Pastor Jeff Pagay [00:00:00]:
Great friend of our church, a great father, a husband, a man of God. Would you help me welcome up pastor Terrence to bring us the word? Pastor Terrence, come on up. You wanna do a little dance battle? Or you you are you good?

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:00:14]:
I think it's called Dance at our age, not Breakdance. Can can breakdance but take a week to heal. Yeah? Thank thank god we believe in healing. Thanks, Jeff. Hey. Did you meet Donna at New Hope? Yes. I did. Yeah.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:00:30]:
Look. A lot of us a lot of us met our at the that adventure. God is good that way. He has a great sense of humor just like Jeff. Alright. So, that's so that's how I got to know I know Jeff, guys. I know, Glenn. I met thing I met I first met pastor Glenn When I was invited to this 5 o'clock in the morning, every Tuesday, this class called School of Church Planters with pastor Wayne.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:01:00]:
And I didn't know what the heck I was doing there because everybody in the room were pastors, and I was Did they call a wrong number or something? Well, I got to meet Glenn because, he kinda saw me, kinda mentored me a little bit with some of the other pastors. And, I guess they felt they had a calling back then. And, 20 something 20 years later, Look at us. I had the privilege of of pastoring. I I think I helped this church start. Jeff, did you were you here the first? It was back in the child and welfare services. Yeah? Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:01:38]:
Like, like, 2 service. I think we did some some dancing then when I could More do more. But, yeah, that was really fun. So that's how I met I met Glenn before he met his wife, and, It was a great adventure. Since then, it's like 4 different denominations I've pastored. Children's pastor, youth pastor, interim pastor, and all other kind of pastors because you know what it is when you're when you're a pastor on church at church, you do everything. You you clean toilets. You pay for people.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:02:05]:
Oh, you fix this. You you gotta do whatever it takes. And, you learn a lot along the way. So, yeah, talk about a lot of life.

Pastor Jeff Pagay [00:02:13]:
So Now that I'm old, like Jeff,

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:02:19]:
all I know is that God has proven herself to be super real. The days when I really needed Jesus to be real. He showed up. And even when I didn't really know how badly I needed him, he was there. When I look back, I'm thinking, There's no way I could've come through that if it wasn't for the faithfulness of God to Jesus and the holy spirit. And that's what I'm here to share with you is that his faithfulness. And then today's sermon, the title is advent. It's the preparing for Jesus' first coming, which he already did, thankfully.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:02:56]:
Yeah. I praise that. But it's finding comfort this Christmas. Because I don't know about you, but so easy It's so easy to get caught up in the current of things. The current of the present attitude, the present pace of things. How many of you love to go Christmas shopping and fighting fighting a parking space or seeing that 1 item that's on sale and then, like, Fifty hands are going for it, and it's like it's like a survival of the fittest. It's not fun during Christmas if you're in that. And if that's all there is, then sure.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:03:29]:
It would be very much, frustrating and not so much fun because we forget. Like Jeff was saying, just remember, Jesus is the reason. But the closer I I noticed this. The closer I get to him, things don't go away. But it's easier to go 2 things. So the closer you draw to him, the deeper you allow to go and speak into your life and be present in your life, I noticed that there's more clarity. There's more peace. And I noticed that I don't have to please people as much.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:04:06]:
I don't have to have as much as other people. I don't have to prove myself to other people. I can just be and let Jesus allow me to be, and it's so much less stressful. I don't know if you find that. Right? Because I remember it's like to try to please people is not fun. So it's it's hard because I know like, Jeff, he knows me as the dancer guy way back. And, man and I used to get irritated at that after a while. Because when your reputation gets beyond who you know You really are.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:04:41]:
It's scary because I then you try to live up to that, and you can't. You can't. There was one day I was walking with some new hope friends, and Tripped over a break in the sidewalk, and everybody went, oh, Terrence tripped. What is today's date? And I'm like, oh, come on. Give me Great. Like, just I'm a human. K? So but so that's the saying. Just just relax today, and we're gonna just Enjoy Jesus to be with us right where we are.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:05:06]:
No matter where we're at, no matter what you're going through or have gone through recently, just let them be peace and your comfort. I do wanna teach you 2 things before we pray. I teach them sign language because, the original sign dance ministry at New Hope. We taught a lot of ministries, but there's 2 words, peace. So if you wanna learn that, do this with your hands, peace, and you just smooth it out. So when I know that when I pray and I pray, with sign and I'm I move my hands, it goes deeper for me. When I say that, Jesus, bring me your peace. More of me is involved in it, and I've it It goes deeper from my heart, and I can reflect a little deeper.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:05:49]:
And there's another word that you should know that tonight's title is comfort comfort. So all you do is this. This is really cool. It's like you're petting a very small comfort. Be very gentle. There's times when you can do it when you're stressed out. You can feel like this. So if you're doing it, you can kinda watch yourself.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:06:11]:
You can kinda see where your spirit is at, and you can slow down. Like, okay. Let's get to the peace and give me your comfort. K. So you can do that when you pray this week. So let's pray. With that, let's pray. To close your eyes, I want you to take a moment to just reflect on a few things before we pray.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:06:30]:
And think about how your life has been If you have had a time of not knowing Jesus, remember what that time was like, what life was like. And then you can compare that with some memories as they wash over you. Compare that to life when Jesus entered And the difference that he made and is still making. What emotions or memories or lessons Come to fill your mind and heart right now. What experiences have made you In that relationship with Jesus made you who you are today. None of us are perfect, but we are loved. Regardless of the current state of your health or your spirit or your mind or your body or the nature of your relationships at this point. Just let Jesus wash over you and feel you and encourage you because all things are continually being made new through him and his grace.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:07:40]:
Regardless of the pace of your life, Thank you for taking the time to step aside and give God the greatest honor, his time, and attention. It's the greatest honor we can give anyone. So father, we come before you and give you space to speak and be with us. We are here together, Not as individuals, but we are here as your children to share and feast on your person, On your spirit, on your words. So speak your words of refreshment to us tonight. Words of wisdom, words of life, words of hope, love, and peace, Words that will give us strength for the way ahead and clarity of direction to navigate through it all No matter what has or what may come. Lord Jesus, we need you to be our comforter tonight and every day so that we may be a people who will be better equipped to be and to do the same for you bring alongside us. So we thank you for hearing our prayer.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:08:58]:
Amen. K. We can go home. There's really I don't know much more we can say, but we'll go through it anyway because God God overfills my cup, so we'll overflow yours. So pace and rhythm. Because, music is a big part of our lives. Every one We can think of a favorite song. We, even if we don't like a song, if it's in the if it's in a song we hear it long enough, we're it's gonna get in there somehow.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:09:26]:
We it kinda get you know, in we're through our mind, interest rate into our hearts, and we're like, sometimes depending on the nature of the song. But in in in music, pace and rhythm is important. Because imagine if you just had bunch of notes and no space between them. And it would just be a bunch of noise. Right? But in life, there's a pace and rhythm We must maintain for our own sanity. And, the space between the notes and music is just as important, sometimes more important than the notes itself. You need to have there's there's a rhythm to things. And, there's a small story I wanted to share with you that, there's these guys on this safari, Very wealthy men.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:10:07]:
They got together, and they hired some guys to go on a safari, some people to help them carry their things, some workers. And, 1 guy arrived, like, 3 days late, and he was he really was wanted to catch up with his Party. So he pushed his guys to just drive and catch up to his crew. And finally, they caught up to the team. It took them three days. And, and they just had 1 more shot to make catch it up with that with the original team. But he woke up that day, and you're like, all these guys were laid Get out. They exhausted, and he said, get you guys up and let's go.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:10:41]:
And they're like, we cannot. And he said, yo. Yeah. I I'm hired you. You're in charge of Guys, you gotta get them because we do have 1 more push. I will catch up. And he said, I I can't. They won't get up.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:10:52]:
And he said, why why would that be? I paid you good money. It's because they're waiting for their their their souls to catch up with their bodies. They were pushing so hard. And sometimes we can be like that. We can be pushing so hard that sometimes we leave our souls behind, and we're empty bodies just continuing on without there's no joy. There's no strength. There's no anything. So it's important to Take some time aside, and we know that Jesus' custom was that too.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:11:20]:
Right? So let's if you if you're able to stand, please join me in this opening verse As we read it. K. Alright. And it goes like this. Comfort comfort my people, says your god. Speak tenderly to and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, That she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice of 1 calling in the wilderness, prepare the way for the lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our god.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:12:05]:
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low, and rough ground shall become level. The rugged places are plain, and the glory of the Lord will be revealed. And all people will see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Man, you may be seated. Thank you. So good. Comfort. What a powerful thing that we have a comforter.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:12:35]:
Right? And, Isaiah was written so many prophecies about Jesus before he even Manifested in the form a human form, God in the bod. And, isn't I'm glad that he made all things True. So the first point in your notes, if you turn to your notes, comfort, 3 gifts, a gift everyone Sincerely needs. Everyone sincerely needs. And while you're filling that in, I'll just read the next first is, are you tired, Worn out, burnt out on religion. Get away get away with me, and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real Test a real rest. Excuse me.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:13:19]:
Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. When I first became a Christian, I was so eager to do stuff for God. Me, so eager to to spin on my head at the prisons or wherever just to do stuff for So I didn't I didn't have a wife back then, so I could. Right? I was very young.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:13:58]:
But It ended up I realized after God told me, it's kind of being selfish. It's just it was all about me. It was all about me trying to prove something to God, trying to pay him back for what he did for me, and there's nothing that you ever tried to pay back for what he gave you. It's impossible. Right? His grace overflows so much. But it's a great sentiment, but impossible to to do. I know I've tried. But his rhythm his rhythm, when I I was out of rhythm with his lead, Then things get disjointed.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:14:37]:
Yeah. Is it me? I know I I'm a popper, but I'm We don't want that kind of. We got it in the pocket. Yeah. Just on the Thanks, Jeff. Let's see if that works. Alright. So the Challenge this Christmas in this in practicing comfort and really receiving God's peace just for in this season, whatever you need it for.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:15:09]:
The Challenge is to give yourself permission to be selfish with Jesus, to selfish with your time with him, selfish to know what you need, to be to be able to confess and Yeah. God, I honestly need you here in this way, and that's okay. And sometimes it's good to confess it with Somebody that knows and loves you really well because they can be praying for you and you for them. So allow that allows you to when you confess something, it's like you're leaving Room. You're giving him space before him. It doesn't have to always be in fear and trembling, but it's just a simple acknowledgement that you need him. And this verse 27 in John 14/27, Let's say this together and just receive it as if God's saying it to you as you say it. Peace I leave with you.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:16:02]:
My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. That is so cool. And you know what? I do sometimes is I like to change the wording around so that I it changes for me. If Give to me. You do not give as the world gives. You do not let my heart be troubled, and I will not be Straight.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:16:40]:
You can use scripture that way at any time and just receive it for yourself. So the question I have at this point in time is with that. Ask god, what Areas of your life, do you need peace and comfort? And just to think think on that. You don't have to write it down. But if something does pop up, make sure you you note that. Acknowledge it. Number 2, comfort. A second gift of comfort is it's a gift promised to God's people.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:17:11]:
And Isaiah 40 again says this, comfort comfort my people, says your god. So who is he talking to? He's talking to Isaiah in this point, but god himself is saying to his people, comfort my people. When we comfort each other, it's such a cool thing because the world's economy says this, the more you divide something, you give it out, the less you have. So therefore, just hoard. Just hoard. Keep it. Be stingy. But god's economy, with god's love and character and peace and everything he gives us that you can't really measure.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:17:51]:
The more you divide, the more it multiplies. It's amazing how his economy works. And if we Trust that. Already, I can feel the rooms just get a little bit lighter just by acknowledging that. It's so cool. Let us read verse 28 together in Isaiah 402831. I know a lot of you know and love these verses, And God is true to this word. It says this.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:18:16]:
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding, no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. All. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will Run and not grow weary.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:18:51]:
They will walk and not be faint. There's a big difference I noticed when I'm obeying God and I had this there's really hard things to do sometimes that I really don't have the wisdom or the where we're thought within myself do that God asked me to do. And I do get really tired. I think you should you do too. But I I know this. When and at the end of the day, as long as I it my all and I obeyed Jesus. My sleep is much more peaceful. So if you want a peaceful sleep, don't burn yourself out and waste your Energy on the things that are not of god.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:19:27]:
But use use your energy and direct it with God, and you'll see great things happen. Things you're like when you look back, you're like, how the heck did that happen? Because you can't take Credit for it. When you know you're running and obeying, when you got nothing else to give except Jesus, and he says, no. No. I called you. Just trust me. Come with me. I'm with you.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:19:51]:
And then things happen. That's something that's something to behold. Enemy, stop popping. The enemy wants to battle. Alright. Let's go So, point 3, the 3rd kind of gift that comfort brings. It's a gift received through a child, and we all know who that is. It's a person.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:20:11]:
The gift is a person. It's not a thing. It's a person. And we just read let's read the next verse, Isaiah 96. For for to us, a child is born. To us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty let's read the next one. Matthew 1 21 to 23.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:20:46]:
She will give birth to a son, and you are are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. It's amazing. Yeah? Sometimes we can be like Paul and say, god, would you just take this thing away? Would you just fix that person or that situation? And he says, My grace is sufficient. I'm gonna be with you through it. I've heard that very thing very thing I met my wife, god said, there's something I need you to learn how to love through this woman. She's probably watching.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:21:39]:
Hi, honey. And I'm still learning. She'll be the 1st to admit that. But yeah. So It's a person to to Jesus. He is with us through all things if we allow him. I'm gonna ask you to do one little act. And if you have some all of you have a set of keys.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:22:00]:
It's a simple simple full act of faith. So the keys, can you hold them in your hand or bring them out? And we know we're gonna sing jingle bells, but you could. Our keys represent the things that we own. You probably have a house key or a car key at least, or else you wouldn't be able to be here. Right? Some of you have other kinds of keys, but keys also represent the things that we're responsible for. Right. Well, God told me this once. He said, bring out your keys.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:22:39]:
They represent every aspect of my life that I'm responsible for and he says he told me this. This is your problem, Terrence. You think you own all this stuff. He says the problem is given me everything of yourself yet. That's why you're having a hard time. So instead of it being my house, I said, god, thank you for the house you've given me. Instead of it being my car, god, thank you for the blessing of the car you allow me to have. And each other aspect of of my life until he says thanks.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:23:30]:
Because he said this You are letting me only into the guest room and only on the front porch of your house, But not all the way in because you're thinking it's your house. And he said, finally, Terrence. Finally, you can let We occupy every part of your life and let realize that I am providing for you. And it's all mine, and I let you have it. Thank you for focusing through all that that noise. So in the yeah. Let's switch. Thank you.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:24:08]:
Thank you. Alright. Here we go. Much better. Turned that guy off. So in preparation of, The next time you get together in your small group or with your families after this, or even dialogue together over dinner, Think about these things. Ask God and yourself. When and how do I experience God's comfort and peace the most? When at the time, God knows you the best.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:24:34]:
And sometimes he might remind you that you're not giving those your your life space enough in those places anymore. Maybe it's the kind of music. Maybe the the things you do with with your time or what you're watching. How do you experience the God's comfort and peace the most? And what areas of my life do I most need God's peace and comfort? And with whom does God want me to share his peace and comfort? Because remember, we are children of faith like Abraham through Abraham. God said, we receive his blessings to be able to bless other people. It's not just for us and to us, it's also through us. Let's continue to carry that as we close in prayer. And in the season, know that Jesus is with us.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:25:23]:
For our closing prayer yeah. Come on up. I'm gonna ask Chad then to sing. We all know, come let us adore him, and let that be our our honor and our prayer to him. And as we close tonight, a time of worship and begin our fellowship time. And again, after service, there's time for prayer. If you A prayer. Someone will you can raise your hand, and there's prayer warriors in the room.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:25:49]:
And, we can all use there's never enough prayer in our life. Right? Thank you, Jesus. As we come before you, we say thank you for being our peace, Being our comfort, and not just for us, but for the entire world. Help us to be keepers of this peace, guardians of this peace, Stewards and generosity giving out to whoever those you bring across our path. Father, may you fill us today. May we be changed and be different because of who you are. Thank you, Jesus. Hope you pray.

Pastor Terence Paraso [00:27:45]:
Amen. God bless you all.