44:16.75\00:44:20.39
How are you going to
empower your prayer life,
00:44:20.42\00:44:22.46
your study life, your
relationship with Christ,
00:44:22.49\00:44:25.03
your
relationship with your spouse,
00:44:25.06\00:44:26.56
with your family?
00:44:26.59\00:44:28.13
How are you going to be
different when you go to work?
00:44:28.16\00:44:29.86
Are you going to
walk through the door
00:44:29.90\00:44:31.23
and people going to
say, "Oh, he's here again?
00:44:31.27\00:44:32.87
Get to your desk real
quick, the manager is here.
00:44:32.90\00:44:35.40
You know what he's going to do
if he sees us in the hallway?"
00:44:35.44\00:44:37.87
You want to be a different
person for 2022 but how?
00:44:37.91\00:44:41.01
What's the first
imperative thing to do?
00:44:41.04\00:44:42.91
Ezekiel 36:26,
read that for me, Honey.
00:44:42.94\00:44:45.21
"I will give you a new heart
00:44:45.25\00:44:48.72
and put a new spirit within you.
00:44:48.75\00:44:52.29
I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh
00:44:52.32\00:44:56.39
and give you a heart of flesh."
00:44:56.42\00:45:00.00
Wow. That's beautiful.
00:45:00.03\00:45:01.63
I was going to say prior before
they actually go to verse 25.
00:45:01.66\00:45:04.40
Okay, read that. Read that.
00:45:04.43\00:45:05.77
It says, "Then will I
sprinkle clean water upon you
00:45:05.80\00:45:08.54
and you shall be
cleaned from all your filthiness
00:45:08.57\00:45:10.97
and from all your
idols, I will cleanse you."
00:45:11.01\00:45:13.31
I think that God
wants to cleanse us first,
00:45:13.34\00:45:16.04
He wants us to give
all the junk to Him,
00:45:16.08\00:45:17.88
like we're talking about
the closets full of junk,
00:45:17.91\00:45:20.68
give it to Him, so
He can clean us first.
00:45:20.72\00:45:22.88
And then He'll do
verse 26 and onward.
00:45:22.92\00:45:26.15
And kind of like the
Christmas in people's lives,
00:45:26.19\00:45:28.12
they just add more stuff.
00:45:28.16\00:45:30.26
They don't get
rid of the old stuff.
00:45:30.29\00:45:31.99
That's usually what the
seasons' holidays just do.
00:45:32.03\00:45:35.00
Just add more stuff,
and in matter of time,
00:45:35.03\00:45:37.67
that thrill is gone.
00:45:37.70\00:45:39.67
And that thrill is
gone because you got
00:45:39.70\00:45:41.67
that gift just before
version three came out,
00:45:41.70\00:45:44.91
I knew, iPad Pro 2.
00:45:44.94\00:45:47.48
And that joy is gone,
is like, I just got this...
00:45:47.51\00:45:50.25
A new MacBook. New
MacBook, yeah, move on.
00:45:50.28\00:45:54.95
Hit home run. Here we go.
00:45:54.98\00:45:57.82
You know, just
thinking about this,
00:45:57.85\00:46:00.16
you know, I think sometimes
we just fall into that,
00:46:00.19\00:46:04.23
like, we just we
want this like, hi,
00:46:04.26\00:46:06.56
or this, like, you know,
like sometimes people want,
00:46:06.59\00:46:08.80
yeah, people want that.
00:46:08.83\00:46:10.43
Like, I think Ellen White
talks about ecstasy of feeling.
00:46:10.47\00:46:13.47
And instead of like a constant,
consistent, you know, like,
00:46:13.50\00:46:18.67
when we have that new heart,
00:46:18.71\00:46:20.08
it means we're going
to be walking with Him.
00:46:20.11\00:46:22.44
And it is a
consistent thing that is not
00:46:22.48\00:46:24.88
where we're not
going to have these.
00:46:24.91\00:46:27.12
Yeah.
00:46:27.15\00:46:28.48
Because like sometimes
you go to certain events
00:46:28.52\00:46:30.25
or whatever and you get
like this really spiritual high,
00:46:30.29\00:46:32.45
you know, and it's that's
not the normal Christian walk.
00:46:32.49\00:46:36.59
And to expect that is really
going to be disappointing.
00:46:36.62\00:46:39.63
And so, but that's not
how it's supposed to be.
00:46:39.66\00:46:42.23
What would you call it,
Honey? Mountaintop experience.
00:46:42.26\00:46:44.90
You got to go
down into the valley.
00:46:44.93\00:46:46.67
The mountaintop and valley
experience in the Bible, who?
00:46:46.70\00:46:49.87
Moses. And Elijah.
00:46:49.90\00:46:51.24
Elijah. Okay.
00:46:51.27\00:46:52.61
He was, he had that experience.
00:46:52.64\00:46:54.44
Wow, God just burned up
all the wood, all the stones,
00:46:54.48\00:46:58.05
all the dirt.
00:46:58.08\00:46:59.68
He did all that in
front of all of these people
00:46:59.71\00:47:01.92
that was standing against me.
00:47:01.95\00:47:03.52
Then the next
day. Wow. What a God!
00:47:03.55\00:47:05.79
Next day... Running from jail.
00:47:05.82\00:47:07.49
Running from a
woman, as if... Have mercy.
00:47:07.52\00:47:10.43
And then the Lord
comes to him and says,
00:47:10.46\00:47:12.93
I like the King James Version,
00:47:12.96\00:47:14.30
"What doest thou here?"
00:47:14.33\00:47:17.07
He finds him under a bush.
00:47:17.10\00:47:19.63
"Who's that?
00:47:19.67\00:47:21.47
"What doest thou here,
Elijah?" "Who's asking?"
00:47:21.50\00:47:25.31
"God's asking."
00:47:25.34\00:47:26.78
He's like, put
that in your mind,
00:47:26.81\00:47:29.04
and there are some
people that are that way.
00:47:29.08\00:47:31.11
They live for the
highs, but the lows are there.
00:47:31.15\00:47:34.02
One of my favorite
writers Oswald Chambers says,
00:47:34.05\00:47:36.38
"We live our
lives in the valley.
00:47:36.42\00:47:38.75
Most of our lives
are lived in the valley,
00:47:38.79\00:47:40.22
not on the spotlight."
00:47:40.26\00:47:41.59
Or where is all the
life at? In the valley.
00:47:41.62\00:47:44.33
And probably doesn't
water runs down creeks,
00:47:44.36\00:47:46.29
the creeks and streams
and value where the life is.
00:47:46.33\00:47:49.06
The God of the mountain is
still the God of the valley.
00:47:49.10\00:47:51.67
Right. Okay, that's right.
00:47:51.70\00:47:53.13
Because all that water is
coming from the high places,
00:47:53.17\00:47:56.00
coming down to
nurture us in the valley.
00:47:56.04\00:47:58.14
That's a beautiful connection.
00:47:58.17\00:48:00.21
So I want to
encourage our audience,
00:48:00.24\00:48:02.61
because if God by
His grace gives us,
00:48:02.64\00:48:07.98
you know, I don't want to
go to 2023 in my mind yet.
00:48:08.02\00:48:11.59
But we have a lot
of days ahead of us.
00:48:11.62\00:48:12.99
We don't know,
remember when 2020 came,
00:48:13.02\00:48:16.73
and we thought,
"Wow, Happy New Year."
00:48:16.76\00:48:18.16
And then all of a sudden,
the tragedy of Kobe Bryant,
00:48:18.19\00:48:21.56
and then COVID
hit, and it was like,
00:48:21.60\00:48:24.27
what could be worse than
losing such a prominent athlete
00:48:24.30\00:48:28.00
at the prime of his life?
00:48:28.04\00:48:30.17
And then when COVID
hit, it's like Kobe who?
00:48:30.21\00:48:33.64
It's like the
disaster has got worse.
00:48:33.68\00:48:35.94
And then the loss of
life was exponential.
00:48:35.98\00:48:38.98
And the world got shut down,
00:48:39.01\00:48:40.52
in stores the shelves were bare.
00:48:40.55\00:48:42.52
And we asked ourselves, "Lord,
00:48:42.55\00:48:43.89
how can You
sustain us through this?"
00:48:43.92\00:48:46.45
Churches were shut down,
too. Churches were shut down.
00:48:46.49\00:48:49.62
Many people were
shaken spiritually.
00:48:49.66\00:48:52.19
So we have to live
our lives in the way.
00:48:52.23\00:48:53.86
Let's go to Philippians 3:13-14,
00:48:53.90\00:48:57.37
I'm going to read that one.
00:48:57.40\00:48:58.73
I want you to look at your life,
00:48:58.77\00:49:00.10
not in the sense of
year by year by year by year,
00:49:00.14\00:49:03.71
but not as a
runner, not as a pilot,
00:49:03.74\00:49:06.61
not as a
swimmer, but as a person
00:49:06.64\00:49:08.08
who just simply walks.
00:49:08.11\00:49:09.74
And, Jasmine,
00:49:09.78\00:49:11.11
I know you into a
lot of fitness stuff here
00:49:11.15\00:49:12.81
and maybe some
of others of us are.
00:49:12.85\00:49:15.68
What's the most,
what's the exercise
00:49:15.72\00:49:17.65
that everybody can do?
00:49:17.69\00:49:19.22
Walking, stretching.
00:49:19.25\00:49:23.16
Walking, even if you
can't stretch, you could walk.
00:49:23.19\00:49:26.80
And the Bible likens the
Christian life to a walk.
00:49:26.83\00:49:30.77
Look what it says
in Philippians 3:13.
00:49:30.80\00:49:34.07
And 14. And 14.
00:49:34.10\00:49:35.84
Thank you, Honey.
00:49:35.87\00:49:37.21
"Brethren, I do not count
myself to have apprehended."
00:49:37.24\00:49:39.57
Meaning I'm not there yet.
00:49:39.61\00:49:41.58
But one thing I do,
00:49:41.61\00:49:42.94
and this is an encouraging
thing for the New Year,
00:49:42.98\00:49:46.48
forgetting those
things which are where?
00:49:46.51\00:49:49.08
Behind. Behind.
00:49:49.12\00:49:50.99
What do you need
to forget from 2021
00:49:51.02\00:49:53.66
or 2020 or 2019?
00:49:53.69\00:49:55.42
How far back?
00:49:55.46\00:49:57.06
Forgetting those
things which are behind
00:49:57.09\00:49:59.13
and then what happens?
00:49:59.16\00:50:00.60
They just say looking forward?
00:50:00.63\00:50:02.53
Reach. Reaching forward.
00:50:02.56\00:50:04.67
Just saying stop looking forward
00:50:04.70\00:50:06.10
and start reaching forward,
that's the action right there.
00:50:06.13\00:50:08.77
A lot of people look
for, I'm looking forward
00:50:08.80\00:50:10.17
to the New Year.
00:50:10.21\00:50:11.54
No, are you reaching
forward to the New Year?
00:50:11.57\00:50:13.34
That's a difference
altogether. It's true.
00:50:13.38\00:50:15.18
Looking forward and reaching
for it are not the same thing.
00:50:15.21\00:50:17.71
Reaching forward to
those things which are where?
00:50:17.75\00:50:20.35
Ahead.
00:50:20.38\00:50:21.72
And then look at
the next action word,
00:50:21.75\00:50:24.45
together, I
press toward the goal
00:50:24.49\00:50:29.99
for the prize of the upward call
00:50:30.03\00:50:33.46
of God in Christ Jesus.
00:50:33.50\00:50:36.23
That's why
Philippians is my favorite book.
00:50:36.26\00:50:38.30
Oh, yeah. You love it.
00:50:38.33\00:50:39.67
The words are action,
athlete, passion, pressing,
00:50:39.70\00:50:42.97
moving, going upward,
forgetting, laying aside,
00:50:43.00\00:50:47.58
I love that, you know,
that's my favorite book, right?
00:50:47.61\00:50:50.35
Philippians.
00:50:50.38\00:50:51.71
So when people are downtrodden,
I say, "Read Philippians."
00:50:51.75\00:50:53.25
Yeah, he does.
You always tell them.
00:50:53.28\00:50:54.78
And you know, "And he
who has begun good work
00:50:54.82\00:50:56.92
will complete it, for it is God
00:50:56.95\00:50:58.62
who works in you both to will
and to do of his good pleasure.
00:50:58.65\00:51:01.36
I could do all things through
Christ who strengthens me."
00:51:01.39\00:51:03.19
All right.
00:51:03.22\00:51:04.56
So it's in there,
you know, whatever things
00:51:04.59\00:51:06.33
are lovely and true
and honest and pure,
00:51:06.36\00:51:08.06
think on these things.
00:51:08.10\00:51:09.60
It's the athlete's
book, it's the person
00:51:09.63\00:51:11.33
that wants to do something.
00:51:11.37\00:51:13.37
And so for the New
Year, don't just say it,
00:51:13.40\00:51:16.40
get up off your couch
and say, "You know what?
00:51:16.44\00:51:19.47
I'm tired.
00:51:19.51\00:51:20.84
This couch knows me so well
00:51:20.88\00:51:22.21
that it's even
shaped the way I sit.
00:51:22.24\00:51:25.18
It looks for me to sit
there 'cause it's even shaped
00:51:25.21\00:51:27.62
the way I sit."
00:51:27.65\00:51:28.98
And the armrests are worn out
00:51:29.02\00:51:30.35
because all I do
is sit on this chair.
00:51:30.39\00:51:31.99
You might want to get rid of
that chair and get a new one.
00:51:32.02\00:51:35.12
All right? You got crumbs in it.
00:51:35.16\00:51:36.49
Crumbs in it. Changing it.
00:51:36.52\00:51:38.69
You know what?
00:51:38.73\00:51:40.06
And I've seen situation
where people have passed away
00:51:40.10\00:51:41.50
and somebody come and say,
"I bet you that was his seat."
00:51:41.53\00:51:45.63
The sunken, you know,
ashtrays all around it,
00:51:45.67\00:51:48.87
everything
within reach, laziness.
00:51:48.90\00:51:51.17
Get rid of that
laziness for the New Year
00:51:51.21\00:51:53.07
and start reaching forward
instead of looking forward.
00:51:53.11\00:51:56.11
Stop pressing
instead of thinking
00:51:56.14\00:51:58.65
and start going up
instead of sitting down.
00:51:58.68\00:52:01.68
I want to be different.
00:52:01.72\00:52:03.28
I want my life to change.
00:52:03.32\00:52:05.75
I don't want to be the
same person, get a new outlook.
00:52:05.79\00:52:09.56
Focus on the prize.
00:52:09.59\00:52:11.26
Focus on the prize.
00:52:11.29\00:52:12.63
Focus on the prize.
00:52:12.66\00:52:14.00
You know,
sometimes things can be,
00:52:14.03\00:52:15.93
yes, they can be sad days,
00:52:15.96\00:52:18.93
we can have sad days,
00:52:18.97\00:52:20.30
bad things can
happen to us, yes.
00:52:20.34\00:52:22.64
But no, just
stay settled in that.
00:52:22.67\00:52:26.14
We can, God has gone
to prepare a place for us.
00:52:26.17\00:52:30.88
If we focus on that
prize, focus on that,
00:52:30.91\00:52:33.15
that's going to be another
helpful thing to get us there.
00:52:33.18\00:52:35.65
Honey.
00:52:35.68\00:52:37.65
Yeah, okay, no pun intended,
but you need a sharper focus.
00:52:37.69\00:52:42.32
It's good. I like that.
00:52:42.36\00:52:44.03
Thank you, Honey, for that.
00:52:44.06\00:52:45.39
Thumbs up. Shaper
Focus, Wednesday night.
00:52:45.43\00:52:46.96
Well, you led me there.
00:52:47.00\00:52:50.40
But, you know, I
want to also emphasize
00:52:50.43\00:52:52.33
the negative
impact of looking back
00:52:52.37\00:52:53.84
and I'm going to have
Ricky read Genesis 19:26.
00:52:53.87\00:52:56.97
A lot of people, you
know, when Paul says, you know,
00:52:57.01\00:52:59.01
forgetting those
things which are behind you,
00:52:59.04\00:53:00.94
look at the negative
impact of looking back.
00:53:00.98\00:53:03.28
People don't think
there's any negative impact,
00:53:03.31\00:53:04.98
but Genesis 19:26
00:53:05.01\00:53:09.52
shows us the negative
impact of looking back.
00:53:09.55\00:53:14.62
Ricky?
00:53:14.66\00:53:15.99
"But his wife
looked back behind him,
00:53:16.02\00:53:19.66
and she became
a pillar of salt."
00:53:19.69\00:53:22.30
Wow. Now, what does that mean?
00:53:22.33\00:53:24.27
We know whose wife said it.
00:53:24.30\00:53:27.54
Is that Lot's wife? Yes.
00:53:27.57\00:53:29.90
Rhetorical question.
So what was the problem?
00:53:29.94\00:53:34.08
Was it what she saw?
What was the problem?
00:53:34.11\00:53:36.38
Why do you think
she didn't have him?
00:53:36.41\00:53:38.05
Yeah, direction of her heart.
00:53:38.08\00:53:40.48
I think we got to be
cautious of this too,
00:53:40.52\00:53:42.15
because there's a lot of
people that have suppressed
00:53:42.18\00:53:44.35
a lot of stuff from the past.
00:53:44.39\00:53:46.15
And it's in there
and they don't realize
00:53:46.19\00:53:47.66
and are
struggling with something,
00:53:47.69\00:53:49.02
they don't realize
that there's a trigger
00:53:49.06\00:53:50.39
or root to that.
00:53:50.43\00:53:51.76
So we really got to find, I
think you mentioned earlier,
00:53:51.79\00:53:53.33
Jasmine's, there's a root
and we got to find that root.
00:53:53.36\00:53:55.86
You know, maybe
someone's abused as a child,
00:53:55.90\00:53:57.47
they just
suppressed it over years.
00:53:57.50\00:53:59.33
So they're always
struggling with like,
00:53:59.37\00:54:00.70
the one guy just talked
on the phone just recently,
00:54:00.74\00:54:02.80
you know, his parents
left when he was five,
00:54:02.84\00:54:04.94
throwing around from
aunt, to grandmother,
00:54:04.97\00:54:06.64
and he's always
angry, bitter to God.
00:54:06.68\00:54:09.01
So I can understand why now.
00:54:09.04\00:54:10.38
So I think you
know, obviously, yeah,
00:54:10.41\00:54:11.75
we don't want to look behind.
00:54:11.78\00:54:13.11
But we do want to
deal with those things
00:54:13.15\00:54:14.48
that we've
suppressed in our minds
00:54:14.52\00:54:16.32
that God wants to
clean us up so He can,
00:54:16.35\00:54:18.32
so we get rid of the old roots,
00:54:18.35\00:54:19.69
so we can bear new fruit.
00:54:19.72\00:54:21.06
That's right.
00:54:21.09\00:54:22.42
And it's, I think
you're talking about also
00:54:22.46\00:54:23.79
like the
direction of Lot's wife,
00:54:23.83\00:54:25.93
the direction of her heart.
00:54:25.96\00:54:27.60
And she wanted to be back there.
00:54:27.63\00:54:30.30
And what you're talking
about is reviewing things
00:54:30.33\00:54:33.13
that maybe we need to deal with.
00:54:33.17\00:54:35.34
And I'm also
thinking about how sometimes
00:54:35.37\00:54:37.47
we need to
remember how God has led us.
00:54:37.51\00:54:41.14
And I think that
would be the only situation
00:54:41.18\00:54:43.65
that I would say
that would maybe,
00:54:43.68\00:54:45.18
you know, be beneficial.
00:54:45.21\00:54:46.85
Not living back
there but reviewing
00:54:46.88\00:54:48.85
'cause God
always, through the Bible,
00:54:48.88\00:54:50.32
always tell His
people like, you know,
00:54:50.35\00:54:52.65
remember how I lead you
00:54:52.69\00:54:54.56
and right so it's not
like we're not living there,
00:54:54.59\00:54:57.63
our heart is not
back there, but we know
00:54:57.66\00:54:59.26
that God has
brought us from that point,
00:54:59.29\00:55:01.16
but we don't stay back there,
00:55:01.20\00:55:02.53
like she wanted
to stay back there.
00:55:02.56\00:55:04.27
Okay, you're hitting
a point that I'm so glad
00:55:04.30\00:55:06.37
you brought up
because this is the reason
00:55:06.40\00:55:07.74
why she became a pillar of salt
because she wanted to be back.
00:55:07.77\00:55:11.31
So I'm going to challenge you,
00:55:11.34\00:55:12.67
how many of you
want to live your past
00:55:12.71\00:55:15.14
over and over and
over and over again?
00:55:15.18\00:55:16.81
Some people want
to be back there,
00:55:16.85\00:55:18.85
because it's a
predictable place in life.
00:55:18.88\00:55:21.12
Psychologically, some people...
They're comfortable there.
00:55:21.15\00:55:23.39
It's a comfort zone of sitting
by the pool for 38 years,
00:55:23.42\00:55:27.22
saying, "Nobody
is here to help me."
00:55:27.26\00:55:29.66
You got to help
yourself sometimes.
00:55:29.69\00:55:31.73
You know, sometimes
people are not going
00:55:31.76\00:55:34.46
to come along, and just
always get into your pity party.
00:55:34.50\00:55:36.70
They're going to
say, like, Jesus,
00:55:36.73\00:55:38.07
"Take up your bed and walk."
00:55:38.10\00:55:39.93
Do something different.
So don't sit at that...
00:55:39.97\00:55:41.54
Forget those
things that are behind.
00:55:41.57\00:55:43.07
Say that again, Honey.
00:55:43.10\00:55:44.44
Forget those things that are
behind like Lot's wife behind.
00:55:44.47\00:55:48.01
That's right.
Leave it behind you.
00:55:48.04\00:55:49.64
She kept focusing
on what was behind her.
00:55:49.68\00:55:51.48
God is saying, look
at the plain before you.
00:55:51.51\00:55:54.12
And there's some
people... But look at you.
00:55:54.15\00:55:55.55
You were abandoned.
00:55:55.58\00:55:57.92
Well, look at me now.
00:55:57.95\00:55:59.29
Praise God. Yes, you know.
00:55:59.32\00:56:03.06
We all come from brokenness.
00:56:03.09\00:56:05.13
Every one of us
has faced brokenness...
00:56:05.16\00:56:06.49
As a baby, when I say abandon,
you were abandoned as a baby.
00:56:06.53\00:56:09.36
That's right.
00:56:09.40\00:56:10.73
I think too,
though, we can also hold on
00:56:10.77\00:56:12.10
to bitterness and
anger and unforgiveness.
00:56:12.13\00:56:14.97
And those things
really, overtime can destroy us.
00:56:15.00\00:56:17.94
Because I mean, it
really ultimately affects
00:56:17.97\00:56:19.34
your total health.
00:56:19.37\00:56:20.71
That's right. Yeah, you
have to deal with those things.
00:56:20.74\00:56:24.15
You have to deal
with those things,
00:56:24.18\00:56:25.51
but I wanna hit two very quick
points before we shut down.
00:56:25.55\00:56:27.02
Okay, go ahead.
00:56:27.05\00:56:28.38
Before we say Happy
New Year and Happy 2022.
00:56:28.42\00:56:31.39
It says, don't do
like the Israelites did,
00:56:31.42\00:56:33.49
they selected a
new leader to go back.
00:56:33.52\00:56:36.22
Friends, let me
encourage you, the only leader
00:56:36.26\00:56:38.03
that should be in
your life is Jesus.
00:56:38.06\00:56:40.00
That's the only way that 2022
00:56:40.03\00:56:41.50
is going to be
a successful year.
00:56:41.53\00:56:43.26
Keep focusing on Him.
00:56:43.30\00:56:45.00
Hebrews 12:2,
"Looking unto Jesus,
00:56:45.03\00:56:47.04
the author and
finisher of your faith."
00:56:47.07\00:56:48.84
In this very last
quote, listen to this.
00:56:48.87\00:56:50.87
"In reviewing our past history,
00:56:50.91\00:56:53.31
having traveled over every
step of our present standing,
00:56:53.34\00:56:56.54
I can say praise God."
00:56:56.58\00:56:57.91
Amen.
00:56:57.95\00:56:59.28
"As I see what God has wrought,
I am filled with astonishment
00:56:59.31\00:57:01.35
and with confidence
in Christ as leader.
00:57:01.38\00:57:03.55
We have nothing to
fear for the future,
00:57:03.59\00:57:06.09
except as we shall forget
the way the Lord has led us
00:57:06.12\00:57:10.03
and His teaching
in our past history."
00:57:10.06\00:57:12.39
Amen. Have we all had a past?
00:57:12.43\00:57:13.90
Oh, yes. Is He
saying go forward?
00:57:13.93\00:57:15.90
Amen.
00:57:15.93\00:57:17.27
Can we say Happy
New Year one more time?
00:57:17.30\00:57:18.63
Happy New Year.
00:57:18.67\00:57:20.64
I tell you and, Honey,
thank you for being with me,
00:57:20.67\00:57:23.61
2022, we're still together.
00:57:23.64\00:57:25.94
Praise God.
00:57:25.97\00:57:27.31
And for the New Year,
we're encouraging couples,
00:57:27.34\00:57:29.64
those of you who are Christians,
00:57:29.68\00:57:31.15
if you're single,
bereaved, continue trusting God
00:57:31.18\00:57:34.02
and 2022 will be a blessing.
00:57:34.05\00:57:36.28
Amen. Amen.
00:57:36.32\00:57:37.65