Sermon
Gather the Fragments | Nate Ortiz | Radiant Life Church
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Well, listen. I am honored to bring
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forth the word this morning. I uh it's
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so great to have everyone here for our
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one big service. And uh we're believing
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God to do some great things this
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morning. And so I hope everyone had a
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great Christmas and is looking forward
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to the new year. I feel like as I get
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older, I feel like how's the year
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already? Like how it's moving so fast,
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so fast. I know I can't be the only one,
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but um I for those who don't know, my
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name is Pastor Nate Ortiz. I came on
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staff. Thank you, Pastor Matt. What a
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friend. Take Pastor Matt everywhere you
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go. Like, my name is Nate. He's like,
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that's a good word. That's a good word.
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I I just I've been attending church, but
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have been, you know, came on staff a
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little bit ago and um you know, uh just
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grateful to serve Pastor Chris and
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Pastor Rachel. They gave me the the
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great privilege of uh joining and
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serving with team life and and just um
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life groups that we have going on and
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just be able to connect. So, I'd love to
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get to connect with you, get to know you
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more as we continue as the Radiant Fam.
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And so, when I brought this message, I
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was I was thinking about what I wanted
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to share. And if you're taking notes
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today, um the title of this message is
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called Gather the Leftovers.
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Gather the leftovers. out. Um, and I
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also want to say before I hop in, uh,
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you know, Pastor Chris, Pastor Rachel,
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they are take some time away and we are
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grateful for our pastors, honor our
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pastors that are taking some time, uh,
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before the new year to kind of get some
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fresh vision and just what God's
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speaking to them and get some time with
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the family. So, we miss them this
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morning. I'm sure they're watching live
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stream. So, hey, Pastor Chris. Okay. And
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so, it's like it's like your parents
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checking on you like, "We're doing
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good." Right.
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Right. People are shooting him text
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like, "Get back here quick, Pastor
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Chris." Um it is not going good.
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But uh the title of this message is
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called gather the leftovers. And when I
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was thinking about this message um you
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know there's such a unique time between
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Christmas and heading into the New
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Year's. And I don't know about you, but
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I I find myself um eating a little more
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leftovers than I should, right? I I I
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feel like I just take a lapse in my
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house. Like it's like in the kitchen
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like, "Oh, let me grab this cookie." And
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then like I like walk back out, do
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something, and I come back in. It's
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almost like I feel like a a a very weak
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episode of like National Geographic.
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Like there he is, the middle-aged male
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walking into the kitchen for the 50th
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time eating the cookie he said he wasn't
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going to have and he comes back and sits
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on the couch, right? It's like that's
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that's what my life feels like in this
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in between moment. And there's something
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to be said though, right? We kind of
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feel this in between space. we get off
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the celebration of Christmas and you
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know for many of us is there's lots of
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things that go on with Christmas there's
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celebrations there's gifts to get for
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people all those kind of things and and
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you know you know we did so much you
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know preparation for Christmas and when
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I say we I mean my wife um getting all
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the gifts and wrapping it's like listen
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you know it's a dad Christmas everything
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would have been in a bag and like tissue
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paper on top you know my wife is
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wrapping it and you know getting all the
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gifts and all those kind of things so
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we're all my dads you're just as
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surprised as the kids are, you're like,
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"Oh my gosh, we did get that for you,
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didn't we?" Right? It's like amazing.
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Um,
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but there's something about getting to
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Christmas and this in between moment for
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we head into a new year. And if we're
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being honest, sometimes that can be um a
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little bit of a time of friction. we get
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off the celebration of our Lord and
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Savior and when we think about the new
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year and and sometimes there's things
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that follow us into the new year.
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There's things that we're just trying to
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wrestle with in our mind and our spirit.
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You know, we live between the memory of
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what was and the anticipation of what is
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to come. And it could be exciting and
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anxiety building all at once.
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If we live in this place of sometimes
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we're like we're we're just surviving
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off the leftovers that are in our life.
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We feel like that Christmas was so fun
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and it's maybe a little bit out of your
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rhythm and there's a lot of joy and
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happiness. Then you feel like, yeah, I
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kind of got to get back into the rhythm
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of of life. Or maybe we feel like I'm
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starting a new year and I'm not really
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proud of how this last year has ended.
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It's been hard. It's been difficult. Or
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maybe you feel like it's been a great
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year and you want that to last forever,
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right? But we understand that we don't
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know what 2026 holds. But we know that
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we can walk with God and we can trust
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him in those moments.
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You know, the same leftovers that remind
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us that God provided can quietly
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convince us that the best days are
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behind us. You know, when we think about
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some of the leftovers that are in our
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life, it can cause this feeling of are
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those really my best days and now I'm
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just have to live off the leftovers or
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or do we feel like God has something
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greater for me? You know, if you've
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grown up in church, you know, we've you
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know, you've heard people kind of give
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words for the year like this is my word
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for the year. You know, joy is my word
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for the year and then they get into the
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new year like getting my teeth kicked
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in. That's my word of the year. It's
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right. It's like it's never a negative
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thing. Sometimes we don't know what the
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year holds
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and that can that could be anxiety
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building or it feels like there's things
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that are that are following us into the
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new year. But the truth that I want us
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to take away this morning is that God
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operates in our abundance and in our
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leftovers.
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He operates in both. I would love just
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to tell you God is just more and more in
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abundance and greatness, but I have
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learned that when I I just want the
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nearness of God in my life. You know,
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we've heard it said many times, you
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know, with coming off the Christmas
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season that Emanuel, God is with us.
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My hope in 2026 for for you, for us as a
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church, is that we'd say, I just want
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the nearness of God in my life. You can
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listen to a thousand sermons. You can go
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to all the conferences you want. You can
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have all the people pray for you. But
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until in your heart you say, "I want the
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nearness of God in my life.
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Whatever that takes, whatever that looks
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like, I want to experience his
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presence." And even at the end of
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today's service, we want to take some
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time for us to be able to pray,
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to step out in faith.
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Listen, I my whole life I've lived to
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say, "Lord, if it's in your word, I want
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to receive it for my life. I want it to
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be true. I want every part of the word
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of God. I want to be in your presence. I
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want to feel the nearness of you.
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And I want to just drive this point home
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with this passage of scripture. In John
John 6 chapter mention
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chapter 6 verse one, we're going to be
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in John chapter 6 verse one. And I'll
John 6 chapter mention
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read the whole passage of scripture so
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we can we can buckle in. But John
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chapter 6 verse 1 all the way to verse
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14,
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it says, "After these things, Jesus went
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away to the other side of the Sea of
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Galilee or Tiberias. A large crowd
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followed him because they saw the signs
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which he was performing on those who
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were sick. Then Jesus went up on the
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mountain. There he sat down with his
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disciples. Now the Passover, the feast
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of the Jews, was near. Therefore Jesus
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lifting up his eyes and seeing that a
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large crowd was coming to him said to
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Philillip, "Where are we to buy bread so
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that these may eat?" This he was saying
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to test him, for he himself knew what he
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was intending to do. Philip answered
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him, 200 diner worth of bread is not
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sufficient for them for everyone to
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receive a little. One of his disciples,
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Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to
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him, "There is a lad here who has five
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barley loaves and two fish, but what are
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these for so many people?" Jesus said,
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"Have the people sit down." Now there
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was much grass in the place. So the men
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sat down in number about 5,000. Jesus
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then took the loaves, and having given
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thanks, he distributed to those who were
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seated. Likewise also of the fish as
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much as they wanted. When they were
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filled, he said to the disciples,
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"Gather up the leftover fragments so
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that nothing will be lost." So they
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gathered them up and filled 12 baskets
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with fragments from the five barley
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loaves which were left over by those who
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had eaten. Therefore, when the people
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saw the sign which he had performed,
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they said, "This is truly the prophet
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who has come into the world."
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The first point I'd like to give this
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morning from God's scripture is do we
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give from what we have or do we give
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from what we believe?
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Because there is a difference. There are
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times where I will say God I will give
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you what I have.
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But God is saying I want you to give
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from what you believe.
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In my life as a Christian, as I was
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saying, following the word of God, there
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are times where people they'll have
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enough faith to believe from Genesis all
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the way to Acts. But when they get to
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Acts, they're saying, "Well, I don't
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know about the Holy Spirit and God
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moving and leading us." I'm saying,
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"Listen, if you have enough faith to get
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through creation, God created the
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heavens and the earth, to get all the
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way through the Old Testament to a
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virgin birth to Christ being on the
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cross, if you can get all the way
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through that, don't stop with believing
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that the Holy Spirit wants to activate
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gifts inside of you. The Holy Spirit
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wants to lead you to live a life that is
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greater and bigger than you could
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imagine.
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So you have to say, "Lord, help my
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unbelief. Help me to believe that you
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can do exceedingly, abundantly, more
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than I ever thought or could imagine.
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Don't we want to be those type of
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people?" Said, "It's maybe not happening
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right now.
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It may look like my circumstance is
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pitiful, but I will live my life from
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what I believe, not just what I have.
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And let that be a faith stirring moment.
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Cuz I can tell you, just because you
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have a pastor in front of your name does
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not make you exempt from the struggles
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of the world.
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If it was, I would strongly suggest
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become a pastor.
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But there is not there's not a fast
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pass. There's not.
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But when we walk this life, we have the
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opportunity to say, "Lord, even though
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my situation is not like I'd want it to
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be, I'm still believing and trusting in
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you."
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As we read in that passage of scripture
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in John chapter 5 through9
John 5 chapter mention
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says, "God will often test us knowing he
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is working out a greater plan. He asks
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the question already know that he's
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going to provide."
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Sometimes we want to say, "God, you just
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provide then I'll follow." Doesn't that
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always feel great?
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We say, "God, I'll do what you want me
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to do. Just tell me. I'm not an OB. I'm
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not a disobedient person. If you just
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tell me, this would go a lot easier.
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Just tell me the plan."
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But don't you know, if you have little
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kids, if you answer one question, it
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births 55 more questions.
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Where are we going? To the store. What
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store? Menards. What are we getting
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there? A shovel. What do you need a
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shovel? Something happened. Are we
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bearing? No. Just stop.
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We're just getting a shovel. Just don't
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read into it. Right.
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Right. And we do the same thing with
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God.
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God tells you, "I need you to step away
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from this job or I need you to step away
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from this or I need you to move or I
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need you to serve it." Like, "Well, God,
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what if if I do that? What what'll
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happen? What what what next?" And God's
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saying, "You just need to take the next
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step."
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Philip in this passage of scripture, he
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sees the crowd, right? Jesus asks the
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question, he looks at the crowd and then
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he begins to automatically calculate
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what his resources are and if he can
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meet the demand of Jesus. He says,
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"Well, we have about this much gener. I
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don't know. That's not going to feed
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everybody."
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Jesus didn't ask him, "How much do you
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have?"
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But we often look at our resources, try
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to answer those questions. Andrew sees
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this little boy and he says, "Well, you
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know, he has a little bit, but it's not
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enough for everybody, right?" He looks
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at what the boy has, it automatically
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dismisses it.
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Don't we do that in our lives? Sometimes
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God Jesus is giving us a command, giving
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us obedience, and we say, "Well,
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yeah, but what I have is really
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insignificant. It's really not that
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important." Or what does what does me
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really Come on. I'm I'm going to say
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some things, Pastor Chris later, right?
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Sometimes when we say, "Hey, we need
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help in kids church." And so I only give
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one one Sunday. What'll one Sunday do?
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And then we don't do any Sunday. Uhoh.
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Uhoh.
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Now you can definitely text pastor Chris
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like we are not doing well, Pastor
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Chris.
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And I'm not here to condemn. I'm not
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here to judge. But what I'm saying is
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let us live from what we believe.
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the boy who had the fish in the loaves
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of bread. He gives what he has not
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knowing how it'll be used. Don't you
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think that Jesus is sometimes calling us
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to step out and saying, "I don't have a
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lot of great gifts and I don't know how
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it could be used, but I'm going to give
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it to you, Jesus."
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In this year coming up,
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maybe God's asking you to step out. Do
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some things in your life. Step out in
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faith.
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believe God for great things in the
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middle of great difficulties.
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What we dismiss as not enough, God often
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identifies as exactly what he intends to
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use.
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I love the kingdom of God
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for the main reason that there are
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people in this room that have different
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stories of faith and how God has taken
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them,
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how they found the Lord. And I love it.
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There's nothing more that I love than
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hearing someone's journey of faith of
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how did you come to know the Lord? How
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did you come to follow him? And there's
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times where I'm I'm so convicted when I
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hear someone's story of faith,
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trials and tribulations they walked
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through and they came to know the Lord.
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I'm like, "Oh my goodness, you make my
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story seem like nothing."
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But they continued to pursue after Jesus
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and they said, "Lord,
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my life you can use however you choose."
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If we think about this week,
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I think it's a pivotal week in our
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lives. You know, we like to think about
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the new year. And don't we know that
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just because the calendar changes, a lot
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of things stay the same, right?
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Sometimes
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the things of one year will follow us
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into another year, lies that we
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believed, struggles that existed, or
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sometimes great moments that were in
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this past year, they don't they don't
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always get to transfer over to the new
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year. Sometimes those those negative
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things will follow you like a like a
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puppy into a new year. And we we just
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got a puppy in the Ortiz house. So pray
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for our carpets and our hardwood floors.
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Um you tell a puppy to stay still, it is
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not. It moves with you, right?
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But I want to encourage you that in the
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second point here, leftovers are not
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evidence that God is done.
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Leftovers are not evidence that God is
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done. We can often look at things that,
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you know, come into our life. We're
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saying a good leftover or a bad leftover
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because we know those both exist, right?
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Sometimes it's like, you know, in your
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fridge at home when you're saying, "What
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are we having in leftovers?" Like, "Oh,
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yeah, buddy." Like, I'm like ready for
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it. And then there's other times when we
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have leftovers, it's like, "Oh, again,
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right?"
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We all been there. It's okay, right? No
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judgment. You don't have to elbow nobody
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in the room.
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You're you're going to go home and like,
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"What's happening? Leftovers, pastor
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said." All right. And so
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there are times where there's good
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leftovers and bad leftovers in our
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lives, but it's not evidence that God
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has done. Just because there's some
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things that follow you, it's not saying,
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"Well, it's going to follow you the rest
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of your life," but saying, "God, what
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are you doing in my life?
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What do you want me to see? What do you
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want me to know?" Because if we don't,
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what we do is we look at terrible
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situations and we're saying, "God, you
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were not there in that situation.
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You were not listening to me. And we
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just live our lives just trying to get
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from one heart situation to another hard
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situation instead of asking God saying
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show me the evidence that you are not
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done that you are doing something
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greater. You know in John 6 11-12 I
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won't read it but it says Jesus just
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doesn't feed the crowd he commands the
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disciples to gather what remains.
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The miracle wasn't over when everyone
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ate. The leftovers were a part of the
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sign.
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So when the people were eating, when the
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the food is being multiplied, they
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weren't shoving their face saying, "This
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is the miracle. Look at this guy. He's
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providing food for us. This is like, you
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know, the golden corral before the
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Golden Corral was a golden corral. Like
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this is this is amazing. All this is
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better than Olive Garden. Endless bread.
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All we can eat. Praise God." Right? It's
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no, they're eating and they're eating
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and they're and they're they're filling
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their bellies. But then when it gets to
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the end and Jesus tells the disciples,
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"Gather what remains
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so that nothing is lost."
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And when the disciples gather everything
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that remains, the people then say, "This
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is truly the prophet who has come into
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the world."
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Sometimes the leftover things in our
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lives
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are a sign for other people to know that
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God is really who he says he is.
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When you're walking through something
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difficult and people around you know it
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and saying, "How do you keep your joy?
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How do you keep your head up? I serve a
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God who's great. I serve a God who's
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faithful." He is not just faithful when
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things are going our way. It's easy to
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serve God when things are going all
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right our way, isn't it? Wouldn't it be
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great just to say, "God did everything I
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wanted him to do and I asked him to do."
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But don't we? We should be praising God
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even for the moments that don't go
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according to our plan so that we can
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have a greater reliance on him.
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>> Isn't that what we want in life?
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Economies could be shaken and interest
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rates and all these kind of things. But
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the but God is not in heaven nervous
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about the economy.
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I know we are okay.
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But God is not God is not saying, "Oh, I
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can't move. The interest rates are too
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high." God is saying, "I can't move. The
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price of gas is too much."
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But God is telling us that if you can
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trust and believe
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that even the things that you say, I was
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living in a season of abundance, but now
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it doesn't feel like I am. Or I feel
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like things are going well and I want to
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continue. May we steward each moment
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well that we say God in abundance or in
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little I will trust you because my
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reliance my relationship with you is not
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based on how much I have but even in the
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leftovers it's a sign to me of your
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faithfulness.
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Jesus never treats leftovers as a waste.
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He treats them as a witness
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that there may be some things you're
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wrestling with this morning.
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things that are hard,
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trust God with them. Let them be a
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witness to other people.
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And it's hard sometimes for us to speak
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positive when things are going terrible,
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right? We live we live in a time it
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would feel awkward in our culture. If
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you're walking and you see someone at
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Kroger or wherever you do your groceries
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at and you say, "Hey, what's going on?"
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Like everything everything is terrible.
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All right. Well, I'll see you. Right.
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Right. We we don't create time for that
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type of transparency or honesty. Some we
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just say, I'll just say I'm doing good
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because is anything ever really going to
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change.
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But what if the conversation you say,
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you know what, things are going really
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tough right now, but but
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I've been able to get closer to Jesus
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through it all.
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My health is failing me, but
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God is still faithful in these other
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areas of my life and he's worthy.
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It's not about denying your struggle or
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your pain or what's going on or the
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things that continue to come back into
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your life. Hear me. It's not about
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suppressing that and pretending it
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doesn't exist.
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But what it's really saying, God, give
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me what I need for this day. Give us
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this day our daily bread.
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I can't worry about tomorrow. I can't
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worry about yesterday. I can just worry
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or not worry, but I can just steward
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this moment that's in front of me.
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I love this. You know, God will never
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waste what he multiplies.
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You know, there's things that God will
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multiply in your life. Sometimes you
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feel like, well, he's multiplying
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trouble.
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I need him to multiply the blessings.
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But I've learned this
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to trust God with my wins and my losses.
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2026.
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Listen, we we know that we live in a
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time where
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people have vision boards and things
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they want to do and positive
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affirmations and all those kind of
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things. And I'm not against those
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things.
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Sometimes, you know, people have visions
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of like, you know, in 2026, you know, I
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want to, you know, be a
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multi-millionaire. I have this, you
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know, idea and this plan. And other
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people are saying, do you know what my
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vision is? just try to survive each day
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because it's hard.
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But what if we really begin to say,
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"Lord,
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just let me be in your presence. Let me
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not doubt my resources, but Lord, let me
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surrender everything I have to you.
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Don't believe that your best days are
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behind you.
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Don't believe that your worst days are
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ahead of you,
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but believe that God in this moment can
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do something greater than you can
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imagine. He can shape you. He can begin
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to just pull you out of situations. He
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begin to just be a witness in your
-
family, in your community. He can use
-
you in a mighty way in this church, and
-
be impactful in this community. God can
-
do great things. I'm telling you, I
-
believe it. Not because I have some
-
great insight. I believe it because I'm
-
saying with God, I can't lose. With God,
-
I know that even in the hard moments,
-
even in the struggles, I can't lose with
-
God because he's gonna be faithful to
-
me. And it leads you to my third and
-
final point.
-
In this story in John chapter 6, the
John 6 chapter mention
-
leftovers became a testimony.
-
It did. Yeah.
-
The leftovers
-
Isn't it amazing? You know, when we
-
think about leftovers, sometimes it's
-
like, well, that's just excess.
-
That's stuff we didn't eat, that we
-
didn't need. My belly is full. My needs
-
are met.
-
But leftovers can be a testimony.
-
You know, if you look in Numbers,
-
Numbers 11:es 4-6,
-
you there's a passage of scripture where
-
it talks about the Israelites when
-
they're they're brought out of Egypt and
-
they're in the wilderness and there's
-
this part of them that they they look
-
back at Egypt and said, "You remember
-
when we used to eat all that good stuff
-
in Egypt, even though they were slaves
-
there, and God brought them out, now we
-
got all this mana. I'm sick of mana. I
-
don't want to eat mana. What are we
-
having? Mana. Mana sandwich. Mana mana
-
salad. Mana ice. Right. You know, it's
-
just like mana. Mana mana mana mana. I
-
don't want mana.
-
And here's the danger. We could begin to
-
romanticize the things of the past. Even
-
though we are in bondage every step of
-
the way, and we don't give God thanks
-
for what he put right in front of us,
-
saying, "Lord, it may not be a lot. It
-
may not be my favorite, but Lord, it is
-
sustaining me for what is ahead.
-
May we live in that place that says,
-
"God, it's not my favorite. It's not
-
what I desire. It's not what I want in
-
this moment. I can go through the list
-
of troubles, but thank God I'm not in
-
Egypt. Thank God I'm a son. I'm a
-
daughter of God who can live
-
victoriously, who could walk and step
-
over things with God guiding me and
-
leading me by his hand."
-
But only God can do that.
-
Only God can do that.
-
But in John chapter 6, the people looked
John 6 chapter mention
-
at the leftovers and they said, "Look at
-
this. This is a prophet."
-
Same situation,
-
but they begin to thank God.
-
There was a different spiritual
-
response. You know, the leftovers in our
-
life can either pull us backward with
-
feelings of nostalgia or disappointment,
-
or they could push us forward in faith
-
to say, "I may not love where I'm at
-
right now, but I know this isn't my
-
final destination of what God has for
-
me, and let my life be bigger than what
-
I could ever imagine or think that it
-
could be when I surrender everything I
-
am to him."
-
You know, what we call leftover, God
-
calls evidence.
-
What we say, that's just leftover from
-
last year or that's some just leftover
-
struggle. This is evidence of God
-
saying, "May everything in this life
-
draw you closer to me."
-
I love how it says it in Proverbs says,
-
"Lord, give me my portion. Don't give me
-
riches that I forget you, but don't give
-
me poverty that I curse you. Give me my
-
portion."
-
>> May that be a prayer in our hearts.
-
Well, I don't want riches.
-
Some like, well, may maybe a little bit.
-
Just just just a little bit.
-
I don't want poverty, but give me my
-
portion that keeps me close to you.
-
If if the worship team can come up, I I
-
want to close
-
with this thought
-
as we head into this new year.
-
It's very tempting
-
that we feel like, well, these are the
-
things that are going to happen in this
-
new year. And we speak it and we say it
-
and all those kind of things.
-
But I want to challenge you before the
-
new year hits,
-
take a moment in your life,
-
gather all the leftovers in your life
-
that you feel like, you know, there's
-
things say I just want that to stay in
-
2025. Maybe it doesn't.
-
Maybe there's some decisions that try to
-
float over.
-
I want you to gather the leftovers that
-
you say, "Lord,
-
help me to know how this all works
-
together in your plan. Help me to see
-
what you want me to see. Help me to have
-
the faith to believe even though I don't
-
have the answers. Help me to believe on
-
the resources I have yet to acquire in
-
my life that there are going to be great
-
things that are coming in my life.
-
gather the leftovers.
-
You know, at the end of this passage of
-
scripture,
-
Jesus didn't say, "Hey, all that excess,
-
throw it away.
-
Everyone has what they need. Throw it
-
away." No, he said, "Gather it so that
-
nothing will be lost."
-
When I read that, it struck me in in my
-
spirit.
-
What's lost?
-
Everyone ate. Everyone's fooled. The
-
mission was accomplished.
-
But don't we just think for a moment
-
that maybe maybe
-
Jesus was saying listen
-
just because there's excess in your life
-
doesn't mean it's gets lost but gather
-
everything the good the bad gather it
-
so nothing is lost so you say I I
-
remember when we were hungry and God fed
-
us but I also remember the abundance
-
He's faithful in all of it because in
-
that abundance that was gathered, it
-
spoke to people's hearts in their lives.
-
You know, in this year,
-
some of you might be have wrestling with
-
a lot of things right now. And if if we
-
can, can we just stand to our feet for
-
this last moment here if you're able to?
-
If you can't, that's completely fine. We
-
understand.
-
No pressure.
-
But many of you might be wrestling with
-
something this morning and we want to
-
create some space for it this this
-
morning.
-
You might feel like, "Pastor, there's
-
there's things in 2025 I just I wish I
-
could forget about them soon." There's
-
some of you saying, "I have some
-
excitement that awaits me in 2026."
-
Amen.
-
But in all of it, gather every part of
-
your life
-
that you might see, Lord, how are you
-
moving? How are you speaking? In the
-
middle of trouble, be near to me. In the
-
middle of abundance, be near to me.
-
Don't view leftovers as something that
-
God is saying there's no use for it.
-
There might be some dreams that didn't
-
fully happen in your life. Prayers that
-
weren't answered, strength
-
that is still there, but it's not what
-
it once was.
-
And we make this mistake. We assume that
-
because it's left over, God must be
-
finished.
-
But Jesus says something different.
-
After the miracle, after everyone is
-
full, after the moment has passed,
-
Jesus says, "Gather it so that nothing
-
will be lost."
-
Every head bowed, every eye closed in
-
this moment.
-
You might be here this morning. and
-
you're saying,
-
you know, I've really I've really been
-
far from the Lord.
-
Or maybe you've grown up and hearing the
-
gospel message
-
and God is speaking to your heart right
-
now. You're saying, "I need to dedicate
-
my life to the Lord." Or maybe you've
-
never dedicated your life to the Lord,
-
but you feel like this morning, I need
-
to go in not living off the world's
-
leftovers,
-
but receiving what God has for me, even
-
though I feel like I'm not worthy. But
-
you're here this morning and saying, "I
-
believe that Christ was born of a
-
virgin, crucified on the cross, buried,
-
and rose again on the third day so I
-
could have a sinless and blameless life
-
as he was the ultimate sacrifice."
-
If that's you this morning and you want
-
to dedicate your life to the Lord, can
-
you just even slip up your hand in this
-
room? If that's you,
-
we just want to give a moment for
-
everyone in this room. If you don't know
-
the Lord, we want you to leave here
-
knowing the Lord.
-
Amen.
-
And the worship team is going to lead us
-
in a song right now. But here's what I'd
-
like to do.
-
I'd like for us to step out in faith a
-
little bit.
-
To believe God.
-
To believe God for something great.
-
Whatever your circumstances,
-
that you would trust him.
-
Not because you're worthy or because you
-
have the resources as an individual,
-
because you've done things perfect or
-
right, but you say, "Lord, here's my
-
life. Here's everything I am. Use it.
-
Even though I don't see a path forward,
-
use my life, Lord. Use my hurt. Use my
-
pain
-
for something greater."
-
And I really feel this this morning.
-
We're going to open up these altars and
-
the worship team is going to lead us.
-
But maybe it's it's couples that are
-
coming forward. Husband and wife saying
-
we need to go up there together. We need
-
to believe God that we're not just
-
living off leftovers of what our
-
marriage was, but we're believing God
-
for great things that are ahead. Some of
-
you need to come down here. You're
-
saying, "I've been living over leftovers
-
that I received as a teenager. Uh but I
-
need to step into a greater uh fullness
-
of what God has for me." Step out to
-
this altar. Make it real with God.
-
Can God speak to us at our seats?
-
Absolutely. But maybe you need to step
-
out and have some people come around and
-
pray with you this morning. So church,
-
as we sing this song of worship, these
-
altars are open. May you be able to
-
receive what God has for you this
-
morning. We thank you, Jesus.
-
Who else is
-
there?
-
Only your Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no one
-
only Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no one,
-
only you, Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There's no one,
-
only Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no one
-
only is Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no
-
Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no one
-
only is Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no one
-
only you Jesus.
-
Oh, you're worthy.
-
You're worthy.
-
Lamb of God, anointed one who was raised
-
and is to come, seated on the throne
-
above. Holy,
-
holy,
-
righteous one who shed his blood to
-
prove to us the father's love. Jesus
-
Christ be lifted up. Holy,
-
holy,
-
lamb of God, anointed one who was and is
-
and is to come, seated on the throne
-
above. Holy,
-
holy,
-
righteous one who shed his blood to
-
prove to us the father's love. Jesus
-
Christ be lifted up.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is none
-
in Jesus.
-
Who else is worthy?
-
There is no one
-
only you Jesus
-
in the same attitude of worship to God.
-
Can we all lift up our hands to him? Uh
-
there is something that God has put in
-
my heart to share. Pastor Nate, what you
-
have shared today is a prophetic message
-
and thank you for that.
-
God has used you powerfully. But here is
-
the thing that prophetic word is for the
-
church. That means for each and every
-
individual here
-
and especially for those
-
who are actually in fear not knowing
-
what's going to happen in 2026
-
or for some people who are struggling to
-
understand what's going to come ahead.
-
What pastor Nate has shared
-
prophetically
-
is something
-
that you should never give up. No matter
-
in a dry season, no matter it's a season
-
of harvest or whatever season that you
-
are in, be faithful to God.
-
Be faithful to God holding on to his
-
word and to his promises. Bible says God
-
has not given a spirit of fear but a
-
power, love, and sound mind. Amen. Hold
-
on to God no matter what you're going
-
through. Especially for you, for those
-
who are in fear of not knowing what's
-
going to happen, God is telling you,
-
"Hold on to me. I'm not going to forsake
-
you. I'm not going to leave you, but I'm
-
going to be with you and walk along with
-
you. Just hold on to me."
-
The devil comes to steal, kill, and
-
destroy. But I have come here to give
-
you life and life in abundance.
-
>> That's the promise of God for you
-
and for every individual here. I know we
-
are running out of time here, but one
-
thing I'm telling you, God loves you
-
more than he your spouse or your mom or
-
your dad loves you.
-
He never forsakes you, neither he wants
-
to leave you.
-
God is for you.
-
>> Yes,
-
>> he wants to be with you. He wants to
-
fellowship with you. And here is the
-
thing that we need to do together as a
-
body of Christ. No matter what happens
-
or whatever season that I have been
-
through, I'm going to hold on to God
-
every moment of my life. Not giving up
-
whether it is the leftovers that it is
-
left still or the fragments that's out
-
there. I'm going to bring that into the
-
presence of God and allow God to use
-
that so that it can be a blessing to
-
many more.
-
>> It's not about me, but it's all about
-
Jesus Christ. Amen.
-
>> And that's what the Christmas message
-
is. It's all about God in our lives. We
-
need to hold on to God. We need to have
-
God and allow God to move in our midst.
-
Every step that we take holding on to
-
God in the times that we are in,
-
whatever season it is in, being faithful
-
to God matters.
-
It's like a seed that you're sewing on a
-
fertile land, but you are allowing it to
-
grow in its own time. You'll see the
-
fruit when it is the right season for
-
the fruit to happen.
-
So, Pastor Nate, thank you for the
-
propheting message. Thank you so much.
-
you spoke to me. Even though I'm serving
-
in the media out there, there is
-
something that God has put in my heart
-
to share. Thank you.
-
>> Thank you, Sean.
-
Let's just give God praise cuz he's
-
worthy.
-
So, we're just going to close on a word
-
of prayer. That word that Sean gave was
-
from the Lord, and we just want to
-
receive that. Lord, may we hold on to
-
you.
-
May hold on to other things loosely,
-
Lord, but may we hold on to you with
-
everything that we have in this new
-
year. When things try to weaken our
-
grip, God, and we feel like it is
-
weakening, we also know that we are held
-
by the grace of your grip.
-
So, Father, we right now we just pray,
-
Lord, for 2026.
-
Lord, as we head into a week of prayer
-
and fasting, Lord, allow us to surrender
-
to your hand. Lord, may we not just
-
think about what was, but Lord, may we
-
think about what can be with you, Lord.
-
So, Father, we just pray over our
-
church. We pray over our families, God,
-
that we'd be strong and united and for
-
one another and encouraging one another
-
and lifting one another up, God, that
-
Radiant Life would be a place where
-
people find hope and experience the
-
presence of Jesus, Lord.
-
And Father, we just thank you for all
-
that you're doing
-
through our church, through Pastor
-
Chris, Pastor Rachel, and their
-
leadership. Lord, we are grateful for
-
this moment.
-
So, Father, allow us to move forward in
-
2026 with momentum,
-
with trust in you, and faith in you.
-
But we give you everything that we are
-
and everything we hope to be.
-
In your holy and precious name, all of
-
God's people said, "Amen." And amen and
-
amen. Can we give God some praise one
-
more time?
-
And we hope that you are ready for this
-
new year, that your heart is encouraged.
-
Remember the week of prayer and fasting.
-
Listen, that's not just an event, but
-
it's something for you. Pray. think what
-
God would have you to do. But before you
-
head out, just one more reminder.
-
Remember, be careful what you watch, be
-
careful what you listen to, be careful
-
what you talk about. Save her.
-
>> Amen. Amen. Hey, we love you guys and
-
we'll see you in 2026.