1 00:00:14,119 --> 00:00:17,359 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast. 2 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,100 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you. 3 00:00:24,699 --> 00:00:27,079 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,159 Look at this wonderful family. Isn't this awesome? 5 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,340 And you're very color-coordinated. It's beautiful. 6 00:00:41,179 --> 00:00:44,880 And look, David has his special dedication outfit on. 7 00:00:45,359 --> 00:00:49,359 He looks snazzy. Who picked it out? Oh, it was yours. 8 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:53,899 Wow! Praise God. That's awesome. 9 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,439 Oh, I'm scaring him. But this is just awesome. 10 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,039 I would like to honor the family that has come out today. 11 00:01:01,179 --> 00:01:04,480 Can you guys stand up and just give a little wave to the folks? 12 00:01:04,719 --> 00:01:06,420 This is the family I came out to join. 13 00:01:07,219 --> 00:01:09,599 Al, of course, is part of our family here. 14 00:01:09,939 --> 00:01:14,439 But this is so awesome. You know, I was thinking quite a bit about this morning. 15 00:01:14,439 --> 00:01:24,219 And how, as a parent, the greatest thing we can do is introduce our kids to Jesus. Amen. 16 00:01:25,420 --> 00:01:31,700 I mean, they are his kids. He has foreknown them before they're even in Erica's womb. 17 00:01:31,859 --> 00:01:33,340 He already knew them, right? 18 00:01:33,879 --> 00:01:38,980 And as parents, we're merely stewards for God the Father's children. 19 00:01:39,439 --> 00:01:41,519 I mean, that's a big responsibility, isn't it? 20 00:01:41,519 --> 00:01:45,859 And that's why they're up here now to receive prayer from us 21 00:01:46,599 --> 00:01:51,959 and also to publicly say we are going to raise David to know Jesus, 22 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,079 just like they did all their other children to know him. 23 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,040 And you could pray into that. 24 00:01:57,439 --> 00:01:59,900 And even at times, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you occasionally said, 25 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:02,120 how are things going? Don't be too nosy. 26 00:02:02,439 --> 00:02:04,379 But you could just say, hey, how are things going? 27 00:02:06,139 --> 00:02:10,280 And just encourage them. I mean, this is an amazing, amazing family. 28 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,780 And guess what? Erica has another one in the oven. 29 00:02:14,659 --> 00:02:16,120 So we're on number five. 30 00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:21,580 Praise God. And, you know, it's just so awesome. 31 00:02:21,719 --> 00:02:23,659 When I was reading in John 10 this morning, 32 00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:28,419 and it says how the Lord is the good shepherd who comes, you know, 33 00:02:28,780 --> 00:02:30,780 and his sheep know his voice. 34 00:02:31,539 --> 00:02:37,699 And then it speaks of a doorkeeper who opens the door for the sheep to leave 35 00:02:37,699 --> 00:02:42,580 and follow the true shepherd to great pastors, abundant pastors. 36 00:02:43,199 --> 00:02:46,719 And I always saw myself as a father and even as a grandfather 37 00:02:46,719 --> 00:02:51,400 as really being a doorkeeper saying like, here comes Jesus. 38 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:55,340 He's the one you want to follow because we're merely guides 39 00:02:55,340 --> 00:02:58,379 leading them to the true Father in heaven. Amen. 40 00:02:59,159 --> 00:03:02,280 So it's a great responsibility and a true joy. 41 00:03:02,439 --> 00:03:04,020 I mean, this is such an amazing couple. 42 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,099 We've known them for many years. 43 00:03:06,099 --> 00:03:09,199 And just to see the way the Lord has grown you spiritually, 44 00:03:09,439 --> 00:03:12,500 but also grown your family to know the Lord. 45 00:03:13,039 --> 00:03:14,419 I mean, it's just a beautiful family. 46 00:03:14,620 --> 00:03:17,800 So I'm going to ask Austin and Erica to share a little bit 47 00:03:18,319 --> 00:03:20,280 before we all pray together. Austin. 48 00:03:23,620 --> 00:03:25,539 Do you mind if I just go into a prayer? Yeah. 49 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:27,259 Or do you want to say anything before we pray? 50 00:03:28,879 --> 00:03:30,659 Sure. I'll let you go there. 51 00:03:32,099 --> 00:03:35,180 One of the things that we take really seriously in our house 52 00:03:35,180 --> 00:03:38,740 is naming our children and the declaration and the prayer 53 00:03:38,740 --> 00:03:40,599 that their names are over their life 54 00:03:40,599 --> 00:03:43,500 and their relationship with the Lord. 55 00:03:43,740 --> 00:03:45,479 And so this is David Oakland. 56 00:03:47,020 --> 00:03:50,639 And it is our prayer for him that like the king of old, 57 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,560 he will worship the Lord with all his heart, 58 00:03:52,620 --> 00:03:57,400 that he will have courage and faith in the face of the impossible. 59 00:03:59,879 --> 00:04:01,099 Don't call it stone. 60 00:04:05,620 --> 00:04:06,460 Excuse me. 61 00:04:08,060 --> 00:04:11,900 And Oakland, it is our hope that he will grow to be an oak of righteousness 62 00:04:12,439 --> 00:04:17,519 and so many deep-rooted seeds for the kingdom of God. 63 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,300 So that's his name, David Oakland. 64 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:31,939 Hey, David. 65 00:04:36,199 --> 00:04:41,360 So, Father, we just come before you 66 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:45,399 and we are so grateful that you gave us another little child 67 00:04:45,399 --> 00:04:46,339 to take care of. 68 00:04:47,540 --> 00:04:50,819 That we have David to bring to you Jesus, 69 00:04:50,819 --> 00:04:53,540 to reveal your heart to him 70 00:04:53,540 --> 00:04:56,600 and to show him the love of God. 71 00:04:57,819 --> 00:05:01,560 And, Father, we understand the responsibility 72 00:05:02,199 --> 00:05:03,860 that you've placed in our hands 73 00:05:03,860 --> 00:05:07,379 and we come before you to dedicate David to you, 74 00:05:08,019 --> 00:05:09,800 to raise him up in your ways, 75 00:05:10,759 --> 00:05:11,800 to keep him accountable, 76 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:17,379 and to just reveal to him the way of life 77 00:05:17,379 --> 00:05:19,560 and the way of love that is Jesus. 78 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,439 And, Father, we thank you for David. 79 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:30,540 And, Father, I just pray that you would, 80 00:05:32,019 --> 00:05:33,560 even now, Father, just... 81 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:40,800 Reveal yourself, Father. 82 00:05:41,759 --> 00:05:45,980 We don't want our kids to have to wait until they're 10, 12, 15, 20 years old. 83 00:05:45,980 --> 00:05:50,300 We believe that Jesus Christ died for even an infant. 84 00:05:51,199 --> 00:05:53,819 To know you now, to know your love now, 85 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,100 to be with you now, 86 00:05:56,860 --> 00:05:59,920 to be sanctified in relationship with you now, 87 00:06:00,699 --> 00:06:04,819 to not have to grow up with decades and decades of trauma 88 00:06:05,439 --> 00:06:06,980 untouched by your love, 89 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,579 but that we can step into your grace and your mercy today. 90 00:06:11,420 --> 00:06:14,120 That we can step into your love today, 91 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,040 that he may walk with you hand in hand, 92 00:06:17,379 --> 00:06:20,360 even as a one-year-old and a two-year-old, 93 00:06:20,540 --> 00:06:22,019 like the rest of our kids. 94 00:06:23,259 --> 00:06:25,639 Two, three, four, five, six, Father, 95 00:06:25,860 --> 00:06:28,920 that they would know you always, even from now. 96 00:06:29,180 --> 00:06:30,680 And even this baby in the womb, Father, 97 00:06:31,079 --> 00:06:34,579 we're grateful and we dedicate David to you 98 00:06:34,579 --> 00:06:38,240 and we commit ourselves as his Father and Mother 99 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:42,259 to walk him down your path to his destiny 100 00:06:42,259 --> 00:06:43,540 in your kingdom, Father. 101 00:06:44,439 --> 00:06:46,459 And we thank you, Father, and we pray this 102 00:06:46,459 --> 00:06:47,319 in the name of Jesus. 103 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:48,899 Amen. 104 00:06:53,580 --> 00:06:56,180 Before we depart, let's all also just 105 00:06:56,180 --> 00:06:59,360 put your hands out to them, just laying a blessing on them. 106 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:01,800 And let's all pray together for this family 107 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,740 that the angel of the Lord will encamp himself around them 108 00:07:05,740 --> 00:07:07,079 and protect them, right? 109 00:07:07,699 --> 00:07:11,819 And wherever they step, it's the Lord's kingdom, amen. 110 00:07:11,819 --> 00:07:15,139 So let's just all pray out once out loud 111 00:07:15,139 --> 00:07:17,959 for this amazing cyberlic family. 112 00:07:21,259 --> 00:07:28,980 Yeah, Father God, we thank you for this family, Lord. 113 00:07:29,839 --> 00:07:31,680 And they are building a legacy, Lord, 114 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,860 to the third and fourth and beyond generations, Lord. 115 00:07:35,339 --> 00:07:36,759 And we thank you for that, Lord. 116 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:39,980 And we thank you that they are going to demonstrate 117 00:07:39,980 --> 00:07:43,839 what it looks like to have a kingdom family, kingdom mindset. 118 00:07:44,180 --> 00:07:47,939 So, Lord God, we bless them and we thank you for them 119 00:07:47,939 --> 00:07:50,160 in Jesus' name, amen. 120 00:07:51,279 --> 00:07:52,920 Make sure you say hello to them. 121 00:07:53,139 --> 00:07:55,519 You know, you're sticking around for a while after church 122 00:07:55,519 --> 00:07:58,319 and just say hello and what an amazing outfit. 123 00:07:58,579 --> 00:08:01,459 Second generation, it looks like it's brand new 124 00:08:01,459 --> 00:08:02,899 and the Lord has really maintained it 125 00:08:02,899 --> 00:08:04,800 just like the Israelites in the wilderness. 126 00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:06,699 Praise God. 127 00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:07,819 Thank you, guys. 128 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:08,519 Love you. 129 00:08:08,519 --> 00:08:10,139 Thanks so much. 130 00:08:15,259 --> 00:08:16,720 I love that outfit. 131 00:08:16,879 --> 00:08:17,439 I got to get one. 132 00:08:17,639 --> 00:08:19,120 Well, maybe not, but anyway. 133 00:08:20,660 --> 00:08:25,360 Yeah, so all of you know Jamie Alabak 134 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,439 and he's preached here on Sundays. 135 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,379 He speaks regularly on Wednesday nights 136 00:08:31,379 --> 00:08:33,940 and teaches through the books of the Bible. 137 00:08:34,519 --> 00:08:36,000 He's just an amazing man. 138 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:37,120 You got to get to know him. 139 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,580 He's so talented and gifted in so many different ways 140 00:08:40,580 --> 00:08:43,320 and has a testimony that will just rock your world 141 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,559 and we're just so blessed to have him here 142 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:48,580 and you may not know it, 143 00:08:48,580 --> 00:08:52,899 but he has started years ago a ministry in Honduras 144 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,799 and so I'm going to ask Jamie Alabak to come forward 145 00:08:56,799 --> 00:09:01,100 and bring his brother, Eben, who also is from Honduras 146 00:09:01,100 --> 00:09:04,700 and I believe he's going to introduce Eben a little bit more 147 00:09:04,700 --> 00:09:06,120 and he's going to share. 148 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:07,299 Is that the right order, Jamie? 149 00:09:07,799 --> 00:09:08,600 Do I have that down? 150 00:09:10,060 --> 00:09:13,159 And he's going to share and we're going to learn a lot, 151 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:14,860 but praise God. 152 00:09:15,220 --> 00:09:15,519 Thank you. 153 00:09:15,639 --> 00:09:17,279 Let's give the Lord a round of applause. 154 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,080 All right, so like Chris said, 155 00:09:26,860 --> 00:09:33,659 we started the ministry in Honduras in 2003 156 00:09:35,620 --> 00:09:40,039 and we met about five years after that, 157 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,600 somewhere around there, maybe sooner than that. 158 00:09:42,700 --> 00:09:43,039 I don't know. 159 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:44,080 I think so. 160 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,919 But we were having all kinds of issues with the ministry 161 00:09:48,919 --> 00:09:52,799 and I was actually just kind of ready to close up shop on it. 162 00:09:52,980 --> 00:09:54,980 We had people steal and it was just hard 163 00:09:54,980 --> 00:09:56,460 not having somebody there 164 00:09:57,420 --> 00:10:02,279 and just through God's way, 165 00:10:02,279 --> 00:10:04,720 Eben and I just came in into contact. 166 00:10:04,940 --> 00:10:08,120 We met each other and we just kind of connected 167 00:10:08,859 --> 00:10:11,259 and after, I don't know, a year or so, 168 00:10:11,299 --> 00:10:13,580 I said, boy, this would be a good fit for you 169 00:10:13,580 --> 00:10:15,899 to run the ministry and Eben and his wife 170 00:10:15,899 --> 00:10:19,120 and he's built an incredible team down there. 171 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,620 They've done awesome work 172 00:10:21,339 --> 00:10:25,320 and it's been a blessing to work together. 173 00:10:25,500 --> 00:10:27,379 So I'm going to let him just kind of share 174 00:10:27,379 --> 00:10:29,799 a little bit more about that 175 00:10:29,799 --> 00:10:32,840 and I think you just give that a shot 176 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:33,539 and see how it goes. 177 00:10:33,539 --> 00:10:33,799 Thank you. 178 00:10:33,940 --> 00:10:34,100 All right? 179 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:35,779 Good morning, guys. 180 00:10:36,059 --> 00:10:37,019 My name is Eben. 181 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:37,860 Nice to meet you. 182 00:10:37,940 --> 00:10:39,720 My wife is right there. 183 00:10:39,940 --> 00:10:40,639 She's a little bit shy. 184 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,080 So thank you so much for being here. 185 00:10:47,580 --> 00:10:49,580 So I would like to tell you a little bit 186 00:10:49,580 --> 00:10:52,580 about GIPHOPE 200s, as you can see. 187 00:10:53,399 --> 00:10:56,519 Our ministry, where is the rock, 188 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:58,500 we have like actually a school 189 00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:01,580 for kids that can afford to go to even public school 190 00:11:01,580 --> 00:11:02,779 and you're asking why? 191 00:11:03,019 --> 00:11:05,919 It's because in a really poor community 192 00:11:05,919 --> 00:11:09,539 where even to buy food for the table is so hard 193 00:11:09,539 --> 00:11:12,759 so it would be even harder to even buy like, you know, 194 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,879 a uniform or school books or everything. 195 00:11:16,179 --> 00:11:19,179 So what we do is we use kind of like a homeschool program 196 00:11:19,179 --> 00:11:21,259 to use another school, the rock, 197 00:11:21,659 --> 00:11:24,679 and what we do is like we teach like kids. 198 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,600 Ones are like a pre-K and the other ones are kids 199 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,139 that have never been in school in their whole life. 200 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,460 And if you ask me why, it's because they're parents, 201 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:34,000 they don't care. 202 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,360 And the kids are pretty much like a lot of times 203 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,500 in the street or just they don't go to school. 204 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:44,019 So we go from pre-K and then we go from first grade 205 00:11:44,019 --> 00:11:44,879 to sixth grade. 206 00:11:45,340 --> 00:11:46,740 That is divided into three levels. 207 00:11:48,059 --> 00:11:49,759 First level is first and second grade. 208 00:11:49,919 --> 00:11:51,960 Second level is third and fourth grade. 209 00:11:52,220 --> 00:11:54,139 And third level is fifth and sixth grade. 210 00:11:54,139 --> 00:11:56,840 And Honduras, after you finish sixth grade, 211 00:11:57,259 --> 00:11:58,759 kids can go to a trade school. 212 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,399 There's something called involved where they can go 213 00:12:01,399 --> 00:12:02,899 to be a carpenter, mechanic, 214 00:12:03,500 --> 00:12:06,460 and it's been awesome that one time actually I went to, 215 00:12:06,759 --> 00:12:08,940 with my car, I have a problem and I take it to the shop 216 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:12,980 and I saw one of my boys doing an internship 217 00:12:12,980 --> 00:12:16,379 to become a mechanic and that was really like so awesome. 218 00:12:17,899 --> 00:12:21,259 So those, as you can see, those are the kids on the rock. 219 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,539 Then at the same time, those little kids, 220 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:32,220 we provide like a whole meal at the school as well. 221 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:35,860 They run from 7.30 to 12. 222 00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:39,720 Then in the afternoon, three times a week, 223 00:12:39,899 --> 00:12:42,960 we have a ministry as well, as you can see, 224 00:12:44,159 --> 00:12:48,120 it's called Hop in the Field, soccer school. 225 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,460 So what we do is like in the neighborhood where we are, 226 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:53,960 happened the government and some organization, 227 00:12:54,139 --> 00:12:56,659 they built this beautiful soccer field. 228 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:58,840 But as you can see on the side, 229 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,820 it's like really in a really poor community, 230 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,580 but the government came and built this beautiful, 231 00:13:04,860 --> 00:13:08,740 as you can see, it's an awesome soccer field. 232 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,820 So what we do there is with the kids, 233 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,539 so we help them to prevent them to join the games. 234 00:13:15,539 --> 00:13:18,340 So through soccer, soccer is a big deal in Honduras. 235 00:13:19,299 --> 00:13:23,340 Actually, we, unfortunately, we're the team that never make it 236 00:13:23,340 --> 00:13:24,960 to the World Cup a lot of times, 237 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,820 but when we make it one time, it's not a joke. 238 00:13:28,279 --> 00:13:30,179 The president called it Holly Day the next day, 239 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:31,720 so everybody, nobody went to work. 240 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,360 So that is how big deal is soccer in Honduras. 241 00:13:35,059 --> 00:13:40,960 So through soccer, it's the best way to outreach to the youth. 242 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:43,519 So the youth, they're losing to the games 243 00:13:43,519 --> 00:13:46,320 and, you know, to go to the street and stuff like that. 244 00:13:46,799 --> 00:13:48,519 So through that, what we do is like a lot of times, 245 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,080 we do like a little devotional, like 15 minutes each time. 246 00:13:52,340 --> 00:13:54,820 So we have like two hours, three days a week, 247 00:13:55,139 --> 00:13:56,820 and then on Saturdays, actually four days, 248 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:58,779 because on Saturdays, it's the games. 249 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,940 And you can see that is part of the team. 250 00:14:03,159 --> 00:14:05,840 He's Marshall and the other coach, 251 00:14:06,940 --> 00:14:09,220 and we do it like on Saturdays, 252 00:14:10,319 --> 00:14:14,940 we do training, and Monday, Tuesday, 253 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:16,019 and Wednesdays, the training, 254 00:14:16,220 --> 00:14:17,659 and then on Saturdays are the games. 255 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:19,539 We have a little uniform. 256 00:14:20,220 --> 00:14:21,899 But in the games, as you can see, 257 00:14:21,980 --> 00:14:24,139 we're celebrating over there, Children's Day, 258 00:14:24,679 --> 00:14:26,940 but a lot of times, you will see the boys, 259 00:14:26,940 --> 00:14:28,559 they will come, and it's not a joke, 260 00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:31,299 they will be playing very good with flip-flop. 261 00:14:31,539 --> 00:14:33,000 I saw a guy who was wearing flip-flop. 262 00:14:33,159 --> 00:14:34,879 I'm like, that guy, you know, like that, 263 00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:36,919 just with flip-flop, a lot of times, 264 00:14:36,919 --> 00:14:37,860 they will take off their shoes, 265 00:14:38,159 --> 00:14:39,919 because they don't want to ruin their shoes, 266 00:14:40,019 --> 00:14:41,220 so they will play barefoot. 267 00:14:42,580 --> 00:14:44,620 Believe it or not, and they're pretty good, some kids. 268 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:51,080 So we had a team from Denmark that came, 269 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,580 and they were doing a sketch with the kids at The Rock, 270 00:14:53,919 --> 00:14:56,340 and they were like doing, you know, like a little drama, 271 00:14:56,779 --> 00:14:58,279 because at the same time, what I was telling you, 272 00:14:58,519 --> 00:15:02,080 we have like the time to have a little devotional, 273 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,399 so they were doing like a little drama, 274 00:15:04,399 --> 00:15:05,840 and it was really cool. 275 00:15:06,779 --> 00:15:08,820 As you can see, that's the soccer field in the back, 276 00:15:08,940 --> 00:15:11,259 you can see little houses there, a little bit turned out, 277 00:15:11,659 --> 00:15:14,580 and that soccer field is right in front of The Rock, 278 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,299 so that's why we're able to do that ministry there. 279 00:15:19,039 --> 00:15:23,500 Then, as well, we do a lot of evangelists in high schools, 280 00:15:24,220 --> 00:15:26,879 where we go with a good group of volunteers. 281 00:15:27,340 --> 00:15:29,539 Thank goodness we've been building up the ministry, 282 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,039 and right now, in my WhatsApp group, 283 00:15:32,039 --> 00:15:37,039 for GitHub 200 volunteers, we are around like 150 contacts, 284 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:38,840 because there are volunteers, 285 00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:41,840 where there's a lot of kids that are passionate to share the gospel, 286 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,059 and we do ministry in high schools, as well. 287 00:15:45,559 --> 00:15:47,440 So we go, we would go to a high school, 288 00:15:47,559 --> 00:15:49,940 talk to a principal, and then they give them ready, 289 00:15:50,379 --> 00:15:55,639 and that would be there, like that. 290 00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:59,940 So we get them in whatever the gym is, 291 00:15:59,940 --> 00:16:01,539 whatever, they get all the kids outside, 292 00:16:02,419 --> 00:16:05,080 and we have like an hour and a half to two hours with the kids. 293 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,220 So we have like a whole, you know, like a whole band, 294 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:10,039 sometimes just the two speakers, it depends, 295 00:16:10,559 --> 00:16:13,960 and we play music, you know, like Christian music, 296 00:16:14,539 --> 00:16:16,980 we share testimony, we make the calling, 297 00:16:17,279 --> 00:16:18,899 people come into Christ in high school, 298 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:20,019 so it's really impacting. 299 00:16:21,499 --> 00:16:22,940 These past three years, 300 00:16:22,940 --> 00:16:25,039 we've been having a little bit of struggle with that, 301 00:16:25,379 --> 00:16:28,279 because the government is socialist, 302 00:16:28,279 --> 00:16:31,019 so they don't allow us to go to public high school. 303 00:16:31,139 --> 00:16:34,120 They've been blocking our, to go in. 304 00:16:34,419 --> 00:16:37,860 Sometimes we find, you know, this way over here to get in, 305 00:16:38,179 --> 00:16:39,940 but we've been having a lot of rejections 306 00:16:39,940 --> 00:16:44,600 for government orders, they don't want to be talking about God 307 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:45,860 and the public high schools. 308 00:16:48,039 --> 00:16:49,919 As you can see over there, 309 00:16:51,699 --> 00:16:55,000 then we have a ministry that actually, 310 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,360 ministry of the city dump, 311 00:16:58,759 --> 00:17:00,919 it's like a whole mountain of garbage, 312 00:17:01,179 --> 00:17:04,299 where all that garbage of the whole seat of two million people 313 00:17:04,299 --> 00:17:06,160 go there, it's a whole mountain, you see. 314 00:17:08,700 --> 00:17:10,119 Let me show you this. 315 00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:15,759 So in that place, you will see kids, 316 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:19,420 elderly, you know, people, 317 00:17:19,940 --> 00:17:23,339 and where they go, it's like go pick up garbage and stuff like that, 318 00:17:23,339 --> 00:17:27,880 and pick up plastic bottles and stuff to recycle and sell. 319 00:17:28,299 --> 00:17:31,619 So what we generally do is like we go with our group, 320 00:17:32,319 --> 00:17:34,740 we share with them a little devotional, 321 00:17:35,180 --> 00:17:37,680 the gospel with them, like about five to ten minutes, 322 00:17:38,180 --> 00:17:42,720 and we bring a meal, food, and we bring bags of water. 323 00:17:43,019 --> 00:17:46,279 So we share with them, we're able to look at them. 324 00:17:47,319 --> 00:17:49,579 And also, sometimes if we have a team, 325 00:17:49,759 --> 00:17:51,740 that team was crazy, they were doing the whole sketch 326 00:17:51,740 --> 00:17:54,720 and the dump, they were failing, they were doing like a lot of, 327 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,359 like I'm telling you, they were a bunch of young kids. 328 00:17:59,499 --> 00:18:01,859 So yes, you can see in the bag, you know, 329 00:18:01,980 --> 00:18:05,700 you see a lot of birds over there always. 330 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:07,779 So that is in the dump. 331 00:18:08,979 --> 00:18:11,799 But people, we're sharing with them, 332 00:18:11,799 --> 00:18:13,859 and the team that we have are really passionate 333 00:18:13,859 --> 00:18:15,240 to share with the lease of the lease. 334 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,099 And if you ask me why, 335 00:18:17,099 --> 00:18:23,920 it's because some of my guys came from a really, from the street. 336 00:18:24,059 --> 00:18:26,039 I have guys who came from ex-game members, 337 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:27,720 all the guys who were the street kids, 338 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:30,500 all the guys who grew up in the community where actually, 339 00:18:30,559 --> 00:18:31,680 where the rock is. 340 00:18:32,660 --> 00:18:34,140 The school, the rock that is the community, 341 00:18:34,460 --> 00:18:36,980 where like three of my guys are from there, you know. 342 00:18:37,619 --> 00:18:39,440 So we are in the community. 343 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,359 And then a lot of times we do evangelists 344 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,339 and different areas in the city. 345 00:18:46,339 --> 00:18:47,480 So you can see in the back. 346 00:18:50,319 --> 00:18:52,819 And then we have the Hope Farm. 347 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:55,940 So the Hope Farm is still, we're working on that. 348 00:18:57,059 --> 00:18:58,700 Jamie brought a team and we stayed there. 349 00:18:58,819 --> 00:18:59,500 We're working on that team. 350 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,539 So we're getting up to date, 351 00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:05,339 eventually still in the beginning, beginning stage 352 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,339 because we need a lot of resources. 353 00:19:09,059 --> 00:19:12,220 We need people to come and, you know, 354 00:19:12,319 --> 00:19:13,460 work alongside with us. 355 00:19:13,740 --> 00:19:15,900 And a lot of times bring good ideas, 356 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:17,960 good knowledge of farmers. 357 00:19:19,059 --> 00:19:22,900 I don't know if like that one that you can do like fish farm 358 00:19:23,519 --> 00:19:25,140 that you do like all that kind of stuff. 359 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,339 So many things that a lot of times, 360 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:28,519 like people are gifting. 361 00:19:28,940 --> 00:19:31,980 So feel free to come and work alongside with us. 362 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:33,420 And that's the Hope Farm. 363 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,839 That was doing like an activity in the Hope Farm. 364 00:19:39,019 --> 00:19:40,059 We've been able to, 365 00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:43,480 still it's like a lot on the rustic area in some areas, 366 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,680 but sometimes we've been taking like a whole group of youth group 367 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:47,599 from in some church. 368 00:19:47,700 --> 00:19:49,859 We go there and we kind of like do a camp and everything. 369 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,279 And man, this like all terrain guys that you just slip over there. 370 00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:58,259 And, you know, like, so we've been able to use it recently 371 00:19:58,259 --> 00:19:59,599 through that as well. 372 00:20:02,379 --> 00:20:04,240 And so with that, 373 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:06,779 I'll be ending our presentation. 374 00:20:07,059 --> 00:20:09,799 One of the things I would like to invite you guys 375 00:20:09,799 --> 00:20:14,000 that give hope to Honduras is no ministry. 376 00:20:14,299 --> 00:20:15,380 It's not our ministry. 377 00:20:15,619 --> 00:20:18,400 This is God's ministry in Honduras. 378 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,339 So I always just invite you guys to be the plus one, 379 00:20:23,460 --> 00:20:27,079 because the only main guest on this ministry is Jesus Christ. 380 00:20:27,819 --> 00:20:30,700 The rest were just plus one, plus two, plus three, 381 00:20:30,779 --> 00:20:31,960 whatever you want to name it. 382 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,200 But that's one of the thing. 383 00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:37,720 And thank you so much for having the opportunity 384 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,259 and the time to share with you our ministry in Honduras. 385 00:20:41,620 --> 00:20:48,220 We met through the dump ministry. 386 00:20:48,519 --> 00:20:52,039 So I had been going down on doors for about, I don't know, 387 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:53,839 four, five years. 388 00:20:54,019 --> 00:20:57,960 And I read this article online called The Children of the Dump 389 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:02,640 who actually lived in the dump and survived in the dump. 390 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,500 And I'm asking all my friends down in Honduras, 391 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:10,859 I said, can you take us to the dump? 392 00:21:11,220 --> 00:21:12,440 I want to go there. 393 00:21:13,899 --> 00:21:16,500 And everybody said, no, we don't go to the dump. 394 00:21:16,799 --> 00:21:17,740 We don't go to the dump. 395 00:21:17,839 --> 00:21:18,640 We don't go to the dump. 396 00:21:18,819 --> 00:21:20,900 I asked a dozen or more people. 397 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,940 And finally, somebody knew somebody that knew somebody. 398 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:26,799 And somebody knew him. 399 00:21:27,539 --> 00:21:29,359 And that's how we connected up. 400 00:21:29,799 --> 00:21:34,099 So the first time we met, we started going to the dump, 401 00:21:34,099 --> 00:21:38,980 and it was just, I can't even put in the words what it was like. 402 00:21:39,220 --> 00:21:41,480 I mean, it's just, it's a horrible, horrible place. 403 00:21:41,700 --> 00:21:47,039 But we are planning a trip for early October 404 00:21:47,039 --> 00:21:52,599 and would love to see some folks from Lansdale I've represented. 405 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,680 It's going to be primarily a work project, 406 00:21:55,779 --> 00:21:58,359 but we will do some ministry aspects 407 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,700 like David was going through up at the school and the soccer 408 00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:02,799 and all that kind of stuff. 409 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:07,940 But you don't have to be a super high-end construction guy or whatever. 410 00:22:08,079 --> 00:22:09,519 There's tons of stuff to do. 411 00:22:09,740 --> 00:22:12,859 We're working on a dorm right now 412 00:22:12,859 --> 00:22:15,680 that we're trying to get outfitted where kids are going to come 413 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:20,460 and come and live and stay there away from the city, away from the gang. 414 00:22:21,019 --> 00:22:23,000 So thank you. 415 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:23,559 Thank you so much. 416 00:22:24,039 --> 00:22:24,400 All right. 417 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:33,720 All right. 418 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,480 Now I got to get my happy Memorial Day, everyone. 419 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:39,500 It's tomorrow, actually. 420 00:22:41,219 --> 00:22:49,440 So Memorial Day was kind of a big deal when I was growing up. 421 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:57,259 But it wasn't a big deal in the way we celebrate it now. 422 00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:02,460 My dad, that's my dad right there. 423 00:23:03,140 --> 00:23:08,240 He was in World War II along with his brother Ken and Charlie 424 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,940 and my aunt Sis. 425 00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:12,400 Her name was Arlene. 426 00:23:13,460 --> 00:23:15,559 And they were all in the war together. 427 00:23:15,559 --> 00:23:19,960 And my dad was a B-24 Liberator bomber. 428 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,460 My uncle Ken was a navigator. 429 00:23:25,319 --> 00:23:31,299 He actually went to be a fighter pilot. 430 00:23:32,299 --> 00:23:38,440 And at the end, he went through that G-force thing and just passed out. 431 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:40,779 That was the end of it for him. 432 00:23:41,019 --> 00:23:44,019 So he had to re-sign up and he became a navigator. 433 00:23:44,019 --> 00:23:48,220 But he was in a B-17 right in the thick of it. 434 00:23:48,759 --> 00:23:51,539 And my uncle, they used to like to tease my other uncle Charlie. 435 00:23:51,799 --> 00:23:53,200 They called him a pencil pusher. 436 00:23:53,579 --> 00:23:58,039 But he was on the administrative side doing tactical work behind. 437 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,119 And my aunt Sis was in the waves. 438 00:24:01,759 --> 00:24:07,400 And they had two younger sisters that were too young to be in the war. 439 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,619 So my dad graduated high school in June of 1943. 440 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,380 And less than a month later, he left for boot camp. 441 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,420 So he was 18 years old. 442 00:24:19,539 --> 00:24:24,960 And that's a picture of him sitting where he dropped bombs from. 443 00:24:26,340 --> 00:24:32,920 So my dad did 36 missions over Germany. 444 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,460 And the average life expectancy was 10 missions. 445 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:43,160 So he did two full tours and had two crews. 446 00:24:44,839 --> 00:24:46,559 This guy's name is Hank. 447 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:48,880 And that's John. 448 00:24:49,759 --> 00:24:57,799 And they reunited and kind of got together in their latter part of life. 449 00:24:58,079 --> 00:25:00,200 And this is a picture of them that was taken. 450 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:04,319 That was 25 years ago. 451 00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:09,859 And they were the three last remaining out of their entire both crews. 452 00:25:11,980 --> 00:25:17,339 So it was serious to them because what they went through. 453 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,660 It was, you know, they saw a lot of people die. 454 00:25:20,819 --> 00:25:21,799 They had friends die. 455 00:25:24,079 --> 00:25:25,619 You know, not just people they were with, 456 00:25:25,619 --> 00:25:32,400 but, you know, they would tell stories of people from their hometown that died. 457 00:25:33,839 --> 00:25:40,039 We were going through my, when my aunt died, my aunt's sis died. 458 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:42,319 We were going through all of her pictures. 459 00:25:43,259 --> 00:25:47,819 And we kept seeing this reoccurring picture of her with this guy who was not my uncle. 460 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:49,700 Now we're there. 461 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,140 Who is this guy? 462 00:25:52,319 --> 00:25:53,440 He's a very handsome guy. 463 00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:59,920 And I can't remember what his name was, but my mom said, yeah, he went off the war and died. 464 00:26:01,819 --> 00:26:02,700 He was killed. 465 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,539 So it was, sorry. 466 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,900 It was very meaningful to me growing up. 467 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,779 So it's a lot different than how we celebrate now. 468 00:26:16,039 --> 00:26:17,559 And it was a lot different to them. 469 00:26:18,140 --> 00:26:22,079 But, you know, when I started thinking about this, you know, 470 00:26:22,079 --> 00:26:30,200 I started thinking about, you know, as believers, we're, you know, we're called to remember, right? 471 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:36,980 Memorial Day is super important in remembering those who sacrificed their lives, 472 00:26:37,140 --> 00:26:46,359 but it really should prompt us to a much more deeper meaning of remembering, 473 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,400 a deeper level of remembering. 474 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,940 You know, I know we are not to dwell in the past. 475 00:26:55,819 --> 00:27:00,619 Certainly we're not to dwell in the past, but God calls us to remember. 476 00:27:00,839 --> 00:27:07,259 And you could even make a case that he commands us to remember. 477 00:27:08,180 --> 00:27:16,859 And it's not just in the language that's used, it's not just this casual, nostalgic recall. 478 00:27:18,500 --> 00:27:25,559 It's a deep, active reflection of faith in what he's done, you know, 479 00:27:25,839 --> 00:27:31,720 and the gratitude that we should have when, you know, when we think about it 480 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:37,299 and then this compulsion that we should have to share what he's done. 481 00:27:37,779 --> 00:27:46,619 So it is a command and it's repeated all throughout the Bible, this idea of remembering. 482 00:27:47,759 --> 00:27:49,440 Psalm 105 reads, 483 00:27:50,099 --> 00:27:57,380 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name, make known among the nations what he has done. 484 00:27:57,380 --> 00:28:07,319 Sing to him, sing praise to him, tell of all his wonderful acts, glory in his holy name, 485 00:28:07,559 --> 00:28:10,339 let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 486 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:18,099 Look to the Lord and his strength, seek his face, remember the wonders he has done, 487 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,880 his miracles, the judgments he's pronounced. 488 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:28,960 You, his servants, descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. 489 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:38,740 Remember, if we forget what God has done for us, 490 00:28:38,799 --> 00:28:44,079 it's so easy to fall into thanklessness and, you know, 491 00:28:44,299 --> 00:28:47,799 it can even lead to depression and remorse 492 00:28:47,799 --> 00:28:56,339 and we can slowly slip down that slope of losing our faith, you know. 493 00:28:56,420 --> 00:29:02,140 So we need to value that heritage of what God has brought us through. 494 00:29:02,220 --> 00:29:07,960 If we forget what he's done in our lives, you know, it's that deep, 495 00:29:08,180 --> 00:29:13,579 it's a well that we, it is a continuous well that is there for us to tap into, 496 00:29:13,579 --> 00:29:17,079 you know, as we reflect on that. 497 00:29:19,559 --> 00:29:27,799 So we're to remember where we came from, so we must never, ever forget. 498 00:29:28,359 --> 00:29:33,980 And I think I've said this before once when I spoke that I used, 499 00:29:34,359 --> 00:29:37,940 you know, I got to a point in my life where I just, 500 00:29:38,059 --> 00:29:41,779 I wouldn't really even talk about my testimony because it just, 501 00:29:41,779 --> 00:29:44,920 to me, it was so irrelevant for who I was. 502 00:29:46,019 --> 00:29:52,259 I mean, who I am, it was just like, it doesn't even seem, you know, real anymore. 503 00:29:52,519 --> 00:29:53,599 I just really stopped. 504 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,680 I just felt there were so much more meaningful things. 505 00:29:57,039 --> 00:29:59,779 And I got rebuked by a close friend of mine that said, you know, 506 00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:04,140 you need to always remember and you need to always share, you know, 507 00:30:04,220 --> 00:30:10,319 where God has brought us from and what he's redeemed us from 508 00:30:10,319 --> 00:30:12,980 and how his grace found us. 509 00:30:13,180 --> 00:30:18,319 So remembering our past isn't about getting tangled up in the guilt and the fear 510 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:20,680 and the condemnation and all the time. 511 00:30:20,839 --> 00:30:22,000 It's about gratitude. 512 00:30:22,539 --> 00:30:26,339 It's about the humility of what he's done. 513 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:27,440 It's about perspective. 514 00:30:27,819 --> 00:30:34,019 It's about being able to share that with someone who might be going through something. 515 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:39,480 And, you know, when we forget these things, it can lead to this pride of, 516 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:43,119 well, okay, you know, really, you know, maybe it wasn't God that did this. 517 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:48,140 Maybe it was really, really me instead of the faithfulness of God. 518 00:30:48,660 --> 00:30:56,720 You know, the Old Testament talks often about this physical deliverance, 519 00:30:56,819 --> 00:30:59,700 like where God has brought you from. 520 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:05,779 Deuteronomy says, remember that you were slaves in Egypt, 521 00:31:05,779 --> 00:31:11,980 that the Lord your God brought you out of there with his mighty hand 522 00:31:12,779 --> 00:31:14,700 and his outstretched arm. 523 00:31:15,779 --> 00:31:21,319 And that's just powerful because, you know, they would forget, right? 524 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,640 And we forget, often we forget. 525 00:31:25,099 --> 00:31:29,880 You know, God gives us warnings about even just simple things like, 526 00:31:30,059 --> 00:31:33,779 you know, there's another scripture in Deuteronomy, 527 00:31:33,779 --> 00:31:36,220 Deuteronomy 8, 10 through 14, 528 00:31:36,220 --> 00:31:40,099 this talks about how prosperity can lead to forgetfulness. 529 00:31:40,380 --> 00:31:43,839 He says, when you have eaten and are satisfied, 530 00:31:44,779 --> 00:31:49,559 praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 531 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:54,519 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, 532 00:31:55,079 --> 00:31:59,319 failing to observe his commands, his laws, his degrees, 533 00:31:59,900 --> 00:32:02,740 that I have given you this day. 534 00:32:02,740 --> 00:32:06,200 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, 535 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,319 when you build fine houses and settle down, 536 00:32:09,619 --> 00:32:12,140 and when your herds and flocks grow large 537 00:32:12,740 --> 00:32:14,900 and your silver and gold increase 538 00:32:14,900 --> 00:32:17,619 and all you have is multiplied, 539 00:32:18,519 --> 00:32:20,559 then your heart will become proud 540 00:32:20,559 --> 00:32:25,960 and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt 541 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,500 and slavery. 542 00:32:27,500 --> 00:32:30,960 So he's saying, be careful of this. 543 00:32:32,660 --> 00:32:36,779 You know, we read in Ephesians 2, 11 through 13, 544 00:32:37,259 --> 00:32:40,039 you know, once you were far from God, 545 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,079 but he brought you near to him. 546 00:32:45,180 --> 00:32:50,339 Romans 6 says, once you were slaves to sin, 547 00:32:51,279 --> 00:32:53,099 now you live in righteousness. 548 00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:56,640 You know, we were rescued for a reason 549 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,119 and we can't forget these things, you know, 550 00:33:00,119 --> 00:33:03,660 that God did in our lives, and it fuels us. 551 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:05,019 It fuels our worship. 552 00:33:05,180 --> 00:33:07,039 It fuels how we relate to God. 553 00:33:07,220 --> 00:33:09,500 It fuels how we connect with others. 554 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,279 We all have a testimony. 555 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:18,160 I reflect a lot, you know, where I come from. 556 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:23,519 I love history and I love family history. 557 00:33:24,019 --> 00:33:27,839 I keep this on my wall at work. 558 00:33:27,980 --> 00:33:32,319 This is a mural that's on my wall, 559 00:33:32,740 --> 00:33:41,599 and it helps remind me that I have a 300-year history here 560 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,059 in this country from my ancestors 561 00:33:46,059 --> 00:33:48,220 that came before me. 562 00:33:48,259 --> 00:33:53,279 Back in the 15, 16, early 1700s, 563 00:33:53,519 --> 00:33:57,660 Christians were persecuted at a level. 564 00:33:58,259 --> 00:34:00,200 We don't really quite understand. 565 00:34:01,799 --> 00:34:04,619 You know, my ancestors, they were, you know, 566 00:34:05,099 --> 00:34:07,099 an Anabaptist, Mennonite, 567 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,199 and they were over in Germany, 568 00:34:12,420 --> 00:34:15,500 and they were beyond being marginalized. 569 00:34:15,500 --> 00:34:17,360 I mean, they were being tortured. 570 00:34:17,739 --> 00:34:21,340 They were not allowed to have their church services 571 00:34:21,340 --> 00:34:25,119 the way that we have them today. 572 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:30,179 They were not allowed to baptize as adults. 573 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,579 They believed that, okay, well, baptism is a decision. 574 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:36,760 It's not something that you do with infants, 575 00:34:37,219 --> 00:34:41,500 and this really brought persecution on them, 576 00:34:41,519 --> 00:34:44,360 and they were marginalized and shut down 577 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,880 and tortured, and they had a, you know, 578 00:34:47,059 --> 00:34:49,719 were forced out of areas, 579 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:55,639 and my original ancestor, Christian Olibach, 580 00:34:56,119 --> 00:35:01,199 he fled that and came here in 1718, 581 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,579 and there was only one Olibach that came over, 582 00:35:04,639 --> 00:35:08,420 so all this Olibachs are related somewhere down the line. 583 00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:18,519 This is, would be my great-great-grandfather's brother, 584 00:35:19,599 --> 00:35:23,099 who is the, I don't know, I can't even, 585 00:35:23,260 --> 00:35:24,639 I can't do math too well, 586 00:35:24,739 --> 00:35:29,280 but he was about three generations after Christian, 587 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,420 and he was named for Christian Olibach, 588 00:35:32,750 --> 00:35:40,369 and he was a pastor at Talmenson Church for years. 589 00:35:41,050 --> 00:35:42,750 This would be my great-grandfather's, 590 00:35:43,389 --> 00:35:45,010 this is my great-grandfather here, 591 00:35:45,710 --> 00:35:49,789 and this would be his brother, Harvey Olibach, 592 00:35:50,030 --> 00:35:56,190 who was a, he was an artist and a traveling pastor. 593 00:35:56,730 --> 00:36:00,630 There is a long, long history in my family 594 00:36:00,630 --> 00:36:04,610 of those who came before serving God 595 00:36:04,610 --> 00:36:07,429 and preaching his word, 596 00:36:07,929 --> 00:36:11,130 and I can never forget that, 597 00:36:11,170 --> 00:36:12,690 I don't want to forget that, 598 00:36:12,849 --> 00:36:18,610 but I also know that my dad's dad, 599 00:36:19,030 --> 00:36:21,929 my grandfather, who I never met, he died in 1945, 600 00:36:24,989 --> 00:36:29,010 they forgot and created a ripple effect 601 00:36:29,010 --> 00:36:33,250 through my dad and all of his siblings, 602 00:36:33,829 --> 00:36:35,429 and that's another story altogether, 603 00:36:35,710 --> 00:36:37,409 we won't go there, 604 00:36:37,829 --> 00:36:42,590 but we have to remember where we came from 605 00:36:42,590 --> 00:36:44,010 and remind ourselves. 606 00:36:48,429 --> 00:36:50,690 In Joshua it says, 607 00:36:51,670 --> 00:36:55,969 so Joshua called together the twelve men 608 00:36:55,969 --> 00:36:58,409 he had appointed from the Israelites, 609 00:36:59,030 --> 00:37:01,710 one from each tribe, and said to them, 610 00:37:02,090 --> 00:37:05,909 go over before the Ark of the Lord your God 611 00:37:05,909 --> 00:37:07,349 in the middle of the Jordan. 612 00:37:08,130 --> 00:37:11,789 Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder 613 00:37:11,789 --> 00:37:16,210 according to the number of tribes of the Israelites 614 00:37:16,890 --> 00:37:20,170 to serve as a sign among you. 615 00:37:20,690 --> 00:37:24,369 In the future, when your children ask you, 616 00:37:24,369 --> 00:37:26,130 what do these stones mean? 617 00:37:27,230 --> 00:37:30,989 Tell them, the flow of the Jordan was cut off 618 00:37:30,989 --> 00:37:33,849 before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. 619 00:37:34,969 --> 00:37:36,449 When it crossed the Jordan, 620 00:37:37,230 --> 00:37:39,369 the waters of the Jordan were cut off. 621 00:37:39,949 --> 00:37:42,429 These stones are to be a memorial 622 00:37:42,429 --> 00:37:45,010 to the people of Israel. 623 00:37:46,210 --> 00:37:49,730 So this was to be a generational reminder 624 00:37:50,730 --> 00:37:55,989 to those what God has done in their wake. 625 00:37:57,570 --> 00:38:00,789 Memorials they matter, they matter to God. 626 00:38:02,929 --> 00:38:07,650 God is very intentional about doing things in our lives 627 00:38:07,650 --> 00:38:12,690 that we can either choose to experience and move on 628 00:38:12,690 --> 00:38:15,630 or we can choose to put a rock there, 629 00:38:16,210 --> 00:38:18,210 to remember it, to put a stone there, 630 00:38:18,210 --> 00:38:23,269 to remember what he has done in our lives. 631 00:38:23,489 --> 00:38:26,510 They're reminders of his faithfulness 632 00:38:26,510 --> 00:38:31,429 and miracles that he has done that we can pass on. 633 00:38:32,010 --> 00:38:35,409 When you think about the miracles that Jesus did, 634 00:38:35,550 --> 00:38:38,050 they weren't just miracles in the moment. 635 00:38:39,469 --> 00:38:43,429 They were miracles that transcended thousands of years 636 00:38:43,429 --> 00:38:46,949 because they're remembered by those. 637 00:38:47,670 --> 00:38:51,630 And they don't have to be big, big miracles like that. 638 00:38:52,230 --> 00:38:54,869 He doesn't have to be raising Lazarus from the dead. 639 00:38:55,050 --> 00:38:58,230 It can be the simple, everyday things, 640 00:38:58,829 --> 00:39:05,550 stones and markers that we can show along the journey 641 00:39:05,550 --> 00:39:07,969 that he has brought us. 642 00:39:10,110 --> 00:39:11,969 My grandmother, who I never met, 643 00:39:12,710 --> 00:39:15,190 she died the year I was born in 1963 644 00:39:15,190 --> 00:39:17,909 when my dad passed away, 645 00:39:19,010 --> 00:39:21,809 found this little tablet here. 646 00:39:22,050 --> 00:39:24,030 It's like the size of the pile on my hand. 647 00:39:25,170 --> 00:39:29,449 And in here she has all these notes 648 00:39:30,430 --> 00:39:32,610 about Bud left for the army, 649 00:39:33,869 --> 00:39:36,469 Wednesday, July 28, 1943. 650 00:39:37,590 --> 00:39:40,070 All of the departures and the furloughs. 651 00:39:40,190 --> 00:39:43,730 So she laid a stone down 652 00:39:43,730 --> 00:39:47,510 so that she would remember this 653 00:39:47,510 --> 00:39:49,869 and something that can be passed on. 654 00:39:51,929 --> 00:39:57,510 God calls us to memorialize these things. 655 00:39:57,730 --> 00:40:00,570 I love to journal. 656 00:40:01,489 --> 00:40:03,110 So I journal a lot. 657 00:40:03,250 --> 00:40:06,250 I have different types of journals where I write things down. 658 00:40:06,369 --> 00:40:08,590 I have some pictorial journals 659 00:40:08,590 --> 00:40:11,590 where I draw thoughts and write thoughts. 660 00:40:11,590 --> 00:40:17,909 I have journals where I keep track of lyrics and things, 661 00:40:18,070 --> 00:40:21,809 where I just chronicle things in my life, milestones, 662 00:40:22,289 --> 00:40:23,250 how I feel. 663 00:40:23,869 --> 00:40:27,949 I started little journals for my grandkids 664 00:40:27,949 --> 00:40:32,730 and I want to be able to pass these things on some day. 665 00:40:33,010 --> 00:40:34,469 It's kind of markers to show 666 00:40:34,469 --> 00:40:38,590 this is what God did in my life journey. 667 00:40:38,590 --> 00:40:42,510 As small as my life is, right? 668 00:40:45,030 --> 00:40:47,510 And God wants us to do that 669 00:40:47,510 --> 00:40:50,829 because this is how future generations, 670 00:40:51,030 --> 00:40:52,070 you know, we talk about that. 671 00:40:52,269 --> 00:40:53,789 There was a song we sung about, 672 00:40:54,309 --> 00:40:54,849 how did it go? 673 00:40:55,389 --> 00:40:57,809 Generation after generation, 674 00:40:58,050 --> 00:40:59,349 after generation, something like that. 675 00:41:00,469 --> 00:41:02,590 How do we pass this stuff along? 676 00:41:03,610 --> 00:41:05,789 So markers are important. 677 00:41:07,170 --> 00:41:09,369 Remembering God's faithfulness. 678 00:41:12,150 --> 00:41:13,789 And as I've mentioned before, 679 00:41:14,170 --> 00:41:19,590 biblical remembering is not just a nostalgic kind of feeling. 680 00:41:19,590 --> 00:41:22,010 It's a faith-building thing. 681 00:41:23,570 --> 00:41:26,250 And we need to remember his faithfulness 682 00:41:26,789 --> 00:41:28,809 in all seasons of our lives, 683 00:41:28,809 --> 00:41:30,369 but especially in the trials. 684 00:41:31,449 --> 00:41:34,150 God wants us to know 685 00:41:34,150 --> 00:41:38,250 that he's faithful through all of these things. 686 00:41:39,250 --> 00:41:40,650 Psalm 77, 11 says, 687 00:41:40,889 --> 00:41:44,190 I will remember the deeds of the Lord. 688 00:41:46,309 --> 00:41:50,389 Sometimes we forget what God's done. 689 00:41:50,489 --> 00:41:54,789 Sometimes I forget what God has done in my life 690 00:41:54,789 --> 00:41:57,449 and I need to sit down 691 00:41:57,449 --> 00:42:01,329 and really intentionally remember. 692 00:42:02,010 --> 00:42:03,809 But the Israelites, 693 00:42:04,110 --> 00:42:08,130 how God provided and delivered them in the wilderness 694 00:42:08,130 --> 00:42:13,230 and how shortly in the wilderness did they forget, right? 695 00:42:13,449 --> 00:42:14,849 Where they came from. 696 00:42:15,789 --> 00:42:18,450 They didn't remember the harshness of Egypt. 697 00:42:19,210 --> 00:42:21,150 In fact, many of them talked about, 698 00:42:21,389 --> 00:42:22,510 hey, we ought to get back there. 699 00:42:22,849 --> 00:42:24,869 We had three square meals a day 700 00:42:24,869 --> 00:42:29,030 and it wasn't that bad getting whipped and beaten all day 701 00:42:29,030 --> 00:42:30,389 compared to this. 702 00:42:31,869 --> 00:42:35,110 But God is faithful to them 703 00:42:35,110 --> 00:42:37,449 and he's faithful to us 704 00:42:37,449 --> 00:42:40,909 even when we are unfaithful to him. 705 00:42:41,989 --> 00:42:43,250 Time and time again, 706 00:42:43,909 --> 00:42:48,989 God bridged the gap for the Israelites. 707 00:42:49,610 --> 00:42:51,969 Nehemiah 9, 17 says, 708 00:42:51,969 --> 00:42:56,969 you're a God ready to forgive a bounding and steadfast love. 709 00:43:00,970 --> 00:43:07,789 We know that Jesus was faithful to forgive and cleanse 710 00:43:07,789 --> 00:43:15,730 and Jesus remains faithful to his death for us. 711 00:43:16,789 --> 00:43:21,949 Remembering God's faithfulness is critical for us. 712 00:43:22,289 --> 00:43:25,570 We need to remember his promises to us. 713 00:43:26,349 --> 00:43:28,849 The Bible is a storybook filled, 714 00:43:29,489 --> 00:43:33,369 filled with stories of God's promises, 715 00:43:33,730 --> 00:43:36,489 his covenants with the people, 716 00:43:37,030 --> 00:43:42,090 remembering what he did and they're declaring it. 717 00:43:44,149 --> 00:43:50,829 This is something that the Israelites had stories 718 00:43:50,829 --> 00:43:53,710 that they would just tell generation after generation. 719 00:43:53,969 --> 00:43:56,849 The story of God's faithfulness through Noah. 720 00:43:57,789 --> 00:44:00,170 The promise never destroyed the earth again. 721 00:44:02,010 --> 00:44:06,349 The story of Abraham and his faith. 722 00:44:06,750 --> 00:44:10,150 These are stories that were told time and time again. 723 00:44:10,150 --> 00:44:14,610 The covenants that God made with them, 724 00:44:14,690 --> 00:44:17,590 they were just told all the time. 725 00:44:18,030 --> 00:44:19,309 And that's the way, 726 00:44:19,610 --> 00:44:22,409 sometimes we don't realize how fortunate we are 727 00:44:22,409 --> 00:44:29,389 to have the physical word and the living word of Jesus. 728 00:44:29,789 --> 00:44:33,769 This was all oral tradition back then. 729 00:44:34,289 --> 00:44:37,230 They told stories, they recounted stories. 730 00:44:37,230 --> 00:44:40,170 And scripture, this is how scripture was, 731 00:44:40,170 --> 00:44:44,590 was partly from generation to generation. 732 00:44:46,929 --> 00:44:51,530 And history says, and the Bible says, 733 00:44:52,110 --> 00:44:53,829 that they forgot. 734 00:44:55,570 --> 00:44:56,510 They forgot. 735 00:44:58,050 --> 00:44:59,690 And during the Babylonian, 736 00:44:59,909 --> 00:45:03,469 during the Babylonian captivity, 737 00:45:04,929 --> 00:45:06,710 the leaders would say to themselves, 738 00:45:06,710 --> 00:45:09,869 this is, you know, we fell captive 739 00:45:09,869 --> 00:45:12,789 and we're here in these circumstances 740 00:45:12,789 --> 00:45:17,849 because we forgot where God has brought us. 741 00:45:17,949 --> 00:45:19,750 We forgot scripture. 742 00:45:20,250 --> 00:45:21,909 We forgot this. 743 00:45:22,610 --> 00:45:25,329 And that is why we're here. 744 00:45:26,130 --> 00:45:31,449 And this gave rise to this idea that they said, 745 00:45:31,469 --> 00:45:34,989 we don't ever want to see this happen again. 746 00:45:35,990 --> 00:45:39,889 And they began to write down the word. 747 00:45:40,489 --> 00:45:44,849 And this gave rise to the scribes and the scholars, 748 00:45:45,550 --> 00:45:49,170 like the Pharisees and the rabbinic tradition. 749 00:45:50,030 --> 00:45:56,769 And it deepened their commitment from writing the text 750 00:45:56,769 --> 00:46:01,510 to memorizing the text, to copying it over and over again. 751 00:46:01,510 --> 00:46:04,789 They set up this elaborate school system 752 00:46:04,789 --> 00:46:08,050 for the young boys that they would go through 753 00:46:08,050 --> 00:46:11,769 to the point where they would just have this embedded in them 754 00:46:11,769 --> 00:46:14,369 so that they would never forget. 755 00:46:15,989 --> 00:46:20,949 So this marked a shift from their temple-based religion 756 00:46:20,949 --> 00:46:25,650 to the text-based faith, where they documented. 757 00:46:25,849 --> 00:46:29,909 They said, we don't ever want to forget again. 758 00:46:30,909 --> 00:46:36,809 But we know that Jesus came as the fulfillment of that text, 759 00:46:36,989 --> 00:46:41,010 as the fulfillment of the word and the promise 760 00:46:41,010 --> 00:46:43,630 because he's the living word, right? 761 00:46:44,469 --> 00:46:48,369 Jesus brings the new covenant with his blood. 762 00:46:49,010 --> 00:46:52,369 So he died and fulfilled all of that. 763 00:46:52,570 --> 00:46:58,090 What was foreshadowed, what was a shadow in the Old Testament 764 00:46:58,090 --> 00:47:00,369 that it was telling of this coming thing. 765 00:47:00,630 --> 00:47:01,909 This is what Jesus did. 766 00:47:01,989 --> 00:47:05,769 It was the final promise that Jesus fulfilled 767 00:47:05,769 --> 00:47:12,989 for eternal life and his blood sacrifice that was shed for us. 768 00:47:13,510 --> 00:47:20,769 God's promises are anchors for us in uncertain times. 769 00:47:21,309 --> 00:47:27,929 Tammy's got this great CD of 90s Christian jam music. 770 00:47:28,050 --> 00:47:28,469 It's awesome. 771 00:47:29,730 --> 00:47:31,650 And when the grandkids come over, 772 00:47:32,309 --> 00:47:35,389 I like to put the CD on and get them to jump in and dance in. 773 00:47:35,530 --> 00:47:39,389 And there's this one song that the kids just kind of cling to. 774 00:47:40,469 --> 00:47:45,269 I'm going to take God's promises and hide them in our hearts. 775 00:47:46,510 --> 00:47:47,969 And they'll do this little thing. 776 00:47:48,090 --> 00:47:48,949 I don't know all the signs. 777 00:47:48,949 --> 00:47:50,409 I didn't grow up with that. 778 00:47:50,570 --> 00:47:53,309 So I don't know all the lingo that goes with it. 779 00:47:54,110 --> 00:48:00,190 I'm going to take God's promises and hide them in my heart. 780 00:48:02,210 --> 00:48:03,550 That's not a kid song. 781 00:48:04,470 --> 00:48:05,630 That's an us song. 782 00:48:07,809 --> 00:48:12,869 We need to remember who we are, our identity, 783 00:48:14,169 --> 00:48:19,809 our identity, whether you're a believer or not, 784 00:48:19,889 --> 00:48:23,469 shapes how we live, what we think, 785 00:48:24,369 --> 00:48:26,989 how we walk out in this world, 786 00:48:27,250 --> 00:48:29,809 how we present ourselves to others. 787 00:48:30,570 --> 00:48:33,610 It encompasses everything about who we are. 788 00:48:35,929 --> 00:48:39,590 We can choose to see ourselves as victims. 789 00:48:40,829 --> 00:48:46,369 We can let circumstances control our lives. 790 00:48:48,030 --> 00:48:52,590 We can find our identity and our own suffering if we choose. 791 00:48:53,349 --> 00:48:57,210 We can live in the past or worry about the future. 792 00:48:59,309 --> 00:49:04,889 Or we can choose to live as redeemed children of God. 793 00:49:04,889 --> 00:49:07,269 1 Peter 2, 9 says, 794 00:49:07,909 --> 00:49:13,309 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, 795 00:49:14,849 --> 00:49:20,070 a holy nation, God's special possession, 796 00:49:20,989 --> 00:49:23,849 that you may declare the praises of Him 797 00:49:23,849 --> 00:49:28,489 who called you out of darkness into His wonderful life. 798 00:49:29,269 --> 00:49:32,469 This verse directly connects the church. 799 00:49:33,470 --> 00:49:35,429 That's not part of my notes. 800 00:49:37,510 --> 00:49:45,829 It connects us to the whole story of God throughout time. 801 00:49:46,070 --> 00:49:48,269 Deuteronomy 7, 6 says, 802 00:49:49,449 --> 00:49:54,369 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. 803 00:49:54,809 --> 00:50:00,309 The Lord your God has chosen you out of the peoples, 804 00:50:00,309 --> 00:50:07,730 the face of the earth, to be His people, His treasured possession. 805 00:50:08,750 --> 00:50:11,730 But we often don't think of ourselves like that, right? 806 00:50:12,670 --> 00:50:18,409 Sometimes we let that old nature in us 807 00:50:18,409 --> 00:50:21,829 kind of talk to us and whisper to it. 808 00:50:22,349 --> 00:50:26,329 I once heard somebody describe Him as the imposter 809 00:50:27,110 --> 00:50:32,769 that lives with us, the imposter who thinks He's that person, 810 00:50:33,050 --> 00:50:33,889 but it's not really. 811 00:50:34,369 --> 00:50:37,429 And you can allow the imposter within you to have that voice 812 00:50:37,429 --> 00:50:42,150 that kind of drives you, but we know who we are. 813 00:50:42,949 --> 00:50:45,869 We have to know who we are. 814 00:50:46,530 --> 00:50:51,670 I had an Uncle John, but he wasn't really my uncle. 815 00:50:52,210 --> 00:50:53,070 We found out later. 816 00:50:53,469 --> 00:50:54,449 When I was a kid, 817 00:50:54,449 --> 00:50:56,969 you weren't allowed to call adults by their first name. 818 00:50:57,269 --> 00:50:58,530 They were either Mr. or Mrs. 819 00:50:58,929 --> 00:51:02,429 If they were really close friends of my parents, 820 00:51:02,610 --> 00:51:03,989 then they were an uncle and an aunt. 821 00:51:04,590 --> 00:51:07,530 So this was Uncle John, and he was a cool cat. 822 00:51:07,750 --> 00:51:11,610 This guy was just a cool, cool dude. 823 00:51:14,690 --> 00:51:18,590 And he was a paratrooper in Normandy. 824 00:51:19,949 --> 00:51:21,489 He dropped out of those planes 825 00:51:21,489 --> 00:51:24,230 when they were just getting shot out of the air. 826 00:51:25,429 --> 00:51:27,650 And he used to talk about it. 827 00:51:28,610 --> 00:51:35,889 And he would talk about all the day that they did, 828 00:51:36,469 --> 00:51:40,949 and he would remember, okay, this was the turning point. 829 00:51:42,710 --> 00:51:48,010 So I participated in the turning point of the war 830 00:51:48,650 --> 00:51:51,449 and lived to tell about it. 831 00:51:51,530 --> 00:51:56,010 And he lost so many friends there. 832 00:51:57,269 --> 00:52:04,150 And he would, every year, starting in the 60s, 833 00:52:04,429 --> 00:52:07,269 him and his few friends that were left, 834 00:52:08,010 --> 00:52:11,250 they would parachute onto the beach in Normandy. 835 00:52:11,989 --> 00:52:15,289 And he did that up until he was in his 70s. 836 00:52:15,289 --> 00:52:17,650 So it was pretty amazing. 837 00:52:18,730 --> 00:52:21,409 But I think he would have times 838 00:52:21,409 --> 00:52:24,750 where he needed to remind himself who he was 839 00:52:24,750 --> 00:52:28,289 and memorialize what he had taken, 840 00:52:28,550 --> 00:52:30,949 part of leaving that marker there 841 00:52:31,730 --> 00:52:35,090 for his generation of kids, kids to come. 842 00:52:35,829 --> 00:52:38,690 We can know all of the teachings of Christ. 843 00:52:39,389 --> 00:52:41,289 We can have all the books memorized, 844 00:52:41,909 --> 00:52:44,070 and we can know all the stuff, 845 00:52:44,070 --> 00:52:47,250 and we can understand grace and mercy and compassion 846 00:52:47,250 --> 00:52:48,750 and all of these things. 847 00:52:48,949 --> 00:52:52,889 But if we forget the sacrifice that Jesus made, 848 00:52:53,809 --> 00:52:55,269 none of that matters, right? 849 00:52:55,730 --> 00:52:58,829 Because everything comes back to that sacrifice. 850 00:52:59,349 --> 00:53:02,349 Everything hinges on the fact 851 00:53:02,349 --> 00:53:04,849 that Jesus led this perfect life, 852 00:53:05,150 --> 00:53:08,570 and he shed his blood, and then he rose for us. 853 00:53:09,030 --> 00:53:12,869 You know, the groundwork was laid for all of this 854 00:53:12,869 --> 00:53:14,809 going back to Abraham, 855 00:53:16,030 --> 00:53:21,329 and all of the Israelite history 856 00:53:21,869 --> 00:53:25,690 was being foreshadowed and laid Passover lamb in Egypt. 857 00:53:26,050 --> 00:53:28,369 All of these were foreshadowing. 858 00:53:28,929 --> 00:53:31,989 We learned about, if you missed it, we're done it now. 859 00:53:32,469 --> 00:53:34,550 We went through the book of Leviticus, 860 00:53:34,650 --> 00:53:39,510 where we learned all about the sacrificial and atonement system 861 00:53:39,510 --> 00:53:42,690 that God had put in place. 862 00:53:43,329 --> 00:53:47,849 All of this was a foreshadowing for the cross 863 00:53:47,849 --> 00:53:49,989 and the new covenant. 864 00:53:50,829 --> 00:53:53,409 John said, behold, the lamb of God 865 00:53:53,409 --> 00:53:56,090 who takes away the sin of the earth, 866 00:53:57,090 --> 00:53:57,769 the sin of the world. 867 00:53:57,949 --> 00:54:00,269 So he was recognized immediately 868 00:54:00,269 --> 00:54:03,650 as the final and ultimate sacrifice, 869 00:54:03,829 --> 00:54:08,030 and God instructs us to remember this, right? 870 00:54:08,030 --> 00:54:10,690 That's why we take communion, to remember 871 00:54:10,690 --> 00:54:13,329 what he had did for us. 872 00:54:13,710 --> 00:54:15,130 You know, the obedience. 873 00:54:15,630 --> 00:54:17,550 We want to advance the kingdom through this. 874 00:54:17,869 --> 00:54:21,090 So, you know, Christ died not just for us, 875 00:54:21,190 --> 00:54:24,449 but for all of the unGodly in this earth, 876 00:54:24,630 --> 00:54:26,130 which is everyone. 877 00:54:26,869 --> 00:54:28,789 2 Corinthians 5, 21 says, 878 00:54:29,230 --> 00:54:33,690 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. 879 00:54:34,110 --> 00:54:36,610 It was this divine exchange. 880 00:54:36,610 --> 00:54:39,550 We need to remember God's love. 881 00:54:40,409 --> 00:54:42,349 Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, 882 00:54:42,510 --> 00:54:44,030 his love, his endures, wherever. 883 00:54:44,329 --> 00:54:46,530 In a world that we live in 884 00:54:46,530 --> 00:54:50,889 that is just full of conditionally based love, 885 00:54:51,469 --> 00:54:55,070 we need to remember God is love. 886 00:54:55,489 --> 00:54:56,630 He is love. 887 00:54:57,190 --> 00:54:58,429 God's love is constant. 888 00:54:58,829 --> 00:55:01,289 It's unchanging and it's unconditional. 889 00:55:01,929 --> 00:55:03,610 When we remember his love, 890 00:55:03,610 --> 00:55:07,170 we remember who we are in that love, 891 00:55:07,409 --> 00:55:09,550 how far he went for us, 892 00:55:09,750 --> 00:55:11,849 and how deeply we are known 893 00:55:11,849 --> 00:55:15,030 and cherished by him. 894 00:55:15,530 --> 00:55:17,110 He demonstrated his love. 895 00:55:17,550 --> 00:55:21,750 You know, Romans says that nothing can separate us 896 00:55:21,750 --> 00:55:23,289 from God's love. 897 00:55:23,889 --> 00:55:25,989 His love is perfect, complete. 898 00:55:26,309 --> 00:55:27,829 1 John 4, 10 said, 899 00:55:28,429 --> 00:55:29,449 this is love. 900 00:55:29,929 --> 00:55:31,570 Not that we loved God, 901 00:55:31,570 --> 00:55:35,969 but that he loved us and sent his son. 902 00:55:36,550 --> 00:55:39,210 God's love is foundational to our faith. 903 00:55:39,630 --> 00:55:41,650 Simply put, God is love, 904 00:55:42,050 --> 00:55:43,949 and we are his beloved. 905 00:55:45,070 --> 00:55:47,510 So when we think of ourselves as his beloved, 906 00:55:48,210 --> 00:55:49,989 that's it, right? 907 00:55:51,010 --> 00:55:52,429 I mean, his love is unchanging. 908 00:55:53,170 --> 00:55:57,030 God loves us 100%, 100% of the time. 909 00:55:57,750 --> 00:56:01,230 I think about how much I love my kids 910 00:56:01,230 --> 00:56:03,469 and how much I love my grandkids, 911 00:56:03,590 --> 00:56:05,889 but I don't think I love them 100% of the time, 912 00:56:05,969 --> 00:56:08,110 all the time, like God does. 913 00:56:08,969 --> 00:56:12,150 It's hard for us to really, really... 914 00:56:12,150 --> 00:56:14,269 It's one thing to say it. 915 00:56:15,010 --> 00:56:17,010 It's another thing to get. 916 00:56:17,510 --> 00:56:20,389 And it's so hard for us to get 917 00:56:20,389 --> 00:56:23,130 because it's just not how we love each other, 918 00:56:23,550 --> 00:56:24,750 but it's how he loves. 919 00:56:24,969 --> 00:56:26,650 It's this perfect love. 920 00:56:27,250 --> 00:56:32,070 God won't love you anymore when you get better. 921 00:56:32,969 --> 00:56:36,010 It doesn't matter to him if you become better. 922 00:56:36,829 --> 00:56:39,130 Even if you don't have any plans at all 923 00:56:39,650 --> 00:56:40,769 or even think about, 924 00:56:40,969 --> 00:56:44,090 hey, I really need to fix these things in my life, 925 00:56:44,570 --> 00:56:45,849 God is still gonna love you. 926 00:56:46,650 --> 00:56:47,670 He's gonna love you. 927 00:56:48,250 --> 00:56:49,150 It doesn't matter. 928 00:56:49,889 --> 00:56:52,929 You know, God doesn't love you more on your best day 929 00:56:52,929 --> 00:56:54,809 than less on your worst day. 930 00:56:55,130 --> 00:56:57,389 His love is just constant. 931 00:56:57,809 --> 00:57:00,389 He loves you all the way, all the time. 932 00:57:00,530 --> 00:57:01,829 It's just who he is. 933 00:57:02,070 --> 00:57:02,989 It's his nature. 934 00:57:03,730 --> 00:57:06,630 And we need to really get that in our hearts 935 00:57:06,630 --> 00:57:09,610 because what happens is we know. 936 00:57:09,750 --> 00:57:11,269 We know this in our heads, 937 00:57:11,349 --> 00:57:13,869 that God's love doesn't change, 938 00:57:14,409 --> 00:57:18,570 that he loves us with this perfect pure love all the time. 939 00:57:18,570 --> 00:57:22,809 What changes is my ability to receive that, 940 00:57:23,210 --> 00:57:25,750 is that I think in certain ways, 941 00:57:25,889 --> 00:57:27,150 in certain situations, 942 00:57:27,150 --> 00:57:32,869 that I've become less in favor with God for some reason. 943 00:57:33,230 --> 00:57:35,550 And it's just not the case. 944 00:57:36,530 --> 00:57:40,550 And that's because I think that he thinks like me, right? 945 00:57:41,010 --> 00:57:42,130 And he doesn't. 946 00:57:42,449 --> 00:57:45,449 His love is unconditional and it's unchanging. 947 00:57:45,449 --> 00:57:50,789 And it's this perfect love beyond what we can recognize 948 00:57:50,789 --> 00:57:53,230 and we need to remember, 949 00:57:53,969 --> 00:57:55,849 not only remember that love, 950 00:57:56,190 --> 00:57:58,250 but we need to remember that we, 951 00:57:58,889 --> 00:58:01,150 that you are his beloved. 952 00:58:01,969 --> 00:58:02,710 Think about that. 953 00:58:03,570 --> 00:58:04,289 His beloved. 954 00:58:05,769 --> 00:58:08,150 So on this Memorial Day, 955 00:58:09,170 --> 00:58:10,929 don't forget to remember. 956 00:58:11,930 --> 00:58:16,210 Find ways that you can memorialize 957 00:58:16,210 --> 00:58:19,789 what God has done in your lives. 958 00:58:20,969 --> 00:58:22,929 Think about ways that you can pass 959 00:58:22,929 --> 00:58:27,369 that spiritual legacy onto your children 960 00:58:27,930 --> 00:58:29,849 and their children and their children 961 00:58:29,849 --> 00:58:31,710 and their children and their children, 962 00:58:32,449 --> 00:58:33,590 as the song said. 963 00:58:34,289 --> 00:58:39,929 Remember the stories about his faithfulness in your life. 964 00:58:39,929 --> 00:58:44,170 Start some traditions around those things. 965 00:58:44,710 --> 00:58:46,030 Put down some markers, 966 00:58:46,190 --> 00:58:48,930 lay down some stones for yourself 967 00:58:49,469 --> 00:58:52,369 and for your family to remember. 968 00:58:53,070 --> 00:58:55,710 And remember God's faithfulness. 969 00:58:56,409 --> 00:58:57,969 Remember his promises. 970 00:58:58,789 --> 00:59:00,329 Remember God's sacrifice. 971 00:59:00,670 --> 00:59:01,789 Remember his love. 972 00:59:02,530 --> 00:59:04,869 And remember where he brought you from 973 00:59:04,869 --> 00:59:07,170 and where he's taking you. 974 00:59:08,170 --> 00:59:10,050 The worship team can come on up. 975 00:59:10,570 --> 00:59:12,690 God, we just, this Memorial Day, God, 976 00:59:12,809 --> 00:59:15,809 we just pray that you just take us, God, 977 00:59:15,889 --> 00:59:19,829 to a deeper level, God, 978 00:59:20,469 --> 00:59:21,670 of remembering. 979 00:59:23,170 --> 00:59:24,389 Remembering you, God, 980 00:59:24,989 --> 00:59:27,730 and what you have done in our lives 981 00:59:27,730 --> 00:59:31,130 and what you are doing throughout all of creation. 982 00:59:31,369 --> 00:59:32,489 It's just before us everything. 983 00:59:33,070 --> 00:59:35,510 It's so easy to get, you know, 984 00:59:35,510 --> 00:59:37,349 sucked into the news vortex 985 00:59:37,349 --> 00:59:41,369 of just believing all that's going on 986 00:59:42,230 --> 00:59:44,989 and not look at what you're doing, God, 987 00:59:44,989 --> 00:59:46,090 through all of this. 988 00:59:46,889 --> 00:59:48,210 Help us to remember, Lord, 989 00:59:48,710 --> 00:59:51,070 that you are a God of faithfulness, Lord, 990 00:59:51,909 --> 00:59:53,090 and a God of promises, 991 00:59:53,269 --> 00:59:55,150 and you are going to see those through. 992 00:59:56,510 --> 00:59:58,369 That you are going to do the things, Lord, 993 00:59:58,449 --> 01:00:00,750 that you promised we may, 994 01:00:01,449 --> 01:00:04,070 our generation may not even see them. 995 01:00:04,730 --> 01:00:07,909 We don't know, but we know it's going to happen, 996 01:00:08,769 --> 01:00:09,949 whether it's our generation 997 01:00:09,949 --> 01:00:11,849 or coming generations, Lord. 998 01:00:12,630 --> 01:00:14,429 Help us to be a part of that, Lord, 999 01:00:15,389 --> 01:00:16,809 part of what you're doing, Lord, 1000 01:00:17,570 --> 01:00:20,110 and advancing this Kingdom, Lord, on earth. 1001 01:00:21,010 --> 01:00:22,510 We pray that you build our faith 1002 01:00:23,070 --> 01:00:26,329 through what you've done in us over the years 1003 01:00:26,329 --> 01:00:30,269 and what we can see you're doing in others, Lord, 1004 01:00:30,510 --> 01:00:32,050 and help us to honor that 1005 01:00:32,690 --> 01:00:36,889 and to be bold, to share that with others. 1006 01:00:37,690 --> 01:00:39,289 We thank you, Lord, for your goodness 1007 01:00:39,289 --> 01:00:42,409 and grace and mercy, Lord, in our lives. 1008 01:00:42,550 --> 01:00:45,929 We thank you that you were the ultimate sacrifice 1009 01:00:45,929 --> 01:00:47,949 for our sins, Lord. 1010 01:00:49,070 --> 01:00:53,070 And you couldn't remember our sins if you tried. 1011 01:00:53,269 --> 01:00:56,289 You've cast them as far from the east to the west. 1012 01:00:57,030 --> 01:00:59,989 We thank you, Jesus, Lord, for your love, 1013 01:00:59,989 --> 01:01:04,150 for your unconditional, unending love. 1014 01:01:05,690 --> 01:01:07,130 Help us to go out today, Lord, 1015 01:01:07,349 --> 01:01:09,750 and just look at things in a different, 1016 01:01:09,750 --> 01:01:11,909 different perspective in a different way 1017 01:01:13,329 --> 01:01:18,170 and to look to you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. 1018 01:01:22,650 --> 01:01:25,570 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church 1019 01:01:25,570 --> 01:01:28,090 as we praise God and discuss His Word. 1020 01:01:28,090 --> 01:01:31,829 Don't forget to join us for Worship Live Sunday mornings 1021 01:01:31,829 --> 01:01:34,230 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube. 1022 01:01:35,269 --> 01:01:37,329 Be blessed and have a great day!