1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:04,120 Welcome to Heaven Earth Church. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,040 My name is Ross Stackhouse. 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,040 I'm the founding pastor of Heaven Earth Church. 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,280 From the beginning, our heart was to be a church for people who 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,040 don't fit neatly into church. 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,200 Our heart is to meet people where they are, to learn their stories, 7 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:20,720 to honor their stories. 8 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,840 Because in every human story is God's story. 9 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,840 In this podcast, you'll hear more about the people who now call 10 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,400 Heaven Earth Church home. 11 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,420 Their stories, in many cases of misfits who are discovering or 12 00:00:33,420 --> 00:00:34,700 rediscovering faith. 13 00:00:34,860 --> 00:00:38,140 If you want to know more about us, you can go to heavenorthchurch.org 14 00:00:38,620 --> 00:00:41,660 Otherwise, we invite you now into the story. 15 00:00:44,060 --> 00:00:44,980 Hello, good people. 16 00:00:44,980 --> 00:00:49,660 Brad Miller here, the producer of the Heaven Earth Church podcast. 17 00:00:50,140 --> 00:00:53,700 One of the main benefits of being a part of the Heaven Earth 18 00:00:53,700 --> 00:00:59,800 Church community is our Sunday morning conversations taught by founding 19 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,120 pastor Ross Stackhouse. 20 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,200 You can watch and participate in the Sunday morning conversation 21 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:17,240 this Sunday morning, 9:30am Eastern time at YouTube.com heavenearthchurch. 22 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,640 The audio version of the Sunday morning conversation is available 23 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,370 here on the podcast, which you can find at Apple Podcasts, Spotify 24 00:01:28,850 --> 00:01:36,730 and on the website, which is heavenerthchurch.org Here is heaven 25 00:01:36,730 --> 00:01:41,170 Earth Church Pastor Ross Stackhouse with the Lenten message. 26 00:01:41,730 --> 00:01:44,130 Starting over with prayer. 27 00:01:45,410 --> 00:01:51,010 Lord, help us to hear your voice even in that which is unspoken. 28 00:01:51,430 --> 00:01:56,030 Help us to hear you, to know your heart, to be new creations who 29 00:01:56,030 --> 00:01:57,910 help you build this new creation. 30 00:01:58,630 --> 00:02:00,630 In Jesus name, Amen. 31 00:02:01,190 --> 00:02:05,190 So I want to say something as sort of a prologue before I talk. 32 00:02:05,590 --> 00:02:06,230 Okay. 33 00:02:07,510 --> 00:02:11,950 Our hearts, like Adam said, are heavy because I think we all 34 00:02:11,950 --> 00:02:14,310 saw that, you know, we were part. 35 00:02:14,310 --> 00:02:17,590 The United States was part of bombing Iran yesterday. 36 00:02:17,590 --> 00:02:18,790 I'm sure we all saw this. 37 00:02:18,790 --> 00:02:19,190 Correct. 38 00:02:19,580 --> 00:02:26,140 And while that is a mournful reality in itself, part of the news 39 00:02:26,140 --> 00:02:30,140 is that there were a lot of children who died in this. 40 00:02:30,460 --> 00:02:37,300 And so I couldn't be authentic sitting here today without acknowledging 41 00:02:37,300 --> 00:02:42,540 that any time in war is awful. 42 00:02:43,180 --> 00:02:43,820 Amen. 43 00:02:46,150 --> 00:02:48,550 One of the worst parts of this human reality. 44 00:02:49,510 --> 00:02:53,230 But when children die as they have been, this is nothing new, by 45 00:02:53,230 --> 00:02:53,670 the way. 46 00:02:54,710 --> 00:02:55,590 Nothing new. 47 00:02:56,710 --> 00:02:57,990 It's been happening. 48 00:02:58,870 --> 00:03:01,350 So you could rightly criticize me like Ross. 49 00:03:01,350 --> 00:03:02,430 Why are you bringing up today? 50 00:03:02,430 --> 00:03:04,070 It's been happening for a long time. 51 00:03:04,070 --> 00:03:08,230 Well, I wanted to take a moment and just acknowledge that 52 00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:10,510 and say that we're mourning that collectively. 53 00:03:10,510 --> 00:03:14,310 And I am processing and I invite you, as a part of your season 54 00:03:14,310 --> 00:03:18,230 of Lent, to be praying about that so that our hearts would be 55 00:03:18,230 --> 00:03:21,350 right in how we conduct ourselves. 56 00:03:22,550 --> 00:03:24,150 My prologue is finished. 57 00:03:25,430 --> 00:03:28,390 There was no other way to make it part of the sermon other than 58 00:03:28,390 --> 00:03:29,670 to make it a separate part. 59 00:03:30,230 --> 00:03:36,070 So now I'm going to show you a picture and see if you know where 60 00:03:36,230 --> 00:03:37,830 this picture is. 61 00:03:38,470 --> 00:03:39,110 Okay. 62 00:03:40,070 --> 00:03:41,350 Today is March 1st. 63 00:03:41,510 --> 00:03:42,710 That's the picture we want. 64 00:03:43,450 --> 00:03:44,250 Is that one. 65 00:03:44,570 --> 00:03:45,370 Where is that? 66 00:03:46,170 --> 00:03:47,450 Not Pennsylvania. 67 00:03:47,530 --> 00:03:48,210 I heard it. 68 00:03:48,210 --> 00:03:51,370 I heard him murmuring, that is Boston. 69 00:03:51,690 --> 00:03:53,210 Who's on that horse right there? 70 00:03:53,770 --> 00:03:55,290 You would think it's Paul Revere. 71 00:03:55,290 --> 00:03:55,930 It is not. 72 00:03:56,650 --> 00:03:59,329 There are many bronze statues in Boston. 73 00:03:59,329 --> 00:04:02,170 This one looks like, hey, that's got to be Paul Revere. 74 00:04:03,130 --> 00:04:03,770 Anyone? 75 00:04:04,250 --> 00:04:06,090 No, this is the original. 76 00:04:06,090 --> 00:04:09,290 This is G Dub, George Washington. 77 00:04:11,730 --> 00:04:13,450 Now, since you already got it, I thought I'd. 78 00:04:13,450 --> 00:04:15,650 In case you didn't, I thought I'd show that, too. 79 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:17,650 This is an old school one. 80 00:04:17,810 --> 00:04:22,890 So there are some places that we go that just leave an impression 81 00:04:22,890 --> 00:04:24,130 on you forever, right? 82 00:04:24,770 --> 00:04:26,490 And this is one of them for me. 83 00:04:26,490 --> 00:04:28,850 My sister Stacy went to Boston University. 84 00:04:29,970 --> 00:04:34,730 And so when I was like 9 to 11 or something like that, I went a 85 00:04:34,730 --> 00:04:35,250 few times. 86 00:04:36,250 --> 00:04:39,850 And there's something about this city that just left a mark for 87 00:04:39,850 --> 00:04:40,170 me. 88 00:04:40,890 --> 00:04:41,210 1. 89 00:04:41,210 --> 00:04:43,930 It was just so different culturally, and I thought that was 90 00:04:43,930 --> 00:04:44,570 fascinating. 91 00:04:44,570 --> 00:04:45,170 As a kid. 92 00:04:45,170 --> 00:04:47,410 For example, I remember, maybe I'm making this up. 93 00:04:47,410 --> 00:04:48,210 Am I making this up? 94 00:04:48,210 --> 00:04:51,330 Dad, I swear I went to McDonald's and ordered biscuits and 95 00:04:51,330 --> 00:04:51,730 gravy. 96 00:04:51,730 --> 00:04:53,690 And they were like, what are you talking about, kid? 97 00:04:55,930 --> 00:04:57,370 Like, they did not serve that. 98 00:04:57,370 --> 00:04:58,290 And they were like, what are. 99 00:04:58,290 --> 00:04:58,970 What is that? 100 00:04:59,370 --> 00:05:01,050 So I thought that was fascinating. 101 00:05:01,130 --> 00:05:02,970 But they also had some things right. 102 00:05:03,290 --> 00:05:05,610 They had a donut shop on every corner. 103 00:05:06,690 --> 00:05:07,730 And I was like, this is. 104 00:05:07,730 --> 00:05:08,250 They get. 105 00:05:08,250 --> 00:05:09,170 They get it here. 106 00:05:09,170 --> 00:05:10,290 They're doing it right? 107 00:05:12,050 --> 00:05:12,490 Yeah. 108 00:05:12,490 --> 00:05:13,770 I mean, every corner. 109 00:05:13,770 --> 00:05:15,330 I was like, this is cool, man. 110 00:05:15,410 --> 00:05:16,290 I like this. 111 00:05:17,010 --> 00:05:19,330 But even as a kid, I appreciated the history. 112 00:05:20,290 --> 00:05:23,170 And now I'm like, I love history. 113 00:05:23,810 --> 00:05:25,810 And then this was the coolest thing. 114 00:05:25,810 --> 00:05:30,290 When I was nine years old, this was the first major league ballpark 115 00:05:30,290 --> 00:05:31,330 I ever went to. 116 00:05:32,660 --> 00:05:36,940 And that guy batting was at the game I went to. 117 00:05:36,940 --> 00:05:37,940 I didn't go to this game. 118 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:41,300 The Red Sox played the Kansas City Royals. 119 00:05:41,620 --> 00:05:44,340 Mo Vaughan hit a bomb over the Green Monster. 120 00:05:44,340 --> 00:05:46,420 Chili Davis got ejected in that game. 121 00:05:46,820 --> 00:05:50,660 I'm a Red Sox fan to this day because of my first experience there. 122 00:05:51,540 --> 00:05:54,180 Sometimes places just leave a mark on us, right? 123 00:05:54,580 --> 00:05:55,060 So what. 124 00:05:55,060 --> 00:05:55,740 What are some of the. 125 00:05:55,740 --> 00:05:57,140 Let's hear some of those places for you. 126 00:05:57,140 --> 00:05:58,340 Place you've been that just. 127 00:05:59,490 --> 00:06:00,690 It just stuck with you. 128 00:06:00,770 --> 00:06:02,210 I've gone back to the city. 129 00:06:02,290 --> 00:06:04,530 I. I drove there. 130 00:06:04,770 --> 00:06:07,410 That sounded like a prayer gong or something, didn't it? 131 00:06:07,730 --> 00:06:08,490 And we're on. 132 00:06:08,490 --> 00:06:09,490 Talking on prayer today. 133 00:06:09,970 --> 00:06:11,290 What's the place for you? 134 00:06:11,290 --> 00:06:12,250 You went there and it just. 135 00:06:12,250 --> 00:06:13,410 It just stayed with you. 136 00:06:14,210 --> 00:06:16,930 I'm not even a city guy, but I. 137 00:06:16,930 --> 00:06:17,970 Man, I love this city. 138 00:06:18,850 --> 00:06:20,770 What's the place for you that's left a mark? 139 00:06:21,010 --> 00:06:22,130 Clearwater Beach. 140 00:06:22,530 --> 00:06:23,170 Awesome. 141 00:06:23,650 --> 00:06:24,370 What else? 142 00:06:25,510 --> 00:06:26,310 Bar Harbor. 143 00:06:26,390 --> 00:06:27,430 The Redwoods. 144 00:06:29,110 --> 00:06:29,670 Yeah. 145 00:06:30,150 --> 00:06:30,870 Haiti. 146 00:06:34,790 --> 00:06:35,430 Dave. 147 00:06:35,590 --> 00:06:36,550 Grand Canyon. 148 00:06:37,590 --> 00:06:39,990 But Yellowstone. 149 00:06:40,790 --> 00:06:41,510 There you go. 150 00:06:41,670 --> 00:06:43,830 See, by the way, it doesn't. 151 00:06:43,830 --> 00:06:45,430 It could be like my grandma's house. 152 00:06:45,430 --> 00:06:47,550 That could be the place that left a mark on you. 153 00:06:47,550 --> 00:06:49,750 Jamin the Tetons. 154 00:06:49,750 --> 00:06:50,470 Yes, sir. 155 00:06:51,050 --> 00:06:53,530 Dina Sturgis. 156 00:06:53,770 --> 00:06:54,250 Yeah. 157 00:06:54,810 --> 00:06:56,730 Did you ride a motorcycle there, Dina? 158 00:06:57,130 --> 00:06:57,650 You did? 159 00:06:57,650 --> 00:06:58,210 Okay. 160 00:06:58,210 --> 00:06:58,610 All right. 161 00:06:58,610 --> 00:06:58,970 On. 162 00:06:59,050 --> 00:07:01,210 Right on, right on. 163 00:07:04,010 --> 00:07:05,290 Anne Frank's house. 164 00:07:05,850 --> 00:07:06,330 Wow. 165 00:07:07,450 --> 00:07:08,170 Who else? 166 00:07:08,650 --> 00:07:09,850 We got another one jamin. 167 00:07:09,850 --> 00:07:10,250 Go ahead. 168 00:07:10,490 --> 00:07:12,090 The Henry Ford Museum. 169 00:07:13,450 --> 00:07:15,770 Adam Cairo. 170 00:07:16,090 --> 00:07:16,490 Right. 171 00:07:17,570 --> 00:07:19,570 Well, I know you, so I figured that's where you're going. 172 00:07:19,650 --> 00:07:22,290 Charles Arlington Cemetery. 173 00:07:22,450 --> 00:07:22,930 Yeah. 174 00:07:23,010 --> 00:07:23,570 Yeah. 175 00:07:23,570 --> 00:07:24,290 What was that? 176 00:07:24,290 --> 00:07:25,330 Canary Island? 177 00:07:25,410 --> 00:07:25,970 Yep. 178 00:07:27,250 --> 00:07:28,370 Great Wall of China. 179 00:07:28,850 --> 00:07:29,730 Who said that? 180 00:07:31,330 --> 00:07:31,730 Heather. 181 00:07:31,730 --> 00:07:32,250 You win. 182 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:37,490 Okay, Tucker. 183 00:07:38,690 --> 00:07:40,130 Give you a minute, okay? 184 00:07:40,130 --> 00:07:41,090 We'll come back to you. 185 00:07:41,330 --> 00:07:41,890 Okay. 186 00:07:41,890 --> 00:07:42,210 He. 187 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:45,320 Library of Congress. 188 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:49,000 Anybody else? 189 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:51,720 Masada. 190 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:53,880 The site of the World Trade Centers. 191 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:55,640 The memorial. 192 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:56,120 Yeah. 193 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,720 I want to talk to you about a place today that I think is like 194 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,160 an undiscovered land to us, even those of us who are experts. 195 00:08:08,450 --> 00:08:11,610 We're in a series called the Prayerful Life, a series for beginners, 196 00:08:11,610 --> 00:08:13,010 experts and skeptics. 197 00:08:13,410 --> 00:08:16,050 I want to talk to you about this place. 198 00:08:16,770 --> 00:08:21,010 I want to think with you along the lines of prayer as a place. 199 00:08:21,730 --> 00:08:26,410 You know, last week we talked about prayer as a garden rather than 200 00:08:26,410 --> 00:08:27,490 something we do. 201 00:08:28,370 --> 00:08:29,970 It's more of a place of being. 202 00:08:30,130 --> 00:08:34,050 If you were on social media, you saw how ugly my garden looks. 203 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,080 And I said last week, ugly gardens can still produce fruit. 204 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:44,000 So some of you feel like my garden, of my prayer life is neglected. 205 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,320 I haven't even started it. 206 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:46,720 Well, guess what? 207 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,000 Neglected gardens can still bear fruit. 208 00:08:49,560 --> 00:08:52,200 So yesterday I took the first step, Jennifer. 209 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,880 I tore out all the tomato plants and I started tilling the 210 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:57,560 soil to get ready for this year. 211 00:08:58,280 --> 00:08:59,480 It's still not there yet. 212 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,040 I haven't planted, but we're one step there. 213 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,280 Prayer is like a garden we talked about. 214 00:09:04,860 --> 00:09:07,420 We cultivate the extraordinary love of God there. 215 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:09,420 Love of self and love of neighbor. 216 00:09:11,100 --> 00:09:14,420 It's a place of being with God where we get our hands into the soil. 217 00:09:14,420 --> 00:09:16,220 We cultivate the fruit of the spirit. 218 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:18,540 It's ultimately where we remain in God's love. 219 00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:20,860 Jesus says, remain in my love in John 15. 220 00:09:21,180 --> 00:09:23,580 It's where we forge trust that God is near. 221 00:09:25,820 --> 00:09:28,420 And if you're saying Like Ross, I don't believe that God is 222 00:09:28,420 --> 00:09:28,660 near. 223 00:09:28,660 --> 00:09:29,740 I'm not experiencing it. 224 00:09:29,740 --> 00:09:31,580 That's why I'm saying prayer is what it is. 225 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:34,800 Prayer is like a wrestling ground. 226 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,160 But I also want to bring up something. 227 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,680 I want to help you think of it as a place today. 228 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,800 This right here is from Psalm 46. 229 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,600 Anybody know Psalm 46:10 in the house? 230 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,200 It's a famous one. 231 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:52,160 Don't be shy, be still and know that I am God. 232 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:56,160 That whole psalm is really good for the record. 233 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:58,960 The Psalms are a book of prayers. 234 00:10:01,180 --> 00:10:05,300 A lot of them are prayers that honestly, if I'm God, I'm like, nope, 235 00:10:05,300 --> 00:10:06,060 that one's out. 236 00:10:06,060 --> 00:10:07,740 You can't say things like that. 237 00:10:07,900 --> 00:10:10,020 But isn't it amazing that it's in there? 238 00:10:10,020 --> 00:10:13,260 Because God is saying like, no, I want your honesty. 239 00:10:13,580 --> 00:10:16,340 Bring me your complaints, bring me your sorrow. 240 00:10:16,340 --> 00:10:19,740 That alone tells us that prayer is a space of relationship. 241 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:22,380 It's not a religious task. 242 00:10:22,460 --> 00:10:23,900 It's not superstition. 243 00:10:23,900 --> 00:10:25,180 It's not a proving ground. 244 00:10:26,090 --> 00:10:29,850 But Psalm 46:10 says, There is a river whose streams make glad the 245 00:10:29,850 --> 00:10:32,970 city of God, the holy habitation of the most High. 246 00:10:33,690 --> 00:10:35,450 God is in the midst of the city. 247 00:10:35,690 --> 00:10:37,210 It shall not be moved. 248 00:10:37,930 --> 00:10:39,930 God will help it when the morning dawns. 249 00:10:39,930 --> 00:10:43,890 What I want to say to you is that prayer is almost like a time 250 00:10:43,890 --> 00:10:46,570 when we take up residence in the city of God. 251 00:10:47,930 --> 00:10:54,200 So every time we go to prayer, whether it's good praying or bad 252 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,200 praying, it's like we're going to the city of God to take up residence 253 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:04,400 for a while and we're getting life from this river that flows in 254 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:05,080 God's city. 255 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:10,880 I want to talk to you about that today, but I'm going to talk 256 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,600 about this three headed monster, this three headed dragon 257 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,240 that I hear most people don't like. 258 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:18,320 We're going to start. 259 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,640 We talked about the why of prayer last week. 260 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:22,440 We're going to keep doing that this week. 261 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,340 But we're also going to talk about the different dimensions of 262 00:11:25,340 --> 00:11:25,780 prayer. 263 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:31,020 Because sometimes we think of talking in prayer like you. 264 00:11:31,020 --> 00:11:32,340 That's what you do in prayer, right? 265 00:11:32,340 --> 00:11:32,980 You talk. 266 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:35,540 But that's only one dimension of prayer. 267 00:11:35,620 --> 00:11:37,260 We always tell this story here. 268 00:11:37,260 --> 00:11:40,500 When Mother Teresa was asked in an interview, like, when you pray, 269 00:11:40,740 --> 00:11:42,060 what are you saying to God? 270 00:11:42,060 --> 00:11:44,420 And she's like, nothing, I'm just listening. 271 00:11:44,660 --> 00:11:47,700 And then the interviewer said, well, what is God saying to you? 272 00:11:47,700 --> 00:11:49,940 Nothing, just listening. 273 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:51,440 We're listening to each other. 274 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:52,520 Listen to each other. 275 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,440 How many of you are excited about that? 276 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,040 Like, I can't wait to do that. 277 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,720 That's why we're going to talk today a little bit about this three 278 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,840 headed dragon that most people in our neck of the woods do not like. 279 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:03,800 You ready for it? 280 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,880 Solitude, stillness and silence. 281 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,440 When I say those things, what do you feel like practicing? 282 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,120 Solitude, stillness, silence. 283 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:19,520 How's that honestly strike you? 284 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:21,680 It's hard. 285 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:22,800 What did you say? 286 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:24,720 It's amazing. 287 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:28,200 Anybody else? 288 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:29,680 How do you do a solitude? 289 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:31,600 Stillness, silence. 290 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,080 It sounds like what happens right before the nap starts. 291 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,720 Yeah, yeah. 292 00:12:46,570 --> 00:12:47,050 What else? 293 00:12:47,050 --> 00:12:50,570 How do you feel about stillness, silence? 294 00:12:52,170 --> 00:12:55,490 Some of you are like, Ross, I already stink at prayer. 295 00:12:55,490 --> 00:12:57,210 Prayer is not a thing I do. 296 00:12:57,450 --> 00:13:02,410 If you want me to be still and silent and like practice something 297 00:13:02,410 --> 00:13:03,930 like solitude, forget it. 298 00:13:04,410 --> 00:13:05,130 I'm out. 299 00:13:05,930 --> 00:13:08,090 I can't sit still for 10 seconds. 300 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:11,960 Anybody like that? 301 00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:14,600 How many of you struggle with sitting still? 302 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,680 Let's just see a show of hands. 303 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:24,840 That's like half the room, Right? 304 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,640 You might be sitting still, but your mind is not still. 305 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,120 Which we're going to talk about that by the way. 306 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,240 Stillness does not necessarily mean that you are physically still. 307 00:13:34,290 --> 00:13:35,730 So we're going to talk about that later. 308 00:13:36,130 --> 00:13:40,130 There's a quote from if I can find it, and I don't like this quote 309 00:13:40,130 --> 00:13:43,650 at first glance, so stay with me here. 310 00:13:44,370 --> 00:13:49,170 There's a guy named Henry Nouwen, well known for his phrase 311 00:13:49,170 --> 00:13:52,730 the wounded healer and his source, his whole teaching on that. 312 00:13:52,730 --> 00:13:56,970 He says without solitude, it is virtually impossible to live a 313 00:13:56,970 --> 00:13:57,730 spiritual life. 314 00:13:58,690 --> 00:13:59,330 Ouch. 315 00:14:01,070 --> 00:14:01,870 That's not fair. 316 00:14:02,350 --> 00:14:05,470 Like I heard in an interview that Emily shared with me, John Mark 317 00:14:05,470 --> 00:14:07,710 Comer said as a pastor that I don't. 318 00:14:07,710 --> 00:14:11,150 It's hard for me because like, what about the mom, the single mom 319 00:14:11,150 --> 00:14:15,670 who's working three jobs or somebody who's just working around 320 00:14:15,670 --> 00:14:16,270 the clock? 321 00:14:16,910 --> 00:14:25,350 But what I have to admit, everyone, is that Jesus was all the 322 00:14:25,350 --> 00:14:29,100 time practicing solitude all the time. 323 00:14:30,220 --> 00:14:31,340 Luke 5:16. 324 00:14:31,580 --> 00:14:35,740 Meanwhile he Jesus would slip away to deserted places to pray. 325 00:14:35,900 --> 00:14:39,580 The word there is like the word we get for desert or wilderness 326 00:14:39,820 --> 00:14:40,620 in the Bible. 327 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:45,300 It just meant like Jesus had these times when he went to be by 328 00:14:45,300 --> 00:14:48,700 himself, to be hidden in the wings of the Father. 329 00:14:48,940 --> 00:14:52,140 I think about like a mother hen gathering her chicks. 330 00:14:52,810 --> 00:14:56,570 Jesus regularly had this practice of going off by himself 331 00:14:56,570 --> 00:14:58,570 to be hidden in the wings of the Father. 332 00:14:58,730 --> 00:15:03,290 And he teaches us, like, if you don't have these times when you 333 00:15:03,290 --> 00:15:10,010 experience being alone with just you and God, we're going to 334 00:15:10,010 --> 00:15:10,490 miss out. 335 00:15:11,050 --> 00:15:15,370 Some of us feel so we're drowning, but we're thirsty. 336 00:15:15,530 --> 00:15:19,330 Like we're drowning with so much activity, we're drowning. 337 00:15:19,330 --> 00:15:21,330 Even with religious Activity. 338 00:15:21,330 --> 00:15:22,570 But we're thirsty. 339 00:15:22,730 --> 00:15:28,090 Prayer is a place where we get water even as we stumble through 340 00:15:28,090 --> 00:15:28,410 it. 341 00:15:30,410 --> 00:15:32,250 So I want to talk with you about that today. 342 00:15:32,250 --> 00:15:33,450 And I want to do it. 343 00:15:34,010 --> 00:15:38,490 Like, Jesus had this habit of calling, like, God Father, right? 344 00:15:38,490 --> 00:15:39,770 Some of us struggle with that. 345 00:15:39,770 --> 00:15:41,450 I know there are people in the room who. 346 00:15:41,850 --> 00:15:46,760 Their father was not a respectable person, but Jesus had 347 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,520 this intimate relationship with God. 348 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,480 He would call him Father or Abba. 349 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:55,280 It was like an affectionate relationship connection that he cultivated. 350 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:59,200 When Jesus went to the garden of his prayer, he cultivated this 351 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,119 loving relationship with the Father. 352 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,040 And I want to show you an example of, like, what is the basis 353 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:06,480 for why we go to prayer? 354 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:07,000 I want to. 355 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,440 I want to walk you through Psalm 46, that when I think about 356 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,880 it, it's like the. 357 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,480 The foundation of why we go to prayer in the first place. 358 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:18,160 It's. 359 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,720 It's like the trust we're trying to discover. 360 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,560 Prayer is a place of discovery. 361 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:27,320 And so I want to walk you through Psalm 46, and I want to show 362 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:31,760 you where that famous phrase, be still and know that I am God shows 363 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:32,000 up. 364 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:33,520 It's really cool. 365 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:35,840 So I want to walk you through it here. 366 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:38,240 God is our refuge and strength. 367 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:45,320 A very present, well proved help in trouble. 368 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,200 Can you say well proved in the Hebrew? 369 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,360 There's a potential translation where it could be very 370 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:52,920 present or well proved. 371 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:54,360 I like well proved. 372 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:56,920 Like God's got credibility. 373 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,200 God's got a good resume for showing up. 374 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:05,410 This psalm starts out with a faithful declaration that relates 375 00:17:05,410 --> 00:17:08,530 to the nearness of the Lord that we talked about last week. 376 00:17:09,330 --> 00:17:10,770 God is well proved. 377 00:17:11,570 --> 00:17:15,090 Read the very next word, just the one word after trouble. 378 00:17:15,970 --> 00:17:16,770 Read it again. 379 00:17:18,610 --> 00:17:19,570 One more time. 380 00:17:21,170 --> 00:17:24,130 Like why we get this is the reason we go to pray. 381 00:17:24,370 --> 00:17:29,010 Like, therefore, I want to believe that first sentence. 382 00:17:29,010 --> 00:17:30,450 God is our refuge and strength. 383 00:17:30,450 --> 00:17:32,770 The very present, well proved help in trouble. 384 00:17:33,420 --> 00:17:35,900 I want to believe that God help my unbelief. 385 00:17:36,060 --> 00:17:37,260 I want to believe that. 386 00:17:37,260 --> 00:17:40,500 And I want to go to prayer trusting that no matter what I'm 387 00:17:40,500 --> 00:17:44,820 feeling, no matter what the circumstances are, I've got this 388 00:17:44,820 --> 00:17:46,700 therefore on my side. 389 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:54,860 No matter what's going on, We will not fear. 390 00:17:55,500 --> 00:17:58,380 Though the earth should change, the mountains shake in the 391 00:17:58,380 --> 00:18:01,460 heart of the sea Though its waters roar and foam Though the mountains 392 00:18:01,460 --> 00:18:02,860 tremble with its tumult. 393 00:18:03,780 --> 00:18:07,460 That word is perhaps like a musical word, the one in italics, 394 00:18:07,780 --> 00:18:09,460 because these would be turned into music. 395 00:18:11,060 --> 00:18:12,100 We're not there yet. 396 00:18:13,300 --> 00:18:14,820 Anybody feel that way today? 397 00:18:14,820 --> 00:18:17,940 Like the earth, like the mountains are shaking in the heart 398 00:18:17,940 --> 00:18:20,860 the sea, the waters roar and foam, the mountains tremble with 399 00:18:20,860 --> 00:18:21,620 Its tumult. 400 00:18:23,540 --> 00:18:25,220 But this is what I want to talk about. 401 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:28,100 That like a place that leaves an impression on you. 402 00:18:30,270 --> 00:18:34,030 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy 403 00:18:34,030 --> 00:18:35,630 habitation of the Most High. 404 00:18:35,950 --> 00:18:38,510 God is in the midst of the city. 405 00:18:38,590 --> 00:18:40,190 It shall not be moved. 406 00:18:40,190 --> 00:18:40,950 God will help it. 407 00:18:40,950 --> 00:18:42,270 When the morning dawns. 408 00:18:43,150 --> 00:18:45,470 The nations are in an uproar. 409 00:18:45,470 --> 00:18:46,030 Amen. 410 00:18:47,550 --> 00:18:49,390 The nations are in an uproar. 411 00:18:49,790 --> 00:18:51,310 The kingdoms totter. 412 00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:54,030 He utters his voice, the earth melts. 413 00:18:54,750 --> 00:18:56,750 I'm going to read this straight from my paper. 414 00:18:56,910 --> 00:19:00,510 The psalmist takes us to the image of God's transcendent dwelling 415 00:19:00,510 --> 00:19:00,830 place. 416 00:19:00,830 --> 00:19:02,910 He takes us to the city of God. 417 00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:08,510 Prayer is like taking up residence in God's city for a while. 418 00:19:09,310 --> 00:19:12,830 I want to teach you, by the way, a practical tool, visualization 419 00:19:12,910 --> 00:19:13,630 in prayer. 420 00:19:14,510 --> 00:19:15,950 We're going to talk about that. 421 00:19:16,190 --> 00:19:20,230 Visualizing going to a place when you pray for those of us who 422 00:19:20,230 --> 00:19:22,350 are visual people and you can't sit still. 423 00:19:22,930 --> 00:19:26,170 Visualizing that you're going to a place with God might help. 424 00:19:26,170 --> 00:19:28,210 This guy takes us to the City of God. 425 00:19:28,450 --> 00:19:31,570 Prayer is taking up residence in God's city for a while. 426 00:19:32,130 --> 00:19:35,610 It's not something we do so much as a place we inhabit for a 427 00:19:35,610 --> 00:19:35,890 time. 428 00:19:36,610 --> 00:19:39,490 In this city, there's no uncertainty about whether the city 429 00:19:39,490 --> 00:19:43,130 and its inhabitants will emerge victorious because God is 430 00:19:43,130 --> 00:19:46,050 in the midst of the city and it shall not be moved. 431 00:19:47,490 --> 00:19:51,800 Furthermore, when we take up residence in God's city for a while 432 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:57,080 through prayer, we realize that in this city it's our true home. 433 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:02,440 The more we spend time in this city, we realize God's city is actually 434 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:07,240 our true home and that we actually never have to leave it. 435 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,840 So again, think of a place that you've been that you continue 436 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:12,200 to carry in your heart. 437 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,120 God's city is like that. 438 00:20:14,940 --> 00:20:17,340 So for me now, I'm not going to talk about Boston. 439 00:20:17,420 --> 00:20:20,260 I'm going to talk about a little mobile home that I went to 440 00:20:20,260 --> 00:20:20,860 as a child. 441 00:20:22,700 --> 00:20:27,260 Sometimes I'd have to get off the bus when my dad was on a work 442 00:20:27,260 --> 00:20:27,580 trip. 443 00:20:27,580 --> 00:20:32,580 I was raised by a single father, and so I'd get up on this 444 00:20:32,580 --> 00:20:36,540 bus stop and my grandmother lived in this trailer sort of mobile 445 00:20:36,540 --> 00:20:38,060 home on London Road. 446 00:20:38,780 --> 00:20:41,180 It had the greatest Christmas lights. 447 00:20:41,180 --> 00:20:43,740 Not in Shelby county, but in all of Indiana. 448 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:46,920 And when I'd get off the bus. 449 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,520 When I'd get off the bus, my grandma would have the same snack 450 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,080 I loved every time. 451 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,960 Mike sells rigid chips with ketchup. 452 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:00,279 Sounds delicious, doesn't it? 453 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:07,000 And at nighttime, she would read this book like, I think it was 454 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:08,200 jam with Francis. 455 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:09,880 Anyone know the book? 456 00:21:11,410 --> 00:21:13,810 I carry that place in my heart. 457 00:21:14,450 --> 00:21:18,770 I carry that person in my heart. 458 00:21:19,810 --> 00:21:21,090 Prayer is like that. 459 00:21:22,210 --> 00:21:23,890 It's not something we do. 460 00:21:25,010 --> 00:21:27,090 It's a person we spend time with. 461 00:21:28,370 --> 00:21:30,610 It's a city where we take up residence. 462 00:21:32,530 --> 00:21:37,540 Think about this every time you utter a prayer, prayer that you 463 00:21:37,540 --> 00:21:41,740 stumble through and feel like a fool, you've taken up residence 464 00:21:41,740 --> 00:21:47,180 in God's city, and you realize that is your home, and you take it 465 00:21:47,180 --> 00:21:48,980 with you wherever you go. 466 00:21:49,780 --> 00:21:54,180 Your citizenship in heaven goes with you everywhere. 467 00:21:54,580 --> 00:21:55,860 Because our purpose. 468 00:21:55,860 --> 00:21:56,740 Did you know? 469 00:21:56,980 --> 00:22:00,820 Did you know there's this weird church named Heaven Earth Church? 470 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:01,620 Have you heard of it? 471 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:02,560 Have you? 472 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:04,240 God's whole plan. 473 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,920 The whole plan is to bring the city of heaven to Earth. 474 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,800 And you, you're part of the revolution. 475 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,719 He wants to place the city of heaven in your heart, such that everywhere 476 00:22:17,719 --> 00:22:21,760 you go, you bring the values of that city to this city. 477 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,720 So every time we pray, my friends, it's like we're going to 478 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:33,060 my grandma's house and we're getting fed and we're learning and 479 00:22:33,060 --> 00:22:34,860 we're taking her heart with us. 480 00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:37,900 Love you, Grandma Betty. 481 00:22:42,140 --> 00:22:43,900 The nations are in uproar. 482 00:22:44,940 --> 00:22:48,060 I want to say this to you, the psalmist. 483 00:22:48,060 --> 00:22:51,220 One thing we can learn from the psalmist friends about prayer 484 00:22:51,220 --> 00:22:51,740 is this. 485 00:22:54,070 --> 00:22:59,110 He does not pull any punches with God every time that he prays. 486 00:22:59,510 --> 00:23:02,910 Does he leave his chaos outside the front door and then go 487 00:23:02,910 --> 00:23:03,990 inside with God? 488 00:23:05,750 --> 00:23:06,310 Huh? 489 00:23:07,190 --> 00:23:11,990 No, though he's like, the world's in chaos. 490 00:23:12,870 --> 00:23:15,550 One day he'd finish a battle, and the next day he'd wake up. 491 00:23:15,550 --> 00:23:15,910 Another. 492 00:23:15,990 --> 00:23:17,910 Another enemy would be on his doorstep. 493 00:23:18,550 --> 00:23:23,840 But, like, he remembers that there's this one who hovered over 494 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:25,280 the primordial chaos. 495 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,280 Like when there was the very first story of Genesis 1. 496 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:32,120 The spirit of God hovers over the chaos, the face of the deep, 497 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:33,560 such that life could happen. 498 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:40,160 That's why we, too, when we pray, we bring all of our chaos with 499 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:41,400 us into prayer. 500 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,000 I said it last week. 501 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:44,440 Are you a complainer? 502 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:45,720 Anybody in the room? 503 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:47,080 You tend to be a complainer. 504 00:23:47,930 --> 00:23:49,450 Nobody wants to admit that. 505 00:23:51,210 --> 00:23:51,610 All right? 506 00:23:51,610 --> 00:23:52,170 Have you been. 507 00:23:52,170 --> 00:23:53,690 Have you been whining recently? 508 00:23:55,610 --> 00:23:56,730 You've been complaining? 509 00:23:57,770 --> 00:23:58,570 Guess what? 510 00:23:59,850 --> 00:24:01,610 God receives your complaints. 511 00:24:02,010 --> 00:24:04,650 God isn't asking you to fake it till you make it. 512 00:24:04,810 --> 00:24:06,650 You ready for a hokey expression? 513 00:24:06,650 --> 00:24:07,570 We're gonna have shirts. 514 00:24:07,570 --> 00:24:08,890 Faith it till you make it. 515 00:24:08,890 --> 00:24:10,250 I don't think that's gonna stick. 516 00:24:11,370 --> 00:24:12,170 That was bad. 517 00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:14,580 Yeah, that was bad. 518 00:24:15,220 --> 00:24:16,740 Let's not make those shirts. 519 00:24:17,300 --> 00:24:22,020 Better yet, bring all of your chaos with you when you pray. 520 00:24:23,540 --> 00:24:24,580 Bring it with you. 521 00:24:26,260 --> 00:24:28,779 All right, now let's get to some practical stuff, and then I 522 00:24:28,779 --> 00:24:30,820 gotta have Emily come up here with me for a minute. 523 00:24:31,780 --> 00:24:32,740 You ready for this? 524 00:24:33,620 --> 00:24:36,340 All of this sets up this phrase. 525 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:38,220 The Lord of hosts. 526 00:24:38,220 --> 00:24:40,110 Jake, the Lord of hosts is with us. 527 00:24:40,110 --> 00:24:41,070 Say with us. 528 00:24:42,110 --> 00:24:45,230 That's the one thing we're trying to discover in the garden 529 00:24:45,230 --> 00:24:45,870 of prayer. 530 00:24:46,190 --> 00:24:48,270 The God of Jacob is our refuge. 531 00:24:48,270 --> 00:24:50,230 Jacob, by the way, I'm going to tell you a secret. 532 00:24:50,230 --> 00:24:51,470 I've been reading Genesis again. 533 00:24:51,470 --> 00:24:54,750 Jacob was a jerk and God stuck with him. 534 00:24:56,910 --> 00:24:58,670 Come, behold the works of the Lord. 535 00:24:58,830 --> 00:25:00,710 See what desolation he's brought on the earth. 536 00:25:00,710 --> 00:25:02,470 He makes war seize to the end of the earth. 537 00:25:02,470 --> 00:25:04,430 He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. 538 00:25:04,430 --> 00:25:06,190 He burns the shields with fire. 539 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:07,400 There it is. 540 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:09,400 The first time God speaks. 541 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,160 Go ahead and read that quote. 542 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:13,080 Be still. 543 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:19,400 The quote. 544 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:20,280 The quote. 545 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,440 You're now past the quote, my friends. 546 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:30,120 Go ahead. 547 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:31,640 Read the last line, too. 548 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:32,440 Go ahead. 549 00:25:38,540 --> 00:25:40,860 Salah is perhaps like a musical term. 550 00:25:41,900 --> 00:25:42,660 You can say it. 551 00:25:42,660 --> 00:25:43,580 It's a pretty name. 552 00:25:43,740 --> 00:25:48,140 Yeah, Emily, I need you up at the front. 553 00:25:48,140 --> 00:25:48,780 Pretty please. 554 00:25:49,260 --> 00:25:55,060 Emily was sharing a story with me that I like, and I want her to 555 00:25:55,060 --> 00:25:55,900 share it with you now. 556 00:25:55,900 --> 00:25:58,060 So, Emily, you can have a seat. 557 00:25:58,060 --> 00:25:58,860 Take the seat. 558 00:25:59,340 --> 00:26:00,300 Say hello to Emily. 559 00:26:02,780 --> 00:26:04,940 She was sharing a story I asked about. 560 00:26:05,020 --> 00:26:08,620 We were bringing up that image of the river right back here. 561 00:26:08,940 --> 00:26:12,340 We talked about visualization and stillness. 562 00:26:12,340 --> 00:26:16,820 And Emily was telling me about this story of her prayer life in 563 00:26:16,820 --> 00:26:17,340 the river. 564 00:26:17,340 --> 00:26:18,780 So take it away, Emily. 565 00:26:18,940 --> 00:26:21,500 I'm gonna pass these out, okay? 566 00:26:23,180 --> 00:26:23,660 Yeah. 567 00:26:23,660 --> 00:26:26,060 So I am kind of a visual learner. 568 00:26:26,060 --> 00:26:28,140 I'm a hands on learner, I'm a tactile learner. 569 00:26:29,090 --> 00:26:31,530 And for a long time when I. 570 00:26:31,530 --> 00:26:33,810 When I pray, when I spend time with God, there's. 571 00:26:33,890 --> 00:26:35,970 I have images that come to mind. 572 00:26:36,930 --> 00:26:44,729 And the last seven years or so often it's a place and that place 573 00:26:44,729 --> 00:26:45,730 has changed. 574 00:26:46,690 --> 00:26:49,650 But the last couple of years, one of those places is. 575 00:26:49,650 --> 00:26:50,610 Is by a river. 576 00:26:51,170 --> 00:26:58,280 And I'm either like sitting on the banks of the river, I'm in the 577 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,640 river, I've crossed that to the other side of the river. 578 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:01,240 And there's. 579 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:03,760 It's a particular scene that I see. 580 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:07,680 But sometimes this is kind of referred to as like safe place prayer. 581 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,480 So, like, you visualize a place that is safe and it can be 582 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,880 a place that you create or a place that you know, a place that's 583 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:13,480 familiar. 584 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,880 But I was praying this week and I was there by the river, and 585 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:19,280 like, I had just. 586 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,630 I had this sense from the Holy Spirit like, the stones get smoothed 587 00:27:23,630 --> 00:27:24,670 by being in the river. 588 00:27:25,950 --> 00:27:32,070 And so there's a lot of jagged edges in a rock, but they sit in 589 00:27:32,070 --> 00:27:33,710 the river and that's how they get smoothed. 590 00:27:33,710 --> 00:27:38,270 And so it's kind of this idea that it's similar to, like, time 591 00:27:38,270 --> 00:27:42,550 I spend with God, is that when I'm with Him, like, I don't have 592 00:27:42,550 --> 00:27:43,710 to do a whole lot. 593 00:27:43,710 --> 00:27:45,070 I just have to be with Him. 594 00:27:46,190 --> 00:27:48,720 And I'm a pretty active person. 595 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,520 So learning to sit in stillness and silence is. 596 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,960 I also get bored really easily, so I tend to. 597 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:58,440 I'm a walker. 598 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,640 I do a lot of walking and thinking and praying while I move. 599 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,840 But there's something about being with him that just. 600 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:07,680 It smooths things over. 601 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:08,600 So that's. 602 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,240 Is there more that you wanted me to share? 603 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:11,440 Is that it? 604 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,600 Okay, that's the gist of it. 605 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,430 So actually, we brought rocks for you all today. 606 00:28:18,310 --> 00:28:19,670 Are you going to say more about that? 607 00:28:20,870 --> 00:28:21,430 Okay. 608 00:28:21,990 --> 00:28:22,550 Okay. 609 00:28:23,910 --> 00:28:24,390 Yeah. 610 00:28:24,390 --> 00:28:29,150 So there's lots of different types of learning, but for. 611 00:28:29,150 --> 00:28:31,870 If any of you are tactile, like me, there can be something to. 612 00:28:31,870 --> 00:28:35,670 Like having something physical to kind of ground you and help focus 613 00:28:35,670 --> 00:28:37,590 your mind or your thoughts or whatever. 614 00:28:37,590 --> 00:28:40,310 So if you would like, we brought these for you. 615 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:42,960 And they're just something you can keep in your pocket. 616 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:44,600 You can keep wherever. 617 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,120 But just as you pray, I think about fidget toys. 618 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,240 If you've ever worked, there's something about a fidget that just. 619 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,520 It helps focus your mind and your attention. 620 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,760 And so it's kind of the idea, but it's also just. 621 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:00,280 There's. 622 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,040 There's a lot of work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us, and it 623 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,040 wants to invite us to and smooth out in us. 624 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:07,800 And so I don't know that's kind of the meaning, but that's all 625 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:08,440 I have to say. 626 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:08,800 So 627 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:11,520 thank you, Emily. 628 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,760 So a practical thing, visualization. 629 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:18,560 So, like, maybe you're not a person who can. 630 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,200 Like man, the thought of solitude is intimidating. 631 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:24,280 Thought of stillness is intimidating. 632 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:26,080 One thing that can help is visualization. 633 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,440 Visualize yourself like, I'm going to the garden to pray with 634 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:30,800 God. 635 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:32,560 Literally, go to a place. 636 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,480 Visualize yourself going to God's city where there's a tranquil 637 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:37,680 river falling through it. 638 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,240 Or grab that prayer rock and hold it as you pray. 639 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,360 To visualize like I am in God's river right now in the midst 640 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,280 of his city, and he is smoothing out the rough edges. 641 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,960 One final word about stillness, and then I'm going to 642 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:52,480 help you visualize one more thing. 643 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:54,080 I said this earlier. 644 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:57,360 Still doesn't necessarily mean physically still. 645 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,820 I think of it more as state of being without noise. 646 00:30:03,580 --> 00:30:05,100 So my example. 647 00:30:05,740 --> 00:30:11,020 On Friday, I decided to go on a walk without my phone. 648 00:30:11,580 --> 00:30:13,820 I felt like my brain was revolting. 649 00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:18,380 You're not okay without this thing, Ross. 650 00:30:18,460 --> 00:30:19,420 What will you do? 651 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:22,620 And I said to. 652 00:30:22,940 --> 00:30:26,780 Before I started my prayer, my walk, I said, lord, my goal is to 653 00:30:26,780 --> 00:30:29,400 be with you in this walk, just me and you. 654 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:33,720 I seek your power and your strength to bring peace to my life. 655 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,000 And so I just walked for 15 minutes. 656 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:43,000 It's astonishing how much I noticed that I see all the time around 657 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:47,200 that pond, that I walk around all the time, run around all the 658 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:48,760 time, but there's noise with me. 659 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:53,160 I noticed, for example, that there's this mallard duck in the 660 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:53,560 pond. 661 00:30:54,290 --> 00:30:56,810 Looks so quiet and calm moving across the pond. 662 00:30:56,810 --> 00:31:00,490 But you know, and I know underneath there's some furious movement 663 00:31:00,490 --> 00:31:00,850 going on. 664 00:31:00,850 --> 00:31:02,850 God was like, I want you to pay attention to that, Ross. 665 00:31:02,850 --> 00:31:03,650 I don't know why. 666 00:31:04,050 --> 00:31:05,410 I'm still figuring it out. 667 00:31:05,650 --> 00:31:07,890 God speaks through many things without words. 668 00:31:08,370 --> 00:31:13,890 So if you're a person who can't sit still, prayer walk, prayer 669 00:31:13,890 --> 00:31:15,490 drive with your eyes open. 670 00:31:17,730 --> 00:31:19,370 Be still with God. 671 00:31:19,370 --> 00:31:21,530 Be without noise intentionally. 672 00:31:21,530 --> 00:31:23,410 Be present with God in this city. 673 00:31:24,260 --> 00:31:26,660 Pray as you can, not as you can't. 674 00:31:27,060 --> 00:31:29,060 Okay, Go ahead, Christy. 675 00:31:35,540 --> 00:31:36,620 All right, come on up. 676 00:31:36,620 --> 00:31:39,260 Take the mic, because I gotta. 677 00:31:39,260 --> 00:31:40,540 I'm gonna get communion ready. 678 00:31:40,540 --> 00:31:40,820 Go ahead. 679 00:31:40,820 --> 00:31:44,060 Here's your microphone, teacher. 680 00:31:44,060 --> 00:31:44,980 Christy, go ahead. 681 00:31:46,340 --> 00:31:46,860 Okay. 682 00:31:46,860 --> 00:31:48,580 It says you don't have to get 683 00:31:48,580 --> 00:31:50,340 burned to slow down and listen. 684 00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:52,820 You can stop and listen to God every day. 685 00:31:52,820 --> 00:31:54,500 Quiet your spirit before him. 686 00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:55,450 Ask him to communicate. 687 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:56,240 Communicate with you. 688 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,120 God has plenty to say to you, 689 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,320 but he requires your undivided attention. 690 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:05,040 Psalm 46:10 tells us that we will know God and his sovereignty 691 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:05,920 when we are still. 692 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,080 Be still and know his will for you today. 693 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:14,560 Check. 694 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:17,520 Got it? 695 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:18,000 Yes. 696 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:20,440 Another thing we're going to visualize. 697 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:22,750 I want to give you one more thing to visualize in your prayer. 698 00:32:22,900 --> 00:32:23,300 Prayer. 699 00:32:23,860 --> 00:32:28,740 You can visualize yourself sitting at a supper table with Jesus. 700 00:32:28,740 --> 00:32:32,980 When you pray, he always has an open seat for you. 701 00:32:33,140 --> 00:32:34,900 He is never annoyed by you. 702 00:32:35,780 --> 00:32:37,780 He is never disappointed in you. 703 00:32:38,020 --> 00:32:40,420 He may have some accountability for you. 704 00:32:40,660 --> 00:32:44,780 But he says he once had a supper with his friends right before 705 00:32:44,780 --> 00:32:45,540 he would die. 706 00:32:45,540 --> 00:32:46,660 The Last Supper. 707 00:32:46,820 --> 00:32:50,020 And he said, like, keep doing this, and when you do it, remember 708 00:32:50,020 --> 00:32:50,340 me. 709 00:32:50,690 --> 00:32:53,090 They were eating what was called the Passover meal, but he 710 00:32:53,090 --> 00:32:54,050 gave it new meaning. 711 00:32:54,050 --> 00:32:57,890 He took the bread and he said, gonna be some crumbs here. 712 00:32:57,890 --> 00:32:58,930 I'll vacuum it up. 713 00:32:58,930 --> 00:33:04,530 Rachel, this is Matzah So there's, there's no, there's no leavening 714 00:33:04,530 --> 00:33:06,050 in it like Jesus would have eaten. 715 00:33:06,930 --> 00:33:10,050 He said, this is my body that's broken for you. 716 00:33:11,010 --> 00:33:12,770 When you eat this, remember me. 717 00:33:13,810 --> 00:33:17,820 And he took the cup and he said, this is like my blood poured 718 00:33:17,820 --> 00:33:18,540 out for you. 719 00:33:19,100 --> 00:33:21,860 I won't drink it again until it's fulfilled in the kingdom of 720 00:33:21,860 --> 00:33:22,100 heaven. 721 00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:25,300 In other words, until that city has come down to earth and everything 722 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:26,140 is made new. 723 00:33:26,380 --> 00:33:27,980 We're going to have a big feast. 724 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:30,940 But until then, you eat this one to remember. 725 00:33:31,979 --> 00:33:34,740 So what I want to do is if, if you're new to this, you've never 726 00:33:34,740 --> 00:33:38,380 done this, you're going to come up front, someone's going to 727 00:33:38,380 --> 00:33:39,820 give you a little piece of this bread. 728 00:33:39,820 --> 00:33:42,390 There's going to be a lot of crumbs, but it's okay. 729 00:33:42,790 --> 00:33:45,030 They're going to give you a piece of bread and juice. 730 00:33:45,830 --> 00:33:49,990 I want to give you a space to just dwell in God's city for a while. 731 00:33:50,310 --> 00:33:52,950 So for today we're not going to eat it all together. 732 00:33:52,950 --> 00:33:57,910 We will but use this space to pray and be with God. 733 00:33:57,910 --> 00:34:03,990 To pray as you can, not as you can't visualize yourself sitting 734 00:34:03,990 --> 00:34:07,800 at a supper table with Jesus and realize that he, he only has 735 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:09,120 eyes of love for you. 736 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,280 And with him there's nothing to fear. 737 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,000 Will you pray with me, Lord? 738 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,320 Will you pour out your holy spirit on this bread and this juice 739 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:21,840 that it would be for us your presence with us, your very body, 740 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,560 your blood with us at this table. 741 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:28,400 Please speak to us in the name of Jesus. 742 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:29,120 Amen. 743 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,139 Thank you for participating participating in the conversation 744 00:34:34,619 --> 00:34:37,099 happening at Heaven Earth Church. 745 00:34:37,579 --> 00:34:42,939 Your next opportunity to do so live is this Sunday morning, 9:30am 746 00:34:43,979 --> 00:34:48,459 Eastern Time, either at the main campus at 309 East Main in Whiteland, 747 00:34:48,459 --> 00:34:52,539 Indiana or online at YouTube Live. 748 00:34:52,859 --> 00:34:57,739 That's@YouTube.com heavenearth church. 749 00:34:59,030 --> 00:35:04,950 The audio podcast is always available at Apple Podcast and on 750 00:35:05,030 --> 00:35:05,750 Spotify. 751 00:35:06,230 --> 00:35:10,550 You can help others find out about the Heaven Earth Church podcast 752 00:35:10,870 --> 00:35:15,670 by going to Apple Podcasts and or Spotify and leaving a five star 753 00:35:15,670 --> 00:35:17,270 rating in your review. 754 00:35:17,990 --> 00:35:21,990 Instructions on how to do just that and links are in the show notes. 755 00:35:22,870 --> 00:35:28,460 You can always find out more by going to the church website heavenearthchurch.org 756 00:35:29,340 --> 00:35:29,660 we 757 00:35:29,660 --> 00:35:31,820 want to thank you for spending time with us today. 758 00:35:32,060 --> 00:35:35,340 My name is Ross Stackhouse, the pastor to Heaven Earth Church. 759 00:35:35,740 --> 00:35:39,060 And you may think out there that your story is over, but in fact 760 00:35:39,060 --> 00:35:42,220 your faith story may just be beginning. 761 00:35:42,460 --> 00:35:45,300 If you want more information about our church or you're interested 762 00:35:45,300 --> 00:35:46,100 in the next step. 763 00:35:46,100 --> 00:35:49,600 You can go to heavenorthchurch.org otherwise we 764 00:35:49,670 --> 00:35:52,510 we look forward to being with you next time at the Heaven Earth 765 00:35:52,510 --> 00:35:53,510 Church Podcast.