{# pb-24 reserves room so the sticky audio player, when docked to the bottom of the viewport, never covers the last content (related sermons, tags…). Only needed when there's an audio player to dock. #}

Putting on Christ

{# The tooltip goes through the catalogs so the separator can follow the language - CJK wants a full-width colon and no space, not ": ". #} Guest Speakers - Part 18

{# justify-center, not justify-around: around gives each item a half-size space at the row ends, which reads as an even spread with three items but leaves two items sitting off-centre. Centring the group keeps the row balanced whatever combination of preacher, date, time and series a sermon has. The lg:px-8 on each item supplies the gap between. #}

Speaker: Shaun Turner
Date: Dec. 9, 2018
Time: 10:00
Series: Guest Speakers

{# The compact player docks to the bottom of the viewport once you scroll past it; the waveform above and the download/share row below stay in normal flow. The `stickyPlayer` component lives in assets/public/public.js. #}

{# Tinted off the page background rather than filled white, so the passages read as a grouped area instead of a raised box. #}

Passage

{# The description and the sermon's metadata share one grid: the description takes two thirds, the metadata rail takes the last third. Explicit column starts keep the rail on the right even when the description is absent. On small screens the grid collapses to one column and the rail follows the description. The transcription sits outside this grid, below it, so it keeps the full page width - its two-column timestamp/paragraph rows and tall scroll pane need the room. #}

{# Top margin here rather than on the caller: the transcription is no longer a grid item, so nothing else supplies the gap above it. #} {# The component is `transcript` in assets/public/transcript-component.mjs; it runs auto-scroll and the in-page search. Search is entirely client-side: queries are never sent or recorded. #}

Transcription

{# Both routes redirect to the archived page for a delinquent church, so offering them is a dead button. The transcript itself still reads, and so does searching it. #} PDF txt

Auto-generated - may contain small errors. Always verify with the audio version.

{# Hidden until the magnifying glass (or "/") opens it. On phones the buttons get their own row so the query isn't squeezed. #}

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Come, Lord God, and be present among us. Come, Lord God, and be present in my words, but also, Lord, in the way that they're heard. We pray, Lord God, that only the truth would be spoken and only the truth would be heard.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. We're going to be looking at the passage that was just read, Romans 13, 8 to 14. If you don't have a Bible, you can come grab one up front here.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

I'm going to be putting some of the readings up on there, but it's good to have it with you. We're also going to be turning to Deuteronomy just for a second. We're going to talk about what does it mean.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

We've heard it in our prayers. We've heard it in the reading. What does it mean to put on Christ? What does that mean? But not only what does it mean to put on Christ, what does it mean to put on Christ and love our neighbor?

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Because those two things are linked, and they happen within that order. So that's what I want to talk about this morning. Our passage from Romans 13, if you're turning there, is a very important reading.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

In the history of Christianity. Both R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur say that basically the Christian spiritual life is summarized within this passage.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Some of you know St. Augustine. You've probably heard the name before St. Augustine. He was a Christian thinker and a Christian pastor, theologian, whose writings influenced the very development of Western Christianity.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

In fact, not only Western Christianity, St. Augustine's writings helped develop what we know as Western philosophy as well. He was a teacher, originally, of rhetoric, which is basically arguing, in Milan.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And his philosophy had led him to ask, you know, what's next in life? What is life all about? And he really wanted to start his life over.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

He wanted to start again, but he didn't know how to do that. And for Augustine at this time, not saint yet, obviously, or even a bishop, he was under a lot of anxiety because of this, to the point of tears.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And so St. Augustine found himself in Milan in a garden of one of his friends. And while he was there in tears, he famously heard a child's voice sing, Tolelege, Tolelege, which translated means take up and read.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And the scroll that just happened to be there was Romans. And he picked up Romans 13 and turned to Romans 13, just happened to turn there, and he read verses 13 and 14.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And he said he didn't need to read anything else in the Bible at that point. All of a sudden, light came down and filled his soul, he said. And all the darkness of his doubt vanished and washed away.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And from that moment on, Augustine took on Jesus, and the rest was history. And he led to help develop Christianity as we know it in Christian thinking in the Western world.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

So it's a very powerful passage to unpack, Romans 13. And we start with verse 8 as we start, as we're unpacking it, where Paul writes, Owe no one anything except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Now, some have tried to say that this passage bans lending or going into debt. But we know that's not true because elsewhere in the scriptures, lending and debt and how that is done is not only allowed, it's regulated.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

So for the moralists who are trying to do that, they wrote essays and essays on this. They basically were just wrong. The fact what Paul's talking about here is he's talking about not allowing ourselves to go into any kind of perpetual debt.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And not only that, apparently, non-payment or not getting paid for the work that you did was a problem in the Roman world. This is something that happened.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

People just weaseled out, found some legal way. It was a very legal society. Found some legal way to weasel out of whatever contract they were in. And this is something that we very much share in our culture with theirs.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

My family were residential builders. And I happen to know that it is a very common thing for someone just before a job is done to decide, I don't quite like how that job was done.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And then proceed to not pay. And maybe have someone else finish the job and still live in the house even though they didn't like the work that was done. This happened quite often in cottage country where I was from. When people with lots of money or lawyers would come up, they would just refuse to pay the people who had done the work that they had.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

They just basically found a way to weasel out of being paid. I think we can all find examples of how this happens where people take money and don't return basically what they're owed for it.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

It happens within public service. I know that. We see it quite often, in fact. People use, will, some people will use any or all excuse not to pay their debts.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Any legal angle they can do to weasel out of it oftentimes. And what Paul is saying is that is not the Christian way. It is a basic question of integrity.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Christians fulfill their debts. But he's not saying this in a moralistic sense. He's saying this in a broader sense where throughout these verses, in Romans 13, Paul is talking about the practical application of the golden rule, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And he's awakening us to the reality that love is an obligation. In the Roman world, they felt that love was some sort of sentiment. It was some sort of feeling.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Does that sound familiar to anybody? In our culture, we very much see that love is some sort of sentiment, some sort of feeling that I have. What Paul is saying is that godly love is different.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

The love of the kingdom is different. It's a choice that we make. A moment-to-moment choice that everybody in this room makes. And the one debt, when we put on Christ, that never runs out.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

That one debt that never runs out is our debt to love one another. Living morally is a response to God's love and action. For Paul, God's love is always...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

The love of God is always God's love toward us. And then everything we do is in response to that. Our love is a response to that.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And what he does is Paul... He makes that point in a very interesting way in Romans 13. He actually points to the Ten Commandments. And we have this thing which we call the two tables of the law with the Ten Commandments.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And if you have your Bible, you might want to turn to Deuteronomy 5. Make sure I keep my finger in Romans 13. Where we have the first... If you just look from verse 7 on... At the first four commandments...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Have no other God before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. And even to observe the Sabbath day and to be with the Lord.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

They all have to do with our relationship with God. And traditionally in the Protestant world, we've called this the first table of the law. Now, we start there and then we move on to the second table of the law.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And if you look at all the other laws... Not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing... They have to do with our relationship with each other. So even going back to the Ten Commandments...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Love God and love your neighbor. If we're going to be people of godly love... We take on the love of Jesus. And that leads us to love one another. It's not just this moralistic...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Paul isn't just saying, be good. He's saying to love God. And that's going to lead us to be good. The message of second Advent to me as I read this passage...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And as we see the prayers that we've just read... Is to first love God... And then love one another. And you can see that in verse 9. He literally quotes some of the commandments.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not covet. And any other commandment are summed up in this word. This word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

The message of second Advent is to seek to be formed... Into the people of godly love... By putting on Christ. By first putting on Christ. And this matters... For the reasons that Paul addresses...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Within the very text that we're looking at here. If you turn to verse... If we look at verses 11 and 12... Besides this, you know the time... That the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is near to us now...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Than when we first believed. The night is far gone. The day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness... And put on the armor of light. Paul is addressing another issue...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

That we share with the Romans. And that is spiritual drowsiness. He's saying, wake up. You see all manner of... Translations for that word.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Have vigilance. Make sure you're watching out. Watchfulness is a spiritual term that we use for that. Be vigilant. In a lot of ways... Rome had fallen into a state of spiritual sleep.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

In a lot of ways... When we look through Romans... They were becoming spiritually ineffective. And Paul here is pointing them... To a heavenly orientation.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Rather than a worldly orientation. And throughout Romans we see this. He puts this contrast between darkness and light. And wants Romans to focus on the light. This term, I think...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

The term orientation... Which comes up a lot in a lot of the commentaries... I think is a very good term to use here. The term that we use for orientation...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Actually comes from the church. It comes from the direction... That we build a church in... Towards the east. Towards the orient. Especially in the more Catholic churches.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

The Anglican churches. They built there so the altar... Was built towards Jerusalem. So the question here... When we talk about our orientation... Where is the altar...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Of our lives... Oriented towards? And has that... Maybe that orientation drifted off... As we drift off to some sort of spiritual sleep...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Like it had for the Romans. It's so easy to go on autopilot. I work as a public servant. I get it. We commute. We work.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

We commute. We're home. We rinse. We rinse. We repeat. And I find myself falling into that. And slowly but surely... If we just kind of get into this...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Worldly rhythm... And we're not really focused on... What it is that we're doing... Or what it is that we're about... We can start to orientate ourselves... Towards the world. The shiny things around us...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Take more and more of our attention. That was happening to the Romans. They were becoming very comfortable. We slowly move into thinking like a secular person. We become oriented... By worldly politics.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

By worldly stuff. By worldly philosophies. Now if there's anybody here... Who isn't a believer in Christ... You might be finding in 2018...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Worldly politics... Worldly philosophy... Is a very confusing thing. But we as Christians... Have that one... What we call that one... Central integrating principle.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

We have Christ. And our orientation to Christ... Helps us put all these things... Into order. So if you're here this morning... And you just... The questions about life...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Are just flooding you... And you're questioning... Because the stuff's going on in politics... I would just really encourage you... To consider Jesus. To read through the Gospels... And see how he oriented a world...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

That was just as mixed up as ours. And that perhaps... That's a person that you might want to follow. For those of us who love Jesus... We are oriented towards eternity.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Paul says our salvation is nearer now... Than it was before. We want to have a salvation orientation... An orientation towards what... What's really going to matter. You might want to prepare for eternity...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

You're going to be there for a long time. The love of God compels us... To be constantly awake... To be a people of godly love... Means being...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

That we're oriented towards God. And so this gives us a to-do. Something we need to do this week. Something we need to do... I think throughout Advent. Paul doesn't just tell us...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

What not... What to avoid. He actually tells us... Something to do. We look at verses 13 and 14 in the text. Let us walk properly... As in the daytime. Not in orgies and drunkenness...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Or sexual immorality... Sensuality. Not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ... And make no provision... For the flesh... To gratify its desires.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

These central passages... As they were for Augustine... Give us direction. We are concerned with two things. Taking off...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And putting on. Two things. Taking off and putting on. First... We take off. We prepare the ground. While we do this... We're preparing the ground...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

For grace and holiness to take root. By casting off... He means we're casting off... All those things... That have no place in eternity. And he's saying... You know...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Cast those things off... Like dirty laundry. Some of you know... I was deployed... Some of you here... I think everybody's old enough... To remember the earthquake... In 2010... In Haiti.

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

We were there... And landed on the ground... The night... The morning before... While it was still dark. And for those... Especially for the first... Couple of weeks... When we came back to camp... From the things we got to about...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

There was all manner of stuff... I don't even want to think... About what was on my uniform... When I got back. And you could not wait... To just get that thing off...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And chuck it into the laundry bag... Although... Actually there wasn't a laundry bag... For the first one... We just put the stuff back on... The next day... And went out and did it... But you couldn't wait... To get out... Of those dirty clothes... And that's what Paul's talking about...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

He's talking about... Casting these things off... Like clothes... That we just... Can't wait to get rid of... All that... Of those things... That he's talking about there... And with equal enthusiasm...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

We're called to clothe ourselves... With the things that belong... To the realm of glory... Put on... To claim the garments of light... That Jesus gave us at our baptism... Preparing the ground for sobriety...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

For purity... For self-control... For principle-based godliness... And for the love of our neighbor... And a good focus word... As we wrap this up... For us to look at this morning...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Is that term... Provision... That you see in the last... Make no provision for the flesh... To gratify its desires... When we talk about... Provision... Paul's actually saying...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Something about... You know... The forethought we're giving... To how we're living... What are we preparing... The ground for... When we go... When we deploy with the military... We have a kit list we follow...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And it's very important... To follow that kit list... When I went down to Haiti... I showed up there... I found two problems... As soon as I opened my cases up... First...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

I had brought my bug hood... Not my bug net... That goes over my bed... That's not a great thing... When you're in Haiti... You're not preparing yourself... For success... And not getting malaria...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

If you don't have a bug net... Luckily I didn't get it... Thank God... Secondarily... I had not properly... Unpacked my kit... From winter exercise... Because it was in the... The middle of November... Or the middle of January...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And I found my gauntlets... Which are big leather gloves... That come up to here... I found all my... My... My bella clava... Things like that... Absolutely useless... Provisioning yourself properly...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Sets the ground for success... We actually will bring... The guys together... Before we go on exercise... Or on deployment... They will bring in their rucksack... There's an old one... For some of you... I know there's some older...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Army folks here... You'll probably remember that one... They will come... They will put a tarp out... And all the soldiers... Will have to lay out... All their kits... In perfect order...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

For the warrant or sergeant... To come along... And basically judge... What it is they brought... And what they haven't brought... Because provisioning yourself... Properly... Prepares the ground for success...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And if one or two people... Forget important pieces of kit... That could have a major effect... On the operation itself... If you think about it... If anybody here... Was going to be going away...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Somewhere for a couple of weeks... And we were to take your suitcase... And lay it out here... We could probably figure out... What it is you've prepared for...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Over the next two weeks... What it is that you've provisioned yourself for... Whether you're going to Alaska... Which is probably not advisable these days... Or... If you're going to the Caribbean... Very different items that you're taking...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

If we were to look... At our day-to-day lives... And how we prepare ourselves... What are we really provisioning ourselves for? On a day-to-day basis...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Are you setting yourself up? Am I setting myself up... For spiritual success? There's an old saying that... If you're an alcoholic...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

You probably shouldn't be planning... To tie your horse up in front of a bar... How am I preparing my day? Am I setting myself up... For spiritual success?

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Making no provision... Success means preparing the ground... For holiness in our lives... Cutting out the provision... For anything else... And so a good start...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Is putting Jesus on spiritually... Every morning... The... Our spiritual practice that we have... Our growing in grace spiritual practice...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Recommends that we need to grow in prayer... And a way to do this... Is to learn to pray the Bible... To learn to pray our way... Through the Bible... I always recommend... If we're starting a spiritual practice...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

To start with the Gospels... I'm going to recommend... That you read through... Every morning this week... A story... Even just a short story... Of Jesus... Or something Jesus said... Pray through it...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Notice Jesus... Be slow as you go through it... And as you do that... As you do that... And you're immersed in them... Start contemplating the day to come...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And ask two questions... As I think about... What I'm about to do today... What is going to bring me closer to Jesus... And what's possibly going to take me further away...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And then just pray your way through that... And let God... Sanctify your day... From moment to moment... Very simple spiritual practice to start with...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

What's going to bring me closer to Jesus... What's going to take me further away... Paul is calling us... To a further spiritual depth... And as we contemplate Advent...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

And the Advent of Christ... And the love that came down... The love that... Left heaven to live with us... And died for us... It's that display of love...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

That compels us... As we seek to be people of godly love... In all times... In all moments... Now I'm cognizant of the fact... That we have a very esteemed production... Coming up here after me... So I'm going to... Wrap up with a big finish right there...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

There's an old saying... That... That it's too late to dig a well... If you're already thirsty... We talk about preparing the ground...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

I'm not talking about... You know... Some moralistic sense of... Just be good and God will love you... What we're talking about is... Maintaining our spiritual wells...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

So that the spiritual water of God's grace... Will overflow and spread through your entire life... So that even the small moral choices... That we make themselves...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Become acts of worship... And sanctify our day... And these become moments... Of communion with God... Through Jesus Christ... Who saved us for that kind of life...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

Let's pray... Loving God... Loving God... As Advent is upon us... And as we look to... Celebrate... The coming of our Lord Jesus... To live among us and save us...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

We pray Lord God... That you would... Help us know... How to make manifest in our lives... The things that he taught us... And showed us... And the love that he gives to us...

{# Without a player to seek there is nothing to click, so the timestamp drops to plain text rather than a button that silently does nothing. #}

By the power of your Holy Spirit... In your name we pray... Amen... Amen...