Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected
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point during this message you feel called to
make a change in your life, text CHANGEME to
97000. Now enjoy the message. We have a winter
wonderland now. Is everyone excited for Christmas?
Your anticipation a little higher? Who wants
to go to Florida? Yeah, me too. Thank you for
your honesty. If you're joining us from home,
thank you for welcoming us into your space. So
we are in a series, as many of you know, called
Christmas Lights. We're talking about Advent.
Advent helps us to refocus and put Jesus into
this season of our lives. For our community of
faith, we've actually done Advent celebrations
and the lighting of the candles for probably
10 out of our 20 years of being a church community.
And I've always found that this is a great reflective
moment to be able to bring Jesus to the center
of Christmas, to focus our minds and hearts on
God for these final four weeks of the year before
we jump into 2026. This being the third Sunday
of Advent is the Joy Sunday. And I believe that
joy is something all of us long for, right? Who
doesn't want to be filled with joy? Unfortunately
though, joy can be a little confusing. We can
easily confuse joy with happiness. Now joy and
happiness do overlap, but we must remember that
joy often produces happiness. Unlike joy, happiness
is fleeting and ever -changing, which means the
pursuit of happiness can be seen all throughout
our world. We see it as people are ending marriages,
getting into uncontrollable debt, changing professions,
changing schools, moving to other cities or countries
even. Why? Well, it isn't always the case, but
in many times at the end of the day, it's because
they believe that they can be happier in a different
situation. Now, let me be clear. Happiness isn't
a bad thing. I'm not saying that. But where that
happiness comes from is very important. I was
recently in an article this week about the differences
between joy and happiness. And I found this description
from a psychologist to be very helpful. Joy and
happiness are wonderful feelings to experience,
but they're very different. Joy is more consistent
and is cultivated internally. It comes when you
make peace with who you are, why you are, and
how you are, where areas happiness tends to be
externally triggered and is based on other people,
things, places, thoughts, and even events. So
I felt that was a very helpful differentiation
between the two. However, it presents a challenge.
If joy is cultivated internally, then suddenly
people can feel like they are responsible to
be the source of joy. And that is not the case.
God is the source of all joy. God, who is external
and externally exists in the persons of the Father,
Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, are the
originators and the true sources of all joy.
Today, We're going to go into the Bible to determine
what the joy of Advent is all about. So we must
remember, in week one, I talked about the candle
of hope. I used the movie Red One to explain
to us that hope is a desire that all of us need
to have to move forward. Last Sunday, we lit
the candle of peace, and Rudy shared about experiencing
peace in the midst of chaos. We're going to be
lighting the candle of joy. Now please notice
that the candle of joy is the pink candle. And
the difference is that many scholars believe
that this is the turn of our hearts. Where Christmas
is much closer now. So the anticipation grows.
And the bleakness of purple is now transformed
into the pink of joy. Joy. So let's open in prayer
as we ask the Holy Spirit to come and to change
us. Holy Spirit, come. Jesus, we invite you to
walk into this room. I just pray, God, that you
move up and down the rows, God. You open our
minds, our hearts, our ears to receive your truth
today. God, I silence distractions in Jesus'
name. And I ask, God, that you would have your
way. That joy would be released in this place
today. That hearts would be set ablaze to draw
closer to you. In Jesus' name, amen. So I can't
begin talking about joy. without telling you
about my preschool Sunday mornings at Faith Chapel.
So if you don't know, I gave my life to Jesus
roughly 30 years ago or so this past fall. And
immediately upon giving my life to Jesus, began
to help my friend Jessica teach her preschool
class. Now it was interesting, for about a month
we taught the class together. Now I don't know
if this was her strategy, To help me to grow
into being a pastor. But after about a month
or so, she kind of started to sleep in. And I
found that teaching preschoolers on Sunday morning
became Chris's responsibility. And we were no
longer a partnership. It was all about Chris.
And listen, I could work a felt board like nobody's
business. Okay? And if you know what I'm talking
about, you know what I'm talking about, right?
You know the little felt character that was Joseph
for Christmas and was Daniel in a lion's den
and was David destroying Goliath. I mean, that
felt board guy was incredible. It was like the
IMAX, right? Now, during the context of the Advent
season, I would always have the kids sing a little
jingle. And if you happen to know this jingle,
I'm going to welcome you to join in and sing
it with me. If not, I don't have a problem being
a fool for Christ because I do it every single
Sunday. So as I stand up here and sing, I'm going
to invite you to join me, if you know it, of
course. It kind of goes a little like this. I
got the joy, joy, joy, joy. Where? Where? I got
the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down
in my heart to stay. And we're so, so very, I've
got the love of Jesus in my H -E -A -R -T. Wow.
And some of you must have attended my preschool
class. Good job. But what we need to know is
when we walk through difficult things or difficult
seasons, especially during Advent, because during
the Christmas season, everything gets busier.
Everything gets bigger. Everything gets more
important. And quite often, we lose our joy.
So how are we able to keep it? Well, the answer
is actually in the lyrics to that little kid's
song we just sung. We got the joy, joy, joy,
joy down in our hearts. It's because we got the
love of Jesus in our hearts that we can experience
his joy. And that is actually, in sum, the total
to the answer of the question we're seeking to
find this morning. And that's where we're going
to end up. But let's take the scenic route and
let's look at, especially during this season,
brings upon us so much pain and heartbreak and
anxiety. You know, maybe you feel alone because
you have a broken relationship. Maybe you feel
alone because your gift list is one gift less.
Maybe you feel stressed out and full of anxiety
because you don't have enough money to buy the
gifts. Or you don't have a party that you've
been invited to. See, there's all these reasons
that there's pain and heartache and stress during
the Christmas season. But I want you to realize,
I believe many of the biblical characters understand
exactly what many of you are going through. I
mean, imagine being married. You're walking around
living in Nazareth, a really small, small community.
And all of a sudden, the angel Gabriel appears
and tells you, you're going to have a baby. And
it's not from Joseph. And she has to go and tell
her fiance that she's pregnant. And we've already
established that that would be very difficult
for Joseph. Imagine him hearing the news and
the heartbreak over the relationship. It has
to end. He decides to end it quietly. And then
an angel visits him. And they start talking and
they figure it all out. And it's as if their
minds now begin to go towards, okay, we're going
to have this baby who is the savior of the world.
And suddenly rumors in that little town begin
to get louder as Mary's belly grows. And the
gossip begins and the finger pointing. But as
a young couple, they have to begin to think,
where are we going to have this baby? What are
we going to do? And they start to plan, well,
maybe we could have it at my mom's house, or
maybe we'll go to your uncle's house. And they
begin to plan, but then everything gets messed
up. How does it get messed up? Well, Caesar Augustus
determines, hey, it's a good time to take a census
of the whole Roman world. And everybody had to
return to their place of original heritage. So
Joseph, being in the line of David, has to go
to Bethlehem. But there's a problem. Bethlehem
is 90 miles away. And there's no woman who has
ever had a baby or is pregnant right now that
we wouldn't sign up to ride on the back of a
donkey for 90 miles. It's just not going to happen.
And I promise you there's no guy who wants to
take the lead rope and take her from Nazareth
to Bethlehem on a donkey stopping at every bush
along the way. Like it's just not gonna happen.
But I could imagine as they're walking, they're
getting a little closer and a little closer to
Bethlehem and then they're off in the horizon.
They see a palace. They see the palace of Herod
and I wonder if they began to think and they
began to talk to one another. Hey, we're having
the creator of the world. We're having God's
son. Maybe somebody will invite us into the palace.
I'm sure they have an extra room that our baby
can be born in a place of royalty. But as they
walk by, no one comes out and invites them in.
They continue on towards Bethlehem, and they
see it off in the horizon, and maybe Joseph was
like, hey, Mary, I'm sure somebody will notice
you're pregnant, that we're in need of a place
to stay, and they'll invite us in to stay in
their extra room. I mean, you are pregnant and
expecting, but nobody did that. And then Joseph's
like, well, okay, it's not a problem. I'll just
pay for a room at the end. We'll be okay. However,
If you know the Christmas story, there's no room
there either. But at least the innkeeper was
kind enough to say, well, you could stay out
here with my animals in the barn. And of course,
that's every girl's dream, right? To deliver
a baby right there with the cows and the sheep
and everything that comes along with cows and
sheep. So no, that's not exactly what Mary thought
the plan was going to be. And I don't even believe
that Joseph thought that as well. When God told
her she would be birthing the Savior of the world,
my son. And today, maybe you find yourself with
a whole lot of unmet expectations. Just like
Mary and Joseph. But I want you to take heart
this Advent season because things can change
suddenly, which leads us to our first thought.
circumstances can change suddenly with God. When
reading through the Bible, we see how God can
suddenly change an entire situation. Maybe you've
been in a place for years where you've been grinding
in a very difficult struggle in a tough relationship.
Maybe your marriage is failing. Maybe you've
had unanswered prayers that have gone on for
years. Maybe you're struggling with an addiction
that you feel cannot be broken. But this Advent
season, take heart because things can change
suddenly. And we see that in today's scripture,
Luke 2, verse 13. Suddenly, everyone say suddenly.
The angel was joined by a vast host of others,
the armies of heaven, praising God and saying.
Suddenly, God broke in. Then in Acts 2, 2, talking
about the day of Pentecost, we read, suddenly.
There was a sound from heaven like the roaring
of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house
where they were sitting. Or you can look at Acts
chapter 9 and the story of Saul. He's traveling
on the Damascus road, and we read this in verse
3. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission
to kill Christians, a light from heaven suddenly
shone around him. And today I want you to hear
that your circumstances can change suddenly.
Advent brings forth a season, a belief, an expectation,
a longing for more. More of God. More of Jesus.
A desperation for God to speak into the context
of our brokenness, our loneliness, and our darkness.
That maybe a joy would burst forth within our
hearts. And that is exactly what happened to
a group of shepherds. The angel burst forth for
the shepherds. We see that God proclaimed the
good news. In fact, we even heard it. The angel
said, I bring you good news of great joy that
was for all people. And what the angel proclaimed,
God demonstrated clearly by delivering this message
to a group of shepherds. All people. In this
culture, shepherds would have been a very common
or low task. In fact, within the Jewish culture,
they would have been considered outcast. They
definitely would have been considered unclean
because of their jobs and dealing with the sheep.
In fact, they wouldn't have been able to even
go into the outer court of the temple without
walking through various ceremonial rituals to
cleanse them from their dirtiness. And I find
it interesting, though, that God chose some lowly
shepherds. who were just finishing up a long
day. They were sitting around a campfire at night.
They had the sheep all put away. And then the
angel suddenly appears and says, I'm bringing
you guys some good news of great joy. It's for
everybody. Everyone. And those people whom the
religious society and the world would have said,
unclean, unclean, God says, no, no, no, no, no,
no. You're chosen. You're just the one I need
to go. I need you, shepherds, to go over to Bethlehem.
And I want you, now think about this. These shepherds,
they're going to go stand in the very presence
of God's son, the Messiah, the Lord, the one
named Jesus, which leads us to our next all.
See, God uses us, nobodies, to share the good
news. And I want to speak to you today, and I
want to challenge you. You can share the good
news. Even if you feel a little bit awkward or
unworthy or that you're not ready. Well, Chris,
I haven't checked all the boxes. I haven't gone
through the flower of power. How can I share
the good news? God can use you. To share the
good news. Because I believe the shepherds would
have felt the exact same way. But you know what
God said? I've checked them all through the context
of my son's birth and the salvation that he's
going to bring to the world because this is good
news of great joy for you. And the shepherds,
they go and they arrive and they proclaim this
good news. But I want you to notice how they
do it. Luke chapter 2 verses 15 through 19. When
the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds
said to each other, let's go. Notice, the shepherds
didn't look at each other and have a discussion
and make a plan. They didn't discuss, well, are
you worthy? Am I worthy? Should you speak? Should
I speak? You're the leader. No, I'm the leader.
None of that. Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see
this thing that has happened, which the Lord
has told us about. And then notice what they
did. They hurried. They didn't walk. They didn't
skip. Right? They hurried. They were expecting.
They wanted to see this promise that had been
given to them. And see, quite often for us, we
don't hurry. We don't go because we second guess
in our minds. We question. Well, I'm not good
enough, Chris. I haven't read enough of the Bible.
I don't understand Greek. I don't understand
Hebrew. Neither do I. You're okay. But you're
going to learn a little bit in a few minutes.
They hurried to the village, found Mary and Joseph,
and there was the baby lying in the manger. After
seeing him, the shepherds told everyone. And
why did they tell everyone? Because this was
good news for all people. What had happened and
what the angel had said to them about this child.
All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished,
but notice this part. Mary kept all these things
in her heart and thought about them often. I
wonder, as Mary sat and listened to this group
of outcasts, to these shepherds, I wonder, as
she was hearing their story, Her nerves began
to lessen. Her questions began to be answered.
Because as I thought about this story, I thought
about Mary and Joseph. And think about it. Mary,
here's this teenage girl. She gets visited by
an angel. You're going to be pregnant. It's not
from Joseph. It's from God. Suddenly she's pregnant.
Think about her mind. Think about those hormones.
Is this really God? Can this really be God's
son? Can this be the Messiah, the Savior? Why
me? This can't be. I was dreaming. And then Joseph.
Think about Joseph and all the struggles and
the questions in his mind. Is this really happening?
Is this real? How can this happen? All these
potential unmet expectations. That is going through
their mind. See, I don't necessarily believe
that Mary confidently thought this was the Messiah.
I believe she would have questioned and wondered.
But then, as these shepherds show up, what does
Mary hear? Mary hears the shepherds say, an angel.
Will an angel appear to us? And then suddenly
Mary and Joseph are like, oh, an angel. Now we're
all on the same page. Because this is true. Jesus
is the Messiah, the son of the living God. I
know this because an angel came and told us.
And then suddenly Mary can be confidently feeling
that this is true. And we can do the same for
somebody else. See, when we're second -guessing
ourselves, when we're wondering what to say,
I don't have the words to say. I can't pray for
anyone. I'm not good enough. I haven't been in
the church long enough. No, share the good news.
You don't have to second -guess yourself. You
can believe. And you see how Mary then confidently,
she was working everything that these men, these
outcasts shared with her, and she kept them close
to her heart because that's what helped her believe.
Someone else helped her to believe, and the same
goes for us. Why share the good news? Why be
outward focused? Why pray for people? Why invite
people to our community of faith? For life change.
Because people need it. I needed it. You needed
it. And we shouldn't forget that truth. You don't
have to feel unworthy. Just live on mission.
You don't have to know all the Bible. You don't
know how, you know, you don't have to be taught
how to pray. You can just be a vessel that the
Holy Spirit uses to bring about great joy for
others, to proclaim the good news. But remember,
there's a very fundamental difference between
joy and happiness. And we have to talk about
that today because our culture has twisted it
all up. And I need to break it down for you real
quick so that we can secure it in our hearts
and truly live a life of joy, which leads us
to our third thought. See, joy isn't an emotion.
It's a choice. Joy isn't an emotion. It's a choice.
It's not some exuberant, ecstatic feeling you
get because you have that first sip feeling of
your Starbucks. It's not that emotion that you
get when your team scores the touchdown and they're
on the way to the Super Bowl and you high -five
your best friend. It's the first time in a decade.
That's not it. That's not it. That's happiness.
Joy is a choice. Joy is a choice. Let's see what
the Bible says to us, Luke 2 .10. But the angel
reassured them, don't be afraid. I find it interesting.
The shepherds, the outcasts, they're fearful,
full of fear. The angel has to say, calm down,
guys. It's okay, I'm not gonna kill you. You're
good. No, I'm bringing you good news that will
be great joy. See, the shepherds had to overcome
their fear from fear to great joy. 2 Corinthians
7 .4 says, in all our affliction, I am overflowing
with joy. I mean, I don't know about you, but
when I read that, that sounds messed up. Doesn't
it? In my affliction, I'm overflowing with joy.
It makes no sense. Neither does this one that
we find in Colossians 1 .24. Now I rejoice in
what I am suffering for you. I mean, it's crazy.
But then it gets worse. Look at James 1 too.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any
kind come your way, consider it an opportunity
for great joy. Why? Because joy is a choice.
See, we can read those words and think, what
is wrong with James? What is wrong with Paul?
Don't they know what happiness is? Well, see,
they probably do. In fact, they know what happiness
is, but they know joy is better. And they know
joy is different. In that verse that I just read
for you, the word consider is the Greek word
called hegeomai. And it's this idea that you
give careful consideration to what you're about
to do. And that you make a very discerned and
dedicated decision towards something better.
You and I, in other words, we count the cost.
And we see Paul talking about that all the time.
Look at Philippians 3 .8. Yes, everything else
is worthless when compared with the infinite
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For the
sake, for his sake, I've discarded everything
else. Counting it all as garbage so that I could
gain Christ. See, joy is not an emotion. Because
if it were, then these scriptures that I just
read to you wouldn't be true. Joy is a choice.
And when you fix your eyes on something else,
Jesus, then you can experience that joy. Now,
in our society, we have this idea of weighing
out the pros and the cons. Quite often, if you're
going to take a new job, you write a pros and
a cons list. And you think about them, and you
go over them. And if you're married, you talk
about them with your spouse. And then quite often
what happens is if the pros outweighs the cons,
you take the job and you forget about praying.
But that's a whole other sermon. But as a committed
follower of Jesus, when you look at your pros
and your cons, it doesn't matter how high the
stack is of the cons, because Paul has already
said, I consider that whole list what? Garbage.
A waste of time. Because I consider that me knowing
Jesus outweighs all the cons that stack up against
it. So this Christmas, let's remember, it's not
about the tree and the perfection or the lights
in the yard or the presents or the sandalists.
That all is garbage when it comes to Jesus. And
it's not that we don't celebrate it. It's not
that we don't embrace it. It's not that we don't
have fun with it and make it a part of our family's
traditions. It just means it can't be what it's
about because it's not. It's commercialism. That's
what that is. We are talking about Jesus. As
a pastor now for 28 years, I hear, People say
to me all the time, and maybe you've heard the
same thing said from a friend, and typically
what happens is when I hear these words, time
has passed, which means the wound is now a scar,
meaning maybe months or years have come and gone
in these cases, and they'll look at me and say,
you know, Chris, I never would have asked to
go through that situation. I never would have
invited it. to be a part of my life, but because
of what God has done, I would never choose to
remove it. It's who I am. Because that's somebody
who has their eyes set on something different.
That's somebody who has their eyes set on eternity,
on the kingdom of God, on Jesus. And in Hebrews
12 too, we see a picture that paints this picture
from Jesus perfectly. Hebrews 12, 2, we do this
by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who
initiates and perfects our faith. Now look at
this. Here's the word that we're focusing on
this week. Because of the joy awaiting him, he
endured the cross disregarding his shame. Now
he was seated in the place of honor beside God's
throne. So a couple questions for you to ponder.
What's joyous about the cross? Is being flogged
and beaten joyous? That's not joyous at all.
Is being stripped naked and having a crown of
thorns shoved on top of your head, is that joyous?
How about being crucified with spikes running
through your wrists and through your feet and
dying a suffocating death on that cross? There's
nothing joyous about that. But I just read for
you that the Bible says it... is for the joy
that was set before him. See, Jesus' mind wasn't
on all of that. It was on something different.
It was on you and me. It was the joy that he
could just know that you could experience forgiveness,
that you could experience God's love, that you
could understand grace, that the weight that
you're feeling right now, the burden that you're
carrying can be lifted and removed. And it's
that joy that drove him to the cross. It was
the freedom that you can find from your addiction
that holds you captive. You can be set free.
It was the joy that he knew you could have. And
because of it, what did Jesus do? He went to
the cross. And he died a credulous death. And
it's because of that you can experience great
joy. See, we see Jesus look past his circumstances
and make a dedicated and specific decision to
focus on what? Joy. Joy is separated from our
circumstances. Joy is centered on Jesus and the
goodness he brings to our lives. I want you to
think about this for just a second. Because we
spend so much time and a lot of energy trying
to find happiness and comfort in all the wrong
places. Joy is found in one person and in one
place. And his name is Jesus. But there is an
enemy of joy. And it has nothing to do with pain.
leading us to our final fall. The greatest enemy
of joy is distraction. Especially during this
Christmas season, the reason you can feel burned
out, tired, stressed out, and negative is because
we're focusing on everything else rather than
Jesus. The decorations, the presents, the dinners,
the traditions. And suddenly when you get into
this season, it's like your eyes are focused
on so many things. I got to go to this party
and that tradition and light this tree and go
see those trees and this. And your eyes are everywhere
and it's not focused on the one. And it's slight.
And we tell everyone, but it's all for God. But
slowly but surely we lose our focus. And the
angel proclaimed in Luke 2 .10, don't be afraid.
I bring you good news that will be great joy
for all people. And there's so many Jesus followers
walking around during this season, miserable,
upset, and frustrated when it's the greatest
opportunity to change the world. Because people
that don't go to church are hungry to be invited
to church during this season. They want to know
what it's all about. And so many of us, we make
a simple mistake. I know I do. And it sounds
like this. We let our one days rob us of our
two days. We let our one days rob us of our two
days. And what do I mean by that? Well, one day
we're going to get married. One day when I'm
healed. One day when I have my dream job. Or
one day when my spouse finally changes. One day
when I find balance. One day when my ex would
leave me alone. Whenever I have enough money,
that one day. And see, that one day robs us of
our today. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 6,
34, don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is
enough for today. Amen. And if it's not our one
days, you know what it is? It's our yesterdays.
Oh, if I wouldn't have said those words, if I
could only take them back, if I only savored
that moment, if I didn't make that choice, if
that wouldn't have happened to me, if only. And
the yesterday starts to mess up our today. And
here's the reality. All of us woke up this morning,
opened our eyes, and allowed our feet to hit
the floor. And that in itself is a miracle. A
miracle that should release joy into our hearts.
Paul writes in Romans 8, 1 through 2, so now
there's no condemnation for those who long to
Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him,
the power of the life -giving spirit has freed
you from the power of sin that leads to death.
See, we've been freed from the pain of our past.
So that we can focus on our today, which leads
us to our simple action step, experiencing great
joy. Friends, we simply need to daily choose
joy. Friends, we need to daily choose joy. Paul
writes to the church in Philippians 4, for always
be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again, rejoice.
And I did some studying of the Greek and the
Hebrew for you on that word, always. And you
know what it means in the Greek and the Hebrew?
It means always. So when Paul says, always be
full of joy in the Lord, he means it. And not
only does he mean always being always, he reinforces
it, and he says, again I say, rejoice. And Paul's
trying to tell us that we constantly need to
be focused on God's unchanging presence, faithfulness,
and power. Even in the midst of hardship. It's
a choice to share your testimony. It's a choice.
It's an inner joy rooted in Jesus. And it's much
different than temporary happiness. When we rejoice
and are full of joy, then Psalm 1611 becomes
a way of life. You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence and the
pleasures of living with you forever. The joy
of your presence is available to every single
one of us. But again, it's a what church? It's
a choice. So recently I was at a funeral. And
when I was there, they started showing a video
with a bunch of pictures in it. As I started
watching this video and all the pictures of the
person who had passed away, I began to weep and
thought to myself, I wonder if they knew that
picture was going to end up in their funeral
camera roll. And of course the answer is no,
they didn't know that, neither do you or I. But
then I began to think, I wonder if they knew
that there was joy in that moment. I wonder,
did they see it? Did they experience it? And
I tell you, it was so impactful on my heart,
on my life, that for the last few weeks, every
time I pull out my phone, I pause and I find
myself looking at pictures. And I look at those
pictures and I ask myself an honest question.
I say, do I see it? Do I see joy in that photo?
Now, in fact, every time I take a picture, I,
in my mind, pause for a second. I think I'm in
it. I want to be in this moment. I want to feel
it. I want to experience the joy. The joy that
is beyond my current circumstances or anxiety
or stress or whatever it may be. So Jess and
I have been discussing how our Lily is graduating
this year. So I started looking at a bunch of
pictures of my family. And as I was looking at
these pictures of my family, I began to find
the joy in them. And I want to share a couple
with you if that's okay. Here's our first picture
of Lily. And that's Lily as a baby, and you can
see her smile, and she was always attached to
Daddy's hip. And you see in the next picture,
we're at the zoo, and there she is again at my
hip. Gosh, I was young. And that's my three girls
staring at the hippopotamus spreading poop all
through. And it's funny, as I was looking at
these pictures, Lily smiled. It was special to
us because we lost, had two miscarriages before
Lily came. And that's why her middle name is
Joy. Because she's full of joy. And in our next
picture, you'll see that Lily was actually the
first baby in the church. She was the first baby
that was part of our community of faith, and
that was our family picture from a photography
company that wanted to send and make $1 ,000
off our church because we were so small. But
it was still a good picture. And in our next
photo, you'll see Lily loves softball, just like
her older sister. Do we actually win the championship
there? You see Nolan photobombing in the back.
He looks that way because I had to drive 100
miles an hour to get to the game to win the championship
because I was their coach. So I came and preached
with all of you and then went and won a championship.
Not only does she play softball, though, she
was the good citizen of the year or month or
something at school. That was her fifth grade
picture. And again, you see the smile. And then
our son, oldest son, Isaac, graduated, and that's
our family picture. And you can see our children
growing up. And in our next photo, we love sports.
And we love being together. It's a family. And
the next one you're going to see Lily's 16th
birthday was out in a field for a picnic. Oh
no, she's helping me decorate this building.
So that was before this place even opened. And
then it's her 16th birthday. I think. Yep. We
were having a picnic in the field. And in our
next picture, you're going to see the family
together again. This was just a few weeks ago.
Lily is now signed and committed to play at Florida
Atlantic University on a full ride scholarship
for softball. And you see in the next picture,
she's full of joy. And FAU is full of joy to
have her. Look at the next slide. And in our
next slide, that was a Father's Day. And it's
interesting, as you go through pictures on your
phone, that was a Father's Day picture. And my
oldest daughter, Trinity, was upset that she
wasn't in the picture, so she scanned herself
in. And Zoe too. But what's interesting about
this picture is when I looked at this picture,
I saw the next picture. And that next picture
is actually the last picture that I took with
my dad. so much joy to see it and live it. But
I gotta tell you something. I know life's hard
and I know we're challenged daily, but you can
live with joy if you make the choice. So what
I want you to do, we're gonna sing here in a
second. I want you to take your phone out and
I want you to look at a picture right now. I'm
serious, do it. Take your phone out. And if you
got a flip phone, get with the program, man.
Like, get a phone you can have a picture on.
I want you to look at a picture. And I want you
to find joy in that picture. I want you to see
yourself there in the moment that it was taken.
And I want you to see the joy of that moment.
And I want you to be reminded that every day
is a choice. Every day is a choice to experience
joy. So we're going to sing here in a second.
But listen, none of this happens without Jesus.
The reason I do what I do is because of the burden
that God put on my heart to see people come into
a relationship with Him, to see marriages healed,
to see people restored. And we're going to pray
a simple prayer now as you're looking at that
picture. I'm going to invite you, if you're distant
or far from God and never came into that relationship,
now's your chance. Amen. Let's pray together.
Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of shame, regret,
sin. Change me. I believe you're God's son. I
believe you died for me. Make me new. Set me
free. Fill me with your spirit. Help me, God,
to serve others. In Jesus' name, amen. So if
you prayed that prayer, see me. I want to give
you some next steps, tell you to get baptized.
But more importantly, stand with me now. As we
worship and pray. And listen, no matter your
circumstances and what you brought in here, make
a choice to worship and allow the joy to fill
your heart so that you can go and give it away.
I was deep, I was deep, I was...