WEBVTT

00:00:00.620 --> 00:00:03.180
 Today begins our summer study in Proverbs.

00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.520
 Please follow along in your bulletin as we share a few of these.

00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:14.419
 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:19.519
 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.

00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:25.679
 Some people dig a fork into a pie but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth.

00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:33.159
 A foolish child is a father's ruin and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.

00:00:34.539 --> 00:00:40.840
 Like the one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

00:00:41.899 --> 00:00:47.700
 Just as a door turns on its hinges so a lazy bones turns back over in bed.

00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:53.159
 Better to live in a tumble down shack than in a mansion with a nagging spouse.

00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:58.439
 As a dog returns to its vomit so fools repeat their folly.

00:00:59.599 --> 00:01:05.579
 Like a broken tooth or lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

00:01:06.780 --> 00:01:10.759
 Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and a nagging wife.

00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:18.439
 Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you yourself would be just like him.

00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:23.140
 But answer a fool according to his folly or he would be wise in his own eyes.

00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:26.939
 Dreamers fantasize their self-importance.

00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:31.000
 They think they are smarter than a whole college faculty.

00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:37.659
 A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet.

00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:40.759
 You can't stop it and you can't get away from it.

00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:47.520
 Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:53.040
 Like a thorn bush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

00:01:53.600 --> 00:01:54.760
 Good morning, Watermark.

00:01:55.939 --> 00:01:56.920
 How are you guys doing?

00:01:59.600 --> 00:02:00.640
 My name is Mike.

00:02:00.820 --> 00:02:04.460
 I'm working with university students here at Watermark Community Church.

00:02:04.780 --> 00:02:09.200
 Tobin is out this week and he'll be in Oxford for some more training.

00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.579
 And yeah, so it's just exciting to be here again.

00:02:12.799 --> 00:02:16.039
 And last time I preached here at Watermarks just a couple weeks ago

00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:19.679
 was the night after the Champions League final in Europe.

00:02:20.119 --> 00:02:22.079
 And I preached on idols in our lives.

00:02:22.359 --> 00:02:26.379
 And I had a really hard time figuring out like do I stay up all night

00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:31.439
 and would I just watch the game or would I actually do the right thing

00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:33.519
 and stay in bed and get some rest before preaching.

00:02:33.739 --> 00:02:36.079
 And I can't believe it's the final of the Euro Cup.

00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:41.520
 I think Tobin just plans all his traveling around all that

00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:44.280
 so that he sees how I deal with the idols in my life.

00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:50.180
 Actually, between the two sermons, I've done a lot of traveling too.

00:02:51.180 --> 00:02:53.520
 Right after the Champions League final,

00:02:53.640 --> 00:02:57.040
 we actually took 14 students from Watermark out to the Philippines.

00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.280
 And we worked with the local church north of Manila

00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:03.479
 and did some outreach there and worked with the Slam kids,

00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:05.079
 also taught on church planting.

00:03:05.239 --> 00:03:08.919
 And I just wanted to use the opportunity to say thank you to you guys

00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:12.019
 for the support and your prayers and your love for the students.

00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:13.680
 It really brought the students together.

00:03:13.979 --> 00:03:15.139
 Some of them are here and they're nodding.

00:03:15.359 --> 00:03:17.319
 And it was really a great week.

00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:20.579
 And just after the summer, we hope that we can get you an update

00:03:20.580 --> 00:03:24.260
 on what's going on and the impact that this has.

00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:25.760
 We just don't want this to be just one trip.

00:03:26.320 --> 00:03:28.980
 But just continue to build a relationship with people there

00:03:28.980 --> 00:03:30.120
 and stay in touch with them.

00:03:31.200 --> 00:03:32.200
 And then after the Philippines,

00:03:32.340 --> 00:03:33.840
 I actually went to Germany with my wife Katie.

00:03:34.040 --> 00:03:35.900
 I was just on vacation to see family.

00:03:36.260 --> 00:03:38.840
 And one of the things you may not know about my hometown

00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.520
 is that it's the place where the brothers Grimm

00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.920
 spent most of their time studying and teaching.

00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:47.020
 If you don't know who the Grimm's are,

00:03:47.020 --> 00:03:50.219
 think of fables like Cinderella or Hensel and Gretel

00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:51.960
 and Rapunzel, Snow White.

00:03:53.300 --> 00:03:56.260
 Actually, in 1812, exactly 200 years ago,

00:03:56.360 --> 00:03:58.020
 they published their first book in my hometown.

00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:01.480
 The book included all these fables and a lot of others.

00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:04.460
 And when Katie found out that Sleeping Beauty's castle

00:04:04.460 --> 00:04:06.020
 is only 30 miles away from my hometown,

00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:06.980
 she really wanted to go.

00:04:07.700 --> 00:04:09.600
 We didn't make it, but next time I'll take her

00:04:09.600 --> 00:04:11.700
 and I'll give her a kiss in Sleeping Beauty's castle.

00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:15.260
 So why do I tell you about the Grimm's?

00:04:15.259 --> 00:04:18.539
 And we are actually kicking off a new sermon series

00:04:18.539 --> 00:04:19.219
 on the Proverbs.

00:04:19.740 --> 00:04:22.719
 And today we'll also talk a little bit about the Grimm's

00:04:22.719 --> 00:04:24.659
 and how they relate to that, you'll find out.

00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:26.800
 So for the next five weeks,

00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:28.360
 we will look at the books of Proverbs.

00:04:29.159 --> 00:04:32.399
 And in preparation of the sermon series,

00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:34.620
 I asked a few people what the experience is

00:04:34.620 --> 00:04:35.519
 with the book of Proverbs.

00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:37.819
 And a common response I got was

00:04:37.819 --> 00:04:39.699
 that they haven't really looked at the book before,

00:04:39.819 --> 00:04:40.620
 so in detail.

00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:41.639
 Some actually didn't even know

00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:43.639
 that the Proverbs was a book of the Bible.

00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:46.620
 So it's something that probably is not really taught

00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:47.539
 in church very much.

00:04:48.159 --> 00:04:50.419
 Some actually had skimmed through some of the Proverbs

00:04:50.419 --> 00:04:52.259
 and studied a little bit,

00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:53.459
 but never really in depth.

00:04:54.060 --> 00:04:55.899
 And one response that I got very often

00:04:55.899 --> 00:04:58.279
 was that Proverbs has a lot of good principles

00:04:58.279 --> 00:04:59.500
 that we can apply to life.

00:05:01.099 --> 00:05:03.560
 Now the Proverbs are a part of what we call

00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:04.899
 the wisdom literature in the Bible.

00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:06.680
 So for the next five weeks,

00:05:06.719 --> 00:05:08.740
 we want to see what is that kind of wisdom.

00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:10.360
 What does it have to offer?

00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:12.860
 Or is there something that can be applied

00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:13.879
 to our lives today?

00:05:14.379 --> 00:05:16.139
 So we will have an introduction today.

00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:17.639
 We'll dive into Proverbs,

00:05:18.420 --> 00:05:20.259
 kind of get a feel a little bit for what it's about.

00:05:20.520 --> 00:05:21.580
 And then the next four weeks,

00:05:21.639 --> 00:05:23.699
 we will look into specific areas of our lives,

00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:25.300
 our work life and study life,

00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.460
 our family life.

00:05:27.699 --> 00:05:29.620
 We'll look at how the Proverbs can be applied

00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:32.920
 to the words we use in just relating to people.

00:05:34.340 --> 00:05:37.400
 And one of the things that we would hope for you to do

00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.060
 is to get plugged into community group for that as well.

00:05:41.239 --> 00:05:43.079
 Our church life doesn't really so much

00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:44.899
 revolve around Sunday morning.

00:05:45.159 --> 00:05:46.359
 We really would love for people

00:05:46.359 --> 00:05:48.959
 to engage deeper with one another,

00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:52.399
 to not just hear what is said on Sunday morning,

00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:54.620
 but we have a place to get into community,

00:05:54.819 --> 00:05:56.259
 to discuss things, ask questions.

00:05:56.620 --> 00:05:59.019
 And that's what is happening in our community group.

00:05:59.179 --> 00:06:01.239
 So if that's something you want to do,

00:06:01.299 --> 00:06:02.939
 we invite you after the service

00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:05.259
 to talk to the leaders and people outside

00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:07.339
 and just find a group that is close to you.

00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:08.240
 We can help you with that.

00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:14.180
 The book of Proverbs is basically a collection of sayings

00:06:14.180 --> 00:06:16.879
 containing a lot of insight into life.

00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:19.560
 The book has its origin with King Solomon.

00:06:19.719 --> 00:06:21.839
 And in 1 Kings 4.32, it says

00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.439
 that Solomon spoke 3,000 Proverbs

00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.459
 and his songs numbered 1,005.

00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:28.579
 And in verse 34 of the same chapter, it says,

00:06:29.019 --> 00:06:30.879
 from all nations, people came to listen

00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:31.839
 to Solomon's wisdom,

00:06:32.620 --> 00:06:34.199
 sent by all the kings of the world

00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:36.139
 who heard of his wisdom.

00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:40.279
 So thousands of Proverbs and songs came from Solomon.

00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:42.599
 Now, how did that really happen?

00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.360
 Did Solomon just have one day a really creative night

00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:46.379
 and started to sit down and say,

00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:48.959
 I need to come up with some really smart things

00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:50.759
 that people can apply to their lives.

00:06:51.419 --> 00:06:53.439
 And this is, I think, where a little bit of the story

00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:55.719
 of the Grimms can help us connect

00:06:55.719 --> 00:06:56.980
 with what really happened there.

00:06:58.779 --> 00:07:01.839
 So the Grimms published this book 200 years ago

00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:03.300
 called The Children and Household Tales.

00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:04.819
 It included 86 stories,

00:07:05.620 --> 00:07:07.720
 many of which nowadays have been turned into movies

00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:08.280
 that you know.

00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:10.819
 But the stories at that time,

00:07:11.280 --> 00:07:12.460
 the way they came up with them

00:07:12.460 --> 00:07:14.060
 was not just that they started to write them,

00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:15.639
 but they collected them.

00:07:16.500 --> 00:07:17.759
 They studied the culture.

00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:19.660
 They listened to people.

00:07:19.939 --> 00:07:23.019
 They tried to see what the stories were

00:07:23.019 --> 00:07:24.960
 that were passed on to the children.

00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:27.019
 Then they saw different variations

00:07:27.019 --> 00:07:28.860
 and they asked why these variations were there.

00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:31.580
 And then they found out that some of these stories

00:07:31.579 --> 00:07:32.959
 were really good now for teaching.

00:07:33.099 --> 00:07:36.539
 So they began to put these stories together

00:07:36.539 --> 00:07:38.459
 and it wasn't there to entertain,

00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:41.240
 but also to teach and educate the kids

00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:43.240
 and to pass on some of the wisdom of the culture

00:07:43.240 --> 00:07:46.139
 and to let people wrestle a little bit

00:07:46.139 --> 00:07:47.159
 with the morals of the story.

00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:51.259
 The first edition that was published 200 years ago

00:07:51.259 --> 00:07:53.560
 was actually not received very well.

00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:56.579
 It was called Only the Children's Tales,

00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.680
 but many of those tales were not very suitable for children.

00:08:00.579 --> 00:08:02.259
 So one of the adjustments that was, for example,

00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:04.560
 made by the Grimm's to the second edition

00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:07.399
 was that the mother in the Snow White story

00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:08.360
 and the Rapunzel story

00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:10.519
 suddenly turned into a stepmother.

00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.740
 I think the moms didn't really want to read these stories

00:08:15.740 --> 00:08:17.439
 where the moms plot against their children,

00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:18.220
 want to kill them,

00:08:18.300 --> 00:08:20.040
 and that's better for the stepmom to do that.

00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:23.340
 And also some of these sexual references,

00:08:23.660 --> 00:08:25.480
 like Rapunzel, a little shady person,

00:08:25.580 --> 00:08:26.840
 they were removed over time.

00:08:27.340 --> 00:08:28.900
 So there was some adjustment.

00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:32.399
 And so in the next years, up to 1857,

00:08:32.940 --> 00:08:35.180
 he actually began to collect 211 stories.

00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:37.320
 Things were edited and added and removed.

00:08:38.420 --> 00:08:42.100
 And then we now still today use the stories for teaching,

00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:44.080
 but even the movies now have adopted a little bit

00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:45.879
 to our culture.

00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:49.480
 So how about the wisdom that we find in the Proverbs?

00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:52.339
 And what Solomon wrote down,

00:08:52.659 --> 00:08:56.099
 can the wisdom of someone that lived almost 3,000 years ago

00:08:56.099 --> 00:08:59.459
 still apply and teach anything to us today?

00:08:59.939 --> 00:09:02.620
 Is there any relevance for us in the 21st century

00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:05.000
 in what people said at that time

00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:06.360
 and what they wrote down

00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:08.379
 as something that was supposed to teach people?

00:09:10.379 --> 00:09:12.899
 I think what Solomon did at that time as well

00:09:12.899 --> 00:09:14.279
 was he listened a lot to people.

00:09:14.779 --> 00:09:17.719
 He collected the stories of the people around him

00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:19.460
 and he knew about his culture.

00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:20.960
 His people, the Israelites,

00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:22.800
 they were the people of God.

00:09:23.660 --> 00:09:26.220
 And the nation for centuries was on a journey

00:09:26.220 --> 00:09:28.300
 to seek more about who God is

00:09:28.300 --> 00:09:31.580
 and how he invites them to live a life honoring God.

00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:34.480
 So many of the sayings of the culture

00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:38.560
 probably were passed on from generation to generation.

00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.959
 But if one of these Proverbs or sayings of the culture,

00:09:43.079 --> 00:09:45.419
 if they realized that it's not very suitable for teaching,

00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:47.219
 it is not really honoring God,

00:09:47.299 --> 00:09:49.479
 then these sayings probably disappeared over time.

00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:54.259
 But other teachings, they grew over time

00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:56.119
 and were added to the collection of stories

00:09:56.119 --> 00:10:00.199
 that were passed on by the culture.

00:10:00.599 --> 00:10:03.839
 And so Solomon begins to read and learn

00:10:03.839 --> 00:10:05.819
 and wrestle with that wisdom.

00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:08.260
 And he looks into what is it that is suitable

00:10:08.260 --> 00:10:11.280
 for people to see what it means to honor God

00:10:11.280 --> 00:10:13.120
 and to find that wisdom that is in him.

00:10:14.800 --> 00:10:19.360
 But the Proverbs are not formulas to better living.

00:10:19.980 --> 00:10:21.900
 They are not like a list of like

00:10:21.900 --> 00:10:24.520
 the 10 things you should do to be a better dad

00:10:24.520 --> 00:10:26.280
 or to be a more ethical businessman.

00:10:27.180 --> 00:10:28.760
 But maybe in our modern mindset,

00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:30.980
 we sometimes look at the Proverbs like that.

00:10:31.060 --> 00:10:32.300
 That, oh, a proverb is a good teaching,

00:10:32.400 --> 00:10:33.040
 we'll take that,

00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:34.740
 and we just need to apply it to our life

00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:35.700
 and everything will be fine.

00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:39.940
 So the Proverbs are not blueprints to our life.

00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:44.580
 But how do we then understand the Proverbs

00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:45.720
 if they are not like a formula

00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:47.000
 that is easily to be applied?

00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.940
 How do we hack the equation of Proverbs

00:10:50.940 --> 00:10:52.240
 without formulas?

00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:56.060
 Over the past year,

00:10:56.560 --> 00:10:57.940
 I actually have learned a lot of things.

00:10:57.940 --> 00:10:59.460
 Last year,

00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:01.920
 I probably learned more about life

00:11:01.920 --> 00:11:04.520
 than I've ever learned in a year before

00:11:04.520 --> 00:11:06.620
 because last year I got married.

00:11:08.020 --> 00:11:09.600
 And one thing I learned is

00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:11.720
 it wasn't new to me,

00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.180
 but somehow still I had to experience it

00:11:14.180 --> 00:11:15.900
 before I really believed it.

00:11:16.380 --> 00:11:18.860
 There is no formula to really understanding your wife.

00:11:21.020 --> 00:11:22.240
 Guys think there is,

00:11:22.680 --> 00:11:23.900
 and we've been looking for that formula

00:11:23.900 --> 00:11:25.180
 from the foundations of the world,

00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:27.620
 but there is no such formula.

00:11:28.659 --> 00:11:30.459
 But even though there is no formula there,

00:11:30.959 --> 00:11:31.859
 there is a lot of wisdom.

00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:35.179
 There is experiences that people have had

00:11:35.179 --> 00:11:35.819
 in their marriages,

00:11:36.719 --> 00:11:39.719
 things that you may pass on

00:11:39.719 --> 00:11:41.500
 and read in books

00:11:41.500 --> 00:11:43.120
 of people that have made certain experiences,

00:11:43.239 --> 00:11:44.399
 but you still have to figure out

00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:46.219
 how do I take all that

00:11:46.219 --> 00:11:48.019
 and how do I apply it to my life,

00:11:48.319 --> 00:11:49.219
 to my spouse,

00:11:49.699 --> 00:11:51.319
 to the context that I live in.

00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:54.080
 If, for example,

00:11:54.580 --> 00:11:56.240
 you plan to apply

00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:57.800
 any of the proverbs

00:11:57.800 --> 00:11:59.440
 that were read in our drama

00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:00.480
 before the sermon,

00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:02.280
 you have to make sure

00:12:02.280 --> 00:12:04.820
 that you use them in the right moment

00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:06.200
 and in the right context.

00:12:06.460 --> 00:12:07.260
 So do not,

00:12:07.300 --> 00:12:08.320
 and I just repeat that,

00:12:08.400 --> 00:12:10.600
 do not end an argument

00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:12.240
 with your wife or girlfriend

00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:13.740
 quoting that

00:12:13.740 --> 00:12:15.340
 it is better to live alone

00:12:15.340 --> 00:12:16.880
 in a tumble-down shack

00:12:16.880 --> 00:12:17.880
 than sharing a mention

00:12:17.880 --> 00:12:18.760
 with a nagging spouse.

00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:22.279
 You may get some practical experience

00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:23.240
 in applying the proverb.

00:12:24.860 --> 00:12:25.659
 Bible scholar,

00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:26.279
 Tremper Longman,

00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:26.919
 says that

00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:28.259
 one feature of a proverb

00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:29.840
 is that it does not teach

00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:31.179
 universal truth.

00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:31.740
 On the contrary,

00:12:31.899 --> 00:12:32.559
 proverbs are true

00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:33.700
 only if stated

00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:34.519
 at the right time

00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:35.939
 and in the right circumstance.

00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:38.220
 So look at one of the other proverbs

00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:38.980
 that you heard

00:12:38.980 --> 00:12:39.860
 in your scripture reading.

00:12:40.299 --> 00:12:42.100
 Proverbs 26, 4-5,

00:12:42.179 --> 00:12:42.600
 it says,

00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:43.759
 do not answer

00:12:44.340 --> 00:12:46.319
 a fool according to his folly,

00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:47.519
 or you yourself

00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.199
 we will be just like him.

00:12:49.939 --> 00:12:50.919
 Answer a fool

00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:51.799
 according to his folly,

00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:53.679
 or he will be wise

00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:54.399
 in his own eyes.

00:12:54.439 --> 00:12:55.120
 So what is true?

00:12:55.179 --> 00:12:55.779
 It's a contradiction.

00:12:56.079 --> 00:12:56.840
 Like what are we supposed

00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:57.539
 to do with that?

00:12:58.340 --> 00:12:59.340
 It depends on the circumstance.

00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:00.259
 We must not only know

00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:00.799
 the proverb,

00:13:01.139 --> 00:13:02.840
 but we also need to understand

00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:04.159
 and read the people

00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:05.960
 to which it applies.

00:13:06.779 --> 00:13:07.579
 So proverbs otherwise

00:13:07.579 --> 00:13:08.120
 are useless,

00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:09.199
 or they can actually

00:13:09.199 --> 00:13:10.159
 even be dangerous.

00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:11.399
 And we all know

00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:11.919
 what can happen

00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.240
 when people take scriptures,

00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:14.259
 move them out of context,

00:13:14.259 --> 00:13:15.559
 and try to apply them to life.

00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:17.939
 We learn in two other proverbs

00:13:17.939 --> 00:13:18.559
 in our reading,

00:13:18.719 --> 00:13:19.679
 in 26, 7,

00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:21.799
 like the useless legs

00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:22.779
 of one who is lame

00:13:22.779 --> 00:13:24.039
 is a proverb

00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:25.219
 in the mouth of a fool.

00:13:26.479 --> 00:13:28.000
 Or in 26, 9,

00:13:28.259 --> 00:13:29.359
 like a thorn bush

00:13:29.359 --> 00:13:30.559
 in a drunkard's hand

00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:31.639
 is a proverb

00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:33.119
 in the mouth of a fool.

00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:36.179
 The ability to read

00:13:36.179 --> 00:13:37.139
 the circumstances

00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:38.419
 and the people around you

00:13:38.419 --> 00:13:40.339
 is crucial for speaking wisdom.

00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:41.159
 The proverbs

00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:42.259
 are not simple formulas

00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:42.839
 to apply

00:13:42.839 --> 00:13:44.239
 whenever we feel like it,

00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:45.620
 but they require wisdom,

00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:46.740
 and not wisdom from us,

00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:47.860
 but wisdom from God.

00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:48.539
 They require

00:13:48.539 --> 00:13:49.360
 a deep understanding

00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:50.500
 of people,

00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:51.299
 of life,

00:13:51.560 --> 00:13:52.460
 and of circumstances.

00:13:52.940 --> 00:13:53.960
 Let me tell you a story

00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:55.740
 that may move us

00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:56.539
 towards kind of like

00:13:56.539 --> 00:13:57.320
 seeing more of

00:13:57.320 --> 00:13:59.539
 what that really means

00:13:59.539 --> 00:14:00.500
 to find God's wisdom

00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:01.200
 and acting

00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:02.779
 according to God's wisdom

00:14:02.779 --> 00:14:04.039
 and not human understanding.

00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:06.139
 In 1940,

00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:07.879
 my home country of Germany

00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:09.700
 invaded the Netherlands.

00:14:10.820 --> 00:14:11.860
 One of the families

00:14:11.860 --> 00:14:12.560
 living there

00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:12.980
 at the time

00:14:12.980 --> 00:14:13.940
 was the family Ten Boom.

00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:14.840
 The Ten Boom

00:14:14.840 --> 00:14:15.519
 were Christians,

00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:16.779
 and when they saw

00:14:16.779 --> 00:14:17.580
 what was happening

00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:18.700
 all around them,

00:14:18.779 --> 00:14:19.980
 especially to the Jews,

00:14:20.460 --> 00:14:21.720
 they felt convicted

00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:22.620
 that they needed to help,

00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:23.720
 that they couldn't stand

00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:24.420
 on the sidelines,

00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:25.800
 and they decided

00:14:25.800 --> 00:14:26.680
 to put a shelter

00:14:26.680 --> 00:14:27.960
 in their home,

00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:29.159
 a hidden shelter,

00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:29.800
 a hidden room,

00:14:30.100 --> 00:14:30.899
 so that they could

00:14:30.899 --> 00:14:31.899
 hide the Jews there

00:14:31.899 --> 00:14:32.659
 from persecution

00:14:32.659 --> 00:14:35.100
 and from the fear

00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:35.879
 of being deported.

00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:38.659
 So as they built

00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:39.600
 the shelter

00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:40.300
 and they invited people

00:14:40.300 --> 00:14:40.659
 in there,

00:14:40.659 --> 00:14:42.019
 more than 100 Jews

00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:42.879
 over the period

00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:43.959
 of the next two years

00:14:43.959 --> 00:14:44.980
 stayed with the Ten Boom

00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:46.719
 in safety.

00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:48.100
 They fed them,

00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:49.860
 they made sure

00:14:49.860 --> 00:14:51.379
 that they could escape

00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:51.759
 the country

00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:52.559
 whenever possible.

00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:54.439
 But in 1944,

00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:56.339
 an informant

00:14:56.339 --> 00:14:59.959
 told the secret police

00:14:59.959 --> 00:15:01.559
 about their shelter.

00:15:02.579 --> 00:15:03.120
 And as a result,

00:15:03.219 --> 00:15:04.019
 the Ten Boom family

00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:04.879
 was imprisoned

00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:06.120
 and then later brought

00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:07.360
 to a concentration camp,

00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:09.220
 which only Corrie Ten Boom,

00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:10.000
 the daughter,

00:15:10.300 --> 00:15:11.159
 survived.

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.500
 Her father and sister

00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:13.300
 both died

00:15:13.300 --> 00:15:14.659
 in the concentration camp.

00:15:15.659 --> 00:15:16.120
 Corrie Ten Boom

00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:17.220
 said about her experience,

00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:18.360
 there are no places

00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:19.340
 that are safer

00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:20.960
 than other places.

00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.100
 The center of his will

00:15:23.100 --> 00:15:24.700
 is our only safety.

00:15:25.700 --> 00:15:27.460
 His will is our hiding place.

00:15:28.060 --> 00:15:28.580
 Let us pray

00:15:28.580 --> 00:15:30.360
 that we will always know it.

00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:34.379
 The world may have said

00:15:34.379 --> 00:15:35.379
 to the Ten Boom's,

00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:36.379
 save your life.

00:15:36.899 --> 00:15:37.940
 Just don't get involved.

00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:40.340
 You just need to stay quiet

00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:41.480
 and wait until it's all over.

00:15:41.560 --> 00:15:42.740
 It's not your battle to fight.

00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:44.300
 It's not your responsibility.

00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:45.379
 But for the Ten Boom's,

00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:47.680
 they followed God's wisdom.

00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:49.560
 They followed a higher wisdom

00:15:49.560 --> 00:15:50.539
 that of the kingdom

00:15:50.539 --> 00:15:51.899
 that stands for justice

00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:52.919
 and mercy

00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:53.700
 and beauty

00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:54.840
 and goodness

00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:56.399
 and that mattered

00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:57.220
 to the Ten Boom's.

00:15:57.220 --> 00:15:59.279
 There's an image

00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:01.200
 that Corrie Ten Boom uses.

00:16:01.940 --> 00:16:03.060
 She talks about a rug

00:16:03.060 --> 00:16:05.340
 and when you look

00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:06.700
 at the backside of a rug,

00:16:07.420 --> 00:16:09.080
 you only see the knots

00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:11.300
 and you see the threads

00:16:11.300 --> 00:16:12.200
 dangling down.

00:16:13.180 --> 00:16:13.920
 It's like the picture

00:16:13.920 --> 00:16:14.480
 on the right.

00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:16.680
 They sometimes seem

00:16:16.680 --> 00:16:17.259
 a little messy.

00:16:17.740 --> 00:16:18.580
 The colors seem like

00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:19.360
 they don't really fit

00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:20.340
 and they are a random mix.

00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:22.160
 And when the rug is made,

00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:22.899
 like threads actually

00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:24.300
 may still be dangling down

00:16:24.300 --> 00:16:26.200
 and they're not really connected.

00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:28.840
 And that's how we see the world

00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:30.220
 and that's how Corrie Ten Boom

00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:32.540
 described how we may see the world.

00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:33.720
 That we only see

00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:34.600
 the unfinished product.

00:16:34.700 --> 00:16:35.639
 We don't see the beauty

00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:36.120
 of the picture.

00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:36.720
 But God,

00:16:37.040 --> 00:16:37.960
 on the other side,

00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:39.379
 he looks at life

00:16:39.379 --> 00:16:40.899
 and he looks from his perspective

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:41.800
 and in his wisdom

00:16:41.800 --> 00:16:43.000
 and all is different.

00:16:44.340 --> 00:16:45.259
 He has a full understanding

00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:46.139
 of what is happening

00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:47.040
 and for him,

00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:48.019
 that beautiful picture

00:16:48.019 --> 00:16:49.220
 unfolds of life

00:16:49.220 --> 00:16:52.560
 and then he draws us into that.

00:16:52.920 --> 00:16:53.759
 Everything for him

00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:54.420
 fits together.

00:16:54.620 --> 00:16:55.840
 The wisdom is found in him.

00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.000
 But we cannot see

00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.280
 from our perspective.

00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:01.940
 So we want to apply a proverb.

00:17:02.899 --> 00:17:03.860
 We need to see

00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:05.440
 a glimpse from God.

00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:07.579
 A glimpse from his perspective,

00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:08.319
 from his kingdom

00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:09.559
 to make sure

00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:10.720
 that we know

00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:12.240
 what God is moving us towards.

00:17:12.340 --> 00:17:12.779
 We need to know

00:17:12.779 --> 00:17:13.480
 about his kingdom.

00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:14.420
 We need to know

00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.059
 about his justice and mercy.

00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:17.120
 We need to know

00:17:17.120 --> 00:17:18.779
 about how God is restoring

00:17:18.779 --> 00:17:20.299
 and putting it all together.

00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:21.519
 We need to know

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.039
 that we are living

00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:22.900
 in a broken world

00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:24.680
 but God is making it whole.

00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:26.039
 And the Proverbs

00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:27.240
 invite us to take part

00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:27.779
 in that healing

00:17:27.779 --> 00:17:28.779
 and the redemption

00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:30.240
 and moves us towards

00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:31.039
 the beautiful picture

00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:31.759
 of that kingdom.

00:17:33.060 --> 00:17:34.039
 But when we don't have

00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:34.820
 this perspective,

00:17:36.120 --> 00:17:37.340
 if we have no glimpse

00:17:37.340 --> 00:17:39.660
 of what he is inviting us into,

00:17:40.660 --> 00:17:41.160
 then we are trying

00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:43.259
 to make sense of things

00:17:43.259 --> 00:17:44.779
 by our own strength.

00:17:45.940 --> 00:17:47.600
 We are trying to explain things

00:17:47.600 --> 00:17:48.620
 in our own understanding.

00:17:49.820 --> 00:17:50.840
 And that is the way

00:17:50.840 --> 00:17:52.320
 it is in our world.

00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.639
 We often rely on

00:17:53.639 --> 00:17:54.480
 the wisdom

00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:55.619
 that is found in our world

00:17:55.619 --> 00:17:56.419
 and in our context

00:17:56.419 --> 00:17:57.379
 all around us

00:17:57.379 --> 00:17:58.740
 and it leaves us

00:17:58.740 --> 00:17:59.819
 sometimes as fools.

00:18:01.460 --> 00:18:02.700
 When I think of Hong Kong,

00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:05.200
 we also write

00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:06.099
 our own Proverbs.

00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:08.359
 We have Proverbs

00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:09.359
 written by human wisdom

00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:10.599
 of the city

00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:11.599
 and the people in the city

00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:12.319
 and they are based

00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:13.319
 on an incomplete picture

00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:15.200
 of the messy picture

00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:16.899
 that does not value

00:18:16.899 --> 00:18:18.279
 what God values.

00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:21.399
 The Proverbs

00:18:21.399 --> 00:18:22.779
 we have created ourselves,

00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:24.680
 they may look like this.

00:18:26.019 --> 00:18:27.399
 Gather as many resources

00:18:27.399 --> 00:18:28.119
 as you can.

00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:29.879
 Take what you can.

00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:30.899
 It's all about

00:18:30.899 --> 00:18:32.079
 what you have.

00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:34.619
 Or a proverb

00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:35.259
 of Hong Kong

00:18:35.259 --> 00:18:36.220
 may sound like

00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:37.099
 study hard,

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:37.980
 it will give you

00:18:37.980 --> 00:18:38.579
 a good job

00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:40.359
 and that will give you

00:18:40.359 --> 00:18:40.680
 money

00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:42.319
 and that will give you

00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:42.940
 happiness.

00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:43.120
 happiness.

00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:46.580
 Or a proverb

00:18:46.580 --> 00:18:47.420
 may say

00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:48.460
 your self-worth

00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:49.500
 is just found

00:18:49.500 --> 00:18:50.460
 in how respected

00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:51.759
 and loved you feel.

00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:53.460
 Be successful,

00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:54.500
 get status,

00:18:54.820 --> 00:18:55.340
 get power

00:18:55.340 --> 00:18:56.660
 and you will be respected.

00:18:58.360 --> 00:18:59.120
 That is how

00:18:59.120 --> 00:18:59.840
 the Proverbs look

00:18:59.840 --> 00:19:00.660
 when we don't see

00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:01.660
 a glimpse of the kingdom

00:19:01.660 --> 00:19:03.820
 interpreting our Proverbs.

00:19:04.299 --> 00:19:05.519
 God is calling us

00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.860
 into seeing

00:19:06.860 --> 00:19:07.380
 his kingdom

00:19:07.380 --> 00:19:07.940
 and moving

00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:08.680
 towards that.

00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:10.660
 Let's look deeper

00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:12.299
 into one or two

00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:13.039
 of the examples

00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:14.460
 of that tension

00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:16.339
 between God's wisdom

00:19:16.339 --> 00:19:17.819
 and human wisdom.

00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:19.319
 Between us trying

00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:20.480
 to look at life

00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:21.139
 from the backside

00:19:21.139 --> 00:19:22.599
 rather than

00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:23.599
 asking God

00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:24.180
 to reveal

00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:25.440
 what he has for us.

00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:26.379
 Let's take the example

00:19:26.379 --> 00:19:27.099
 of relationships.

00:19:27.399 --> 00:19:28.200
 I think anyone

00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:29.960
 can relate to that

00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:30.599
 on some level.

00:19:31.460 --> 00:19:32.139
 So if you want to

00:19:32.139 --> 00:19:33.099
 find the right person

00:19:33.099 --> 00:19:34.659
 or you found

00:19:34.659 --> 00:19:35.359
 the right person,

00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:37.059
 what does your culture

00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:38.119
 say or human wisdom

00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:39.539
 say that you

00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:40.279
 should look for?

00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:44.399
 Maybe find someone

00:19:44.399 --> 00:19:45.559
 on the same social status

00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:46.200
 that you are.

00:19:47.379 --> 00:19:47.980
 It's important

00:19:47.980 --> 00:19:49.139
 that you can provide

00:19:49.139 --> 00:19:49.579
 for each other,

00:19:49.659 --> 00:19:50.220
 that you can keep

00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:50.940
 your living standard

00:19:50.940 --> 00:19:53.519
 and maybe make sure

00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:54.079
 that she looks

00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:54.740
 presentable,

00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:55.879
 not just for your own sake

00:19:55.879 --> 00:19:57.240
 but also for what

00:19:57.240 --> 00:19:57.940
 people may think

00:19:57.940 --> 00:19:58.480
 about you

00:19:58.480 --> 00:19:59.319
 like when you associate

00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:00.159
 with the person

00:20:00.159 --> 00:20:00.839
 that's with you.

00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:03.119
 Hong Kong

00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.259
 is quite shame-based.

00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:06.039
 So what happens

00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:07.119
 when things

00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:07.759
 don't work out

00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:08.200
 the way

00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:08.980
 that you thought

00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:09.579
 the relationship

00:20:09.579 --> 00:20:10.220
 would look like

00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:11.000
 once you enter one?

00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:13.359
 Divorce is not

00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:14.339
 really the best option

00:20:14.339 --> 00:20:15.880
 and so

00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:17.839
 maybe ignoring

00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:18.259
 each other

00:20:18.259 --> 00:20:18.640
 is better

00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:19.839
 and just live

00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:20.480
 in a miserable

00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:21.180
 relationship.

00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:23.539
 Maybe actually

00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:24.099
 an affair

00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:25.339
 is culturally

00:20:25.339 --> 00:20:26.259
 even more appropriate

00:20:26.259 --> 00:20:27.319
 than just getting

00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:27.740
 divorced.

00:20:27.859 --> 00:20:28.539
 At least it keeps

00:20:28.539 --> 00:20:28.940
 the appearance

00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:29.579
 to the outside

00:20:29.579 --> 00:20:30.519
 and you still

00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:31.220
 get the respect

00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:32.000
 or love

00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:32.700
 that you're longing

00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:33.079
 for.

00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:35.140
 And when you hear

00:20:35.140 --> 00:20:35.460
 a proverb

00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:36.079
 like the ones

00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:36.779
 we heard before,

00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:37.579
 we may only hear

00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:38.019
 the Bible

00:20:38.019 --> 00:20:39.200
 saying,

00:20:39.420 --> 00:20:39.539
 oh,

00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:40.000
 when there's

00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.460
 a quarrelsome

00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:40.740
 wife,

00:20:41.140 --> 00:20:42.299
 it's better

00:20:42.299 --> 00:20:42.759
 to actually

00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:43.859
 just be gone,

00:20:43.940 --> 00:20:44.359
 just pack your

00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:44.940
 stuff and go.

00:20:45.460 --> 00:20:46.180
 But when we look

00:20:46.180 --> 00:20:48.000
 through the eyes

00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:48.779
 of God's wisdom,

00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:50.119
 we realize

00:20:50.119 --> 00:20:50.680
 that it's a very

00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:51.240
 dangerous way

00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:52.000
 to apply a proverb.

00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:53.420
 When we separate

00:20:53.420 --> 00:20:54.880
 it from the movement

00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:55.740
 towards the kingdom

00:20:55.740 --> 00:20:56.799
 and what the kingdom

00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:57.920
 of God stands for,

00:20:58.180 --> 00:20:58.819
 it is dangerous

00:20:58.819 --> 00:20:59.400
 to apply it

00:20:59.400 --> 00:20:59.680
 in that way.

00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:01.140
 So if we look

00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:01.700
 at it in a different

00:21:01.700 --> 00:21:02.079
 light,

00:21:02.420 --> 00:21:03.240
 we first of all

00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:04.019
 see that the kingdom

00:21:04.019 --> 00:21:04.420
 of God

00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:04.880
 is about

00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:05.839
 reconciliation

00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:07.359
 and redemption,

00:21:08.199 --> 00:21:08.899
 also our

00:21:08.899 --> 00:21:09.480
 relationships.

00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:11.399
 So in the first

00:21:11.399 --> 00:21:11.619
 place,

00:21:11.679 --> 00:21:12.179
 we have to see

00:21:12.179 --> 00:21:12.699
 that God

00:21:12.699 --> 00:21:13.240
 in Christ

00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:14.000
 is redeeming

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.299
 everything

00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:15.000
 and he calls

00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:15.879
 us for all

00:21:15.879 --> 00:21:16.379
 relationships

00:21:16.379 --> 00:21:17.839
 to be reconciled.

00:21:18.959 --> 00:21:19.879
 So here's the

00:21:19.879 --> 00:21:20.179
 challenge,

00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:20.859
 the first challenge

00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:22.659
 to see a proverb

00:21:22.659 --> 00:21:23.079
 like this

00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:23.480
 in a different

00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:23.879
 light,

00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:25.599
 to realizing

00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:26.559
 that we are

00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:27.039
 called

00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:28.059
 at first

00:21:28.059 --> 00:21:29.000
 to redeem

00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:31.619
 and work

00:21:31.619 --> 00:21:32.180
 towards

00:21:32.180 --> 00:21:32.980
 solving

00:21:32.980 --> 00:21:33.480
 problem

00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:34.480
 and conflict

00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:35.099
 within our

00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:35.660
 relationships

00:21:35.660 --> 00:21:36.500
 to honor God.

00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:37.119
 If God

00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:37.500
 calls us

00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:38.180
 to restore

00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:38.700
 our relationship,

00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:39.299
 we cannot

00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:40.079
 separate that

00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:40.779
 from the way

00:21:40.779 --> 00:21:41.079
 we should

00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:41.599
 interpret

00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:42.460
 proverbs

00:21:42.460 --> 00:21:42.779
 from that

00:21:42.779 --> 00:21:43.099
 calling.

00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:43.980
 Also,

00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:46.000
 we may read

00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:46.500
 these proverbs

00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:46.980
 and feel like,

00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:47.140
 oh,

00:21:47.180 --> 00:21:48.000
 that's a great

00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:48.619
 quote that I

00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:48.960
 should give

00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:49.559
 to my wife.

00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.400
 I should quote

00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:50.900
 that every time

00:21:50.900 --> 00:21:51.460
 we have some

00:21:51.460 --> 00:21:51.859
 problems,

00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:53.339
 not all of them

00:21:53.339 --> 00:21:53.740
 but some.

00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:56.579
 In a way,

00:21:56.660 --> 00:21:56.900
 it's a good

00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:57.400
 way to put

00:21:57.400 --> 00:21:57.859
 down your

00:21:57.859 --> 00:21:58.059
 woman,

00:21:58.160 --> 00:21:58.480
 but

00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:00.640
 the reality

00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:01.220
 is that the

00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:01.460
 proverbs

00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:02.000
 were written

00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:03.339
 not as

00:22:03.339 --> 00:22:03.819
 something that

00:22:03.819 --> 00:22:04.519
 you learn

00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:05.019
 to memorize

00:22:05.019 --> 00:22:05.420
 to quote

00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:05.640
 to your

00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:05.839
 wife,

00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:06.079
 but they

00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:06.440
 were actually

00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:07.240
 written for

00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:07.519
 the man

00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:07.960
 to study

00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:09.039
 and to

00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:10.200
 gain deeper

00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:10.860
 insight about

00:22:10.860 --> 00:22:11.319
 life.

00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:12.099
 So if I

00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:12.720
 would rewrite

00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:13.140
 the proverb

00:22:13.140 --> 00:22:14.039
 1122,

00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:15.319
 the first proverb

00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:15.920
 in your bulletin,

00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:16.620
 it may basically

00:22:16.620 --> 00:22:17.019
 say,

00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:19.180
 why would you

00:22:19.180 --> 00:22:20.880
 men fall

00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:21.420
 for the beauty

00:22:21.420 --> 00:22:21.819
 of a woman

00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:22.360
 if you already

00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:23.579
 know that her

00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:24.140
 character is a

00:22:24.140 --> 00:22:24.559
 disaster?

00:22:25.140 --> 00:22:25.759
 Why would you

00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:26.240
 enter a relationship

00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:26.779
 in the first

00:22:26.779 --> 00:22:27.039
 place?

00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:27.720
 If you would

00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:28.059
 not be

00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:28.599
 blinded by

00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:29.179
 the world

00:22:29.179 --> 00:22:30.859
 and the

00:22:30.859 --> 00:22:31.279
 standards and

00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:31.639
 the values

00:22:31.639 --> 00:22:31.960
 of this

00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:32.279
 world,

00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:33.480
 and instead

00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:34.000
 see through

00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:34.720
 God's eyes,

00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:35.179
 you would

00:22:35.179 --> 00:22:35.940
 see it's

00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:36.259
 like a

00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:36.839
 golden ring

00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:37.299
 in a

00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:37.859
 pig snout.

00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:38.779
 Would you

00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:39.159
 be blinded

00:22:39.159 --> 00:22:39.599
 by that?

00:22:39.899 --> 00:22:40.259
 You need

00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:40.500
 to see

00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:40.980
 clearly and

00:22:40.980 --> 00:22:41.240
 get your

00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:41.659
 priorities

00:22:41.659 --> 00:22:42.099
 right.

00:22:43.379 --> 00:22:43.940
 So here

00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:44.399
 we see

00:22:44.399 --> 00:22:45.579
 that when

00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:46.019
 we begin

00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:46.460
 to look

00:22:46.460 --> 00:22:47.079
 from the

00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:47.379
 lens of

00:22:47.379 --> 00:22:47.679
 the kingdom

00:22:47.679 --> 00:22:48.259
 of God

00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:49.379
 at the

00:22:49.379 --> 00:22:49.619
 proverb,

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:50.359
 we see

00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:50.659
 that it

00:22:50.659 --> 00:22:51.059
 draws us

00:22:51.059 --> 00:22:51.379
 towards

00:22:51.379 --> 00:22:51.679
 something.

00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:52.019
 Let's

00:22:52.019 --> 00:22:52.319
 look at

00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:52.619
 another

00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:52.940
 proverb

00:22:52.940 --> 00:22:53.799
 in 1712,

00:22:53.879 --> 00:22:54.200
 the next one.

00:22:54.200 --> 00:22:54.700
 it's

00:22:54.700 --> 00:22:55.160
 better to

00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:55.580
 meet a

00:22:55.580 --> 00:22:55.880
 bear

00:22:55.880 --> 00:22:56.620
 robbed of

00:22:56.620 --> 00:22:57.160
 her cubs

00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:57.960
 than a

00:22:57.960 --> 00:22:58.360
 fool

00:22:58.360 --> 00:22:59.819
 bent by

00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:00.180
 folly.

00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:03.140
 I've made

00:23:03.140 --> 00:23:03.900
 some pretty

00:23:03.900 --> 00:23:04.480
 bad choices

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:05.140
 in my life

00:23:05.140 --> 00:23:05.759
 about people

00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:06.420
 that I

00:23:06.420 --> 00:23:07.580
 have allowed

00:23:07.580 --> 00:23:07.960
 to step

00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:08.400
 deeply into

00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:08.920
 my life.

00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:12.559
 Especially

00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:13.019
 when I was

00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:13.539
 working still

00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:14.120
 in banking

00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:14.700
 and the

00:23:14.700 --> 00:23:15.000
 investment

00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:15.400
 world,

00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:17.080
 I looked

00:23:17.080 --> 00:23:17.600
 more for

00:23:17.600 --> 00:23:18.080
 the status

00:23:18.080 --> 00:23:18.539
 and the

00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:19.100
 power and

00:23:19.100 --> 00:23:19.400
 the money

00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:20.080
 people had

00:23:20.080 --> 00:23:21.039
 so that I

00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:21.299
 would be

00:23:21.299 --> 00:23:21.740
 associated

00:23:21.740 --> 00:23:22.380
 with who

00:23:22.380 --> 00:23:22.759
 they are

00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:22.960
 and the

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:23.359
 power they

00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:23.640
 had,

00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:25.019
 than ever

00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:25.559
 looking at

00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:25.700
 their

00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:26.120
 character.

00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:28.980
 I invested

00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:29.200
 into

00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:29.539
 friendships

00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:29.960
 that went

00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:30.440
 never very

00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:30.740
 deep,

00:23:31.579 --> 00:23:32.200
 would go

00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:32.500
 out and

00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:32.700
 have a

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:33.180
 good time,

00:23:34.299 --> 00:23:34.660
 but I

00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:34.920
 should have

00:23:34.920 --> 00:23:35.539
 seen that

00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:36.259
 when you

00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:36.859
 surround yourself

00:23:36.859 --> 00:23:37.259
 with people

00:23:37.259 --> 00:23:37.559
 that have

00:23:37.559 --> 00:23:38.420
 no accountability

00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:39.120
 to other

00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:39.519
 people,

00:23:40.380 --> 00:23:40.599
 that have

00:23:40.599 --> 00:23:41.359
 no transparency

00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:42.920
 about the

00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:43.440
 troubles they

00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:43.759
 go through

00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:44.000
 in their

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:44.339
 life with

00:23:44.339 --> 00:23:44.900
 anybody in

00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:45.440
 their lives,

00:23:46.259 --> 00:23:46.859
 people that

00:23:46.859 --> 00:23:47.220
 are driven

00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:47.620
 by their

00:23:47.620 --> 00:23:48.500
 insecurities,

00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:51.220
 that when

00:23:51.220 --> 00:23:51.660
 you surround

00:23:51.660 --> 00:23:52.220
 yourself with

00:23:52.220 --> 00:23:52.400
 it,

00:23:52.840 --> 00:23:53.420
 you ultimately

00:23:53.420 --> 00:23:53.860
 become a

00:23:53.860 --> 00:23:54.160
 part of

00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:54.540
 that and

00:23:54.540 --> 00:23:55.420
 your own

00:23:55.420 --> 00:23:56.680
 problems come

00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:57.060
 out and

00:23:57.060 --> 00:23:57.400
 your own

00:23:57.400 --> 00:23:57.920
 insecurities

00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:58.500
 come out.

00:23:59.259 --> 00:23:59.860
 And it's

00:23:59.860 --> 00:24:00.279
 true even

00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:00.860
 in church,

00:24:01.840 --> 00:24:02.519
 that sometimes

00:24:02.519 --> 00:24:03.279
 we adopt

00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:03.660
 the standards

00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:03.980
 of the

00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:04.519
 world and

00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:05.440
 we look

00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:05.960
 more for

00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:06.380
 the business

00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:07.300
 success and

00:24:07.300 --> 00:24:08.460
 the status

00:24:08.460 --> 00:24:09.120
 and the

00:24:09.120 --> 00:24:09.660
 name card

00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:10.019
 that people

00:24:10.019 --> 00:24:10.259
 have,

00:24:10.360 --> 00:24:11.160
 the influence

00:24:11.160 --> 00:24:11.560
 that people

00:24:11.560 --> 00:24:11.980
 have,

00:24:12.220 --> 00:24:12.779
 and then

00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:13.160
 we put

00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:13.500
 people in

00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:13.880
 leadership,

00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:15.759
 but the

00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:16.640
 reality is

00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:18.000
 that when

00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:18.380
 we look at

00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:19.000
 the Proverbs,

00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:20.140
 we see that

00:24:20.140 --> 00:24:20.540
 they are very

00:24:20.540 --> 00:24:21.259
 different

00:24:21.259 --> 00:24:22.259
 standards that

00:24:22.259 --> 00:24:23.220
 stand for

00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:23.579
 God's

00:24:23.579 --> 00:24:23.879
 wisdom.

00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.059
 I call it

00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:26.779
 toxic people.

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:28.920
 Toxic people

00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:29.480
 are people when

00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:30.420
 you step into

00:24:30.420 --> 00:24:30.940
 a relationship

00:24:30.940 --> 00:24:31.460
 where you get

00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:31.980
 burned and

00:24:31.980 --> 00:24:32.279
 hurt.

00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:33.799
 And I think

00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:34.099
 the first

00:24:34.099 --> 00:24:34.539
 question we

00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:34.920
 need to ask

00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:35.259
 ourselves,

00:24:35.379 --> 00:24:35.859
 are we toxic

00:24:35.859 --> 00:24:36.279
 people?

00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:37.720
 To the people

00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:38.740
 around us and

00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:39.500
 the people that

00:24:39.500 --> 00:24:40.839
 we enter in

00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:41.559
 relationship.

00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:43.039
 Just think back

00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:43.879
 of who did

00:24:43.879 --> 00:24:44.539
 you spend time

00:24:44.539 --> 00:24:45.019
 with last

00:24:45.019 --> 00:24:45.339
 week?

00:24:46.619 --> 00:24:47.240
 Who do you

00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:47.579
 share your

00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:48.339
 meals with?

00:24:48.819 --> 00:24:49.339
 Who do you

00:24:49.339 --> 00:24:49.619
 share your

00:24:49.619 --> 00:24:50.220
 time with?

00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:51.400
 who is there

00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:51.640
 that you

00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:52.559
 allow to

00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:53.059
 step deeply

00:24:53.059 --> 00:24:53.440
 into your

00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:53.799
 life,

00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:54.299
 to know

00:24:54.299 --> 00:24:54.640
 you,

00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:55.220
 to know

00:24:55.220 --> 00:24:55.660
 you deeply

00:24:55.660 --> 00:24:56.140
 and walk

00:24:56.140 --> 00:24:56.660
 with you?

00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:00.180
 The

00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:00.460
 Proverbs

00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:01.160
 warns us

00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:01.700
 that we

00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:02.460
 rather should

00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:03.299
 face a

00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:04.240
 crazy

00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:04.720
 grizzly

00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:06.120
 than people

00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:06.579
 driven by

00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:06.900
 their own

00:25:06.900 --> 00:25:07.180
 wisdom,

00:25:07.299 --> 00:25:08.019
 their selfishness

00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:08.559
 and their

00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.140
 destructive

00:25:09.140 --> 00:25:10.059
 motives.

00:25:12.100 --> 00:25:12.740
 And if you

00:25:12.740 --> 00:25:13.079
 see the

00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:13.420
 underlying

00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:14.420
 message of

00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:14.720
 God's

00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:15.059
 kingdom in

00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:15.180
 this

00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:15.400
 proverb,

00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:16.059
 it also

00:25:16.059 --> 00:25:16.579
 calls us

00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:17.140
 not to be

00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:17.600
 fools

00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.399
 ourselves.

00:25:19.899 --> 00:25:20.919
 So in

00:25:20.919 --> 00:25:21.099
 that

00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:21.459
 proverb,

00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:22.399
 are we

00:25:22.399 --> 00:25:22.839
 maybe the

00:25:22.839 --> 00:25:23.240
 fool that

00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:23.699
 people should

00:25:23.699 --> 00:25:24.159
 not meet?

00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:27.179
 For the

00:25:27.179 --> 00:25:27.699
 next five

00:25:27.699 --> 00:25:28.019
 weeks,

00:25:28.219 --> 00:25:28.639
 we will

00:25:28.639 --> 00:25:29.480
 go deeper

00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:30.459
 into the

00:25:30.459 --> 00:25:30.759
 proverbs.

00:25:30.859 --> 00:25:31.199
 We'll dive

00:25:31.199 --> 00:25:31.839
 deeper into

00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:32.500
 what it

00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:33.000
 means to

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:33.599
 see the

00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:33.839
 proverbs

00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:34.240
 through the

00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:34.719
 eyes of

00:25:34.719 --> 00:25:35.179
 God's

00:25:35.179 --> 00:25:35.439
 kingdom.

00:25:35.899 --> 00:25:36.259
 We'll look

00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:36.759
 into proverbs

00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:37.379
 relating to

00:25:37.379 --> 00:25:37.939
 our work

00:25:37.939 --> 00:25:38.179
 and our

00:25:38.179 --> 00:25:38.759
 study life,

00:25:38.879 --> 00:25:39.859
 our family

00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:40.419
 life,

00:25:40.419 --> 00:25:40.939
 and different

00:25:40.939 --> 00:25:41.879
 elements of

00:25:41.879 --> 00:25:43.059
 our personal

00:25:43.059 --> 00:25:43.399
 life,

00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:43.919
 and we'll

00:25:43.919 --> 00:25:44.619
 try to see

00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:45.059
 how they

00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:45.619
 can be

00:25:45.619 --> 00:25:46.119
 applied to

00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:46.740
 our lives,

00:25:46.899 --> 00:25:47.379
 not through

00:25:47.379 --> 00:25:47.819
 our own

00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:48.139
 wisdom,

00:25:48.679 --> 00:25:49.279
 but through

00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:49.639
 God's

00:25:49.639 --> 00:25:50.000
 wisdom.

00:25:52.220 --> 00:25:52.579
 As I

00:25:52.579 --> 00:25:52.879
 want to

00:25:52.879 --> 00:25:53.240
 close,

00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:54.000
 I want to

00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:54.579
 look at

00:25:54.579 --> 00:25:55.220
 1 Corinthians

00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:56.039
 1.27.

00:25:57.859 --> 00:25:58.519
 There it

00:25:58.519 --> 00:25:58.759
 says,

00:25:59.099 --> 00:25:59.519
 but God

00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:00.399
 chose what

00:26:00.399 --> 00:26:00.819
 the world

00:26:00.819 --> 00:26:01.259
 considers

00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:01.700
 nonsense

00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:02.799
 to put

00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:04.259
 wise people

00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:04.819
 to shame.

00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:06.000
 God

00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:06.539
 chose what

00:26:06.539 --> 00:26:06.859
 the world

00:26:06.859 --> 00:26:07.299
 considers

00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:08.539
 weak to

00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:08.879
 put what

00:26:08.879 --> 00:26:09.359
 is strong

00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:10.559
 to shame.

00:26:12.639 --> 00:26:13.359
 We see

00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:13.779
 the wisdom

00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:14.420
 of God

00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:15.460
 most clearly

00:26:15.460 --> 00:26:16.420
 in the

00:26:16.420 --> 00:26:17.019
 foolishness

00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:17.720
 of the

00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:18.079
 cross.

00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:21.180
 When God,

00:26:21.259 --> 00:26:21.759
 who is all

00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:22.379
 wisdom and

00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:22.619
 who is

00:26:22.619 --> 00:26:23.019
 everything,

00:26:23.180 --> 00:26:23.559
 steps into

00:26:23.559 --> 00:26:24.160
 human history,

00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:24.619
 when he

00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:25.399
 leaves everything

00:26:25.399 --> 00:26:26.960
 behind and

00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:27.599
 lives among

00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:29.319
 us in the

00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:29.680
 person of

00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:30.420
 Jesus Christ,

00:26:31.059 --> 00:26:31.539
 and he

00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:32.420
 shows his

00:26:32.420 --> 00:26:32.980
 love to us

00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:33.200
 on the

00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:34.160
 earth through

00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:34.399
 his death

00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:34.680
 on the

00:26:34.680 --> 00:26:35.019
 cross,

00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:35.899
 his great

00:26:35.899 --> 00:26:37.399
 wisdom about

00:26:37.399 --> 00:26:38.099
 redeeming the

00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:38.440
 world.

00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:40.319
 When the

00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:40.940
 one who has

00:26:40.940 --> 00:26:41.799
 everything

00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:43.000
 humbles

00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:43.639
 himself to

00:26:43.639 --> 00:26:43.980
 become

00:26:43.980 --> 00:26:44.480
 nothing,

00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:46.480
 and walks

00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:46.960
 in obedience

00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:47.379
 to the

00:26:47.379 --> 00:26:47.779
 Father,

00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:49.879
 and even

00:26:49.879 --> 00:26:50.299
 in obedience

00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:50.619
 to the

00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:50.919
 death on

00:26:50.919 --> 00:26:51.460
 the cross,

00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:52.680
 we see

00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:53.099
 God's

00:26:53.099 --> 00:26:53.599
 full wisdom

00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:54.099
 revealed.

00:26:56.200 --> 00:26:56.779
 Over the

00:26:56.779 --> 00:26:57.180
 next few

00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:57.519
 weeks,

00:26:57.680 --> 00:26:58.139
 we want to

00:26:58.139 --> 00:26:58.539
 see that

00:26:58.539 --> 00:26:59.119
 more clearly.

00:26:59.259 --> 00:26:59.599
 We want to

00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:00.359
 dive into

00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:00.919
 what it

00:27:00.919 --> 00:27:01.379
 really means

00:27:01.379 --> 00:27:02.299
 that Christ

00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:03.619
 is the

00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:04.680
 wisdom that

00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:05.079
 helps us

00:27:05.079 --> 00:27:05.500
 interpret

00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:05.940
 Proverbs

00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:06.440
 and apply

00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:06.899
 them correctly

00:27:06.899 --> 00:27:07.200
 to our

00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:07.500
 lives.

00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:08.240
 The Proverbs

00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:08.919
 point us

00:27:08.920 --> 00:27:10.400
 to how

00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:11.380
 God is

00:27:11.380 --> 00:27:11.800
 doing his

00:27:11.800 --> 00:27:12.120
 work of

00:27:12.120 --> 00:27:12.640
 restoration,

00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:13.539
 to restore

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:14.100
 relationships

00:27:14.100 --> 00:27:14.680
 and to

00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:14.940
 live by

00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:15.300
 wisdom.

00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:16.820
 So we

00:27:16.820 --> 00:27:17.420
 invite you

00:27:17.420 --> 00:27:18.320
 guys to

00:27:18.320 --> 00:27:18.700
 join us

00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:18.920
 for the

00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:19.660
 five years.

00:27:19.740 --> 00:27:20.120
 So again,

00:27:20.420 --> 00:27:20.759
 join a

00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:21.100
 community

00:27:21.100 --> 00:27:21.580
 group,

00:27:21.820 --> 00:27:22.200
 begin to

00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:22.560
 discuss

00:27:22.560 --> 00:27:22.880
 that with

00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:23.120
 people,

00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:23.420
 because

00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:23.980
 ultimately,

00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:24.759
 as we

00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:25.180
 go into

00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:25.360
 the

00:27:25.360 --> 00:27:25.800
 Proverbs,

00:27:26.340 --> 00:27:26.700
 we don't

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:27.140
 just want

00:27:27.140 --> 00:27:27.680
 you to

00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:28.320
 think about

00:27:28.320 --> 00:27:28.600
 it and

00:27:28.600 --> 00:27:28.980
 it being

00:27:28.980 --> 00:27:29.900
 wisdom in

00:27:29.900 --> 00:27:30.220
 terms of

00:27:30.220 --> 00:27:30.900
 something smart

00:27:30.900 --> 00:27:31.140
 that you

00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:31.519
 learned,

00:27:31.940 --> 00:27:32.400
 but it's

00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:32.779
 something that

00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:33.320
 we all

00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:33.880
 go on a

00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:34.320
 journey on

00:27:34.320 --> 00:27:34.800
 to apply

00:27:34.800 --> 00:27:35.160
 to our

00:27:35.160 --> 00:27:35.519
 lives,

00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:35.920
 that it

00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:36.400
 begins to

00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:37.180
 impact our

00:27:37.180 --> 00:27:38.000
 personal lives.

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:39.079
 that it

00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:39.599
 begins to

00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:39.980
 impact our

00:27:39.980 --> 00:27:40.440
 families,

00:27:41.220 --> 00:27:42.559
 that we

00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:43.539
 take that

00:27:43.539 --> 00:27:44.440
 wisdom and

00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:44.779
 God's

00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:45.480
 perspective on

00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:46.200
 life to

00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:46.599
 begin to

00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:47.119
 impact our

00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:48.380
 workplace and

00:27:48.380 --> 00:27:48.960
 our neighborhood,

00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.680
 our communities

00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:51.519
 and our city.

00:27:53.640 --> 00:27:54.480
 So let's

00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:55.099
 pray as we

00:27:55.099 --> 00:27:56.019
 close and as

00:27:56.019 --> 00:27:56.660
 we begin this

00:27:56.660 --> 00:27:57.119
 journey on

00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:57.700
 the Proverbs.

00:27:57.700 --> 00:28:04.160
 Father, you

00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:04.700
 are the

00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:05.500
 great wisdom

00:28:05.500 --> 00:28:07.059
 and we

00:28:07.059 --> 00:28:07.519
 just confess

00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:07.799
 that so

00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:08.240
 many times

00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:08.819
 we rely

00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:09.660
 on our

00:28:09.660 --> 00:28:10.220
 own wisdom,

00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:10.620
 our own

00:28:10.620 --> 00:28:11.299
 strengths and

00:28:11.299 --> 00:28:12.140
 we think we

00:28:12.140 --> 00:28:12.500
 have it all

00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:13.240
 figured out and

00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:13.539
 that we

00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:14.160
 often fall

00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:14.779
 prey to

00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:15.819
 the idols

00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:16.180
 of this

00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:16.799
 city that

00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:17.519
 promise us

00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:18.019
 wisdom and

00:28:18.019 --> 00:28:18.360
 a different

00:28:18.360 --> 00:28:18.759
 way of

00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:19.279
 life and

00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:19.880
 they have

00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:20.340
 nothing to

00:28:20.340 --> 00:28:20.880
 do with

00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:21.279
 your

00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:21.740
 values.

00:28:22.740 --> 00:28:23.580
 So let's

00:28:23.580 --> 00:28:24.059
 pray that

00:28:24.059 --> 00:28:24.440
 you would

00:28:24.440 --> 00:28:25.180
 begin in

00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:25.620
 this journey

00:28:25.620 --> 00:28:26.140
 to touch

00:28:26.140 --> 00:28:26.700
 our hearts

00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:27.060
 and you

00:28:27.060 --> 00:28:27.980
 would stir

00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:28.640
 a conversation

00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:29.360
 within us

00:28:29.360 --> 00:28:29.560
 as a

00:28:29.560 --> 00:28:31.000
 community to

00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:31.360
 see you

00:28:31.360 --> 00:28:31.900
 more clearly,

00:28:32.080 --> 00:28:32.840
 to see what

00:28:32.840 --> 00:28:33.380
 you have for

00:28:33.380 --> 00:28:34.280
 us in the

00:28:34.280 --> 00:28:34.780
 fullness of

00:28:34.780 --> 00:28:35.320
 your wisdom.

00:28:36.740 --> 00:28:37.400
 And Father,

00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:38.420
 we pray that

00:28:38.420 --> 00:28:39.220
 in that

00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:39.680
 journey we

00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:40.360
 would see

00:28:40.360 --> 00:28:40.960
 the wisdom

00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:43.280
 of Christ

00:28:43.280 --> 00:28:43.860
 more clearly,

00:28:45.020 --> 00:28:45.320
 that we

00:28:45.320 --> 00:28:45.700
 would see

00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:46.440
 the foolishness

00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:47.120
 of the

00:28:47.120 --> 00:28:47.560
 cross,

00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:48.440
 we see it

00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:50.060
 as your

00:28:50.060 --> 00:28:50.480
 wisdom,

00:28:51.360 --> 00:28:51.740
 as the

00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:53.160
 invitation of

00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:53.720
 grace and

00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:54.380
 forgiveness to

00:28:54.380 --> 00:28:55.300
 invite the

00:28:55.300 --> 00:28:55.960
 world back

00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:56.240
 into a

00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:56.559
 relationship

00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:57.180
 with you

00:28:57.180 --> 00:28:58.039
 and to

00:28:58.039 --> 00:28:58.440
 enter the

00:28:58.440 --> 00:28:58.900
 journey of

00:28:58.900 --> 00:28:59.420
 restoration.

00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:01.579
 Father,

00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:01.860
 we just

00:29:01.860 --> 00:29:02.559
 pray that

00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:03.720
 you just

00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:04.039
 do your

00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:04.380
 work in

00:29:04.380 --> 00:29:04.880
 this church

00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.319
 and through

00:29:05.319 --> 00:29:05.740
 this church

00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:06.460
 that we

00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:06.759
 would just

00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:07.200
 not take

00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:07.700
 this message

00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:08.500
 for ourselves

00:29:08.500 --> 00:29:10.700
 as something

00:29:10.700 --> 00:29:11.140
 that changes

00:29:11.140 --> 00:29:11.539
 us as a

00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:11.900
 community,

00:29:12.100 --> 00:29:12.940
 but that we

00:29:12.940 --> 00:29:13.559
 would see

00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:14.380
 your longing

00:29:14.380 --> 00:29:14.960
 to restore

00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:15.480
 this city

00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:17.880
 and that we

00:29:17.880 --> 00:29:18.220
 would just

00:29:18.220 --> 00:29:19.400
 be ready to

00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:20.460
 take part in

00:29:20.460 --> 00:29:21.200
 that and be

00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:21.720
 willing to be

00:29:21.720 --> 00:29:22.240
 the hands and

00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:22.740
 feet in this

00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:23.019
 world.

00:29:23.840 --> 00:29:24.360
 We pray this

00:29:24.360 --> 00:29:24.860
 in Christ's

00:29:24.860 --> 00:29:25.039
 name.

00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:25.660
 Amen.

00:29:25.960 --> 00:29:29.880
 You may be

00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:30.039
 seated.

00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:31.140
 We have a

00:29:31.140 --> 00:29:32.160
 few announcements.

00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:33.720
 The first

00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:34.299
 thing is, if

00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:34.680
 you were here

00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:35.620
 last week, we

00:29:35.620 --> 00:29:36.140
 introduced you

00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:37.120
 to Pastor

00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:37.620
 Aldrin.

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:39.140
 If you are

00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:39.480
 here, can you

00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:39.880
 stand up?

00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:41.380
 Oh, there he is.

00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:42.660
 So Pastor

00:29:42.660 --> 00:29:43.340
 Aldrin is here

00:29:43.340 --> 00:29:44.100
 with us for a

00:29:44.100 --> 00:29:45.340
 few months to

00:29:45.340 --> 00:29:46.840
 work on a

00:29:46.840 --> 00:29:48.240
 vision of how

00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:49.059
 and if we

00:29:49.059 --> 00:29:50.440
 can plant a

00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:50.759
 Filipino

00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:51.660
 congregation or

00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:52.200
 church with

00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:52.460
 us.

00:29:52.860 --> 00:29:53.440
 And so after

00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:53.880
 the service,

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:54.460
 there will be a

00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:55.000
 vision meeting

00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:55.279
 and you

00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:55.839
 find information

00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:56.039
 in the

00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:56.440
 bulletin.

00:29:56.839 --> 00:29:57.779
 So if you

00:29:57.779 --> 00:29:58.299
 are interested

00:29:58.299 --> 00:29:59.200
 in participating

00:29:59.200 --> 00:29:59.960
 or just dreaming

00:29:59.960 --> 00:30:00.779
 and envisioning

00:30:00.779 --> 00:30:01.500
 what that would

00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:01.960
 look for,

00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:02.819
 Watermark, to

00:30:02.819 --> 00:30:03.359
 be part of

00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:03.940
 that, and

00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:04.160
 you don't

00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:04.440
 need to be

00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:04.859
 Filipino.

00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:05.859
 Everybody is

00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:07.140
 welcome, right?

00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:08.839
 To dream and

00:30:08.839 --> 00:30:09.640
 envision, a

00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:10.059
 lunch will be

00:30:10.059 --> 00:30:10.440
 provided.

00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:11.420
 So please come

00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:12.079
 and see Pastor

00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:13.359
 Aldrin after

00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:15.119
 church and read

00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:15.740
 the information in

00:30:15.740 --> 00:30:16.160
 the bulletin.

00:30:16.980 --> 00:30:17.339
 And the second

00:30:17.339 --> 00:30:18.400
 thing is that in

00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:19.779
 August, we will

00:30:19.779 --> 00:30:20.819
 have a VBS.

00:30:20.819 --> 00:30:22.359
 So we just

00:30:22.359 --> 00:30:23.019
 want to give you

00:30:23.019 --> 00:30:23.539
 a heads up that

00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:24.119
 if you're planning

00:30:24.119 --> 00:30:24.960
 your schedule for

00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:25.839
 your kids, then

00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:26.519
 you can talk to

00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:27.000
 Natalie or

00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:27.579
 Melanie and

00:30:27.579 --> 00:30:28.460
 people involved

00:30:28.460 --> 00:30:29.139
 in the children's

00:30:29.139 --> 00:30:29.519
 program.

00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:32.200
 Finally, if you're

00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:32.899
 new to Watermark,

00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:33.379
 you probably have

00:30:33.379 --> 00:30:34.439
 noticed that we

00:30:34.439 --> 00:30:35.200
 don't really pass

00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:36.319
 an offering back

00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:36.980
 around here.

00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:38.179
 We believe that

00:30:38.179 --> 00:30:39.539
 the offering and

00:30:39.539 --> 00:30:40.639
 money is just a

00:30:40.639 --> 00:30:41.220
 part of worship.

00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:43.039
 And so we

00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:43.659
 would just ask you

00:30:43.659 --> 00:30:44.119
 to go to the

00:30:44.119 --> 00:30:45.019
 kiosk if you

00:30:45.019 --> 00:30:45.859
 feel called to

00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:46.559
 give back to

00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:47.359
 God.

00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:48.599
 And it's just a

00:30:48.599 --> 00:30:49.220
 big island in our

00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:49.839
 lives and we want

00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:50.959
 to allow you to

00:30:50.959 --> 00:30:51.539
 wrestle with that

00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:53.179
 on your time and

00:30:53.179 --> 00:30:54.240
 how you want to

00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:55.980
 just respond to

00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:57.220
 that part of your

00:30:57.220 --> 00:30:57.500
 worship.

00:30:58.819 --> 00:30:59.459
 Actually, there's

00:30:59.459 --> 00:30:59.879
 something that's

00:30:59.879 --> 00:31:01.259
 connected to your

00:31:01.259 --> 00:31:01.699
 giving.

00:31:02.439 --> 00:31:02.980
 A little over a

00:31:02.980 --> 00:31:04.599
 year ago, we had

00:31:04.599 --> 00:31:05.459
 a special offering

00:31:05.459 --> 00:31:06.919
 towards a church

00:31:06.919 --> 00:31:07.819
 in Tokyo after the

00:31:07.819 --> 00:31:08.119
 tsunami.

00:31:08.439 --> 00:31:08.779
 And we want to

00:31:08.779 --> 00:31:09.559
 invite Roger here

00:31:09.559 --> 00:31:10.480
 and he's pastor

00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:11.119
 there at the

00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:11.679
 church, right?

00:31:12.399 --> 00:31:13.039
 The worship

00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:13.699
 musician there.

00:31:13.959 --> 00:31:14.519
 And he'll just

00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:15.159
 come up and share

00:31:15.159 --> 00:31:16.359
 a little bit about

00:31:16.359 --> 00:31:16.859
 what has happened

00:31:16.859 --> 00:31:17.399
 since then.

00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:18.019
 So I just want to

00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:18.839
 invite you up.

00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:22.159
 Good morning,

00:31:22.259 --> 00:31:22.639
 everybody.

00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:24.980
 It's an honor to

00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:25.639
 be able to worship

00:31:25.639 --> 00:31:26.379
 with you this

00:31:26.379 --> 00:31:26.740
 morning.

00:31:27.179 --> 00:31:27.919
 I send greetings

00:31:27.919 --> 00:31:28.720
 from Grace City

00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:29.679
 Church, Tokyo,

00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:31.299
 your sister church

00:31:31.299 --> 00:31:32.519
 in Tokyo and

00:31:32.519 --> 00:31:33.559
 nation of Japan.

00:31:35.179 --> 00:31:36.139
 We're only a little

00:31:36.139 --> 00:31:37.179
 over two years old,

00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:37.799
 so we're not very

00:31:37.799 --> 00:31:38.799
 old and we're

00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:40.099
 definitely not this

00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:40.519
 big.

00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:42.699
 We're well under

00:31:42.699 --> 00:31:43.500
 100 people,

00:31:43.639 --> 00:31:45.319
 about 65 or so.

00:31:45.859 --> 00:31:46.659
 But we are

00:31:46.659 --> 00:31:47.939
 encouraged because

00:31:47.939 --> 00:31:48.859
 God is working

00:31:48.859 --> 00:31:49.679
 there and we

00:31:49.679 --> 00:31:50.319
 see the gospel

00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:51.099
 working in the

00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:51.740
 hearts of the

00:31:51.740 --> 00:31:52.939
 Japanese people.

00:31:54.019 --> 00:31:54.679
 As you can

00:31:54.679 --> 00:31:55.419
 imagine, it's

00:31:55.419 --> 00:31:56.539
 been quite a

00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:56.839
 year.

00:31:57.199 --> 00:31:57.759
 I mean, we

00:31:57.759 --> 00:31:58.699
 have been a

00:31:58.699 --> 00:31:59.439
 church less than

00:31:59.439 --> 00:32:00.839
 a year when we

00:32:00.839 --> 00:32:01.539
 found ourselves

00:32:01.539 --> 00:32:02.479
 faced with one of

00:32:02.479 --> 00:32:03.039
 the biggest

00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:04.519
 disasters in human

00:32:04.519 --> 00:32:04.979
 history.

00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:06.899
 One of our

00:32:06.899 --> 00:32:07.299
 pastors,

00:32:07.479 --> 00:32:08.199
 Seema Oyagi,

00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:09.000
 had just moved

00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:10.179
 in three days

00:32:10.179 --> 00:32:10.679
 before the

00:32:10.679 --> 00:32:11.819
 earthquake, so he

00:32:11.819 --> 00:32:12.339
 had boxes

00:32:12.339 --> 00:32:12.839
 everywhere.

00:32:13.500 --> 00:32:14.119
 And for months

00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:14.939
 afterwards, his

00:32:14.939 --> 00:32:15.879
 family had to live

00:32:15.879 --> 00:32:16.759
 out of boxes.

00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:19.279
 And yet, we

00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:19.859
 were encouraged

00:32:19.859 --> 00:32:21.059
 by your prayers.

00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:22.420
 Thank you.

00:32:23.019 --> 00:32:23.460
 And for your

00:32:23.460 --> 00:32:24.819
 extreme generosity

00:32:24.819 --> 00:32:25.660
 of giving, which

00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:26.660
 allowed us to go up

00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:27.980
 north and bring

00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:29.480
 food, water, and

00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:31.019
 supplies to people

00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:31.839
 who really needed

00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:32.059
 it.

00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:34.259
 The earthquake

00:32:34.259 --> 00:32:34.940
 happened on a

00:32:34.940 --> 00:32:35.299
 Friday.

00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:37.559
 On Sunday, we

00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:38.079
 were able to

00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:38.799
 collect goods from

00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:39.420
 our church and

00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:40.039
 other churches.

00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:41.379
 And then on

00:32:41.379 --> 00:32:42.319
 Monday, we

00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:43.059
 headed up in a

00:32:43.059 --> 00:32:43.400
 truck.

00:32:43.400 --> 00:32:45.460
 Me, Seema Oyagi,

00:32:45.580 --> 00:32:45.900
 that other

00:32:45.900 --> 00:32:46.680
 pastor, and

00:32:46.680 --> 00:32:47.660
 another missionary.

00:32:48.920 --> 00:32:49.800
 It was kind of

00:32:49.800 --> 00:32:50.400
 like a scouting

00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:50.720
 trip.

00:32:50.820 --> 00:32:51.080
 You know, we

00:32:51.080 --> 00:32:51.900
 didn't know if we

00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:52.280
 were going to be

00:32:52.280 --> 00:32:52.860
 able to get up

00:32:52.860 --> 00:32:53.120
 there.

00:32:53.420 --> 00:32:53.900
 We didn't know if

00:32:53.900 --> 00:32:54.340
 the roads were

00:32:54.340 --> 00:32:54.780
 passable.

00:32:54.860 --> 00:32:55.280
 All of the

00:32:55.280 --> 00:32:56.000
 highways had been

00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:57.360
 shut down, so we

00:32:57.360 --> 00:32:58.040
 had to take little

00:32:58.040 --> 00:32:58.900
 mountain roads,

00:32:59.580 --> 00:33:01.280
 driving all night

00:33:01.280 --> 00:33:01.680
 long.

00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:03.060
 There were a lot

00:33:03.060 --> 00:33:03.780
 of traffic as

00:33:03.780 --> 00:33:04.400
 everybody was

00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:05.400
 fleeing south.

00:33:06.560 --> 00:33:07.400
 The roads, some

00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:07.860
 of them had been

00:33:07.860 --> 00:33:08.620
 washed out.

00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:10.180
 There was big

00:33:10.180 --> 00:33:11.420
 gaps between the

00:33:11.420 --> 00:33:12.620
 steel structure of

00:33:12.619 --> 00:33:13.519
 the bridges and

00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:14.079
 the ground.

00:33:14.479 --> 00:33:14.819
 And so if we

00:33:14.819 --> 00:33:15.699
 weren't careful, we

00:33:15.699 --> 00:33:17.259
 would break the

00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:18.199
 axle of our car.

00:33:20.019 --> 00:33:20.679
 There were fears

00:33:20.679 --> 00:33:21.539
 of nuclear

00:33:21.539 --> 00:33:22.119
 radiation.

00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:22.639
 If you remember

00:33:22.639 --> 00:33:23.659
 those early days,

00:33:24.059 --> 00:33:24.799
 every day the

00:33:24.799 --> 00:33:25.679
 news seemed to

00:33:25.679 --> 00:33:26.299
 be getting worse

00:33:26.299 --> 00:33:26.899
 and worse.

00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:28.379
 Saturday, Sunday,

00:33:28.859 --> 00:33:30.159
 Monday, Tuesday,

00:33:30.439 --> 00:33:31.759
 a new fire, a new

00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:33.399
 explosion, fears of

00:33:33.399 --> 00:33:34.000
 meltdown.

00:33:36.479 --> 00:33:37.679
 Yet, despite all

00:33:37.679 --> 00:33:38.699
 this, nothing had

00:33:38.699 --> 00:33:40.439
 prepared us for what

00:33:40.439 --> 00:33:41.599
 we actually saw when

00:33:41.599 --> 00:33:42.199
 we got to the

00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:44.279
 tsunami area, there

00:33:44.279 --> 00:33:45.539
 were entire towns

00:33:45.539 --> 00:33:46.980
 that had been wiped

00:33:46.980 --> 00:33:47.380
 away.

00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:49.700
 There were boats the

00:33:49.700 --> 00:33:50.920
 size of probably the

00:33:50.920 --> 00:33:51.660
 middle part of this

00:33:51.660 --> 00:33:53.519
 room here, as big,

00:33:54.259 --> 00:33:55.279
 sitting right in the

00:33:55.279 --> 00:33:56.039
 middle of busy

00:33:56.039 --> 00:33:57.779
 intersections, what

00:33:57.779 --> 00:33:58.860
 used to be busy

00:33:58.860 --> 00:33:59.840
 intersections, in the

00:33:59.840 --> 00:34:00.500
 middle of town.

00:34:01.740 --> 00:34:03.019
 I saw automobiles on

00:34:03.019 --> 00:34:04.100
 top of four-story

00:34:04.100 --> 00:34:04.940
 buildings.

00:34:06.039 --> 00:34:07.120
 And I saw raw

00:34:07.120 --> 00:34:08.079
 displays of emotion

00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:08.820
 that I'll never

00:34:08.820 --> 00:34:09.320
 forget.

00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:11.960
 Of course, Japan is

00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:13.220
 not like that now.

00:34:13.640 --> 00:34:14.340
 You know, by the

00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:14.880
 end of the summer

00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:16.260
 last year, most of

00:34:16.260 --> 00:34:17.480
 the debris had been

00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.140
 cleared out.

00:34:19.180 --> 00:34:19.840
 And so now we're

00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:20.740
 focused on trying to

00:34:20.740 --> 00:34:22.140
 get people back into

00:34:22.140 --> 00:34:22.920
 their homes, getting

00:34:22.920 --> 00:34:23.900
 their homes fixed,

00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:25.519
 trying to restore

00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:27.200
 neighborhoods and

00:34:27.200 --> 00:34:27.700
 communities.

00:34:28.660 --> 00:34:29.660
 We're also trying to

00:34:29.660 --> 00:34:30.760
 get people back to

00:34:30.760 --> 00:34:31.100
 work.

00:34:32.160 --> 00:34:33.519
 The economy was

00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:35.940
 extremely hurt by the

00:34:35.940 --> 00:34:36.320
 tsunami.

00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:37.100
 All the businesses

00:34:37.100 --> 00:34:38.080
 were wiped away.

00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:39.779
 And so what one

00:34:39.779 --> 00:34:40.659
 business owner at a

00:34:40.659 --> 00:34:41.539
 time are trying to

00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:42.340
 help get them the

00:34:42.340 --> 00:34:43.400
 equipment they need

00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:44.679
 is so that they can

00:34:44.679 --> 00:34:46.219
 expand, so they can

00:34:46.219 --> 00:34:47.699
 hire people, and so

00:34:47.699 --> 00:34:48.500
 the economy of the

00:34:48.500 --> 00:34:49.900
 region can come

00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:50.299
 back.

00:34:51.940 --> 00:34:52.739
 Now, it's interesting

00:34:52.739 --> 00:34:53.920
 when you think most

00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:54.739
 of the area where the

00:34:54.739 --> 00:34:55.940
 tsunami hit were

00:34:55.940 --> 00:34:57.319
 actually heavily in the

00:34:57.319 --> 00:34:58.639
 fishing industry.

00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:01.159
 And I think back of

00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:02.299
 Jesus coming to

00:35:02.299 --> 00:35:03.179
 fishing villages,

00:35:03.940 --> 00:35:04.779
 taking fishermen,

00:35:05.619 --> 00:35:06.679
 making them fishers of

00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:06.960
 men.

00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:09.379
 And we long for that

00:35:09.379 --> 00:35:10.039
 in Japan.

00:35:10.519 --> 00:35:11.339
 We want to see

00:35:11.339 --> 00:35:12.460
 churches planted where

00:35:12.460 --> 00:35:13.259
 the tsunami hit.

00:35:13.319 --> 00:35:14.139
 And we are seeing

00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:14.919
 that and are

00:35:14.919 --> 00:35:15.899
 encouraged by it.

00:35:16.759 --> 00:35:17.599
 In fact, we're seeing

00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:18.480
 more people come to

00:35:18.480 --> 00:35:20.839
 Christ in Ishimaki,

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:21.460
 one city we're

00:35:21.460 --> 00:35:23.199
 focusing on, well

00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:24.679
 above what you see in

00:35:24.679 --> 00:35:25.639
 the rest of Japan.

00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:28.179
 And so we look

00:35:28.179 --> 00:35:29.500
 expectantly to see

00:35:29.500 --> 00:35:30.759
 what God continues to

00:35:30.759 --> 00:35:32.559
 do in the disaster

00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:33.960
 area, in Tokyo, in the

00:35:33.960 --> 00:35:34.539
 whole nation.

00:35:34.760 --> 00:35:36.740
 So please, we covet

00:35:36.740 --> 00:35:37.980
 your continued prayers

00:35:37.980 --> 00:35:39.059
 for Japan.

00:35:39.500 --> 00:35:40.119
 We need them.

00:35:40.900 --> 00:35:41.780
 So thank you.

00:35:42.220 --> 00:35:42.639
 God bless.

00:35:42.639 --> 00:35:42.740
 Thank you.

00:35:42.740 --> 00:35:42.800
 Thank you.

00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:42.840
 Thank you.

00:35:42.840 --> 00:35:42.900
 Thank you.

00:35:42.900 --> 00:35:43.340
 Thank you.

00:35:43.340 --> 00:35:43.400
 Thank you.

00:35:43.400 --> 00:35:43.440
 Thank you.

00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:43.840
 Thank you.

00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:44.340
 Thank you.

00:35:44.340 --> 00:35:44.400
 Thank you.

00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:44.840
 Thank you.

00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:45.340
 Thank you.

00:35:45.340 --> 00:35:45.400
 Thank you.

00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:46.340
 Thank you.

00:35:46.340 --> 00:35:46.400
 Thank you.

00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:47.340
 Thank you.

00:35:47.340 --> 00:35:47.400
 Thank you.

00:35:54.119 --> 00:35:55.500
 I think all of us

00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:56.900
 here remembered that

00:35:56.900 --> 00:35:57.940
 Friday pretty well, too.

00:35:58.619 --> 00:36:00.440
 And I think something

00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:01.280
 that we were able to do

00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:02.099
 as a church was,

00:36:02.099 --> 00:36:03.619
 on that Sunday, we

00:36:03.619 --> 00:36:04.559
 decided to spend some

00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:05.480
 time to pray for Japan

00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:06.739
 and to pray for

00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:08.480
 northern Japan and

00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:08.920
 what happened.

00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:10.539
 And what we did was

00:36:10.539 --> 00:36:12.259
 we sang the chorus

00:36:12.259 --> 00:36:13.559
 from Mighty to Save

00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:14.299
 in Japanese.

00:36:15.099 --> 00:36:15.880
 And I think we sang it

00:36:15.880 --> 00:36:16.819
 in Japanese because

00:36:16.819 --> 00:36:20.500
 we wanted to, I

00:36:20.500 --> 00:36:21.400
 guess, proclaim that

00:36:21.400 --> 00:36:22.699
 these truths that are

00:36:22.699 --> 00:36:24.420
 true here in English

00:36:24.420 --> 00:36:25.299
 or in Chinese or

00:36:25.299 --> 00:36:26.619
 whatever, that these

00:36:26.619 --> 00:36:27.779
 truths remain true in

00:36:27.779 --> 00:36:28.339
 Japan as well.

00:36:28.619 --> 00:36:29.099
 And it doesn't matter

00:36:29.099 --> 00:36:29.880
 what language we sing

00:36:29.880 --> 00:36:30.199
 them in.

00:36:30.679 --> 00:36:31.319
 It doesn't matter what

00:36:31.319 --> 00:36:32.000
 country we're in.

00:36:32.619 --> 00:36:33.679
 That our Savior can

00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:34.420
 move mountains and

00:36:34.420 --> 00:36:35.059
 that our Savior is

00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:35.619
 mighty to save.

00:36:36.179 --> 00:36:36.860
 Thank you so much

00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:37.360
 for your update.

00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:38.460
 And I hope maybe we

00:36:38.460 --> 00:36:39.279
 can all stand together

00:36:39.279 --> 00:36:40.900
 and sing this again.

00:36:41.179 --> 00:36:42.179
 And let's pray for

00:36:42.179 --> 00:36:42.920
 the nation of Japan.

00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:43.599
 Let's pray for

00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:44.559
 Ishinomaki and let's

00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:45.940
 pray for Tokyo and

00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:46.159
 Japan.

00:36:48.539 --> 00:36:49.299
 So we're just going to

00:36:49.299 --> 00:36:49.980
 sing this and try it

00:36:49.980 --> 00:36:50.400
 in Japanese.

00:36:51.339 --> 00:36:51.819
 Receive the

00:36:51.819 --> 00:36:52.619
 benediction as we

00:36:52.619 --> 00:36:52.860
 leave.

00:36:53.739 --> 00:36:55.299
 Father, we just pray

00:36:55.299 --> 00:36:57.219
 that as we leave

00:36:57.219 --> 00:36:57.880
 this place that we

00:36:57.880 --> 00:36:58.759
 would not be the same,

00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:00.920
 that we would seek

00:37:00.920 --> 00:37:01.460
 your wisdom.

00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:04.340
 Father, that we

00:37:04.340 --> 00:37:05.240
 would love God,

00:37:06.139 --> 00:37:06.840
 love beauty,

00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:07.720
 live life to the

00:37:07.720 --> 00:37:08.639
 fullest and participate

00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:09.940
 in your work of

00:37:09.940 --> 00:37:10.659
 redemption and

00:37:10.659 --> 00:37:11.680
 restoration of all

00:37:11.680 --> 00:37:12.180
 things.

00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:13.960
 Father, we thank you

00:37:13.960 --> 00:37:14.980
 for the reminder of

00:37:14.980 --> 00:37:16.380
 how you are restoring

00:37:16.380 --> 00:37:16.920
 in the midst of

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:18.180
 disaster in Japan and

00:37:18.180 --> 00:37:20.000
 how you long to

00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:20.980
 redeem a city that's

00:37:20.980 --> 00:37:21.320
 broken.

00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:23.180
 So God, may we take

00:37:23.180 --> 00:37:24.360
 that challenge, may we

00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:26.680
 take your calling to

00:37:26.680 --> 00:37:27.619
 bring back things to

00:37:27.619 --> 00:37:28.019
 the kingdom.

00:37:28.019 --> 00:37:29.219
 we pray this in

00:37:29.219 --> 00:37:29.780
 Christ's name.

00:37:30.259 --> 00:37:30.519
 Amen.