Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:

Thanks, Jasmine. Hey. Good evening, everybody. Good to see you guys. Hey. Looks like we have some great food for even after the gathering. If you're watching on Sunday, I'm sure you have food at home. So, you know, but, yeah, I do wanna say thank you again everybody for, what a phenomenal, a, 24th anniversary, this is one of the things I realized, which I knew before, but we have some awesome cooks in the house.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:24]:

Us, there were some awesome desserts. There were some awesome, main dishes and side dishes. I I love the pulled pork sandwiches, and there was this delicious looking ribs, but I didn't get any. That's alright. But if you guys got it, I'd I'd you know, more power to you. But, we had all that kind of stuff. But also, you guys like surprises? Some of you guys like surprises. Oh, not very many.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:48]:

That's how I felt last week. But, because at 10 o'clock, I thought we were totally I knew what everything was happening. It's the 3rd service, and so I we already had 2. And, and this worship was done, and and so, announcements is gonna happen. They're moving, and then I see Jasmine kinda wave, the guys away say, hey. Wait. We're not quite done. And then I go, what is she doing? That's what I was thinking.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:13]:

But then that's a common thing I end up saying myself. Up. But, but then after they started to play this song, which is the the first special that we ever did when we started our 1st service 24 years a called testify to love. And JC was there, kinda the dancing design dancing to the thing, and it's like, as as they're playing, it's like I'm just weeping. I'm weeping. It's like kinda like the Hana Bona coming out a little bit. It's like you're thinking, man, I'm grateful, but you get like, I'm so surprised. It's not like I can be prepared, and I gotta get up, and I gotta speak after that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:48]:

But but some of you guys know that it's just that sometimes it's it reminds me of of how it was when we started. It reminds me of the heart we had when we started. It reminds me of the fact that I just if, you know, like, how many of you guys you like to be right? Anybody here like to be right? Yeah. I like to be right too. I I like to be right. I and and sometimes my my wife says that's the I have have the spiritual gift of being right all the time. No. But she doesn't say.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:14]:

It feels like that. That but the thing is that, you know what? We sang this song. They sang this song. Chad, the team, they did a phenomenal job, called testify to love. And it was just to say that, you know, if if at the core of my life that I I would like to be known as somebody, of course, who at least didn't know what they're talking about. Right? That we, can can talk about the word of God, and we can talk about, the journey of life together. But more than that, if I could be known as somebody who loved, a If I could be somebody known as somebody and because not because that's what I'm not that's not what I pushed on social media, but that's what I lived. And that's what that song talks about because I would read a reflection of what I've received.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:58]:

And I and my my my hope for each of us is that we would each be election of what we receive from God, that we would receive it, but it would also change us. It would transform us. And and so that's what we did last week. And I think can we just say thanks to everybody who had a part in that? Thank you so much. You guys phenomenal. And, you know, tomorrow, we'll do this in Kapolei and the 1st time in three and a half years that we will do this in Kapolei. And sometimes, when you do something that you haven't done in a little while, how many of you guys know that you you don't realize sometimes the little things that you forgot? Right? That the the little things that oh, yeah. Shoot.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:40]:

We used to do this. And and, sometimes the things that you get used to having right here, if we don't have it, then we just go around the corner. We just go in the back. We just go up in an office, and we can get that, but we'll be separated by 7 miles. So the thing is that we have to kinda think ahead and all that. And so, we understand that if you've ever been through a renovation project, Jake, sometimes before it looks better, it's a little bit kinda messy in the process. And so, even if you're here in person, Saturday night or you're watching online, at home on Sunday, but you'll come and join us, would you know that we're not expecting that that the 1st service is to be, like, all perfect and and everything. That might that's not my goal.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:26]:

My goal is that we would do the best that we can with what we have. And and that what when I think about it is I think about how it was when we, first moved into our house in Kapolei, we were living in Waikele in an apartment, rented. Rent back then, it was a nice 2 bedroom apartment. Rent was 9.50. I was getting paid $1,000 a month at a I managed really well. No. No. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:57]:

No. But, because I had an outside job. Right? And And so I was doing outside sales, but that's what they paid me. And then it's like just like, man, it don't even cover that any electricity and all that, but we had a great place. Us, and and then we came that that that season where we were ready to buy. We moved into, into Kapolei before we ever started the church, us, and that was helpful that the the help of family and the fact that I had a good paying job, at that time. And so when we moved into the house, we went from I'm a 4 from a 2 bedroom townhouse, to a 4 bedroom house. And so how many of you guys know that it looked really sparse when you you you move in.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:37]:

Right? And it's like we had a nice dining table in Waikele. You know why? Because a That was the landlords. So they had a nice dining table and chairs, and when we moved into our house, literally, we took the boxes us, and put particle board over it, and we put a cloth over it, and that was our dinner table. As we sat, you know, kinda local style at the table, like the low table, and we ate. And, you know, even though it might not have looked as as it could look later, as it did look later, that we were super excited. It not because everything a was perfect, but because it we rejoice to see the new season. We rejoice to receive the blessings of God. And in the same way, today, I I hope that we're ready to receive blessings things from God, we're ready to start new seasons.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:33]:

And if it seems small, this is what the Lord says in Zephaniah 4 10. He says, do not despise small beginning. Some of you guys ever made a beginning make a change and you go like, it's not fast enough. Right? It's not it's not big enough. I was praying, I was asking my daughter, hey. What is because she's in a purse circle, and I just said, what is it you wanna do? And she said, a 200% increase in pay. I said, we can pray for that. Might not all happen one time.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:59]:

Right? But, and I said, but here's the thing, but sometimes we a oh my gosh. She was joking, really that when she said that, I think. But here's the thing is that sometimes it doesn't happen as fast as you want. It does not as big as you want, but a but let's just say, hey. Let's rejoice to see the work begin. You know, it takes you know why you rejoice to see the work begin? Because by faith, you understand that when it takes 1 step, that then the increase is the sky's the limit because it's whatever god wants to do. And so that it takes eyes of faith when you see that. Now, sometimes we have, people who are are in in the midst of doing something and there's a lot of stuff going on and that we you know, we're we're gonna have a lot of different teams us tomorrow, they have been making, adjustments that they've been planning and preparing and, especially technical guys, a sound guys, video guys, other kind of technical background stuff, worship team people, thinking about, like we never had to move drums back and forth for three and a half years.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:05]:

We never had to bring keyboards and do all that kind of stuff. Like, we're gonna have to do again. Now we're gonna have to start moving and loading trucks and getting trucks prepped and all that, but, you know, it the reason why do we do it because it would take more work, but I I really believe it's because if if you wanna reach people, you gotta go where they are. Right? And and there's just way more people in that area. And so I I think it takes a vision to move there. But but we also it takes effort to do that. And so sometimes we don't make the changes, I think, that God calls us to do because we get comfortable. You guys ever get comfortable? Right? It's just it's just easy.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:49]:

It's just easy like this. It's just you get comfortable. We get set in our ways. And for some of us, the thing, you know, that, even if you you we the the future could be much greater, but because you're not sure about it and you you get used to this thing, sometimes we don't even change. So sometimes comfort, gum comfort can be good, a but complacency is a killer. Right? And so, you've probably all seen people who've gotten stuck. Maybe you felt stuck in the past, people who felt trapped, people who feel unable to move forward, and and, you know, it's not a function of age. It's sometimes it's just kinda what you've been through.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:28]:

I've talked to 18 20 year olds who have felt like it's too late for them. Right? Now it might sound funny to some of us here today. Like, because if yours is an 18 or 20 year old says, man, I I I've just blown it through a life already, and it's too late for me. What would you tell that person? You're just getting started, my friend. 18, 20. I mean, it's like, don't worry worry about it. Right? You have a lot of time to make, to make the change, but does it feel like that for them? No. It doesn't.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:59]:

Right? Because they're already wrestling with some the consequences of their choices. And and I understand that because we're all free to choose, but none of us are free to have no consequences for our choices. Right? And so sometimes those consequences come, and you get stuck. And it doesn't matter if you're 18 or 38 or 58 or 88. But aren't you glad that God he he says yes. You you're not you don't escape the consequences, but would you know that I can still bring change, a that I can still bring, I can still bring goodness. I can still bring, a healing. I can still bring, a blessing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:36]:

I remember that when I first came to Christ, I was 21 years old. Going into my senior year, actually, in August is when I August 6 was the day I I gave my heart to Jesus, August 6. And I remember that at Kaikendo Hall, on the 4th floor, at the University of Hawaii and sitting in this room because my coworker, that I worked with at the College of Business, I used to work in the student services us, the college of business kept inviting me to come to this Christian meeting, and she would always ask me, and I might I would roll my eyes, and I would make up some I'm like stupid excuse. So I cannot. I gotta meet my friends. I cannot you know, whatever the reason, and I just got tired. She would keep asking, and this is the girl. Sometimes you hear me talk about the fact that, like, I would get into arguments because she would bring stuff up, like, about, you know, about God, and I it's like, wow.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:35]:

Really? God? And what about this? And I I said, what about the dinosaur bones? What about this? And all this kind of stuff. And I made her cry, but she kept inviting me to come and join her. And some of you that you guys have people like that in your life that they you invited them, you try to share Jesus with them and they kinda come back and bite you a little bit. Right? They bite your head off a little bit. They give you attitude a little bit. Right? That Arlene is her name. Right? And, she she's come to church, and whenever she's come, I've always invited this is the person this is the person and there's the reason why I'm a believer. And you know what she would say? Stop saying that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:17]:

She would say, stop saying that. It's embarrassing. I said, you know why I say it? Because it's true. Because you kept reaching out to me. You kept loving me when I was treating you bad and that you didn't care if I I would make mock you or whatever. That's why I tell everybody because it was a real person, Right? Who really kinda took some licks and and kept inviting me. And so why did I go? Because I just this was my strategy. A I went to Kai Keno Hall on the 4th floor because my strategy was this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:55]:

I will go once, and then I can tell her I tried it, and it's not for me. Right? So thanks, but no thanks. I went already. Right? You know what the problem was when I went? I gave my heart to Jesus that night. That was the whole new problem. Right? So, otherwise, my strategy wouldn't work perfect, but but it didn't. It I, God moved. It was all I can say.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:16]:

It was the move of God. It was the furthest thing I would never have imagined. I early, remember, they were standing and singing songs, which I'd never really heard songs like this before, and this is what I was thinking when I Sitting there. I gotta get out of this place. This is weird. This this that's all I started thinking. You know? And to be honest, that's probably sign of the enemy, enemy's activity in my life at that time. Right? And and so when we sat and this guy who was sharing the gospel from a simple presentation, they they broke up.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:50]:

The the guys who were new never had any exposure to explain the gospel. And I had so many objections, and I just said, well, what about this and what about that? A cannot believe like you, and he said said this, well, you don't have to believe like me. That the Bible says that to each is given a measure of faith. You gotta just believe like you, and a oh, jeez. Is the guy a salesman over here? No. But but the thing is at the end at the end, I just when he said, would you like to pray to receive Jesus. And I had said, no. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:18]:

No. No. Not I'm not ready. Not ready. Not ready. But as he shared the word of God, this is all I could think. God, if this us, Israel, if you are real, I will do what it takes. And I prayed a prayer that was along the lines what we might say, you know, lord Jesus, I need you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:36]:

Thank you for dying on the cross in my place. But really, I said those words, but really, the the thought of my heart was just to say, god, if you're really there, If you're really there, you really do love me, you really do, understand me, then I'll do what it takes. And I remember opening my eyes and thinking that he had touched me. He'd done something to me when my eyes were open because I felt different. It's like I felt lighter literally. And I actually asked them to say, hey. Did you do something thing when we were praying. Because, no.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:09]:

Well, I'm like, what? I I don't know. It's like because I feel different. And and it was from that moment That that I I pursued the Lord and that my life changed. And and, you know, in in the middle of all those things, God began to reveal himself. And it happened in a heavy season in my life because a lot of you guys know that my brother was, wrestling with cancer, and it was, he'd been really kinda the prognosis was 3 months initially, because it was very rare form of cancer. Had been all spread all over his body and, but he lived about two and a half years, and so we were about the 2 year mark at that point. A little bit, little bit more. I mean, a little less than 2 years.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:53]:

And so He was just he was actually doing his best at that point, but during the fall, it just started getting worse and a Worse and worse. And and it became evident that this was kinda like the move toward the end, and we'd be praying for him. And And so I left school, and it was in those moments that as a new believer, my parents were saying, no. No. No. Don't leave school. What are you doing? Just keep just go finish us because you're you're almost done. Right? And and I said, no.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:24]:

No. No. No. I it's like, I don't feel like I have to. You don't they said you don't have to do this. He said, you guys don't understand. It's not that I have to. So I want to.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:33]:

Right? And I want to. And so, I spent every night, watching my brother. And, It was like, when he was in the hospital, I would be over there every night. And you know what I would be doing every night? Is I would my bible. And I would read and I would pray, and it was like and that was the place that I kinda cut my teeth as a believer where I was learning that to seek God in a and it was a dark and heavy time, and he passed away later. But you know what? God revealed himself in greater and greater a And and so it it it was just the joy of Jesus in comfort of Jesus us in the middle of the darkest time. But in some ways, I look back. It was also like one of the best of times.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:20]:

You guys know what I mean? And and so everything I did, and when we went back to school, the next fall, up I told my friend that we're roommates, a bunch of us from from high school that we're still, you know, best friends and say, hey. Let's get an apartment together. And a So we went, we're in an apartment, and and I had become a believer. I'm sorry. We're one of those guys that, was there that, I had led to Christ, one of my friends, one of my classmates, as a new believer that, it's the kind like you ask to your friend, like, you you share your story, share your testimonies. Would you like to accept Jesus? And then he says yes, and you go like, oh, shocks. I never expected you're gonna say yes. I didn't know what to do.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:08]:

I didn't know what to say. A Right. Like, I I literally said that. What do they do in church? Okay. Everybody just bow our heads. That's all I said, and I just tried the best to repeat what the guy the pastor was saying. But, them, we wanted to get involved in a a college ministry at And when we did, I remember and then later on, they said, hey. If you guys are open, can you you guys wanna just welcome people? Like, when they come, and it's like, I was not like a welcoming a person before, like, I had a very unsmily face countenance back then.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:42]:

I used to get asked by my, my girlfriend at the time is like, is your your boyfriend doesn't like me. You go, why why do you say that? Because he looked I'm kinda mean like this. And that just kinda like my demeanor. I didn't think I was mean, but I just that was just kinda my thing. So when they asked me to to welcome people, I'm thinking, I don't know. Are you sure you want me to do that? Right? But the thing is that I started to change. I started to smile more. I had a greater sense of joy, and and so this is how I what I thought.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:15]:

Eddie, letting me greet. And then later on, then I was in a bible study, and this guy was training me. He says, hey. Would you like to lead a bible us. And this is what I thought. Wow. They let letting me lead a bible study. Right? And then later on, I went in staff, and and they let me speak.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:37]:

Right? And then I I talked to all those things. But you know what can happen over time is that it can get to, like I gotta lead 1 bible study today. You guys ever been in that kind of a place? I gotta, I gotta go greet or you know what I mean? It's it's so different. What's the difference? And when you lose us to wonder, when you lose the joy, sometimes life has a way of taking it out of you. Sometimes ministry has a way of taking it out interview. But but sometimes at that moment, you know what you gotta do? You gotta to reset, you gotta start again. You gotta start again. And sometimes the way we need to start again is we need to start again with Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:19]:

And I I wanted us to take a look at a passage this, this weekend in John chapter 3, and it's a pretty familiar passage to some. It's about a religious leader who who has been hearing about Jesus, has been seeing what he's done, and knows that God is with him. It's just that when he speaks, he's he's been a he's an older guy. He's a a a leader, one of 70 one a 70, religious leaders, one of the Pharisees, only 70 in the nation, these guys who had studied the scriptures, they believed in the power of God, But they didn't necessarily see the power of God. And so they believe because the word of God said it, but they never saw it because they didn't know how to operate it. And so when they saw Jesus, when he saw Jesus, something how does this guy do this? What what's happening? I see God, and I hear God through this guy who's like half his age maybe. And so it says in verse one of John chapter 3, we're gonna read this portion together. Would you be kind enough? Can we just stand in reverence for God and reverence for his word? And can we read this together? This is what it says.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:32]:

Let's read. Ready? Begin. There was a man named Nicodemus, a a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. And after 1 dark 1 evening, he came to speak with Jesus Jesus. Rabbi, he said. We all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you. And Jesus us, replied, I tell you the truth.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:57]:

Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. And so Nicodemus who knew everything in the scriptures, and he would have known the scriptures better than me or better than you, and he he understood. He came at night. You know, one of the things that that means is that generally, rabbis, they do all their teaching during the day, and so you come during the day. He comes at night. You know why? Because he doesn't want to be seen. He's a little embarrassed. I know I should know better.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:30]:

I I I don't wanna be, like, kinda, a like, seeing, asking Jesus questions. But you know the thing is sometimes you just gotta start over with Jesus. So do Do me a favor. Would you turn over turn to your neighbor and say, sometimes we just gotta start over with Jesus, and then you can have a seat. And so what does he say? You know what? You gotta be born again. And Nicodemus is stumped. Like, what are you talking about? I was 7 and a half pounds when I was born, and my mom said that was the worst pain in her life. I'm pushing a 175 now.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:04]:

And if I go up to my mom, she's gonna get away for me because you ain't getting back inside. Right? So that what are you talking about? He doesn't understand, and so Jesus clarifies, no. No. No. No. No. That's not what I'm talking about. He said, I'm not talking about a physical birth.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:19]:

I'm talking about a spiritual rebirth. And so Jesus goes on, and he says in verse 5, he says, I I assure you no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit. Speaking of the that that they did many baptisms in in in Jewish culture. One of the things that we don't you might not understand is that there were, many types of spiritual washings. And so when John the Baptist came on the scene and he told people, repent for the, for the forgiveness of your sins, people understood that there were these, these the pools that they call the mikvahs that and you find them all over Israel today. You you find it in in in all these excavations where people would go, and they would have this kind of a it's kind of ceremonial bathing and cleansing. And so that that and it was a sign of repentance. So he says that you you gotta be born not simply of water, not simply that not not just simply to repent, but God, the spirit has to do something.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:29]:

Right? That there is a precursor. Sometimes, yes, we have to turn from where we've been. But we need the activity of God because humans can only reproduce human life. Have you guys noticed that? How many of you guys that when you had a child that you guys had a puppy come out? Right? Nobody can. Right? No. Aren't you glad? Right? Right now, some of you guys like puppies, but that's alright. But, you can always buy 1, but you can get a free one. If you want a cat, just get free ones all over the place.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:55]:

Just come outside and get plenty free outside. All our cats. We've had many cats, all free because they just show up at the door. Kids, not so free. Right? It costs a lot more. But but here's the thing. It says that humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to what? A spiritual life. So don't be surprised when I say you must be born again.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:20]:

The wind blows wherever it wants just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can explain how the people of, how people are born of the spirit. And, you know, when we're in this place and we're starting in a in a new location, there there's some that are excited, and I'm sure there's some that's not that excited, that, of of the move. You know, like, last week was the the close of our 8 o'clock gathering. And, You know, there there was a bunch of them there, and we just thank them for being so faithful at the 8 o'clock gathering. And, not only are we asking them to a shift of time, we're asking them to to shift, some some distance. It's not very far. Right? It's like 8 minutes. But there's people who are coming from town at times.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:12]:

And the initial when I had mentioned that, there's somebody says, I don't I don't know if we're, You know, I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to go, but, you know, the thing is we we talked about embracing change and and this aspect, and and the I spoke to her. Right? She said, you know what? It I just she just remembered that if God is leading, I just wanna go there. Wherever he's leading, I just I just wanna go there. No problem. It's 8 minutes. Right? It's 8 minutes more. So she asked me for gas money. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:45]:

I was kidding. She didn't. But but here's the thing is that when we're in this us kind of a place that we need to at times understand that we need to reset with Jesus because sometimes we get a little, we get so comfortable about where we've been or what we do. How many of you guys noticed that that right now where you sit, this is where you always sit every a week. Right? And how many of you guys ever ever come on a on a weekend and you go look and somebody else is sitting? Somebody else has the audacity to be us sitting in your chair. Right? And you're looking at them, and you don't wanna say that, but you just kinda look at them, and then they look at you us smile, and then you're thinking, are you sitting in my chair? And then they they're smiling back in you. Right? I've heard that. Right? People say, thank you that nobody actually says you're sitting in my chair because they realize there's way more seats.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:36]:

Right? But the thing is that that's the feeling. Right? Because we get used to that. Right? Or or you guys ever have somebody park in front of your house and that's where you normally our but it's on the street, it's not assigned parking. And then what do you think? Oh, brother, are you parking in my spot? Right? A you could just go, like, 10 feet, and it's it's the same. Right? But we we all get that way. And so us, sometimes Jesus says, you know what? Just let's restart with me. And how do you restart with him? I I think there's 3 things that maybe that I I can see that. Might be helpful.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:12]:

I I think the first is put on the attitude of a learner. A Put on the attitude of a learner. You know? I think all of us ought to be lifelong learners. Right? That that it's and And sometimes it's not just that you keep learning, new things, but sometimes when you return to something that you haven't done in a little bit, that It's like, when I I I did take judo for a while, when I was in the mainland. I I I was training for a little bit. And when I came here and he got married and we had kids and when my son was a little bit, when he was still young, I took him to judo. And, I didn't say, but I had a a colored belt. But I just you know which belt I wore when I went? I just used a white belt.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:03]:

You know why? Because I hadn't done it for a while, and I just know I would be embarrassed, to be honest. I just wanted to kinda like come on as a learner. Right? And so I just went as a learner, and I just put on the white belt. What does the white belt symbolize? Like, I'm just a beginner. Right? And and I think just this aspect of putting on your white belt. Do you guys have a white belt in your mind? Like, sometimes it's just, you know, I know that I know some things. I'm not saying that I I don't know anything, but that can we just put on the hat of a learner again? Because there's something the opposite of a learner. What is that? A know it all.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:46]:

That's right. You guys have any know it alls in your life? Right? Isn't that pleasant to have a know it all in your life? No. But, well, you know what's another person? It's not just a know it out, it's also the critic. Right? When he sees, you know what? They should be doing it. They did this, but they're like, they should be doing that. Right? I was like, the the mic is too close for this a you know, they they can critique, but to be honest, put on the put on the the belt of a learner. Put on the hat of a learner. And you know what you'll find is that you'll find that you get refreshed in Christ again.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:20]:

You find that you get refreshed in your spiritual walk again. In Proverbs 989 says this, so don't bother correcting mockers. You know, the critics, because they only hate you and correct, correct the wise, and what will happen? They'll love you. Why? Because they're learners. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Her, teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. And for us, we're not looking for perfection, but we are looking for progress. Us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:52]:

Right? We we wanna be able to do the best that we can with what we have. So for us to to see that, hey. There's gonna be some things maybe tomorrow that that won't be working exactly how we thought it would. Well, I I have no problem with that as long as we make some progress us over time. Right? We'll we'll we'll do the best that we can with what we have because we don't want to create a giant production. That is something that we're trying to do a little bit different. We're not trying to create a giant production that we have been in different seasons, But we want it to be the best environment for us to come to worship together, to seek the Lord together, to be able to, you know, pray with one another to be able to stand together, that we do want that. We do want it to be a place that that you could invite someone and not be embarrassed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:43]:

Right? But but some of those things is that, you know, we're trying to do that without too much work. Right? A So not to not to exhaust people. And so for us, this is the 3 most important things on a weekend. When we come to gatherings is we want people to be able to worship. Right? We want people to be able to hear the word of God. And, part of what that worship is I I put in their prayer too because we want people to pray prayer and worship, that kind of a thing. But generally as well, especially on Sundays, a is that we want there to be a space for kids. Right? So that if you you have kids, you bring your kids.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:23]:

There's a place for them. Then that there's there's resources us for them. We that's the 3 main things. And so, you know, if we do those things, then then I think that's, you know, that that's enough for for now. And you know what? Over time, it'll get better. Over time, it'll improve. Over time, there'll be some different things as the team grows, but we don't wanna overburden the team. We don't wanna try to create this thing that we gotta maintain without necessarily with manpower.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:53]:

But But here's what I think that we need to do is that just we can make little improvements as we go along. Right? Now can I ask you, is there anything in your life that you used to do but you just stopped doing, then maybe it's time to start again? Right? Some of us during the pandemic that you stopped getting together with friends and family. I sure hope at this point you start it again. I sure hope so. Right? For some of us, we we started exercising, and we stopped exercising. Right? For some of us, we we we traveled, and then we stopped traveling. And I we know that over the last few years, the last couple years, people started to travel again, do all all these things again. But it did some things that you have started, to stop that you need to start again.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:54]:

Because I think one of those things definitely is sometimes we gotta start over with Jesus. And in this it's 1 is putting on the heart of a learner, and the other one is being, I think, this. The second thing is just can we Spending time with God personally. Spending time with God personally. This this time is we hope that the time that you have on the weekend corporately, when we worship together, we pray together, we fellowship together. We hope this is meaningful. Right? We we hope us changes and equips you and and gives you an opportunity, but we hope this that your personal experience with God goes beyond this a gathering. We we hope that you have a personal time, whether you call it a devotional time or you you call it a quiet time or a secret place, whatever it is that you call it, but whatever you wanna do.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:49]:

But we pray that that you would be spending time with God personally. Doesn't matter. We don't care how long. It could be 5 minutes. For some of you guys, you guys do, like, you know, 15 minutes. Some of you guys do an hour. It doesn't matter how long, but it's it's that you spend time personally with God. If you if you don't know what it is or some of you, you used to do it, maybe it's time to start again.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:16]:

Maybe it's time to start again. I mean, what do you do in that? I think you need the word of God. Right? We need the word of God. Let's say we need the word of God. We need the word of God. Right? Why do we need the word of God? Well, 1, the scripture says it like this. He says it like this in Romans 12 1 to 2. Can we read that? He says, therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, us In view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:47]:

So what does it mean? It means that present your whole life to God. Some of us, we think it's a mental ascent. No. It's not a mental ascent. It, some of us we think it's like, well, it's like, what what it was whatever. It's like, it's okay. I I I put in 20 dollars or whatever it is that that no. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:05]:

No. No. That's not what it's saying. It's saying this, present what? Your body. God, I I worship you with my body. That what I do with my life, what I do with this body, I present to you. And this is this is your true and proper worship. So it should involve a worship, it should involve the word.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:30]:

It should involve prayer, but but it goes on. And it says this, but what does the word do? What the word does, it says do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed. Can we say the word transformed? Transformed. How? By the renewing of your mind, and then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, a Pleasing and perfect will. Reading the word of God helps to renew your mind. And that without the word of God in our minds, that the a spirit has nothing to kinda activate. Jesus said this. He says the spirit will bring to your everything I have said to you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:14]:

But if you never read his word, there is nothing for him to bring to mind. And so we read the word of God because we see sometimes this is what we see. Wow. God, if you did it for Nicodemus, Could you do that for me? God, if you did this for Abraham, could you do that for me? I hope you say That's one of the reasons why sometimes people have told me that when I pray, I I pray with faith. Why is that? Because I I see it in the scripture. Got it. If you did it for Peter, would you do it for me? Or if I've seen you, lord, if you did it for this man who was lame, would you do it for this person I'm praying for now? Because you're the same god. Right? So we need the word of god.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:06]:

It renews our minds. It tells us what god how god operates. It shows us how what God thinks. It tells us what is possible, and it also at times gives us guidelines. Right? It gives us guardrails so that we don't fall off the road. We don't fall off the path. Every once in a while, that can happen. Anybody ever fall off the path? Yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:28]:

I have. Right? But you know what helped me to get back on? The word of God helped me get back on. Right? And and so, it's it's in this aspect. We need the word of God, but you need to be not just reading the Bible, like, in ticking a box kind of a way. I know some of us, we have reading plans. If you're kind of a systematic person, praise God for you. And, you know, I tend to have a reading plan. I I it'll basically tick boxes that I've read, but you know what? On, what I really want to make sure that I do is I meet with God in that time.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:06]:

And I'm trying to meet with God through the word, and I try to meet the god through prayer. Right? I try to meet with god through worship. There's 3 things that when you try to spend personal time with on, I I wanna encourage you to do that. Worship the word and prayer. WWP, not WWE. That's a different kind of thing. Right. So, maybe that's like spiritual battle.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:29]:

You wrestle with principalities and part, but this is the thing. You WWP. And and And so sometimes for me, I listen to a worship song. Sometimes it's I I will just sing something sometimes relatively quietly in my own house. I'll sing verses. I'll sing phrase. I'll sing songs that we sing at church. I'll play a YouTube thing or whatever it is, and I'll worship or, you know, generally YouTube because it has lyrics in case I cannot remember.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:01]:

Some of those songs, and I will sing them, and I'll sing them to God because it helps me to be reminded God is. That he's God. I'm not God. Right? And worship is the language of heaven. So I want to be able you guys want to be able to be a comfortable when you go to heaven? Learn to worship because we're gonna do a lot of it. When you when we are free from this world and we're free from all the limitations and and all the pressure from this world, you're gonna be more free to more free than you've ever been, you can learn now. We we we hope that you find more freedom to worship now. Right? And and sometimes we say, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:44]:

Like, in the songs, it says, let's raise our hands. Right? And you know why we raise our hands. Right? That's the old joke. Better reception. Right. We have better. But I I think there is this, though. It's surrender.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:59]:

It's surrender. Some of it's honor. Some of it's to bring glory. But here's the other part. Read the word. You'll see you'll hear God. You'll hear his word. He'll start bringing his word back to life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:15]:

And simply when you do that, sometimes it'll it'll encourage you at times. It will challenge you at times. It will instruct you often, you'll learn things about yourself. You'll learn things about God. You'll learn things about the world. You'll learn things about sometimes the scene realm, you'll learn things about God's plan. You'll learn things about things that God likes, and sometimes you'll read about things that God doesn't like. But many of us yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:46]:

I I I'm under no illusion that you might I have at one time been a monster. You do you spend that personal time with God. You'll you'll be in that place. You'll do all of that. But but then sometimes what happens? You go on a trip. You you your schedule got busy, and you kind of stopped doing it. And and so I'm under no illusion to think that people because you everyone not everyone. That if you know how to do it, a That you are doing it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:18]:

Because we know it doesn't work that way. You know, sometimes there's an old saying that This book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this book. And because I don't wanna read something when I'm kinda like, I'm not quite right with God, but but would you just let the God draw you back? But what you'll find is it'll strengthen you along the way as well. And so can I just say this? We have 4 months left in 2023. Isn't that amazing? 4 months left in 2023. If you haven't been reading the word of God. This is one thing you can do that if you read the New Testament, a if you started in any one of the gospels and you read 2 chapters a day. Right? Now the gospels we'll probably have the longest chapters because there's other books quite short.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:12]:

Right? Some of those books we did in the short it's like 1 chapter. Right? It's pretty short, like 15 verses, 16 verses. You read 2 chapters a day, and maybe if you read 3 chapters once a week, you'll read the whole new testament before the end of the year. You can do that. Right? The point is not that you finish reading the whole New Testament. The the point is just getting God's word. Read a chapter of the I don't really care, but, read something. Getting God's word and and learn what God is saying and a child to understand it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:46]:

There's 3 things I do when I read the Bible. 1st is I wanna understand what it's saying. Right? So wait. Is it saying this or that? And I wanna read it carefully sometimes. Right? Is who's the people? Right? Who's the players? What's happening? Right? So I want to understand what it says so that I can take some time to think about what does it mean? And for some of you, there's little helps, and some of you guys have studied bibles. You have tools like that. We'll We'll probably do a thing about how to do devotions again, in the future. But and then this but the third thing as I try to think about is how does this apply? What can I do differently as a result today? Right? You know, one of the things I read this morning was in Ephesians, and it it says that that we were once by in in Ephesians chapter that we were by children of wrath and that we were bound, in our flesh by, Like like all as the sons of disobedience of the prince of the power of the air.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:55]:

And I read that, and it's like, you know what it's us saying there was a there's a spiritual principality and power that deludes us to thinking, I don't need to listen to God. And because of that, we were we lived apart from God. And so, you know, sometimes this is one of the things I had a takeaway is that I'm praying for people. And sometimes, they they're not just, like, rebellious people. A There's spiritual influence in your life. I I wanna pray against that influence in your life. Right? If you seen if you know someone who's just rebellious, you know someone who's just kinda wants to do the opposite every time, would you know a There's a spiritual influence in your life, and you should pray against that influence in their life because it's not just them. They're not just rebellious.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:48]:

Us. Right? Some might be, but I don't know, but that's probably not the case. So it just I just see stuff like that, and I just okay. I just Write that down, and we'll talk about that kind of stuff maybe a little later. But here's the other part of it is talk to God. Talk to God. Bring yourself before him, and thank him for what he's done. Ask him for what you need.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:13]:

Confess any sin that that might have been in the wave between between you and and just Praise him for who he is. I I like what it says in Psalm 91 1 to 2. It says that those who live In the shelter of the most high, we'll find rest in the shadow of the almighty. You know where it says shelter of the most high? That word shelter comes from the Hebrew word, which means the hiding place, a secret place, the covered a place. In other words, when you bring yourself before God, you find this secret place with God. Then he says this. What happens? This, I declare about the lord. He alone is my refuge, my place of safety.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:04]:

He is my god, on, and I trust in him. And if you read this, it talks about later on the protection against, a disease, it's protection against, a a kind of, warfare and all these things. It talks about all the blessings that come after you pipe, you put yourself in a secret time. When we say secret time, Jesus said, a Go in your closet and pray. You guys remember that? What is it saying? It's just find personal time with God. You don't literally need to go into a closet. Find personal time with God. And and he says this, I'll meet you in that place.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:43]:

Is it time to start again with Jesus? Right? Maybe start again with a personal time. And I this last point is I said this, make space, though, to be part of the community. Make space to be part of the community. You know, the community of God has always kinda moved around from time to time. Right? People move from 1 block to the next block, they move from 1 area to the next. And, unfortunately, there we see also times when people have been carried from 1 nation into another nation. And this happens in the old testament. It happens, in the prophets.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:25]:

Us, we see it in, some of the historical books of the scriptures where God allows then their rebellion to take fruit, it says if you wanna serve other gods, then fine. I'll let you serve other gods. And so, they get conquered by Babylon. And it says that as they're carried away into Babylon, and the there's great weeping and distress, and it was a great a There's a tremendous upheaval, then God gives some promise in the middle of all that. In the middle of all that, this is what it says in verse 3 of Jeremiah 31. He says, long ago, the lord the lord said to Israel, I have loved you. Let's just say that. I have loved you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:12]:

That's what God says to you. I have loved you. Aren't you glad that God loves you? My people with an everlasting love. So God's love is not like fair weather love. It's not like I love you today, and there's somebody else tomorrow. Right? It's not like, you know, I you know, you were good today, but there's another model that came the next day. It's not like that. He said, I've loved you with an love.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:36]:

And with unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself. And then he says this, I will rebuild you. I will rebuild you. You know what? I'll let you start again. My virgin Israel, you will again be happy. Just say the word again. Again. You'll again be happy.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:55]:

There's some people maybe you've gone through a rough season. Right? For some loss, you've suffered some grief, you've suffered some heartache, God says this, you'll again be happy. Why? Because because I've loved you with an everlasting us. My love isn't fair weather. I'll build you. Right? And you'll dance in merrily with your tambourines. And then in verse 5, what does he say? Again, you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. Now what is it talking about? It's actually talking about the rebuilding of the nation.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:33]:

Right? It's talking about the rebuilding of the nation. It's not just the rebuilding of individuals. What's the difference? Unity, community, a sense of identity. You see, you and I, we were never we're meant to just kind of develop our spiritual life, like, just it's just me and Jesus. They're the the faith is a personal, but it's not supposed to be private. Right? It's there's supposed to be a communal aspect to it. A That's why we're sitting in the room. Right? And and if you're at home and you you you're at home for whatever the reason, but would you know it's not supposed to be just me and Jesus? Us, there's something supposed to be communal.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:19]:

You cannot do the things Jesus told us to do that the new testament tells us to do just by yourself. Pray for who? One another. Encourage who? One another. Bear a Whose burdens? One another's burden. You cannot do that by yourself. Right? That we find an identity. Yes. You have your own identity, but there's a communal identity.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:47]:

And so, you can't grow to be the person that God's called you to be all by yourself. You can. You need other people. I needed other people who said, a You wanna, welcome people when they come? I sat in a bible study, and then he said this. Glenn, would you like to start a bible study? See, somebody believed in me when I couldn't believe them myself. Somebody encouraged me and saw potential in me when I didn't see it in myself. Somebody I've been corrected. I've been encouraged.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:26]:

I've been comforted, but I couldn't do it all by myself. If I was all by myself, I don't think I woulda lasted this long. One of the things that somebody told me a couple weeks ago When we were coming up to anniversary, and I've known him for a long time. I've known him for before we started the church. He's been in ministry. I've been in ministry. He's been in different places, in different roles, But he said this. He said, you know what, man? He's just like, I'm really encouraged by you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:03]:

And and what was the reason he said is Because you're not cynical. You've been in the ministry for 24 years. You've pastored the same church for 24 years, a And you're not cynical. And I said, no. I'm not really. I I love the church. I love the ministry. I believe God's doing something new.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:27]:

And then he just said, but we all know people where that's not the case. And, you know, we didn't really kinda dwell on that, but, yes, we all knew people that they kinda lost the joy. Right? They They lost the you know? And when they say that stuff, and I said that, hey. The ministry would be great if it wasn't for people, You know, that kind of a thing. And You and I, we need community for that. And so he says it like this. So what do we do then to experience this community. In 2nd Corinthians 8:5, he says it like this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:17]:

They even did more than we had hoped. For their 1st action was to give themselves to who? To the Lord. To the Lord and to us just as God wanted them to do. In other words, God wants you to give yourself to him and give yourself to other people. It's it's not enough just to do one. Right. We understand. The 1st and greatest commandment is what? To love the lord your god with your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:45]:

And the second is what? Love your neighbor as yourself. And so love God, but involve yourself in community. Give yourself to other people. Love other people. Turn to your neighbor I can love god and love other people. Right. Give yourself first to the lord, But don't stop there. Right? You don't have to say all that part, but I know you guys are talking.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:16]:

There's different conversations once I tell people to say something something. But we're gonna ask you in the coming season, would you get in community. What does it mean? At least this, be friendly. Be friendly. I mean, here in this us in this group, probably most of us, we know each other. But, to be honest, sometimes we we seen on Sunday, there's a bunch of new people that are coming. Be friendly. Smile at people.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:51]:

A talk to people. Right? Could you do that? Anybody can do that. Right? Then be friendly. Talk to somebody. You know what us, what's some other ways? At the end of the service, you can help us put away tables. Take 5 minutes. Right? A Take 5 minutes. This is what we we've often said that, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:13]:

At the end of this gathering, that for some of us, we get so busy. We used to I get so busy. As soon as service is done, bang. We we wanna wrap up chords, and we wanna do all those things. But we would say, can you just take 5 minutes before you clean up, before you do all those things, just talk to people for 5 minutes. Go say hi to somebody. Right? Go go go shake somebody's hand, go hug them. Go go tell them it's great to see you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:39]:

Go talk story or whatever. Do do that. You know? And then let's do the other stuff. So pray for our gatherings. That's one way that you can do that. Right? Pray for pray for our our time. Ask for God's move in our time. Pray for the theaters, pray for the teams.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:01]:

Right? Jump in a rotation if possible in a team somewhere. Invite somebody. These are always that you can be part of a community. Right? And and here's the thing. That to to restart with Jesus and put on a learner and to be able to, a make space for community and to be able to meet with God personally, anybody can restart. Anybody can restart. I'll close with this story. Anna grew up in New York, one of 10 our children.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:41]:

And, she grew up in a rural area in a farm. She left home at age 12 to to go to work, actually. A She was hired in another farm nearby, and she later met and married, the love of her life. His name is Thomas. They moved to Virginia in the Shenandoah a Valley and they began to have their own farm and then have their own kids. Right? And they they had 5 kids, but it wasn't only good times there. They also had heartache there. They they also lost a number of kids in Right? In the older days, having children was kind of a difficult a Later, Thomas and Anna returned to New York state with the family, and then she and her husband operated a farm, our, in Eagle Bridge, New York.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:35]:

And Anna was a crafty person, and she would dabble in painting and created her first painting on a piece of fiberboard that she had left over in the in the house, and she occasionally painted after that. But, hey, the busyness of life and the kids and, you know, later on, grandkids kept come creeping in, and all that stuff got put in the back burner. And then later, she suffered the greatest loss in her Later life was the death of Thomas, the love of her life. And she was in this place where She was so grieving that she she just tried to stay busy to kinda keep grief away in in reality. And so, Anna, even though she never took any art lessons, you know what she did? She started painting again. And she just started to pick up painting, and she just got better and better. She never had any training. She she never took a class.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:39]:

Us. There wasn't YouTube back then. Right? And, she just kept painting, getting better and better. In the mid these. Anna was in her seventies, but by then, she started devoting most of her time to painting. And then a big break came in 1938 that some of her works were hanging in a local a store and an art collector was in town, saw them, and bought all her art. And so Anna started to get known. And when she painted, she often painted from memory.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:00:18]:

She often painted from memory because she remembered the the rural a life in this. So that's what she often is painting, captivating scenes. Sometimes she would go out and paint, you know, other kinds of things, and she started to be more widely distributed. Right? And she says this. When I start painting and I get inspiration, sometimes I forget everything else except how things used to be, and I paint that so so people will know how we how we lived. Anna passed away in 1961 at the age a of a 101. But she started painting really in her mid to late seventies. It was discovered in her eighties.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:01:07]:

So she had, like, 20 years where she had started something in her late years. She's probably more well known as as the person that she was a mom and she was a grandma, and so she was called grandma Moses. And today, her paintings are in Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Phillips Collection in Washington DC and a ton of other institutions, a painting of hers today will go for over 1,000,000 others. All because she started again. So is there some place today? God is telling it's not too late to start again. Amen. Let's bow our heads. We'll close in a word of prayer.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:02:09]:

Father, we all get busy. We all I'll get sidetracked in life. We all get pushed around by life from time to time. But, father, if we're thankful, it's not too late to start again. In fact, sometimes it's so important that we do. Lord, to start again with you, or to start again to meet you personally, or to start again and just be a learner all over again. Lord, we don't wanna be critics. Lord, we wanna be we wanna be helpers.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:02:39]:

Father, we wanna we wanna be learners, father, that To start again in a sense of community and just doing what we can because we can all greet people. We can all love people. We can all welcome people. We we can all be friendly. Thank you. It's not a matter of personality, but, lord, just the living Jesus in us. And, father, sometimes it entails more more concrete ways like things that we can do in a in a ministry of some kind. But, lord, I thank you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:03:13]:

Everyone can be involved somehow in this new season. Father, would you just remind us today? Is there some place you want us to start again? Father, we're grateful You allow turnarounds. In fact, you made turnarounds. You created us for a turnaround. So So we're gonna walk in it. We're gonna receive it, and we're gonna believe it. In Jesus' name, God's people say, amen. Amen.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:03:55]:

If you've never had that turnaround yourself, would you just give yourself today to the lord? He's waiting for you. He made you. I know what us like. I never expected it, but it came. Would you just tell him, god, I need you today. A Thank you for wanting me. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Would you come? Live inside me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:04:18]:

Thank you for dying on the cross. All of you today, I wanna know you today. You say that to him in your own words. You know what? He'll hear you. Hey. God bless you guys. Thanks for joining us today. Have a great weekend.