Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:

We wanted to take a minute or two just to kind of update you what's been going on. And so there has been trainings in some of the things in Maui that, to be honest, to kind of mobilize people, to be really kind of the hands and feet of Jesus, helping some who've been through such horrible situations. And really, I mean, we're hearing such of the psychological cost that people basically like PTSD, and so having people to be able to minister, to listen, to, pray, to care for, as well as all of the physical things like temporary shelters like food and water and clothes and blankets and all of those kinds of things. So we have been partnering together with our church family because we know that how many of you guys know, you just look at that and it's like one church can't take care of it. To be honest, one church family can't take care of it. Like this is going to be the long haul deal, but just for the first week, can we just say thank you? The $4,200 that came in has gone to foursquare disaster relief. Thank you guys for your generosity, for doing that, and knowing too, that whenever you guys give the first thing we did was we sent off to kind of seed that. And having worked with Foursquare disaster relief on places like when Tonga had the eruption and when the Ukraine war broke out and things that happened in Florida and I've met with the Foursquare disaster relief team, those who are leading that and understanding the way that they operate.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:29]:

And it's really to say, hey, they're not coming in to say, this is what we do. And you do that. No, they come in first early, reassess and then cater around of that. So that's what's happening on the ground. So thank you for doing that. But there will be further opportunity. This is not the time right now, but there will come a time for people who want to kind of put some sweat equity in and helping, whether it's to clear stuff or rebuild certain things or be a part of that process. If you have some skills that you'd like to use in that, there will be a time for that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:05]:

And we're going to try to put together a team that will go with other churches to do that together. We're not at that place yet, but those of you, I know your hearts get stirred and you want to make a difference. And so know that we will be doing that as things begin to open up on the ground there. But right now, can we pray for them? Right? Because I think they still need our prayers and we haven't forgot them. Let's bow our hearts, let's come before him. Father, we are so thankful that you're the god of all mercy and the god of all comfort. And lord for those right now who lord their life has been just totally turned upside down, Lord, that sometimes we know that the best place to look is to look up, lord, it's to look to you. And Lord, all eyes are focused on you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:51]:

We're praying, God, for those who have lost homes and loved ones and those who are still waiting in the midst with hope. Sometimes it seems against hope, but we are praying, lord, would you guide them, comfort them today, lord, if there are people who for whatever reason are just disconnected, are still here, but Lord, still whether confused or in a difficult situation, Father, we're praying. Would families be reunited today, Lord? About 1000, they say, still. So, Father, we know, Lord, that there are still men and women that are out there and so help them to get connected. Would you bring the right people to the right places? Father, we know all the generosity that has been poured out not simply from Hawaii, but Lord, from all over the world. The people who not only have seen the devastation but people who have a heart for Maui, have a heart for that city. And so, Father, we're grateful, thank you for bringing the resources. But Lord, would you help those who are coordinating these things? Would you give them a wisdom beyond their capability? Lord, would you cut through red tape so that people who need help can get help? People who need water and gas for generators, have water for drinking and Lord, even for bathing in some places, lord, would you help those to get to the right places? Lord, we're praying that would there be maybe a clearer kind of a master plan, Lord, a clearer kind of a clearinghouse in which information and goods and services can be distributed, Father, empower those who are just overwhelmed and trying to bring help.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:35]:

And Father, we're thankful for the rains that are coming. But Father, would the rains be gentle, Lord? Would it extinguish the remaining flames? But Father, would it not compound with flooding? We pray over areas that have been devastated, lord, bring the rain, we're thankful for it, we receive that. But Lord, would it go gently on those who have sustained loss, Father, and not to compound the problem? We're thankful, we're thankful that you care for Lord, our family. Lord, thank you that you care for the family in Maui, lord, we bless them and bring them before the throne of grace. In Jesus name, amen. Thank you, guys. Thanks for praying with us. I did want to shift gears here a little bit.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:24]:

And again, if you want to partner with us right now we're putting all of our funds in foursquare, disaster relief. But we will partner with anybody who's making a difference, right? Because we don't care. It's not like a feather in anybody's cap. It's just say that we want to do the good in Jesus name, right, and care for those. So thank you for being partnering with us. But we started a series a few weeks ago. We're just simply calling reset because there are moments that you've been going and that it necessitates kind of a resetting of things, a change of things. And so we open this up and is preparing for the new season by talking about embracing change.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:07]:

And sometimes the hardest part is just when we resist change and we always want to keep things the way that they are. And nothing wrong possibly with doing what we've been doing, but at times you just need to be open to change. And then we talked about this aspect of realigning priorities because sometimes it's priorities change because situations change. And when those things happens, we want to be responsive. And then we talked about the aspect of kind of that reset in our spiritual life, where we are resetting kind of our disciplines and resetting. And that's what we began at 21 days. And then we talked about kind of resetting our mission because God has a mission for us to do. He doesn't just have us to worship and be loved, but he says that there's a hurting world out there.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:57]:

How many of you guys know that something would be wrong if we feel like we're the most spiritual people and just walk past a dying world and never do anything about it, right? Sometimes it's physical and sometimes people's hearts need to be connected to Jesus, right? And so we want to do whatever it is. So that's what we talked about last week. And this week we're talking about the fact that sometimes you need to prepare for change. I've always struggled with writing. I've always struggled with writing and I used to struggle with getting up and speaking in front of people as well. But when I graduated from college, I did graduate, by the way, but I graduated in business, right? And then I went into the ministry and then we were doing stuff, missions things, working with college students mostly. And when I wanted to go to seminary to kind of get further equipped, just to get more tools for the tool belt, one of the things I had to do was I had to go back because I did a writing sample. I did a writing sample and this is what they said when they read my writing sample.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:08]:

We encourage you to take a fundamental grammar and writing course, right? I mean, I took English 100. I did all those things in college, right? But because the amount of writing that will be necessary, we encourage you to do that. And so I did that, right? And so I was a little humbled to do that because anybody else struggle with grammar and all that kind of stuff, it didn't make sense to me when I was in the 7th grade, but it made sense somewhere along the line in seminary. Part of it is weird, but when I learned Greek, then all of a sudden, English made more sense. And so that was helpful because I just like, I learned two languages at one time. But it reminds me of a story I heard about a teacher was trying to teach a class about, hey, sometimes you got to prepare for writing and it's learning about grammar and punctuation and all that. So she walked up to the front of the class and she says, kay, we're going to talk about grammar today, folks, and I'm going to write a simple sentence on the wall. And then she guts up there and she wrote this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:13]:

She wrote, let's eat grandma, right? So she just wrote that on the wall. But this is a little ambiguous because are we eating grandma or are we calling grandma to eat? Right? When you look at the phrase, she goes, but we can make it clearer with a punctuation. We can put a comma somewhere and where will we put it? And she wrote what? Let's eat grandma, right? That becomes a little clearer, right? Because we're not eating grandma, right? And then she goes on, so some of us, that when you get called at night for dinner, what do they say? Eat your dinner. And we're going to get a little more fancy. Because here's the thing. If we had the punctuation, it can change the meaning sometimes in a bad way. What if we added a period and an apostrophe? It might look like this. Eat your dinner.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:07]:

Right? That's cannibal time, right? That's a different thing, right? So we don't want to change it that way. Anybody here? You made a mistake. You hurt somebody you didn't want to hurt. And all of a sudden you want to say, I'm sorry, right? Like, I really love you and all that. So sometimes people say, I'm sorry, I love you. But depending on the intonation, it can mean I'm sorry, I love you, right? Is that what you mean? They say, no, but if you put a comma in there, what does it say? I'm sorry. I love you, right? That kind of a thing. So, hey, we're going to use a colon.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:39]:

Anybody know how to use a colon? Because a colon can totally change the way a sentence and so the guy in the back says, oh, I can do it. And he walks up and then he writes this on the board. He says, Ethan ate Liam's lunch. And so the teacher goes, okay, I'm not quite sure how I see it, but how would you add colon and then change the meaning of the sentence? And then this is what he wrote. Ethan ate Liam's Colon. And that totally changes everything, right? Okay, they didn't quite get the preparation part, right? So sometimes we don't always understand how it all works together because we definitely don't want to be eating Liam's colon. But one of the great things is that Jesus helps us at times to reset in life. And part of that is sometimes it's how he redefines us and how he redefines the way we approach life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:36]:

And so oftentimes in this process that God challenges us. And what we find is that Jesus often was comforting and Jesus was often challenging. And so it's been said that Jesus comforted the afflicted and then he afflicts the comforted, right? The comfortable. And so sometimes we need both. And sometimes there's areas where you need comfort in obviously there's areas where people affected in Maui, they need comfort. But for some of us at times, then, when we're too comfortable, when maybe our whole world is about me or my whole world is about what I'm doing, that all of a sudden those times, maybe God wants to make us uncomfortable. Why? Because we are in a process of following Jesus. And if we're not engaged in that or if there are some areas in our life, naturally when we come, that not everything's put together, right? How many of you guys have a perfect life? Thank you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:36]:

Do. You guys are honest, humble, well aware, right? So this is the thing that he's going to lead us and guide us in that process. And this morning we're going to read a passage that's found in Luke, chapter 14 that talks about something that we call discipleship, right? It's learning not simply to be a believer, but learning how to be a follower of Jesus. Because it's not simply the doctrine you believe, it's the person you're following, right? And so we want to be able to follow Jesus. So would you do me a favor? Let's stand and we're going to read together. I'll read the first sentence and then I'm going to ask you to join me from the second verse and it says, a large crowd was following Jesus and then he turned around and said to them, what? Let's read. Ready? Begin. If you want to be my disciple, you must by comparison, hate everyone else, your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even your own life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:39]:

Otherwise you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. Now, if we reading this, and if you've never read this before, or if you've read it before, I'm going to assume it's a pretty challenging verse, right? Because it's saying some things that go against the grain, probably for all of us, right? Because one of the things that we want to do is we want to love our father and mother and we want to honor them. We want to love our spouse or our kids or our friends or our brothers and sisters. This is natural, right? And so he's not saying and we're going to see this thing that how Jesus employs and the Bible often will employ a literary device. Jesus is employing this called hyperbole. Now, we want to say that at the same time, he is intentionally trying to create tension, right? He is intentionally bringing something to the forefront that challenges, I think, everyone. And it's because at times we get too comfortable and we don't realize that there needs to be a reset and a reshifting in the way we do life, the way we do relationships, the way we see ourselves, and sometimes the way that we see God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:59]:

And so sometimes there needs to be a little bit of comfort and sometimes there needs to be a little bit of challenge, right? So do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and says, you can get both comfort and challenge, and then you can have a seat. Yeah, you can get both comfort and challenge. We need both. And so Jesus said it like this, and you can have a seat. And he says that you've heard that it was said love your neighbor and hate your enemy. You know who said love your neighbor? Jesus said, love your neighbor. But it's a common thing, he says, to love your neighbor.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:35]:

But this is the part that culture said, love your neighbor and what? Hate your enemy? To be honest, you don't need anybody to tell you that because that's probably the natural inclination. We tend to like those who like us, and we tend to not like those who don't like us, right, or the people who hurt you or the people who are really opposed to you, who kind of make your life hard. We're tending our tendency is to not have favorable feelings to them, right? So this is the way the world works, right? And so he's saying, you've heard about this saying, right? But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, right? So Jesus, when he says this, this is uncomfortable to them, right? Because he's saying, you know how naturally that person that talks stink behind your back, that makes your life hard, that slow walks your requests at work, and those things that sometimes we like the people who like us and sometimes you don't like the people who don't like you, he's saying, I want you to love those people. Somebody who persecutes you, somebody who belittles you, somebody who targets you, that I want you to love them. That's uncomfortable because it's not natural, right? And Jesus will often challenge the natural status of things. And this is what he's doing when he calls them. He says that, you want to be my disciple? You must, by comparison, hate everyone else. Does God want you to hate everybody? No, he doesn't.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:07]:

But he says in comparison, which means this it's the priority of love. Jesus said it like this in other places. What is the first and the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength? And then he says this. The second is like it love your neighbor as yourself, right? So Jesus doesn't mind that you have more than one love. What he says is priority. He says, love God first. Now, why is that? Because if not so often, you know who we love first? We love me first, right? We love me first. And so he's saying that's why he says, if you do not carry your cross and follow me, he doesn't say that I won't like you to be my disciple.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:00]:

He doesn't say that. He says you cannot be my disciple. In other words, when I make my world first, when I make my judgment first, when I say I don't care what God says, this is the way I'm going to do it. He's saying when you do that, that you're not acting like a disciple. You cannot follow because you are leading, right? And so he's challenging that very core. And he's saying that so often what you want to do and I do, naturally, is that today, probably the most kind of accepted form of idolatry in the United States is not going to be witchcraft or all these other things. It is out there. And there is this kind of paganism and wiccas and all this kind of wiccan and all that stuff that's out there.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:49]:

But probably the most accepted idolatry today is my family because we put family above all else. And God has said it's not that you don't love your family. He just says, you know what? Your family can't give you eternal life. Your family can't be your savior. Your family didn't make you. I made you. And so he's saying this if you want to love your family property, he says this, love me first. You need a priority, right? Because otherwise we do everything for our family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:21]:

And then what we say is that there's nothing left for us to serve and love God. And so he's saying these things. I don't know about you, but it challenges me, right? It challenges me when my kids were small, right, as my kids are growing up, there's times where it's like, man, the most natural thing. You would just give your life for them, right? And then they act out and you say, well, maybe if they go, no, I'm kidding. But there's this aspect that naturally we do it. And he's saying, this is the love I want you to have for me. Why? So that I can empower you when you love. And you know what? I'm going to empower you to love not just simply those who already love you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:03]:

Going to empower you to love those who don't love you. I'm going to empower you to love beyond your ability. But it only happens when we place God first. And so we're in this place then, where he says about talking about the cost of following him. Now, we all probably know I hope you guys know that salvation is free, right? You can't earn your salvation, right? You can't pay for your salvation. You don't have to pay for your sins. But it's not that salvation is free in general. It's just free to you, right? Because it was so costly that God had to send his son bankrupt heaven to make that payment.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:49]:

Because he said that you couldn't pay it, I couldn't pay it. So Jesus paid the price. It's just free to us, right? But he's saying at the same time, but if you want to follow me, everything else costs. And why is that? It's because if you never had to do anything, you know what it would mean? You would never change if you never had to do anything and you wouldn't be responsible for it. Anybody that when you went to school, you never paid for any of your education, right? Anybody here, you never paid for any education. Parents paid for everything when I went to college, my parents paid for everything. When I went to my undergraduate, I partied hard the first few years. And there are times it's like I'm wondering, am I going to come back the next semester? I did, right? But you know, when I went to seminary and I had to pay for all my own classes, I went to every class because I'm paying for it, right? Something happens because everything costs in life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:02]:

And I think we need to remember everything costs in life. Everything costs. It's not saying you got to pay for your salvation or anything. It says it like this in Philippians. It says you have to work out your salvation. You don't pay for your salvation, but you have to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And so how we live out this salvation, at times it will cost us it costs us to do nothing. And sometimes it costs us to do something.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:35]:

Sometimes it's appropriate to do nothing, and sometimes it's appropriate to do something. But I will say it like this. If you should do something and you do nothing, it will cost you more to do nothing. If you should do nothing and you do something, it will cost you more to do something, right? If you probably saw it on the way in, you saw our beautiful new $11 million or whatever billion dollar rail system right out there. Did you guys know that this rail system was started the idea for rail started in the 70s, right? Started in the 70s. We had a mayor called Frank Fosse. Some of you guys are old enough to remember him, but we never did it. And then different things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:28]:

And then we never did it, and then different things, and we never did it. And so, you know, this rail system is old because right now it ends at the stadium, aloha Stadium, where at one time we used to have football games and parties and concerts and all that. You know what they do there now besides swap meet? I don't really know. But there's nothing there, right? Because it was planned so long ago. Delay just raised the price. When there's time to act, it's cheaper to pay now, but everything costs. If we're really honest, yesterday, whatever you did, just think about what you did yesterday. Some of you guys think, oh, man, I had a great day at the beach.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:15]:

We had brunch, whatever it is that some of you are like, oh, man, I had work every day cost you something. You know what it cost you? Your life. Every day last week. You know what it cost you? Your life. In other words, this you're never getting that week back. You're never getting that day back. Every day, though, every day you pay one day at a time. Does that make sense? And I don't mean it to be like a bummer or anything like that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:44]:

It's just that the reality is every day you live, you invest your life for whatever it is you did, and you don't get that back. You can make changes the next day, right? We can learn. Everybody can learn. But everything you do costs. Everything you do costs. The things you do cost. The things you don't do costs. And so there are times we need to forecast ahead and make a change.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:10]:

He says it like this in Proverbs 20 712, a prudent person what? Let's read that. Foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes on and suffers the consequences. This aspect of forecasting, hey, what happened on Maui? Maybe there was changes that could have been made, but I don't think anybody forecasted that it would be like that. But we're also in hurricane season, and so I hope you've taken some precaution, right? Hope you have a little bit of sack of water in your house just in case. We live on an island, right? I hope you have canned food or whatever, food that can be eaten and stuff like that, right? I had a generator I bought from a while back, and I took it out recently and I wanted to start it up. And then I remembered, oh, shoot, I forgot to drain the gas the last time. So right now it doesn't start.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:10]:

So I got to go clean this thing out and get this thing fixed, right? Why? Because I don't want to wait. Like, knowing right now I have a newer generator, but it's a big paperweight, and if the power goes out, what will happen? I will suffer the consequences. And so the thing is, sometimes you think we can say God is punishing me. And can I just say this? God derives no joy in people to just punish people for their sins. So much more often we are punished by our sins. Does that make sense? Because if I just put it off, put it off, put it off, put it off. I never get that thing fixed. I never get it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:56]:

The line cleaned out and all of that change out some things. What will happen is I will pay the consequences should the power go out, right? And so that's the thing. So he's saying, what, it's cheaper to get it done now? Don't delay. Right? That's what he's saying. Because otherwise we suffered a consequence. And then he says this in one Corinthians 16 nine. Let's read what that says. For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:29]:

And for some of us, we think that when God opens the door of blessing, god opens the door for impact, then there should be no problems. If you believe that there will be many doors that God has opened for you that you just refuse to walk through, it's going to be a door for promotion. It's going to be a door for richer relationships. How many of you guys know for you to have richer relationships? A deeper experience means at times that you accept that you can get hurt, right? Isn't that true? But if you don't ever want to be hurt, then just don't love anybody, because to love someone one day will hurt you. I'm sorry, right? We have family that father in law passed away. We loved him dearly. To love him meant that when he passed, we hurt. But it also means that it made space for God's comfort as well, right? So here's the thing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:39]:

We love this part where he says, open a wide door for work is open to me. But we don't like the second part. And there are adversaries. Why is that? Because even to embrace the good things of God cost us sometimes. If you got married as a blessing of God, how many of you feel like your marriage is a blessing from God? Right? Let's just give the Lord let's say thank you. If you're next to your spouse, just tell me. Just tell them you're a blessing from God. And some of you are saying that by faith, right? So I know not performance, but you're saying it by faith.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:17]:

But it is. But it costs you something in the process, right? We would be crazy to think that there's no cost to marriage. There is a cost, but what we all say is that the blessings outweigh the cost, right? And so we see this aspect that everything costs, everything costs. So we just want to pay the right costs, right? We don't want to have to pay unnecessary costs, right? And so this is why we have to think through changes before we need them, right? We need to think through changes before we need them. We're in a process as a church family that we're having to think through some costs before we need them. And I had to think through some personally some costs before I need them. You guys heard me say I changed a mailbox at my house, and I did. And.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:09]:

I told my wife I'm going to change it. I bought the mailbox before she left. She saw it in the garage. But I'm the kind of guy that I can start something and not finish those kinds of things, right. So, like wives, do you guys ever look at your husband? When are you going to finish that? I hear that. I understand. Right. So I told my wife, I'm going to get it done.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:29]:

I read the box, I look at the stuff. I got all my tools out. My wife wasn't home. She was still in Japan. And then so I got it all ready. And then I went to first take off the old mailbox and should take like five minutes, right? How many of you guys know that the five minute job sometimes just takes hour and 25 minutes or whatever it is because the screws all came out except one. Right? So there's one screw, and so is that going to stop me? No, it's not going to stop me. If I can't get the screw out, I'll just do this on the mailbox, and you just throw it on the side and it's just like a piece of it's like bent and all that stuff, and it's torn and it's just trash right on the side.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:13]:

And I can take out the other screw. Then I go open the box. Brand new, beautiful, heavy duty mailbox. Costs more than I think a mailbox should cost. But it's a locking mailbox. We had a locking mailbox, all that. And then I looked for the mounting plate because it's a kind of architectural mailbox where we live. And then it said, please note mounting plate not included.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:45]:

What? I thought I read that earlier. Right. It's like, mounting plate not included. It's going to take me three weeks to get a new mounting plate, and I just trashed the old mailbox. So what do you do in a moment like that? Say, Sorry, honey, no mail for the next three weeks. Right. But no, what are you you just jury rig something. So I had a pile of lumber, you know the lumber that wives that you say, why do you have all those extra pieces of wood exactly for a moment like that, right.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:16]:

So I had a two x eight or a two x six. I just measured, cut to, and then I used that as the mounting plate. And it looks beautiful now, right? It's all done. Right. But here's the thing. If I had prepared properly, I would have had the right mounting plate. I thought I did. But I had some assumptions, right? I had some assumptions that everything's in the box to move, and sometimes not everything's in the box.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:43]:

Here's the thing. That where we've been as a church for the last three years. You know what it takes to open up and have service on Saturday night, turn off the alarm, roll up the gate, unlock the door, turn on the electricity, turn on the AC, power all of the equipment, and we're ready. That's what it takes to do service on Saturday. On Sunday, it's a lot more because we set up three tents outside in hospitality. If you have ever been with us when we were portable, that is absolutely nothing compared to what we used to do. In some ways, that's really nice, right? Some ways that's really nice. But we're going to be portable again.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:37]:

And sometimes if we operating under the assumption it's just going to turn on the lights, turn on the AC, and then we're good to go, it's going to be like me in the mailbox, right? We have trucks. We have trucks. Some of us have asked, Where are the trucks? I don't see the trucks on the street today. Those trucks have driven you know how much we've driven those trucks over the last three and a half years? Probably about 75, 100 yards a weekend over the last three and a half years. They turn on, they run and all that, but I wanted to make sure are those trucks ready to haul stuff and move stuff so they're in the shop? Because when I drove the truck, I realized it shouldn't feel like I'm doing leg presses when I stick press the brake. You know what I mean? And I was like, you guys ever drive this guy? You go like, you're nervous? I'm going to stop, right? And I was just thinking, we got to get this thing serviced. They looked at it. This is what they told me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:42]:

There was no brake fluid in the brake line. No wonder I'm pressing so hard, right? And the last thing we do is we want to invest. It costs a little bit, right? It costs a few thousand to fix. But is that cheaper or more expensive than an accident? It's cheaper, isn't it? Like, regardless of what it costs, right? And so we have to invest, but we have to prepare. So some of us, this is what happens. You guys ever not pay attention to what you eat or you haven't exercised? And now you want to exercise, and now it's going to be a big change. What do they say? Please consult who your physician, right? To just make sure you can handle the change in the diet. Please consult your physician.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:36]:

Why? Because they want you to be prepared before you undergo something strenuous. That's what we're asking all the ministry leaders to do. Because you might have an assumption it's going to be like this, but if we don't have something, just go in the back, just go upstairs, just look in the thing. But this is what we're doing. Are there areas in your life God's asking you and preparing you for change that you need to just kind of take a look? Because it's going to change a cycle for you. It's going to change the way you do things. And sometimes when you open a new branch or when you start a new project, it's all of a sudden these things are changing. So we take stock of what we can do.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:18]:

We try to forecast, we try to do all that we can. So now here's the thing. We want to do the best that we can, but we want to do it in a way that preserves people. Because in the past, if you went we had a ton of setup when we were there, we are not asking to do the same thing that we used to do at the university. Why? One university was just hard because it was on the second floor. We had a beautiful ballroom, but it was on the second floor and it was one elevator. And we have all this equipment we have to move up and the buildings were super far apart. And for kids and all that kind of stuff, this is a much easier facility.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:06]:

The setup will be much less than we used to do at the university, but it's way more than what we've been doing for the three and a half years. So here's the thing. It's going to cost us a little bit. It's not going to be hard compared to what we used to do, but how many of you have been in the gym and then you start lifting and you go like, when I was younger, I used to do. Yeah, that's used to do. Right. So it's going to cost us. But here's one of the things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:34]:

We just want to make sure there's a rotation, right? We don't want some guys mad. It's like just going to grind it out. No, if you can, would you join us? Like in some kind of rotation sometimes it might be moving a little bit of tables, it might be pushing a cart, might be moving some stuff around. It's not going to be back breaking work. But you know what? You get 100 people doing one thing versus one guy trying to do 100, it's way easier. Kind of like just get a rotation. In the last service, there were some guys said, hey, man, I'm joining the team, right? So God bless you guys. Can we say thanks to all those folks who've just joined in the team? I had guys text me in the past, but we're prepping, right? But it's going to be challenging.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:14]:

It's going to be challenging just because we haven't done it in a little bit and there's a learning curve and we'll get there again. But here's the thing I try to do whenever I talk to people who have kind of like big life change things, is I say this, let's define the win before that time. Right? And then what does that mean? Because let's say now when I first did weddings, and when I do weddings today, how many of you guys have noticed it's different, right? Because nowadays, weddings are mixed with Disneyland. There's all this stuff that goes on sometimes with pre parties and you need lasers. I don't know what they're doing sometimes. I've seen some pretty elaborate setups, right? I've done the wedding in the park. I've done some weding with some of us here in this room on the beach, just you and them. And it was, like, beautiful.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:10]:

Maybe some family. And then I've done them at Four Seasons, and it costs, like, ungodly amount of money, but it's beautiful, right? But here's the thing, regardless. What's the commonality at the end of the day? Your husband and wife. That's the win. So I try to tell the couples, like, hey, I know you have all this stuff, and you have this caterer, and you have all this thing, but what happens if the cake doesn't come out or the flower guy doesn't do his job or the photographer or whatever it is? We have to count the win. Those things are all nice. Let's plan the best that we can. You guys are planned the best you can.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:52]:

Sometimes they hire coordinators and do all that stuff. But if at the end of the day, you are Mr. And Mrs. Isn't that the win? Right? Because you got to know the win. Everything else is gravy, right? And so that's the whole part. Sometimes I see people now when they have children, they do stuff we never did. Gender reveal. What is that? Right? I never had that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:16]:

Do you know when the gender reveal was when we were in the doctor's office and you saw the ultrasound? That's that gender reveal, like, oh, okay, there's nothing there. It's a girl. Okay, there's something over there. Oh, it's a boy. That's gender review in the past. Now you got to have this big party, and you got to make all these boxes, and it's supposed to be surprise and whatever color balloons and all this kind of stuff, right? It's different, right? But this is my definition of a successful pregnancy. Healthy baby, healthy mommy, right? It's successful, right? So sometimes we have to kind of cut through all the things and just what's success. Sometimes this is what holds us back from sharing our faith with those around us, because we think this is what it means to be successful.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:04]:

Oh, I need Jesus. Can I pray with you? You think that's success? That's awesome. We want that, obviously, but that's not how God counts success. In Isaiah, he says this, that my word that proceeds from my mouth, that it will accomplish everything that I send it out to do. Sometimes it's not the fact that they respond at that moment. It's like sometimes that's planting a seed. Sometimes it's watering a seed and all that. So we used to come up this was our definition for success, when we would train folks as we train folks to share their faith.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:46]:

It's just take the initiative. Take the initiative. In the power of the spirit, not your flesh, not your power. You don't have to convince them. You don't have to win an argument. Just take the initiative and in the power and love of the Spirit, share your faith. Sometimes that means pray for people. Sometimes that means share your testimony.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:07]:

Sometimes it's ask them a question, hey, what are your thoughts on God and the whole thing? And let them talk and listen, whatever it is. But you just take the initiative. And this is what we do. We leave the results to God. If that success, to be honest, a lot more people will share their faith, because you're not commissioned to decide the outcome of that. That's God's job. Our job. He just said, Tell him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:35]:

He just said love him. He just said serve him. Sometimes that's what it looks like. And so when you're thinking about change, maybe it's like what Samuel said in the Old Testament. What is God calling you to do? Be successful, make everything work, have no problems. No, that's not what he's asking you to do. How hard you work, how much sacrifice you got to put in. No, he says this in one Samuel 15.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:06]:

Let's read what it says. Does the Lord delight in burn offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice. The reality is, God just wants you to obey Him. But sometimes if we're not careful, we think it's all the bells and whistles. It's how much I do what I'm doing. It's like every meeting I go to and all that, and there are meetings and things that are necessary to prep, but God really wants just your obedience. I was reminded of this that when I first became a believer. It happened in college.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:42]:

I was in my senior year in college, and I did the six year program. There's a six year program out there, you know what it's called? Party for the first few years, that's what. So I was on the six year program, and before that, I could have graduated, but I came to know the Lord, and I wanted to grow and all this stuff, and so I did. My life totally changed. But before that, my whole life was like, pretty far from God, and my relationships were pretty far from God's standard, right? And so when I got saved, all that changed. I just realized, wow, I got to honor God. And then I got reconnected with a girlfriend and all this stuff. And then all of a sudden, I was back to where I was in terms of the way I was operating relationships.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:38]:

It wasn't what God wanted, and I felt convicted, but I felt helpless to kind of break out of that. But I was still pursuing the Lord, and I was still going to church, and there were these speakers would come down, and they'd do conferences, and they do kind of like special speaking engagements. I would always go. And I remember one day I got in a car and I was driving to this thing, and I was excited to go hear this guy. You'd listen to him on the radio? We used to listen on the radio. Not before. In the old days, before podcasts and streaming and all that. They actually had this thing called a radio.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:18]:

So I used to listen to this guy, he was coming from San Diego, and I was driving, and as I'm driving, I hear the voice of the Spirit. So clearly that said, glenn, why are you going there to listen to this guy when you cannot even obey me? And it's like the spirit of God just cut me right open. And I knew exactly what he was talking about, because I was afraid. Because I was afraid if I had this conversation with this person that it would drive them further from the Lord. Even though what we were doing wasn't bringing them any closer to God, it was probably doing the opposite. But I felt like, Lord, but if we're not together, then who's going to witness to her? And sometimes, to be honest, we get in the way of the Holy Spirit, what he's trying to do. You don't have to lay down your life for them. You don't have to figure it out, convince them, do all that stuff.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:22]:

You just got to obey Jesus. I turned around and I made a slow walk up the stairs, and I got to the door, and she was like, wow, that was fast. Like what happened? I said, we need to talk. And she just said, I know. She didn't really know the Lord yet. She said, I know. I see the struggle in you. I know.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:53]:

And you know something I thought was going to be super messy and emotional and planty tears and then her too. It was easier than I had imagined, because sometimes what happens is when we delay obedience, it just turns into simply disobedience. And so God made a way for that, right? And so today, I don't know about you, but is there just a place that God's not asking you to go do change the world, go do all those things? He's asking you, can you obey me? Because that's the best preparation to embrace the change. And, you know, she became a believer and she got married. We're still friends today, right? Her son is a missionary in India right now. I was the first person who babysat that boy. I have no idea why she entrusted that baby to me, because I had nothing to do with kids, but because she knew that I wanted to do right. She understood that when Jesus changed me, I wanted to embrace the change.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:09]:

And all that means, let's be close to Jesus and follow Him. Amen. Why are we going to Kapolei? Better obey than sacrifice, right? Is it everything going to be perfect. We hope it's great as possible. But is there going to be some opposition? Probably. When you serve the Lord and you follow Him, and sometimes there's a little bit of trouble. Please do not dig up in fear what you buried in faith, right? Because sometimes you just go, oh, my gosh, there's trouble. It's like, you know what? You know where the solution is.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:49]:

Move forward, right? Just move forward. Just obey, and God will make the way. Amen. Spar heads. We're closing. A word prayer. Father, we're grateful that you don't ask us to pay for salvation. We're so thankful we received it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:11]:

Maybe there's some of you today you just receive it. Hey, in your heart, would you just tell the Lord today, god, I need you today. I recognize that I've been so far from you. I need you today. Would you come fill me with Your presence? Come live inside me. Jesus. Thank you. That for dying in My place.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:37]:

I want to follow you. I give you my heart today. You say that to him? He hears you. He'll change you. He'll take you. If you prayed that right now, would you know he heard you. But there's some of us, we already know that, and we already know Him. But this Holy Spirit is saying to you I need you to obey me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:03]:

And you fill in the blank. And if your heart's going like this right now, that's probably the sign that's God. And if you're here and you're saying, God, I get it, I get it. That's you. It's not the message. It's not Glenn saying it. It's you saying it. I get it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:25]:

I'll obey you. I'll make the turnaround. If that's you, just raise your hand to God. Just say god. I get it. I know it's not me. Father. I thank you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:35]:

The most beautiful thing in the world at times is when we make that turnaround, when we trust You, Lord, that we've been afraid, we've been nervous. It's hard. We get it. But would you just empower your people? Not just simply to believe you, but to obey you? And we're thankful, Lord, that that's where we become more and more like Jesus. And we need that today. Empower your people. Comfort, strengthen and renew today. Thank you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:08]:

We find it in you. In Jesus name. God's. People say amen. Hey, God bless you guys. Thanks for joining us.