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down. Heat. Heat. chorus. I will praise him. Praise the lamb for sinners slain. Give him glory. Give him glory. All ye people for his blood can wash away each stain. Amen.
All right, brother Brownfield will get us started. We'll have the uh ladies that are lined up. We'll have them sing and then we'll just sing a couple of hymns and try to finish off what I was preaching this morning. Good to see everybody this evening. Amen.
Let's work on our memory passage. Start with the review passage. James 1 1-1. If you need to turn there, I'll give you a quick second. James 1 1-1. Hope when you work on this you remember the preaching from James. Let's begin in James 1 1-1. James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. Greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith workketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and araidth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that waverth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich and that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it witherth the grass, and the flower thereof fallth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
All right, I'm going to give you something I read a couple days ago. Think of that passage. Like the flower of the grass. The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it wither the grass and the flower thereof fallth. Charles Spurgeon, this is an easy one to memorize. Charles Spurgeon said, "Think of the life of the grass, the story of the grass, and how it relates to humanity." He said, "Here's the story of grass sewn, grown, moan, mn. Blown, gone, sown, groan, moan, blown, gone." Wow. That's pretty powerful, isn't it? And that's you and me in many respects. Our life is but a vapor. Use it wisely. Just a vapor. And don't get too uh wound up about accomplishments and the vanity of youth and beauty and all of that. Thank the Lord for health. Thank the Lord. Hey, thank the Lord if you're good-looking, whatever, you know. But don't get too wound up over all that because as the flower of the grass, you're just going to fade away. Sown, grown, moan, blown, gone. Amen. Amen.
Let's go on to the next part. All right, let's quote Psalm 8 verse one together. Psalm 8 verse one. to the chief musician upon Giddith, a Psalm of David. Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the heavens. Amen. Now, let's quote verse two twice through as we're looking. Let's begin. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Amen. And work on Hebrews 11 1-10 this week.
With that, let's I do have a couple announcements for you. All right. So, you're going to want to write this down and then write it down so you can pray about it, think about it, plan about it, plan to be here. >> I'm excited about it. Are we ready? >> All right. The first thing, March 8th, it's a Sunday, we are going to do a potluck after the morning service. >> Amen. >> Amen. >> All right. >> Yeah. We're going to have a potluck and then right after the potluck, back in that in the fellowship hall, right at the tables, we'll have a challenge, some preaching, and then uh then we'll be able to just fellowship and hang out a little bit. But let's plan on that. The potluck >> evening service. >> No evening service. That's right. No evening service. I knew there was something. I didn't write that down. And then the second thing, so m that was March 8th, Sunday, March 8th, potluck. And then April 23rd to the 26th, we're going to have Pastor Gary Webb here and he is going to preach a spiritual emphasis meeting. And while he is here, we are going to us men on that Saturday. We'll have like a men's breakfast and a fellowship together on that Saturday. And time to come. We'll let you know what time that'll be at, but let's plan on that. So that'll be April again, April 23rd through the 26th. And pray pray for that that the Lord will have his perfect work done in each and every one of our hearts on that >> during that meeting. >> Thursday, Friday, Sunday for everybody Saturday morning, men's breakfast and fellowship time. It's going to be great. >> Amen. Looking forward to it. It's going to be no oatmeal, no yogurt, no parfets. It's going to be real breakfast. >> Amen.
All right, with that, let's have the men come forward, receive this evening's offering. Praise the Lord. We get to give just a little bit what he gives us so abundantly. >> Amen. >> Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that we get to memorize your word and how great you are. I thank you, Lord, that we get to do upon your great works and remember them. And it encourages us, Lord. It encourages me to think about them. And and knowing, Lord, that you're the same great God that parted the Red Sea that you are today. >> Amen. >> And Lord, I pray that you would I pray that you would help us tonight, oh Lord, to receive your word with meekness. Help us, oh Lord, to to be doers and not just hearers only. And we know, oh Lord, that it will help us and it changes us more into the image of thy dear son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that you bless this offering, use it for your glory. Bless pastor as he brings forth your word. Help him, oh Lord, to preach boldly. And in Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen. >> Amen.
Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Amen. >> The young ladies are coming to sing for us. He left the splendor of heaven. Heaven knowing his estim And he was the holy of God to lay down his life for me. That is the ocean is dry. There's no stars in the sky. and the spir there's no feeling like this is evening. Remember that the raining by his side he compassion then he took him to him is in love the Ocean is right. There's the stars in the sky and the spir of your life that is there's no is the the sh and the spir. Rock is in love and heaven. There's no like him that is in love. Amen. Amen.
Thank the Lord for his great love. They'll be seated and we'll all stand with our hymn books. We're going to sing again the one we started the day with. So let's with our hym books. What? Yeah. Whatever that uh God leads his dear children along. Thank you. >> Number 298. Number 298. God leads us along. In shady green pasture so rich, gentle sweet, God leaves his dear children along. Where the waterers go for our wey ones. Jesus, dear children alone, some through the fire, some grace, sorrow, the God gives us all in the nice season and all the day long. Sometimes on the mountain where the sun shines so bright, God leaves his dear children alone. All times in the valley in darkness all night. God uses dear children alone. Some through the water, some through the through the fire all through the blood. How to grace our above God leads a song in the night season and all the day. Oh sorrows beall us and s of most God lead us dear children of all through grace we can conquer defeat our wes dear children alone through the wers Some through the fire all through the summer with sorrow. But God gives a song in the night season and all the day long. Away from the fire and away from the clay. God is dear children alone. Away glory eternity by Jesus dear children of some through the Some to the fire, but all through the blood. Some to great sorrow. My God gives a song in the night season all the day. >> Amen.
You notice that word through through. >> Amen. We didn't come this far to come this far. >> I read that recently and I said, "Man, I'm going to say that one until I wear it out." We didn't come this far to come this far. >> It's through. >> Amen. >> God's through through till we get up there to be with him. >> Praise God. Let's sing the next one. >> Number 234. Number 234. Wonderful words of life. >> Number 234. Sing them over again to me. Wonderful words of mine. Let me more of their beauty. See, wonderful words of life. Words of life and beauty. Please be faith and duty. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Words of life and beauty. Please be faith and duty. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Christ a blessed one gives to all wonderful words of life. Series to a loving law. Wonderful words of life. All so freely grew us to heaven. Beautiful words, wonderful words. Wonderful words of life. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of mine. Sweetely echo the goel call. Wonderful words of mine. Offer pardon and peace to all. Wonderful merciful Jesus holy savior sanctified forever. Beautiful words. Wonderful words. Wonderful words of mine. Beautiful words. Wonderful words. Wonderful words of life. Amen. Amen.
You may be seated. I'm thankful for the wonderful words of life, God's precious book, God's words. Philippians 4, the word of God is a comfort and a strength. last uh a week ago Saturday night when pastor show it was Saturday here I had just finished preaching in Fiji Sunday morning but he texted me and said you know I I need you to call me it's an urgent matter and um you ever have something like that your mind immediately goes a thousand places maybe yours doesn't mine does but I got on my knees and I said Lord whatever this is you you know you've got a plan your word has promises claimed the promises. They're wonderful words. >> Yes. >> Then as he talked to me and and we we concluded our conversation, I prayed and the psalm that came to my mind, I forget the number, but it's where David said, "From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee." Those are wonderful words. >> And I said, "Lord, I guess I'm in the ends of the earth." >> So I I asked my phone, "How far am I from Jerusalem?" Because David was seeing himself as like Jerusalem was the center of everything. From there and I looked at I think it was 8,000 miles. I said, "Yeah, I'm in the ends of the earth." The Lord said, "Preach in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, in the uttermost parts." Fiji is definitely the uttermost parts. But that psalm, it strengthened and comforted me. The same psalm that would comfort me here in this room with you. The same psalm that would comfort me at my house, comforted me in Fiji. From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed and then lead me to the rock that is higher than I. God's word is there for you. It's there to convict you, to comfort you, to strengthen you, to lead you, to guide you. It's really got everything you need for all of that. And I praise God for that.
The hours are in Fiji. I was curious. I I got more curious with um with looking at at maps the last week than I have been in a long long time. Typically, we look at maps just to I'm going from here to there. You know, what's the best way to go? But, you know, when you're on a when you're stuck on an island in the middle of the P south Pacific Ocean, we were in the southern. I found out I How many hemispheres are there? Well, there's the southern and the northern. There's the eastern and the western. So, we were in the southern uh southeastern hemisphere. So, the eastern, but the southern and long ways from everything we know. But I got curious about how far is brother Howard from Josh, how far are Solomon and Tess from their son and their grandchildren and Cedra Woolly? 6,000 some miles. I thought, well, they're a lot closer to Alyssa and Ben. It's almost exactly the same distance from where they are in Thailand to Fiji. So, here's Fiji. So, I'll turn around so I'll get it right. So, here's Cedro Woolly. Here's Fiji. It's like the It's like a V. And here at the other side of that V is where they are in Thailand, Ben and Alyssa. They two people 56 years old with kids and grandkids and 6,000 plus miles from all of them. They have two other kids, Rebecca and Christopher. They're in Dallas, Texas. I didn't look how many miles that is, but I flew from Dallas to where they are. It's 14 hours in the air. >> But God's right there with them. and they can cry from the ends of the earth. They can talk to God. And the same book that brings you help gives them help. The same God that sustains you and me sustains them. I'm very thankful for what God's doing with them. And how I really challenged the men on Thursday or Wednesday, I preached from Psalm 1 and and mainly focused on the men. Be that blessed man. They just like when we started here, we prayed and really uh and worked and promoted faithful men. Faithful men. We still do. We have not let up on that prayer and on that pressure and that promotion. We need to be faithful men. But brother Solomon, he's got a few men that look as if they'll develop into that. I I don't know that he would say that any of them are a faithful man, but they seem to be developing that direction. Pray for Reuben. Reuben needs saved and he's got great potential. And pray for Phipe. Phipe is a doctor and has a nice family and all, but he's got to get more stable. He's got to get more stable, but he's he's there, you know, most time most of the time he's there. Pray for Henry. Henry seems like a good man, but needs to get more stable, faithful. And Alfred, I said, "Wow, King Alfred, you know, interesting names there." Alfred, young man, 22, 23 years old, and he's showing a lot of potential. Very faithful to church, faithful in his work. The Lord's blessing him. He's um he's been such a faithful man at work. He's already he's working for a big chicken farm. And looks like a very modern chicken farm there. I was really really surprised when we went there. It looks like anything you'd see in America as far as a chicken farm. Hardly anything else looks like that. I mean, the resorts and the hotels and some of the restaurants look like that. But you get out where we were with real Fijian, it's it's it's pretty far behind where we live, but that chicken farm was something special. But Alfred's already becoming quite a a big man at the chicken farm. But pray that he'll he'll keep developing in the Lord's church. Shows a lot of potential. And then there's Russy. Russy years ago was in a church in Fiji and Solomon knew him from a couple of visits he had made to Fiji. Then Russie kind of dropped off, you know, the radar and nobody knew where Rusey was. He moved, he'd moved away and all. When he moved back down to the Pacific Harbor area where the Howers are, they did not know he had moved there. But they have a practice there where they go out into some of the villages and very impoverished places and and they'll just pray that God will direct them to a house where they could be a blessing. Folks in the church regularly contribute to it's like a benevolence fund and then brother Solomon and Tess will go shopping and they'll fill that with some necessities and staples and they'll they'll visit a village and they'll meet some folks and they'll and they'll give that to a family. So they met this lady and and older lady and and they left that in that home she was living in and he did not know that that's where Rusey had just come back from I think the capitol had moved in there with his wife and little child and so he left left that box left the track left his name and Rusei came in from work and said what's that box and looked at it and said that's Mr. Solomon, that's what they call him. They're Solomon. And he was amazed. Oh, he lives Solomon lives in Fiji now. He's starting a church. So Russy was there immediately. So God put that together. And Russy shows much potential, too. I was impressed with Russy. Um I was impressed with this. I visited him just for a moment. Solomon took me to to Rusey's work. So he works now. They they have all different levels. They they have places there where you can go and it's just like Walmart here, but it's their version. We went to a um to a hardware store. Not a hardware store, a store that's it's like Costco. Literally, it's like Costco. It's like everything you can imagine. Furniture, washers, dryers, lawn equipment, groceries, you name it. And it's basically based on Costco. And one of the guys that used to run Costco moved to Fiji and they hired him to run that place and basically get it up to like Costco level. But we went there so the Howard could buy a dryer and and uh that's not where I met Russy. We went to another place to look into some implement Solomon needed. And this was nothing like Costco and nothing like American Home Depot. This is like Fiji Home Depot. And I mean like third world everything. But uh little small place half the size of this building. It's kind of nice inside. But he was working out back. He Russy all day long every workday loads and unloads bags of cement. So 60 to 80 pound bags. That's about 95 degrees. We were there in the cool season. 95 degrees humid. Like just everywhere you go, you're just walking around in a sauna. So uh he's out there loading the bags. And Solomon just said to me, he said, "Just so you know, by the way, they offered him a job inside. $5 an hour to work in the air conditioning, but for a dollar an hour more, he's out here because he wants to be able to better provide for his family." I thought, "Wow, good character lesson." How many of us might have said like, "I'll take a dollar less an hour and not suffer every day." He's out there. So Russy doesn't go to the gym. No need. He's loading bags of cement and unloading them all day. 95 degrees humid. And I I just thought that's that's interesting. You know, working a little harder, but making just a little bit more. And uh you know, $6 Fijian money, that's $3 American basically. Yeah. Yeah. Tough life. Tough life. But I'm praying for Rusey. God will bless a man that'll work like that. I'm praying and and and Ruseiey's in the church. He's giving. And I'm praying God will bless him. I believe God wants to bless his people. Now, not everybody the same, but it's the character of God that often he wants to help more with, you know, get you ahead financially, physically, and all, but some through the water, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood. It may it might be that Rusei needs to stay right there and and that God knows there's things about him. It's just good for him to work that hard. But I'm praying the Lord would enlarge his coast and bless him and his hand will be with him according to God's will. It's a little bit about some of them and and where the hours are. I'm not giving a report really on that trip tonight. I I'm hoping to do that this coming Sunday night complete with some pictures, you know, so we'll see. But I want to kind of keep that in your minds. And I want you to pray for Phipe, Henry, Alfred, Russy. All right. Ruben who needs to be saved. Phip's son is uh Benjamin and Benjamin needs to be saved. He's carrying around one of these. Oh, I was kind of hurt, you know, uh dad and mom didn't get along when I was a kid and and I was kind of hurt by this and that. No. And you know, you know, pray the Lord helps him get through all that. Everybody's been hurt. What's going to matter is who helps you. Everybody's got a a reason to be a victim, to be hurt, and some really do have major reasons, and that we don't minimize people. There really are victims of horrible things. But you've got to choose. You going to stay a victim or or get the victory. You know, you're going to be with the victorious Christ. But pray for for Benjamin. Strange thing about Benjamin, he won't go to church, but he drops off his tithe. Hey, there's something convicting him that he needs to be giving. Tithing and giving. If if you know you need to tithe, then the Bible teaches that and you just won't obey that. That's just robbery. God cannot bless that. That's that's just robbery. God says, "Prove me now herewith. You tithe and you see if I won't take care of you." Amen. So that's that's interesting about him. It's interesting how people will be convicted about different things. Well, I'm glad for the wonderful words of life God taken us through. I'm glad that in Carson City they had a first-time visitor today and they did a Truckucky Meadows also first- time visitor. Seven first-time visitors in Fiji. Praise the Lord. The Lord's working in his churches getting things accomplished for his glory and using his people. Let's be usable. I'm glad that um Toby and Caitlyn were here today >> and brother Lucen's been dealing with them evangelistically and and he's away a few weeks and so he's asked brother Watkins to follow up with them and I'm sure brother Dan will do that but let's pray. You know people need to learn. They need to have their understanding and I'll but there needs to be a deep spiritual work. It's not merely mental. It's not like you know learn your ABCs learn one two three four and all but we need to see the Lord work in their hearts and convict them and draw them to Christ. So, do pray about that. And we're all, of course, praying for brother Chris and his family and a few that are not well that can't be with us. The um the Lucanis are doing well. They're on their way. And you know, I he was uh I I was impressed with his attitude. He got in touch with me yesterday and said, you know, I said, "We're leaving after church Sunday night and and it looks like with the storm it might be better to to get out of here." And I said, "I think you should, brother." But I was impressed with with why he did that. He does I don't want to be one of those guys that says this is when I'm going, but then it's like, you know, oh, we can't wait. Let's just go. Um, and I I've always fought that urge as well. And my dad taught me that that way. If you say you're going to be gone two Sundays and then you just can't help it. You got to leave early because you just are antsy and you you know, you just can't wait for the adventure. And all grow up. You basically grow up. It's not that at all. It's just being prudent about a blizzard. I pray the Lord will bless all of us through this big storm. It looks like a big one. Looks like uh you're getting the same thing as me. Alerts about possible power outages. And I want to encourage you though. The last time all that was supposed to happen, I was the most prepared I've ever been for power outages. And of course, it stayed on. I'm even more prepared this time. So, we're probably all good to go. But stay in touch if you lose electricity. If you lose electricity and and you know you're not you're not doing well and all. There's a bunch of us that have generators. Some don't even some may not lose power. Call brother Earl. He's got a big house. He has got what do you have an automatic? >> I even said I told my family if ours goes out I'm not going out in the cold starting that. I'm going to brother Gutch's brother Gatch here I come. All right. But no, several of us uh have those facilities and capabilities and you know, we're we're happy to help each other. We just are. You're you're not putting anyone out. You're not being a burden. We love each other. We want to help. And some of us even have wood stoves. Even if the generator runs out of fuel, we'll be able to at least stay warm. All right? Just whatever food you have at home, if you run out of energy, it's going to go bad anyway. So bring all your food with you. All right.
Philippians chapter 4. Rejoice on the Lord Yahweh. Verse four says, "And again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing, but in in everything in everything that by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That's what it says. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are >> whatsoever things are >> whatsoever things are >> whatsoever things are >> whatsoever things are >> whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Think those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me. Word, do think do. and the God of peace shall be with you. The peace of God keeping you, the God of peace with you. Praise the Lord.
Father, help us now as we conclude what we've been looking at throughout this day. Thank you that your word gives us help and strength. Meet every need. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. I said everything I said this morning, I'm not reviewing it all. If you didn't hear it, you need to. If you only hear tonight and you say, "But I can't believe he didn't talk about." You don't know I didn't because you didn't hear. So, so listen to it. Amen. I can't believe you didn't cover this base. And I'm not going to cover everything. I'm covering what I think think I should cover today, but the Lord has help for us when it comes to heart, mind, mental, emotional, spiritual issues. And we just don't uh go into a well, I just can't help what I think. Now, I'm going to grant you something. You can get to a place where you can't help what you think if you don't back earlier get control of thinking. I mean, I I've said to people before, I know you're not choosing right now this depression, but you need to acknowledge that you did choose these things that resulted in this where now you do you are like bound up. And I've seen people say that's true. And I've seen people get out of that acknowledging I'm not choosing this, but I did choose these thought patterns or these practices, activities, faithlessness, you name it. And so, uh, obviously you you can have the mind, the brain working together. They they work together and and we always acknowledge the brain as a physical organ can have problems and the the health of the body can affect the health of the soul. But there's a promise, the peace of God protecting you and there's a plan and uh it is rejoice in the Lord. Be moderate. Much of that comes down to the thoughts. Control your thinking. Be careful for nothing. Don't worry, but rather pray with thanksgiving. And thanksgiving is so important. You want help mentally, make it your continual practice to intentionally just praise and thank God. Amen. >> Thank God. Thank God. Wake up and thank God. Go to sleep thanking God. Thank God over your meal and get done with these prefuncter performance prayers that are just traditions. Actually, thank God for the food. >> It's great to have food. >> Be thankful for it. All right. So, think on these things and possible reasons for mental health issues. obviously could be a spiritual attack uh oppression of the devil, affliction by Satan using circumstances. It uh and boy, circumstances are real. You go through all kinds of circumstances. The circumstance for me right this moment, it's great. I'm with you. We're singing songs. We're looking at the Bible. I feel good. I mean, my body feels good. I got a toothache. It's been start it's started a few years a few days ago. Few years ago like, okay, what's wrong with you? you know, but a few days ago mild. I thought, okay, that's just the the cold drink. And then the next day, it's well, it's just that. And then, well, it's the air pressure in the airplane. And this morning, it's well, it's probably the blizzard coming, you know, the pressure in the air. Yeah, it's probably a toothache. I'm thankful I already have a dentist appointment anyway, scheduled months ago. So, I think that's on Wednesday. Does that sound right, Dana? >> Tuesday. Good. So, I'm not going to do like an emergency dental visit, but I'm pretty sure I got a tooth that's that's uh cracked or something. And a few years ago, many of you remember, I ignored that for months until I was in screaming agony. So, not doing that this time. But, um my point is my circumstances are good. The worst thing I can tell you is it doesn't even ache. It's just mildly uncomfortable. It's that little early warning system, you know. So, I feel good. I took a nap today about an hour. had a great meal before the nap. Um, the wood stove's burning good. Generator's ready to roll. Lots of gasoline sitting out there in the woodshed. And keep your gasoline stored right with the matches in the wood. Okay, that's what you want to do with that. And uh, you know, even the dog's doing good. He's in good health. Things circumstances are good. But the Bible says, "Be thankful in all the circumstances." That's right. >> So, be thankful. But you could be afflicted by Satan in your mind, in your body, but be thankful. Um, whatever. By the way, you know, I didn't plan to say this, but take care of yourself. I talked about several things this morning. Take care of your teeth. That's a big one, actually. That's actually a huge matter. You'll have all kinds of health problems from not taking care of your teeth. Charles Spurgeon wrote about that in the 1800s. He wrote a book for preachers. One chapter he talked about taking care of your throat and your mouth and your teeth and how if you don't take care of your teeth, guys, you can hinder your ministry. Well, it's ridiculous. That's not in the Bible. Bible talks about a broken tooth or a foot out of joint and how that can really afflict you. You can have spiritual problems because you don't take care of your body and you're in misery and then you're frustrated and irritable and it's hard for you to be thankful and all. So why why would you have mental health issues? Could be oppressed of the devil. Could be afflicted by Satan or circumstances. My circumstances are great right now other than a mildly sore tooth. But that could change quickly. And if the circumstances change, could it be because I changed the circumstances? Maybe I got in my Jeep and I decided to find out how fast I can drive in a blizzard. Then I wrecked my Jeep. Then I say, "Man, the devil's doing it again." I knew a preacher like that. He constantly did foolish things and he constantly blamed the devil. He would say, "Can't believe it. A demon's after me again." No, you live crazy. I mean, you live foolishly. You The guy's name and his email address was Jihill. He driveth furiously. That's how he drove. He got a lot of traffic tickets. He he wrecked his truck. All kinds of And he would say, "I can't believe it. I was on the way to preach at the church and a demonic attack. This guy gave me a ticket, you know." No. So, I can change my circumstances with foolishness. I can change my circumstances obeying God's word. And the and the devil's mad at me because I'm obeying the Bible and the devil comes at me. But we got to be real about things, folks. I can say my financial circumstances are terrible. It's an attack of the devil. And uh the truth is I just cannot stop spending money or I don't obey what the Bible says about finances. So think through those things. Those are a couple examples of how you can change the circumstances or not. Sometimes there's just things that are absolutely beyond your control. Stuff is happening. You know, you're uh you had a beautiful oak tree. You love to sit under the oak tree in the summer and sip lemonade and a lightning bolt hit it and blew the oak tree up. You didn't do that. You didn't cause that. And you know, now you say, "Well, I I I didn't want that to happen, but I did but I did put a metal rod in the top of the oak tree reaching up 30 meters, you know." Okay. Well, now we're back to maybe you kind of tempted God on that. But just be honest is what I'm promoting. Be honest. Sometimes we say, "I don't know why this is happening." But we actually do know why it's happening. So, can you be afflicted? Of course, can circumstances uh be used against you? What about heart and mind issues that come from physical issues that are not just beyond your control, but your own choices? Quickly, I already gave these this morning, but choosing to not rest as we need. Choosing to not have any type of yeah, at least somewhat of a vague schedule. If you if you lived with me and literally like Siamese twin hung out with me for a week, you would not find that every single day is exactly the same spaced out. But there's a general flow here. >> And and I will tell you, even like this missions trip we just went on, I had a a few times through that where I'm a little spiritually a little oppressed and all because I'm I'm not able to keep some of the regular flow. I'm living in another person's home. by by the way, super thankful for the hospitality. It was tremendous and all. However, you're having to live more by their schedule. You're already battling this whole time difference. You know, everything's different and and my normal uh Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday devotions were messed up. Um just my regular study, you know, just the rhythms of life. And so sometimes you can't really keep what you need to. Even here, I don't I'm not the kind of person that's like, you know, 5:30, wake up, 5:32, brush teeth, 5:35. I'm not That's not how I live. Some people do if they can. That's, you know, that's their business. They're weird. It's okay. But that's what they do. But have some type of a schedule. If you're constantly staying up late and sleeping in late, no, you're not going to help yourself. It's amazing. Even there's even medical doctors that say it's amazing the mental health victories some people have just by getting on somewhat of a schedule, going to bed generally the same time every night and getting out of bed at generally the same time every morning and then obviously helping yourself with diet and all. So we talked about some of that. Um, there are foods that we might enjoy but they're just not good for us and then we we end up even struggling mentally because of the food. Uh, my natural choice for eating is is horrible. I mean, you know, I I could I could I could live on fudge rounds and Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, milkshakes. I I can do that. You say, "How do you know that?" Because I've done it. I have put that to the test. All right. I love ice cream. I love milkshakes. I love chocolate cake, brown sugar icing. Um, I I absolutely enjoy chocolate cake, brown sugar icing. I've had chocolate cake with brown sugar icing, I think, once. I mean, one cake, so I ate maybe two or three pieces of it in the last year. I can't do that every day. That will not be good for me. So, I'm I'm not a preacher of don't enjoy anything, don't ever have a sweet, uh, but be be sensible because I know that if I do that, I will not be well and it will not help me spiritually and mentally. Um, I talked about using stimulants on a daily basis continually, just trying to uh keep yourself amped up. God didn't intend us to always be amped up, guys. >> It's not what God intended. God gave us the gift in our brains, okay? Uh there there's serotonin, there's um dopamine. Those things are not necessarily bad. Dopamine is a gift from God, but trying to have non-stop dopamine hits is not what God intended. We're not made for that. And a lot of addictive behavior and sin issues are directly related to that. It's seeking constant dopamine stuff. A lot of social media, Zuckerberg and those guys, they're billionaires because they figured out how to have algorithms and all where people are liking and you're and you get all this going on and tons of it is directly related. The scientists will tell you this directly related to the dopamine hit and the YouTube video and the the Tik Tok thing and all that's all involved in that. The desire in the middle of the night to sit and scroll and look and all control yourself. It's what I'm encouraging you about because you can mess yourself up mentally with all this but all the different ways of psychologically and physically stimulating yourself. God made us to where we are stimulated in certain ways. That can be good, but you can't live your life jumping from stimulant to stimulant. >> You ever been You ever been like a like where you're messed up? I mean, really messed up like sugar stuff where like your entire day is just bounding from one sugar high to another. I'm a real person. I've been there. I I've been there where I sat and realized I'm just sitting here basically for the next glass of sweet iced tea because I love sweet iced tea. As a teenager, I made a gallon many many times. I'd make a gallon in the morning and I'd drink it all day. So that's two cups of sugar in a good if you make it right. Amen, Mrs. Gutch. One gallon, two cups of sugar. Um, as a teenager didn't mess me up too bad. I mean, I worked like crazy. worked out in the sun, sweated constantly, just, you know, hard work all the time. Uh, sitting back in that office going through a gallon of sweet iced tea. What do you think's going to happen to me? It's not going to be good. All right. So, but but I realize I was just kind of bouncing from one stimulant to another. So, I some of this I'm preaching out of my own life, you know, things that God said to teach me. Uh, trying to do things you're not equipped to do. not accepting realities about yourself. I've never gone to try out for the Celtics or any of the other teams. It's not reality for me to think that I could do that. You know, the NFL pro team, some of them have walk-on on tryyouts. I have never gone and tried to do that. And if I tried to, I'm going to get hurt physically, mentally, emotionally, in every way. I'm just it's not going to go well for me. And if I spend my life, you know, feeling like, you know, if, you know, if only the Patriots wouldn't have dominated everyone for a decade, I could have had a chance. No, that's not true. Actually, the Patriots didn't keep me from having an NFL career. All right? So, trying to do stuff you're not made to do can wear you out. And and just not accepting the the gifts that God gave you and some things God didn't give you. We have people today, a major mental health crisis with this transgenderism thing. That is people who they're not content with how God made them. That's right. >> And there's all kinds of perversion involved in that. But that's the root issue. I'm not content. Like the very core of who they are, they're denying that. And so they're going into horrible stuff. All right, moving along. Heart and mind issues that are the result of choices we make. This is important. I'm not just now talking about diet, rest, lack thereof, um overstressing ourselves. I I didn't even talk about workaholic stuff. That's a big word in our culture. And people are proud of that. Well, I'm a workaholic. Well, that's foolish. >> We're not supposed to be a holics on anything. The only thing I see in the Bible where God gives a thumbs up on addiction is they addicted themselves to ministry. And that was that was not either like some pastors get really messed up mentally and all because it's all this that you know the preaching the study visiting people constantly so no family life no rest no downtime no vacation. I've heard guys, you know, preachers, I haven't taken a vacation in 30 years. And I'm like, you think that's a uh flex. That's not wise. That's not wise at all. Maybe you don't need a vacation. You ever think about your wife? You ever think about your kids that maybe they might like a week or two where they kind of, you know, just get to have dad? That's not the flex you think it is. I've heard men say, "I'm burning the candle at both ends." And I say not going to be a candle left before long. >> Every candle eventually gets burned out. Is that right? >> Yeah. >> Burning a candle, we're all burning to burn out eventually. We're going to die. Burning the candle at both ends. Not real smart. If you'd pace yourself, you could run the marathon. But if you live life with constant 100 meter dashes, it's just crash and burn, crash and burn, crash and burn, you know, you're just in this loop. It It's not good. Um, but workaholics workaholics. Well, they addicted themselves to ministry. That had to do with like hospitality, serving, blessing people and all. It wasn't they were addicted to always being in the limelight. Literally, I'm in the limelight right now. It's brighter up here. Always having to, you know, get out there and say things and and all. So, that's a good addiction. But I I would tell you uh real quick, if even with that, if you're just constantly going around trying to evangelize and serve other Christians and and and be at the building doing stuff and all, I would say, "Hey, you need time, too, where you're, you know, reading the Bible and where you're sitting down talking with your family and having a meal with them and you need times taking a walk with your wife and all." So don't use that phrase to try to justify really maybe a prideful or whatever workaholic type thing. I don't like that word. I don't think it's good. I think it's fine if you realize you have that tendency. I certainly don't want to promote laziness and some people maybe ought to go a little more towards the workaholic side of the spectrum. Somebody say amen. >> You know, there can be a little bit our American culture of like a man can only work 40 hours a week. That's kind of silly. I haven't worked 40 hours a week in I don't know since I was 12 or something. It's more than that. But be careful of of falling into that just trying to keep up with the Joneses. They're broke anyway. And you know the rat race and all. So all those things can hurt you. But I'm not talking now about that. But I'm talking now about literally sin that convicts us. You can hurt your heart and mind with choices that you make. It's literally things that are vexing your soul. Okay. Who in the Bible do we read of where it says he vexed his righteous soul? What? It's in second Peter chapter 2. That righteous man, that righteous man in living among them, in seeing and hearing their wicked deeds vexed his righteous soul. Well, well, praise the Lord. That's not me. I have more sense than to move into Sodom or to move into, we'll say, living on the strip in Las Vegas. Well, unfortunately now Sodom's come to us. It's on your TV and it's on your phone and it's uh it's on your radio and it's on your computer. And Sodom was
Not merely the sin of what we call the Sodomite, but it was all. It was just a total mastrom. You read about it in Ezekiel too. Laziness, just overemphasis on getting to eat everything we want, uh selfishness, lack of hospitality, and also a bunch of just full-on sins of the flesh, sexual sin of every kind. Then, of course, the one they're most famous for, the homosexual sodomite stuff.
But we are living in a time now where that is absolutely, that's the world we live in. We have abundance. We have idleness. You know, people back in the day didn't need to be told so much to go work, because if you wanted to eat, you had to go work. You know, obsessing over how many days off do I get and all of that. Well, you're just working hard every day just to keep the fire burning and to keep the soup staying warm and go kill something so you can put it in the soup and all. But Sodom, they, as is often the case in cities, had an abundance of idleness. So, we're there. We have the ability now to live a life with a lot of idleness.
On the one hand, don't be a workaholic that doesn't take care of yourself. On the other hand, don't be lazy. Don't constantly live for downtime and idleness and "when's the next fun thing?" I've talked about that many times, that if you're always just living for the next fun event, you're not doing well spiritually and you won't do well. Most of life is not a big fun event. Most of life is doing what you need to do.
"Is that right?" "Got any adults in this room?" Most of life's just doing what you got to do. That's the reality. Okay. So, we live in a very Sodom-type of uh time, the full-on emphasis on everything that the flesh wants, and the idleness, and the ease, and the very great selfishness. As I said, they were inhospitable. That's just selfishness. "I look after me, myself, I, mine." You know, the Bible says, "Be filled with the spirit. Look every man on the things of others." How can I be a blessing?
So, in your uh, in your choices you make, Lot chose to be there with them. He chose to be one of them. He chose to even sit in the gate. He sat in the seat of the scornful, opposite of Psalm 11. He sat there and he did not. The Bible gives no evidence that in Sodom he ever participated in the outright filthiness, but he saw it all around him. And if you say, "But he couldn't help but he lived there." He wasn't supposed to live there.
"There are things you can't help. There are places you've got to go. You've got to transport yourself. You've got to get to work, you've got to go places, whatever. You'll see things. But the matter of listening to music, listening to podcasts, listening to radio programs, whatever, where people are saying things that are vexing your righteous soul, that's on you because you don't have to listen to that. You may not be able to help some of the garbage talk around you at work because you're working with lost people, but you can help what's coming on your radio and on your phone, and out of your Walkman if you're still using a Walkman, or your boom box, or whatever. Uh, you can say, 'Man, I can't believe the stuff they're showing on TV. I hate I just saw that.' Well, the second or third time, maybe it's time to consider, don't turn it on. You know, I just want to watch the news. And they have this commercial and it's unbelievable. Well, could we survive without watching the news? I'm asking, uh, people for the first several thousand years of human civilization didn't watch the news. The devil's sneaky. You will. You'll just try to watch the news and he'll all of a sudden have something on there. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. And you're saying, 'Kids, I'm sorry you saw that. Don't look.' You know, do we need to keep on falling for these things? These images vex us."
Um, obviously, anything along the lines of social media, any media of any kind can vex you. Have you ever read books where you're reading them and you realize, "This is vexing me"? It's a true crime book. It's true history. It's interesting. There's a lot to learn from history. I love reading history. I like reading about some of the great wars and military campaigns. And I started reading a book a few years ago. It was about the French and Indian War. The guy began to tell how some of the Indians over in Canada and New York, when they would get the white settlers, some of the things they would do to them. I said, "There's no way the Holy Ghost wants me reading about this." I put the book away. I said to Dana, I said, "I just read stuff. It's just history, not historical fiction, raw history." And I said, "I just read something. I said, 'I wish I had never read it.'" And I think she said, "What was that?" I said, "I wouldn't even tell you. It's awful."
What I'm saying is, if I kept reading that book and it keeps going into more and more of these things, more and more. And by the way, I'm not just going off on Native Americans. Every people group in this room has done stuff like that. That's right. Every people group represented in this room. I mean, we could start telling tales of the Irish people and the Scottish people and the British people, and you go down the line. Ugly stuff. What I'm saying is, if I kept reading that, at some point, if it begins to vex my righteous soul, whose fault is this? See, I knew that that crossed the line. It's true or not, I don't need to know about it. That was bad. And if you're thinking, "Well, I'm going to ask Pastor, what did you read?" I'm not telling you. It's terrible. And I don't dwell on it. I don't every night lay down and go, "Lord, help me not to think about that thing I read," because that's actually thinking about it, right? Just but just terrible stuff.
And, uh, do you like to read, um, novels about crime? There are crime novels, detective novels, etc. And some of them, they don't have fornication in them. They don't have swear words at all, but is it helping you? Or is it, if you were honest before God, does it vex your righteous soul? I could name a couple of authors that in years gone by, I would read their books. Man, some of these guys, they can write. I mean, you cannot stop reading. It's incredible writing, descriptive. They're mingling in history and geography and, you know, but then this isn't good. One particular author, I actually read a few of his books. I call it, it's like reading mainly. You know, you're reading to study, you're reading to learn, and I'll sometimes it's like having a bowl of ice cream. It's just fun. It's interesting. It's fun. And there's not blatantly sinful or whatever. But then he's going into these crimes, this bad committing. And I'm sitting there going, "What kind of a brain comes up with this stuff?"
And I could take you to the place in Tennessee where I just knelt down before the Lord and said, "I won't read any more of this guy's stuff. This guy's a pervert. He's a sick man, and he's making millions putting out these detective crime books." There's TV shows like that. There's TV shows that you'll watch them solving crimes, and you're learning about criminal stuff that goes on that you never would have known about without that show. And it really, you don't need to know about it.
There are desperately evil, wicked people in our world. There are people that fantasize about things and even do things that are so far beyond the pale. It's absolutely demonic. I don't need to know about all that. Some of these shows, they will introduce you to, um, people's perverse practices because that's involved in the crime that they're telling you all about in the show. I don't watch them. I don't want to. I'm just not interested in those things because I know they grieve the Holy Ghost. And sometimes you're bored, like on a flight for 14 hours, and you've read and you've done everything you need to do, and there's a screen sitting there, and maybe there's something I can watch that would be interesting. It'd be true. It'd be maybe fiction, but it's clean. Whatever. And you better be real wise. And you know what? I've more than once started and then said, "Nope, no good. Grieving the Holy Spirit." That's hard to do, Garrett, because I like to finish things and I like to know how things ended. Is anybody else like me? I want to know how it ended. But this is not good.
Some of those, even those true documentaries, I like, uh, Ken Burns' Civil War documentary. There's a couple places in that where he tells about some of the stuff going on you don't need to know about. And just fast forward through that because some of that was just absolute wickedness. People were wicked in the 1800s too, and they were in the 200s, and for some reason, he goes into a part of that, some of the immorality that was going on with certain soldiers and women in Washington D.C., and it's not good. You don't need to know about it. It's terrible.
We watch news stories about famous men or women that have been caught up in affairs, and you see a headline and then you read all about it. Why are we doing that? Why do we want to know about that? I know in the last few years, there's been some big movers and shakers in Congress that wrecked their marriages with adultery. Um, I see that headline. I don't need to click on the story. You know why? Because that could vex my righteous soul. You'll see headlines sometimes, "So-and-so was caught on video." You don't need to know. You want to vex your righteous soul? Click on that link. It's not going to be good. They were caught on video is all you need to know. Am I telling the truth?
Music, images, stories. Um, are you obsessing over the Jeffrey Epstein stuff? Here's what I know. I know he was a pervert. I don't know how far all that goes. I don't know what all is true about it. I know there's a list. I know he had an island where there's all kinds of debauchery. I don't need to know everything about it. All these files are being released. I'm not reading them. I don't need to read them.
If anyone committed crimes, I hope they get the book thrown at them. I don't care who they are. I know one of the royals got in trouble. If it's Donald J. Trump, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, if it's my favorite conservative politicians, if they've been involved in sex trafficking, I want the book thrown at them. I want them locked up. I don't care what their name is. I don't care if it's an R or a D or an I or a communist or whoever. But I don't need to know all about that Epstein Island junk because if I read all that, that could vex my soul. And some of these things, you learn the hard way because in days past, you, I want to know what they did when Bill Clinton, when all that expose came out, and some of us back in 1999, 98, 99, what in the world did he do? He did that. What in the world? We didn't need to know about that. I was one of those people who watched some of the hearings, read some of that, and then went, "Why do I need to know about these things? This is disgusting." Amen.
So, I had to say, don't vex your righteous soul with this. But let's be real. Let's just be real. Sometimes we say, "Well, I need to know what's going on and all." No, sometimes we're just curious about things we shouldn't be curious about. Some, and I'm looking especially at young people. There's a whole lot of things that it'd be better just to ask your dad, "Do you think I ought to read this news story or not?" Or even just say, "Dad, is there anything on the news that you think I need to know about because maybe I'm falling into sin through the channel of the news?" Because the news loves, they love, love, love to get into scandalous sexual stuff that sells. That always sells. So, watch out for all of this. But you can have heart and mind issues because you're vexing yourself with what you're feeding on. Uh, there are places you can go that spending more time than you need to there vexes you. Amen.
I've never been a believer in just, and this is kind of a bygone thing now, but just hanging out at the mall. Now, I hate shopping, and I literally have physical reactions to that, and I'm not joking about that. Dana will tell you, she's like, "You're not looking well." I'm not. I hate it. Maybe I need to overcome it. I just need to go shop for seven days in a row and just stand there and try things on and stuff. We were out west, and I had to buy a few shirts and a couple pair of pants that, you know, wouldn't be, you know, Solomon said, "You don't want to wear blue jeans over here." So, I'm over at Shields over in Reno, and so I got a whole armload of these really lightweight shirts and lightweight pants. And I get medium and I get large because I never know which it'll be. Every company's different, right? I got, and this young lady comes racing over. "Oh, do you need a changing room?" I said, "I do." "Oh, I'm gonna help you." And so she's bringing stuff and throwing it over the door. She brought me dress shorts. Pants like this, but shorts. "Those will be perfect in Fiji." I said, "I'm not even trying those on." But she was just, she was so excited. "I'm a Christian, too. You're going to preach in Fiji. This is so awesome." She's throwing clothes over, but I'm throwing them back. I'm like, "I don't wear skinny pants." Throwing those over. You know, she was having the time of her life. I was in misery. But my point was, you know, if you got to go to the mall and you're vexed there because of all the advertisement and all that, go in and get what you need and leave. Just hanging out and just, I know people will say sometimes, "I like to watch people." Got to be careful with that.
There's a lot of people, they want to be watched, not for the right reasons, and they want attention, and it's not good attention. Don't vex your heart. So, you're thinking of where you go, what you're around, the speech that you're allowing around you, the images presented to you, the music, all of that. Um, I want to just say to you from the scriptures, your heart and my heart have enough trouble all on its own. My heart is enough trouble on its own. Out of the heart proceed all kinds of bad things. And so if you feed your heart anything that's contrary to what is it? True, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtue, praise, you're asking for trouble in your spirit.
Now, I want to say again, I'm not saying all of this and then going, "Okay, so this brother or sister is having heart, spirit, mental problems. Clearly, this is what they did." That's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying these are all things you need to consider about your heart. You're asking for problems in your mind if you're consuming things that go against this list. We think today we have to have music playing all the time. That's new. In the history of civilization, that's a brand new concept. It's literally decades old. We think we've always got to be reading something. That's new. Before Gutenberg's printing press, people were not always reading things. And even after his printing press, you had to have a lot of money to carry a book around. Well, we're spoiled now. We have millions of books at our disposal just on our phone. We can go to the library and even get hard copies and all of that, but sometimes we get in trouble because we want to be constantly stimulated emotionally, mentally, psychologically with what we're reading. And even though we're vexing ourselves, I'm telling you, I'm encouraging you, be wise about this. What you look at and listen to and read, it affects you. It does. It affects your heart, and out of the heart are all the issues of life.
I love to read. I've always been a reader. I will read the backs of soup cans. I mean, I was the kid that I not only ate the cereal, I read every word on the cereal box. All the words I couldn't pronounce, you know, the food coloring and everything, you know, and just read, read, read, read, read. I like to read. But, but if reading is getting me in spiritual trouble, that I'm getting vexed by it, I could go without reading. Literally, my great-great-great-grandparents did. They hardly ever got to read anything. You know, and if people did in the 1600s, it's not like everybody had a Bible. Well, the King James came out in 1611. Yeah. And basically, some churches had a copy.
Even that, we're blessed. We have the Bible. Everybody can have a Bible now. But beyond the Bible, do I have to read constantly? Just think about it because you could be vexing yourself. And I'm glad for good books. I've got a library back there. There are hundreds of great books and there's good books you can recommend and all, but be smart. So, because the heart has trouble anyway, and when you're trying to do, when you're trying to live right, but you're feeding on sin, there's a lot of stress that'll be in your mind. Are you with me?
Exactly. I could tell you about people that, there is no mystery as to why they had an unbelievable breakdown because through it, they revealed that they were living an absolutely double life. And I'm not saying that about anybody here or part of our church, but I've dealt with people in past circumstances where they had an unbelievable mental issue, and it was absolutely clear. Well, they were living a double life. Um, Dana, the lady that was the maid of honor in our wedding, her father, you know, he just snapped and killed his wife and all this stuff. And that was an easy call. When he did all that, it was revealed he was living a completely double life. He had another woman. He had another apartment the whole time. Sang in the choir, served, I think, as a deacon. Whole thing. But just that can cause an absolute break. Living a double life. So, don't you take any of this and say, "Well, clearly someone's up to no good and someone's in sin and that's why they're struggling." Not saying that. I'm warning about all kinds of general things for you and for me.
If we are nursing secret sin and we're engaging in that and we're not genuinely repenting and battling and all of that, and just really living a double life, it's going to hurt you mentally. Judas did that. It ended in him taking his own life. So, refusing to obey this passage and think on good things. We've talked about sins of commission that can lead us into mental, spiritual, emotional failure and struggles, but also sins of, we call them omission. Okay? Really, every sin is commission. It's a sin against God if you omit what God said to do. But right here, just refusing to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, praiseworthy. If you just don't deliberately think on those, if you don't deliberately rejoice, if you're not deliberately practicing moderation, if you're not deliberately putting off worry and deliberately praying with thanksgiving, you're disobeying God, and you're disobeying where you're disobeying in the mind, in the mental battlefield. So, you want to be sure that you obey this and obviously feed on scripture.
Scripture, the Lord by scripture demands and provides for sobriety. Think of these commands. Young women, old women, young men, old men are to be sober. First Timothy and Titus, we are commanded, "Gird up the loins of your mind." In other words, get yourself tied together here. Get things put together. Tear down every false imagination. Bring every thought captive and subject to Christ. Accept the truth and think and behave accordingly. Accept the Bible truth, but accept the truth generally. Just all truth. Go. The truth will make you free.
Null Smith sat in his office as an old preacher. A young pastor walked in and said, "Dr. Smith, I need your help." N. Smith said, "Have a seat." The young guy sat down. He started carrying on, bawling and everything. He said, "Everybody's against me." And N. Smith said, "I never even knew who you were or knew your name or ever heard of you until you sat in that chair. So, I'm certainly not against you. So, how is it true that everybody's against you?" Amen. You know what that young preacher needed to do? Well, say, "That's true. Here's one man that's not against me." And then from there, he could say, "Well, there's probably a few billion other people that aren't against me because they never heard of him either."
The devil loves us to think in these big sweeping generalities, "Everything's wrong." No, a lot's wrong, but not everything. That's right. "I fail at everything." No, you don't. You don't fail at everything. You fail at some things. So do I. I could tell you about failures. "Everyone hates me." "Nobody loves me." That's not true. God loves you. "Nobody's with me." Not true. You've got to believe the truth. Not just a scripture verse, but the truth about everything. If you don't believe the truth about gravity, you're going to find out. You're going to get hurt because of that. So, accept truth and then behave, think and behave based on truth.
"You're not as great as you think, and you're not as bad as you think." The truth is, we're all pretty much just average. Well, it sounds discouraging. What's wrong with that? God uses average people. Praise the Lord. So, think and behave based on truth. Believe God about everything. Do you believe God about everything, including your own past failures and sins? You say, "Well, I, but but that I need to keep going over those sins." That's not pure. That's not honest. That's not just. That's not virtue. That's not praise. You don't need to keep going over those.
I was with a man one evening. My dad, I was 15 or 16. Dad had to drive him two hours to a facility. This man had had a complete emotional breakdown. And the entire two hours, he basically talked about all every sin he'd ever committed. I mean, that's not literally, that's a generality. Every sin he did. But basically, that's how he did two hours, just dredging up horrible wicked stuff he'd been involved in from his teen years. He was a senior citizen. And Dad had to keep changing the subject and getting him to stop because it was terrible stuff coming out of the guy. But, um, he thought on those things. He thought on them. He rehearsed them in his mind. And even if he was thinking on them and thinking about how bad they were and how sorry he ever did them, that's not a good practice. Put it under the blood and leave it there. Only bring those things up if you start seeing yourself going that direction to say to yourself, "Don't do that. That's going to lead to that stuff I used to do." But just living in it, swimming in it, is not good.
Don't dwell on past hurts. Believe what God says about past sins and hurts. You've been hurt. You've been sinned against. Believe what God says about it. That was sin. That person shouldn't have sinned against you that way. But there's a loving God who's giving you grace to overcome that. You have great examples like Joseph. Amen.
Beware of when you confess sin. When you've been overcome by sin, beware of the sorrow of the world that worketh death. A sorrow that really is not a sorrow over sin, but it's a sorrow over, "I can't believe I hurt myself like this. I can't believe I ruined myself like this." By the way, if you're still alive, you're not totally ruined. You can always go forward. But the idea, "I've destroyed everything." No, you haven't. You can go forward. Um, some things you may even have to go forward in jail, but you can go forward. Amen. Thank God for that.
But believe what God says. Don't go into the sorrow of this world. The sorrow of this world. "I've done this or this happened to me, and I'm so sorry." And all I'll do with it is just descend into a depth of depression. The sorrow of the world worketh death. Real sorrow over sin. You confess it, you deal with it. You take the steps necessary to be right. You don't wallow in self-pity. Beware of all those. Um, maybe you have some things that are James 5 issues. You are weak. You are sick. Call for the elders of the church.
So, I'm going to end with this. Barring a problem with the organic brain. So, really, what do you come down to? You come down to choices. I'm not choosing to be depressed. Understood. But that I make choices that led me to this state where now I'm finding it impossible to get out of it. Have you ever been depressed? Have you ever been where a doctor would say you're clinically depressed? I think that'd be true of me on two occasions. One when I was 19 and a half, 20 years old. This where you're going to go, "Well, you got real tonight, preacher." I don't like doing that. I feel it right here when I start talking like this. I have physical pain right here. When I think about that, it's like a vice grip around my chest, not because of 19 and a half, but because of the other time when I was about 30. And through that period, I had to stand up here and preach. And if you could have seen in my head and heart, I didn't even know if I was a saved man. I was so messed up in my head. But I talked to a pastor friend. Talk to one of God's men. Don't talk to a book and don't talk, don't go try to talk to a counselor somewhere. Talk to one of God's men. That man listened to me and talked with me and helped me. I was absolutely in the depths of depression. Both times, it came down to choices I made. I didn't choose to have those feelings and to have that depth of depression, but I chose things that took me there. And the same God that saved me, kept me through those, and helped me grow through those. And I bless his name. And I had to, and I learned from those by God's grace. I learned what to think on, what to meditate on, what to feed on. But it was my choices that took me there. It's my choices.
And, uh, if you want me to tell you all my choices, I think that wouldn't be helpful because then you're going to compare with me, me to you, and it's you have your choices, I have mine. So, you know, I get it if you're like, "Well, tell us about the choices." Well, then you might go, "Well, I never chose that, or I chose that one." You know, just it would just be foolish, I think. But choices I made, and, uh, and the result was incredible depression, incredible uncertainty about everything, and incredible. I mean, I'm literally, I was over in New Hampshire preaching a missions conference up in, I forget the name of the town. It's where Dartmouth College is. I preached a missions conference, and I'm, I'm so in the depths of those. I'm like, "Lord, I hope I'm saved. I know your word is true. No matter what, I'm going to believe you and preach." You know, the Lord got me through it all. Praise the Lord. I was a saved man. I was a saved man that was mentally making choices that got me there. And, uh, and I'm not ashamed to say that at all. I mean, you know, if you're now forever, you know, discouraged because you have a pastor that when he was 30 went through that, well, have a look at Moses and David and Abraham. They're a lot better than I am. They went through junk. And I believe it was good. I believe it was good. It helped sanctify me, and it has helped me sanctify others. It's helped me help others. So, but I don't believe you have to go through that so you can help people. I believe you could make good choices to where if you're trending that way, you turn back.
But, um, barring, barring maybe a physical thing, something like that, a spiritual attack, a satanic thing, you know, it's going to often just, it's going to come down to choices. And we kind of have an aversion to that because I don't want to think that I'm choosing things that could get me in a mental mess. But it's the truth. So, I don't want to feed on harmful junk, unholy things. I want to respond to physical ailments with faith, not bitterness. You might have physical ailments that are tremendous, and you can be very much tempted to being bitter about that. Um, you can keep hurt hidden, locked up. You can struggle all alone and maybe even tell yourself you're super spiritual and godly because you don't share any of that. You're not.
Actually, we're told to bear burdens with you. Yes. And but pride is a many-headed monster. Yes, it is. You know, well, no, I'm just so godly, I don't need to ask for prayer or whatever. Um, it can be, it can actually be very good to say, "I'm weak and I need help." The Lord Jesus Christ, the God of glory, looked at his men and said, "My soul is troubled." So, when you think you're better than him, go ahead and don't tell anyone that you have trouble at times. Amen. Paul the Apostle, whom we're told to follow, wrote at times, "I was cast down." David, poured out, the man after God's own heart, made very public statements about being troubled in mind.
So, you're going to have to choose with all of these things. Even if someone has done you wrong, will you respond with just living a life of hurt or hatred? Or will you respond with getting help? Will you respond with, "I am a victim," or "I have the victory in Christ?" Will you take a serious look at your body, heart, and mind and choices you're making? And will you submit yourself to making good choices or continue on in a path of destruction? Can you humble yourself enough to when you need to say, "I need some help"? I'm not preaching every time you have the slightest twinge of feeling a little struggle about something, you need to run and tell the whole church. But I'm saying when you know this is bigger than you, will you get some help? Will you learn to go God's way for mental health? Will you learn to trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus? Will you rejoice in the Lord? Will you practice moderation? Will you put away worry and fear and walk by faith?
Even the Lord's apostles had to be rebuked by him. He said, "Why are ye?" He said, uh, he said, "Why is it you have no faith? Why are you full of fear in that storm?" And I want to make excuses for them. I mean, they're on the Sea of Galilee in the pitch black night, and they're in an incredible storm, and the boat's full of water. And Jesus said, "Why are you so full of fear and faithless?" So, we need to, we need to have faith in God. Be careful with the choices you make. This is a heavy truth, but I'm going to give it to you. You can get stuck in them. You can get stuck in choices you make. But when I say stuck, I don't mean permanently. There's a God who can help you get out. Remember, it's God that workketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. You're not an animal that just has no control. You can't do anything about it. You're just programmed. Um, no, you're made in the image of God. And as a Christian, you can learn to think biblically and behave accordingly. I'm not preaching and teaching one-time instantaneous victories. I'm teaching a process that's called sanctified renewing, being renewed in the spirit of your mind, transformed by the renewing of your mind.
We have one that's a dear brother. He is right now in a place where, for whatever reason, physical, spiritual attack, choices, we're not judging that. We don't know. Amen. Could be a confluence of all the above. But he's been, for now, I believe temporarily, he's been losing a battle in the mind. We need to pray for him, and we need to be on guard, and we need to learn whatever we can how for ourselves to not be where we're losing a battle of the mind. It's no accusation or criticism of him. It's you and me saying, "We could get in the same situation." Let's pray the Lord be gracious and help us, and let's pray for him. We love him. Amen. We love brother Chris. Amen. Let's stand. We love him. Man, he has been an incredible, vital member of this body for how many years? 20 years plus. I remember him first showing up, single guy. He comes in the old building and he's like, "Yeah, Pastor, uh, what was his name? Pastor Daryl said to come here." He said, "If I'm living in this area, you need to get in Mid Coast." I preached for brother Daryl when he was the pastor. Preached in his tent meeting in November. It was like 10 degrees out, and I'm there like, "Why are we in a tent? You got a heated building right there." That's what he wanted to do. But, uh, yeah, brother Chris walked in. "I just got saved. I need to be in a good church." He's been here ever since. We love him. We want to see him get through it. And we want to see him win the battle of the mind. And we want to see us not ever be overcome in that battle. The devil's real. Struggles are real. Life's real. That's right. Don't be proud. Don't be proud. There's nothing wrong with saying, "My soul's troubled." Jesus said it.
Father, thank you. Thanks for helping us. I believe we can walk in the victory you have for us in the battle of the mind. And Lord, uh, always we're going through, we're going up, we're going onward. And this is going to end. We're in victory, but we don't always feel it, Lord. We don't always experience it, but we know this all consummates an absolute victory forever and ever. Help us, we pray. Help our dear brother and do whatever needs done in his life, as hard as mine. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
All right. God bless you. Anybody at all? Any questions about anything? If I can answer them, I will. I love you all. And probably sermons like today would provoke a million thoughts and questions. Um, I know it's been a long, three sermons. Been very long. I'm thankful you listened. I don't believe that I wasted your time. Um, I told the men this, now maybe I am wasting your time, you know, because now I'm talking two more minutes. But I told the men, I want the ladies to hear it. Number one, men, the things we talked about, if you want to help your family with anything I talked about in men's prayer, feel free. Use discretion. Secondly, I told the men, I literally went home this morning, sat down at the table, and was not being anything but absolutely dishonest and real. I looked at the four ladies sitting with me, Dana and the three girls, and I said, "Well, I'm sorry, guys. I know I said way too much today, and I think I rambled a ton, and I think I probably overstated stuff, and it just didn't, was not like how I wanted to preach. It didn't seem very organized, and I'm sorry, just whatever." That's I literally meant that. I think that itself was an attack of the devil. The immediate reaction from my daughters was, "Dad, that was so helpful. I'm thankful you said those things." And I'm glad they said that. And I'm glad too that I know that I don't fish for things like that. And I know if I was, they wouldn't play that game. I hope not. But I think even there, the devil just tried to discourage me all day with like, "Even everything I'm saying is just like ridiculous and just wasting everyone's time talking too much." But it's a rare occasion. We needed to do it. God bless you. If you need me, let me know.