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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - The Response of Joy (Part 1)

January 7, 2026 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - The Response of Joy (Part 1)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#Pastors #WalkwithGod #Responsibility #Joy #AllenJackson

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - The Response of Joy (Part 1) | January 7, 2026
  • ...
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  • Allen jackson: you know, around the world,
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  • People are searching for truth, and together we're doing our
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  • Very best to help them find it.
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  • Have heard the gospel otherwise.
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  • Together, we can stand firm in our faith and make god's truth
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  • Known right here at home and around the earth, wherever
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  • God opens a door.
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  • Let's keep gathering his people and building his church until
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  • The day our king returns.
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  • You can find more about becoming a ministry partner
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  • At allenjackson.com/partner.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen: we're working through a series on "when god moves," and
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  • I believe god is moving in the earth in very significant ways,
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  • Profound ways, ways that are going to create a new future
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  • For us.
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  • I believe there will be a--an even more noticeable break with
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  • Our past than we've experienced to this point, and we've
  • 00:01:23.666 --> 00:01:26.536
  • Experienced a pretty significant break since 2020.
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  • And i believe that's more the result of god moving than any
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  • Other single factor.
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  • So it's an exciting time.
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  • It's the advent season, the first season in the christian
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  • Calendar, and the 3rd week of advent is--the theme is
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  • Typically joy.
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  • That third candle that we light is often referred to as the
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  • Shepherds's candle.
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  • And i want to stay on that theme with you in this session,
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  • Talking about the response of joy.
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  • Joy, i believe, should elicit a response.
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  • God's word in us, the spirit of god in us, isn't theoretical or
  • 00:01:57.734 --> 00:02:02.305
  • Just intellectual.
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  • I believe it's intended to elicit a response.
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  • And so i wanna talk a bit about that.
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  • Luke chapter 2 in verse 10, in keeping with the seasons, says:
  • 00:02:08.811 --> 00:02:12.882
  • "the angel said to them," these are the shepherds in the fields
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  • Outside of bethlehem.
  • 00:02:16.085 --> 00:02:17.453
  • "'do not be afraid; for behold, i bring you good news of
  • 00:02:17.453 --> 00:02:21.057
  • Great joy.'"
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  • I hope you hold the imagination that if you come close to the
  • 00:02:22.392 --> 00:02:25.295
  • Kingdom of god, that a normal human reaction would be fear
  • 00:02:25.295 --> 00:02:31.100
  • Because you recognize you've encountered a power greater than
  • 00:02:31.100 --> 00:02:33.503
  • Yourself, something beyond you.
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  • Something that you can't fully explain.
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  • It's a consistent response from an angel when they encounter
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  • Human beings in scripture, they'll say, "don't be afraid."
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  • And i think we have distilled god down to such a passive force
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  • That we've almost lost any imagination.
  • 00:02:54.057 --> 00:02:56.292
  • And i'm very confident that when you see the kingdom of god to
  • 00:02:56.292 --> 00:03:00.697
  • Any degree, that it will be overwhelming.
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  • And so i wanna invite you towards that.
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  • I think there are very few things that are more profound
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  • And can shape your life in a more dramatic way than a
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  • Respect, a reverence, to the fear of god.
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  • Not that you shrink in terror but you understand god is
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  • Beyond you.
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  • We don't manage god.
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  • God is not like us, just a little bit better.
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  • You know, god's not like us, but he's only got 4% body fat and he
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  • Has a good attitude.
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  • God's an entirely different being.
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  • We are created in his image, but we are in need of a redeemer.
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  • And the--so the angels have this encounter with the heavenly
  • 00:03:44.040 --> 00:03:47.877
  • Host and their message is, "don't be afraid.
  • 00:03:47.877 --> 00:03:49.712
  • I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the
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  • People; for today in the city of david there's been born for you
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  • A savior, who's christ the lord."
  • 00:03:56.152 --> 00:03:58.454
  • And i keep slipping the word in there.
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  • The greek word is megas.
  • 00:04:00.023 --> 00:04:01.391
  • Mega, we know what that means, big.
  • 00:04:01.391 --> 00:04:03.660
  • The angel, the angelic host, said, "i bring you big joy."
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  • Not big happy.
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  • Happy's different.
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  • Happy is about your soul.
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  • Happy is about your emotions, happy is about your thoughts,
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  • And happy is good.
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  • I'd rather be happy than unhappy.
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  • But i don't think happy is a great goal because happy is
  • 00:04:20.510 --> 00:04:22.945
  • Really transient.
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  • You know, i'm happy when i have a full package of oreos and i'm
  • 00:04:25.515 --> 00:04:28.117
  • Not happy when they're gone.
  • 00:04:28.117 --> 00:04:31.154
  • And i mean, that's unfortunate because, really, a package of
  • 00:04:31.154 --> 00:04:33.756
  • Oreos should not determine your emotional state.
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  • So joy is different.
  • 00:04:37.527 --> 00:04:38.895
  • Joy is connected to your spirit, and the angels said, "we bring
  • 00:04:38.895 --> 00:04:42.065
  • You great joy."
  • 00:04:42.065 --> 00:04:44.200
  • You know, i think we have just thought of them as they were
  • 00:04:44.200 --> 00:04:47.437
  • Something that were synonymous.
  • 00:04:47.437 --> 00:04:48.838
  • You could interchange them, that one is the same as the other,
  • 00:04:48.838 --> 00:04:51.974
  • And that really isn't true in scripture.
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  • Joy surrounds all the announcements and the
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  • Preparation for jesus's birth.
  • 00:04:57.080 --> 00:04:58.681
  • I won't walk you back through it, but we have looked at that
  • 00:04:58.681 --> 00:05:00.583
  • In some detail.
  • 00:05:00.583 --> 00:05:02.318
  • Then in matthew chapter 2 are the magi, the wise men, that
  • 00:05:02.318 --> 00:05:06.122
  • Have come from the east.
  • 00:05:06.122 --> 00:05:07.490
  • We know very little about them.
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  • We don't know their names, we don't know their story.
  • 00:05:08.825 --> 00:05:10.526
  • We don't really know their country of origin.
  • 00:05:10.526 --> 00:05:14.030
  • We just know that somehow they've had a revelation that
  • 00:05:14.030 --> 00:05:16.699
  • There's a king of the jews to be born and they're following
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  • A star.
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  • "and after hearing the king, they went on their way."
  • 00:05:21.371 --> 00:05:23.172
  • They'd gone to the palace in jerusalem.
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  • If you're looking for a king, you'd go to the palace
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  • In jerusalem.
  • 00:05:27.210 --> 00:05:29.445
  • And herod, the king who didn't know what they were
  • 00:05:29.445 --> 00:05:31.381
  • Talking about.
  • 00:05:31.381 --> 00:05:33.149
  • So, "after hearing the king, they went on their way; and the
  • 00:05:33.149 --> 00:05:35.318
  • Star, which they'd seen in the east, went on before them until
  • 00:05:35.318 --> 00:05:37.720
  • It came and stood over the place where the child was.
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  • And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with
  • 00:05:40.590 --> 00:05:44.427
  • Great joy."
  • 00:05:44.427 --> 00:05:46.462
  • That's taken from the new american standard translation.
  • 00:05:46.462 --> 00:05:48.898
  • It's not one i've often used, but we do occasionally, because
  • 00:05:48.898 --> 00:05:52.301
  • It's a little more wooden.
  • 00:05:52.301 --> 00:05:53.636
  • It tends to take the original language and just push it
  • 00:05:53.636 --> 00:05:55.772
  • Into english.
  • 00:05:55.772 --> 00:05:57.140
  • And you see that in this.
  • 00:05:57.140 --> 00:05:59.776
  • In the--some of the more modern translations, it says they
  • 00:05:59.776 --> 00:06:04.280
  • Were joyful.
  • 00:06:04.280 --> 00:06:06.015
  • But the original is a little more forceful than that.
  • 00:06:06.015 --> 00:06:08.217
  • It says they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
  • 00:06:08.217 --> 00:06:12.121
  • There's a redundance.
  • 00:06:12.121 --> 00:06:13.489
  • They didn't just rejoice exceedingly, they rejoiced with
  • 00:06:13.489 --> 00:06:15.825
  • Great joy.
  • 00:06:15.825 --> 00:06:17.160
  • They had mega joy.
  • 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:18.861
  • They rejoiced exceedingly with big joys, like, okay, i got it.
  • 00:06:18.861 --> 00:06:22.265
  • They were like, really, really happy.
  • 00:06:22.265 --> 00:06:24.901
  • No, it was more than that.
  • 00:06:24.901 --> 00:06:27.170
  • They've been on a long journey.
  • 00:06:27.170 --> 00:06:29.972
  • You know, most of us have an imagination.
  • 00:06:29.972 --> 00:06:33.042
  • In fact, about all we have of these, the magi, is an
  • 00:06:33.042 --> 00:06:35.178
  • Imagination and supposition.
  • 00:06:35.178 --> 00:06:37.046
  • There's not much in the text about them, but we sing our
  • 00:06:37.046 --> 00:06:40.116
  • Songs about we three kings, and typically they're older people
  • 00:06:40.116 --> 00:06:45.555
  • And they're wealthy, and they've made--i don't--i'm okay
  • 00:06:45.555 --> 00:06:48.691
  • With that.
  • 00:06:48.691 --> 00:06:50.026
  • I don't think it's inaccurate, but as i have thought about it
  • 00:06:50.026 --> 00:06:52.428
  • This christmas season, i want to give you an alternative.
  • 00:06:52.428 --> 00:06:55.698
  • And i'm not saying it's more biblical, it's my imagination.
  • 00:06:55.698 --> 00:06:58.468
  • So you can disagree with me and we can both go to heaven.
  • 00:06:58.468 --> 00:07:01.938
  • But it's been meaningful to me in this season to think that the
  • 00:07:01.938 --> 00:07:05.374
  • Magi, they weren't older people.
  • 00:07:05.374 --> 00:07:07.477
  • Let's imagine they were younger.
  • 00:07:07.477 --> 00:07:10.279
  • Maybe just starting and one or all of them has this revelation
  • 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:15.918
  • From their study of the stars.
  • 00:07:15.918 --> 00:07:17.553
  • They've come to the conclusion that a king is being born to the
  • 00:07:17.553 --> 00:07:20.490
  • Jewish people.
  • 00:07:20.490 --> 00:07:23.426
  • And they're so fascinated by it, they decide to go all in.
  • 00:07:23.426 --> 00:07:28.331
  • So they just--they liquidate, they pool their resources and
  • 00:07:28.331 --> 00:07:31.367
  • Together, they've got enough to, if they're careful, they can
  • 00:07:31.367 --> 00:07:34.604
  • Make the journey and they've liquidated--they want to buy
  • 00:07:34.604 --> 00:07:37.940
  • Gifts for the king.
  • 00:07:37.940 --> 00:07:41.277
  • So they're not gifts from the overflow of their life.
  • 00:07:41.277 --> 00:07:43.579
  • The gifts represent their life.
  • 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:47.950
  • There's no guarantee there's a king on the other end.
  • 00:07:47.950 --> 00:07:49.819
  • After all, i mean, it's a revelation.
  • 00:07:49.819 --> 00:07:53.322
  • There's not 3000 people making the pilgrimage.
  • 00:07:53.322 --> 00:07:56.158
  • There's--we assume there's three because there's
  • 00:07:56.158 --> 00:07:58.728
  • Three gifts.
  • 00:07:58.728 --> 00:08:01.964
  • And they make the journey and they get to the palace and, in
  • 00:08:01.964 --> 00:08:05.034
  • My brain, it's easier why herod dismissed them because they're
  • 00:08:05.034 --> 00:08:07.336
  • Not fancy people.
  • 00:08:07.336 --> 00:08:09.972
  • They're normal people.
  • 00:08:09.972 --> 00:08:12.742
  • They've made a long journey and they're babbling about a king,
  • 00:08:12.742 --> 00:08:14.977
  • Which has herod's attention because he's paranoid, he's
  • 00:08:14.977 --> 00:08:17.146
  • Murderous, he's evil.
  • 00:08:17.146 --> 00:08:20.750
  • And he calls for the chief priest and the teachers of the
  • 00:08:20.750 --> 00:08:22.852
  • Law, and they said, "yes, there's a messiah to be born and
  • 00:08:22.852 --> 00:08:25.288
  • He's to be born in bethlehem."
  • 00:08:25.288 --> 00:08:28.124
  • But who are these clowns?
  • 00:08:28.124 --> 00:08:31.460
  • And so, the young men are dismissed and the king says,
  • 00:08:31.460 --> 00:08:33.763
  • "well, if you find the messiah, you come back."
  • 00:08:33.763 --> 00:08:37.233
  • And so off they go and they get to bethlehem, and it's the most
  • 00:08:37.233 --> 00:08:41.871
  • Improbable of settings.
  • 00:08:41.871 --> 00:08:43.205
  • It's a stable, and mary and joseph, a couple of kids
  • 00:08:43.205 --> 00:08:46.642
  • Themselves, and a newborn baby, but the star has stopped, and
  • 00:08:46.642 --> 00:08:50.046
  • Somehow they understand this is the king.
  • 00:08:50.046 --> 00:08:53.783
  • And i love the description.
  • 00:08:53.783 --> 00:08:55.251
  • It says, "when they realize it's the king, they rejoiced
  • 00:08:55.251 --> 00:08:57.820
  • Exceedingly with great joy."
  • 00:08:57.820 --> 00:08:59.655
  • "we weren't crazy.
  • 00:08:59.655 --> 00:09:02.191
  • Our friends said we were crazy.
  • 00:09:02.191 --> 00:09:06.195
  • We cashed out everything we had.
  • 00:09:06.195 --> 00:09:10.266
  • We liquidated.
  • 00:09:10.266 --> 00:09:12.735
  • And we found the king."
  • 00:09:12.735 --> 00:09:16.005
  • Yeah, but it's better yet.
  • 00:09:16.005 --> 00:09:18.374
  • And they look at one another.
  • 00:09:18.374 --> 00:09:21.243
  • And they go take off the camels or the donkeys or whatever
  • 00:09:21.243 --> 00:09:24.080
  • They had.
  • 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:25.548
  • Maybe they took it out of their pack.
  • 00:09:25.548 --> 00:09:28.084
  • And they present to mary and joseph, these expressions for
  • 00:09:28.084 --> 00:09:31.587
  • Them of extravagance.
  • 00:09:31.587 --> 00:09:34.457
  • They didn't bring a tip.
  • 00:09:34.457 --> 00:09:36.993
  • They didn't bring a leftover.
  • 00:09:36.993 --> 00:09:39.795
  • They brought what they had, the whole thing.
  • 00:09:39.795 --> 00:09:44.634
  • And they gave it to the king.
  • 00:09:44.634 --> 00:09:46.936
  • See, that fits in my brain with them rejoicing exceedingly with
  • 00:09:46.936 --> 00:09:50.373
  • Great joy, big joy.
  • 00:09:50.373 --> 00:09:53.075
  • It wasn't like, "oh yeah, last month we looked for a prince and
  • 00:09:53.075 --> 00:09:55.745
  • We found one of those and this month we looked for a king."
  • 00:09:55.745 --> 00:09:58.581
  • You know, they're always--when you see the wise men, they're
  • 00:09:58.581 --> 00:10:00.116
  • Always walking slow...right?
  • 00:10:00.116 --> 00:10:07.023
  • Well, i don't think guys doing this...
  • 00:10:07.023 --> 00:10:09.959
  • Rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
  • 00:10:09.959 --> 00:10:15.231
  • But i could see three younger people just having
  • 00:10:15.231 --> 00:10:19.735
  • A celebration.
  • 00:10:19.735 --> 00:10:22.171
  • And presenting the gold--and then it says god met them.
  • 00:10:22.171 --> 00:10:26.509
  • And he said, "you don't want to go back to see herod."
  • 00:10:26.509 --> 00:10:30.046
  • And they went back home.
  • 00:10:30.046 --> 00:10:32.948
  • And they're forever different.
  • 00:10:32.948 --> 00:10:37.820
  • So i cannot accept a faith that leaves us intact, that leaves us
  • 00:10:37.820 --> 00:10:45.461
  • In the same broken, disinterested, disengaged, fully
  • 00:10:45.461 --> 00:10:52.835
  • Engaged in a secular pursuit.
  • 00:10:52.835 --> 00:10:56.539
  • When i read my bible, if we really open our hearts to the
  • 00:10:56.539 --> 00:10:59.341
  • Lord, we're transformed by that.
  • 00:10:59.341 --> 00:11:02.578
  • We become different.
  • 00:11:02.578 --> 00:11:03.913
  • We don't go, we don't, "yes, i go to church.
  • 00:11:03.913 --> 00:11:08.017
  • Wouldn't you like to come?"
  • 00:11:08.017 --> 00:11:11.153
  • Not especially.
  • 00:11:11.153 --> 00:11:13.989
  • I think it's intended to be truly transformational in us.
  • 00:11:13.989 --> 00:11:18.828
  • I don't think those--if there were three of them, i don't
  • 00:11:18.828 --> 00:11:21.197
  • Think they're ever the same again, do you?
  • 00:11:21.197 --> 00:11:24.100
  • "what did you do with summer vacation?"
  • 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:25.835
  • "well, you know, we took a trip."
  • 00:11:25.835 --> 00:11:28.771
  • I don't think that's how it all went at all.
  • 00:11:28.771 --> 00:11:30.106
  • I think when they get home, they tell everybody, "we found
  • 00:11:30.106 --> 00:11:31.640
  • The king.
  • 00:11:31.640 --> 00:11:34.343
  • I mean, he was in a manger, but there were these shepherds."
  • 00:11:34.343 --> 00:11:39.982
  • And we don't know exactly when the wise men got there.
  • 00:11:39.982 --> 00:11:43.252
  • You know, we always put them in the nativity scene.
  • 00:11:43.252 --> 00:11:45.054
  • It isn't that clear.
  • 00:11:45.054 --> 00:11:46.422
  • The chronology is not that tight.
  • 00:11:46.422 --> 00:11:48.424
  • There's a 2-year window that's conceivable because herod kills
  • 00:11:48.424 --> 00:11:51.694
  • The babies that are 2 and under because they've been following--
  • 00:11:51.694 --> 00:11:53.863
  • They saw the star 2 years ago, but it doesn't mean they weren't
  • 00:11:53.863 --> 00:11:57.133
  • There at the nativity.
  • 00:11:57.133 --> 00:11:58.501
  • It's just we don't know.
  • 00:11:58.501 --> 00:12:00.903
  • Let's not make it something-- i'm not telling
  • 00:12:00.903 --> 00:12:02.238
  • You they're young, they may have been old
  • 00:12:02.238 --> 00:12:03.606
  • And grizzled, and that was as fast as they could move.
  • 00:12:03.606 --> 00:12:05.941
  • I'm okay with that too.
  • 00:12:05.941 --> 00:12:07.276
  • They made a trip to see the king.
  • 00:12:07.276 --> 00:12:10.813
  • But this year, it's been particularly poignant to me that
  • 00:12:10.813 --> 00:12:14.517
  • There was a sacrifice in them.
  • 00:12:14.517 --> 00:12:17.953
  • And such a sense of god led us here.
  • 00:12:17.953 --> 00:12:25.761
  • God led us here.
  • 00:12:25.761 --> 00:12:28.130
  • Have you ever said yes to the lord and reoriented a bit or
  • 00:12:28.130 --> 00:12:32.234
  • Sacrificed or did something and then you saw god do something
  • 00:12:32.234 --> 00:12:36.505
  • With that effort that you extended or, i mean, there's
  • 00:12:36.505 --> 00:12:40.042
  • Very few things in life that are more rewarding than knowing that
  • 00:12:40.042 --> 00:12:42.845
  • You have joined god in something he's doing in the earth.
  • 00:12:42.845 --> 00:12:48.184
  • But i know we don't earn our way to heaven.
  • 00:12:48.184 --> 00:12:50.152
  • I'm not talking about that.
  • 00:12:50.152 --> 00:12:51.487
  • I'm talking about serving the lord with gladness.
  • 00:12:51.487 --> 00:12:54.590
  • We don't have enough of that.
  • 00:12:54.590 --> 00:12:55.925
  • We serve the lord with obligation.
  • 00:12:55.925 --> 00:13:03.966
  • I mean, i think if we got, like, really down to brass tacks, i
  • 00:13:03.966 --> 00:13:06.335
  • Think we tend to serve the lord with, i mean, we serve the devil
  • 00:13:06.335 --> 00:13:09.071
  • With joy and we serve the lord with obligation.
  • 00:13:09.071 --> 00:13:13.876
  • I didn't call your name, yet, but the evening's young.
  • 00:13:13.876 --> 00:13:18.480
  • I could get there.
  • 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.749
  • But i mean, i think in our heart and we tend to think that
  • 00:13:20.749 --> 00:13:23.018
  • Ungodliness and all those things, you know, are--there's
  • 00:13:23.018 --> 00:13:25.988
  • A siren call for them and they're so appealing and
  • 00:13:25.988 --> 00:13:29.258
  • Enticing and, you know, how do we keep our kids away from that?
  • 00:13:29.258 --> 00:13:33.329
  • By teaching them that serving the lord with joy is the best
  • 00:13:33.329 --> 00:13:37.066
  • Possible way to lead your life under the sun, but you can't
  • 00:13:37.066 --> 00:13:40.469
  • Give it to them if you don't have that.
  • 00:13:40.469 --> 00:13:43.706
  • And if we're sitting looking at ungodly people going, "well,
  • 00:13:43.706 --> 00:13:45.875
  • That looks more fun than what i'm doing."
  • 00:13:45.875 --> 00:13:51.447
  • So when i read my bible, i try to, like, imagine i was
  • 00:13:51.447 --> 00:13:54.183
  • Traveling with these people and i'm listening to what
  • 00:13:54.183 --> 00:13:56.418
  • They're saying.
  • 00:13:56.418 --> 00:13:57.753
  • Maybe i'm just the one taking care of the animals.
  • 00:13:57.753 --> 00:14:00.689
  • But i'm listening to their dialogue at the end of the day,
  • 00:14:00.689 --> 00:14:03.025
  • You know?
  • 00:14:03.025 --> 00:14:04.793
  • "do you suppose we--were we too enthusiastic with this?
  • 00:14:04.793 --> 00:14:09.098
  • Did we go too far?
  • 00:14:09.098 --> 00:14:13.235
  • None of our peer group wanted to make the journey with us or
  • 00:14:13.235 --> 00:14:15.604
  • Anybody else wanted to ante up for the gifts for the king.
  • 00:14:15.604 --> 00:14:20.276
  • In fact, did you see the way they were looking at us?"
  • 00:14:20.276 --> 00:14:23.679
  • And then they find jesus.
  • 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:26.715
  • Now i can understand how they rejoiced exceedingly with some
  • 00:14:26.715 --> 00:14:30.419
  • Big joy.
  • 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:33.789
  • It's not just christmastime.
  • 00:14:33.789 --> 00:14:35.291
  • Look at romans 12: "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,
  • 00:14:35.291 --> 00:14:39.695
  • Faithful in prayer."
  • 00:14:39.695 --> 00:14:41.397
  • Joy and hope accompany one another.
  • 00:14:41.397 --> 00:14:46.635
  • Hope is based on your anticipation.
  • 00:14:46.635 --> 00:14:49.405
  • Hope is future, faith is now.
  • 00:14:49.405 --> 00:14:51.907
  • And joy accompanies hope.
  • 00:14:51.907 --> 00:14:55.744
  • Joy enables us to persevere, to overcome.
  • 00:14:55.744 --> 00:15:01.283
  • In 1 thessalonians 5, paul's writing to another church and he
  • 00:15:01.283 --> 00:15:04.887
  • Says, "be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
  • 00:15:04.887 --> 00:15:08.857
  • Circumstances, for this is god's will for you in christ jesus.
  • 00:15:08.857 --> 00:15:12.628
  • Do not put out the spirit's fire."
  • 00:15:12.628 --> 00:15:16.465
  • The question i'm probably asked more than any over a broad
  • 00:15:16.465 --> 00:15:19.134
  • Period of time is, you know, "how do you know what god wants
  • 00:15:19.134 --> 00:15:21.637
  • Me to do?
  • 00:15:21.637 --> 00:15:23.005
  • What's god's will?
  • 00:15:23.005 --> 00:15:24.340
  • How do i hear from the lord?"
  • 00:15:24.340 --> 00:15:25.975
  • Well, i'm a pretty simple person.
  • 00:15:25.975 --> 00:15:27.609
  • When i find something that says, "this is god's will for you," i
  • 00:15:27.609 --> 00:15:29.578
  • Put that on the list, so i can help you if you wanna know god's
  • 00:15:29.578 --> 00:15:32.948
  • Will for you.
  • 00:15:32.948 --> 00:15:34.283
  • "be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
  • 00:15:34.283 --> 00:15:39.088
  • Circumstances, for this is god's will for you."
  • 00:15:39.088 --> 00:15:43.258
  • No interpretation.
  • 00:15:43.258 --> 00:15:44.626
  • That's just the book.
  • 00:15:44.626 --> 00:15:46.195
  • "yeah, but pastor, i meant really."
  • 00:15:46.195 --> 00:15:48.831
  • So did i.
  • 00:15:48.831 --> 00:15:51.166
  • In whatever place you find yourself, on top of the
  • 00:15:51.166 --> 00:15:54.870
  • Mountain, in the bottom of the valley, celebrating victories,
  • 00:15:54.870 --> 00:15:58.173
  • Weeping over defeats, what do you do?
  • 00:15:58.173 --> 00:16:01.710
  • "be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in
  • 00:16:01.710 --> 00:16:04.380
  • All circumstances."
  • 00:16:04.380 --> 00:16:05.748
  • Now, i don't like that.
  • 00:16:05.748 --> 00:16:07.816
  • I would've give thanks for the circumstances that benefit me.
  • 00:16:07.816 --> 00:16:12.921
  • Sometimes circumstances are difficult.
  • 00:16:12.921 --> 00:16:15.858
  • You want me to give thanks in the middle of
  • 00:16:15.858 --> 00:16:17.226
  • Those--doesn't mean you have to give thanks for the evil that
  • 00:16:17.226 --> 00:16:19.461
  • You're confronted with, but in the midst of that circumstance,
  • 00:16:19.461 --> 00:16:21.964
  • There's something for which you can be thankful.
  • 00:16:21.964 --> 00:16:26.235
  • "so i'm in a pretty hard--" i know, i'm just telling you,
  • 00:16:26.235 --> 00:16:29.004
  • Biblically speaking.
  • 00:16:29.004 --> 00:16:31.206
  • If you want a ticket that says, "this is god's will for you: be
  • 00:16:31.206 --> 00:16:35.844
  • Joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in
  • 00:16:35.844 --> 00:16:38.347
  • All circumstances."
  • 00:16:38.347 --> 00:16:41.817
  • That's an amazing gift.
  • 00:16:41.817 --> 00:16:43.352
  • You could tuck those three things in your heart and you've
  • 00:16:43.352 --> 00:16:45.587
  • Got compass points to guide you.
  • 00:16:45.587 --> 00:16:48.857
  • No matter how crazy the world gets.
  • 00:16:48.857 --> 00:16:51.527
  • No matter how nonsensical the media becomes.
  • 00:16:51.527 --> 00:16:53.662
  • No matter what anthony fauci says.
  • 00:16:53.662 --> 00:16:57.332
  • You've got compass points that would completely transform
  • 00:16:57.332 --> 00:17:04.006
  • Your journey.
  • 00:17:04.006 --> 00:17:05.874
  • We're way casual with our bibles.
  • 00:17:05.874 --> 00:17:09.144
  • Those magi from the east followed a star.
  • 00:17:09.144 --> 00:17:12.414
  • We can follow specific directions: "be joyful always,
  • 00:17:12.414 --> 00:17:15.417
  • Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances."
  • 00:17:15.417 --> 00:17:21.790
  • That's a powerful set of directions.
  • 00:17:21.790 --> 00:17:27.930
  • Allen: welcome to 2026. happy new year.
  • 00:17:31.767 --> 00:17:34.636
  • We've created a new book to help you.
  • 00:17:34.636 --> 00:17:36.205
  • It's called "turn up the light."
  • 00:17:36.205 --> 00:17:37.539
  • It's a devotional for the whole year.
  • 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:39.108
  • It's a really simple idea.
  • 00:17:39.108 --> 00:17:40.442
  • I can join you for a cup of coffee in the morning.
  • 00:17:40.442 --> 00:17:43.278
  • We'll have a brief conversation with a spiritual principle
  • 00:17:43.278 --> 00:17:45.981
  • To start our day, a scripture verse, a prayer.
  • 00:17:45.981 --> 00:17:48.784
  • And then when you're tired of me,
  • 00:17:48.784 --> 00:17:50.119
  • You can close the book.
  • 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:51.620
  • It's perfect.
  • 00:17:51.620 --> 00:17:53.222
  • In all seriousness, we do wanna turn up the light.
  • 00:17:53.222 --> 00:17:55.824
  • Let's not rage against the darkness.
  • 00:17:55.824 --> 00:17:57.159
  • Let's invite god into the midst of this year
  • 00:17:57.159 --> 00:17:59.495
  • And then just see what he will do.
  • 00:17:59.495 --> 00:18:01.296
  • Female announcer: pastor allen's new devotional,
  • 00:18:01.296 --> 00:18:02.931
  • "turn up the light," is designed to equip you every single day
  • 00:18:02.931 --> 00:18:06.168
  • Of the year.
  • 00:18:06.168 --> 00:18:07.503
  • Inside, you'll find 365 short devotionals,
  • 00:18:07.503 --> 00:18:10.772
  • Each with a scripture, teaching, and a prayer.
  • 00:18:10.772 --> 00:18:13.842
  • As you begin this new year, don't rage against the darkness.
  • 00:18:13.842 --> 00:18:17.045
  • Instead, choose to turn up the light.
  • 00:18:17.045 --> 00:18:19.214
  • You can request this book when you donate $25 or more today
  • 00:18:19.214 --> 00:18:23.218
  • At allenjackson.com or by calling...
  • 00:18:23.218 --> 00:18:28.490
  • Allen: so i want to take a minute then and see if we can
  • 00:18:32.461 --> 00:18:34.363
  • Understand a bit more about maintaining our joy, because
  • 00:18:34.363 --> 00:18:36.832
  • I've come to the conclusion that it takes attention.
  • 00:18:36.832 --> 00:18:40.702
  • Maintenance matters.
  • 00:18:40.702 --> 00:18:42.804
  • Maintenance matters in a facility.
  • 00:18:42.804 --> 00:18:44.173
  • A couple of weekends ago, we did--the teen choir did a
  • 00:18:44.173 --> 00:18:46.608
  • Christmas production for the smaller children in the church,
  • 00:18:46.608 --> 00:18:49.444
  • And we turned our campus into a place for the younger children
  • 00:18:49.444 --> 00:18:53.182
  • To have a good time.
  • 00:18:53.182 --> 00:18:54.883
  • Games and activities and hot chocolate and all sorts
  • 00:18:54.883 --> 00:18:58.620
  • Of stuff.
  • 00:18:58.620 --> 00:18:59.988
  • And so we had given 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds open cups of hot
  • 00:18:59.988 --> 00:19:03.358
  • Chocolate to go wandering around the building.
  • 00:19:03.358 --> 00:19:06.295
  • And there were hundreds of them climbing around this place.
  • 00:19:06.295 --> 00:19:10.165
  • I mean, they were.
  • 00:19:10.165 --> 00:19:12.801
  • We were as thick as--with kids as flies in a barn in tennessee
  • 00:19:12.801 --> 00:19:16.638
  • In the summertime, and there were kids everywhere.
  • 00:19:16.638 --> 00:19:18.473
  • I mean, it's like...
  • 00:19:18.473 --> 00:19:23.245
  • I got down on my knee i don't know how many times, you know,
  • 00:19:23.245 --> 00:19:25.681
  • "hi, i'm pastor allen, tell me your name."
  • 00:19:25.681 --> 00:19:27.382
  • I mean, i was do--but you know, there's a piece of me going,
  • 00:19:27.382 --> 00:19:30.986
  • "will we ever get it clean again?"
  • 00:19:30.986 --> 00:19:35.257
  • Well, maybe you think that's silly, but if you do, let me
  • 00:19:35.257 --> 00:19:37.726
  • Suggest, i'll bring, oh, a thousand children to your house
  • 00:19:37.726 --> 00:19:41.763
  • This weekend.
  • 00:19:41.763 --> 00:19:44.032
  • Then i'm gonna give most of them an open cup of hot chocolate.
  • 00:19:44.032 --> 00:19:48.503
  • How many of you think you might have to redecorate when the
  • 00:19:48.503 --> 00:19:50.739
  • Little buggers left?
  • 00:19:50.739 --> 00:19:54.376
  • Maintenance matters.
  • 00:19:54.376 --> 00:19:55.744
  • You know how we can do that?
  • 00:19:55.744 --> 00:19:57.079
  • There's some amazing people here.
  • 00:19:57.079 --> 00:19:59.481
  • They clean and prepare and watch over.
  • 00:19:59.481 --> 00:20:05.287
  • Once in a while, i'll invite you to be a bit more conscious of
  • 00:20:05.287 --> 00:20:09.024
  • How you treat the house of the lord.
  • 00:20:09.024 --> 00:20:12.194
  • You know, like not to park like a pagan or don't bring your
  • 00:20:12.194 --> 00:20:17.065
  • Parrot to church or, you know, something, i don't know.
  • 00:20:17.065 --> 00:20:21.336
  • Not really to try to be obnoxious, but to remind us that
  • 00:20:21.336 --> 00:20:27.276
  • There are people that work really hard for that.
  • 00:20:27.276 --> 00:20:28.944
  • Maintenance matters.
  • 00:20:28.944 --> 00:20:30.312
  • Well, i want you to think about joy like a commodity.
  • 00:20:30.312 --> 00:20:34.683
  • Some of you are very particular about your home.
  • 00:20:34.683 --> 00:20:37.185
  • You don't want people wearing their shoes when they come in
  • 00:20:37.185 --> 00:20:39.154
  • Your house or you're particular about your car, you really wish
  • 00:20:39.154 --> 00:20:42.324
  • They wouldn't wear their shoes when they got in your car.
  • 00:20:42.324 --> 00:20:45.727
  • Or you're, you know--you understand that, and i would
  • 00:20:45.727 --> 00:20:49.331
  • Submit to you that your joy is such a significant part of who
  • 00:20:49.331 --> 00:20:54.136
  • You are and what your future will become that if you would
  • 00:20:54.136 --> 00:20:56.705
  • Think about maintaining it.
  • 00:20:56.705 --> 00:21:00.175
  • We talked about hope.
  • 00:21:00.175 --> 00:21:02.878
  • A couple of weeks ago, i invited you to think about hope as a
  • 00:21:02.878 --> 00:21:07.549
  • Tangible commodity that's somewhat fragile, that it could
  • 00:21:07.549 --> 00:21:11.853
  • Deteriorate, that what you rest your hope on is important
  • 00:21:11.853 --> 00:21:15.457
  • Because if you rest your hope on something that's unstable, your
  • 00:21:15.457 --> 00:21:19.361
  • Hope could crumble and just completely evaporate.
  • 00:21:19.361 --> 00:21:23.498
  • The bible talks to us about that.
  • 00:21:23.498 --> 00:21:24.866
  • It says don't put your hope in this or don't put your hope
  • 00:21:24.866 --> 00:21:28.103
  • On that.
  • 00:21:28.103 --> 00:21:29.705
  • Well, i want you to think about joy in a similar but slightly
  • 00:21:29.705 --> 00:21:32.007
  • Different way.
  • 00:21:32.007 --> 00:21:33.375
  • Joy is a bit more durable, but it has to be maintained.
  • 00:21:33.375 --> 00:21:37.713
  • So how do you maintain your joy?
  • 00:21:37.713 --> 00:21:41.750
  • So that you have joy, because joy is the--such an
  • 00:21:41.750 --> 00:21:46.288
  • Important part.
  • 00:21:46.288 --> 00:21:47.622
  • Look at luke 8, jesus speaks to it pretty directly.
  • 00:21:47.622 --> 00:21:49.024
  • This is the--he's told the parable of the farmer who sows
  • 00:21:49.024 --> 00:21:52.427
  • The seed and there's--the seed lands in four locations.
  • 00:21:52.427 --> 00:21:55.063
  • Remember that, the parable of the sower?
  • 00:21:55.063 --> 00:21:57.499
  • "this is the meaning of the parable."
  • 00:21:57.499 --> 00:21:58.867
  • This was jesus, he's gonna tell us what it means.
  • 00:21:58.867 --> 00:22:00.268
  • You don't need me. he tells us.
  • 00:22:00.268 --> 00:22:02.571
  • "this is the meaning of the parable: the seed is the
  • 00:22:02.571 --> 00:22:04.272
  • Word of god.
  • 00:22:04.272 --> 00:22:05.607
  • And those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the
  • 00:22:05.607 --> 00:22:07.976
  • Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts."
  • 00:22:07.976 --> 00:22:11.346
  • I meet christians all the time that tell me that, you know,
  • 00:22:11.346 --> 00:22:13.382
  • They're not sure what they believe about the devil, and i'm
  • 00:22:13.382 --> 00:22:15.217
  • Like, "well, jesus believed in it, maybe you should."
  • 00:22:15.217 --> 00:22:18.887
  • Because in the plainest of language, jesus said when the
  • 00:22:18.887 --> 00:22:20.822
  • Word of god is planted in your heart, the devil's gonna do what
  • 00:22:20.822 --> 00:22:22.991
  • He can to take it away from you.
  • 00:22:22.991 --> 00:22:25.961
  • Parents, help your children learn how to hold the word of
  • 00:22:25.961 --> 00:22:28.463
  • God so when devilish people come to take it, it will not be
  • 00:22:28.463 --> 00:22:32.934
  • Easily removed.
  • 00:22:32.934 --> 00:22:35.370
  • Make it so normal.
  • 00:22:35.370 --> 00:22:36.738
  • Make it so, make--may they be so accustomed to it, may it be
  • 00:22:36.738 --> 00:22:40.041
  • So familiar, may it be like home cooking, may it be that familiar
  • 00:22:40.041 --> 00:22:43.245
  • To them.
  • 00:22:43.245 --> 00:22:45.147
  • I understand you cook, but the best cooking.
  • 00:22:45.147 --> 00:22:48.016
  • That's what i got at home.
  • 00:22:48.016 --> 00:22:50.719
  • "the devil comes to steal the word from their hearts and takes
  • 00:22:50.719 --> 00:22:53.355
  • The word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and
  • 00:22:53.355 --> 00:22:55.190
  • Be saved.
  • 00:22:55.190 --> 00:22:56.558
  • Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy
  • 00:22:56.558 --> 00:22:59.628
  • When they hear it, but they have no root.
  • 00:22:59.628 --> 00:23:03.865
  • And they believe for a while, but in the time of testing they
  • 00:23:03.865 --> 00:23:07.202
  • Will fall away."
  • 00:23:07.202 --> 00:23:09.771
  • So you can receive with joy, but you can't maintain it.
  • 00:23:09.771 --> 00:23:15.010
  • There's no root, there's no depth.
  • 00:23:15.010 --> 00:23:17.979
  • So when there's a test, when there's a challenge, when
  • 00:23:17.979 --> 00:23:21.817
  • There's diminished affirmation, when the encouragement isn't as
  • 00:23:21.817 --> 00:23:26.054
  • Strong as you would like it to be, when there's someone
  • 00:23:26.054 --> 00:23:28.924
  • Challenging you, there's an alternative idea, you fall away.
  • 00:23:28.924 --> 00:23:35.063
  • So how do you maintain your joy?
  • 00:23:35.063 --> 00:23:36.398
  • In my opinion, you can make your own list, but these have been
  • 00:23:36.398 --> 00:23:38.600
  • Very helpful for me.
  • 00:23:38.600 --> 00:23:39.968
  • One, you need a consistent time with the word of god.
  • 00:23:39.968 --> 00:23:44.506
  • It keeps you centered.
  • 00:23:44.506 --> 00:23:46.808
  • It helps keep you familiar with the character of god and how god
  • 00:23:46.808 --> 00:23:50.378
  • Moves and who god is and what he's promised.
  • 00:23:50.378 --> 00:23:53.582
  • If you don't have consistent exposure to the word of god, i
  • 00:23:53.582 --> 00:23:57.085
  • Do not believe you can maintain your spiritual formation and
  • 00:23:57.085 --> 00:23:59.888
  • Your growth.
  • 00:23:59.888 --> 00:24:04.125
  • The second thing i would suggest is you--we've got to learn to
  • 00:24:04.125 --> 00:24:06.828
  • Listen and know god's voice.
  • 00:24:06.828 --> 00:24:10.398
  • And i know that needs more time than i'm willing to take in this
  • 00:24:10.398 --> 00:24:14.035
  • Session, but i'm not suggesting that you audibly hear voices all
  • 00:24:14.035 --> 00:24:18.607
  • The time.
  • 00:24:18.607 --> 00:24:20.575
  • But i am suggesting that you have to learn how to recognize
  • 00:24:20.575 --> 00:24:24.813
  • When god is communicating with you.
  • 00:24:24.813 --> 00:24:28.884
  • We all understand that god's given us a sense of hearing.
  • 00:24:28.884 --> 00:24:34.322
  • There's some little bones in your ear and they'll vibrate
  • 00:24:34.322 --> 00:24:37.692
  • With a sound wave and an eardrum and somehow your body can
  • 00:24:37.692 --> 00:24:41.363
  • Interpret those vibrations, and we hear.
  • 00:24:41.363 --> 00:24:45.300
  • But you know, you--the hardware you have for hearing is limited.
  • 00:24:45.300 --> 00:24:50.805
  • You can't hear the full range of sound waves.
  • 00:24:50.805 --> 00:24:55.277
  • There are things you can't hear without receivers.
  • 00:24:55.277 --> 00:24:58.213
  • There's radio waves in this room.
  • 00:24:58.213 --> 00:24:59.581
  • If you could hear them, you could hear a whole--you could
  • 00:24:59.581 --> 00:25:01.182
  • Hear music.
  • 00:25:01.182 --> 00:25:03.685
  • There's television.
  • 00:25:03.685 --> 00:25:05.020
  • I mean, there's all sorts of things that you just don't have
  • 00:25:05.020 --> 00:25:06.621
  • The hardware to hear.
  • 00:25:06.621 --> 00:25:09.224
  • Well, one of the things the bible tells us is people of
  • 00:25:09.224 --> 00:25:12.093
  • Faith when we're--we become new creations, jesus said, "my sheep
  • 00:25:12.093 --> 00:25:15.564
  • Know my voice."
  • 00:25:15.564 --> 00:25:18.667
  • He didn't say, "the good sheep know my voice.
  • 00:25:18.667 --> 00:25:21.202
  • The super sheep know my voice."
  • 00:25:21.202 --> 00:25:25.273
  • If you imagine yourself to be the sheep of god's pasture,
  • 00:25:25.273 --> 00:25:27.709
  • Which is one of the metaphors that's used for the people of
  • 00:25:27.709 --> 00:25:29.678
  • Faith, we recognize the voice of the shepherd.
  • 00:25:29.678 --> 00:25:36.084
  • So i think that begins initially with an intent.
  • 00:25:36.084 --> 00:25:39.588
  • I intend to listen.
  • 00:25:39.588 --> 00:25:42.090
  • Lord, i'm listening.
  • 00:25:42.090 --> 00:25:44.893
  • And then i think it extends to the word of god, to becoming
  • 00:25:44.893 --> 00:25:48.496
  • Comfortable with the spirit of god.
  • 00:25:48.496 --> 00:25:52.434
  • God speaks as frequently into my life through people or through a
  • 00:25:52.434 --> 00:25:55.670
  • Song or a book or a--i mean, god will use about anything if i
  • 00:25:55.670 --> 00:26:00.842
  • Have the orientation that, god, i intend to hear from you today.
  • 00:26:00.842 --> 00:26:06.414
  • Allen: i love the promise of a new year,
  • 00:26:10.318 --> 00:26:12.387
  • All the opportunities that it holds.
  • 00:26:12.387 --> 00:26:14.456
  • We wanna begin that on purpose, so we've created a new tool.
  • 00:26:14.456 --> 00:26:17.158
  • It's a book.
  • 00:26:17.158 --> 00:26:18.493
  • It's a devotional, 365-day devotional, built out of those
  • 00:26:18.493 --> 00:26:21.863
  • Digital devotionals that you're familiar with.
  • 00:26:21.863 --> 00:26:24.065
  • The intent is just to give you a bit of a spiritual beginning
  • 00:26:24.065 --> 00:26:26.868
  • For the day, a little vitamin, spiritual vitamin,
  • 00:26:26.868 --> 00:26:28.770
  • For your day--a prayer, a scripture verse.
  • 00:26:28.770 --> 00:26:30.939
  • It's easy to share.
  • 00:26:30.939 --> 00:26:32.273
  • You know, i've often said that you don't rage against
  • 00:26:32.273 --> 00:26:34.075
  • The darkness; turn up the light.
  • 00:26:34.075 --> 00:26:35.944
  • Well, we very creatively entitled this devotional
  • 00:26:35.944 --> 00:26:38.380
  • "turn up the light."
  • 00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:39.848
  • Get a couple of copies.
  • 00:26:39.848 --> 00:26:41.182
  • Share one with a friend, maybe a family member.
  • 00:26:41.182 --> 00:26:42.651
  • Let's do it together. god is moving in the earth.
  • 00:26:42.651 --> 00:26:45.654
  • Don't let your attention be drawn to the darkness and the
  • 00:26:45.654 --> 00:26:48.723
  • Chaos and the confusion.
  • 00:26:48.723 --> 00:26:50.625
  • Let's focus our hearts on the lord.
  • 00:26:50.625 --> 00:26:52.127
  • Ask him to turn up the light and raise our hands,
  • 00:26:52.127 --> 00:26:54.963
  • And let's just see what he will do in our lives.
  • 00:26:54.963 --> 00:26:57.499
  • Let's pray.
  • 00:26:57.499 --> 00:26:59.100
  • Father, i thank you for a new year, for the strength to meet
  • 00:26:59.100 --> 00:27:01.069
  • This beginning.
  • 00:27:01.069 --> 00:27:02.404
  • We wanna invite you into the midst of our homes,
  • 00:27:02.404 --> 00:27:04.305
  • Our lives, our journeys.
  • 00:27:04.305 --> 00:27:06.274
  • May christ in us truly be a light in this world this year.
  • 00:27:06.274 --> 00:27:09.944
  • In jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:09.944 --> 00:27:11.980
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:11.980 --> 00:27:30.000