- 20 hours ago
Here's the second half of this service taken place on July 26, 2025 at Living Word Bible Church.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Amen. God, thank you for the seed that you have provided to the sower. Thank you that in your
00:05hands that it multiplies far beyond what we can think and that we are expecting you to move big
00:10in our communities. Thank you that you are a blessing to our household and our household
00:15gets to continue to bless the community around us. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. You guys can be seated.
00:22Thank you guys so much for being a part of church tonight.
00:26Tonight, it's always a lot of fun for me and a lot of the times too when I get to
00:35sit down to
00:36meditate in God's Word and write a teaching, it's just so many memories that end up flooding because
00:43I don't know if it's the same for you guys, but my brain, funny enough, thinks like in pictures.
00:49So I'll read something and then a picture will pop up or a memory will pop up. And in that
00:55way is
00:56kind of how I've always communicated with God. And that's how I have felt Him and heard Him.
01:02I'm not one of the lucky people who has heard like the audible voice of God. I don't know if
01:08that's a scary thing when that does happen, if He sounds like Morgan Freeman or not. I don't know.
01:15I've never been, I want to say that lucky, right? But what's interesting is that I can tell whether or
01:22not something's from God or whether it's from my own thoughts, right? And for a lot of us who maybe
01:28haven't heard like the audible voice of God, but we can read God's Word and understand that this is
01:32His Word, that we can listen to sound teaching and go, oh, that's God's Word. There's a discernment and
01:38there's an understanding to it. But also, have you guys noticed sometimes too when you have an idea
01:42pops up in your head, you're like, that's a good idea. And then you think on it more and you
01:46go,
01:46no, I don't think so. I don't know that that was a God idea. I think that was just my
01:51idea.
01:52And we have this funny problem where we're dealing with how do I know what is God's voice? Because it
02:01happens in the littlest things and it'll happen in bigger things. It's, I want to go before God and
02:07know that I'm going to get the correct answer, not just for my sake, but for the sake of the
02:13people
02:13around me and have an understanding that I am getting what I need to from God, that I'm not
02:18allowing my own personal ambitions or goals to kind of sneak in and start adjusting what I think
02:24God is supposed to be saying rather than just taking God at His Word and understanding that.
02:29And sometimes that's a big battle, right? Because we have our own personal ambitions and goals and
02:35there's nothing wrong with that. But just because there is something before you placed as an opportunity
02:40doesn't mean it's the opportunity that's best for you in this season, best for you in the moment
02:45and best for you, meaning that did you invite God into it? Did you ask for His input? Because
02:51honestly, sometimes we were pursuing these really big things and then it falls apart and we get really
02:57frustrated at God and we go, where were you? And then it wasn't His plan for our life in the
03:01first
03:01place. It was like, I can redeem this time. I can make sure that you are taken care of, but
03:06can I save
03:07myself a lot of heartache, a lot of questioning, a lot of wondering if I would have just invited God
03:12in the beginning? So how do I know when it's God's voice? It's a big question and Jesus does a
03:19really
03:20good job of really describing this in John and this is what we're going to be reading tonight.
03:27In John 10 verse 1, it says,
03:30Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in
03:36by
03:37some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is a shepherd of
03:42the sheep.
03:42The gatekeeper opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by
03:48name
03:49and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them and his
03:53sheep follow
03:54him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from
04:00him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice. So right in the beginning of this passage,
04:08we can see very clearly that God's a God of order, right? There is a way to enter into the
04:16sheep pen.
04:16There is a way to enter into his presence. There is a way to receive your salvation through the Son,
04:22right? So if it feels like a back door, it's probably not from God, right? And it's funny
04:31because we can laugh at it and it seems very silly, but sometimes there's these very simple truths
04:36that are truth, but we just have a hard time accepting them, right? They can be simple in
04:40their nature, but we just have a hard time accepting them as truth. And understand me too,
04:45I'm not saying that if you experience something that you couldn't rationalize, that's a back door,
04:50right? That's called a miracle, right? God's still doing miracles. I have had countless miracles
04:54happen in my life, right? But they have never been to the point where I go, oh, I can't explain
05:00it.
05:01That's not God. Every time I go, I can't explain it. It has to be God. Never have I thought,
05:06oh, let me
05:07go this back way. Because if I'm going to cheat the rules or cheat someone, then it's probably not from
05:11God. Why? Because in the end, it's not going to glorify God. So if I'm walking out something and I
05:17think this is the best plan, but it doesn't end up glorifying God, then it's not from God, right?
05:23God's not going to contradict himself. But also, the other thing is this, is that it says that he
05:28goes before you and he guides you and he leads the way, right? His voice is before you. Do you
05:33guys
05:33ever notice that when somebody opens a back door, you're all alone? They open it, they let you in,
05:38and all of a sudden, like all the lights are out and you're just there alone. It's like there's
05:42nobody else to guide you. They kind of expect you to find your own way, right? And in those like,
05:48you guys seen like the movies or the TV shows when the guy has a really impressive date and he
05:52gets
05:52to go in through the restaurant through like the back way? It's the kitchen. Like we've all seen
05:56kitchens. It's nothing fancy. It's like, why is this the cool thing to do? Like now it's just not
06:00glamorous. Now I know how dirty or clean the kitchen is. Like this doesn't seem like the best option
06:06for me. But when I understand that God is going to go before me, his voice is going to guide
06:13me,
06:13and then that he is a God of order and structure, and he has prepared a way that I have
06:18access to him,
06:19then a lot of these decisions and opportunities that come before me end up becoming easier to
06:24decipher about whether or not they're actually for me and from God, or if it's just an opportunity
06:29from the world, right? Because there's going to be good opportunities, but not everything is good for
06:34the season that you're in, the moment of life that you're in, and what God has called you to.
06:39My family has a very interesting relationship with hiking, okay? For instance, we never planned
06:49the hike. It was just something my dad liked to do after family pictures. So we were just a Mexican
06:54family in like jeans and dress shoes and button-up shirts that just suddenly hiking a mountain. You're
06:59like, you guys aren't prepared for this, are you? That was my family. That was every single time
07:04we would take pictures because my mom would pick these really elaborate places to go get family
07:08portraits done, okay? None of us were prepared. We were just hiking a mountain. We were doing it
07:13because we were submitted to my dad, and it's like, all right, Mr. Royal Ranger over here, let's keep
07:17going up this mountain. We're going to be doing it, okay? That's how my family has always been with
07:22hikes. The Anderson family with hiking, it's meticulous. It's planned. Sometimes there's sandwiches.
07:31Like, there's goodness about this, right? Because there's a purpose and a goal because when you get
07:36to the top, there is also pictures, but it was planned and it was purposeful, okay? My dad had
07:42always encouraged the boys to get off of the trail. It was just what he did, and it would very
07:48much so
07:48basically give my mom a heart attack because my little brother would be like seven, and he'd be
07:53scaling the side of a mountain, and my dad would be like, let him be. He's a man, and I
07:57was like, what?
07:5897. Like, what are we doing? And I would watch my little brother, and he was always more daring
08:03than me, right? I would do stuff, and then it'd be like, that's where my line is. Where's yours?
08:08Because I don't see one, like, at all. So we were trained in a way to almost, and I think
08:12it was
08:12almost my dad's rationale, too. Like, if we could get through this quicker, we're back home. Like,
08:17we're good. So we would just take shortcuts, and we'd do these different trails, and the first time
08:21that I ever hiked with Pastor Jason, Pastor Kelly, and Katie, and Logan, I did what I had always done,
08:27is that I got off trail, and I started doing things very quickly, and I was the first one up
08:31the
08:31mountain. It was great. Didn't think anything of it, right? Katie and I are early dating. The second
08:37time that I went hiking with the family, Pastor Jason put us all in a circle and said, hey,
08:43we as a family are going to stay on the trail today, and I was like, I'm the only one
08:48who ever gets off
08:49trail. He's speaking directly to me without saying anything directly to me, and I was like, all right.
08:56I also learned that day that Andersons don't do motorcycles. I made a joke about motorcycles,
09:01and he was like, not in my household, and I was like, am I in there yet? Is this an
09:07invitation?
09:08Are we good? This is exciting. Early dating. Like, this is fun, and what's really funny about this
09:13is that when you look at it, I immediately submitted and understood his voice and said,
09:18this is the patriarch of the family. This is the head of the family. I'm in your pen,
09:22so I'm going to do whatever you want me to do. Does that say anything against my dad? No.
09:28Different pen, different rules, different lead. What he was trying to establish in his sons growing
09:33up was that they would be adventurous, that they would have some courage, but then also that they
09:37would have some grit, right? Pastor Jason, in what he was establishing with his family,
09:43modeled the message that he was trying to speak. Both very good messages, both raised very strong men,
09:48but as soon as I was under that leadership, I was able to submit and say, okay, this is the
09:53patriarch of the family. This is wisdom. This is understanding. This is where this family is going.
09:58Understand that they're both opportunities. They're both good and decent and valuable for my life,
10:04but they were good in their season for each other, right? As a young guy, you're invincible. You can hike
10:09any mountain that you want. If you slip and fall, it's like a day, right? You're a sprained ankle. All
10:15of a
10:15good, healthy bones, right? The older you get, the more you go off trail. It's going to take a lot
10:20of
10:20time to get back. So you start to understand that every opportunity presented to you doesn't mean
10:27it's an opportunity that you're supposed to take. How do I discern what is God's voice? How is he
10:31guiding me and leading me in this situation? Jesus is telling this parable to the Pharisees,
10:37and in true fashion, they didn't understand him. So he has to double down in it. And in verse seven,
10:42he says, therefore, Jesus said again, very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who
10:49have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate.
10:54Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes
11:01only to still and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the
11:07full.
11:08The gift of salvation not only secures your eternity, but it makes you a kingdom citizen.
11:15And as a kingdom citizen, there's a lot of benefits to that, right? God's promises are yes and amen.
11:21There's a lot of things available to you. One of those things is the Holy Spirit. And this isn't
11:26something where it was in previous days, right, where they had the tabernacle, where they had the
11:31temple, where you could only speak to God in certain inner courts, and there's outer courts,
11:35and there's the holies of holies. We have the Holy Spirit residing inside of us. So then how do I
11:41take advantage of that, right? Because if there's a gift of discernment, how am I able to discern? How
11:46do I operate that muscle where my first reaction isn't just to say yes to anything that's in front of
11:52me, and I'll figure it out later. How do I first operate and say, God, I invite you in. What
11:58is the best
11:58thing that I should be deciding right now, right? Because the other measure, right, this
12:04this litmus test is going to say this. Is this a benefit to me that is going to glorify God
12:10in his
12:11creation? Or as if I walk this a few steps out, is it going to still kill and destroy anything
12:17that's
12:17around me, right? Because if that, if it's a ladder, then that's something of the enemy. And it's not
12:23always going to appear that way, right? Because there's, there's certain things that it might feel
12:28great or good even in a moment, right? Because you love dessert. I, me personally, I prefer candy over
12:36like ice cream or like cookies. Esther's just now starting to say words, and she says cookies, and I
12:43say yes. You know what I mean? Like she's just, hey, what are we doing tonight? She's like, cookies. I
12:47was like,
12:47done, you know? You speak my language. So, but you, if I walk this path out, right, if I do
12:53nothing but
12:54eat candy, it might feel good in the moment, right? And then five years from now, if my gums are
13:00bleeding
13:00and my teeth start to hurt with every sort of bite, you don't always get to see the evidence of
13:06what
13:06something is going to do when you're only looking at maybe this momentary good, right? So as I start to
13:13walk this out and I start to have this understanding, there's also something else, right? Because the
13:18Holy, with the Holy Spirit inside of you, the Bible also talks about in 1 John that we are supposed
13:22to
13:22test every spirit according to God's word. So God's never going to contradict himself. So if you feel
13:29like an opportunity is in front of you or a path that you should be taking, and then it feels
13:33like
13:34it's contrary to the word of God or the truth and the principle that he has established, right? Not
13:39something that we have tried to establish, what he has established. Then I go, okay, so if God's not
13:44saying it, then it's definitely not from him. And there's things like that that happen in our life
13:49where it might feel good in a moment and then you start walking it out and you go, that's actually,
13:55it's just taking me down a path that's only going to pull me further and further away from
13:58what he is calling me to. Because really the question is when it comes to making decisions, right,
14:03is it can be as simple as, hey, what should we eat tonight? Where are we going? How can I
14:09start
14:09to practice and increase this habit and muscle use in my decision-making that says, God, I want to
14:15invite you in? Because in the moments where it's a big decision and it's about your purpose and it's
14:20about your calling and you go, okay, God, how do I know to invite you in when there's a time
14:26clock
14:27ticking and there's only so much that I can do before this opportunity passes me by and I don't feel
14:33like sitting around for an entire day praying to you and then just waiting to hear Morgan Freeman's
14:39voice and it just never comes and I'm just like, man, how is God going to speak to me today?
14:44Because
14:44the reality of it is, is that sometimes those questions we ask is, God, is this going to advance your
14:50calling in my life is really hard to answer because sometimes we're not so clear on what that calling
14:55is for our life specifically, right? Because we're all called to disciple and share the gospel and to,
15:02right, to continue to share the good news of what Jesus has done. That's a baseline. But how do I
15:08do
15:08that? Do I do that as a father? Do I do that as a son? Do I do that in
15:12the marketplace and in the
15:14workplace? Do I go into full-time ministry? And you start to balance all of these different questions
15:18and say, God, where do you want me? And sometimes answering that question is so difficult just because
15:23we go, I don't even know if I can fully articulate what God has called me to right now. So
15:30if you can't
15:31answer that question because the looming question is, I don't know anything about my calling just
15:36yet. It's that very simple question. Is it going to glorify God or his creation? If not, then let's
15:42put a pause on it. We'll come back to it when I have more clarity and I feel like I
15:47understand where
15:47God is calling me to. Because as we start to understand these different things and you start
15:51to invite God in every decision process, it's a lot easier to hear his voice, right? As a parent,
15:58when as soon as you have a kid, not all babies cry sound the same, right? Without a baby, without
16:04one that's yours, you're like, oh, that's just a baby. But you start to understand and go, oh, no,
16:08that's mine. Have you guys ever realized that? Like at a family party, as somebody, all the kids will
16:13be crying and all of a sudden you can just pick yours out and you're like, oh, no, that's something
16:15serious. That's something different. This is a discernment because it's something that you're
16:19walking out in a relationship you've invited to be a part of your day-to-day. So as we start
16:24to
16:24understand that and continue to move forward, this becomes our baseline. And one of my favorite
16:29things about this is that God has created a way to have access to him. And it also isn't something
16:36that I think a lot of people talk about Christianity as things that we are to have not instead of
16:42the
16:42haves, right? And don't get me wrong, right? We're supposed to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross,
16:47to follow Jesus. But a lot of people look at that as everything that you're giving up. But nobody talks
16:53it like that way when you're teaching your child and raising them everything that they're going to
16:58give up, right? Nobody goes to their child and goes, hey, we can't have dessert every single night.
17:04This is just one of those things we're going to have to give up. Like we're those people. We're
17:08going to be really, really healthy. But nobody talks about that. As a parent, you go, hey, there's a
17:12life that's better for you. There's a life that has a higher living and a higher calling. And in order
17:18to do that, in order to fulfill that calling, we have to be healthy. So we're going to enjoy some
17:23good
17:23things, yes, but we're not going to do it every night, right? But nobody goes to their kids and
17:27goes, hey, this life is all about everything we don't have. So you know how depressing that would
17:31be? But sometimes people try to communicate the gospel in that way. It's, hey, this is everything
17:35that we don't have, we can't do. He goes, yes, there are rules and principles that we're going to
17:39follow, but it's not about the things that we don't have. It's about living in a higher way so that
17:43we
17:43can achieve what God has called us to. What he has called us to is far greater than anything I
17:47could
17:47have imagined on my own. So then that's the message that you start to communicate. It's not about a
17:52father who is restricting you. It's about a father who made a way so that you could have better than
17:57what you expected, right? And this was one of the things that Katie had to learn very quickly while
18:02dating me and even just early marriage is that I don't lock doors when my family's coming over.
18:09I actually unlock every door in my house just in case family's coming over because the way that my
18:14family has always operated is if there's like a family party gathering or something, that door is
18:19always unlocked and everybody just walks in. Doesn't matter how early you are, how late you are,
18:23the door is just open. But I didn't realize that not every family is like that. So when Katie and
18:28I
18:28were first dating, we'd be going to family parties for her and I would walk to the door and I
18:32would
18:33just like start turning the door knob and then like most of the time it like wasn't open. She goes,
18:36hey, what are you doing? I was like, it's a party. They're expecting us? She goes, no, no, no,
18:41we not. And I was like, it's an extra step, you know? They have to get up. They have to
18:47come here.
18:47They're not enjoying their own party because they have to keep opening the door because nobody shows
18:51up all at the same time. What are we doing? She goes, no, no, no. And she goes, you were
18:56raised
18:56very differently. And I was like, I know, but do you see how my way is kind of better in
19:00this instance?
19:02And so like even now, right, when we'll have like parties and stuff, she's not the type of person who
19:06leaves like doors unlocked. So I'll get up and I'll start unlocking doors. And her first response now,
19:12is somebody coming over? Is somebody coming over? And then there's even to the points where like,
19:16I'll have unlocked the back door. And she goes, what are you doing? There's no way. They're not
19:19going to do that. And then my little brother will walk through the like Arcadia doors. Hey,
19:23how's it going? And I was like, I told you. I said, this is the secret. Okay. We wanted family
19:29time.
19:29There is goodness here. Why would I ever add an extra step to restrict somebody from being able to
19:35enter into this goodness? And she is like, it's a door. Like there's manners. And I was like,
19:41those manners went out the window. Okay. When we became part of this family, this is what we do.
19:47And then we start laughing about it. But this is the communication, right? This is the idea.
19:52And this is who our father is. He isn't somebody who locked the door, said, hey, these are all the
19:56things that you have not. These are all the things that you can look at from the outside and hope
20:00maybe
20:01one day you're good enough to get it. No, if you want it, there is a process. There is a
20:05gatekeeper.
20:06There is a shepherd who wants you to be a part of his pen, who has invited you in, and
20:10who has made
20:10a way. And instead of focusing on all these things that we are have nots and we can't do, and
20:15we don't
20:15get to do what the rest of the world does, we get to focus on the goodness of our father
20:19that's actually
20:19greater than everything else in the world, and that he made himself available to us. And it's not a bunch
20:25of different restrictions. He goes, hey, this is very simple. Just come through my son. Come and learn
20:30what this process is, and this is what we get to walk out. In verse 11, it continues. He says,
20:36I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not
20:42the
20:42shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs
20:49away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand
20:55and
20:56carries nothing for the sheep. Have you guys ever noticed how recklessly you drive rental cars?
21:04Yeah. And then think how well you care for your own car, the one that you have to make the
21:08monthly
21:08payment on every month, the one that gets you to your job to be picking up the kids, right? You
21:13start
21:13to pay attention to all these little things. You're good about the oil changes. You're like, this car has
21:18to last a lifetime. I remember the first time I ever bought a car like on my own. It was
21:23a used car from
21:24a dealership. It was from like an old Hertz dealership because they would sell away their
21:28old inventory, right? So it was me and I was, I was showing up with my dad and it was
21:34great to go
21:35with him because he works in the automotive industry. He's the body guy and he has a, he knows how
21:39to fix
21:40cars. He would walk around with me and he would stick his thumb in like the hood and he would
21:44notice a
21:44gap about, he would go follow the chair and he goes, okay, so this car's been in an accident and
21:49they
21:49didn't do a good job of making the gap even throughout the entire car. And I was like, that's,
21:54that's cool. So no, not this one. Like, what do you want me to do with that information? I'm,
21:59you're my dad. I'll listen to you. So this was one of the funniest things is that I went and
22:04I bought
22:04a car and it was like 8,900 bucks at the time. I swore I was going to run that
22:10car into the ground.
22:11I was like, $8,900? Are you kidding me? The only money I'd ever spent on a car up until
22:15that point
22:15was three grand. Granted, every single one of those cars, the transmission went out. So this was like
22:19the first time I was ever going to spend big money on it. And the amount of care that I
22:24took on a
22:24Nissan Versa, which by the way, nobody told me that was a girl car for 16 year old girls, like
22:33at all.
22:34I thought, I saw it, the sticker was like 40 miles to the gallon. I said, this is my car.
22:39I can go to
22:39California on one tank of gas. This is going to be incredible. Every movie that came out that year
22:44that had like a high school girl driving a car, it was a Nissan Versa. And I was like, what
22:48in the world?
22:49The amount of care that I had for that car, because it was mine, because I counted the cost
22:55and I had to work hard to get it, was far greater than anything else, right? Because the higher the
23:01price, the more care typically, right? You start to notice that too. And that was also one of the
23:06cool things when I felt like for adults is when you stopped growing, you could buy nicer clothes
23:11because you weren't worried about like growing out of them. That what you were starting to do with
23:15your wardrobe or your choices, but you were, instead of just making fast decisions,
23:19you were making investments. So if I invested into this nice, nicer article of clothing, this was
23:24going to be something that was going to be sustained and carry me for a long time. But I also
23:29realized
23:29that that train of thought only matched because one day when I went home, the end of sophomore year,
23:36right before summer was starting, and my parents are sitting on the couch, and my mom goes,
23:41Miho, I have good news. You got a job. I said, that's crazy. I didn't apply. Like who called?
23:49Like what are we doing? And she goes, your Theo's a manager. I just count tire. Like he's looking
23:53for tire techs, and I told him you and your brother would do it. So my first ever job was
23:57with my older
23:58brother. And I was like, all right. Do I get a say in this? Like what do we do? And
24:04she's like, no,
24:05like there's things coming up, right? You're older, you want a car, you're going to have to help pitch
24:09him for the gas and things you're going to for basketball. It's just very natural, right? So I
24:13go, I'm doing possibly the worst job that a high school guy has like ever had, right? I'm burning
24:19my knees on the asphalt, trying to change tires on trailers. I'm doing all these different things
24:23for $8.05, which was a little bit higher than minimum wage at the time, okay? Minimum wage right now
24:29is almost $15. Every time I think about that, I was like, man, if I was making $15, I'd still
24:35be
24:35cheap. You know why I would still be cheap? It's because I would get invited, be like, dude, let's
24:40go out to eat. Let's like, let's go to Red Robin. Let's get a burger and be like, you know
24:44how many
24:44hours I have to work to just pay for that burger? I'm not doing that. What I want to spend
24:49my money
24:50on is something that's going to last longer than 30 minutes of like me eating it and talking with you
24:54guys. So a lot of what I would do would be like clothes or shoes. And then what it ended
24:59up being
25:00was it was a blessing for my mom. And I didn't even know it because I was passing down a
25:04lot of
25:04hand-me-downs to my little brother who at the time was just, things were tight. So a lot of
25:09the hand-me-
25:10downs in the clothes that I was like, I would wear it for a little bit and I would give
25:12it to him.
25:13He would start going through my closet and you go, oh, that's so cool. It's not, okay? He was in
25:17sixth
25:17grade and he started wearing my stuff while I was in high school. You know how tall he is? That's
25:21crazy.
25:22When I was going into my freshman year of college, he was taller than me and he was literally going
25:26to be in seventh grade. And I was like, man, this is crazy. But you know what the difference is
25:32that
25:32is? Is that when everybody else was so willing to spend money that they didn't have to work for,
25:37there was no opportunity to count the cost. It didn't matter. So what Jesus is saying here is that
25:42he's not a hired hand. He's not somebody who's going to flee when there's danger, flee when something's
25:48difficult, flee when the moment's easier to just walk away than it is to stand and fight, that he
25:53has a vested interest into this. And even that, he's not just the shepherd that's there to just
26:00take care. He's the owner of the land. There's something that's far greater and far more important
26:05and what he wants is you. He wants a relationship and a life with you. And as soon as you
26:09start to
26:10understand that, then it changes where you are also putting your focus and your intention,
26:15right? Because I'm not just giving my attention and my passions and my desires to somebody who
26:21is a hired hand who just one day might decide that he doesn't want to be around anymore.
26:25That I'm giving my life to a father who has committed to me and created a process that I could
26:31go
26:31and find him and find a better life through him and have that understanding that he's here,
26:37that he's speaking, that he's guiding, and he's going before me. There's so many decisions that are a lot
26:43easier because somebody else has gone before you, right? I had the blessing of being born as,
26:49I call it the middle child because my twin sister's a minute older. So I was like, ah,
26:52you're older. So it goes my older brother, my twin sister, then me. So I literally got to watch
26:57two people who I felt like were better than me go before me and make decisions. And if I saw
27:01something
27:02that wasn't like the best repercussions, I'd be like, I'm going to avoid that. And that made my life
27:07easier. Why? Because somebody was going before me. And in the same way, this has been established.
27:11And this is the principle. What we see here in verse 16, it says,
27:17I have other sheep that are not of this sheep head. I must bring them also. They too will listen
27:23to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my father loves me is that
27:28I lay
27:28my life down only to pick it up again. It's one of the most incredible things about our God is
27:36that
27:36he doesn't just care for the people that have already chosen him. Right? It's very transactional,
27:42that sort of love, if you think about it. You chose me first, so I'm going to choose you too.
27:46What he models is that I'm choosing you despite the fact whether you choose me or not. And I actually
27:52have a heart for you, even if you haven't chosen to enter into my family, enter into my pen,
27:57what I have established. So there's supposed to be one shepherd, Jesus. There's supposed to be one
28:03flock that's his people. And he has made himself available to everybody. Right? But it's still up
28:09to us to walk to the gate, to enter into what he has established and participate in what he has
28:16established. My favorite part about this is it says, I lay my life down only to take it up again.
28:23We all know what it feels like to lay our life down, right? Before I was married, I could watch
28:28an
28:28endless amount of sports. Okay? Now, there's a lot of cooking shows. I'm not going to lie to you.
28:35There's a lot of singing shows. And I don't understand singing shows. And I might be very
28:39biased because most of the time I'm listening to these people on these singing shows. I'm like,
28:43hey, you could do this. Like, you're better than these people. We could be on American Idol right
28:48now. Like, what are we doing here on the couch? Like, we have to start auditioning. We have to be
28:51doing
28:52these things. Right? And now, like, I used to watch a lot of sports. And now we watch a lot
28:56of, like,
28:57trash truck or these things on Netflix and, like, just little kid shows. And I was like, man,
29:03I had to lay my life down. But this is what I think is the prettiest and most revealing part
29:08about this passage is that to take it up again in the Greek means that you are making it your
29:14own.
29:14That you have chosen and you have chosen, you have made the decision to make whatever is in front of
29:19you your own. So this is the picture is that you laid your life down. I laid my life down.
29:24I gave up a lot
29:25of the free time that I had to then live my life in service of my wife and my daughter.
29:30I laid it
29:31down. But then what I pick up is also mine. And what I have picked up is a life that
29:36has my wife
29:37and my daughter and that's mine. And you start to get this bigger picture is that oftentimes we're
29:43so concerned about what we are laying down and what we are losing that we forget that when you pick
29:48that back up, that's yours also. So you laid down an easier life for a greater one. You laid down
29:53a life
29:54where you felt like you had all this freedom and all of this, any know-how to do whatever decision
29:59that you wanted. And what you picked up was a life that was greater than what you expected. It was
30:02companionship. It was something that you could go into life knowing that you had a life partner,
30:08that you were building a family, that you were moving in a direction that was greater than anything
30:12that you could have ever asked, hoped, or imagined. And this was all modeled by Jesus. So then what we
30:18start to see is that we have this understanding now that when Jesus talks about laying his life down
30:23and picking it up, what he picked up was you. He chose you. He didn't just say, hey, I have
30:29to do
30:29this to fulfill the law. And then whatever happens afterwards, they're going to pick me or not.
30:34He made himself available for you, chose you. And then what he picked up was harder, right? Because
30:41we're not the easiest people to govern all the time. We don't always take the advice or listen to the
30:46guidance. But when we do, and when we lay our life down in submission to him, that partnership is far
30:52greater than anything we could have ever imagined. So when you lay something down, you get the
30:56opportunity to pick it up and make it your own. So what are you picking up? What do you get
31:00to carry
31:01forward? Who are you carrying with you? And that's the answer tonight, right? How do I know that it's
31:07God's voice? How do I know whether or not this discernment that I'm trying to practice is actually
31:12doing me any good? Does it glorify God? Does it glorify his creation? And when you are called to
31:21lay something down, what are you picking up in return? Because oftentimes it's going to be far
31:25greater than what you were laying down. And it's not a reward meaning that there's going to be no
31:29effort. It's a reward meaning that it's just going to be more meaningful. So tonight, we're just going
31:35to close. And I want to pray with you guys and pray for you guys that there's a confidence moving
31:38forward. That you know what God's voice sounds like. That you know what the truth of his word
31:44says and has established. And knowing that when we lay our life down and choose to follow him,
31:49that what we are picking up is far greater than anything we could have ever done on our own. Amen?
31:53God, thank you for everybody here tonight. Thank you for your word that went before us. Thank you for
31:58your encouragement. Thank you for being a thoughtful and meticulous God who created a way that we could
32:05have access to you and know you. Know you without any restrictions and continue to pursue after you
32:10and given us such an uneven exchange. That you would lay down your life, give us your son, and that
32:17we
32:17get to, in return, have life with you and an eternity to secure with you. Thank you that as we
32:22continue to
32:23walk this life, that we know what your voice sounds like. That we are practicing the action of just
32:28inviting you into every single moment of our day. That in the big decisions that we're not scared or
32:33anxious or nervous anymore for what the future holds. Because we know what your voice is saying
32:38in those decisions. And how every step we should be taking forward and what that looks like.
32:43Thank you for giving us the opportunity to glorify you, to share your name, and to share your love in
32:48the way that you have shared it with us. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Well, we never want to end
32:55a service
32:55without giving everybody the opportunity to receive the greatest gift that the world has ever known.
33:00The Bible talks about that if you accept God as the Father and Jesus as the Son, that He died
33:04for
33:04your sins, that He rose from the dead, that you ask for forgiveness, that you ask Him to be the
33:08Lord
33:09of your life. That's it. That's the only requirement there is to get into heaven. Of course, we follow
33:14rules and principles so that we can experience heaven on earth, so that we can live to a higher calling
33:19that He has called us to. But to secure your eternity, it's just been very simple always. It's been about
33:24receiving this free gift. So if you guys can do me the biggest favor, if you guys can bow your
33:28heads. I just want to give anybody the opportunity right now that if this is your first time saying
33:36this or if you're rededicating this portion of your life back to God, that this can just
33:40be a moment between you and God and giving me the incredible honor of just being able to
33:45be a part of it. But just acknowledging that if you can raise your hand for me. Amen.
33:54Amen.
33:56So nobody feels embarrassed if you all could just repeat after me. God, thank you for tonight.
34:02Thank you for sending your Son,
34:05Jesus,
34:06to die on the cross for me. I ask you to come into my life. Be my Lord and my
34:12Savior. I ask for your
34:14forgiveness and ask that you guide me in all things. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Hey, if you said that
34:23for
34:24the first time tonight and you want to stay connected in this house, they're going to toss up a number
34:27on
34:27the screen. You can text, I am saved. Talks about next steps, how to stay planted in living word. You
34:32were
34:33born again in this family. We would love for you to stay in this family. Amen.
34:36A couple of quick things just for all the parents to know. August 9th and 10th, we're having back to
34:41school prayer. So bring your kids, right? Kids domed, junior high, high school. There's going to be a time
34:47of prayer in the beginning of service during worship so that we can pray for their school year so that
34:51they can walk into it confidently. Amen. Amen. Thank you guys. Amen. What an amazing word tonight.
34:57Pastor Christian is always so good. Hey, I just wanted to share with you guys.
35:03Something that has been going on in my life. About two years ago, I was approached by a media buyer
35:10for TV. And two years ago, when I got that message, I said, absolutely not. I don't want to do
35:18that.
35:19That's not even what I'm looking to do. And then fast forward and one more year later, this same person
35:24came back, this media buyer, and he said, look, I think you can be on TV. And I want you
35:29to know that
35:30I buy media for Joel Osteen and for Joyce Meyer. And I think that you, if you have the capacity
35:38to, uh, to produce a show, um, I would like to put you on television. And so this time I
35:44said to the
35:45Lord, I, this time I actually prayed and I said, Lord, if this is something you want me to do,
35:50then
35:50you're going to have to give me the equipment, the cameras, the microphones and everything. And I put
35:57that before the Lord. And about a week later, I got cameras, I got lights, I got a computer, I
36:04got
36:05everything that I need. And I set up and I, we created a studio in my home, in my living
36:10room,
36:11actually. And so for the past eight months, I'm now almost one full season of creating a show.
36:19And I want you to know, to be a part of it. I would love you, for you to be
36:23a part of my journey,
36:24um, to also be praying for me, but also, um, I'm on podcasts. So anywhere, like if you, um, listen
36:31to podcasts on Spotify or any other podcast platform, it is podcast form as well. Um, I'm
36:37also on locally on channel, uh, 45 Fox extra channel 45, 6 30 AM on Sunday mornings, right
36:46after Joel Osteen. So I wanted to share that with you and, um, just have, if you think of
36:54me, pray for me. Um, this is a new journey that I'm on and, uh, I just want you all
36:58to
36:59be a part of it as well. Amen. It is so exciting. I will tell you too, it is amazing.
37:05I get to
37:06experience the filming of these TV shows and you just, you have to watch it. And it's just
37:11incredible teaching that my mom always gives. Amen. Amen. Let's watch these video announcements
37:17before we close in prayer.
37:26What is up church family? My name is Peyton.
37:28And I'm Haley. And these are your weekend announcements. Parents, we have some exciting
37:33news for you over the past eight weeks or summer blast. Our living word youth have been having
37:38so much fun, but the fun doesn't stop there because on August 2nd date night is continuing.
37:44That means every Saturday night after the 6 PM service, we will watch your children for
37:49free up until 9 PM. That's K through fifth junior high high school. We'll watch them for
37:55you. And they're going to have so much fun. There's going to be a new activity every single
37:59week and they're not going to want to miss it.
38:01Golly gee, you know what we haven't had in a while?
38:03What?
38:04A night full of praise and worship.
38:06You know, we haven't.
38:07It'd be really nice if we brought it back.
38:08That would be nice.
38:10Which we are because Revival Arizona is coming back to living word, August 6th at 7 PM with
38:16our very own band called Worship Effect. They're going to bring a amazing worship set list.
38:21It's something you're not going to want to miss. We'd love to have you there.
38:25All right, church family, no more hints. We have an announcement and that is that our very
38:30own parenting conference is happening September 10th through the 11th. We're calling it Train of
38:35a Parent. It's going to be hosted by our very own lead pastors, Pastor Jason and Kelly, as
38:39well as Pastor Scott and Holly. It's going to be amazing wisdom. Registration is opening
38:44up soon, so just keep an eye out for that.
38:46July 26th was our Kicks for Kids event and we had such an amazing turnout. We were able
38:51to give near 100 kids school supplies, new shoes, free haircuts, as well as a free meal for the
38:56upcoming school year. We are also still having parents come in to pick up these supplies for
39:02their kids. So we want to give a big thank you to our Living Word family for your generosity.
39:07We also want to shout out those who came out to help volunteer and make this event spectacular.
39:12So we want to thank you, church family. We couldn't have done it without you.
39:16Well, that's all we have for you today, church family. We hope you have a great rest of your
39:20week and we'll see you next time. Amen, church. Can I have my service leaders just raise your
39:26hands real quick? These people are incredible. They are here as a resource for you. If you have
39:32any questions, if you need any prayer, I encourage you to connect to them. But let's stand up as we
39:37close in prayer tonight. Don't forget that Best Summer Ever is still going on. So you can head out
39:43into the foyer, head to the cafe, grab a snack, grab a treat. We're going to turn on a movie
39:47on
39:48the big screen and out there. And we would love for you to hang out. Childcare is going to stay
39:52open. And the youth are doing a lock-in tonight. So that's going to be crazy fun for them. But
39:57thank
39:57you, Lord, for tonight. Thank you, Lord, for the word that went forth. We just pray that it is soil,
40:03that it is seed sowed into good soil, Lord. And that every day we can wake up and say,
40:08this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. In Jesus' name,
40:12amen. You are dismissed.
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