WEBVTT 00:00:08.859 --> 00:00:12.080 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.019 like to connect with HTV, go to htv .church forward 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:19.059 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:22.960 to htv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:24.899 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:30.379 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:32.600 message. All right, so we're going to close out 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:35.060 our Promise Keeper series, but I'm going to pass 00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:37.759 the mic to my beautiful wife, Jess, and she's 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.320 going to close our series out today. Welcome 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:46.539 her. All right, what an introduction. What an 00:00:46.539 --> 00:00:48.420 introduction. Good morning. How are you doing 00:00:48.420 --> 00:00:51.920 this morning? Man, it's so good to see so many 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:54.979 smiling faces. Welcome to HCV. And if you're 00:00:54.979 --> 00:00:57.560 joining us from home, thank you for welcoming 00:00:57.560 --> 00:00:59.719 us into your space. Or if you're on vacation, 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:03.719 thank you for taking with us on the road. All 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:07.980 right. So I am so grateful to be able to share 00:01:07.980 --> 00:01:10.540 with you guys this morning. If my microphone 00:01:10.540 --> 00:01:13.370 agrees with me here. I am so proud of our community 00:01:13.370 --> 00:01:15.170 of faith. If you've been calling this church 00:01:15.170 --> 00:01:18.170 home for a long time, I'm so happy you're here. 00:01:18.230 --> 00:01:19.930 If you've been calling it home for just a couple 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:21.849 weeks, I'm happy you're here. And if you're a 00:01:21.849 --> 00:01:25.590 new guest, welcome. I was in New York City this 00:01:25.590 --> 00:01:28.409 week. I was at a conference in New Jersey right 00:01:28.409 --> 00:01:30.489 outside the city, and I was driving into the 00:01:30.489 --> 00:01:33.030 city, and my daughters decided to tell the Uber 00:01:33.030 --> 00:01:36.489 driver I was a pastor. And so we had a wonderful 00:01:36.489 --> 00:01:39.370 conversation with this young man from Turkey, 00:01:39.650 --> 00:01:41.980 and I just told him all about it. about our community 00:01:41.980 --> 00:01:44.000 of faith and what we do and how we love people 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:49.060 and feed people and welcome people. And he was 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:52.980 just so... amazed at how much love we spread 00:01:52.980 --> 00:01:56.200 out. So we truly have an amazing community of 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:59.180 faith. And I am so grateful for you guys and 00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:01.420 the love you have for other people. It's just, 00:02:01.540 --> 00:02:04.000 it's amazing to be able to be like a parent and 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:06.540 then just go and brag on my kids. So I figure 00:02:06.540 --> 00:02:08.659 that you guys are like my kids and I'm just bragging 00:02:08.659 --> 00:02:11.259 on you. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And 00:02:11.259 --> 00:02:14.180 thank you for coming in today and listening to 00:02:14.180 --> 00:02:16.419 this message. So I'm going to pray to get started 00:02:16.419 --> 00:02:18.539 and we're just going to invite the Holy Spirit 00:02:18.539 --> 00:02:24.280 to come. Holy Spirit, come and fill this room 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:32.159 with your peace and your presence. God, open 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.259 our ears to hear clearly all that you want me 00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:40.439 to share today, Lord. May we grow more connected 00:02:40.439 --> 00:02:43.860 with you and with your spirit every day. In Jesus' 00:02:43.939 --> 00:02:47.900 name I pray, amen. So I am so grateful, as my 00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:49.780 husband said, to be able to share with you the 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:53.479 last message in our July series, Promise Keeper, 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:56.199 where we have discussed some beautiful promises 00:02:56.199 --> 00:02:59.960 we have in Jesus. And so, friends, today I want 00:02:59.960 --> 00:03:04.460 to talk about how God is always speaking. God 00:03:04.460 --> 00:03:07.060 is always speaking. He is a great communicator. 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:10.620 In the first chapter, we read, Of the Bible we 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:13.819 read, and God said, let there be light. Genesis 00:03:13.819 --> 00:03:17.919 1 -3 says, by his spoken word, God brought creation 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:22.080 into existence. We also read that God created 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:25.379 humanity and communed with them. He made us in 00:03:25.379 --> 00:03:28.680 his own image. In the Garden of Eden, God communicated 00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:32.340 with Adam and with Eve through direct conversation 00:03:32.340 --> 00:03:37.099 and his personal presence. Before the fall, they 00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:40.889 experienced deep unbroken fellowship with their 00:03:40.889 --> 00:03:45.710 creator. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association 00:03:45.710 --> 00:03:49.449 puts it this way. God created us for one reason, 00:03:49.550 --> 00:03:53.210 to know him, to love him, and to have fellowship 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:56.069 with him. And originally, that's what happened. 00:03:56.129 --> 00:03:59.909 Adam and Eve loved God and had unbroken fellowship 00:03:59.909 --> 00:04:03.189 with him. They not only lived in a perfect world, 00:04:03.250 --> 00:04:06.349 but they had perfect fellowship with the creator. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:09.900 Then came the fall and humanity turned its back 00:04:09.900 --> 00:04:13.039 on God. Adam and Eve hid, but guess what? Sin 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:16.439 broke the fellowship, but God did not stop speaking. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.120 He did not abandon his creation. Instead, he 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.139 immediately says, where are you? He reached out 00:04:23.139 --> 00:04:25.579 to Adam and Eve, calling him in the garden. Soon 00:04:25.579 --> 00:04:28.100 afterward, he spoke to their son Cain, warning 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:31.060 him before he sinned. and then confronting him 00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:33.519 afterwards. From that point on, the story of 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:36.519 Scripture is a story who God continues to communicate 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:40.360 with his people. God spoke to Noah, giving him 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.259 instructions to build the ark and establishing 00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:44.980 a covenant with him. God called Abraham to leave 00:04:44.980 --> 00:04:47.500 his homeland and promised to make him the father 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:51.800 of many nations. through an everlasting covenant. 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:54.939 God spoke directly through Moses, through the 00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:57.860 burning bush, and later on Mount Sinai, revealing 00:04:57.860 --> 00:05:01.439 his name, his law, and his heart for his people. 00:05:01.819 --> 00:05:04.379 The list continues throughout the Old Testament 00:05:04.379 --> 00:05:07.379 again and again. God spoke through judges and 00:05:07.379 --> 00:05:10.980 kings and priests and prophets, calling his people 00:05:10.980 --> 00:05:15.220 to reopen their repentance, faithfulness, and 00:05:15.220 --> 00:05:19.040 hope. The final words recorded in the Old Testament, 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:22.060 Through the prophet Malachi says, God calls his 00:05:22.060 --> 00:05:25.360 people back to covenant faithfulness. He warns 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:28.920 the coming day of the Lord and he promises, God 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:32.180 promises that a messenger will come, Elijah will 00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:36.560 come and prepare the way. Then 400 years of silence, 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.680 no recorded prophetic voices, no new revelation, 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:48.050 yet even in the silence. God was preparing the 00:05:48.050 --> 00:05:53.629 world for his greatest message. Then the silence 00:05:53.629 --> 00:05:59.730 was broken in John 1, chapter 1, verses 1 through 00:05:59.730 --> 00:06:02.850 5. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word 00:06:02.850 --> 00:06:04.970 was with God, and the Word was God, and through 00:06:04.970 --> 00:06:07.430 him all things were made, and in him was life, 00:06:07.550 --> 00:06:10.750 and that life was the light of all mankind. The 00:06:10.750 --> 00:06:14.269 light shines in the darkness, and the darkness 00:06:14.269 --> 00:06:18.709 has not overcome it. The word became flesh, Jesus 00:06:18.709 --> 00:06:22.750 Christ, God's ultimate communication to humanity. 00:06:24.750 --> 00:06:27.730 He is the perfect revelation of the Father's 00:06:27.730 --> 00:06:30.329 heart. He came so that we might know how deeply 00:06:30.329 --> 00:06:36.230 God loves us and how much he desires to be with 00:06:36.230 --> 00:06:40.310 his people. That's what I told the Uber driver. 00:06:40.490 --> 00:06:44.850 I said, no, Jesus came because God loved us so 00:06:44.850 --> 00:06:48.560 much. He wanted to show us God's love and Jesus 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.139 loved God so much they were in complete relationship 00:06:51.139 --> 00:06:54.040 that he said, I love people and I am willing 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:57.839 to go and be the great communicator of your love. 00:06:59.259 --> 00:07:04.220 So point one this morning is Jesus is the gate. 00:07:06.540 --> 00:07:09.970 Long before Jesus declared, I am the gate. In 00:07:09.970 --> 00:07:13.250 John 10, 9, God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel 00:07:13.250 --> 00:07:16.350 about spiritual leaders who had failed to care 00:07:16.350 --> 00:07:21.670 for their people. Ezekiel 34, 2 through 6. How 00:07:21.670 --> 00:07:23.629 many of you have had a leader that has failed 00:07:23.629 --> 00:07:25.790 to care for you? Maybe not in the church, but 00:07:25.790 --> 00:07:28.470 maybe in life, right? Well, God's telling the 00:07:28.470 --> 00:07:31.370 people in Ezekiel this is what happens. What 00:07:31.370 --> 00:07:33.769 sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourself 00:07:33.769 --> 00:07:36.829 instead of your flocks? Shouldn't shepherds feed 00:07:36.829 --> 00:07:40.189 the sheep? You drink their milk, wear the wool, 00:07:40.350 --> 00:07:42.709 and butcher the best animals, but you let your 00:07:42.709 --> 00:07:45.589 flock starve. You have not taken care of the 00:07:45.589 --> 00:07:47.990 weak. You have not tended the sick, bound up 00:07:47.990 --> 00:07:51.730 the injured. You have not gone looking for those 00:07:51.730 --> 00:07:53.949 who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, 00:07:54.209 --> 00:07:57.029 you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. 00:07:57.689 --> 00:08:00.329 So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd. 00:08:01.050 --> 00:08:03.449 They are easy prey for wild animals. They have 00:08:03.449 --> 00:08:04.990 wandered through the mountains and the hills 00:08:04.990 --> 00:08:07.129 and across the face of the earth, yet no one. 00:08:07.579 --> 00:08:12.220 has gone to search for them. But God did not 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:14.779 leave his people without hope. As the gate, Jesus 00:08:14.779 --> 00:08:18.680 is the only entrance into God's flock. Through 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:22.660 him we find salvation, security, fellowship with 00:08:22.660 --> 00:08:25.500 the Father. He is the way into the sheepfold. 00:08:25.860 --> 00:08:29.800 He is the open gate, and all who enter will be 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:36.070 saved. How do we know this? Jesus tells us. John 00:08:36.070 --> 00:08:38.850 10 is our main passage for today. So if you go 00:08:38.850 --> 00:08:43.110 home, reread John 10. So John 10, 6 through 10 00:08:43.110 --> 00:08:46.990 says, those who heard Jesus use this illustration 00:08:46.990 --> 00:08:49.769 did not understand what he meant. So he explained 00:08:49.769 --> 00:08:52.590 it to them. I tell you the truth. I am the gate 00:08:52.590 --> 00:08:55.409 for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves 00:08:55.409 --> 00:08:59.269 and robbers, but I am the true shepherd. Do not 00:08:59.269 --> 00:09:02.250 listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who 00:09:02.250 --> 00:09:05.289 come in through me will be saved. They will come 00:09:05.289 --> 00:09:10.610 and go freely and find good pastures. The thief's 00:09:10.610 --> 00:09:16.549 purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. My purpose 00:09:16.549 --> 00:09:21.389 is to give them a rich and satisfying life. How 00:09:21.389 --> 00:09:24.029 many of you know the thief is the most deceptive 00:09:24.029 --> 00:09:26.820 person in the room? If you've ever watched like 00:09:26.820 --> 00:09:30.220 Oceans 11, right? Oceans 12, the thief is always 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:32.659 the person who's kind of deceptive. They hide, 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:34.940 they form a relationship with somebody that they 00:09:34.940 --> 00:09:38.200 want to steal from, right? They're crafty, they're 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.860 cunning, right? So we have an enemy who is like 00:09:41.860 --> 00:09:46.980 that. But Jesus is not like that. Jesus is not 00:09:46.980 --> 00:09:49.440 even like the security at the airport. He doesn't 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:51.820 say, you can't bring your liquids, take off your 00:09:51.820 --> 00:09:54.379 shoes, take off your belt, stand before the body 00:09:54.379 --> 00:09:56.889 scanner. Make sure you don't have any weapons. 00:09:56.929 --> 00:10:00.169 Your bag's too big. No, Jesus is a gate that 00:10:00.169 --> 00:10:03.470 leads to life. And he says, come. Come with your 00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:06.450 baggage. Come with your weapons. Come with your 00:10:06.450 --> 00:10:08.710 anger, your resentment. Come with all the pain 00:10:08.710 --> 00:10:12.470 and the sorrow. And come in and find good pastors. 00:10:13.389 --> 00:10:16.490 Jesus is the gate. And he invites everybody, 00:10:16.889 --> 00:10:20.970 young, old, male, female, black, white, rich, 00:10:21.110 --> 00:10:26.250 poor. He wants all people. to come into a relationship 00:10:26.250 --> 00:10:30.730 with God. That's why he came. That's why he died. 00:10:31.870 --> 00:10:35.470 That's why. So he can communicate God's love 00:10:35.470 --> 00:10:41.049 to us. Point two this morning, Jesus is the good 00:10:41.049 --> 00:10:45.129 shepherd. Let's go back to Ezekiel and understand 00:10:45.129 --> 00:10:48.370 why Jesus chose to use these particular words. 00:10:48.710 --> 00:10:52.570 In Ezekiel 34, remember, God rebukes the false 00:10:52.570 --> 00:10:55.470 shepherds. Israel for neglecting his people. 00:10:55.590 --> 00:10:59.409 Then he makes an astonishing promise. Ezekiel 00:10:59.409 --> 00:11:03.649 34, 11 through 16 reads, for this is what the 00:11:03.649 --> 00:11:07.330 sovereign Lord says, I myself will search for 00:11:07.330 --> 00:11:11.210 my sheep and look after them. He says, I will 00:11:11.210 --> 00:11:14.529 rescue them. He says, I will bring them back. 00:11:14.710 --> 00:11:17.769 I will feed them. I myself will tend to the sheep. 00:11:18.860 --> 00:11:21.360 And have them lie down. I will search for the 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:24.039 lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:28.519 the injured and strengthen the weak. Notice who's 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:31.940 speaking here. God doesn't say, I will send somebody 00:11:31.940 --> 00:11:37.299 else. He doesn't say, maybe I can redeem another 00:11:37.299 --> 00:11:41.399 leader. No, he says, I myself will search for 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:46.279 my sheep. God had a plan from the beginning. 00:11:48.789 --> 00:11:51.029 Hundreds of years later, Jesus stands before 00:11:51.029 --> 00:11:54.110 the people and makes two remarkable declarations 00:11:54.110 --> 00:11:57.549 of being the good shepherd. In John 10, 11, he 00:11:57.549 --> 00:12:01.809 says, I am the good shepherd. They're asking 00:12:01.809 --> 00:12:03.990 him, who should we believe? Why should we believe 00:12:03.990 --> 00:12:09.289 you? Jesus says, 10, verse 14, I am the good 00:12:09.289 --> 00:12:14.909 shepherd. This is no ordinary statement. Jesus 00:12:14.909 --> 00:12:17.710 is identifying himself as the fulfillment of 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:22.409 God's promise in Ezekiel. The good shepherd God 00:12:22.409 --> 00:12:25.190 promised to send is standing before them, and 00:12:25.190 --> 00:12:29.909 they don't even see it. How many times is Jesus 00:12:29.909 --> 00:12:33.610 standing before us saying, drink, eat, relax, 00:12:34.029 --> 00:12:36.710 I'm here with you, and we don't even see it, 00:12:36.710 --> 00:12:41.070 people. He is also the shepherd David wrote about 00:12:41.070 --> 00:12:46.639 in Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:49.279 not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. 00:12:49.299 --> 00:12:52.700 He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:56.820 my soul. Even though I walk through the darkest 00:12:56.820 --> 00:13:00.000 valleys, I will fear no evil, for you are with 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:05.200 me. The shepherd of Psalm 23, the promised shepherd 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:07.980 of Ezekiel 34, and the good shepherd of John 00:13:07.980 --> 00:13:14.279 10 are all the same. Jesus is the good shepherd. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:19.639 He cares for his sheep. He cares for you. He 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:23.860 cares for me. He hasn't left us abandoned. And 00:13:23.860 --> 00:13:26.899 he's trying to explain. He's trying to say, this 00:13:26.899 --> 00:13:32.960 is who I am. But people can't see it. And what 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:35.919 is the character of a good shepherd? Let's continue 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:42.220 in John 10. He protects you. John 10, 11 through 00:13:42.220 --> 00:13:48.399 13. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd 00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:51.720 sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:53.899 would run when he sees a wolf coming. He will 00:13:53.899 --> 00:13:55.679 abandon the sheep because they don't belong to 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:59.120 him. He isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:02.480 attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:05.620 hand runs away because he's only working for 00:14:05.620 --> 00:14:07.899 money and doesn't really care about his sheep. 00:14:09.870 --> 00:14:12.850 Jesus is the shepherd who searches for the lost. 00:14:13.490 --> 00:14:16.529 Jesus is the shepherd who gathers the scattered. 00:14:17.389 --> 00:14:21.690 He feeds his flock. He binds up the broken. He 00:14:21.690 --> 00:14:24.850 strengthens the weak. And unlike the hired hand 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:28.889 who runs away when danger comes, the good shepherd 00:14:28.889 --> 00:14:34.889 lays down his life for his sheep. How do I know 00:14:34.889 --> 00:14:37.950 this? Romans 5, 8 says, but God demonstrates 00:14:37.950 --> 00:14:42.590 his own love for us. While we were still sinners, 00:14:42.730 --> 00:14:48.529 Christ died for us. He died for me. He died for 00:14:48.529 --> 00:14:55.570 Gary. He died for Ronnie. He died for Rick. He 00:14:55.570 --> 00:15:04.120 died for Sean. He died for each one of you. And 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:06.340 he doesn't just simply point us in the right 00:15:06.340 --> 00:15:08.279 direction. He isn't a shepherd that says, okay, 00:15:08.379 --> 00:15:10.840 here you go, go in the pen. He doesn't just point 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:17.399 us. He leads us personally. B, another part of 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:23.740 his character is he leads you. Further in our 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:27.080 passage, John 10, 24, they continue to ask Jesus 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:30.980 if he's the Messiah, right? They're like, they 00:15:30.980 --> 00:15:34.610 still don't understand. And Jesus answers in 00:15:34.610 --> 00:15:38.669 verse 25, I have already told you, and you don't 00:15:38.669 --> 00:15:42.110 believe me. The proof is in the work I do in 00:15:42.110 --> 00:15:45.970 the Father's name. What work did he do? He bind 00:15:45.970 --> 00:15:48.389 up the brokenhearted. He heals the sick. He gathers 00:15:48.389 --> 00:15:50.769 the scattered. He causes people home. He loves 00:15:50.769 --> 00:15:54.389 the lost. He engages with women and children 00:15:54.389 --> 00:16:02.009 and lepers and different cultures. And he says 00:16:02.009 --> 00:16:07.570 in verse 30, the Father and I are one. That same 00:16:07.570 --> 00:16:10.850 Uber driver said, did Jesus really say he was 00:16:10.850 --> 00:16:14.889 God's son? And I said, yes. Right here he says, 00:16:15.169 --> 00:16:18.470 I am the good shepherd. The Father and I are 00:16:18.470 --> 00:16:23.370 one. Jesus leads because he has divine authority 00:16:23.370 --> 00:16:26.490 and power. He's not merely a wise teacher or 00:16:26.490 --> 00:16:30.919 a good example. He is the Son of God. the one 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:36.159 the Father sent. And as the good shepherd, he 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:40.360 alone can lead us to eternal life. Throughout 00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:43.159 Scripture, God has always led his people on the 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:46.799 path of life. I don't know about you, but every 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:50.340 time, ever since I've said, yes, God, I'm in, 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:53.120 and I've followed my good shepherd, he has led 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:57.610 me along the path of life. He has given me rest 00:16:57.610 --> 00:16:59.629 for my soul. He has given me strength when I'm 00:16:59.629 --> 00:17:03.830 weak. He has given me comfort when I cry. He 00:17:03.830 --> 00:17:07.150 has cried my tears and dried my eyes. He is a 00:17:07.150 --> 00:17:09.529 good shepherd who leads me, and I follow him 00:17:09.529 --> 00:17:16.089 along the paths of life. He led Israel through 00:17:16.089 --> 00:17:21.170 the wilderness with a cloud and fire. He led 00:17:21.170 --> 00:17:24.109 David as his shepherd king, and today he continues 00:17:24.109 --> 00:17:27.329 to lead his people through the word and by the 00:17:27.329 --> 00:17:30.869 Holy Spirit. Thank you, God, for the Holy Spirit. 00:17:33.069 --> 00:17:36.230 The good shepherd never leads his sheep into 00:17:36.230 --> 00:17:39.829 harm. He leads us into life. Who is the person 00:17:39.829 --> 00:17:42.890 that leads us into harm? Ourselves. There you 00:17:42.890 --> 00:17:49.289 go. Ourselves. Thank you, Dad. Right? All the 00:17:49.289 --> 00:17:50.970 things I've done in my life that have led me 00:17:50.970 --> 00:17:53.569 to harm, guess what? That's when I wanted to 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:55.670 be the shepherd. I wanted to be in control. I 00:17:55.670 --> 00:17:57.450 don't want to be a stupid sheep. The world tells 00:17:57.450 --> 00:17:58.849 us, you don't want to be a sheep. You don't want 00:17:58.849 --> 00:18:02.650 to follow. Why would I not want to follow a good 00:18:02.650 --> 00:18:09.029 shepherd? Right? Why would I not want to go the 00:18:09.029 --> 00:18:12.569 path of life? Why would I not want to have rest 00:18:12.569 --> 00:18:14.869 for my soul? Why would I not want to be protected 00:18:14.869 --> 00:18:22.029 when I'm scared? God has given us clear boundaries 00:18:22.029 --> 00:18:23.970 in his words. These commandments are not meant 00:18:23.970 --> 00:18:27.549 to restrict our joy, but to protect us, to help 00:18:27.549 --> 00:18:30.970 us flourish like fences around a shepherd's pasture. 00:18:31.490 --> 00:18:35.349 God's boundaries provide safety, freedom, and 00:18:35.349 --> 00:18:41.009 abundance. It's good to have healthy boundaries 00:18:41.009 --> 00:18:43.990 around your life, not to keep people out, but 00:18:43.990 --> 00:18:47.049 to know what it is to be healthy, right? We have 00:18:47.049 --> 00:18:49.130 a fence around our yard. I don't love my fence 00:18:49.130 --> 00:18:50.990 in the backyard. It's a chain link fence, but 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:54.910 I got it for free. Amen. Yes. Amen. So I used 00:18:54.910 --> 00:18:56.509 to not have, I had like three quarters of my 00:18:56.509 --> 00:18:59.309 yard fenced in. And so my kids always, when they 00:18:59.309 --> 00:19:00.809 were little, I was like, they're good. We got 00:19:00.809 --> 00:19:03.569 it. And it always like, I think Lily, when I 00:19:03.569 --> 00:19:05.690 was running my learning center, she decided to 00:19:05.690 --> 00:19:08.329 like exit the yard one day through the side yard, 00:19:08.390 --> 00:19:10.930 up the neighbor's house and decided to wave to 00:19:10.930 --> 00:19:13.390 people in the front, in the front street. Right. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:16.420 She's raving to people in the front seat. Of 00:19:16.420 --> 00:19:19.960 course, God, the Holy Spirit guided me, and she's 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:22.900 still alive today, and everything is good. But, 00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:24.519 you know, now I have a fence around my yard. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:26.160 We got some poodles, so I had to protect the 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:27.980 poodles. Obviously, I guess the poodles are more 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:31.119 important than the kids. I don't know. But Chris 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:38.720 is the one that did it. Anyway, so I have poodles. 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:40.660 And so we have a fence around our yard, so our 00:19:40.660 --> 00:19:42.460 poodles don't get out, right? They love to look 00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:43.900 at the bunnies in the other yard. They're like. 00:19:44.299 --> 00:19:45.839 Let me get the bunnies, right? I'm like, what 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:48.160 are they barking about? But we don't let them 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:49.720 go out and run after the bunnies because guess 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:51.279 what? They're going to get on the front road. 00:19:51.460 --> 00:19:53.619 So we have a fence around our yard. And when 00:19:53.619 --> 00:19:55.380 we take them out, we put them on a leash and 00:19:55.380 --> 00:19:57.319 they pull us down the road, but we hold them 00:19:57.319 --> 00:19:58.940 back because we don't want them to get hit by 00:19:58.940 --> 00:20:01.319 the cars. Sometimes I feel like the poodles are 00:20:01.319 --> 00:20:03.119 walking us. We're not walking the poodles, but 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:05.359 at least we have them on the leash, right? Sometimes 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:07.039 we like that with our relationship with God. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.259 We feel like we're pulling God along. Come on, 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:11.380 God. Come this way. I want to go here. Come on. 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:13.079 People always laugh at us when we're walking 00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:15.160 down the road. They're like, who's walking who? 00:20:15.500 --> 00:20:17.640 So my poodles tend to walk me or tend to walk 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:19.980 Chris. But then we have them on the leash, and 00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:21.740 then we get them to a big field that has a fence, 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:24.240 and we let them go, and they run, right? And 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.640 that's what God does. He says, you know what? 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:27.839 These are some safe boundaries I want in your 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:31.059 life. And so you can run, you can do whatever, 00:20:31.180 --> 00:20:32.779 but if you stay within these boundaries, you're 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:34.359 going to be safe, you're going to be protected, 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:36.000 you're going to be loved, you're going to be 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.720 cared for, and you'll have life. And what do 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:41.299 we do? We try to hop the fence. We try to look 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:43.319 for an opening. Like my phoenix, we try to escape. 00:20:43.880 --> 00:20:46.500 He knows how to open the fence, right? He doesn't 00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:50.700 want to stay in the backyard. But Jesus is a 00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:53.319 good shepherd. I was doing some reading last 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:55.059 night. Actually, I got on Facebook, and I came 00:20:55.059 --> 00:20:58.750 across this story. At the July 21st public business 00:20:58.750 --> 00:21:00.569 meeting, the Washington County Board of Education 00:21:00.569 --> 00:21:04.569 voted unanimously to rename Salem Avenue Elementary 00:21:04.569 --> 00:21:08.150 School to the Thomas J. Garner Elementary School. 00:21:08.750 --> 00:21:11.609 The school is named after the former principal, 00:21:11.869 --> 00:21:14.650 Mr. Tom Garner, who faithfully served in his 00:21:14.650 --> 00:21:17.809 role for 20 years. He passed away unexpectedly 00:21:17.809 --> 00:21:22.849 in October of 2025. School staff, families, and 00:21:22.849 --> 00:21:26.089 community members launched a campaign to rename 00:21:26.089 --> 00:21:28.490 the building in his memory, collecting signatures, 00:21:28.769 --> 00:21:31.410 petitions, and following the established processes 00:21:31.410 --> 00:21:39.970 to rename the school after their principal. And 00:21:39.970 --> 00:21:42.509 I'm sure those people didn't rename their school 00:21:42.509 --> 00:21:44.990 after that principal because he wasn't a good 00:21:44.990 --> 00:21:49.339 shepherd. I'm sure he not only led them, but 00:21:49.339 --> 00:21:59.259 he cared about them. One of the most beautiful 00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:01.619 truths about our good shepherd is he doesn't 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:04.880 just simply care for us. He doesn't just lead 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:11.160 us. He knows us personally. See, he knows you. 00:22:13.380 --> 00:22:16.039 And how do I know that? Jesus says it with his 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:19.559 own words. In John 10, 14, he says, I am the 00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:24.980 good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know 00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:30.799 me. The good shepherd knows you by name. He knows 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:33.240 your joys, your sorrows. He knows your strengths. 00:22:33.339 --> 00:22:35.019 He knows your weaknesses. He knows your past. 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:36.539 He knows your present. He knows your future. 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:41.960 Nothing from you is hidden from him. Author and 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:46.140 pastor Tim Keller once wrote, to be loved but 00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:53.640 not known is comforting but superficial. To be 00:22:53.640 --> 00:23:01.279 known and not loved is our greatest fear. But 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:09.549 to be fully known and truly loved is, well, A 00:23:09.549 --> 00:23:14.589 lot like being loved by God. He knows you and 00:23:14.589 --> 00:23:21.750 he loves you completely. In Psalms 116, 1 through 00:23:21.750 --> 00:23:25.869 2, it says, I love the Lord because he hears 00:23:25.869 --> 00:23:29.609 my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he 00:23:29.609 --> 00:23:35.809 bends down to listen. Could you imagine the psalmist 00:23:35.809 --> 00:23:39.099 there just saying, He knows my voice, and he 00:23:39.099 --> 00:23:44.240 bends down to listen. He doesn't just stay up 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.240 here. He's not a God that's up here. He's a God 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:51.099 that's here, right? He gets down with us, and 00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:55.259 he says, how are you today, Jessica? Man, that 00:23:55.259 --> 00:24:03.380 was a rough day. I know. He knows every tear 00:24:03.380 --> 00:24:06.829 we cry. He knows every heartbreak we experience. 00:24:08.309 --> 00:24:11.190 And he doesn't demand, he's not demanding or 00:24:11.190 --> 00:24:14.710 rude. He knows us and he loves us. He's a good 00:24:14.710 --> 00:24:19.009 father. It's just like this week I called home, 00:24:19.190 --> 00:24:21.769 or I didn't call home actually. Chris called 00:24:21.769 --> 00:24:23.990 me and I was like, oh, my husband's calling me. 00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:27.069 Well, I answered the phone, it was my son. It 00:24:27.069 --> 00:24:29.769 was Phoenix. And when I heard his voice, my heart 00:24:29.769 --> 00:24:32.789 raced and I was like, oh, Phoenix, I miss your 00:24:32.789 --> 00:24:35.720 cuddles. And he said, well, mom. I woke up this 00:24:35.720 --> 00:24:38.440 morning and I got up really early and I missed 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:44.839 your cuddles too. And so I just listened to him 00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:47.059 as he just poured up to me and how he got up 00:24:47.059 --> 00:24:48.940 early and all the things he had done, the 20 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:51.099 things he had done before it had hit eight o 00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:54.400 'clock in the morning. And then I was like, okay, 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:56.680 well, I missed you. I'll see you. And he's, I'm 00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:58.059 like, are you done talking? He's like, yep, I'm 00:24:58.059 --> 00:25:02.009 good. See you later. Where are you at? What are 00:25:02.009 --> 00:25:03.470 you doing? What are you doing? Can I see a picture? 00:25:03.549 --> 00:25:06.349 Can I FaceTime you? So, yeah. But that's like 00:25:06.349 --> 00:25:10.730 God. He loves it when we talk to him. Right? 00:25:16.869 --> 00:25:19.650 So how do I hear the voice of the Good Shepherd? 00:25:20.750 --> 00:25:23.910 This is all well and good, Jessica. Jesus came, 00:25:24.049 --> 00:25:26.869 he did this, but how do I personally hear his 00:25:26.869 --> 00:25:29.450 voice? And so we're going to go through six points 00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:32.509 that I think are helpful in hearing God's voice 00:25:32.509 --> 00:25:40.150 today. The first point is open the door. Just 00:25:40.150 --> 00:25:42.529 like Chris talked about last week, it says in 00:25:42.529 --> 00:25:45.869 Revelation 3 .20, and I love this in the Living 00:25:45.869 --> 00:25:48.430 Bible, it says, look. I've been standing at the 00:25:48.430 --> 00:25:51.630 door knocking. I am constantly knocking. Could 00:25:51.630 --> 00:25:54.809 you picture God constantly knocking? If anyone 00:25:54.809 --> 00:25:57.089 hears me calling and opens the door, I will come 00:25:57.089 --> 00:26:00.069 in and have fellowship with him and he with me. 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:03.849 God is knocking on the door, people. He's right 00:26:03.849 --> 00:26:06.410 there. He's like, come on. And we're too busy. 00:26:06.670 --> 00:26:14.289 We're ignoring it. Like I ignore those. How many 00:26:14.289 --> 00:26:17.369 phone calls has it been since? I want a loan. 00:26:17.490 --> 00:26:20.549 Do you guys want a loan? I mean, this loan company, 00:26:20.710 --> 00:26:23.289 I don't know if it's just me, but I receive about 00:26:23.289 --> 00:26:27.970 10 calls a day from unsolicited people that want 00:26:27.970 --> 00:26:30.210 to give me a loan because I've looked into a 00:26:30.210 --> 00:26:33.549 loan. And I've started ignoring those phone calls, 00:26:33.630 --> 00:26:35.430 right? And even my regular phone calls, I'm like, 00:26:35.490 --> 00:26:36.970 okay, they'll leave a message if it's somebody 00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:40.109 important. But that's like, if it was our phone 00:26:40.109 --> 00:26:42.990 and we heard it ring or we heard a text go off, 00:26:43.029 --> 00:26:45.859 we check it right away, right? But God is standing 00:26:45.859 --> 00:26:47.980 at the door knocking, and he's saying, I went 00:26:47.980 --> 00:26:51.000 in. I went into this situation. Hey, hey, I'm 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:53.059 over here. I want to help you. I want to help 00:26:53.059 --> 00:26:55.279 you in that problem. But we say, okay, let's 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:57.779 do it this way, and let's do it this way, and 00:26:57.779 --> 00:27:00.319 this way. And if it doesn't work then, then we 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:02.539 call out to God, God, where are you? Knocking 00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:06.559 at the door. I've been here all along, right? 00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:10.759 We have a Savior who knocks at the door, but 00:27:10.759 --> 00:27:16.809 we have to open it, right? Point two, receive 00:27:16.809 --> 00:27:23.549 the Holy Spirit. Receive the Holy Spirit. You 00:27:23.549 --> 00:27:25.690 know, when we open the door to Jesus, when we 00:27:25.690 --> 00:27:27.829 say, yes, God, I want you to be the leader of 00:27:27.829 --> 00:27:30.490 my life, I want you to come in, the Holy Spirit 00:27:30.490 --> 00:27:32.849 comes and fills us. He doesn't leave us alone, 00:27:33.670 --> 00:27:36.829 abandoned, orphaned, anything. He says, I promise 00:27:36.829 --> 00:27:39.769 I will send you a helper. Let's read about it. 00:27:39.789 --> 00:27:42.869 John 14, 26 says, but when the Father sends the 00:27:42.869 --> 00:27:45.529 advocate as my representative, that is the Holy 00:27:45.529 --> 00:27:48.309 Spirit. He will teach you everything and will 00:27:48.309 --> 00:27:51.329 remind you of everything I have told you. The 00:27:51.329 --> 00:27:54.250 Holy Spirit is God's representative here. He 00:27:54.250 --> 00:27:57.970 fills us with power. He comforts us. He gives 00:27:57.970 --> 00:28:02.990 us strength. Romans 8, 26 says, and the Holy 00:28:02.990 --> 00:28:05.650 Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, 00:28:05.650 --> 00:28:09.880 when we don't know what to pray, The Holy Spirit 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:13.579 prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed 00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:19.359 in words. I have a friend who is another vineyard 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:23.059 pastor. She lost her son on July 4th. Soccer 00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:28.579 player, college athlete. Horrible car accident. 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:34.900 Not his fault. And I didn't know how to pray 00:28:34.900 --> 00:28:39.859 for her. I didn't know what to say. But I prayed. 00:28:41.380 --> 00:28:45.519 I allowed the Holy Spirit to pray. And I asked 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:53.119 that God would bring her comfort. And Tobias 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:56.980 is in heaven right now. He knew God, and he loved 00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:59.980 God. And all those people, all those soccer players 00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:01.759 that were his friends who came to his funeral, 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:03.559 that came from all the different schools he were 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:07.319 at, heard the message of Jesus from his mom at 00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:15.529 his funeral. not promised when our day of birth 00:29:15.529 --> 00:29:17.410 is, when our day of death is, right? We're not 00:29:17.410 --> 00:29:19.589 promised a perfect life, but God says, I will 00:29:19.589 --> 00:29:21.990 always be with you. I will never leave you or 00:29:21.990 --> 00:29:24.569 forsake you. And guess what? Tobias is in heaven 00:29:24.569 --> 00:29:27.490 today, and he is with God, and I'm sure they're 00:29:27.490 --> 00:29:29.950 playing soccer on that pitch up in heaven. I'm 00:29:29.950 --> 00:29:32.630 sure it's perfect. They don't have to water it. 00:29:32.690 --> 00:29:38.230 They don't have to do anything. When we don't 00:29:38.230 --> 00:29:40.430 know what to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for 00:29:40.430 --> 00:29:48.849 us. Point three, read the story. Read the story. 00:29:48.890 --> 00:29:51.309 Some of you guys don't know the story of God. 00:29:51.369 --> 00:29:54.890 It's an amazing book. It's an amazing book. Romans 00:29:54.890 --> 00:29:59.049 10, 17 says, so faith comes from hearing. That 00:29:59.049 --> 00:30:02.329 is hearing the good news about Jesus Christ. 00:30:02.470 --> 00:30:05.799 This is good news, people. This is good news. 00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:10.460 Jesus came here to show us God's love. God didn't 00:30:10.460 --> 00:30:12.519 leave us abandoned. God wants to communicate 00:30:12.519 --> 00:30:15.599 with us. Jesus wants to speak to us. He's our 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:22.880 good shepherd. This is good news. 2 Timothy 3, 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:26.200 16 and 17 says, all scripture is inspired by 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:29.880 God and is useful to teach us what is true and 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:32.980 to make us realize what is wrong with our life. 00:30:33.739 --> 00:30:36.599 It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches 00:30:36.599 --> 00:30:39.460 us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare 00:30:39.460 --> 00:30:46.700 and equip his people to do every good work. When 00:30:46.700 --> 00:30:48.859 I read the Bible, sometimes I get convicted. 00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:56.619 And sometimes I change. Right? He convicts me, 00:30:56.700 --> 00:30:59.460 and then I want to beat myself up. Oh, I'm such 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:01.160 a bad person. Oh, I shouldn't have done that. 00:31:01.220 --> 00:31:04.799 But you know what? I'm human. We need to allow 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:08.619 ourselves to be human and allow God to be God. 00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:11.339 He asks us to partner with him. He doesn't tell 00:31:11.339 --> 00:31:13.279 us we need to be superhumans or superheroes. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.480 He says, you're going to be human. You're going 00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:17.359 to make mistakes. You're going to have to ask 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:18.599 for forgiveness, and you're going to have to 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:20.740 forgive other people. You're human, and other 00:31:20.740 --> 00:31:25.980 people are human, and that's okay. My strength 00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:30.019 is made perfect in weakness. Because when we 00:31:30.019 --> 00:31:32.099 can forgive other people, we can forgive ourselves. 00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:35.180 And that's what it teaches me in the Word of 00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:41.400 God. It teaches me to love my neighbor. It teaches 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:47.380 me to turn the other cheek. It teaches me that 00:31:47.380 --> 00:31:49.900 every single person here is my brother or my 00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:53.859 sister. No matter what you believe, you are all 00:31:53.859 --> 00:32:00.880 children of God. And I love you. Point four, 00:32:01.059 --> 00:32:09.380 prioritize prayer and silence. May we be people 00:32:09.380 --> 00:32:13.279 who not only cry out to God with confidence that 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:19.160 he hears us, but who also quiet ourselves long 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:23.759 enough to hear the loving voice of our good shepherd. 00:32:28.869 --> 00:32:32.170 Mark 1 .35 says, before daybreak the next morning, 00:32:32.210 --> 00:32:34.990 Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place 00:32:34.990 --> 00:32:39.750 to pray. I know some of you aren't morning people, 00:32:39.970 --> 00:32:43.430 but this is Jesus' example for us. He's saying, 00:32:43.569 --> 00:32:46.289 if Jesus has to go and spend time to be with 00:32:46.289 --> 00:32:49.789 his Father, why would we not go up to a deserted, 00:32:49.890 --> 00:32:52.130 empty place and spend time with our Father? But 00:32:52.130 --> 00:32:53.769 good news for those who are not morning people, 00:32:53.930 --> 00:32:58.029 Matthew 14 .23. Added you guys in because I am 00:32:58.029 --> 00:33:02.190 in that camp. After he had dismissed the crowds, 00:33:02.390 --> 00:33:05.150 he went up to the mountain to himself to pray. 00:33:05.509 --> 00:33:14.089 When evening came, he was there alone. It doesn't 00:33:14.089 --> 00:33:16.029 have to be morning. It doesn't have to be evening. 00:33:16.130 --> 00:33:19.029 It can be the middle of the day, right? Whatever 00:33:19.029 --> 00:33:21.869 works for you and God. But you've got to do it. 00:33:22.529 --> 00:33:24.369 You've got to do it. You've got to make the time. 00:33:24.490 --> 00:33:27.309 You know why? The world we live in is loud, like 00:33:27.309 --> 00:33:29.390 Chris talked about last week. There's a lot of 00:33:29.390 --> 00:33:32.769 distractions around us, right? One of my friends 00:33:32.769 --> 00:33:34.930 shared with me this week that during her divorce, 00:33:35.089 --> 00:33:39.869 she would just scream out to God, like, God, 00:33:39.950 --> 00:33:41.769 why are you doing this? I don't want a divorce. 00:33:41.990 --> 00:33:43.410 I don't want to go through this. I don't want 00:33:43.410 --> 00:33:45.309 my kids to have a broken family. She would just 00:33:45.309 --> 00:33:47.849 scream and yell, and she was so angry. But she 00:33:47.849 --> 00:33:52.509 said, Jessica, I never took time to listen. I 00:33:52.509 --> 00:33:56.559 was so loud. I was so angry. I didn't stop and 00:33:56.559 --> 00:34:00.440 ask God what he wanted to say to me. And I think 00:34:00.440 --> 00:34:02.539 that's a lot of us. We get caught in our situations 00:34:02.539 --> 00:34:04.200 and our perspective, and we want to yell out 00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:06.400 to God, and we want to blame God or blame somebody 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:10.079 else, but we don't take time to quiet ourselves 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:13.239 before our Heavenly Father and allow his voice 00:34:13.239 --> 00:34:15.719 to speak to us. It's kind of like these headphones, 00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:19.320 like my daughter wears when she runs. I don't 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:22.059 know how she does this and works out. Lily does 00:34:22.059 --> 00:34:26.630 this. It kind of works. You can put your headphones 00:34:26.630 --> 00:34:31.150 on during the day. You can be like, I'm putting 00:34:31.150 --> 00:34:33.110 my headphones on, people. I'm going to my prayer 00:34:33.110 --> 00:34:36.389 place. I'm going to my quiet place. The Wesley 00:34:36.389 --> 00:34:39.809 mother, she would throw her apron over her head, 00:34:39.929 --> 00:34:41.769 and when she had her apron over her head, her 00:34:41.769 --> 00:34:45.170 children knew that she was in her place of prayer 00:34:45.170 --> 00:34:49.929 with God. And I just read more of her story this 00:34:49.929 --> 00:34:52.150 week. It was an amazing story about an amazing 00:34:52.150 --> 00:34:54.860 woman who... had two sons that just changed, 00:34:55.079 --> 00:34:57.820 that had Methodism, that changed the face of 00:34:57.820 --> 00:35:01.460 this country. Because their mom prayed, and their 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:04.039 mom raised them to be followers of Jesus, and 00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:06.679 they studied the Word of God. And she didn't 00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:10.380 neglect their schooling. She was faithful. Even 00:35:10.380 --> 00:35:12.420 though her husband wasn't faithful, she was faithful. 00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:19.900 Here's a quote I borrowed from Rudy. This is 00:35:19.900 --> 00:35:22.639 from Anne Lamont. It says, almost everything 00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:26.199 will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, 00:35:26.440 --> 00:35:33.159 including you. We need to unplug. We need to 00:35:33.159 --> 00:35:35.480 unplug from our devices. We need to unplug from 00:35:35.480 --> 00:35:40.500 social media. We need to unplug from our own 00:35:40.500 --> 00:35:43.320 thoughts sometimes, right? And we need to sit 00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:44.920 at God's feet and say, God, what do you want 00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:51.179 to do here? Point five is ask for prayer and 00:35:51.179 --> 00:35:56.800 godly advice. In the message it says, I love 00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:58.599 it how it reads in the message, Proverbs 19, 00:35:58.760 --> 00:36:02.360 20 says, take good counsel and accept correction. 00:36:02.920 --> 00:36:08.139 That is the way to live wisely and well. First 00:36:08.139 --> 00:36:10.679 Timothy 2, 1 says, I urge you, first of all, 00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:14.409 to pray for all people. Ask God to help them 00:36:14.409 --> 00:36:17.030 intercede on their behalf and give thanks for 00:36:17.030 --> 00:36:21.150 them. There is power in community. When we pray 00:36:21.150 --> 00:36:24.010 for each other, we can be conduits of God's presence 00:36:24.010 --> 00:36:29.570 to each other. We can help each other here. We 00:36:29.570 --> 00:36:32.369 can give each other perspective. Who are the 00:36:32.369 --> 00:36:36.210 friends you go to pray with? You have a whole 00:36:36.210 --> 00:36:38.030 community of faith here. We were in a vineyard 00:36:38.030 --> 00:36:40.900 conference this week. We heard the word, and 00:36:40.900 --> 00:36:42.760 then we all went up front, and we got prayer. 00:36:44.420 --> 00:36:46.639 And Trinity said, Mom, make sure you include 00:36:46.639 --> 00:36:48.880 that in the message of how to hear from God, 00:36:48.920 --> 00:36:51.239 because I hear from God when I'm with other people, 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:53.699 and they pray for me. Because sometimes we get 00:36:53.699 --> 00:36:56.420 so messed up in our own head, and we can't hear 00:36:56.420 --> 00:36:58.119 clearly, we can't hear straight, and we need 00:36:58.119 --> 00:37:00.099 our brothers and sisters to come around us and 00:37:00.099 --> 00:37:03.139 get a word for God from us. And we need to ask 00:37:03.139 --> 00:37:05.639 advice and counsel before we make the decision, 00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:08.869 right? Most of the time we go to people after 00:37:08.869 --> 00:37:10.469 you've made a decision. People come to me and 00:37:10.469 --> 00:37:12.130 Chris all the time and are like, yeah, I'm going 00:37:12.130 --> 00:37:14.369 to go ahead and move and change jobs and I'm 00:37:14.369 --> 00:37:18.070 going to get a divorce. Okay, you're already 00:37:18.070 --> 00:37:20.389 getting a divorce? Yeah, we just decided it was 00:37:20.389 --> 00:37:25.789 best. Okay. They're not asking for my counsel. 00:37:25.869 --> 00:37:30.269 They're not asking for wisdom, right? Before 00:37:30.269 --> 00:37:34.610 you make that decision, ask for counsel. Seek 00:37:34.610 --> 00:37:46.579 wisdom. It gives us perspective. Point six, obedience. 00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:52.300 1 Peter 2 .25 says, Once you were like a sheep, 00:37:52.500 --> 00:37:55.739 once you were like sheep who wandered away, but 00:37:55.739 --> 00:37:57.920 now you have turned to your shepherd, the guardian 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:04.159 of your souls. Shepherd is the guardian of our 00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:10.679 souls. We try to overcomplicate things. And this 00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:12.340 is what my daughter Zoe says, you got to tell 00:38:12.340 --> 00:38:15.719 everybody to keep it simple. She said she played 00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:18.000 soccer and her coach would say, kiss. Remember 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:20.739 Zoe, kiss. Keep it simple, stupid. It's like, 00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:21.940 well, I'm not going to call everybody stupid. 00:38:23.980 --> 00:38:29.840 But really, it's simple. We pray, we listen, 00:38:30.099 --> 00:38:35.920 and we obey. We pray, we listen, and we obey. 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:40.369 It's not that difficult. But we get in our own 00:38:40.369 --> 00:38:42.190 head and say, oh, God, did you really say that? 00:38:42.349 --> 00:38:44.610 Oh, I don't know. That's going to be hard. You 00:38:44.610 --> 00:38:46.349 want me to call that person? Oh, you want me 00:38:46.349 --> 00:38:50.969 to forgive that person? Because we've got pride 00:38:50.969 --> 00:38:55.750 in the way. We don't trust our shepherd. We don't 00:38:55.750 --> 00:38:58.730 trust that he's good. But I'm here today to tell 00:38:58.730 --> 00:39:01.769 you he is good. And he wants to speak to you. 00:39:01.809 --> 00:39:04.409 And he is speaking to you. And all we have to 00:39:04.409 --> 00:39:10.960 do is obey. So what we're going to do now is 00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:13.260 we're going to, I'm going to ask you some questions. 00:39:13.300 --> 00:39:15.440 These are some questions that I asked myself 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:20.059 this week. I went through a workshop, asked myself 00:39:20.059 --> 00:39:23.480 these questions, and had some amazing breakthroughs 00:39:23.480 --> 00:39:26.420 in some things that I was feeling. You know, 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:29.440 our feelings are not something we should ignore. 00:39:29.619 --> 00:39:31.280 The world tells us to ignore our feelings, or 00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:33.239 some people say embrace all your feelings, right? 00:39:33.380 --> 00:39:36.199 But God says, you know what? Our feelings are 00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:39.920 sensors. And they show us kind of where we need 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:42.800 God or what's going on in our life and where 00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:48.179 we need healing, right? So when I'm angry or 00:39:48.179 --> 00:39:52.139 I'm afraid or I'm upset, I know that I need to 00:39:52.139 --> 00:39:54.539 go to my good shepherd and hear what he has to 00:39:54.539 --> 00:39:58.619 say. So let's write down these questions. We 00:39:58.619 --> 00:40:00.780 might not have a long time to digest them, but... 00:40:01.130 --> 00:40:03.650 When you leave here today, sometime this week, 00:40:03.710 --> 00:40:06.289 ask yourself these questions and see what the 00:40:06.289 --> 00:40:12.210 Good Shepherd says to you. The first question 00:40:12.210 --> 00:40:16.250 is, what are you angry about? Right now, sitting 00:40:16.250 --> 00:40:18.650 in this seat right now, what are you angry about? 00:40:19.690 --> 00:40:25.510 Have you been angry this week? Have you overreacted 00:40:25.510 --> 00:40:28.150 to your spouse, to your children, to your coworkers? 00:40:29.210 --> 00:40:32.889 Have you felt like it's just not fair? What are 00:40:32.889 --> 00:40:38.070 you angry about? Question two, what are you sad 00:40:38.070 --> 00:40:42.690 about? What makes you sad in the depths of your 00:40:42.690 --> 00:40:46.409 soul? What do you feel like, man, I wish I could 00:40:46.409 --> 00:40:49.030 have a relationship with that person, but I just 00:40:49.030 --> 00:40:56.230 don't think it's possible. Question number three 00:40:56.230 --> 00:41:01.219 is, what are you afraid of? What are you afraid 00:41:01.219 --> 00:41:03.980 of? In the scripture it says, God's perfect love 00:41:03.980 --> 00:41:07.699 casts out all fear. But we always struggle with 00:41:07.699 --> 00:41:13.739 fear. I do. I do. And if we know how much the 00:41:13.739 --> 00:41:16.360 Father loves us, that perfect love comes in and 00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:19.900 fear is driven out. Right? And you might have 00:41:19.900 --> 00:41:21.940 to take some extra time to just sit with God 00:41:21.940 --> 00:41:26.019 and hear his voice. Open up the word and hear 00:41:26.019 --> 00:41:28.849 how much he loves you. What are you afraid of? 00:41:28.929 --> 00:41:30.989 And the last question is, what are you happy 00:41:30.989 --> 00:41:33.630 about? What brings you joy? What's bringing you 00:41:33.630 --> 00:41:37.590 joy right now in your life? Are you partnering 00:41:37.590 --> 00:41:40.469 with God in your life? Because listen, our life 00:41:40.469 --> 00:41:44.369 is not about us. We're not at the center of the 00:41:44.369 --> 00:41:47.170 universe. I'm sorry to inform you, but God, when 00:41:47.170 --> 00:41:49.590 we put God at the center of our universe and 00:41:49.590 --> 00:41:52.409 we follow our good shepherd, he leads us into 00:41:52.409 --> 00:41:54.889 the paths of life. He leads us to adventure and 00:41:54.889 --> 00:42:05.750 joy and peace. And it's a great adventure. Because 00:42:05.750 --> 00:42:08.530 you know what? We're kind of like that picture 00:42:08.530 --> 00:42:11.190 of an iceberg. Have you guys ever seen an iceberg? 00:42:11.369 --> 00:42:13.829 You've got part of the iceberg on the top. Part 00:42:13.829 --> 00:42:15.610 of the ice is on the top of the water, right? 00:42:15.690 --> 00:42:19.570 And then you have a huge iceberg below. And people 00:42:19.570 --> 00:42:21.369 can only see what's on top. Or we let people 00:42:21.369 --> 00:42:24.909 just see what's on top of the surface. But God 00:42:24.909 --> 00:42:28.050 wants to go under there. And he wants to dive 00:42:28.050 --> 00:42:30.210 in and he wants to say, why did you get so angry 00:42:30.210 --> 00:42:35.050 this week? Oh, is that because you weren't heard 00:42:35.050 --> 00:42:38.550 as a kid? You felt like you didn't have a voice? 00:42:38.989 --> 00:42:41.070 Why do you feel abandoned? Is that because your 00:42:41.070 --> 00:42:44.130 mom never spent time with you and abandoned you? 00:42:46.570 --> 00:42:49.280 Is that because you had a trauma? You know what? 00:42:49.300 --> 00:42:50.980 Sometimes when we're going through trauma, all 00:42:50.980 --> 00:42:52.780 the time when we're going through trauma, that's 00:42:52.780 --> 00:42:54.559 not the best time to heal from the trauma, right? 00:42:54.639 --> 00:42:57.079 God protects us and we walk through it. But later 00:42:57.079 --> 00:43:00.400 when we're in a safe space, that's when the grief 00:43:00.400 --> 00:43:03.820 happens. We start crying because we haven't grieved 00:43:03.820 --> 00:43:07.559 something that we've lost. There's a lot of grief. 00:43:07.659 --> 00:43:11.420 A lot of us are grieving right now. There's been 00:43:11.420 --> 00:43:14.000 a lot of trauma in your life and God wants to 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:15.920 take that grief and he wants to turn it into 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:23.090 joy. So as God begins to expose those parts of 00:43:23.090 --> 00:43:26.550 our heart, I was able to forgive. That's what 00:43:26.550 --> 00:43:29.269 happened to me. I was able to forgive those things. 00:43:30.090 --> 00:43:32.170 People I needed to forgive, the situations I 00:43:32.170 --> 00:43:33.650 needed to forgive, and I was able to release 00:43:33.650 --> 00:43:35.610 that to God. And so that's what I want for you 00:43:35.610 --> 00:43:40.929 guys. Spend some time hearing the good shepherd's 00:43:40.929 --> 00:43:43.250 voice this week. And if you are not in a relationship 00:43:43.250 --> 00:43:45.610 with Jesus, if you've never experienced God's 00:43:45.610 --> 00:43:49.199 love, if you're like, Jessica, I want that. But 00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:53.719 I'm not sure. But God's knocking today. And so 00:43:53.719 --> 00:43:55.519 we're going to help you. This community of faith 00:43:55.519 --> 00:43:56.739 is going to help you, and we're going to do it 00:43:56.739 --> 00:43:59.860 with you. And so if you guys don't mind, we're 00:43:59.860 --> 00:44:02.360 going to all say this prayer together. And if 00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:04.980 you're saying it for the first time, thank you 00:44:04.980 --> 00:44:13.619 for being brave. Let's pray. Jesus, I'm broken. 00:44:14.800 --> 00:44:24.869 I'm full of doubt. Shame. Regret. Fear. I want 00:44:24.869 --> 00:44:34.590 you as my good shepherd. Come in. Have my heart. 00:44:35.849 --> 00:44:43.389 Have my life. Lead me on the path of life. In 00:44:43.389 --> 00:44:48.500 Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that 00:44:48.500 --> 00:44:52.059 prayer for the first time today, welcome into 00:44:52.059 --> 00:44:56.860 the kingdom of God. Yes, yeah, welcome. And I 00:44:56.860 --> 00:45:02.639 want you to text 9700. Yep, text change me to 00:45:02.639 --> 00:45:06.539 9700. And we want to give you some next steps 00:45:06.539 --> 00:45:09.079 to follow because we don't want you to walk through 00:45:09.079 --> 00:45:11.900 this life alone, right? We don't want to walk 00:45:11.900 --> 00:45:15.000 by ourselves, okay? And so I have a couple words 00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:20.380 of knowledge. We have prayer on both sides. If 00:45:20.380 --> 00:45:23.119 you just want to come up today and spend some 00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:25.380 time, this is going to be a safe space. If you 00:45:25.380 --> 00:45:27.840 just want to spend some time in your seats, that's 00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:29.400 fine too. But here are the words of knowledge 00:45:29.400 --> 00:45:31.659 we have today. Someone struggling with anger, 00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:34.940 constant headaches, high blood pressure, painful 00:45:34.940 --> 00:45:38.719 injured shoulder, left hip pain, broken collarbone, 00:45:39.460 --> 00:45:42.820 inner ear infection, pain in the right elbow 00:45:42.820 --> 00:45:46.690 joint, pain in the eyes. pulled back muscle near 00:45:46.690 --> 00:45:50.489 the shoulder, blocked sinus tract, and a torn 00:45:50.489 --> 00:45:53.969 bicep. So if that's you, if you need prayer for 00:45:53.969 --> 00:45:56.050 that or anything else, we have our prayer team 00:45:56.050 --> 00:45:59.230 at the front. Ask for a prayer with somebody 00:45:59.230 --> 00:46:02.369 before you leave. Thank you for joining us today. 00:46:02.449 --> 00:46:05.590 Next week, we start our new series, Hot Seat. 00:46:06.429 --> 00:46:09.190 Super excited to see what God's going to do as 00:46:09.190 --> 00:46:13.780 we answer your questions. For the next month 00:46:13.780 --> 00:46:15.780 of August. All right, guys, have a great day 00:46:15.780 --> 00:46:18.019 and you don't have to wait for me. Go ahead and 00:46:18.019 --> 00:46:18.619 get out of here.