1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,879 Dallas: All right, we're gonna be in a new series this year. 2 00:00:02,909 --> 00:00:05,020 Uh, well, this, I guess in these first couple months, 3 00:00:05,230 --> 00:00:07,490 um, it's called In God Alone. 4 00:00:07,710 --> 00:00:11,679 Um, as we talked about last week in the regional, our, uh, focus as an Orange 5 00:00:11,679 --> 00:00:14,625 County Church It's to trust in God. 6 00:00:15,634 --> 00:00:17,215 Simply trust in God. 7 00:00:17,215 --> 00:00:20,435 And if you've been around, you've known that we've been working through a lot 8 00:00:20,445 --> 00:00:22,895 about how to become a healthier church. 9 00:00:23,105 --> 00:00:26,025 Not just from the staff perspective, but also from the membership as well. 10 00:00:26,145 --> 00:00:30,324 And as a whole congregation, we can come to trust in God alone. 11 00:00:30,625 --> 00:00:32,444 And so here in the North OC, we're going to be going through 12 00:00:32,445 --> 00:00:33,745 a series called In God Alone. 13 00:00:34,045 --> 00:00:38,225 And the premise of it is going to be based in Psalm 23. 14 00:00:39,365 --> 00:00:44,175 Psalm 23 is a very, very popular passage, one that, um, really, um, exemplifies, I 15 00:00:44,175 --> 00:00:51,715 feel like, a, a deep, um, in, in a genuine and a very, um, profound trust in God. 16 00:00:52,284 --> 00:00:56,254 Now, the goal, apparently, I, I, I just, I would just receive word of this, I 17 00:00:56,255 --> 00:01:00,715 didn't have a say in this, but the, the goal is to have everyone in the O. 18 00:01:00,715 --> 00:01:00,925 C. 19 00:01:00,925 --> 00:01:03,155 Church memorize Psalm 23. 20 00:01:03,655 --> 00:01:04,864 Don't worry, it's only six verses. 21 00:01:04,894 --> 00:01:06,955 We're not having you memorize like, I don't know, what is it, 22 00:01:07,035 --> 00:01:09,315 Eric, like Psalm 17 that has like 50 or something like that? 23 00:01:09,445 --> 00:01:10,445 Yeah, we're not doing that. 24 00:01:10,655 --> 00:01:13,675 It's just Psalm 23, six verses, and we're gonna go through all of them today. 25 00:01:13,895 --> 00:01:18,074 But the, the key is that we can recite this as a, as a congregation 26 00:01:18,074 --> 00:01:22,544 to remind ourselves, to ground ourselves that we trust in God alone. 27 00:01:22,544 --> 00:01:22,954 Amen? 28 00:01:23,714 --> 00:01:27,524 Okay, so, and apparently there's prizes, so if you come up here on stage, I 29 00:01:27,524 --> 00:01:30,780 think, like, starting next week, And you can recite the whole scripture. 30 00:01:30,830 --> 00:01:31,350 There's a prize. 31 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,090 I don't, you can fact check Marcel on that. 32 00:01:33,210 --> 00:01:36,100 He just told me to announce it if you wanted to have a little extra incentive. 33 00:01:36,130 --> 00:01:39,270 But the key is though, to recite the scripture, have it really resonate 34 00:01:39,270 --> 00:01:42,800 and be written on our hearts as we go through this year in 2025, 35 00:01:42,810 --> 00:01:44,000 let the spirit drive in 2025. 36 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:44,559 I don't know. 37 00:01:44,779 --> 00:01:45,959 Someone said, let Jesus drive. 38 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,199 I mean, that's, I guess it's the same thing, but yeah, 39 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:49,930 let the spirit drive in 25. 40 00:01:50,205 --> 00:01:54,134 But let's memorize Psalm 23 if we can, um, and let that be something 41 00:01:54,134 --> 00:01:55,805 that sinks in, um, as we continue. 42 00:01:55,805 --> 00:01:58,765 But, uh, before I get into my lesson today, um, we're going to be 43 00:01:58,765 --> 00:02:00,585 taking time to pray, uh, to our God. 44 00:02:00,605 --> 00:02:01,365 So bow your heads with me. 45 00:02:02,515 --> 00:02:03,835 God, thank you so much for today. 46 00:02:04,135 --> 00:02:07,474 Uh, thank you so much for, uh, your love and your mercy, God. 47 00:02:07,475 --> 00:02:11,544 I just, uh, want to just be here with a heart of gratitude and humility, knowing 48 00:02:11,544 --> 00:02:15,475 that, uh, I don't deserve to be here, none of us deserve to be here, but you 49 00:02:15,725 --> 00:02:20,175 have offered graciously and willingly your son to die on a cross for us, 50 00:02:20,175 --> 00:02:23,325 God, we are so grateful to be here to worship you and lift your name up, I 51 00:02:23,334 --> 00:02:26,805 pray that today's lesson is encouraging and inspiring to all of our hearts, 52 00:02:26,805 --> 00:02:30,225 including mine, and I just pray that you speak through me, and you just use me, 53 00:02:30,314 --> 00:02:34,055 God, as an extension of your voice, um, but I pray that your words carry more 54 00:02:34,055 --> 00:02:38,015 than mine, and I pray that, um, you can just continue to uplift and, uh, have 55 00:02:38,015 --> 00:02:39,725 us, uh, grow deeper in our trust in you. 56 00:02:40,204 --> 00:02:42,475 Uh, we love you, Father, and we pray in Jesus name, Amen. 57 00:02:43,555 --> 00:02:47,675 Alright, title of my lesson today is, In Good Hands. 58 00:02:48,315 --> 00:02:51,624 Okay, we have In God Alone is our sermon series, but my lesson is In Good Hands. 59 00:02:51,625 --> 00:02:54,615 And I'm kicking off this series, so I hope I don't derail us, so when Marcel 60 00:02:54,615 --> 00:02:57,174 comes back next week, and he's like, what are you guys talking about, and 61 00:02:57,175 --> 00:03:01,305 it's like a totally different, you know, lane, but I hope, I've never kicked off 62 00:03:01,305 --> 00:03:05,165 a series before, but I hope that I do a good job setting the stage for us here. 63 00:03:06,150 --> 00:03:08,870 So the context of, uh, like I said, we're gonna be in Psalm 23, so if you want, 64 00:03:08,870 --> 00:03:10,170 you can turn your Bibles over to there. 65 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,120 Um, but it's written by David, and in the beginning of the 66 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:14,760 Psalm, it says, A Psalm of David. 67 00:03:15,190 --> 00:03:19,120 And so, basically, this is, this, what it's recorded and what's, what's, 68 00:03:19,489 --> 00:03:22,620 what's assumed and what's hopefully thought of is that David wrote this 69 00:03:22,620 --> 00:03:27,460 Psalm later on in his life, when he was much wiser, much older, and much 70 00:03:27,460 --> 00:03:29,590 more, uh, had a lot more wisdom to him. 71 00:03:29,780 --> 00:03:31,650 In, in his, in his mind and in his heart. 72 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,400 You know, he's reflecting on his time as a shepherd. 73 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,430 I'm sure he was about king at around this time or maybe just after. 74 00:03:37,820 --> 00:03:40,390 But it's, like I said, I said earlier, this is one of the most 75 00:03:40,460 --> 00:03:45,140 popular and it's the most recited Psalms in the book of Psalms. 76 00:03:45,490 --> 00:03:48,719 And I think you've heard it probably in, uh, the movies like 77 00:03:48,719 --> 00:03:53,630 Green Mile or Schindler's List or the Pursuit of Happiness. 78 00:03:54,020 --> 00:03:56,500 You know, you've seen, like, or maybe you've seen it, like, someone 79 00:03:56,530 --> 00:03:59,250 has, like, a tattoo of it, or, like, it's in their, someone's bio. 80 00:03:59,340 --> 00:04:02,070 Like, it's a very popular scripture, because it's a lot 81 00:04:02,070 --> 00:04:03,349 of things that we can relate to. 82 00:04:03,350 --> 00:04:06,200 There's a lot about, about fear, a lot about trust, a lot 83 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:07,709 about abundance and blessing. 84 00:04:07,709 --> 00:04:10,569 Like, there's just so many things packed into this thing that just make 85 00:04:10,569 --> 00:04:12,620 it so relatable and so inspiring. 86 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,980 Now, before we get into the passage, I want to ask a question. 87 00:04:16,820 --> 00:04:18,019 Are you in good hands? 88 00:04:19,115 --> 00:04:21,024 Sorry, let me, let me, let me deepen my voice a little bit. 89 00:04:21,105 --> 00:04:21,855 Are you in good hands? 90 00:04:21,885 --> 00:04:24,435 You know, like, you know, Allstate, exactly. 91 00:04:24,445 --> 00:04:24,795 Right? 92 00:04:25,045 --> 00:04:25,665 It's from Allstate. 93 00:04:25,675 --> 00:04:27,094 You're, right, you're in good hands. 94 00:04:27,424 --> 00:04:27,674 Right? 95 00:04:27,685 --> 00:04:28,944 Now, I know they changed the guy. 96 00:04:28,945 --> 00:04:31,855 It's no longer the, you know, the really nice looking tall African 97 00:04:31,855 --> 00:04:33,764 American man, you know, that was like, with the deep voice. 98 00:04:33,765 --> 00:04:36,344 It's like this guy who always has like a band aid on him now and he's always 99 00:04:36,344 --> 00:04:37,585 like getting hurt for some reason. 100 00:04:37,784 --> 00:04:42,125 But the original, right, the, the question that they would always ask at the end of 101 00:04:42,125 --> 00:04:44,295 the commercial is, are you in good hands? 102 00:04:44,585 --> 00:04:45,085 Right? 103 00:04:45,395 --> 00:04:47,295 And in the same way, I kind of thought about this when I 104 00:04:47,295 --> 00:04:48,205 was like thinking to myself. 105 00:04:48,650 --> 00:04:50,710 I was like, man, am I in good hands? 106 00:04:51,370 --> 00:04:53,030 Is, are you in good hands? 107 00:04:53,420 --> 00:04:55,840 Is the OC Church in good hands? 108 00:04:56,870 --> 00:05:01,479 Right, and so this question, it begs for us to have to really 109 00:05:01,489 --> 00:05:06,820 dig deep into our hearts and understand, are we in good hands? 110 00:05:07,299 --> 00:05:12,329 Do we have the insurance and the assurance from God and to 111 00:05:12,329 --> 00:05:13,750 trust that we are in good hands? 112 00:05:13,750 --> 00:05:14,900 Amen, you guys with me so far? 113 00:05:15,535 --> 00:05:17,745 So, I'm going to touch on three points that I feel like from this 114 00:05:17,775 --> 00:05:21,075 passage, I feel like that we, that can hopefully at, by the end of this 115 00:05:21,075 --> 00:05:25,015 sermon, help you affirm that when I ask you, are you in good hands? 116 00:05:25,525 --> 00:05:28,545 It is a yes, absolutely. 117 00:05:28,825 --> 00:05:29,674 It's a surely. 118 00:05:29,674 --> 00:05:30,935 There's no question about it. 119 00:05:30,964 --> 00:05:31,384 Amen. 120 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:32,659 First point. 121 00:05:32,659 --> 00:05:35,560 Oh, actually, let's go back a little bit before I go into that. 122 00:05:35,770 --> 00:05:39,370 Like I said, this whole, this whole passage is about sheep, but I'm 123 00:05:39,409 --> 00:05:42,140 going to skip through this thing real quick and I'll come back to it. 124 00:05:42,140 --> 00:05:42,729 It's very important. 125 00:05:42,729 --> 00:05:45,210 I was out of order on my slides, but you'll see why. 126 00:05:45,470 --> 00:05:46,650 First point is provision. 127 00:05:47,050 --> 00:05:48,720 Alright, let's go read it on the screen real quick. 128 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:51,220 It says, The Lord is my shepherd. 129 00:05:51,730 --> 00:05:52,740 I lack nothing. 130 00:05:53,260 --> 00:05:55,430 He makes me lie down in green pastures. 131 00:05:55,430 --> 00:05:57,390 He leads me beside quiet waters. 132 00:05:57,610 --> 00:05:59,350 He refreshes my soul. 133 00:05:59,510 --> 00:06:03,370 He guides me along the right path for his name's sake. 134 00:06:03,870 --> 00:06:08,180 And, like I said, I, like, we're, we're talking about David's perspective from him 135 00:06:08,180 --> 00:06:12,250 being a king, but now, but from his time earlier as a young boy being a shepherd. 136 00:06:12,580 --> 00:06:16,750 And, you know, he's describing God as the shepherd, the one that tends to the flock. 137 00:06:17,070 --> 00:06:18,030 And who is his flock? 138 00:06:18,670 --> 00:06:19,990 That's us, right? 139 00:06:19,990 --> 00:06:20,660 We are the sheep. 140 00:06:20,940 --> 00:06:23,810 And whether you like it or not, sheep are dumb. 141 00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:28,940 Okay, we like sheep do not have any like real sense of direction. 142 00:06:28,940 --> 00:06:30,390 They are like super scared. 143 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:33,820 They're fearful I mean, I have a couple videos here that I have to share. 144 00:06:34,260 --> 00:06:36,350 This is some sheep trying to get through a door 145 00:06:38,790 --> 00:06:42,489 And they just stop Because no one can get through the door and then 146 00:06:42,549 --> 00:06:49,380 finally one goes and like, okay cool and they get stuck again and It 147 00:06:49,380 --> 00:06:52,029 just happens over and over and over. 148 00:06:52,030 --> 00:06:55,565 It's just like Just wait for one person to go and then exit. 149 00:06:55,575 --> 00:06:59,685 It's simple or they're like this sheep, you know, we're in a ravine 150 00:07:00,035 --> 00:07:00,765 You know, we're getting out. 151 00:07:00,795 --> 00:07:02,055 God drags us out. 152 00:07:02,475 --> 00:07:03,304 Okay, great. 153 00:07:03,645 --> 00:07:04,414 Life is great. 154 00:07:04,415 --> 00:07:04,995 I'm free. 155 00:07:05,515 --> 00:07:06,265 Love and life. 156 00:07:06,305 --> 00:07:07,915 Look it's free Oh, wait a minute 157 00:07:11,284 --> 00:07:17,284 And we're back in the ravine, okay Sheep are not very intelligent on their own. 158 00:07:17,695 --> 00:07:22,034 Okay, they need a shepherd need someone to guide Did we get the picture now? 159 00:07:22,380 --> 00:07:23,400 Of what a sheep is. 160 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,790 Now, like I said, there's so much more, and I'll dive into more of 161 00:07:26,870 --> 00:07:30,830 the, of more, little, little facts that I learned about sheep, um, as 162 00:07:30,830 --> 00:07:34,240 we go through this lesson, but the premise is that sheep need provision. 163 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,270 They need something to be provided for, because obviously they 164 00:07:36,270 --> 00:07:38,050 can't handle themselves, right? 165 00:07:38,130 --> 00:07:40,759 Got people going out of a ravine and jumping right back into it. 166 00:07:40,930 --> 00:07:43,650 It's like us, sometimes we come out of sin, and we're like, yes, this is great, 167 00:07:43,690 --> 00:07:46,550 and we jump right back into sin, like it's nothing, like, you know, it's, 168 00:07:46,730 --> 00:07:48,380 we are, we are in need of a shepherd. 169 00:07:48,380 --> 00:07:50,700 We are in need of someone to guide us, right? 170 00:07:50,775 --> 00:07:56,135 So, with that being said, I want us to understand that sometimes 171 00:07:56,145 --> 00:08:02,185 even though we can wander and get lost, how grateful are we that God 172 00:08:02,185 --> 00:08:07,285 is the shepherd that goes after us, the one, and never forgets the one. 173 00:08:07,295 --> 00:08:10,034 He always, he can leave the 99, he said, that will be taken care of, 174 00:08:10,035 --> 00:08:11,235 but I want to go after the one. 175 00:08:11,235 --> 00:08:13,415 He goes after each and every one of us. 176 00:08:13,815 --> 00:08:15,265 And I want to go back to the scripture here, because it 177 00:08:15,265 --> 00:08:16,495 says, the Lord is my shepherd. 178 00:08:17,055 --> 00:08:18,005 I lack nothing. 179 00:08:18,005 --> 00:08:21,844 I love the, the, the personable, the genuine, the intimate 180 00:08:21,854 --> 00:08:23,325 style that David is writing. 181 00:08:23,325 --> 00:08:25,465 He's not just talking to us as a general sense. 182 00:08:25,664 --> 00:08:27,594 He's not saying the Lord is our shepherd. 183 00:08:27,995 --> 00:08:31,724 We lack nothing, but it's like when you read this for yourself, between you 184 00:08:31,725 --> 00:08:34,365 and God, it's, the Lord is my shepherd. 185 00:08:35,794 --> 00:08:36,794 I lack nothing. 186 00:08:37,255 --> 00:08:39,615 And lacking nothing doesn't mean that life is perfect. 187 00:08:40,159 --> 00:08:42,330 It doesn't mean that you're free of trouble, and we'll get into that 188 00:08:42,330 --> 00:08:46,210 later on, but the idea is that God provides all the things that we need 189 00:08:46,260 --> 00:08:49,889 spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, even relationally. 190 00:08:50,060 --> 00:08:51,289 He provides those things. 191 00:08:51,289 --> 00:08:53,350 Not saying that, like I said, everything's perfect, you have everything 192 00:08:53,350 --> 00:08:54,629 you want on your Christmas list. 193 00:08:54,630 --> 00:08:56,120 Like, you know, it's not what it is. 194 00:08:56,130 --> 00:09:01,360 It's about having this intimate, genuine sustainability that only God can provide. 195 00:09:01,950 --> 00:09:06,220 Now I like this next part in verse 2, it says, I, um, He makes me lie down in green 196 00:09:06,220 --> 00:09:08,525 pastures He leads me beside quiet waters. 197 00:09:08,525 --> 00:09:10,305 He refreshes my soul. 198 00:09:11,185 --> 00:09:14,745 And you know, I, I, when I, when I read over the scripture sometimes, like, 199 00:09:14,745 --> 00:09:18,165 I just come like, Oh, green pastures, quiet waters, that sounds really nice. 200 00:09:18,525 --> 00:09:22,354 But then I kind of stop for a second, I kind of beg the question of, Well, 201 00:09:22,354 --> 00:09:24,555 why didn't God just say pastures? 202 00:09:25,414 --> 00:09:27,125 Why didn't God just say waters? 203 00:09:28,395 --> 00:09:28,605 Right? 204 00:09:28,605 --> 00:09:31,185 It could have been very genuine, the general, like, you know, green is a 205 00:09:31,185 --> 00:09:33,205 nice, like, description of it, but why? 206 00:09:33,225 --> 00:09:37,065 Well, the significance of having that detail green in there, as 207 00:09:37,065 --> 00:09:41,665 a sheep, sheep won't lie down if three conditions are not met. 208 00:09:41,665 --> 00:09:42,404 I learned this as a fact. 209 00:09:42,404 --> 00:09:44,765 Like I said, this is me fact checking, going to do my research, 210 00:09:44,775 --> 00:09:47,655 and this is where God really kind of starts to become a really cool God. 211 00:09:47,995 --> 00:09:51,495 Because sheep don't lie down if they're stressed. 212 00:09:52,344 --> 00:09:54,125 They won't lie down if they're still hungry. 213 00:09:54,925 --> 00:09:57,085 They won't lie down if they're still fearful. 214 00:09:58,364 --> 00:10:03,234 But when there's green pastures, the green signifies abundance. 215 00:10:04,225 --> 00:10:08,725 Signifies, uh, signifies sustenance, and it signifies peace. 216 00:10:10,175 --> 00:10:14,645 All the things that a sheep needs to lie down, that's what green signifies. 217 00:10:15,145 --> 00:10:17,345 And a sheep, us, we can find rest. 218 00:10:17,605 --> 00:10:18,794 We can lie down. 219 00:10:19,634 --> 00:10:22,185 And now you might be wondering, okay, well why would God put quiet waters? 220 00:10:22,195 --> 00:10:23,695 What's wrong with just regular water? 221 00:10:23,695 --> 00:10:25,945 Well, sheep are timid and afraid. 222 00:10:25,945 --> 00:10:27,375 They're a highly sensitive animal. 223 00:10:28,210 --> 00:10:29,800 They get scared very easily. 224 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,160 They get, they scurry off. 225 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:35,780 So, if you take a sheep next to some rushing water, and it's like, 226 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,060 alright, drink up, it's like, no, it's going to freak out, and it's going 227 00:10:39,060 --> 00:10:41,140 to buck back and run the other way. 228 00:10:42,769 --> 00:10:47,570 But God says, I lead you to quiet waters, so that way you don't feel stressed. 229 00:10:48,810 --> 00:10:51,630 I bring you rest, I give you peace, that when you want to drink and be 230 00:10:51,630 --> 00:10:55,020 refreshed in your soul, be restored, you don't have to be afraid. 231 00:10:55,020 --> 00:10:55,050 Amen. 232 00:10:56,665 --> 00:11:01,105 And I think like when I read that, I'm like, wow, God, you are so intentional. 233 00:11:02,075 --> 00:11:08,275 I mean, think of a need in your life, but think about how about thinking back 234 00:11:08,275 --> 00:11:12,764 to a time where God met not only the need, but exactly how you needed it. 235 00:11:14,125 --> 00:11:15,135 Yeah, I want to share real quick. 236 00:11:15,135 --> 00:11:16,745 This week has been very hectic for me. 237 00:11:17,145 --> 00:11:21,824 Um, I started a new internship, um, for my grad school program that I'm in. 238 00:11:22,175 --> 00:11:24,115 Um, but on top of that, I was moving. 239 00:11:24,645 --> 00:11:27,415 Um, a couple of the brothers here in the front in the campus ministry, we 240 00:11:27,415 --> 00:11:30,875 have a household and we had to add another brother, uh, Philip, who we, who 241 00:11:30,875 --> 00:11:34,824 we baptized last year and we became a household of not only five, but now six. 242 00:11:34,864 --> 00:11:36,594 So do the math. 243 00:11:36,734 --> 00:11:43,935 You have six brothers, all who would make under 2k a month trying to find a three 244 00:11:43,935 --> 00:11:45,625 bed two bath in North Orange County. 245 00:11:47,385 --> 00:11:49,265 Not the greatest, not, not, not great. 246 00:11:49,265 --> 00:11:52,194 We were, I'm now backstory. 247 00:11:52,810 --> 00:11:55,640 I got some of the guys to kind of get riled up when we were like kind of 248 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,750 experiencing an increase in our rent and, and a decrease in our quality 249 00:11:58,750 --> 00:12:00,420 of living in our old apartment. 250 00:12:00,700 --> 00:12:03,389 And I was like, guys, 30 day notice, let's sign it, let's go. 251 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:04,770 And they're like, yes, let's do it. 252 00:12:04,889 --> 00:12:05,770 So I signed that mess. 253 00:12:05,790 --> 00:12:06,740 I turned into the leasing office. 254 00:12:06,770 --> 00:12:08,430 I'm like, all right, guys, we got 30 days. 255 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:09,670 Let's find a house. 256 00:12:10,490 --> 00:12:13,280 Now, it wasn't a wise decision, but at that time, give me something. 257 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:13,800 Give me something. 258 00:12:13,950 --> 00:12:17,840 Now, listen, this is where I, this is where I kind of, I feel like I kind of 259 00:12:17,850 --> 00:12:20,210 had a bit of a intuitiveness about this. 260 00:12:20,765 --> 00:12:22,695 But at that time, it was only me and Phillip looking 261 00:12:22,695 --> 00:12:24,465 for a house, like, actively. 262 00:12:24,955 --> 00:12:28,835 But it wasn't until there was a threat of there being no home, that all the guys 263 00:12:28,835 --> 00:12:30,274 were like, Okay, we gotta find one now. 264 00:12:30,274 --> 00:12:31,194 Let's go, let's go, let's go. 265 00:12:31,665 --> 00:12:32,235 Right? 266 00:12:32,295 --> 00:12:36,315 So, we're praying, we're going through Zillow, we're going through Redfin, 267 00:12:36,385 --> 00:12:37,195 we're going through Apartments. 268 00:12:37,444 --> 00:12:38,035 com, Homes. 269 00:12:38,225 --> 00:12:40,125 com, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp. 270 00:12:40,145 --> 00:12:41,655 Like, we're checking everything. 271 00:12:42,085 --> 00:12:43,565 And we're praying every day. 272 00:12:43,565 --> 00:12:47,185 I'm like, Oh my, like God, like you, I'm like, please, like, just give us a 273 00:12:47,195 --> 00:12:50,875 home, like, like, and it was hard because we don't want to settle either, right? 274 00:12:51,095 --> 00:12:52,964 Like, I'm like, you got six guys, no way we're going to try 275 00:12:52,965 --> 00:12:54,065 to fit into a two bed, two bath. 276 00:12:54,074 --> 00:12:55,185 Like, that's just insane. 277 00:12:55,215 --> 00:12:57,034 We've done it before, but we're not doing that again. 278 00:12:58,075 --> 00:13:00,805 So, we're praying, we're like, I'm fasting, I'm trying to get 279 00:13:00,805 --> 00:13:03,405 advice, I'm trying to figure out, like, hey, where can we go? 280 00:13:03,945 --> 00:13:08,475 And I got to a point where last week, um, a week and a half ago, I 281 00:13:08,475 --> 00:13:11,105 remember I called, me and Phillip, we found a house, we found a place. 282 00:13:11,750 --> 00:13:14,320 And we were, we were going back and forth and he was expressing to me his 283 00:13:14,350 --> 00:13:16,880 frustrations about how like, like this leasing office lady was being very 284 00:13:16,890 --> 00:13:20,150 difficult, she was asking for things and she was like, I needed it yesterday. 285 00:13:20,150 --> 00:13:22,239 I'm like, this is today, but you were out of the office yesterday. 286 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,849 So it was just very like, just so discouraging and so frustrating. 287 00:13:26,319 --> 00:13:29,199 And I remember I just literally walked out the house. 288 00:13:29,230 --> 00:13:30,070 I went on a walk. 289 00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:33,060 I just, I just, I was just praying and I was like, God, I don't 290 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,240 know what you want us to do. 291 00:13:35,420 --> 00:13:36,920 And at this point we only had like. 292 00:13:37,735 --> 00:13:39,865 Eight days left in the house. 293 00:13:40,355 --> 00:13:41,805 So I was like, God, I was like, please. 294 00:13:41,805 --> 00:13:44,635 I'm like, I don't know what you're going to do, but I just pray you do something. 295 00:13:45,175 --> 00:13:48,054 Um, I get a call from, or I get a text from Derek. 296 00:13:48,525 --> 00:13:51,615 Derek comes in or he texts a group that he says, Hey, we got 297 00:13:51,615 --> 00:13:53,005 an email from the leasing office. 298 00:13:53,374 --> 00:13:54,075 I checked my phone. 299 00:13:54,325 --> 00:13:56,839 She says, Oh yeah, your guys income has been approved because at that 300 00:13:56,839 --> 00:13:59,795 time, like I said, a few of us are still going income off our parents. 301 00:14:00,015 --> 00:14:02,125 Some of us have jobs, but it's still low income. 302 00:14:02,125 --> 00:14:05,544 So a lot of the places that we applied to are like, we're not, we can't do that. 303 00:14:05,544 --> 00:14:06,505 We can't work with you guys on that. 304 00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:09,620 But this leasing she said, Hey, your income got approved. 305 00:14:09,770 --> 00:14:10,650 Let's move forward. 306 00:14:11,099 --> 00:14:13,310 And we're like, Oh, okay. 307 00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:14,300 So we hop in. 308 00:14:14,500 --> 00:14:15,550 We get on a call with her. 309 00:14:15,550 --> 00:14:18,719 We sign all the electronic signatures, the agreements, the lease. 310 00:14:18,719 --> 00:14:20,120 We said we do everything in the day. 311 00:14:20,380 --> 00:14:22,079 House was ours within 12 hours. 312 00:14:23,509 --> 00:14:26,630 But not only that, what was also hard was because the fact we 313 00:14:26,630 --> 00:14:29,150 were looking for something that was close to campus as well. 314 00:14:29,510 --> 00:14:31,000 No more than 15 minutes. 315 00:14:31,710 --> 00:14:33,470 That had three beds that was rent. 316 00:14:33,470 --> 00:14:35,030 That was low enough to support all of us. 317 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,040 So that was low enough for us to be able to give consistently. 318 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:44,829 God met the income need we're only 10 minutes from campus and on top of 319 00:14:44,829 --> 00:14:46,429 that, we have three beds praise God. 320 00:14:47,439 --> 00:14:53,850 But I say that because the need was so specific and I asked God and I 321 00:14:53,850 --> 00:14:57,130 prayed and I was like, God, I know that this it's somewhere, I don't 322 00:14:57,140 --> 00:15:00,860 know where it is, but I know you're a God that meets the exact needs. 323 00:15:01,415 --> 00:15:04,125 You're not just a God that just gives the general, like, you know, or like, 324 00:15:04,135 --> 00:15:07,595 something that we can settle with, but when we pour out, and I, and I 325 00:15:07,625 --> 00:15:11,405 just, and I, I pray, and I, and I ask humbly, like, I know that you're 326 00:15:11,405 --> 00:15:13,055 a God that can meet the exact needs. 327 00:15:13,425 --> 00:15:15,494 You're a God that gives me the green pastures. 328 00:15:15,775 --> 00:15:17,734 You're a God that leads me to quiet waters. 329 00:15:17,934 --> 00:15:19,164 That's the God that we serve. 330 00:15:19,385 --> 00:15:21,475 The God that gave me a home and some of these brothers a home. 331 00:15:21,755 --> 00:15:24,895 You know, like, but it's, but I just, I'm just so grateful to God that 332 00:15:24,905 --> 00:15:26,685 He is a God that is so intentional. 333 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:32,740 That is so genuine that he, he knows all of us so intimately that he just wants 334 00:15:32,740 --> 00:15:34,340 to fulfill the needs of our hearts. 335 00:15:34,790 --> 00:15:38,999 And like I said, sure it was a lot of, like, just numbers and 336 00:15:38,999 --> 00:15:39,950 paperwork and stuff like that. 337 00:15:39,950 --> 00:15:43,740 But it was God along the way getting us to where we needed to be. 338 00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:48,740 You know, it says he guides me along the right path for his name sake. 339 00:15:48,740 --> 00:15:50,220 God is a righteous God. 340 00:15:50,970 --> 00:15:52,330 God is a holy God. 341 00:15:53,334 --> 00:15:57,225 God wasn't, well God wouldn't lead us anywhere that goes against his nature, 342 00:15:57,425 --> 00:15:58,875 that goes against his character. 343 00:16:00,025 --> 00:16:03,355 I don't know what need you're asking for in your life, I don't know what need 344 00:16:03,355 --> 00:16:08,664 you're praying for, I don't know what that is, but what I do hope that you know, is 345 00:16:08,665 --> 00:16:12,429 that God is leading you to be falling in line with his character to meet that need. 346 00:16:13,420 --> 00:16:16,620 Anything else that falls outside of it, God is, it's not, that's not 347 00:16:16,620 --> 00:16:19,689 something that God can really help fulfill or sustain, but one that 348 00:16:19,699 --> 00:16:25,819 falls within his line of character, his heart, his desire is one that he 349 00:16:25,819 --> 00:16:28,449 will provide in depth, in completion. 350 00:16:28,839 --> 00:16:29,399 Does that make sense? 351 00:16:29,399 --> 00:16:30,300 You guys with me so far? 352 00:16:31,549 --> 00:16:32,129 All right. 353 00:16:32,409 --> 00:16:37,270 So I got to ask, you know, are you truly trusting in God as your shepherd 354 00:16:37,989 --> 00:16:39,560 or are you trying to be your own guide? 355 00:16:42,170 --> 00:16:45,740 You know, it reminds me of this scripture here, it says in, uh, in Luke 12, it 356 00:16:45,740 --> 00:16:48,849 says, Then Jesus said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not worry 357 00:16:48,849 --> 00:16:52,889 about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 358 00:16:53,519 --> 00:16:55,769 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 359 00:16:55,769 --> 00:16:59,320 Consider the ravens, they do not sow or reap, they have no store 360 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,260 room or barn, yet God feeds them. 361 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:04,300 How much more valuable are you than birds? 362 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:07,339 Guys, how much more valuable are we than birds? 363 00:17:08,159 --> 00:17:11,829 That God wants to provide all for us and we don't need to worry about that. 364 00:17:11,829 --> 00:17:11,969 Why? 365 00:17:11,969 --> 00:17:16,409 Because God is, if we're allowing God to guide us to these green pastures and these 366 00:17:16,409 --> 00:17:18,098 quiet waters, we don't need to worry. 367 00:17:18,969 --> 00:17:20,009 We don't need to stress. 368 00:17:20,108 --> 00:17:21,709 I'm like, Oh my gosh, like what can I do? 369 00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:23,459 I need to go here, but God's calling me here. 370 00:17:23,459 --> 00:17:27,618 Like God will lead us to where we need to be. 371 00:17:28,539 --> 00:17:30,909 But if we're trying to be our own guides, then we can't 372 00:17:30,909 --> 00:17:32,549 claim to be all in God alone. 373 00:17:32,559 --> 00:17:32,899 Nope. 374 00:17:33,079 --> 00:17:34,159 And God plus me. 375 00:17:34,189 --> 00:17:39,029 And then, you know, possibly, you know, it's in God alone that we can 376 00:17:39,029 --> 00:17:42,969 be led to the green pastures and the quiet was one that refreshes our soul. 377 00:17:43,059 --> 00:17:43,479 Amen. 378 00:17:44,329 --> 00:17:46,019 Once again, I'm asking, are you in good hands? 379 00:17:47,219 --> 00:17:48,419 Oh, we got to work on that. 380 00:17:48,419 --> 00:17:48,749 Here we go. 381 00:17:48,759 --> 00:17:49,509 Let's keep moving though. 382 00:17:50,529 --> 00:17:51,659 Second point is protection. 383 00:17:52,334 --> 00:17:54,504 We're going to be in verse four, and I'm sure this is probably 384 00:17:54,504 --> 00:17:55,574 one that you guys have heard. 385 00:17:55,834 --> 00:17:58,634 I feel like they say this before, like some, like some football 386 00:17:58,634 --> 00:18:00,014 players play this before a game. 387 00:18:00,394 --> 00:18:05,154 You know, even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for 388 00:18:05,154 --> 00:18:09,234 you are with me, your rod and your staff. 389 00:18:09,544 --> 00:18:10,634 They comfort me. 390 00:18:11,654 --> 00:18:14,164 You know, sheep cannot defend against themselves. 391 00:18:14,964 --> 00:18:17,814 I mean, you saw what the videos earlier, I don't think that's, they're 392 00:18:17,814 --> 00:18:19,414 taking on any predators anytime soon. 393 00:18:20,664 --> 00:18:23,715 And when a shepherd would have to transport the flock, right, he would 394 00:18:23,725 --> 00:18:25,924 have to have a rod and a staff. 395 00:18:26,685 --> 00:18:31,354 The rod to protect and fend off from, uh, from enemies and predators and the 396 00:18:31,354 --> 00:18:35,324 staff to guide and to get sheep back in line if they start to wander off. 397 00:18:36,804 --> 00:18:39,145 But I think one of the biggest things that we have to identify 398 00:18:39,264 --> 00:18:43,054 when we read the scripture is what is the valley in our lives? 399 00:18:43,055 --> 00:18:48,914 You know, life's darkest moments reveal the depth of our trust in God. 400 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:54,389 Our trust, honestly, is really tested when we're defenseless. 401 00:18:55,249 --> 00:18:59,029 When we have no say or have no power over a certain situation. 402 00:19:00,139 --> 00:19:04,879 You know, His presence in the valley gives us courage, comfort, and direction. 403 00:19:06,309 --> 00:19:08,649 You know, in some of the valleys that I kind of thought of that, you know, 404 00:19:08,649 --> 00:19:12,360 I feel like as a church that we can all go through as human beings, can 405 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:17,469 be grief or loss, illness, health struggles, financial hardship, hardship. 406 00:19:17,759 --> 00:19:23,839 Depression, mental health, infertility, unemployment, broken trust, family 407 00:19:23,839 --> 00:19:28,279 drama, persecution, natural disasters like the fire that we just had in L. 408 00:19:28,279 --> 00:19:28,499 A. 409 00:19:28,659 --> 00:19:31,689 My parents actually had to evacuate, luckily our house was intact, 410 00:19:31,699 --> 00:19:34,110 but they did have to evacuate so that was a very scary time. 411 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:37,859 But there's valleys, we all go through valleys, can you guys relate? 412 00:19:38,389 --> 00:19:40,599 We all have valleys in our life and there's different 413 00:19:40,599 --> 00:19:41,829 valleys for different seasons. 414 00:19:42,985 --> 00:19:45,415 And in the last three years, I will be honest, man, when I look 415 00:19:45,415 --> 00:19:47,345 at that, I will fear no evil. 416 00:19:48,315 --> 00:19:49,465 Man, it is hard. 417 00:19:50,334 --> 00:19:51,955 It's so hard to not fear. 418 00:19:52,465 --> 00:19:57,264 Even though God tells us 365, 66 times not to be afraid in the Bible. 419 00:19:57,854 --> 00:20:00,104 It's so hard to be not fearful. 420 00:20:00,735 --> 00:20:03,404 It's so easy to be fearful because it's just a reaction to, Oh, I 421 00:20:03,404 --> 00:20:04,894 got to defend myself as a threat. 422 00:20:05,354 --> 00:20:06,685 I need to protect myself. 423 00:20:09,185 --> 00:20:13,635 You know, I, the last three years of my life have been just peak and valley, 424 00:20:13,675 --> 00:20:15,324 peak and valley, peak and valley. 425 00:20:16,009 --> 00:20:23,149 And I can't begin to explain how much the even though in 426 00:20:23,149 --> 00:20:24,659 this scripture has spoken to me. 427 00:20:26,649 --> 00:20:34,070 Even though, it's not saying that maybe, possibly, likely, 428 00:20:36,030 --> 00:20:36,909 I walk through the valley. 429 00:20:36,919 --> 00:20:40,899 No, it says even though I walk through. 430 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,790 Meaning that it's going to come whether you were in it or not. 431 00:20:44,790 --> 00:20:47,449 If you're on the highest, this is like, this is the mountain of the Lord. 432 00:20:47,449 --> 00:20:48,429 This is amazing. 433 00:20:50,039 --> 00:20:53,429 Or whether you are, you are, you're coming into a situation where you feel like 434 00:20:53,449 --> 00:20:55,029 you're starting to get into the valley. 435 00:20:56,350 --> 00:20:58,089 The Lord is with you. 436 00:20:59,060 --> 00:21:00,700 God is with you. 437 00:21:01,409 --> 00:21:07,109 You are protected by the great shepherd, the chief shepherd, the rod 438 00:21:07,110 --> 00:21:09,720 and the staff that brings comfort. 439 00:21:11,389 --> 00:21:12,310 Even though 440 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:15,899 you're going through a hardship. 441 00:21:16,389 --> 00:21:17,429 Even though. 442 00:21:18,639 --> 00:21:23,280 You're financially struggling, even though you've lost trust in 443 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:29,049 people, even though your dreams are shattering right before you. 444 00:21:31,850 --> 00:21:37,190 God tells us to fear nothing, to fear no evil. 445 00:21:39,309 --> 00:21:42,119 You know, I, I, like I said, for me, I feel like my life has just been 446 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:43,959 peak and valley, peak and valley. 447 00:21:44,559 --> 00:21:46,979 A couple of years ago, I lost one of my best friends, he was one of my roommates. 448 00:21:47,070 --> 00:21:52,429 A year before that, I was, I had to step out of the ministry 449 00:21:52,469 --> 00:21:53,459 because I was burning out. 450 00:21:55,050 --> 00:21:59,799 Even now, I'm facing a little bit of persecution, getting, I'm 451 00:21:59,799 --> 00:22:01,110 on the hot seat for some things, 452 00:22:03,149 --> 00:22:06,949 from things that I, you know, are out of my control at this point. 453 00:22:10,219 --> 00:22:11,749 But I will fear no evil. 454 00:22:14,539 --> 00:22:18,340 With God as my shepherd, I will fear no evil. 455 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:27,500 There is nothing and no one that could ever separate us 456 00:22:27,510 --> 00:22:28,590 from God, as scripture says. 457 00:22:30,770 --> 00:22:32,129 So what do we have to fear? 458 00:22:35,159 --> 00:22:37,249 And I've had to remind me that I have to dig deep. 459 00:22:38,019 --> 00:22:44,100 We all have to dig deep, Church, because it's really easy to want to gain control, 460 00:22:44,929 --> 00:22:52,659 to tap out, to run the other way when we meet trials, when we face adversity. 461 00:22:55,019 --> 00:22:59,549 But when God says, I will fear no, when he says, he tells us, he tells us to 462 00:22:59,559 --> 00:23:02,570 fear no evil, because he is with us. 463 00:23:03,279 --> 00:23:04,489 He's not a distant God. 464 00:23:05,739 --> 00:23:06,979 He's not an absent God. 465 00:23:07,679 --> 00:23:10,909 He's not a circumstantial, tap in, tap in, tap out kind of God. 466 00:23:11,259 --> 00:23:13,839 He is with us, through the valley. 467 00:23:14,549 --> 00:23:20,219 And when you feel alone, and you feel isolated, reminder that 468 00:23:20,219 --> 00:23:21,959 God says that He is with us. 469 00:23:23,310 --> 00:23:26,950 That He comforts, He wants to bring comfort to us. 470 00:23:30,245 --> 00:23:32,635 It reminds me of this, uh, this, this, this phrase. 471 00:23:32,635 --> 00:23:34,564 I, I, I was in a West Coast School of Missions class. 472 00:23:34,594 --> 00:23:35,834 Basically, it's like ministry and training. 473 00:23:35,834 --> 00:23:38,465 And this phrase came up about shalom, about peace. 474 00:23:38,804 --> 00:23:41,884 It says, Peace doesn't exist in the absence of conflict, but 475 00:23:41,884 --> 00:23:45,934 in the assurance that God is with us, guiding us through it. 476 00:23:47,894 --> 00:23:52,144 So, like I said earlier, life is not all well and dandy. 477 00:23:52,524 --> 00:23:55,054 And that's not peace when there's no struggles in your life. 478 00:23:55,904 --> 00:23:59,284 Peace is a consistent wholeness and assurance. 479 00:23:59,944 --> 00:24:02,044 That God is with us in the midst of chaos. 480 00:24:03,104 --> 00:24:04,965 And we have to ground ourselves in that. 481 00:24:05,474 --> 00:24:08,334 Later on I'm going to share a scripture that kind of talks about the peace of God. 482 00:24:08,334 --> 00:24:09,914 But for right now, just know that. 483 00:24:10,415 --> 00:24:11,095 You're like feeling man. 484 00:24:11,095 --> 00:24:12,215 I don't have peace in my life. 485 00:24:12,215 --> 00:24:17,245 I feel like this the situation is this and it's that and it's the other It's not 486 00:24:17,245 --> 00:24:24,655 about your circumstances It's about God being with you and you holding tight to 487 00:24:24,655 --> 00:24:32,164 God Holding fast to him in his word and in prayer that even in the midst of conflict 488 00:24:32,205 --> 00:24:37,225 conflict and confrontation and adversity Understanding that God is with you 489 00:24:37,705 --> 00:24:44,090 leading you guiding you encouraging you supporting you God is with you, church. 490 00:24:44,110 --> 00:24:45,159 God is with us, church. 491 00:24:45,159 --> 00:24:45,560 Amen. 492 00:24:48,260 --> 00:24:53,060 Uh, I, this scripture also, I think, uh, also speaks a lot to, um, the evil part. 493 00:24:53,110 --> 00:24:56,940 Evil in, in Hebrew is ra'ah, in Hebrew, and it translates to some, it's, 494 00:24:56,949 --> 00:25:00,730 it's just a bad, but in an elemental speak, it talks about water, and it 495 00:25:00,730 --> 00:25:02,329 talks about fire, it talks about land. 496 00:25:02,919 --> 00:25:04,990 It says, Isaiah 43, 2, it says, When you pass through 497 00:25:04,990 --> 00:25:06,570 the waters, I will be with you. 498 00:25:07,300 --> 00:25:10,100 And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. 499 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,450 When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. 500 00:25:14,310 --> 00:25:15,980 The flames will not set you ablaze. 501 00:25:18,264 --> 00:25:19,604 Raise your hand if that brings you comfort. 502 00:25:22,854 --> 00:25:25,134 That no evil can overtake you. 503 00:25:26,844 --> 00:25:28,784 No power can overtake you. 504 00:25:28,834 --> 00:25:30,724 No person can overtake you. 505 00:25:30,735 --> 00:25:34,764 No words said to or about you can overtake you. 506 00:25:35,304 --> 00:25:37,214 Because God is with you. 507 00:25:39,184 --> 00:25:41,854 He's with you through the waters. 508 00:25:43,224 --> 00:25:47,635 He protects you from the rushing streams that try to overtake you. 509 00:25:49,314 --> 00:25:51,524 He's with you in the fire when it hurts. 510 00:25:54,259 --> 00:26:04,810 When it stings, when it breaks your heart, God is with you every step of the way. 511 00:26:05,899 --> 00:26:11,340 In the darkest of valleys, in the darkest of nights, when you're questioning 512 00:26:11,340 --> 00:26:15,209 and you're doubting if this is even worth it, God is still with you. 513 00:26:15,219 --> 00:26:16,369 God is still close. 514 00:26:18,409 --> 00:26:19,379 Last point here. 515 00:26:20,719 --> 00:26:21,379 Let's, let's try this again. 516 00:26:21,399 --> 00:26:22,320 Are you guys in good hands? 517 00:26:23,610 --> 00:26:24,520 All right, I love this. 518 00:26:25,209 --> 00:26:26,370 Last point is assurance. 519 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:31,339 And we're going to read in verses five and six through here, it 520 00:26:31,339 --> 00:26:34,589 says, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 521 00:26:35,565 --> 00:26:39,095 You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. 522 00:26:39,935 --> 00:26:44,654 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will 523 00:26:44,654 --> 00:26:47,644 dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 524 00:26:49,735 --> 00:26:55,624 God's blessings are abundant, His mercy is constant, and His promise 525 00:26:55,834 --> 00:26:57,814 of eternal life is unshakable. 526 00:26:59,174 --> 00:27:03,854 You know, it's the, I love the, you prepare a table in the presence of 527 00:27:03,854 --> 00:27:08,125 my enemies, and it's like, sometimes in that table, not sometimes, always, 528 00:27:08,145 --> 00:27:11,655 that table that is being described is the abundance of God's blessings. 529 00:27:11,725 --> 00:27:17,215 Six, the things that he's given us, things that he's, um, graciously given us even. 530 00:27:18,234 --> 00:27:20,874 But love says in the midst of the presence of enemies. 531 00:27:20,874 --> 00:27:24,684 And that doesn't mean just people, but that means circumstances, hardship trials. 532 00:27:24,774 --> 00:27:25,194 Sure. 533 00:27:26,054 --> 00:27:29,834 But what's hard sometimes is that when we wanna say that we're in good 534 00:27:29,834 --> 00:27:34,594 hands, then we have this beautiful table, this feast buffet of blessings 535 00:27:34,594 --> 00:27:39,304 laid out for us, but then all the noise of the world and our hardships 536 00:27:39,304 --> 00:27:40,925 and our circumstances distracted. 537 00:27:41,845 --> 00:27:46,784 We take our eyes off the table of the blessings that God has given us and we 538 00:27:46,784 --> 00:27:50,975 focus on, well, ah man, this is, but I, I, man, I, I'm financially struggling 539 00:27:50,985 --> 00:27:55,144 here and, you know, my kids are acting up here and I'm in this class and this 540 00:27:55,145 --> 00:27:59,414 professor and like, you know, all of life's worries begin to then distract us. 541 00:27:59,414 --> 00:28:03,364 And the distraction is not that God is trying to say, Oh, don't worry about 542 00:28:03,374 --> 00:28:06,475 like, you know, like, like he's like, Oh, you know, the enemies I know are 543 00:28:06,475 --> 00:28:07,844 hard, but hey, look at this table. 544 00:28:08,364 --> 00:28:11,914 I think we invert that some, we, we, we, we look at it the wrong way. 545 00:28:11,985 --> 00:28:15,094 We look at it as, well, I'm in the presence of my enemies and then God's 546 00:28:15,094 --> 00:28:16,434 trying to provide this table for me. 547 00:28:16,854 --> 00:28:17,134 No, no, no. 548 00:28:17,374 --> 00:28:20,674 The, uh, the way we should be looking at it is that we have this table 549 00:28:20,774 --> 00:28:22,934 despite all this going on around us. 550 00:28:23,415 --> 00:28:27,194 We have blessings in front of us despite everything that's going on in our lives 551 00:28:27,254 --> 00:28:33,284 because if we don't keep our focus on the table, we'll never see the abundance, the 552 00:28:33,284 --> 00:28:38,075 provision, the protection that God has laid out for us on this beautiful table. 553 00:28:38,564 --> 00:28:40,004 The spread of blessings. 554 00:28:40,754 --> 00:28:44,644 And like I said, if you take time this week to just go through and 555 00:28:44,644 --> 00:28:50,564 reflect on what God has given you, the troubles of the world just fall away. 556 00:28:51,504 --> 00:28:53,054 They pale in comparison. 557 00:28:53,675 --> 00:28:58,415 You begin to think, man, why did I give this so much like time and energy 558 00:28:59,164 --> 00:29:02,955 when God has just been, when I know that God is with me and he's blessing 559 00:29:02,955 --> 00:29:04,574 me with this table of blessings. 560 00:29:05,235 --> 00:29:10,044 And yet I'm choosing to look around and focus on everything but the blessings. 561 00:29:11,104 --> 00:29:12,635 Like I said, it's not being naive. 562 00:29:13,145 --> 00:29:15,405 It's not being ignorant of what's going on around. 563 00:29:15,435 --> 00:29:21,955 It's just not giving it the power that God never intended those things to have. 564 00:29:22,564 --> 00:29:26,294 God is the sovereign God, the authoritative God over all creation. 565 00:29:26,865 --> 00:29:29,534 And like I said, if He provides the needs of His own creation, 566 00:29:29,534 --> 00:29:32,925 how much more valuable are we that He blesses us with this table. 567 00:29:34,555 --> 00:29:36,675 You know, it says you anoint my head with oil. 568 00:29:37,795 --> 00:29:38,925 My cup overflows. 569 00:29:39,315 --> 00:29:40,845 Um, another fact about sheep. 570 00:29:40,855 --> 00:29:44,065 Some shepherds back in the day would put oil on their sheep. 571 00:29:44,659 --> 00:29:49,239 To give them healing for some wounds, to protect them against insects and fleas, 572 00:29:49,889 --> 00:29:54,350 but then also in a traditional, in a religious tradition, it was anointing 573 00:29:54,449 --> 00:29:56,679 of favor, of high praise, of high favor. 574 00:29:57,830 --> 00:30:00,320 The fact that you think about, like, God anoints us with oil. 575 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:01,990 He favors us, guys. 576 00:30:03,090 --> 00:30:04,770 Do you feel favored by God? 577 00:30:06,260 --> 00:30:07,710 Do you know that you're favored by God? 578 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:08,720 That God loves you? 579 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:13,240 That God sees you as blank, as, as a clean slate for those that are in Christ? 580 00:30:14,069 --> 00:30:18,660 That you are viewed as holy and favored by Him? 581 00:30:19,995 --> 00:30:24,225 That he desires nothing more but to give you, to show you the honor and praise. 582 00:30:24,225 --> 00:30:29,195 Obviously he deserves it more than any of all of any of us here combined, but 583 00:30:29,195 --> 00:30:34,464 he does he out of his own love and his grace and his willingness, he does what 584 00:30:34,475 --> 00:30:37,935 he, well, he does what he wants with this oil and he chooses it to anoint us 585 00:30:38,825 --> 00:30:41,015 to show us favor, to show us blessings. 586 00:30:42,145 --> 00:30:42,605 And I love that. 587 00:30:42,605 --> 00:30:44,065 My cup overflows. 588 00:30:44,715 --> 00:30:47,265 I had, I, I had a, I wanted to do a demonstration day but didn't 589 00:30:47,265 --> 00:30:48,195 have enough time to set it up. 590 00:30:48,195 --> 00:30:49,515 But I want you to, guys, to picture this. 591 00:30:51,015 --> 00:30:53,715 When we pour into a cup, obviously when overflows, we kind of freak out. 592 00:30:53,715 --> 00:30:55,545 We're like, oh no, we gotta clean it up and like make sure 593 00:30:55,545 --> 00:30:57,015 everything stays in the cup, right? 594 00:30:57,795 --> 00:31:03,435 But think about this, if I had a giant basin under the cup and I 595 00:31:03,435 --> 00:31:08,865 said, your life is the cup and I'm pouring in water as it overflows, the 596 00:31:08,865 --> 00:31:12,315 basin is your life, the community. 597 00:31:13,180 --> 00:31:17,070 The people that you interact with and what I think or I believe and 598 00:31:17,070 --> 00:31:21,720 I want to share this is that I feel like as a church I feel like in the 599 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,619 beginning of our time we were so gung ho about let's go, let's go, let's go 600 00:31:25,620 --> 00:31:27,820 to the world, tell them everything. 601 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:31,499 I would hope that we would get filled up spiritually, but sometimes people 602 00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:34,420 would feel burnt out by just going and going and going and feel like 603 00:31:34,420 --> 00:31:36,760 man, like I don't feel filled up. 604 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,250 But I feel like now our church is moving into a stage where we're trying 605 00:31:41,250 --> 00:31:42,670 to really focus on the internal. 606 00:31:43,950 --> 00:31:47,160 Have an internal focus to really make sure that people are feeling not only 607 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:52,610 just seen, but also feeling like they're loved and blessed by God and reflecting 608 00:31:52,610 --> 00:31:53,980 on that and being grateful for that. 609 00:31:54,150 --> 00:31:54,430 Why? 610 00:31:54,430 --> 00:31:58,979 Because when we have an internal focus on what God has done in our 611 00:31:58,980 --> 00:32:01,340 lives, naturally the response is what? 612 00:32:01,349 --> 00:32:03,870 It just overflows into the rest of our lives. 613 00:32:04,300 --> 00:32:08,710 When we have the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy, we want 614 00:32:08,710 --> 00:32:10,330 to extend that to other people. 615 00:32:10,910 --> 00:32:14,090 But it's hard when we don't feel that in our lives, or we don't quote 616 00:32:14,090 --> 00:32:16,960 unquote see it in our lives, or we don't choose to acknowledge it or 617 00:32:16,970 --> 00:32:21,010 give it the time and the space to have some reflection, to acknowledge 618 00:32:21,010 --> 00:32:23,490 that, man, our cup is overflowing. 619 00:32:24,750 --> 00:32:26,259 We have God's love. 620 00:32:26,659 --> 00:32:28,279 We have his spirit in us. 621 00:32:28,679 --> 00:32:30,210 Our sins are forgiven. 622 00:32:31,130 --> 00:32:35,160 Things that we feel like, I can feel like we can all water down, To just, oh yeah, 623 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:39,760 that's just as much as, you know, like, it's, it's not worth much saying that. 624 00:32:40,410 --> 00:32:44,320 But when you really go deep, and we take time, and I need to do 625 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,090 this as well, I'm not saying like, I'm above this or anything, but, 626 00:32:47,739 --> 00:32:52,249 I've had to take time to really reflect, man, is my cup overflowing? 627 00:32:52,839 --> 00:32:56,080 Or am I just limiting my blessings to me and keeping it to myself? 628 00:32:57,490 --> 00:32:59,310 No, our cup overflows, guys. 629 00:33:00,335 --> 00:33:04,215 Our cup is meant to not just be filled halfway, three quarters or just 630 00:33:04,215 --> 00:33:08,145 to the brim, but meant to overflow because that's how much God pours in. 631 00:33:08,145 --> 00:33:08,955 He pours more than enough. 632 00:33:08,955 --> 00:33:10,855 He gives more than enough. 633 00:33:12,174 --> 00:33:15,494 And lastly, in verse five or verse six here, it says, surely your 634 00:33:15,504 --> 00:33:19,935 goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell 635 00:33:20,185 --> 00:33:21,625 in the house of the Lord forever. 636 00:33:23,045 --> 00:33:24,935 I love how the word said it's, it's surely. 637 00:33:26,450 --> 00:33:29,800 I don't know about you guys, but I, I mean, for me, when I take time to read, 638 00:33:29,850 --> 00:33:37,020 when I see words like surely, and even though, and but, those words carry so 639 00:33:37,020 --> 00:33:38,930 much more weight than we give them today. 640 00:33:40,325 --> 00:33:44,085 Because I think sometimes we can be skeptical, we can, you know, be 641 00:33:44,085 --> 00:33:49,775 critical about certain things, certain aspects, but God says, surely my 642 00:33:49,775 --> 00:33:53,525 goodness and my love will follow you. 643 00:33:54,615 --> 00:33:59,275 You don't have to doubt, you don't have to question, you don't have to worry. 644 00:34:00,685 --> 00:34:08,415 Surely, surely, as sure as the sky is blue, as sure as you see me on stage 645 00:34:08,495 --> 00:34:13,755 and I see you in the crowd, surely God's goodness and his love will 646 00:34:13,815 --> 00:34:15,884 follow us all the days of our lives. 647 00:34:18,425 --> 00:34:22,324 That not only that, but that we would dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 648 00:34:23,835 --> 00:34:25,755 You know, there's a quote here from J. 649 00:34:25,755 --> 00:34:27,735 Vernon McGee, he's a writer, a commentator. 650 00:34:27,735 --> 00:34:30,514 He says, David's enemies cannot stop the Lord from blessing him. 651 00:34:30,935 --> 00:34:34,574 In the same way, the believer's enemies may try to defeat us, 652 00:34:35,024 --> 00:34:38,143 but they cannot take away the blessings that God has promised us. 653 00:34:38,873 --> 00:34:44,194 Our provision is certain despite external struggles. 654 00:34:45,594 --> 00:34:47,764 Our provision is certain. 655 00:34:49,014 --> 00:34:50,775 What God provides in His love. 656 00:34:51,210 --> 00:34:53,210 And it is goodness is certain. 657 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:58,810 You don't have to doubt you don't have to question, but the thing is, though, 658 00:34:58,810 --> 00:35:01,780 what's different, what's, what's difficult is that when we start to try and find 659 00:35:01,790 --> 00:35:08,530 that in other things, when we try to go to our career, to a relationship, when 660 00:35:08,530 --> 00:35:13,769 we try to find it within social media or substances or whatever, that the 661 00:35:13,770 --> 00:35:19,050 goodness and the love that we want to feel it's fleeting, it's temperamental, 662 00:35:19,340 --> 00:35:21,540 it's empty, it's circumstantial. 663 00:35:22,450 --> 00:35:24,410 And God is the opposite of all those things. 664 00:35:25,650 --> 00:35:26,820 God is consistent. 665 00:35:27,830 --> 00:35:29,970 God is, um, just. 666 00:35:30,730 --> 00:35:31,890 He is sustainable. 667 00:35:31,900 --> 00:35:32,550 He is infinite. 668 00:35:32,550 --> 00:35:35,040 He is eternal in his love and his goodness. 669 00:35:35,530 --> 00:35:36,990 And he's ever abounding. 670 00:35:36,999 --> 00:35:39,049 He's ever, ever producing it. 671 00:35:39,529 --> 00:35:40,910 It's just, it's just who he is. 672 00:35:42,670 --> 00:35:44,769 You don't have to question where it comes from or how it comes. 673 00:35:44,790 --> 00:35:46,270 It, it's just who he is. 674 00:35:47,075 --> 00:35:51,125 It's how He's designed all of us to be able to receive it, to receive love. 675 00:35:51,125 --> 00:35:55,015 So when we go and seek it out into the rest of the world, we're missing 676 00:35:55,015 --> 00:35:56,355 out on the greatest provider. 677 00:35:57,324 --> 00:36:00,855 We're missing out on the greatest, um, assurance and the greatest 678 00:36:00,855 --> 00:36:02,125 abundance that we want to receive. 679 00:36:02,135 --> 00:36:03,285 We're missing out on all of that. 680 00:36:03,285 --> 00:36:08,645 When we say, oh, it's not in God alone, it's God plus this, plus this, plus this. 681 00:36:09,555 --> 00:36:11,335 Guys, our focus is in God alone. 682 00:36:12,275 --> 00:36:15,975 It's in God alone that we can find this kind of love and assurance. 683 00:36:16,060 --> 00:36:18,330 I wanna finish out with the scripture here. 684 00:36:19,390 --> 00:36:23,020 Philippians four, um, verse six through seven says, do not be anxious about 685 00:36:23,020 --> 00:36:29,610 anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, 686 00:36:29,610 --> 00:36:35,990 present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends 687 00:36:36,050 --> 00:36:41,820 all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 688 00:36:44,230 --> 00:36:49,780 When I think about the peace of God, when you reflect this week on where you're 689 00:36:49,780 --> 00:36:54,630 at, I want you to know that the peace of God transcends all understanding. 690 00:36:55,600 --> 00:37:02,730 It's a peace like no other, where you're unoffendable, you're not reactive in your 691 00:37:02,730 --> 00:37:06,200 emotions, you're not emotional, like to the point where you're not, you're not, 692 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,270 you can't, you can't control yourself. 693 00:37:08,990 --> 00:37:10,999 You're not spiraling out, and you're not thinking too deep 694 00:37:10,999 --> 00:37:12,840 in thoughts and overthinking. 695 00:37:13,169 --> 00:37:18,489 The peace of God transcends all understanding. 696 00:37:18,489 --> 00:37:19,410 It brings the calmness. 697 00:37:19,410 --> 00:37:22,260 It brings us to the green pastures. 698 00:37:23,300 --> 00:37:25,050 It brings us to the quiet water. 699 00:37:26,635 --> 00:37:31,665 Knowing that we were led and guided by God the entire time. 700 00:37:31,665 --> 00:37:32,025 Amen? 701 00:37:33,685 --> 00:37:35,195 Can we get real practical real quick? 702 00:37:36,605 --> 00:37:37,965 So some action steps this week. 703 00:37:38,674 --> 00:37:43,855 Reflect on what God has provided in your life and protected you from. 704 00:37:45,155 --> 00:37:46,445 Verses 1 through 4. 705 00:37:47,064 --> 00:37:47,705 Read it. 706 00:37:48,604 --> 00:37:49,335 Dive deep. 707 00:37:51,345 --> 00:37:54,375 Secondly, I would like you to write a list of the abundance God has 708 00:37:54,375 --> 00:37:56,015 shown you and pray with gratitude. 709 00:37:56,435 --> 00:37:57,385 Verses 5, right? 710 00:37:57,445 --> 00:37:59,205 The table that has been prepared for us. 711 00:38:00,740 --> 00:38:04,070 That's what we should be giving our time, our energy, and our focus toward. 712 00:38:05,420 --> 00:38:09,310 And our, and our, and our, and whatever is on that table, whatever 713 00:38:09,310 --> 00:38:12,690 else is going on in our lives, know that God is taking care of it. 714 00:38:13,009 --> 00:38:14,410 He is with you through it. 715 00:38:14,830 --> 00:38:17,110 Like I said, it's not being naive, it's not being ignorant and just kind of 716 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:18,539 burying your head in the dirt about it. 717 00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:19,460 No. 718 00:38:20,579 --> 00:38:23,270 It's about acknowledging, yes, there is a presence, there's an 719 00:38:23,270 --> 00:38:28,550 opposition, there's pressure, but God has laid out something greater 720 00:38:28,550 --> 00:38:30,459 and that we know that God is with us. 721 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:32,690 So what do we have to fear? 722 00:38:33,980 --> 00:38:37,010 And lastly, like I said in the beginning, memorize Psalm 23. 723 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:40,480 Memorize Psalm 23. 724 00:38:41,650 --> 00:38:45,070 Like I said, even if you don't come on stage and recite it, memorize it for you. 725 00:38:45,070 --> 00:38:46,630 It's not about being on here and doing it. 726 00:38:46,630 --> 00:38:48,830 It's, we should be doing this not just with this scripture, 727 00:38:48,830 --> 00:38:50,060 but with many scriptures. 728 00:38:50,540 --> 00:38:53,479 Different seasons in our lives where God's Word needs to be the sword that 729 00:38:53,479 --> 00:38:56,569 cuts through all the lies, cuts through all the chaos and all the noise. 730 00:38:56,570 --> 00:39:01,000 Psalm 23 grounds each and every one of us. 731 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:06,940 Psalm 23 will ground you and keep you Keep you and keep you rooted in God's 732 00:39:06,940 --> 00:39:11,130 love, his assurance of his promises, and the assurance of his protection. 733 00:39:13,350 --> 00:39:16,250 And last but not least, are you in good hands? 734 00:39:17,170 --> 00:39:18,200 Come on, love it. 735 00:39:19,540 --> 00:39:20,570 We are in good hands. 736 00:39:21,410 --> 00:39:25,860 You are in good hands because we are in the hands of God and it is in 737 00:39:25,860 --> 00:39:27,090 God alone that we have good hands. 738 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:32,990 Um, I'm going to pray, um, before we have our, um, uh, our worship team 739 00:39:32,990 --> 00:39:34,490 come out and lead us in a final song. 740 00:39:35,090 --> 00:39:36,790 But like I say, guys, this is our, this is our series. 741 00:39:36,870 --> 00:39:37,730 It's in God alone. 742 00:39:38,540 --> 00:39:42,330 So let us fight, strive, and commit. 743 00:39:43,025 --> 00:39:47,965 Each and every day, each and every moment and decision to putting 744 00:39:47,965 --> 00:39:49,175 it and trusting in God alone. 745 00:39:49,235 --> 00:39:49,605 Amen. 746 00:39:50,385 --> 00:39:50,935 All right, let's pray. 747 00:39:52,365 --> 00:39:54,695 God We are so grateful, uh for you. 748 00:39:56,515 --> 00:39:57,405 God in you alone. 749 00:39:57,455 --> 00:40:00,454 Can we find this everlasting peace? 750 00:40:01,324 --> 00:40:07,514 This everlasting love the sovereignty that you have God over all creation gives us 751 00:40:07,514 --> 00:40:13,465 assurance that we have nothing to fear God, I pray that as we continue through 752 00:40:13,465 --> 00:40:17,005 this series and through these weeks and even just the rest of our Walks with you 753 00:40:17,005 --> 00:40:23,500 in our faith God, that we know that you are the good shepherd, the chief shepherd, 754 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:29,230 the one that wants to lead us to green pastures and quiet waters, the one that 755 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:35,959 is with us in the midst of dark valleys, the one that prepares a table in the 756 00:40:35,959 --> 00:40:40,709 presence of our enemies, the one that anoints our heads with oil, the one that 757 00:40:41,159 --> 00:40:49,040 overflows our cup, and the one that has goodness and love and mercy that follows 758 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:53,370 us all the days of our life until we come into, um, go into heaven with you. 759 00:40:54,020 --> 00:40:55,010 God, we are grateful. 760 00:40:55,700 --> 00:40:56,650 Thank you for your blessings. 761 00:40:56,650 --> 00:40:59,570 Thank you for your grace that you have lavished upon each and 762 00:40:59,570 --> 00:41:00,760 every one of us in this room. 763 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:02,910 We love you so much. 764 00:41:03,119 --> 00:41:04,470 We pray also in your son Jesus name. 765 00:41:04,690 --> 00:41:05,020 Amen.