Participants:
Series Code: TDYL
Program Code: TDYL200039B
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00:10 Thank you for joining us again
00:12 for the second hour for of 00:14 "Prayer and Praise." 00:16 I wanna thank you for the first hour team here. 00:19 I love your hearts. 00:20 I love your desire to pray 00:22 and your desire to let God move in your lives. 00:25 So thank you very much for being an example of, 00:28 and to me, I love that, 00:29 it's great to work with people that you love. 00:33 So this hour, I want to just take a lot of topics 00:38 that are universal topics, 00:40 that we know that we get prayer requests 00:43 into our prayer warrior requests from pastoral 00:49 that these categories will cover it 00:53 because we know you have needs. 00:55 And so as you are hearing these prayers, 00:58 know that we are praying for you, 01:01 we love you and we want to honor your needs 01:05 and your requests 01:06 and take them to the Father, 01:07 for He's the one who can take care of it all. 01:09 So our first topic is on "Discernment." 01:15 And I'm reminded of John 16:13. 01:17 And it's a prayer that I've been praying 01:21 for several weeks now. 01:23 That's and says, 01:24 "When He the spirit of truth has come, 01:26 He will guide you into all truth, 01:28 for He will not speak on His own authority, 01:31 but whatever He hears, 01:32 He will speak 01:34 and He will tell you things to come." 01:35 So I've been waking up every morning saying, 01:37 "Holy Spirit of truth, lead me into all truth." 01:40 That's just a wonderful prayer. 01:42 I encourage, in fact, you too should pray that for yourself. 01:44 But I want to start with a song that reminds me of that 01:47 and it's in the hymnal. 01:50 It's one I don't hear a lot, but you might know this. 01:54 So sing along, 01:55 "If you but trust in God to guide you." 01:58 If you but trust In God to guide you 02:05 And place your confidence In Him 02:11 You'll find Him always There beside you 02:17 To give you hope And strength within 02:24 For those who trust God's changeless love 02:30 Build on the Rock That will not move 02:40 It's a great reminder, 02:41 if you will just let God guide you. 02:44 Greg, you wanna pray for us? Sure. 02:45 I like this, Tim, far as I have the words here to the song 02:48 for those who trust in God's changeless love. 02:52 God doesn't change. 02:54 It's powerful, isn't it? 02:55 As human beings I know I'm kind of back and forth at times, 02:57 but God doesn't change. 02:59 He's solid, and it says, 03:01 "Build on the rock that will not move." 03:05 Praise the Lord for that. 03:07 And I like Proverbs 3:5-6, 03:09 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart 03:12 and lean not on your own understanding. 03:15 In all your ways acknowledge," who? 03:17 "God." That's right. 03:19 "And He will direct your paths." 03:22 Praise the Lord. 03:23 Father in heaven, 03:25 Lord, I just pray for trust, trust in You. 03:29 We pray for discernment. 03:32 At times the way may not seem quite clear, 03:36 but, Lord, we know that You have the direction. 03:37 So what we need to do is sit and trust in you. 03:41 And then when we see You opening the way, 03:42 Lord, that we would go forward. 03:45 I think also of the Israelites 03:46 as they put their feet into the water, it parted. 03:50 So God also give us that faith 03:51 when You say go forward, and it looks impossible 03:54 that we just go ahead and go forward. 03:56 Father, I thank You though this is Prayer and Praise. 03:58 I praise You for those 04:00 that actually have the gift of discernment. 04:02 And, Lord, thank You for those 04:03 and, Lord, may we listen to the council 04:05 around us as well. 04:07 But, Father, may we always turn to You 04:09 for our only source of strength, 04:12 and in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 04:15 Amen. 04:18 It's been three years 04:19 since I stepped into my position here at 3ABN. 04:22 It was in January of 2018. 04:26 And to me, Mollie Steenson, who was my predecessor, 04:30 was a woman of discernment. 04:32 She had great wisdom. 04:34 And I remember stepping into that office 04:37 and sitting behind the desk for the first time. 04:40 And feeling like, 04:42 "God, I'm just a little child." 04:43 Remember Solomon prayed that? 04:45 "I don't know how to go out 04:46 and I don't know how to come in. 04:47 And I definitely don't know how to lead. 04:52 Would You give me wisdom?" 04:54 And I claimed many times, 04:58 many, many times James 1, 05:01 "If any of you lack wisdom, 05:03 let him ask of God 05:06 who gives to all men and women liberally, 05:10 and upbraideth not and it shall be given to them." 05:15 So if you're in a position right now, 05:16 where you're not sure the right direction to go, 05:21 you're not sure what is the right decision. 05:23 You need special discernment. 05:26 Send a prayer for help. 05:28 I can't tell you how many times 05:30 someone would be walking in my office. 05:33 And I'd say, 05:34 "God, I need You right now." 05:35 Just one of those fast prayers 05:37 as they're coming in to sit down. 05:39 "God, please. 05:40 Right now I need You, would You give me Your wisdom?" 05:44 And God says, 05:45 "I'll give it to you." 05:47 God, we come before You because we don't have wisdom. 05:49 We don't have discernment. 05:52 But you do. 05:54 And so, Father, right now we seek for wisdom 05:58 in those decisions that we're making, 06:01 that they would be in accordance with Your will. 06:05 They would bring honor and glory to You. 06:09 And, Father, for my brothers and sisters, 06:11 as they're making choices 06:13 that You would lead, guide and direct, 06:16 and thank You for what You're going to do 06:19 in Jesus' name. 06:20 Amen. 06:27 Speaking about discernment is an amazing thing, 06:30 as Jill included in that wisdom and understanding. 06:35 The Bible talks about not only discernment for us, 06:40 but I wanna flip the coin a little bit, 06:42 look at the sermon from a different perspective. 06:45 For the Word of God is quick and powerful 06:47 and sharper than any two-edged sword. 06:52 And the Bible is referred to as a discerner of the thoughts 06:59 and intents of the heart. 07:02 That's what reminds me the Bible is living. 07:06 You got to be alive to discern anything. 07:09 Can you imagine reading the Bible 07:10 while the Bible is reading you? 07:13 Now think about that. 07:16 That's the Word of God, 07:18 God in the Word. 07:23 If we recognize that God is in the Word, 07:25 only then can the Word of God be in us. 07:29 "In the beginning was the Word." 07:32 It was not only the spoken word, 07:35 but the living word. 07:36 And when the living word left, He left the written word. 07:41 But the spoken word was alive, the living word was alive, 07:45 and the written word is alive. 07:47 And when I think about that, every time I open the Bible, 07:49 you know, my wife knows there are days 07:51 when I'm just thinking, 07:52 "Okay, Lord, my schedule is so heavy. 07:54 It's Wednesday, 07:55 and I just don't know what I'm preaching on. 07:57 Please tell me, 07:59 what do Your people need to hear?" 08:03 And Angie knows, we have this is not a ritual, 08:06 but my wife knows me so well. 08:11 She even sets a different kind of music 08:12 on Friday evening. 08:14 Because we'd like music we could sing along with 08:17 and sometimes it's straight up, gospel, 08:20 you know, black gospel, 08:21 or sometimes it's Christian, contemporary. 08:23 Sometimes it's Christian music, generally, sometimes it's 3ABN. 08:26 Sometimes it's a Pandora or iTunes, 08:30 she has such a flavor. 08:31 Sometimes it's Gaither or Heritage, or any kind. 08:34 But on Friday nights, 08:37 she sets it to like what you're playing right now. 08:40 Because I told her, 08:41 I said, music, honey, unlocks my mind. 08:43 And if I hear anything 08:44 I need to sing along with I can't think. 08:47 And you know what, I want to thank God that 08:48 when I'm reading His Word, His Word is reading me. 08:53 And it reminds me of the great responsibility. 08:55 So right now, 08:57 I want to just recalibrate you for the new year. 09:00 Don't just read the Word of God. 09:03 Let the Word of God read you. 09:06 Because the Word of God will never see in you 09:08 what God cannot 09:10 and has not already seen in you. 09:12 The Word of God will see and us what needs to be change. 09:15 And that's why 09:17 my favorite preacher is resting in the Lord. 09:18 He said, one of the reasons why we know the Bible 09:20 was not written by men. 09:22 He reveals the worst in us. 09:25 If men wrote it, it would reveal the best in us. 09:28 But it always shows us 09:29 where we need to come up a little higher. 09:31 So right now I wanna pray that for this new year, 09:34 you will allow the Word of God to read you. 09:37 Don't just let the Bible become an assignment. 09:40 But let the Bible become an examiner of your hearts, 09:43 your thoughts, your deeds, 09:45 for only as God can clear you for the kingdom 09:52 will you be allowed to go in. 09:54 So right now let's pray for God's Word 09:55 to be the discerner of us. 09:57 Father, and our God, 10:00 it's humbling to know that we are never out of Your sight. 10:05 That even darkness is light to You. 10:09 But, Lord, we don't walk in Your light 10:10 because we'll hide from your eyes 10:13 because, we first of all, we can't. 10:15 For me, the thought not even frighten us, 10:17 but may it humble us 10:20 that we might live soberly, 10:22 godly and righteously in this present life, 10:26 looking for and hastening, as the Apostle Paul says, 10:29 the coming of our Lord. 10:31 What a day that's going to be. 10:32 Father, I pray right now that for this new year, 10:35 that if we haven't picked up the Bible, 10:37 maybe we don't want the Bible to read us. 10:40 Maybe we don't want the Bible to reveal to us 10:42 who we really are. 10:43 But the Bible is not just a book of instruction, 10:46 but it is our examiner. 10:48 It is the very thing that the Lord Jesus left 10:53 to get us filed down 10:55 and ready for that eternal kingdom. 10:58 And, Father, we won't fit in 10:59 until our rough edges are smoothed 11:01 and our tempers have calmed 11:03 and our spirit is in harmony with Yours. 11:06 So, Lord, I commit myself, my wife and me 11:08 as we read our Bible all the time. 11:11 Father, we recommit that this year, 11:12 our Bibles will read us 11:15 and that we will know that You are examining us 11:17 getting us ready for Your kingdom. 11:19 Help us to accept 11:20 that discernment of Your Word. 11:23 In Jesus' name I pray. 11:25 Amen. 11:27 Ryan, you want to read a couple of those verses... 11:30 Yeah. Absolutely. 11:31 On discernment. 11:34 James 1:5, it says, 11:37 "If any of you lacks wisdom, 11:41 let him ask of God, 11:43 who gives generously to all without reproach. 11:47 And it will be given to him." 11:50 And, of course, 11:52 one of the greatest counsels on all of Scripture, 11:54 Romans 12:2, it says, 11:58 "Do not be conformed to this world, 12:01 but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 12:06 That the testing, that by testing you 12:10 may discern what is the will of God, 12:14 what is good and acceptable, and perfect." 12:19 Wisdom and discernment comes by the work of the Holy Spirit. 12:25 And, you know, we live in a world it's not so pretty. 12:31 And we've been told and counseled many times 12:34 that the Spirit of God 12:36 has been withdrawn from this planet, 12:39 the closer we move, 12:40 and get toward the second coming of Jesus. 12:44 And I just want to urge whoever's watching right now. 12:50 God wants to open your eyes, 12:54 He wants to give you wisdom, 12:55 He wants to give you discernment, 12:57 He wants to dial in your spiritual vision, 12:59 so you can see His love. 13:00 And you can see the world through His eyes. 13:03 They can, you can see it through the lenses of love. 13:09 But that only comes 13:11 by accepting a wonderful gift of discernment 13:14 that He wants to bless upon, 13:15 to bestow upon you and to bless you with. 13:18 And so, you know, I just want to pray right now 13:20 that same prayer 13:22 that Elisha prayed for his servant, 13:28 "Open his eyes that he may see." 13:32 God will open your eyes. 13:34 But even in opening and pulling back the shades, 13:37 there still has to be an effort on our part to receive. 13:41 And so I wanna pray for that right now. 13:43 Father in heaven, 13:45 oh, Lord, 13:49 You open blind eyes, Lord. 13:55 Our minds can't even begin to comprehend that. 13:59 Because the work that you do is so beyond our understanding, 14:05 You're so wonderful. 14:07 And, Lord, I just wanna pray right now in Jesus' name 14:11 for all those people who need to see You 14:15 for who You really are. 14:17 Not through the eyes of the enemy. 14:20 Not through the eyes of the world. 14:25 But help us to see You 14:28 through the lenses of Jesus Christ. 14:32 Lord, open our eyes that we may see. 14:37 And once you have given us 14:39 that beautiful spiritual eyesight, 14:43 help us to be able to receive 14:46 the spiritual mind of Jesus Christ. 14:51 We thank You, Lord, for all that You've done. 14:55 And in faith, we know that You will continue to do 14:58 what You do best, 14:59 and that's change lives and transform hearts. 15:04 We thank You and praise You and we ask this in Jesus' name, 15:07 amen. 15:08 Amen. 15:16 We enter into a time now of Prayer 15:18 and Praise for perseverance. 15:23 Persistence in doing something difficult, 15:27 and I know I need help 15:33 I get distracted. 15:34 And I need perseverance. 15:37 And there's a song 15:38 that reminds me of this another one 15:41 that we don't often, I don't often sing. 15:44 So I'm gonna sing. 15:47 O Jesus, I have promised 15:51 To serve Thee to the end 15:56 Be Thou forever near me 16:01 My Master and my Friend 16:05 I shall not fear the battle 16:10 If Thou art by my side 16:14 Nor wander from the pathway 16:20 If Thou wilt be my Guide 16:29 That's great words. 16:30 If Thou wilt be my Guide, I think, umm. 16:33 So, Pastor, you want to, 16:36 you want to start with us on that topic. 16:40 We'll go back 16:41 and sing a couple of verses here in a little bit. 16:43 Sure, perseverance. 16:45 I was talking to someone 16:46 just about facing the challenges of life. 16:52 And it's very different far as I'm gonna be very vague. 16:57 And they were talking about 16:58 recounting all the loss of life this year. 17:01 And we've had a lot of people we have lost here. 17:04 Not to COVID, but other things. 17:07 And they were recounting, they said, 17:10 "Even the word journey is not a comfortable word." 17:13 And I said, 17:15 "Think of it as a course instead." 17:17 I said, 17:18 "Because Paul, when his life was coming to an end, 17:20 he said, 'I fought a good fight. 17:24 Perseverance. 17:25 I finished my course. 17:27 I kept the faith. 17:29 I could all summarize all that persevere." 17:32 There may be somebody who's wondering, 17:33 "Man, how do I get ready for 2021?" 17:38 If 2021 is any indicator of what 2020 was, 17:42 I'm sure there are people probably saying, 17:44 "Lord, could you please hurry up and return, 17:46 I don't want to go through this again." 17:49 I mean, we could never have in our wildest imagination. 17:51 My wife and I were talking about this. 17:53 Because you know, here at 3ABN, we travel, 17:55 we had to cancel all of our trips. 17:57 And things are getting to the place now 17:58 where countries don't want us to come in 18:00 unless we have verification that we had a vaccine 18:02 and people are nervous about the vaccine, 18:04 and just all these things 18:05 that are just a part 18:07 of a vortex of worries in the world. 18:08 And people are wondering how much of this can we take? 18:11 And even sanity is now losing its rightful place. 18:16 Not that people in general are crazy, 18:18 but there's so much to grab on to that, 18:20 people are not knowing what to pull. 18:22 So I'll just encourage you right now, 18:24 like this scripture, just give it to my wife here. 18:28 It came to my mind. 18:30 It's amazing that you had it 18:31 because I was thinking about it. 18:34 When you talked but the moment you mentioned perseverance, 18:35 the scripture came to my mind, 2 Timothy 4:7-8. 18:40 This is what you want to be able to say 18:41 through the hard times, 18:43 difficulty to the cold and hot days, 18:44 to the unknown and the known. 18:46 Throught what's on the news and what's in God's Word. 18:49 You got to hold on, I have fought a good fight. 18:52 And as my one of my favorite authors says, 18:55 "God never requires anything more than He requires of you." 19:00 Think about that. 19:02 God never requires anything more than He requires of you. 19:06 He will never do that to you. 19:08 So what did God require of us? 19:09 To fight that fight. 19:11 And as, Tim, I think you said, 19:13 "We don't fight against the devil. 19:15 We're fighting ourselves and our own tendencies. 19:18 And we're fighting the fight of faith. 19:19 I fought a good fight. 19:20 Hold on, my brother, my sister, 19:23 husband, wife, children, teenagers. 19:27 And then also don't quit. 19:29 The worst thing to do is quit 19:31 when you can see the finish line. 19:33 And if you can't see the finish line, 19:35 you know, there's a text that Jesus says, 19:37 "You can discern the signs of the sky discernment, 19:39 but you can't discern the signs of the times." 19:41 My brother, the finish line, 19:43 sister, the finish line is not far away. 19:47 I want to be able to say, I finished the race. 19:50 Now, I'm mindful of athletes. 19:51 Some of them have run so hard. 19:54 Excuse me for being morbid here. 19:55 Some of them I'll use the intellectual word 19:57 they regurgitate 19:59 after they cross the finish line. 20:01 Because they have put everything they can into it. 20:03 They don't want to be seen as a person 20:04 that didn't give it their all. 20:06 If the runner does that for a temporary medal, 20:09 do that for an eternity. 20:11 And then he says, 20:12 "I have remained faithful," 20:14 the NIV. 20:15 "And now the prize awaits me, the crown of righteousness, 20:19 which the Lord, 20:21 the righteous judge 20:24 will give me on that day of His return. 20:26 And the prize is not just for me, 20:28 but for all who eagerly look forward 20:31 to His appearing." 20:33 I'm gonna pass it back to you here just before I pray. 20:34 But you know, in the Olympics there's the gold, 20:37 there's the silver and there's the bronze. 20:39 Everybody looks up to the person with the gold 20:41 and the guy with a silver, 20:43 man, I'm the first place loser. 20:46 And the guy with the bronze, I'm on the second place loser. 20:50 But you know, they hold on to that medal nonetheless, 20:52 they made it on the podium. 20:54 Now I know in the kingdom, 20:55 the race is not given to the swift 20:57 who finishes first or last. 20:58 I just want to be on a podium. 21:00 I just want to get that crown and say it again, honey. 21:04 Lay aside every weight when you're running that race. 21:08 Right. Right? 21:09 That's right, Let it go. 21:11 And there's things in people's lives 21:12 that they will not let go. 21:15 But there's a lot of things 21:17 but you got to give it to the Lord. 21:18 That's right. 21:20 You have to, so you can finish that race 21:23 where your crown is waiting for you. 21:24 Go ahead. 21:26 So get the righteous sneakers alight, lighten that load, 21:28 get rid of the stuff that's bogging you down. 21:31 And pray for the Lord to give you perseverance. 21:34 Finish the course. 21:35 Fight the fight, keep the faith. 21:38 And then you'll be able to breathe 21:40 as you train for eternity. 21:42 Isn't that nice? Amen. 21:43 We're training for eternity. 21:45 Let's pray right now. 21:48 Father, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. 21:52 That human nature that 21:54 is still hanging around our doorstep. 21:57 Sometimes it sits at the dinner table 21:59 at night with us. 22:00 Sometimes it waits for us at the foot of our bed. 22:03 Sometimes when we're putting our slippers on 22:05 to go brush our teeth, 22:07 we step on the toes of our human nature. 22:11 And we wonder, man, is this how my week want to be? 22:14 Is this how I'm going to start off the week? 22:15 Is this any indication of me being in my own way? 22:21 Father, give us a glimpse again of the finish line. 22:25 Give us a glimpse again of that crown of victory. 22:29 But even more than the material things, 22:31 give us a glimpse of Jesus, 22:33 who made every provision for us to persevere. 22:37 He was so wonderful 22:39 when He was on the cross, He says, 22:40 "I finished the work That you gave me to do." 22:43 We pray for those of us here at 3ABN 22:45 to be able to one day whether sooner or later, 22:48 be able to say as we see the skies 22:51 in the eastern plains breaking open, 22:54 we'll say, "Thank You, Lord, 22:56 we finished the work You gave us to do." 22:58 So I pray for those husbands and wives. 23:01 Like my wife and I together forever 23:03 eternity in view. 23:04 May there be couples 23:06 that are watching this that say, 23:07 "We're gonna persevere through our differences, 23:10 through the things that we don't agree on. 23:12 We're going to pray and put it in God's hands. 23:15 And we're going to persevere. 23:17 To the parents, 23:19 love your children through their changing times. 23:22 Teenagers are teenagers, we've all been there. 23:26 Love them through those days 23:28 where you just don't want to call them your children. 23:31 Because one day you're gonna be proud of them. 23:33 But do all that you must do 23:35 to help them know the future can be there 23:37 as by your guidance. 23:39 And I pray for the young people, 23:40 put down that phone and pick up God's Word. 23:44 Let there be some vision of eternity before you, 23:47 so that you can see that 23:49 God can give you something to persevere. 23:50 It's not a like on Facebook, 23:53 but it's His shed blood on Calvary. 23:56 And so Thank You, Lord, 23:57 that we can persevere 23:58 if we simply put on the whole armor of God. 24:01 And maybe our desire not only to push, 24:03 but one day may we be able to breathe 24:05 on the other side of the finish line. 24:08 In Jesus' name, amen. 24:13 Greg, do you have anything to mention too? 24:14 Well, thinking about perseverance, 24:16 you know, I'd like to go out in nature 24:18 that's comfort for me. 24:19 You know, I'd like to just sit 24:20 and watch nature, hear the birds 24:22 and this past summer 24:24 I was sitting in the forest 24:25 and I heard little rustling in the leaves and the grass 24:29 and so, I looked around the tree 24:31 and there was a box turtle, an Eastern box turtle 24:34 just going along its merry little way, 24:36 but it definitely had a goal in mind. 24:39 And as I took a closer look at this box turtle, 24:41 it was battle scarred and battle weary. 24:44 It had some scars on its shell. 24:47 It only had one eye, 24:48 the one eye with that wound was left, 24:51 the other eye was all sealed shut. 24:53 And as this turtle made its way for someplace, 24:56 I'm not sure through the forest. 24:58 It came across what looked like to me is a pretty small stick, 25:01 but for him it was a pretty big stick. 25:03 And you know that turtle didn't just sit there and say, 25:06 I'm battle weary, I'm battle scarred. 25:08 I got one eye, I got scars on my shell, 25:11 in my brain that looked at that stick and said, 25:13 Okay, I'm gonna figure out 25:14 a way to get over this stick. 25:16 And that little turtle struggled over that stick. 25:17 And on the top, 25:19 it was balancing all four little legs, 25:20 you know, but it made it over the other side, 25:22 and it kept going toward the mark. 25:24 So it's come to mind, 25:26 Pastor, that you talking about this, too. 25:27 You know, we are so close to the finish line right now, 25:29 have some battle scars or battle weary, 25:31 may have one eye, we've got some injuries. 25:35 But don't give up, don't quit. 25:38 Jesus is coming soon. 25:39 We got to press toward the mark. 25:40 That turtle and it took off to the forest. 25:42 And I don't know where it was going. 25:43 But it had someplace 25:44 it was going that was important. 25:46 Well, we've got some place 25:47 that we're going, that's important. 25:49 Amen. And that's the kingdom of God. 25:50 So think about perseverance. 25:51 That little turtle taught me a great lesson 25:53 of just go forward no matter what you faced, 25:56 or what you've been through or gone through. 25:57 It's better to go to heaven with one eye. 26:00 That's right. Yeah. Can't see it all. 26:02 The eyes gonna be restored. 26:03 But it will get restored 26:04 as long as you get there, exactly. 26:06 But it didn't just sit back, Angie, 26:07 and just say you know what, I'm tired. 26:09 I've got a lot of injuries and a lot of problems. 26:10 It just kept going forward 26:12 even though it faced the giant thing in front of it, 26:13 which was the log for it. 26:15 It made it over, kept on going. 26:18 I love those movies that have that almost like an underdog 26:23 who just, you know, that they have, 26:25 they have to work all the harder 26:27 to reach that 26:28 and I'm on there, I'm praying for him. 26:29 I'll be watching the movie. 26:31 And I'll say, "Lord help him," 26:32 you know, and I just I go there. 26:35 So the text Philippians, what is it? 26:36 3:14, 26:38 "Press toward the mark." 26:39 Right. Right. 26:41 Amen. Amen. 26:43 Could I just add something? Please, Pastor. 26:44 Because we're talking about turtles 26:46 and the slow things of the nature. 26:48 We wonder why God made them? 26:50 I think it's to teach us perseverance. 26:52 I have a saying, my wife knows it, 26:54 at the beginning of one of the presentations 26:55 we did at the Benton Civic Center 26:57 a few years ago. 26:58 I began by saying 27:00 "The snail crossed the finish line." 27:03 And people said, 27:05 I said tonight, let me ask you a question. 27:07 Have you ever been to the snail Olympics 27:09 or snail race? 27:11 I said, I bet you haven't. 27:13 Because you couldn't sit there long enough 27:16 for them to cross the finish line. 27:17 The snail crossed the finish line 27:20 prophecy, ever so slow, but ever so constant. 27:24 We're about to cross the finish line. 27:26 So keep perseverance. 27:27 It's good. That's good. 27:29 Let's move on to boldness, the topic of boldness. 27:33 We all need that in the day that we live. 27:36 And a song that I'm reminded of that says. 27:40 My Father is rich In houses and lands 27:44 He holdeth the wealth Of the world in His hands 27:49 Of rubies and diamonds, Of silver and gold 27:53 His coffers are full, 27:55 He has riches untold 27:59 I'm a child of the King A child of the King 28:05 With Jesus my Savior 28:09 I'm a child of the King 28:14 And one of the reasons that 28:16 that fills me with boldness is 28:17 I mean, what can't I do 28:20 knowing I'm a child of the King. 28:22 I can do this. 28:24 And so I am bold in with His power. 28:27 So, Jill, you want to speak to this. 28:33 To me, boldness comes 28:35 from a place of knowing who I am. 28:37 If I don't understand who I am in Christ, 28:41 then you might be afraid, 28:43 you might close the blinds 28:45 and stay at home and sit alone 28:47 because you don't want to go out 28:49 or you don't want to face the world 28:50 or you don't want to face your neighbor 28:52 or that person that you know you're supposed to forgive. 28:55 Or that person 28:56 that you're supposed to reconcile with. 28:58 Or you don't want to have that difficult conversation. 29:02 Or that confrontation because we're afraid. 29:05 But if we understand 29:08 and if we know who we are in Christ. 29:14 Let's jump over real quick 29:15 and then we'll speak again the boldness, 29:17 but let's jump to Ephesians. 29:22 I love Ephesians Chapter 1, 29:25 because there's this entire list 29:27 of who I am in Christ. 29:31 Ephesians 1, 29:32 "In Christ, I am blessed," 29:35 verse 3. 29:36 Verse 4, 29:37 "In Christ I am chosen, in Christ I am blameless, 29:43 in Christ I am predestined, and adopted, 29:47 and accepted, and redeemed, and forgiven. 29:52 In Christ I have wisdom, in Christ I have knowledge, 29:55 in Christ I have an inheritance in Him." 30:00 If you know that, 30:01 if you believe that, if you stand on that, 30:06 who wouldn't have boldness, knowing who we are in Christ? 30:11 There's a scripture here I like you had, Tim, 30:13 it says, Joshua 1:9, 30:15 "See that I command thee, 30:18 be strong and of a good courage." 30:21 And why are we that way? 30:23 Because we know who He is. 30:26 And we know who we belong to. 30:31 "Be not afraid, neither be dismayed. 30:34 For I the Lord your God, I am with you wherever you go." 30:40 So no matter what you're facing today, 30:42 no matter what mountain you're trying to climb. 30:45 No matter what difficulty is in your path 30:48 that seems insurmountable and you might feel afraid, 30:51 or anxious or timid right now, 30:54 God says, you are His child. 30:58 And in Him, 31:00 all His promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. 31:04 And you can stand on the Word of God, 31:08 know that you go forward 31:10 in the boldness of the Lord Jesus Christ. 31:13 Let's pray, 31:14 Holy Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus, 31:17 not because we are worthy, but because You are worthy. 31:20 Not because we are righteous, but because You are righteous. 31:24 Not because we are holy, but because You are holy 31:27 and You have forgiven and cleansed and made whole. 31:32 God, You have set us free from the bands of the enemy. 31:37 And right now we ask for boldness 31:40 in the name of Jesus. 31:42 We claim the promises in Your Word, 31:45 those hundreds of times where You have said, 31:48 "Be not afraid, for I am your God, 31:52 I will strengthen you, I will help you, 31:55 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 31:59 God, would You hold us? 32:01 Would You lift us up? 32:03 And would you enable us 32:04 to stand on the platform of Your Word, 32:07 with that knowledge of who we are in You. 32:10 God, thank You for that. 32:12 And we claim Your boldness, in the name of Jesus. 32:16 Amen. 32:20 I once was an outcast 32:23 Just a stranger on earth 32:26 A sinner by choice 32:28 And an alien by birth 32:31 But I've been adopted 32:35 My name's written down 32:38 An heir to a mansion 32:41 A robe and a crown 32:45 That's you. 32:46 So you should be bold and sing. 32:48 I'm a child of the King 32:52 A child of the King 32:56 With Jesus my Savior 33:00 I can do anything 33:04 For I'm a child of the King 33:12 Amen. 33:13 We can do all things through Christ 33:14 who strengthens us. 33:16 Let's move on to the topic of being downcast. 33:23 I know that 33:25 a lot of you might feel down feel blue, 33:28 especially after the holidays even. 33:32 But this song reminds me. 33:35 Be still, my soul! 33:38 The Lord is on thy side 33:43 Bear patiently The cross of grief 33:48 Or pain Leave to thy God 33:54 To order and provide 33:58 In every change 34:07 Be still, my soul! 34:09 Thy best, thy heavenly Friend 34:14 Through thorny ways 34:17 Leads to a joyful end 34:24 Ryan, you want to say something? 34:31 Downcast. 34:34 You know, 34:36 when I was looking down here at the scripture, 34:38 Philippians 4:6-7. 34:43 This is my wife's favorite scripture. 34:47 I'm gonna read, it says, 34:49 "Do not be anxious about anything 34:52 but in everything by prayer and supplication, 34:55 with thanksgiving, 34:57 let your requests be made known to God. 35:01 And the peace of God, 35:03 which surpasses all understanding, 35:05 will guard your hearts 35:07 and your minds in Christ Jesus." 35:13 We live in a world of anxiety, 35:17 people who suffer with anxieties, depressions, 35:19 and all other types 35:21 of mental illnesses 35:28 and ailments and different things 35:29 that people just this world beats you up. 35:33 And just, it's just the reality of the world 35:37 that we live in. 35:40 But I love Philippians 4:6-7 that I just read, 35:43 because it reminds us 35:47 that God understands 35:50 that no matter what you're going through, 35:51 no matter what you're feeling, 35:55 it's the battle of self, right? 35:56 You're battling, a lot of times we're battling our own minds, 35:59 or battling our own anxieties and fears, discomforts. 36:06 But you know, there's no one ever 36:10 that has dealt with more anxiety, 36:13 more fear at times, 36:15 I'm sure more trials, 36:19 struggles than Jesus. 36:22 If there's anyone who understands is Jesus. 36:26 And, you know, I just wanna say a prayer for those 36:30 who might be struggling in that area. 36:34 You wake up every day, 36:35 and it seems like 36:37 you can't put one foot in front of the other. 36:39 And, you know, I have a loved one 36:43 who deals with anxiety, 36:45 and certain mental disorder OCD. 36:52 A lot of people think OCD is just, 36:53 you know, you got to have things in the right place, 36:56 but there's different forms of obsessive compulsiveness, 36:59 you know, and it's a real thing, 37:01 you know, people really deal with this stuff. 37:03 And a lot of times from the outside looking in. 37:06 You know, we as people 37:08 that don't deal with these things, 37:10 we don't understand it, 37:11 and to us it just doesn't make sense. 37:13 And even as Christians, 37:14 sometimes we can cast things upon people and say, 37:16 "Oh, you just, you know, 37:18 you just need to trust God more." 37:19 Right? 37:21 You know, you just don't trust God enough. 37:23 And until you've been in that person's shoes, 37:25 and until you've experienced it. 37:28 It's real. 37:30 And we all have our struggles. 37:32 We've all at some point in life been downcast. 37:36 And we need to be picked back up. 37:38 And Jesus is a professional at picking you back up. 37:42 So I want to pray for that right now. 37:44 Because I know He's listening. 37:46 And He promises us in His Word that 37:48 if we ask anything according to His will, 37:50 He hears us, and He will answer, 37:52 so let's pray. 37:54 Father in heaven, 37:57 Lord, before we even met today, 38:01 to talk about these things and to pray, 38:04 You were 100 steps ahead of us. 38:09 You see what we don't see. 38:12 You hear what we don't hear. 38:16 And You understand things far beyond 38:18 what we can possibly comprehend. 38:23 And, Lord, this life 38:26 sometimes can dish out some pain, 38:29 some discomforts, some trials and tribulations 38:32 that it's just hard to deal with, Lord. 38:39 You understand, because You've been through the valley, 38:43 You've walked through the mire, You've been through the most, 38:47 You've climbed the most difficult mountains. 38:51 And so, Father, I'm praying right now, 38:53 for those who are struggling, 38:57 fighting to keep their head above water. 39:01 Whatever they may be dealing with, 39:03 Lord, You already know. 39:05 We pray for them in Jesus' name, 39:09 that You will give them a sense of hope 39:16 that You will shine Your bright light of love 39:19 unto the darkest shadows of their heart. 39:24 That You will cover them with Your loving spirit. 39:29 And that You will bring them peace 39:32 and comfort and hope during these times. 39:35 To help them see that You're still there, 39:38 that even sometimes, in the silence of it all, 39:43 you're still there. 39:45 We praise you, God, and thank you 39:48 because I believe with all my heart, mind and soul 39:51 that you can answer that prayer. 39:55 I pray this in Jesus' name. 39:57 Amen. 40:01 Be still, my soul! 40:04 Thy God doth undertake 40:09 To guide the future 40:12 As He has the past 40:16 Thy hope, thy confidence 40:20 Let nothing shake 40:24 All now mysterious 40:27 Shall be bright at last 40:32 Be still, my soul! 40:35 The waves and winds 40:38 Still know 40:41 His voice who ruled them 40:46 While he dwelt below 40:51 Why so downcast, oh, my soul, 40:54 put your trust in God. 40:57 Put your trust in God. 41:03 Let's move on to the category of purpose. 41:08 Beginning this year, 41:12 I want to live my life every day, 41:14 no matter what year 41:16 I'll be older this year. 41:22 This month I'm celebrating another year older. 41:25 Yay. 41:26 So, but my purpose is to serve Christ, 41:31 to follow God, 41:33 to live for Him. 41:34 And the reason I say that is because... 41:39 Jesus is all the world to me 41:43 My life, my joy, my all 41:48 He is my strength From day to day 41:52 Without Him I would fall 41:57 When I am sad, to Him I go 42:02 No other one can cheer me so 42:06 When I am sad, 42:09 He makes me glad 42:12 He's my Friend 42:20 Greg, can you talk to us about purpose 42:22 and pray for those 42:23 who are needing that confidence that they can have purpose? 42:28 Yeah, great topic, Tim. 42:31 You know, I think sometimes we can feel, 42:33 you know, why am I here on this earth? 42:35 Maybe you at home, 42:36 like I don't know why I'm in existence? 42:39 I may be the only one. 42:40 Think of where the sunshine, 42:42 you say, you know, I'm the only sun out here. 42:44 I'm tired. 42:45 I've been shining bright for years and years. 42:46 I'm done. You know, folks, I am done. 42:48 Man, lots of people would notice. 42:50 Right. 42:51 We're in a farm country here. That's good, Brother. 42:54 What about the little kernel of corn, 42:57 thousands of they are planted, 42:58 millions probably here in this area, 42:59 this region of Illinois. 43:01 One of the little seeds 43:03 that's planted says, you know what? 43:04 Forget it. 43:05 I'm just one little corn kernel. 43:07 I'm not gonna sprout this year. 43:08 I'm just gonna stay here, 43:10 I'm just gonna rot in the ground, 43:11 no one will ever notice. 43:12 But what if all of those said that 43:14 we'd have no corn, 43:15 even one of those little corn kernels didn't. 43:18 One kernel of corn grows into a stalk, right? 43:22 And then ears of corn and on that ears of corn 43:24 are multiple kernels 43:25 which will feed many people, animals. 43:27 I love it. 43:29 There's a reason, there's a purpose 43:30 for that little kernel of corn to sprout. 43:32 For us, there's a reason or purpose that we're here. 43:35 I think about John 3:16. 43:36 It says, "For God so loved the world." 43:38 Okay, then I'm insignificant, but whosoever will, 43:42 that goes to personal level to me. 43:45 So that's one person. 43:47 So God died for you. 43:49 You're here for a reason and a purpose 43:52 talking about purpose. 43:54 And you may look at 3ABN and say, 43:56 "Wow, I can't be on the air. 43:57 I can't reach the millions like 3ABN." 44:00 You know what? You can reach somebody too. 44:02 I think sometimes 44:04 people just look at everybody else 44:05 and I can't do anything 44:07 but, man, there's something that we can all do. 44:08 So there's purpose. 44:10 We're here for a reason and a purpose. 44:11 Let's pray. 44:12 Father in heaven, thank You, God, we've been chosen by You. 44:15 You've got a plan for us as Jeremiah says. 44:19 "Father, our life is significant, 44:23 especially to you." 44:26 You love the entire world, 44:28 which is made up of individuals. 44:31 And, Father, thank You 44:32 for being willing to come 44:34 and live inside of our hearts. 44:36 But yet You're so big 44:38 that You created the entire world 44:39 and the universe. 44:41 Thank You for being interested 44:43 in the little details of our lives. 44:44 Lord, we all have purpose, 44:45 we all can make a difference 44:47 to those that we have influenced with. 44:51 May we gain courage and strength 44:53 in the year 2021. 44:54 Lord, that You've given us a reason to live 44:56 and to be alive, 44:58 and that we can bring others to a knowledge of Your love. 45:01 And in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 45:05 Anybody else wanna speak to purpose? 45:10 I love Jeremiah 1. 45:12 You have the scripture here. 45:14 Jeremiah is a young man, 45:17 maybe he felt like he couldn't do the job. 45:19 And yet God said in verse 4 and 5, 45:21 the Lord gave me the message, 45:23 "I knew you before 45:24 I formed you in your mother's womb, 45:28 before you were born, 45:29 I set you apart 45:31 and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." 45:34 So even before you were born, God knew you. 45:40 He saw you, He formed you. 45:43 And He had a plan and a purpose for your life 45:47 that only you can fill. 45:49 That's our incredible God. 45:51 I just, I'm so grateful for that purpose. 45:54 Amen. Amen. 45:56 Hey, there's one here that Angie shown. 45:58 I'm gonna have you read it, Honey, that is beautiful. 46:00 She always says this, 46:02 she gives me great guidance and direction. 46:04 But she's like, she likes to be this silent. 46:06 She's a good supporting actress. 46:08 A lot of my sermon material comes from her. 46:10 Yes. 46:11 Because while I'm reading my... 46:13 While I'm doing my sermon, she's reading. 46:14 Nice. 46:16 Yeah, I love this text in Psalm 139:16. 46:20 I'm the eighth child born to my parents. 46:23 Number eight. 46:25 And we always say what? Eight is enough. 46:27 There was a show called "Eight is Enough." 46:29 And I'm the eighth child born. 46:32 And my mom and dad were in England. 46:37 I was born in England, 46:38 and that's where I lost my father. 46:41 All eight of us were without a dad. 46:44 And it was just devastating to my mom. 46:47 But I love this text. 46:50 My mom said I was like, 46:52 almost like a surprise baby here. 46:54 You know, here comes number, yeah, number eight. 46:58 She's like, "Oh, no, I'm pregnant again." 47:01 And I love this text in Psalm 139:16. 47:05 It says, "You saw me before I was born." 47:08 Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 47:12 Every moment was laid out before a single day had past." 47:16 And it's beautiful. 47:18 And I think of even your mom, Honey. 47:20 When she said she was pregnant with you. 47:22 Yeah, I remember. 47:24 And what did she say? 47:25 She thought she had a stomach virus, 47:28 I was stomach virus. 47:30 And she went to, 47:31 back then they had exploratory surgery. 47:34 And the doctor that at the exploratory surgery, 47:37 he said, 47:39 "You don't have a virus, you're pregnant." 47:41 And here I am. She said, 47:43 "She saw you tucked in." 47:44 She saw you tucked 47:46 and the doctor saw you tucked in the womb. 47:48 And she said, 47:49 he just closed it up and left there. 47:51 And it was not like sonic, all that stuff 47:53 they have nowadays where you see that. 47:54 She said, "No." 47:56 And he said, "You'd be okay. Just take it light." 47:57 And there I was before a single day. 48:00 That is powerful. 48:02 Before a single day came to pass, 48:04 God knew that there was not a wife for me in America. 48:07 So He picked this girl in England. 48:10 And her dad said I would never go to America. 48:13 And he allowed her dad to be laid to rest in Jesus, 48:18 just to send my wife to America for me. 48:20 That's powerful for me. 48:22 God didn't see a single wife in America 48:24 that he wanted me to be with. 48:27 I don't want to dog America, because I'm from America. 48:29 But he said I'm sending him an English-Jamaican girl. 48:32 And I've been blessed. 48:34 Yeah, because my dad did say 48:35 I would never step foot in America. 48:38 He said over my dead body, literally. 48:43 But here we are today, 30. 48:47 This year is a 38 years of marriage. 48:48 Thirty eight. That's right. 48:50 And God has been so good to us. 48:52 We've been through quite a bit. 48:54 And any married couple, you go through all, 48:56 you go through challenges, right? 48:57 Like Greg and Jill. No, no. 49:00 They're the exception to the rule. 49:04 No, Greg, no. 49:05 But when you have the Lord in charge of your heart, 49:08 and you go to Him for your answers as a couple, 49:12 He's there for us. 49:13 And He's always been there for us. 49:15 So there may be couples out there 49:17 that just can't persevere right now. 49:19 You can persevere with God 49:21 as your center, your hope, your anchor, 49:24 and He will pull you through it. 49:25 Put self aside and focus on God. 49:28 That's my message to you. 49:30 Amen. Amen. That's good. 49:32 Amen. Thank you, sweetie. 49:33 Ryan. 49:34 Yeah, no, like Jill mentioned Jeremiah 1, 49:37 but I'm gonna throw in there Jeremiah 29. 49:40 Oh, man. 49:42 And hearing what pastor just said about 49:44 how the Lord had a plan and this is it right here. 49:48 Jeremiah 29:11-13. 49:51 It says, 49:52 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," 49:55 says the Lord, 49:56 "Thoughts of peace and not of evil 49:58 to give you a future and a hope." 49:59 I love that text because it's, 50:01 I can just imagine God saying, 50:03 "Don't tell me what to think about you." 50:05 Yeah, nice. 50:06 Don't tell me what to think about you. 50:07 Lord, I'm just lowly, I'm nothing. 50:10 I'm a nobody. 50:12 Don't tell me what to think about you. 50:13 That's good. 50:15 Because I already knew what I think about you, 50:16 thoughts of peace, right? 50:17 Thoughts of peace, 50:19 and not of evil 50:20 to give you a future and a hope. 50:22 What is that? That's purpose, right? 50:24 Oh, man. 50:25 And I love what it continues to say. 50:27 "Then you will call upon me and go pray to me. 50:32 And I will listen to you. 50:35 And you will seek Me and find Me 50:37 when you search for Me with all your heart." 50:41 I love that text because it reminds us that 50:44 as Brother Greg brought out so beautifully over there. 50:47 We might, to us, it might seem like 50:50 we're this little, tiny, insignificant speck. 50:54 But in God's eyes, 50:56 I mean, if he can see that little sparrow, 51:00 you better believe He knows who you are. 51:02 You're not here by just some coincidence 51:04 or happenstance. 51:05 God has a plan for your life. 51:07 And He has a purpose for you. My favorite verse. 51:09 That's my second favorite verse that I just read, Jeremiah 29. 51:12 My favorite verse is Philippians 1:6, 51:15 beautiful promise, 51:17 "That He who has began a good work in you, " 51:18 and gotta start with, 51:20 "being confident" 51:22 Being confident of this very thing that 51:23 "He who has begun 51:25 a good work in you will complete it 51:27 until the day of Jesus Christ." 51:29 If that's not a promise of purpose, 51:31 I don't know what it is. 51:32 I hang on to that promise 51:34 because there's times when I feel not even that tall. 51:37 And I come to God and say, 51:39 "Lord, why me? Why have You called me here? 51:40 I'm so unworthy. 51:42 I don't deserve to be here. 51:44 I don't deserve to be doing what I'm doing. 51:45 I don't deserve any of the goodness 51:48 that You've bestowed upon me." 51:51 And He's quick to remind me, 51:52 keep your head up, press forward. 51:54 Yes. Thank you. 51:55 Because one day soon 51:57 I'm going to complete that work that I've begun in you. 52:01 And that's a promise we all can look forward to. 52:03 Absolutely. Thank you. Yeah. 52:07 As we have come to the close of this time together, 52:11 I think it's a fitting thing that we start, 52:15 we finish this prayer and we start this year off. 52:19 For those who are burdened with guilt and shame, 52:24 because you don't have to bear that this year. 52:26 That's so last year or it was actually never, 52:31 because Jesus has done away with that. 52:36 So, take your burden to the Lord 52:39 and leave it there. 52:42 His grace is marvelous. 52:45 And marvelous grace Of our loving Lord 52:49 Grace that exceeds our sin, And our guilt 52:54 Yonder on Calvary's mount Outpoured 52:58 There where The blood of the lamb was spilt 53:04 Let's all sing it. 53:05 Grace, grace, 53:09 God's grace 53:13 Grace that will pardon 53:16 And cleanse within 53:20 Grace, grace, 53:24 God's grace 53:28 Grace, that is greater Than all our sin 53:41 Grace, 53:44 make 2021 the year of grace, 53:48 The year of grace. 53:49 not of failure, not of regrets, 53:52 not of dragging the past over the line into another year 53:56 only to make this worse than last year. 54:00 Bury the awful things that happened in 2020. 54:05 All the disappointments 54:06 that the world has tried to throw at us 54:08 through the portals of media 54:10 say no, no, no. 54:12 I love the way you said that, Ryan. 54:14 When we, when God has a plan for you, my brother, my sister, 54:19 don't take that vision that God has for you 54:22 and say no, you can't possibly see that. 54:27 It has not yet been revealed, but you shall be. 54:31 But we know, all those words of confidence. 54:33 But we know that when He is revealed, 54:38 we shall be like Him. 54:40 For we shall see Him as He is. 54:42 How are we, Ryan, Sweetheart, Jill, Greg, 54:46 how are we going to get to that finish line? 54:48 God's grace. 54:49 For by grace, 54:51 don't let that word be so familiar 54:52 that you forget what it means. 54:53 For by grace. 54:55 Doctrine is important, 54:57 all you believe is so vitally important, 54:58 but God's grace. 55:00 Without that grace, this world is a hopeless place. 55:04 But with that grace, the work He began, Ryan, 55:08 He's gonna finish it. 55:12 Amen. Amen. 55:14 He's gonna finish it. 55:15 Amen. That's right. 55:17 Amen. 55:18 Jill, you want to just finish for us. 55:22 Just want to appeal to you at home. 55:25 You might feel weighted down by guilt and shame, 55:28 you might have that burden. 55:30 You don't have to carry it. 55:32 The Lord Jesus said that 55:34 He died so that you can be set free. 55:37 I just want to pray for you right now. 55:39 Holy Father, we come before You right now 55:41 in the name of Jesus. 55:45 Thank you, God, for Your forgiveness. 55:48 Thank You for the blood of Jesus 55:51 that cleanses us from all sin. 55:56 We come before You with our brokenness, 55:59 with our emptiness, with our filthy rags. 56:03 claiming the blood of Jesus. 56:06 If we confess our sins, 56:08 you are faithful and just to forgive us, 56:12 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 56:16 We accept and receive that gift of purity. 56:21 That gift of holiness just now. 56:24 And thank you in Jesus' name. 56:27 Amen. 56:31 So this has been a great time. 56:34 Thank you. 56:36 Thank you each of you. 56:37 Thank you for your heart for prayer. 56:39 And thank you that 56:42 you've been faithful to the Lord, 56:43 each one of you. 56:45 I love you and I'm so proud to stand with you. 56:48 And this is going to be a wonderful year 56:51 in Jesus' name, 56:52 amen. 56:54 For you at home, don't give up. 56:56 We're in this thing to win it. 56:58 So let's do it for the Lord. 57:00 God bless you and come back another time. 57:03 Amen. |
Revised 2021-11-24