Hope-Filled Christian
Hope-Filled Christian
Experiencing a Deeper Connection with God: The Power of Humility, Reverence, and Gratitude in Worship
Ever found yourself walking into a place of worship with expectations? Join us as we tackle this, sharing a personal revelation of how our struggle with singing led to experiencing God's presence in a profound way. We dive into the act of asking and receiving, learning to trust that God hears and answers our prayers.
Imagine standing in a room full of people, yet feeling an intimate connection with God. That's the power of humility. We delve into its role in our relationship with God, discussing how our pride can often hinder us from truly experiencing His presence. We stress the importance of being open and receptive to God's work in any given situation, reminding ourselves that it's not all about us, our gifts, or our environment.
We end the discussion by shedding light on the importance of gratitude and respect towards God's gifts. We talk about the tendency to take His gifts for granted, especially the gift of salvation, and highlight the importance of valuing His word. Join us in this episode as we inspire you to make time for God, respect His love, and experience the richness of His presence in your everyday life. Are you ready to experience a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God? Then this episode is for you.
Hi, welcome back to HFC. For starters, I'm not sure if I ever said it. I might have said it, I really remember. But I was sick and, excuse me, last call, call for promise. I'm feeling a lot better.
Speaker 1:Kind of a weird weekend because literally I think Wednesday, thursday, I was still kind of getting my voice back and was really struggling to sing anything at all. Friday, saturday, you know, still kind of was coughing, a little bit nervous going into Sunday, and then Sunday was just was awesome and I I don't know it's not really related to the verse, but I had to watch this video. I thought it was really kind of on the news about the thing that I felt, and so it just gave me something to pray towards. But that is the fact that too many people go to church or go into a kind of I don't know biblical setting, I guess, go into like any kind of biblical thing or a godly thing or like something that's supposed to be Christian, and they go into it instead of looking for, necessarily, the presence of God and the word of God and the wisdom of God, they go into it more looking for the gifts of God. And it's funny because I even kind of just saw it now. It was talking about, like you know, gifts are from God, the fruits are grown in God. And then there was that verse that always talks about you know, I don't, I don't see, I'm not even going to lie, I don't know the verse, but I just thought it was so cool because it was like wow, like that's something I've always felt but I never really knew how to put into words.
Speaker 1:Like, so many times we go looking for gifts, we go looking for things like someone to be a great singer, someone to be a great speaker, when, in all honesty, god can use anyone, anything, everything. From the mouths of babe the truth comes. I don't know if that's the correct verse, but they even used a donkey in that one story. I don't know the story, maybe that's something we can share next week, but there's just so many situations of God using anything, everything and you know, in any situation, and it's just like we have a bad habit of looking for something special. Oh, god can't move me. I don't feel that special tingle, but in reality it's because we're looking for the perfect setting, we're looking for the perfect environment and I'm not going to lie, sometimes God's presence just isn't there because something isn't aligning with what he believes in or you're not giving in the respect that he deserves. But sometimes it's a little bit on us too. We're looking for oh wow, this song doesn't sound the greatest, or this isn't the song that I would have chosen, or whatever. Instead of realizing it's not about the song, it's not about the gift. You know God can use whatever word he wants to use and it'll speak multitudes to you. It's mainly about realizing that you shouldn't come to church for great singing. You shouldn't come to church necessarily for I'm not saying they can't have the most amazing word. You should come to church expecting the presence of God, seeking out the presence of God, and if you're not seeing the presence of God in your church, I honestly cannot tell you whether that means you should find a new church or stay at your new church or whatever, but the very least pray, because we know that God says. I don't know that verse either.
Speaker 1:I'm really working on my verses though. By the way, I started this really cool. It's kind of like a tattoo. It's not a permanent tattoo, it's like a temporary tattoo. It's called Dwell and I thought that was really cool, and they send you like a verse every month and you just kind of put it on your arm and you remember it. This past one was I might have even already mentioned it it was for this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to the end. Psalm 48, 14. Look at that, I remember it still and it's not even on my arm anymore.
Speaker 1:But apologies, I've been working on memorizing my verses and stuff and I would have that written down, but it's like I don't necessarily have that in my head, or I didn't have that in my head, so that's just God talking about it. But the verse that I'm thinking of is the one where God basically talks about asking you shall receive knock and the door shall be opened. With that one where he's basically sick and if you seek something, he's going to give it to you. Or the one that talks about if you are lacking of wisdom. If you ask God for wisdom, he will give you wisdom. Those kind of verses like the sense of asking for and trusting the God will listen because he's faithful and that's what his word says. And I apologize for not giving the exact verse. Like I said, I'm learning.
Speaker 1:Forgive me, but I totally got off track, the thing that I was mentioning was just like I was just really praying that day. I'm like, lord, forgive me, sometimes I get obsessed, and I was getting obsessed with the idea of I have to be perfect, oh, my voice isn't great, I shouldn't be here, I'm not going to worship God with the right voice, I'm going to sound weird, I'm going to take God out of the presence. And I was so focused on that that during the practice, I was battling, like internally. I was like Lord, help me, lord, help me. And even so far as like literally minutes before, we went up there and it was kind of a mess. It was a mess and it was like all over the place. And in that moment it was probably I felt the closest to God in that situation because, instead of freaking out about it, I said, lord, you know what You're choosing to use me. It's not about your gift, lord, just help us to seek your presence and you know we're gonna worship, whether the music's working, whether the sound is up or not. And I can trust me, it was such a. It was such a mess because, um, the person normally does a sound. It was sick.
Speaker 1:So then we had to fill in, but he hadn't truly learned this stuff yet and he just like offered to volunteer but didn't know any of it. So then I was just like running back and forth trying to set stuff up, moves up around, but like I didn't plan to do this, I just done like some basic setups, like put the music on and like unmuted all the stuff, and but I didn't like know I had to do other stuff because I was expecting someone to be there. And so like here we are in the middle of worship and like I found out like our vocals weren't like high enough. I mean, people could hear us, but not like great. Nothing I'm saying was all about the vocals. You know, oh, it's me, just me. But like you know, it's just Not that you have to be perfect, but you're gonna try your best to kind of make it, you know, sound good. You don't want to purposely sound bad. And then the piano wasn't up and it was just so embarrassing After the fact, but it was. It was so powerful like everybody was like praying and like so many people were coming up and it's just like you felt the presence of God and it was so awesome. And Even in that, like literally the entirety of practice.
Speaker 1:I was struggling so hard with two songs because I was like oh, I feel like it's really deep. I was trying to sing it like really deep. I feel like my voice still sounds kind of funny, maybe a little bit deeper than usual, maybe a little bit higher than usual, and it's kind of like still like raspy a little bit. But I'm, I was just so stressed out because I'm like oh, I feel like I can't sing it high because I didn't have the full range yet. I mean, I kind of did, but it was, it's still not where it was normally.
Speaker 1:So I was singing deeper and I Was so embarrassed because it just was not sounding right and I'm like, you know what, god, I'm not gonna be afraid, I'm and like when I'm singing, there are a lot of things that I feel like I could do and like it's in my mind. In my mind I'm like hearing it and it sounds so good, but I freak out and I'm just like I'm gonna stick to like the usual. And it's like when I'm like really worshiping, like it's like I don't care if my voice is gonna crack, I don't care if it's gonna go wild. You know, I'm just worshiping, and but when I'm up there I feel like a lot of pressure to perform. But I was just like you know what it's all about, you, if you're going to inspire me to Do that or to worship in that way, that I'm just going to, you know, sing as it comes. And so, like I was, I could not figure out the key because we had a lower the key because, like I said, my, my throat, still, like my voice, still wasn't where it was, should have been, and so I was like weirded out about the key and I was singing really deep and I know it sounded really weird and it wasn't like not that everything is about energy, but it's like it just felt off.
Speaker 1:And so come the actual service, like I Could feel like in me the desire to sing. It was like. It was like my brain was like, or I don't know my brain, it was a part of me was saying sing there. But then I was freaking out because I'm like that's gonna sound weird. And it was like even throughout the entire practice where I was freaking out and I couldn't figure it out in just that moment where I felt like led to seeing, a certain way I Trusted God as a gentle one. It sounds so weird right now. Anyway, I'm just gonna go with it, god, and I'm gonna go with it, god, and let you take it where it needs to go. And it felt Good.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying like I don't even know how to explain it, it just felt like there's like a certain way I tend to feel, when I'm really worshiping God, like I get all like I Don't know how to explain it. I mean, if you feel like worshiping God, if you like singing music, you probably felt similar. It's like this, like Rush, like it's just like wow, this is just nice. Apologize, I'm yawning, I'm tired, but yeah, it was just so awesome. Sorry for getting off topic. I just, I really just wanted to emphasize that I guess and I guess God wanted me to, because I didn't actually plan on talking about that at all but just the idea of Not being so focused on a gift, not being so focused on what you do or don't have, but being more focused on the presence of God, not even just in music.
Speaker 1:But just what are you seeking when you seek God? Are you seeking something that's going to? Oh yeah, that's perfect, that's just for me. I want that. That gives me, that makes me feel that validates how I'm feeling, or you truly thinking. That's, lord. I don't care what message you're gonna give me, I don't care. You know what word I'm gonna trust that there's something in here for me. Lord, I hope that you open my heart, open my mind. Let me receive, and I'm truly just seeking your presence and your word and your wisdom in this verse, whether or not it's wisdom for now, wisdom for later or wisdom for something that I went through that I can now share with someone else who's going through something similar. But it's all about seeking the presence of God and not being so focused on what you want that you miss out on that. We're not being so focused on what you don't have that you miss out on there. Not being so focused on what someone or some Situation doesn't have the you miss out on that.
Speaker 1:The truth of the matter is that God can move in all situations. Where are there? It's a lion's den, whether it's on the cross, as that sinner said you know I believe that you're the son of God and you know Jesus forgave him or if we're talking about a blind man who's in a crowd of people moving down, or you know Just all the situations where it wouldn't seem possible or wouldn't seem ideal, wouldn't seem like God would move. God was moving and it's important to remember that. It's not about the gift, the environment, the situation. If God is going to move, he's going to move, but we have to be receptive to that, we have to be prepared for that, we have to know and Be willing and be humble.
Speaker 1:And I also like a lot of the thoughts that are going in my head lately have been the idea of humbleness, of being humble, of being receptive to what God has for us, of being humble enough to say you know what? I'm not a know-it-all, I don't know everything about God and or even I Physically being humble in Nobody's worshiping God right now. But you know there's some free time, god. Humble myself in the sense of Let me take some time to just acknowledge who you are and give praise to you. The Forest Service begins because I Can acknowledge that the things that I have to do are not as important as the things that you want me to do or the things that you Desire me to do or the things that you know you call me to do. I just think it's really important to have that sense of humbleness, to seek God out, humble, humbly To.
Speaker 1:And sometimes I feel like you kind of have to seek out humbleness in like confidence, because it can be really hard to humble yourself because it pride comes in many ways. It can be pride is an oh, I'm too good, like I don't need to worship, or oh, my conversation with this person is more important. Or it can be something like you know, my issue is too big for God, believing that if I, you can't handle, or I, like myself, I can't handle it, that God can't handle either. Because that's pride, that's assuming that if you can't take care of something, that God can take care of something. But we have to be humble and realize that you know God is much bigger, much greater, much more wise, much more powerful, much more Everything than us. So be a little humble and realize that you know Not only can you ask God for help, but you need to ask God for help, realizing you know it's not all about you. It's not all about oh, I don't want to embarrass myself, oh, I don't want to do that, or I don't want to. It's not about you know what kind of position we're putting ourselves in, because when we're humble, we're putting ourselves in any position. We're putting ourselves anywhere, anyhow, anytime, any win, any situation. However God wants us to do, we're doing it and being humble enough to say you know what?
Speaker 1:There's this verse that I used to love and again, I really hate that I don't remember verses I used to talk about. It was this verse that I talked about. What are you? But I'm paraphrasing, mind you. It's like what are you but a wisp of wind? You know that you should think that you would have the audacity basically to plan out what you're going to do in the future. Plan out, like this kind of stuff. Who are we to believe that, you know, we could have any idea of what we're going to do, or that we should have any kind of and I realize it's probably like way out there like we should have any kind of say of what we're doing?
Speaker 1:In every action, in every moment, we should be humble and say oh God, what, oh God, what, oh God, what, like what are we doing now, god? What are we going to seek out God? What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing? It's constantly deferring to God, constantly asking God, and it kind of sounds like oh, that's so annoying, oh, that's so weak, oh, will we? You have to like, know God's word, and it's not always like directly asking God sometimes, okay, what would God's word say? Okay, what would God's word say?
Speaker 1:Eventually, you're pulling off of what God has already told you, you're pulling off of what God's word says and you're pulling off of what God is telling you in that moment, and there's just so much going on. But we have to be humble enough to realize that our own ideas and visions are not as important. And that's weird, because I wasn't going to do this first. I mean, now I feel like I should. So I was stuck between two verses to focus on. Oops, my bad, I smacked the mic. So, anyways, I guess the verse we're going with is Luke 16, 15.
Speaker 1:And it just kind of ties in with what I was just saying realizing that we are not the deciders, that we shouldn't be deciding based off of our values. We shouldn't be deciding off of what the world says, what people say, of our conscience, of morals, and a lot of times people build morals on like community and separate the morals of our society away from the morals of God, and that's where things have become corrupted, where they have begun to erode, because we begin to ask questions well, why am I doing that? Why, why, why, why? And society cannot answer that. Because there is no grounding in the morals of society, whereas there is grounding in the morals of biblical morals. Why? Because God has loved us and because God has loved us, it's only fair that we and it's just like that. It's that kind of backing that the morals of the Bible have, whereas the backing of society doesn't have that. Because initially those morals of society were based on the morals in the Bible.
Speaker 1:I mean, even just talking about the constitution, I took this course over the summer. I think I've mentioned it before. I'm not trying to be that person. Well, I went on a trip and whatever it just happened to bob in my hand. I've been in just in our constitution for America I don't know if you're from America For the United States.
Speaker 1:I talked about how a lot of the founders base the basics of our freedoms and rights on the Bible, because it was based on this idea of there is a God and because there is a God, that means that we're all equal, because we're all the children of God, Because we're all beneath God. God has made us all equally, god has made us all with the same rights to freedoms and stuff like that. And it was also like the freedom of speech wasn't meant to be like oh yeah, whatever, whatever. It was more meant to be. You can not coerce someone to be a Christian. Someone has to choose that upon themselves. So it wasn't like protecting the right to. It wasn't trying to promote different religions. It was trying to promote the right to choose for yourself, because in the end of the end of times, you know, it has to be decision that you personally made. I can't make a decision for someone, and so it was based on that idea that someone has to make that decision for themselves. I cannot force someone or mandate someone. And so they separated that.
Speaker 1:But there was still supposed to be good Christian morals. A lot of the founders believed in parents and families setting up good Christian morals and it being taught in families that morals are supposed to be taught in the family, by parents and by schools, where schools were teaching like more social morals, talking about the social self, like interacting with other people, kind of morals. But again, it was still meant to be religion, and even when they didn't ever specifically stated Christianity. Because eventually they got away from Christianity because, again, they wanted to get away from the idea it wasn't to support other religions, it was to get away from the idea of enforcing a certain religion, because that went against their idea of, you know, it being a communion, meaning choosing God and God choosing you and you choosing God, because if you weren't choosing God then you weren't really a believer. Because that's part of what it means to be a Christian that you're choosing God, you're accepting God, that you're bringing God into your heart. To do it any other way would be to force someone and to kind of not really give them a chance to choose for themselves. Anyway, um, yeah, but I'm so sorry I got off track, but um, no, um.
Speaker 1:So the verse Luke 16, 15,. It says what people value highly is detestable in God's sight. Um, and basically what it's saying is don't focus on what others want, desire or value, including ourselves. Fall upon what God values. Don't think so much about, um, I want this, I want that, and be so focused on it that you're not humble enough to accept what God has for you, not humble enough to listen to what God has for you, not humble enough to say hey, so, and so my name is Adrian.
Speaker 1:So, hey, adrian, you know, instead of talking to people before church starts, you know, it would be really amazing and this is like me pretending to be God talking to me and honestly, sometimes, what he says to me if you would go and I know it's shock, I know, I know, I know, I know it's not worship time, but if you decided to go worship me anyway, not necessarily because you have to, but there's that part of me that just the desire to get close to God, the desire to give him the respect because he is amazing, he is awesome, he is spectacular, he is loving, he is kind, and just the same kind of love and respect that we would offer someone you know that we're married to, or that we should offer to someone that we're married to or to our parents. That is the same kind of respect that I want to give to God. I'm not just talking to him in specific situations, I'm, I'm eagerly seeking him out because I love him and he loves me, and I'm giving him the respect because if I'm at church and that's the, I mean, let's put it this way like so many of us, we don't talk to God. A lot of us don't talk to God. A lot of us don't read the word and I'm not saying that you know. A lot of us don't spend time with God outside of church. But then it's like even at church you don't spend time with God, like you're at church and in your mind and in some people's minds this is the only time they get.
Speaker 1:So, if you're a church and there's free time, like we should be praying, we should be the invite, like we don't have to wait for worship time to worship. Like it's been on my mind like a lot, any of them, to put on worship music and just invite people to worship, not necessarily by forcing them, but by just showing them. Like hey, we can worship right now. I know you want to have your conversations and stuff, but that can be done any other time. Like all this stuff can be done any other time. Like I know that you value, you know your friendships and your relations, but that can be done any other time. Like this is God's house. I want to respect him, I want to talk to him, I want him. And I'm not saying that we shouldn't be doing that throughout the week, but let's be honest, most of us don't. So if you're one of those people that don't, then at least respect him when you're in his house.
Speaker 1:I mean, go to the altar, like, just spend time with him. Don't make it like, oh, class is starting, like better, go listen. And then we're on our phones and our computers. And it's not a college course, it's not. It's not a what is it called High school. That's not what I was going in. But it's not the situation where, like, we're just, you know, we're just there to go through the motions.
Speaker 1:It, guess, is what I'm saying. We need to value God. We need to realize and have respect God, to realize that he doesn't have to love us. He chose to love us. And I feel like a lot of times we feel like and and this is what our actions are saying. I'm not saying this is what we believe, but this is what our actions are saying, as If God owes us something Because we don't thank him, we don't love him, we don't Go crazy for him, like you would think if someone forgave you, like I remember.
Speaker 1:I remember when I was younger there was this phone call and this person didn't even like there, wasn't even directly through them, but I'd have this like serious health issue and I was just like worried about my parents being like encumbered by debt because of my health issue and I, I remember I was gonna kill myself because I was just like you know, like my parents is Love me, cared for me, given me Everything they could possibly give me their love, their kindness, their patience because I'm not an easy person and To have them give up even more because they were talking about like, oh, don't worry, we'll sell the house if we have to pay for, you know, treatment and I, I just I couldn't do that to them. I Remember someone called me or no, sorry, I called them because I was just about to get out of my car to go and At that point I didn't I mean, I have thoughts, but I don't really want to talk about them. I Remember I Was about to turn off my car To get into, to go into my house, which I'm almost never alone, but that day I was alone and Like my mind was set. I Was so focused and I kind of get like a weird focus, I'm very stubborn, oh but there was like this little nagging feeling in me like I had a been. I Don't, I don't, I don't change my mind easily, like if you know me, you know that I wouldn't. I do when other people's feelings are involved, but not when it's just me. When it's just me, I tend to be very stubborn. I can like hyper focus and like stress myself of self out and be stuck on it for weeks. So I'm gonna have weeks.
Speaker 1:This time I have like a couple of minutes because you know I was gonna go inside and end it all and so, um, I was reaching for my car door and I thought, god, just say no. And it was like my brain was so loud, so foggy, so like Muddled with all my thoughts and I thought it was a clear thought, I thought it was hyper focused, but in reality it was like all my anxiety is bouncing off of each other. It was all my fears bouncing off of each other. It was all my insecurity bouncing off each other inside my brain and I just could not think straight and I felt like I Don't know, I'm just imagining like someone like that one drop falls into the, into the lake or to the puddle and everything Just calms instantly, and like all my thoughts focused and it was like where I couldn't. I was just kind of like I Don't know, like dazed in a in, like kind of hypnotized, I don't know what to call it everything just calm. It was like I Could hear him and he said no Call again.
Speaker 1:And which I had called these people and they said they couldn't help me. And at this point, like I'm just like there's no way I can, like the treatment was gonna be insanely expensive and yeah, there was just no way. And I'm like what's the point? Everybody said no, I'm not gonna be that awkward person. You know calling and crying and you know being that person. And I ended up being that person. I called, I cried and I remember the feeling I had when they told me that they, they could help me out or like it was.
Speaker 1:Apparently I hadn't given them enough information Previously and they were like oh my gosh, why didn't you just say that? And like we yeah, of course that I've been saying like my thoughts were like how easy if I fix it was. And I remember that feeling of wanting to think them over and over and over and over again and just feeling so Like every and not in a bad way, like I was so high, strong, and then like every threat. Just I just felt like myself, like Like I went from holding the entirety of my world to just being Loose, relax, and I remember thinking God and and that was One of my biggest moments where I just knew there was no ignoring that God. God is real. For me, god is real, there is no denying it, because there is no other authority that makes me sound like bold, but there is no other authority that can Talk me out of something if I'm feeling stubborn, like there's just not, and nobody cuts through as easily, calms me as simply, with as few words, as no call again, and and what I'm saying is Reason I even told that is because that's what I think of when I think of you know who God is to me. And then, after that, it wasn't even over.
Speaker 1:I spent so long feeling depressed, anxious, going through eating disorders, like literally just losing so much weight, going through so many health scares, going through so much stuff, having so much insecurity, dilling, which is so much, and, and through it all, god was there with me and one of the biggest things for me was worship. So I have, like this, high respect for worship and spending time with God and just knowing who God is, because I know that. I know that that when we spend time with him, he spends time with us and there's just something powerful about it. So when I go to church and I'm not saying I've always done this, but lately that's what I've been thinking about what kind of respect and honor should I give to the person who saved me, not even just that way, but you know just so many times. He saved me, but he's given me salvation that has forgiven me of my sins that had otherwise rendered me dead, like had signed my fate, sealed my fate, like I was dead, like there was no going out, I was lost. What kind of respect can I offer this God? What kind of respect should I offer this God? I should offer it all, offer all of it to him.
Speaker 1:So it really lately it's been hurting a lot to see people take things so casually, to show up at church and just be having conversations, and I'm not saying you can't have conversations, but it's like you could have conversations after, as I guess my thing. But before I feel like before it's, god's about to, you know, arrive for the worship and the message. And I'm not saying he can't arrive before, but it's just like how I think about it. I want to prepare this place so that he's welcomed. I don't want him to come in and oh, hey, god, and just so casually, like let him in and you know, like you got invited to, or you show up at some place and everybody's just like, oh hey, it's you. Okay, okay, guys, you know so and so is here. So, yeah, let's go gather and listen.
Speaker 1:Now I want it to be something where God comes in and he sees, we were waiting, we were preparing, we were, you know, feeling his house with praise. We're filling our church with praise, praise to welcome him. Thanksgiving, to welcome him, just, you know, decorating the house with praise and worship and with words of how amazing, and you know, just preparing the place for him, not just, oh, welcome home. Like you know, he came home from a long trip, welcome home, and then that's it. We go back to doing whatever we're doing. No, something where he sees like, wow, these are my children and they love me, and that's just. That's just what I've. I don't even I don't know if there's verses to it.
Speaker 1:Again, I think I mentioned it last time, but there's a book I've been reading off God, by John Bavir, and it's just like that's the thought that's been on my head, like I don't want to sit idly and then just, you know, all right, guys, it's time to roll, like I want to prepare as much as possible. I don't want to, you know, bide my time into a God arrives. I don't want to be the man with the tokens that hid them and just waited for God to show up and said, oh, here are your tokens. No, I want to be the person that prepared. And you know, even if the preparation is horribly difficult and the worship is just like not going, at least I'm trying. And you know I'm not just sitting there just like, okay, all right time to worship, I stand up and it's just like I want to give him so much more than that. I want us to give him so much more than that. He deserves so much more than that. And it's just that's been on my mind and that's kind of, I know, a God of truck again. That's kind of where I feel like Luke 16, 15 is talking about. There was another part I wanted to talk about it Having those values, putting value on God's name, not just treating him like any other visitor, like any other thing, like, oh, he's here, let's, um, let's focus now, but treating him with respect and love and and and I don't know the word but that he's owed or not owed any save, savior or not owed a Messiah or not owed anything.
Speaker 1:I don't want to treat God like oh, thank you God, you're here finally. We're waiting Jesus. I want to treat God like thank you God, I'm I'm so sorry what you had to go through, you know. Thank you so much. You know, like being appreciative, being actually thankful, and there are people at my church like that and it's beautiful and it's it's amazing. It's just like we should all be like that. We should all have the heart of hold on. You know, we can have this conversation later.
Speaker 1:I have to get ready because Jesus is coming. He is coming into this church. I need to get this place ready. I need, we need to fill it with thanksgiving and praise and we need to welcome him. He needs to feel like he's the best ever, because he is the best ever, that kind of thing.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, the other side of the verse I just mentioned it because it was on my notes is um, we have to realize that this verse is saying don't focus on what others want, desire value fall upon what God values. Um, fall upon what the word of God, which is Jesus, which is God. Um, that's what John 1 says. Um, in the beginning there was the word. The word was was God the word, the word is God, some something along those lines. You know what? Sorry, I honestly would look that up but like my phone is not working right now, it's it's been having a lot of issues.
Speaker 1:Um but um, john 1, 1, and it's just realizing that. You know, we have to have those values. We have to value God, like the Bible says that we should, and I am sneakily looking it up on my computer because it's just that good. And the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God, and so God is the word of God. We need to have the values that the word of God has and the values that God, his manifest presence, has, the values that the Holy spirit has. We need to have those values. We need to be focused on praising him and worshiping him and realize that our purpose was to worship God, that our purpose is to spread the good news, that are just valuing what the word of God says to value.
Speaker 1:And I'm not saying we can't value our friendships and stuff, but let God have the time that God is owed. Make some time for God. I mean, if you're not going to make some time doing the wake, make some time doing church. I mean, come on, I don't know. I always feel weird doing these kinds of things because I got through my, you know my, my highs and lows too, but it's just I don't know.
Speaker 1:There's just something beautiful about the way that God loves us and we have to remember that we're not owed this. We shouldn't be treating it like we're owed this. We should be treating it like it's the greatest gift ever, because it is the greatest gift ever. We have to have that reference. We have to be thankful and because we know and we trust that God will never take away this gift from us, I feel like we take, we belittle it, we take advantage of it. We're like, whatever God's going to give it to us anyway, all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and, you know, accept God and Jesus into our heart, that's it. Then God loves us. To do anything else, I'll sit on the streets. You know, I don't care as long as I'm in heaven. But in reality it's such a beautiful thing. It's so beautiful the gifts that we have been given, and not talking gifts like spiritual, like singing and something. I mean the gift of salvation that we have been given. It's so beautiful and we don't hold it to the value that it should have. We don't give it the respect that it deserves.
Speaker 1:This is a really long message, so I'm going to go ahead and stop here. I'm sorry. I could go on and on about that, but it's just. I get mad at myself sometimes. So this isn't just like a yeah, I'm better than y'all, like you need to love God some more, right, god? I'm not trying to pull a Peter. I am just trying to be honest with you guys and myself. We don't give God the love that he deserves. We are not owed this gift and yet we act like it. We do the things that we want and then we come back to him oh, thank you for the gift, like ah. Sometimes I get so disgusted with myself. Why am I not thinking more? I don't know. Anyway, as always, let's go ahead and pray before this becomes I don't know 50 minutes or 60 minutes, and it's an hour long or two hours long.
Speaker 1:Dear God, first of all. Thank you for your gift. Forgive us, lord, for not holding you to the respect that we should. I know that we can never truly pay you back for the sacrifice that you made or the way that you love us, but I don't feel like that means we shouldn't try. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't give you respect and seek you out and want to be closer to you.
Speaker 1:Lord, open our eyes to times and moments, situations, ways, things that we can do to thank you and worship you and just give glory and honor to you. Lord, I just pray that you help us to humble ourselves. You realize that we are not important. We are not as important as you. That, yes, while there are beautiful things in our life that you have created and designed for us, that none of these things should come near or above you, or even close to you, for that matter. That you should be our highest value. That you, in spending time with you and worshiping you, should be our highest value. Worshiping you, not even just with music, but worshiping you with our acts, worshiping you with our time, with our money, worshiping you with the way that we love other people, the way that we care for other people, the way that we grow, those who to the Spirit. Lord, I just pray that from this moment on, you help us to be more aware of that, to be more cognitive of the way that we are loving you, the way that we're treating you, the way that we're treating your gift, to help open our eyes to that, because that truly is something that is important. I just pray that you forgive us of our sins in the way that we have lived, whether we've given you honor, not given you honor. Help us to love you not just the way we did before, but love you more than we did before, and love you in the best way that we can, in the most honest way that we can. I pray that you forgive us of our sins, lead us not into indudation. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Speaker 1:Hi, thanks for listening to this week's episode of HFC. I apologize for the long episode. I genuinely am trying to make them shorter because I know that me, when I'm busy, I like something where I can just focus on it for five to ten minutes and get something awesome. I feel kind of funny because I was just criticizing how I never see anything short and then I hear I go and I make something longer than I made in a long time. I pray that you guys have a God bless week. Hope you enjoyed it. See you next week. Thank you, bye.