The Call to Remember | Dr. Aaron Cole

well good morning Welcome To Life Church

I'm Aaron Cole the senior pastor it's

great to see you can we welcome all of

our campuses our applon campus

Brookfield campus Milwaukee campus

Germantown campus online wherever you're

joining us from we are delighted that

you're with us and man just look at your

neighbor and go wow it's good to see you

today just say that

let okay let's say it with a smile all

right here we go three two

one yeah that's just so much more

uplifting

you know I'm on this kick right now when

I see people that kind of give me blank

looks or like I had a guy looking at me

yesterday I was in a parking lot I'm

like bro this is there's parking spots

here you telling me to get over and I'm

just waving and smiling I'm just I'm

just kind of like I'm just going to keep

doing this hey how are you I'm going to

make you talk to me it's going to be

awkward at a certain point and I'm going

to at least enjoy the moment amen no I'm

just telling you if you're having a bad

day or you're really tired of everybody

kind of being ho hum just do that it

will rattle people and it will bring joy

to your heart I'm just saying so anyhow

if you have your Bibles I want you to

turn with me to Philippians chapter 1

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

Philippians chapter 1 we're in a brand

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

new series we're going to be taking this

right through to up till Easter and it's

a series called Echoes and we're talking

about uh how that the message of God the

stories of God the the things from the

Bible and the things in our life Echo

who and what God is and that's really

what he wants to do Jesus wants to fill

you in such a way that it doesn't just

transform you but it it has a ripple

effect to the people that are around you

and all throughout scripture we see this

more and more and more the power of

story and let me say something to you in

a world where truth becomes relative

your story has a lot of power because

it's your story and no one can refute it

they may disagree with chapter and verse

they may disagree with a lot of but they

cannot refute your story and I would

encourage you if you're saying man I

don't know how to share the love of

Jesus with someone if they ask me a

question question you you know

especially if they ask you a question

that you don't know theologically

because that's kind of what they'll try

to do sometimes they being people that

are kind of pushing away or they may be

checking out out religion or or

relationship with Jesus but not really

quite sure they'll ask you a question

and just say I don't know the answer to

that but what I do know is this is what

Jesus did for me this is my story this

is my song this is praising My Savior we

used to sing this song Blessed Assurance

it's page 91 in the hymns of Glorious

praise hym book I I remember that and so

but again it's just this is my story so

what's your story and that's what I want

you to be thinking about today and I

want you to be thinking about through

the course of this series as we talk

about Echoes now this particular passage

of scripture in Philippians is probably

really near and dear to me because when

I read this I think of you I'm not doing

that to be sappy or to be sentimental

I'm not taking an offering today amen

aren you glad for that some of you like

wellow he does that yeah I do that quite

often if you're new here at Life Church

not for myself but for misss we just did

that big offering last weekend and

you're incredible generosity you guys

are so so so amazing I believe this will

wind up being the biggest fire Bible

offering that we've ever taken in the

history of the church it's pretty

awesome because of your

generosity but Paul writes to the church

in Philippi in Philippians chap 1 verse

3-6 he says I thank my God in all my

remembrance of you verse four always

thinking in the prayer of mine for you

making all my prayer with joy because of

your partnership in the gospel from the

first day until now verse six and I am

sure of this that he who began a good

work in you will bring it to completion

at the day of Jesus

Christ Paul is writing here and this is

the very first church he will establish

in the Roman colony of

Philippi there's something that's

special about the first church you pass

Pastor the first church that you lead I

hope this is this is my first but I hope

this is my last I'm don't go oh is he

going somewhere with this no no no no no

no no no not unless you know something I

don't know and so hopefully not right

okay I just bought a new boat now I'm

just teasing but like no I'm not going

anywhere no I tried to buy a boat but

Tammy wouldn't let me just y'all pray

for Tammy all right so

anyhow so but many times what happens is

is that we we forget and we don't pause

and we we don't reflect on who God's

brought in our life what God's brought

in our life what God's done in our life

and remembering when he says I

remember that word remembering is a

spiritual discipline and many times in

life we don't want to look back because

there's some painful memories in the in

the past and can I just tell you all of

us have things in our life that we don't

want to relive some of those things are

things that we control some of those

things we had no control over some of

those things are are things that we did

that were sinful some of those things

that we did that were just plain stupid

and sometimes stupid cost you more than

sin does

Amen but we forget to stop for a moment

and just reflect on the goodness of God

and what God's done and how God's

brought us whether it's a short time or

whether it's a long time but remembering

is a spiritual discipline and and if you

will allow it Paul's talking here it

will fuel gratitude it will fuel Joy it

will fuel trust in God's God's ongoing

work so I just want to look at how do I

do this how do I as a Christ follower

practice this spiritual discipline of

remembrance now again it's easy for Paul

because because Paul is writing to this

church that he has established he's

writing to these people that that

believe the message he he he's writing

to these people that trusted him in the

beginning you you you don't forget the

people that were there in the very

beginning when you start a work you you

don't forget the people that believed in

you you don't you don't forget the

people that wrote a check and that that

paid and that gave money so that the

vision that God had put in your heart to

reach the world it happens you don't

forget those people so there's a lot of

emotion in this there's a lot of

heartfelt sentiment in this there there

there's a lot of there's a background as

Paul begins to write this and the

memories begin to come through and the

first thing he says is remember to be

grateful remember and be

grateful remember and be grateful now

Paul doesn't always do this Paul is not

a sappy individual if you read the book

of Galatians he just kind of like a

match on this whole thing about Grace

and about forgiveness and so much so

that he has to come back in the Book of

Romans which is his second book and if

you haven't had a chance I'd invite you

to come to any of our our Monday night

at Brookfield or Wednesday night at

Germantown or Milwaukee or Appleton

these midweek Gatherings as we're kind

of unpacking The Book of Romans but Paul

writes this incredible book to the

church in Rome about what law the Old

Testament and Grace what Jesus did and

how all that works together but he this

book that he's writing here is

encouragement he's remembering he's kind

of getting soft in these older ages as

he's he's now being Chained and he's

he's now in house arrest because of his

faith in Jesus Christ and he's riding

out and he's wanting to reiterate to

these churches to these people that

believed in him in the beginning that

have walked alongside his ministry he

wants to encourage them that he who's

began a good work is going to be

faithful to complete it and I want you

to know this that I'm grateful for you

look at verse three again he says I

thank my my God in all my remembrance of

you every time I think of you I thank

God for you every time your name comes

up I thank God for you every time the

city comes up I thank God for you every

time that comes up I thank God for you

and Paul begins to show how gratitude

flows from the memory of the Philippians

he he begins to show about their

partnership and their love and their

faithfulness to God so how do we do this

in our world well if you have a

smartphone you probably can take

pictures on that phone it's why it's a

SmartPhone right right it's just one of

those deep

thoughts and so if you're like me you

have all these pictures of all kinds of

things I mean I'll take snapshots of

receipts I'll take snapshots of things I

don't want to forget but I'll take

snapshots of memories and things and and

and and people and

places and if you ever sit down and you

begin to scroll back through those all

of a sudden the memories come back so I

did that as I'm doing this message

because that word remembrance is a word

memory which would be like a photo or a

picture would be the Greek language now

they don't have digital they don't even

have Kodak they don't even have polaroid

in the first century but it's the same

ideology it's the same understanding

it's like a mental snapshot it's like a

mental picture it's like filing it away

having a memory of a person or a place

or an event or an activity where God

showed up and God did something good and

his grace showed and the same way as you

scroll through pictures in your phone

don't do that right now I can see you as

you're doing

that because actually this room is

completely wired so we can upload I'm

just teasing so some like oh my turn

that off okay but it goes through

memories it's the same way you would

take a snapshot hey I don't want to

forget this hey I don't want to lose

this hey this is important to me so when

I think about this gratitude I think

about what Paul says about remembering

and being grateful I this is one picture

that comes to mind it's going to come on

the screen this is the cogin family with

the Cole Family all of us at Christmas

Eve at Germantown now for many of you

you're like oh everybody's dressed up

and everybody nice isn't that nice isn't

that wonderful D but for me thanks guys

for me Ryan cogins and Amanda cogins and

the family have been an incredible

blessing we've worked together for

almost 18

years you you don't get where you are by

yourself you get where you are I don't

care if you're growing a church or a

company or you're doing anything great

of anything of significance you get

there because there are people that come

around you that you work together there

are brothers and sisters if you would

that coll labor with you and so I'm

going through and I just saw that

picture and I thought man how grateful

am I for Ryan I joke all the time but

it's not really a joke if Ryan leaves

I'm gone if you ever want to know if

pastor's leaving just make sure that the

Cog if the cogins are happy then the

Kohl's are happy but if the cogin aren't

happy we're not you know it's just we've

just we SE ham and egg this thing the

things that I like to do he doesn't like

to do the things he likes to do I don't

like to do and together we do the work

of the kingdom and so I remember I

remember interviewing ran it it wasn't

the greatest interview I've ever had to

be honest with you I remember he was so

young and he came in and I told Tammy I

said there is something about he's what

was he Tammy 22 23 and maybe and and and

just right out of college he he'd been

working at a church but and and he

wanted to change the world and and and

and I am just drilling him with

questions just boom boom boom boom boom

and I was like an attorney going after

him and and he's just like looking and

Amanda had such Poise she just smiles

doesn't say anything

but you just like wow and she doesn't

try to help them out she doesn't try to

you know speak for them she just and I'm

just we're we're amazed and I just said

there's something about this couple that

if we don't invite them to do ministry

with us I'm going to regret it it's like

if I don't hire this guy he's going to

walk across the street and work for my

competitors and he will be the end of me

kind of a deal like it was just one of

those I just knew so we invited them

they said yes and and and and the race

was off he asked me more about maternity

uh like uh you know like health

insurance for having kids in anybody

else I'd ever interviewed I just told

Tammy I said I don't know what's going

on but I think they're about to have

kids and I think they're going to have a

lot not a prophet or the son of one I'm

just remember him going so tell me about

the medical insurance and tell me about

this and tell me about this what ises

this covered what's that because if you

know Ryan he's kind of like that he's Mr

he just thinks in statistics and numbers

and he just has he is incredibly smart

we had to take this test uh for for HR

here at the church and I flunked it just

completely like I'm a complete idiot

like I I shouldn't be able to tie my

shoes right and Ryan like Aces it like

he's in the top 1% of anybody it's a

secular test it's it's it's an

assessment uh that was done by an HR

firm in in Dallas and a completely

secular deal not Christian at all and

and they said to me I said what does it

say and they said you're you're the boss

right yeah and he runs everything yes

that's what that says because you know

that you don't have to know this so what

did you do you got that part of the test

I was like I'm not spending my time on

this this is not about my jobs I'm just

circling it's multiple choice C if you

don't know is the average so you're just

it's just C all the way through he like

figured everything out every question

every if Johnny goes to school and he

gets on this bus and this bus and this

bus he goes 3.5 miles how many miles did

Johnny Go I mean like it's just the

weird so I'm just like who cares about

Johnny and the bus so I'm just CCC

Ryan's getting it all right

I just thank God for Ryan I thank God

for for his family I thank God for

people that God brings into my life and

not everybody stays forever right you

need to understand that in local church

work there are people that come here and

will work here for a season that's fine

because God's going to bring them here

download something in their life and

going to move them on there'll be people

that will be here for a long time and

God may move them on this is we're all

in transition but for the people like

the cogin it's just one of those when

Paul says upon every remember remance

I'm grateful that's what it is because

don't forget that

gratuity is an act of worship gratitude

is an act of worship remembering what

God has done keeps my heart aligned with

his goodness because there's many things

in my life where I walk into and it's

just

like because there's more people that

disappoint you than

don't I wish everybody was like r and

Amanda they're not you have those people

I have those people we occasionally run

into them in the store or Starbucks or

or a grocery store or whatever you're

like okay let's go to the next aisle

right okay let just keep me keep my head

down whatever we all do this you're like

you do that yeah all the time unless I

find out that that person is very

uncomfortable then I walk up and say

hello because it's just kind of fun but

that's another

deal I'm just saying if you read the

writings of Paul there's so many times

where this person left me and this

person left me and this person left me

and this person forgot about it and this

person forgot about person forgot about

me but when he comes to the church in

Philippi he goes I thank God upon every

remembrance of

you because you were the

first and you God blessed you and did

this okay second statement is remember

and be filled with joy he says remember

and be filled with joy takeing o just

write that down remember and be filled

with joy we can look back on our past

with gratitude and we can shift into a

mindset of joy in the

present now go back to verse number

three four and five he says I thank my

God in every in all my remembrance of

you verse four always in every prayer of

mine for you making making my prayer

with joy because of your partnership in

the gospel from this first day until now

now we've seen in Paul's life that he

could take a bad situation and turn it

into something that's very positive in

Acts chapter 16 Paul and Silas are

Acts 16 · chapter mention

jailed and they're beaten and they're

actually thrown into the prison in

Philippi the exact same city where

Paul's writing this there weren't always

happy memories

there but yet Paul only seems to

remember the good that's a

choice see Joy is not rooted in you Joy

is not rooted in happenings the way

happiness is joy is a character trait

it's a fruit of the spirit of God love

joy peace patience Galatians 522 and 23

so that means when Jesus is in me the

holy spirit's in me and I'm working in

concert with him and we're doing this

together that Joy can be something that

even if I go back to a city like Paul

did where I was jailed and beaten and

left for the sake of the Gospel when I

remember that City I don't remember that

I remember the

goodness what brings you Joy what's

something that God's brought into your

life life that brings you Joy well for

me it's this picture right here it was a

year ago and I first held ailia ly house

connect it's going to be up on the

screen in a minute and I first held her

and and what happened that day was in

that moment of of of Anna had given her

birth on that Saturday night we were at

the hospital until very very very late

and then the very next morning I could

not tell anybody and I had to come and

preach and I was just beaming cuz it was

but I had only seen just a glimpse of

her but I I couldn't hold her because I

I had to get back uh by midnight I'm one

of these kind of guys like I'm in bed by

8:30 and I'm out like a fat kid in

DodgeBall now at 9:00 I'm just gone

right I'm just out and if that offends

you what I just said I wore husky jeans

as a kid so I I can say that I have

proofing pictures anyhow so so the deal

is and so I'm having to go through

service and I don't mean to be mean but

I really wasn't thinking about you that

day I preached pred my mind really

wasn't on doing this my mind was on her

and I got to step in as soon as service

was over get in the car and go to the

hospital and I got to hold her for the

very first time now her Amelia this is

such a a blessing it was such a uh and I

don't I don't know if they're going to

have this have the picture up or not

there she is a that's right oh look at

that I got to hold her and andand the

flood of emotions

and I don't have time to unpack all this

story but the story of Tammy and I and

Ava and Anna Anna being Amelia's mother

and Amilia and all of that is just a god

story of Grace and Redemption and there

are some things along the way that were

very very rough but when I stepped into

that room and held that baby it was like

a full circle of thank you

God thank you God thank you for your

promises that are yes and amen thank you

that your word is true that when I raise

up my children in the fear and

admonition of the Lord they will not

depart from you thank you Lord that when

I walk along the streets when I Rise up

in the morning when I go home at night

when I if I bring your word and I will

light your word and I will read your

word and we will give your word and and

we will impart it into our kids that

they will raise up and that they will

serve you thank you God that you will

bring all things full circle thank you

God that you will do

that just consequently I know I'm

becoming that that old grandpa that

there are more pictures of Amilia

although she's only been in existence

for the last year or at least where I

can take pictures of her uh there are

more pictures of her than anybody else

in my phone is that surprise anybody

since 07

okay you see you can rehearse the the

hurts in life and when you do you

abandon

Joy or you can recall the good and you

can receive the joy it's your

choice but Paul doesn't look at the

failures and the hurts he looks at the

wins and the successes the good and it

brings about joy in his heart that's

what he says about the church in

Philippi my my third and final statement

is this is that remember and recognize

that God is doing a good

work God is doing a good work remember

and recognize it go back to verse six

and I am sure of this that he Jesus God

the Lord who began a good work in you

will bring it to completion at the day

of Jesus

Christ Paul Paul is saying here man I I

know one thing regardless where you've

been regardless what's going to happen

that God has began a good work in you

and that God will fulfill that now

notice it won't fulfill it when you're

ready for it he won't fulfill it at at a

particular day as far as chronologically

on this day this date this day of the

week he will fulfill it at the day of

Jesus Christ what's he talking about

he's talking about when this world is

over and we stand before God and we get

to see the full enchilada at that

point that's when we'll

go that's what God was

doing oh because Paul will say this side

of Eternity I see in part and I

understand in part it's like looking

through stained glass I I don't see

everything clearly but when I stand

before him face to face and when I I

know him and I am fully

known when all the sin and all of the

the things of this world are gone and

I'm on the other side of this physical

life and I step into eternity in that

moment that's the day of completion

that's when I'll understand all the

sacrifices all the giving all the giving

of the time and the talent and the

treasure all the relationship all the

hardships why I went through this what

was the net effect of me going through

that journey and going through that what

what what was it why God didn't answer

that prayer the way I wanted them to or

why that didn't happen the way I wanted

it to and why that turned out so great

but there's even more to it see for me

as I'm scrolling through my phone this

is the last picture I'm going to show

you is a picture of tamy out at the

Milwaukee

campus and it's that journey of that

campus so that was June 16th um

2018 that journey of that campus excuse

me in my mind is one of those things

that God just kind of brings to

completion that God kind of we don't

even know the full net effect we don't

we don't even understand the full effect

of what God is doing and has done at 56

in Burly we understand in part and we

know in part but not until we get to

heaven what we really see but I remember

the first day when when I got a phone

call I remember standing on this stage

and saying I believe God's going to open

up a door for us to be able to serve the

needs of our city as a Suburban church

we have a responsibility and I think now

is the time I have no idea where I have

no idea how how we're going to pay for

it surprise surprise surprise and but

this is what God is doing and so then I

get a phone call about hey we've got a

church that basically is down to 35

people we're done and do you want the

building where's it located and the

Heart of where I put on the screen 56

and Burl

absolutely I remember going there on a

Sunday morning I knew the pastor that

was leaving and he got up and it was the

biggest mess I mean it was crazy I I'll

have to tell the story again another

time another day but it it was just oh

my goodness I had a woman that was

crying so loud and wailing in that

stairwell which is all concrete and you

could hear her every time I'm trying to

talk I had people that were upset and

people that were mad I brought Dylan

with me because if I'm going to get into

a fight I'm G have somebody back me up

can I get a witness yeah and so anyhow

so and so Dylan canest it was a crazy

day but God was in that moment and from

there God brings Robert Bell in across

life and that's a whole another story

and a whole Another Blessing of Robert

and Latrice because we would not be able

to do what we're doing at Milwaukee

without God using Robert and Latrice the

way that he has I'm just telling you I

couldn't do that work that's not what

God's called me to do and and it's not

that I'm too good to do it it's I don't

I'm not gifted Robert has the highest

level of emotional intelligence of

anybody I've ever been around anybody

I've ever had on staff including myself

he he can walk into a room and read a

room and read people in a way that I

have it's it's a god-given gift and he

can ATT attct people to him from all

types of backgrounds and whatever he

just has this very gifted way about him

that's Inc incredibly genuine and so

Robert came in we took this on began to

do this and then from one thing God

began to bless and began to grow and

then we went and from from 35 people to

100 to 200 to to 300 then we had to go

to two services and it just continues to

grow continues to develop even to this

day and every time I see that picture I

just think of the goodness of God of how

God puts something in my heart where way

way way back a long time ago see when I

was a kid growing up in high school in

the South I went to a church that wanted

certain kinds of people that were just

Prejudice bigots as what they were not

everybody some of them were in ignorance

but some of them were just outright that

way and I remember something inside of

me going this is wrong like this is not

right this is not what I see in the book

of Acts every tribe Every Nation every

Kindred every tribe every tongue all

come together and the Holy Spirit

becomes a unifying fact look at it acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 Acts chapter 2 act it just God

Acts 2 · chapter mention

begins to move and and it's not just for

the Jew but for the Gentile and so and

so the reality is is that I had this

dream in my heart that one day the

church I would Pastor would not be a a

mono-ethnic church it wouldn't just be

one ethnicity but there would be

multiple ethnicities from every tribe

from every tongue from every race

whether you're whe whether you're

striped or you're polka dot whether

you're black whether you're white

whether it doesn't matter who you are

and where you come from whether you're

down and out or up and over whether you

got here on public public transportation

or you drove a Maybach today it does not

matter and this was in my heart but it

was like God how's this going to happen

how's this going to happen how's this

going to happen when's this going to

happen I would drive through the city

streets and I would pray I would do

things that nobody in this room knows I

would go places I should have never gone

there were a couple of times I thought

well this could be the last one

Elizabeth this could be the big one I

could be done I it'll be on the it'll be

on TMJ4 tonight but here we go cuz I'm

just like God what do you want to do

what do you want to do and I remember

reaching out trying to step into that

church situation years ago when we were

running just a few hundred people and

they just patronized me went oh isn't

that nice and I'm like no no no no you

don't understand this isn't about me

this isn't about what I've asked for

this is about what God's doing and so

every time I see that campus every time

I see that picture I remember how God

has brought and his bringing to

completion the things that he's put in

my heart and my heart still filled with

so many more dreams of what I want to do

and things that we want to see happen in

the city and what we want to see happen

not just in the city but in this state

in this nation this world see I want to

changed the world not by myself I can't

do it but us together I'm preaching I

got to slow down

right but that's what Paul's talking

about man and so when I see you and I

could sit here for all day long and I

don't have time you don't have time we

got to go eat apple fritters amen do

that sound good

good I went by synex the other day and I

was getting myself a cupcake cupcakes

and synex are the best I'm just telling

you get the butter cream icing not the

whipped icing it's totally different

anyhow I said do you have apple fritters

and she said yes she pulling up I said

no ma'am I can't get thee behind me I I

can't do that right now she looked at me

I said I I I too much explaining I I'm

trying to keep my appetite under control

and I'm I'm just going to have this

cupcake I'll be back for that apple

fritter so anyhow

here's the

deal if we'll take a moment and we will

remember and connect the dots just a

little bit the holy spirit will bring

around and it will encourage our

hearts the people that he's brought into

our

life the work of God that he's doing in

our

lives it's so easy it's so easy just to

get

trapped and lose perspective

it's like driving down the

freeway and there's stalled there's

there's just backed up traffic and

you're like you're trying to Fe all the

lanes it's locked you're trying to

figure out what's going

on but if you could just for a moment

get above the car get above the freeway

get above and realize hey it's just an

accident that's happened over here no

one's

injured but they're getting those

Vehicles off and it'll be about a 5

minute delay and you're going to get

where you need to go to to your meeting

or your

destination but when you're buried in

the middle of that

traffic and you got to be

somewhere you got your

timeline because of your

agenda it's very easy just to get

frustrated and

jaded to lose your joy to lose your

gratitude to lose the encouragement that

the Holy Spirit wants to give but if

you'll just take a

moment and you

remember you'll as a Greek language

would say you will take a photo or a

picture of the

moment a snapshot in your mind is how

they would describe it but we now have

this digital technology that we can

remember these

moments go God you were

good you are good and you will forever

be

good all of a sudden the perspective

begins to change because it raises you

up from where you're at your day-to-day

life cuz some of you you're dealing with

some difficult times some of you have

had some bad uh doctor's diagnosis some

of you you're you're you're dealing with

some frustrations that you didn't cause

some of you you're dealing with some

sins that you've caused but but now

there are consequences that are

happening and you hear the word and you

hear the teaching of God's word but at

the same time it also it challenges you

in a way and the enemy of your soul

wants to go that's not for you that's

for him sitting there in his dress

slacks and his

jacket must be nice to be his his in his

world having no

idea what I'm going through or what I

feel or think nor do any of us really

know what anybody in this room

is but I can tell you this there are

moments in your life that if you'll get

above the traffic if you'll get above

the freay if you'll get above and you'll

just take a

moment oh yeah there's some bad things

you can look back upon but there's times

where God guided you and he directed you

there are people that God brought into

your life there are are good things that

God has done and is doing and will

continue to do and if you will focus if

you remember those things what will

happen to you is the joy that character

of Joy that's developed Joy is not a

gift God doesn't give you Joy you grow

joy in your life you grow Joy like you

plant a vegetable in the garden in your

backyard you grow it you tend to it you

water it you weed it you take care of it

and you nurture it and what happens is

you begin to grow that and develop that

and that Joy begins to come up and the

depression begins to dissipate and the

frustration begins to leave and

perspective begins to fill your soul and

your mind and you realize that God is at

work and he's not forgotten you he's not

forsaken you he's not trying to be some

Cosmic kill Joy instead he's trying to

bless you you remember those people that

God's brought into your life that where

you would be if it wasn't for you

remember those wins because the enemy I

don't know what it is but we can get 10

compliments and we have one negative and

and the negative is what sticks out it's

how we're hardwired but if you'll get

beyond that Fray all of a sudden you'll

begin to see God is at work and God is

doing even in the midst of maybe the

rubble of a situation that you are left

with so I want to pray for you today my

prayer today for you is that you'll take

a moment to reflect and that you'll take

a moment to just remember what God's

done father I just thank you

today I thank you Lord for your grace

and for your mercy that's new every

single morning great is your

faithfulness your faithfulness your

goodness and your mercy that never run

dry are not dependent upon me are my AC

they're not dependent upon my

faithfulness they're not dependent upon

my skills or my gifts or my ability they

have nothing to do with me they are

Divine attributes of you that I get the

benefit of so thank you today that the

sun rose this morning it'll set tonight

because you hold this world in your hand

you hold all the water and the oceans of

this world in the very Hollow of your

hand the Bible says there's nothing

that's happening

that you don't allow or permit and even

though I don't understand it this side

of Eternity because I see in part and I

understand in part I choose to trust

that's

faith and God if I'm really honest if I

have a God that I can figure out then I

become equal to I don't want that I want

to understand what I need to understand

but I

also there are some things that just go

beyond my ability that are beyond my my

brain and my ability to understand and

Lord I just trust in

you but help me today to take inventory

to

remember the people the church your

blessings in my life family a spouse

children grandchildren parents Aunts

Uncles whoever however it came

about and I choose to focus on the

good and in doing so Lord gratitud to

let it fill my heart let Joy be grown

and developed in my life and let me be

encouraged today because God you are a

good God you are doing a good

work and there'll come a day as verse

six

says that the good work that you've

began in every one of us you are

faithful to complete it I don't have to

complete it I don't have to even be

faithful you

will help me Lord from now until then

run my race help me from now until then

to not become weary and well-doing help

me from now and then just simply not to

quit but to keep my eyes upon you Jesus

in your name I pray amen