1 00:00:14,650 --> 00:00:17,710 Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to pray? 2 00:00:18,130 --> 00:00:21,290 Like, every single one of us knows we should pray. 3 00:00:21,370 --> 00:00:23,934 Even nonchristians know we should pray, right? 4 00:00:23,972 --> 00:00:25,994 Some of your nonchristian neighbors are like, are you praying? 5 00:00:26,042 --> 00:00:27,546 We need you praying for our block. 6 00:00:27,658 --> 00:00:31,498 We all know this, and we're in this series called 40 days of prayer. 7 00:00:31,594 --> 00:00:37,674 But the truth is, I imagine as we've identified the importance of prayer in this series, 8 00:00:37,722 --> 00:00:40,360 for some of you, you've come worse at it. 9 00:00:41,770 --> 00:00:43,030 Why is that? 10 00:00:43,180 --> 00:00:45,106 Because the truth is, it's hard to pray. 11 00:00:45,218 --> 00:00:46,978 It's difficult to pray. 12 00:00:47,154 --> 00:00:53,138 It's easy to do everything else, and often easy to forget to do the most important thing as 13 00:00:53,164 --> 00:00:54,090 a believer. 14 00:00:54,750 --> 00:00:56,330 So let me ask you a question. 15 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:57,850 Why should you pray? 16 00:00:58,670 --> 00:00:59,420 Why? 17 00:01:00,190 --> 00:01:02,362 You ever ask yourself, why am I doing this? 18 00:01:02,496 --> 00:01:06,270 You ever felt like, I'm just talking to the air, I'm talking to nobody? 19 00:01:07,010 --> 00:01:12,046 What is the purpose of prayer in order to improve your prayer life? 20 00:01:12,148 --> 00:01:13,390 I want to challenge you today. 21 00:01:13,460 --> 00:01:16,206 You need to be able to answer that question, why? 22 00:01:16,388 --> 00:01:20,658 And so what I want to talk about today is I want to ask you, do you know the purpose of 23 00:01:20,664 --> 00:01:20,942 prayer? 24 00:01:21,006 --> 00:01:22,402 Why are you doing this? 25 00:01:22,536 --> 00:01:27,474 You see, one of the ways to improve your prayer life, listen to this, is to understand the 26 00:01:27,512 --> 00:01:29,246 purpose of prayer. 27 00:01:29,438 --> 00:01:34,962 Now, if you google this, you're going to find a bunch of pastors, theologians who disagree 28 00:01:35,026 --> 00:01:36,422 with me today, and that's okay. 29 00:01:36,476 --> 00:01:37,222 They can be wrong. 30 00:01:37,276 --> 00:01:37,990 Amen. 31 00:01:39,770 --> 00:01:42,182 But I want to answer that fundamental question. 32 00:01:42,316 --> 00:01:43,974 Why am I doing this? 33 00:01:44,092 --> 00:01:45,722 Why should I do this? 34 00:01:45,856 --> 00:01:47,260 Anybody raising kids? 35 00:01:47,630 --> 00:01:52,202 Oh, my gosh, Tammy and I, my wife's turning 50 and we were looking at some old videos. 36 00:01:52,256 --> 00:01:54,586 And if you want to feel old, watch old videos. 37 00:01:54,688 --> 00:01:55,338 It's just. 38 00:01:55,424 --> 00:01:56,102 Oh, my gosh. 39 00:01:56,166 --> 00:02:00,318 When did we become just from the. 40 00:02:00,324 --> 00:02:01,520 Don't know when that happened. 41 00:02:02,450 --> 00:02:06,746 But we were watching our kids when they were little, and both my wife and I, we felt sad 42 00:02:06,778 --> 00:02:09,822 and we cried because we miss them being little. 43 00:02:09,876 --> 00:02:11,490 We miss them being kids. 44 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:13,474 But you want to know what I don't miss? 45 00:02:13,592 --> 00:02:19,254 Do you want to know what I never, ever want to do again in my life is sit down with a child 46 00:02:19,292 --> 00:02:20,310 and do homework? 47 00:02:20,970 --> 00:02:22,182 Come on, somebody. 48 00:02:22,316 --> 00:02:23,714 I mean, I am preaching. 49 00:02:23,762 --> 00:02:24,550 Amen. 50 00:02:25,130 --> 00:02:28,530 And here's the reason why homework is so frustrating. 51 00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:31,560 Because teachers don't tell kids why. 52 00:02:32,570 --> 00:02:36,710 Why does it matter how the Egyptians built the pyramids? 53 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:39,606 Why does it matter how we started speaking English? 54 00:02:39,718 --> 00:02:40,730 Why does it matter? 55 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,470 You ever ask this question in math? 56 00:02:42,550 --> 00:02:45,210 Why do I have to know algebra? 57 00:02:45,790 --> 00:02:46,686 Well, let me tell you. 58 00:02:46,708 --> 00:02:47,280 Why. 59 00:02:47,730 --> 00:02:49,294 Do you want to know why algebra is important? 60 00:02:49,332 --> 00:02:50,800 And I told my son this. 61 00:02:51,250 --> 00:02:53,050 Solving algebra equations. 62 00:02:53,130 --> 00:02:53,886 Listen to me. 63 00:02:53,988 --> 00:02:56,910 Strengthens your problem solving skills. 64 00:02:57,270 --> 00:03:03,294 It helps to teach organization to break down complex data, and it teaches logic. 65 00:03:03,342 --> 00:03:07,650 And wait for at Sandals church, critical thinking skills. 66 00:03:08,310 --> 00:03:09,860 Thinking is hard. 67 00:03:10,870 --> 00:03:11,566 Yep. 68 00:03:11,678 --> 00:03:15,140 That's why most people don't do know. 69 00:03:16,090 --> 00:03:17,862 It teaches you how to think. 70 00:03:17,996 --> 00:03:19,990 It teaches you how to solve. 71 00:03:20,650 --> 00:03:26,746 So if teachers aren't teaching kids why math matters, maybe as christians, we're not 72 00:03:26,768 --> 00:03:29,370 teaching christians why prayer matters. 73 00:03:30,510 --> 00:03:34,410 So I want you to think, what is the purpose of prayer? 74 00:03:34,830 --> 00:03:36,060 What is it? 75 00:03:36,510 --> 00:03:39,982 And again, if you google this, you're going to find books about it. 76 00:03:40,036 --> 00:03:44,266 You're going to find people that talk about it, use big words, that all they do is confuse 77 00:03:44,298 --> 00:03:44,974 you. 78 00:03:45,172 --> 00:03:49,458 But let me tell you, this is the simplest way I know how to tell you what prayer is. 79 00:03:49,544 --> 00:03:50,958 The purpose of prayer. 80 00:03:51,054 --> 00:03:52,610 I wish we had a drum roll. 81 00:03:53,110 --> 00:03:56,866 The purpose of prayer, and it's very simple, is to connect with God. 82 00:03:56,968 --> 00:03:57,650 Amen. 83 00:03:57,990 --> 00:04:05,686 At its most basic level, where I don't sound like some snooty tootie PhD, it's just 84 00:04:05,708 --> 00:04:06,838 connecting with God. 85 00:04:07,004 --> 00:04:09,000 That's all it is. 86 00:04:10,170 --> 00:04:12,346 And some of you, you've been taught the wrong thing. 87 00:04:12,368 --> 00:04:15,980 And I hear christians say this all the time, wrong. 88 00:04:16,430 --> 00:04:17,798 Prayer is a conversation. 89 00:04:17,894 --> 00:04:19,340 No, it's not. 90 00:04:20,590 --> 00:04:21,674 Listen to me. 91 00:04:21,792 --> 00:04:25,870 Prayer is more about connection than conversation. 92 00:04:27,090 --> 00:04:32,190 Like if you're talking to God and all the time he's talking back, you may need medication. 93 00:04:33,490 --> 00:04:36,126 Now, I'm not saying he can't talk back. 94 00:04:36,228 --> 00:04:38,158 I'm not saying he doesn't talk back. 95 00:04:38,244 --> 00:04:42,740 When I meet these people, like the other day, I was talking to God, I was like, listen, 96 00:04:43,430 --> 00:04:45,810 prayer is about connection, not conversation. 97 00:04:46,710 --> 00:04:50,242 And parents, you need to teach your children this because your kids are going to say, why 98 00:04:50,296 --> 00:04:52,054 doesn't God talk back? 99 00:04:52,172 --> 00:04:53,126 Here's your answer. 100 00:04:53,228 --> 00:04:55,960 Because prayer is about you connecting with him. 101 00:04:56,970 --> 00:05:01,080 At the end of the message, I'm going to talk about how he primarily connects with you. 102 00:05:01,850 --> 00:05:04,040 Prayer is your end of the relationship. 103 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:06,282 That's how you connect to him. 104 00:05:06,336 --> 00:05:13,274 It's how you check in, it's how you talk, it's how you dial in and you say, God, here I am. 105 00:05:13,312 --> 00:05:14,202 Here's what's going on. 106 00:05:14,256 --> 00:05:14,990 Here's what I need. 107 00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:16,430 Here's what I'm worrying about. 108 00:05:16,580 --> 00:05:18,062 It's how you connect to him. 109 00:05:18,116 --> 00:05:19,470 And this is why it's so important. 110 00:05:19,540 --> 00:05:21,550 If you're not praying, you're not connecting. 111 00:05:23,330 --> 00:05:24,670 You're not connecting. 112 00:05:26,130 --> 00:05:27,870 So I want to challenge you. 113 00:05:28,020 --> 00:05:29,620 Connect with God. 114 00:05:30,150 --> 00:05:31,540 This is so important. 115 00:05:32,150 --> 00:05:34,174 So your friends say, why do you pray? 116 00:05:34,222 --> 00:05:35,890 It's how I connect with Jesus. 117 00:05:36,310 --> 00:05:37,086 Why do you pray? 118 00:05:37,118 --> 00:05:38,706 It's how I connect with God. 119 00:05:38,888 --> 00:05:39,666 Why do you pray? 120 00:05:39,698 --> 00:05:41,350 It's how I check in with heaven. 121 00:05:42,650 --> 00:05:45,400 It's so, so important that you understand. 122 00:05:46,090 --> 00:05:47,142 And here's the thing. 123 00:05:47,196 --> 00:05:51,750 A Christian who does not pray is a disconnected Christian. 124 00:05:53,850 --> 00:05:55,242 You say, well, I don't feel God. 125 00:05:55,296 --> 00:05:56,330 Are you connected? 126 00:05:57,310 --> 00:05:58,314 I don't hear God. 127 00:05:58,352 --> 00:05:59,450 Are you connected? 128 00:05:59,790 --> 00:06:00,874 I don't sense God. 129 00:06:00,912 --> 00:06:01,526 Are you connected? 130 00:06:01,558 --> 00:06:02,154 I don't see God. 131 00:06:02,192 --> 00:06:03,210 Are you connected? 132 00:06:04,590 --> 00:06:06,060 Because here's the thing. 133 00:06:06,510 --> 00:06:10,026 If I brought up my wife and I's coffee pot and I put it right here and it was unplugged, 134 00:06:10,058 --> 00:06:12,400 and I'm like, I don't understand why this doesn't work. 135 00:06:14,210 --> 00:06:16,590 You would all go, we need a new pastor. 136 00:06:17,250 --> 00:06:19,694 And yet christians unplug from God. 137 00:06:19,812 --> 00:06:21,282 I don't know why I don't feel him. 138 00:06:21,336 --> 00:06:22,674 I don't know why I don't see him. 139 00:06:22,712 --> 00:06:28,050 I don't know why I don't plug in in the name of Jesus and all that is holy. 140 00:06:29,670 --> 00:06:30,686 Hey, sandals church. 141 00:06:30,718 --> 00:06:34,014 Thank you so much for continuing with us in our series 40 days of prayer. 142 00:06:34,062 --> 00:06:37,366 Before we jump into our message, I'd like to invite you to partner with the work that 143 00:06:37,388 --> 00:06:38,262 Sandals church is doing. 144 00:06:38,316 --> 00:06:40,310 You could do so at give SC. 145 00:06:40,460 --> 00:06:42,810 Now let's get back to our message with Pastor Matt. 146 00:06:45,070 --> 00:06:46,780 Next, let me challenge you. 147 00:06:47,870 --> 00:06:49,222 You want to be better at prayer? 148 00:06:49,286 --> 00:06:50,540 Don't pray like me. 149 00:06:51,070 --> 00:06:52,554 Don't pray like anybody. 150 00:06:52,752 --> 00:06:53,900 Pray like yourself. 151 00:06:54,750 --> 00:06:55,820 Be yourself. 152 00:06:56,510 --> 00:06:58,078 When you pray, be yourself. 153 00:06:58,244 --> 00:06:59,054 Just be you. 154 00:06:59,092 --> 00:07:00,378 What's the vision of Samuel's church? 155 00:07:00,394 --> 00:07:01,422 Can somebody help me? 156 00:07:01,556 --> 00:07:02,142 Be real. 157 00:07:02,196 --> 00:07:05,230 It's not being fake with ourselves, God and others in prayer. 158 00:07:06,050 --> 00:07:08,500 Be real with yourself. 159 00:07:10,710 --> 00:07:15,298 Just talk to God like you would talk to anyone else. 160 00:07:15,464 --> 00:07:17,860 Because he doesn't know the fake you. 161 00:07:18,950 --> 00:07:20,050 He doesn't. 162 00:07:21,350 --> 00:07:22,470 Matthew six five. 163 00:07:22,540 --> 00:07:23,826 These are the words of Jesus. 164 00:07:23,938 --> 00:07:27,350 And when you pray, you see the assumption is you're connecting. 165 00:07:27,850 --> 00:07:29,874 He says, don't be like the hypocrites. 166 00:07:29,922 --> 00:07:30,278 Why? 167 00:07:30,364 --> 00:07:32,230 There's a way that's fake. 168 00:07:32,730 --> 00:07:34,646 For they love to pray. 169 00:07:34,758 --> 00:07:38,570 Standing in the synagogue, posting it on Instagram. 170 00:07:38,990 --> 00:07:43,210 I mean, some of you, you spend more time getting the photo right than you do actually 171 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:44,750 talking to Jesus. 172 00:07:46,370 --> 00:07:49,390 Just me in my prayer closet alone and with all my followers. 173 00:07:54,290 --> 00:07:55,440 Listen to this. 174 00:07:56,610 --> 00:08:02,980 They love it to be heard on the street corners and to be seen by others. 175 00:08:04,070 --> 00:08:06,370 Prayer is not about being seen by others. 176 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:10,360 It's about listen to me being heard from by God. 177 00:08:12,010 --> 00:08:14,102 You see, prayer is not you hearing from God. 178 00:08:14,156 --> 00:08:18,200 Prayer is God hearing from you. 179 00:08:21,020 --> 00:08:23,544 So when you talk to God, talk to him. 180 00:08:23,582 --> 00:08:23,736 Now. 181 00:08:23,758 --> 00:08:24,730 Here's the thing. 182 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:26,620 It's awkward, isn't it? 183 00:08:26,770 --> 00:08:27,736 My kids are teenagers. 184 00:08:27,768 --> 00:08:28,524 That was their favorite word. 185 00:08:28,562 --> 00:08:28,904 Awkward. 186 00:08:28,952 --> 00:08:29,816 It's so awkward, dad. 187 00:08:29,848 --> 00:08:30,940 You're so awkward. 188 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:34,856 Before twelve, you're the coolest thing on earth. 189 00:08:34,888 --> 00:08:36,720 They turn 13, you're so awkward. 190 00:08:38,980 --> 00:08:40,880 Stop embarrassing me, Dad. 191 00:08:41,300 --> 00:08:42,144 I was ordering food. 192 00:08:42,182 --> 00:08:42,416 I know. 193 00:08:42,438 --> 00:08:43,810 Do you have to do it that way? 194 00:08:48,020 --> 00:08:49,100 It's awkward. 195 00:08:49,260 --> 00:08:50,624 And you know what's especially awkward? 196 00:08:50,672 --> 00:08:52,550 When you meet somebody for the first time. 197 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:55,748 I get it. 198 00:08:55,914 --> 00:08:57,184 You know what's even more awkward? 199 00:08:57,232 --> 00:09:04,024 When you meet somebody for the first time who knows everything about you and you know very 200 00:09:04,062 --> 00:09:05,290 little about them. 201 00:09:05,900 --> 00:09:08,090 You know who experiences that every day? 202 00:09:10,220 --> 00:09:10,776 Me. 203 00:09:10,878 --> 00:09:12,296 I meet people all the time. 204 00:09:12,398 --> 00:09:18,860 They think we're best friends and I don't know their first awkward. 205 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:20,590 You know? 206 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:22,924 And I don't know how to handle it. 207 00:09:22,962 --> 00:09:24,104 I turn into Ron DeSantis. 208 00:09:24,152 --> 00:09:27,168 I'm like, I like him. 209 00:09:27,254 --> 00:09:28,370 I like him. 210 00:09:28,980 --> 00:09:29,660 Relax. 211 00:09:29,740 --> 00:09:31,200 He needs to learn to smile. 212 00:09:33,780 --> 00:09:34,912 But be yourself. 213 00:09:35,046 --> 00:09:36,972 What if you met me on the streets? 214 00:09:37,116 --> 00:09:40,950 What if you met me on the streets and I said, hey, it's nice to meet you. 215 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,230 Or I said something like this. 216 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:52,872 It is with the utmost delight and profound honor that I extend my sincerest greetings to 217 00:09:52,926 --> 00:09:53,530 you. 218 00:09:55,260 --> 00:10:02,040 The feeling derived from this fortuitous encounter transcends mere pleasantries. 219 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:11,752 Indeed, it is a momentous occasion, a juncture where our paths converge in the grand 220 00:10:11,816 --> 00:10:14,060 tapestry of existence. 221 00:10:15,300 --> 00:10:24,016 May the ensuing discourse be adorned with intellectual splendor and mutual understanding as 222 00:10:24,038 --> 00:10:32,500 we embark upon this regal journey of shared discourse and camaraderie. 223 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,270 How many of you would go to a different church if we met each other that way? 224 00:10:41,020 --> 00:10:43,130 Then why does prayer sound like that? 225 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,630 I truly believe that when some pastors pray, the Lord Jesus is like, who's that? 226 00:10:54,780 --> 00:10:57,156 So when you pray, be you, Lord. 227 00:10:57,188 --> 00:10:58,120 It's Miguel. 228 00:10:58,620 --> 00:10:59,880 Miguel Jr. 229 00:11:02,540 --> 00:11:05,290 The restaurant's doing great. 230 00:11:06,620 --> 00:11:07,820 Thank you, Lord. 231 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:13,976 Or how about this prayer? 232 00:11:14,168 --> 00:11:16,110 Lord, I don't know what to say. 233 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:17,820 I feel stupid. 234 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:22,290 Please help me to not feel this way. 235 00:11:24,900 --> 00:11:30,240 For some of you, that's the most holy, honest prayer you could pray. 236 00:11:30,820 --> 00:11:32,400 I feel stupid, Lord. 237 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:35,316 I don't sense you. 238 00:11:35,338 --> 00:11:37,990 I don't feel you and I feel bad about that. 239 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,990 I feel awkward talking out loud to someone I can't see. 240 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:44,790 The Lord gets it. 241 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,840 But if he's going to get you, you got to get real when you pray. 242 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:53,480 You got to get real when you pray. 243 00:11:54,140 --> 00:11:55,320 Now here's the next thing. 244 00:11:55,390 --> 00:12:00,744 If you're bored in your prayer life, if your prayer life feels flat, if it feels mundane, 245 00:12:00,792 --> 00:12:02,750 if it feels like you're checking a box. 246 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,100 Why not invite the Holy Spirit to help you pray? 247 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:08,380 Amen. 248 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:09,950 What about that? 249 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:12,190 What about that? 250 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,280 And some of you are like, I never heard of the Holy Spirit. 251 00:12:15,780 --> 00:12:17,730 Well, I'm going to talk to you about him. 252 00:12:18,260 --> 00:12:22,672 When I first became a dedicated Christian, I was 21 years old, gave my life to Christ. 253 00:12:22,726 --> 00:12:23,744 I was fired up, man. 254 00:12:23,782 --> 00:12:26,576 I was super excited, and my friend was like, have you been baptized by the spirit? 255 00:12:26,608 --> 00:12:29,044 I was like, probably. 256 00:12:29,162 --> 00:12:29,830 No. 257 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:31,604 I don't know. 258 00:12:31,642 --> 00:12:32,212 It could have happened. 259 00:12:32,266 --> 00:12:33,140 I didn't know. 260 00:12:33,290 --> 00:12:34,884 And so he brought me to his church service. 261 00:12:34,922 --> 00:12:37,444 It's a great church, just a couple of miles from us. 262 00:12:37,482 --> 00:12:38,564 I got good friends there. 263 00:12:38,602 --> 00:12:39,748 I know the pastor there. 264 00:12:39,834 --> 00:12:44,656 I'm not to make fun of them or put them down at all, but they're more of a holy roller 265 00:12:44,688 --> 00:12:44,896 church. 266 00:12:44,928 --> 00:12:46,144 I'm just hoping you guys would be holy. 267 00:12:46,192 --> 00:12:49,580 Would you help me out, stop sinning and just be holy. 268 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:51,544 So I went to their church. 269 00:12:51,592 --> 00:12:52,236 I didn't know what. 270 00:12:52,258 --> 00:12:55,976 And if you've ever been to one of these Holy Spirit services, they're a little wild. 271 00:12:56,088 --> 00:12:57,630 And so I show up. 272 00:12:58,080 --> 00:12:59,244 I didn't know what to expect. 273 00:12:59,362 --> 00:13:03,148 I grew up Baptists, and so whenever we talk about the Holy Spirit, if you grew up in a 274 00:13:03,154 --> 00:13:06,000 church with the name Baptist or Bible in it, raise your hands. 275 00:13:06,150 --> 00:13:07,084 Yeah, you're a little nervous. 276 00:13:07,132 --> 00:13:08,930 You're like, oh, okay, where's this going? 277 00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:14,976 If you grew up in a church with spirit, flame, or fire, you're ready to take your shirt off 278 00:13:14,998 --> 00:13:16,596 and rub it down the aisles, like, well, come on. 279 00:13:16,618 --> 00:13:19,270 We've been praying for this revival is breaking out. 280 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,484 So I grew up Baptist, and so here's the thing. 281 00:13:22,522 --> 00:13:26,164 Christians, we come from different denominations, and we need to care as much about each 282 00:13:26,202 --> 00:13:29,856 other as we do about being full of the spirit. 283 00:13:30,048 --> 00:13:32,744 And so I went to this service, and I didn't know what was going on. 284 00:13:32,782 --> 00:13:36,644 But basically, you come forward and you march down this aisle, and I start walking, and I'm 285 00:13:36,692 --> 00:13:39,310 looking, and people are passing out. 286 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,700 In a baptist church, if someone passes out, you call 911. 287 00:13:44,770 --> 00:13:45,608 Amen. 288 00:13:45,784 --> 00:13:47,470 You call 911. 289 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:50,430 And, I mean, it's person after person. 290 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:53,970 And I'm like, should I be in this line? 291 00:13:55,700 --> 00:13:56,816 I don't know. 292 00:13:56,998 --> 00:14:01,296 So I get up to the front, and then women are collapsing, and they're putting blankets over. 293 00:14:01,318 --> 00:14:02,560 I'm like, are they dead? 294 00:14:03,380 --> 00:14:04,528 What is going? 295 00:14:04,694 --> 00:14:08,980 My whole life in a baptist church, never saw a blanket in service, ever. 296 00:14:09,130 --> 00:14:10,740 Blankets came out everywhere. 297 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:11,956 But here's the thing. 298 00:14:11,978 --> 00:14:12,628 Listen to me. 299 00:14:12,714 --> 00:14:15,030 I said, lord, whatever you want to give me, I want. 300 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,132 So I went forward, and people are getting. 301 00:14:18,186 --> 00:14:19,468 They call it slain in the spirit. 302 00:14:19,504 --> 00:14:24,296 I didn't know what that was, but I'm going forward, and I go forward, and there's probably 303 00:14:24,318 --> 00:14:27,200 about a couple hundred of us that went forward to receive the spirit. 304 00:14:27,300 --> 00:14:29,580 And guess who's the last person standing? 305 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,428 I'm like, lord, what is your problem? 306 00:14:32,514 --> 00:14:33,470 Slay me. 307 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,270 Slay me now. 308 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:42,176 And so I'm standing there and I'm frustrated, and I don't get it. 309 00:14:42,198 --> 00:14:43,168 And it's a new experience. 310 00:14:43,254 --> 00:14:45,056 And everyone's pressing on me. 311 00:14:45,158 --> 00:14:49,650 Everyone's crowding around me, and they're praying in something I don't understand. 312 00:14:50,180 --> 00:14:53,590 And all of a sudden, I feel everybody just, like, move. 313 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,750 And the senior pastor starts walking towards me. 314 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:03,316 This guy was pretty famous, and I'm not going to sound say his name, but he's an 315 00:15:03,338 --> 00:15:04,432 intimidating guy. 316 00:15:04,586 --> 00:15:08,280 And he comes over and he puts his hand on my forehead. 317 00:15:09,340 --> 00:15:10,920 You can hear the smack. 318 00:15:12,140 --> 00:15:14,868 I can't imagine smacking people at sandals. 319 00:15:14,964 --> 00:15:16,200 Do you want prayer? 320 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,750 Smacks my forehead, but whatever. 321 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:27,790 And he starts praying over me, and he's pushing my head back, and I'm like, okay. 322 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:29,884 I'm thinking each time, this is it. 323 00:15:29,922 --> 00:15:30,460 No. 324 00:15:30,610 --> 00:15:31,244 This is it. 325 00:15:31,282 --> 00:15:31,870 No. 326 00:15:34,580 --> 00:15:43,248 And so then he says to me, gets up real close, and he know, like a vulcan mind grip, he's 327 00:15:43,264 --> 00:15:44,324 got my head. 328 00:15:44,522 --> 00:15:49,590 And he says, lord Jesus, set this young man's balls on fire. 329 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:53,510 She said, what? 330 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,090 I go, what? 331 00:15:57,340 --> 00:15:58,792 I'm 21 years old. 332 00:15:58,846 --> 00:16:00,616 I don't want my balls on fire. 333 00:16:00,798 --> 00:16:03,080 This is not why I came to church. 334 00:16:04,780 --> 00:16:06,040 And if you're like, oh, my. 335 00:16:06,110 --> 00:16:07,290 This happened. 336 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:10,030 This is real. 337 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:11,176 You want fake? 338 00:16:11,208 --> 00:16:12,360 Go to church down the street. 339 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,030 This is real. 340 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,580 I panicked and I ran out of the church. 341 00:16:19,940 --> 00:16:23,250 Left all my friends, they were all dead on the front. 342 00:16:25,460 --> 00:16:26,364 They were slain. 343 00:16:26,412 --> 00:16:28,480 They were like, where's Maclin? 344 00:16:32,660 --> 00:16:34,240 Ran out of the church. 345 00:16:34,660 --> 00:16:36,130 And so here's the thing. 346 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:38,768 I don't blame that church. 347 00:16:38,864 --> 00:16:39,600 Here's the truth. 348 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,244 I don't know that he really said, set my balls on fire. 349 00:16:42,282 --> 00:16:46,632 My friend that goes there said, I think he said, set you on fire from the balls of your 350 00:16:46,686 --> 00:16:47,476 feet. 351 00:16:47,668 --> 00:16:57,460 And I was like, I didn't hear feet, so I could have misunderstood. 352 00:16:57,540 --> 00:17:01,212 Just like sometimes you do when I'm talking, right? 353 00:17:01,266 --> 00:17:02,110 I know. 354 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,688 So here's the thing is, some of us have had a really awkward encounter with the Holy 355 00:17:07,704 --> 00:17:09,150 Spirit, and we just gave up. 356 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,680 And what we did is because of a person or a performance. 357 00:17:14,260 --> 00:17:17,680 And by the way, this is a performance, and people criticize that. 358 00:17:17,750 --> 00:17:19,360 Every sermon is a performance. 359 00:17:20,180 --> 00:17:22,880 Every job you do, you're performing. 360 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,168 That's where the word comes from, and I don't mean this as fake, but what I mean is I'm 361 00:17:27,184 --> 00:17:28,470 trying my best. 362 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:30,390 That's what I mean. 363 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:37,876 And sometimes I don't do the best I can, sometimes I'm misunderstood, sometimes I get it 364 00:17:37,898 --> 00:17:38,180 wrong. 365 00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:40,420 And so I don't want to blame that church. 366 00:17:40,580 --> 00:17:44,308 I just want to say, just because you have a bad encounter with some holy roller doesn't 367 00:17:44,324 --> 00:17:45,880 mean there isn't a holy spirit. 368 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:50,780 See, there is a holy spirit. 369 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:56,460 And his primary purpose, listen to me, is to help you live your christian faith. 370 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:01,024 God the Father loves you, Jesus died for you. 371 00:18:01,062 --> 00:18:04,112 The spirit indwells you and empowers you. 372 00:18:04,166 --> 00:18:10,336 And if your christian life and your prayer life is flat, maybe you need a filling of the 373 00:18:10,358 --> 00:18:11,040 spirit. 374 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,750 Paul says this in Romans 826. 375 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:19,990 Likewise he says, the spirit helps us. 376 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,110 Does your prayer life need help? 377 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:25,300 Well, I got good news. 378 00:18:25,370 --> 00:18:26,760 The spirit can help you. 379 00:18:26,910 --> 00:18:28,184 How does the spirit help us? 380 00:18:28,222 --> 00:18:29,960 He helps us in our weakness. 381 00:18:31,100 --> 00:18:31,464 Okay? 382 00:18:31,502 --> 00:18:38,140 And if you're like me and you have add, that's real focus is a miracle. 383 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:41,340 He says this, listen to this. 384 00:18:41,410 --> 00:18:43,528 How does the Holy Spirit help me in my weakness? 385 00:18:43,624 --> 00:18:47,164 For we do not know what we ought to pray for. 386 00:18:47,362 --> 00:18:48,110 Whole. 387 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,156 Sometimes when you sit there and you say, lord, I don't know what to pray for, the spirit 388 00:18:54,188 --> 00:18:54,770 does. 389 00:18:55,860 --> 00:18:58,992 Spirit does listen to this. 390 00:18:59,046 --> 00:19:06,228 But the spirit himself, the Holy Spirit is personal, not just a force, not just energy. 391 00:19:06,394 --> 00:19:09,830 He is the third person of the trinitarian God. 392 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,190 Now, we don't understand this, and some of you are like, what? 393 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,608 We don't understand this, but for 2000 years, this isn't new. 394 00:19:17,694 --> 00:19:18,948 This isn't just sandals. 395 00:19:19,044 --> 00:19:24,676 For 2000 years the church has proclaimed a belief in one God who is spirit and exists 396 00:19:24,788 --> 00:19:27,364 somehow in three persons. 397 00:19:27,412 --> 00:19:32,350 We don't understand it and we really get in trouble when we try to explain it. 398 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:34,204 And let me just say this. 399 00:19:34,242 --> 00:19:37,612 If you can explain all that God is, I think you got the wrong God. 400 00:19:37,666 --> 00:19:44,130 That is, you got to leave mystery for who God is. 401 00:19:45,220 --> 00:19:52,096 But the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 402 00:19:52,278 --> 00:19:54,580 You ever want to say something, but you can't. 403 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,870 Tammy and I were having a conversation the other day just about how hard language is. 404 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:05,370 She said a word and I interpreted that word the wrong way. 405 00:20:05,900 --> 00:20:11,960 Now, to be fair, husbands, my interpretation is the correct use of English. 406 00:20:15,260 --> 00:20:19,740 But wives, here's the frustrating thing about language, so is hers. 407 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:21,916 And it was over. 408 00:20:21,938 --> 00:20:26,060 This one word, seam seems ooh. 409 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,472 And we interpret it differently. 410 00:20:28,536 --> 00:20:35,728 You see, sometimes language isn't precise enough for what we want to say you ever wanted to 411 00:20:35,734 --> 00:20:38,880 tell somebody you love them so bad, but all that comes out is tears. 412 00:20:39,780 --> 00:20:41,650 All that comes out is nothing. 413 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,790 Sometimes love is too deep for words. 414 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:57,290 And the spirit helps us when our prayer life, listen to me, needs to go beyond a word. 415 00:20:58,460 --> 00:21:00,010 And this is so important. 416 00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:04,824 And so when we talk about the Holy Spirit, right? 417 00:21:04,862 --> 00:21:08,276 We're all going to have one of three responses, nope, I grew up in a Bible church. 418 00:21:08,308 --> 00:21:09,428 This makes me uncomfortable. 419 00:21:09,524 --> 00:21:09,976 Oh, man. 420 00:21:09,998 --> 00:21:12,956 I've been waiting for sandals to get baptized in the Holy Spirit and it's about time you 421 00:21:12,978 --> 00:21:13,992 guys got saved. 422 00:21:14,136 --> 00:21:15,212 Well, thank you. 423 00:21:15,346 --> 00:21:16,236 And then some of you. 424 00:21:16,258 --> 00:21:20,476 And let me say this, for the vast majority of people that go to sandals church, they 425 00:21:20,498 --> 00:21:23,664 haven't been to church in a long time or they've never been to church in their life and 426 00:21:23,702 --> 00:21:25,600 they need to be our primary concern. 427 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:32,396 Wouldn't it be nice if democrats and republicans actually cared about Americans? 428 00:21:32,588 --> 00:21:33,890 Wouldn't that be great? 429 00:21:35,220 --> 00:21:39,456 So regardless of whether you grew up in a Bible church or you grew up in a holy spirit 430 00:21:39,488 --> 00:21:43,700 filled church, wouldn't it be nice if we actually cared about new christians? 431 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,700 Instead of fighting with each other, why don't we say, hey, holy spirit. 432 00:21:47,780 --> 00:21:49,940 We want to help these individuals learn to pray. 433 00:21:50,020 --> 00:21:53,560 And the best person to teach us to pray is the Holy Spirit. 434 00:21:54,220 --> 00:21:55,450 It's not a book. 435 00:21:56,460 --> 00:22:02,076 And by the way, there are some great books on prayer, but the best teacher on prayer is the 436 00:22:02,098 --> 00:22:02,990 spirit of God. 437 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,268 So I want to challenge you. 438 00:22:06,354 --> 00:22:13,296 I want to challenge you no matter where you are, be prepared to invite the Holy Spirit into 439 00:22:13,318 --> 00:22:14,304 your prayer life. 440 00:22:14,502 --> 00:22:16,050 So let's talk about this. 441 00:22:16,820 --> 00:22:18,864 What I want to challenge you specifically is this. 442 00:22:18,902 --> 00:22:21,440 You need to understand, okay? 443 00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:23,120 Raise your hand if you're a Christian. 444 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:29,460 Every Christian, every Christian needs to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. 445 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:35,416 I don't know where you think your prayer is going without the Holy Spirit, but it's not 446 00:22:35,438 --> 00:22:36,680 making it to heaven. 447 00:22:37,580 --> 00:22:39,140 Just go outside and shout. 448 00:22:39,220 --> 00:22:41,290 How far will your voice go? 449 00:22:43,580 --> 00:22:47,450 Anybody ever have a cell phone bar problem? 450 00:22:48,460 --> 00:22:51,070 I don't know about you, but my phone works everywhere but my house. 451 00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:56,540 You see, the bars tell you how great the reception is. 452 00:22:56,610 --> 00:23:00,430 So what you need is a tower to take your words someplace else. 453 00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,288 And without the tower working, what happens to your words? 454 00:23:04,374 --> 00:23:09,072 It doesn't matter how sincere you are, doesn't matter how real you are. 455 00:23:09,206 --> 00:23:13,040 If you don't have the tower to broadcast what you're saying, where does it go? 456 00:23:13,110 --> 00:23:17,990 It ends when your power of your voice and your volume dies out. 457 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:22,790 So if you want your prayers to go to heaven, you need the Holy Spirit to get them there. 458 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,644 And here's the amazing thing about the Holy Spirit. 459 00:23:26,772 --> 00:23:29,530 He's here and there. 460 00:23:30,860 --> 00:23:33,320 He's here and there. 461 00:23:33,390 --> 00:23:38,010 And if you're a believer, he's here and there. 462 00:23:39,660 --> 00:23:41,070 So here's the thing. 463 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,704 Jude, the half brother of Jesus. 464 00:23:43,752 --> 00:23:46,168 And if you've never read Jude, it's only one chapter. 465 00:23:46,264 --> 00:23:47,950 You should tell everybody it's your favorite book. 466 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:49,820 I love Jude. 467 00:23:50,260 --> 00:23:51,650 Read it every day. 468 00:23:52,580 --> 00:23:54,000 It's one chapter. 469 00:23:55,940 --> 00:23:58,160 But Jude is the half brother of Jesus. 470 00:23:58,580 --> 00:24:00,210 And this is so important. 471 00:24:01,220 --> 00:24:02,236 Listen to what he says. 472 00:24:02,278 --> 00:24:10,004 He says, but you as a Christian, dear friends, he says, build yourselves up in your most 473 00:24:10,042 --> 00:24:11,040 holy faith. 474 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:12,116 Listen to me. 475 00:24:12,218 --> 00:24:17,976 If you're a Christian, the most important thing you are doing is building yourself up in 476 00:24:17,998 --> 00:24:18,840 your faith. 477 00:24:19,340 --> 00:24:21,530 So many christians get saved and stop. 478 00:24:22,380 --> 00:24:23,448 Let me tell you something. 479 00:24:23,534 --> 00:24:25,610 When you get saved, it just started. 480 00:24:26,380 --> 00:24:27,710 It just started. 481 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:34,110 Your mission in life as a Christian is to grow, is to build, is to change. 482 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,608 And the way we do that is by inviting the spirit. 483 00:24:39,624 --> 00:24:40,910 But this is so important. 484 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:46,572 He says, my dear friends, what you need to do is you need to grow up in this most holy 485 00:24:46,636 --> 00:24:51,920 faith and listen to these words and pray in the Holy Spirit. 486 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,056 You need this every Christian, everywhere. 487 00:24:55,088 --> 00:24:56,390 Now, why is this important? 488 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:03,540 Because James is talking about how to connect with his brother Jesus. 489 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:10,040 And what he says is not, learn to talk to my brother like I do. 490 00:25:10,190 --> 00:25:11,530 That's not what he says. 491 00:25:12,460 --> 00:25:15,880 He says, learn to talk to my brother through the spirit. 492 00:25:18,810 --> 00:25:20,550 Jude grew up with Jesus. 493 00:25:21,130 --> 00:25:22,790 Jude knew Jesus. 494 00:25:24,090 --> 00:25:25,366 Think about that. 495 00:25:25,548 --> 00:25:32,810 And Jude says, when we talk to Jesus, we do so through the power of the Holy Spirit. 496 00:25:34,030 --> 00:25:38,940 So if the half brother of Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to pray, what do you need? 497 00:25:39,790 --> 00:25:41,020 What do you need? 498 00:25:42,430 --> 00:25:43,498 We all need. 499 00:25:43,584 --> 00:25:49,422 Every single believer, whether you grew up in a Bible church or a pentecostal church, needs 500 00:25:49,476 --> 00:25:53,886 the Holy Spirit to pray, and it shouldn't be a divisive issue. 501 00:25:53,988 --> 00:25:59,058 Isn't that sad that the very person of God that brings us together is the very person of 502 00:25:59,064 --> 00:26:00,820 God that we divide over? 503 00:26:01,190 --> 00:26:02,850 That's our spiritual gift. 504 00:26:03,830 --> 00:26:06,050 We divide over the Holy Spirit. 505 00:26:06,550 --> 00:26:12,018 So every Christian, everyone, every single one of you needs the Holy Spirit to pray. 506 00:26:12,114 --> 00:26:13,366 Everyone does. 507 00:26:13,548 --> 00:26:19,586 Some Christians, some Christians will pray in tongues through the gifting of the Holy 508 00:26:19,618 --> 00:26:20,390 Spirit. 509 00:26:20,910 --> 00:26:21,900 Not all. 510 00:26:22,430 --> 00:26:23,258 Not all. 511 00:26:23,344 --> 00:26:26,314 I get all my pentecostal pastor friends are like, you pray in tongues yet? 512 00:26:26,352 --> 00:26:26,746 Pastor bad. 513 00:26:26,768 --> 00:26:27,914 And I'm like, no, not yet. 514 00:26:27,952 --> 00:26:32,902 They're like, oh, you're so cute. 515 00:26:32,966 --> 00:26:34,010 You're so cute. 516 00:26:34,430 --> 00:26:39,450 Look, I've asked for the gift many times, okay? 517 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:40,966 And the Lord doesn't give us all gifts. 518 00:26:40,998 --> 00:26:42,026 I asked for the gift of singing. 519 00:26:42,058 --> 00:26:43,786 Wouldn't that be great for me to lead us in worship? 520 00:26:43,818 --> 00:26:45,034 I think it would be so profound. 521 00:26:45,082 --> 00:26:50,290 I'm just up here on my guitar, rocking out in the name of Jesus. 522 00:26:50,710 --> 00:26:52,770 But the Holy Spirit didn't give me that gift. 523 00:26:53,910 --> 00:26:57,570 The Holy Spirit doesn't give us all of the gifts. 524 00:26:57,910 --> 00:27:00,334 He gives us the gifts he chooses. 525 00:27:00,382 --> 00:27:01,170 Now, here's the thing. 526 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:07,090 We all have the Holy Spirit, but we can always have a new experience with the Holy Spirit, 527 00:27:07,170 --> 00:27:08,546 a new encounter with the spirit. 528 00:27:08,578 --> 00:27:09,414 And let me tell you something. 529 00:27:09,452 --> 00:27:11,906 You start serving God, and he's going to give you new gifts. 530 00:27:11,938 --> 00:27:16,620 You see, the further you trust him, the deeper you go, the more he's going to give you. 531 00:27:18,830 --> 00:27:23,610 But we need to just say, look, some of us, we have this gift. 532 00:27:23,950 --> 00:27:28,574 The apostle Paul says this in one corinthians 14, for if I pray in tongues, my spirit is 533 00:27:28,612 --> 00:27:31,280 praying, but I don't understand what I'm saying. 534 00:27:32,130 --> 00:27:34,830 I have so many christian friends that pray in tongues. 535 00:27:35,170 --> 00:27:38,350 I don't have the gift, my wife doesn't have the gift. 536 00:27:38,430 --> 00:27:41,298 But so many people I love and respect do. 537 00:27:41,384 --> 00:27:43,438 They're not varsity and I'm not jV. 538 00:27:43,534 --> 00:27:46,690 They just have a different gift. 539 00:27:47,110 --> 00:27:50,760 And instead of dividing over it, we need to celebrate it. 540 00:27:51,530 --> 00:27:53,320 We need to celebrate this. 541 00:27:53,690 --> 00:28:00,742 You see, as christians, we all have the same power, we all have the same spirit, but we all 542 00:28:00,796 --> 00:28:05,290 receive different spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit. 543 00:28:06,670 --> 00:28:09,180 I don't know why God gave me the gift of speaking. 544 00:28:10,270 --> 00:28:11,306 I didn't ask for it. 545 00:28:11,328 --> 00:28:12,042 I didn't want it. 546 00:28:12,096 --> 00:28:14,266 I was terrified to speak publicly. 547 00:28:14,378 --> 00:28:17,518 I failed public speaking in junior college. 548 00:28:17,604 --> 00:28:20,240 Do you know how hard it is to fail a class in junior college? 549 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:24,990 Listen to me. 550 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,030 The gift of tongues is real. 551 00:28:28,900 --> 00:28:30,096 And here's the thing. 552 00:28:30,198 --> 00:28:32,450 It's beautiful when it's done right. 553 00:28:33,700 --> 00:28:34,816 It's beautiful. 554 00:28:34,998 --> 00:28:40,764 Tammy and I were in Ireland November, and we hadn't slept for seven nights, and I wasn't 555 00:28:40,812 --> 00:28:41,410 okay. 556 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:43,670 I wasn't okay. 557 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,136 And the pastor said, it was a pentecostal church. 558 00:28:47,168 --> 00:28:50,244 The pastor said, hey, is there anything we can do for you? 559 00:28:50,282 --> 00:28:51,540 I said, I haven't slept. 560 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:54,480 And they got me an appointment with a doctor. 561 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:55,556 It was great. 562 00:28:55,738 --> 00:28:57,944 And he said, and can we pray over you? 563 00:28:58,142 --> 00:28:59,370 I said, absolutely. 564 00:29:00,700 --> 00:29:02,276 It was a pentecostal church in Ireland. 565 00:29:02,308 --> 00:29:03,524 And so they prayed over me in tongues. 566 00:29:03,572 --> 00:29:06,936 Irish, I don't know, is weird, because people, when they're speaking Irish, they sound like 567 00:29:06,958 --> 00:29:07,972 they're speaking in tongues anyways. 568 00:29:08,036 --> 00:29:08,910 You're like, what? 569 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:11,164 But here's the thing. 570 00:29:11,202 --> 00:29:13,660 As he prayed over me, I wept. 571 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,690 It was like the words of God were washing me. 572 00:29:20,260 --> 00:29:26,636 So when tongues is done right, listen to me, it's beautiful when it's done wrong, it feels 573 00:29:26,668 --> 00:29:28,000 like a car crash. 574 00:29:29,060 --> 00:29:32,080 I want you to imagine going to a Celine Dion concert. 575 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:40,596 Just think about know, have you ever heard her sing like, that's what I'm going to sound 576 00:29:40,618 --> 00:29:41,184 like in heaven. 577 00:29:41,232 --> 00:29:41,920 Celine. 578 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:43,780 It's going to be me and Celine. 579 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,690 They're going to call us Celine Matt Dion, right? 580 00:29:48,460 --> 00:29:50,596 I want you to imagine you're at a Celine Dion concert. 581 00:29:50,628 --> 00:29:51,992 It's her last concert ever. 582 00:29:52,046 --> 00:29:59,050 You're there and she ends beatboxing and you're like, what? 583 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,900 I've heard tongues like that and I'm like, that's not the Holy Spirit. 584 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:05,710 That's you. 585 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:07,390 That's you. 586 00:30:08,340 --> 00:30:12,880 And it's gross and it turns people off to the power of the spirit. 587 00:30:13,540 --> 00:30:14,770 Listen to me. 588 00:30:15,460 --> 00:30:18,370 The spirit never draws attention to you. 589 00:30:19,620 --> 00:30:20,416 Ever. 590 00:30:20,598 --> 00:30:25,076 If you're in sandals church worship and you feel led during worship or during prayer to 591 00:30:25,098 --> 00:30:26,740 speak in tongues, that's great. 592 00:30:26,890 --> 00:30:28,020 Keep it to yourself. 593 00:30:28,170 --> 00:30:33,056 And I'm not saying silently, but if I'm in worship, and Paul says this in one corinthians 594 00:30:33,088 --> 00:30:40,516 14, if non believers come in worship and they see you beatboxing like Celine Dion, they're 595 00:30:40,548 --> 00:30:42,410 going to be distracted from the message. 596 00:30:43,260 --> 00:30:46,010 And here's where my charismatic friends get it wrong. 597 00:30:47,340 --> 00:30:50,388 You don't need to be a distraction, you don't need to be the center of attention. 598 00:30:50,484 --> 00:30:54,268 Where my conservative friends, in my tradition, gets it wrong is they say it's not real. 599 00:30:54,354 --> 00:30:58,876 I'm here to tell you it is real and I've seen it over and over and over again. 600 00:30:58,978 --> 00:31:04,130 I've seen it done right and I've seen it done wrong, but it is real. 601 00:31:05,060 --> 00:31:06,130 It is real. 602 00:31:06,740 --> 00:31:08,416 So here's what we're going to do right now. 603 00:31:08,518 --> 00:31:10,740 We're going to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit. 604 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:20,804 No music, no song, no production, no fogs, no coming forward, no flags, no carpets, no 605 00:31:20,842 --> 00:31:21,700 blankets. 606 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:23,344 Nobody's getting slain. 607 00:31:23,392 --> 00:31:24,730 Nobody's dying today. 608 00:31:25,500 --> 00:31:26,216 Do you know why? 609 00:31:26,238 --> 00:31:30,520 The Holy Spirit doesn't need anything but a willing vessel. 610 00:31:32,380 --> 00:31:33,656 Here's what I want you to know. 611 00:31:33,758 --> 00:31:35,868 If you're not a Christian now, here's what you need to know about God. 612 00:31:35,954 --> 00:31:36,840 God calls. 613 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:38,380 He never coerces. 614 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:40,136 He wants faith. 615 00:31:40,168 --> 00:31:41,480 He doesn't force himself. 616 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:43,150 That's not who God is. 617 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,288 So let's just pause right here and let's just pray. 618 00:31:47,384 --> 00:31:49,804 So here's what I want you to do, is I want you to bow your head. 619 00:31:49,922 --> 00:31:51,296 I want you to close your eyes. 620 00:31:51,398 --> 00:31:57,264 And if your prayer is flat, if you're frustrated with your prayer life, could it be that 621 00:31:57,302 --> 00:31:58,800 you need the Holy Spirit? 622 00:31:59,540 --> 00:32:03,170 Could it be that you've separated yourself from God? 623 00:32:04,020 --> 00:32:05,396 So let's just invite him right now. 624 00:32:05,418 --> 00:32:06,116 And let me just say this. 625 00:32:06,138 --> 00:32:08,900 If you're in a sandal service, we don't want any outbursts. 626 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:13,220 This is not your opportunity to hijack what God is doing here. 627 00:32:13,370 --> 00:32:18,456 This is just about us silently receiving, calling out to Holy Spirit, saying, I want more 628 00:32:18,478 --> 00:32:19,896 of you in my prayer life. 629 00:32:20,078 --> 00:32:24,472 For some of us, he's going to give us this gift for all of us. 630 00:32:24,526 --> 00:32:26,008 He's going to empower us. 631 00:32:26,174 --> 00:32:27,684 Every single person will be empowered. 632 00:32:27,732 --> 00:32:29,532 Some of us will be gifted in a new way. 633 00:32:29,586 --> 00:32:30,280 Let's pray. 634 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:33,710 Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus, we just come to you right now. 635 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:40,460 And Lord, as the pastor of this church, I just say, sometimes my prayers are flat, they're 636 00:32:40,540 --> 00:32:42,124 rote and they're mundane. 637 00:32:42,252 --> 00:32:45,570 And it feels, Lord, sometimes like I'm just checking a box. 638 00:32:46,820 --> 00:32:50,412 Fill me afresh with your spirit, Holy Spirit. 639 00:32:50,476 --> 00:32:56,932 I just confess, Lord, my pride in what I think I know, my pride in my understanding of you. 640 00:32:56,986 --> 00:32:58,644 And I just confess that. 641 00:32:58,842 --> 00:33:05,096 And I invite you, holy spirit, to just fill us as a church to fill every believer in this 642 00:33:05,118 --> 00:33:05,690 place. 643 00:33:06,540 --> 00:33:09,320 Fill us with the power to pray like Jesus. 644 00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:16,296 And, Lord, for some of us, fill us with this gift to pray in a way that we don't 645 00:33:16,328 --> 00:33:16,910 understand. 646 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:19,870 That's a mystery, but is beautiful. 647 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,476 We pray this in Jesus name. 648 00:33:22,658 --> 00:33:23,580 Amen. 649 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:25,710 Now, here's the thing. 650 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,508 Nobody needs you to teach you how to do this. 651 00:33:28,594 --> 00:33:31,090 When it's been authentic, people, it just happens. 652 00:33:32,260 --> 00:33:33,212 It's never forced. 653 00:33:33,276 --> 00:33:34,290 It just happens. 654 00:33:34,740 --> 00:33:38,032 It'll feel like there's something inside that has to get out. 655 00:33:38,166 --> 00:33:40,770 And when it's just you and God, let it out. 656 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:41,796 Let it out. 657 00:33:41,818 --> 00:33:42,932 It's a beautiful thing. 658 00:33:43,066 --> 00:33:44,196 All right, next. 659 00:33:44,378 --> 00:33:45,664 All the Baptists can relax. 660 00:33:45,712 --> 00:33:46,596 Here we go. 661 00:33:46,778 --> 00:33:47,664 You survived. 662 00:33:47,712 --> 00:33:48,820 You survived. 663 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:49,988 Next. 664 00:33:50,154 --> 00:33:53,380 Learn to listen for God's voice when I pray. 665 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,272 Well, you said, Pastor Matt, it's primary. 666 00:33:56,336 --> 00:33:57,910 I know what I said. 667 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,136 Prayer is about connection, not conversation. 668 00:34:01,248 --> 00:34:11,160 But, you know, sometimes God speaks him when he wants to learn to listen for God's voice, 669 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:12,332 because some of you. 670 00:34:12,386 --> 00:34:12,988 Hello. 671 00:34:13,154 --> 00:34:17,790 Are hard headed and God is speaking at you and you don't listen. 672 00:34:19,860 --> 00:34:21,360 Revelation 110. 673 00:34:21,510 --> 00:34:23,680 This is John who wrote the book of revelation. 674 00:34:24,020 --> 00:34:28,640 He says on the Lord's day, that's Sunday, he says, I was in the spirit. 675 00:34:29,140 --> 00:34:29,920 Whoa. 676 00:34:30,500 --> 00:34:31,836 He's not just praying in the spirit. 677 00:34:31,868 --> 00:34:36,596 He's so close to the Holy Spirit, he can't distinguish himself from what the spirit is 678 00:34:36,618 --> 00:34:36,996 doing. 679 00:34:37,098 --> 00:34:38,500 I was in the spirit. 680 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,740 He said, I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet. 681 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:45,384 As your pastor, let me tell you something. 682 00:34:45,422 --> 00:34:46,392 I have heard God speak. 683 00:34:46,446 --> 00:34:47,848 You say, what did it sound like? 684 00:34:47,934 --> 00:34:51,240 It felt like a train crashing into my chest. 685 00:34:53,660 --> 00:34:56,300 It was beautiful and terrifying. 686 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,140 Beautiful and terrifying. 687 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:05,420 When God speaks, your whole body, your whole soul will shake. 688 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:11,890 When God spoke to the Israelites, they begged Moses to tell him to stop. 689 00:35:13,700 --> 00:35:17,760 You see, some of you worship a wimpy Jesus, and that's not the real Jesus. 690 00:35:18,740 --> 00:35:20,770 When he speaks, people fall. 691 00:35:21,220 --> 00:35:24,404 Lord, what do you have to say? 692 00:35:24,602 --> 00:35:25,908 What do you have to say? 693 00:35:26,074 --> 00:35:28,980 That's why John says I fell as though I was dead. 694 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,004 Hebrews three, seven through eight. 695 00:35:32,042 --> 00:35:36,056 So, as the Holy Spirit says today, if you hear his voice, I don't know if you will. 696 00:35:36,158 --> 00:35:38,120 Do not harden your hearts. 697 00:35:39,580 --> 00:35:43,640 You see, the Holy Spirit can speak to me through the Bible. 698 00:35:43,980 --> 00:35:47,240 So I said, prayer is the primary way I connect with God. 699 00:35:47,310 --> 00:35:48,900 Do you want to know why you need to read your Bible? 700 00:35:48,980 --> 00:35:52,430 Your Bible is the primary way he connects with you. 701 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,864 Some of you are like, I want a word from you, Jesus. 702 00:35:55,912 --> 00:35:59,250 And Jesus is like, I want you to do something about the words I said. 703 00:36:00,820 --> 00:36:02,384 And you're like, I want a new word. 704 00:36:02,422 --> 00:36:04,770 And he said, I want you to be obedient to the old words. 705 00:36:07,140 --> 00:36:09,520 Sometimes he can use a voice. 706 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:12,820 It can be a still, small voice. 707 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,000 Sometimes it's a strong urging. 708 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:23,076 As I was writing this message this week, I felt prompted to stop my sermon and pray for a 709 00:36:23,098 --> 00:36:24,176 staff member. 710 00:36:24,368 --> 00:36:25,448 And I just texted him. 711 00:36:25,454 --> 00:36:30,264 I said, I don't know what's happening for you right now, but God is telling me to stop this 712 00:36:30,302 --> 00:36:32,250 message and to pray for you. 713 00:36:34,060 --> 00:36:35,790 You see, God can do that. 714 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:41,832 Sandals church raised two extra million dollars in December. 715 00:36:41,896 --> 00:36:42,856 We had this huge goal. 716 00:36:42,888 --> 00:36:44,024 It was a massive undertaking. 717 00:36:44,072 --> 00:36:45,180 Money's tight. 718 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,108 McDonald's is now $100 a meal for happy meal. 719 00:36:48,124 --> 00:36:49,410 It's like, what's going on? 720 00:36:51,540 --> 00:36:55,120 And we were $34,000 short of our goal. 721 00:36:55,860 --> 00:37:01,444 And the Holy Spirit urged a member of our church to write a check for the exact amount we 722 00:37:01,482 --> 00:37:02,070 needed. 723 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:05,504 That's the Holy Spirit. 724 00:37:05,632 --> 00:37:13,320 I don't know why, Frida, but I feel like it should be 434 thousand, whoever it was. 725 00:37:13,470 --> 00:37:14,490 Thank you. 726 00:37:15,660 --> 00:37:16,168 Next. 727 00:37:16,254 --> 00:37:19,160 The Lord can speak through a trusted believer. 728 00:37:19,580 --> 00:37:21,400 Keyword trusted. 729 00:37:22,540 --> 00:37:26,840 And if you need to pray about that, talk to someone on staff. 730 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,472 I don't know if they're trustworthy. 731 00:37:28,536 --> 00:37:31,710 Okay, then I wouldn't talk to them. 732 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:33,400 Trusted believer. 733 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:34,492 I kid you not. 734 00:37:34,546 --> 00:37:41,160 I was working out at the gym, getting stacked, and this young hispanic woman came up to me. 735 00:37:41,170 --> 00:37:42,028 She said, are you pastor Matt? 736 00:37:42,044 --> 00:37:42,496 And I said, yes. 737 00:37:42,518 --> 00:37:46,050 She said, my boyfriend's going to get in a fight outside, and you need to stop it. 738 00:37:48,900 --> 00:37:50,128 It's like, okay. 739 00:37:50,294 --> 00:37:56,436 So I go out there, I'm walking out there, and two Jack dudes, I mean swole dudes, are 740 00:37:56,458 --> 00:37:58,150 getting ready to throw down. 741 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,632 And so I shout out at the guy, he goes to our church. 742 00:38:01,696 --> 00:38:05,190 I said, Mike, what are you doing? 743 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,656 Can I just say, if you're about ready to look at porn, and I just magically appear in your 744 00:38:09,678 --> 00:38:14,120 living room, and I'm like, what are you doing? 745 00:38:14,270 --> 00:38:17,290 That's God, stop. 746 00:38:19,180 --> 00:38:21,820 What are you doing, Mike, what are you doing? 747 00:38:21,970 --> 00:38:23,628 And this other hispanic guy comes up to me. 748 00:38:23,634 --> 00:38:25,772 He's like, yo, man, nobody's jumping in this fight. 749 00:38:25,906 --> 00:38:27,950 I was like, you think I'm jumping in? 750 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:29,964 I was like, come here, let's bring. 751 00:38:30,002 --> 00:38:30,830 Oh, yeah. 752 00:38:31,540 --> 00:38:34,450 You see, I'm the age of both of these guys together. 753 00:38:35,700 --> 00:38:37,730 There will be no jumping in. 754 00:38:40,180 --> 00:38:42,550 But I said, mike, what are you doing? 755 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:44,692 Mike says to the guy, he's about ready to fight. 756 00:38:44,746 --> 00:38:46,100 Hey, that's my pastor. 757 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:49,750 That's what he said. 758 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:52,580 And then he fought the dude. 759 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:59,016 And I watched a church member get punched in the face several times, and then they were 760 00:38:59,038 --> 00:39:02,650 done fighting, and they just walked by me. 761 00:39:03,180 --> 00:39:04,664 I was like, Mike, what's going on? 762 00:39:04,702 --> 00:39:06,344 He's, like, handling some business. 763 00:39:06,542 --> 00:39:09,748 And I'm like, and here's the thing, Mike. 764 00:39:09,764 --> 00:39:13,660 If you're listening and you're sitting in church, I love you, brother. 765 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:17,196 But in that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, and he said, if you don't change your 766 00:39:17,218 --> 00:39:19,120 life, I'm going to do your funeral. 767 00:39:23,130 --> 00:39:24,360 Do you feel that? 768 00:39:25,930 --> 00:39:27,830 You see, the Holy Spirit speaks. 769 00:39:28,650 --> 00:39:30,150 And here's the thing, Mike. 770 00:39:30,890 --> 00:39:35,000 People at your funeral are going to be sad because they love you and they care for you. 771 00:39:35,530 --> 00:39:38,460 And everybody at that funeral is going to say, why did God do this? 772 00:39:38,830 --> 00:39:41,420 And what I'm going to be thinking is, Mike, why didn't you listen? 773 00:39:42,110 --> 00:39:43,580 Change your life today. 774 00:39:44,510 --> 00:39:45,982 You don't need to handle your business. 775 00:39:46,036 --> 00:39:47,600 You need to handle his business. 776 00:39:50,210 --> 00:39:51,280 Last point. 777 00:39:51,810 --> 00:39:53,150 I love you, Mike. 778 00:39:54,450 --> 00:39:57,280 I love you, and I'm praying for you. 779 00:39:58,850 --> 00:39:59,710 Last point. 780 00:39:59,780 --> 00:40:02,190 Remind yourself of who you are as you pray. 781 00:40:04,310 --> 00:40:05,566 Some of you are so sad. 782 00:40:05,598 --> 00:40:08,222 You're like, I don't have the gift of the Holy Spirit. 783 00:40:08,366 --> 00:40:09,506 And then some of you are like me. 784 00:40:09,528 --> 00:40:11,110 You're like, I don't have any gifts. 785 00:40:14,410 --> 00:40:16,680 And you just feel so second class. 786 00:40:18,410 --> 00:40:19,634 Some of us feel dumb. 787 00:40:19,682 --> 00:40:20,422 I don't get God. 788 00:40:20,476 --> 00:40:21,590 I'm not smart. 789 00:40:22,970 --> 00:40:25,590 I mean, some of us, right, we're not good at reading. 790 00:40:26,190 --> 00:40:28,300 Lord, I can't read your word. 791 00:40:28,750 --> 00:40:29,114 Man. 792 00:40:29,152 --> 00:40:30,460 I got news for you. 793 00:40:31,390 --> 00:40:35,866 When you pray and you talk to God, I want you to remember who you are this week because you 794 00:40:35,888 --> 00:40:36,586 don't know who you are. 795 00:40:36,608 --> 00:40:38,800 Because if you knew who you are, you would pray every day. 796 00:40:40,290 --> 00:40:42,206 Galatians four, four through seven, it says. 797 00:40:42,228 --> 00:40:49,540 But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 798 00:40:49,910 --> 00:40:55,970 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves. 799 00:40:57,190 --> 00:40:57,940 Why? 800 00:40:59,350 --> 00:41:02,534 So that he could adopt us. 801 00:41:02,732 --> 00:41:03,510 Listen to this. 802 00:41:03,580 --> 00:41:05,000 As his very own children. 803 00:41:05,850 --> 00:41:12,258 And because we are his children, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts. 804 00:41:12,354 --> 00:41:23,066 We all have the Holy Spirit, prompting us to cry out, Abba, Father, you see, when you 805 00:41:23,088 --> 00:41:24,486 become a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit. 806 00:41:24,518 --> 00:41:26,590 And God's not just God, he's dad. 807 00:41:27,890 --> 00:41:32,190 Abba is the word that little kids in Israel use for daddy. 808 00:41:33,570 --> 00:41:34,590 Abba. 809 00:41:35,410 --> 00:41:37,914 Abba, right. 810 00:41:38,052 --> 00:41:39,010 Abba. 811 00:41:41,940 --> 00:41:47,010 He says, now you are no longer a slave, but God's own child. 812 00:41:48,660 --> 00:41:53,170 Look, my kids are grown, but do you know they all have keys to my house? 813 00:41:54,820 --> 00:41:56,560 They can come home anytime. 814 00:41:57,460 --> 00:41:58,850 Do you want to know why? 815 00:42:00,660 --> 00:42:03,650 My home is their home. 816 00:42:04,300 --> 00:42:07,160 It's where they belong. 817 00:42:08,780 --> 00:42:11,240 Do you know what heaven is for you if you're a believer? 818 00:42:11,740 --> 00:42:12,490 Home. 819 00:42:13,260 --> 00:42:15,000 When's the last time you visited? 820 00:42:15,740 --> 00:42:17,610 When is the last time you came by? 821 00:42:18,380 --> 00:42:21,230 My parents are old and I love them. 822 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:23,900 And whenever I go see them, you know what they say? 823 00:42:23,970 --> 00:42:26,430 Thank you so much for coming home, son. 824 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:29,470 We love to see you. 825 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:31,608 I know you don't know how to pray. 826 00:42:31,704 --> 00:42:33,148 I know you don't know what to say. 827 00:42:33,234 --> 00:42:35,644 I know some of you are like, I don't even know there was a holy spirit. 828 00:42:35,772 --> 00:42:37,056 You're just know. 829 00:42:37,078 --> 00:42:38,252 I feel so dumb. 830 00:42:38,396 --> 00:42:38,752 Sorry. 831 00:42:38,806 --> 00:42:39,904 That's my spiritual gift, I guess. 832 00:42:39,942 --> 00:42:40,770 I don't know. 833 00:42:41,540 --> 00:42:42,850 But here's the thing. 834 00:42:43,940 --> 00:42:47,364 My parents don't care what I've done, who I am. 835 00:42:47,402 --> 00:42:48,464 They don't care that I'm Pastor Matt. 836 00:42:48,512 --> 00:42:49,830 They care that I'm their son. 837 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,856 And for some of you this week, let me tell you why you need to pray every day this week, 838 00:42:54,958 --> 00:42:56,410 because you need to go home. 839 00:42:58,220 --> 00:42:59,450 Do you miss home? 840 00:43:00,380 --> 00:43:02,664 For some of you, it's been way too long. 841 00:43:02,862 --> 00:43:06,890 And just say, dad, I've been out there. 842 00:43:07,580 --> 00:43:09,048 That's what prayer is. 843 00:43:09,214 --> 00:43:13,004 So I'm going to do right now is I'm going to pray over you and dismiss you. 844 00:43:13,122 --> 00:43:14,430 So this is new. 845 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:17,016 No bells, no whistles. 846 00:43:17,208 --> 00:43:18,910 I'm just going to dismiss you. 847 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:20,700 Listen to this. 848 00:43:20,850 --> 00:43:27,664 As you go home today, I want you to go home to your physical home and I want you to go home 849 00:43:27,702 --> 00:43:34,276 today and pray and check in with your internal home and just say, abba, daddy, it's been 850 00:43:34,298 --> 00:43:35,110 too long. 851 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:36,950 I'm so sorry. 852 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:39,124 And here's the thing. 853 00:43:39,162 --> 00:43:40,788 He's not going to guilt trip you. 854 00:43:40,954 --> 00:43:42,116 He loves you. 855 00:43:42,298 --> 00:43:47,540 He sent his one and only son, Jesus to die for you so you could have these conversations. 856 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:50,040 Isn't that great? 857 00:43:50,190 --> 00:43:52,644 So let me pray for you and then you'll be dismissed. 858 00:43:52,692 --> 00:43:56,184 And if you're at a campus and you need prayer today, you can still go forward. 859 00:43:56,222 --> 00:43:58,216 At the end of service, there'll be people to pray for you there. 860 00:43:58,238 --> 00:44:00,972 And if you're watching online, let us know if we can help you. 861 00:44:01,026 --> 00:44:03,356 We love you guys, but here's the thing. 862 00:44:03,458 --> 00:44:08,184 Prayer is hard by yourself, but with the Holy Spirit, it's powerful. 863 00:44:08,312 --> 00:44:08,792 Amen. 864 00:44:08,856 --> 00:44:09,804 Let's pray together. 865 00:44:09,922 --> 00:44:15,180 Jesus, we pray in your holy name that your holy spirit would help us pray. 866 00:44:15,340 --> 00:44:20,764 God, let us not make this 40 days a to do list, something to add to our calendar. 867 00:44:20,812 --> 00:44:26,752 But God, let us be away where each and every day we're checking in with home because you 868 00:44:26,806 --> 00:44:31,196 sent your son to earth for us so we could be with you in heaven. 869 00:44:31,388 --> 00:44:33,844 But lord, we don't have to wait for heaven till we die. 870 00:44:33,932 --> 00:44:37,640 We can talk to you right now through prayer because of Jesus. 871 00:44:37,980 --> 00:44:43,976 So Holy Spirit, empower us all this week as we go home and we talk to you each and every 872 00:44:44,078 --> 00:44:46,148 day through this series. 873 00:44:46,324 --> 00:44:48,840 We pray this in Jesus holy name. 874 00:44:48,990 --> 00:44:49,380 Amen.