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Transcript

Light of the Trail: Building Faith with the Scouts · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  If you're just getting here, welcome to First Reformed Church.
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  Today is truly a blessing to be in the presence of the scouts,
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  especially as we celebrate Scout Sunday.
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  With our scouts, our leaders and families joining us for worship.
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  We're grateful for your service, your integrity, and you are an example to many of us.
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  You remind us of what it means to live with honor, to serve others and to lead with purpose.
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  All things that align beautifully with the faith that we hold in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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  Now, real quick, I just wanna be honest with the scouts that are here today.
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  I tried to join the Cub Scouts. I know that's not the same thing,
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  but I did try to join the scouts.
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  And I will tell you, I did not make it past that knot tying phase.
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  So I think the only badge that I earned was most likely to get tangled.
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  So I apologize for not making it as far as all of you But I did later in the
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  80s now i'm dating myself join the lions club and after Some interesting meetings
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  and uniforms and all the rules about being prepared At that point I realized
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  something wasn't probably in it for me Um,
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  maybe it was the fact that I wasn't built for badges.
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  I'll be honest But I was built to follow direction so together,
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  as we honor you, honor the Lord, it's really interesting to say that we both have faith.
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  We have faith in the scouting, the scouting community, following directions,
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  trusting on the path before you is leading somewhere good, even if you don't
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  see the whole path in front of you yet.
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  So we welcome each and every one of you today to officially the Scout Sunday.
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  And as we bring in the light of Christ this morning, I want to remind each and every one of you.
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  When we bring the light of Christ inside the church, that is because Christ
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  is outside of this church just as much as he's inside this church.
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  Bringing light of Christ into the church is allowing the Holy Spirit to take
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  over all of us, to remind you that he is here in his presence.
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  So as you watch these gentlemen bring the light of Christ in,
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  I want you to take it in because Christ is joining us here today.
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  Doing children's message. Would you pray with me?
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  Heavenly Father, this message that I'm about to give has been extremely difficult for me.
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  So much that I get a little emotional because I have had a very difficult month.
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  But one thing that has never, ever stopped me was my faith.
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  And as many times as so many things have tried to enter into my home,
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  into my heart that tells me that I can't give this message today,
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  tells me that this message needs to be given.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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  So let's talk about today's message. Building on faith.
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  We just heard from Proverbs 3, which reminds us, trust in the Lord with all
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  your heart and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways,
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  submit to him and he will make your paths straight.
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  Well, faith is a lot like hiking.
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  It's a lot like hiking with a compass. You don't always see the destination,
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  but your trust and your guide does.
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  But you know who guides you? Our heavenly father.
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  You check your direction, stay the course and follow the one who knows the way.
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  Proverbs reminds us of that. It says, trust in the Lord with all your heart
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  and lean not in your own understanding.
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  Sometimes, I would think the scouts understand this, sometimes the trails get rocky.
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  Sometimes the weather turns. Sometimes we think we found a shortcut.
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  But God says, trust me, keep walking.
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  That's what it means to build on faith, to stay steady.
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  Even when life twists through all of us, whether it's in our hearts,
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  whether it's our daily life, things we don't understand.
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  Faith builds. Jesus said, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them
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  into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock.
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  Notice, he doesn't just say who hears But who puts them into practice,
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  Faith isn't built in comfort It's built in consistency And just like the scouts
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  Who earn badges through practice Faith is strengthening through the daily habits of prayer Kindness,
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  forgiveness, and trust,
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  We all know that it's like when a storm comes,
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  the winds of worry, the rain of disappointment, the floor of uncertainty.
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  But in our life, our life is built on Christ, the rock.
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  You may shake, but guess what? It won't crumble.
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  Let me share something with you. A few weeks ago, my mother and I, we went to Walmart.
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  We're waiting at a customer service because I wanted to pick up one of these.
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  Now these, you can't buy a gift card without having to go through customer service
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  with all the fraud. So they make you go to customer service and we're waiting online.
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  And all of a sudden, as we were about to go up next, this troubled man who seemed
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  very worried, you can tell, you can see the desperation in his eyes,
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  walked up and clearly said i'm sorry i've got to ask this lady a question go ahead,
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  have you seen a pair of keys i have been looking for them for three days please
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  have you seen a pair of keys he told the woman and without even flinching the
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  woman said let me take a look she reached into the drawer held up a pair of
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  keys and said are these them.
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  When he saw his keys, he shouted, oh, God is good. God is so good.
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  Then he started to talk to us because we just happened to be next in line.
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  And he said, I don't know what I was going to do. I was so stressed out.
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  I had no idea what to do. I couldn't find the keys. I was thinking I had to
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  get all these spares remade.
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  And at that moment, I said, three days, huh? you've been looking for them for
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  three days. He says, yes.
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  So I smiled and I said, well, maybe God didn't want you to be on the road for those three days.
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  Maybe that's why you weren't meant to be on the road for those three days.
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  He paused and something struck him. And then he looked back at me and he said,
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  you know what? You're right.
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  I should listen more. Things happen for a reason.
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  That moment then struck me. because how many times have we've all been there,
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  frustrated, waiting, wondering, why did something happen to me?
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  Why something didn't go our way?
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  Maybe the keys were never lost. Maybe God was just protecting us from a road,
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  a road where we weren't meant to travel.
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  Sometimes faith means trusting that the delays are divine, that even when we
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  feel stuck, God is still steering.
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  So how does faith serve us? Well, I can tell you one thing. The scouts have a motto, be prepared.
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  And in many ways, that's what Christian life is about too. That's what people of God is about.
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  Being prepared to serve, to help, to love, and to forgive.
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  Both the scouts and the church live by a code.
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  Honor God, respect others, serve with kindness, and stand firm in what is right.
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  When we live that way, we build on a foundation of love, trust, and obedience.
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  Our lives become testimonies, testimonies of faith and inaction.
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  We become examples of what it means to be more godly like.
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  We become examples of what it means to build on something that lasts.
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  So whether you're young, older, I won't say old.
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  Scout or not, remember this.
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  God is always calling us to build. To build faith. To build character.
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  To build bridges of compassion. To build life that stands on a rock.
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  So how do we build together?
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  Faith, like scouting, isn't a solo adventure.
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  It's about building together, helping others find their way,
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  Lifting each other up And serving side by side And that's where we as a church come in,
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  We are called to build on faith Not just for ourselves But for the next generation,
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  So this week I have a challenge for every single one of you,
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  Do one random act of kindness Be a scout,
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  Not just for a day But for every day someone who brings light, respect,
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  compassion into this world. Be a scout.
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  Go out and shine in the way that Christ wants you to shine. Be prepared.
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  Be prepared to lift someone up, to offer a hand, to forgive,
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  to serve, to share in love, to offer kindness and lift others the way Christ lifts you.
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  Because faith at its core is meant to be lived, not just believed.
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  Because faith isn't built on the same way that we saw others do things.
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  It's built on the way that we do.
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  And remember, faith isn't made of wood or stone. Faith isn't made of love.
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  By itself. It's made of love and how much Jesus loves you.
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  Jesus believes in you. Jesus trusts in you. And Jesus never will ever leave your side.
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  So let me conclude with this.
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  Just recently, I get a call from my local school district and they tell me that
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  my daughter is having trouble again with being bullied.
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  I shared with you a couple weeks ago, a couple months ago, that my daughter
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  decided to befriend her bully.
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  And things had stopped Only to start up again,
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  As a father As a man who is trying to invest Everything he has To learn what
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  forgiveness is all about It was very difficult,
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  For me to balance the difference between Being more pastor-like,
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  And being more papa-like,
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  And I don't have to tell you what was going through my mind What I wanted to do,
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  but then it hit me.
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  As Jesus snuck up on that cross and they mocked him and spit on him, they made fun of him.
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  With every ounce of energy he had in him.
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  He said, Lord, forgive them. For they not know what they do.
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  When I ask you to do one random act of kindness.
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  I'm asking you to be more patient. Be more courteous.
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  This past month. My son was being driven by his mother-in-law.
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  And they ran into a car. and they got into a car accident.
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  As I'm dealing with one child's issue, I deal with another.
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  Forgiveness. Patience. Patience in prayer. Patience in faith.
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  Things that the scouts have been already trained to do. But you know what's
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  beautiful about being a scout?
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  They can't truly train you to be what you already are.
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  And that you are all a gift from God.
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  It is your actions. It is your random act of kindness that reminds each and
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  every one of us that we should be a scout.
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  So what is built on faith?
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  So many of us here have enjoyed our moment with the scouts being here as a guest.
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  So maybe I wasn't a scout, right? I said that earlier. I didn't become a scout.
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  Maybe I did not earn a badge or made it long enough through the Lions Club or
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  the Boy Scouts or the scouts.
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  But I've learned that faithful scouts, faithful scouts like each and every one
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  of us and you, Just like faithful believers Follow the same path And that path is of honor,
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  Path of the Holy Spirit Path of Jesus Who calls us to follow And that path Is
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  made of faith Built of trust And guided by the root And the body of Christ Which is surrounded,
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  By love Amen.
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  Heavenly Father, thank you for the scouts, for their leaders,
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  for the spirit of service that fills the sanctuary today.
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  Help us to build our faith like they build their skills, strong, steady, and ready.
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  May your spirit guide our steps and remind us that every act of kindness is
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  a step toward your kingdom.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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  Our time of worship is now concluded. We brought the light of Christ in To begin
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  our Sunday We will take the Christ light Out into the world,
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  Every one of you Have been challenged With one random act of kindness Love to
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  hear your story Love to hear what you've done And I look forward to seeing you when I return,
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  And everyone that has joined us here today Whether you're a scout Or not Welcome
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  to First Reformed Church The home The light on the hill In Walden.
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  Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday For those of you rooting for whatever team you're
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  rooting for Best of luck As a Jets fan slash,
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  Patriots fan slash I'm a bandwagon fan, let's put it that way I always win So
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  I'm happy Enjoy your time with your family Because that's really what it's all
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  about is getting together and enjoying that moment.
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  Laugh, cry if your team loses, but more importantly, be with yourselves and
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  your family and your friends and loved ones.
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  Enjoy the Lord and receive the benediction.
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  May the Holy Father just be with each and every one of you. May he bless you.
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  May he keep you. May he guide you on your path toward righteousness.
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  May he give you that gift of patience, compassion in Jesus' holy name. Amen.