WEBVTT

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 Okay, good morning, everybody.

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 That's not bad, not bad.

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 Today we're continuing our series in Proverbs, and again, we're going to do a tag team approach.

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 Oscar's going to be sharing for part of the session.

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 I'm going to be sharing as well for part of the sermon.

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 And really, one of the hearts of what we're trying to do as Watermark is to be able to

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 use different gifts to develop and to grow as God moves us on, and as we raise up and

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 develop leaders and people who can preach in different ways.

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 And so it's very much some of the heart of what we're trying to do as a church, which

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 is why we have different people preaching at different times.

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 This sermon, how many of you thought there was going to be a typhoon today?

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 Okay, there's a few people.

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 We're talking today about planning, and I think it's totally ironic because we were going to

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 talk about this sermon last week.

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 And then a typhoon 8 comes in and completely messes up all of my plans.

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 My whole sermon series has been changed completely because God seems to know that we need a life

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 lesson sometimes in what planning looks like and the sovereignty of God looks like in our

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 lives.

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 And I don't know about you, but actually, a lot of the struggles that I think we have in

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 faith in our lives are actually because of that collision between our plans and what God

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 seems to be doing in the world, right?

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 You see, I've got a really good friend.

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 Seven years, he was planning language learning, planning, gathering a team to go and do mission

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 work in Kurdistan in Iraq.

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 Seven years.

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 Finally, he'd got the team together.

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 He'd got everything together.

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 It spent a lot of time, a lot of effort.

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 And then a few months before, his wife gives birth to a child, and the child has Down syndrome.

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 And they're unable to go after seven years.

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 And those questions come, well, it was supposed to be for you, God.

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 So what's going on here?

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 Why do you sometimes, God, seem to interrupt the plans, even the very good plans that we

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 seem to make?

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 And sometimes, I don't know about you, but we ask those questions which are, well, if

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 God is really good, why has he let this happen?

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 Why has he not worked things out the way that I thought they were going to work out?

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 And so that's kind of what we're going to have a little look at today in terms of how God

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 works in our lives through these plans and what he's up to in the world.

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 So if I can ask you a question, what's your plan for your life?

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 What's your plan for your life?

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 Some of you may say, I have no idea.

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 But if I asked you, in 20 years' time, where would you like to be?

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 What would you like to be doing?

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 How many kids would you like to have?

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 Would you like to be married or single?

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 How much money?

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 What level of comfort?

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 What would you like to happen in your family?

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 Those are things which actually tell you what your plan for your life is.

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 That's your vision for where you want to go in life.

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 And so we're looking at this book of Proverbs, and we're looking at what it means to have

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 chokmah.

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 Do you remember chokmah?

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 Chokmah is the word for wisdom.

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 It's a world where there isn't a formula, a kind of plug-and-play formula for how to live.

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 And there are many situations, we just don't have a set answer.

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 The Bible doesn't kind of say, okay, go to page three, and there you go.

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 You're going to be able to sort out all your problems in life.

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 It doesn't work quite like that.

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 And we need chokmah.

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 We need this wisdom which comes out of a healthy fear in this relationship with God, getting

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 Him in the right place in our lives to enable us to be able to navigate the complexities

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 of life.

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 So in this series, we've talked about a number of things.

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 Two weeks ago, we talked about affirmation, okay?

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 And we talked about using our words.

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 Who was here two weeks ago?

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 Who was here two weeks ago?

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 About five of you admit to being here.

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 We talked about how God wants us to be wise with our words.

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 We talked about three to one ratio in terms of affirmation and correction.

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 And I asked you to go and affirm someone who you don't normally go and affirm.

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 How do we do with that?

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 Anyone do that?

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 Because we want to be people who don't just hear the word.

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 We want to be people who actually do the word.

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 And actually, I went out and I decided I was going to contact a relative of mine to just

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 encourage her.

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 And I was going to WhatsApp her, just some things that I'd noticed.

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 And suddenly, as I got to WhatsApp, I realized I was really nervous about WhatsAppping her.

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 And I realized that having the wisdom that God wants for the words that I use is totally unnatural

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 in so many ways.

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 And God calls us as a church to be this church of wisdom in our words, in our friendships,

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 in our relationships, and in our plans.

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 And today, God is going to say to you, He wants you not just to hear His word, He actually

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 wants you to do His word.

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 So, let me just pray for us.

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 Let me just pray for us.

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 And I want you to pray in your heart as well.

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 Father, I don't just want to listen to Your word.

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 I don't just want to hear words.

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 I want to hear from You.

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 And Father, I pray that with the words that I speak, Lord, we would not just, and Oscar

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 speaks, we would not just be talking, but Lord, this would create life in our hearts and

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 You'd change us so that we live out in a way which is consistent with what You say and call

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 us to.

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 In Jesus' name, amen.

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 So, we're looking at plans.

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 Okay, have your bulletin with you because we're going to go through some of the passages

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 here.

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 And we're going to look at God's plan and our plans.

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 We're going to go look at God's heart and our heart.

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 We're going to look at God's love and our confidence.

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 Okay?

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 So, God's plan, our plans to start with.

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 One of the really interesting things in the Bible is it contains some very hard truths.

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 Let me give you one very hard truth.

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 The world is not about you.

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 The world is not about you.

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 It's about God and it's about His glory.

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 The sun doesn't orbit around us.

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 We orbit around the sun.

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 In the beginning, Chris, is not how the Bible starts.

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 It starts in the beginning, God.

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 And though everything in me wishes that I was in charge of my life, the Bible story is that

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 God is working out a plan.

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 And He's working out a plan of flourishing and redeeming and restoring a broken creation.

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 And He invites us to be involved and part of His plan.

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 And the question is, how do we get involved with His plan?

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 Well, Proverbs 21 verse 5 says this.

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 The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage.

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 But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

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 Okay?

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 The word diligent means someone who's strategic.

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 They plan.

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 They think through things.

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 Someone who is hasty is impulsive.

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 They do things just according to their own feelings at the time.

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 And what He's saying is this.

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 He's saying, what you plan has consequences in your life.

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 Okay?

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 What you plan has consequences.

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 You don't go into parenting or go into a war just saying, I'm just going to wing it.

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 Okay?

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 That's not a good strategy.

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 That's not a good plan.

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 We have to plan.

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 Now, our culture kind of looks at this and it says, in the words of Invictus, you know the poem Invictus?

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 It says, I am the master of my fate.

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 I am the captain of my soul.

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 Which is, I mean, we like that kind of thing.

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 Right?

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 We want to believe that we have this kind of, the free will to decide our lives.

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 And our plans are kind of the way that we shape our future.

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 We can act.

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 We can do.

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 We can make it happen.

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 You know, that's why we kind of love these rags to riches stories.

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 Or why we love, you know, movies about rats who become top chefs.

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 And one's about geeky celebrities who then, geeky kind of whatever, who become celebrities through talent competitions.

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 Because we want to believe that our plans, like, you can do anything.

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 You can follow your dreams.

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 Just plan your way and you'll make it happen.

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 Does anyone else's life revolve around your Google calendar and your to-do lists?

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 Because we can sometimes believe that our life is fully worth living if we've achieved everything we've done on our to-do list.

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 We believe we are the masters of our fate.

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 But it's quite interesting that, although some people think there's free will, other people will say, well, life is just determined.

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 Okay?

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 It's just fixed.

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 You know, there's quite a few brain scientists now who believe these kind of things.

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 And whether it's a God or the spirits or our DNA, they say, well, this has decided how you're going to live.

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 You know, we say things like, the fortune teller told me that this year was going to be a bad year.

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 And I reshaped my office.

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 I put in a water feature to get better feng shui.

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 But no matter what I've done, bad luck is happening to me.

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 It's just determined.

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 It's fixed.

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 It's fate.

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 So some of us think it's all about free will.

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 Some of us think it's determined.

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 Proverbs 16, 31 says, the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord.

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 It's every decision is from the Lord.

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 Casting lots is a bit like tossing a coin.

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 You know, you toss a coin, you know, you have a tennis match.

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 You toss the coin to see who's going to start first.

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 Right?

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 And what Proverbs is saying here is that even who's deciding first who's going to play at Wimbledon is under God's sovereign hand.

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 Every little detail of my life is ultimately going to work out in some way how God has planned it.

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 The fact that you're here this morning is under God's great plan.

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 The fact that my printer broke down is in some way under God's great plan.

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 And the fact that you're here this morning, I don't think anyone put a gun to your head.

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 I hope they didn't.

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 Okay?

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 That's not a great way to get people to service.

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 But we made a choice to come here.

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 But in some way, God is working through our choices to work out his plan.

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 And what it is, it's a bit like having a rope like this on a pulley.

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 And at one end of the pulley is my actions have consequences and I have freedom.

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 And the other end of the pulley is, well, God is completely in control of every aspect.

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 And it's difficult.

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 I can't put those two things together.

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 Intellectually, I don't know how it works.

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 Because either I think I've got freedom or I think it's fixed.

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 I can't put them together.

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 But the Bible says you've got to hold those both in tension.

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 It says, many are the plans in the mind of man, but the purpose of the Lord will stand.

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 I plan the sermon series.

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 God's not going to plan the sermon series for me.

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 The typhoon hits and the outcome is under his control.

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 And you see, the thing that we struggle with is if you just try and hold one end of the rope

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 and you don't hold the other end of the rope, life becomes actually impossible to live.

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 If you think that life is completely on God's autopilot and it's just fully determined,

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 you just become passive, you know, and you become cynical and become bored with life.

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 Why do I need to send out CVs to get the job?

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 Well, God's going to provide.

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 Right?

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 Or worse, some people say, I know I committed adultery, but God made me do it.

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 Really?

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 You see, we don't take responsibility for what God has given us.

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 But on the other hand, if it's all on you, that's really scary.

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 Really scary.

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 My best friend, when he was younger, he tried desperately to get a girl to marry him.

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 Who, looking back, would have been a disaster for him to marry.

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 Like, complete disaster.

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 And Tim Keller, pastor in the States, says,

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 Imagine you looking back in your life to whether you were a teenager or in your 20s,

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 depending on how old you are.

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 Think about the ratio of the goodness of your plans.

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 Probably about two-thirds of my plans were bad plans when I was a teenager.

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 Right?

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 Now, the question is, the more frightening question is,

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 what's the percentage for you now?

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 How good are your plans now?

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 Maybe I've improved a little bit.

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 Maybe I'm kind of at 50% good planning.

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 But still, if the planning is all on you,

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 then our lives, we can screw up our lives really easily.

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 But the Bible says, if you hold both of those ropes together,

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 God's totally in control, but you have free choices in what you make to make,

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 then there is a freedom to live well.

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 You know, in the Bible, there's the story of Joseph.

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 You know the story of Joseph?

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 Joseph.

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 You know, he's the favorite kid of his father.

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 He has dreams about his family bowing down to him,

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 and he tells all his family,

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 and it just annoys his brothers so much that they want to go and kill him.

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 So they go and throw him in a pit,

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 but eventually they change their minds and decide to sell him to slave traders.

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 Gets down to Egypt, and he's a great worker,

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 but he's thrown into prison anyway.

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 He's waiting, doesn't know what's going on in his life.

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 But eventually, the whole plan comes through where he becomes second in command in Egypt.

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 Yeah, you know the story?

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 And you know what's really interesting is that at the end of the story,

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 his dad dies, his brothers come back to him,

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 and they're really terrified about what he's going to say.

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 And they say to him,

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 Hey, please give us mercy for how we treated you.

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 And Joseph, with incredibly great grace, says to them,

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 he says in Genesis 50, 20, he says,

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 You meant this for harm, but God meant this for good.

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 You meant this for harm, but God meant this for good.

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 You were planning something evil.

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 God was working something bigger and greater.

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 You know, just for the ordinary things in life,

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 I signed up for a new broadband package just this last week.

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 It was my choice, okay?

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 I chose it.

00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:46.000
 But the company has tried to mess me around all this week,

00:15:46.340 --> 00:15:49.580
 and then last night, two hours late,

00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:52.000
 they turned up at my house to try and install it,

00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:57.000
 and they arrived at 11 p.m.,

00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:59.879
 and they didn't leave till midnight last night.

00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:03.039
 And it's driving me nuts,

00:16:03.940 --> 00:16:06.220
 because I've got to preach this morning,

00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:07.440
 and I want to get some sleep.

00:16:08.779 --> 00:16:10.039
 Was God in control?

00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:13.000
 Absolutely.

00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:14.620
 Absolutely.

00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:17.139
 But have I made choices?

00:16:17.340 --> 00:16:17.860
 Absolutely.

00:16:18.700 --> 00:16:20.659
 But is God going to work in me

00:16:20.659 --> 00:16:23.519
 and wanting to change me in some way through this?

00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:27.019
 In my frustration and anger, absolutely.

00:16:28.699 --> 00:16:32.439
 So I'm going to pass over to Oscar

00:16:32.439 --> 00:16:35.139
 to share a little bit more about God's heart.

00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:36.519
 Thank you.

00:16:37.319 --> 00:16:42.419
 Guys, ever seen WWF wrestling?

00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.100
 Like tag team?

00:16:44.379 --> 00:16:44.480
 Yeah.

00:16:45.079 --> 00:16:45.699
 Leo's seen it.

00:16:45.779 --> 00:16:45.919
 Yeah.

00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:46.679
 Leo's laughing.

00:16:49.059 --> 00:16:49.419
 Morning.

00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:52.840
 Morning.

00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:54.559
 Great.

00:16:57.199 --> 00:16:59.919
 The microphone is enthusiastic.

00:17:00.939 --> 00:17:01.960
 So as Chris explained,

00:17:03.259 --> 00:17:06.019
 it is fundamentally good for us to plan.

00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:09.359
 God, in his infinite wisdom,

00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:13.379
 has given us the ability and responsibility

00:17:13.379 --> 00:17:15.759
 to plan for our lives

00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:18.000
 and for the lives under our care.

00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:23.039
 But I think the challenge for me

00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:24.359
 and perhaps for some of you here

00:17:24.359 --> 00:17:27.859
 is that oftentimes we have the wrong motivation

00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:29.380
 behind our plans.

00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:32.839
 Proverbs 16.1 says,

00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:35.859
 The plans of the heart belong to man,

00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:39.019
 but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:42.640
 Plans of the heart belong to man.

00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:46.880
 Our plans, our desires,

00:17:47.140 --> 00:17:49.740
 our future intentions,

00:17:50.360 --> 00:17:52.660
 they come from the heart, don't they?

00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:56.920
 If you've been to Watermark for any period of time,

00:17:56.980 --> 00:17:58.860
 you probably hear us talk about the heart a lot.

00:18:00.020 --> 00:18:01.940
 We teach about actions, what we do,

00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:03.620
 words, what we say,

00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:05.000
 but we emphasize the heart

00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:06.640
 because everything that happens outwardly,

00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:10.220
 it comes from within.

00:18:11.360 --> 00:18:13.200
 Our actions and our words,

00:18:13.520 --> 00:18:15.520
 they stem from our heart,

00:18:16.320 --> 00:18:18.920
 the core of our inner person,

00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:21.300
 source of our will and our desires.

00:18:23.980 --> 00:18:25.920
 But as Jeremiah says,

00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:31.000
 the heart is deceitful above all things

00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:32.780
 and desperately sick.

00:18:33.520 --> 00:18:34.700
 Who can understand it?

00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:38.299
 The heart is deceitful above all things.

00:18:38.340 --> 00:18:41.299
 You can hear the pain in Jeremiah's voice.

00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:44.019
 He's talking about the people of Judah.

00:18:45.600 --> 00:18:48.140
 They had seen and heard the goodness of God

00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:50.100
 for hundreds and hundreds of years.

00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:51.700
 Their forefathers had told them

00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:53.340
 the faithfulness of God.

00:18:54.539 --> 00:18:55.600
 And at time and again,

00:18:56.220 --> 00:18:57.600
 they turned their back on their father

00:18:57.600 --> 00:19:00.480
 and they went and worshiped idols.

00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:01.539
 It made no sense.

00:19:01.580 --> 00:19:02.700
 It's totally illogical.

00:19:02.700 --> 00:19:05.420
 But as Jeremiah says,

00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.900
 the heart is deceitful.

00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:09.340
 This is the human condition.

00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.279
 We are prone to do things

00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:13.420
 that benefit ourselves.

00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:16.680
 We are inclined to serve ourselves,

00:19:17.160 --> 00:19:19.940
 to make plans that put us number one.

00:19:22.819 --> 00:19:24.340
 A few weeks ago, my wife Celeste,

00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:26.500
 a few months ago now actually,

00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:27.740
 my wife Celeste asked me

00:19:27.740 --> 00:19:29.980
 if I still had plans to run my own hedge fund,

00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:31.279
 start my own hedge fund.

00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:34.019
 I've been in this business for a number of years.

00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:35.240
 I love what I do.

00:19:35.319 --> 00:19:36.160
 I'm passionate about it.

00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:38.019
 I love going to work every single day.

00:19:38.859 --> 00:19:40.779
 And so she logically asked me this question.

00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:43.899
 And I think if she asked me five years ago,

00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:44.359
 I would have said,

00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:45.519
 100%, totally.

00:19:46.339 --> 00:19:47.559
 I want to do it.

00:19:47.619 --> 00:19:48.379
 Be my own boss.

00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:50.099
 But you know,

00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:51.359
 as I've thought about this

00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:53.039
 in recent times,

00:19:53.099 --> 00:19:54.019
 you know what I've realized?

00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:57.720
 My motivations weren't that pure after all.

00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.379
 He wanted to run my own hedge fund

00:20:00.379 --> 00:20:02.519
 because I wanted to be the boss.

00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:06.460
 I didn't want to have to report to somebody.

00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:08.299
 I wanted my name on the door.

00:20:10.379 --> 00:20:11.139
 And to be honest,

00:20:11.180 --> 00:20:12.519
 I also wanted to be able to work from home

00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:13.619
 so I can see my daughter every day.

00:20:13.619 --> 00:20:18.279
 You know,

00:20:18.299 --> 00:20:19.539
 there's nothing inherently wrong

00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:20.359
 with running a hedge fund

00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:21.859
 or being a CEO

00:20:21.859 --> 00:20:25.359
 or a leader in the political world,

00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:27.099
 in government or in academia.

00:20:27.579 --> 00:20:29.899
 Nothing wrong with planning your career either.

00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:34.140
 I think the issue that I have,

00:20:35.120 --> 00:20:36.580
 and maybe for some of you today,

00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:40.360
 is when we pray to the Lord about our plans,

00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:41.259
 our prayer is,

00:20:41.860 --> 00:20:43.680
 God, this is what I want.

00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:45.840
 These are my plans.

00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:48.519
 God, please help me to get where I want to go.

00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:51.960
 But our prayer should be,

00:20:53.460 --> 00:20:56.380
 Father, what are your plans for my life?

00:20:56.380 --> 00:20:59.940
 What do you want from my career?

00:21:00.840 --> 00:21:03.200
 And how can I fit into your plans

00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.280
 so that I can do your work?

00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:09.500
 One way to check or test our hearts

00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:10.500
 is to ask ourselves,

00:21:11.060 --> 00:21:12.300
 if I didn't have this career,

00:21:13.380 --> 00:21:14.400
 would I still be content?

00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:17.900
 Would I still be able to say that God is good?

00:21:21.120 --> 00:21:23.580
 And then there's the aspect of trusting God

00:21:23.580 --> 00:21:24.240
 with our plans,

00:21:24.280 --> 00:21:25.220
 which is so important.

00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:27.339
 We can make a plan today,

00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:29.019
 tomorrow.

00:21:29.860 --> 00:21:30.819
 We don't know the outcome.

00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:31.759
 One year down the line,

00:21:31.819 --> 00:21:32.420
 we don't know the outcome.

00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:34.180
 We didn't even know we could be at church today.

00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:36.819
 Thank God the weather's okay, though.

00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.460
 Planning typically involves

00:21:40.460 --> 00:21:42.480
 some aspect of the unknown,

00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:45.559
 of uncertainty.

00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:50.059
 That is why trusting God is so important.

00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:53.740
 Proverbs 3, 5 and 6,

00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:56.579
 trust in the Lord with all your heart

00:21:56.579 --> 00:21:59.220
 and lean not on your own understanding.

00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:01.460
 I think if you've been a Christian

00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:02.420
 for any amount of time,

00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.700
 you probably know this verse.

00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:04.539
 Trust God.

00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:07.259
 Pastors love to say it.

00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:08.200
 Elders love to say it.

00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:11.079
 It's probably one of the most commonly used directives

00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:12.059
 from Christian to Christian.

00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:12.799
 Trust God.

00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:16.000
 But what does that mean to trust God?

00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.039
 What does it look like?

00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.519
 Proverbs 16, 3.

00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:26.720
 Commit your works to the Lord

00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:29.400
 and your plans will be established.

00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:32.700
 Commit your works to the Lord.

00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:33.259
 Commit.

00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:34.460
 The word commit,

00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:36.380
 the word commit

00:22:36.380 --> 00:22:38.359
 literally means to roll.

00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:41.179
 As in to roll a ball

00:22:41.179 --> 00:22:42.599
 away from yourself,

00:22:42.740 --> 00:22:44.019
 out of your hands,

00:22:44.099 --> 00:22:45.459
 out of your control,

00:22:45.779 --> 00:22:47.539
 and into the control of another.

00:22:47.819 --> 00:22:49.019
 Like you roll a bowling ball

00:22:49.019 --> 00:22:49.759
 down the alley

00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:51.259
 and it's out of your hands

00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:52.299
 and in the hands of

00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:54.339
 gravity and air conditioning.

00:22:56.039 --> 00:22:57.819
 What the passage is saying here

00:22:57.819 --> 00:22:59.000
 is that if we

00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:01.219
 commit our works to God,

00:23:01.259 --> 00:23:03.119
 if we surrender our plans to Him,

00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:05.019
 God begins to shape our planning.

00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:07.279
 And this is where the wisdom

00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:08.799
 of Proverbs comes in.

00:23:10.220 --> 00:23:11.839
 Through the wisdom of God,

00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:13.019
 our planning improves.

00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:16.039
 We're better at planning.

00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:17.519
 Our plans become more efficient,

00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:19.160
 more orderly,

00:23:19.579 --> 00:23:21.660
 and we start to plan

00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:24.259
 what God wants for us,

00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:27.079
 not only what we want for ourselves.

00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:30.420
 For some of us,

00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:32.639
 our plans become

00:23:32.639 --> 00:23:34.019
 a weight on our shoulders,

00:23:34.019 --> 00:23:35.319
 a ball and chain

00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:36.039
 around our ankles.

00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.259
 So if we can release

00:23:38.259 --> 00:23:38.839
 that ball

00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:40.240
 and roll it to God,

00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:43.099
 a weight is released

00:23:43.099 --> 00:23:44.559
 and a lightness

00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:45.839
 and a peace

00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:46.500
 and a freedom

00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:48.619
 is what comes out of that.

00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:51.240
 How many parents

00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:51.759
 do we have in the room?

00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:52.480
 Parents?

00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:54.119
 Lots of parents,

00:23:54.220 --> 00:23:54.480
 don't we?

00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:55.019
 Yes.

00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:57.539
 My wife Celeste and I,

00:23:57.660 --> 00:23:59.019
 we have a 17-month daughter

00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:00.400
 named Kiva.

00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:03.280
 In the past two years,

00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:04.940
 I think I've had more conversations

00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:06.600
 about family planning

00:24:06.600 --> 00:24:07.700
 and raising children

00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:08.360
 than I've had

00:24:08.360 --> 00:24:09.900
 in the combined 30 years

00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:11.019
 of my life.

00:24:11.600 --> 00:24:14.000
 It's such a huge topic, right?

00:24:14.900 --> 00:24:15.620
 And if you're a parent

00:24:15.620 --> 00:24:16.280
 here this morning,

00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:17.840
 God has given you

00:24:17.840 --> 00:24:19.019
 a precious gift.

00:24:20.300 --> 00:24:21.019
 God has entrusted

00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:21.820
 His child

00:24:21.820 --> 00:24:23.220
 into your hands.

00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:24.820
 And as parents,

00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:26.400
 we have an active responsibility

00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:28.820
 to take care of our children

00:24:28.820 --> 00:24:29.980
 and part of that

00:24:29.980 --> 00:24:30.620
 is planning.

00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:33.700
 And in Hong Kong,

00:24:33.820 --> 00:24:34.240
 especially,

00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:35.660
 a huge part of that planning

00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:36.440
 relates to schooling,

00:24:36.560 --> 00:24:36.960
 doesn't it?

00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:39.640
 You know what I'm talking about

00:24:39.640 --> 00:24:40.580
 if you're a parent here, right?

00:24:41.140 --> 00:24:42.140
 We all spend a fair amount

00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:42.560
 of time

00:24:42.560 --> 00:24:43.860
 researching schools,

00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:46.560
 doing school site visits,

00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:48.100
 talking to other parents

00:24:48.100 --> 00:24:48.620
 about schools,

00:24:48.800 --> 00:24:49.280
 networking

00:24:49.280 --> 00:24:50.519
 to increase the probability

00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:51.460
 of getting into schools.

00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:54.140
 My daughter's only 17 months old

00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:54.700
 and I've done

00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:55.900
 all of those things already.

00:24:55.900 --> 00:24:56.700
 I admit to you.

00:24:59.080 --> 00:25:00.480
 And I also admit to you

00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:03.700
 that it's tough.

00:25:04.780 --> 00:25:05.780
 I get anxious.

00:25:06.920 --> 00:25:07.940
 I get worried.

00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:10.019
 Will my daughter Kiva

00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:11.519
 get into school in Hong Kong?

00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:14.140
 I don't know.

00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:16.880
 If she's as smart as my wife,

00:25:16.940 --> 00:25:17.320
 then yes,

00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:18.000
 I think she will.

00:25:19.560 --> 00:25:22.040
 But will she survive

00:25:22.040 --> 00:25:23.560
 the school system in Hong Kong?

00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:24.420
 It's tough, right?

00:25:24.420 --> 00:25:25.160
 The stress,

00:25:25.280 --> 00:25:25.700
 the pressure.

00:25:25.900 --> 00:25:30.019
 The question that I ask myself

00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:32.420
 and maybe you should ask yourself is,

00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:35.000
 do we commit the planning,

00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:36.460
 do we roll the planning

00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:38.580
 of our kids schooling to God

00:25:38.580 --> 00:25:40.240
 and do we surrender that to Him?

00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:42.160
 For example,

00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:42.800
 when we pray,

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:45.200
 I think a lot of us probably

00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.880
 pray for our children

00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:47.600
 to get into school.

00:25:48.280 --> 00:25:49.200
 But when we pray,

00:25:49.320 --> 00:25:50.400
 is our prayer simply,

00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:51.640
 Father,

00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:51.660
 Father,

00:25:51.780 --> 00:25:52.840
 please help little David

00:25:52.840 --> 00:25:55.240
 get into GSIS or CIS.

00:25:55.560 --> 00:25:56.380
 That's a good prayer.

00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:57.300
 That's a fine prayer.

00:25:57.460 --> 00:25:58.840
 But it's only half the prayer.

00:26:00.360 --> 00:26:00.519
 You know,

00:26:00.580 --> 00:26:00.960
 rather,

00:26:01.080 --> 00:26:01.840
 we should be praying,

00:26:02.360 --> 00:26:02.600
 Father,

00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.519
 please help little David

00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:04.420
 get into GSIS.

00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:06.300
 But also,

00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:06.900
 we should pray,

00:26:07.900 --> 00:26:08.300
 Lord,

00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:11.019
 I know you're a good God.

00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:12.240
 Lord,

00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:13.519
 I know you're sovereign.

00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:16.420
 I know you're a faithful God.

00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:18.240
 You have proven your love to me

00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:20.079
 through the Bible,

00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:21.039
 the Word of God,

00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:23.359
 through my life,

00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:24.660
 through even giving me a child.

00:26:25.700 --> 00:26:26.859
 I know you're faithful,

00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:27.279
 Lord,

00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:28.519
 so I commit,

00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:31.319
 I roll this plan to you,

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:31.519
 Lord.

00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:32.579
 I surrender to you,

00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:32.839
 Father.

00:26:32.839 --> 00:26:32.959
 Father,

00:26:33.399 --> 00:26:35.799
 I've done my responsibility.

00:26:36.679 --> 00:26:37.639
 Now it's in your hands.

00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:41.519
 You know,

00:26:41.539 --> 00:26:42.000
 there's an old,

00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:43.339
 there's an old TV show

00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:43.819
 in the 80s

00:26:43.819 --> 00:26:44.519
 called The A-Team.

00:26:45.159 --> 00:26:46.199
 Anybody ever see The A-Team?

00:26:47.099 --> 00:26:47.319
 Yeah,

00:26:47.419 --> 00:26:48.179
 Ed's seen The A-Team,

00:26:48.279 --> 00:26:48.399
 yeah.

00:26:49.959 --> 00:26:51.039
 I was made into a movie

00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:51.799
 a few years ago

00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:52.720
 starring Liam Neeson

00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:53.480
 and Bradley Cooper.

00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:55.159
 The basic storyline

00:26:55.159 --> 00:26:56.399
 of The A-Team

00:26:56.399 --> 00:26:57.480
 is that there's a team

00:26:57.480 --> 00:26:58.659
 of former soldiers

00:26:58.659 --> 00:27:00.759
 and they are part

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.399
 of The A-Team

00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:04.019
 and in each episode,

00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:05.180
 effectively,

00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:07.400
 they have this elaborate plan

00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:08.640
 to outwit the bad guys

00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:10.920
 and they typically do

00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:11.640
 every single episode

00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:12.600
 outwit the bad guys

00:27:12.600 --> 00:27:14.740
 and at the end

00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:15.860
 of each episode,

00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:16.680
 Hannibal,

00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:17.820
 the leader of The A-Team,

00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:19.660
 he lights up a cigar,

00:27:20.060 --> 00:27:20.700
 takes a puff,

00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:21.780
 leans back in his chair

00:27:21.780 --> 00:27:22.220
 and says,

00:27:22.580 --> 00:27:23.259
 I love it

00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:24.220
 when a plan comes together.

00:27:26.500 --> 00:27:28.019
 But it never always

00:27:28.019 --> 00:27:28.720
 happens that way,

00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:29.120
 does it?

00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:33.820
 life has a way

00:27:33.820 --> 00:27:34.880
 of surprising us

00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:36.960
 and in some cases,

00:27:37.380 --> 00:27:37.960
 life throws us

00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:39.200
 massive curveballs

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:40.440
 that we totally

00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:41.420
 never prepared for.

00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:44.580
 I became an elder

00:27:44.580 --> 00:27:45.060
 of Watermark

00:27:45.060 --> 00:27:45.920
 a year and a half ago

00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:47.800
 and when I became

00:27:47.800 --> 00:27:48.620
 an elder of Watermark,

00:27:49.120 --> 00:27:50.860
 I didn't verbalize

00:27:50.860 --> 00:27:51.340
 a lot of stuff

00:27:51.340 --> 00:27:52.040
 but in my head,

00:27:52.120 --> 00:27:52.640
 I had plans.

00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:53.420
 Yeah,

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:53.880
 it was going to be

00:27:53.880 --> 00:27:54.840
 a smooth job,

00:27:55.019 --> 00:27:55.820
 really great,

00:27:56.019 --> 00:27:56.180
 you know,

00:27:56.220 --> 00:27:56.840
 no problems,

00:27:56.960 --> 00:27:58.060
 no heartache,

00:27:58.280 --> 00:27:59.019
 no difficulties,

00:27:59.160 --> 00:27:59.820
 no challenges.

00:27:59.819 --> 00:28:02.279
 Why was I wrong?

00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:05.399
 I didn't plan

00:28:05.399 --> 00:28:06.679
 for our lead pastor,

00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:07.179
 Tobin,

00:28:07.659 --> 00:28:08.559
 who Celeste and I

00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:09.139
 are very close to,

00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:09.819
 to have to go back

00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:10.539
 to the U.S.

00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:12.339
 I didn't plan for us

00:28:12.339 --> 00:28:12.960
 to have to leave

00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:13.799
 our community center

00:28:13.799 --> 00:28:14.279
 because the rent

00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:15.179
 went up three times.

00:28:16.579 --> 00:28:17.919
 I didn't plan for us

00:28:17.919 --> 00:28:18.480
 to have to move

00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:19.000
 from Satterport

00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:19.599
 to Ebenezer.

00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:22.439
 And I admit to you

00:28:22.439 --> 00:28:22.859
 this morning

00:28:22.859 --> 00:28:23.720
 that there were times

00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:24.460
 when I would come home

00:28:24.460 --> 00:28:25.079
 from elder meetings

00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:26.119
 and I'd tell my wife,

00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:27.700
 I don't know

00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:28.460
 what's going on,

00:28:28.460 --> 00:28:29.840
 I'm worried.

00:28:31.079 --> 00:28:31.819
 I'm not sure

00:28:31.819 --> 00:28:32.519
 if our staff

00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:32.860
 will be able

00:28:32.860 --> 00:28:33.720
 to go to the office

00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:34.240
 next week

00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.340
 because we may not

00:28:35.340 --> 00:28:36.120
 be able to pay our rent

00:28:36.120 --> 00:28:37.019
 because they've increased

00:28:37.019 --> 00:28:37.779
 their rent so much.

00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:43.779
 Many of you here today

00:28:43.779 --> 00:28:44.500
 have plans,

00:28:45.059 --> 00:28:45.980
 you've made plans.

00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:50.180
 And for many of you today,

00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:50.960
 your plans

00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:54.039
 also haven't worked out

00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:55.140
 exactly as you wanted.

00:28:55.140 --> 00:28:58.000
 for some of you,

00:28:58.200 --> 00:28:58.780
 maybe you plan

00:28:58.780 --> 00:29:00.080
 a certain financial

00:29:00.080 --> 00:29:01.680
 security level

00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:03.160
 or career.

00:29:04.780 --> 00:29:05.720
 But as housing prices

00:29:05.720 --> 00:29:06.259
 in Hong Kong

00:29:06.259 --> 00:29:07.060
 continue to go up

00:29:07.060 --> 00:29:07.780
 year after year,

00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:08.200
 you're like,

00:29:08.280 --> 00:29:09.440
 I still can't buy a house?

00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:11.700
 That wasn't part

00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:12.080
 of your plan,

00:29:12.140 --> 00:29:12.440
 was it?

00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:13.060
 And you're frustrated.

00:29:14.800 --> 00:29:15.780
 Maybe for people here

00:29:15.780 --> 00:29:16.500
 who are single,

00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:18.020
 you've wanted to be married

00:29:18.020 --> 00:29:19.000
 for a very long time

00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:19.600
 and you've been praying

00:29:19.600 --> 00:29:20.040
 to the Lord

00:29:20.040 --> 00:29:20.800
 and nothing's happened

00:29:20.800 --> 00:29:22.340
 and you're also frustrated.

00:29:22.339 --> 00:29:25.240
 But you know what?

00:29:27.099 --> 00:29:28.019
 And I acknowledge

00:29:28.019 --> 00:29:28.779
 this is not

00:29:28.779 --> 00:29:29.859
 that easy to swallow.

00:29:31.099 --> 00:29:31.419
 But you know,

00:29:31.459 --> 00:29:32.579
 in our multi-year journey

00:29:32.579 --> 00:29:33.220
 as Christians,

00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:34.359
 some of our plans

00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:34.879
 are going to go

00:29:34.879 --> 00:29:35.819
 very smoothly.

00:29:37.099 --> 00:29:37.959
 But others,

00:29:38.439 --> 00:29:39.559
 for some of our other plans,

00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:40.579
 the outcome

00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:41.019
 is going to be

00:29:41.019 --> 00:29:42.240
 the exact opposite

00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:43.779
 of what we had hoped

00:29:43.779 --> 00:29:44.359
 and desired

00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:44.919
 from the beginning.

00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:47.699
 But instead of seeing

00:29:47.699 --> 00:29:48.299
 these things

00:29:48.299 --> 00:29:49.439
 as bad things,

00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:51.559
 I just want to encourage

00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:52.440
 you guys today,

00:29:53.480 --> 00:29:55.000
 let's use opportunities

00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:57.519
 to learn and grow.

00:30:00.600 --> 00:30:01.840
 We actually want to be

00:30:01.840 --> 00:30:02.240
 in a place

00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:03.259
 where we have to say,

00:30:03.420 --> 00:30:03.680
 Lord,

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:05.840
 I can't do this.

00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:07.660
 I cannot figure this out

00:30:07.660 --> 00:30:08.340
 with my own intellect.

00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:10.299
 I cannot fix this

00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:11.080
 with my own hands.

00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:15.320
 I surrender this to you.

00:30:15.340 --> 00:30:17.019
 I roll this challenge

00:30:17.019 --> 00:30:17.779
 to you, God.

00:30:20.100 --> 00:30:20.700
 Because, you know,

00:30:20.759 --> 00:30:21.980
 it's through these experiences

00:30:21.980 --> 00:30:25.420
 that God can teach us.

00:30:26.380 --> 00:30:27.160
 He can restore

00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:28.259
 our broken hearts.

00:30:29.220 --> 00:30:30.620
 The heart, right?

00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:33.039
 Maybe He needs

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:33.759
 to humble us.

00:30:34.620 --> 00:30:35.799
 He does all these things

00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:36.440
 to change us,

00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:37.160
 to shape us,

00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:37.940
 to shape our hearts,

00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:39.160
 so that we can be used

00:30:39.160 --> 00:30:40.660
 to do His work.

00:30:41.600 --> 00:30:42.120
 For me,

00:30:42.180 --> 00:30:43.120
 as an elder of Watermark,

00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:43.600
 you know,

00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:44.519
 I've learned so much

00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:45.779
 in the past 18 months.

00:30:46.120 --> 00:30:46.420
 Firstly,

00:30:46.519 --> 00:30:46.880
 I've learned

00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:47.759
 that I lack faith.

00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:49.799
 But also,

00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:50.859
 I've learned

00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:52.619
 how amazing God is,

00:30:53.579 --> 00:30:55.019
 how much He's provided

00:30:55.019 --> 00:30:55.819
 for this church.

00:30:56.940 --> 00:30:57.140
 You know,

00:30:57.160 --> 00:30:57.920
 we're not perfect, right?

00:30:59.119 --> 00:30:59.680
 I'm not saying

00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:00.160
 that we are.

00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:01.000
 If we were perfect,

00:31:01.099 --> 00:31:01.640
 we wouldn't even have

00:31:01.640 --> 00:31:02.259
 to come to church

00:31:02.259 --> 00:31:03.019
 on Sunday morning, right?

00:31:04.579 --> 00:31:05.539
 What I see is today,

00:31:05.619 --> 00:31:06.259
 we're still meeting.

00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:08.480
 I see the community

00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:09.140
 is blossoming.

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:09.740
 New friendships

00:31:09.740 --> 00:31:10.319
 are forming.

00:31:10.500 --> 00:31:11.420
 We have a community lunch

00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:12.819
 happening today.

00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:16.720
 I see God at work.

00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:17.059
 You know,

00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:19.859
 what I realize

00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:20.359
 is that

00:31:20.359 --> 00:31:22.339
 God is infinitely bigger

00:31:22.339 --> 00:31:23.439
 than my biggest impression

00:31:23.439 --> 00:31:23.839
 of Him.

00:31:24.659 --> 00:31:25.439
 And when I look forward,

00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:26.639
 I have confidence in Him

00:31:26.639 --> 00:31:28.679
 because of the amazing

00:31:28.679 --> 00:31:29.460
 faithfulness

00:31:29.460 --> 00:31:30.359
 that He has shown us.

00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:34.079
 So the final question

00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:34.879
 for us

00:31:34.879 --> 00:31:36.779
 before I hand it back

00:31:36.779 --> 00:31:37.599
 to Chris is,

00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:39.359
 you know,

00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:40.579
 will you allow God

00:31:40.579 --> 00:31:43.419
 to teach you something

00:31:43.419 --> 00:31:44.119
 about Himself

00:31:44.119 --> 00:31:47.519
 when your plans blow up,

00:31:47.679 --> 00:31:48.539
 when they don't go

00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:49.199
 as you expected,

00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:50.779
 when the opposite happens?

00:31:52.719 --> 00:31:52.899
 You know,

00:31:52.899 --> 00:31:53.799
 just as in a marriage

00:31:53.799 --> 00:31:54.399
 relationship,

00:31:54.859 --> 00:31:55.859
 a husband and wife

00:31:55.859 --> 00:31:57.419
 continually seek,

00:31:57.599 --> 00:31:58.619
 should continually seek,

00:31:59.000 --> 00:31:59.579
 to learn more

00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:00.279
 about each other

00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:01.079
 as they grow

00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:01.639
 in their journey

00:32:01.639 --> 00:32:02.679
 as a married couple.

00:32:04.459 --> 00:32:06.099
 And in the same way,

00:32:06.959 --> 00:32:08.159
 in our journey

00:32:08.159 --> 00:32:08.819
 as Christians,

00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:09.139
 you know,

00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:09.540
 the beauty

00:32:09.540 --> 00:32:10.280
 of being a Christian

00:32:10.280 --> 00:32:10.820
 is that

00:32:10.820 --> 00:32:12.300
 God uses

00:32:12.300 --> 00:32:13.800
 good things

00:32:13.800 --> 00:32:14.560
 and bad things,

00:32:14.660 --> 00:32:15.200
 good experiences,

00:32:15.320 --> 00:32:15.940
 bad experiences,

00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:17.360
 triumphs and tragedies

00:32:17.360 --> 00:32:18.740
 to teach us

00:32:18.740 --> 00:32:19.320
 about Himself,

00:32:21.040 --> 00:32:21.640
 about His goodness,

00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:22.460
 about His character.

00:32:25.560 --> 00:32:26.300
 The God of the universe

00:32:26.300 --> 00:32:26.720
 has said

00:32:26.720 --> 00:32:27.580
 that I know you

00:32:27.580 --> 00:32:29.620
 and He's asking us,

00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:31.640
 do you want to know me?

00:32:33.020 --> 00:32:33.700
 Let me hand it back

00:32:33.700 --> 00:32:34.000
 to Chris.

00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:42.299
 Thank you, Oscar.

00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:42.400
 Thank you, Oscar.

00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:49.539
 So we've looked at actually

00:32:49.539 --> 00:32:51.839
 God's plans,

00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:52.519
 our plans,

00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:53.480
 the heart

00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:54.200
 of how God

00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:55.859
 changes us

00:32:55.859 --> 00:32:56.980
 and wants to use us.

00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:57.579
 And I want to just

00:32:57.579 --> 00:32:58.980
 kind of,

00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:00.480
 for the final point,

00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:00.880
 to really think

00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:01.640
 about God's love

00:33:01.640 --> 00:33:02.500
 and our confidence

00:33:02.500 --> 00:33:03.880
 in this

00:33:03.880 --> 00:33:04.339
 because

00:33:04.339 --> 00:33:07.740
 the call to trust

00:33:07.740 --> 00:33:10.940
 to roll everything

00:33:10.940 --> 00:33:11.480
 to Him

00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:12.000
 is a call

00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:13.180
 to total surrender.

00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:16.920
 That means

00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:18.319
 I acknowledge

00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:19.360
 my responsibility

00:33:19.360 --> 00:33:20.079
 to plan

00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:20.880
 in life

00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:21.799
 and make decisions,

00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:22.900
 but I also acknowledge

00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:23.640
 that my plans

00:33:23.640 --> 00:33:24.279
 are not ultimate.

00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:27.399
 and John Newton,

00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:28.539
 a writer

00:33:28.539 --> 00:33:29.619
 of Amazing Grace,

00:33:29.879 --> 00:33:30.599
 he prayed this

00:33:30.599 --> 00:33:31.319
 beautiful prayer

00:33:31.319 --> 00:33:31.960
 of surrender.

00:33:32.099 --> 00:33:32.500
 He said,

00:33:33.799 --> 00:33:34.099
 Lord,

00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:35.619
 what you will,

00:33:36.500 --> 00:33:37.399
 when you will,

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:39.000
 how you will.

00:33:40.420 --> 00:33:41.399
 What you will,

00:33:42.220 --> 00:33:43.079
 when you will,

00:33:43.700 --> 00:33:44.460
 how you will.

00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:46.680
 You know what

00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:47.480
 I tend to pray?

00:33:48.899 --> 00:33:50.700
 For my internet connection.

00:33:51.460 --> 00:33:51.779
 Lord,

00:33:51.879 --> 00:33:52.480
 what I will,

00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:54.180
 good broadband.

00:33:55.240 --> 00:33:56.220
 When I will,

00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:57.619
 now.

00:33:59.180 --> 00:34:00.180
 How I will,

00:34:01.099 --> 00:34:01.980
 in the smoothest

00:34:01.980 --> 00:34:02.660
 possible way

00:34:02.660 --> 00:34:03.700
 at my total convenience.

00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:05.579
 Amen.

00:34:08.259 --> 00:34:09.219
 But you see,

00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:10.599
 even though it's

00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:11.619
 a silly little example,

00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:12.019
 we do that

00:34:12.019 --> 00:34:13.039
 in all of our lives

00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:13.659
 because some of us

00:34:13.659 --> 00:34:15.139
 put so much weight

00:34:15.139 --> 00:34:17.179
 on certain of our plans.

00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:19.279
 A kid's getting

00:34:19.279 --> 00:34:20.099
 into certain schools,

00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:20.699
 as he said.

00:34:21.219 --> 00:34:22.400
 The internet company

00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:22.880
 turning up.

00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:23.980
 Whatever it is,

00:34:24.280 --> 00:34:25.460
 that when it doesn't

00:34:25.460 --> 00:34:25.860
 happen,

00:34:25.940 --> 00:34:26.440
 it's not just

00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:27.320
 disappointing,

00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:28.360
 it can be devastating

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:29.260
 to us because

00:34:29.260 --> 00:34:30.720
 we've lent so much

00:34:30.720 --> 00:34:31.320
 on those plans

00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:31.980
 because we believe

00:34:31.980 --> 00:34:33.000
 that's where our future

00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:33.920
 is held.

00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:35.560
 Because our plans

00:34:35.560 --> 00:34:36.660
 can become our saviour,

00:34:36.760 --> 00:34:37.600
 our plans can become

00:34:37.600 --> 00:34:38.160
 our hope,

00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:39.280
 our plans can become

00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:40.080
 our security.

00:34:40.620 --> 00:34:41.540
 And if we get that,

00:34:41.620 --> 00:34:42.280
 that's when we feel

00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:43.140
 like life's happening.

00:34:43.220 --> 00:34:44.180
 And if we don't,

00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:46.060
 we feel like life

00:34:46.060 --> 00:34:47.280
 has failed.

00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:49.180
 But you see,

00:34:49.240 --> 00:34:50.519
 the surrendered life

00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:52.480
 is one where we become

00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:53.800
 the kind of person

00:34:53.800 --> 00:34:55.000
 who is able to make

00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:56.920
 wise decisions.

00:34:58.200 --> 00:34:59.860
 We should love our kids,

00:35:00.200 --> 00:35:01.860
 but when we make our plans

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:03.340
 for them ultimate,

00:35:04.580 --> 00:35:05.640
 what happens is,

00:35:05.720 --> 00:35:06.460
 don't we often end up

00:35:06.460 --> 00:35:07.500
 being so controlling,

00:35:08.260 --> 00:35:08.920
 trying to make them

00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:10.240
 who we want them to be,

00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:12.480
 that actually it can be

00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:13.800
 devastating for the emotional

00:35:13.800 --> 00:35:15.000
 health of your kids.

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:15.960
 Have you seen that

00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:16.840
 so many times?

00:35:18.599 --> 00:35:19.440
 Because you see,

00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:22.760
 trust means I plan,

00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:24.739
 but I say,

00:35:25.699 --> 00:35:26.840
 here's what I want,

00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:28.000
 but what you will,

00:35:28.500 --> 00:35:29.360
 when you will,

00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:30.440
 how you will.

00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:32.619
 And here's the key thing.

00:35:33.639 --> 00:35:34.739
 The degree to which

00:35:34.739 --> 00:35:36.380
 you know God's love for you

00:35:36.380 --> 00:35:38.460
 is the degree to which

00:35:38.460 --> 00:35:39.719
 you will surrender to Him.

00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:41.679
 Did you get that?

00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:42.739
 The degree to which

00:35:42.739 --> 00:35:44.300
 you know God's love for you

00:35:44.300 --> 00:35:45.580
 is the degree to which

00:35:45.580 --> 00:35:46.840
 you will surrender to Him

00:35:46.840 --> 00:35:48.200
 because you can see

00:35:48.200 --> 00:35:49.460
 that He is trustworthy.

00:35:51.220 --> 00:35:52.740
 Because God interrupts

00:35:52.740 --> 00:35:54.060
 our plans to show us

00:35:54.060 --> 00:35:55.480
 that we're not in control

00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:57.420
 because He wants to reshape

00:35:57.420 --> 00:35:58.700
 the way you view His love.

00:36:00.600 --> 00:36:01.960
 Because, do you know,

00:36:02.060 --> 00:36:02.900
 nobody ever knows

00:36:02.900 --> 00:36:03.580
 that God loves them

00:36:03.580 --> 00:36:04.480
 just by being told

00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:05.240
 that God loves you.

00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:06.280
 You know that?

00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:08.440
 I can tell you

00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:09.760
 God loves you a hundred times,

00:36:09.980 --> 00:36:10.940
 and it may intellectually

00:36:10.940 --> 00:36:12.080
 you say yes, yes, yes,

00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:13.860
 but it will only go down here

00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:15.599
 if God shows you

00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:16.779
 in your life

00:36:16.779 --> 00:36:18.039
 how much He loves you.

00:36:19.179 --> 00:36:19.860
 Because you see,

00:36:19.940 --> 00:36:20.519
 for Joseph,

00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:22.779
 God could have come in

00:36:22.779 --> 00:36:23.779
 and He could have fixed

00:36:23.779 --> 00:36:24.719
 everything for him.

00:36:25.739 --> 00:36:26.000
 Right?

00:36:26.239 --> 00:36:26.460
 You know,

00:36:26.579 --> 00:36:26.980
 He could have gone,

00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:27.900
 Jacob, okay,

00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:28.900
 here's a parenting book.

00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:29.759
 Okay?

00:36:30.019 --> 00:36:31.699
 Joseph, just keep your mouth shut.

00:36:32.019 --> 00:36:32.319
 Okay?

00:36:32.679 --> 00:36:33.039
 Brothers,

00:36:33.619 --> 00:36:35.360
 just kind of quit the jealousy,

00:36:35.699 --> 00:36:37.000
 and in 15 minutes

00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:37.739
 could have all been done.

00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:39.400
 Fixed the whole thing

00:36:39.400 --> 00:36:39.840
 for Joseph.

00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:42.680
 Why doesn't God do that?

00:36:44.220 --> 00:36:45.840
 Because, you know,

00:36:45.900 --> 00:36:46.380
 He could do that

00:36:46.380 --> 00:36:46.940
 with your plans.

00:36:47.019 --> 00:36:48.220
 He could fix everything

00:36:48.220 --> 00:36:48.760
 right now.

00:36:50.059 --> 00:36:50.740
 You know that?

00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:52.420
 He could change everything.

00:36:53.300 --> 00:36:54.240
 Why doesn't He?

00:36:54.579 --> 00:36:55.519
 Because if you look

00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:57.420
 as Oscar's story showed,

00:36:57.660 --> 00:36:59.119
 as Joseph's story shows,

00:36:59.180 --> 00:37:00.360
 that through the trials

00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:01.700
 and the frustrations,

00:37:02.160 --> 00:37:04.059
 Joseph learned

00:37:04.059 --> 00:37:06.059
 to trust God

00:37:06.059 --> 00:37:07.280
 through this experience,

00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:08.680
 and he knew God's presence

00:37:08.680 --> 00:37:09.740
 walking with him

00:37:09.740 --> 00:37:11.180
 every step of the way.

00:37:11.500 --> 00:37:12.680
 And at the end of the story,

00:37:12.840 --> 00:37:13.880
 he has now changed

00:37:13.880 --> 00:37:15.080
 from being an arrogant kid

00:37:15.080 --> 00:37:16.000
 to being somebody

00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:16.840
 who was so gracious

00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:18.240
 to the brothers that he had

00:37:18.240 --> 00:37:19.620
 that he could have been,

00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:20.720
 could have hurt

00:37:20.720 --> 00:37:22.200
 so much in his life.

00:37:22.580 --> 00:37:23.200
 And through it,

00:37:23.220 --> 00:37:23.860
 he could look back

00:37:23.860 --> 00:37:24.160
 and see,

00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:25.220
 wow, God has loved me

00:37:25.220 --> 00:37:25.960
 all the way through.

00:37:27.519 --> 00:37:28.300
 And that's what He wants

00:37:28.300 --> 00:37:29.360
 to do in your life.

00:37:29.640 --> 00:37:30.880
 Sometimes you can't see now

00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:31.780
 how He's loving you,

00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:32.820
 but it's only when you get

00:37:32.820 --> 00:37:33.940
 to the end of the story

00:37:33.940 --> 00:37:34.760
 that you look back

00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:35.160
 and say,

00:37:35.540 --> 00:37:37.300
 wow, I can see

00:37:37.300 --> 00:37:38.140
 how He loved me.

00:37:40.580 --> 00:37:41.940
 Because He's growing us.

00:37:42.360 --> 00:37:43.360
 I wouldn't have planned

00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:44.180
 many of the illnesses

00:37:44.180 --> 00:37:44.700
 I've had,

00:37:44.740 --> 00:37:45.540
 I wouldn't have planned

00:37:45.540 --> 00:37:46.740
 the failures I've had,

00:37:46.900 --> 00:37:47.720
 but actually what God

00:37:47.720 --> 00:37:48.060
 is doing,

00:37:48.140 --> 00:37:49.340
 He's taking my fingers

00:37:49.340 --> 00:37:50.720
 off the steering wheel

00:37:50.720 --> 00:37:51.720
 and He's wanting to say,

00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:52.600
 I know how to steer

00:37:52.600 --> 00:37:53.160
 this thing better

00:37:53.160 --> 00:37:53.760
 than you do.

00:37:55.560 --> 00:37:56.200
 Tim Keller,

00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:58.440
 again, he says,

00:37:59.660 --> 00:38:00.940
 any parent knows

00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:02.100
 that at some point

00:38:02.100 --> 00:38:03.440
 your child

00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:04.400
 is going to look at you

00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:05.260
 when you withhold

00:38:05.260 --> 00:38:06.180
 something from them.

00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:08.440
 And when you don't

00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:09.139
 let your child

00:38:09.139 --> 00:38:09.980
 have something

00:38:09.980 --> 00:38:11.059
 which they really want,

00:38:11.119 --> 00:38:11.460
 they're going to

00:38:11.460 --> 00:38:12.200
 turn around to you

00:38:12.200 --> 00:38:12.660
 and look at you

00:38:12.660 --> 00:38:12.940
 and say,

00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:13.800
 you don't love me.

00:38:15.420 --> 00:38:15.720
 Right?

00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:18.420
 And when that happens,

00:38:18.539 --> 00:38:19.019
 He says,

00:38:19.019 --> 00:38:19.559
 he says,

00:38:19.639 --> 00:38:20.440
 as a parent,

00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:21.220
 you've got to try

00:38:21.220 --> 00:38:22.260
 not to kind of blow up

00:38:22.260 --> 00:38:23.559
 and get angry

00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:25.539
 because you want to say,

00:38:25.660 --> 00:38:26.720
 how dare you?

00:38:27.660 --> 00:38:28.619
 You want to say,

00:38:29.059 --> 00:38:30.960
 you have no idea

00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:33.619
 of what I've done for you.

00:38:33.619 --> 00:38:34.779
 You have no idea

00:38:34.779 --> 00:38:35.659
 of the sacrifice

00:38:35.659 --> 00:38:37.539
 I've put in from your life.

00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:38.440
 You've no idea

00:38:38.440 --> 00:38:39.519
 the things I've withheld

00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:40.400
 to raise you.

00:38:40.659 --> 00:38:41.799
 You have no idea.

00:38:42.039 --> 00:38:42.980
 If you knew

00:38:42.980 --> 00:38:44.199
 all that I'd done,

00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:46.199
 you would never question

00:38:46.199 --> 00:38:47.059
 my motive

00:38:47.059 --> 00:38:49.279
 from withholding

00:38:49.279 --> 00:38:49.980
 that from you.

00:38:50.119 --> 00:38:50.799
 If you knew

00:38:50.799 --> 00:38:51.880
 that I had sacrificed

00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:53.339
 for you so much,

00:38:54.339 --> 00:38:55.460
 you would know

00:38:55.460 --> 00:38:56.779
 that I have a loving purpose

00:38:56.779 --> 00:38:57.559
 from withholding

00:38:57.559 --> 00:38:58.559
 from you right now.

00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:02.440
 in Acts 4,

00:39:02.599 --> 00:39:03.739
 Jesus is crucified

00:39:03.739 --> 00:39:06.480
 by the deliberate plan

00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:07.299
 and choice

00:39:07.299 --> 00:39:08.059
 of the Jews

00:39:08.059 --> 00:39:08.799
 and the Romans

00:39:08.799 --> 00:39:10.000
 and the Bible says

00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:10.799
 even it's what

00:39:10.799 --> 00:39:11.659
 we would have done

00:39:11.659 --> 00:39:14.159
 because we want

00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:14.980
 to plan our lives

00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:15.539
 and we want to be

00:39:15.539 --> 00:39:16.599
 in control of our lives

00:39:16.599 --> 00:39:17.179
 and we want it all

00:39:17.179 --> 00:39:17.759
 to work according

00:39:17.759 --> 00:39:18.759
 to my regime.

00:39:19.380 --> 00:39:20.320
 But the Bible says

00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:21.299
 it was actually working out

00:39:21.299 --> 00:39:22.199
 according to God's

00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:23.400
 predetermined plan.

00:39:25.239 --> 00:39:25.440
 You see,

00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:26.219
 Jesus goes into

00:39:26.219 --> 00:39:27.559
 the garden of Gethsemane

00:39:27.559 --> 00:39:28.940
 before he's about to die

00:39:28.940 --> 00:39:30.820
 and he says,

00:39:31.579 --> 00:39:32.779
 he says,

00:39:32.860 --> 00:39:33.059
 God,

00:39:33.179 --> 00:39:34.659
 I don't like this plan.

00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:36.299
 He says,

00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:37.119
 this hurts.

00:39:37.799 --> 00:39:38.320
 He says,

00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:39.500
 can I get out

00:39:39.500 --> 00:39:40.239
 of this some way?

00:39:41.400 --> 00:39:41.980
 I don't want to

00:39:41.980 --> 00:39:43.659
 have to take the weight

00:39:43.659 --> 00:39:44.759
 of the outcome

00:39:44.759 --> 00:39:45.519
 of all of your

00:39:45.519 --> 00:39:46.739
 and my plans

00:39:46.739 --> 00:39:47.360
 which have been

00:39:47.360 --> 00:39:48.420
 for my selfishness.

00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:49.480
 I don't want to take

00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:50.219
 the outcome

00:39:50.219 --> 00:39:51.039
 of their rebellious

00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:52.139
 plannings on myself

00:39:52.139 --> 00:39:53.619
 and this is the son of God.

00:39:53.820 --> 00:39:55.099
 This is the perfect human.

00:39:55.380 --> 00:39:56.320
 This is the one

00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:58.559
 who did everything right

00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:00.160
 but then he says

00:40:00.160 --> 00:40:01.260
 in a moment of surrender

00:40:01.260 --> 00:40:01.980
 he says,

00:40:02.340 --> 00:40:03.900
 but not my will

00:40:03.900 --> 00:40:06.340
 but yours be done.

00:40:08.460 --> 00:40:09.039
 He says,

00:40:09.080 --> 00:40:09.680
 I know you're good.

00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:10.000
 I says,

00:40:10.080 --> 00:40:11.039
 I know you love me

00:40:11.039 --> 00:40:13.019
 and your plan

00:40:13.019 --> 00:40:14.000
 is so much greater

00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:15.600
 than what I feel

00:40:15.600 --> 00:40:16.440
 right at this moment

00:40:16.440 --> 00:40:19.780
 because so many,

00:40:19.980 --> 00:40:20.620
 every one of us

00:40:20.620 --> 00:40:21.260
 in this room

00:40:21.260 --> 00:40:22.700
 is the result

00:40:22.700 --> 00:40:23.840
 of his surrender.

00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:25.440
 if you have turned

00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:26.019
 to Christ,

00:40:26.140 --> 00:40:26.840
 your relationship

00:40:26.840 --> 00:40:27.340
 with God

00:40:27.340 --> 00:40:28.100
 is as a result

00:40:28.100 --> 00:40:29.260
 that he was willing

00:40:29.260 --> 00:40:30.120
 to put God's plan

00:40:30.120 --> 00:40:30.900
 before his own.

00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:32.760
 On the cross,

00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:33.579
 what's the last thing

00:40:33.579 --> 00:40:34.400
 that Jesus says?

00:40:35.200 --> 00:40:35.840
 What's the last thing

00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:36.240
 he says?

00:40:39.079 --> 00:40:39.900
 It's a quote

00:40:39.900 --> 00:40:40.539
 he says,

00:40:40.940 --> 00:40:41.280
 it's a quote

00:40:41.280 --> 00:40:42.079
 from Psalm 31.

00:40:42.280 --> 00:40:42.760
 He says,

00:40:43.420 --> 00:40:44.660
 into your hands

00:40:44.660 --> 00:40:46.760
 I commit,

00:40:47.300 --> 00:40:48.500
 I roll,

00:40:49.120 --> 00:40:49.840
 my spirit.

00:40:49.840 --> 00:40:51.760
 it wasn't just

00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:52.840
 his kids' education.

00:40:53.200 --> 00:40:54.039
 It wasn't just health.

00:40:54.280 --> 00:40:55.180
 It wasn't just career.

00:40:55.420 --> 00:40:57.180
 It was his very life.

00:40:59.400 --> 00:40:59.620
 See,

00:40:59.700 --> 00:41:00.600
 that's what he paid

00:41:00.600 --> 00:41:01.980
 to secure your future

00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:02.500
 for you.

00:41:03.840 --> 00:41:05.420
 He paid with his own blood.

00:41:06.500 --> 00:41:07.539
 That means your plans

00:41:07.539 --> 00:41:08.519
 do not determine

00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:09.500
 your future.

00:41:09.620 --> 00:41:10.680
 His surrender did.

00:41:13.200 --> 00:41:14.480
 Which is why right now

00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:15.220
 God's calling you

00:41:15.220 --> 00:41:16.200
 to roll his plans

00:41:16.200 --> 00:41:16.700
 to him.

00:41:16.699 --> 00:41:18.859
 Because if there's anybody

00:41:18.859 --> 00:41:19.739
 you can trust

00:41:19.739 --> 00:41:20.579
 with your life,

00:41:20.759 --> 00:41:21.739
 you can trust him

00:41:21.739 --> 00:41:22.219
 more than you can

00:41:22.219 --> 00:41:22.960
 trust yourself.

00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:27.699
 D.L. Moody said this.

00:41:28.460 --> 00:41:29.159
 I'm going to finish.

00:41:29.619 --> 00:41:29.719
 Sorry.

00:41:30.919 --> 00:41:32.579
 Let God have your life.

00:41:33.859 --> 00:41:35.139
 He can do more with it

00:41:35.139 --> 00:41:35.779
 than you can.

00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:37.699
 I like that.

00:41:37.799 --> 00:41:38.839
 Let God have your life.

00:41:38.919 --> 00:41:39.739
 He can do more with it

00:41:39.739 --> 00:41:40.379
 than you can.

00:41:42.460 --> 00:41:43.819
 Some of us have placed

00:41:43.819 --> 00:41:45.259
 the weight of our decisions

00:41:45.260 --> 00:41:47.200
 and the weight of our lives

00:41:47.200 --> 00:41:48.020
 on our plans

00:41:48.020 --> 00:41:48.840
 and we're paralyzed

00:41:48.840 --> 00:41:49.920
 to make decisions.

00:41:51.040 --> 00:41:52.320
 Because we want certainty

00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:53.040
 that everything's going

00:41:53.040 --> 00:41:53.580
 to work out.

00:41:53.660 --> 00:41:54.320
 Some of you are in that

00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:55.320
 situation right now.

00:41:57.300 --> 00:41:57.780
 You know,

00:41:57.860 --> 00:41:58.780
 I remember before

00:41:58.780 --> 00:42:00.800
 I started dating Fiona.

00:42:02.220 --> 00:42:03.360
 I was in indecision

00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:04.220
 for a long time.

00:42:05.220 --> 00:42:06.520
 I wanted a sign.

00:42:07.420 --> 00:42:08.420
 I thought an angel

00:42:08.420 --> 00:42:09.300
 would come down

00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:10.160
 and say to me,

00:42:10.500 --> 00:42:11.500
 do not be afraid,

00:42:11.640 --> 00:42:11.940
 Chris.

00:42:12.040 --> 00:42:12.900
 She is the one.

00:42:12.900 --> 00:42:15.780
 I didn't.

00:42:17.099 --> 00:42:18.240
 But God did speak

00:42:18.240 --> 00:42:19.160
 to me very clearly

00:42:19.160 --> 00:42:19.920
 and he said,

00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:23.340
 stop looking for a sign.

00:42:25.559 --> 00:42:26.360
 He said it through

00:42:26.360 --> 00:42:27.019
 some friends.

00:42:27.280 --> 00:42:27.619
 He said,

00:42:27.760 --> 00:42:28.059
 okay,

00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:29.240
 is she godly?

00:42:30.700 --> 00:42:31.079
 Do you have,

00:42:31.460 --> 00:42:32.800
 can you be friends?

00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:34.059
 Is there a sense

00:42:34.059 --> 00:42:35.380
 of commonality together?

00:42:35.480 --> 00:42:36.320
 Do you like her?

00:42:38.539 --> 00:42:39.099
 I was like,

00:42:39.160 --> 00:42:39.619
 okay, yeah.

00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:41.139
 And he said,

00:42:41.380 --> 00:42:41.980
 now you've got

00:42:41.980 --> 00:42:43.000
 a decision to make.

00:42:43.880 --> 00:42:44.739
 Stop trying to make it

00:42:44.739 --> 00:42:45.400
 all about God

00:42:45.400 --> 00:42:45.920
 having to make

00:42:45.920 --> 00:42:46.980
 the decision for you.

00:42:48.279 --> 00:42:48.900
 Because that's

00:42:48.900 --> 00:42:49.819
 my responsibility

00:42:49.819 --> 00:42:50.920
 to walk out

00:42:50.920 --> 00:42:51.799
 prayerfully,

00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:53.159
 prayerfully saying,

00:42:53.199 --> 00:42:53.339
 God,

00:42:53.380 --> 00:42:54.279
 I want to honor you.

00:42:54.359 --> 00:42:55.319
 I want with your heart.

00:42:55.500 --> 00:42:55.920
 But actually,

00:42:56.019 --> 00:42:56.460
 I've got to make

00:42:56.460 --> 00:42:56.940
 a decision.

00:42:57.900 --> 00:42:58.339
 God's not going

00:42:58.339 --> 00:42:59.339
 to make it for me.

00:43:00.139 --> 00:43:00.480
 Right?

00:43:00.739 --> 00:43:01.319
 Some of you

00:43:01.319 --> 00:43:02.079
 are at that point

00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:02.960
 and you'll say,

00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:03.440
 what does God

00:43:03.440 --> 00:43:04.019
 want me to do?

00:43:04.039 --> 00:43:04.359
 And he's saying,

00:43:04.400 --> 00:43:05.119
 just do something.

00:43:05.119 --> 00:43:05.279
 Do something.

00:43:05.280 --> 00:43:08.840
 But some of you

00:43:08.840 --> 00:43:10.300
 are angry

00:43:10.300 --> 00:43:11.040
 because God

00:43:11.040 --> 00:43:11.600
 doesn't seem

00:43:11.600 --> 00:43:13.519
 to have kept

00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:14.080
 your plans

00:43:14.080 --> 00:43:14.720
 the way you thought.

00:43:14.780 --> 00:43:15.200
 He's turned

00:43:15.200 --> 00:43:16.360
 your world upside down

00:43:16.360 --> 00:43:17.540
 and you,

00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:18.500
 things just haven't

00:43:18.500 --> 00:43:19.019
 worked out

00:43:19.019 --> 00:43:20.000
 as the way you wanted.

00:43:20.140 --> 00:43:20.620
 There's cancer,

00:43:20.760 --> 00:43:21.519
 there's health issues,

00:43:21.600 --> 00:43:22.620
 there's all kinds of things

00:43:22.620 --> 00:43:24.300
 and you secretly wonder,

00:43:24.440 --> 00:43:25.360
 does God really care?

00:43:26.920 --> 00:43:27.960
 You secretly wonder,

00:43:28.100 --> 00:43:28.560
 is there something

00:43:28.560 --> 00:43:29.160
 wrong with me?

00:43:29.160 --> 00:43:30.340
 Maybe God is punishing

00:43:30.340 --> 00:43:31.260
 me for something.

00:43:32.640 --> 00:43:33.240
 And what God

00:43:33.240 --> 00:43:34.180
 wants to tell you

00:43:34.180 --> 00:43:34.540
 right now,

00:43:34.539 --> 00:43:35.099
 what the Father

00:43:35.099 --> 00:43:35.860
 wants you to know,

00:43:36.099 --> 00:43:36.619
 he wants you to say,

00:43:36.699 --> 00:43:37.559
 it's grace that I've

00:43:37.559 --> 00:43:38.679
 overridden your plans.

00:43:40.559 --> 00:43:41.179
 And you say,

00:43:41.259 --> 00:43:42.380
 how can it be grace?

00:43:42.460 --> 00:43:42.880
 And he'll say,

00:43:42.960 --> 00:43:43.380
 you know,

00:43:43.659 --> 00:43:45.420
 when this movie ends,

00:43:46.320 --> 00:43:47.279
 even though the scene

00:43:47.279 --> 00:43:48.079
 you're in right at the

00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:49.259
 moment seems bleak,

00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:51.960
 when you get to the end,

00:43:52.039 --> 00:43:52.820
 you'll see and you'll

00:43:52.820 --> 00:43:53.619
 look back and you'll see,

00:43:53.699 --> 00:43:54.360
 wow, that's what

00:43:54.360 --> 00:43:55.079
 you're up to.

00:43:56.920 --> 00:43:58.159
 That's what you're up to.

00:43:58.420 --> 00:43:59.599
 And he's leading you

00:43:59.599 --> 00:44:00.360
 right now to say,

00:44:00.539 --> 00:44:01.420
 will you take your hands

00:44:01.420 --> 00:44:02.639
 off the reign of your life

00:44:02.639 --> 00:44:04.219
 and will you trust me?

00:44:04.940 --> 00:44:06.019
 What you will,

00:44:06.480 --> 00:44:07.360
 when you will,

00:44:07.480 --> 00:44:08.259
 how you will.

00:44:10.320 --> 00:44:11.380
 Some of us right now

00:44:11.380 --> 00:44:11.860
 are waiting,

00:44:12.099 --> 00:44:13.099
 we're in a waiting game

00:44:13.099 --> 00:44:14.559
 and you feel like

00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:15.279
 nothing's happening

00:44:15.279 --> 00:44:16.440
 in your life right now.

00:44:19.099 --> 00:44:19.559
 You know,

00:44:19.619 --> 00:44:20.440
 God in your weight

00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:21.380
 is working in you

00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:21.900
 to make you

00:44:21.900 --> 00:44:22.739
 the kind of person

00:44:22.739 --> 00:44:23.539
 he can entrust

00:44:23.539 --> 00:44:24.340
 with your future.

00:44:24.759 --> 00:44:25.800
 So will you trust him?

00:44:25.800 --> 00:44:29.200
 So I want us just

00:44:29.200 --> 00:44:29.980
 to stop and pray.

00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:34.019
 And I want you

00:44:34.019 --> 00:44:34.980
 to think right now,

00:44:35.820 --> 00:44:40.000
 what is it that I'm

00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:41.039
 planning this week?

00:44:42.620 --> 00:44:43.660
 What is it that's

00:44:43.660 --> 00:44:44.420
 kind of wrapping up

00:44:44.420 --> 00:44:45.519
 my mind right now?

00:44:46.780 --> 00:44:47.700
 What are the plans

00:44:47.700 --> 00:44:48.420
 that I have in my,

00:44:49.080 --> 00:44:50.580
 that I'm so dead set

00:44:50.579 --> 00:44:51.299
 on at the moment?

00:44:53.900 --> 00:44:54.960
 Am I saying

00:44:54.960 --> 00:44:55.779
 what I will,

00:44:56.440 --> 00:44:57.239
 when I will,

00:44:57.360 --> 00:44:57.980
 how I will,

00:44:58.019 --> 00:44:59.039
 and God just kind of,

00:44:59.299 --> 00:45:00.980
 just bless my plans

00:45:00.980 --> 00:45:01.639
 or are you willing

00:45:01.639 --> 00:45:03.039
 to surrender those things

00:45:03.039 --> 00:45:04.019
 and start saying,

00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:06.099
 God,

00:45:06.139 --> 00:45:07.239
 I really want this.

00:45:08.619 --> 00:45:08.980
 God,

00:45:09.039 --> 00:45:09.920
 I want this relationship.

00:45:10.099 --> 00:45:10.199
 God,

00:45:10.239 --> 00:45:10.940
 I want this health.

00:45:11.079 --> 00:45:11.179
 God,

00:45:11.219 --> 00:45:13.019
 I want this job.

00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:13.460
 But Lord,

00:45:13.559 --> 00:45:15.159
 I'm tempted to complain.

00:45:15.400 --> 00:45:16.519
 I'm tempted to doubt

00:45:16.519 --> 00:45:17.159
 your love

00:45:17.159 --> 00:45:18.199
 if I don't get this.

00:45:18.300 --> 00:45:19.300
 Give me the grace

00:45:19.300 --> 00:45:20.139
 right now

00:45:20.139 --> 00:45:21.000
 to be thankful.

00:45:21.619 --> 00:45:22.420
 Help me to see

00:45:22.420 --> 00:45:23.320
 your love in this

00:45:23.320 --> 00:45:24.219
 because I don't see it

00:45:24.219 --> 00:45:24.739
 at the moment.

00:45:25.219 --> 00:45:25.559
 Lord,

00:45:25.780 --> 00:45:27.539
 I surrender to you

00:45:27.539 --> 00:45:29.139
 what you will,

00:45:30.019 --> 00:45:31.119
 when you will,

00:45:31.820 --> 00:45:32.820
 how you will.

00:45:35.880 --> 00:45:36.659
 So just bring that

00:45:36.659 --> 00:45:37.539
 now before God.

00:45:37.619 --> 00:45:38.440
 I just give you a minute

00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:39.179
 for the Spirit

00:45:39.179 --> 00:45:40.239
 just to touch you,

00:45:40.360 --> 00:45:42.139
 just to open up your hands

00:45:42.139 --> 00:45:43.440
 as a sign of surrender

00:45:43.440 --> 00:45:43.960
 to him.

00:45:45.159 --> 00:45:45.659
 Maybe there's something

00:45:45.659 --> 00:45:47.199
 specific you just right now

00:45:47.199 --> 00:45:47.920
 need to give him.

00:45:48.460 --> 00:45:49.319
 You've been angry

00:45:49.319 --> 00:45:50.219
 and frustrated.

00:45:51.399 --> 00:45:52.319
 That's a sign

00:45:52.319 --> 00:45:53.079
 you've been trying

00:45:53.079 --> 00:45:53.879
 to hold the control

00:45:53.879 --> 00:45:54.519
 of your life.

00:45:58.259 --> 00:45:59.259
 If you're worried,

00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:02.099
 just roll it to him.

00:46:03.819 --> 00:46:05.159
 Just roll it to him

00:46:05.159 --> 00:46:07.299
 because he loves you.

00:46:09.399 --> 00:46:09.920
 He says,

00:46:10.099 --> 00:46:10.719
 get off the throne

00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:11.539
 of your life.

00:46:13.259 --> 00:46:14.159
 Turn to me.

00:46:15.659 --> 00:46:17.199
 Never mind

00:46:17.199 --> 00:46:27.139
 You need to talk to me.

00:46:27.879 --> 00:46:28.000
 I know

00:46:28.079 --> 00:46:29.199
 that you might

00:46:29.199 --> 00:46:30.579
 like this.

00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:33.399
 He was

00:46:33.399 --> 00:46:34.219
 talking to

00:46:34.219 --> 00:46:35.679
 theлект

00:46:36.059 --> 00:46:37.199
 that you might

00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:38.319
 know what he is

00:46:38.339 --> 00:46:41.359
 and the

00:46:41.359 --> 00:46:42.460
 move the

00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:43.359
 which

00:46:43.359 --> 00:46:44.379
 takes

00:46:44.380 --> 00:47:13.380
 .

00:47:13.380 --> 00:47:19.380
 Jesus, thank you that you surrendered your life for us.

00:47:22.680 --> 00:47:25.140
 Because of that, our future is secure.

00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:28.380
 Our past is redeemed.

00:47:29.400 --> 00:47:30.780
 Our present is held.

00:47:31.780 --> 00:47:32.980
 And we can trust you.

00:47:35.640 --> 00:47:39.099
 Forgive us where we try and make everything about ourselves.

00:47:39.099 --> 00:47:48.719
 Help us to see you, Lord, where our plans, so often we make them about ourselves.

00:47:48.980 --> 00:47:51.239
 And they can be devastating for others.

00:47:53.079 --> 00:47:57.299
 But I pray, Lord, that you just keep us rolling it to you.

00:47:58.519 --> 00:47:59.860
 Help us to trust you.

00:48:00.559 --> 00:48:01.579
 And to love you.

00:48:02.380 --> 00:48:03.480
 In Jesus' name.

00:48:03.480 --> 00:48:05.019
 Amen.