The More Blessed Life - Grateful Part 2

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Well, hey, good morning and
welcome to Real Life Church Man.

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It's going to be a good day in
the House of the Lord this

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morning.
Some of you with us in person

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are joining us online.
Go ahead and stand on your feet.

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Put those hands together as we
worship.

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Praise the Lord, praise the
Lord, praise the Lord on the

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mountain.
And I'll praise when I'm sure,

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and I'll praise when I'm tired,
and I'll praise me.

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No, no bird, praise me.
Surrounded as praise is the

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water my enemies drowning.
As long as I'm breathing, I've

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got a reason to pray and love
hold my soul.

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It's when I'm feeling, and I'll
praise when I don't, and I'll

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praise because I know you're
still in control.

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Thank you, Jesus.
It's crazy.

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It's awaiting.
It's more than a sound.

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My praise is the shout that
brings Jericho down.

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Long as I'm breathing, I've got
anything to breath.

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Hold
my soul.

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No, I won't be fighting.
My God is alive.

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How could I keep inside?
Hold my soul.

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Today And I'll praise 'cause
you're so praise, 'cause you

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raid, praise 'cause you rose and
defeated the craze.

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I'll praise 'cause you're faith,
praise 'cause you're true,

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praise 'cause there's nobody
created in you.

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I'll praise 'cause you're
sovereign, praise 'cause you

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raid, praise 'cause you rose and
defeated the grace.

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I praise hell is your truth.
Praise hell is your truth.

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Praise God, there's nobody
greater than you.

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Praise the Lord, Oh my soul.
Pray is the Lord, Oh my soul.

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Pray is the Lord, Oh my soul.
Hold my soul.

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No, I won't be quiet.
My party's alive.

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How could I keep it inside?
Oh, I won't be quiet.

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My party's alive.
How could I keep it inside?

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No, I I won't be quiet.
My party's alive.

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Praise the Lord, praise.
The Lord.

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Amen.
Give him a shot of praise this

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morning and I love Him.
The church gets to gather

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together and praises to our
guys.

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It's a little glimpse of what
heaven is going to be like.

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It is a 24/7 praise party giving
God all that he deserves and

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it's so blessed to be together.
So let's continue to praise him

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as I cast my mind to Calvary,
where Jesus.

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Bled and tied for me, and I see
his wounds, his hands, his feet.

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My saviour, run that curse in
the.

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Trees.
And his body bow, and drenched

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in tears they laid him down in
Joseph's too.

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The entrance still by heavy
stone, Messiah still.

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And all the lift up some praise,
oh, praise the name of the Lord,

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O God, O praise.
Days His name forevermore for

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endless days we will sing your
praise, O Lord, O Lord, our

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heart and on the earth at break
of time the sun of there and

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rose again.
No dream of God.

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Where's your steed?
The light just rose for Christ

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our King and incorporate the oh
God, oh God raises them.

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Oh God, oh God, oh God.
There's days we will see our

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eyes.
Oh Lord, oh

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Lord, oh Lord, oh shine.
We hope somewhat the blazing sun

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shall Pierce the night, and thou
will rise among the Saints.

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My gaze transfersed on Jesus
face, hogging to see its face.

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We lift your
name, you close your.

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Eyes.
Can you see his face?

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Imagine that moment and.
Surrender, just in awe of all

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that he's done for us.
Shining like the sun.

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What a beautiful day it is and
his.

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Power.
His praise, His presence is here

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today, so let's lift him up in
this place.

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Oh God, oh praise his name
forever.

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Lord, Lord, in these days we
will see our praise.

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Oh Lord, oh Lord our God, oh
praise him, Oh praise our name,

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oh Lord our God.
We will see more praise, Oh

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Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord.
Come on, give him some crazy

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soon.
That's right.

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He is so worthy.
So worthy, Father.

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We know you're here with us this
morning, but even more so, God,

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we say you're welcome in this
place.

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Father, would you move in us
this morning?

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God, maybe in a way you never
have before.

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Father, let us experience your
presence today in this place.

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Father, would you rest on us?
Today.

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God, we love you.
It's.

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In your name we pray.
There's nothing worth more that

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will ever come close and who we
think can compare.

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Here we are living home, your
presence, Lord.

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Now tasted at sea of the
sweetest of us, where my heart

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becomes free, and my shame is
until it is here in your

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presence alone.
Holy Spirit you, I will calm

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you.
Come play to this place and feel

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the atmosphere.
Your glory, God is.

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Would our hearts love to be
overcome by your presence, Lord.

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It's your presence, Lord.
There's nothing worthwhile that

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will ever come close.
Knows being can compare.

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You're our living hope.
It's your presence, love.

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I've tasted and sing and the
sweetest times where my heart

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becomes free and my shame is all
done.

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Yet in your presence, Holy
Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy

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Spirit, our world come comfort
of this place and through the

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atmosphere your glory.
God is what our hearts alone be

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overcome by your presence, the
Lord Holy Spirit who are welcome

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come forward in this place and
through the end of Spirit, your

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glory.
God is what our hearts alone be

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overcome by your presence to the
Lord.

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It's your presence you want to
be overcome by Jesus,

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overwhelmed by Jesus.
When I speak, calm, you're aware

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of your presence.
Let us experience the glory of

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your goodness.
Let us speak.

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Calm, you're aware of your
presence, Let us experience the

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glory of your goodness.
Let us speak, come more aware of

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your presence.
Let us experience the glory of

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your goodness.
Let us be calm, more aware of

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your presence.
Let us experience the glory of.

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Oh, come here, come fly to this
place and fill the atmosphere.

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Your glory, God is.
Would our hearts love to be

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overcome by your presence, love.
It's your presence, Holy Spirit.

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Holy Spirit, it's your praises.
Let us become more aware of your

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praises.
Let us experience the glory of

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your goodness.
Let us become for way of your

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presence.
Let us experience the glory of

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Your goodness.
Come on, give him some praise.

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Again this morning.
He's so worthy of all our praise

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this morning.
Such a good, good God.

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Well, hey, welcome to Real Life
Church.

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We're so glad you're here with
us on this Thanksgiving weekend.

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And we also have another group
joining us.

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They're online.
Can we give them a hand?

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Just let them know we love them
as well.

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So good.
Well, hey, before you guys take

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a seat, take about 30 seconds,
say hey to somebody around you

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and then you can take a seat.
Music.

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All right, well, you can take a
seat.

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And once again, thank you so
much for being with us this

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morning right here at Real Life
Church.

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Hey, if you are newer with us or
if this is your first time here,

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maybe we are so glad that you're
here with us today.

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Maybe we don't want anything
from you this morning except for

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this, and it's just to introduce
yourself to us.

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We would just love to know who
you are this morning.

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So if you can grab that card
that's on your seat, fill out

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that top information there just
during the gathering anytime,

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and then you can just hold on to
it.

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We'll let you know what to do
with it later in the gathering.

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Hey Real Life Church, we are
church on a mission and man,

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that mission is to see people
who are far from God discover

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their real life and purpose in
Jesus.

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And that looks like a lot of
different things.

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But most importantly, it's to
see the prodigal come home and

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to see the lost be found.
And man, God has been so good to

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us and we see that week in and
week out of people saying yes to

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Jesus, committing their lives to
him and their eternity is

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changed forever.
Man, That is why we exist to see

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people far from God find real
life in him.

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Man, we are continuing our
grateful series this weekend,

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man, just taking some
intentional time to pause and

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slow down in this Thanksgiving
season just to recognize man,

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the goodness of God and how good
he's been in our lives.

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I mean, it is just, is so much
more than just saying thank you

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or having gratitude.
Sometimes it's really living

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from a posture of gratitude and
an overflow of all the good

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things that God has done in our
lives.

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So I'm excited for you to hear
the message today.

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Would you help me join me in
welcoming Diane Petri up to this

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stage?
She's going to give us a word

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today.
Come on, make her feel welcome.

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Man, good morning, real life.
Happy Thanksgiving.

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It is an honor to get to share
with you this morning just what

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God has put on my heart about
gratitude and sorry.

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Sometimes I have a little bit of
hard time getting over the

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worship and then trying to get
my brain turned back on to get

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up here and talk.
But I am just very excited to

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get to talk with you guys today.
So Thanksgiving break 2025, our

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kids, the most special part
about Thanksgiving really is

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getting to get together with
family, right?

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Family and friends connecting
together.

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Our children were off school the
entire week for Thanksgiving.

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And so, you know, they haven't
had more snacks and screen time

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than should be allowable by law.
Probably at this point in their

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week, they are ready to get back
into some routine.

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And when you're on break, every
night is movie night, right?

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So the kids are in a battle of
who gets to pick what movie

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we're going to watch because
they have definitely gotten to

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the age where they cannot agree
on what that should be.

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So one of the nights, Emery
picked a show on Netflix that I

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hadn't seen called Crunch Labs.
And I was like, OK, this is

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different.
Not a movie, but I was like,

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let's check this out.
So Crunch Lab is a show by a

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YouTube influencer named Mark
Rober.

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Raise your hand if you've heard
of him before.

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Just this second.
OK, a few nerds in the house.

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I love it.
Love it.

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I was all along the nerd train
with him now.

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So don't worry, I'm in your I'm
in your camp now.

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But Mark Rober is a YouTube.
He is a former NASA engineer and

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he spends his time now teaching
kids about nerdy engineering

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stuff.
So he's an influencer.

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He's an engineer, which just
became Emory's dream job because

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she didn't know you could put,
like math together with YouTube.

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So her whole mind is blown.
It was awesome.

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She's like, we have to watch the
show.

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So we're watching them do all
these different experiments and

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robotics things and all this
stuff, which I'm like, OK, I can

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get into this kind of screen
time for the kids.

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They're learning.
This is cool.

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Well, we got several episodes in
and there was one that really

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kind of caught my attention.
So there was a kid that Mark had

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heard about who was suffering
with leukemia and he became

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eligible for the Make a Wish
Foundation to get a wish.

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And so when this kid found out
that he was going to get a wish,

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rather than spending it on
something for himself, he

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decided to take his wish and
bless another kid who had the

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same kind of cancer that he knew
with a four Wheeler because he

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found out that this kids four
Wheeler had been stolen.

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And so Mark Rober heard about
this.

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He's like, Oh my gosh, we have
to do something big for this

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kid.
Like, how cool is that?

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You're suffering with cancer.
You have one wish and you're

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going to use that to give that
to bless somebody else.

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That's so cool.
He's like, OK, I'm going to call

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my buddy Mr. Beast.
I'm going to call like this

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whole town in California where
we're going to do this epic

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explosion of a thing and like
get all the people together, all

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these volunteers just really do
this thing a big we're going to

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have an epic surprise.
And they did.

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It was an incredible day.
They had all these volunteers.

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The whole town got together.
It was super cool.

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And of course the, you know,
cherry on top, the bow on the

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present was at the very end.
They roll in the exact same four

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Wheeler that he had given away
to another kid to really say,

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you know what, let's just do
this awesome.

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And it was just really cool.
And I was like, man, I was

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talking to Sean.
I'm like, wouldn't that be the

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life?
Just to wake up every day and be

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like, who are we going to
extravagantly bless today?

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Like that would be so cool.
Just like wake up, like what can

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we do to really, you know, give
somebody this awesome moment,

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this awesome surprise.
It was really cool.

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But what was really interesting
to me about the story is at the

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end of it, they're interviewing
Mark, they're interviewing Mr.

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Beast, all these guys just
talking with them.

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How was the day?
And of course, it was like, man,

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Brody, this kid, he had a cool
day.

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He was so blessed to get all
this stuff.

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But that wasn't really what
anybody said.

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What everybody said, who they
talked to in that moment was

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00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,600
like, you know what?
I feel so blessed that I got to

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be a part of giving back in this
way.

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And I thought it was incredible
because of course, that kid was

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00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:52,760
blessed.
Like he had an awesome day,

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00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,160
right?
But it was so interesting that

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00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,000
everybody there was like, just
to be a part of something like

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00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000
that, being a part of being able
to give back and bless others.

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00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,680
How cool was that, that they
felt like they got the blessing.

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00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:06,440
And I thought that is so
interesting.

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00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,840
The kid felt blessed, but the
volunteers, the team, all the

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00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:14,360
donors, all these people felt
more blessed by the chance to

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00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:16,520
make a difference in this kids
life.

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00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,560
And you know, as much as I would
love to be that life of like I'm

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the extravagant 1 giving away
and most days I'm a lot more

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00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:27,320
like Brody where like because of
God's goodness in my life, I am

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00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:28,840
just getting the blessing from
him.

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00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:33,200
I am blessed to be on measure.
I have nothing to offer to earn

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up to what God has given me.
And it made me think it begs the

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00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:40,480
question if I am so blessed by
God already because I really

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00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,960
truly am.
I've got an unending grace.

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00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,560
I have all this stuff.
Why doesn't the day-to-day of

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00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,520
life feel more grateful?
It's so easy to get caught up in

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00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,440
these things that are hang ups
and like, oh man, that didn't go

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00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,600
my way and that wasn't quite
what I wanted.

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Instead of living this
day-to-day with just the

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00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,040
gratitude of what God has given.
And that question made me think

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00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,000
that this leans perfectly into
our Grateful series today

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00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,760
because it's really Grateful is
not just saying thank you and

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00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,960
living gratefully is not just a
reaction to stuff that happens

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00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,040
or circumstances in your life,
but it's truly a revelation.

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00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:22,120
It's a realization that God has
grace in every corner of my life

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00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,280
and I am just blessed to be
along for the journey of it.

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00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:30,400
And once I can see and recognize
how much God has done for me,

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that is just the beginning of
living grateful.

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00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,400
So I want to jump into the
scripture today.

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00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,560
I'm going to go to Acts 20.
Here we have Jesus spelling out

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00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,160
the recipe for us to say, OK,
where does gratitude come from?

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00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,480
How do we live a blessed life?
How do we live this idea of

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00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,280
grateful?
And so this is Paul.

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00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,160
He's actually saying goodbye to
the Ephesian leaders of the

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00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,240
church there where he had spent
several years planting churches.

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00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,960
And so we're going to go to
verse 35 and it says in

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00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,600
everything I did, this is Paul
talking.

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00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,880
I showed you that by this kind
of hard work we must help the

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00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,440
weak.
Remembering the words the Lord

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00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:13,760
Jesus himself said it is more
blessed to give than to receive.

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00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,200
That sounds really beautiful
until you think about it, right?

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00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,040
Post that up hanging on the wall
in the living room.

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00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:20,560
It's more blessed to give than
receive.

292
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,240
But why on earth would Jesus say
that?

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00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,920
Because I'll be honest with you,
it's pretty good to receive,

294
00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:27,360
right?
Like when somebody's like,

295
00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:29,880
here's a gift, you've been
wanting this all year and Sean

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00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,080
bought it for me.
You know, I like nerdy gifts.

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00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:33,560
So it's like, what should we do
today?

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00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,200
We have a day where the kids are
with grandma.

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00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,920
Like I really want to go to this
Amish store and what, you know,

300
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,040
weird stuff, but yeah, I know I
have got 1 fan in the front row

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00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:44,200
who loves the Amish store too,
but nerdy stuff.

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00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,680
But when somebody really gives
you that blessing that you've

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00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,920
been looking for and praying
for, that is so good.

304
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,000
It's so good to receive and to
get that.

305
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:52,880
But Jesus isn't saying that
here.

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00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,040
And I really think when you're
looking at the context of Paul

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00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,560
sharing this with the Ephesians,
and we hear this line a lot just

308
00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,680
in relation to money, but I
think it's more than that.

309
00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:07,600
I think Jesus is not just
talking about giving of material

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00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,640
things, financial resources that
we have.

311
00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,880
He's talking about a condition
of our soul and a posture of our

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00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,800
heart as we come before the
Lord.

313
00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,200
Of course, it's blessed to
receive to get that help.

314
00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,760
You need that hand up and a hard
time to, you know, have somebody

315
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:27,040
help you out to give money.
But it truly is more blessed to

316
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:28,800
give.
And if you've been in a position

317
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,680
where you've been able to give
that, to give your time to give

318
00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,760
help to someone, to serve
someone to meet a need that they

319
00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,480
had, it truly is more blessed to
give.

320
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:40,720
And I think of it like this,
like you are blessed if someone

321
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,720
gives you $100, but it feels
more blessed to give 10 of it

322
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:45,840
away, right?
See somebody in need, say I can

323
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,760
do something.
Or if you have $100,000, it

324
00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,640
feels more blessed to give
10,000 away to really make a big

325
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:53,200
difference for somebody who has
a need.

326
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:55,760
I also like to think of it, I
tell people when they're joining

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00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,200
the serving team in real life,
you know, it's blessed to get to

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00:27:58,200 --> 00:27:59,720
come to real life and be a part
of it.

329
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:03,440
But when you're jumping into
like serve with our kids to be a

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00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,360
life group leader, you will be
more blessed by the opportunity

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00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:09,480
to get to give back and to pour
into others.

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00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,880
It makes a huge difference.
It's like, you know, you're

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00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,160
blessed to be a part of a, A,
but anybody who's done it can

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00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,960
say you are more blessed to be
an, a, a sponsor, right?

335
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,800
To get to take of your time and
to give back in that way.

336
00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:24,840
Because I think that really what
we're seeing here is there's the

337
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:29,320
the gap between the blessed life
and the more blessed life is

338
00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,680
spelled one way and it's
gratitude.

339
00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,720
It's grateful.
How do we get to that more

340
00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:37,080
blessed life?
So Jesus gives us an example.

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00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,280
Of course, He is so good to do
that to help us know how to

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00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:41,680
live.
And so he gives us a picture.

343
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,200
What does it mean to live
grateful?

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00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:48,000
So we're going to open up to
Luke 17 and camp here for a few

345
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,360
minutes.
Luke 17, we're going to start in

346
00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,280
verse 11.
You've got your Bibles.

347
00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:56,280
Everyone got your Bibles.
Got my Bible.

348
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:57,520
Woo.
Yeah, give a little shout.

349
00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:58,520
Got your Bible.
Awesome.

350
00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,120
We'll camp here in Luke 17 for a
while, so not a ton of flipping.

351
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,000
OK, so starting in verse 11, it
says Now on his way to

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00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,200
Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along
the border between Samaria and

353
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,880
Galilee.
As he was going into a village,

354
00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:16,760
10 men who had leprosy met him.
So leprosy, at the time, this

355
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,400
was a devastating diagnosis to
your social life.

356
00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,720
There was a lot of laws you had
to be outcasted.

357
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:25,400
Leprosy today is a bacterial
condition that affects your

358
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,400
nerves.
Most likely in this time it was

359
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,080
just a highly contagious skin
disease.

360
00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:30,480
It may not be what we know it is
now.

361
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,880
That's me being nerdy for you
again with things as well.

362
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,720
But the the big take away is
they had to stay on the outside

363
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,160
of town.
They couldn't follow Jesus.

364
00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:40,800
They couldn't go in, they
couldn't go to the priest.

365
00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,680
They were unclean, they were
outcast and they had no way of

366
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,360
getting to where they needed to
go to get that healing.

367
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,920
And so it says as we continue,
they stood at a distance and

368
00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:52,960
they called out in a loud voice
because they had to yell from

369
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,400
far away.
Jesus Master have pity on us.

370
00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,280
So literally begging him as he
walked by.

371
00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,400
By this point, we're nearing the
end of Jesus's earthly ministry.

372
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,160
So the word would have gotten
around like, hey, this guy can

373
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,280
heal.
This guy has power, he can do

374
00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,640
miracles.
So I'm sure if they heard Jesus

375
00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,000
was walking through, they were
like, let's be ready.

376
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,480
This could be our shot, you
know, like, let's yell, let's

377
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,160
cry out for help.
And so when he saw them, he

378
00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,560
said, go and show yourself to
the priests.

379
00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:25,560
And as they went, they were
cleansed, all ten of them

380
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,120
healed.
As they were walking, they all

381
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,080
received a gift from God and
they were all hugely blessed.

382
00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:35,480
This would have been a life
changing healing for them, a

383
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,800
huge blessing.
But here's where it gets

384
00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,520
interesting.
In verse 15, it says one of

385
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:46,360
them, when he saw he was healed,
came back praising God in a loud

386
00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:49,440
voice.
He threw himself at Jesus's feet

387
00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,280
and thanked him.
And he was a Samaritan.

388
00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:57,440
And Jesus asked, we're not all
10 cleansed.

389
00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,440
Keep that question in your mind,
'cause that's a heavy 1.

390
00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,240
Where are the other nine?
Has no one returned to give

391
00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,960
praise to God except this
foreigner 'cause let's be

392
00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:12,040
honest, if this implies that the
other nine were Jews, this one

393
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:15,160
Samaritan, who would have been
the least likely one to even be

394
00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:17,560
able to go to the temple, The
least likely one to come to

395
00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,920
Jesus, not even in the right
frame of place to receive the

396
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:25,200
healing, is the one who paused
and said, wow, wow, I was

397
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,880
healed.
I'm going back to say thank you.

398
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,000
And it's can.
So then Jesus said to him in

399
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:36,240
verse 19, rise and go, your
faith has made you well.

400
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,120
And the way of that Greek word,
it's actually your faith has

401
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,400
saved you, which is incredible.
It's all through Luke, every

402
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,280
time somebody has a healing and
their soul gets restored and

403
00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,920
made whole, it's this word like
your faith has saved you.

404
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,680
Your faith has made you well,
it's incredible because I can be

405
00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,280
real honest.
That's a question I don't ever

406
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,720
want Jesus to ask about me.
Like, oh, I have blessed you all

407
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,280
greatly.
Where's the others who didn't

408
00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,240
find the time to come back and
be like, thank you, Lord, for

409
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,960
this miracle, for saving my
life, for changing me.

410
00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:10,640
It's incredible because it's
like, you know, well, weren't

411
00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:14,720
they all cleansed and only this
one return, this one foreigner?

412
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,920
I would have really expected
everybody to come back and at

413
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:18,520
least be like, cool Jesus,
thanks.

414
00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:20,400
You know, thumbs up, bro.
See you at the temple.

415
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,800
But instead it's like, Nope, on
my way, I've got my healing.

416
00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:27,120
Life is good.
And in this picture, we're

417
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:29,320
thinking, what is the more
blessed life?

418
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,720
And of course, all ten of them
were blessed with this healing.

419
00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:37,440
But the one had the more blessed
opportunity to come back and to

420
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,960
give thanks because it's more
blessed to give.

421
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:47,360
One of them didn't just get
healed, one of them became

422
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,240
whole.
And I love that healing of

423
00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:51,480
Jesus.
So if we're going to break this

424
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:53,360
down, what are the four things
that he did?

425
00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,280
What what is kind of this
pattern that Jesus is showing us

426
00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:59,440
of how to have this more blessed
life, this grateful life?

427
00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,120
And so back in verse 15, we can
see all the steps that he did.

428
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,680
And this is a really good recipe
for how to live grateful.

429
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,360
It says one of them when he saw
he was healed.

430
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,920
And the first step is really
this first, we recognize the

431
00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,080
healing we've received.
We take a step back and say, you

432
00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:18,200
know what, Lord?
Oh, what a coincidence.

433
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,840
I had this amount of money show
up on my bank account today that

434
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,600
I needed.
Oh, what a coincidence.

435
00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,120
I ran into that person who can
really help me with this thing.

436
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,280
We have to stop explaining away
the coincidences of our life

437
00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,800
when we need to be giving credit
to God who is orchestrating

438
00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,920
those moments for us, who is
providing for us because He's a

439
00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,040
good father.
And so the first step to having

440
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:43,280
this blessed, this more blessed
life is to say, let me recognize

441
00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,120
I received a gift.
Let me recognize that I'm

442
00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,040
healed.
And then very simply, he came

443
00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,480
back.
So not only did he recognize he

444
00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,360
was healed, because they all did
recognize that they had received

445
00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:58,080
healing, but the second thing he
did was he came back to the

446
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,680
source of the healing.
He actually, in some

447
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,480
translations it says he's turned
back.

448
00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,880
You see him physically turn
around to go back to say, Jesus,

449
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,120
you gave me this gift.
I recognize I've been healed.

450
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:15,000
I have this gift. 3rd it says he
was praising God in a loud voice

451
00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:17,719
and threw himself at Jesus's
feet.

452
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:21,239
So he not only gave God the
credit for the miracle, but he

453
00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:25,480
gave him the praise for coming
to his rescue, for healing him,

454
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:29,800
for bringing him that wholeness
and for saving his soul and last

455
00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:34,400
and he, what does it say?
He thanked him.

456
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,120
He gave thanks.
How appropriate for this week

457
00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,239
that we can give thanks, right?
So he recognized he had received

458
00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:43,480
a gift.
He gave credit to the gift

459
00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:48,000
giver, and then he gave him
praise and thanks as he was

460
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,120
going on his way.
And so I think if you want the

461
00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:54,560
more blessed life, that recipe
is going to serve all of us very

462
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,560
well when we're looking in to
say, how can we get to this

463
00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,480
point of more blessed?
Look at what you've been given.

464
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,720
I have been given so much
blessed beyond measure by God.

465
00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:07,800
There are rooms I should have
never had an audience in their

466
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:09,480
circumstances that have come my
way.

467
00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:12,400
There's financial things that
have just, you know, magically

468
00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:15,680
worked out in a way in my favor
when I've trusted God and

469
00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:17,920
instead of explaining those
things away, I need to give the

470
00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:22,360
credit to God to say, man, you
have blessed me so, so much.

471
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:25,000
Every answered prayer request.
We give thanks.

472
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,640
We give credit to God every time
he gives us things, money,

473
00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,680
stuff, possessions,
opportunities, talents.

474
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:34,800
We for those back to the Lord,
as I'm going to be real honest

475
00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:39,520
today in a sidebar, that we're
all blessed and we might not

476
00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,120
always feel that in the
day-to-day.

477
00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,760
There are seasons when we may
feel more stressed or strained.

478
00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:46,720
A lot of that is based on our
finances and the hard times and

479
00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:50,280
politics and all the stuff.
But if you live here in America,

480
00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,280
you are very blessed.
I can say that as somebody who's

481
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:58,680
traveled across the world, we
are very, very blessed. 80% of

482
00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:00,800
the world lives on about $10 a
day.

483
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,880
In context, a Happy Meal from
McDonald's is about 4 bucks.

484
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:09,640
So if you can buy 2 Happy Meals,
you are more blessed, so to

485
00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,520
speak.
You are blessed beyond 80% of

486
00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:16,040
the world. 50% of the world is
living on less than $3 a day.

487
00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,560
What we would consider like
absolute poverty.

488
00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,280
And so if you look at it kind of
across the board, if you make

489
00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:28,040
$32,500 a year, you're wealthier
than 95% of the world.

490
00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:31,200
We put it in perspective in a
big picture like that.

491
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,480
Like I'm super blessed.
It's really cold outside.

492
00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,080
But today I am going to leave
from here with a big woolly

493
00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,480
coat, walk out to my car that is
climate controlled so I can

494
00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:42,400
comfortably make my way back to
my climate controlled house and

495
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,880
push a button that opens up a
magic door so I can drive my car

496
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,120
into it.
To not have to be, you know, too

497
00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:52,880
affected by the weather around
me to listen to 17 streaming

498
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:54,680
channels to go.
There's nothing to watch.

499
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,200
I've got all these things.
And then to go to my pantry and

500
00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,600
there is nothing to eat in here.
Can you believe leave this

501
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:01,200
place?
I have to actually prepare this

502
00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,280
food and go to my closet.
I have nothing to wear.

503
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,680
It is bursting full of clothes I
don't even have enough hangers

504
00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,720
for.
It's like we are so blessed, but

505
00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:11,960
we let this world tell us
otherwise.

506
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:15,400
We see the things around us and
we get to consume all of these

507
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:19,280
ideas that what we have and what
God has given is not enough.

508
00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,440
We have more convenience, more
comfort, more access, more

509
00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:25,680
opportunity than almost any
generation in the history of the

510
00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:27,480
world.
And yet, when you look at it

511
00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:32,720
deeply, studies show counselors
will tell you we have less joy,

512
00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,120
we have less contentment, we
have less generosity than we

513
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:40,400
have ever had in our country.
And really, we have less

514
00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:45,600
gratitude than ever before.
We are extremely blessed.

515
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,760
So what is that key?
How do we get from blessed to

516
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,280
more blessed?
God has blessed us so much.

517
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,560
Why don't we feel that gratitude
in every day?

518
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,680
And it's been so encouraging
because real life is truly in

519
00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:59,840
kind of an unprecedented season
of generosity.

520
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:03,160
And seeing the faithfulness and
the generosity of so many

521
00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,880
committing to say, I want to be
a part of what God is doing here

522
00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:07,280
through our Difference Maker
initiative.

523
00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:11,040
So many people jumping on the
team to say I want to give back

524
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:12,920
in this season.
I want to serve alongside, I

525
00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:14,600
want to make a difference.
It's been incredible.

526
00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:17,360
Even this last week, we had
several people donate food and

527
00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,480
items that we could go out and
bless some families who are in

528
00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:22,040
need.
It's truly unprecedented

529
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:26,280
generosity, but in the same time
we look across the country to

530
00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:30,200
say, you know, only 5% of
Christians give 80% of those

531
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,360
give less than 2% what they
have.

532
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,240
And the way I boil it down is we
don't really have a blessed

533
00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:37,560
problem.
We have a more blessed problem.

534
00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:39,840
How do we get to our hearts to
that more blessed?

535
00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:42,960
It's not a receiving problem.
We've received so much, but how

536
00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:46,840
can we release and say, God, I
trust you, I want the more

537
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:49,080
blessed life.
So we've got three things for

538
00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:50,320
you.
How do we have the more blessed

539
00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:53,160
life?
First, here's why this is the

540
00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,320
nerdy part.
If you're nerdy in the house,

541
00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:56,680
you're gonna love it.
My friend Scott.

542
00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:57,640
Cool.
Yeah, this is always his

543
00:38:57,640 --> 00:38:59,880
favorite part of when I talk
about stuff because he likes

544
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:03,600
nerdy stuff that I like too.
But there is the study of the

545
00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,360
science of gratitude.
OK, so there are pH DS who have

546
00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,680
spent their entire career
studying gratitude.

547
00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:12,120
How do we get grateful?
One of the leading ones is named

548
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,720
Robert Emmons.
He's a leading gratitude

549
00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:17,280
researcher.
And he concluded over years and

550
00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:20,720
decades of study that gratitude
truly does change our lives.

551
00:39:20,720 --> 00:39:23,480
And it not only changes our
lives, it actually changes our

552
00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:26,320
brains.
So when you have an opportunity

553
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:31,000
to both receive and to give, it
operates two different pathways

554
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,280
kind of in your neural
biochemistry.

555
00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:39,520
It releases both dopamine and
serotonin when you give, which

556
00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,760
is really interesting because in
most cases dopamine is like your

557
00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,480
your gift center.
Like, oh, I ate that candy, it's

558
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:46,840
so good.
Or I scrolled that thing.

559
00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,040
The dopamine like I get
something in my dopamine's like

560
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,040
Hooray.
Like we did it, we got a gift.

561
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:54,120
Serotonin is kind of like your
mood elevator.

562
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,880
So like where am I like happy
sad in the middle, wherever the

563
00:39:56,880 --> 00:39:59,680
serotonin released is pushing up
that like happiness.

564
00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,800
So Hooray, we got a gift and
whoo, our brain is happy like

565
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,200
all connected together because
we gave, which is really

566
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:08,480
interesting when you think about
gratitude in that way.

567
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,680
So it not only affects your
brain, but that affects your

568
00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:14,920
mood, which changes your life,
which it decreases your stress,

569
00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:17,200
it helps you sleep better and
improves your relationships.

570
00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:21,640
It's incredible to see that when
and not only the gratitude side

571
00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:26,480
of it, but those pathways, when
looked at in gratitude, they

572
00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:29,360
found that there was a
connection of those two in

573
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:33,160
gratitude and giving back.
So not only has God hardwired

574
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:36,800
us, that gratefulness improves
our brain, improves our mental

575
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:41,960
health, improves our lives.
Giving does the same thing when

576
00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,880
we take the opportunity to have
the more blessed life to give

577
00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:47,160
back.
God has created our body in such

578
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:49,560
a way that it is a reward system
for us.

579
00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,920
It boosts who we are.
It brings us more joy.

580
00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:56,800
And I think it is awesome when
the body does things.

581
00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:00,640
That and when science finally
figures out things that God has

582
00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,760
already said are true, it's
always kind of reassuring, like,

583
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:05,120
hey, you know what?
Our bodies are actually

584
00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:08,400
confirming that God is kind of
in the business of all the

585
00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:11,920
things he says to do.
What's also interesting is that

586
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:15,760
he found that our brains assign
a higher value to things that we

587
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:17,800
give than things that we
receive.

588
00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,760
Which is why all those people in
that story say, oh man, it was

589
00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:24,440
so much more blessed to give
back to Brody, to give back to

590
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:27,600
this kid rather than just
receiving something on my own.

591
00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,080
The value of that becomes
higher.

592
00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:33,880
And so the secret sauce of the
more blessed life is gratitude.

593
00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,600
Science has finally figured out
what God has already said One

594
00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:43,040
very famous passage that speaks
to the science of gratitude and

595
00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:46,400
the science of how God can
affect our mental health and our

596
00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:50,480
outlook is in Philippians 4.
So Philippians 4-6 and seven

597
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:53,920
very famous verse closely ties
into this.

598
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:57,440
So it says do not be anxious
about anything, but in every

599
00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:01,520
situation by prayer and petition
with what does it say with

600
00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:08,240
Thanksgiving, Present your
request to God and the peace of

601
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:11,000
God, which transcends all
understanding will guard your

602
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:12,720
hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus.

603
00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:16,360
I love that giving thanks brings
peace.

604
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:20,360
When you have anxiety, you offer
to the Lord, you give thanks and

605
00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:24,120
God brings peace.
So there's one other nerdy study

606
00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:27,400
to researchers Wong and Brown.
They did a study on 300 people.

607
00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:30,760
They divided them up into three
different groups, and these were

608
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,480
people who were suffering with
severe depression or anxiety, so

609
00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:37,320
needing clinical treatment, like
very severely down this road.

610
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,520
300 people, they put them in
three groups.

611
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:43,680
The first group they offered
just counseling too, so

612
00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:46,080
counseling every week or
whatever the rhythm was.

613
00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:48,960
The second group, they offered
that counseling, but they also

614
00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:53,080
added in that they would do have
some journaling where they would

615
00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:56,560
process all of the negative
experiences they had to try to

616
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,480
find healing in that.
And the third group they said

617
00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:03,040
once a week, I want you to write
a letter of gratitude to

618
00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:06,040
whomever, to whatever.
Once a week write a letter.

619
00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:08,360
And it's they did this for 12
weeks.

620
00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:11,920
So in context of what I'm
saying, every single one of

621
00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:14,520
these 300 people were blessed.
They all received the

622
00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:16,400
counseling, they all received
services.

623
00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:19,480
But those people who were in the
third bucket who wrote that

624
00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:23,080
letter of gratitude,
interestingly, even if they

625
00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:26,880
didn't deliver it to anybody,
just the process of writing down

626
00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:29,840
what they're grateful for and
expressing gratitude to somebody

627
00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:32,400
else.
They showed a significant

628
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,920
improvement in their mental
health over just 12 weeks of

629
00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:38,600
time, which is incredible
because a lot of times when

630
00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:41,800
you're that deep into severe
depression and anxiety, that is

631
00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:43,200
a rope.
I'm sorry.

632
00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:46,480
It's a road.
It takes time to dig out of that

633
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:48,920
pit.
And it's incredible to see that

634
00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:52,400
every single one of that last
group had significantly better

635
00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,200
mental health than their
counterparts in the study.

636
00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:58,880
The study concluded kind of in
their summary, that gratitude

637
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,400
unshackles us from those toxic
emotions.

638
00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,560
It helps you even if you don't
share it with others.

639
00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,680
Meaning that gratitude is
powerful for you and it's

640
00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:10,360
powerful for your heart and your
mind to receive that.

641
00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:14,120
The benefits they deposit over
time and it leaves lasting

642
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:16,520
effects on your brain chemistry
like we talked about.

643
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:19,560
And so gratitude asks, are you
simply receiving a blessing?

644
00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:23,480
Are you giving a blessing?
Are you just blessed or more

645
00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:25,280
blessed?
And your body, your brain, and

646
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,400
even science have figured out
why God made us.

647
00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,280
He wired us for gratitude.
So that's why Here's a story

648
00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:36,200
about gratitude.
In 2012, I had the opportunity

649
00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:40,160
to spend 5 weeks in rural Ghana
in a hospital as part of a way

650
00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:42,120
to learn more about
international health and some

651
00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:44,600
different diagnosis and things
as part of a training program I

652
00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:47,960
was doing.
And it was a very rural clinic.

653
00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:50,560
It was kind of right on the
border of Burkina Faso.

654
00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:54,400
This hospital actually not a
clinic and people would walk for

655
00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:56,280
days and days to come.
And we would have clinic every

656
00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,400
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, like
a sun up to sundown, like busy

657
00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:02,360
clinic day kind of situation.
And people would walk and it was

658
00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:04,440
first come, first serve.
And so they would come, they

659
00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:07,880
would bring their medical record
on their head and walk over to

660
00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:11,120
the clinic sometimes for miles,
sometimes for days to come and

661
00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:14,720
be seen to get whatever health
ailment they needed taken care

662
00:45:14,720 --> 00:45:15,920
of.
So they would come in first,

663
00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:18,520
come first serve and sit for
hours and hours.

664
00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:21,120
And the clinic of course is very
different than clinic that you

665
00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:23,720
may have been to here.
There was a lot of different

666
00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:26,560
languages, ethnicities, people
because they came from Burkina

667
00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:29,720
Faso, from Togo, from all over
Ghana to come and be seen at the

668
00:45:29,720 --> 00:45:32,200
hospital here.
And so I saw a lot of common

669
00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:35,120
things, pneumonia, eczema, high
blood pressure, those kind of

670
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,160
things are common.
And saw a lot of things that you

671
00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:40,800
would not be familiar with here
of severe malaria, deadly snake

672
00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:42,520
bites.
We didn't have anti venom at the

673
00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:46,600
time, tuberculosis, meningitis.
I even saw a guy with tetanus.

674
00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:49,920
So that's real and it's bad,
just in case you didn't know.

675
00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:53,440
And one day at clinic, we're
nearing the end of the day.

676
00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:55,640
You always knew in the end of
clinic day was coming because

677
00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:58,720
this lovely, lovely man would
come by with a cart and bring

678
00:45:58,720 --> 00:46:01,400
around ice cold bottles of
Coca-Cola.

679
00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:04,520
So, you know, we didn't have
anti venom for snakes, but we

680
00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:08,120
had a Coca-Cola in rural Ghana
and the man would come by and it

681
00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,440
was so hot and bring you the
Coke and you're like, OK, a

682
00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:12,160
couple more hours of clinic, we
can do this.

683
00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:17,040
And as was typical for the day,
this couple sat down and they

684
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,520
handed me their medical records,
which were in English because

685
00:46:19,520 --> 00:46:21,600
that's the language of medical
records in Ghana.

686
00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,960
And they would speak to the
nurse in Manpuri, their language

687
00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:27,480
and kind of express what's going
on while I review the chart.

688
00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:31,920
And they were, the nurse started
to explain to me, well, they are

689
00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,720
coming because last week we
cared for their child who had

690
00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:37,040
severe malaria.
And I was like, oh, thinking

691
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:38,760
maybe they're having similar
symptoms.

692
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:40,000
Maybe they're here for treatment
today.

693
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:43,080
They look all right, you know,
So I was like, well, tell me

694
00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:44,360
more.
What symptoms are they having?

695
00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:47,720
And they talk a little bit more.
And then her face kind of goes

696
00:46:47,720 --> 00:46:50,880
flat and she pauses and she
looks.

697
00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:54,040
She says, well, last week their
child was here in the hospital

698
00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:57,480
and he got cerebral malaria,
which is malaria in your brain

699
00:46:58,320 --> 00:46:59,680
got.
And he passed away.

700
00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:08,800
And in that moment, I'm like,
well, OK, like, wow.

701
00:47:09,240 --> 00:47:13,920
And they had come back, walked
to the clinic, waited in line

702
00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:19,600
all day to come and to say thank
you for caring for my child.

703
00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:24,200
My kid didn't make it, but you
guys did everything you could to

704
00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:28,920
try to help my child.
It was in that moment in my life

705
00:47:29,080 --> 00:47:33,920
to see these parents facing the
worst, most devastating thing

706
00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:38,520
you can face as a parent
expressing their gratitude, to

707
00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:42,320
know this is what gratitude
really is.

708
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:50,760
This is really how you live.
Grateful gratitude turns what

709
00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:53,040
you have in your circumstances
into enough.

710
00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:57,080
Whether that is the highest
mountaintop or the lowest

711
00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:01,280
valley, it's a gratitude for the
Lord that makes it enough.

712
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:06,440
And what these parents knew,
they knew that they had received

713
00:48:06,440 --> 00:48:09,240
care.
They were blessed to have care.

714
00:48:09,240 --> 00:48:12,080
A lot of people in the region
didn't have a hospital to go to.

715
00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:13,520
They wouldn't even have that
opportunity.

716
00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:18,720
But they were more blessed to
come back and to say thank you.

717
00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:23,640
And that's a word for any of us
who've experienced devastating

718
00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:29,960
pain, have experienced loss in a
couple of really famous verses

719
00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:33,040
in First Thessalonians, Paul
talks about this in First

720
00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:36,240
Thessalonians 516 through 18.
These are power packed verses,

721
00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:38,600
but instructions for living a
grateful life.

722
00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:42,520
And really it's this is what
these parents believed in their

723
00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:46,560
deepest darkest valley when
their greatest loss.

724
00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:50,080
It is the moment of opportunity
to experience God's greatest

725
00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:52,320
presence.
Then first Thessalonians it says

726
00:48:52,320 --> 00:48:56,880
rejoice always, pray
continually, give thanks in all

727
00:48:56,880 --> 00:49:00,440
circumstances for this is God's
will for you in Christ Jesus.

728
00:49:01,240 --> 00:49:05,960
What I love about this verse is
the word this refers back to all

729
00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:10,080
three of those things.
This answers the question, what

730
00:49:10,080 --> 00:49:12,000
is God's will for you?
What kind of life does God want

731
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:13,840
you to have?
This kind of life?

732
00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:15,600
He wants you to give praise all
the time.

733
00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:18,280
He wants you to be constantly
connected to Him in prayer, and

734
00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:22,040
He wants you to give thanks in
everything that those parents

735
00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:24,600
taught me, that God's not just
in control of the easy stuff.

736
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,720
He's writing a story.
And in every circumstance where

737
00:49:28,720 --> 00:49:32,080
we find ourselves, we have the
opportunity to give thanks and

738
00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:35,120
to praise God.
Every circumstance delivered to

739
00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:38,520
us here on earth is an
opportunity to know God more

740
00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:40,960
deeply.
It's given to us.

741
00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:43,640
It's kind of like a package sent
to us that we can then return to

742
00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:46,800
cinder the gift and the
gratitude that he's given to us.

743
00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:51,000
So why can we be grateful?
A story about gratitude.

744
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,880
And here's the last piece.
What does the more blessed life

745
00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:56,880
look like?
The top two places that receive

746
00:49:56,880 --> 00:49:59,240
donations are hospitals and
schools.

747
00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:03,520
The reason why is because people
have received something.

748
00:50:03,640 --> 00:50:06,440
They've gotten great care, they
have gotten a teacher who cared

749
00:50:06,440 --> 00:50:08,680
for them, they've learned a lot,
they've perceived, and they want

750
00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:11,600
to give back.
And I think as believers, as

751
00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:14,440
Christians, people following
Jesus, we should be the most

752
00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:18,240
grateful of all people.
Because when you pause and have

753
00:50:18,240 --> 00:50:22,040
that recognition like that one
leopard did, of how much we have

754
00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:24,480
received, we can't help but be
grateful.

755
00:50:24,720 --> 00:50:28,680
We've received the greatest gift
of all from Jesus of

756
00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:31,120
forgiveness, A pardon for our
sin.

757
00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:34,720
Every sin I've ever done, the
ones that I'll do later today,

758
00:50:34,720 --> 00:50:36,760
the ones I'm probably doing
right now and don't know it,

759
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:40,440
every sin from the east to the
West, which means it just keeps

760
00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:41,960
going.
You can't separate things

761
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:46,080
farther than east and West.
It's God who came our

762
00:50:46,080 --> 00:50:49,880
righteousness on the cross.
He no longer counts anything

763
00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:53,000
against us so that we could be
made whole and complete.

764
00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:56,920
He says to us the same thing to
that leper, go your faith has

765
00:50:56,920 --> 00:50:59,120
saved you, your faith has made
you well.

766
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:03,440
We have received so much, and I
believe God is inviting us to

767
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:07,280
the more blessed life, to the
life of gratitude that gives

768
00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:11,600
back to others.
God's inviting us to live the

769
00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:14,760
more blessed life.
So here's how Paul summarizes

770
00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:18,600
this Second Corinthians 9/6
through 11.

771
00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:23,840
It says, remember this, whoever
sows sparingly will also reap

772
00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:27,800
sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap

773
00:51:27,880 --> 00:51:31,680
generously.
I'll pause there because so many

774
00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:34,240
of us are looking for a harvest
that we never planted.

775
00:51:34,960 --> 00:51:38,960
If we're planting bitterness, if
we're planting negativity, if

776
00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:44,240
we're planting just a control or
an unwillingness to let God be

777
00:51:44,240 --> 00:51:48,280
used, I don't know why we expect
joy and gratitude and generosity

778
00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:52,360
to spring up out of the ground.
What we sow is what we'll reap.

779
00:51:53,720 --> 00:51:55,840
Each of you should then give
what you've decided in your

780
00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:59,360
heart to give, not reluctantly.
You're under compulsion, for God

781
00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:01,840
loves a cheerful giver.
But don't miss this next part,

782
00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:07,720
because God is able to bless you
abundantly, so that in all

783
00:52:07,720 --> 00:52:12,200
things, at all times, having all
you need, you will abound in

784
00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:14,760
every good work.
As it's written, they have

785
00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:16,400
freely scattered their gifts to
the poor.

786
00:52:16,400 --> 00:52:17,960
Their righteousness endures
forever.

787
00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:21,520
And now he who supplies the seed
to the sower and bread for food

788
00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:25,160
will also supply and increase
your store of seed and will

789
00:52:25,160 --> 00:52:28,200
enlarge the harvest of your
righteousness.

790
00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:31,960
You'll be enriched in every way.
God's already saying you're

791
00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:35,600
blessed, you have received, you
are enriched in all the things

792
00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:39,720
so that you can be generous on
every occasion.

793
00:52:40,640 --> 00:52:44,760
And through US, your generosity
will result in Thanksgiving to

794
00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:47,920
God.
This is really what generosity

795
00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:51,360
can be, is a ripple effect
because God's already saying,

796
00:52:51,360 --> 00:52:53,360
I've given you so much, you've
been so blessed.

797
00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:57,920
And when we take that blessed
life and we give back to others,

798
00:52:57,920 --> 00:53:01,280
we give our time, we give our
care, we resource, we're there

799
00:53:01,280 --> 00:53:03,600
to walk along somebody in a hard
season.

800
00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:06,680
When we provide that gratitude
back, then all of a sudden that

801
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:11,480
person now has received a
blessing and now they're living

802
00:53:11,480 --> 00:53:14,240
the blessed life with an
opportunity from God to then

803
00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:19,160
move into the more blessed life.
It's incredible to see in the

804
00:53:19,160 --> 00:53:22,200
economy of God how he ripples
out and will take such a small

805
00:53:22,200 --> 00:53:26,200
moment for me that might mean
something to somebody else.

806
00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:29,560
And he uses that.
It says right there that on

807
00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:32,560
every occasion through US, your
generosity will result in

808
00:53:32,560 --> 00:53:34,960
Thanksgiving to God.
And what's most incredible about

809
00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:38,200
this is that when you live the
more blessed life, whether it's

810
00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:41,680
on this side of eternity,
whether it's in heaven, it says

811
00:53:41,680 --> 00:53:44,040
that there's going to be people
in heaven thanking God for you.

812
00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:46,880
They're thanking God for your
generosity.

813
00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:49,280
They will be thanking you for
being a part of our Difference

814
00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:51,760
Maker initiative.
They're going to thank you for

815
00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:55,120
the time that you poured into a
little kid and real life kids

816
00:53:55,120 --> 00:53:58,480
and they grew up to be a person
of faith who made a difference

817
00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:00,480
in their life.
They're going to thank you for

818
00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:03,640
putting a sign in your yard so
someone could drive by and lead

819
00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:06,680
somebody to Jesus.
There's every little thing that

820
00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:13,000
we do that we give back, God can
use, and that's the more blessed

821
00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:16,520
life.
Every piece of what we do, every

822
00:54:16,520 --> 00:54:20,800
way that we can give thanks back
to God, we can give praise, we

823
00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:24,080
can give of ourselves, God is
going to use it.

824
00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:27,960
And the fact that you chose the
more blessed life, you chose,

825
00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:30,480
the eternal return on
investment, you freely

826
00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:34,680
scattered, God gives back to
what He's given to you.

827
00:54:36,440 --> 00:54:39,400
So I want you to picture that
moment in Luke 17 one more time.

828
00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:42,360
close your eyes.
You can see Jesus on a dusty Rd.

829
00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:46,800
He's walking and 10 lepers are
shouting.

830
00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:48,960
They're pleading.
Please Lord, have mercy on us,

831
00:54:48,960 --> 00:54:51,600
heal us, save us.
And Jesus sees them.

832
00:54:51,600 --> 00:54:54,120
He does go and be well, be
whole.

833
00:54:55,160 --> 00:54:59,320
As he continues to walk, just
the one with tears in his eyes

834
00:54:59,840 --> 00:55:05,920
falls to his knees praising God.
Lord, you're so good.

835
00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:09,440
Thank you.
Thank you for making me whole.

836
00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,160
Just the one came back to give
credit.

837
00:55:12,160 --> 00:55:15,600
Just the one gave praise.
Just the one gave thanks.

838
00:55:18,400 --> 00:55:21,640
And it brings us back to those
two questions that I don't think

839
00:55:21,640 --> 00:55:24,320
I want.
And I know I don't ever want

840
00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:26,840
Jesus to ask his first Didn't I
heal you?

841
00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:30,560
And maybe that's you today.
Gratitude's been hard in this

842
00:55:30,560 --> 00:55:34,680
season for whatever reason, but
Jesus is calling today to say,

843
00:55:35,160 --> 00:55:39,320
didn't I make you whole?
Didn't I give you everything

844
00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:43,280
that you have?
Come back to me, turn back,

845
00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:47,800
return to me.
Because I don't want Jesus to

846
00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:50,760
look at my life and wonder where
my gratitude went.

847
00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:55,120
When it says to rejoice always
in everything, give thanks.

848
00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,320
This is the will of God for
Diane's life.

849
00:55:57,320 --> 00:55:59,040
Where's the gratitude?
It's here.

850
00:55:59,440 --> 00:56:02,880
It's here when I recognize what
Jesus is doing or the other

851
00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:05,400
question Jesus asked, where are
the other nine?

852
00:56:05,400 --> 00:56:08,600
It echoes through the centuries
to be one of those nine who said

853
00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:11,600
I've gotten so much from Jesus,
so much healing, so much faith,

854
00:56:12,200 --> 00:56:15,480
but not to return back.
You know, real life's not called

855
00:56:15,480 --> 00:56:18,600
to be A1 leper church.
We're only one out of 10 come

856
00:56:18,600 --> 00:56:21,480
back to give praise.
Only one out of 10 serve.

857
00:56:22,760 --> 00:56:25,920
Only one out of 10 lean in to
make a difference.

858
00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:30,200
We're a more blessed church and
it starts today by recognizing

859
00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:33,080
and every breath that we
breathe, every blessing we

860
00:56:33,080 --> 00:56:35,520
received, every door that's been
opened, it was Jesus.

861
00:56:36,360 --> 00:56:37,920
It's the last question.
I want to leave you this.

862
00:56:37,920 --> 00:56:41,640
It's been on my mind thinking
about these two questions that

863
00:56:41,640 --> 00:56:49,040
Jesus said to the lepers this
What if we've become so content

864
00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:53,880
with the blessed life here on
earth that we're going to miss

865
00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:57,000
the more blessed opportunity
that Jesus has in front of us?

866
00:56:58,320 --> 00:57:03,400
What if we've become so deep
into the blessings of this earth

867
00:57:03,440 --> 00:57:06,920
and the things of this world
that we miss the blesser

868
00:57:06,920 --> 00:57:10,920
altogether?
To say, Lord, I, I know you.

869
00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:14,400
I know you, but I haven't gone
deep with you.

870
00:57:15,040 --> 00:57:19,160
I haven't really known you.
I let you save me from my sins.

871
00:57:19,160 --> 00:57:22,400
But God, I want to know you more
deeply.

872
00:57:22,720 --> 00:57:26,080
I want to be walking in step
with the one who gave the

873
00:57:26,080 --> 00:57:28,880
blessing.
And so I think that today is an

874
00:57:28,880 --> 00:57:30,960
opportunity that we all get to
come back to Jesus.

875
00:57:31,800 --> 00:57:34,680
For some of us, it's just to
walk back, to say, to turn back

876
00:57:34,680 --> 00:57:37,080
and give God the credit for what
he's doing in our lives.

877
00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:39,600
It's incredible.
And maybe for some of you,

878
00:57:39,600 --> 00:57:45,000
you've never taken that first
step to say, Lord, I need to

879
00:57:45,000 --> 00:57:47,040
trust you.
I need to be healed.

880
00:57:47,480 --> 00:57:52,720
I need you to save me.
So let's pray, God, you're the

881
00:57:52,720 --> 00:57:57,400
one who's given us everything,
and now you invite us to respond

882
00:57:57,400 --> 00:58:00,640
to that.
God, I think about a first group

883
00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:03,920
of us that today we've been
living in a way that's not

884
00:58:03,920 --> 00:58:07,040
grateful.
We haven't expressed gratitude

885
00:58:07,040 --> 00:58:09,960
for every season.
God, we haven't rejoiced always.

886
00:58:11,200 --> 00:58:13,960
And God, today I think you're
inviting us to be the one that

887
00:58:13,960 --> 00:58:18,560
comes back to say, come back to
recognize what I've done, to

888
00:58:18,560 --> 00:58:22,920
recognize how much I love you.
When we get an opportunity today

889
00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:26,440
to say, God, I need to spend my
days, my time giving you the

890
00:58:26,440 --> 00:58:30,880
praise and giving you the thanks
that you deserve.

891
00:58:32,480 --> 00:58:35,120
Maybe today is your moment to
come back, just like that one

892
00:58:35,120 --> 00:58:38,160
leper.
If that's you here today and

893
00:58:38,160 --> 00:58:39,840
you're like, you know what?
I need to come back with

894
00:58:39,840 --> 00:58:42,480
gratitude.
I need to come back to the Lord

895
00:58:42,480 --> 00:58:45,400
with a grateful life.
I need to sow seeds of joy and

896
00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:49,000
gratitude and generosity in my
heart so they can rise up in

897
00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:52,000
everything that I do.
I want God to do something in my

898
00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:54,840
life today.
If that's you, I just invite you

899
00:58:54,840 --> 00:58:56,400
to raise your hand.
I'd love to pray for you.

900
00:58:56,520 --> 00:59:00,040
I won't call you out just to say
today, God, I'm turning back to

901
00:59:00,040 --> 00:59:02,920
you with gratitude in my heart,
with thanks.

902
00:59:04,360 --> 00:59:07,960
I want to give it back to you
because I want the more blessed

903
00:59:07,960 --> 00:59:14,280
life today that you look to pray
for you today to say, Lord, we

904
00:59:14,280 --> 00:59:17,920
thank you for this beautiful
picture of your gratitude, of

905
00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:21,360
our gratitude towards you.
God, your grace, I thank you

906
00:59:21,360 --> 00:59:23,680
that we can see your grace in
every pocket of every corner of

907
00:59:23,680 --> 00:59:25,240
our lives.
God, I pray that you open our

908
00:59:25,240 --> 00:59:28,080
eyes to that so we can recognize
you in everything we're doing.

909
00:59:28,080 --> 00:59:31,120
God, that we would lean in and
be people who give you credit

910
00:59:31,560 --> 00:59:34,560
and that we would be people who
give you the praise and the

911
00:59:34,560 --> 00:59:37,120
Thanksgiving you deserve.
God, help us to come back to you

912
00:59:37,120 --> 00:59:40,000
today.
Say, God, I love you and I'm

913
00:59:40,000 --> 00:59:41,760
following you.
I'm walking in step.

914
00:59:41,960 --> 00:59:43,800
You've healed me, you've saved
me, You make me whole.

915
00:59:43,800 --> 00:59:47,720
God, I'm giving it to you with
open hands.

916
00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:50,000
I surrender my life.
I surrender all you've given me

917
00:59:50,000 --> 00:59:53,040
to give back to you with
gratitude and praise.

918
00:59:55,200 --> 00:59:56,880
And there's one more group of
people here today.

919
00:59:57,600 --> 01:00:00,480
So you know what?
I don't know this Jesus.

920
01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:08,160
Maybe I was walking along a path
as a leper outcasted the least

921
01:00:08,160 --> 01:00:11,480
likely.
To be here today.

922
01:00:12,240 --> 01:00:14,880
But there's something about this
Jesus who brings healing,

923
01:00:15,160 --> 01:00:17,720
something about this wholeness
that I need, and something about

924
01:00:17,720 --> 01:00:22,920
having a grateful heart that
stems from a healed soul that I

925
01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:25,680
want a piece of today.
I feel it rising up in my chest.

926
01:00:25,680 --> 01:00:29,000
If that's you, I feel the
goosebumps on my arms to say

927
01:00:29,000 --> 01:00:33,920
today is the day of salvation.
Today is the day that I can turn

928
01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:38,640
back not just from myself, God,
but turn towards you, turn

929
01:00:38,640 --> 01:00:43,040
towards Jesus, the only Son of
the Father who gave himself, who

930
01:00:43,040 --> 01:00:46,920
sacrificed for us to make us
whole, to make us heal, to take

931
01:00:46,920 --> 01:00:49,400
our sins.
If you need to meet that Jesus

932
01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:52,240
today, this is a place that's
safe for you to say.

933
01:00:52,240 --> 01:00:56,600
I want to commit my life to him.
If that's you, I'd ask you to

934
01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:59,120
raise your hand.
I'd love to pray for you if

935
01:00:59,120 --> 01:01:01,920
today you would say, I need this
Jesus.

936
01:01:01,920 --> 01:01:04,320
I need this wholeness.
I need this gratitude in my

937
01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:06,720
heart.
If that's you, raise your hand.

938
01:01:06,720 --> 01:01:10,560
I'd love to pray for you.
And actually, I'd love you to

939
01:01:10,560 --> 01:01:14,080
pray along with me.
It's not the prayer that saves

940
01:01:14,080 --> 01:01:16,000
you, but your heart towards
following God.

941
01:01:16,280 --> 01:01:19,480
You lift up your hand and you'd
say, God, everything I have is

942
01:01:19,480 --> 01:01:21,600
from you.
And today I'm coming back with

943
01:01:21,600 --> 01:01:25,560
things.
I want to restore the gratitude

944
01:01:25,560 --> 01:01:31,480
in my heart by coming to you.
God, today I turn back to you.

945
01:01:33,000 --> 01:01:34,720
You have the forgiveness for my
sins.

946
01:01:34,720 --> 01:01:37,840
You have the victory I need in
my life.

947
01:01:37,840 --> 01:01:40,240
God, your sacrifice has made me
whole.

948
01:01:40,240 --> 01:01:46,600
I trust you and I ask you to
come into my life today in Jesus

949
01:01:46,600 --> 01:01:47,880
name.
Amen.

950
01:01:48,600 --> 01:01:50,920
Hey, let's give it up for
everybody today who has turned

951
01:01:50,920 --> 01:01:58,760
towards Jesus.
Who's grateful today?

952
01:01:58,760 --> 01:02:02,200
Amen.
Sometimes you forget just the

953
01:02:02,200 --> 01:02:06,280
simplicity of the Gospel, how
much Jesus truly loves us and

954
01:02:06,280 --> 01:02:12,160
that foreigner like the least
likely person to get it got it

955
01:02:12,680 --> 01:02:15,360
and did not get distracted with
all the world and came back to

956
01:02:15,360 --> 01:02:16,520
Jesus and remember what
happened.

957
01:02:16,520 --> 01:02:21,200
He got back to Jesus.
It said you are made whole.

958
01:02:22,440 --> 01:02:25,760
Like he's completely restored.
It's questionable if the other

959
01:02:25,760 --> 01:02:28,840
nine are even saved.
That's what blows my mind about

960
01:02:28,840 --> 01:02:30,840
the story.
And then I want to say as a

961
01:02:30,840 --> 01:02:34,400
church, like thank you for your
gratitude, as a leader, as the

962
01:02:34,400 --> 01:02:36,720
pastor of the church, like we
are extremely blessed.

963
01:02:36,720 --> 01:02:39,360
I hope you guys feel blessed
because we're living out a lot

964
01:02:39,360 --> 01:02:40,640
of what Diane just talked about
today.

965
01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:43,400
Like you're returning to the
Lord and following him.

966
01:02:43,400 --> 01:02:44,920
It's just one of the amazing
seasons.

967
01:02:45,200 --> 01:02:47,040
But for some of you guys, you
actually came back to Lord.

968
01:02:47,560 --> 01:02:49,320
Like you recognize what you
already did for you.

969
01:02:49,840 --> 01:02:53,040
Like he has already done the
work on the cross.

970
01:02:53,560 --> 01:02:55,320
And some of you today just put
your faith in Christ.

971
01:02:55,320 --> 01:02:57,920
And I would encourage you guys,
those who called on Jesus to let

972
01:02:57,920 --> 01:03:00,440
us know we don't want you to do
this alone really.

973
01:03:00,440 --> 01:03:02,720
You're really not going to make
it very far to be honest with

974
01:03:02,720 --> 01:03:04,200
you.
I'm going to be praying with you

975
01:03:04,200 --> 01:03:06,600
and encouraging you and building
you up and inviting you to the

976
01:03:06,600 --> 01:03:09,440
family, just cheering you on.
So if you can't just take that

977
01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:10,920
card as that commit life to
Christ.

978
01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:14,240
We truly want to help you every
step of the way to become part

979
01:03:14,240 --> 01:03:16,280
of what God has for you.
Just the purpose and the

980
01:03:16,280 --> 01:03:17,720
direction and knowing your
faith.

981
01:03:17,720 --> 01:03:20,720
And so we'll mail you a book and
there's a Bible on the way out

982
01:03:20,720 --> 01:03:23,920
in the red bag, all that things.
But I'll encourage you guys to

983
01:03:23,920 --> 01:03:25,720
get baptized as well.
There's a lot of people who come

984
01:03:25,720 --> 01:03:28,960
to Christ lately, just God just
moving.

985
01:03:29,160 --> 01:03:32,120
But if you start relation with
Jesus recently or have not been

986
01:03:32,120 --> 01:03:35,720
baptized by no Jesus, if you're
baptized as a child before it

987
01:03:35,720 --> 01:03:38,520
knew Jesus, I would encourage
you to get baptized.

988
01:03:38,520 --> 01:03:41,000
We're baptized in the last son
of the year is December 28th.

989
01:03:41,600 --> 01:03:43,240
We do something very special.
We started this last year.

990
01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:47,360
It's called a end of the year
social and it's a 10:00 only.

991
01:03:47,360 --> 01:03:50,240
We have a whole spread of food.
I don't know if we're doing a

992
01:03:50,240 --> 01:03:52,320
charcuterie or whatever is that
we're doing.

993
01:03:52,320 --> 01:03:53,760
Holly's giving.
Yes, she is OK.

994
01:03:53,800 --> 01:03:58,040
We commit to that right now and
we're going to she's like OK,

995
01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:00,360
what else you guys want me to
say?

996
01:04:01,160 --> 01:04:03,040
We can get it in.
We have table.

997
01:04:03,040 --> 01:04:05,520
It's just a big hangout.
We celebrate just what all guys

998
01:04:05,520 --> 01:04:08,280
doing and we're going to baptize
this year and I'll encourage

999
01:04:08,280 --> 01:04:09,920
you.
This is a great moment because

1000
01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:12,720
baptism is really a picture of
your freedom.

1001
01:04:13,760 --> 01:04:17,680
It's I was dead and now I'm
alive and sometimes you think

1002
01:04:17,680 --> 01:04:19,960
baptism like you're like a good
or bad person.

1003
01:04:19,960 --> 01:04:23,120
Tell me good like you're a check
box Christianity like I'm doing

1004
01:04:23,120 --> 01:04:25,480
all the right things.
Jesus already do the right

1005
01:04:25,480 --> 01:04:26,160
things.
Amen.

1006
01:04:26,840 --> 01:04:28,320
And we are just letting the
world know.

1007
01:04:28,320 --> 01:04:30,320
I'm ashamed of that.
And I would encourage you to

1008
01:04:30,320 --> 01:04:32,080
step in.
You can let us know on the card,

1009
01:04:32,080 --> 01:04:33,320
there's a blue card on the
chair.

1010
01:04:33,320 --> 01:04:36,080
If you're interesting and
baptized, we will help you with

1011
01:04:36,080 --> 01:04:39,800
that as well.
We do an awesome like giant tank

1012
01:04:39,800 --> 01:04:43,160
here and it's just a lot of fun.
But it's really you to step out

1013
01:04:43,160 --> 01:04:46,320
in the faith and it's the first
act of obedience that God asked

1014
01:04:46,320 --> 01:04:47,760
us to do.
And so I'd encourage you guys to

1015
01:04:47,760 --> 01:04:50,440
jump in with that.
And just in this year, like in

1016
01:04:50,440 --> 01:04:52,920
this awesome high note, nothing
greater than celebrating what

1017
01:04:52,920 --> 01:04:54,360
God is already doing in people's
lives.

1018
01:04:54,360 --> 01:04:57,360
Those come to Christ and so I
would say to you guys are newer

1019
01:04:57,360 --> 01:04:59,320
today or new today.
Thanks for being here.

1020
01:04:59,760 --> 01:05:01,640
Hope we love you being here.
I hope you felt welcome.

1021
01:05:01,640 --> 01:05:02,960
Hope you felt the presence of
God.

1022
01:05:03,160 --> 01:05:05,280
I hope you are seeing some
community.

1023
01:05:05,640 --> 01:05:07,400
Just know we love you back next
week.

1024
01:05:07,480 --> 01:05:08,240
Amen.
Real life.

1025
01:05:08,760 --> 01:05:11,080
So give it up for everybody's
new day love know we love them.

1026
01:05:12,280 --> 01:05:15,280
Love me back.
I'll be able to follow God with

1027
01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:17,880
your walk if you can just let us
know that you can today

1028
01:05:17,880 --> 01:05:19,520
introduce yourself.
There's a on the card.

1029
01:05:19,520 --> 01:05:21,720
You can just say I'm new.
Bring it to your booth.

1030
01:05:21,720 --> 01:05:23,080
Love to give you a gift and just
honor you.

1031
01:05:23,080 --> 01:05:25,000
I'll be out there as well.
Love to connect with you If you

1032
01:05:25,000 --> 01:05:27,000
get a chance to meet you yet,
I'll be kind of buried back at

1033
01:05:27,000 --> 01:05:29,560
our soundboard today, which has
been fun.

1034
01:05:29,640 --> 01:05:31,800
Come on somebody if it was too
loud.

1035
01:05:32,600 --> 01:05:37,160
I don't care.
I love you, it's all good.

1036
01:05:37,160 --> 01:05:40,920
I was going to say it.
You know, if you call real life

1037
01:05:40,920 --> 01:05:43,960
home, I would encourage you guys
all new church also commitment

1038
01:05:43,960 --> 01:05:45,200
card.
I would say first of all, thank

1039
01:05:45,200 --> 01:05:48,360
you to all of you who have
committed to our difference

1040
01:05:48,360 --> 01:05:50,600
maker for us to find our first
permanent space.

1041
01:05:50,920 --> 01:05:52,840
It is huge.
It's making a difference.

1042
01:05:52,840 --> 01:05:55,080
I'm really, really excited.
I will let you guys know if you

1043
01:05:55,080 --> 01:05:56,960
missed the last few weeks or
maybe you haven't committed yet

1044
01:05:56,960 --> 01:05:59,080
been praying, thinking or a
little nervous about being what

1045
01:05:59,080 --> 01:06:01,200
should I do?
I would encourage you to be a

1046
01:06:01,200 --> 01:06:02,920
part of what God is doing
because it's going to be a very

1047
01:06:02,920 --> 01:06:05,280
special part of our church and
you're going to look back and

1048
01:06:05,280 --> 01:06:07,840
say I sowed some seeds and I
know a lot of people a little

1049
01:06:07,840 --> 01:06:10,520
nervous to step out.
I would encourage you, it's a

1050
01:06:10,520 --> 01:06:13,200
two year commitment.
So you think over the course of

1051
01:06:13,200 --> 01:06:17,760
104 weeks, right?
You get like, okay, Lord, what

1052
01:06:17,760 --> 01:06:20,120
can I do in 104 weeks?
You know, because you may not

1053
01:06:20,120 --> 01:06:23,440
like I don't have a lot, but
Lord, you bless me throughout

1054
01:06:23,440 --> 01:06:26,200
those seasons and I can not
maybe go to Starbucks or I can

1055
01:06:26,520 --> 01:06:29,360
cut back on going out to eat,
which cost me about $75 every

1056
01:06:29,360 --> 01:06:31,520
time with my family just one
time, right?

1057
01:06:31,520 --> 01:06:34,520
I could be like, OK, it's 75
months or maybe I got I always

1058
01:06:34,520 --> 01:06:37,040
get a tax return, Lord willing.
Come on, praise God, Hallelujah.

1059
01:06:37,160 --> 01:06:39,640
Maybe the part of that I don't
know what it is, but just the

1060
01:06:39,640 --> 01:06:42,240
Lord maybe prompted me like I
got to play part of the story.

1061
01:06:42,680 --> 01:06:44,920
You may feel like you don't have
a lot, but it's not about what

1062
01:06:44,920 --> 01:06:46,080
you have.
It's what what you do what you

1063
01:06:46,080 --> 01:06:47,880
have.
It's just about honor the Lord.

1064
01:06:47,880 --> 01:06:49,760
Amen.
It's not about writing a big

1065
01:06:49,760 --> 01:06:52,040
check.
I mean, it's literally about

1066
01:06:52,040 --> 01:06:55,120
like Lauren, be faithful to you
and play part of the story.

1067
01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:57,760
And I would say there there's
room for a church to step into

1068
01:06:57,760 --> 01:07:00,440
that a lot of you have, but
there's a lot of us that haven't

1069
01:07:00,840 --> 01:07:02,440
that encourage you.
If you haven't done that, just a

1070
01:07:02,440 --> 01:07:03,960
step.
It doesn't have to like you're

1071
01:07:03,960 --> 01:07:06,320
not have to impress anybody.
Don't have to press yourself.

1072
01:07:06,880 --> 01:07:08,760
Amen.
You just have to say, Lord, what

1073
01:07:08,760 --> 01:07:11,160
would it take for me to be
faithful to this?

1074
01:07:11,160 --> 01:07:14,160
And it just may be a small step
and just makes a big difference.

1075
01:07:14,160 --> 01:07:16,240
It takes all of us to play a
part of story and be honest with

1076
01:07:16,240 --> 01:07:17,680
you.
I'm already kind of like real

1077
01:07:17,680 --> 01:07:20,840
deal of mind of places.
I'm actually, I shouldn't tell

1078
01:07:20,840 --> 01:07:23,680
you this, but I'm skip tracing
some dude this week to find out

1079
01:07:23,680 --> 01:07:26,600
who owns this thing.
So you can be like, hey man, I'm

1080
01:07:26,600 --> 01:07:29,240
just curious.
That's going down this week, you

1081
01:07:29,240 --> 01:07:32,400
know, and you may just be like,
no, it's not for sale.

1082
01:07:32,400 --> 01:07:34,240
Or may say maybe it is.
I don't you never know.

1083
01:07:34,240 --> 01:07:36,280
Amen.
So I'm like, you might miss out.

1084
01:07:36,280 --> 01:07:37,480
Like if you're like, man, we get
somewhere.

1085
01:07:37,480 --> 01:07:39,080
You're like, man, I wish we'd
just done something, you know,

1086
01:07:39,080 --> 01:07:41,200
like play part of the story.
And some of us has means and

1087
01:07:41,200 --> 01:07:44,640
abilities that just right there
we could do something.

1088
01:07:44,640 --> 01:07:46,520
Some of us like, I don't know, I
have to kind of like cut back a

1089
01:07:46,520 --> 01:07:47,480
little bit.
I can do it.

1090
01:07:47,760 --> 01:07:50,120
I'd encourage you, please make
generosity a part of your

1091
01:07:50,120 --> 01:07:53,360
worship.
Like that one leper, like Diane

1092
01:07:53,360 --> 01:07:54,800
talked about it.
It would be, it would be just

1093
01:07:54,800 --> 01:07:58,800
sad to meet Jesus and Jesus say,
where are the others?

1094
01:07:59,760 --> 01:08:02,120
Where is the other nine?
Like that's such a great point.

1095
01:08:02,800 --> 01:08:04,920
Like why didn't they come back?
That was the first thing Jesus

1096
01:08:04,920 --> 01:08:06,840
said did not heal all of you
guys.

1097
01:08:07,400 --> 01:08:08,920
Like we can play part of the
story.

1098
01:08:09,560 --> 01:08:12,080
It's not just generosity, but
generosity's worship and play

1099
01:08:12,080 --> 01:08:14,040
part of the story.
So on the 14th, we're going to

1100
01:08:14,040 --> 01:08:17,640
celebrate big.
So in two Sundays we are going

1101
01:08:17,640 --> 01:08:21,439
to reveal like what God has done
through our people and how much

1102
01:08:21,439 --> 01:08:22,880
people are committed to this
project.

1103
01:08:23,120 --> 01:08:25,520
We're going to tell stories.
There's so many amazing stories

1104
01:08:25,520 --> 01:08:29,920
already to share of teenagers
that have ridden thousands of

1105
01:08:29,920 --> 01:08:35,439
dollars on cards to adults, the
single moms, new givers, people

1106
01:08:35,439 --> 01:08:38,760
who barely been coming here for
a week and 1/2 or two or two

1107
01:08:38,760 --> 01:08:41,160
weeks and have committed.
There's so many just amazing

1108
01:08:41,160 --> 01:08:42,720
stories.
People have been faithful with

1109
01:08:42,720 --> 01:08:44,920
the just being here the whole
time and saying, I'm going to

1110
01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:46,880
step in people just going a
little further.

1111
01:08:47,160 --> 01:08:49,359
I mean, just a step of faith and
it so we're just some of those

1112
01:08:49,359 --> 01:08:51,479
stories.
Amen and say, what can God do

1113
01:08:51,479 --> 01:08:53,560
together?
So the 14th is our kind of our

1114
01:08:53,560 --> 01:08:55,000
day.
Like we're trying to kick this

1115
01:08:55,000 --> 01:08:56,760
thing off.
Well, right, like maybe I've

1116
01:08:56,760 --> 01:09:00,080
stored resources.
Maybe it's like this is our best

1117
01:09:00,080 --> 01:09:04,439
one time gift kind of Sunday
just to kind of kick off this

1118
01:09:04,439 --> 01:09:07,200
whole difference maker in a big
way and just see what the Lord

1119
01:09:07,200 --> 01:09:08,439
can do.
So I'd encourage just to be

1120
01:09:08,439 --> 01:09:10,040
praying about that.
We're really excited about it.

1121
01:09:10,800 --> 01:09:12,560
I'll say thank you.
I'm very grateful.

1122
01:09:12,760 --> 01:09:15,479
I've been probably avoiding the
season of a building initiative

1123
01:09:15,479 --> 01:09:19,560
for a long time because I've
been like, ow scary, right?

1124
01:09:20,120 --> 01:09:23,120
But it's also like, Lord, we, we
cannot stay here forever.

1125
01:09:23,720 --> 01:09:27,240
Like we're blowing air
conditioning on us today in this

1126
01:09:27,240 --> 01:09:33,680
building.
I'm wearing a vest.

1127
01:09:35,000 --> 01:09:37,760
This is my first time wearing
this vest and by God's grace may

1128
01:09:37,760 --> 01:09:40,359
be the last.
David, I'm just saying.

1129
01:09:40,600 --> 01:09:42,160
But anyway, I would encourage
you guys to be faithful.

1130
01:09:42,160 --> 01:09:44,120
Lord's giving you.
We'll be collecting off here in

1131
01:09:44,120 --> 01:09:45,160
a minute.
You can see all the ways to

1132
01:09:45,160 --> 01:09:46,560
give.
We do stocks and stuff.

1133
01:09:46,560 --> 01:09:48,479
You're thinking about your end.
I will encourage you.

1134
01:09:48,479 --> 01:09:50,240
You don't have to give on the
difference maker like

1135
01:09:50,240 --> 01:09:53,000
consistently every week.
Like I had some people I've

1136
01:09:53,000 --> 01:09:54,240
talked to.
It's like, man, I can't do it

1137
01:09:54,240 --> 01:09:55,880
all the week.
If it's sporadic income over the

1138
01:09:55,880 --> 01:09:59,080
next two years, you kind of take
a gander what that is and just

1139
01:09:59,080 --> 01:10:01,280
give it as you can.
A lot of minds can be pretty

1140
01:10:01,280 --> 01:10:03,920
sporadic, Amen.
Like you think I'm putting out

1141
01:10:03,920 --> 01:10:05,920
$100,000, just my number and
give it a weekly.

1142
01:10:06,080 --> 01:10:09,920
You're out of your mind, Amen.
You don't get too excited next

1143
01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:11,720
week when the number doesn't
change because I'm working on

1144
01:10:11,720 --> 01:10:14,520
it, you know, but just play part
of the story.

1145
01:10:14,880 --> 01:10:17,240
And if you need help in this
season, because I know that a

1146
01:10:17,240 --> 01:10:20,000
lot of us are struggling, it's
just holidays, bills that you

1147
01:10:20,000 --> 01:10:24,160
know, the the great real estate
taxes, all the things, right?

1148
01:10:24,160 --> 01:10:27,400
Property taxes just reach in the
bucket, take out loose cash for

1149
01:10:27,400 --> 01:10:28,960
you and your family.
Just get help.

1150
01:10:28,960 --> 01:10:31,080
If you need something more than
that, come find me.

1151
01:10:31,080 --> 01:10:32,360
Come find Holly, come find our
team.

1152
01:10:32,640 --> 01:10:34,480
We'd love to help you and work
with you behind the scenes.

1153
01:10:34,480 --> 01:10:37,200
So if I come before you, just
blessed today, God bless our

1154
01:10:37,200 --> 01:10:39,880
church.
God, we are grateful for what

1155
01:10:39,880 --> 01:10:41,640
you've done for us.
God, we just come back to you

1156
01:10:42,040 --> 01:10:44,600
and just give thanks.
And God, you bring wholeness to

1157
01:10:44,600 --> 01:10:46,120
us.
So God, we leave here whole.

1158
01:10:46,440 --> 01:10:49,160
We leave here complete.
We leave here forgiven.

1159
01:10:49,200 --> 01:10:51,520
We live.
We leave here on mission with

1160
01:10:51,520 --> 01:10:54,840
that joy that Diane talked about
that is so much better and

1161
01:10:54,840 --> 01:10:57,360
receiving but to give God.
So we give our lives back to you

1162
01:10:57,360 --> 01:10:58,760
God.
We are the New Testament

1163
01:10:58,760 --> 01:11:01,160
sacrifice God, we lay ourselves
down for you.

1164
01:11:01,160 --> 01:11:02,520
So God we give you praise with
your glory.

1165
01:11:02,760 --> 01:11:06,400
God bless the church, pray Jesus
name, everybody said Amen.

1166
01:11:07,320 --> 01:11:10,320
Man, well, man, what a blessed
day in the House of God this

1167
01:11:10,320 --> 01:11:11,800
morning.
And hey, before you guys go, I

1168
01:11:11,800 --> 01:11:14,000
just want to put a couple things
on your radar real quick.

1169
01:11:14,000 --> 01:11:17,400
The first one is this, man, we
would love for you to celebrate

1170
01:11:17,400 --> 01:11:19,200
Christmas at Real Life Church
with us.

1171
01:11:19,200 --> 01:11:21,560
We're going to have two
identical gatherings on

1172
01:11:21,560 --> 01:11:25,640
Christmas Eve on the 24th right
here at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

1173
01:11:25,640 --> 01:11:27,320
So invite out your family and
friends.

1174
01:11:27,520 --> 01:11:30,120
It's going to be a beautiful
time together.

1175
01:11:30,400 --> 01:11:33,400
And the next one is this.
We're starting a new series next

1176
01:11:33,400 --> 01:11:36,920
week called Here I am to worship
and we're really going to dive

1177
01:11:36,920 --> 01:11:40,520
in just the power of personal
worship and really what it looks

1178
01:11:40,520 --> 01:11:44,960
like when we draw near to God
really with our whole heart.

1179
01:11:45,240 --> 01:11:48,080
And as you leave this week, I
want to read the scripture over

1180
01:11:48,080 --> 01:11:50,000
you.
And just like Diane had

1181
01:11:50,000 --> 01:11:53,600
mentioned, the one leper man who
remembered and returned to give

1182
01:11:53,600 --> 01:11:57,800
thanks to Jesus, may we be
people this week that can pause

1183
01:11:57,800 --> 01:12:01,320
and reflect and remember all the
good things that God has done

1184
01:12:01,320 --> 01:12:03,400
for us in return to give him
thanks.

1185
01:12:03,600 --> 01:12:06,280
So let's check out these verses.
The first one, Psalm one, O 3,

1186
01:12:06,280 --> 01:12:10,480
two through 4, praise the Lord
my soul, and forget not all his

1187
01:12:10,480 --> 01:12:12,760
benefits.
Who forgives all your sins and

1188
01:12:12,760 --> 01:12:16,400
heals all your diseases?
Who redeems your life from the

1189
01:12:16,400 --> 01:12:19,080
pit?
And then Psalm 107, one through

1190
01:12:19,080 --> 01:12:22,640
2, give thanks to the Lord, for
he is good man.

1191
01:12:22,640 --> 01:12:27,600
His love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord

1192
01:12:27,600 --> 01:12:30,880
tell their story.
Amen.

1193
01:12:30,880 --> 01:12:33,040
Well, hey, if you or your family
need prayer this morning,

1194
01:12:33,040 --> 01:12:35,400
there'll be somebody up here at
the front of the stage love to

1195
01:12:35,400 --> 01:12:37,320
pray with you and for you this
week.

1196
01:12:37,320 --> 01:12:41,000
We'd love to see you back next
week right here at 9:00 and

1197
01:12:41,000 --> 01:12:43,200
10:45.
And remember, whoever finds

1198
01:12:43,280 --> 01:12:46,720
Jesus discovers real life and
purpose.

1199
01:12:46,720 --> 01:12:53,320
Have a good week y'all.
This is the end of this podcast.

1200
01:12:53,320 --> 01:12:55,960
We hope you've enjoyed it.
If you have, be sure to hit the

1201
01:12:55,960 --> 01:12:58,400
subscribe button so you don't
miss another inspirational

1202
01:12:58,400 --> 01:13:00,400
podcast.
For more great content and

1203
01:13:00,400 --> 01:13:02,880
updates, visit Real Life Church
KC dot.

1204
01:13:02,880 --> 01:13:03,280
Com.