WEBVTT

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 Rejoice in the Lord always.

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 Again, I will say, rejoice.

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 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.

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 The Lord is near.

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 Sorry.

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 Be anxious for nothing.

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 Sorry, guys.

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 Powerful scripture this morning, so bear with me.

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 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything,

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 by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,

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 let your requests be made known to God.

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 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,

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 will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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 Finally, brethren, whatever is true,

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 whatever is honorable, whatever is right,

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 whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

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 whatever is of good repute,

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 if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,

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 dwell on these things.

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 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,

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 practice these things,

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 and the God of peace will be with you.

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 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly,

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 that now at last you have received your concern for me.

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 Indeed, you were concerned before,

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 but you lacked opportunity.

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 Not that I speak from want,

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 for I have learned to be content

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 in whatever circumstances I am in.

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 I know how to get along with the humble means,

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 and I also know how to live in prosperity.

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 In any and every circumstance,

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 I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry,

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 both of having abundance and of suffering need.

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 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

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 And my God shall supply all your needs

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 according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

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 This is the reading of the Lord's word.

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 Thank you, Chelsea, for reading scripture today.

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 I guess I'm the one who always cries up here,

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 so it's good to see someone else cry every once in a while.

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 We're talking about Philippians.

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 And we're looking at Paul writing from a prison.

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 He's been unjustly accused.

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 He's about to be killed.

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 And yet he writes and he talks

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 about contentment

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 and peace

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 and being assured

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 that everything is going to be all right,

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 that everything is going to be good.

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 And I ask questions as I hear that.

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 How does he do that?

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 What is going on in his mind?

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 How?

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 Because he asks us to invite.

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 He invites us into this experience with him.

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 He says that we can do it also,

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 that we should be doing it.

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 And I ask myself,

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 how does he do that?

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 What does it look like?

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 How do you experience that type of contentment,

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 that type of peace,

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 especially in the crazy world that we live in today?

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 I mean, it seems like as I look around,

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 I don't see contentment or peace at all.

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 It seems like my life often is characterized

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 by a lack of contentment.

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 This story, I think, speaks to me as I read it.

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 I laugh every time I think of it.

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 But the story goes like this.

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 A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village

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 and American tourists complimented the Mexican fisherman

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 on the quality of his fish

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 and asked how long it took him to catch it.

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 Not very long, answered the Mexican fisherman.

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 Well then, why didn't you stay out longer

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 and catch more, said the businessman.

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 The fisherman explained that his small catch

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 was sufficient to meet his needs

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 and those of his family.

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 The American asked,

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 but what do you do with the rest of your time?

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 And he said, I swell, I sleep late,

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 I fish a little, I play with my children,

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 I take a siesta with my wife,

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 and in the evenings I go into the village

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 and see my friends and I play the guitar

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 and I sing a few songs

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 and I have a full, contented life.

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 But the American interrupted,

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 and he goes, wait, wait, wait, wait,

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 I have an MBA from Harvard

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 and I can help you.

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 You should start by fishing longer every day.

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 I mean, you can sell the extra fish you catch

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 and with the extra fish you can put that revenue back in

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 and you can buy a bigger boat.

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 And eventually you'll buy another boat

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 and another boat and another boat

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 and you'll have this entire fleet

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 and instead of selling your fish to a middleman,

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 you can negotiate directly with the processing plants

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 and maybe even open up your own plant.

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 And then eventually you can leave this little village

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 and move to Mexico City or Los Angeles or New York

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 or wherever you want to run your multinational business.

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 And you can direct your huge operation there.

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 The fisherman asked him really thoughtfully,

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 well, how long will all this take?

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 And the American businessman said,

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 well, maybe 20, 25 years.

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 And the fisherman said, so, and after that, what?

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 After that, well, that's when it really gets interested

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 and the businessman said,

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 when you get your business really big,

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 you can start selling stocks

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 and make millions and millions

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 and you can have an incredible amount of money.

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 And the fisherman looked at him and said, millions?

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 Really?

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 And after that, what?

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 And the fisherman said, well,

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 I mean, the businessman said,

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 well, after that you can retire.

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 You can live in a tiny village near the coast.

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 You can sleep late.

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 You can play with your children.

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 You can catch a few fish.

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 You can take siestas with your wife.

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 And you can spend evenings drinking

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 and enjoying your friends.

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 Uh-huh.

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 Now, some of you don't get that.

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 Especially if you're from Hong Kong.

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 So if you're not from Hong Kong,

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 please go by and tap the person on the shoulder

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 and try to explain to them

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 what that story is all about.

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 But it's the story that Paul is talking about.

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 It's part of it.

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 He's talking about contentment

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 and how we can be happy and fulfilled

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 in that peace.

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 And I said in other words earlier

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 that when I look at Hong Kong,

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 I don't see this played out at all.

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 I mean, the divorce rate in the marriages in Hong Kong

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 is the highest in any civilized country in the world.

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 Did you know that?

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 I mean, there's no other civilized country

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 that can compete to the divorce rate of Hong Kong.

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 There's surely not contentment in our marriages.

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 I mean, in the workplace,

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 the latest statistics came out

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 through the Government Happiness Index

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 that the workplace satisfaction

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 is at all-time low right now.

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 People are more unhappy and discontent in their work

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 than they've ever been in Hong Kong.

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 I mean, people are showing their discontentment

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 in their newspapers.

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 They're showing their discontentment as a shop.

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 You know, yesterday or last week,

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 we had this blender.

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 It was about 10 years old

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 and it was falling apart.

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 So Christina's gone.

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 Yes, Christina's gone.

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 Some people asked me that already.

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 They said, well, it looks like

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 I let the kids dress themselves today.

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 So obviously, Christina is not here.

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 And yes, you're right.

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 When Christina's not here,

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 I let the kids dress themselves.

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 And so she's back in Dallas.

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 But I was looking at her house.

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 I was thinking of something nice to do with her,

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 for her, and I bought this blender.

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 And so I bought this blender

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 and I felt really good about the blender.

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 And as I walked out of the store,

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 the lady said,

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 oh, be sure to come back in next month

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 because we have a new version coming out.

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 Well, I was content

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 just to have the blender that I had,

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 but now I'm totally discontent

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 because there's a new one coming out

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 and I didn't even know that.

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 But as we shop,

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 we see discontentment.

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 We see it in our relationships all around us

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 that people aren't meeting our needs.

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 They're not coming through for us.

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 They're not asking us enough questions.

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 We see it at Leng Kui Fung.

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 As people hop from bar to bar

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 looking for something that could fill them,

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 we see it in our education system all around us.

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 In Hong Kong U,

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 there's this huge sense of discontentment.

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 We see it in the racetracks

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 on Thursday and Saturday nights.

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 We see it outside the gambling halls

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 as people are placing their bets.

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 We see it everywhere.

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 I was talking to a doctor yesterday,

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 two days ago, Friday.

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 And they said that what they see

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 in the healthcare system is amazing.

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 But now as a doctor,

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 he is prescribing antidepressants

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 to 10-year-olds and 8-year-olds

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 because they're just coming in

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 with full of anxiety and fear

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 and a lack of peace

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 and totally discontent.

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 He said he never thought he would see that

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 in his practice.

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 But now he has 10-year-olds

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 coming in asking for the equivalent of Prozac.

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 So they can feel happy

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 because their life is not good.

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 It's not good.

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 Sometimes we see discontent

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 even in churches, don't we?

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 We see people go from church to church to church.

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 I like this about this church.

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 I like this about this church.

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 This church, I don't like this.

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 The message was a little too hard today.

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 You know, I realized

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 even as I was thinking about this message today

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 that it's probably gonna be

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 pretty hard for some of us.

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 It was hard for me to write it

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 and read it and think about it

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 and ask the Holy Spirit

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 to examine my life

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 and say, am I really living this out?

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 Or are my words just hollow?

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 Paul is sitting in a prison

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 covered in filth

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 and excrement.

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 And he hears all these things going on

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 about different churches he's planted

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 and some of them are doing well

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 and some of them are not doing well.

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 People are using his name.

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 People are misusing his name.

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 He's about to be executed

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 for something that he shouldn't be executed for.

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 And he writes these amazing words.

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 Be anxious for nothing.

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 In all things give thanksgiving.

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 And I ask myself, how does he do that?

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 How does he do that?

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 I mean, I'm anxious sometimes

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 just going into the office.

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 And some of you tell me you're anxious

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 just you're medicating

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 just to get to work.

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 And you're meditating, medicating

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 just to get home

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 because your lives are so out of control.

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 And here Paul is in the middle

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 of the worst situation possible.

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 And he's talking about contentment.

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 And so what I wanna briefly, briefly look at

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 is I wanna look at contentment.

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 I wanna look at what it is.

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 But maybe more importantly, what it's not.

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 I wanna look at how we get contentment.

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 Maybe more importantly, how we don't get contentment.

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 And I wanna look at the secret.

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 And I'm gonna do all that

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 in just an incredibly short time.

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 But I've been praying about this

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 because when Paul spoke these words of contentment,

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 the words actually had this meaning

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 in his culture that meant self-sufficiency

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 and independence.

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 And so the minute he shared those words,

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 everybody listening to Paul would have thought,

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 well, I hear that every day all around me.

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 The Stoics and the philosophers,

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 they're saying that to us.

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 They're saying if you want to be happy,

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 you need to be content.

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 Contentment was the highest virtue in Paul's day.

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 And everybody tried to attain for that.

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 Everybody went to that.

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 And the Stoics said you can do it.

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 The Stoics said you could do it through your ability.

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 If you tried hard enough,

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 if you put aside your desires,

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 if you just, you concentrated,

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 the power was within you,

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 you could do these things.

00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:39.180
 If you just name it, it's gonna be yours.

00:11:39.179 --> 00:11:40.399
 Practice meditation.

00:11:40.599 --> 00:11:41.319
 Deny yourself.

00:11:41.699 --> 00:11:42.459
 Detach yourself.

00:11:42.739 --> 00:11:43.699
 Detach yourself from people.

00:11:44.059 --> 00:11:45.059
 Detach yourself from your feelings.

00:11:45.299 --> 00:11:46.199
 And if you do all these things,

00:11:46.219 --> 00:11:47.000
 you're gonna be content.

00:11:48.059 --> 00:11:49.219
 And your life will be happy

00:11:49.219 --> 00:11:50.219
 and you'll have inner peace.

00:11:51.539 --> 00:11:52.939
 But when Paul uses this word,

00:11:52.979 --> 00:11:54.459
 he doesn't use it in that way at all.

00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:57.039
 When Paul talks about contentment,

00:11:57.379 --> 00:11:59.000
 it's a word that basically says

00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:00.399
 that you cannot be content

00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:01.679
 unless you recognize

00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:03.399
 that you cannot do it on your own.

00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:06.079
 I mean, what he's saying to the people

00:12:06.079 --> 00:12:08.220
 is that the only way that you can be content

00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:10.439
 is to realize that I can't be content.

00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:11.639
 I need help.

00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:12.959
 I need somebody to step in

00:12:12.959 --> 00:12:14.559
 to make me content.

00:12:14.779 --> 00:12:16.659
 The word was this image of this city

00:12:16.659 --> 00:12:18.579
 with all these high walls

00:12:18.579 --> 00:12:20.259
 and it's surrounded by this massive army.

00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:21.959
 And the army's trying to break in

00:12:21.959 --> 00:12:23.259
 and destroy the city.

00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:25.259
 But inside, everybody was peaceful.

00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:27.699
 And everybody's happy.

00:12:27.700 --> 00:12:30.879
 Because they know that everything they need,

00:12:31.580 --> 00:12:34.500
 everything they need is within the walls of the city

00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:35.360
 and they don't need to worry.

00:12:36.560 --> 00:12:37.840
 So when Paul uses this word,

00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:40.280
 he would basically have meant something like this.

00:12:41.780 --> 00:12:44.080
 Contentment is an inner sense of rest and peace

00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:46.580
 that comes from a right relationship.

00:12:49.040 --> 00:12:50.700
 A right relationship with God.

00:12:52.420 --> 00:12:53.680
 Contentment was being able to say

00:12:53.680 --> 00:12:55.520
 that God is enough.

00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:58.620
 That no matter what else happens in my world,

00:12:58.699 --> 00:12:59.620
 that God is enough.

00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:02.919
 Can we say that?

00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:08.299
 I mean, today, could you say that God is enough?

00:13:10.079 --> 00:13:10.740
 Be honest.

00:13:13.259 --> 00:13:14.679
 I mean, most people in Paul's day,

00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:15.259
 when they heard this,

00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:16.240
 they would have laughed at him.

00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:19.559
 Because they realized that to be content,

00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:20.980
 you had to follow your passions.

00:13:21.139 --> 00:13:22.139
 You had to follow those things

00:13:22.139 --> 00:13:23.779
 that brought up your discontentment.

00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:26.079
 And so if you saw a woman or you saw a guy

00:13:26.079 --> 00:13:27.019
 or you saw a relationship

00:13:27.019 --> 00:13:27.879
 or you saw a marriage

00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:29.720
 and you felt, oh, I wish I had that,

00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:30.879
 you need to pursue that.

00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:31.799
 And if you pursued that,

00:13:31.899 --> 00:13:32.659
 then you got it.

00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:33.299
 And when you got it,

00:13:33.379 --> 00:13:34.759
 you became content.

00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:38.120
 And so if you wanted relationships,

00:13:38.220 --> 00:13:39.639
 you pursued relationships.

00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:40.539
 And you start thinking,

00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:41.459
 like most of us think,

00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:43.240
 well, I just got to find the right person.

00:13:44.059 --> 00:13:45.019
 If I find the right person,

00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:46.019
 then everything's going to work out.

00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.939
 If I find the right person,

00:13:47.980 --> 00:13:49.360
 then all my life is going to be good.

00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:51.199
 I mean, it's going to be perfect

00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:52.259
 and I'm not going to have any worries.

00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:52.980
 I'm going to feel peace.

00:13:53.040 --> 00:13:54.140
 I'm going to feel contentment.

00:13:55.220 --> 00:13:56.220
 If I just get married,

00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:58.160
 if I can just get married,

00:13:58.320 --> 00:13:59.780
 then everything's going to be good.

00:14:00.560 --> 00:14:01.620
 Have you ever heard anybody say that?

00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:06.080
 I've heard a lot of people say that.

00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:08.440
 They think that they look at us

00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:09.200
 as married people

00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:10.420
 and we have this kind of secret playbook

00:14:10.420 --> 00:14:11.240
 and when everything's great

00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.920
 and everything's in control

00:14:12.920 --> 00:14:14.300
 and there's no chaos in our life

00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:16.020
 and sex is all there is,

00:14:16.500 --> 00:14:17.080
 it's great.

00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:19.980
 If I can just find the right person

00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:20.879
 to have the right sex with,

00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:22.200
 then everything's going to be okay

00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:24.220
 because that's my passion

00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:25.180
 and that's what I'm driving for

00:14:25.180 --> 00:14:26.700
 and if I drive for it and I grab it,

00:14:26.740 --> 00:14:27.820
 then I'm going to be happy, right?

00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:30.500
 But what happens

00:14:30.500 --> 00:14:32.080
 when you find that right person

00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:35.200
 and they let you down?

00:14:37.660 --> 00:14:38.160
 I mean, what happens

00:14:38.160 --> 00:14:39.100
 when you find that right person

00:14:39.100 --> 00:14:40.360
 and they're seeking for the same thing

00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:41.000
 that you're seeking?

00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:42.759
 What happens if they say to you,

00:14:43.060 --> 00:14:43.620
 in you,

00:14:43.780 --> 00:14:44.900
 I'm hoping that you're going to fulfill

00:14:44.900 --> 00:14:45.580
 all my needs,

00:14:45.800 --> 00:14:46.180
 you're going to meet

00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:47.059
 all my needs perfectly,

00:14:47.359 --> 00:14:47.939
 you're going to do everything

00:14:47.939 --> 00:14:48.419
 that I need,

00:14:48.579 --> 00:14:49.620
 that's why I married you

00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:50.579
 and you go,

00:14:50.739 --> 00:14:52.159
 well, that's why I married you

00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:54.199
 so now you have two people

00:14:54.199 --> 00:14:54.779
 who are trying to get

00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:55.759
 what they need from each other

00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.379
 and no one's getting

00:14:57.379 --> 00:14:58.500
 what they need

00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:01.039
 and Paul says,

00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:03.439
 that's not contentment.

00:15:05.899 --> 00:15:06.620
 Some of the people,

00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:07.579
 when they heard Paul spoke,

00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:08.439
 they would have laughed

00:15:08.439 --> 00:15:08.799
 and they said,

00:15:08.939 --> 00:15:09.719
 that's ridiculous

00:15:09.719 --> 00:15:11.439
 because everyone knows

00:15:11.439 --> 00:15:12.899
 that contentment comes in stuff.

00:15:14.059 --> 00:15:15.159
 I mean, if I get enough stuff,

00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.299
 if I attain enough things,

00:15:17.459 --> 00:15:18.459
 if I can get enough money,

00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:19.519
 if I can collect enough houses,

00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:20.959
 now I've been told in Hong Kong

00:15:20.959 --> 00:15:22.019
 you need three houses, right?

00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:23.339
 You live in one,

00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:24.079
 you rent the two out

00:15:24.079 --> 00:15:24.659
 and if you do that,

00:15:24.719 --> 00:15:25.399
 your life is perfect,

00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:26.100
 you're going to be content,

00:15:26.219 --> 00:15:26.819
 you're going to have peace,

00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:27.899
 everything is great.

00:15:29.379 --> 00:15:30.519
 So if I just have three houses,

00:15:30.620 --> 00:15:31.500
 everything is going to be good.

00:15:32.839 --> 00:15:33.480
 I have a friend

00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:34.480
 who has three Ferraris.

00:15:34.899 --> 00:15:36.159
 His idea was,

00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:37.219
 if I just get Ferraris,

00:15:37.299 --> 00:15:38.019
 life will be great.

00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:39.000
 It's amazing

00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:39.879
 because he's come to Christ

00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:40.439
 and he's realizing,

00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:41.559
 well, I have these Ferraris

00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:42.659
 and they're not really

00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:43.979
 making me happy or content,

00:15:44.099 --> 00:15:45.679
 they're actually making me unhappy.

00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:47.079
 I need to sell them

00:15:47.079 --> 00:15:48.119
 and I'm like,

00:15:49.239 --> 00:15:50.259
 can I drive one around

00:15:50.259 --> 00:15:50.899
 for one week?

00:15:54.979 --> 00:15:57.199
 But some of the people

00:15:57.199 --> 00:15:57.679
 were saying,

00:15:57.799 --> 00:15:58.579
 if you can get these things,

00:15:58.639 --> 00:15:59.739
 if you can collect these things,

00:16:00.079 --> 00:16:01.539
 if you can satisfy your feelings

00:16:01.539 --> 00:16:02.339
 and you're going to be happy

00:16:02.339 --> 00:16:03.199
 and everything's going to be good,

00:16:03.219 --> 00:16:03.439
 right?

00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:05.799
 Some people,

00:16:05.939 --> 00:16:06.919
 when they heard Paul laugh,

00:16:07.479 --> 00:16:08.979
 speak and said that God is enough,

00:16:09.019 --> 00:16:09.779
 they would have laughed.

00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:10.980
 They would have said,

00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:11.399
 come on, Paul,

00:16:11.459 --> 00:16:12.379
 everybody knows that

00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:15.139
 peace, happiness, contentment

00:16:15.139 --> 00:16:17.120
 is found in education.

00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:19.959
 It's in getting the right degrees

00:16:19.959 --> 00:16:20.740
 and it's in status,

00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:21.519
 it's in power.

00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:22.980
 I mean,

00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:24.500
 I can find peace and happiness

00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:25.539
 through my doctor, right?

00:16:26.339 --> 00:16:26.679
 I mean,

00:16:26.699 --> 00:16:27.199
 all I need to do

00:16:27.199 --> 00:16:28.319
 is to go through the right doctor,

00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.199
 the right psychiatrist

00:16:29.199 --> 00:16:30.899
 and if I go to the right psychiatrist,

00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:32.500
 then everything's going to be okay.

00:16:32.659 --> 00:16:33.779
 He can give me the right pills,

00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:34.939
 he can teach me how to breathe right,

00:16:35.220 --> 00:16:36.600
 he can teach me how to burn those candles,

00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:37.839
 he can teach me how to rearrange

00:16:37.839 --> 00:16:38.839
 my furniture in my house

00:16:38.839 --> 00:16:39.620
 so that everything's perfect

00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:40.320
 and I'll have peace.

00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:41.600
 I can go on vacations,

00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:42.720
 I can stop thinking so much,

00:16:43.060 --> 00:16:43.980
 I cannot be anxious,

00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:45.080
 I cannot worry,

00:16:45.179 --> 00:16:45.779
 I cannot fear,

00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:47.179
 I don't have to be worried

00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:47.600
 about content

00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:49.620
 if I could get the right education,

00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:50.919
 the right doctor,

00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:52.060
 the right medication,

00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:53.860
 the right person in my life,

00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:55.340
 everything's going to be okay.

00:16:58.759 --> 00:16:59.080
 Really?

00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:03.820
 Is that what it calls

00:17:03.820 --> 00:17:05.200
 to be content?

00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:06.900
 I mean,

00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:07.660
 have you ever had someone

00:17:07.660 --> 00:17:08.700
 say those things to you?

00:17:10.600 --> 00:17:10.920
 I mean,

00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:12.240
 I've said them to myself

00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.039
 and so I'm trying to be

00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:15.180
 as transparent as I can

00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:16.319
 and be as open as I can

00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.140
 but is that really

00:17:18.140 --> 00:17:19.100
 where those things are found?

00:17:19.180 --> 00:17:19.900
 I love the quote

00:17:19.900 --> 00:17:20.860
 in your bulletin

00:17:20.860 --> 00:17:21.460
 when you get a chance

00:17:21.460 --> 00:17:21.980
 to go back to it,

00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:22.680
 we have it up here

00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:23.680
 but the quote from

00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:25.039
 one of Sigmund Freud's

00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:25.539
 best students,

00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:26.360
 have you ever read this?

00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:27.340
 It's amazing,

00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:28.480
 this guy is not a Christian,

00:17:28.600 --> 00:17:29.519
 he didn't come to Christ,

00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:31.279
 he didn't have

00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:32.299
 any kind of religious faith

00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:34.160
 and he was asked one day

00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:34.940
 about contentment

00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:35.599
 and what they do

00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:36.359
 as psychiatrists

00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:36.940
 for contentment

00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:38.440
 and basically what he says

00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:39.460
 is that if you're looking

00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:40.099
 for counseling

00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:40.700
 and psychiatry

00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:42.720
 to show you that contentment,

00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:43.500
 it will never work.

00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:44.960
 I mean,

00:17:44.980 --> 00:17:46.019
 all it does is it shows you

00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:47.160
 why you're not content

00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:48.559
 but psychiatry

00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:49.359
 and psychology

00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:50.160
 will never answer

00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:50.779
 the big questions

00:17:50.779 --> 00:17:51.480
 it's not going to answer

00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:52.720
 why you're here,

00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:54.220
 why you have to die,

00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:55.379
 how you can make your life

00:17:55.379 --> 00:17:56.180
 triumphal and meaningful,

00:17:56.579 --> 00:17:56.960
 how you can live

00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:57.700
 a life of contentment.

00:17:57.700 --> 00:17:59.720
 If psychology pretends

00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:00.299
 to do this,

00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:01.080
 if it offers

00:18:01.080 --> 00:18:01.920
 a full explanation

00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:02.420
 and solution

00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:03.200
 for your unhappiness

00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:03.960
 and discontentment,

00:18:04.539 --> 00:18:05.259
 it's a fraud.

00:18:06.360 --> 00:18:07.400
 Don't listen to it

00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:08.680
 because you'll never

00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:09.940
 be able to escape from it.

00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:11.420
 All counselors can do

00:18:11.420 --> 00:18:11.819
 is show you

00:18:11.819 --> 00:18:12.580
 what you've done

00:18:12.580 --> 00:18:13.059
 in your life

00:18:13.059 --> 00:18:14.120
 and why you're discontent

00:18:14.120 --> 00:18:14.880
 or why you're unhappy

00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:15.940
 but it can't show you

00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:17.779
 how to find contentment.

00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:21.500
 Drugs cannot show you

00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:23.319
 how to find happiness.

00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:25.539
 Counselors will just show you

00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:26.840
 why you're not happy

00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:28.959
 and maybe they'll tell you

00:18:28.959 --> 00:18:29.819
 that that unhappiness

00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:31.139
 isn't real unhappiness.

00:18:31.659 --> 00:18:32.779
 It's just been forced upon you

00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:33.759
 but you should really be happy

00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:34.699
 but you're feeling unhappy

00:18:34.699 --> 00:18:35.319
 and discontent

00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:35.799
 and that's just

00:18:35.799 --> 00:18:37.139
 a false discontentment.

00:18:38.339 --> 00:18:38.919
 But do you see

00:18:38.919 --> 00:18:39.740
 what he says at the end?

00:18:40.899 --> 00:18:41.459
 This is a guy

00:18:41.459 --> 00:18:42.459
 who's not a Christian.

00:18:42.599 --> 00:18:43.759
 He's one of the leading

00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:44.879
 psychiatrists and thinkers

00:18:44.879 --> 00:18:45.480
 of his day,

00:18:45.819 --> 00:18:46.859
 one of Freud's best students.

00:18:46.939 --> 00:18:47.559
 He says this.

00:18:48.139 --> 00:18:48.819
 He says the only thing

00:18:48.819 --> 00:18:49.959
 that can answer the questions

00:18:49.959 --> 00:18:51.859
 and deal with our happiness,

00:18:52.579 --> 00:18:54.019
 deal with our discontentment,

00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:55.740
 the only strength

00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:56.440
 that can overcome

00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:57.180
 these feelings

00:18:57.180 --> 00:19:01.019
 is the strength of a God.

00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:04.240
 I read that.

00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:04.559
 I'm like,

00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:04.980
 oh my,

00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:05.799
 wow.

00:19:07.019 --> 00:19:07.720
 Here's a guy

00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:08.639
 and he's at the top

00:19:08.639 --> 00:19:09.180
 of his field

00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:09.940
 and doing these things

00:19:09.940 --> 00:19:11.079
 and trying to make people content

00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:12.200
 and trying to make people unhappy

00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:13.200
 and he realizes

00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:14.359
 that none of it will work.

00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.339
 The only thing

00:19:16.339 --> 00:19:17.500
 that can make people happy

00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:18.879
 is God.

00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:20.759
 I don't know

00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:22.000
 what is in your life right now.

00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:22.259
 I don't know

00:19:22.259 --> 00:19:22.640
 what you're trying

00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:24.079
 to make yourself content with.

00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:25.940
 The passage says

00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:26.640
 a really quick

00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:27.519
 and easy question.

00:19:27.940 --> 00:19:28.880
 You look at verse 13.

00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:30.940
 All you need to do

00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:31.420
 to figure out

00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:32.279
 what's driving you,

00:19:32.339 --> 00:19:32.940
 what's giving you,

00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:33.640
 what's your passion,

00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:34.559
 all you need to do

00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:34.819
 is see,

00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:36.799
 I can do all blank

00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:39.119
 through him.

00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:39.900
 I mean,

00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:40.819
 I can do all things

00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:41.460
 through blank

00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:42.319
 who strengthens me.

00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:46.539
 I can do all things

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:48.140
 through blank

00:19:48.140 --> 00:19:51.000
 who strengthens me.

00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.299
 What would you put there?

00:19:57.960 --> 00:19:58.759
 Be honest.

00:20:00.539 --> 00:20:01.680
 No one else is going to know.

00:20:03.640 --> 00:20:05.079
 But what would you put there?

00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:08.559
 Sometimes I put,

00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:09.640
 I can do all things

00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:10.240
 through Tobin

00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:12.380
 who strengthens me.

00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:13.680
 I hope you don't put that

00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:14.180
 on yours.

00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:15.920
 But I put that on mine.

00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:17.800
 Sometimes I can do

00:20:17.800 --> 00:20:18.340
 all things

00:20:18.340 --> 00:20:19.300
 through my family

00:20:19.300 --> 00:20:22.100
 who strengthens me.

00:20:23.820 --> 00:20:24.920
 And whatever you put there,

00:20:24.980 --> 00:20:26.000
 if it's not God,

00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:27.060
 Paul says

00:20:27.060 --> 00:20:28.960
 that it's a lie.

00:20:31.060 --> 00:20:32.200
 That it's hollow.

00:20:33.700 --> 00:20:34.440
 And if that lie

00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:35.480
 is taken away

00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:36.680
 from you,

00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:37.640
 if you can say

00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:38.480
 I can do all things

00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:39.140
 through Tobin

00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:40.000
 and all of a sudden

00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.920
 my health deteriorates,

00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:44.580
 where am I?

00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:47.259
 Christina's not here

00:20:47.259 --> 00:20:47.940
 because last week

00:20:47.940 --> 00:20:48.340
 we found out

00:20:48.340 --> 00:20:49.180
 her mom has cancer.

00:20:50.360 --> 00:20:51.400
 So she flew home

00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:51.980
 to be with her mom

00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:52.840
 going through chemo.

00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:54.779
 So Karen's sitting

00:20:54.779 --> 00:20:55.279
 in a chair

00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:56.259
 going through chemo

00:20:56.259 --> 00:20:58.580
 and I'm talking to her

00:20:58.580 --> 00:20:59.220
 about this sermon

00:20:59.220 --> 00:20:59.960
 for this week.

00:21:01.060 --> 00:21:02.080
 And it's amazing

00:21:02.080 --> 00:21:02.660
 to see

00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:04.580
 the resolve

00:21:04.580 --> 00:21:06.960
 and the contentment

00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:09.840
 in her life.

00:21:11.700 --> 00:21:12.480
 Because she knows

00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:12.980
 the blank

00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:13.860
 is filled in

00:21:13.860 --> 00:21:14.500
 by nothing

00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:16.840
 but God.

00:21:20.840 --> 00:21:21.559
 C.S. Lewis

00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:22.220
 on his journey,

00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:22.819
 I'm reading

00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:24.019
 his autobiography

00:21:24.019 --> 00:21:24.579
 right now.

00:21:24.660 --> 00:21:25.120
 It's really

00:21:25.120 --> 00:21:25.819
 very interesting.

00:21:26.220 --> 00:21:26.819
 He talks about

00:21:26.819 --> 00:21:27.799
 how he came to Christ.

00:21:28.900 --> 00:21:29.700
 He's in Oxford

00:21:29.700 --> 00:21:30.579
 in 1920s.

00:21:30.620 --> 00:21:31.079
 He probably came

00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:31.340
 to Christ

00:21:31.340 --> 00:21:31.920
 about 1930.

00:21:32.700 --> 00:21:33.220
 There's all this

00:21:33.220 --> 00:21:34.019
 upheaval in Oxford.

00:21:34.120 --> 00:21:34.660
 All these things

00:21:34.660 --> 00:21:35.079
 are happening

00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:36.079
 and he's trying

00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:36.620
 everything.

00:21:36.619 --> 00:21:37.079
 He's trying

00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:37.799
 materialism.

00:21:37.979 --> 00:21:38.500
 He's trying

00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:38.859
 money.

00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:39.579
 He's trying

00:21:39.579 --> 00:21:40.159
 pleasures.

00:21:40.459 --> 00:21:40.839
 He's trying

00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:41.339
 passion.

00:21:41.659 --> 00:21:42.079
 He's trying

00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:42.679
 theology.

00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:43.099
 He's trying

00:21:43.099 --> 00:21:43.719
 philosophy.

00:21:44.399 --> 00:21:45.299
 And all of them

00:21:45.299 --> 00:21:46.359
 fall short.

00:21:47.399 --> 00:21:48.099
 All of them

00:21:48.099 --> 00:21:48.959
 leave him empty.

00:21:50.279 --> 00:21:51.079
 And he comes

00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:51.939
 to this amazing

00:21:51.939 --> 00:21:53.299
 realization

00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:54.719
 that if all

00:21:54.719 --> 00:21:55.299
 these things

00:21:55.299 --> 00:21:55.779
 in the world

00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:56.479
 are leaving me

00:21:56.479 --> 00:21:56.799
 empty,

00:21:58.239 --> 00:21:59.939
 then maybe

00:21:59.939 --> 00:22:00.399
 I'm built

00:22:00.399 --> 00:22:00.939
 for something

00:22:00.939 --> 00:22:01.359
 else.

00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:06.379
 Maybe I'm

00:22:06.380 --> 00:22:06.680
 built for

00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:06.940
 something

00:22:06.940 --> 00:22:07.340
 else

00:22:07.340 --> 00:22:08.740
 not in

00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:09.100
 this world.

00:22:09.180 --> 00:22:09.360
 Maybe

00:22:09.360 --> 00:22:09.740
 I'm built

00:22:09.740 --> 00:22:10.340
 for something

00:22:10.340 --> 00:22:11.420
 more.

00:22:13.620 --> 00:22:14.120
 And Paul

00:22:14.120 --> 00:22:14.740
 says that

00:22:14.740 --> 00:22:15.500
 in his prison

00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:16.300
 cell to us

00:22:16.300 --> 00:22:16.700
 today.

00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:18.620
 He reminds

00:22:18.620 --> 00:22:19.180
 us over

00:22:19.180 --> 00:22:19.660
 and over

00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.340
 through his

00:22:20.340 --> 00:22:20.760
 word and

00:22:20.760 --> 00:22:21.100
 through his

00:22:21.100 --> 00:22:21.360
 scripture

00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:22.140
 that there's

00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:22.560
 so much

00:22:22.560 --> 00:22:23.480
 more to

00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:24.080
 contentment

00:22:24.080 --> 00:22:24.980
 and contentment

00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:25.520
 can only be

00:22:25.520 --> 00:22:26.000
 found in a

00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:26.360
 person.

00:22:26.800 --> 00:22:27.180
 Contentment

00:22:27.180 --> 00:22:27.660
 can only be

00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:28.060
 found in a

00:22:28.060 --> 00:22:28.480
 relationship

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:29.560
 with Jesus

00:22:29.560 --> 00:22:30.080
 Christ.

00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:30.960
 And until we

00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:31.840
 realize that

00:22:31.840 --> 00:22:32.680
 even as

00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:33.160
 Christians,

00:22:33.300 --> 00:22:33.800
 some of us

00:22:33.800 --> 00:22:34.000
 say,

00:22:34.120 --> 00:22:34.220
 yeah,

00:22:34.320 --> 00:22:34.900
 I believe

00:22:34.900 --> 00:22:35.440
 Christ and

00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:35.759
 I came

00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:36.200
 to Christ,

00:22:36.540 --> 00:22:36.820
 but we

00:22:36.820 --> 00:22:37.300
 walk off

00:22:37.300 --> 00:22:37.740
 our life

00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:38.540
 and we

00:22:38.540 --> 00:22:39.000
 filled that

00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:39.400
 blank in

00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:39.680
 when we

00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:40.060
 first said

00:22:40.060 --> 00:22:40.519
 that prayer,

00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:41.340
 but now we

00:22:41.340 --> 00:22:41.880
 say I can

00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:42.200
 do all

00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:42.660
 things through

00:22:42.660 --> 00:22:44.140
 my MPF

00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:44.519
 or my

00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:45.300
 finances that

00:22:45.300 --> 00:22:46.080
 strengthen me.

00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:48.200
 And we

00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:48.860
 forgot in our

00:22:48.860 --> 00:22:49.700
 first love,

00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:54.720
 an older

00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:55.259
 brother of

00:22:55.259 --> 00:22:55.620
 mine

00:22:55.620 --> 00:22:58.040
 changed my

00:22:58.040 --> 00:22:58.440
 life.

00:22:59.540 --> 00:23:00.259
 One day he

00:23:00.259 --> 00:23:00.780
 came to me,

00:23:00.840 --> 00:23:01.180
 it was many

00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:01.680
 years ago,

00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:03.120
 he looked

00:23:03.120 --> 00:23:03.360
 at my

00:23:03.360 --> 00:23:03.799
 life and

00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:04.200
 my life

00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:04.620
 was in

00:23:04.620 --> 00:23:05.120
 chaos.

00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:06.259
 I was

00:23:06.259 --> 00:23:06.560
 anxious,

00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:06.940
 I was

00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:07.360
 fearful,

00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:08.700
 I didn't

00:23:08.700 --> 00:23:09.460
 have peace.

00:23:11.120 --> 00:23:11.960
 I felt

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:12.880
 like my

00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:13.340
 world was

00:23:13.340 --> 00:23:13.720
 going around

00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:14.100
 and I

00:23:14.100 --> 00:23:14.480
 felt like I

00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:15.019
 was continually

00:23:15.019 --> 00:23:16.180
 going around

00:23:16.180 --> 00:23:16.820
 in circles.

00:23:17.660 --> 00:23:18.400
 I felt like I

00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:18.880
 was walking

00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:19.700
 down this

00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:20.380
 long corridor

00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:20.820
 with all

00:23:20.820 --> 00:23:21.360
 these doors

00:23:21.360 --> 00:23:22.180
 open and I

00:23:22.180 --> 00:23:22.600
 was opening

00:23:22.600 --> 00:23:22.920
 up the

00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:23.420
 doors trying

00:23:23.420 --> 00:23:23.720
 to find

00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:24.259
 happiness and

00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:25.100
 contentment and

00:23:25.100 --> 00:23:25.480
 I could just

00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:26.299
 never open up

00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:27.000
 the right

00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:28.340
 door and the

00:23:28.340 --> 00:23:28.880
 hallway kept

00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:29.740
 going longer

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:30.580
 and longer

00:23:30.580 --> 00:23:31.279
 and longer

00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:31.799
 and there's

00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:32.160
 a lot of

00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:32.480
 doors on

00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:32.920
 every side

00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:33.079
 and I'm

00:23:33.079 --> 00:23:33.319
 trying to

00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:33.599
 open up

00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:33.819
 the one

00:23:33.819 --> 00:23:34.059
 finding

00:23:34.059 --> 00:23:34.619
 happiness and

00:23:34.619 --> 00:23:35.000
 meaning and

00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:35.519
 contentment and

00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:36.399
 get rid of my

00:23:36.399 --> 00:23:36.759
 anxiety,

00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:37.359
 get rid of my

00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:38.259
 fear and I

00:23:38.259 --> 00:23:38.539
 could never

00:23:38.539 --> 00:23:38.740
 do that.

00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:39.039
 Have you ever

00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:39.599
 felt like that?

00:23:43.579 --> 00:23:43.980
 And he

00:23:43.980 --> 00:23:44.420
 looked at me

00:23:44.420 --> 00:23:44.680
 and he said,

00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:44.960
 Tobin,

00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:48.279
 the reason your

00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:48.879
 life is a

00:23:48.879 --> 00:23:51.220
 mess is because

00:23:51.220 --> 00:23:51.759
 you don't have a

00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.000
 rudder to your

00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:54.440
 life.

00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:56.059
 And I looked at

00:23:56.059 --> 00:23:56.240
 him and I said,

00:23:56.339 --> 00:23:57.859
 what does that

00:23:57.859 --> 00:23:58.139
 mean?

00:23:58.819 --> 00:23:59.099
 He goes,

00:23:59.160 --> 00:23:59.220
 well,

00:23:59.259 --> 00:24:00.539
 our lives are like

00:24:00.539 --> 00:24:01.240
 these boats and

00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:01.759
 we're on this

00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.099
 journey and the

00:24:03.099 --> 00:24:04.380
 rudder is on the

00:24:04.380 --> 00:24:05.059
 back of the boat

00:24:05.059 --> 00:24:06.480
 and the rudder

00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:07.700
 keeps us on

00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:08.480
 track.

00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:08.960
 The rudder

00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:10.220
 balances us.

00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:10.680
 The rudder

00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:11.620
 keeps us from

00:24:11.620 --> 00:24:12.420
 flipping over and

00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:13.160
 from turning around

00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:13.980
 and losing direction.

00:24:14.359 --> 00:24:14.620
 And he said,

00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:15.640
 the reason I don't

00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:17.400
 have that is

00:24:17.400 --> 00:24:17.839
 because I didn't

00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:18.700
 understand God.

00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:20.059
 My theological

00:24:20.059 --> 00:24:20.700
 understanding of

00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:21.200
 God was about

00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:21.759
 this deep.

00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:23.259
 And so whenever

00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:24.039
 a wave hit me,

00:24:24.099 --> 00:24:24.519
 whenever something

00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:26.039
 hit me, I

00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:27.559
 freaked out.

00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.740
 God, he says,

00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:31.279
 you need to get a

00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:31.559
 rudder.

00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:36.099
 Your God is too

00:24:36.099 --> 00:24:39.480
 small because you

00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:40.359
 don't know very much

00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:41.399
 about God or who he

00:24:41.399 --> 00:24:42.200
 is or what he wants

00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:43.919
 for you when even

00:24:43.919 --> 00:24:44.700
 just a little puddle

00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:45.179
 hits you.

00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:46.740
 Your boat goes

00:24:46.740 --> 00:24:48.679
 and you come in and

00:24:48.679 --> 00:24:49.379
 you go, my life is

00:24:49.379 --> 00:24:49.759
 falling apart.

00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:50.220
 What happened?

00:24:50.639 --> 00:24:51.139
 I just got a parking

00:24:51.139 --> 00:24:51.399
 ticket.

00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:53.160
 Really?

00:24:55.080 --> 00:24:55.920
 Your rudder isn't

00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:56.840
 big enough to handle

00:24:56.840 --> 00:24:59.200
 the parking ticket?

00:25:00.840 --> 00:25:01.880
 Your view of God

00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:03.700
 is so small that

00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:04.660
 you don't understand

00:25:04.660 --> 00:25:05.940
 that?

00:25:11.820 --> 00:25:12.620
 There are a lot of

00:25:12.620 --> 00:25:13.400
 us in here today

00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:15.440
 and we've been

00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:16.120
 walking with the

00:25:16.120 --> 00:25:16.900
 Lord or we've said

00:25:16.900 --> 00:25:17.620
 we've been Christians

00:25:17.620 --> 00:25:18.640
 for a long time.

00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:22.540
 And our rudder is

00:25:22.540 --> 00:25:24.920
 about that big or

00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:25.680
 non-existent.

00:25:29.060 --> 00:25:30.040
 When we say we're

00:25:30.040 --> 00:25:32.380
 a Christian, when it

00:25:32.380 --> 00:25:33.060
 comes to understanding

00:25:33.060 --> 00:25:35.240
 God, his character,

00:25:36.060 --> 00:25:38.380
 his word, theology,

00:25:38.980 --> 00:25:40.240
 all these things that

00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:41.259
 more us, all these

00:25:41.259 --> 00:25:41.940
 things that strengthen

00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:43.080
 us, all these things

00:25:43.080 --> 00:25:44.480
 that help us amongst

00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:45.880
 the storm, our rudder

00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:46.600
 is like that big.

00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:48.700
 Some of us in here,

00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:49.180
 we've been walking

00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:50.019
 with God for 20 years

00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:50.400
 and we don't even

00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:51.000
 have a rudder.

00:25:51.940 --> 00:25:52.400
 Now there's some

00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:53.280
 theological questions

00:25:53.280 --> 00:25:54.060
 we could ask after

00:25:54.060 --> 00:25:54.380
 that.

00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:02.000
 How big is your

00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:02.259
 rudder?

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:06.380
 How well do you

00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:06.920
 know the Lord?

00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.140
 How well do you

00:26:10.140 --> 00:26:10.759
 know his character

00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:11.640
 which never changes?

00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:14.580
 How well do you

00:26:14.580 --> 00:26:15.060
 know how much he

00:26:15.060 --> 00:26:15.500
 loves you?

00:26:18.940 --> 00:26:19.580
 How well do you

00:26:19.580 --> 00:26:20.180
 know the power of

00:26:20.180 --> 00:26:20.660
 the gospel?

00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:24.240
 that doesn't just

00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:25.740
 save you for heaven

00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:26.519
 but it saves you

00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:28.000
 day to day.

00:26:28.860 --> 00:26:29.180
 Today.

00:26:29.320 --> 00:26:30.060
 And I realized I

00:26:30.060 --> 00:26:30.940
 didn't know that

00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:31.759
 and so Henry

00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:32.580
 basically challenged

00:26:32.580 --> 00:26:32.740
 me.

00:26:32.780 --> 00:26:33.280
 He challenged me

00:26:33.280 --> 00:26:33.960
 just to study my

00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:35.320
 Bible and he gave

00:26:35.320 --> 00:26:35.980
 me this passage,

00:26:36.180 --> 00:26:37.160
 Philippians 4, 6, and

00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:37.460
 7.

00:26:38.080 --> 00:26:38.820
 Be anxious for nothing

00:26:38.820 --> 00:26:39.500
 but in everything by

00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:40.259
 prayer and supplication

00:26:40.259 --> 00:26:40.880
 with thanksgiving what

00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:41.440
 you request may be

00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:43.340
 made known to God.

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.740
 And the peace of God

00:26:44.740 --> 00:26:45.519
 which surpasses all

00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:46.580
 comprehension will

00:26:46.580 --> 00:26:47.360
 guard your hearts and

00:26:47.360 --> 00:26:48.720
 your minds in Christ

00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:49.019
 Jesus.

00:26:49.380 --> 00:26:50.000
 And Henry told me

00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:50.860
 to memorize that

00:26:50.860 --> 00:26:51.940
 and to repeat it

00:26:51.940 --> 00:26:53.160
 over and over and

00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:54.640
 over for one week.

00:26:56.180 --> 00:26:57.000
 And I did.

00:26:57.860 --> 00:26:58.640
 I started to

00:26:58.640 --> 00:26:59.259
 memorize it.

00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:03.059
 I started to repeat

00:27:03.059 --> 00:27:03.700
 it over and over and

00:27:03.700 --> 00:27:03.860
 over.

00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:06.079
 And one of the things

00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:06.980
 kept sticking out to me.

00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:08.740
 I didn't understand

00:27:08.740 --> 00:27:10.900
 why Paul wanted me

00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:11.720
 to pray with

00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:14.380
 thanksgiving before

00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:15.240
 God even answered

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:15.920
 my prayers.

00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:19.480
 I mean usually I'm

00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:20.759
 thankful when I get

00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:21.480
 what I want.

00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:26.019
 But Paul says to

00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:28.039
 pray with thanksgiving

00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:30.079
 before our prayers

00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.519
 are even answered.

00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:36.579
 Why?

00:27:36.980 --> 00:27:42.640
 I realized I didn't

00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:43.480
 understand that because

00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:45.039
 my rudder was too

00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:45.460
 small.

00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:46.720
 What Paul was saying

00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:48.319
 to me and what he's

00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:49.200
 saying to us is that

00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:50.420
 God is always at work.

00:27:52.819 --> 00:27:54.039
 And we thank God for

00:27:54.039 --> 00:27:54.720
 what he's done in the

00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.160
 past.

00:27:56.460 --> 00:27:57.360
 We thank him for what

00:27:57.360 --> 00:27:57.799
 he's done at the

00:27:57.799 --> 00:27:58.059
 cross.

00:27:58.160 --> 00:27:58.720
 We thank him for

00:27:58.720 --> 00:27:59.460
 bringing us here.

00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:00.039
 We thank him for

00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:00.740
 taking us on this

00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:00.940
 journey.

00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:02.059
 We thank him for

00:28:02.059 --> 00:28:04.079
 weaving our lives and

00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:06.120
 our story into his

00:28:06.120 --> 00:28:06.539
 story.

00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:08.920
 But we also thank

00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:09.799
 him for the future.

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:11.660
 And this is really

00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:12.539
 hard for me to think

00:28:12.539 --> 00:28:13.900
 through as an old

00:28:13.900 --> 00:28:15.400
 young Christian with a

00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:16.259
 rudder about this big

00:28:16.259 --> 00:28:16.839
 because I didn't read

00:28:16.839 --> 00:28:17.360
 my Bible.

00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:19.579
 I didn't know how to

00:28:19.579 --> 00:28:19.960
 pray.

00:28:20.779 --> 00:28:21.420
 I just knew I was a

00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:22.079
 Christian but I didn't

00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:22.960
 know what that meant

00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:23.339
 really.

00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:24.220
 Isn't that kind of

00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:24.460
 weird?

00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:26.620
 I mean just think about

00:28:26.620 --> 00:28:26.700
 it.

00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:28.259
 You're a doctor and

00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:29.640
 you're in a clinic and

00:28:29.640 --> 00:28:30.720
 the new doctor comes in

00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:32.299
 and you're sitting there

00:28:32.299 --> 00:28:32.740
 and you're doing your

00:28:32.740 --> 00:28:33.180
 work and all of a sudden

00:28:33.180 --> 00:28:33.559
 he comes in and he

00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:34.200
 goes, hey I got this

00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:36.299
 patient and he has a

00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:37.840
 fever and he has a

00:28:37.840 --> 00:28:38.240
 sore throat.

00:28:38.340 --> 00:28:38.860
 What do you think is

00:28:38.860 --> 00:28:39.319
 wrong with him?

00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:42.600
 He probably has a

00:28:42.600 --> 00:28:42.940
 sore throat.

00:28:43.019 --> 00:28:43.360
 Give him some

00:28:43.360 --> 00:28:43.980
 aspirin and send him

00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:44.019
 home.

00:28:44.080 --> 00:28:44.580
 Okay, okay, okay.

00:28:45.220 --> 00:28:45.840
 And you keep doing

00:28:45.840 --> 00:28:46.160
 your work and he

00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:46.340
 comes in.

00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:46.940
 Hey I got this

00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:48.559
 patient and he's

00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:49.340
 exhibiting these

00:28:49.340 --> 00:28:51.460
 symptoms of just a

00:28:51.460 --> 00:28:52.720
 rash and a flush.

00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:53.440
 He's been out hiking

00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:55.120
 in the woods and he's

00:28:55.120 --> 00:28:55.840
 itching all over the

00:28:55.840 --> 00:28:56.039
 place.

00:28:56.100 --> 00:28:56.420
 What do you think is

00:28:56.420 --> 00:28:56.840
 wrong with him?

00:28:58.140 --> 00:28:58.980
 Maybe he has poison

00:28:58.980 --> 00:28:59.259
 ivy.

00:28:59.340 --> 00:28:59.759
 Give him some

00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:00.400
 Benadryl and send

00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:00.700
 him home.

00:29:00.700 --> 00:29:01.259
 Okay, okay.

00:29:02.620 --> 00:29:03.519
 I have this new

00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:03.799
 guy.

00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:05.140
 He just came in and

00:29:05.140 --> 00:29:05.620
 he has these symptoms.

00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:06.319
 What would you think

00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:06.980
 if you were a doctor?

00:29:08.700 --> 00:29:09.740
 You go, what the heck

00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:10.539
 is this guy doing

00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:10.880
 here?

00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:13.319
 He's not qualified.

00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:15.600
 He doesn't have the

00:29:15.600 --> 00:29:16.440
 depth and understanding

00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:17.539
 of his practice.

00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:21.180
 But you know that's

00:29:21.180 --> 00:29:22.660
 like a lot of us in

00:29:22.660 --> 00:29:23.200
 here today.

00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:26.420
 We say we're

00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:28.319
 Christians but something

00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:29.140
 hits us and we just

00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:30.019
 start freaking out.

00:29:31.340 --> 00:29:31.860
 Because we don't

00:29:31.860 --> 00:29:32.500
 understand God.

00:29:32.580 --> 00:29:33.019
 We don't understand

00:29:33.019 --> 00:29:33.420
 his character.

00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:33.860
 We don't understand

00:29:33.860 --> 00:29:34.240
 who he is.

00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:34.660
 We don't understand

00:29:34.660 --> 00:29:35.299
 how he changes.

00:29:35.600 --> 00:29:36.220
 He never changes.

00:29:36.279 --> 00:29:36.640
 We don't understand

00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:37.380
 how he loves us.

00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:38.519
 We don't understand

00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:38.960
 the cross.

00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:39.440
 We don't understand

00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:39.799
 redemption.

00:29:40.220 --> 00:29:40.660
 We don't understand

00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:40.980
 salvation.

00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:42.039
 We don't understand

00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:43.279
 what it means to walk

00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:44.140
 with him day by day

00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:44.779
 and to trust his

00:29:44.779 --> 00:29:45.100
 goodness.

00:29:46.180 --> 00:29:47.160
 But we're Christians.

00:29:48.940 --> 00:29:49.500
 But we don't

00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:50.519
 understand because our

00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:51.400
 rudder is that small.

00:29:54.860 --> 00:29:55.880
 And Henry challenged

00:29:55.880 --> 00:29:57.880
 me to read and to

00:29:57.880 --> 00:29:59.940
 grow the rudder of

00:29:59.940 --> 00:30:02.080
 theology in my view

00:30:02.080 --> 00:30:04.340
 of God in my life.

00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:08.960
 And I've been trying

00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:09.480
 to do that.

00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:11.880
 And I realized in

00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:14.039
 prayer, this is an

00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:14.920
 epiphany for me.

00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:19.240
 when I pray, I might

00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:21.259
 not get what I'm

00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:21.980
 asking for.

00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:25.060
 But God will always

00:30:25.060 --> 00:30:27.360
 give me what I would

00:30:27.360 --> 00:30:29.960
 have asked for if I

00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:30.720
 knew what he knew.

00:30:33.779 --> 00:30:34.140
 Ooh.

00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:35.019
 Let me try it again.

00:30:35.700 --> 00:30:38.060
 When I pray, because I'm

00:30:38.060 --> 00:30:38.600
 trying to figure out a

00:30:38.600 --> 00:30:39.320
 better way to word this

00:30:39.320 --> 00:30:39.920
 because you know I make

00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:40.880
 up words sometimes up

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:41.840
 here and I'm not that

00:30:41.840 --> 00:30:43.100
 great of a speaker or

00:30:43.100 --> 00:30:43.640
 communicator.

00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:44.380
 So I was trying to

00:30:44.380 --> 00:30:44.780
 figure out how I

00:30:44.780 --> 00:30:45.480
 should make this a

00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:45.960
 little simpler.

00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:47.759
 But in Tobinese, I

00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:48.500
 basically just said,

00:30:49.280 --> 00:30:51.700
 Tobinese, when I pray,

00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:55.160
 I might not get what I'm

00:30:55.160 --> 00:30:58.120
 praying for, but God

00:30:58.120 --> 00:31:00.700
 will always give me what

00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:03.200
 I would have asked for if

00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:04.520
 I see everything the way

00:31:04.520 --> 00:31:06.020
 he sees it.

00:31:07.420 --> 00:31:08.259
 Now that's not

00:31:08.259 --> 00:31:08.600
 original.

00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:09.700
 That's Jonathan Edwards.

00:31:10.380 --> 00:31:11.160
 And Jonathan Edwards

00:31:11.160 --> 00:31:12.000
 stole that from John

00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:12.259
 Owen.

00:31:12.619 --> 00:31:13.480
 John Owen stole that

00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:14.160
 from Tertullian.

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.200
 Tertullian stole that

00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:15.660
 from Paul.

00:31:16.059 --> 00:31:16.660
 Paul stole that from

00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:16.980
 Jesus.

00:31:17.460 --> 00:31:18.099
 Everything's stolen.

00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:22.460
 But it's helped me see

00:31:22.460 --> 00:31:23.960
 things differently.

00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:26.619
 The theological term for

00:31:26.619 --> 00:31:27.779
 that is sovereignty.

00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:31.160
 And God is in control of

00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:31.500
 everything.

00:31:33.420 --> 00:31:34.400
 Jesus talked about that.

00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:35.299
 Not a hair can fall from

00:31:35.299 --> 00:31:36.099
 your head without God

00:31:36.099 --> 00:31:36.920
 allowing it to happen.

00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:39.440
 Does that make sense?

00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:44.779
 Okay, so Christina's not

00:31:44.779 --> 00:31:45.500
 here, so I'll share

00:31:45.500 --> 00:31:46.039
 something, okay?

00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:47.259
 Can't not tell her this,

00:31:47.299 --> 00:31:47.500
 okay?

00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:48.940
 Because I don't think I've

00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:49.680
 ever shared this to anybody

00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:50.000
 else.

00:31:52.180 --> 00:31:53.960
 When I grew up and I went

00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:55.680
 off to China, I was

00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:57.180
 serving in Maine, China,

00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:59.460
 and I never thought I'd

00:31:59.460 --> 00:31:59.860
 get married.

00:32:00.580 --> 00:32:02.480
 I really had no desire ever

00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.100
 to get married, and I

00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:05.860
 never thought that I would

00:32:05.860 --> 00:32:06.380
 get married.

00:32:06.380 --> 00:32:09.440
 I dated a lot of girls.

00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:12.120
 Okay, my kids are here.

00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:17.360
 I dated a few very special

00:32:17.360 --> 00:32:20.260
 select girls, okay?

00:32:21.020 --> 00:32:21.860
 It wasn't like I was

00:32:21.860 --> 00:32:22.480
 dating a lot.

00:32:22.600 --> 00:32:23.840
 Okay, so you're not dating

00:32:23.840 --> 00:32:24.780
 a lot, Rachel or Kip.

00:32:24.860 --> 00:32:25.920
 You're just a few select

00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:27.000
 people, okay, Becca?

00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:32.380
 Why do we have the kids in

00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:32.900
 here today?

00:32:32.980 --> 00:32:34.040
 I don't understand that.

00:32:34.040 --> 00:32:35.240
 What's going on there?

00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:35.680
 Okay.

00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:41.180
 Dad let us dress ourselves

00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:42.279
 today, and he gave us

00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:43.440
 Pop-Tarts this morning for

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:43.819
 breakfast.

00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:44.960
 What?

00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:48.599
 Okay.

00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:51.700
 So, I never thought I'd get

00:32:51.700 --> 00:32:52.640
 married, ever.

00:32:53.779 --> 00:32:54.620
 And I came to, because I

00:32:54.620 --> 00:32:55.519
 just realized what God had

00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.339
 me doing, maybe I should

00:32:56.339 --> 00:32:57.019
 just stay single.

00:32:57.819 --> 00:32:58.940
 And I came back from China,

00:32:58.980 --> 00:32:59.620
 and I started going to

00:32:59.620 --> 00:33:01.759
 graduate school, and I met

00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:03.819
 the girl that I never

00:33:03.819 --> 00:33:04.679
 thought that I would meet.

00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:07.240
 It was the first girl out

00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:08.700
 of all those few select

00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:09.899
 special girls I dated

00:33:09.899 --> 00:33:13.179
 that I felt like for the

00:33:13.179 --> 00:33:14.079
 first time I could marry

00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:14.639
 this person.

00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:17.559
 And we started pursuing a

00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:17.799
 relationship.

00:33:17.939 --> 00:33:18.819
 All our friends confirmed

00:33:18.819 --> 00:33:18.980
 it.

00:33:19.059 --> 00:33:19.939
 The church confirmed it.

00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:20.480
 Everybody said, you're

00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:20.939
 perfect together.

00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:21.419
 You're going to get

00:33:21.419 --> 00:33:21.639
 married.

00:33:21.700 --> 00:33:22.059
 You're perfect.

00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:24.440
 And so, it was Super Bowl

00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:25.679
 Sunday, which I call Sunday

00:33:25.679 --> 00:33:26.940
 Bloody Sunday from now on,

00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:28.339
 because on Monday, I was

00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:28.879
 going to go buy the

00:33:28.879 --> 00:33:29.579
 engagement ring.

00:33:30.859 --> 00:33:32.480
 And on Sunday, we hung out

00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:33.460
 at the time, and after the

00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:34.339
 time, she came up to me and

00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:35.440
 said, I don't want to date

00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:35.839
 anymore.

00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:37.919
 You need to break up.

00:33:39.679 --> 00:33:41.700
 And I prayed, and I prayed.

00:33:41.779 --> 00:33:42.980
 Okay, God, obviously, you

00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:43.859
 made a mistake here, God.

00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:44.700
 Something's going on.

00:33:45.500 --> 00:33:46.579
 Everybody confirmed this.

00:33:46.619 --> 00:33:47.480
 The church confirmed this.

00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:48.619
 The elders, you're perfect

00:33:48.619 --> 00:33:48.980
 together.

00:33:49.480 --> 00:33:50.679
 Why did this happen?

00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:51.759
 I don't understand this.

00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:53.100
 And I just kind of thought,

00:33:53.180 --> 00:33:54.580
 and I tried to negotiate, and

00:33:54.580 --> 00:33:55.420
 I tried to pray differently

00:33:55.420 --> 00:33:56.700
 to kind of trick God into

00:33:56.700 --> 00:33:57.480
 answering my prayers.

00:33:58.080 --> 00:34:00.100
 And I know none of you ever

00:34:00.100 --> 00:34:02.100
 do this, but I did it, right?

00:34:02.519 --> 00:34:05.840
 And so, it didn't work.

00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:09.700
 And about a year later, as I

00:34:09.700 --> 00:34:10.780
 was sharing this with a friend

00:34:10.780 --> 00:34:12.380
 of just doing the healing and

00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:13.420
 working through those things,

00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:15.760
 this friend, whose name was

00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:18.639
 Christina, was sitting outside

00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:19.579
 of a barbecue, and we were

00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:20.659
 talking about life.

00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:22.719
 And as I'm sharing these

00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:23.659
 things with her, I look at

00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:25.679
 her and go, because we'd

00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:26.579
 been working together for a

00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:27.119
 year, right?

00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:31.039
 And I'm going, wow, she's a

00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:31.259
 girl.

00:34:34.219 --> 00:34:35.179
 She's just not just one of my

00:34:35.179 --> 00:34:35.559
 coworkers.

00:34:35.699 --> 00:34:36.199
 She's a girl.

00:34:37.419 --> 00:34:38.839
 And I start seeing her heart,

00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:40.839
 and I've seen her love for

00:34:40.839 --> 00:34:41.239
 God.

00:34:42.319 --> 00:34:44.000
 And I'm so thankful that God

00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:44.859
 didn't answer my prayer.

00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:46.279
 I'm so thankful that God is

00:34:46.279 --> 00:34:46.579
 sovereign.

00:34:46.699 --> 00:34:47.559
 I'm so thankful that whatever

00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:49.239
 God's doing, he has the best

00:34:49.239 --> 00:34:50.819
 in store for his children, and

00:34:50.819 --> 00:34:52.079
 he knows what we need to know,

00:34:52.439 --> 00:34:53.259
 and he knows what we need to

00:34:53.259 --> 00:34:54.119
 have, even though we don't

00:34:54.119 --> 00:34:54.639
 want it.

00:34:58.659 --> 00:34:59.699
 It's called sovereignty.

00:35:01.439 --> 00:35:02.559
 I mean, the Bible's full of

00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:03.500
 stories like that, right?

00:35:05.379 --> 00:35:06.299
 I mean, if you and me were at

00:35:06.299 --> 00:35:07.419
 the cross, and Jesus was being

00:35:07.419 --> 00:35:08.439
 crucified, and we were one of the

00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:10.019
 followers, and Jesus was crucified,

00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:11.440
 and he came away, we would walk

00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:14.240
 home and say, dude, game's over.

00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:15.960
 Terrible.

00:35:17.700 --> 00:35:18.980
 Three years we're doing this, and

00:35:18.980 --> 00:35:21.179
 now it's just, what are we going

00:35:21.179 --> 00:35:21.519
 to do?

00:35:21.700 --> 00:35:22.260
 Well, you've got to get out of

00:35:22.260 --> 00:35:22.900
 Jerusalem because they're trying

00:35:22.900 --> 00:35:23.460
 to kill us.

00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:26.519
 I mean, we would have seen things

00:35:26.519 --> 00:35:30.579
 in our human perspective, but God

00:35:30.579 --> 00:35:31.700
 had something so much greater

00:35:31.700 --> 00:35:32.099
 planned.

00:35:32.099 --> 00:35:36.960
 God had something so much greater

00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:40.420
 planned, and Paul is saying as he

00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:43.079
 sits in this prison, and he knows

00:35:43.079 --> 00:35:46.380
 what's going to happen, that God is

00:35:46.380 --> 00:35:50.219
 good, that you can trust him with

00:35:50.219 --> 00:35:53.639
 your life, that he has a plan for

00:35:53.639 --> 00:35:56.460
 you, and even if you don't get what

00:35:56.460 --> 00:35:58.799
 you want, he's always going to give

00:35:58.799 --> 00:36:00.000
 you the best if you're his child,

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.739
 because he cares for you, and he

00:36:04.739 --> 00:36:05.280
 loves you.

00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:10.519
 Paul is saying to the degree that you

00:36:10.519 --> 00:36:14.679
 and I understand this, to the degree

00:36:14.679 --> 00:36:16.460
 that we can understand this, that God

00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:20.280
 is good and he's out for our best, we

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:21.300
 will have contentment.

00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:25.380
 And to the degree that we don't

00:36:25.380 --> 00:36:28.179
 understand it, we don't understand

00:36:28.179 --> 00:36:29.739
 God's character, it's what he says in

00:36:29.739 --> 00:36:31.419
 verse 8, while he's talking about let

00:36:31.419 --> 00:36:33.639
 your mind focus on these things, all

00:36:33.639 --> 00:36:35.119
 those things are theological terms,

00:36:35.179 --> 00:36:36.319
 we're talking about God's character.

00:36:37.659 --> 00:36:38.899
 Whatever's good, whatever's honorable,

00:36:39.019 --> 00:36:40.319
 whatever's pure, he's saying think of

00:36:40.319 --> 00:36:41.479
 God, think of things that don't ever

00:36:41.479 --> 00:36:42.659
 change about God, this is God's

00:36:42.659 --> 00:36:43.939
 character, it's true, it remains

00:36:43.939 --> 00:36:44.559
 steadfast.

00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:47.879
 Focus on those things, and the minute

00:36:47.879 --> 00:36:50.919
 you stop focusing on those things, you

00:36:50.919 --> 00:36:55.239
 become anxious, you become worried.

00:36:55.239 --> 00:37:00.099
 And Paul says if you want a contentment, if

00:37:00.099 --> 00:37:03.399
 you want a peace that surpasses

00:37:03.399 --> 00:37:05.019
 everything, if you want a peace that's a

00:37:05.019 --> 00:37:07.019
 jailhouse peace, if you want a peace

00:37:07.019 --> 00:37:08.859
 that's a lose-your-job peace, if you

00:37:08.859 --> 00:37:10.459
 want a peace that my wife or my husband

00:37:10.459 --> 00:37:12.459
 is leaving me peace, if you want a peace

00:37:12.459 --> 00:37:15.879
 that you're going through chemotherapy,

00:37:17.159 --> 00:37:18.959
 you don't know what's on the other end,

00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:22.980
 Paul says you're only going to have that

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:27.099
 peace if your rudder's like this big.

00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:30.780
 And the only way you're going to have

00:37:30.780 --> 00:37:34.320
 your rudder that big is by knowing the

00:37:34.320 --> 00:37:39.280
 Lord, spending time in his word, praying,

00:37:40.500 --> 00:37:42.000
 being in community with other Christians

00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:42.900
 on that same journey.

00:37:43.740 --> 00:37:45.159
 That's the secret to contentment.

00:37:45.159 --> 00:37:49.159
 He uses the words in verse 12 and 13.

00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:50.519
 He says it's a mystery.

00:37:51.480 --> 00:37:52.699
 And everybody would have understood that

00:37:52.699 --> 00:37:54.119
 because it was full of mystery cults all

00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:54.679
 around them.

00:37:55.639 --> 00:37:56.199
 It's a mystery.

00:37:56.299 --> 00:37:56.679
 It's a mystery.

00:37:56.759 --> 00:37:57.420
 What is the mystery?

00:37:58.319 --> 00:37:59.500
 The mystery to contentment is a

00:37:59.500 --> 00:38:00.039
 relationship.

00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:05.659
 He says if you're sitting in here today

00:38:05.659 --> 00:38:08.379
 and you're anxious, you're fearful,

00:38:09.379 --> 00:38:13.339
 you're worried, you're medicating,

00:38:13.340 --> 00:38:17.960
 if you're a follower of Christ,

00:38:18.620 --> 00:38:21.039
 you don't understand God.

00:38:24.160 --> 00:38:25.780
 And your rudder is that big

00:38:25.780 --> 00:38:29.019
 and the waves are going to continually

00:38:29.019 --> 00:38:29.920
 move you around.

00:38:32.120 --> 00:38:33.840
 The amazing thing about this passage

00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:36.079
 is that he says I can do all things

00:38:36.079 --> 00:38:38.760
 through Christ who strengthens me.

00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:44.260
 Lord, I pray and I realize that there are

00:38:44.260 --> 00:38:47.040
 some of us here right now that have never

00:38:47.040 --> 00:38:50.380
 filled that slot in with your name.

00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:55.060
 They spent their whole lives seeking other

00:38:55.060 --> 00:38:57.240
 things that will bring them contentment

00:38:57.240 --> 00:38:59.940
 and peace and happiness.

00:39:01.040 --> 00:39:02.260
 And if they were to be very honest,

00:39:02.340 --> 00:39:04.080
 they would realize that those things just

00:39:04.080 --> 00:39:05.760
 have not fulfilled.

00:39:05.760 --> 00:39:06.280
 fulfilled.

00:39:07.640 --> 00:39:09.300
 We know why we're not content,

00:39:10.080 --> 00:39:13.940
 but we don't know how to be content.

00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:17.060
 And Lord, I pray for those of us in here

00:39:17.060 --> 00:39:18.380
 who are at that place in our life

00:39:18.380 --> 00:39:21.360
 that we would think of you,

00:39:22.580 --> 00:39:24.160
 the creator of all things.

00:39:25.500 --> 00:39:28.200
 I pray that they would examine your son, Jesus.

00:39:29.140 --> 00:39:31.100
 They would ask the people they came to church

00:39:31.100 --> 00:39:32.980
 with today questions about their faith

00:39:32.980 --> 00:39:34.820
 and why they believe and what is their hope.

00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:36.860
 And maybe they would even convict us

00:39:36.860 --> 00:39:38.440
 when we start to worry and they would say,

00:39:38.619 --> 00:39:40.099
 I thought you're hoping in God.

00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:40.960
 Why are you worrying?

00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:43.039
 We need it.

00:39:44.619 --> 00:39:45.940
 Lord, I pray that they would see

00:39:45.940 --> 00:39:47.559
 that what they're hoping in isn't true.

00:39:48.940 --> 00:39:49.940
 It isn't full.

00:39:51.260 --> 00:39:52.860
 It's not heavy, but it's light

00:39:52.860 --> 00:39:53.760
 and it will dissipate.

00:39:55.199 --> 00:39:56.719
 And the only thing that can fill that in,

00:39:56.780 --> 00:39:58.139
 the only thing that can give us strength,

00:39:58.139 --> 00:40:02.159
 true strength, true peace, prison peace,

00:40:02.319 --> 00:40:05.000
 chemo peace, bankruptcy peace,

00:40:05.259 --> 00:40:06.759
 marriage, family peace,

00:40:06.940 --> 00:40:08.099
 the only thing that can give that

00:40:08.099 --> 00:40:09.379
 is your son, Jesus Christ.

00:40:11.839 --> 00:40:13.179
 Lord, I know there's some of us in here

00:40:13.179 --> 00:40:15.179
 who've stepped into that relationship

00:40:15.179 --> 00:40:17.000
 and we've kind of wandered.

00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:19.639
 And Lord, I just pray this time

00:40:19.639 --> 00:40:20.819
 that you would speak to us,

00:40:21.259 --> 00:40:22.599
 you would show us your peace,

00:40:23.879 --> 00:40:26.019
 you'd show us your desire for us to come back.

00:40:26.019 --> 00:40:30.360
 Thank you so much for using this church,

00:40:30.519 --> 00:40:31.380
 community group,

00:40:31.900 --> 00:40:33.960
 others in our lives to convict us,

00:40:34.980 --> 00:40:38.059
 to show us when our rudder is so small,

00:40:39.099 --> 00:40:40.579
 no wonder we're getting beat up.

00:40:42.139 --> 00:40:43.219
 And I pray for those of us

00:40:43.219 --> 00:40:43.900
 who are in there like this,

00:40:43.940 --> 00:40:46.039
 that we would grab a staff person

00:40:46.039 --> 00:40:46.619
 or an elder,

00:40:47.900 --> 00:40:49.699
 ask, hey, can you teach me the Bible?

00:40:51.039 --> 00:40:52.880
 Can you show me what it means

00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:54.259
 to have a relationship with God

00:40:54.260 --> 00:40:56.260
 and how I can trust Him and endure

00:40:56.260 --> 00:40:58.600
 all these things I'm facing every day?

00:40:59.100 --> 00:41:01.380
 How can I start down that path of contentment?

00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:03.180
 I pray that they would enter

00:41:03.180 --> 00:41:04.560
 into the Bible studies that we have

00:41:04.560 --> 00:41:06.220
 at community groups and training time.

00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:08.640
 And they wouldn't be Christians

00:41:08.640 --> 00:41:10.120
 that have a small rudder anymore,

00:41:10.220 --> 00:41:11.860
 but they would have rocks

00:41:11.860 --> 00:41:14.280
 that waves could beat upon.

00:41:15.640 --> 00:41:17.120
 And the rock would still be there

00:41:17.120 --> 00:41:18.500
 because the rock is your son.

00:41:18.500 --> 00:41:22.300
 And what I pray for this church

00:41:22.300 --> 00:41:24.840
 as we live in this part of Hong Kong

00:41:24.840 --> 00:41:28.539
 where everybody is discontent,

00:41:28.780 --> 00:41:30.059
 if they're honest,

00:41:30.960 --> 00:41:32.900
 and everybody's seeking for the next job

00:41:32.900 --> 00:41:33.659
 and the next bonus

00:41:33.659 --> 00:41:35.280
 and the next wife

00:41:35.280 --> 00:41:36.199
 and the next girlfriend

00:41:36.199 --> 00:41:36.880
 and a boyfriend

00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:38.920
 and the next flat.

00:41:40.039 --> 00:41:41.440
 What I pray that we would be a church

00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:42.340
 that would be different,

00:41:43.780 --> 00:41:45.500
 that we'd have people like Henry

00:41:45.500 --> 00:41:46.760
 that would speak into our lives

00:41:46.760 --> 00:41:48.400
 and convict us that we're shallow.

00:41:50.200 --> 00:41:51.580
 And we wouldn't just take it

00:41:51.580 --> 00:41:53.020
 and be, well, yeah, that's what I am.

00:41:53.660 --> 00:41:55.240
 But we'd be convicted of that

00:41:55.240 --> 00:41:57.040
 and we'd come before you

00:41:57.040 --> 00:41:58.920
 and ask your forgiveness

00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:01.520
 and start on that process

00:42:01.520 --> 00:42:02.520
 of studying your word

00:42:02.520 --> 00:42:03.060
 and praying

00:42:03.060 --> 00:42:04.860
 and being in groups and fellowship.

00:42:06.280 --> 00:42:07.240
 So I pray that Hong Kong

00:42:07.240 --> 00:42:07.860
 would be different

00:42:07.860 --> 00:42:09.000
 because of us here.

00:42:10.200 --> 00:42:11.540
 They would see your son

00:42:11.540 --> 00:42:14.180
 and they would fall in love with him.

00:42:14.179 --> 00:42:17.500
 So Lord, we come before you this time

00:42:17.500 --> 00:42:19.779
 and pray all these things

00:42:19.779 --> 00:42:21.039
 and in his incredible name.

00:42:22.739 --> 00:42:23.139
 Amen.

00:42:23.139 --> 00:42:23.239
 Amen.