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00:00:02
Hey, welcome to Crossroads.
-
00:00:04
Now as you might notice,
-
00:00:05
this is a bit of a
different weekend for us.
-
00:00:07
In addition to the, well,
-
00:00:09
few tons of dirt
that we've got here,
-
00:00:11
in just a few minutes
-
00:00:12
there's going
to be a wild horse on this stage
-
00:00:16
Wild as in never been saddled,
never been ridden.
-
00:00:19
And a good friend of our
community, Todd Pierce,
-
00:00:22
in just under an hour is going
to help this horse understand
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00:00:27
who it was created to be
and what it was created for.
-
00:00:30
This horse is going
to understand more
-
00:00:32
of the beautiful potential
that God has put into it.
-
00:00:36
And along the way, I think you
and I can see the same thing
-
00:00:40
You and I are going to
go on this journey as well
-
00:00:42
to understand that we have a lot
to relate to this horse about,
-
00:00:45
that God has beautiful
potential for us
-
00:00:48
and wants us to walk in power
and in freedom.
-
00:00:52
Now you might be wondering, hey,
how does the horse do?
-
00:00:54
Is the horse ok with the lights
and the sounds and the crowds?
-
00:00:57
The horse does great.
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00:00:58
This has been done many, many,
many times by Todd and his team.
-
00:01:02
They are experts at it.
-
00:01:03
And we've got an great
veternary staff here
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00:01:05
to make sure the horses
are well taken care of.
-
00:01:07
The important thing here is that
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00:01:09
in the same way this
horse is going to understand
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00:01:11
more of the fullness of
what God created it to be,
-
00:01:15
you and I are
going to understand
-
00:01:17
and have a clear
picture of who God is
-
00:01:19
and how He created
us to run free.
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00:01:50
[music: Dear God]
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00:05:27
- Well, welcome to Crossroads.
-
00:05:29
How is everybody
today? [cheers] Good.
-
00:05:32
Hey, my name is Brian Tome.
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00:05:34
I'm what's known as a
Senior Pastor around here.
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00:05:36
It's great to have
you at Crossroads,
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00:05:38
whether you're --
Hey, hey, hey, it's okay.
-
00:05:42
Whether you're
streaming with us,
-
00:05:44
you're in any of our sites
in Ohio and Kentucky.
-
00:05:46
It's really, really
good to have you here.
-
00:05:48
I don't know, I don't
know what you're --
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00:05:50
What you want. What?
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00:05:51
You're supposed
to be a fearful horse
-
00:05:54
that hates people.
That's what we need.
-
00:05:56
We want to see my buddy
Todd Pierce gets bucked,
-
00:05:58
honestly, and thrown
out of this ring tonight.
-
00:06:00
But you seem nice.
-
00:06:02
Actually, you never
know. You never know.
-
00:06:05
So the story behind what
we're doing here today
-
00:06:07
is this, I had
Todd on a podcast,
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00:06:10
my podcast,
Aggressive Life many --
-
00:06:12
I'll get up here so
you guys can have
-
00:06:14
a better, better
chance of seeing me.
-
00:06:16
Stay there. Stay there.
-
00:06:21
All right. So, I had podcasts,
Todd on my podcast
-
00:06:26
a few years ago and we
hit it off. Never met him.
-
00:06:28
And then he said, "Hey,
I got this hunting trip
-
00:06:30
going hunting elk.
Do you want to come?"
-
00:06:32
I said, "Yeah, I'll come."
-
00:06:34
And it was a really good trip.
-
00:06:36
And he told me what he
did on this trip. I had no idea.
-
00:06:38
He said, "Yeah, I
just have this unique
-
00:06:40
spiritual connection to
horses, and I've always had it.
-
00:06:43
And I have this uncanny
ability to understand
-
00:06:47
what's going on with the horse.
-
00:06:48
And I could take a horse."
-
00:06:49
He's basically a
horse whisperer.
-
00:06:51
He doesn't like being
called a horse whisperer,
-
00:06:53
but -- but he is.
-
00:06:54
And so I said, "Really?
-
00:06:56
I'd love to have you
do that at Crossroads."
-
00:06:57
He said, "Well, you
can't do that because
-
00:06:59
no insurance company
ever approves of that."
-
00:07:02
And we came back and
told our insurance company
-
00:07:04
we were doing this,
whether they want
-
00:07:06
to insure us or not.
-
00:07:07
And here we are
several years later.
-
00:07:11
Now, here's the thing.
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00:07:12
If you're new to Crossroads,
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00:07:14
or if you've been around
Crossroads a while,
-
00:07:16
you know, we're a large church
-
00:07:17
and we've got a lot
of bells and whistles.
-
00:07:19
And you've got to be
somewhat planned out
-
00:07:21
when you have a lot of people
-
00:07:22
and a lot of things happening.
-
00:07:24
So we look, we're pretty
okay with plan wise,
-
00:07:26
but that also means that
people don't believe us
-
00:07:29
when we tell the truth here.
-
00:07:31
And that is, we have no idea
-
00:07:33
what's going to happen tonight.
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00:07:35
We've had horses that have
been fire breathing horses
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00:07:38
running around,
snorting, kicking up stuff.
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00:07:40
Thought, oh, this is
going to be really good.
-
00:07:41
I'm thinking, this is good.
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00:07:43
Todd's thinking
this will be bad.
-
00:07:44
I'm thinking this could be good.
-
00:07:46
And then you get in
the ring and it's docile.
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00:07:48
You have ones
like this, it looks like,
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00:07:50
oh, it's going to be easy.
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00:07:51
But as soon as he tries
putting a saddle on him,
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00:07:54
they freak out.
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00:07:56
All the horses we
have, this one included,
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00:07:58
has never been ridden
by a human being.
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00:08:00
It's never had a
saddle put on its back.
-
00:08:04
Someone being on top of a horse,
-
00:08:06
putting a saddle on,
that's predatory behavior.
-
00:08:08
It's a very, very -- not humble.
-
00:08:11
What's the -- vulnerable
thing for a horse
-
00:08:13
to have something on its back
-
00:08:14
when it hasn't had it before.
-
00:08:16
Because that's how
wolves and stuff attack them.
-
00:08:19
So Todd doesn't
have anything planned,
-
00:08:20
doesn't have to be prepared.
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00:08:22
He goes in and
he reads the horse,
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00:08:24
and he's going to give us
some spiritual learnings.
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00:08:26
And every time I've seen
this, gosh, so many times,
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00:08:28
every time I learn something
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00:08:30
and something
really cool happens.
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00:08:32
We'll see if that happens today.
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00:08:35
I think -- oh, if you want to --
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00:08:36
If you want to give at
any point, you can do that.
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00:08:39
Crossroads.net/give
if you want to support
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00:08:41
what's going on
here, support tonight,
-
00:08:43
you can do that at
Crossroads.net/give.
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00:08:47
We pass no plates here.
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00:08:49
That's it if you want
to give. All right.
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00:08:51
And I think that's about it.
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00:08:54
Let's welcome up my friend
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00:08:55
and horse whisperer
Todd Pierce. [applause]
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00:09:03
I know you hate the
horse whisperer thing,
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00:09:06
that's why I like saying it.
- Yeah, I know I love.
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00:09:09
I love our
relationship this way.
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00:09:11
- Yeah. It's good.
-
00:09:12
And some things to also
know, all of us love horses.
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00:09:15
I don't know a single person
who doesn't love horses,
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00:09:17
even if you haven't
been around them.
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00:09:19
Understand this.
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00:09:20
It's louder in our auditoriums
-
00:09:22
because the speakers
are faced outward.
-
00:09:24
It's actually pretty
quiet up here.
-
00:09:26
And these horses go through
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00:09:28
much more intense
things in the wild,
-
00:09:30
lightning, all that stuff.
-
00:09:32
This horse is going to
show some skittish behavior
-
00:09:34
because he's under
somebody's tutelage.
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00:09:36
But the horse is
fine, we promise you.
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00:09:38
In fact, you'll see
at the end of this,
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00:09:40
the horse is going to be
better off as a result of this.
-
00:09:45
And I'm hoping that all of us
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00:09:46
are spiritually better off
as a result of this as well.
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00:09:49
You were on the Pro Rider tour.
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00:09:50
You were a bareback.
Yeah, I got it wrong.
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00:09:53
- Attaboy. - Bareback?
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00:09:55
- Rider.
- Rider, bareback rider.
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00:09:57
So how is that
different or similar to
-
00:10:00
what you're going
to be doing with this?
-
00:10:02
Is this a he or she?
-
00:10:03
- This is a he. - Okay.
-
00:10:05
- A small he, kind of like
me, a mini me. [laughter]
-
00:10:10
So, I look bigger on TV.
-
00:10:12
This is how he's not that big.
-
00:10:14
I'm actually this small.
-
00:10:17
Yeah, it's nothing the same.
-
00:10:19
When I was riding
bareback horses,
-
00:10:21
they were horses
that were bred to buck
-
00:10:23
and that was their job.
-
00:10:24
And I think a majority
of them loved their job.
-
00:10:28
And because it's just like
competition for them, too.
-
00:10:33
A lot of times they win and --
-
00:10:36
- So they like it because
they're bred for that
-
00:10:38
and they're like, okay, game on.
-
00:10:39
- Yeah. Just like any
sport people are abused.
-
00:10:43
Animals are abused.
-
00:10:44
There's that can
be with any of it.
-
00:10:46
But I'm an absolute animal lover
-
00:10:48
and have been my whole life,
-
00:10:50
and so I never would be
a part of that aspect of it.
-
00:10:53
But it's -- these
horses are genetically,
-
00:10:57
you find horses
that want to buck,
-
00:10:58
and you breed them with
horses that want a buck
-
00:11:01
and their babies want a buck.
-
00:11:02
And it makes it where
everybody has fun
-
00:11:05
because cowboys
want them to buck
-
00:11:07
and they like to buck and so
-
00:11:10
it's actually fun for them
as well as us. This one --
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00:11:15
- Are you gonna buck?
Are you gonna buck?
-
00:11:19
- It's so fun because he's
never been bucked off.
-
00:11:22
[laughter] - But
I like watching.
-
00:11:25
- Yeah, and it
looks easy because
-
00:11:28
if I went in here
anxious and fearful,
-
00:11:31
I would get a completely
different response
-
00:11:33
from the horse.
-
00:11:34
But there's already an
atmosphere here set.
-
00:11:36
And I don't know if
you know this, but
-
00:11:38
there's so much prayer
that goes into this house
-
00:11:40
that when you walk in
here that there's just --
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00:11:43
It's just a safe place.
-
00:11:44
And that's why I
think we get to see
-
00:11:47
the miracles we do.
-
00:11:48
And whatever
reactions he gives us
-
00:11:50
is going to be his decisions.
-
00:11:53
- Well, I'll let you to it,
-
00:11:55
unless there's
anything else for me.
-
00:11:57
- No. - Let's go cowboy.
-
00:11:59
- Yeah. Thanks,
buddy. [applause]
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00:12:01
- Oh, hey. Let's pray too.
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00:12:06
- Do you want a hug?
- No, I don't want a hug.
-
00:12:08
No, no, I don't want -- I don't
want a hug. I don't want a hug.
-
00:12:11
So, God, I pray that You
would speak to each of us,
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00:12:13
wherever we are,
-
00:12:15
wherever we are in our
relationship with You,
-
00:12:16
wherever we are with
our pains in our life,
-
00:12:18
wherever we are with
the successes in our life.
-
00:12:20
I trust that You've got
something to teach us
-
00:12:22
through Todd and this horse,
-
00:12:24
and we give our
entire time to You.
-
00:12:26
And I pray these
things according to
-
00:12:28
the character and
identity of Jesus. Amen.
-
00:12:30
- Amen, Amen. I'll
go one step further.
-
00:12:34
He's the dad of the house,
-
00:12:35
but he gives me
permission up here.
-
00:12:39
So much has gone into
this, if you can imagine.
-
00:12:42
Well, I'm not sure
what all goes into it.
-
00:12:44
I show up and it looks
like it was a piece of cake.
-
00:12:47
I just got here, and
there's a horse here
-
00:12:48
and there's a pen here.
-
00:12:50
But so much goes
into this that I think
-
00:12:54
it would be a shame
if any of us left here
-
00:12:56
the same way we came
in, including this guy.
-
00:12:59
And so with that prayer
that Brian just said,
-
00:13:04
I think sometimes
that's just something
-
00:13:05
you sit there and someone prays
-
00:13:07
and then we just
go on with things.
-
00:13:09
But there's there's
a partnership
-
00:13:11
that you're being invited into.
-
00:13:13
So I'll just have
you raise your hand.
-
00:13:15
If you raise your
hand if you're actually
-
00:13:17
going to give Holy
Spirit full access to you.
-
00:13:20
The people next
to you are seeing
-
00:13:21
that you're raising your hand.
-
00:13:23
So if you're giving Holy
Spirit access to you,
-
00:13:27
you asked for it.
-
00:13:28
So that is so good
because that's what we want
-
00:13:30
is we want to have
an encounter with God
-
00:13:33
and not just get
more entertainment
-
00:13:34
and more information.
-
00:13:36
We need something that's
actually going to heal us.
-
00:13:40
So, when I was a boy I
wasn't raised around horses.
-
00:13:47
I -- we just had a horse.
-
00:13:48
And I wasn't raised
with other men
-
00:13:50
that were riding horses.
-
00:13:51
So everything I
learned about horses,
-
00:13:53
I learned with my little
horse named Sugar.
-
00:13:57
And she was probably
about this size.
-
00:13:59
And her and I, it's a
pretty tender point for me,
-
00:14:07
because it's why
I love animals t
-
00:14:08
he way I did is
because they were safe
-
00:14:10
and people weren't.
-
00:14:11
And I could trust
them, and I still do.
-
00:14:18
People are scary.
-
00:14:21
We're not as
honest as horses are.
-
00:14:23
And so even though
they can be dangerous,
-
00:14:26
the beauty of them is that --
-
00:14:28
And what I'm feeling
really in this moment
-
00:14:31
with him, he's a
little bit wide eyed
-
00:14:32
right now because
he's just realizing
-
00:14:34
that everybody's staring at him.
-
00:14:37
But yeah, when I was a kid,
this was where I found myself.
-
00:14:47
And so the things that I
get to do with horses now
-
00:14:51
are not something that I
just came up with as an idea.
-
00:14:55
It's really the things
that that Jesus used
-
00:14:57
to form me and because
you can see that he's kind
-
00:15:02
and he's gentle and he
wants to be around people,
-
00:15:05
he might have
some delusion about
-
00:15:09
his part in all of this.
-
00:15:12
Because he's been
treated, I think kindly enough
-
00:15:16
that he's maybe like a dog.
-
00:15:20
And he'd probably go
in the house with you,
-
00:15:23
which would be fine if
you want just another pet.
-
00:15:29
But I think why Jesus
chose the man that He chose,
-
00:15:32
and He partnered with the women
-
00:15:34
that were partnering
with Him is because
-
00:15:37
they had already realized
how to survive in a culture.
-
00:15:43
And they had figured out how
to be obedient human beings.
-
00:15:49
And they were
following the rules,
-
00:15:50
and they were Jewish
people that had an encounter,
-
00:15:55
an encounter with a
guy that was a rabbi.
-
00:16:11
And they found out that
-
00:16:12
what they were doing
isn't good enough.
-
00:16:14
This yawning, you guys,
-
00:16:17
I just wish I could
explain it, I really do.
-
00:16:22
This isn't normal
horse behavior,
-
00:16:24
even for something
as gentle as him.
-
00:16:28
But they met this
rabbi, this teacher,
-
00:16:31
and He started teaching
them about a Kingdom.
-
00:16:35
And it took them a
long time to get it.
-
00:16:39
And I'm needing
him to move because
-
00:16:41
he's going to have to
do something different
-
00:16:43
than he's ever done before.
-
00:16:44
Because I don't want
him to spend his life
-
00:16:48
doing this anymore.
-
00:16:50
He was built for
something so much more.
-
00:16:56
And if I needed a
pet, I'd find a dog.
-
00:16:59
But a horse -- Hey, wow.
-
00:17:12
I'm sorry, Brian.
-
00:17:16
We're just going to take a nap.
-
00:17:26
But Jesus invited these men
-
00:17:27
into this encounter with Him,
-
00:17:29
and He spent days
walking with them
-
00:17:31
and teaching them and
demonstrating things to them.
-
00:17:37
And eventually He
started doing miracles,
-
00:17:41
like, crazy stuff:
healing people,
-
00:17:45
raising people from the
dead, casting out demons,
-
00:17:49
telling the wind and the
clouds and the waves
-
00:17:52
what to do and where to go.
-
00:17:56
He had authority
over everything.
-
00:17:59
And these guys are
getting to hang out with Him.
-
00:18:03
Talk about feeling like you're
hanging out with a superstar.
-
00:18:07
And everywhere He went,
people were following Him
-
00:18:09
because they knew that He
could do these special powers
-
00:18:13
and demonstrate things that
would make their life better.
-
00:18:18
And the disciples were
really excited about it
-
00:18:25
because they were following
-
00:18:28
the guy that was in
charge of everything.
-
00:18:31
Everything in
heaven and in earth
-
00:18:32
were under His authority.
-
00:18:35
He was the King of the
universe and they knew it.
-
00:18:38
But they thought
that that was going to
-
00:18:40
give them special permission
-
00:18:41
to go through this life
without any troubles
-
00:18:44
and that it was going
to make it to where
-
00:18:45
they're going to be able
to be royalty themselves.
-
00:18:53
But the royalty
they were looking for
-
00:18:54
and the attention
they were looking for,
-
00:18:56
it ends up that wasn't exactly
-
00:18:58
what Jesus was
preparing for them.
-
00:19:01
And so today I'm hoping that
-
00:19:04
your experience
with all of this,
-
00:19:06
and I just want to
invite you into it because
-
00:19:08
you invited Holy
Spirit to teach you.
-
00:19:13
And some of this stuff
might go right over your head.
-
00:19:15
And so if you're not
understanding what I'm saying,
-
00:19:17
it might be because
I'm a bad communicator,
-
00:19:19
but it might be that
-
00:19:20
your spiritual eyes
are still closed.
-
00:19:23
And it takes a
decision on your part
-
00:19:26
to be humble enough to
say, "Holy Spirit, teach me.
-
00:19:31
Help me see what I
need to see in this,
-
00:19:34
because I've gone
this far in my life
-
00:19:35
and I can't stay
the way that I am."
-
00:21:52
- We live in a nation
where we've got
-
00:21:54
a privilege to where
it was like the --
-
00:22:01
Our forefathers, they
gave us some rights.
-
00:22:08
What's said to be
unalienable rights,
-
00:22:10
that every one of us
have this thing that's
-
00:22:13
called life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.
-
00:22:18
And this horse would
be just a beautiful picture
-
00:22:20
of of something
that is his pursuit,
-
00:22:23
happiness has found
a level of contentment.
-
00:22:27
And living in the
land of the free,
-
00:22:29
well provided for.
-
00:22:34
Don't tell him, but he's not
-
00:22:37
the finest looking
horse in the world.
-
00:22:40
So, I mean, he hasn't got
everything going for him,
-
00:22:46
but pretty much he's got it
prettymuch made in the shade.
-
00:22:48
If he just wants to
go through his life
-
00:22:51
and be something
that can consume,
-
00:22:55
can fulfill all of
its own desires
-
00:22:59
and do what he wants to do,
-
00:23:02
that would be one thing.
-
00:23:04
But that's exactly what
the Bible speaks of.
-
00:23:07
And if you just want to dig into
-
00:23:09
the book of Ephesians
and find out the reality
-
00:23:13
that in this condition that
he's living like he's dead.
-
00:23:16
This isn't the abundant life.
-
00:23:19
This isn't the life
that that made it
-
00:23:21
to where there
there's a sacrifice
-
00:23:24
that can be made,
that makes it to where
-
00:23:25
he's going to become
something new, a new creation,
-
00:23:29
that he's no longer
going to be conformed
-
00:23:31
to the ways that the
world has taught him.
-
00:23:34
But he's going to be renewed.
-
00:23:38
He's going to become
something new, renewed
-
00:23:41
by changing the way he thinks.
-
00:23:45
And it's not just
the way he thinks
-
00:23:47
about things around him.
-
00:23:48
It's how he's going to
be able to see himself.
-
00:23:51
Because independent of me,
-
00:23:54
he's able to do the
things that he's doing.
-
00:23:56
But because he needs
to become one with me,
-
00:23:59
it takes a level of trust
and permission from him
-
00:24:02
that all I can do
is ask him if I can.
-
00:24:06
Which would it
be okay if I got on?
-
00:24:10
And just so you know,
this is a two year old.
-
00:24:14
Okay? So he's
old enough for this.
-
00:24:18
He's just a small horse.
-
00:24:19
And he's always going
to be a small horse.
-
00:24:21
So, he's not a baby.
-
00:24:48
So you noticed him
yawning at the beginning?
-
00:24:52
He wasn't yawning
because he was tired.
-
00:24:55
There was a level of
peace coming over him
-
00:24:57
that he probably hasn't
ever experienced before.
-
00:25:00
And so there is a world that
-
00:25:02
everything that we
can see is temporary.
-
00:25:04
But there's a world
that we can't see
-
00:25:06
that is eternal.
-
00:25:08
And some of you
might think that this is
-
00:25:10
just hyper
spiritualizing it. It's not.
-
00:25:12
There's no way
to over spiritualize
-
00:25:15
what it is that Holy
Spirit's doing in a room
-
00:25:17
where he's making
it to where people
-
00:25:18
feel safe enough that
what might have been
-
00:25:22
really difficult in a
different season of your life,
-
00:25:24
tonight it's -- today it's
going to be very simple.
-
00:25:29
That this is a
brand new invitation
-
00:25:31
to do something that
you've never done
-
00:25:34
and to be so
surrendered to a power
-
00:25:36
that you don't even
fully understand.
-
00:25:41
He's like, wait a minute,
my feet are stuck.
-
00:25:48
Both ears, very --
-
00:25:50
He's very, very
attentive to me right now.
-
00:25:52
So he's not passive right now.
-
00:25:55
If you watch, even his right ear
-
00:25:56
is kind of creeping forward,
-
00:25:58
wanting to make sure
you all are still there.
-
00:26:00
He's showing me where
he's looking with his ears
-
00:26:04
and where his attention
is, because this is not --
-
00:26:12
You're not supposed
to be on my back.
-
00:26:14
And for some reason, I'm
okay with you on my back,
-
00:26:17
but I'm not sure why I'm
okay with you on my back.
-
00:26:19
So, I'll stand here and
pretend like we're okay.
-
00:26:25
But if we move,
it'll become real.
-
00:26:28
Yep. He's actually
still sitting on me.
-
00:26:35
It's so fun for me because
-
00:26:38
notice the ears
are lopsided now.
-
00:26:41
So he just got enough
confidence that, okay,
-
00:26:44
those pretty people
up there in blue,
-
00:26:48
they're still making
those fun sounds.
-
00:26:52
Licking his lips just
a little bit, saying that,
-
00:26:55
"Okay. We're good.
-
00:26:59
My feet feel like
they're stuck in cement."
-
00:27:01
Oh, there we go.
Ooop. [laughter]
-
00:27:10
How sweet it is
to be like a child,
-
00:27:14
and to trust and to
be given permission
-
00:27:17
to just take some
steps and feel like
-
00:27:21
I want to come here again
-
00:27:22
because he can't
see me the same way
-
00:27:24
when I'm back there.
-
00:27:26
I want to be in front of him
-
00:27:27
so I can have
both his eyes again.
-
00:27:33
Yeah, I'm not going to hurt you.
-
00:27:36
Thank you for trusting me.
-
00:27:38
Both eyes locked on.
-
00:27:44
Holy Spirit, thank
you for teaching us,
-
00:27:47
giving us brand new vision,
-
00:27:50
eyes to see and ears to hear.
-
00:27:56
Fill us with Your Word.
-
00:27:59
Reveal things to us to make it
-
00:28:01
to where we can
become whole people.
-
00:28:05
Thank You for giving us
a physical representation
-
00:28:07
of what it is that you're doing
-
00:28:09
in the spiritual realm,
so we're not orphans
-
00:28:12
that have to walk around
figuring this out on our own.
-
00:28:16
That You become one with us
-
00:28:17
and make it to where
we can see again.
-
00:28:20
And we'll know what to do next,
-
00:28:22
even in the midst
of the struggles
-
00:28:26
and the insecurities, the
fears and the unknowns,
-
00:28:29
that You're this
ever present one.
-
00:28:55
[music]
-
00:32:28
- It's so good the confidence
-
00:32:34
that's already being
built so quickly with him,
-
00:32:38
like, this is just pure courage
-
00:32:40
because there is no experience.
-
00:32:42
There's nothing that
he can compare this to.
-
00:32:44
It's just that
because of the trust
-
00:32:46
that he's put in me.
-
00:32:52
What -- if someone
would have come at him
-
00:32:54
in a different way,
and this is a tragedy
-
00:33:00
of the reality that we're
sitting in a room here.
-
00:33:01
There was a bunch of
people when your story,
-
00:33:04
those who were in
authority over you,
-
00:33:07
they didn't teach you like this.
-
00:33:10
They weren't modeling leadership
-
00:33:12
the way Jesus modeled it.
-
00:33:15
My own story is
just riddled with ways
-
00:33:17
that I've just
mis-stewarded people
-
00:33:19
because of my aggressive ways
-
00:33:22
and using intimidation or fear
-
00:33:26
or just trying to
overpower something.
-
00:33:30
Even as small as he is,
I couldn't overpower him,
-
00:33:34
but I'm smart enough
that I could figure out tricks.
-
00:33:37
And I know tricks to where
-
00:33:39
I could have punished
him and beat him
-
00:33:42
and make him stand still.
-
00:33:43
And even as kind as he was,
-
00:33:45
it's unbelievable how
aggressive people will be
-
00:33:48
to try to get their
point across.
-
00:33:51
And it's unnecessary
because if we're going
-
00:33:54
to be the ones that
are stewarding these --
-
00:33:56
This kingdom of
heaven and our King
-
00:34:00
is one that they said
was the Prince of Peace.
-
00:34:04
And He sent us with
to be filled with His Spirit
-
00:34:08
that's a counselor
-
00:34:11
and one that's
filled with wisdom,
-
00:34:13
then we can come at
things with absolute authority.
-
00:34:18
I know that I have
authority over this animal.
-
00:34:20
Actually, it was
given to me by God
-
00:34:22
that I've been given
dominion over this animal.
-
00:34:26
And I can use that
dominion to abuse him,
-
00:34:29
to use him, to manipulate him,
-
00:34:31
to make him into my workhorse.
-
00:34:34
I could do that
with my dominion.
-
00:34:37
And unfortunately, we
can do that with each other.
-
00:34:40
We can do it with our kids.
-
00:34:46
But does it actually
get you what you want?
-
00:34:48
Because we were
created to have deep levels
-
00:34:51
of connection with each other.
-
00:34:54
And the connection can only
come if there's a safe place.
-
00:34:58
And it's where the
miracles happen.
-
00:35:00
And it's why, instead
of him resisting
-
00:35:02
and fighting and
trying to get away,
-
00:35:05
he's really just
saying what's next?
-
00:35:34
[music]
-
00:37:21
What I'm doing
when I'm turning him,
-
00:37:24
he's actually focusing
with one eye on me.
-
00:37:30
And it's it's freeing
him up to where
-
00:37:33
when we go straight again,
-
00:37:36
he's going to have a
lot more confidence in it.
-
00:37:42
So the circle is
not on accident.
-
00:37:44
The circle is on purpose.
-
00:37:46
And you can call
it the circle of life.
-
00:37:49
But I just think
that it's beautiful
-
00:37:52
that God made things
in circles and rhythms
-
00:37:57
and made it to where there's
a season for everything.
-
00:38:04
It's supposedly
springtime in Idaho,
-
00:38:05
and we got three inches of
snow at the house last night.
-
00:38:09
And two babies on the ground,
-
00:38:11
or two baby horses
on the ground.
-
00:38:15
That would have
been horrible. [laughter]
-
00:38:17
Horses. That's problematic.
-
00:38:22
But the reason why it
is that we just recognize
-
00:38:27
that there's night
and there's day,
-
00:38:30
that we have these
new beginnings.
-
00:38:33
And there was a
lot of celebrations
-
00:38:35
that God gave us that would mark
-
00:38:38
the celebrations of --
Or the the reality that
-
00:38:41
we get to go through
these new beginnings
-
00:38:43
and we remember things
as we're going around.
-
00:38:48
Because the fact that he can
look at me through one eye
-
00:38:51
and not be able to
see me with the other
-
00:38:54
is just a different
level of trust.
-
00:38:56
And he's doing it
because he's doing it
-
00:38:59
over and over and over again.
-
00:39:01
I think that this walk
of faith that we're all on,
-
00:39:04
that we're on this
journey of discovery,
-
00:39:07
and we wouldn't have
to come together like this.
-
00:39:10
We wouldn't have
to continue to press in
-
00:39:12
to what God's Word says.
-
00:39:14
We wouldn't have
to, on a daily basis,
-
00:39:16
re-present
ourselves to the Lord.
-
00:39:20
We would do --
-
00:39:21
And this is a little bit
hard for some of you.
-
00:39:23
If you don't like
dying, the Christian life
-
00:39:26
is going to be
really hard for you
-
00:39:28
because Paul says
that you have to die daily.
-
00:39:31
So that's way too frequent
if you don't like doing it.
-
00:39:34
But if this is what
dying looks like,
-
00:39:36
which is actually
what it's like,
-
00:39:38
it's so life giving.
-
00:39:40
It said if you will
lay your life down,
-
00:39:43
you'll be raised up.
-
00:39:45
If you want to be
among the greatest,
-
00:39:48
make yourself the least.
-
00:39:50
And this upside
down Kingdom that
-
00:39:52
we love to celebrate
and talk about,
-
00:39:56
i's what it is that he's
demonstrating today.
-
00:40:04
That his willingness
to say yes to something
-
00:40:07
that he doesn't
fully understand,
-
00:40:10
just because he realizes
that he's finally found
-
00:40:13
himself in a place
where he's safe.
-
00:40:17
And saying yes to me, this
is a good exchange for him.
-
00:40:24
He's seen that he's
only giving up a life
-
00:40:26
of living like day to day.
-
00:40:33
Eat, drink and be merry,
but there's no purpose in it.
-
00:40:50
That there's
something inside of him
-
00:40:51
and it's like it's described,
-
00:40:54
a lot of people say, like,
there's a hole within us
-
00:40:56
that can only be filled by God.
-
00:40:59
It's the same way
with this horse.
-
00:41:01
He already knows that
-
00:41:02
there's something
missing without me.
-
00:41:04
He's been convinced that
-
00:41:06
there's something
different that happens
-
00:41:07
inside of him when he's with me.
-
00:41:11
And then when I
become one with him,
-
00:41:13
when we are walking together,
-
00:41:15
that there's a different power,
-
00:41:18
there's a different authority.
-
00:41:19
It's awkward right now
because it's so brand new.
-
00:41:22
But he's realizing that
-
00:41:26
this is what he's
been waiting for.
-
00:41:28
He's been waiting
for this moment.
-
00:41:59
[music]
-
00:44:33
It's shocking to
me that people think
-
00:44:38
that horses are
better off left alone.
-
00:44:43
It's a mentality that
makes it to where
-
00:44:45
I think in this, the
culture that we're in
-
00:44:49
is that people feel like,
-
00:44:50
if I can do what I want
to do, then I'm free.
-
00:44:54
And we're finding
ourselves just spun out,
-
00:44:57
like we can't even
get our wits about us
-
00:45:00
because our flesh
will never say enough.
-
00:45:03
We'll always want more.
-
00:45:06
And it doesn't matter
what it is that you crave
-
00:45:08
or what it is that you lust
-
00:45:09
or whatever it is
that you're looking to
-
00:45:11
to get the peace and the
joy that you're looking for,
-
00:45:14
there's never enough.
-
00:45:18
And it's tragic because
we can run and be free
-
00:45:22
and have all this privilege
-
00:45:24
and all this opportunity
and run right past
-
00:45:26
the thing that we
were created for.
-
00:45:39
And Jesus, the rabbi
that walked around
-
00:45:42
with His disciples, and
He demonstrated to them
-
00:45:44
what it looks like
to be a whole man.
-
00:45:49
He did it with
absolute authority.
-
00:45:52
He wasn't insecure or timid,
-
00:45:54
but there was a kindness
about it to made it
-
00:45:57
where everybody would
want to come to Him.
-
00:45:59
The only people that
had a problem with H
-
00:46:01
im were the the
religious people.
-
00:46:04
And that's because He
was a threat to their system,
-
00:46:06
that they weren't
going to be able
-
00:46:08
to continue to abuse people
-
00:46:11
and shame people into
being obedient people.
-
00:46:15
He didn't come
to make it to where
-
00:46:17
bad people would
become good people.
-
00:46:19
He came to make it
to where dead people
-
00:46:22
would become alive people.
-
00:46:25
And if you don't
see yourself as dead,
-
00:46:27
separated from
God, it's going to be
-
00:46:29
really difficult
for you to enjoy
-
00:46:31
what it's like to
be alive in Him.
-
00:46:35
[applause] Thank you.
-
00:46:47
And this guy is making
my job so easy that
-
00:46:50
it was like the word
over this weekend
-
00:46:55
is what would happen
if there was actually
-
00:46:58
some Holy Spirit
revival that would fall
-
00:47:02
upon this place and
that this one home.
-
00:47:04
I'm going to quit
calling it a house,
-
00:47:06
because houses
where people live,
-
00:47:09
homes are where families live.
-
00:47:12
And there's something
about being a family
-
00:47:14
that has a Father
that's perfect.
-
00:47:17
And this celebration of today
-
00:47:22
and being here
together of one accord
-
00:47:24
and giving the Holy
Spirit permission to teach,
-
00:47:27
teach us what is it
-
00:47:30
that He's actually
saying about you?
-
00:47:32
And why is it that we
can look in a mirror,
-
00:47:35
according to Scripture,
and in the mirror
-
00:47:38
we can actually
see the glory of God?
-
00:47:43
Why is it that God,
Holy One, knowing
-
00:47:46
that we and our in
ourselves are broken?
-
00:47:49
And every one of us
could point to areas
-
00:47:51
of our life that
were just, like,
-
00:47:53
we're getting whooped in.
-
00:47:56
We want victory in it.
-
00:47:58
We want it to be better.
-
00:48:00
Anybody here want to be
-
00:48:01
a better version of
themselves besides me?
-
00:48:04
Like, that's why we're here.
-
00:48:07
We're becoming
healed, whole people.
-
00:48:11
And if that's what it is
that we've been invited into
-
00:48:20
where did it become
so complicated?
-
00:48:30
Brian encouraged me.
-
00:48:32
Man, this horse is just
give me time to do this.
-
00:48:43
So, when I was a kid.
-
00:48:46
And I won't go much into it,
-
00:48:47
but I grew up in a
really small town,
-
00:48:50
and there was a
predominant religion
-
00:48:52
that I wasn't a part of.
-
00:48:54
And it made it to where,
for other reasons than
-
00:49:00
the fact that I wasn't
a part of the religion,
-
00:49:01
I just didn't -- I was bullied.
-
00:49:03
And found refuge in
animals and old people.
-
00:49:11
I would ride my horse.
Her name was Sugar.
-
00:49:14
And I'd take her
and ride her to,
-
00:49:16
there was a couple
old women that were --
-
00:49:20
Didn't have husbands.
-
00:49:21
And I'd go sit with them
and they'd tell me stories.
-
00:49:24
And I'm like, I look
back on that boy
-
00:49:28
and I'm thinking, why
was he so comfortable
-
00:49:31
with horses and
critters and old people?
-
00:49:36
It's like I found a safe place.
-
00:49:38
And I'm really,
really grateful for it
-
00:49:42
because it developed
this thing inside of me
-
00:49:44
that gives me so much compassion
-
00:49:46
for all of creation,
especially people.
-
00:49:52
And this horse that I had,
-
00:49:57
we would spend so
much time together
-
00:49:59
that I didn't have to
have anything on her.
-
00:50:01
And this could get ugly.
-
00:50:04
But this is a two year old
-
00:50:08
that's never been
ridden, y'all, so don't clap.
-
00:50:15
I did this the other
day for the first time
-
00:50:17
since I was probably
ten years old.
-
00:50:25
Woo.
-
00:50:32
I'd lay on her like this
and I'd just fall asleep
-
00:50:36
and she'd fall asleep.
-
00:50:38
And when she'd fall asleep,
-
00:50:39
she'd starts tipping
over. [laughter]
-
00:50:43
So, it's given me
a lot of permission
-
00:50:49
to look at what is it that --
-
00:50:51
Because if I look
at my whole story,
-
00:50:55
this beautiful thing
that God built in me
-
00:50:57
to where I need
to, I need to bring
-
00:50:58
my whole story together
-
00:51:00
because I want
to be a whole man.
-
00:51:02
And you're sitting here today.
-
00:51:03
What does this
have to do with you? I
-
00:51:04
think it has everything
to do with you,
-
00:51:06
because every one of us have got
-
00:51:07
these seasons of our life,
-
00:51:09
and we fragment ourselves,
-
00:51:10
and there's freedom
in this space,
-
00:51:12
like, there's a piece
that's over you right now
-
00:51:14
to where you can actually reckon
-
00:51:16
with some of the things.
-
00:51:17
And you don't know
how to feel love,
-
00:51:19
but you're feeling it now.
-
00:51:27
The tragic part of
that story is that I got --
-
00:51:32
Our family got in a position
where I was going to --
-
00:51:34
We were going to move
and we moved to a,
-
00:51:38
to me, it might as well
have been Los Angeles,
-
00:51:40
but it was just a
town of about 50,000.
-
00:51:42
But we lived in a
mountain community
-
00:51:45
and I was moving
to the big city.
-
00:51:48
And in that transition,
I had to figure out
-
00:51:52
what I was going to do because
-
00:51:54
I was leaving all of
my animals behind.,
-
00:51:57
all of the mountains
that I could run in,
-
00:51:58
the places that I
knew how to feel safe.
-
00:52:04
And so I had to be
become someone different.
-
00:52:10
And it was a really mean,
angry version of myself.
-
00:52:15
And the tragic part
of it is that it worked.
-
00:52:18
It got me friends,
and I figured out
-
00:52:21
how to become popular
and successful in sports.
-
00:52:26
But what had to die
for that to happen
-
00:52:30
was this kindness
and the gentleness
-
00:52:34
and this love that
I had for people
-
00:52:36
and for animals and creation.
-
00:52:43
My second year in college,
-
00:52:45
someone told me about Jesus.
-
00:52:48
And I didn't know
what all was possible.
-
00:52:49
All I knew was
that I needed help.
-
00:52:52
And I wanted -- I
wanted to feel safe again.
-
00:52:55
I wanted to feel what it's
like to love people again.
-
00:52:59
And even though I
didn't have language for it,
-
00:53:01
this is the healing
power of Jesus.
-
00:53:03
That he made it to where
I was not only forgiven,
-
00:53:06
but there was a
brand new beginning
-
00:53:08
that didn't just
start at that day.
-
00:53:11
It actually goes back to
the day of my conception.
-
00:53:14
That before I was
even conceived,
-
00:53:16
that there was an eternal plan
-
00:53:18
and a purpose for my life.
-
00:53:19
And there's power
in this testimony
-
00:53:22
that I'm speaking over you.
-
00:53:23
It's the power of
prophecy that God has
-
00:53:27
speaking over your
lives, saying that
-
00:53:29
I'm not sure what
you've given up hope on,
-
00:53:31
but today let it be as what
is being presented to you,
-
00:53:37
that there's nothing
that can ever stand
-
00:53:39
between you and the
promise that God's got for you.
-
00:54:02
[music]
-
00:55:45
I don't know if he felt
like he was free before,
-
00:55:48
but this is freedom.
-
00:56:04
I want you to
consider what it is
-
00:56:06
that he's inherited, because
-
00:56:09
this beauty of
the gospel is that
-
00:56:10
we don't just get
forgiven of our sins,
-
00:56:12
we become sons and daughters
-
00:56:14
that are heirs of the
kingdom of heaven.
-
00:56:17
And because we're heirs
of the kingdom of heaven,
-
00:56:19
we get all the
resources of heaven:
-
00:56:21
the love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,
-
00:56:24
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control,
-
00:56:28
all of these
attributes of our King
-
00:56:31
is what it is we inherit,
-
00:56:32
and we get it for eternity.
-
00:56:34
And I'm not exactly
sure what things are like
-
00:56:36
on the other side of the veil.
-
00:56:37
All I know is that
when I died --
-
00:56:39
Probably haven't
told y'all, I died once.
-
00:56:42
Actually, I've died
a couple times.
-
00:56:44
But the one time that I remember
-
00:56:46
actually being outside
of my body, all I know
-
00:56:48
is that whatever's on
the other side of this
-
00:56:50
is it's beautiful.
It's glorious.
-
00:56:52
I don't have words
for it because we --
-
00:56:54
It's one of our five senses
that we describe events with.
-
00:56:57
I don't have a sense
to describe to you
-
00:57:00
this other side.
-
00:57:03
And so I'm not telling stories
-
00:57:05
I had read about in a book.
-
00:57:08
I've encountered heaven.
-
00:57:09
I've encountered what it's
like to be dead physically.
-
00:57:16
This thing that we inherit,
-
00:57:19
he's not limited by
his own understanding.
-
00:57:22
He's not limited by what it is
that he can see and understand.
-
00:57:26
That there's a promise
that I speak over him
-
00:57:28
that I'm going to do things
-
00:57:29
that are exceedingly,
abundantly above
-
00:57:31
anything that he could
hope, think, or imagine.
-
00:57:35
There's no way for
him to even come up
-
00:57:37
with the things that he
and I could do together.
-
00:57:41
And all it took
was him saying yes
-
00:57:45
in a very non dramatic way.
-
00:57:50
But I don't know why
it has to be so hard.
-
00:57:52
Because when Jesus
walked up to somebody,
-
00:57:55
all He said was follow me.
-
00:58:02
And there was a presence
about Him that made it
-
00:58:04
to where people would walk away
-
00:58:06
from their families
and their livelihood
-
00:58:07
and say, "I'm going
to follow that one."
-
00:58:11
And then He puts
that presence within us.
-
00:58:14
And says, "Go get 'em,
boys. Go get 'em, girls!
-
00:58:18
Show the world
what it's like to love."
-
00:58:21
Because the entire world
right now is upside down
-
00:58:23
because they're
trying to figure out
-
00:58:25
what it is that's true.
-
00:58:28
Truth isn't an intellect.
Truth is a person.
-
00:58:32
And it can only be
found in Jesus.
-
00:58:35
And when He pours
His spirit into us,
-
00:58:37
it's the Spirit of
wisdom and revelation.
-
00:58:42
And it seems
counterintuitive, like,
-
00:58:45
our brains have a
hard time reckoning
-
00:58:47
with this reality that
you're going to live forever.
-
00:58:51
My wife hates it when I say this
-
00:58:53
because she takes
it quite literally.
-
00:58:54
But nobody can kill me.
-
00:58:59
I'm never going to die.
-
00:59:02
And when you know that
you're never going to die.
-
00:59:06
[applause] Yeah. Thank you.
-
00:59:08
I think everybody
should just clap
-
00:59:09
really good for a second.
-
00:59:11
Let's see if he's actually
got settled in here.
-
00:59:21
[applause] Sorry, Brian.
-
00:59:22
It's just I can't
help if Holy Spirit's
-
00:59:25
going to bring such
a level of peace
-
00:59:26
to where he is like,
"Whatever, y'all."
-
00:59:28
I'm carrying the
Prince of Peace.
-
00:59:31
I know who I am, I found myself,
-
00:59:35
I know how to be myself finally,
-
00:59:37
because the one
that is filling me
-
00:59:40
and teaching me and leading me
-
00:59:42
and guiding me
and instructing me
-
00:59:43
is the one that
has all the answers.
-
00:59:45
So all I know is that
there's one step I get to take.
-
00:59:51
And I've got the
courage to do it
-
00:59:52
because of the presence
that's surrounding me.
-
00:59:56
And there are
people that have got
-
00:59:57
to make a step tonight because
-
00:59:59
you've seen too much.
You've heard too much.
-
01:00:02
This is not a religion.
It's not a philosophy.
-
01:00:05
It's not a psychology.
-
01:00:06
It's not just a cultural
thing. It's not --
-
01:00:11
For God's sake, it's
not a social media thing.
-
01:00:14
It's not a trend.
-
01:00:16
This is the truth,
the eternal truth.
-
01:00:20
To when Jesus said that
-
01:00:21
I was the beginning and the end,
-
01:00:23
that I was the author of life
-
01:00:26
and going to be the
fulfiller of all promises.
-
01:00:31
We've run out of
reasons to run from this.
-
01:00:34
That if this is the lifestyle
that He's got for us,
-
01:00:37
a life of healing and hope.
-
01:00:39
And it doesn't -- not
all of us just seem
-
01:00:41
to have it all figured out
-
01:00:43
as well as this
guy's displaying.
-
01:00:45
But it's okay because
even if he did throw a fit,
-
01:00:49
it's not going to
change a thing.
-
01:00:50
He's already said yes to me,
-
01:00:52
so he's never going
to get rid of me.
-
01:01:02
-So, just to be
-- just to be clear.
-
01:01:04
I'll come up here again
because I can, I like to.
-
01:01:10
This is unusual, right?
-
01:01:13
Because it doesn't look like
-
01:01:14
this horse has never
been ridden before.
-
01:01:16
- Right.
- Right. But it is unusual.
-
01:01:21
- Yeah, it looks -- so I --
-
01:01:23
I don't know how
to, it's almost like
-
01:01:25
I've been healed physically,
-
01:01:26
like miraculously
healed physically.
-
01:01:29
And it's like, I don't care
-
01:01:30
how much physical
evidence I provide people,
-
01:01:32
they just have a
hard time believing it.
-
01:01:33
So you're going
to have to decide
-
01:01:34
whether you can trust me or not.
-
01:01:37
This horse has
never been ridden.
-
01:01:39
This horse has no reason
-
01:01:40
to let anybody
ride it right now.
-
01:01:42
This takes a process
you go through,
-
01:01:45
even with a horse like
him, you give him days
-
01:01:48
to learn how to do what it
is that he's doing right now.
-
01:01:52
But why it happened in a moment
-
01:01:54
is because of something else.
-
01:01:56
And that's what
you get to decide
-
01:01:57
what you've got faith in.
-
01:01:58
- And I think the link for me
-
01:02:00
that you spelled out for me
-
01:02:03
which was so empowering,
was that, you know,
-
01:02:07
we think a horse
that's broken or saddled
-
01:02:11
or is in captivity is
living not their best life.
-
01:02:15
Their best life would
be out and about doing,
-
01:02:18
you know, just running
free and everything.
-
01:02:20
But that's actually not true.
-
01:02:22
Give us the stats again.
-
01:02:25
- Well, one man on a
horse can rule an entire herd.
-
01:02:29
So, a horse that's
actually yielded to a partner
-
01:02:32
becomes significantly
more powerful
-
01:02:35
than an entire herd would be.
-
01:02:37
And that one horse that
could pull 2,000 pounds.
-
01:02:44
Two horses can
pull 6,000 pounds.
-
01:02:47
The math doesn't add up.
-
01:02:48
There's something exponential
-
01:02:49
and there's something
that makes it to where
-
01:02:51
them partnered with man,
-
01:02:53
and them partnering
with each other
-
01:02:55
makes it to where
we're a kingdom
-
01:02:56
that's unstoppable. - All right.
-
01:02:58
So the illustration
here for all of us is
-
01:03:04
you may think that
the best thing for you
-
01:03:09
is to live your
life and wait for
-
01:03:11
maybe God
sometime in the future.
-
01:03:13
You might think
the best thing for you
-
01:03:16
is to kind of say a prayer.
-
01:03:19
Let Jesus in your life
-
01:03:20
and that just gives
you forgiveness
-
01:03:21
so you can do whatever you want
-
01:03:22
and you're not really
getting serious about God.
-
01:03:24
You're only going
to show up at church
-
01:03:26
at a special thing or
when a horse is there
-
01:03:28
or a Christmas
and Easter service.
-
01:03:30
And you may think you're
getting over on the system.
-
01:03:32
You may think that you're
actually doing yourself a favor.
-
01:03:34
You're opening up your options.
-
01:03:36
You're giving
yourself more freedom.
-
01:03:37
You're not coming
under the the bondage
-
01:03:39
of having to follow Jesus.
-
01:03:41
You need to understand
you are not as strong
-
01:03:45
as you could be if you
gave your life to Christ.
-
01:03:47
- Yeah. - You need to understand
-
01:03:49
you are not as
free as you could be
-
01:03:50
if you gave your life to Christ.
-
01:03:51
You don't understand.
-
01:03:53
You think you're
cheating the system.
-
01:03:55
The system has cheated you.
-
01:03:57
Until somebody
gives their life to Christ,
-
01:04:00
allows Christ to be Lord
on them, rule their life,
-
01:04:05
you do not have the capacities
you could have otherwise.
-
01:04:08
You don't have the same power.
-
01:04:10
You don't have
the same longevity.
-
01:04:11
That's the stick
of the whole thing.
-
01:04:13
That's it in a nutshell.
-
01:04:15
And so maybe tonight
some of you came in here
-
01:04:18
and maybe, you know, maybe you
-
01:04:20
became a Christian at some day,
-
01:04:21
or maybe you just kind
of go to religious events
-
01:04:23
is good for you.
-
01:04:24
And maybe you
went, "Oh, you mean
-
01:04:27
that's what could happen?
-
01:04:28
A loving God who would love me
and actually lead me
-
01:04:30
and actually give
me more potency
-
01:04:32
and unlock me for who
He's created me to be?
-
01:04:35
That's what it is?"
Yes, that's what it is.
-
01:04:37
That's what it is.
-
01:04:39
So we're going to
have people up front
-
01:04:41
at all of our sites.
-
01:04:42
They're all prayer people.
-
01:04:44
They are ninjas in prayer.
-
01:04:47
They do it all the time
-
01:04:48
and they are qualified
to interact with you.
-
01:04:50
Maybe you want to
come up to one of them
-
01:04:52
and you want to say,
"Hey, I want to give
-
01:04:53
my life to Jesus right now.
-
01:04:54
I want Him to -- I want
Him to ride me right now."
-
01:04:56
And they'll be happy
to pray with you.
-
01:04:58
Maybe you've got some pain.
-
01:05:02
When Todd starts talking
about humans letting them down.
-
01:05:05
Maybe you got something
deep inside of you.
-
01:05:07
Maybe there's
spots on this horse
-
01:05:09
that are sensitive to touch.
-
01:05:11
And there's things
about your past
-
01:05:12
or what you're
dealing with right now
-
01:05:14
that's really difficult for you.
-
01:05:16
Those folks are cued up
and would love to pray for you.
-
01:05:18
And what do you know?
-
01:05:19
There is an X factor
of the Spirit of God
-
01:05:21
and something might
actually happen for you
-
01:05:24
if you'll come forward
and pray. Get prayer rather.
-
01:05:28
Anything else, Todd?
-
01:05:29
- Man, I'm a guest
here, and I love the fact
-
01:05:35
that you've trusted
me for four years
-
01:05:36
to come and share
with your family.
-
01:05:38
And there's an urgency, I guess,
-
01:05:42
I have about me
tonight, that some of you
-
01:05:44
are going to walk
out of this room,
-
01:05:46
and your marriages
aren't going to make it
-
01:05:47
if something significant
doesn't change.
-
01:05:50
That there's something
that now is your moment.
-
01:05:53
And I know that
it doesn't matter to me
-
01:05:57
whether you come forward or not.
-
01:05:58
I just need you to realize
that you've waited this long,
-
01:06:03
let's not take
anything for granted
-
01:06:05
and walk away the
same way we came in.
-
01:06:09
And so that -- I would
be just, out of kindness,
-
01:06:13
push you just enough to say,
-
01:06:16
"You've got to do something
before you leave here."
-
01:06:18
And it might be just grab
somebody next to you
-
01:06:20
or whoever you
came with and decide:
-
01:06:23
are you a son of God?
Are you a daughter of God?
-
01:06:27
And if you're not hearing
Him speaking over you
-
01:06:29
that He's highlighting
every quality
-
01:06:32
that you have about you.
-
01:06:34
He's wanting to celebrate
every aspect of yourself.
-
01:06:37
He's wanting you to hear
-
01:06:38
what you should have
heard from an earthly father,
-
01:06:40
and feel safe enough
and empowered enough
-
01:06:43
that tonight's the night
-
01:06:44
that you get to
make that decision.
-
01:06:46
And I know for
Christians everywhere,
-
01:06:48
I'm surrounded by Him
and we're still wondering,
-
01:06:51
"What in the world
is going on in me?
-
01:06:52
Why am I not fixed yet?"
-
01:06:54
And we're just going
to get rid of all shame,
-
01:06:56
and we're going to learn
how to forgive ourselves
-
01:06:58
the same way that we're
learning to be forgiven.
-
01:07:01
Whatever it is, let's
deal with it tonight
-
01:07:04
in this home to where
we don't leave here
-
01:07:08
and get distracted
again with the world.
-
01:07:10
Just pause for a
moment long enough.
-
01:07:13
We'll have -- They're
going to sing a song?
-
01:07:16
- Yeah. Why don't
we all stand right now?
-
01:07:18
Let's stand. - Yeah.
-
01:07:19
- And let's sing to God.
-
01:07:20
Let's let Him hear
our voice. Okay?
-
01:07:22
And this horse too.
-
01:07:24
This horse is
actually never heard
-
01:07:26
a bunch of people sing.
-
01:07:27
Let's give him
something tonight.
-
01:07:33
- We're going to sing to
this God who made us,
-
01:07:35
the God who knows us,
-
01:07:37
the God who's the
provider of all good things,
-
01:07:40
the source of good
things. We sing.
-
01:07:45
[music]
-
01:10:56
- Hey, thank you so much
for watching.
-
01:10:58
Thank you for being
a part of today.
-
01:11:00
Now, just to reiterate,
this is all unscripted
-
01:11:03
It is a new horse
every single time
-
01:11:06
that hasn't been ridden,
hasn't been trained
-
01:11:08
And, man, this is an experience.
-
01:11:10
This is an experience
-
01:11:11
that is unlike any church
service I have been to
-
01:11:13
And why do we do this?
-
01:11:14
We do all of this in the hopes
that
-
01:11:16
it will help you see yourself
and see God in a new way.
-
01:11:20
It's in the hopes that you'll
take a step towards God
-
01:11:23
and connect with
Him in a fresh way.
-
01:11:25
That's what we want for you.
-
01:11:27
And a couple ways
you can do that,
-
01:11:29
like, you might have questions
as a result of this weekend
-
01:11:31
You might want
to pray with somebody.
-
01:11:33
You might want
to process with somebody.
-
01:11:35
Hey, we are here for that.
-
01:11:37
You can just head to
crossroads.net,
-
01:11:39
click the chat button,
-
01:11:40
and my team would
love to talk with you.
-
01:11:42
You can even email me directly
at andy.reider@crossroads.net.
-
01:11:46
This spiritual journey is not
meant to be walked alone.
-
01:11:49
It's meant to
be lived with community.
-
01:11:51
So, we'd love to be with you
-
01:11:53
to help you take your
next step with God.
-
01:11:55
And we say this
a lot around here,
-
01:11:58
but we are a community
that you belong to,
-
01:12:00
not just content
that you watch, right?
-
01:12:03
Man, and one perfect
way, perfect way
-
01:12:06
that you can lean into that
reality of who this movement is,
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of what this church is
all about is by coming to
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something that we call
the Anywhere Weekend.
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Now our Crossroads
Anywhere Community
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doesn't meet weekly in
a church building like this.
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We are scattered
all over the globe
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in homes, in dorms, in bars and
coffee shops all over the place.
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But once a year, once
a year in the summer
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we get to come together
for a time to be encouraged,
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for a time to make friends from
the other side of the globe,
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and, man, to get
refreshed for another year
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of being the church,
not just going to church.
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So, July 19-21 we would
love to have you join us.
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All the info is at
crossroads.net/AnywhereWeekend
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and you can RSVP right there.
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You do not want to miss it.
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Make sure you tune in next week
as Alli Patterson talks to us
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about how Jesus heals.
We'll see you next week.