165 00:16:50.985 --> 00:16:54.565 What's going on. Hope family. What I love about that story, uh, 166 00:16:54.625 --> 00:16:57.405 is it shows a young man who understands that God's just not with us. 167 00:16:57.406 --> 00:16:58.365 When things are going well, 168 00:16:59.075 --> 00:17:01.605 that he is also with us when we're going through a difficult time. 169 00:17:01.606 --> 00:17:02.645 And not only is he with us, 170 00:17:02.675 --> 00:17:05.845 he's actually working through the trials that we find ourselves in. 171 00:17:06.335 --> 00:17:08.925 We're actually gonna be talking about that this weekend, our time together. 172 00:17:08.955 --> 00:17:12.805 Just by way of introduction, uh, if we have never met, my name is Jason Gore. 173 00:17:12.885 --> 00:17:15.205 I have the humble privilege of serving, uh, 174 00:17:15.206 --> 00:17:18.484 this church family and the role of lead pastor. Uh, 175 00:17:18.485 --> 00:17:20.725 if we have nice sort of woo over there, I guess my, 176 00:17:20.726 --> 00:17:24.244 my mom's back there in the background. We, uh, hey look, if we've never met, 177 00:17:24.265 --> 00:17:26.484 if you see me around a campus, please pull me aside. 178 00:17:26.525 --> 00:17:28.845 I would love to shake your hand. I'd love to hear your story. 179 00:17:29.125 --> 00:17:30.685 We'd love to meet your family. Uh, but, 180 00:17:30.744 --> 00:17:33.325 but if you're new and just checking us out, 181 00:17:33.326 --> 00:17:35.325 what I hope that you're experiencing, uh, 182 00:17:35.326 --> 00:17:37.565 is a church that just wants to treat you like family. 183 00:17:37.994 --> 00:17:41.405 Like regardless of what you come in here from, uh, I hope you know that you're, 184 00:17:41.406 --> 00:17:44.165 that you're just wanted to be a part of what it is that we have going on here. 185 00:17:44.205 --> 00:17:47.325 I hope you see a group of people that by no means act like we have everything 186 00:17:47.484 --> 00:17:49.925 together. But maybe there's something different about us. Like, uh, 187 00:17:50.105 --> 00:17:53.445 not just that we're a little crazy, but that we also love God and, 188 00:17:53.645 --> 00:17:56.645 and that we just unashamedly follow after the ways of Jesus. 189 00:17:56.744 --> 00:17:59.565 And that we don't just talk about hope when we get together, 190 00:17:59.625 --> 00:18:03.085 but we actually share hope with the world around us with everything that we've 191 00:18:03.086 --> 00:18:04.085 got. And so welcome into that. 192 00:18:04.105 --> 00:18:08.405 We are in a series right now that we have been calling the Jesus Way. Alright, 193 00:18:08.406 --> 00:18:11.685 in the New Testament, Jesus says to people, he says, follow after me. 194 00:18:12.025 --> 00:18:15.605 And so this series is all about what does it look like to walk in the ways of 195 00:18:15.606 --> 00:18:16.439 Jesus. 196 00:18:16.785 --> 00:18:19.925 And so we've taken a look at what does it look like to live a life of worship? 197 00:18:20.475 --> 00:18:22.205 What does it look like to live a life of service? 198 00:18:22.234 --> 00:18:24.244 What does it look like to live a life of generosity? 199 00:18:25.075 --> 00:18:28.885 What does it look like in the hustle bustle and the nonstop world that we live 200 00:18:28.886 --> 00:18:29.006 in? 201 00:18:29.006 --> 00:18:32.285 What does it look like to make sure that daily we have time to spend in silence 202 00:18:32.465 --> 00:18:35.994 and solitude so that we can actually hear from God? 203 00:18:36.695 --> 00:18:39.675 And then last week a friend Ben Foot was in town and he talked to us about this 204 00:18:39.676 --> 00:18:43.315 idea of Sabbath and what it really means to take a whole day each week to just 205 00:18:43.316 --> 00:18:48.234 set it aside, to not do work and just enjoy God's gifts to us in this life. 206 00:18:48.945 --> 00:18:53.715 This week we're gonna be talking about trials and how they impact every 207 00:18:53.716 --> 00:18:56.195 single one of us and how they play into the ways of Jesus. 208 00:18:56.196 --> 00:18:59.994 Anybody ever going through a trial? Anybody? Yeah. So here's the thing. 209 00:19:00.015 --> 00:19:02.635 I'm gonna give you the bottom line right now, like right outta the gate. 210 00:19:02.655 --> 00:19:04.915 I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna tell you and then we're gonna live in it and 211 00:19:04.955 --> 00:19:07.515 then we're gonna hit it again at the end. This is what I want you to know. 212 00:19:08.105 --> 00:19:12.035 Hard things help us grow. Alright? 213 00:19:12.135 --> 00:19:15.795 Now we know that and we talk about it in a lot of areas of life. So we just, 214 00:19:16.275 --> 00:19:18.395 we're kind of right in the middle engaging the summer season. 215 00:19:18.895 --> 00:19:20.155 If you're anything like me, 216 00:19:20.156 --> 00:19:24.395 you go into the summer season thinking this year when summer comes around and 217 00:19:24.635 --> 00:19:27.555 it's vacation time, I'm gonna be in better physical shape. 218 00:19:28.455 --> 00:19:32.435 And so I'm just gonna ask us to confess together across all of our campuses. 219 00:19:32.615 --> 00:19:34.435 If that's you, if you came into the summer saying, 220 00:19:34.436 --> 00:19:35.994 this year I wanna be in a little bit better shape. 221 00:19:35.995 --> 00:19:40.835 Can we just all raise our hands together? Just some of us, most of us, right? 222 00:19:40.895 --> 00:19:43.115 We wanna be in some kind of shape, right? Some of it's round, 223 00:19:43.116 --> 00:19:46.635 some of it's not as round. Look, here, here's what I would say to us. 224 00:19:47.375 --> 00:19:51.595 If we want to grow and be in better physical shape, that's gonna take work. 225 00:19:51.825 --> 00:19:53.395 Like we're gonna have to do some hard things. 226 00:19:53.396 --> 00:19:56.195 We're gonna have to change the way that we eat. That could be hard. 227 00:19:57.205 --> 00:19:58.875 We're gonna have to go to the gym, right? 228 00:19:58.994 --> 00:20:01.195 And maybe we're gonna do some things that we don't normally do. 229 00:20:01.196 --> 00:20:04.035 There's this principle that I talk to people about when they ask me like, Hey, 230 00:20:04.036 --> 00:20:05.755 how do we get in a little bit better shape? 231 00:20:05.756 --> 00:20:09.035 And it's the principle of progressive overload. It's really very simple. 232 00:20:09.065 --> 00:20:11.435 What it says is, whatever you do this week, 233 00:20:12.265 --> 00:20:16.635 just make sure next week you do the exact same thing and just do one more rep or 234 00:20:16.655 --> 00:20:20.195 add five more pounds. That's it. Now, you can't just start at zero, right? 235 00:20:20.196 --> 00:20:22.715 Like you're gonna kind of start close to to where your max is. 236 00:20:22.716 --> 00:20:24.115 But what happens is, um, 237 00:20:24.385 --> 00:20:28.555 your body gets broken down and then it adjusts to the stress that you've put it 238 00:20:28.556 --> 00:20:32.515 under and then it comes back stronger than it was before. Progressive overload. 239 00:20:34.975 --> 00:20:39.105 What if God's plan to see our character and maturity grow 240 00:20:39.375 --> 00:20:42.185 spiritually wasn't all that different? 241 00:20:44.015 --> 00:20:47.530 And so this week we're gonna see that when it comes to the way of Jesus trials 242 00:20:47.531 --> 00:20:50.010 in our lives, they're not only unavoidable, but they also, 243 00:20:50.365 --> 00:20:53.805 they they actually serve a critical role in us growing in the way that God wants 244 00:20:53.806 --> 00:20:55.605 us to grow. So if you have your Bibles, uh, 245 00:20:55.685 --> 00:20:57.765 I want you to turn to James chapter one. 246 00:20:57.766 --> 00:21:00.525 We're gonna be looking mostly at verses two, three, and four. 247 00:21:01.095 --> 00:21:03.525 While you're turning there, uh, I just wanna say this, 248 00:21:03.905 --> 00:21:08.005 if you have a Bible at home, I just wanna encourage you when we come here, 249 00:21:08.006 --> 00:21:09.484 like to talk through what the Bible says. 250 00:21:09.565 --> 00:21:11.285 I just wanna encourage you to bring it. Um, 251 00:21:11.785 --> 00:21:14.805 you could be tempted to think when somebody gets up here because they're 252 00:21:14.955 --> 00:21:17.405 potentially a subject matter expert, um, 253 00:21:17.406 --> 00:21:20.085 that they're doing some kind of magic tricks when they open this thing up and 254 00:21:20.086 --> 00:21:20.405 preach it. 255 00:21:20.405 --> 00:21:24.205 But what you'll see is really all we're doing is opening this up and just 256 00:21:24.206 --> 00:21:27.885 reading what it says and we're recognizing some things that we see and we're 257 00:21:27.886 --> 00:21:30.325 just trying to see how God would have it apply it to our lives. 258 00:21:30.326 --> 00:21:31.685 And so if we see that and do it here, 259 00:21:31.686 --> 00:21:33.285 we're gonna be more prone to do it when we get home, 260 00:21:33.286 --> 00:21:36.205 which is gonna help really all of us. So let's try to bring our Bibles. 261 00:21:36.206 --> 00:21:36.865 If you don't have one, 262 00:21:36.865 --> 00:21:39.405 I'd encourage you to stop by next steps on the way out at all of our campuses. 263 00:21:39.406 --> 00:21:43.165 They would be happy to try to find out how to get your Bible. Okay, James, 264 00:21:43.525 --> 00:21:47.445 chapter one, verse two. It says, consider it all joy. 265 00:21:47.545 --> 00:21:50.845 My brothers and sisters, when everyone in your family is healthy, 266 00:21:50.875 --> 00:21:54.205 your kids are making straight A's and your spouse is doing all the laundry, 267 00:21:54.265 --> 00:21:56.005 mowing the lawn and still making six figures. 268 00:21:58.405 --> 00:21:58.965 I. 269 00:21:58.965 --> 00:22:02.125 Mean, it's inflation. So probably seven figures would be better right now. 270 00:22:02.225 --> 00:22:05.285 But look, it doesn't say that. But that is why you should bring your Bibles. 271 00:22:05.405 --> 00:22:07.725 'cause I could tell you anything I want, we can put anything up on the screen. 272 00:22:07.785 --> 00:22:11.525 So here's what it says. Count it all as joy. Consider it all joy, 273 00:22:11.545 --> 00:22:15.205 my brothers and sisters. When you encounter various trials, 274 00:22:15.835 --> 00:22:18.165 knowing which that seems weird by the way, 275 00:22:18.715 --> 00:22:23.685 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let 276 00:22:23.686 --> 00:22:27.805 endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, 277 00:22:28.315 --> 00:22:30.085 lacking in nothing. 278 00:22:32.085 --> 00:22:33.484 I wanna recognize right outta the gate, 279 00:22:33.485 --> 00:22:36.205 most of us don't get that phone call that we never expected to get in. 280 00:22:36.206 --> 00:22:39.085 Our immediate response is joy. Now it's not a normal thing. 281 00:22:39.285 --> 00:22:41.765 And so I just wanna take that thought and we're gonna set it up here on the 282 00:22:41.766 --> 00:22:43.205 shelf. We're gonna pull it back down in a moment. 283 00:22:43.265 --> 00:22:46.525 But first I wanna recognize a couple things. I want you to notice that James, 284 00:22:46.545 --> 00:22:51.205 the author, starts out by saying, my brothers and sisters, uh, 285 00:22:51.225 --> 00:22:53.725 in the early church and really all throughout scripture, um, 286 00:22:54.025 --> 00:22:58.845 you see this picture of the church not really viewing itself as individuals 287 00:22:58.855 --> 00:23:01.325 doing church or going to church, 288 00:23:02.225 --> 00:23:05.525 but you see them as like a family who understood they were the church. 289 00:23:05.744 --> 00:23:08.405 And so what you have is James here saying, my brothers and sisters, 290 00:23:08.435 --> 00:23:12.285 what he's doing is he's kinda showing himself as like a spiritual big brother. 291 00:23:13.425 --> 00:23:17.445 And he's speaking to those that are going through trials and you know, 292 00:23:17.446 --> 00:23:21.605 things land a little bit differently on us when they know that it's coming from 293 00:23:21.606 --> 00:23:23.805 a place from someone who cares about us, someone who loves us. 294 00:23:24.665 --> 00:23:27.244 And we've gotta see that right outta the gate. Because to be honest, 295 00:23:28.115 --> 00:23:30.125 this is gonna be a hard word. Like he's, 296 00:23:30.126 --> 00:23:33.685 he's calling us to take on a perspective that most of us don't naturally take on 297 00:23:33.805 --> 00:23:36.244 us. So you don't wanna miss is coming from a place of love. 298 00:23:36.245 --> 00:23:39.005 And so I just want to, I do wanna pause for a minute, for a quick aside, 299 00:23:39.006 --> 00:23:41.445 give you a moment of reflection. And I wanna ask you a question. 300 00:23:42.705 --> 00:23:47.405 Do you view yourself as a part of the family of God here at Hope Community 301 00:23:47.406 --> 00:23:50.405 Church or do I love that? 302 00:23:51.385 --> 00:23:54.925 Or do you just see yourself as maybe like someone who passively shows up and 303 00:23:54.926 --> 00:23:57.325 attends church? And, and look, if that's you, you're checking things out, 304 00:23:57.326 --> 00:24:00.484 that's great. But you gotta realize if families engage at a different level, 305 00:24:01.445 --> 00:24:04.445 alright? And so, but we can't miss right from the start, 306 00:24:04.515 --> 00:24:07.525 this is coming from a place of love. Secondly, we need to see the context. 307 00:24:07.785 --> 00:24:10.645 He says, when you face various trials, 308 00:24:10.646 --> 00:24:15.275 notice he doesn't say if I think all of us who have lived long enough know like 309 00:24:15.276 --> 00:24:18.115 a trial is coming. I've heard it said, you're either coming out of a trial, 310 00:24:18.116 --> 00:24:19.994 you're in a trial, you're headed towards one, right? 311 00:24:20.935 --> 00:24:24.955 And so you can't go through a series entitled the Jesus Way and not recognize 312 00:24:24.956 --> 00:24:29.035 that the way of Jesus is through trials. Jesus actually told us in his word, 313 00:24:29.055 --> 00:24:33.595 he said, in this life you will face trials. He guarantees it. 314 00:24:35.255 --> 00:24:37.515 So James is talking to us, is a loving family member. 315 00:24:37.545 --> 00:24:39.955 He's addressing the various trials that we're inevitably gonna face. 316 00:24:40.015 --> 00:24:41.355 And this is what he says to do. 317 00:24:43.465 --> 00:24:45.505 Consider it joy when you encounter them. 318 00:24:46.325 --> 00:24:49.545 And so we're gonna pull this back off the shelf and I just wanna acknowledge 319 00:24:50.215 --> 00:24:53.025 there's tension in this. Um, 320 00:24:54.105 --> 00:24:55.625 I go to the gym pretty regularly, 321 00:24:55.626 --> 00:25:00.505 but I don't just wake up joyful to go to the gym for another round 322 00:25:00.525 --> 00:25:03.145 of progressive overload, right? Like, that's just not how it works. 323 00:25:03.146 --> 00:25:03.984 And if we're being honest, 324 00:25:04.205 --> 00:25:08.145 we would say we don't actually feel joy in the trials that we find ourselves in. 325 00:25:08.146 --> 00:25:09.185 And so you gotta learn, 326 00:25:09.186 --> 00:25:12.345 you gotta really lean in to see what James is saying to us. He, 327 00:25:12.365 --> 00:25:17.185 the verb that he uses to consider it actually means to deem or 328 00:25:17.186 --> 00:25:21.885 to regard. So it actually takes into account like we might have came into this, 329 00:25:21.886 --> 00:25:25.045 we might have had a natural tendency to see this in a different way. 330 00:25:25.046 --> 00:25:26.445 And so if if that wasn't the case, 331 00:25:26.446 --> 00:25:29.125 we wouldn't have to consider something different. This is like me coming home, 332 00:25:29.565 --> 00:25:31.045 um, from work. And by the way, 333 00:25:31.046 --> 00:25:33.045 like we don't have these split gender roles in our house. 334 00:25:33.046 --> 00:25:34.565 Sometimes my wife cooks, sometimes I cook, 335 00:25:34.665 --> 00:25:38.205 but this is like me being showing up home from work and Diana saying to me, 336 00:25:38.305 --> 00:25:42.085 Hey tonight, um, we're gonna have leftovers. And then I say, Hey, 337 00:25:43.015 --> 00:25:47.325 would you consider maybe us going out to dinner or me pulling something from the 338 00:25:47.326 --> 00:25:48.765 fridge and throwing it on the grill? 339 00:25:48.875 --> 00:25:51.885 He's actually inviting us or really telling us, he's saying, 340 00:25:51.886 --> 00:25:53.725 as followers of Jesus, we need to stop. 341 00:25:54.785 --> 00:25:58.925 We need to take a breath and we need to do a mental evaluation of the situation 342 00:25:58.926 --> 00:25:59.759 that's going on. 343 00:26:00.965 --> 00:26:04.765 And we need to take on a new mindset and we need to make an inner decision to 344 00:26:05.005 --> 00:26:08.925 actually consider it joy. When we find ourselves in trials, 345 00:26:09.155 --> 00:26:12.445 he's really saying take on the mindset that might not be natural, 346 00:26:12.545 --> 00:26:16.365 but take on the mindset of joy. My brothers and sisters , 347 00:26:16.635 --> 00:26:20.645 when you encounter trials that you're for sure gonna face, 348 00:26:21.705 --> 00:26:26.445 and I wanna stop here just for a minute and recognize that in our society and in 349 00:26:26.446 --> 00:26:27.365 our culture right now, 350 00:26:27.755 --> 00:26:32.005 like doing something different than what comes natural to us or what feels good, 351 00:26:33.505 --> 00:26:36.905 it's just not a normal thing. I mean, we live in a world right now that says, 352 00:26:36.925 --> 00:26:40.465 Hey, you do you like whatever seems easy for you, whatever seems right for you. 353 00:26:40.484 --> 00:26:43.845 And then we get on social media and there's these algorithms that just put us in 354 00:26:43.984 --> 00:26:47.565 in an echo chamber and tells us that everything that we want is what we should 355 00:26:47.566 --> 00:26:47.846 live out. 356 00:26:47.846 --> 00:26:52.484 And the reality is it takes a level of mental toughness to actually set 357 00:26:52.535 --> 00:26:56.685 aside our immediate desires and our comforts and to take on a new perspective. 358 00:26:56.705 --> 00:27:00.605 But the reality is the Bible tells us we're instructed as followers of Christ to 359 00:27:00.606 --> 00:27:05.165 be willing to take every thought captive and look at it through the lens of what 360 00:27:05.175 --> 00:27:09.455 God's word says. And so James says, 361 00:27:09.734 --> 00:27:13.055 consider it take on a mindset of joy when you face trials. 362 00:27:14.015 --> 00:27:18.244 That's the command considerate joy. Why does he say that? Verse three, 363 00:27:19.725 --> 00:27:24.145 he says, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 364 00:27:25.085 --> 00:27:27.225 So this is like the progressive overload moment, right? 365 00:27:27.226 --> 00:27:29.905 Like he's giving us the knowledge that we need to change our mindset. 366 00:27:30.285 --> 00:27:33.305 He tells us that if we go through trials, that testing of the faith, 367 00:27:33.645 --> 00:27:37.984 it will produce something in us that we need. He says, 368 00:27:37.985 --> 00:27:39.345 when you go through something difficult, 369 00:27:39.415 --> 00:27:42.025 it's gonna create an environment for you to grow. Remember, 370 00:27:42.026 --> 00:27:46.225 hard things actually help us grow. Um, 371 00:27:46.605 --> 00:27:49.265 the word choice here in Greek, uh, 372 00:27:49.365 --> 00:27:53.145 it actually gives this connotation like the testing of your faith, um, 373 00:27:53.765 --> 00:27:55.585 of something that's continually working, 374 00:27:55.586 --> 00:28:00.545 that it's like actually going to work down inside of us until it gets to that 375 00:28:00.546 --> 00:28:03.145 place of completion. Like until it does what it's there to do, 376 00:28:03.455 --> 00:28:05.984 it's gonna stay there. Which in this case is endurance. 377 00:28:05.985 --> 00:28:09.225 Some translations say perseverance. And if you really break it apart, 378 00:28:09.295 --> 00:28:13.265 it's like painting this picture of someone who is underneath a heavy load and 379 00:28:13.494 --> 00:28:18.345 willingly sits underneath that heavy load and laborers faithfully for 380 00:28:18.346 --> 00:28:21.744 that heavy load to do whatever it is that it's supposed to do while they're 381 00:28:21.745 --> 00:28:26.185 sitting underneath it. Um, my kids, uh, 382 00:28:26.205 --> 00:28:29.945 we have three aid Madison, Connor, they have like this insane work ethic, um, 383 00:28:30.845 --> 00:28:34.425 in many areas they take after their mother. I will say they're not perfect, um, 384 00:28:34.725 --> 00:28:39.625 by any stretch, but especially when it comes to the area of athletics. 385 00:28:40.565 --> 00:28:44.905 And this is like I picture my 15-year-old son Aiden, who's a fantastic wrestler. 386 00:28:45.105 --> 00:28:47.505 Uh, he's a great wide receiver, but it's, 387 00:28:47.745 --> 00:28:51.705 I picture him like going back into the squat rack for like one last set and he's 388 00:28:51.706 --> 00:28:56.345 doing one more rep and he's doing one more rep and he's doing one more rep and 389 00:28:56.346 --> 00:28:59.905 he's doing one more rep and he's heavy and it's hard and he's getting tired and 390 00:28:59.906 --> 00:29:03.425 he does one more rep and he's willing to do that even to the point of failure 391 00:29:03.426 --> 00:29:06.825 because he knows even if he does this to the point of failure and even if it 392 00:29:06.826 --> 00:29:07.365 hurts, 393 00:29:07.365 --> 00:29:10.225 he knows that what it's gonna do is it's gonna produce it's more strength, 394 00:29:10.615 --> 00:29:12.385 more explosion, and more speed. 395 00:29:12.405 --> 00:29:15.425 So he willingly comes up underneath it and endures it. 396 00:29:16.985 --> 00:29:20.505 I read in a New Testament commentary this week, the theologian said, 397 00:29:21.335 --> 00:29:22.785 when we face trials this way, 398 00:29:22.815 --> 00:29:26.505 it's not a passive attitude of quiet submission or resignation, 399 00:29:27.005 --> 00:29:31.985 but rather a brave manliness that confronts the difficulties 400 00:29:31.986 --> 00:29:33.145 and contends against them. 401 00:29:33.975 --> 00:29:38.345 It's the tenacity of spirit which holds up under pressure while 402 00:29:38.465 --> 00:29:43.125 awaiting God's time for dismissal of the test, test are for his reward. 403 00:29:43.145 --> 00:29:47.205 People don't write like that all that much this often, but, but I mean, 404 00:29:47.206 --> 00:29:49.595 you read that and you think, man, 405 00:29:49.615 --> 00:29:54.505 the the world right now could use more men and women that would 406 00:29:54.515 --> 00:29:58.225 stand strong under the trials that we face in the world right now. 407 00:30:00.005 --> 00:30:01.945 And as I was going through this, I thought, man, 408 00:30:02.855 --> 00:30:06.985 this is probably to a large degree why the church has lost its voice a bit in 409 00:30:06.986 --> 00:30:10.905 today's world. 'cause we just don't get this. We don't understand it. 410 00:30:10.906 --> 00:30:13.585 Like this is a hard word. I'm telling you this is a hard word to preach. 411 00:30:13.586 --> 00:30:15.625 And I've been through some trials in the last six years, so, 412 00:30:15.725 --> 00:30:18.705 so I needed this message, but man, it's the church. 413 00:30:18.765 --> 00:30:20.785 Our tendency is to not sit up underneath it, 414 00:30:20.925 --> 00:30:22.905 but to kind of step back and to walk away from it. 415 00:30:22.906 --> 00:30:26.665 And so whether that trial is a temptation or a sin, we say, well, you know what? 416 00:30:26.666 --> 00:30:29.785 It feels right to me, so maybe we'll sit in it or the world is saying this, 417 00:30:29.786 --> 00:30:32.825 but I know scripture says this and so I should probably stand strong and be 418 00:30:32.826 --> 00:30:35.745 willing to speak truth into the situation, but instead I'm gonna step out. 419 00:30:35.746 --> 00:30:37.345 But by God's design, 420 00:30:37.405 --> 00:30:41.785 we have to sit under the trials that we find ourselves in as this church because 421 00:30:41.786 --> 00:30:43.665 of what it is that he wants to do in and through us. 422 00:30:43.665 --> 00:30:47.545 So the command is to consider it joy when we face trials, 423 00:30:48.125 --> 00:30:52.475 the why is to develop endurance. But what's the goal? 424 00:30:54.405 --> 00:30:58.895 Like we don't just run because we want to be a better endurance athlete. Uh, 425 00:30:58.896 --> 00:31:01.455 unless you're crazy, like you probably wanna win a race to some degree, 426 00:31:01.456 --> 00:31:05.015 you have a goal. You don't want to just build muscle just to build muscle, 427 00:31:05.016 --> 00:31:08.695 right? Like maybe you read, um, some type of journal that says, um, 428 00:31:08.825 --> 00:31:12.175 those that have a higher level of skeletal muscle mass typically live longer. 429 00:31:12.595 --> 00:31:15.055 Or maybe it's for a more shallow reason. Like, 430 00:31:15.056 --> 00:31:19.615 you just wanna look good on your honeymoon. I, I don't know, but young people, 431 00:31:19.616 --> 00:31:22.375 that's a good thing to work for, that'll work out well for you. 432 00:31:22.635 --> 00:31:27.255 But what's the goal? Verse four, it says, 433 00:31:27.495 --> 00:31:32.415 and let endurance have its perfect result so that you may 434 00:31:32.416 --> 00:31:35.375 be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 435 00:31:36.695 --> 00:31:38.095 Let endurance have its perfect result. 436 00:31:38.115 --> 00:31:41.855 You could read that at first and see that word let and just kind of read it as 437 00:31:41.856 --> 00:31:42.735 like it's saying, Hey, 438 00:31:42.805 --> 00:31:46.335 just passively allow it to do what it is that it's supposed to do. 439 00:31:46.355 --> 00:31:48.215 And that's not really what it's saying here. 440 00:31:48.216 --> 00:31:51.415 The Greek there doesn't actually have a direct English translation. 441 00:31:51.875 --> 00:31:55.815 And so it would be better to recognize it is saying it's actually a command 442 00:31:56.155 --> 00:32:00.015 that's intended to put us on guard against a significant danger, 443 00:32:01.345 --> 00:32:04.655 which is allowing the chain of results to be interrupted. 444 00:32:04.955 --> 00:32:07.215 So it's not saying just passively allow, it's saying like, 445 00:32:07.375 --> 00:32:09.935 clinging to stay in whatever you do, 446 00:32:09.965 --> 00:32:13.295 stay in the situation that you're in so it can do what it wants to do. 447 00:32:13.615 --> 00:32:15.175 Said in another way, if you're in a trial, 448 00:32:15.515 --> 00:32:19.335 you're in a process and whatever you do, don't jump out. 449 00:32:19.425 --> 00:32:23.615 Don't abandon that process that God has you in. James is saying, 450 00:32:23.975 --> 00:32:27.365 do don't skip that last rep. He's saying stay in it. 451 00:32:29.195 --> 00:32:32.485 He's saying that there's a result that you only get and that you desperately 452 00:32:32.486 --> 00:32:32.745 need, 453 00:32:32.745 --> 00:32:36.245 but you only get it if you labor well faithfully through what it is that God has 454 00:32:36.246 --> 00:32:39.085 you in. And then James, 455 00:32:39.205 --> 00:32:42.785 he jumps to the end like he jumps straight to the end of that cycle and he says, 456 00:32:42.786 --> 00:32:47.065 here's the result that you'll be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. 457 00:32:48.015 --> 00:32:51.225 What the heck is he talking about ? What that perfect and complete means, 458 00:32:51.245 --> 00:32:55.105 it actually means like a maturity of character for us as followers of Christ 459 00:32:55.255 --> 00:32:58.985 like that we would grow into what it is that God has for us. Um, 460 00:32:58.986 --> 00:33:01.905 there's two adjectives there, perfect and complete. The first adjective perfect, 461 00:33:02.665 --> 00:33:03.585 um, when you look at it, 462 00:33:03.685 --> 00:33:07.905 it paints a picture of someone who's like moved into spiritual adulthood 463 00:33:08.965 --> 00:33:13.745 and it contrasts directly with truthfully like a spiritual baby. Alright? 464 00:33:13.765 --> 00:33:17.985 The Bible tells us that, um, before we make a decision to follow Christ, uh, 465 00:33:18.235 --> 00:33:19.665 we're actually spiritually dead. 466 00:33:20.325 --> 00:33:24.025 And then we recognize by God's grace and mercy who Jesus is what he's done for 467 00:33:24.026 --> 00:33:26.785 us. And when we put our faith and trust in him as our Lord and Savior, 468 00:33:27.225 --> 00:33:30.425 it says we move from death to life. We've been reborn. But just like us, 469 00:33:30.445 --> 00:33:32.145 we don't come to life born as adults. 470 00:33:32.146 --> 00:33:33.985 You're actually born as a spiritual infant, 471 00:33:35.305 --> 00:33:38.205 but the Jesus way is not to stay as a spiritual infant. 472 00:33:38.206 --> 00:33:40.725 We've been talking about what that journey looks like over the last few weeks. 473 00:33:40.726 --> 00:33:44.845 So we wanna move God desires to see us move from a spiritual infant like a 474 00:33:45.045 --> 00:33:45.878 spiritual child, 475 00:33:46.225 --> 00:33:49.485 and then from a spiritual child to like a spiritual middle schooler like sweaty 476 00:33:49.486 --> 00:33:50.445 and stinky, right? 477 00:33:50.445 --> 00:33:54.205 And then from there we move into a spiritual high schooler and then from there 478 00:33:54.445 --> 00:33:56.365 into a spiritual young adult. But if we're raising kids, man, 479 00:33:56.366 --> 00:33:58.045 we don't wanna have young adults living with us forever. 480 00:33:58.145 --> 00:34:01.445 We wanna raise them into where they can be like spiritual parents and then 481 00:34:01.685 --> 00:34:03.245 spiritual grandparents where they can then in turn, 482 00:34:03.275 --> 00:34:06.005 turn around and equip and empower and help others grow. 483 00:34:07.305 --> 00:34:09.885 At Hope Community Church. Across all of our campuses, 484 00:34:09.886 --> 00:34:14.445 we have somewhere between six and 7,000 men and women and students and children 485 00:34:14.446 --> 00:34:16.565 that attend all of our campuses. Um, 486 00:34:17.655 --> 00:34:20.605 let's leave the spiritual realm for a moment and just talk physically. 487 00:34:20.614 --> 00:34:25.005 Could you imagine if all six or 7,000 of us that showed up to all of our 488 00:34:25.205 --> 00:34:27.125 campuses on Sunday were all infants, 489 00:34:28.675 --> 00:34:31.085 like just a bunch of babies crawling around like that, 490 00:34:31.435 --> 00:34:34.245 that would be tough to manage, right? Um, 491 00:34:34.614 --> 00:34:37.325 right now some of you are at our Apex campus and you're thinking, no, 492 00:34:37.364 --> 00:34:39.965 I just served in Kid City. That's what it seemed like back there. I don't, 493 00:34:40.055 --> 00:34:45.045 which is my plug to tell you. If you serve, if you attend any of our campuses, 494 00:34:45.245 --> 00:34:47.805 that you consider yourself a part of the family of God, 495 00:34:47.806 --> 00:34:52.165 there are children who desperately need you to step in, uh, not just to babysit, 496 00:34:52.585 --> 00:34:56.165 but to actually help them grow from spiritual infants into spiritual adults. 497 00:34:56.166 --> 00:34:58.685 And so if you're a part of this family, uh, jump in, 498 00:34:59.265 --> 00:35:01.085 but that would be crazy in the physical sense. 499 00:35:01.265 --> 00:35:03.085 But now let's go back to the spiritual sense. 500 00:35:04.364 --> 00:35:08.835 Could you imagine if we were a church of six to 7,000 men and women students 501 00:35:09.885 --> 00:35:12.905 who all carry themselves as spiritual infants? 502 00:35:14.745 --> 00:35:15.625 I mean, that'd be a mess. 503 00:35:16.935 --> 00:35:19.875 And right now the world needs more desperately than ever. 504 00:35:19.975 --> 00:35:23.635 It needs a church that is filled with men and women and students because this 505 00:35:23.636 --> 00:35:27.035 thing is limited by physical age who understand they're call to grow and to 506 00:35:27.315 --> 00:35:29.995 spiritual maturity and to be the church that the world desperately needs. 507 00:35:30.135 --> 00:35:33.315 That's the adjective perfect, the adjective complete. 508 00:35:34.135 --> 00:35:38.605 That's the same word that's used in the Old Testament when it talks about 509 00:35:38.945 --> 00:35:39.925 intact, um, 510 00:35:40.035 --> 00:35:44.445 animals that were perfect and spotless and blameless and were suitable for 511 00:35:44.805 --> 00:35:49.665 sacrifice before God on the altar. It's actually staying complete in our terms, 512 00:35:49.725 --> 00:35:54.465 is that we actually have the virtues and the character of Christ that would be 513 00:35:54.466 --> 00:35:56.425 capable of living lives suitable, 514 00:35:56.785 --> 00:36:01.105 but able to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice for God and ultimately for 515 00:36:01.106 --> 00:36:03.855 the world around us. James is saying, 516 00:36:04.155 --> 00:36:06.455 if you endure trials God's way, 517 00:36:06.515 --> 00:36:10.055 you will come out on the other side more spiritually mature. 518 00:36:11.135 --> 00:36:15.975 So don't break the cycle. It's important, uh, 519 00:36:16.094 --> 00:36:18.135 I think for us to note the maturity and completeness. 520 00:36:18.275 --> 00:36:21.895 It doesn't actually come from the number of trials that you go through, okay? 521 00:36:22.175 --> 00:36:26.415 So, um, we can go through a a, a, a number of trials. It, 522 00:36:26.416 --> 00:36:29.215 it has to do with the way that we actually go through those trials. So, um, 523 00:36:29.235 --> 00:36:33.335 you can go through the same trial a thousand times and actually not grow. Um, 524 00:36:33.855 --> 00:36:37.855 if you ever met somebody who's going through something and you can tell it's not 525 00:36:37.856 --> 00:36:42.055 where they wanna be in life, um, but their tendency is to complain, 526 00:36:43.675 --> 00:36:47.835 um, to blame other people, uh, to not take ownership, 527 00:36:47.855 --> 00:36:51.515 to actually play the martyr card. Um, I'm telling you, 528 00:36:51.516 --> 00:36:55.715 those are the characteristics of someone who's spiritually immature. 529 00:36:56.775 --> 00:36:59.155 And that's not to say like if that's where you are, that's wrong. 530 00:36:59.175 --> 00:37:00.795 But that's just to say, Hey, in the way of Jesus, 531 00:37:00.855 --> 00:37:02.275 that's not where he wants us to stay. 532 00:37:02.275 --> 00:37:05.995 Like he wants us to move into a different direction into this, 533 00:37:06.315 --> 00:37:08.675 this state of being perfect and complete the way it's described here in the 534 00:37:08.676 --> 00:37:11.475 text. And so if we labor through them faithfully, 535 00:37:11.735 --> 00:37:13.395 it will produce growth in our lives. 536 00:37:13.614 --> 00:37:17.515 And that's why we need to consider them joy when we face the trials, 537 00:37:18.755 --> 00:37:22.755 uh, lest you think that James is just, uh, a glutton for punishment, uh, 538 00:37:22.815 --> 00:37:25.155 you see Paul write something very similar to the church at Rome. 539 00:37:25.156 --> 00:37:28.395 It says in Romans chapter five, verse three through four. He says, 540 00:37:28.455 --> 00:37:32.435 not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings. 541 00:37:32.465 --> 00:37:37.035 This is gonna sound familiar knowing that suffering produces endurance and 542 00:37:37.036 --> 00:37:41.195 endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 543 00:37:42.725 --> 00:37:45.165 I don't think there's one of us right now across any of our campuses that 544 00:37:45.166 --> 00:37:48.485 wouldn't say amen. We could use a little bit more hope in our lives right now, 545 00:37:49.305 --> 00:37:52.405 but it actually comes through suffering, through enduring through, 546 00:37:52.406 --> 00:37:55.005 and it develops something in us. And you know why that happens? 547 00:37:56.675 --> 00:37:58.405 Because we go through these trials 548 00:38:00.605 --> 00:38:02.905 and if you've never been there, you will, but we, 549 00:38:02.906 --> 00:38:06.385 we actually do have to do the mental exercise to consider it joy, okay? 550 00:38:06.386 --> 00:38:07.219 So we do that. 551 00:38:07.285 --> 00:38:10.945 But what you do is you get to a place where you realize like you just can't 552 00:38:11.225 --> 00:38:15.864 mentally tough yourself through this thing. Like I, I like I read David Goggins, 553 00:38:15.865 --> 00:38:16.698 but you can't, David, 554 00:38:16.855 --> 00:38:20.105 even David Goggins comes to the end of what it is that he can go through. 555 00:38:20.106 --> 00:38:23.665 And so you get to a place where you have to fall down on your knees before God 556 00:38:23.864 --> 00:38:25.905 and you say, God, I don't have anything left, 557 00:38:27.364 --> 00:38:31.705 and so I need you to see me through what it is that I'm going through right now. 558 00:38:32.045 --> 00:38:34.705 And then what happens is God shows up 559 00:38:36.255 --> 00:38:40.435 and he sees us through and we start to develop this confidence. And we, 560 00:38:40.436 --> 00:38:42.715 our faith doesn't go from zero to a hundred overnight, 561 00:38:42.716 --> 00:38:46.235 but the Bible does tell us that the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. 562 00:38:46.236 --> 00:38:49.275 So we go through these trials depending on God and he shows up. 563 00:38:51.775 --> 00:38:56.645 James is calling us us to endure the trial in the way 564 00:38:56.646 --> 00:39:01.645 that will produce the most benefit for us, but allow us to feel it the least. 565 00:39:05.215 --> 00:39:08.995 You know, how I get to the gym on a regular basis is, 566 00:39:09.315 --> 00:39:13.235 is not by focusing on progressive overload, , 567 00:39:13.236 --> 00:39:14.315 that's not all that motivating. 568 00:39:14.355 --> 00:39:17.275 I want to go in there and I'm just gonna work hard. I mean every now and then, 569 00:39:17.335 --> 00:39:21.195 but I'm not just that motivated, like I have to keep the end goal in mind. 570 00:39:21.735 --> 00:39:24.795 And so for me it's things like, like I love this church and, 571 00:39:24.796 --> 00:39:28.275 and I have a desire to see this church presented back to Jesus, 572 00:39:28.614 --> 00:39:31.755 mature and complete. I have a desire to see this church live out, 573 00:39:31.756 --> 00:39:34.195 the impact that God has for it. And so I wanna be at my best. 574 00:39:34.275 --> 00:39:36.875 I wanna do everything I can do to take care of myself. I have a daughter, 575 00:39:37.685 --> 00:39:39.435 she's beautiful, she loves the Lord. 576 00:39:39.585 --> 00:39:42.515 Like I wanna walk her down the aisle one day, which by the way, 577 00:39:42.516 --> 00:39:45.475 she's not allowed to date anyone until six months before she gets married. 578 00:39:45.495 --> 00:39:46.435 So we'll see how that goes. 579 00:39:47.995 --> 00:39:50.715 I have a 12-year-old son and a 15-year-old son. 580 00:39:50.755 --> 00:39:54.955 I have two young men that live in my house and I go to the gym to make sure that 581 00:39:54.956 --> 00:39:58.235 they know that as long as they live underneath my roof, they better not test me. 582 00:39:59.375 --> 00:40:01.995 That's a real reason. Like I'm telling you that is a goal. 583 00:40:03.495 --> 00:40:07.125 So here's what James says, you're going through trials, it's gonna happen. 584 00:40:08.205 --> 00:40:09.038 Consider it joy, 585 00:40:09.965 --> 00:40:13.364 persevere through the trial and let's grow in spiritual maturity. 586 00:40:15.815 --> 00:40:17.055 I I want you to know that, um, 587 00:40:18.855 --> 00:40:21.935 I don't share this with you as a guy who's not been through some hard times. 588 00:40:22.235 --> 00:40:26.655 The last six years of our lives has been absolutely crazy. Uh, 589 00:40:26.855 --> 00:40:28.295 in 2018, uh, 590 00:40:28.296 --> 00:40:31.815 I'll never forget I was in a conference room where I'm standing right now 591 00:40:31.816 --> 00:40:34.775 physically at the Raleigh campus and I got a phone call, uh, 592 00:40:34.795 --> 00:40:35.555 and it was my brother. 593 00:40:35.555 --> 00:40:38.055 He doesn't normally call me during the day and I answer the phone and he says, 594 00:40:38.056 --> 00:40:42.775 Hey Jason, um, I think dad's dead. And, 595 00:40:43.614 --> 00:40:46.855 um, I think, well that's wasn't expecting that. I mean, 596 00:40:46.856 --> 00:40:48.735 he did have a debilitative disease, 597 00:40:48.755 --> 00:40:51.614 but like that should have been like playing out over the long term. 598 00:40:51.615 --> 00:40:53.695 Like I knew something tragic must have happened, 599 00:40:53.696 --> 00:40:56.215 something traumatic must have happened. So I jump in the truck, 600 00:40:57.015 --> 00:40:59.575 I head to their house and I get there and sure enough, 601 00:40:59.655 --> 00:41:03.335 I mean the situation that I find is not something that you would wish on anyone. 602 00:41:04.735 --> 00:41:09.195 Um, my mom is there a couple years prior to that. 603 00:41:09.196 --> 00:41:13.235 She had had a back surgery. Um, she had some health issues. Uh, 604 00:41:13.335 --> 00:41:14.955 she was actually in a state of depression. 605 00:41:15.015 --> 00:41:18.315 She was in some ways unable to fully take care of herself in a lot of ways. 606 00:41:18.316 --> 00:41:19.675 He was like her primary caretaker. 607 00:41:19.695 --> 00:41:22.635 And so all of that fell on my wife and I just like that. 608 00:41:23.175 --> 00:41:24.355 And we do have other family, 609 00:41:24.415 --> 00:41:28.395 but the truth is like as a result of like some of the trauma of how everything 610 00:41:28.635 --> 00:41:30.515 happened, it triggered some things in some of my family. 611 00:41:30.575 --> 00:41:33.925 So we were really the only ones that really could step fully into this thing. 612 00:41:34.065 --> 00:41:37.085 And I didn't have any experience like managing a state. I didn't have, 613 00:41:37.165 --> 00:41:41.925 I wasn't prepared to like be the primary caretaker for my mom. So that's 20 18, 614 00:41:41.925 --> 00:41:45.805 20 19. Uh, that was my stepdad that I was just telling you about. Um, 615 00:41:46.344 --> 00:41:49.405 my dad was going through depression, he's been diagnosed bipolar, 616 00:41:50.065 --> 00:41:53.364 and I just lost one dad in my life. I didn't wanna lose another. 617 00:41:53.385 --> 00:41:57.844 And so we actually helped him get out of his house in Windell and move closer to 618 00:41:57.845 --> 00:42:00.245 where we live so he could be closer to us and to the grandkids. 619 00:42:01.035 --> 00:42:05.525 That was a tough stint. Uh, in 2020, I could probably just leave it there. 620 00:42:06.085 --> 00:42:09.245 Um, covid happened, right? And I know 2020 was hard on everybody. 621 00:42:09.425 --> 00:42:13.285 I'm telling you in church leadership, it was a special kind of heart. It's like, 622 00:42:13.425 --> 00:42:16.525 do we gather, do we not gather? Do we wear masks? Do we not wear masks? 623 00:42:16.625 --> 00:42:19.645 And it doesn't matter what decision you make because of what the media's saying. 624 00:42:19.646 --> 00:42:21.765 Like, and I talked about this already. We're a family. 625 00:42:21.825 --> 00:42:25.364 No matter what decision you make, the family's like split on itself. 50 50, 626 00:42:25.365 --> 00:42:27.685 everybody's mad at everybody. That was a tough year. 627 00:42:29.145 --> 00:42:33.965 And then we get to 2021 and we had some significant leadership transition here 628 00:42:33.966 --> 00:42:36.325 at Hope. Our founding pastor at the time, uh, 629 00:42:36.475 --> 00:42:41.245 made a decision that no one was really expecting. And, um, immediately retired, 630 00:42:41.645 --> 00:42:45.085 resigned myself and the elders went through a process for a couple months. 631 00:42:45.235 --> 00:42:48.325 They believed that, um, God was telling them that uh, 632 00:42:48.355 --> 00:42:51.565 they were supposed to ask me if I would consider stepping into the role of lead 633 00:42:51.566 --> 00:42:53.844 pastor here at Hope. My wife and I prayed about it, 634 00:42:53.845 --> 00:42:57.165 and we did in fact believe that God did have this call on our lives. 635 00:42:57.166 --> 00:43:00.685 And so we step into this role, but legitimately two days after that, 636 00:43:00.705 --> 00:43:04.605 we find out that there actually was more to the details that none of us knew 637 00:43:04.606 --> 00:43:08.605 about, but about what was really behind that immediate resignation. 638 00:43:08.605 --> 00:43:10.325 But we're like sitting on this thing and I'm like, okay, 639 00:43:10.326 --> 00:43:12.844 well this is gonna be more difficult than I imagined. 640 00:43:14.225 --> 00:43:18.685 That's 2021 and 2022. My dad's mental health, 641 00:43:19.965 --> 00:43:20.635 um, 642 00:43:20.635 --> 00:43:25.364 kind of switched directions completely and he had a severe and significant 643 00:43:25.495 --> 00:43:30.405 manic episode. And, um, when I tell you that it was a nightmare, 644 00:43:30.565 --> 00:43:33.925 I I like, that's as g-rated as I can possibly. I mean, I mean, 645 00:43:33.926 --> 00:43:36.005 I'm talking about worried about his life, 646 00:43:36.006 --> 00:43:37.685 worried about the health and wellbeing of others, 647 00:43:37.686 --> 00:43:42.045 worried about my own family's personal safety. And listen, my dad, um, 648 00:43:43.285 --> 00:43:47.525 is a great man. Um, mental health and mental unhealth is a real thing, man. 649 00:43:47.555 --> 00:43:50.205 It's challenging and he's in a better place right now. 650 00:43:50.275 --> 00:43:53.085 He's kind of moving into a good path. And so thanks be to God for that. 651 00:43:53.305 --> 00:43:56.245 But I'm telling you that year and a half it was hell. 652 00:43:58.515 --> 00:44:03.495 And now we find ourselves in 2024 in the truth is, um, 653 00:44:03.805 --> 00:44:06.614 hope Community Church has had an incredible 30 year run. 654 00:44:06.635 --> 00:44:08.695 We just celebrated 30 years of hope. 655 00:44:09.795 --> 00:44:13.295 But God's been speaking some things to me and to our elders and to some of our 656 00:44:13.296 --> 00:44:17.895 leadership here, that it's kind of time to put a bookend, um, 657 00:44:18.195 --> 00:44:22.335 on those first 30 years and that God has actually calling us into a new 658 00:44:22.336 --> 00:44:24.975 direction, into a new identity as a church, right? 659 00:44:24.976 --> 00:44:27.695 And so he's got this new season for us. And if I could be, I, 660 00:44:27.855 --> 00:44:29.855 and we're gonna talk more about that when we get into the fall, 661 00:44:29.856 --> 00:44:32.325 so you'll hear all about it. But I just wanna tell you, 662 00:44:32.344 --> 00:44:34.805 as a man before God and as a brother before you all, 663 00:44:34.895 --> 00:44:37.805 there are days where I'm like, God, am I really the guy to step into this? 664 00:44:39.885 --> 00:44:41.545 And then not only that, um, 665 00:44:42.364 --> 00:44:45.785 we have this model here at Hope from a teaching side where we say we want to 666 00:44:45.786 --> 00:44:48.505 have unique voices with a unified vision. 667 00:44:49.364 --> 00:44:51.344 And so for the last few years I've just been saying, 668 00:44:51.345 --> 00:44:54.185 so I'm just gonna work behind the scenes and I'm gonna help make sure that we're 669 00:44:54.186 --> 00:44:56.105 moving in the right direction as a church. But recently, 670 00:44:57.545 --> 00:44:59.625 I believe the spirit of God has been saying to me, yes, 671 00:44:59.695 --> 00:45:02.185 this is the direction that we're gonna be heading in as in a church, 672 00:45:02.364 --> 00:45:05.065 but I'm also calling you to step into a more upfront role, 673 00:45:05.066 --> 00:45:07.705 preaching more regularly casting vision for the congregation, 674 00:45:07.895 --> 00:45:12.465 calling them in to what it is that I have for 'em. And I'm gonna tell you, 675 00:45:13.415 --> 00:45:16.385 there's been moments where I've said, Hey, I didn't, I didn't sign up for that. 676 00:45:18.445 --> 00:45:20.505 And then God has lovingly and gently said, 677 00:45:20.705 --> 00:45:23.265 I don't know who you think you are to tell me what it is that you're going to 678 00:45:23.266 --> 00:45:26.785 sign up for. So I said, you're right. 679 00:45:28.205 --> 00:45:29.038 But here's the thing. 680 00:45:29.175 --> 00:45:33.465 I've been through enough of these moments that I've had to get down on my knees 681 00:45:33.466 --> 00:45:35.105 and say, God, I don't have anywhere else to turn. 682 00:45:35.106 --> 00:45:38.385 And God shows up and it develops this hope 683 00:45:39.645 --> 00:45:41.905 And it develops this confidence and this faith in God. 684 00:45:43.805 --> 00:45:48.025 And I tell you that because I want you to know that I've had these moments where 685 00:45:48.026 --> 00:45:52.945 I've had to ask, man, is this really worth it? You can ask my wife, 686 00:45:53.005 --> 00:45:53.614 she would tell you, 687 00:45:53.614 --> 00:45:57.065 I've had the nights where you're laying in bed and your chest is so tight that 688 00:45:57.066 --> 00:45:58.585 you can barely breathe, much less sleep. 689 00:45:59.655 --> 00:46:03.185 Like I've had mornings where I wake up and I just have to get down on my knees 690 00:46:03.385 --> 00:46:06.225 and, and I can have to say, God, is this ever going to end? 691 00:46:06.285 --> 00:46:09.465 Are we ever going to go back to normal in our lives? 692 00:46:09.466 --> 00:46:10.745 Like what is that even gonna look like? 693 00:46:13.485 --> 00:46:16.585 And I share that with you because I know there's someone that can hear my voice 694 00:46:16.586 --> 00:46:19.985 right now, and you don't know if you can keep going 695 00:46:23.315 --> 00:46:25.055 and you're in a place right now where you're saying, 696 00:46:25.056 --> 00:46:28.975 you're telling me to consider it joy and I don't know if I can get outta bed 697 00:46:29.175 --> 00:46:34.155 tomorrow. And if that's you right now, I just want you to look at my face. 698 00:46:37.305 --> 00:46:38.138 Don't give up. 699 00:46:41.465 --> 00:46:46.435 This Bible is filled with stories of God's people getting right up to 700 00:46:46.436 --> 00:46:47.835 the edge. And at the last minute, 701 00:46:48.045 --> 00:46:51.715 God's showing up and he does it so that he can bring glory to himself and God's 702 00:46:51.716 --> 00:46:54.635 people leave stronger as a result filled with more hope. 703 00:46:55.455 --> 00:46:58.035 You have people that love you. You have a church that's not perfect, 704 00:46:58.135 --> 00:46:59.715 but we wanna be like a family to you. 705 00:46:59.895 --> 00:47:04.275 You have a God that loves you and you cannot listen to the lies that the devil 706 00:47:04.276 --> 00:47:06.635 wants to tell you that you can't make it one more day. 707 00:47:10.645 --> 00:47:14.645 I am standing in front of you as a broken man, 708 00:47:17.665 --> 00:47:20.565 and I need this to be true as much as anybody does. 709 00:47:22.505 --> 00:47:27.364 And so I'm standing strong on the word of God and I've seen it play out in my 710 00:47:27.365 --> 00:47:30.525 life. I've had people, I i legitimate, 711 00:47:30.526 --> 00:47:33.364 I've had people ask me over the last few years, man, you've been through a lot. 712 00:47:33.395 --> 00:47:35.285 Like, how do you actually get over the pain? 713 00:47:36.305 --> 00:47:40.364 And if I can be perfectly honest with you, I don't know if you do, 714 00:47:43.855 --> 00:47:45.715 but you begin to learn how to trust God with the pain. 715 00:47:46.855 --> 00:47:47.688 And. 716 00:47:48.035 --> 00:47:51.315 You actually learn over time that there's something more beautiful on the other 717 00:47:51.385 --> 00:47:53.715 side is your faith in him grow. 718 00:47:58.315 --> 00:48:02.555 I want you to know that Jesus struggled with the same thing as we wrap up. Um, 719 00:48:04.255 --> 00:48:05.715 it was the night before the crucifixion 720 00:48:07.375 --> 00:48:11.755 and Jesus is with his disciples and he goes into the garden of Gethsemane and he 721 00:48:11.756 --> 00:48:14.475 says this to his disciples, sit here while I go over there and pray. 722 00:48:15.215 --> 00:48:17.475 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, 723 00:48:17.614 --> 00:48:21.795 he began to be sorrowful and troubled. And then he said to them, 724 00:48:21.796 --> 00:48:24.195 my soul is very sorrowful even to death. 725 00:48:26.255 --> 00:48:30.875 Remain here and watch with me. And then going a little further, 726 00:48:31.015 --> 00:48:32.675 he fell down on his face and prayed. 727 00:48:32.915 --> 00:48:36.555 Remember like the key to making it through difficult times is not just pulling 728 00:48:36.556 --> 00:48:38.515 ourselves up by our bootstraps. We have work to do. 729 00:48:38.516 --> 00:48:39.594 We gotta try to change our mindset, 730 00:48:40.015 --> 00:48:42.675 but the power comes when we lay down before God and we say, God, 731 00:48:42.815 --> 00:48:47.515 we need you to move. And Jesus prayed, 732 00:48:47.675 --> 00:48:50.755 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. 733 00:48:52.315 --> 00:48:55.235 Nevertheless, not my will, 734 00:48:56.655 --> 00:48:57.635 but your will be done. 735 00:49:01.555 --> 00:49:06.325 I want you to know that the way of Jesus 736 00:49:08.135 --> 00:49:13.125 leads to trials and the way of trials can lead to death. I'm, 737 00:49:13.185 --> 00:49:15.165 I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna tell you anything different, 738 00:49:15.305 --> 00:49:19.525 but what I do want you to remember is on the other side of death through Jesus 739 00:49:20.025 --> 00:49:22.844 is resurrection. Okay? 740 00:49:22.845 --> 00:49:26.085 And this is why we have to remind ourselves of the gospel all the time, 741 00:49:26.415 --> 00:49:29.125 every single day. It's not something that we need one time to get this, 742 00:49:29.126 --> 00:49:31.805 get outta hell, jail free. It's because trials are gonna come. 743 00:49:31.945 --> 00:49:35.405 And we have to remember in that moment, no, no, no. Wait a minute, Jesus said, 744 00:49:35.406 --> 00:49:38.205 nevertheless, this isn't what I long to do. But nevertheless, Lord, 745 00:49:38.206 --> 00:49:39.645 if it's your will, I'll take this on. 746 00:49:39.646 --> 00:49:42.965 And he went to a cross and he paid for my sins and for your sins. 747 00:49:42.966 --> 00:49:47.125 And he rose from the grave three days later overcoming sin and death so that in 748 00:49:47.126 --> 00:49:50.005 this moment we could all stand together as a church family and say, 749 00:49:50.225 --> 00:49:51.364 we have hope. 750 00:49:55.055 --> 00:49:56.645 Jesus didn't go to a cross 751 00:49:59.695 --> 00:50:02.795 so that we would sit in a place of hopelessness. 752 00:50:05.075 --> 00:50:07.675 I told you earlier that he said, in this life, we will face trials. 753 00:50:07.735 --> 00:50:11.955 He finishes that verse by saying, but take heart. 754 00:50:13.614 --> 00:50:14.655 I have overcome the world. 755 00:50:18.195 --> 00:50:20.255 One of our elders earlier this morning, he said, man, 756 00:50:20.256 --> 00:50:25.255 there's no greater picture of progressive overload than the garden 757 00:50:25.256 --> 00:50:27.925 of Gethsemane or on the cross of Calvary. 758 00:50:32.215 --> 00:50:34.175 Um, I've said this once, I just wanna say it one more time. 759 00:50:34.825 --> 00:50:39.415 Jesus didn't go through what he went through on that cross for you and I to sit 760 00:50:39.575 --> 00:50:42.575 and despair when the stone rolled away three days later, 761 00:50:42.635 --> 00:50:46.535 he ensured that you and I can have hope and whatever trial it is that we face, 762 00:50:48.155 --> 00:50:52.175 I'm just gonna ask you to bow your heads across all of our campuses. 763 00:50:53.315 --> 00:50:56.255 And I just wanna pray for you. 764 00:50:59.635 --> 00:51:02.975 And so I'm gonna ask that if you find yourself in a place right now, 765 00:51:02.995 --> 00:51:07.985 if you find yourself in a trial where you just need God to move, 766 00:51:10.645 --> 00:51:11.985 I'm just gonna ask you to raise your hand 767 00:51:16.005 --> 00:51:17.065 and you can just hold it there. 768 00:51:18.265 --> 00:51:20.755 This is a sign of surrender as a sign of dependency on God. 769 00:51:23.255 --> 00:51:25.555 Father I, I lift up 770 00:51:27.735 --> 00:51:29.195 my brothers and sisters, 771 00:51:29.335 --> 00:51:32.435 the men and women and students across all of our campuses, 772 00:51:33.585 --> 00:51:35.555 whether they're walking down the street right now, 773 00:51:35.556 --> 00:51:40.515 listen to this with their hand in the air. Lord, 774 00:51:40.715 --> 00:51:43.235 you your word tells us in this life we will face trials. 775 00:51:43.255 --> 00:51:46.955 And so I pray right now that your Holy Spirit would bring a supernatural peace 776 00:51:47.085 --> 00:51:48.675 which transcends all understanding. 777 00:51:52.415 --> 00:51:52.995 Father, 778 00:51:52.995 --> 00:51:56.315 I also wanna pray that we would be able to live out what your word calls us 779 00:51:56.344 --> 00:52:00.755 into, that we would not break the cycle of what it is that you want to do in our 780 00:52:00.756 --> 00:52:00.916 lives. 781 00:52:00.916 --> 00:52:05.035 That we would find a way to mentally considerate joy when we go through these 782 00:52:05.036 --> 00:52:08.915 trials because we know that it's moving us from a spiritual infant into a 783 00:52:09.155 --> 00:52:09.614 spiritual adult. 784 00:52:09.614 --> 00:52:13.475 And we know that this world needs men and women and students who can stand 785 00:52:13.495 --> 00:52:18.035 strong in the face of trials. So Lord, 786 00:52:18.036 --> 00:52:20.755 I pray that you would give strength. I pray that you would bring healing. 787 00:52:21.155 --> 00:52:24.275 I pray for the man who's worried about his children. I pray for, uh, 788 00:52:24.515 --> 00:52:27.035 the the child who's worried about foster care. Lord, 789 00:52:27.114 --> 00:52:29.275 I pray for the individual who's worried about a sickness, 790 00:52:29.364 --> 00:52:31.155 who's maybe looking at surgery down the road. 791 00:52:37.025 --> 00:52:39.155 Lord, I pray for the marriage. It's on the rocks. 792 00:52:43.185 --> 00:52:46.715 Lord, we lift them up to you. And Father, 793 00:52:46.716 --> 00:52:49.594 as we wrap up this series called the Jesus Way, 794 00:52:50.645 --> 00:52:54.315 Jesus calls us into a new way of life. Lord, 795 00:52:54.364 --> 00:52:59.315 would we be a church that willingly steps into the life that 796 00:52:59.316 --> 00:53:03.635 you have for us and boldly live out what it is that you call us into for a world 797 00:53:03.636 --> 00:53:07.594 that desperately needs it ultimately for your glory? Lord, we love you. 798 00:53:07.614 --> 00:53:09.475 We thank you for the good news. We thank you for the gospel. 799 00:53:09.575 --> 00:53:12.955 We thank you for the hope that we have and everyone said together and amen.