Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
Happy New Year, everybody. I hope you guys have had a good beginning of the year. How many of us been, feeling like we've eaten more than our fair share over the last couple weeks? Right. Yeah. So I don't know about you guys, but I've been buffeting my body the last few, a couple weeks at least? But, we're getting our ready to not buffet our body, but to to kinda start to get to the place where we fast and pray? So if you guys are, gonna be joining us, I do wanna encourage you in there your, bulletin this evening, there's a thing just well, how to prepare for the fast and some things that you might want to do? And and it's just very simple. Like, to be honest, I think to get the most out of the fast? If you're gonna participate with us is that you need to know what you want to fast from, that what you're fasting for, and then you need to understand how can you, gather together with others to be strengthened spiritually? The reason why we fast, at the beginning of the year? It's just it's so easy as we live in this world that no matter how dedicated you are, no matter, how much you pursue the Lord, that it's so easy to get the world in us just living in this world? And so fasting, seeing what it does is it allows us to take stock and to to start to separate ourselves from so easily the things that we depend on rather other than depending on God that we depend on different things? Sometimes you you depend on maybe a a good meal. I don't know about you guys. I I that depended on other good meals the, last few weeks, to to enjoy time together with family or friends? And there's nothing wrong with that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:37]:
Right? So what fasting isn't saying is that you're doing something bad, and then now you need to do something good? Instead, what it says is that there's so many good things that God's blessed me with so often in life that it's so easy at times to depend on the blessing rather than the one who gives the blessing? Right? And so what fasting does, it allows us to say, let me take the focus off the blessings he's given me and focus on the one who blesses. And so so often, we distance ourselves from something that's totally fine, something that's totally, okay or normal? And so we talk about that there are different kind of fast. There's food fasts of different kind? I'll be doing a Daniel fast, and so you can find out about that if you want to. But if you you don't have to fast from food? Although that's the typical thing that people do. Sometimes people do have a soul fast and that we need to distance ourself from things like, you know, how much time we're spending on the phone or what we're you know, how, like, how much shopping you do or how, you know, how much things that you do. Nothing wrong with these things, video games, but sometimes to allow us to pursue God more? And and that it's important to have a purpose for your fast? Right? Because I I've noticed that people who have no purpose that they they when they're fasting, there's nothing that big that they're praying for? There's nothing that they're daring to believe God for. And so all of a sudden, that just kind of becomes a ho And so but when you have things, and many of us know this, when you have something big on your plate, you have something that's that's meaningful to you, you have something that really matters that the way that you pray often is so different? And so, we come to that time together. So try to figure out if God has something that he's wanting you to trust him for? And then the other thing is then how would you be strengthened during the fast? Because, to be honest, we don't normally feel the most spiritual when we fast from something.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:37]:
Often, we feel exactly the opposite because it's just surfacing your flesh. Right? It it's surfacing your flesh. If you're used to and people often get surprised. But if you're used to eating sugary foods and and drinking coffee and doing all that, have a glass of wine, and then you don't have any of that? You know? You're used to just kinda eating whatever you want, and then you you start eating more restrained, more restricted whether by amount? Because sometimes people will do it. Like, I'll eat 1 meal a day or 2 meals a day. People we'll do it that way? Or sometimes people will just eliminate, right, different things from their, diet for that period. But it's amazing that how sugar starts knocking on your door when it comes probably around lunchtime or the afternoon? So you'll just see these things. And and so you don't always feel the most spiritual in the beginning, but you give it, like, 2, 3 days, maybe 4 days, your body adjusts, and it's amazing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:30]:
And if you've ever if anybody here that, to be honest, you've already had conversations with your doctor or your doctors had conversations with you that you need to change something diet wise? And I know so many of us, and I I'm the same I'm the same way, exact way. I would never have done any of these changes unless I had a spiritual component into it, but they said, hey. You need to change something. And so, like, I I I'm not the guy. Some of you guys ever ate with me? You see, I put a lot of salt on my food. My excuse is I have good blood pressure, but people sometimes get shocked how much salt I put on my food. And and it it is true. But, like, to be honest, I I would have, not changed certain things unless I I needed to.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:16]:
But the reason why I did was because I feel like food's gonna taste bad. But you know what happens is that your taste buds actually change? It's not like you just grind it out for, like, 3 weeks. It's actually your taste buds change, and things that that you would think that had no taste all of a sudden, now you can taste them because it kinda awaken something in you. So? Yeah. These are some of the things that we're just going before us. If you're interested in joining us, we invite you to join us. We we actually challenge you because I think it can change your life? And so, the the if you have any questions, you can talk to us after the, the gathering? But how many of you guys that you, got together with friends, family? You guys got together with friends and family? Good. It's that time.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:02]:
Right? We need to get together with friends and family. Lianne? For the ones that you don't get to get together with so often, you guys at least get Christmas cards. Right? I I we have some, wall of Christmas cards at our house, and, sometimes I'm scanning them, and I'm so shocked when I haven't seen people for a couple years, how much, actually, specifically the kids change. Right? Even this evening, getting to see, Kalea, how tall and beautiful she is, and it's like, oh my gosh. Just, it's amazing how quickly kids change? And part of that is that it's a natural thing. Right? But that we we ought to change. We ought to grow? Right? In the same way, though, you might not keep growing physically, but we ought to keep growing as people. We ought to keep growing as sons and daughters of God? And this year, what we wanna talk about is growing stronger as we we get into the beginning of the year, that that you would grow stronger spiritually, that you would grow stronger emotionally and and mentally? The last few years have taken a toll on many of us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:07]:
And and so how do you grow stronger, spiritually, emotionally as well? How do you grow stronger physically for some of us? And and it may not be that you do the same thing for some of us that you do the same thing that you did when you were 18 that now that you're many years behind it, but to be honest, that you could probably, probably, I think all of us could use some strengthening whether it's it's on a spiritual level, in a emotional level, or whether it's a on a physical level. We're gonna talk about things like that over the coming weeks? But you don't change. You don't get stronger in an instant. You don't get stronger in in a in a in a in a day. Right? And and so one of those ways that we kinda see that in in nature is that if you've ever cut down a tree or you've seen the stump that you see how does a tree look? It's not just 1 solid thing, but what defines it so often is the rings in the tree. Right? That it's the significance of every year that you can see that there has been change, growth? And to be honest, often in the rings, you can tell health. You can tell what kind of, maybe what kind of trauma it's been through? If it's been through a fire, in those years, you can see those things? Because what we go through in life is not the biggest thing that defines us. It's what we become by the things that we go through? You know that mammals also have pulses of growth that form rings in in sometimes in your teeth, sometimes in your bones in the same way? They they they can see these things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:42]:
And so we wanted to say that this that we wanna have some markers in our life this year? That how is it that you're growing whether it's spiritually or whether it's emotionally, whether it's gonna be physically that in some ways that you'd have some kind of sense of markers? But God reminds us that regardless of what the challenges that lay before you, and and sometimes it might feel like you know, I I don't know if I have enough energy to get stronger. I don't know if I have enough time to get stronger that God says this? I have the resources that you need. This evening, we're gonna read, basically 2 passages together, 1 in Ephesians, 1 in Colossians, that really just talk about, we're gonna talk about beginning is is going deeper in Christ, and so on a spiritual component. And And the reason is because just like the universe, that the physical did not precede the the spiritual. It's actually the opposite. Right. The the physical world is dependent. It's contingent on the fact of what happens in the spiritual world.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:45]:
God was existent it before any of this that you can see, touch, feel, taste, hear? Any of that, he was existent, but he spoke this world into being. And so we need to start with the primary. Right? We need to start just like that God did. And so we're gonna read this, this evening starting out in Ephesians chapter 3. Would you be kind enough to join us? Would you be, to to stand in reverence for God, reverence for his word? And let's read this together. And he says it like this. Let's read. Ready? Begin.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:19]:
I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being? So Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted an established in love may have power together with all the lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ? And to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God? And so what we see here is a a prayer that Paul praise, and he's praying that that everybody would be strengthened in the spirit. Right? So that to to grow stronger. Hunger? And where does he start? He says it starts with your inner being. He starts with your inner person. It it starts with your spiritual life. And and so in this process, he's saying that there's a sense that your roots grow deeper and stronger regardless of where you've been? And then he says this. Then he says that with all of these things that you would be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:35]:
God doesn't want you to go through the year empty. He doesn't want you to start the year empty. He wants you to start the year full. Now I I don't know what your gas the gas gauge of your spiritual life looks like right now, but God wants to make a deposit today. So before you're seated, do me a favor? Just turn to your neighbor and says, god wants you to experience his fullness in your life, and then you can have a seat. Right. God wants you to experience his fullness. Right? That each of us would experience his fullness.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:07]:
Now oh, I I I just wanna go and and and kinda highlight a few of these words. When it says that he will, empower or or strengthen you and me, he's he's talking you know, about, making it stronger, right, growing stronger? And he's saying in their innermost being, right, or your inner man, that he then he talks about with with power? And that word power that you've probably heard, the word dunamis, in the Greek, that can be an explosive power or or it can be an enduring power? Because we need both. Right? Because sometimes you need power for a breakthrough to change some kind of a circumstance in your life to change some kind of a a challenge that you have before you? And then sometimes you just need to endure as well. Right? Because a lot of these times, battles that you face and battles that we face in life, they're not done in a day, and you need an enduring power? So whether you need breakthrough so you or whether you need power so you don't break down. If do you need the power to go past some kind of, obstacle or barrier or whether you need the power to persevere an endure in the long run of the year? God says this, that that power is available to you. Then he says this. He says, because this power is together with who? All the Lord's people. That includes you and me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:32]:
Right? It's all the Lord's people. I'm so glad it doesn't say, it was Peter that has the power. I'm so glad it's not doesn't say it's like other leaders in the church. It doesn't say that. It says all God's holy people. So do me a favor. Let's just say this. I'm God's holy people.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:49]:
Right? I'm Amen. I know that's not good English. I know they should be I'm part of God's holy people, but there's that aspect that we we kinda have this together. Right? Now, I was looking at a flavored water, though, the the the other day, and, my one of my kids drinks this flavored water? And I started to read the, the label. You guys ever look at the label? Because it looks super healthy, and it it looks like super energizing or whatever it is? And then this person kinda reminded me. I I read this thing that she she said that she had this bottle of blueberry pomegranate, blueberry pomegranate, 100% juice, all natural, and so she thought this is, like, the healthiest thing in the world. Right? But then she started to read the label. Right? You read the the ingredient label.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:37]:
And when you read the ingredient label, she said this. It's it says filtered water, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate, but it doesn't even mention in any of those? It says it's blueberry pomegranate. Right? These things are super high antioxidant and all that, but we never we even got to that yet. And so then later on on the bottom, it's like the 6th or the 7th was was blueberry and then a little bit less, pomegranate. Now what does that tell you, right, that the amount is the is is written out that the most of something is first to the least? Right? And so what they found is that even though the picture on the the can looked, you know, like, with all these blueberries with, like, glistening dew on it and pomegranate, and and it was beautiful that it's kinda like almost like trace elements in the in the midst of it. And so rather than it being full of juice, it had the flavor of juice? That makes sense. And and so I think this is the part that if if you're buying nah. You might wanna put that down.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:52]:
Right? But what if there was an ingredient list on your label? Right? What if there was an ingredient list in our label? Would would Jesus be the main ingredient? Would being filled with the spirit come up on the 1st line, or or would it be, like, a down in in the thing? Right? Because my label would somehow represent what the reality is? And I know in this world, it's so easy the social media and to be how to look good and and all of those things that sometimes we we forget that it's it's not about we don't worry about what the world sees so much. It's it's it's have something of reality in you and said, gee, we don't wanna be Jesus filled. We wanna be filled with Jesus. Right? We don't wanna be Jesus flavored. Right? We we wanna be filled with his spirit? And so God's goal is clear, isn't it, that that he wants the fullness, he says. He wants you to experience fullness. And so the goal this this year, I think, is that God wants you to be filled this year. He wants you to be full this year, and it's not about trying harder.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:02]:
So often that we think it's it's this thing is I gotta I gotta work harder for God. No. You don't have to work. Or some of us, maybe you do. I have no idea. Maybe that God might be telling that? But it's not about how hard you work. It's about being closer. It's about it's about trusting more.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:20]:
It's about seeking him more? And so when he says that when we do this, that when we encounter God, that all of a sudden, that inner man is strengthened? That inner person, maybe not the outer person automatically. Right? Then and it doesn't matter what your style is. Right? It doesn't matter what your clothing style. It doesn't matter what your hairstyle. It doesn't matter what what should look like on the out a bit on the inside, you'll be changing? You know, the other week, there were some kids who came to church, right, and total goth out. Right? Totally goth out. And but the thing is that on the inside, they're they're seeking God. Right? Then, you know, I would rather, like, kids looked all goth out, but on the inside being changed than just looking good on the outside, but all goth out on the inside? Right? Now at the same time, we don't wanna make people work so hard so they can't tell what your heart's like, because the outside is so, so different.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:22]:
But at the same time, what we gotta say is that God is looking past the outer, and he's looking at the heart issues. Is he not? Because he's saying it says in this portion that that that your heart would be filled in the inner man. And so God is concerned with your heart in my heart? Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and say, god's concerned with our hearts. Right? So this year, as we're being strengthened in our spiritual inner inner man? Would you let God deal with your heart issues this year? Would you let God deal with your heart issues this year? I think for many of us, myself included, when I started the ministry, it's so easy to look at the outward things. Right? It's it's, you know, how sharp the thing looks or how how many people are coming or or sometimes you're thinking about, oh, why why don't we have people who serve more? Why don't the people give more? Why don't people love our neighbors more? Alright. We we can say that. Why don't people share their faith more? Right? But what happens is that it's the reality.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:29]:
Those things, you know, that the struggles that we see and the things that happen, they're really more symptoms rather than solutions. There are more symptoms rather than solutions. I I I I remember had some good friends that, they were just going kinda through a rough spot in their marriage, and they were fighting. And then the husband called me, and and he was telling me kinda what happened, and his wife said some things, and she was cutting in that, and it really hurt him. And and he would say, I don't know what I should do? And I said, well, you know, I know what you feel like doing, and he says, what do you think I feel like doing? I feel like, like, she gave it to you. You wanna give it to her. Right? And and he says but and that's kinda like your MO. Right? That's you guys go through this thing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:14]:
Everybody gets all bloodied, and then at the end, you know, you guys kind of make up, but can you wanna try something different? You wanna try something different? And he said, what's so different? He said, instead of just giving it to her, can you just tell your wife how how deeply you were hurt by the words that she said? Instead of that, just because I don't think she really, really meant to hurt you. That that's I don't know for sure, but that's my guess. So but maybe just tell her, you know, when you said those things, it really cut me. And and just see how she responds. See if that makes a difference. Right? And and so he said, okay. He says, I'll I'll talk to you later. He said, okay.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:58]:
We we and we hung up, and we prayed a little bit and hung up. And they didn't assume that day and then some the next day, though. And then so I I so, hey. But how did it go last night? They all was horrible. What? Oh, did did you tell her how deeply you were hurt? Nah. I just blasted her. And I said, what? Like, I thought we talked about that. You're gonna try something different.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:23]:
Nah. I was mad. So I just wouldn't give them. And, you know, the thing thing is that that issue is not a skill issue. It's a heart issue, isn't it? Because sometimes if we're really honest, are you guys like my friend that sometimes you just, like, give them. That's the reason why you do it. Right? But sometimes God wants to change to heart? These are these are symptoms more of a deeper heart issue. It's it's not that we don't know what to do so often.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:53]:
We don't want to do those things? And and so when God begins to change your heart that you don't speak out of anger? We don't speak out of our hurt. That we don't kinda you know what can happen? All of a sudden, that, to be honest, that so often the way that we speak kinda dictates the response that you get. Right? But but is it time this year to maybe try something different in relation on the it sometimes it starts with just letting God deal with some things in your heart. Right? And so how do you do part of that is is through prayer, I think. Part of that is is through prayer. Paul says in this in this passage that we read, he says Paul says that I pray, he says. Right? I pray that the eyes I I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through the spirit in your innermost being. Right? So he's praying that that so the Christ can dwell in your hearts and that you'll overflow with love and all of these things, and so he's praying.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:57]:
Now one of those things that we realize is that you can't make anybody love you, and you can't make anybody love God. That's not your job? Have you guys ever tried to make somebody love you or make somebody try to love God? Yeah. You might I mean, you might have. I tried. I've tried. And, you know, like, my not my 1st girlfriend, the but the girl my girlfriend from when I became a believer? I I tried to make her love God. You know, all she felt was underperformance. That if I I'm somehow not, like Christian enough that that they won't be loved? It didn't work.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:35]:
I I found that I can't make anybody love God. I can encourage them. I can speak to them. I can I can pray for them? I can, you know, stand with them, but I can't make anybody love God. Just like I can't make anybody really love me. Right? Because it's it's often it's really dependent on the other person. They they have to choose to do that? But it does say that, you know what, that we pray that God begins to touch their heart. You see, when people experience it's God's grace, and they experience God's mercy, and they they experience his presence, then all of a sudden, then, to be honest, that that maybe they begin to respond to God? Right? And so we want people to experience, and maybe God is praying and that other saints are praying that you and I experience that from God in a in a greater sense? So Paul's praying for that breakthrough for them, but sometimes in the middle of that that it it talks about these things as well is that your growth, he says, are like roots that go down, right, in this passage? He says, what does it say? Where's that verse? I put I should that's one thing when I move my stuff around.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:58]:
It says being rooted and established in love. See, sometimes that if we wanna go deeper in Christ and let your roots grow deeper, sometimes the reason why they don't grow deeper is they run into barriers? They run into to spots they don't it doesn't know how to grow through or cannot grow through. This happened a a few years ago now we're, that at my mom's house, somebody, you know, was visiting, and they they reversed and banged her her, mailbox and, you know, it's just totally tilting? And and so my mom was saying, you know, I'm gonna call somebody to come, you know, fix the mailbox? I said, mom, don't call anybody. I can fix that. Right? In fact, I will give you an upgrade. I'll I'll I'll make it like a craftsman style because I just had to have changed my mailbox at at my house? Somebody else had, broken my mailbox, and so I figured out how to do it? And so I said, mom, I'll do that. And she said, oh, okay. That would be really nice.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:57]:
Right? That kind of a thing. And and so I buy all the equipment, and head out to my mom's house, come up with the tools as well, pick, shovel, all that, cement, do all those things. But the first thing you gotta do is what? You gotta dig out the old one. Right. So it's just like those, like, you know, lead pipe? You guys remember in the old days that the mailbox was just on the lead pipe. Right? So it was just simple. I thought, you know, just there's probably, like, a coffee can sized piece of concrete down there? I'll just dig around that. But as I began to dig around it? I just kept running into just these chunks of concrete.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:37]:
This this total chunks concrete? And it's like, I could barely get going because it's I'm always running into something. And so some of my need to then dig around this chunk so I can pull out this ball all the concrete and and the other side and some other things were like that, and it was just it it's this big. There were this area of just filled with concrete, totally, like, in mixed in with the dirt? And as I was doing that, I was thinking, who in your right mind builds the telephone I mean, the mailbox post like that? You don't need that much concrete. I said, what idiot would do and then I thought, oh, yeah. That was me. That was me and my brother that when we were kids that when we were kids that that the cars were in why it rained so much that the the cars created all these, like, major gullies in the front yard, and we didn't have enough dirt to fill them, so you know what we said? Let's just put all the concrete that we had from a broken project. And we've put it all there, and we buried it with the dirt, and it was looked totally fine. Right? But the thing is that it was sitting there literally for over 45 years? 45 years sitting in the ground.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:54]:
But the thing is but it was placed, you know, when? When we were little kids when we were kids that we we wanted to help, and that's what we did. But the thing is that you know what? Sometimes that the reason why your roots cannot go down, it's because that sometimes there's things in your past, wounds that you've been through and disappointments that you had, maybe failures that you had? Like, there God wants to grow that root deeper, but it hits that thing, and you guys know what I'm talking about? Because even though you know what God says, even though you know what God wants, like my friend, that sometimes you just give them? Right? Sometimes we just kinda revert back to the old way. Right? And and I don't know if anybody relating to that. I'm guessing that you guys are because all of us have things like that. But you know what needed to happen? They they they just needed to be removed first. Right? Once they were removed, Junius, roots can go down easily? And so this year, would you let god sometimes you're gonna go through this year, and there's gonna be situations that you're gonna know clearly what God's word tells you. You're gonna know clearly what the spirit of God is is saying to you, and you're gonna wanna do the exact opposite. I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:18]:
I'm saying this to make you aware. Because the things that you have been through sometimes we say this, time heals what? All wounds. That ain't true. That ain't true. To be honest, time doesn't heal all wounds. You know what it does? If you have long enough, just makes it normal? Just makes it normal. I've always been that way. Right? And that's why I cannot say I'm sorry.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:46]:
I've always been that way. You know, somebody doing just I I get explosive. I don't mean anything by it, but it's I've always been that way. It's all it did was it took those hurts, and it just made it normal. And maybe this is what God wants to do this year. Maybe he wants to change your normal. But how he does it is not to scold you. He's not trying to scold you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:11]:
He's trying to heal you. He's trying to strengthen you? He's trying to make you grow stronger. Right? Sometimes that's the the thing that needs to happen? When you hit that this year, would you use it as a as a warning sign? God's bringing your attention to something. And you might not be morning sign? God's bringing your attention to something, and you might not be able to get past it yourself. Maybe you pray with somebody. Maybe somebody he speaks with you? Maybe somebody prays over you? Maybe you know, whatever the case that maybe there's some things. There's a process that you can go through, but but this is what I believe God wants to do. That for some of us, this is what's gonna allow you to grow deeper in Christ this year? And and that's one of the reasons why we have a course called finding freedom that we we do generally twice a year and will being in the beginning of the year? We haven't talked about it, but I'm sure we'd be doing it sometime in the spring.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:07]:
But sometimes what it does is it helps you to to understand that all of us have those things kinda buried in our life, and you don't really think about them for most of the time till sometimes something hits, and you know, but you just can't do it. Right? And and so this is what God wants to do. I'm gonna read one other passage this this evening. One other major passage found in Colossians chapter 2 verses 5 to 8. And in Colossians 2 5 to 8, he says this, for though I am absent from you in the body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is? You guys ever tell us to me, hey. We're with you in spirit. Right? And and sometimes you are, but sometimes that just means I have something else I'd rather do. Right? But but, you know, but he's saying this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:00]:
But Paul says, I'm with you in spirit because Paul was in prison, and Colossi was, quite a ways away. And so he he's writing to them, and he's saying, even though I cannot with you in person because I'm in prison? He says that my heart is still for you. Right? I still identify with you? I still I your our relationship still means a lot to me. And so he goes on, and he says this. So then just as you have received Christ Jesus as lord, continue to live your lives in him? Rooted. Let's say that word rooted. Right? Same word coming up. And built up in him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:43]:
Strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness? And so what we see in this thing is that he says that that he identifies with them. There's a connection that he has with them? And because of that, he wants to speak into their lives and pray for them. Right? And so he says this that I when even though I'm not there, I'm present in spirit, and And I'm just delighted, he says, to see how disciplined. And that word disciplined is actually the word ordered. It means, it's a a word that kinda talks about how structured and, you know, it could be disciplined as well. So I'm struck I'm struck by that and by how strong or firm, you know, how solid your faith is? And so this is what god, I think is challenging us as well to grow deeper in Christ this year is order your life in Christ. Order your life in Christ? Your your your spiritual life needs to have some order to it. It needs to have some discipline to it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:47]:
And when you do that, then that sense of being stronger and and and and solid makes it it's it's a byproduct. Now no. When we read this aspect, ordering your life in Christ, I think, is the first thing, is understanding that your identity? Your identity in and it's under about understanding about your identity in Christ. See, if we don't don't understand our identity in Christ, or we don't remind ourselves about who we are? That it's so easy that we'll let other things tell us who we are. Right? We'll we'll let our performance tell us what we are. For some of us, the the our our our self worth or our our self identity is the sum total of people's opinions about us? Right? Some people like me. Some people think I'm great. Some people think I'm good.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:38]:
Some people think, you know, I work hard, whatever it is that you wanna say, but and then and plus performance and plus our talents, our and abilities, that's what defines our self worth for some. That's my identity. It's what I can do well, what people think of me, and and then, you know, my talents and and abilities? This is the hard part about that. That if that's the only way that we see our lives, then you'd be working to please others. You'll be you'll be at the slave to try to keep up with buddy, because you'll feel horrible about yourself, but but the other part or and and it's and it's about developing your abilities. Right? And but when we start seeing ourselves the way God sees us, it'll help you to identify and order your spiritual life. Because this is what he says, that the in Psalm 3313 that the Lord looks from heaven, and he sees all the sons and daughters of men. That God sees everybody? God's looking at it from heaven, and he sees you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:44]:
Right? Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and says, god sees you right now. Right? He sees everything about you? And and he says that regardless of what your performance has been, regardless of what people have said, he says this, you are greatly loved. You're greatly loved. I I'm I'm gonna say some scripture. There's not enough space to to put all these kind of things in, in in some, Jeremiah 31 3 says this, long ago, the Lord said to Israel, I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. God's love doesn't fade from year to year? He said, I loved you in 2023. This year, not so much.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:24]:
That's not what it says. Right? It it says, with unfailing love, I've drawn you to myself. God's trying to draw us closer. God's trying to get us deeper, but it starts with not so that you become loved. It's because you are loved. Right? God already loves you right now. Right now. It doesn't matter what people think? It says that if you feel like sometimes we struggle because maybe you lost a friendship.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:48]:
You guys ever lose a friendship? It's painful. It's painful to lose a friendship. Right? Somebody that you you you feel wounded? Sometimes we our our thing takes a hit. Our our our self worth takes a hit when that happens. But you know what Jesus says he says, I'm your friend. He says, I'm your friend. Will you be my friend? Right? In in John 15:5, he says, I no longer call you servants because a master doesn't confide in his servants? Now you are my, what, friends. Now you are my friends, and I'm telling you in advance the things the father has told me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:24]:
I'm a friend of Christ. You're a friend of Christ. You're loved by God. By the way, you ever have ups and downs in your performance? Not so great. Or anybody during the they said something to somebody that you wish you never said? Right? You did something you wish you never did. All the families an uncle, auntie, cousins, right, whatever, and somebody says something, and, and something you feel bad. Right? But this is this is what the scripture says. Says you're a saint.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:56]:
Do you always act like a saint? No. You don't. I'm probably safe to say you you don't always act like a saint. I don't always act like a saint. But the scripture says we are saints by calling? God calls us saints. Ephesians 1 tells that that you and I, we're saints by calling. Because what is a saint? A saint isn't the holiest person in the world. It's a person who's set apart for Christ.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:24]:
That when God sets you apart for himself, he says you become a saint. It's not about who did miracles in the room. It's not about who's more righteous and holy than the next person? It's saying that, but are you set apart for God? Have you ordered your life in Christ? Says that you're chosen. You're appointed. You're a citizen of heaven. Right? Says I'm forgiven. Right? And I'm loved. All of these things, you're part of our identity in Christ? And so you have to remember who you are in Christ, not simply what people say about you, not simply what your performance tells you, not simply what your your talents have been? And so find your identity in Christ.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:09]:
That helps to order your life in Christ? Now Paul says he he felt strongly about the church in, Colossae that he felt connected and that there was an identity that these guys are my brothers? This is my church family even if he didn't get to see them. Right? And so, you know, one of those things is that you and I have an individual identity as the people of God, as a as a saint, but you're also part of the body of Christ. Right? You need to have a corporate identity as well. That the scripture says this, that that you and I were part of the church, but the church is is is New Hope Kapolei your church? It it it might be? But but here's the thing. I've met people from all different kind of places around the world. I've never met them before? I I don't know that. I don't know their background. I don't but then I've been in a hotel in Beijing and run into somebody who was a believer, national Chinese, and you know what? Man, instantly, I wanted to get to know this person? Because that that guy is my family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:25]:
Guess whose family he is as well. He's part of your family. You see that you're connected. When your life is ordered in Christ, you begin to see relationships, not this? Like, who can get you what, and who do you like, and who's just like me? And but we understand that, hey. This guy, this gal, we have the same father in heaven? The same Jesus who died for me that I get to know, he knows and was saved by the same person. Right? We're part of the same family. And and Paul is saying that expand that that aspect that who you're who you can identify with? Because you ought to be able to identify with the people of God. And b, what do you what helps you to do that? Sometimes just be regular and and be more regular this year in in in finding that place to connect, to worship, to pray together to to be in the word together, to prepare your heart for that? You know, I I listen to Audible books lately.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:31]:
I've I've been listening to Audible books. I didn't realize I got free Audible books, from Amazon. So I started to listen into those books? Some of those books is the books that I always wanted to read, I never get to read. Right? But you know when I listen to them? Usually when I go to the gym. Usually, when I'm running errands. That's when I'm listening a lot to those books. And sometimes as I'm driving or I'm I'm on the the stair thing or I'm working out? I'm listening to this thing, and it's like, wow. That was good.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:02]:
Right? I hear something. I was good. And sometimes I stop in the midst, and I write notes in my in my phone as I'm listening? And sometimes it was good, but I didn't wanna break my rhythm. Right? And so I kinda forget a lot? And so and I'm saying this specifically to our brothers and sisters who are online. Not saying that this is a lesser experience, but I just know this, that if I'm multitasking, when I'm trying to connect in this deep spiritual things at times, I just I'm just not there. I don't I there's a part of me that kinda, like, part of my brain lights up, part of my soul lights up, then then I forget it quick? Because I'm multitasking, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. Right? And And so it's not a bad thing to join us online. We're glad that you guys are here.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:54]:
But when you do it, can I ask you? Can you give it your full attention? Right. It's the same thing if you guys were in church, but to be honest, you guys playing games or you're doing different things that you might hear what I'm saying. Right? May hear what I'm saying, but you you won't necessarily hear what God's saying? Because sometimes that's our hearts gotta be in tune? So let's prepare our hearts to follow. Let's prepare our hearts to worship. Let's prepare our hearts to gather together whether you join us in line or whether you join us in person? And and then it says this, that that last part in the center? He says, so then just as you do receive Christ as lord, continue to live your lives in him? When that word that actually says live your lives in him, that comes the the Greek word is which says, I want you to walk I want you to walk in him. And what does that mean? He's saying that that wherever ever it is that you go, that whatever it is that you do, would you walk with God in that thing that you do? Right? The most of us, that we we have other things that we do besides we go to church. Right? We we you go to work. You go to school, you you take care of the kids, you, you watch the grandkids, you babysit the grandkids, you that you have? You have a boyfriend or you have a girlfriend or you have a a a child or you have a husband or a a wife.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:24]:
You you you take care of your parents for some of us, that we're in in these situations, but this is what God is saying that as you live your life in him, the challenge to grow deeper in Christ is that when you go to school or when you go to work, you bring Jesus with you. Right? That when you go to hang out with your girlfriend or you go hang out with your boyfriend, you bring Jesus with you so that you can live out that that life? You know, like, I got kids and every one of them have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Right? And, I wanna remind them that, hey. You know when guys, go out. Bring Jesus in the car and sit him right between you right now. No. But, like, you know, there's aspect that that would you know that, hey. You know, you can always fool dad, and you can always fool mom.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:23]:
Just bring Jesus with you. Makes all the difference in the world the way that you date? Makes all the difference in the world the way you go to school. Makes all the difference in the world the way that you can go to work. Right? Because when you're at work, I'm sure there's there's people that you know, sometimes it's challenging to love. Sometimes it's hard to work together with? Right? I did a I did a business blessing on Friday, and, brand new shop opened up in Kapolei and beautiful like, the the nicest auto repair shop I ever seen? And we're talking and praying. I say, hey. You know, we're in the same business, you guys and me, because people bring their vehicles in, and they're usually in less than perfect condition, and you help it to reach its potential? And you do this redemptive work. To be honest, that's what we do in the church.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:13]:
Right? Wherever whatever the condition people come in is that we wanna help them experience redemption and and to be all that what God has in store for them. Right? We're talking about that and kinda laughed? He's showing me how to weld and that kind of a thing, and we're praying. And so did you know, the thing is that you spend so many of your work hours in this location. And sometimes the biggest hardest part about work is not the work itself. It's the relationships at work. Right? Everybody's kinda nodding. Right? Because sometimes we don't agree, we wait in on somebody, and somebody's not as fast with your thing as you would like, right, all this stuff. I said, you know, that's normal, that's natural, but we're we'll pray that there's a spirit of of camaraderie.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:01]:
And here's the secret about that. It's, forgive quickly. Forgive quickly. Don't hold grudges at work because it's it's that kind of a thing that that can make your work, the biggest blessing? Many of us have some of our greatest friends at work. Right? You spend more time with your friends at you're coworkers at work than you do with your own family. Right? Because it's the way the hours work. But bring Jesus to work with you. So when the spirit of god is saying sometimes he's saying stand up for what's right.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:39]:
Sometimes he's saying, can you be gentle? Whatever he says, let him speak to you at work with your brothers and your sisters, your parents, your kids? How you do with your neighbors? And just gonna close with this. So often, we we talk about whether we've received the lord? But that's important. That's super important to respond to god and receive his grace and his mercy? But sometimes the issue is, have we given ourselves to the lord? Right? Not just receive grace and mercy, she not just received forgiveness, but have I really given myself to him? 2nd Corinthians says this, they even did more than we had hoped? For their first action was to give themselves to the lord and to us just as God wanted them to do? See, God loves it when you give yourself to him. God loves it when we give ourselves to him first. And so at the beginning of the year, maybe what we'll do is we'll not maybe. What we'll do we're gonna do it today. We'll take communion together. And it's a reminder that when we give ourselves to him, not only does god like it, but it's because he first gave himself for us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:05]:
Right? And so we have elements in the back, the juice and the bread, and and they're symbols of what Jesus this? So that when we talked about the identity in Christ, the fact that you're loved, the fact that you're forgiven, the fact that you're a saint, the fact that he has a grace for you today? Right? The fact that that you're called a part of God's family, all of those things, it's because he made the way at the cross? And so as we begin, I think it's important to say that's what I want that to mark my year. I don't wanna have a little flavor of Jesus in my life. I wanna be filled with his presence today? Because god has a grace for you. Hey. Let's bow our heads. We're gonna close this section in prayer, and then we're gonna go gather our elements? We practice in an open communion. So if you're not member here? No problem. We if you consider yourself a follower of Jesus, we invite you to come take communion with us because you're a brother oh, you're our sister, even if we just got to meet for the 1st time tonight? Father, tonight, would you help us today? We as we take a moment to calm our heart down.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:36]:
Lord, we wanna be stronger in you this year. But it doesn't just come from a moment. It comes through growing. It comes from letting your roots, our roots, go deeper down in you? But I thank you, Lord. You started it first. You called us and paid the price for us? And, lord, it's it's more than just about whether we received Christ or not. A lot of that is us ordering our life around you rather than asking you to be ordered around my life? Well, a lot of it happens that me giving my life to you, not just simply asking you to bless me in all the things I wanna do? That, lord, I wanna be able to take you wherever I go today. And if you're here today and you recognize you've received the grace of God before, but, frankly, you've just not really giving yourself to him lately? You've not really surrendered your life to him lately.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:46]:
If that's you, would you just and you recognize that's you? Would you just tell the lord today? Lord, I've been flavored maybe, but I haven't been full? And so I'm just giving myself to you today. For some of us, it's over again. And for some of you, it might be for the 1st time. Who knows? But whether the first time or the thousandth time, it matters. It matters to God, and it matters to you. So, father, as we prepare our hearts for communion this this evening, would you go before us? Father, we're thankful. It's it's more than just eating a piece of bread and drinking a cup of juice. It's about meeting you in this thing called communion that you told us about? It's it's about this fellowship.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:45]:
Lord, we wanna meet you in the moment? In Jesus' name. Amen. So in the back, there's some juice and bread. Invite you guys go up and take it at your own pace? And if there's some things that you just wanna pray with before God, take some time, and then we'll take the elements together in a in a little bit? Hold these elements before us today? Lord, you in that 1st evening when you instructed the disciples? They had no idea that they would all desert you. They had no idea that they would all run-in fear for their lives? In fact, everybody made a profession of of faith? Everybody said, lord, that that they wouldn't do it, and but you didn't chastise them for it? You wanted them to be reminded? They're not chosen by their performance. They're not loved because they would be always be the strongest? They were loved because you chose them. And we're thankful tonight that even as we hold these elements, lord, you you have told us it's good to be strengthened in grace? And we're thankful that whatever it is that we're facing today and whatever lies before us this year, whatever is happening in my life right now? We're thankful, Jesus, that you are enough, that you will be with us every step of the way, that you never leave us or forsake us, that you still broke your body knowing full well all the things that lie behind us and all the things that lie ahead of us? And we're thankful, lord. We just say we need that grace? Thank you for breaking your body for me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:52]:
Would you take the breath? And you said without the shedding of blood that there is no forgiveness. And so you poured out your blood as an offering to create a new covenant. We wouldn't have to try to balance our good from our bad, but we could receive? It was a grace. That by your stripes, not only we are forgiven. You said by your stripes, we're healed. And tonight, we have confessed our sin. We've invited you into those moments that we need you most. God, maybe we acknowledge that that, like me, we all have some hurts and things that, to be honest, have have just become normal for us, but this year, you might want to start to heal and remove some of those things? God, we're just giving you permission here because you gave us everything? You gave all of your life, not so that we could just simply get into heaven, but we could experience your grace and your power and your love in the midst of all that life brings to us? Thank you, that you know you know our lives, and that you said that the body and the blood is enough for us? So we take the cup As a reminder, and we say it, we agree, lord, that it's enough for us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:48]:
Would you take the cup? So, lord, we're grateful to be chosen by you? We're grateful to be loved by you. And, father, that in this moment that would, even in this moment that whatever little thing that that root of Christ is growing stronger in us, god, we're saying, we surrender to you. We love you? We bless you. We want you to get everything you paid for. Lord, there's some of us that there's a a wound in our body, and some of there's a wound in our soul, but you paid for that already? So, lord, would you get all that you've got? So we're asking that for some, lord. If that's you, that you just need a a a touch in your body or you need a touch in your soul, would you just raise a hand to god today? Father, we're just thankful that you paid the price, and we want you to receive, lord, that this thing. And so we just say be touched and be healed and be restored? And, father, we're thankful that we're also a body of believers, brothers and sisters? And thankful, that with that bond, you'd strengthen together as well? In Jesus name, God's people say