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Staying Young as Your Family Grows Older Msg 88 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living (64k) · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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  Speaker 1: In your Old Testament, you will find the book of Joshua.
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  Speaker 1: And in that book, you will find a little mini
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  Speaker 1: biography of a magnificent man. We're just given a glimpse,
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  Speaker 1: a few vignettes from his life, but it's enough to
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  Speaker 1: feed our souls on as we think about staying young
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  Speaker 1: as our family is growing older. Obviously, my words are
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  Speaker 1: especially directed to those of us in the grandparenting years,
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  Speaker 1: but they apply to all of us because all of
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  Speaker 1: us will be there someday. Joshua 14. I want to
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  Speaker 1: read verses 6 through the 14th verses and have you
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  Speaker 1: remember there is an outline that is for you which
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  Speaker 1: we will be following as we work our way through
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  Speaker 1: this message today. Joshua 14 verse 6. Then the sons
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  Speaker 1: of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal and Caleb
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  Speaker 1: and The son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, said to him,
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  Speaker 1: You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses,
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  Speaker 1: the man of God, concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
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  Speaker 1: I was 40 years old when Moses, the servant of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out
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  Speaker 1: the land, and I brought word back to him as
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  Speaker 1: it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went
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  Speaker 1: up with me made the heart of the people melt
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  Speaker 1: with fear, but I followed the Lord my God fully.
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  Speaker 1: So Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land
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  Speaker 1: on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance
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  Speaker 1: to you and to your children forever, because you have
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  Speaker 1: followed the Lord my God fully. Now behold, Caleb answers,
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  Speaker 1: The Lord has let me live just as he spoke
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  Speaker 1: these forty-five years. From the time that the Lord spoke
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  Speaker 1: this word to Moses when Israel walked in the wilderness,
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  Speaker 1: now please notice, and now behold, I am 85 years
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  Speaker 1: old today. I'm still as strong today as I was
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  Speaker 1: in the day Moses sent me. As my strength was then,
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  Speaker 1: so my strength is now for war and for going
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  Speaker 1: out and coming in. Look at that last phrase. It's
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  Speaker 1: a Hebrew colloquialism for living life daily, going out the door,
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  Speaker 1: coming back in, going into problems, working through them, going out,
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  Speaker 1: coming in. I'm strong for war or for the daily
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  Speaker 1: responsibilities of life is the idea. Now then, give me
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  Speaker 1: this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day,
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  Speaker 1: for you heard on that day that Anakim were there.
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  Speaker 1: with great fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me,
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  Speaker 1: and I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken.
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  Speaker 1: So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb, the
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  Speaker 1: son of Jephunneh, for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the
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  Speaker 1: inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, until
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  Speaker 1: this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel,
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  Speaker 1: For a few moments, let's just sit quietly before the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: You just bow your head and close your eyes. It's
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  Speaker 1: very seldom a group this large is this quiet. in
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  Speaker 1: any gathering in our lives, except in a house of worship.
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  Speaker 1: It's quiet for a reason. We're told to be still
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  Speaker 1: and to know that he is God. Silence helps us
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  Speaker 1: collect our thoughts. It allows our filter to kick in
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  Speaker 1: and remove from us the non-essentials From the essentials. To
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  Speaker 1: sift out the worries. Help us focus. Lord, you are
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  Speaker 1: to us a refuge. Of strength. You will be that
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  Speaker 1: for our friends who travel thousands of miles on their
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  Speaker 1: journey to India. You will take. Be with them no
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  Speaker 1: less than you are with us and no more than
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  Speaker 1: you are with others. On this, the Lord's Day, we
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  Speaker 1: gather and we are grateful for time to gather around
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  Speaker 1: the word. They're doing that all over this world today.
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  Speaker 1: Worship has ended in other parts of the world. It's
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  Speaker 1: not yet begun in yet others. Gather in all kinds
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  Speaker 1: of places and all strata of society, rich and poor,
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  Speaker 1: the hungry and the full, the lost and those who
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  Speaker 1: have a close walk with you, the fearful as well
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  Speaker 1: as the confident, the grieving as well as those who celebrate,
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  Speaker 1: the fearful as well as those who have trusted you.
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  Speaker 1: The only place where there is an absolute absence of
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  Speaker 1: rank or any privileged position is in your body, the church.
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  Speaker 1: So as one standing on the level ground at the cross,
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  Speaker 1: we have sung our songs to you. We've met every
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  Speaker 1: word of them. We've sung of the Lamb and of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. We've expressed our heartfelt gratitude as we focused
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  Speaker 1: on your grace and the power of faith and the
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  Speaker 1: magnetism of love. All of this makes our heart hungry
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  Speaker 1: for more. So supply more our refuge and strength. Be
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  Speaker 1: for us a harbor of hope. This world is a
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  Speaker 1: dangerous and frightening place to live. And may we, as
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  Speaker 1: a result of time together, gain fresh courage and a
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  Speaker 1: better attitude to walk into it with confidence as these
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  Speaker 1: days unfold this week. Take care of the women and
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  Speaker 1: men who wear uniforms today. Watch over their families who
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  Speaker 1: wait with a great deal of consternation, concern. Bring them
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  Speaker 1: safely back. Free that country. Get them on their feet.
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  Speaker 1: Bring our Americans home. Now, Lord, because you are our
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  Speaker 1: refuge and our strength, we have no hesitation to give
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  Speaker 1: to you and to your work. Be honored in both.
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  Speaker 1: We pray and we give in the name of Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: Everybody said.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: There's something delightful and carefree about being young. Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
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  Speaker 1: shortly before his death, wrote a little piece called Youth
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  Speaker 1: and Age. In it, there is a line, not cared
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  Speaker 1: this body for wind or weather, when youth and I
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  Speaker 1: lived in it together. My question is, why must that
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  Speaker 1: attitude stop? Where is the culprit who passed the edict
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  Speaker 1: that growing older is a plague and that all gray
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  Speaker 1: and white hair should be dyed brown or black? Where
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  Speaker 1: is that culprit? What is there about leaving one's 50s
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  Speaker 1: that makes one uneasy about saying he or she is
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  Speaker 1: entering the 60s or the 70s or the 80s? It's
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  Speaker 1: a huge thing, especially for women. Women sometimes do funny math.
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  Speaker 1: I thought of it when I read the dialogue the
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  Speaker 1: other day between a woman and a census taker. Your age, please,
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  Speaker 1: he asked. Well, said the woman, let me figure this out.
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  Speaker 1: I was 18 when I married and my husband was 30.
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  Speaker 1: He's now 60 or twice as old as he was
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  Speaker 1: back then. So that means I'm now 36.
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  Speaker 3: 36.
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  Speaker 1: Now, I'm realistic enough to know that age comes on fast.
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  Speaker 1: It's like the statement, it's a quick slide. from bikinis
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  Speaker 1: to estrogen. As one wag wrote, you know you're getting
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  Speaker 1: old when you call suicide prevention and they put you
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  Speaker 1: on hold. When you wake up and discover your waterbed
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  Speaker 1: had a leak and realize later you don't have a waterbed.
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  Speaker 1: When resisting temptation is not nearly as hard as recognizing it.
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  Speaker 1: When the airline person offers you coffee tea or milk
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  Speaker 1: of magnesia, you know you're getting old. Why should getting
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  Speaker 1: old bother anybody? Especially if we're still healthy and able
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  Speaker 1: to get around. Satchel Paige says, always one of my
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  Speaker 1: favorite baseball players because he never paid any attention to
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  Speaker 1: how old he was and everybody else talked about it
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  Speaker 1: and he never did. In fact, I'm not sure he
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  Speaker 1: even knew how old he was. And even when he
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  Speaker 1: got past what was called the retirement years for baseball players,
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  Speaker 1: he was still pitching that baseball. So somebody finally interviewed
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  Speaker 1: him and said, hey, Satcher, what's your philosophy on aging?
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  Speaker 1: He said, that's really simple. Age is a question of
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  Speaker 1: mind over matter. You don't mind, you don't matter. Amos
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  Speaker 1: Alonzo Stagg was the founder of American football and he
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  Speaker 1: lived a long time. In fact, when he was at
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  Speaker 1: 102 and was living in a rest home, one of
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  Speaker 1: the local sportscasters heard where he was located and decided
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  Speaker 1: to do an interview with this 102-year-old, very sharp and
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  Speaker 1: quick-witted man. So he sat down with his camera and
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  Speaker 1: he interviewed him and took a few photos and was
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  Speaker 1: so stimulated by it, he said as they finished, You know, Mr. Stagg,
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  Speaker 1: I hope I can come back next year and do
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  Speaker 1: this when you're 103. Stagg said, you look pretty healthy
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  Speaker 1: to me. I think you'll make it. I've always liked
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  Speaker 1: the statement, to be 75 years young is far better
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  Speaker 1: than being 45 years old. Because I've noticed that some
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  Speaker 1: are older at 45 than others at 75. Never quite
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  Speaker 1: been able to figure that out. Henry David Thoreau put
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  Speaker 1: it well, none are so old as those who have
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  Speaker 1: outlived enthusiasm. It isn't your age. It's your attitude. Nobody
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  Speaker 1: cares how old you are except you. And if you
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  Speaker 1: don't mind, it don't matter. So quit talking about your
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  Speaker 1: age and start demonstrating enthusiasm. By the way, your family
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  Speaker 1: would love it if you'd listen closely today. I haven't
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  Speaker 1: talked to them. I just know families. And some of
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  Speaker 1: you are getting a little crotchety, a little hard to
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  Speaker 1: live with. And they'd like you to knock it off.
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  Speaker 1: So they would say, listen to Chuck today. This is
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  Speaker 1: going to help you. Let's start with attitudes that just
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  Speaker 1: demoralize us as we begin to age, whatever age that is.
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  Speaker 1: The first attitude is uselessness. Uselessness says, I'm over the hill.
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  Speaker 1: I get in everybody's way. Why am I still around?
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  Speaker 1: Johann Goethe, the German poet, once wrote, a useless life
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  Speaker 1: is an early death. Don't go there. Uselessness is a
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  Speaker 1: bad attitude to carry with you. And you'll die before
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  Speaker 1: you die. The second attitude is self-pity. Self-pity says, nobody
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  Speaker 1: cares about me anymore. Why should I bother to stay
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  Speaker 1: alive or in touch? Woe is me. Invariably, it leads
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  Speaker 1: to blame. Blame leads to bitterness. And bitterness leads your
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  Speaker 1: family to say, how long is grandma staying this time?
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  Speaker 1: How long are they going to be? Why did we
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  Speaker 1: say we'd bring them with us on a vacation? They
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  Speaker 1: don't mind you. They just hate your attitude. Third is fear. Now,
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  Speaker 1: this is a very common one among those getting older.
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  Speaker 1: This attitude says, I need to be very careful. I
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  Speaker 1: need to avoid all dangers and all risk. This can
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  Speaker 1: quickly lead to a suspicious spirit. And a suspicious spirit
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  Speaker 1: leads quickly to paranoia. When I use the word paranoia,
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  Speaker 1: I remember the words of one wag who said, just
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  Speaker 1: because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to
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  Speaker 1: get you. I like that. Fear is a thief. It
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  Speaker 1: steals our joy and it robs us of peace. Fear
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  Speaker 1: is the most devastating of all emotions, someone once wrote.
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  Speaker 1: If you're afraid, chances are good you'll draw your blinds
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  Speaker 1: and lock your door. and lock it, and lock it,
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  Speaker 1: and lock it yet again. Don't go there. Perhaps the
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  Speaker 1: most devastating of the four is the attitude of guilt
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  Speaker 1: mixed with regret. This attitude is forever looking back with
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  Speaker 1: a sigh, saying, if only. If only I hadn't. If
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  Speaker 1: only I had. And then you finish the sentence. Guilt
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  Speaker 1: and regret feed disappointment and discouragement. It's like the little
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  Speaker 1: poem across the fields of yesterday. He sometimes comes to me,
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  Speaker 1: a little lad, just back from play, the boy I
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  Speaker 1: used to be. He smiles at me so wistfully when
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  Speaker 1: once he's crept within me. It is as though he
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  Speaker 1: had hoped to see the man a mighty man. You
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  Speaker 1: can't read that without a sigh. The man is caught
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  Speaker 1: up in guilt and regret. To all of us who
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  Speaker 1: are grandparents and to all of you who will be,
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  Speaker 1: There is so much we can do that is useful
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  Speaker 1: and helpful and necessary in this old world. Our families
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  Speaker 1: definitely need us. As I think back to my own family,
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  Speaker 1: my grandfather was always younger than my father. My dad
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  Speaker 1: was old when I was born and I just made
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  Speaker 1: him older as I lived my life. But I never
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  Speaker 1: seemed to make my granddad older. Though he was many
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  Speaker 1: years senior to my dad, my granddad lived on the edge.
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  Speaker 1: Life was exciting, enthusiastic, fun. I think I played catch
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  Speaker 1: with my dad one time, and he got winded after
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  Speaker 1: about the fourth pitch, and then I wished my granddad
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  Speaker 1: had been there. It was my granddad who taught me
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  Speaker 1: how to handle a motorboat. It was my granddad who
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  Speaker 1: taught me how to drive. Never forget driving that 39
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  Speaker 1: Ford into the garage in El Campo, tearing off the
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  Speaker 1: front fender. My granddad never moved. He said, just back
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  Speaker 1: up and try it again, son. I didn't buy new fenders.
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  Speaker 1: I came by new grandsons. Let's try it again. That's
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  Speaker 1: my granddaddy. What a magnificent memory. Grandparents, the youth are
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  Speaker 1: told to honor us. Let's give them a reason to
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  Speaker 1: do it. Let's don't expect it without earning it. There's
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  Speaker 1: a reason they don't. And it may not be their fault.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe it's time for an attitude adjustment. Maybe it's time
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  Speaker 1: for us to take a real swift look at an
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  Speaker 1: attitude a fellow named Caleb possessed from his early years
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  Speaker 1: through his middle years and right up to his last years.
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  Speaker 2: It was an attitude of fortitude, an attitude of gratitude,
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  Speaker 2: an attitude of faith, a can-do spirit. That's Caleb, Joshua
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  Speaker 2: chapter 14. When you work through the younger years of
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  Speaker 2: his life, you see that he was positive. Even though
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  Speaker 2: the majority of others around him weren't, he was.
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  Speaker 1: They said, we can't. He said, we can. They said,
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  Speaker 1: we ought not. He said, we must. They said, it's impossible.
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  Speaker 1: He said, there is no such word with God. He
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  Speaker 1: was positive at the age of 40. And then when
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  Speaker 1: he went from 40 to 85, during those 45 years,
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  Speaker 1: what a journey that was, full of deaths. A whole
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  Speaker 1: generation is buried. He helped in some of those funerals,
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure. And he just kept on living, kept on anticipating,
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  Speaker 1: kept on thinking, we are about to take the land.
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  Speaker 1: We will take the land. And then when he reaches 85.
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  Speaker 1: and the land has been taken, he can't wait to
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  Speaker 1: take on the mountain. The first of the mountain men
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  Speaker 1: is Caleb. In his middle years, he's determined. In his
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  Speaker 1: later years, he's confident. I mean, who doesn't want a
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  Speaker 1: granddad like that? Tell me how to live like that.
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  Speaker 1: And I can't spend enough time with you. Caleb's contagious
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  Speaker 1: story is contained in this little section of Joshua 14.
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  Speaker 1: And right out of the chute, you find Caleb positive. 14.6
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  Speaker 1: of Joshua, the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua
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  Speaker 1: in Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite,
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  Speaker 1: said to Joshua, You know the word which the Lord
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  Speaker 1: spoke to Moses, the man of God, concerning you and
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  Speaker 1: me in Kadesh Barnea? Remember that, Joshua? I was 40
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  Speaker 1: years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent
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  Speaker 1: me from Kadesh to spy out the land. And I
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  Speaker 1: brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
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  Speaker 1: We need to look at that. So hold your place
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  Speaker 1: here and go to Numbers chapter 13. Turn. Some of
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  Speaker 1: you guys are going, honey, why don't you turn? I'm
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  Speaker 1: tired already.
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  Speaker 3: Yes.
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  Speaker 1: Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua. I can't find all that. Numbers 13.
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  Speaker 1: Get your buns and gear and look at Numbers 13,
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  Speaker 1: verse 1. The Lord spoke to Moses saying, Send out
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  Speaker 1: for yourself men so that they may spy out the
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  Speaker 1: land of Canaan, which I am going to give to
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  Speaker 1: the sons of Israel. You shall send a man from
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  Speaker 1: each of their father's tribe, every one a leader among them.
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  Speaker 1: Remember now, they're all leaders. They're all leaders of their tribes.
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  Speaker 1: So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at
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  Speaker 1: the command of the Lord, all of them men who
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  Speaker 1: were heads of the sons of Israel. Verse 6, from
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  Speaker 1: the tribe of Judah, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. The
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  Speaker 1: other names are here. I can't pronounce them, so I'll
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  Speaker 1: let you read them. Drop down to verse 25. 25,
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  Speaker 1: when they returned from spying out the land, so they've
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  Speaker 1: gone in the land, they've looked at all the things
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  Speaker 1: that are in front of them. They've not yet taken
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  Speaker 1: the land. They're going to study the crops. They're going
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  Speaker 1: to check out the location of the cities. They're going
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  Speaker 1: to notice the enemy. They're going to see and do
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  Speaker 1: a little plan strategy on what they ought to do
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  Speaker 1: when they take the land. And so they come back
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  Speaker 1: with even samples of the produce. They bring grapes and
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  Speaker 1: they bring pomegranates and they bring other things and they
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  Speaker 1: show them this is really a fertile land. Look at 25.
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  Speaker 1: When they returned from spying out the land at the
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  Speaker 1: end of 40 days, they proceeded to come to Moses
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  Speaker 1: and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons
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  Speaker 1: of Israel and in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh.
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  Speaker 1: And they brought back word to them and to all
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  Speaker 1: the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.
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  Speaker 1: Now imagine this in your mind. Here are 12 guys.
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  Speaker 1: They've got all of this stuff they're bringing back from
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  Speaker 1: their trip. Thus, they told him, said, we went into
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  Speaker 1: the land where you sent us, and it certainly does
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  Speaker 1: flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: here it comes. Here it comes. Nevertheless, the people who
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  Speaker 1: live in the land are strong. The cities are fortified.
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  Speaker 1: Very large. Moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
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  Speaker 1: Amalek is living in the land. By the way, these
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  Speaker 1: are the early basketball players. The Amalekites were the seven
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  Speaker 1: foot tall, seven, six, eight foot, six, seven, all those
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  Speaker 1: huge guys. And they saw these enemies like giants. They said,
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  Speaker 1: we were like grasshoppers in their eyes. So verse 29,
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  Speaker 1: Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and
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  Speaker 1: the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites and the Termites.
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  Speaker 1: They're all living in the hill, the hill country. And
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  Speaker 1: the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the
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  Speaker 1: side of the Jordan. And Caleb says, stop. Stop it.
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  Speaker 1: Be quiet. Now look at Caleb, stand tall. He's only
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  Speaker 1: 40 years old. He's outnumbered 10 to 2, he and Joshua,
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  Speaker 1: the only two that have eyes of faith. Caleb quieted
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  Speaker 1: the people and said, we should by all means go
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  Speaker 1: up and take possession of it. We shall surely overcome it.
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  Speaker 1: You want to go, did you see the same thing
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  Speaker 1: those other 10 people saw?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Do you realize those guys are big? Yeah. And
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: he would say, do you know how big God is?
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: Human giants are zip compared to a universal size God.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: It isn't about enemies. God said he will give us
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the land. So why are we standing here with our
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: face hanging out, worried about a few enemies hidden away
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: in fortified cities? Let's get an attitude of fortitude and
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: take them on. The man who had gone up with
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: him said, we are not able to go up against
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: the people for they're too strong for us. It isn't
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: about us, as Caleb would think. It's about our God.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: We're not doing this for us. It's not our battle.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: So they gave out to the sons of Israel, verse 32,
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: a bad report. Ever been in a crowd in an
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: office like that where bad news starts to spread? A
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: little negative attitude crops up at the water fountain. Before
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: you know it, you can hardly do your work on
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: your computer because you're overcome with a negative spirit and
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: the grousing of a few people. In fact, maybe a
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: lot of people ever stood against that. That's Caleb. They said,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: we can't do it. In fact, look at the end
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: of verse 32. The land through which we have gone
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: in spying it out is a land that devours its inhabitants.
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: And all the people whom we saw in it are
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: men of great size. There we saw the Nephilim, sons
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: of Anak. And we became like grasshoppers in our own sight. Oh,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: what are they doing and looking at themselves? Grasshoppers in
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: our own sight. Well, sure you are, you dodo. You're
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: not tall like they are. It's not about you. Can
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: God handle giants? Can God handle land filled with Canaanites?
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: That's why Caleb says what he does in verse 6.
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: Verse 6, chapter 14. Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: the son of Jephunneh, those who had spat out the land,
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: tore their clothes. And they spoke to all the congregation
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: of the sons of Israel, saying, the land which we
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: bring us into the land and give it to us,
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: a land that flows with milk and honey. Don't rebel.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: Don't rebel. Don't focus on what can't be done. Think
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: of our God. Do not fear the people of the land,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: for they shall be our prey. Isn't that a great answer?
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: Their protection has been removed from them. The Lord is
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: with us. Do not fear them. All the congregation applauded.
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: All right. No, it doesn't say that. Verse 10, they said,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: let's stone them with stones. Oh, boy. How's that for
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: a great response? You know why? Because negativism always gets
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: a nod over the positive spirit. Negative thinking will always
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: get the majority's attention. That's why the evening news is
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: full of it. They're not going to tell you it's
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: almost sunny. They'll tell you it's partly cloudy. They're not
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: going to tell you how great things are happening over
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: there in Orlando. They'll tell you about a mudslide in Malibu. Why?
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: Because that's what gets your attention. That's what sells newspapers.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: That's what the people want to hear. Unless, of course,
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: you're Caleb. refuses it now go back to Joshua 14
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: Caleb is remembering back when he was 40 and now
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: he doesn't change now I want you to stay with
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: this don't drift stay with the thought here's Caleb he's
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: lived through the next 45 years as the Lord removes
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: these people from the planet If you can't silence them,
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: you kill them. It's kind of a basic idea, okay?
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: And you remove them from, not in your office. I
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: don't have that in mind. When you're the Lord and
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: you don't want that kind of attitude, you say, get
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: rid of them. It's curtains. So guess what? Caleb, for
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: the next 45 years, is burying his peers. I don't
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: know if you thought about it or not, but that's
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: thousands and thousands of funerals. One after another after another,
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: all these carcasses are littering the journey as they wander
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: in the wilderness, teaching the Israelites a lesson that Caleb
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: was right. And Caleb said, you know, I never let
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: it affect my attitude. Look at verse 9. So Moses
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: swore on that day, surely the land where your foot
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: is trodden shall be an inheritance for you. Now verse 10,
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: now behold, The Lord has let me live just as
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: he spoke these 45 years. I love it. From the
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: time the Lord spoke this word to Moses when Israel
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: walked in the wilderness and now behold, I'm 85. Verse 11,
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: on the heels of giving them his age, look at
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: what he says. I'm still as strong today as I
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: was the day Moses sent me there's no wimpy woe
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: is me attitude he says I'm strong for going out
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: coming in for warfare give me the hill country not
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: referring to Kerrville or Bernie but Give me the land
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: where the giants are. You've got to love a guy
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: like this. I'll drive him out. We'll drive him out
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: as the Lord has spoken. It's not impossible. Don't tell
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: me it's impossible. Which reminds me, according to the theory
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: of aerodynamics, as may be readily demonstrated through wind tunnel experiments,
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: the bumblebee is unable to fly. This is because the size, weight,
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: and shape of his body in relation to the total
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: wing spread makes flying impossible. But the bumblebee never read
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: the report. Being ignorant of these scientific truths, he just
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: goes ahead and flies anyway. You know what else I'm
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: impressed with Caleb? He's not whining because he wasn't chosen
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: to be the leader. God chose Joshua to be the leader.
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: You ever thought about that? I mean, today you'd hear, well,
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: human resources know about this decision? I stood strong just
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: like Joshua did. How come Joshua gets it? Why don't
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: we have co-leaders? Why don't we have co-leaders? They didn't
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: lead the exodus by a committee and they're not going
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: to lead the invasion by co-leadership. It's Joshua and Caleb goes,
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: now you're talking, let's go. It's a great heart that'll
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: watch another person be promoted and you follow them with devotion.
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: That's a great attitude. It's an attitude of unselfishness. That's
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: a mature attitude that says it's all about God. He
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: promotes one and puts down another. Hey, that's his call.
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: Let's go, Joshua. By the way, I want the mountains
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: because the giants are there and I want to drive
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: them out. The original mountain man. By the way, lest
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: you think he's just a type A personality, you're just
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: unusually gifted or maybe on some kind of drug. Let
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: me clarify the secret because I deliberately waited till now
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: to give it to you because I want you to
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: underline it as I have in my Bible. Three times
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: it says virtually the same thing. If you missed it
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: in the reading, catch it now. He followed the Lord fully.
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: Into verse 8, I followed the Lord my God fully.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: That's Caleb's testimony. You have followed the Lord my God fully.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: That's Moses' testimony. End of verse 14. He followed the
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: Lord God of Israel fully. That's Joshua's testimony. That's the secret.
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: To him, the Lord was his partner. He was the
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: source of strength. He was the reason for the positive spirit.
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: He was the reason he could look above decisions made
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: by someone else and see God's hand is in this.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: His eyes aren't on himself. He has no expectations. Except
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: if he could possibly be given a ticket to the
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: hill country, that's where he'd like to spend his later years,
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: taking on those high pockets that live up there, roam
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: the field thinking they're in charge. I want to drive
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: them out. By the way, so much for Caleb. That
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: was then and there. This is here and now. Let
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: me talk to all of us. Whatever was written in
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: earlier times was written for our learning that we, through
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: patience and comfort from the scriptures, might have hope. Romans 15,
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: 4 tells us. So let's get a little hope from
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: this passage. What about you? You who are grandparents, you
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: who will be grandparents. What about you? What about us?
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: The secret of our choice of attitude as we add
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: up the years and passing of time and the secret
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: of staying young rests with us. It's nobody else. It's
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: not where we live. It's not how much money we make.
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: It's not who we're married to. It's not how the
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: kids turned out. It's not where we go to church.
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: It's not the car we drive or the houses we
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: have or house we live in. It's none of that.
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: It's attitude choice. It's attitude choice. And if your family
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: could tell you anything, grandparent, it would be that. Get
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: a better attitude. Listen to what is being said. So
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: you've got a choice of being a drag and a
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: burden or an inspiration and encouragement, I suggest we do
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: the latter. This will help. I want to talk about
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: your mind, your life, your strength, your opportunities, and your God.
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: We'll just kind of zip these out. One, two, three, four, five. One,
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: your mind is not old. Keep stretching it. Your mind
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: is not old. Keep stretching it. You say, how do
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: I do that? Well, let's start with the television. Read
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: more books, watch less television. Do more that involves you
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: actively and less that entertains you passively. When you're with
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: other people, talk about ideas and events more than people.
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: Talking about people turns quickly to gossip. And some of
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: you have fallen into that trap Much too early in life.
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: Look for opportunities to be engaged. Your mind isn't old.
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: How about a scripture memory program? Set your goals high.
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: How about 50 verses this year that's less than one
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: a week? Just 50 verses this year. Say, I don't know, Chuck.
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: My mind's tired. I'm tired. For you, I read Earl
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: Rodmacher's words from his book, You and Your Thoughts. The
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: human mind is a fabulous computer. As a matter of fact,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: no one has been able to design a computer as
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: intricate and efficient as the human mind. Consider this. Your
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: brain is capable of recording 800 memories per second for
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: 75 years without ever getting tired. Rodmacher says, I've heard
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: some persons complain that their brain is too tired to
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: get involved in a program of scripture memorization. I have
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: news for them. The body can get tired, but the
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: brain never does. A human being doesn't use more than
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: 2% of his brain power, scientists tell us. Of course,
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: some demonstrate this fact more obviously than others. The point
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: is the brain is capable of an incredible amount of
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: work and it retains everything it takes in. You never
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: really forget anything. You just don't recall it. Everything is
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: on permanent file in your brain. Your mind isn't old.
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: Don't go there. Keep stretching it. Hang around people who
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: stretch it. I went to get some firewood the other
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: day in my pickup, and the place wasn't open as
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: early as I got there, so I decided I'd eat
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: a quick breakfast at an IHOP. So I pulled in
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: and set out a little booth for one. and ordered
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: orange juice and my breakfast. And I looked across, and
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: sitting across from me within hearing distance was a table
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: of old codgers, six of them. One had on an
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: old dirty cap. All of them had on old boots.
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: One had on overalls. Nothing wrong with what they were wearing.
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: They just liked being old. I think one was about
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: 55 and had just retired. Was so proud of it.
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: And all they did was talk about things they didn't like.
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: One guy was on the weather. And another guy was
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: on the waitress. In fact, a couple of them didn't
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: like her. And it was interesting. I was watching as
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: this was going back and forth. When she was there
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: and they were nailing her for something, she'd go back
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: and roll her eyes and talk to her friends about
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: this old table thing. I'd be so glad when they're gone.
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: And I thought, that's the last kind of table I
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: want to sit at. Deliver me. Deliver me from groups
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: that gather to talk about their digestive system. and their
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: teeth and their hair or lack of it or the kids.
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: Come on. Come on. Which brings up a second. Your
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: life is not over. Keep enjoying it. Listen to the words.
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: Your life isn't over. Keep enjoying it. You say, I
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: don't know if I could really, I'm really that much alive. Well,
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: in the morning, get a mirror and get up real
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: close to it and go, Now, if there's stuff that
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: forms on a mirror, you're alive. And since you're alive,
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: you can enjoy it. And I will tell you the
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: best partner to take with you through the day, a
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: great sense of humor. Let me introduce that to some
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: of you who have not smiled since about 78. Last
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: time you really broke in. I mean, when you laugh,
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: you just laugh out loud. You see some people laugh,
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: they go.
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: It's like folks who sneeze they go sneeze sneeze so
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: loud that the dog has a bowel movement when you
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: let it out just whoa let it out get it
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: out it's okay Great sense of humor, it's so important. Like,
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: I'd like to know this florist. A man opened a
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: new business and his best friend sent him a floral arrangement.
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: The friend dropped by in a few days to visit
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: his buddy at the new business, and he was pained
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: to see that the flowers had a sign that read,
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: Rest in Peace. So he called the florist to complain
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: the mix-up. The florist said with a smile, it could
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: be worse. Somewhere in the city is an arrangement at
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: a cemetery that reads, congratulations on your new location. Isn't
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: that a great answer? Keep that old spirit up with
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: a little bit of enjoyment. Steve Farrar, our own Steve Farrar,
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: has in one of his great books. Willie and Ray,
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: a couple of ranchers, met at the feed store one afternoon.
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: Had some problems with my herd, said Willie. My prized
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: bull gone impotent. But the vet came over and gave
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: him some special medicine, and now he seemed to be
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: doing just fine. Several weeks later, Willie and Ray met
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: again at the feed store. Hey, Willie, said Ray. Now
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: my bull's having the same problems. What is that medicine
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: the vet prescribed? I don't remember the name, Willie said,
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: but it kind of tastes like chocolate. All right, Willie,
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: why not? Kind of tastes like chocolate. Doesn't matter what
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: it tastes like, does it, guys? Okay, uh... I came
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: across a whole bunch of, you've probably seen some of these, but,
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: you know, at a church, we get serious as a
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: heart attack around churches. Everything is just so grim and
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: dark and serious and frowning. So you come across a
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: few bulletin bloopers that kind of help things lighten up.
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: The ladies' Bible study will be held Thursday morning at
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: 10 a.m. All ladies are invited to lunch in the
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: fellowship hall after the BS is done. I'm just reading
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: what it says here. The audience is asked to remain
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: seated until the end of the recession. For those of
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: you who have children and don't know it, we have
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: a nursery downstairs. Pastor will preach his farewell message, after
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: which the choir will sing Break Forth into Joy. Next Sunday, Mrs.
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: will speak then on It's a Terrible Experience. Remember in
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: Another one. Smile at someone who is hard to love.
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: Say hell to someone who doesn't care much about you.
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: Today's sermon, how much can a man drink with hymns
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: from a full choir? Pastor is on vacation. Massages can
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: be given to the church secretary. This is great. Weight
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: watchers will meet at 7 o'clock. Please use the large
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: double door at the side entrance. Oh, man, that is
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: so good. Our mates love us when we're fun to
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: live with. Our kids love being around us when we're
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: fun to live with. I laughed with my granddaddy until
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: I just almost wet my pants. He said the funniest
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: stuff at times, and he didn't even know it was funny.
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: He just was by nature up. Who doesn't want to
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: be around that? It's an attitude. It's not age. Your strength.
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: Let's go there. Your strength is not gone. Keep developing it.
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: Keep developing it. Caleb, I'm as strong today as I
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: was the days we went into the land. How do
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: I do that? Look for ways to help other people.
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: Stop spending so much time in front of a mirror. Volunteer.
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: Get involved in projects at the church, in the community,
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: with your family. Babysit. Spend time with interesting friends that
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: stimulate you. And I might as well add, maintain a
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: vigorous exercise program. Don't stop. I mean, vigorous. If you
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: can no longer run, walk. But don't stroll. Some people
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: exercise like this. I see them at the Cooper Clinic.
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: They're like, they'd bore a dog if they were walking
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: their dog. Get out there. Work up a sweat. Do
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: it for an hour. You say, well, everything hurts. What
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: doesn't hurt doesn't work. Well, if you exercise, it'll start working.
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: It's amazing what that'll do. Get your strength back up.
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: And stop rehearsing all your surgeries. We don't want to
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: hear it. We don't want to see the scars. Okay,
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: we got our own. Fourth, your opportunities have not vanished.
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: Keep pursuing them. By the way, a crucial part of
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: every day is how you start it. Some of you
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: admittedly start your day with a sigh. What time is it?
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: Instead of sighing, think of the hours you've got in
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: front of you as gifts from God. Some folks who
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: once were where you are in this age are no
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: longer here. to enjoy those daily gifts. It's over. Some
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: have seriously, and it's nothing to laugh about, lost their minds.
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: Some in the process of dealing with life have stopped
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: looking now for surprises that await them and wonderful opportunities
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: that are unexpected. They're treasures yet to be found. Truths
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: yet to be discovered. I can't tell you how many
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: wanted me to retire when I left California to move
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: back here. They said, what are you doing at this age,
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: taking on the seminary? I said, hey, why not? This
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: is fun. And then when I was going to start
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: a church, they thought I was two feet in the grave.
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: Starting a church? Yeah. Oh, I'm very excited. At your age?
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: At your age? I don't know, what age am I?
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: These are former friends, but they're... No, no, no, it's
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: a joke. You know what? I need the work. I
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: need the study. I need to be stretched. I need
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: the challenge. I need the hassles. I need the demands.
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: I need the deadlines. I need to write. I've got
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: a lot I want to write. I'm determined to write
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: more and better. and sometimes slower, to do it well.
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: Paderewski was still practicing and giving concerts at 79. William
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: Gladstone was still practicing or was still engaged in politics
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: at age 80. Golda Meir was prime minister of Israel
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: at 71. Ronald Reagan didn't become president until he was
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: 70 and did it for eight strong years. Only his
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: critics talked about his age. George Bernard Shaw was still
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: producing plays at 91. Ben Franklin helped frame the Constitution
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: at 81. Goethe finished Faust, his last year on the earth,
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: at 82. Check out Faust sometime. Edison was still working
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: in his lab at 83. Toscanini still leading great symphonies
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: at 87. It isn't your age. It is attitude. Now
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: your God is not dead. Keep seeking him. Center him
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: in the very core of your being. Put him right
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: in the heart of your day. Start with him. Stay
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: with him. Think his thoughts after him. Believe his word.
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: Trust him. Life is so brief. Don't hold back. Bring
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: Him with you all the way through. The trial comes
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: as surely there will be. will. He's there. You're not
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: going to meet him for the first time in a
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: long time. You talk with him that morning. Begin a
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: scripture memory program that will just shock your friends when
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: they discover that that's how you spend your spare time.
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: Study theology. Buy some new works. For a change, a hardback.
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: Get a book that will outlast you. We've had some
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: fun today, and now I want to be very serious.
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: Life is brief. Stay with me now. Life is brief.
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: It's a very tiny slice in light of eternity. Here
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: we are. That's all we got. That's earth. Jesus had
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: 33 years and finished his work. You may finish yours
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: at 50. You may finish yours at 87. You don't
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: know how long. Be sure you've come to the cross.
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: Be sure that's taken care of. Be sure you've given
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: your heart and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's first.
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: And then pick up his enthusiasm and energy about life.
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: And don't wait for something to happen before you engage.
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: Herman Hess in a fine little short story entitled, Clingsor's
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: Last Summer. My sister introduced me to that little story.
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: Has a great few lines that I want to close with.
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: Listen to them. Life passes like a flash of lightning
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: whose blaze barely lasts long enough to see while the
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: earth and the sky stand still forever. How swiftly changing
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: time flies across man's face. Oh, you who sit over
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: your full cup and do not drink, tell me, For
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: whom are you still waiting? God helped me to live
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: my life like my granddad. Not my dad. I loved
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: them both. But there's nobody like my granddaddy to help
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: me know Life can be lived to the full. Even
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: when other folks say you ought to retire, don't waste
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: your breath. You want to leave your work? Leave it.
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: Just don't retire from living. If you do, you're going
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: to wind up at that little table at that IHOP
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: with five other guys that look just like you and
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: a waitress that can't wait for you to get out.
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: We realize, Lord, if we don't mind, it don't matter.
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: We acknowledge that you're the one who calls this shot
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: about aging. Our years are all numbered before you. Not
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: one of our deaths is a surprise. Thank you for
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: putting us on an earth that is so full of
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: color and variety and creative people and challenging opportunities and
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: And so much we can never get our arms around.
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: Forgive us for being bored in the midst of your
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: magnificent creation. Show us the value of living every day
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: to the hilt, believing it to be the will of God.
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: I ask this and we ask this in the name
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, our Savior and our Lord. Everybody said, amen.
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: Now get out there and do it. Do it. All right.
• 53:50
  Speaker 3: The preceding message, staying young as your family grows older,
• 53:55
  Speaker 3: was copyrighted in 2005 and 2006, and the sound recording
• 53:59
  Speaker 3: was copyrighted in 2006 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All
• 54:03
  Speaker 3: rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial
• 54:08
  Speaker 3: use is strictly prohibited.