1 00:00:30,499 --> 00:00:31,315 Beautiful. 2 00:00:31,467 --> 00:00:35,531 You know, while we know that God does not call everybody to the 3 00:00:35,555 --> 00:00:38,875 mission field, he does not call everybody to pastor a church. 4 00:00:39,067 --> 00:00:40,599 He does call some. 5 00:00:40,979 --> 00:00:45,119 And I believe that he wants to call more than those who are answering. 6 00:00:45,779 --> 00:00:53,387 And I have literally seen him call 15 year olds, 9 year olds, 17 7 00:00:53,443 --> 00:00:55,073 year olds, 18 year olds. 8 00:00:55,251 --> 00:00:56,277 I've seen him call. 9 00:00:56,333 --> 00:00:59,317 I have literally seen him call 50 year olds. 10 00:00:59,493 --> 00:01:02,565 I've seen people who are midway into their careers answer 11 00:01:02,597 --> 00:01:06,341 the call of God to go to the mission field or to enter into full 12 00:01:06,365 --> 00:01:07,889 time ministry of some kind. 13 00:01:08,909 --> 00:01:10,645 God is not a respecter of persons. 14 00:01:10,677 --> 00:01:12,341 He's not a respecter of age. 15 00:01:12,525 --> 00:01:16,489 I wonder if you'd be willing to listen to God tonight. 16 00:01:16,829 --> 00:01:18,933 I wonder if he's calling somebody in our church. 17 00:01:18,981 --> 00:01:21,823 I wonder if he's calling a teenager to Scotland. 18 00:01:21,951 --> 00:01:26,879 I wonder if he's calling a young adult, a single adult. 19 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,519 I wonder if he's calling a young mom and dad. 20 00:01:29,679 --> 00:01:31,519 I wonder if he's calling a middle age. 21 00:01:31,639 --> 00:01:33,295 I wonder if he's calling a senior citizen. 22 00:01:33,327 --> 00:01:36,751 I've seen people retired from their job and get called to the mission 23 00:01:36,815 --> 00:01:41,183 field and God used them in a tremendous way because they were 24 00:01:41,191 --> 00:01:42,047 obedient. 25 00:01:42,223 --> 00:01:45,071 Boy, it'd be a wonderful thing if someone stood up tonight and said, 26 00:01:45,095 --> 00:01:47,151 God's been dealing with me and I'm going to be obedient to that 27 00:01:47,175 --> 00:01:47,945 call tonight. 28 00:01:48,087 --> 00:01:51,861 Brother Brinkley, you come play your video and then preach right 29 00:01:51,885 --> 00:01:52,069 after. 30 00:01:52,109 --> 00:01:54,049 All right, brother, thank you. 31 00:01:55,469 --> 00:01:56,597 Thanks, sir. 32 00:01:56,773 --> 00:01:57,729 Thank you. 33 00:02:02,189 --> 00:02:04,021 So my name is Russell Brinkley. 34 00:02:04,085 --> 00:02:09,461 My wife Janet is here with me, our daughter Danielle, and we have 35 00:02:09,485 --> 00:02:14,063 two other kids, Taylor and Dylan, who are back in Scotland. 36 00:02:14,111 --> 00:02:18,799 Dylan is filling in for me, preaching at our church services. 37 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,819 So appreciate your prayers for them. 38 00:02:22,199 --> 00:02:27,343 We have been now in Perth, Scotland for just a little over 17 39 00:02:27,431 --> 00:02:28,059 years. 40 00:02:28,439 --> 00:02:29,535 God has blessed. 41 00:02:29,567 --> 00:02:31,871 And we'll show the video in just a moment. 42 00:02:32,015 --> 00:02:34,499 Kind of what's going on there in the ministry. 43 00:02:35,319 --> 00:02:39,819 But God has blessed us and beyond really what we had expected. 44 00:02:40,499 --> 00:02:45,067 You know, you go through life and you have certain ideas about 45 00:02:45,123 --> 00:02:46,107 how things are going to be. 46 00:02:46,163 --> 00:02:49,419 And we went to Scotland believing, well, we're going to reach 47 00:02:49,459 --> 00:02:50,187 Scottish people. 48 00:02:50,243 --> 00:02:54,139 But God has done so much more than that. 49 00:02:54,259 --> 00:02:59,035 And I want to say all of the things that you'll see on the video 50 00:02:59,107 --> 00:03:02,635 tonight, none of that would be possible if it wasn't for churches 51 00:03:02,667 --> 00:03:07,199 like this that are faithful to not only support us financially, 52 00:03:07,509 --> 00:03:11,821 but even more importantly to be praying for your missionaries 53 00:03:11,885 --> 00:03:13,021 around the world. 54 00:03:13,205 --> 00:03:14,925 We need those prayers. 55 00:03:15,117 --> 00:03:19,037 They are truly a lifeline and a communication to God to give us 56 00:03:19,093 --> 00:03:23,869 strength to Be able to make it in the difficult times, to be able 57 00:03:23,909 --> 00:03:26,221 to do the work that God's called us to do. 58 00:03:26,245 --> 00:03:30,733 But it's fruit to your account when you are praying for us and supporting 59 00:03:30,781 --> 00:03:31,649 missionaries. 60 00:03:32,469 --> 00:03:34,109 So we do thank you for that. 61 00:03:34,149 --> 00:03:38,309 Being faithful to our family for all these years. 62 00:03:38,429 --> 00:03:43,029 This is the first time when we came, when we came here, probably 63 00:03:43,109 --> 00:03:47,941 2006 or 2007 when we were on deputation, that's the last time 64 00:03:47,965 --> 00:03:51,285 we've been here and we have been on the field and we've tried 65 00:03:51,317 --> 00:03:52,677 to do furlough again. 66 00:03:52,733 --> 00:03:56,101 You'll see on the video kind of some hindrances that have come 67 00:03:56,125 --> 00:03:59,189 up to keep us from doing furlough. 68 00:03:59,349 --> 00:04:04,591 But man, this place is a different building since we were 69 00:04:04,615 --> 00:04:04,991 here. 70 00:04:05,095 --> 00:04:09,263 So we drove up and my wife says she remembers it was a gravel 71 00:04:09,391 --> 00:04:10,479 driveway when we came. 72 00:04:10,519 --> 00:04:15,327 I think so lots changed but God's blessing you. 73 00:04:15,463 --> 00:04:19,279 And so we're thankful to see that, to see churches that are still 74 00:04:19,319 --> 00:04:21,859 sticking with the stuff and doing what God. 75 00:04:22,199 --> 00:04:25,423 Same work we're doing, just giving the gospel, preaching the 76 00:04:25,431 --> 00:04:28,249 word of God, reaching people and growing. 77 00:04:28,669 --> 00:04:31,649 So we'll go ahead and show the video just now. 78 00:04:34,109 --> 00:04:38,197 The land of Scotland is home to 5 million people and has been 79 00:04:38,253 --> 00:04:41,569 called one of the most beautiful countries in the world. 80 00:04:44,269 --> 00:04:48,325 From the Highlands to the borders, from the lochs to the beaches, 81 00:04:48,437 --> 00:04:51,289 the beauty is simply breathtaking. 82 00:04:54,498 --> 00:04:57,418 Right in the heart of Scotland, along the shores of the 83 00:04:57,458 --> 00:05:02,238 beautiful River Tay, is the bustling fair city of Perth. 84 00:05:04,658 --> 00:05:08,074 Just a short stroll from the water's edge brings you to the blue 85 00:05:08,106 --> 00:05:12,678 doors of a special church building dating back to 1843. 86 00:05:14,498 --> 00:05:18,603 Seventeen years ago, in January 2008, the Brinkley family 87 00:05:18,691 --> 00:05:21,559 arrived in Perth to begin their missionary work. 88 00:05:21,939 --> 00:05:24,971 In just five short months, they officially started the Bible 89 00:05:25,035 --> 00:05:28,411 Baptist Church of Perth, which would meet in rented halls for the 90 00:05:28,435 --> 00:05:29,719 next 10 years. 91 00:05:35,299 --> 00:05:39,083 The Brinkleys quickly became accustomed to setting up and tearing 92 00:05:39,131 --> 00:05:39,387 down. 93 00:05:39,443 --> 00:05:43,733 For each service held, many sacrifices were made and and slowly 94 00:05:43,781 --> 00:05:46,569 but surely the seeds began to fill. 95 00:06:04,669 --> 00:06:08,021 God blessed the humble church plant through the years and there 96 00:06:08,045 --> 00:06:12,509 have been many souls sin saved, baptized and trained in discipleship. 97 00:06:22,209 --> 00:06:25,993 Youth groups on missions trips came to help canvass all of Perth 98 00:06:26,041 --> 00:06:27,549 with gospel tracts. 99 00:06:28,529 --> 00:06:33,081 But in the summer of 2017, God worked a miracle to allow Bible Baptist 100 00:06:33,145 --> 00:06:35,945 Church to purchase the charming old building with the blue 101 00:06:35,977 --> 00:06:37,589 doors on Canol Street. 102 00:06:59,409 --> 00:07:03,321 Today, the church has grown abundantly with people of all ages, 103 00:07:03,465 --> 00:07:05,229 races and cultures. 104 00:07:05,569 --> 00:07:09,001 And because of their faith promise giving the church now supports 105 00:07:09,065 --> 00:07:10,909 three foreign missionaries. 106 00:07:24,369 --> 00:07:29,233 In January 2018, Bible Baptist Church began holding Chinese services 107 00:07:29,361 --> 00:07:33,361 led by Chinese pastor Peter Scheck, who grew up in Perth as a 108 00:07:33,385 --> 00:07:33,949 child. 109 00:07:35,529 --> 00:07:39,537 This new ministry took off quickly and has already seen a few 110 00:07:39,593 --> 00:07:42,309 come to know Christ and follow in baptism. 111 00:07:48,649 --> 00:07:54,149 Bible Baptist Church offers ministries in nursery, youth activities, 112 00:07:54,649 --> 00:08:00,537 teen impact nights, ladies meetings, men's prayer meetings, 113 00:08:00,713 --> 00:08:07,625 church dinners, a van route gospel tract outreach, special music 114 00:08:07,697 --> 00:08:13,029 events, Christmas caroling and holiday Bible club for children. 115 00:08:14,529 --> 00:08:18,185 To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the church, a special 116 00:08:18,257 --> 00:08:21,689 group of pastors and families traveled to Scotland to attend the 117 00:08:21,729 --> 00:08:25,113 Livestream service for the building dedication and the signing 118 00:08:25,161 --> 00:08:25,817 of the charter. 119 00:08:25,913 --> 00:08:28,869 The Brinkleys were showered with love and encouragement which 120 00:08:28,909 --> 00:08:31,333 would help them through the dark days ahead. 121 00:08:31,501 --> 00:08:36,229 That same year, Janet spent one week in the ICU with pneumonia 122 00:08:36,309 --> 00:08:38,501 and almost died from septic shock. 123 00:08:38,645 --> 00:08:41,941 God spared her life, but it would take a full year to recover 124 00:08:42,005 --> 00:08:42,997 from the trauma. 125 00:08:43,173 --> 00:08:47,909 Now she has chronic liver disease and fibromyalgia, but still 126 00:08:47,949 --> 00:08:50,373 enjoys working in all areas of ministry. 127 00:08:50,501 --> 00:08:54,117 In February of 2020, while Russell and Janet were in the States 128 00:08:54,173 --> 00:08:57,541 on furlough, they received an emergency call from Scotland that 129 00:08:57,565 --> 00:09:00,801 their 19 year old son Dylan, who is diagn diabetic, was in the 130 00:09:00,825 --> 00:09:02,673 ICU with kidney failure. 131 00:09:02,801 --> 00:09:06,897 Because of the COVID pandemic, he was at greater risk for complications, 132 00:09:06,993 --> 00:09:09,777 but God kept him safe until he went home. 133 00:09:09,913 --> 00:09:13,377 Dylan would need to start attending the dialysis clinic three 134 00:09:13,433 --> 00:09:16,545 times a week until he could have a kidney transplant. 135 00:09:16,657 --> 00:09:19,873 The Brinkleys canceled their furlough and hurried back to Scotland 136 00:09:19,921 --> 00:09:23,425 before lockdown so Russell could start testing to be a donor 137 00:09:23,457 --> 00:09:24,417 for Dylan. 138 00:09:24,593 --> 00:09:28,037 Their story was shared in the local newspaper to encourage others 139 00:09:28,093 --> 00:09:29,781 to become organ donors too. 140 00:09:29,885 --> 00:09:33,301 But during this testing process, it was discovered that Russell 141 00:09:33,365 --> 00:09:34,997 had prostate cancer. 142 00:09:35,173 --> 00:09:39,093 Thankfully, because it was found early enough, he had a successful 143 00:09:39,141 --> 00:09:41,541 surgery and is now cancer free. 144 00:09:41,725 --> 00:09:46,277 Finally, in April 2021, a donor match was found and Dylan received 145 00:09:46,333 --> 00:09:49,541 a new kidney from Kent Gossmeier, a missionary friend in 146 00:09:49,565 --> 00:09:50,053 England. 147 00:09:50,181 --> 00:09:54,009 Today, both men are healthy and still serving the Lord faithfully. 148 00:09:54,629 --> 00:09:57,693 While Danielle was already dealing with the emotional stress 149 00:09:57,741 --> 00:10:01,901 of her brother's health, her close friend from church died unexpectedly, 150 00:10:01,965 --> 00:10:04,249 which had a profound impact on her. 151 00:10:04,629 --> 00:10:08,253 After a season of healing, she started singing again and teaching 152 00:10:08,301 --> 00:10:09,529 in the youth class. 153 00:10:09,909 --> 00:10:13,421 This year, she completed her senior year of homeschooling and 154 00:10:13,445 --> 00:10:15,645 is seeking God's will for her future. 155 00:10:15,797 --> 00:10:20,125 In the spring of 2019, Taylor completed one year at Heartland Baptist 156 00:10:20,157 --> 00:10:21,077 Bible College. 157 00:10:21,213 --> 00:10:24,821 Upon returning to Scotland, she continued working in the ministry 158 00:10:24,885 --> 00:10:26,501 and began her corporate career. 159 00:10:26,565 --> 00:10:32,085 But in 2022, at the age of 23, she received the devastating diagnosis 160 00:10:32,117 --> 00:10:33,813 of multiple sclerosis. 161 00:10:33,941 --> 00:10:37,749 Please pray for her as this disability causes chronic pain and 162 00:10:37,789 --> 00:10:39,829 limited mobility every day. 163 00:10:39,949 --> 00:10:43,941 In the midst of these burdens, God has been faithful and provided 164 00:10:44,005 --> 00:10:45,013 many blessings. 165 00:10:45,141 --> 00:10:48,421 Last September, the Global Independent Baptist Fellowship of 166 00:10:48,445 --> 00:10:52,111 Churches collected the first ever missionary project offering 167 00:10:52,205 --> 00:10:55,547 and it was designated for Bible Baptist Church in Perth. 168 00:10:55,643 --> 00:10:58,683 The building loan was paid off and renovations were made. 169 00:10:58,771 --> 00:11:02,539 They repaired the leaky roof and flooded basements, added new 170 00:11:02,579 --> 00:11:05,819 carpets, lights, heaters and electrical panel. 171 00:11:05,979 --> 00:11:09,307 Additionally, they built raised platforms for the auditoriums 172 00:11:09,323 --> 00:11:11,675 and repainted all the interior walls. 173 00:11:11,787 --> 00:11:15,915 As the church enters its 17th year debt free and with a beautifully 174 00:11:15,947 --> 00:11:19,019 restored building, they are grateful and excited to see what 175 00:11:19,059 --> 00:11:22,399 God has in store for the English and Chinese ministries. 176 00:11:24,369 --> 00:11:28,429 Thank you for supporting the Brinkleys to Scotland. 177 00:11:38,129 --> 00:11:43,289 Can I ask you before we get started tonight just to I was looking 178 00:11:43,329 --> 00:11:45,989 around the building as we got started. 179 00:11:47,169 --> 00:11:53,099 What do you see when you look at the flags around the walls here? 180 00:11:54,759 --> 00:12:01,179 It's just fabric and cool designs and representation of some 181 00:12:02,279 --> 00:12:04,303 country that you'll never get to go to. 182 00:12:04,391 --> 00:12:06,779 But there's people. 183 00:12:07,799 --> 00:12:12,015 There's people, each one of those countries that need the Lord, 184 00:12:12,047 --> 00:12:13,423 that need to hear about God. 185 00:12:13,471 --> 00:12:19,145 And as I prepared to come back on this furlough, you know, I sat 186 00:12:19,177 --> 00:12:23,193 around and came up with all these real clever titles and thoughts 187 00:12:23,241 --> 00:12:24,569 for messages. 188 00:12:24,649 --> 00:12:29,385 But I was praying, God, what do you want me to say to the churches 189 00:12:29,417 --> 00:12:30,537 that I'm going to? 190 00:12:30,673 --> 00:12:34,073 What would you have me preach to the churches? 191 00:12:34,121 --> 00:12:39,017 And it kind of echoes what you've already heard, that there's 192 00:12:39,193 --> 00:12:43,683 work to be done and there's people to be reached and souls to 193 00:12:43,691 --> 00:12:44,259 be saved. 194 00:12:44,339 --> 00:12:51,363 And I wonder what could happen if everybody sitting in this church 195 00:12:51,411 --> 00:12:58,899 tonight were to get on fire for God and say, God, can you use 196 00:12:58,939 --> 00:12:59,519 me? 197 00:13:01,659 --> 00:13:03,475 Can you do something with me? 198 00:13:03,627 --> 00:13:08,591 What could happen in this church, in this community, in the 199 00:13:08,615 --> 00:13:12,139 lives of people that are outside these walls, that represent 200 00:13:12,519 --> 00:13:15,695 all of these flags, the souls of people? 201 00:13:15,767 --> 00:13:19,855 What could actually happen if everyone just quit worrying and waiting 202 00:13:19,887 --> 00:13:24,175 for someone else to do the job and said, what can I do, God? 203 00:13:24,207 --> 00:13:25,979 Can you do something with my life? 204 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,471 That's the title of the message that God gave me kind of 205 00:13:29,495 --> 00:13:31,327 for this trip coming back. 206 00:13:31,383 --> 00:13:32,619 Can God use me? 207 00:13:33,619 --> 00:13:35,319 Can God use me? 208 00:13:35,619 --> 00:13:39,931 And it is a disturbing trend that I'm hearing from other pastors 209 00:13:39,995 --> 00:13:43,291 here and that I'm seeing as I'm out on the mission field and 210 00:13:43,315 --> 00:13:47,483 other missionaries that I know and have watched that have spent 211 00:13:47,531 --> 00:13:50,315 their time going on deputation, getting over to the field 212 00:13:50,387 --> 00:13:55,915 and then leaving the field and coming back home, and missionaries 213 00:13:55,947 --> 00:13:59,131 that have surrendered to go to the field and they present themselves 214 00:13:59,195 --> 00:14:03,835 as something here to you as churches, as fundamental independent 215 00:14:03,867 --> 00:14:08,907 Baptist churches and get over on the field and are not what they 216 00:14:08,963 --> 00:14:14,683 say and don't believe in the King James version, Bible. 217 00:14:14,811 --> 00:14:20,523 I know of a missionary that is over in Scotland that presented himself 218 00:14:20,571 --> 00:14:25,141 as a fundamental independent Baptist missionary, King James only, 219 00:14:25,325 --> 00:14:29,701 and not only is he not, but he believes in his teaching that the 220 00:14:29,725 --> 00:14:32,729 King James version is the corrupt version. 221 00:14:37,469 --> 00:14:40,049 But that doesn't just happen over in the mission field. 222 00:14:40,749 --> 00:14:44,421 We got some preachers, men that have surrendered to preach, 223 00:14:44,485 --> 00:14:47,701 that are going to our colleges, our independent Baptist 224 00:14:47,765 --> 00:14:51,529 colleges that are graduating and finding out it's too difficult 225 00:14:51,909 --> 00:14:56,449 to get a church going, sticking with the stuff. 226 00:14:56,869 --> 00:15:00,301 And they're watering down the message and they're changing the 227 00:15:00,325 --> 00:15:05,373 method that God gave us and saying, hey, let's do it the convenient 228 00:15:05,421 --> 00:15:09,133 way, let's do it the fun way, let's do it the way that can pack 229 00:15:09,181 --> 00:15:10,369 people in the church. 230 00:15:13,669 --> 00:15:19,739 And we have preachers that are quitting, leaving the pulpit. 231 00:15:22,079 --> 00:15:22,819 Why? 232 00:15:25,039 --> 00:15:26,391 Why should we have that? 233 00:15:26,495 --> 00:15:28,739 Because they don't see that God can use them. 234 00:15:29,839 --> 00:15:34,087 Because they have given up on God doing something powerful through 235 00:15:34,143 --> 00:15:37,383 our life if we'll just step out of the way and allow him to do 236 00:15:37,391 --> 00:15:37,991 it. 237 00:15:38,175 --> 00:15:40,819 The question tonight is, can God use me? 238 00:15:41,839 --> 00:15:44,247 And so the message is a little bit different. 239 00:15:44,303 --> 00:15:47,329 Tonight we're going to read a passage of scripture, but I'm really 240 00:15:47,369 --> 00:15:51,601 gonna kinda take you through a journey of my life, what God's done 241 00:15:51,625 --> 00:15:52,129 with my life. 242 00:15:52,169 --> 00:15:56,209 And the reason for that is because sometimes I think as churches, 243 00:15:56,289 --> 00:16:00,549 when missionaries come, we kind of get put up on a pedestal 244 00:16:01,049 --> 00:16:03,389 like we're something special and we're not. 245 00:16:04,009 --> 00:16:05,229 We're just people. 246 00:16:05,929 --> 00:16:09,169 There's nothing special about any missionary that will come here 247 00:16:09,209 --> 00:16:11,729 and stand in this pulpit and preach. 248 00:16:11,889 --> 00:16:13,575 We are not superhumans. 249 00:16:13,737 --> 00:16:15,691 This is super, super. 250 00:16:15,795 --> 00:16:16,299 What is it? 251 00:16:16,339 --> 00:16:18,587 Super Mission, Super Mission Sunday. 252 00:16:18,643 --> 00:16:23,359 I'm super Mission, super missionary Russell Brinkley. 253 00:16:24,739 --> 00:16:25,959 No, I'm not. 254 00:16:26,579 --> 00:16:29,291 And so I want to share my testimony with you tonight because 255 00:16:29,315 --> 00:16:32,971 I want you to see that there's really nothing special about me. 256 00:16:32,995 --> 00:16:35,291 And I want to answer that question for you at the end of the 257 00:16:35,315 --> 00:16:35,643 message. 258 00:16:35,691 --> 00:16:36,999 Can God use me? 259 00:16:38,099 --> 00:16:42,027 Give you a definitive way that you can know whether God can do something 260 00:16:42,083 --> 00:16:46,919 In Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11 through 13. 261 00:16:47,379 --> 00:16:49,483 We'll look there this evening. 262 00:16:49,531 --> 00:16:52,839 Jeremiah 29, 11, 13. 263 00:17:01,139 --> 00:17:02,959 My glasses are in there somewhere. 264 00:17:05,539 --> 00:17:08,719 Jeremiah 29, 11, 13. 265 00:17:08,899 --> 00:17:12,375 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, 266 00:17:12,567 --> 00:17:16,339 thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 267 00:17:17,199 --> 00:17:18,631 Then shall ye call upon Me. 268 00:17:18,655 --> 00:17:22,499 And ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 269 00:17:23,039 --> 00:17:26,999 Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with 270 00:17:27,039 --> 00:17:27,959 all your heart. 271 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:29,543 Heavenly Father, we love you tonight. 272 00:17:29,591 --> 00:17:32,647 And thank you for just the wonderful God that you are. 273 00:17:32,703 --> 00:17:36,686 That you have love towards us, Lord, that you have a desire to use 274 00:17:36,742 --> 00:17:41,326 us, to work with us, to allow us to be part of your plan not only 275 00:17:41,382 --> 00:17:45,918 for the world and the salvation of mankind, but Lord, a 276 00:17:45,958 --> 00:17:51,230 plan for our life, to work again with us, to take us, to be 277 00:17:51,254 --> 00:17:54,510 able to do more with our life than we ever would on our own. 278 00:17:54,534 --> 00:17:58,298 We are so thankful that you, Lord, have not left us. 279 00:17:59,318 --> 00:18:02,561 That you, Lord, we believe tonight that your presence is here. 280 00:18:02,585 --> 00:18:05,761 And I just ask that you would help me to present the message as 281 00:18:05,785 --> 00:18:08,769 you've laid it upon my heart, that it would be a challenge to those 282 00:18:08,809 --> 00:18:12,257 listening here tonight to seek your will for their life. 283 00:18:12,313 --> 00:18:13,281 Lord, we love you. 284 00:18:13,385 --> 00:18:14,929 Thank you for all that you've done. 285 00:18:14,969 --> 00:18:15,585 Your many blessings. 286 00:18:15,617 --> 00:18:16,769 In Christ's name I pray. 287 00:18:16,849 --> 00:18:17,669 Amen. 288 00:18:18,409 --> 00:18:21,793 So as a young boy, I was a little bit crazy. 289 00:18:21,841 --> 00:18:23,041 I was always getting in trouble. 290 00:18:23,105 --> 00:18:26,945 My mom gave her fits because I was always doing stupid stuff. 291 00:18:26,977 --> 00:18:31,343 And I remember as probably about an 8 year old boy, I remember 292 00:18:31,391 --> 00:18:33,219 my sisters watching Disney. 293 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:35,899 Mary Poppins was on. 294 00:18:36,519 --> 00:18:39,343 And so I could care less about Mary Poppins. 295 00:18:39,391 --> 00:18:44,419 But on one of the scenes there she comes floating in with the umbrella. 296 00:18:45,719 --> 00:18:48,899 And I thought, hey, that looks like something that needs to be tried. 297 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:55,183 So I'm on a scientific research mission to see can the umbrella 298 00:18:55,231 --> 00:18:57,909 support me floating through the air. 299 00:18:58,029 --> 00:19:00,869 So I go through the house, digging around the house, find the 300 00:19:00,909 --> 00:19:01,701 umbrella. 301 00:19:01,845 --> 00:19:03,493 My room is up on the second floor. 302 00:19:03,541 --> 00:19:07,061 I go climb out the window of my room and get on the roof of the 303 00:19:07,085 --> 00:19:10,293 house, open the umbrella, run and jump off the roof. 304 00:19:10,421 --> 00:19:12,165 And you can guess what happened. 305 00:19:12,197 --> 00:19:13,493 It just like that. 306 00:19:13,581 --> 00:19:18,089 And I dropped to the ground and fortunately didn't break anything. 307 00:19:18,669 --> 00:19:20,729 But hey, I had a good intention. 308 00:19:21,479 --> 00:19:24,751 I'm trying to prove that Disney was right, you know. 309 00:19:24,935 --> 00:19:27,179 But that was a bad plan, wasn't it? 310 00:19:27,559 --> 00:19:29,219 That's not good planning. 311 00:19:29,639 --> 00:19:32,699 I should have got my brother or somebody else to try that out. 312 00:19:33,399 --> 00:19:36,979 That's good planning, but not do it myself and hurt myself. 313 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:39,071 But you know what? 314 00:19:39,095 --> 00:19:40,619 God has plans for us. 315 00:19:40,919 --> 00:19:44,019 And the thing is that God's plans are never going to be wrong. 316 00:19:44,679 --> 00:19:49,159 It's never going to lead you to jump off of a roof with no real 317 00:19:49,199 --> 00:19:49,779 support. 318 00:19:50,159 --> 00:19:52,663 God's plans are always going to be the right plans. 319 00:19:52,711 --> 00:19:56,023 He has something that he wants you to do, but it's not going to 320 00:19:56,031 --> 00:19:57,191 be a bad thing. 321 00:19:57,375 --> 00:20:00,295 So I want to start tonight with kind of a testimony of my childhood. 322 00:20:00,327 --> 00:20:02,231 I was the youngest of four children. 323 00:20:02,415 --> 00:20:06,231 My youngest sister was still five years older than me. 324 00:20:06,335 --> 00:20:08,375 So there was a little bit of a gap between us. 325 00:20:08,447 --> 00:20:10,423 And I drove them crazy. 326 00:20:10,471 --> 00:20:17,609 But in my home, my father was a drunk, he was an alcoholic. 327 00:20:18,349 --> 00:20:21,605 My mother, drunk, alcoholic. 328 00:20:21,797 --> 00:20:26,889 My brother, both sisters all drank, all did drugs. 329 00:20:27,709 --> 00:20:31,889 I am the only one in my family that graduated from high school. 330 00:20:32,829 --> 00:20:35,845 My brother and two sisters all ran away from home. 331 00:20:35,997 --> 00:20:37,013 They were doing drugs. 332 00:20:37,061 --> 00:20:41,245 By the time I was eight years old, I was taking, stealing drugs 333 00:20:41,277 --> 00:20:42,253 for my brother. 334 00:20:42,381 --> 00:20:44,093 And that's the first time I used drugs. 335 00:20:44,141 --> 00:20:45,129 Eight years old. 336 00:20:47,029 --> 00:20:52,301 Not only were we in that atmosphere, but my father was an 337 00:20:52,325 --> 00:20:53,885 abusive man. 338 00:20:54,037 --> 00:20:58,829 And so I grew up with seeing him abuse my mother and brother and 339 00:20:58,869 --> 00:21:00,729 one of my sisters and me. 340 00:21:01,749 --> 00:21:04,509 So it's not really any surprise that I was headed down that 341 00:21:04,549 --> 00:21:05,329 same path. 342 00:21:05,709 --> 00:21:09,269 I graduate from high school and I am going down that same road 343 00:21:09,389 --> 00:21:13,569 and I am living wild and crazy, life out of control. 344 00:21:16,669 --> 00:21:20,341 And I really do believe, had I not come to Christ, that I would 345 00:21:20,365 --> 00:21:22,169 be dead or in jail. 346 00:21:22,909 --> 00:21:25,301 That's where my life was headed to. 347 00:21:25,325 --> 00:21:26,329 No surprise. 348 00:21:31,319 --> 00:21:36,059 And we can ask, well, what's God's plan in that? 349 00:21:37,879 --> 00:21:41,087 How could God allow something like that to happen in the lives 350 00:21:41,143 --> 00:21:42,943 of young children? 351 00:21:43,031 --> 00:21:45,979 And we get that question all the time, don't we? 352 00:21:46,519 --> 00:21:50,591 Well, if God's so good, how can he allow these bad things to 353 00:21:50,615 --> 00:21:51,179 happen? 354 00:21:52,039 --> 00:21:55,007 How can he let the world be like it is? 355 00:21:55,063 --> 00:21:56,453 Well, it's not his fault. 356 00:21:56,631 --> 00:22:00,473 He's warned us what is going to happen if we live in sin. 357 00:22:00,601 --> 00:22:03,449 And you know, my dad, I remember hearing him, he had some 358 00:22:03,489 --> 00:22:08,505 strong beliefs about God, but not strong enough for him to actually 359 00:22:08,577 --> 00:22:09,629 live for God. 360 00:22:10,289 --> 00:22:13,497 I remember hearing about religious ideas and things about 361 00:22:13,553 --> 00:22:15,817 God, but I never saw it in my life. 362 00:22:15,873 --> 00:22:19,669 And so as I grew up, I just had no place for God in my life. 363 00:22:20,529 --> 00:22:23,673 If there was a God out there, I just did not see how it could affect 364 00:22:23,721 --> 00:22:28,353 me, what need I had of that God, because I never saw it do anything 365 00:22:28,401 --> 00:22:29,789 good in my life. 366 00:22:32,249 --> 00:22:37,297 And so what is it that God could do through that? 367 00:22:37,433 --> 00:22:39,989 You know, we don't always understand God's plans. 368 00:22:40,329 --> 00:22:42,669 He is far greater than we are. 369 00:22:42,969 --> 00:22:43,761 But you know what? 370 00:22:43,785 --> 00:22:47,265 I can look back and I can see now, God would never have wanted 371 00:22:47,297 --> 00:22:49,309 for my family to live like they did. 372 00:22:51,059 --> 00:22:52,475 But you know what he's done? 373 00:22:52,627 --> 00:22:56,439 He took my life and he sent me to Scotland where, you know what? 374 00:22:56,739 --> 00:22:59,531 There's children over There that grow up in homes that are full 375 00:22:59,555 --> 00:23:00,559 of alcohol. 376 00:23:01,539 --> 00:23:04,235 You know that the parents over there that they can take their children 377 00:23:04,307 --> 00:23:08,395 to a restaurant the age of 5 years old and they can order alcoholic 378 00:23:08,427 --> 00:23:10,119 drinks and give it to their children. 379 00:23:12,899 --> 00:23:18,899 Homes that are wrecked with sin and abuse and families that are 380 00:23:18,939 --> 00:23:19,719 broken. 381 00:23:20,539 --> 00:23:23,571 So God took that broken life that I had growing up, and he said, 382 00:23:23,595 --> 00:23:26,051 hey, I'm going to put you in a place where you can understand what 383 00:23:26,075 --> 00:23:28,451 they're going through, where you can look at their life and be 384 00:23:28,475 --> 00:23:29,971 able to minister to them. 385 00:23:30,155 --> 00:23:33,251 So God could even take something bad and terrible and be 386 00:23:33,275 --> 00:23:36,131 able to use that in the ministry. 387 00:23:36,275 --> 00:23:38,787 So don't let whatever it is that you're going through, don't 388 00:23:38,803 --> 00:23:42,955 let that stop you from being an excuse for not doing what God 389 00:23:42,987 --> 00:23:43,679 wants. 390 00:23:44,259 --> 00:23:47,787 Don't say, my life is so broken that God can't use me through 391 00:23:47,843 --> 00:23:48,439 that. 392 00:23:48,739 --> 00:23:50,907 God will use you in spite of that. 393 00:23:51,043 --> 00:23:54,827 He will do great things in your life and in the lives of other 394 00:23:54,883 --> 00:23:57,039 people if you'll just give him the chance. 395 00:24:00,819 --> 00:24:04,619 You know, there's something that I noticed as I read through 396 00:24:04,659 --> 00:24:08,779 this passage again in preparation for this message, that 397 00:24:09,319 --> 00:24:11,647 it's not just that God has a plan for us. 398 00:24:11,703 --> 00:24:13,179 He has a plan with us. 399 00:24:14,599 --> 00:24:17,567 He doesn't just say, hey, I want to take you and I'm going to 400 00:24:17,623 --> 00:24:19,779 just force you to do all this stuff. 401 00:24:20,759 --> 00:24:22,639 He says, hey, I have a plan for you. 402 00:24:22,679 --> 00:24:25,099 Will you take my hand and walk with me? 403 00:24:25,559 --> 00:24:28,207 Will you join with me and do these things? 404 00:24:28,343 --> 00:24:34,351 It's been the most incredible journey I would never have expected 405 00:24:34,455 --> 00:24:35,219 myself. 406 00:24:35,959 --> 00:24:36,859 I am. 407 00:24:37,159 --> 00:24:39,219 I grew up in Joshua, Texas. 408 00:24:40,999 --> 00:24:44,699 We had one stoplight in Joshua when I was there. 409 00:24:45,639 --> 00:24:53,215 Not nothing great, just this little Podunk city that was everybody's 410 00:24:53,247 --> 00:24:54,047 homecoming game. 411 00:24:54,103 --> 00:24:56,223 Because we get beat every game. 412 00:24:56,391 --> 00:24:57,979 We were the easy win. 413 00:25:01,569 --> 00:25:03,801 I'm an introvert by nature. 414 00:25:03,945 --> 00:25:05,577 I do not like being in front of people. 415 00:25:05,633 --> 00:25:06,985 I don't like talking to people. 416 00:25:07,057 --> 00:25:09,993 And you may say I don't believe that because of the way I 417 00:25:10,001 --> 00:25:12,069 am now, but God did that. 418 00:25:13,809 --> 00:25:16,121 When God called me to preach, listen, I tried to make the same 419 00:25:16,145 --> 00:25:16,585 excuses. 420 00:25:16,617 --> 00:25:20,057 I'm like, God, you got the wrong person. 421 00:25:20,193 --> 00:25:22,269 You must have been talking to somebody else. 422 00:25:23,729 --> 00:25:27,031 The first time I preached at Boulevard Baptist Church, it was 423 00:25:27,055 --> 00:25:28,019 just like this. 424 00:25:28,399 --> 00:25:32,059 I had my Bible, had about 12 pages of notes. 425 00:25:33,599 --> 00:25:36,839 And I stood there and I held the pulpit just like this, white 426 00:25:36,879 --> 00:25:38,459 knuckling the pulpit. 427 00:25:39,279 --> 00:25:41,899 And I kept my head down and I read my notes. 428 00:25:42,399 --> 00:25:44,419 I never looked at anybody out there. 429 00:25:45,279 --> 00:25:46,263 No eye contact. 430 00:25:46,351 --> 00:25:50,231 In about five to seven minutes, I was done, picked up my 431 00:25:50,255 --> 00:25:52,699 notes, closed my Bible and walked off the stage. 432 00:25:53,009 --> 00:25:53,785 That's it. 433 00:25:53,857 --> 00:25:58,777 That was my first message because I was like, God, there's 434 00:25:58,793 --> 00:26:00,069 no way I can do this. 435 00:26:01,489 --> 00:26:04,745 And you may say, well, I wish that seven minute message was back, 436 00:26:04,897 --> 00:26:08,041 but where is that? 437 00:26:08,065 --> 00:26:09,161 We take that tonight. 438 00:26:09,225 --> 00:26:12,521 But listen, God can do great things with you if you'll just get 439 00:26:12,545 --> 00:26:14,469 out of the way and let him do something. 440 00:26:15,729 --> 00:26:19,149 Just say, hey, God, I know that I'm not capable. 441 00:26:19,679 --> 00:26:24,359 I know I have limitations, but I believe you can turn that around 442 00:26:24,399 --> 00:26:25,859 and do something great with it. 443 00:26:26,639 --> 00:26:31,255 He wants to work with you and, you know, because he loves us. 444 00:26:31,407 --> 00:26:36,647 His plan for your life isn't something that you should fear because 445 00:26:36,703 --> 00:26:40,099 everything he does will be the best for you. 446 00:26:41,919 --> 00:26:44,579 So the journey to his expected end. 447 00:26:45,689 --> 00:26:47,789 The journey to his expected end. 448 00:26:48,569 --> 00:26:52,241 So a little bit later in my testimony, how did I start going 449 00:26:52,265 --> 00:26:53,189 to church? 450 00:26:53,769 --> 00:26:57,697 What was the great thing that happened in my life that brought 451 00:26:57,713 --> 00:26:58,465 me to church? 452 00:26:58,577 --> 00:27:01,025 So everybody, if you would direct your attention to the woman 453 00:27:01,097 --> 00:27:02,789 sitting here on the front row. 454 00:27:04,169 --> 00:27:09,229 That's why I started going to church, because she was there. 455 00:27:10,019 --> 00:27:11,679 I had the wrong motivation. 456 00:27:12,579 --> 00:27:14,859 I wasn't at church because I cared about God. 457 00:27:15,019 --> 00:27:17,451 I wasn't at church because I wanted to get saved. 458 00:27:17,515 --> 00:27:19,947 I wasn't at church because I wanted to fix my life. 459 00:27:20,083 --> 00:27:23,239 I was there because there was a girl there. 460 00:27:23,619 --> 00:27:25,899 And just be honest. 461 00:27:25,979 --> 00:27:31,131 I was going to get what I was after and be on my way out the door. 462 00:27:31,195 --> 00:27:33,259 Had no intention to stick around church. 463 00:27:33,419 --> 00:27:34,639 Wrong motivation. 464 00:27:36,829 --> 00:27:38,489 But God had other plans. 465 00:27:39,469 --> 00:27:41,129 He had other plans. 466 00:27:47,069 --> 00:27:54,929 I made a confession of faith, but it wasn't real. 467 00:27:56,189 --> 00:27:59,253 About six months into going to church, I made a profession of faith 468 00:27:59,301 --> 00:28:02,263 and went through the motions. 469 00:28:02,461 --> 00:28:06,595 So we're now talking about marriage. 470 00:28:06,787 --> 00:28:09,875 I've talked to her dad and we've got a date set. 471 00:28:09,947 --> 00:28:13,079 And here I think I'm married and I'm doing stuff in the church 472 00:28:13,659 --> 00:28:16,519 and I'm not saved. 473 00:28:17,979 --> 00:28:21,187 I go to junior camp, Lake Texoma Baptist Youth Camp. 474 00:28:21,243 --> 00:28:23,923 I'm a sponsor there for the little kids. 475 00:28:23,971 --> 00:28:27,919 And I'm supposed to be helping them get their life right. 476 00:28:28,229 --> 00:28:31,809 Sitting there hearing the message. 477 00:28:32,869 --> 00:28:36,169 Brother Dick Webster preaching the message that night. 478 00:28:37,189 --> 00:28:38,409 And I understand. 479 00:28:38,949 --> 00:28:39,929 I'm lost. 480 00:28:41,669 --> 00:28:47,885 So the oldest, ugliest camper, I get saved at Lake Texoma Youth 481 00:28:47,917 --> 00:28:52,489 Camp, Junior camp, finally get my life right. 482 00:28:53,919 --> 00:28:59,239 Shortly after that, we submit to go to Bible college. 483 00:28:59,319 --> 00:29:01,607 And we're not even married a year. 484 00:29:01,663 --> 00:29:03,927 I'm not even saved a year. 485 00:29:04,063 --> 00:29:05,015 Hardly. 486 00:29:05,207 --> 00:29:07,139 Off to Bible college we go. 487 00:29:07,439 --> 00:29:08,659 But you know what? 488 00:29:09,119 --> 00:29:12,259 Satan knew who I was. 489 00:29:13,599 --> 00:29:17,847 He knew all the things that would just wreck my world. 490 00:29:17,903 --> 00:29:18,711 I'm going to tell you. 491 00:29:18,815 --> 00:29:25,189 He battled me hard at Baptist Bible College and he won that battle. 492 00:29:26,009 --> 00:29:29,249 We struggled and we had a hard time, and we wound up coming back 493 00:29:29,289 --> 00:29:29,869 home. 494 00:29:30,809 --> 00:29:32,949 I'm going to tell you, I was broken. 495 00:29:34,969 --> 00:29:38,449 All those things that I believed about myself, were they 496 00:29:38,489 --> 00:29:39,109 true? 497 00:29:40,409 --> 00:29:44,193 That I'm worthless, That I can't be used, that God can't do 498 00:29:44,201 --> 00:29:47,175 anything with me, that it's just a waste of time? 499 00:29:47,247 --> 00:29:49,179 And it was proven to be true. 500 00:29:50,879 --> 00:29:52,579 Can God use me? 501 00:29:55,679 --> 00:29:59,687 And through continuing on there at church and training and 502 00:29:59,743 --> 00:30:03,687 teaching and listening to the word of God, well, God began to minister 503 00:30:03,743 --> 00:30:08,215 to my heart and to let me see that, yes, he can still use me. 504 00:30:08,367 --> 00:30:10,407 He can still do great things. 505 00:30:10,543 --> 00:30:11,537 And in my life. 506 00:30:11,593 --> 00:30:14,593 And so I truly got saved. 507 00:30:14,641 --> 00:30:21,089 We went off to Bible College and had some trouble, but we came 508 00:30:21,129 --> 00:30:25,201 home and started working there in the church. 509 00:30:25,265 --> 00:30:31,473 And God began to bless and to do things in our ministry and began 510 00:30:31,521 --> 00:30:39,169 to challenge where he would then call me into missions. 511 00:30:39,829 --> 00:30:42,125 And it happened at a missions conference. 512 00:30:42,317 --> 00:30:46,621 And I was up in the balcony at our church and I surrendered to the 513 00:30:46,645 --> 00:30:46,829 call. 514 00:30:46,869 --> 00:30:50,769 We had a missionary that was going to Scotland. 515 00:30:51,269 --> 00:30:57,229 His video played, and God broke my heart there in the balcony. 516 00:30:57,309 --> 00:31:00,089 He said, this is what I want for you to do with your life. 517 00:31:00,869 --> 00:31:03,741 And that night I just got on my knees up in the balcony and I 518 00:31:03,765 --> 00:31:06,411 prayed and I told God, whatever it is you want me to do, 519 00:31:06,435 --> 00:31:07,239 I'll go. 520 00:31:09,219 --> 00:31:10,959 I surrender to you, God. 521 00:31:12,419 --> 00:31:17,771 Still unsure, still worried about whether I could be able to 522 00:31:17,795 --> 00:31:18,759 do it or not. 523 00:31:19,459 --> 00:31:22,199 But I just trusted that God knew what he was doing. 524 00:31:23,859 --> 00:31:28,119 It's not always an easy journey, but God is in control. 525 00:31:30,589 --> 00:31:40,581 You know, when I met Janet, there was a just kind of a trail 526 00:31:40,645 --> 00:31:46,661 of life that I see as I look back at my life now and I journey 527 00:31:46,725 --> 00:31:47,329 through. 528 00:31:48,749 --> 00:31:54,309 Way back when I was a kid, I see this thread of life that's just 529 00:31:54,349 --> 00:31:57,379 kind of weaved through my journey. 530 00:32:00,039 --> 00:32:03,247 I go all the way back to when I was a boy there. 531 00:32:03,303 --> 00:32:07,839 Growing up out in the country, we had maybe about 10 people that 532 00:32:07,879 --> 00:32:12,299 were in the area that I grew up in. 533 00:32:12,679 --> 00:32:14,939 And so we're in a house here. 534 00:32:15,399 --> 00:32:20,939 There's a house next to us, and a little girl moves in there. 535 00:32:21,569 --> 00:32:23,909 There's another girl across the street. 536 00:32:24,529 --> 00:32:28,009 So growing up, we were really kind of the only kids, and so we 537 00:32:28,049 --> 00:32:29,109 hung out together. 538 00:32:29,489 --> 00:32:33,065 But the girl that lived in the house right here, her name was Sheila 539 00:32:33,097 --> 00:32:33,689 Williams. 540 00:32:33,769 --> 00:32:36,809 Now, for some of you, you might know the significance of that, 541 00:32:36,849 --> 00:32:41,209 because my wife is formerly Janet Williams, and Her mother and 542 00:32:41,249 --> 00:32:43,529 father is Terry and Sheila Williams. 543 00:32:43,689 --> 00:32:47,145 And so my neighbor girl was Sheila Williams. 544 00:32:47,337 --> 00:32:51,749 I tried to start looking for the movement of God in my life. 545 00:32:52,099 --> 00:32:54,599 The little things, you know what the Bible says. 546 00:32:56,259 --> 00:32:59,419 And we know that all things work together for good. 547 00:32:59,459 --> 00:33:00,879 To them that love God. 548 00:33:01,859 --> 00:33:07,387 Do we believe that all things, even the little things, is God working 549 00:33:07,443 --> 00:33:10,459 behind the scenes trying to do little things and we just take for 550 00:33:10,499 --> 00:33:11,035 granted. 551 00:33:11,147 --> 00:33:13,959 Man, I was really fortunate that that happened that way. 552 00:33:15,219 --> 00:33:16,571 Wow, man, it was just good. 553 00:33:16,595 --> 00:33:18,955 Fortune just smiled on me. 554 00:33:19,107 --> 00:33:20,679 What luck I have. 555 00:33:21,459 --> 00:33:22,719 It's not luck. 556 00:33:23,779 --> 00:33:27,179 It is God trying to work behind the scenes to keep our life 557 00:33:27,299 --> 00:33:29,323 going the direction that he wants it to go. 558 00:33:29,411 --> 00:33:33,531 And even when I was unsaved, even when I was trying to find my 559 00:33:33,555 --> 00:33:36,955 way and living in a horrible lifestyle, God was weaving that thread 560 00:33:36,987 --> 00:33:37,339 of life. 561 00:33:37,379 --> 00:33:40,651 So that one day when I would meet Janet's mother, she has been 562 00:33:40,675 --> 00:33:42,331 a major influence in my life. 563 00:33:42,435 --> 00:33:44,251 One of the greatest women that I know. 564 00:33:44,275 --> 00:33:48,671 And I love her because she is probably as much responsible for 565 00:33:48,695 --> 00:33:51,059 me being here as anybody alive. 566 00:33:53,399 --> 00:33:54,899 Sheila Williams. 567 00:33:55,479 --> 00:33:58,575 So when I met her that first time and I heard Sheila Williams, 568 00:33:58,607 --> 00:34:02,431 man, that just was a familiar name, something that I associated 569 00:34:02,495 --> 00:34:03,339 with Good. 570 00:34:08,679 --> 00:34:13,549 When I met Janet, I said I had the wrong motive. 571 00:34:14,849 --> 00:34:19,465 When I started going to church, I felt the Holy Spirit began 572 00:34:19,497 --> 00:34:20,729 to move and challenge me. 573 00:34:20,769 --> 00:34:24,789 And I knew that this is something I need to do. 574 00:34:26,289 --> 00:34:36,041 And so in my man brain, I said it wasn't just that. 575 00:34:36,065 --> 00:34:41,085 It was Satan telling me, hey, if you're going to do this, remember 576 00:34:41,117 --> 00:34:42,637 what your dad used to say? 577 00:34:42,773 --> 00:34:44,349 My dad believed in the Church of Christ. 578 00:34:44,389 --> 00:34:47,981 And if any of you are familiar with that, they used to have a saying, 579 00:34:48,085 --> 00:34:50,541 if you're not a member of the Church of Christ, you're going to 580 00:34:50,565 --> 00:34:51,169 hell. 581 00:34:53,589 --> 00:34:55,917 And so that began to just echo in my head. 582 00:34:55,973 --> 00:34:58,529 And I was like, well, my dad can't be wrong. 583 00:35:00,869 --> 00:35:02,845 So what genius thing did I do? 584 00:35:02,917 --> 00:35:05,281 Well, I started going to the Church of Christ one week and, and 585 00:35:05,305 --> 00:35:06,241 talk to the preacher over there. 586 00:35:06,265 --> 00:35:09,041 And the next week I go to the Baptist church and her dad's the 587 00:35:09,065 --> 00:35:11,617 pastor there and talk to him and back to the Church of Christ, 588 00:35:11,673 --> 00:35:13,985 talk to the pastor there, back to the Baptist church, talk to pastor 589 00:35:14,017 --> 00:35:14,353 there. 590 00:35:14,441 --> 00:35:16,029 And so it's just a mess. 591 00:35:16,329 --> 00:35:19,229 But you know what my motivation was? 592 00:35:19,929 --> 00:35:23,393 Here I am in church for five minutes and I've got everything figured 593 00:35:23,441 --> 00:35:23,793 out. 594 00:35:23,881 --> 00:35:26,897 I know what's right and what's wrong, what the Bible says about 595 00:35:26,953 --> 00:35:27,549 everything. 596 00:35:28,569 --> 00:35:32,935 I was going to prove that her dad was wrong, that the Baptist church 597 00:35:32,967 --> 00:35:37,447 was wrong, and her Dad's going to hell, and all those other people 598 00:35:37,503 --> 00:35:39,099 at church are going to hell. 599 00:35:40,159 --> 00:35:42,819 So you can imagine how our dates went. 600 00:35:44,959 --> 00:35:47,019 We had some interesting dates. 601 00:35:48,799 --> 00:35:51,591 There were times Janet will tell you, she went home and she's 602 00:35:51,655 --> 00:35:53,539 like, I am done with him. 603 00:35:54,879 --> 00:35:58,563 Her mom, Sheila Williams, just give him a chance. 604 00:35:58,611 --> 00:36:02,819 There's something there, Janet, she reminded me. 605 00:36:02,859 --> 00:36:03,539 She's like. 606 00:36:03,659 --> 00:36:07,279 She said to her mom, if you like him so much, you marry him. 607 00:36:13,339 --> 00:36:14,359 That thread. 608 00:36:15,899 --> 00:36:19,059 Sheila Williams, my neighbor girl next door, there was a little 609 00:36:19,099 --> 00:36:20,839 church, Maristown Baptist Church. 610 00:36:21,179 --> 00:36:22,259 And she would. 611 00:36:22,379 --> 00:36:22,899 She would. 612 00:36:22,939 --> 00:36:25,011 Every summer, they'd have vacation Bible school. 613 00:36:25,035 --> 00:36:27,519 And she'd say, hey, you want to go to vacation Bible school? 614 00:36:28,279 --> 00:36:30,863 So we would go down to this little church, just a tiny, tiny 615 00:36:30,911 --> 00:36:31,727 little church. 616 00:36:31,903 --> 00:36:36,335 But I would hear the gospel, that thread of life, God just sowing 617 00:36:36,367 --> 00:36:37,819 some truth in my life. 618 00:36:38,119 --> 00:36:40,495 Later, I'd have friends that would invite me to Baptist Youth 619 00:36:40,527 --> 00:36:40,719 Camp. 620 00:36:40,759 --> 00:36:43,679 I went to Baptist youth camp, about 16 years old. 621 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,615 There were some guys there, and we got into kind of a scuffle, 622 00:36:47,647 --> 00:36:48,335 and I got mad. 623 00:36:48,367 --> 00:36:50,575 I punched a tree and broke my hand. 624 00:36:50,727 --> 00:36:52,379 At Baptist Youth Camp. 625 00:36:52,849 --> 00:36:55,769 There was a sponsor there, and he sat me down in the dorm. 626 00:36:55,849 --> 00:36:59,161 He talked to me, calmed me down, told me about Jesus and how 627 00:36:59,185 --> 00:37:02,361 Jesus loved me and if I would just submit my life to him, that 628 00:37:02,385 --> 00:37:05,641 he would save my soul later. 629 00:37:05,665 --> 00:37:08,201 I have other friends that would invite me to Baptist activities 630 00:37:08,265 --> 00:37:09,897 at church there in Joshua. 631 00:37:09,993 --> 00:37:13,149 And I would go and I would hear Bible stories. 632 00:37:13,649 --> 00:37:17,033 Later, I would get a job at a restaurant called K Bob's there in 633 00:37:17,041 --> 00:37:17,673 Burleson. 634 00:37:17,721 --> 00:37:18,761 And I started working there. 635 00:37:18,785 --> 00:37:21,321 And there was a girl, one of the waitresses there, her name was 636 00:37:21,345 --> 00:37:25,193 Kim Muller, now Kim Mueller, she went to Boulevard Baptist Church, 637 00:37:25,321 --> 00:37:28,869 which is where she was. 638 00:37:29,969 --> 00:37:32,585 So that was my first introduction to Boulevard Baptist 639 00:37:32,617 --> 00:37:33,305 Church. 640 00:37:33,497 --> 00:37:37,497 And so through that, another one of my friends that worked there 641 00:37:37,553 --> 00:37:40,809 at the restaurant, he started going to Boulevard Baptist Church. 642 00:37:40,889 --> 00:37:43,673 He then invited another one of my friends at the restaurant to go 643 00:37:43,681 --> 00:37:45,513 to Boulevard Baptist Church. 644 00:37:45,641 --> 00:37:47,579 That friend met a girl at the church. 645 00:37:47,729 --> 00:37:49,207 They started going out. 646 00:37:49,343 --> 00:37:50,859 That girl had a sister. 647 00:37:51,599 --> 00:37:54,023 So my friend called me and said, hey, would you like to go out 648 00:37:54,031 --> 00:37:55,159 on a double date? 649 00:37:55,319 --> 00:37:56,019 Sure. 650 00:37:57,039 --> 00:37:58,359 So he sets it up. 651 00:37:58,399 --> 00:37:59,287 We're supposed to go out. 652 00:37:59,343 --> 00:38:03,063 Well, that sister best friend was Janet. 653 00:38:03,191 --> 00:38:04,647 She invited Janet to come along. 654 00:38:04,703 --> 00:38:06,219 Didn't tell her it was a double date. 655 00:38:06,879 --> 00:38:10,471 We go out on that date, and me and the girl that I'm set up, we 656 00:38:10,495 --> 00:38:13,293 hated each other from the outset and didn't like her at all. 657 00:38:13,431 --> 00:38:14,209 I didn't like her. 658 00:38:14,249 --> 00:38:16,989 She didn't like Me and I didn't want to even be in the same 659 00:38:18,089 --> 00:38:19,553 area that she was. 660 00:38:19,641 --> 00:38:20,785 Just didn't like her. 661 00:38:20,937 --> 00:38:22,309 But I like Janet. 662 00:38:23,129 --> 00:38:28,705 She wink at me and she smiled and like obviously she sees how wonderful 663 00:38:28,737 --> 00:38:29,549 I am. 664 00:38:33,449 --> 00:38:36,029 So I said, hey, would you like to go out? 665 00:38:37,209 --> 00:38:40,113 And her response, she said, if we're going to go out, you have to 666 00:38:40,121 --> 00:38:41,029 come to church. 667 00:38:42,399 --> 00:38:46,087 So that brought me to Boulevard Baptist Church and there's 668 00:38:46,103 --> 00:38:49,495 an old fashioned preacher standing in the pulpit preaching 669 00:38:49,527 --> 00:38:52,631 the word of God, telling me about hell, telling me that I'm a 670 00:38:52,655 --> 00:39:00,519 sinner because of that man, because of that thread of life that 671 00:39:00,559 --> 00:39:03,399 God just kept on moving through my life, bringing people 672 00:39:03,439 --> 00:39:03,639 in. 673 00:39:03,679 --> 00:39:07,511 And I want to ask you, where are you on that thread of life for 674 00:39:07,535 --> 00:39:08,299 somebody? 675 00:39:10,439 --> 00:39:13,999 You see God's weaving that thread through somebody's life right 676 00:39:14,039 --> 00:39:14,619 now. 677 00:39:14,999 --> 00:39:20,639 Somebody that you know, he is weaving their story and he's trying 678 00:39:20,679 --> 00:39:24,543 to bring you into their path that you can tell them about Jesus 679 00:39:24,591 --> 00:39:26,379 and we're fighting against it. 680 00:39:28,359 --> 00:39:30,059 Can God use me? 681 00:39:32,279 --> 00:39:34,619 I told you I would give you the answer to the question. 682 00:39:36,639 --> 00:39:40,343 There's nothing special about me as a missionary or any other missionary 683 00:39:40,471 --> 00:39:43,895 or your pastor or any other person that's in full time service. 684 00:39:43,967 --> 00:39:45,831 There's nothing special about us. 685 00:39:45,935 --> 00:39:48,419 There's really only one thing that makes us any different. 686 00:39:49,199 --> 00:39:53,059 We just said yes, that is it. 687 00:39:53,599 --> 00:39:54,903 That is the key. 688 00:39:55,071 --> 00:39:56,459 Just say yes. 689 00:39:58,079 --> 00:40:01,419 When God calls you find a place to serve. 690 00:40:02,139 --> 00:40:03,159 Say yes. 691 00:40:03,819 --> 00:40:07,027 I can promise you that your pastor here, if you come to him and 692 00:40:07,083 --> 00:40:11,155 say I want a job to do in the church, that he's going to say, we've 693 00:40:11,187 --> 00:40:13,799 got everything full and don't need anybody else. 694 00:40:19,499 --> 00:40:22,179 Listen, you saw our video and I'll finish with this. 695 00:40:22,219 --> 00:40:26,851 You saw our video and we've had a lot of things happen in our 696 00:40:26,875 --> 00:40:31,249 ministry and some difficult things. 697 00:40:32,269 --> 00:40:36,449 It's hard to watch your children go through the things that 698 00:40:36,909 --> 00:40:38,485 my kids have gone through. 699 00:40:38,637 --> 00:40:43,589 My son, 9 years old, diagnosed with diabetes, he had alopecia, so 700 00:40:43,629 --> 00:40:45,173 he lost all of his hair. 701 00:40:45,301 --> 00:40:48,209 Nine years old, that's hard to watch. 702 00:40:48,989 --> 00:40:53,109 Hard to see him go through that later. 703 00:40:53,229 --> 00:40:57,299 He both kidneys at the same time, just shut down. 704 00:40:58,479 --> 00:41:02,739 We're over here and he's at the point of death. 705 00:41:03,839 --> 00:41:07,379 And what do you do? 706 00:41:09,359 --> 00:41:12,711 That could have been an opportunity to say, okay, well listen, 707 00:41:12,775 --> 00:41:17,111 we've got problems, maybe we need to pack it up and take care 708 00:41:17,135 --> 00:41:18,019 of our family. 709 00:41:18,959 --> 00:41:20,359 But that wasn't our heart. 710 00:41:20,479 --> 00:41:22,299 We just kept saying yes to God. 711 00:41:22,609 --> 00:41:23,929 God, I know you're not done yet. 712 00:41:23,969 --> 00:41:25,705 We're going to continue to stay on the field. 713 00:41:25,777 --> 00:41:27,001 And do what you've called us to do. 714 00:41:27,025 --> 00:41:30,729 And Janet gets sick and she has her health problems, she is in 715 00:41:30,849 --> 00:41:32,989 intensive care and she almost died. 716 00:41:34,129 --> 00:41:37,561 But rather than say, hey, let's pack it up, let's get back 717 00:41:37,585 --> 00:41:43,065 to where we can get some good health care, we just said, yes, we'll 718 00:41:43,097 --> 00:41:43,909 keep going. 719 00:41:45,569 --> 00:41:50,679 When I found out I had cancer, just keep saying yes. 720 00:41:51,419 --> 00:41:54,995 None of the circumstances that we've gone through is any reason 721 00:41:55,067 --> 00:41:56,519 to stop serving God. 722 00:42:00,859 --> 00:42:05,907 We are over there in the UK and they have national health care 723 00:42:05,963 --> 00:42:12,051 system and they all say, well, it's free health care, it still has 724 00:42:12,075 --> 00:42:12,659 to be paid for. 725 00:42:12,699 --> 00:42:15,839 And it's not the greatest healthcare, honestly. 726 00:42:16,339 --> 00:42:21,035 But when God's on your side, when he's the administer of national 727 00:42:21,107 --> 00:42:23,479 healthcare, it's great. 728 00:42:25,539 --> 00:42:30,315 We have had her intensive care, my cancer surgery, all of Dylan's 729 00:42:30,347 --> 00:42:32,651 diabetic medication. 730 00:42:32,715 --> 00:42:38,159 If you have any idea that that stuff's expensive, kidney transplant, 731 00:42:39,549 --> 00:42:42,769 you know how much we spent for all of that? 732 00:42:43,709 --> 00:42:44,449 Zero. 733 00:42:46,109 --> 00:42:50,009 Not a dime have we spent on medical treatment. 734 00:42:51,389 --> 00:42:53,249 And you know what I say about that? 735 00:42:54,429 --> 00:42:57,205 God, I had this discussion with my daughter, my oldest daughter 736 00:42:57,237 --> 00:42:59,413 now with multiple sclerosis, and she's going through. 737 00:42:59,501 --> 00:43:02,821 She went through a rough time and she's struggling a little bit 738 00:43:02,845 --> 00:43:03,669 with God. 739 00:43:03,829 --> 00:43:05,009 How's this fair? 740 00:43:05,399 --> 00:43:08,287 I told her, hey, let's maybe try to look at it from a different 741 00:43:08,343 --> 00:43:09,295 perspective. 742 00:43:09,487 --> 00:43:12,815 God, because as we saw in that passage, says he has an expected 743 00:43:12,887 --> 00:43:13,979 end for us. 744 00:43:14,999 --> 00:43:17,391 He knows the journey that we're going to be on. 745 00:43:17,495 --> 00:43:21,583 So when he called me to go to Scotland, he knew that she was going 746 00:43:21,591 --> 00:43:22,655 to have problems with her liver. 747 00:43:22,687 --> 00:43:24,623 He knew that my son was going to have diabetes. 748 00:43:24,671 --> 00:43:26,495 He knew that his kidneys were going to shut down. 749 00:43:26,567 --> 00:43:28,063 He knew that I was going to have cancer. 750 00:43:28,111 --> 00:43:31,059 He knew that she was going to have multiple sclerosis. 751 00:43:31,829 --> 00:43:32,941 So what did he do? 752 00:43:33,045 --> 00:43:35,741 He sent us to a field where we could get the medical treatment that 753 00:43:35,765 --> 00:43:36,489 we need. 754 00:43:38,229 --> 00:43:41,209 What would have happened if we would have packed up and came home 755 00:43:42,549 --> 00:43:48,669 because of circumstances and we would have come back here and 756 00:43:48,709 --> 00:43:52,109 not been able to get the treatment that God provided for us 757 00:43:52,149 --> 00:43:52,969 over there? 758 00:43:54,469 --> 00:43:55,729 Just say yes. 759 00:43:56,309 --> 00:44:03,299 I stand here before you tonight to try to encourage you that 760 00:44:03,339 --> 00:44:07,363 when you say yes, it doesn't mean that everything is going to 761 00:44:07,371 --> 00:44:11,971 be wonderful, but it does mean that you'll get to watch some incredible 762 00:44:12,035 --> 00:44:13,679 things that God's going to do. 763 00:44:14,059 --> 00:44:17,091 Buckle up and enjoy the journey, because God will do some 764 00:44:17,115 --> 00:44:22,419 things that you can stand back and say, wow, look at what God has 765 00:44:22,459 --> 00:44:23,039 done. 766 00:44:24,149 --> 00:44:29,309 How many Christians live a life that they never experience the 767 00:44:29,349 --> 00:44:33,997 life of faith truly and see God do amazing, wonderful things 768 00:44:34,053 --> 00:44:34,969 in their life. 769 00:44:35,989 --> 00:44:37,089 What a shame. 770 00:44:37,669 --> 00:44:39,549 Can God use me? 771 00:44:39,669 --> 00:44:42,365 I hope that this will be a challenge to you tonight, that God 772 00:44:42,397 --> 00:44:49,005 will speak to your heart about service, getting out there, reaching 773 00:44:49,037 --> 00:44:52,299 people, asking God, what do you want me to do? 774 00:44:52,419 --> 00:44:53,819 Where can I fit in? 775 00:44:53,939 --> 00:44:55,723 Where can I get in and work? 776 00:44:55,891 --> 00:44:57,719 Is there a job for me? 777 00:44:58,099 --> 00:44:59,579 Start praying about it. 778 00:44:59,699 --> 00:45:00,635 Start seeking God. 779 00:45:00,667 --> 00:45:03,299 And tonight I ask you to stand with me.