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 Well, this is the last sermon in our sermon series that we're covering. It talks about being the

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 heart of a good stewardship, about doing what God wants us to do. And in Matthew's Gospel today,

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 it's one of those bits where you can feel extremely encouraged or you can feel extremely guilty.

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 Now, if you're one of those Christians that really get off on feeling guilty,

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 there's a little room at the back and please go put on your sackcloth and ashes.

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 But don't do it yet. Just hold off for a moment because I pray that this

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 scripture this morning will really encourage you and save you from being a bit itchy and scratchy

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 for the rest of Lent. So, as we enter Lent, a time for us to reflect and renew, we're going to focus

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 on the huge opportunity that Jesus gives us because that's what this scripture is all about.

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 But first of all, we're going to rewind back to 2009 if we're talking about talents. If, like me,

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 you were sat down, you were there on a Sunday evening, you were just watching some mindless TV

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 that happened to be Britain's Got Talent, and there was a lady who came onto the stage. You could tell

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 from her gait that she probably had some form of issue in her life and additional need.

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 And as she walked onto that stage, her name was Susan Boyle. And you saw in the people that were

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 gathered this sense of writing her off, even before she'd had the opportunity to do what she'd been

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 called to do. I'm just going to remind you of that moment. Bless you.

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 Thank you.

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 What's the dream?

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 I'm trying to be a professional singer. And why hasn't it worked out so far, Susan?

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 I've never been given the chance before, but here's hoping it'll change.

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 I'm going to sing. I'm going to sing. I'm going to sing. I dreamed a dream from the Miserables.

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 Okay. Big song. Yeah? Yes.

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 Yes.

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 I dreamed a dream in time gone by.

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 I went for this time, I left the day. Did you? No.

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 I dreamed a dream of love would never die. I never thought would be forgiven.

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 I was young and darn afraid. When dreams were made and used and wasted.

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 When dreams were made and was the ones to be made. No sun and snow, no wine.

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 I'm trying to be a professional singer, but nobody gave me the chance.

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 It's her line. And Susan Boyle now one of the most successful recording artists,

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 a lady who at the age of 49 had had her demons in her life, who had been a long practicing

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 and heartfelt Christian, who had been told by other people that she just had brain damage

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 and written her off instead of having a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome and rejoicing in that.

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 You know, God gave talent. God gives us talents to use and to invest into growing.

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 And in our mindset, as we read this scripture this morning, as we read in our sort of cultural mindset

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 of this thing of somebody's been given ten talents, another one's been given two,

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 maybe five, whatever they've been given, and I've been given one.

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 And you think, oh, why have I only been given one?

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 I want to shift your mindset this morning that never mind what other talents have been given.

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 What is the one with the talent that we've been given that we're going to do with it?

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 Because Jesus had some harsh words to say, quite rightly, for the person who just went and buried it

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 and did nothing with it. And that's my challenge this morning in our consumeristic culture is,

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 yes, it's absolutely right that we should have more, that God would stir up the gifts in us.

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 But don't get hung up if this is your moment to use your one talent that God has given you, amongst other things.

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 And this is why the man gave up. And it says he was lazy, maybe he was jealous, maybe he was envious.

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 But actually, on a one-to-one, God has got such great things to do with each and every one of us

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 within this amazing thing called the body of Christ.

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 And so why hasn't God given me this great talent to play worship music?

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 Why hasn't God given me that talent? And God says, I'm God and you are not.

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 Get over it, Clive.

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 I don't know what the translation is in the Greek, but just get over it.

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 Because this is what I'm calling you to do in this moment of time.

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 Because at the heart of this parable is adventure and opportunity.

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 Adventure and opportunity.

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 Because whatever is given to you by the master, whatever it looks like is precious.

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 Hugely precious.

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 And don't bury it.

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 You see, this scripture has always been trotted out when leaders talk about money.

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 Because a talent was an amount of money.

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 But I sense that Jesus was using this to talk to the Pharisees, who were pretty inflexible on opportunity and change.

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 They didn't do it very well.

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 And so Jesus is saying, you know, whatever it is that you've been given, grow it.

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 Encourage it, whatever season that may be.

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 And hence, Jesus focuses on the waste of not embracing it.

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 Of not taking it.

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 Of not using it.

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 Of not building it up and growing it.

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 And the servant who sadly takes this precious talent and does nothing with it.

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 And hides it away.

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 No wonder you can understand why Jesus may be in this story gets a bit prickly.

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 Because if I've given you this amazing talent, the talent that's been given, whatever it is to grow and build.

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 And all we do is just go away and hide it or moan about it or do nothing with it.

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 Then what is the point of that?

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 No wonder Jesus says, you're a bit lazy.

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 I've just been watching a teaching series on ministry.

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 And I'm really struggling with this idea of people coming saying, oh, I think you've been called to ministry.

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 Ha!

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 We've all been called to ministry.

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 Each and every one of us.

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 That's the way in which the talents work.

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 Because we work together.

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 God brings all things together for good.

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 And that drew me to Romans 12.

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 And this idea about the body of Christ.

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 You know, for just as each and every one of us has one body with many members,

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 do not all have the same function.

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 We don't.

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 So in Christ, we, though many, form one body.

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 And all the others, we have different gifts according to the grace given to each one of us.

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 Hold that picture.

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 Hold that picture.

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 Hold that picture about the body.

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 This congregation, we have different gifts given to us at different times of our life.

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 My gift now isn't the same as it was 20 years ago.

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 I've been given more gifts.

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 I'd love to go out and run a marathon.

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 People are like, yeah, I know, I know the body's not up to it.

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 You can be honest with me.

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 You know?

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 Maybe 20 years I might have been able to do that.

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 But it's not my gift.

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 But there are many people here who will.

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 Isn't that wonderful in the way in which we use our different gifts to build up the body?

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 And that is here.

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 If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.

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 If it's serving, then serve.

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 Thank you to those that were here on Monday.

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 We had a celebration of a life here on Monday, filled where people came and served.

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 It was beautiful.

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 If it's teaching, then teach.

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 If it's to encourage, then give encouragement.

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 I think that's a gift everybody should have.

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 And if it's to lead, do it diligently.

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 If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

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 You see, this collective gifting, these gifts are given to us in grace.

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 And I am humbled by that.

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 When I look across you, the saints, of the way in which people are gifted,

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 in the way in which you use it.

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 Also, again, like you, I feel that frustration that Jesus feels

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 when you see people have got such rich gifting and they just don't use it.

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 And the Holy Spirit comes and stirs up the gifts in us.

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 And if we are open, we ask you, say, stir up the gifts in us.

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 Stir them up.

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 Don't just leave them there.

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 Stir them up.

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 Stir them up.

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 And in Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through him who gives me strength.

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 I can do all things.

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 And we talked earlier a little bit about courage.

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 Somebody said something about courage earlier.

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 And that courageous moment of actually stepping out and using our gift.

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 It doesn't stop me earnestly seeking more.

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 In fact, we should.

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 The guy that got ten talents in the end.

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 That is great.

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 I'm not sat here with my three thinking, that's not fair.

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 I'm going to throw my teddy out.

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 That's for the good of the body of Christ.

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 Let's use them and encourage one another.

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 If you are a financial wizard, then bless you.

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 Bless you.

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 Bless you.

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 Grow money and give for those of us who need to use that in an area in which we can use.

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 Because we have the gifting to use that in another area, but we don't have the money to do it.

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 If your gifting is to share, if your gifting is to do whatever in your workplace, then use it richly.

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 Having said that, having said that, I really sense this idea of kingdom.

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 Because we need to live like the kingdom of God is near.

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 I remember talking of gifting and Susan Boyle.

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 On my council estate where I grew up, there was a small metal Baptist chapel.

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 All the other churches had retreated.

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 I think we were just too bad for them.

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 But I can remember it.

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 There was, you went in and you smelled, you remember those old gas heaters where you could smell them when you went in?

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 Because they were leaking so badly, I can feel it now.

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 And there was a lady.

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 And we loved her.

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 Because she was like us.

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 She had one coat.

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 She always wore the same coat.

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 Everybody on our council estate had one coat.

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 And I remember she would make cookies for us.

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 And she called us her saints, this group of six-year-olds that used to gather.

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 And she would come Sunday by Sunday.

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 I knew how much that cost her.

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 Because there wasn't much in our larder.

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 And I think probably what came out of her larder filled those cookies for us on a Sunday afternoon.

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 And she taught me the stories of Jesus.

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 She drew me into a relationship with Jesus that never left me.

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 Her talents, and I'm sure she had many, but she used that talent so richly.

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 And I am the product of her increase.

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 I am the product of her increase.

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 Who brought you to know Jesus?

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 Who told you about the stories of Jesus?

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 Who led you into a deeper relationship with the person who you love and know?

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 So much so that you want to go out and serve him in the everyday.

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 Who taught you?

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 And if we are the product of his increase, how much more do we want to increase with others who we are being called to reach?

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 To use our talents.

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 And I get quite...

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 And why was it?

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 What was it that drew me?

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 It was her passion.

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 It was her passion of using her talent.

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 And maybe already you're thinking, what is my talent in this season?

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 Maybe we rejoice for what our talent was in past seasons.

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 But what is your talent in this season that God is calling you?

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 And where is he calling you to use that?

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 Because that's the challenge this morning.

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 Maybe it is inviting a friend to supper.

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 Maybe it's inviting a not yet Christian round to your house.

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 Maybe it's spending more time.

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 Maybe it's serving as you're serving in the food bank or wherever, whatever we do.

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 And you may say, that's great.

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 But how do we increase that?

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 Because that's the story that we've heard this morning.

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 How do we increase that?

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 Because that's what the Lord wants.

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 And as the story ends, there is more.

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 You are the product of the blessing.

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 Because I stand here on a Sunday morning and we are so blessed to be in this place together.

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 To be encouraged and to be built up.

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 At Trinity College with our Trinity Church family, it says, live like the kingdom is near.

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 And I get really excited about that.

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 Because that's worth getting out of bed for in the morning.

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 So how are you going to use my talent today, Lord?

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 What are you going to show me?

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 What is new?

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 Where is that courageous edge that you are going to gift me in the power of your Holy Spirit to use that?

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 And I get it.

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 Why wouldn't I want to?

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 You know, I want to see my family, my neighbour.

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 I want to see the bloke who yesterday, who stole my parking space,

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 just as I got it at the surgery.

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 I want to see him come to Christ.

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 I want to see him blessed by that only parking space that was left,

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 that I've been queuing for, for five minutes.

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 Bless him, Lord.

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 The talent is not for hiding.

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 And it's by God's grace that we are here.

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 It's by God's grace that many here are using their talents and gifts.

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 It's about God's grace.

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 I think for us in this scripture, it's what I would call a power up moment.

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 That maybe for some of us, we have been a bit, well, how do I use my talent?

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 Is this my talent?

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 What do I do?

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 How can I use that?

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 And the Lord says, use it richly, because I will increase it.

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 I will increase it in what you have.

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 I thought one of the, if you were here at the 1115, you were probably impacted by Liz, who led our prayers.

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 She really got down with the kids at the 1115 by using the words of one of my favorite songs that I've been using as a song from Stormzy.

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 And it's called, I'm blinded by your grace.

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 And if you haven't seen the clip, for me, it says something about how you use your talent to bring a whole community.

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 Stormzy went back to a community, large, close community in, I think it was in London, in amongst all these high rise.

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 And people came down, it was like a flash mob.

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 And he uses this, these words of, I'm blinded by your grace, the grace of God that passes all understanding, that increases what we have in him.

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 And then, as he sang this song, the community gathered, and they gathered, and they gathered.

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 And then, they prayed.

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 Here's the clip.

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 Weep along with me, because it's passionate.

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 And this is what Jesus, I believe, is trying to get over about us changing our community.

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 Thanks, John.

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 And it spoke to him on the deserving ness of the power of God that stayed in us coming and assured that there's

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 that she came going well and said it feels important.

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 And that he hid his treasure in his life.

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 Feg it out,支持 him on the punya scale, only in our living's life.

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 We've seen your presence hit the drum, even in our houses we find him to see.

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 There's not no one decision, Lord, his name, but he needed him to know it.

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 And this is what Jesus went down, but this is what Jesus went down.

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 So, march he had to send the troubleance, who saw something on his way.

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 And this is what Jesus' name so solidieth of the mightier.

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 I saw God we've seen as the covenant, he's been facing 1508 in the physical movie value,

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 together and he moved on his hand on the House of Man

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 To another day, I was so afraid

00:18:17.320 --> 00:18:19.740
 Till you came and saved

00:18:19.740 --> 00:18:22.480
 You came and sent me

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.140
 And the rain was boring

00:18:25.140 --> 00:18:28.660
 Cause the sun faded away

00:18:28.660 --> 00:18:31.380
 Now I'm in a better place

00:18:31.380 --> 00:18:33.340
 No longer afraid

00:18:33.340 --> 00:18:35.600
 Blonded by your grace

00:18:35.600 --> 00:18:38.440
 You came and sent me

00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:41.019
 I said a prayer this morning

00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:44.740
 I prayed I would find a way

00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:49.319
 To another day, I was so afraid

00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:51.779
 Till you came and saved

00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:54.460
 You came and sent me

00:18:54.460 --> 00:18:58.160
 No longer afraid

00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:00.160
 Although I'm alone

00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.299
 Nobody will fix me

00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:07.359
 I'm blinded by your grace