Latest / HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN® / One More Step: Walking by Faith When You Can't See Ep:2466
Transcript
- 0:05Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
- 0:10Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
- 0:15Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
- 0:22Two thousand came and the spark was lit. A testimony raw, it wouldn't quit.
- 0:27His mother's voice, a guiding thread.
- 1:02Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
- 1:06Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
- 1:12Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
- 1:19Two thousand came and a spark was lit. A testimony raw, it wouldn't quit.
- 1:24His mother's voice, a guiding thread. The angels are with you, she gently said.
- 1:52He walks the road. How's everybody doing today? All right. We got to get a little
- 1:57bit hyped up. It's a good day.
- 1:59Listen, just because it rains doesn't mean our day is over.
- 2:02You know, each raindrop, in my opinion, is a touch from the sky where angels
- 2:08are giving you an opportunity to embrace, you know, what our Heavenly Father has brought us.
- 2:14So on a good day, on a bad day, on a bad weather day, on a snow day,
- 2:18it doesn't matter because today is the day that the Lord has made.
- 2:21Let us realize. rejoice and be glad in it.
- 2:24My name is Angel Santana Jr. and I welcome you to the light on the hill,
- 2:29the church on the hill, First Reformed Church, my home, your home.
- 2:35If you're new today, we welcome you home.
- 2:39On my right, your left, down the stairs, second door on your left is your restroom.
- 2:44And please join us after today's services. We will come together in fellowship.
- 2:48Let me just say one thing before we even get started.
- 2:51If you look in front of your bulletin and you see the title,
- 2:56today's title is called A Walk by Faith.
- 2:59And today we're going to be talking about something that every single one of
- 3:03us has had to face at one time or another.
- 3:07And I'm going to leave you on that cliffhanger, but I'm going to tell you why
- 3:10I always say this place is like home.
- 3:13I'm having pizza waiting for my daughter to get done with her ballet.
- 3:17And I overhear somebody say, oh my goodness, it's October. Can you not wait
- 3:22for that chili cook-off at that church?
- 3:26And I said, that's my church. So I stood up and said, First Reformed Church.
- 3:33And then all of a sudden, the owner of the pizzeria says, I think I'm going
- 3:36to bring chili this year. I love that day.
- 3:39That is how much we give back to the community. That is what brings so much
- 3:44joy into my heart when I walk in here and say, let us bring the light of Christ
- 3:49in so that we can worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- 3:53Our prayer of illumination.
- 3:56Gracious God, as you hear your word today, open your hearts and minds to what,
- 4:06you would have us receive.
- 4:09Give us wisdom when we are uncertain, courage when we are afraid,
- 4:14and faith when we cannot see what lies ahead.
- 4:18Help us not only to hear your word, but to trust in it and follow it and allow
- 4:23it to shape the way that we live.
- 4:26Guide us by your spirit and lead us one step at a time. In Jesus' name that we pray, amen.
- 4:35So this morning, I picked out two verses.
- 4:40And before we hear the first scripture this morning, let me just allow me the
- 4:44opportunity to give you an understanding of where the story is.
- 4:48You see, the apostle Paul is writing to the believers in Corinth. and Corinth.
- 4:54And Paul knows something about hardship.
- 4:58His ministry has included rejection, persecution, suffering,
- 5:06uncertainty, and moments when the future was anything but clear.
- 5:12Yet, in this passage, Paul reminds us that believers, that what they see in
- 5:19front of us is not the whole story.
- 5:23Our present circumstances are temporary. Our hope in God reaches beyond what our eyes can see.
- 5:32And right in the middle of this passage comes one of the most familiar statements about faith.
- 5:38For we live by faith, not by sight.
- 5:43Paul is not telling them to ignore reality.
- 5:47He is reminding them that there is trust in God and God and with God,
- 5:53you cannot depend entirely upon the circumstances look like today.
- 5:59So listen to the word of the Lord from 2 Corinthians 5, verses 1-7.
- 6:06For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,
- 6:12we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- 6:18Meanwhile, we groan, lodging to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,
- 6:25because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
- 6:30For while we are in this tent, we groan, we are burdened because we do not wish
- 6:37to be unclothed, but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling.
- 6:43So that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
- 6:48Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God and who has given
- 6:55us the spirit as the deposit guaranteeing what is to come.
- 7:02Therefore, we are always confident and knowing that as long as we are at home
- 7:08in the body, we are away from the Lord, for we live by faith, not by sight.
- 7:14The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
- 7:17And as we get into the second scripture reading, which is Hebrews chapter 11,
- 7:21verses 1 through 6, verse 1.
- 7:24Throughout this chapter, which happens to be one of my favorite chapters in school right now,
- 7:30and that's why I chose this, is we're introduced to people who trusted God even
- 7:35when they could not see exactly how he, his promises would unfold.
- 7:43They did not have perfect lives. They did not always have immediate answers. Many of them waited.
- 7:50Many of them struggled. Many of them had to move forward without knowing exactly
- 7:55what was going to happen next.
- 7:58Many had to move forward. And then, even yet in Scripture, remembers them for their faith.
- 8:08Their faith was what they remembered for.
- 8:12In this chapter, and as the chapter began, by helping us understand what faith
- 8:16really means, Faith is not simply believing in something because life is going well.
- 8:23Faith becomes most visible when we continue trusting, even when we cannot see the outcome.
- 8:30And now, the word of the Lord.
- 8:34Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
- 8:40This is what the ancients were commanded for.
- 8:46By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God's command so that
- 8:52what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
- 8:55By faith, Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.
- 9:00By faith, he was commanded as righteous. when God spoke well of his offerings,
- 9:06and by faith, Abel speaks, even though he is dead.
- 9:11By faith, Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death.
- 9:19He could not be found, because God had taken him away.
- 9:23For before he was taken, he was commanded as one who pleased God.
- 9:28And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to
- 9:32him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
- 9:41The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
- 9:45At this time, we're going to have
- 9:46the children come up for a children's message. So please come on down.
- 9:56All right. Let's see what kind of hand I've got today.
- 10:02How are we doing? Here, let's have everybody sit right here.
- 10:05Right over here, please.
- 10:07How are you doing? Good, good. I love when they're jogging up.
- 10:14Hi, Mary. So good to see you. How's everybody doing? Everybody's doing good? How's school?
- 10:20Yeah? Wait a minute. You guys have off tomorrow, right? Hi, Noah.
- 10:26You want to pick me up well how about you pick me up no you can't do that give
- 10:30me one second and i will do the message together okay,
- 10:33question i have a question for you if i were to tell you right now let me move
- 10:39this so you all can be seen okay if i were to tell you that i'm going to be able to see,
- 10:47the future is that possible can i see the future no okay okay we're going to
- 10:54talk about faith today. All right.
- 10:57And I want to show you something. Stay right where you are. See,
- 10:59when I walk up and down this, this nice long walk into our congregation,
- 11:04I know where I'm walking, right? We all know where we're walking.
- 11:08What if I were to tell you that at this time, I'm going to close my eyes,
- 11:14and hopefully with the congregation, we'll pray that I don't bang my knee and
- 11:18try to make my way back to the altar. Do you think I can do that with, without looking?
- 11:25What do you think? Do you think I could do that with my eyes closed?
- 11:29Who said yes? Oh, wow. You have more, well, young lady, you have more faith than I do right now.
- 11:37So let's try it. If you see me going off the path, kids, stand up.
- 11:42If you see me going off the path, I want you to steer me in the right direction.
- 11:45Ready? Here we go. Eyes closed, no cheating.
- 11:52Oh, I heard, oh, where am I going?
- 11:57And I am so glad that happened because when I was reading the children's message,
- 12:04I was praying to God that this would happen because in the scripture reading,
- 12:09it said, and a little child shall leave you.
- 12:14I did not practice that with Mary. Good job, Mary. That is how our heavenly father works.
- 12:23You do not walk the path alone. You are guided by the Holy Spirit.
- 12:29You are guided by one another.
- 12:33I don't even have to continue the lesson because God.
- 12:39Just did the children's message. Let us pray.
- 12:44Heavenly Father, you are an amazing man, because let me tell you,
- 12:47you could surprise me any chance you get, and I think you're just showing off now, but that's okay.
- 12:53Thank you for allowing a child to come into this church this morning,
- 12:58and I hope that they got something out of this message.
- 13:01I pray that each one of them receive the Holy Spirit.
- 13:04They are guarded and strengthened by the armor of Christ, that we please put
- 13:10the Christ of armor all over all children, all schools, all teachers,
- 13:15faculty, bus drivers, and buses.
- 13:18We wish them nothing but joy and happiness. And we pray this unto you in the
- 13:21name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
- 13:26Stand up over here. I've got some nice coloring books for you.
- 13:30There's some that say blessed and thankful. Please pick one that you want.
- 13:33And they are all for you. Take one, just one for now. And if there's any extra, I'll hook you up.
- 13:40Okay Noah would you like a book Yeah No which one would you like Noah No No
- 13:48okay Oh thank you She said good one today.
- 13:54I got approval Stamp of approval alright It's okay Noah I'll be right there Noah okay Oh man you know,
- 14:03And this is why I love what I do This is why I love what I do I'm sure many
- 14:09pastors that are watching us today understand that.
- 14:12Okay. Boy, that just got me all excited to do the sermon. You know what? Let's eat.
- 14:23I could have ended the sermon right there, and I don't think anybody would have been upset about that.
- 14:26All right, let's come together. Let's pray. Heavenly Father,
- 14:29thank you for what you have given us today.
- 14:31That is not even short of a miracle. That is just your hand of what you do.
- 14:37It's amazing what you do. And I'm so grateful that you were doing that with us this morning.
- 14:40I'm so grateful that you chose one of our children here at First Reform Church
- 14:44to do that, to show everybody.
- 14:47And we pray this unto you in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
- 14:52So, a walk by faith What do you do when we cannot see what comes next?
- 14:59There are moments in life when everything seems clear We know where we're going,
- 15:06We know what we're doing We have a plan And then suddenly,
- 15:15things change Everything changes A diagnosis,
- 15:21a financial struggle a relationship that suddenly feels uncertain an unanswered
- 15:27prayer a loss we never expected,
- 15:32a phone call we weren't prepared for or maybe nothing dramatic happened at all,
- 15:40maybe you simply reached at a point in your life where you look ahead and said God,
- 15:46I honestly don't know what comes next those are the moments that then when faith,
- 15:54becomes more than something,
- 15:57those are the moments where faith becomes more than something we talk about
- 16:01on a sunday morning there are moments when faith becomes something we actually have to walk.
- 16:10And maybe that's where somebody is today.
- 16:15Maybe you came into the sanctuary this morning carrying questions that nobody
- 16:19else knows you're carrying.
- 16:22Maybe you're waiting on an answer. Maybe you've been praying.
- 16:27Maybe you've been trying to stay strong.
- 16:30Maybe you're tired. And today, I want to ask you one simple question.
- 16:38Can I still trust God when I cannot see what he's doing?
- 16:44Because scripture will tell you, for we live by faith, not by sight.
- 16:50And sometimes that sounds wonderful when everything is going exceptionally well. Wouldn't you agree?
- 16:59But what does it mean when everything isn't? What does it mean when I can't see the road?
- 17:06What does it mean when God isn't giving me the answer that I want or that I seek?
- 17:14What does it mean when I don't know how this is going to end?
- 17:19Maybe it simply means take one more step.
- 17:27You know, you don't need to see the whole world and the whole road ahead of
- 17:31you. Just take one step at a time.
- 17:36We like answers, though, don't we? We like plans We like schedules I know I
- 17:42do We like knowing what's going to happen,
- 17:46And if we're being truthful to one another this morning Sometimes our conversations
- 17:50with God Sounds something like this Lord, I'm willing to follow you But could
- 17:57you just show me the entire plan first?
- 18:02Show me how this is going to work out. Come on. You can do that for me,
- 18:06right? We're friends, right?
- 18:08Show me where I'm going to end up this week. Show me that everything is going to be okay.
- 18:14Show me the destination, Lord. And then I'll take the first step with you.
- 18:20But that's not always how faith works. Sometimes God gives us enough light for the next step.
- 18:33Not the next 10 steps, by the way. Not next year.
- 18:40Not every answer. Just one step at a time.
- 18:47And maybe some of us are standing or sitting here tonight,
- 18:52today, and because you're waiting for God to show us the entire road,
- 18:57we're saying, God, show me how this ends and then I'll move.
- 19:05And perhaps God is saying back to you, trust me enough to move before you know how it ends.
- 19:14You don't need tomorrow's strength today. You don't need next year's or next month's answer today.
- 19:22You don't need to solve everything that could happen six months from now.
- 19:27Sometimes you just need enough faith for it's right now and today.
- 19:34Enough faith to get out of bed. Enough faith to make a phone call.
- 19:40Enough faith to have conversations. Enough faith to pray again.
- 19:45Enough faith to try again.
- 19:48Enough faith to say, Lord God, I do not know where this road goes,
- 19:54but I'm going to take one more step.
- 20:00You know, faith is not knowing exactly where the road goes. Faith is knowing
- 20:06who is walking with you. And we just saw it.
- 20:14I'm reminded the story, and we all know the story of Peter on the boat with
- 20:17all the disciples. Hear this again. Hear this again.
- 20:22And we think about taking a step without knowing how everything is going to work out, right?
- 20:29And I think about Peter, Matthew 14. It tells us that the disciples were all on the water.
- 20:35The wind was blowing. The waves were moving. And then Jesus was coming toward
- 20:41them walking on the water.
- 20:44They were afraid.
- 20:47And Peter says, Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.
- 20:54And Jesus gives Peter just one word.
- 20:58Come.
- 21:01That's it. Come. Jesus doesn't explain the physics.
- 21:08He doesn't tell Peter how the water is going to hold them up.
- 21:13He doesn't give Peter a five step plan Jesus doesn't even calm the storm first,
- 21:22the waves are still there the wind is still howling and blowing the danger still
- 21:29looks real and Jesus just says come,
- 21:37and Peter had a decision to make he could stay on the boat Where the feelings were familiar for him?
- 21:44Or he could just trust the voice of Jesus?
- 21:49And I want you to notice something. Peter didn't need faith for the whole lake.
- 21:56He needed faith for the next step.
- 22:01One foot over the side. One step onto the water. Then another.
- 22:10And another. We often remember Peter because eventually he became so frightened, he began to sink.
- 22:21But sometimes we forget. Peter was one who got out of the boat.
- 22:29He tried. He trusted. He moved.
- 22:34And yes, then he looked around.
- 22:39He saw the wind. He saw the waves. He saw the storm.
- 22:43And suddenly Peter, what would Peter do? Peter could see what he could see became
- 22:49bigger than one that he was trusting.
- 22:54Doesn't that sound familiar?
- 22:58Because sometimes our eyes can be very convincing and Peter begins to sink.
- 23:06But here's the part I don't want us to miss. Jesus catches him.
- 23:14Peter's faith faltered and Jesus did not let him drown.
- 23:23So the message isn't, if you have enough faith, you'll never stumble.
- 23:29No, the message is, even when your faith falters, Jesus is still close enough to reach you.
- 23:40And maybe that's exactly what somebody here needed to hear this morning.
- 23:47Your struggles do not mean that God has left you. Sometimes we've created this
- 23:52image of faith where faithful people have never struggled,
- 23:57never questioned, never became afraid, never cry, never doubt.
- 24:05But that's not the Bible that I'm reading.
- 24:08That's not the Bible that we can read.
- 24:11The people we meet in Scripture struggled.
- 24:15They waited. They questioned. They became afraid.
- 24:22They experienced disappointment.
- 24:25And somehow, God continued working through them.
- 24:31Hebrews 11 remembers the person after person because of their faith.
- 24:37But their faith did not mean that their lives were easy. And neither does yours.
- 24:45Maybe you've prayed and nothing has changed maybe you've been strong for everybody
- 24:50else but privately inside you're exhausted,
- 24:58maybe people look at you and think you're doing fine but God knows what's happening,
- 25:05when nobody else is around,
- 25:08maybe you've even whispered God listen God Where are you?
- 25:16Well, hear this this morning. Your struggle is not proof that God has abandoned you.
- 25:23You can be afraid. You still have faith.
- 25:28You can cry. You can still have faith.
- 25:33You can have questions. You still can have faith.
- 25:37And you can say, God, I don't understand this.
- 25:43God, I am hurting God, I am scared God, I do not know what happens next.
- 25:54And then say, but I'm still here.
- 26:00Sometimes when you say I'm still here, maybe one of the greatest statements
- 26:05of faith that you can ever make.
- 26:08Because faith doesn't always look like somebody standing on a mountain shouting.
- 26:15Nobody's on the mountain shouting right now. I know God's got this.
- 26:21Sometimes faith looks like somebody sitting at the edge of the bed in tears,
- 26:29saying God I'm going to trust you again today.
- 26:37That's faith too,
- 26:40sometimes faith isn't running sometimes it isn't even walking very quickly sometimes
- 26:47faith is crawling but you are still moving toward God even when you crawl,
- 26:56one more step,
- 27:00and I wish that I could stand here and tell you that I've always found that easy I haven't,
- 27:11for years 14 years 12 years,
- 27:17I've stood here in front of you stood in front of many churches I have a podcast
- 27:22and I share people my actual personal life story I share with people that I was depressed,
- 27:29that depression lasted I tell people two years but in reality it was 11,
- 27:37my ex used to tell me you're never going to amount to anything you're never
- 27:42going to finish college and I don't even know why you go to church because that
- 27:47guy never answers my prayers.
- 27:55I graduated college. I walked and got my diploma.
- 28:01I went and joined my church. I advanced in any job I've ever been in.
- 28:08And that's not because I did it all on my own. It's because I had faith.
- 28:15And I did it one step at a time.
- 28:21So don't worry about making yourself look strong. Tell them what you're afraid
- 28:26of I was afraid of not succeeding But I was even more afraid of proving her right,
- 28:37Many years later, I get a phone call, and it was my ex,
- 28:44sharing with me that at one point in time, I had received an email,
- 28:49and not knowing that the email was a prayer chain, to pray for a child that
- 28:54may not have, well, may not have was going to make it.
- 28:58Come to find out, it was her child.
- 29:01And she found out that I had been praying for her son.
- 29:07And you know what she said to me? Thank God for prayers.
- 29:14By the way, did you ever finish college?
- 29:17Matter of fact, I did.
- 29:22Tell people what you couldn't see.
- 29:27Tell people now what you can see.
- 29:31And that's God working through you. So what's your next step?
- 29:38Where are you today?
- 29:41That experience, by the way, taught me something. Taught me that trusting God
- 29:45didn't mean I suddenly knew what was going to happen.
- 29:50It meant that I learned that I wasn't walking through it alone.
- 29:56Then I thought about my future.
- 30:01We all think about our future. Some of us think about what are we going to have
- 30:07for fellowship in an hour, right?
- 30:10What do you see today is not the end of your story. Let me bring this all in.
- 30:18Hebrews will tell us that now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance
- 30:25about what we can do, not see.
- 30:30And this is where faith becomes difficult Because our eyes are persuasive Our
- 30:37eyes see the problem Our eyes see the diagnosis And our eyes see empty chairs,
- 30:44Our eyes see the overdue bills Our eyes see the relationships that have struggled
- 30:51Or are struggling And our eyes see the prayer that hasn't or still hasn't been answered,
- 30:58and faith does not ask us to pretend that those things aren't real.
- 31:02Christian faith is not pretending that pain doesn't hurt.
- 31:08It's not pretending everything is wonderful when it isn't.
- 31:12Faith says, this is real.
- 31:17Faith says, this is real, but this is not necessarily the end.
- 31:22Because your eyes can only report what they see right now.
- 31:26Your eyes don't know what God is doing tomorrow. Your eyes don't know what conversations are coming.
- 31:33Your eyes don't know what door may open.
- 31:36And your eyes don't know what person God may bring into your life.
- 31:41Your eyes don't know what God is doing behind the scenes. And sometimes,
- 31:46your eyes don't recognize that God is changing inside of you while you're waiting
- 31:50for him to change what's happening around you.
- 31:54So don't get confused and don't be confused. The chapter you're in right now,
- 32:01with the ending of the book.
- 32:04You might be in a difficult chapter right now. You might be in a chapter you never wanted to read.
- 32:12You may even wonder why God allowed this chapter into your story.
- 32:17But hear me now. What I see right now is not necessarily the end of the story.
- 32:23God may still be working. God may still be opening doors. God may still be strengthening you.
- 32:31God may still be preparing something you cannot see. And my circumstances may
- 32:36change what I see, but they do not change who God sees and who God is.
- 32:44So my final question,
- 32:47and this is where I want us to stop for just a moment.
- 32:52Don't rush.
- 32:54Don't move on. Just think. What are you allowing your eyes to tell you that
- 33:01your faith needs to answer?
- 33:03Maybe your eyes are saying, there is no way.
- 33:08And faith responds back to you and says, God can still make a way.
- 33:14Maybe your eyes are saying, this is over.
- 33:18But then faith says, God may still be writing the story.
- 33:24Your eyes may say, you are alone.
- 33:28But faith says, God has not left me.
- 33:33Your eyes may say, you cannot handle this. Faith says, I do not have to handle it alone.
- 33:42Maybe your eyes saying, I give up.
- 33:46And faith says, take one more step. one more step.
- 33:55Maybe that's all that God is asking of you today. Not to have everything figured
- 33:59out, not to solve your entire life before you leave the sanctuary,
- 34:05not to suddenly understand everything that you've been going through,
- 34:08but maybe God is asking you to take one more step. Follow me.
- 34:16When you are scared, one more step.
- 34:20When you do not understand, one more step.
- 34:24When you are waiting, one more step.
- 34:28When the prayer hasn't been answered, one more step.
- 34:33When you're exhausted, one more step.
- 34:38You're done. Don't worry. Maybe you can, maybe you can't run right now though,
- 34:44right? Let's think about that for a second. You can't run right now. Okay. That's okay.
- 34:48That happens. Maybe you can't even walk very fast, but that's okay too.
- 34:54But don't stop believing that
- 34:55God is still walking with you and don't stop praying. Don't stop trusting.
- 35:00Don't let fear write the ending.
- 35:03Take one more step. Here's the finish line. I don't know what every person in
- 35:10this room is walking through.
- 35:12I don't know what you're waiting for. I don't know what you've been asking God to change.
- 35:18I don't know what keeps you awake at night. I don't know what questions you
- 35:23brought into this sanctuary today. But I do know something.
- 35:28You're still here.
- 35:32After everything you've been through, you're still here.
- 35:36After every disappointment, you're still here.
- 35:41After every unanswered prayer, you're still here.
- 35:47After the fear, you're still here.
- 35:52And if you're still here, God is not finished with your story.
- 35:58So don't give up today. Don't let fear write the ending. Don't let what you
- 36:03see convince you that God has stopped working in you.
- 36:07You may not see the whole road. You may not understand the timing.
- 36:11You may not know exactly how this situation ends.
- 36:15But you know who is walking with you. So take his hand, trust in his presence, and take one more step.
- 36:26Because walking in faith does not mean that the road is easy.
- 36:30It means I refuse to believe That what I see is greater than the God I trust,
- 36:37And tomorrow morning When the questions come back When life gets loud again,
- 36:43When you still don't have every answer,
- 36:46I want you to remember You don't need faith for the entire road You need enough
- 36:51faith For one next step Amen.
- 37:02Okay. Please be seated. My daughter says, is it almost over?
- 37:09Yes. This is where I speed things up real quick. So it's funny.
- 37:14I was asked if I could just briefly talk about why I give and I will make this
- 37:19short and sweet because it's very, very easy.
- 37:22But it was coincidence that I was up here preaching today. So it worked out.
- 37:26Listen, I spoke about my past. I'm not embarrassed about it.
- 37:31In those 11 years that I struggled with my depression, I also learned that my ex put me into debt.
- 37:37She stole my identity and put me into $60,000 in debt.
- 37:41And in 11 years, it took me to pay off that debt. I still went to church,
- 37:46but I could never give even a penny.
- 37:48And that's when that minister walked up to me at Riverside, Rhode Island and
- 37:51said, all you can do is just give a prayer.
- 37:55Because let me tell you something. When we rely on money for everything,
- 37:59and let's be honest, we need money to survive.
- 38:01But when we rely on money for everything, money doesn't give you faith.
- 38:05Faith gives you faith. Trusting in the Lord gives you faith.
- 38:10Now, I'm not saying I don't want you to give. It does work. It does help.
- 38:14And I'm just being very blunt and honest with you. When you go to churches,
- 38:18they always say the number one question, where does that money go? I know, I've asked.
- 38:23But you can ask anybody here. You can ask the elders. You can ask the ministers.
- 38:27You can ask anyone of us and we will show you where that money goes.
- 38:31When you see these kids coming down and they go to these vacation Bible schools
- 38:34and they do all these different programs, that's where money goes.
- 38:37When you see the beautiful windows being redone, that's where the money goes.
- 38:41When you see the sanctuary that once was dim, but now is bright because we got to paint it.
- 38:47When you see the decorations, when you see the music notes and the exciting
- 38:52type of art that we're doing, the bulletins, all that comes from you.
- 38:56So that's why when I say you're home, it's because of all of us giving.
- 39:01And I will be the first to tell you, I haven't been able to give recently, okay? I haven't.
- 39:07I would be standing here and lying to you if I told you that I have given I
- 39:10can't give right now because I have to pay fifteen hundred dollars for each
- 39:14class I'm not complaining. That's my choice But you know what I do?
- 39:19I give of my time I help out in vacation bible school.
- 39:23I help out being up here I will give of my time and you can do the same all
- 39:29it takes is One next step and that's why I give.
- 39:38Okay. All right. This is the time we come together for prayer, right?
- 39:44And another reason for us to celebrate, we're hosting here on Saturday a classist meeting.
- 39:51That is a meeting of the 42 churches that make up, I'll call it,
- 39:55the governing body of the Hudson Valley.
- 39:58And our own Angel Santana has been asked to deliver the sermon on Saturday.
- 40:04And I'm excited beyond words to have him doing the sermon that day.
- 40:08I'll be praying for you, and we all need to be praying for me.
- 40:11I can't imagine anything more unnerving than to preach in front of 42 other
- 40:17ministers and their elders.
- 40:19So lots of prayers, Angel. I wasn't nervous until now.
- 40:28Just keep stepping. That's right. Anybody else with a prayer?
- 40:37Pray for Angel, because his preaching on Saturday is a test.
- 40:44Oh, man. As part of his preaching exam before the classes. Isn't that wonderful?
- 40:53So pray that the butterflies in his stomach may fly in formation.
- 40:58Boy, I can't wait to go downstairs and eat some of that sweets. Just one step.
- 41:03Just one step. And I know that a lot of you probably saw it. My nephew was missing.
- 41:09It was very, very emotional for our family. He was in Florida and he went missing
- 41:15for two days. It was very difficult.
- 41:17But I am so grateful because last night my sister finally and I got to talk
- 41:21because I gave her her space.
- 41:23And I just want to share with you real quick. And this is part of my sermon for Saturday.
- 41:30Is you don't know how powerful God is until you see people come together, strangers,
- 41:38over 125 people that didn't know my sister, whether they were from churches
- 41:43or mom's group, showed up to help her find her son.
- 41:47Churches make a difference, but it doesn't make a difference without each and every one of you.
- 41:53And that's why church matters.
- 41:57So thank you because he is home, he's safe, he's learning to play guitar, and he's doing well.
- 42:03Praise be to God. Anybody else for prayers? Let's come together as one family and pray together.
- 42:09Heavenly Father, it is your glory, it is with you that you give us so much hope,
- 42:15so much desire, so much compassion, so much love that we are so eternally grateful.
- 42:21And just imagine, we started today's message with a child leading us into worship.
- 42:28Two children brought in the light of Christ. One reached out in her hand to
- 42:32help me and help us understand today's message. Praise be to God.
- 42:37Lord, at this time, we pray for those that are in this sanctuary,
- 42:41those that were watching at home, those that were struggling or have been struggling.
- 42:45We pray that you will place your healing hands upon them.
- 42:48And if anybody is here today that has a prayer that they didn't feel comfortable
- 42:52letting us know, here is your moment to pray with the Lord in silence. Yes.
- 43:11Lord, hear those prayers, guide this community, all of our communities,
- 43:16continue to work with the firefighters at Coltenham.
- 43:19Allow that fire department to rise up and have new walls and new vehicles so
- 43:27that they can do what they do best in saving our lives and protecting us.
- 43:31We pray for our ministries all over the world. We pray for military personnel,
- 43:36foreign and domestic. We pray for our veterans.
- 43:39We pray for forgiveness. We pray for mental illness. We pray for diagnosis.
- 43:44We pray for members of this church that are not with us today because they have fallen.
- 43:50We continue to pray for every single one of you that you read and listen to
- 43:54God's words as he taught us these words as we say together, Our Father,
- 44:00who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
- 44:03Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- 44:09Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our debts As we forgive our debtors,
- 44:16Lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom
- 44:22And the power And the glory forever Amen And yes, Ariel, the time of worship is over.
- 44:29Go now in peace Take your next step Don't be afraid Don't be embarrassed Because
- 44:35your Heavenly Father loves you Your Heavenly Father believes in you.
- 44:39Your Heavenly Father trusts in you.
- 44:41And your Heavenly Father will never leave your side.
- 44:45May Dios te bendiga, which means may God bless you. And as my father always
- 44:49says, let's eat. Have a good week.