Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
Hey. You know, this weekend, though, we're gonna conclude our series, that we started actually at Easter, and it's called the faith that works. And we've been talking, about just how even that the first issue for a faith that works isn't just the fact that Jesus is king because Jesus is king whether you believe it or not. But the the issue becomes whether Jesus is your king. And because to the degree that you, are devoted and and loving instead of the the degree that which you will experience him. And so we talked about that. If you want a faith that works, it's not just knowing that Jesus is king, but that he is my king. And then we talked about the fact that that sometimes things are difficult.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:38]:
And even in difficult seasons, that you don't have to just kind of make your own fire, although we are always called to be responsible, but God meets us in those moments. And we talked about, when you've maybe lost your joy and need a a restoration of joy, that we can experience that as well because God has has wired us up to be people who can experience joy. And so we talked even about, like, in terms of, when things are, hard emotionally, when hard when when there's pressure and stress or depression, and how even though it when it seems like God's a 1000000 miles away that he says that he has never left, that he's still here and that we can experience that. Then last week, we talked about that if you need to experience the the God of provision, even in those moments that God wants us to experience him. And it's and often what it is, it's an extension of what he's already placed in your hand, but he can multiply. He can extend beyond what natural provisions are. And this week this evening, we're going to, kind of close together this season, this series, and talking about when your identity and character are challenged, and and what that means in terms of being able to receive, and sometimes give correction. You know, a few couple months ago, we were at New Hope Oahu.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:03]:
How many of you guys were there for the men's breakfast? How many guys were there? Yeah. That was a great time, you know. And, when we were there, we we kinda, we advertised it at the church a few weeks or a month or 2 before the the actual breakfast. You know, my friend John Tilton, who's the senior pastor at, New Hope Oahu called, and he says, hey. Would you guys be able to come, you know, to tell your men? And and, so we did. We talked about it. But he he said, hey. You know, don't worry about it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:29]:
Just, Mary will take care of everything. And, it was gonna be sort of a almost like a reunion, but at the same time, he said and we're they'll take care of everything. And so he said, yeah. No problem. You know, we'll come. We wanna honor, pastor Wayne who started the whole New Hope movement, who's since been living in Oregon and ministering in Oregon. But, you know, when we went, they they just said, just tell them that you're here, and then it's it's all on the list. We'll we'll take care of it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:59]:
And so we went down. Different people went down different times. And then the car I was with, I we're waiting with some guys and seeing a few people, had already gone ahead. We just said, hey. Okay. Let's go on in. And then they stopped and said, oh, can I see your ticket? And I said, oh, sorry. I don't have a ticket.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:15]:
They they never talked about anything about a ticket. And he goes, oh, you cannot come in unless you have a ticket. I said, I, I talked to Mary and, and John, and they said, just come on in. And he said, we're from Yuho Kapolei, and and he goes, like, oh, sorry. No ticket, no entry, and and this and this. And it was sort of like, kinda like, who are you? You know, like, did you get that? And, so it was and then it was, you know, I was like a little like, hey. Wait. Let's wait for a little while then.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:41]:
And, but then I saw one of my friends friends who's on staff and, actually he works in our district as our missions guy, Keola. And he he just said, oh, sorry about that. Come on in. Right? But but I don't know if you guys ever been in that place where that. Come on in. Right? But but I don't know if you guys ever been in that place where somebody gives you that, who are you? Right? And I don't know if you've ever been asked that. Who are you? But maybe in a different context. Maybe the who are you in terms of, in a in a social setting.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:06]:
Who are you again? It's like, oh, I'm connected with, you know, that's my friend or that's my wife or who are you in terms of a work thing. It's like maybe you're talking about what is your job or whatever it is. And sometimes how you answer that question, who are you, is an important question to ask. But when we ask when we look at what the scripture says, that it does talk to us and speak to us about the people that we ought to be. It's a question not simply of what we think or not simply of our lineage, but but what is it as the people of God? What kind of people are we to be? And we, last year in the begin toward the end of the year, we talked about a series in our series kingdom, talking about the kingdom of God. How God was came to establish a people, a faith faith into him, as we we turn our hearts, and we give our hearts to him. He says that you become adopted, into his family, or he becomes his sons and daughters. And and then that that this message in some sense is a part in extension of that, but also then what is it the implication when you do get challenged, when you get stopped at the door, when when you, when you get in a place where maybe you get corrected, where things don't go your way.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:33]:
And, one of those things that we need to do is we need to know who we are. And, in Ephesians, it it says this, that God decided in advance, to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And so he says, you know, first thing you need to know is that that if you are a follower of Jesus, if you have given your heart, if you, call yourself a Christian that you've you've turned from what you know is wrong, you've turned from sin and put your faith in Jesus. He says, it's not that he just says, oh, that's good. You're doing good. It says, I make you part of my family, but but as a result of that, well, what's next? Right? But beside that, what's next? And so that question is really posed in 2nd Corinthians, not 2nd Corinthians, 2nd Peter chapter 3. And let's read that together this evening, but would you be kind enough to read that out loud? Let's stand in reverence for God, reverence for his word, And let's read what it says in 2nd Peter 3 verses 11 to 12. Ready? Let's read.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:38]:
What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and its speed its coming. And when he says this aspect, about what kind of people ought you to be, one of the things that's not readily apparent in English is that we don't have a different form of you for the singular versus a plural. Right? We just do that one word. We just say you. Because if I I say, hey you Mike, that word is you. If I say, hey, you all, like in the south. Right? Like, anybody ever go to the south, like, hey, Right? Like, it's like you it's everybody. Right? And it's like we just have one word.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:22]:
It's you. So you can't tell in English. In Greek, the letter the the language in which it was written, it's it's very different. There's a singular form of the word you, and that word is su, and then the other word is you plural is the word umas. It's a different word. And so guess word which guess which word it is used in this context? It's actually the plural. And so when he's saying this that who what kind of people ought you to be? It's not you just as an individual, but you as the people of God. As you have the people of God that we are connected, that we are cohesive, that we're one family, he's saying what kind of people are we to be? And then he goes on and he says, We ought to be a people that reflect the character of God and live lives accordingly.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:12]:
And so Peter's addressing the church, with a rhetorical question because he doesn't expect them to stop and answer because he's going he follows up with the answer. But we're gonna address that this weekend in some ways that what kind of people are we to be. So before you're seated, do me a favor and and just turn to your neighbor and says, aren't you be aren't you glad you begin as a child of God? And then you can have a seat. Aren't you glad you begin as a child? Alright. Now, it it Yeah. You, Flora. That's right. So, and so, and and sometimes it's used singular.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:46]:
Right? But, the thing is that when we begin this process that it really speaks in terms of our identity. Right? It's like if we don't know who we are, then it becomes very difficult to to know how to live. And and our group identity takes place as we live out this relationship with God. And and there's a dramatic change sometimes in our identity. I I remember in different seasons of my life, I I identified in very different ways. In in high school, when I went into high school how many of you guys when you went to high school and that you, you know, you like everybody was older, you're a freshman, you remember, like, all of a sudden, you know, you're looking to, like, where do I belong? Right? And and it wasn't until in in sports that that I I developed an identity. Right? I I developed an identity with a coach that says, you're a wrestler from now on. It doesn't matter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:33]:
I don't care where you go, what you and it's like, you know, that was helpful for me. Right? And then when you go to the next level, you jumped upon and you go to the the bigger thing, and all of a sudden, now you're just one out of 20,000 people at, at and Manoa, and and I'm walking around and say, well, who do I connect with? I'm just like, you don't even see your friends. Right? And and I it's kind of like one of those transitions. Right? So you don't know who you are. But I found my identity when I, became of a child of God, when I became a follower of Jesus. And God wants you then not just to know that you're a follower of Jesus. He wants you to learn how to live as a part of God's family. Right? Because it's not always an automatic thing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:14]:
Sometimes people come into the church of God, and it is so different than the way that we've been living that we don't know how to live as God's people. And it and it becomes very clear that Paul said that when we become a follower of Jesus, why do we live differently? He says because we are no longer our own. Right? He says it like this in in Galatians 2/20. He says, I have been with Christ, and I no longer live. But what? Christ lives in me, he says. You know, from the moment that he he paid the price, from the moment that we we acknowledge that, from the moment that we surrender to that, he says, you know what God? He begins to to inject his life into your life. So that to give you his strength, to give you his presence. And it says, but so now the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:13]:
And so he says this relationship with God is ought to be something that is so close, that it's so near us that it expresses itself in every aspect of our life. So in exploring this question about the identity, your identity, my identity, our plural identity as the family of God, the church over the centuries has has tried to address it in different ways. One of those ways is, through through creeds, through through theological statements, through doctrine, and and what does that mean is that it's trying to say it's like what what does a Christian believe? Right? It's like what do we think to be true? And and, you know, it might start with say, we believe in 1 God, right, who's expressed in 3 people, God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. Or maybe we say, oh, we believe that the word of God is the inerrant word of God and authoritative for life and faith. And and these are theological statements. They're they're statements of faith. They're they're, doctrinal statements. And and doctrinal statements are important.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:24]:
Right? Because, he actually warns us. He says that watch your life and your doctrine. He says it is important what you believe. But I I, at the same time, can see that it's not enough to kind of control who I am. It's what I believe. Because have you ever believed that we ought not to lie? Right? Have you ever believed that you ought not to steal? But at the same time, have you ever lied and have you ever stolen? Right? Have you ever really and so sometimes the fact that we believe something doesn't reef we don't necessarily reflect that. Now you know that I think that becomes a confusing thing to the world, right? That when sometimes that when people look at at the church, or people look at Christians, they have an expectation that I would say this, is not In some sense, it's not realistic. Right? Because it's not saying that once you become a Christian is that you have no faults or or we're not pretending like we have it all together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:26]:
Right? But we're in the process of growing, in the process of changing. Yet as we look at the collective whole, right, so if you're a brand new believer, to be honest, you're just coming out of the world for them to say, it's like, I accepted Christ, I responded to Jesus, that no one I would hope would say it's like, now you know everything and that your life is perfect. That that's not, I think, what the gospel presents. But he says that after you've begun this relationship with God, you begin this process of transformation. At the same time, right, at the same time, that if you have been around, if you have been a leader, if you have been one who has stood in front of others, there is a legitimate sense that there should be some expectation, right, of integrity. And so that's why in the gospel, in the book of Romans, it says, you who preach against stealing, do you steal? Right? Because it's not enough to believe it, right? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? That you who abhor idols, do you rob temples? And he says this, as it is written, God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. Right? So it's not enough. It's we it's important to know what we believe.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:41]:
But it's not enough just to have that sense of belief. Because what these, what we really need to have a sense is that statements that are more than creeds, that are more than our beliefs, that more than our doctrines, but statements and ideas about who we are supposed to be. Right? That who we're supposed to be. And so the Apostle Paul kind of answers that in the book of Colossians, as in many other books as well. Ephesians and Philippians he talks about. But but he says this in in Colossians 3 12 to 14. Let's read what that says together. Ready? Let's read.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:19]:
Ready? Begin. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Let's stop here. Let's pause for a second. Because what is this saying? He's saying, okay, now, here's an identity. Because you're God's chosen people, right? Compassion. So what does it say? Clothe ourselves with compassion. In other words, that that I I want you to to to step into this this aspect of having compassion.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:58]:
I want you to step into this place of having kindness or humility or gentleness or patience. Grievance against someone. You guys ever have a grievance against somebody? A grievance against someone. You guys ever have a grievance against somebody? Right? Saying that we ought to be a forgiving people. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. And it's almost like God is saying, if you wanna know what your identity is, he's saying, don't you know that we are the people who who are compassionate? That we are the people who in instead of giving what was given to us that we can give kindness, that instead of the people that are are magnifying ourselves over everyone else that we walk with humility. Don't you know that we're a people that that rather than just kinda making people do, like then in some religions, it's it's like do as we say or we kill you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:06]:
Right? Believe as we believe, lest we kill you. He says no. We we do it instead with a sense of gentleness and patience. Right? And so he's saying that in fact that you know one of those things that's a hallmark that we're people that that bear with each other. Right? And it's sort of like some of us grew up that way, right? Some of us grew up this way in the sense that when you grew up, did your parents ever tell you like, you know, you tell your parents something and it's like, can I go Dad, mom, can I go do this thing with your friends my friends? And they say no. And he says, well, how come? Because you know so and so's parents are doing that. Right? They're letting them go to this party. Did you what kind of answer did you guys ever get? Well, that's not your family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:55]:
Right? You know? You're a Yamaguchi. We're not doing that. Right? My dad would say sometimes, well, if all your friends go jump in a lake, you're gonna jump in a lake. And and so that we, you know, in in in many, western in the western cultures in America, in many ways, we're really kind of, and Hawaii might be a little different, but they were hyper individualistic as a as a culture. Right? In other cultures, it's naturally it's naturally group oriented. Right? I I've been in Japan in the past when I when we first started doing missions, and it was much stronger than it even is today. But but I remember asking people, hey, what do you like to do? And he says, oh, we like baseball. I just think I was talking to this guy, oh, wow.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:48]:
Like, that's awesome. Like, I'm not a baseball guy, but I talked to another guy who said, hey. Well, you know, we're just kinda making friends, getting to know one another, hanging out. And then, hey. So what do you like to do for he said, oh, we like baseball. He said, oh, the guys these guys like baseball. I said, so you play baseball? He goes, no. Oh, you never play baseball? You just like to watch? He said, do you watch like, what's your favorite team? He said, I don't have a favorite team.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:09]:
I said, Bartaco, you said you like baseball. He says, oh, we Japanese like baseball. But he himself didn't like baseball. Right? But, you know, the thing is that he had a group identity. Right? And and the thing is that, you know, we can see too much of that is unhealthy, but but God is saying this that did you know that we're supposed to have a group identity as the family of God? And and that who we are, it's like and it's reflected in these kinds of statements in the scripture. And so we're always supposed to, but have you ever acted in a way that that's just not in line with this, right? That sometimes it's have I been in a time when I've not been gentle or I've not been kind? Absolutely. Right? And so sometimes I've acted out of character. You guys know what I'm talking about? Have you ever acted out of character? And and so sometimes I need to correct back to the word of God because I need to know who I am.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:08]:
But but in in in our culture, that within the God's family, he's saying that that we ought to have this collective thing. Now, that all of us that when we're born, as children, as infants, that you know your identity not because you know your individual identity, but you know your identity in terms of community, in terms of relationship. This is the role of a father and a mother and a family that your brain is wired up. And so, if mom and dad are fighting as kids that if if you're a young child that what what happens? What's what's the universal thing if mom and dad are fighting and then you're a little child? Sometimes we are worried that, like, are are they gonna get divorced? Is it my fault? Right. We we start thinking things like that. Why? It's because your brain and my brain, any child's brain is imprinted to to understand who they are in terms of community and relationships, and it begins with family. And it's like that until you hit about 12 years old and into about 12 years old that time about when you start going to transition into puberty that that you start to your own individuality and that it begins to balance this group identity. But but you know what? Like, hey, you know, like, in our family, I was surprised that we were, you know, I love beef stew.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:41]:
And anybody like like beef stew. Right? I mean, I love beef stew, and so when we make beef stew, I like I'm all out for beef stew. Right? And by my one of my sons, like, oh, you're hardly eating. What's what's the matter? He says, like, oh, I'm not that hungry. I said, oh, you don't like beef stew. He goes, not particularly. And I was like offended. What's wrong with you? You don't like beef stew.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:01]:
Like, in our house, we like beef stew. He doesn't like we don't like beef stew that much. And then, you know what? To be honest, it's not it's not a mandate. I was just surprised. I never really noticed. Right? But but the thing is that his own individual taste. Right? You you you like some things that that I don't like. He's into some things I'm not into.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:18]:
There's some things we share in common, but but it begins to balance when you start hitting that now starting your your individuality, right? That you can be an individual yet have a collective identity. Does that make sense? And so And it's a little rocky in this thing called what? The teenage years. Right? And and so, you know, to be honest, sometimes there's a pushing away, a distancing from the group in some sense because I want to express my own self. Usually it begins to swing around in early adulthood. Now then you start to realize, oh, wow. I guess my parents weren't as dumb as I thought. Right? Like mom and dad were smarter than I really like because you start seeing that, you know, like but you don't realize that. Right? So there's this natural development that happens.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:08]:
But but what that means is what is important when people are in their teen years or in their early adulthood kind of a time is that who your friends are make a huge impact in your life. Because what your friends do, who your people are, right, what your tribe is, often will dictate what is right and wrong to you. Because if you're trafficking with the group that says, hey, man. We we just we we wanna get good grades and go to college and and nothing that's gonna jeopardize that kind of a thing, that that might influence the way that you live and the way that you what you do for fun or whatever. And if you're hanging out with the boys, it's like saying, I don't care whatever I do in the classroom, but outside I can do whatever I like and whatever my parents don't know won't hurt them. And that influences us too. Right? And so, you know, to be honest, sometimes that's where many of us you know what? The thing is that, you know, they they're having this thing about, trying to legalize marijuana. Right? And how how many of you guys are are like me that I think that's the worst idea in the world? Right? Because it's like why is that? Because those of us who grew up, right, grew up you know what? Nobody ever did generally, nobody ever just said, I want to smoke ice for my and they're gonna just go and smoke ice by themselves.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:30]:
You know, they never it never happens like that. But it does happen that in the sense that I I used to party with my friends and then we thought it was harmless. But then it led us down this road, right, because we all did it together. And what happened, right, and we we know how much it robbed us and how much life would be better. And and to be honest, if it was all legal, it would be even worse. Right? You're just opening a floodgate that I think that the next generation will pay a huge price for if we ever let this thing happen in our community. I think it's a scourge. It's a bane.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:10]:
It should never happen, right? Because we understand what's gonna happen. It's like it's all legal. Right? And once that that kid group is is uncontrolled. Right? So so God says, you need to develop your people, your tribe, your friends, and within the body of Christ. Because if you if you don't, then it's going to be hard for you to live in some ways as a believer, because you're you're going to be much more influenced by the behaviors of other people that's outside of the family of God. And so, when we've talked about the Sermon on the Mount in the past that it's not a series about your commands how to do it, but it's these are really more statements about who we are as a people. Like in Matthew 5 to 7 in the, the Sermon on the Mount, he's talking about that we're people that take God's command seriously. Right? That that we are people who reconcile as quick as possible.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:13]:
Right? He he she's not saying that we're not a people that never make a mistake or that you never get into an argument. No. It's saying, but we reconcile quickly. We're people that that is it that because you never get tempted in any way? Says, no. We're people that learn how to deal with our our sexual expression, and that that we protect even what goes in our minds and what we put before our eyes. That we're people that want to remain faithful to our spouses and and not commit adultery. We're people who want to to honor our word, and we don't need to, like, to to make oaths and promises to in order to that. We're people that we wanna learn how to handle that when people are against us, in fact, that we will pray for them if not want the best for them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:55]:
Right? So that we forgive others who have, who have wronged us. Why? Because we understand what it means to be forgiven ourselves. And these are kind of group identity statements that when you have a group identity, right? And so God says this, we need to learn how to live within the family of God. Now it is understandable when you come into the family, you don't know how. But we ought to be able to express that. Right? And and you might have heard me say this before because a friend of mine that who came to Hawaii as an orphan, right, when she came from Korea, literally, was would take around and there was a big family that had adopted her in and, when she was at dinner, she would grab from each child's plate food and hide underneath the chair and eat it. Because coming from Korea where she grew up as a as an infant in the orphanage, it was the strong survive. If you don't grab it, then you don't get.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:00]:
And you know what the parents had to say to her was, Christina, don't worry. In this house, you're never gonna be hungry. Right? In this house, you're never gonna be hungry. You don't need to take you know, the thing is she she didn't understand that in the beginning. It took a while. But if you go to Frank and Christina's house, and some of us even though they've moved to the mainland, how many of you guys ever went hungry at Frank and Christina's house? Right? Nobody ever went hungry at Frank and Christina's house because Christina began to understand. She she got a different group identity. And in the church, sometimes when we come in, people don't understand, hey, as a as a child of God, guess what? God's gonna be a provider.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:47]:
Guess what? God's gonna be gracious and kind to you. Guess what? That if you if you want out of love, you know what? He'll love you no matter what and that he can love through you. Right? So we need to understand how to live as the people of God. Now, if you've ever come in and yet at the same time we all struggle with something. Right? Everybody struggle with something. Right? You ever try to get rid of that thing? You wanna, you know, overcome that thing? And so what is it that we tend to do that we probably tend to like I just got to give it some energy. Right? And the hard part about that is is that when you try harder, it it just sometimes it just doesn't work, right? Like if you've tried to say How many of you guys that you say, I eat too much. I've been trying to watch my blood sugar lately, because, you know, I noticed my blood sugar was rising.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:39]:
I'm not diabetic but, you you know, not good. Right? I I, you know, I so I started watching that. Like, I've there's days I do real good, and there's days that my wife's cooking and the desserts that she can make for the rest of the family. And she's not saying I cannot eat it. I just I cannot resist it. Right? So, right. So some days I do good. Some days I don't do that great.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:04]:
But here's what I noticed is that sometimes just trying harder doesn't work. I don't know if you've ever been in that place, right, that we just said, hey, I'm going to be more patient. I'm going to be more kind. I'm gonna be more forgiven. I'm not gonna get angry. And the harder you try, what happens? The more you blow it. Right? And so this is what we learn. Yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:26]:
I gotta just try more hard. Right? Like and if we're not careful, you get to this place where you just feel like I'm a failure. I guess I'll never do it. Because in becoming this people of God, it's not that we just need more than try hard we we need more than just trying harder. Right? Because we need something else. Because you obviously can we just say that it's not wrong to try. Right? It's not wrong to try. Turn to your neighbor and say, it's not wrong to try.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:56]:
Right? We need some effort. We need some effort, but we need to somehow grow in our spiritual development in character. It's that character, right, is who we are on the inside, right, who we are when nobody's looking, and how we really think and act behind closed doors, that that aspect. And and so when we when we do that, that what we find is that that God doesn't want you just to build yourself, I mean, beat yourself up because, you know, I tried harder and I guess I'm, you know, I'm a failure, whatever. But Jesus said this that that when you become his followers, he wants you to experience freedom. Right? He wants you to learn how to experience this. And so Jesus said in Matthew in John 831 and 32, very famous verse that says this. Jesus said, if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:49]:
You will what? Know the truth and the truth will set you free. Right? And so does truth set you free? Wow. You guys are cautious. You know, I ain't committing to nothing. I don't know what the question. I don't know what the right answer is, but I don't like to say it. But but I it but here's what it's saying. It doesn't say that truth alone sets you free.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:19]:
It what does it say? It's the truth that you know. You shall know the truth, and it shall set you free. Because many of us, we've read the Bible, and we didn't experience freedom. We've heard a Bible verse. You heard a message, but you didn't experience freedom. Why? Because to be honest you can hear the word, read the word, but not really know the truth at times. Not really experience. That word know actually is not to know intellectually but is to know by experience.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:52]:
See, when you know that truth by experience, he says, then there's a capacity to to to change, to have some sense of of growth, to have some sense of of progress. And and so what does that mean then? Well, what it's calling us to do then is to be a people that we understand that what it means to to to grow as a believer. Right? And so how do you experience that? Sometimes it's because you see someone else who has experienced freedom in this area. And you might have heard me talk about this before, but, but when my kids were young, I like not real real young, but you know, when they were like 6, 7, 8, 9, whatever it is. I remember just getting I would lose it because I would tell them, okay, guys. You get 5 minutes, 5 more minutes and we're gonna go to bed. Right? So just turn off the TV in 5 minutes and then go upstairs brush your teeth. And what would happen 5 minutes later? Nothing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:58]:
Absolutely nothing changed, right? Then I said, hey, you guys, what are you guys are here saying? Gotta turn off the TV and go upstairs and brush your teeth. And what would happen? 5 minutes later. Absolutely nothing. And then I would just yell and I would lose it. Right? And and so I would end up yelling a lot at my kids and and I was struggling with it, and I felt guilty about that, and I felt bad about that until my friend said, hey, you know, one of the things I learned, Glenn, is that a lot of times when you're talking to them and they're watching something and, unless they look at you, you don't even have their attention. So anything that you say, even if you're yelling, to be honest, it doesn't even penetrate. And so this is what I I do. He said, I don't know if you might want to try this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:44]:
He says, I just tell my kids before I say anything, hey, kids, would you look at me? Right? And and if they don't, he he goes, he turns off the TV, and he they all look at him at that point. Right? And he says then he says, hey. We you have 5 minutes and then why don't you go and you have to turn this off and then you you gotta go brush your teeth. Right? And I said, you know what? I would try that. And but before I could try it, at one point, I was watching the game, and my wife said, honey, can you go take out the garbage? And I totally ignored it, and I wasn't listening. And then she said, honey, look at me. No. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:26]:
No. But like but, I'm the same way. I I I have to train myself. Right? But I it works. Right? And so I learned I learned a skill in some sense in how to get over that. Right? So I but I learned it in community. I learned it through relationship. And you know what? When I did, I experienced the truth.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:52]:
And sometimes I'm experiencing it through somebody else's experience. You know, I struggled with this as well. And and now the truth is not a concept. Right? The truth is not a concept. It's something that I can experience. And so he's saying sometimes it's the the activation of the Holy Spirit. Right? Sometimes it's just that the Spirit of God enlightens you. The spirit of God convicts you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:16]:
The spirit of God moves you. And so sometimes you experience it that way. But but we need more than just to kinda read the word or hear the word at times. We need to experience the word. And in that process that to be honest, I think that we need to understand what it means to be a people then who who can receive some kind of correction. Right? Because all of us that we all of us who stray. Right? All of us, we make mistakes. All of us that we will not be perfect.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:47]:
Right? So it's not saying that you're supposed to be perfect as the people of God, but you're supposed to be correctable. One of the things I found is that that I think in the beginning when I was much younger, it was much harder for me to take correction. Because I would always want to make an excuse. I'd always want to say, you know, like if you have multiple kids, what did you say? Like, hey. How come you guys didn't wash the dishes? And and it would be, oh, because didn't brush the dishes, right? And it might dawned it. My sister and my brother didn't wash the dishes. Why? Why you gotta wash the dishes? I would deflect. Right? And and so sometimes I remember not having that that be that easy.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:28]:
Or when you're a teenager, teenagers love, teenagers love to turn the tables on you that when you give some direction. Right? Says, hey, guys, that, it's time to clean up. Well, dad, you need to clean up. You know what I mean? They they they kind of just turn the tables on you. Right? Like, hey, we gotta we gotta watch what we're eating. Dad, you don't watch what you eat. Right? Right? They kind of that kind of a thing. Right? So, you know, like, hey, you know, not just smoke dope, but then he's saying, oh, but dad, you drink.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:57]:
Right? Like, you know what I mean? They're just turning the tables all the time. But you know that if you wanna be a people that can receive correction and correction is an important part of this thing about when you get challenged in different areas, that you you cannot be defensive. Right? You you cannot, it's it's it's not the best response. Because to be honest, at that point, you're saying you're uncorrectable. How you need that, though, is you do need a healthy community for that. You do need a healthy community, for that. So when you when you get to the place where you can experience, some sense of a healthy community. Like I had mentioned that that we're, you know, when we remember the do's and the don't not the do's and the don'ts but the the Sermon on the Mount.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:50]:
It's it's about that we statements that who we are, that we're people that speak truth in love, that we're people who speak encouragement, but we don't refrain from correction. Why? Because it sets us free, right? That, it's things you can experience like that. Then things can change. I remember, as a young believer not really noticing that, I would swear so much. Right? And I didn't even realize. Right? How many of you guys that before you came into the church, you were you were like me? Your language was super different the way that you spoke, and you didn't even hear it. Right? Until somebody brought it to your attention. And and I had a friend who was like that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:31]:
He said, well, what did you say? He didn't he didn't shame me. He just said, what did you say? I said, oh, I said, oh, man. That's amazing. He says, no. You you said something else beside that before you said amazing. Then I said, oh, what? And he says, oh, yeah. Didn't you say something else? I go, oh, you mean that blankety blank is amazing. Right? And I go, yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:56]:
Yeah. You go, oh, okay. And he just I I just was saying, I don't think you hear yourself at times. And and he just kind of did that, and it was just a real little thing. And I never noticed. I never even noticed how my language was was like that. And it's that kind of a thing. It's such a small thing, but it's indicative of the fact that sometimes we don't even realize we're blind to the fact that there are areas in our life that that God wants to shape and God wants to to mold.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:31]:
And so at that time, that was challenging, right? There's obviously much more challenging things that I've had to learn as a result, you know. Some of it is it was how to receive correction. Some of it was how to give correction. Some of that was, you know, and those kinds of things. And, one of the challenging things is for a lot of people and what's challenging for me is the whole aspect of giving. Right? And, you know, like, when I one of the times I I was challenged to live that way was, because one of my friends was a vice president of of a Kaiser hospital, in California, very accomplished. You know, he ran a bunch of stuff for people in the community and and all of that as well. But he used to drive a used Volare station wagon.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:22]:
And some of you guys are wondering what is a Volare station wagon and because you guys too young, but but just suffice it to say is the word station wagon and vice president in general don't go together. Right? And, and he could afford to drive something much more. And I just I just asked him, Dave, why in the world are you driving this whatever it was, you know, your old used Volaris station wagon? He said, because you know what? I I just said that. Even though I know I make much more, I don't have to spend everything I make. And I was shocked. I was shocked at that. And and then he says, you know what it does? It allows me the capacity to give, to be generous. And and then it you know, he he didn't tell me, Glenn, what's wrong with you? Don't you give? Don't you he never said anything like that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:17]:
But but he just said that, you know, that you don't have to spend everything. What I learned is I don't have to spend everything on myself, but it allows me to invest in God's kingdom. And and that challenged me, and it was that process in which I learned how to give. I learned how to tithe and I learned that kind of a thing. And so and so you need to make sure that when you're in this process of growing in your identity and your group identity, and not making it about just trying harder, but but learning how to be a people who can be corrected at times, is that you some sometimes you need to make sure that you also don't buy into false or toxic identities. Right? Because sometimes there's some things that we can say which is important to admit, but that's just not who you are, right? It's sometimes can be important to admit that, you know, I have a problem with my anger. Sometimes it can be important to admit that, you know, hey, I'm struggling with the way I deal with relationships, you know, in the Lord. Right? I can't admit that I'm struggling with, you know, man, it's how much I drink or what I smoke or whatever it is that that it's important to to know that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:30]:
But would you know that that's not your core identity? It's something you struggle with. You know, your your temptations don't define who you are. Right? It it defines it might define your life. It might define how you're living, but that's not your core identity. We need to admit that we struggle with those things, but you're not your temptation, right? You're not your you're not your impulse, right? So we need to make sure that sometimes we don't buy into that. But but instead, the the the scripture says it like this. And why is correction so important? Because God says it's a defining marker of of being a follower of Jesus. Right? In Hebrews, it says in Hebrews 12, it says, have you forgotten the encouraging Lord.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:23]:
Right. So it's it's not just discipline in your life, but the discipline that comes from God. Don't make light of that. Right? And don't give up when he corrects you for what? The Lord disciplines those he loves and punishes each one of us. Each one he accepts as his child. In other words, that if God If you've never experienced correction in your life from God, that God always, you know, agrees with what you're doing, then to be honest, maybe you don't really know God. Because he's saying that it's a sign that God as a father because he loves us is he saying that God hates us? No. It's just saying that he instructs us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:07]:
Right? He doesn't let us get away with any everything. Right? What do you call a child who never had any boundaries? What do you call a child that never gets any correction? Spoiled. Right? Spoiled. You know, like, God doesn't wanna have spoiled children. And and so he says that, in fact, that's one of the ways is that you get wise. What does it say in Proverbs 1531? Let's read what it says together. Whoever heeds life giving correction will be at home among the wise. Now, I can guess that a lot of us we can accept correction when it's real simple.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:49]:
Like, hey. No. Instead of doing that, you put the 0 here. Right? Instead of doing this, you know, to to put your finger here. Right? That kind of a thing. No no problem. Right? Or or golf. You need to you need to stand a little straighter, or you need to bend a little bit more.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:01]:
Right? That most of us that for that kind of a thing, it's it doesn't hurt you because it doesn't kind of assault your sense of identity. But there's some things that you avoid because you felt embarrassed by it. Right? And and there was a shame to it. And and, and, you know, I I I've experienced that for sure. Right? You know, like, I remember when my kids were real young, my oldest was real young, And Rico was gonna go out and, and he was he couldn't even crawl. He couldn't even, you know, stand or anything like that. And And so I had a habit of just putting him on the sofa and then I would sit on the floor next to the sofa and I would be doing my thing. Right? And, and then but my wife said, honey, don't leave Jacob on the sofa.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:55]:
I said, no. He's fine on the sofa. She said, no. But you didn't you never know. He might just roll off sometimes. Like, he can't even crawl. He can't do anything. And she said, don't leave him on the sofa, and she was going to go out.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:05]:
And so what did I say? Oh, okay. But then as soon as she went out, what did I do? Yeah. Put them on the sofa. Like, she's not here. Like, it's like, you watch them the way you wanna watch them when you watch them, and I watch them the way I wanna watch them when I watch them. Right? And and so I put him on the sofa, and I was just doing something, and I he was right there. And the next thing I turned around, and then I heard. And then I heard.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:27]:
Right? I heard that. Right? And it's like, oh my gosh. And I I picked them up right away and I just check. Oh, nothing seems to be really wrong or like the head the the eyes looking at me. Right? And and that whole thing. Right? And when my wife came home, she said, how was everything? What did I say? Oh, awesome. It was great. Now, I didn't want to say that because you know what? I was embarrassed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:52]:
Right? I was embarrassed. That little thing. The very thing you told me not to do was the very thing I did. The very thing that you said could happen was the very thing that did happen and I just somehow for whatever the reason and to be honest, I didn't want to get in a fight over it as well. But I was embarrassed. Right? But I think I'm not the only one with a crying baby somewhere in their past, right? I'm not the only one with some kind of a stain somewhere in the past. And sometimes because of that, we get embarrassed and with shame makes us say, you know what? Like, I don't want to be corrected. But but would you know that that it's it's a misunderstood thing that right.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:36]:
You can be corrected in a healthy way, and then you can be you could have been corrected in unhealthy ways. And the reason why I was embarrassed about that because I had been righted before and demeaned, like, what is wrong with you? Are you dumb? Right? You know that kind of a thing. Are you stupid? And, you know, and I I think because of that, I didn't wanna get into that. Not that my wife ever did that, but somehow I thought that. Right? And and so sometimes you gotta get to the place where you reject condemnation, but you can accept correction. Right? See, the the scripture says there's a big difference. What does condemnation says? Condemnation says there's something wrong with you. There's something that you're bad.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:27]:
Not that you did something that could be changed. Not that you did something bad, but that you're bad. You're a failure. Right? The scripture says this. It says in Romans 8:1. Let's read what it says. Ready? Begin. So now, there is no what? Condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:49]:
And so sometimes we just need to be in the place where we we reject condemnation but you can receive correction. I was already an adult. I was already in the ministry. I was already leading people. I was already leading teams. And and, there was a a family gathering that we needed to go to the big island for. It was my uncle's, like, golden anniversary or might have even been the diamond anniversary, 75 years, I think. And, we were all leaving on the flight together and I remember, when I got there, I just kind of miswrote the time in my planner like I think it was like 10 by 10 minutes.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:32]:
And so I got there 10 minutes late when, you know, my family was already there. My dad, who is notorious, doesn't want to wait, said, like we're walking and he's already salty. Right? And then all of us are walking, going to our gate and my dad says to me, he says, you came 10 minutes late. I said, sorry. I wrote it down wrong and this and this. He goes, like, yeah, you stupid or what? And I just said to my dad, I just said, no. I'm not stupid, and I don't really appreciate that that statement. I'm sorry I made a mistake.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:08]:
And my mom and my sister and my dad and I, we were all walking together, But all of a sudden, as soon as I said that, my mom and my sister walked far away. Right? Because they they were expecting, like, this huge eruption from my dad. But, you know, when I I stood up for myself, I didn't say I I didn't make a mistake. I I owned a mistake. I just said what I didn't own was a condemnation. And sometimes we have to learn how to own the mistake and learn to own the correction and somehow reject the condemnation. It's it's best it's best when we can it's said well, right? We ought to learn how to give correction in a healthy way, and we ought to learn how to receive correction in a healthy way. Receiving correction or giving correction in a healthy way doesn't say that I punish you or I withdraw my favor from you or I withdraw relationship from you, because of this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:13]:
You're fired because you make a mistake. And maybe some of you that in your industries that there is that maybe that might be the thing. But I would say it like this, you know, I know that we we had a, a situation happened in a ministry thing where, somebody was kinda left alone to handle something and they were all by themselves. And and, you know, and then that person struggled because they just weren't equipped for that situation. And so, you know, we of course, everybody's just the most encouraging to this kid. Right? And, so we're just saying, hey. You know, no problem. We're so glad, man.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:52]:
We're proud of you that, you know, you handled this pressure and all this. And I wanted to make sure that somebody who left him in that situation would just know. They said, hey. You know, the thing is that, we're so proud of what you've been doing. I I didn't get to say these things because somebody else had already brought it up to that person. But but what I would have communicated to that that person who did leave him, I said that, you know, you've been super faithful. We've been really proud of you. We're really thankful for you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:20]:
But you know, one of the things we don't do is that sometimes I I know we forgot, but we don't let we don't leave people hanging by themselves. Right? That's just not who we are. And so we know that there was a mistake. So next time, let's make sure that right? That's healthy correction. Right? Because we're saying we're still standing with you. You're still part of the deal. Right? We're still proud of you. We still love you, but we wanna see some kind of a change.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:49]:
Because the reason sometimes people don't wanna admit is because if they feel if they admit, then they're out. Right? And and that's because of some part of the kind of the toxic aspect of shame. There can be a healthy shame. There can be a healthy shame. Not all shame is toxic. Right? I was embarrassed, to be honest, about the thing with the baby because, like, I I should have been just more humble. Right? And that like, I I was embarrassed about it. Why? Because I lied to my wife.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:22]:
I should be. That's a healthy shame. Like, I shouldn't have lied to my wife, right, about that. And, she has long known this story. So don't worry. It's not like she's right now for the first time. But but so we need to learn how to give and receive correction in a healthy way. Right? So it's not like, you know, we're calling them names.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:43]:
Not like we're telling them like all these different things, are you kicking you out of the team, or whatever that kind of a situation is. Like you're not my son. You're not my daughter. Right? That kind of a thing. We don't say those things because, to be honest, you're blowing steam. But you know that you punish them and you wound them. Right? And so but as a as a family of God, that's not how we do it. But sometimes you have to receive the gems of truth even when it's given imperfectly.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:11]:
Sometimes you have to learn to accept the truth even when, it's given imperfectly. And he says, you know, because I think everybody says if if you were corrected like, you know, hey, you know, we're proud of you or we love you and that that we're we're so glad you're part of the team. Can I give you one point of correction? You know? Hey. The the next time, can we do it this way instead of this way because, that's just not how we do it here? Right? That would be great. Most of us, we can receive that. But how many of you guys, you work in an environment where that's not how correction is given? Right? And we understand. Some of us, we we work in those places where, you know, you guys work in construction. There's guys who work in the military.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:54]:
You guys who work in, right? It's just not how correction is given. And so, sometimes people sling mud. Sometimes people throw, you know, stuff at you. And so, you know, but at times, a wise person can receive not the condemnation but that you can sift through all the garbage to find what is true, right, Even though it wasn't told in the best way. And and the prophet Jeremiah was instructed, by God about that. He he said this in Jeremiah 15/19. He says, therefore says the Lord, if you return, then I will restore you. Before me, you will stand.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:39]:
And he says this. That can we read that next phrase together? If you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become my spokesman. Sometimes people say stuff really, like, there's a lot of harsh stuff coming out, and it's worthless. And you you ought not to listen to it. But sometimes there's a grain of truth in that. And that if you take that, you'll be better. If you can receive that, you'll you'll make a great change. And and so sometimes people will do that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:19]:
And what our job to do is to sift from the worthless and and the precious. And and so because god is with you and god is for you. Right? And so the more you know the God who loves you and accepts you and you're part of his family, God's not ever threatening to kick you out when you make a mistake, when you fail, right, when when you're not yourself. He just wants to correct you to be to back to your real identity as a son or a daughter of God. But sometimes in the world that when it doesn't treat you like that, your job is to sort it all out. You know, I I've been in a place where I've been corrected and with a lot of different words behind it. Right? I've I've been pulled over by police, and we're shouting at each other at the end, and he's saying I was speeding, and I was. Right? And I would I could've said to him, you know, but what you did and, you know, the way you pulled me over and and the whole thing, it almost caused an accident.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:33]:
But all I said was all I said was you're right. You're right. I was speeding. I'm sorry, officer. Right? Even though he was yelling at me, even though we were on the side of the road yelling at each other. But I was able to receive that. And because I was able to receive that, I also didn't get a ticket. But, but I'd I'd say this that would you know that when God brings correction in your life, it's not the sign that He's rejecting you, it's the sign that He loves you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:05]:
And in fact, it says that we need to be mindful that He's trying to keep you from destruction, not hasten your destruction. Proverbs 4 29:1 says this, that whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. Right? In other words, you know, like, if if I kept doing it and I've kept ignoring it and I kept you know, all of a sudden, one day, it's too much. Right? One day, there's a consequence that I didn't wanna pay. And so he's just saying this, that that that's part of our role, that you have a faith that where you learn to receive instruction and to receive correction even when it's not given the best. But how do you learn that? The best is to find a group that's supportive. Find a group that that knows Jesus and following Jesus, and somehow they're committed to you and will walk with you through your ups and downs, and that they're not there to judge you, they're there to beef with you. And when you've had that, then sometimes that's what allows you to ex to go through the other stuff, that outside of the family, outside of, in in the world, that when you live in the world because you know there's that place where you're still loved, you're still accepted.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:00:33]:
And our prayer is this, that that our church is that kind of a place, that we're a people that covers people, not covers up for people, that we believe in people, and that we're a place that people get second chances. Right? That we're a place that that loves people enough to tell them when they're doing something wrong, but we do it in a way that's loving and supportive. Right? So that that's our heart. Yeah. I'm just gonna close with this. You know, I saw a news article this morning where, Oregon's, Oregon Ducks' new quarterback, Dylan Gabriel, who had already played for UCF, you know, powerhouse in football, been a quarterback been a quarterback at Oklahoma, of course, another powerhouse, who's a, alumni from Mililani High School, 2019 alumni. Just donated new uniforms, for the Mililani High School football team. And he's not a graduate yet.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:01:47]:
Right? He's not, in the pros yet, you know. He's still in college. He's gonna play out his last season, for the Ducks. Hopefully, he's he thinks for national championship, but but he's already donated uniforms even before this for the kids at Mililani High School, in girls soccer, in volleyball, softball, that that's his alma alma mater. And and some of the folks at church know Dylan because they've played with him. They've been his receiver, guys at church. And so I've heard this name, from when he was in high school. But, they had an event at the school where, you know, it was a meet and greet and they they had all this stuff going and and it was they showed it on the news.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:02:39]:
And, and I was impressed because in our culture that so much about about me and individualism, it's nice to see a young man. Right? Nice to see a young man who played football. Right? And is doing well give back to his community. And at the end of the story, Dylan says this, he go he gives some insight to what drives him. He says, you know, I represent more than myself and my family. I represent the University of Oregon in Hawaii, and so that's kinda drives him. Right? And and so he has a you that's a singular. He knows his identity, but he has a you that's plural.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:03:23]:
Right? And so because of that, it drives him to wanna be his best. And in Western culture, they can be so individualist. It's nice to see a man who's balanced and connected to family and community. Now he's had his ups and downs. Right? He's had to learn new skill. He's had to move homes. He's had to learn new offenses, and level up. Had coaches that saw all of his potentials and coaches who left.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:03:53]:
Right? But his old coach in high school, his old high school coach said this, he was raised right. That kid was raised right. And that's what we as a church want to be, right? That we raise sons and daughters, that we raise them right. Because when you do, then you have a faith that works. Right? Would God say the same thing about you and me? That us together. Amen? Amen. Hey, we'll close this, time in a word of prayer. But I, I do wanna ask you this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:04:28]:
You know, like during this last series, we've talked a lot about in, in a faith that works, right, about Jesus being just the king, but being my king. And we've talked about, like, sometimes in the middle of the hard time or that when maybe you're having a hard time financially, you need to experience a god of provision or depression or whatever it is or recover your joy. And if in during one of those times, if if you just haven't experienced that and you want somebody to pray for you for that, we wanna invite you that when we pray for you guys to if that's you, just to come to the front and and let some of the folks let some of the team pray for you. And maybe that for you to just to say, if you're at this place, you're just saying, god, I just I need to experience this. I need to turn this corner here. Then just to humble yourself, because we're people that values doing this together, that you're not doing it by yourself. And we wanna be able to cover you in prayer, and we wanna be able to support you in this process. But sometimes, I've just been in that place.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:05:39]:
God, I need a touch from God, and I need prayer. And so that's what we're asking. K? And as we pray, that if that's you, you can come to the front, and there's some, a few folks that will love to pray for you. Father, this this evening, just as we're closing, Lord, we know that all of us that none of us are perfect and none of us have it all together and and that we're all in this process of growing as a community, growing as followers of Jesus. And we're thankful, Lord, that that we don't have it have to have it all together. But, Lord, we do wanna be in a place where we're always still able to be corrected, and that we're not and we know how to receive that and we know how to give that. And we're not doing just what was done to us. We're not just giving what we got in the sense of what we got in the world and that we'll give it like the world, but instead, Lord, that we want to give what you've given to us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:06:42]:
You gave grace to us, and we want to give grace to others. But you also spoke truth to us, so we wanna be able to give truth with grace. And, Lord, we wanna be able to speak belief into people, speak encouragement into people. But, lord, sometimes we just need we need some correction. And so, lord, would you speak to us today? Because you said when we experience that level of truth, it will set us free. And I thank you that you want your people to be free. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen? Amen.