1 00:00:08,710 --> 00:00:11,490 So my name is Carl O'Donnell and I 2 00:00:11,490 --> 00:00:14,610 pastor the Pembroke Baptist Church, which is just 3 00:00:14,610 --> 00:00:16,830 across the St. John River from Woodstock, New 4 00:00:16,830 --> 00:00:17,250 Brunswick. 5 00:00:18,250 --> 00:00:21,290 And even though we're a small number here 6 00:00:21,290 --> 00:00:24,830 today, here at Lincoln, apparently there's folks that 7 00:00:24,830 --> 00:00:27,430 are watching online and so on, not just 8 00:00:27,430 --> 00:00:29,670 today live, but in the future we'll be 9 00:00:29,670 --> 00:00:30,350 watching this. 10 00:00:30,730 --> 00:00:32,370 I do want to say before I forget, 11 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:36,250 my email address is Black Salmon Lad. 12 00:00:36,490 --> 00:00:37,430 I'm from the Miramichi. 13 00:00:37,930 --> 00:00:39,710 There's a lady here from over in Sunny 14 00:00:39,710 --> 00:00:41,730 Corner and I used to fish a lot 15 00:00:41,730 --> 00:00:43,970 of black salmon on the Miramichi and everybody's 16 00:00:43,970 --> 00:00:45,150 a lad on the Miramichi. 17 00:00:45,450 --> 00:00:49,150 So that's my email address, BlackSalmonLad at gmail 18 00:00:49,150 --> 00:00:50,930 .com and I'd love to hear from you. 19 00:00:51,850 --> 00:00:53,170 So I'll get that out of the way. 20 00:00:53,270 --> 00:00:55,750 There's people praying for me today and I 21 00:00:55,750 --> 00:00:56,790 really appreciate it. 22 00:00:56,890 --> 00:00:58,270 There really are people praying for me. 23 00:00:58,370 --> 00:01:01,010 They've been texting me all day and yesterday 24 00:01:01,010 --> 00:01:02,970 saying they're praying for me, people from the 25 00:01:02,970 --> 00:01:06,990 church that I pastor, family and friends, and 26 00:01:06,990 --> 00:01:09,130 I'm just so grateful to be here. 27 00:01:09,410 --> 00:01:11,030 And they're all saying the same thing to 28 00:01:11,030 --> 00:01:13,770 me, just be yourself, just be yourself. 29 00:01:15,270 --> 00:01:16,810 That's what I'm gonna try to do, be 30 00:01:16,810 --> 00:01:17,290 myself. 31 00:01:18,510 --> 00:01:21,050 My wife said I'm proud of you and 32 00:01:21,050 --> 00:01:21,530 get a haircut. 33 00:01:22,590 --> 00:01:25,070 So I got a haircut and I'm glad 34 00:01:25,070 --> 00:01:25,910 she's proud of me. 35 00:01:28,460 --> 00:01:31,300 I know this is a revival conference and 36 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:35,300 we've had all kinds of wonderful speakers on 37 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:38,660 revival but they don't have the information that 38 00:01:38,660 --> 00:01:40,860 I have because I found the recipe for 39 00:01:40,860 --> 00:01:41,360 revival. 40 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:43,040 I brought it with me, it's only a 41 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,420 page and a half and here it is. 42 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:45,340 I'm going to read it to you. 43 00:01:45,420 --> 00:01:46,900 This is the recipe for revival. 44 00:01:48,910 --> 00:01:51,470 Up in the hills of old Kentucky, the 45 00:01:51,470 --> 00:01:54,070 meanest place that ever was struck, there lived 46 00:01:54,070 --> 00:01:56,750 a man named Jacob Job, the meanest man 47 00:01:56,750 --> 00:01:57,610 on this old globe. 48 00:01:58,450 --> 00:02:00,670 He feared not God nor cared for man 49 00:02:00,670 --> 00:02:02,510 except his wild and wicked clan. 50 00:02:03,390 --> 00:02:05,430 He had six boys, both big and bad, 51 00:02:05,470 --> 00:02:06,990 who followed right behind their dad. 52 00:02:08,130 --> 00:02:10,590 They drank that wildcat whiskey down and painted 53 00:02:10,590 --> 00:02:11,650 red the country town. 54 00:02:12,390 --> 00:02:14,730 He had six gals, big husky gals, who 55 00:02:14,730 --> 00:02:16,390 pranced and frolicked with their pals. 56 00:02:17,050 --> 00:02:19,030 They danced and capered on the hills and 57 00:02:19,030 --> 00:02:21,030 sometimes tippled at the stills. 58 00:02:21,870 --> 00:02:24,610 One day an awful rattlesnake bit that oldest 59 00:02:24,610 --> 00:02:27,730 boy, big wicked Jake, and through his veins 60 00:02:27,730 --> 00:02:28,650 the virus flew. 61 00:02:29,330 --> 00:02:30,910 He's bound to die, what will we do? 62 00:02:31,810 --> 00:02:33,430 In haste they sent a runner down to 63 00:02:33,430 --> 00:02:36,250 fetch a parson from the town, a Dutchman 64 00:02:36,250 --> 00:02:38,570 of John Wesley's band, as good as any 65 00:02:38,570 --> 00:02:39,150 in the land. 66 00:02:39,790 --> 00:02:43,230 He prayed a wondrous, curious prayer in words 67 00:02:43,230 --> 00:02:45,950 of faith both rich and rare, and if 68 00:02:45,950 --> 00:02:47,510 to heaven it reached or not, on earth 69 00:02:47,510 --> 00:02:48,650 it surely hit the spot. 70 00:02:49,530 --> 00:02:51,390 Oh God, he prayed, we thank thee for 71 00:02:51,390 --> 00:02:53,370 this snake that thou hast sent to bite 72 00:02:53,370 --> 00:02:55,730 old Jake, to fetch him down from his 73 00:02:55,730 --> 00:02:57,450 high hoss and lead him to the Savior's 74 00:02:57,450 --> 00:02:57,890 cross. 75 00:02:58,610 --> 00:03:00,290 And now, oh God, the great I am, 76 00:03:00,810 --> 00:03:02,490 please send another to bite old Sam. 77 00:03:03,250 --> 00:03:05,150 And Jack and John, the worst of rakes, 78 00:03:05,430 --> 00:03:07,150 oh God, we need more rattlesnakes. 79 00:03:07,890 --> 00:03:10,050 Send chicken snakes to bite the gals and 80 00:03:10,050 --> 00:03:11,550 all their dancing wicked pals. 81 00:03:12,410 --> 00:03:14,690 Even Mama Jobe, she needs one too, perhaps 82 00:03:14,690 --> 00:03:15,730 a copperhead will do. 83 00:03:16,470 --> 00:03:18,590 And now, oh God, before it's too late, 84 00:03:19,150 --> 00:03:22,190 please hurry up these gospel snakes, and save 85 00:03:22,190 --> 00:03:23,550 this old Kentucky state. 86 00:03:24,230 --> 00:03:26,990 I ask it all for Jesus' sake, amen. 87 00:03:28,750 --> 00:03:32,170 The theme of my talk today is, you 88 00:03:32,170 --> 00:03:33,710 see it behind you on the screen there, 89 00:03:33,810 --> 00:03:36,030 stop trying harder, start making better choices. 90 00:03:37,050 --> 00:03:38,950 Sometimes that only happens when we're on the 91 00:03:38,950 --> 00:03:40,950 flat of our back, that we, God has 92 00:03:40,950 --> 00:03:41,450 our attention. 93 00:03:41,710 --> 00:03:44,590 Sometimes revival only happens when we're about at 94 00:03:44,590 --> 00:03:47,270 our wits end, and we feel like we're 95 00:03:47,270 --> 00:03:49,410 so far away from revival, we feel like 96 00:03:49,410 --> 00:03:52,490 we're just drained, but we don't realize we're 97 00:03:52,490 --> 00:03:55,250 just a whisker away from revival when we're 98 00:03:55,250 --> 00:03:55,930 at our lowest. 99 00:03:58,290 --> 00:04:03,050 It was advertised as a church planters assessment 100 00:04:03,050 --> 00:04:07,650 for couples many years ago, and it was 101 00:04:07,650 --> 00:04:10,250 taking place at Kingswood University in Sussex. 102 00:04:11,210 --> 00:04:12,790 And it was for couples that were interested 103 00:04:12,790 --> 00:04:15,390 in going for one week, you stayed on 104 00:04:15,390 --> 00:04:18,450 campus, there was 12 or 14 professional people 105 00:04:18,450 --> 00:04:21,510 there to see what made you tick. 106 00:04:21,910 --> 00:04:25,570 There was a Christian psychologist, there were denominational 107 00:04:25,570 --> 00:04:30,830 leaders, all kinds of really caring, loving staff 108 00:04:30,830 --> 00:04:33,630 there to analyze as many as 10 couples 109 00:04:33,630 --> 00:04:35,770 that could go for the week to go 110 00:04:35,770 --> 00:04:37,590 to this spiritual boot camp. 111 00:04:38,450 --> 00:04:41,590 The cost was $1,000, and I said 112 00:04:41,590 --> 00:04:43,410 to my wife, if I'm going to shell 113 00:04:43,410 --> 00:04:45,570 out a thousand bucks, I want somebody when 114 00:04:45,570 --> 00:04:47,210 it's all over to really tell me how 115 00:04:47,210 --> 00:04:47,570 I did. 116 00:04:48,090 --> 00:04:50,230 Don't just pass me, tell me how I 117 00:04:50,230 --> 00:04:52,070 really made out, don't give everybody a gold 118 00:04:52,070 --> 00:04:52,450 star. 119 00:04:53,390 --> 00:04:57,310 So we signed up, and the meals were 120 00:04:57,310 --> 00:05:02,490 excellent, the accommodations were excellent, and you had 121 00:05:02,490 --> 00:05:04,490 eight hours to sleep, but other than that, 122 00:05:04,670 --> 00:05:07,530 you were being analyzed and scrutinized and put 123 00:05:07,530 --> 00:05:08,350 through your paces. 124 00:05:08,770 --> 00:05:11,270 They put you on purpose with other couples 125 00:05:11,270 --> 00:05:13,830 that they thought maybe you didn't quite think 126 00:05:13,830 --> 00:05:14,570 the same way. 127 00:05:14,990 --> 00:05:17,250 They put you in situations that were stressful 128 00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:19,270 and under a deadline, and to see how 129 00:05:19,270 --> 00:05:19,670 you would do. 130 00:05:20,450 --> 00:05:22,350 You'd be eating your toast in the morning 131 00:05:22,350 --> 00:05:23,770 and look up and somebody would be looking 132 00:05:23,770 --> 00:05:25,110 at you with a pencil writing on a 133 00:05:25,110 --> 00:05:25,510 notepad. 134 00:05:26,130 --> 00:05:27,830 You just were analyzed in every way. 135 00:05:28,530 --> 00:05:30,130 That's what it was for, to see what 136 00:05:30,130 --> 00:05:30,850 makes you tick. 137 00:05:32,110 --> 00:05:37,190 Well, the week went by, and so at 138 00:05:37,190 --> 00:05:39,390 the end was an exit interview, where they 139 00:05:39,390 --> 00:05:41,450 would take each couple privately into the boardroom 140 00:05:41,450 --> 00:05:43,990 there at the university, and they'd sit you 141 00:05:43,990 --> 00:05:45,490 down, and there'd be three or four of 142 00:05:45,490 --> 00:05:47,650 these assessors would sit with you, and in 143 00:05:47,650 --> 00:05:50,490 the most kind and loving and caring way, 144 00:05:50,550 --> 00:05:52,110 they would tell you how you did or 145 00:05:52,110 --> 00:05:53,810 didn't do on the week. 146 00:05:54,710 --> 00:05:56,510 So we sat there in a couple black 147 00:05:56,510 --> 00:05:59,030 leather chairs, and three or four gentlemen in 148 00:05:59,030 --> 00:06:02,010 suits sat across from us, and they began 149 00:06:02,010 --> 00:06:04,610 to give my wife Melanie her test results, 150 00:06:04,830 --> 00:06:06,570 what the assessors had thought of her. 151 00:06:07,030 --> 00:06:08,850 This was probably a half an hour process, 152 00:06:09,170 --> 00:06:10,450 and she aced it. 153 00:06:10,550 --> 00:06:11,410 She aced the thing. 154 00:06:11,510 --> 00:06:13,530 They said, if you were here for another 155 00:06:13,530 --> 00:06:15,310 week, you'd be part of our assessment team, 156 00:06:15,630 --> 00:06:17,710 and I thought, wait till they get to 157 00:06:17,710 --> 00:06:17,870 me. 158 00:06:20,150 --> 00:06:24,070 They turned to me and they said, you 159 00:06:24,070 --> 00:06:27,350 know, Carl, in some ways you're off the 160 00:06:27,350 --> 00:06:30,390 charts in a positive way, but then there's 161 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:32,290 this other group of things in your life 162 00:06:32,290 --> 00:06:35,350 that somehow you don't seem to take seriously, 163 00:06:35,530 --> 00:06:36,890 but we want you to know that those 164 00:06:36,890 --> 00:06:39,850 are things you need to take seriously, and 165 00:06:39,850 --> 00:06:41,250 of course those were things that my wife 166 00:06:41,250 --> 00:06:42,570 had been telling me all my life I 167 00:06:42,570 --> 00:06:45,630 should take seriously, and now I was paying 168 00:06:45,630 --> 00:06:49,330 a thousand dollars for these guys to... 169 00:06:49,330 --> 00:06:51,830 So I sat there, you know, just with 170 00:06:51,830 --> 00:06:55,250 a stunned look on my face, and as 171 00:06:55,250 --> 00:06:57,350 they spent that half an hour in a 172 00:06:57,350 --> 00:07:01,070 kind, loving way, trying to help me, trying 173 00:07:01,070 --> 00:07:06,210 to help me, and they said, you know, 174 00:07:06,250 --> 00:07:10,010 only one assessor out of 14 assessors recommends 175 00:07:10,010 --> 00:07:13,550 that you would pursue planting new churches, continuing 176 00:07:13,550 --> 00:07:14,490 on in that way. 177 00:07:15,230 --> 00:07:17,430 I didn't know what to say, didn't know 178 00:07:17,430 --> 00:07:17,830 what to do. 179 00:07:19,610 --> 00:07:23,110 Oh, it was things like, I was in 180 00:07:23,110 --> 00:07:25,750 charge of the money back then, of our 181 00:07:25,750 --> 00:07:28,450 family income, and every bill got paid, but 182 00:07:28,450 --> 00:07:30,750 it got paid late every time, and of 183 00:07:30,750 --> 00:07:32,110 course I'd be at work, who would get 184 00:07:32,110 --> 00:07:36,670 the phone calls, you know, and I would 185 00:07:36,670 --> 00:07:38,170 say to my wife, you know, the car's 186 00:07:38,170 --> 00:07:39,830 fine, just don't fill it more than half 187 00:07:39,830 --> 00:07:42,270 full, or the gas tank will leak, you 188 00:07:42,270 --> 00:07:43,730 know, so don't worry about it. 189 00:07:43,890 --> 00:07:45,030 Just stuff like that. 190 00:07:45,350 --> 00:07:47,210 There was dozens and dozens of things like 191 00:07:47,210 --> 00:07:48,970 that, because I thought I was too busy 192 00:07:48,970 --> 00:07:51,450 preaching, I thought I was too busy trying 193 00:07:51,450 --> 00:07:53,670 to be three places at one time, I 194 00:07:53,670 --> 00:07:55,670 had too many firecrackers that I was trying 195 00:07:55,670 --> 00:07:58,010 to light all the time, and don't bother 196 00:07:58,010 --> 00:08:00,390 me with trivial things, I'm trying to do 197 00:08:00,390 --> 00:08:01,110 the Lord's work. 198 00:08:01,930 --> 00:08:05,710 That was the way I thought, and I'm 199 00:08:05,710 --> 00:08:07,990 ashamed to say that, you know, things like 200 00:08:07,990 --> 00:08:10,930 following through didn't seem like they were important 201 00:08:10,930 --> 00:08:11,170 to me. 202 00:08:11,270 --> 00:08:13,190 Things like keeping my word didn't seem like 203 00:08:13,190 --> 00:08:14,430 it was that big of a deal, because 204 00:08:14,430 --> 00:08:16,730 I had important stuff, you know, God's work 205 00:08:16,730 --> 00:08:17,090 to do. 206 00:08:18,390 --> 00:08:22,850 Anyway, we had this exit interview, and then 207 00:08:22,850 --> 00:08:25,610 that was the end of the week, so 208 00:08:25,610 --> 00:08:28,990 we stood up, probably they prayed with us, 209 00:08:29,010 --> 00:08:31,250 I don't remember, but we shook a few 210 00:08:31,250 --> 00:08:34,070 hands, and I went upstairs in the university 211 00:08:34,070 --> 00:08:37,350 to my friend's office. 212 00:08:37,530 --> 00:08:38,530 He was one of the professors. 213 00:08:38,789 --> 00:08:40,630 I'd been taking a course on church planting, 214 00:08:40,830 --> 00:08:42,650 and his name is Vic Stonehouse. 215 00:08:43,070 --> 00:08:46,150 I went up to Vic's office, and I 216 00:08:46,150 --> 00:08:47,630 was guessing he was the guy that had 217 00:08:47,630 --> 00:08:49,450 voted for me to proceed. 218 00:08:50,210 --> 00:08:51,250 He was a friend of mine, and he 219 00:08:51,250 --> 00:08:52,490 was one of those assessors. 220 00:08:52,790 --> 00:08:53,970 We walked in the room, and he just 221 00:08:53,970 --> 00:08:56,250 burst into tears, and Vic just burst into 222 00:08:56,250 --> 00:08:56,530 tears. 223 00:08:56,630 --> 00:08:57,830 He could not stop crying. 224 00:08:58,890 --> 00:09:01,290 He just kept taking Kleenexes and putting them 225 00:09:01,290 --> 00:09:04,790 up to his face, and I know now 226 00:09:04,790 --> 00:09:05,170 why. 227 00:09:05,250 --> 00:09:06,870 It's because he felt so bad that I 228 00:09:06,870 --> 00:09:08,010 had tried so hard. 229 00:09:08,150 --> 00:09:10,510 I had been driving to Sussex from Carleton 230 00:09:10,510 --> 00:09:10,970 County. 231 00:09:11,430 --> 00:09:13,350 I'd been staying overnight with he and Joan, 232 00:09:13,490 --> 00:09:15,330 and I'd been paying attention. 233 00:09:15,450 --> 00:09:17,370 I'd been working so hard, trying so hard, 234 00:09:17,470 --> 00:09:18,810 and it just ended in a big train 235 00:09:18,810 --> 00:09:21,710 wreck, and there was my dear brother, Vic 236 00:09:21,710 --> 00:09:23,350 Stonehouse, just weeping. 237 00:09:23,570 --> 00:09:29,130 He couldn't stop crying, so my wife and 238 00:09:29,130 --> 00:09:30,710 I excused herself, and we went down to 239 00:09:30,710 --> 00:09:31,770 get in the car to leave. 240 00:09:32,570 --> 00:09:35,550 I had an old Toyota Camry then, and 241 00:09:35,550 --> 00:09:37,290 turned the key, the car wouldn't start. 242 00:09:38,070 --> 00:09:40,130 Every time it threatened to rain, that car 243 00:09:40,130 --> 00:09:42,470 would not start because the distributor cap was 244 00:09:42,470 --> 00:09:44,690 cracked, but it was one of those things, 245 00:09:44,750 --> 00:09:46,070 you know, I said, I'm too busy working 246 00:09:46,070 --> 00:09:46,710 on a message. 247 00:09:46,870 --> 00:09:48,410 I'm too busy trying to do this. 248 00:09:48,890 --> 00:09:51,290 Don't worry about the car, so there I 249 00:09:51,290 --> 00:09:51,630 sit. 250 00:09:51,870 --> 00:09:54,250 It's clouding over, and the car won't start. 251 00:09:54,670 --> 00:09:57,330 Back I go with my hat in my 252 00:09:57,330 --> 00:10:01,370 hand to ask those pastors and psychologists and 253 00:10:01,370 --> 00:10:03,290 denominational leaders, is there a few of them 254 00:10:03,290 --> 00:10:04,570 could push me off the property? 255 00:10:05,470 --> 00:10:06,970 So it was a standard car. 256 00:10:07,350 --> 00:10:09,270 You put it in second gear, turn the 257 00:10:09,270 --> 00:10:11,150 key halfway, and there's a hill as you 258 00:10:11,150 --> 00:10:12,890 leave Bethany Bible School, Kingswood. 259 00:10:13,390 --> 00:10:14,690 They got me, you know, I can still 260 00:10:14,690 --> 00:10:16,050 see in the rear view mirror those guys 261 00:10:16,050 --> 00:10:20,070 in suits pushing me off the property, and 262 00:10:20,070 --> 00:10:21,830 that thousand dollars just bulging out of their 263 00:10:21,830 --> 00:10:22,170 pocket. 264 00:10:24,150 --> 00:10:27,250 Anyway, I started down the little hill, popped 265 00:10:27,250 --> 00:10:29,390 the clutch, and we started to drive back 266 00:10:29,390 --> 00:10:31,690 home to Fredericton and on north up to 267 00:10:31,690 --> 00:10:32,330 Carlton County. 268 00:10:32,890 --> 00:10:34,410 My wife told me later she thought I 269 00:10:34,410 --> 00:10:35,810 was going to go into a depression. 270 00:10:36,790 --> 00:10:38,510 We drove along, you know, we didn't say 271 00:10:38,510 --> 00:10:41,670 too much, and I was just trying to 272 00:10:41,670 --> 00:10:44,930 think about all this, and the sun came 273 00:10:44,930 --> 00:10:49,910 out, and we got to Fredericton, and we 274 00:10:49,910 --> 00:10:51,690 said, I don't know if it was her 275 00:10:51,690 --> 00:10:53,550 or I, but one of us said maybe 276 00:10:53,550 --> 00:10:54,990 we should stop a Canadian Tire and get 277 00:10:54,990 --> 00:10:58,070 a distributor cap, and the first thing went 278 00:10:58,070 --> 00:10:59,750 through my mind, well it's sunny now, the 279 00:10:59,750 --> 00:11:03,170 car is working great, you know, and but 280 00:11:03,170 --> 00:11:04,790 that's just the way I thought, you see. 281 00:11:05,310 --> 00:11:07,130 I don't have the money, I'm too busy, 282 00:11:07,190 --> 00:11:08,670 I got too many things to do, you 283 00:11:08,670 --> 00:11:10,470 know, maybe something will come up, I don't 284 00:11:10,470 --> 00:11:10,750 know. 285 00:11:12,050 --> 00:11:13,750 You know what it's like to think wrong, 286 00:11:13,850 --> 00:11:14,210 don't you? 287 00:11:14,270 --> 00:11:15,490 Don't you know what it's like to think 288 00:11:15,490 --> 00:11:16,830 wrong about certain things? 289 00:11:17,330 --> 00:11:19,350 You don't know why, you just get, you 290 00:11:19,350 --> 00:11:22,130 just get thinking in wrong patterns about something. 291 00:11:23,250 --> 00:11:25,590 Maybe it's setting boundaries, you know, and that's 292 00:11:25,590 --> 00:11:29,090 just something that it's just such a mountain 293 00:11:29,090 --> 00:11:31,810 for you to grasp, or maybe it's forgiveness, 294 00:11:32,190 --> 00:11:34,190 or maybe it's, you know, a million things, 295 00:11:34,830 --> 00:11:37,030 and we know it's easy to think wrong 296 00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:37,690 about stuff. 297 00:11:39,350 --> 00:11:42,450 So we pulled into Canadian Tire and I 298 00:11:42,450 --> 00:11:44,090 said, well let's stop and see how much 299 00:11:44,090 --> 00:11:46,450 they are anyway, and I get out of 300 00:11:46,450 --> 00:11:46,870 the car. 301 00:11:47,490 --> 00:11:49,670 I was, I was just this close to 302 00:11:49,670 --> 00:11:50,730 being in tears anyway. 303 00:11:51,370 --> 00:11:52,510 I get out of the car and ripped 304 00:11:52,510 --> 00:11:54,210 the entire seat out of my pants. 305 00:11:56,150 --> 00:11:58,370 It was a pair of brown corduroys that 306 00:11:58,370 --> 00:12:02,510 I always wore to baptize people, and I 307 00:12:02,510 --> 00:12:03,810 just ripped the whole seat out of my 308 00:12:03,810 --> 00:12:06,850 pants, and I put on a jacket and 309 00:12:06,850 --> 00:12:08,690 walked into Canadian Tire and my wife was 310 00:12:08,690 --> 00:12:09,210 in the car. 311 00:12:09,950 --> 00:12:11,570 I know it sounds funny, but it wasn't 312 00:12:11,570 --> 00:12:12,430 funny at the time. 313 00:12:14,130 --> 00:12:16,030 Oh, I was really, I was devastated. 314 00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:18,230 I was tore up, I was tore right 315 00:12:18,230 --> 00:12:18,710 to pieces. 316 00:12:20,750 --> 00:12:23,830 Talk about being far from revival, you know, 317 00:12:23,870 --> 00:12:25,870 you've come to these meetings thinking, man, I 318 00:12:25,870 --> 00:12:27,340 want to be revived, I want to be 319 00:12:27,340 --> 00:12:30,640 revived, and you might feel like you're far 320 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:31,220 from revival. 321 00:12:31,380 --> 00:12:33,320 I couldn't have felt any farther from revival, 322 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,240 but little did I know that I was 323 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:36,940 just a hair away from revival. 324 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:39,020 Isn't that interesting? 325 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:45,020 You know, wherever you're at today, don't feel 326 00:12:45,020 --> 00:12:46,700 like you're a million miles away from being 327 00:12:46,700 --> 00:12:47,140 revived. 328 00:12:47,420 --> 00:12:48,980 Don't feel like your church is a million 329 00:12:48,980 --> 00:12:53,360 miles away from being revived, because quite often, 330 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,380 you know, it's, it's, we have to stop 331 00:12:55,380 --> 00:12:58,200 trying harder before God can even get our 332 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,120 attention, and sometimes the only time we stop 333 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:02,740 trying harder is when we find ourselves in 334 00:13:02,740 --> 00:13:03,340 a real pickle. 335 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:05,800 That's where I was in there with my 336 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,660 coat on, my wife's in the car, we 337 00:13:08,660 --> 00:13:11,740 just left the college an hour ago, and 338 00:13:11,740 --> 00:13:13,580 I'm standing at the parts desk at Canadian 339 00:13:13,580 --> 00:13:16,540 Tire, and I wish I could take every 340 00:13:16,540 --> 00:13:18,100 one of you right there, because I could 341 00:13:18,100 --> 00:13:20,020 tell you right exactly where I was standing. 342 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,680 They've changed the parts counter now, but it 343 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:25,180 wasn't that long ago, I went and stood 344 00:13:25,180 --> 00:13:27,300 right in the aisle to that spot, which 345 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:28,900 was just feet from where I stood there 346 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:32,740 that day, because I stood there thinking, this 347 00:13:32,740 --> 00:13:33,280 is crazy. 348 00:13:33,740 --> 00:13:35,320 I don't have the money, I don't have 349 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,380 the time to be standing here, they're busy, 350 00:13:38,020 --> 00:13:40,360 and, and yet I was wrestling with what 351 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:41,800 my wife was probably out in the car 352 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,580 praying about, and what those brothers that loved 353 00:13:44,580 --> 00:13:45,860 me had just told me, you know. 354 00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:48,180 So the guy comes up and he says 355 00:13:49,220 --> 00:13:51,220 $67.12 or something like that, and I 356 00:13:51,220 --> 00:13:52,200 thought, holy Toledo. 357 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,020 Anyway, I bought it, got it back in 358 00:13:57,020 --> 00:13:57,880 the car and drove home. 359 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:01,360 Well, the next day or two, I was 360 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:02,980 up early, the kids were just little then, 361 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:04,800 and it wasn't quite time for me to 362 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:05,780 wake them up, and I had a little 363 00:14:05,780 --> 00:14:07,460 fire going in the stove there in our, 364 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:09,280 in our mini home, in our living room, 365 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:10,880 a little fire going in the glass stove, 366 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,120 and I was sitting in a green Lazy 367 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,980 Boy chair there, and everybody was asleep, and 368 00:14:15,980 --> 00:14:17,480 I was thinking about all this, and I 369 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:18,940 was thinking, this is what I was saying 370 00:14:18,940 --> 00:14:20,780 to myself, Carl, you've got to try harder. 371 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:23,620 You know these things, these things they've told 372 00:14:23,620 --> 00:14:23,900 you? 373 00:14:24,940 --> 00:14:27,360 You've got to try harder in your personal 374 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:31,440 life, in your pastoring life, and I started 375 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,680 making a mental list about all these things. 376 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:35,240 I've got to try harder to do this 377 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:36,560 and this, and then all of a sudden, 378 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,140 I just felt this just weight just began 379 00:14:40,140 --> 00:14:41,660 to settle in on my head, and I 380 00:14:41,660 --> 00:14:43,260 thought, you know what, I've been trying harder 381 00:14:43,260 --> 00:14:46,920 all my life to do these things, and 382 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,740 it's not working, it's not working, and I 383 00:14:49,740 --> 00:14:51,300 got all teared up, you know, there sitting 384 00:14:51,300 --> 00:14:53,080 there by myself, and I thought, what do 385 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:53,500 I do? 386 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:54,440 What do I do? 387 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,800 I just bought a new living translation of 388 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:00,140 the Bible. 389 00:15:00,260 --> 00:15:02,440 I'd never had one before, and I, they 390 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:03,780 were just fairly new then, and I had 391 00:15:03,780 --> 00:15:06,400 bought a New Testament there, and it was 392 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:07,920 laying open to the Sermon on the Mount, 393 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,420 the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5, and we 394 00:15:11,420 --> 00:15:12,680 all think of the Sermon on the Mount, 395 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:14,700 that first Beatitude is, blessed are the poor 396 00:15:14,700 --> 00:15:18,260 in spirit, and Sarah's going to put up 397 00:15:18,260 --> 00:15:19,620 on the screen there right behind me. 398 00:15:20,340 --> 00:15:24,160 If you look in the New Living Translation, 399 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:26,140 it says, blessed are those that realize their 400 00:15:26,140 --> 00:15:28,380 need for Him, Matthew 5 and verse 3, 401 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:31,440 and those notes behind me are from the 402 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:32,860 David Jeremiah Study Bible. 403 00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:35,240 At the bottom of the page, it describes 404 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:36,720 what it means to be poor in spirit. 405 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,700 The humble, those with destitute hearts, sense their 406 00:15:42,700 --> 00:15:44,900 spiritual need and seek after God. 407 00:15:45,940 --> 00:15:48,060 They have the advantage, and I asked Sarah 408 00:15:48,060 --> 00:15:50,080 to put that in capitals, the advantage and 409 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,040 the great joy of being able to cry 410 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,980 out to God for help, and I looked 411 00:15:55,980 --> 00:15:57,900 at that verse there in Matthew 5 verse 412 00:15:57,900 --> 00:16:00,060 3, the first of the Beatitudes, the blessed 413 00:16:00,060 --> 00:16:02,600 are the poor in spirit, and I thought, 414 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:04,080 that's not a sermon for you to preach, 415 00:16:04,220 --> 00:16:06,200 Carl, that's for you, that's for you right 416 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:10,680 now, that's for you as a Christian, and 417 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:12,260 God spoke to me right at that moment, 418 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,700 and He said, Carl, stop trying harder, start 419 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:19,080 making better choices, stop trying harder on your 420 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,020 own, start making better choices as I help 421 00:16:23,020 --> 00:16:25,040 you, and I don't know if that means 422 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:26,240 a thing to you or not, but to 423 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:31,760 me, there's two different worlds, trying harder versus 424 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,720 making better choices with God's help, and I 425 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,960 can't tell you, but that little, that little 426 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:39,680 mini home with the fire and that green 427 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,760 chair became my place of revival. 428 00:16:42,940 --> 00:16:45,540 Revival began because I began to think a 429 00:16:45,540 --> 00:16:46,220 little bit differently. 430 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,420 Here, just minutes ago, just 30 seconds before 431 00:16:51,420 --> 00:16:53,080 that, I felt like just the weight of 432 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,640 the world was on my shoulders, and all 433 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,220 of a sudden, I'm in revival, because God 434 00:16:58,220 --> 00:16:59,920 spoke to me through His Word and by 435 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:02,260 His Holy Spirit, stop trying harder, start making 436 00:17:02,260 --> 00:17:03,000 better choices. 437 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,720 Well, that began one of hundreds and hundreds, 438 00:17:09,940 --> 00:17:12,099 and right up till even to today, me 439 00:17:12,099 --> 00:17:14,119 trying to ask God, can you help me, 440 00:17:14,220 --> 00:17:16,700 Lord, because I always want to revert back 441 00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:18,180 to that trying harder business. 442 00:17:18,980 --> 00:17:19,859 Can you help me? 443 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:20,900 And that's my prayer. 444 00:17:21,420 --> 00:17:22,700 It has to be my prayer on a 445 00:17:22,700 --> 00:17:25,200 regular basis, or every time I try harder, 446 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,840 I fall flat on my face, but when 447 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:30,260 I step back, say, God, let's look at 448 00:17:30,260 --> 00:17:31,140 the big picture here. 449 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:33,160 God helps me. 450 00:17:33,740 --> 00:17:34,660 I make better choices. 451 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:36,540 I'm all for living in the moment. 452 00:17:37,220 --> 00:17:38,480 I'm going to get Sarah to put that, 453 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,360 take that back off and go back to 454 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:42,680 our title, stop trying harder and start making 455 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,140 better choices, and it's such a difference, such 456 00:17:47,140 --> 00:17:49,380 a difference in practical ways and in spiritual 457 00:17:49,380 --> 00:17:50,000 ways, too. 458 00:17:51,940 --> 00:17:53,280 It's a whole different way to live. 459 00:17:53,980 --> 00:17:56,440 For instance, in practical ways, I get up 460 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,600 from the green chair, and we got the 461 00:17:58,600 --> 00:17:59,820 kids off to school, and I said to 462 00:17:59,820 --> 00:18:03,480 my wife, can we get our power bill 463 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,220 on equalized billing? 464 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:07,520 She said, sure, we can get it on 465 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:08,280 equalized billing. 466 00:18:08,380 --> 00:18:09,820 It was a practical thing that we could 467 00:18:09,820 --> 00:18:10,060 do. 468 00:18:10,460 --> 00:18:12,340 We put our power bill on equalized billing. 469 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:13,620 It was the same every month. 470 00:18:14,140 --> 00:18:15,080 I could handle that. 471 00:18:15,180 --> 00:18:16,720 I was still running the money back then. 472 00:18:16,740 --> 00:18:17,680 I could handle that. 473 00:18:18,260 --> 00:18:20,720 I didn't have to try harder to, you 474 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:21,220 know what I mean? 475 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:23,200 That was one practical thing. 476 00:18:23,260 --> 00:18:25,800 We started paying with cash for things more. 477 00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:27,240 I'm not saying this is what you have 478 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:27,460 to do. 479 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,600 I'm just saying not using cash, using credit 480 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:31,620 wasn't working for me. 481 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:34,960 Trying to pay my power bill when it 482 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:36,540 came in the mail wasn't working for me. 483 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:38,520 I did it, but it was always late, 484 00:18:38,580 --> 00:18:39,060 as I said. 485 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,820 Other practical ways, when I'd say to people, 486 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:46,260 I'll get back to you, that wasn't working 487 00:18:46,260 --> 00:18:48,160 for me because I had too many irons 488 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,000 in the fire, spinning too many plates. 489 00:18:50,260 --> 00:18:51,720 You know what that's like to have so 490 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,000 many plates you're spinning all the time, and 491 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:56,220 you don't know how many people you've said, 492 00:18:56,300 --> 00:18:57,260 leave that with me, will you? 493 00:18:57,360 --> 00:18:58,160 I'll get back to you. 494 00:18:58,380 --> 00:18:59,660 That stuff wasn't working for me. 495 00:18:59,700 --> 00:19:01,100 It wasn't working for me as a pastor, 496 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,320 as a husband, in dealing with my kids, 497 00:19:04,460 --> 00:19:07,440 making promises, and I had to stop that. 498 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,060 I had to say, Lord, I can't try 499 00:19:10,060 --> 00:19:12,420 harder to have a better memory. 500 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,500 I can't try harder to follow through with 501 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:15,760 things. 502 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,740 You and I have to figure this out, 503 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,740 Lord, how I can make better choices that 504 00:19:20,740 --> 00:19:23,500 will help me, and that's what I'm here 505 00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:24,540 to talk to you today about. 506 00:19:25,820 --> 00:19:27,420 I don't like to talk about the way 507 00:19:27,420 --> 00:19:28,080 I used to think. 508 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:29,520 I don't like to talk about the old 509 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:30,740 Carl and the way I used to be, 510 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,380 but in one sense it's a reminder to 511 00:19:34,380 --> 00:19:36,980 me what God has done, and so I 512 00:19:36,980 --> 00:19:40,640 just share it today to say God wants 513 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,320 to, he's no respecter of persons, God wants 514 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,360 to do amazing things in us and meet 515 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:46,240 us right where we're at. 516 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,600 So, in spiritual ways, as a pastor, and 517 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:55,460 I hope there's pastors listening and watching online, 518 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:57,100 and I'm sure there are pastors here and 519 00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:58,160 Christian leaders as well. 520 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,520 In practical ways, one of the bags of 521 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,220 rocks that I carried around as a pastor 522 00:20:04,220 --> 00:20:05,440 was sermon preparation. 523 00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:08,700 Almost every week I'd say, I've got to 524 00:20:08,700 --> 00:20:10,500 try harder next week to be better prepared. 525 00:20:12,180 --> 00:20:14,340 You get up Monday morning, your feet hit 526 00:20:14,340 --> 00:20:15,820 the floor, you're a pastor, you like to 527 00:20:15,820 --> 00:20:17,920 visit with people, the phone rings, you love 528 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:19,120 it, you love to be with people, you 529 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:21,080 love to pray and be going and doing 530 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,240 and fellowshipping with other pastors and so on, 531 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,040 but hardly a week went by there for 532 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,280 those first ten years of my being in 533 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,760 full-time ministry that I wouldn't say, I've 534 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:33,660 got to try harder to get my act 535 00:20:33,660 --> 00:20:35,140 together earlier in the week and be better 536 00:20:35,140 --> 00:20:37,180 prepared for what I've got to say. 537 00:20:37,780 --> 00:20:39,140 And so God and I began to talk 538 00:20:39,140 --> 00:20:41,380 about this because I'd beat myself up and 539 00:20:41,380 --> 00:20:42,620 all that stuff. 540 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,240 You have issues in your life that you're 541 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:45,240 trying harder on, right? 542 00:20:45,300 --> 00:20:46,620 You beat yourself up on them. 543 00:20:48,380 --> 00:20:50,380 Like Dr. Phil says, how's that working out 544 00:20:50,380 --> 00:20:51,480 for you, you know? 545 00:20:53,060 --> 00:20:54,760 It wasn't working out very good for me. 546 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:56,960 Being a pastor was a stressful thing. 547 00:20:57,260 --> 00:20:58,840 There were some Sunday mornings I had to 548 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,160 call my father-in-law, Jack Salmon. 549 00:21:01,260 --> 00:21:04,320 He's long gone now, but I'd say, Jack, 550 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,420 I've worked all week, I haven't been lazy, 551 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:07,880 but I just don't have it together. 552 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:09,600 And this is like five o'clock in 553 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:09,920 the morning. 554 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,560 He'd show up at 11 o'clock and 555 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:13,400 preach for me, you know? 556 00:21:13,940 --> 00:21:15,680 And I'd say to the congregation, you know, 557 00:21:15,740 --> 00:21:18,240 just pray for me, pray for me, pray 558 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:18,740 for me. 559 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:20,740 Stuff like that. 560 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,820 So this is part of the reason why 561 00:21:25,820 --> 00:21:27,900 Greg Gordon asked me to speak today, because 562 00:21:27,900 --> 00:21:31,100 Greg thinks I have a unique sermon preparation 563 00:21:31,100 --> 00:21:32,160 plan in place. 564 00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:35,400 Now I've never heard of any other pastor 565 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:36,880 that does this, but I'm sure there are 566 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:38,220 other pastors that do it. 567 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,120 But this is what the Lord and I 568 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:40,860 have going on. 569 00:21:41,420 --> 00:21:44,800 On Monday mornings, I get up, my mind 570 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,640 is blank, as it normally is, but it's 571 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:48,560 an extra blank on Monday mornings. 572 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,100 I get up before breakfast, just like you 573 00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:52,940 do, and I start to do my own 574 00:21:52,940 --> 00:21:54,000 personal devotions. 575 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,120 And through that, I feel, if God is 576 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:00,800 speaking to me about this, maybe God wants 577 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,220 to speak to somebody else about it. 578 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,320 So I start writing some notes to go 579 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:05,300 towards my message. 580 00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:08,480 If it's speaking to me, a thought, a 581 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,220 text, or whatever, I think God will speak 582 00:22:11,220 --> 00:22:11,940 to somebody else. 583 00:22:12,140 --> 00:22:14,120 So I have set myself up on a 584 00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:17,200 schedule where every Monday, I have to preach 585 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,660 at 1.30 to 80 to 100 people, 586 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:21,840 every Monday at 1.30 in the afternoon. 587 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:23,880 And on Monday morning, when I get up, 588 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,900 I have no message, but by noon, when 589 00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:28,640 I get ready to leave the house, the 590 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,760 Lord and I have worked that out together, 591 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:32,400 and I've discovered I can be just as 592 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,100 inspired on Monday morning at 7 as I 593 00:22:35,100 --> 00:22:36,480 can Saturday night at midnight. 594 00:22:36,620 --> 00:22:37,840 I can be just as inspired. 595 00:22:39,180 --> 00:22:41,340 And so I generally preach to that group 596 00:22:41,340 --> 00:22:44,420 at the seniors' home in Woodstock and their 597 00:22:44,420 --> 00:22:44,860 families. 598 00:22:45,020 --> 00:22:46,740 We have a church service there every Monday 599 00:22:46,740 --> 00:22:49,640 at 1.30, and I hardly use any 600 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,060 notes, maybe just three or four sentences, but 601 00:22:52,060 --> 00:22:54,100 I'm just sharing what God has been speaking 602 00:22:54,100 --> 00:22:54,860 to my heart about. 603 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,900 Then, this is the part that Greg especially 604 00:22:57,900 --> 00:23:00,320 wanted me to share, is then on Monday 605 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,240 nights, there's a group that meets in someone's 606 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:04,560 home, and it's open to anyone in the 607 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,380 church, so there's usually about a dozen people 608 00:23:06,380 --> 00:23:09,600 show up, and I say to them, this 609 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:11,180 is what I may be preaching on on 610 00:23:11,180 --> 00:23:11,500 Sunday. 611 00:23:12,020 --> 00:23:14,600 I've already preached it this afternoon to a 612 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,360 group of seniors and their families, but this 613 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:18,460 is what I'll probably be preaching on Sunday. 614 00:23:20,460 --> 00:23:21,520 What do you think of that? 615 00:23:21,580 --> 00:23:23,320 How is God speaking to you from this 616 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:23,720 text? 617 00:23:23,860 --> 00:23:25,440 How is God speaking to you from this 618 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:25,780 thought? 619 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,000 And so we pray and do sort of 620 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,580 a Lectio Divina-style Bible study where we'll 621 00:23:31,580 --> 00:23:35,280 pray, then we'll read the verses, and then 622 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:37,240 we'll pray again, and then we'll say, this 623 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,680 is a verse that God's speaking to me 624 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:38,920 about. 625 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:40,760 And I'll just sit there with a blank 626 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,540 piece of paper and just start writing notes. 627 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,740 I show up every week to that meeting 628 00:23:45,740 --> 00:23:47,240 with just a blank piece of paper and 629 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:48,260 just start writing notes. 630 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,300 And we have two 20-year-old young 631 00:23:51,300 --> 00:23:54,480 ladies that attend that, Nolly and Anita, and 632 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:55,960 they'll start saying, you know, this is what 633 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:57,480 God would say to me from what you're 634 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,620 talking about, Pastor Carl, and they'll start sharing 635 00:23:59,620 --> 00:24:01,400 things, you know, how it applies to them, 636 00:24:01,460 --> 00:24:02,700 and I'll start writing stuff out. 637 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,320 Their grandparents, Norton and Annie, are there. 638 00:24:05,780 --> 00:24:07,300 They're in their mid-70s, and they say, 639 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,480 this is how this verse is speaking to 640 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:09,580 me. 641 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:11,240 Verse 3 is speaking to me, or verse 642 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:12,880 5, and they'll share that. 643 00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:14,880 Then I have a friend there, Rex. 644 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:16,600 He's of a different denomination. 645 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:20,760 And he's there, and he'll say, well, you 646 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:22,080 know, this is what the Lord is saying 647 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:22,920 to me from this verse. 648 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:24,020 This is what I get out of this. 649 00:24:24,060 --> 00:24:24,820 And I'm just writing. 650 00:24:24,900 --> 00:24:26,200 I can't write fast enough. 651 00:24:26,300 --> 00:24:29,180 I cannot write fast enough, Pat, on Monday 652 00:24:29,180 --> 00:24:32,420 nights, as I'm just feeling blessed, because these 653 00:24:32,420 --> 00:24:34,540 people are saying, God's Word is speaking to 654 00:24:34,540 --> 00:24:37,660 me, and I'm just, the smoke's just coming 655 00:24:37,660 --> 00:24:38,580 right off my pen. 656 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,960 And we're together, we're building the message for 657 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:43,340 Sunday. 658 00:24:44,340 --> 00:24:45,600 Greg says that's unusual. 659 00:24:47,860 --> 00:24:49,400 And it works for me. 660 00:24:49,460 --> 00:24:50,760 I'm not saying you have to do it, 661 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,160 pastors, but I'm saying it works for me, 662 00:24:53,620 --> 00:24:56,440 because for 10 years before that, I carried 663 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:57,980 around a bag of rocks, said, Carl, if 664 00:24:57,980 --> 00:24:59,520 you just tried harder to get your act 665 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:01,980 together on sermon preparation, you'd do a better 666 00:25:01,980 --> 00:25:02,360 job. 667 00:25:02,420 --> 00:25:03,740 If you were doing a better job, the 668 00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:05,340 church would be full, the bills would be 669 00:25:05,340 --> 00:25:07,560 paid, the treasurer would be happy, revival would 670 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:09,560 be, but it all was on my shoulders. 671 00:25:09,660 --> 00:25:10,640 Just try harder. 672 00:25:12,420 --> 00:25:15,740 I just thank God that he said to 673 00:25:15,740 --> 00:25:18,280 me that day, Carl, stop trying harder. 674 00:25:19,020 --> 00:25:20,280 Start making better choices. 675 00:25:21,460 --> 00:25:23,280 I can't tell you what that's meant in 676 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:23,800 my life. 677 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:26,260 I wouldn't be here today, that's for sure. 678 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,480 I would be showing up in church somewhere, 679 00:25:29,780 --> 00:25:32,140 I wouldn't be a pastor, but I'd be 680 00:25:32,140 --> 00:25:34,320 sitting somewhere in the church, probably in the 681 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,680 back row, and I'd be, every Sunday, saying, 682 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:38,220 Lord, I just wish I could try harder, 683 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:39,700 because look at all these people that are 684 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:40,960 doing so much better than me. 685 00:25:41,940 --> 00:25:43,760 And I'd be beating myself up, week in, 686 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:44,900 week out, trying harder. 687 00:25:46,300 --> 00:25:48,000 I'm so glad that's not what the Christian 688 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:48,560 life is. 689 00:25:48,620 --> 00:25:50,420 Aren't you glad that's not what following Jesus 690 00:25:50,420 --> 00:25:51,360 is, trying harder? 691 00:25:51,740 --> 00:25:54,720 It's making choices with God's help, God helping 692 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,280 us, helping us see the big picture. 693 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,420 So for the last 15 years, this is 694 00:26:02,420 --> 00:26:04,960 how I've been preparing sermons. 695 00:26:05,540 --> 00:26:09,080 A good friend of mine was in a 696 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,720 session one time, and somebody floated the idea 697 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:14,800 about getting other people to help pastors get 698 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:15,700 their messages ready. 699 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:17,680 And I really respect this guy, and he 700 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,160 said, wouldn't that turn into a sermon stew? 701 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:23,040 Wouldn't that be just a hodgepodge of ideas 702 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:23,540 and stuff? 703 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:25,520 And that's never happened. 704 00:26:25,580 --> 00:26:26,320 It's never happened. 705 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:27,640 We're in one mind, one accord. 706 00:26:28,180 --> 00:26:30,100 And sometimes I don't use, maybe don't even 707 00:26:30,100 --> 00:26:32,040 use that message. 708 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,640 In fact, some Monday nights, as we get 709 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,460 discussing it, I realize, you know what, this 710 00:26:36,460 --> 00:26:37,960 isn't a topic that I'm ready to preach 711 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,140 on yet, because I don't know what I'm 712 00:26:40,140 --> 00:26:40,720 talking about. 713 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:42,940 And that's a great help, too. 714 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,520 Better before than after the message is preached, 715 00:26:45,580 --> 00:26:45,800 right? 716 00:26:49,540 --> 00:26:52,220 I just thank God, because I have enjoyed 717 00:26:52,220 --> 00:26:54,960 being a pastor so much these last 15 718 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:55,360 years. 719 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:57,400 Well, it's actually about 20 years now. 720 00:26:57,500 --> 00:26:59,160 I've been pastoring full time now for a 721 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:00,160 little over 30 years. 722 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,120 And the last 20 years of doing these 723 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:06,460 things, being a pastor has been such a 724 00:27:06,460 --> 00:27:08,300 blessing and such a joy. 725 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:11,680 And as Andrew and I were talking earlier, 726 00:27:12,260 --> 00:27:14,400 Andrew said, the thing that jumps out at 727 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,160 me is that, wouldn't that be helpful to 728 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:17,560 this 12 people that show up? 729 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:18,380 And I said, you bet. 730 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:19,240 Your life it is. 731 00:27:19,700 --> 00:27:21,120 We're doing devotions together. 732 00:27:21,260 --> 00:27:22,460 We're studying God's word together. 733 00:27:22,580 --> 00:27:25,020 We're applying it together, praying for one another. 734 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,660 Before we leave, you know, the conclusion of 735 00:27:27,660 --> 00:27:29,720 that is in that Lectio Divina style is, 736 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:31,480 what am I going to do about that? 737 00:27:31,940 --> 00:27:33,640 How does God want me to apply this 738 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:34,000 verse? 739 00:27:35,340 --> 00:27:37,280 And so we share that, pray for one 740 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,360 another, and out we go out the door. 741 00:27:40,820 --> 00:27:42,940 That's a little bit of my sermon preparation, 742 00:27:43,700 --> 00:27:45,120 making better choices. 743 00:27:45,380 --> 00:27:47,420 For me, that was God helping me make 744 00:27:47,420 --> 00:27:48,160 a better choice. 745 00:27:48,860 --> 00:27:50,480 Maybe God wanted me to stay in the 746 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:52,200 ministry, to stay being a pastor. 747 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:53,540 And he said, I've got to help this 748 00:27:53,540 --> 00:27:54,160 guy out here. 749 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,240 He's trying harder, and he's blowing it. 750 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,060 And so this is how God has helped 751 00:27:59,060 --> 00:27:59,360 me. 752 00:27:59,820 --> 00:28:02,340 And I pray that it might help somebody 753 00:28:02,340 --> 00:28:02,660 else. 754 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:04,260 It feels like sermon preparation. 755 00:28:04,260 --> 00:28:06,620 You love it, but it's like carrying a 756 00:28:06,620 --> 00:28:07,820 big sack of rocks around. 757 00:28:10,220 --> 00:28:13,800 Another thing is visiting people, visitation. 758 00:28:14,260 --> 00:28:16,020 I love to visit people, and I love 759 00:28:16,020 --> 00:28:16,960 to be around people. 760 00:28:17,900 --> 00:28:19,980 But it's difficult. 761 00:28:20,220 --> 00:28:22,680 How am I going to visit a 50 762 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,320 -year-old lady that starts coming to our 763 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:25,780 church who's a professional person? 764 00:28:25,860 --> 00:28:27,360 How am I going to start visiting a 765 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:29,380 22-year-old girl that starts coming? 766 00:28:29,820 --> 00:28:32,040 To get my wife's schedule, to coordinate with 767 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,360 mine, and then with that young working person, 768 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:36,020 it's next to impossible. 769 00:28:37,420 --> 00:28:40,160 And so, again, I thought, I've got to 770 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:40,700 try harder. 771 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:41,980 I've got to try harder to be better 772 00:28:41,980 --> 00:28:43,700 at visitation and all that stuff. 773 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,920 And the harder I tried, the worse things 774 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:47,200 went. 775 00:28:47,780 --> 00:28:50,040 And just recently, within the last year or 776 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,980 so, I realized one day, one Monday I 777 00:28:52,980 --> 00:28:54,120 got up and I said, I've got to 778 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:54,820 visit so-and-so. 779 00:28:54,860 --> 00:28:56,060 And I started writing down names. 780 00:28:56,260 --> 00:28:58,700 And I had 25 people's names written down 781 00:28:58,700 --> 00:29:00,360 that were new people to our church. 782 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,660 Or if they weren't coming to our church, 783 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:04,940 they were calling me or texting me, asking 784 00:29:04,940 --> 00:29:06,000 me spiritual questions. 785 00:29:06,300 --> 00:29:08,960 So at that point, there was 25 new 786 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:09,360 people. 787 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,000 And I started to revert back to that 788 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:13,540 trying harder. 789 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:15,200 I thought, I've got to try really hard 790 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,580 to befriend all these 25 people, build relationships 791 00:29:18,580 --> 00:29:21,060 with them, and get them on board. 792 00:29:21,580 --> 00:29:23,580 And then I realized, no, Carl, that's the 793 00:29:23,580 --> 00:29:24,320 old way of thinking. 794 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:25,700 That's the old way of thinking. 795 00:29:27,380 --> 00:29:28,900 So I began to pray about it. 796 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:31,580 And God reminded me when I was down 797 00:29:31,580 --> 00:29:34,440 in Florida a couple of years ago at 798 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:35,840 the Brooksville Wesleyan Church. 799 00:29:36,220 --> 00:29:38,080 We stepped in there that first Sunday. 800 00:29:38,580 --> 00:29:39,960 My wife and I were down there for 801 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:41,940 four or five weeks on a vacation. 802 00:29:42,540 --> 00:29:44,500 And it was a church of 700 people. 803 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:45,940 Jerry Pence is the pastor. 804 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,960 And I'm sitting there thinking, wow, their choir 805 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:51,800 loft here is as big as our church. 806 00:29:52,620 --> 00:29:54,660 And I'm thinking how nice it is, but 807 00:29:54,660 --> 00:29:55,940 how impersonal it is. 808 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:59,240 And just now, Pastor Jerry Pence says, if 809 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,840 anyone's here today, you came to church and 810 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:03,720 you're praying for someone, there's someone that's heavy 811 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:05,600 on your heart, or you have a prayer 812 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,920 request, while this song is being sung and 813 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:10,600 while one of our pastors is praying, we'd 814 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:11,540 like you to come forward. 815 00:30:11,620 --> 00:30:12,580 It was right in the middle of the 816 00:30:12,580 --> 00:30:15,200 service, maybe even 15 minutes into the service. 817 00:30:15,340 --> 00:30:17,200 And they said, you can kneel or sit 818 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,180 at the front here, and someone will pray 819 00:30:19,180 --> 00:30:19,460 with you. 820 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:20,680 And I was the first guy on my 821 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:20,900 feet. 822 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:22,620 There was someone on my mind that I 823 00:30:22,620 --> 00:30:23,320 was praying about. 824 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,360 I was tightened up in my stomach about 825 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:25,820 something. 826 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:27,680 And all of a sudden, that church of 827 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,160 700 people became just as personal as the 828 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:32,080 little country church. 829 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,500 And I was the first guy up there. 830 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:35,560 Someone prayed with me. 831 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:36,960 And I went back to my seat feeling 832 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,140 like I had really connected with somebody. 833 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,840 And we started doing that in our church. 834 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:43,120 I looked at that. 835 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,220 I looked at that list of 25 people, 836 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:46,540 and I thought, there's no way that's going 837 00:30:46,540 --> 00:30:47,720 to happen, that I'm going to be able 838 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,580 to minister to those people one-on-one 839 00:30:50,580 --> 00:30:51,240 like I'd like. 840 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:53,740 I told that story one Sunday in church 841 00:30:53,740 --> 00:30:54,680 that I just told you. 842 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,100 And I said, someone's coming to lead in 843 00:30:57,100 --> 00:30:57,520 a song. 844 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:59,680 And if anybody wants to come forward in 845 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,640 our church and sit on the front row, 846 00:31:02,340 --> 00:31:03,600 I'll go down and pray with you for 847 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,000 a moment or two while the song is 848 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,280 being sung, and then you can go back 849 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:06,740 to your seat. 850 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,040 I hadn't even got a piece of gum 851 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:09,740 in my mouth. 852 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:12,700 And the whole front row was full, and 853 00:31:12,700 --> 00:31:14,420 there was people sitting at the altar. 854 00:31:14,580 --> 00:31:16,880 That's how hungry people were for some kind 855 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:17,960 of personal contact. 856 00:31:18,420 --> 00:31:19,160 Couldn't believe it. 857 00:31:19,820 --> 00:31:21,520 The people that were up singing that first 858 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,840 Sunday sang the whole hymn through twice, all 859 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,240 the verses through twice. 860 00:31:25,460 --> 00:31:26,640 We didn't know what to do. 861 00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:28,820 And I was just praying with each person. 862 00:31:29,500 --> 00:31:31,660 Because people can relate to what it means 863 00:31:31,660 --> 00:31:33,700 to try harder, try harder. 864 00:31:33,860 --> 00:31:34,540 Nothing's working. 865 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:36,200 You know, having burdens for people. 866 00:31:36,460 --> 00:31:39,280 But this is what God and I have 867 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:39,820 worked out. 868 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,420 This is what God worked out and I 869 00:31:41,420 --> 00:31:45,500 agreed to it when it comes to visitation. 870 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,160 And visitation for a pastor, here's Andrew, he's 871 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,000 a brand new pastor just as of June 872 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:51,540 of this year. 873 00:31:51,660 --> 00:31:53,540 He's the pastor here at this church. 874 00:31:54,660 --> 00:31:56,280 You know, some pastors, it's like they're carrying 875 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,020 a hockey bag full of gear around with 876 00:31:58,020 --> 00:32:00,460 them when it comes to sermon preparation, another 877 00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:02,280 hockey bag on visitation. 878 00:32:03,580 --> 00:32:05,680 And I beat myself up too many years 879 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:07,720 trying harder and failing miserably. 880 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,140 And I'm glad that God has better choices. 881 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:12,660 I'm glad for that. 882 00:32:13,140 --> 00:32:14,660 You can relate that to your life, I'm 883 00:32:14,660 --> 00:32:17,600 sure, in ways that if you just give 884 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:18,840 God a chance to do that. 885 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:25,800 Well, the other day I got a call 886 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:27,060 from a guy in our church and we 887 00:32:27,060 --> 00:32:31,040 were chatting and he said, what are you 888 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:31,300 up to? 889 00:32:31,340 --> 00:32:33,740 And I said, well, I was up on 890 00:32:33,740 --> 00:32:36,580 the roof putting new mortar on the chimney. 891 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:39,200 And that's what I'd been doing for about 892 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:40,620 an hour there, one of those last sunny 893 00:32:40,620 --> 00:32:43,600 days before this cold weather socked us all 894 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:43,820 in. 895 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:46,020 And I'd been up on the roof cleaning 896 00:32:46,020 --> 00:32:47,700 the chimney and I noticed that some of 897 00:32:47,700 --> 00:32:49,580 the mortar between the bricks was cracking and 898 00:32:49,580 --> 00:32:50,900 so I mixed up a little bit of 899 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:52,800 mortar, went up there with a trowel and 900 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,340 I think they called it repointing your chimney 901 00:32:55,340 --> 00:32:55,640 maybe. 902 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:57,940 And as best I could, I spent an 903 00:32:57,940 --> 00:32:59,560 hour and a half putting new mortar between 904 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:00,040 the bricks. 905 00:33:01,140 --> 00:33:02,760 So anyway, the guy calls me and says, 906 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:03,900 I called you, you weren't home. 907 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:04,940 I said, I was up on the roof 908 00:33:06,180 --> 00:33:08,320 and I'm doing this to the chimney and 909 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,960 this is what he said, was it leaking? 910 00:33:11,340 --> 00:33:12,820 No, he said it was leaking, was it? 911 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,640 I said, no, it wasn't leaking at all. 912 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:18,640 And I realized I was a different guy 913 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,160 than the guy that stood a Canadian tire 914 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:21,720 that day. 915 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,240 Wrestling was spending 67 bucks. 916 00:33:24,580 --> 00:33:25,780 This was just last week. 917 00:33:26,460 --> 00:33:30,240 And I realized, Lord, I almost cried because 918 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,540 I thought, Lord, you're helping me. 919 00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:35,680 You're helping me to make better choices. 920 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:38,660 And that's just a crazy illustration about a 921 00:33:38,660 --> 00:33:41,940 chimney trying to, you know, look after it 922 00:33:41,940 --> 00:33:42,800 before it breaks. 923 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,800 But spiritually, God is helping me that same 924 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:48,800 way to deal with things before they break. 925 00:33:50,140 --> 00:33:52,700 God wants to help each one of us 926 00:33:52,700 --> 00:33:56,380 to stop trying harder and start making better 927 00:33:56,380 --> 00:33:56,820 choices. 928 00:34:00,050 --> 00:34:01,790 I'm going to grab this guitar here and 929 00:34:01,790 --> 00:34:02,430 sing a song. 930 00:34:02,750 --> 00:34:03,950 And as I sing it, you might want 931 00:34:03,950 --> 00:34:07,110 to close your eyes and just listen to 932 00:34:07,110 --> 00:34:08,949 the words and let God speak to you 933 00:34:08,949 --> 00:34:09,969 about this topic, would you? 934 00:34:20,330 --> 00:34:22,610 In fact, let's stand as we consider this. 935 00:34:31,989 --> 00:34:36,889 And I, if I be lifted up, he 936 00:34:36,889 --> 00:34:41,730 said, will draw all men to me. 937 00:34:42,710 --> 00:34:48,690 I raised my eyes to the skies and 938 00:34:48,690 --> 00:34:53,889 said, his love lifted me. 939 00:34:56,590 --> 00:34:59,610 Reach up for him. 940 00:35:02,310 --> 00:35:05,790 You know, God's reaching down for you. 941 00:35:08,010 --> 00:35:10,970 You can never seem to know. 942 00:35:11,930 --> 00:35:16,490 Don't you think God knows just what you're 943 00:35:16,490 --> 00:35:18,370 going through. 944 00:35:19,950 --> 00:35:28,030 The miles of space, God's amazing grace can 945 00:35:28,030 --> 00:35:29,030 span. 946 00:35:31,550 --> 00:35:33,930 Reach up for him. 947 00:35:34,810 --> 00:35:40,510 Reach up and touch God's hand. 948 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:51,040 The faintest flicker of faith, my friend, is 949 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,540 all God needs to see. 950 00:35:54,780 --> 00:35:59,360 There's no need for words when your thoughts 951 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:01,000 are heard. 952 00:36:01,780 --> 00:36:04,520 And his love lifted me. 953 00:36:07,700 --> 00:36:11,320 Reach up for him. 954 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:16,780 You know, God's reaching down for you. 955 00:36:18,590 --> 00:36:21,770 You can never seem to know. 956 00:36:21,770 --> 00:36:25,810 Oh, don't you think God knows just what 957 00:36:25,810 --> 00:36:29,030 you're going through. 958 00:36:30,710 --> 00:36:38,350 The miles of space, God's amazing grace can 959 00:36:38,350 --> 00:36:39,090 span. 960 00:36:41,150 --> 00:36:44,270 Reach out for him. 961 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,540 Reach up and touch God's hand. 962 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:07,680 Lord, I pray that today, the rest of 963 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,620 this day, when I'm tempted to just try 964 00:37:10,620 --> 00:37:17,280 harder on my own strength, that I would 965 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,160 just step back and say, let's approach this 966 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:21,180 a different way, Carl. 967 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,720 Let's make better choices with God's help. 968 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:27,920 Lord, I pray for that one today that 969 00:37:28,940 --> 00:37:33,920 is used to trying harder and failing and 970 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:35,360 then feeling guilty over it. 971 00:37:35,420 --> 00:37:37,280 And the whole cycle begins all over again. 972 00:37:37,740 --> 00:37:39,620 I pray for those pastors that might be 973 00:37:39,620 --> 00:37:42,380 listening to this or watching this today or 974 00:37:42,380 --> 00:37:42,960 in the future. 975 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,800 If this could just give a pastor a 976 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:47,260 little bit of hope, a little bit of 977 00:37:48,300 --> 00:37:52,600 some tools for his toolbox, then Lord, everything 978 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:54,220 we're doing is so worthwhile. 979 00:37:54,900 --> 00:37:57,880 We know, Lord, that if we're not in 980 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:00,580 revival personally, it doesn't matter where we are, 981 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:01,480 we're not in revival. 982 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,040 But if we are in revival personally, if 983 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:06,940 you're personally reviving us, then wherever we are, 984 00:38:07,060 --> 00:38:09,140 if we're in the deadest church or the 985 00:38:09,140 --> 00:38:11,340 deadest job, we're in the middle of revival 986 00:38:11,340 --> 00:38:13,400 because you're reviving us from inside. 987 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:17,100 So, Lord, may that be our case. 988 00:38:17,220 --> 00:38:18,380 And it's in Christ's name we pray. 989 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,980 And everybody said amen and amen. 990 00:38:21,620 --> 00:38:23,340 Please stop by and pick up some literature 991 00:38:23,340 --> 00:38:24,760 I have out on the table that talks 992 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:26,020 a little bit about what I said here 993 00:38:26,020 --> 00:38:26,300 today. 994 00:38:26,740 --> 00:38:27,360 God bless you.