Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - The Gift | December 15, 2024
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- Greg laurie: the greatest gift you can share in this christmas
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- Season is a gift of eternal life, and people need to see it
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- And hear it.
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- And this is how you can have a happy christmas because for
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- Some, christmas is not a happy time.
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- Some people find themselves depressed in the
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- Christmas season.
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- Maybe i'm talking to someone that feels down and
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- Depressed right now.
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- Christmas cannot make you happy.
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- Only christ can make you happy.
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- ♪ this is the day, ♪
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- ♪ the day when life begins. ♪
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- ♪ this is the day, ♪
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- ♪ the day when life begins. ♪♪
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- Greg: well, i wanna talk to you about the gift.
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- First of all, i wanna talk to you about the gift that god has
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- Given to us.
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- Then i wanna talk about the gift that we can give back to god.
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- And thirdly, i wanna talk about the gift
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- That we give to each other.
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- So let's start with the gift god has given to us.
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- Do we really appreciate this gift?
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- Now, this gift is not under your christmas tree.
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- This gift cannot be purchased with money.
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- In fact, if you're a christian, you already carry this gift in
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- Your heart.
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- And if you don't have this gift, i'm gonna tell you how to
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- Receive it in a few moments.
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- I'm talking about the gift of christmas, which is the gift of
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- Eternal life.
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- God has given to every christian the
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- Gift of eternal life.
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- Romans 6:23 says: "the gift of god which is eternal life
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- Through jesus christ."
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- That's the greatest gift you have.
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- Now, you'll get certain things under the tree, but they'll
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- Quickly go out of style or they'll be yesterday's tech.
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- You know, you get the new phone and the moment you get it, like,
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- A week later, they come out with a new updated version and that
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- Drone or new outfit will one day be as dated as a betamax or a
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- Mood ring, right?
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- But then again, some gifts become more precious with the
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- Passing of time.
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- Maybe it's a family heirloom like your grandfather's watch
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- That he gave to your dad who gave it to you and you can pass
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- It on to your son as well.
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- Maybe it's a photograph, something really precious,
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- Something you would grab if your house was on fire, something
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- That has personal meaning to you.
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- Or maybe it's money put into a savings account by your
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- Grandparents which you did not appreciate when you were a kid.
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- You wanted toys.
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- "we put some money in a little account for you," grandma said,
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- And that's how grandma sounded, which is sad.
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- Like this.
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- But then when you hit the age of 18, you looked in that account
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- And found out how much had developed, how much more you had
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- With interest since they started making those deposits, and you
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- Had a new appreciation for it.
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- Some things become more valuable with the passing of time,
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- Including star wars figures in their original packaging.
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- I read the other day that a first generation star wars
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- Figure in original packaging can sell for 40--from $45,000
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- To $60,000.
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- Can you believe that? i wish i had saved those things.
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- A luke skywalker with a lightsaber just sold
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- For $35,000.
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- So check that out.
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- You want to know how to spend $35,000, there it is.
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- And in the same way, this gift that god has given to us, this
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- Gift of eternal life, will only grow more valuable to you with
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- The passing of time.
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- Now it's already valuable, but your appreciation of it is going
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- To grow, and especially if you have a better understanding of
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- What it actually is.
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- What does it mean to receive eternal life?
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- What does it mean to receive this gift we're talking about?
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- One of the things that's included in this gift is
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- Something called justification.
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- We hear that word, we may even throw the word around, but do we
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- Really know what it means to be justified?
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- The bible says in romans 5: "therefore we've been justified
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- By faith and we have peace with god through our lord jesus
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- Christ, through whom we have access by faith into this grace
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- In which we stand."
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- Okay, so the word "justify" has a twofold meaning.
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- First, it speaks of the forgiveness of sins.
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- So let's just start there.
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- When you put your faith in jesus christ who died for you on the
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- Cross and shed his blood for you, and you turn from your sin,
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- God forgives you of every sin you have ever committed,
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- Just instantaneously.
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- Our god has this big eraser and he wipes it away.
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- I love a passage that i came across in micah recently, 7:19:
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- "god hurls our sins into the sea and there they sink
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- Like a stone."
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- That's amazing.
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- And then we're also told in scripture that god forgives our
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- Sins and he forgets them, jeremiah 31:34,
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- God says, "i'll forgive their inequity,
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- And their sin will i remember no more."
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- So god not only forgives your sin,
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- He forgets your sin.
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- Sometimes we dredge up old sins and we beat ourselves up over
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- Them, but god has forgiven you.
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- Why would you choose to remember what god has chosen to forget?
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- So god's forgiven your sin, god has forgotten your sin.
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- As corrie ten boom once wrote: "god has taken our sins.
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- He's thrown them into the sea of forgetfulness and he has posted
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- A sign that says, 'no fishing allowed.'"
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- So that's what god has done for you.
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- Go ahead, clap, get it out of your system.
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- I love those kind of little clap--"well..." you know,
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- Just go, commit, commit.
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- It's okay.
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- So, one way to translate the word "justification" is "just as
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- If it never had happened," isn't that great?
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- Just as if it never had happened.
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- On my keyboard, i have a key that is marked "delete".
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- And when i highlight text and i hit the delete key,
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- All of the text immediately disappears.
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- Where does it go to? i have no idea.
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- I don't care.
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- It probably goes to the same place those single socks go to.
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- Why do we only lose one sock?
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- My wife told me the other day, "you have an entire drawer
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- Filled with single socks that don't match.
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- Why do you save them?"
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- "because one day i might find the other sock."
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- Why--you know? are you like that too?
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- But god has forgiven you.
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- But if that--if that was all he
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- Did, that would be more than enough.
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- But in the place of that, he has put his righteousness, because
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- Justification has a positive side.
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- The word "justified" means to put to one's account.
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- So he puts the righteousness of christ in your account.
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- Acts 13:38 says: "brothers, listen, in this man, jesus
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- Christ, there's forgiveness for your sin.
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- Everyone who trusts in him is freed from guilt and is
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- Declared righteous."
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- Listen, i stand before you today as a righteous man.
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- You wanna know what a righteous man looks like?
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- Here i am.
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- You're saying, "i don't know, greg.
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- I saw you drive earlier.
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- I'm not so sure you're--" i didn't say i always
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- Behave righteously.
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- But positionally, because i've received the gift of eternal
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- Life, i'm declared righteous, as are you.
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- I'm a righteous man looking at righteous men and righteous
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- Women because of what jesus has done.
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- I'm a living breathing saint.
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- You wanna know what a saint looks like?
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- Here i am.
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- You don't have to--well, you don't have to call me
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- Saint gregory.
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- But i'm looking at saints.
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- You're all saints because the word "saint" is used
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- Interchangeably in the new testament with the
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- Word "believer."
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- A believer is a saint and a saint is a believer.
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- So this is something god has done for us through the gift of
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- Eternal life.
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- It's like this.
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- Let's say you got carried away with a credit card and you found
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- Yourself in debt for $10 million.
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- You would never repay this debt, ever.
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- And some billionaire heard about your plight and decided to pay
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- Your debt off.
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- You were so thankful.
- 00:08:40.665 --> 00:08:42.000
- And then that billionaire said, "why don't you go check
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- Your balance?"
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- And you went down to the bank and found he had put $20 million
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- Into your account.
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- That's what god has done for you.
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- He's not only removed your sin, he's not only forgotten your
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- Sin, and of course, forgiven your sin, he has put the
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- Righteousness of christ into your account.
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- And then there's a hope for the future because it's the gift of
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- Eternal life.
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- Now, when you're younger, you may not appreciate this as much
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- As when you get older.
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- Because when you get older, you know, you're closer to the end
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- Of your life than the beginning of it and you're gonna enter
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- Into the afterlife.
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- So knowing that god has given you eternal life,
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- Everlasting life.
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- Jesus said, "i am the resurrection and the life.
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- He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
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- And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die."
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- This is truly the gift that keeps on giving: the gift of
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- Eternal life.
- 00:09:43.962 --> 00:09:45.330
- So that's the gift god has given to us.
- 00:09:45.330 --> 00:09:46.765
- Now let's talk about the gift we give to god.
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- If i were to give you a really nice gift after church, you
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- Would say, "thank you."
- 00:09:53.938 --> 00:09:55.273
- Then you might say, "oh, hey, i got a gift for you too," when
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- You hadn't at all.
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- You open up your trunk and there's something you bought for
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- Yourself or someone else.
- 00:10:02.514 --> 00:10:03.882
- "i got this for you, greg."
- 00:10:03.882 --> 00:10:05.216
- "this is a woman's dress."
- 00:10:05.216 --> 00:10:06.584
- "oh, for your wife. give it to her."
- 00:10:06.584 --> 00:10:08.053
- I mean, you know, but your inclination is to reciprocate if
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- Someone gives you something nice.
- 00:10:12.524 --> 00:10:14.959
- So god gives us this gift of eternal life.
- 00:10:14.959 --> 00:10:17.696
- We think, "can i reciprocate?"
- 00:10:17.696 --> 00:10:19.431
- Short answer, no,
- 00:10:19.431 --> 00:10:21.166
- But there are things i can do for god, things i can
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- Give to god.
- 00:10:24.369 --> 00:10:25.704
- David wrote in psalm 116: "what shall i give to the lord for all
- 00:10:25.704 --> 00:10:31.176
- He has given to me?
- 00:10:31.176 --> 00:10:32.911
- I'll offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and i'll call on
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- The name of the lord."
- 00:10:36.681 --> 00:10:38.016
- So, hey, why don't you just start with, "thank you"?
- 00:10:38.016 --> 00:10:40.985
- If someone gives you a nice gift, say, "thank you
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- Very much."
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- When we worship the lord, we're saying, "thank you very
- 00:10:45.724 --> 00:10:48.660
- Much, lord.
- 00:10:48.660 --> 00:10:49.994
- Thank you for this gift of eternal life.
- 00:10:49.994 --> 00:10:52.297
- Thank you for my health.
- 00:10:52.297 --> 00:10:53.998
- Thank you for my family.
- 00:10:53.998 --> 00:10:56.301
- Thank you for my church.
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- Thank you for my friends.
- 00:10:57.969 --> 00:10:59.337
- Thank you for everything you've blessed me with.
- 00:10:59.337 --> 00:11:02.340
- I give you the glory for it."
- 00:11:02.340 --> 00:11:03.708
- Listen, there are three things every one of us can give to god:
- 00:11:03.708 --> 00:11:07.746
- Time, treasure, and talent.
- 00:11:07.746 --> 00:11:10.648
- Time, treasure, and talent.
- 00:11:10.648 --> 00:11:12.517
- For sure, there's your time.
- 00:11:12.517 --> 00:11:14.052
- We all have x amount of hours in a given day.
- 00:11:14.052 --> 00:11:16.755
- You give your time to the lord.
- 00:11:16.755 --> 00:11:18.423
- "lord, this is yours to use for your glory.
- 00:11:18.423 --> 00:11:21.226
- I wanna invest it in you."
- 00:11:21.226 --> 00:11:23.828
- The bible says, "redeem the time because the days are evil."
- 00:11:23.828 --> 00:11:27.031
- And the word "redeem" means make sacred, why--and wise use of
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- Every opportunity.
- 00:11:30.502 --> 00:11:31.970
- So give your time to the lord.
- 00:11:31.970 --> 00:11:33.338
- Give your talent to the lord.
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- You have abilities, you have talents, everyone does, that are
- 00:11:34.906 --> 00:11:37.842
- Given to you by god.
- 00:11:37.842 --> 00:11:39.210
- Give that talent to god.
- 00:11:39.210 --> 00:11:40.545
- "god, how can i serve you?"
- 00:11:40.545 --> 00:11:41.880
- And finally your treasure.
- 00:11:41.880 --> 00:11:43.381
- "lord, you bless me with these finances and i want to invest
- 00:11:43.381 --> 00:11:46.451
- Back into your kingdom."
- 00:11:46.451 --> 00:11:49.454
- And that's something we all can do.
- 00:11:49.454 --> 00:11:51.790
- And one thing we can do is open our treasures to the lord.
- 00:11:51.790 --> 00:11:54.993
- And that brings us to the story before us in scripture, the
- 00:11:54.993 --> 00:11:59.197
- Story of the wise men.
- 00:11:59.197 --> 00:12:01.499
- In matthew 2, verse 9: "the star which they had seen in the east
- 00:12:01.499 --> 00:12:07.238
- Went before them, till it came and stood over where the young
- 00:12:07.238 --> 00:12:10.809
- Child was."
- 00:12:10.809 --> 00:12:12.177
- Notice it's not the baby; the young child.
- 00:12:12.177 --> 00:12:14.813
- This is speaking of jesus.
- 00:12:14.813 --> 00:12:16.181
- "when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly
- 00:12:16.181 --> 00:12:19.083
- Great joy.
- 00:12:19.083 --> 00:12:20.418
- And when they came to the house," not the manger, the
- 00:12:20.418 --> 00:12:22.520
- House, "they saw the young child with mary his mother, and they
- 00:12:22.520 --> 00:12:26.324
- Fell down and worshiped him.
- 00:12:26.324 --> 00:12:28.159
- And when they opened their treasures, they presented gifts
- 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.629
- To him of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
- 00:12:31.629 --> 00:12:34.299
- Then, being divinely warned in a dream they should not return to
- 00:12:34.299 --> 00:12:37.335
- Herod, they departed for their own country another way."
- 00:12:37.335 --> 00:12:41.439
- We'll stop there.
- 00:12:41.439 --> 00:12:42.874
- So they came to worship the newborn king.
- 00:12:42.874 --> 00:12:45.443
- This is the message of christmas.
- 00:12:45.443 --> 00:12:47.946
- Not, "let it snow."
- 00:12:47.946 --> 00:12:50.415
- Nor is it, "let us shop."
- 00:12:50.415 --> 00:12:53.218
- It's, "let us worship."
- 00:12:53.218 --> 00:12:55.220
- "we have come to worship him," these wise men, these magi, said
- 00:12:55.220 --> 00:13:00.225
- To king herod, and they opened their treasures, verse 11,
- 00:13:00.225 --> 00:13:05.530
- No leftovers.
- 00:13:05.530 --> 00:13:07.165
- The very best to be given to the king.
- 00:13:07.165 --> 00:13:10.969
- You know, it's interesting that they brought such unusual gifts:
- 00:13:10.969 --> 00:13:13.938
- Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
- 00:13:13.938 --> 00:13:16.140
- Come on, what about a stuffed camel, a playstation, an
- 00:13:16.140 --> 00:13:20.612
- Original luke skywalker figure?
- 00:13:20.612 --> 00:13:22.680
- I mean, something.
- 00:13:22.680 --> 00:13:24.215
- Weird gifts to give to a little child.
- 00:13:24.215 --> 00:13:26.417
- But they had an insight into the mission of this child who would
- 00:13:26.417 --> 00:13:30.889
- Be the messiah.
- 00:13:30.889 --> 00:13:32.257
- Gold because he was a king, frankincense or incense because
- 00:13:32.257 --> 00:13:36.928
- He was our high priest that would stand in our stead
- 00:13:36.928 --> 00:13:41.399
- Before god.
- 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:42.734
- And finally myrrh, which is an embalming element because this
- 00:13:42.734 --> 00:13:46.871
- Little child would die for the sin of the world.
- 00:13:46.871 --> 00:13:50.808
- But they opened their treasures.
- 00:13:50.808 --> 00:13:52.710
- And i think when you've had a true conversion, it will impact
- 00:13:52.710 --> 00:13:57.015
- You in every area of your life, including your finances.
- 00:13:57.015 --> 00:14:01.185
- If a person has really met god, it should affect everything,
- 00:14:01.185 --> 00:14:05.823
- Including their money.
- 00:14:05.823 --> 00:14:07.926
- Martin luther said this and i quote, "there are three
- 00:14:07.926 --> 00:14:10.561
- Conversions necessary: the mind, the heart, and the wallet."
- 00:14:10.561 --> 00:14:15.133
- Some of us have not had the conversion of the wallet yet.
- 00:14:15.133 --> 00:14:19.470
- But there is a connection because the gifts that god has
- 00:14:19.470 --> 00:14:22.206
- Given to us are not to be hoarded.
- 00:14:22.206 --> 00:14:24.943
- They are to be shared.
- 00:14:24.943 --> 00:14:27.011
- That's why the bible says, "don't lay up for yourself
- 00:14:27.011 --> 00:14:29.847
- Treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt and thieves
- 00:14:29.847 --> 00:14:33.885
- Break in and steal, but rather lay up for yourself treasures in
- 00:14:33.885 --> 00:14:38.122
- Heaven where neither moth nor rust can corrupt nor thieves
- 00:14:38.122 --> 00:14:42.160
- Break in and steal."
- 00:14:42.160 --> 00:14:43.795
- You can't take it with you but you can send it on ahead.
- 00:14:43.795 --> 00:14:48.066
- So keep this in mind: do your giving while you're living, then
- 00:14:48.066 --> 00:14:51.502
- You're knowing where it's going, right?
- 00:14:51.502 --> 00:14:54.038
- That's something we all should do.
- 00:14:54.038 --> 00:14:55.506
- Why?
- 00:14:55.506 --> 00:14:56.841
- Because wealth comes and goes.
- 00:14:56.841 --> 00:14:59.143
- Proverbs 23:35 says: "in the blink of an eye
- 00:14:59.143 --> 00:15:02.447
- Wealth disappears.
- 00:15:02.447 --> 00:15:03.982
- It will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle."
- 00:15:03.982 --> 00:15:07.852
- Have you ever seen that happen?
- 00:15:07.852 --> 00:15:09.187
- Like, "wait, where did my money go?"
- 00:15:09.187 --> 00:15:11.189
- Just go to disneyland someday and see how fast your
- 00:15:11.189 --> 00:15:14.092
- Money goes.
- 00:15:14.092 --> 00:15:15.460
- "well, i've spent how much on lunch and how much over here?"
- 00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:19.764
- It flies away like a bird.
- 00:15:19.764 --> 00:15:22.066
- That's how wealth can be.
- 00:15:22.066 --> 00:15:23.401
- So we want to invest it.
- 00:15:23.401 --> 00:15:26.170
- And that brings me to point number three.
- 00:15:26.170 --> 00:15:28.740
- When we have this gift that god has given us, we can give it
- 00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:33.478
- To others.
- 00:15:33.478 --> 00:15:34.812
- You can regift.
- 00:15:34.812 --> 00:15:36.180
- In fact, you should regift.
- 00:15:36.180 --> 00:15:38.016
- The greatest gift you can share in this christmas season is the
- 00:15:38.016 --> 00:15:43.087
- Gift of eternal life, and people need to see it and hear it.
- 00:15:43.087 --> 00:15:48.526
- And this is how you can have a happy christmas because for
- 00:15:48.526 --> 00:15:51.696
- Some, christmas is not a happy time.
- 00:15:51.696 --> 00:15:55.533
- Some people find themselves
- 00:15:55.533 --> 00:15:56.868
- Depressed in the christmas season.
- 00:15:56.868 --> 00:15:58.603
- Maybe i'm talking to someone that feels down and depressed
- 00:15:58.603 --> 00:16:03.041
- Right now.
- 00:16:03.041 --> 00:16:04.409
- According to the national institute of health, christmas
- 00:16:04.409 --> 00:16:06.778
- Is a time of year that people experience a high incidence
- 00:16:06.778 --> 00:16:10.882
- Of depression.
- 00:16:10.882 --> 00:16:12.717
- Hospital and police forces report high incidences of
- 00:16:12.717 --> 00:16:16.587
- Suicide and attempted suicide in the holiday time.
- 00:16:16.587 --> 00:16:20.725
- One north american survey reported that 45% of respondents
- 00:16:20.725 --> 00:16:25.630
- Dreaded christmas.
- 00:16:25.630 --> 00:16:28.199
- Why is that?
- 00:16:28.199 --> 00:16:29.734
- Well, for some, it's sad because maybe they don't have a home to
- 00:16:29.734 --> 00:16:33.871
- Celebrate in.
- 00:16:33.871 --> 00:16:35.206
- Their parents are divorced or they themselves have broken up
- 00:16:35.206 --> 00:16:39.077
- With their husband or wife or they lost a loved one and that
- 00:16:39.077 --> 00:16:43.481
- Loved one was with them last christmas and they're not with
- 00:16:43.481 --> 00:16:45.950
- Them this christmas.
- 00:16:45.950 --> 00:16:47.318
- Or something else is going on or maybe it's because they're
- 00:16:47.318 --> 00:16:50.621
- Expecting christmas to make them happy.
- 00:16:50.621 --> 00:16:53.624
- Christmas cannot make you happy.
- 00:16:53.624 --> 00:16:56.360
- Only christ can make you happy.
- 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:59.063
- So we have to kind of keep our focus.
- 00:16:59.063 --> 00:17:00.932
- It's--right?
- 00:17:00.932 --> 00:17:05.837
- It's not presents under a tree; it's his presence in our life.
- 00:17:05.837 --> 00:17:12.176
- That's the message of christmas.
- 00:17:12.176 --> 00:17:13.945
- You will call his name emmanuel, which means god is with us.
- 00:17:13.945 --> 00:17:18.249
- You're not alone.
- 00:17:18.249 --> 00:17:19.584
- So you find your joy and your happiness in christ himself.
- 00:17:19.584 --> 00:17:24.288
- But if you wanna have a happy christmas, understand this
- 00:17:24.288 --> 00:17:28.659
- Simple biblical principle from jesus when he says, "it's more
- 00:17:28.659 --> 00:17:33.064
- Blessed to give than it is to receive."
- 00:17:33.064 --> 00:17:36.501
- And the word "blessed" is interchangeable with the
- 00:17:36.501 --> 00:17:39.070
- Word "happy."
- 00:17:39.070 --> 00:17:40.571
- So allow me to paraphrase that, jesus speaking: "it's more
- 00:17:40.571 --> 00:17:44.142
- Happy-making to give than it is to receive."
- 00:17:44.142 --> 00:17:48.179
- That's counterintuitive.
- 00:17:48.179 --> 00:17:49.614
- "oh no, it's much better to receive."
- 00:17:49.614 --> 00:17:51.182
- No, actually, it isn't.
- 00:17:51.182 --> 00:17:53.351
- You will be happier giving than you will be receiving.
- 00:17:53.351 --> 00:17:58.289
- And the greatest gift we can give is our love and the
- 00:17:58.289 --> 00:18:00.892
- Gospel itself.
- 00:18:00.892 --> 00:18:02.393
- So i have a ten-step solution for depression.
- 00:18:02.393 --> 00:18:06.397
- If you find yourself depressed, ten steps
- 00:18:06.397 --> 00:18:09.834
- To be free from depression.
- 00:18:09.834 --> 00:18:11.169
- You might want to write these down.
- 00:18:11.169 --> 00:18:13.171
- Step number one: do something for someone else who has greater
- 00:18:13.171 --> 00:18:17.441
- Needs than you.
- 00:18:17.441 --> 00:18:18.776
- Write that down.
- 00:18:18.776 --> 00:18:20.144
- Do something for someone else who has greater needs than you.
- 00:18:20.144 --> 00:18:23.080
- Step number two: repeat step number one, nine more times.
- 00:18:23.080 --> 00:18:28.553
- Now, i know that's oversimplified and i know
- 00:18:28.553 --> 00:18:35.226
- There's a such thing as clinical depression.
- 00:18:35.226 --> 00:18:37.595
- I'm not really dealing with that, but i'm just talking about
- 00:18:37.595 --> 00:18:39.897
- When you get down in the dumps and you wonder what's wrong.
- 00:18:39.897 --> 00:18:43.568
- Maybe you need to get your eyes off of yourself and ask yourself
- 00:18:43.568 --> 00:18:46.771
- The question, "how can i do something for someone else?"
- 00:18:46.771 --> 00:18:50.575
- It's a well-documented fact that volunteering elevates mood in
- 00:18:50.575 --> 00:18:56.214
- Most people.
- 00:18:56.214 --> 00:18:58.082
- And this phenomenon has actually been dubbed the helper's high,
- 00:18:58.082 --> 00:19:03.020
- The helper's high.
- 00:19:03.020 --> 00:19:04.422
- It's been assessed biologically in brain-imaging studies, that
- 00:19:04.422 --> 00:19:08.793
- You will receive a release of endorphins in your life that
- 00:19:08.793 --> 00:19:13.965
- Brings us--bring a sense of wellbeing when you do something
- 00:19:13.965 --> 00:19:17.401
- For someone else.
- 00:19:17.401 --> 00:19:18.736
- The helper's high.
- 00:19:18.736 --> 00:19:20.104
- That's amazing. i've heard of the runner's high.
- 00:19:20.104 --> 00:19:22.707
- I've never experienced a runner's high.
- 00:19:22.707 --> 00:19:24.842
- Is there an eater's high? i think i've had that.
- 00:19:24.842 --> 00:19:27.778
- How about the helper's high?
- 00:19:27.778 --> 00:19:29.113
- You know what i'm talking about.
- 00:19:29.113 --> 00:19:30.481
- When you do something for someone else.
- 00:19:30.481 --> 00:19:33.050
- It can be a simple gesture, holding the
- 00:19:33.050 --> 00:19:35.253
- Door open for someone.
- 00:19:35.253 --> 00:19:36.587
- It can be giving a meal to someone, helping out
- 00:19:36.587 --> 00:19:40.524
- Someone else.
- 00:19:40.524 --> 00:19:41.859
- And this is why i encourage you all to get involved in serving
- 00:19:41.859 --> 00:19:45.129
- Here at harvest because it will be a blessing and a joy to you.
- 00:19:45.129 --> 00:19:50.368
- You know, if you only come to church and it's all about you
- 00:19:50.368 --> 00:19:53.104
- And this is what i need and this is what i want, you're gonna
- 00:19:53.104 --> 00:19:56.240
- Have something less than what you should be experiencing
- 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:00.011
- In church.
- 00:20:00.011 --> 00:20:01.345
- A mark of maturity in your spiritual life is when you say
- 00:20:01.345 --> 00:20:05.116
- I've received, now i wanna give back.
- 00:20:05.116 --> 00:20:07.852
- I wanna find a place where i can serve others.
- 00:20:07.852 --> 00:20:10.288
- You know, when you walk into this church and you're warmly
- 00:20:10.288 --> 00:20:12.456
- Greeted by someone and someone shows you to your seat or they
- 00:20:12.456 --> 00:20:16.060
- Help you park your car or they're ministering to your
- 00:20:16.060 --> 00:20:19.530
- Children while you're here, or the other things that folks do,
- 00:20:19.530 --> 00:20:22.867
- These are volunteers.
- 00:20:22.867 --> 00:20:24.935
- These are people that are doing this because they
- 00:20:24.935 --> 00:20:27.104
- Love it and they want to.
- 00:20:27.104 --> 00:20:28.439
- And you know what? they're blessed.
- 00:20:28.439 --> 00:20:30.341
- There's a blessing in it, and i want all of you to experience
- 00:20:30.341 --> 00:20:34.045
- That blessing because there's the helper's high.
- 00:20:34.045 --> 00:20:37.748
- So you could say to someone, "hey, you wanna come to church
- 00:20:37.748 --> 00:20:40.284
- With me this sunday and get high?"
- 00:20:40.284 --> 00:20:42.520
- "well, what kind of church is that?"
- 00:20:42.520 --> 00:20:47.191
- "it's a bible-teaching church and it's a helper's high.
- 00:20:47.191 --> 00:20:51.262
- Come and be a part of it."
- 00:20:51.262 --> 00:20:52.930
- So this is something that sometimes we miss out on.
- 00:20:52.930 --> 00:20:56.067
- And one of the greatest joys we can have is sharing the gospel.
- 00:20:56.067 --> 00:21:00.604
- Psalm 126:6 says: "those who go weeping, carrying seed to sow
- 00:21:00.604 --> 00:21:05.576
- Will return with songs of joy, carrying their sheaves
- 00:21:05.576 --> 00:21:10.047
- With them."
- 00:21:10.047 --> 00:21:11.382
- The bible tells us that there is joy in heaven over one sinner
- 00:21:11.382 --> 00:21:15.820
- That comes to repentance.
- 00:21:15.820 --> 00:21:17.688
- So it all comes down to this gift that god has given to us.
- 00:21:17.688 --> 00:21:21.525
- We must fully appreciate it.
- 00:21:21.525 --> 00:21:23.427
- The gift we give back to god, which is our privilege, and then
- 00:21:23.427 --> 00:21:27.131
- The gift that we give to other people.
- 00:21:27.131 --> 00:21:30.501
- This is where you will find the happiness and joy of christmas,
- 00:21:30.501 --> 00:21:34.805
- But just in life in general, because again, as jesus said,
- 00:21:34.805 --> 00:21:39.110
- It's more blessed to give than it is to receive.
- 00:21:39.110 --> 00:21:42.747
- You know, 15 years ago, our son christopher died in a tragic
- 00:21:42.747 --> 00:21:46.617
- Automobile accident.
- 00:21:46.617 --> 00:21:48.486
- It was the worst moment of our life.
- 00:21:48.486 --> 00:21:50.621
- We were devastated, and we entered into a time of deep
- 00:21:50.621 --> 00:21:54.558
- Grief and we mourned for a long time, and i had people say to me
- 00:21:54.558 --> 00:22:00.398
- And my wife cathe and our son jonathan, "just take a vacation
- 00:22:00.398 --> 00:22:04.001
- And get away from it all."
- 00:22:04.001 --> 00:22:05.336
- We actually tried that.
- 00:22:05.336 --> 00:22:06.704
- We went on a vacation, and you can't get away from grief.
- 00:22:06.704 --> 00:22:10.508
- You can't get away from pain.
- 00:22:10.508 --> 00:22:11.876
- I wanna tell you what helped me in that time, because this is
- 00:22:11.876 --> 00:22:15.579
- Very important.
- 00:22:15.579 --> 00:22:17.915
- No thing helped me.
- 00:22:17.915 --> 00:22:20.351
- What i needed was god.
- 00:22:20.351 --> 00:22:23.087
- And one of the things that really encouraged us and lifted
- 00:22:23.087 --> 00:22:27.024
- Us in that difficult time was just coming to church.
- 00:22:27.024 --> 00:22:30.094
- "well, greg, you're a pastor."
- 00:22:30.094 --> 00:22:31.462
- Yeah, i'm still a christian too.
- 00:22:31.462 --> 00:22:33.764
- I needed to hear the word of god.
- 00:22:33.764 --> 00:22:35.566
- I need to--needed to worship the lord, and in the immediate
- 00:22:35.566 --> 00:22:39.203
- Aftermath of our son going to heaven, we had some guest
- 00:22:39.203 --> 00:22:42.473
- Speakers, and we would come to church and we would worship god
- 00:22:42.473 --> 00:22:46.210
- And it was so helpful to us.
- 00:22:46.210 --> 00:22:48.579
- And i'll tell you another thing that helped us.
- 00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:50.548
- It was helping others.
- 00:22:50.548 --> 00:22:52.450
- When we were down the road maybe 6 months or a year, and then we
- 00:22:52.450 --> 00:22:56.287
- Heard of somebody else losing a loved one, specifically a child,
- 00:22:56.287 --> 00:23:01.459
- We were able to minister to them because when you lose a child,
- 00:23:01.459 --> 00:23:05.229
- You feel as though your world just ended, literally, okay?
- 00:23:05.229 --> 00:23:09.467
- I'm just telling you how it really is.
- 00:23:09.467 --> 00:23:12.036
- And you don't know how you're gonna survive such a thing, i
- 00:23:12.036 --> 00:23:14.572
- Don't care how long you've been a christian.
- 00:23:14.572 --> 00:23:16.974
- But when you talk to somebody else who's come through it, they
- 00:23:16.974 --> 00:23:20.778
- Can really help you.
- 00:23:20.778 --> 00:23:22.112
- Like, let's say that you got cancer and you're a cancer
- 00:23:22.112 --> 00:23:24.648
- Survivor and you've come through in the other end and, thankfully
- 00:23:24.648 --> 00:23:28.819
- To god, and then you found out somebody else just
- 00:23:28.819 --> 00:23:31.422
- Found out they got cancer.
- 00:23:31.422 --> 00:23:32.756
- They feel like their world just ended.
- 00:23:32.756 --> 00:23:34.091
- The doctor told them they have cancer and you walked into their
- 00:23:34.091 --> 00:23:36.560
- Life and say, "let me tell you how jesus was with me
- 00:23:36.560 --> 00:23:40.064
- And how he helped me through this."
- 00:23:40.064 --> 00:23:41.398
- You have a unique quality to minister to that person in a
- 00:23:41.398 --> 00:23:46.337
- Capacity that nobody else has, you see?
- 00:23:46.337 --> 00:23:49.707
- So here's the deal.
- 00:23:49.707 --> 00:23:51.075
- We're all gonna have pain in life.
- 00:23:51.075 --> 00:23:52.910
- We're all gonna have setbacks in life.
- 00:23:52.910 --> 00:23:54.812
- We're all going to experience things that don't make
- 00:23:54.812 --> 00:23:57.281
- Sense to us.
- 00:23:57.281 --> 00:23:58.616
- So here's my word of advice.
- 00:23:58.616 --> 00:24:00.050
- Don't waste your pain.
- 00:24:00.050 --> 00:24:02.319
- Use it as a tool.
- 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:04.121
- Use it as a tool to help other people.
- 00:24:04.121 --> 00:24:06.357
- As paul said, "we comfort with the same comfort that we've been
- 00:24:06.357 --> 00:24:10.261
- Comforted with."
- 00:24:10.261 --> 00:24:11.762
- Because when you preach to hurting people, you'll never
- 00:24:11.762 --> 00:24:14.598
- Lack for an audience, and we live in a world full of
- 00:24:14.598 --> 00:24:18.068
- Hurting people.
- 00:24:18.068 --> 00:24:19.403
- "we don't know the back story.
- 00:24:19.403 --> 00:24:21.605
- We don't know why they're so agitated, why they're so upset."
- 00:24:21.605 --> 00:24:25.042
- They're hurting and they need hope and they need help.
- 00:24:25.042 --> 00:24:28.345
- And most of all, they need jesus.
- 00:24:28.345 --> 00:24:30.648
- And that's the greatest gift we can share with people in this
- 00:24:30.648 --> 00:24:34.218
- Holiday season, to tell them there's hope in a relationship
- 00:24:34.218 --> 00:24:37.655
- With god and tell them about the gift, the gift of eternal life
- 00:24:37.655 --> 00:24:42.226
- That god has offered to them.
- 00:24:42.226 --> 00:24:43.994
- "for god so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that
- 00:24:43.994 --> 00:24:48.499
- Whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have
- 00:24:48.499 --> 00:24:51.502
- Everlasting life."
- 00:24:51.502 --> 00:24:53.604
- Listen to this in closing.
- 00:24:53.604 --> 00:24:54.939
- This gift that god offers us, we either accept it or we
- 00:24:54.939 --> 00:24:58.943
- Reject it.
- 00:24:58.943 --> 00:25:00.811
- There's no neutral ground.
- 00:25:00.811 --> 00:25:02.146
- God says, "i've given you the gift of eternal life.
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- I offer it to you at no charge.
- 00:25:05.316 --> 00:25:08.052
- Would you like it?"
- 00:25:08.052 --> 00:25:09.386
- You either say, "yes, thank you very much,"
- 00:25:09.386 --> 00:25:12.156
- Or, "no, i don't want it."
- 00:25:12.156 --> 00:25:13.490
- You say, "well now, greg, i'm not comfortable with either one
- 00:25:13.490 --> 00:25:15.960
- Of those responses.
- 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:17.294
- I would say, 'let me think about it.'"
- 00:25:17.294 --> 00:25:18.829
- Really?
- 00:25:18.829 --> 00:25:20.864
- So let's say that i took everything that i had and
- 00:25:20.864 --> 00:25:24.068
- Liquidated it and bought you this amazing gift that cannot be
- 00:25:24.068 --> 00:25:27.438
- Returned and offered it to you.
- 00:25:27.438 --> 00:25:29.406
- I got this for you because i love you.
- 00:25:29.406 --> 00:25:31.442
- And you said, "let me think about it."
- 00:25:31.442 --> 00:25:33.811
- Seriously?
- 00:25:33.811 --> 00:25:35.145
- I just offered you this incredible gift, and you're
- 00:25:35.145 --> 00:25:37.481
- Saying, "let me think about it"?
- 00:25:37.481 --> 00:25:40.050
- Can you see how that would be insulting to me?
- 00:25:40.050 --> 00:25:42.987
- So god says, "i've given you the ultimate gift.
- 00:25:42.987 --> 00:25:45.356
- My son died on the cross.
- 00:25:45.356 --> 00:25:47.625
- He was beaten and tortured for your sin.
- 00:25:47.625 --> 00:25:50.361
- But i want you to have the gift of eternal life."
- 00:25:50.361 --> 00:25:52.596
- "oh, wow, nice.
- 00:25:52.596 --> 00:25:54.198
- Hmm. let me think about it."
- 00:25:54.198 --> 00:25:55.933
- What? that is a rejection.
- 00:25:55.933 --> 00:25:59.303
- Jesus said, "you're either for me or against me."
- 00:25:59.303 --> 00:26:02.473
- Have you received this gift yet?
- 00:26:02.473 --> 00:26:04.341
- Do you know that when you die, you will go to heaven?
- 00:26:04.341 --> 00:26:07.177
- Is christ living in your heart?
- 00:26:07.177 --> 00:26:08.879
- If not, he can come in right now.
- 00:26:08.879 --> 00:26:12.149
- Jesus says, "behold, i stand at the door and i knock, and if you
- 00:26:12.149 --> 00:26:16.353
- Hear my voice and open the door, i will come in."
- 00:26:16.353 --> 00:26:24.028
- Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie, i've got some good news for you.
- 00:26:28.165 --> 00:26:30.901
- God loves you, and god has a plan for your life.
- 00:26:30.901 --> 00:26:34.571
- Here's the problem: we're separated from god by our sin
- 00:26:34.571 --> 00:26:38.175
- Because we've all broken his commandments.
- 00:26:38.175 --> 00:26:41.045
- But the good news is that 2,000 years ago, god sent
- 00:26:41.045 --> 00:26:44.581
- His son, jesus christ, to die on the cross for your sin,
- 00:26:44.581 --> 00:26:48.519
- And then to rise again from the dead.
- 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:51.288
- The same jesus who died and rose is alive and ready
- 00:26:51.288 --> 00:26:54.692
- To come into your life right now.
- 00:26:54.692 --> 00:26:56.927
- Would you like your sin forgiven?
- 00:26:56.927 --> 00:26:58.996
- Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?
- 00:26:58.996 --> 00:27:02.132
- If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
- 00:27:02.132 --> 00:27:05.469
- Just say, "lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe
- 00:27:05.469 --> 00:27:08.972
- You're the savior who died on the cross for my sin.
- 00:27:08.972 --> 00:27:12.476
- I turn from my sin now, and i choose to follow you
- 00:27:12.476 --> 00:27:16.146
- From this moment forward."
- 00:27:16.146 --> 00:27:18.549
- Did you just pray that prayer with me?
- 00:27:18.549 --> 00:27:20.384
- If you did, god in heaven has heard you.
- 00:27:20.384 --> 00:27:23.353
- And let me be the first to say to you
- 00:27:23.353 --> 00:27:25.456
- Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
- 00:27:25.456 --> 00:27:29.426
