1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,440 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. 2 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:23,060 To get connected or to give online go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church. 3 00:00:23,060 --> 00:00:27,360 If at any point during this message you feel called to make a change in your life, text 4 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,840 change me to 970-00. 5 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,120 Thank you and enjoy the message. 6 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:33,120 Good morning everyone. 7 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,120 How's everybody doing today? 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:35,120 Good, good, alright, a little sleepy, that's okay. 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:43,000 If you're joining us from home, hopefully you're awake, have an extra cup of coffee, 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,000 pay attention and tune in. 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,640 So I wanted to share that video with you. 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,640 Many of you know that we took up a special offering last week for the hurricane relief 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:57,800 fund both in North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee and now in Florida. 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:05,760 We raised or collected nearly $6,000 last weekend so thank you to all of you that gave. 15 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,900 That money was sent to Convoy of Hope and Brian McLeese who is our partner there in 16 00:01:10,900 --> 00:01:17,840 Convoy sent me that video to share with all of you to say thank you because that money 17 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:23,560 provided the gas to send all the supplies to Florida, North Carolina and all the states 18 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:24,560 infected. 19 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:32,280 100 tractor trailer loads full of relief and water and food were all sent to those areas 20 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:39,240 and you were a part of that distribution so thank you so, so very much. 21 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:45,360 So as I've been doing recently, I want to start today off with a few questions. 22 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,640 Questions for you to ponder and to reflect your life on. 23 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:54,080 How has your last week been? 24 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,040 And let's take it a step further. 25 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,560 How about this past month? 26 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:05,520 See, there's a very real chance that as you reflect, you quickly remember the different 27 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:14,600 struggles at work, at home or at school that caused anxiety, caused us to feel overwhelmed. 28 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,400 Maybe your car broke down. 29 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,400 Maybe you failed a test. 30 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,040 You could have had a disagreement with your spouse or your children. 31 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:30,420 Maybe a project wasn't successful and left a mark on your heart and pain in your spirit. 32 00:02:30,420 --> 00:02:35,760 Maybe that bad decision hasn't quite healed or those remarks from a peer hasn't stopped 33 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:42,920 speaking and whispering in your ears, replaying over and over again. 34 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:48,480 You find yourself asking, thinking, is this the way life is supposed to be? 35 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,800 And the answer is, yes. 36 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,240 Yes. 37 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,700 Because being in a relationship with Jesus is about us, the church. 38 00:02:57,700 --> 00:03:04,300 Living in the midst of a broken, sinful world, working alongside and serving broken, sinful 39 00:03:04,300 --> 00:03:09,080 people while bringing our own shortcomings into the mix. 40 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,000 That we continue to give ourselves because we understand that something bigger is at 41 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,260 work. 42 00:03:15,260 --> 00:03:22,280 We understand that God is working in us, through us, all around us to impact the lives of people 43 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,600 with the love, truth and grace of Jesus. 44 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:33,160 See, we get to experience forgiveness, restoration and hope both within ourselves and also in 45 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,480 the lives of others within our sphere of influence. 46 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:44,360 C.S. Lewis once wrote, don't shine so others can see you, shine so that through you others 47 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,200 can see him. 48 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,280 See friends, it's all about perspective. 49 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:56,760 It's all about choosing to focus on the good, the positive that we experience each and every 50 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:57,840 day. 51 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,720 You know, the high fives, the hugs we receive on a Sunday morning, the laughter and the 52 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:10,680 smile of your son or daughter's face, the joy of success and the encouragement of defeat. 53 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:16,240 The good memories that we've experienced over the years that will never be taken away from 54 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:17,280 us. 55 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:20,360 It's all about perspective. 56 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:27,200 For example, when Jess and I started HCV 18 years ago, we had no idea that it would grow 57 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,920 into what it has become today. 58 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:35,680 Yesterday, the dream of a tie-dye run for freedom became a reality. 59 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:42,840 And with each person crossing the finish line, I literally had to hold back tears. 60 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:49,280 Tears of joy, thinking that every dollar spent to go out on a beautiful sunny fall day with 61 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:57,720 others running, experiencing the fullness of creation literally changed a child's life. 62 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:07,280 Friends, we raised nearly $11,000 that will go directly to compassion for them to spend 63 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:12,600 on priority projects in Africa and El Salvador. 64 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:18,340 Then as I was tearing up watching runners cross the finish line, I began to reflect 65 00:05:18,340 --> 00:05:25,060 on how generous our community of faith is and how we will be generous in the future. 66 00:05:25,060 --> 00:05:32,880 In the last three months alone, we have collected and given away nearly $30,000 to Convoy of 67 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:39,080 Hope and now Compassion that are literally changing the world that we live in. 68 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:44,800 Jess and I had no idea whatsoever that while we contemplated doing something good in the 69 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,960 tri-state area, we wanted to make a difference. 70 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:53,320 We had no idea that we were on the front end of something special that God is continuing 71 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,000 to do. 72 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,500 What happened? 73 00:05:56,500 --> 00:05:57,600 How did we do it? 74 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,920 Well, we saw a need. 75 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:06,080 We saw an empty spot where people couldn't find a community of faith where they could 76 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:07,400 fit in. 77 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:12,440 And we thought, well, if somebody has to do it, maybe we can. 78 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:13,880 And we took a shot. 79 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:19,360 We stepped out of the boat, onto the water, and then God did more than we could ever imagine. 80 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:24,880 And see, this is exactly where some of you are right now. 81 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:30,680 You are tired and exhausted of all the negativity and you want to focus on the good. 82 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:37,800 You want to focus on making a difference to which I say, then change your perspective. 83 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,320 You don't have to focus on all the negativity. 84 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:45,200 Today I will make a difference. 85 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:51,200 I will begin controlling my thoughts because we all know that a person is a product of 86 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:52,640 their thought life. 87 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,080 I want to be happy, hopeful, and full of joy. 88 00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:04,400 Therefore, my thoughts will focus on happiness, being hopeful, and being full of joy. 89 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,160 Today I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. 90 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,320 I will stop making excuses. 91 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:19,320 I will not let petty inconveniences such as red lights, long lines, and traffic jams be 92 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,520 my master. 93 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,240 I will avoid negativism and gossip. 94 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,200 Today I will make a difference. 95 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:33,600 I will be grateful for the 24 hours that are before us. 96 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:34,680 Why? 97 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,080 Because time is a precious commodity. 98 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:43,320 I will refuse to allow the little time I have to be contaminated with self-pity, anxiety, 99 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,800 worry, and boredom. 100 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:50,680 I will face this day with the joy of a child. 101 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,840 Today I will make a difference. 102 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,960 I will not let the past failures haunt me. 103 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:02,480 Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I will admit them, correct them, and press 104 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,960 on towards the higher prize. 105 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,600 Today I will make a difference. 106 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:14,120 I will spend time with those that I love, my spouse, my children, my family, because 107 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:19,760 we all know a man or woman can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. 108 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:26,760 A man or woman can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. 109 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:33,040 Today I will spend at least 30 minutes with the significant people in my world. 110 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:40,240 30 quality minutes of talking, hugging, thanking, listening, laughing, and loving. 111 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:46,000 All of you know that last week Carl shared an excellent talk on being restored for a 112 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:51,000 reason as the kickoff for our October series on Nehemiah. 113 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:58,320 We learned that in the year 587 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar, who was the tyrant of the king, led the Babylonian 114 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:04,200 people into Jerusalem, attacked and destroyed it. 115 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,420 These people were experiencing a great loss. 116 00:09:08,420 --> 00:09:13,520 Their lifestyle, their culture, their values, the temple completely destroyed. 117 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:19,800 The Babylonians took the Jewish people into captivity, crushed their spirits, and demoralized 118 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:21,520 them without any hope. 119 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:27,920 If you fast forward decades later, some of the Jewish people were finally released out 120 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:32,160 of the captivity to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild. 121 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:36,840 Now if you can imagine, they're going back into a demolished city. 122 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:41,000 There's no economic structure, there's no jobs, there's no systems, there's no government, 123 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,800 there's no leadership, there's no direction, and most of all there's no hope. 124 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:51,640 So these early travelers went, they tried to rebuild, but time and time again they run 125 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,120 into a dead end and they couldn't get anything done. 126 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:04,000 140 years after the destruction, an ordinary, everyday guy named Nehemiah was brokenhearted 127 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,480 for the plight of his people and his city. 128 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:12,160 And I want to remind you again, as Carl shared, Nehemiah was not a pastor. 129 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:13,440 He was not a priest. 130 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:14,840 He was not a prophet. 131 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,560 He was not a contractor. 132 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:18,720 He wasn't verified on Instagram. 133 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,400 He wasn't famous on TikTok. 134 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:27,960 This guy was an ordinary servant, a cupbearer to the king. 135 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,600 In other words, he didn't have any formal or appointed position. 136 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:39,520 All he had was a God-ordained passion to see his people restored. 137 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:44,840 Now, I don't know who this is going to speak to, but there are some of you that are listening 138 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,080 right now, you don't have a position. 139 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:54,440 You haven't been commissioned, but you have a passion from God about something that matters 140 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,540 and that qualifies you to make a difference. 141 00:10:57,540 --> 00:11:03,900 And if you were with us last week, we saw that Nehemiah, his heart broke for his people. 142 00:11:03,900 --> 00:11:09,380 And as his heart was breaking, the first thing he did was he sat down and he cried. 143 00:11:09,380 --> 00:11:10,540 He wept. 144 00:11:10,540 --> 00:11:14,700 He mourned and fasted for quite some time. 145 00:11:14,700 --> 00:11:20,120 Then we learned that he knelt down to pray 12 different times, which is recorded in the 146 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:21,640 book of Nehemiah. 147 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,960 We see him crying out to God and asking him to intervene. 148 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,680 And finally, Nehemiah stood up to act. 149 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:35,880 He began to reflect on the fact that somebody's got to do something about this, so why not 150 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:37,800 me? 151 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:39,600 How do you do the work? 152 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,080 How do you make a difference in the world today? 153 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:48,560 Well, this morning I want to share with you four simple faults that are actually steps 154 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:51,760 as seen through the life of Nehemiah. 155 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:57,400 And listen, we're going to get really, really practical, but we're going to let the Spirit 156 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:02,680 of God empower us to do the work and to make a difference. 157 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:03,680 Amen? 158 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,040 All right, let's open in prayer. 159 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:06,040 Holy Spirit, come. 160 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,480 We're just thankful for the day that you've given us. 161 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,000 We give this time to you. 162 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:13,300 God, have your way. 163 00:12:13,300 --> 00:12:14,300 Change our outlook. 164 00:12:14,300 --> 00:12:22,600 Make us a people with a passion and a perspective to bring about change, in Jesus' name. 165 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:23,760 Amen. 166 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,560 So all of that leads us to our first step this morning in making a difference. 167 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:30,640 We have to seek God first. 168 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,560 We seek God first. 169 00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:38,440 And again and again and again, we'll see Nehemiah going before God, praying and praying and 170 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:39,920 praying some more. 171 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:44,120 In fact, let me give you the timeline so you understand this. 172 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:49,040 As you read in the text in the book of Nehemiah, you're going to see that Nehemiah heard the 173 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,680 news about his people in the month of Kislev. 174 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:56,640 Now when in the world you think Kislev, what is that? 175 00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:01,000 Well Kislev, that's sometime between our November and December, right? 176 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:05,600 That's when he begins to pray and he prays until the month of Nisan. 177 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:13,340 So there is exactly or close to four months after Kislev before he gets to Nisan. 178 00:13:13,340 --> 00:13:20,520 And I want you to notice that for four months he's fasting, he's hurting, he's praying, 179 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:22,280 he's seeking God. 180 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:23,760 And why is he doing this? 181 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:29,280 Well he's going before God and asking him to lead his steps. 182 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:34,400 It's impossible to describe how tricky it would be for a cupbearer, remember, just an 183 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:42,080 average servant to approach the king with a request because the cupbearer's only job 184 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:48,720 is to take burdens off the king, never to deliver to the king any kind of bad news. 185 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:55,560 In fact, to make things worse, for mid-eastern kings you would take bad news and never deliver 186 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:56,560 it to them. 187 00:13:56,560 --> 00:13:57,800 You wouldn't even let them know it. 188 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:03,560 You didn't want to be the person to deliver a king anything but good news. 189 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:09,200 So Nehemiah is in a very difficult spot because he knew he wanted to share his heart with 190 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:10,200 the king. 191 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:15,400 And here's what happens in Nehemiah chapter 2 verses 1 through 2 and 4. 192 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:21,120 Early the following spring in the month of Nisan, during the 20th century of King Artaxerxes' 193 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,600 reign, I was serving the king his wine. 194 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,080 I had never before appeared sad in his presence. 195 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,000 So the king asked me, why are you looking so sad? 196 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,060 You don't look sick to me. 197 00:14:34,060 --> 00:14:36,880 You must be deeply troubled. 198 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:41,880 Then I was terrified, and you can picture Nehemiah, his stomach's churning. 199 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,280 He's got butterflies. 200 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:44,440 He's nervous. 201 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:45,440 His hands are getting palmy. 202 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,160 He's thinking, this is it. 203 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:48,960 I'm going to have to share it. 204 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,320 Now listen to Nehemiah's thoughts though. 205 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,920 With a prayer to the God of heaven, right? 206 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,840 The king, the king says, well, how can I help you? 207 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,640 He asked him the question. 208 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,800 Nehemiah doesn't immediately respond. 209 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:02,800 What does he do? 210 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,480 He prays, right? 211 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,840 In the instant, it wasn't a four day prayer retreat, right? 212 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,760 He had already done that the previous four months. 213 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,180 For four months, he was seeking and pouring himself out to God. 214 00:15:16,180 --> 00:15:22,680 This was a man who was walking intimately with God, and now he could just talk to God 215 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,400 and talk to God in his everyday life. 216 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,880 And it is my hope that we'll pray both ways. 217 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:37,200 We'll pray long, powerful prayers over time and see miracles happen so that in the moment, 218 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,520 when we're presented with a question, when we're presented with sharing our testimony, 219 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:47,720 we're close enough to God that we can send text-like prayers to God every single day 220 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,080 because we've already been talking to him. 221 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,080 We're not catching up on our devotional time. 222 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,360 Oh no, I'm a month behind. 223 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:54,760 I've got to catch up. 224 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:55,760 No. 225 00:15:55,760 --> 00:16:00,760 I'm going to be with God every single step of the way, intimately. 226 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,600 And daily, we're crying out to God, help. 227 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:04,960 Give me the words. 228 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:06,480 Give me the wisdom, God. 229 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:07,480 Direct my steps. 230 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,120 Fill me with your spirit. 231 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:10,240 Show me what to do. 232 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:11,600 Show me what to say. 233 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:18,200 See, this is what Paul was referring to in 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 18. 234 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:19,920 Always be joyful. 235 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,560 Never stop praying, right? 236 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:28,040 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ 237 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:29,040 Jesus. 238 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:34,560 So there, in the presence of the King, the King asked Nehemiah, what do you want? 239 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:39,640 And Nehemiah directly goes to God, then I prayed to the God of heaven and I answered 240 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:40,640 the King. 241 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:42,240 Then he answered. 242 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:48,840 Friends, remember, when it comes to prayer, there's nothing too big for God. 243 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:53,920 There's nothing too big for God's power, and there's nothing too small for God's heart. 244 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:55,400 He cares about you. 245 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:56,860 He loves us. 246 00:16:56,860 --> 00:17:00,000 He cares about the burdens that are on our hearts. 247 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,640 And he desires that we take it to him. 248 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,080 We seek God first. 249 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:11,040 I mentioned earlier about the run for freedom that took place yesterday. 250 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:15,400 Many of you don't know that the Holy Spirit actually downloaded that vision to Jess and 251 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:20,680 I during the Vineyard National Conference that took place in Asheville, North Carolina 252 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,680 during the summer of 2023. 253 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:31,120 See, it took 15 months for the actual event to happen, and it all began with receiving 254 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:33,760 the vision through prayer. 255 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:40,360 Then we would go to God daily, weekly, monthly, asking him for direction, for guidance, for 256 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:45,520 the right people to talk to, how it should happen, what it should look like. 257 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,520 That event was born out of months of prayer. 258 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,640 See, there's nothing too big for God's power. 259 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,720 There's nothing too small for his heart. 260 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:58,640 We start by what? 261 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,040 Seeking God first. 262 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,280 God, I need you. 263 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:03,280 God direct me. 264 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:04,280 God guide me. 265 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:09,280 And for four months, Nehemiah faithfully sought after God. 266 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,160 And I want to share this with somebody here this morning. 267 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:13,780 You have a heart for something. 268 00:18:13,780 --> 00:18:15,000 You have a vision for something. 269 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,480 You have a passion to see something done. 270 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:25,600 If prayer isn't necessary for you to accomplish your vision, then you're thinking too small. 271 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,480 You've got to think bigger, which leads us to our next step. 272 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:32,080 We need to develop a vision. 273 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:36,040 See, for most people, it's not a lack of caring. 274 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,300 We want to make a difference, right? 275 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:41,120 It's a lack of clarity. 276 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:46,040 It's not defining specifically what it is that you're called to do. 277 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,880 And I want to show you this in Nehemiah's life. 278 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:55,400 Watch, listen to the crystal clear vision of an ordinary man who received a vision from 279 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:56,400 God. 280 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,960 Remember, the king asked Nehemiah, I see you're upset. 281 00:18:59,960 --> 00:19:01,360 What do you want me to do? 282 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:07,160 Nehemiah says in chapters two, verse four, the king asked me, how can I help you? 283 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,600 With a prayer to the God of heaven, again, he goes to God in prayer, Holy Spirit, speak 284 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:12,720 through me. 285 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,800 I replied, if it pleased the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send 286 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:22,400 me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried. 287 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:27,040 One sentence, absolutely clear, what did he say? 288 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,320 Send me to Judah, my homeland, so I can rebuild the walls. 289 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:32,400 Right? 290 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,560 Seek God first, develop a vision clearly. 291 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,280 Let me tell you what Nehemiah did not do. 292 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,460 He did not question the vision or the call of God. 293 00:19:42,460 --> 00:19:44,680 He received it, he walked in it. 294 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:51,200 He did not try to make it sound so important by using language the king could not understand. 295 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:52,200 Right? 296 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:57,760 He didn't study on Wikipedia some word that means something that nobody knows about. 297 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:04,920 He did not stumble over his words using the word like every third word. 298 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:09,960 His head was not down, his shoulders were not slouched. 299 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,560 He was not insecure about the vision that God gave him. 300 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,840 Nehemiah was direct and to the point. 301 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,960 And I believe all of us gathered here today, again, want to make a difference in this life. 302 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:22,520 That's not the problem. 303 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,000 The problem is the lack of clarity. 304 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,800 What is God calling you to do? 305 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,560 For example, some of you are going to say help children. 306 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:31,600 Okay. 307 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,300 Help children how? 308 00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:34,620 Which children? 309 00:20:34,620 --> 00:20:37,320 Those that don't have their basic needs met? 310 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:38,580 Those that can't read? 311 00:20:38,580 --> 00:20:40,060 Those have been abused? 312 00:20:40,060 --> 00:20:41,680 Those that don't have homes? 313 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:42,680 Where? 314 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:43,680 In your city? 315 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:44,680 In your state? 316 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:45,680 Nationally? 317 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,120 Around the world? 318 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:50,680 What is it very specifically that God is calling you to do? 319 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:55,180 The bottom line is if you don't define it, you can't do it. 320 00:20:55,180 --> 00:20:56,640 You can't walk in it. 321 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:01,600 If God is calling you to do it, then define it clearly. 322 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,120 What do you want me to do? 323 00:21:03,120 --> 00:21:08,400 The Bible says send me to Judah so I can rebuild the walls of my homeland. 324 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:13,520 In a sentence, what is it that God is leading you to do? 325 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,160 In a sentence incredibly clear, why? 326 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:23,000 Well Proverbs 29, 18 from the King James Version says, where there is no vision, the people 327 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,080 perish. 328 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:32,720 And I believe so many people get stuck on social media scrolling, get stuck in front 329 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:38,800 of a screen playing games, get stuck working a job they don't enjoy because they want to 330 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:39,800 be great. 331 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,880 They want to make a difference in this life, but they focus on all the negativity that 332 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,760 we're bombarded with in this life every single day. 333 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,840 All the bad, all the hurt and pain of this world and suddenly they find themselves trying 334 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:58,560 to numb it, trying to just ignore the pain to which I say, it doesn't have to be that 335 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,480 way. 336 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,720 Help a clear vision for your life. 337 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,480 Choose life, choose positivity. 338 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:12,000 Psalm 37 verses 4 through 5, take delight in the Lord, right? 339 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,640 Focus on the Lord and he will give you your heart's desires. 340 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:20,960 Commit everything you do to the Lord, trust him and he will help you. 341 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,080 Which leads us to our next step. 342 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:27,440 Not only do you need a vision, but you got to make a plan. 343 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:33,760 The problem, a goal without a plan is just a wish, right? 344 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:39,640 It's just throwing it into the air and some of you, you're just wishing and you find yourself 345 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,160 stuck. 346 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:45,920 We have to make a plan, honor God with our time, right? 347 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:51,200 Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is get organized, right? 348 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,880 Choose to be organized and you say, well, Chris, why do I have to be organized? 349 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:55,920 I like chaos. 350 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,040 God's a systematic God, right? 351 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,400 We live in a solar system. 352 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,960 There's seven days in a week, every week. 353 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,160 There's not eight, some weeks and six, some other weeks. 354 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,560 There's not 372 days in a year. 355 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:12,640 God is a systematic God. 356 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,160 He's a God of order. 357 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:21,100 You make plans carefully and watch how specifically clear Nehemiah is about his plans. 358 00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:26,800 In chapter two, verses six through eight, we read this, the king with the queen sitting 359 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,960 beside him asked, how long will you be gone? 360 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:31,640 When will you return? 361 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,680 After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request. 362 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:40,440 I also said to the king, if it pleased the king, let me have letters addressed to the 363 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:46,080 governors of the province west of Euphrates river, instructing them to let me travel safely 364 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,240 through their territories on my way to Judah. 365 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,840 And please give me a letter addressed to Asa, the manager of the king's forest, instructing 366 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,120 him to give me timber. 367 00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:00,760 I will need it to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, for the city walls 368 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,040 and for a house for myself. 369 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:08,760 And the king granted these requests because the gracious hand of God was on me. 370 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:10,040 What does he do? 371 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,400 He asks for protection and he asks for provision. 372 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,440 See, Nehemiah is very, very clear. 373 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,480 I need protection to travel and I need provision to build. 374 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:27,200 And then he says, because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my request. 375 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:28,360 Again, what's he doing? 376 00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:30,060 He's thanking God. 377 00:24:30,060 --> 00:24:32,240 He's putting everything back to God. 378 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,160 What did he do? 379 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:35,660 He sought God. 380 00:24:35,660 --> 00:24:38,120 He was led by the spirit of God. 381 00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:41,800 God was directing his words and directing his steps. 382 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:46,800 He created a plan and he said, this is how I'm going to accomplish it. 383 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:51,640 You may say, I want to create a plan for my life, but I don't really know how to have 384 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:52,640 a perfect plan. 385 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:57,080 All right, I want to tell you today, no plan is perfect. 386 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,000 There's never going to be a perfect plan. 387 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:06,440 I would rather you execute a good plan today with passion than a perfect plan months or 388 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,620 years from now without passion. 389 00:25:09,620 --> 00:25:15,320 God is inviting us today to step out on the water and to get the ball rolling to make 390 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:16,320 a difference. 391 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,480 You know what my plan is all the time? 392 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,600 My plan is do the next right thing. 393 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:23,960 That's my plan. 394 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,440 Just do the next right thing. 395 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,960 If I take the time and look at how, as a community of faith, we're called to rebuild the walls 396 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:33,960 of our community. 397 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:34,960 Right? 398 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:39,560 We're called to continue to reach people that don't go to church, to see their lives radically 399 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,600 change with the love of Jesus. 400 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:46,880 How do I add more space, create more parking spaces, rally enough people to serve? 401 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,680 Like when I start thinking about all that stuff, you know what it does? 402 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:50,680 It overwhelms me. 403 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:51,680 Right? 404 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:57,360 I get stressed, but it's simply do the next right thing. 405 00:25:57,360 --> 00:26:00,160 Step by step, faithfulness by faithfulness. 406 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:07,440 In fact, to me, success is not achieving some accomplishment out there in the future. 407 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:12,800 Success is being faithful to do the right thing right now, today. 408 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,880 So what's your next right thing? 409 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,680 What is God calling you to do? 410 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:19,440 You want to make a difference? 411 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,640 Do the next right thing. 412 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:27,280 For example, spend time with your family showing your spouse and children the love of Jesus. 413 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:28,280 Right? 414 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:34,520 Get off your phone, turn off the TV, choose a team at HCV and passionately serve in our 415 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,320 community of faith. 416 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:42,560 Be a part of the different events to reach out into our community that we do every single 417 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:43,560 year. 418 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,760 You just heard about from Kelsey, we have Trunk or Treat coming up. 419 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:47,760 Right? 420 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:49,200 And we're doing something different this year. 421 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,280 On Halloween night, we're doing treats in the streets. 422 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,840 We're going to Halfway Manor and we're taking the candy to them. 423 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:56,840 Right? 424 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:57,960 Why do we do that? 425 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,160 Because we want to show the love of Jesus to others. 426 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:02,160 Right? 427 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,840 Volunteer to serve others in our local community. 428 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,320 Be a big brother or a big sister. 429 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:09,760 Coach an athletic team. 430 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,240 Be an umpire at your local Little League. 431 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,800 Become a tutor for a child that can't read. 432 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:15,800 Right? 433 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,800 It's all about doing the stuff. 434 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:23,800 Proverbs 21, 5 says, good planning and hard work lead to prosperity. 435 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,000 But hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. 436 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:32,360 I'm constantly asked, both outside of our community of faith and inside of it, oh Chris, 437 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:33,560 I know you're busy. 438 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:34,680 You're so busy. 439 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:35,680 How do you do it? 440 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:36,880 You have six kids. 441 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:38,040 You serve a church. 442 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:39,680 You serve the Little Legs. 443 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:40,840 You coach teams. 444 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:42,200 How do you do it? 445 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,280 I make a plan. 446 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:45,580 That's how I do it. 447 00:27:45,580 --> 00:27:50,920 My life revolves around the plan that I'm living day after day after day after day because 448 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,680 that's how I organize myself and make it happen. 449 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:59,440 If I don't organize myself, I get overwhelmed in my head and I give up. 450 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:03,640 And I walk away and I quit and I go be a garbage truck driver. 451 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:08,320 Because I think that would be a nice job. 452 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,840 But God's called me to make a difference. 453 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:19,940 Psalm 127 verse 1, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. 454 00:28:19,940 --> 00:28:22,120 We seek God first. 455 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:24,160 We develop a vision. 456 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:28,000 We make a plan, which leads us to our final step. 457 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:31,260 We inspire others. 458 00:28:31,260 --> 00:28:34,120 We inspire others. 459 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:39,680 See what's beautiful about Nehemiah's story is again and again he steps up. 460 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:45,480 He reaches down deep within his heart in those times when he probably doesn't even know if 461 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:47,880 he believes the rebuild is possible. 462 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,100 And he says, I can do it. 463 00:28:50,100 --> 00:28:52,240 And how do I know he feels that way? 464 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,960 Because I've been there. 465 00:28:54,960 --> 00:29:00,040 There's not a week, a month that goes by when I'm down, when I'm defeated, that I don't 466 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:06,480 stand back up and grab a hold of whatever faith I have and I try to inspire others to 467 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:07,720 be great. 468 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:08,800 Why? 469 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,080 Because all things are possible with God. 470 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:13,760 Watch what Nehemiah does. 471 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:19,720 He says to the people in Nehemiah chapter 2, 17 through 18, but now I said to them, 472 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,440 you know very well what trouble we're in. 473 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,080 Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire. 474 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:30,760 Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace. 475 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:36,420 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me and about my conversation 476 00:29:36,420 --> 00:29:37,520 with the king. 477 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:43,000 They replied at once, yes, let's rebuild the wall. 478 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,920 So they began the good work. 479 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:49,420 Church, God is with us. 480 00:29:49,420 --> 00:29:53,500 God is working through us and God is for us. 481 00:29:53,500 --> 00:30:01,680 We are called to inspire people within our sphere of influence that God is doing a work 482 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:06,760 and he wants them to be a part of all that God is doing because he never leaves us. 483 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,480 He doesn't forsake us. 484 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:09,620 He's empowering us. 485 00:30:09,620 --> 00:30:14,360 He's opening doors that we don't have the power to open. 486 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,560 We inspire others with passion. 487 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,000 I like what John Wesley said. 488 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,120 Some people call him the founder of the United Methodist Church. 489 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:29,160 He spoke these words, light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles 490 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,280 to watch you burn. 491 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:32,280 Right? 492 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:36,640 And some of you think, well, Chris, I'm just not a passionate person. 493 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:37,760 I'm not like you. 494 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:39,200 I don't want you to be like me. 495 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:43,800 You don't want to be like me. 496 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:49,480 But you have a passion in your heart that God is blowing on and stirring and there's 497 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,480 a fire inside of you. 498 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:58,640 He desires to become a bonfire so that you change the lives of all others because all 499 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:00,840 things are possible with God. 500 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:08,440 18 years ago, there were 14 of us with nothing but a dream and nothing but a vision. 501 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:14,940 Now next month, you heard Kelsey share that we're adding a third gathering for our annual 502 00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:17,180 Sunday morning matinee series. 503 00:31:17,180 --> 00:31:19,800 This year, retro edition. 504 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:25,800 May I say we're going back to the 80s with four films that you all love. 505 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,600 Back to the Future. 506 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,120 Karate Kid. 507 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,480 The Breakfast Club. 508 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,840 And ET. 509 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,240 And you may be asking, well, Chris, what are these times? 510 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:43,700 Okay. 511 00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:51,700 We're going to have church on the fives, 825, 1005, and 1145. 512 00:31:51,700 --> 00:31:55,180 You choose which one best fits your schedule. 513 00:31:55,180 --> 00:31:58,400 Now some of you are sitting there thinking, well, why are we doing that? 514 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,840 Chris, why are we doing that? 515 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:05,800 Well, let me first just say it's not to create more work for you or me. 516 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:11,340 It's not to take you away from your family so that you can't spend time for them. 517 00:32:11,340 --> 00:32:18,260 It's to create more room for people who are hurting, who are broken, and who are searching. 518 00:32:18,260 --> 00:32:22,840 We are building the church. 519 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:29,120 We are filling God's kingdom with people who need the grace and love of Jesus released 520 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,840 into their life. 521 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:37,160 Hebrews 1024 says this, church, let us think of ways to motivate one another, the acts 522 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,200 of love and good works. 523 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:44,980 And it's my heart's desire to motivate you to those acts of love and to share with those 524 00:32:44,980 --> 00:32:50,880 people in your sphere of influence, the passion you have in how Jesus has changed your life. 525 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,400 Young people, hear me out. 526 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:59,700 Next summer, we will take our first ever youth mission strip to the Dominican Republic. 527 00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:00,700 That's right. 528 00:33:00,700 --> 00:33:01,700 Next summer, young people. 529 00:33:01,700 --> 00:33:07,160 Now listen, listen, that goes up to about 20 years old. 530 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:08,160 Okay? 531 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:10,440 If you have gray hair, you can't go. 532 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:11,440 All right? 533 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:12,440 All right? 534 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:13,980 You will pray for us. 535 00:33:13,980 --> 00:33:16,920 You will pray for those that are going on the trip. 536 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,160 We will schedule an adult trip in the future. 537 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:21,680 All right? 538 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,720 But youth, if you're interested, young people, you want to go to the Dominican Republic, 539 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,440 you want to make a difference around the world, serve in a third world country. 540 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:35,200 Next Sunday, we will have an informational meeting after our second gathering. 541 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:36,200 Okay? 542 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,760 We will have an informational meeting about the youth mission strip summer 2025 after 543 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,080 our second gathering next Sunday. 544 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:50,040 Now one practical way that you and your family can make a difference all around the world 545 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:51,860 is through compassion. 546 00:33:51,860 --> 00:33:55,800 This is our first ever compassion Sunday at HTV. 547 00:33:55,800 --> 00:34:00,780 And as usual, we decided to make it bigger than a Sunday. 548 00:34:00,780 --> 00:34:04,560 Sunday wasn't enough, so we made it compassion weekend. 549 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:08,880 It all kicked off with the run yesterday, which was a huge success. 550 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,520 And it culminates tonight with our community worship night. 551 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:18,000 You heard Rhett share five different churches coming together, packed house, standing room 552 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:25,420 only, to raise and lift our hands in gratitude to Jesus and to see lives change through compassion. 553 00:34:25,420 --> 00:34:32,060 The reason we chose compassion is because Jess and I got to experience firsthand the 554 00:34:32,060 --> 00:34:36,520 difference this organization is making all around the world when we went on our trip 555 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,600 to Kenya. 556 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:43,880 Compassion partners with local churches to bring an end to the exploitation of children 557 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:50,400 by releasing them from poverty while educating families and communities on the health, relationships, 558 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,880 job development, and spirituality. 559 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:56,200 So this morning, I have a special guest for you. 560 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:59,600 I actually have two guests and they're both going to share. 561 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:05,320 Moses from Uganda is going to share first. 562 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,560 Give him a big HCV tie dye. 563 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:11,360 Welcome. 564 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:15,440 Morning, family. 565 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:22,720 How many were here for the freedom run yesterday? 566 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:24,080 Awesome. 567 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:25,080 That was powerful. 568 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:26,240 That was powerful. 569 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:32,280 I walked most of it, but ran the last stretch. 570 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:33,760 This is my story. 571 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,480 I am a dreamer. 572 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:41,320 As a young boy, I would look up to the skies and marvel and say to myself, I'll one day 573 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:46,240 fly above the clouds and so I will head in the egos. 574 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:52,360 But this dream was short lived because my dad abandoned the eight of us at the age of 575 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:53,360 five. 576 00:35:53,360 --> 00:36:01,120 He left us in the custody of my mother, a housewife who could neither read or write. 577 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:06,240 The best she could do was to work on other people's land so that we could get something 578 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:08,300 to eat. 579 00:36:08,300 --> 00:36:12,200 On good days, she would return home with a harvest. 580 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:16,800 And on some not so good days, she would return empty handed. 581 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:23,060 And on those days, we would pray together and go to bed hungry. 582 00:36:23,060 --> 00:36:30,000 In the piercing of the night, I would twist, toss and turn with my stomach growling. 583 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:35,720 Going to bed on an empty stomach was the most challenging thing as a child. 584 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:39,160 Another challenging thing about our situation was schooling. 585 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:45,000 Because we are poor, we could not afford the books, school fees and uniforms needed to 586 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:46,640 attend classes. 587 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:53,320 People would bounce from school to school, staying until we'd be sent away due to lack 588 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:54,320 of funds. 589 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:55,320 We prayed for a miracle. 590 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:59,040 Hello, my name is Moses Ashaba. 591 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,960 Although my story starts in a hard and humble place, I'm glad to be here to tell you that 592 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:12,400 I'm a breathing, living testimony of the power of God, the kindness of a sponsor and the 593 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:16,320 love of the church. 594 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:22,600 It was here in 1995 that my mother learned about Compassion International. 595 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:26,000 She set out on a journey traveling over 200 miles. 596 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:33,800 It would be like traveling from Hagerstown to New York City to find hope for your child, 597 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:34,800 find help for your child. 598 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:38,800 I know mothers here would do it in a heartbeat. 599 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:43,880 My mother found hope at the doorsteps of Compassion International. 600 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:49,040 She returned home that night with the most exciting news that we'd been sponsored by 601 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:52,040 Compassion International. 602 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:55,520 Yes. 603 00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:02,240 The three of us out of eight were sponsored. 604 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:06,440 My mom gave us the news we celebrated with tears of joy. 605 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:09,880 How many know that you can cry when you're happy? 606 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:11,280 Yes. 607 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:13,880 In that room, we are filled with God's joy. 608 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:17,960 We shed tears of joy. 609 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:23,600 As a young man, my dream was to graduate from high school and play in a soccer team. 610 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:27,560 With the help of Compassion, I was able to achieve that dream. 611 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:31,120 It came to fruition. 612 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,800 And many more dreams came to fruition. 613 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:40,480 My dream came true, reality, when I applied and was accepted in law school in Uganda. 614 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:44,920 I graduated from Uganda Christian University with a bachelor's in law. 615 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:46,760 I then dreamt bigger. 616 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:54,240 I went to Temple Law School in Philadelphia and attained my master's in law. 617 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:57,880 It's just the grace of God, that step of faith and dreaming. 618 00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,760 I know there are young people here. 619 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,920 Dreaming, dreams really do come true. 620 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:09,960 Nelson, a sponsor from Australia, became a father figure in my life. 621 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:14,720 He spoke into my life, prayed over me, encouraged me all the way. 622 00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:17,060 He believed in me. 623 00:39:17,060 --> 00:39:21,480 He wrote to me and told me that I was a beloved of God. 624 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,080 Not many people had ever told me that. 625 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:30,600 He sent me letters, postcards, and pictures of kangaroos jumping record heights. 626 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,560 We didn't have kangaroos in Africa. 627 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:38,680 These ignited my childhood curiosity and imagination. 628 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:46,680 I realized that there was more to life than the four corners of my community. 629 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:54,160 Fast forward, in 2010, I boarded my first flight ever to America. 630 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:59,080 And that dreamers young boy of flying above the clouds and soaring higher than the eagles 631 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:03,440 came to fruition. 632 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:13,600 As I stand before you today, I have been to over 20 states and three continents, both 633 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:18,120 through compassion and my personal travels. 634 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:23,320 Because someone like you sponsored someone like me, I was able to go from a place of 635 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:26,520 striving, thriving. 636 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:31,720 And because someone like you sponsored someone like me, I was able to go from a place of 637 00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:36,320 hopelessness to giving back hope to others. 638 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:41,080 Because someone like you sponsored someone like me, I received salvation at the age of 639 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:48,400 eight. 640 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:55,880 I'm extending this opportunity that Nelson had 30 years ago to sponsor me as a child. 641 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:00,080 I've never met Nelson, but wherever I go, I talk about him. 642 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:05,520 I share about the compassion he shared with me, the love, the kindness, and the belief 643 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,240 he had in me. 644 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:13,120 I believe Nelson was from a small rural community in Australia, small church, but he took a 645 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:14,120 step of faith. 646 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:20,280 And I'm here to give you the same opportunity to stand and believe God for the many kids 647 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,920 around the world. 648 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:29,000 I'm not asking you to make the 200 mile trek that my mom made by foot and bus. 649 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:33,040 I'm asking you to make a step of faith today. 650 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:40,600 Step into my shoes and help a child realize their dreams and make their dreams take flight 651 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:42,940 like mine. 652 00:41:42,940 --> 00:41:48,640 We have a table at the back and Derek is going to give the instructions. 653 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:49,640 Thank you. 654 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:50,640 Thank you. 655 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:51,640 Isn't that amazing? 656 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:52,640 Absolutely amazing. 657 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:53,640 You guys are amazing. 658 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:54,640 Thank you. 659 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:55,640 Thank you. 660 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,800 Isn't that amazing? 661 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:02,520 Moses, let me ask you a quick question. 662 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:06,760 When you say Nelson talked to you, do you have his letters? 663 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:09,600 Yes, I have his letters. 664 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:15,240 He spoke into my life and those letters meant a lot to me. 665 00:42:15,240 --> 00:42:22,120 So somebody from, you said Australia, spoke into your life where you were in Kenya? 666 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:23,120 In Uganda. 667 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:24,120 That's right. 668 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:25,120 Uganda. 669 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:26,200 That's amazing. 670 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:31,240 That's the power of what you can do if you are sitting in there, you wonder, how do I 671 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:33,400 participate in the Nehemiah story? 672 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,320 How do I participate in building somebody's life? 673 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:38,960 How do I make a difference in this? 674 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:43,680 And the reason why, you know, we asked Moses to come because we wanted you to see this 675 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:46,080 is a real person. 676 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:47,080 He's real. 677 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:48,080 Amen. 678 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:49,080 Everybody give me. 679 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:50,080 Y'all alive, right? 680 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:51,080 Okay. 681 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:53,120 This is 11 o'clock, but he has a real family. 682 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:59,320 He has a real life change by Jesus, but also by somebody named Nelson in Australia who 683 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:03,440 impacted his life and made the difference. 684 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:07,960 So many of you have heard about compassion through maybe a concert or something like 685 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:08,960 that. 686 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:13,440 But what you haven't heard about is one, maybe we, I want to let you know, we work exclusively 687 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:15,480 through the local church. 688 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:19,120 That's the local church overseas in the 29 different countries, but that's also the local 689 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:23,520 church here where we really want to thrive in those relationships. 690 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:25,920 One, we can't do it without Hub City. 691 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:28,280 Did they hear that, Pastor Chris? 692 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:29,280 I think so. 693 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:30,280 All right. 694 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:37,320 I just want to make sure we can't do this and we don't see life change like Moses without 695 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:41,720 people like you at Hub City, people like you that are sitting and wondering, what can I 696 00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:42,720 do? 697 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:44,240 What part do I play in this role? 698 00:43:44,240 --> 00:43:50,160 Well, guess what, God tells us in the scriptures is that, hey, it's also we minister to our 699 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:53,160 local community, but we also minister to the world abroad. 700 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:58,040 And how do we do that in little old Hagerstown, and I'm just a few miles down the road, is 701 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:04,240 that we can have an opportunity to speak into somebody's life via the pen, via our voice, 702 00:44:04,240 --> 00:44:07,200 maybe a picture, maybe whatever we get the chance to say. 703 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:12,640 Oftentimes, I hear people like Moses say the first time they heard that somebody believed 704 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:14,800 in them was through a letter. 705 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:18,920 The first time they heard that somebody loved them maybe was through a letter. 706 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:21,040 But it was those kinds of impactful things. 707 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:24,840 So I want to get on to telling you about specifically how this is. 708 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:29,240 Now, in Hub City, what we've done is we've communicated and we've connected and Pastor 709 00:44:29,240 --> 00:44:34,500 Chris and Pastor Jess has gone over, they've been to Kenya, they've seen this for real. 710 00:44:34,500 --> 00:44:38,860 And so in that process, they've been able to say, hey, look, we want to connect specifically 711 00:44:38,860 --> 00:44:43,480 with Kenya and El Salvador because it's something on the heart of God for Hub City. 712 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,520 OK, now that's the kids that we have back there. 713 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:48,680 Those are the kids that we have on those tables. 714 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:53,200 And so it's a part of a broader scale that hopefully one day maybe as he's talking about 715 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:57,600 an adult mission trip or something like that down the road, that may be you having an opportunity 716 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:02,600 to maybe go travel, visit and see your child that you are sponsoring, that you're connecting 717 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:04,960 with, that you're having an impact in their life with. 718 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:11,160 I love this scripture which is being transformed, but that transformation power is a joint thing 719 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:15,880 where we are part of the transformation in somebody else's life. 720 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:16,880 Amen. 721 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:19,040 So let me give you a couple of points. 722 00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:22,200 Number one, it takes forty three dollars a month to actually sponsor a child. 723 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:23,200 What does that mean? 724 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:24,400 Forty three bucks a month. 725 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:29,000 Now that's less than a dollar forty four a day in a 30 day period. 726 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:30,000 Less than a buck forty four. 727 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:33,540 Now, for some of you, I know that's a stretch that might not be for you. 728 00:45:33,540 --> 00:45:37,760 But for some of you, it's not about what child do I sponsor, but it's about how many. 729 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,560 Because everybody is granted different things. 730 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:40,560 Let me tell you this. 731 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:44,600 I have a coworker who had a daughter, 15 years old, wanted to sponsor a kid. 732 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,560 They had already sponsored two, couldn't do it. 733 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:51,000 Basically, she convinces dad to sponsor a kid. 734 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:55,360 I think she was about 13, excuse me, to sponsor the kid. 735 00:45:55,360 --> 00:46:00,060 She picks up a babysitting job to sponsor the kid until she goes off to college. 736 00:46:00,060 --> 00:46:02,200 Years later, let me just tell you, fast forward. 737 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:04,760 This is the story never, never leaves me. 738 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:08,240 Fast forward years later, she says, Dad, I want to tell you about the sponsor child that 739 00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:09,240 is mine. 740 00:46:09,240 --> 00:46:10,400 She says, what is it? 741 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:14,560 When I was going through the hardest times about my own faith and whether I was going 742 00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,880 to whether I was going to continue to be a Christian, whether I was going to continue 743 00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:24,320 to love God, my sponsor child was writing me and telling me that I need to make a difference, 744 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:28,920 that I need to stand for God and that nobody you said I'm saying. 745 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:35,880 So I mean, trust me, I got stories, but that kind of story to me impacts my life. 746 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:39,560 And you never know what that does in somebody's life. 747 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:43,480 We always think about it in America, like, yeah, we're going to help somebody knows somebody 748 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:44,920 might be helping you. 749 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:48,680 So 43 bucks a month, you go outside. 750 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:51,640 This is a packet that's out there in these on these packets. 751 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:52,640 There's a lot of on the table. 752 00:46:52,640 --> 00:46:56,400 There's a QR code right in the bottom right hand corner for those tech savvy people. 753 00:46:56,400 --> 00:47:00,360 It's just like everything else, you can scan that QR code, you got Apple Pay, you got Android 754 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:02,600 Pay, Google Pay, you can scan it. 755 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:04,080 It'll pull your information in. 756 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:07,120 You go through the process, hit pay, done deal. 757 00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:10,800 Once you scan it and do it, that it pulls this child out. 758 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:12,500 First of all, these are live children. 759 00:47:12,500 --> 00:47:13,960 These aren't like little sample packets. 760 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:17,960 These are real kids that we pulled for specifically for Hub City. 761 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:20,880 Then if you take them out of that system, they won't have the opportunity to be sponsored 762 00:47:20,880 --> 00:47:21,880 for some time. 763 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:23,920 So if you grab one, throw it in your purse, throw it in the back of the car. 764 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:25,980 They're just riding around with you unsponsored. 765 00:47:25,980 --> 00:47:26,980 Just let you know. 766 00:47:26,980 --> 00:47:27,980 No guilt. 767 00:47:27,980 --> 00:47:30,120 Just want to let you know. 768 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:31,840 But we want you to be able to sponsor them. 769 00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:34,280 And if you want information about you can look at their packet. 770 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:37,040 It'll tell you what it supports, what their community is like. 771 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:38,040 This is little Angie. 772 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:39,040 Angie is cool. 773 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:40,600 Angie is in El Salvador. 774 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:43,480 Her birthday is October 30th, 2020. 775 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:46,120 She's cute as a button. 776 00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:48,480 But it also tells you about where she is. 777 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:54,160 She's in Distro, Italia, 19 kilometers northeast of San Salvador, El Salvador. 778 00:47:54,160 --> 00:47:56,760 So you know that's about where she's living. 779 00:47:56,760 --> 00:48:00,560 So I always tell it what I love about being in a place like Hope City. 780 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:08,340 I mean, I'm sorry, not Hope City, but Hub City is you guys know how to pray. 781 00:48:08,340 --> 00:48:10,720 You guys know how to believe for people. 782 00:48:10,720 --> 00:48:12,280 You know, can I say this? 783 00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:17,560 I mean, I know I go to churches and I get a chance to go to church and I love people 784 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:18,640 that are all in. 785 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:22,280 And sometimes you get people to say, yeah, this is OK. 786 00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:24,880 We're going to do this and we're going to pray. 787 00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:30,720 But when you get a church that knows the power of the gospel, knows how to walk, rock with 788 00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:36,600 the Holy Spirit and start to understand, let me grab a hold of this child and start praying 789 00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:39,640 into their life and into their future. 790 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:43,160 God, can you dramatically change Angie's life? 791 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:49,360 Lord, will you not only protect her where she is in El Salvador, but will you come alongside 792 00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:51,120 her and be her paraclete? 793 00:48:51,120 --> 00:48:54,800 Will you come alongside her and take her into her future? 794 00:48:54,800 --> 00:49:00,760 And Lord, will you allow me to give words of hope and inspiration to her, even as I 795 00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:05,680 pin these words and this letter so that her life is forever changed? 796 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:07,040 You know what I'm saying? 797 00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:11,440 That's the kind of thing that I think you guys can do that will make a tremendous impact 798 00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:13,440 and will have an incredible difference. 799 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:17,440 So now I, you know, Pastor Chris said, hey, you can come up here a couple of minutes. 800 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:22,640 I'm going to stop because I did come from the preaching side of it years ago. 801 00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:25,640 But it only takes about three to four minutes to do this. 802 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:28,440 There's a form on the back that you can actually tear off and fill out. 803 00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:31,760 There's people back there that will help you understand what that does. 804 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:34,240 If you're asking, well, what does this look like? 805 00:49:34,240 --> 00:49:35,240 What does it cover? 806 00:49:35,240 --> 00:49:37,440 One, it covers nutrition aspects. 807 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:38,720 It covers education. 808 00:49:38,720 --> 00:49:41,000 You heard Moses say, well, they went from school to school. 809 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:42,400 And sometimes you got to pay for school. 810 00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:44,400 And if you don't have money for school, you get kicked out of school. 811 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:47,680 So we stabilize that piece if you're part of the program. 812 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:52,280 Also, you get uniforms and things like that to make sure you're good. 813 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:54,280 Moses, I don't know Moses mentioned his shoes. 814 00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:56,280 Did you mention your shoes this time? 815 00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:57,280 You didn't mention your shoes. 816 00:49:57,280 --> 00:50:00,280 See, first time you got a pair of shoes. 817 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:02,280 So I was eight. 818 00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:05,280 That's when I received my first pair of shoes. 819 00:50:05,280 --> 00:50:08,280 How many of you know how it feels when you pair of shoes? 820 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:13,280 Now imagine wearing a new pair of shoes, having walked barefoot for a long time. 821 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:16,480 My life was changed. 822 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:19,480 Trust me, you want to talk to Moses if you get a chance. 823 00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:22,400 He's got more stories than you can imagine. 824 00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:24,600 But his life is an experience. 825 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:28,800 And if you notice, he said 2010 was the first time he rode on a plane 826 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:30,680 to see the dreams that he had had. 827 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:35,400 So that ain't that long ago for somebody like me. 828 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:38,800 But if you look at it, it's an amazing way to make a difference 829 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:39,560 of a life with a child. 830 00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:40,640 And it's your choice. 831 00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:41,920 It's no pressure. 832 00:50:41,920 --> 00:50:45,440 But it is one of those things right outside these doors is where you can come, 833 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:48,920 get a little bit of information, possibly sponsor a child. 834 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:51,280 Some of you all might have more gray hairs than others. 835 00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:53,600 And you might want to sponsor a teenager child, 836 00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:55,160 because they got a few more years left. 837 00:50:55,160 --> 00:50:57,720 Because when you sponsor, it's about, hey, you're sponsoring. 838 00:50:57,720 --> 00:50:58,880 You're picking up that child. 839 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:01,720 And you get a chance to just walk with them on their journey. 840 00:51:01,720 --> 00:51:04,680 And I would encourage you, my last thing, download the Compassion app 841 00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:07,480 once you do it, because that you can almost immediately, 842 00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:09,840 once you get your stuff, you log in, do all that stuff, 843 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:11,080 you can start writing your kid. 844 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:12,040 Take a picture. 845 00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:12,680 Write a kid. 846 00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:16,160 I was talking to Pastor Retch's daughter. 847 00:51:16,160 --> 00:51:17,880 And I believe that's Pastor Retch. 848 00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:18,400 Yeah. 849 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:19,320 Pastor Retch's daughter. 850 00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:23,680 And she said she's written her child in Haiti. 851 00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:24,400 But hear me. 852 00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:25,160 This girl, go on. 853 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:27,480 I said, did you ever tell about snow? 854 00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:28,880 She says, I never thought of it. 855 00:51:28,880 --> 00:51:29,840 Kind of like, ah. 856 00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:32,360 I said, yeah, because see, y'all in Haiti, y'all got snow. 857 00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:34,640 You got snow somewhere in some of these places we are. 858 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:35,760 So tell them it's white. 859 00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:36,360 It's fluffy. 860 00:51:36,360 --> 00:51:36,880 It's cool. 861 00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:37,560 It's neat. 862 00:51:37,560 --> 00:51:38,800 Take a picture and show them. 863 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:39,800 Bless you. 864 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:41,280 Thank you. 865 00:51:41,280 --> 00:51:41,760 Thank you. 866 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:42,240 Thank you. 867 00:51:42,240 --> 00:51:42,720 Thank you. 868 00:51:42,720 --> 00:51:43,200 Thank you. 869 00:51:43,200 --> 00:51:43,680 Thank you. 870 00:51:43,680 --> 00:51:44,160 Thank you. 871 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:44,920 Thank you. 872 00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:45,400 Thank you. 873 00:51:45,400 --> 00:51:45,920 Thank you. 874 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:46,400 Thank you. 875 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:46,880 Thank you. 876 00:51:46,880 --> 00:51:47,440 Thank you. 877 00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:47,920 Thank you. 878 00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:48,400 Thank you. 879 00:51:48,400 --> 00:51:49,120 Thank you. 880 00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:54,280 Yeah, so when we were in Kenya, Jess and I chose to, 881 00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:55,960 we adopted Mercy. 882 00:51:55,960 --> 00:51:58,680 She was, I think, 18 months old when we adopt. 883 00:51:58,680 --> 00:51:59,640 It's not adoption. 884 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:00,280 It's sponsored. 885 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:01,280 Sorry. 886 00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:02,480 Sponsored Mercy. 887 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:05,600 They like to use the right terminology. 888 00:52:05,600 --> 00:52:08,400 And I said, yes, we can sponsor Mercy. 889 00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:10,600 And that way, we don't have to have any more children. 890 00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:16,640 So let's just sponsor her. 891 00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:19,040 And I want to encourage you again, just like Derek said, 892 00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:21,040 there's no pressure here. 893 00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:24,600 We brought them in as a means for you to open your mind 894 00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:27,280 and see that you can make a difference around the world. 895 00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:29,640 It's not just here, but it's globally. 896 00:52:29,640 --> 00:52:31,520 And in making a difference around the world, 897 00:52:31,520 --> 00:52:34,920 you're helping a child come out of poverty. 898 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:37,160 You're helping them be educated, have shoes, 899 00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:40,080 just those little things that we often take for granted. 900 00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:41,280 Amen? 901 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:45,160 There's no impossible. 902 00:52:45,160 --> 00:52:50,240 I believe that you are working now. 903 00:52:50,240 --> 00:52:53,280 Pour it out. 904 00:52:53,280 --> 00:53:07,840 Oh, pour it out.