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December 2, 2024 57 mins

What if finding peace amidst chaos is as simple as embracing faith? Journey with us on the First Love Church Podcast as we recount a transformative vacation experience in Arizona that taught us to find serenity in God's unwavering presence. Through personal stories and reflections on the beloved hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness," we explore how unity and community worship can bolster our faith, turning life's disappointments into opportunities to witness divine grace. 

We also reflect on living a Christ-like life, where patience and love are paramount. Drawing from 24 years of spiritual service, we share how embodying Jesus' teachings can inspire and uplift those around us, fostering a non-judgmental approach to life. Listen in as we examine the nuances between fleeting happiness and enduring joy, and delve into the miraculous power of gratitude to shift mindsets and perspectives, even during challenging times.

Join our conversation about the profound impact of choosing love over fear and good over evil. We share stories of becoming more attuned to the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives and emphasize the importance of maintaining a prayerful connection to the divine. With gratitude as our guide, discover how simple acts of kindness can transform lives and how every moment can be a sacred opportunity for growth and renewal. Embrace love, gratitude, and kindness as transformative forces in your life and witness how they enrich your everyday experiences.

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This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving

In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the First Love Church Podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala,
Florida.
We're grateful for yourpresence here today in the.
Holy in this moment, and Iremind you of this truth that
God is already present with us.

(00:21):
In fact, the scripture affirmsto us that anywhere that two or
three people are gatheredtogether in the name of God, in
the name of love, their Jesus ispresent with them.
And so this morning we honorthe presence of the Christ with
us, and the Christ in us greetsthe Christ in you, and the light

(00:41):
that you brought this morningis brighter because you're here
with us, and I'm grateful.
We just finished singing a hymncalled Great is Thy Faithfulness
, and I hope that this week youhave time to go out in nature
and allow that song to come upin you and remind you of great
is God's faithfulness.

(01:02):
But one of the things that wedo together is we testify, that
we remember that we witnesstogether and say in the middle
of heartbreak there is a peacefor us.
In the middle of disappointment, there is hope for us.
In the middle of goodness,there is a joy that can be found
In the middle of rejoicing.

(01:24):
There is strength that can befound in the middle of rejoicing
.
There is strength that can befound.
So, no matter where you findyourself this morning and what
your week has been like, you arewelcomed in the presence of God
.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
You are welcomed in the presence of life you know,
heather and I were on vacation acouple weeks ago and we were
out in Arizona, in the desertthere.
And, uh, and I were on vacationa couple weeks ago and we were
out in Arizona in the desertthere, and we were just having
such a beautiful, you know,couple weeks, her and I and
Silas, and just you know, reallyfeeling like the love and the
presence of God was just goingwith us every day and we're just

(01:56):
kind of flowing in this thingand it's just a better, peaceful
place to be in, just this bliss, you know.
So we drive a couple, threehours over to Monument Valley
and we get there and the littleskinny guy at the guard gate
goes we're closed.
And we're like what do you mean?
You're closed, it's 3 in theafternoon.
Well, the thing closes at 5.30,and we just want to make sure

(02:18):
everybody's out.
So it's closed.
And I got to tell you like mypeace began to seep right out
the window and I wanted tostrangle this little fella.
You know, if you're going toannounce that a place closes at
5, but it really closes at 3,that's information we could have
used yesterday, you know,before we drove across you know,

(02:38):
three hours of driving.
You know, and I just rememberfeeling at that moment that I
had a choice that I could stayin the peace we had or sell it
and trade it for a good chokingout.
You know, and, and and.
Just know that that nothing'sworth your peace, you know.

(03:01):
But I thought to myself eveneven in this moment God, you
must have another way, becausewe've been following in you, in
your path.
So when we follow in your path,everything goes perfect, right?
No, it doesn't.
You still miss Monument Valley.
You know still things that werein your plan and your will
don't happen.

(03:21):
But there's a way to stay inthat peace, even though it
doesn't go your way.
And I think that that's wherewe miss it.
We think being in God's gracemeans everything's gonna go your
way, and it turns out that evenwhen it doesn't go your way, we
still can surrender to God andhave his peace in the middle of

(03:42):
it.
So we just backed up out of thatline and and drove back around
and I thought, well, thosemonuments are giant mountains,
so I don't think they can hidethem from us.
So we just started driving onback roads around and looking
around and we and we had our ownvacation that was, uh, outside

(04:07):
of the control of the world'sconstant plan to provoke and
anger you.
It feels that way, doesn't it?
That there's a system in placeand it just tends to agitate and
take you out.
But we don't have to leave that, that place.
But but I learned, I think, themost important lesson there, and

(04:28):
it is that not that when you'rein god, everything goes your
way, but in god, when it doesn'tgo your way, it's still all
right, and and uh, and sometimesour wills need to be usurped so
that God's plan can happen,amen.
And so I can just remember, youknow, that moment, because

(04:52):
there are other things that havehappened since then and they're
not exactly the way that I wantthem to happen, and I can get
focused on that loss or thatsadness, or that word that was
said or that mistake that wasmade, or I can trust God that he
is going to make a wonderfulvacation out of out of failed

(05:15):
plans that I have.
Amen.
Does that help anybody?

Speaker 1 (05:20):
this morning we sang great is thy faithfulness, and
that there is a beauty insinging that when you are alone.
But there is something powerfulwhen voices join together and
declare Great is God'sfaithfulness, reminding us that
even in mornings when it'sdifficult, great is thy
faithfulness.
Just this past week we werewith someone and they were

(05:41):
rejoicing and somebody next tothem said God is good, god is
good, god is good.
And while I agree with that, itdid little to encourage me and
I will tell you the time that Iwas encouraged most by someone
who said God is good.
It was a mother who had a dyingbaby and, as she knew this baby
was passing, she kept sayingGod is good, god is good.

(06:04):
And then she said to me saywith me and I was really having
a hard time with that God isgood.
And she looked at me and said Ineed you to say it with me
because tomorrow I will notbelieve it, and I need you to
know it so that you can speakthat back to me, beloved, when
in our sorrow, when in ourheartbreak, when in our extreme
disappointment, we can say Godis good and we can look and say

(06:27):
this may not have been the planor the path that I choose, but I
can trust that God has good forme, that he has good for the
whole world, that he has goodfor each one of us and that
there is abundance in everything.
Let me testify to you thismorning no matter where you are,
there is goodness in the loveof God.
There is mercy that meets youin your disappointment.

(06:50):
There is mercy that meets youin your heartbreak and when
things do not work out the waythat you thought or knew that
they were going to, god is good.
Plans are failing.
We live in a world that is fullof pain and heartbreak, and
that's why the presence of Jesusis so important.
That is why our connection tothe Holy Spirit, to the

(07:13):
comforter, to the anointing, tothe one who can break yokes and
destroy burdens, there is hopefor us this morning.
As we gather, as we gather infaith, as we gather together in
hope and as we gather in love inthe way of christ.
There is for us this morning apeace that passes all

(07:36):
understanding.
You don't have to figure it outin your brain, but you can
sense it.
And this morning I'm asking theholy spirit that the eyes of
your heart would be opened, thatyour inner spirit would be able
to hear the words of Christ,the words of love, the words of
God, and that you would remember.
Yes, there is a new mercy thismorning.

(07:57):
Yes, there is hope, yes, thereis a love and a kingdom of God
that is here, so close, like toour next breath.
This morning, we read fromThessalonians, and it's my joy.
I think some of the joy thatI'm experiencing this morning is
because of the hope that Adventis coming and it's coming.

(08:20):
It's just a few weeks away, sobe anticipatory.
And there's only four weeks ofAdvent.
So I would encourage you, don'tmiss any of them, because
there's only four of them.
Like, get the whole set, getall of the Advent you can get.
Actually, there's only fourSundays, but there's these
incredible time before Christmasthat we remember, and one of
the things that Advent does forus is allows us to see in the

(08:44):
dark.
Things that Advent does for usis allows us to see in the dark.
Sometimes, the things thatscare us the most are when we
can't figure it out, when wecan't see, when we don't know
how to step because it's darkand I don't know if I'm going to
step off the edge of a cliff orif I'm going to jam my foot
into the corner of a wall.
You know that apprehension thatcomes from not being able to
see, and one of the things thatAdvent does is teaches us to

(09:08):
find the light even in the dark,and so I am excited this
morning.
The path toward Advent isThanksgiving, and I'm sure that
you're already making plans foryour Thanksgiving feast, for
your Thanksgiving table, which,here in the United States, is
like one day where we say this,and I want to just remind you

(09:29):
that this is a lifestyle Forthose who follow the way of
Jesus.
Giving thanks is something thatwe do all the time, or at least
should be a practice that wehave all the time that in the
giving of thanks we can findpeace.
In the giving of thanks, we cansee light.
In the giving of thanks, we areaware of our connection with

(09:54):
God, our connection with loveand our collection with each
other.
Dear brothers and sisters,please listen to the family
language that the apostle writeshere.
Honor those who are yourleaders in the lord's work, the
hard work among you, and giveyou spiritual guidance you know
I want to take a moment here.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
We don't a lot of times here in the church talk
about finances.
I think that we have beenhanded a church history and a
pattern that in some cases haveabused it, and so as a response
to that, we try to just trustGod, like you trust God in your

(10:35):
resources.
But it is important for us tosay that Scripture does instruct
us in just common sense, as ifyou're part of any kind of a
group or club.
It needs financing.
You know, when you go to thatrestaurant, they're not doing it
as charity, you know.
So you need to.
You know, pay for your meal andand and even leave a tip if you
appreciate it.

(10:56):
You know, and and and I thinkthat sometimes we forget as a
church you're like well, they'rebelieving god, so believe god
for your own money.
But the way that comes is thatwe all kind of connect, and so
if you do get spiritual feeding,whether online or here, from
Heather and I and from thischurch, we would ask that you
partner with us in some fashion.
You know, decide that if youwant to tithe or or just, you

(11:18):
know, give a certain amount ofearmark $20 a week, a hundred
dollars a week or whatever.
But but what would help us alot is just that fateful
consistency, because you know,just like you know, we have to,
at the end of the day, make surethe place is clean, we have to
make sure that the power bill ispaid, you know, and the

(11:39):
insurance, and it's quiteexpensive for those things, and
Heather and I are going tocontinue to do this with our
family as long as we can.
But if you've benefited from usand if you think other people
benefit from us, then I'd askyou to consider to be a part of
faithful giving towards theministry, because you know, it's

(12:01):
kind of one of those thingsthat that you, you can kind of
support us, and I think thatwe've proven we've been doing
this for a while and we ain'tquitting anytime soon that we're
going to be doing this, and soyou can just say, hey, there's a
way we can help Dennis andHeather do the ministry that
they're called to and help maybetake some of that burden off of
them by by being faithful withyour giving.

(12:25):
And so online people enjoy thisand we want you to be able to
receive it as a free resource.
But if you're convicted thatyou want to help support us,
we'd ask you to go to our givingsection, firstlovechurchorg, or
go there, or you can always dothis crazy thing called just
writing a check and putting itin the mail to 2529 North

(12:46):
Magnolia in Ocala, florida, orhere as you walk by those
offering boxes, if you wouldjust maybe allow yourself to,
and thank you for those that areconsistent and faithful and
have been throughout the years.
But we ask others to join us sothat we can do what it is that
God's called us to do.

Speaker 1 (13:03):
Amen.
This is the first Sunday here,the 10th, that we're together,
and 24 years ago, in November,we had our first service.
And so today we say great isGod's faithfulness.
For 24 years we have beengiving food to our neighbors.

(13:24):
For 24 years we have beentrying to follow in the
footsteps of our Rabbi, jesus,in the footsteps of going.
If Jesus shows us what it islike to be fully human and to be
fully integrated and embodiedinto love, then what does the
way of Jesus look like?
Sometimes it's important tomark specific times and say can

(13:45):
we look back and say thefaithfulness of God is like?
Sometimes it's important tomark specific times and say can
we look back and say thefaithfulness of God is true, yes
, and that is what gives us hopefor the future.
Show them respect andwholehearted love because of
their work and live peaceablywith each other.
Live peaceably with each other,peacefully with each other.
Live at peace with each other,peacefully with each other.
Live at peace with each other.

(14:06):
That's your job.
You live at peace with yourneighbor.
You hold on to peace.
You are the person who is incharge of your peace, and do
this with each other.
Brothers and sisters, we urgeyou to warn those who are lazy,
before any of the mothers haveany kind of amen.
Let the word of Christ build inyou and convict you.

(14:30):
The Holy Spirit is theconvictor, but here it is.
Urge you to warn those who arelazy.
I'm not sure what the warningwould be.
Perhaps the warning would beyou will miss out on some of the
beauty that is all around you.
Perhaps the warning would bethere is so much more that can
be mined from the goodness andfrom the abundance of God.

(14:51):
Take tender care of those whoare weak and be patient with
everyone.
Be patient.
I remind you of anotherscripture, in 1 Corinthians,
chapter 13,.
Love is patience.
Patience is a mark of someonewho knows love.

(15:11):
Hurry and love have absolutelyno place together.
Hurry says I need to get out ofthis present moment and I need
to get somewhere that doesn'teven exist and this present
moment beloved.
The grace is here, mercy ishere, truth is here, staying in
the present.
But be patient with everyone.

(15:31):
This means be patient withpeople who oppose you.
This means be patient withpeople who don't believe you or
agree with you.
This means be patient witheveryone.
See that no one pays back evilfor evil, but always try to do
good to each other and to allpeople Beloved.
This is what it means to followJesus that we would try to do

(15:55):
good for each other and to allpeople.
And it is a practice Do good tothe people that are right in
front of you first, but in thatgood to the people right in
front of you, I mean your rightin front of you might be the
person that you see in themirror.
How do you think good thoughtsabout the person that has your
face and your life and is madein the image of God?

(16:20):
Right, always try to do good toeach other and to all people.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
You know, I think that way that you kind of can
urge those people that are lazyis really by doing the thing
that's right.
I remember, you know, my dadtold me to cut the grass and I
slept late and I heard my dadhad worked the 3 to 11 shift and
then.
So he just got a couple hourssleep and then he was mowing the

(16:46):
grass and he was got to go backfor another three to eleven
shift while I was sleeping inbed and and as much as I wanted
to sleep in bed, I could climbdown that bed.
I took the more from it, youknow, because the my my laziness
was convicted, not by himyelling at me standing over my
my bed, you lazy, so-and-so, butby him just doing what needed

(17:08):
to be done.
And I think that, for you and I,taking care of those that have
need and loving these peoplelike Christ's love, is what
we're called to and that calling, I think sometimes it can be
maybe a little bit difficult towrap our mind around, because we

(17:33):
look at Jesus as the Son of God.
So he's got a special set ofgifts and a strength that you
and I could not possibly have,but yet Scripture kind of talks
about him as the firstborn ofmany brethren, and that's the
first.

(17:53):
But there's you and I, and so Ithink that if you could kind of
look at Jesus instead ofstanding in this unique place,
that maybe we begin to say, well, how can I become christ-like?
And that is the offer, thatjesus is really the prototype of
how god wants us to live.
I was thinking about that,meditating on that, and no

(18:15):
disrespect to christ at all, youknow, but to understand that's
what god is offering, that thathis transforming love and his
way to rise above a situation isa prototype for how to live.
We have been living another way, but this is the invitation,
and so that invitation isn't tostand around and beat people
over the head with the Bible,but to live in a way that causes

(18:37):
them to want to get out of bedand help mow.
Do you see what I'm saying?
And that there's something thatis empowering in us that will
enable us to see people for whothey really are, and not, maybe,
the offense of how they've hurtyou or others, but to really be
able to love and serve thosepeople that are desperate for

(19:05):
someone to show them, to servethem in a way that would show
them light.

Speaker 1 (19:10):
Let's go back to that , verse 15.
See that no one pays back evilfor evil.
Paying back evil for evil issomething that you can do
without training.
You can watch a baby hitsomeone and they hit you right
back.
No one trained that, that justhappened.
So when you see people exactingtheir own vengeance, that is
not the spirit of God, that isnot the spirit of love.

(19:32):
Don't be a part of that.
Do not engage in paying backevil for evil.
In fact, the scripture says itis good that overcomes evil, it
is wholeness that overcomes thatbrokenness.
But always try to do good toeach other and to all people.
Always be joyful.

(19:53):
This one also feels difficultsometimes.
Joyful and happy are verydifferent.
I just want to remind you aboutthat.
Happy often depends oncircumstances, and joyful is a
settled knowing that there is adeeper story that is being told,
there is a greater truth thatis being revealed, and you can
have joy and sorrow at the exactsame time.

(20:16):
You can be fully engrossed andin the throes of grief and also
have a deep, confident, joyfulspirit.
Beloved, death does not have thefinal word.
Darkness does not win, eventhough it looks like it may.
This is not the end.

(20:37):
Beloved, there is more.
Always be joyful.
Joy is something, just likepeace you choose to hold onto.
You choose to hold onto joy.
It is a miracle, a miracle,miracle.
Miracle that any one of us isactually here.
If you went back and spent anytime thinking about the fact
that certain people had to cometogether in a very scientific

(21:00):
type of way and that, over andover again, these patterns had
to be repeated and the world wasright, and that, over and over
again, these patterns had to berepeated and the world was right
, and that you are here rightnow, you are a miracle the fact
that you opened your eyes thismorning and that you breathed
with your lungs and you gotyourself here.
Beloved, you didn't earn any ofthat.
It is a grace and we thank youfor sharing with us this morning

(21:24):
.
Always be joyful.
Find yourself and anchoryourself in that belovedness, in
the joy that tells you.
This is not the whole truth,this is not the final story,
this is not the way it ends.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
What do you think it means by always in here?
Do you think this is likesomething confusing?
Are we being tricked here?
Or does always mean always?
And there's just times whenyou're at Disney with your
daughter and it's just easy tobe joyful, that's just fun,

(22:00):
you're on a ride and it justmakes you smile, you're like I
can't wipe this off my face.
And then there's times where itis an absolute choice and and
uh, you know in scriptures,reminding us that this is the
way followers of christ live,that we choose, and there's such
a temptation.
Something happened to me theother day and it was just, it
was really a bummer and and Iwas looking it and it was really

(22:23):
like, okay, we're preachingthis this week.
This is real.
I choose, you know, to bejoyful.
And then somebody is set up ina situation where they asked me
where I could have.
They were like, welcoming me toshare, and I so wanted to tell
my story about what had happenedto me.
But I know what happens withthat.

(22:45):
I tell that story, that heavy,heavy story, and it brings you
and I want you to agree with mymisery, and there's some.
We get something from that, weget satisfaction from that and
and there's a reason why,pattern after pattern, we do
that all the time there'ssomething that you get from it
and it is a soulish satisfactionand it's something.

(23:08):
But God is saying, if you'll goup higher here and choose this,
it has a better result, abetter fruit, it's a better
existence.
To choose gratitude, to choosejoyfulness, to choose that kind
of energy, that kind of life,that kind of light from God,

(23:31):
because that down there you knowwhere that leads you.
Then you try to top one anotheron how negative things are and
pretty soon all you've done isrehearse the negative so much
that you see nothing but that.
Or practicing that joy-filledlife helps.
You see that wait a minute, myvery existence.

(23:54):
Someone said something to me andit's absolutely ruined my life
as a Floridian, because I haveenjoyed rejoicing on how
miserably hot our summer is,enjoyed rejoicing on how
miserably hot our summer is.
And then someone said to me doyou realize that our planet is

(24:16):
so close to the sun that itwarms us and we don't freeze to
death, and that if that were outof whack at all, and the way
that that goes around, and eventhe fact that the moon is
exactly where it is that keepsour planet in position in such a
way that it doesn't spin out ofcontrol and cause violent
storms and destroy us all.
And so you really are beingwarmed by a star.

(24:38):
There's a, you know I mean,this is just celestial in what's
going on here and we're going.
It's stinking hot.
You get to go outside and youdon't get consumed by a nuclear
explosion that's in the sky outthere.
Instead, it causes everythingaround you to live and grow.

(25:01):
It is a perspective church.
It's stinking hot.
It is a perspective church.
It's stinking hot.
Oh my God, thank you for thewarmth that causes these
photosynthesis and all thisstuff, and now all this living
life is here.
Oh my God, I am so joyful thatI am alive, stinking hot.

Speaker 1 (25:24):
I think this is where this particular command is
right, there in the middle ofthat Never stop praying.
Don't give up on praying Tothose of you who are
brokenhearted.
Don't give up on praying Tothose of you who are fully at
peace with everything around you.
Don't give up on praying Inevery circumstance.

(25:46):
Prayer, that connection to thesource, the connection to the
love that is real and the lovethat is eternal, beloved, that
is prayer, and I want toencourage you to be a people of
prayer.
In fact, jesus said this myfather's house will be a house
of prayer.
If there is not prayer in thehouse of God or in other places,

(26:06):
there is a loss of connectionto the presence.
And prayer isn't us begging Godto do anything or to be
anything.
Prayer is us remembering we arenot alone, that there is a
loving, eternal parent who seesgood for us, who has good for us
.
Always pray, pray in allcircumstances, under every

(26:31):
condition.
Never stop praying.
And I believe, beloved, thatpraying has many forms.
Sometimes your tears areprayers enough.
Sometimes it is the prayer ofthe ancients and the mystics
that lead us further into thespirit, and sometimes it is
silence that is the prayer ofthe ancients and the mystics
that lead us further into thespirit, and sometimes it is
silence that is a prayer, andsometimes it is in the bending

(26:54):
and in the embodied of our form,in kneeling beside a bed, a
chair, an altar, and reverencingthe fact that the eternal and
the sacred is with us.
These are all prayers.
Giving generosity is also aprayer.
Trusting in the God who is fullof abundance and has given you

(27:18):
every good thing, it is a prayer.
It is a prayer that abundancewould be everywhere and that
scarcity and lack would notcontrol us.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in allcircumstances, for this is God's
will for you who belong toChrist Jesus.
We pause here for a moment tothank you for joining us today.

(27:42):
If you're finding this episodemeaningful, would you take a
moment to share it with a friend?
This podcast is made possiblethanks to the generosity of
people just like you.
If you would like to supportthe ongoing work of First Love
Church and the continued work ofour podcast, visit us online at
firstlovechurchorg, remindingyou to like, follow and

(28:05):
subscribe.
If you were one of my childrenin the house, you would have
heard me say this about amillion, jillion times.
I learned it in a King JamesVersion, so it doesn't sound
exactly like this.
This is, gentler, I think Ilearned in everything give
thanks, for this is the will ofGod in Christ Jesus concerning
you.
In everything give thanks, andI like to use that verse when

(28:25):
somebody has a long list ofcomplaints this happened, and
then he did this, and then hesaid that, and then he took this
, and then this happened.
And in everything, give thanks.
Now I want to tell you something.
It does not say for everythinggive thanks, and that's a
difference.
You cannot be thankful for thehorror that has been inflicted
on you.
That is not what God has askedof us.
But in that circumstance, isthere anything you can see that

(28:49):
you could give thanks for?
Sometimes, the thanksgivingthat you can give is I thank you
that this is not forever.
I thank you that this is nothow it always will be.
I thank you that this is notthe end of my story.
But the choice is this is thehope, this is the practice.
Find a way to find joy, to bethankful and to be in prayer and

(29:12):
beloved.
This is the path, this is theway.
For those of you who areyounger, if you were a
Mandalorian, this is the way andthere has been for all kinds of
people, the story that tells uswhat is the way that we should
walk.
In fact, the disciples saidthis show us how to live and
Jesus shows us over and overagain.

(29:32):
These are the patterns of Jesusover and over again in the
stories and the telling of Jesus.
Jesus would give thanks.
He takes the loaves and fishesand he gives thanks and he
distributes them and God blessesthem and it is enough.
And he gives thanks and hedistributes them and God blesses
them and it is enough.
And he gives thanks for thewine and the bread and the
beautiful communion and says dothis in remembrance.

(29:53):
And I want to tell you, when itfeels like it's not enough,
give thanks, when it feels likethere's no way that this is
working, give thanks.
Give thanks in and it willchange your life.
There is wonderful informationon the internet.
You have an internet with you.
Go home and look it up, what itdoes to your physiology, to

(30:15):
your brain, as you practicegiving thanks.
The Harvard Medical Review hasbeautiful information on how it
actually affects yourneuroplasticity in your brain
when you choose to give thanksBeloved.
You can heal parts of yourselfby choosing to give thanks and
we give thanks to God, who is sogood.

(30:37):
It reminds us and it stirs upour faith and it reminds us of
hope and truth and it sets forus our north that love is real.
Love is real, it is eternal, itis here with us.
And this part of the verse,because it says this is God's
will for you who belong toChrist Jesus, have you ever said

(31:00):
all I want to know is God'swill for me, beloved, this is it
.
Do you want to know what God'swill is for us, that we would be
a people who give thanks?
This is where it's really greatto have a good friend, because
sometimes, in the middle ofsomething, you can't figure out
what we could give thanks for inthis.

(31:21):
I was in an admission trip andwe were going to the market to
buy food, and it was looselyfood.
I just want to tell you that wegrew up and had the fortune and
again, we don't choose where wegrow up.
It's a privilege.
But we grew up in the Midwest,where the soil is dark like the
night sky and you throw a seedin the ground and it comes up

(31:44):
and it just does its seed thing.
Food is there.
But these people at the markethad food and it was food of some
kind.
I don't know if it was fit forconsumption, but anyway, I was
smiling the whole time and I wasso happy and I was like, look,
we can get this, and we can getthis and we can do this.

(32:05):
And the people who got in thetruck with me and they were like
that is the worst things I haveever seen.
How could you possibly givethanks for that?
And I said I give thanksbecause I know there's better
food than that.
I give thanks because I look atthis and think this is not all.
There is.
There is so much more.
And so if we practice, not inignoring the difficulty, to make
food with what is before you,but to be able to say there is

(32:28):
more beloved, there are bettertimes coming, there is more joy
for you, there is more hope,there is the kingdom and all of
its fullness, that is allowed,that we're participating in,
that we're bringing things in.
So, even if you have to givethanks for the very fact you
know this is not right, givethanks for that.
Practice giving thanks.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
You know, I've been talking for a little bit at
church about the idea of youknow, as a human being, what's
so unique about you is theability to change your mind.
You know that other animals,you know they, just that's the
way they do it.
You know you can teach a dog atrick, but it's still a dog and
it's going to do dog stuff.
But we can actually behave oneway and maybe you might know

(33:14):
you're negative, If noteverybody else around you does,
and they could tell you if youwere willing to ask.
But I know people that just canturn it all Anything.
You say yeah, but.
But I know people that just canturn it all anything.
You say yeah, but you know.
You know you're talking aboutthe sun, yeah, but you know in
four billion years the thing'sgoing to burn out.
You know that right, it's got,we're all doomed in four

(33:37):
thousand four million years.
You know all right.
Well, you know, yeah, you cantake a great day and really ruin
it, thank you.
But what about the gift ofbeing able to take no matter
what happens to you and findgood in it?
That's the gift.
And people say, well, that'seasy for Heather.
People have said it to me foryears.
Well, your wife.
That just comes natural to herand you know that's a huge

(33:58):
discount on the effort that shemakes daily to choose that, and
it's oftentimes our excuse toblow off why we're going to just
continue to be sticks in themud.
And I'm really asking you toconsider the power, and I don't
think it's going to be alifelong time of reversal.
I think that if you cansurround yourself by the right

(34:19):
people, the right thoughts, andyou can decide, I am going to
look at things differently.
I'm going to ask the Spirit ofGod to help me find the good.
You don't have to be that kindof negative all the time.
And what is the advantage toyou?
First of all, you're going tobe someone that other people
enjoy to be around, and you knowwhat?

(34:40):
Even if your circumstancesnever change, you change within
them Because you're finding thejoy in life instead of always
finding the sorrow in it.
And so I'm telling you thisidea of being thankful.
It is life change.
It is a gift from God that he'soffering you, and I know people

(35:00):
all the time that that, and Ilove them.
They're part of the church,some of them used to be part of
the church and I'll talk to themhow you doing.
And I just know when I say howyou doing, I'm opening up 10
minutes of them, just opening upa black hole of misery and
anger, and just how God doesn'tdo it.
You know, I tithe and God don'tever show up for me and I'm

(35:20):
thinking, wait a minute, youjust got a new job.
You're, you just got a new job.
You're driving a car.
You know, isn't there anythingthat you can find in this but
the?
But they choose that.
And when you choose that, yes,you'll see it because you're
choosing that.
But I'm telling you, if you willchoose light and you will
choose life, you will chooselove, you will choose gratitude,

(35:42):
joy, thankfulness.
That's the kind of life you canhave, and you can have it now.
It's not.
Oh, the cards were dealt withme.
I was born on the wrong side ofthe tracks, I was born this way
or that.
No, I'm talking about everysingle one of us, where we are
now, because it doesn't matterwhat the skinny little guard at
the gate says about MonumentValley.

(36:03):
At the gate says about MonumentValley.
What matters is how I perceivethat situation and how I respond
to it.
I was not willing to let joyleave that car and to embarrass
my wife and my son with myshenanigans any longer.
Come on now and I would havehad a momentary high followed by

(36:26):
a lot of shame.
But let's just get past thatkind of life and go into this
place of joy.
Isn't that the kind of personyou?
Isn't that the kind of legacyyou want to leave to your
friends and your family and yourchildren?
Well, it is a choice.
And when you mess it up, oh,there's such good news that
there's a makeup test tomorrow.

(36:47):
Only a couple people gotexcited about that part.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
I want to remind you of something true as followers
of Jesus, we are people whounderstand the power of
resurrection.
It can look dead today, it canlook dead tomorrow, it can look
dead tomorrow, but beloved,resurrection is our birthright.
Miracles are our birthright.
We are people who understandthe power of love to raise the

(37:19):
dead, to change a circumstance,and hear the next part of the
scripture.
And do not stifle the HolySpirit.
Do not stop the Holy Spirit, donot put a lid on the Holy
Spirit.
Do not do that, and how that?
It is the Holy Spirit that willgive you the idea of what you
can be thankful for.
The Holy Spirit is the thoughtadjuster, the perception

(37:42):
adjuster.
Belo, beloved, you are deeplyloved by the eternal parent, by
God in mercy, who has made youfor a purpose to enjoy the
beauties of this world, to bringin, to usher in the kingdom of
our Christ.
Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

(38:03):
And if you say I don't evenknow the Holy Spirit, good news
we have seen the work of theSpirit among us and we can help
you recognize that or you canrecognize it, offering your
consent to be able to say Spirit, show me, oh, offer to me an
alternative to the way that I'mthinking now.
This is a miracle, when we canchange the way that we think and

(38:27):
there is wholeness for us,there is peace for us, but the
scripture is reminding us youdon't stay for it.
This is a beautiful indicationof the holy spirit's presence
and willing to offer suggestions.
The holy spirit will not forceyou to do anything.
It is a beautiful, beautiful,loving invitation.
Love does not bind us, lovereleases us and God is love.

(38:51):
And God is not making you doany of these things.
He's just simply saying to youthere is another way to live,
there is another way toexperience all of the joy and
all of the goodness that isalready given to us by the good
father, the merciful creator.

(39:12):
There is so much joy.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
You know what product recognition is Like.
If you, you know, never reallythought about a Jeep before, you
don't remember ever seeing oneon the road.
But once you start going, Ireally kind of think I want a
Jeep.
You start to say everybody'sdriving a Jeep.
It's like I really like redJeeps.
You know what I saw today?
I saw five red Jeeps on the wayhere.

(39:36):
You know, we become aware.
It's a very natural thingwithin us, in our mind, and how
it works, and so what I wouldask that you consider is to
begin to look for the HolySpirit in your life, because for
many people they would say,does it seem like the Holy

(39:57):
Spirit's moving at all?
And other people would say Isee the Holy Spirit all the time
and it's awareness.
Are we becoming aware of justthese opportunities, you know,
and how they come up?
We were at the grocery storethe other day and Heather and I
had a plan of a few things toget and we really wanted to get
back to the you know, the houseand all of a sudden this lady

(40:23):
just struck up a conversationwith me there and I was trying
to get through it as quick aspossible to get my stuff.
That was behind her, and so westarted talking and then she
started engaging and pretty soonI realized no, we're into this,
this is happening here, and Icould either fight it and oh man
, I had this aggravating thingthat happened to me on the way

(40:47):
to getting my groceries or theholy spirit gave me this
beautiful supernaturalinterruption and next thing, you
know, we're finding out thatthere's this human being, that
that has this life and all thisstuff going on and and we
connected and and I don't knowwhat will ever come of that.

(41:07):
I felt, I felt like we have aanother church member.
I haven't seen him, but I feltthat we felt like we made a real
connection in the and the lifethat was exchanged.
That that was so.
It was so subtle, it could haveso subtle, it could have been
missed and it could have beeneven considered as a distraction

(41:30):
, but it becomes a beautifulmoment between people that are
really right in the middle of astore, just feeling love and the
presence of God, just feelinglove and the presence of God.
So I want to remind you that itis happening around you all the
time and I'm sorry to say I'msure I miss most of it, but

(41:54):
there are times when I don't.
Or there's times when Heatherwill come back from wherever she
was and tell me a story andit's like, oh, she didn't miss
it, oh, it's so beautiful and wecan train ourselves that we
want to say, well, that justhappens to the pastor.
We can have those moments whereour faith is built up.
You know, joy is shared Becausethe Holy Spirit is moving and

(42:19):
doing things and orchestratingyour life to bring you to this
place of great wells of joy andgratitude.
I mean just abundance of thingsto be grateful for.
Lead on Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1 (42:37):
Like gentle rain for all of the things outside that
are parched, these kind ofthings.
In fact, when you werementioning just a moment ago, I
was reminded of the text inScripture where people come to
Jesus and they say give us thesign.
And Jesus is like you missedthe gentle breeze.
Sometimes what we're asking foris already there.
That is a sign, that is areminder of like this God is

(43:01):
with us, there's goodness allaround us.
Do not scoff at prophecies, buttest everything that is said.
Test it, see if it's true ornot.
If it's not, discard itimmediately.

(43:24):
Do not carry that with you.
Do not carry with you wordsthat people have said with you
about you and who you are.
Leave those down.
You've tested them.
They are not true, they are notgood, they are not holy, they
are not loving.
But hold on to that which isgood, beloved, hold on to love,

(43:47):
hold on to things that are good,hold on to the working of the
Spirit, hold on to just thegoodness that is all around us.
Test everything that is said.
I think this is essentialbecause a lot of times people
have surrendered their reallygood intelligence at the door of
a church Beloved.
We're to love the Lord, our God, with all of our mind.
That means we should be payingattention.

(44:09):
There are things that youshould be looking at going.
Why are we still doing this?
Why are we doing that, and notin a way that is cynical, but in
a way that says use your goodbrain that God gave you and
let's find better roads to helpeach other's find more love.

Speaker 2 (44:24):
Let's find more mercy , test everything that is said
and hold on to that which isgood I came up in the church
when I first got born again, inthe era where everybody had a
word for everybody.
And they come up, oh brother, Igot a word for you and they'd
have a, and everybody would begiving a word to everybody.
And none of those I take withme today.

(44:46):
But I remember walking intothat church about the second or
third time I came to that churchon North Avenue in Narragansett
in Chicago, illinois, and thegreeter woman said I've noticed,
you come in here and you don'thave a Bible.
I want to give you this Bible.
And she gave me this paperbackBible and, man, I used that

(45:07):
until that thing justdisintegrated.
You know, and I remember thatact of her generosity, I didn't
have a Bible and I just weptthat someone would pick me out
of the congregation there,notice something and give me
that, and then the hugs thatwoman would give me.
Out of the, the congregationthere, notice something and give

(45:28):
me that, and then the hugs thatwoman would give me.
I was a young man, broken,searching for, for love and for
the lord, and just to be able tohave that adult woman just hold
me.
In that way I would.
I come to church just to getthe greeter hug.
Those were the things thatsustained me, not, oh, brother,
here's your word for the day.
You know, it's those acts ofreal love and generosity.

(45:51):
So so, yeah, someone gives youa word, listen to it, consider
it, but hold on to the thingsthat are really good, and that's
that generosity of love andkindness.
Hold on to those truths,because those are the things
that are transforming.
You know, when we were talkingabout launching this church,

(46:11):
we're like what do we call?
You know, that church wascalled international love
ministry and we're like wewanted, we wanted it to be love,
like, like the church that wemet at and we were transformed
at, and we were like, what aboutfirst love?
And I thought that would beperfect.
If people leave, I could sayyou need to return to your first
love.
So, no, that's not but.
But she's praying the tonguesnow.

(46:35):
We were so close, but the thingis, you know, just having that
love is what, what?

Speaker 1 (46:44):
love is the reason that we didn't name it.
What you really?

Speaker 2 (46:46):
wanted to name it.
Well, I did want to call itGod's Best Church.

Speaker 3 (46:51):
Because if you were looking through the phone book,
you would obviously go to thatchurch.

Speaker 2 (46:55):
What are you going to go to?
His second best church?
And I wanted to put a bigBudweiser blue ribbon on the
logo, but it was shot down bythe elders it was.
It was shot.
I was like we got to go back tolove.
Aren't you glad you go to FirstLove Church?
We got to go back to love.

Speaker 1 (47:09):
We have to go back to love, because God loves
everyone.
There is no best.
There is only good and gracious, and mercy and a table that is
set for everyone.
Stay away from every kind ofevil.
Just stay away from it.
That's just a good parentingtip.
From anybody, just stay away,but be mindful that you know

(47:30):
evil for evil.
That's why you need the HolySpirit.
Yes.
Sometimes people have calledevil and it is not evil.
It is, in fact, wickedness intheir own heart and their own
projection.
But that is why we need theHoly Spirit to direct us to find
out what is good.
In fact, this is the very firstthing that in the poetry of the
Genesis, in the very beginning,where it says this is the choice

(47:52):
that people have.
Do you yourself want to make adecision between good and evil,
or do you want to walk with God,who will make decisions and
open pathways and give youeverything that is good?
There is no evil in thepresence of God.
There is no decision that hasto be made when you are in

(48:13):
fellowship, in walking with God.
And so sometimes we have beentold and it is fear, in fact,
from the very source of fear,that is a hallucination, that
tells us that things are eviland so we are to use the Holy
Spirit.
But we need to be mindful thatwe here's how you stay away from

(48:35):
evil if you just keep doinggood, if you just run after the
good, if you just do good toeach other and listen for the
good from God, you will stayaway from evil.
And now may the God of peacemake you holy in every way.
I would like for you to listento me, read this over you, and
today I speak in the authorityof love and the authority of God

(48:57):
.
May the God of peace make youholy in every way and may your
whole spirit and soul and bodybe kept blameless until our Lord
Jesus Christ comes again.
And I am praying that you willput into action the generosity
that comes from your faith asyou understand and experience

(49:19):
all of the good things that wehave in Christ, all of the good
things that we have in ChristBeloved.
There is a treasure and it is aneternal one, and it is
partially manifested here whilewe live in this world.
But there is an eternaltreasure and it is in Christ and
it is in understanding thatthis is not the end of the story
, that we are just in thisparticular understanding right

(49:44):
now, but there is a bigger storythat is being played.
There is a greater story thatis being told through all of us,
and the story that is told isthere is a creation, but there
is a new creation coming, thatGod is coming to set things
right and that we are invited toplay our part in that story, in
that coming.

(50:04):
Can you imagine with me whatthe prophet amos and what the
other ancient prophets said thatone day we will all lay our
weapons down yes and one day wewill beat our swords into
plowshares.
And one day we will no longertrain our sons for war.
And one day the lion will laydown with the lamb.
And one day we will no longertrain our sons for war.
And one day the lion will laydown with the lamb.

(50:26):
And one day all humanity willflourish.
Beloved, I am longing for thatday.
You are longing for that daywhen war is no longer the
normalcy and the invitation ofChrist is to eat at his good
table, to be reminded of ourcommunion with God, to be

(50:50):
reminded of our communion witheach other, to be reminded that
these practices of thanksgivingand generosity are part of the
things that form us into thepeople of God.
May the God of peace make youholy in every way and may your
whole spirit and soul and bodybe kept blameless until our Lord

(51:12):
Jesus Christ comes again.
From the book of Ephesians, theapostle says this to us before
the worlds were formed that's along time, no matter what math
you do before the worlds wereformed, love had you in mind and

(51:36):
God had chosen you to be theobject of love's affection, that
you would be made whole andholy by God's love.
It is love that brings us intowholeness.
It is God's love that restoresus to our holiness.

(52:00):
There is a practice now inThanksgiving where we begin to
remind all of the earth of itssacredness Every person here
made in the image of God, in thediversity of nature, in the
diversity of people that made inthe image of God.

(52:20):
There is a portion in the Torahthat says over every blade of
grass, there is an angel therewhispering grow, grow, grow.
That's a beautiful image to me,that there is an encourager,
that there is someone.
And I want to tell you thismorning that we have that same
Holy Spirit who is with ussaying love, love, love.

(52:44):
That there is love everywhere,as long as we learn to see it,
as long as we learn to cherishit, as long as we remember that
we're made in God's image andGod has set upon us that we are
the objects of God's affection.
You, beloved, are the objectsof God's affection.
You, beloved, are the objectsof God's affection.

(53:06):
Love is not fickle, love is notirritated.
God is not anything other thanwildly, passionately, deeply in
love with you.
You bring joy to the heart ofGod, just as you are, just in

(53:35):
your being, and so I remind youif you have thoughts in your
head that are contrary to that.
I speak in the authority oflove.
Hold fast to that which is good.
The words of Christ are good,the words of love are holy, and
there is a practice where welearn to hold everything as
sacred.
In fact, the only differencebetween sacred and profane is

(53:58):
how we treat it.
You have a bowl in your kitchen.
Maybe it's beautiful, maybeyour grandmother gave it to you,
maybe you paid a lot of moneyfor it.
You have a bowl in your kitchen.
Maybe it's beautiful, maybeyour grandmother gave it to you,
maybe you paid a lot of moneyfor it, maybe you just like it.
It's a bowl, it's beautiful andyou appreciate it.
You also have a bowl in yourbathroom.
You have two of them.
Hopefully it's a bowl.
A lot of times it's made of thesame thing.

(54:19):
It's how we treat it Very often.
We need to recognize that thethings in our life very often
that we have considered profaneare in fact holy, and we need
the Spirit of God to re-enchantand re-imagine the life that we
could have, where we could seeevery person as an image bearer

(54:40):
of the divine, where everyperson could see and know their
worth and where we could greetthe light in us, saluting and
acknowledging the light and thelove in every person made in the
image of God Beloved, hold fastto that which is good.

Speaker 2 (55:00):
You know, if you're honest with yourself and you are
a negative Nelly, good, youknow, if you're honest with
yourself and you are a negativenelly, you know you just have
that gravity towards thenegative, whether it's a little
bit or a lot of bit.
It might seem like that's justthe way our family is, or that's
just the cards that were dealtto me, but I, if you're honest,
that's not making you happy andit's not making people around

(55:21):
you happy.
And I'm telling you the answer,the rope to pull us out of this
pit, is gratitude, thethanksgiving that we would just
choose to find those places.
And I'm telling you it'stransformative.
You do not have to be that wayand feel that way and then walk

(55:42):
in the fruit of that.
There's a way out.
And I'm telling you, it's notyears and years of you climbing,
it's you changing, uh, you knowyour patterns of thinking, your
mindset, and it can happen, uh,relatively quickly by the power
of the holy spirit.
But I got to tell you, when youfind yourself in that, just
where, holy spirit, what do youwant me to say?
And where can I find gratitude?

(56:03):
And and I will rehearse that Iwill choose to be grateful.
I mean, just for me, it'sbecome a real joy with us
driving, because it was.
Those sons of so-and-sos arenow the blessed children of God
that we can bless.

Speaker 1 (56:21):
On the same road.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
it turns out yeah, and it's like you know, and it's
yeah, and it's like, uh, youknow, it's like, now it's my.
They've given me a greatopportunity to choose the.
The fact that we all have theseroads that we can share, and
that thing we found on that signlast week with the we shared
with you has been our mantra.
I don't, were you here lastweek?
Did you hear us talk about?
Uh, that, that that lane is notyour birthright?

(56:44):
Move over.
Merge Let them merge, let themmerge.
And these cars were cutting infront of me last night as I was
driving back from the funeraland I was just going.
Let them merge, let them merge.
And so the difference is,traffic doesn't part and all of
a sudden I'm like Moses on theRed Sea of I-4.
But I'm different, and that isso much better than just hoping

(57:12):
some circumstance would line upone day and I'd have a decent
trip somewhere.
Then, no matter what traffic'slike, I get to be in the
presence of God and love and joy, and it can't be taken from me
unless I give it away.
Church, there's something tothis.
I urge you to come on the sideof love, to live on the side of
gratitude we hope you've enjoyedthis week's sermon.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
If you would like more information about us, visit
us online at firstlovechurchorg.
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Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

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