WEBVTT

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 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast.

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 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons.

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 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear

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 the latest message. Thanks for listening.

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 Good morning. Glad that you guys are with us. If you've got your Bible, go ahead and open

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 up to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 is where we'll be. Hit me this morning. I hope that the springtime

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 weather is going to hang out with us for a little bit. Got here to the church this morning,

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 and at some point in time, Rodney had poured some water out into the parking lot, and as

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 water will do, it ran downhill, and then it formed a little puddle there at a part of the

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 parking lot. And sitting there on top of that puddle was a nice, thick layer of pollen, all

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 right? So it's springtime in South Carolina. We don't pay attention to the groundhogs. We

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 pay attention to the pollen, and it's here, all right? So it is good to have you guys here

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 with us. We are taking the Lord's Supper today. And so if you did not grab your elements as

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 you came in, please take this opportunity right now to head back to the back and grab those.

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 I promise we won't mock you, laugh at you, do anything. Just slide on back there and get

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 those. And at the end of the message, we will be partaking in the Lord's Supper together

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 as a church. I want to continue to encourage you. We are going to have our marriage conference

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 March 25th and 26th here at Willow Ridge Church. We're excited about that. I know for so many of

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 you, marriage conferences have been an important part of your marriage in building and strengthening

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 and understanding what God has for you. And we've got a wonderful Friday evening and Saturday

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 till a little bit after lunchtime from that morning of time for us to spend together as couples

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 diving into God's word, hearings from some phenomenal men and women of the Lord as they talk about

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 their marriage and how God is using difficult seasons, difficult times to draw them closer

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 to him. And as a result, drawing them closer to each other. Right now, it's all video based

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 through Right Now Media. And I had somebody ask me last week, I said, they asked the question,

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 they said, is there a general theme for it? And honestly, there's not. It's a marriage conference

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 that Right Now Media put together for 2020. But as I was just watching these videos over and

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 over again, as I'm working on some breakouts and some discussion starters for couples to

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 be able to use in their marriage. One of the themes though, that began to just hit me of how

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 God is using each and every one of these messages was this, was that as an individual person in

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 the marriage, how important it is to make the primary relationship in your life your relationship with

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 Jesus. And how that relationship and the depth of intimacy that we have with the Lord, how that

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 builds and strengthens our marriage. And there's so many other different aspects of that that these

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 men and women are going to be sharing with us and talking about. And so I would encourage you,

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 tickets are $20 a person to get those tickets, to be a part of that. And I'm excited to see how the

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 Lord's going to use that in our church. But being honest with you, how the Lord's going to use it in

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 my marriage as well. And so I want to encourage you to be there and to be a part of that. Well, last week,

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 we took some time at the beginning of the service and prayed about the war that has taken place in

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 Ukraine. And I shared with you guys that we were going to be praying through and processing, you know,

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 as a church, like what can we do? How can we come along? And the Lord opened a door for us this past

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 week with that. One of the things at the very beginning, as we started going through 1 Corinthians,

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 it talked about how the body was perfectly equipped and gifted for the work that God had for it.

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 And this past week was evident of that for me, about how Willow Ridge has been perfectly

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 equipped to be the church God has called us to be, as we've been able to form a partnership with a

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 Moldovian church that is ministering and caring for refugees. And that perfect equipping happened

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 well before this couple came to our church. I don't know, many of you know Matt and Tricia Evans. I

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 don't know that many of you necessarily know, unless you've known Matt and Tricia for a while,

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 that Matt and Tricia Evans previously served in Moldova with the IMB.

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 That long before Matt and Tricia were at Willow Ridge Church, they were missionaries on the mission

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 field. And as a result of their years of working on the ground, planning churches, equipping pastors

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 and working with them, they've kept that network, those friendships and those relationships. Some of

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 those pastors and friends that they've met have journeyed in, and I know pastor specific churches to

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 reach those particular people groups in various parts of our country. But a lot of those pastors

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 remain in countries like Moldova, where they're continuing to minister. If you're unfamiliar with

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 Moldova, it's not a country that gets talked about a lot, but it is a country that was a part of the

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 Soviet Union. If you're looking at the map, the global map of Ukraine, and you look to the southwest corner of

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 Ukraine, the country that borders it right there, is the country of Moldova. And Matt has been able to

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 continue on in his partnerships, and one of those has come through a pastor by the name of Constantine.

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 Matt shared with me today that they refer to him as Costi, and so we'll talk about Pastor Costi,

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 who pastors a manual church in the town of Belts, Moldova. Belts is spelled B-A-L-T-I, pronounced like

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 plural, what I've got around my waist, belts. I know, but that's what it is, right? So we had this

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 wonderful opportunity to connect with him. This church is taking in refugees. Refugees who are

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 fleeing from the war that is there, and if you're, again, if you've been watching and been tracking,

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 the area that will access into Moldova is the area that is taken over for the most part by Russian

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 occupation right now. And they're bringing these families into their church, but also bringing these

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 families into their homes. So we in the United States have already began to feel an economic burden, right?

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 I mean, there's lots of burdens that are going on, but let's be honest, one of the burdens that we're

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 feeling is an economic burden as a result of a lot of things that are happening and taking place

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 all over the world, but with what's taking place also in the Ukraine. And as a result of that,

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 we feel that, right? We feel that when we look at the account balance. We feel that when we look at

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 the gas pump. But could you imagine living in a country where you're feeling that burden economically

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 from your pocket, but now on top of that, you're not trying to figure out how to provide for your

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 family of four, but you're now trying to figure out how to provide for your family of four who's brought

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 on a family of six, who prior to that you may or may not have known. I want to show you all some

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 pictures that are going to be up here on the screen. Right here, this, the guy in the middle, this is

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 Pastor Costi, and on either side of him, he's got some refugees who have made their way over.

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 Let's go and show the next one. This is another family, right, that's been welcomed into their home.

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 Right, I mean, it just looks like the family from the neighborhood, right? Mom, dad, kids, and

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 everybody that's there. Another family that's come in. Let's go ahead and show the next one.

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 All right, this picture is beautiful. And what makes this beautiful is there's nothing that says

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 family like a group of people gathering around a table. And we don't know, like if we were just to

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 set that picture out of context, we could think, oh, there's just a bunch of, just a bunch of

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 families just, just there, but it's a bunch of different refugees representing different families

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 who are there having a meal. Let's go and show the next picture. Every country has the equivalent of

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 Sam's, all right? And what you see here, and I don't know if you can tell, but they're on the baby

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 aisle. And over here on the left, you see Huggies, all right? And this is a representative from the

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 church, coming to buy, from Emanuel Church, coming to buy supplies for the church and for the families

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 that are going to be there. And show, wouldn't show the next picture. And this was a video that I had

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 hit a screenshot, and Matt pronounced it for me this morning of what this is. And Matt, I apologize,

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 buddy, but in 10 minutes I've forgotten, all right? I know it sounded like it started with a P and ended

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 with like five letters that I can't piece together right now. But this is outside. This is actually at

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 the border of Moldova and Ukraine. And this is a group from the church there that's there preparing

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 food to give to the refugees who are coming across the border so they can have a hot meal, all right?

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 So, we want to continue to pray for all that's going on, but we want to also partner with the

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 church that's there. And so I want to kind of share with you guys to what we're looking at doing and

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 what we hope to continue to be able to do. This month, what we've already been able to do this past

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 week is we sent $2,000 to this church so this church could continue to buy the supplies and the

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 things that they need. And what we've committed to, as long as the need is there and as long as the

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 Lord moves in that direction, is for us to continue to send about $1,000 each month moving forward to

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 help out with the assistance in this church. And we love the fact that we can do this, and we love the

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 fact that we can do this through the partnerships and through relationships that we have within our

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 church. I do want to share a couple things with you guys as we look at this. Number one, when we start

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 the budget process, we start our budget process in summertime, and we're unaware that this was going

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 to be happening or taking place. And so if you go look at the Willow Ridge budget, the amount of money

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 that we need is not accounted for in the budget. And our plan is to provide this while continuing to

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 provide for the plan that we laid forward for the ministries that we partner with, but also the ministries

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 that we have within our church. And so the plan is to continue on without taking away. And we believe that

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 God will provide. We believe that God will provide and take care, and we're excited about that. But the check

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 that we need to have with ourselves, myself, yourself, and for all of us is in this an opportunity for us to

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 evaluate our heart. Concerned with finances. I know it's tough right now. I know it's hard. I know a dollar doesn't go

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 as far as a dollar did. Probably a dollar doesn't go very far for anything right now, right?

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 Somebody told me like, the 99 cent store is like the $1.25 store now, right?

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 Right? But for us to check our hearts concerning our finances and the expectation of the Lord

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 to tithe and to give sacrificially. So we're excited about what God's going to do with the gospel

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 through this. What God's going to do in this refugee. I talked a little bit about this last week, and I

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 promise we're going to jump into our message and hopefully go full circle with this. But the concept

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 of refugee was not in my brain as a child. It was not in my brain as a teenager. And we got a generation

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 now who are growing up with the thought of refugee. That term refugee is something that they know.

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 And when we hear refugee, we hear refugee crisis. War breaks out in Syria. Refugee crisis.

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 Persecution breaks out in Bangladesh. And so there's a crisis. War breaks out in the Ukraine. So there's

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 a crisis. And I believe they are crisis. But what God does and what God gives us the ability to do

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 through the power and the leading of the Holy Spirit is to take what is a crisis and to see that it is

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 an opportunity. As men and women from all over the world are being mobilized and we have an opportunity

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 for the gospel. For just one illustration really quickly how God's used this in our area. That right

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 now in Columbia, South Carolina, been here and are still coming here are refugees from Syria, Iraq,

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 and Afghanistan who have felt the burden and the persecution that is faced under the oppressive rule

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 of Islam. And to take the gospel to where they are and many faithful men and women have could mean your

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 life. But a crisis is created and they flee. And now in less than six miles from where we sit this

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 morning are Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan refugees whose doors and lives are open and opportunity for men and

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 women like us to share the gospel with them. If we'll take what the world says is a crisis

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 and look at it as an opportunity. And so as I watch the news my heart breaks for the men and the women

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 and children of Ukraine who are fleeing. But as we think through this through the power of what God wants

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 to do we have to ask ourselves this question is this a crisis or is this an opportunity? And what we're

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 seeing is through Pastor Acosti in the men and women and children of Emanuel Church, God's providing us an

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 opportunity. Let's pray. Lord, we come to you this morning. We thank you for the wonderful privilege and

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 opportunity we have to share your gospel all over this world. Lord, I know the strain that many of us are

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 feeling right now. The strain of finances, the strain of concern, the strain of worry.

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 But Lord, as we go through this, I pray what comes from this is a maturity, is a strengthening

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 of trust in you and in you alone. Lord, we continue to lift up prayers for those

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 being affected by this war that has taken place.

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 Lord, we ask that you work and that you move in such a powerful way that everyone will be clear and

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 evident that it is the hand of God who's at work. We pray for Pastor Acosti and the church, Emanuel Church.

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 Lord, and the opportunities that they have to minister and to share.

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 And we thank you for the wonderful opportunity that we have.

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 Lord, your word says that you work for good for all of those who love you.

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 And Lord, what we're seeing in the gospel plan and the story of the Lord is years ago, you mobilized the

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 Evans and you sent them to Eastern Europe to minister and to share. Lord, and beginning to see those

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 pieces that come place so that in a day like today where we can continue to pour in and see men and

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 women come to faith. Lord, we thank you and we love you. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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 As we look at 1 Corinthians chapter 8, I want to ask a question.

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 Question that, as I wrote it down on my paper in my office this week, has been a question that I've

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 struggled with. A question that I've wrestled with. A question where the Holy Spirit gets to take me out

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 back, put a little whooping on me, right, and bring me back in and get me ready for one more.

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 And the question is this, do I genuinely love? Do I genuinely love? It was a question I read a pastor

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 who wrote a 25-page chapter in a book about this passage of Scripture, and this is what he brought it

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 to. He said, do I genuinely love? And what he means by that is you dove through and try to sum it up in

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 five simple words. What he was driving to is, do I love all people? All people. I'm like you, I love.

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 I love food. I love family. I love friends. I love sports. I love outdoors. I love. But the hard

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 check for me in the concept of love is removing the things, focusing on the people, and asking myself,

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 do I love all people. Because what I find about myself, which probably rings true in your life as

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 well, is we are good at what I would call selectively loving. Choosing maybe directly or indirectly

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 those who I think are deserving of my love. Now, I used to say, and the Lord corrected that a little bit

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 on me this week, is that we tend to love those who do nice things and who love us. But what I found

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 thinking through that this week is that's not always the case. We don't necessarily limit our

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 love. There are people that we love who are hurtful and destructful to us, but we still choose to love

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 them. But yet that we see when we are still within ourselves of who we are as individuals, that I have

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 a set of expectations that are sinfully buried in my being of who I am, and based off of those

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 expectations that I set for myself, that I determine for myself, bases off who I love and who I don't.

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 And it's easy to say, oh man, I love everybody. But the question, do I genuinely, or maybe even

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 better, do I biblically love all people? Now, Paul's going to address this. He's going to address this

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 in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. And the area that he's going to address this is this. Do I love to the

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 point where I'm willing to lay down my rights and my freedoms for the sake of others? So in my ability

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 to love all, am I willing to let that impact me? All right, let's start reading. We're going to read

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 all the way through 1 Corinthians chapter 8, starting in verse 1. Paul writes, he says,

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 Now, concerning food offered to idols, we know that all of us possess knowledge. And this knowledge

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 puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as

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 he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food

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 offered to idols, we know that an idol has no real existence, and that there is no God, but one.

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 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many

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 lords, yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things and for whom we exist,

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 in one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Verse 7, however,

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 not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really

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 offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God.

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 We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours

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 does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge

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 eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to eat food offered to

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 idols. And so by your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

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 Thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience, when it is weak, you sin against

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 Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

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 So let's look and see what's happening here. What is the offense that is taking place in Corinth?

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 As we've seen, Paul is dealing with reports and struggles and questions that have come to him

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 from the people of Corinth. Some of these have been reported to him from a faction within the church

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 of the division that's there. And what we've been able to draw from Scripture is some of these have come

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 in the form of the letter of the church saying, hey, answer this question for us. And we don't know which

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 one this has come from, but this has come to Paul. And it's concerning specifically meat sacrificed to

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 idols. Now this is going to be for us like a lot of things that we've seen in this letter at the

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 church of Corinth, right? There's not necessarily a direct correlation that plays out in Lexington,

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 South Carolina, right? Like when I go to Aldi or Publix, I'm not walking up to like the idol meat

00:22:55.980 --> 00:23:00.020
 and the non-idol meat, right? Like that's not what we're working with here, right? So what we're

00:23:00.020 --> 00:23:06.040
 going to do is try to understand what is happening and what is taking place. And there's a lot of

00:23:06.040 --> 00:23:13.120
 disagreement, but here's what we know. So Corinth was a very pagan place. There was temples to different

00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:20.320
 gods that were there. And in part of the sacrifice of what people would do is people would bring meat

00:23:20.320 --> 00:23:29.440
 and this meat would be sacrificed to an idol. Now, I don't know if you've ever been to a temple where

00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:35.560
 sacrifices like this happen, but I've had the opportunity to go to a couple. I went to one in

00:23:35.560 --> 00:23:41.180
 Taiwan and one in Hong Kong. And part of the sacrifices that people brought to these temples,

00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:45.980
 don't worry, I didn't go and bring sacrifices, right? We were in their prayer walking. But as we

00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:52.160
 were there, what they would do is they would bring fruit. And they would come and they would take the

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:57.660
 fruit and they would buy the fruit from the temple. And they would bring the fruit and they'd lay it

00:23:57.660 --> 00:24:06.140
 down before the statues. And this would be their sacrifice. And I asked, I said, what happens to the

00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:13.540
 fruit? And they said, well, for a long time it was thrown out. And then the leaders of the church decided

00:24:13.540 --> 00:24:20.480
 it would be more glorifying to their gods, I said church at the temple, of the gods, if they would just

00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:26.160
 consume it, right? So I don't know how their sign-ups go for that, but like, you want children's ministry?

00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:30.180
 You want, I want the food ministry. That's what I want, right? I'm gonna be the guy that eats it all. So that's what they

00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:35.780
 would, that's what they would do. And so what you've got happening here in Corinth is people would bring

00:24:35.780 --> 00:24:42.940
 meat as a sacrifice for the idols. Now, here's what it would create. Within the church, it was creating

00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:49.660
 two different conflicts. Now, I don't mean conflicts in the church that it will lead to. I mean internal

00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:54.840
 conflicts between individual members of the church. Something that they would need to wrestle with

00:24:54.840 --> 00:25:00.520
 and figure out for themselves. Because this meat, after he presented, could be taken to the market

00:25:00.520 --> 00:25:06.120
 and sold. All right? So one of the conflicts that it would create for the members of the Corinthian

00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:14.880
 church was a financial conflict, right? Should we go to the market and purchase and partake in this

00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:20.020
 meat? Is this something that we should do? Now, here's part of this. This meat was cheaper.

00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:28.140
 So can we go buy this meat that's less, right? In most of the places when you became a Christian,

00:25:28.600 --> 00:25:33.920
 you became ostracized. People stopped partaking in your business that you had. They stopped like you

00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:38.520
 felt the burden of that, all right? There's almost like religious sanctions that would happen on

00:25:38.520 --> 00:25:43.960
 Christians. So they're making less money. They're feeling cast out. Now there's an opportunity to save.

00:25:44.180 --> 00:25:49.040
 So should we buy this meat or shouldn't we? And there would be some people who would say,

00:25:49.040 --> 00:25:54.360
 yes, there's freedom to do so. And then there'd be others who would say, no, there's not freedom to do

00:25:54.360 --> 00:26:00.740
 so. Another conflict that it would create is a social conflict. So imagine this. Imagine you're a

00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:06.760
 Christian and you're living in Corinth and there's a family that you've been witnessing to. And they're

00:26:06.760 --> 00:26:15.400
 not Christians. And they say to you, would you come to our house and eat with us? And you show up.

00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:22.260
 And they're definitely buying the meat sacrifice to the idol, right? What do you do? What is the

00:26:22.260 --> 00:26:27.800
 conflict that's there? What happens and what takes place? Now, what we're going to see is that in these

00:26:27.800 --> 00:26:36.820
 moments, Paul says, yes, you've got the freedom to do this. They're statues. They're not real.

00:26:37.700 --> 00:26:42.180
 They don't have power. How many of you, quick survey, I told Joel Van Ham I was going to use this.

00:26:42.180 --> 00:26:48.680
 Raise your hands if you remember watching the Brady Bunch with the Hawaiian tiki, right? Raise your hand,

00:26:48.740 --> 00:26:52.940
 right? All right, good, good. There's some of us, so I won't overly dive there. But right, like,

00:26:53.120 --> 00:26:59.480
 that's not what's happening, right? It's not these statues got power. And to help us, because we don't

00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:04.580
 live in an understanding of idols, I want to tell you guys a little story. And I brought this statue

00:27:04.580 --> 00:27:11.120
 in here with me. I got this statue. Aaron and I, after being married for a year, had an opportunity

00:27:11.120 --> 00:27:18.380
 to go on a mission trip to Zimbabwe. We were there for two weeks. And one day, I'd been at a church and

00:27:18.380 --> 00:27:22.780
 been doing some preaching and doing some teaching there. And we left, and we were told we wouldn't

00:27:22.780 --> 00:27:26.980
 be going by a market. And so I left the money locked up in the safe because we were told that's what we

00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:34.640
 needed to do. But I got some wrong information, okay? And we did stop by a market. Well, I was

00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:39.500
 there, and we were told, hey, in Zimbabwe, and it's still this way there, it's tough financially,

00:27:39.740 --> 00:27:43.840
 going through some difficult times. We started, hey, bring food with you because we can't guarantee

00:27:43.840 --> 00:27:48.060
 that you'll be able to get food every day. And so one of the things that I brought was, if you know

00:27:48.060 --> 00:27:53.620
 me, you know how much I love a Snickers candy bar, right? So I had my backpack, and I had it filled

00:27:53.620 --> 00:27:57.360
 with the Snickers candy bars. When I got hungry, I'd pull out a Snickers candy bar. And so we take

00:27:57.360 --> 00:28:01.680
 off, and we're walking around this market in Zimbabwe, and people are buying things, and they're

00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:09.020
 buying stuff. And I'm like, I'm hungry, right? Reach in, grab out a candy bar, start eating that candy

00:28:09.020 --> 00:28:15.400
 bar. And you would have thought I pulled out a million dollar bill, right? Men and women started

00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:19.480
 coming up to me. They started trying to sell me stuff, and I said, I don't have any money, but they

00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:24.880
 started pointing to what was in my hand, right? I was like, yeah, I got candy bars, you know?

00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:33.500
 This is 2005, so I got like 69 cents, you know? I'm rich, right? And so I was like, okay, well,

00:28:33.500 --> 00:28:37.900
 I got some candy bars. And so I'm like giving out a couple candy bars, and now like the masses are

00:28:37.900 --> 00:28:44.540
 coming. And people are like bringing stuff. They're like, this for a candy bar. I'm like, okay, that's

00:28:44.540 --> 00:28:49.820
 pretty cool, right? So it's got an elephant, and got some different animals' heads on there. That'll

00:28:49.820 --> 00:28:56.400
 look cool. I'll take that. Yeah, thank you. Hand-carved, like that's shoe polish to give it its

00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:04.240
 stain look, its color. So for the price of a trade of a Snickers candy bar, I got me a statue.

00:29:05.820 --> 00:29:11.680
 I go back to the hotel, and I'm showing one of the guys that's there, part of the missions team

00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:18.900
 that brought us in. I'm like, hey, look at my statue. He's like, man, a statue? That's an idol.

00:29:22.800 --> 00:29:32.460
 Like, what you mean? He's like, no, those represent different little gods, and they'll pray for

00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:37.540
 them, or pray to them, and do all these kind of things. I said, man, I thought it was a statue.

00:29:39.360 --> 00:29:43.200
 He said, yeah. And he said this, he said, you probably shouldn't have bought that.

00:29:43.980 --> 00:29:47.640
 And he goes, we show up in like the Baptist church minivan of Zimbabwe, you know?

00:29:48.840 --> 00:29:56.240
 And I'm like, yeah, probably not. But for me, it was just a statue. You know, I've had this

00:29:56.240 --> 00:30:03.360
 statue. It was at our home for years, and then it sat, let me set it back here,

00:30:04.560 --> 00:30:13.560
 had it in our home for years, and I've had it in my office. It's never moved, right? It's never

00:30:13.560 --> 00:30:20.420
 talked. It's never like had, like the lights go off and all of a sudden, right, it starts

00:30:20.420 --> 00:30:29.980
 glowing. It's a piece of wood. But for a group of people that watched a Christian pastor purchase

00:30:29.980 --> 00:30:37.680
 it, there's the thought in their heart, why is he buying an idol? Why is he buying an idol?

00:30:39.060 --> 00:30:39.300
 All right?

00:30:42.580 --> 00:30:49.080
 These idols have no power, and they're not real. And there's some difficulties for us in this.

00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:58.200
 Because when we see scripture, we see sometimes the Bible draws some hard lines. And by hard,

00:30:58.280 --> 00:31:04.660
 they can be difficult. But what I mean by hard is defining. Like we talked about last week,

00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:13.620
 God's standard for marriage. It's there. It's defined. It's clear. It's evident. God's designed

00:31:13.620 --> 00:31:20.980
 for sex. It's clear. It's evident. But not everything that we see, not everything that we have in here

00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:33.120
 are these exact same situations. So in these, we sometimes ask ourselves, can I? Can I? Can I do this?

00:31:33.380 --> 00:31:39.840
 Can I do that? I'm in Corinth. Can I eat the meat? I'm in Zimbabwe. Can I buy the statue?

00:31:39.840 --> 00:31:46.800
 Can I watch the movie? Can I have the drink? Can I make this purchase? Can I go here? And we ask

00:31:46.800 --> 00:31:54.840
 ourselves the question, can I? When the truth is, the question, the greater question that Paul has for

00:31:54.840 --> 00:32:08.460
 us in these moments is, should I? Not can I. It's should I. Right? Could I buy the statue?

00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:18.000
 Yeah, I could. Could I in that moment with clear conscience and the expectation of the Lord still

00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:30.420
 haven't found where it says, don't buy the statue? Yeah. But should I? No. I shouldn't have.

00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:41.600
 Men and women who came in and out of our room cleaning, bringing us food, building relationship,

00:32:43.040 --> 00:32:52.980
 sharing Christ. Right? Could it create a stumbling block? Absolutely. And what Paul says, the greater

00:32:52.980 --> 00:33:05.820
 motivation behind can I is the should I, which comes from not some made-up religious standard that we put on

00:33:05.820 --> 00:33:15.760
 ourselves, but is our love for Christ and my love for others and my love for you to ask the question,

00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:26.700
 should I? Back at verse 8. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat.

00:33:27.540 --> 00:33:39.680
 We're no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling

00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:52.400
 block to the weak. That's the concern. Not what can I do. Not what can I get away with. Not what do I have

00:33:52.400 --> 00:34:17.500
 Paul says, can you? Yes, you can. But your right can cause others to stumble. Verse 10. For if anyone sees you

00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:26.600
 who have knowledge of eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to eat

00:34:26.600 --> 00:34:35.000
 food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom

00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:46.760
 Christ died. Look at verse 12. Thus sinning against your brother and wounding their conscience when it is

00:34:46.760 --> 00:34:56.840
 weak, Paul says, you sinned against Christ. You sinned against Christ. And if we are a people

00:34:56.840 --> 00:35:07.540
 who hate sin, to know that our sin causes them to stumble means that we sin against the Lord.

00:35:07.540 --> 00:35:23.500
 And so if my freedom causes you to stumble, then it becomes my sin. It becomes my sin. Verse 13.

00:35:24.900 --> 00:35:31.020
 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, Paul says, I will never eat meat.

00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:42.540
 I will never eat meat. I will never eat meat. Can he? Yes. But he's saying, if this is what it's going to lead

00:35:42.540 --> 00:35:51.020
 to, then I'll walk away. Then I'll walk away. And all of this is done because Paul loves the brother whom he's

00:35:51.020 --> 00:36:00.000
 never met. This is knowledge puffs up. The stance that these men and women who were eating the meat

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.400
 sacrificed to the idol, their argument was based in accurate theology.

00:36:04.620 --> 00:36:12.180
 What I can do. What I can do. What Paul says, but love builds up. What am I willing to lay down for others?

00:36:12.760 --> 00:36:16.500
 I want to look at a couple passages in Romans. Turn to Romans 12, 9.

00:36:19.340 --> 00:36:22.020
 We're going to look at love really, really quickly, I promise.

00:36:25.620 --> 00:36:31.140
 In an understanding, in just a couple of instances where we can see and draw from the writings of Paul

00:36:31.140 --> 00:36:33.600
 what this genuine biblical love looks like.

00:36:34.560 --> 00:36:37.240
 All right. I'm going to go ahead and start reading this. It's going to be on the screen.

00:36:37.320 --> 00:36:39.400
 Romans 12, starting verse 9.

00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:42.760
 Let love be genuine.

00:36:44.440 --> 00:36:46.820
 Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good.

00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:50.160
 Love one another with brotherly affection.

00:36:50.640 --> 00:36:52.560
 Outdo one another in showing honor.

00:36:52.860 --> 00:36:54.500
 Do not be slothful in zeal.

00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:57.140
 Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord.

00:36:58.320 --> 00:36:59.420
 Rejoice in hope.

00:36:59.660 --> 00:37:00.880
 Be patient in tribulation.

00:37:01.220 --> 00:37:02.340
 Be constant in prayer.

00:37:03.620 --> 00:37:05.380
 Contribute to the needs of the saints

00:37:05.380 --> 00:37:07.140
 and seek to show hospitality.

00:37:07.680 --> 00:37:09.800
 Bless those who persecute you

00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:12.020
 and bless and do not curse them.

00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:14.460
 Rejoice with those who rejoice.

00:37:14.940 --> 00:37:16.520
 Weep with those who weep.

00:37:16.820 --> 00:37:18.360
 Live in harmony with one another.

00:37:18.660 --> 00:37:21.320
 Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

00:37:21.640 --> 00:37:23.500
 Never be wise in your own sight.

00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:27.220
 Repay no one evil for evil.

00:37:29.740 --> 00:37:30.800
 No one.

00:37:33.140 --> 00:37:37.120
 But give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:40.400
 If possible, so far as it depends on you.

00:37:40.600 --> 00:37:42.320
 Not them, but you and me.

00:37:44.200 --> 00:37:45.580
 Live peaceably with all.

00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:49.500
 Beloved, never avenge yourselves.

00:37:50.420 --> 00:37:52.160
 But leave it to the wrath of God,

00:37:52.240 --> 00:37:52.960
 for it is written,

00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:54.300
 vengeance is mine,

00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:56.040
 I will repay, says the Lord.

00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:57.860
 To the contrary,

00:37:58.180 --> 00:37:59.380
 if your enemy is hungry,

00:37:59.860 --> 00:38:00.360
 feed him.

00:38:00.600 --> 00:38:01.640
 If he is thirsty,

00:38:02.020 --> 00:38:03.200
 give him something to drink.

00:38:03.400 --> 00:38:04.400
 For by doing so,

00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:06.600
 you will heat burning coals on his head.

00:38:06.600 --> 00:38:08.680
 Do not be overcome by evil,

00:38:08.860 --> 00:38:10.880
 but overcome evil with good.

00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:13.180
 Just a handful of things,

00:38:13.240 --> 00:38:16.560
 three things really quickly of what I just want to draw out of this,

00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:18.260
 that I feel like apply for this,

00:38:18.380 --> 00:38:22.020
 when we lay down what we can versus what we should,

00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:24.520
 in meaning to genuinely love,

00:38:24.620 --> 00:38:25.800
 to let our love be genuine.

00:38:25.900 --> 00:38:27.160
 Just a handful of things real quick.

00:38:27.260 --> 00:38:27.860
 Number one,

00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:29.380
 you and I,

00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:31.080
 and I'm so guilty of this,

00:38:33.080 --> 00:38:35.180
 hit me in between the eyes like a hammer this week.

00:38:36.060 --> 00:38:36.640
 Number one,

00:38:36.700 --> 00:38:38.920
 we have to remove the I don't care mentality.

00:38:42.220 --> 00:38:44.180
 What we do impacts people,

00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:47.900
 whether it's right or it's wrong.

00:38:48.640 --> 00:38:49.360
 And if it's right,

00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:50.260
 we should still do it.

00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:50.680
 All right?

00:38:50.740 --> 00:38:51.520
 I'm not saying that.

00:38:51.740 --> 00:38:52.540
 Truth is truth.

00:38:55.220 --> 00:38:56.420
 But when it hurts others,

00:38:57.220 --> 00:38:59.820
 we have to have a sense in our heart that cares.

00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:02.300
 It doesn't mean we have to take it back,

00:39:03.300 --> 00:39:04.120
 but we have to care.

00:39:05.460 --> 00:39:06.280
 And so too often,

00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:11.300
 we want to stand behind a falseness of this confidence that we have of truth

00:39:11.300 --> 00:39:11.740
 and say,

00:39:11.820 --> 00:39:11.860
 well,

00:39:11.860 --> 00:39:12.300
 when it hurts you,

00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:12.720
 I don't care.

00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:14.680
 And we have to remove the I don't care.

00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:15.360
 Paul says,

00:39:15.600 --> 00:39:17.000
 rejoice with those who rejoice,

00:39:17.380 --> 00:39:18.260
 weep with those who weep.

00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:24.000
 We have to remove the I don't care mentality.

00:39:24.320 --> 00:39:24.980
 Number two,

00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:27.640
 we have to stop giving selfish love.

00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:30.740
 We have to stop giving selfish love.

00:39:32.220 --> 00:39:37.520
 Loving those who we feel like are worthy and deserving of our love.

00:39:38.660 --> 00:39:39.180
 Only.

00:39:40.340 --> 00:39:43.020
 We've got to stop giving selfish love.

00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:44.320
 Paul says,

00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:48.160
 bless those who persecute you.

00:39:49.940 --> 00:39:50.640
 Bless them.

00:39:51.940 --> 00:39:52.620
 Bless them.

00:39:54.280 --> 00:39:54.940
 Encourage them.

00:39:56.340 --> 00:39:57.300
 Pour it out on them.

00:39:58.280 --> 00:39:59.640
 Love them with all you have.

00:39:59.980 --> 00:40:02.040
 Make them think you're so stinking weird,

00:40:02.300 --> 00:40:03.480
 they don't know what to do with it.

00:40:05.120 --> 00:40:05.400
 All right?

00:40:07.060 --> 00:40:07.680
 Bless them.

00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:09.620
 Bless them.

00:40:11.180 --> 00:40:13.080
 And here's something that God taught me this week.

00:40:14.720 --> 00:40:16.240
 Loving others is trusting God.

00:40:18.020 --> 00:40:19.300
 Loving others is trusting God.

00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:21.760
 Paul says,

00:40:22.820 --> 00:40:23.820
 repay no one evil.

00:40:24.240 --> 00:40:24.420
 Now,

00:40:25.980 --> 00:40:28.840
 sometimes I feel like we determine that we are judge,

00:40:29.060 --> 00:40:29.300
 jury,

00:40:29.420 --> 00:40:30.160
 and executioner.

00:40:31.440 --> 00:40:32.460
 They've done this,

00:40:34.100 --> 00:40:35.960
 and so I'm righteous to then do this.

00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:38.720
 They've done this to me,

00:40:39.520 --> 00:40:41.720
 so then I'm going to lash out to them.

00:40:42.940 --> 00:40:45.200
 And we take where we've been offended,

00:40:45.600 --> 00:40:46.600
 where we've been hurt,

00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:48.340
 and we reflect back on that.

00:40:48.760 --> 00:40:49.520
 Here's what Paul says.

00:40:50.660 --> 00:40:53.760
 Repay no one evil for evil.

00:40:53.940 --> 00:40:55.060
 But then he goes down,

00:40:55.160 --> 00:40:56.160
 and at the end of this,

00:40:56.340 --> 00:40:57.200
 here's what he says,

00:40:57.400 --> 00:40:58.660
 leave it to the wrath of God.

00:41:00.080 --> 00:41:01.180
 They do this to you.

00:41:01.700 --> 00:41:02.000
 Lord,

00:41:02.040 --> 00:41:03.260
 I'm trusting that you're in control.

00:41:04.300 --> 00:41:04.400
 Lord,

00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:05.960
 I'm trusting that you're going to do what you're going to do.

00:41:06.620 --> 00:41:06.840
 Lord,

00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:10.440
 I'm trusting that you're going to use this.

00:41:10.860 --> 00:41:12.840
 The depth of the love that we see.

00:41:13.600 --> 00:41:13.720
 Right?

00:41:15.020 --> 00:41:15.700
 One of the passages,

00:41:15.920 --> 00:41:16.980
 fit like a couple of chapters.

00:41:18.100 --> 00:41:18.960
 Romans chapter nine.

00:41:24.240 --> 00:41:25.220
 Verses one and three.

00:41:29.220 --> 00:41:30.060
 Paul says this.

00:41:30.400 --> 00:41:31.360
 These are three hard verses.

00:41:34.740 --> 00:41:36.620
 I'm speaking the truth in Christ.

00:41:38.060 --> 00:41:39.240
 I'm not lying.

00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:42.500
 My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit.

00:41:43.500 --> 00:41:45.340
 That I have great sorrow

00:41:45.340 --> 00:41:47.960
 and unceasing anguish in my heart.

00:41:48.640 --> 00:41:51.800
 For I could wish that I myself were accursed

00:41:51.800 --> 00:41:53.800
 and cut off from Christ

00:41:53.800 --> 00:41:55.740
 for the sake of my brothers,

00:41:56.160 --> 00:41:57.080
 my kingsmen,

00:41:57.440 --> 00:41:58.440
 according to the flesh.

00:41:59.740 --> 00:42:03.280
 What we see in Romans 12

00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:05.940
 is a love,

00:42:06.100 --> 00:42:08.040
 and largely in a lot of this,

00:42:08.180 --> 00:42:09.960
 a love for one another,

00:42:10.140 --> 00:42:12.060
 but also for love outside of the church.

00:42:12.480 --> 00:42:14.300
 But in chapter nine,

00:42:14.360 --> 00:42:15.480
 in these three verses,

00:42:15.940 --> 00:42:18.020
 Paul's going to narrow that focus down,

00:42:18.020 --> 00:42:20.000
 and he's going to talk about love for the lost.

00:42:21.420 --> 00:42:22.900
 And I want to ask you a question.

00:42:24.840 --> 00:42:26.340
 Do you love lost people?

00:42:28.180 --> 00:42:28.840
 You say yeah.

00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:31.280
 And I shake my head yeah.

00:42:32.740 --> 00:42:33.880
 And then this week,

00:42:33.960 --> 00:42:34.700
 what I learned

00:42:34.700 --> 00:42:37.960
 is the love that I have for the lost

00:42:37.960 --> 00:42:40.600
 is so far under God's standard

00:42:40.600 --> 00:42:41.460
 that it's not funny.

00:42:43.340 --> 00:42:44.640
 First off, let's understand here,

00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:48.300
 Paul is not speaking in hyperbole.

00:42:49.840 --> 00:42:50.640
 Verse one,

00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:53.720
 because Paul knows what he's about to say

00:42:53.720 --> 00:42:55.500
 is very radical in verses two and three.

00:42:56.680 --> 00:42:57.480
 Look back at this.

00:42:57.540 --> 00:42:57.660
 He says,

00:42:57.760 --> 00:42:59.100
 I'm speaking the truth in Christ.

00:43:00.140 --> 00:43:02.020
 Know that what I'm saying is from the Lord.

00:43:03.460 --> 00:43:03.820
 Paul says,

00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:05.020
 if you don't believe me,

00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:06.540
 I'm not lying.

00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:09.000
 My conscience to me

00:43:09.000 --> 00:43:11.200
 bears witness in the Holy Spirit

00:43:11.200 --> 00:43:13.600
 that what I'm about to say is true.

00:43:15.600 --> 00:43:16.680
 And he says that

00:43:16.680 --> 00:43:18.440
 what he feels,

00:43:19.380 --> 00:43:22.280
 his feeling for the lost

00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:23.720
 brings him this,

00:43:24.160 --> 00:43:27.700
 sorrow and unceasing anguish.

00:43:29.700 --> 00:43:31.700
 This is the give you ulcers,

00:43:32.120 --> 00:43:33.540
 keep you up at night,

00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:35.000
 burden your heart,

00:43:35.320 --> 00:43:36.480
 change your finances,

00:43:36.880 --> 00:43:37.920
 change your goals.

00:43:38.120 --> 00:43:39.160
 This is what it brings.

00:43:40.220 --> 00:43:40.880
 And Paul says,

00:43:41.020 --> 00:43:43.580
 I so love the lost,

00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:44.740
 my brothers,

00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:47.580
 who know not of Christ

00:43:47.580 --> 00:43:48.760
 and who he is

00:43:48.760 --> 00:43:50.560
 and who have not been transformed

00:43:50.560 --> 00:43:51.480
 that he says

00:43:51.480 --> 00:43:52.640
 that I'm willing

00:43:52.640 --> 00:43:55.360
 to be cut off from Christ

00:43:55.360 --> 00:43:58.320
 if it means others would know him.

00:43:59.920 --> 00:44:00.280
 Paul said,

00:44:00.360 --> 00:44:01.620
 I'm willing to take on

00:44:01.620 --> 00:44:04.320
 the wrath of God on myself

00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:05.260
 if it means

00:44:05.260 --> 00:44:06.860
 that they would know Jesus.

00:44:17.200 --> 00:44:18.040
 But how many times

00:44:18.040 --> 00:44:19.140
 will we not walk next door

00:44:19.140 --> 00:44:19.560
 to our neighbor?

00:44:24.900 --> 00:44:26.100
 Or go to the co-worker?

00:44:27.940 --> 00:44:28.840
 Or go to the person

00:44:28.840 --> 00:44:30.080
 who looks different,

00:44:30.220 --> 00:44:31.040
 sounds different,

00:44:31.320 --> 00:44:32.360
 acts different than us?

00:44:32.360 --> 00:44:35.560
 I mean,

00:44:35.600 --> 00:44:37.020
 I thought I loved the lost.

00:44:38.040 --> 00:44:38.840
 And then God said,

00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:39.440
 watch this.

00:44:41.340 --> 00:44:43.320
 In these last several years,

00:44:43.880 --> 00:44:46.080
 I want to share a piece of you

00:44:46.080 --> 00:44:48.960
 for the ministry

00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:50.320
 and the mission of our church,

00:44:50.420 --> 00:44:51.440
 of what God has done.

00:44:52.880 --> 00:44:54.400
 And a burden and an opportunity

00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:56.760
 that God has placed on my heart

00:44:56.760 --> 00:44:58.580
 and other individuals

00:44:58.580 --> 00:45:00.240
 in our church as well

00:45:00.240 --> 00:45:03.780
 to come alongside men and women

00:45:03.780 --> 00:45:05.240
 who are lost,

00:45:06.020 --> 00:45:07.440
 who are broken,

00:45:08.580 --> 00:45:09.460
 who are hurting,

00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:11.760
 and who do not know the Lord.

00:45:13.440 --> 00:45:15.380
 And it gives us an opportunity

00:45:15.380 --> 00:45:17.760
 to begin to see

00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:20.640
 what does this look like

00:45:20.640 --> 00:45:21.420
 in our life.

00:45:22.180 --> 00:45:23.360
 And I want to share with you

00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:23.920
 a ministry

00:45:23.920 --> 00:45:24.640
 that we're going to be

00:45:24.640 --> 00:45:25.480
 partnering with

00:45:25.480 --> 00:45:26.840
 and challenging

00:45:26.840 --> 00:45:28.260
 many of you

00:45:28.260 --> 00:45:29.920
 to join me

00:45:29.920 --> 00:45:31.540
 in this partnership.

00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:33.240
 The ministry

00:45:33.240 --> 00:45:33.660
 that we're going to be

00:45:33.660 --> 00:45:34.340
 partnering with

00:45:34.340 --> 00:45:35.280
 is a ministry known

00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:36.400
 as the Circle of Welcome.

00:45:37.500 --> 00:45:39.080
 And it's centered around

00:45:39.080 --> 00:45:41.380
 the refugee crisis

00:45:41.380 --> 00:45:42.300
 that has become

00:45:42.300 --> 00:45:43.060
 an opportunity

00:45:43.060 --> 00:45:44.100
 for the church.

00:45:44.960 --> 00:45:46.180
 I shared earlier

00:45:46.180 --> 00:45:47.500
 at the very beginning

00:45:47.500 --> 00:45:48.640
 of the message

00:45:48.640 --> 00:45:50.640
 that all throughout the world

00:45:50.640 --> 00:45:51.640
 for years,

00:45:51.780 --> 00:45:53.040
 for thousands of years

00:45:53.040 --> 00:45:54.760
 since the world began,

00:45:54.980 --> 00:45:56.800
 we see this great migration

00:45:56.800 --> 00:45:57.460
 of people

00:45:57.460 --> 00:45:58.700
 when conflict hits.

00:45:59.480 --> 00:46:00.920
 And then what has taken place

00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:01.680
 and what has happened

00:46:01.680 --> 00:46:03.200
 in the United States

00:46:03.200 --> 00:46:04.500
 from the very beginning

00:46:04.500 --> 00:46:06.380
 under every president

00:46:06.380 --> 00:46:07.420
 that has sat

00:46:07.420 --> 00:46:08.700
 in the Oval Office

00:46:08.700 --> 00:46:10.820
 has had to deal with

00:46:10.820 --> 00:46:11.640
 and figure out

00:46:11.640 --> 00:46:12.700
 how do we

00:46:12.700 --> 00:46:14.300
 as the United States

00:46:14.300 --> 00:46:15.180
 respond

00:46:15.180 --> 00:46:16.640
 to this global

00:46:16.640 --> 00:46:18.040
 refugee crisis

00:46:18.040 --> 00:46:19.180
 and this global

00:46:19.180 --> 00:46:21.100
 refugee movement.

00:46:21.440 --> 00:46:22.960
 And every president

00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:24.520
 in the United States

00:46:24.520 --> 00:46:25.680
 has welcomed

00:46:25.680 --> 00:46:27.460
 under different standards

00:46:27.460 --> 00:46:28.840
 for every single one of them

00:46:28.840 --> 00:46:29.660
 refugees

00:46:29.660 --> 00:46:30.740
 into our country.

00:46:31.860 --> 00:46:32.640
 And Columbia,

00:46:32.840 --> 00:46:33.720
 South Carolina,

00:46:34.500 --> 00:46:35.600
 I know most of us

00:46:35.600 --> 00:46:36.260
 are in Lexington,

00:46:36.920 --> 00:46:37.760
 but Columbia,

00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:37.980
 you know,

00:46:38.040 --> 00:46:38.380
 on the other side

00:46:38.380 --> 00:46:38.800
 of the river,

00:46:39.200 --> 00:46:39.460
 right?

00:46:40.300 --> 00:46:41.260
 It has become

00:46:41.260 --> 00:46:42.540
 a hotbed

00:46:42.540 --> 00:46:43.640
 of refugees

00:46:43.640 --> 00:46:45.100
 men,

00:46:45.400 --> 00:46:45.740
 women,

00:46:46.140 --> 00:46:46.520
 children,

00:46:46.520 --> 00:46:47.600
 and families

00:46:47.600 --> 00:46:49.580
 coming into here.

00:46:49.720 --> 00:46:50.100
 I won't say this,

00:46:50.240 --> 00:46:50.640
 legally.

00:46:52.160 --> 00:46:52.820
 They're here

00:46:52.820 --> 00:46:53.600
 with the paperwork

00:46:53.600 --> 00:46:54.880
 from the government

00:46:54.880 --> 00:46:55.420
 saying that

00:46:55.420 --> 00:46:56.920
 they have the right

00:46:56.920 --> 00:46:58.120
 to be here

00:46:58.120 --> 00:46:59.520
 and the assistance

00:46:59.520 --> 00:47:00.640
 to be here.

00:47:01.620 --> 00:47:03.020
 And as they come here,

00:47:03.100 --> 00:47:04.480
 what we begin to realize

00:47:04.480 --> 00:47:04.720
 is,

00:47:04.900 --> 00:47:05.140
 like,

00:47:05.200 --> 00:47:05.800
 imagine this,

00:47:05.880 --> 00:47:06.020
 like,

00:47:07.340 --> 00:47:07.780
 take a,

00:47:07.840 --> 00:47:08.440
 if you've ever been

00:47:08.440 --> 00:47:09.280
 to another country

00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:10.480
 one time

00:47:10.480 --> 00:47:10.700
 and, like,

00:47:10.720 --> 00:47:11.000
 you were there

00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:11.460
 for a week.

00:47:12.520 --> 00:47:13.120
 Let's say,

00:47:13.180 --> 00:47:13.360
 like,

00:47:13.460 --> 00:47:15.560
 you went to Mexico

00:47:15.560 --> 00:47:16.400
 on your honeymoon

00:47:16.400 --> 00:47:16.840
 and you were there

00:47:16.840 --> 00:47:17.300
 for a week.

00:47:18.320 --> 00:47:18.700
 And so,

00:47:18.860 --> 00:47:19.560
 you went there

00:47:19.560 --> 00:47:20.140
 and you noticed

00:47:20.140 --> 00:47:20.740
 that, like,

00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:21.960
 you stumbled through,

00:47:22.060 --> 00:47:22.620
 you're trying to,

00:47:22.620 --> 00:47:22.800
 like,

00:47:22.840 --> 00:47:23.440
 bring back

00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:24.580
 your high school

00:47:24.580 --> 00:47:25.620
 Spanish class

00:47:25.620 --> 00:47:25.900
 to, like,

00:47:25.980 --> 00:47:27.260
 help you order food

00:47:27.260 --> 00:47:28.380
 and you're unsure

00:47:28.380 --> 00:47:29.220
 of the signs

00:47:29.220 --> 00:47:30.260
 as you're traveling

00:47:30.260 --> 00:47:30.800
 and you're just

00:47:30.800 --> 00:47:32.080
 trying to get through

00:47:32.080 --> 00:47:33.460
 best you can,

00:47:33.500 --> 00:47:33.680
 all right?

00:47:33.820 --> 00:47:34.500
 People that are

00:47:34.500 --> 00:47:35.220
 younger than me,

00:47:35.380 --> 00:47:36.040
 let me walk y'all

00:47:36.040 --> 00:47:36.640
 through something.

00:47:36.900 --> 00:47:37.760
 We didn't have

00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:38.680
 Google Translate,

00:47:38.740 --> 00:47:39.000
 all right?

00:47:39.220 --> 00:47:39.980
 We had to figure

00:47:39.980 --> 00:47:40.600
 this stuff out

00:47:40.600 --> 00:47:41.100
 as we go.

00:47:42.020 --> 00:47:43.260
 And you saw

00:47:43.260 --> 00:47:43.920
 through that

00:47:43.920 --> 00:47:44.500
 until you got

00:47:44.500 --> 00:47:45.380
 to your resort,

00:47:45.980 --> 00:47:46.140
 right,

00:47:46.180 --> 00:47:46.900
 where you want to be,

00:47:47.100 --> 00:47:48.180
 how uncomfortable

00:47:48.180 --> 00:47:48.840
 that was

00:47:48.840 --> 00:47:49.480
 at the airport.

00:47:52.240 --> 00:47:53.080
 Imagine you were

00:47:53.080 --> 00:47:54.180
 in another country

00:47:54.180 --> 00:47:56.100
 speaking another language

00:47:56.100 --> 00:47:57.820
 with other cultures

00:47:57.820 --> 00:47:59.340
 and other customs

00:47:59.340 --> 00:48:00.540
 that are unlike

00:48:00.540 --> 00:48:01.280
 anything here.

00:48:02.440 --> 00:48:03.100
 And you're not

00:48:03.100 --> 00:48:03.600
 going to be brought

00:48:03.600 --> 00:48:04.480
 here for a week.

00:48:05.460 --> 00:48:05.980
 You're going to be

00:48:05.980 --> 00:48:06.300
 brought here

00:48:06.300 --> 00:48:06.720
 for the rest

00:48:06.720 --> 00:48:07.220
 of your life.

00:48:08.280 --> 00:48:09.100
 And the only thing

00:48:09.100 --> 00:48:10.060
 you can bring with you

00:48:10.060 --> 00:48:11.560
 is the bag

00:48:11.560 --> 00:48:12.380
 that you can carry

00:48:12.380 --> 00:48:13.340
 or the bag

00:48:13.340 --> 00:48:13.860
 that you can put

00:48:13.860 --> 00:48:14.320
 on your back.

00:48:15.680 --> 00:48:16.440
 And so through

00:48:16.440 --> 00:48:17.580
 the government

00:48:17.580 --> 00:48:18.180
 working through

00:48:18.180 --> 00:48:19.400
 different organizations,

00:48:19.780 --> 00:48:20.960
 what has been created

00:48:20.960 --> 00:48:22.260
 through the Lutheran Church

00:48:22.260 --> 00:48:23.920
 is a ministry

00:48:23.920 --> 00:48:25.000
 called Circles of Welcome.

00:48:26.200 --> 00:48:27.000
 And what they do

00:48:27.000 --> 00:48:27.640
 is they partner

00:48:27.640 --> 00:48:29.120
 with other organizations,

00:48:29.620 --> 00:48:30.620
 primarily churches

00:48:30.620 --> 00:48:31.500
 in our area,

00:48:31.620 --> 00:48:32.760
 who say that

00:48:32.760 --> 00:48:33.520
 these families

00:48:33.520 --> 00:48:34.240
 that we know

00:48:34.240 --> 00:48:35.520
 are coming here,

00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:36.340
 and so we're

00:48:36.340 --> 00:48:36.980
 going to form

00:48:36.980 --> 00:48:37.760
 what's called

00:48:37.760 --> 00:48:38.640
 a circle

00:48:38.640 --> 00:48:39.460
 of welcome

00:48:39.460 --> 00:48:40.280
 for them.

00:48:41.300 --> 00:48:42.060
 So that as they

00:48:42.060 --> 00:48:42.560
 get here,

00:48:42.620 --> 00:48:43.340
 they will come

00:48:43.340 --> 00:48:44.240
 here alone,

00:48:44.820 --> 00:48:45.600
 but what they

00:48:45.600 --> 00:48:46.460
 will find

00:48:46.460 --> 00:48:47.940
 is a family

00:48:47.940 --> 00:48:49.680
 and families

00:48:49.680 --> 00:48:51.400
 who love them,

00:48:51.800 --> 00:48:52.820
 who welcome them,

00:48:52.920 --> 00:48:53.700
 and who want

00:48:53.700 --> 00:48:54.680
 to see them

00:48:54.680 --> 00:48:55.700
 succeed

00:48:55.700 --> 00:48:56.900
 where they find

00:48:56.900 --> 00:48:57.320
 themselves.

00:48:58.320 --> 00:48:59.320
 and it provides

00:48:59.320 --> 00:49:00.160
 us that opportunity.

00:49:00.940 --> 00:49:01.800
 It provides us

00:49:01.800 --> 00:49:02.380
 that opportunity

00:49:02.380 --> 00:49:03.320
 to share the gospel.

00:49:04.400 --> 00:49:05.360
 Provides the opportunity

00:49:05.360 --> 00:49:06.300
 to share our life.

00:49:07.220 --> 00:49:07.720
 But it's going to

00:49:07.720 --> 00:49:09.340
 require some things

00:49:09.340 --> 00:49:09.900
 for us,

00:49:10.500 --> 00:49:11.320
 and it's what I want

00:49:11.320 --> 00:49:11.840
 to close on

00:49:11.840 --> 00:49:12.820
 before we take part

00:49:12.820 --> 00:49:13.420
 in the Lord's Supper.

00:49:14.180 --> 00:49:14.620
 So what will

00:49:14.620 --> 00:49:15.360
 a circle of welcome

00:49:15.360 --> 00:49:15.800
 require?

00:49:16.120 --> 00:49:16.540
 Number one,

00:49:16.620 --> 00:49:17.220
 require a commitment

00:49:17.220 --> 00:49:17.660
 of time.

00:49:19.100 --> 00:49:20.380
 As we form a circle

00:49:20.380 --> 00:49:20.960
 of welcome

00:49:20.960 --> 00:49:21.840
 at Willow Ridge Church,

00:49:21.900 --> 00:49:22.680
 which is going to be

00:49:22.680 --> 00:49:23.460
 somewhere between

00:49:23.460 --> 00:49:24.520
 six and fifteen

00:49:24.520 --> 00:49:25.680
 individuals,

00:49:26.700 --> 00:49:27.320
 the commitment

00:49:27.320 --> 00:49:27.840
 of time

00:49:27.840 --> 00:49:28.860
 that we will commit

00:49:28.860 --> 00:49:29.860
 is somewhere

00:49:29.860 --> 00:49:30.500
 between six

00:49:30.500 --> 00:49:31.220
 and twelve months

00:49:31.220 --> 00:49:32.600
 to be able

00:49:32.600 --> 00:49:33.520
 to walk along

00:49:33.520 --> 00:49:34.880
 this family.

00:49:35.880 --> 00:49:36.840
 What will we do

00:49:36.840 --> 00:49:37.600
 over six and twelve

00:49:37.600 --> 00:49:37.900
 months?

00:49:37.960 --> 00:49:38.500
 Number one,

00:49:38.780 --> 00:49:39.380
 a big one,

00:49:40.380 --> 00:49:40.820
 is we're going

00:49:40.820 --> 00:49:41.300
 to assist

00:49:41.300 --> 00:49:41.920
 in transportation

00:49:41.920 --> 00:49:42.580
 needs.

00:49:43.820 --> 00:49:44.300
 We're going to

00:49:44.300 --> 00:49:44.560
 help take

00:49:44.560 --> 00:49:45.040
 the doctor's

00:49:45.040 --> 00:49:45.460
 appointments.

00:49:46.460 --> 00:49:47.000
 We'll help

00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:47.720
 take the DMV

00:49:47.720 --> 00:49:48.300
 appointments.

00:49:49.580 --> 00:49:50.120
 We'll help

00:49:50.120 --> 00:49:50.820
 take the job

00:49:50.820 --> 00:49:51.340
 training,

00:49:51.760 --> 00:49:52.880
 because it is

00:49:52.880 --> 00:49:53.520
 the goal,

00:49:53.640 --> 00:49:53.860
 and it's

00:49:53.860 --> 00:49:54.620
 where they end

00:49:54.620 --> 00:49:55.940
 to get jobs

00:49:55.940 --> 00:49:56.360
 that they can

00:49:56.360 --> 00:49:56.900
 provide for

00:49:56.900 --> 00:49:57.260
 themselves.

00:49:58.600 --> 00:49:59.460
 We'll transport

00:49:59.460 --> 00:50:00.120
 them as they

00:50:00.120 --> 00:50:00.440
 need to get

00:50:00.440 --> 00:50:00.940
 their kids

00:50:00.940 --> 00:50:01.640
 registered for

00:50:01.640 --> 00:50:02.100
 schools.

00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:04.660
 We'll help

00:50:04.660 --> 00:50:05.040
 take them

00:50:05.040 --> 00:50:06.340
 to ESL

00:50:06.340 --> 00:50:06.880
 classes,

00:50:07.480 --> 00:50:08.980
 and many

00:50:08.980 --> 00:50:09.940
 other different

00:50:09.940 --> 00:50:10.520
 transportation

00:50:10.520 --> 00:50:11.200
 needs.

00:50:11.680 --> 00:50:11.840
 Oh,

00:50:11.900 --> 00:50:12.340
 a big one

00:50:12.340 --> 00:50:12.620
 is going

00:50:12.620 --> 00:50:13.080
 to the grocery

00:50:13.080 --> 00:50:13.420
 store.

00:50:14.400 --> 00:50:15.220
 Help transport

00:50:15.220 --> 00:50:15.680
 them there

00:50:15.680 --> 00:50:16.700
 as well.

00:50:17.740 --> 00:50:18.340
 Another thing

00:50:18.340 --> 00:50:18.780
 that we will

00:50:18.780 --> 00:50:19.540
 help in

00:50:19.540 --> 00:50:20.020
 is we will

00:50:20.020 --> 00:50:20.660
 assist

00:50:20.660 --> 00:50:21.940
 in cultural

00:50:21.940 --> 00:50:22.860
 transition.

00:50:23.220 --> 00:50:23.620
 I mentioned

00:50:23.620 --> 00:50:24.480
 the grocery

00:50:24.480 --> 00:50:24.780
 store.

00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:25.040
 I don't

00:50:25.040 --> 00:50:25.260
 know if

00:50:25.260 --> 00:50:25.420
 you know

00:50:25.420 --> 00:50:25.540
 this,

00:50:25.600 --> 00:50:25.900
 but every

00:50:25.900 --> 00:50:27.120
 country has

00:50:27.120 --> 00:50:27.380
 different

00:50:27.380 --> 00:50:27.920
 cultures,

00:50:28.160 --> 00:50:28.560
 and every

00:50:28.560 --> 00:50:29.100
 culture has

00:50:29.100 --> 00:50:29.600
 its different

00:50:29.600 --> 00:50:30.060
 way that you

00:50:30.060 --> 00:50:30.480
 buy food.

00:50:31.620 --> 00:50:32.080
 I don't know

00:50:32.080 --> 00:50:32.220
 about you,

00:50:32.240 --> 00:50:32.560
 but one of the

00:50:32.560 --> 00:50:33.120
 most intimidating

00:50:33.120 --> 00:50:33.760
 things when I

00:50:33.760 --> 00:50:34.380
 go into a new

00:50:34.380 --> 00:50:35.360
 country is then

00:50:35.360 --> 00:50:36.060
 opening up and

00:50:36.060 --> 00:50:36.540
 trying to figure

00:50:36.540 --> 00:50:38.020
 out how to move

00:50:38.020 --> 00:50:38.880
 from dollar to

00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:39.540
 whatever this

00:50:39.540 --> 00:50:40.380
 currency is.

00:50:41.160 --> 00:50:41.720
 We've got to

00:50:41.720 --> 00:50:42.380
 help with that.

00:50:43.180 --> 00:50:43.580
 We've got to

00:50:43.580 --> 00:50:43.900
 take them

00:50:43.900 --> 00:50:44.660
 through and

00:50:44.660 --> 00:50:45.680
 teach them

00:50:45.680 --> 00:50:46.540
 and show

00:50:46.540 --> 00:50:47.780
 them and walk

00:50:47.780 --> 00:50:48.520
 through with

00:50:48.520 --> 00:50:49.240
 their money

00:50:49.240 --> 00:50:50.680
 that they

00:50:50.680 --> 00:50:52.060
 have how

00:50:52.060 --> 00:50:52.420
 they can

00:50:52.420 --> 00:50:53.020
 buy and

00:50:53.020 --> 00:50:53.760
 provide the

00:50:53.760 --> 00:50:54.960
 things for

00:50:54.960 --> 00:50:55.120
 theirs.

00:50:55.240 --> 00:50:55.620
 One of the

00:50:55.620 --> 00:50:56.040
 things we

00:50:56.040 --> 00:50:56.660
 like to do

00:50:56.660 --> 00:50:57.260
 is Aaron

00:50:57.260 --> 00:50:57.580
 and I love

00:50:57.580 --> 00:50:58.360
 to go to

00:50:58.360 --> 00:50:58.720
 the Indian

00:50:58.720 --> 00:50:59.320
 grocery store

00:50:59.320 --> 00:50:59.540
 and buy

00:50:59.540 --> 00:50:59.740
 things.

00:50:59.820 --> 00:51:00.140
 We love to

00:51:00.140 --> 00:51:00.620
 cook Indian

00:51:00.620 --> 00:51:01.780
 food, but

00:51:01.780 --> 00:51:02.400
 it's so

00:51:02.400 --> 00:51:02.900
 intimidating

00:51:02.900 --> 00:51:03.480
 when you

00:51:03.480 --> 00:51:04.060
 can't read

00:51:04.060 --> 00:51:04.560
 the labels.

00:51:05.620 --> 00:51:06.580
 Just imagine

00:51:06.580 --> 00:51:06.940
 that's where

00:51:06.940 --> 00:51:07.340
 you are.

00:51:07.880 --> 00:51:08.320
 We're there

00:51:08.320 --> 00:51:08.680
 that we can

00:51:08.680 --> 00:51:09.220
 help read

00:51:09.220 --> 00:51:10.420
 and help

00:51:10.420 --> 00:51:10.920
 the best we

00:51:10.920 --> 00:51:11.620
 can translate

00:51:11.620 --> 00:51:12.180
 and explain

00:51:12.180 --> 00:51:12.500
 what these

00:51:12.500 --> 00:51:12.940
 things are.

00:51:13.360 --> 00:51:13.720
 Assist in

00:51:13.720 --> 00:51:14.060
 cultural

00:51:14.060 --> 00:51:14.620
 transitions.

00:51:15.300 --> 00:51:15.660
 Another way

00:51:15.660 --> 00:51:15.880
 that we

00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:16.000
 can

00:51:16.000 --> 00:51:16.300
 assist

00:51:16.300 --> 00:51:16.640
 in

00:51:16.640 --> 00:51:17.560
 cultural

00:51:17.560 --> 00:51:19.240
 transitions

00:51:19.240 --> 00:51:20.380
 is to

00:51:20.380 --> 00:51:20.680
 share a

00:51:20.680 --> 00:51:20.840
 meal.

00:51:22.220 --> 00:51:22.740
 Share a

00:51:22.740 --> 00:51:22.860
 meal.

00:51:23.460 --> 00:51:24.840
 Let me

00:51:24.840 --> 00:51:25.080
 tell you,

00:51:25.260 --> 00:51:25.460
 when you

00:51:25.460 --> 00:51:25.720
 have the

00:51:25.720 --> 00:51:26.260
 opportunity

00:51:26.260 --> 00:51:27.500
 to sit

00:51:27.500 --> 00:51:27.820
 down,

00:51:28.400 --> 00:51:29.120
 two years

00:51:29.120 --> 00:51:29.400
 ago,

00:51:29.840 --> 00:51:30.260
 I sat

00:51:30.260 --> 00:51:30.560
 down with

00:51:30.560 --> 00:51:30.860
 a man

00:51:30.860 --> 00:51:31.380
 from India

00:51:31.380 --> 00:51:32.860
 at a

00:51:32.860 --> 00:51:33.320
 place in

00:51:33.320 --> 00:51:33.760
 Lexington

00:51:33.760 --> 00:51:34.860
 and they

00:51:34.860 --> 00:51:35.260
 brought out

00:51:35.260 --> 00:51:35.700
 the menu

00:51:35.700 --> 00:51:37.280
 and I

00:51:37.280 --> 00:51:37.500
 said,

00:51:37.580 --> 00:51:37.800
 Jacob,

00:51:37.900 --> 00:51:38.240
 if you're

00:51:38.240 --> 00:51:38.560
 okay,

00:51:38.660 --> 00:51:38.940
 can I

00:51:38.940 --> 00:51:39.440
 order for

00:51:39.440 --> 00:51:39.640
 you?

00:51:40.080 --> 00:51:40.540
 And he

00:51:40.540 --> 00:51:40.740
 said,

00:51:40.800 --> 00:51:41.100
 yes.

00:51:41.480 --> 00:51:41.920
 And I

00:51:41.920 --> 00:51:42.040
 said,

00:51:42.080 --> 00:51:42.240
 you're

00:51:42.240 --> 00:51:42.520
 about to

00:51:42.520 --> 00:51:42.760
 be

00:51:42.760 --> 00:51:43.720
 wowed.

00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:45.520
 And I

00:51:45.520 --> 00:51:45.680
 said,

00:51:45.760 --> 00:51:46.200
 bring this

00:51:46.200 --> 00:51:46.680
 man a

00:51:46.680 --> 00:51:46.900
 Philly

00:51:46.900 --> 00:51:47.220
 cheese

00:51:47.220 --> 00:51:47.540
 steak

00:51:47.540 --> 00:51:47.680
 and

00:51:47.680 --> 00:51:47.940
 onion

00:51:47.940 --> 00:51:48.300
 rings.

00:51:48.300 --> 00:51:49.800
 And they

00:51:49.800 --> 00:51:50.160
 brought it

00:51:50.160 --> 00:51:50.300
 out.

00:51:50.360 --> 00:51:50.580
 He didn't

00:51:50.580 --> 00:51:50.980
 know what

00:51:50.980 --> 00:51:51.360
 it was,

00:51:51.420 --> 00:51:51.660
 but he

00:51:51.660 --> 00:51:52.080
 partook

00:51:52.080 --> 00:51:52.400
 in it

00:51:52.400 --> 00:51:52.940
 and loved

00:51:52.940 --> 00:51:53.440
 every

00:51:53.440 --> 00:51:54.220
 moment of

00:51:54.220 --> 00:51:54.300
 it.

00:51:55.480 --> 00:51:56.320
 And so

00:51:56.320 --> 00:51:56.540
 we get

00:51:56.540 --> 00:51:56.720
 those

00:51:56.720 --> 00:51:57.380
 opportunities

00:51:57.380 --> 00:51:58.320
 to share

00:51:58.320 --> 00:51:58.860
 a meal,

00:51:59.400 --> 00:51:59.780
 but maybe

00:51:59.780 --> 00:52:00.220
 even to

00:52:00.220 --> 00:52:00.860
 take part

00:52:00.860 --> 00:52:01.220
 in one

00:52:01.220 --> 00:52:01.580
 of their

00:52:01.580 --> 00:52:01.980
 meals

00:52:01.980 --> 00:52:03.000
 as well.

00:52:04.720 --> 00:52:04.980
 Another

00:52:04.980 --> 00:52:05.280
 way we

00:52:05.280 --> 00:52:05.700
 can assist

00:52:05.700 --> 00:52:06.080
 in a

00:52:06.080 --> 00:52:06.540
 cultural

00:52:06.540 --> 00:52:07.120
 transition

00:52:07.120 --> 00:52:07.660
 is to

00:52:07.660 --> 00:52:08.560
 find a

00:52:08.560 --> 00:52:08.860
 movie

00:52:08.860 --> 00:52:10.580
 and take

00:52:10.580 --> 00:52:10.780
 him to

00:52:10.780 --> 00:52:11.040
 see a

00:52:11.040 --> 00:52:11.340
 movie

00:52:11.340 --> 00:52:12.640
 and

00:52:12.640 --> 00:52:13.020
 experience

00:52:13.020 --> 00:52:13.460
 that.

00:52:14.760 --> 00:52:15.160
 Columbia

00:52:15.160 --> 00:52:15.420
 has been

00:52:15.420 --> 00:52:15.800
 blessed

00:52:15.800 --> 00:52:16.220
 with one

00:52:16.220 --> 00:52:16.660
 of the

00:52:16.660 --> 00:52:17.060
 best

00:52:17.060 --> 00:52:17.500
 zoos

00:52:17.500 --> 00:52:17.800
 in the

00:52:17.800 --> 00:52:18.220
 world

00:52:18.220 --> 00:52:19.420
 and to

00:52:19.420 --> 00:52:19.860
 go there

00:52:19.860 --> 00:52:20.160
 and walk

00:52:20.160 --> 00:52:20.460
 through that

00:52:20.460 --> 00:52:20.880
 process

00:52:20.880 --> 00:52:21.260
 with him.

00:52:22.380 --> 00:52:22.920
 These are

00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:23.460
 the things

00:52:23.460 --> 00:52:24.060
 on paper

00:52:24.060 --> 00:52:25.680
 that through

00:52:25.680 --> 00:52:25.900
 this

00:52:25.900 --> 00:52:26.580
 organization

00:52:26.580 --> 00:52:27.180
 they ask

00:52:27.180 --> 00:52:27.520
 us to

00:52:27.520 --> 00:52:27.820
 do.

00:52:28.540 --> 00:52:29.080
 But I

00:52:29.080 --> 00:52:29.460
 also want

00:52:29.460 --> 00:52:29.760
 to share

00:52:29.760 --> 00:52:30.100
 with you

00:52:30.100 --> 00:52:30.540
 two other

00:52:30.540 --> 00:52:30.920
 ways,

00:52:31.300 --> 00:52:32.120
 if you

00:52:32.120 --> 00:52:32.480
 agree to

00:52:32.480 --> 00:52:32.880
 be a part

00:52:32.880 --> 00:52:33.140
 of this

00:52:33.140 --> 00:52:33.640
 circle of

00:52:33.640 --> 00:52:33.960
 welcome,

00:52:34.860 --> 00:52:35.240
 that you

00:52:35.240 --> 00:52:35.760
 can welcome

00:52:35.760 --> 00:52:36.420
 this family

00:52:36.420 --> 00:52:37.520
 into our

00:52:37.520 --> 00:52:37.900
 community.

00:52:38.820 --> 00:52:39.040
 Number

00:52:39.040 --> 00:52:39.440
 one,

00:52:40.000 --> 00:52:40.420
 you can be

00:52:40.420 --> 00:52:40.860
 a friend.

00:52:42.400 --> 00:52:42.900
 You can be

00:52:42.900 --> 00:52:43.260
 a friend.

00:52:44.400 --> 00:52:45.040
 seems like

00:52:45.040 --> 00:52:45.380
 one of the

00:52:45.380 --> 00:52:45.820
 most simple

00:52:45.820 --> 00:52:46.340
 things to

00:52:46.340 --> 00:52:46.540
 do.

00:52:47.640 --> 00:52:48.260
 But be

00:52:48.260 --> 00:52:48.660
 someone who

00:52:48.660 --> 00:52:49.220
 knows when

00:52:49.220 --> 00:52:49.660
 their birthday

00:52:49.660 --> 00:52:50.040
 is.

00:52:51.180 --> 00:52:51.720
 Be someone

00:52:51.720 --> 00:52:52.140
 who will

00:52:52.140 --> 00:52:52.900
 weep when

00:52:52.900 --> 00:52:53.520
 they weep

00:52:53.520 --> 00:52:54.460
 and rejoice

00:52:54.460 --> 00:52:55.140
 when they

00:52:55.140 --> 00:52:56.200
 rejoice to

00:52:56.200 --> 00:52:56.820
 be the

00:52:56.820 --> 00:52:57.960
 friend that

00:52:57.960 --> 00:52:58.480
 Christ has

00:52:58.480 --> 00:52:58.840
 called you

00:52:58.840 --> 00:52:59.140
 to be.

00:53:00.960 --> 00:53:01.300
 And then

00:53:01.300 --> 00:53:01.680
 the second

00:53:01.680 --> 00:53:01.980
 one,

00:53:03.580 --> 00:53:03.980
 and I

00:53:03.980 --> 00:53:04.420
 shared this

00:53:04.420 --> 00:53:04.720
 with the

00:53:04.720 --> 00:53:05.220
 leader at

00:53:05.220 --> 00:53:05.720
 the Lutheran

00:53:05.720 --> 00:53:06.020
 Church

00:53:06.020 --> 00:53:07.160
 services,

00:53:08.160 --> 00:53:09.100
 the ultimate

00:53:09.100 --> 00:53:09.440
 goal.

00:53:10.860 --> 00:53:11.520
 Because I'm

00:53:11.520 --> 00:53:11.980
 not about

00:53:11.980 --> 00:53:12.560
 patting people

00:53:12.560 --> 00:53:13.120
 on the back

00:53:13.120 --> 00:53:13.500
 as they go

00:53:13.500 --> 00:53:13.820
 to hell.

00:53:14.400 --> 00:53:16.480
 the most

00:53:16.480 --> 00:53:17.180
 important thing

00:53:17.180 --> 00:53:17.540
 that we can

00:53:17.540 --> 00:53:17.800
 have the

00:53:17.800 --> 00:53:18.500
 opportunity to

00:53:18.500 --> 00:53:19.960
 do is to

00:53:19.960 --> 00:53:20.420
 share Jesus

00:53:20.420 --> 00:53:20.760
 with them.

00:53:22.020 --> 00:53:22.680
 The hope

00:53:22.680 --> 00:53:22.960
 of the

00:53:22.960 --> 00:53:23.320
 gospel.

00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:25.580
 Maybe it

00:53:25.580 --> 00:53:26.280
 begins as

00:53:26.280 --> 00:53:26.680
 we just

00:53:26.680 --> 00:53:27.800
 pray for

00:53:27.800 --> 00:53:27.940
 them.

00:53:29.260 --> 00:53:29.860
 Maybe it

00:53:29.860 --> 00:53:30.520
 continues on

00:53:30.520 --> 00:53:31.500
 as we share

00:53:31.500 --> 00:53:31.840
 a Bible

00:53:31.840 --> 00:53:32.400
 study with

00:53:32.400 --> 00:53:32.520
 them.

00:53:33.580 --> 00:53:34.020
 Maybe it

00:53:34.020 --> 00:53:34.840
 continues on

00:53:34.840 --> 00:53:35.280
 as their

00:53:35.280 --> 00:53:35.700
 friend you

00:53:35.700 --> 00:53:35.860
 say,

00:53:36.160 --> 00:53:36.580
 can I help

00:53:36.580 --> 00:53:36.920
 you out

00:53:36.920 --> 00:53:37.400
 with your

00:53:37.400 --> 00:53:38.180
 ESL

00:53:38.180 --> 00:53:38.680
 classes?

00:53:38.860 --> 00:53:39.120
 And we

00:53:39.120 --> 00:53:40.260
 do so by

00:53:40.260 --> 00:53:41.040
 teaching them

00:53:41.040 --> 00:53:41.420
 through the

00:53:41.420 --> 00:53:42.280
 stories of

00:53:42.280 --> 00:53:42.720
 the Bible.

00:53:43.780 --> 00:53:44.220
 Maybe it

00:53:44.220 --> 00:53:44.740
 begins as

00:53:44.740 --> 00:53:45.260
 we help

00:53:45.260 --> 00:53:45.600
 them learn

00:53:45.600 --> 00:53:45.920
 how to

00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:46.500
 read by

00:53:46.500 --> 00:53:47.240
 opening up

00:53:47.240 --> 00:53:47.840
 a children's

00:53:47.840 --> 00:53:48.620
 story Bible

00:53:48.620 --> 00:53:49.360
 and helping

00:53:49.360 --> 00:53:49.840
 them read

00:53:49.840 --> 00:53:50.480
 through and

00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:51.260
 understand the

00:53:51.260 --> 00:53:52.280
 words that

00:53:52.280 --> 00:53:52.720
 are there.

00:53:53.620 --> 00:53:54.020
 Maybe it

00:53:54.020 --> 00:53:54.780
 continues on

00:53:54.780 --> 00:53:55.280
 as you share

00:53:55.280 --> 00:53:56.040
 your testimony

00:53:56.040 --> 00:53:57.020
 in your

00:53:57.020 --> 00:53:57.420
 journey to

00:53:57.420 --> 00:53:57.780
 the Lord.

00:53:59.540 --> 00:54:00.060
 Why would

00:54:00.060 --> 00:54:00.280
 we do

00:54:00.280 --> 00:54:00.640
 this?

00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:02.600
 What does

00:54:02.600 --> 00:54:03.320
 this require?

00:54:05.120 --> 00:54:06.060
 What requires

00:54:06.060 --> 00:54:06.640
 it the part

00:54:06.640 --> 00:54:08.480
 to lay down

00:54:08.480 --> 00:54:09.100
 my rights,

00:54:09.660 --> 00:54:10.760
 what I

00:54:10.760 --> 00:54:11.340
 can do

00:54:11.340 --> 00:54:12.740
 and ask

00:54:12.740 --> 00:54:13.060
 myself,

00:54:13.200 --> 00:54:14.320
 what should

00:54:14.320 --> 00:54:14.700
 I do

00:54:14.700 --> 00:54:16.440
 and what

00:54:16.440 --> 00:54:16.800
 is needed?

00:54:18.400 --> 00:54:19.080
 No one's

00:54:19.080 --> 00:54:19.480
 getting into

00:54:19.480 --> 00:54:20.040
 heaven or not

00:54:20.040 --> 00:54:20.440
 because of

00:54:20.440 --> 00:54:21.120
 this for us.

00:54:22.380 --> 00:54:23.260
 Your salvation

00:54:23.260 --> 00:54:24.100
 is not found

00:54:24.100 --> 00:54:24.640
 in whether you

00:54:24.640 --> 00:54:25.480
 signed up on

00:54:25.480 --> 00:54:25.900
 a piece of

00:54:25.900 --> 00:54:26.700
 paper to be

00:54:26.700 --> 00:54:27.100
 a part of

00:54:27.100 --> 00:54:27.500
 the circle

00:54:27.500 --> 00:54:27.900
 of welcome

00:54:27.900 --> 00:54:28.340
 or not,

00:54:28.620 --> 00:54:29.560
 but it's

00:54:29.560 --> 00:54:30.100
 found in the

00:54:30.100 --> 00:54:30.880
 sacrifice of

00:54:30.880 --> 00:54:31.580
 Jesus Christ.

00:54:32.640 --> 00:54:33.240
 He gave of

00:54:33.240 --> 00:54:33.800
 his life

00:54:33.800 --> 00:54:35.240
 so that you

00:54:35.240 --> 00:54:35.720
 might have

00:54:35.720 --> 00:54:35.980
 life.

00:54:35.980 --> 00:54:49.320
 Thanks again

00:54:49.320 --> 00:54:49.820
 for listening

00:54:49.820 --> 00:54:50.180
 to the

00:54:50.180 --> 00:54:50.620
 Willow Ridge

00:54:50.620 --> 00:54:51.320
 Church weekly

00:54:51.320 --> 00:54:51.740
 podcast.

00:54:52.280 --> 00:54:52.840
 We hope that

00:54:52.840 --> 00:54:53.280
 you enjoyed

00:54:53.280 --> 00:54:53.780
 listening to

00:54:53.780 --> 00:54:54.220
 this week's

00:54:54.220 --> 00:54:54.560
 message.

00:54:55.060 --> 00:54:55.460
 If you'd

00:54:55.460 --> 00:54:55.740
 like to

00:54:55.740 --> 00:54:56.120
 learn more

00:54:56.120 --> 00:54:56.560
 about who

00:54:56.560 --> 00:54:56.960
 we are

00:54:56.960 --> 00:54:57.620
 or explore

00:54:57.620 --> 00:54:58.040
 additional

00:54:58.040 --> 00:54:58.600
 resources,

00:54:59.160 --> 00:54:59.580
 visit us

00:54:59.580 --> 00:55:00.380
 online at

00:55:00.380 --> 00:55:03.620
 www.willowridgechurch.com

00:55:03.620 --> 00:55:04.840
 or by searching

00:55:04.840 --> 00:55:05.500
 for Willow Ridge

00:55:05.500 --> 00:55:06.120
 Church on

00:55:06.120 --> 00:55:06.800
 Facebook and

00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:07.200
 Instagram.