Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Give Thanks (Part 1) | August 28, 2025
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen jackson: hey, i sat down recently with my father to do a
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- Podcast for my "culture and christianity" podcast, and it
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- Was so valuable to me.
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- I mean, we--it was stories that obviously i'm familiar with, but
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- As i heard him recount his faith, it ignited something in
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- Me about the faithfulness of god across generations.
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- Well, i encouraged my dad to put together a book about his
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- Experiences with the holy spirit.
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- It changed his life, my parents' life--ultimately, my
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- Family's life.
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- I believe the book will be a real encouragement to you.
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- I wanna make it available to you right along with "unleashing the
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- Power of the holy spirit."
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- It's something i put together a while back that's been one of
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- The most effective tools we've ever had in the ministry.
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- Together, they'll open the doorway for you to not just have
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- Language around the holy spirit but to have something to
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- Actually do to invite him into your life on a regular basis, to
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- Give you the wisdom you need to help you unlock the problems
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- That we face.
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- The spirit of god within us to help us, guide us, and direct
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- Us--that's invaluable, and these books will help
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- You understand.
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- ♪♪♪
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen: as a nation, we have a heritage of the christian faith.
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- We've never been uniquely christian in that everybody here
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- Was christian.
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- But the values that have shaped our nation--our legal system,
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- Our founding documents, our educational systems, our most
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- Revered academic institutions-- all emerged from the christian
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- Faith and a desire to train young people to be
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- Christian leaders.
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- Now we've drifted a bit, but that is our heritage.
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- And there are loud voices that tell us we shouldn't
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- Celebrate it.
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- I think that is reprehensible, and that's my kind church word
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- For me, and i very strongly disagree with that.
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- We wouldn't say to any other subset of our culture that their
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- Heritage should be denied, should be removed from our
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- Academic institutions, that they should be stripped out of our
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- Public learning or the public square.
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- And i'm not certain why we've allowed it.
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- I don't believe it should be tolerated.
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- We've never been uniquely christian, but we've always been
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- Shaped by those christian values.
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- That's why we have been a diverse nation and a
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- Tolerant place.
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- That's why there's been a consistent trajectory
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- Towards better.
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- It's why we've overcome expressions of evil that have
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- Defined chapters and seasons of our life.
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- It's why we have hope for our future.
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- And if the church steps back and remains silent, evil
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- Will prevail.
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- There are many, many expressions of that through history.
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- So, the question i'm asked more than any other single question,
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- Whether i'm in middle tennessee or i'm somewhere someplace else,
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- Is "what can we do?"
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- You know, "we hear you," they'll say.
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- "we read our bibles.
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- We understand there's some problems, but i--my voice
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- Is small.
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- I don't have much influence.
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- What can we do?"
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- Well, i brought today my best answer, my most honest answer.
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- I'm making some assumptions in this, if you're a christ
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- Follower, that you're walking in obedience to the truth that
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- You know.
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- If you're not, stop then repent.
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- Right?
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- We got the fundamentals, but i think we'd be--we're stymied
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- Sometimes because the expressions of evil seem to be
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- So loud and so prevalent and so unashamed.
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- So, the title for the session we're gonna do--and you should
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- Have received an outline when you came in.
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- If you're joining us digitally, you can download it--is
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- "give thanks."
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- I think, a lot of times, we think of gratitude as being kind
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- Of a squishy response.
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- It's soft.
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- I could not disagree more fully.
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- Or maybe we think--you know, we teach the children to say thank
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- You, but we outgrow that.
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- We don't outgrow that, folks.
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- I think one of the most powerful expressions of spiritual
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- Authority that you can demonstrate is to be thankful.
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- I meet christians a lot.
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- And, you know, if you--there's some segments of the church, if
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- You're exposed to them or they have a fuller attitude towards
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- The involvement of the holy spirit and the engagement of the
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- Spirit of god, and i'm grateful for that segment of the church.
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- You know, we'll talk about spiritual warfare or spiritual
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- Gifts or manifestations of the spirit, and all of
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- That's legitimate.
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- I'm all in.
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- But, folks, i don't think we understand: one of the most
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- Profound things you can do spiritually is to be thankful.
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- So, i wanna walk through some scriptures with you and see if
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- We can give that a little bit of deeper root in our hearts.
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- The goal--i'll confess.
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- If you're gonna go to sleep, you go to sleep right after this,
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- But i'm gonna encourage you to give expressions to gratitude
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- With greater enthusiasm and more persistence than you ever
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- Had, okay?
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- Now, you can take a nap or you can hear the rest of the story.
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- Thankfulness and grace, they really have a relationship that
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- I think we walk past a great deal.
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- It's the same verse i put in your notes, but it's from two
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- Different translations.
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- You know, people often ask me, "what's the best translation of
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- The bible?"
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- Don't get ahead of me.
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- It's the one you'll read 'cause if you're not reading it, it
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- Doesn't matter how outstanding the nomenclature.
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- I mean, it doesn't matter, so.
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- The one that you'll read.
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- But there's a fullness that comes from more than
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- One translation.
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- So, don't ever build your theology off a single word.
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- But in hebrews 12:28 in the niv, it says, "therefore, since we're
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- Receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken--" you know there's a
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- Kingdom coming to this earth that will never be shaken.
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- There'll be no end to it.
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- Then the king will reign in righteousness and justice.
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- I've been learning a bit about that lately.
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- I've been doing a study.
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- I'll share it with you at some point, but there's a kingdom
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- Coming that cannot be shaken.
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- "let us be thankful, and so worship god acceptably with
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- Reverence and awe."
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- The author of hebrews in this verse is suggesting to us that
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- The appropriate response to an unshakeable kingdom is that we
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- Should be thankful.
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- Same verse in the new king james says this: "therefore, since
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- We're receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have
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- Grace, by which we may serve god acceptably with reverence and
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- Godly fear."
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- I don't wanna overstate it, but i think there is a subtle
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- Connection between the words of "grace" and "thankfulness."
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- Grace--you'll remember the simplest definition, i know, is
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- Just the unmerited, the undeserved mercy of god: when
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- God shows you something of kindness, of his character
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- That's not in any way connected to merit.
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- It's not what you deserve, it's not what you earn, it's not what
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- You have a right to.
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- So that the appropriate expression to the recognition of
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- Grace would be "thank you," gratitude.
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- If you don't express gratitude, you're suggesting you think you
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- Earned it, and it can't be grace.
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- So, there really is a connection.
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- To fully live in the grace of god, you have to
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- Cultivate gratitude.
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- You have to be a thankful person.
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- Even linguistically, there's some links.
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- The greek word for grace is "charis."
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- If you--i'm not a linguistic expert, but i'm still working on
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- English, but i know a handful of words and a handful
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- Of languages.
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- In spanish we say, "thank you," with what?
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- "gracias."
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- You're a linguists?
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- If you look at it, it's pretty simple to see that that came
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- From the root of "grace."
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- In italian--look at you, bunch of hillbillies.
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- No multiple languages.
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- I'm impressed.
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- "grazie," again, pretty clear that it has a connection
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- With "grace."
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- Grace and thankfulness go together.
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- When we're unthankful, we diminish the grace of god.
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- The bible talks about nullifying the grace of god.
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- How can you nullify?
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- How can you make inactive the unmerited goodness of god?
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- By not being grateful for it.
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- You diminish it in your life.
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- You see, we can't enjoy god's grace without being thankful.
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- We've been given some very clear instructions to the church.
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- I just brought you a sample.
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- We're not gonna explore them in any great detail, but in
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- Colossians 3, verses 15 and 17, it says, "let the peace of god
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- Rule in your hearts."
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- I would like that to happen in my heart.
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- We live in a turbulent world.
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- I mean, about any place you put your finger on the globe,
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- There's been a conflict--and but we've been just a hair's
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- Breadth away from being engaged in multiple conflicts in
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- Recent weeks.
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- It's not an easy time to be peaceful.
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- There's loud voices saying the economy is going to crater--i
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- Mean, all sorts of dire predictions.
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- How do you let peace rule in your hearts?
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- Well, biblical peace isn't an absence of conflict.
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- Jesus said, "my peace i give to you."
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- Jesus did not live a conflict-free life.
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- Most places he went, he caused trouble.
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- They hated him.
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- They ultimately tortured him to death.
- 00:09:08.764 --> 00:09:11.367
- "my peace i give to you."
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- "well..."
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- What you see in jesus is a complete confidence of god's
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- Abiding presence and his unlimited power.
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- He's standing before a roman governor who has the authority
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- To have him tortured to death, and the governor's not impressed
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- With jesus's responses, and jesus finally looks at him.
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- He said, "you would have no power if my dad didn't give it
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- To you."
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- And he didn't do it in an arrogant way.
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- He wasn't taunting him.
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- They were having a pretty significant truth encounter.
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- "my peace i give to you."
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- You may stand in front of people who think they have much more
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- Authority than you do, they have far more financial resources
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- Than you do, have great power, or what they would imagine--all
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- Sorts of achievements and accomplishments.
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- If you're a child of the king, there is a spirit within you
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- That can bring peace no matter the circumstances in which you
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- Find yourself.
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- Amen.
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- Folks, i--we--the church has been inert for too long.
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- We've imagined ourselves inept.
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- We have not been aware of the spirit that was--is within us
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- Or the price that's been paid that we could be ambassadors in
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- This season.
- 00:10:17.099 --> 00:10:18.434
- "let the peace of god rule in your hearts, to which you were
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- Called in one body; and be thankful.
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- And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
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- Lord jesus, giving thanks to god the father through him."
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- How do we stand in that peace?
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- How does it rule in our hearts?
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- By being thankful.
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- See, most of us know intuitively, if not consciously,
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- There's a battle that takes place in our mind, in
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- Our thoughts.
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- And there's a corresponding battle that takes place in our
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- Will and our emotions, tensions.
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- It's not so often that we don't know the right thing.
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- We don't wanna do the right thing.
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- Oh, me too.
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- It's okay.
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- Everybody gets really stiff and looks forward...
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- "i don't know who he's talking to, couldn't be me."
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- Maybe you know somebody.
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- I'm gonna guess somebody in your acquaintance sphere that has a
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- Difficult time doing the right thing.
- 00:11:14.757 --> 00:11:17.760
- Still not gonna bite, huh?
- 00:11:17.760 --> 00:11:20.362
- "don't even have a friend that does that."
- 00:11:20.362 --> 00:11:22.631
- That battle lives within us, and it's not about tenure in the
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- Body of christ.
- 00:11:27.303 --> 00:11:28.637
- You may have been born-again, spirit-filled, bible-reading,
- 00:11:28.637 --> 00:11:32.074
- Demon-chasing christian for a long time.
- 00:11:32.074 --> 00:11:33.909
- We still battle that, have that conflict in our mind.
- 00:11:33.909 --> 00:11:37.179
- Jesus had that turmoil in his own mind in gethsemane.
- 00:11:37.179 --> 00:11:40.649
- "god, i don't wanna do this.
- 00:11:40.649 --> 00:11:43.119
- Nevertheless, i'll do what you ask."
- 00:11:43.119 --> 00:11:47.389
- Allen: hey, i sat down with my father recently, did a podcast.
- 00:11:51.594 --> 00:11:54.730
- He told the story of how he came to faith, how god transformed
- 00:11:54.730 --> 00:11:57.333
- Our family, they started a home bible study--all the way up to
- 00:11:57.333 --> 00:12:00.102
- The beginning of this church that i've served now
- 00:12:00.102 --> 00:12:02.238
- For decades.
- 00:12:02.238 --> 00:12:03.606
- As i listened, the heart of it was the work of the holy spirit
- 00:12:03.606 --> 00:12:06.041
- In his life and through his life.
- 00:12:06.041 --> 00:12:08.144
- I asked him to do a book around the topic, and we have it so
- 00:12:08.144 --> 00:12:11.614
- That you can invite the spirit of god to be the dynamic
- 00:12:11.614 --> 00:12:14.517
- Presence of the power of god to bring change in life and hope,
- 00:12:14.517 --> 00:12:18.687
- No matter what the circumstances.
- 00:12:18.687 --> 00:12:20.489
- You'll enjoy the book.
- 00:12:20.489 --> 00:12:21.824
- Female announcer: experience the holy spirit in a deeper way with
- 00:12:21.824 --> 00:12:24.326
- This new book by pastor allen's dad, "the eternal breath
- 00:12:24.326 --> 00:12:27.563
- Of life."
- 00:12:27.563 --> 00:12:28.898
- Request your copy when you donate any amount today.
- 00:12:28.898 --> 00:12:31.767
- And when you gift $50 or more, you can also request "unleashing
- 00:12:31.767 --> 00:12:35.704
- The power of the holy spirit."
- 00:12:35.704 --> 00:12:37.740
- It's a collection of pastor allen's sermons that will help
- 00:12:37.740 --> 00:12:40.342
- You understand the holy spirit in new ways.
- 00:12:40.342 --> 00:12:43.279
- Request yours today at allenjackson.com or
- 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.282
- By calling...
- 00:12:46.282 --> 00:12:48.184
- Allen: so, how do we engage that?
- 00:12:51.987 --> 00:12:53.355
- How do we overcome that?
- 00:12:53.355 --> 00:12:54.690
- How do we turn that back?
- 00:12:54.690 --> 00:12:56.058
- Well, we have some choices at that point.
- 00:12:56.058 --> 00:12:57.860
- We can recalibrate.
- 00:12:57.860 --> 00:12:59.195
- We can use secular definitions.
- 00:12:59.195 --> 00:13:02.531
- Or we'll extrapolate.
- 00:13:02.531 --> 00:13:03.866
- We'll kind of extend ourselves some personal grace and liberty,
- 00:13:03.866 --> 00:13:07.636
- And we'll cheat around the edges.
- 00:13:07.636 --> 00:13:11.240
- Those are all options.
- 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:13.242
- Or we can take the biblical prescription and say, you know,
- 00:13:13.242 --> 00:13:15.277
- One of the ways to turn back-- to turn down the volume on those
- 00:13:15.277 --> 00:13:18.914
- Dissenting voices is to begin to give expression to gratitude.
- 00:13:18.914 --> 00:13:21.650
- "god, i thank you today."
- 00:13:21.650 --> 00:13:23.786
- The voice says, "you know, you can't believe your bible.
- 00:13:23.786 --> 00:13:25.921
- It's hard to understand."
- 00:13:25.921 --> 00:13:27.256
- "god, i thank you for your word.
- 00:13:27.256 --> 00:13:29.358
- Thank you that it's available to me, that i can read it, that
- 00:13:29.358 --> 00:13:31.327
- It's in a language i can understand, that i can get a
- 00:13:31.327 --> 00:13:33.395
- Translation that's at grade level i can get.
- 00:13:33.395 --> 00:13:36.832
- God, i thank you, and i'll begin to use my thoughts and my words
- 00:13:36.832 --> 00:13:41.770
- To address that battle that's taking place inside of me.
- 00:13:41.770 --> 00:13:45.407
- God, i wanna honor you.
- 00:13:45.407 --> 00:13:46.775
- God, i wanna do what's right before you.
- 00:13:46.775 --> 00:13:48.277
- I wanna walk uprightly before you.
- 00:13:48.277 --> 00:13:49.979
- I choose you today.
- 00:13:49.979 --> 00:13:53.549
- I want the thoughts of my heart, the meditations--i want the
- 00:13:53.549 --> 00:13:56.352
- Things i think about and the things i do to be pleasing in
- 00:13:56.352 --> 00:13:58.754
- Your sight.
- 00:13:58.754 --> 00:14:00.089
- I'll begin to say it out loud.
- 00:14:00.089 --> 00:14:01.457
- I gotta push back on that junk."
- 00:14:01.457 --> 00:14:04.460
- Why?
- 00:14:07.696 --> 00:14:09.031
- Because i need the peace of god to rule in my heart.
- 00:14:09.031 --> 00:14:12.534
- I intend to follow a different compass.
- 00:14:12.534 --> 00:14:16.171
- My future is not charted by the strength of the us dollar.
- 00:14:16.171 --> 00:14:20.542
- My hope doesn't depend upon who happens to occupy
- 00:14:20.542 --> 00:14:22.945
- Pennsylvania avenue.
- 00:14:22.945 --> 00:14:24.980
- Oh, i understand all of those things make a difference, they
- 00:14:24.980 --> 00:14:26.949
- Have influences in my life, but they aren't gonna steal
- 00:14:26.949 --> 00:14:29.485
- My peace.
- 00:14:29.485 --> 00:14:31.820
- The bible says we have a peace which passes understanding.
- 00:14:31.820 --> 00:14:36.992
- See, we've tried to self-insure.
- 00:14:36.992 --> 00:14:40.829
- You know the phrase: not to be dependent on an
- 00:14:40.829 --> 00:14:44.633
- Outside provider.
- 00:14:44.633 --> 00:14:47.403
- You don't wanna have to use an outside lender.
- 00:14:47.403 --> 00:14:50.072
- You don't wanna have to use an outside safety net.
- 00:14:50.072 --> 00:14:52.308
- You wanna self-insure your life.
- 00:14:52.308 --> 00:14:53.642
- You wanna be able to deal with whatever tragedy might come,
- 00:14:53.642 --> 00:14:55.778
- Whatever might--you wanna have the ability to offset the
- 00:14:55.778 --> 00:14:58.347
- Negative impact, be independent.
- 00:14:58.347 --> 00:15:02.618
- You know that's not a new idea.
- 00:15:02.618 --> 00:15:05.220
- That's not a 21st-century great idea from very astute planners.
- 00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:11.327
- That's an idea from the pit of hell.
- 00:15:11.327 --> 00:15:14.330
- It goes back to the opening chapters of genesis.
- 00:15:14.330 --> 00:15:16.432
- I'm not opposed to affluence, folks.
- 00:15:16.432 --> 00:15:18.133
- I don't mean that.
- 00:15:18.133 --> 00:15:19.702
- But the great temptation way back in the garden, back in
- 00:15:19.702 --> 00:15:22.071
- Those opening chapters of your bible--you know, all the times
- 00:15:22.071 --> 00:15:24.173
- You said you were gonna read your bible, you got through this
- 00:15:24.173 --> 00:15:26.041
- Part of the story.
- 00:15:26.041 --> 00:15:28.410
- Usually, we made it to at least genesis 5. and what did
- 00:15:28.410 --> 00:15:32.581
- Satan say?
- 00:15:32.581 --> 00:15:34.783
- "you can be like god.
- 00:15:34.783 --> 00:15:37.386
- You can be like god."
- 00:15:37.386 --> 00:15:39.355
- See, the reality is we're dependent upon our creator.
- 00:15:39.355 --> 00:15:42.691
- We can't save ourselves.
- 00:15:42.691 --> 00:15:44.760
- We can't deliver ourselves.
- 00:15:44.760 --> 00:15:47.296
- We can't.
- 00:15:47.296 --> 00:15:48.630
- Life is filled with things that we can't resolve.
- 00:15:48.630 --> 00:15:52.434
- I like good planning.
- 00:15:52.434 --> 00:15:53.769
- I like good preparation.
- 00:15:53.769 --> 00:15:55.104
- I'm a planner.
- 00:15:55.104 --> 00:15:56.472
- I'm all for that stuff, but i wanna live in a place where my
- 00:15:56.472 --> 00:15:58.507
- Planning and my preparation is inadequate.
- 00:15:58.507 --> 00:16:00.409
- The purposes of god are greater than what i can do on my own.
- 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:03.946
- I wanna follow him.
- 00:16:03.946 --> 00:16:05.314
- I wanna serve him.
- 00:16:05.314 --> 00:16:08.017
- I want to be a greater purpose in his life.
- 00:16:08.017 --> 00:16:09.685
- So, i need to know how to live in the peace of god.
- 00:16:09.685 --> 00:16:12.454
- And it begins--it's unleashed by thankfulness.
- 00:16:12.454 --> 00:16:15.290
- 1 thessalonians 5:16, "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in
- 00:16:15.290 --> 00:16:20.262
- Everything give thanks; for this is the will of god in christ
- 00:16:20.262 --> 00:16:23.732
- Jesus for you."
- 00:16:23.732 --> 00:16:25.300
- Doesn't say that everything that happens to you is god's will
- 00:16:25.300 --> 00:16:27.369
- For you.
- 00:16:27.369 --> 00:16:28.937
- It says, "no matter what happens to you, you can be thankful."
- 00:16:28.937 --> 00:16:32.341
- You can be thankful to the lor-- doesn't mean you have to be
- 00:16:32.341 --> 00:16:34.143
- Thankful for every outcome.
- 00:16:34.143 --> 00:16:36.678
- But in the midst of everything that's happening, you go, "god,
- 00:16:36.678 --> 00:16:38.847
- I know that you love me."
- 00:16:38.847 --> 00:16:41.116
- In the darkest times of my life, when i felt like my faith really
- 00:16:41.116 --> 00:16:45.654
- Was hanging by a thread and i couldn't conceive of anything
- 00:16:45.654 --> 00:16:49.091
- That i could really give thanks to god for, i would stand in the
- 00:16:49.091 --> 00:16:53.362
- Fields at night and thank him for the attributes of his
- 00:16:53.362 --> 00:16:55.697
- Character that i was conscious of.
- 00:16:55.697 --> 00:16:58.333
- "god, i thank you that you're a faithful god.
- 00:16:58.333 --> 00:17:01.370
- I don't feel it right now, but i know you are.
- 00:17:01.370 --> 00:17:04.740
- God, i know you're a merciful god.
- 00:17:04.740 --> 00:17:06.108
- It doesn't feel that way to me right now, but i know you're a
- 00:17:06.108 --> 00:17:07.976
- Merciful god."
- 00:17:07.976 --> 00:17:09.745
- And i would, verbally, out loud so i could hear it, i would take
- 00:17:09.745 --> 00:17:12.781
- The attributes of god's character and i would thank him
- 00:17:12.781 --> 00:17:15.884
- For that.
- 00:17:15.884 --> 00:17:17.252
- It was--at the moment, it was all i had.
- 00:17:17.252 --> 00:17:19.388
- Paul's writing to the church at thessalonica, and he's saying,
- 00:17:19.388 --> 00:17:21.757
- "rejoice always, pray without ceasing."
- 00:17:21.757 --> 00:17:25.227
- "okay, well, how do you do that?
- 00:17:25.227 --> 00:17:26.562
- How do i do my job and never stop praying?"
- 00:17:26.562 --> 00:17:29.731
- I read something that's along that line that was intriguing
- 00:17:29.731 --> 00:17:32.668
- To me.
- 00:17:32.668 --> 00:17:34.036
- It says, "never come to the end of praying."
- 00:17:34.036 --> 00:17:36.171
- Never come to the end of praying.
- 00:17:36.171 --> 00:17:37.573
- You know, there's a segment within the church that's just
- 00:17:37.573 --> 00:17:39.007
- Like, "well, i prayed once and i believe.
- 00:17:39.007 --> 00:17:40.342
- So, i don't pray anymore."
- 00:17:40.342 --> 00:17:41.710
- Oh, stop it.
- 00:17:41.710 --> 00:17:43.745
- Never come to the end of praying.
- 00:17:47.449 --> 00:17:49.685
- Never pray for more than 30 minutes, but never go 30 minutes
- 00:17:49.685 --> 00:17:52.354
- Without praying.
- 00:17:52.354 --> 00:17:54.423
- That's a pretty good rule of thumb.
- 00:17:54.423 --> 00:17:57.192
- It kind of gets us out of the middle of "you know, well,
- 00:17:57.192 --> 00:17:58.927
- I prayed for 11 hours."
- 00:17:58.927 --> 00:18:01.930
- Well, that's good.
- 00:18:01.930 --> 00:18:03.265
- I'm an advocate for prayer.
- 00:18:03.265 --> 00:18:05.334
- But i can live with that little formula, kind of a
- 00:18:05.334 --> 00:18:07.169
- 30-minute limit.
- 00:18:07.169 --> 00:18:09.171
- Thirty minutes, i'll take a break.
- 00:18:09.171 --> 00:18:11.039
- But i'm not going more than 30 minutes without re-engaging.
- 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:16.411
- There's a third instruction given to the church in
- 00:18:16.411 --> 00:18:18.046
- Philippians 4. it says, "don't be anxious about anything, but
- 00:18:18.046 --> 00:18:21.550
- In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
- 00:18:21.550 --> 00:18:24.419
- Present your requests to god."
- 00:18:24.419 --> 00:18:26.889
- Thankfulness dispels anxiety.
- 00:18:26.889 --> 00:18:30.392
- Some of us have the spiritual gift of worry.
- 00:18:30.392 --> 00:18:32.161
- I didn't say what spirit it was a gift of, but some of us have
- 00:18:35.397 --> 00:18:37.666
- The spiritual gift of worry.
- 00:18:37.666 --> 00:18:39.968
- And then, you know, we know that jesus said not to worry.
- 00:18:39.968 --> 00:18:42.271
- I mean, he said it multiple times in the sermon on the
- 00:18:42.271 --> 00:18:44.206
- Mount: "do not worry."
- 00:18:44.206 --> 00:18:45.574
- And we kind of know that, and so we don't really wanna say,
- 00:18:45.574 --> 00:18:48.243
- "i'm worried."
- 00:18:48.243 --> 00:18:49.578
- So, we put it in spiritual language.
- 00:18:49.578 --> 00:18:51.713
- You know, we're really good at that in the church.
- 00:18:51.713 --> 00:18:54.449
- We don't very often walk in here, "oh, i'm having a real
- 00:18:54.449 --> 00:18:56.251
- Struggle with sin."
- 00:18:56.251 --> 00:18:58.987
- We'll come and say, "you know, i have a burden."
- 00:18:58.987 --> 00:19:03.192
- Oh, you mean you're worried?
- 00:19:03.192 --> 00:19:04.560
- "no!
- 00:19:04.560 --> 00:19:05.894
- I'm not worried."
- 00:19:05.894 --> 00:19:08.630
- We kind of expand our vocabulary words.
- 00:19:08.630 --> 00:19:12.935
- But worry will paralyze you.
- 00:19:12.935 --> 00:19:16.104
- The old english word for worry means to choke.
- 00:19:16.104 --> 00:19:20.943
- Worry will choke off your air, it'll shrink your capacity,
- 00:19:20.943 --> 00:19:25.013
- It'll force you into delay.
- 00:19:25.013 --> 00:19:28.183
- And thankfulness will dispel anxiety.
- 00:19:28.183 --> 00:19:32.020
- Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
- 00:19:32.020 --> 00:19:34.957
- Petition, with thanksgiving, prese--get your request to god.
- 00:19:34.957 --> 00:19:41.063
- See, the simple act of saying thank you to the lord will
- 00:19:41.063 --> 00:19:44.032
- Diminish the influence of worry in your thoughts and
- 00:19:44.032 --> 00:19:46.268
- Your emotions.
- 00:19:46.268 --> 00:19:48.237
- So, you need, on a regular basis, like, every day, like,
- 00:19:48.237 --> 00:19:50.806
- You take medicine morning, noon, and night, or morning and
- 00:19:50.806 --> 00:19:53.842
- Evening or whatever schedule you may have ever been familiar
- 00:19:53.842 --> 00:19:56.445
- With--every 4 hours.
- 00:19:56.445 --> 00:19:59.548
- You know, if you're in the hospital and you have pain
- 00:19:59.548 --> 00:20:02.384
- Issues, it's very--they'll come in and ask you about your pain.
- 00:20:02.384 --> 00:20:04.853
- "you know, on a scale of one to ten, how are you doing?"
- 00:20:04.853 --> 00:20:08.156
- And then their response to you is gonna be based on how you
- 00:20:08.156 --> 00:20:10.859
- Respond to your pain threshold-- what kind of meds you get, the
- 00:20:10.859 --> 00:20:13.262
- Good stuff or not so much.
- 00:20:13.262 --> 00:20:16.965
- Well, start to live your life with that "to what extent is
- 00:20:16.965 --> 00:20:19.301
- Anxiety a presence in my heart?
- 00:20:19.301 --> 00:20:21.803
- To what extent am i carrying that?"
- 00:20:21.803 --> 00:20:23.905
- And i'm not talking about your ignoring it.
- 00:20:23.905 --> 00:20:25.440
- I meet a whole group of people that have taken the
- 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:27.042
- Ostrich approach.
- 00:20:27.042 --> 00:20:29.244
- "you know, i just don't think about that.
- 00:20:29.244 --> 00:20:30.579
- I don't pay any attention.
- 00:20:30.579 --> 00:20:31.913
- I don't watch the news.
- 00:20:31.913 --> 00:20:33.282
- I don't like to talk about that.
- 00:20:33.282 --> 00:20:34.616
- Oh, god will deal with that."
- 00:20:34.616 --> 00:20:35.984
- Folks, if you take the clear teaching of scripture and you
- 00:20:35.984 --> 00:20:38.220
- Ignore it, all you've done is raised your hand and say, "i
- 00:20:38.220 --> 00:20:41.923
- Vote for judgment."
- 00:20:41.923 --> 00:20:44.259
- I'm not talking about ignoring the truth as a pattern to peace.
- 00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:48.230
- I'm talking about recognizing fully what's happening in the
- 00:20:48.230 --> 00:20:50.866
- World around us, and, in spite of that, "i'm going to choose on
- 00:20:50.866 --> 00:20:54.303
- A very regular basis to pause and say, 'god, i wanna
- 00:20:54.303 --> 00:20:57.306
- Thank you.
- 00:20:57.306 --> 00:20:58.674
- You gave me breath this morning.
- 00:20:58.674 --> 00:21:01.343
- God, i thank you that you've given me the strength to
- 00:21:01.343 --> 00:21:03.011
- Me today.
- 00:21:03.011 --> 00:21:04.379
- God, i thank you that there are places i can go and worship you.
- 00:21:04.379 --> 00:21:07.382
- God, i thank you that i've got a bible to read.
- 00:21:07.382 --> 00:21:09.251
- God, i thank you that your spirit lives within me.
- 00:21:09.251 --> 00:21:11.320
- I've got food to eat today, god.
- 00:21:11.320 --> 00:21:14.389
- Lord, you have been so good to me.
- 00:21:14.389 --> 00:21:16.058
- I wanna praise you.
- 00:21:16.058 --> 00:21:17.759
- I wanna give thank you.
- 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:20.128
- I want it to come out of me.
- 00:21:20.128 --> 00:21:21.463
- I don't want it just to bounce around inside of me, 'cause i
- 00:21:21.463 --> 00:21:23.398
- Need to push back on all that other stuff.'"
- 00:21:23.398 --> 00:21:27.903
- And then you--if you'll gain a little momentum in that, you
- 00:21:27.903 --> 00:21:31.106
- Start to read the psalms, and the psalmist said that "the
- 00:21:31.106 --> 00:21:34.209
- Rulers of the earth gather together with their plots
- 00:21:34.209 --> 00:21:36.778
- Against our king, and the lord looks from heaven and
- 00:21:36.778 --> 00:21:41.516
- He laughs."
- 00:21:41.516 --> 00:21:43.485
- And i'll start to laugh, and i'll go, "well, god, if you're
- 00:21:43.485 --> 00:21:45.454
- Laughing, i'm gonna laugh.
- 00:21:45.454 --> 00:21:48.190
- I hear the ayatollahs, and i hear this and i hear that.
- 00:21:48.190 --> 00:21:51.226
- But, god, if you're laughing, i'm gonna chuckle.
- 00:21:51.226 --> 00:21:54.896
- God, i thank you."
- 00:21:54.896 --> 00:21:57.766
- You see, i think we've been way too passive because we haven't
- 00:21:57.766 --> 00:22:01.536
- Really trusted the lord.
- 00:22:01.536 --> 00:22:03.772
- Say, "well, pastor, you know, i did that for two days."
- 00:22:03.772 --> 00:22:07.376
- I understand.
- 00:22:07.376 --> 00:22:08.710
- I've been on that diet before.
- 00:22:08.710 --> 00:22:11.680
- You know, somebody told me about some great weight loss plan they
- 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:14.149
- Were on, you know, intermittent fasting.
- 00:22:14.149 --> 00:22:19.020
- We're gonna eat for 4 hours and fast for 20.
- 00:22:19.020 --> 00:22:23.558
- I tried it.
- 00:22:23.558 --> 00:22:24.893
- I ate for the four hours, and then i got about six hours into
- 00:22:24.893 --> 00:22:32.134
- It, and i thought, "nah, it's not for me."
- 00:22:32.134 --> 00:22:35.370
- But i still weighed--you know what?
- 00:22:35.370 --> 00:22:36.705
- I didn't lose a pound.
- 00:22:36.705 --> 00:22:39.241
- And, you know, it's like we try this stuff for a moment or two.
- 00:22:39.241 --> 00:22:42.778
- We go, "well, nothing happened."
- 00:22:42.778 --> 00:22:45.414
- Folks, significant change in our lives comes from the discipline
- 00:22:45.414 --> 00:22:49.785
- To apply truth over a bit of a period of time.
- 00:22:49.785 --> 00:22:55.290
- And my dad was a veterinarian.
- 00:22:55.290 --> 00:22:56.625
- You know that i said we grew up in the vet clinic, and we used
- 00:22:56.625 --> 00:22:58.627
- To dispense medication, and we were usually working the desk,
- 00:22:58.627 --> 00:23:00.929
- And we were the ones that took the calls, and people would call
- 00:23:00.929 --> 00:23:03.965
- And say, "you know, the medicine your dad--the doctor gave me
- 00:23:03.965 --> 00:23:07.335
- For my puppy."
- 00:23:07.335 --> 00:23:10.005
- We'd pull up the file.
- 00:23:10.005 --> 00:23:11.339
- "yes, i got that here."
- 00:23:11.339 --> 00:23:12.707
- And he said, "well, i was supposed to give one tablet
- 00:23:12.707 --> 00:23:14.176
- Every four hours for six days."
- 00:23:14.176 --> 00:23:18.980
- He said, "i gave him three tablets, and he was doing
- 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:21.249
- So well.
- 00:23:21.249 --> 00:23:23.385
- I wanted him to get better faster.
- 00:23:23.385 --> 00:23:26.221
- So, i gave him all the tablets."
- 00:23:26.221 --> 00:23:30.592
- I groaned on the phone.
- 00:23:30.592 --> 00:23:33.261
- But we get impatient.
- 00:23:33.261 --> 00:23:34.729
- We wanna microwave the answer.
- 00:23:34.729 --> 00:23:37.833
- And if i tell you about that, a puppy and pills, you'll groan.
- 00:23:37.833 --> 00:23:40.302
- But we do it with the lord.
- 00:23:40.302 --> 00:23:41.636
- "lord, you know, i've been grateful for two days."
- 00:23:41.636 --> 00:23:43.839
- [congregation laughing]
- 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:48.977
- "i knew that pastor was just trying to mess me up."
- 00:23:48.977 --> 00:23:54.316
- I'm--
- 00:23:54.316 --> 00:23:57.285
- Let's talk about some of the functions of thankfulness for
- 00:23:57.285 --> 00:23:59.154
- A minute.
- 00:23:59.154 --> 00:24:00.655
- If i go down that rabbit trail, we'll never come back.
- 00:24:00.655 --> 00:24:04.159
- Thankfulness provides access to god.
- 00:24:04.159 --> 00:24:06.394
- I want you to, for a moment, thankfulness provides access to
- 00:24:06.394 --> 00:24:09.531
- God, to god.
- 00:24:09.531 --> 00:24:14.069
- Psalm 100, it's a familiar passage: "shout to the joy--
- 00:24:14.069 --> 00:24:16.838
- Shout for joy to the lord, all the earth.
- 00:24:16.838 --> 00:24:19.474
- Worship the lord with gladness; come before him with
- 00:24:19.474 --> 00:24:21.376
- Joyful songs.
- 00:24:21.376 --> 00:24:22.744
- Know that the lord is god.
- 00:24:22.744 --> 00:24:24.279
- It's he who made us, and we're his."
- 00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:27.182
- There's so much in this.
- 00:24:27.182 --> 00:24:29.050
- Know that the lord is god.
- 00:24:29.050 --> 00:24:30.385
- He made us.
- 00:24:30.385 --> 00:24:31.753
- Do you understand how many voices shout at you every day
- 00:24:31.753 --> 00:24:33.522
- That "god's not the creator"?
- 00:24:33.522 --> 00:24:35.357
- You need to shout back with the word of god.
- 00:24:39.261 --> 00:24:42.297
- "god, i thank you that you made us.
- 00:24:42.297 --> 00:24:45.867
- We're yours, we're the--we're your people, we're the sheep of
- 00:24:45.867 --> 00:24:49.404
- Your pasture."
- 00:24:49.404 --> 00:24:50.839
- Verse 4, we enter in your gates with thanksgiving and your
- 00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:56.478
- Courts with praise.
- 00:24:56.478 --> 00:24:57.846
- Give thanks to him and praise his name.
- 00:24:57.846 --> 00:24:59.981
- For the lord is good, and his love endures forever, and his
- 00:24:59.981 --> 00:25:02.384
- Faithfulness continues through all generations.
- 00:25:02.384 --> 00:25:05.186
- Verse 5 gives us three very specific reasons for this
- 00:25:05.186 --> 00:25:08.189
- Thankfulness that brings us into the presence of god.
- 00:25:08.189 --> 00:25:11.293
- And these are true even if circumstances are difficult.
- 00:25:11.293 --> 00:25:13.628
- It said, "the lord is good, his love endures forever, and his
- 00:25:13.628 --> 00:25:17.933
- Faithfulness continues through all generations."
- 00:25:17.933 --> 00:25:21.369
- Doesn't mean we don't go through difficult places.
- 00:25:21.369 --> 00:25:24.673
- Doesn't mean we don't have challenges.
- 00:25:24.673 --> 00:25:26.641
- But in the midst of all of those, i can be thankful that
- 00:25:26.641 --> 00:25:28.944
- The lord is good.
- 00:25:28.944 --> 00:25:30.278
- If he was vengeful, i'd be dust.
- 00:25:30.278 --> 00:25:33.114
- If he wasn't graceful, i wouldn't exist.
- 00:25:33.114 --> 00:25:36.418
- If he wasn't merciful, i wouldn't be here.
- 00:25:36.418 --> 00:25:39.554
- But the lord is good.
- 00:25:39.554 --> 00:25:41.656
- You know, you can spend the entire day saying, "lord, i
- 00:25:41.656 --> 00:25:43.758
- Wanna thank you for your goodness."
- 00:25:43.758 --> 00:25:46.094
- Start a goodness list.
- 00:25:46.094 --> 00:25:49.064
- Your first dozen or so entries will be kind of difficult, but
- 00:25:49.064 --> 00:25:51.666
- If you'll do that and spend the day saying, "lord, i wanna thank
- 00:25:51.666 --> 00:25:54.002
- You for your goodness," you'll be amazed at how it will
- 00:25:54.002 --> 00:25:56.438
- Break through.
- 00:25:56.438 --> 00:25:58.106
- The goodness of god in our lives.
- 00:25:58.106 --> 00:26:03.011
- His love endures.
- 00:26:03.011 --> 00:26:04.346
- It doesn't diminish.
- 00:26:04.346 --> 00:26:06.214
- And his faithfulness continues through every generation.
- 00:26:06.214 --> 00:26:11.152
- ♪♪♪
- 00:26:11.152 --> 00:26:17.592
- Allen: being a christ follower is not as much about an
- 00:26:17.592 --> 00:26:20.061
- Experience and a completed activity, a prayer, a visit to
- 00:26:20.061 --> 00:26:23.565
- An altar, a response to an evangelist.
- 00:26:23.565 --> 00:26:26.735
- It's certainly a beginning point of welcoming jesus into your
- 00:26:26.735 --> 00:26:29.371
- Heart, but it's a life that we lead so we continue to grow and
- 00:26:29.371 --> 00:26:33.008
- Learn and gain strength.
- 00:26:33.008 --> 00:26:34.876
- As life presents challenges, we get to know god in a new way.
- 00:26:34.876 --> 00:26:38.213
- Well, i believe this book about the holy spirit is a tool to
- 00:26:38.213 --> 00:26:41.650
- Help you gain a new momentum to grow through the things in your
- 00:26:41.650 --> 00:26:45.520
- Life under the direction of the power of the spirit of god.
- 00:26:45.520 --> 00:26:48.823
- Folks, we're not gonna outwork evil or outthink evil.
- 00:26:48.823 --> 00:26:51.426
- We're not gonna out organize evil.
- 00:26:51.426 --> 00:26:53.294
- The only thing evil will yield to is a power greater than
- 00:26:53.294 --> 00:26:56.131
- Itself, and that power is the spirit of god that you and me
- 00:26:56.131 --> 00:27:00.435
- Manifest in the earth through people of faith.
- 00:27:00.435 --> 00:27:03.371
- We're salt and light.
- 00:27:03.371 --> 00:27:04.706
- We're change agents.
- 00:27:04.706 --> 00:27:06.074
- I wanna pray.
- 00:27:06.074 --> 00:27:07.409
- Heavenly father, give us a discernment to recognize your
- 00:27:07.409 --> 00:27:10.311
- Spirit, how we can welcome him into our lives and cooperate
- 00:27:10.311 --> 00:27:13.581
- With him to bring your breakthroughs into our lives,
- 00:27:13.581 --> 00:27:16.284
- Our homes, and our churches.
- 00:27:16.284 --> 00:27:18.420
- Jesus's name, amen.
- 00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:19.921
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:21.056 --> 00:27:30.001