WEBVTT 0 00:00:04.890 --> 00:00:07.354 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons podcast. 1 00:00:07.482 --> 00:00:11.150 This is where you can find audio from Sunday morning messages and more. 2 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:14.442 Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss future episodes. 3 00:00:14.506 --> 00:00:16.030 And thanks for listening. 4 00:00:20.770 --> 00:00:22.000 Well, good morning. 5 00:00:22.610 --> 00:00:29.922 I'm glad that you are here with us on this very peculiar South Carolina weather. 6 00:00:29.986 --> 00:00:30.790 Sunday. 7 00:00:31.450 --> 00:00:34.354 It's like last week we were dipping down at freezing. 8 00:00:34.402 --> 00:00:36.262 On Tuesday, we'll be at freezing again. 9 00:00:36.316 --> 00:00:39.606 But today, put on your shorts and your Hawaiian shorts, right? 10 00:00:39.708 --> 00:00:42.794 Because it is nice and warm and humid outside. 11 00:00:42.992 --> 00:00:48.300 But we're glad that each and every one of you are here with us this weekend, worshiping with us today. 12 00:00:48.750 --> 00:00:53.418 With that said, we got a lot of stuff that's going on in the life of our church. 13 00:00:53.514 --> 00:01:11.154 This is an exciting time, an exciting season to come back tonight for the Kinda Christmas Cantata as we have a Christmas Cantata, Willow Ridge style, which will be a wonderful, wonderful time of fellowship, of coming together as a church family and all the things that we have in store coming up in the next few Sundays and weeks ahead. 14 00:01:11.272 --> 00:01:20.994 But one of the things that actually has happened in the past is we just sent a team to go to New York City to partner with the church for coats for the city. 15 00:01:21.032 --> 00:01:29.462 And I'm not going to say too much more than that, but we had collected coats as a church, and then we sent teams up there where they could give these away and help share the gospel with people. 16 00:01:29.516 --> 00:01:37.718 One of the things that we want to do as we as a church, not only have people who go from within us, but we view this as a sending. 17 00:01:37.814 --> 00:01:42.234 We want to make sure that we have an understanding and can hear about all that God has done. 18 00:01:42.272 --> 00:01:50.878 If you've ever been on a mission trip, part of when you come back, you're looking forward to all the different people that you can share the story about what God is doing. 19 00:01:50.964 --> 00:01:55.550 And so I was able to do that this past October with our trip to India. 20 00:01:55.710 --> 00:02:07.702 And then I've asked Brent Hawkins if he would come forward this morning and just share some of his experiences in what God did in New York City this past week with his team. 21 00:02:07.756 --> 00:02:19.002 So would y'all join me in welcoming a man who needs no introduction right now? 22 00:02:19.056 --> 00:02:20.940 You stand right here for a second. 23 00:02:22.430 --> 00:02:25.980 Something that we never thought as a church staff we would ever do. 24 00:02:27.230 --> 00:02:34.320 I'm about to hand Brent Hawkins a microphone on a Sunday morning. 25 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:37.754 Glenn, help me out up there, budy. 26 00:02:37.802 --> 00:02:38.206 Okay. 27 00:02:38.308 --> 00:02:39.022 All right. 28 00:02:39.156 --> 00:02:40.400 There you go, man. 29 00:02:40.850 --> 00:02:41.406 Thank you. 30 00:02:41.428 --> 00:02:42.094 Thank you. 31 00:02:42.212 --> 00:02:50.494 First of all, I do I thank the staff for that, for this opportunity, and I thank y'all for the opportunity that you've given us for this mission trip. 32 00:02:50.622 --> 00:02:56.818 Again, as both said before, from India, y'all are the ones that allow us to do this. 33 00:02:56.984 --> 00:03:02.966 A couple years ago, we got involved with coach for the city not really knowing what was going on with that. 34 00:03:03.148 --> 00:03:08.934 And then it developed a partnership that we've now, I don't know, some of y'all came on mission night. 35 00:03:08.972 --> 00:03:11.190 You got to meet Walter and Veronica. 36 00:03:11.610 --> 00:03:13.114 That's the church we're involved with. 37 00:03:13.152 --> 00:03:16.860 That's who we'll be involved with over at least the next three to five years. 38 00:03:17.470 --> 00:03:20.220 But anyway, give you a brief overview of what it is. 39 00:03:21.070 --> 00:03:27.120 You all, as a church, collected 400 coats to go to New York. 40 00:03:28.610 --> 00:03:29.360 Yes. 41 00:03:33.410 --> 00:03:41.810 So the unique thing about this mission is it's a conjunction with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the North Carolina Baptist Vision and the New York Baptist Convention. 42 00:03:42.150 --> 00:03:44.482 So those 400 coats go to New York. 43 00:03:44.536 --> 00:03:50.242 The Baptist Convention takes them and they're handed out to the different churches to distribute them. 44 00:03:50.296 --> 00:04:06.650 But what I also did in our partnership is we took probably another 50 to 100 coats along with children's outfits, blankets and other stuff that we took directly from our church to our partner church. 45 00:04:07.070 --> 00:04:08.314 When we were done. 46 00:04:08.432 --> 00:04:10.554 Just give you kind of a brief date when we were done. 47 00:04:10.592 --> 00:04:19.194 The only thing we had left out of 300 coats that were given to them and the stuff we gave were two boxes and two regular sized trash. 48 00:04:19.242 --> 00:04:24.000 Bags of stuff was the only thing that was left and that would be distributed throughout the year. 49 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:33.060 So what we do is the church set up is smaller than the two rooms over here. 50 00:04:33.430 --> 00:04:37.780 We use that the benefit of using the church to be inside. 51 00:04:38.390 --> 00:04:45.010 Some of the churches that went on the mission, they were outside, they were in the park, they were in schools. 52 00:04:45.090 --> 00:04:55.450 There were 50 something other churches there as well giving these coats out over the weekend, 9000 coats were given out and 17 people were saved over that weekend. 53 00:05:00.370 --> 00:05:06.270 It out of that 17 people, four came from our church. 54 00:05:07.250 --> 00:05:16.274 To give you two of the stories, quick stories of that, a backstory is I had some brand new basketball shoes I've had for about eight years. 55 00:05:16.312 --> 00:05:17.518 I threw them in a bag. 56 00:05:17.614 --> 00:05:19.300 They went with me to New York. 57 00:05:20.710 --> 00:05:22.862 They were put under the boys section. 58 00:05:23.006 --> 00:05:27.830 And as we went through, walked in, veronica said, hey, we've got this family. 59 00:05:27.900 --> 00:05:28.982 We know who's coming. 60 00:05:29.116 --> 00:05:31.462 Can we pull clothes out for these kids? 61 00:05:31.596 --> 00:05:32.280 Absolutely. 62 00:05:32.810 --> 00:05:34.594 The kids got their clothes. 63 00:05:34.722 --> 00:05:43.020 As they were getting their clothes, leah, who was one of the team members, which I guess I should have said, who all went I'll say that after this. 64 00:05:44.270 --> 00:05:48.458 Leah Bush noticed it's like, hey, what's up with the mom? 65 00:05:48.624 --> 00:05:54.270 The mom could come in full winter gear with socks and flip flops. 66 00:05:55.090 --> 00:05:57.520 They said that's the only shoes she had. 67 00:05:58.130 --> 00:06:00.080 They'd only been there a couple weeks. 68 00:06:00.690 --> 00:06:04.110 Leah said, well, what do you think she'd be willing to wear these shoes? 69 00:06:04.790 --> 00:06:06.098 She tried them on. 70 00:06:06.184 --> 00:06:07.294 They fit perfectly. 71 00:06:07.342 --> 00:06:09.406 They were the oddest size basketball shoes. 72 00:06:09.438 --> 00:06:12.654 I couldn't give them away they fit her perfectly. 73 00:06:12.702 --> 00:06:16.930 And the smile on the mother's face was just so amazing. 74 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:23.830 And it shows how God's plan worked for those shoes years ago, to go to this mother that had nothing that weekend. 75 00:06:24.410 --> 00:06:26.386 So that was one of the success stories. 76 00:06:26.498 --> 00:06:28.774 And so we had Leah Bush, of course. 77 00:06:28.812 --> 00:06:30.470 We had Kim Nix. 78 00:06:31.450 --> 00:06:35.142 We had Mariela and Nico Martinez. 79 00:06:35.206 --> 00:06:36.134 And I told Marielle. 80 00:06:36.182 --> 00:06:36.966 She cried anymore. 81 00:06:36.998 --> 00:06:37.994 Her makeup was coming off. 82 00:06:38.032 --> 00:06:41.660 If you know her, then you know her makeup ain't coming off. 83 00:06:45.150 --> 00:06:48.750 Cindy amy we had Tim Rice. 84 00:06:49.250 --> 00:06:52.030 And who else am I leaving out? 85 00:06:52.180 --> 00:06:53.050 Tawana. 86 00:06:53.130 --> 00:06:54.770 Yeah, I left her out on purpose. 87 00:06:56.710 --> 00:06:57.726 She was no benefit. 88 00:06:57.758 --> 00:06:58.770 No, I'm just kidding. 89 00:06:59.830 --> 00:07:00.642 She was great. 90 00:07:00.696 --> 00:07:01.234 She was great. 91 00:07:01.272 --> 00:07:02.302 She was wonderful. 92 00:07:02.446 --> 00:07:06.926 The other success story I'll give you real quick is it's another one of those stories? 93 00:07:07.038 --> 00:07:21.938 So the photographer from South Calendar Baptist Convention was going around, and he was asking people for interviews, and he asked one of the deacons at the church who actually was in charge that day, that asked Eduardo, hey, would you please do an interview? 94 00:07:22.034 --> 00:07:25.418 And if you met Walter and Veronica, you notice how humble they are. 95 00:07:25.504 --> 00:07:28.138 He said, no, I don't feel like that's my place to do that. 96 00:07:28.224 --> 00:07:29.514 I don't do that. 97 00:07:29.712 --> 00:07:37.758 So as we were going through, a guy from Venezuela had been there for two weeks, came in, and Tim Rice hemmed him up and was talking with him. 98 00:07:37.844 --> 00:07:56.114 Guy got his coat and everything, and he came outside and met with Eduardo outside on the sidewalk, and Eduardo prayed him to the Lord right after that. 99 00:07:56.152 --> 00:07:58.370 Eduardo said, I'll do the interview. 100 00:07:58.790 --> 00:08:03.638 He said, the reason why I didn't is because it wasn't my place, but it is my place. 101 00:08:03.724 --> 00:08:05.282 They asked me to do the interview. 102 00:08:05.346 --> 00:08:05.526 What? 103 00:08:05.548 --> 00:08:09.798 They had asked him to do the interview of what that mission meant to the church, he said. 104 00:08:09.804 --> 00:08:12.662 And that was God telling me what that mission meant to this church. 105 00:08:12.806 --> 00:08:15.082 So with that being said, I appreciate it. 106 00:08:15.136 --> 00:08:18.298 I'll leave you with it took us 3 hours. 107 00:08:18.464 --> 00:08:19.082 3 hours. 108 00:08:19.136 --> 00:08:35.194 We're in a whole different place, and there's 183 different languages in New York, 3 hours away, and challenge every one of you all for something like that, a minimal amount of money to go there on an amazing trip. 109 00:08:35.242 --> 00:08:36.602 And that's the numerous. 110 00:08:36.746 --> 00:08:43.294 I could sit here and talk to you all day about the lives that were touched that day just in our church, from our church from Willow Rich Church. 111 00:08:43.342 --> 00:08:44.578 So I thank you. 112 00:08:44.664 --> 00:08:48.214 I appreciate it, and I encourage you encourage you. 113 00:08:48.252 --> 00:08:53.750 It comes back around, please contact me, let me know, and we'll see about getting you connected. 114 00:09:01.020 --> 00:09:02.200 Love you too, buddy. 115 00:09:02.280 --> 00:09:02.636 Thank you. 116 00:09:02.658 --> 00:09:15.344 Brent, I was going to apologize for giving you a hard time about trusting you with a microphone, but then you made fun of I'm just I'm gonna be on Tawana's side on this one. 117 00:09:15.382 --> 00:09:15.970 Okay? 118 00:09:16.660 --> 00:09:24.050 But hey, in all seriousness, Brent, man, I thank you for your leadership and for your determination and for all that you sacrifice to lead this team. 119 00:09:24.660 --> 00:09:27.152 And just appreciate you guys as a church sending people. 120 00:09:27.206 --> 00:09:29.844 We're going to have more trips over 2024. 121 00:09:29.882 --> 00:09:31.556 That's one of the exciting parts for that. 122 00:09:31.658 --> 00:09:42.244 And so as we get that calendar communicated out to you, do want to challenge you, whether it's New York, whether it's India, whether it's all the places in between that we've got budgeted for, something does happen. 123 00:09:42.282 --> 00:09:46.376 If you've ever been on a mission trip, you know how God can work and God can use you. 124 00:09:46.478 --> 00:09:52.040 And you might see the list and you might say, I don't know where on this list I fit, but I want to experience that. 125 00:09:52.110 --> 00:10:00.460 And so we want to help you kind of find that spot for you to be able to do, but just exciting to be a part and exciting to see all that God is doing. 126 00:10:00.530 --> 00:10:05.150 Well, if you got your Bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join me in Matthew, chapter 25. 127 00:10:05.680 --> 00:10:11.548 So we're going to be this morning as we continue on in our series on gifts of grace. 128 00:10:11.644 --> 00:10:13.388 Now, you can hear my throat's. 129 00:10:13.404 --> 00:10:15.200 Got a little bit of a tickle in it this morning. 130 00:10:15.270 --> 00:10:19.716 Kind of coming out of a little sick season this past week. 131 00:10:19.898 --> 00:10:26.516 And so I may be briefer than normal as we get through, but want to see what the Lord has for us. 132 00:10:26.538 --> 00:10:30.888 And I just apologize if I've got to stop and cough and clear my throat as we go through. 133 00:10:30.974 --> 00:10:34.932 But this is our Christmas series on gifts of grace. 134 00:10:34.996 --> 00:10:38.250 One of the things Aaron and I did this weekend is we sat down. 135 00:10:38.860 --> 00:10:40.296 I've shared this with you before. 136 00:10:40.398 --> 00:10:44.292 I'm a recovering spreadsheet addict. 137 00:10:44.436 --> 00:10:45.556 I love spreadsheets. 138 00:10:45.588 --> 00:10:47.932 I have spreadsheets for everything at our house. 139 00:10:47.986 --> 00:10:49.788 I've got friends that make fun of me about it. 140 00:10:49.794 --> 00:10:50.972 Like, we'll be talking about something. 141 00:10:51.026 --> 00:10:52.840 They'll say, I don't know, why don't you check your spreadsheet? 142 00:10:52.920 --> 00:10:56.480 I'm like, well, you know what, I do have a spreadsheet about that, so why don't you stop making fun of me, right? 143 00:10:56.630 --> 00:10:58.016 And so Aaron and I, we sat down. 144 00:10:58.038 --> 00:10:59.916 We created a spreadsheet this weekend. 145 00:11:00.108 --> 00:11:08.080 We listed all of the people in our family, both immediate and extended, that we're responsible for purchasing gifts for. 146 00:11:08.150 --> 00:11:11.176 And we wrote down of the things that she's bought, the things that I've bought. 147 00:11:11.228 --> 00:11:14.004 We went through and went, check the box, check the box, check the box. 148 00:11:14.042 --> 00:11:19.320 And then we realized, and if you've hit this spot, right, like, you know, this is a really good place to be. 149 00:11:19.390 --> 00:11:24.612 When we got done, we realized we are done buying gifts. 150 00:11:24.676 --> 00:11:25.144 Right? 151 00:11:25.262 --> 00:11:27.256 That is just the exciting part. 152 00:11:27.358 --> 00:11:33.960 If we show up to somewhere and realize there's someone that we forgot about, I hope I got some cash in my pocket, right? 153 00:11:34.030 --> 00:11:35.884 Because that's what we're given at that point. 154 00:11:36.002 --> 00:11:36.716 But we're done. 155 00:11:36.738 --> 00:11:39.832 But this is this season of gifts. 156 00:11:39.896 --> 00:11:44.380 It's what we talk about, it's what we do when we gather together as friends and family. 157 00:11:44.450 --> 00:11:45.420 It's a part of that. 158 00:11:45.490 --> 00:11:51.024 And so kind of going into this season, we were looking at this within the context of God and what God's doing. 159 00:11:51.062 --> 00:11:59.750 And so let's call this series Gifts of Grace because you and I, through our relationship with Jesus Christ, god is good and he pours out his gifts on us. 160 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:05.764 John 316 and 17 is kind of been a theme verse for us as we go through this. 161 00:12:05.802 --> 00:12:15.624 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 162 00:12:15.822 --> 00:12:41.200 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him, the good, good gift of Jesus, of what God gave us, not because we were good, not because we behaved, not because we did all the right things, but the exact opposite. 163 00:12:41.620 --> 00:12:46.320 And because God is good, he gives us Jesus. 164 00:12:46.660 --> 00:12:51.216 And what we're going to talk about, that's what we're going to talk about Christmas Eve, the gift of Jesus. 165 00:12:51.408 --> 00:12:57.556 But what we've been talking about leading up to that is the additional gifts that come with that, that we get to live in. 166 00:12:57.578 --> 00:13:01.176 We talked about on week one, we talked about forgiveness, that God forgives us. 167 00:13:01.278 --> 00:13:12.364 But here's the part about where we understand this full gift concept, right, is that just as I will give gifts during the Christmas season, I will give away gifts as well. 168 00:13:12.402 --> 00:13:14.312 I will give gifts, I will receive gifts. 169 00:13:14.376 --> 00:13:22.700 It's this process that we get so we receive forgiveness, but we're also taught to give away forgiveness as well. 170 00:13:22.770 --> 00:13:25.276 So God has forgiven me, I forgive others. 171 00:13:25.378 --> 00:13:27.696 God calls us and gives us community. 172 00:13:27.798 --> 00:13:33.488 And it's not just community from what I can give others, but it's community from what others can give me. 173 00:13:33.574 --> 00:13:36.676 And it's this cycle of goodness that we get to live in. 174 00:13:36.778 --> 00:13:38.800 And so this morning we're going to talk about abilities. 175 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:45.876 We're going to talk about abilities that God in Christ gives us. 176 00:13:46.058 --> 00:13:51.880 Abilities, the gift of abilities received. 177 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:53.588 Received. 178 00:13:53.764 --> 00:13:59.370 I wrestled with this this past week as I was at home or recovering and working on this. 179 00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:02.724 What do I mean when we talk about abilities? 180 00:14:02.772 --> 00:14:07.500 And so I've kind of broken them down into two different categories that I want to speak to this morning. 181 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:09.070 But they're going to come together. 182 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:13.600 The first type of ability that we have are natural talents. 183 00:14:14.180 --> 00:14:15.520 Natural talents. 184 00:14:16.260 --> 00:14:24.370 And natural talents are those gifts given by God and everybody in the world has them. 185 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.044 Everyone does. 186 00:14:27.242 --> 00:14:35.392 And we kind of view natural talents as coming from a person's genetics, from their environment, from their upbringing. 187 00:14:35.456 --> 00:14:53.436 But I would always press in that we need to view these natural talents as not in and simply of ourself, but these talents are given to us from god, but they're not limited to just the followers of God, right? 188 00:14:53.618 --> 00:15:05.744 So some examples of those are people that are really good and have this bent towards sports, toward things like maths, music, arts, humor, right? 189 00:15:05.782 --> 00:15:18.884 Like, you're around somebody and you see them and you know, and you see their talent, their natural talent, and they've developed it, they've grown it, they've nurtured it. 190 00:15:19.082 --> 00:15:29.050 And what I want us to look at with these natural talents is the reality that God has chosen to give them to us. 191 00:15:29.740 --> 00:15:35.204 An example of this within my family, my wife, she has a talent. 192 00:15:35.252 --> 00:15:39.530 She's got a natural ability to work in a garden and grow things. 193 00:15:40.220 --> 00:15:44.696 How many of you, if you get a plant, like, here's what you're really good at. 194 00:15:44.718 --> 00:15:46.356 You're really good at killing it, right? 195 00:15:46.478 --> 00:15:46.956 Anybody? 196 00:15:47.058 --> 00:15:47.276 Yeah. 197 00:15:47.298 --> 00:15:48.008 Yeah, Joan's. 198 00:15:48.024 --> 00:15:49.196 Like, absolutely right here. 199 00:15:49.218 --> 00:15:50.332 I don't have to think about it, right? 200 00:15:50.386 --> 00:15:51.276 That's my mom. 201 00:15:51.378 --> 00:15:51.900 All right. 202 00:15:51.970 --> 00:15:53.164 My mom listens to this. 203 00:15:53.202 --> 00:15:53.820 Sorry, mom. 204 00:15:53.890 --> 00:15:54.670 All right. 205 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:59.804 My mom could take a plant and growing up and could kill it instantly. 206 00:15:59.932 --> 00:16:04.636 So when I was little, my aunt and uncle lived out in Arizona. 207 00:16:04.828 --> 00:16:16.836 And so my aunt from South Carolina, one Christmas season, flew out to Arizona to visit my aunt and uncle, her sister and her brother in law that were out there. 208 00:16:16.938 --> 00:16:20.390 And when she came back, she had gifts for everyone. 209 00:16:20.760 --> 00:16:23.300 And so I forget what I received. 210 00:16:23.380 --> 00:16:25.144 It was probably a T shirt or something. 211 00:16:25.182 --> 00:16:26.728 I was in elementary school. 212 00:16:26.814 --> 00:16:32.540 I don't remember what I got, but I remember my mom opening her gift. 213 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:40.750 And my aunt said to my mom, I've got you something that even you can't kill. 214 00:16:44.180 --> 00:16:57.540 To which my mom reaches her hand down into this bag to grab the gift out, to realize that the gift was a cactus. 215 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:06.790 My mom then reacted the way that you would think. 216 00:17:08.140 --> 00:17:09.044 We laughed. 217 00:17:09.092 --> 00:17:10.490 We're that type of family. 218 00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:13.850 And then guess what happened? 219 00:17:14.540 --> 00:17:16.244 My mom killed the cactus. 220 00:17:16.372 --> 00:17:17.050 Right? 221 00:17:18.620 --> 00:17:20.196 But my wife, she just has this ability. 222 00:17:20.228 --> 00:17:22.268 I mean, she nurtures it. 223 00:17:22.354 --> 00:17:26.076 She watches YouTube videos, she reads, she does these things. 224 00:17:26.178 --> 00:17:32.856 But there's this talent, there's this passion, there's this pursuit that she has where she loves to garden. 225 00:17:32.968 --> 00:17:37.584 It's something that God has given her for you that sounds like work for her. 226 00:17:37.622 --> 00:17:40.160 It's something that brings her great joy. 227 00:17:41.060 --> 00:17:52.772 And we look at that and we praise God that God gave my wife this ability, that he gave her this talent, and then she uses that. 228 00:17:52.906 --> 00:17:55.876 And so that's one type of ability that we want to look at. 229 00:17:55.898 --> 00:17:58.132 But then there's another type of ability. 230 00:17:58.196 --> 00:17:59.796 And these are spiritual gifts. 231 00:17:59.988 --> 00:18:01.172 These are spiritual gifts. 232 00:18:01.236 --> 00:18:10.472 And spiritual gifts are given to all believers by the Holy Spirit when they place their faith in Jesus Christ. 233 00:18:10.526 --> 00:18:13.096 There are several passages of Scripture that talk about that. 234 00:18:13.118 --> 00:18:18.364 But I want to look at and we're going to get to Matthew 25, but let's look at Romans twelve really quickly. 235 00:18:18.402 --> 00:18:19.292 Starting verse three. 236 00:18:19.346 --> 00:18:21.310 The verses be on the screen. 237 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:35.036 Paul writes and says, for by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 238 00:18:35.228 --> 00:18:39.350 For as in one body, we have many members and the members do not all have the same function. 239 00:18:39.880 --> 00:19:09.580 So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them if prophecy in proportion to our faith, if service in our serving the one who teaches in his teaching, the one exhorts in his exhortation the one who contributes in generosity, the one who leads with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness. 240 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:17.832 And when most people read this and when I've preached on this, kind of what we come to is looking at is primarily the gifts. 241 00:19:17.896 --> 00:19:19.644 Like what are these gifts? 242 00:19:19.692 --> 00:19:20.656 And we get this list here. 243 00:19:20.678 --> 00:19:27.330 So just really prophecy, teaching, exhorting, service, leading, giving mercy, these are the gifts that are there. 244 00:19:27.780 --> 00:19:29.524 We're not going to turn there and read these. 245 00:19:29.562 --> 00:19:31.716 But in one Corinthians twelve there's another list. 246 00:19:31.738 --> 00:19:33.556 In Ephesians four there's another list. 247 00:19:33.658 --> 00:19:44.612 And some theologians even argue that the full encompassing list of spiritual gifts that God has given us is not even limited to what is listed in Scripture. 248 00:19:44.676 --> 00:19:50.136 But as God is working and God is moving, god is continuing to gift in different ways. 249 00:19:50.318 --> 00:20:05.520 And while I think understanding this list is important and it's something that we can walk through together as a church for the limited time that we have this morning, I want us to see what Paul says concerning why we are given the gifts we receive. 250 00:20:07.540 --> 00:20:10.050 Why does God do this? 251 00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:17.010 Why does God give these in his goodness and his mercy to us? 252 00:20:17.860 --> 00:20:19.350 Look back at verse three. 253 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:35.316 He says, for by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of Himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 254 00:20:35.508 --> 00:20:40.440 So God gives us gifts with humility. 255 00:20:41.580 --> 00:20:42.388 With humility. 256 00:20:42.484 --> 00:20:44.052 It's really neat what Paul says. 257 00:20:44.206 --> 00:20:51.912 We can look at this and say, oh well, Paul's just saying we're given gifts and we shouldn't use these gifts to elevate how we think of ourselves. 258 00:20:52.056 --> 00:20:53.424 And that's true. 259 00:20:53.622 --> 00:20:54.528 And that's true. 260 00:20:54.614 --> 00:21:00.876 We should not view the gifts that God has given us in a mindset of arrogance. 261 00:21:01.068 --> 00:21:04.080 Spiritual giftedness does not equal spiritual maturity. 262 00:21:04.820 --> 00:21:11.216 But at the same time he also says in there but to think with sober judgment. 263 00:21:11.408 --> 00:21:16.708 So he's saying like, let's realistically look at and understand who we are in Christ. 264 00:21:16.794 --> 00:21:21.450 So not too high, but also what is implied here is not too low. 265 00:21:22.060 --> 00:21:25.604 Sometimes we think one of the most spiritual things we can do is to spiritually belittle ourselves. 266 00:21:25.652 --> 00:21:26.970 And that's not true at all. 267 00:21:27.740 --> 00:21:29.130 We're not think less. 268 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:31.550 We're not to think too high. 269 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:39.710 We're to view ourself in who we are, in the goodness of God. 270 00:21:40.320 --> 00:21:53.010 And he says, here's how we approach the fact that we've received this gift, is we approach it the same way we approach our faith, right? 271 00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:57.492 Not that I earned it, right? 272 00:21:57.546 --> 00:21:58.710 We didn't earn it. 273 00:21:59.080 --> 00:22:04.644 But here's this tension that I think that we can live in. 274 00:22:04.842 --> 00:22:13.816 We can take this EOR approach to the grace and salvation that God gives us. 275 00:22:13.998 --> 00:22:24.590 And while we acknowledge we did nothing to earn it, we need to live in the joy of understanding that God loves us and we are sons and daughters of the living God. 276 00:22:26.080 --> 00:22:31.150 This right perspective of who we are. 277 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:33.570 So god's gifted you. 278 00:22:34.580 --> 00:22:38.492 You're important, you're valuable. 279 00:22:38.636 --> 00:22:47.350 You're the son or daughter of the living God, and he gifts you with this. 280 00:22:48.040 --> 00:22:52.180 So what do we do then with these gifts? 281 00:22:52.760 --> 00:22:54.116 We're going to give them. 282 00:22:54.298 --> 00:22:56.148 We're going to give them, we're going to use them. 283 00:22:56.234 --> 00:22:58.180 The gift of abilities given. 284 00:22:58.330 --> 00:23:00.884 Why would God give you or me a gift? 285 00:23:00.932 --> 00:23:02.330 Isn't salvation enough? 286 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:04.120 Look at verses four through five. 287 00:23:04.190 --> 00:23:08.410 For as in one body, we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function. 288 00:23:09.580 --> 00:23:16.270 So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. 289 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:26.610 So it's this beautiful picture that we are many members together, but we are individually as well. 290 00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:31.410 You've heard the phrase you can't see the forest for the trees, right? 291 00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:44.740 The implying that you can't see the big picture, you can't see the fullness, you can't see the sum of all the parts because you're still focused looking on the individual minis that are in there. 292 00:23:44.810 --> 00:23:45.780 But here's the deal. 293 00:23:45.850 --> 00:23:51.320 As the church, we are called to see the forest and the trees as we look at ourselves. 294 00:23:52.060 --> 00:24:08.540 And we understand that when we see the church, when we see the fullness of the healthiness of the church, working and operating and functioning, what we look at individually is we see the parts as they do and as they're doing with what they've been gifted. 295 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:11.676 I forget what day it was. 296 00:24:11.858 --> 00:24:13.260 I think it was Wednesday. 297 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:16.610 Brent called me and we talked. 298 00:24:17.060 --> 00:24:26.050 And one of the things that I said was, like, tell me about everybody on the team and what God did and how God used them. 299 00:24:26.580 --> 00:24:28.210 How did God use them? 300 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:50.588 And Brent and I talked for about an hour and a half, and the majority of that conversation was here's each and every person who went, and here's how God used them as a vital part of the ministry of what God was wanting to do. 301 00:24:50.674 --> 00:24:54.430 And then I asked Brent kind of a gutsy question. 302 00:24:55.520 --> 00:25:02.670 I said, Brent, would you have been better off if anyone on the team didn't go? 303 00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:05.170 Would the team have been better? 304 00:25:05.780 --> 00:25:07.072 And he said, absolutely. 305 00:25:07.206 --> 00:25:07.890 Not. 306 00:25:08.260 --> 00:25:09.392 Absolutely not. 307 00:25:09.446 --> 00:25:18.790 It would have been like a vital part of the team was missing, whether we knew it or not, right? 308 00:25:19.560 --> 00:25:24.644 This picture of what's there, of the whole. 309 00:25:24.762 --> 00:25:36.890 And that's why in the very beginning of verse six, paul writes, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. 310 00:25:37.500 --> 00:25:39.144 Let us use them. 311 00:25:39.342 --> 00:26:00.770 And that's the beauty of that, having gifts that are different, that don't make one person better than another, but who differ, let's now use them for the work of the body. 312 00:26:01.220 --> 00:26:19.576 One Corinthians twelve, four through seven says, now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Lord, the same spirit, and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 313 00:26:19.758 --> 00:26:25.530 To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. 314 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:27.130 Right? 315 00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:31.070 Let's talk about a subject that's close to my heart. 316 00:26:32.080 --> 00:26:33.020 Cookies. 317 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:35.870 All right? 318 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:40.540 I hope everyone in here loves cookies, right? 319 00:26:40.690 --> 00:26:50.000 If you don't love cookies, we're going to add that to the prayer list this week and just cover you in cookies, all right? 320 00:26:50.150 --> 00:27:04.740 One of my favorite ingredients, I don't hardly ever dislike any of the ingredients, but there are ingredients that are better than others in cookies, and especially this time of year, one of the ingredients that I love is cinnamon. 321 00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:07.200 I love cinnamon in cookies. 322 00:27:07.360 --> 00:27:08.372 I love them. 323 00:27:08.506 --> 00:27:12.584 If you ask me the question, do these cookies have enough cinnamon in them? 324 00:27:12.702 --> 00:27:16.170 I'm probably going to say they taste great, but they could also have more, right? 325 00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:18.644 I love cinnamon. 326 00:27:18.692 --> 00:27:22.590 If it could turn into a cologne, like I would wear it, you know what I mean? 327 00:27:23.360 --> 00:27:24.856 Love cinnamon. 328 00:27:25.048 --> 00:27:26.430 Here's the deal, though. 329 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:31.070 If you like cinnamon, if you love cinnamon, here's what you do. 330 00:27:31.520 --> 00:27:42.210 Want you to go home today and I want you to spoon out, I want you to fill it up with cinnamon, I want you to eat it, all right? 331 00:27:42.580 --> 00:27:44.050 Here's what's going to happen. 332 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:46.950 I did that one time, right? 333 00:27:48.840 --> 00:27:50.790 Wasn't a good moment for me. 334 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:54.292 It hurts, right? 335 00:27:54.346 --> 00:27:55.280 It hurts. 336 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:55.764 Why? 337 00:27:55.802 --> 00:27:59.370 Because it's not intended to be by itself. 338 00:28:00.700 --> 00:28:14.280 And when we as a church, when we as a group of people begin to understand that I'm not put here on this earth in my gifts, in my talents and my abilities to function alone. 339 00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:16.460 Paul says there are gifts. 340 00:28:16.800 --> 00:28:19.704 Paul says there are services or ministries. 341 00:28:19.752 --> 00:28:21.676 Is that what that word translates to? 342 00:28:21.698 --> 00:28:24.368 In one corinthians twelve, paul says there are works. 343 00:28:24.454 --> 00:28:25.360 But here's the deal. 344 00:28:25.430 --> 00:28:26.690 It's the same god. 345 00:28:27.060 --> 00:28:35.730 It's the same God, and he's using us together for a purpose and for a reason. 346 00:28:36.280 --> 00:28:39.590 So here's where we come to in Matthew 25. 347 00:28:40.360 --> 00:28:44.470 A lot of verses and we're going to tie everything together with this. 348 00:28:45.000 --> 00:29:04.510 Jesus tells a parable starting in verse 14, it's the parable of the talents and I want to read it to you and draw some things and we'll wrap up Jesus, he says, for it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 349 00:29:05.360 --> 00:29:12.780 To one he gave five talents, to another two to another one each according to his ability. 350 00:29:13.780 --> 00:29:24.370 Then he went away when he who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and made five talents more. 351 00:29:25.060 --> 00:29:29.030 So also, he who had two talents made two talents more. 352 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:35.670 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 353 00:29:36.360 --> 00:29:41.530 Now, after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 354 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:49.988 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents. 355 00:29:50.084 --> 00:29:52.136 Here I have made five talents more. 356 00:29:52.238 --> 00:29:55.832 And his master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. 357 00:29:55.976 --> 00:29:59.580 You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. 358 00:29:59.650 --> 00:30:02.460 Enter into the joy of your master. 359 00:30:03.040 --> 00:30:09.852 And he also, who had the two talents came forward saying, master, you delivered me two talents. 360 00:30:09.996 --> 00:30:11.552 Here I made two more. 361 00:30:11.686 --> 00:30:14.892 And the master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. 362 00:30:14.956 --> 00:30:20.420 You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much, enter into the joy of your master. 363 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:32.308 And you had received the one talent, came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed. 364 00:30:32.484 --> 00:30:36.680 So I was afraid and wouldn't hit your talent in the ground. 365 00:30:37.260 --> 00:30:39.400 Here you have what is yours. 366 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:53.076 But his master answered him, you wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scatter no seed. 367 00:30:53.208 --> 00:31:02.370 Then you ought to have invested my money with bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 368 00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:14.608 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents, for to everyone who has more will be given, and he will have an abundance. 369 00:31:14.784 --> 00:31:25.080 But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away and cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. 370 00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:31.720 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 371 00:31:32.220 --> 00:31:39.292 So Jesus tells this parable, the parable of the talent, really quickly, just kind of ironically with what we're talking about. 372 00:31:39.426 --> 00:31:44.668 The talent that Jesus refers to is not the talent in sense of the words that we're using. 373 00:31:44.754 --> 00:31:46.290 It's actually money. 374 00:31:46.660 --> 00:31:47.264 Money. 375 00:31:47.382 --> 00:31:48.784 It's a lot of money. 376 00:31:48.982 --> 00:31:52.080 It's about 20 years worth of wages. 377 00:31:52.820 --> 00:31:57.650 If you've got 20 years worth of wages in your bank account, let's talk after, right? 378 00:31:58.900 --> 00:32:00.748 This guy has this, right? 379 00:32:00.854 --> 00:32:03.360 It's fair to say that he stands alone. 380 00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:04.784 I did some math. 381 00:32:04.832 --> 00:32:07.444 Please, no one write this down and critique me. 382 00:32:07.562 --> 00:32:09.272 I got a history degree for a reason. 383 00:32:09.326 --> 00:32:10.090 All right? 384 00:32:10.540 --> 00:32:11.492 But in today's. 385 00:32:11.556 --> 00:32:12.324 Economy. 386 00:32:12.452 --> 00:32:16.440 The average wage, yearly's wage across the United States, right? 387 00:32:16.510 --> 00:32:21.310 Not in Lexington, but across the United States is 59,428. 388 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:36.050 So cast across what Jesus is saying, that this Master give one talent in today's economy would be $1,188,560. 389 00:32:37.140 --> 00:32:38.850 So he gave out some cash. 390 00:32:39.940 --> 00:32:44.370 To servant one, he gave, in today's economy, approximately 5.9 million. 391 00:32:45.320 --> 00:32:49.030 To servant two, he gave 2.4 million. 392 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:53.030 To servant three, he gave 1.2 million. 393 00:32:53.720 --> 00:32:55.430 You may ask, Is this fair? 394 00:32:56.120 --> 00:33:01.896 Well, if that's the first question that hit your mind number one, if you want to give someone 5.9 million, I'm okay. 395 00:33:01.918 --> 00:33:04.330 If you just want to give me 1.2, all right. 396 00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:08.250 But notice this he didn't give them the money. 397 00:33:09.420 --> 00:33:12.190 He didn't sign this over to them. 398 00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:16.910 The Bible tells us that he entrusted to them his property. 399 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:20.140 He didn't relinquish ownership. 400 00:33:20.800 --> 00:33:23.196 He didn't say, this is no longer mine. 401 00:33:23.388 --> 00:33:26.930 He said, I'm entrusting you with something. 402 00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:29.216 Here's what I think. 403 00:33:29.238 --> 00:33:30.130 The point is. 404 00:33:30.980 --> 00:33:35.990 When God gives you talents, gifts, abilities, they aren't yours, they're his. 405 00:33:36.760 --> 00:33:43.830 And what God does is he entrusts us with what he has given us. 406 00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:49.850 He entrusted them what are they going to do with it? 407 00:33:50.380 --> 00:33:55.384 And he's entrusted you, what are you going to do with it? 408 00:33:55.582 --> 00:33:57.736 Servant number one, what did he do? 409 00:33:57.918 --> 00:33:59.224 He traded and got five more. 410 00:33:59.262 --> 00:34:01.310 So he took roughly 6 million, made it twelve. 411 00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:04.108 Servant number two, he took the 2.4 million. 412 00:34:04.194 --> 00:34:05.950 He doubled it as well. 413 00:34:06.320 --> 00:34:14.290 Servant number three, he took the 1.2 million, dug a hole and buried it. 414 00:34:15.860 --> 00:34:24.450 When the Master comes back and he calls, he calls for his servants to come back. 415 00:34:25.540 --> 00:34:27.028 Give me what I've been. 416 00:34:27.114 --> 00:34:28.564 What have you done without? 417 00:34:28.602 --> 00:34:30.390 I've entrusted you. 418 00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:33.636 And here's what I think is interesting. 419 00:34:33.818 --> 00:34:39.720 What is interesting in a way that we begin to understand that this parable is beyond economics. 420 00:34:41.740 --> 00:34:46.920 To servant one and servant two, he gives the same reward. 421 00:34:48.060 --> 00:34:49.320 The same reward. 422 00:34:49.980 --> 00:34:52.010 But one had twelve and one had six. 423 00:34:53.340 --> 00:34:54.632 But he gives the same reward. 424 00:34:54.696 --> 00:34:56.936 Verse 21 well done, good and faithful servant. 425 00:34:57.048 --> 00:34:58.924 Speaking to servant one. 426 00:34:59.122 --> 00:35:00.616 Well done, good and faithful servant. 427 00:35:00.648 --> 00:35:03.292 You've been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. 428 00:35:03.346 --> 00:35:05.340 Enter into the joy of your Master. 429 00:35:06.160 --> 00:35:07.560 Servant number two. 430 00:35:07.730 --> 00:35:09.884 Verse 23 well done, good and faithful servant. 431 00:35:09.932 --> 00:35:12.624 You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. 432 00:35:12.662 --> 00:35:14.240 Enter into the joy of your Master. 433 00:35:15.640 --> 00:35:16.390 Right. 434 00:35:16.840 --> 00:35:18.164 But one was more one. 435 00:35:18.202 --> 00:35:19.780 One must be greater. 436 00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:22.976 It's not what's greater. 437 00:35:23.008 --> 00:35:26.420 It's not what's more, it's what was faithful. 438 00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:30.250 The talent was different, but the faithfulness in the reward was the same. 439 00:35:31.660 --> 00:35:33.930 But look at servant three. 440 00:35:34.780 --> 00:35:36.072 Notice what he says. 441 00:35:36.126 --> 00:35:43.150 First master, I knew you so, I did nothing. 442 00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:47.804 Master, I knew you so. 443 00:35:47.842 --> 00:35:49.150 In essence, I did nothing. 444 00:35:51.520 --> 00:35:56.160 And in this, he becomes useless for the Master. 445 00:35:57.300 --> 00:35:58.370 Take it away. 446 00:35:59.220 --> 00:36:00.450 Take him away. 447 00:36:01.540 --> 00:36:09.430 Here's I think the issue and I think the issue comes out in servant three. 448 00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:13.792 In the four first words that he said master. 449 00:36:13.856 --> 00:36:14.950 I knew you. 450 00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:18.120 But the problem was he didn't. 451 00:36:19.420 --> 00:36:22.200 He didn't know the master. 452 00:36:23.420 --> 00:36:35.790 If he knew the Master in the way that he knew the Master, he wouldn't have done what he did with what the Master had entrusted him with. 453 00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:45.890 God, in his goodness, looks at us and he sees us. 454 00:36:46.660 --> 00:36:50.130 And he knows you and he knows me. 455 00:36:50.900 --> 00:36:53.040 He knows the depth of our faith. 456 00:36:53.940 --> 00:36:56.470 He knows all that he has given us. 457 00:36:56.840 --> 00:36:59.060 He knows our abilities. 458 00:36:59.720 --> 00:37:00.740 He knows it all. 459 00:37:00.810 --> 00:37:05.430 And he entrusts us. 460 00:37:07.500 --> 00:37:18.760 He's given us talents, some of us playing guitar, some of us baking cookies, some of us telling a good joke. 461 00:37:19.500 --> 00:37:23.710 The list could go on and on and on and on and on. 462 00:37:25.520 --> 00:37:38.930 He gives us these talents and he gives us spiritual gifts, some to teach, some to give, some to exhort over and over again. 463 00:37:39.860 --> 00:37:43.456 And here's what I've come to the conclusion of that. 464 00:37:43.478 --> 00:37:48.950 I began to understand you and I do you know what we're doing? 465 00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:53.700 We are using our abilities. 466 00:37:55.720 --> 00:37:58.570 Here's the question I want to close with this morning. 467 00:37:59.980 --> 00:38:01.850 Who are you using them for? 468 00:38:03.420 --> 00:38:05.450 Who are you using them for? 469 00:38:07.020 --> 00:38:26.800 It's the whole point of the narrative of the scripture of what God gives us as he forms the Church, as he takes unique people from unique places with unique backgrounds, from unique languages, with unique talents and unique abilities. 470 00:38:27.380 --> 00:38:35.940 And he meshes them together in the context of this beautiful thing called the Church. 471 00:38:37.080 --> 00:38:39.876 And he says, I've done all this. 472 00:38:40.058 --> 00:38:50.120 I've entrusted this for you so that you will use these for My name and for my glory. 473 00:38:51.260 --> 00:38:52.250 That's it. 474 00:38:53.340 --> 00:38:54.330 That's it. 475 00:38:55.020 --> 00:38:56.090 That's it. 476 00:38:57.580 --> 00:39:16.660 God took a group of people up to New York, some with the gifts of making hot chocolate, some with the gifts of noticing a need, some with the gifts of spreading the Gospel. 477 00:39:17.640 --> 00:39:20.820 And he says, Go and work for my kingdom. 478 00:39:23.160 --> 00:39:36.890 The peace for us is it's not just that we do that with where we're sent, but are we doing that where we live, where we work and where we play? 479 00:39:37.820 --> 00:39:38.570 Right? 480 00:39:39.120 --> 00:39:41.550 God's given them to us. 481 00:39:42.560 --> 00:39:43.772 Let's use them. 482 00:39:43.906 --> 00:39:44.636 Let's use them. 483 00:39:44.658 --> 00:39:45.790 Do you pray with me? 484 00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:48.764 God. 485 00:39:48.802 --> 00:39:53.104 I thank you so much, Lord, for who you are, Lord, for how you're working and how you're moving. 486 00:39:53.142 --> 00:39:53.488 God. 487 00:39:53.574 --> 00:39:54.320 I thank you. 488 00:39:54.390 --> 00:40:06.564 Or just within myself, Lord, that you would choose you would choose to entrust me with the talents and the gifts and the abilities that you give me, Lord, and I thank you for that. 489 00:40:06.762 --> 00:40:09.300 I thank you for the wonderful privilege. 490 00:40:10.760 --> 00:40:12.628 And you don't just do that to me. 491 00:40:12.794 --> 00:40:14.390 I am nothing special. 492 00:40:15.880 --> 00:40:17.016 You don't just do that to me. 493 00:40:17.038 --> 00:40:19.530 You do that to every single one of us. 494 00:40:22.540 --> 00:40:26.808 You've given us the pieces that people would say. 495 00:40:26.894 --> 00:40:36.030 They define our personality, they define our mental makeup, they define what we're capable of doing. 496 00:40:37.360 --> 00:40:50.332 But Lord, you've given them to us for a reason to go and to serve within the context with one another, but out in this world as well. 497 00:40:50.386 --> 00:41:13.690 Lord God, that I pray I pray that we would be a people who says, god, thank you for making me how you've made me. 498 00:41:15.660 --> 00:41:20.430 Thank you for gifting me how you've gifted me. 499 00:41:21.680 --> 00:41:26.590 God now empower me. 500 00:41:27.360 --> 00:41:53.024 And, Lord, I pray that I would be obedient to use these gifts, to use these talents, to use these abilities to bring glory to your name so that other people may come to know you, Jesus. 501 00:41:53.072 --> 00:41:54.020 And we pray. 502 00:41:54.520 --> 00:41:55.460 Amen. 503 00:41:56.060 --> 00:41:56.920 Amen. 504 00:42:00.540 --> 00:42:02.360 May we take this season. 505 00:42:04.380 --> 00:42:10.350 May we take where we are and say, God, how can I go? 506 00:42:12.080 --> 00:42:14.940 We're celebrating the fact that a baby was born. 507 00:42:16.640 --> 00:42:22.370 And this baby grew to become a man who lived a perfect life. 508 00:42:23.380 --> 00:42:27.040 Perfect life, completely free of sin. 509 00:42:27.780 --> 00:42:39.136 No sin in attitude, no sin in action, no sin in nature, who died on a cross, paid the penalty of your sin and my sin. 510 00:42:39.328 --> 00:42:42.470 God so loved the world he gave his only son. 511 00:42:43.640 --> 00:42:45.990 And we have the message of Christ. 512 00:42:46.680 --> 00:42:49.350 Because not only did he die, but he rose again. 513 00:42:50.120 --> 00:42:51.990 And there's hope in life. 514 00:42:56.520 --> 00:43:01.016 Thanks again for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 515 00:43:01.128 --> 00:43:08.840 In the meantime, you can visit us@willowridgechurch.org or by searching for Willowridge Church on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.