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The Circus of Life: A Million Dreams

Watch The Circus of Life: A Million Dreams
Kerry Shook Ministries with Kerry Shook
November 17, 2019
27:33

Kerry Shook Ministries with Kerry Shook

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The Circus of Life: A Million Dreams

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  • Kerr
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  • Kerry
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  • Kerry Sh
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  • Kerry Shoo
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  • Kerry Shook:
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  • Kerry Shook: Y
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  • Kerry Shook: You
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  • Kerry Shook: You g
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  • Kerry Shook: You got
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta st
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop t
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop try
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop tryin
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop trying
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop trying to
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop trying to b
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop trying to be
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop trying to be Go
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  • Kerry Shook: You gotta stop trying to be God
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  • so that God can be God in your life.
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  • CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 abercap.com
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  • Kerry: Each weekend, we've been doing songs
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  • from the musical movie, "The Greatest Showman,"
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  • and in the movie there's a little boy that plays
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  • the part of P.T. Barnum as a child,
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  • and he sings the song "A Million Dreams."
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  • And it's an amazing song.
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  • It just grabs our hearts because it reminds us that when we were
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  • kids everything was before us, and we just thought everything
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  • was gonna work out, and we had all these dreams in our hearts
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  • and in our heads, and then it changes as adults.
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  • Now, the lyrics to "A Million Dreams" are "'Cause every
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  • night I lie in bed the brightest colors in my head.
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  • A million dreams are keeping me awake."
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  • It just grabs you, you know?
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  • You come alive when you have a dream in your heart, and you go
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  • for that dream and--but as adults the lyrics could really
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  • be changed to, "'Cause every night I lie in bed the darkest
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  • fears inside my head.
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  • A million worries are keeping me awake."
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  • Can you relate to that?
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  • I mean, we're in a circus of stress.
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  • We live in an age of anxiety.
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  • There seems to be a million things to be worried about, but
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  • Jesus said, "I don't want you to worry about anything."
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  • Well, how can we do that, not worry that anything?
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  • It just seems like there is so much to worry about.
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  • We have to remember that worry is worthless.
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  • It doesn't help anything. It can't change the past.
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  • It can't alter the future. All it does is mess up today.
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  • It's ridiculous.
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  • It's like revving your car, pressing the gas, you know,
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  • revving the engine, but it's in park.
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  • It's not going anywhere, and you're just wasting fuel.
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  • And that's the way it is when we worry.
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  • It's also unhealthy.
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  • It's one of the unhealthiest emotions you could ever have.
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  • It's destructive to our bodies and our souls and our hearts,
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  • but Jesus knew that we all struggle with worry,
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  • and he gives us the antidote to it in Matthew 6:33.
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  • Would you stand in honor of God's Word and just follow
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  • along with me here?
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  • Jesus was talking to the people about the things
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  • they were worried about, and he said, "I get it.
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  • I know you're worried about the bills."
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  • And he was talking to them, and he said, "I know you worry about
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  • what you're gonna eat and what you're gonna drink and
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  • the clothes you're gonna wear and all the physical needs
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  • that you have."
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  • And he says, "I understand that,"
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  • but he says here is the antidote.
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  • Here is the secret to dealing with this circus of stress
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  • in your life.
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  • "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
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  • and all these things will be given to you as well."
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  • You can be seated, and I want you to underline two words in
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  • that key verse: seek first. Seek first.
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  • Did you know your heart was made to seek?
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  • God made your heart to seek.
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  • You have a seeking heart.
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  • You were created with a seeking heart.
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  • Now, what is your heart seeking?
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  • Your heart is seeking joy, fullness, security.
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  • Your heart is seeking peace. It's seeking purpose.
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  • It's seeking love.
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  • Your heart was made by God to seek those deep things that your
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  • heart desperately craves and seeks for and needs.
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  • The problem is when our hearts are focused on the wrong source
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  • that doesn't meet our needs, but just leaves us even more empty
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  • and anxious.
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  • Your heart, when it feels sad, is going to seek joy, but so
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  • many times instead of letting our hearts seek the right source
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  • we try to just anesthetize our pain.
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  • We anesthetize our hearts with things that lead to addictions
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  • or things that waste our time, you know, so that we can just
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  • escape the pain and the sadness, rather than letting that sadness
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  • allow our hearts to seek what it really wants.
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  • And that's joy, right, I mean, when your heart's empty, and our
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  • hearts feel empty a lot.
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  • God designed our hearts that they feel empty,
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  • and they seek fulfillment.
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  • When your heart feels empty, you will seek fulfillment.
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  • Now, sometimes we seek it from the wrong source.
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  • Maybe it's pleasure, or maybe it's good things that just will
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  • never satisfy our hearts, but your heart will seek
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  • fulfillment, and your heart will seek peace.
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  • It will seek purpose. Your heart will seek security.
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  • If your heart's feeling insecure it's gonna seek security and if
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  • you seek that security from the wrong source it will leave even
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  • more insecure and hurt.
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  • And your heart seeks love, but if we don't seek it from the
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  • right source you might post pictures on your Snapchat or
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  • Instagram and to people who are looking at those pictures that
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  • don't even care about you but just wanna use you.
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  • And we look at likes on our social media to get people's
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  • approval, or we try to please people.
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  • If we're looking to the wrong source we'll try to please
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  • people and our hearts will feel even more unloved and unlovable,
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  • and so the point is I've gotta go to the right source so my
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  • heart can find what it's really seeking for, because your heart
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  • will seek after joy and peace
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  • and purpose and security and love.
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  • So, Jesus tells us, "All the things that you're worried
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  • about, I care about.
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  • Your relationships I care about.
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  • I care about all these things that you're worried about.
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  • I care about your work.
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  • All these things that you're worried about I care about.
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  • It's just that if you will put me first you'll find real joy,
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  • and then I'll give you all the things
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  • that you're striving for."
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  • If you'll just stop striving then you'll find all those
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  • things that you're striving for.
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  • It's really amazing.
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  • "If you'll just let go of the bar, I'll catch you."
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  • Now, there is a point in time where the trapeze artist lets go
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  • of the bar, and they haven't been caught yet by the catcher,
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  • and they're just suspended in midair.
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  • And that's faith and that's what happens when you put God first
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  • in any area of your life.
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  • You let go of the bar, and he hasn't caught you yet, and there
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  • is that split second where you're just suspended in the
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  • air, and you're going, "God, are you gonna catch me?"
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  • But that's faith and without faith it's impossible to please
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  • God, so you gotta let go in order to be caught.
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  • You gotta stop trying to be God
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  • so that God can be God in your life.
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  • You gotta stop trying to save yourself so God can save you.
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  • You gotta let go of the bar so he can catch you and that's
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  • what salvation is all about.
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  • female announcer: Still to come with Pastor Kerry Shook.
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  • Kerry: This is the secret to my life.
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  • The secret of living is giving.
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  • announcer: Kerry Shook Ministries is committed
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  • to sharing the gospel and providing the tools necessary
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  • for believers to grow in their relationship with Jesus
  • 00:07:29.090 --> 00:07:32.100
  • through television, media, and creative resources.
  • 00:07:32.110 --> 00:07:36.220
  • Now with social media we have a great opportunity to join and
  • 00:07:36.230 --> 00:07:40.290
  • encourage one another so that we can all grow in Christ together.
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  • We invite you to join us on Facebook, Instagram,
  • 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:48.110
  • and YouTube.
  • 00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:49.230
  • We wanna stay connected to you throughout your week, standing
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  • with you in times of need and celebrating with you
  • 00:07:53.110 --> 00:07:55.250
  • in times of joy.
  • 00:07:55.260 --> 00:07:57.060
  • On these channels you will find words of encouragement, learn
  • 00:07:57.070 --> 00:08:00.270
  • of special events, enjoy inspiring messages,
  • 00:08:00.280 --> 00:08:03.280
  • and you can send us your prayer requests,
  • 00:08:03.290 --> 00:08:06.270
  • share praises, and help inspire others.
  • 00:08:06.280 --> 00:08:09.170
  • Help us lift each other up and get connected today.
  • 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:12.230
  • Go to kerryshook.org or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and
  • 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:17.190
  • YouTube.
  • 00:08:17.200 --> 00:08:18.290
  • Your participation will carry the light of Christ into
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  • the world.
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  • Kerry: I want us to focus in on something we worry about
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  • a lot, because really what we worry about is our
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  • relationships, our finances, our schedules, our time.
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  • You know, we worry about those things that are really personal
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  • to us.
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  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says, "Remember this: whoever sows
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  • sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
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  • generously will also reap generously.
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  • Each man should give what he's decided in his heart to give,
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  • not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
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  • cheerful giver.
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  • And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in
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  • all things at all times, having all that you need, you will
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  • abound in every good work."
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  • Underline two words: cheerful giver.
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  • God loves a cheerful giver.
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  • Now, the Greek word here for cheerful is the word "hilaros,"
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  • which is where we get our word "hilarious" from, which is
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  • hilarious to me because when it comes to giving most people
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  • aren't really hilarious when they give.
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  • I mean, some people, when it comes to giving, they get mad
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  • and angry about giving.
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  • Some people, when it comes to giving, they really struggle
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  • with it, and they give reluctantly or begrudgingly.
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  • And a lotta people, when it comes to finances and giving,
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  • they stress about it, they're anxious about it, they worry
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  • about it, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone say, "Wow!
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  • That offering was hilarious."
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  • Have you? I don't know.
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  • It's like, "Well, I gave more than I've ever given.
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  • That just cracked me up, man, just busted up over that.
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  • That was hilarious. I just gave all my money away.
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  • Huh, that was hilarious.
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  • That's the most hilarious thing I've ever experienced."
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  • No, I don't think I've ever seen that, so what does it mean?
  • 00:10:06.130 --> 00:10:11.160
  • Well, the word "hilaro" meant something a little bit different
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  • back in Christ's day than it means today, it's hilarious.
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  • It just meant someone who was at peace
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  • and joy and confident in their life.
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  • Cheerful.
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  • Ready to give.
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  • So full of joy and peace. No worries.
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  • Just ready to give and that's what God wants.
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  • Why does God want us to have cheerful hearts when we give, to
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  • be cheerful givers?
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  • Because he knows if we're a cheerful giver then we've found
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  • the secret to joy.
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  • We've found the secret to peace, the secret to fulfillment,
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  • because the secret of living is giving.
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  • What we're talking about here is so much more than finances.
  • 00:10:58.250 --> 00:11:01.280
  • The secret of living is giving.
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  • This has been the secret to my marriage.
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  • This has been the secret to my family.
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  • This has been the secret to our church.
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  • This is the secret to my life.
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  • The secret of living is giving, and it's just the opposite of
  • 00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:15.240
  • what we tend to seek after, because when our hearts feel
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  • empty we think we need to fill our hearts, and what we need to
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  • do is give away and then God fills us.
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  • It's amazing how it works.
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  • The secret of living is giving, and Jesus knew that when you
  • 00:11:27.180 --> 00:11:32.230
  • discover this you find the deepest things that your heart
  • 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:36.230
  • really longs for, because the things you're worried about
  • 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:40.170
  • aren't the things that will ever satisfy you.
  • 00:11:40.180 --> 00:11:43.130
  • They'll never satisfy you.
  • 00:11:43.140 --> 00:11:45.130
  • All the material things that we worry about are things that will
  • 00:11:45.140 --> 00:11:49.040
  • never bring total fulfillment because they can't.
  • 00:11:49.050 --> 00:11:54.220
  • Only God can do that, and so when we begin to learn that and
  • 00:11:54.230 --> 00:11:59.120
  • we let go, then God fills us up.
  • 00:11:59.130 --> 00:12:02.110
  • When we let go of the bar, he catches us, and we find what our
  • 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:06.000
  • hearts have always longed for, and our hearts can finally rest
  • 00:12:06.010 --> 00:12:08.020
  • in him.
  • 00:12:08.030 --> 00:12:09.140
  • But for me every day that's a process.
  • 00:12:09.150 --> 00:12:11.280
  • You know, I've come to Christ years ago, but every day I have
  • 00:12:11.290 --> 00:12:14.060
  • to let go again.
  • 00:12:14.070 --> 00:12:15.160
  • I gotta let go, 'cause I have to remember, so underline the words
  • 00:12:15.170 --> 00:12:17.210
  • "remember this" in that passage.
  • 00:12:17.220 --> 00:12:19.210
  • Remember this.
  • 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:21.020
  • He's saying, "Hey, you gotta remember this stuff," because we
  • 00:12:21.030 --> 00:12:24.260
  • so quickly forget and if you forget this you're gonna be
  • 00:12:24.270 --> 00:12:28.200
  • filled with worry, and worry is a signal that says you've
  • 00:12:28.210 --> 00:12:30.290
  • forgotten something that you need to remember.
  • 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:34.050
  • And so, what do we need to remember?
  • 00:12:34.060 --> 00:12:35.150
  • Let's break it down.
  • 00:12:35.160 --> 00:12:36.260
  • In verse 8 it says, "And God is able to make all grace abound to
  • 00:12:36.270 --> 00:12:39.270
  • you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you
  • 00:12:39.280 --> 00:12:42.170
  • need, you will abound in every good work."
  • 00:12:42.180 --> 00:12:44.190
  • Underline the phrase "God is able."
  • 00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:46.260
  • You see, it all starts with God because it's all God's.
  • 00:12:46.270 --> 00:12:50.210
  • I have to remember first that all my blessings come from God.
  • 00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:55.230
  • That everything I have is really God's.
  • 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:59.020
  • That God has given it to me.
  • 00:12:59.030 --> 00:13:01.100
  • That it's all God's.
  • 00:13:01.110 --> 00:13:03.260
  • Basically, I don't own anything.
  • 00:13:03.270 --> 00:13:06.120
  • We have to remember that we don't own anything.
  • 00:13:06.130 --> 00:13:10.060
  • All the things that you have, you don't own them.
  • 00:13:10.070 --> 00:13:12.160
  • They're just on loan to you from God for 60, 70, 80 years, or
  • 00:13:12.170 --> 00:13:16.120
  • usually, you know, they don't last that long, but the things
  • 00:13:16.130 --> 00:13:20.140
  • that you have are just on loan.
  • 00:13:20.150 --> 00:13:22.030
  • They're not yours.
  • 00:13:22.040 --> 00:13:23.130
  • You do not own anything, and so if you forget that you don't own
  • 00:13:23.140 --> 00:13:27.210
  • anything and you think that you own this stuff, then you're
  • 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:30.170
  • gonna be filled with worry.
  • 00:13:30.180 --> 00:13:33.100
  • You're gonna always be insecure, but you gotta understand that
  • 00:13:33.110 --> 00:13:36.150
  • you don't own it.
  • 00:13:36.160 --> 00:13:38.040
  • You don't own anything.
  • 00:13:38.050 --> 00:13:41.180
  • It's all God's, and it's just on loan to us from God, for, you
  • 00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:45.180
  • see, every one of you are great givers.
  • 00:13:45.190 --> 00:13:49.000
  • That's for sure. That's a given.
  • 00:13:49.010 --> 00:13:50.200
  • You are a great giver.
  • 00:13:50.210 --> 00:13:52.040
  • Would you turn to your neighbor and say, "You're a great giver.
  • 00:13:52.050 --> 00:13:54.030
  • You're a great giver. You're a great giver"?
  • 00:13:54.040 --> 00:13:55.150
  • Just encourage each other.
  • 00:13:55.160 --> 00:13:56.280
  • You should be encouraging, "You're a great giver."
  • 00:13:56.290 --> 00:13:59.180
  • You're a great giver because I can tell you this: every single
  • 00:13:59.190 --> 00:14:02.120
  • one of you are gonna give everything you have away, every
  • 00:14:02.130 --> 00:14:06.200
  • single thing, so you ought to pat yourself on the back.
  • 00:14:06.210 --> 00:14:11.030
  • Those of you who are struggling with giving right now,
  • 00:14:11.040 --> 00:14:13.040
  • it's okay. Don't worry about it.
  • 00:14:13.050 --> 00:14:14.140
  • You're gonna give everything away one day.
  • 00:14:14.150 --> 00:14:15.240
  • You're gonna die.
  • 00:14:15.250 --> 00:14:18.090
  • So encouraging.
  • 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:20.090
  • You're gonna die, and you're gonna leave it all for your kids
  • 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:22.200
  • to fight over and the government to take.
  • 00:14:22.210 --> 00:14:24.110
  • You're gonna give it all away one day.
  • 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:27.060
  • Every one of us are gonna give everything we have away one day.
  • 00:14:27.070 --> 00:14:30.230
  • It's not a question of who's gonna give everything away.
  • 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:33.000
  • It's a question of will you be a dead giver or a giver full
  • 00:14:33.010 --> 00:14:36.180
  • of life?
  • 00:14:36.190 --> 00:14:38.030
  • Will you be a dead giver or a cheerful giver?
  • 00:14:38.040 --> 00:14:39.240
  • Because we're all gonna give it away.
  • 00:14:39.250 --> 00:14:41.100
  • We don't own anything.
  • 00:14:41.110 --> 00:14:42.220
  • You can't take it with you, but, oh, I forget.
  • 00:14:42.230 --> 00:14:46.020
  • I forget.
  • 00:14:46.030 --> 00:14:47.200
  • You know, some people think that only poor people worry about
  • 00:14:47.210 --> 00:14:50.080
  • finances, and that's just not true.
  • 00:14:50.090 --> 00:14:53.010
  • In fact, all the studies say the more you have, the more you
  • 00:14:53.020 --> 00:14:55.230
  • worry. Do you know that?
  • 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:57.060
  • The more you have to worry about, the more you have to
  • 00:14:57.070 --> 00:14:59.080
  • protect, the more you have to insure, the more you have to pay
  • 00:14:59.090 --> 00:15:01.010
  • taxes on, the more you have to maintain.
  • 00:15:01.020 --> 00:15:03.180
  • He goes on and on and on, but that's because you think you own
  • 00:15:03.190 --> 00:15:07.170
  • it, but you don't own anything.
  • 00:15:07.180 --> 00:15:08.270
  • We have to change our mentality from an owner mentality to a
  • 00:15:08.280 --> 00:15:12.010
  • manager mentality.
  • 00:15:12.020 --> 00:15:13.120
  • You're just stewards of what God has given you, and he says, "I
  • 00:15:13.130 --> 00:15:15.080
  • want you to enjoy it, but I want you to give, and I want you to
  • 00:15:15.090 --> 00:15:18.270
  • realize it's all mine, and I can take it away any time I want."
  • 00:15:18.280 --> 00:15:24.020
  • It's all God's and if I forget that then I'm gonna get worried,
  • 00:15:24.030 --> 00:15:27.180
  • and so it just--it sets you free.
  • 00:15:27.190 --> 00:15:29.270
  • I mean, if you get a ding in your car--say you got a new car,
  • 00:15:29.280 --> 00:15:34.240
  • and you got--you're at the parking lot at church, and you
  • 00:15:34.250 --> 00:15:38.050
  • go out after the service, and somebody has opened their door
  • 00:15:38.060 --> 00:15:41.040
  • and just put a little ding and a scratch on your new car.
  • 00:15:41.050 --> 00:15:44.020
  • Oh, drives you crazy if you think that's your car, but it's
  • 00:15:44.030 --> 00:15:49.050
  • not.
  • 00:15:49.060 --> 00:15:51.030
  • You can just say, "God, your car got a scratch on it."
  • 00:15:51.040 --> 00:15:53.090
  • I mean, that's really the truth.
  • 00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:58.260
  • It's just harder to believe the truth sometimes, but it's the
  • 00:15:58.270 --> 00:16:03.260
  • truth. It's not yours.
  • 00:16:03.270 --> 00:16:06.060
  • You're just a steward of it, and you say, "God, I'm sorry that I
  • 00:16:06.070 --> 00:16:09.230
  • got your car scratched," but don't worry about it.
  • 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:13.120
  • It's just a thing that won't last.
  • 00:16:13.130 --> 00:16:15.050
  • It will never satisfy and if I can remember that then I'm gonna
  • 00:16:15.060 --> 00:16:20.070
  • be at peace.
  • 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:22.020
  • And then, I can remember a second thing.
  • 00:16:22.030 --> 00:16:26.050
  • He goes on to say--and let's take a look at it in this
  • 00:16:26.060 --> 00:16:29.180
  • passage.
  • 00:16:29.190 --> 00:16:31.020
  • That in Matthew 6:25--in fact, let's move to Matthew 6:25.
  • 00:16:31.030 --> 00:16:35.020
  • Jesus tells us, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about
  • 00:16:35.030 --> 00:16:37.230
  • your life, what you'll eat or drink; or about your body,
  • 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:41.090
  • what you will wear.
  • 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:42.200
  • Is not life more important than food, and the body more
  • 00:16:42.210 --> 00:16:44.020
  • important than clothes?"
  • 00:16:44.030 --> 00:16:45.140
  • "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
  • 00:16:45.150 --> 00:16:49.000
  • Jesus was saying, "I know you need to pay your bills, and I
  • 00:16:49.010 --> 00:16:51.140
  • care about it, and I'll meet your needs.
  • 00:16:51.150 --> 00:16:53.150
  • If you'll stop striving and worrying about it and put me
  • 00:16:53.160 --> 00:16:55.230
  • first, then I will meet your needs.
  • 00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:59.070
  • I will take care of you."
  • 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:01.120
  • And so, he's saying God is able to meet all your needs, every
  • 00:17:01.130 --> 00:17:04.280
  • single one of your needs, so I need to remember first and
  • 00:17:04.290 --> 00:17:08.020
  • foremost that it's all God's.
  • 00:17:08.030 --> 00:17:11.060
  • But then, secondly, God promises to meet all my needs.
  • 00:17:11.070 --> 00:17:15.150
  • That's a great promise of God, and so if I'm worried I've
  • 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.280
  • forgotten those two things, that it's all God's anyway, and then
  • 00:17:18.290 --> 00:17:21.180
  • secondly that God says he'll meet my needs, my deepest needs,
  • 00:17:21.190 --> 00:17:27.010
  • physical needs. God will meet my needs.
  • 00:17:27.020 --> 00:17:28.230
  • What a great promise of God.
  • 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:30.260
  • Now, he doesn't say he'll meet all your wants.
  • 00:17:30.270 --> 00:17:32.200
  • There have been many times where I've prayed for something that I
  • 00:17:32.210 --> 00:17:35.140
  • thought was a real need.
  • 00:17:35.150 --> 00:17:36.250
  • "God, I need this desperately, and you know I need this," and I
  • 00:17:36.260 --> 00:17:39.280
  • prayed for it, and God didn't answer that prayer.
  • 00:17:39.290 --> 00:17:41.170
  • But then, years later I look back and go, "God, thank you
  • 00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:43.230
  • that you didn't answer that prayer.
  • 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:45.090
  • You saved me so much pain because you had something better
  • 00:17:45.100 --> 00:17:47.290
  • for me."
  • 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:49.140
  • You see, you don't really know what you need most of the time.
  • 00:17:49.150 --> 00:17:52.110
  • If God gave you everything that you thought you needed it would
  • 00:17:52.120 --> 00:17:55.250
  • ruin your life because you don't know what you need most of the
  • 00:17:55.260 --> 00:17:58.070
  • time, but God knows what you need because he created you, and
  • 00:17:58.080 --> 00:18:01.290
  • so God wants to meet your needs.
  • 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.020
  • Not all your wants, but he knows what you need, and he will meet
  • 00:18:05.030 --> 00:18:08.130
  • those needs.
  • 00:18:08.140 --> 00:18:09.260
  • And so, if God is big enough to meet those needs and it's all
  • 00:18:09.270 --> 00:18:12.120
  • God's anyway, then I'll stop worrying, and Jesus tells us
  • 00:18:12.130 --> 00:18:19.120
  • to remember that.
  • 00:18:19.130 --> 00:18:21.000
  • Don't forget that.
  • 00:18:21.010 --> 00:18:23.030
  • In 2 Corinthians 9:6 the Scripture says, "Remember this:
  • 00:18:23.040 --> 00:18:25.290
  • whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.
  • 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.080
  • Whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
  • 00:18:28.090 --> 00:18:31.060
  • He says "remember this" again. Underline that.
  • 00:18:31.070 --> 00:18:33.020
  • What do you remember? The law of the harvest.
  • 00:18:33.030 --> 00:18:34.260
  • He says, "I want you to remember the law of the harvest."
  • 00:18:34.270 --> 00:18:36.250
  • Now, farmers know the law of the harvest.
  • 00:18:36.260 --> 00:18:38.100
  • I've told you this before, but I want you to remember it because
  • 00:18:38.110 --> 00:18:41.060
  • we quickly forget it.
  • 00:18:41.070 --> 00:18:42.190
  • The law of the harvest has a couple of parts.
  • 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:45.040
  • First, whatever you plant you'll harvest.
  • 00:18:45.050 --> 00:18:48.090
  • You don't harvest something that you didn't plant and if you
  • 00:18:48.100 --> 00:18:51.020
  • plant corn you don't harvest beans.
  • 00:18:51.030 --> 00:18:53.250
  • If you plant an apple tree, you don't harvest peaches.
  • 00:18:53.260 --> 00:18:58.010
  • You harvest whatever you plant. It's the way it is in life.
  • 00:18:58.020 --> 00:19:00.100
  • If you plant criticism, you'll harvest criticism.
  • 00:19:00.110 --> 00:19:02.200
  • You plant gratitude, you'll get back thanks.
  • 00:19:02.210 --> 00:19:06.030
  • It's just the law of the harvest, but the law of the
  • 00:19:06.040 --> 00:19:09.050
  • harvest also says you harvest more than you plant.
  • 00:19:09.060 --> 00:19:13.220
  • When the farmer plants a bag of 7 1/2 pounds of corn, he knows
  • 00:19:13.230 --> 00:19:17.140
  • he's not going to get back just 7 1/2 pounds of corn.
  • 00:19:17.150 --> 00:19:20.190
  • He knows that he will get back on average 125 bushels of corn.
  • 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:25.070
  • So, when the farmer is down to his last bag of corn he doesn't
  • 00:19:25.080 --> 00:19:27.140
  • say, "This is my last bag of corn.
  • 00:19:27.150 --> 00:19:29.040
  • I've gotta hold on to this, because if I give it away to the
  • 00:19:29.050 --> 00:19:31.190
  • soil then I have nothing, so I've gotta hold on."
  • 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:35.120
  • No, he says, "I've gotta give this away to the soil, every bit
  • 00:19:35.130 --> 00:19:37.200
  • of it, because I know this law of multiplication.
  • 00:19:37.210 --> 00:19:41.020
  • The law of the harvest means I'll get back way more than I
  • 00:19:41.030 --> 00:19:44.170
  • give."
  • 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:46.060
  • And God says that you need to understand the law of the
  • 00:19:46.070 --> 00:19:48.100
  • harvest.
  • 00:19:48.110 --> 00:19:50.140
  • When you give, you're gonna get back whatever you give, and
  • 00:19:50.150 --> 00:19:53.190
  • you're always gonna get back a lot more.
  • 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:56.190
  • That's a powerful thing to understand, and so if you forget
  • 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:00.010
  • the law of the harvest you'll wanna hold on.
  • 00:20:00.020 --> 00:20:01.280
  • If you remember it, you'll learn to let go, and you'll find real
  • 00:20:01.290 --> 00:20:04.250
  • joy.
  • 00:20:04.260 --> 00:20:06.060
  • The things that you've always needed and wanted you'll
  • 00:20:06.070 --> 00:20:08.050
  • experience.
  • 00:20:08.060 --> 00:20:09.200
  • In Proverbs 3:9 it says, "Honor the Lord by giving him the first
  • 00:20:09.210 --> 00:20:12.200
  • part of your income."
  • 00:20:12.210 --> 00:20:14.210
  • You see, God doesn't need your money, but he wants what it
  • 00:20:14.220 --> 00:20:16.140
  • represents: your life.
  • 00:20:16.150 --> 00:20:18.220
  • So, he wants the first and whenever you put God first in an
  • 00:20:18.230 --> 00:20:22.090
  • area, God blesses that area, but, most importantly, he gives
  • 00:20:22.100 --> 00:20:26.140
  • you peace. You put God first.
  • 00:20:26.150 --> 00:20:29.070
  • It honors him and when you honor God it sets God loose in your
  • 00:20:29.080 --> 00:20:34.200
  • life when you bring honor to him.
  • 00:20:34.210 --> 00:20:36.200
  • When you dishonor him in your life, God can't work in your
  • 00:20:36.210 --> 00:20:40.290
  • life the way he wants to, and so we honor God.
  • 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:43.260
  • I can't put God first if I don't trust him, and so I start
  • 00:20:43.270 --> 00:20:49.020
  • putting God first and my trust starts growing because I see God
  • 00:20:49.030 --> 00:20:54.170
  • come through.
  • 00:20:54.180 --> 00:20:55.290
  • You see, God catches me and every time he catches me it
  • 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:59.050
  • gives me more trust in him.
  • 00:20:59.060 --> 00:21:01.200
  • In Malachi 3:10 it says, "'Bring the whole tithe into the
  • 00:21:01.210 --> 00:21:05.040
  • storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
  • 00:21:05.050 --> 00:21:07.000
  • Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not
  • 00:21:07.010 --> 00:21:09.260
  • throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
  • 00:21:09.270 --> 00:21:12.090
  • blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'"
  • 00:21:12.100 --> 00:21:15.210
  • Now, underline that word "tithe," because that word just
  • 00:21:15.220 --> 00:21:17.290
  • means tenth.
  • 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:19.100
  • It means give God the first 10% of all you make, to put him
  • 00:21:19.110 --> 00:21:22.080
  • first in your life. Now, why did God choose 10%?
  • 00:21:22.090 --> 00:21:25.140
  • I don't really know, to be honest.
  • 00:21:25.150 --> 00:21:26.250
  • He could have chose 3%. He could have chose 20%.
  • 00:21:26.260 --> 00:21:29.220
  • He chose 10%.
  • 00:21:29.230 --> 00:21:31.190
  • It's taught all through Scripture.
  • 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.290
  • Jesus affirmed it in the New Testament, but I don't know why
  • 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:36.030
  • he chose the number 10, but I do know the purpose of it.
  • 00:21:36.040 --> 00:21:39.290
  • It's to teach us to put God first, because God knows if he's
  • 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.260
  • not first in our time, our relationships, and our money,
  • 00:21:43.270 --> 00:21:48.260
  • he's not first in my life.
  • 00:21:48.270 --> 00:21:50.120
  • If God's not first place in my finances, he's not first place
  • 00:21:50.130 --> 00:21:54.020
  • in my life, because I care about my finances.
  • 00:21:54.030 --> 00:21:56.290
  • And if I'm worried about my finances, if I'm worried about
  • 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:00.280
  • my relationships, it just means that other things other than God
  • 00:22:00.290 --> 00:22:03.290
  • are creeping in to be first place in my life, and so God
  • 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:07.260
  • says, "Test me in this."
  • 00:22:07.270 --> 00:22:09.080
  • And it's the only thing in Scripture that we can test
  • 00:22:09.090 --> 00:22:11.080
  • God in.
  • 00:22:11.090 --> 00:22:12.230
  • God says, "You're not to test me."
  • 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:14.070
  • Don't test the Lord, the Scripture tells us, except in
  • 00:22:14.080 --> 00:22:16.220
  • this one area. Why?
  • 00:22:16.230 --> 00:22:18.210
  • Because God knows that we struggle with it, and he so
  • 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:21.130
  • desperately wants to catch us.
  • 00:22:21.140 --> 00:22:24.020
  • He wants to see our face when he catches us and we find true joy
  • 00:22:24.030 --> 00:22:28.040
  • and fulfillment that we could never find in any material
  • 00:22:28.050 --> 00:22:31.150
  • thing, that we could never find in anything we put in the
  • 00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:34.160
  • God-shaped hole in our heart that could never satisfy.
  • 00:22:34.170 --> 00:22:36.250
  • There is nothing wrong with nice things.
  • 00:22:36.260 --> 00:22:39.200
  • It's just they will never satisfy.
  • 00:22:39.210 --> 00:22:41.280
  • They'll never fill the God-shaped hole in your heart.
  • 00:22:41.290 --> 00:22:45.060
  • Nothing wrong with saving, but it will never--no matter how
  • 00:22:45.070 --> 00:22:48.270
  • much you save it will never satisfy.
  • 00:22:48.280 --> 00:22:51.120
  • It will never provide you real security.
  • 00:22:51.130 --> 00:22:54.290
  • Yeah, there's nothing wrong with being successful.
  • 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:58.020
  • It's just it will never satisfy. It will never give you joy.
  • 00:22:58.030 --> 00:23:01.180
  • It will never give you fulfillment.
  • 00:23:01.190 --> 00:23:03.030
  • It will never give you peace.
  • 00:23:03.040 --> 00:23:04.170
  • It will never give you purpose.
  • 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:06.180
  • Just won't, and so God knows that, and he knows we struggle
  • 00:23:07.270 --> 00:23:11.180
  • with it, and we'll live in a place of anxiety and fear, in a
  • 00:23:11.190 --> 00:23:15.150
  • place of unfulfillment and emptiness, and he knows that it
  • 00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:19.240
  • will never happen until we let go.
  • 00:23:19.250 --> 00:23:22.220
  • And then he'll catch us, and then he'll see the joy in our
  • 00:23:22.230 --> 00:23:26.170
  • heart, seeing how he is trustworthy, how our hearts have
  • 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:31.040
  • sought him all along to trust him with the important areas.
  • 00:23:31.050 --> 00:23:33.230
  • The Lord says, "Test me in this and see if I won't open up the
  • 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.020
  • floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing on you so great
  • 00:23:36.030 --> 00:23:38.080
  • you won't be able to contain it."
  • 00:23:38.090 --> 00:23:39.180
  • That's God saying that, not me. That's God.
  • 00:23:39.190 --> 00:23:41.270
  • His Word is at stake, and God always keeps his Word, and so
  • 00:23:41.280 --> 00:23:44.070
  • God says, "Just test me in this thing.
  • 00:23:44.080 --> 00:23:45.280
  • Just put me first.
  • 00:23:45.290 --> 00:23:47.140
  • Give me the first 10%, and you watch.
  • 00:23:47.150 --> 00:23:50.000
  • I'll meet your needs, and I'll come through.
  • 00:23:50.010 --> 00:23:51.100
  • I'll catch you, and I'll fill you with the things that you've
  • 00:23:51.110 --> 00:23:53.200
  • always longed for, and I'll meet your needs.
  • 00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:56.020
  • I'll take care of you.
  • 00:23:56.030 --> 00:23:57.140
  • You'll see me come through, and you'll find the joy of giving."
  • 00:23:57.150 --> 00:24:01.100
  • I'm so grateful that my parents taught me this when I was a kid.
  • 00:24:01.110 --> 00:24:04.060
  • It's pretty rare today.
  • 00:24:04.070 --> 00:24:06.010
  • I mean, when I got a dollar for allowance, then I gave 10 cents
  • 00:24:06.020 --> 00:24:08.200
  • to God.
  • 00:24:08.210 --> 00:24:10.020
  • When I got, you know, a hundred bucks mowing lawns, I gave the
  • 00:24:10.030 --> 00:24:12.090
  • first $10 back to God, and so when Chris and I got married we
  • 00:24:12.100 --> 00:24:15.230
  • said, "We want God to be first in our finances.
  • 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:17.170
  • We're gonna put God first and practice the habit of tithing.
  • 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:21.150
  • God's gonna get paid first whether anyone else gets paid.
  • 00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:23.240
  • God's gonna get paid first."
  • 00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:25.220
  • But I realize for some of you you've never done that, and it's
  • 00:24:25.230 --> 00:24:28.100
  • like, "What?
  • 00:24:28.110 --> 00:24:30.110
  • I was putting a $20 bill in the offering plate and taking out
  • 00:24:30.120 --> 00:24:33.120
  • 10.
  • 00:24:33.130 --> 00:24:34.240
  • You know, I mean, I thought that was great, you know?
  • 00:24:34.250 --> 00:24:36.140
  • I was making change in the offering plate, and I thought
  • 00:24:36.150 --> 00:24:40.010
  • that was a pretty good deal.
  • 00:24:40.020 --> 00:24:41.290
  • And then, a tithe, I mean, it just seems like is that the
  • 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.070
  • gross or the net, Pastor Kerry?
  • 00:24:44.080 --> 00:24:45.220
  • That's a lot, you know?"
  • 00:24:45.230 --> 00:24:48.090
  • And really it's all God's till it's not.
  • 00:24:48.100 --> 00:24:51.280
  • But God says, "When you do that I meet your needs."
  • 00:24:51.290 --> 00:24:55.210
  • You can't afford not to.
  • 00:24:55.220 --> 00:24:57.170
  • I put--when I put God first, he blesses the rest, but most
  • 00:24:57.180 --> 00:25:02.000
  • importantly he has my heart.
  • 00:25:02.010 --> 00:25:04.150
  • He just has my heart, you know? And that's what it's all about.
  • 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:08.050
  • He wants your heart to find joy.
  • 00:25:08.060 --> 00:25:11.220
  • 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:18.080
  • Chris Shook: We're so glad you joined us for the message
  • 00:25:21.090 --> 00:25:22.280
  • today, and we hope it impacts your life all week long.
  • 00:25:22.290 --> 00:25:26.020
  • Kerry: And if God really spoke to you and you've never
  • 00:25:26.030 --> 00:25:28.240
  • received Christ into your life, all you have to do is just
  • 00:25:28.250 --> 00:25:32.060
  • receive his free gift of salvation, forgiveness, and
  • 00:25:32.070 --> 00:25:35.010
  • heaven one day.
  • 00:25:35.020 --> 00:25:36.130
  • Just pray a prayer right now, a prayer like this.
  • 00:25:36.140 --> 00:25:41.010
  • Dear Jesus Christ, thank you for dying on the cross for me.
  • 00:25:41.020 --> 00:25:45.030
  • I invite you to come into my life, forgive me of all my sins,
  • 00:25:45.040 --> 00:25:49.000
  • and I want you to be the Lord of my life.
  • 00:25:49.010 --> 00:25:50.180
  • I want you to be the director from now on and guide me.
  • 00:25:50.190 --> 00:25:54.120
  • I receive your free gift of salvation.
  • 00:25:54.130 --> 00:25:56.290
  • In Jesus's name. Amen.
  • 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:58.200
  • If you prayed that prayer Christ came into your life, and he'll
  • 00:25:58.210 --> 00:26:00.260
  • never leave you.
  • 00:26:00.270 --> 00:26:02.070
  • announcer: Here at the holidays we are especially
  • 00:26:02.120 --> 00:26:04.180
  • reminded of God's love for us and right now during the season
  • 00:26:04.190 --> 00:26:08.120
  • of giving you can be part of all that Kerry Shook Ministries is
  • 00:26:08.130 --> 00:26:11.230
  • doing to share this amazing truth with others.
  • 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:16.040
  • Kerry and Chris invite you to join them in their tradition of
  • 00:26:16.050 --> 00:26:18.270
  • giving the best gift to Christ.
  • 00:26:18.280 --> 00:26:21.070
  • Your gifts will help launch projects into the new year that
  • 00:26:21.080 --> 00:26:26.280
  • share the gospel of truth to a hurting world in your city, your
  • 00:26:26.290 --> 00:26:31.210
  • neighborhood, perhaps even in your own home.
  • 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:34.080
  • People with questions will receive balanced biblical
  • 00:26:34.090 --> 00:26:36.180
  • answers.
  • 00:26:36.190 --> 00:26:37.290
  • The liberating truths of the gospel will come to life in
  • 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:41.020
  • vivid visual ways through illustrated sermons and best of
  • 00:26:41.030 --> 00:26:45.120
  • all hurting people will experience forgiveness, peace,
  • 00:26:45.130 --> 00:26:48.280
  • and abundant eternal life by being introduced to
  • 00:26:48.290 --> 00:26:52.180
  • Jesus Christ.
  • 00:26:52.190 --> 00:26:53.280
  • Share the joy of the season and as you give please know how much
  • 00:26:53.290 --> 00:26:58.120
  • Kerry and Chris appreciate you standing with them in ministry.
  • 00:26:58.130 --> 00:27:02.070
  • Call 844-34-KERRY or go to kerryshook.org to give your best
  • 00:27:02.080 --> 00:27:06.020
  • gift to Christ by helping to share him with the world.
  • 00:27:06.030 --> 00:27:11.050
  • 00:27:13.100 --> 00:27:22.070
  • 00:27:22.080 --> 00:27:28.050