WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.700 Today's scripture is found in Luke 15. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:07.100 Please follow along in your bulletin. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:11.000 Jesus continued, 00:00:11.779 --> 00:00:15.300 There was a man who had two sons. 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:18.199 The younger one said to his father, 00:00:19.140 --> 00:00:22.420 Father, give me my share of the estate. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:26.300 So he divided his property between them. 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:29.640 Not long after that, 00:00:30.199 --> 00:00:32.359 the younger son got together all he had, 00:00:33.340 --> 00:00:34.780 set off for a distant country, 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:37.799 and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:40.079 While he had spent everything, 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:43.159 there was a severe famine in that whole country, 00:00:43.939 --> 00:00:45.600 and he began to be in need. 00:00:46.519 --> 00:00:50.260 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:53.880 who sent him to his field to feed pigs. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:58.400 He longed to fill his stomach with the pots that the pigs were eating, 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:00.179 but no one gave him anything. 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:03.020 When he came to his senses, he said, 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.600 How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, 00:01:06.980 --> 00:01:08.620 and here I am starving to death. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.599 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:16.020 Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 00:01:16.659 --> 00:01:18.800 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:21.680 Make me like one of the hired servants. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.760 So he got up and went to his father. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:28.000 But while he was still a long way off, 00:01:28.520 --> 00:01:32.020 his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. 00:01:32.600 --> 00:01:34.000 He ran to his sons, 00:01:34.600 --> 00:01:36.000 threw his arms around him, 00:01:36.180 --> 00:01:36.780 and kissed him. 00:01:37.540 --> 00:01:38.400 The son said to him, 00:01:39.020 --> 00:01:41.480 Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 00:01:41.960 --> 00:01:44.340 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:47.480 But the father said to his servants, 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:50.400 Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:53.500 Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:56.760 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. 00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:59.859 Let's have a great feast and celebrate. 00:02:00.520 --> 00:02:03.800 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. 00:02:04.300 --> 00:02:05.879 He was lost and is found. 00:02:06.500 --> 00:02:08.159 So they began to celebrate. 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:10.379 This is the reading of God's word. 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:14.259 Good morning, Watermark. 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:16.579 My name is Mike, 00:02:16.740 --> 00:02:19.539 and I work with the university students here at the church. 00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:22.199 And just in case that you're new, 00:02:22.359 --> 00:02:24.000 like Tobin already gave you a little snapshot 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:27.099 of what we're talking about currently at Watermark. 00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:29.840 But let me just go back to that again. 00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:31.519 We're actually looking in the broader scale. 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:32.919 We're looking at the Gospel of Luke. 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:35.019 Luke, and we've been on the journey 00:02:35.019 --> 00:02:37.259 through the Gospel of Luke for almost two years. 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:41.279 And we'll probably have another year or so to go. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:43.959 But there are still a lot of exciting things to come. 00:02:44.539 --> 00:02:47.739 The last few weeks, so we looked at lost things. 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:52.239 We looked at the lost sheep especially last week. 00:02:52.819 --> 00:02:56.000 We looked at how sheep are driven by the appetite 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:58.379 and how they kind of start getting, 00:02:59.099 --> 00:03:01.119 wandering away, like they follow the food 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:03.259 and they don't look around, so they just like wander off. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:05.560 And we looked at how that's sometimes with us 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:08.900 that we begin to follow our desires and our appetite. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:12.939 And then we just get lost on the journey of life. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:15.920 But we also looked at how in the story, 00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:17.939 we see how God pursues us 00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:19.580 and how he brings us back 00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:21.900 and how he carries us back to him. 00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:24.200 In the message also, 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:26.520 Tobin gave an example of how husbands 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:28.219 sometimes lose their kids 00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:29.539 because they're not very attentive 00:03:29.539 --> 00:03:30.780 and just get sidetracked. 00:03:31.500 --> 00:03:33.719 And so now that led to a longer conversation 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:35.479 with my wife after the sermon. 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:38.620 So Katie and I got married about a year and a half ago 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:41.360 and we're currently talking about, 00:03:41.419 --> 00:03:42.620 let's say, family expansion. 00:03:44.180 --> 00:03:45.879 But after last week's sermon, 00:03:46.539 --> 00:03:50.939 and Tobin talking about husbands losing their kids, 00:03:50.939 --> 00:03:54.579 so I had to kind of clarify a few things 00:03:54.579 --> 00:03:56.060 and I had to convince my wife 00:03:56.060 --> 00:03:57.699 that it's still a good idea to actually get kids, 00:03:58.300 --> 00:04:00.180 that I would try my best to be responsible, 00:04:00.300 --> 00:04:01.359 not lose any on the way. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:04.199 And anyways, Katie is not here today. 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:06.079 She is actually still on the retreat. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:08.379 We took 40 students over to Chengchao. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:10.199 Actually, if we could look like straight over 00:04:10.199 --> 00:04:11.479 to Chengchao Island to the beach, 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:13.259 you'd actually see like 45 people 00:04:13.259 --> 00:04:14.620 they're worshiping on the beach right now. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:17.800 So if you miss some of the students, 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:19.199 then that's where they are. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:22.800 Anyway, so I told Katie in the preparation of the camp, 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:24.120 so we have done a lot of camps 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:25.819 and this one actually has 45 students. 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:27.420 Isn't that a pretty good indicator? 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:30.459 I haven't lost any student on any of the retreats 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:32.480 that I would also be a responsible father. 00:04:33.980 --> 00:04:35.800 But she said, like, they're all grown up 00:04:35.800 --> 00:04:37.899 and they're responsible, so that wouldn't count. 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:39.560 And I said, yeah, they're all grown up, 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:41.459 but with a responsible heart, 00:04:41.620 --> 00:04:44.240 like, I let everybody judge that for themselves. 00:04:45.459 --> 00:04:47.099 So I'm just talking out of experience 00:04:47.099 --> 00:04:48.480 of working with college students in the city 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:49.319 for seven years. 00:04:50.460 --> 00:04:52.379 So the story that we just heard 00:04:52.379 --> 00:04:56.460 is about a father and a lost son. 00:04:56.980 --> 00:05:00.520 But it's not so much about a father losing a son, 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:03.560 but it's more about a son getting lost 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:06.240 on his way, on his life journey. 00:05:07.520 --> 00:05:08.900 So let me tell you a little bit more 00:05:08.900 --> 00:05:10.180 about that student retreat 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:12.180 that the students were on and are still on. 00:05:12.180 --> 00:05:14.000 Because it kind of ties in 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.379 with what we are talking about today, 00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:19.060 the topic of the retreat is don't waste your life. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:21.980 So for the last days, we had, like, group meetings 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:23.720 and breakout sessions and talks 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:25.939 on what it means to live a meaningful life, 00:05:26.220 --> 00:05:27.960 what it means to live a life in a way 00:05:27.960 --> 00:05:30.040 that one day when we come to the end 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:30.840 and we look back, 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:33.199 that we wouldn't say that we have wasted 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:34.460 the one life we had. 00:05:34.459 --> 00:05:40.199 What do you consider a wasted life? 00:05:43.539 --> 00:05:44.799 What are things in your life 00:05:44.799 --> 00:05:46.740 that one day you may look back 00:05:46.740 --> 00:05:47.519 and you say, 00:05:47.579 --> 00:05:48.719 I wish I would have done it, 00:05:49.379 --> 00:05:51.740 or I wouldn't have done it. 00:05:51.740 --> 00:05:56.280 What does it mean for you to waste your life? 00:05:57.740 --> 00:06:00.060 In one of the videos that we watched on the retreat, 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:03.220 it told a story of a couple in the end 50s. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.340 Now, the couple had finally come to the point 00:06:07.340 --> 00:06:08.519 where they could retire. 00:06:09.819 --> 00:06:11.579 They had achieved the things they wanted. 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:12.879 They bought a beach house in Florida, 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:14.780 and they actually had enough 00:06:14.780 --> 00:06:15.620 to even get a yacht, 00:06:15.699 --> 00:06:16.720 like a 30 feet yacht, 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:18.160 and enjoying the area. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:20.300 And then they had the time now 00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:23.319 being retired to take long walks on the beach 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:25.040 and collect shells on the way. 00:06:26.819 --> 00:06:28.060 So at the end of the video, 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:29.340 the question was posed, 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:32.379 what it means to not waste our lives? 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:35.199 And they painted the picture of this couple 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:36.379 standing in front of Christ. 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:38.900 And Christ asking them, 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:40.460 so what have you done with your life? 00:06:40.580 --> 00:06:41.759 And they stand and saying, 00:06:41.840 --> 00:06:42.819 oh, the last few years, 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:44.259 look at my shell collection. 00:06:47.080 --> 00:06:48.560 Look at my house. 00:06:48.699 --> 00:06:49.420 Look at my yacht. 00:06:49.420 --> 00:06:51.879 Look at the things I have achieved in my life. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:57.800 Whether you are here today just in school, 00:06:58.640 --> 00:07:00.259 or whether you are kind of like 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:01.700 in these last chapters 00:07:01.700 --> 00:07:03.340 that you are writing in your life, 00:07:04.460 --> 00:07:07.300 we will all come to the day one day 00:07:07.300 --> 00:07:10.759 where we will have to talk about that 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:12.139 and where we have to look at 00:07:12.139 --> 00:07:13.560 what have we done with this life? 00:07:13.660 --> 00:07:14.620 Have we wasted it? 00:07:14.620 --> 00:07:16.319 So after the talk 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.660 that we had yesterday morning, 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:21.199 I sat there at lunch 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:22.160 and one of the students 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:23.379 were deep in his thoughts. 00:07:24.620 --> 00:07:26.639 And I started to wonder 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:27.759 what was going on 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:28.720 and he was just thinking, 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:29.639 so I asked him, 00:07:29.699 --> 00:07:30.620 what's on your mind? 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:32.160 And he said, 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:32.720 my dad. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:36.840 So I've had a couple of conversations 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:39.079 with that student of the past year 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:40.919 and walking alongside him 00:07:40.919 --> 00:07:42.859 as his father walked out of the family 00:07:42.859 --> 00:07:44.339 to pursue another relationship. 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:47.679 And he hadn't seen his dad in a month. 00:07:49.139 --> 00:07:50.239 So I kept talking 00:07:50.239 --> 00:07:51.839 and then he said, 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:56.239 I wonder what my dad will one day say 00:07:56.239 --> 00:07:58.500 when he stands in front of Jesus. 00:08:00.019 --> 00:08:01.259 I wonder whether he'll say 00:08:01.259 --> 00:08:02.859 I once had a family and kids 00:08:02.859 --> 00:08:05.019 and I once had integrity 00:08:05.019 --> 00:08:10.159 and I once had a life 00:08:10.159 --> 00:08:11.759 that was glorifying God, 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:14.079 but I have recklessly wasted it 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:15.079 on my journey. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:18.399 Today I want to invite you 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:19.539 to follow the younger son 00:08:19.539 --> 00:08:20.779 on his journey 00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:22.399 and specifically 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:22.959 we'll look at like 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:23.859 four different movements 00:08:23.859 --> 00:08:24.500 in the story 00:08:24.500 --> 00:08:27.559 and you may be surprised 00:08:27.559 --> 00:08:28.899 of how much the younger son 00:08:28.899 --> 00:08:30.500 lives in all of us, 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:32.480 in me and in you. 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:34.720 Sometimes the story 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:35.679 is referred to as 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:36.659 the prodigal son 00:08:36.659 --> 00:08:38.539 and prodigal means 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:40.559 wasteful and reckless. 00:08:42.500 --> 00:08:43.319 Which leads me 00:08:43.319 --> 00:08:44.139 to that first movement 00:08:44.139 --> 00:08:44.980 that I want to highlight 00:08:44.980 --> 00:08:46.279 about the younger son journey. 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:47.419 It's the movement 00:08:47.419 --> 00:08:48.360 of the younger son 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:50.379 basically going out of home, 00:08:50.379 --> 00:08:51.379 like leaving home, 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:53.059 taking his life 00:08:53.059 --> 00:08:53.980 in his own hands, 00:08:54.580 --> 00:08:55.399 basically saying 00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:56.519 I want to have control 00:08:56.519 --> 00:08:57.220 over my life, 00:08:57.320 --> 00:08:58.500 I want to make my choices 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:00.659 and I know better 00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:02.159 what to do with my life 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:03.100 and in the process 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:05.419 of walking his journey 00:09:05.419 --> 00:09:06.279 and taking life 00:09:06.279 --> 00:09:07.179 in his own hands, 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:08.720 he recklessly 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:10.000 and wastefully 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:11.439 throws everything away. 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:13.879 The story actually 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:15.360 only gives one verse 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.159 to that movement 00:09:17.159 --> 00:09:17.779 in the story. 00:09:17.779 --> 00:09:19.120 in verse 13 it says, 00:09:20.379 --> 00:09:21.500 Not long after that, 00:09:22.500 --> 00:09:23.079 the younger son 00:09:23.079 --> 00:09:24.279 got together all he had, 00:09:24.779 --> 00:09:25.839 set up for a distant country 00:09:25.839 --> 00:09:27.699 and there he squandered 00:09:27.699 --> 00:09:28.639 his wealth 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:29.980 in wild living. 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:32.779 But this one line 00:09:32.779 --> 00:09:34.399 over centuries 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:35.659 and all around the globe 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:36.860 has defined 00:09:36.860 --> 00:09:38.399 how people have referred to 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:39.559 in this story 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:40.519 as the prodigal son. 00:09:41.459 --> 00:09:43.120 The son who is wasteful 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:43.980 and reckless 00:09:43.980 --> 00:09:45.379 in his life. 00:09:45.379 --> 00:09:47.019 Now I'm prone 00:09:47.019 --> 00:09:47.899 to look at people 00:09:47.899 --> 00:09:48.480 around me 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.620 and see them 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:51.679 as being the prodigal. 00:09:52.059 --> 00:09:52.439 I don't know, 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:53.019 how about you? 00:09:53.620 --> 00:09:54.439 But I see people 00:09:54.439 --> 00:09:56.240 living extravagant lifestyles 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:57.700 and I see people 00:09:57.700 --> 00:09:58.620 recklessly living 00:09:58.620 --> 00:09:59.740 for their own pleasure 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:01.639 and I see people 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:03.059 not caring about God 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:03.860 and walking away 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:04.559 from the Father 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:06.659 and I see people 00:10:06.659 --> 00:10:08.159 kind of being caught up 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:09.799 in the selfish desires 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:10.559 of their lives 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:12.419 and treating people 00:10:12.419 --> 00:10:13.600 for their own benefit 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:15.379 and I try to tell myself 00:10:15.379 --> 00:10:16.820 that I do not squander 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:18.980 my life away 00:10:18.980 --> 00:10:20.000 in wild living. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:22.779 But then when I'm honest 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:23.540 to myself, 00:10:24.540 --> 00:10:27.019 when I think about 00:10:27.019 --> 00:10:27.840 the day that I stand 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:28.680 in front of Jesus 00:10:28.680 --> 00:10:32.480 and I think of everything, 00:10:32.980 --> 00:10:35.320 everything that he has given me, 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:36.379 the time on this planet, 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:39.420 the resources he gave me, 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:40.560 the relationships 00:10:40.560 --> 00:10:41.680 he put in my place 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:43.219 and then he asked me 00:10:43.219 --> 00:10:44.379 how I used it all 00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:46.019 for his redemption 00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:48.120 and for his glory, 00:10:49.699 --> 00:10:51.159 then my wastefulness 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:52.339 will catch up with me 00:10:52.339 --> 00:10:53.379 because I know 00:10:53.379 --> 00:10:55.039 where I've wasted it. 00:10:56.459 --> 00:10:57.879 But the comforting thing 00:10:57.879 --> 00:10:59.000 about the whole story 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.339 is that this is by far 00:11:01.339 --> 00:11:03.679 not everything Jesus tells us. 00:11:04.479 --> 00:11:05.339 It's not a story 00:11:05.339 --> 00:11:06.839 that ends in a wasted life, 00:11:06.919 --> 00:11:07.639 it's not a story 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:09.099 that ends in the guilt 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:11.379 and shame of wasting it all 00:11:11.379 --> 00:11:12.620 and standing in front of Christ 00:11:12.620 --> 00:11:13.920 and that's it. 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:16.840 But before we kind of look 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:18.060 at the conclusion of the story 00:11:18.060 --> 00:11:19.620 and where it actually leads, 00:11:19.940 --> 00:11:20.840 I want to suggest 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:21.480 another movement, 00:11:21.639 --> 00:11:22.460 a movement that I think 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:23.300 is often overlooked 00:11:23.300 --> 00:11:24.420 and not that obvious 00:11:24.420 --> 00:11:25.820 because it's not really 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:27.379 mentioned in the story. 00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:28.840 The second movement 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:29.540 I actually think 00:11:29.540 --> 00:11:30.519 begins before 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:32.060 even the story begins. 00:11:33.160 --> 00:11:34.600 So the story that we have, 00:11:34.660 --> 00:11:35.639 it begins with the younger son 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:36.320 asking the father 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:37.480 for his share of the inheritance 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:39.700 and the father grants the wish 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:41.120 and then shortly after that 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:42.520 the younger son sets off 00:11:42.520 --> 00:11:44.240 on his wasteful journey. 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:46.060 So that's what we have 00:11:46.060 --> 00:11:46.640 here in the story 00:11:46.640 --> 00:11:47.720 but now I believe 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:49.000 the real story starts 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.640 in the heart 00:11:51.640 --> 00:11:54.020 of the younger son 00:11:54.020 --> 00:11:55.320 much earlier, 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:57.120 long before he actually 00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:57.920 leaves the house 00:11:57.920 --> 00:11:58.760 and he takes a step. 00:11:59.100 --> 00:11:59.680 Now let me tell you 00:11:59.680 --> 00:12:01.120 a little bit about my life 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:01.880 and my journey 00:12:01.880 --> 00:12:03.820 and why I think that's true. 00:12:03.820 --> 00:12:05.920 So I grew up in Germany. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:07.200 Some of you know, 00:12:07.280 --> 00:12:07.800 some are here 00:12:07.800 --> 00:12:08.320 through my accent 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:10.140 and I was the youngest 00:12:10.140 --> 00:12:11.060 of three sons 00:12:11.060 --> 00:12:13.020 and I sometimes say 00:12:13.020 --> 00:12:13.600 that I grew up 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:15.180 under a German tiger dad. 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:17.760 I mean, 00:12:17.920 --> 00:12:19.440 I kind of grew up 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:20.160 with the burden 00:12:20.160 --> 00:12:21.540 of a Prussian father 00:12:21.540 --> 00:12:22.500 that had a lot 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:23.360 of expectations 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.720 where I always felt 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:27.000 that I was not quite good enough, 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:28.120 that I had to work harder. 00:12:29.560 --> 00:12:31.140 My brother was one year older 00:12:31.140 --> 00:12:32.780 and it seemed to me 00:12:32.779 --> 00:12:33.779 at least that he did 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:34.419 everything right 00:12:34.419 --> 00:12:34.939 and that he was 00:12:34.939 --> 00:12:35.860 my dad's favorite 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:38.620 and that I could do whatever 00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:40.519 and I wouldn't be good enough. 00:12:40.620 --> 00:12:42.339 So in all of that, 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.199 somehow deep inside of me, 00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:46.220 deep down I hope 00:12:46.220 --> 00:12:46.899 that one day 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:48.439 I would be able 00:12:48.439 --> 00:12:49.279 to break out of that, 00:12:49.459 --> 00:12:50.579 that I could do 00:12:50.579 --> 00:12:51.299 my own thing. 00:12:52.839 --> 00:12:53.519 It didn't start 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:54.139 with a step out 00:12:54.139 --> 00:12:54.659 but it started 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:55.500 with this desire 00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:56.480 of one day 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.379 leaving the expectations behind, 00:12:58.500 --> 00:12:59.659 leaving that life behind, 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:01.319 to walk into the direction 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:02.100 that I want. 00:13:03.220 --> 00:13:04.060 And in it all, 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:05.260 I just thought 00:13:05.260 --> 00:13:06.300 that I would have freedom, 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:07.220 I would be free 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:08.960 to do what I should 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:09.440 really be doing 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:10.120 with my life. 00:13:12.160 --> 00:13:13.140 So in the same way, 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:14.020 I think in all of us, 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:15.000 there are these desires 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:15.640 that grow. 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:16.900 It doesn't start 00:13:16.900 --> 00:13:17.720 with that first step 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:18.340 but it starts 00:13:18.340 --> 00:13:19.060 in our heart 00:13:19.060 --> 00:13:20.540 when we start 00:13:20.540 --> 00:13:21.400 to wrestle with these things, 00:13:21.460 --> 00:13:21.980 these things 00:13:21.980 --> 00:13:22.600 that are building up 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:24.180 in our hearts 00:13:24.180 --> 00:13:25.640 that we're not 00:13:25.640 --> 00:13:26.520 taking action yet 00:13:26.520 --> 00:13:27.440 but they are growing 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:28.620 and one day 00:13:28.620 --> 00:13:29.280 we're just waiting 00:13:29.280 --> 00:13:29.900 for the moment 00:13:29.900 --> 00:13:30.820 to take a step 00:13:30.820 --> 00:13:31.760 and to develop 00:13:31.760 --> 00:13:32.440 the courage 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:33.520 to take that step 00:13:33.520 --> 00:13:33.920 and maybe 00:13:33.920 --> 00:13:35.380 you've been growing 00:13:35.380 --> 00:13:36.060 discontent with 00:13:36.060 --> 00:13:36.320 kind of like 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:36.940 the same thing. 00:13:37.800 --> 00:13:38.400 Maybe it's 00:13:38.400 --> 00:13:39.860 the expectations 00:13:39.860 --> 00:13:40.520 of your family 00:13:40.520 --> 00:13:41.300 or society. 00:13:43.180 --> 00:13:44.100 We often talk 00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:44.600 about bankers 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:45.340 and lawyers here. 00:13:45.760 --> 00:13:46.100 We just want 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:46.520 to make sure 00:13:46.520 --> 00:13:47.540 that I think 00:13:47.540 --> 00:13:47.780 there are a lot 00:13:47.780 --> 00:13:48.100 of people 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:50.560 that join 00:13:50.560 --> 00:13:51.580 the route 00:13:51.580 --> 00:13:52.080 of being a banker 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:52.460 and lawyer 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:53.000 just because 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:53.800 that's the passion 00:13:53.800 --> 00:13:54.500 of their heart 00:13:54.500 --> 00:13:55.799 and that's what 00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:56.659 they are supposed 00:13:56.659 --> 00:13:57.080 to do 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:57.519 and that's how 00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:58.440 God wired them. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:13:59.779 But then from 00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:00.159 my journey 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:00.500 of working 00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:01.019 with university 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:01.399 students 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:01.940 I also see 00:14:01.940 --> 00:14:02.279 that there are 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:02.919 a lot of people 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:03.779 in the city 00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:04.179 that become 00:14:04.179 --> 00:14:04.960 bankers and lawyers 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:05.980 not because 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:06.600 it's the passion 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:07.259 on their heart 00:14:07.259 --> 00:14:08.759 but it's because 00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:09.919 that's what 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:10.940 provides a good job 00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:11.940 and that's just 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:12.720 what's expected 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:13.100 of them 00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:13.580 and they go 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:14.179 on this journey 00:14:14.179 --> 00:14:14.840 and ultimately 00:14:14.840 --> 00:14:15.840 deep down 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:16.539 there's this desire 00:14:16.539 --> 00:14:17.860 and I just want 00:14:17.860 --> 00:14:19.139 to be an artist 00:14:19.139 --> 00:14:20.259 and I just want 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:20.860 to be a writer 00:14:20.860 --> 00:14:22.620 and all these jobs 00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:24.120 that nobody values 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:24.639 so much 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:25.240 in the city 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:26.500 because you have 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:26.980 to pay rent 00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:27.440 and you have 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:27.860 to provide 00:14:27.860 --> 00:14:28.460 for your life 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:30.039 and so somehow 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:31.139 these desires 00:14:31.139 --> 00:14:32.340 grow deep 00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:33.100 inside of us 00:14:33.100 --> 00:14:33.700 and maybe you're 00:14:33.700 --> 00:14:34.200 sitting here 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:34.539 and you have 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:35.299 taken a path 00:14:35.299 --> 00:14:36.480 and you are now 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:37.120 in some kind 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:37.539 of position 00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:38.019 in your job 00:14:38.019 --> 00:14:38.399 but you say 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:38.879 I wish 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:39.820 when I was 20 00:14:39.820 --> 00:14:40.279 I would have 00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:40.919 studied this 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:41.940 subject I really 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:42.320 wanted 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:43.779 and taken that 00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:44.460 path that I would 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:45.120 really be happy 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:46.100 with and you 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:47.279 never took that 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:47.799 step that the 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:48.600 younger son took 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:49.620 to actually walk 00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:51.860 out of what 00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:52.840 these desires were 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:53.960 that were growing 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:56.019 but maybe you're 00:14:56.019 --> 00:14:56.620 discontent with 00:14:56.620 --> 00:14:57.000 something very 00:14:57.000 --> 00:14:57.320 different 00:14:57.320 --> 00:14:57.840 maybe you are 00:14:57.840 --> 00:14:58.500 discontent with 00:14:58.500 --> 00:14:58.820 God 00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:01.019 like you haven't 00:15:01.019 --> 00:15:01.580 taken a step 00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:03.060 away and leave 00:15:03.060 --> 00:15:03.800 the church or leave 00:15:03.800 --> 00:15:05.320 Christ but deep 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:06.540 down you may have 00:15:06.540 --> 00:15:07.280 just grown up in 00:15:07.280 --> 00:15:08.040 all the do's and 00:15:08.040 --> 00:15:08.800 don'ts of religion 00:15:08.800 --> 00:15:11.120 and somehow it's 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:12.139 that motion of 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:12.980 going to church 00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:13.720 and maybe going to 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:14.620 community group and 00:15:14.620 --> 00:15:15.280 serving here and 00:15:15.280 --> 00:15:16.620 there but your 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:17.920 heart is just not 00:15:17.920 --> 00:15:18.820 there anymore and 00:15:18.820 --> 00:15:20.040 if you could just 00:15:20.040 --> 00:15:20.900 like take that step 00:15:20.900 --> 00:15:21.720 out and you could 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:22.700 just walk your way 00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:23.220 you would just 00:15:23.220 --> 00:15:24.500 sleep in and be 00:15:24.500 --> 00:15:25.180 at the beach or 00:15:25.180 --> 00:15:26.460 do whatever and 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:28.320 maybe you're 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:28.759 actually just 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:30.740 discontent with 00:15:30.740 --> 00:15:31.640 your relationships 00:15:31.640 --> 00:15:33.140 and the dreams 00:15:33.140 --> 00:15:33.900 of your life 00:15:33.900 --> 00:15:35.160 that you always 00:15:35.160 --> 00:15:35.820 wanted to live 00:15:35.820 --> 00:15:36.840 differently in a 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:37.740 different place and 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:38.440 not in Hong Kong 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:39.640 a different job 00:15:39.640 --> 00:15:41.000 a different family 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:44.720 and these dreams 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:45.840 are deep down 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:47.320 breeding but we 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:48.200 just don't do 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:49.080 something about it 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:50.120 yet and this is 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:51.060 what I think 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:51.979 where the story 00:15:51.979 --> 00:15:52.699 of the prodigal 00:15:52.699 --> 00:15:55.619 starts and when 00:15:55.619 --> 00:15:56.239 I look at the 00:15:56.239 --> 00:15:57.159 father's response 00:15:57.159 --> 00:15:58.979 I'm intrigued by 00:15:58.979 --> 00:15:59.979 how he goes about 00:15:59.979 --> 00:16:01.359 his son coming 00:16:01.359 --> 00:16:02.579 up and confronting 00:16:02.579 --> 00:16:03.159 him with his 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:04.159 desire give me my 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.000 inheritance and 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:06.139 let me go and 00:16:06.139 --> 00:16:07.599 because here's no 00:16:07.599 --> 00:16:08.799 surprise the father 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:09.799 doesn't say what 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:10.699 why did you want to 00:16:10.699 --> 00:16:11.879 leave or he doesn't 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:12.719 argue and say but 00:16:12.719 --> 00:16:13.579 you have it so good 00:16:13.579 --> 00:16:15.000 here and what is 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:16.239 it that where does 00:16:16.239 --> 00:16:17.139 it suddenly come from 00:16:17.139 --> 00:16:18.319 like what flaws do 00:16:18.319 --> 00:16:18.779 you have in your 00:16:18.779 --> 00:16:20.239 mind nothing of that 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.720 he simply divides 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:24.180 the property and 00:16:24.180 --> 00:16:26.259 gives the son what 00:16:26.259 --> 00:16:27.419 he asked for and I 00:16:27.419 --> 00:16:28.580 would would assume 00:16:28.580 --> 00:16:30.180 the reason is because 00:16:30.180 --> 00:16:31.259 the father knows the 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:33.560 son very well this is 00:16:33.560 --> 00:16:34.360 not the first time that 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:35.259 he has seen these 00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:36.220 things growing up in 00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:37.159 the son and he 00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:38.019 knows he cannot hold 00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:39.200 him back and that 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:40.320 the son has made up 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:43.159 his mind I think God 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:44.720 knows our heart and 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.899 we can't fool him he 00:16:46.899 --> 00:16:47.639 knows what's building 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:49.820 up inside of us and 00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:50.420 we need to address 00:16:50.420 --> 00:16:52.480 it and ultimately 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:56.300 if we don't it will 00:16:56.300 --> 00:16:56.980 take hold of our 00:16:56.980 --> 00:16:58.379 heart and one day we 00:16:58.379 --> 00:16:59.280 will take the step 00:16:59.280 --> 00:17:01.920 so we have looked at 00:17:01.920 --> 00:17:03.940 this this movement of 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:04.960 how the discontent 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.279 builds up and then 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:09.080 how ultimately the 00:17:09.080 --> 00:17:10.000 prodigal son takes 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.660 that step out and 00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:13.799 then he begins the 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:15.720 journey away from the 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:16.539 father's house in 00:17:16.539 --> 00:17:17.539 reckless and wasteful 00:17:17.539 --> 00:17:19.580 living so let's look at 00:17:19.579 --> 00:17:20.099 and there's the next 00:17:20.099 --> 00:17:21.359 part of the storyline 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:22.639 when the son reaches 00:17:22.639 --> 00:17:23.599 the end of himself 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.659 not just once have I 00:17:26.659 --> 00:17:27.599 heard people say 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:29.339 just yeah Christianity 00:17:29.339 --> 00:17:30.379 is just for for weak 00:17:30.379 --> 00:17:32.679 people religion is just 00:17:32.679 --> 00:17:33.559 for people that just 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:35.759 yeah can't handle with 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:36.960 life can't handle life 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:38.159 on their own they just 00:17:38.159 --> 00:17:39.059 need to hold on to 00:17:39.059 --> 00:17:40.720 something actually he 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:41.480 thought the same things 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:42.319 before I became a 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:42.839 Christian when I was 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:45.839 23 and I think it's 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:47.079 actually somewhat true 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:50.679 most people find God 00:17:50.679 --> 00:17:51.939 when they realize that 00:17:51.939 --> 00:17:54.240 they can't run life by 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:55.079 themselves when they 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:56.339 finally come to the end 00:17:56.339 --> 00:17:57.359 of their own strengths 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:59.199 realizing they can hold 00:17:59.199 --> 00:18:00.099 it all together and that 00:18:00.099 --> 00:18:01.339 the journey that we want 00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:02.419 to run in our own 00:18:02.419 --> 00:18:03.079 strength and our own 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:04.500 selfishness ultimately 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:05.740 leads to destruction 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:10.220 let me look again at the 00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:11.359 scripture passage starting 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:13.179 verse 14 and here I think 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:13.799 this is very interesting 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:15.120 because there's a longer 00:18:15.120 --> 00:18:15.920 passage that addresses 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:17.500 this so after the son had 00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:18.840 spent everything there was 00:18:18.840 --> 00:18:20.360 a severe famine in that 00:18:20.360 --> 00:18:21.860 whole country and he 00:18:21.860 --> 00:18:23.519 began to be in need so he 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:24.900 went and hired himself out 00:18:24.900 --> 00:18:26.259 to a citizen of that 00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:27.779 country who sent him to 00:18:27.779 --> 00:18:28.880 his fields to feed the 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:30.400 pigs he longed to fill his 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:31.299 stomach with the pots that 00:18:31.299 --> 00:18:32.580 the pigs were eating but 00:18:32.580 --> 00:18:33.779 no one gave him anything 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:35.620 when he came to his 00:18:35.620 --> 00:18:38.080 senses he said how many of 00:18:38.080 --> 00:18:39.100 my father's hired servants 00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:41.420 have food to spare and here 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:42.940 I am starving to death I'll 00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:44.000 set out and go back to my 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:44.840 father and say to him 00:18:44.840 --> 00:18:46.080 father I've sinned against 00:18:46.080 --> 00:18:47.299 heaven and against you I'm 00:18:47.299 --> 00:18:48.360 no longer worthy to be 00:18:48.360 --> 00:18:50.240 called your son make me 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:50.940 like one of your higher 00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:53.259 servants so he got up and 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:56.220 went to his father it took 00:18:56.220 --> 00:18:58.380 one verse for him to set 00:18:58.380 --> 00:18:59.900 out on his journey and lose 00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:01.519 it all but this whole 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:02.900 paragraph for him to 00:19:02.900 --> 00:19:04.960 finally overcome his pride to 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.759 return to the father I mean 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:08.920 like how deep do we have to 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:10.279 get into the troubles of 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:12.900 life to realize how 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:14.360 limited we are in really 00:19:14.360 --> 00:19:15.580 having any control of our 00:19:15.580 --> 00:19:17.360 lives and that we need a 00:19:17.360 --> 00:19:20.180 return to the father I 00:19:20.180 --> 00:19:21.080 shared with you how I 00:19:21.080 --> 00:19:22.440 longed for for the day that 00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:24.300 that I could walk my path 00:19:24.300 --> 00:19:25.340 that I could walk my 00:19:25.340 --> 00:19:27.100 journey in my life and how 00:19:27.100 --> 00:19:28.280 this desire just built up 00:19:28.280 --> 00:19:30.300 inside of me that I wanted 00:19:30.300 --> 00:19:32.060 to live my my own dreams and 00:19:32.060 --> 00:19:34.320 not just live for the 00:19:34.320 --> 00:19:35.880 expectations of others now 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:37.300 that day for me came in a 00:19:37.300 --> 00:19:38.960 pretty unexpected way my 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:41.240 my father suddenly died when I 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:43.940 was 18 and I found myself in 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:47.279 the place where I could move 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:48.680 in my life wherever I wanted 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:51.140 where I had to there was this 00:19:51.140 --> 00:19:53.360 freedom and the responsibility 00:19:53.360 --> 00:19:58.240 that I wanted but then 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:00.019 followed five years of me being a 00:20:00.019 --> 00:20:03.920 prodigal and I found my hope and 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.380 my security my identity in in 00:20:08.060 --> 00:20:09.100 the success of my banking 00:20:09.100 --> 00:20:12.320 career as I tried to just 00:20:12.320 --> 00:20:13.980 really get into investment 00:20:13.980 --> 00:20:15.220 banking I invested into high 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:17.420 tech stocks and pretty soon I 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:18.759 made a small fortune for myself 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:21.420 and it was not the story of the 00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:23.860 prodigal but it led to the same 00:20:23.860 --> 00:20:25.440 outcome I traveled I partied I 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:28.279 had different relationships but 00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:30.019 even with all these steps that I 00:20:30.019 --> 00:20:32.720 took at one point I just found 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:36.400 this immense emptiness that I 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:37.839 tried to take control of a life 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:41.279 that didn't lead anywhere and 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.700 that's when I met God it's when I 00:20:43.700 --> 00:20:45.440 first learned about about Jesus and 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.519 that God himself that he had 00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:50.059 become a human being to seek me 00:20:50.059 --> 00:20:52.099 out and where I was and that he 00:20:52.099 --> 00:20:54.660 died for me and that was just 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:56.039 something that I could not accept 00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:58.299 looking at my life like why would 00:20:58.299 --> 00:21:02.539 God be interested in my life when 00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:06.139 we look at our lives often it's the 00:21:06.139 --> 00:21:08.139 guilt and the shame of how we have 00:21:08.139 --> 00:21:10.200 recklessly wasted our lives that 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:11.839 holds us back and we think that 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:14.460 it's not redeemable but I look at 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:15.680 the story of the prodigal son and 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:20.079 it's amazing to me how far he had to 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:23.379 go to finally go back but when he 00:21:23.379 --> 00:21:25.419 goes back what he really sees about 00:21:25.420 --> 00:21:28.420 the father so after overcoming the 00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:29.620 guilt and the shame and there's this 00:21:29.620 --> 00:21:31.740 whole passage of the the son 00:21:31.740 --> 00:21:34.920 wrestling with his shame and him 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:39.660 wasting everything so he starts to 00:21:39.660 --> 00:21:41.700 then make up his mind about how he 00:21:41.700 --> 00:21:43.880 would return when he goes back he 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:46.000 that's what he's thinking I'll set 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.880 out and go back to my father and say 00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:49.380 to him father I've sinned against 00:21:49.380 --> 00:21:51.759 heaven and against you I'm no longer 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:53.500 worthy to be called your son make my 00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:55.500 lie make me like one of your hired 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:58.119 servants so he got up and he went to 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:03.299 his father so broken in his pride he 00:22:03.299 --> 00:22:05.420 starts to kind of take this journey 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:07.059 with his big burden of all his guilt 00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:09.420 and shame wondering like okay I'll just 00:22:09.420 --> 00:22:11.579 be a servant and I'll be humiliated and 00:22:11.579 --> 00:22:13.799 I'll pay for all the things that I 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:17.220 have done wrong but I know that I can 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:21.119 run this life on my own we we've all 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.779 messed up on our journey and sometimes 00:22:23.779 --> 00:22:25.379 when we look at these reckless and 00:22:25.379 --> 00:22:27.339 wasteful moments of our life they feel 00:22:27.339 --> 00:22:29.119 like that heavy burden that put that 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:31.139 guilt and shame on our shoulders and we 00:22:31.139 --> 00:22:33.439 just don't want to walk any further 00:22:33.439 --> 00:22:36.419 but what we see in the response of the 00:22:36.419 --> 00:22:39.439 father is to me incredible so it says 00:22:39.439 --> 00:22:42.039 but while he was still a long way off 00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:44.139 his father saw him and was filled with 00:22:44.139 --> 00:22:46.319 compassion for him and he ran to his 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:48.119 son he threw his arms around him and 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:50.799 kissed him the son said to him father I 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:52.119 have sinned against heaven and again 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:53.679 against you I'm no longer worthy to be 00:22:53.679 --> 00:22:56.059 called you but the father said to his 00:22:56.059 --> 00:22:58.359 servants quick bring the best robe and 00:22:58.359 --> 00:23:00.639 put it on him put a ring on his finger 00:23:00.639 --> 00:23:02.599 and sandals on his feet bring the 00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:04.759 fattened calf and kill it let's have a 00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:07.859 feast and celebrate for the son of mine 00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:10.959 was dead and is alive again he was lost 00:23:10.959 --> 00:23:14.059 and is found so they began to celebrate 00:23:14.059 --> 00:23:18.940 and that picture of the son walking 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:22.139 back and us walking with our guilt and 00:23:22.139 --> 00:23:24.799 shame expecting to pay for what we have 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:27.539 done wrong for the rest of our lives that 00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:29.440 picture is shattered as the father stands 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:32.039 at the doorstep and he comes running and 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:34.200 he kisses the son and the speech of 00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:36.599 apology that the son had prepared he can't 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:39.339 even finish it and then they begin and 00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:43.419 rejoice and they celebrate and to me 00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:45.300 there's not much to add to to that 00:23:45.300 --> 00:23:47.640 picture if we really take in what the 00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:50.539 scripture says here about who God is 00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:53.620 like every explanation interpretation I 00:23:53.620 --> 00:23:56.740 think will just ultimately fall short of 00:23:56.740 --> 00:23:59.000 the the grace and the love and the mercy 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:03.440 that we see in God here we have looked 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:05.100 at four movements in that story we have 00:24:05.100 --> 00:24:07.680 we have looked at how these desires grow 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:09.779 in us and that we need to address and 00:24:09.779 --> 00:24:11.980 that we cannot ignore them because one 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:14.339 day they'll take we'll take that step and 00:24:14.339 --> 00:24:16.160 and walk out and walk on our own 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:18.860 journey but we need to realize that this 00:24:18.860 --> 00:24:22.299 journey will ultimately lead to a reckless 00:24:22.299 --> 00:24:26.420 disaster but when we come to the end of 00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:28.660 ourselves that's not the end of the 00:24:28.660 --> 00:24:31.240 story but there's hope because that hope 00:24:31.240 --> 00:24:33.440 isn't that we are not stuck in our shame 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:35.640 and guilt but as we return to the father 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.259 he is there waiting for us and that 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:42.240 picture of God the true freedom that is 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:44.740 found in who he is and and if we begin to 00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:47.340 understand what that freedom looks like in 00:24:47.340 --> 00:24:49.480 returning to the father and understanding 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:53.280 his love and his mercy and his grace then 00:24:53.280 --> 00:24:56.259 we should be called into running back to 00:24:56.259 --> 00:25:01.560 his arms now we can continue looking at 00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:04.960 these stories but um these stories are 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:08.099 written all over this congregation all of 00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:10.639 you have walked your journey as a prodigal 00:25:10.639 --> 00:25:13.279 and you may be here and you may just have 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:15.940 dreams and desires building up and up inside 00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:18.359 of you and you wonder what to do with the 00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:20.960 desires and you may be on that reckless 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:23.179 journey and saying I'm just living my life I'm 00:25:23.179 --> 00:25:27.159 in control I'm doing whatever I want or you 00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:29.900 may have found that I can't do this on my 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:33.960 own I need to go to the father but my shame 00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:35.920 and my guilt about my journey I just feel 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:39.060 unredeemable so my hope is that there we 00:25:39.060 --> 00:25:44.160 will see who God is and how he desires for us 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:47.380 to return how he loves us and two of the 00:25:47.380 --> 00:25:50.000 stories we want to want to hear now I asked 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:52.380 Henrika and Michael to share a little bit 00:25:52.380 --> 00:25:54.580 about their story and their testimony of how 00:25:54.579 --> 00:25:57.539 they relate to to the story of the prodigal 00:25:57.539 --> 00:26:01.379 actually Henrika is somewhat of a prodigal 00:26:01.379 --> 00:26:04.359 for us at Watermark she has been with us for 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:08.099 the past year and then actually went back to 00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:11.000 the Netherlands and because she loves us so 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:14.039 much she came back for a few weeks and we 00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:15.799 just wanted wanted her to share a little bit 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.019 of like what what got it in her life and 00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:20.359 Michael is a second year architecture student 00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:23.399 and he also has had this amazing journey of 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:25.240 like how God has been been at work in his 00:26:25.240 --> 00:26:27.940 life since coming to Hong Kong he's originally 00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:30.360 from the US but actually grew up in China 00:26:30.360 --> 00:26:32.840 and so Henrika if you would just share a 00:26:32.840 --> 00:26:34.920 little bit about your story with us okay 00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:38.680 well first of all hello Watermark well we 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:41.320 just got back from a retreat university retreat 00:26:41.320 --> 00:26:44.519 that Mike was already mentioning and when I 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:47.259 was writing the story about my testimony I was 00:26:47.259 --> 00:26:50.360 thinking about the former retreat which was I 00:26:50.359 --> 00:26:52.759 think half a year ago and I can remember the 00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:55.319 first night we were there and there was this 00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:58.579 song we sung it's called Center and there was 00:26:58.579 --> 00:27:00.919 this sentence in it and it said you hold 00:27:00.919 --> 00:27:04.039 everything together and when I heard that I got 00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:06.439 so annoyed because I really didn't feel like that 00:27:06.439 --> 00:27:14.439 so when I was 10 my parents get got a divorce and my dad was a 00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:19.400 pastor at the time and yeah it wasn't really well received in church in the 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:24.920 church community there for me there was this huge feeling that I have to live up 00:27:24.920 --> 00:27:30.759 to a certain role as a pastor's daughter had to be good but I didn't really feel the 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:36.920 love and the honesty in that church when my parents got a divorce so it was really hard 00:27:36.920 --> 00:27:45.400 for me to to really see people how people reacted to that because I didn't feel any love and then I was 00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:50.759 thinking if I don't feel the love from the people in the community how can Jesus be love how why did 00:27:50.759 --> 00:27:57.880 my parents got a divorce but why didn't Jesus hold everything together so then I was about 12 00:27:57.880 --> 00:28:06.760 got to my teenage years and as a true pastor's daughter I began to rebel so it started with 00:28:06.760 --> 00:28:14.680 having a bad attitude I didn't go to church that often when I was going because my dad demanded me 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:21.880 to it most of the time it resulted me in like wearing something that he would not really approve of 00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:30.760 so I still try to rebel a bit against that I went to high school got kicked out of class a couple of 00:28:30.760 --> 00:28:38.520 times so yeah there weren't there wasn't like the most proud moment of my life but in that I was still 00:28:38.520 --> 00:28:46.120 mad and but I still wanted to have answers of God and I still there was this I felt a separation but I 00:28:46.120 --> 00:28:50.920 really needed God still but then after a while I just noticed all the struggles in my family and 00:28:50.920 --> 00:28:59.480 saw how two siblings of me that weren't Christian anymore they just walked away from faith and that 00:28:59.480 --> 00:29:05.320 gave so many arguments in our family and so much struggle that I decided that I didn't want to have 00:29:05.320 --> 00:29:13.080 any part of that anymore so I decided that I didn't want to go to church anymore I didn't want to be part of 00:29:13.080 --> 00:29:20.759 that I didn't want to have the these arguments again but then you have this point in life that you 00:29:20.759 --> 00:29:26.599 can't escape anymore it's when you when you're dealing with life questions it's becoming too 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:32.200 hard to just escape and live this kind of life what Mike was just sharing about that you can't you know 00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:40.039 that you can't do it on your own anymore like I tried but I failed miserably so that's when I got here 00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:46.039 to Hong Kong and I came to Watermark and this community and the university students and then I really realized 00:29:46.039 --> 00:29:54.519 that the brokenness I saw before wasn't really from Jesus it was from people and that we actually need 00:29:54.519 --> 00:30:02.119 Jesus to not be that broken anymore so I saw that I finally had to separate those two things from each 00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:10.519 other that it's not the experience you have but it's more in Jesus itself and so although I felt like 00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:18.839 a prodigal daughter before and you know like sinned bad I think that finally I just saw that 00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:25.559 it didn't stop there there was still hope and for me that was I don't know pretty amazing 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:34.839 so yeah like Mike said I'm Michael and I've been at Watermark for almost a year 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:41.079 I'm studying architecture at HKU and I think despite growing up in a Christian family and having a 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:47.799 relationship with Christ my first semester at university I think I really lived as the younger 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:53.960 brother in full force and almost everything I did building upon like past insecurities and painful 00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:59.880 memories during my childhood my growing up years were characterized by this outwardly normal and 00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:06.279 healthy life that disguised the brokenness I really felt on the inside I trained myself to shut down to 00:31:06.279 --> 00:31:13.160 fake it I turned to a facade of perfection to avoid myself and in my heart I had already run away from 00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:19.559 God I was living in the life that I wanted to providing for myself because I didn't really believe that God 00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:25.799 loved me could provide for me or even could take me back I think starting university really introduced 00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:32.679 a whole spectrum of ways that I could live out this pretense without the need to fit my family's 00:31:32.679 --> 00:31:39.319 expectations I began to live the prodigal life the center of my life was myself and I followed the 00:31:39.319 --> 00:31:45.960 things that I believed could ensure security and happiness for me academics social status comfort 00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:51.160 I genuinely thought that you know this was the right place for me I believe that you know this 00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:56.680 was a place that could provide approval happiness and contentment in my life that I could provide 00:31:56.680 --> 00:32:03.240 that for myself architecture quickly became an outlet for me to express this need for 00:32:04.360 --> 00:32:10.519 self-sufficient living I invested my time and effort in creating flawless pieces of work to impress 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:15.880 both my professors and classmates I believed in my own strength and I was working for my own gain 00:32:16.600 --> 00:32:24.840 a typical prodigal son at HKU I tried to provide myself in terms of friendship school reputation to avoid 00:32:24.840 --> 00:32:29.960 what I really thought about myself that I really didn't have friends that I wasn't that smart and 00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:35.960 you know I had these huge character flaws at the end of the first semester I began to realize that these 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:41.560 things were coming up in my life more and more and it seemed more and more difficult to you know keep 00:32:41.559 --> 00:32:48.200 keep putting up this facade of um perfection uh it was harder to be this consistently high achieving 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:55.399 student and even harder to be this popular figure among my friends at HKU um whenever I realized this 00:32:56.279 --> 00:33:02.839 that I could no longer keep up this this facade or this pretense and that I really needed God I started to 00:33:02.839 --> 00:33:08.199 give up this way of life however just like the younger brother um I projected the same mentality on 00:33:08.199 --> 00:33:14.359 God I tried to do the right thing I tried to rid myself of the symptoms but I could never get free 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:20.679 from this disease I believe that I still needed to help myself the younger brother inside of me made me 00:33:20.679 --> 00:33:27.319 feel like that I had to proactively regain the love of the father the shame and guilt that I felt um that I had 00:33:27.319 --> 00:33:31.960 about my life caused me to believe that I need to needed to provide for myself I needed to prove 00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:42.119 myself and I needed to redeem the past life that I had um the process of going back to God um was not 00:33:42.679 --> 00:33:48.519 painless I still had layers of presuppositions about who God was and I needed to work those away I kept 00:33:48.519 --> 00:33:53.879 asking myself you know how can I be a better person for God how can I stop from sinning how can I be the 00:33:53.880 --> 00:34:01.080 good son um but not until I completely surrendered my ability was it then that I was able to see it 00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:06.360 wasn't about what I could do but what he had already done for me um through the community that surrounded 00:34:06.360 --> 00:34:12.599 me I started I started to see bit by bit how God runs after me and how he finds me I think through 00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:18.760 surrendering even the things um the ways that I thought I could um the things that I could offer God or the 00:34:18.760 --> 00:34:23.480 things that I could do for God I began to see that coming back to the father um wasn't about healing 00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:29.719 myself or trying to ensure that I was free free from sin but I think it was more about identifying 00:34:29.719 --> 00:34:37.240 my helplessness and allowing him to come in and heal me yeah thank you Henrik and Michael um 00:34:37.240 --> 00:34:39.960 I also want to take your time to pray for for them and um 00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:50.840 yeah just as you hear their story like maybe something resonates with you and where you are and 00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:58.680 how God pursues you uh just join me in prayer for them father I just uh thank you for Henrika and 00:34:58.680 --> 00:35:06.680 Michael and the journey that you have taken them on um the way that yeah you just uh gave them freedom 00:35:06.680 --> 00:35:14.280 to walk their own way and coming to the end finding you and that you and your love breakthrough through 00:35:14.280 --> 00:35:20.519 the shame and guilt that they had and uh you just set them free uh to to live a life that would not be 00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:26.440 wasted at the end where they would stand at the end of lives in front of Christ and and look back and see 00:35:26.440 --> 00:35:32.280 all the glory they have brought to you and how they have have participated in redeeming the world and 00:35:32.280 --> 00:35:37.240 the people around them and so just pray um just over Henrika and Michael as they continue their journey 00:35:37.239 --> 00:35:43.319 and that they would continuously be um you know sought out by you and that they would keep running back 00:35:43.319 --> 00:35:49.239 to you wherever they fall and stumble on the way and that their lives would be an amazing testimony of 00:35:49.239 --> 00:35:56.839 your love and how you pursue us and how you uh find lost things and lost people just in Christ's name amen 00:35:58.119 --> 00:36:04.439 so as you may may see in their stories uh we all are somewhat on the journey of the of the younger son 00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:13.000 or the younger daughter sometimes we wander away and do our own thing and we can get wasteful and reckless 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:23.559 on our journey but God he waits on the doorstep and he seeks in his love seeks out through our shame and 00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:31.559 and guilt uh final thought that i want to close with um is just another little movement that the story 00:36:31.559 --> 00:36:40.440 doesn't really mention it's the question of what do you think happens after the story when the son has 00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:49.559 returned he's back home the celebration is over his life has been restored 00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:58.279 what do you think happens when the famine is gone the things are back to normal and the memories of the 00:36:58.280 --> 00:37:03.720 past begin to fade do you think the sun will ever take off again 00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:13.880 and do you think that when he takes off again that the father will stand at the doorstep again 00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:24.120 it sounds outrageous but jesus actually gives a pretty clear indication about who god is and who the 00:37:24.119 --> 00:37:31.719 father is in that story so the story of the lost son uh how toba mentioned is only one of three stories 00:37:31.719 --> 00:37:38.359 we already looked at the story of the the sheep and the coin and now the lost son three things lost 00:37:39.079 --> 00:37:47.079 they all three talk about god's unending love and and how he never gives up and how he continues to pursue us 00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:55.880 that the only thing about god that is wasteful and reckless is his love and grace 00:37:57.960 --> 00:38:03.239 now the people at the time that heard jesus talk about these three things they knew exactly what he 00:38:03.239 --> 00:38:10.199 was saying for the jewish listeners a three-time repetition was something of completeness 00:38:10.199 --> 00:38:16.919 wholeness three-time repetition meant wholeness so for example when when they referred to god in the 00:38:16.919 --> 00:38:23.159 hebrew culture they would not say like god was like totally awesome or super duper holy or something like 00:38:23.159 --> 00:38:29.239 that like there is no like word like that so when they wanted to talk about this completeness this amazing 00:38:30.119 --> 00:38:37.239 complete holiness they would say holy holy holy is the lord god almighty they would repeat it three times to 00:38:37.239 --> 00:38:44.759 show that it's such a perfect way in his holiness and when they heard these three stories over the meals 00:38:44.759 --> 00:38:50.439 that we talked about before the the lost things they represented all the things that t that jesus taught 00:38:50.439 --> 00:38:58.599 about over the meals and now we are the three stories of god seeking the lost so his listeners would know 00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:07.079 what jesus was saying here that god would never give up seeking the lost that there was completeness 00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:16.039 about his grace and what a comfort that is that god does not stand at the doorstep once waiting on us to return 00:39:17.159 --> 00:39:27.400 but wherever you are wherever you have been and wherever you will be god will stand at the doorstep 00:39:27.400 --> 00:39:39.160 running to you receiving you in his perfect perfect love again and again and again let's pray 00:39:43.960 --> 00:39:51.079 father what an amazing picture of your love knowing that you would stand at the doorstep 00:39:51.960 --> 00:39:59.559 again and again waiting on us and that even now today you're waiting at the doorstep for us to return to you 00:40:03.079 --> 00:40:07.480 i still know where everyone is on their journey here but god you know and 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:13.480 you know the the dreams and desires that are building us and us to just be the prodigal and 00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:21.880 and just pray that you would heal and restore that you would align our desires with yours that you would 00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:28.440 bring people in our lives to have this honest and open conversation about the discontentment in our 00:40:28.440 --> 00:40:34.920 marriages and our jobs and our lives and that you want to speak hope into that 00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:42.599 father and um just you know the people that are on their journey that is wasteless and reckless 00:40:44.920 --> 00:40:50.039 wasting resources and wasting our time wasting our relationships that you 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:56.920 um you know was breaks break through that and point us to a life that is honoring you and 00:40:56.920 --> 00:40:59.559 and for those who are stuck in shame and guilt 00:40:59.559 --> 00:41:07.239 not knowing how to return father i pray that your unbelievable love would break through that 00:41:10.119 --> 00:41:12.840 that we would know that returning to you 00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:18.599 is the best we can ever do experiencing your unending love and mercy 00:41:20.119 --> 00:41:22.119 be robed by you and 00:41:22.119 --> 00:41:30.920 a celebration being prepared for us and rejoicing for our return and that that's who you are 00:41:32.119 --> 00:41:34.279 pray this in christ's name amen 00:41:36.599 --> 00:41:37.799 where are you on your journey 00:41:39.239 --> 00:41:41.559 some of us are in home with the father 00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:47.480 some of us are gathering our staff getting ready because we've been so frustrated we're ready to head out 00:41:47.480 --> 00:41:53.960 some of us are eating with the pigs and we're just realizing that 00:41:55.480 --> 00:42:01.639 and some of us are turning around and going back to him no matter where we are in that journey 00:42:02.840 --> 00:42:06.039 scripture says that god is there waiting for you 00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:10.679 you need someone to pray with you at the end of this time there'll be some people with the prayer 00:42:10.679 --> 00:42:15.320 teams up here they'd love for you to pray and just they're trained and the elders are up here 00:42:15.320 --> 00:42:18.519 i'll be up here we'd love to pray for you about where you're at in your journey and what god's teaching 00:42:18.519 --> 00:42:21.240 you and maybe even talking about what the next step is 00:42:22.120 --> 00:42:24.840 for us at watermark the next step is to be in a community group 00:42:25.480 --> 00:42:29.960 because this is where we believe that we journey together so if you're not in a community group 00:42:29.960 --> 00:42:34.200 there's a table right out here and we we want everybody to be in a smaller group than this 00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:38.120 where we walk through life together we do things together we learn 00:42:38.680 --> 00:42:43.640 together we serve together so right out there join up in a community group if you're not in one 00:42:43.639 --> 00:42:48.920 one because you need to be one on the journey because the journey is too hard to do it by yourself 00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:54.279 one thing i just wanted to share up here uh we have a special treat uh one of the guys who's really 00:42:54.279 --> 00:42:58.920 helped me on the journey through my whole life is going to come visit us this week and his name is 00:42:58.920 --> 00:43:04.679 dr hannah he's uh one of the top two or three church historians in the world and so he's going to 00:43:04.679 --> 00:43:09.400 talk to us about israel we're going to do israel together but on thursday night we have a date night 00:43:09.400 --> 00:43:14.760 now some of the guys have come to me incredibly nervous because they see this picture and the 00:43:14.760 --> 00:43:22.280 question is well i have to dance with my wife okay so let me put this the date night is for people who 00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:29.160 are single and dating they're for married or dating so bring a date or bring your wife don't bring both 00:43:29.160 --> 00:43:37.240 okay this is hong kong uh but bring one of them and thursday night's just a time to have fun it's going 00:43:37.239 --> 00:43:42.199 to be a it's going to be a very entertaining relaxing encouraging time uh you don't have to 00:43:42.199 --> 00:43:45.879 dance with your wife unless you want to i don't even think we're going to have dancing there but it 00:43:45.879 --> 00:43:51.239 is one of those money back guarantees it's at the cricket club and i encourage i i promise if you don't 00:43:51.239 --> 00:43:56.199 do it uh you're going to be disappointed because it's it's just a it's gonna be a time of blessing 00:43:56.199 --> 00:44:01.799 and encouragement as a family as we go on this journey together okay so guys uh you don't have to dance 00:44:01.799 --> 00:44:06.199 with your wife here but you do need to dance with your wife sometime okay that's just that's what my 00:44:06.199 --> 00:44:14.759 wife she would kill me if i didn't say that okay uh so how you guys doing you okay this is amazing 00:44:14.759 --> 00:44:22.119 when you look at god's word and how he he loves us isn't it yeah father we thank you for this day 00:44:22.119 --> 00:44:27.239 we thank you for your goodness and your mercy we thank you that the only thing that you are reckless 00:44:27.239 --> 00:44:32.919 and wasteful on is your love and your grace and so we come before you at different stages of the 00:44:32.920 --> 00:44:41.960 journey knowing that wherever we're at that you're always looking at us looking for us that your face 00:44:41.960 --> 00:44:51.320 is always turned towards us because at one time you turned your face away from your son 00:44:52.760 --> 00:44:59.240 as he hung on the cross because of that moment when he took everything upon him 00:44:59.239 --> 00:45:06.919 we know as your children that your face is always turned towards us because you turned it away from 00:45:06.919 --> 00:45:14.439 him because of our sin so we come before you we worship you we love you we need you desperately 00:45:15.879 --> 00:45:21.399 we pray for this community our families we pray for the place you've placed us we pray for our workplace 00:45:21.400 --> 00:45:27.320 we pray for our homes we pray for what we go to eat right now realizing that everyone is on a journey there 00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:35.800 everyone is seeking for something to fill their bellies and we know that the only thing that will truly satisfy them is your son jesus 00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:43.160 help us to walk in courage and to share that message with all those you bring in contact with us 00:45:43.159 --> 00:45:49.799 father we love you and we pray these things in your son jesus name amen god bless you have a great week 00:45:49.799 --> 00:46:03.719 see you thursday and we'll see you back here back here same place next sunday