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Transcript

Strength for the Weary Heart: Finding Rest This Christmas · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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Ariel, can you say, have faith?
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Let it begin. Let it begin? Let it begin. Say, have faith.
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Let it begin. Let it begin. No, no. No, okay.
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Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
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Can you believe I'm seven years old already?
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I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
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Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
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Good morning, everyone, and welcome back to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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Today, we continue our Christmas Hope Week. It's been a week of designed episodes
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to help bring peace, joy, and hope
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into your heart as we move toward the celebration of Christ's birthday.
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Over the last few days, we've talked about peace. We've talked about joy.
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We've talked about God's light. in our winter nights. And today,
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we talk about something many people feel but rarely say out loud.
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Weariness. Tiredness. Feeling stretched thin. Yep.
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This episode is number four and it's called Strength for the Weary Heart.
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If you're listening to this today, and you're tired, physically,
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emotionally, spiritually, this episode is for you.
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Christmas is beautiful. The lights, the music, the memories,
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the joy, but it can also be heavy.
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Oh yeah. There's the busyness of keeping up with everything.
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The pressure of making everyone else happy. The weight of expectations at hope,
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at work, at home, and with family.
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Sometimes the memories of years past come rushing back.
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And if we're being honest, and I know I am going to be honest,
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sometimes we show up with a smile, but inside we're exhausted. We're tired.
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And you know what? You're not alone. You're definitely not alone in that.
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One of the most comforting scriptures in the entire Bible that I've read this
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semester in my ministry school has been from Isaiah 40, and that's chapter 40, verse 29.
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It says, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
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Not he sees the weary, not he judges the weary, but he gives strength. He increases power.
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He meets us where we are.
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God is not disappointed in you for being tired. God is not angry at you for feeling drained.
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God is not distant from you when your energy runs low.
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Weariness does not disqualify you. If anything, weariness is the doorway where
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God's strength steps in.
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Let me be a little bit more vulnerable here, if I may.
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There was definitely a time, not too long ago, when I hit a wall.
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I was saying yes to everything, trying to be everywhere, trying to help everyone.
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And I kept telling myself, I'm fine. I'm fine.
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I'm fine. But I wasn't fine.
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One night after everyone went to bed, I sat on the couch, I walked over to the
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studio here and sat down next to the microphone, and I felt completely drained,
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emotionally and spiritually.
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I remember thinking, my God, I don't know how much more I have left in the tank.
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And I wasn't expecting anything dramatic, but in a very, very weird and a very
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quiet moment, a verse came to my mind. one I had read many times before.
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It was from Matthew 11, verse 28.
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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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It wasn't a lightning bolt. It wasn't a supernatural big moment.
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It was a gentle reminder.
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You can call it a whisper to my spirit.
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And it said, you don't have to carry this alone. How many times have I heard this?
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You're not alone. And that was the turning point right there.
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I didn't suddenly gain superhuman strength.
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I would have been nice, but God gave me what I needed for the next step and
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the next step after that.
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And you know what? The next step after that.
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That's how God strengthens the weary. Not always in one giant leap,
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but step by step. Here's what I've learned.
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And I want you to hear it today. Being tired does not mean you're falling.
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Does not even mean you're failing.
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Being weary does not make you feel or makes it, well, let me put it this way, actually.
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Being weary does not mean you lack faith. Let's put it that way. That's better.
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Being drained does not mean God has left you. Your limitations are not disappointment to God.
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It's nowhere near a disappointment to God. In fact, God's strength shines brightest
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in the places where we feel weakest.
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You know, Paul said that in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 9, My grace is sufficient
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for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
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Your weakness is not a flaw. It's an invitation.
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God strength and he, God strengthens us, right?
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And he, God strengthens us through his presence, reminding you that you're not alone.
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His word, speaking life and truth into tired places.
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His people, someone offering support or encouragement.
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Maybe his peace, calming your anxious heart.
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His joy, giving you inner strength.
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His hope, reminding you the story isn't over.
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You're still connecting those dots. Sometimes the strength God gives us a renewed
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mind, a calmer heart, a quiet moment, a little bit more patience, a little more clarity,
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a little more courage.
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Strength doesn't always look like power. Sometimes it looks like the ability to keep going.
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So if today you're listening and you say to yourself, I am so tired, I feel tired.
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Let me speak to your heart
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And let me speak this into your heart You are
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not weak You are not failing You are not forgotten You are not alone God sees
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your efforts God understands your heart God is with you in the weariness And
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his strength is already working in you So let's pray about it Lord,
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for the listeners of the Half-Faith Let It Begin family Who are tired Strengthen them today,
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Lift their spirit, renew their mind, fill their heart with your peace,
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give them the kind of strength that only you can give.
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Strength in that carries them, comforts them, and reminds them they are deeply loved.
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In Jesus' name do we pray, amen.
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Well, I hope you enjoyed episode four of this Christmas Hope Week,
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Strength of the Weary Heart. If this touched your spirit,
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Know this, God is not finished with you yet. Sound familiar?
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Tomorrow, we close out our week with episode five, Walking This Season With Peace and Purpose.
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That's a good one. I know it's going to be a good one. It's a message to help
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you move into the weekend ready, focused, spiritually, and really spiritually strong.
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So enjoy it. And don't forget, this Sunday, I will be preaching to First Reformed
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Church, and I'm doing an episode called Peace on Earth, the Joy Within Us.
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Enjoy the rest of your day. And never forget, have faith, let it begin.
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Hey, have faith family. This is your reminder that someone very special is coming your way.
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Join Angel Santana, that's me, this Sunday, December 14th at 10 a.m.
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Eastern Standard Time for a live sermon from the First Reformed Church.
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Come be inspired, be uplifted, and start your week with God's word spoken from the heart.
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And don't forget, I mentioned someone very special is coming your way.
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Our beloved Santa Claus will return for our annual tradition that continues
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on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.
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Tune in at 7 a.m. for the story of the candy cane, presented live as only Have
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Faith Let It Begin can share with you.
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It's faith. It's family. It's Christmas. Mark your calendar,
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set your reminders, and remember, to have faith, let it begin. Let it begin.