1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,540 Man, well, it's so good to see you guys. 2 00:00:02,540 --> 00:00:04,000 Many of you recognize me. 3 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,400 A lot of you are wondering why did he just get 4 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:07,840 those types of claps? 5 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:09,480 Who is this guy? 6 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:10,580 Man, my name is Blake. 7 00:00:10,580 --> 00:00:11,940 I worked here at Southern Hills 8 00:00:11,940 --> 00:00:14,620 as one of your pastors for five years. 9 00:00:14,620 --> 00:00:16,280 Many of you know me from my Connections days. 10 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,960 Some of you know me from working in discipleship with you. 11 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:21,620 Small groups, a lot of different hats 12 00:00:21,620 --> 00:00:23,280 through my time here at Southern Hills, 13 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,360 but I'm so thankful for the legacy 14 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,520 that Southern Hills has given to us, 15 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,000 our family specifically. 16 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,200 Man, so many things have been going on 17 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,000 and we're so thankful for you. 18 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:34,640 Just a little bit of what's happening. 19 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,680 God took us across country, back to where we're from, 20 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,240 South Jersey, and we pastor a church there 21 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:41,740 that is doing extremely well. 22 00:00:41,740 --> 00:00:43,980 We're so glad with all that God is doing, 23 00:00:43,980 --> 00:00:46,640 but we're so thankful for all that God has done 24 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,620 in and through this place to help us truly. 25 00:00:49,620 --> 00:00:51,960 We could not have picked a better place 26 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,860 to begin our ministry and our scope and sequence 27 00:00:54,860 --> 00:00:57,900 and advance the kingdom than Las Vegas, Nevada 28 00:00:57,900 --> 00:00:59,000 and Southern Hills Church. 29 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,000 We believe that this is one of the greatest churches 30 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:02,840 in the world. 31 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:04,340 Do you believe that? 32 00:01:04,340 --> 00:01:06,200 Okay, so some of you do. 33 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,940 That's not really convincing on a Sunday, 34 00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:09,840 but that's okay. 35 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:10,980 We'll get the energy up. 36 00:01:10,980 --> 00:01:13,440 Look, I've been back home for like 10 months, 37 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,820 so my speed is back up. 38 00:01:15,820 --> 00:01:18,620 I'm excited to be with you and we're thrilled. 39 00:01:18,620 --> 00:01:20,480 I do believe this is one of the greatest churches 40 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:24,120 in the world and truly as we talk about churches 41 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,260 and legacies and what they've done, 42 00:01:26,260 --> 00:01:29,820 I believe the guest speaker's job is twofold. 43 00:01:29,820 --> 00:01:32,800 One, to get you out of here on time 44 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,000 and beat the rush to lunch. 45 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,700 And two, to just encourage you a little bit 46 00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:39,940 with what God is doing. 47 00:01:39,940 --> 00:01:42,000 Man, I believe that Southern Hills Church 48 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,080 leaves legacies that last a lifetime. 49 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,780 And legacies are left truly through a plethora 50 00:01:47,780 --> 00:01:48,880 of different things. 51 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,380 Some legacies are left with monuments, with trophies. 52 00:01:52,380 --> 00:01:54,880 Man, Las Vegas has a brand new legacy. 53 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,760 It is a Stanley Cup winner. 54 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,460 Yeah, that's pretty big. 55 00:01:58,460 --> 00:01:59,700 That is a big deal. 56 00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:02,720 Congratulations on becoming a real sports city 57 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:04,520 with your first championship. 58 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,660 We are excited for you. 59 00:02:06,660 --> 00:02:07,500 That's great. 60 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:10,160 And man, when I think of legacy, 61 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,440 what comes to my mind are truly monuments, trophies, 62 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,240 places that take me back. 63 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,640 And I'm assuming that you have some of those in your life. 64 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:23,680 That you have places, that you have monuments, 65 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,320 that you have trophies, that you have something 66 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,680 that indicates to you what you were doing then. 67 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,420 It tells a story. 68 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,020 It leaves a story. 69 00:02:34,020 --> 00:02:37,420 Man, one of my favorite monuments I took a picture with 70 00:02:37,420 --> 00:02:40,200 just last week with some people that you may know. 71 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,600 That's your pastor and his family 72 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,500 with me and Lisa at the Liberty Bell. 73 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:50,500 A symbol for freedom used through many different people groups 74 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:53,080 as we've established our country 75 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,200 and used it for freedom during civil rights movements, 76 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,440 women's rights movements, all a symbol for freedom 77 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:00,280 in our country. 78 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:01,120 One of my favorite monuments. 79 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:02,760 It brings me back to a place 80 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:04,820 remembering our great history of our country. 81 00:03:04,820 --> 00:03:06,660 But man, I have to tell you, 82 00:03:06,660 --> 00:03:09,320 one of my favorite monuments is called 83 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,560 the Ben Franklin Bridge. 84 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,760 This bridge probably means nothing to you, 85 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,040 but it means so much to me because that is one 86 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,080 of the first places that I saw Lisa 87 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,700 in her wedding dress on our wedding day. 88 00:03:21,700 --> 00:03:25,520 She climbed the Ben Franklin Bridge in her wedding dress 89 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,720 and her and I took photos overseeing the city of Philadelphia, 90 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,640 one of the areas that we're from. 91 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:34,280 And man, that brings me back because it ties me 92 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,880 to the stories, to the miraculous in my life. 93 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:43,880 And setting up monuments, trophies, examples 94 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,160 is something we find in scripture. 95 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:49,760 It's really all throughout scripture 96 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,280 and the Bible even instructs us to set up these monuments 97 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,920 so that we can point people to the stories in our lives 98 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,400 so that we can point it to God's glory. 99 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,080 And today we're gonna look at Joshua chapter four 100 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,480 and all that God has done in setting up a monument 101 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,960 to the people then and something that we can learn from now. 102 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,280 So today we're gonna talk about how to leave a legacy, 103 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,480 two steps to leaving a legacy. 104 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,920 And number one is going to be recognize the miracle. 105 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,160 Let me set you up in Joshua four a little bit right now. 106 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,560 You see in Joshua four, this is what's happening. 107 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,640 The people of Israel have just spent the last 40 years 108 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,600 wandering aimlessly in the desert. 109 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,000 During this wandering though, 110 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,200 the children of Israel were taken care of. 111 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,840 They were sustained by the goodness of God's mercy, 112 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:40,920 but God's intention was not for them to live 113 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,280 in the wilderness forever. 114 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:46,760 You see, God had great plans for this wandering nation 115 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:48,960 and they weren't meant to stay there feeding off 116 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,000 the small provision of God, 117 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,120 but rather go into the bigger giving, the bigger gift. 118 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,200 God had great plans to provide them a land rich in soil, 119 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,560 flowing with milk and honey, the land of Canaan. 120 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,080 And the children of Israel were going to face 121 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,120 some difficulties, they knew that 122 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:07,720 while they were taking over that land. 123 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,200 They were gonna have some battles, 124 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,440 they were instructed in Numbers 13 125 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,440 that the giants would be in the land. 126 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,480 But when they go to their first battle, 127 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,680 their first obstacle, it was something 128 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:22,040 they never expected. 129 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,920 Their first obstacle you see was a river 130 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:28,520 called the Jordan River. 131 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,840 And the Jordan River during this time was in the spring. 132 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:33,560 And in the springtime of the Jordan River, 133 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,720 it wasn't like Lake Mead that's drowning. 134 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,360 It's like 15 feet high. 135 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,640 I don't know why I'm doing this at 15 feet high. 136 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:42,760 I'm like five feet high. 137 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,600 I'm like five feet high, so like three of me 138 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:46,680 or two of your worship leader Jordan, right? 139 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,680 So like the swells of the Jordan River are 15 feet high. 140 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:53,440 15 feet high. 141 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,600 And they face their first obstacle, 142 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,240 their first waiting on God for a miracle moment. 143 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,720 And man, when I read the scripture, 144 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,560 what I like to do is I like to place myself 145 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:11,560 in the moment in time in history. 146 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,800 Of when that took place. 147 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:14,640 Can you imagine it? 148 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,320 This brand new leader, Joshua, 149 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,520 has just inherited this great responsibility 150 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,000 of a wandering country. 151 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,040 And he's standing there receiving instruction from God. 152 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,960 And he has watched his mentor 153 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:32,280 split the Red Sea. 154 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:34,520 He's watched God do this miracle 155 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,680 for his mentor before Moses. 156 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,280 And this new leader has to be wondering, 157 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:43,360 man God, you did it then. 158 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,200 Are you gonna do it again? 159 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:48,360 Are you gonna do it for us? 160 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,160 You see, all of these children were grandchildren 161 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,520 from wanderers in the wilderness. 162 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:54,680 They had disobeyed God, 163 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,840 so they weren't allowed access to the promised land. 164 00:06:56,840 --> 00:06:59,240 So now these grandchildren in the story 165 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,880 are receiving this brand new confrontation with the miracle. 166 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,480 They've heard the miracle of God splitting the Red Sea 167 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:06,800 for their grandparents, 168 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:08,520 and now they see the miracle. 169 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,600 They're their grandparents, and now they stand 170 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,560 at the Jordan River, and they're wondering, 171 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,600 is God gonna do the same for us? 172 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:16,880 Man, many of you have been here 173 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,240 for the whole scope and sequence 174 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:20,760 of the life of Southern Hills, 175 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,240 and you've seen God move you 176 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:28,320 from Ken's salad dressing area, right? 177 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,520 To this place. 178 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,080 But maybe some of you are like brand new, 179 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:34,080 and you're wondering, 180 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,240 man, I heard about what God did then. 181 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,240 Is he gonna show up again, and do it again? 182 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,240 And we wonder and we think, 183 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,720 and I think of all of these multiple perspectives 184 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,240 as they walk to the river. 185 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,240 And then this is what takes place. 186 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,240 Joshua receives instruction from God directly 187 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,240 in chapter three and verse seven, 188 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,240 saying that send the Levites, the tribe, 189 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,240 that handles the Ark of the Covenant, 190 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,240 and what they're going to do is when they're saying, 191 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,240 when their sandals or their feet hit the water, 192 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,240 that's when I split it. 193 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:12,240 So can you picture it? 194 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:13,240 Can you picture it in your mind? 195 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,240 You have Joshua standing here, 196 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,240 all of Israel standing behind him, 197 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,240 the priest standing in front of him, 198 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,240 and he's like, man, when they get to the water, 199 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,240 please open, please open, please open. 200 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,240 And then they get to the water, 201 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:35,240 and the first priest's foot hits the Jordan, 202 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:42,240 and it opens like it did for Moses. 203 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:48,240 Man, the miracle that God took place in their lives. 204 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,240 These are no longer now their grandparents' 205 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:56,240 stories of God working. 206 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,240 These have now turned into their miracles 207 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,240 and saying, yes, I heard that God parted the Red Sea, 208 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,240 but you'll never imagine what God did in the Jordan. 209 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,240 He parted that for us. 210 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,240 That was my miracle. 211 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,240 And man, I'm assuming none of you have walked over 212 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,240 to Lake Mead or the Colorado River 213 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,240 and stepped in it and it's parted? 214 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,240 If you have, I really want to meet you. 215 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:26,240 Like really bad. 216 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,240 I'm going to be here after service. 217 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,240 Tell me, I want to talk so much longer than we have, 218 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,240 but I'm assuming that's never happened to any of you, 219 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:35,240 but I know this, I know this. 220 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,240 On a 4th of July weekend, 221 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:39,240 that you hear are probably professing Christ, 222 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,240 so there has been a miracle in your life, 223 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,240 even if it's just a salvation that God has bestowed upon you. 224 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,240 You have a miracle in your life. 225 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,240 And our first step to leaving proper legacy, 226 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:54,240 leaving legacy that lasts is recognizing the miracles. 227 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:55,240 The miracles. 228 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,240 Recognizing the miracle. 229 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,240 And this is what brings us to Joshua 4, chapter 1, 230 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,240 or Joshua 4 verse 1. 231 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,240 When the nation, and here it is, 232 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,240 had finished passing over the Jordan, 233 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,240 the Lord said to Joshua, 234 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,240 take 12 men from the people from each tribe of man 235 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,240 and command them saying, take 12 stones from here 236 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,240 out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place 237 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,240 where the priest's feet stood firmly, 238 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,240 and bring them over with you, 239 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,240 and lay them down in the place where you lodged tonight. 240 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:36,240 What is he doing? 241 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,240 He's saying, I want you to recognize your miracle. 242 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:45,240 I want you to take 12 stones from where the Jordan parted, 243 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:49,240 and I want you to set them up at the first encampment. 244 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:50,240 Why? 245 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,240 Why? Because God calls us to recognize the miracle in our life. 246 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,240 So then, step 2, we can share our stories 247 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:04,240 so that he receives glory and honor and praise that he deserves. 248 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,240 So this story continues, and they recognize the miracle. 249 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:10,240 They pick up their stones. 250 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,240 They walk over to Gilgau, 251 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:14,240 and the first encampment at Gilgau. 252 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,240 They place the 12 stones, 253 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,240 and they tell us why. 254 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,240 They tell us why about 17 verses later. 255 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,240 And those 12 stones which they took out of the Jordan, 256 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,240 Joshua set up at Gilgau, 257 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,240 and he said to the people of Israel, 258 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:33,240 when your children ask their fathers in times to come, 259 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,240 what do these stones mean? 260 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:37,240 Then you shall let your children know. 261 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,240 Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground. 262 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,240 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan for you. 263 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,240 Did you see that? 264 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,240 For you. 265 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,240 Until you passed over. 266 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,240 And here's a key phrase, and we can't miss it. 267 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:01,240 As the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, 268 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:06,240 which he dried up for us until we passed over. 269 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,240 So that all the peoples of the earth may know 270 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,240 that the hand of the Lord is mighty, 271 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,240 and that you may fear the Lord your God forever. 272 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,240 What is he saying there? 273 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,240 He's saying recognize the miracles. 274 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,240 You want to pass down the miracles that God has done in your life, 275 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,240 and then they're going to claim ownership of their own miracles, 276 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,240 so that it gives God the glory. 277 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,240 What he's saying here in these passages is, 278 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,240 I'm the same God that worked with your grandparents, 279 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,240 are now working with you, 280 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,240 and are going to work with your children, 281 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,240 and their children, and their children, 282 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,240 and continually when they walk past these stones in Gilgau, 283 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,240 I want you to look there, and I want you to tell them 284 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:45,240 all that God has done, 285 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,240 not just through the Red Sea, but through the Jordan, 286 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,240 and not only is he going to work through the Jordan, 287 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,240 but man, we're going to go into Canaan, 288 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,240 and not only is he going to go through the Canaan, 289 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,240 we're going to develop a country, 290 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,240 and that country is going to be called Israel, 291 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,240 and then David's going to take over, and Solomon's going to take over, 292 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,240 and through this perfect, imaginable people, 293 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,240 his son is going to come. 294 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,240 And this is the beauty of what he's saying. 295 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,240 He's saying, our stories must be passed down 296 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:17,240 so that other generations, that next generations know the Lord. 297 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,240 APPLAUSE 298 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,240 Man, God gives them an interesting command. 299 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:28,240 Take the twelve stones, set them up for the next generation, 300 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,240 we'll come and ask, 301 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,240 and those that experience the crossing 302 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,240 will tell them exactly what God has done in their life. 303 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,240 Man, you know your stories. 304 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,240 They help others come to salvation. 305 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,240 Your realities are others' revelations, 306 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,240 and your monuments build momentum in people's lives. 307 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,240 They do. 308 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:55,240 Your stories are powerful. 309 00:13:55,240 --> 00:14:00,240 Your miracles, your stories are powerful. 310 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:07,240 Man, Southern Hills creates lasting legacies. 311 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,240 Do you know this about your church? 312 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:14,240 You have people across the country 313 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:18,240 expanding the kingdom of God 314 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:24,240 because of the monuments that you placed 315 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,240 right here in Las Vegas. 316 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:32,240 You have people that have come to the saving knowledge 317 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,240 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 318 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:40,240 because of the legacies that you've left. 319 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,240 Man, one of the biggest things we picked up from here 320 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,240 is the influence of family in our lives. 321 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,240 We learn so much on how to grow our families here. 322 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,240 Man, we take it for granted here, 323 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:57,240 but your pastoral team has incredible families, 324 00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,240 and that's unique. 325 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,240 Look, you see the Coal's family worshipping together, 326 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,240 like right here on the side. 327 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,240 Do you know how rare that is? 328 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,240 Last service, you had the Murray family worshipping in the back. 329 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,240 Of course, Pastor Fred is in the back, 330 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,240 and Pastor Jason is in the front, you know what I mean? 331 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,240 But it's a miracle. 332 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:21,240 The families, you saw the Sargent family worshipping back then. 333 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:25,240 The Olson family worshipping over here. 334 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:30,240 The Tice family every Sunday. 335 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:35,240 In our home, if you walk through the back door, 336 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,240 through the patio, 337 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,240 you'll continue to walk into our kitchen, 338 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,240 and then you'll walk through the living room, 339 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,240 and you'll see a stand. 340 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:50,240 It's a wooden stand that I made in Las Vegas, actually. 341 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:55,240 But on that wooden stand on the second run is a box. 342 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,240 That box is our family miracle box. 343 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,240 Inside that box, if you lift it up and take it out, 344 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,240 you'll see a small band about this big 345 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:12,240 from when our son was born at 28 weeks and five days. 346 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:17,240 A miracle of God's provision in our life. 347 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,240 You'll see another thing, you'll see a cut out of a hoodie I was wearing, 348 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:27,240 the day that God spared my life in a hiking accident in Red Rock. 349 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:32,240 You'll see in that box receipts and checked receipts 350 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:36,240 and multiple little things that most people would just look at 351 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:41,240 and be like, okay, cool. 352 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:50,240 But in that box for us is the story of God in our lives. 353 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:59,240 That miracle box tells the story of how God has worked in and through our lives. 354 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:04,240 You know, I often think, what happens when the people of ancient Middle East 355 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,240 walk past Gilgall and saw these 12 stones? 356 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,240 You know what probably happened? 357 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,240 Nothing. 358 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,240 They just walked by. 359 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:20,240 But you know what happened when an Israelite walked by those 12 stones? 360 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:25,240 The dad would take his son or mom would take their son and say, 361 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,240 hey, do you see this? 362 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,240 This is God's story of preserving our nation. 363 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,240 All of these other people are going to walk by. 364 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,240 But man, we've recognized the miracle of God. 365 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,240 We have to share our stories because son, one day, 366 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,240 you're going to have your own 12 stones. 367 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:51,240 You're going to have your own box of miracles. 368 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:57,240 Man, I'm not sure where you find yourself today. 369 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:02,240 But I know that there's been a miracle in your life. 370 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:08,240 Because sometimes God works through the miraculous, massive, open seas, 371 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:14,240 but sometimes God just works through the minuscule. 372 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:18,240 However he's decided to work in your life, 373 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:23,240 we must memorialize that. 374 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,240 That's what moves the next generation. 375 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:33,240 That's what moves a 19-year-old church from a warehouse next to Ken Salad 376 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:38,240 dressing to a plot in Las Vegas to sitting in the future sanctuary 377 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,240 where kids will worship and find Christ. 378 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:46,240 That's what leaves legacies. 379 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,240 That's what does it. 380 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,240 And man, maybe you've had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home, 381 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:57,240 but maybe God's walked into your story midstream and changed your life. 382 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,240 However you find yourself, I know he's done something 383 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,240 and he wants you to take it and memorialize it and share it with others 384 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:10,240 so that he can get the glory. 385 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:14,240 Most of you know Alfred Nobel. 386 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,240 He's the creator of the Nobel Peace Prize. 387 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:23,240 But did you know that he also created dynamite? 388 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:27,240 Alfred Nobel created dynamite and he believed, listen to this, 389 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,240 this is fascinating to me, 390 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:34,240 he believed that this invention would make war so horrible 391 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,240 that it would never happen again 392 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:42,240 because no one would be willing to inflict that kind of terror on someone else. 393 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,240 Not surprising, he was wrong. 394 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:51,240 Instead of ending wars, dynamite made them even more devastating 395 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:55,240 and more wide-ranging than they'd ever been before. 396 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,240 He was horrified, but he also had no idea what to do. 397 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:08,240 And, and to top it all off, he made a ton of money from styling the dynamite. 398 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,240 And until one day, something happened. 399 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:24,240 Alfred Nobel woke up to read, get this, his own obituary. 400 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,240 Look at what it said. 401 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:32,240 Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite who died yesterday, 402 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:39,240 devised a way for more people to be killed in every, in a war than ever before. 403 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:44,240 He died a very rich man. 404 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,240 Not surprising maybe to you, maybe you've already gotten there, 405 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,240 but the newspaper had made a mistake. 406 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:54,240 He knew he died, but his older brother who had passed away. 407 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:59,240 But this is what he woke up to read. 408 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,240 And this is how it changed his life. 409 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:08,240 Mr. Nobel realized that he didn't want to be known primarily as the person 410 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:14,240 who invented the world's most effective killing machine of his generation. 411 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,240 So what did he do? 412 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:22,240 He founded the Nobel Peace Prize, an award for scientists, authors, writers, 413 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,240 which fosters peace. 414 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:33,240 And Nobel said this, every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph 415 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:41,240 in midstream and write a new one. 416 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:48,240 Man, you have that ability. 417 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,240 We have that ability. 418 00:21:52,240 --> 00:22:02,240 Many of you have come and become Las Vegas to change your path midstream. 419 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:13,240 And I find no better a place than to allow God to change it than right here in this church. 420 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,240 Man, what does God want you to do with this? 421 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:24,240 Truly, to be a legacy lever, to leave a proper legacy, what does God want us to do? 422 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,240 He wants us to first recognize our miracles. 423 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,240 Man, you have them. 424 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:35,240 And number two, he wants us to share our stories. 425 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:43,240 God has done so much in and through your lives, right here and beyond. 426 00:22:43,240 --> 00:23:02,240 And he wants you to share your story so that he receives your glory and your honor.