Latest / Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive / June 3, 2018 | Judge Tommy Webb - You Are Special (Part 1)

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June 3, 2018 | Judge Tommy Webb - You Are Special (Part 1) · Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Good morning, people of God.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's good to see each and every one of you this morning.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you have your Bibles, would you turn with me to Ephesians chapter 3?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Ephesians chapter 3.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: The prayer for the Ephesians by Paul.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Ephesians chapter 3.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Beginning with verse 14.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: I just found out a few weeks ago that I have cataracts in both eyes that have to be removed.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if I'm moving the Bible around in my hand a little bit, please forgive me.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to focus.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Ephesians chapter 3, verse, beginning verse 14.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and earth derives its name.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: And to know his love, and to know his love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Here Paul talks about the power that comes from God.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: And in Genesis, the Bible tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: God said, Let there be light, and there was light, that is power.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: When he can change the heart of an individual, that is power.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: And then Paul says, Not only do I want you to know the power, but I also want you to know the power of his love.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you hear nothing else this morning, I want you to hear this.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: God loves you.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: No matter who you are, no matter what your past is, God loves you.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And if God loves you, then we should love God.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: The first time that I spoke to you last year, I shared my life story, making the difference, talking about how people reached out with a hand of compassion and caring and help me in the journey of life to help me become the person that I am today.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: The second time that I talked to you, I talked about valuing others.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: If there's one word that I wish I could put in place within the heart of every individual here, it is to value those around you.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you value those around you, you handle them differently than if you don't value them.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Today I would like to talk about value relationships, but also entitle it, You Are Special.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: You are special.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Every person here is special because you are loved by God.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Even in Moses says in Deuteronomy chapter 11 that we are to love his commands, we are to love his precepts, we are to love God with all our heart and our soul, and we are to serve him, which empowers us when we accept the love of God to serve those around us.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: About 15 or 16 years ago, I had the privilege of speaking at a high school in Holdridge, Nebraska.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: And about a week or two before I spoke at Holdridge, Nebraska, I got a call from the principal and say, Judge Webb, we have another high school that we'd like to invite.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Do you mind if we go to a large auditorium?
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: And we have two high schools that morning.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: It was an October, it was a Friday morning.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, I don't mind at all.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: And when I walked into that auditorium that Friday morning, I had two hours to speak to those high school students.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'll never forget the conversation that I had with one of the principals.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: He looked at me and says, You understand you're speaking to high school students for two hours.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: He didn't say good luck, but I knew what he was saying.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that morning, as the students were coming in, it was Friday morning, and all the football players had their football jerseys on and all the cheelers had their cheerleading outfits on.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: That auditorium had a middle section just like this.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: It was packed.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Not one seat was open in the middle section.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: They had an aisle just like this.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And then the section over here was full.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe 12 or 13 seats were not occupied, but there's no aisle at that side.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: It was up against the wall.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Over here, there was an aisle just like this one here, and then this section over here, but this section went right against the wall.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: There's no aisle there.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: This is about a third full of students.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of empty seats.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: But I noticed that every one of those students in that auditorium was sitting with someone, except for a young man that was sitting in the eighth row.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: And no one else was even sitting in that eighth row.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: He was the only one sitting in that row, and he was sitting in the last seat up against the wall.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: As I spoke to the students that morning, a thought came in my mind.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when you have a thought, you initially think, that's a wonderful thought.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: But then you have time to process it, and you go, eh, maybe that's not such a great idea.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that morning I had this ideal and I didn't have the time to process it, so I thought it's a great idea.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: So as I'm speaking to the students, I just said to the young people, as I'm speaking to you this morning, I had an ideal that came to my mind.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: I've never done it at any other high school, but I would like to do it here at your high school.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: And as I said that, I looked over, and two principals are going, Oh, Judge, well, please.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Not at our school, don't do this to us.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, What the ideal is, is I have shared with you my life story making a difference.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I have challenged you to value others by the way you handle them like fine china instead of paper plates.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: But this morning, the thought that came to my mind is I would like to give each and every one of you an opportunity to get up this morning while we're having this assembly and go and shake hands with three or four of your friends.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to say to them when you shake their hand, you are special.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to look them right in the eyes because the eyes are the windows to the heart.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to say to them, you are special.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And the only thing that person can say back to you is, you are special too.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: I said, there are students here that you've gone to school all of your life, and I think this morning will be a great opportunity for you to go and let them know that they are special.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: So this morning, I want you to look around and look at three or four students that you like to go and shake their hand, look them in the eyes and let them know that they're special.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Look around.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: Who's a three or four?
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: And when I said that, oh, the commotion, you can't believe it.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the students stood up and go, Hey Joe, I'm gonna come over to you, buddy.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm coming over to you.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm thinking, maybe this wasn't such a great idea.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Finally, they turned their attention back to me, and I said, Before we do that, though, I want to share two stories with you this morning.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: One is a TV commercial, and the other story is why I left my village of Miyadi Myongdong, South Korea.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: I said the TV commercial is of a high school, and it's in between classes, and the students are going from one class to another class.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: As the students are going up and down the hallway, there's a young man standing in front of his locker, and he's trying to open his locker and he's trying to balance some books and some papers that's in his arms as he's trying to open his locker with one hand.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: Across from this young man stands two young men.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: One looks like a big old lineman, and the other one looks like a quarterback, and then a cute little young lady that.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: And the three of them are visiting.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: Coming down the hallway, being obnoxious, this one young teenager just bumping into people as they're trying to open up their lockers and walking to and from class.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: And as this obnoxious young man running down the hallway comes to this young man that's trying to open up his locker, he bumps into him on purpose.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: And when he did that, the book and the papers all go over the floor.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: And the young man that's running keeps on running, laughing, laughing.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And the young man, this books and papers are all over the floor.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: He has this look of, oh my.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: And he starts bending over to pick up the papers and the books, when all of a sudden, into the picture comes this young man that's standing on the other side of the hallway, the one that looks like a quarterback.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And he comes over and he bends over and says, Hey, are you okay?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: And the young man goes, Yeah, uh-uh, I'm okay.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then he helps him gather his books and papers and stands up and hands it to the young man so that he can put them into his locker.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then the young man that came over to help goes over and joins the big old Lyman and the young lady.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: And as he joins his friends, the big old Lyman gives him a high five.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: And across the screen comes this word, character.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I said to the young people that day, that is my challenge to you to be a person of character with your peers, within your home, within your community.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Character.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: I said, the other story that I want to share with you is why I left my village of Miyadi Myongdong in South Korea.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: Until about 15 or 16 years ago, when someone would ask me after I spoke at a conference for Westar or high schools or different corporations or universities, we would have a question and answer session.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: And inevitably someone would ask me, Judge Webb, you are six or seven years of age.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: What led you to leave your village and just start walking that morning?
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: And my response to that question would always be, you know when it's your time.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: And one morning in November of 1958, I woke up and it was just my time to leave my village.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I got up that morning and I just started walking, and I left my village behind, never to return again.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I said that morning to the students at Holebrook, Nebraska, I want to tell you the real reason why I left my village that day.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: I said a few years ago, I received a call.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Judy and I were in Topeka, Kansas.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: We lived 330 miles away, little town called Sablet, Kansas.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: But because of different committees and responsibilities that I had, we were in Topeka probably about two times a month.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I had just finished a meeting that Friday morning, and Judy and I had gone to a Mexican restaurant, had finished eating Mexica food.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: I just love Mexico, I just love all kinds of foods.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: Can you tell?
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: But as we were walking out of that restaurant, my phone, I think I had one of those bag phones, my phone rang.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I answered it, and the lady said, Judge Webb, this is so-and-so from the governor's office.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason I'm calling is because the governor's conference this year is going to be on child abuse and neglect.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: And we would like for you to come and be one of our keynote speakers this coming year.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I just said to her, Thank you for the invitation, but I don't think I'll be able to make it.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a little bit of silence.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And then she said, Judge Webb, I haven't even given you the dates yet.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, I normally know the governor's conference on child abuse and neglect is in October, first part of November.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think my docket, now this was in July.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: I said, I think my docket is pretty well full, but I said, I would go home and I would check.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: She said, Judge Welb, I'd appreciate that.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: I will call you next week.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: I said, thank you.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: Please call.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: And and and I have a better idea.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: Hung up the phone and got into the car, and she said, Who was that?
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I told her our conversation to which she said, You're not going to speak at the conference, are you?
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: I said, No.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to speak at the conference.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Because there's things that had happened to me in my village that I had never shared with anyone, but my mother and my wife.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: She said, okay.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: And we drove home, got home late Friday night.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: The next morning we got up and we had breakfast, and then Judy went to do something, and the phone rang, and I picked up the phone and good morning, Tom.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: This is Jeanette.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Judge Jeanette Harper from South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: Good friends of her husband, Jim and I and Judy.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: We played golf together.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: We spent time in their home, just good friends.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: And in a few moments, she said to me, Tommy, the reason I'm calling is our conference next year is on child abuse and neglect.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I've heard your story many times, and I know there was an abuse in your life, but I think your story would be very appropriate for our conference.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: And as she was speaking, my mind went back to Friday, the day before, and the conversation that I'd had.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: And there must have been some hesitation on my part because all of a sudden I heard her say, Tom, Tom, there wasn't any abuse, was there?
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: To which I said, Oh, Jeanette, you can't believe the abuse that went on in our little village.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the village sat on a hill, the United Nations Marine base was just right there.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: Our village consisted of women and children.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, you know what's coincidental is.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I shared with her the call that I just had the day before.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: And she listened.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then she said to me, Maybe it's not coincidence that you got that phone call yesterday and I'm calling you today.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe this is something that you need to think about and pray about before you say no to me, also.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Jeanette, I promise I will think about it and I will pray about it.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, if you call me next week, I'll give you an answer.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: She said, Do you promise?
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Jeanette, I promise.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Can I talk to Jim?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: She goes, No, I want to talk to Judy first.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so after they conversed, and then Judy handed me the phone, I talked to Jim, and Judy went, and and then later that day, I was sitting in my office, and Judy came in and she said, When Jeanette calls next week, what are you gonna say to her?
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: I said, the answer is no.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: And she looked at me and she said, Jeanette said that you'd pray about it.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: I said, I have.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: She said, Maybe this is something we need to pray about.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe this is something that isn't just coincidence, but maybe it's something that God wants you to share to help others who are going through struggles in life.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: I said, you just go ahead and pray about it.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think I know what the answer is.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: When I got the call next week from Topeka, I said, What are the dates?
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I had those dates open.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Yes, I can come and I can speak.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: And when Jeanette called me back, I said, Jeanette, I'd be more than glad to come and speak in Charleston, South Carolina for you.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: One of the stories that I shared at those two conferences is why I left my village of Miyati Myongdong.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was a cold night in the middle of November in 1958, and to this day I don't know why I was by myself because you learned as a young child, you never, never spent the evenings alone.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: You were always with a group of children.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: But that night I found myself alone, and so I found a big old trash pile of trash in an alleyway, and I dug myself into that pile of trash for the warmth, but also for the security.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if you'd walked past that pile of trash, you would have never seen me because I was buried in that garbage, but I still could see in front of me.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: And as I slept that night, all of a sudden I was awoken by a scream.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: Children screaming in our village was a common thing, but the child that was screaming was so close.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I woke up that evening and I looked down the alleyway with a full moon there.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: And at the edge of the alleyway, there was this man who was sexually molesting a little three-year-old girl.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: And she was just flopping like a little ragdoll.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: And she was the one that had been screaming.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: I laid there in that garbage, so scared.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because if I moved and made a sound and he heard me, he might come after me.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: So I laid there and I did nothing.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I watched.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then I heard a sound.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the only way I can describe this sound is the moan of hopelessness that comes from the very heart of a child.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I heard that moan from that little girl.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: And after he finished with her, he tossed her to the side and left the alley.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I still laid there in that garbage for at least 30 minutes, so scared to move.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: Finally, I dug my way out of the garbage and I went over to where she was laying there on the ground.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: And she was so tiny, but I couldn't pick, I didn't have the ability, the strength to pick her up.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: But I remember putting my arms underneath her arms, and I drug her back to the pile of garbage that I'd been sleeping in.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: And within my little mind, I thought, if I just keep her warm, she'll be okay.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I put her on my chest, and then I put the garbage around us, and I fell asleep with her in my arms.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: When I woke up the next morning, she passed away in the middle of the night.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I buried her the best that I could in that garbage.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I walk out of that alleyway.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: But as I was walking out of that alleyway, there's a voice that said to my heart and to my mind, if you stay here, you too will die in an alleyway.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: And then a few days later, I woke up and I got up and I just started walking.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I left my village behind, never to return again.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I looked at those young people that morning, and I said, young people, I I understand that life is not fair.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: I understand that.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: But I also understand there's many young people here that you don't understand the circumstances, situations of life that they might go in through.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: But I do know this.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: There's students that you go past that you've gone to school with since you were in elementary school, middle school.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: And you go past them and you don't even say good morning.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: Or how are you doing?
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because they're not as strong and big as you are, they're not as fast as you are, they're not as smart as you are, they're not as petite as you are, they're not in the right group.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so you go past them with an attitude of read my palm.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: You're not important, you're not special.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: But this morning, I want to give you the opportunity to go to some of your fellow students.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to take them by the hand.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to look them right in the eyes, because the eyes are the windows to the heart.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to say to them, You are special.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: And the only thing that person can say back to you is you are special too.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to just look around and maybe select three or four this morning that you like to go to to let them know that they're special.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: When I said that, the heads turned, and they were looking around the auditorium, and you could have heard a pin drop in that auditorium.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: And then they turned and looked at me.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: I said, let's do it.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it was like a big old explosion in that auditorium.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: Kids were running to other friends and they were shaking their hands.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: You are special.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: You are special too.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: Some of them were hugging each other, and I'm going, oh, please don't do that.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_00: You are special.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: You are special too.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I was watching the young people that morning when all of a sudden I looked to my left, and there in the eighth row, all by himself, was this young man standing.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: And he was looking around the auditorium.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then all of a sudden I lost sight of him.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I realized he had just sat down in his chair.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: As I gathered my notes, I made a mental note saying, as soon as you get all your notes gathered, you're going to go over and shake that young man's hand to let him know that he is special.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: I gathered my notes and I turned and I took a step.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: Just as I took a step, a young lady from this area over here came past me, a little cheerleader.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: She had a little cheerleading outfit, and she was walking in front of me, and I was following her when all of a sudden a young man in the front row stopped me and put his hand out, said, Judge Webb, I want you to know that you are special.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: I said, You are special too.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: And then I took a few more steps and I looked, and that young lady had turned in the eighth row, and she was walking toward that young man that was sitting by himself in that eighth row.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: That young man must have seen her coming because all of a sudden I saw him stand up and I stopped and I saw her take his hand and she was looking up and I could not hear because of all the commotion that was going on.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I knew she was saying to him, You are special.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: And he was saying to her, You are special too.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then she turned around and left up the aisle, and I lost sight of her and I looked, and he was still standing up, but he had his head down like this.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: I took about three or four steps when all of a sudden a big old lineman in the middle area came from the center section here.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: He had a jersey on with a 70-some number, weighing over 200 pounds in high school, but he started walking down that eighth row.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I stopped right there to watch.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: The young man saw that big old lineman coming towards him, and that young man put his hand out.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: That lineman ran right past the hands of that young man, and he just gave him a big old bear hug, and he picked him up and he started shaking that man in his arms.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that big old lineman was saying to that young man, you are special.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that young man was saying to that big old lineman, you are special.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then that big old lineman put him down, ruffled up his hair.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I had to wait until it cleared because both of us could not have walked down that row.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: As he cleared the eighth row, and Costa Island went to join his friends.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: I turned to take a step.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: And just as I was stepping, I looked, and the young man standing there was wiping tears off of his cheeks, and I stopped.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I wanted so badly to go and shake his hand to let him know that he was special, but I felt like I was intruding upon something that was very special for him.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: This was his moment, and I felt like as if I'd be intruding if I had invaded that space of his that morning.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_00: So whether it's right or wrong, I backed up and turned around and went back to the podium, visited with the two principals that were staying there as the students finished their little exercise.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: After they had finished, I made some closing remarks, and one of the principals came up and thanked me, and then he said, Okay, students, this is how we're gonna leave today.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_00: I want this section to stand, and I want you to go out this door as soon as they're all done.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: Middle section, I want you to stand, and I want you to go out this door as soon as they're all done.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: This section over here, I want you to stand, and I want you to go out this door.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: All the students in the section stood and they started finding out that door.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: The young man that was in the eighth row came to the front of the aisle right here of the auditorium, and instead of turning toward the door, he stopped and he looked at me.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: When he looked at me, I smiled, and I'm a winker, so I probably winked at him also.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: He started walking towards me.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: When he started walking towards me, I started walking towards him, and I met him halfway.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I put my hand out, and he took his hand and put it in my hand, and he put his other one over my hand, and I looked up at him and I said, Young man, I want you to know that you are special.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: He looked at me and said, Judge Webb, you are special too.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: And you will never know what today has meant to me.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then he said, Can I give you a hug?
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Of course.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I stood there and I hugged that young man as he just gave me a bear hug.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: Saying, Thank you.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then he left and walked out that door, and I went and joined the other two principals.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: And after all the students had exited, he said, Okay, students, stand and let's exit out this door.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: The students in that middle section stood up and instead of going out the door, they started walking towards me.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_00: And those students came, shook my hand, or gave me a hug before they exited.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I was amazed at how many of those students said to me, Thank you.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for letting me know that I am special.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: The first time I heard a student say to me, You're the first person that's ever said to me that I was special, that I had value.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: When all those students had left, this section was asked to stand, and they all got in line and shook my hand or gave me a hug before they left.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: But the first time I heard a student say, that is the first time anyone has said to me, You are special.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_00: Within my heart and mind, I just cried out, parents, where are we?
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: Grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles?
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: Where are we?
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: Are we so busy with the priorities of life?
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_00: Being successful in the journey of life?
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: C.S.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: Lewis said, it is not your business to succeed, but to do right when you have done so.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: The rest lies with God.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: Are we so busy in the race of life, journey of life, that we forget about that which is truly important in the journey of life?
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus said to the Ephesians, I want you to know the power, the power and the love of God, so that we might share that love with others.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: When we have God's love, it empowers us to be a light within the darkened world.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: And when we become the light, we share life, eternal life, with those around us.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what situation, circumstances that you might be going through, but I want you today to know the love of Jesus Christ that surpasses all understanding.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: The world just does not understand the peace and the joy that Jesus gives.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: If you truly want to have joy within your life, joy, put Jesus first, put others second, and then you.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: One writer wrote a song entitled Learning to Lean.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm learning to lean.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm learning to lean on Jesus, finding more power than I'd ever dreamed.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_00: Sad, brokenhearted, at an altar I knelt.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: I found peace that was so serene.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: And all that he asks is a childlike trust and a heart that is learning to lean.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_00: There's glorious victory each day now for me, since I found his peace so serene.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: He helps me with each task, if only I'll ask every day.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm learning to lean.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: The joy I can't explain fills my heart since the day I made Jesus my King, not just my Savior, but the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: His blessed Holy Spirit is leading my way.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: He's teaching.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm learning to lean.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_00: Learning to lean.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: Learning to lean.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: Finding more power than I'd ever dreamed.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: Would you bow your heads with me this morning?
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: Close your eyes.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what situation, circumstances of life, or struggles that you might be dealing with today.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_00: But let me suggest to open your heart and mind to Jesus and allow him to come and to guide and to direct and truly make a difference within your life so you know the power that comes from God within your life.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can't do it by yourself, but through the power of the one who spoke, and the storm ceased.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_00: He that spoke with the power, Lazarus, and he walked out of that grave power within your life to have that joy and peace.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_00: Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for the love that you have given to us.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_00: But you have given to us that love not just to hold on to, but that love, that eternal life.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: And this morning, my prayer is no matter what the struggles or situations or circumstances, we submit to you.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_00: We obey you because we trust in you.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_00: And we allow you to guide and direct in our lives so that we can truly look at others as you have looked at us with value, with love, with mercy, with grace, with compassion, with forgiveness.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_00: Father, help us to leave this place of worship and share that light.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: In Christ's name we ask it.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_00: And all of God's people said, Amen, amen.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: God bless you.