WEBVTT 00:00:04.129 --> 00:00:08.570 Well, good morning, Heights family. Man, yes. 00:00:09.550 --> 00:00:13.089 Hey, all I'm saying is that we're playing a game 00:00:13.089 --> 00:00:15.650 every single week at the 8 o 'clock service because 00:00:15.650 --> 00:00:19.829 you guys are alive. All right? We are. I'm telling 00:00:19.829 --> 00:00:21.530 you right now. Next week, you just got to get 00:00:21.530 --> 00:00:24.890 ready. Okay? Hey, I want to welcome you. If you 00:00:24.890 --> 00:00:28.000 live last week. at Easter, which is wild that 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.899 it was already a week ago, by the way. If last 00:00:30.899 --> 00:00:34.780 week at Easter was your first time here with 00:00:34.780 --> 00:00:38.380 our church family and you're like, man, I think 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:41.280 I'm going to go back next week. And then you 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.799 show up and then you have people in wigs on stage 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:47.359 to start off. And then you're like, hey, ice 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:49.479 family, we're going to play a game. And you're 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:53.299 like, what church did I come to? Like, what is 00:00:53.299 --> 00:00:57.159 happening? Hey, I just want to say welcome, all 00:00:57.159 --> 00:00:59.719 right? It is not like this every week. It can 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:01.659 be, all right? Just email john at heightschurch 00:01:01.659 --> 00:01:05.280 .com, okay? It can be, but it doesn't have to 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:08.739 be, all right? But here's the deal is, I hope... 00:01:09.019 --> 00:01:12.140 I hope that when you walked on campus, you saw 00:01:12.140 --> 00:01:15.120 a whole bunch of students and our adult leaders 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:18.739 welcoming you from the moment you left the parking 00:01:18.739 --> 00:01:20.859 lot, walked through the door, serving you coffee. 00:01:21.299 --> 00:01:23.640 I don't know if you saw, but in the back when 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:26.579 we were doing our awesome game, we had a whole 00:01:26.579 --> 00:01:29.659 line of our students ready to help and serve. 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.099 And obviously all of the students we have on 00:01:33.099 --> 00:01:35.819 stage, guys, some of them have been here since 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:39.849 5 .30 this morning. All right, I know, like, 00:01:39.969 --> 00:01:43.569 yeah, it's impressive. Also, if you want to know, 00:01:43.650 --> 00:01:45.510 if you want to know some behind -the -scenes 00:01:45.510 --> 00:01:49.590 look of what about 645 looked like for us to 00:01:49.590 --> 00:01:52.730 get ready this morning for just our church family, 00:01:52.750 --> 00:01:56.489 I want to show you a picture of kind of what 00:01:56.489 --> 00:01:58.670 we looked like backstage, just getting ready, 00:01:58.890 --> 00:02:03.200 all right? And it's actually wild that they're 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.159 still wearing the wigs over there. And so when 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:07.819 I look, I just I'm shocked every time. So if 00:02:07.819 --> 00:02:09.939 I don't look in your guys's direction, I'm sorry. 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:12.580 All right. It's because of them. All right. I 00:02:12.580 --> 00:02:16.560 was just I get distracted. But hey. We're so 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:18.840 glad to worship together. And you know what's 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:22.599 awesome is even stuff as silly as just like a 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.280 game, which some of us get way too competitive 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.900 at, all right? I saw us, some of us, like our 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:32.819 inner high school athlete came out and we're 00:02:32.819 --> 00:02:34.819 gonna pay for that later. Our shoulders are gonna 00:02:34.819 --> 00:02:37.360 be a little sore. All right, get some icy hot 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:41.379 on that later. That's okay. But... But again, 00:02:41.500 --> 00:02:43.800 something is that it's mind blowing to me that, 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:47.259 man, God goes, man, that is also worship. All 00:02:47.259 --> 00:02:49.580 right. A few weeks ago, we talked about how life 00:02:49.580 --> 00:02:52.360 is worship. And so what we want to do and what 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:55.599 we call Youth Takeover Weekend is that, man, 00:02:55.659 --> 00:02:59.139 what we do all the time is worship. It's not 00:02:59.139 --> 00:03:02.680 just this hour long service on a Sunday. It's 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:05.180 not just when we sing. It's everything. And so 00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:08.330 what are we doing that goes? Man, I get to glorify 00:03:08.330 --> 00:03:09.949 God. And if you're sitting here going, how in 00:03:09.949 --> 00:03:12.009 the world is hitting beach balls glorifying God? 00:03:12.169 --> 00:03:16.129 Can I just tell you that God made fun for us, 00:03:16.210 --> 00:03:21.789 all right, to have fun, to enjoy life. And so 00:03:21.789 --> 00:03:24.229 for the next few moments, like I want to talk 00:03:24.229 --> 00:03:27.870 just briefly about, gosh, like what is the story 00:03:27.870 --> 00:03:31.150 that God is creating in us, that God is creating 00:03:31.150 --> 00:03:33.449 not just in our youth group and our youth family, 00:03:33.469 --> 00:03:36.699 but. but also like the greater church family, 00:03:36.780 --> 00:03:39.259 just like Todd was saying, gosh, we feel like 00:03:39.259 --> 00:03:41.479 when on a Sunday we're so isolated, but you know 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:44.639 that on Wednesday night, we get to do a little 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.539 bit of what you guys experienced here. We get 00:03:46.539 --> 00:03:48.780 to do that every week. All right, the church 00:03:48.780 --> 00:03:50.919 family is so much bigger than what's just in 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:56.180 this room. And so as we move on, as we continue 00:03:56.180 --> 00:04:00.340 to jump into the story of God and how the story 00:04:00.340 --> 00:04:02.699 of God actually plays out in our life, I would 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:07.750 love to. to just pray, to invite God into this 00:04:07.750 --> 00:04:10.370 space, into this message. Because honestly, if 00:04:10.370 --> 00:04:13.150 it's just my words up here, like it doesn't matter 00:04:13.150 --> 00:04:15.949 what I say. What matters is what the Holy Spirit 00:04:15.949 --> 00:04:18.810 has got for you in this moment. So I'd love to 00:04:18.810 --> 00:04:21.709 just pray before we kind of dive into God's word. 00:04:21.850 --> 00:04:26.480 So let's pray. God, thank you. Thank you for 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:28.519 just this moment. Thank you, God, that we get 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:31.259 to have fun, that we get to come together every 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:35.100 single week as a church family, that we get to 00:04:35.100 --> 00:04:38.199 worship you all the time, that God, you created 00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:42.060 us for worship and that God, your story, your 00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:45.379 story of redemption is playing out in our life 00:04:45.379 --> 00:04:50.870 every single day. And so, Father, I just ask 00:04:50.870 --> 00:04:53.269 that you would bring comfort and peace to those 00:04:53.269 --> 00:04:55.790 in the room that walked in just a little chaotic. 00:04:56.329 --> 00:05:00.509 Spirit, would you speak words of life into our 00:05:00.509 --> 00:05:03.709 church family? Would it be, God, would you just 00:05:03.709 --> 00:05:06.470 help explain your word to us? God, would you 00:05:06.470 --> 00:05:08.790 help explain your story to us in these moments? 00:05:09.069 --> 00:05:15.069 I ask this in Jesus' name, amen. Just real quick, 00:05:15.170 --> 00:05:19.120 has anybody in here ever heard, ever read? this, 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:21.439 this story that like this book that you couldn't 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:23.220 put down, just raise your hand real quick. You 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:25.339 read this book. You're like, man, I could not, 00:05:25.379 --> 00:05:26.860 that's perfect. That's awesome. Like you couldn't 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:28.899 put it down, right? You're just like page after 00:05:28.899 --> 00:05:30.779 page. And then a few hours later, next thing 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:33.040 you know, you finished a 400 page book and you're 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:35.879 like, whoa, I just got sucked into the story, 00:05:35.939 --> 00:05:40.860 right? Well, not me. All right. Um, I can count 00:05:40.860 --> 00:05:43.839 on maybe both hands. The amount of books I've 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:46.139 read cover to cover, total, all right? I start 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:48.060 a lot of books. I just don't finish them, all 00:05:48.060 --> 00:05:49.959 right? That's the deal. But here's the deal. 00:05:50.339 --> 00:05:53.040 That is me with movies, though, right? It might 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:56.740 not be me in books, okay? But that's me in movies, 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:59.740 all right? The movie, the story is so good. It's 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:04.160 told so well that it just captivates you, right? 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:06.699 It just sucks you into the plot, and you're just 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:08.680 like, man, I could watch this over and over and 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:11.670 over. And one of those for me growing up. was 00:06:11.670 --> 00:06:14.610 the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. All right, 00:06:14.629 --> 00:06:19.910 thank you. Thank you, one person over here. But 00:06:19.910 --> 00:06:23.750 for me, because I was like, obviously I'm a pirate, 00:06:23.870 --> 00:06:27.350 okay? And so I was like, that's me. And so I 00:06:27.350 --> 00:06:30.149 remember every time those movies would come out, 00:06:30.209 --> 00:06:31.970 I would just watch them over and over. And I 00:06:31.970 --> 00:06:34.230 still do, by the way. Sometimes I just go on 00:06:34.230 --> 00:06:36.689 this binge of, man, I just gotta watch them all 00:06:36.689 --> 00:06:40.230 because the story is just so fun. It's so brilliant. 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:44.879 But man, isn't that what stories do? Stories 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:48.779 are used, right? Either to entertain us, to teach 00:06:48.779 --> 00:06:52.180 us, to help us remember things. You know what's 00:06:52.180 --> 00:06:56.779 wild is God created each one of us to tell a 00:06:56.779 --> 00:06:59.879 story. All right, every single one of us were 00:06:59.879 --> 00:07:03.699 created to be storytellers. And if you don't 00:07:03.699 --> 00:07:05.660 believe me, I want you to think about this week, 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:09.459 how many times just in your next seven days. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:12.160 you either hear the words of like, hey, I gotta 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:13.939 tell you something. I gotta tell you the story. 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:17.779 Or you hear yourself go, hey, back in my day, 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:23.180 I walked to school 10 miles uphill both ways 00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:30.019 in the snow. Right? And so if you don't believe 00:07:30.019 --> 00:07:32.839 me, you are a storyteller because we were created 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:37.480 to be storytellers because God is the ultimate. 00:07:39.530 --> 00:07:43.329 Storyteller. For me, I love telling stories. 00:07:43.470 --> 00:07:46.769 I don't like writing them because for me, when 00:07:46.769 --> 00:07:48.370 I was in middle school and high school, one of 00:07:48.370 --> 00:07:51.449 the things that always plagued me was writing. 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:53.430 All right, I would always have to write. And 00:07:53.430 --> 00:07:55.290 every time I turned in my paper, my teachers 00:07:55.290 --> 00:07:57.670 would give it back, which some of them are actually 00:07:57.670 --> 00:08:01.589 in this room. And so they would give them back 00:08:01.589 --> 00:08:04.120 and they'd be like, Austin, it was fine. But 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:06.160 it just sounded robotic. It didn't sound like 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.860 you. We wanted to sound more like you. And I 00:08:08.860 --> 00:08:11.240 said, if it sounded like me, I would fail the 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:14.899 paper. All right? I would fail. Just let me talk 00:08:14.899 --> 00:08:18.420 the paper. Right? We're created to be storytellers. 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:21.339 And sometimes, I'll admit, like sometimes my 00:08:21.339 --> 00:08:28.779 stories are awesome. Don't laugh. Sometimes they're 00:08:28.779 --> 00:08:32.179 awesome, but sometimes. Just like all of us, 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:34.700 sometimes my stories get lost in the details. 00:08:35.419 --> 00:08:37.700 Sometimes they fall a little bit short, right? 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:40.659 Because I just get lost. And by the end of it, 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:41.919 you're kind of sitting there and you're going, 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:45.519 what was the point? Like, why did you tell that 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:47.120 story? And I just go, I don't know. I just like 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:50.399 to talk a little bit. And so, but man, sometimes 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:52.399 the stories are great. And sometimes you're just 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.779 like, I could have done without that. I want 00:08:54.779 --> 00:08:57.659 to jump into Psalms where the psalmist talks 00:08:57.659 --> 00:09:01.159 about the importance of telling a story, the 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.639 importance of why we're created to be storytellers 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:08.259 and the importance of what happens if we don't, 00:09:08.259 --> 00:09:11.919 if we choose to not tell our story. So Psalm 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:14.799 78, if you want to turn there, go to your phone, 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:19.519 wherever it is. Psalm 78, starting in verse one. 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:25.720 My people. Hear my teaching, listen to the words 00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:29.659 of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:34.179 I will utter hidden things from of old, things 00:09:34.179 --> 00:09:36.700 we have heard and known, things our ancestors 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:39.779 have told us. We will not hide them from their 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:42.779 descendants. We will tell the next generation 00:09:42.779 --> 00:09:45.799 the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:50.649 and the wonders he has done. And so we jump into 00:09:50.649 --> 00:09:52.629 this psalm, right? It's different than most psalms. 00:09:52.629 --> 00:09:55.570 This one is like a historical proverb or a historical 00:09:55.570 --> 00:09:58.250 parable. So what is it for? It's for us to learn. 00:09:58.389 --> 00:10:01.570 It's to teach us, right? Verse two through three, 00:10:01.669 --> 00:10:04.929 these are things that they already know. Why 00:10:04.929 --> 00:10:06.950 have they known them? Because in verse three, 00:10:06.990 --> 00:10:10.129 it says, our ancestors have told us. So their 00:10:10.129 --> 00:10:11.950 parents, their parents' parents, their parents' 00:10:12.049 --> 00:10:14.370 parents' parents, right? These stories have been 00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:17.190 passed down, so they know them, but this psalmist 00:10:17.190 --> 00:10:19.830 is reminding them, hey, remember those stories, 00:10:19.950 --> 00:10:22.450 continue to tell them to the next generation. 00:10:22.570 --> 00:10:27.090 Why? So that the next generation knows, verse 00:10:27.090 --> 00:10:31.450 four, God's deeds, powers, and his wonders that 00:10:31.450 --> 00:10:34.649 he's done. I wanna focus on that last part, the 00:10:34.649 --> 00:10:38.240 wonders part. So in the Hebrew, that wondrous 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:42.639 could really mean more wondrous miracles, right? 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:45.259 Wondrous miracles. And what that translates to, 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.240 it's things that are only explainable because 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:53.899 God. AKA things that are only explainable because 00:10:53.899 --> 00:10:57.940 God stepped in. All right, that is what, when 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:01.779 we say wondrous miracles, so when it says, tell 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:05.440 the next generations the wondrous. miracles of 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:08.000 God. It's the times when only you can only go 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.940 because God, literally. How did this happen? 00:11:11.059 --> 00:11:14.120 Because God. Why did this happen? Because God. 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:17.480 And so when we step in, the psalmist continues 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:21.360 in verse five, right? He says, he decreed statutes 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:24.700 for Jacob and established the law in Israel, 00:11:24.860 --> 00:11:27.840 which he commanded our ancestors to teach their 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:30.360 children so the next generation would know them, 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.320 even the children yet to be born. and they in 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:35.980 turn would tell their children, then they would 00:11:35.980 --> 00:11:39.100 put their trust in God and would not forget his 00:11:39.100 --> 00:11:42.279 deeds, but would keep his commands. They would 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:45.220 not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:48.960 generation whose hearts were not loyal to God, 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:52.700 whose spirits were not faithful to them. So classic 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:55.440 if -then statement. If we listen to the commands 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:58.399 that the psalmist says and teach our children 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:01.299 and they would teach their children, then... 00:12:02.029 --> 00:12:04.950 They would put their trust in God. Isn't that 00:12:04.950 --> 00:12:07.490 the point of sharing our story? Isn't that the 00:12:07.490 --> 00:12:10.029 great commission? Go and make disciples, right? 00:12:10.169 --> 00:12:13.649 Tell our story, tell the story of God so that 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:18.049 they would put their trust in God. Why? So why? 00:12:18.409 --> 00:12:20.509 Why is that important? Why teach them? Why tell 00:12:20.509 --> 00:12:24.190 them the stories of old? Because so they wouldn't 00:12:24.190 --> 00:12:27.169 wander and get lost like their ancestors. I'm 00:12:27.169 --> 00:12:30.769 reminded of in Exodus after they... After they 00:12:30.769 --> 00:12:32.710 cross the Red Sea and they're in the wilderness, 00:12:32.889 --> 00:12:37.110 things happen and they choose to worship idols. 00:12:37.250 --> 00:12:40.230 And so God allows them to wander in the wilderness 00:12:40.230 --> 00:12:43.669 for years and years and years on end. All right, 00:12:43.690 --> 00:12:45.809 and then we're brought to this moment. We're 00:12:45.809 --> 00:12:48.590 brought to this moment where finally one generation 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:51.350 dies off because they were unfaithful. They had 00:12:51.350 --> 00:12:55.070 forgotten the wondrous miracles of God. And then 00:12:55.070 --> 00:12:56.929 they're brought to this moment where God says, 00:12:57.009 --> 00:12:59.350 now it's time to cross into the promised land. 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:03.639 And so God goes, take the Ark of the Covenant. 00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:06.919 And as soon as the people carrying the Ark stepped 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.840 on the banks of the Jordan River, the Jordan 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.000 will dry up and you'll walk across. And sure 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:16.120 enough, Joshua leads the nation of Israel across 00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:19.259 the Jordan on dry land. And you know what God 00:13:19.259 --> 00:13:24.019 tells them to do right after? He says, stack 00:13:24.019 --> 00:13:29.080 12 stones up so that... When people walk by, 00:13:29.139 --> 00:13:32.039 when the next generation walks by, they remember 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:36.340 what God has done. Why? Why is that important? 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:40.559 Those stacks of rocks, in English, we call them 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:43.860 rock cairns. All right, not cairns. All right, 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:49.279 rock cairns. And so we look and we go, man, okay, 00:13:49.379 --> 00:13:51.480 so these stacks of rock, they're important. Why? 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:55.519 Because God goes, it's a story. These stacks 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:58.820 of rocks are a story. Can you imagine the kids 00:13:58.820 --> 00:14:01.519 not born yet? Okay, their family, they're walking 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.379 by the Jordan and all of a sudden they see these 00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:07.480 stacks of rocks, this rock cairn right by the 00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:11.100 river, right? And they say, hey, mom, dad, why 00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:15.039 is that there? And then their parents go, let 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:20.159 me tell you a story of what God has done for 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:24.019 us. And then all of a sudden that story gets 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.940 passed down and passed down. Why? So that we 00:14:26.940 --> 00:14:34.279 will not forget what God has done for us. Because 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:37.440 let me be honest, we are a forgetful people. 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:39.840 I think a lot of the times we criticize, especially 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.679 if you read all of the Old Testament, we criticize 00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:47.000 the Israelites for not remembering who God is. 00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:50.519 But yet we spend every single day of our life 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:54.580 forgetting who God is regularly because it's 00:14:54.580 --> 00:14:57.019 so easy to take life into our own hands. It's 00:14:57.019 --> 00:15:01.200 so easy to just go honestly a day without God, 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:04.179 right? Because it's, man, we just get into our 00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:07.340 rhythms. I'll tell you from me personally, it 00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:12.159 is so, like I started, so I've been at Heights 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:14.879 for a while. All right, I was here when I was 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:19.029 11 years old. All right, I met Pastor John when 00:15:19.029 --> 00:15:22.070 I was 12 years old. All right, so he's known 00:15:22.070 --> 00:15:25.669 me for a little bit in my prime as a middle schooler. 00:15:25.669 --> 00:15:30.990 All right, which is awesome. I remember I was 00:15:30.990 --> 00:15:33.970 going, God, can you help me? Like, what story 00:15:33.970 --> 00:15:36.820 do I tell? And all of a sudden, God just brings 00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:40.139 back story after story, remembrance after remembrance 00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:44.019 of going, look what I have done for you. Because 00:15:44.019 --> 00:15:46.980 I look back at my story and I look at people 00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:49.639 are actually these stacks of rocks in my life. 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:52.320 They're like rock cairns in my life. Did you 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:56.580 know that your life, more than your words, is 00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:59.980 a living story? Did you know that when you walk 00:15:59.980 --> 00:16:02.159 out of this space, when you walk your day -to 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:05.379 -day life, Your life is a living story. Your 00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:08.840 actions speak louder than your words. And so 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:13.100 when you walk, how are you walking, right? Because 00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:15.320 when I look at my life, I look at people that 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:20.820 God has put in my life to remind me of who I 00:16:20.820 --> 00:16:25.240 am in Christ, even when I got lost. See, five 00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:29.039 years ago, five years ago, I was in full -time 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:31.860 ministry. I had just taken over our high school 00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:35.580 ministry. And to be honest, I was lost because 00:16:35.580 --> 00:16:39.600 I didn't know who I was. Because for a long time, 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:43.779 for a long time, my story was more about me than 00:16:43.779 --> 00:16:46.940 it was about God. Because when I started in ministry, 00:16:47.139 --> 00:16:50.120 I was just out of college and I knew everything. 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:56.100 All right, everything. And so I got out of college 00:16:56.100 --> 00:16:57.980 and I was like, I'm going to take on the world. 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:01.200 And quickly, I realized the gifts that God has 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:03.179 given me. But instead of going, God, this is 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:06.259 for you, I started building my own trophies. 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:10.240 And so five years of ministry go by. And then 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:12.240 all of a sudden, I'm faced with this fact of 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:16.579 like, I can't do this. What am I doing? I'm just 00:17:16.579 --> 00:17:19.059 building my own kingdom instead of God's. The 00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:21.660 story of my life was more about me than it was 00:17:21.660 --> 00:17:25.339 about God. And so then people came along. Todd 00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:28.789 is one of them, by the way, who goes, man. Austin, 00:17:28.890 --> 00:17:31.549 remember the story of God's wondrous miracles 00:17:31.549 --> 00:17:36.589 that brought you here. And so then my life started 00:17:36.589 --> 00:17:39.390 to change, but then three years ago, three years 00:17:39.390 --> 00:17:42.569 ago, I was faced with something I never thought 00:17:42.569 --> 00:17:45.650 I'd be faced with because again, I forgot. Man, 00:17:45.789 --> 00:17:48.509 am I quick to forget. I would love to tell you 00:17:48.509 --> 00:17:50.250 that I can stand on this stage and I've been 00:17:50.250 --> 00:17:52.670 going, man, I've been doing this for years now 00:17:52.670 --> 00:17:55.599 and I feel like I've got it. That could not be 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:57.440 further from the truth because then three years 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:00.500 ago, three years ago, I was confronted with this 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:05.500 moment where, man, the stress, the anxiety, the 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:08.460 depression had gotten so, so high in my life 00:18:08.460 --> 00:18:11.579 that I was faced with a medical issue. And I 00:18:11.579 --> 00:18:13.740 was like, man, life, something has to change. 00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:17.220 But instead, instead of people going, man, you're 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:20.400 done, you're finished. People, again, these rock 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:23.660 cairns in my life as remembrance is going, remember 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:27.240 where you were. Remember where God has brought 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.859 you from. And so then all of a sudden the things 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:33.680 became clear. Things started opening up in my 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.180 life. I started getting healthy. Why? Because 00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:39.039 my life became less about me and more about what 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:42.079 God was doing. But then all of a sudden, again, 00:18:42.220 --> 00:18:44.539 you just keep going years. Things get good again. 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:46.140 And all of a sudden you're like, wow, I'm doing 00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:49.140 pretty awesome. I feel pretty good about myself. 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:53.279 And then what happens? Gosh, just like the Israelites, 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:56.759 I forget. And what happens if we don't have these 00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:59.220 stories like the psalmist reminds us of where 00:18:59.220 --> 00:19:03.079 he goes, you need to pass these stories down. 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:05.400 What is the story your life is telling? Because 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:09.839 if we don't tell stories with our lives, we will 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:12.720 forget. And people around us will forget. And 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:16.819 praise God that he has. that he has put people 00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:19.880 in my life to point me back to Jesus. Because 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:21.799 just like when we see those stacks of rocks, 00:19:21.940 --> 00:19:25.019 those rock cairns on the trail, right? We know 00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:28.059 that they're a wayfinder, they're a marker. So 00:19:28.059 --> 00:19:31.000 I wanna ask how many of us, when we look at our 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:33.259 lives as those stacks of rocks, how many of us 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:36.859 are pointing people to Jesus or are we pointing 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:40.279 people towards ourselves, towards our own kingdom, 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:42.460 our own accomplishments, our own trophy cabinet 00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:46.099 going, look at what I have done. Instead of going, 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:50.079 looking back and going, let me tell you the wondrous 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:53.640 miracles that God has done in my life. Because 00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:55.720 I can tell you right now, I am standing here 00:19:55.720 --> 00:20:00.500 today because people in my life have pointed 00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:04.119 me back to God's wondrous miracles. And I'm like, 00:20:04.180 --> 00:20:07.180 you're right. You're right. I need to be there. 00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:16.049 And so I'm brought to the story. We were in teaching 00:20:16.049 --> 00:20:19.309 team this week and Pastor Ben, who is at our 00:20:19.309 --> 00:20:23.710 PV location, he reminded me of the story of Lazarus. 00:20:23.910 --> 00:20:28.549 When we talk about the idea of miracles, right? 00:20:28.609 --> 00:20:30.730 We're talking about, man, what does your life 00:20:30.730 --> 00:20:33.109 point to? Does it point to Jesus or does it point 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:36.450 to something else? Does it point to your accomplishments? 00:20:36.930 --> 00:20:40.150 Does it point to your kids' accomplishments? 00:20:40.670 --> 00:20:43.680 What does it point to? Does it point back to 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:45.759 Jesus or anything else? And so I'm reminded of 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:48.059 the story of Lazarus. If you've been around church, 00:20:48.299 --> 00:20:50.319 you might know who he is. He's one of Jesus's 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:54.519 closest friends, right? And he dies, right? He 00:20:54.519 --> 00:20:57.640 gets sick. Jesus gets word. And all of a sudden, 00:20:57.660 --> 00:21:00.720 Jesus stays where he's at. He's in no rush, okay? 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:03.519 And then Lazarus ends up dying. Jesus then starts 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:07.200 to go on his journey to go see a dead man. And 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:09.319 so when Jesus gets there, Lazarus has already 00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:12.210 been dead. People are mourning, they're weeping. 00:21:12.730 --> 00:21:16.170 And Jesus, he weeps. That's the famous verse 00:21:16.170 --> 00:21:19.630 where it says Jesus wept. All right, and so Jesus 00:21:19.630 --> 00:21:22.309 experiences that emotion, but he knows how the 00:21:22.309 --> 00:21:25.430 end is. And so what happens later is Jesus goes 00:21:25.430 --> 00:21:29.829 to the tomb and tells Lazarus to come out. Lazarus 00:21:29.829 --> 00:21:32.750 comes out probably like a mummy because he was 00:21:32.750 --> 00:21:35.170 still wrapped in grave clothes is what it says. 00:21:35.250 --> 00:21:38.180 And Jesus says, That man is now alive. And so 00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:40.599 take off those grave clothes because he is not 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:46.559 dead anymore. And so I'm reminded, can you imagine 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:52.039 Lazarus walking around after that? Can you imagine 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:54.799 the story his life told from there on after? 00:21:55.299 --> 00:21:57.660 Where he looks, where people look at him and 00:21:57.660 --> 00:22:01.599 go, that guy was dead. That guy was in a tomb. 00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:07.740 He's alive now. Can you see the story? His life, 00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:10.900 just walking, his life pointed to the wondrous 00:22:10.900 --> 00:22:14.539 miracles of Jesus just because Jesus made him 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:17.960 alive again. Can you imagine that story? I go, 00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:21.240 man, I want that story. Can you imagine if Lazarus 00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:23.599 walked around and he goes, yeah, I'm pretty cool, 00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:28.319 huh? Look at me. I'm alive now because of me. 00:22:29.579 --> 00:22:33.410 Like Lazarus was dead. And Jesus says, take off 00:22:33.410 --> 00:22:35.309 those grave clothes because those no longer define 00:22:35.309 --> 00:22:41.190 you. We just celebrated Easter last week. Easter 00:22:41.190 --> 00:22:43.529 is the culmination of everything in the church 00:22:43.529 --> 00:22:46.710 calendar going, we are here because of the celebration 00:22:46.710 --> 00:22:50.829 of Easter. We are here because Jesus looks at 00:22:50.829 --> 00:22:54.829 you and says, you are no longer dead. So take 00:22:54.829 --> 00:22:57.049 off those grave clothes and live differently. 00:22:58.809 --> 00:23:04.980 Your life. Your life is no longer pointing to 00:23:04.980 --> 00:23:07.119 you. It actually should be pointing to the one 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:11.559 who made you walk out of that grave. And so I 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:18.240 look at it and I go, man, man, how do we wrap 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:25.180 this up? How do we go, man, like, I want my life. 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:29.000 to look like that. I wanna be more like Lazarus 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:31.599 who walks around and goes, let me tell you a 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:34.680 story about God's wondrous miracles in my life. 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:37.859 Let me tell you a story of who God is because 00:23:37.859 --> 00:23:41.559 my life is a walking example of who God is. Can 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:45.099 I tell you that my hope and my dream is that 00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:48.529 I am more. like Lazarus, walking around, pointing 00:23:48.529 --> 00:23:51.490 people to the miracle that God goes, Austin, 00:23:51.670 --> 00:23:54.490 I love you so much that I have brought you out 00:23:54.490 --> 00:23:57.829 of the grave and into life so that you can tell 00:23:57.829 --> 00:24:02.990 my story. And so I just wanna tell you, I wanna 00:24:02.990 --> 00:24:07.009 tell you a few stories that I've heard, a few 00:24:07.009 --> 00:24:09.450 stories of God's wondrous miracles that have 00:24:09.450 --> 00:24:12.950 been happening in this community that maybe you 00:24:12.950 --> 00:24:15.630 know or don't know about. But I just wanna tell 00:24:15.630 --> 00:24:17.250 you, because again, what does the Bible tells 00:24:17.250 --> 00:24:21.170 us? It says, tell of God's wondrous miracles. 00:24:22.630 --> 00:24:28.049 And so if you don't know, I get to coach track 00:24:28.049 --> 00:24:30.369 and field for one of our high schools, our public 00:24:30.369 --> 00:24:33.529 high schools here in the area. And this year. 00:24:34.190 --> 00:24:36.670 We have almost a whole new coaching staff. And 00:24:36.670 --> 00:24:39.430 can I tell you something? God has brought people 00:24:39.430 --> 00:24:43.190 who love him to a dark place, to a public high 00:24:43.190 --> 00:24:45.970 school sports team. And can I tell you something? 00:24:45.970 --> 00:24:48.910 That now, because of these coaches who have stepped 00:24:48.910 --> 00:24:51.970 out boldly in their faith in a public school 00:24:51.970 --> 00:24:55.950 situation, we now have students who are praying 00:24:55.950 --> 00:24:58.809 together at practices because of our coaches. 00:25:03.690 --> 00:25:07.630 Can I tell you that it is not me because I'll 00:25:07.630 --> 00:25:09.630 tell you right now, those coaches have encouraged 00:25:09.630 --> 00:25:13.109 me to go, man, we can do more. And God has gone, 00:25:13.210 --> 00:25:16.009 man, look at these rock cairns, right? These 00:25:16.009 --> 00:25:20.369 stones of remembrance, use them as reminders 00:25:20.369 --> 00:25:24.390 of what God is doing. We have students now that 00:25:24.390 --> 00:25:27.589 are freely talking about their faith, that are 00:25:27.589 --> 00:25:32.549 freely asking questions during practice because... 00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:35.980 of our coaches. We also, if you're going, well, 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:38.880 okay, that's cool. That's one team at one school. 00:25:38.980 --> 00:25:41.400 Can I also tell you something? There is something 00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:44.500 happening inside of our public high schools. 00:25:44.579 --> 00:25:46.339 We have a thing called Youth Alive, which is 00:25:46.339 --> 00:25:48.720 a Christian club that meets during lunches. Can 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:51.759 I tell you something? In Northern Arizona, the 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:55.279 three high schools that we have are some of the 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:57.779 biggest Youth Alive clubs in the entire state 00:25:57.779 --> 00:26:01.539 because God has done something inside of our 00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:03.500 public schools that allows them, you know, some 00:26:03.500 --> 00:26:05.900 of the schools go, you are so big, sure, you 00:26:05.900 --> 00:26:09.380 can use our gym every single Thursday. A public 00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:12.619 school said we can do that. That's right, we 00:26:12.619 --> 00:26:16.960 can celebrate that. So don't tell me that God's 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:19.740 not moving because God is and sometimes we just 00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:22.539 forget. And so maybe this moment is that rock 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:25.680 carrying moment for you to go, man, I remember. 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:29.759 Maybe it's this spark in you to go, man, I remember 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:32.059 what God has done for me and I wanna tell people 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:34.839 because that's what we're commanded to do is 00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:37.759 to tell people the wondrous miracles that God 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:41.380 has done. Why? So that they can believe in him. 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:46.539 Another story is that we had a leader a few years 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:49.920 ago diagnosed with cancer. And so we as a youth 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:54.250 team prayed for this leader. And we just prayed 00:26:54.250 --> 00:26:56.410 God, we prayed boldly, said, God, would you please 00:26:56.410 --> 00:26:59.069 take the cancer away? And the next time that 00:26:59.069 --> 00:27:01.130 they went in for a checkup, the doctor said, 00:27:01.210 --> 00:27:03.029 we don't know what happened, but the cancer is 00:27:03.029 --> 00:27:11.609 gone. One of my favorite stories is that we had 00:27:11.609 --> 00:27:15.569 a student who I've known for a long time. There 00:27:15.569 --> 00:27:19.809 was a family, this student's best friend in his 00:27:19.809 --> 00:27:22.009 family, they started inviting him to church. 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:25.400 And so he started going to church with them regularly. 00:27:25.420 --> 00:27:28.920 And it was a few years later that all of a sudden 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:31.819 he goes, man, I think I want Jesus in my life. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:35.619 And so he accepts Jesus. And, you know, again, 00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:38.559 just like all of us, right? Life wasn't perfect 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:41.680 at first. And so for a little bit in high school, 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:43.759 like he accepts Jesus, but still trying to figure 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:45.819 things out, making a lot of mistakes. And then 00:27:45.819 --> 00:27:48.779 finally something clicks. At the end of his junior 00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:51.299 year and his senior year was totally different. 00:27:51.500 --> 00:27:53.799 And you know what's wild is because of his senior 00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:55.960 year and then how he left to go into college 00:27:55.960 --> 00:28:01.500 last year, his life was a living example of how 00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:05.079 the wondrous miracles of God that we got to, 00:28:05.180 --> 00:28:08.519 that he was able to baptize all of his siblings 00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:10.599 because they said, man, you're different and 00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:19.730 we want that. Talking about the last, probably 00:28:19.730 --> 00:28:23.069 the most, God's, not probably, God's biggest 00:28:23.069 --> 00:28:26.529 wondrous miracle is what we celebrated last weekend, 00:28:26.769 --> 00:28:30.809 the resurrection of Jesus. God's wondrous miracle 00:28:30.809 --> 00:28:34.150 that God chose to bring salvation to all those 00:28:34.150 --> 00:28:38.230 who believe by sending his son to die on a cross 00:28:38.230 --> 00:28:40.710 so that we could live. And then three days later, 00:28:40.789 --> 00:28:43.829 he rises from the grave. He does that so that 00:28:43.829 --> 00:28:49.839 your story can be lived telling the life, the 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.019 wondrous miracles that God has done. And so I 00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:57.359 wanna leave you with this. I wanna encourage 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:03.299 you, man, tell your story because it matters. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:06.880 It doesn't matter how old you are and it doesn't 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:09.619 matter what your story is. If God has come and 00:29:09.619 --> 00:29:12.779 he has changed your life and he has gone, man, 00:29:12.900 --> 00:29:14.819 here's the wondrous miracles I've done in your 00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:18.059 life. Your story is worth telling because that 00:29:18.059 --> 00:29:22.319 story can change someone else's life. But it's 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:24.980 not just through our words. It's what we do, 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:28.539 every step we take. It's all of our actions. 00:29:28.900 --> 00:29:31.200 It's when people aren't looking. It's also when 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:34.720 people are looking because our story is a living 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:39.259 story. It's not just when we talk. It's not just 00:29:39.259 --> 00:29:43.279 when we write, but it's all of the above. And 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:45.750 so I wanna encourage you, what is... What is 00:29:45.750 --> 00:29:48.789 the story your life is telling? If anything, 00:29:49.029 --> 00:29:52.069 look at your life and go, what is the story that 00:29:52.069 --> 00:29:54.549 my finances are telling? What is the story that 00:29:54.549 --> 00:29:57.450 my time management is telling? What is the story 00:29:57.450 --> 00:29:59.950 that even my words are telling? Do they even 00:29:59.950 --> 00:30:04.369 match what my actions say? And that's not a pointing 00:30:04.369 --> 00:30:06.430 finger. That's not a condemnation. That's just 00:30:06.430 --> 00:30:09.630 a, that's an encouragement. That's the same for 00:30:09.630 --> 00:30:13.289 me too. Going, man, what is my story? What is 00:30:13.289 --> 00:30:16.220 my life actually saying? And is it pointing to 00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:19.180 me or is it pointing to God? We're gonna continue 00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:23.579 to worship together through song. And this is 00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:25.799 one of my favorite songs. We get to sing it in 00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:28.759 youth and we're gonna sing it in here for the 00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:31.200 first time with our church, the rest of our church 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:38.480 family. But it says, if my life is a story, let 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:43.859 it be for you only. And so as we sing that, man, 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:46.869 I just pray. I pray that that is your declaration. 00:30:46.869 --> 00:30:52.009 If my life is but a story, let it be for you 00:30:52.009 --> 00:31:03.430 only. Would you pray with me? Father, we just 00:31:03.430 --> 00:31:06.970 ask forgiveness for the parts of our life that 00:31:06.970 --> 00:31:09.450 are not pointing to you. The parts in our life 00:31:09.450 --> 00:31:11.509 that God, you have brought to our attention that 00:31:11.509 --> 00:31:15.200 we need to change. Spirit, would you give us 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:17.200 the courage to make changes right here, right 00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:20.240 now? God, would you give us the courage to give 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:24.440 our life to you and let it be your story? Let 00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:29.000 it be of you only. Would you give us the wisdom, 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:32.920 your supernatural wisdom to God to make it your 00:31:32.920 --> 00:31:42.779 story? And so Father, I stand here in just thankfulness. 00:31:42.819 --> 00:31:47.240 Thank you. that you have brought me here, that 00:31:47.240 --> 00:31:49.740 this is part of my story. God, thank you that 00:31:49.740 --> 00:31:52.940 our church family is together in this moment 00:31:52.940 --> 00:31:58.099 and this is part of our story. God, thank you. 00:31:58.500 --> 00:32:02.240 Thank you for your provision. Thank you that 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:04.819 you are everywhere, that God, no matter where 00:32:04.819 --> 00:32:09.119 we go, we have you. And so God, would our story 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:12.799 be yours? God, we give this time to you. We're 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:15.559 thankful for you. It's in Jesus' name. Amen.