1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,280 And this morning I want to share my story with you of how God called me as a little 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:14,240 kid to not only believe in Him but to also enter into the gospel ministry. 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:20,000 I want to read the scriptural reading for today and then we have a prayer and we'll 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,360 jump right in. 5 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:28,920 2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 6 and 7, I consider those verses my life scripture. 6 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:35,240 They were given to me by a gentleman many years ago and since then I have read them. 7 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,280 They've been a source of encouragement and strength and I like what Paul is saying to 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:41,280 young Timothy. 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:46,240 At one time I was young but now I'm old and it meant a lot back in those days and it still 10 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:47,240 does. 11 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:54,380 It says, for this reason I remind you to fan into flame, to fan into flame, to make an 12 00:00:54,380 --> 00:01:02,120 effort to tap into that energy, that power that God has given us, the gift of God which 13 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,320 is in you through the laying on of my hands. 14 00:01:05,320 --> 00:01:09,600 If God has saved you, He has laid His hands on you. 15 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,520 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity. 16 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:19,280 There's nothing to be ashamed of when it comes down to the gospel but a spirit of power, 17 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,120 a spirit of love and a spirit of self-discipline. 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:28,680 I like the fact that the word love is in there because the gospel message is a gospel of 19 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:35,720 love, love to God, love to one another and of self-discipline. 20 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,520 That is my life scripture and with that let's just bow our heads for prayer. 21 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:49,760 Father, as we delve into my story, my history, I pray Lord that something that I share today 22 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,720 might stir, might fan into flames. 23 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,040 What you've done in each and every one of our hearts and maybe there may be someone 24 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:02,520 here who is just on the fence not really decided whether they want to give their heart fully 25 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:03,520 to you or not. 26 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:09,240 I just pray that you will just use this time, use me to be a conduit through which you speak 27 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,720 today in Jesus' name. 28 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,160 Amen. 29 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,480 I was seven years old when I sensed God's calling on my life. 30 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,160 I was a strange kid growing up. 31 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:28,600 I was a kid who I respected mom and dad but I knew that there was someone that was greater 32 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,720 and more powerful than mom and dad and that was God who was always kind of looking in 33 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,200 on whatever the situation might be. 34 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:43,280 So because of this awareness of this greater being, God himself, I was very cautious in 35 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:44,280 how I lived. 36 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:45,400 I wanted to live right. 37 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:51,840 I wanted to do the right things and I wanted to encourage others to do the same. 38 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:58,360 I didn't grow up a Seventh-day Adventist but I did grow up in a moderately religious home. 39 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:05,000 Many of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were members, former members of the 40 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,920 United Methodist Church and that's the church I grew up in. 41 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,020 One of the first churches I was a member of was the Ladd Street United Methodist Church 42 00:03:13,020 --> 00:03:15,200 in Atlanta, Georgia. 43 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,040 Small church but a loving church. 44 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:23,280 I remember every Sunday morning there would be this one little old lady, a little pleasant 45 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:31,200 lady, elderly lady who wore these old fashioned cat frame glasses, the cat-eye glasses. 46 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,620 She would bang on the piano every Sunday morning. 47 00:03:34,620 --> 00:03:40,480 Her name was Miss Morton, one of the sweetest Christians that I have ever known. 48 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:45,160 Miss Morton would look at me dressed up in my little suit and she would say, he's going 49 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,360 to grow up and become a little preacher one day. 50 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:56,560 I don't know about being little but she seemed to have been a little prophetess when she 51 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,040 spoke those words. 52 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:07,320 And so at seven I sensed God's calling on my life but as I grew older I chose to run 53 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,560 from that calling. 54 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,760 I didn't want to go to church anymore. 55 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,880 I didn't like the people in the church because we had transitioned to a different church 56 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,640 and the people were not as loving. 57 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:24,240 And so I was trying to do everything I could to get out of going to church on Sunday morning. 58 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,160 And so I found a part-time job that got me out of going to church. 59 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,640 I began as I grew older and older I began to experiment with some of the vices that young 60 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:39,880 people were attracted to back in those days, alcohol, tobacco, and relationships. 61 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:47,640 I moved further away from God as I found myself like Jonah just running away from the things 62 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:52,520 that were of religious interest. 63 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:58,720 And so after high school I joined the Marine Corps and it was during my years in the Marine 64 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:05,920 Corps that I plunged headlong into a life of drinking and partying and night clubbing 65 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,320 and trying to impress others. 66 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:15,640 I mean just a lot of vanity and vain things doing things that I thought I'd never do because 67 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,440 these were the things that folk were telling me if you want to really live life this is 68 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:20,440 what you do. 69 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,160 This is the highlight. 70 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:28,520 So I was out there just really fully engaged in those type things. 71 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:36,200 But after three years of living it hard my life was at an all-time low. 72 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:44,400 You know the media today portrays people drinking ruthlessly, partying hard, but what the media 73 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:52,160 rarely shows is the other side, the consequences of living such a lifestyle. 74 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:57,760 Anyone who has ever experienced it will tell you that it ain't all, it ain't what people 75 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,160 claim it to be. 76 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:05,920 That's why many people who are involved in that lifestyle end up depressed, feeling empty, 77 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,160 and unfulfilled. 78 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:14,680 There is a price to pay for that type of lifestyle. 79 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,960 Although I was hanging out with people I was still lonely. 80 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:26,080 And no matter how much I partied people in loud music could not remove that loneliness. 81 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:33,760 Though I had nice things, I had a beautiful sporty car, I had nice clothing, I had what 82 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:42,400 we call bling, I had a lot of gold and silver that I used to sport, but I was still unfulfilled. 83 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:48,880 Though I had female friends I did not have companionship. 84 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:56,040 I was full of guilt and I felt like my life was headed down a dead-end road and I figured 85 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:03,600 that if this is all that life had to offer then life wasn't worth living. 86 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:10,200 Waking up with the hangovers and the headaches and the regrets and the disappointments, instead 87 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:17,440 of facing those things all the time, death was a welcome alternative. 88 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:25,360 But church family what I didn't realize was that through the pain God was drawing me closer 89 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,360 to himself. 90 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,100 Because he had something better to offer. 91 00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:35,240 He actually had something priceless to offer me. 92 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:43,800 He was preparing to rekindle the flame, the calling that he had upon my life. 93 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,920 It was 6 a.m. 94 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,720 Easter morning. 95 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,640 I'm gonna give you the year, Lord have mercy. 96 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,400 The year gets longer and further away, 1982. 97 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,220 Wow, that was a long time ago. 98 00:08:00,220 --> 00:08:05,680 I had been asleep in the Marine barracks for two hours. 99 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:11,580 One of my buddies who had not gone out that night before partying came pounding on my 100 00:08:11,580 --> 00:08:16,640 door, screaming and hollering, Victor, Victor, get up. 101 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,040 I had a dream about you. 102 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,040 And I'm just dragging and waking up and saying, man, you know I don't roll that way. 103 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:23,200 Why are you dreaming about me? 104 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:31,840 He said, no, I had a dream that you and I died and we both went to hell. 105 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:38,800 The hangover miraculously disappeared and I wanted to hear more. 106 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:43,440 The dream didn't have much detail outside the point that we died. 107 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:51,820 But the real knocker was this whole idea of spending an eternity with Satan. 108 00:08:51,820 --> 00:08:54,080 Because I was terrified. 109 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,240 I was terrified as he's telling me this dream. 110 00:08:56,240 --> 00:09:02,360 And I asked myself, well, what do we need to do to appease God? 111 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:03,360 And his name was David. 112 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:08,900 He says, I don't know what to do, but one thing I'm gonna do is I'm going to church 113 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:11,480 as soon as I get dressed. 114 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,680 And I said, well, I'm gonna find a place to go to. 115 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:22,680 But as soon as David Errol left my room, I said to myself, I ain't going no church. 116 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:26,320 And I laid down trying to go back to sleep. 117 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,380 But I couldn't go back to sleep because the thought of roasting for eternity with little 118 00:09:30,380 --> 00:09:33,800 demons torturing me would not let me sleep. 119 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,200 And of course, back then, that's what I used to believe. 120 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:41,120 And I didn't know the truth about the state of the dead, that there's no such thing. 121 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,400 But that frightened me. 122 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:49,120 And so in an effort to, again, appease God, I decided to... 123 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:55,800 Since I wasn't going to a church, I decided I'm gonna try to read my Bible. 124 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:57,200 I did have a Bible. 125 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:02,760 For me, the Bible, the Holy Word of God was kind of like a talisman that you keep on your 126 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:07,080 nightstand just to keep the demons away. 127 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:08,920 That was the purpose of the Bible. 128 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:10,760 But I never read the Bible. 129 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:19,120 But that Easter morning, since it was Easter, I decided that I wanna read about the crucifixion. 130 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,440 And so I didn't know anything about the layout of the Bible. 131 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,800 I mean, I'm telling you the truth. 132 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,600 I had never read the Bible. 133 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:35,160 But that morning, that Easter morning in those Marine Corps barracks, God had a one-on-one 134 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,000 Bible study. 135 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:44,960 The Holy Spirit taught me something, and I discovered a most intriguing truth. 136 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:51,720 I discovered the truth about the seventh-day Sabbath on that Easter morning. 137 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:56,880 And the reason why I even had any inkling or knowledge of the seventh-day Sabbath, it 138 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:03,760 came from earlier encounters with two of the most overzealous Bible thumpers I had ever 139 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:04,760 met. 140 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:10,760 You see, my mom and my sister, both of my sisters, but when I would go home, it was 141 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:15,000 my mom and my youngest sister, because my oldest sister had moved her own place. 142 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,940 They had been at Venice for two years. 143 00:11:17,940 --> 00:11:23,540 And whenever I came home on leave, they would try to convert me. 144 00:11:23,540 --> 00:11:29,280 And so here I am running around the house, trying to get dressed, trying to get ready 145 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:33,280 so that I could go out and party on the town with one of my friends who were coming over 146 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,320 to pick me up. 147 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:43,800 They would follow me all around the house, hounding me with what they called the truth. 148 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:44,800 The truth. 149 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:45,800 This is the truth. 150 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:46,800 You need to know the truth. 151 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,680 I said, so what is the truth? 152 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:55,600 They said, for one thing, the body is the temple of God. 153 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,320 Your body is the temple of God. 154 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:05,320 And smoking and drinking will destroy the temple of God, and God doesn't like that. 155 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:10,520 And I'm thinking to myself, well, there are going to be some brain cell casualties tonight 156 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,280 because I'm going out to party. 157 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:21,240 They also said that Friday night was the start of the Lord's holy Sabbath, and that partying 158 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,480 was of the devil. 159 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,880 And I responded, good. 160 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:31,360 I'll enjoy celebrating the Sabbath. 161 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,320 And so that's as far as they could get with me because I wasn't hearing it. 162 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,980 I was trying to get out and have a good time. 163 00:12:37,980 --> 00:12:43,420 My friend would pull into the driveway, not come running out, being chased by these holy 164 00:12:43,420 --> 00:12:44,420 pit bulls. 165 00:12:44,420 --> 00:12:45,480 I mean, they wouldn't let up. 166 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:50,360 They would go all the way to the car, quoting Bible quotes while I'm getting in the car 167 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,800 and rolling up the window so that we could leave. 168 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,800 Those are my Bible thumpers. 169 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:04,040 But on that Easter morning, I read about the Sabbath for myself. 170 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,720 I read Matthew chapter 28 verse 1. 171 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,480 Now remember, I didn't know anything about the Bible. 172 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:14,240 I looked in the back of the Bible to this thing that said concordance, and that's where 173 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:19,440 my journey, my introduction to reading the Bible, studying the Bible began. 174 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:26,800 So Matthew 28, 1 said, now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day 175 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,880 of the week, Mary Magdalene and Elder Mary came to look at the grave. 176 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:36,280 I always knew that Easter took place on what day of the week? 177 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:37,360 On a Sunday. 178 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,960 So I knew that the first day was Sunday. 179 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:42,160 Easter was on Sunday. 180 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:47,040 So this day called Sabbath must be Saturday. 181 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:53,080 Mark chapter 1542, when evening had already come because it was the preparation day, that 182 00:13:53,080 --> 00:14:02,440 is the day before the Sabbath, I knew that Friday before Easter was called Good Friday. 183 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:12,040 And so that day after Good Friday Sabbath, well, Sabbath again is on a Saturday. 184 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:17,960 And then Mark 16, 1 and 2, when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother 185 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:23,160 James and Salome brought spices so that they might come and anoint him very early on the 186 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:24,280 first day of the week. 187 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,360 They came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 188 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:34,080 All of these things, as I read these things for myself, things began to make sense. 189 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:39,880 I began to understand what my Bible thumping relatives were trying to tell me as I read 190 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,440 it for myself. 191 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,200 What they were saying is true. 192 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:51,000 The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord that God. 193 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:56,640 It is so important that as we're sharing the truth with other people that we invite them 194 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:06,120 to read these words for themselves because the word of God is living and it is active 195 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:13,320 and it is sharper than any two edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul 196 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:20,880 and spirit of both joint and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the 197 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:22,600 heart. 198 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,240 And I read it for myself. 199 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:29,240 And that morning I decided to keep the Sabbath. 200 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:35,560 But only until I could prove from the Bible that the Sabbath had been changed from Saturday 201 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,520 to Sunday. 202 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:42,520 And you know how that all turned out, right? 203 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:48,160 Because the more I read the Bible, the more I became convicted of the seventh day Sabbath 204 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,480 and other important biblical truths. 205 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:55,520 And so after that time I had not yet learned how to properly keep the Sabbath. 206 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,640 So I decided I'm going to make my own rules for Sabbath keeping. 207 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:07,480 These were my rules back in my introduction to Christianity as a seventh day of Venice, 208 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:08,480 becoming a seventh day of Venice. 209 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,880 So I decided I'm going to do things that I like to do and not do things that I didn't 210 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:12,880 like to do. 211 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,960 So instead of ironing my uniforms, I didn't do that. 212 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:18,360 But I enjoyed watching and waxing my car. 213 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,280 So that's what I would do. 214 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,040 I also decided that since I don't watch TV during the week, I'm going to watch TV on 215 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,040 that day. 216 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,280 And so I'm watching TV. 217 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:28,520 I'm waxing cars. 218 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:33,520 I'm drinking cool drinks while I'm working on my cars and whatever else was pleasing 219 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:34,520 to me. 220 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:42,120 And yes, I was still breaking the Sabbath, but God knew how to use that too. 221 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:47,320 And so one Sabbath afternoon after I finished washing the car and waxing it, I decided to 222 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,560 go in and watch TV. 223 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:56,400 And while I was watching something interesting happen, in those days, remote control technology 224 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,400 was very expensive. 225 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,520 And so most common folk didn't have remote control. 226 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:05,120 The only remote control that we had in my house was my dad calling me to come change 227 00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:06,120 the channel. 228 00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:08,080 That was as good as it got. 229 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:13,600 But as I walked over to the TV and it had these knobs on it that you turn. 230 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:15,240 Many of you remember those things, don't you? 231 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,320 You had to click the thing. 232 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:21,320 And in between the channels, because you had like anywhere between three to seven channels 233 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:26,340 back in the day, you click it to make this little static noise. 234 00:17:26,340 --> 00:17:32,280 And I'm changing this TV and I'm like, as I'm changing, I hear Sabbath. 235 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:34,920 I said, what was that? 236 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:40,360 And I turned back to that channel where I heard the word Sabbath. 237 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:49,080 And on this Sabbath afternoon, there was this TV evangelist by the name of Herbert Armstrong 238 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,900 of the plain truth. 239 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,120 He was teaching about the seventh day Sabbath. 240 00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:57,280 Herbert Armstrong, non Adventist. 241 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:02,160 And as he was preaching, as he was teaching, he said something that was very interesting 242 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,160 to me. 243 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:08,480 He says that the Seventh Day Adventist Church and his church, the Church of God, were the 244 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:15,480 only Protestant organizations to keep the right day as Sabbath. 245 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,740 And I took note of that. 246 00:18:17,740 --> 00:18:24,400 And as I heard these things, as I heard him saying these things, I found myself saying 247 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:25,880 out loud, that's right. 248 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:26,880 That's right. 249 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,680 And so there was an offer to receive more study material from them. 250 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,760 We didn't have the internet back in those days, so I couldn't send an email. 251 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:43,440 So I had to send snail mail and ask for some biblical literature, which I started receiving. 252 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,280 And I began to study his material. 253 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:52,680 But again, as I began to study Herbert Armstrong's material, another remarkable thing happened. 254 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:57,520 Now remember, I was biblically illiterate. 255 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,200 I didn't know much about the Bible. 256 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:06,920 But as I was studying this material, I mean, some of it was good stuff, but others parts 257 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,240 of it contained some error. 258 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:18,360 But as I'm studying this stuff, I found myself saying, that's not right, or that's not true. 259 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:22,280 But then I'd ask myself, well, how do I know that it's not right or not true? 260 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,640 Because I didn't know. 261 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:30,480 But I didn't realize it then, but later on I realized that it was the Holy Spirit that 262 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:37,620 was leading me in my studies, dividing truth from error. 263 00:19:37,620 --> 00:19:46,440 And I know that if God can teach me how to decipher scripture and truth, I know that 264 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:53,600 he can teach you too, as we strive to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 265 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:59,120 And so as I continued these studies and having these episodes of that's not right, but this 266 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:03,960 is right, I began to become much more hungry for the word of God. 267 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,960 And I started receiving another study in the mail. 268 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,720 This study was entitled, The New Life Bible Studies. 269 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:17,760 Now, I didn't know it back then, but I know now that that was from the Seventh-day Adventist, 270 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:23,960 a correspondence Bible school, and I'm pretty sure my mom signed me up for that. 271 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:25,960 And so I would complete these lessons. 272 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,380 I mean, that was part of my Sabbath activities. 273 00:20:28,380 --> 00:20:29,720 I would go through these Bible studies. 274 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:35,480 I would complete my lessons, and I would send them back, and then someone who received them 275 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:41,440 would correct them and include some nice encouraging words on it and send it back to me. 276 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:45,280 And I faithfully went through all of the lessons. 277 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:50,680 And once I finished and where I am now, I look back and I think about those times and 278 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,360 the person who answered those lessons. 279 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:58,700 And I think to myself, those folks faithfully did this lesson, never ever, ever thinking 280 00:20:58,700 --> 00:21:04,400 of the idea that this person I'm studying with will one day become a Seventh-day Adventist 281 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,860 pastor. 282 00:21:06,860 --> 00:21:09,540 God is awesome, isn't he? 283 00:21:09,540 --> 00:21:13,000 And so I have this question for you. 284 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,680 Do you run a correspondence Bible course here at this church? 285 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:22,720 Do you know anything about the LEADS program that the conference is involved in? 286 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,840 If you're a part of that LEADS program, if you thought about it, heard about it, please, 287 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:32,720 please, do what you can to become involved in it because you may be used with God to 288 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:38,320 lead someone to Jesus Christ who may end up being a powerhouse for the sharing of the 289 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,320 good news of the gospel, amen? 290 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:41,320 Amen. 291 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:42,880 I got a couple of amens from you. 292 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,360 I don't know what time you're in service here. 293 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:49,520 I hope it's not at 12 o'clock, but we're not going to go too far after that, okay? 294 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:50,660 Okay. 295 00:21:50,660 --> 00:21:57,360 In my room there in those Marine Corps barracks, God taught me biblical truth one-on-one. 296 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:05,160 And as he taught me, he reignited the flame in my heart, the desire to understand and 297 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,720 to know him better. 298 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,640 And I know, folks, that as I look at my life and where I was and where God brought me at 299 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:18,320 that time and was bringing me, I know that if he can take me hard-headed, knuckle-headed, 300 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:23,680 just continuing to push against the prick, I know that if he can save me, he will do 301 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,960 the same thing for you. 302 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,560 He wants to be known by you. 303 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,720 He's not there waiting on you to try to figure out a way to find him. 304 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,120 No, he's there because he wants that relationship with you. 305 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:37,880 So talk to him. 306 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,040 Ask him to show you, to lead you. 307 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,520 Ask him to reveal himself to you, and he will. 308 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:48,400 I'm not talking about he's going to appear in a glowing, ghostly form, but he will let 309 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,800 you know that, hello, I'm with you. 310 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:52,480 I'm here. 311 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:58,080 And that beginning of a relationship will change your life forever. 312 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:02,360 I know that because I'm a witness. 313 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:06,800 And so as I continued to take these studies, I was impressed with the fact that I need 314 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,920 to go and find a church that taught what I believed. 315 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:15,120 And so I knew about the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but I didn't necessarily want to go 316 00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:19,280 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church because I had heard so much about the Seventh-day 317 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:23,480 Adventist Church, and I said, I don't know if I want to go there. 318 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,880 And so I decided I was going to go check out other churches. 319 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,480 So I went to check out the Baptist Church. 320 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:30,480 I checked out the Pentecostal. 321 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:37,160 So I went to the Episcopalians and the Catholics and other denominations and non-denominations. 322 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:42,860 And as I visited all these churches, I couldn't find what I was looking for when it came down 323 00:23:42,860 --> 00:23:43,860 to biblical truths. 324 00:23:43,860 --> 00:23:45,920 I found a little bit here, a little bit there. 325 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:51,520 But what I was learning, I wasn't finding until I went to the very last church in my 326 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:52,520 journey. 327 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,840 And guess what church that was? 328 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:56,440 The Seventh-day Adventist Church. 329 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,820 I walked in the door and that was it. 330 00:23:59,820 --> 00:24:03,540 These were the people who were teaching what I was learning. 331 00:24:03,540 --> 00:24:05,040 Remember the Bible studies I was taking. 332 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:09,400 I didn't know they were Adventist, but with that and whatever else God was teaching me, 333 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,800 I said, that's the church. 334 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,720 Now I had heard a lot of things about the Seventh-day Adventist Church that people think 335 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:20,400 they know everything, that they're so judgmental, they're not nice, they believe in some woman 336 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,320 named Ellen G. White because I hadn't heard about her or anything like that. 337 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,360 And I was like, I don't know if I want to trust those folk. 338 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:32,000 But my mom just gently encouraged me, go check them out. 339 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:39,000 And so one Sabbath morning, church, I got up enough strength, enough courage to go to 340 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:40,560 the local Seventh-day Adventist Church. 341 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:45,320 I said, I'm not going to a Sabbath school, I'm not going to a worship service, I want 342 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:46,320 to hear the sermon. 343 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,800 So mom, what time the sermon is normally starting the church? 344 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:51,800 And she told me. 345 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:59,080 And so I went there, I arrived at this little church in New Bern, North Carolina, New Bern, 346 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:03,120 North Carolina, right before the pastor began his sermon. 347 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:08,880 And here I'm walking in this church and I decide I'm going to try to be inconspicuous. 348 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,200 And so I sit way back in the back trying to crouch down. 349 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:17,640 In those days I was very athletic and I kind of stood out, but there was no way that they 350 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,160 weren't going to miss me. 351 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:26,160 And so the pastor came out and the sermon that he was preaching, I mean, God must have 352 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:31,240 been laughing that day thinking, I got you now, because the sermon that this pastor was 353 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:35,960 preaching, the message was about pride. 354 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:42,280 And the main point in this sermon was, get off your high horse of pride to see the real 355 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:43,280 truth. 356 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,440 This is what this pastor is preaching. 357 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,360 And this pastor who preached that day was very animated. 358 00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:56,120 I mean, he was walking back and forth across the stage and he was pointing as he was preaching 359 00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:58,080 in different directions. 360 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:03,240 But I'm going to tell you, I'm sitting way back in the back and something divine was 361 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:09,400 happening because no matter where this pastor was pointing, he seemed to be pointing directly 362 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,320 at me. 363 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:15,240 And I was so uncomfortable sitting back there in the back as he's preaching. 364 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:21,440 It's like his hand was turning to hit me right in the chest. 365 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,120 And I didn't know what the feeling was that I was experiencing. 366 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:29,840 I now know that this feeling was called conviction, but it was almost like fire shut up in my 367 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:30,840 bones. 368 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:37,440 And this man could not say the benediction fast enough for me to jump up. 369 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:42,200 And I went bolting out of that church like a horse coming out of its starting stable. 370 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:46,060 I mean, I was running to my car. 371 00:26:46,060 --> 00:26:50,960 And I remember this little gentleman, this older gentleman was running behind me, breathing 372 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,000 hard and yelling, wait up, slow down. 373 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:54,480 I said, no, I got to go, man. 374 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:55,480 I got to go. 375 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,280 I want to invite you home for lunch. 376 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,560 I said, no, I don't have time for that. 377 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:04,280 I jumped in my car and I sped off as quickly as I could. 378 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:08,760 And I like to say that I enjoy eating. 379 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:13,280 And if I was going to turn down some food, you knew something was going on inside of 380 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:14,280 me. 381 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:15,280 That was the Holy Spirit working on me. 382 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:16,920 I was torn up. 383 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:21,680 I'd never heard words like this before. 384 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:30,360 And so I left that church, but as I sped away, I realized that I could not stay away. 385 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:33,600 I needed more of what I had heard. 386 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,420 And so Sabbath after Sabbath, I came back for more. 387 00:27:37,420 --> 00:27:41,400 It was at that little church in New Bern, North Carolina that I discovered a God who 388 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:51,400 loves me, a God who forgives me of my sin, a God who desires to rescue me foremost, 389 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:58,280 from myself, and creating me a better person, a Christ-like person. 390 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:04,480 I discovered that God, the God of the universe, the God that I grew up fearing because I thought 391 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:09,440 he stood with a handful of lightning bolts just waiting for you to mess up, that God 392 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:16,800 was not that kind of God, but he was a loving, kind, righteous, and just God. 393 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:24,600 No matter what you've done or what you may find yourself presently doing, no matter what 394 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:32,720 other people think about you or what you think about yourself, understand that God loves 395 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:40,520 you and that he wants to give you life more abundantly, more than anything that this world 396 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:41,800 can offer. 397 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:48,160 Not a life of things, but a life of purpose, a life of hope, a life of joy. 398 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:58,000 He wants to kindle in you a flame of love, a love for him, and a love for others because 399 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,720 he is such a wonderful God. 400 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:06,880 That is what he wants to give to each and every one of us today and every day until 401 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:12,480 eternity is ushered in and we live with him forevermore. 402 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:17,520 A number of months later, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and was baptized 403 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,760 Christmas Day, 1982. 404 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:30,000 And God had used a multitude of methods to crack this hard case that you see standing 405 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,360 before you. 406 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:39,200 God used family members who had become Adventists in their attempts to witness to me. 407 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:43,480 He had used frightening dreams of a friend. 408 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,960 He used correspondence Bible courses. 409 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:53,400 He used the Sabbath testimony of a non-Semite Adventist televangelist and other random people 410 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,680 to lead me to the truth. 411 00:29:55,680 --> 00:30:01,140 What I'm saying, folks, is that we all can play a part in the salvation of others. 412 00:30:01,140 --> 00:30:07,300 What you have to offer might just be a small seed, just a small little way of affirming 413 00:30:07,300 --> 00:30:13,080 or confirming something that may already be happening in a person's life. 414 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:17,120 Do not look at yourself as being unworthy, but play your part. 415 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,160 Share what God has given you. 416 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,960 Another person will come along and they may water the seed. 417 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,880 Another person may come along and they may nurture the seed. 418 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:33,760 We don't know where people are in God's quest to draw them closer, but the goal is to be 419 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:40,520 ready to ask God to use us to help someone else see the light. 420 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:46,280 So six months later I was discharged from the Marine Corps and I returned to Atlanta, 421 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:47,280 Georgia. 422 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:51,040 And my MOS was in the field of electronics. 423 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,760 So I did some different technical jobs. 424 00:30:54,760 --> 00:31:00,840 I had the opportunity to interview with Litton Industries, a big, huge military contractor 425 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:07,320 working in Saudi Arabia making a huge amount of money. 426 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,680 Problem was I would have to work on the Sabbath. 427 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,040 When I heard the figures on the job, I was like, yeah, I want that job so bad. 428 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:20,640 But then God whispered in my ears, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 429 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:26,000 And so I had to turn down that job and I walked out of that building, that office, wanting 430 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:32,920 to kick myself because I only had less than $100 left to my name and my account and I 431 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,840 had just turned down a perfect job offer. 432 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:41,160 But you know, God always comes through because by the time I arrived home, there was a message 433 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:47,080 on our little message board at home that stated that Xerox Corporation called and they want 434 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,000 to interview you on Tuesday. 435 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:54,920 And so make a long story short because I know those timers are going off at home and the 436 00:31:54,920 --> 00:32:00,360 veggie steak and all those type things are ready to be consumed. 437 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:04,840 I ended up working with Xerox Corporation for about three years, some of the best work 438 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,120 that I'd ever did. 439 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:10,560 And I was enjoying it and I probably would have worked with them for many years, for 440 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:11,560 many years. 441 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:15,520 But again, God had a different plan. 442 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:20,120 My growing relationship with God was fueled by attending small groups, Wednesday night 443 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,720 prayer services, any time the church opened, guess what? 444 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:23,720 I was here. 445 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:28,040 I was even here for work B. So go ahead and sign on that, what you're going to bring for 446 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,520 breakfast tomorrow and be here to enjoy the fellowship. 447 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:31,520 Amen? 448 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:32,520 Amen. 449 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:38,880 I wasn't paid to throw that little advertisement in there, but you can pay me later, okay? 450 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:44,280 So I wanted to serve God with my all in all because having that relationship with Him 451 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,160 meant everything. 452 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:50,440 And folk, it was growing deeper and stronger daily. 453 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:57,520 And the good news is this, that God does want to be known by you as well. 454 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:05,260 One morning I was sitting in my car preparing to go to my first client there for Xerox. 455 00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:09,880 And I became overwhelmed with this burning desire to serve God. 456 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:14,360 And I'm sitting there and I'm saying, God, instead of going to see these folk and working 457 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:19,640 on machines, I could really be going to the hospital and I could be visiting with church 458 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:20,640 members. 459 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:25,520 And I could be studying your words and I could be involved in planning worship services and 460 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,920 leading board meetings and giving Bible studies. 461 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:30,360 I could preach the word. 462 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:34,160 I could love people and share the good news of the gospel. 463 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:38,080 That's what I think I want to do because I want to be in the presence of Jesus all day 464 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:39,740 long. 465 00:33:39,740 --> 00:33:45,740 And as I'm thinking about this, it was at that moment that God rekindled the sense of 466 00:33:45,740 --> 00:33:48,560 a call upon my life. 467 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,440 And I decided, Lord, here I am. 468 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:52,440 Here I am. 469 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,380 I surrender. 470 00:33:54,380 --> 00:33:58,680 And I decided that I will go into the gospel ministry. 471 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,800 And the church said, amen. 472 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:10,000 I decided that I resigned from Xerox and I entered Southern College back in those days 473 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,040 in January of 1985. 474 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:17,080 And it was there at Southern that I met my beautiful friend for life. 475 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,440 I'm going to give you all her names. 476 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:27,240 Her name was Pauline Claudette Iceland James of Jamaican descent. 477 00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:30,920 I added another name to her name, Maddox. 478 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:35,520 So whenever I'm making fun of her, I'll call all her names, her five names, and she just 479 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:39,280 look at me and say, and? 480 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:43,000 After graduating from Southern, I was picked up by Florida Conference where I served in 481 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:50,240 various capacities for 22 years before coming here to Georgia Cumberland Conference. 482 00:34:50,240 --> 00:34:52,400 There's more to the story. 483 00:34:52,400 --> 00:35:00,120 And I want to be sensitive to your time as well. 484 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:05,080 But one thing I can say is this right here, that there may be someone here who's hearing 485 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:13,920 my story, my testimony of what God has done and is doing in my life. 486 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:18,240 And maybe you're hearing it and you're thinking, well, you know, God, God hadn't, that has 487 00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:20,240 not been my story. 488 00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:22,880 All of our stories are different. 489 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:27,280 But I want to encourage you that if God is speaking, if you feel in that funny sense 490 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:32,380 of things happening in your heart, that thing might be conviction. 491 00:35:32,380 --> 00:35:40,780 That might be God kind of leading you, prompting you, nudging you to make a decision for him. 492 00:35:40,780 --> 00:35:48,000 Maybe you might already be a believer, but maybe you have been not as been engaged as 493 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,480 you feel or know you should. 494 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:56,240 And you're not experiencing guilt right now, but maybe you're experiencing a little nudge 495 00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:59,080 that I need you more. 496 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,280 You can do better. 497 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,360 Whatever sensations you may be experiencing right now, I want to attribute that to the 498 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,400 Holy Spirit speaking to you personally. 499 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:16,760 And I want to encourage you to fan the flame, to invite God to speak louder, with clarity, 500 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:22,160 and to give you the courage to do the right thing, to take that next step, to say, here 501 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,240 I am, Lord. 502 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:30,060 To invite him in and say, Lord, I want to know you better. 503 00:36:30,060 --> 00:36:37,280 If you're experiencing this, I want you to bow your heads with me as we pray together. 504 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:48,720 Father, you love us, and you're coming soon. 505 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:55,600 And Lord, you want as many people saved as possible. 506 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:59,820 And Lord, you could send angels. 507 00:36:59,820 --> 00:37:06,760 You could do this work yourself, but you've chosen us to be partners in the salvation 508 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:07,760 of others. 509 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:14,280 And Lord, there are people in this room right here today whom you're seeking to draw closer 510 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,480 to you. 511 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:22,400 I pray, Lord, that your Spirit will never give up on any of us, but that you will convict 512 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,360 us, you will strengthen us, you will encourage us, you will help us. 513 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:34,000 You will strengthen us to take that stand for you and to take our place in this work 514 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:39,800 that we might be instruments in your hand to lead others to Jesus Christ. 515 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:46,000 Continue to bless this congregation as it seeks to grow and as it seeks to impact this 516 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,940 community with the love of the gospel. 517 00:37:49,940 --> 00:37:53,200 We thank you, Lord, for hearing this prayer, and we ask it in Jesus' name. 518 00:37:53,200 --> 00:38:16,480 Amen.