Monday NIght @ First B NOv 21at
First B Jackson
2022-11-22

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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And and there's a lot going on, but I'm just thankful to be together. And also, a big thank you to, Monique. Can we give Monique a hand for such a delicious dinner? And, can we show her our appreciation? I...

Can I just have two volunteers tonight? Just two to help her clean up. I think Pamela's already back there helping. Thank you. Thanks, Pamela and Rachel.

Appreciate it. As Thanksgiving approaches on Thursday, I wanna give a quick plug for Friendsgiving, and it's happening in this room beginning at 04:00. Dinner starts at five. Nick, do you wanna add anything else about it?

Hello, everyone. Yeah. If we can bring something, it is a potluck. If you would coordinate with me, that'd be helpful on what to bring. If you don't wanna coordinate with me, that's fine.

Bring some dessert. I think that's one the things we're missing right now. So, we could use some whipped cream, pumpkin pies, those sorts of things. But if you can still coordinate with me just so I know how many of what... What's coming.

So, invite your friends and your neighbors. And if, a ton of people show up, I don't know how many people are showing up, maybe help. You know, help clean, help arrange, sit next to a stranger, clear a table, something like that. That'd be really, much welcome. Thank you so much.

Hey. Does anybody know right now if they're planning on coming on Thursday just by show of hands? A few? Okay. Wonderful.

Wonderful. That's at least 12345. There's 5, Nick. Alright. Alright.

Cool. Guaranteed to be a good time when Nick Stern is the host. And, to get into the spirit of thankfulness, I thought we could do a Thanksgiving song in scripture night. How's that sound? Giving thanks to the Lord for he is good.

His faithful love endures forever. Just a night of thanks. Song and scripture. Thanks. It's good to have a heart of gratitude.

It is. And for for the gift, not just the gift, but the giver. That that was kind of what God impressed on me. Not just the gift, not just what you're thankful for, but the the giver who gives it. Like James says this right here in, James one seventeen, every good and perfect gift, it comes from above.

He's acknowledging where the gift comes from, coming down from the father of heavenly lights. So that's what I'd like to focus on tonight, the gift, but more importantly, the giver. And I specifically wanna draw our attention, to these. Here's here's kind of my thankfulness list this week. God's love, his faithfulness, the peace that he gives us, his presence with us always, and his provision.

So those are my top five at the moment. It'll change from day to day. And I wanna give you a chance to share yours too. In fact, Monique made like a little a a little drawing or something like that on the the table, just a a thankfulness kind of a thing, if you wanna talk about that. But I do wanna give you a chance to share yours too at the end.

But I wanna start with this one here, beginning with God's love. So this one is so good. I have never known a love like God's ever. His sacrificial, others focused, unconditional, no matter what kind of love. His perfect love.

I've seen love like this, but not quite like God's toward us. And while there's a lot of verses to describe it, Romans eight is one of my favorites. I wanna share that one. When Paul says, I'm convinced that there's nothing that can separate us from God's love, death or life. Angels or demons.

Our fears for today or worries about tomorrow. That can't separate us from God's love. Not even the powers of hell can separate us. No power in the sky above or in the earth below. Nothing in all creation.

Just think of... Just consider that just for a second. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love. That's revealed to us in Christ. That's saying a lot about God's love.

And, we're studying Mark on Monday nights, has been great, but it's been so good because it's it's it's showing... It's revealing God's love in Christ. He's healing the sick. He's inviting the sinner. He's forgiving sins.

He's showing mercy. He's fulfilling that law of love, how God meant it to be fulfilled. We're seeing it all in Christ, how much God loves us. All to say, I am thankful for God's love and God help us to love as you do. We don't do it perfectly, but you are working on us.

You're transforming us to love as you do. As we live in you. Lord, help us to love as we do with that self giving, others focused, no matter what kind of love. In a world right now that desperately needs it. Help us to see people as you see people.

Amen. Should we stand? A little standing and sitting and standing and sitting tonight, but I'd love to sing Multiplying.

Like great diamond bursting inside us. Who can I contain? Your love will surely come find us. Amazing wildfire singing your name. God of mercy, sweet love.

God of mercy, sweet love of mine. Let's sing that again. Your love is light. You love is like Freddie Diamond bursting inside us. We cannot contain.

Your love will surely confound us. Amazing wildfire singing good name. Mercy. God of mercy. To your desire.

May this all ring trench across the sky.

God, I'm thankful to... This evening for your brand of love. That self giving others focused love that while we're still sinners, you died for us. Thank you. Thank you.

Give thanks to the Lord. He is good. He is loving. Faithful love endures forever. Amen.

And have a seat for for a moment here. Here's here's another thing that I'm I'm thankful for, and that is God's faithfulness, which means his reliability, his his trustworthy, his his loyalty to faith. And, one of my favorite verses here, from second Timothy is, if we are faithless, he remains faithful. Can I say that one more time? If we are faithless, God remains faithful for he cannot disown himself.

That's just who God is and will always be faithful. Even when our faith lacks, even when we are not, his faithfulness doesn't. And I just find that to be so, so comforting because here's Carl. Right? And here's God, faithful all of the time, even when we are faithless.

And I'm thankful for that. So I wanna I wanna sing of it. And you can you can stay seated if you'd like. But, this has been a a very meaningful song for me lately, and it's about God's faithfulness.

A Haley daily I can surrender. Grace for today is all that I need. Surprised by mercy that's new every morning. Awaken my soul to sing. Awaken my soul to sing.

I'll try. I will trust where you lead. And I will trust when I can't see. Morning by morning, ready is your faithfulness to me. Breath by breath, overtaking, I wonder.

I step at a time when I'm overwhelmed. I'm swank for today. I'd hope for tomorrow. Weaken my soul to sing. Waking my soul to sing.

Abutras, where you lead in Abutras. I can't see Morning by morning, where is your faithfulness to me? I will trust with all my heart. And you are good. You always are.

Morning by moaning. Praise your faithfulness. Do me off. He keeps saying every word again. And all fear be reminded.

My future is secure. Oh, my father has spoken. He keeps his a human word. So I will trust. I will trust you.

Morning by morning. Oh, morning by morning. I will trust where you lead. And I will trust when I can't see. Morning by morning, ladies, your faithfulness to me.

And I will trust with all my heart and you are good. You've always are. Morning by morning, great is your faithfulness to me. Morning by morning. Morning by morning, great is your faithfulness to me.

God, thank you for your faithfulness, your trust worthiness. And thank you, God, that truly your mercies are made new every morning. Yesterday's mercies were for yesterday's. Today's are for today's, and tomorrow's will be for tomorrow. But, Lord, may we wake up with our feet on the ground relying on those mercies, trusting in your mercy, trusting in your faithfulness.

You've brought us this far. You carry us the rest of the way home. Amen. Here's another thing I'm I'm thankful for, and it's God's peace. This one really hits me hard.

God's gift of wholeness. A peace that passes understanding, Philippians says. But Jesus says this. He says to his disciples, his followers, guys, guys, I'm leaving you with a gift. And it really is a gift.

Peace of mind and heart. And just let that sink in just for a second. Peace of mind and heart. And it's a gift that the world cannot give. Wow.

He's going, hey. Anything in this world, it it it it can't match it. This this is gonna fill up your mind and your heart. He's gonna give you peace thoroughly, completely. And so don't be troubled or afraid.

I just love it. It's so comforting. Before we sing of it, I'd like to to pray and just thank God for his gift of peace. Gotta do. We do.

Thank you for your gift of peace, your gift of wholeness, a peace that passes understanding, filling our hearts and minds to make us whole, to make us complete. A gift that the world can't give, unmatched. It's something only that you can do. And, Lord, I pray for peace in this room and each person in it, that you would fill our hearts and minds and that we would look to you for this kind of peace. We look for a lot of things to fill ourselves up and bring peace, but nothing can bring peace like you can.

Nothing can bring that gift of wholeness like you can. And so, Lord, may we look to you for it, trusting you for it, relying on you for it, looking to you for it. In Jesus' name, amen.

I'm with you and my soul sings out. As your word flows down my way. I sing to you and my heart cries, holy. I didn't knew who you are, father I knew you were. Hoping my hope is in you, Lord, all the day long.

And I won't be shaken by dry road stone. If he's the fastest I'm standing, it's my song, I sing. My hope is in you alone. I wish for you, and my soul finds rest. And my selfishness shows me grace.

I worship you, and my heart cries glory. Hallelujah. I'm the only here. My hope is in you, Lord, all the day long. I won't be shaken by drowned over a stone, A peace that passes understanding.

Here's my song, I sing. My old peace in you alone. I'll wait on you. I'll wait on... You were my refuge.

I'll wait on you. You were my refuge. My hope is in you, Lord, all the day long. I won't be shaken by drowned, o hornstone. A feast that passes understanding gives my song, and I sing.

My hope is in you alone.

God, we would have that peace that passes understanding. And, God, we... We're drive through people. We want things immediately, but, God, that we would wait on you. Just wait on you.

Just wait and watch. Help us. Jesus' name. Amen. Here's another, another thing I'm thankful for.

God's presence. Amen for God's presence. Seriously, everywhere, all the time. Emmanuel, God with us. This week, I had, just...

Somebody kinda brought me through a a little exercise. He said, what were you grateful for today? And, he said, close your eyes and, tell me about it. What'd you see? What'd you smell?

What'd you feel? What'd you experience? And I just... I I I found myself. It was just so overwhelming to...

Yeah. Absolutely. God was right there. Right there with me. It was it was so good.

May I encourage you to do that this week just to think of a really good moment? How was God with you? How was God with you in that moment? Psalm one thirty nine. It's one of my favorite verses, it says this.

I can never escape from your spirit, and I can never get away from your presence. Thank God. I mean, we'll try sometimes, won't we? We'll try to run away. But the psalmist is saying here, I I I can't get away from your presence even if I wanted to.

If I go up to heaven, you're there. If I go down to the grave, you're there. If I ride on the wings of the morning, dwell by the furthest oceans, even there, your hand will guide me. Isn't it amazing how... Have you ever traveled across the country somewhere else in the world and you go, wow.

God is very present with me right here in this place. Or Psalm 23. I love this one too. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, some of us are really going through it, have or will. But he's saying, fear no evil.

Why? Because you are with me. You are present with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. He's talking about Jesus as the good shepherd.

A good shepherd stays by his sheep. He leads the flock, loves them. He's present with them. All to say, I am thankful for God's presence with us at all times and no matter what, at our lowest, at our highest, he is there with us. And I'd like to sing of it in this next song, the goodness of God.

And and the lyrics that caught me on this are, all my days I've been held in your hands. Why? You're with me. In the darkest night, you're close like no other. I'll sing in the goodness of God.

Can we stand for this one?

I love you, Lord. Oh, your mercy never fails me. All my days, I've been dealt in your hands. From the moment that I wake up till I lay my head, I was saying of the good news of God. All my life, I've been faithful.

And all my life, you have been faithful. And all my life, you have been so, so good. With every breath that I can be able, I will sing the good news of God. I love your voice. You led me through the foggy.

In darkest night, you are close like no other. I've known you as a father. I've known you as a friend. And I live the goodness of all my life, you're faithful. And all my life, you have been faithful.

All my life, you have been so, so good. With every breath that I can able, I've seen the goodness of God's goodness running after. Your goodness is riding after, running after me with my life laid down. Surrender now. I give you everything.

Your goodness is running out running out to me. Your goodness is running out running out me all my life. And all my life, you have been faithful. And all my life, you have been so, so good. With every breath that I can able, I will sing the good news from God.

Thank you for your presence with us at all times, everywhere, in the high and the low, and for your faithfulness that you truly are. You are trustworthy and reliable, sticking closer than a brother. We know you as a father. We know you as a friend. God, may you make your presence known to us this week.

May it catch us by surprise that no matter where we are, you're present and you're actively working. God, that we would see it, acknowledge it, acknowledge you. In Jesus' name. Amen. And then one more on my, my little thankfulness list is, God's provision that he supplies our needs.

I mean, I just love that Jesus talks about this in in Matthew six, and he's telling his disciples, hey, guys, I know you're worried. I know you're worried. You're worrying about everyday life. But he says, the Lord knows what you need. He says, don't worry about these things saying, hey.

What do we eat? What do we drink? What do we wear? What do we do? These things dominate unbelievers.

But your heavenly father... Catch this. Your heavenly father already knows all your needs. Can I just can I just say that one more time? God knows your needs.

Every single one of you. I don't. God knows every single one of your needs. That's right. And catch this.

Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he'll give you everything that you need. Seek him first. God, you know what I need. You know what I need. May I seek you, look to you, ask God, how would you meet these needs for me?

But, God, I wanna seek your will first because maybe some of the things that I want, that's not exactly what you want. So, Lord, would you show us what your will is because you'll meet all of our needs, and we thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen. I think this last song sums up this better than I can, but it's saying I...

I've I've seen the evidence. I've seen the evidence of your goodness all over my life. So I'd like to close with that one. And then, and if you'd like to add to that list, I do... I wanna get a little time...

Conversation time at the end after we sing. But let's let's close on this last last song first.

All throughout my history, the faithfulness is one beside me. Winter storms made way for spring. And every season from where I'm staying there, I see the evidence of your goodness all over my life, all over my life. I see your promises in fulfillment all over my life, all over my life. It'll me remember when I'm weak.

Fear may come or feel relieved. You lead my heart to victory. You are my strength, and you always will be. I see the oven in so many good news all over my life, all over my life. I see your promises in fulfillment all over my life, all over my life.

See the cross,

the empty grave.

See the cross, the empty grave. Yeah. That in season, there's all my sin rolled away because of you, oh, Jesus. See the cross, see empty grave. Yeah.

That ends his endness. All my sins rolled away because of you, oh, I see the evidence of your goodness all over my life, all over my life. I see your promises in fulfillment, all over my life, all over my life. So why should I fear? Oh, the heaven and savior.

All right, you can have a seat here just for a moment again. So here's my little thankfulness list again. It really is. Is kinda small compared to how much there really is to be thankful for. And if there's more that you'd like to add, I wanna give us a little opportunity to do so.

And maybe it's something specific. Maybe it is an answer to prayer for you or a way that you see God at work. It is always good to hear from each other. You don't have to. You don't have to say anything if you don't want.

We could have just closed with that song. But if there is, would anybody be willing to share something that you're that you're thankful for on your list this evening? Going first is always the hardest part, isn't it? Nick, do you wanna you wanna share a little?

For me, it's, I've been in a season of... I feel like God's been holding a mirror up and saying, like, hey. Look at that part of your life. Hey. Look at that part of life.

And that's... I've I've been thankful for that, not just being left and abandoned. And I I I feel like even today, like, there was an opportunity today to be like, wow. I gotta work on that. It's one of those moments in the office that I like, oh, could could use a little more patience there.

I gotta... But part of it is for me, it's just in a season of thankfulness and trying to refine those things and that God hasn't given up on me. I'm just... I'm grateful for that. That that sanctification process continues on that Ray talks about a lot.

So actually, really thankful for that.

I I feel like, I'm I'm thankful that, I feel like God's helped me to kinda zoom out a little bit. You ever have a problem and all you can see is a problem? And I feel like God's kinda helping me to zoom out just a little bit and go, God, he's going... God's saying, Carl, there's a bigger picture here that that I'm I'm working on. Okay?

I just need you to faithfully plot along day by day, trust in my faithfulness, as you as you as you are going, because there's a there's a bigger picture, and God's got a plan through it. And I'm really I'm really grateful for that. Anybody else?

Justin?

I don't like talking in front of people so much, but, yeah, I'm thankful for a lot. I'm thankful for my kid. Thank you for my sobriety. Thank you for my health. I'm thankful to be here.

I'm thankful for everybody here. I'm thankful to have a place to come and hang out on Mondays and Sundays. I'm thankful I have a place and a job and not sleeping in my truck in Vegas. And, yeah, I'm just very thankful for everything, for people and everything.

Well, you know, as I said yesterday in church after eight years of what happened to Hayden's mom, I I am very thankful that I'm not thankful that she died. I'm thankful that we know where she is today and tomorrow and the next day. And and I'm thankful thankful with that in mind that he did take that song that we sang yesterday and used that to turn me around. And and and now we're... You know, we can have our grandson every so often for for visits, and and we are certainly glad and thankful that the Lord gave us...

Him to us. Thanks, Carl.

I'm thankful for the testimony of Russ and Yvonne and the trials that they have been through in their life and their faithfulness to God. It is quite an example for me. And I'm also thankful, Lord, for family, devoted family who is constantly around us, willing to help, bringing joy, bringing help as needed, etcetera. So I'm... And it sounds trite, Carl, but I am thankful for each one of those five things that you put up there.

I don't wanna be repetitious, but that is what I'm also thankful for. But Russ and Yvonne's testimony, through the years since I've known them, maybe forty years, it's been just marvelous and fabulous to behold. And I'm thankful for what God has done for Alan and me and what he's given us and thankful for incredible family. And we're all part of an incredible family of the Lord.

You know what makes thankfulness easy? Practicing it. Yeah. So it's not a hard thing to do. You know, and and you can find anything to be thankful for.

It's always all around you. Mine was getting to the end of my summer workload about a week ago, maybe a little more and I said, I am beaten to the ground. And then I had an easier and lighter workload for the last week and week and a half, And I'm thankful for that. So I'm feeling alive again. Anyway, thanks.

Anybody else?

Hello, everyone. I would like to share one verse that is talk about everything that the love of God, faithfulness, peace, presence, and provision. And it's Psalms 27 verse 10. It says, even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. And, yeah, I I have a a testimony about that because I really I really be thankful with God for everything, for his love, for his presence, for the provision because I'm from Mexico, as some of you know.

But I was praying for many years to be here and work by legal... In a legal way. And that was my prayer for a long years, and and now I'm here. And I'm very thankful with God because he always... Like the other son said, he's...

He keeps his word. I don't remember the the letters of the the verse, but God is faithful. Faithfulness. And, yeah, I I wanted to share with you this verse. I'm sorry.

I don't speak English very well, but I'm trying to do this. And, yeah, I'm very thankful with God.

Anybody else?

Something we pray for a lot here. First, we... Because we... We've lost a lot of people who had to move out of town. It's some new faces.

No pressure to stay, but, boy, does it do us a really... A good... I mean, a a lot of good to see just people... I'm I'm almost gonna start to cry because we we pray regularly for that because it's every... I mean, this year, we lost, like, 12 big families, you know, and it's just amazing how God continues to stir people to to be here.

So your presence is is great for us too.

A big part of my faith or realization, and I guess you would call it testimony, I remember it is that I believe that everything happens like there's a cause and reaction. Things happen like like that. Like... And and I look at so many things in my life that are blessings and such good things that didn't come from some good action that I've done. You know what I mean?

So I see all around and I look at all of these good things in my life and realize that it didn't come from good things that I had done and realizing where that comes from And the... What what makes the gospel make sense to me and why it's good news is that it's not fair. Life isn't fair, and you get all of these blessings that you don't deserve. So I can look at, you know, all the sins that you've done. Yet you still have all of these amazing blessings in your family, and we can all go through a list of kinda you do at your normal Thanksgiving dinner like, oh, I'm thankful for my health, which is true.

Thankful for my daughters, which is true. And I remember proposing to my wife and faith was a part of that too. Like, of all of these blessings in my life that I do not deserve, that's my favorite one. And these are the things to be grateful for, but also the the tie in with the faith is where... Why I have that gratitude and who I can give that gratitude to is...

There's a reason why I have these blessings, and it's not because of anything that I'd...

Oh, if I have to share all the thoughts that I have, we have to be here for two two, three hours. But I'll say few words on. I'm thankful for my pastors very much so. Thank you for being so good, so friendly, so awesome, so kind all the time. All the time.

And I know you're humans, of course, but I don't ever remember seeing you or pastor Ray, upset or mad or acting weird. Such a beautiful example to me. And I I wanna say thank you to you. Also, I'm thankful for all of you. Nick, thank you for all you do here at church.

Man, you're a blessing here. Your smile, your laugh, even if I'm mad, you're... Well, if I hear you laughing, it makes me feel good. You have that stage personality. You make people feel good around you.

But if I was... If I would have to say something that is deep, deep in my heart, super, super thankful, it would be that the fact that the church, not only that nourished us... Is that right? Nourished? Loved us, but helped us to prepare to serve the Lord.

I'll be I'll be very quick. I'm not sure if I ever shared this. So when the elders invited me to be part of the the meetings, I went on smoking, and I literally striked to cry. Lord, this is a mistake. The...

Somewhere there is a mistake. Whoever started this idea for me to be there, I... You... We both know there is a mistake. That's what I literally said out loud.

I mean, literally loud with voice because I looked around to make sure that nobody's around me. And then I keep hiking and crying and laughing and talk to the Lord. And then I and then I feel something sweet from the Lord saying that, what if what if this is a way of preparing you? And this is how I feel that the first beat did for me. Prepare me through my journey, through my, lows and highs.

Oh my goodness. I'm I'm good with that. Believe me. I have a gypsy blood, so I go like this easily. So I'm thankful that the the elders in the church here slowly invested me one day at a time to prepare me.

And I'm thankful that one day, actually soon, I will go back to Romania and be a missionary over there and serve God. And I will try to do my best to use whatever God put on my life here to inspire people over there too. So huge thank you. Now as you let us turn.

Okay.

Just like my husband said, I am very thankful for the church here. Very, very thankful because for us personally, when we came, we came because we needed God, and this church has shown the love of God to us. So we're very thankful for that. Very thankful for our salvation. We always just skip over because it's a...

It's just so little, but it is so so much that God had loved us so much that he sent his son to save us. So that I'm thankful for very much.

I told you I have more to say. Oh, okay. Yes.

Hi, everybody. I gonna try to speak English. So I'm so thankful for Erica because he... She said to me, oh, you want to go with me to the church? And I was like, okay.

But it's so nice for me. I really miss my family and my friends. Now I have one and everyone. Thank you for that because this world is so cold, but I feel warm here. I feel like a family.

I I feel... I can feel many pretty things here and the importance that the faith and to believe in God, and it's a night for me. I think I'm so thankful, so grateful for sharing with us. When I was sing... When when I sing that songs, I feel love.

I feel faith. I feel the presence, and it's amazing. It's it's good because sometimes in a moments, we forgot many things, but this make me feel and remember many pretty things. And they propose that you can be better always in the presence of God with you when you feel lost on many kind of things. So thank you so much.

And we are thinking soon and cook some for everybody. Some Mexican. Thank you.

Thank you.

Any