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The Harvest
3rd November 2024 • OC Church of Christ Sermons • OC Church of Christ
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In this inspiring sermon by Robert Carrillo, the congregation is called to reflect on their unique and chosen status as God's people. Through an engaging mix of prayer, scripture, and a captivating analogy involving Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Carrillo emphasizes the importance of realizing and embracing our identity as an extraordinary people selected by God. The sermon encourages listeners to remain rooted in their faith, overcome life's challenges, and continuously sow love, forgiveness, and truth. The message culminates in a touching communion prayer, urging the community to recognize the profound value of Jesus' sacrifice and to live exemplary lives that reflect God's love and goodness.

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OC Church of Christ

00:00 Opening Prayer and Welcome

00:59 Celebrating Harvest Sunday

01:23 The Krispy Kreme Analogy

05:08 Our Unique Identity in God

06:43 Chosen and Loved by God

07:20 The Role of a Royal Priesthood

12:31 God's Command to Celebrate

16:41 The Parable of the Sower

21:00 Understanding God's Love and Repentance

22:28 The Blessings of Understanding

23:16 Misconceptions About Christianity

23:57 The Meaning of Discipleship

25:23 The Parable of the Sower Explained

28:19 The Importance of Spiritual Roots

33:21 The Law of the Harvest

40:21 A Story of True Wealth

43:48 A Prayer for Communion

Transcripts

Robert:

Let's pray.

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God in heaven, thank you so much for

allowing us to be your people, God.

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Thank you for your love.

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Thank you for your mercy,

your goodness, your kindness.

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Thank you for bringing us

together as your people, Father.

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And we pray, Father, as we gather and

sing to you and worship you, that you will

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fill our hearts with your spirit, God.

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Be with all those visiting us,

whether they are Christians

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and just want to be encouraged.

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or visitors seeking and searching for you.

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God, we pray that they will see you in us

experience you and that the word will help

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them find you God and guide them along.

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Thank you so much God for all

that you do for each of us.

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And as we prepare to take communion

after this sermon, we pray God that

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we will take it in a manner that's

worthy and respectable and honors you.

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We're so grateful for Jesus.

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In his name we pray.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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Okay, we're working on it.

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We're working on it here.

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So, the harvest.

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That's today.

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We're celebrating the harvest.

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This is Harvest Sunday.

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Yeah, go ahead.

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We can cheer for Harvest Sunday.

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That's actually a big deal in the Bible.

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It's a big deal in Scriptures.

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To celebrate harvest.

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God commands it.

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God calls us to do that.

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And when I think of

harvest, I think of harvest.

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I think of Krispy Kreme

doughnuts, Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

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Raise your hand if you've

had a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

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Okay, so you know what I'm talking about.

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There's just, there's nothing

like Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

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They are unique.

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They are special.

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They're extra order.

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They're not like any other doughnut.

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They don't have yeast.

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You know, they're actually the healthiest

donut out there, you know, and now I

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know that's a sliding scale, right?

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That's, that's, but, but, but

they're, they're the better donut.

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If you're going to have a donut, you

want to have a Krispy Kreme donut.

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That's the one.

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Unfortunately, I can't have them

anymore, but you know, you can have them.

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And I remember how good they were.

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They were extraordinary.

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I want to read this to you about

a story about Krispy Kreme donuts.

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Oh, here we go.

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Here we go.

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We got slides.

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We got slides here.

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Let's see.

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Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

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Now you see them and your

mouth is starting to salivate.

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And now listen to my story.

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When you step out of your car in

a Krispy Kreme parking lot, the

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aroma beckons you inside the shop.

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At the big ones actually making doughnuts.

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That is not the small stores that

fake you out with their curbside

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appearance, but only import

doughnuts three or four times a day.

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And when you do step inside the green and

white doors, the fragrance of hot dough

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meets you and sugar envelops you in warmth

and then guides you over to the room

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making the machines making the doughnuts.

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Where you can look through the

length wall length window to watch

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the wonderful crispy doughnuts chain

make making a series of doughnuts, a

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machine busily at work and gradually

watching those doughnuts grow and pop

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up to become full size doughnut rings.

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Then suddenly they dive into

hot oil and their transformation

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from dough to Krispy Kremes.

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takes place like swimmers

in a backyard pool.

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They ease down their lanes of hot

oil, then quickly flip over to the

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Brown, to Brown their undersides.

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They trundle up a

conveyor, trundle mind you.

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They trundle up a conveyor

and finally parade through a

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grand sugar glazing waterfall.

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The taste is beyond compare.

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it.

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A donut so airy and amazingly light that

at a mere finger touch leaves a dent.

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You know what I'm talking about.

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But few fingerprints remain when

a dozen disappear in a blink.

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And no matter how many times a person

has eaten a Krispy Kreme donut, they

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still have that same joyful response.

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Biting into a new hot one.

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Something along the lines of

howdy, or wow, or good god.

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It all translates to the same

wonderful, magical, scrumptious thing.

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The extraordinary Krispy Kreme Donuts.

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You know what I'm talking about, right?

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Did I get you hungry now?

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Why does Krispy Kreme Donuts

remind me of the harvest?

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Because we We are the harvest

of God and because we are an

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extraordinary people to God.

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Not a normal donut, we're

an extraordinary donut.

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We are unique before God.

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The Bible tells us that we are different.

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The Bible tells us, which means the

Holy Spirit wrote this through Peter.

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He says you are a chosen people, a royal

priesthood, a holy nation, a people

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belonging to God that you may declare

the praises of him who called you out

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of darkness into his wonderful light.

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You're not just any people.

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You're not just ordinary people.

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You are extraordinary people.

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You realize that?

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Before God, you are extraordinary.

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You are special.

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You're his chosen people.

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He chose you.

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He chose you.

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He picked you to be here, to know him, to

live your life with him, to be filled with

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his love, to be filled with his spirit.

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He called you.

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You're not here by accident.

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The universe is not an accident.

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The universe has a creator.

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A designer who wanted you here

to know him, to be with him.

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You were chosen and that's always

really special to be chosen, right?

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I mean, all the way back to childhood,

when you were on the playground

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and the kids picked the teams,

the worst thing was to be picked

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last or to not be picked at all.

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And somebody just had

to take somebody, right?

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That was traumatizing.

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We're still working on

getting over that one.

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But yes, not you.

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God picked you.

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He chose you.

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He said, I want you on my team.

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I want you to be one of my people.

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One of those extraordinary people.

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You're a royal priesthood.

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You're not just a priesthood

of what's a priesthood.

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These are the people that

connect that were specially

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chosen to connect people to God.

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You're a royal priesthood.

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You're the priesthood of

Jesus, who is the king.

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You're the one that Jesus picked

to go reach out to everybody.

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To show them how good he is.

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To show the world that God is love.

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You're chosen.

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You're a royal priesthood.

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You are specially commissioned.

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You are specially given

orders to go and do this.

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Because God wants you

to fulfill that role.

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He says a holy nation.

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Not just any people.

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A people that He would form

a group, a nation out of.

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That would be in every nation.

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That would be in every country.

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That would be on every continent.

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And show the world who God is.

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How good He is.

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The truth of God.

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The love of God.

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A people belonging to God.

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Remember those old t shirts?

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People used to wear property of?

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That's us.

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Property of God.

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We belong to Him.

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We're His people.

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And I gladly say I belong to God.

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I belong to Jesus.

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I turned myself in, April 6, 1983.

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I said, I give myself to God.

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You remember that day

that you were baptized?

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And if you haven't had it,

get to it as soon as possible.

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Cause it's a day you will never forget

where you turn yourself in and you said,

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Jesus is Lord, meaning I belong to him.

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Now I'm one of his

people, his holy nation.

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And he, and we're given a job.

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He says to declare the praises of

him who called you out of darkness

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into his wonderful light, he gave us

a very special role in this world.

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To show the world the light.

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To show the world what it

means to love each other.

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In a world that is in darkness, full of

hate and fear, and all these issues, to

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be the people who show people how to love.

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How to overcome differences.

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How to forgive each other.

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How to be a light.

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How to give everyone hope.

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That's our job.

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He said, You, that's who you are.

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You're extraordinary.

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You're extraordinary.

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You're not like any other nation.

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You're not like any other people.

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You're God's people.

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And that is extraordinary.

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Do you feel that this morning?

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Do you see that?

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Do you know that?

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You need to.

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Because it is the truth.

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Before God it's the truth.

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It's how God sees you.

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And I know we have all kinds of

issues with identity, and how we

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see ourselves, and who we think

we are, but this is the truth.

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This is how God sees you.

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And we have to accept

that, because it's good.

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And it's so inspiring, and it's so

encouraging, how much God loves you.

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And how he chose you and

pulled you onto his team.

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This is how God works.

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Since the very beginning, he says,

the Lord did not set his affection

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on you and choose you because you

were more numerous than other people.

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For you were the fewest of all

peoples, but it was because the

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Lord loved you and kept the oath.

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He swore to your forefathers that

he brought you out of a mighty,

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with a mighty hand, redeemed you

from the land of slavery, from the

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power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

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Know, therefore, that

the Lord your God is God.

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He is the faithful God, keeping

His covenant of love to a thousand

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generations of those who love

Him and keep His commands.

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And I know this is Old Testament, this

is when God was calling the Jews out

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of Egypt, but it's recorded for us.

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Because we're the thousand

generations afterwards.

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We're the people who still love God.

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Raise your hand if you love God.

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That's us then!

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That's us!

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That he's talking about.

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He chose us.

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Not because you're the most numerous.

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Not because you're the best looking.

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Not because you're the most educated.

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Not because you got the best

dance moves on the floor.

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Not because you got the most money.

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He chose you because he loves you.

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He knows you.

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Better than anybody.

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Better than you do!

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You do.

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He knows me better than I know me.

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And yet, he loves me.

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And chose me.

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We are his harvest.

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We are his harvest.

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We are the fruit of the

labor that has happened.

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We are what has been produced out

of thousands of years of labor.

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to bring about a special

people, a holy nation.

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That is so awesome.

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And we're to celebrate that in Exodus 34.

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God told him said celebrate the festival

of weeks with the first fruits of

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the wheat harvest and festival of in

gathering at the turn of the year.

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God loves to party.

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God loves to celebrate.

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God doesn't want a bunch of

religious people hanging their

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heads, feeling bad about themselves

all the time, guilt ridden.

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That's not how God operates.

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That's not who He is.

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Jesus came to set us free.

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The fruit of the Spirit.

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Love.

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Joy.

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Joy.

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To be happy, to rejoice, to enjoy

this life that God has given us.

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He commanded them to celebrate.

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He said, get out there and party.

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Get out there and rejoice.

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Get out there and have

fun with each other.

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Enjoy these, look at

these people around you.

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I know they're, they're problematic.

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But he wants you to enjoy them.

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Have fun with them.

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Give somebody a high five.

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Go ahead, give somebody a high five.

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Tell them how glad you are they're here.

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You see, sometimes, sometimes we

forget, sometimes we forget how

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special it is to be a Christian.

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Sometimes we forget how special

it is to be God's people.

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We get all caught up in the problems

of the world, or we get all caught

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up in the problems of the church, or

the problems of our family, or the

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problems of our kids, or the problems

of our parents, or the problems of our

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cousin, or the problems of the neighbor.

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We just get all caught up in problems.

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And so he would command them, take a

time to celebrate the fruit of the labor.

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The fruit of all you've done.

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And that's what a harvest is.

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It's where you celebrate the

fruit of all that we have done.

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A lot of us, man, we've been

Christians for, we've been

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Christians longer than God.

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I mean, we've been around forever.

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We've been to church

more times than Jesus.

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I mean, we've just, all those years of

sacrifice and self denial and giving

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admissions and showing up and getting

up early and having quiet times.

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When somebody else is sleeping in and

getting another half hour of sleep.

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All those times of self

denial and saying no to sin.

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There's a harvest that comes from that.

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And he wants us to celebrate that harvest.

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Not everybody gets it.

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He says, Sluggards do not plow in season.

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So at harvest time, they

look and find nothing.

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Nothing.

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Because they didn't do this.

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They didn't give their hearts to God.

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They didn't deny themselves.

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God says in the, one of the many parables

Jesus tells about sowing and harvesting.

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He told a lot of those.

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He also said this is what

the kingdom of God is like.

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A man scatters seed on the ground

night and day whether he sleeps or

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gets up, the seed sprouts and grows.

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Who makes things grow?

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God makes things grow.

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And God is always working and God

is always moving and he's working.

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He's working before you get there.

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He's working while you're there.

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He's working after you leave.

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He's working in ways we don't see him

in ways that we don't even know, but

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God is always working for us night

and day, whether he sleeps or gets

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up, the seed sprouts and grows, though

he does not know how all by itself.

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The soil produces grain, first

the stock and then the head,

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then the full kernel in the head.

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As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the

sickle to it because the harvest has come.

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You are his harvest.

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God has worked so hard to

get us to where we are now.

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To get us so that we would know him.

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To get us so that we would be with him.

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That we would walk with him.

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That we would realize the

extraordinary gift he has given us

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of making us an extraordinary people.

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A people that belong to him.

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Jesus told lots of

parables about harvesting.

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He said, then he told them many

things in parables saying, A

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farmer went out to sow a seed.

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As he was scattering the seed,

some fell along the path and

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birds came and ate it up.

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Some fell on rocky places where

it did not have much soil.

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It's sprang up quickly

because the soil was shallow.

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But when the sun came up, the

plants were scorched and they

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withered because they had no root.

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Other seed fell among thorns which

grew up and choked the plants.

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Still other seeds fell on good soil

where it produced a crop a hundred

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sixty or thirty times what was sown.

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Whoever has ears, let them hear.

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This is actually a parable of the harvest.

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He said there's four hearts.

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It's the last one who has a harvest.

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It's the last one that is

different, that's distinct.

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It's not like anything else.

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In all, in the whole universe, I mean,

everything God sets up, there's sowing,

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there's watering, there's working

it, and then there's harvesting.

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And it's the same thing with Him.

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God is sowing His Word into your hearts.

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He's doing it right now

as we read this scripture.

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That heart is, that's, that Word of

God is either entering us and changing

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us or it's bouncing off, right?

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It's, it's doing something and he goes

on, he says, he says, as he explains

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it, he says, because the knowledge of

the secrets of the kingdom of heaven

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has been given to you, but not to them.

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Whoever has will be given more

and they will have an abundance.

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Whoever does not have even what

they have will be taken from them.

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I never understood this scripture.

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I thought that's not fair.

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The guy who's only got a little bit is

going to get it taken away from him.

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That doesn't seem fair, but I realize

that we have as much as we want from God.

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Because it all depends on

us sowing into the Lord.

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It all depends on us

giving him our hearts.

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And God will bless us with so much.

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And he says that the knowledge of the

kingdom, most people just don't get it.

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Most people don't understand it.

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And he goes on to keep that.

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We're still in Matthew 13.

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Jesus!

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Though seeing they do not see, though

hearing they do not hear or understand.

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In them is fulfilled

the prophecy of Isaiah.

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You will be ever hearing

but never understanding.

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You will be ever seeing

but never perceiving.

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For this people's heart

has become callous.

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They hardly hear with their ears

and they have closed their eyes.

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Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears, and understand with

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their hearts, and turn, and I would hear.

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God always knew we need healing.

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We need to be healed.

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We're a broken people.

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We're hurting people.

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We're suffering people.

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How do I know that?

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Because it's true of every

human being on this planet.

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In different ways, but all

of us need to be healed.

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But blessed are your eyes.

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Because they see and your ears because

they hear they hear and they understand

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they get it though seeing they do not

see though hearing they do not hear

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or understand in them is fulfilled the

prophecy of Isaiah you will be ever

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hearing but never understand bottom

line is most people don't get it they

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don't Most people will not get no man.

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You can explain it until you turn blue.

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They're not going to get it because

it takes a level of honesty.

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It takes a level of humility to

recognize where I'm at to see my

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needs, to see my errors, to see my

weakness requires a scary level of

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honesty and most people won't go there.

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And many people can't go there.

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Because they see God as

a judgmental, harsh God.

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They don't want to get open and honest.

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They're afraid He'll just,

He'll just condemn them.

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It's why people need to

know who God really is.

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That He is the God of, He is love.

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He's not very loving.

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The Bible says He is love.

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And this is why it's so important that we

share our faith and I don't mean invite

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people to church That's a good thing.

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But sharing our faith is sharing

what we know about God That he is

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good That he is love that he is mercy

that he is forgiving no matter what

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you've done God will forgive it repent

Change okay, that's you know, repent.

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That's one of those scary words I

used to always think when you say

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repent, you have to say repent.

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You have to say it with a southern

accent, southern preacher accent.

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You can be bro, I think

you just need to repent.

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It's a big scary word.

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All it means, all it means is change.

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It means come back to God, literally.

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:

You guys all know the Greek word metanoia

means change, but how about the Hebrew

413

:

word from which the Greek word came.

414

:

It just means come back.

415

:

Turn around.

416

:

Turn around.

417

:

That song we, we sang is

such a beautiful song.

418

:

My favorite song.

419

:

The Lord is my shepherd.

420

:

I lack nothing.

421

:

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

422

:

And He leads me in my quiet waters.

423

:

He restores my soul.

424

:

Guess what that word is in Hebrew?

425

:

He turns me around.

426

:

He shoves me.

427

:

He brings me back to Him.

428

:

He This is what people don't get.

429

:

God is so good.

430

:

God is so good.

431

:

And so they see, but do not see.

432

:

They hear, but do not, they

listen, but they do not hear.

433

:

They have shut him out.

434

:

Ever hearing, but never getting it.

435

:

But he said, but blessed are your eyes.

436

:

Blessed are your ears.

437

:

Because you heard, And you responded.

438

:

You listened and you understood.

439

:

And you responded to God.

440

:

Extraordinary.

441

:

Not like everyone else.

442

:

Most people, they don't understand

what the kingdom of God is.

443

:

They don't understand the church.

444

:

They expect to be some perfect

group of people that do

445

:

everything right all the time.

446

:

And nobody can live up to that pressure.

447

:

And it certainly doesn't happen.

448

:

You only have to be here

more than about 15 minutes.

449

:

And you begin to realize

that there are problems.

450

:

Most people don't understand

what it means to be a Christian.

451

:

They think it, it means you belong

to a church or you belong to a group

452

:

or, or, or you celebrate Christmas,

or you don't say happy holidays.

453

:

You say Merry Christmas.

454

:

They think things that, yeah, okay.

455

:

They apply, but so much deeper than that.

456

:

What it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

457

:

The word, the Bible uses that you

make the choice to follow Jesus in

458

:

everything, including mind and heart,

not allowing myself to be like the world,

459

:

but following Jesus eyes fixed on

him heart set on things of above and

460

:

the things that God has said, what

it means to have a spiritual life.

461

:

That you walk with your creator, that

you listen to the Holy Spirit, that

462

:

you are empowered by him to overcome

fear and anger and temptation,

463

:

that you live in the Holy Spirit.

464

:

Most people don't understand

what it means to follow Jesus.

465

:

What does that mean to

fix your eyes on him?

466

:

What does it mean in the

morning when you get up?

467

:

What does it mean in the afternoon

when somebody insults you?

468

:

What does it mean when somebody

hurts your feelings, when somebody

469

:

disappoints you, when somebody

says something that's judgmental

470

:

and mean to you, to follow Jesus.

471

:

What does it mean to

live your life with God?

472

:

Though hearing, they do not understand.

473

:

Though seeing, they do not

perceive what God has done.

474

:

The fourth heart in that parable.

475

:

It's the heart that got it.

476

:

It says, but the seed falling on

the good soil refers to someone who

477

:

hears the word and understands it.

478

:

Understand that understanding

it takes effort, right?

479

:

Remember the first time you opened

your Bible and started reading?

480

:

What in the world?

481

:

And most everybody starts in Revelation.

482

:

Are you kidding me?

483

:

My hardest book in the

Bible to understand.

484

:

That's where everybody wants to start.

485

:

What are the seven beasts, you know?

486

:

Don't worry about that.

487

:

You focus on Jesus

488

:

but here's the incredible thing is You

don't have to have Bible education.

489

:

Yeah, I said that You don't have

to have a degree in theology.

490

:

You don't need to read Greek or Hebrew You

know what love is You know what it means

491

:

to have faith You know, these are basic

concepts that he teaches us And anybody

492

:

can understand it if they put the effort.

493

:

But if they don't, we

won't the fourth heart.

494

:

I'm sure the first heart, you guys know,

it didn't even listen and said, that's

495

:

the one that seeds bounced off and you can

say, well, isn't that the non Christian?

496

:

Cause we always use this for

Bible talks to reach out to

497

:

people who aren't Christians,

but it wasn't written for them.

498

:

It was written for us.

499

:

It wasn't spoken for them.

500

:

It was spoken for you and me.

501

:

To check our hearts To make sure that

when I hear the Word of God, is it

502

:

penetrating or is it bouncing off?

503

:

And people it can bounce off

for a lot of different reasons.

504

:

Maybe somebody had a bad

experience Maybe somebody got hurt.

505

:

Maybe somebody got disillusioned.

506

:

Maybe somebody prayed for something and

it didn't happen The heart can harden

507

:

for many reasons And here's the thing is,

it's probably not the person who refuses

508

:

to come to church or go to a Bible talk.

509

:

Because this person is where

the seed is being scattered.

510

:

This is the person at church who

doesn't let it penetrate anymore.

511

:

And it could be because they

think they know it already.

512

:

Oh come on bro, parable of the sower,

I've done that Bible talk 30 times.

513

:

It could be that they've

been hurt and they're angry.

514

:

It could be.

515

:

It could be that they're in sin

and their heart is hardened.

516

:

They're living a double life.

517

:

There's a lot of reasons, but

it's not the person outside.

518

:

It's the person in the church

that isn't letting the Word of

519

:

God open their heart anymore.

520

:

That isn't being changed by it.

521

:

And the second one, that one

just didn't pay attention.

522

:

That one, it says he

accepted it with glee.

523

:

In the early days, this person

was fired up, using our language.

524

:

This person was excited,

but they dug no roots.

525

:

They got too busy.

526

:

They didn't have time for quiet times.

527

:

They didn't have time to

read Bible study books.

528

:

They didn't have time to get in there.

529

:

They cut short their prayer life.

530

:

They were always on the go, always

wishing they had more time and

531

:

therefore became shallow in their faith.

532

:

And you know what?

533

:

When you're not digging into scripture,

when you're not praying, when you're

534

:

not fighting for your quiet time.

535

:

They slip away and it doesn't, and

it isn't like, I always wish, I

536

:

thought, I wish that there was some

way that spirituality was physical.

537

:

Like we'd all get taller or

green or blue or something.

538

:

You know, . So you could tell

with somebody walking, bro, you

539

:

haven't had quiet time in days.

540

:

Let me help you.

541

:

But they don't look any different.

542

:

However, they do act different.

543

:

When they get hurt, they get mad.

544

:

Well, everybody gets mad, but they

get overcome with their anger.

545

:

They can't overcome it.

546

:

When they get tempted, they

get drug away and re enslaved.

547

:

Not an obvious difference.

548

:

But time reveals it.

549

:

How they act shows it.

550

:

No roots.

551

:

No time.

552

:

Too distracted.

553

:

The third one, of course,

this is the tragic one.

554

:

Cause they were doing great at one time.

555

:

They let the word sink in

and change their lives.

556

:

They were out there serving God.

557

:

They were busy for the Lord.

558

:

They were serving and sacrifice.

559

:

They were doing awesome,

560

:

but their faith got choked out.

561

:

And he says the deceitfulness of wealth.

562

:

In the worries of life.

563

:

This is a tragic one.

564

:

Once upon a time they had great impact.

565

:

Once upon a time they were

rejoicing in the Lord.

566

:

Once upon a time they were having

a great time as Christians.

567

:

But the worries of life, which is what?

568

:

Fear.

569

:

Consumed them.

570

:

And there's a lot of things

to be afraid of in this world.

571

:

In our world right now,

we're in scary times.

572

:

It's scary out there.

573

:

And if you're not rooted in

the word of God, you will get

574

:

chewed up and spit out by fear.

575

:

We get destroyed.

576

:

This one got destroyed.

577

:

Because he didn't have the roots.

578

:

And roots, you know how roots are.

579

:

You got to keep watering them.

580

:

You got to keep feeding

them or the roots die.

581

:

You got to keep expanding or you

become root bound and the plant die.

582

:

You got to keep growing and this is

the one that once upon a time they were

583

:

growing But they don't grow anymore.

584

:

It's the saddest one to me Because

they were so close and then of course

585

:

the last one Unlike this one's unique.

586

:

This one's extraordinary Unlike the first

heart they kept their heart soft Unlike

587

:

the second heart they kept guarding

their quiet times their Bible study

588

:

their prayer their meditation on the

Word of God They kept in there with God

589

:

Unlike the third heart when stuff came

up when the rocks in the and this junk

590

:

came in their heart They got rid of it.

591

:

They confessed their sin.

592

:

They dealt with their sin they were

open and honest so all this junk that

593

:

kills a Christian was removed and

They kept growing And the one thing he

594

:

says is, therefore, they understood.

595

:

They got it.

596

:

They got it.

597

:

Even in hard times, even in difficulties,

even in dangerous times, they were okay.

598

:

Because they had the roots.

599

:

They had the strength.

600

:

They understood.

601

:

Understanding is huge.

602

:

Jesus said to the crowds,

away from me, you evildoers.

603

:

I never knew you.

604

:

Understanding Jesus, understanding

what he's looking for.

605

:

They got it.

606

:

They got it.

607

:

They're special.

608

:

They're unique.

609

:

Their choice.

610

:

They're not for the record, not

more talented, not more educated,

611

:

not prettier, not handsomer.

612

:

I know some of us think

we are, but no, no, no.

613

:

There's always somebody

out there prettier.

614

:

There's always somebody

out there more handsome.

615

:

Somebody out there richer,

somebody out there poorer,

616

:

somebody out there more religious.

617

:

They're not even the

most religious people.

618

:

There's a lot of religious

people that don't get it.

619

:

Don't get it.

620

:

They demand righteousness

in a very unrighteous way.

621

:

With hearts given over

to anger and bitterness.

622

:

Instead of having compassion and mercy.

623

:

The things Jesus was looking for.

624

:

That's extraordinary.

625

:

There aren't a lot of people

in the world like this.

626

:

There aren't a lot of

people who care this much.

627

:

They do fine in the harvest laws.

628

:

You know, harvest has laws.

629

:

There are laws in the harvest.

630

:

2nd Corinthians 9 says,

remember this, whoever sows

631

:

sparingly also reaps sparingly.

632

:

Whoever sows generously

will also reap generously.

633

:

If we put the time into our

relationship with God, we harvest.

634

:

From a great relationship with God.

635

:

If we put the priority to pray and walk

with God, we reap a harvest from God.

636

:

If we give God our hearts

generously, God, I'm all in.

637

:

I'm yours.

638

:

We reap from God and no matter what,

this world dishes out and lemme tell

639

:

you something that you already know.

640

:

The world is harsh.

641

:

The world is ugly and I'm

not a negative downer person.

642

:

I just know what's going on out there.

643

:

I know what's happening.

644

:

It's not good.

645

:

This week is going to be a

scary week for a lot of people.

646

:

There's a lot of bad stuff happening.

647

:

There's a lot of bad stuff being said.

648

:

We are extraordinary.

649

:

We love.

650

:

We give, we serve, we love everybody.

651

:

Amen.

652

:

Law of the harvest, you

get what you put in.

653

:

Do not be deceived.

654

:

God cannot be mocked.

655

:

Nobody's gonna fool God.

656

:

There's no shortcuts.

657

:

God knows what we're putting

into our relationship with him.

658

:

God knows whether we're prior to

somebody can say, Oh baby, I love you.

659

:

But you know if he loves you or not.

660

:

We're not stupid and God isn't

stupid We say Jesus is Lord,

661

:

but he knows if he's Lord or not

662

:

Do not be deceived.

663

:

God cannot be mocked a man reaps what he

sows Whoever sows to please their flesh

664

:

the from the flesh will reap destruction

Whoever sows to please the spirit From

665

:

the spirit will reap eternal life Let

us not become weary in doing good for at

666

:

the proper time We will reap a harvest

if we do not Don't give up, don't quit,

667

:

don't quit, not even a little bit.

668

:

Sometimes we don't, we don't

do the big dramatic quit.

669

:

I'm out of here.

670

:

Sometimes we do the little quit.

671

:

I'm just not saying anything.

672

:

I'm just not giving my heart anymore.

673

:

I'm just not going to love anymore.

674

:

I'm just not going to serve because

I know those people got problems and

675

:

they're probably going to hurt me or

disappoint me or do something stupid.

676

:

And I'm not contributing to stupidity.

677

:

Very much like the world.

678

:

Thank God Jesus didn't have that attitude.

679

:

Jesus was, I know they're evil, but

I'm going to die for them anyways.

680

:

I know they're messed up and

they're weak, but I'm going to go

681

:

to the cross for them to save them.

682

:

Why?

683

:

Because his actions weren't

based on our goodness.

684

:

His actions.

685

:

We're based on God's goodness.

686

:

That's what makes

Christians extraordinary.

687

:

Extraordinary.

688

:

What we sow, we reap.

689

:

We sow hate, we reap hate.

690

:

We sow love, we will reap love.

691

:

We sow anger, we will reap anger.

692

:

We sow mercy, we will reap mercy.

693

:

We sow fear and we will reap fear.

694

:

And the challenging part of this

is it doesn't happen right away.

695

:

Sometimes you sow love

and nobody loves back.

696

:

And you're like, man, what the heck?

697

:

Hang in there.

698

:

Don't quit.

699

:

You're planting seeds.

700

:

Judge each day by not by the fruit

it bears, but by the seeds you plant.

701

:

What am I planting?

702

:

Because that's what I'm going

to harvest down the road.

703

:

The world Sows hate, prejudice,

fear, panic, lies, deceit, anger,

704

:

bitterness, apathy, unbelief.

705

:

You don't believe me?

706

:

You think I'm being negative?

707

:

Turn on the news.

708

:

This is the world.

709

:

You want it?

710

:

You can have it.

711

:

I don't want it.

712

:

I want the kingdom of God.

713

:

And I know we struggle.

714

:

I know all weaknesses.

715

:

I know my own.

716

:

But God is good.

717

:

And if I keep sowing love.

718

:

It's what I'm reaping already.

719

:

The Krispy Kreme people,

720

:

they sow love, they sow kindness,

even, even when they get hurt or

721

:

disappointed or disillusioned or they

get left behind or they get forgotten,

722

:

they keep sowing love and it works.

723

:

Maybe not the first week, maybe not the

first year, but I guarantee you they will.

724

:

God is not a liar.

725

:

God will not be mocked.

726

:

It's so peace in goodness, bro.

727

:

Chill out.

728

:

It's okay.

729

:

We'll get there.

730

:

We'll be all right.

731

:

Sister.

732

:

Don't worry.

733

:

Trust God that people are evil.

734

:

Yeah, they are, but God is good.

735

:

God is good.

736

:

So truth and honesty.

737

:

Yeah, you messed up, but the

truth is I messed up too.

738

:

So I'm nobody to judge you.

739

:

I want you to change, but

I know I need to change.

740

:

So maybe I should deal with the

plank in my own eye before I

741

:

worry about the one in yours.

742

:

They sow truth.

743

:

They sow honesty.

744

:

They sow forgiveness.

745

:

It's easy to forgive when

you know you're a sinner.

746

:

When you know you've messed up, but

when you think you're better than

747

:

other people, it's hard to forgive.

748

:

It's easy to sow faith and

trust when we know God.

749

:

That's what the Krispy Kreme people do.

750

:

They sow joy and goodness.

751

:

This is awesome.

752

:

Say, but Robert, you

don't know my Bible talk.

753

:

There's so many messed up people.

754

:

They're uncommitted, they're

sinful, they're weak.

755

:

Yeah, I know, but it's still awesome.

756

:

Because every one of them

was made in God's image.

757

:

And as long as they're coming and

listening to God's word, there's hope.

758

:

There's hope for me.

759

:

There's hope for you.

760

:

There's hope.

761

:

Whoever sows to please the

spirit, what do they reap?

762

:

Love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

763

:

gentleness, and self control.

764

:

That's a life.

765

:

I want to close out with this story.

766

:

There was a very wealthy man who was

very talented, very smart, had the

767

:

best education, started a business

that just thrived, made lots of money.

768

:

He was doing really

well, loved his business.

769

:

But then he met this young

lady and he fell in love head

770

:

over heels, totally in love.

771

:

And she became his love.

772

:

And they got married.

773

:

They had a home together.

774

:

They were living life, a very

good life together in love.

775

:

She got pregnant.

776

:

She gave birth to a beautiful little boy.

777

:

But unfortunately, she

passed away in the birth.

778

:

And the dad, the father, the

husband, was grief stricken.

779

:

He was broken hearted, but he

poured all his love into his

780

:

son, whom he loved so much.

781

:

But unfortunately, when he was still a

child, his son got sick and also died.

782

:

And the man was left alone, in his

beautiful mansion with all his, he

783

:

was an art collector, he had beautiful

art collections, and cars, and things

784

:

that every man envies and wants.

785

:

And he lived the rest of his life alone.

786

:

And when he passed, because

he had no children, his entire

787

:

estate went up for auction.

788

:

And on the day of the auction, they had a

huge auction, and hundreds of people came.

789

:

They wanted the artworks, the cars,

the furniture, all the stuff he had.

790

:

And the first thing they put on the block

was this painting of the little boy.

791

:

And they said, who would

start the bidding at 500?

792

:

Nobody.

793

:

Put their hand up.

794

:

He said, okay, 400, nobody.

795

:

300, nobody.

796

:

200, nobody.

797

:

It's the painting of his son.

798

:

100, nobody.

799

:

And the little old guy in the

back of the room raised his hand.

800

:

He was the gardener.

801

:

And the gardener loved this little boy.

802

:

He taught him how to plant seeds,

and how to grow plants, and how

803

:

to harvest his little garden.

804

:

He loved the little boy,

and he wanted the painting.

805

:

He couldn't afford it, but he went

ahead and spent a hundred dollars.

806

:

And so the auctioneer asked anybody

else anybody, you know, and they said

807

:

nobody raised a hand He said sold to

the man in the back for 100 And then

808

:

he took the book that had all the

items listed And he closed the book.

809

:

He said that concludes the

auction And everybody's like whoa.

810

:

Whoa.

811

:

Whoa, everybody was upset He said

the man left it clearly stated

812

:

in his will that whoever got

the boy painting got everything

813

:

Let me tell you something.

814

:

If you get it, if you get

Jesus, if you get the kingdom

815

:

of God, you get everything.

816

:

God bless you.

817

:

A prayer for communion.

818

:

Sorry.

819

:

I got excited.

820

:

Father God,

821

:

God, we get it.

822

:

We get how loving you are.

823

:

How wonderful you are.

824

:

Amen.

825

:

How good you are.

826

:

We get the value of your son.

827

:

And by having your son, we get everything.

828

:

Help us, God, in our weakness.

829

:

Help us in our sin.

830

:

Forgive us our sins.

831

:

Help us to love, to serve, to give,

to sacrifice, to be a light first

832

:

in our homes, With our families

and our children and our parents.

833

:

Help us to be a light in the church

and to love and to give and to

834

:

serve and to to be like Jesus.

835

:

Help us to be a light to the whole world.

836

:

God.

837

:

To know who we are to know

that we are a royal priesthood.

838

:

A chosen people a holy nation.

839

:

Help us.

840

:

To shine brightly, especially in our

world right now that is so in trouble.

841

:

Help us to show them the

extraordinary faith we have.

842

:

Help us to be extraordinary.

843

:

We know God that Jesus was

extraordinary for each of us.

844

:

He died that we could live that we

could be set free, that we could

845

:

live this life you've We thank you

for his body as we eat this bread.

846

:

We thank you for his blood

as we drink this cup.

847

:

We thank you for the forgiveness

it represents and the power

848

:

to overcome that it grants us.

849

:

In his name, we pray.

850

:

Amen.

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