WEBVTT 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:05.526 I've chosen for this morning. 00:00:05.526 --> 00:00:06.998 We're not in Hebrews this morning. 00:00:06.998 --> 00:00:07.766 We're not going. 00:00:07.766 --> 00:00:11.270 See, they even took my little picture off here this morning. 00:00:11.270 --> 00:00:12.894 But we're in psalm 145. 00:00:12.934 --> 00:00:14.494 I want to share with you the passage. 00:00:14.494 --> 00:00:17.094 And then we've got a couple things I want to do this morning. 00:00:17.094 --> 00:00:21.214 This is the last psalm of David that we find in the book of psalms. 00:00:21.214 --> 00:00:24.134 It's a collection of hymns that David wrote, 00:00:24.174 --> 00:00:27.320 psalm 138 through 145. 00:00:27.502 --> 00:00:29.788 And I'm going to read the first seven verses to you. 00:00:29.660 --> 00:00:30.124 Here you go. 00:00:30.124 --> 00:00:31.114 I exalt you, 00:00:31.132 --> 00:00:32.464 my God the king, 00:00:32.964 --> 00:00:35.036 and bless your name forever and ever. 00:00:35.036 --> 00:00:37.016 I will bless you every day. 00:00:37.188 --> 00:00:39.292 I will praise your name forever and ever. 00:00:39.292 --> 00:00:41.272 The Lord is greatness highly praised. 00:00:41.180 --> 00:00:43.548 His greatness is unsearchable. 00:00:43.676 --> 00:00:47.692 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your 00:00:47.692 --> 00:00:48.444 mighty acts. 00:00:48.484 --> 00:00:52.956 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous 00:00:53.020 --> 00:00:57.562 works. They will proclaim the power of your all inspiring acts. 00:00:57.578 --> 00:00:59.558 And I will declare your greatness. 00:00:59.834 --> 00:01:05.178 They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing 00:01:05.346 --> 00:01:07.174 of your righteousness. 00:01:08.154 --> 00:01:09.426 See, several years ago, 00:01:09.426 --> 00:01:14.946 15 years ago almost now we got to come to surf city. 00:01:15.010 --> 00:01:19.438 God, we distinctly felt that God was moving our family here. 00:01:19.626 --> 00:01:23.918 And we're going to celebrate God this morning and what God's done. 00:01:23.966 --> 00:01:24.366 So. 00:01:24.470 --> 00:01:26.150 Alrighty, I want you to pray with me. 00:01:26.150 --> 00:01:28.774 Father, we thank you and praise you again for today, 00:01:28.774 --> 00:01:31.862 the opportunity we have to celebrate and worship, 00:01:31.918 --> 00:01:32.674 but together, 00:01:33.334 --> 00:01:33.862 because God, 00:01:33.862 --> 00:01:35.534 we can celebrate and worship anytime, 00:01:35.534 --> 00:01:36.278 anywhere. We are. 00:01:36.278 --> 00:01:36.734 And indeed, 00:01:36.734 --> 00:01:39.230 I agree with those folks say I don't have to go to church to be a 00:01:39.230 --> 00:01:39.710 Christian. No, 00:01:39.710 --> 00:01:40.434 you don't. 00:01:41.014 --> 00:01:41.942 But the truth is, 00:01:41.942 --> 00:01:46.330 God, you call us together as the body for the encouragement and 00:01:46.362 --> 00:01:51.026 accountability and worship together so that we draw strength as the body 00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:53.602 when we come together to worship you and God. 00:01:53.602 --> 00:01:55.252 That's what this psalm's about. 00:01:55.594 --> 00:01:56.554 It's worship. 00:01:56.634 --> 00:01:58.138 Praise God. 00:01:58.186 --> 00:01:59.962 We gather to exalt your name. 00:01:59.754 --> 00:02:01.226 We gather to bring you glory. 00:02:01.226 --> 00:02:01.530 And so, 00:02:01.530 --> 00:02:04.546 God, as we talk about some things this morning, 00:02:04.730 --> 00:02:07.700 God help us just to praise you in them. 00:02:07.754 --> 00:02:09.394 We pray it in Jesus name. 00:02:09.394 --> 00:02:10.890 Amen. They say, 00:02:10.922 --> 00:02:12.294 I love the gathering. 00:02:13.134 --> 00:02:14.054 The gathering. 00:02:14.094 --> 00:02:16.134 And I always use small letters, 00:02:16.214 --> 00:02:17.614 small t and small g. 00:02:17.614 --> 00:02:21.254 And that sort of messes with people sometimes because the gathering is 00:02:21.254 --> 00:02:25.358 not. We got a letter yesterday that was addressed to the gathering 00:02:25.406 --> 00:02:30.630 church. Y'all realize that's a redundancy because the word, 00:02:30.702 --> 00:02:31.206 the word, 00:02:31.206 --> 00:02:33.118 the word church is the people. 00:02:32.926 --> 00:02:34.182 And when the people gather, 00:02:34.182 --> 00:02:35.406 that's the gathering. 00:02:35.550 --> 00:02:36.982 And so I love the gathering. 00:02:36.982 --> 00:02:39.454 And 15 years ago about this time, 00:02:39.534 --> 00:02:41.342 actually, I got a phone call from. 00:02:41.342 --> 00:02:42.408 From Marianne Lane. 00:02:42.456 --> 00:02:44.504 And some of you will remember Marianne. 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:45.560 She passed away recently. 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:48.496 She was the chairman of the search committee. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:50.400 How many of y'all know what that is? 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:51.832 Bunch of baptists in the room. 00:02:51.832 --> 00:02:52.536 I see that. 00:02:52.416 --> 00:02:53.088 All right. 00:02:53.256 --> 00:02:54.906 Chairman of the search committee. 00:02:54.944 --> 00:02:56.224 And she called me and said, 00:02:56.224 --> 00:03:01.564 we have your resume and we'd like to call your references. 00:03:02.064 --> 00:03:02.712 And I said, 00:03:02.712 --> 00:03:03.760 well, if they're on there, 00:03:03.760 --> 00:03:05.410 then you can call them. 00:03:05.584 --> 00:03:11.036 And so that began the conversation that took about two and a half months. 00:03:11.100 --> 00:03:11.924 Well, three months, 00:03:11.924 --> 00:03:17.664 maybe. And then we moved here in September of 2009. 00:03:18.164 --> 00:03:22.260 But the word rebirth was used back then, 00:03:22.452 --> 00:03:27.944 that surf city Baptist church needed a rebirth. 00:03:28.484 --> 00:03:29.824 And I laughed. 00:03:30.244 --> 00:03:30.732 I said, 00:03:30.732 --> 00:03:33.424 well, we can do that. 00:03:34.484 --> 00:03:35.824 But two things. 00:03:36.204 --> 00:03:39.804 It's not going to look like you think it's going to look, 00:03:39.804 --> 00:03:42.324 and it's harder than you think it is, 00:03:42.324 --> 00:03:43.332 right? Because, 00:03:43.428 --> 00:03:43.908 I mean, 00:03:43.908 --> 00:03:50.636 a lot of times we'll put a whole lot of faith in a pastor to sort of be 00:03:50.660 --> 00:03:58.644 the catalyst for church growth or church expansion and all that kind of 00:03:58.684 --> 00:03:59.960 stuff. Well, 00:03:59.992 --> 00:04:02.480 I'm the first one to admit to you that I'm a clown. 00:04:02.480 --> 00:04:04.460 And I know I'm a clown, 00:04:04.704 --> 00:04:05.632 but God, 00:04:05.768 --> 00:04:06.604 you know, 00:04:07.024 --> 00:04:10.432 I'm about to celebrate 42 years in ministry, 00:04:10.608 --> 00:04:13.088 and that's just because God decided so, 00:04:13.256 --> 00:04:14.064 all right. 00:04:14.224 --> 00:04:15.520 And so I love it. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.904 And so the gathering just has become this thing that I'm just like, 00:04:18.904 --> 00:04:22.534 yay. Do y'all know what was going on in here yesterday? 00:04:23.504 --> 00:04:24.684 Anybody know? 00:04:25.164 --> 00:04:27.940 Yeah, they had a fashion show yesterday, 00:04:28.052 --> 00:04:33.264 and I am just amazed that they didn't ask me to model. 00:04:36.644 --> 00:04:39.236 But it was a fun time for the ladies ministry, 00:04:39.236 --> 00:04:40.684 and there was a devotional time, 00:04:40.684 --> 00:04:44.644 and there was a time of fellowship and a time of just loving on each 00:04:44.644 --> 00:04:47.548 other and enjoying coming together around that thing. 00:04:47.636 --> 00:04:50.408 And if you had said that 15 years ago, 00:04:50.556 --> 00:04:54.516 we're going to have a fashion show at Surf City Baptist Church, 00:04:54.536 --> 00:04:55.344 first of all, 00:04:55.344 --> 00:04:58.314 you'd have to walk on top of the pews. 00:04:59.024 --> 00:05:00.344 So things have changed. 00:05:00.352 --> 00:05:01.952 We've seen God do some incredible things, 00:05:01.952 --> 00:05:04.432 and God has built this gathering, 00:05:04.568 --> 00:05:06.144 this body of believers, 00:05:06.184 --> 00:05:07.800 this gathering of saints, 00:05:07.832 --> 00:05:08.856 this, you know, 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:11.404 all of this that we enjoy. 00:05:12.544 --> 00:05:17.520 So I think through the events of the years and we began years ago, 00:05:17.632 --> 00:05:18.354 I. 00:05:18.544 --> 00:05:22.686 We kind of hit upon this idea that the two great commandments love God, 00:05:22.686 --> 00:05:23.734 love your neighbor. 00:05:23.854 --> 00:05:24.230 I said, 00:05:24.230 --> 00:05:24.782 all right, 00:05:24.782 --> 00:05:26.438 we're going to make those our priorities. 00:05:26.438 --> 00:05:27.182 We're loving God, 00:05:27.182 --> 00:05:29.198 and we're going to live Jesus in the community. 00:05:29.198 --> 00:05:30.918 We're going to love our community. 00:05:30.918 --> 00:05:33.366 So we began doing the worship in the park. 00:05:33.070 --> 00:05:35.050 Long before there was a crowd, 00:05:35.054 --> 00:05:36.014 we'd go to the park, 00:05:36.014 --> 00:05:38.294 and we'd hold worship down there in the park, 00:05:38.294 --> 00:05:41.950 and we'd feed people hot dogs and stuff like that just to love the 00:05:41.950 --> 00:05:46.366 community, because God told us that that was one of the things they will 00:05:46.366 --> 00:05:49.296 know. You are my disciples if you love each other. 00:05:49.296 --> 00:05:52.424 And then he told us to go out and love one another. 00:05:52.424 --> 00:05:55.712 That doesn't mean we agree with everything that goes on there, 00:05:55.712 --> 00:05:58.044 but we are called to love people. 00:05:58.384 --> 00:06:01.360 And so that's one of the greatest things that I enjoy about what the 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:02.020 gathering does, 00:06:02.024 --> 00:06:03.674 is to love on people. 00:06:03.864 --> 00:06:07.644 I can remember the first ocean baptism. 00:06:08.944 --> 00:06:10.264 It was a Wednesday night. 00:06:10.264 --> 00:06:12.364 We had this crotchety old man. 00:06:13.644 --> 00:06:16.100 His name was Thomas. 00:06:16.292 --> 00:06:18.052 What was Thomas's last name? 00:06:18.188 --> 00:06:19.076 Who remembers? 00:06:19.180 --> 00:06:20.830 Head of the Boy scouts, 00:06:21.684 --> 00:06:23.264 Thomas and Sarah. 00:06:23.644 --> 00:06:25.588 I haven't talked to them in years now, 00:06:25.588 --> 00:06:28.012 but they were here for Boy scouts. 00:06:28.148 --> 00:06:29.116 And Thomas, 00:06:29.260 --> 00:06:29.660 he said, 00:06:29.660 --> 00:06:31.516 well, he'd never been baptized before. 00:06:31.516 --> 00:06:32.548 He was an older gentleman. 00:06:32.412 --> 00:06:33.072 He said, 00:06:33.084 --> 00:06:34.308 if I'm getting baptized, 00:06:34.308 --> 00:06:35.884 I'm getting baptized in the ocean. 00:06:35.884 --> 00:06:37.204 And I was like, 00:06:37.484 --> 00:06:40.564 okay, we can do that. 00:06:41.384 --> 00:06:43.192 And so that Wednesday night, 00:06:43.248 --> 00:06:44.320 we crossed the street, 00:06:44.320 --> 00:06:44.808 went over there, 00:06:44.808 --> 00:06:48.124 and I baptized Thomas and his wife in the ocean. 00:06:48.504 --> 00:06:52.104 That was the first time I'd ever baptized anybody in the ocean. 00:06:52.104 --> 00:06:53.944 We've baptized so many now, 00:06:53.984 --> 00:06:57.904 I can't even count how many people we've baptized in the ocean. 00:06:56.744 --> 00:06:58.288 Now. See, 00:06:58.336 --> 00:06:59.724 God's blessed. 00:07:00.104 --> 00:07:01.720 God's done this. 00:07:01.912 --> 00:07:04.280 I want to praise God this morning. 00:07:04.472 --> 00:07:06.424 I want to sing his praises. 00:07:06.184 --> 00:07:07.040 I exalt you, 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:07.504 my God, 00:07:07.504 --> 00:07:07.904 the king, 00:07:07.904 --> 00:07:10.644 and bless your name forever and ever. 00:07:11.174 --> 00:07:12.686 I want you to do something this morning. 00:07:12.686 --> 00:07:13.550 Everybody in the room. 00:07:13.550 --> 00:07:14.726 Cause I'm gonna call on you. 00:07:14.726 --> 00:07:18.950 I know enough names in the room that I can call you by. 00:07:18.614 --> 00:07:20.274 Write a hymn right now. 00:07:21.054 --> 00:07:22.526 A hymn of praise. 00:07:22.630 --> 00:07:24.280 Write it in your mouth. 00:07:24.734 --> 00:07:27.366 Grab one of those cards or one of those pens. 00:07:27.366 --> 00:07:32.998 But I want to know what your psalm would sound like if you were gonna 00:07:33.046 --> 00:07:38.214 write a psalm of praise to God for all that he's done. 00:07:38.794 --> 00:07:41.698 Okay. What would your psalm sound like? 00:07:41.826 --> 00:07:44.294 What would you praise him for first? 00:07:44.754 --> 00:07:47.134 How would you exalt him first? 00:07:47.514 --> 00:07:49.164 What would be the first. 00:07:50.954 --> 00:07:52.490 I'm gonna get Mark in just a minute, 00:07:52.490 --> 00:07:53.394 but here you go. 00:07:53.394 --> 00:07:54.978 What if somebody said, 00:07:55.146 --> 00:07:58.570 what is the first words of your praise of God? 00:07:58.762 --> 00:08:00.082 What would they be? 00:08:00.258 --> 00:08:00.786 All right. 00:08:00.786 --> 00:08:02.436 You'd be thinking about that. 00:08:02.674 --> 00:08:06.530 Because I not only remember the first ocean baptism, 00:08:06.682 --> 00:08:11.374 I remember the first time we took a group to Camp Carraway. 00:08:12.274 --> 00:08:12.930 Remember that, 00:08:12.930 --> 00:08:15.170 Jennifer? It was me and Jennifer. 00:08:15.322 --> 00:08:15.922 We were the only. 00:08:15.922 --> 00:08:18.562 Were we the only chaperones the first year. 00:08:18.434 --> 00:08:18.818 All right. 00:08:18.818 --> 00:08:19.478 We took 15. 00:08:19.554 --> 00:08:21.234 About 15 people to Captain Carraway. 00:08:21.274 --> 00:08:22.706 Mark, come on down here. 00:08:22.706 --> 00:08:25.346 I want to tell y'all about Mark Moore. 00:08:25.714 --> 00:08:27.634 I was pastoring in Pisgah Forest, 00:08:27.634 --> 00:08:28.654 North Carolina. 00:08:29.414 --> 00:08:32.774 And you can tell Mark and I are about the same age, 00:08:32.774 --> 00:08:33.398 right? Oh, 00:08:33.398 --> 00:08:34.388 wait a minute. 00:08:34.414 --> 00:08:35.558 I'm gonna give you a mic, 00:08:35.558 --> 00:08:36.382 Mark. All right, 00:08:36.382 --> 00:08:37.102 here you go. 00:08:36.854 --> 00:08:37.366 It's on. 00:08:37.366 --> 00:08:37.670 All right, 00:08:37.670 --> 00:08:38.486 there you go. 00:08:38.486 --> 00:08:39.126 Same age. 00:08:39.126 --> 00:08:39.598 Got it. 00:08:39.598 --> 00:08:40.206 Same age, 00:08:40.206 --> 00:08:40.536 right? 00:08:40.486 --> 00:08:40.942 Got it. 00:08:40.942 --> 00:08:41.222 All right. 00:08:41.222 --> 00:08:41.926 No, actually, 00:08:42.030 --> 00:08:44.154 I'm closer to Mark's dad's age. 00:08:44.734 --> 00:08:45.394 His dad, 00:08:45.438 --> 00:08:47.418 Stephen, was a pastor in Pisgah, 00:08:47.494 --> 00:08:48.166 in Brevard, 00:08:48.230 --> 00:08:50.022 actually, technically in Brevard. 00:08:50.158 --> 00:08:52.494 And so I was friends with his dad, 00:08:52.494 --> 00:08:53.758 and then I came down here. 00:08:53.638 --> 00:08:55.550 But I had met Mark and his brother Matthew, 00:08:55.550 --> 00:08:58.726 and they had been around PiS de Forest Baptist church. 00:08:58.726 --> 00:09:00.782 That's when you used to do backflips in the church. 00:09:00.782 --> 00:09:02.014 No, that was a cartwheel. 00:09:02.014 --> 00:09:02.734 Cartwheel, sorry. 00:09:02.774 --> 00:09:03.104 Yeah. 00:09:02.918 --> 00:09:05.494 Right. So I asked Mark this morning, 00:09:05.534 --> 00:09:05.830 I said, 00:09:05.830 --> 00:09:06.630 mark, I said, 00:09:06.630 --> 00:09:09.222 what are the most important things in your life? 00:09:09.222 --> 00:09:09.590 I said, 00:09:09.590 --> 00:09:11.830 because that's what I'm going to interview about this morning. 00:09:11.830 --> 00:09:12.490 All right. 00:09:12.566 --> 00:09:13.238 Because I told him, 00:09:13.238 --> 00:09:13.438 I said, 00:09:13.438 --> 00:09:13.662 all right, 00:09:13.662 --> 00:09:14.398 Mark, you know, 00:09:14.398 --> 00:09:16.378 the most important things to you. 00:09:16.390 --> 00:09:19.134 What were the first praise you would offer? 00:09:19.254 --> 00:09:20.198 So that's what I'm going to ask you. 00:09:20.198 --> 00:09:22.054 What's the first praise you want to offer this morning? 00:09:22.054 --> 00:09:26.764 Mark? Thank God for his goodness that his. 00:09:28.504 --> 00:09:29.472 That our. 00:09:29.648 --> 00:09:30.872 What happens in our life, 00:09:30.872 --> 00:09:32.004 our circumstances. 00:09:33.784 --> 00:09:36.800 His goodness never changed despite our circumstances. 00:09:36.992 --> 00:09:40.608 Okay. His goodness never changed despite our circumstances. 00:09:40.696 --> 00:09:43.640 Right? Cause anybody go through rough times? 00:09:43.832 --> 00:09:44.924 Of course. 00:09:45.424 --> 00:09:46.776 God's still good. 00:09:46.920 --> 00:09:48.276 God's still good. 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:48.852 All right. 00:09:48.852 --> 00:09:50.972 What else would you praise God for? 00:09:50.972 --> 00:09:52.292 My wife and family. 00:09:53.684 --> 00:09:56.316 Those relationships are critical. 00:09:56.420 --> 00:09:57.412 They're huge. 00:09:57.588 --> 00:10:04.044 And I think that God uses my family and uses our family to bring him 00:10:04.084 --> 00:10:06.716 glory and share the love of Jesus with other people, 00:10:06.716 --> 00:10:07.140 by the way, 00:10:07.140 --> 00:10:08.764 we live our life as a family. 00:10:08.764 --> 00:10:09.580 All right. 00:10:09.732 --> 00:10:13.180 Is your family involved in what God's called you to do? 00:10:13.180 --> 00:10:15.152 Yes. Are they? 00:10:15.248 --> 00:10:16.048 Sometimes, yes. 00:10:16.096 --> 00:10:17.604 Sometimes. Occasionally. 00:10:18.784 --> 00:10:20.434 So what is that then? 00:10:21.144 --> 00:10:21.804 What is. 00:10:21.640 --> 00:10:23.912 What is it that God's called you to do? 00:10:23.912 --> 00:10:27.160 I think God has called me to invest in people. 00:10:27.160 --> 00:10:32.204 I think God has called me to and my family to care about community. 00:10:33.064 --> 00:10:35.448 And that community changes from time to time, 00:10:35.448 --> 00:10:35.952 I think, 00:10:35.952 --> 00:10:36.696 about every week. 00:10:36.696 --> 00:10:38.884 Yeah, right. 00:10:39.884 --> 00:10:40.924 This is Mark Moore. 00:10:40.924 --> 00:10:43.264 He is the director of Camp Carraway. 00:10:44.284 --> 00:10:46.664 And so 2013. 00:10:47.324 --> 00:10:48.044 Cause I knew. 00:10:48.044 --> 00:10:51.014 Mark, why did you call me the first time? 00:10:51.164 --> 00:10:52.028 Why did I what? 00:10:52.028 --> 00:10:55.620 Why did you call me the first time you embarked on this trajectory for 00:10:55.620 --> 00:10:56.788 Camp Caraway. 00:10:56.956 --> 00:10:58.936 That was a long time ago. 00:10:59.444 --> 00:11:01.772 2021. I honestly don't remember I called. 00:11:01.948 --> 00:11:06.750 The way I grew camp that year was I felt like God told me to do it 00:11:06.750 --> 00:11:08.014 through relationships. 00:11:08.134 --> 00:11:10.182 And I called hundreds of churches. 00:11:10.238 --> 00:11:13.894 I started with the people that I knew and worked my way down into people 00:11:13.894 --> 00:11:15.102 that I didn't know. 00:11:15.102 --> 00:11:19.254 So I called hundreds of pastors and children's pastors and people like 00:11:19.294 --> 00:11:20.654 that, and most of them said, 00:11:20.654 --> 00:11:21.110 I don't. 00:11:21.110 --> 00:11:21.440 What? 00:11:21.470 --> 00:11:23.454 What are you wanting me to do? 00:11:23.454 --> 00:11:24.550 But a couple of them were like, 00:11:24.550 --> 00:11:25.982 whoo. And there you go, 00:11:25.982 --> 00:11:26.714 you know, 00:11:27.534 --> 00:11:28.022 he said, 00:11:28.022 --> 00:11:33.210 we're gonna do a co ed week at camp this year because Camp Carraway was 00:11:33.242 --> 00:11:36.186 always the RA camp royal ambassador boys camp. 00:11:36.290 --> 00:11:37.610 Mike, were you there? 00:11:37.666 --> 00:11:39.316 He went to Ra camp. 00:11:38.866 --> 00:11:39.898 Nice. See? 00:11:39.986 --> 00:11:40.898 So. But he said, 00:11:40.898 --> 00:11:41.138 we're going to. 00:11:41.138 --> 00:11:42.418 He's closer to your age. 00:11:42.250 --> 00:11:43.454 He is closer. 00:11:45.234 --> 00:11:45.722 He said, 00:11:45.722 --> 00:11:47.642 we're going to do a co ed camp this year. 00:11:47.642 --> 00:11:48.302 He said, 00:11:48.378 --> 00:11:50.234 would you be interested in bringing a group? 00:11:50.234 --> 00:11:51.554 And I was like, 00:11:51.754 --> 00:11:53.186 I don't know. 00:11:53.330 --> 00:11:53.954 I mean, 00:11:53.954 --> 00:11:54.258 you know, 00:11:54.258 --> 00:11:55.578 in the early years, 00:11:55.794 --> 00:11:57.774 Eli was the only kid here, 00:11:57.786 --> 00:11:58.446 and so. 00:11:58.400 --> 00:12:01.370 But we had about 15 that signed up to go. 00:12:01.464 --> 00:12:03.288 And so we went to camp care. 00:12:03.288 --> 00:12:04.938 I'm not a camp guy. 00:12:05.224 --> 00:12:06.072 Matter of fact, 00:12:06.072 --> 00:12:07.376 you put me in the woods. 00:12:07.376 --> 00:12:09.884 I'm looking for the cafeteria or something. 00:12:10.304 --> 00:12:11.344 Cause I'm not. 00:12:11.424 --> 00:12:13.248 I don't hang out in the woods a whole lot. 00:12:13.248 --> 00:12:14.928 Alrighty. But anyway, 00:12:14.976 --> 00:12:17.904 Mark was doing this and it was an experiment. 00:12:17.904 --> 00:12:18.632 Was it? 00:12:18.728 --> 00:12:19.224 Sort of. 00:12:19.224 --> 00:12:19.480 I mean, 00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:20.648 we wanted it to work, 00:12:20.648 --> 00:12:22.920 but we knew we had to have a successful year. 00:12:22.920 --> 00:12:24.232 We had to have people say, 00:12:24.232 --> 00:12:25.584 we want to come back. 00:12:25.584 --> 00:12:27.722 So we put it in the Lord's hands and said, 00:12:27.722 --> 00:12:29.682 lord, we're going to try give it our all. 00:12:29.682 --> 00:12:34.258 Because we did have a 40 plus year history of being a boys only camp. 00:12:34.034 --> 00:12:36.354 And there was a camp munda vista at the time. 00:12:36.354 --> 00:12:38.730 Across the road from us was a girls only camp. 00:12:38.730 --> 00:12:40.258 So we were like, 00:12:40.306 --> 00:12:42.970 okay, is this what God wants us to do or is this what we want to do? 00:12:42.970 --> 00:12:44.450 So based on leadership, 00:12:44.562 --> 00:12:47.082 teamwork, and a lot of prayer and a lot of faith, 00:12:47.082 --> 00:12:47.410 we're like, 00:12:47.410 --> 00:12:48.298 we're going to do it. 00:12:48.298 --> 00:12:50.954 We had 60 people and you brought 15 of them. 00:12:50.994 --> 00:12:52.456 We brought 15 of them. 00:12:52.570 --> 00:12:56.860 And I actually got to chaperone part of some other churches group because 00:12:56.924 --> 00:12:59.060 it really was experimental in a way. 00:12:59.060 --> 00:12:59.652 But, you know, 00:12:59.652 --> 00:13:03.084 Mark, trusting God with vision and that sort of thing. 00:13:03.164 --> 00:13:04.144 And now, 00:13:04.924 --> 00:13:06.452 what does co ed camp look like? 00:13:06.452 --> 00:13:09.500 Now we have five and a half weeks of over 200, 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:09.830 right? 00:13:09.700 --> 00:13:12.140 Around 200 each each week. 00:13:12.332 --> 00:13:14.596 And you don't come anymore very often. 00:13:14.596 --> 00:13:15.172 We try. 00:13:15.172 --> 00:13:15.832 We try. 00:13:15.884 --> 00:13:16.620 Okay. 00:13:16.772 --> 00:13:18.636 I come from one afternoon every week. 00:13:18.636 --> 00:13:20.824 We scared him off that first year. 00:13:20.824 --> 00:13:22.072 And God has used that. 00:13:22.072 --> 00:13:26.360 God has blessed us with growing our staff and our leadership team so that 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:28.728 I can kind of not do everything. 00:13:28.816 --> 00:13:29.884 That's really cool. 00:13:30.344 --> 00:13:31.004 That's awesome. 00:13:31.032 --> 00:13:32.352 You've done that here. 00:13:33.224 --> 00:13:34.800 And God is still. 00:13:34.912 --> 00:13:39.408 It's the same gospel message that happened so long ago. 00:13:39.456 --> 00:13:43.512 It's the same gospel message that we're living out through fun. 00:13:43.568 --> 00:13:45.736 We're using fun to share the gospel. 00:13:45.736 --> 00:13:47.880 We're using fun to connect people together. 00:13:47.880 --> 00:13:50.638 We're using fun to create life change. 00:13:50.726 --> 00:13:53.494 We're using fun to serve on mission together. 00:13:53.654 --> 00:13:54.318 Cool. 00:13:54.446 --> 00:13:56.718 And we get to take over 100 kids. 00:13:56.718 --> 00:13:59.494 Yes. July 15, 00:13:59.654 --> 00:14:00.634 we're ready. 00:14:01.214 --> 00:14:06.914 And they put things like hatchets in the hands of children. 00:14:08.734 --> 00:14:09.334 Or worse, 00:14:09.334 --> 00:14:10.286 chaperones. 00:14:10.470 --> 00:14:11.870 Or chaperones. 00:14:12.062 --> 00:14:13.394 Bb guns. 00:14:15.024 --> 00:14:16.014 It's a blast. 00:14:16.032 --> 00:14:20.016 And so Mark gets to come down and hang out with us every year, 00:14:20.016 --> 00:14:21.384 at least one week a year. 00:14:21.384 --> 00:14:24.354 We try to get to bring his family down. 00:14:24.264 --> 00:14:24.960 His family will be. 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:26.304 Are they going to be here at 925? 00:14:26.304 --> 00:14:27.096 Yes, that's the plan. 00:14:27.096 --> 00:14:28.976 His family will all be here at 925. 00:14:28.976 --> 00:14:29.368 I told him, 00:14:29.368 --> 00:14:29.568 I said, 00:14:29.568 --> 00:14:30.888 I want to interview you. 00:14:30.680 --> 00:14:31.040 I said, 00:14:31.040 --> 00:14:32.728 so you need to be here early. 00:14:32.728 --> 00:14:33.696 So he came early. 00:14:33.696 --> 00:14:34.920 But Mark and I have been friends. 00:14:34.920 --> 00:14:35.280 And I mean, 00:14:35.280 --> 00:14:36.336 from that first phone call, 00:14:36.336 --> 00:14:39.616 obviously we had a relationship through his dad and his family. 00:14:39.616 --> 00:14:41.678 And so we take 15 people. 00:14:41.726 --> 00:14:43.806 We took 15 people that first year. 00:14:43.950 --> 00:14:45.118 And, yeah, 00:14:45.206 --> 00:14:46.638 it was a challenge. 00:14:46.766 --> 00:14:47.718 But then the next year, 00:14:47.718 --> 00:14:48.934 I think we took a few more. 00:14:48.934 --> 00:14:52.862 And now it has grown to what it is in 2024. 00:14:52.918 --> 00:14:53.966 Wherever we are now, 00:14:53.966 --> 00:14:57.266 and kids are signing up from all over the community. 00:14:57.534 --> 00:14:59.174 We need adults to go. 00:14:59.174 --> 00:15:00.278 We need chaperones. 00:15:00.366 --> 00:15:01.526 We need men and women. 00:15:01.526 --> 00:15:02.686 We need men. 00:15:02.870 --> 00:15:04.638 If you've got an available week, 00:15:04.638 --> 00:15:05.674 Monday to Friday, 00:15:06.074 --> 00:15:08.506 July 15 through the 19th, 00:15:08.650 --> 00:15:10.514 that's not the way you say it. 00:15:09.938 --> 00:15:13.602 What? Nobody has an available week until they make it available? 00:15:13.738 --> 00:15:15.602 Okay, thank you. 00:15:15.738 --> 00:15:16.954 That's arm twisting. 00:15:17.074 --> 00:15:17.890 No, no. 00:15:18.002 --> 00:15:18.662 Just kidding. 00:15:18.706 --> 00:15:20.402 No, it's prioritizing. 00:15:20.498 --> 00:15:21.514 Right? Prioritizing. 00:15:21.554 --> 00:15:22.458 That's what I asked him. 00:15:22.338 --> 00:15:22.578 I said, 00:15:22.578 --> 00:15:23.674 if you were gonna praise God, 00:15:23.674 --> 00:15:26.050 what was the first thing you would praise God for? 00:15:26.050 --> 00:15:29.802 Folks, if you want to pour your life into other lives and share and just 00:15:29.802 --> 00:15:32.244 be the love of God to a bunch of kids, 00:15:32.244 --> 00:15:33.116 sign up. 00:15:33.220 --> 00:15:33.644 You know, 00:15:33.644 --> 00:15:34.452 if you can do it, 00:15:34.452 --> 00:15:34.972 do it. 00:15:34.972 --> 00:15:36.836 Alrighty. If you can give, 00:15:36.900 --> 00:15:37.244 give. 00:15:37.324 --> 00:15:38.332 Because we don't. 00:15:38.428 --> 00:15:44.884 We don't want the cost to ever exclude a kid from going to Camp Caraway. 00:15:45.004 --> 00:15:47.260 Alrighty? So that's part of the morning. 00:15:47.260 --> 00:15:50.230 I'm just praising God because of what God's done. 00:15:50.044 --> 00:15:53.014 Cause if it were still based on me going, 00:15:54.684 --> 00:15:55.156 thank you. 00:15:55.156 --> 00:15:57.076 Mark appreciated that. 00:15:57.180 --> 00:15:57.500 All right. 00:15:57.500 --> 00:15:59.308 He didn't know what I was gonna do to him this morning. 00:15:59.308 --> 00:15:59.904 So. 00:16:04.224 --> 00:16:06.264 So he's calling all over the state saying, 00:16:06.264 --> 00:16:07.096 we're going to do something. 00:16:07.096 --> 00:16:08.192 We're going to try something. 00:16:08.192 --> 00:16:08.792 Camp care. 00:16:08.792 --> 00:16:09.192 You know what? 00:16:09.192 --> 00:16:11.172 We've got some things to celebrate. 00:16:11.328 --> 00:16:14.272 What are some of the things you've decided you need to celebrate this 00:16:14.272 --> 00:16:16.484 morning? Hang on just a minute. 00:16:17.344 --> 00:16:19.320 Since everything requires a microphone, 00:16:19.352 --> 00:16:19.608 people say, 00:16:19.608 --> 00:16:20.480 oh, people can hear me. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:21.232 Not on the Internet, 00:16:21.232 --> 00:16:21.984 they can't. 00:16:22.104 --> 00:16:25.792 Who wants to share one line of their praise? 00:16:25.848 --> 00:16:26.564 Hymn? 00:16:29.884 --> 00:16:32.468 Okay, got two right here on this side. 00:16:32.468 --> 00:16:33.504 Makes it easy. 00:16:34.804 --> 00:16:43.820 I think Jesus and I thank him that no matter how low and how bad you are 00:16:43.852 --> 00:16:47.284 and how much you get down in life, 00:16:47.324 --> 00:16:49.308 that Jesus is right there. 00:16:49.356 --> 00:16:50.412 If you just trust him, 00:16:50.412 --> 00:16:52.392 if you just look towards him. 00:16:52.564 --> 00:16:53.884 He pulls me out. 00:16:53.756 --> 00:16:54.924 He pulled me out of the gutter, 00:16:54.924 --> 00:16:55.540 folks. I mean, 00:16:55.540 --> 00:16:56.932 he pulled me out of the gutter. 00:16:56.932 --> 00:16:57.916 I had a great life. 00:16:57.916 --> 00:16:59.332 I was a working alcoholic. 00:16:59.332 --> 00:16:59.828 I never, 00:16:59.828 --> 00:17:01.824 always kept a good job. 00:17:03.764 --> 00:17:07.116 And then I got in the car wreck last year and almost got killed. 00:17:07.116 --> 00:17:09.096 I'm walking today without a cane. 00:17:09.132 --> 00:17:12.424 And I'm Jesus. 00:17:12.844 --> 00:17:16.180 Jesus. I think that's already a song. 00:17:16.372 --> 00:17:25.024 Jesus, Jesus Lord to me master savior, 00:17:25.484 --> 00:17:27.104 prince of peace, 00:17:28.044 --> 00:17:35.100 ruler of my heart today Jesus, 00:17:35.212 --> 00:17:37.984 Jesus Lord to me. 00:17:39.284 --> 00:17:40.584 How about that? 00:17:42.164 --> 00:17:43.148 I like that, 00:17:43.148 --> 00:17:44.132 Sherry. How about you, 00:17:44.132 --> 00:17:47.396 Sherri? I just thank you, 00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:49.104 Lord, for your forgiveness. 00:17:49.404 --> 00:17:50.028 All right. 00:17:50.028 --> 00:17:50.996 I needed it. 00:17:50.996 --> 00:17:52.976 You don't want to sing too? 00:17:53.984 --> 00:17:58.964 Somebody else want to share the first line or so of their praise? 00:17:59.504 --> 00:18:01.216 See, you thought I was going to call you by name. 00:18:01.112 --> 00:18:01.360 All right, 00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:04.608 Mike. I always say to myself, 00:18:04.696 --> 00:18:06.352 Jesus is my everything. 00:18:06.488 --> 00:18:06.936 I mean, 00:18:06.936 --> 00:18:07.720 without him, 00:18:07.832 --> 00:18:08.984 I wouldn't even be here. 00:18:08.984 --> 00:18:10.936 So that's my song. 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:11.960 There you go. 00:18:11.744 --> 00:18:12.524 All right. 00:18:13.304 --> 00:18:14.444 Somebody else. 00:18:15.024 --> 00:18:16.192 It's your opportunity. 00:18:16.248 --> 00:18:17.824 I bet sometimes when I'm preaching, 00:18:17.824 --> 00:18:18.456 some of you go, 00:18:18.456 --> 00:18:20.124 I just had that microphone. 00:18:22.104 --> 00:18:23.164 Here it is. 00:18:23.704 --> 00:18:27.484 Oh, I'm going close this time. 00:18:28.024 --> 00:18:30.072 He's a God of reconciliation. 00:18:30.208 --> 00:18:31.720 Reconciliation, yes. 00:18:31.872 --> 00:18:33.840 I had a prodigal son return. 00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:35.296 Prodigal daughter return. 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:37.604 Oh, very good. 00:18:38.184 --> 00:18:38.844 All right. 00:18:38.896 --> 00:18:41.164 Yeah. Someone else. 00:18:42.944 --> 00:18:44.084 There we go. 00:18:44.864 --> 00:18:46.164 Somebody else. 00:18:48.584 --> 00:18:50.084 No. All right. 00:18:51.104 --> 00:18:53.904 I do like a friend of mine used to do at town council. 00:18:53.904 --> 00:18:54.844 Going once, 00:18:55.264 --> 00:18:56.444 going twice. 00:18:57.344 --> 00:18:58.004 All right. 00:18:57.896 --> 00:18:59.324 See, you know, 00:18:59.664 --> 00:19:07.440 I did this once before in suggesting that we write a psalm or a song or a 00:19:07.472 --> 00:19:09.124 hymn of praise. 00:19:10.424 --> 00:19:16.380 Because I believe that one of the things God's given us for our own 00:19:16.492 --> 00:19:20.784 emotional, spiritual health is praise. 00:19:22.084 --> 00:19:23.764 If you're having a bad day, 00:19:23.764 --> 00:19:24.784 praise God. 00:19:25.724 --> 00:19:28.732 Maybe you're not going to praise him for the bad day, 00:19:28.732 --> 00:19:32.540 but praise God in the bad day. 00:19:32.692 --> 00:19:33.612 You see, 00:19:33.788 --> 00:19:38.234 see, I've looked at David's life a number of times through the years, 00:19:38.404 --> 00:19:40.384 and David had some bad days. 00:19:41.494 --> 00:19:42.086 You know, 00:19:42.086 --> 00:19:44.954 David was chased by Saul. 00:19:45.654 --> 00:19:47.190 Saul wanted his life. 00:19:47.262 --> 00:19:50.174 David, David was a sinner. 00:19:50.214 --> 00:19:50.710 Look at, 00:19:50.710 --> 00:19:51.474 you know, 00:19:51.814 --> 00:19:53.114 his psalm, 00:19:53.694 --> 00:19:55.646 the prayer of forgiveness. 00:19:55.790 --> 00:19:58.614 And I look at this and I'm thinking psalm 145, 00:19:58.614 --> 00:20:00.222 the last psalm of David, 00:20:00.222 --> 00:20:04.782 the last hymn of David that we have in the English Bible and as well as 00:20:04.782 --> 00:20:05.874 the Hebrew Bible. 00:20:06.854 --> 00:20:08.814 And look at what it says. 00:20:08.814 --> 00:20:11.954 It's a celebration of God's faithfulness. 00:20:12.694 --> 00:20:14.134 Cause David's looking back, 00:20:14.174 --> 00:20:15.462 or whenever he wrote this, 00:20:15.462 --> 00:20:15.990 he's saying, 00:20:15.990 --> 00:20:16.870 I exalt you, 00:20:16.870 --> 00:20:17.366 my God, 00:20:17.366 --> 00:20:18.206 the king. 00:20:18.390 --> 00:20:19.794 David's the king. 00:20:21.534 --> 00:20:24.382 But David acknowledges God's kingship, 00:20:24.438 --> 00:20:26.382 his rulership over his life. 00:20:26.518 --> 00:20:29.014 And bless your name forever and ever. 00:20:29.054 --> 00:20:30.502 I will bless you every day. 00:20:30.502 --> 00:20:32.542 I will praise your name forever and ever. 00:20:32.542 --> 00:20:34.382 The Lord is great and is highly praised. 00:20:34.382 --> 00:20:36.622 His greatness is unsearchable. 00:20:36.678 --> 00:20:38.974 Man, I looked at that word and I was like, 00:20:38.974 --> 00:20:39.678 you know what? 00:20:39.678 --> 00:20:41.454 We can talk about God's greatness, 00:20:41.454 --> 00:20:42.382 but the truth is, 00:20:42.382 --> 00:20:44.718 in our finite capacity as human beings, 00:20:44.806 --> 00:20:48.514 we don't even know the greatness of God. 00:20:49.694 --> 00:20:51.094 It's unsearchable. 00:20:51.174 --> 00:20:54.014 We look around us and I told somebody that, 00:20:54.014 --> 00:20:55.726 you remember I said this last week. 00:20:55.726 --> 00:20:57.518 I look at the world around us. 00:20:57.390 --> 00:21:01.294 I look at trees and animals and out on the beach, 00:21:01.334 --> 00:21:06.262 I ran on the beach Friday morning and just thinking about the ocean and 00:21:06.278 --> 00:21:07.270 the creation. 00:21:07.422 --> 00:21:09.894 And every time I walk out to the beach, 00:21:09.894 --> 00:21:14.950 I think about job and I think when I'm running. 00:21:14.982 --> 00:21:17.734 Cause I don't want my shoes to get wet, 00:21:17.734 --> 00:21:21.438 I run at the edge of the water because that's where the ground's most 00:21:21.438 --> 00:21:22.646 packed, you know, 00:21:22.670 --> 00:21:23.330 it's solid. 00:21:23.366 --> 00:21:26.814 So I'm not hurting myself as I run on the beach right there and then I 00:21:26.814 --> 00:21:28.406 think for 6 miles, 00:21:28.470 --> 00:21:32.274 I think God told you to stop right there. 00:21:33.574 --> 00:21:35.224 So it says in job, 00:21:35.954 --> 00:21:39.014 God told the ocean where to stop. 00:21:39.554 --> 00:21:40.454 You see, 00:21:42.354 --> 00:21:44.682 I guess that means that when a hurricane comes, 00:21:44.682 --> 00:21:46.662 he tells it to go ahead. 00:21:48.514 --> 00:21:50.226 I remember asking the question, 00:21:50.290 --> 00:21:52.930 once upon a time after I moved here, 00:21:53.194 --> 00:21:57.386 I was asked what I felt about beetree nourishment by one of our political 00:21:57.386 --> 00:22:01.474 leaders. What do you think about the beach renourishment program and the 00:22:01.514 --> 00:22:03.694 new recommendation for taxation? 00:22:04.914 --> 00:22:06.294 My answer was, 00:22:07.594 --> 00:22:10.854 if the ocean wants this island, 00:22:11.594 --> 00:22:14.134 the ocean will take this island. 00:22:14.914 --> 00:22:15.434 I said, 00:22:15.434 --> 00:22:17.890 besides, it's biblical. 00:22:18.082 --> 00:22:21.054 The foolish man built his house on the. 00:22:24.234 --> 00:22:26.254 Our mayor at the time said, 00:22:30.774 --> 00:22:31.422 but you see, 00:22:31.422 --> 00:22:36.374 we look at what God has done and we recognize the detail and the 00:22:36.454 --> 00:22:37.934 intricacy of this creation. 00:22:37.974 --> 00:22:38.598 And folks, 00:22:38.598 --> 00:22:43.990 we cannot stop and consider the perfection of the way the systems all 00:22:44.022 --> 00:22:46.806 work together and deny God's greatness. 00:22:46.870 --> 00:22:48.646 His greatness is unsearchable. 00:22:48.750 --> 00:22:52.814 And then verse four through seven goes into one generation will declare 00:22:52.854 --> 00:22:54.198 your works to the next. 00:22:54.198 --> 00:22:58.914 How do we declare the works of God to the next generation? 00:22:59.854 --> 00:23:02.824 See, this is why I wanted to interview Mark. 00:23:02.934 --> 00:23:07.710 I want to send as many kids as we can find to Camp Caraway because I want 00:23:07.710 --> 00:23:08.230 to hear, 00:23:08.230 --> 00:23:11.582 I want them to hear about God's greatness. 00:23:11.758 --> 00:23:12.742 At Camp Caraway, 00:23:12.742 --> 00:23:18.462 they do crafts and they do classes and they do classes that I don't want 00:23:18.478 --> 00:23:19.194 to take. 00:23:19.894 --> 00:23:21.634 They do a baking class. 00:23:22.574 --> 00:23:23.564 They make cookies. 00:23:23.638 --> 00:23:24.958 Now I'll eat them. 00:23:25.304 --> 00:23:26.954 I want to cook them. 00:23:27.864 --> 00:23:28.764 You know, 00:23:30.144 --> 00:23:32.084 they've got this. 00:23:33.504 --> 00:23:34.604 I don't know. 00:23:34.904 --> 00:23:37.214 Anyway, they got all kind of activities. 00:23:37.184 --> 00:23:38.724 But more than that, 00:23:39.064 --> 00:23:40.324 they have worship, 00:23:41.224 --> 00:23:42.724 they have Bible study, 00:23:43.504 --> 00:23:47.336 they have a missions time where they learn about going around the world 00:23:47.336 --> 00:23:50.306 and going other places to tell people about Jesus. 00:23:50.644 --> 00:23:57.980 How will this generation proclaim to the next generation the works and 00:23:58.012 --> 00:23:59.504 mighty acts of God? 00:23:59.844 --> 00:24:00.692 Verse five says, 00:24:00.692 --> 00:24:04.884 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous 00:24:04.924 --> 00:24:07.764 works. I'm challenged in that. 00:24:07.924 --> 00:24:12.544 How many times a day do you just simply speak the works of God? 00:24:13.204 --> 00:24:15.514 What do you talk about most often? 00:24:15.564 --> 00:24:16.652 What's your favorite? 00:24:16.708 --> 00:24:17.044 All right, 00:24:17.044 --> 00:24:18.484 grandparents, I'm about to be one, 00:24:18.484 --> 00:24:24.788 right? How many times do you talk more about your grandkids than you do 00:24:24.836 --> 00:24:26.984 God? Look out. 00:24:28.004 --> 00:24:30.504 Right. You see my point? 00:24:31.204 --> 00:24:35.092 See, the point is that if God is the greatness that we proclaim God to 00:24:35.092 --> 00:24:37.916 be, then that will be our conversation. 00:24:38.100 --> 00:24:39.820 That will be our praise. 00:24:39.972 --> 00:24:41.292 That will be the. 00:24:41.180 --> 00:24:42.170 I exalt you, 00:24:42.172 --> 00:24:42.756 my God, 00:24:42.756 --> 00:24:43.340 the king. 00:24:43.340 --> 00:24:47.748 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous 00:24:47.796 --> 00:24:49.068 works. They. 00:24:49.196 --> 00:24:49.732 Now look, 00:24:49.732 --> 00:24:51.308 David's changing to third person. 00:24:51.308 --> 00:24:51.740 Now. 00:24:51.852 --> 00:24:56.220 They will proclaim the power of your all inspiring acts, 00:24:56.252 --> 00:24:58.944 and I will declare your greatness. 00:25:00.804 --> 00:25:04.544 See, we have an opportunity to celebrate God's faithfulness, 00:25:05.844 --> 00:25:07.824 your songs of praise. 00:25:08.924 --> 00:25:10.740 If you wrote something in your mind, 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:14.814 I hope you'll write it down one day and refer back to it. 00:25:14.814 --> 00:25:17.554 What does your first praise look like? 00:25:19.374 --> 00:25:25.034 What does it look like when you speak words of exaltation to God? 00:25:26.214 --> 00:25:27.598 Because the last verse, 00:25:27.686 --> 00:25:28.102 I think, 00:25:28.102 --> 00:25:29.092 is the one. 00:25:29.134 --> 00:25:31.038 We celebrate God's faithfulness. 00:25:31.086 --> 00:25:33.434 We proclaim God's faithfulness. 00:25:34.494 --> 00:25:36.902 I think we're called to share God's faithfulness. 00:25:36.902 --> 00:25:40.434 They will give a testimony of your great goodness. 00:25:41.434 --> 00:25:43.494 What was Mark's first praise? 00:25:44.274 --> 00:25:46.614 That God is good no matter what. 00:25:47.314 --> 00:25:51.814 They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing 00:25:52.314 --> 00:25:53.934 of your righteousness. 00:25:55.274 --> 00:26:01.458 See, I look back and I remember July 20, 00:26:01.506 --> 00:26:02.734 1982. 00:26:04.874 --> 00:26:08.344 I was sitting at camp meeting where I was a counselor. 00:26:08.344 --> 00:26:10.680 God called me to ministry that night. 00:26:10.832 --> 00:26:12.696 I didn't have a clue what that meant. 00:26:12.696 --> 00:26:15.996 I just knew I didn't want to be a preacher. 00:26:16.024 --> 00:26:17.216 I knew my preacher. 00:26:17.112 --> 00:26:19.422 I didn't want to be like him. 00:26:20.904 --> 00:26:21.912 But the point is, 00:26:21.912 --> 00:26:24.552 is that I knew that God called me. 00:26:24.784 --> 00:26:29.688 I've had the privilege of serving in youth ministry and worship, 00:26:29.776 --> 00:26:31.884 leadership and administration. 00:26:32.864 --> 00:26:34.514 That's not the best thing. 00:26:34.654 --> 00:26:36.314 Education Ministry, 00:26:37.814 --> 00:26:39.438 I've served with senior. 00:26:39.486 --> 00:26:40.222 I took. 00:26:40.398 --> 00:26:43.794 I was part of taking 40, 00:26:44.974 --> 00:26:47.394 40 senior adults to Greece. 00:26:49.494 --> 00:26:52.434 And I've been a youth pastor for 14 years. 00:26:53.814 --> 00:26:59.206 That was about as challenging as being a youth pastor to take senior 00:26:59.270 --> 00:27:00.634 adults to Greece. 00:27:00.984 --> 00:27:01.884 All right, 00:27:03.544 --> 00:27:05.104 see, I look back over my life, 00:27:05.104 --> 00:27:05.832 and, folks, 00:27:05.888 --> 00:27:10.224 part of what I love as a pastor is being able to stand up and tell you 00:27:10.224 --> 00:27:12.084 just how good God's been. 00:27:12.984 --> 00:27:14.752 God has been so good. 00:27:14.928 --> 00:27:17.152 Doesn't mean everything's been perfect. 00:27:17.328 --> 00:27:19.564 Doesn't mean there haven't been challenges, 00:27:20.184 --> 00:27:20.968 you see? 00:27:21.096 --> 00:27:23.096 And you guys are praying for me right now. 00:27:23.096 --> 00:27:26.208 Like, I can't imagine, 00:27:26.256 --> 00:27:28.512 but it's the only thing that keeps me moving. 00:27:28.512 --> 00:27:29.668 So thank you. 00:27:29.836 --> 00:27:30.804 God's good, 00:27:30.884 --> 00:27:31.584 y'all. 00:27:32.044 --> 00:27:33.744 God is so good. 00:27:34.084 --> 00:27:41.596 And I will proclaim his great goodness with every breath of my life. 00:27:41.660 --> 00:27:46.140 I hope you will tell the people around you of God's greatness, 00:27:46.212 --> 00:27:47.264 his goodness. 00:27:47.684 --> 00:27:51.764 Tell the people you run into about what he's done in your life, 00:27:51.764 --> 00:27:55.692 how he's accomplished great and mighty acts. 00:27:55.868 --> 00:27:57.780 See, David wrote that psalm. 00:27:57.812 --> 00:27:58.388 I mean, 00:27:58.388 --> 00:28:04.244 we're looking back thousands of years to words that David put down for us 00:28:04.284 --> 00:28:09.388 to sing and proclaim God's goodness and God's faithfulness. 00:28:09.556 --> 00:28:10.444 The gathering, 00:28:10.524 --> 00:28:11.692 we're blessed. 00:28:11.868 --> 00:28:13.424 I know some pastors. 00:28:13.844 --> 00:28:15.104 We're blessed. 00:28:15.644 --> 00:28:17.228 Let's enjoy God's blessing. 00:28:17.276 --> 00:28:18.196 But more than that, 00:28:18.196 --> 00:28:21.596 let's proclaim God's blessing and faithfulness. 00:28:21.660 --> 00:28:24.188 Okay? Do you know Jesus this morning? 00:28:24.236 --> 00:28:25.228 Thank you for singing for us, 00:28:25.228 --> 00:28:26.548 Don. By the way, 00:28:26.596 --> 00:28:28.276 if you don't know Jesus this morning, 00:28:28.276 --> 00:28:29.704 that's where it starts. 00:28:30.164 --> 00:28:32.624 It starts with knowing Jesus. 00:28:33.404 --> 00:28:35.104 It's a relationship. 00:28:36.164 --> 00:28:37.332 So if you don't know Jesus, 00:28:37.332 --> 00:28:38.982 we want to introduce you. 00:28:39.004 --> 00:28:41.460 Maybe you want to be a part of what God's doing here at the gathering. 00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:42.052 You can do that, 00:28:42.052 --> 00:28:42.628 too. 00:28:42.796 --> 00:28:44.356 You just obey God this morning. 00:28:44.356 --> 00:28:45.668 Let's stand as we sing. 00:28:45.668 --> 00:28:46.788 No, I got to get the band up here, 00:28:46.788 --> 00:28:47.444 don't I? 00:28:47.444 --> 00:28:48.504 We got to pray first. 00:28:48.504 --> 00:28:51.104 Y'all know I pray so they can get in place. 00:28:50.800 --> 00:28:52.464 No, I pray cause we're supposed to pray. 00:28:52.464 --> 00:28:53.124 Let's pray. 00:28:53.128 --> 00:28:54.360 God, thank y'all for today. 00:28:54.360 --> 00:28:55.256 And for God. 00:28:55.256 --> 00:28:56.648 Thank you for your love for us. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:58.472 Thank you that you have done great and mighty things. 00:28:58.472 --> 00:28:58.928 And thank you, 00:28:58.928 --> 00:29:03.218 God, that this is not a regular orthodox kind of presentation of your 00:29:03.224 --> 00:29:03.960 word. God, 00:29:03.992 --> 00:29:10.312 we want to stop and recognize and acknowledge that you have indeed done 00:29:10.368 --> 00:29:11.032 great things. 00:29:11.088 --> 00:29:11.992 But more than that, 00:29:11.992 --> 00:29:13.642 God, that you are great. 00:29:14.514 --> 00:29:17.938 I remember that's one of the lines my mom and daddy taught me. 00:29:17.546 --> 00:29:18.690 God is good. 00:29:18.802 --> 00:29:20.094 God is great. 00:29:21.394 --> 00:29:21.890 Thank you, 00:29:21.890 --> 00:29:25.266 God, that you loved us and you let us be a part of what you're doing. 00:29:25.266 --> 00:29:27.082 God, for the folks who are in this room, 00:29:27.082 --> 00:29:30.066 there's even one person here this morning that doesn't know Jesus. 00:29:30.066 --> 00:29:32.046 We want them to know Jesus. 00:29:32.154 --> 00:29:34.134 We want them to know you. 00:29:35.634 --> 00:29:39.682 We want them to be able to sing your praises even in the midst of 00:29:39.682 --> 00:29:40.578 difficulty. God, 00:29:40.626 --> 00:29:41.946 we sing to you. 00:29:42.324 --> 00:29:43.974 Thank you for your love. 00:29:44.164 --> 00:29:46.140 God, help us to love you back. 00:29:45.908 --> 00:29:47.860 And we pray it in Jesus name. 00:29:47.860 --> 00:29:48.164 Amen.