WEBVTT

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 Good morning, everyone.

00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:03.359
 Good morning.

00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:03.760
 Good morning.

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 I'm going to move this over here.

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 Good to see you all.

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 Stephen, hey.

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 I thought we were going to have some space today,

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 but it's a holy pilgrimage for sure.

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 John, good to see you.

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 I've been trying to convince my family

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 that I can rock a bucket hat,

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 and every time I put it on, my daughter's just like,

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 oh, daddy.

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 She literally just has, mm, OK.

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 We're doing this.

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 Next time, we'll wear it together.

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 Because I think I'll rock it.

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 But anyway.

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 Good to see you all.

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 We've been going through and explaining

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 the mission statements that we've had.

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 And the first one, can we just go back to the number one?

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 Number one, the first mission statement.

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 There we go.

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 We read through these three statements

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 usually because we want to remind ourselves why we're here.

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 And it's so easy just to get caught up in the motion,

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 oh, Sunday morning is church.

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 I turn up to church.

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 And you really forget why you're here.

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 So we're trying to just remind ourselves.

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 I'm just trying to remind myself why I'm here.

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 And the first one, the first calling that all of us have

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 is to know and enjoy him.

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 And that's life.

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 We all have different callings for the poor,

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 for the young, for the old,

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 for the different places in the world.

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 We have so many different callings.

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 But there really is the one calling that rises above them all,

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 that basically is the umbrella above everything.

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 And that is that we should know and enjoy him.

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 And as we know God, we become more like him.

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 Just when you, I said last week,

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 married couples who spend decades together,

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 they start looking like each other, right?

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 So in some ways, as we spend more time getting to know God,

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 we become like him.

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 And how do we enjoy him?

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 We worship him.

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 And that's the highest calling.

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 Because when we do that, we're living life to the full

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 and we're walking in the way of Jesus every day.

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 And so that's really the call.

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 But one of the problems is,

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 it's really, really hard to do it alone.

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 Life on one hand is very short and you blink and it's gone.

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 But on the other hand, life is a long road.

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 And the African proverb where,

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 if you want to go somewhere fast, you go alone.

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 But if you want to go somewhere far, you go together.

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 And so actually, if the main calling is to know and enjoy him,

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 then you should be able to do that at home on your own.

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 We're not for the fact that life is a long journey.

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 It's hard.

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 So you have to get together with people to do it.

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 And that's why today we're going to go through the second one.

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 Now, COVID really, I mean, last week I said this little device here.

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 This little device here was the thing that really dealt a blow

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 to just personal spiritual life or even health,

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 mental health for that matter.

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 Because we're just addicted to this.

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 Our lives are just disrupted by this little block

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 that we carry around everywhere with us.

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 We cannot leave the house without this.

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 We're in Shenzhen.

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 And then, no, you can't do anything in Shenzhen without this.

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 Right?

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 So that's the first thing.

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 But then the thing that really dealt the blow to this second mission statement

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 was actually, I think, something like COVID.

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 Something like COVID where we started to hear,

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 oh, actually, I don't need to go to church anymore

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 because I've realized I have access to all the sermons

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 preached by all the pastors around the world.

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 And I can access them all myself.

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 And I can just tune in online and do church there.

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 And there's these well-intentioned, creative ways to do church now online.

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 I'm not saying that they're not good.

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 In fact, they're probably sometimes the only way we can access a certain group of people.

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 So even, you know, I slam social media a lot,

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 but social media has these really good things.

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 It's a neutral platform that often slips into a negative impact in our lives.

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 But actually, it can be used for good.

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 But when we're coming to talk about church, we can't say,

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 oh, I've got an online church.

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 That doesn't work.

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 I mean, a lecturer from Dallas Theological Ceremony said this,

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 Dr. Michael Spiegel, he says,

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 an online church makes as much sense as an online family.

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 An online church makes as much sense as an online family.

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 So I'm going to challenge you.

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 Of course, I'm preaching to the converted.

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 I'm preaching to the choir because you are here.

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 It's also a reason why we deliberately don't have an online offering that's a live stream

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 because we all know when we wake up on a Sunday morning at 9, 10 a.m.,

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 you're like, oh, actually, if there's an online side,

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 then maybe I don't need to get dressed.

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 Then I can just tune in.

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 But then that's not church.

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 An online church makes as much sense as an online family.

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 Philip Yancey was the one who said, actually, church for him.

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 I go to church as an expression of my need for God and for God's people.

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 I go to church as an expression of my need for God and for God's people.

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 That's why he goes to church.

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 And that's why we've been saying, you don't attend the gathering.

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 The moment you step into this place, you are the gathering.

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 You are part of the gathering.

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 Church isn't a building that you go to.

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 It is a family that you belong to.

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 So as we look at this second mission statement, this is really us.

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 Okay, so the first one is all about me.

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 First and foremost, I need to enjoy God.

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 I need to know God so I can live this abundant life that he's called me to.

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 And I can know him.

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 But you can't do that alone.

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 So therefore, there is a mission statement too, which is actually, we need to get together

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 as a family.

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 As a family.

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 People often say, actually, people go to church for different reasons.

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 Sometimes for convenience because it's just the closest church that you go to.

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 Sometimes you go to church because you like the preaching.

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 Sometimes you go to church because you like the worship.

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 But people stay at church for friends.

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 We grew up, and I told you a little bit last week about the church that Francis, Joe, Christina,

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 and I, Charlie, and Jenny, we grew up in the church in England where you go to church simply

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 because that's where your friends are.

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 It's not because the preaching is great.

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 In fact, sometimes it's quite the contrary.

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 Not because of the worship is great because it's often quite the contrary.

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 You're there because you're friends.

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 Now, I'm going to push that a little bit further today because it's not just even about

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 friends.

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 It's not just about being here because we are acquaintances.

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 As I often like to quote the great theologian, Vin Diesel, acting as Dominic Dottoretto,

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 I don't have friends.

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 I have family.

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 I don't have friends.

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 I have family.

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 It's in the Fast and Furious, Chapter 5, Scene 17.

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 Family.

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 Can you get that in your mind?

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 Does that even compute that this is family?

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 And we can say, oh, we are the church family.

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 We are the Kung Fu family.

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 We are the gathering family.

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 But really, on a real one, this is family.

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 But before I go any further, I want to just stop here for a second because I know we all

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 come from very different families.

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 In fact, the moment I bring up family, the moment I bring up father or the moment I bring

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 up mother, you have your own experiences about those things.

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 And you're like, oh, if church is family, I don't want anything to do with family.

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 I'm trying to run away from my family.

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 My family is chaos.

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 And it impacts the way you even approach God, right?

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 Because you've got these Christians all singing about, I am a child of God.

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 He is my father.

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 Oh, I don't like, I don't connect with my father.

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 I've never been able to connect with my father.

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 So you telling me that God is my father is actually a bad thing for me.

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 It actually turns me away.

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 It puts me off.

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 Because I don't have a relationship with my father or for my mother or family in general.

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 But I want to challenge that today.

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 And I want to encourage you, if we're to be what God is calling us to be, if we're to

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 sing that song like we mean it, that we are really a child of God, that there's blood is

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 running through our veins, what does that even mean?

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 Right?

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 What does that even mean?

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 And I want to challenge you today to really delve into, think about family.

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 And just, I know that I'm famous for picking people out and putting people on the spot.

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 But don't worry, I won't pick you on the spot about your family, because I know with family,

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 that's something else.

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 But I want you to think about it today.

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 So even though I won't pick you out, I want you to promise me that you'll at least think

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 about this.

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 What's your own experience of family that is impacting the way that you approach church?

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 What's your experience of Father God that is impacting the way as you approach your father

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 in heaven?

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 These are super important things.

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 Just because we all come from broken families, and we all are very often hurtful, traumatic

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 experiences when it comes to family, it doesn't mean that family is not the answer.

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 In fact, I think actually the breakdown in society comes from the breakdown in family.

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 The breakdown in society, everything that you see on a macro, on a micro level, in my opinion,

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 all comes down because the family has broken down.

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 Because the family, what it's supposed to do has broken down.

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 And when the family itself is broken down, it's raising people who are hurt.

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 And what happens with hurt people?

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 Hurt people hurt people.

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 And then suddenly you have all these problems that are coming up in society because the family

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 is not right.

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 What does God want to do with family?

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 What does God want to do with this family here to bring some restoration, to bring some

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 redemption to society?

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 I think it starts with, do we understand as we gather here, we are spiritual fathers and

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 mothers.

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 We are a spiritual family.

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 And what does that mean?

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 I will ask you this question and I will ask some of us this.

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 What should a family be?

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 I'm not asking about what your family is, but what should your family be?

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 What should a family offer to people growing up in it?

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 Ailey, you've just become a dad.

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 Tell us, what should your family be?

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 Comfort and security.

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 It's a place where actually someone can go home and just feel safe.

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 It's a place of refuge.

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 What are the things?

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 Kenneth, you're pretty close to your family.

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 What should a family be?

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 Places of support.

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 Recognizing that you can't do it alone.

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 I mean, EJ, if she's walking around, she's only just started to walk.

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 She can't figure her life.

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 But actually, humans as a species are pretty useless in the early ages, in the early days.

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 We need people around to support us, to frame us up.

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 What are the things does a family bring that is needed?

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 Flay?

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 Safety.

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 That's the same thing.

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 Just a place where you can rest, where you don't have to be fending for yourself.

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 I think there's a couple of things when it comes to family that I think of.

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 One is rest.

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 A place where you can act.

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 Now, I know, again, I'm going to keep saying this a few times.

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 I know that often our homes, our own families do not provide this.

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 I get this.

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 What I'm trying to kind of tackle here is if we're to be God's family, then we should have a place where we can find these things.

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 You with me?

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 So, first of all, is rest.

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 You can come to a place where you can actually just relax and be completely yourself.

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 That you can recharge.

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 That you don't have to prove anything to anyone.

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 You don't have to maintain a certain level of kind of appearance.

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 You can just be yourself and you can just rest.

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 You can be in a place where you can sit.

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 Actually, this is a great space now that we have the God's gift.

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 I know that plenty of people have taken afternoon naps here because it's just a place where it's a good time, a good place to rest.

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 Even when other people are around.

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 A place of refuge.

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 Outside there is a dogfight.

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 It's a rat race.

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 To come back to a place where you don't need to stress, strain or strive anymore.

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 Where you can just, this place is safe.

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 Well, Kenneth talked about support to provide resources.

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 How do we get to where we're at?

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 It's because we stand on the shoulders of the parents who go before us and they pave the way for us so that we can then go into whatever school we need to go to, whatever university we need to go to, whatever.

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 Support.

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 The resources that that comes with.

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 I think it also is a place where actually we get reproved.

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 What does the word reproved mean?

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 We are disciplined.

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 I literally just did that to our daughter who was at the front here who threw something at the screen whilst we were worshipping.

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 And I was playing.

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 I was like, that's not okay.

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 You and I both, though, we need to be told.

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 There are things that, as children, as babies, and then as teenagers, teenagers, and then as older people, we just need to be reproved and guided.

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 Why?

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 Because we all fall short of the glory of God.

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 We are all people with sin inside us.

00:12:35.139 --> 00:12:38.160
 And we all choose and make mistakes all the time.

00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:40.899
 And so we need a place where we can be reproved.

00:12:40.980 --> 00:12:41.639
 What does that look like?

00:12:42.719 --> 00:12:47.839
 Do you have someone in this place who will look at you and tell you, hey, you're a little bit off there.

00:12:49.740 --> 00:12:52.199
 There's sin in your life that I think you need to try and figure out.

00:12:52.779 --> 00:12:53.839
 Do you have that person?

00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:56.939
 Or maybe just to put it in a maybe more funny way.

00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:04.279
 Do you have someone who, when you're sitting across the table, when you're eating with them, they'll tell you that you've got veggies stuck between your teeth.

00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:08.399
 Like, put your hand up if you think you have that person.

00:13:09.419 --> 00:13:09.759
 Yes.

00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:11.279
 Okay, about half.

00:13:12.459 --> 00:13:13.720
 Man, do we need those people.

00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:15.620
 Because Chinese veg.

00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:19.240
 Chinese, because Chinese veg, dao meal is the worst.

00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:21.799
 It just gets stuck in everyone.

00:13:22.059 --> 00:13:25.179
 And you don't want to be that guy where you're just eating and go for a whole meal.

00:13:25.539 --> 00:13:27.699
 And there's two pieces of veg just stuck there.

00:13:27.700 --> 00:13:31.600
 But when you're with family, what happens?

00:13:32.640 --> 00:13:33.600
 Your family tells you.

00:13:36.040 --> 00:13:38.660
 Your family tells you that.

00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:41.340
 It guides you and tells you what other people are seeing.

00:13:42.060 --> 00:13:42.960
 You know who doesn't tell you?

00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:43.980
 People who aren't your friends.

00:13:45.520 --> 00:13:47.600
 They're just like, oh my goodness, it's so awkward now.

00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:50.040
 Now I've let you talk for too long.

00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:51.540
 And it's too hard to tell you now.

00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:52.340
 And it's going to be embarrassing.

00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:56.640
 I mean, I have the privilege of having the stage here.

00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:58.159
 Can I just tell you, if I'm having lunch with you,

00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:00.159
 and I've got something stuck on my face,

00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:01.860
 please tell me.

00:14:02.340 --> 00:14:02.960
 It doesn't matter.

00:14:03.299 --> 00:14:06.720
 It's much better that you tell me than to leave that bogey on my head.

00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:09.720
 It's literally way better.

00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:13.000
 That has happened, but Christina has told me that before.

00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:16.480
 So please, do we have those people?

00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:19.919
 Are we a family that can actually tell people each other out of love?

00:14:20.980 --> 00:14:22.000
 That's what a family is.

00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:23.939
 And so we're trying to figure that out.

00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:26.319
 Because often we don't know how to do family.

00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:30.220
 We confuse proximity for community.

00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:34.299
 Just because you're probably sat next to someone who you barely know.

00:14:34.819 --> 00:14:36.120
 So you're like, okay, well, of course I'm not family.

00:14:36.779 --> 00:14:37.639
 But here's my goal.

00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:38.259
 Here's the vision.

00:14:38.439 --> 00:14:42.059
 Can we be a gathering where we can actually know each other,

00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:43.299
 that everyone can be known?

00:14:44.580 --> 00:14:46.919
 Aidan was bugging me about this the other day when we were having breakfast.

00:14:47.059 --> 00:14:48.460
 He was like, James, what are we doing here?

00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:49.879
 What are we doing here?

00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:50.559
 Where are we going?

00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:53.299
 And then he gave me the answer.

00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:54.059
 And he's like, you know what?

00:14:54.059 --> 00:15:00.539
 We're here because we believe that the true expression of a church is in the form of close-knit relationships.

00:15:00.539 --> 00:15:09.539
 We're here because we believe the true expression of the church of God, the family of God, is through close-knit relationships.

00:15:10.199 --> 00:15:11.899
 It's more than just attending a service.

00:15:12.199 --> 00:15:14.199
 It's more than just having the same kind of beliefs.

00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:16.720
 It's more than just singing the same similar kind of songs.

00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:22.960
 It's we've decided that out there we have no business being with each other.

00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.740
 Because I'm way too cool to hang out with someone like Julian.

00:15:28.140 --> 00:15:32.960
 But because of Christ, we now hang out and spend lots of time together.

00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:39.280
 We live quite close to each other, but it's not just the proximity.

00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:44.360
 We have the intentionality where we're like, because of what Christ did for us, we're going to spend time together.

00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:45.500
 I love you, Julian.

00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:45.860
 Gigi.

00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:51.120
 Oh, thank you.

00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:51.679
 Thank you.

00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:52.519
 Oh, my goodness.

00:15:53.079 --> 00:15:53.539
 What's my heart?

00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:54.199
 Sermon's finished.

00:15:54.319 --> 00:15:54.600
 We're good.

00:15:55.860 --> 00:16:00.039
 But I want to read this in, actually all of this in what the Word of God says here.

00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:05.679
 Because if what the Word of God says here is that we are family, that we are children of God, then do we truly understand what that means?

00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:12.620
 And there's a passage that really has been one of my life passages in maybe the last 10 years or so that I just love.

00:16:12.719 --> 00:16:19.839
 And those of you who have been around me, and I'm sorry if you see me in Young Life and you see me in The Gathering, I'm really sorry that you always hear me talk about this verse.

00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:27.819
 But this cuts deep into my heart as to why I do what I do, how I live the way I live, and how I speak and hang out with the people that I hang out with.

00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:29.379
 And it's 1 Corinthians chapter 4.

00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:34.000
 And I want to spend some time in this this morning before we actually have an activity that we do together.

00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:40.679
 But 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 14 to 17 is where we're going to be.

00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:47.860
 But before we read this and go through this, can I ask you just actually just to pray in your own heart.

00:16:47.980 --> 00:16:55.480
 Lord, if there's something that you want to speak to me today about the way that I approach church, the way I approach what church family means, open your heart now.

00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:57.019
 Open your mind now to what this might be.

00:16:57.019 --> 00:16:57.579
 Okay?

00:16:57.980 --> 00:17:00.419
 I think this is huge and this is important.

00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:01.279
 This is why we gather.

00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:03.740
 There's plenty of churches that gather for great reasons.

00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:04.839
 All good reasons.

00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:10.079
 This is why, this is something that, if you're going to gather here with us, this is what you need to know.

00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:11.619
 This is what is in my heart.

00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:11.839
 Okay?

00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:13.720
 Can I invite you to stand for the word of the Lord?

00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:19.079
 We do this.

00:17:19.139 --> 00:17:22.879
 We stand for the word of the Lord because we truly recognize that there is power in this word.

00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:26.580
 That it isn't just funny words that are spoken from the pulpit.

00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:32.780
 But these are the very living words of God that we take seriously, that we realize that we give us life.

00:17:33.020 --> 00:17:36.340
 And they are appropriate for every context, every circumstance that we live in.

00:17:36.600 --> 00:17:40.140
 So I'm going to be reading from 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 14 to 17.

00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:46.860
 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:51.660
 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers.

00:17:52.740 --> 00:17:55.720
 For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

00:17:56.120 --> 00:17:58.740
 I urge you then, be imitators of me.

00:17:59.300 --> 00:18:04.780
 That is why I sent you, Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,

00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:08.480
 as I teach them everywhere in every church.

00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:10.099
 This is the word of the Lord.

00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:11.980
 Please take a seat.

00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:18.759
 The church has many problems.

00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:21.799
 This one, the church of Corinth, has tons of problems.

00:18:22.360 --> 00:18:24.980
 Later in chapter 6, you'll see that they're having lawsuits against each other.

00:18:25.620 --> 00:18:31.140
 And it's a church that's so obsessed with gifts and just kind of going a little bit wild and crazy in services,

00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:32.940
 things are getting really chaotic and messy.

00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:35.480
 So Paul has tons of things to say to them.

00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:41.799
 And actually, the passage leading up to 1 Corinthians 4.14, it gets to a point where actually Paul's pretty sarcastic.

00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:46.079
 You don't usually see sarcasm in scripture, but you see it here.

00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:48.059
 He's like, well, you guys have everything sorted.

00:18:48.299 --> 00:18:49.539
 You guys know what you're doing.

00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:52.940
 You guys totally are God's gift to mankind.

00:18:52.940 --> 00:18:56.620
 And he's clearly being sarcastic here, so it's fascinating.

00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:58.940
 So spend some time looking into that if you're interested.

00:18:59.259 --> 00:19:03.779
 And then after he finishes this little spiel, he then goes into verse 14 to 17.

00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:05.820
 He's saying, verse 14, he says this.

00:19:05.819 --> 00:19:25.700
 As a parent, that's often maybe our own experience when our fathers and our mothers have rebuked us.

00:19:25.700 --> 00:19:28.360
 That's what comes out, right?

00:19:28.460 --> 00:19:28.759
 Shame.

00:19:29.460 --> 00:19:31.319
 But Paul's saying here, I'm not trying to shame you.

00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:35.340
 I'm doing this because I love you and I'm rebuking you.

00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:38.059
 I'm admonishing you because I love you.

00:19:38.100 --> 00:19:38.259
 Why?

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:40.720
 Because you're my beloved children.

00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:43.720
 Man, this is the thing.

00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:45.539
 This is the thing about the veg in the teeth.

00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:50.660
 He's doing it because he loves you, not because he's trying to embarrass you.

00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:56.940
 Whereas so often, I think we have experiences of parents who are literally trying, well, they're telling us off.

00:19:57.060 --> 00:20:02.519
 But really, the rebuke is hitting us in a place where there is no love, where it feels filled with shame.

00:20:03.220 --> 00:20:04.400
 And it's like, this isn't what it is.

00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.660
 I need you to know that I'm doing it because I love you.

00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:11.220
 I love you enough to tell you that you have rice on your face.

00:20:12.340 --> 00:20:13.259
 I love you.

00:20:13.540 --> 00:20:14.820
 And that's why I'm disciplining you.

00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:16.820
 That's what Jesus says to the church in Laodicea, right?

00:20:16.820 --> 00:20:19.480
 To whom I love, I reprove and discipline.

00:20:20.660 --> 00:20:23.540
 Do we understand that?

00:20:23.880 --> 00:20:27.480
 And this is starting to really challenge our perception of God.

00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:33.880
 Often, we have a perception of God who's angry, who's here to discipline, who's here to basically tell us off when we go out of line.

00:20:35.180 --> 00:20:37.540
 But Paul's here saying, no, no, no, I'm doing it because I love you.

00:20:37.560 --> 00:20:41.080
 And here comes the line that, verse 15 is the one that hits me the most.

00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:44.279
 For you have countless guides in Christ, but you have no fathers.

00:20:45.120 --> 00:20:50.080
 You have countless guides in Christ, but you have no fathers.

00:20:51.220 --> 00:20:54.220
 When I first read that about 10 years ago, I was like, man, that is so true.

00:20:55.060 --> 00:20:55.920
 That is so true.

00:20:56.080 --> 00:21:00.580
 We have all these people in our lives who are guiding us, ushering us, protecting us, providing us all these things.

00:21:00.600 --> 00:21:05.279
 And now we have coaches and we have counselors and we have teachers and we have pastors who barely know you.

00:21:05.340 --> 00:21:06.440
 We have all these things going on.

00:21:06.700 --> 00:21:07.900
 Everyone's just telling you what to do.

00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:09.540
 Everyone's just telling you which way to go.

00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:11.240
 Just chipping in with their advice.

00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:11.839
 Guides.

00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:14.640
 He says you have countless guides, but you have no fathers.

00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:15.120
 Guides.

00:21:15.520 --> 00:21:22.060
 As you go deeper into that, the word guides there is actually, it's describing a person back in that time who is basically a guardian.

00:21:22.340 --> 00:21:23.680
 The word there really means guardian.

00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:30.660
 A guardian who actually would be taken on by a family and take the children to school, to protect them, to guard them.

00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:32.100
 Basically, your modern day nanny.

00:21:32.539 --> 00:21:34.320
 Or in Hong Kong terms, the foreign domestic helper.

00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:34.940
 Okay.

00:21:34.940 --> 00:21:39.900
 So this is someone who's been hired or brought in or a slave at that point to basically guard someone and guide them.

00:21:40.460 --> 00:21:42.480
 So he says you've got plenty of those kinds of people.

00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:43.960
 What are those kinds of people?

00:21:44.100 --> 00:21:45.200
 Those people aren't your family.

00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:52.160
 Those people have a very deliberate and clear start and end date in terms of their relationship with you.

00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:55.700
 But your father has a very start and a deliberate one too.

00:21:55.840 --> 00:21:57.900
 But that's from the moment you were born to the moment you die.

00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:01.779
 So the role of a father is different here.

00:22:02.120 --> 00:22:03.140
 He's like you have countless guides.

00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:06.040
 You have constantly people who you can go to and ask for advice.

00:22:06.259 --> 00:22:07.740
 But you don't have any fathers.

00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:09.200
 Again, pause.

00:22:10.280 --> 00:22:12.840
 I know this may not match up with your experience of your father.

00:22:14.040 --> 00:22:14.740
 I know that.

00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:23.100
 Maybe particularly in the Chinese culture, the role of a father, the relationship that a father has with their children is one that is completely broken, distant, and fragmented.

00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:24.340
 Where there is no emotion.

00:22:24.520 --> 00:22:25.960
 There is no, well actually forget emotion.

00:22:26.060 --> 00:22:26.740
 There are no words.

00:22:27.540 --> 00:22:27.880
 Often.

00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:31.900
 People can count often on one hand how many words they've shared with their father.

00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:35.700
 But he's saying, hey, you have countless guides.

00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:37.920
 People who are paid to be alongside you.

00:22:38.040 --> 00:22:39.460
 Who are forced to be alongside you.

00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:41.060
 But you don't have any fathers.

00:22:41.320 --> 00:22:45.240
 You don't have people who will lay down their lives to protect you.

00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:46.700
 To provide for you.

00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:50.020
 To help prepare you for manhood.

00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:57.220
 And to help give you a pattern of actually modeling after.

00:22:58.099 --> 00:23:01.160
 And this is where the role of a father has really changed over the years.

00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:06.420
 And maybe in this last century, you've got the industrial revolution that sent all the fathers away because of war.

00:23:06.420 --> 00:23:11.920
 Because we all know that the consequence of war isn't just what's happening immediately right now.

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:12.680
 The people that are dying.

00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:14.160
 It's the men who were sent away.

00:23:14.779 --> 00:23:18.779
 Where the family now, the original design of the family is broken down.

00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:21.460
 And so then you have women who have to compensate.

00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:23.680
 Who have to play the role of that as well.

00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:25.220
 And then, so they're overstretched.

00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:28.900
 And then you have children who don't have the balance of both father and mother in their lives.

00:23:28.900 --> 00:23:33.519
 And so then you have all these problems that are cropping up in society because of this situation.

00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:36.940
 And now, of course, the role of man is completely changing.

00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:44.519
 I'm personally of the belief that fathers have a role where we are preparing our children for the world they are about to step into.

00:23:45.160 --> 00:23:48.060
 There's a book that some of us fathers are wanting to start going into.

00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:50.160
 It's a book by John Tyson called The Intentional Father.

00:23:50.700 --> 00:23:58.800
 And his premise is the church has failed miserably at initiating their children into life.

00:23:58.900 --> 00:23:59.440
 Into the world.

00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:02.720
 In the past, they'd have loads of kind of initiations.

00:24:02.820 --> 00:24:09.400
 The Jews have all this initiation kind of procedure to go through to help prepare their sons for the future.

00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:10.940
 Now the church completely has stopped.

00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:12.700
 We've stopped initiating our kids.

00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:14.100
 We've stopped discipling our kids.

00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:14.800
 So who's doing it?

00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:17.100
 I'll tell you who's doing it.

00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:17.480
 The world.

00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:18.940
 Their friends.

00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:20.259
 Their teachers.

00:24:20.980 --> 00:24:21.580
 Social media.

00:24:22.540 --> 00:24:23.080
 The YouTube.

00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:25.280
 Is now the key trainer.

00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:26.519
 The discipler.

00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:29.200
 You have countless guides, but you don't have any fathers.

00:24:30.099 --> 00:24:33.200
 You don't have people who are willing to lay down their lives to protect and guide you.

00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:35.160
 And then he says this.

00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:35.799
 Verse 16.

00:24:36.299 --> 00:24:39.759
 He says, imitate me.

00:24:41.460 --> 00:24:43.559
 I urge you then be imitators of me.

00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:45.139
 Oh, you know what that means.

00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:51.000
 When someone says imitate me, that person is someone who is walking the walk and talking the talk.

00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:54.240
 He's saying, hey, watch and learn.

00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:00.359
 But so often in this society, what do our guides, what do our teachers do?

00:25:00.619 --> 00:25:01.680
 It's not watch and learn.

00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:02.640
 It's listen and learn.

00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.079
 Hey, do as I say, not as I do.

00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:07.539
 You know what Paul's saying here?

00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:08.599
 Imitate me.

00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:09.839
 Actually, there's another passage.

00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:11.059
 If you've got your Bible, turn to it.

00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:12.519
 2 Timothy 3.

00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:16.700
 2 Timothy 3.

00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:17.980
 Verse 10.

00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:20.160
 Again, I'm one of my favorites.

00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:22.339
 So Paul's talking to one of his mentees.

00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:26.240
 He meets Timothy when he's a teenager and he takes him on to his wing.

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:27.160
 He says, hey, come with me.

00:25:28.119 --> 00:25:30.220
 And then he says later on in his life, he says,

00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:32.000
 2 Timothy 3.

00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:32.600
 Verse 10.

00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:42.440
 You, Timothy, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me.

00:25:43.860 --> 00:25:49.799
 In Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, which persecutions I endured, yet from all them, the Lord rescued me.

00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:58.160
 He's saying, you followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecution, my suffering.

00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:02.940
 How many teachers and coaches and pastors can say that to you?

00:26:03.860 --> 00:26:06.519
 Often it's just, oh, you've listened to my teaching over these years.

00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:08.140
 Now go do your thing.

00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.940
 You've been in enough classes with me now.

00:26:10.500 --> 00:26:11.380
 You should have learned enough.

00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:12.200
 You should have taken notes.

00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.460
 He's not saying that.

00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:15.320
 He's saying, that's only the first one.

00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:16.420
 All the other ones are what?

00:26:16.600 --> 00:26:17.700
 They are life things.

00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:19.940
 He's like, you've heard my teaching.

00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:24.660
 But more than that, you've seen my conduct, my way of life.

00:26:25.040 --> 00:26:26.580
 You've lived with me.

00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:31.179
 The way I live is what you should imitate, not just my teaching.

00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:39.019
 But so often, and this is to our shame as the church, we rely, the only point of discipleship that we seem to have is just this right here.

00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:40.399
 Just the teaching.

00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:47.480
 But I'll tell you, I can't have all of you in my house, even though as much as I would want to.

00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:55.799
 But for those of you who I've had the privilege and honor and opportunity to spend time with, I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:57.539
 I hope my living is better than my preaching.

00:26:58.059 --> 00:27:04.680
 I hope that when you are in my house with my family, you learn way more from me than just listening to me sat here.

00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:06.559
 That's what Paul's saying here.

00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:11.879
 You've seen my teaching, but you've also seen my aim in life, my conduct, my faith, my suffering, my perseverance, all those things.

00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.159
 Those are way more important.

00:27:13.960 --> 00:27:20.319
 So as he's talking to the church in Corinth, back in 1 Corinthians 4, he says, I urge you then be imitators of me.

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:22.039
 That's a person of integrity.

00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:26.220
 That's a person who's like, you can look at my life and you can follow.

00:27:27.740 --> 00:27:30.639
 As we make disciples, what does disciple mean?

00:27:30.700 --> 00:27:31.960
 It means learner, student.

00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:38.480
 And Paul is talking to Timothy and talking to the church saying, I am your sifu.

00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:42.319
 Chinese culture will understand this.

00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:51.659
 If you look at all the martial arts films, when someone is kind of approached to be someone's sifu, that person is learning from them in every way.

00:27:51.660 --> 00:27:52.360
 It's like a rabbi.

00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:57.400
 It's just, I'm spending all my time with you, learning the martial arts, learning the way of life, learning everything.

00:27:58.860 --> 00:28:01.600
 But now we've distilled church into just countless guides.

00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:04.860
 People who just say a few words and then leave.

00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:09.400
 Lord, help us as we gather that we would be a spiritual family.

00:28:10.360 --> 00:28:13.779
 That we are a close-knit community where we actually know.

00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:18.080
 I personally can't know everyone, but between us, we can.

00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:26.339
 Between us, we can make sure, as much as we can, that people are known with us in this community, that we can point to people that know us.

00:28:27.179 --> 00:28:27.919
 That's the heart.

00:28:28.419 --> 00:28:29.019
 That's the goal.

00:28:30.159 --> 00:28:32.019
 And then he brings up his example, verse 17.

00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:33.399
 He's saying,

00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:40.680
 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church.

00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:41.300
 That's his thing.

00:28:41.540 --> 00:28:42.160
 That's his jam.

00:28:42.300 --> 00:28:45.960
 That's his message that he's repeating over and over again to every church everywhere.

00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:49.740
 And I'm sending to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.

00:28:50.040 --> 00:28:52.580
 Another part of the scripture, he says, my true child in the faith.

00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:58.040
 Paul was Timothy's spiritual father.

00:28:58.039 --> 00:29:02.619
 He talks to the church in Philippi and he says, I can't wait to send Timothy to you.

00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:07.659
 For they all have their own interests, but Timothy, his interest is in what Christ is doing.

00:29:08.059 --> 00:29:10.720
 And I'm going to send him to you so you too may rejoice at seeing him again.

00:29:13.220 --> 00:29:18.500
 The question is, this is where we're gearing up to actually having a little activity of our own now.

00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:20.579
 Do you have those people?

00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:23.460
 If I look at someone like Timothy, he did.

00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:24.759
 He had Paul.

00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:27.159
 Teenager.

00:29:27.619 --> 00:29:27.980
 Teenagers.

00:29:28.039 --> 00:29:28.519
 Teenagers.

00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:29.980
 You're Timothy.

00:29:30.659 --> 00:29:34.399
 This Paul comes into your village and he's like, I want to walk with you.

00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:36.099
 I want to mentor you and I want to follow you.

00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:38.859
 So Timothy had Paul, but he didn't just have Paul.

00:29:39.379 --> 00:29:40.579
 He had some other people as well.

00:29:41.579 --> 00:29:43.960
 Does anyone know who else Timothy had who really poured into his life?

00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:48.079
 Yes.

00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:51.920
 Grandmother Lois and mother Eunice.

00:29:53.420 --> 00:29:54.339
 What passage is that?

00:29:54.539 --> 00:29:56.059
 It's at the beginning of one of the letters.

00:29:56.059 --> 00:29:58.419
 To Timothy chapter one.

00:29:58.619 --> 00:30:02.319
 It says, I remember your tears along to see Paul's writing to Timothy.

00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:02.419
 Timothy.

00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.659
 I'm reminded of your sincere faith.

00:30:04.659 --> 00:30:08.220
 A faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.

00:30:08.220 --> 00:30:10.500
 And now I am sure dwells in you as well.

00:30:11.539 --> 00:30:12.920
 Timothy had a whole heritage.

00:30:13.160 --> 00:30:14.779
 He had spiritual parents.

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.799
 He had his grandmother Lois, mother Eunice, and now Paul.

00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:22.059
 Paul himself, of course, has Timothy as a student.

00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:23.059
 He had a mentor.

00:30:23.059 --> 00:30:23.339
 He had a mentor.

00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:25.259
 But he also had a mentor himself.

00:30:25.879 --> 00:30:28.899
 Who would be Paul's mentor, if you ever think?

00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:34.619
 I mean, the great apostle Paul, the most prolific church planter in the whole of history.

00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:37.960
 Barnabas.

00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:42.119
 Barnabas would have been someone that actually had to guide Paul.

00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:46.339
 Because Paul, when he first met Jesus and his life was completely upside down and he was blinded,

00:30:46.519 --> 00:30:47.519
 who's the one who's guiding him?

00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:48.319
 Barnabas.

00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:48.439
 Barnabas.

00:30:48.879 --> 00:30:52.500
 Of course, Barnabas then becomes Paul's friend.

00:30:52.679 --> 00:30:55.039
 So he goes from mentor to almost kind of friend and peer.

00:30:55.639 --> 00:30:57.899
 So you see, Paul has all these people dotted around him.

00:30:58.139 --> 00:31:00.179
 Timothy has all these people dotted around him.

00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:01.960
 Who do you have?

00:31:03.259 --> 00:31:10.599
 If I ask you now, give me three people who you can switch gears immediately and go,

00:31:10.679 --> 00:31:14.159
 Hey, I want to ask you about, how's your soul doing?

00:31:14.399 --> 00:31:16.200
 Can we pray right now?

00:31:16.920 --> 00:31:19.680
 Do you know that those awkward social gatherings that we have with Christians?

00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:21.720
 At the end of the time, we're like, Oh, should we pray?

00:31:21.779 --> 00:31:22.160
 Should we not?

00:31:23.059 --> 00:31:23.980
 Oh, okay.

00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:24.940
 I guess we're not that kind of people.

00:31:25.019 --> 00:31:25.180
 Okay.

00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:25.380
 All right.

00:31:25.420 --> 00:31:25.660
 Bye.

00:31:25.819 --> 00:31:26.519
 See you next time.

00:31:27.059 --> 00:31:27.740
 High five.

00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:30.620
 And then there's other people who are like, Oh man, I should pray.

00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:31.240
 We should pray.

00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:33.000
 Can we, can we pray before we leave?

00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:34.160
 You know that thing?

00:31:35.299 --> 00:31:36.279
 I'm not asking for many.

00:31:36.380 --> 00:31:37.200
 Do we have three?

00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:39.400
 Do you have three?

00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:43.700
 And they can be a Paul to you in terms of someone who's mentoring you, who's pouring into you.

00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:47.220
 Or they can be a Timothy to you as you're pouring into.

00:31:48.280 --> 00:31:52.100
 Or they can be a Barnabas who's just your friend.

00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:56.780
 Someone who you can go, Hey, I want to spend time with you.

00:31:57.259 --> 00:31:59.180
 I want, I need you to hold me accountable.

00:31:59.180 --> 00:32:04.880
 I need you to come, I need you to come to the gym with me and spot with me because I can't do it alone.

00:32:06.779 --> 00:32:07.900
 Do you have those people?

00:32:10.360 --> 00:32:15.400
 It's interesting here because later in 1 Corinthians, Paul goes, he says, he first says, imitate me.

00:32:15.940 --> 00:32:22.019
 But in 1 Corinthians 11, 1, he says, imitate me as I imitate Christ.

00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:25.039
 What Paul's doing, he's not trying to build mini Pauls.

00:32:25.820 --> 00:32:28.340
 He's not trying to make everyone look like him.

00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:33.399
 We're not here trying to make mini Jameses or mini Cristinos or mini Joes or mini Alexes.

00:32:33.539 --> 00:32:34.639
 That's not what we're trying to do.

00:32:35.579 --> 00:32:37.480
 He's like, imitate me as I imitate Christ.

00:32:38.059 --> 00:32:40.919
 What we're trying to do is make mini Jesuses.

00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:46.539
 Another term for mini Jesuses, Christians.

00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:49.720
 Christians.

00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:57.059
 We're trying to make Christians real followers of Christ.

00:32:57.059 --> 00:33:00.720
 Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

00:33:01.700 --> 00:33:07.299
 Do you have people in your life, whether it's a Paul, whether it's a Barnabas, whether it's a Timothy, P, B, or T, it doesn't matter.

00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:13.899
 Often there's people in your life that kind of like a Paul-abus or a Barnabas-Timothy mix.

00:33:13.980 --> 00:33:14.659
 It can be anything.

00:33:14.660 --> 00:33:19.019
 But do you just have three who you can switch gears with and go, let's get our Jesus on.

00:33:19.080 --> 00:33:20.900
 Let's talk about Jesus.

00:33:21.060 --> 00:33:23.240
 Let's talk about, because that's the goal, to know and enjoy him.

00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:24.779
 Can you challenge me?

00:33:24.840 --> 00:33:27.100
 Can you pick me up on it when you don't think I'm enjoying God?

00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:31.880
 Can you pick me up on it when actually I'm not pulling my own weight when it comes to my own faith?

00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:34.420
 Do you have those people?

00:33:34.420 --> 00:33:36.660
 But final note before we do the activity here is this.

00:33:38.300 --> 00:33:38.740
 Why?

00:33:39.060 --> 00:33:40.400
 Why must we be family?

00:33:41.340 --> 00:33:42.560
 Because that's a good question, right?

00:33:43.019 --> 00:33:44.940
 Why must we work so hard to be family?

00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:47.620
 It isn't because we share a similar interest.

00:33:47.860 --> 00:33:51.440
 It isn't because we all are bored on a Sunday morning and have nothing to do.

00:33:52.500 --> 00:33:54.019
 It's because someone died for us.

00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:56.140
 That's why.

00:33:56.660 --> 00:33:59.220
 We are family, not because of our own might or will.

00:33:59.580 --> 00:34:02.580
 We are family because you look to the person on your left and look to you.

00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:03.140
 Do it now.

00:34:03.280 --> 00:34:05.340
 Look to the person on your left and look to the person on your right.

00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:07.600
 Hello.

00:34:10.300 --> 00:34:13.800
 We are family because someone died for us.

00:34:15.660 --> 00:34:17.820
 Can we appreciate the magnitude of that?

00:34:17.820 --> 00:34:20.940
 I know it's lost on us often and we sing about it and it's like the blood of Jesus.

00:34:21.619 --> 00:34:24.900
 Look to the person next to you and go, man, someone died for you.

00:34:24.900 --> 00:34:27.059
 And someone died for me.

00:34:27.940 --> 00:34:32.720
 And it's because of that blood that we are now united as family.

00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:34.820
 That's a whole different ballgame.

00:34:35.200 --> 00:34:39.539
 That isn't us trying to be family because we're nice people, because we believe in this book, kind of,

00:34:39.720 --> 00:34:43.440
 and we live for him, kind of, so we're going to be forced to be family here.

00:34:43.720 --> 00:34:47.980
 No, we're family here because someone died for all of us and that's the one thing that unites us.

00:34:48.220 --> 00:34:52.180
 That Jesus, the Son of God, paid the price for all of our sins, all of our debts.

00:34:52.179 --> 00:34:56.879
 We're here because we owe a loan shark so much money that we can't pay off.

00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:59.799
 And someone came and paid for us all in one go.

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.339
 And that's what makes us family.

00:35:02.879 --> 00:35:06.419
 And because of Jesus, we are now family and we must act that way.

00:35:06.579 --> 00:35:11.099
 And Jesus then says, John 13, you love one another just as I have loved you.

00:35:11.099 --> 00:35:14.599
 That is the blueprint to how we live this as family.

00:35:14.900 --> 00:35:17.339
 Because man, it's hard sometimes living with family.

00:35:18.319 --> 00:35:22.699
 But when we put it front and center, it's because that we are united by the blood of Christ.

00:35:23.940 --> 00:35:25.400
 So we can tolerate anything.

00:35:25.579 --> 00:35:26.960
 We can be as kind to each other.

00:35:27.579 --> 00:35:29.639
 We can let people stamp all over us.

00:35:29.759 --> 00:35:32.360
 It doesn't matter because without him, we wouldn't be here anyway.

00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:36.039
 That's the blueprint for the family.

00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:41.420
 Now I ask you, what's your experience with the spiritual family?

00:35:41.620 --> 00:35:43.440
 What's your experience and who are your people?

00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:50.059
 And as we jump into this activity, I actually want to bring Nathan up because Nathan's part of my family here.

00:35:50.820 --> 00:35:56.760
 I've known Nathan since he was actually, I think our families knew each other when you were born.

00:35:56.760 --> 00:35:59.160
 I have this picture.

00:35:59.280 --> 00:35:59.920
 Actually, we have this.

00:36:00.060 --> 00:36:00.220
 Okay.

00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:02.840
 Block your minds for a second.

00:36:03.040 --> 00:36:07.280
 Because there is a picture of me, Nathan, and Joe all in the bathtub together having a shower.

00:36:08.580 --> 00:36:10.060
 That is a thing.

00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:17.200
 So we're in a Lester church together and we're a family.

00:36:18.240 --> 00:36:22.820
 I wanted to bring him up because, of course, he's had lots of just experience in church.

00:36:23.560 --> 00:36:24.960
 They're going to different kinds of churches.

00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:33.280
 But I wanted to ask him what really spiritual family, when I say spiritual family, when I say mentors or brothers, what does that mean to you and what experiences have you had?

00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:36.460
 Yeah, thanks for that.

00:36:37.619 --> 00:36:42.039
 Yeah, I just want to speak quickly into spiritual mentor first.

00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:48.659
 Thankfully for me, I've been blessed with a mentor who actually I just met last week.

00:36:48.760 --> 00:36:51.480
 But he's also, so I work in the legal industry.

00:36:51.480 --> 00:36:59.260
 So thankfully, this mentor is both a spiritual mentor and he also works in the legal industry.

00:36:59.960 --> 00:37:14.599
 So we get to actually share a lot of our, just like struggles in terms of the industry and how, you know, for example, there, and there are other kind of people in the industry who we know that we share about.

00:37:14.599 --> 00:37:24.279
 You know, so for example, I had a friend recently who actually got laid off and he's not a Christian and he works for a law firm as well.

00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:36.799
 And I was just sharing with my mentor, you know, like this is a guy who I feel like we should pray together for and someone we could get to know and also to, yeah, just to kind of help him get back on his feet.

00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:45.519
 And so I think in terms of having a mentor in both like spiritually and your work is very helpful.

00:37:45.780 --> 00:37:47.980
 And, you know, I'm very, very blessed to have that.

00:37:48.940 --> 00:37:54.880
 And my mentor is also a person of refuge, you know, like you, I was listening to your sermon.

00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:58.539
 But, yeah, so he's also a person of refuge, right?

00:37:58.619 --> 00:38:06.800
 So when I, so last year I was actually going through a big job change and decision of actually quitting my job.

00:38:06.940 --> 00:38:13.960
 And this is actually one of the mentors who came to me and I really just like poured out and shared my kind of situation.

00:38:13.960 --> 00:38:19.059
 And he was saying like, oh, you know, kind of giving me both advice and also just praying for me.

00:38:19.059 --> 00:38:23.260
 And, yeah, and that's reciprocated as well, right?

00:38:23.260 --> 00:38:30.020
 So I think with mentors, the thing about being a mentee is you really have to also be quite active, right?

00:38:30.040 --> 00:38:40.480
 In terms of pursuing kind of, because your mentor is really giving their time to you kind of really just out of their heart and love for God as well.

00:38:40.660 --> 00:38:43.740
 So, yeah, so that's the mentorship part.

00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:52.420
 And not only are you kind of being poured into, you're actually also volunteer through Young Life and you pour into young people as well.

00:38:52.420 --> 00:38:53.760
 Tell us why you even bothered to do that.

00:38:54.260 --> 00:39:06.180
 Yeah, I mean, actually, I remember the first time I went to Young Life and we were doing this training thing and we were, yeah, we were just being trained to mentor these high school kids.

00:39:06.179 --> 00:39:10.159
 And I was just saying, you know, I am here because I've been mentored.

00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:19.159
 I've been on the receiving end of mentorship and it's benefited me in so many ways, you know, throughout my career, my life, my different decisions.

00:39:19.539 --> 00:39:26.000
 So I really, and I think just through that and seeing that, you know, Jesus discipled his people as well.

00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:28.980
 So you just want to kind of give back in that sense.

00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:30.400
 Yeah.

00:39:31.099 --> 00:39:31.800
 Final question.

00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:36.519
 I know a lot of people, they struggle finding a mentor or they struggle to kind of really start mentoring.

00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:40.880
 What's one piece of advice that you'd give to people who are even just thinking about this?

00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:42.179
 And we want everyone to think about this.

00:39:42.380 --> 00:39:43.460
 What's one piece of advice you'd give?

00:39:44.139 --> 00:39:49.619
 I think a big part of it is just to, yeah, just not be afraid.

00:39:49.619 --> 00:39:57.099
 I think, I think a lot of the times we think that when we're seeking mentors, we think that, oh, this person's actually so busy for us.

00:39:57.639 --> 00:40:00.359
 You know, they're, they're, they've got all their own stuff going.

00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:02.239
 Like my mentor has got like three kids, right?

00:40:02.299 --> 00:40:04.759
 So I'm like, you know, he probably never has time for me.

00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:14.099
 But I think just being like not being afraid and just be like, okay, these guys actually have something to, to give and also to learn from you.

00:40:14.099 --> 00:40:17.179
 And so, and just to be active in seeking them.

00:40:17.179 --> 00:40:32.199
 Um, so yeah, so even as me being a mentor to different people, uh, I actually like, you know, a lot of the times we have these difficult conversations, uh, difficult situations, which actually really ended up growing me as a person, um, and in my faith as well.

00:40:32.299 --> 00:40:37.980
 So yeah, I just encourage you to be proactive and to, yeah, just to not be afraid of that.

00:40:39.019 --> 00:40:39.719
 Thank you, Nathan.

00:40:39.899 --> 00:40:40.699
 Round of applause for Nathan.

00:40:40.819 --> 00:40:41.099
 Thank you.

00:40:41.099 --> 00:40:41.099


00:40:44.699 --> 00:40:46.619
 Um, who are your people?

00:40:47.179 --> 00:40:52.299
 I would love for us to get to a point as a church where we're like, if you just talking like, Hey, who are your three?

00:40:52.699 --> 00:40:54.980
 You'll be able to reel off three people straight away.

00:40:55.119 --> 00:41:00.579
 They're like, man, I can call that person up at any point and ask them and they will call me out about anything as well.

00:41:00.659 --> 00:41:05.239
 And they will show, they will tell me, uh, if I have food in my teeth, who are those people?

00:41:05.460 --> 00:41:07.779
 I have spiritual food stuck in my teeth.

00:41:08.099 --> 00:41:11.079
 Uh, in that sense, who are those people for you?

00:41:11.559 --> 00:41:12.719
 I think it's so important.

00:41:13.119 --> 00:41:14.339
 Otherwise we don't need to gather here.

00:41:14.340 --> 00:41:15.860
 Um, I think it's that important.

00:41:16.500 --> 00:41:23.860
 Um, it's funny if this, so I don't usually wear kind of patterns, t-shirts, but if you notice my kids, we're, we're all matching the same kind of shirt.

00:41:23.860 --> 00:41:26.000
 But actually I realize it's quite an appropriate shirt here.

00:41:26.059 --> 00:41:26.860
 Kenneth loves this shirt.

00:41:27.380 --> 00:41:30.980
 Um, because there's three basketball players on, you may not know who the basketball players are.

00:41:31.340 --> 00:41:33.780
 Uh, but you have one guy who is the greatest of all time.

00:41:33.980 --> 00:41:36.599
 Uh, this guy is, this is, this is Michael Jordan.

00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:41.559
 Um, he is famous for actually being a mentor to Kobe Bryant, uh, the late Kobe Bryant.

00:41:41.880 --> 00:41:46.660
 And then Kobe Bryant also formed kind of a friendship, uh, a brotherhood with LeBron James.

00:41:46.659 --> 00:41:50.440
 And just this picture, I thought, oh, this is quite beautiful that you don't care about basketball.

00:41:50.440 --> 00:41:51.679
 So you've just completely switched off.

00:41:51.980 --> 00:41:53.039
 Uh, but that's okay.

00:41:53.359 --> 00:41:59.039
 Uh, but if you can take an image, it's actually, do you have three people who are walking with you?

00:41:59.579 --> 00:42:02.480
 Uh, I want to put up, uh, can we have the slide up about the, uh, with the tree?

00:42:03.859 --> 00:42:04.219
 This.

00:42:04.420 --> 00:42:09.059
 Now on your, on your table, on your chair, or, uh, and actually there's, there's piles around.

00:42:09.179 --> 00:42:10.539
 Can we make sure we all have one of this?

00:42:10.539 --> 00:42:17.619
 I want us to finish off with this simple activity and we usually, we respond through song, but today we're going to respond through paper and writing.

00:42:17.820 --> 00:42:19.900
 There are pens coming around, uh, I think.

00:42:20.279 --> 00:42:21.259
 Are the pens coming around?

00:42:21.300 --> 00:42:21.940
 Oh, perfect.

00:42:22.420 --> 00:42:23.199
 So organized.

00:42:23.340 --> 00:42:23.579
 Steven.

00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:26.320
 I want you to have a think.

00:42:27.500 --> 00:42:31.679
 Because we, as we talk about being family, put your hand up if you need a pen.

00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:31.679


00:42:40.539 --> 00:43:05.639
 Just as a small plug, the, the ministry that myself and a few others are part of is called Young Life.

00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:07.779
 Uh, and it is all about relationship.

00:43:07.780 --> 00:43:12.060
 It's all about pouring into the next generation through connection and relationship.

00:43:12.180 --> 00:43:12.800
 That's what we do.

00:43:13.380 --> 00:43:19.900
 Uh, and one of the things is, and Gabs will know this well because he was part of the training in all of this, was we all have a tree.

00:43:20.180 --> 00:43:25.340
 Which really matches with the family analogy there is that we have a family tree.

00:43:25.980 --> 00:43:26.300
 You.

00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:28.340
 You sat where you are.

00:43:28.780 --> 00:43:30.300
 You have your own tree.

00:43:31.220 --> 00:43:32.860
 Now, I know that our trees are not complete.

00:43:32.920 --> 00:43:34.240
 I don't think mine is completely filled.

00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:39.379
 But the idea is that there are people who have been walking in your life.

00:43:41.119 --> 00:43:42.579
 And to get you to where you're at.

00:43:42.699 --> 00:43:44.659
 And there are people that you should be walking to.

00:43:44.939 --> 00:43:47.000
 So this tree here, I'm going to walk us through it.

00:43:47.059 --> 00:43:48.199
 This is our response today.

00:43:48.559 --> 00:43:50.979
 But let me just say again, you don't have to share this with anyone.

00:43:51.099 --> 00:43:52.119
 But I do want you to fill it in.

00:43:52.399 --> 00:43:52.599
 Okay?

00:43:52.939 --> 00:43:54.139
 You don't have to share this with anyone.

00:43:54.139 --> 00:44:02.460
 But you do have to fill it in because I think it's a really helpful, intentional exercise for us to think and take an audit of, wait, who do we even have in our lives?

00:44:03.359 --> 00:44:07.400
 And actually, who do I need to go to and say, hey, again, no fear here.

00:44:08.819 --> 00:44:09.779
 You're part of my three.

00:44:10.480 --> 00:44:11.339
 You're one of my three.

00:44:11.940 --> 00:44:16.400
 You don't have to worry whether that person will go back to you and say, oh, uh, thanks.

00:44:16.400 --> 00:44:18.700
 It's kind of like, I love you.

00:44:18.740 --> 00:44:19.840
 Oh, thank you.

00:44:22.440 --> 00:44:23.840
 We can all have different threes.

00:44:24.200 --> 00:44:25.280
 It all looks different.

00:44:25.700 --> 00:44:26.660
 And it's completely okay.

00:44:27.000 --> 00:44:27.240
 Okay?

00:44:27.760 --> 00:44:34.740
 But what this may hopefully lead to is actually you go to someone and go, I know that we love hanging out.

00:44:34.840 --> 00:44:35.740
 We love doing all these things together.

00:44:35.860 --> 00:44:37.680
 But can I ask you to be one of my three?

00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:39.200
 Because I need help.

00:44:39.500 --> 00:44:39.940
 I want to go.

00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:41.240
 I don't want to just go somewhere fast.

00:44:41.280 --> 00:44:42.119
 I want to go somewhere far.

00:44:42.460 --> 00:44:44.340
 So let me show you this.

00:44:44.340 --> 00:44:46.460
 So what is here is I would put my name here.

00:44:46.500 --> 00:44:47.620
 So you can put your name here.

00:44:48.180 --> 00:44:48.420
 Okay?

00:44:48.519 --> 00:44:49.059
 Right in the middle.

00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:50.400
 James.

00:44:51.420 --> 00:44:52.140
 Don't put James.

00:44:52.519 --> 00:44:53.940
 Put whatever name your name is.

00:44:58.460 --> 00:44:58.660
 Okay?

00:45:03.140 --> 00:45:11.200
 From there, I have three people that have walked with me in some way, in some form in my life.

00:45:11.579 --> 00:45:12.780
 Now, I can go either way here.

00:45:12.780 --> 00:45:13.840
 I can go past.

00:45:14.260 --> 00:45:15.340
 I can go since childhood.

00:45:15.900 --> 00:45:17.380
 And I'll have Nelson, who is my dad.

00:45:18.579 --> 00:45:20.260
 I'll have Bert, who is my youth pastor.

00:45:20.579 --> 00:45:23.500
 And I'll have Y, who is kind of the youth leader at the time.

00:45:24.240 --> 00:45:24.380
 Okay?

00:45:24.660 --> 00:45:28.200
 But then I also have mentors now, three people that I could put in.

00:45:28.660 --> 00:45:31.740
 But it's probably more accurate to put in the, well, whichever way you go.

00:45:31.800 --> 00:45:32.440
 It really doesn't matter.

00:45:32.820 --> 00:45:35.180
 So just the three people who have poured into you.

00:45:35.220 --> 00:45:36.700
 Because every tree needs two things.

00:45:36.780 --> 00:45:38.460
 It needs roots and branches.

00:45:38.760 --> 00:45:39.579
 I'll talk about branches later.

00:45:40.280 --> 00:45:41.000
 Who were your roots?

00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:43.460
 How did you get to where you're at now?

00:45:43.579 --> 00:45:46.039
 Who was the one who was really spiritually walking with you?

00:45:46.320 --> 00:45:47.320
 Or who is now?

00:45:47.420 --> 00:45:48.480
 Maybe that's the most helpful.

00:45:49.340 --> 00:45:51.119
 Wouldn't be too helpful for my or three.

00:45:51.119 --> 00:45:53.119
 So here we have three here.

00:45:54.099 --> 00:45:55.000
 Can you think of them now?

00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:57.900
 If you can't, do not worry.

00:45:58.659 --> 00:45:59.559
 Don't make it up.

00:46:00.299 --> 00:46:01.579
 Don't just write a name in.

00:46:01.579 --> 00:46:02.259
 Okay?

00:46:02.260 --> 00:46:31.240
 If you have real people,

00:46:31.239 --> 00:46:37.619
 great i'm happy for you if you don't you can also think well actually i don't have anyone

00:46:37.619 --> 00:46:44.319
 actively walking but maybe one of them could be timothy keller that that's that's okay tim

00:46:44.319 --> 00:46:50.199
 keller would often say that actually c.s lewis martin lloyd jones were his mentors and that's

00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:55.839
 okay but i would encourage you not to have all three people who are just like in the distance

00:46:55.840 --> 00:47:01.960
 you need people who actually know you too okay but i'd say one is is okay for that have a think

00:47:01.960 --> 00:47:08.220
 who that could be and if you don't have anyone find someone the goal is the goal is i hope that

00:47:08.220 --> 00:47:14.200
 you can find someone in this gathering that's the goal because we are a true the expression of a

00:47:14.200 --> 00:47:18.140
 church is a close-knit community as a family where you'll have older brothers and sisters

00:47:18.140 --> 00:47:24.900
 spiritual fathers and mothers and kids that's the whole point okay now then you will have now if i

00:47:24.900 --> 00:47:28.820
 ask young life staff i'll be like who's your three who are the three people that you're pouring into

00:47:28.820 --> 00:47:38.220
 okay if this was paul he would put titus timothy mark and all the other millions of people that he

00:47:38.220 --> 00:47:43.900
 silas all the other people that he would put there the three key people that he has walked with okay

00:47:43.900 --> 00:47:50.500
 michael jordan would put kobe bryant right uh who else would that be there'll be an example

00:47:50.500 --> 00:48:00.199
 i don't know anyway just the three people jesus would put peter james john okay

00:48:00.199 --> 00:48:08.119
 the goal then therefore and this is the true sign of whether you're actually making a disciple or not

00:48:08.119 --> 00:48:15.940
 whether your tree is alive and your family life is vibrant is if these three then start making

00:48:15.940 --> 00:48:21.380
 disciples of their own so there are other mentor mentees that are kind of growing out of this tree

00:48:21.380 --> 00:48:23.280
 so that's the idea

00:48:23.280 --> 00:48:28.860
 have a think have a right if you're in one of our midweek groups

00:48:28.860 --> 00:48:34.480
 i encourage you guys to talk about this this week yeah i don't think you have to have all of your

00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:39.240
 people in your one midweek group but i also think it's really helpful to have it as part of the same

00:48:39.240 --> 00:48:43.860
 people of the church that you're going to i think one thing i've noticed in hong kong that is very

00:48:43.860 --> 00:48:47.380
 different to leicester and burmio where i grew up where there's only one or two chinese churches and

00:48:47.380 --> 00:48:55.220
 that was it was that i i meet people who are spread all across the city having people their tree is filled

00:48:55.220 --> 00:49:02.500
 with people from every different church i would not recommend that as much because if you're actually

00:49:02.500 --> 00:49:08.160
 walking with these people that these are this is your family that it's so much nicer to have it all in

00:49:08.160 --> 00:49:13.320
 the same place okay so let's not dabble and say oh i i go to this place to get my worship on i go to

00:49:13.320 --> 00:49:16.860
 this place to get the teaching i go to this place to get my small group i go to this place to get my

00:49:16.860 --> 00:49:24.580
 like wouldn't it be nice if we're a gathering that we are all just the same same place that's the idea

00:49:24.580 --> 00:49:28.620
 of course there are people that hong kong is such a small close city that there are going to be people

00:49:28.620 --> 00:49:31.539
 who are going to different churches but just on the whole okay

00:49:31.539 --> 00:49:43.300
 final word about this these branches here and this will lead into our next two weeks when we're

00:49:43.300 --> 00:49:49.360
 talking about mission statement three we started with me last week today is we the next two weeks

00:49:49.360 --> 00:49:54.759
 is they because we don't just gather for the sake of gathering to stay in the same place we gather to

00:49:54.760 --> 00:50:02.840
 then what scatter gather to scatter andy stanley said this quote that i actually really like he says

00:50:02.840 --> 00:50:12.660
 church is a family expecting guests church is a family expecting guests i might actually hijack

00:50:12.660 --> 00:50:16.740
 that and turn that into maybe one of our key statements as we're trying to simplify things

00:50:16.740 --> 00:50:21.320
 isn't that what we are we are people who are committed to being family but we are also actively

00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:26.300
 reaching out and inviting guests to come and we're welcoming them in and we're expecting them to

00:50:26.300 --> 00:50:33.640
 come in and ultimately expecting the main guest the host to come back as well jesus church is a family

00:50:33.640 --> 00:50:39.360
 that is expecting guests so these branches if you're just stuck here people have poured into you but

00:50:39.360 --> 00:50:43.900
 you're not pouring into anything else then your tree there's no fruit then you're just stuck here

00:50:43.900 --> 00:50:50.140
 then actually there's there's not really much use here john the baptist says bear fruits in keeping

00:50:50.139 --> 00:50:54.739
 with repentance if you have a heart where you are just filled by the gospel and just the holy spirit

00:50:54.739 --> 00:51:00.940
 you can't help but do these things you should have a tree because only when you actually i'll tell you

00:51:00.940 --> 00:51:06.099
 this and i've said this before my spiritual faith only kicked off when i poured into my first one

00:51:06.099 --> 00:51:14.900
 my first one here was a guy called kenneth chong chong i i i was 18 and he was 17 and i poured into him

00:51:14.900 --> 00:51:21.440
 that kicked off my spiritual journey why because so often i'll be like man i gotta do this because

00:51:21.440 --> 00:51:25.460
 i gotta show kenneth how to do it if i don't do it then i just know i have no business telling him

00:51:25.460 --> 00:51:31.160
 and that was the kind of journey that i was on so if your tree if you found your tree has stopped here

00:51:31.160 --> 00:51:35.039
 then there's a problem then let's figure it out let's figure it out together

00:51:35.039 --> 00:51:41.280
 and the hope is your tree you'll have your three and just like jesus the three and then they'll keep

00:51:41.280 --> 00:51:45.380
 growing and what have we suddenly got here now we've got us living out of the great commission

00:51:45.380 --> 00:51:51.800
 go make disciples of all nations teach them what i've commanded you and to baptize them in the name

00:51:51.800 --> 00:51:58.580
 of the father and son the holy spirit to be part of a family i want us to leave here with the mindset

00:51:58.580 --> 00:52:04.900
 of thinking okay i don't have my three i need to figure out my three we're going to keep putting this

00:52:04.900 --> 00:52:10.820
 up and if you're like oh i'm just dabbling i'm just visiting great we welcome you uh but i hope you

00:52:10.820 --> 00:52:16.380
 find your church where you can settle down too if you are here this is what we're trying to do

00:52:16.380 --> 00:52:23.220
 this is why i'm fully prepared that this gathering might not get too big because those of us who have

00:52:23.220 --> 00:52:27.000
 been part of bigger bigger things we know that this gets harder and harder as you get bigger and bigger

00:52:27.000 --> 00:52:32.120
 because suddenly you you don't get to know the people that you need to walk with and then it

00:52:32.120 --> 00:52:36.640
 becomes like we're all coming to the same place to watch a youtube sermon and that's not what we want

00:52:36.639 --> 00:52:44.839
 our hope is that we come to the gathering we gather because our people are here our brothers

00:52:44.839 --> 00:52:50.859
 sisters fathers mothers are all here and we're all part of a family all part of a tree all because

00:52:50.859 --> 00:52:56.400
 not because of a shared interest on what we do on a sunday morning but because 2 000 years ago

00:52:56.400 --> 00:53:04.460
 someone died for us and because of that we no longer have a spirit of fear and slavery but one

00:53:04.460 --> 00:53:10.220
 of adoption as sons where we cry out abba father we are now children of god co-heirs with christ

00:53:10.220 --> 00:53:18.000
 let us live as a family because of that reason the love of christ compels us commands us

00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:20.739
 to do that can i pray for us

00:53:20.739 --> 00:53:39.460
 as we hold these pieces of paper in our hands lord as we

00:53:39.460 --> 00:53:44.280
 fold them up and put them in our pockets may they also really

00:53:44.280 --> 00:53:53.519
 dwell in our hearts today holy spirit would you show us who you want us to walk with would you show

00:53:53.519 --> 00:53:53.880
 us

00:53:53.880 --> 00:54:01.620
 who you want us to be more intentional with who are free three are but lord we also just pray

00:54:01.620 --> 00:54:08.240
 through your spirit that we would just learn how to be a family together

00:54:08.239 --> 00:54:15.559
 we all come from very different places with very different varying degrees of brokenness in our

00:54:15.559 --> 00:54:15.899
 family

00:54:15.899 --> 00:54:24.659
 the lord we ask that your grace and mercy will fill this place

00:54:24.659 --> 00:54:29.439
 that the banner hanging over us is love

00:54:29.439 --> 00:54:32.239
 because of what you did for us

00:54:32.239 --> 00:54:34.939
 help us to walk intentionally with each other

00:54:34.940 --> 00:54:39.760
 help us to not be afraid not to be afraid of rejection or awkwardness

00:54:39.760 --> 00:54:42.840
 but if our goal is to know and enjoy you

00:54:42.840 --> 00:54:45.400
 we press on toward that goal

00:54:45.400 --> 00:54:48.220
 let nothing stop us

00:54:48.220 --> 00:54:51.280
 and bring us people alongside us

00:54:51.280 --> 00:54:54.139
 we thank you lord

00:54:54.139 --> 00:54:57.139
 in your name we pray

00:54:57.139 --> 00:54:58.900
 amen

00:54:58.900 --> 00:55:05.300
 there's a another cheesy quote that came to mind is that as we figure out what this family is

00:55:05.300 --> 00:55:05.800
 you

00:55:05.800 --> 00:55:06.800
 you

00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800


00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:06.800